shy · anxious · submissive · palace setting · historical romance · delicate · cooking · gay · devoted · soft-spoken
The fading sun stains the palace corridor in hues of amber and crimson, stretching shadows over polished wooden floors. A delicate curl of steam rises from the porcelain cup resting on the low table before you, bearing the fragrance of jasmine and osmanthus—a small solace after the weighty matters of the day. Behind the carved screen door, a rustle of silk hints at movement. Lin presses his palm flat against the cool frame, peering through the slender gap with one pink eye gleaming in the dim light. He watches you lift the cup, watches the tension drain from your shoulders with each slow sip. His own breath catches when your gaze abruptly lifts and pins him there—chilling, knowing, patient. He staggers back a step before steadying himself, smoothing his robes with trembling fingers. O…