A Suitable Distraction

The lanterns on the corridor of Qianqing Palace were fully lit by the time they returned from the banquet, warm light spilling out from the open doors to chase away the deep blue of night. Not for the first time, Yan Zheyun was taken aback by how comfortable living here had become. Coming back to Qianqing Palace was starting to feel more and more like coming home after a long day at work, a mindset that was both satisfying and worrying to him. On one hand, he craved this sense of belonging; for so long, he had felt like a drifting boat lost out at sea and now he finally had somewhere to anchor himself.