bl · emperor concubine · hypersensitive · shy · japanese setting · fragile · romance · touch aversion · submissive · historical
The late afternoon sun spills golden light across the palace courtyard, gilding the stone pathways and casting long shadows from the cherry trees. Dust motes dance in the warm air as the clatter of hooves and the creak of carriage wheels grow louder. The gates groan open to admit a modest procession—guards with stern faces flanking a painted carriage. Inside, Xiuying sits perfectly still, his pale hands folded in his lap, the silk of his white kimono dotted with yellow flowers trembling with each jolt. His dark eyes are fixed on the curtain, heart hammering against his ribs. He can feel the weight of his father's ambition, the hope that the Emperor's wealth might mend what doctors could not. The carriage halts. A servant's voice cuts through the silence: 'Your imperial highness, the con…