Ningyan was beginning to feel like a stalker.

No. He was a stalker.

For the past quarter of an hour, he had been trailing Rong Chao across the palace like a restless shadow, stopping whenever he stopped, turning whenever he turned, only to retreat again the moment he considered actually speaking.

It was ridiculous.

They had not seen each other in so long. Of course things would be different.

But this... this was worse.

He had married Rong Yue. Rong Chao’s brother.

He had also married the very beast Rong Chao once admired.

Lan Meishan.

Ningyan pressed a hand to his forehead. "...This is a disaster," he muttered under his breath.

Rong Chao stepped into the library.

Without thinking, Ningyan slipped in after him, immediately ducking behind one of the towering shelves lined with ancient scrolls.

Alright... calm down.

He inhaled slowly.

I’ll count to three and walk out.

One. Two....

He turned and thud.

The wooden ladder beside the shelf wobbled violently.

Above it, Jun Shenzhen froze mid-motion, a thick scroll still half-pulled from the shelf. His eyes widened as he looked down at Ningyan.

"...?"

Ningyan quickly raised a finger to his lips. ’Don’t. Speak.’

Jun Shenzhen nodded.

Slowly, carefully, he climbed down from the ladder, his robes and long hair flowing lightly with the motion. The moment his feet touched the ground, he leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper barely above breath.

"What are you doing?"

Ningyan leaned in as well, whispering back, "Rong Chao is here. I think he’s angry with me."

Jun Shenzhen’s brows lifted. He leaned out just enough to peek past the shelf.

Across the library, Rong Chao stood near the inner rows, his gaze moving across the scrolls.

Jun Shenzhen pulled back. "He’s looking for something."

Ningyan frowned. "What could it be? A book?"

Before Shenzhen could say anything, Rong Chao walked quickly and quietly toward the other side of the library.

Ningyan reacted instantly, grabbing Shenzhen’s sleeve and dragging him along as they slipped between shelves, stopping just short of the corner.

They both leaned forward and froze.

Rong Chao wasn’t alone.

Lan Meishan stood before him, one hand raised as he pulled a scroll from the shelf calmly.

His expression was composed, but there was a faint curiosity in his eyes.

"...Prince Rong Chao?" he asked softly.

Rong Chao looked at him intently.

From behind the shelf, Ningyan’s eyes narrowed.

Something about that look. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

He hadn’t even been told Rong Chao was coming, let alone that he’d be here to start a scene.

Ningyan wished Rong Yue were here, but his fourth husband was gone off to Earth City on "important matters," leaving this entire situation to fester.

And it had been hours. Hours since Rong Chao arrived... only to ignore him completely, yet blush at his first husband.

Ningyan’s grip tightened around the wooden edge of the shelf, his knuckles paling as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

What exactly is he playing at...?

"What scroll is that, senior?" Rong Chao’s tone was light, too light. And that tiger tail behind him swayed lazily, almost... flirty.

Ningyan’s eyes twitched.

He shifted forward instinctively but Jun Shenzhen immediately caught his arm, pulling him back before he could lunge out.

’Don’t,’ Shenzhen mouthed, barely holding back a smile.

"You don’t have to call me ’senior,’" Lan Meishan replied calmly, his expression as unreadable as ever as he unfurled the scroll. "We are no longer in the academy."

"Oh... true," Rong Chao said, stepping closer. "You never returned... is it because you’re the Beast King now?"

At that, Meishan finally looked at him. "I..."

Those emerald serpent eyes glinted for a brief second. A moment later, they cut past him, focusing directly on the shelf.

Ningyan froze.

Shenzhen reacted instantly, dragging him back as both of them pressed flat against the wood, holding their breath.

A brief silence followed.

Rong Chao turned, startled. "What’s wrong?"

"...Nothing," Meishan replied.

A soft emerald glow wrapped around his fingers as he rolled the scroll closed again.

He turned on his heel and walked off; Rong Chao trailed behind him without a second thought.

Only when their presence faded did Ningyan pull back, his brows furrowing deeply.

"What in the three realms is he doing trying to seduce my husband?"

Jun Shenzhen blinked, then leaned to peek after them before glancing back.

"I don’t think he’s seducing him," he said thoughtfully. "They’re both still wearing clothes."

Ningyan slowly turned his head.

The glare he gave could have frozen a lesser beast on the spot.

Shenzhen only grinned.

Ningyan huffed and moved again without another word, his robes swishing sharply as he stalked after them.

Shenzhen followed with quiet amusement.

They slipped between the towering shelves once more, stopping just close enough to see and hear.

This time, Ningyan wasn’t missing a single word.

"I didn’t return to the academy either," Rong Chao said, his voice steady, though there was something underneath it, something restrained. "I’ve already stepped into the divine beast stage. Since then... There are many things I am capable of now. Far more than before."

Behind the shelf, Ningyan’s expression darkened.

His fingers tightened unconsciously, his eyes faintly glowing as irritation rolled through him.

The urge to step out, to drag Rong Chao away from Meishan, rose sharply in his chest.

But Jun Shenzhen’s grip on his arm tightened in warning.

Not yet.

"That is indeed impressive," Lan Meishan replied calmly.

He reached for another scroll, his movements unhurried, composed as ever. The moment his fingers brushed the parchment, it dissolved into a soft emerald glow and vanished into his essence.

Rong Chao’s face flushed.

He smiled, hesitant, almost hopeful, like he wanted to say more... but didn’t know how.

And just like that, Ningyan’s anger trembled and shifted into something else entirely.

Guilt.

Rong Chao had always admired Lan Meishan.

Everyone knew it.

Back in the academy, he had spoken of him endlessly. He spoke of his strength, his composure, the way he carried himself.

He had loved him.

And now... The one Meishan chose... was him.

Ningyan’s gaze lowered.

The heat in his chest didn’t disappear but it tangled, uneasily, with something heavier.

Lan Meishan, however, seemed completely unaware.

He continued selecting scrolls, his attention focused, his expression untouched by the tension building beside him.

Until, "...Senior?" The word trembled as it left his lips.

It made both Ningyan and Shenzhen still.

Lan Meishan stopped and turned. This time, offering his undivided attention at last.

Rong Chao stood there, his hands clenched at his sides, his usual composure cracking apart.

There was something raw in his eyes now... something he could no longer hide.

"Is something wrong?" Meishan asked gently, a faint crease forming between his brows. "Did something happen?"

Rong Chao inhaled sharply. "I have always... adored you."

His voice trembled. But he didn’t stop.

"I’ve always looked up to you. Admired you. Loved you..."

Each word came heavier than the last. "...But you never looked at me. Not even once."

His gaze darkened. "And then, Su Ningyan...."

He said the name slowly with unmistakable bitterness.

"You chose him."

A tight, unforgiving silence pressed in.

Rong Chao’s voice dropped, almost breaking as he forced the words out. "What does he have... that I don’t?"

Then softer.... More fragile. "What... Did I always do wrong?"