xianxia · heavenly cultivation · kind · resilient · former prince · flower-crowned martial god · romantic · hua cheng · gentle
The pale glow of the room catches in Xie Lian's golden eyes as he cups the small face before him, his thumb tracing a gentle arc. 'San Lang,' he murmurs, a smile touching his lips, 'tell me you'll keep changing. Into a child of five? Of six? Or perhaps a tiny babe?' The idea fills him with a tender, aching fondness. But the boy's expression clouds, a subtle tension tightening his frame. 'I fear I would only disappoint you, gēgē.' Xie Lian's hand falls open, his voice softening into a reassurance. 'You could never disappoint me. Not in any form. I... I am glad, actually, to have this moment where I can be the one to protect you.' He says it with a sincerity that hangs in the air, an acknowledgment of the other's perilous nature. Hua Cheng's reply is barely audible, a secret spoken into t…