XiaoQi stormed through the palace corridors, her steps echoing against the marble floors. The lacquered boxes of silk she had returned to the servants were now safely tucked away in the West Residence. Today, she intended to deliver a lesson to the Crown Prince himself: she would return his gifts in person and make him understand that she was no one's spoiled plaything.
Bai Hu darted beside her, tail flicking. "You're walking right into his trap, wildcat. And you know it."
"I know exactly what I'm doing," XiaoQi muttered, though her heartbeat betrayed her words. She clutched a small cloth bag at her side, the contents rustling softly. Inside were the candied plums she had "borrowed" from his gifts the other day. She had promised herself she would not give in... yet the temptation had been impossible to resist.
As she reached the main hall, the attendants flinched, bowing low at her sudden entrance.
"Lady Chen," one whispered nervously, "His Highness... waits."
DongZe leaned casually against the balcony railing overlooking the hall, his arms crossed. The morning sunlight caught the edges of his robe, giving him the regal air of a man who owned the world. Yet the slight twitch of his lips suggested he had been anticipating this visit with more than mild amusement.
XiaoQi strode forward, setting the small silk bundle before him with exaggerated care. She shot him a glare. "Here. Return your treasures. I am not your little pet to be bribed with candy and silk."
DongZe's eyes darkened, a flicker of something sharp and dangerous appearing beneath the calm veneer. "My crowned princess," he said, voice low, deliberate, eyes glinting with amusement.
XiaoQi froze mid-step. Her ears burned. "Excuse me?"
"My crowned princess," he repeated, stepping closer. "From now on, that is what you are to me. Mine to tease, mine to protect... mine to annoy endlessly."
XiaoQi's hands flew up to her chest in indignation. "Do you even realize how insufferable you sound?"
DongZe smiled, that same dangerous curl at the edge of his lips. "I realize it perfectly. And I like it."
Her gaze fell to the small cloth bag at her side. Without thinking, she pulled out a candied plum, unwrapped it quickly, and popped it into her mouth. Cheeks still flushed from his audacious words, she chewed slowly, deliberately, savouring both the sweet tartness and the tiny act of defiance.
DongZe's eyes flicked to the bag, narrowing with a faint trace of amusement mixed with exasperation. "You ate them?" His voice had lost the teasing lilt and deepened, low and dangerous.
XiaoQi shrugged, trying to appear indifferent, though the tips of her ears burned. "I told you I am not a delicate lady who swoons over sweets. I simply... sampled them."
"Sampled?" DongZe's smile was sharp now, predatory. "And did my crowned princess enjoy them?"
XiaoQi shot him a glare so fierce it could have cut stone. "None of your business!" She turned to leave, determined to maintain her composure, though her pulse hammered against her ribs and her legs trembled with suppressed frustration.
DongZe stepped forward, blocking her path with ease. The sunlight gleamed off his dark hair, and she could feel the warmth radiating from him even without touch. "Oh, it is my business. Every bite, every glare, every tiny defiance of yours... it is all mine to witness. And I will."
XiaoQi's hands clenched at her sides. "You are impossible. I will never be that... that—"
"That what?" His voice softened, almost teasing, almost dangerous, and he leaned closer so that the faintest scent of him brushed against her nose. "That crowned princess you refuse to be?"
Her breath hitched, and for a split second, she wanted to push him away. Instead, she turned sharply, hiding her flushed face, and spat out with as much dignity as she could muster, "I am no one's princess! Least of all yours!"
DongZe laughed, low and throaty, a sound that made the air between them vibrate. "We shall see," he murmured. "I have all the time in the world."
And even as she stormed away, cheeks burning, heart racing, she could not ignore the tiny thrill of being so thoroughly seen, so thoroughly wanted, by the one man she had vowed to resist.
Bai Hu followed behind, his golden eyes glinting with mischief. "I told you, XiaoQi. You are losing."
XiaoQi groaned, spinning to glare at him. "I am not! I am—"
But the words stuck in her throat as her thoughts drifted involuntarily to DongZe, standing in that sunlight, dark eyes gleaming, lips curved with triumph.
The entire palace began buzzing by midday.
Maids whispered in corners, their sleeves fluttering like startled sparrows.
"Did you hear? His Highness called her crowned princess!"
"He even sent her silk and sweets! In broad daylight!"
"She is nothing but the daughter of a criminal. How can she possibly..."
The murmurs trailed into silence as XiaoQi stormed across the courtyard, the candy box clutched in her hands like a weapon. Her braid whipped against her back with each furious step. She shoved the lid open, revealing the glistening candied plums within, and shook the box for all to see.
"Crown Prince!" Her voice cracked across the courtyard like a whip. "Explain this foolishness at once!"
He appeared almost immediately, stepping from behind a carved pillar as though he had been waiting for her. Sunlight caught the embroidered threads of his robe, making them glimmer faintly as he leaned against the column with infuriating ease. His smile, slow and deliberate, curved like the edge of a blade.
"What foolishness?" His tone was smooth, velvet laced with mischief. "I am merely treating my crowned princess the way she deserves."
The words rippled through the watching servants, drawing gasps and wide-eyed stares.
XiaoQi's grip tightened on the box until her knuckles whitened. "Stop calling me that!" she hissed, lowering her voice when she caught the eager glances of the onlookers. "It is humiliating! People will misunderstand!"
DongZe pushed off the pillar, his strides unhurried yet impossibly steady, each step striking the stones like a drumbeat. He stopped in front of her, his shadow long and unyielding, his gaze locked to hers.
"They should misunderstand," he said softly, though his voice carried enough weight that all around could still hear. His eyes darkened, gleaming with dangerous amusement. "Because it is the truth. You are mine."
Her breath hitched. Heat rushed to her face, climbing from her throat to the tips of her ears.
"I... I will never be yours!" Her protest trembled with both fury and desperation. "Shameless man!"
His laughter rolled out, warm and maddeningly confident. He reached forward and plucked one of the sugared plums from the box she guarded so fiercely, as though he had every right to take from her hands.
"Sweet things," he murmured, holding the plum delicately between his fingers, "should be enjoyed by a sweet mouth." He raised it toward her lips, his voice dipping into a husky tease. "Taste it. Or should I feed you myself?"
The audacity made her whole body tremble. She staggered back, cheeks aflame, eyes wide.
"You... you beast!"
Her fury broke like a storm. With a cry, she lifted the candy box high and hurled it at him.
The lacquered wood spun through the air, scattering sugared plums like jewels in the sun. Gasps tore from the servants as the treats clattered against the courtyard stones.
DongZe tilted his head just enough. The box missed his face by a hair's breadth and smacked hard against the pillar behind him before crashing to the ground. His robes stirred slightly from the breeze of its passing, but otherwise he stood untouched.
He turned his gaze back to her, calm and unshaken, though a glint of laughter shimmered in his eyes. Slowly, he bent to retrieve one fallen plum from the ground, brushing the dust from it with a languid gesture.
"Violent little kitten," he murmured, his lips curling as he straightened. He held the plum between his fingers again and leaned just a fraction closer, his tone low enough for only her to hear. "Even when you bite, you are mine."
The maids around them dared not whisper now. The entire courtyard was silent, waiting to see if the wildcat would claw or retreat.
The sweetness of candied plums still lingered faintly in the air, cloying and heavy. XiaoQi stood in the middle of the courtyard, fists clenched, her whole body trembling with outrage. The scattered candies glistened on the stone floor, sticky syrup seeping into the cracks, mocking her loss of composure. She wanted to scream, to claw at his smug expression, to throw every last sweet in his face.
DongZe, infuriating as ever, looked completely unfazed. He plucked the candy she had thrown, dusted it against his sleeve, and slipped it into his mouth. His jaw moved lazily, savouring the sugar as though it were a victory. His eyes gleamed with the same quiet triumph.
Her voice snapped like a whip. "You arrogant, insufferable beast!"
The corners of his lips curved, but he did not interrupt his chewing. He stood there, tall and unmovable, his cloak stirring slightly in the courtyard breeze. Only when he swallowed did he answer, his voice deep and controlled.
"Enough."
The word cut through the air, silencing even the birds roosting on the roof tiles.
XiaoQi's breath caught. He had moved closer without her realizing it, his shadow falling over hers. She stepped back instinctively, but his presence pressed forward like a storm.
"There will be a banquet tonight," DongZe said, each word carefully measured. "You will attend by my side."
XiaoQi's eyes widened. Then she laughed sharply, the sound brittle with disbelief. "What? Absolutely not. I will not march into that hall like some—some pet you drag around on a leash!"
His expression hardened. "Pet?" he repeated, his tone dangerously quiet. "No. You will stand as what you are. My future Crown Princess."
Her cheeks flamed. "I am nothing of the sort! Do you not understand? I want no part of your schemes, your court, your—your nonsense!"
The flicker of a smile touched his lips, slow and merciless. "You protest too loudly. Your words are one thing, but your eyes..." His gaze lingered, drinking her in with infuriating certainty. "They tell me otherwise."
She let out a furious noise, stamping her foot against the stone. "You... shameless man! I will not go!"
For a moment, silence stretched between them. The wind teased a loose strand of her hair, and his eyes followed the movement before snapping back to hers. His next words were quiet, but they fell with the weight of an oath.
"Then I will come for you."
XiaoQi blinked. "You—what?"
His voice lowered, velvet over steel. "If you refuse to come willingly, I will fetch you myself. I do not care who is watching. I will lift you in my arms and carry you through the palace gates if I must."
Her face burned so fiercely she thought it might ignite. "You wouldn't dare! You—!"
DongZe leaned closer, his breath brushing her cheek, his eyes locked on hers with a maddening steadiness. "Wouldn't I?" His lips curved faintly, more dangerous than any scowl. "You should know by now, wildcat... there is nothing I will not dare when it comes to you."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. She wanted to shove him away, to spit in his face, to scream until the whole palace came running. But her body betrayed her, frozen in place, caught in the trap of his nearness.
He straightened at last, his composure restored, as though the moment had never happened. Adjusting the sleeve of his robe, he spoke with cool finality.
"You have until sunset. Do not make me repeat myself."
And then he turned, leaving the courtyard as though he had delivered nothing more than a simple command to a servant. His footsteps faded slowly down the corridor, steady and unhurried.
XiaoQi stood rooted to the spot, trembling with fury. The candied plums at her feet gleamed mockingly, their syrupy scent now unbearable. She ground her heel into one, crushing it flat against the stone.
"Beast," she muttered under her breath, her voice shaking with more than anger. "Arrogant, impossible beast."
The late afternoon sun streamed through the latticed windows of the West Residence, casting golden lattices across the polished floor. XiaoQi sat cross-legged on a cushion, her hands buried in the folds of her robe as she stared at the floor. The crushed candied plums glistened like fallen jewels around her feet, sticky syrup pooling in the cracks of the stone. Her pulse hammered in her ears, a relentless drum of outrage and frustration.
Bai Hu perched elegantly on the edge of the windowsill, tail flicking with quiet amusement. "You are a tempest," he murmured, his golden eyes glinting. "Even the palace cannot contain you. But you must learn control."
XiaoQi huffed, her cheeks still tinged with heat from the morning's confrontation. "Control? I will show him control when the time is right. Until then, I will not let him think he has won."
The door creaked open. A group of palace maids stepped in, their silk robes whispering against the floor. Their eyes flickered between her and the open boxes of fine silks they had brought, hands trembling slightly as they carried the weight of her orders and the invisible authority of the Crown Prince.
"Lady Chen," the eldest maid said, bowing her head, careful to keep her tone neutral. "His Highness has sent word that you are to be dressed for the banquet tonight. The finest silks, embroidery, and jade ornaments have been prepared."
XiaoQi's eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. "And you expect me to obey without question?"
The maid shook her head slightly. "We are merely servants, my lady. We only deliver the orders. We do not question them."
Her jaw tightened. She wanted to stomp, to rip the silks from their boxes, to scream at the audacity of it all. She sat down heavily, forcing herself to remain still as the attendants began their work. The soft, shimmering fabrics draped over her shoulders, flowing like liquid sunlight across her form. She refused to admire herself in the mirror, yet a part of her could not ignore the way the silk accentuated her movements, the way the folds hugged her like a silent challenge to the court.
She sat on the low stool as the maids began their work. The fabrics flowed through their hands like water, silk brushing against her skin and catching the light with every fold. The colours were deep and rich, embroidered with gold thread in intricate patterns of phoenixes and dragons. She refused to admire them, forcing herself to remain stiff and unyielding.
"You must wear the jade hairpin as well," the younger maid whispered, holding the delicate ornament carved into the shape of a phoenix. "His Highness selected it himself."
XiaoQi's fingers closed around the cool jade, and a flicker of heat rose to her cheeks. The tiny ornament seemed almost alive, beautiful and dangerous all at once. She wanted to toss it across the room, to reject it, yet a small, reluctant part of her felt a pang of curiosity. The thought that he had chosen it, deliberately, for her, was maddening and... thrilling.
Her reflection in the polished mirror caught her attention. She saw herself draped in fine silks, her hair pinned elegantly, her posture upright and controlled. Her cheeks still glowed from the morning encounter with DongZe, a lingering heat that made her pulse skip. Even as she glared at her own reflection, she could not deny the tension coiling in her stomach.
Outside, the palace corridors buzzed with whispers of servants and the excited chatter of courtiers. Every eye would soon be on her. Every glance would judge, compare, and anticipate. She swallowed, trying to steady her racing heart.
A soft knock sounded at the door. The youngest attendant peeked inside. "Lady XiaoQi, the preparations are complete. The carriage waits. His Highness expects you shortly."
XiaoQi rose, letting the silk cascade around her like liquid shadow. Her posture was rigid with resolve, her gaze sharp. "Tell him I am coming," she said, her voice firm despite the storm in her chest. "But he will not have the satisfaction of seeing me frightened or obedient."
Bai Hu flicked his tail in approval. "Good. The wildcat still bites."
Her lips curved into a secret, mischievous smile, the kind that promised defiance, a plan, and perhaps a little chaos. Tonight, the banquet would come. And so would DongZe. But XiaoQi knew one truth: she would attend on her own terms, leaving her mark wherever she could.
She gathered the scattered candied plums, brushing the sticky residue from her hands, and tucked them into her sleeve. If nothing else, she could at least have a small, sweet rebellion in her pocket—her little secret weapon for the evening.