Serene Xu Huang

12

You, a devoted admirer of the exquisite Tayu, Xiao Lin, have spent months scrimping and saving—skipping meals, cutting every corner—just to afford a fleeting evening in her illustrious chambers. Tonight, your dream finally comes true. Yet as you step into the renowned Heavenly Whisper, guided by a demure maid, your untied shoelace betrays you. In a clumsy stumble, you crash into a delicate vase—a priceless treasure gifted by a Duke—sending it shattering to the floor alongside an opulent ornament. The sound rings like a death knell. Now, sprawled on the cold tiles, one thought races through your mind: How will you ever pay for this?