The next day, Ye An woke up around the same time as she usually did. She followed her usual routine and headed straight to the temple while savoring a steamed bun.

When she arrived, the head monk was already waiting for her in his trademark yellow robes. The heavy temple doors were opened wide and judging by the murmurs of prayers flowing through the entrance, the prayer hall was already packed.

"Miss An, good morning." The head monk greeted Ye An with an elegant bow.

Ye An returned the bow. "Good morning, are we starting right away?" She quickened her steps so that she was astride the head monk as they crossed the threshold into the temple.

"Yes. I usually start a little bit earlier." The head monk declared with twinkling eyes as he picked a colorful cushion from the neatly-arranged tower by the opened door and passed it to Ye An before getting one for himself.

"Ah, I'm sorry for being late." Ye An apologized sheepishly as she accepted the cushion and closely followed the head monk.

The head monk turned his head back slightly and waved his free hand. "No, no. It's not a statement to reprimand. As I've said during our tour around the grounds, there is no set time to pray here. Anyone could pray at anytime of their choosing and therefore no one is ever late."

As Ye An's eyes swept across the hall, she noticed that most of the morning crowd were monks and nuns. Some of the patrons who were passing by stopped and greeted the head monk with a polite bow which the head monk returned. The people who were praying were kneeling on cushions that were arranged in tidy rows with their heads bowed in reverent prayers.

The head monk found an empty spot that was just wide enough for the both of them. "Let's pray from here."

The spot was exactly three rows from the altar. From here, the bronze statue of the deity that the temple served stood tall. This near, Ye An could tell that the features carved on the statue were feminine but the gaze that was chiseled on her face were all-seeing, giving it a gentle yet intimidating aura.

The head monk kneeled on his cushion and motioned Ye An to do the same. "You don't need to be praying to Guanyin if you don't feel the calling to her. You could just pray as is." He thoughtfully explained.

Ye An nodded and kneeled as well. 

The chants of monks and nuns around them were like a soothing salve as Ye An's thoughts turned to everyone that she had lost. She prayed for the Empress Mother, who when stripped off her title was just her grandmother. A grandmother who, albeit through means that Ye An disagreed with, was only trying to protect her family to the best that she could. She prayed for Governess Hsu, who ended up as someone Ye An saw as a mother despite not sharing a single drop of blood. She prayed for Ah Lin, a cheerful and kind soul who was truly like a brother to her. A brother who annoyed and irritated her, yes, but a friend she would have liked to have around for the rest of her life if not for his untimely and violent death. A violent death that would now be forever imprinted in her mind.

Ye An felt something wet on her face and reached for it only to realize that they were the quiet streams of her tears. Swallowing the jagged lump at her throat, she let the tears flow as they wished, washing away the sadness and guilt that Ye An had kept trapped in her chest, giving her a closure that she didn't know she needed.

She closed her eyes and Ye An could almost see all three of them in her mind's eye smiling peacefully at her. As Ye An sent them off with unuttered goodbyes, light glowed behind the image of them before they turned away and stepped into the light. Ye An ended her prayer with a quiet thank you to each of them.

When she opened her eyes, Ye An let out a gasp. Her chest felt lighter than it had been for months. With tears still damp on her cheeks, she turned to the head monk beside her and realized that he was already watching her with wise, kind eyes.

"Excellent job, Miss An." He said with empathy. "Mourn the souls that were lost. Remember them because they will be your strength when you need it the most. But let them go. Letting go does not mean forgetting. It just means that you keep their memory dearly without allowing it to fester and rot in your heart."

Ye An's nose pricked. "Thank you." She said with a voice that was like the whisper of a parchment.

"Well, Miss An. I think my job here is done. You're free from this old monk now." The head monk chuckled as he stood up lithely. "But feel free to drop by and pray when life feels too heavy."

With that, the head monk left Ye An's side. Ye An used this space to collect herself. She wiped her tears dry and took a deep breath that was let out with a huge relieving sigh before heading to the underground cave.

Once she was in the damp cave, Ye An hunted down the rock that she regularly perched on when she noticed ripples in the lake. The underground cave was protected from breeze on all sides and the lake's surface was always a perfect mirror reflecting the top of the cave. Any movement of the lake water was unusual.

Her eyes traced the rippling water until they reached its source. It was Xi Chen's hand. His fingers were fluttering. Ye An quickly clambered into the freezing lake.

Right at that moment, the head monk reappeared. "I got you some food- Miss An! What are you doing?"

With her eyes still glued on Xi Chen's floating body, Ye An merely hollered back, her voice ricocheting on the hard surfaces of the cave. "He's awake! He's awake!"

Ye An heard a splash behind her but she didn't have the time to investigate. Her only goal was to reach Xi Chen as soon as possible. Mere seconds passed when she was in proximity. Xi Chen's eyes fluttered open as Ye An reached under his back to support him.

They were soon joined by the head monk who had waded in at Ye An's exclaim and was now supporting Xi Chen's weight from the other side. It was fortunate that the head monk jumped in to help because Ye An couldn't possibly carry Xi Chen's full weight on her own.

The next few hours passed by in a blur. When Ye An had come to, it was already late afternoon and Xi Chen was in her hut with Auntie Yu Lan busy re-bandaging his wound. The head monk was gone but Teacher Ruliang, Auntie Yu Lan's husband was sitting at one of the bamboo chairs watching her.

Teacher Ruliang let out a hacking cough.

Auntie Yu Lan looked up from her half-completed handiwork. "I told you to stay home."

"How could I be idle at home when my bride is busy saving lives?" Teacher Ruliang smiled a smile that crinkled his weather-worn eyes.

"Pssh!" Auntie Yu Lan waved her hand. "You and your nonsense again." She scolded but a smile bloomed on her face as she quickly returned to her work.

It was a sweet interaction between the elderly couple, but Ye An couldn't care less. She only had eyes for Xi Chen. And it was the same for him. Xi Chen's eyes scanned Ye An as if making sure that she wasn't a mirage. Both of them savoring what they could with their eyes with a million words trying to claw their way out to reach each other.

"There." Auntie Yu Lan's word broke the spell between them as she put on the finishing touches on the bandage with a tidy knot and stood up. Teacher Ruliang mirrored her stance. The elderly woman spoke directly to Xi Chen, "The wound isn't completely healed yet. So make sure you rest well. I'll drop by tomorrow to check up on you again." 

Auntie Yu Lan then turned to address Ye An. She softened her gaze and smoothed the frown that Ye An didn't even realize was there. "Don't worry, he's pretty much healed. I'll ask someone to send some food for the both of you. Make sure you get some food and rest too. Luckily this bed is big enough for two." There was a barely discernable devilish glint in Auntie Yu Lan's crinkled eyes before she turned to her husband. "Come on, let's not impose on these lovebirds any longer."

Ye An blushed as the elderly couple left and the room returned to silence. Both Ye An and Xi Chen locked eyes again. To break the tension, Ye An started speaking. "I'll- I'll go check if there's an extra mattress lying somewhere."

"Don't go-" Xi Chen's voice came out dry and rough from the lack of use and he started coughing. 

Ye An scrambled to get him a cup of tea from the table. She helped Xi Chen lift himself up into a sitting position before sitting at the edge of the bed herself and placing the rim of the teacup to Xi Chen's lips. "Here. Drink up."

Xi Chen quietly swallowed the tea as he continued watching Ye An. She returned his gaze and couldn't help but marvel at the color of Xi Chen's eyes as the watery late afternoon sun beamed through the window. 

Ye An was hit with a sudden pang in her chest as she realized how much she had missed those hazel eyes of his. She had seen those light-colored eyes hardened as he guarded her in the throne hall, sharpened in determination as he barked out orders to the soldiers at the tower, and softened around the people he loved and cared deeply about. Once Xi Chen was finished with the tea, Ye An couldn't help herself from reaching out to his face and pulling him into a kiss. His lips were moist from the tea and tasted faintly of oolong. Ye An pulled away as soon as she started the kiss. She looked away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry- You're still hurt. I shouldn't be doing this to a patient. I'm the worst-" 

Before Ye An could finish her nervous rambling, Xi Chen pulled her back into the kiss. Surprised, Ye An sat still as Xi Chen brushed his lips over hers once, twice and then with his forehead on hers, he murmured. "I've missed you."

+* Thanks for reading! Please vote, comment, and follow if you like the story!*+

Writer's note: Our green flag boy is BACKKKKKKK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Also, as promised, here's a picture of Ye An as the crown prince hehehe