Moon light:My Beloved Gave Me...

Warmth touched my forehead.

A soft, wet cloth.

Then silence.

Not the kind of silence that makes you feel alone—but the kind where someone's presence sits quietly beside you, steady and watchful.

I blinked.

A dim room. A crystal lamp glowing blue overhead. Frosted walls that shimmered like diamonds in moonlight.

And then—I turned.

Yuzhe was there.

Sitting beside the bed. His cloak draped around his shoulders. One hand resting loosely on his knee… the other gently folding the cloth that had been on my forehead.

He noticed me stir but didn't speak.

Of course he didn't.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice thin.

His gaze flicked to mine. "The palace. You fainted at the gate."

I tried to sit up, but he pressed my shoulder gently.

"Rest," he said.

Just that one word—but it struck something deep.

I exhaled, letting my head fall back to the pillow. "You… carried me all the way here?"

He didn't answer.

Which meant yes.

A flicker of heat rushed to my face. "You must be tired."

"No."

Silence stretched between us like a taut thread.

Then—soft footsteps.

A door opened.

And she entered.

The Ice Empress.

Tall. Regal. Her silver-blue robes trailed behind her like mist over frozen lakes. Her crown glinted with shards of ice, and her pale eyes glowed like moonlight on snow.

"Aunt Mingzhen," my eyes flicked when I said it softly.

A faint smile touched her lips. "You remember me."

"Yes, you look exactly like my aunt from my former world" with full of tears in my eyes remembering the dead aunt of mine.

She approached and sat gracefully at the foot of the bed.

"I heard you collapsed before even reaching the palace gate," she said. "Always dramatic, Xiwang."

"I'm not dramatic. I was freezing."

Yuzhe stood quietly and stepped back, like a shadow returning to the wall.

The Empress's gaze flicked toward him—something knowing, unreadable.

Then back to me.

"You've changed."

My breath caught.

Those words…

You've changed.

Yuzhe said that, too. The first time we met again at the Garden.

I looked down at my hands. "Maybe I have."

Mingzhen tilted her head, studying me. "You were born warm-hearted. But now your warmth burns differently. It's quieter. Sharper. As if you're protecting something."

"I don't even know what I'm protecting anymore maybe the world." I murmured.

Her smile turned sad. "That's how it begins."

I swallowed hard. My heart ached in ways I couldn't explain.

Then—she stood. "Rest. We'll talk more tomorrow. As for your request…"

She paused, eyes glancing to Yuzhe.

"I'll begin the Ice Serum. It will take five days. It's the only way to stop the dragons now."

A quiet rush of relief filled the room.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Mingzhen nodded once and left.

Leaving me… with him.

I turned slowly. Yuzhe still stood by the window, staring out at the palace gardens lit by moonlight.

"You didn't have to take care of me," I said quietly.

He didn't answer.

Just adjusted the cloth on the nearby tray, folding it again with quiet precision.

I watched him.

Cold. Silent. Distant.

Yet he'd carried me when I couldn't walk.

Sat beside me until I woke.

Checked my temperature.

Didn't speak a word of it.

And somehow… that said everything.

"…Xiwang."

His voice broke the silence.

He turned, eyes meeting mine.

Direct. Piercing.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a fever this morning?"

His tone wasn't gentle.

It was sharp. Almost accusing.

I froze. How did he know?

"I… I didn't think it was serious. I just felt a little off and—"

His hand closed over mine.

Warm.

Unshakable.

My words tangled in my throat as he stepped closer—close enough to steal my breath.

His voice lowered, firm and steady.

"Stop explaining yourself."

Just that.

No anger. No softness either.

Just Yuzhe. Cold, quiet, absolute.

Then, without a word, he leaned in.

Our foreheads touched.

His skin was cool against mine. Mine was still burning.

His hand never left mine.

He stayed like that.

Still.

Silent.

Breathing with me.

Not saying a single word.

I closed my eyes.

My heartbeat slowed.

The chill in my bones faded.

All I could feel was him—steady, solid, quiet.

He didn't say he cared.

But this—

This was caring.

More than any words could ever be.

And in that silence…

Something inside me shifted.

Melted.

And maybe…

Maybe it would never go back to the way it was before.

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*Hi, dear moonlight readers 💙

This episode was full of quiet tension, wasn't it? Sometimes, the things we don't say speak louder than words. I loved writing this scene between Xiwang and Yuzhe—it's gentle, but also burning beneath the surface. He may seem cold… but is he really?

Next episode, we step deeper into the palace and closer to the danger waiting beyond its icy walls. The Ice Serum has begun—but what will these five days truly reveal?

Thank you for reading, supporting, and dreaming with me.

Feel free to comment below—I read them all 💌

With moonlight and mystery,

Li Yuxin

🌝🌝🌝