I alone am the Honoured One!

They remained in the quiet comfort of each other's presence for a while with their fingers gently entwined as they sat side by side under the pavilion.

The sunlight filtered through the wooden beams, painting shifting patterns on the stone floor.

"I remember when I first saw you... and the first thing I thought was 'Who is this handsome young lad?'" Rui Yuying murmured with a fond smile, her thumb brushing against the back of his hand.

He chuckled, and she leaned in, brushing her shoulder against his.

Then, without thinking, she nuzzled her face lightly into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent with a quiet sigh.

Zhao Tian stiffened slightly at the contact in surprise, but his hand instinctively tightened around hers.

Her hair tickled his jaw, and for a moment, he simply enjoyed the feeling of her being so close.

He turned slightly and his hand moved to her waist as if to lift her gently, but then paused in hesitation.

Sensing the change in his body, Rui Yuying pulled back just enough to look at him with a soft, knowing smile on her lips. "It's okay, you don't need to ask."

With that, she shifted herself and settled onto his lap.

Zhao Tian exhaled slowly, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her closer until her back pressed against his chest.

"You're… surprisingly light," he teased, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Are you calling me small?" she huffed playfully, giving him a side glance.

"I said light, not small," he chuckled, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "Though now that I'm holding you, I do feel like a villain in a romantic tale."

Hearing this, she giggled "Then I guess that makes me the naive maiden swept away by danger and charm."

"Hardly naive," he murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear "But definitely charming."

They sat like that for a while, hugging each other.

Rui Yuying leaned her head back against his shoulder, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of peace.

"Aren't we too close for being in a trial relationship?"

Zhao Tian tilted his head and asked "Do you not like it?"

With a shake of her head, she mumbled "No, I love it... the warmth of your body. I guess it's been centuries since I felt the warmth of someone."

She raised her hand and gently caressed his cheek, whispering "I used to think peace like this wasn't meant for people like us. But now…"

"Now?"

She smiled softly "Now I think I want more of it. With you."

Zhao Tian's arms tightened slightly, as if silently promising her that she would have it.

"As long as I'm breathing. I'll give you as much peace as you want."

Rui Yuying was amused and replied "Wow, I am impressed... you get 8 points for that."

He blinked in surprise and then broke into a laugh "Only eight?"

She leaned back just enough to meet his eyes, "Eight out of ten is pretty good for a first try. I'm being generous."

He couldn't help but chuckle "Alright then. How many points do I need to upgrade this relationship from trial period to permanent status?"

"Hm…" She tapped her chin, pretending to consider.

Then she reached up and pinched his cheek gently "Who knows? Maybe a hundred. Or maybe whenever I feel like it."

"Ouch," he laughed, rubbing his cheek. "That's unfair."

"Life's unfair," she shrugged in amusement. "And so are women."

"It is kind of weird, though," she added after a pause as she spoke softly.

"We're suddenly so close. We barely knew each other. But… I'm definitely enjoying it. I don't want to run away from it."

He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together "I know what you mean. It's all sudden for me too. But I want to know the Rui Yuying who isn't just a guardian of the seal."

"I want to know more about the real Yuying… someone who's finally remembering how to live again."

Her smile faltered for a second but she recovered quickly, brushing her hair back behind her ear.

"Then, let's live a little."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze "Let's spend some time together then. No need to rush anything."

She nodded, then tilted her head curiously "And what did you mean by spending time together? Got something in mind?"

Zhao Tian nodded his head faintly "Let's go on a date later."

Rui Yuying blinked in surprise "A… date?"

"Yeah."

She smiled warmly "Alright."

...

Later in the afternoon, Zhao Tian and Rui Yuying were walking around the courtyard talking about their next move.

Rui Lian who was passing by, noticed them and hurriedly rushed to him "Junior Brother."

Hm? Zhao Tian turned to look at her and smiled "Senior Sister..."

With a deep breath, Rui Lian muttered "Haa, I couldn't get ahold of you... finally found you."

She smiled and muttered "I wanted to thank you personally for saving our star. You went to such lengths for me..."

With a chuckle, he replied "You don't owe me thanks, Senior Sister. You're family. I would've done it again, even if the cost was higher."

Rui Lian lowered her eyes for a moment, clearly moved by his words.

She bit her lip slightly, then looked up again. "Still… when I thought I might never see you again, I-" she stopped, shaking her head. "Forget it. I'm just glad you're safe."

Looking at her, Zhao Tian muttered, "You worry too much, Senior Sister."

She sighed faintly and looked at Rui Yuying, bowing her head "Matriarch."

Rui Yuying nodded her head and Rui Lian turned back to Zhao Tian "Then I will leave. I don't want to waste your time."

With that, she left, leaving them alone.

Rui Yuying nudged his arm and asked "Are you trying to woo her?"

Eh? Zhao Tian blinked and replied with a chuckle "No..."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously "Hmm, when I asked, you said you just see her as Senior Sister. Tell me the truth. Do you secretly love her? I mean... everything started because you wanted to save her."

Hm? He turned his head and looked at the retreating figure of Rui Lian "I don't really love her, but I do see her as someone close to me."

"Mhmm..." Rui Yuying hummed under her breath in amusement.

...

Rui Yuying was sitting beneath the shade of a flowering spirit tree in her private courtyard as the gentle breeze carried the faint scent of plum blossoms through the air.

A pale blue ribbon fluttered in her hair as she flipped a page of the book resting in her lap.

She was deeply engrossed in a passage about the 'Making your partner fall in love' when she heard footsteps approaching.

Her eyebrow lifted slightly, and she turned her gaze toward the source.

Rui Guzhi approached her with his hands clasped behind his back and a smile on his face.

Her gaze narrowed subtly. Rui Guzhi rarely interrupted her without good reason.

"Is something the matter?" she asked coolly, closing her book with a soft thud and placing it on the table beside her.

Rui Guzhi stopped a few steps away and bowed lightly "Not a matter of concern, Matriarch. Quite the opposite, in fact. I bring joyous news."

Getting curious she tilted her head "Oh? Then go ahead."

Straightening, Rui Guzhi smiled with a hint of excitement in his tone "It is regarding Young Master Zhao Tian's marriage… into our Rui Clan."

A gentle gust of wind stirred the pages of her book, but Rui Yuying didn't move.

For a full second, her mind went utterly blank.

'Marriage? Into the clan? He already told everyone about us?'

Her heartbeat quickened upon realizing this.

She and Zhao Tian shared their feelings just this morning...

She blinked, trying to maintain her composure as she replied with a slightly forced calmness "Isn't that… a bit soon? I mean, we only began our relationship today... I wasn't expecting something so formal so quickly."

At that, Rui Guzhi's smile faltered "…Your marriage?"

Now it was Rui Yuying's turn to freeze.

"…Huh?"

"…What?"

The air between them turned awkwardly still as the two stared at each other, utterly dumbfounded.

Rui Yuying raised her hand and facepalmed herself with a sigh "Wait. Zhao Tian is marrying whom, exactly?"

Rui Guzhi blinked at her, then tilted his head with slight confusion "…Rui Lian, of course."

Rui Yuying's hand slowly slid down her face as her expression twisted into something between exasperation and disbelief "Rui Lian?"

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I hope you guys liked this chapter