Chapter 13: Unseen Threats

Bai Yue's fingers trembled slightly as she poured hot water over the crushed medicinal herbs, watching the dark liquid swirl in the porcelain cup. The steady rhythm of her morning routine should have brought her a sense of calm, but unease coiled tightly in her chest.

She could still feel the warmth of Weishan's touch on her wrist from the night before, his words echoing in her mind like a persistent melody.

"You think this is a game, but I'm not playing."

She exhaled sharply, setting the cup down with more force than intended.

"This isn't good," she muttered under her breath. She had spent years honing her ability to remain unnoticed, to exist within the Bai estate's walls without attracting attention. Now, suddenly, she was entangled in something far beyond her control—something far too dangerous.

A soft knock at the door interrupted her spiraling thoughts. "Miss Bai Yue?"

It was Ah-Liang.

She composed herself and opened the door, offering the boy a faint smile. "What is it?"

Ah-Liang hesitated, shifting nervously. "I saw something strange this morning, near the storeroom."

Bai Yue's eyes sharpened. "Strange how?"

He glanced over his shoulder before stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "There was a man, dressed in dark robes. He was watching the storeroom from the shadows. When he saw me, he disappeared."

A chill ran down Bai Yue's spine. "Did you recognize him?"

Ah-Liang shook his head. "No. But… I don't think he was from the Bai estate. He didn't look like one of the guards."

Bai Yue's fingers tapped thoughtfully against the wooden table. The Bai family had no shortage of enemies, and with the stolen medicinal supplies, it wasn't surprising that someone might be snooping around. But why now?

"Did he see you?" she asked.

Ah-Liang nodded hesitantly. "I think so."

Bai Yue cursed under her breath. She couldn't afford to draw attention to herself—not now, not when she was still so vulnerable.

"Keep your head down for now, Ah-Liang. If you see him again, don't approach him. Just come and tell me."

Ah-Liang swallowed and nodded, worry etched into his young face.

Later that evening, Bai Yue made her way to the storeroom under the cover of darkness. The flickering lanterns barely illuminated the narrow corridors, casting long shadows across the walls. Every creak of the wooden floorboards set her nerves on edge.

As she reached the storeroom, she hesitated. The door was slightly ajar.

Heart pounding, she pressed her back against the wall, listening intently. Silence.

Slowly, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. The shelves were as she had left them—her carefully arranged inventory still intact. But there was something different.

A small folded piece of parchment lay on the worktable, the wax seal broken.

Bai Yue approached cautiously, her hands steady as she unfolded the note.

"Stop searching, or you'll regret it."

Her breath hitched, and for the first time in a long while, genuine fear curled in her chest.

Whoever this was, they knew what she was doing.

Before she could process the threat further, a shadow fell across the doorway, and Bai Yue spun around, her heart lurching into her throat.

Weishan stood there, his expression unreadable as he leaned casually against the frame.

"You really have no sense of self-preservation," he remarked, his voice low but edged with something sharper.

Bai Yue clenched the note in her hand, schooling her features into indifference. "I can handle myself."

Weishan stepped inside, his dark gaze scanning the room before landing on her. "Clearly," he said dryly. "Because skulking around in the middle of the night with unknown threats lurking is a brilliant strategy."

Bai Yue folded her arms, meeting his gaze head-on. "I didn't ask for your opinion."

Weishan's lips curled into a faint smirk, but there was no humor in his eyes. "And yet, here I am."

Bai Yue exhaled, frustration simmering beneath her skin. "If you're just here to gloat, then leave."

He didn't move. Instead, he took a step closer, his presence overwhelming in the small space. "I'm not here to gloat. I'm here to make sure you don't get yourself killed."

Bai Yue swallowed, forcing herself to hold her ground. "Why do you care?"

Weishan's eyes darkened, and for a moment, she saw something flicker behind his composed exterior—something possessive, something dangerous.

"Because I do," he said simply.

Before she could respond, he plucked the note from her hand and glanced over it. His jaw tightened, and his gaze snapped back to hers.

"Who else knows about this?" he demanded.

"No one," Bai Yue said, watching him warily.

Weishan's expression turned cold. "Good. Keep it that way."

Bai Yue narrowed her eyes. "What do you know that I don't?"

He folded the note and tucked it into his sleeve. "More than you're ready to hear."

Her frustration boiled over. "Stop speaking in riddles, Weishan. If you know something, tell me."

Weishan studied her for a long moment before finally saying, "You're stirring up trouble with people who don't forgive easily. If you keep digging, you'll find yourself at the center of something far beyond what you can handle."

Bai Yue's chin lifted stubbornly. "Then I'll handle it."

His lips pressed into a thin line. "You're too reckless for your own good."

She stepped closer, refusing to back down. "And you're too controlling for yours."

A tense silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words and the simmering tension that neither of them dared acknowledge.

Finally, Weishan sighed and stepped back. "Fine. If you're so determined, at least don't do it alone."

Bai Yue frowned. "And what does that mean?"

His smirk returned, but there was no warmth in it. "It means whether you like it or not, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Bai Yue groaned, running a hand through her hair. "You're impossible."

Weishan chuckled softly. "You'll get used to it."

She watched as he walked away, his figure disappearing into the night, leaving her standing in the storeroom with a racing heart and a growing realization.

Whatever game she had stumbled into, Weishan was determined to make sure she didn't play it alone.

And that thought was both reassuring… and terrifying.