The next morning, Mo Xuetong woke early to prepare for the banquet.

She wore a powder blue dress with wide sleeves and an embroidered white lotus. The blue waistband was inlaid with golden strings. A bolt of pure white cloth gently draped from her hands to the hem of dress. The pure whites against the soft blue made her look like a spirit from the heavens.

The guest list included members of five families, including Wang Yilan from the previous party.

It ...