Huaisang had tried to keep Xichen out of his pretenses as much as he could but sometimes he was there and it couldn't be helped. In truth, the times that he had found himself in Xichen's pretense or not had been a true comfort because Xichen was true. He makes a sound of acknowledgment, he could be quite creative -- he had had to be his whole life. Perhaps he really could be useful here.

"You have always been so kind to me," Huaisang smiles slightly as he looks up at the other.

"You can as well."