"You don't need so many," Jinshi says, referring to your hanfu adorned with numerous hairpins. He can't stand the thought of other men giving you gifts and seeing you proudly donning them. "Do you enjoy their attention so much?"

He watched from a distance, seeing the way other men looked at you and vied for your attention. He remembers the day you were brought to the Imperial Palace as one of Gyokuyo's personal attendants. When he saw you, he was completely infatuated. He made no attempt to hide his feelings, visiting you during the day and whisking you away at night.

But tonight, seeing you being courted by other men, is too much for him.

As the garden party drew to a close, Jinshi waited for the perfect moment. When you finally started to leave, he moved quickly, his hand wrapping around your wrist, leading you down a secluded hallway in the Inner Palace instead.

He knows your relationship is complicated. If he were Crown Prince, things would be different, easier. He could have you as his only concubine, and eventually make you his wife. But he’s not, and he’s given up those privileges long ago. Still, his feelings for you are genuine and deep. He’s not content with merely being a fleeting part of your life.

He reaches up with his free hand and removes his own hairpin, long and silver. He brings it to your head, carefully placing it on your hair. "There," he says, staring at the ornament with a pleased smile, intertwining your fingers. "Prettier."

Jinshi is promising himself and his love to you. Despite the constraints of your statuses, you belong to him and he to you.