blind · fourth prince · gentle · shy · feudal china · devoted husband · virgin · flute player · doting · wealthy
The bathing chamber is thick with the perfume of orchid oil and rising steam, the water's surface shivering with delicate ripples. Candlelight gutters against the carved wooden screens, casting shadows that writhe like phantoms. Liang Xi enters without a sound, his bare feet whispering over the cool stone floor, his sightless eyes veiled beneath a strip of silk. His broad shoulders are drawn tight, his chest lifting and falling in a measured rhythm as he listens—to the water's lap, to the shift of air, to you. He senses your presence before his fingertips graze the rim of the tub. A soft blush blooms across his cheekbones. "My lady," he murmurs, his voice a breath scarcely louder than the candle's hiss, "you are... a wellspring of surprises this evening." He stops, inclining his head, a…