He Shun listened intently, every word Luan Xie spoke tugging at something deep within him. The story of betrayal, loss, and the heavy weight of being wronged—it was all too much to bear. He felt a pang of guilt for how he had misjudged Luan Xie, seeing only the cold exterior without ever trying to understand the pain that had shaped it.
As Luan Xie's tale came to an end, the silence between them was thick with unspoken emotions. He Shun could see the anguish in Luan Xie's eyes, the hurt that had never fully healed. It made him want to reach out, to bridge the gap that had always been there between them.
Slowly, He Shun knelt down on the grass in front of Luan Xie, his heart aching for the man before him. He reached out, taking Luan Xie's hands into his own. They were cold, almost as if the warmth had been drained from them along with every bit of trust and love Luan Xie once had. He Shun held them gently, his thumb brushing over Luan Xie's knuckles in a soothing motion.
"I'm sorry," He Shun whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry."
Luan Xie looked down at their joined hands, his expression unreadable. But He Shun could feel the slight tremor in Luan Xie's fingers, the smallest sign that his touch was reaching him.
"You didn't deserve any of this," He Shun continued, his voice trembling. "And I'm sorry for judging you before… for not seeing what you've been through."
Luan Xie's gaze softened, just a fraction, and He Shun could see the pain etched deep in his eyes. He wished he could take it all away, make it right somehow, but he knew that no words could ever fully heal the wounds Luan Xie carried.
"I've been wrong about so much," He Shun admitted, his hands squeezing Luan Xie's a little tighter. "But I don't want to be wrong about you anymore."
For a moment, Luan Xie remained silent, his eyes searching He Shun's face as if trying to find something there. And then, slowly, he let out a shaky breath, his shoulders relaxing just a little.
"I don't need your pity," Luan Xie said quietly, though there was a vulnerability in his tone that hadn't been there before. "I don't want you to feel sorry for me."
He Shun shook his head, his eyes never leaving Luan Xie's. "It's not pity," he said softly. "It's… I don't know what it is yet, but I know I care about you. And I want to understand you, to really see you."
Luan Xie looked away, his expression conflicted. He had spent so long building up walls around his heart, protecting himself from the world that had hurt him so deeply. But now, with He Shun kneeling before him, holding his hands so tenderly, Luan Xie felt those walls start to crack, just a little.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," Luan Xie murmured, his voice almost breaking. "I'm not… I'm not who you think I am."
"I want to know who you really are," He Shun said, his voice filled with quiet determination. "And I'm not going anywhere."
For the first time in a long time, Luan Xie felt a glimmer of hope, a small spark that maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to be alone anymore. He looked back at He Shun, his heart pounding in his chest, and for a moment, he allowed himself to believe that there could be something more, something beyond the pain and the bitterness.
And in that moment, with He Shun's hands holding his so gently, Luan Xie felt a tear slip down his cheek. It was a single tear, but it carried with it all the years of hurt, betrayal, and the loneliness he had endured. And as He Shun reached up to wipe it away, Luan Xie let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"I don't know if I can do this," Luan Xie whispered, his voice fragile.
"You don't have to do it alone," He Shun replied, his voice steady and full of promise. "I'm here, Luan Xie. I'm here."
For the first time, Luan Xie finally let his feelings out completely, something he hadn't done in years. With He Shun by his side, offering a kind of companionship that felt both foreign and comforting, Luan Xie began to feel a small but growing sense of safety—a feeling he had long thought lost.
Unknown to the two men, someone else was listening to their conversation. Hidden in the shadows, the figure watched with keen eyes, taking in every word exchanged between Luan Xie and He Shun. It was the hooded man—he was careful, their presence masked by the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds, ensuring that neither Luan Xie nor He Shun sensed they were being watched.
He Shun hesitated for a moment, unsure if this was what Luan Xie needed, but the sight of him so broken down pushed away any doubts. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Luan Xie, pulling him close. His embrace was firm yet gentle, as if he wanted to protect him from all the pain he'd just shared.
Luan Xie stiffened at first, unaccustomed to such tender gestures, but He Shun's warmth was undeniable. He let himself melt into the embrace, feeling the steady beat of He Shun's heart against his chest.
He Shun buried his face in Luan Xie's shoulder, his voice soft and full of emotion. "You don't have to be alone anymore," he murmured, tightening his hold, as if he could somehow ease the burden Luan Xie had been carrying for so long. "I'm here with you."
Luan Xie felt a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him—fear, relief, and something else he couldn't quite name. He wasn't used to being this close to someone, especially not like this, with his guard down and his heart exposed. But there was something about He Shun's touch that made him want to let go, just for a moment.
He Shun's hands gently moved up and down Luan Xie's back, his touch soothing, almost like he was trying to erase the pain with every stroke. Luan Xie found himself leaning into it, craving the warmth and comfort that he had denied himself for so long. It was a feeling he hadn't allowed himself to imagine, and now that he was here, it was overwhelming.
"You don't have to be afraid," He Shun whispered, his lips brushing against Luan Xie's ear. "Not with me." The words were soft, but they carried a weight of sincerity that Luan Xie couldn't ignore.
He turned his head slightly, their faces so close that he could feel He Shun's breath against his skin. The closeness made his heart race, but for once, it wasn't out of fear or anxiety—it was something deeper, something that scared him in a completely different way.
Luan Xie's eyes met He Shun's, and in that moment, everything else seemed to fade away. The pain, the betrayal, the fear—it all dissolved in the warmth of He Shun's gaze.
Without thinking, Luan Xie closed the remaining distance, their lips brushing together in a hesitant, tender kiss. It was soft, almost like a question, but the way He Shun responded—pressing back with gentle insistence—made it clear that the answer was yes.
The kiss deepened, slow and exploring, as if they were both trying to understand this new territory they'd found themselves in. He Shun's hand slid up to cradle the back of Luan Xie's neck, pulling him closer, while Luan Xie's fingers tangled in He Shun's hair, anchoring himself to this moment.
When they finally pulled apart, their breaths were uneven, but neither of them moved away. Instead, they stayed there, foreheads touching, sharing the silence that spoke volumes.
"I don't know what this means," Luan Xie admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, "but I want to find out. With you."
He Shun smiled softly, his thumb brushing over Luan Xie's cheek. "We'll figure it out together," he promised, his voice filled with a quiet certainty that Luan Xie hadn't felt in a long time.
Luan Xie felt something warm and unfamiliar blossoming in his chest, a flicker of hope that he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years. He looked into He Shun's eyes, seeing the sincerity there, the willingness to walk this unknown path with him, and it made the edges of his broken heart start to mend, just a little.
He Shun's arms tightened around him, pulling him closer, as if he could shield Luan Xie from the world, from all the pain that had shaped him into the person he was now. And for the first time in a long time, Luan Xie allowed himself to lean into that comfort, to rest his head against He Shun's shoulder and just… breathe.
"I never thought I'd find someone like you," Luan Xie murmured, his voice muffled against He Shun's chest. The admission felt like a confession, one he wasn't sure he was ready to make, but it was true. He had spent so long believing that love was a weakness, a weapon that could be used against him, that he had forgotten what it felt like to just be close to someone without any ulterior motives or hidden agendas.
He Shun's hand moved in slow, soothing circles on Luan Xie's back. "You're not alone anymore," he whispered, his lips brushing against Luan Xie's hair. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
The words were a balm to Luan Xie's soul, easing the tension that had been coiled inside him for so long. He closed his eyes, letting himself be held, letting himself believe that maybe, just maybe, he could have this. That he could let someone in without losing everything.
He Shun tilted Luan Xie's chin up, their eyes locking in an unspoken understanding. "We'll take it one step at a time," He Shun said softly, his thumb tracing Luan Xie's jawline. "There's no rush. I just want to be with you, in whatever way you're comfortable with."
Luan Xie felt a tear slip down his cheek, but he didn't try to hide it. Instead, he let He Shun see it, see all the vulnerability and fear that he had kept buried for so long. And when He Shun leaned in to kiss him again, it wasn't just a kiss—it was a promise. A promise that they would face whatever came their way, together.
As their lips met once more, Luan Xie felt a sense of peace settle over him, a feeling he hadn't known he was capable of anymore. It was a quiet, steady warmth, one that came from knowing that, for the first time in a long time, he wasn't facing the darkness alone.
The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in that moment, wrapped in each other's arms, with nothing but the sound of their hearts beating in sync. It was a beginning, fragile and new, but it was theirs. And as Luan Xie held onto He Shun, he felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something beautiful.
But amidst all of this, two things were forgotten: firstly, they were being watched, and secondly, Luan Xie did not belong here.
As the warmth of the moment wrapped around them, the hooded man watched from the shadows, his presence unnoticed, his gaze steady and unyielding. He had witnessed the tenderness between them, the raw emotion that had passed in those quiet exchanges, and though he remained silent, his mind was already racing with thoughts.
He knew things that neither He Shun nor Luan Xie could imagine, secrets that could unravel everything they were starting to build. And as he stood there, hidden from sight, he couldn't help but wonder what his next move should be.
Meanwhile, Luan Xie, lost in the rare comfort of He Shun's embrace, forgot—if only for a brief moment—about the harsh reality that awaited him. The palace, the kingdom, the life he had once known… it was all a world apart from where he stood now. This place, this connection with He Shun, it felt like a stolen moment in time, something too fragile to last.
But reality had a way of creeping back in, of reminding him of the things he could not escape. Luan Xie didn't belong here, in this world that was so different from his own. And no matter how much he wanted to cling to this newfound warmth, he knew, deep down, that it couldn't last forever.
As the sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows around them, Luan Xie pulled back slightly, looking into He Shun's eyes with a mixture of longing and regret. "I don't know how this is supposed to work," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want to stay, but… this isn't my world. I don't fit here."
He Shun's grip tightened slightly, as if he could hold Luan Xie in place by sheer will alone. "Then we'll make it work," he said, his tone firm but gentle. "We'll find a way, I promise."
But even as he said the words, there was a shadow of doubt in He Shun's eyes, a flicker of uncertainty that mirrored Luan Xie's own fears. They both knew the truth, that the odds were stacked against them, that the world they were trying to build was fragile, precarious.
And as they stood there, holding onto each other in the soft light of the morning, the hooded man slipped away, unseen, leaving them alone with their fragile hope—and the looming reality they would soon have to face.