The silence between them stretched. The flickering lanterns cast shifting shadows across Li Xuan’s face, highlighting the tension in his jaw, the furrow in his brow.

He hated this.

Hated that he was standing here, actively engaging with a woman he once dismissed as unworthy of his time. Hated that his mind kept circling back to her, unable to let go of the way she had smiled—unconcerned, teasing, as if she wasn’t the same Xia Zhiwei who once begged for his affection.

Hated that he wanted her to look at him the way she used to.

Xia Wei, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Oh, this was fun.

Watching the oh-so-proud and aloof Crown Prince stumble through his emotions, visibly frustrated yet unable to walk away, was delicious.

“Your Highness,” she finally spoke, her voice soft, playful, “if you stare any longer, people might think you’ve fallen for me.”

Li Xuan stiffened immediately, his expression darkening. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

She chuckled, stepping closer, and for the first time, he took a step back.

Oh? Was he… avoiding her?

Her smile deepened. “Then why are you here, Your Highness?”

Li Xuan’s jaw clenched. Why was he here?

He had come on impulse, convinced that she was meeting someone at the Moonlit Pavilion. But now, faced with her calm, self-assured demeanor, he suddenly felt… trapped.

Like he had walked into her game instead of his own.

“…I was only ensuring that you weren’t causing trouble,” he muttered, looking away.

Xia Wei laughed, the sound light and airy. “How thoughtful of Your Highness. Should I be grateful?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned sharply on his heel. “It’s late. You should return to your chambers.”

Xia Wei let him leave, watching as his figure disappeared into the shadows.

Then, slowly, she grinned.

Step two: complete.

—

Back at the Crown Prince’s Residence

Li Xuan stormed into his study, slamming the door behind him.

Damn it.

He dropped onto the couch, rubbing his temples. His thoughts were in disarray, his emotions unfamiliar.

He had spent years looking down on Xia Zhiwei, dismissing her as nothing more than a nuisance.

So why?

Why did it feel like he was the one being played?

Why did he feel uneasy at the thought of her smiling at someone else the way she had smiled at him?

A memory of her soft, teasing voice echoed in his mind.

"If you stare any longer, people might think you’ve fallen for me."

His pulse quickened.

Ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous.

And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

—

Meanwhile, in Xia Wei’s Courtyard

Xia Wei leaned against the wooden railing of her balcony, sipping tea as the night breeze played with her hair.

The Crown Prince was hooked.

Not completely, not yet, but the first signs of obsession had taken root.

Her plan was simple: let him taste what it was like to be ignored.

Li Xuan was the type of man who took everything for granted. He had never once doubted that Xia Zhiwei would always be there, waiting, hoping, loving him despite his coldness.

But now?

Now, she had turned away, and he was chasing her instead.

She set down her teacup, her lips curving into a soft smirk.

Let the real game begin.

—End of Chapter 4—

Sky~