"So all along he has been protecting me," Tie Hongchen whispered, her voice trembling faintly though her expression remained cold and composed on the surface. Her phoenix eyes carried a storm of emotions — confusion, guilt, and a tenderness she tried desperately to smother.
"I guess this is not everything?" she pressed, her tone hardening again as her gaze pinned Xue Kai in place. It was as though her eyes could pierce through all his attempts to hide the truth.
Xue Kai bowed deeply, beads of sweat forming along his forehead. "Your Highness, there is indeed more. His Highness's condition has worsened over time. Ever since he fought that warrior, the yang mana in his body has grown increasingly unstable. I have examined him many times… it seems he was struck by a strange poison or perhaps a martial art that targets yang directly."
He paused, stealing a glance at Tai Jian's unconscious figure on the bed before lowering his head again. "Moreover, he has been quietly using his strength to heal you. Each time he stabilised the yin energy in your body, his own condition deteriorated further. All the yang-suppressing herbs have been exhausted, yet the results remain… unsatisfactory. I have tried every method I know, but—"
"Enough." Tie Hongchen's voice cut sharply through the silence. Her lips trembled slightly, though she suppressed it behind her usual cold mask. "For how long were you planning to keep this from me?"
Her words were directed at Xue Kai, but her eyes never left Tai Jian. It was as if the unconscious man before her was the only existence in the room. She stared at his pale yet strikingly handsome face, every line carved with quiet endurance. For the first time, she truly saw him — not as a tool, not as a rival, not as a husband she resented — but as someone who had borne pain in silence for her sake.
Her heart clenched. He had done so much, yet she had never realised it. Instead, she had misunderstood him, despised him, even hurt him. Shame and sorrow welled up within her chest, but beneath them both burned something she refused to acknowledge — a fear of losing him.
"I will deal with him after he wakes up," she finally said, her tone clipped to hide the tremor within. "Leave us alone."
Xue Kai bowed once more, not daring to protest, and retreated from the chamber.
The room fell into utter silence. Even the flickering candlelight seemed hesitant to disturb the stillness.
Tie Hongchen stood by the bedside, her gaze locked on Tai Jian. For so long, she had convinced herself that he was her enemy, a chain she was forced to bear. Yet now, the bitter truth was laid bare before her — he was the one who had always shielded her from the shadows, the one who bore pain so she could stand strong.
Her breath quivered. Her expression softened, the frost in her eyes melting into something warmer, though she herself did not notice it.
She remembered the past — how she had used him at first, treating him only as a stepping stone to strengthen her martial path. When tragedy struck and her father fell to her brothers, she had unleashed her grief and hatred on Tai Jian, unjustly blaming him. And yet… through every wound, every cold word, every rejection… he had never retaliated. He had only stood in front of her, protecting her.
How could my heart not be moved? she thought, her chest tightening.
"You have done so much for me," she murmured softly, her fingers brushing against his arm. "Let me return the favour."
She sat beside him, closing her eyes as she considered the path before her. The truth of the Yin–Yang Technique unfolded in her mind, piece by piece.
There were only two ways to save him.
The first was to fully unite yin and yang — merging them in perfect harmony to form balance. This was the natural path of the technique, yet one they had never dared to tread.
The second was for her to use her yin energy directly, suppressing the wild yang within him until it stabilised.
Her brow furrowed. The technique's introduction had spoken of balance, but she and Tai Jian had both misunderstood. Balance was not simply control — it was the eternal dance of opposites, the coexistence of good and evil, light and dark. Yin represented cold, shadow, destruction. Yang embodied warmth, vitality, creation. Alone, each would destroy themselves. Together, they bound the world.
Unknowingly, the two of them had reached a state where they could not live apart. His yang kept her from falling into a merciless demon path, while her yin prevented his body from being consumed by fire. Their cultivations, though practiced separately, were already entangled. At night, when yin energy was densest, Tai Jian unconsciously absorbed her overflow, neutralising it even in his sleep. That was why her cultivation rose day after day, and why his body grew weaker.
Fool… you've been saving me all this time.
Her cheeks flushed crimson. The knowledge struck her with a heaviness she could not deny — the Yin–Yang Technique was incomplete. It was, in truth, a dual cultivation art. Sooner or later, their paths would converge. Their bond was no longer something either of them could sever.
At that moment, Xue Kai's voice rang faintly from outside the chamber. "Your Highness, I forgot to inform you. His Highness and yourself have been summoned to the palace by the Empress Dowager."
Tie Hongchen steadied her breath. "Understood. We will go." Her eyes lowered back to Tai Jian, a softness flickering in their depths.
She carefully lifted his head, resting it on her lap. Her slender fingers trembled slightly as she guided his body upright, then leaned down. Their faces were so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips. Her heart pounded violently, shattering the icy facade she had built all her life.
Her face flushed bright red. To anyone who saw her now, she would seem like a shy maiden, not the cold princess known throughout the empire.
"I am only doing this to save his life," she muttered to herself, her voice shaky. "It's not like I am… taking advantage of him."
Summoning her courage, she pressed her lips against his. The moment their mouths touched, a spark shot through her body. She hugged him tightly, allowing her yin energy to flow into him.
The sensation was intoxicating.
Why does it feel so good? she thought, panic flickering through her as waves of warmth spread across her chest. No… this is only to help him. The energy has yet to be neutralised… I must continue.
She deepened the kiss, transferring more yin energy into his body. Their breaths mingled, their auras intertwined. In that instant, the image of two dao fishes — one black, one white — shimmered faintly around them, circling endlessly in harmony.
The heavens watched, amused at the bond that fate had tied.
Neither of them noticed. Their cultivation surged, aura expanding, yet they did not part. They were lost in each other's warmth.
What Tie Hongchen did not know was that Tai Jian had already awakened. The moment he opened his eyes and saw her lips on his, he froze in disbelief. Then, with a rare mischievousness, he closed his eyes again and chose to indulge in the moment, silently enjoying the tenderness she had finally revealed.
Minutes slipped by before Tie Hongchen finally broke away, her breathing ragged. She tried to pull back, but his arms tightened around her waist.
"Don't move," Tai Jian murmured in a low, hoarse voice.
Her body stiffened, but she did not resist. Instead, she lay quietly in his embrace, her heartbeat gradually calming to the rhythm of his.
And so, in that fragile silence, the cold princess and the wounded prince fell asleep in each other's arms — bound tighter than either of them dared to admit.
But outside, the palace awaited. And the Empress Dowager's summons was never without purpose.