Mo Yan stepped forward, clad in a crisp, deep black robe. He walked with a posture so straight and a face so stoic that the crowd instinctively parted to grant him passage. His tone was calm, radiating an unquestionable authority.

  He spoke with such absolute confidence that not a single soul dared to doubt him.

  "We are from the Noble Watch of the Eastern Provinces. We heard reports of a theft?"

  The crowd shrank back, their eyes glued to the unfolding spectacle. Mo Yan turned toward the furious merchant. Under the weight of Mo Yan's sharp gaze and heavy voice, the man began to break into a cold sweat. Mo Yan asked him directly, "Tell me about your property. What was stolen?"

  The man, startled yet emboldened by the arrival of an 'official,' stammered out, "It... it was gold! It had a dragon engraving on one side. I only just received it yesterday!"

  Mo Yan nodded solemnly, then turned toward Yu Sui, who was still clutching his fake fisherman’s seal. As Mo Yan came to a halt in front of Yu Sui, his eyes softened ever so slightly, but his voice boomed out for the crowd to hear.

  "And you? Do you claim innocence?"

  Yu Sui deepened his performance, trembling with theatrical precision. "Master, I beg of you... I have come from the Southern trade routes. I am an official fisherman from the Southern Seas... you can see my seal!"

  Mo Yan paused, looking down at the seal in Yu Sui’s hands.

  "Search the area," he commanded the surrounding onlookers. "If he is innocent, we shall find nothing on him."

  Yu Sui was secretly enjoying the charade; his mischievous eyes darted toward Mo Yan. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. A small group began to scour the ground, and eventually, a child found a coin behind an onion cart.

  The merchant rushed over, snatched the coin, and looked at it closely before trembling.

  "This is it!... No, wait, this is not my coin!"

  Before he could say another word, Yu Sui stepped forward with feigned indignation.

  "Exactly. This proves it was not in my possession. Someone must be trying to frame me."

  Mo Yan turned back to the man, his face a flat mask.

  "So, you accused a traveler of theft without proof. That is a crime, as you should well know."

  The man turned pale.

  "W-what?! But I... I am certain... that is not my coin!"

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  Mo Yan stepped closer, his face hardening with what looked like genuine fury. His voice carried the sharp edge of command.

  "If this young man is found guilty of theft, the Noble Watch would sentence a fisherman to six months in prison."

  The crowd held its breath. Yu Sui’s acting intensified; he looked shocked and humiliated on the outside. Then Mo Yan raised a hand.

  "But... if your accusation proves false, sir, you shall be fined 140 silver coins and 50 gold coins for slander and disturbing the mortal peace."

  The merchant, fueled by misplaced pride, puffed out his chest and glared at Yu Sui. "Fine! I agree. I am certain he is a thief; I told you what I saw!"

  Mo Yan leaned in slightly.

  "Then let justice decide."

  He turned back to Yu Sui and began the "theatrical" search. As Mo Yan moved closer, Yu Sui swallowed hard, looking into his eyes. For one heartbeat, their gazes met like a phantom fire. Mo Yan began the search... his cold hand brushed against Yu Sui’s sleeve. Then, he moved to the belt. Even through the fabric, Yu Sui could feel the heat of Mo Yan's touch. Suddenly, his pulse quickened. As Mo Yan leaned down to check his boots, Yu Sui froze, feeling as though an invisible flame had surrounded him.

  When Mo Yan straightened up, he even sniffed a pouch, finding nothing.

  Before turning away, Mo Yan’s fingers brushed against the leather of Yu Sui's belt one last time just a small, lingering touch. For a second, it felt as though the world had stopped spinning. Yu Sui struggled to breathe, a flush creeping up his neck. Why did a simple search feel so strange? He could barely maintain his character. Their eyes met a second time... just for a fleeting moment. Yu Sui saw no accusation in those eyes, but something quiet, dangerous, and familiar. Before he could grasp it, Mo Yan looked away.

  Though Mo Yan’s face remained expressionless, his heart was thundering like a storm hidden behind silent clouds. He said nothing.

  Then, Mo Yan pushed the onion cart aside and reached down. From beneath the wheel, he produced the gold coin, now dusty and slightly pressed into the earth.

  "Here is your coin," he said calmly, holding it up.

  The crowd murmured in amazement. Yu Sui smiled inwardly; he had already told Mo Yan where he would hide it.

  The merchant's voice faltered.

  "But it wasn't on him! Did he... put it... there...?"

  Mo Yan turned on the man, his eyes like cold iron.

  "It seems your eyes deceived you, sir. Shall I arrange for your payment in installments, or all at once?"

  The man's face went from red to ghostly white. As the local market guards approached, Yu Sui jumped in.

  "See!! Everyone saw it! I didn't steal anything. This man slandered me. He must be punished!"

  Without fanfare, the guards looked at the merchant, who, fuming with rage, pulled a heavy pouch from his robes and handed it directly to Mo Yan.

  A short while later...

  near the edge of the market, Mo Yan and Yu Sui walked together. Yu Sui was tossing the heavy pouch of coins into the air repeatedly. They had been handed a substantial sum for "settling the dispute." The tension of the scene had vanished, and the market hummed along as if nothing had happened.

  With their new fortune, they headed to a tailor's alley and stepped into a shop.

  When they emerged later, their appearance had completely transformed.

  Yu Sui had chosen a long robe of pale sky-blue silk, decorated with silver vines. He glowed like the serenity of a clear morning. Mo Yan chose something deeper a stormy grey robe with a single embroidered dragon coiling over the shoulder. They bought dried meat, steamed buns, and bottles of wine for the road before heading out.

  As they walked, Yu Sui’s eyes followed Mo Yan’s steady, forward-moving silhouette. That strange feeling returned sharp, electric, and quiet. His breath slowed, a heaviness settling in his chest. He took a sip of wine, but it seemed to catch in his throat.

  Suddenly, Mo Yan turned around. The afternoon light caught his dark robes. His voice was soft now, devoid of the arrogant "official" persona he had used in the market. It was something far more tender.

  "Why are you walking behind me? Come, walk with me."

  His voice carried no weight of authority; it was soft, like rain after thunder. Startled, Yu Sui stepped forward and began to walk beside him. Their silhouettes moved together as one, as if the sky and the storm were finally meeting. Perhaps for the very first time.