He tenses at those horrible words, then laughs shakily. "Alright." It takes effort not to retreat or hop into defensive biting. Zichen deserves better, has proven he won't abandon him or toss him away. Not even when Xingchen is with him.

But that glance to the wolf has him blinking. He swallows heavily as he's released, mind and heart in a bit of a jumble but he moves away, up the stairs to quickly bathe. He won't take long, his hair is still damp when he comes down the stairs a bit later, wearing looser clothes, perfect for comfortably lounging.