Sleep did not come.
It hovered at the edge of Jiao Shui's thoughts like a polite liar, promising rest while sharpening memories.
Song Lingfang.
The name tasted unfamiliar and intimate all at once.
She sat at her desk, lamp low, fingers idle over untouched paper. Outside, the palace settled into its false stillness, the kind that only existed because too many people were awake at the same time.
The bullet comments murmured, subdued but alert.
This is the past knocking.She never opens that door willingly.He always arrives at the worst moment.
She remembered him not as he would arrive now, but as he had been.
Quiet. Observant. The sort of man who listened longer than he spoke, and when he spoke, people leaned in despite themselves. He had never bowed easily, even when protocol demanded it.
And he had loved her.
Not loudly. Not possessively.
Which was why it had been dangerous.
Jiao Shui rose and moved to the mirror. The woman reflected there wore silk and status and a face trained for indifference. She searched for the girl Song Lingfang had known.
She did not find her.
A soft rustle sounded behind her.
Her hand went instantly to the hidden hairpin at her sleeve.
"Relax," came a familiar voice. "You always tense too fast."
She turned.
Shenzha Jao leaned against the pillar near her shelves, arms folded, expression lazy. Antagonist in silk, eyes sharp as broken glass.
"How did you get in?" she asked coldly.
"I was invited," he said lightly. "Not by you."
Of course.
The bullet comments hissed.
This man is trouble in human form.Why does he look pleased?Someone stop letting him inside places.
"What do you want?" Jiao Shui asked.
"To warn you," Shenzha Jao replied. "Which should terrify you, because I rarely do favors."
He straightened. "Song Lingfang crossed the outer gate at dusk. No escort. No announcement."
"That's impossible," she said.
"Nothing is impossible for a man with nothing left to lose."
The words struck deeper than she liked.
Shenzha Jao watched her carefully. "You didn't know?"
She said nothing.
He clicked his tongue. "Then you should sit down. The Emperor already knows."
That confirmed the shape of the trap.
"And Prince Yang?" she asked.
"Circling," Shenzha Jao said. "Like a man who smells blood but isn't sure whose."
Jiao Shui finally sat.
Three men. Three histories. All converging inside a palace that thrived on spectacle.
"What are you warning me about?" she asked.
Shenzha Jao's smile thinned. "Song Lingfang didn't come back for ambition."
Silence stretched.
"He came back for you."
The bullet comments erupted again, chaotic and merciless.
This is not a reunion, it's a disaster.Forbidden love round two.The Emperor is going to lose his mind.
Jiao Shui exhaled slowly.
"I am not the same person," she said.
Shenzha Jao tilted his head. "Neither is he."
He turned to leave, pausing at the threshold. "Be careful, Princess. Old names have a way of waking ghosts."
The door closed behind him.
Jiao Shui remained seated, lamp flickering.
Outside, a distant bell rang, marking the late hour.
Somewhere in the capital, Song Lingfang breathed the same night air again.
And the past had officially entered the palace.