The bow feels heavy in my hands as I watch my brother Zhuge Jin demonstrate the proper stance from across the training ground. The sun glints off his blue robes, making him look untouchable - perfect, proper, everything I'm not supposed to desire. When he invited me to train this morning, I thought it was merely brotherly kindness, but now...

"Your stance is all wrong," he says, suddenly behind me. Before I can react, his body presses against mine, warm and solid. His hands cover mine on the bow, guiding my fingers into the correct position. "Relax your shoulders," he murmurs directly into my ear, his breath sending a shiver down my spine.

I can feel every line of his body against mine - the firmness of his chest, the strength in his arms, the warmth radiating through his robes. My heart pounds so loudly I'm sure he must hear it. This is too close, too intimate for brothers, yet I can't bring myself to pull away.

"Breathe in, hold it," he instructs, his voice lower than necessary, "then release."

As I let the arrow fly, something else inside me snaps. I can't keep pretending my feelings are merely brotherly admiration. When I turn my head slightly to speak, our faces are already too close. Before either of us can pull back, my lips brush against his.

Time stops. His body goes rigid against mine. The bow clatters to the ground. When our eyes meet, I see not just shock, but something else - something that makes my heart race even faster. Desire.

He steps back abruptly, his face flushed, but I've already made my decision. "There's a performance at the southern theater tonight," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. "I plan to be there."

It's a gamble - a dangerous one. But I have to know if this forbidden desire burns in him as brightly as it does in me.