The Betrayal of the Golden Lotus

ZI YIN SAT IN HIS room, surrounded by the opulent decor. The walls were adorned with intricate silk tapestries, while ornate wooden furniture filled the space. The room was bathed in a warm, soft light, coming from the small oil lamp on his desk.

Zi Yin couldn't believe it.

It had been weeks since the competition, and yet Fu Tai, his trusted servant, had been giving him the silent treatment ever since. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air, leaving Zi Yin feeling as though he had lost a part of himself. The competition had been the highlight of his life, the emperor himself congratulated Zi Yin on his crushing win but Fu Tai had remained suspiciously quiet, only talking when he was called upon and never acting out of turn.

Zi Yin had tried to talk to him several times, only for Fu Tai to clamp his mouth shut, hands balled into fists or outright leave the room.

Zi Yin didn't know what to do about it.