Ruo Han followed silently through the winding corridors of Azure Cloud Sect, the snow-muted steps of Lan Xiyue ahead of him a steady, unyielding rhythm. Lanterns cast pale halos against lacquered pillars, each one bearing the carved emblem of a soaring crane.
They stopped at a secluded courtyard shielded on three sides by high walls and on the fourth by a frozen koi pond. The moon's reflection lay fractured across the ice.
"No one comes here without my leave," Lan Xiyue said, sliding open the door to a dimly lit chamber. "You'll stay here until I decide what to do with you."
Ruo Han stepped inside, his gaze lingering on the simple furnishings — a low table, a small brazier glowing with embers, shelves lined with neatly rolled scrolls. It was warm, far warmer than the cold night outside, and yet the space carried an austerity that felt… safe.
Still, he kept his distance.
"Why are you helping me?"
Lan Xiyue closed the door behind him. His expression remained unreadable, but his eyes held a sharp focus, as though weighing every flicker of Ruo Han's breath.
"Because if anyone else had found you, you'd already be dead."
The truth landed between them like a stone in still water.
Ruo Han's lips curved faintly — not in amusement, but in something closer to bitterness.
"I know the rules of your Sect. I also know that my existence here is a danger to you."
"And yet here you are."
Silence. Only the crackle of the brazier filled the space.
Lan Xiyue stepped closer, until Ruo Han could see the fine embroidery of clouds along the edge of his dark outer robe.
"Tell me your name."
Ruo Han hesitated. His real name was a death sentence if spoken in the wrong ear. But something about Lan Xiyue — his steadiness, the way his scent, faintly laced with cedar and stormwind, wrapped around him without pressing in — made the truth slip past his guard.
"…Ruo Han."
The alpha's gaze flickered, just for a heartbeat, as though the name was one he recognized.
"Ruo Han," he repeated softly, tasting the syllables like a vow.
But before either could speak again, a sudden ripple of qi tore through the night air. The lanterns swayed, their flames flaring blue.
Lan Xiyue's head turned sharply toward the window.
"They've found you."
Ruo Han's heart seized. "Who?"
"Whoever you're running from." His voice dropped into a command, firm and final. "Stay here. No matter what happens, do not open that door."
The moment Lan Xiyue stepped out, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. Ruo Han's pulse thundered in his ears — and yet beneath the fear, a dangerous truth had begun to take root:
The scent of this alpha did not repel him.
It called to him.