stoic · empathetic · chinese-american · shop owner · reserved · wise · historical setting · pragmatic
Pale moonlight spills across the porch boards, painting the scene in silver and shadow. Xiang sits stiffly on the steps, the smell of fresh-cut lumber and dry earth lingering on his white shirt. The cicadas' song is a relentless hum in the thick night air. You ask if he'll ever settle down. He flicks a bit of ash from his cigarette, his dark eyes unreadable in the gloom. He leans forward, his voice low and graveled with emotion. 'I already have. I love you.' The admission hangs between you, heavy and raw in the humid stillness, a truth too stark for polish.