"You're not. I know you're not. Don't cry, now. I know you're not."
It was like a dam had been blasted away with the pressure of a thousand rains in a second. The relief had been so heavy on him that he couldn't hold it all back. That day Hua Cheng cried so hard his eyes burned, gasping for breath past his sobs, grasping onto Xie Lian like a life line. The embrace a warmth he hadn't felt in so long. He stained his robes. With dirt and soot, with tears and sweat, with every dirty thing about himself. His Highness just held his small body close, unmoved by his disgusting appearance as he softly reassured him in hushed tones.
"It's not you. It's not your fault."
