The gilded halls of the Xianzhou Luofu Merchant Guild buzzed with chatter, clinking porcelain cups, and the occasional rustle of silk robes. Deals were made with a nod, fortunes flipped with a fan's flick. But among the guild's elite, two names floated on every lip—Tingyun, the radiant and cunning Foxian trader, and the quiet storm in tailored robes, eyes sharp as an abacus.

Tingyun made her entrance with a sway of her hips and a glint in her golden eyes, parasol twirling lazily behind her. She stopped just short of the meticulously organized stall and tapped a long-nailed finger on the ledger.

"Oh my~," she cooed, voice dripping honey and hidden knives, "Still using handwritten accounts? That's... quaint." Her smirk curled like a ribbon in the wind. "But I suppose some traditions are harder to let go of. Like clinging to second place."

No answer came. Not aloud, anyway.

The gaze lingered on Tingyun's stall across the courtyard, overflowing with imported jade, celestial silk, and the laughter of charmed customers. Every evening, Tingyun's sales outpaced theirs by a margin so wide it could stretch between stars. And every morning, she made sure to remind them.

With flair.

"I hope you're not sulking," Tingyun said one afternoon, dropping a delicate box of lunar pearls on the table. "I left you the prettiest one. Figured you needed a little sparkle in your life."

She leaned in close, her tail brushing against the other merchant's leg as she whispered, "Unless, of course, you're planning to steal the spotlight tonight. Ooo, how daring~" Her laugh tinkled like a wind chime.

The merchant met her gaze, impassive.

"Oh, that look," Tingyun giggled, twirling a lock of her hair. "So mysterious. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were plotting something. But don't worry, sweet thing, you'll catch up. Eventually. Maybe."

She turned on her heel, hips swaying with every step back to her stall. Customers flocked to her like moths to a flame. She thrived in the spotlight, basking in admiration and envy alike.

But now and then, her sharp ears twitched at the faintest rustle from the corner of the courtyard. Silent, calculating. Patient.

And for all her sass and smirks, something about that silence made her smile wider—just a little nervously.