Chapter 129: Trapped

Ru Yi felt something deep within her stir uneasily, as though reacting to the recognition. "Why is it like that?" her voice was barely steady.

The woman’s expression darkened slightly, the amusement from before fading into seriousness. "Because it is trapped."

"Trapped?"

The woman nodded. "It is a soul bound to a body that is not its own," she replied. "Sealed behind something it cannot break through."

She leaned in, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper. "It waits..."

Ru Yi held her breath.

"And when the time comes," the woman continued, her gaze locking onto hers with unsettling intensity, "it will take what was always meant to be its own."

Ru Yi’s chest tightened painfully. "Take?"

"Your place," the woman finished simply.

The words hung in the air, heavy and unavoidable. For a moment Ru Yi could do nothing but sit there, her thoughts spinning without direction.

"Then what happens to me?" she asked quietly.

"You?" she repeated, almost thoughtfully. "You are only here because it is not. And when it’s finally free...there will be no need for you at all."

The woman released her hands abruptly, like she’d been burned. "Go."

Ru Yi blinked as the old woman released her hands at last, the sudden absence of that cold grip making her fingers feel strangely light and unsteady in her lap.

"I’ve told you what you needed to hear," the woman said, her voice distant and dismissive in a way that made it clear there would be nothing more. "What you do with it is not my concern."

Ru Yi swallowed, her throat tight.

Slowly, she pushed herself up to her feet, then reached into her sleeve. She pulled out a small pouch and placed a few bronze coins onto the table between them.

The coins made a soft, dull clink against the wood, the sound oddly grounding.

Ru Yi lingered only for a moment longer before turning toward the door, the dim light of the hut giving way to the brighter glow of Emberfall’s streets as she stepped outside.

Her gaze drifted aimlessly across the street as she tried to gather herself and push aside the unease that clung stubbornly to her thoughts.

But her attention was snagged on something just beside the doorway. She paused.

A small table sat there, half-forgotten, lined with trinkets that looked far less ominous than the things inside. Among them were rings.

Ru Yi’s eyes lingered on them, her steps slowing as she moved closer without thinking. Her gaze scanned the small collection until it settled on a pair that stood out from the rest.

It had delicate engraving that caught the lantern light just enough to make them seem quietly beautiful.

A ring.

The thought surfaced gently, accompanied by the memory of Yexue’s voice. Half teasing, half serious, talking about Emberfall and how they could act married to keep men away from her.

Ru Yi reached out, her fingers brushing lightly over the rings before picking them up. The cool metal rested in her palm as she studied them for longer.

"I’ll buy this one," she said softly before placing a few more bronze coins on the woman’s table.

From inside, the woman gave a faint worried hum. But she didn’t stop the younger woman. It was useless to try and interfere with fate.

Ru Yi tucked the rings carefully into her sleeve before stepping back into the street. This time she did not wander.

Her steps were quicker and more certain, guided by a quiet urgency that she did not question.

By the time she reached the inn, the lanterns outside were glowing brighter against the dark night. Their light spilled across the entrance as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The warmth hit her first, followed by the low hum of conversation. But her gaze barely registered any of it before landing on a familiar figure pacing near the center of the room.

Shen Yexue. She turned almost the moment Ru Yi stepped in, her eyes locking onto her instantly.

The shift in her expression was immediate, the tension in her shoulders breaking as relief flashed across her face.

"Ru Yi—"

She crossed the distance between them in a few quick steps, her hand catching Ru Yi’s arm as if to make sure she was really there.

Yexue pulled Ru Yi closer and kissed her, sudden and firm. The lingering worry in the gesture was unmistakable.

It stole the breath from Ru Yi’s lungs, her thoughts scattering for a brief disorienting moment.

"Where did you go?" Yexue asked, her voice edged with worry.

In truth, she’d been worried when she didn’t see Ru Yi. For a second she thought Ru Yi overheard her conversation with Qingyue and ran away.

"I went to the market," Ru Yi replied, her tone light like it had been nothing more than a simple errand. "You were with your sisters, I didn’t want to interrupt."

Yexue searched her face. "Did you hear anything?"

Ru Yi tilted her head to the side, feigning ignorance. "Like what?"

Yexue shook her head after a while. "Nevermind."

Ru Yi reached into her sleeve and brought out the rings. "I bought these." A small smile touched her lips. "I saw them and thought it would be perfect for us."

The metal caught the light, glinting faintly. Yexue’s eyes flickered down to them, her features softening.

"It’s beautiful."

Ru Yi had expected a better response from her but she hid her disappointment. Or at least tried. She wondered if Yexue had merely been teasing about acting married. Maybe she’d taken her words more seriously than they were.

"We can look at them later," Yexue said, taking her hand. "But you shouldn’t be wandering on your own, especially in a village you don’t even know."

Ru Yi nodded, her fingers closing loosely around the rings as she slipped them back into her sleeve.

"Come on," Yexue added after a movement as she guided Ru Yi up the stairs. "We’re supposed to have dinner together."

Ru Yi let herself be led, falling into step beside Yexue. The warmth of her presence was steady and familiar in a way that made everything else feel a little further away.

At least, for now.