Chasing the Fleeting Flower

23: Time had stopped

The metal door chattered against itself as Rui slowly opened up her eyes. She had fallen asleep while waiting for Yu Jian. Looking out through the small gated window, the moon was her only source of light. She curled into herself a little closer and let out a cold, shaky breath. The metal door clanged once more, finally catching Rui's attention. Quickly, she pushed herself near the corner, becoming one with the darkness. The door slowly opened with a small cry and in slipped a tall, lean man. Rui grunted with burning hatred in her eyes as she glared daggers at the shadow figure.

"What do you want, Cai Zhi?" her hoarse voice betrayed her, revealing her thirst and tiredness. He came closer without saying a word, and Rui's heart sped up as she panicked. Suddenly, he grabbed her and for a second, she was ready to hit him before making a run for it—that was until the familiar warmth spread from the man's hand to her arm. Finally, his face came closer under the moonlight, and his gentle eyes came to sight. Her heart pounded away and she almost couldn't believe her eyes—was this real?

Tears fell from here eyes like droplets of crystals as she clung desperately onto his arm, "Yu Jian..."

He put away his sword, then quickly wrapped her in his embrace and held her head to close to his heart, "My dear Rui-er, I'm sorry I took so long."

Before she could reply, he released her and rushed, "Quick, leave now. Guards dead."

She could tell he was in a hurry, because his words were cut shorter than normal and left in fragments. She told him to wait for a bit, as she kneeled in front of the grave of Liling. Kowtowing her head thrice, she said her final goodbyes to the girl.

They swiftly escaped the prison and Rui stumbled a few times, due to her injuries. Without a word, Yu Jian lifted her onto his back and continued. After a couple of silent hours, Rui stopped him, "Yu Jian, you're tired. Let me down, I can walk."

"No, you're injured."

"We'll both be injured if we continue like this," she sighed and slid down from his back, making sure to hide her wince of pain from her face as her feet touched the ground. She grabbed his hand, "Come on, let's go."

Surprised—but a pleasant surprise—Yu Jian smiled a little and adjusted their hands to intertwine properly, fitting like perfect puzzles, "En, let's go."

Rui blushed as she attempted to hide the small curl of her lips, while her nervous eyes roamed around her surroundings to distract herself. The two had walked far enough from the prison and is now in search of a place to rest. The forest was rather dense, so it was hard to see with the little light the moon gives. They followed a small stream of water to their unknown destination. Nevertheless, the gods were merciful and blessed them with a small inconspicuous house.

The wooden house seem like it's about to fall apart any moment now though. Covered in cobwebs and layers of dust, the abandoned shelter surprising still have usable objects in there. Rui spotted the kitchen in the dark corner with piles of damp, chopped wood and a lot of stale hay. On the opposite end, there was a dusty bed and a rotting table with a few wooden benches. Yu Jian found a basin and went out to clean it in the river. He came back with a full tub of clean water and he settled it down on the table that gave a small squeak.

Yu Jian sat her down and pulled out some bottles of medicine from his sleeves. Silently, he treated her wounds one by one. For every wound he saw, the darker his eyes grew. He was upset. He gently held both of her hands, and saw how damaged they were. Frowning deeply, he caressed them and ever-so-gently, washed it like they were broken glass that was put back together.

There she sat, bare only in her skin as her dress gathered on her lap. Though Yu Jian had already seen—maybe even felt her body before—she still feels embarrassed. Wherever his cool fingers touched, left a blush on her pale skin. He was slightly amused, never realizing that he had this kind of effect on her. When he was done, he carefully dressed her and brushed away the remaining dirt on her face. Then he dumped the soiled water outside and cleaned up.

Her bright eyes now lit with life as she gazed at him and the words hung on her lips with hesitation. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and lowered her head. 

"Yu Jian," she called out softly.

"En," he turned towards her. She reached forwards with both of her hands, caressing his smooth cheeks and brought his handsome face down, closer to her own. There was a moment of silence and hesitation, as Rui still wasn't sure if what she was doing was right. After all, he found her annoying, right...?

Seeing the uneasy thoughts roaming in her eyes, Yu Jian pulled her closer by the waist and closed the gap between their lips, brushing away her hesitations. It was as if her heart stopped with time and everything was all right. Nothing mattered anymore.

When they pulled away, Yu Jian still held her in his arms and she buried her red face in his chest. She pouted, "Yu Jian, take responsibility."

He hummed in agreement, making her lips curl up with happiness. After a while, she finally spoke again and rambled on faster as she continued to speak, "Yu Jian-ah...I'll try to be less of a hinderance. If you're bothered by our statuses, I'll leave my household. They never treated me like family anyway, so it doesn't matter and it's actually better—"

"Rui-er, what are you talking about?" He looked at her with confusion.

"The letter you left me...you said that we were too different, that I was annoying, that it was better to forget about us—"

He cut her off, "I didn't write those."

"Ah? But it was your handwriting? If it wasn't you then—" It finally clicked in her head. It was forged by someone.

She sighed before smiling, "Since it wasn't you, then it's not important anymore. Where do we go now?"

"After we finish resting, I'll take you far away from here—to my residence. We won't have to deal with your family or Cai Zhi ever again."

She felt touched by his words and didn't question him. Nodding her head softly, she smiled once more and hugged him tighter. However, their joy did not last long, as Yu Jian suddenly sharpened his ears and whipped his head towards the closed door. In the distance, he could hear heavy footsteps filled with anger. His hand naturally drew towards his sword.