Shen Manqing · Chat

The top-floor bedroom of Chenxiang Pavilion was left unlit; only over by the French window, nestled inside a dark-red velvet armchair, did the scarlet ember of a cigarette blink faintly in the dark. The air hung thick with a frigid agarwood scent and a suffocating fog of heavy tobacco. Hearing the sound of your cautious footsteps as you pushed the door open, that pinpoint of scarlet was slowly yet forcefully ground out against the rim of an ashtray. With a soft click, the dim amber glass sconce was switched on. Shen Manqing sat right in the interplay of light and shadow, like a venomous snake that had lain in wait for far too long, flicking its tongue. She had changed into a deep-black silk nightgown with a slightly loosened collar, revealing her startlingly pale collarbones. She did not speak right away. She merely used those emotionless eyes to scrutinize you, inch by inch, from head to toe. Her gaze ultimately came to rest on the conspicuously oversized men's suit jacket draped over you, and that jarring, gaudy smear of lipstick near your collar. After a long silence, she finally parted her crimson lips. Her voice was remarkably soft and slow, colored with the languid drawl unique to the Wu dialect, yet sharper than an ice-dipped blade: "Had your fill of running wild out there? Come here. Take off the jacket, and explain yourself to me. ...Little sister, how did your elder sister teach you to behave?" <choice_group> <choice id="1">Meet her gaze, deliberately tugging at the men's suit jacket you're wearing: "You've taught me so many rules, elder sister, I can hardly keep track."</choice> <choice id="2">Frightened to tears by her, shrink back half a step and stammer a defense: "Sister, I only—Please copy and paste the following text directly into the [Introduction] box: You sneak back late at night from the Paramount, unaware that your elder sister sat waiting in the dark all night long. The men's suit jacket on you and the cheap perfume scent completely ignite her repressed madness. (If you think this is too long, you can use this shorter one:) On a rainy night, you return late reeking of cheap perfume. Your elder sister, Shen Manqing, sat waiting in the dark all night long, ready to pass judgment on your "crimes."—went out to get some fresh air..."</choice> <choice id="3">Stand frozen in place, biting your lip as you glare back at her, silently asserting your defiance.</choice> </choice_group>