The courtyard is silent, bathed in silver light.
Yi holds his wife against him, his ragged breath mingling with hers. His powerful hands slide along her body, his lips crashing onto hers with a brutality that makes her tremble.
Without a word, he lifts her, carries her to the nearby pavilion, and presses her almost forcefully against the screens. His body burns, his movements those of a man who has waited too long, held back too fiercely.
She lets out a soft moan, her fingers gripping his broad shoulders. She feels him tremble—not only with desire, but with rage, fear, and an inner battle he no longer controls.
He takes her, without gentleness, with a force he doesn't even try to restrain. His movements are fast, uneven, as if every second might break him.
Then suddenly, his body tenses. His features harden even more, his breath catches. His eyes squeeze shut as though pushing away an unbearable vision: his wife pale, covered in blood, hovering between life and death.
He wants to pull back, to tear himself away—but she wraps her arms around him, her lips brushing his ear, her breath soft:
— "Fear nothing… I am not afraid. You ordered me to live. I will obey again."
Her words are simple, yet they strike him like lightning. His heart pounds wildly, his hands gripping her waist as if afraid she might vanish.
He opens his eyes: she is looking at him, unafraid, her gaze shining with tears and tenderness.
And so, he yields.
He sinks into her, fear tangled with desire, his body trembling against hers. She meets each movement not with fear, but with the calm certainty of a woman who knows she will survive again.
When it is over, he remains leaning over her, panting, his forehead resting on her shoulder. His hands still clutch her body, as though to make sure she is truly there.
She gently strokes the nape of his neck, smiling through her tears:
— "You see… I'm here. And I will stay."