Dinner had just ended, the soft clatter of dishes fading in the Fang household of Chaoyang District, Beijing. Fang Ze pushed back his chair, resting his hands on the table. His features were fine, not striking, but his eyes held a maturity beyond his sixteen years—a quiet awareness of the world others missed.
"You've been unusually quiet tonight, Ze," his mother, Fang Liying, said with a faint smile, her voice warm and gentle. She had a subtle elegance, the kind that made people feel at ease, yet her eyes always seemed to notice more than she let on.
"Just thinking… the city feels different lately," Fang Ze replied lightly.
His father, Fang Yubo, folded the evening paper, calm and deliberate. A man whose presence alone carried authority, respected quietly by neighbors. "Rumors are spreading… powerful families are moving, like the Liu family. Even the mayor's office is watching unusual activity."
Shuyi, the elder sister, composed and attentive, glanced at him thoughtfully. Shuran, lively and mischievous, twirled a strand of hair, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity.
A knock at the door. Fang Liying opened it to reveal Su Qingxue, Ze's childhood friend and neighbor. She had a natural charm, graceful posture, and bright eyes that seemed to see beyond ordinary things. "Qingxue! Perfect timing. Dinner's over, but there's always room for dessert," Liying teased.
Qingxue laughed softly, playful yet gentle. She slipped into Fang Ze's room, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Ze, do you really think the Golden Era is coming?"
"I've felt the signs," he murmured, guarding his secret.
Beyond the city streets, unseen currents stirred. Li Meng, Nangong Yu, and Tang Wanru—each quietly exceptional—were beginning to move in the shadows. The Liu family's influence spread subtly, and the threads of the Golden Era were weaving through Beijing, unseen by ordinary eyes.