Liuxian felt the change immediately. The weight in his arms went boneless, and the breathing evened out. He looked down and found that Guiying was already gone, his face relaxed in a way it never was while awake. The sharpness had smoothed out and the guard had dropped. There was only Guiying, asleep.
Liuxian remained still for a long time after that. One hand stayed on Guiying's back while the other rested lightly on his shoulder, as if touch alone could keep the world from intruding. The lamp painted everything gold, and the gap in the curtains split the dark in two.
My love.
He had said it, and Guiying had answered as if it were obvious. It was as if Guiying had carried that truth quietly and had only just decided to set it down between them.
