Yao Yao sat up slowly, rubbed her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The door to the balcony was slightly ajar, and the curtains swaying gently in the breeze. She slid out of bed and carefully cracked the bedroom door open, just enough to peer through the gap.
Through the small crack, she spotted a guard standing outside, as rigid as a statue, his gaze staring right ahead.
The guard scratched his face absentmindedly, his posture still and unwavering. Then, a strange warmth pricked at his left side. Without breaking his stance, he hesitated before flicking his eyes down toward his left.
There, between the crack in the door, he saw them.
A pair of large, glowing pink eyes, watching him from the dark.
His breath froze in his lungs.
He blinked once, then twice, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him, having completely forgotten the reason he was standing guard.
A soft voice floated through the crack in the door, "What's the matter? Why are you staring at me like I'm a ghost?"
A sudden realization struck him—he was supposed to be guarding the Third Young Miss of the Shang family.
Quickly regaining his composure, the guard cleared his throat and straightened his posture.
"I… I wasn't staring, my lady," he quickly replied, his voice faltering. "I was—uh—keeping watch."
"Keeping watch? Huh. You don't look very alert."
The guard, now even more flustered, straightened his back further. "I assure you, my lady, I'm fully focused."
Yao Yao, still staring at him with those unblinking pink eyes, shifted the conversation with a casual tilt of her head. "Where's my brother?"
The guard blinked, startled by the sudden change in topic. "Ah, your brother, my lady… He and the rest of the nobles are currently at the royal ball."
Yao Yao frowned in confusion. "Ball?"
The guard nodded. "Yes, my lady. A royal ball held to celebrate the end of the summoning ceremony. The royal family and nobles gather to celebrate the successful bonds."
Yao Yao processed the new information, her lips forming a subtle pout. "Oh… I didn't know about a ball."
"Yes, my lady," the guard continued. "You had fallen asleep during the ceremony, so I was tasked to watch over you here while the others attend the ball."
Yao Yao's lips curled into a sly smile.
Well, well, well… isn't this just perfect?
She had come all the way here with one goal in mind—to summon a spirit. And now, with the family off attending some royal ball, she was left with just one guard to watch her.
Her eyes gleamed with a mischievous light, her mind already spinning with a plan.
"That's very kind of you. But I'm feeling much better now. In fact—" she clutched her stomach dramatically, "—I'm starving. Did they forget to send me dinner?"
The guard hesitated. "I—I can ask the kitchen—but I'm afraid I was instructed not to leave you alone."
Yao Yao blinked.
Then sighed.
So much for easy.
Time for Plan B.
She gave him a long, sad look. The kind that trembled at the corners of her lips and made her pink eyes shimmer just the tiniest bit.
"I understand," she whispered, just loud enough for guilt to bloom in his chest. "I suppose… no one trusts me, after all."
The guard's face paled. "That's not—Lady Yao Yao, I didn't mean—"
"It's alright," she said with a tiny sniff, slowly retreating into the room. "I'll just… go back to bed. Even though I didn't get to… dance at the ball… or eat."
She paused at the door.
"…Tell my brother I'm sorry for being a burden."
Then—click.
She shut the door.
And waited.
Exactly three seconds later—
knock knock knock.
"L-Lady Yao Yao?"
The door creaked open again. She stood there with her arms wrapped around herself, looking very small and very pitiful.
"…Yes?"
The guard flushed, clearly on the verge of a breakdown. "I can't leave you here alone… but maybe I could take you to the kitchen?"
Her eyes sparkled instantly. "Really?!"
"Thank you," she said, her tone soft and honest this time. "That's very kind."
The guard flushed even deeper. He turned, flustered, and led the way down the hall, glancing back every so often to make sure she was still following.
Yao Yao walked at a leisurely pace behind him, her small hands clasped behind her back, expression thoughtful. They descended the grand staircase of the east wing and stepped onto the ground floor. Then, ahead of them, a maid passed by with a plate of fruits.
The guard hesitated for a moment, then turned slightly to Yao Yao. "Would you like some fruits, my lady? Just to ease your hunger while I check with the kitchen."
She blinked up at him with a surprised, almost suspicious expression—then brightened. "That would be very kind of you."
He called the maid over with a quick gesture. The maid, clearly nervous, offered the plate, and he took two apples and handed them over to Yao Yao.
She accepted it solemnly, as though it were some priceless treasure.
The maid bowed and hurried off, and they continued down the arched hallway.
The corridor opened into a wide space lined with tall windows overlooking the palace gardens.
Yao Yao stopped at the nearest window.
"Is that the garden?" she asked innocently.
The guard turned back, nodding. "Yes, my lady. This side faces the eastern garden. The royal greenhouse and reflecting pool are just beyond."
She placed a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "And the royal ball… Where is that being held?"
"The Grand Hall," he answered. "That way." He pointed toward the far corridor leading to the western wing. "It's through the main courtyard, past the inner gate."
Yao Yao gave a slow nod, as if committing it to memory.
Then she looked up at him again, eyes wide.
"And… where's the colosseum?"
The guard blinked at the sudden shift. "The colosseum?" He looked confused. "It's a fair distance from here, my lady. North of the main castle, near the training grounds. Still within the palace estate, but not close by."
Yao Yao gasped softly. "Oh my goodness. Look—up there!"
The guard immediately tilted his head to follow her gaze.
"Is that a shooting star?!"
The moment he looked up, she turned on her heel and bolted.
"M-My lady?!"
"Thank you for the apples!" she called over her shoulder—then added cheerfully, "Also, I lied!"
With her soft shoes slapping against the polished stone, apples still tucked in one sleeve, she darted down the nearest turn, disappearing behind a line of marble pillars.
**
She moved through the garden like a fox through the underbrush, dodging hedges and zigzagging past the reflecting pool. Most of the paths were lit by lanterns, but she stayed low, darting through the shadowed corners and weaving behind overgrown bushes. Her shoes were wet, her apple bouncing in her sleeve.
She had no real plan—only a direction.
Out.
Then, past a low hedge, she spotted a weathered section of the eastern garden wall.
The stone there was older, less pristine than the rest of the palace. Vines had overtaken the edges, and some bricks were cracked or shifted. Curious, she ducked behind a lion statue and crawled into the shadows.
She ran her fingers along the base of the wall, squinting in the dark.
"…Come on, come on…"
And then—
Her hand brushed against a section of loose stone. She tugged at it—nothing. She kicked lightly.
Crunch.
The edge shifted. Dirt fell away.
Encouraged, she kicked again, a bit harder this time. A piece of stone crumbled under, and a small opening began to form.
She crouched lower, brushing away vines and digging with her hands.
"Please don't be a rat hole," she muttered, digging faster.
Finally, she revealed a narrow, uneven gap tucked beneath the wall—not wide enough for an adult.
But for her?
"A dog hole," she said with a grin. "Or a very lucky little girl hole."
Without a second thought, she dropped to her belly and began crawling.
A rock scraped her elbow. A stick tugged at her hair. Her dress caught on a vine and tore a little—but she kept going.
Until finally—
pop.
She tumbled out the other side into the dewy grass.
A stone path stretched ahead, half-lost to weeds—but in the far distance, partially obscured by low trees and rising marble steps, she could see the glowing curve of the colosseum.
She stood up slowly, brushing off her dress. Her hair was a mess. Her shoes were crooked. Her apple was still miraculously intact.
Yao Yao bit into the apple with a loud crunch, then gazed at the glowing edge of the colosseum in the distance.
She smiled.
"Here I come."