The sun began its slow descent behind the jagged peaks of the Tan Wu Mountain Range, bleeding hues of violet and burnt orange across the sky.
The long shadows of the Huo Clan estate stretched like dark fingers across the manicured stone paths as Shen Haoran and Huo Yue walked in a comfortable, albeit heavy, silence.
The rowdy atmosphere of the market had faded, replaced by the cool, evening air of the inner compound.
When they finally reached the entrance to Huo Yue's private quarters—a modest courtyard shaded by a single, ancient plum tree—she stopped and turned to him.
The orange glow of the sunset caught the silver embroidery of his robes, making him look more like a celestial apparition than a man.
"Haoran," she began, her voice soft, "When... when will you be leaving for the Capital?"
Haoran leaned against the dark wood of her doorframe, a playful, lopsided smirk tugging at his lips. "Why do you ask, Yue'er? Are you already in such a hurry to see me gone? Do you find your fiancé repulsive that you can't bear to be with him any longer?"
Huo Yue's eyes widened, and she shook her head so vigorously a few strands of hair fell across her face.
"No! That's not it at all! You... you can stay as long as you like. The Huo Clan would be honored, and I..." She trailed off, biting her lower lip.
Haoran's expression softened, the teasing light in his eyes replaced by a calm, steady warmth.
He reached out, his fingers trailing lightly over her shoulder. "That would be nice. Truly. But unfortunately, I have to leave tomorrow morning. I have matters in the Imperial City that require my personal attention. Although it doesn't always seem like it, most heirs of powerful clans are actually very busy as they are being trained by elders so that they can easily handle the clan affairs once they take over."
This is something Haoran always found weird in those novels. Young Masters aren't so free that they would provoke someone obviously so far beneath them for some strange or stupid reason.
Remember people, not all young masters are brainless!
"So, although I wanted to stay, I really can't."
"Oh." Huo Yue's shoulders slumped.
The light that had returned to her eyes during their "date" seemed to flicker and dim.
The prospect of facing the vultures of her clan without his towering presence beside her felt suddenly daunting.
Noticing her dejection, Haoran reached out and caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently tilting her face upward until her red, soulful eyes met his.
"Don't look so tragic, Yue'er," he murmured. "We aren't parting forever. And besides, did you think I'd leave my fiancée without any way of contact? The storage ring I gave you... deep inside, among the spirit stones, there is a pair of Twin-Soul Jades. It is a high-grade communication artifact. Even if we are separated by mountains, oceans, or even the barrier of a separate dimension, your voice will reach me. And mine will reach you."
Huo Yue raised her hand, her fingers brushing the ring as she stared at it in fascination, "Really? Such a thing... Honestly, this city is so poor only the City Lord has one, and even then it can only cover the area inside the city."
"Hm? Doesn't your city have any Artificers?" Haoran replied.
Huo Yue shook her head, "Old Tang, the city's only Artificer left a few years ago, and we don't know where he's been. But his son should be studying in an academy."
"...I see. I suggest you learn even just a little bit of artifact crafting. It will help you a lot in the long run."
"O-Oh. Got it, I'll remember."
Haoran smiled and took a step closer, closing the gap between them until the scent of a man enveloped her. "Since I am leaving at dawn, surely you can't be so heartless as to let me go without a parting gift?"
Huo Yue tilted her head, confusion clouding her features. "A gift? But you just gave me a fortune, I haven't had time to prepare—"
She didn't get to finish the sentence.
Haoran leaned down, his movements fluid and decisive, and captured her lips with his.
Huo Yue's breath hitched in her throat, jer eyes flew wide in shock, her hands instinctively rising to rest against the firm, warm silk covering his chest.
For a heartbeat, she froze, like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a predator.
But as the kiss deepened, shifting from a sudden claim to a lingering, sweet heat, her resistance melted.
The three years of cold isolation, the insults, and the weight of her destiny seemed to dissolve in the warmth of his touch.
Slowly, almost tentatively, her eyes fluttered shut, and she leaned into him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his robes.
Haoran's hands, which had been resting on her shoulders, slid down her back with a slow, possessive confidence, eventually coming to rest on her perky, firm backside.
Huo Yue felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her spine.
She was acutely aware of the impropriety, of the proximity, and the daring nature of his touch—but she didn't push him away.
Instead, she let out a soft, muffled whimper against his lips, allowing him to draw her even tighter against his body.
When Haoran finally broke the kiss, he didn't pull away immediately. He lingered inches from her face, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as if savoring the lingering taste of her.
Huo Yue's face was a masterpiece of crimson.
She lowered her head, her breath coming in shallow, ragged hitches, unable to meet his burning gaze.
"Now I'm even more reluctant to part," Haoran said, his voice a low, vibrating growl near her ear. "What am I to do, Yue'er? I find myself wanting to lock you away and keep you by my side forever. The world is a dangerous place for a treasure like you."
At those words, Huo Yue felt a shift deep within her soul.
The Imperial Flame Transformation technique, still fresh in her mind, seemed to pulse in response to her emotions.
She forced herself to look up, her eyes no longer shimmering with tears from shyness, but with a burgeoning, fierce determination.
She shook her head firmly.
"Thank you, Haoran. Truly. For everything," she said, her voice gaining strength with every word. "But I have already decided. I won't be a bird in a gilded cage, even if that cage is yours. I want to walk my own path. I know it won't be smooth sailing, I know there are people who want to see me fall, but I want to climb to the pinnacle with my own two hands. I want to be someone who stands beside you, not behind you."
Shen Haoran raised an eyebrow, his heart skipping a beat. In that moment, the shy, blushing girl disappeared, and for a fleeting second, he saw the shadow of the woman who would one day overshadow the heavens and command the respect of gods.
The Flame Empress was finally starting to wake up.
"I see," Haoran nodded, a genuine smile of respect, not just affection, crossing his face. "Then be brave, and walk that path without looking back. A flower raised in a sheltered garden is indeed beautiful, but it is fragile. A flower in the wilds, one that has braved the howling winds and the lashing rain... that flower possesses a spirit that mere beauty can never touch."
He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I will be watching from the Capital. Don't make me wait too long."
Huo Yue felt a surge of warmth that had nothing to do with her cultivation. She had expected him to be overbearing, to insist on his protection like every other powerful man she had heard of, but she was wrong.
His ready agreement and his encouraging words were the greatest gifts he could have given her.
She beamed at him, a radiant, beautiful smile that could have outshone the rising moon. "Hm! I will definitely do it! One day, Haoran, I will stand at the very top, and I will be worthy to stand by your side as an equal!"
Haoran chuckled, turning to walk away into the gathering night.
Equal? he thought to himself. My dear Yue'er, by the time you reach the top, you might find that what you see is merely a silhouette of mine.
He will never allow a protagonist to surpass him, even if it's his own fiancée.
This, he swears.