The morning sun filtered through the lattice windows, casting golden patterns across the worn wooden floor. The scent of sweet rice porridge lingered in the air, accompanied by the faint aroma of herbs and wildflowers. Li Wuxin sat quietly by the window with his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea, the warm porcelain grounding him in the stillness of the early hour.

His fingers idly traced the rim of his cup, his thoughts not on the tea before him, but on the strange unease that had settled in his chest. The stillness was comforting, yet there was something about this morning that felt different. The world around him was peaceful, yet his mind felt restless.

The memory of last night's waltz came back to him unbidden, uncomfortably clear. The way their steps had been in sync, almost too natural. He shifted, unease crawling up his spine. How had it felt so effortless, so... intimate? He hadn’t meant to let it get that close, hadn’t meant to hold on that long

Across the room, Xu Moyao stood by the doorway, his presence commanding even in such a quiet, mundane moment. He was dressed in a simple dark tunic, the fabric clinging to his broad shoulders with the quiet grace of someone accustomed to movement and discipline. His long black hair, hastily pulled back into a loose side braid, caught the soft light, strands escaping here and there as though they had been tied in a rush. It was a sharp contrast to the careful discipline that marked his every other movement, this quick, unceremonious gesture of securing his hair. The braid, uneven and barely held together,  perhaps even of a small, fleeting moment of carelessness in the midst of his usual meticulous control.

Li Wuxin couldn't help but watch. His gaze lingered longer than it should have, drawn not just to the way the general moved with such purpose, but to the stillness of his posture. Even in rest, Xu Moyao stood like a monument, unwavering, unmoving. There was a weight to him, a presence that seemed to fill the room, pressing down on the air like the scent of pine trees in the mountains, constant and steadfast.

For a moment, Li Wuxin's eyes traced the curve of Moyao's back, the way his muscles shifted under the tunic with every slight motion. There was strength in that stillness, a quiet kind of power that he rarely allowed himself to acknowledge.

Li Wuxin's fingers tightened slightly around the cup, a warm flush creeping up his neck, as though he had been caught staring for too long. He quickly looked away, focusing on the steam rising from the tea as if it could offer him some distraction. But the moment passed too quickly, and his heart was already beating a little faster than it should have been.

The silence between them felt heavy, charged with something unspoken, something he couldn't quite name. And yet, when Xu Moyao turned to look at him, his gaze still steady and unwavering, it felt like no words were necessary. There was something in the way the general regarded him, an understanding, perhaps, or maybe just a quiet curiosity, that made Li Wuxin's breath hitch ever so slightly.

But Xu Moyao said nothing, his expression unreadable, as if he were waiting for something. It was a small shift, but one that didn't go unnoticed.

Li Wuxin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his fingers running absentmindedly over the cup's edge again. He tried to ignore the way his chest tightened, but it was useless. Something about this moment felt fragile, like a thin thread hanging between them, and neither of them were quite ready to break it.The image of the previous night flashed unbidden through his mind, his own hand in Xu Moyao's, their feet moving hesitantly at first, then more confidently, as they danced a makeshift waltz under the stars. He'd only meant it as a moment of whimsy, a way to shake off the tension that had hung between them for days. But then Xu Moyao had smiled, really smiled, and taken his hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Li Wuxin looked away, cheeks warming.

What was I thinking? he asked himself, embarrassed.

"What's troubling you?" Xu Moyao asked without turning, his voice smooth, laced with amusement.

Li Wuxin hesitated, his gaze flickering momentarily toward the window as if searching for an answer in the distant trees. The quiet stretch of silence between them felt heavy, too heavy. He quickly cleared his throat, forcing his mind to focus.

"Nothing," Wuxin said, almost too quickly, the words spilling out before he could catch them. He shifted uncomfortably, offering a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm going to the forest to gather some herbs. There's a patch of goldenroot that should be blooming this time of year."

"I'll come with you," said Xu Moyao.

"That's not necessary," Wuxin replied, flustered. "I've done this alone for years.”

"All the more reason for you to try it with company."

"You don’t need to worry about me," he said, his tone steady, though the words felt oddly empty as he spoke them.

There was no arguing with Xu Moyao when he was like this. Li Wuxin hesitated for a moment, a faint sigh escaping his lips as he closed his eyes for a brief second, collecting his thoughts. He knew better than to protest. Without a word, he stood, reaching for his satchel.

The general moved without hesitation, falling into step beside him. His boots made no sound on the dirt path, the quiet of the morning forest enveloping them as they ventured deeper into the dense woods of false reflections.

The forest was serene, the only sounds those of birds calling from the treetops and the soft rustling of leaves beneath their feet. Shafts of golden light pierced through the thick canopy, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor. Li Wuxin crouched, his fingers nimble as they sifted through plants, careful, sorting the stems from the weeds, taking only what was needed.

Xu Moyao remained close, watching with interest.

"You know," Li Wuxin said, brushing dirt from his hands, "for a general, you're surprisingly good at staying quiet."

"I've hunted men through forests. Staying silent is a survival skill."

"Charming," Li Wuxin muttered.

They wandered deeper, stepping over twisted roots and ducking under low branches. Li Wuxin was mid-step when his foot caught on something. He stumbled forward with a yelp and landed awkwardly, catching himself on one knee.

"What in the" he muttered, looking down. "What was that?"

"Ah," Xu Moyao said, voice far too calm, "a terrain trap."

Li Wuxin blinked up at him. "Are you mocking me?"

"Of course not. I'm saving your dignity." He extended a hand and added, "See how generous I am."

Li Wuxin accepted the hand, allowing the general to pull him up with surprising ease. Xu Moyao then nonchalantly reached up, his fingers brushing the dirt from Li Wuxin's shoulder, lingering on the fabric just a moment too long. Li Wuxin met his gaze, a slight, teasing smile tugging at his lips. “I suppose I owe you one,” he said lightly, though there was an almost imperceptible softness in his voice, something that hadn’t been there before.

The brief silence that followed felt heavier than expected, as if both of them were quietly measuring the distance between them, trying to decipher whether the unspoken words lingering in the air should be said aloud or left to rest.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Wuxin asked, his voice light but laced with a hint of curiosity.

"A little," Moyao admitted, the corner of his lips twitching upward into a rare grin, fleeting but genuine.

They both laughed, the sound easy and natural. The laughter rang out in the stillness of the forest, echoing between the trees, and for a moment, everything felt uncomplicated. There were no battles to fight, no duties to uphold, just two men walking under the sun, their shared laughter mingling with the rustling of leaves, floating like a brief respite from the world outside.

But that peaceful moment was shattered in an instant.

Xu Moyao's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing with a sudden intensity, and in a split second, his voice was sharp, commanding.

"Get down!" he barked, the urgency in his tone cutting through the air like a blade.

Before Li Wuxin could even process the words, the general had already moved. In a swift motion, he tackled him to the forest floor, pinning him beneath his own body. Li Wuxin's breath caught as they hit the ground, the air knocked from his lungs for a heartbeat. His heart pounded in his chest, the unexpected force of the general's actions taking him by surprise.

A sharp, resounding thunk split the air, followed by the faint whistle of something slicing through the quiet forest.Li Wuxin's eyes snapped upward, just in time to see an arrow bury itself deep into the tree above his head.

They both stared at the arrow, as if the world had slowed, the danger hanging in the air between them.

"We're being hunted," Moyao said, his voice low and grim, the weight of his words settling like a cold stone in Li Wuxin's stomach. His gaze flicked to the surrounding trees, as if calculating their next move.

Without another word, the general's grip tightened around Wuxin's arm, and in an instant, they were moving.

"Move," Moyao commanded, his tone a razor-sharp edge of urgency.

They didn't waste a second. Their feet pounded against the forest floor as they sprinted, weaving between trees and underbrush, their breathing sharp and ragged as they fought against the sudden, terrifying sense of being hunted.

Behind them, the sound of branches snapping and the distant whistle of another arrow told them they were not alone. Branches whipped against their faces. Li Wuxin dropped his satchel, feet pounding the earth as Xu Moyao kept pace beside him, eyes scanning for threats. Arrows whistled past, one grazing a tree, another lodging in a mossy rock. They moved steadily through ferns and tangled roots, the jagged mouth of a cave coming into view, nestled between the rocks like something waiting

"In here!"Xu Moyao ordered, pulling Li Wuxin in before him.

They crouched in the cool dark, the only sounds their ragged breathing and the distant rustle of their pursuers losing their trail.

Xu Moyao turned to speak, but Li Wuxin gasped sharply, his breath hitching as he instinctively pressed his hand to his side.

The general froze.

"Li Wuxin," he said slowly, the name falling from his lips without the usual formality, and it felt strange, "you're bleeding."

Li Wuxin looked down. A crimson stain had bloomed across his tunic, spreading from a narrow gash on his left flank.

"Oh," he said faintly. “That hurt.” 

"Why didn't you say anything?" Xu Moyao demanded, already tearing off his outer tunic.

"I didn't notice until just now. Adrenaline is a curious thing."

"Hold still."

He reached for the fastenings of Li Wuxin’s outer robe. At the touch, Li Wuxin’s hand came up, stopping him.

“What's are you doing ?  ” he muttered, the tension in his voice betraying more than pain.

Xu Moyao gave him a look — not impatient, but unmoved. “You’re bleeding. Let me.”

A beat passed. Then, with a quiet sigh of resignation, Li Wuxin let his hand fall.

Carefully, Xu Moyao undid the layers, pulling the fabric away from Li Wuxin’s shoulder and chest. The robe slid down with a whisper of cloth against skin, revealing the deep cut along his side, red and raw. Li Wuxin averted his gaze, jaw tight, but said nothing more.

Xu Moyao pressed the cloth to Wuxin's wound, firm but gentle. Li Wuxi's face tightened, and his body instinctively curling slightly as he winced. The cave was dim, lit only by the flickering light at its mouth, but Moyao worked with sure hands, tying the makeshift bandage around Li Wuxin's upper body.

"It's shallow," Li Wuxin muttered.

"You still lost blood. You shouldn't move for a while."

Li Wuxin leaned back against the cave wall, breathing evenly through his nose. "You know," Xu Moyao said after a pause, "if you wanted to see me half-naked again, you could've just asked."

Li Wuxin raised a brow. "You call this half-naked?"

"Well, we are both shirtless. And you're bleeding. Intimacy has many forms."

Li Wuxin chuckled, but the smile quickly faded as a sharp pain shot through his side. His teeth clenched under the pain.

Their eyes met. The air between them shifted, charged with something quieter, deeper. Xu Moyao reached up and brushed a stray leaf from Li Wuxin's hair. The touch lingered.

For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist.

The quiet of the cave felt oppressive now, the air thick with both the weight of what had just happened and the unspoken words between them. Li Wuxin's breathing had evened out, but his heart still thudded in his chest, faster than normal. A mixture of the run, the danger, and something else.

Xu Moyao sat back on his heels, still watching him closely. His fingers twitched, as though unsure whether to reach for the wound again or simply to wait. There was something soft in his expression. He ran a hand through his hair.

" We need to move, there's no time to waste,"  he said, voice gruff.

"I can wait for a moment," Wuxin said, letting his head rest against the cold stone. 

There was a long silence. 

Xu Moyao didn't answer, his gaze focused on the mouth of the cave as though he were listening for something, waiting for any sign that the danger had passed.

For a while, they sat in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts, but both of them alert and watching.

But the silence between them felt different now. No longer awkward, no longer filled with just the tension of survival, but something more.

Li Wuxin glanced up, meeting the general's eyes again. This time, he didn't look away.