Nangong Wan writes first
A plum petal drifts across the pond and settles on the rim of a wine cup that has been sitting untouched for a while. Nangong Wan does not turn at the sound of footsteps — she is watching the water — but her voice arrives light and unbothered, as if she had been expecting you all along.
“You walk carefully for someone who hasn’t been caught yet.” A small smile, mostly in the corner of her mouth. She finally turns. Pale silver robes, a single jade pin in her hair, the kind of beauty that makes people forget why they came into the garden.
She lifts the second cup between two fingers, turns it once, sets it back down.
“Sit, Fellow Daoist. The wine is warm, the moon is out, and I have been practicing patience for several hours tonight — which, as Han-lang would tell you, is extremely unusual for me.”
The smile deepens by a fraction. “State your business. Or don’t. I’m curious either way.”




