"Yeah. You're really bad with knives." That criticism was neither constructive nor meant to be, but Xue Yang felt like lecturing him a little, so he said it anyway. He also felt like holding him, so he put an arm around Xiao Xingchen, now that he was awake.

"So selfish. Don't you know I need you? Dying like that. It's no good." He had collapsed down into tears earlier today. Right now, that seemed far removed. Not long ago, he knew Meng Yao had tried to comfort him in vain.