"Will the bird come tonight?" As the moon hung low among the branches and the household slept, Shen Yu lingere…
"Will the bird come tonight?"
As the moon hung low among the branches and the household slept, Shen Yu lingered by the window, her thoughts wandering. Ever since that night's unexpected encounter, Xiao Shi had flitted into her world like a restless bird, unsettling the calm of her well-ordered life. Night after night, he brought small trinkets and stories, chattering about bustling streets and the wild freedom of the jianghu—worlds she'd never known.
Listening to him, Shen Yu felt as if she too had grown wings, drifting through crowds, her heart lighter and freer than it had ever been. To everyone else, she was still the impeccably poised Miss Shen—smiling, gracious, unfailingly charming. She knew exactly how to win people's affection. But only in solitude could she let her guard down and be herself. Yet what did "herself" truly mean?
"Tonight... he won't come, will he?"
As the night deepened and the moon climbed higher, Shen Yu lingered at the window, her thoughts drifting. Had her repeated refusals finally worn him down? Yet if she never pushed him away, her one sliver of freedom would vanish the moment her father found out. Worse, her betrothed—the commander's only son—would soon return. How many nights like this remained?
Shen Yu knew she could never escape the duties and expectations pressed upon her from birth, nor the fate carved by her family's name. A life of privilege demanded its sacrifices. Yet in the silent hours, as the household slept, doubt gnawed at her.
"Tonight, I won't open the window."
As the moon reached its zenith, a familiar sound echoed outside—Xiao Shi mimicking bird calls on his flute.
"He came."
Where had he learned such a strange trick? Shen Yu couldn't help but smile. She often wondered if breaking the rules just this once was truly right. Was following her heart ever allowed? Yet at the sound of his flute, all her hesitation melted away.
She gazed at the tightly shut window and sighed... yet, in the end, she reached out and opened it.