The West Residence had grown louder in recent days. Chickens clucked in the courtyards, goats bleated as though they owned the halls, and sparrows darted in and out of broken rafters, their nests tucked into corners where imperial banners once hung. What had been meant as a prison now sounded more like a farmer's yard, full of unruly life.
Yan DongZe approached with his guard in measured strides, his expression carved from stone. Behind him, a pair of attendants carried a small chest of palace provisions. He had not volunteered to play errand boy. It was beneath the dignity of the Crown Prince. But the court buzzed with rumours of XiaoQi's "antics," and whispers that even hardened servants were reduced to laughter by her insolence had reached his ears.
The gates groaned open.
At once, he noticed what was wrong.
Silence.
The West Residence, usually brimming with rustic noise, lay quiet as a tomb. No sparrows scolded from the rafters. No goats bleated for attention. Even the chickens were still, as though something had startled them into uneasy watchfulness.
DongZe's eyes narrowed. His steps slowed, boots crunching against the weed-choked path. "She is up to something," he said, his voice low enough to chill the guard nearest him.
The man carrying the chest shifted uneasily, glancing around the deserted courtyard. "Perhaps Lady XiaoQi has gone inside, Your Highness."
"No." DongZe's gaze swept over the peeling beams, the sagging roof, the faint rustle of fabric from a distant corner. He felt her presence as one might sense a storm on the horizon. She was here. Waiting.
He tilted his chin slightly, a wolf scenting the air for prey. "She enjoys games. And this silence reeks of one."
The guards exchanged wary glances but said nothing. The Crown Prince's tone allowed no reply.
Inside, XiaoQi crouched low behind a cracked wall, breath held tight in her chest. Her pulse thudded with the giddy anticipation of a child about to prank her schoolmaster.
Bai Hu, his snowy tail flicking in agitation, pressed his muzzle close to her ear. "Are you certain this is wise?"
XiaoQi's lips curled into a wicked grin. "Hush. If the Crown Prince insists on storming into my peace, then he should learn that disturbing a fox in her den comes with consequences."
Her gaze swept the traps she had prepared, her pride growing with each one. A bucket of water teetered above the courtyard archway, balanced with the precision of a thief's hand. Bundles of ground pepper and dried sneezeweed herbs lay scattered like innocent debris, ready to unleash a storm of coughing and tears. And across the path, nearly invisible in the fading light, stretched a thin tripwire made from chicken twine.
Bai Hu snorted softly. "You are no fox, little mistress. You are a feral kitten clawing at a tiger."
"Then let us see if the tiger can be tripped by string," XiaoQi whispered back, her eyes gleaming. "Let him come."
The scrape of boots on stone reached her ears.
DongZe's tall figure appeared through the archway, his presence slicing through the still air like a blade through silk. His midnight robe trailed behind him, his expression carved in ice. The guards hovered a step back, carrying the lacquered chest as though it might shield them from their prince's temper.
The moment DongZe crossed the threshold—
Splash!
A bucket toppled, releasing a cold torrent that drenched his fine robes from shoulder to hem. The water cascaded down his face, dripping from the sharp line of his jaw, soaking the embroidered threads until they clung to him like a second skin.
The guards froze as though struck by lightning, their eyes wide with horror. One nearly dropped the chest.
And XiaoQi—unable to contain herself—burst into laughter, the sound bright and ringing, echoing across the ruined courtyard. She clutched her stomach, gasping for breath, her eyes sparkling with delight.
DongZe stood utterly still. His jaw was so tight the muscle in his cheek twitched. Slowly, he wiped water from his brow with the back of his hand. His voice, when it came, was low, measured, dangerous.
"Come. Out."
XiaoQi peeked from behind the wall, grinning like a fox who had stolen a rooster. "Why, Your Highness, water suits you. You look less stiff."
Her eyes danced as she took in the sight of him: the prince who was always immaculate, now dripping wet, his dignity unravelling in rivulets across the courtyard stones.
The guards choked on their own fear, glancing between their master's dripping form and the defiant woman smirking in the shadows.
DongZe's gaze found her instantly. His eyes, dark as storm clouds, narrowed with dangerous promise. And beneath the fury, there was something else flickering.
"Step forward," he ordered, each word clipped like the strike of a blade.
XiaoQi tilted her head, considering. "What if I do not?"
The corner of his mouth curved, though it was no smile. "Then I shall hunt you."
Her pulse skipped.
For a moment, neither moved.
Bai Hu twitched his tail and whispered urgently, "Little mistress, perhaps this was not such a wise idea after all..."
XiaoQi ignored him, her grin widening.
"Catch me then," she dared.
And with that, she bolted deeper into the courtyard.
He advanced, boots striking the gravel with purposeful force, each step closing the distance between them like a drawn blade. XiaoQi's pulse hammered in her chest. She pivoted, darting away, weaving through the courtyard with a speed born of sheer instinct. Her boots crunched sharply over the gravel, echoing against the walls, sending a thrill of mischief surging through her.
But in her haste, fate—or perhaps her own cleverness—betrayed her. Her foot caught the nearly invisible tripwire she had so carefully strung.
"Ah—!" she yelped, arms flailing as her body pitched forward, momentum cruel and unstoppable.
DongZe was there in an instant. He lunged, precise and unrelenting, catching her around the waist. The sudden weight dragged them both down in a thundering collision. His back struck the stones with a grunt of effort. XiaoQi toppled over him, and their bodies tangled in a chaotic heap.
And then—her lips pressed against his.
Not soft. Not planned. A bruising clash of accident and proximity.
The world went still.
Her eyes widened in shock, staring into the obsidian depths of his. His hand, still gripping her waist, held her close as though he had no intention of letting go. The warmth of his body seeped through her thin tunic, his chest rising and falling against her palms.
The faint scent of sandalwood and rainwater filled her senses.
Her pulse thundered in her ears. She should have shoved him away, cursed him, spat in his face. Instead, she lay suspended in the moment, caught between fury and a treacherous heat curling low in her stomach.
DongZe did not move either. His lips, tinged with the faint taste of water and wine, hovered against hers for a breath too long. His eyes searched her face, tracing the shock in her parted lips, the flush blooming high on her cheeks.
It should have been nothing. A mistake. A humiliation to punish her with.
Finally, XiaoQi tore herself free, scrambling upright, her face flushed with heat she would never admit aloud. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, glaring down at him.
"You—!" Her voice cracked, and she forced it sharper. "You caught me on purpose."
DongZe rose slowly, water dripping from his hair, his expression unreadable but his eyes blazing. "If I had let you fall, you would have broken your nose on the stones."
"Better a broken nose than—" she snapped, cutting herself off before the words than kissing you slipped past her tongue.
His lips curved, faint but unmistakable. "So you admit it was a kiss."
Her face burned scarlet. "It was an accident!"
"Mm." His voice dropped low, smooth as velvet over steel. "Accidents can be... revealing."
Her heart stuttered in protest. She spun on her heel, stalking toward the ruined veranda before her tongue betrayed her further.
Behind her, DongZe's hand brushed his lips for the briefest moment, as though testing the truth of what had just happened.
The faintest smile touched his mouth, gone as soon as it appeared.
The guards finally rushed forward, their armour clanking against one another, eyes wide as they took in the aftermath. DongZe's robes clung damp and heavy to his frame, water dripping onto the stones. They hesitated, unsure whether to reprimand the wildcat or steady their prince.
DongZe waved them off with a single, dismissive motion. His gaze was fixed on the far end of the courtyard, where XiaoQi had already disappeared behind the veranda.
"Do not stand there gawking. Take the provisions inside the residence. Now."
The men obeyed instantly, scuttling away like startled birds, leaving the courtyard suddenly empty except for the prince and the distant echo of her footsteps.
DongZe rose slowly, water dripping from his sleeves, hair plastered to his forehead. He straightened, each movement controlled, precise, as though the wet robes and splashed mud were nothing more than part of a carefully crafted mask.
He strode forward, boots crunching over gravel, each step measured and predatory. Water ran in rivulets from his hair and down the folds of his robes, yet he did not care.
XiaoQi paused near the veranda, pretending to examine a goat that nibbled at some stray herbs. Her breath came slightly faster than usual, a small betrayal of the thrill and fear coiling inside her.
DongZe stopped a few paces behind her, and the world seemed to shrink. The distance between them was small, but the charge in the air made it feel as though a wire stretched taut between their bodies.
"You are reckless," he said, low, smooth, and sharp as flint. His eyes flicked to the scattered tripwires and the overturned bucket. "Do you enjoy making this game dangerous?"
XiaoQi lifted her chin, voice light, teasing. "I thought it might keep you entertained. Your Highness seems far too solemn these days."
His lips curved in a way that almost resembled a smile, though it did not reach his eyes. "You are lucky the stones did not break more than your pride."
She smirked, though her heart beat faster, betraying the thrill of being caught, the way his presence pressed against her senses. "I think my pride is fine. It is your composure that might be in jeopardy."
DongZe's eyes, dark and unreadable, flicked toward her for only a heartbeat before he acted. With a swift movement that belied his soaked state, he looped an arm around her waist. XiaoQi gasped, caught completely off guard.
"Your Highness! Put me down—"
"No," he said, his voice low, commanding, and sharp enough to slice through her protest. "You will not run. Not now."
Before she could twist away, he hoisted her easily into his arms, her boots dangling as she struggled in vain. Her hands pressed against his chest, but the waterlogged silk offered little resistance.
"You—this is absurd! Put me down!" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the thrill coursing through her veins.
DongZe ignored her. His stride was steady, deliberate, and terrifyingly controlled. He carried her across the courtyard, the gravel crunching under his boots, past overturned buckets and scattered herbs, past the squawking chickens and bleating goats. Even in her resistance, she could feel the power in his every step, the ease with which he bore her.
XiaoQi's heart pounded for more than exertion. It pounded for the contact, the heat radiating from him, the proximity she had only dared imagine before. Her pulse raced, her breath coming faster with each step.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded, trying to inject her usual defiance into her tone, though it sounded unconvincing to her own ears.
"My chambers," he said simply, eyes forward. "You are not allowed to escape from me."
XiaoQi's eyes darted around, taking in the corridor, the flickering lanterns, the shadows stretching along the walls. "You realize everyone will think you've completely lost your mind?" she whispered, attempting to reclaim some small measure of dignity.
DongZe's jaw tightened at her words, though his lips twitched faintly. "Let them think what they will."
Her hands pressed against his chest as he entered the chambers. "You are soaked through. Your Highness—this is absurd."
When he finally set her down inside the chambers, the door clicking closed behind them, she spun to face him, dripping and flushed.
"You're insane!" she spat, brushing at her soaked robe. "And you are utterly impossible!"
DongZe stood unyielding, water dripping from his hair onto the polished floor. He lifted one brow, silent, waiting.
"You expect me to—what?" XiaoQi's words faltered as she noticed the faint gleam in his eye, the way he didn't move to dry himself, the quiet command hanging in the air.
"You will dry me," he said finally, voice low, deliberate, leaving no room for argument. "Do it properly."
Her hands shot to her sides. "I—excuse me?"
His gaze, dark and unwavering, pinned her in place. "I am not asking."
"Dry me," he commanded again, voice low and dangerous, leaving no room for argument. "You owe me after that stunt in the courtyard."
"I... I will not be ordered around," she whispered, trying to regain some semblance of defiance, though her pulse betrayed her.
"Then consider it penance," he said softly, the words like a dark promise. "For every drop of water, every prank, every insult you hurled at me."
Her hands shook slightly as she reached for the soaked fabric of his robe. The silk clung to him, cold and heavy against her fingers. She pressed the cloth to his chest, feeling the heat of his body through it, the strength beneath his ribs.
"Careful," he murmured, voice low, just above a growl. "Do not let your hands linger... unless you wish consequences."
XiaoQi's breath hitched. "Consequences? You're the one who dragged me here like a prize goat!"
He did not answer, only let his gaze sweep over her, the intensity in his dark eyes making it impossible to look away. She worked faster, tugging at the towel, trying to keep her mind on the task, but every movement, every brush of her fingers against his damp robes, made her pulse leap.
A stray lock of her hair fell across her face, and she brushed it back hastily, unaware that he was watching, memorizing the way her brows furrowed in concentration, the subtle curve of her lips, the faint flush of her skin.
"Almost done," she muttered, trying to keep her voice steady.
He inclined his head, still silent, letting her finish, but the air between them was thick with unspoken tension. Each movement, each sigh of fabric against skin, carried weight. Neither spoke, yet the air seemed to hum with their shared, simmering defiance and desire.
When she finally stepped back, lowering the towel, she dared a glance at him. His robes were dry, but the faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes made her stomach twist.
"Do you feel chastised?" he asked softly, voice even yet sharp, a quiet edge that sent shivers down her spine.
"I feel... enraged," she admitted, cheeks burning. "And I will never, ever—"
He cut her off with a faint, dangerous smile. "And yet here you are. In my chambers. Handling me."
XiaoQi stepped back, still trembling slightly, cheeks flushed, and hands fidgeting with the damp towel. She wanted to bolt, to escape before the weight of the moment suffocated her, but the room's shadows held her in place.
DongZe studied her for a long moment, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. The fire of her defiance, the quicksilver glint in her eyes, and the way her hands had trembled just enough to betray her composure intrigued him in a way he refused to name.
"You may go," he said finally, voice low, deliberate, with an edge that made her pulse leap.
XiaoQi froze, her ears almost painfully alert. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," he replied, his gaze dark and unwavering. "You are dismissed."
For a heartbeat, she could not move. His tone was casual, almost dismissive, yet threaded with something that made her feel both dared and challenged. Every instinct screamed at her to flee.
And flee she did.