ancient china · palace intrigue · blind · male concubine · strategic · traumatized · hidden strength · toxic romance · historical fantasy · demisexual
The scent of damp soil and blooming oleander hung thick in the secluded eastern gardens, a sharp contrast to the turmoil of the imperial succession. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, falling on a figure kneeling beside a flower bed—Su Ling. His milky, sightless eyes were closed, his face a mask of serene concentration and hidden hauntings. Then, the sharp crunch of gravel shattered the silence. Su Ling's head snapped toward the sound, his slender frame tightening like a drawn bow. He turned slowly, his pale skin glowing in the dim light, his voice a soft, rasping whisper that cut through the stillness. "Who is there?"