LUO FAN
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After several days of travel, we finally reached the border between the Silang and Wun Empires.
Even from a distance, I could see dark silhouettes posted at key points—guards with polished armor gleaming in the sunlight, their patrols rigid, precise. They moved like clockwork, scanning their surroundings with trained suspicion. Every inch of the border seemed to bristle with awareness.
Crossing unnoticed would be next to impossible.
"We should pull back," I whispered as we crouched behind the thick underbrush, cloaked in shade like the fugitives we'd become.
Lan Feng nodded, his gaze never leaving the guards.
We retreated silently, disappearing back into the woods—the same hidden trail I had once taken to escape the Silang Empire, years ago, while hunted by Marquis Kong's men.
But the forest had changed.
Now, it too crawled with soldiers, their footsteps cutting through the trees like wolves scenting blood. Each attempt to slip through unseen was met with fresh disappointment, and by the time we reached a small clearing to camp, my nerves were frayed.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Lan Feng unfolded a worn map across a patch of mossy ground. The scent of roasting pheasant filled the air—rich, savory—but I barely noticed it through the fog of frustration building in my chest.
"We have two options," he said quietly, eyes scanning the map. His voice, calm and thoughtful, anchored the heaviness of the moment. "We can either go south, back to the coast, and try to cross the sea to the eastern shore of the Wun Empire…" He tapped his finger lightly against the parchment. "Or we go northwest, toward the capital, and cross the border into the Xue Empire. From there, we circle down into Wun from the north."
I leaned in, brows furrowed. "The capital?"
He nodded. "I know a path through the border. My father used to take it to avoid bandits when we traveled between Xue and Silang."
I frowned and leaned closer to study the map with him. "That path—do you think it's still there? It's been so many years since you last took it."
He sighed, his brow furrowing. "I can't say for sure. But it's a route our pursuers wouldn't expect us to use, and once we're in Xue, we'd have some breathing room."
I nodded, tracing the oceanic route with my finger. "Crossing the ocean is a huge risk. Even if you could somehow construct a boat, the sea between Silang and Wun is vast. If we encounter a storm or rough waters, we might not make it."
Lan Feng stayed quiet, his expression thoughtful as he stared at the map.
"This path through Xue…" I said, weighing the options aloud. "It'll take us months longer, but it feels safer than gambling everything on the ocean. If we travel by land, we at least have some control over our route and supplies."
He still didn't respond.
When he was Ruan Yanjun, he never waited for my opinion. He made decisions like a blade to the throat—swift, clean, unchallenged. And because of that, I had rarely trusted my own judgment. Even now, the habit lingered like a shadow.
I turned to him, needing to hear his thoughts.
"Lan Feng," I said softly, "what do you think?"
But he wasn't looking at the map anymore. He was looking at me.
His eyes—dark, steady—rested on my face with quiet intensity. The lines of worry were gone. His expression had softened, dreamlike, as if I were something he didn't quite believe he could reach.
The fire crackled between us, its light brushing against his cheekbones, gilding the warmth in his gaze.
Even when our eyes met, he didn't look away.
Not like he used to.
For a moment, I was utterly drawn into the look in his eyes, unable to look away. I had looked into Ruan Yanjun's eyes countless times before, but they had always carried a sharp, wicked intensity—glinting with arrogance or blazing with intimidation.
But this time, Lan Feng's gaze was entirely different. It was no longer hard or fierce but warm, soft, and almost tender. Unlike Feng'er's bright, innocent glow, the light in Lan Feng's eyes was deeper, calmer, yet it reached into me in a way that felt both comforting and disarming.
I found myself in a trance, staring back at him. In that fleeting moment, the world around us seemed to dissolve, leaving just the two of us suspended in an unspoken connection. His eyes reflected something unspoken—an emotion I couldn't quite name, but it stirred something unfamiliar in me.
When I finally managed to pull myself out of that spell, I cleared my throat and turned my gaze away, suddenly aware of the heat rising up my neck.
Lan Feng blinked, as if waking from the same daze, and looked down at the map between us. I heard the faint hitch in his breath, and that alone made my heart flutter again.
"So," I began, hoping the sound of my own voice would ground me, "what do you think?"
I busied myself with pretending to study the map again, though the lines on the parchment blurred beneath the rush of heat behind my eyes.
"You're right," he said softly, his voice lower than before. "Crossing the ocean might not be a good idea."
Relieved, I exhaled and nodded. "Then that leaves only one option."
He nodded, leaning forward to trace a route on the map. "We're going north then."
I glanced at him curiously, studying his profile as he concentrated on the map. "Are you planning to visit your hometown on the way?"
He stilled. His eyes remained on the map, but his expression shifted—his gaze turned inward, distant.
"I don't think there's anyone left to see there," he said at last. "Visiting their graves… it would ruin me. I'd rather not."
His words tugged at something in my chest, a quiet ache for him and the loss he carried. Without thinking, I gently patted his back. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I shouldn't have asked."
His lips curved into a small smile as he turned to face me, and then, to my surprise, he reached out and lightly tapped my nose. His touch was brief but carried a surprising tenderness. "Have I told you that you're so beautiful?" he murmured, his voice low and almost reverent.
Heat rushed to my face as my pulse quickened, but I tried to suppress the flustered reaction he had so easily stirred in me. "Let's… let's get back to the discussion," I said, brushing off his words as casually as I could manage.
He chuckled, amused but not insistent, and leaned back slightly, letting the moment pass.
"To reach the Xue Empire, we'll need to pass through the heart of Silang," I said quickly, focusing on the map again. I pointed to several key areas. "Do you know any way to avoid the capital or the surrounding cities?"
Lan Feng furrowed his brows in thought, eyes scanning the paths. After a moment, he traced a less direct route with his finger.
"There's one path," he said. "It'll take longer, but it winds through the hills and avoids all major checkpoints. It's risky, but it should keep us hidden."
I smiled at him. "Then I'll have to rely on you for this."
He looked up, his expression softening again, and a wry smile tugged at his lips. "Are you worried?"
"Of course I am," I admitted. "We're heading straight into the wolves' den."
Slowly, he reached out and took my hand in his. "We'll do this together."
His thumb brushed softly over the back of my hand, a slow stroke that sent a ripple up my spine. There was a quiet intensity in his gaze that unsettled me, stirring emotions I didn't fully understand and wasn't ready to name.
My pulse quickened, my thoughts scattered. Slowly, I slipped my hand from his, uncertain how to navigate whatever was growing between us.
My eyes darted to the pheasant roasting over the fire as a convenient distraction. "I think it's done," I said, my voice wavering slightly.
He smiled, leaning back as though to give me space. "You're probably right," he said lightly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
As I busied myself with checking the food, I could still feel his gaze lingering on me, warm and unspoken, like a tether I couldn't quite sever. And as much as I tried to ignore it, a small part of me couldn't deny the way it made me feel—both unsteady and oddly comforted, like standing on the edge of something unknown.