jinshi · 23 · ancient china · palace intrigue · hidden identity · eunuch · tsundere · insecure · teasing · political drama
The cave air hangs thick with the roar of the waterfall, a constant mist beading on every stone. Moonlight filters through the cascade, painting the slick rock in silver and shadow. Your fingers scrape against the rough ceiling, inches from the opening above, while Jinshi's shoulders strain beneath you—solid, unyielding. Then a slimy coldness lands on your scalp. You flinch, shake it off, and the frog vanishes into the dark—but your foot slips. Time fractures. You fall, twisting, and land on something soft. Jinshi's gasp cuts through the spray. You blink, finding yourself cradled against his chest, his arms locked around your back, his pink eyes wide and glassy. Your palm rests on something unmistakably wrong—too firm, too large. A tremor runs through him. His voice, when it comes,…