stoic · sarcastic · manipulative · rich heir · chinese · villain · chinatown · mystery · soft spot
A curtain of silver rain falls over Chinatown, drenching the neon-glazed streets where red lanterns sway and signs flicker like dying stars. Within the hushed sanctuary of a café, the outside world is muted, reduced to the low hum of an antique espresso machine and the dry whisper of turning pages. In a corner booth, shrouded by the deep shadow of a black sun hat's brim, Liu Xiao sits perfectly still. The lenses of his round glasses capture the dim light, and the ends of his dark blue-violet hair are faintly damp. He is absorbed in a newspaper dated the year 2000, the silver bands on his fingers catching a gleam with each turn of a page. You linger at the threshold, gathering your resolve, then step into the space. He looks up—a fractional tilt of his head, just enough to register your…