[Feng City · Riverworks Site · The Next Day]
Under the blazing sun, the craftsmen sweated as they shoved timbers into place and drove stakes upright. Riverwater pounded the banks, the noise thunderous.
Cangyuan, dressed in plain robes, stood on higher ground. His expression was steady, his gaze sharp as a blade as it swept the site. He lifted a hand and pointed toward the stone base. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried weight—calm, firm, and unmistakably commanding.
"This section needs another layer of pressure-stone. Otherwise, when the current surges, the foundation will scatter."
Every word was crisp. No impatience, no heat—yet authority seeped through him naturally. The craftsmen exchanged looks, impressed, then moved at once to follow his instructions.
Xie Wenyun stood not far away. He'd said she didn't need to come today—yet she'd ended up following anyway, unable to stop herself. Her eyes never truly left him.
Last night's words still echoed in her head—
Dead water… might also be another kind of protection.
She watched him bend to examine the canal mouth, patiently explaining to the townsfolk how to reinforce the embankment. She watched a curious child wander too close—and without thinking, he reached out and pulled the child behind him to keep them from tripping over tools.
In that moment, Wenyun's heart gave a hard, sudden thump.
If he really was that pool of water that had "stopped"… then what—who—was he stopping for?
Was it these people?
Or… someone worth far more?
A sour, inexplicable sting rose in her chest.
It's none of my business. I shouldn't overthink.
She clenched her sleeve, scolding herself silently—yet the dull, subtle heaviness refused to ease.
Flustered, Wenyun quickly looked away and forced her gaze to the other side of the site.
Unfortunately, that side held a young laborer bent over a stack of timber. Sweat streamed down his face. He looked up at the exact wrong moment—straight into her line of sight.
Ding Yuhao froze.
Why is the young lady staring at me? Did I do something wrong?
His stomach tightened, and he even rubbed at his cheek, half-convinced he must have dirt smeared on his face.
Not far away, Cangyuan had noticed Wenyun the moment she stepped onto the site. Seeing that she was standing safely, he hadn't said anything.
But now—catching the way her expression went flustered, and how her gaze landed squarely on Ding Yuhao—his brows drew together slightly.
A strange, unpleasant tightness stirred in his chest.
Don't tell me she didn't come to see me at all…
Don't tell me she came to see that kid.
The ribs of his fan snapped shut with a soft click. The sound was light—yet the emotion in his eyes sank deeper.
The craftsmen paused their hammering and gathered along the riverbank to drink water and wipe sweat.
Ding Yuhao thought it over, and the unease only grew. Finally, he forced himself to walk up to Wenyun. He scratched the back of his head, earnest to the point of awkward.
"Miss Xie… earlier, did you have something you wanted to tell me? You were… looking straight at me."
Wenyun had been adjusting the hem of her skirt. At those words, her face flashed red. She waved her hands in panic.
"N-no! You… you're imagining things!"
She was mortified—she'd only looked that way to avoid Cangyuan's gaze. How had she caused this kind of misunderstanding?
Her movements were too frantic. Her foot slipped. Her body swayed.
Ding Yuhao reacted instantly, reaching out and catching her by the arm.
The craftsmen around them erupted into friendly heckling at once:
"Ah—Ding brat's got luck!"
"The young lady came to see you on purpose!"
"One stumble, one grab—maybe you'll be family soon!"
Laughter roared like a wave.
Wenyun was both embarrassed and furious; even her ears burned red. She yanked her arm back, voice so small it nearly disappeared.
"Th-thank you."
Then she lowered her head and fled, almost as if in defeat.
Ding Yuhao stood there, bewildered, wanting to ask more—only to be called away by his companions. He left still confused, still unsure what he'd done wrong.
On higher ground, Cangyuan watched quietly, his brow faintly furrowed. The fan in his hand folded slowly; his gaze darkened.
So she really came for that boy?
[Path Back to the Residence]
Wenyun strode quickly, her skirt hem fluttering in the wind. Yet nothing could calm the frantic pounding in her chest.
She pressed a hand to her heart, her face burning hot, and muttered under her breath.
"Heavens… why am I always losing my composure? In front of him, in front of the workers… it's worse every time."
The memory wouldn't let go—Ding Yuhao's hand catching her, the workers' laughter. Her ears heated again. She walked faster, as if speed could shake the sound loose.
"What's wrong with me… why do I panic so easily… why do I fall into chaos so quickly…"
Her chest felt heavy, even to herself inexplicable. She couldn't tell if she feared Lord Cangyuan laughing at her—
or if, because he had been there, she'd fallen apart that badly.
She bit her lip hard and fanned her face with her hand.
"No… next time I have to be calm. I can't keep doing this!"
But the more she warned herself, the harder the "little deer" in her heart rammed against its cage.
[Feng City · Riverworks Site]
Wenyun disappeared into the distance, her back carrying a faint trace of panic.
Cangyuan stood above, his eyes following that figure the entire time. His fan snapped shut with a sharp 啪—a sound that seemed to press down on the heaviness in his throat.
One brow lifted. His mouth curved into something like a smile, yet not quite.
That flustered blush…
She lost control because that boy grabbed her.
"So it turns out…" his thoughts turned bitter and restless, "…she panics like that for him."
A ridiculous irritation rose—so ridiculous he could have laughed at himself.
It had nothing to do with him.
And yet he cared—far too much.
He looked out at the river. The light glittered on the water, but it couldn't wash away the faint shadow in his heart.
The corner of his mouth twitched, self-mocking.
"How laughable… that I can be troubled by something so small."
He tapped the folded fan lightly against his palm and stared out again.
No matter how fast she ran, she still refused to leave his eyes.
[Xie Residence · Main Hall]
That evening, after work ended, Xie Lei arranged a small banquet to reward the craftsmen and entertain the guests. The hall was lively—cups raised, laughter ringing, the mood excellent.
Ding Yuhao was young, but he'd worked diligently on the canal project, earning praise from everyone. In the middle of the feast, someone half-drunk and grinning spoke up with deliberate mischief:
"If Ding the Fourth hadn't been quick today, our Miss Xie might've taken a tumble!"
"Exactly!" another chimed in. "That was a proper hero saving a beauty!"
"And the way the young lady stared at Ding Fourth—hah! The matchmakers ten miles around are probably laughing themselves sick!"
The table burst into laughter. Someone even shouted louder on purpose:
"Maybe this is a match made in heaven!"
Wenyun had been sitting with her head lowered, trying to hide. At those words her face went scarlet; her chopsticks nearly slipped from her fingers.
"No! You—you're talking nonsense!" she protested, panicked.
Ding Yuhao panicked too and leapt to his feet.
"Miss Xie is nobility—how would I dare have such thoughts? I only… only happened to catch her, that's all!"
But the more desperately they denied it, the more it sounded like exactly the thing people teased: there's something to deny. The laughter only grew louder.
The entire hall treated "Ding saving the young lady" as tonight's favorite joke.
Xie Lei had initially frowned, ready to shut it down. Yet as he listened, his gaze drifted to Ding Yuhao more than once.
The boy's status was low—just a craftsman—but he was decent-looking, and there was an honest steadiness in his eyes. If he could protect Yun'er… perhaps it wouldn't be entirely unacceptable.
But then—
Xie Lei's gaze slid to Cangyuan.
That man sat in plain robes, composed, graceful. He didn't flaunt his sharpness, yet he was impossible to ignore. Status, ability, bearing—he was, by every measure, the best possible choice.
If he became a son-in-law, it wouldn't only be a secure match for Yun'er—
it would be an honor for the Xie family, a glory for Feng City itself.
What a pity… Xie Lei sighed inwardly, troubled.
If Yun'er truly had feelings for that boy, then the "best match" would be lost.
He lifted his cup, expression complicated, while laughter continued around him—no one noticing how many calculations had already turned over in the city lord's heart.
Not far away, Cangyuan sat quietly, turning his own cup with slow, controlled fingers.
He saw it all: Wenyun blushing, flustered, denying; the craftsmen heckling; Xie Lei's thoughtful stare.
The hall was full of laughter, yet one phrase stabbed into his chest like a needle—
"Match made in heaven."
His lips curved faintly, half-smiling—yet a chill flickered in his eyes.
So in everyone else's eyes, she and that boy looked perfectly suited.
And he?
He was nothing but an extra outsider.
The wine trembled in the cup, reflecting lamplight—and reflecting the dark depth in his gaze.
He lifted the cup and drank. Cold slid down his throat.
His fingers tightened without meaning to, as if he might crush the thin porcelain.
"Just a joke," he told himself coolly. "Not worth noticing."
Yet the dull pressure in his chest refused to be pressed down.
Lamplight swayed. Voices boomed.
One person wanted to flee in shame.
One person weighed possibilities.
One person's heart churned in silence.
At the same table, three different minds—three different storms.
—
The teasing only grew. Someone banged the table, someone shouted louder, and the hall became even more raucous.
A troublemaker shoved a cup straight into Ding Yuhao's hands and pushed him—half forcing, half urging—toward the main table.
"Come, come! Ding brat, toast the lord and the young lady! Thank them for their care—and thank them for today's fine destiny!"
That line detonated another burst of laughter.
Ding Yuhao's face went crimson. He clutched the cup with both hands, frozen between stepping forward and stepping back.
"I—I wouldn't dare…" he stammered, cold sweat beading at his temple.
Wenyun's face had already burned red. She was about to rise and stop it—
When Xie Lei suddenly laughed, deep and bright, and steadied the entire room.
"Haha—enough. That isn't proper!"
He lifted a hand. The cheering quieted a notch, pressed down by a city lord's casual authority and a father's composed smile.
"In truth, if we speak of merit, it is I who should toast all of you. Without your labor, how could Feng City have canals? How could we have water in the days to come? Come—"
He raised his cup and swept his gaze across the craftsmen and stonemasons. His voice was thick with sincerity.
"My daughter and I—offer a toast to everyone here."
The hall fell silent for half a breath—then erupted in a thunderous cheer.
"My lord is too generous!"
"We work for the people—we don't deserve the young lady's toast!"
Everyone stood to return the toast. The mood turned from teasing to upright pride in an instant.
Wenyun bit her lip, panic flashing through her eyes, yet she lifted her cup alongside her father and offered a gentle, practiced smile.
"You've all worked hard. On behalf of Feng City's people, I thank you."
Her posture was graceful, her voice clear and soft. She managed to cover most of her earlier embarrassment.
Cups clinked. The hall warmed again.
Xie Lei's voice rang out, steady and strong: "My daughter and I—toast you all!"
The craftsmen replied in unison, laughing: "City Lord and Miss Xie—magnificent spirit!"
Amid the noise, Wenyun's cheeks remained pink. She held her cup with both hands, about to drink—
When, suddenly—
"Wait."
A low voice cut through, urgent and unmistakable.
The room froze.
Cangyuan's expression was uncharacteristically grave. He stepped forward in a swift sweep of robes, and before anyone could react, he reached out—grasped Wenyun's wrist—and took the cup from her hand.
The entire hall went dead silent.
Wenyun stood frozen, her ears flaring red.
"Lo-Lord Cangyuan…?"
Cangyuan didn't look at her. He turned and clasped his hands toward Xie Lei, voice steady but unable to hide the urgency beneath it.
"City Lord—there is a matter I must consult with the young lady at once. I ask that you permit her to leave the table."
His words left no room for refusal. In the next breath, he angled his body and guided Wenyun outward.
His sleeves lifted. And behind them, the hall remained stunned—faces blank, eyes wide—
cups still raised, laughter stranded in throats, awkwardness hardening like ice.
"What… what does Lord Cangyuan mean?" someone whispered.
"He looked… genuinely urgent," another murmured, suddenly uneasy.
Xie Lei's brow twitched. A shock went through him like a spark.
This Lord Cangyuan… publicly taking Yun'er away?