All of them bear the scars of what he had done. Meng Yao can read others far too well to be ignorant of their misery. However Lan Xichen is, as always, a stunning and uncommonly kind man and Jin Ling is...

Growing up. His heart does a funny lurch as he listens to them. They don't want him to be isolated? They want to know what they can do to help - to prevent what happened before?

No one has ever given him that much thought or care. Meng Yao wonders, if he had been given this option, by Jin Guangshan or...anyone really...before this moment, would that have made a difference?

Surely it would have.

"Jin Ling..." he pitches his voice to be soothing, "I'm sorry I hurt you. I can say I wouldn't have killed you, but what difference does that make? I still held a wire to your throat and I destroyed your perception of my love for you."

He is far too good at that.

"I did something similar to you, Zewu-Jun. I took what you had given me and I threw it in your face as if it meant nothing to me." he closes his eyes, pained, "Without realizing it, I acted in the same way my father had treated me."

And as he watches these two trying to reach him, trying to reason with him, he sees the treasure he ruined.

"If you wish for me to stay in open communication with you, I consider that a gift."