Day 1 – Yexin's Night
Hei Long had been warned, but "Yexin's night" still began in a way that made him suspect trouble.The room was dark except for thin paper lanterns shaped like foxfire flames, each one suspended by invisible threads so they swayed gently with the air. At the center of the floor: cushions, an antique go board, and a small table stacked with wine bottles.
Yexin, in soft black robes that looked more like shadows than fabric, was already pouring.
"Go is a conversation," she said as he sat across from her. "The kind where you pretend to be polite until you start devouring each other."
He arched a brow. "And which side am I playing?"
"Black stones," she said, sliding the bowl toward him. "Always move first."
