A Thunderseed Pearl the size of a thumbnail. A prayer fan painted with cranes that smelled faintly of sandalwood and old rain.
Every hand presented gifts with more care after confirming themselves that Fang Chen possessed the legendary Void Emperor Bloodline.
The banquet thinned into quieter pockets of talk. Music softened. Lanterns burned down to amber cores. Victor drifted to the terrace to breathe cooler air, only to be hooked by the sleeve and tugged between two moonlit cypresses.
Xuan Qing had swapped formal brocade for an ink-dark jacket and a silk ribbon tying back her hair. Her eyes were star-bright, daring and soft all at once. "Close your eyes," she commanded.
"Why?" Victor questioned.
She pouted in response. He let out a sigh and decided to compromise.
After closing his eyes for a few seconds, she told him to open them again.
Victor did as he was told and and spotted what seemed like a ribbon in her hands.
