[Yao Residence · Morning]
Morning light filtered through the bamboo leaves, dewdrops trembling on their tips.
Ling Dang clutched a stack of ledgers in her arms, yet her steps were absent-minded.
For days now, Li Furong's words had been echoing in her ears—
"If you don't tell your Brother Luo that you're a girl, one day he'll fall for someone else and even bring home a wife. Don't come crying to me then~"
Every time she remembered it, her chest tightened, as if something were lodged inside.
She stole a glance toward Luo Ye, who was giving instructions to the attendants not far away.
That tall, cold figure made the tips of her ears burn red.
"I have to tell Brother Luo that I'm a girl…"
she murmured softly, slowing her steps, her brows filled with turmoil.
But how should she say it?
Should it be when he's in a good mood?
Or… should she blurt it out the next time he scolds her?
Or maybe… at night, when he's tired and relaxed?
Her thoughts twisted into knots. Her fingers clenched her sleeve as she muttered to herself:
If I tell him, will he think I deceived him on purpose? Will he throw me out of the Yao Residence? But if I don't… if one day he marries another woman…
Her heart ached, and her eyes grew wet.
"No. I can't delay this anymore."
She quietly clenched her fist and took a deep breath.
"I have to find a moment to tell Brother Luo the truth."
[Patrol Hall · Sudden Afternoon Rain]
The sky darkened without warning. Black clouds pressed down as fat raindrops crashed from above.
Caught in the downpour, Luo Ye and Ling Dang hurried beneath a corridor to take shelter.
The rain roared like a waterfall. Ling Dang's shoulders were already soaked, wet strands of hair clinging to her cheeks, leaving her looking utterly miserable.
Luo Ye lifted his hand, Yao-fire flickering at his fingertips as he moved to dry her clothes.
"Don't move. I'll take care of it."
But Ling Dang panicked and reached out to stop him.
"N-no! Brother Luo, you're soaked too—take care of yourself first!"
As she spoke, she clumsily brushed the rain from his shoulders, her eyes filled with nothing but concern for him.
Luo Ye's heart jolted.
This wasn't the first time.
No matter where or when, this girl always put herself second—always put him first.
A surge of anger flared in his chest.
He grabbed her wrist, his gaze sharp, his voice low and furious.
"Can't you think about yourself just once?! You're always worrying about others—I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"
Ling Dang froze, her heart panicking, her eyes reddening.
The rain thundered around them as she whispered shakily,
"It's not that I don't think about myself… it's just…"
She looked so wronged she seemed ready to cry.
Luo Ye's heart tightened. He wished he could swallow back his words.
He held her more tightly, his voice urgent yet hoarse.
"I'm not trying to yell at you… A man getting wet is nothing. But you're a girl—what if you catch an illness?!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he froze.
Ling Dang's eyes widened. Her heart thumped violently as her breath stopped.
"B-Brother Luo…?" she whispered, unable to finish the sentence.
She didn't realize that her soaked clothes were clinging to her body, revealing the curves she had always tried so hard to hide.
Under the rainlit glow, her trembling figure was no longer that of a "boy,"
but unmistakably a young girl.
Luo Ye's chest exploded.
"Ling Dang… I already knew you were a girl."
Before she could respond, he seized the back of her neck and kissed her fiercely.
His tall body enveloped her completely. The next instant, he lifted her off the ground, one hand gripping her waist and hip, forcing her legs to curl up against him.
Ling Dang gasped, staring into his blazing eyes—at this distance, she had nowhere to escape.
Rain poured down, drowning out their heartbeats and confusion.
In this moment, the world held only the two of them.
Luo Ye's restraint finally shattered. Holding her tightly, he kissed her again.
There was no skill, only desperate urgency—his lips almost biting, as if he were trying to press months of longing and fear straight into her very being.
Ling Dang's mind went blank.
She had never been this close to anyone. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, unable to push him away.
She could feel his trembling, his desperation, the heat that threatened to burn her.
"Mmm…"
A soft sound escaped her lips, tears mixing with rain, her face burning hot.
His kiss grew even more intense. His teeth grazed her lips, leaving them swollen and red.
Though his heart was in chaos, he refused to let go—kissing her again and again, clumsily, as if desperately proving she was real.
As if the moment he loosened his grip, she would slip through his fingers and disappear forever.
Only when Ling Dang's breathing turned ragged and tears slid from the corners of her eyes did Luo Ye suddenly come to his senses.
He released her abruptly, as if waking from a dream.
Sweat covered his forehead, his chest heaving.
"I… did I scare you?"
Ling Dang slumped weakly against the pillar, lips swollen, eyes misty.
Covering her mouth, her heart pounding wildly, she whispered shakily:
"Brother Luo… does this mean… you won't drive me away? You won't despise me?"
She was half crying, half laughing, tears clinging to her lashes.
Luo Ye froze—then pulled her fiercely into his arms.
"Despise you? The only one I despise is myself… for not realizing sooner that you were my girl."
The rain kept falling, but it could no longer drown out the fire in their hearts.
[Side Room of the Hall · After the Rain]
The rain faded, candles flickering softly inside.
Ling Dang sat on the bed, her lips red and swollen like stained petals. She lowered her head, covering her mouth, unable to look at him.
Luo Ye's anger had long vanished, replaced by nothing but regret and tenderness.
He fumbled through his medicine pouch, pulling out a small jar of salve so clumsily that the lid nearly fell.
"Y-you—what are you just sitting there for? Come here!"
His tone was fierce, but he couldn't meet her eyes.
Her heart still racing, Ling Dang sniffed, eyes reddening.
"I… I didn't do anything wrong…"
Luo Ye's heart ached.
He quickly knelt in front of her, cupping her face with his large hands, gentle as if she were made of glass.
Dipping his finger into the salve, he carefully applied it to her swollen lips.
"Does it hurt?" he asked softly.
She shook her head, her ears burning red. Trying to turn away, she was held in place, so she mumbled shyly:
"Brother Luo… you're so clumsy…"
He froze, his own ears heating up.
"What's so clumsy about me? This is… this is my first time! And whose fault is it? You hid it from me and made me hold it in all this time!"
Even as he complained, his fingers kept moving gently.
Ling Dang's eyes shimmered as she smiled.
"So… I wasn't the only one who was secretly afraid. Brother Luo was nervous too."
His face instantly flushed.
"Don't get smug! Next time I'll practice more—"
He stopped himself, swallowed, then sighed and pulled her tightly into his arms.
"I'm not letting you go again."
Under the flickering candlelight, in the cool air after the rain, their hearts finally found each other.
[Yao Residence · Luo Ye's Courtyard · Night]
Moonlight bathed the quiet courtyard.
After finishing a long day's work, Luo Ye rubbed his brow and returned to his room—only to notice light glowing inside.
Frowning, he pushed the door open.
And froze.
Ling Dang stood before the bronze mirror.
She had changed out of her plain clerk's robe into a pale blue dress, a slender ribbon cinched at her waist, highlighting her graceful figure.
Her hair was no longer tied simply but loosely pinned up, adorned with the hairpin Li Furong had given her. A few strands fell softly beside her ears.
She gazed at her reflection, still not used to this version of herself, her cheeks flushed.
Luo Ye swallowed.
His heart pounded as his steps slowed…