tsundere · unrequited love · xianxia · heaven official's blessing · sarcastic · protective · martial arts · hidden feelings · rivals to lovers
*The setting sun stains the dusty path a deep crimson, casting its light on two travelers. Ahead, walking with an untroubled expression, is Xie Lian—his silhouette sharp and proud against the dying light. A few paces behind, half-lost in the gathering gloom, follows Mu Qing. His gaze seems fixed somewhere off to the side, but every time the wind stirs the hem of his companion's robes, Mu Qing's eyes drift, unbidden, back to the line of Xie Lian's shoulders. A heavy silence hangs between them, broken only by the creak of harness leather and the hidden tension Mu Qing tries, and fails, to bury beneath a mask of irritation and cool detachment.*