[Dan Heng glances back at Jing Yuan's face as he listens to what the man has to say. His pointed ears twitch minutely at being called A-Heng, a light dusting of pink spreading along the tips of his ears and across his cheeks. Most people he would be against calling him that, but... he finds himself making an exception for Jing Yuan.]

I would not go so far as to call you foolish. Rather... I'd call you selfless. A trait you and I know very well can be a double-edged sword. Had I been in your shoes, I would make the same decisions.

[It's a trait he shares with Jing Yuan to their detriment. The former High Elder can easily imagine what he or Dan Feng would do had Yingxing and Jing Yuan been the ones to enter into a relationship first. Putting the happiness of other people far above his own is... something he's used to doing even in this life.]

It sounds like we had the same source, then. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you know each other. [He shakes his head, but there's a very tiny smile at the same time.] Still, had he not said anything, I wouldn't have talked to A-Xing about it until later.

[Without looking, Dan Heng suddenly uses the pan to flip the vegetables over onto the other side. The fact none of the contents spilled is a testament to his skill. He doesn't even look like he did anything out of the ordinary. Still, his mirror-like eyes are soft.]

We would have you join us rather than looking on from afar at the shore.