“It’s about time you came home.” 

The Emperor’s tone was neutral but his eyes were sharp. Ao Jia and Ao Yi exchanged glances. Master Zhang, sensing the strain, stepped forward with a warm smile. 

“It’s so good to see all four of you sitting at the table like this,” he said cheerfully. “Let us toast to Prince Ao Bing’s return to the Crystal Palace!”

Master Zhang picked up the crystal decanter from the center of the table with the poise and grace of someone who had done this countless times, and poured a measured amount of red wine into everyone’s glasses. When all glasses were filled, he stepped away from the table and motioned for Ao Jia to say something.

”Xiao-di,” said Ao Jia. “Cheers.” (xiao-di - little brother)

The others raised their glasses and took a sip of wine.

It wasn’t exactly the cheerful toast that Master Zhang was hoping for, but it would do. Master Zhang bowed and excused himself from the dining hall, signaling to the attendants waiting in the wing to start the dinner service. One by one, they glided into the dining room with platters of vegetables, dumplings, and fragrant bowls of lotus root soup. 

As the dinner started, Ao Jia and Ao Yi made a conscious effort to keep the conversation light and engaging, steering it towards Ao Bing’s travels in an attempt to help their younger brother feel more at ease. Ao Bing appreciated their efforts, offering brief smiles and nods as he recounted some of his experiences traveling the world with his surfboard. Ao Guang remained silent on the other end of the table, quietly eating his food.

“Xiao-di, didn’t one of your students win a national surfing competition recently?” Ao Yi asked.

”Yes, she did,” answered Ao Bing. “She’s only 16, and she’s already very talented. She reached out to see if I would be available to coach her for next year’s competition.”

“So you’re already planning on leaving again?” Ao Guang interjected. 

Ao Bing’s expression faltered, and he took a moment before responding, “Not immediately.”

Ao Guang’s eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to elegantly eat his meal. “And you think you can just come and go?”

Ao Bing’s jaw tightened, but he maintained his composure. “I’m afraid His Majesty has it all wrong. It’s not that this humble son wishes to ‘come and go.’” He paused, choosing his next words deliberately. “I merely wish to see more of the world.”

Ao Jia and Ao Yi exchanged a look, recognizing their brother’s excessively formal tone. They both knew all too well that when Ao Bing resorted to such exaggerated politeness, it was his way of pushing back when he felt cornered. 

Ao Guang, unphased by his youngest son, maintained his steely gaze on Ao Bing. “Tell us, what more of the world do you need to see, Jianyu? It must be nice pretending you are not a son of the Eastern Sea while your brothers continue to uphold what you so easily discarded.”

"Ah, yes, because every moment of my absence must have been a storm His Majesty’s kingdom struggled to weather." Ao Bing was unable to stay placated. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, for overestimating the strength of the mighty Eastern Sea.” 

Before Ao Guang could respond, Ao Jia interjected, his tone light but pointed. “Can’t we just have a nice dinner tonight? It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together like this.”

The room fell silent for a moment. Ao Guang’s expression remained unreadable as he finally raised his glass, a sharp, sardonic smile tugging at his lips. 

“We are having a nice dinner, my sons,” he said.

The rising tension was carefully set aside, leaving a subtle, uneasy truce between father and youngest son.

Ao Jia cleared his throat and steered the conversation to Ao Qin. The strain at the table eased slightly as the discussion shifted to their Second Uncle and how lively he’d been over the last few days, despite his failing health. Ao Bing even told them about how Ao Qin wanted him to read passages from an erotic novel, causing all four men to share a laugh at the table. Despite the underlying issues between Ao Guang and Ao Bing, talking about Ao Qin provided a brief respite from the strain.

As the dinner concluded, each son exchanged polite farewells to the Emperor. The three brothers walked to the palace entrance in silence, the grand halls echoing their footsteps.

Before making his leave, Ao Jia placed a hand on Ao Bing’s shoulder. “Thank you for coming tonight, xiao-di. I know that probably wasn’t easy, being back in the Crystal Palace again.”

Ao Bing managed a small smile. 

With that, the brothers parted ways—with Ao Jia returning back to the palace,  Ao Yi heading back to the Naval Base, and Ao Bing making his way outside to meet Lu Wen at the palace gates. 

“Ready to leave, Your Highness?” 

Ao Bing nodded, exhausted, and soon they were lifted up by Lu Wen’s teleportation spell, the world around them blurred into a whirl of light and color. As they ascended, the grand and sprawling palace slowly began to shrink beneath them. 

The Crystal Palace, though grand and familiar to Ao Bing, felt more like a gilded cage than ever before.

When Lu Wen and Ao Bing arrived at the beachfront condo, Ao Bing realized he was still tense from the dinner—the interactions with the Emperor and being back inside the palace walls left him feeling restless and agitated.

“Want to grab a drink, Lu Wen?” Ao Bing asked casually.

Lu Wen shook his head apologetically. “I have to return to my station, Your Highness. But take care of yourself.”

Ao Bing nodded, noting how much discipline the young Naval officer had—something he lacked considerably when he was in Lu Wen’s exact position centuries ago. As Lu Wen departed, Ao Bing began to unlock the front door, but quickly decided he wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet.

Instead, he walked towards the city, with no real destination in mind. The bright neon lights and endless throngs of people seemed to be exactly what he needed in that moment. As he walked towards the city’s vibrant downtown district, his eyes were drawn to the top of a sleek, modern looking building. The rooftop bar that perched above it, with its glass walls and ambient lighting, stood out like a beacon in the night sky. 

Ao Bing decided to check it out. He entered the building and took the elevator to the top floor. As the doors opened, he was greeted by a spectacular view of the cityscape. The hum of conversation and clinking of glasses provided a soothing background noise as he made his way to the bar.

He perched on a stool in the far corner of the main bar and ordered a whiskey, neat. As he sipped on his drink, the warmth of the liquor spread through his chest, the tension of the evening fading into the background. 

Across the street from the rooftop bar where Ao Bing was drinking whiskey, was one of the most popular restaurants in Midnight City. It occupied the first floor of a sleek building with floor-to-ceiling windows, its doors marked by an elegant canopy and a green velvet carpet.

A woman walked into the restaurant, and was instantly greeted by the host. As her name was called out, the entire front-of-house staff turned their eyes to watch her enter. She appeared to be in her early thirties and was dressed impeccably, wearing a perfectly tailored blazer with crisp lines over a long pencil skirt. Sharp lines of an angled bob framed her soft features, accentuating the delicate contours of her face. The marble floor echoed with the clicks of her five-inch stiletto heels-- her poised stride made it clear that this was someone who was accustomed to commanding respect wherever she went. 

“M’am, we’ve been waiting for you,” the host announced, leading her to a secluded corner table. As she sat down, the staff greeted her warmly.

”It’s been a year since you last visited us, M’am. We have new updates to the menu, we are so eager for you to try them!”

The woman’s face lit up with a bright smile. Her manner was refined and elegant. “Thank you, I’m eager to see what new delights you have in store for me.”

Another server came by and placed a gift from the head chef on the table—a very expensive bottle of red wine, imported directly from Spain. She accepted it delightfully. 

As the server poured her a glass of wine, she glanced out, her gaze surveying the building across the street. Her eyes narrowed slightly, sensing a faint but familiar energy coming from that direction--specifically from the bar on the rooftop.

She sipped her wine thoroughly and smiled to herself. 

Guess I’m not the only one enjoying the city tonight.

Across the way, Ao Bing ordered another whiskey, deciding he would have one more before calling it a night. At the other end of the bar, a group of men and women in suits grew louder and more animated as the night wore on. The acoustics of the bar carried their lively conversation all the way to where Ao Bing was sitting. It would seem they were celebrating a big victory--winning a trial-- their voices rising with excitement as they congratulated the lead attorney, who was swiveling playfully on a bar stool with his back to Ao Bing. 

“You did a hell of a job,” one of the women said, clapping the lead attorney on the back.

”You were amazing!” another added. “I bet the firm makes you a senior partner by the end of the year!”

Ao Bing couldn’t see who they were congratulating, but his head of messy, wavy hair seemed familiar. Before Ao Bing had a chance to scan his memory, the man swung around to address his colleagues.

“Let’s stop talking about work and drink!” the lead attorney replied, slapping his hand on the bar with a spirited expression.

His co-workers cheered and flocked to the bartender to order another round. As the man swiveled his seat to a stop, his eyes met Ao Bing’s and instantly, the two locked eyes. The man’s smile slowly widened in recognition.

It was the surfer from the beach that morning.

Without breaking eye contact, the man downed the rest of his beer in one smooth motion. He leaned over to his co-worker, murmuring something about needing a moment, then stood up. 

The bar’s lively chatter and clinking glasses seemed to blur into the background as he made his way toward Ao Bing.

Ao Bing felt a bit uneasy as the man approached him, but found himself unable to look away. The man wore a gray suit, slightly disheveled after a long day of being in the courtroom. His collar was undone, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. His messy hair fell casually over his forehead, and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, framing a pair of big, bright eyes. When he reached Ao Bing at the end of the bar, he pulled out the chair next to him and sat down. 

“That was you on the beach earlier, right?” the man said, his voice low. 

Ao Bing nodded. 

There was a brief pause as the man took in Ao Bing’s features, his gaze lingering a bit too long. Ao Bing was used to people staring at him due to his unique characteristics, but this man’s gaze felt different, something Ao Bing tried to ignore as soon as he felt it. Sensing he was staring too intently, the man looked away and his full lips curved into an easy smile, revealing deep dimples on either side of his face.

”Where’d you find that board?” The man asked, leaning back on his bar stool. “It’s so hard to find that board in that model.”

Ao Bing took a sip of his drink. “I know a guy.”

One of the bartenders came around to where they were sitting and asked Ao Bing if he wanted another round. 

“No thank you,” Ao Bing replied quickly.

“You sure?” the man asked. He leaned in against the bar, his left arm raised, his elbow resting on the countertop. His head was slightly tilted, and he raised his hand to support his face. With these small movements, his jacket sleeve rode up a bit, revealing his wrist, where the beginning of an intricate sleeve of tattoos could be seen.

“I think I’ve had enough for now,” Ao Bing said, his voice steady. From this close, Ao Bing could make out the scent of cigarette smoke laced with bourbon.

“I’m Yi Zichen,” the man said, extending his hand. 

Before he could even think, Ao Bing blurted out that his name was “Ao Jianyu” as he took Yi Zichen’s hand for a quick but firm shake. 

Jianyu? thought Ao Bing. Why did I introduce myself as Jianyu?

“How long have you been surfing?” asked Yi Zichen.

“Ever since I could walk,” Ao Bing replied. 

Yi Zichen told him that he had only been surfing for a year, after a client gifted him his custom red surfboard a year ago. Ao Bing was impressed that he was already that talented for someone who had only been surfing for a year, but didn’t mention it since it would mean having to admit to him that Ao Bing was watching Yi Zichen surf from his condo the day before. Instead, Ao Bing commented on how Yi Zichen looked when he wiped out on a wave earlier that morning, causing Yi Zichen to feign embarrassment and insisted that he was a better surfer than what Ao Bing witnessed that morning. 

After the two talked a bit about surfboard specifications and their favorite places to catch waves, Ao Bing asked, “Shouldn’t you go back to your co-workers? I overheard that you’re celebrating winning some big case.”

Yi Zichen nodded, loosening his tie a bit more. “Yeah, but I’d rather talk about surfing than talk about work with a bunch of lame lawyers.”

“Aren’t you a lame lawyer?”

Sighing, Yi Zichen, leaning in close, said, “Unfortunately.” 

Across the bar, someone called out, “Yi Zichen! We ordered everyone another round of shots!”

Grinning wildly, Yi Zichen waved them off then turned his attention back to Ao Bing. “I’ll be right back,” he said, his eyes lingering for a half-second longer before he made his way to the other end of the bar.

As Yi Zichen walked away, Ao Bing downed the last of his whiskey. 

It was time to make the very deliberate decision to walk away.

Throughout the night, far below the surface of the city streets, in the forgotten and neglected underbelly of Midnight City, a shadowy smoke began to swirl. It moved with a purpose, dark and insidious, seeking something as it slithered through the underground tunnels and abandoned passageways.

Above, the residents of Midnight City continued its restless rhythm, unaware of the lurking shadows in its depths.

Author’s Note

So surfer boy with the red board has a name…

Yi Zichen, stop staring so hard! Don’t you know our precious Ao Bing is a shy boy?? 

(He’s not really, but he’s been out of the game for so long that he has no idea how to even deal with someone flirting with him!)

Also- who is this mysterious lady with fancy taste at the high-end restaurant?