With the scheme in motion, Wang Yun savored a private thrill, the heart-wrenching joy clawing at his chest. From his treasured collection, he retrieved a handful of lustrous pearls and entrusted them to a skilled artisan, who crafted them into a resplendent golden crown. Studded with dazzling gemstones, it shimmered with decadent allure. Wang Yun arranged for its discreet delivery to Lü Bu's residence, paired with a letter dripping with calculated gratitude, each word a step closer to binding the warrior to his cause.
Lü Bu's heart leapt at the sight of the gift. Recognizing Wang Yun's deep regard, he resolved to pay a personal visit of thanks.
When word of Lü Bu's arrival reached him, Wang Yun swiftly ordered a lavish feast prepared within his mansion. The table groaned under the weight of succulent dishes and rare delicacies, the air thick with the heady scent of fine wine. As the banquet unfolded, the mood grew buoyant. Wang Yun played the gracious host, pressing drinks upon his guest with warm insistence. His words danced between praise for Lord Dong Zhuo's grand achievements and lavish admiration for Lü Bu's valor and divine prowess, each syllable ringing with earnest reverence.
"General Lü, your courage knows no equal—a true hero of our age, blessed with virtue and unmatched might!" Wang Yun's voice rang like jade striking gold, resonant and deliberate.
Lü Bu beamed, his pride swelling. With a broad smile, he raised his cup and drank deeply, his eyes alight with delight and self-assurance.
As the wine flowed and Lü Bu's senses softened into a pleasant haze, Wang Yun seized the moment. With a subtle gesture, he waved away the attendants, his sharp eyes glinting with intent. He signaled to two maids, their muted silks whispering hissing softly against the polished floor as they slipped out. Moments later, gliding back from beyond, their delicate hands parted the beaded curtain, jade beads chiming faintly as they eased it aside, the sound threading through the chamber's thick stillness like a whispered promise.
Diao Chan emerged with languid grace, her crimson silk gown shimmering in the amber torchlight, the fabric swaying with every measured step as if teasing the air itself. The faint scent of jasmine trailed her, a subtle seduction that curled through the room like a beckoning finger. Lü Bu's head snapped up, his breath hitching in his throat as he beheld her anew. His warrior's gaze, so often unyielding, faltered into unguarded awe, ensnared by the vision before him. He froze, his rough hands tightening around the wine goblet until his knuckles whitened, the cool metal grounding him against the tide of desire threatening to unmoor him—her every movement a battlefield he ached to conquer.
Wang Yun, standing nearby, noted the shift in the general's demeanor and called out, "General, General…" But Lü Bu remained lost, his world narrowed to the woman before him. Only when Wang Yun's voice sharpened did Lü Bu blink, as if jolted from a dream. "Who… who is this woman?" he demanded, his voice rough with a raw wonder, laced with a desire that burned hotter than any forge. In his mind, words churned like a storm—a beauty beyond mortal bounds, radiant, untouchable, yet maddeningly irresistible—each thought a spark that threatened to ignite the tenuous thread of his restraint.
Wang Yun's lips curled into a knowing smile, a glint of cunning flickering in his eyes. "This is my daughter, Diao Chan. She's long admired your valor and peerless heroism, General, and wished to pay her respects." His tone dripped with flattery, layered with unspoken intent.
At his nod, Diao Chan lifted a delicate wine jar and glided toward Lü Bu with the lithe grace of a dancer, her slender hands cradling the vessel as if it were an offering to a god. Her movements flowed like silk in a breeze, the sheer fabric of her sleeves slipping back to reveal the tender curve of her wrists, a faint scent of jasmine trailing in her wake. She poured the wine into a cup with a reverent slowness, her eyes shimmering with a tender ripple of emotion, as if whispering secrets meant only for him. Dipping her head in a demure bow, she offered the cup, the heat beneath her gaze belying the innocence of the gesture. In that fleeting moment, their eyes met—two stars igniting in the dim light, their silent pull stirring the air between them.
Lü Bu took the cup, his calloused fingers deliberately brushing the soft expanse of her hand. A faint tremor coursed through Diao Chan, her lashes fluttering with a shy spark, yet she held his gaze with quiet daring. The ghost of a smile played on her lips, teasing and elusive, as if daring him to unravel her mystery. The space between them crackled with unspoken desire, drawing them closer in an invisible dance of longing.
Lü Bu downed the wine in a single, bold gulp, his smoldering gaze never straying from her. His eyes roamed the curves of her body—her willow-slim waist, the gentle swell beneath her gossamer silk—drinking in her beauty as greedily as he had the wine. A low heat simmered in his chest, urging him to claim more than just her fleeting touch.
Wang Yun observed, a quiet satisfaction blooming within. His sharp mind noted every spark between them, coolly calculating. The game was afoot—Diao Chan's allure and Lü Bu's burgeoning lust were the linchpins of his design. Their exchange unfolded like a silent duel, and he, the unseen master, held the strings with steady hands.