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    Summary

    "Xie Lian, come forward," she had beckoned to her son, the prince. A boy no older than Mu Qing himself, but that's where the similarities ended.

    Where Mu Qing's hands were calloused from chores and cold winters, Xie Lian's were delicate, untouched by hardship. His hair was neatly combed and adorned with silver clasps, his white robes pressed and embroidered with golden thread. He moved with a quiet grace that made him seem older than he was, chin held high, back straight, like he'd been born knowing how to carry a crown.

    Mu Qing had stared at him, wide-eyed and wary. The prince had approached with hesitant steps, glancing between Mu Qing and his mother as if trying to figure out how to act. And then—Mu Qing remembered this most clearly—Xie Lian had smiled. Not the kind of smile nobles gave to peasants out of obligation or politeness, but a real one. Warm and curious, a little shy, like he truly wanted to be friends.

    Mu Qing hadn't known what to make of it. That kind of kindness... it didn't feel real.

    Series
    Language:
    English
    Words:
    9,936
    Chapters:
    3/?
    Comments:
    10
    Kudos:
    42
    Bookmarks:
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