Yuan Yu disappeared into the evening darkness after leaving Han Liang's side.
The city remained as lively as ever. Lanterns glowed along the streets, merchants called out to passing customers, and people moved through the crowd without pause.
Yet somehow, everything felt distant. His steps were quicker than usual. The thin veil concealed his face, but it could not hide the warmth lingering within him.
For a long while, he simply walked.
The garden. The peach blossoms. The shop. The house.
One memory followed another.
By the time he realized it, a faint smile had already appeared on his lips.
How strange. The entire afternoon had passed like a dream. While he was with Han Liang, he had barely noticed the passing hours.
Only now did he understand how quickly the sun had set.
His fingers tightened slightly around the edge of his sleeve.
What exactly had happened today?
Why did his heart still feel so restless?
Yuan Yu lowered his gaze.
The answer never came.
Instead, Han Liang's voice surfaced once more within his thoughts.
"Would you like to spend a night at my house?"
The memory alone made the corners of his lips lift again.
There had been nothing improper in those words.
Nothing unusual.
Yet for some reason, they remained with him.
The crowd gradually thinned as he approached home.
A few people glanced toward him, curious about the veiled young master hurrying through the evening streets.
Yuan Yu paid them no attention.
It almost felt as though he were running away.
Not from danger. Not from fear. But from something he could not yet name.
When he finally arrived home, he entered quietly and instructed the servants not to disturb him
He wanted to be alone.
Once inside his room, he removed the veil and placed it carefully aside. The room was silent.
For a moment, he simply sat there.
Then his gaze drifted toward the mirror.
The reflection staring back at him seemed unfamiliar.
His eyes were brighter than usual. Even now, the excitement had not faded.
Yuan Yu looked away first.
A faint warmth spread through his chest.
This man...
Without realizing it, Han Liang had brought something unusual into his life.
Peace.
The thought surprised him.
The Jewelry Sect was powerful. His family was respected. Since childhood, he had never lacked wealth, status, or comfort.
Yet none of those things felt quite the same as the hours he had spent beneath the peach trees.
He closed his eyes. Immediately, the memories returned.
Han Liang speaking excitedly about the future.
The confidence in his voice.
The way his eyes seemed to shine whenever he spoke of his plans.
A faint smile appeared once more.
When had he begun looking forward to these meetings so much?
Yuan Yu did not know.
Perhaps it had happened gradually.
Or perhaps it had happened the moment Han Liang first reached out his hand.
His thoughts lingered there for a while.
Then another thought quietly followed.
The Jewelry Sect was not a place where people simply followed their hearts.
Expectations existed everywhere.
Responsibilities existed everywhere.
Yuan Yu understood that better than most.
The smile on his lips faded slightly. Yet only slightly. Tonight, he did not want to think about duties.
Nor obligations. Nor the future.
For once, he wanted to keep the warmth of the day entirely for himself.
He bathed and changed into fresh clothes.
Afterward, he lay upon the bed and stared at the ceiling. Outside, the city gradually fell silent. Inside, his thoughts continued to wander.
Toward Han Liang.
A soft sigh escaped him.
"I'll see him again soon."
The words were barely louder than a whisper.
Yet the thought alone filled his heart with quiet anticipation.
Slowly, his eyes closed.
And that night, carrying a secret happiness he could not fully understand, Yuan Yu drifted into sleep.