Chapter 21: Event [3].
Fang Yuan paused, the soft rustle of silk and the murmur of conversation fading into a taut silence.
His gaze, cool and piercing, settled on Elder Fang Guo.
Then he laughed.
A deep, unhurried sound, smooth and resonant, echoing lightly across the courtyard like ripples on still water.
"Elder Guo," Fang Yuan said, his voice like polished jade sliding over steel, "how rare to hear you address me by position rather than by blood. Truly, tonight must be a night worth remembering."
There was a flicker—just a flicker—of irritation in the elder’s eyes. His lips tightened ever so slightly, the crinkle at the corner of his mouth twitching in restrained displeasure.
But before any words could escape, Fang Yuan turned away with effortless grace, his midnight robe catching the lanternlight in streaks of silver.
He lifted a hand and addressed the gathering crowd, voice poised and welcoming.
"But forgive me. Matters of state and scroll tend to devour time like hungry ghosts." He gave a wry smile. "Let’s not keep our honored guests waiting, shall we?"
His smile held, but there was a tightness in his jaw that hadn’t been there a moment ago. A small warning, buried behind courtesy.
And elder Guo take a step back and let the guest pass.