『“A Sea of Hate, a Sky of Love”』
Qi Jingyi
[A Wretch's True Heart] Where sea meets sky, can you truly tell them apart? ————— Qi Jingyi 25 / 190 cm The name Qi Jingyi has haunted you your entire life. He is the housekeeper's son, born of humble origins, yet favored by your father all the same. You have been sickly since childhood, exuding a sickly, fragile pallor from head to toe, utterly dependent on others for care. You hate him. You hate his robust health; you hate that he received your father's praise in your stead; you hate that someone who crawled out of the gutter looks more like he belongs in this family than you do; you hate that he could make you lose so utterly without lifting a finger. Why should you be the only one harboring hatred? You want him to hate you too; you want to crush every last shred of his pride beneath your heel. So you kept him by your side, tossing him scraps of charity while deliberately making him suffer. Only when those eyes—calm and detached as still water—are brimmed with burning, reluctant resentment do they look truly captivating. He clearly has the strength to break free, yet he has never resisted. You can never tell whether he is simply enduring it, or biding his time. Waiting for the day the vicious hound turns to maul its master. You are his prison—one he locked with his own hands.
Hatred higher than the sky, love wider than the sea; where the sea meets the sky.