[Yao Capital · Relay Lodge]
These past few days, Ling Dang had been going to the relay lodge almost every other day.
Each time she left, Luo Ye would watch her retreating figure, his chest tightening painfully.
It wasn't that he didn't want to stop her.
But whenever he saw the excitement written all over her face, the light in her eyes, the joy of someone who had finally recovered a long-lost family member—a smile he had never seen before—he could only swallow the bitterness rising in his heart.
The jealousy churned inside him, yet he forced it down, cursing softly to himself—
—Silly girl.
At the other end of the relay lodge, however, Ye Yi (the false Ling Shuo) felt quite the opposite.
He already found Ling Dang's frequent visits annoying. She came day after day, chattering nonstop, bringing food with her. More than once, he nearly lost his temper.
For instance, one day the little nuisance arrived cheerfully with pastries, laughing as she tried to stuff them straight into his mouth. Not satisfied with eating her own share, she even polished off most of the gift boxes that others had presented to him.
The room was so lively it made his temples throb. His fingers clenched until they nearly turned white.
A cold curse echoed in his mind: So noisy. Keep this up and I'll cut you down with one strike.
Yet outwardly, he had to maintain patience, smiling gently, his voice warm.
"Slow down. Don't choke."
In the shadows, killing intent flashed briefly in his eyes.
—This girl is unbearably annoying.
But unfortunately, her existence is also the best talisman protecting this identity.
That evening, Luo Ye came to fetch Ling Dang back to the Yao Residence—and, incidentally, to finally meet the "brother" she kept talking about.
The moment he stepped toward the side hall, he heard clear, bell-like laughter from inside.
"Brother, try this one! It's even sweeter than the last!"
Ling Dang's eyes curved into crescents as she laughed, crumbs of sugar clinging to the corner of her lips. She held a plate of pastries in both hands, eagerly pushing it toward Ye Yi.
The table was already a mess. Of the gift boxes offered by the townsfolk, more than half had disappeared into Ling Dang's stomach.
She chewed as she spoke, eyes shining like stars, her entire face alight with happiness.
Ye Yi (the false Ling Shuo) felt his brow twitch, yet he still forced a smile. He reached out and gently tucked back a loose strand of her hair.
"Eat more slowly. Don't choke."
Outside the door, Luo Ye froze.
He stared at the scene, his chest tightening abruptly.
She looked so happy—so carefree she didn't even bother wiping the sugar from her lips. And yet the one beside her wasn't him.
A sour ache pressed heavily against his heart, as though something were crushing it.
His fingers curled tightly into his sleeves. In the end, he could only swallow a low sigh.
—When she's this happy, he doesn't even have a place to speak.
Ling Dang was mid-bite when she caught sight of the tall figure at the doorway.
"Luo-ge!"
Her eyes lit up. Sugar still clung to her lips as she waved excitedly.
"Come in! My brother's here!"
Her voice brimmed with delight. She even lifted the plate toward him.
"There's pastry too! It's really sweet!"
Luo Ye's gaze locked onto her, his chest tightening painfully.
She smiled so brightly, as if all her reliance and sense of safety had been placed entirely on that so-called "brother" before her.
But how could she know that he stood alone at the threshold, forcing himself to stay calm while bitterness churned violently inside, threatening to tear his heart apart?
He stepped inside, his face dark, voice low.
"You're covered in crumbs. Wipe your mouth first."
Ling Dang blinked, hurriedly wiping her lips, giggling softly.
"Hehe…"
Completely unaware of the heavy darkness in Luo Ye's eyes.
Ye Yi lifted his gaze, following Ling Dang's laughter, and saw the man standing there—sharp-featured, imposing, with restrained but fierce Yao-fire energy rolling beneath the surface.
—A Fire Yao bearer.
Something stirred in Ye Yi's heart. A deep, knowing smile flickered in his eyes.
So this "Brother Luo" she spoke of… is Luo Ye, the Fire Yao.
Heh… how convenient.
He thought to himself: if he could use this fabricated "sibling reunion," he could not only solidify his identity but also restrain the Fire Yao bearer.
A "protective elder brother" on one side, a companion of the Saintess on the other—this emotional entanglement was the perfect chess piece.
Ye Yi lowered his gaze slightly, lips curling faintly, his voice still gentle.
"Young Master Luo, thank you for taking care of my little sister these past days."
The sincerity in his tone was flawless. Yet the eyes hidden by shadow were cold as ice.
Ling Dang happily pushed the pastries toward Luo Ye again.
"Luo-ge, you try some too! Brother says they're really good~"
Luo Ye's face darkened. Just as he was about to refuse, Ye Yi slid a cup of tea toward him, his tone steady.
"These days, it's thanks to you for protecting her. If not for you, a young girl alone in Yao Capital… I fear she wouldn't have managed."
Ling Dang's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
"Exactly! If it weren't for Luo-ge, I might've starved to death already!"
Luo Ye's chest tightened. The words caught in his throat, and all he could do was give a low, restrained hum.
A meaningful glint flashed through Ye Yi's eyes. His voice softened further.
"She was fortunate to meet you. If I can't always be by her side in the future, I hope you'll continue to look after her."
The words sounded heartfelt. Ling Dang's eyes reddened slightly, her dependence deepening.
But to Luo Ye, it felt like a thorn had been forced down his throat.
He said heavily, "I'll protect her. I don't need your reminders."
Ling Dang froze, quickly tugging at his sleeve.
"Luo-ge, don't be like that… Brother is just worried about me."
Ye Yi lowered his eyes, the corner of his lips lifting in a barely visible smile.
—This awkward tension between them was exactly what he wanted.
As Ling Dang busied herself clearing the plates, still muttering, "I'll bring you fresh ones next time," Ye Yi lifted his teacup gracefully. His movements were elegant, but his eyes were sharp as blades.
When he looked up again, the chill was gone, replaced by a gentle, brotherly warmth.
"Alright."
He watched her quietly, his expression mild. But the instant she turned away, the light in his eyes hardened.
—The Fire Yao protects her? Excellent.
The deeper the attachment, the tighter the leash—and the easier it will be to control later.
After leaving the relay lodge, Ling Dang walked beside Luo Ye, clutching the unfinished pastry box tightly.
She smiled, steps light, as if even the moonlight seemed brighter.
Luo Ye, however, kept a grim expression, saying little. He merely stayed at her side, his pace steady.
His mind replayed the scene again and again—
Ling Dang smiling brightly, sugar on her lips, calling out "Brother."
Ye Yi lowering his gaze, calm and composed, wearing just the right amount of weariness and warmth.
If not for the faint resemblance between their features, his suspicion would have been even stronger.
After walking for a long while, Luo Ye finally spoke, his voice low.
"Ling Dang. From now on, go to the relay lodge less."
She halted abruptly, confusion filling her eyes.
"Why? My brother finally survived and came back—how can I ignore him?"
Luo Ye clenched his fist.
"Listen to me. Something about your brother's survival doesn't sit right. Haven't you thought about it? Wherever he goes, Riftflare forces appear—but the villages never suffer heavy losses, and he always 'just happens' to arrive in time to save them. A Riftflare army capable of wiping out Xiling… would repeatedly spare remote villages?"
Ling Dang spun around, eyes reddening.
"Luo-ge, I survived too! Just because I escaped death, does that mean my brother can't have done the same? Why do you have to doubt him?"
Luo Ye's brows knit tightly.
"It's not the same—"
"How is it not the same?!" she cut him off fiercely.
Tears shimmered under the moonlight, her voice trembling yet stubborn.
"As long as you're alive, that's what matters most!"
With that, she turned away angrily and strode forward, instantly putting distance between them.
Luo Ye stood frozen, the moonlight stretching his shadow long and thin.
Since the day he met her, she had never raised her voice at him. Yet now, she was shouting at him—because of that man.
His chest ached unbearably. The hand he'd reached out with hung in the air before falling helplessly back down.
Bitterness surged up, making it hard to breathe.
Ling Dang walked quickly ahead, clutching the pastry box tightly.
Tears slipped free. She wiped at her face, but couldn't stop them.
"Why does Luo-ge doubt my brother…" she muttered, her voice still choked.
"He finally survived… I've already lost so much…"
Yet something heavy clogged her chest, aching and tight.
The moment she shouted at Luo-ge, she had already regretted it.
"He was only worried about me… but I…"
She bit her lip, her steps slowing, confusion clouding her eyes.
—Her brother was family.
But Luo-ge was the one who had protected her all this way.
She didn't want to doubt either of them. She didn't want to lose either of them.
The moonlight fell quietly, stretching her small figure thin and long—
a silhouette full of struggle, stubbornness, and unspoken pain.