The night was deep and silent.
Xi Yao dodged patrolling paper puppets, tiptoeing through the demonic palace like a shadow. She scrambled over rock gardens, scaled rooftops, and even waded through a koi pond before finally collapsing in a desolate, overgrown courtyard.
"Haah... Haah... I *actually* got away?"
She glanced around—crumbling walls, dead trees, not a soul in sight.
"This place... seems abandoned?"
Slumping against a withered tree, she patted her chest, catching her breath. "That was close... See, I *knew* Xi Yao wasn't just some helpless girl! So what if I'm socially anxious? Does that mean I can't have survival instincts?!"
Just as she began preening, a familiar, deep voice drifted down from above.
"I didn't stop you. Why didn't you run farther?"
Xi Yao's head snapped up—straight into Qi Yan's amused gaze.
"AHHHH HOW DID YOU FIND ME?!"
Qi Yan clasped his hands behind his back. "Why would I need to *find* you? You ran straight into my old palace."
"...Huh?"
"This was once the retreat *you* designed for me."
"My brain's not working!"
"Your body remembers just fine." His fingers flicked, and the divine mark seared again. Xi Yao *yowled*, scrambling up the tree like a scalded cat.
"STOP BURNING STOP BURNING I'M GONNA DIE—!!"
Qi Yan stepped closer, gripping her ankle and yanking her down from the branches.
"What do you *want* from me?!" Xi Yao stomped her foot. "I said I don't want to marry you! Can't you just pick someone else?!"
Qi Yan smiled. "Do I look like the kind of man who lets go?"
"You could *learn*!"
He leaned in until his lips nearly brushed her cheek. "Xi Yao, from the moment you sealed my heart, you lost any chance of leaving."
"That was past-me being stupid! Doesn't mean present-me is!"
"Then I'll make you stupid again."
"Don't you da—"
Before she could finish, Qi Yan swept her into his arms, striding back into the night. His voice was deceptively tender, yet brooked no argument:
"Let's return, bride. Tonight, you'll *remember* a few things."
"I'm not going back!! I'm socially anxious! I hate men! I hate weddings! I hate *you*!"
"I don't mind." His tone was light. "You can hate me and still kiss me."
"...Lunatic."
"My wife's insults are music to my ears."
---
The night deepened, the bridal chamber's candles relit.
Xi Yao was dumped unceremoniously onto the bed. Even buried under blankets, she stared blankly at the ceiling, her expression one of utter despair.
"...Aren't you afraid I'll *actually* escape one day?"
Qi Yan sat at the bedside, chuckling as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger.
"If you run far, I'll tear through all six realms to find you."
"If you run fast—"
He bent down, pressing his forehead to hers, his whisper a blade against her heart:
"I'll break your legs, tie you to this bed, and kiss you every day until you forget how to leave."
Xi Yao: "..."
She shut her eyes, teeth clenched. "I'm doomed. *So* doomed."