Yesss, it’s not literally about being able to smell the scent of water. It’s about how Xinlu feels truly at ease, with all his burdens melting away like salt dissolving in water. It’s such a beautiful story. Yuri once prayed that Xinlu would have his own water, and it turns out Yuri himself became Xinlu’s water, the place where Xinlu could rest ┗( T﹏T )┛
or maybe both lol. we don't really know what yuri smells like anyway. either way, this guy loves being submerged in water more than anyone and we all know this fact
You’ve got a point
remember yuri said water made him feel calm, as if it could wash away all his worries yet xinlu never understood this? because to him, it only brought back an "annoying" memory from childhood (the time he nearly drowned, something he had long since stopped thinking about but could never quite forget)
yet somehow, he possibly understand what yuri meant through the feeling of being beside him unconsciously. there was a quiet comfort that eased his mind and made everything feel a little lighter
maybe that's why he said he could smell the scent of water on him. it wasn't really about the scent, but the sense of peace he had come to associate with his existence
orrrrr maybe its just really a smell of salt water on him, idk man— yuri loves the water more than xinlu as far as i remember lol