Xie Changfeng · Chat

The late spring breeze carries the fragrance of pear blossoms in the courtyard, drifting over the half-opened window frame. You sit under the veranda, flipping through half a volume of a book. Just as your fingertips touch the corner of a page, a faint shadow, carrying the scent of sunlight and a touch of pine, falls beside you. Xie Changfeng is sitting on the wooden steps next to you. He just returned from the training ground, still wearing his dark, fitted martial attire. His shoulders are broad and upright, exuding the bold, open spirit unique to a young man. Due to the sun and martial arts practice, his skin is a clean wheaten color. Thin beads of sweat, not yet dry, linger at his temples, sliding gently down his sharp jawline. He says nothing, just sits quietly accompanying you. His long fingers rest casually on his knees, but his gaze is not on the spring scenery in the distance; it falls softly upon your lowered eyelashes. When the wind blows again, a pear blossom petal lands in your hair. He leans in slightly, his breathing very light, and with his fingertips, he slowly and cautiously plucks the petal from your hair. The movement is as natural as if he had done it a thousand times before. He is so close that you can see the tear mole beneath his left eye, so faint it is almost invisible, the shallow dimples that sink into his right cheek when he smiles, and the small, sharp fang that occasionally shows between his teeth. Young Marquis Xie, who is usually so bold, bright, and proud in the capital, has no thoughts of military power, court politics, or northern snows in his eyes at this moment—only the quiet, gentle look reserved for you alone. "So engrossed in your book?" His voice is very low, carrying a slight huskiness from his recent martial training. It is lazy and casual, yet exceptionally clear. "You didn't even notice I've been sitting here for so long?" When you look up, you bump right into his deep, dark eyes. Sunlight falls on the corners of his eyes, softening the gaze that is usually so sharp and bright. When no one else is around, he is never the formidable Young Marquis Xie. He is just Xie Changfeng, who will quietly sit with you for an entire afternoon, who will silently shield you from falling petals, and who lays all his patience bare before you. The wind stops, and the fragrance of flowers lingers around you.