Through The Lenses of Time ♡ Liu Xiao x Reader | Link Clink

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He still lingered near your desk, but now, he kept his distance. His texts stopped. The quiet moments you had come to expect—his sharp eyes scanning your sketches, the unspoken understanding between you—were gone.

You hated it.

By the third day, you couldn’t take it anymore. After work, you found him outside the office, leaning against the railing of the rooftop terrace. The city stretched behind him, a sea of neon and distant headlights.

"You’ve been avoiding me," you said, stepping closer.

Liu Xiao didn’t look at you. "I told you. It doesn’t matter."

You folded your arms. "That’s not an answer."

A tense silence stretched between you. Then, with a sigh, he finally spoke.

"My father gets involved in things he shouldn’t," he muttered. "And when he does, people get hurt."

You frowned. "What does that have to do with me?"

He turned then, his gaze sharp. "Because you’re close to me. And that makes you a target."

The words sent a chill through you, but you held your ground. "So what? You think pushing me away is the answer?"

His jaw tightened. "It’s the only way to keep you safe."

You shook your head, frustration bubbling up. "That’s not your choice to make, Liu Xiao."

For the first time, his composure cracked. "It is my choice," he snapped. "Because if something happens to you because of me—" He stopped himself, inhaling sharply.

Your chest tightened. He wasn’t just afraid of his father. He was afraid of losing you.

"Liu Xiao," you said, softer now, stepping closer. "I’m not going anywhere."

His hands clenched at his sides, as if he was fighting something within himself. And then, in a moment of weakness—or maybe something else—his fingers brushed against yours. It was hesitant, uncertain.

But he didn’t pull away.

For the first time, the walls between you weren’t steel.

They were glass.

And if you reached just a little further, maybe—just maybe—you could break through.