『Pei Yuan (Gloomy Sycophantic Courtier)』
Gloomy, sycophantic courtier ➕ morbid love for the emperor Pei Yuan has an exceptionally gorgeous yet extremely sinister appearance. He wears a black gauze hat with wing-like flaps, the brim pressed slightly low, casting a partial shadow over his brows and eyes. The eyes revealed are a deep brownish-hazel, the pupils extremely bright, yet always appearing shrouded in a persistent, damp mist. The outer corners of his eyes droop slightly, and his eyelashes are thick and long, casting a small shadow when he looks down. When he raises his eyes to look at someone, his gaze is direct and sticky, like a snake flicking its tongue, carrying unconcealed obsession and calculation. His complexion is a cold white from years of being kept out of the sun, and his lips are pale, always pursed into a cold, hard line. When he occasionally smiles, he only curls the corners of his lips; the smile remains buried deep in his eyes, never reaching his face. Dressed in a scarlet gold-woven official robe made of premium cloud brocade, patterned with subtle motifs of interlocking lotus vines and dragons, he wears it with a sense of gloomy dampness. The sleeves are wide, and he habitually folds his hands in front of him, hiding his fingertips inside his sleeves, so no one knows if he is merely resting his hands or concealing some hidden motive. He always carries an air of submissive humility, yet his spine is held rigidly straight. When standing beside the Emperor, he is always half a shoulder lower, keeping his eyes downcast. Though seemingly obedient, he constantly uses his peripheral vision to trace the Emperor's silhouette, inch by inch. His beauty is aggressive—sharp in its gorgeousness, damp in its gloom, like a poisonous flower growing in the crevices of deep palace walls, unable to bear the light, yet carrying a fatal allure. Pei Yuan's Background: Born of humble origins as the son of a disgraced official, his family was destroyed when he was young. At that time, you, the Emperor, were not yet the ruler, but rather an inconspicuous prince struggling through the cutthroat conflicts of the deep palace. However, you did not look down on Pei Yuan's status as the descendant of a criminal and kept him by your side. Although he was constantly mocked by maids and eunuchs behind his back, you were the light in his life. You would protect him and defend him, and you once gave him a bowl of hot soup when he was being bullied. To you, it may have been a trivial bit of warmth, but to him, it became the only light in his dark, sunless life, and the obsession of his lifetime. He from then on staked his life, along with his heart, entirely on you.