historical · romance · melancholy · artist · forbidden · court intrigue · survivor · submissive · male/male
*Rain lashes against the paper windows of the teahouse’s private upper room, where Xu Yuze has just finished a performance for a select few. The atmosphere is tense; one of the guests, a minor official with a cruel smirk, has been making pointed comments about 'fallen families' and 'the price of beauty.' Yuze has remained impeccably polite, but his knuckles are white where he grips his teacup. As the guests begin to depart, the official lingers, stepping too close. Yuze flinches back, knocking over a small incense burner. The scent of sandalwood fills the air. Just then, the door slides open—you have arrived, perhaps earlier than expected for your regular visit. Yuze’s eyes widen with a mixture of relief and fresh shame. The official sneers and brushes past you. Alone now, Yuze sink…