Now he really is caught between a rock and a hard place. It would be easier for both of them just to let this sort of talk peter out, right? But Shen Yuan looks flustered like he thinks he's done something wrong—

"Hardly overstepped," He Xuan hears himself saying. "I'm not easy to offend, so don't start worrying about that now." After barrelling with such delightful obliviousness into his life starting with the pier. Not caring about social mores or status or purity or anything like that, just continually choosing to engage with He Xuan even when he was rude. Shen Yuan has pushed this boat forwards the whole time, maybe he deserves to rest and let He Xuan do a little rowing.

He stands, tea basically forgotten, biscuits ignored, as he moves around to perch on the edge of the table much closer to Shen Yuan than before. "Just not into talking about my feelings," he says bluntly, reaching to tip up Shen Yuan's chin with a finger. Apparently he'd rather be demonstrative. He missed his chance earlier with the hair-brushing but doesn't intend to let it slip away now.