Shen Yueyin left not long after Wei Ruyin's departure. Her steps were quieter than before, her smile thinner, and her rabbit ears pressed flat against her hair as if trying to disappear.
Ethan watched her go from the window.
"She's scared," he murmured.
Xixi floated beside him. "Can you blame her? Noble Consort Wei basically told her to drop you or face consequences."
Ethan said nothing. He turned the jade token over in his fingers, feeling the smooth ridges of the carved rabbit. It was warm from his grip now, but the weight of it hadn't changed.
Protection was only useful if the person who gave it had power.
And Shen Yueyin, for all her kindness, did not hold power in this palace. She held a title. Those were not the same thing.
Qingzao returned with a tray of plain rice porridge and pickled vegetables. Her hands were steadier now, though her eyes still darted toward the door every few seconds as if expecting someone terrible to walk through it again.
