The northern gate loomed ahead, its iron hinges glinting faintly under the wash of torchlight. Beyond it stretched freedom: forests, rivers, and the wide earth that did not care about imperial decrees. Chen XiaoQi pressed herself into the shadows of the wall, heart hammering so loudly she feared the guards would hear it. The damp stone was cold against her back, and her palms were slick with sweat as she clenched them against her thighs.
Not yet. She had to wait for the torchbearer to falter, for weariness to drag his arm just low enough that the beam of light would miss her. She counted his footsteps, the drag of leather soles against the cobblestones. One, two, three, turn. Her breath caught in her throat each time he pivoted.
Bai Hu crouched at her side, the small fox spirit's ears pricked high. Its tail lashed once, betraying impatience.
"I know," XiaoQi whispered, voice trembling despite her effort to keep it steady. "Just a little longer. One more breath, and we—"
And then something colder than the wind kissed her throat.
A blade, its edge unforgiving, pressed just enough to sting.
XiaoQi froze. Every nerve in her body screamed to run, but the steel's chill kept her rooted. She lifted her eyes, and in the flickering torchlight saw the one face she had prayed never to encounter here, not like this.
The Crown Prince, Yan DongZe.
Of course. Who else would fate send to ruin her escape?
"Going somewhere, Lady Chen?" His voice cut sharper than his sword, low and steady, tinged with contempt.
Her mouth went dry, but pride forced her spine straight. She turned her head just enough to meet his gaze. His eyes, dark and unyielding, glinted with a predator's patience.
XiaoQi's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Does Your Highness enjoy skulking in the shadows? One might mistake you for a common thief."
The corner of his mouth twitched, though not in amusement. His sword pressed a fraction closer, grazing her skin with icy promise. "Better a thief in the shadows than the daughter of a traitor who would murder his sovereign."
Her breath caught. The words hit like a slap, stinging more than the blade. Still, she refused to look away. "I am not my father," she hissed. "Whatever debts he owes, they are not mine to pay."
DongZe's gaze swept over her—her rough disguise, the false cap, the poorly bound chest—as though she were nothing more than a desperate fool clawing at freedom. His lip curled in open disdain. "Your family's blood is already spoiled. To bind you to the throne is punishment enough. You are a living reminder of disgrace."
Fury surged hot in her chest, burning away fear. How dare he decide her fate as though she were a pawn to be shuffled about for imperial amusement? Her hands curled into fists at her sides. Before reason could still her, she spat onto the pristine hem of his robe.
The sound was small, but in the silence that followed, it echoed like a drum.
Bai Hu gave a short, approving yip, tail flicking high.
His eyes narrowed, unreadable in the wavering firelight. He stood still for a long moment, then slid his sword back into its sheath. The sound was soft, but it carried the weight of a verdict. His voice, when it came, was quiet and final, like a blade cutting through silk.
"Very well. If you wish to behave like a wild creature, then you will live like one. A cage will suit you."
He lifted his hand, and shadows stirred. Guards slipped from the darkness where she had seen nothing, silent as wraiths. In an instant, rough hands seized her arms, yanking away her satchel, her dagger, even the small pouches of herbs she had clung to like lifelines.
XiaoQi struggled, kicking, thrashing, but the men held firm. Chains clinked as they tightened restraints around her wrists. She bit down on her frustration, refusing to give them the sound of her pain. Her chin lifted, proud despite the sting of iron biting her skin.
DongZe stepped closer, his presence looming though his expression never wavered from cool disdain. "Take her to the abandoned West Residence. Let her sit with dust and silence until she remembers what obedience means."
The guards dragged her forward, her shoes scraping against the cobblestones. Yet XiaoQi kept her chin high, her voice ringing out like tempered steel. "Rot, is it? Then I will gladly rot. Dust, at least, has more honesty than your courtiers."
The procession back to the palace was anything but dignified.
The guards had formed a tight cordon around XiaoQi, their grips unyielding as they marched her through the moonlit corridors. Stone pillars cast long shadows across the ground, and every echo of their boots rang like a drumbeat of her captivity. She refused to lower her head. If she was going to be paraded like a criminal, she would at least meet the night with her chin raised.
But XiaoQi was not without allies.
Bai Hu padded alongside, tail twitching, ears flattened. His eyes gleamed with mischief, and she knew that look well.
"Do not," she whispered under her breath, barely moving her lips.
He ignored her.
Bai Hu darted forward in a blur of russet fur, slipping between armoured legs with the agility of smoke. With one calculated flick of his tail, he tangled the straps of a guard's boots. The man stumbled with a strangled cry, crashing into the soldier beside him. Their armour clattered like pots tossed down a stairwell.
Before the guards could right themselves, another companion intervened. The lantern-winged sprite, no larger than a teacup, zipped from XiaoQi's sleeve and dove straight into a second guard's ear. The soldier howled, swatting at the buzzing glow, his spear clattering to the ground with a clang that echoed through the corridor.
DongZe's stride faltered. His hand flexed against the hilt of his sword, knuckles tight.
And then, with impeccable timing, a sparrow spirit swooped down like a dart of feathers, colliding with DongZe himself. The bird tangled in his dark hair, beating its wings furiously as if trying to build a nest on his head.
The entire line of guards dissolved into chaos. Armor clanged as men stumbled, cursing under their breaths. Spears clattered against the tiles. Torchlight flickered as someone tripped into a wall.
XiaoQi bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
DongZe's jaw tightened until the muscles stood out sharp beneath his skin. With exaggerated patience, he pinched the bridge of his nose. His voice came out low and dangerous. "Are you summoning these pests on purpose?"
XiaoQi widened her eyes, batting her lashes with mock innocence. "Why, Your Highness, how could you accuse me of such things? Clearly, even the heavens disapprove of this marriage."
Bai Hu yipped as if in agreement, tail flicking proudly.
"Enough," he snapped finally. His voice cut through the chaos, and the guards fell back into uneasy order.
With a sharp shove, he pushed open the tall wooden doors of the West Residence. They groaned on their ancient hinges, releasing a breath of stale, dusty air that seemed to swallow the torchlight.
"This will be your cage," he said coldly. His voice carried no heat, only the unyielding weight of command. "You wished to be free of the palace. Very well. Rot here, alone. You will have no silks, no servants, no audience for your insolent tongue."
XiaoQi looked past him, into the dim corridor where cobwebs clung like lace to the beams. Dust lay thick on the floor, disturbed only by their entry. Her lips curved into a smirk. She stepped across the threshold as if she were entering a fine inn on her own terms, her spine straight, her eyes unbowed.
"Perfect," she said softly, savouring the bite of her words. "Peace and dust. Just my kind of company."
Their gazes met in the half-light. His eyes were sharp, burning with restrained fury, while hers glittered with untamed defiance. For a heartbeat, the silence between them crackled like a drawn bowstring, neither willing to yield.
Bai Hu slunk to her side, tail curling around her ankle, his golden gaze fixed on the Crown Prince as if daring him to strike.
It was DongZe who finally broke the silence, his voice colder than the night wind. "We will see how long your tongue stays sharp when the silence presses in."
He turned, robes whispering against the floor, and left her standing in the ruin of her new prison. The doors slammed shut with a final, echoing boom, sealing XiaoQi into the shadows.
The West Residence was silent, but not for long. XiaoQi sank onto the cracked floor, brushing the dust from her robes. Her stomach growled, a low, insistent protest that echoed through the empty room. She groaned and leaned back, staring at Bai Hu with mock exasperation.
"You know," she said, tilting her head and batting her eyelashes with exaggerated charm, "it would be really, really helpful if someone could fetch me some food. Someone small, clever, and... magical."
Bai Hu's ears twitched, his golden eyes glinting knowingly. He let out a small, approving yip and circled her once, tail swishing in anticipation.
"You see?" she said, a crooked grin tugging at her lips. "You like a challenge. Go on then, do me a favour, won't you?"
With that, Bai Hu vanished in a shimmer of white light, leaving behind only the faint scent of fox fur and moonlight. XiaoQi pressed her palms against her stomach, listening to it growl again, and allowed herself a small laugh, the sound echoing in the cavernous room. She could feel the tension of the night slowly melting, replaced by a mischievous thrill.
Moments later, the sounds of commotion drifted faintly through the corridors. Distant thuds, clattering pans, the muffled yelps of someone tripping over their own feet. XiaoQi's ears perked up. A faint jingling accompanied it, then the unmistakable sound of food being grabbed and rustled.
Bai Hu reappeared in a brilliant flash of white fur and golden light, carrying a mountain of stolen bread, fruit, and small pies. His eyes sparkled with triumph, and a mischievous grin curved his tiny muzzle. XiaoQi's mouth watered at the sight.
"You cleaned them out?" she asked, unable to hide the delight creeping into her voice.
Bai Hu yipped proudly. He flicked his tail, and a pear fell from his bundle, rolling across the floor. XiaoQi caught it mid-bounce, biting into it greedily. Juice dribbled down her chin, and she wiped it with the back of her hand, laughing despite herself.
"And the kitchen?" she asked, smirking knowingly.
The little fox's ears twitched. With a flick of his paw, distant sounds of crashing pots, spilled water, and yelps of startled cooks echoed faintly from the palace kitchen. XiaoQi's eyes sparkled. "Good boy," she said, clapping her hands softly. "Make a mess. Leave them something to talk about tomorrow. Consider it a lesson in humility."
"You really are something, you know that?" she murmured between bites, scratching behind the fox's ears. Bai Hu purred in response, tail curling protectively around her.
XiaoQi leaned back, chewing slowly, her eyes glinting in the moonlight. For the first time since she had been forced from the palace, a small spark of joy flickered in her chest. The West Residence might be dusty and silent, but with Bai Hu by her side, she realized that even here, even in exile, she could still carve out her own little kingdom.
And if the palace had thought to humiliate her, tonight it had only taught her one lesson. Even in a cage, she could be untamed.
XiaoQi leaned back against the cracked wall, the remnants of stolen bread and fruit scattered around her. Her stomach was full, warm and heavy in a way that made the cold dust of the West Residence almost pleasant. She rubbed her hands over her face, smearing a little juice across her cheek and laughed quietly at the absurdity of it all.
Bai Hu curled up beside her, tail draped over her ankle, eyes half-closed and purring softly. The fox's mischievous energy had faded for the moment, replaced by a gentle contentment that seemed to seep into the room.
XiaoQi sighed, letting the warmth of her food settle in, her body finally allowing itself a sliver of relaxation. Her head fell against the wall, limbs loose and heavy. The cool dust of the floor pressed against her back, but she barely noticed. The moonlight streamed through the broken window, catching the edges of her dark hair.
"Not a bad day, huh, Bai Hu?" she murmured, her eyelids drooping. The fox twitched his ears in answer, a tiny approving yip escaping his lips.
Within minutes, XiaoQi had slipped into sleep, deep and unbroken, the faintest smile lingering on her lips.
Far away, in the heart of the imperial palace, Yan DongZe's private study was still, the air thick with the scent of ink and polished wood. The brightness of a solitary lantern cast lengthy shadows over the walls, flickering with every whisper of the night wind. Papers are precisely piled, each marked with the exact order of a ruler used to obedience. The only sound was the faint scrape of a quill on parchment, until the door creaked.His personal guard stepped inside, bowing low and looking downcast.
His personal guard stepped inside, bowing deeply, eyes downcast. His voice was careful, measured, each word weighed as if it could alter fate.
"Your Highness," the guard began, hesitation threading through his tone, "the kitchen reports... there was considerable chaos tonight. Pots overturned, ingredients scattered, and most... disturbingly, a certain fox was sighted."
DongZe's hand tightened around the edge of his desk, knuckles whitening. The paper beneath it crinkled under the pressure. His eyes, icy and precise, lifted slowly to meet the guard's. "A fox spirit? Which one?" His tone was calm, but the undercurrent of steel in it made the air feel colder.
The guard swallowed. His throat bobbed nervously. "It bears the markings of Lady Chen's companion, Your Highness. It appeared to have... assisted her in acquiring food."
A slow exhale left DongZe, almost like a whisper of winter through the palace halls. He pinched the bridge of his nose, jaw tightening until the muscles stood out sharp and tense. "So my carefully arranged order has been mocked by a fox. Not just any fox. Hers." His voice, calm on the surface, carried a lethal edge that seemed to slice the stillness of the room.
The guard's gaze dropped to the floor, but he could not hide the flicker of apprehension in his eyes. "Yes, Your Highness. We attempted to contain it, but it evaded capture. It seems... highly skilled in its mischief."
DongZe's eyes narrowed, shadowed by the dim candlelight, a storm coiling behind the calm mask he presented. Every line of his posture spoke of restrained fury, his jaw firm, fingers flexing as if he could crush the air itself. The scent of ink and polished wood seemed to deepen the tension.
"Prepare additional guards," he said, each word deliberate and low, vibrating with authority. "Ensure the kitchens are secured at all times. That fox will not humiliate this palace again. And as for Lady Chen..." He leaned slightly forward, elbows resting on the desk, eyes piercing through the dim light. "...she is clever, but cleverness will only carry her so far. Even the sharpest blade dulls eventually."
The guard swallowed again, heart thudding. "At once, Your Highness." He bowed, the long, practiced motion betraying a mixture of respect and unease.