As night began to settle, the sky dimmed gently, wrapped in a soft darkness like black silk brushed by the last traces of fading light. A young woman with emerald-green hair stepped out of the Pavilion of Clouded Elixirs. Her hair caught the lingering glow of dusk, and her clear green eyes swept across her surroundings, as though searching for someone.
That was when a young man emerged from the shadows, his disguise now undone. His white hair drifted lightly in the breeze, crimson eyes radiating a calm, enigmatic air, and the sharp lines of his face appeared even more striking beneath the dim evening glow.
"Miss Lu," he said, voice low and warm. "I've already reserved a place. Allow me to guide you."
Lu Qingyao—who had only been glancing around moments earlier—froze where she stood. Her eyes widened, her breath caught. Seeing Wu Tian's true appearance made her heart tremble beyond her control.
"Mister?" she whispered, unsure if the man before her was truly the same one she'd met before.
Wu Tian gave a faint smile. "Tonight," he said quietly., "please… just call me Wu Tian."
Lu Qingyao lowered her gaze, cheeks flushing softly. "…Alright."
Wu Tian extended his hand toward her—an elegant gesture, confident yet gentle.
But Lu Qingyao only looked at it briefly, startled, before pretending not to notice. She turned her face away, her voice almost a whisper. "A-anyway… let's go."
Wu Tian sighed inwardly, though the corner of his lips stayed lifted. This girl…
They walked side by side toward the Pavilion of Twilight Winds, one of the city's most lavish dining houses, famed for its private rooms—usually reserved for nobles or major sects.
Inside, the attendants bowed deeply the moment they saw Wu Tian.
"Honored guest, the Sky-Jade Room on the upper floor has been fully prepared."
The Sky-Jade Room—most expensive of all—was draped with thin silk curtains, lit by moon-pearl lamps, and opened to a grand window overlooking the entire city under the moonlight.
As they entered, servants began serving dish after dish, jade-root soup, slow-smoked Silver-Tail Zhenyu Bird, century-old spirit wine, and other rare delicacies.
Wu Tian tried to ease the mood. Taking a spoon, he lifted a bit of the clear, herbal-scented soup toward Lu Qingyao.
"This is good. Try it, Miss Lu."
Lu Qingyao froze, her face turning red like a freshly picked apple. "I-I can eat by myself…"
"For tonight, at least," he said with a soft teasing tone, "let me show you a little of my romantic side."Lu Qingyao turned her face away—yet still opened her mouth to accept the spoonful.
The night unfolded gently. After several dishes, Wu Tian began to ask,
"Miss Lu, since when have you been working at the Pavilion of Clouded Elixirs? Are you an alchemist?"
Lu Qingyao brushed her lips against the rim of her cup, her eyes lowered. "No… I only help around. I can make a few simple concoctions, but only because I learned on my own."
Wu Tian smiled faintly. "Even so, that's impressive. But… your reason for working there? If you don't mind sharing."
Her smile faded, turning into something soft—fragile, like a sigh carried by night wind."A reason, huh…" She looked toward the window, at the moon hanging like a silver pearl. "Sometimes a person just wants… a quiet place. Somewhere no one demands anything of them."
Wu Tian fell silent, sensing the shift in her voice.
Lu Qingyao gently turned her wine cup, her voice soft yet trembling at the edges."At the pavilion, no one forces me to become anything. No one judges if I meet their expectations. No talk of… family duties or deals that must be fulfilled."
She stopped abruptly, realizing she had said too much. Quickly, she smiled again—a lovely smile, yet clearly not entirely genuine.
"I just wanted a place where I could breathe. That's all."
Wu Tian raised a brow slightly. The words "duty" and "deal" lingered in his mind. Her family… definitely not ordinary. But now wasn't the time to pry.
After a sip of wine, he spoke softly,"In that case, I'm glad you found a place where you feel at ease."
Lu Qingyao looked at him for a moment. Her green eyes reflected the candlelight, appearing somewhat fragile, yet still calm.
"Sometimes," she continued, voice barely above a whisper, "people approach me for reasons I… don't like. Because of my appearance. Because of my family name." She lowered her head. "I don't hate them. It's natural. It just… makes it hard to know how to respond."
Wu Tian gave her a warm smile."To me, what matters is who you are… not your bloodline, or how beautiful you look."
Her cheeks flushed—subtle, almost invisible, unless someone was paying close attention.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Wu Tian leaned back slightly, gaze gentle but unpressuring."Miss Lu… if one day you wish to talk, I'll listen."
Lu Qingyao held her breath for a moment before she nodded faintly.
They continued their meal in gentle warmth—quiet, soft, filled with small conversations neither had expected to share.
Night deepened as the final dish was finished. The room remained warm with the glow of moon-pearl lamps and the lingering scent of spirit dishes.
A servant entered quietly, bowing as he presented a wooden tally.
"Honored guest, the total comes to… five thousand low-grade spirit stones."
Lu Qingyao immediately reached into her sleeve, wanting to help pay. "I—I can cover half—"
But Wu Tian was faster. He raised his hand slightly, stopping her with a calm smile.
"No need. I invited you. Let me do this properly."
With a relaxed motion, he handed over a pouch of spirit stones. The servant bowed even deeper than before and backed away respectfully.
Lu Qingyao lowered her gaze, looking embarrassed. "But… that's so much, I—"
"Then consider tonight my good fortune," Wu Tian said softly.
They stepped out of the Jade-Kestrel Pavilion. The night breeze carried the faint scent of moon-flowers. Lu Qingyao walked half a step behind, still looking uneasy.
To shift the mood, Wu Tian suddenly asked,"Do you like hairpins? I saw a small shop earlier. Let's take a look."
"That's not necessary, I don't—"
But Wu Tian pretended not to hear, gently guiding her toward a small roadside shop. The warm glow of the oil lamp lit rows of simple yet elegant hairpins displayed neatly.
Lu Qingyao tried to refuse politely."Mr.Wu… you don't need to buy me anything."
"But I want to. Think of it… as a keepsake from tonight."
He picked up a delicate hairpin carved with a soft white-jade flower—gentle yet perfect for her green hair.
"This one suits you," Wu Tian said, showing it to her.
Lu Qingyao fell silent. Her refusal caught on her tongue. She looked at the hairpin for several long seconds… before finally accepting it with a quiet, genuine smile.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
They walked again through the gradually quieting streets until they reached a white-stone bridge spanning a wide river. The water reflected moonlight and the distant glow of lanterns.
As Wu Tian stepped onto the bridge—
BOOM!
A burst of color exploded across the sky. Another followed, scattering gold, crimson, and violet across the night.
People nearby stopped walking.
"Why are there fireworks tonight?" a man muttered from behind.
"Mom, Dad! Look—it's fireworks!" a child squealed, pointing at the sky.
Wu Tian gave a small, knowing smile. "What do you think? Beautiful?"
Lu Qingyao looked up, her green eyes reflecting the brilliant lights. She'd seen fireworks before—but somehow, tonight felt different. Warmer. Closer. Touching something tender in her chest.
"This…" she whispered, "this is the most beautiful fireworks I've ever seen."
Wu Tian watched her—not the fireworks, but her expression, rare and unguarded.
Without thinking, he slowly reached out. The distance between them was only a few inches, and finally… he held her hand.
Lu Qingyao jolted softly. In less than a second, she pulled her hand back, holding it close to her chest. Her cheeks flushed, but there was guilt flickering in her eyes.
"Mr.Wu… I…"She bit her lower lip, clearly wanting to explain, yet afraid to give a hope she couldn't reciprocate.
"Qingyao…" Wu Tian said gently, stopping her words."Let's just enjoy the fireworks together."
His voice held warmth—simple, unpressuring. Just an honest invitation to share a moment.
Lu Qingyao went still. The tightness in her gaze slowly eased. She lowered her head briefly, steadied her breath, then lifted her eyes again toward the sky.
"…Yes," she whispered. "Let's watch them together."
Side by side, they stood in calm silence, letting the final bloom of fireworks unfold above them—no more words needed. Sometimes, silence was the most comforting truth of all.