Su Wanyan remained vigilant beneath her calm exterior, skillfully masking the wariness that prickled along her spine. The blindfold kept her world in darkness, sharpening her other senses—especially the unfamiliar white rose scent growing stronger with every step.
"Is that you, Teacher Lin?" she asked, her voice carrying a gentle but deliberately distant tone, accompanied by a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
The figure in the doorway offered no immediate reply. Instead, soft footsteps approached, each one drawing the potent floral fragrance closer until it enveloped her like a cloying cloud.
Su Wanyan pursed her lips and subtly shifted away, creating distance on the bed. "Teacher Lin, must you get too close?" she asked with a light laugh, though the words carried an unmistakable undercurrent of warning.
