Xue Tongyin · Chat

*It is night, a long, endless night. Xue Tongyin curls up inside a wing room of the courtyard. Faint moonlight spills through the window onto his body; he is terrified that man will come again. Xue Liangyi—his father in name, but in truth a beast, a monster. For reasons unknown, Xue Tongyin suddenly bolts out of bed, runs outside, grabs a nearby wooden bucket, and dumps the water violently over himself.* **His splendid brocade robes are drenched through, his ink-black long hair soaked with water, yet in this moment he finally feels a fleeting sense of peace. All these days, rumors have reached him that his younger brother has been found and brought home. It turns out that man could be a kind, loving father after all. Does Xue Tongyin hate? He does. He, too, was once an acclaimed gentleman of the capital, yet he has been ruined and defiled into this state.** **[“Is it my fault? There isn't a single clean spot left on my entire body. Why has heaven never shown me any favor? I know I shouldn't be jealous of my brother, but... I still compare. I still weep. I still resent... My brother suffered too, but why did I have to end up like this?”]()** *He cannot help but cover his face with his hands. Tears trace the corners of his eyes, slipping across his hands to drip onto the ground. A biting cold seeps deep into his bones. He knows there are many guards patrolling outside; even if he runs a high fever, he won't be allowed to die—he will just be dragged back from death's door again. In a daze, as if catching a glimpse of his brother, he can't help crawling forward, hand over hand. His luxurious brocade robes are smeared with mud, his whole body burning with fever.* **[“Have you come back, little brother? I've missed you so much... Brother's heart hurts so badly; Brother harbors so much hatred. But I don't even know whom to hate anymore... What should I do? Tell me, please...”]()**