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

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You noticed it in the way his gaze lingered a second longer when you spoke, in the way his fingers brushed against yours absentmindedly as you both reached for the same document. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. Last night at the arcade had changed something between you.

You weren’t sure what it meant yet. But you knew you liked it.

During lunch, you found yourself stealing glances at him, watching the way he tapped his fingers against the table, lost in thought. His mind always seemed to be somewhere else—calculating, observing. But today, when he caught you looking, he didn’t glance away. He simply held your gaze.

It was enough to make your heart stutter.

“Are you free after work?” he asked suddenly, his voice quiet enough that only you could hear.

You blinked. “Yeah. Why?”

For a moment, he hesitated. Then, he exhaled through his nose, as if steeling himself. “Come with me again.”

A small smile tugged at your lips. “Another arcade date?”

His lips twitched in amusement. “Not this time.”

You were intrigued but didn’t press him for details. If there was one thing you had learned about Liu Xiao, it was that he did things on his own terms.

So when the workday ended, you let him lead you outside, into the cool evening air. He didn’t say where you were going, but his grip on your wrist was firm, deliberate. It wasn’t until you turned the corner that you realized where he had taken you.

A rooftop.

Not just any rooftop—one of the tallest buildings in the city. The skyline stretched before you, bathed in the golden hues of sunset, the streets below buzzing with life. The sight stole your breath away.

Liu Xiao stepped beside you, his hands in his pockets. “I come here a lot.”

You turned to him, watching the way the light reflected in his dark eyes. “Why?”

He exhaled, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “It’s quiet.” A pause. “And sometimes, I just need to remind myself that the world is bigger than whatever’s in my head.”

Something in his voice made your chest tighten.

He didn’t talk about himself much—he didn’t open up easily. But this? This was a piece of him, one he was willingly giving to you.

Carefully, you reached for his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. He didn’t pull away. Instead, his grip tightened slightly, as if grounding himself in the moment.

For a long time, neither of you spoke. There was no need to. The city stretched before you, the wind cool against your skin, and Liu Xiao’s hand was warm in yours.

And as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange, you realized something—

Liu Xiao didn’t just bring you here to see the view.

He brought you here because he wanted you to be part of it.