In that suffocating silence, Hànyuè (汉月) kept her eyes tightly shut, her body trembling with shallow, irregular breaths. Seeing her shiver, Hēiláng (黑狼)'s expression shifted; a wave of regret washed over his eyes as if he had only just realized the terror he was inflicting.
He loosened his grip on her collar and drew back. Taking a few steps away, he sank to the floor, leaning his back against the bed. He lowered his head, his face vanishing behind a curtain of dishevelled hair.
Hànyuè opened her eyes in a daze. Her hand instinctively went to her crumpled collar, watching the man before her with disbelief, he now looked utterly broken. Hēiláng's voice, muffled by his hair, finally broke the silence:
"What has passed between us that made you prefer fear over telling me the truth?"
Without lifting his head, he continued:
"I know everything... how your father betrayed me, why you followed me, and why you brought me to Cháng'ān (长安) and into this very bedchamber."
Hànyuè pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob as a tear ran down her face. Hēiláng's voice wavered between astonishment and grief:
"If I hadn't stepped out of that damn role, how long would you have kept up this charade? Would you really have humiliated yourself just to keep this relationship? Why?"
Suddenly, he shouted: "Answer me!"
With a tear-stained face and a voice trembling yet loud, Hànyuè cried out:
"Because I am afraid! Afraid of the schemes in my father's head, of what you might do to each other... of the political obstacles between us.."
Hēiláng's tone softened. He raised his head to look at her.
"You know well that nothing in this world is more precious to me than you… Do you know how much it angers me to see you belittle yourself like this?"
Still leaning against the wall, Hànyuè slowly slid down until she sat on the floor.
"Hēiláng... understand me. What else could I do? Lose you once more?"
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
"I am just a miserable young woman whose father forced her into marriage, and I myself watched that man be murdered on my wedding night, a nightmare I still live. I am a 'Lady' in name, but instead of a normal life, I had to flee my home to save the life of the one I love. I've wandered the plains, been captured by barbarians, and watched my own handmaid be torn to pieces before my eyes..."
Hearing this, Hēiláng's gaze softened, and a ring of tears welled in his eyes. Hànyuè asked with a choked voice:
"Are you really blaming me for this love?"
"But Hànyuè..." he whispered:
"I cannot allow you to harm yourself and your reputation for my sake. To think that my beloved fears me and feels the need to trick me... it breaks my heart."
Hànyuè watched him through blurred vision. Hēiláng rose, walked toward her, and knelt on both knees. He stared deep into her eyes.
"You must trust me. I promise I will make everything right."
Unable to hold back any longer, Hànyuè threw her arms around him. Hēiláng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered into her ear:
"I'm really sorry... for everything. For all the hardships you endured and for the terror I just caused you. I lost control and I went too far; I... I never wanted it to be like this."
After a moment, Hēiláng took her arms and gently pulled back. With a look of genuine shame, he said:
"You must punish me. Do you remember our promise?"
He took her hand and placed it on his own hair. "Pull my hair."
A faint smile touched Hànyuè's lips while her eyes were still wet with tears: "Don't do this..."
"Then how will I know you have... forgiven me?" he asked.
She lowered her hand and placed it on his cheek. "I forgive you, Hēiláng."
"Then at least call me by that name," he said, "the one I love, that only you know."
Hànyuè surrendered to his embrace once more and whispered:
"I love you, my lovely fool!"
As Hēiláng held her tight, stroking her hair, his tearful eyes suddenly flashed with a dark resolve. He vowed in his heart:
"You are mine and mine only! This time, I will not lose you. I will kill anyone who stands in our way; even if an army the size of a city faces me, I will overflow that city with corpses!"
That night, a heavy silence reigned. This strange stillness was felt not only in Cháng'ān but also in Wēichéng (巍城). In the narrow alleys of that city, a man dressed in black moved with swift, silent steps. Reaching the low stone wall of the Imperial Counsellor's residence, he vaulted over and landed silently in the inner courtyard.
The heavy thud of patrolling guards' footsteps echoed from a distance. The man took cover behind a wall, holding his breath until the sound faded. Once the path was clear, he sprinted toward the main veranda. Suddenly, a handmaid carrying a paper lantern appeared around the corner. Before she could scream, the man lunged forward and clamped his hand over her mouth. "Shh!"
He scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes. With his other hand, he pulled down his face mask. As the flickering light hit his face, the handmaid recognised him and relaxed. He released his grip and said in a low voice:
"I must see Lady Měilín (美林). Quickly."
The handmaid hurried him toward the inner chambers. Měilín jumped in surprise at the man's sudden appearance. He bowed deeply and pulled a small scroll from his robes. "This is for you, my Lady."
With trembling hands, the Lady took the scroll. She untied the silk cord and slowly unfurled it only halfway. Upon reading the first lines, the colour drained from her face. Her eyes widened as she whispered:
"He... he... no, it's impossible!"
With an excitement she struggled to control, she rose from her mat.
"Where is he now?"
"Cháng'ān," the man replied curtly.
Měilín took a deep breath, as if a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She sat back down, gazing into the distance.
"I will do what he has asked of me."
The man in black bowed once more and vanished into the night. Měilín stared at the writing again and unfurled the rest of the scroll. As it opened fully, something light slid from the silk layers and fell onto her lap: a small, dried flower. She picked it up, brought it carefully to her nose, and stared at the half-open door.