Nie Huaisang freezes in place, fingers twisting in the fabric of his borrowed tunic. It's a little plain for his tastes but it's better than nothing at all. He doesn't dare move, barely remembers to breathe as Xue Yang closes in, feeling more like a field mouse hiding from a predator in the wild than anything.

"If... If you want, I can recite poetry for you instead? Change things up for a little variety if you're bored with that?"