The Invitation, the Seal, and Blossoming Memories

For the entire week that followed, the project under Bach Lan's charge unexpectedly skyrocketed. Revenue soared within just a few days, drawing praise from numerous senior executives. Thanks to this success, she was officially transferred to the PR department, a significant career advancement.

Most importantly, the incident from "that night" was no longer mentioned. All the suspicious glances and whispered gossip that had once surrounded her now quietly faded in the brilliance of her accomplishments. It was as if a new light had enveloped her, dissolving all past doubts.

In the late afternoon, sunlight slanted through the glass windows, casting long warm streaks across the office floor. In the calm of the workspace, Bach Lan had just finished signing her final report when a slender shadow suddenly fell across her desk.

"Guess who's here~" Hoang Phuong chimed playfully, holding out a delicate pink envelope.

Bach Lan narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Wait a second—you're still single, aren't you? How come you're already sending out wedding invitations?"

Hoang Phuong burst out laughing. "Oh please, as if I'd be so lucky. This isn't mine—it's from the Director. He asked me to deliver it personally to you~"

"What!?" — Bach Lan's eyes widened in shock.

"I swear it's legit! Come on, open it already!" — Hoang Phuong leaned in eagerly; her face lit with the kind of excitement that only comes from juicy drama.

Bach Lan snatched the envelope away and stuffed it into her desk drawer, shaking her head as she gently pushed her friend back. "Go finish your stack of reports. Tomorrow's Valentine's Day! If you don't wrap things up, you'll be dating your computer again."

"Ugh, my life is so tragic~" — Hoang Phuong groaned, before being mercilessly shooed back to her desk.

A few minutes later, Bach Lan glanced around cautiously. When she was sure no one was paying attention, she quietly pulled out the envelope. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, each beat echoing like a ceremonial drum right before a bride is escorted to the altar. Something in her gut warned her—this was definitely not going to be simple.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath to steady herself.

But the moment she slid the card out, what appeared in her hands hit her like a thunderclap to the head.

An invitation... to a singles party!?

"Whaaat?!"

Before she could even think, Bach Lan had already dashed straight to the CEO's office. She didn't wait for a response after knocking—just pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Trach Dong was seated behind his desk, sunlight casting a long shadow across the floor. He didn't look up, but the corner of his lips seemed to lift slightly. "So, you've received it?"

Bach Lan held up the invitation, her face a mix of confusion and unease. "What... is this about?"

"Didn't you clearly mark 'single' on your employee file?" he replied without missing a beat.

"I..." "Or... do you already have a boyfriend?" "I... I don't... yet..." Bach Lan stammered. "Then there's no reason to decline."

His voice wasn't loud, but the pressure in the room weighed down on her like a silent tide. She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself.

"Is this... mandatory?" she asked, her tone cautious.

"It was your idea," he replied coolly. "During last week's brainstorming session—you suggested an internal networking event for Valentine's Day."

He looked up, his voice calm yet commanding: "So you must attend."

She was speechless. Every path had been blocked. "If there's nothing else, you may leave."

She lowered her head and quietly turned to go. Just as her hand touched the doorknob—

"This afternoon. Four o'clock." His voice echoed behind her, like an order she had no way to refuse.

She paused, then replied softly without turning around: "Yes."

Click. The sound of the door closing behind her echoed like a verdict, slamming shut the gates of fate.

In the third-floor restroom, Bach Lan leaned over the sink, her head bowed before the mirror. Her hands braced against the edge of the porcelain, while the dim yellow light stretched her shadow across the tiled floor. The reflection staring back at her was pale and lifeless. Her white blouse was slightly wrinkled, the simple black skirt hung plainly, and her bare face wore no makeup.

"With this face? At a bachelor party? What a disaster..." She muttered to herself. But in that instant, an image of Trach Dong surfaced in her mind—cold, distant, and deep, as though those eyes had seen her before... in a place far away. Another lifetime, perhaps?

She fell silent, her breath catching for a beat. Her hand clenched involuntarily.

Suddenly, a hazy memory stirred to life.

***

In the golden light of dusk descending behind the mountains, she sat atop a moss-covered rock, absentmindedly twirling a delicate white wildflower between her fingers. Behind her, familiar footsteps approached.

"Hiding out here alone again," came a warm, deep male voice.

A young man dressed in a pale blue cloak walked slowly toward her, a small oiled-paper pouch in hand.

Bach Lan gently turned her head, offering a smile as light as a passing breeze. "Just needed a moment of peace."

He sat down beside her, silent for a few seconds, then handed her the pouch. "Those pastries you liked yesterday. I had to trade three silver taels for them."

She paused for a moment, then gently took the pouch. "You always remember the smallest things..."

"It's not a small thing if it's about you."

His voice was low and sincere, and even the passing breeze couldn't hide the gentle look in his eyes.

Bach Lan turned away, avoiding that gaze. She didn't dare meet it for too long afraid she might see something that crossed the boundary between senior and junior disciple.

But she didn't know... that gaze lingered quietly on every little shift in her expression. A feeling without a name, one that asked for nothing, simply grew—silently, steadily—through the falling seasons of flowers.

A soft spring breeze swept past, carrying a white wildflower petal down into the quiet stream below.

Bach Lan blinked, the sweet scent of pastries still lingering in her memory. She smiled faintly, a warmth and familiarity spreading gently through her chest.

At the same time, on the rooftop of the building across the street, the wind howled, tugging fiercely at the long black cloak of the figure standing motionless at the edge. The Celestial Marshal stood there, his icy gaze fixed through a telescope on the third-floor window—The very place Bach Lan had just left, her face still pale, like someone who had just received a sentence.

By his ear, a sensor device lit up. A cold mechanical voice delivered its report:

"Target: Bach Lan — a fox spirit. Memory recall: 12%. Trach Hien — Soul match 96%, no signs of awakening. Dong Ha — Wolf imprint confirmed, stance unclear."

The Celestial Marshal closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again. His pupils, tinted with a metallic blue hue, flickered with a razor-sharp gleam. "If Bach Lan fully regains her memories, the entire balance will shift."

Behind him, a figure dressed in black silently emerged, kneeling on one knee. "My lord, shall we take action now?"

The Celestial Marshal remained still, his voice low and steady: "Not yet. If Trach Hien remains dormant, if she hasn't come into contact with the Heart Seal fragment—then fate may still unfold as naturally as it was intended to."

"Then... should we eliminate her?" "No." He curled his lips into a faint smirk, his gaze sharp as a blade being drawn from its sheath. "We only need to reinforce the seal."

A sudden gust of wind swept through, sending loose roof tiles clattering down the shadowy alley below. The Celestial Marshal turned, his long cloak slowly dissolving into the night. "Our duty is to ensure that nothing disrupts the will of the heavens."