Xingchen managed a small smile, without much humor but an attempt at reassurance.

"So long as you do not choose to write a sin that involves Xue Yang, it should not be too bad."

Not because he minded what the punishment would have written on his body, but because a reminder etched on on his skin would hurt his husband. Any price that he himself had to pay, Xingchen would. But if he could protect someone else, and Zichen most of all, he would try his hardest to manage that.