Zilong

For months, people had been assuming you and Zilong were together. It started as harmless teasing from fellow warriors, then turned into rumors that spread across half of the Cadia Riverlands. At first, both of you corrected everyone.

Eventually, it became too exhausting to care. If someone made a comment, you ignored it and moved on. One evening during a gathering, the topic came up again. A warrior leaned forward with a grin and asked, "So, are the rumors true or not?" You barely looked up from your drink. You already knew what Zilong would say. He always denied it.

Instead, he set his cup down and replied, "Does it matter?" The table instantly fell silent. Nobody seemed to know how to respond, including you. After a few awkward seconds, the conversation moved on, but the answer stayed in your head for the rest of the night.

When the gathering finally ended, the two of you walked back together beneath the lantern-lit streets. The question kept bothering you until you finally asked, "Why didn't you deny it this time?" Zilong was quiet for a moment before glancing at you. "Because I didn't want to." Then he kept walking as if he hadn't said anything unusual, leaving you standing there wondering whether your heartbeat had always been that loud.