Chapter 146: Seven Nights, One Hei Long
Day 1 – Yexin’s Night
Hei Long had been warned, but "Yexin’s night" still began in a way that made him suspect trouble.The room was dark except for thin paper lanterns shaped like foxfire flames, each one suspended by invisible threads so they swayed gently with the air. At the center of the floor: cushions, an antique go board, and a small table stacked with wine bottles.
Yexin, in soft black robes that looked more like shadows than fabric, was already pouring.
"Go is a conversation," she said as he sat across from her. "The kind where you pretend to be polite until you start devouring each other."
He arched a brow. "And which side am I playing?"
"Black stones," she said, sliding the bowl toward him. "Always move first."
They played. She cheated — obviously, delightfully — sliding stones in new positions when he wasn’t looking, capturing more territory than the rules allowed. Hei Long didn’t call her on it. He let her take ground, then stole it back all at once, a single clever sweep that surrounded her biggest chain.
She grinned, leaning across the board to refill his cup. "You’re fun when you’re ruthless."
He was about to answer when the door slid open.
Yuran stood there, in a pale robe that smelled faintly of steamed lotus buns. "Hei Long," she said mildly, "you didn’t eat dinner."
"This is dinner," Yexin protested, gesturing at the wine.
Yuran ignored her entirely, kneeling to set a covered tray between them. She uncovered it: sliced pear, hot buns, sweet plum tea. "Eat before you drink yourself into a headache."
Yexin pouted. "You’re crashing my night."
"I’m feeding him," Yuran corrected, sliding a bun toward Hei Long. "You can have one too."
Hei Long hid his smile behind his cup. This was going to be a long week.
Day 2 – Yuran’s Night
Hei Long returned from morning training to find the courtyard transformed. A low table by the koi pond held a simple but elegant meal — grilled river fish, wild herbs, rice scented with ginger. Two cushions. Two cups.
"This is my night," Yuran said softly. "Just eat with me. No plans after."
They ate slowly, the quiet broken only by the water’s ripple. Her hands were warm when she poured for him, and she kept brushing stray grains of rice from his sleeve as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Halfway through the meal, the willow branches shivered — and Yexin dropped down from the garden wall, grinning.
"Smells better than my night," she said, plucking a fish bone from Hei Long’s plate before he could stop her.
"This is my night," Yuran said, voice still calm but eyes narrowing.
Yexin settled herself on the other side of Hei Long and poured herself tea. "I’m only here to make sure you don’t monopolize him."
Hei Long glanced between them, then took another bite of rice as if to say: I will not be intervening in this war.
Day 3 – Qingxue’s Night
Qingxue’s plan was obvious the moment Hei Long entered the training hall: two wooden practice swords lay on the floor, the smell of incense in the air.
"We spar," she said simply. "First point wins."
They circled, steps slow and deliberate, strikes restrained but sharp enough to be real. The first clash jolted through Hei Long’s arms; the second brought them so close he could feel her breath.
And then —
"Room for three?" Yexin’s voice echoed from the doorway.
Behind her, Yuran stepped in carrying towels. "He’ll need these when I’m done patching him up."
Qingxue’s eyes narrowed. "It’s my night."
"You spar," Yexin said, "I watch. And maybe distract."
Hei Long shifted his grip and met Qingxue’s next strike with enough force to push her back two steps. "We’ll just have to see who wins first, won’t we?"
Day 4 – Yiren’s Night
Yiren’s night was quieter — a garden lantern walk. She handed Hei Long a small paper lantern painted with plum blossoms. "We light them, walk until they burn out, and talk about anything but politics."
They walked in silence at first, the glow painting their faces. Then she asked him, "Do you ever regret the way you became who you are?"
His answer was slow, honest. "Only when I think about the people who had to burn for me to learn."
Before she could reply, a familiar voice called, "Need more lanterns?"
Yexin appeared from behind a tree, holding a whole bundle of them. "Yours is almost out. Can’t have that."
Yiren sighed. "I suppose this is inevitable."
Hei Long took the extra lantern. "Looks like."
Day 5 – Zhu’s Night
Zhu’s plan was pure chaos: a blanket fort in the main hall, stacked with pillows, plates of snacks, and a board game he’d never seen before.
"You have to play!" she demanded, shoving a die into his hand.
They played for hours, rules changing every turn because Zhu decided they should. She was mid-laugh when the blanket shifted — Yuran crawling inside with tea, Yexin following with dried fruit, Qingxue ducking in last with an expression that said I was dragged here.
Zhu grinned. "Guess it’s everyone’s night now."
Hei Long leaned back against the cushions, letting them argue over rules. This... wasn’t so bad.
Day 6 – The Unplanned Night
Hei Long had no scheduled date — but all of them ended up in the main room anyway. Yuran doing embroidery, Qingxue reading by the window, Yexin braiding Zhu’s hair while Yiren poured tea.
He realized, somewhere between sips, that the "rotation" was meaningless now.
They weren’t just vying for time.
They were building something they all belonged to.
Hei Long had been given strict instructions.
"Stay in your room until I come for you," Yexin had said with a smile that promised trouble. "Tonight is mine again."
He suspected it wouldn’t be that simple.
The clock’s water drip marked the hour, and sure enough, there was the knock — polite, deliberate. Yexin, in a deep red robe with her hair pinned by a single black jade comb, stood waiting.
"Ready?"
He stepped out into the corridor... and stopped.
Because standing directly across from Yexin was Yuran, holding a tray of steaming bowls. "You forgot your pre-meal soup," she said.
"Soup?" Yexin’s brow arched. "We’re going out."
"And letting him starve before the night even starts?" Yuran countered, stepping forward.
Hei Long sighed. "I can eat and go—"
"Not the point," they both said at once.
That’s when Qingxue appeared at the far end of the hall, hair unbound, wearing a soft indigo dress that looked dangerously unlike her usual attire. She didn’t say anything at first — just walked toward them until all three women were standing around Hei Long like a council of war.
"You’re crowding him," Qingxue said, voice calm but sharp enough to slice.
"He’s mine tonight," Yexin replied.
"You mean, ours," Yuran corrected.
"I didn’t agree to that," Qingxue said flatly.
The "Date" Becomes a Contest
Hei Long was eventually dragged into the main hall, where the three women immediately began improvising competing evenings... in the same space.
Yexin set out a low table with wine, silk cushions, and a game of fan-toss where each point scored meant the winner could ask Hei Long anything.
Yuran planted herself on his other side, ladling soup into a bowl, insisting he eat between turns "so he doesn’t collapse."
Qingxue... simply sat directly across from him, eyes never leaving his, challenging him silently to focus only on her despite the noise on either side.
It was chaos disguised as civility.
Every time Yexin laughed and leaned in, Yuran would "accidentally" place another dish between them. Every time Yuran adjusted Hei Long’s collar, Yexin would brush his sleeve. Qingxue didn’t move, but every few minutes she’d make some small shift — tucking her hair back, resting her chin on her hand — that pulled Hei Long’s attention back like a magnet.
The Breaking Point
It might have gone on all night if Yiren hadn’t walked in.
She paused in the doorway, took in the scene, and smiled in that way that always made the others tense. "Interesting," she said. "You’ve all made it to the same table. Why not admit you want the same thing?"
No one answered.
So Yiren walked straight to Hei Long’s side, leaned down, and pressed a slow kiss to his temple. "Then let’s stop pretending," she murmured, before seating herself beside him as if it had always been her place.
The air changed.
The contest ended — not because anyone "won," but because the game had shifted entirely.
Hei Long’s Move
Hei Long looked at each of them in turn, his voice low and steady. "If you want my attention," he said, "stop trying to take it from each other. Give it to me together."
The words settled over them like a command — not harsh, but absolute.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Yexin smiled, slow and dangerous. "I think I could work with that."
Yuran sighed... but nodded. "If it means you eat properly, fine."
Qingxue said nothing, but the smallest curve touched her lips.
Hei Long leaned back, satisfied. For once, they weren’t pulling him in different directions. They were all leaning in at the same time.
And that, he thought, might be the real victory.
The house woke slowly.
Golden light seeped through paper screens, catching dust motes in lazy spirals. The air smelled faintly of jasmine from the courtyard and something warm from the kitchen.
Hei Long sat at the low table in the main hall, robe loose at the collar, sipping tea. He had the air of someone who had woken before everyone else — not because he couldn’t sleep, but because he enjoyed being there first.
One by one, they came.
Yuran
She entered first, hair still slightly damp from washing, carrying a tray stacked with bowls. "Eat before it cools," she said, sliding one in front of him without waiting for an answer.
Hei Long glanced at the steam curling up. "What is it?"
"Sweet rice porridge. You’ve been running on wine and stubbornness."
He ate a spoonful without protest. Yuran smiled in quiet satisfaction, settling on his right with her own bowl.
Yexin
The door slid open again, and Yexin drifted in like she’d taken her time deciding whether to appear at all. She was wearing his outer robe from the night before — draped too loosely over her frame, sleeves swallowing her hands.
"You’re eating without me?" she teased, stepping behind Hei Long and resting her chin on his shoulder. Her fingers brushed the collar of his robe open just a touch further, as if making herself comfortable.
Yuran’s brows rose. "That’s his robe."
Yexin smiled lazily. "Is it?"
Hei Long didn’t answer. He took another spoonful of porridge while Yexin sat on his left, close enough that their knees touched beneath the table.
Qingxue
She came in last — not late, but deliberate. Her hair was neatly braided, her clothing simple, her expression unreadable. She sat across from him without a word, poured herself tea, and only after taking a sip did she speak.
"You left the training hall unlocked," she said.
Hei Long nodded. "I know."
Her gaze met his, steady and cool. "Then I’ll be there this evening. For a rematch."
"Mm." His agreement was soft, but his eyes didn’t leave hers until Yexin deliberately leaned closer, stealing his attention.
The Fracture
The truce from last night was still there, but it had cracks. Yuran kept refilling Hei Long’s bowl before he could finish; Yexin kept stealing bites from it when Yuran looked away. Qingxue didn’t move from her seat, but every time Hei Long looked at her, she met his gaze and held it until Yexin shifted uncomfortably.
They weren’t fighting out loud.Not yet.
Hei Long could feel the tension rising like the slow boil of water — and he let it.
Hei Long’s Advantage
When the meal ended, he stood.
"Yuran," he said, "I’ll help you with the herb garden this afternoon."
She brightened immediately. "Of course."
"Yexin," he added, "tonight, I’ll walk the market with you. I hear the spice stalls have something new."
Her eyes glinted. "They’ll never be the same after we’re done."
"And Qingxue," he finished, turning to her, "after the market, we’ll have your rematch."
The three women exchanged glances — a mix of irritation, suspicion, and unwilling curiosity. Hei Long let the moment hang, then left the room before they could decide whether to speak.
He could almost hear their thoughts following him down the hall.The truce wouldn’t last.And when it broke... he’d be exactly where he wanted to be.