The banquet had ended, but its echoes clung to the palace walls like smoke.
Hei Long's silent defiance, the way his women had stood beside him, the unwavering presence that seemed to bend the air itself — no one could forget it. Nobles whispered in side halls, half in awe, half in fear.
"So many women by his side… it's obscene.""Obscene? It's terrifying. Did you not see? They weren't competing for him. They were united.""That unity is unnatural. Dangerous.""Or maybe it's destiny."
In the shadows, rumors bred. In the light, eyes followed.
But in his quarters, far from the gilded hallways, Hei Long sat with his women — the storm outside reduced to background noise.
Living Together
The quarters were large, but not large enough to contain tension.
Mu Yexin sprawled across the silk cushions like a queen, chin in hand, smirking. "Did you hear them? The nobles choking on their own envy. Delicious."
