Jin Yue, disguised as one of the serving girls, carried a wine jug to a private table tucked into the corner of the hall. The man seated there…dressed like a wealthy young master, fan in hand, posture relaxed…looked up lazily at first.
The young master had not come alone.
A companion sat beside him…an unassuming man with an ordinary build, dressed plain enough to disappear into the late night crowd. Nothing in his appearance hinted danger, yet the quiet vigilance in his eyes made his role unmistakable.
An attendant disguised as a friend.
They ordered drinks, chatting casually, looking like any pair of young men blowing off steam after a long day.
At least, until the young master's gaze snagged on something across the hall.
A veiled "girl" moving with soft grace, carrying a wine jug.
His fan paused mid sweep.
His posture shifted…barely, but noticeably.
And then… he stared.
Long lashes lowered, pale skin glowing beneath lantern light, movements so fluid and quiet they seemed untouched by the chaos of the brothel.
The attendant noticed immediately.
"You're zoning out," he muttered, nudging him. "What are you staring at?"
The young master blinked quickly, startled, but his eyes big, round, soft like a startled deer…drifted back to the veiled figure.
The attendant followed his gaze, eyebrows lifting.
"Oh… her. The new one."
His tone softened into curiosity.
"She doesn't talk, you know. Haven't heard a single word in two nights. Probably speech-impaired."
He clicked his tongue.
"Poor thing."
The young master's eyes softened even further…sad, almost protective…when the veiled figure slipped behind another table. His fingers unconsciously tightened on the handle of his fan, and for a moment he looked less like a young investigator and more like a lost boy seeing moonlight for the first time.
The attendant noticed immediately.
"Ah," he whispered under his breath, trying not to smile, "look at you. Eyes all gentle. You're gone already."
The young master stiffened, ears turning faintly red.
"I…I'm not…"
But the attendant clicked his tongue knowingly.
"Young master… don't start liking a girl in a place like this."
His voice lowered with quiet caution.
"Women here don't stay. And even if they do… it only hurts."
The young master's lips parted as if to argue, then closed again. He looked away, trying desperately to regain his composure, but the slight tremor of his eyelashes betrayed him.
His doe-like eyes darted back toward the last place Jin Yue had been seen.
"…She's just… different," he murmured, barely audible.
The attendant raised a brow.
"Different? How? She doesn't talk, doesn't laugh, doesn't even look around. That's as plain as they come."
The young master hesitated, cheeks warming.
No! I just…she's, um… really pretty.
"Oh heavens," the attendant muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "We're doomed."
And yet…
When the veiled "girl" reappeared briefly on the far side of the hall, the young master straightened instinctively, eyes brightening with an involuntary spark…soft, hopeful, painfully obvious.
Adorable, really.
The attendant sighed again, helpless.
"Please," he whispered, "for both our sakes… don't fall harder."
But the young master's gaze had already drifted back to Jin Yue.
And the tiniest, most reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Meanwhile… Jin Yue
He felt it.
That gaze…steady, searching, too perceptive.
He didn't need to lift his head to know where it came from.
Years of survival sharpened his instincts; even through perfume, music, and drunken noise, he could sense when someone's attention clung to him like a hook.
Too focused, Jin Yue thought. Too dangerous.
He adjusted immediately.
Pouring wine faster, slipping behind crowded tables, keeping to dimmer corners.
His steps became smaller, posture tighter, avoiding the man's line of sight at every opportunity.
A quiet retreat.
But the young master noticed.
"…Did she just avoid looking this way?" he murmured, barely audible, almost wounded.
His companion leaned forward, squinting at the hall.
"Eh? Which one?"
He followed the direction of his gaze, but Jin Yue had already drifted behind a curtain…like morning mist slipping away from an outstretched hand.
"You're imagining things," the attendant said lightly. "Drink more before you start falling harder."
But the young master didn't lift his cup.
His doe-like eyes remained fixed on the empty space where the "girl" had stood moments before…
a fragile, unspoken disappointment softening his expression.
As if something luminous had slipped out of his grasp the moment he reached for it.