My Husband Is A Stranger (BL)

The palace had always been vast, but now, it felt like a labyrinth Rui was desperately trying to escape.

Since that night, he had done everything in his power to avoid Li Yuan. He woke before dawn, slipping out of their shared chambers before the emperor stirred. He took his meals alone, claiming court duties or meditation as an excuse. When summoned, he spoke only in measured words, careful and distant.

He was determined to create space.

And yet, Li Yuan would not let him go so easily.

The Emperor's Pursuit

It started subtly.

Li Yuan had always been a commanding presence in court, but now Rui felt his gaze on him more often, lingering, watching. The emperor spoke to him in meetings when it was unnecessary, calling attention to him before the ministers. He sent servants with warm robes when the wind was cold, tea brewed exactly to Rui's liking, meals plated with care.

Small things. But Rui noticed them.

And he hated that he did.

One evening, Rui was walking through the imperial gardens when he felt the shift in the air—a powerful presence approaching. He stopped, already knowing who it was.

"Are you avoiding me?" Li Yuan's voice was smooth, but there was a sharpness beneath it.

Rui did not turn around. "I have been occupied with palace matters."

Li Yuan stepped closer, the scent of sandalwood and fire clinging to him. "Strange," he mused. "It seems you are occupied only when I am near."

Rui clenched his fists. "Perhaps Your Majesty should not concern himself with such things."

There was silence, thick with unspoken words. Then—

"Look at me, Rui."

Rui hesitated, but he did. Slowly, he turned to face Li Yuan, and the sight of the emperor made his breath catch.

Li Yuan's golden eyes were unreadable, but there was something unfamiliar in them. Not anger, not amusement. Something softer.

It made Rui uneasy.

"You left that morning without a word," Li Yuan said quietly.

Rui's throat tightened. "Because there was nothing to say."

Li Yuan's jaw tensed. "You regret it."

Rui swallowed. "Yes."

A flicker of something passed through Li Yuan's expression, too quick to name. "Do you regret it because it was me?"

Rui hesitated. The answer should have been simple. But it wasn't.

"I regret it," he said instead. "Because I lost control."

Li Yuan studied him, as if peeling back his layers, searching for something deeper. Then he stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You think control will protect you here?"

Rui lifted his chin. "I know it will."

Li Yuan exhaled slowly, then—unexpectedly—he reached out.

Rui stiffened as Li Yuan's fingers brushed against his sleeve, barely a touch, yet it sent a shiver through him.

"You are not the only one who lost control that night," Li Yuan murmured.

Rui's breath hitched.

But before he could respond, Li Yuan stepped back, the warmth of his presence retreating.

"Run all you like, Rui," the emperor said, his voice low, almost amused. "But know this—I will not stop pursuing you."

And then, he turned and walked away, leaving Rui standing in the quiet of the garden, heart pounding, walls slowly beginning to crack.