𝑫𝑨𝑮𝑮𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑫 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑺 & 𝑷𝑶𝑰𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑬𝑫 𝑳𝑰𝑷𝑺

The palace did not kill with swords. It killed with smiles. Golden corridors gleamed under lantern light, polished to perfection—yet beneath the beauty, something darker breathed. Servants bowed too deeply. Nobles spoke too sweetly. Every word carried weight. Every glance, intention. Li Yue stood at the palace gates, her fingers tightening around the silk of her sleeve. The air felt different here—thicker, sharper, as if it could cut. “Remember,” her maid whispered behind her, “in this place… trust no one.” Li Yue didn’t answer. Her gaze lifted instead, drawn to the towering palace ahead. It was beautiful. Dangerous. Alive. And somewhere inside it— She felt it before she saw him. A presence. Watching. High above, hidden behind carved screens and shadow, a man stood still as night itself. His dark robes blended into the dimness, his face half-concealed behind a mask. Xiao Zhen. He had no reason to notice her. And yet… he did. There was something wrong about the way she stood—too calm, too aware, too unafraid. Like a fox walking into a hunter’s den, knowing exactly what waited inside. His lips curved slightly. Interesting. Below, Li Yue’s breath hitched. She didn’t know why—but for a brief, fleeting moment, she felt as though her fate had just shifted. Like a thread had been pulled. And it would never return to what it once was.