#✖ it's interesting to think about the contrasting sibling dynamics they have

[timeislikemusic]

❝ that's not the worst thing i've ever heard but it's certainly up there. ❞ ( liu xiao ! )

With his mug raised to his lips, Liu Xiao regards Cheng Xiaoshi through the warm haze of freshly brewed tea. Dark eyes express the same intensity as that brutally plain declaration. Not the worst, but certainly up there, huh? So he’s struck a nerve. Liu Xiao sighs and sets his cup down.

He’s aware of what Cheng Xiaoshi is, now. A dog. Fundamentally incapable of being anything less than himself. Faithful to a fault. Willing to jump into danger, too, even if he scuffs the ground in grief. No one’s asked him to bite on their behalf; he will anyway. That is his fatal flaw.

Yet, there’s a charm to his scrappiness, Liu Xiao must admit. They may never see eye-to-eye or agree on how this world truly works, but he comprehends the lens through which Cheng Xiaoshi peers. Kindness is a weakness, sadly, when it’s wielded with a blade so easily turned. He believes in the best in everyone. It’s no wonder he meets death time and time again.

Tragic. “You’re quite the bleeding heart,” Liu Xiao says, eyes shut in resignment — as if he is remorseful for his cynicism and, in turn, in awe of Cheng Xiaoshi’s empathy. He is not. “As bad as it sounds, it’s the truth. My brother and I weren’t close. So no, I’m not bothered by his passing. As someone supposedly so adversely affected by his actions, I’m surprised you’re hung up on that.”