The wooden gates to Xiao Yan's courtyard stood half-open, creaking softly in the breeze. A faint smell of medicinal herbs drifted out—old, dried leaves, the kind kept for years because the owner could not afford to replace them.
From inside, footsteps approached. Xiao Yan emerged, wearing a plain training robe that had lost its stiffness from constant washing. His hair was tied loosely, shadows of sleepless nights lingering under his eyes.
The moment his gaze landed on Tianzun, he froze. His pupils contracted.
For a heartbeat, his instinct was to turn back into the house, to avoid the meeting. Old fear and shame churned in him—not because he hated his younger brother, but because he dreaded seeing the same disdain he'd noticed in so many others. Years ago, when he was the so-called genius of the Xiao Clan, he had brushed Tianzun aside with arrogant words and a high chin. Now, the positions had shifted.
Will he laugh at me? Will he humiliate me like the others?
And yet… love is stubborn. Even with that fear, Xiao Yan stepped forward.
Tianzun's expression softened the moment he saw him. Without hesitation, he opened his arms and closed the distance, pulling Xiao Yan into a firm embrace.
"You've gotten thinner," Tianzun murmured.
Xiao Yan stiffened, then felt the grip—steady, warm, exactly like when they were children and Tianzun would shield him from the other brats in the clan. His chest tightened. Heat blurred his vision. He hadn't realized his eyes had filled with tears until one slipped free.
Xun'er, standing a few paces behind, watched quietly. Her lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. He hasn't changed… at his core, he's still the boy who protects the people he cares for. The sight confirmed her choice—she had been right to trust him with her heart.
Tianzun stepped back, his hands still on Xiao Yan's shoulders. "Come on, I didn't come back just to stand at your gate."
Xiao Yan managed a weak smile. "You haven't changed much, little brother."
"I've changed enough," Tianzun said with a faint smirk.
They exchanged a few light words, the weight of the past easing slightly. Tianzun glanced at Xun'er, about to ask if he and Xiao Yan could speak alone, but before he could form the words, she caught his look and nodded.
"I'll leave you two," she said, her smile unfaltering. "Go talk."
She wasn't upset; instead, her eyes shone with quiet pride. You're making me proud of my decision to choose you.
---