In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

Xie Yige's legs went weak from his kisses, and she could only weakly cling to his shoulders, tilting her face up to receive the kiss.

The sweetness of the sugar figurine melts on the lips and teeth, mingling with his cool sandalwood scent, creating a dizzying and intoxicating aroma.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally stepped back, panting.

Their eyes met, both of them filled with lingering confusion and a deeper, naked desire.

The pause lasted only a moment.

Cui Yutang kissed her again.

This time it was fiercer, more urgent. He pinned her against the wall, his kisses spreading from her lips to her chin, then to her slender neck. Every touch was burning hot, carrying a long-suppressed desire that was finally breaking free.

Xie Yige trembled all over from his kiss, her fingertips digging deep into the fabric of his clothes on his shoulders and back, and soft sobs escaped her throat.

Outside, the city was bustling and brightly lit.

Inside, though it's a small space, spring tides are surging beneath the surface.

The two abruptly separated only when a louder sound of firecrackers came from afar.

Cui Yutang looked at her, panting, his eyes dark and unyielding, yet deep within them surged a struggle that was almost painful.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something.

In the end, he said nothing, but slowly released his grip and took a step back.

Suddenly, his arms felt empty, and a chill instantly washed over him.

Xie Yige looked at him, her lips were swollen and red, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her light green dress was crumpled and disheveled.

"I..." she began, her voice hoarse.

"I'm sorry." Cui Yutang interrupted her, bowing his head deeply, his body trembling slightly as if he had committed a grave sin. His voice was so low it was as if he were talking to himself, "It was my...rudeness."

"Shall I take you home?" He barely dared to look up at her.

Xie Yige tried to calm her breathing.

She still had to take her sister-in-law home in place of her brother, otherwise her sister-in-law and mother would be unhappy again.

"Young Master Cui," Xie Yige's voice was incredibly soft, "would you please escort me to the Magpie Bridge?"

Cui Yutang nodded hastily and stepped into the crowd ahead of her. The lights were a bit dazzling, and he didn't even dare to ask where she was going or who she was waiting for.

Cui Yutang didn't know how he got back to the villa.

He pushed open the door, crossed the courtyard, and entered the bedroom. The moment he closed the door, all the strength seemed to drain from his body, and he slid slowly to the ground, leaning against the door.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a cool, silvery-white glow on the ground.

His pale face and swollen, thin lips were reflected in the light.

"absurd……"

He uttered two words in a low voice, his voice hoarse, and tears silently slid down his face, one drop, two drops, three drops... before hitting the ground.

I blew out the light and lay down on the couch.

The moonlight flowed quietly, illuminating the entire room in a half-light, half-dark atmosphere.

He closed his eyes, but as soon as he closed them, she was there again.

A strange, burning restlessness surged from deep within my body.

He suddenly rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and gripped the corner of the blanket tightly until his knuckles turned white.

But that restlessness grew wildly like vines, entangling every part of his body, and he couldn't suppress it no matter what.

He misses her.

I'm going crazy thinking about it.

He realized that she would never belong to him.

My heart started to ache in waves.

But the next second, an even heavier wave of self-loathing surged in.

That night, the lights of Donglin City remained lit all night, and the city was bustling with noise until dawn.

The morning light streamed through the window, illuminating Cui Yutang's pale blue eyes and pale lips.

"master?"

Bao Yu's voice rang out from outside the door, cautiously.

Cui Yutang closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his eyes filled with a deep calm: "Come in."

The door opened. Bao Yu walked in carrying a copper basin. Seeing his appearance, she paused. "Master, why do you look so pale? Did you catch a cold last night?"

"It's alright." Cui Yutang sat up, his voice a little hoarse. "When did you get back?"

"Last night at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)," Bao Yu wrung out a hot handkerchief and handed it over, whispering, "Master asked me to convey a message that the imperial examinations are approaching and he hopes you will return to the capital as soon as possible. It would be best if you could spend some more time at the Imperial Academy to consolidate your knowledge and pay your respects to Chancellor Zhang in advance."

Cui Yutang took the handkerchief, the steam obscuring his features.

Return to Beijing.

Leave Donglin.

Leave...her.

His fingertips tightened unconsciously, and the hot water in the handkerchief scalded his palms, turning them red, but he was completely unaware.

Perhaps leaving was the right thing to do. Staying here, harboring such vile thoughts about his friend's fiancée, and even committing such an indecent act—every moment of that was a sin.

"Master said that although Donglin Academy is good, the Imperial Academy is the orthodox one, and Chancellor Zhang is one of the chief examiners of this year's examination..." Baoyu glanced at his face and lowered her voice.

He closed his eyes tightly, his lips becoming even paler.

"Understood." Cui Yutang put the handkerchief back into the basin, causing ripples to spread across the water. "Tell Father that I will return to the capital once I have finished my studies here."

Bao Yu breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes."

He paused, then said cautiously, "Master, are you really alright? Your complexion... perhaps you should drink some herbal medicine to warm you up? Last night was the Lantern Festival, and the crowds were so dense that it was easy to catch a cold—"

"No need."

"Yes, yes!" Bao Yu turned and walked out. Cui Yutang watched his back and wanted to call him back, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

Half an hour later, Baoyu returned carrying a bowl of dark, murky medicine.

"Master, drink it while it's hot." He handed the bowl to Cui Yutang, the smell of medicine was strong and pungent.

Cui Yutang frowned.

"You have to drink it," Baoyu insisted, unusually. "Your complexion clearly shows you've caught a chill. What if you develop a high fever? Have you forgotten the winter before last—"

"Shut up." Cui Yutang interrupted his nagging, took the medicine bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

The bitterness spread from the tip of the tongue to the throat, and then burned into the stomach.

But that bitterness couldn't suppress another, more turbulent emotion in her heart—just thinking about leaving Donglin, leaving the city where she was, made her heart feel like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, a dull ache.

Ironically, he didn't even have the right to feel pain.

Bao Yu took the empty bowl and smiled with satisfaction. "I'll go prepare the carriage and take you back to the academy."

The same morning light fell on the embroidered tower in the west courtyard of the Zhou residence, but it appeared exceptionally solemn.

Xie Yige opened her eyes, feeling as if her head was filled with lead, and her vision blurred. Her throat was parched, and she tried to call out to Yuchun, but only managed a faint breath.

"Jade……"

Darkness returned.

When she woke up again, she heard hurried footsteps and Yu Chun's tearful voice: "Madam! Miss has a high fever!"

A hand touched her forehead; it was cool.

"It's so hot!" It was the mother's voice, filled with rare panic.

Xie Yige wanted to speak, but her eyelids were too heavy to lift. Her body felt like it was being roasted over a fire, every inch of her skin burning.

"Go fetch a doctor! Hurry!"

"Go to the academy and call Dalang back!"

A flurry of instructions, hurried footsteps.

Xie Yige floated in the scorching heat, her ears ringing, only her mother's anxious whispers faintly reaching her ears: "This damn high fever... If only we had ibuprofen or antibiotics... This damn backward era..."