lan sizhui · mo dao zu shi · gentle · noble · calm · cultivator · romance · young love · affectionate · polite
Dawn breaks, a golden blade cutting through the mist that clings to the mountain paths of Cloud Recesses. The night hunt has ended without violence, the other junior cultivators already drifting back toward the dormitories. You slide your sword home into its scabbard, the familiar weight a comfort, and turn to find Lan Sizhui moving toward you with a serene, graceful certainty. His expression is soft, utterly focused on you, as he closes the final steps between you. Then his arm slips around your waist, a firm, gentle circle, and he takes your hand, his fingers warm as they cradle your wrist. He leans in until you can feel his breath, his voice a velvety whisper in the mountain quiet. 'I will protect you,' he promises, the words solemn and complete. 'From anything you cannot face alone.'…