---Arc 3/3--- Dealing with the aftermath of everything left Xie Lian feeling overwhelmed, but he quickly realises that, the more things had changed, the more they stayed the same, especially in regards to his now bonded mate. Hua Cheng certainly changed a lot during his absence, but his personality and love for Xie Lian are still as steadfast and deep as they always had been. Despite the trauma their family needs to overcome, Xie Lian just knows that they will be fine eventually.

What if the ring that held Ashes of Hua Cheng broke. What if he never returns .................. ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴡᴀs.... sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ. ϙᴜɪᴇᴛ. ʟᴏᴡ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴀs ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴡ ᴛɪɴᴋʟɪɴɢ sᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟs ᴄʀᴀsʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ʜɪᴍ. xɪᴇ ʟɪᴀɴ sᴘʀɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪs ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴅᴏᴡɴᴡᴀʀᴅs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ. ʜɪs ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀs ᴘᴀʟᴇ ᴀs ᴇᴠᴇʀ. ʜɪs ғɪɴɢᴇʀᴛɪᴘs ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴄᴏʟᴅ. ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ɴᴜᴍʙ. ʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ɪᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴘᴀssᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʜɪs ғɪɴɢᴇʀs ᴛᴏᴏ sᴏᴏɴ.

┏━━━━°⌜ 愛 ⌟°━━━━┓ ... Love, what a strange concept. War, even stranger. Both are evoked by strong emotions- both are completely opposite- yet in many ways the same ... ┗━━━━°⌜ 愛 ⌟°━━━━┛ 「🕯 」Xiao and Aether Royal au∥𝄄 cover art by me♡