After leaving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, it was already deep into the night.
Yi Chen didn't head straight back to Shrek Academy. He took a detour and stopped by the old-fashioned pastry shop in Suotuo City that Xiao Wu liked best.
The shop had already closed, but he knocked until they opened the door. He paid double the price for a packet of freshly baked Osmanthus Cake, wrapped it in oil paper, and tucked it against his chest.
By the time he reached the back hill, the moon had risen to the middle of the sky.
Beneath an ancient tree, a figure sat with her knees hugged to her chest in the wicker chair he usually sat in. Xiao Wu hadn't gone back to the dormitory. She'd sat there alone, waiting for him.
She had changed into clean clothes and tied her hair up again. Clearly, she'd gone back to freshen up, too.
But she hadn't dressed like Rongrong, wearing a skirt, styling her hair in a bun, and applying lipstick. She'd simply made herself neat and clean, then sat there waiting for him to return.
Hearing footsteps, she raised her head. When she saw Yi Chen walking up the mountain path, her eyes lit up. Then she asked with studied casualness, "You're back? Was the food at Rongrong's house good?"
Yi Chen walked up to her but didn't answer. Instead, he took the packet of still-warm Osmanthus Cake from inside his coat and held it out to her. "I promised I'd bring you some."
Xiao Wu froze for a moment. She hadn't expected him to remember, let alone actually bring some back.
She took the packet and opened the oil paper. Warmth and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus wafted up to meet her. She looked down at the cakes and fell silent for a long while. Then she picked one up and took a bite.
"It's good." Her voice came out a little muffled.
Yi Chen sat down beside her on a stone stool. He didn't press her to speak; he simply sat quietly and waited for her to finish the cake.
Xiao Wu finished one piece, folded the oil paper back over the rest, and set it on her lap. Without looking up, she spoke in a much softer voice than usual. "Master, I was actually really scared this afternoon."
"Scared of what?"
"Scared you wouldn't come back." Her voice was faint. "Scared that after dinner at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you'd go straight back to the Association. Scared you'd think Rongrong's family was better, scared you'd think she was more suited to you than I am..."
She didn't finish, because Yi Chen reached out and gently patted the top of her head.
"I promised I'd bring you something tasty, so of course I came back." His voice was gentler than usual. "I wouldn't leave without telling you."
Xiao Wu raised her head. In the moonlight, her eyes were a little red, but she hadn't cried.
She looked at Yi Chen with a seriousness and resolve he'd never seen in her before. Her gaze was even more direct and ardent than Ning Rongrong's confession at the mansion gate, like a fire long suppressed that had finally found an opening.
"Master, I like you."
She spoke the four words one by one. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear and firm.
"Not the way a disciple likes her master. The way a girl likes a man. I want to be with you, and I want to stay with you forever. Not as your disciple, but as your lover."
As she said this, both hands gripped the edge of the packet of Osmanthus Cake so tightly her knuckles turned white. But she didn't look away. She stared straight at Yi Chen, waiting for his answer.
The night breeze brushed past, stirring the wisps of hair on her forehead and the hem of her clothes. Moonlight spilled across her face, making her bright eyes look especially clear.
Yi Chen looked at her and stayed silent for a long time.
Then he reached out and gently took the hand clutching the oil-paper packet.
His palm was warm and dry as it enclosed her cool fingertips. His grip wasn't tight, but it held a reassuring firmness.
"I know." His voice was lower and softer than usual. "I've been waiting for you to say it."
Xiao Wu's lashes quivered. The moisture in her eyes nearly spilled over, but she bit her lip and stubbornly held it back.
"You knew?"
"I'm not an idiot." The corner of Yi Chen's mouth curved slightly. "Lately you've been fighting Rongrong for my attention and tripping her up. During training, you're always sneaking glances my way. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
Xiao Wu's face turned bright red. She tried to pull her hand away, but Yi Chen didn't let go.
"But I wasn't sure if you meant it, or if you were just acting on impulse."
Yi Chen's tone grew more serious. "So I was waiting, too. Waiting for you to think it through, waiting for you to be sure this was truly what you wanted—not just something you wanted because someone else was trying to take it."
He looked at her with a tender, searching gaze. "Have you thought it through now?"
Xiao Wu nodded hard, like a chick pecking at grain. "I have! I've never been more sure!"
Looking at how eager she was, Yi Chen couldn't help but laugh.
Then he stood and took her hand, drawing her up from the wicker chair.
Only after Xiao Wu stood did she realize how close she was to Yi Chen—close enough to see the curve of his lashes and feel the warmth of his breath.
Her heart raced, but she didn't step back.
Yi Chen lowered his head. With his other hand, he gently lifted her chin, his thumb brushing along her jawline with a tenderness as if he were touching a fragile treasure. Xiao Wu's breath caught for an instant, then she closed her eyes.
His lips met hers.
The kiss was light and tender, with a hint of sweetness left over from the Osmanthus Cake. His lips were softer than she'd imagined, and his warm breath brushed against her cheek.
Xiao Wu's lashes fluttered. Without thinking, she clutched the front of his shirt, like a little animal grabbing hold of a piece of driftwood—nervous, yet safe.
Yi Chen slipped his other arm around her waist and gently drew her closer.
The kiss began as a tender test, then gradually grew deeper and lingered longer.
Xiao Wu's mind went blank. She felt as if she were soaking in warm water, heat spreading from head to toe.
Her fingers slowly loosened their grip on his shirt and moved to wrap around his waist, letting her body sink completely into his embrace.
Moonlight bathed them both, casting their intertwined shadows on the ground.
The night breeze stirred the ancient tree's branches and leaves with a soft rustle, as if playing music for the moment.
After a long while, Yi Chen slowly drew back, resting his forehead against hers as their breaths mingled.
Xiao Wu opened her eyes. A faint flush colored the corners of her eyes, her lips were a little redder than before, and her gaze shone with a bright, satisfied glow.
She looked at Yi Chen's face, so close to hers, then suddenly smiled—a sweet, triumphant smile.
"Master, you're done for." She spoke softly, amusement in her voice. "You're mine now."
Looking at her smug little expression, Yi Chen couldn't help laughing. "And how exactly am I yours?"
"Because you kissed me." Xiao Wu answered with complete confidence. "You kissed me, so now you have to take responsibility."
"All right, all right. I'll take responsibility." Yi Chen let go of her waist and took her hand instead, lacing their fingers together. "I'll take responsibility for the rest of my life. Happy now?"
Xiao Wu couldn't suppress her smile. She lowered her head to look at their joined hands. Beneath the moonlight, her fingers tightened around his, intertwining firmly with his.
"Happy." Her voice was soft, but carried a weighty certainty. "It's a promise. A lifetime."
Yi Chen didn't answer. He simply held her hand and stood with her beneath the moonlight for a long time.
In the distance, a light flickered on in one of the windows of Shrek Academy's dormitory building, then went out again.