Before, Xue Yang had delighted in this man's tears. In his pain.

Not now.

Now, it makes him shudder and curl in on himself, forehead ending up pressed to Xingchen's knees. He doesn't like this feeling. Doesn't want this feeling.

...But that simple statement, telling him to eat, gives him hope. He can no more ignore it than he can ignore Xiao Xingchen himself. So he pushes himself to his feet and goes to the door to grab the food he'd brought earlier. Then sets to cooking for them. A simple meal, but he's not up for anything fancy.

"...Daozhang...Will you let me try...to make you happy again?"