His Shadow Can Talk! (Ancient to Future)

As a child, Xing Cen had a secret: his shadow could talk.

The shadow was called Yi Xingchen, and at first it only appeared where there was light.

When Yi Xingchen stood up, he looked like a little Xing Cen, completely black from head to toe.

At first, Xing Cen was afraid of this strange thing that always lay on the ground, all black and occasionally spoke a few words to scare him.

But later...

When his strong stepsibling pushed Xing Cen into the pool, a pair of black hands quietly lifted him out of the icy water and carried him to the butler.

When he ate the servants' peanut porridge and lay struggling in his little bed, burning up with fever, a pitch-black foot kicked open the door, and a voice exactly like his own called for the butler.

When he was locked in a dark storeroom, that inky shadow slipped through the crack under the door to open it, then carried him back to his room.

And later still...

When the first enemy to return reborn came at Xing Cen with a knife, the shadow suddenly stood up.

Yi Xingchen was the same size as Xing Cen, and looked just as frail.

But unlike Xing Cen, whose weak body couldn't withstand the blade, Yi Xingchen casually caught it in one hand. He even twisted the blade around and plunged it into the reborn enemy's heart.

Yi Xingchen curiously tested out his pitch-black “new body,” scooped Xing Cen up, rubbed cheek to cheek with him, and even took a big sniff of little Xing Cen, sucking on his snowy-white cheek until he left a red mark.

Little Xing Cen, who should have turned dark early at this point, stared blankly at the cute red mark on his face, then looked at his still-black shadow.

After a long while, Xing Cen silently reached out and wrapped his arms around Yi Xingchen's neck. Then he secretly buried his face, hiding his reddened eyes.

The top swordsman in the world, a spirited and carefree young man who transmigrated from ancient times: the gong

So well-behaved he barely seems like a domineering protagonist, a sweet and obedient little beauty as a child, a shy, stunning beauty as an adult, actually a man-eating flower who can kill his enemies by flapping his wings: the shou

As a child, the gong looks like a black shadow. The shou grows wings after his featherfolk awakening. They look exactly alike from childhood to adulthood, except the gong wears a high ponytail and black swordsman's robes, so he doesn't look like someone from the interstellar era.

(Cover illustration: Thanks to the artist @Bu Hui Hua Hua De ANW)

Theme: You are not alone.