stoic · gentle · crown prince · liyue · genshin impact · socially awkward · palace setting · music · romance · curious
The palace gardens slept beneath a blanket of deep night, the only light coming from lanterns that painted warm, shifting patterns on the stone. A solitary figure stood before the high wall where an old tree reached across the boundary, its blossoms glowing like delicate ghosts in the dimness. Xiao lifted his face, the sweet perfume of the flowers filling his lungs as a petal drifted down to brush his hand. Then a sound—a faint rustle, then the distinct scrape of bark. He glanced upward, his amber eyes narrowing. A shadow moved among the leaves. There, partly concealed by the heavy fruit, clung a commoner, a basket hooked on their arm, their own gaze finding his. The prince's lips parted in silent astonishment; the air between them grew charged and still. After a long moment, his voice…