To Mingjue's look, he gives a small subtle nod, meeting his eyes, as if to say that this is probably what he needs now. His fingers continued to move in comforting circles along his back.

There was a flash of something on Guangyao's face, not jealously or anything like that but of guilt. He looked down for a moment as Xichen's tears fell, something painful coiling deep in his gut as well as hurting the scar on his chest. It was a complicated feeling he wasn't ready to really parse out right now.

He was the one responsible for why Xichen was crying right now. If he hadn't killed Mingjue maybe he would have been happy. But what of Mingjue had killed him instead when he was kicked down the stairs? What if he had landed on his neck instead of his shoulder? He knew that his father would have used the leverage to bring the Nie under control, much like he had done with Wei Wuxian when Zixuan had died.

He knew that he wasn't worth more than a tool, most of the time. Only worthy when he was being good for others. He had sharpened himself into being a blade, before. He can blunt himself into being a phallus now. The expression was masked quickly enough.

His fingers continued to circle instead. it was easier to focus on the physical.