Chapter 13

It felt as though he were adrift in a churning void, offering neither direction nor escape.

Yet somewhere in the haze, a fleeting figure emerged —a silhouette in water-blue robes, wavering like mist on the verge of dispersing.

A jolt of panic seized him, as if something irreplaceable were slipping through his grasp. Without thinking, he lunged forward, his fingers closing desperately around the fabric of that person’s robe.

"Young Master!"

A sharp cry tore from his throat as he jolted awake, his pulse hammering in his ears.

Soft bamboo-green bed curtains framed his vision, casting faint shadows and imbuing the space with a quiet, understated grace. On the nearby table, a candle cast a steady glow, crackling faintly.

His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, beads of sweat clinging to his brow. Just as he lifted a hand to wipe them away, a delicate, silken touch brushed against his skin.

Startled, he turned abruptly, his entire body tensing—only to find someone seated at his bedside, a damp towel in hand, dabbing away the sheen of perspiration. 

That person’s features were as exquisite as a sculpted jade, his bearing poised and refine.

Xiao Ye stared in stunned silence, his hand lifting of its own accord. 

The warm skin beneath his fingers felt real, solid. In dazed silence, Xiao Ye let his fingertips ghost over the familiar contours—those brows, nose, lips.

"You were calling for me in your dream. Do you not recognize me now that you're awake?" 

The corners of Qin Yuxuan's eyes crinkled with amusement, his lips curling into a smile. 

Xiao Ye's throat tightened, a sharp ache radiating through his chest. 

Why was he seeing Qin Yuxuan again? Why... hadn’t he forgotten?

Qin Yuxuan gazed at him expectantly, as if waiting for him to throw himself into his arms like before. Instead, Xiao Ye bit his lip and swung his legs off the bed—only then realizing that he had been stripped down to his undergarments.

With his back turned, he searched for his discarded robes, his voice carefully measured. "I’ve troubled you, Young Master."

"Xiao Ye..."

That deep voice wove around him like a spell, rooting him in place.

"Are you angry with me?"

He shook his head but found himself unable to answer.

Without warning, his hand was captured, enveloped in a reassuring warmth. Before he could react, an arm slid around him from behind, pulling him into a tender embrace.

"I’m back."

Unbidden, hot tears welled in his eyes and spilled over. He clenched his fists, willing himself to stop trembling. 

He was back—but hadn’t he returned with a fiancée?

"Ying’er is more like a sister to me."

Qin Yuxuan chuckled softly at Xiao Ye's stunned expression before pinching his cheek. "You’ve been overthinking things again, haven’t you?"

Heat surged up in Xiao Ye's face, and he instinctively rubbed at the spot where Qin Yuxuan’s fingers had brushed. After a brief struggle, he finally spoke. "They said..."

Qin Yuxuan's expression remained calm, his lips curving in a faint smile. "The part about my background is true, and so is the engagement. But I didn’t take the imperial examination for fame or fortune, nor did I do it to marry Ying’er. I just wanted to restore the Qin family’s honor and prove myself. I wanted Ying’er’s father to know that if I had wished to ruin their family, I could have. But I chose not to be the kind of person who stoops to that."

He paused, then, observing Xiao Ye's intent expression, leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss to his cheek. 

"To think even a mere jinshi title was enough to send the old man into raptures... If it weren’t for you, I would've taken the top spot with ease." 

Xiao Ye's eye widened. "Did... did you fail on purpose?"

"Your Young Master here loathes even attending classes. What need do I have for grand ambitions? Navigating the murky waters of court politics, dealing with scheming and backstabbing—how could I bear to drag you into that life? A small title like jinshi is enough. At most, I’ll serve as a county magistrate for a while, then resign due to ‘illness’ and retreat to the mountains to enjoy a quiet life."

Warmth unfurled in Xiao Ye's chest, but doubt still lingered. "Then... why did that young lady come with you?"

"Ying’er and I grew up together. We have a sibling-like bond. She said she wanted to come here for a visit—how could I refuse?"

The smile on Qin Yuxuan’s face slowly faded, replaced by a solemn expression. "I don’t know where you heard those rumors, but after I rushed back from the city, my little wife had already disappeared. You left me a note, telling me to meet you at midnight to watch the flowers bloom. But after the flowers bloomed, I found you lying on the ground, pale and unconscious."

Xiao Ye shook his head repeatedly, as if trying to dispel the memory. Then, he turned and buried himself in Qin Yuxuan’s arms, his heart twisting in a bittersweet ache.

It seemed like, before the flowers had bloomed, he had already won this person’s heart.

But back then, he had been too blind to realize it.

He had told himself to trust, over and over again. Yet deep in his heart, doubt had festered.

"Young Master..." Xiao Ye nestled against that steadfast chest, hot tears seeping into the fabric of Qin Yuxuan's robes. 

"From now on, tell me everything that troubles you. No more hiding."

Xiao Ye nodded obediently—then suddenly froze.

"What is it?" Qin Yuxuan asked, amusement creeping into his voice.

"I'll remember..."

There was so much he couldn't say. He hadn't dared to tell him that he wasn’t human—just a small flower spirit who, in falling for a person, had also fallen for the mortal world.

He hadn't dared to tell him that he had once been ugly, and only became this beautiful now because he had cast a spell—because Qin Yuxuan liked beautiful things.

There were so many things he couldn’t divulge. He could only gather his courage little by little, and try to help Qin Yuxuan understand.

And if, even then, after knowing everything, this person still didn’t turn him away… 

Then, wouldn't he be the luckiest flower spirit in the world?

⋅ ˚ ₊ ‧  ‧ ₊ ˚ ⋅

However, much later, when he finally mustered the courage to reveal his secret, Qin Yuxuan merely smiled. 

"Finally decided to tell me, huh?"

Before Xiao Ye could react, he was unceremoniously dragged into bed and thoroughly ravished.

The night was filled with unbridled passion and boundless spring.

As he drifted into slumber, he wondered: When had that person figured it out?

Perhaps only the spring breeze knew the answer.

END

Author's notes: 

Finally typing out this word—"END"—means another story has come to a close, even if it's just a short one~

I promised to finish it tonight, and in Jing-time, "tonight" lasts until I go to sleep...囧 So even if it's past 1:30 AM, it still counts...

Since Xiao Yi was meant to be a birthday gift, I originally planned for it to be gentle and sweet. But because the person it was written for kept nagging that it wasn’t tragic enough… So if you found it heartbreaking, take it up with them, not me!

There are still a few loose ends that weren’t fully addressed, but they didn’t quite fit into the main story. So I plan to write two or three extra chapters—one for Qin Yuxuan, one for the little flower spirit, and maybe one for the flower fairy (though I might skip that last one).

And now, a fun little guessing game—how exactly did Qin-gong figure out that Xiao Ye was a peony? 

The answer will be revealed in the extras~

P.S. Special thanks to Little Pomegranate and Yuzu is So Sour for their recommendations! One peony flower for each of you~ XD~