[The Empty Shell of Yao Mansion]
Located in the southeastern corner of the Inner Capital, the Yao Mansion was a magnificent estate of blue bricks and vermilion tiles, a gift from the Crown Prince to the Four Yao. It symbolized their status as the rising guardians of the realm.
However, the mansion was rarely lively. Cang Yuan was always away, chasing the currents of the newly designed canals; Lin Lie was a prisoner of his own forge, preferring the roar of gears to the silence of a bedroom; and Sang Qi lived among his herbs, treating the pharmacy as his true home.
Only Luo Ye returned every night. To him, the mansion was a duty. Without him, the halls would be nothing but a cold, echoing monument.
[A New Wardrobe]
On a sunny afternoon, Luo Ye led Ling Dang through the bustling capital markets. Clad in her oversized, tattered rags, she drew curious stares.
"Luo-Dage, should I really be out here with you?" she whispered, shrinking into her collar.
"You're my clerk now," Luo Ye grumbled, though his eyes were soft. "You can't go around looking like a street urchin. It reflects poorly on me."
He hauled her into a high-end tailor shop. Ignoring her protests, he ordered several sets of custom-made clothes. As the tailor measured her, Ling Dang froze, terrified her feminine frame would be discovered. But with Luo Ye standing guard like a fierce lion, a strange sense of security settled over her.
[The First Light in the Dark]
When they arrived at the Yao Mansion, Ling Dang stood agape at the grand entrance. "Is this... where we live?"
"The Prince gave it to us," Luo Ye said flatly as they walked through the silent corridors.
"But... it's so quiet," she noted. "Does no one else live here?"
Luo Ye explained the habits of the other three Yao. "So, you live here all alone?" she asked, her heart aching for him. To live in such a vast, beautiful place with only one's shadow for company—it seemed lonelier than a prison.
"Can I really stay here?" she asked softly.
Luo Ye paused, looking back at her. "I said I was bringing you here, didn't I? That means you belong. You don't have to sleep in the soup kitchen anymore."
[A Place Called Home]
Luo Ye led her to a side courtyard. Though simple, the room was clean, with fresh bedding and a warm oil lamp already lit.
"Stay here," Luo Ye commanded. "If you need anything, come find me. Don't push yourself."
"Thank you, Luo-Dage," she said, her eyes shimmering like stars.
Flustered by her gaze, Luo Ye turned away. "It was just convenient. Don't make a big deal of it."
Once his footsteps faded, Ling Dang collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the pillows and laughing until her shoulders shook. "Convenient? Sure..." she teased under her breath. For the first time since her world burned, she felt a warmth that had nothing to do with fire. This place... it will be my home.