Chapter 84: Beneath Silence
Ru Yi woke to stillness. Not the uneasy, watchful quiet she had grown used to in the village...but something softer. Cleaner. Like the world had been washed while she slept.
For a moment she simply laid there, blinking at the wooden ceiling as she remembered what happened the day before.
Then she moved.
There was no pain.
Her brows furrowed. She sat up abruptly, pushing aside the thin blanket, fingers immediately going to where the injury had been. The torn flesh, the ache, the lingering burn—
Gone.
Not even a scar.
"What?"
She flexed her arm, then her side, twisting slightly as if the pain might return if she moved wrong. But there was nothing. No stiffness. No soreness.
Just...whole.
A memory surfaced.
Warm hands, unsteady breath, Yexue’s presence hovering too close, too intense in the dim light of the night.
Ru Yi swallowed, fingers going to her lips.
"She healed me," she muttered to herself. "Just like before."
The realization settled in her chest like something warm and heavy all at once. She immediately slipped out of bed, her bare feet quiet against the floor as she made her way to the door. The moment she stepped outside—
A small blur launched at her.
She barely had time to react before Xiao Yi wrapped himself tightly around her leg, arms clinging as if she might disappear if he let go.
Ru Yi blinked, startled, then her expression softened.
"My little boy," she said gently, placing a hand on his head. Her fingers brushed through his hair in a slow, reassuring motion. Thank heavens you’re safe."
Xiao Yi tightened his grip, pressing his face against the size of her leg. He might not be able to convey his gratitude with words, but Ru Yi understood all the same.
Before the moment could linger, a soft voice boomed from the door. "Get off her!"
The air shifted instantly.
Xiao Yi’s hold on Ru Yi stiffened.
Ru Yi looked up just as Yexue stepped into the house, her gaze already locked onto the boy with thinly veiled irritation.
"She just woke up," Yexue continued, voice low and edged. "Do you plan to crush her to death?"
"Yexue..."
"Off you go, little boy," Yexue gestured, watching in satisfaction when Xiao Yi quickly released Ru Yi.
The little boy stepped back with a huff, though his small eyes lingered protectively on her.
Yexue didn’t spare him another glance. She walked straight to Ru Yi, her gaze sweeping from her head to toe, assessing.
"You’re out of bed," she said. It wasn’t a question.
Ru Yi felt oddly self conscious under her heated gaze. "I feel fine."
"You should get more rest."
"I am fine."
Yexue’s eyes narrowed slightly. "I told you to rest."
Ru Yi looked away, suddenly aware of how Yexue was. Of the faint scent of her. Of the memory of those same hands touching her skin the night before. Her lips pressed firmly against hers...
Ru Yi shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. "I can’t go back to bed, I have to go to work."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Ru Yi blinked, then frowned slightly. "I’m serious."
"So am I."
"I’m not injured anymore. Also, thank you for healing me."
"You can thank me by getting more rest," Yexue replied, her voice becoming heated. "You’re in no condition to do any labour."
Yexue leaned closer. Too close.
"You were bleeding out last night," she said softly, her voice dipping into something dangerous. "Forgive me if I don’t trust your judgement."
Ru Yi’s breath caught.
For a second she didn’t know what to say. Not when Yexue was looking at her like she was the most precious thing in her world.
Then she forced herself to stand her ground. "I have to go back to Madam Lin’s house," she argued.
That made Yexue go very still. Something in her expression changed. "Why?"
Ru Yi hesitated, not wanting to anger her. "Remember when I told you I heard voices back in her room. She said I imagined it but I’m sure of what I heard. There might be a dungeon underneath her room."
Yexue’s gaze darkened. "And you want to go back and investigate?"
"I need to know what she’s hiding. What if there’s someone really locked up there?"
"No."
Again Yexue’s response was immediate and firm.
Ru Yi frowned. "Yexue—"
"You’re not going. I will not have you put yourself in harm’s way for someone you don’t even know and for something you’re not sure of. You just got stabbed yesterday, can’t you give yourself a break?"
Yexue realized a little late that she’d raised her voice, and now Ru Yi looked slightly afraid. She inhaled, trying to calm herself down. Her sisters were cruel with their words...but not her.
"I’m worried about your safety." Yexue pinched the bridge of her nose. "If Madam Lin is really hiding someone there, then she’ll do anything to make sure that secret was kept safe. Do you understand what I’m saying?"
"But I work there," Ru Yi replied. "I still have to go if I’m going to get paid."
Yexue sighed, it felt like she was talking to a stubborn child. "You were attacked last night, I’m sure your employer has a bit of compassion in her. And you also think going back there to investigate alone is a good idea?"
"I’m not saying it’s safe," Ru Yi admitted. "But if something is wrong, and someone is being held there—"
"Then it’s not your problem," Yexue said, unable to mask her annoyance. "Why can’t you think about yourself for once?"
"It’s my problem if I ignore it."
The words hung between them like a lantern in the dark.
Yexue’s expression hardened, but there was something else beneath it now. Something sharper than anger.
Fear.
That Ru Yi might matter to her more than she originally thought.
"You’re not going," Yexue repeated, quieter this time.
Ru Yi shook her head. "I am. Whoever it’s held in captivity down there called out to me for help. I might be their only hope."
Yexue exhaled slowly, her gaze dropping for just a second before lifting again. "Then I’ll go with you."
Ru Yi blinked. "What?"
"I’m not letting you walk into that alone."
"That’s not necessary."
"It is."
Their eyes locked.
Ru Yi saw something in Yexue’s expression that stopped her. That intensity...That closeness...That possession.
And it terrified her more than anything ever did.
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