It is time for the final round. The announcer's voice echoed through the plaza:
"And now, for our final challenge—The Heartstopper Moment!
Each contestant will strike a pose that captures the essence of true beauty!"
A ripple of excitement coursed through the crowd.
Zou stepped forward first, bathed in golden light. He moved with deliberate slowness, each motion a calculated masterpiece.
His fan floated open with a whisper of silk, and he turned just enough to highlight the curve of his cheek, the gleam in his golden eyes.
Then, he stopped.
His hand extended, palm up, fingers poised like he held moonlight itself.
His lips curved into a smoldering half-smile, and his gaze locked with the audience, magnetic and consuming.
The air around him shimmered faintly.
"How could such a divine man exist?" someone whispered.
Backstage, Jin swallowed hard as he watched.
When his turn came, Jin stepped forward hesitantly.
His brain scrambled for the pose he'd awkwardly practiced with Kee Kee earlier—a simple standing posture with one arm raised.
He raised his hand halfway.
Then—
Boom!
A firecracker exploded just beyond the plaza wall, loud and sharp.
Jin's instinct took over. He dropped low into a defensive stance, knees bent, one foot sliding forward.
One arm swept out in a protective gesture, the other resting at his side, ready to counter.
His robe flared with the motion, catching the light in waves of pale gold and shadow.
His eyes now sharpened with focus, brows drawn, lips parted as if caught mid-breath.
At this moment, he looked less like a monk and more like a warrior descending from myth.
The crowd lost their minds.
Cheers thundered across the plaza. Women screamed. Men whistled.
Children jumped up and down. Flowers rained onto the stage from all directions.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Rui shouted, jumping up and down.
Even Kee Kee seemed impressed. "Not bad, monk boy. Not bad at all."
Back onstage, Jin slowly straightened, blinking as the applause continued.
He glanced at Zou, whose smile had frozen slightly at the corners.
The applause lingered like waves, rolling across the plaza long after Jin stepped back into line.
Soon, the contestants lined up shoulder-to-shoulder on stage. All smiled with varying confidence, but none could hide the tension in their stances.
Zou's expression was serene. Jin stood with his hands behind his back, his shoulders rigid.
The announcer stepped forward, scroll in hand.
"In a moment," he announced, "I shall reveal the winner of this year's Blossom Beauty Talent Contest!"
The crowd surged with excitement. Whispers and bets passed among nobles and commoners alike.
Rui elbowed her way to the front of the crowd/
Her gaze met Jin's.
He gave her a helpless smile—half panic, half apology.
She raised both thumbs with exaggerated enthusiasm, mouthing,
You did amazing.
He flushed, looking down quickly.
From beside her, Kee Kee rolled his eyes.
"If this becomes another romantic montage, I'm chewing through someone's shoes."
"Shh!" Rui hissed, barely glancing away. "This is Jin's moment."
The announcer cleared his throat dramatically and held the scroll aloft.
"All the scores have been tallied. And this year's winner is…"
The crowd collectively leaned forward.
The announcer blinked. He glanced at the scroll. Then, back at the crowd.
"…A tie."
The crowd gasped.
"A tie?" Rui echoed, blinking.
The announcer nodded with a sheepish smile.
"A perfect tie! By popular vote, Jin and Zou are this year's co-winners!"
The plaza erupted again—half the crowd shouting Jin's name, the other half swooning for Zou.
Jin and Zou stood awkwardly side by side as matching flower crowns were placed on their heads.
Zou's smile remained perfect, though his eyes had hardened to amber stone.
Jin kept his gaze downward, a relieved flush spreading across his cheeks.
"Congratulations to our winners!" the announcer proclaimed. "
Zou flicked his fan open with unnecessary force as they returned to the inn.
"A tie? The judges clearly lack proper judgment."
"I thought you both were wonderful," Rui said, looping her arms through theirs.
Jin adjusted his crooked crown. "I'm just glad I didn't embarrass myself completely."
"Oh please," Kee Kee snorted from Rui's shoulder.
"The monk falls into a battle stance by accident, and suddenly he's competition-worthy? At least Fox Face put in effort."
"Thank you!" Zou exclaimed. "Finally, someone with taste!"
"Though your finale was a bit desperate," Kee Kee added.
"I could smell the illusion magic from backstage."
Rui just laughed and squeezed both their arms tighter.
"My champions! This calls for celebration!"
Jin and Zou exchanged a glance over her head—one smug, one sheepish—united only in their devotion to the princess between them.
"As long as the suite is ours, who cares who dazzled more?" Rui said as the lights of the Crystal Crane Inn came into view.
The innkeeper at the Crystal Crane Inn wrung his hands nervously as he faced the two winners and Princess Rui.
"This is… most unusual," he said, glancing between Jin and Zou. "We've never had a tie before. The grand prize suite is designed for... well, one winner."
Zou flicked open his fan with a snap. "Clearly, there's been a mistake in the judging. I'd be happy to demonstrate my superior talents again."
"There was no mistake," Jin said quietly, his flower crown still slightly askew.
The innkeeper dabbed his glistening brow with a handkerchief. "Be that as it may, the suite has only one bed, though it is quite large—"
"That's fine!" Rui chimed in brightly, looping an arm through each of theirs.
"We'll all stay together! A sleepover sounds fun!"
Jin stiffened. "Rui, that's not—"
"—a perfect solution?" she finished, beaming at the flustered innkeeper before he could object.
The man cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Well… if you're certain. In the meantime, your victory feast awaits in the private dining room. Please, follow me while we prepare your accommodations."
He led them down a corridor lined with painted silk screens into a secluded dining hall, where a feast fit for a royal banquet was laid out before them.
The innkeeper announced, "Imperial roast duck," Snow crab with ginger sauce, cloud mushroom soup, eight treasure rice, and our chef's special osmanthus jelly for dessert."
Rui clapped her hands in delight. "It all looks amazing!"
"Enjoy your meal," the innkeeper bowed deeply.
Rui dove for the duck as soon as he departed, tearing off a crispy piece of skin with her fingers.
"Mmmmm!" she moaned, eyes closing in bliss. "This is just as good as the palace kitchens!"
Kee Kee climbed up onto the table, sniffing at the crab. "At least something good came from watching you two peacock around."
Jin picked up a delicate mushroom slice with his chopsticks, still avoiding Zou's gaze.
"The competition was… unexpected."
"Unexpectedly close," Zou corrected with a smirk, swirling a cup of wine.
"I still maintain my phoenix illusion should've won on artistic merit alone."
"Your performance was impressive," Jin admitted.
Zou's eyes gleamed. "Says the monk who nearly blew the roof off the plaza. Where did that come from?"
Jin's hand tightened slightly on his chopsticks. "…I was inspired."
"Oh?" Zou leaned forward, intrigued.
"By what? The crushing fear of defeat?"
Jin's gaze dropped briefly to the plum blossom pin at his collar.
"By the person who gave me this."
Rui, mid-bite, paused. A flush crept into her cheeks as she chewed more slowly.
Zou's smile faltered for just a moment before he recovered, reaching for the crab.
"Well, I'm delighted we both won. Sharing a suite with our princess will certainly be... cozy."
"I call dibs on the bed!" Kee Kee announced.
"You're smaller than a pillow," Rui laughed, reaching for a sweet rice ball. "You don't need a whole bed."
"I have standards, you know," Kee Kee huffed. "Not everyone's comfortable napping beside fox perfume and repressed desire."
Rui picked up another rice ball, the scent of osmanthus syrup wafting from its center. "Jin, you have to try this."
Before he could protest, she leaned over and pressed it gently to his lips.
Jin hesitated—then bit into it.
"… It's good," he said softly, chewing as the syrup slid warm across his tongue.
"You've got a little—" Rui reached up and brushed a crumb from the corner of his mouth, her fingers lingering a second longer than necessary.
Across the table, Zou cleared his throat with theatrical volume.
"If the romantic feeding ritual is over, there's still half a duck here."
"Jealous?" Kee Kee said, not even trying to hide his grin.
"Of him?" Zou scoffed, fanning himself lazily.
"Please. I just appreciate enjoying fine cuisine without a side of moon-eyed courtship."
Rui raised an eyebrow. "So you won't mind if I feed Jin another rice ball?"
"I would mind wasting food on performance art," Zou replied coolly, but his tails—momentarily visible behind him—twitched with irritation.
Kee Kee snorted. "Tail twitch detected. Fox boy's mad."
"Fox boy is perfectly composed," Zou replied with a forced smile.
"I just hope there are enough blankets in that suite. It's going to be a long night."
After the meal, the innkeeper led them to their suite, sliding open an ornate door.
Inside, a spacious room revealed itself—polished wooden floors, delicate paper screens, and an enormous bed draped with silk in the center.
"The grand suite," he announced proudly.
"We've added futons for your... companions."
Three neatly folded futons lined one wall. Zou immediately flopped onto the grand bed, stretching like a contented cat.
"Ahhh...this is perfection," he purred, patting the space beside him.
Jin remained in the doorway, his posture rigid.
"I'll take a futon," he said quietly.
Rui wasn't listening to either of them.
She discovered another door at the back of the room and slid it open, revealing a private garden with a steaming hot spring surrounded by smooth stones and flowering plum trees.
"A hot spring!" she gasped, clapping her hands together.
"We have to try it right now!" said Rui, already untying her outer robe.
Jin's eyes widened. "Rui, perhaps we should take turns—"
"Don't worry," she replied, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"There's plenty of room for everyone."
Zou sat up, suddenly very interested. "I do love a good soak."