Wang Yanyi was clutching "his" rusted sword, standing guard outside the palatial building with a menacing look on "his" face.

Bi Yan was sitting on the balustrade nearby, her naked feet swinging lazily below the railing like a pendulum. Cradling her head with both her hands and her lips murmuring something incomprehensible, she looked every bit the semblance of a carefree young lass looking up into the sky, counting stars. If stars could be seen here.

The ...