In the royal palace of Xiyue, the early morning sun peeked shyly through the curtains of Prince Feng Lianyi's chamber, spilling soft light across the gold-threaded sheets. The air was quiet, still holding on to the warmth of sleep and the faint scent of sandalwood incense. Lianyi sat on the edge of his bed, one hand cradling a cup of freshly brewed grape wine. It wasn't yet noon, but he liked the richness of its taste—it helped clear his thoughts. He wore nothing but a loose night robe, one side slipping off his shoulder, revealing his bare chest and the fine lines of his collarbone. His long hair was a little messy from sleep, but he hadn't bothered to tie it yet.
His expression was thoughtful, his gaze unfocused. He wasn't looking at anything in particular. His mind was far from the royal palace of Xiyue—it was still wandering the cherry-blossom paths of Lianhua.
He couldn't help but reminisce about his visit to Lianhua, and most of all, the Princess, Yuyan. She was been kind. Sweet, even. There was a certain softness to her, a gentleness in how she listened, in the way she spoke. She wasn't arrogant or loud like so many princesses he had met in other courts. She didn't look at him with expectations or try to impress. She was just… herself. Warm. Natural.
Where do you even find princesses like that now? He thought, taking a slow sip of the wine. Most royal ladies were cold or prideful, trained from birth to see marriage as politics. They smiled with their mouths but not their eyes. They flirted like warriors drew swords—sharp, calculated, and for show.
But Yuyan… Yuyan had been different.
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.
Lianyi blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts. He tilted his head toward the door lazily.
"Who's there?"
"It's me… Mimi," came the quiet reply.
He paused for a second. Then set the cup down and said, "Come in."
The door creaked open, and a young woman stepped inside. She was beautiful, in a calm and gentle way. Her long black hair was tied up loosely, and she carried a small medicine bag in her hand. Her robe was light green with embroidery of healing herbs—modest, but elegant. Her name was Mi Mianhua, but everyone just called her Mimi. She was the daughter of the Assistant Imperial General and the palace's most talented healer.
But to Lianyi, she was more than that.
She was his childhood friend. His shadow. His partner in crime when they were little. They had grown up together like twins—inseparable, mischievous, always getting into trouble. He remembered when they used to steal mooncakes from the kitchen and hide under the willow tree to eat them. Back then, they'd shared everything—food, secrets, even dreams.
Until that one day.
They were ten. They had been playing near the garden stream when Mimi tripped on a root and scraped her leg badly. She cried, and Lianyi had panicked. He scooped her up in his arms and ran to the nearest servant quarters. There, he'd cleaned the blood off with a cloth, bandaged her with shaky hands, and kissed her forehead to calm her down.
"You'll be fine," he'd said.
That was the day something quietly shifted for Mimi. At first, she didn't understand it. She only knew her heart felt funny whenever she looked at him. But as they grew older, the feeling grew too. She realized she didn't see Lianyi like a brother anymore.
And worse… she knew he didn't see her the same way back.
She tried to drop hints—little smiles, soft words, gifts that didn't look like gifts—but he never seemed to notice. Or maybe, he just chose not to.
Then came the Lantern Festival.
She found out—through the court gossip—that Lianyi had gone to Lianhua to ask for Princess Yuyan's hand in marriage. She didn't believe it at first, but when she saw him walking through the crowded festival streets, she followed him. She called out, asking why he hadn't told her, why he hadn't even mentioned it. He kept ignoring her until she finally pulled at his sleeve in frustration.
He turned and shouted at her.
In front of everyone.
The silence that followed had been louder than his voice. Mimi had stood there, shocked, humiliated, heart broken into little trembling pieces. That night, she cried. And from that day on, she kept her distance.
But now here she was again, standing in his room like a stranger.
"The Emperor said I should check on you," she said, eyes downcast. "He said you had a slight fever."
"I did have a fever," Lianyi replied, brushing a strand of hair back from his face. "But I'm fine now."
"Alright then," she said quietly. "I'll be leaving."
She turned to go, but Lianyi suddenly stood and reached out, catching her wrist.
"Mimi," he said gently.
She froze.
"Why have you been avoiding me since the Lantern Festival?" His voice softened. "I'm sorry I shouted at you."
She slowly pulled her hand away. "Is that all?" she asked without looking at him.
"…Yes."
"Okay. Bye, then."
She turned again, but this time Lianyi moved quickly, stepping in front of her to block the door.
"You're still mad at me, aren't you?"
"I said it's fine."
"No," he said, his voice more serious now. "It's not fine. I'm truly sorry, Mimi. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was… stressed, I guess. I don't know. But I want things to go back to how they were. I want us to be like before. Inseparable."
She stared at him, searching his face. But her expression was unreadable.
Without thinking, he stepped forward and hugged her.
She gasped. Her body stiffened in his arms. His robe was loose—she could feel the warmth of his bare chest against her, and it made her heart thump wildly. But she quickly pushed him back, flustered.
"I'm sincere," he said. "Please forgive me."
There was a long pause before she answered.
"…Okay," she said finally. "I forgive you. Can I go now?"
Lianyi smiled a little. "To prove it… will you take a walk with me in the Imperial Garden later?"
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the tiny smile tugging at her lips. "I will. But I have patients to attend to. I'll be free in the evening."
"Thanks," he said, relief in his voice.
She nodded, still smiling softly, then turned and left the room. Her soft footsteps faded into the hall.
Lianyi watched the door long after she'd gone. Then he smiled to himself and sat back on the bed, sipping the last of his wine.
The ache in his chest had eased just a little.