8. Sleepless Nights
Through these sleepless nights
I cry for you
And wonder who is kissing you
Oh these sleepless nights
Will break my heart in two
Somehow through the days
I don't give in
I hide my tears
That wait within
Oh but then through sleepless nights
I cry again……
In the dimly lit, luxurious six-star presidential suite, a beautiful jazz melody drifted slowly through the air. Norah Jones's deep, rich, and gentle voice softly sang "Sleepless Nights," capturing the state of a heart so burdened it could not find peaceful rest.
This was Yan Hao's favorite song.
Beside him, a vintage turntable spun a vinyl record, releasing its beautiful melody. Before him floated a white envelope, suspended in mid-air, opening itself. From within emerged a black quill pen that had existed since the seventh century.
The black quill began writing in the void, tracing out words and phrases its owner wished to convey.
Gracefully, the quill wrote in the air a series of symbols incomprehensible to humans—the script of the Astor Empire, an ancient writing system that had vanished from the human world around 10,000 BCE.
Where the nib passed through the air, sentences in golden hues appeared, line by line, before Yan Hao's eyes. They bore the handwriting of the quill's owner—elegant and soft, making one imagine that its owner's appearance must be as beautiful and moving as her script.
Yan Hao stared expressionlessly. The letter's contents were the thoughts of a beautiful woman—tender and graceful words, delicately expressing her feelings. It was a love letter, without a doubt.
Once finished, the black quill hovered beside the words, awaiting Yan Hao's reply. But the man seated on the expensive, luxurious sofa remained utterly unmoved. With a slight blink of his eyes, the white stationery and black quill were instantly consumed by blazing flames.
The words suspended in the air also faded slowly, character by character, until nothing remained—only emptiness.
Suddenly, a hunched elderly figure emerged from the shadows and prostrated himself respectfully before Yan Hao.
"My King, should you not give a response? She is the Regent's sister, the Holy Maiden of the He clan. Failing to reply may invite criticism."
Yan Hao lifted his gaze, his eyes radiating a cold, sinister light. He held the old man in his stare for a few seconds before slowly speaking:
"Send a servant to the He clan with this reply: tell them this king has already found the one to bear his offspring. There is no need to trouble the He clan's Holy Maiden."
The old man responded slowly:
"Your servant obeys." With those words, he vanished before Yan Hao's eyes.
Now, the room was steeped in darkness, and Norah Jones's song continued. Yan Hao turned his palm upward and summoned the pink scrying crystal. Within seconds, it materialized in his hand.
He cradled it in his right hand, while his left hand passed gently over its surface. Where there had been nothing, a slender figure appeared within the crystal.
The woman was curled up on a small sofa, hugging her knees. She gazed at the starry sky outside her window, lost in thought, her expression serious. What was she thinking about?
Yan Hao remembered the night in Ojców when they stood side by side admiring the brilliant stars. She had told him she wanted to understand the demon clan, that she wished for peaceful coexistence between humans and the demon clan.
For him, that declaration wasn't enough. He was a demon king, consumed by a desire to possess. He wanted her to become the sole bearer of his offspring—a woman worthy of carrying on his lineage. She should claim that exalted position coveted by so many, and she should lie beneath him, enduring the intense, tumultuous collision of their bodies.
His mind was made up. No one could stop him.
Watching her slender figure, he longed to hold her in his arms again. He had never known he could be so close to anyone, had never known he could relate to a woman like this.
Yan Hao dismissed the crystal and picked up the plane ticket beside him. He stared at its destination: Taiwan.
Once again, he experienced something entirely new—chasing after someone, following their footsteps. This was something he had never done before. Another first for him. A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips. He was about to travel to her country—that small, beautiful land.
---
Tao Xinyu had resolved to build a strong family. She actively participated in matchmaking events organized by the marriage agency. But after several attempts, she had yet to meet anyone who matched her ideal. Worse, when the men learned about her complicated family situation, they quickly backed away, making it clear she wasn't suitable.
She didn't blame them. If she were an ordinary woman, she probably wouldn't want to marry into such a complicated situation either.
One day, the marriage agency called again, telling her to prepare for the next day's matchmaking event. This one would be a one-on-one meeting—a rare opportunity in the world of arranged introductions. They urged her to make the most of it.
The next day, Tao Xinyu wore a soft floral print dress to the coffee shop for her blind date. Usually someone who rarely wore makeup, she had applied a light foundation and a touch of pink lipstick. Her long black hair, normally tied in a ponytail, hung loose over her shoulders, giving her a gentle, feminine air.
She sat waiting in the coffee shop the marriage agency had reserved. Having been rejected multiple times, she held no expectations. Relaxed, she sipped a hot latte while idly scrolling through her phone.
Before long, a tall, imposing figure approached. She looked up from her phone instinctively—and froze in place.
Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly in surprise, her thoughts a chaotic jumble. The sight of her dumbfounded expression stirred a wave of intense longing in the man standing before her.
From their separation to this moment of reunion, Yan Hao felt as if an eternity had passed. So this was what they called "yearning." Yet another new sensation, all because of this silly little woman.
"We meet again." Yan Hao took the seat across from Tao Xinyu and spoke slowly.
"Yan Hao? You... how... how did you end up here?" Tao Xinyu's mind was clear enough to know this was Taiwan, not Poland. The man who should have been far away in Poland was now sitting right in front of her—how could she not be stunned?
"My company has stationed me in Taiwan permanently." Yan Hao spoke the lie smoothly.
"Then... how did you end up here? Don't tell me your company is in this remote countryside." Tao Xinyu asked.
"My company isn't in such a remote rural area, no. I came specifically for a blind date. The marriage agency told me to come meet a woman in a floral dress—someone they'd selected for me." A hint of amusement glinted in Yan Hao's eyes as he spun this far-fetched tale for the innocent Tao Xinyu. It was all so effortless.
No one knew that the man the marriage agency had originally arranged for her was now wandering some street, having been placed under a forgetting spell, oblivious to the purpose of his trip.
Tao Xinyu was even more shocked after hearing this explanation.
What kind of profound fate connected her and Yan Hao that they could keep encountering each other time and again?
Even her blind date had turned into an unexpected reunion with him—and he was her match!
"I... I'm... the one... the marriage agency... set you up with..." Tao Xinyu stammered, still unable to process this string of coincidences.
"You're here for a blind date too?" Yan Hao feigned ignorance.
"Yes, the marriage agency asked me to come." Tao Xinyu stared blankly at Yan Hao's handsome face.
"So, the person the marriage agency recommended for me is you?" The curve of Yan Hao's lips grew more pronounced.
Hearing this, Tao Xinyu couldn't help but laugh. The two of them were ridiculous—traveling halfway around the world only to meet again at a blind date in Taiwan. If this wasn't fate, then what was?
Her composure cracked, and she couldn't suppress her laughter. She remembered how reluctant they'd been to part in Poland, thinking it might be ages before they crossed paths again. Yet here they were, reunited in Taiwan so soon.
Yan Hao's cool, handsome features also lifted into a faint smile. His refined, elegant image burned into Tao Xinyu's eyes, once again giving her that warm sense of security. The man who had held her so tightly that night in Ojców was now her blind date.
"In Poland, you never mentioned wanting to get married." Yan Hao smiled lightly as he asked, a flicker of something sharp hidden in his eyes that Tao Xinyu couldn't perceive.
In truth, Yan Hao felt relieved he had come to Taiwan early. Upon arriving, he'd used his crystal to discover that Tao Xinyu had been going on blind dates everywhere—a revelation that nearly made his heart skip a beat.
"Honestly... I wasn't planning to get married." Tao Xinyu gave an awkward smile before speaking slowly.
"What made you suddenly want to marry?" Yan Hao pressed, genuinely fixated on this matter.
Seeing that Yan Hao seemed determined to get an answer, Tao Xinyu slowly opened up about her situation:
"I was born into a dysfunctional family. My father beats my mother and my younger brother every day. Though I've been independent for a while, I can't abandon my mother and young brother. After I moved them in with me, my father started coming to my place to cause trouble. An elderly neighbor suggested I marry a reliable man—she said a household without a strong man to protect it can't fend off someone like my father. So I started going to these matchmaking events. But as soon as the men learn about my family situation, they run the other way. Every blind date has failed."
***
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