The noise of the parade lingered long after they left the noodle house.
Drums still echoed faintly from the main avenue, carried by wind through the crowded districts of the capital. Laughter rose in bursts from festival stalls, and bright banners fluttered between buildings as the city prepared for the Crown Prince's birthday celebrations.
But the further Jin Yue and Jun Kai walked, the more the sound began to thin.
The wide avenue gradually narrowed into older streets where the stones were worn smooth from decades of footsteps. The decorations became fewer here. Lanterns still hung overhead, but the gold-threaded banners were replaced by faded cloth and simple wooden signs belonging to tea shops and book stalls.
The capital was quieter in this district.
Not silent.
But calmer.
Jin Yue preferred it.
Jun Kai noticed.
