A Kingdom’s Flower

The days stretched into nights, and in the solitude of the cave, a fragile rhythm formed. She tended to his wounds, her touch light as falling snow, while he watched in silence, memorizing the way the firelight danced in her eyes.

She was unlike anyone he had ever met.

Soft-spoken, yet sharp. Delicate, yet resilient.

Zheng Yun had learned to see people for what they truly were—weaknesses hidden behind facades, masks covering selfish desires. And yet, she was different. There was no calculation in her kindness, no immediate price to be paid. It was infuriating.

He should have killed her the moment he woke.

And yet, he didn't.

Because she had something he needed.

The Bloodline of an Empire.

The Truth Revealed

One evening, as the fire crackled between them, he finally spoke.

"Who are you?" His voice was a whisper, yet it carried through the cave like a blade unsheathed.

The girl paused, eyes flickering with something unreadable. For the first time, uncertainty clouded her face.

"Does it matter?" she asked.

His gaze darkened. "It does."

Silence.

Then, softly—so softly he almost missed it—she spoke the words that changed everything.

"I am Lian Yue of the Azure Empire."

The princess.

He should have known. No ordinary girl carried herself with such poise, such quiet strength. No ordinary girl had access to healing elixirs rare enough to mend wounds that should have left him crippled.

Zheng Yun's mind shifted like a thousand moving pieces, realigning, adjusting. He had been unconscious, vulnerable. If she had wanted him dead, she could have let him perish in the forest.

But she hadn't.

She had saved him.

And now… she was falling for him.

A Slow Descent into Love

She didn't realize it yet, but he did.

It was in the way she lingered when she bandaged his wounds. The way her gaze softened when she thought he wasn't looking. The way she asked questions—not just about his injuries, but about him.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" she had asked one night, voice laced with curiosity.

He had given no answer.

Not because he couldn't. But because he had learned that silence often made others more desperate to understand.

And desperation made them vulnerable.

Lian Yue was no different.

Her fascination with him grew with each passing day. Her interest deepened, shifting from mere curiosity to something more dangerous.

Zheng Yun saw it in her eyes—the hesitation when she met his gaze, the way she clenched her hands when he looked away, as if stopping herself from reaching out.

She wanted to save him.

How foolish.

There was nothing left in him to save.

But if she insisted on falling, then he would let her.

And when the time came, he would use her for everything she was worth.

The Recovery & The Return

Days turned into weeks. His wounds healed faster than they should have, thanks to her care. His strength returned, and with it, his purpose.

The Monkey King was still out there, lurking in the depths of the forest. And though it had nearly killed him once, he would not make the same mistake twice.

"I need to return," he said one morning.

Lian Yue stiffened. "Return? You're not fully healed yet."

His lips curved into the ghost of a smirk. "That's never stopped me before."

A frown creased her delicate features. "You could die."

"I could." His tone was indifferent. "But I won't."

Something flickered in her eyes—fear, frustration, something else. But she did not stop him.

Instead, she did something unexpected.

She rose, walked toward him, and pressed a small jade pendant into his palm.

"For protection," she murmured.

His fingers curled around the pendant, its cool surface pressing into his skin. He could feel the faint pulse of energy within—an artifact of royal blood.

A gift. A tether. A piece of her, willingly given.

She was his, even if she didn't know it yet.

And when the time came, he would make sure she had no choice but to remain his.

No matter the cost.

The Hunt Begins Again

They stood at the mouth of the cave, the forest stretching before them like a waiting abyss.

Lian Yue hesitated. "You're really going, then?"

Zheng Yun turned to her, studying her carefully. Then, in a rare moment of indulgence, he reached out—just for a fraction of a second—and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.

The breath caught in her throat.

He smirked.

"Wait for me, Princess."

Then, without another word, he vanished into the shadows.

And behind him, the princess of the Azure Empire realized—too late—that she had already fallen.