The only sound in the room was the heavy breathing of two women. Ru Yi and Shen Yexue. The candle burned low, casting a shadow over their faces.

Ru Yi had her robe pulled down to her waist, ready for Yexue to examine the extent of her injury. Her back throbbed, the bruise already beginning to darken along her shoulder.

"You’re terrible at protecting yourself," Yexue whispered.

But Ru Yi caught the slight tremble in her voice.

She huffed softly. "I did protect someone." Even though that someone was angry with her for no actual reason Ru Yi could think of.

Most people would be grateful that someone cared enough to make sure they were not harmed. Maybe Qingyue just hated her.

Yexue said nothing as she took in the bruise, every part of Ru Yi’s skin that was already a dark purple. "If that man wasn’t already dead, I would’ve tortured him until he felt a thousand times more pain than he put you in."

"What?"

Yexue didn’t realize she had spoken out loud.

Too embarrassed to answer, she focused on dipping the cloth she’d been given into a bowl of warm water. She wrung it out carefully.

Ru Yi flinched when she pressed it against the bruise.

"Hold still," Yexue muttered, "it’ll be over before you know it."

Yexue’s touch was careful, like she was cleaning a delicate glass. She moved her hand away anytime Ru Yi hissed in pain. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

For someone who had been so cold to Ru Yi in the past, the gentleness in her hands betrayed her. She performed the task through hooded eyes, pretending for a split second that it was her bare hands going over Ru Yi’s skin.

"Does it still hurt?" Yexue asked, stopping briefly to dip the towel in warm water.

Ru Yi tilted her head to look at Yexue. The shadows softened Yexue’s sharp features, making her seem almost...gentle.

"Why are you helping me?" Ru Yi asked quietly, at the risk of sounding pathetic.

Yexue didn’t meet her gaze. "Because you’re injured."

"No," Ru Yi shook her head. "You came after me because you didn’t want to lose the one person you could force into submission. And I’m sure that bond or whatever is the reason you’re acting like you care right now."

She’d never been able to understand the triplets.

"And if I tell you this has nothing to do with the bond or becoming our servant?" Yexue looked at her then, "is it so bad to think I actually care about your wellbeing?"

Ru Yi nodded. "I’d say you were lying. But I really appreciate your help. Without the three of you this would’ve ended up really badly. For what it’s worth...thank you."

For a brief second, something unreadable flickered in Yexue’s eyes. Ru Yi wasn’t wrong to think that, after all she’d those words herself.

But when Ru Yi had run off, she hadn’t been thinking about making her their servant or anything like that.

All Yexue knew was that she was better off being at Ru Yi’s side.

Yexue continued tending to the wound without a word, her fingers lingering slightly longer than necessary whenever she adjusted the cloth.

Ru Yi’s breath caught when Yexue hand dipped down her lower back. "I think that’s enough," she stuttered, pulling slightly away.

"Okay. I’ll apply the balm then."

Yexue started from the base of Ru Yi’s neck, rubbing in slow circles. She channeled some of her energy in to soothe the skin. "Does it still hurt?"

Ru Yi was so lost in the soothing feeling that she missed the question. "Huh?"

"I asked if it still hurts."

Ru Yi shook her head. "Did you tell your sisters about the seal?"

"You would’ve been dead a long time ago if I did."

That made Ru Yi flinch.

"Not to worry, I have no intention of telling them."

A voice at the door startled the both of them. It was Qingyue. "Tell us what?"

"Nothing!" Yexue immediately answered, getting up.

Meanwhile Ru Yi drew up her robe, but not before Qingyue’s eyes dropped on the huge discoloration at her back.

Qingyue frowned. She was the reason for that. "Yexue, give me a moment alone with Ru Yi. I want to talk to her about something."

The hesitation on Yexue’s face was clear but she nodded anyway. "I’ll leave you two to it."

Ru Yi watched Yexue shuffle out of the room and swallow hard. She did not want to be left alone with Qingyue who was currently shooting daggers at her.

"Are you trying to make yourself pitiful?" Qingyue asked, folding her hands over chest. "Speak to me with nothing but honesty."

Pitiful? "I don’t understand."

"Running off on your own and getting into trouble. Letting yourself get hit instead of me. That’s foolishness not bravery."

Ru Yi played with her fingers to distract from the anger that was slowly growing inside of her. "I wasn’t trying to be brave. I just wanted to help."

Qingyue looked at her long and hard. "You know you don’t have to stick to us if you don’t want to. I don’t trust you enough for you to tag along."

Ru Yi blinked severally. "What about the bond?"

"I’ll help you sever it."

"But...it can only result in death. That was what Yexue said."

"Not if it’s voluntary. Because we’re triplets, you’re also bound to me even if it was Lieyin that performed it." She took a step closer to Ru Yi. "All you have to do is say the word."

Ru Yi felt trapped. She couldn’t figure out what Qingyue’s problem was.

In the past she’d mostly been indifferent. This was the most emotions she’d ever seen Qingyue display.

"What do you say?" Qingyue prompted. "I can do it right now and you’ll be on your merry way. As you know we’re currently being hunted, with us there’ll always be danger lurking around the corner. Can you live with that?"

The obvious answer for Ru Yi was no. She should take Qingyue’s offer and be on her way like she’d wanted.

But...

She couldn’t survive alone either.