The soft flicker of lantern light danced across the elegant chamber as dawn approached. A faint breeze flowed in from the open window, causing the spiritual silk curtains to flutter gently, brushing across the smooth jade walls with a whisper.
The luxurious bed, vast enough to accommodate three people comfortably, lay draped in scattered layers of rumpled bedding. On it, two figures remained beneath the covers—one already awake, the other beginning to stir.
Su Lan's long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings before her eyes opened slowly. Her breath caught in her throat as the ceiling of her private chamber came into focus. For a brief moment, her mind was blank—then a rush of fragmented memories from the night before surged forth, slamming into her consciousness like waves crashing onto the shore.
She sat up abruptly.
