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

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The wind carried a faint chill, but Liu Xiao’s hand in yours was warm—steady. He wasn’t looking at you, but you could tell he was thinking, his gaze distant as if caught between past and present.

You squeezed his hand gently. “Liu Xiao?”

His fingers tensed slightly before relaxing again. “Hm?”

“You don’t talk about your family much.” It wasn’t a question, but an observation.

He exhaled, slow and measured, before finally turning his head to you. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something raw. “Because there’s not much worth saying.”

You didn’t push. Instead, you waited.

Liu Xiao tilted his head back, looking up at the sky as if searching for something. “My father only knows how to measure people in terms of their usefulness. And my brother…” He trailed off, a humorless chuckle escaping him. “He was the golden child. The one who was supposed to carry the family name. But when things fell apart, guess who got left behind to deal with the mess?”

Your chest tightened. “You?”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “It wasn’t that simple. I was never meant to be important—not to them. But when Liu Min…” He hesitated, voice dipping lower. “When he was gone, suddenly, I wasn’t invisible anymore. I was just… convenient.”

The weight of his words settled between you.

It wasn’t hard to imagine—being seen only when it was necessary. Being valued only for what you could offer, not for who you were.

Liu Xiao had always carried himself like someone who expected to be alone. Like someone who had long since decided that attachments were dangerous. And yet, here he was. With you. Letting you in, piece by piece.

You turned slightly, bringing your free hand to rest over his where it still held yours. “You’re not just convenient,” you murmured.

For a second, he didn’t react. Then, slowly, his fingers curled around yours, like he wasn’t sure how to hold on but was trying anyway.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I know.”

And maybe that was enough for now.