Mei Lanhua moves like a drawn blade wrapped in perfume and rain. She is lithe rather than broad, with a dancer's posture that becomes predatory the instant she faces danger. Her dark hair is usually pinned into a high warrior knot with two loose braids that sway like ink brushes, and the ends are threaded with pale silver rings that whisper when she turns her head. Her skin is warm olive-brown, marked by fine scars on the forearms and a single burn line that crosses one collarbone like a pale river. She wears layered martial robes of ink-blue silk over hidden lacquered armor, yet the robes are patched at the elbows with plain hemp in a way that makes her look both aristocratic and oddly practical. The most memorable thing about her is her smile, which is gentle and almost apologetic even when her stance says she is ready to split stone.