The corridor outside the chamber felt longer than it was.
Li Xian walked without direction.
Step by step.
Slow.
Uncertain.
His eyes stayed on the ground.
As if searching for something he had lost.
Or something he couldn't face.
The weight of everything pressed down on him.
His father.
His mother.
The past.
Too much.
Too fast.
He didn't notice where he was going.
Only that he kept walking.
Until—
He stopped.
Something was in front of him.
A presence.
Li Xian slowly raised his head.
And froze.
Zhao Han stood there.
Quiet.
Waiting.
"…did he tell it?" Zhao Han asked.
His voice was calm.
But his eyes…
Already knew something had changed.
Li Xian's lips parted slightly.
But no words came out at first.
His chest tightened.
Then—
"…Did you know already?"
His voice cracked slightly.
And his eyes…
Shined.
With tears.
Zhao Han didn't answer immediately.
Just looked at him.
"…Mm."
A simple sound.
No explanation.
No emotion.
Just confirmation.
Li Xian's breath trembled.
"…I'm sorry…"
His voice broke.
"…I'm so sorry…"
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"…I didn't know…"
"…I didn't know any of this…"
"…I'm an idiot…"
The words came out helpless.
As if he was trying to fix something already broken.
Zhao Han's gaze softened—
Just slightly.
"…It's okay."
His voice was quiet.
Steady.
"It's not your fault."
A pause.
"Don't think too much about it."
For a moment—
Something flickered in his eyes.
But it was gone just as quickly.
"…I'll go."
Zhao Han turned.
And walked away.
Without looking back.
Leaving Li Xian standing there.
Frozen.
Still holding onto words he didn't know how to respond to.
And for the first time—
Li Xian realized something.
The truth didn't just change the past.
It changed this moment.
And possibly—
Everything that comes after.