The room felt suffocating, the air thick with unspoken words. Tianwu's pulse hammered in his ears as he looked between Nian and Xianglu, the former standing with an air of cool defiance, the latter with an unreadable expression—yet something in his eyes spoke volumes. Xianglu's usual composure had faltered, just enough for Tianwu to notice the tension beneath it.Nian, ever the forceful presence, turned his attention back to Tianwu, his gaze unwavering. "You can deny it all you want, Tianwu," he said, his voice low but sharp, "but I know you. You're still the same man I knew. I still have a claim on you, no matter how much you pretend otherwise."Tianwu felt a flicker of anger rise within him. He wanted to deny Nian's words, to tell him that his hold over him was long gone, but there was something in the way Nian spoke that made his resolve waver. His past with Nian was a labyrinth of twisted emotions, each turn leading him deeper into confusion, but Tianwu refused to let it consume him again."No, Nian," Tianwu said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "You never had a claim on me. I am not yours to possess, not now, not ever."Nian's expression hardened, but before he could retort, Xianglu stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he faced Nian."You need to leave," Xianglu said, his tone firm, a dangerous edge to his words. "This is no longer your place. Whatever you think you have with Tianwu, it's over. And if you continue to interfere, I will make sure you regret it."There was a flicker of surprise in Nian's eyes, quickly masked by a sneer. He regarded Xianglu for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Tianwu."You think you can control him, Xianglu?" Nian's voice was laced with derision. "You're no match for what we shared, no matter how much you try to stand in my way."Tianwu stepped forward, placing a hand on Xianglu's arm to stop him. His heart was pounding, but this was his moment to take control of the situation. He could feel the tension in the room—the pull between the past and the future, between desires he could no longer ignore and the loyalty he couldn't betray."Nian, leave," Tianwu said, his voice quiet but firm. "You don't belong here anymore. Not in my life, not in my world."For a moment, Nian seemed to hesitate, his eyes searching Tianwu's face as if trying to find some trace of the person he once knew. The silence stretched on, the weight of unspoken emotions hanging in the air. And then, with a final glance, Nian turned on his heel and left the room, his footsteps echoing in the hall.The moment he was gone, Tianwu felt as though the air had been cleared, but his heart remained heavy. The emotions that had been stirred up by Nian's sudden return refused to settle. His past was too intertwined with Nian to simply erase it, no matter how much he wished he could. And yet, despite everything, there was something else gnawing at him—a feeling of emptiness where Nian's presence had once been.Xianglu remained standing near the door, his posture tense but composed. He turned to Tianwu, his gaze softening ever so slightly."Are you alright, Master Tianwu?" he asked, his voice gentle yet filled with concern.Tianwu nodded, though the words felt inadequate to describe the chaos swirling within him. "I will be."For a long moment, they stood in silence, the weight of the situation lingering between them. Tianwu could feel Xianglu's gaze on him, and though he had known the man for years, there was something different in the way Xianglu watched him now. Something deeper, more intimate, like an understanding that neither of them had ever dared to voice.Tianwu glanced up at Xianglu, his heart betraying him for a brief moment. His feelings for Xianglu had always been complicated, but now, with Nian gone, the space between them seemed to shrink in ways Tianwu didn't know how to interpret.Xianglu shifted slightly, his expression unreadable as he met Tianwu's gaze. "If you ever need to talk, or if there's anything you need," Xianglu said softly, his voice tinged with an emotion Tianwu couldn't quite name, "I'm here."The sincerity in Xianglu's words made Tianwu's heart stutter. He wanted to say something, to thank Xianglu for always being there, but the words seemed trapped inside him. Instead, he nodded quietly, his throat tight."I know," Tianwu whispered, his voice barely above a breath.As the silence stretched between them, Tianwu felt a strange sense of relief mingled with something else—something more akin to longing. He didn't know what to do with the feelings that were swirling inside him. His past with Nian had been complicated, but now, as Xianglu's presence filled the space around him, he realized there was something real, something tangible in the loyalty and care Xianglu had shown him. A part of Tianwu, the part he had tried to suppress, longed for it. Longed for Xianglu in ways he hadn't fully understood before.Just as Tianwu opened his mouth to say something, there was a soft knock at the door. They both turned as the door creaked open slightly, revealing Yuren standing in the doorway. His usual calm expression was absent, replaced by something more tense, more uncertain."I didn't mean to interrupt," Yuren said quietly, his voice thick with unspoken words. "But I think we need to talk."Tianwu felt his stomach twist at the sight of Yuren. His emotions, already tangled, seemed to knot tighter. What had started as a quiet moment of connection between him and Xianglu was now disrupted by the arrival of Yuren—another piece of the puzzle that was Tianwu's heart.Xianglu's gaze flickered to Yuren, and for a brief moment, Tianwu thought he saw something shift in the air—something almost imperceptible, but unmistakable. A subtle, silent tension between them."Of course," Tianwu said, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside. He turned to Xianglu, giving him a brief, almost apologetic glance. "I'll be fine. Go... rest for now. I'll speak with Yuren."Xianglu hesitated, his eyes lingering on Tianwu for a heartbeat longer, as if searching for something in his face. But after a moment, he nodded and turned to leave, his footsteps soft but resolute.Tianwu was alone with Yuren now. The man who had slowly begun to occupy a space in his heart, who had shown him kindness and care when he had least expected it. Yuren stepped further into the room, the tension between them palpable."We need to talk," Yuren repeated, his voice low, his gaze never leaving Tianwu's.Tianwu's heart raced. In this moment, he felt the weight of all the choices he had yet to make—the emotional labyrinth he was trapped in. With Nian's return and Xianglu's quiet devotion, everything had shifted. But where did Yuren fit into all of this? Was it even possible for Tianwu to balance the growing feelings within him?"You're right," Tianwu said softly, stepping forward. "We do."---To be continued...---