The garden air had turned cooler, touched by drifting petals and the hush
after confrontation.
Ju Xian remained beside the cage, her eyes still wet, but her composure
returning in careful breaths.
General Lian stood nearby, observing her not with suspicion — but with the
quiet curiosity of a man staring at a ghost.
> "You truly don't remember me," he said finally.
Ju Xian rose slowly, brushing dust from her robe. Her voice was calm, but
distant.
> "No. And I don't wish to."
Lian's brow furrowed.
> "You once stood on the front lines with us. You tended our wounds with
steady hands. You and Ren—"
> "That's not me," she interrupted firmly. "I don't know who you think I am.
But I am Ju Xian, noble of the Linhua countryside far from the capital.
Nothing more."
> "You carry yourself like a soldier's shadow."
> "Then it must be coincidence."
Their conversation was cut short by a swirl of footsteps and laughter.
The princess entered the garden path with Taotao at her side, still holding a
small silk fan that shimmered in the moonlight.
> "Ah, there you are," she said brightly, smiling at Ju Xian. "I had to retrieve
this one before he slipped into the kitchens."
> "They had almond buns," Taotao defended.
Behind them, a smaller figure came bounding in — a young boy with golden-
lined robes and a small red ball in hand.
The younger prince.
> "Sister!" he called out. "You said we'd play after the lantern dance!"
The princess turned, laughing softly. "So I did. Come, we'll toss it near the
bridge."
The boy paused, glancing briefly at Ju Xian and Sky with innocent curiosity.
> "That bird looks sad," he said.
> "He's waiting for someone," Taotao muttered under his breath.
Ju Xian said nothing, but her hand rested gently against the cage bars.
General Lian stepped back, sensing he had pushed too far — or perhaps,
that it was not yet time.
> "When you are ready," he said quietly to her, "I'll still be here."
Ju Xian did not answer.
As the group began to turn, the young prince laughed and tossed his ball
high. It bounced awkwardly off the garden path — and struck Ju Xian
squarely on the forehead.
She gasped and stumbled back. Sky let out a sharp cry.
> "Ju!" Taotao called, rushing forward just as she collapsed.
The princess froze, eyes wide, and even the prince stopped mid-step.
Ju Xian lay motionless, her lashes brushing her cheeks, her breathing faint
but steady.
The garden fell into stunned silence as her past — and fate — stirred once
again.