Silence blanketed the room, save for the soft sound of their breathing and the occasional creak of the bed.
Wrapped under the covers, the flickering candlelight cast their shadows across the wall—two figures lying side by side, one still uncertain, the other fully entranced.
Sheng Moxian lay with her head on Hei Long’s shoulder, one arm draped loosely over his chest.
She looked completely at peace, her earlier frenzy fading into a soft warmth.
But her mind was far from still.
Thoughts spun and danced and spiraled into a single, overwhelming realization.
Then, suddenly, she sat up just a little, looking down at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
"So... does this an we’re getting married?" Sheng Moxian asked, her voice filled with excitent and sothing verging on mania:
"aning I’ll be your wife?"
Her breathing quickened with each word.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, eyes locked onto his as if trying to burn her soul into his.
Hei Long’s eyes widened slightly.
For a mont, he considered pretending to be asleep again—but no, too late.
He awkwardly turned his head away, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish half-smile.
"Of course," he said smoothly, not missing a beat:
"But... let’s keep it a secret for now."
He forced a soft chuckle, gaze still averted:
"I don’t want anyone trying to hurt soone close to because of who I am... you know, my identity and all that. It’s complicated."
He made it sound sincere, protective even—but in truth, that wasn’t the reason at all.
In reality, he just didn’t want anyone knowing he was involved with her—not yet.
Not when there was still a chance she might do sothing reckless or explode in so dramatic fit because of him.
If that happened, he wanted plausible deniability.
Clean hands.
No ties.
Sheng Moxian was useful.
She was devoted.
She was dangerous in her own way.
And right now?
She was obsessively loyal.
It worked to Hei Long’s advantage.
Sheng Moxian, anwhile, was utterly swept away.
Her heart pounded like thunder in her chest.
Her entire body buzzed with emotion, drowning in the idea that he wanted to protect her, to keep their love secret for her safety.
It was romantic.
It was noble.
It was everything.
"You’re such a perfect husband..." Sheng Moxian whispered, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.
Before Hei Long could say anything in return, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek—soft and lingering.
A quiet gesture, but for her, it was monuntal.
She then laid her head back down against his chest, holding him tighter, her expression blissful.
"I promise... I won’t tell a soul," Sheng Moxian said sweetly, eyes fluttering closed:
"Even if soone tortures or tries to rip it out of ... I’ll keep our love a secret."
"Mm," Hei Long humd vaguely, giving her hair an absent pat.
Inwardly, he made a ntal note to keep an even closer eye on her going forward.
Obsession was useful.
Obsession was dangerous.
And right now, it was both.
Still, as she lted against him with a content sigh, he let his own eyes close for a mont.
Whatever storm she might bring, for now, he would play the part.
He could always change the script later.
.
.
.
The Next Morning
Mist still clung to the ground like a thin veil as Hei Long stepped out into the cool air, stretching his arms behind his back with a quiet yawn.
The sky was painted in gentle streaks of rose and amber, the sun only just beginning to rise beyond the distant mountain peaks.
He had sowhere to be.
The Sect Leader had called for him.
Not an elder.
Not a ssenger.
Her.
That alone made it interesting.
After all—
The Sect Leader was not the kind to waste ti or words.
If she had chosen to personally summon him, there was sothing she wanted—and that alone was enough to spark his curiosity.
Her ssage had been simple: "et at the koi pond. At dawn."
Hei Long smirked.
The pond ca into view beyond the treeline, its surface still and glass-like, reflecting the soft orange hues of the early sun.
There she was.
The Sect Leader stood alone at the edge of the pond, scattering small pinches of food into the water.
The koi, brilliant flashes of gold and crimson, darted up to the surface in graceful swirls, breaking the mirror-like stillness.
For a mont, she looked almost serene—delicate, even.
Then Hei Long raised a hand lazily and greeted her.
"Good morning, my little slave."
The words cut through the peaceful silence like a thrown dagger.
The Sect Leader’s hand froze mid-scatter.
Her entire posture stiffened.
Slowly, she turned to face him, eyes narrowing.
Her jaw tightened slightly as she forced herself to breathe through her nose.
Her lips opened as if to snap back with a retort, but she caught herself, biting her tongue instead.
"...Good morning," the Sect Leader replied curtly.
Hei Long strolled closer, hands behind his back, the sa amused smirk tugging at his lips.
He took his ti, making a show of it, until he stood just a few paces from her.
"Co on," he drawled:
"Call master."
The Sect Leader’s gaze turned icy:
"..."
"Don’t be shy," Hei Long added with mock encouragent:
" I would like the sound of it."
A long silence followed...
For a second, Hei Long thought she might lash out or turn and walk away entirely.
Instead, the Sect Leader closed her eyes, drew in a slow breath, and forced the word through clenched teeth:
"Ma... master."
Hei Long chuckled, low and quiet, as if genuinely entertained.
"See? That wasn’t so hard."
But beneath the Sect Leader’s surface calm, sothing stirred.
Her composure remained intact, but a flicker of sothing strange sparked in her eyes—sothing almost shaful, as if she hated the word... and hated even more how saying it made her feel.
She turned her head away quickly, as though trying to hide the faint color rising to her cheeks.
Hei Long noticed, of course.
He noticed everything.
But he said nothing about it.
Instead, he moved to stand beside her, watching the koi glide across the water with slow, dreamlike movents.
"You’re awfully obedient for soone so strong," Hei Long murmured, keeping his tone casual.
"..." The Sect Leader didn’t respond.
Hei Long glanced at her sideways:
"Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with ," he added with a wink.
The Sect Leader’s lips tightened again, but she didn’t move.
Whether out of restraint, pride, or sothing else entirely, Hei Long couldn’t tell.
The silence between them hung like a thread stretched taut—ready to snap or deepen at the slightest pull.
Hei Long, for once, let it hang.
He looked back over the pond and smiled faintly to himself.
’Let her wrestle with it,’ he thought:
’That’s half the fun.’
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