The hall emptied slowly after Bai Xueya's declaration. Elders left in uneven groups, whispering to each other with nervous energy they tried to hide. Guards dispersed outside, carrying orders and pretending they weren't shaken by what they'd heard.
Lin Tian remained seated for a moment, hands resting on his knees.
He still felt the echo of her words.
"I will not dissolve the engagement."
He replayed the line in his head because it didn't feel real.
His uncle, Lin Zhaotian, gave him a quiet pat on the shoulder before standing.
"Go speak with her," Wuhui said. "Understand what she wants. I won't interfere in this."
Lin Tian nodded. "I… will try."
Zhaotian offered a thin smile, the tired kind a man wears after wrangling elders for hours. "Just be honest. She made her choice in front of everyone. You should know why."
The Clan Leader left with two elders. Lin Tian stood and adjusted his robes, feeling a slight tremor run through his hand. He hated how noticeable it felt.
Bai Xueya was already waiting.
She stood near an open corridor, beside a path lit by small stone lanterns. Her posture was straight but relaxed, hands folded neatly in front of her. Her white-blue robes caught the evening light, giving her that clean, sharp look she always carried—clear lines, controlled movement, steady eyes.
She waited for him, as if this moment had always been expected.
When she saw him approach, she gave a small nod.
"Would a walk help?" she asked. "It might be easier to talk without everyone listening."
"Yes," Lin Tian answered softly. "A walk sounds good."
They stepped into the side garden. The path curved gently around a cluster of bamboo, quiet enough that the noise from the training grounds sounded distant. Servants passing by cast quick glances—not hostile, not mocking, just curious.
"Are they speaking alone?" one whispered.
"Looks like it," another answered.
Bai Xueya didn't acknowledge them. Lin Tian didn't react either. Their steps fell into a natural rhythm that surprised him. He kept stealing glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking.
Her hair shifted in the breeze, brushing lightly against her shoulder. He caught a faint scent when they walked close—cool and clean, nothing heavy or sweet. Something that reminded him of snow right before it melts on warm skin.
He stole a quiet inhale.
He hated how much he noticed it.
They reached an empty courtyard. A single tree stood in the center, its leaves rustling softly. Bai Xueya stopped and turned toward him with that same composed expression.
"Your words surprised me," she said. "I expected resistance. I didn't expect it from someone who was willing to let go so easily, for the sake of another person."
Lin Tian lowered his gaze. "What else should I have said? Holding you down would've been selfish. You have a future far brighter than anything tied to me."
She stepped a little closer, studying him. "You said it so calmly, like you've had that answer ready for years."
"I have," Lin Tian admitted. "Ever since people started calling me a cripple. Ever since the physicians tried and failed. I got used to the idea that I shouldn't be part of someone else's future. Especially not someone like you."
Her brows shifted slightly. His words landed deeper than he expected.
She exhaled slowly. "I didn't come here to abandon the engagement because of pressure. I came because I wanted to see you. I wanted to know if the promise between our families still meant something. If I dissolved it without even speaking to you, I would be betraying what both of our parents intended."
Lin Tian swallowed. His throat felt tight for no good reason.
"You don't owe me anything," he said quietly. "If you leave the engagement today, I won't think less of you. I don't want you bound to something that harms your path."
She stepped closer again, close enough that he felt her presence clearly. Her voice softened, and it didn't lose its strength.
"That isn't your decision alone. And your worth isn't decided by what others say about you."
Something warm and uncomfortable twisted in his chest.
"I don't know what you expect to learn from me," Lin Tian murmured. "But if you want to understand anything about my life, I won't hide from you."
Bai Xueya's expression eased. She looked at him fully now, no distance in her gaze.
"I want to understand the man I'm promised to," she said. "Not from the rumors or from the pity. I want to understand the real you."
Her voice carried no judgment, no pity.
Lin Tian felt heat rise in his face.
A strand of her hair slipped over her shoulder. She brushed it back gently, the movement slow and natural. His eyes followed the motion without meaning to.
And he felt it.
A faint thump deep in his chest.
A soft throb of something he couldn't identify.
It startled him. He placed a hand over his chest, fingers pressing lightly.
She noticed immediately.
"Are you alright?" she asked, stepping closer with concern clear in her tone.
"I… don't know," he admitted. "It's probably nothing. Just a little sudden."
She didn't question it. "If you feel unwell, we can stop here."
"No," he said quickly. "I'm fine. Really."
The pulse lingered, subtle but warm.
'Why now?'
'Is it because of her?'
Bai Xueya gave him a thoughtful look.
"Lin Tian," she said slowly, "I am not choosing anything out of pity. I won't dissolve a bond meant to connect two families without even understanding the person tied to it. And I won't let anyone pressure me into discarding something I haven't even examined."
Her voice carried strength—gentle, but unwavering.
"I want to know you," she added. "Your thoughts. Your heart. Your life. After that, I will decide on my path."
Lin Tian exhaled slowly. Her words carried weight he wasn't prepared for.
"I… don't know if I deserve that much effort," he said softly.
"That isn't for you to decide," she replied. "It's my choice to make."
They stood quietly under the fading light. The leaves rustled overhead, casting shifting shadows across the courtyard. Their breaths mixed with the evening air.
Lin Tian looked at her again—really looked—and for the first time, he felt a strange sense of possibility. Something that made his chest warm again.
He wasn't sure what it meant.
Bai Xueya took a small step back, giving him space.
"We should return soon," she said gently. "People will start wondering."
"Alright," Lin Tian answered. "Let's go."
But as they walked side by side, the heart in his chest thumped once more—stronger this time.
He pressed a hand against his chest again.
'Something changed in me today,' he thought. 'And I don't understand it at all.'
End of Chapter 4