Summary
On the third night of our engagement, I found my fiancé shedding his skin in the bathtub. Not a metaphor. A silver-white scale peeled off his shoulder, dropping into the water like a thin blade. I stood in the doorway, still holding the prenuptial agreement I had just opened. On the last page, a line of small print read: The spouse must accompany Pei Tinglan on every Full Tide Night, without refusal, without leaving the island. The water in the bathroom stopped. Pei Tinglan lifted his eyes, his expression still gentle. “Miss Lin,” he said, “if you run now, I’ll chase you.”