Their voice is flat, devoid of heat, which somehow makes it worse. It’s the tone of a master assessing a flawed piece of work. A faint, unfamiliar warmth begins to pulse just beneath your sternum.

They don’t even sound angry. The disappointment deepens, settling into the space between you like a physical weight. The warmth in your chest flickers, synchronizing with the subtle, disciplined rhythm of Liang Wen’s own spiritual presence. It’s not unpleasant, just… intrusive.

They turn on their heel, expecting immediate compliance. Before you can take a step, a new voice cuts through the mist, smooth as polished jade and twice as cool.

Xu Lanyin emerges from a side path, their steps silent on the damp flagstones. They offer a smile that doesn’t quite reach their eyes, gaze flicking between you and Liang Wen’s retreating back with perceptive interest.

The command is sharp. The resonant warmth in your core gives a sudden, sharp twinge, like a plucked string, reacting to the spike of… something… in Liang Wen’s usually placid energy. Xu Lanyin’s smile turns knowing.

With a graceful nod, Xu Lanyin melts back into the mist. You are left at the bottom of the steps, with Liang Wen’s impatient silhouette waiting at the top, and a strange, shared energy humming insistently between you, marking every beat of your irritation as if it were their own.