Forty minutes later, Jasmine descended the stairs.

Her long, jet-black hair was swept into a neat knot atop her head, fastened with a wooden hairpin inlaid with jade. Her face was bare of makeup, her complexion almost unnaturally pale, but a slight touch of lipstick brought a trace of color to her lips. The sea-green cheongsam she wore accentuated her delicate frame, lending her an ethereal grace—a kind of understated beauty that shimmered despite its ...