[FADE IN]

EXT. HIGH-RANKING OFFICIAL'S ESTATE - NIGHT

As the gathering draws to a close, the guests begin to leave the pavilion, returning to their carriages and attendants. The night is clear, the stars visible in the sky above.

WIDE SHOT: SHIXIANG AND AIYUE

SHIXIANG and AIYUE stand at the entrance of the pavilion, watching as the guests depart. There is a sense of unspoken resolve between them —an understanding that their lives, and the course of the empire, are bound by the choices they make.

[FADE OUT]