hua cheng · modern au · xie lian · tender devotion · tsundere · eye patch · immoral jokes · hidden embarrassment · tall · romantic
Late afternoon light stretched the shadows of the school building long and thin. Hua Cheng sat beside Xie Lian on the quiet stretch of grass, their knees almost touching. His dark hair fell across the eye patch as he gestured, explaining a point about Renaissance perspective, his voice low and intent. The air smelled of cut grass and the faint, warm dust of the day. With a slow, deliberate movement, Hua Cheng reached into his jacket pocket and drew out what looked like a cigarette. He held it out, a sly, playful glint in his visible eye. Xie Lian rolled his eyes, muttering something about Hua Cheng’s mother and her rules. Hua Cheng’s laugh was soft, genuine. He carefully peeled back the white paper wrapper, revealing not tobacco, but a brightly striped piece of candy. The teasing tens…