Ji'an stared into his dark, glowing amber eyes.
She looked for a threat and malice.
But there was none. Only an intense, calculated offer of exchange. Information for culinary perfection.
She was officially entangled with the endgame boss.
The plot had dragged her into the deep end, and there was no swimming back to the shallow water.
Ji'an let out a long, shuddering breath.
She didn't panic or scream, but reverted to the only logic she truly trusted.
***
Ji'an reached into her spatial ring. She pulled out a small and exquisite jade cup.
She set it on the floorboards between them.
She reached up, grabbed the heavy jug of plum wine from his armrest, and poured a generous, perfect measure of the dark, aromatic liquid into the cup.
She pushed the cup toward him.
