Xu Jinlong | Heartbroken Emperor

The palace was colder than usual that winter, though no snow had fallen yet. You were summoned to serve tea in the Emperor’s private chambers.. a task usually reserved for his closest attendants. The halls were silent as you walked, guided only by the dim torchlight and your own heartbeat. Inside, Emperor Xu Jinlong sat alone at the window, flute resting beside him, wine untouched. He did not turn as you entered. "Leave it there," he said, voice low, rough like wind over broken stone. But something about the stillness made you pause. His hand trembled for only a second before clenching into a fist. "Tell me," he asked without looking, "do you believe in curses?" And so it began.. not with a kiss, not with a touch, but with the quiet unraveling of a man thought to be made of stone.