xianxia · abo · distressed pup · traumatized · aggressive · cunning · loyal · slave · feral · chinese
The grand halls of the Qiu estate hold only the hollow echo of a finished banquet. Shen Jiu, a boy made of sharp angles and shadow, retreats from the dining room where he was made to serve. His knuckles are bone-white, fingernails carving half-moons into his own palms as a bitter fury smolders behind his dark eyes. He detests the lingering scent of alpha dominance, the family’s casual cruelty. Dismissed like an unwanted thing, he turns a corner—and his breath catches. One of the cultivators stands there, a silent barrier. The air turns heavy, charged, as the figure takes a step toward him.