.
Li Liang was confused. It seems like everyone around the Divine Oracle worship the ground he walks on but he is not in charge. He wasn't the one running the show, the older man seems to be in control: Zewu Jun. One of the younger disciples explained it to him: Zewu Jun is Wuxian's advisor and brother-in-bond. He was also the previous leader of Lan Clan before he passed on the task to Lan Wangji.
Liang requested a meeting with the older man and after drinking the tea offered to him, he hesitantly asked: "Zewu Jun, do you mind if I read your fortune?"
Zewu Jun was surprised. He did not expect such a request from Liang. The fortune teller sees his hesitation and smiles: "It seems you're the most giving one from those who traveled here. I just want to gift you something in return."
Liang extended his hand across the table and watched Zewu Jun slowly grab it. Liang sensed his emotions very clearly: "Why are you so confused?"
Zewu Jun: "No man exists with total clarity."
Liang raised an eyebrow: "You don't have to be defensive. I'm trying to help."
Zewu Jun purses his lips and says: "I've made many choices in the past year that I don't regret but worry over my.. adequacy in performing them."
Liang nods and closes his eyes: "You will find a new purpose in a few months. All you have to do is wait."
Zewu Jun smiles: "Brother Wei hates it when I tell him to wait. Now I understand how he feels."
Liang frowns: "The deities are showing me an answer but I don't understand what it means.."
Zewu Jun was intrigued: "What are they saying?"
Liang: "Don't underestimate what one might do to seek liberation. One man's salvation is another man's doom."
Zewu Jun: ".. interesting."
Liang lets go and says: "I don't understand what they mean but I hope it helps."
Zewu Jun scratches his chin: "I will meditate on it later. I'm sure it will make sense once the situation is clear to me."
Liang feels a little more confident and asks: "About the Divine Oracle.."
Zewu Jun: "What about him?"
Liang: "He's soul-bonded?"
The corner of Zewu Jun's lip twitches, threatening to turn into an amused smile: "He is. To my younger brother."
Liang seems awkward: "Oh.."
Zewu Jun: "Brother Wei is admired by many which makes my brother very jealous. Please don't take his aggression seriously. He threatens me sometimes even though we're family."
Liang seems disappointed but nods anyways.
Wuxian was looking anxiously at his soul-bond as he puts on his shoes. He's been waiting for the right time to ask him something and this is the last chance before Wangji finishes wearing his footwear and leaves to do whatever it is he does as the Excellency. Wuxian takes a deep breath and decides to be direct by walking towards Wangji and plopping on his lap to stop him from leaving. Wangji instinctively wrapped his arms around Wuxian's waist and looked at him in confusion.
Wuxian silently starts fussing over Wangji's robes and headband until the taller man grabs his wandering wrists and brings them down between them: "What's wrong?"
Wuxian sighs: "Nothing.. I just.."
Wangji kisses his hands and smiles tenderly at him, waiting patiently for him to summon the courage to ask whatever it is he wanted to ask.
Wuxian takes a deep breath and starts talking fast: "So.. on the way here, I was looking out the carriage window while we passed by one of the few poorer cities and saw a few kids eating from the trash. I know it's stupid but I couldn't help but remember how it felt to be hungry and desperate so I asked Wen Ning to go buy them food and hand them money so they don't starve or die from the cold."
Wangji pulled the nervous man close and kissed the tip of his nose: "I wish you told me. I would've helped."
Wuxian wrings his hands: "That's not.. That's not it. I kinda gave them all my money."
Wuxian smiles nervously at Wangji as he blinks at him in confusion: "Alright..."
Wuxian: "Brother Nie's wedding is soon and I want to buy them a gift I saw yesterday in the city.."
Wangji continues to blink blankly at him.
Wuxian sighs: "I know.. I'm stupid with my money. Jiang Cheng always calls me on it but I couldn't help it. I might have three jobs but I only get paid for one of them and.."
Wangji puts his hand on Wuxian's mouth to stop his nervous blabbering: "I am yours. What is mine is yours."
Wuxian kisses the hand covering his mouth and says when Wangji removes it: "I just need enough to buy the gift."
Wangji takes out his money pouch and places it in Wuxian's hands: "What is mine is yours."
Wuxian smiles at Wangji: "I expected a little more resistance."
Wangji leans in to place a gentle kiss on the underside of his ear: "I will take you wherever you wish to go."
Wuxian shakes his head: "Actually, I'm taking the girls and Wen Ning with me. I know you don't like shopping."
Wangji tightens his hold on Wuxian: "Biming."
A shiver passes through Wuxian upon hearing that name and he says: "If he wanted to hurt me he would've done it last time we met. Da Ziran is with me too. He seems genuinely scared of her."
Wangji gently pats the head of the snake snuggled to Wuxian's body and nods: "Alright."
Wuxian puts the pouch Wangji gave him in his robes and leans in to kiss Wangji before bouncing off of his lap and hastily grabbing his coat on his way out. He turns and winks at his soul-bond before disappearing, screaming back: "I'll bring you a gift too!"
Yuxio, Mianmian and Hweiru accompanied Wuxian into the city. Wen Ning fell back, watching them laugh and hop from one store to the other. He wasn't a big fan of shopping but he did enjoy watching people interact with his soul-brother.
Some revered Wuxian, offering him free items which he refused to accept. Some kneeled or bowed deeply acting like he was a God. Wuxian seems to take it well and used his charms to ease these simple people into feeling more comfortable with him. A boy runs towards Wuxian and jumps at him. Wuxian instinctively catches him and places him on his hip, checking if he is alright. The boy looks at Wuxian in wonder and whispers: "Angels are real!"
A woman runs after the boy. She stops before Wuxian, holding her side and struggling to catch her breath: "GUANG! You can't run away like that!"
The moment her eyes landed on a confused Wuxian, she dropped to the ground and bowed deeply: "Divine Oracle! I'm so sorry! He ran away from me before I could catch him!"
The boy was grinning happily in Wuxian's arms: "Mommy, look! I found an angel just like the one in my father's story!"
Wuxian chuckles at the enthusiastic boy and sets him down: "If I'm an angel, then what are you?"
The boy puffed his chest and said: "I'm the brave warrior."
The mother pulled her son by the closest part of his robes and whispered threateningly: "Kneel before the Divine Oracle!"
The boy did as his mother said and Wuxian placed his hand on her shoulder: "Please get up. I'm just a normal person like you."
She smiles at him and gets up: "I'm sorry if my son startled you."
Wuxian smiles at her, pointing at Hweiru who was hiding behind his robes out of shyness: "I have two kids. This one is a little bit younger than your son so I know how out of control they are. Don't worry about it."
The woman waves at Hwieru: "Hello. This is my son Guang. He's five. How old are you?"
Hwieru puts out three fingers. Wuxian was amused. He has never seen his daughter this shy before. Guang approaches her and says: "You must be a little angel too!"
Hweiru comes out a little from behind Wuxian's robes and smiles at the boy: "What are you playing?"
The boy tells her a story about warriors and angels. Wuxian has never seen his daughter interact with someone close to her age so he turned to the mother and asked: "Do you mind if my daughter plays with your son for a while? My disciple will stay with them so it won't be an inconvenience."
The woman bows deeply: "It would be an honor, Divine Oracle."
Wuxian gestures for Yuxio to go with them and she winks and blows a kiss at him. He cringes before turning around. His eyes landed on the only companion left, he saw the brief look of sorrow on Mianmian's eyes as she watched the kids play.
Wuxian pats her back and whispers: "I will reunite you with your daughter as soon as I'm cured. I promise."
She smiles sadly at him and says: "I have no doubt. It's just.. The interaction between Hweiru and that boy reminded me of Jin Zixuan. He was my best friend and I can't help but miss him from time to time."
Wuxian nods: "I will reunite you with him too."
Mianmian whispers: "Thank you."
Wuxian chuckles: "Don't thank me yet. I haven't done anything."
He pushed Mianmian towards the shops and said: "Enough dilly-dallying. Let's go find presents!"
Wen Ning follows them while shaking his head. He never imagined that the great Yiling Patriarch could ever be this domesticated. If he was honest with himself, he loves this shade of happiness on his soul-brother.
.