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Lady Huo rises from her seat and drifts toward the window. Pushing aside the curtain, she peers out to see whether the rain has finally exhausted itself.
Beyond the latticed frame stretches the Jin estate in all its grandeur.
The Jin family truly lives up to its reputation.
The residence stands proudly amidst the rain-washed landscape, its dark tiled roofs layered like the wings of a great celestial bird. Elegant corridors wind between pavilions and courtyards, while carved pillars and painted eaves speak of generations of wealth and prestige. Even beneath the grey skies, the estate seems to glow with quiet authority, every stone and beam possessing the confidence of a noble house that has stood unshaken through countless seasons.
It reminds her, unexpectedly, of Bai Yutang himself.
Beautiful without appearing delicate. Refined without sacrificing strength. Every line of the estate is graceful, yet there is something formidable beneath the elegance—a latent power hidden behind polished surfaces. The Jin residence wears its nobility as naturally as Bai Yutang wears his.
Indeed, the man could not belong anywhere else.
Having already familiarized herself with every corner of her guest room, Lady Huo decides it is time to learn the latest developments. She leaves her quarters and sets off toward the late Fourth Uncle's study, where Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang had intended to continue their investigation.
The downpour has finally subsided, leaving behind only a timid drizzle that taps softly against the tiled roofs.
She follows the winding corridors of the estate, navigating their maze-like turns with increasing confidence.
As she draws closer to the study, voices begin to carry through the quiet halls.
"—the matter?" The concern in Zhan Zhao's voice is unmistakable. "Are you seeing things again?"
Lady Huo slows her steps.
A heavy silence follows.
Then comes the sound of measured footsteps.
"Bai Yutang."
Zhan Zhao calls his name again.
The concern remains, but now it is edged with something deeper—something dangerously close to fear. Yet his voice never loses its gentleness.
"Look at me."
Lady Huo unconsciously stills her breathing and listens harder.
Soon she hears it.
Bai Yutang's breathing.
Uneven.
Laboured.
Despite taking Tang Tianhao's tonic, the medicine is likely working too slowly. Whatever spectres plague his mind have returned, visible only to him.
The breathing grows harsher.
Faster.
Before long, he is nearly panting.
"Look into my eyes."
The words emerge not as a command but as a plea.
"Listen only to my voice."
Another breath.
"Bai Yutang," Zhan Zhao says softly. "I'm here."
Lady Huo lowers her gaze.
The man has endured far more than most people could bear.
Orphaned while still young. Branded the brother of a murderer. Hated for daring to seek the truth. Cast aside by those who should have protected him. Abandoned by family, hardened by streets that offered neither mercy nor kindness.
Yet somehow he still laughs louder than everyone else.
Still carries himself with reckless confidence.
Still throws himself between danger and the people he cares about.
Who would have imagined that beneath all that brightness lay wounds so deep?
"You're alright."
Zhan Zhao's voice comes again, quieter this time.
Muffled.
As though spoken against fabric.
Lady Huo realizes what has happened.
He has embraced him.
"Everything is going to be fine."
Bai Yutang's episodes are rarely gentle affairs. More often than not, they leave chaos in their wake. Yet tonight, something about the familiar embrace and the steady cadence of Zhan Zhao's voice seems to reach him through the darkness.
Lady Huo listens carefully.
The frantic breaths gradually slow.
The tension eases.
One breath.
Then another.
Until they finally settle into a steady rhythm.
She lifts her eyes.
Through the paper window, candlelight casts two shadows upon the translucent screen.
One standing firm.
The other leaning heavily against him.
Neither moves away.
Outside, the rain continues its soft retreat from the world.
Inside, beneath the warm glow of candlelight, one man anchors another back to reality.
And for a fleeting moment, the silence between them speaks louder than words ever could.