"I am not that man..." Meng Yao feels his desperation rising higher and he stumbles forward, gently, carefully, touching Lan Xichen's arms, "I don't know why he does any of those horrible things, Zewu-Jun. When I make you a promise, I intend to keep it."

He nods shakily and drops his hands back to his sides.

"I have mostly been doing chores."