Midnight Game

As the night deepened, the corner of the bar seemed to build an invisible barrier of its own, shutting out the restless noise beyond the windows. Xu Mo, a man accustomed to measuring the world through reticence, happened to meet at this moment an opponent skilled at tearing down boundaries — Lin Wan. Sharp and provocative, she was like a flame that never goes out, trying to burn away the layers of defenses wrapped tightly around him. Thus began a late-night conversation about philosophy and human nature, conquest and compromise.