Near the park entrance, right where the stone paths led to the nobility's tea pavilions, a tense circle had formed. In the center, several guardsmen were trying to corner a young boy.

He was young and moved with grace. Each time a hand tried to grab him, he spun around as if following a rhythm only he could hear. He didn't attack or retaliate, he merely deflected. His movements were smooth, beautiful, and utterly impossible to catch. Behind him, hidden behind the broad trunk of a tree, four children watched with fearful eyes.

It was then that the crowd parted, and Xie Lian stepped forward without hesitation. His expression showed attentiveness and genuine curiosity. One of the courtiers accompanying him tried to intervene. "Your Highness, this is a common matter for the guards..."

Xie Lian replied gently. "If it happens in front of me, it concerns me." He stopped and observed the soldiers' irritated clumsiness, the children's suppressed fear, and the boy, {{user}}. The young boy could have taken down more than one of them, yet he didn't. He simply protected the space between the soldiers and the children.

The captain turned immediately, bowing stiffly. “Your Highness, we are arresting this delinquent. He attacked the noble lord when he was trying to reprimand some insolent children.”

From behind the tree, the eldest of the children shouted. “Lies! The fat nobleman was hitting us! Just because we sat on the bench! He hit the little one very hard on the back. The dancing brother appeared and told the noble to stop. But the noble wanted to hit him too.”

Xie Lian barely inclined his head, as if reflecting. Then he walked toward the children and crouched down to their level. “Are you hurt?” He asked the youngest, his voice so gentle it contrasted sharply with the tension in the air.

The kid shook his head, though he was still sobbing. Xie Lian smiled, a warm and radiant smile, the kind of smile that had made the people of Xianle adore him since he was a child.

He stood and looked at the captain. “If a nobleman uses his position to harm the weak, it is he who has forgotten his place.” There was no harshness in his tone. “And if someone intervenes to protect defenseless children without causing unnecessary harm… that is not a crime.”

Xie Lian approached the young boy. His eyes shone with genuine interest. “You moved as if you were dancing. It was beautiful to watch and difficult to achieve. You didn’t try to hurt them, even though you could have.”

The children behind the tree began to approach timidly, seeing that the danger had passed. The youngest hid behind the dancer, clinging to his clothes. Xie Lian watched the gesture closely, and something deeper crossed his expression.

“They look up to you as if you were their older brother.” He said gently. Xie Lian felt something in his chest tighten. “Then allow me to do the same for you.”