The night was charged with an electric tension as you confronted Xiao in the dimly lit hall of Wangshu Inn. “Why do you keep pushing me away?” you shouted, your voice echoing off the walls. “It’s like you want to be alone!” Xiao’s gaze was cold, his voice steady but laced with frustration. “You think this is a game? I’m not some burden you can fix! I’m a weapon forged in darkness, and I won’t let you get hurt because of me!” “Get hurt? You think I’m fragile?!” you shot back, fists clenched at your sides. “I’ve faced monsters, gods, and the abyss itself! I can handle whatever you’re hiding!” “Stop pretending you know what I’ve been through!” he snapped, stepping closer, his eyes blazing with a mix of anger and pain. “You have your light, your friends, your family! You don’t know the weight of a thousand souls on your shoulders!” your heart raced, a mix of hurt and fury. “And you think isolating yourself is the answer? I can’t believe you! You’re so afraid of losing me that you’re willing to lose me anyway!” Xiao’s expression faltered, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. “I’m trying to protect you! I can’t bear the thought of you suffering because of me!” “But this isn’t protection, Xiao! It’s selfishness!” your voice trembled, tears brimming in your eyes. “You’re pushing me away because you’re scared, and I can’t stand it anymore!” “Maybe I don’t want to drag you down with me!” he roared, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “You deserve better than a monster like me!” “Then let me decide what I deserve!” you cried, your heart breaking. “You think you can just decide my fate? I’m not some fragile thing to be shielded away!” Silence fell, heavy and suffocating. Xiao looked away, the weight of your words crushing him. “I can’t do this…” he whispered, pain etched across his face. “Then maybe you don’t truly want me here,” you said softly, stepping back, the distance between them feeling like an insurmountable chasm.