The corridor was dimly lit, the flickering candlelight struggling to pierce through the thick, suffocating darkness that clung to the stone walls like a forgotten curse.
Xu Liang’s footsteps echoed ominously through the stately corridors. Restless and deprived of solace in slumber, he meandered towards the garden. Yet, as he entered the moonlit expanse, his heart quickened with fervent anticipation. A shadow glided swiftly toward him, and in the soft illumination, he beheld the figure—Zhen.
Zhen had not graced him with speech since the fateful revelation by Lady Mei, who had unmasked the secret of his entanglement with Lin Hua.
He approached his brother. He inhaled deeply, trying to steady the tremor in his voice. “Zhen,” he began softly, his voice barely more than a whisper, “we need to talk.”
Zhen's lips curled into a sneer, a twisted mockery of a smile. “Talk?” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “What could we possibly have to talk about, Xu? What words do you think can erase the shame you’ve brought upon our family?”
Xu felt the sting of his brother’s contempt, sharp, like a thousand tiny needles pricking his skin. His heart ached with a pain that no words could soothe. Yet, he forced himself to meet Zhen’s gaze. “I didn’t want this,” he said, his voice steady though his heart trembled. “I never meant for things to turn out this way.”
Zhen stepped forward, his face twisted with barely restrained fury. “But they did, didn’t they?” he growled, his voice rising. “Because of you. You’ve disgraced Father’s name, thrown away everything he worked for—all for your selfish indulgences. You dare come here and pretend to seek forgiveness?”
“I never asked for forgiveness,” Xu replied, his voice calm but tinged with sorrow. “I only seek understanding.”
“Understanding?” Zhen’s eyes blazed with anger. “There is nothing to understand! You have brought dishonor upon us all. You have defiled our name, our legacy. Do you think your twisted desires are more important than the duty to our family? You have forfeited the right to even call yourself a Liang.”
Xu flinched at the words. “I could not continue living a life that was not my own,” Xu said quietly. “I could no longer feign compliance to a path that was not mine. I grow weary of this pretense, of living as someone I am not.”
Zhen’s sneer deepened, his fists clenched at his sides. “Weary?” he echoed, his voice dripping with scorn. “You grow weary of duty, of honor? Is that what you call this—this disgrace? You are no longer fit to walk among us, Xu. You have forfeited your place, your birthright. You’ve chosen your selfish whims over the sacred duty we were born into. I should have been the heir. I would never have faltered as you have.”
A surge of anger swelled within Xu, his hands trembling at his sides. “Do you think I wanted this?” he asked, his voice low and steady, though his chest burned with emotion. “Do you think I wanted to disappoint Father, to abandon the life I was destined to lead? But I could not go on pretending to be someone I was not. It would have destroyed me.”
Zhen’s eyes narrowed into cold slits, his nostrils flaring with rage. “You speak of destruction as though you’ve been the only one to suffer,” he spat. “Do you think I have not suffered? Do you think it was easy for me, watching you be named the heir, watching you receive all the praise and glory, while I was left in your shadow? And now, you’ve thrown it all away, and you expect me to pity you?”
Xu’s heart clenched painfully at Zhen’s words. He had always known his brother harbored resentment toward him, but to hear it spoken aloud, with such bitterness—it was like a blade twisting in his chest. “Zhen, I never asked for any of this,” Xu said, his voice tight with emotion. “I never wanted to be the heir. I never wanted the burden of Father’s expectations. I only wanted to live a life that was true to who I am.”
“Who you are?” Zhen’s laughter was cold, bitter, and full of venom. “Who you are is a disgrace. You have brought nothing but shame upon this family, upon our name. Father should have disowned you the moment you revealed your... perversions.”
Xu flinched at the harshness of Zhen’s words. He had come too far to turn back now. “It is not a perversion,” Xu said, his voice calm but firm. “It is who I am. My heart belongs to him, Zhen. And I will not deny it any longer.”
Zhen’s face contorted with disgust. “You are a fool, Xu,” he growled. “A selfish, weak-willed fool. You’ve thrown away everything—Father’s trust, our family’s honor, the respect of everyone in the royal court—for what? For a passing fancy? For something that will bring you nothing but misery and ruin?”
Xu shook his head, his chest tightening with frustration. “It is far from mere nonsense.” “You do not understand, Zhen. You have always been Father’s perfect son, the obedient one, the one who never questioned anything. But I could not live like that. I could not live a life devoid of feeling, a life that was not my own. I would rather forsake everything and become nothing than live a lie.”
Xu’s throat tightened, and added “You’re jealous, “This isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
“Jealous?” Zhen’s laugh was cold and hollow. “Jealous of you? You, who couldn’t even bear the weight of Father’s expectations? You, who ran away from your duty? You’re nothing, Xu. Nothing but a coward and a disgrace.”
Xu’s hands clenched at his sides, the anger rising in him like a storm. “You think you could have done better?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. “You think you deserve what I’ve been given? You, who have done nothing but sneer and complain while I’ve shouldered the burden of our family’s name?”
Zhen’s eyes burned with fury. “I would have done anything for Father’s approval,” he hissed. “Anything. But you—you squandered it. You took everything that should have been mine and threw it away.”
Xu’s jaw tightened. “I never wanted to be the heir,” he said through gritted teeth. “I never asked for it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve to live my life on my own terms.”
Zhen’s lips curled into a snarl. “Your life? Your terms?” His face inches from Xu’s. “You have no life. You have no terms. You forfeited everything the moment you decided to betray us. And now, you’ll get what you deserve.”
Xu’s heart raced as he stared into his brother’s furious eyes. He had always known that Zhen harbored resentment toward him, but he hadn’t realized just how deep it ran. “You think you’re better than me?” Xu asked, his voice shaking with anger. “You think just because you followed Father’s orders like a puppet, you’re somehow more worthy?”
Zhen’s face twisted in rage. “I’m not just better than you,” he growled. “I’m the rightful heir. I’ve always been the rightful heir. You were just too blind to see it.”
Xu felt his blood boil, the years of suppressed anger finally rising to the surface. “The rightful heir?” he repeated, his voice filled with venom. “You don’t know the meaning of the word. All you’ve ever done is live in my shadow, and now that you think you’ve won, you’re acting like you’ve earned it. But you haven’t. You’re nothing but a jealous, bitter fool.”
Zhen’s fist flew out again, but this time Xu was ready. He blocked the punch with his arm, his eyes flashing with defiance. “You think you can beat me into submission?” Xu asked, his voice low and dangerous. “You think violence will solve this? You’re pathetic, Zhen.”
Zhen’s face twisted with rage, his fists clenching so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Then leave!” he shouted, his voice shaking with fury. “Leave this house at once, and do not return until season has reclaimed you. You are no longer welcome here, Xu. You are no longer my brother.”
Xu felt the finality of Zhen’s words like a dagger to his heart. He had known this moment was coming, had known that Zhen would never accept him. But still, the reality of it was devastating. “Very well,” Xu said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I will go. But know this, Zhen—I never meant to abandon you. I never meant to betray our family. But I cannot live my life according to your rules, or Father’s. I must live it according to my own.”
Zhen’s gaze was unyielding, his face a mask of cold fury. “Leave, Xu,” he said, his voice cold and unforgiving. “And do not come back.”
He stared st him profoundly... He walked away.