The moonlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting gentle silver patterns on the floorboards of Ye Mei's room. The guest wing of the Chen estate was grand, yet quiet—far too quiet. The vastness only emphasized how small she felt within it. She stood by the window, the cool night air brushing against her skin, her arms wrapped loosely around herself as her thoughts spun like silk threads caught in the wind.
Chen Xinyi had taken her through every corner of the house, from the indoor koi pond that shimmered beneath floating candles to the sprawling library whose scent of ancient books lingered in her memory. She had been kind—warm, even—but Ye Mei couldn't ignore the subtle way everyone seemed to observe her, assess her, as though trying to determine whether she truly belonged here.
But could she ever?
The house was filled with history, legacy, and expectations—all of which weighed down on her like invisible chains. She didn't resent it. No, she had come into this willingly, for love.
But love had not come with her.
She didn't hear the knock at first—soft and hesitant. Only when it came a second time, barely louder than a whisper, did she turn from the window.
She opened the door slowly, her fingers tightening on the doorknob when she saw him standing there.
Chen Yixuan.
No longer in the sharp suit he wore at dinner, he looked... unguarded. His shirt was partially unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly tousled like he'd run his hands through it too many times. His expression held none of the arrogance she had grown used to. Instead, there was hesitation. A quiet vulnerability she hadn't expected.
"Am I… disturbing you?" he asked, voice low, as though afraid to shatter the stillness between them.
She blinked. "No. Come in."
He stepped inside, his movements careful, deliberate. Like he was walking through a memory he wasn't sure he was welcome in.
The silence between them stretched, neither one knowing where to begin.
Then, he spoke.
"You didn't ask me anything tonight."
Ye Mei looked at him, unsure. "Should I have?"
He met her eyes. "Usually you ask. Something. Anything. Tonight, you didn't."
She felt her heart skip, unsure whether to brace for more cruelty or something gentler.
"I realized… I wanted you to," he said, almost to himself. "Because I think I needed to answer."
Ye Mei's lips parted, her voice fragile. "Then answer this—how do you feel... with me now?"
He didn't reply immediately. Instead, he walked toward the window, gazing out at the moonlit garden as if the answer lay hidden among the shadows.
"I used to feel like you were a chain," he admitted. "A decision made for me before I had a say. And I hated that. I took it out on you—someone who never wronged me."
His confession hung in the air, heavier than any silence.
"But tonight," he continued, turning to face her, "I watched you smile at my family. I watched you walk through the halls like you belonged here more than I ever did. And something... shifted."
Ye Mei's breath caught in her throat. She dared not move.
"I don't know what that means yet," he said softly. "But I know I don't want to keep pretending you don't matter."
For the first time, the walls between them cracked—just a little. She stepped closer, but still kept a careful distance.
"You don't get to say that after months of silence and expect me to fall into your arms," she replied, her voice steady despite the tremor inside her chest.
"I know," he said simply. "I don't deserve forgiveness. I don't even know if I deserve another chance. But I want to try."
She searched his face. There was no mocking smile, no sarcasm, no cold dismissal. Just sincerity.
He cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "Grandfather is taking the family to the mountain estate tomorrow. It's tradition for newlyweds to go and pay respects to the ancestors. He said it's important. That we should go… together."
Ye Mei nodded. "I'll be ready."
He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he gave a short nod and turned to leave.
Before he reached the door, she spoke again. "Thank you."
He paused. "For what?"
"For not walking past my door tonight."
He lingered in the doorway a moment longer before he finally left, closing it gently behind him.
---
The Next Morning
The estate was abuzz with quiet activity. Attendants loaded bags into sleek black vehicles. Birds chirped in the garden trees, and sunlight stretched across the polished stone courtyard.
Ye Mei stood by the steps, dressed in a soft blue hanfu with embroidered lilies trailing across the sleeves. Her hair was swept up into an elegant bun, adorned with silver pins. She looked ethereal—like a painting come to life.
Chen Yixuan arrived shortly after, wearing a charcoal-grey robe jacket and crisp pants that matched the estate's formal tone. For a moment, he simply looked at her, as though seeing her for the first time.
She noticed his hesitation and the way his hand flexed slightly by his side.
Then he offered it to her.
His hand.
Tentative. Unspoken.
Her heart thundered. Her pride screamed no. But the small flicker of something—hope, perhaps—whispered yes.
Slowly, she placed her hand in his.
They didn't say anything.
But for the first time since their wedding, they stood side by side—not as strangers forced into marriage, but as two people teetering on the edge of something new.
Maybe not love. Not yet.
But perhaps something that could become it.