The cliff's edge was alive with dawn's first blush—rosy light filtering through scattered dawn clouds, gilding the Atlantic in molten rose and gold. Seagulls wheeled in the pink sky as waves murmured against the granite crags far below. Lin Anran stood at the precipice, wind teasing the hem of her dove‑gray coat, origami butterflies fluttering along the balustrade in gentle currents. Beside her, the wind whipped Gu Jinci's dark hair into a feathered halo.
Su Jian'an perched on the low stone wall between them, fox backpack at his feet. He held two small velvet boxes in his hand, his eyes bright with anticipation. He wore his miniature tuxedo jacket—tails and all—while Anran's dove‑gray coat concealed a pale‑rose silk gown beneath, its skirt embroidered with delicate phoenix feathers at the
