"So… tell me, what is your real name?" Emperor Li Xuan repeated, now standing so close that his breath seemed to melt into the night air surrounding Mei Lin's body.
Mei Lin could only lift her head slowly. This time, not out of fear, but with a gaze veiled in mist. The kind of mist born from a past that never truly left. A faint smile formed at the corner of her lips.
"A name is a gift, Your Majesty. But a soul… a soul cannot be named by anything," she answered softly, her voice low, yet sharp like a blade wrapped in silk. "If Your Majesty desires a name, then call me anything you wish tonight."
Emperor Li Xuan leaned in closer. His nose nearly touched her forehead, yet he restrained himself. His hand hovered in the air, not touching, but its presence was unmistakable.
"Very well, if that's what you wish. Tonight, I will call you by a name more fitting. Not the name of a servant… and not that of an assassin either," he murmured.
He pulled back slightly and looked at her from head to toe. "Dance," he commanded softly. "Prove to me that you truly are the offering worthy enough to shake the throne of my empire."
Mei Lin bowed obediently, but her heart was pounding wildly. This was the moment—not just to allure, not merely to steal attention, but to dive deep into the mind of the Emperor, the only man who could determine her fate with a single blink.
She stepped back lightly, like dew falling on a flower petal in the morning. Music began to play—soft and haunting—from an unknown source. The night breeze stirred the red silk curtains, creating the illusion that the room moved with her.
Slowly, she began to dance with mesmerizing grace. Her arms extended elegantly, twirling like a breeze caressing, not commanding. Her hips swayed gently—not lewdly—but with an inviting mystery. Her eyes stole glances at Emperor Li Xuan—not begging, but challenging.
Every movement Mei Lin made was like weaving a spell. She was no ordinary woman, and clearly not a pavilion dancer. She danced like someone who knew exactly how to make a man's heart race—then slow down—entwined in a rhythm she alone controlled.
Emperor Li Xuan remained seated on the edge of the golden bed, his body relaxed, his gaze nearly unblinking. But something stirred in his eyes. A small flame—not yet a blaze—but potent enough to burn the room down if fanned correctly.
Mei Lin spun once, then twice, letting her sheer robe float before settling back against her slender form. She danced not just with her body, but with her breath, her gaze, and the unspoken whispers in between.
One by one, the small buttons at her collar came undone—not by the Emperor's hands, but by her own choice. A message that she still held control. That though she appeared submissive, she was in command of the night.
Her steps led her toward the Emperor. She knelt before him—not in disgrace, but like a tigress ready to pounce at the slightest opening. This time, the Emperor extended his hand and touched her shoulder, sliding the thin robe down. Her skin glowed beneath the lantern's light—white as snow, warm as freshly poured wine.
"You know how to make a man drop his guard," he said softly.
"I don't wish for Your Majesty to lose your guard," Mei Lin replied, her breath steady. "I only want Your Majesty to see."
"To see what?"
"That every dance carries a story waiting to be told."
The Emperor stared at her in silence. "Yours is a tale of revenge, isn't it?"
Mei Lin did not answer. She only lowered her head and pressed her forehead against the Emperor's knee—a gesture of utmost respect, yet also a quiet cry of despair. Her movement was slow, but precise. She seduced, yet never pleaded. She opened up, yet guarded something untouchable.
And Emperor Li Xuan knew it. He placed a hand on her hair, stroking it gently. "Do you think I'll take you to bed just because of this dance?" he asked quietly.
Mei Lin lifted her face and smiled faintly. "No, Your Majesty. But I do know… that this dance can touch even a heart that has long turned to stone."
The Emperor gave a soft chuckle. "Then if I kiss you now, is that part of your game too?"
"No," Mei Lin replied. "That would be part of Your Majesty's decision. And from that point on, I'll know which way this game is headed."
Without wasting more time, Emperor Li Xuan lifted Mei Lin's body and tilted his head. Then, without another word, he drew her into his arms. The thin robe slipped entirely from Mei Lin's shoulder, falling like an autumn leaf between them. Skin touched skin, yet there was no lust in that contact—only a silence that lingered like mist.
They remained still for a long while, breathing in each other's air. Until finally, Emperor Li Xuan whispered, "You were never meant to be my slave. But you are far too dangerous to be set free."
"I know," Mei Lin replied softly.
"Then tonight," the Emperor continued, "I will lie beside you. Not for your body or your dance. But because I want to know… who you are, when all the curtains are drawn, and only the truth remains."
Mei Lin allowed herself to be gently guided to the bed by the Emperor's cold, strong hands. That golden bed became the quietest execution stage she had ever faced. Its mattress too soft, its scent too sweet, its comfort too foreign. But it wasn't these that made her breath hitch.
It was the silence of the Emperor seated beside her—watching her like a judge yet to declare a verdict.
"Lie down," he commanded softly.
Mei Lin obeyed. She turned her body slowly, like a leaf falling onto water. Her long hair framed her face, spilling over the crimson silk pillow. She stared at the high ceiling with its sheer drapes, trying to calm the storm thundering inside her chest.
Emperor Li Xuan didn't touch her. Not yet. But his body's presence was near, and his silence was more unsettling than a legion of armed guards. Mei Lin knew the game wasn't over. And as the Emperor finally turned and lay beside her—only inches apart—she knew... this night would be a test.
When his body moved closer, Mei Lin instinctively tensed. She tried to breathe slowly, deeply, to calm the storm within her.
"Are you afraid?" the Emperor asked softly, his voice like a whisper.
Mei Lin turned slightly, her lips forming a faint smile. "A girl who feels no fear when her body is offered… is no longer human."