The morning mist clung to the ground, slowly lifting as the sun crept higher into the sky. 
Xu and Lin Hua had walked several kilometers from the Lotus Garden, through narrow paths framed by dense bamboo, and now, after a long stretch, they arrived at a secluded field. The grass here was tall and lush, wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze, and the open sky stretched endlessly above them.
"Come here, Xu!" Lin Hua’s voice rang out across the field, full of energy. He was already a few paces ahead, a bundle of bamboo sticks and paper in his arms.
Xu, slightly winded, slowed his steps. “Wait for me, Lin,” he called back, his tone soft, his breathing heavy. "You act as if we've not walked far already." 
Lin Hua chuckled and turned, standing in place with his hands on his hips. His smile was warm, his hair catching the sunlight. "You won’t learn anything if you stay so far behind."
Xu sighed, but a smile touched his lips as he approached. "What are you planning? You’ve dragged me all the way out here, and you still won’t say a word about it."
"Patience, patience," Lin Hua replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "This is the perfect spot."
As Xu reached Lin’s side, he glanced around at the open field. The air was fresh, untainted by the dust of the village roads or the noise of daily life. 
The scent of wildflowers mingled with the fresh breeze, and Xu couldn't deny that there was something special about the place.
Lin knelt down and began untying the bundle, carefully laying out thin bamboo sticks, rolls of white paper, and spools of string. "We're going to make a kite," he said, his voice casual as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Xu blinked. "A kite?" The word seemed foreign in his mouth. He had never made one before, and it wasn’t the sort of activity he had ever imagined for himself. His life in the mansion had been steeped in the rigid propriety of noble life, far removed from simple pleasures like kite-making.
Lin Hua’s hands moved deftly as he started to prepare the materials. "Yes, a kite," he confirmed with a small smile, clearly enjoying Xu’s surprise. "When I was young, my father and I would make kites every spring. He said that flying a kite is like freeing your heart from the worries that weigh it down."
Xu watched, fascinated by how easily Lin’s fingers worked, cutting and binding, shaping the bamboo into a simple frame. "I’ve never made a kite before," he admitted quietly, kneeling beside Lin. "I didn’t have this kind of freedom growing up."
Lin glanced up from his work, his eyes warm and understanding. "There’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? Here, hold this." He handed Xu one of the bamboo sticks, showing him how to steady it while he tied the string to secure it.
They worked together in comfortable silence, the soft rustling of grass and the occasional chirping of birds the only sounds around them. Lin continued to instruct him. Xu found himself growing more intrigued by the process. 
The paper felt smooth under his fingertips, the bamboo sturdy yet flexible. It was a simple task, but there was a strange beauty in the act of creation, of crafting something from nothing.
"Is this something you still do often?" Xu asked after a while, his eyes following Lin’s steady hands.
"Sometimes," Lin replied, his voice soft. "When life feels heavy, I come out here and let the wind carry my troubles away with the kite." He glanced at Xu. "There’s something about watching it soar that reminds me how small our worries are in the grand scheme of things."
Xu looked down at the nearly finished kite in his lap. His worries were not small, nor easily cast away on the wind. The weight of his family’s expectations—the arrsnhed marriage, the marriage ceremony, the constant pressure of his duties, and the confusion of his growing feelings for Lin as they were now lovers, could such things truly be lightened, even for a moment?
But there was something in Lin’s words, in his presence, that made Xu want to believe. He focused on the task at hand, and soon, the kite was complete. 
It was simple but elegant, with smooth white paper stretched tightly over the bamboo frame, shaped into the likeness of a dragon.
Lin Hua stood up, holding the kite in his hands with a grin. "Come on, Xu. It’s time to fly it."
Xu followed Lin to a small hill in the field where the wind blew stronger, tugging at their robes and teasing the grass into gentle waves. Lin handed him the spool of string, his fingers brushing lightly against Xu’s, sending a small shiver through him.
"Hold it steady, and when I tell you, let go," Lin instructed, positioning the kite for launch. "The wind will do the rest."
Xu nodded, his heart beating faster as he held the spool tightly. He was very excited. 
Lin let the kite catch the breeze, and with a firm command, "Now!" Xu released the string. 
The kite wavered for a moment, then, as if finding its wings, it soared into the sky. Xu let out a small, surprised laugh as he watched it rise higher and higher, the string unraveling in his hands.
"It’s flying," Xu shouted, his eyes wide with wonder.
Lin stood beside him, watching the kite with a satisfied smile. "Of course it’s flying. See how the wind carries it so easily? Just like that, you’ve let something go."
Xu gazed at the kite, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. The troubles that had been gnawing at him—his fears, his insecurities, the impossible nature of their love—seemed to fade into the background, carried away by the breeze just as Lin had promised. For this brief moment, the world felt wide open, and Xu could breathe freely.
Lin looked at him, his voice soft and warm. "You see, Xu, sometimes we hold on too tightly to the things that weigh us down. But when we let go, even just a little, we realize how much lighter we can feel."
Xu turned his gaze from the kite to Lin, his heart swelling with gratitude and affection. "You make it sound so simple."
"It’s not simple," Lin admitted, stepping closer. "But it’s worth trying." He reached out and gently took the spool from Xu’s hands, wrapping his fingers around it. "And you don’t have to do it alone."
For a moment, they stood in silence, the kite dancing high above them, its tail fluttering in the wind. Xu could feel the warmth of Lin’s hand against his, the closeness between them growing stronger with each passing second.
Suddenly, Lin grinned mischievously and yanked the spool, causing the kite to dip and dive. "Come on, Xu!" he shouted, his eyes sparkling. Without warning, he took off running down the hill, the kite trailing behind him in wide loops.
Xu hesitated only for a second before laughing and chasing after him. The two of them raced through the field, their robes billowing out behind them, the sound of their laughter filling the air. The kite soared and dipped above them as they ran, free and untethered, just like their hearts in that moment.
Lin was fast, but Xu caught up, grabbing hold of his robe and pulling him to the ground in a playful tackle. They tumbled together into the soft grass, both breathless and laughing, their bodies tangled together.
Lin lay on his back, his chest heaving from exertion, his hair splayed out on the grass like dark silk. Xu propped himself up on one elbow beside him, his fingers brushing a stray blade of grass from Lin’s forehead.
"You’ve got grass in your hair," Xu said, smiling as he reached out to smooth it away.
Lin caught his wrist, his eyes locking onto Xu’s with an intensity that made Xu’s breath catch in his throat. 
The laughter faded, replaced by a sudden, charged stillness between them. Lin’s hand slid from Xu’s wrist to cup the side of his face, his thumb tracing the line of Xu’s jaw.
"Xu," Lin whispered, his voice low and filled with something deeper than words.
Without thinking, Xu leaned in, their lips meeting in a soft, tender kiss. It was gentle at first, a tentative exploration, but as their hands found each other in the grass, the kiss deepened. 
Xu’s heart raced, not from exertion, but from the overwhelming emotion flooding through him.
For a long moment, there was nothing else in the world but the two of them, lying together in the green field, the kite still soaring above them like a silent witness to their shared joy.
When they finally pulled apart, Lin smiled, his thumb brushing against Xu’s lips. "You see, Xu," he murmured, his voice full of affection, "some things are worth holding on to, no matter what the world says."
Xu, breathless and dazed, nodded, his heart full. "I understand now, Lin," he whispered. "I understand."