A Promise Sealed
The weight of the Tang Sect's rules and the gravity of the choices made lingered in the quiet office after Wu Changkong and the others left. Yao Xuan and Gu Yue were alone, the sterile hum of the Technology Hall a subtle backdrop to the suddenly intimate space.
Gu Yue broke the silence first, her silver eyes fixed on him with a soft intensity. "By the way, Yao Xuan… what you said earlier, about joining the Spirit Pagoda because of me. Were you serious?" Her voice was quieter than usual, a tentative thread in the air.
Yao Xuan turned to face her fully. This was the moment to bridge the final, unspoken gap. "Of course I'm serious," he said, his voice steady and clear. He reached out, taking both of her hands in his. Her fingers were cool and slender, a perfect fit. "But it's more than that. Gu Yue, after these months together, I've come to realize something important. I don't just want to walk the same path as you. I want to walk it with you, in every way." He took a breath, his gaze unwavering, holding hers. "I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
The words hung in the air, simple and profound. Gu Yue's eyes widened slightly, a cascade of emotion flooding her features—surprise, a dawning joy that made her silver irises shimmer, and a vulnerability he rarely saw. The sovereign's guard dissolved entirely, leaving only Na'er's hopeful, trusting heart and Gu Yue's own deepening affection.
"Yes," she breathed out, the word full of certainty and warmth. A beautiful, radiant smile blossomed on her face. "I like you too, Xuan. I have for a long time. I will be your girlfriend." She squeezed his hands, the action a seal on their promise.
A profound sense of rightness, of a lock clicking open, settled over Yao Xuan. He hadn't realized how much he'd wanted this formal acknowledgment until the relief and joy flooded him. Before, they were two stars orbiting the same center. Now, they were a constellation, officially and forever linked.
"I'm so happy," he said, his own smile answering hers.
"So am I," she replied, her blush returning, but this time she didn't look away. "I was actually planning to… to clarify things during the winter break. But you were first." There was a hint of playful ruefulness in her tone.
"I'm glad I was," he said softly.
For a long moment, they simply sat there, hands clasped, smiling at each other, the world outside the room forgotten. The shared battles, the whispered conversations, the silent walks hand-in-hand—all of it had led to this quiet, monumental point.
"Xuan," Gu Yue said after a while, her voice a gentle murmur. "Can I… have a hug?"
"Of course," he replied, his heart swelling with tenderness.
He opened his arms, and she moved into them without hesitation. It was not a dramatic embrace, but a gentle, fitting-together. She rested her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms lightly around her back, feeling the delicate strength in her frame. It was a hug of comfort, of belonging, of two people who had finally named the home they found in each other.
"You always smell so nice," she murmured against his shirt, her voice filled with a contented wonder. "Like sunlight on ancient stones, and… and something deeply peaceful."
He chuckled softly, the sound rumbling in his chest. "You always say that. It makes me happy." He gently rested his cheek against her silken hair, inhaling her unique scent—a clean, captivating fragrance like a frost-kissed meadow under a winter moon. "And you, Yue'er. You smell wonderful. Like the first breath of air after a snowfall."
"Thank you," she whispered, snuggling a fraction closer. "Hearing you say that makes me just as happy."
They stayed like that for several minutes, in a silent, perfect bubble of newfound understanding. The future, with its trials and the shadow of the Tang Sect's rejected offer, still lay ahead. But in this moment, anchored in each other's embrace, they were simply Yao Xuan and Gu Yue, boyfriend and girlfriend, their bond now openly acknowledged and shining brightly between them, ready to face whatever came next, together.