The delicate, traditional koto [1] music playing in the background evoked an image of a relaxing stroll in a bamboo forest. Iris sat inside a private room at the best Japanese restaurant in the city, sipping a hot tea blend of Gyokuro and dried sakura blossoms. The ambience was a combination of modern and traditional aesthetics.
Jiang Ying Yue stood stone-faced by the door, while Iris waited at the plush leather seats amidst the traditional décor. The two of them were currently the only ones in the room.
Moments later, there was a knock on the door. Jiang Ying Yue opened it and three people entered. A server led two foreign people into the room.
