[The Confession of a Modern Soul]
The morning mist clung to the bamboo. Gu Xingyu sat at the stone table, the steam from her tea rising in the cool air. The Five Yao gathered, sensing the gravity in her silence.
"I thought about this all night," Xingyu began, her voice steady but her fingers interlaced tightly. "In my world, love has a strict rule: loyalty belongs to only two people. A third person is a betrayal. I tried to hold onto that line... but now, I don't know anymore."
She looked at each of them, her eyes glistening. "Because every one of you is so important to me. Luo Ye's blunt protection, Lin Lie's silent reliability, Sang Qi's hidden sensitivity, Cang Yuan's insight, and Li Yan's unwavering presence. I am moved by all of you. But I was terrified that giving a heart to one would wound the others. I didn't want to be selfish. I didn't want to be 'trash' who plays with hearts."
She stood up, meeting their gazes. "I won't run anymore. But I can't give a single promise yet. If you can't accept this uncertainty, I won't blame you."
[The Laws of the Yao-World]
A long silence followed, broken by Cang Yuan's characteristic chuckle.
"Little Star, those rules belong to your world," he said, leaning casually against a pillar. "Did you know that in the Yao-world, no such restriction exists? Our laws allow for bonds beyond a single pair, as long as there is 'Consent, Oath, and Shared Responsibility.'"
Xingyu froze. "What?"
Sang Qi raised his hand like a student. "It's true. We have 'Twin-Yao Covenants' and 'Triple-Yao Oaths' in our history. It's not a scandal here; it's a shared destiny."
Luo Ye took a sudden step forward, looking almost aggrieved. "Is that why you hesitated? Because you were afraid of hurting us?" He bit his lip, his voice trembling slightly. "I was so scared you simply didn't like me... that I was dreaming alone. But knowing you care for all of us..."
"We understand," Lin Lie added, cutting through her stunned silence. "We will wait. No matter how long it takes for your heart to find its rhythm."
Sang Qi rubbed his nose with a wry smile. "Luo Ye stole all my best lines. I've been practicing those for years."
Cang Yuan shrugged. "I just want a space in your heart, Little Star. Even if it's a small one, I'll wait for it."
Li Yan said nothing, but his nod was as heavy and certain as the earth itself.
[Breaking the Shackles]
Xingyu felt a massive weight lift from her chest. She realized she had been judging her new life by an old world's blueprint. Here, among the rifts and the Yao-energy, her heart had expanded. She wasn't being unfaithful; she was being true to the bonds they had forged through blood and shadow.
She looked at them, and for the first time, her smile was radiant and free of guilt.
"I'm not running anymore," she declared. "I won't use the rules of my past to kidnap my heart. We have walked through illusions, massacres, and darkness together. My heart has already chosen all of you."
"I am willing to walk this path with all of you—together. No more suppression, no more doubt. If you are willing... then so am I."
In the morning light, she was no longer just a girl lost between worlds. She was the Saintess of the Yao-world, the anchor of the Five Yao, and a woman who had finally learned to face her own love without fear.