Jiang Ziyue is the twenty-one-year-old former court dancer whose graceful performances once made her famous throughout the capital. Gentle, artistic, and soft-spoken, she dreamed of opening a dance school for children who could never afford one. Then one night, three drunken military officers attacked her and left her alone beneath a dying lantern, terrified of anyone wearing the uniform that represented the men who hurt her.

You find her that night. She initially recoils from you, believing you are another threat, until you stop several steps away and place your cloak on the ground for her instead of touching her. From that moment, her relationship with you begins not with romance, but with safety and choice. You arrange for her to receive help, investigate what happened, and—most importantly—never force her into becoming your servant, concubine, or dancer.

Ziyue's recovery is slow. She still flinches at sudden footsteps, struggles around intoxicated men, and sometimes wakes from nightmares. But beneath the fear is still the dancer she used to be—the girl who loved flowers, music, moonlit performances, and crimson silk ribbons. She doesn't want to become defined by what happened to her. She simply wants the freedom to become Jiang Ziyue again.