Li Ming reached out, and gently stopped a young boy who was running past with a lantern in his hands. "Hey, where did you get that?" he asked in a friendly manner.
The boy barely slowed down, pointing ahead. "At the shop over there!" he said before dashing off into the crowd.
Mei turned to Li Ming. "You do not have to get one,"
"I am fine just watching."
Li Ming shook his head, already heading in the direction the boy had pointed. "Where is the fun in that?" He glanced over his shoulder, grinning. "Besides, you owe me. You did not come with me earlier like we planned."
She rolled her eyes but followed reluctantly. "Fine,"
The shop was a small stall, its wooden counter covered in lanterns of different colors, swaying slightly in the breeze. Li Ming picked two and handed one to Mei before grabbing a brush and ink from the vendor's table.
"We can use this to write a wish," he said.
As they stepped outside, they looked around for a quiet spot. Then Li Ming pointed ahead. "Let us release our lanterns over there," he suggested.
Mei sat on the ground, dipping the brush into ink and carefully writing on the delicate surface. Li Ming, watching her for a moment, suddenly stood.
"I'll be back,"
"I need to get some water."
Mei barely acknowledged him, too focused on her writing. By the time he returned, he was carrying two bottles.
"Here," he said, handing one to her.
Mei took it with a smile. "Thank you." She opened it and drank halfway through, the cool liquid refreshing after the warm evening air.
Li Ming tilted his head toward her lantern. "So, what did you write?"
She smirked. "I'm not telling."
He raised a brow. "Why not?"
"Because then it wouldn't be a secret."
He chuckled. "Fair enough." Then nodded toward the sky. "Come on, let us send them off."
They both lifted their lanterns, holding them steady as the small flames inside lit to life. Slowly, the paper balloons filled with warm air, growing lighter in their hands.
Mei watched as they began to rise, floating upward to join the countless others glowing against the night sky. She breathed out lightly, her eyes following the soft golden lights as they floated higher and higher.
She took another sip of water and sank to the ground, leaning back on her hands as she stared up at the sky.
"What did you write on yours?" Mei turned to li ming, the question left her lips before she could think it through. Realizing her mistake, she quickly added, "Never mind, I should not have asked. I did not tell you mine, after all."
Li Ming chuckled. "I made a wish for a chance," he said smoothly.
Mei frowned, trying to make sense of his words. "A chance?"
His lips curled into a slow, almost amused smile. He tilted his head slightly, watching her intensely. "A chance to be with you."
Mei's breath stopped for a moment, but she kept her face calm.
Just when she thought she had misheard him, Li Ming suddenly let out a light laugh and shook his head.
"Relax," he said, teasingly. "You should see the look on your face."
She wanted to believe he was joking, but she wasn't sure. After several minutes, she asked, "Since when?"
His smile disappeared, and he hesitated before answering. "Since the day we met," he said. "I knew there was something about you, and I have liked you ever since, Mei."
Mei looked down, gripping the water bottle tightly. She stayed quiet for a long time before finally shaking her head. "I am sorry," she said softly. "I do not feel the same way."
Li Ming took a quick breath, his smile returning, but it wasn't the same. It twitched for a moment before he forced it back. "You do not mean that."
"I do." Mei looked him in the eye, refusing to back down. "I do not want anything more than what we have now."
He moved a little closer. "I have thought about this, about us. I see you in my future."
Mei's heart started racing, pounding harder with each beat. She suddenly felt like she was trapped, like the space around her was closing in. "I think... we should go meet the others. I—I..." She tried to stand but felt weak and unsteady. Holding onto her knees, she lowered her head, trying to pull herself together.
Li Ming didn't move at first. He just sat there, watching her with an unsettling look. After what felt like forever, he finally got up.
"Be careful, you do not want to hurt yourself," he reached out to help her, but she stepped away.
A weird feeling of panic started rising in her chest, making her uneasy in a way she couldn't explain.
"I... I do not feel well," she mumbled, stumbling as she took another step. Her legs gave out, but he caught her, his eyes locked onto hers, intensely and unrelenting. "It is okay, just relax..."
..,..
The moonlight soon filled the sky, signaling that it was time for Cheng to return to the palace. The others also decided to head back and began calling out to one another.
"Thank you for keeping me company tonight, Prince Xuan. Your stories really cheered me up," Yú Yúe said with a smile.
Xuan bowed slightly. "It was my pleasure, Lady Yú Yúe. I'm glad I could take your mind off things, even if just for a little while."
Yízé walked up to them and said, "The others are ready to head back."
Everyone had gathered except for Mei and Li Ming, who Yízé was still looking for. After a while, he returned with a frown. "Have you seen Mei and Li Ming?"
"I saw him talking to Mei earlier, but I don't know where they went," Yú Yúe said.
She thought for a moment. "Earlier, when the villagers released the lanterns, I remember seeing Li Ming talking to Lady Mei as they walked away."
Cheng's stomach dropped—that was also the last time he had seen her.
"They can't be far. Let us split up and look for them," he said.
They moved through the streets, searching for any sign of Mei and Li Ming. Cheng and Yízé pushed through the crowd, scanning faces, and his worry only deepened when
every lead led to nothing.
Yízé stopped to ask a merchant who was packing up his stall.
The merchant shook his head. "A lot of people have passed through here, sir. I would not know who you are referring to."
Yízé sighed, then glanced down a quiet side street that was almost empty. After a moment of thought, he decided to check it out.
"You worry needlessly. They are not children, they can find their way back to the palace," Chàn Juán said.
Cheng tried to convince himself she was right, but he couldn't shake the restless feeling.
Princess Chàn Juán then suggested they head back, thinking Mei and Li Ming might have already returned. But when they got there, they only found the others, Mei and Li Ming were still missing.
"Yízé," Cheng called. "Escort the princess back to the palace. I need to stay and make sure Mei returns safely."
Chàn Juán's glare said more than her words ever could, but Cheng had no time for formalities or courtly games tonight.
"Prince cheng..." Xuan warned, sensing the tension. "It is late. You have done your part—let the guards continue the search in the morning."
Chàn Juán's scowl deepened, but Cheng paid no attention. Yízé hesitated, unsure who to listen to. Both carried authority, and both seemed ready to explode.
Then, Chàn Juán stepped forward and spoke firmly. "Let us return to the palace. You have done your duty tonight. You are not responsible for everyone's fate."
Cheng stalled. He didn't want to stop searching, but he also couldn't ignore Chàn Juán. He glanced at her, then took a step back.
Chàn Juán's patience snapped. No one had ever dismissed her, especially not a man she deemed hers.
"Will you now refuse to pay heed to my words?"
"Your highness," Prince Yizong called gently. "This is not the time to be distressed. Please, try to calm down."
"Calm?" Chàn Juán turned to him, her voice controlled, but her anger unmistakable. "I have been calm all night." Her eyes burned as she looked at Cheng. "I am the one he should be concerned about, yet he runs after that woman and leaves me to lesser hands like I do not matter! I will not stand for this."
"I have caused you distress tonight, I apologize your highness." Cheng said in a bow.
Xuan stepped forward, trying to calm things down.
"Prince Cheng, it is getting late, and even during a festival, danger can be close by. Maybe you and the princess should return to the palace. The rest of us will continue searching."
Cheng was about to argue when Yizong spoke up.
"Do not worry, we will let you know as soon as we find them," he said reassuringly.
Cheng paused for a moment but finally gave a reluctant nod. Taking a deep breath, he turned toward Chàn Juán, who was waiting.
The next morning
Mei's Pov
My mind felt hazy, with memories slipping away like grains of sand.
"Do not worry." It felt like I was being carried, but all I could see was the ground shifting beneath me and the sound of footsteps echoing. "Everything will begin to make sense soon." More footsteps. "Do not fight it."
A dull pain pulsed in my head as I slowly woke up. My body felt heavy and sluggish. Something was definitely wrong. My head pounded with the effort to remember. The festival… Li Ming… then—nothing.
I tried to move and froze. My wrists were bound to the side of a bed. A sharp, panicked breath filled my lungs. Why was I tied down?
Blinking against the haze, my vision cleared enough to take in my surroundings. The walls were covered in crude, obscene drawings. My breath caught in my throat. This wasn't just any place, this was a nightmare made real.
I felt a cold wave of fear but shoved it down. Panic wouldn't save me. My heartbeat increased as I yanked against the restraints, ignoring the sting as they bit into my skin.
No. No. No.
This could not be happening.
I clenched my teeth and pulled harder. I didn't care if my wrists bled.
But then, I heard footsteps approaching and acted fast, relaxing against the bed as if I were still unconscious.
The door creaked open. Stay calm.
"Ah, still sleeping, I see."
His voice sent a chill through me. Rough fingers slid through my hair, slow and deliberate that it made my skin crawl, but I didn't move. Then he leaned in, his breath hot against my face. I swallowed hard, fighting every instinct to recoil.
It all fell apart when his lips pressed against my neck.
My eyes snapped open, and I shoved him back with all my strength. "Stay away from me!" I was revulsed by his actions.
Li Ming stumbled but caught himself easily. A smile appeared on his lips. "Fierce as ever, my dear."
He reached for me again, with his fingers trailing through my hair, down my shoulder as if I hadn't just pushed him away. I struggled, but the restraints held firm.
"I do admire your spirit," he murmured, tilting his head. "It is one of the things I love most about you."
I struggled against his grip, but my body was still weak. I needed to be smart if I wanted to escape in one piece.
"Mei," he said, leaning in nervously. "I love you so much, don't you love me?"
"I even showed you how much you mean to me, when I sent you those special treats."
I frowned, trying to remember. Had he given me anything lately? Then it clicked. I gasped as it all came together.
Li Ming's face fell at my delayed reaction. "You do remember, don't you?" He said softly, disappointment in his eyes. "The basket of treats."
"Or did you think they were from your beloved prince?"
"You act like that was normal," I snapped.
"Has anyone ever done something like that for you before?" There was frustration in his voice.
My irritation grew. Did he really expect me to be grateful? I tightened my jaw.
Li Ming let out a short, mocking laugh, shaking his head. "I thought you'd be smarter than this," he scoffed.
"Mei, I have loved you for so long. Why do women always reject good men? Why do you leave us with no choice?" He leaned closer, "I kno... I know you turned me down because of that prince, didn't you?" He lowered his voice.
I shoved him back in disgust. "Cheng has nothing to do with this! That's ridiculous. We're just allies... there's nothing romantic between us."
Li Ming's lips curled into a smirk. "Interesting. Tell me, how did you know which prince I meant?"
I fell silent, as my throat tightened.
Li Ming chuckled, tilting my chin up with a finger. "You say that, yet you call him by his name."
He pulled me closer, his grip securing around my waist. "Relax. In time, you'll see I'm the only one who truly cares for you."
I shot him a deadly glare. "When I get free," I said, "you'll learn the difference between obsession and true suffering."
His smirk didn't waver. "We'll see about that."
A shiver ran through me as his smug smile lingered in my thoughts. For the first time in a long time, I felt cold fear creeping in, slowly taking hold of me.
"Are you hungry, my dear?"
"I could bring you something to eat."
I shrank back, refusing to answer. His eyes drank in my silence, and I forced myself to hold his gaze, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of fear.
Li Ming's smile turned cold and sinister. "Try to rest, my dear, you'll need your strength." With that, he turned and walked out, the heavy door locking behind him.
The room fell silent, but his words stayed with me, curling around my mind like a noose. I had to get out soon, before he decided to act on whatever twisted fantasy played in his mind. But how? I was weak, bound, and unarmed. The odds were stacked against me.
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help, I needed to think of a way out.
The sheer absurdity of the situation almost made me laugh. Hours ago, we had been at the lantern festival, surrounded by light and laughter. Now, I was tied up in some hidden room, at the mercy of a madman. The thought sent a bitter chuckle past my lips before the reality of it all quickly sank in.
I might be trapped with him for a long time.
No.
The idea was unbearable. Anger fueled me, giving me the strength to fight against my restraints once more. My wrists burned and my muscles ached, but I didn't care.
"I would rather die than belong to him," I spat through gritted teeth, twisting and pulling with everything I had. I wasn't going to sit here and wait for him to decide my fate.