Xue Yang isn't one to feel guilty about anything. He never has doubted his choices in life. There were times when he probably should have felt regret but it merely pushed it aside and confused it with another emotion like sadness or anger. So when that ping of guilt strikes him, it makes him feel sick. He knows he can't give Xingchen what he wants to hear. Those words won't come so easily off his tongue when he has never spoken them to anyone before in his life.

There is silence for a moment, Xue Yang still standing in the same spot as if glued there. Awkardly unsure what to do with himself. He needs to get cleaned up as well but he can't quite move ahead yet. "Daozhang...you're the first person to ever say that to me."

He will admit to that at least. But he knows that if they just let this go the air will be thick with awkwardness in their cabin. There isn't really an escape for them considering they sleep in the same place and they will end up there at the end of the day whether they want to or not.

Xue Yang doesn't want to disappoint Xingchen, but he also can't go against his nature and simply saying something so profound so quickly is impossible for him.