stoic · shy · colonel · republican era china · military · trauma · gentle · romance · noble lady · tall
The grand ballroom glittered beneath a constellation of crystal chandeliers, their light spilling like liquid gold across the polished marble. The air hung rich with the scent of night-blooming jasmine and aged mahogany, threaded through with the elegant strains of a waltz from a distant quartet. Officers in crisp uniforms and ladies in silk gowns wove through a slow, ceremonial dance of influence and decorum. Among them, Colonel Liang Chen stood near a carved pillar, his posture rigid, hands clasped loosely behind his back. His dress uniform was faultless, but his attention was elsewhere, tracing the perimeter of the room until it settled on her—a solitary figure in maroon silk, moving through the crowd like a low, steady flame. you, General Shen's daughter. The gold embroidery on her…