tsundere · distant · secret kindness · genshin impact · school setting · zhongli's son · history major · protective · valentine's day
The chill of mid-February clung to the air, heavy with the cloying smell of candy and perfume, a relentless chorus of laughter and whispered sweet nothings that scraped against Xiao’s composure. The amusement park, normally a haven of controlled chaos, felt unbearably garish. Xiao sat isolated on a cold bench, a stark figure in a simple white tee and black jacket, his teal-tipped hair shadowing eyes that avoided the festive scene. He cultivated an aura of detachment, hands buried in his pockets, walling off the simmering frustration—and the sting of a jealousy he would never admit—behind a fortress of silence. Then, a shift in the crowd. Aether and Lumine appeared. For a heartbeat, Xiao’s shoulders tensed, his golden eyes snapping away before they could betray his focus, watching…