Chapter 201
"I didn’t say otherwise," Sister Yun smiled knowingly.
"You were thinking it," Lin Wan muttered awkwardly, causing the room to fill with gentle laughter. Even Selene joined in. It had been a long time since the courtyard felt this warm and lively.
Outside the quarters, Wei Xiang was already waiting. Captain Ren stood beside him, reviewing the day’s security arrangements.
"The northern path has been cleared," Captain Ren reported.
Wei Xiang nodded. "What about the rooftops?"
"Shadow Guards are in position."
"The gardens?"
"Secured."
Wei Xiang surveyed the area carefully. "Ensure there are no unnecessary concentrations of armed soldiers."
Captain Ren blinked. "...Commander?"
"I don’t want her feeling like a prisoner on display," Wei Xiang clarified simply.
"Understood. I will keep the visible guard presence minimal and hidden," Ren replied with a quick smile.
Commander Hale approached them moments later. "Orders from the King."
Wei Xiang turned. "Lady Lin is restricted to the inner district," Hale stated. "No unexpected detours."
"I am aware."
Commander Hale lowered his voice slightly. "His Majesty specifically requested I remind you... if anything unusual occurs, bring her back immediately."
Wei Xiang let out a quiet sigh. "Does His Majesty think I would forget?"
"No," Hale offered a faint smile. "He simply worries."
Wei Xiang offered no counterargument, knowing full well it was true.
A few minutes later, the heavy doors opened, and Lin Wan stepped outside wearing a thick white winter cloak trimmed with soft silver fur. Her hair was loosely tied, and her complexion looked healthier than it had in days.
She closed her eyes as the crisp air touched her face. "...It feels wonderful."
Wei Xiang walked forward. "Good morning."
Lin Wan opened her eyes, smiling. "Good morning. Have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all," he replied, glancing down at her stomach. "How are they today?"
She gently patted her bump. "They’re behaving for now."
Wei Xiang laughed lightly. "So they do misbehave sometimes?"
"They kick and move around, keeping me awake all night," Lin Wan explained with a serious nod.
"Energetic already," Wei Xiang smiled. "I wonder who they inherited that from."
Lin Wan looked at him. "Certainly not me."
He raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"I prefer sleeping," she said plainly, prompting a burst of quiet laughter from nearby maids and guards alike.
Wei Xiang extended his arm politely. "Shall we?"
Lin Wan rested her hand lightly over his forearm. "Let’s go."
As they walked down the winding palace paths, Lin Wan noticed the distinct lack of visible guards compared to previous days. She glanced at Wei Xiang. "You arranged this."
Wei Xiang maintained an innocent expression. "Arranged what?"
"The guard presence. It’s much.... Uhmn sparser."
He smiled softly. "I figured an overwhelming procession would make you uncomfortable."
"It does," Lin Wan acknowledged softly. "Thank you."
"There’s no need to thank me," he said.
They passed several palace workers carrying baskets of firewood, who bowed politely. "Lady Lin."
Lin Wan paused. "You don’t need to bow."
An elderly servant smiled warmly. "We are simply greeting you, my lady."
"Then... good morning," Lin Wan replied, eliciting an even brighter smile from the worker.
Captain Ren quietly stepped up beside Wei Xiang and whispered, "The servants are talking, Commander."
"What are they saying?"
Ren smirked slightly. "They say our Lady smiles more beautifully than winter blossoms."
Wei Xiang shook his head with a faint grin, that wasn’t so much of pleasantness in it "’Our Lady’?"
"That is what they have started calling her," Ren admitted quickly, noticing the icy air emanating from Wei Xiang.
Wei Xiang looked toward Lin Wan, who was intently asking Sister Yun about a nearby flowering tree. "...It suits her."
Before Ren could answer, Commander Hale approached with a stern expression. "Commander Wei Xiang. A report has just arrived from the northern front."
Wei Xiang’s relaxed posture immediately sharpened. "What happened? Is it an attack?"
"No," Hale lowered his voice. "Wang shifted his camp during the night. He completely abandoned his strong hold at Frost Ridge."
Wei Xiang frowned, stepping a few paces away from Lin Wan to hear the details. "Where did he go?"
Hale unrolled a small map, pointing to a different mountain pass. "He moved here. He gave up the superior elevation."
Wei Xiang examined the terrain. "He is avoiding an direct confrontation at the ridge. If both armies clash there, casualties will be catastrophic."
"It will delay his progression by at least two days," Hale added.
Wei Xiang looked out toward the snow-capped horizon. "...That is entirely like him. He isn’t trying to wage a bloody war of attrition."
"The King ordered us to observe without provoking them," Hale concluded, rolling up the parchment before bowing and taking his leave.
Wei Xiang stood still for a long moment, organizing his thoughts before returning to Lin Wan’s side.
Lin Wan stood beneath a plum tree, carefully catching a drifting pink blossom in her palm.
Wei Xiang approached quietly. "You like it?"
"It’s beautiful," she said softly. "In the Lower Realm, I never saw flowers bloom amidst the snow."
"The Upper Realm has many unique sights," Wei Xiang noted gently. "When spring arrives, there will be even more."
Lin Wan’s smile turned bittersweet. "Do you think I will still be here by then?"
Wei Xiang’s smile faltered slightly. Instead of answering directly, he asked, "Do you want to be?"
Lin Wan lowered her gaze. "...No. I want to go home. I miss my children, my home, and everyone waiting for me."
Wei Xiang stood quietly beside her before speaking with quiet conviction. "You will go back."
"You sound so certain," she murmured. "What if you can’t manage it?"
"Then I will keep trying."
"What if it takes years?"
"I will still keep trying."
"What if... someone gets hurt because of me?" she asked softly.
Wei Xiang met her gaze squarely. "Then let it be me."
Lin Wan frowned deeply. "Don’t say things like that."
"Why not?"
"I don’t like hearing it," she said firmly. "I don’t want anyone getting hurt on my account anymore."
Wei Xiang looked at her seriously. "This isn’t just about you, Lin Wan. This is about the choices we have all made. When you saved me back then, did you pause to calculate the risks?"
"No," she blinked.
"You helped me simply because it was in your nature," he said softly. "Don’t carry the weight of the world alone. You never asked us to protect you; we chose to."
Lin Wan felt a sudden sting behind her eyes and quickly looked away. "...Thank you."
Wei Xiang awkwardly avoided her tear-filled eyes, pointing toward the open courtyard ahead. "Look over there."
A group of children belonging to palace servants were playing in the snow, fashioning small snow animals and laughing loudly. When one boy slipped and tumbled into a snowdrift, he simply burst into giggles, prompting the others to join in.
Lin Wan couldn’t help but laugh along, her expression lightening completely.
High above the courtyard on a stone balcony, Cassian stood silently watching the scene below alongside General Borin.
"They seem to get along remarkably well," General Borin observed quietly, glancing at the King. "Does it bother you, Your Majesty?"
Cassian remained still for a long time before replying evenly, "No."
Borin raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"If she smiles... that is enough," Cassian said quietly, his golden eyes fixed on her distant figure. Although somewhere deep in his iced heart, he wished he was the one with her, not Wei Xiang, he wished she could look at him and smile happily with no care of the world, he wish she wasn’t so afraid of him.
Cassian had thought about this for so long, If he was given another choice, would he still choose to meet Lin Wan again?
It had shocked him as he laid on his bed that night as how quickly the answer came to him.
If he was given the chance to choose all over again, he’ll still choose to meet her.
The only thing he wished could be changed was, how they met and what he made her pass through.
He had also wondered, if he were to do it all over again and due to an unforeseen circumstances that led Lin wan to not come to the market that day, and he hadn’t used his charm on her, missing out on her.
The answer had also come fast.
He’ll do it all over again, not missing out on anything, as long as she’s here, in his territory, and at reach.
General Borin smiled gently. "You’ve changed, sire. You would never have said such a thing in the past."
Cassian did not deny the statement, watching silently as Lin Wan shared a warm moment with the playing children. "...She laughs more now," he added softly.
"She does," Borin agreed.
Cassian lowered his gaze slightly. "...Good."
Down below, a little girl ran over to Lin Wan, proudly presenting a crudely shaped snow rabbit held carefully between her small hands. "My Lady... this is for you! I made it."