The sky had only just dimmed into lavender by the time Yu Bin stepped down from Longwei’s back. Her hands still tingled from gripping his shimmering scales, and her heart fluttered with the thrill of their flight. Flying through the clouds with Longwei and Xian Chen had made her forget the weight of royal expectations, if only for a moment. The dragon had landed with the grace of a falling leaf, his silver wings folding into his back with quiet strength. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Yu Bin glanced over her shoulder to catch Xian Chen giving her a rare, unreadable look. Before she could ask what it meant, he turned and vanished into the garden path. She blinked, puzzled, but had no time to dwell on it. That night, sleep wouldn’t come. Yu Bin wandered out into the cool night air, restless from the day's excitement. Stars shimmered above the Water Palace gardens, casting soft light over the white pebbled paths and still ponds. Just as she turned a corner, she saw a famili

The palace gardens bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, casting long, soft shadows along the winding stone paths. The air carried the delicate scent of jasmine and cherry blossoms, still fresh from the breeze stirred by dragon wings earlier that day. Yu Bin could still feel the thrill of soaring across the sky with Longwei and Xian Chen, her laughter echoing above the clouds. It should have been the perfect day—an unforgettable memory etched into the vibrant canvas of her youth. But reality had a way of turning even the brightest days bittersweet. From the heights of the heavens to the depths of exhaustion, Yu Bin had found herself emotionally tangled—facing fierce corpses in the woods, fighting beside a master whose hands danced like death, and discovering that her spiritual energy was almost nonexistent. All this in the span of hours. And now, she stood tethered—literally—to the boy who could unravel her nerves with a single word. “What happened?” Ming Fang’s eyes wide

"I don’t like Master’s secrets," Yu Bin murmured, leaning against Bao Fang’s shoulder. It was unexpectedly comforting—though not quite as comforting as Xian Chen’s arms had been the night before. Still, in this moment, with the sun beaming warmly across her face and the wind teasing strands of her hair, peace settled over her like a soft blanket. For once, the day felt calm. Her master, dressed in softer robes than usual, even looked a little more like the elegant lady Yu Bin had once imagined. “Annoying…” Xian Chen muttered, turning his head away from them. “Hmph… I forgot you were here. You always ruin my fun,” Yu Bin said, sticking her tongue out at him. “Let’s go down. I’ll show you something,” Bao Fang interrupted with a knowing smile. “Oh? Well, let’s go,” Yu Bin replied, intrigued. They descended through the clouds and soon reached the edge of a vast forest. The sounds of birdsong fluttered in the breeze, and as they stepped forward, a breathtaking scene unfolded. A sp

Morning sunlight poured through the windows like soft gold, casting a gentle glow across the room. The warmth filtered onto Xian Chen's face, stirring him from the depths of unconsciousness. The first thing he saw was Yu Bin, curled beside him on the bed, her delicate hand wrapped tightly around his as if she were holding on to a lifeline. His chest tightened—not from the wound, but from something far more inexplicable. Quietly, he tried to withdraw his hand so he wouldn’t wake her, but his pulse betrayed him. Do I have heart problems now? he wondered, startled by the erratic beating. “You have heart problems?!” Yu Bin jolted awake, her voice cracking the morning quiet. Startled, Xian Chen turned toward her. “Do you want to kill me? Why are you yelling so early in the morning?” “Shut up and answer me! What’s wrong with your heart? Did you just say you had heart problems?!” “When did I say that?” “Just now!” He blinked. “...” “Don’t look at me like that, Xian Chen, and don’t yo

The morning air was still cool when Yu Bin left her room in haste, her heart caught between duty and instinct. The palace walls, once comforting, now felt too narrow to contain her restlessness. Ever since the bond between her and Xian Chen had been broken, something inside her ached—an emptiness her stubborn pride couldn’t name. She had run to him. Not as a princess. Not as a disciple. But simply as Yu Bin—someone whose heart had grown tied to another, in ways she hadn’t planned. Now, sitting in her master’s home, caught between the sharp stare of Bao Fang and the quiet presence of Xian Chen, Yu Bin tried to act as if everything was fine. But the words slipped out before she could stop them. "I'm fine, thanks. And you? How are you?" she said casually, but Bao Fang’s knowing smirk and the intensity of her gaze made Yu Bin shift awkwardly. "You almost killed me. Sometimes I even wonder... Master, are you trying to kill me?" she blurted out, laughing nervously, her tone caught betw