CHAPTER 47: SON

Lu Shaohua sat cross-legged again, her pale fingers trembling slightly as she formed the familiar hand signs.

The moonlight filtered through the courtyard roof, painting her cheeks in silver light. Her breathing was soft, careful, as if even the air around her would shatter if she exhaled too fast.

Wei Ji stood a few steps away, his hands behind his back, watching every subtle flicker of energy flowing around her.

The green glow that had once wavered with corruption now shimmered faintly with purity, though it still lacked rhythm. He could tell she was still struggling to maintain harmony within her meridians.

"Relax your shoulders," he said quietly. "You’re forcing the flow again."

Lu Shaohua nodded, taking another deep breath. "Like this?"

"Not exactly," Wei Ji replied. He walked closer, his calm voice guiding her. "Don’t think of it as moving your energy. Think of it as listening to it. Let it move you instead."

She frowned slightly, clearly confused. "Let it move... me?"

"Yes." Wei Ji kneeled beside her. "When you try to control Qi, it resists. The Plum Blossom spell only blooms when you let go of control."

He placed his hand just above hers without touching, letting her feel the soft pulse of his own energy. It was calm, steady, flowing like a quiet stream. "Can you feel that?" he asked.

Lu Shaohua nodded softly. "It’s... gentle."

"Good," he said. "Now match it. Don’t push. Just breathe."

The two of them sat in the moonlight, their energies brushing faintly against each other, the air thick with spiritual warmth. Lu Shaohua’s aura began to stabilize. The trembling in her hands eased, her breathing softened.

"That’s it," Wei Ji said, his tone quieter now. "Good. Let it flow. You’re close."

Her lips moved silently as she mouthed the incantation. A faint bud of green light began to flicker near her feet. It grew brighter, steadier, as she murmured the final syllables. But the moment she reached the last part, her brows knit together. The light pulsed violently again.

Wei Ji’s expression sharpened. "Don’t panic. You’re losing control again."

"I’m not— I can’t—"

"Yes, you can," he cut in. His voice was firm, commanding. "You can do it. Just trust yourself. Don’t fight it. Let it grow."

His tone carried an unexpected warmth beneath the strictness. Something about his voice steadied her, like a hand catching her before she could fall.

Lu Shaohua clenched her jaw and nodded. "I’ll try again."

She refocused, letting the wild Qi settle, letting it find its rhythm. Wei Ji stayed beside her, his aura intertwining with hers just enough to guide her flow. Then suddenly, the bud beneath her hand began to pulse rapidly, faster and faster, as if the earth itself had taken a breath.

Wei Ji’s eyes widened. "Wait, you’re doing too much—"

"I can’t stop it!"

"Lu Shaohua!"

Boom!

A thunderous pulse shook the courtyard, followed by a blinding explosion of light. The air burst open in a rush of petals and fragrance. Wei Ji’s sleeve fluttered violently as he shielded his face from the blast of Qi.

When the light finally dimmed, Wei Ji lowered his arm and froze.

Before them, the once bare stone courtyard had transformed into a breathtaking sea of flowers. Plum blossoms carpeted the ground, their white and pink petals glowing faintly in the moonlight. The air was filled with their scent—sweet, delicate, and nostalgic. The flowers climbed the walls, bloomed across the roof beams, and even floated gently in the air as if suspended by unseen hands.

Lu Shaohua gasped. "Oh no... I did it too much!"

Wei Ji didn’t answer. He was staring—no, lost—in the sight before him. His eyes, sharp and cold by nature, softened completely. He could feel the faint Qi of every petal, each one resonating with a tranquil rhythm that seemed to echo somewhere deep in his soul.

"It’s... beautiful," he murmured under his breath.

His chest tightened. He didn’t understand why his heart ached at the sight, why the fragrance brought an inexplicable heaviness to his chest. He was from the Upper Realm—nothing mortal should move him like this. Yet the scene before him stirred something ancient inside him, something forgotten.

Why am I feeling this?

His breath hitched. A sharp ringing filled his ears, and then—

A voice.

Soft, warm, familiar.

"Wei Ji, look. This is the Plum Blossom. It blooms in the coldest season, yet it never withers before the frost. Do you know why?"

The world around him blurred. The flower garden faded, replaced by a dim, distant scene—snow falling gently over a mountain peak, a woman in white robes kneeling before a small tree in bloom. Her hair flowed like silver silk, and her voice was the same one echoing through his mind.

"Because even in suffering, beauty can endure," she said, turning to him with a smile that could melt the world. "Remember, my son, the Plum Blossom blooms in hardship. As long as you hold your will, you will never fall."

Wei Ji’s lips parted slightly. His heart pounded in his chest.

Son.

She called him—her son.

His name echoed again, fading in and out like a whisper carried by wind. "Wei Ji... my Wei Ji..."

His eyes flickered open, confusion storming through his mind. Who was she? Why did her voice sound so clear? Why did it hurt to hear it?

The garden around him flickered between reality and memory, petals drifting like snow.

And then, suddenly—

"Young master Han Ji?"

The soft, hesitant voice cut through the haze like a bell.

Wei Ji blinked, his vision snapping back to the present. The blossoms, the mountain, the woman—they all vanished. Only Lu Shaohua stood there, looking at him with worry etched across her delicate features.

He stared at her blankly for a few seconds before he finally found his voice. "What...?"

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. "You were staring for a long time."

He looked at her for a while, his expression unreadable. Her hair was still swaying lightly from the blast of spiritual energy, a few petals resting on her shoulders. The moonlight made her skin glow faintly, and for a moment, he could still hear that soft motherly voice overlapping hers.

Finally, Wei Ji’s expression softened. His eyes lost their cold edge, and a faint, almost fragile smile touched his lips. "I’m fine."

Lu Shaohua exhaled, relief flooding her face. "I thought you were hurt. You looked... distant."

"I’m fine," he repeated, though his voice was quieter this time. He looked at her again, and something in his chest stirred—an emotion he couldn’t name. He didn’t even realize he had spoken until the words slipped out of his mouth.

"Thank you, Shao’er."

Lu Shaohua blinked, her face immediately flushing red. "W-What did you just call me?"

Wei Ji looked slightly startled, as if he hadn’t noticed it himself. He opened his mouth but couldn’t think of an excuse. His mind, usually sharp and calculating, completely blanked out.

Lu Shaohua’s heart pounded furiously. The way he had said it—soft, natural, like a name he’d said a thousand times before—it made her chest flutter uncontrollably.

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She could only stare at him, her cheeks burning crimson.

Wei Ji cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to mask the silence that followed. His mind was a storm of confusion and emotion, but his voice came out calm again. "I’ll... teach you more spells."

Lu Shaohua blinked rapidly, her face still pink. "R-Really?"

Wei Ji gave a small nod, turning away to hide the strange expression that flickered across his face. "Yes."

As the moonlight bathed the garden of plum blossoms, the two of them stood there—silent, uncertain, and yet somehow closer than before.

The night wind carried the faint scent of flowers between them, and though neither said another word, both could feel it—something had quietly changed.