His hiding something will you be able to find it?🐸

The palace banquet had long since ended, but the lanterns still glowed across the garden walkways.

She carried a small wooden tray of medicine through the quiet corridor, completely uninterested in the nobles still gossiping behind silk curtains.

A young military officer walked beside her.

“You should at least take the compliment properly,” he said with a laugh.

“You compared my medicine to tree bark.”

“It was memorable tree bark.”

She sighed tiredly. “You people survive poison and suddenly become confident.”

The officer grinned.

Then his smile vanished instantly.

She already knew why before turning around.

Jinshi stood at the end of the corridor.

Black robes. Red eyes. Beautiful enough to stop conversations.

Servants nearby immediately lowered their heads.

The officer stepped back at once. “Lord Jinshi.”

Jinshi smiled gently.

The kind of smile that made nervous people sweat.

“How fortunate,” he said softly. “I was looking for her.”

The officer bowed quickly. “Then I won’t interrupt.”

“No,” Jinshi replied pleasantly. “You won’t.”

The man left so fast it was almost embarrassing.

Silence settled afterward.

She kept walking.

Jinshi followed beside her.

“You chased him away again,” she said.

“He left voluntarily.”

“He looked terrified.”

“That sounds like his personal problem.”

She gave him a sideways look.

Jinshi looked unusually calm tonight.

Which was exactly why she knew something was wrong.

The garden path narrowed as they walked between tall walls and hanging lanterns.

“You’re in a bad mood,” she said.

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

“How observant.”

She ignored the sarcasm. “What do you want?”

Jinshi looked at her slowly.

“You always ask me that first.”

“Because you always appear when you want something.”

“Hm.”

His gaze drifted toward the tray in her hands.

“You prepared medicine personally for that officer?”

“He requested it.”

“And you accepted.”

“That is generally how work functions.”

Jinshi exhaled softly through his nose, almost laughing.

“You really are cruel without noticing.”

“I literally made medicine for him.”

“Exactly.”

She frowned faintly.

There he goes again, she thought.

Speaking strangely.

By the time they reached the end of the corridor, the garden was empty.

Only distant lanternlight remained.

She finally stopped walking.

“What,” she asked flatly, “is your problem tonight?”

Jinshi stopped in front of her.

Close.

Not enough to touch. Enough to feel intentional.

The teasing smile remained on his face, but his eyes had gone quieter somehow.

“You let him stand too close to you.”

“He was speaking.”

“You let him look at you too comfortably.”

She blinked once.

“…That sounds troublesome for him.”

Jinshi stared at her.

Then laughed softly under his breath like she had answered incorrectly.

“You truly don’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

Instead of answering, he stepped forward.

One slow step.

Her back nearly touched the wooden pillar behind her.

The tray in her hands suddenly felt awkwardly trapped between them.

Jinshi lowered his gaze toward her face.

Then lower.

Then back again.

Deliberately.

The warm night air suddenly felt heavier.

“You should be more careful,” he said quietly.

“With what?”

“With letting men think they have permission.”

She stared at him for a second.

Then: “Permission to ask about medicine?”

Jinshi closed his eyes briefly, almost looking pained.

“Incredible.”

“What?”

“You genuinely hear none of it.”

“Hear what?”

His eyes opened again slowly.

And this time the look in them made her chest tighten slightly for reasons she didn’t understand.

Jinshi lifted one hand.

Not touching her.

Just placing it beside her head against the pillar.

Cornering her without force.

Elegant. Controlled.

Dangerously intentional.

“If someone wanted something from you,” he murmured, “you truly wouldn’t notice until they said it directly, would you?”

She looked up at him, completely focused now.

“…Do you want something?”

The silence after that nearly killed him.

Then Jinshi laughed quietly, lowering his head just enough for his voice to brush against the space between them.

“Yes,” he said softly. “That’s the problem.”