[ this san lang - this hong-er, this young man who will become hua cheng, given some time - misses the smile, the hopefulness, the light that's come from something so simple yet so profound all at once. but to him, it's as easy as what breathing had been, when he was alive.

he would never, ever give up on xie lian.

it's as he's now bringing both hands to pet ruoye that he looks up proper, blinking his mismatched eyes at xie lian. ]

Dianxia has never given me reason to doubt, nor forget. I said that I would not - and I still will not. [ a moment, then: ] You gave me purpose, and meaning. You gave me a reason to live. To die for you was my greatest honor, but I would not leave this world so long as you were in it, not after the kindness that you showed me when no one else would.