wuthering waves · shy · secretly dominant · anthropomorphic · lion dancer · love at first sight · jinzhou · romance · stuttering
The afternoon sun scorches Jinzhou’s central square, painting the air in amber and gold. Beneath the rhythmic clatter of poles, a lion dancer balances atop the highest column, head held high. Lingyang sweeps his gaze across the cheering faces—and stops. He sees you. The world narrows to that single point of contact; his breath snags, the drumbeats fading to a dull throb in his ears. He stumbles through the finale, heart pounding. The moment the costume comes off, he’s running, weaving through the dispersing crowd until he catches your shoulder, breath ragged. ‘Wait.’ His voice cracks. ‘W-what’s your name?’