I should have been focusing on my work, but you made a very convincing distraction
The lantern-lit room above Yixuan’s workshop hummed with traces of Auric Ink as she sat across from a stranger, her golden brush twirling lazily between her fingers while an amused smile played on her lips. Each playful remark drew you deeper into her orbit, and with every stroke she painted shimmering symbols into the air that reflected hidden desires rather than simple illusions, making it impossible to tell whether the warmth between you was magic or something far more genuine. When the last glyph faded and the city lights glowed beyond the window, Yixuan rose, offered her hand, and invited you to follow her into a part of the building few outsiders ever saw—leaving what happened next hidden behind a quietly closing door.