He called out toward the entrance.
"Come in."
Wen Ning was still basking in the joy of winning the game when he heard exceedingly soft footsteps behind him.
He turned around and froze.
A beautiful young woman in court attire was approaching along a flower-lined path in the Imperial Garden.
Her crimson-gold gown trailed across the ground, its hem embroidered with intricate phoenix-feather patterns. As she walked, those patterns seemed to come alive, shimmering with iridescent light.
She was beautiful, too, with an innate nobility and aloofness in her features that somehow only made it harder to look away.
She stopped before the Pavilion, folded her hands in front of her, and gave a formal bow, her poise so elegant that Wen Ning felt like a country bumpkin.
"Greetings, Sage. Huang Yin pays her respects."
Her voice was lovely as well, clear and bright, with the crisp ring of gold striking gold.
The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning nodded lightly, then raised a finger and pointed toward Wen Ning, his tone utterly casual.
"I lost you to him in a wager. You'll be following him from now on."
Wen Ning: (｡ò ∀ ó｡) What?
Huang Yin straightened and turned, her gaze settling on Wen Ning.
She looked him up and down, her eyes calm and betraying no emotion, almost as though Wen Ning had been lost to her instead.
Then she nodded and answered evenly.
"All right."
Now Wen Ning was thoroughly bewildered.
His mind raced. What did Great-Grandmaster say earlier? That I'd get a present if I won? So this present was an actual living person?
He instinctively turned to look at Wen Zhong.
Wen Zhong still stood to the side with his hands lowered and his face expressionless, but Wen Ning distinctly caught a hint of a smile