“Xiuxiu,” Zhao called to the petite maid, his voice low and even. “What demon possesses your mistress this time?”

It was hardly the first time Lian Mei had stormed into his study; impulsive, unannounced, and uninvited. Even Prime Minister Wēn had once bowed in shame before the emperor over his daughter’s indomitable spirit.

Xiu Rong composed herself before stepping forward and offering a deep bow.

“G-good evening, Your Majesty,” she stuttered. “My mistress — the empress — had a question and became very excited about it. I-I apologize for the intrusion.”

Zhao glanced briefly at the rattled young woman, the cherry-tint at her ear tips prompting a fleeting smirk.

“You aren’t the first intrusion tonight,” he muttered, guiding his brush in a slow, deliberate stroke.

“And you likely won’t be the last.”

Xiu Rong winced as she retreated towards her mistress, still transfixed in the doorway.

Her earlier burst of enthusiasm evaporated.

Her cheeks warmed; the vastness of the study overwhelmed her: too large, and much too quiet.

That was louder than I expected.

She dared a glance at Zhao.

He had not looked up again.

Her glance deepened into a stare she failed to rein in.

Exhaustion hung over him, but it did nothing to dull the steady authority he carried.

Candlelight clung to him, shaping the lines of his face with warm shadows. His noble calm entranced her.

How could anyone be so unintentionally charming?

Her breath misted in the spring chill. Yet warmth pooled in her chest.

A soft nudge at her side broke the spell.

— ➿ — 

Shucheng, as inscrutable as ever, glided towards her. With quiet precision, he knelt to smooth the disheveled hem of her silken skirts, evidence of her dramatic entrance.

His touch was respectful, but there was something unmistakably firm in the gestures, as if silently scolding her for the mess she had made of herself.

He rose and offered his arm; frowning at her in silent admonishment—the subtle kind only a lifelong servant could give to royalty.

Quickly composing herself, she placed her hand atop his arm and allowed him to escort her to the cushioned seat near Zhao.

There, she felt Zhao’s gaze finally shift. His eyes, calm, curious...waiting.

“Good evening, Your Majesty.” She said, realizing she had no idea how to begin. With his full attention looming like fog, her hastily made plan vanished as quickly as it came.

She fell silent once more.

“Has the moon come to redeem herself after tattling to Father?” Zhao asked at last—his tone light but cut through her silence like a razor’s edge.

“I won’t forgive you.”

“Tattled!?” Lian Mei’s voice cracked with outrage, sharp as breaking porcelain.

Zhao had grown fond of teasing her– coaxing her from behind the royal facade. He knew better than anyone that she would love nothing more than to climb the palace gates to roam the city freely.

Her blushed cheeks pulled his attention; her light pink robes softened the effect. Her furrowed brows made her eyes more striking in a way he could not name.

This color suits her. The thought drifted, landing in an unfamiliar place.

Shucheng cleared his throat in rebuke, his eyes meeting Lian Mei’s for a breath.

Her shoulders straightened, “I’ve done no such thing,” she replied, far more calmly than she felt.

Satisfied, Shucheng lowered his eyes once more.

“Royal husband, my dear,” her tone now smooth as tea silk.

“Father visited and happened to notice the slippers I spent three weeks embroidering for you—still sitting on the shelf. You—Your Majesty, gave yourself away.”

Her chin lifted in arrogant confidence. The jab landed with soft precision—coated in refined sass and absolutely pointed.

From her corner, Xiu Rong gave a tiny victorious nod.

Zhao inhaled deeply, as if drawing in all the air from the room. An ungoverned smile punctuated the glow in his eyes. He studied her in silence. Measuring her.

This color suits her far too well…

— ➿ — 

Next Episode — Chapter 20: Blessed Memories

Pink silk, drifting lanterns, and a vow whispered before a goddess…
Zhao remembers the day he first realized Lian Mei was no longer the girl he grew up with.
A single ritual changed everything—and tonight, the memory returns with all its quiet power.