The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting long shadows over the narrow forest path that led back to Yun Lan's home. Leon rode steadily, the reins firm in his grip, but his eyes never left Yun Lan. She sat quietly in front of him, her usually vibrant face paling by the minute. The fox pup nestled in her lap sensed the shift too, its small body tense and silent.
"Yun Lan?" Leon's voice was soft, laced with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"
She nodded weakly, but her hands trembled as she reached for the reins. The moment her fingers brushed the leather, her body convulsed slightly. Leon tightened his hold instinctively, alarm rising sharply.
Before he could react further, Yun Lan's head dropped onto his shoulder. Her breath hitched, shallow and uneven. Suddenly, her body went limp.
"Yun Lan!" Leon's voice cracked with panic as he caught her carefully in his arms.
Her lips parted, and a thin stream of blood escaped, dripping down onto Leon's coat. He pressed his hand to her mouth, desperately trying to wake her, but she remained unconscious, her chest barely rising and falling.
Fear clawed at him with merciless strength. "Stay with me, Yun Lan. Please."
His horse quickened its pace toward the house, carrying them through the forest in a blur. The warm summer air felt suddenly suffocating.
When they finally reached the gate, Leon lifted Yun Lan from the saddle and sprinted inside, calling out for her grandmother.
"Grandmother! Help! She's fainted—she's bleeding!"
The old woman appeared almost instantly, worry etched deep in her lined face. She took Yun Lan into her arms with practiced care, examining her pale skin and shallow breaths.
"Where is the medicinal plant?" she demanded urgently, her voice trembling.
Leon handed her the bundle of herbs without hesitation. "Here. What's wrong with her?"
The grandmother's eyes darkened with worry as she crushed the leaves and brewed a quick potion. "This poison is old and deep in her veins. It's been there for years. Only this plant can start to counteract it."
Leon's heart pounded. " What poison? Why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't Yun Lan tell me?"
The grandmother's lips tightened. "She's afraid. Afraid of what will happen if the truth comes out. But it's getting worse."
Suddenly, Yun Lan's eyelids fluttered open. Her eyes, heavy and glazed, met Leon's.
"Please... don't tell him," she whispered weakly.
Leon's chest tightened painfully. "Yun Lan, why didn't you tell me sooner? You could have—"
She cut him off, shaking her head faintly. "I didn't want you to worry. I wanted to live my days with you... without the shadow of this poison hanging over us."
Her words broke something inside Leon. But before he could respond, her body gave way again, and she slipped back into unconsciousness.
The grandmother quickly moved to prepare the antidote, grinding the plants and mixing them carefully in a steaming bowl.
Leon paced in the dim room, rage and sorrow warring inside him. His fists clenched so tight his knuckles whitened. He slammed his fist against the wooden table, the sharp crack echoing through the silence.
"How could she keep this from me?" he growled through clenched teeth.
Tears stung his eyes as memories of their time together flashed vividly: her laughter, the gentle way she cared for him, the moments when she trusted him. And now this secret, this poison, threatening to steal her from him.
When Yun Lan finally stirred again, her eyelids fluttering open, Leon rushed to her side. His voice was softer now, though still edged with pain.
"Why didn't you tell me? I'm not just anyone, Yun Lan. I'm the one who loves you."
Her eyes filled with tears, and she tried to speak but only managed a broken whisper.
"I didn't want to burden you."
Leon's anger melted into sorrow, and he reached out to gently brush the damp hair from her forehead.
"I'm angry because I love you so much. And I'm scared of losing you. But we have to face this together."
Yun Lan nodded weakly, tears tracing silent paths down her cheeks.
The grandmother entered quietly, placing the steaming antidote by the bedside. "She must take this soon, or the poison will take hold completely."
Leon helped Yun Lan sit up slowly, feeding her the bitter medicine. Her face twisted in discomfort, but she drank it obediently.
They sat in silence for a long moment, the weight of the secret now shared between them.
Leon wrapped an arm around Yun Lan's frail shoulders, pulling her close. "I won't let this take you away from me. We'll fight this. Together."
Yun Lan rested her head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart—a reminder that she was not alone.
As the night deepened outside, the small room was filled with quiet determination and fragile hope.
The room was silent except for the faint crackling of the fire in the hearth. Yun Lan lay back against the pillows, her body weak but her mind still wrestling with the weight of her secret and the grim reality it brought.
Leon sat beside her, his large hand holding hers tightly, as if letting go would mean losing her forever.
After a long moment, Yun Lan's voice broke the stillness. It was soft, almost a whisper, fragile but laced with unbearable sadness.
"Leon... if I will die..." Her voice faltered, tears threatening to spill, "Please live happily... without me. Forget me."
The words hit him like a thunderclap.
Leon's eyes snapped open, burning with fierce emotion. His jaw clenched so tightly it ached.
"No. Don't say that." His voice was low but sharp, cutting through the room like a blade. "Don't ever say that."
Yun Lan tried to meet his gaze, but her eyes were swimming with tears. "I'm tired, Leon... so tired of fighting this poison inside me. I don't want you to suffer because of me."
"No," Leon repeated, his voice trembling with suppressed fury and heartbreak. "You're mine. No one will take you away from me—not this poison, not death, nothing."
He pulled her closer, his grip firm but gentle, as if his very touch could keep her tethered to life.
"You have to fight," he continued, his voice thick with emotion. "I won't lose you. I can't."
Yun Lan's breath hitched. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to hold on to his words like a lifeline. But the ache in her chest, the growing weakness in her limbs, made it hard.
"I don't want to be a burden," she whispered. "I want you to have a future, a life without pain."
Leon shook his head vehemently. "You're not a burden. You're my everything. And I'll carry that weight for both of us."
His eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I'll find a way to cure this, Yun Lan. I promise you. No matter what it takes."
She searched his face, seeing only fierce determination and a love so fierce it made her heart ache.
"Don't say goodbye," he pleaded softly. "Not yet. Not ever."
The room seemed to shrink around them, the tension thick but charged with raw, desperate hope.
Yun Lan finally allowed herself to lean into him, resting her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat—a steady, strong rhythm that gave her a flicker of strength.
Leon wrapped his arms around her protectively, as if shielding her from the darkness creeping in.
"I won't let you go," he murmured against her hair.
Tears slid down Yun Lan's cheeks, but this time they were not just tears of sorrow—they were tears of gratitude for a love so fierce it refused to give up.
They stayed like that for a long while, the world outside forgotten, caught in a fragile moment where love battled against despair.
Leon's anger simmered beneath the surface, his fists clenched tightly at his sides when he wasn't holding Yun Lan. He wanted to scream, to fight the cruel fate that threatened to steal her from him.
But more than anger, there was love. A fierce, unyielding love that gave him strength to hold on and hope to keep fighting.
"Whatever comes," he whispered, "I'm here. And I'm not leaving."
Yun Lan nodded faintly, a small spark of hope igniting in her heart.
Together, they will face the long, uncertain road ahead—two souls bound by love and the fight for a future that neither was ready to lose.