Wei Zimo was born burdened with countless knots of sorrow and gloom, as if he were destined to bear the world's scattered resentment and grief. A cold, violent aura wrapped around his aloof exterior, while tenderness and timidity with nowhere to go lay hidden within.
He could always see through layer upon layer of appearances and precisely sense the weariness suppressed beneath Yan Xuanmo's gentle facade. He saw through every effort to pretend everything was fine and understood the silent suffering buried deep in his heart.
But the shackles he had been born with held him fast. He knew the gloom and violent aura surging around him could spiral out of control at any moment. Afraid that one step closer might burn the person he loved, he feared that his wholehearted devotion would become a chain binding them both.
So he was forever caught between approaching of his own accord and retreating in panic, taking half a step forward, then pulling back half a step. His heart was full of longing, yet every step was hesitant.
Yan Xuanmo was used to swallowing every grievance, burden, and exhaustion on his own. He gritted his teeth and endured everything, long accustomed to weathering every storm alone, never willing to reveal even a trace of weakness.
Beneath his mild and gentle exterior, layers of tightly wound defenses left no room for a breach. Even when his body and mind had reached the brink of collapse, he instinctively kept silent and held himself together. He refused to show weakness or ask for help, locking away every emotion on the verge of overflowing and bearing the weight alone.
One carried the burden of past sins and a violent aura, afraid to throw himself into love without restraint.
The other shouldered countless burdens alone, unwilling to lower his guard.
He saw through all the other's efforts to endure and pretend he was fine; the other concealed how close he was to falling apart. He could see the cracks beneath the other's calm facade; the other hid his own exhaustion, so close to throwing him off balance.
Their eyes met from afar, then both hurriedly looked away. Their concern lingered at their fingertips, yet neither dared let it fall upon the other.
They were two people whose emotions and destinies were entwined, born able to sense the imbalance and tension deep in each other's souls. Yet both were trapped by their own shackles, with no freedom to choose.
They longed for the warmth that was unique to the other, yet feared that their wounds would drag each other down.
They wanted to offer each other their whole, sincere hearts, yet feared that their shackles would bind them together.
They wanted to embrace and stop to warm each other, yet feared that an out-of-control bond would drag them both into ruin...
There are no frank, passionate confessions, no openhearted devotion without reservation. Every concern is trapped within the bounds of propriety; every feeling is concealed in their back-and-forth advances and retreats.
He wants to reach out and hold on tight, yet fears that too much pressure will crush the last of their tenderness.
He wants to let go, yet fears that turning away for an instant will make him lose this fated bond forever.
About this novel:
A slow-burn, niche, unconventional pseudo-ensemble story. This is my first time writing this kind of story, so please go easy on me if it's not very good orz (choices of the heart, the struggle between good and evil, xianxia with a healing theme)
I'm writing, updating, and learning as I go. I hope all fellow cultivators will be patient with me orz
I probably only know about new chapters a few hours or a few minutes before you do orz
Theme: Live just to hold on to a little sweetness; holding on to sweetness is what lets you keep living...
This demon cultivator is both good and evil [Cat Head]