The air outside the main hall carried the faint bite of mountain wind.
Lin Tian and Bai Xueya walked without speaking as they left the political noise behind. Only when they passed the threshold back into the quieter paths—where the clan's inner buildings rose like calm stone beasts—did Xueya's steps slow.
"Xueya?" Lin Tian asked gently.
She didn't stop. But her breath caught—just barely, the smallest hitch.
He moved a half-step closer. "Are you hurt?"
"No." Her voice was level, but thinner than before. "Just… tired."
Tired didn't mean physically exhausted. He knew her well enough now. Tired meant scraped. Worn down. Tired meant holding herself together through scrutiny sharp enough to cut bone.
When they reached the door of the guest courtyard, she paused at the gate. Her fingers briefly touched the wood, as if grounding herself.
Lin Tian lowered his voice. "You don't have to face the Bai representatives alone."
