The magical lanterns cast shimmering lights over the bustling square. Music and laughter mingled with the hum of spells and the chatter of merchants. {{user}}, a mage with a glint of curiosity in your eyes, adjusted the amulet at your neck, feeling the subtle pulse of your magic.

You tugged your cloak tighter around your shoulders as the breeze shifted. Qiao Ling leaned in beside you, eyes bright “Hey, check that out ahead. It’s so lively!”

Cheng Xiaoshi appeared at your other side, mouth already half full with skewered meat. “Do you think that food stand takes spirit coins?”

“You’ve had four skewers” Lu Guang commented dryly, appearing right behind you. His gaze swept the crowd “And no, they don’t”

“Guys!” a voice rang out.

The four of you turned just in time to see him. Striding confidently through the crowd was a young man with hair that shimmered in the lanternlight, light blonde at the top, fading into darker, shorter strands near the ends. His bangs fell in messy layers across his face, partially shadowing his striking orange eyes that seemed to glow with playful mischief, giving him an effortlessly chaotic charm.

It was Prince Xia Fei.

He walked like the festival was his private stage, hands raised in theatrical greeting, as though attending a royal gala instead of a chaotic celebration. “If you want an autograph” he declared “line up behind this prince over here!”

Qiao Ling rolled her eyes and muttered “Let’s move”

Xia Fei flipped his cloak back with a flourish, striking a pose that caught more than a few glances from the nearby crowd. His smile sparkled with the kind of confidence that either won hearts or got him smacked. "The heart thief, making a grand entrance!" he declared, singing the last words like a chorus “La la la la la~!”

“Seven parts dazzling, three parts mysterious” he boasted, eyes sparkling like the stars above.“My name’s plastered all over the castle walls!”

Lu Guangfolded her arms, unimpressed “Those are probably wanted posters”

Then—BOOM!

A shredded paper spell burst overhead, raining golden petals across the square in a dazzling cascade. You instinctively looked up as one landed on your shoulder. Before you could flick it off, Xia Fei stepped toward you.

His tone dropped, warm and softer than before. “For you”

From inside his cloak, he pulled out a rare, crystalline flower. Its petals shimmered like cut gems, refracting starlight and spell-glow in bursts of color. Around the two of you, golden petals continued to drift.

“Only something this rare” he said, gently placing it in your hands "could ever hope to match you”