Luo Binghe can guess why he's hesitating, given how cagey he's already been with his true identity. Even though the mantle of Shen Qingqiu weighed on Shen Yuan—even though he was forced into it, and coerced to maintain it—it has been a shield placed between Luo Binghe and his true heart. Having many shields of his own, Luo Binghe understands the utility of them, no matter how much he wants every barrier between himself and Shen Yuan obliterated. And he can understand what a vulnerable thing it is to show Luo Binghe his face—something so personal—when things have already developed so far between them. Shen Yuan's hesitance speaks to how much he values his relationship with Luo Binghe, and fears the change or damage that could be done to it.

Luo Binghe understands these fears, but they are baseless. "My love," he says, twisting Shen Yuan's hair around his finger fondly. "Do you think any face is more likely to repel me than the one you currently wear? And yet your self, your essence, has made me cherish it."