Lan Wangji found himself in a cold cave, his body and his cloud motive robes were drenched with water. There was another person wearing white behind him, struggling to stand from the shallow water they were in. The person was busy wiping up the excess water from his face with his wringing-wet sleeves and tidying up his clumps of damp hair. He knitted his eyebrow together to have a better look of the person who was shivering so badly after being immersed in freezing cold water.
"Lan Zhan. What is this place?" The person coughed out in a hoarse voice as hugged himself, trying to warm himself up in the bone-chilling place. His hair looked disheveled, and his lips were blue. Looking around at their surroundings with wide eyes, he complained, "It's so weird. The water is extremely cold but it's not frozen."
Lan Wangji recognized this person. It was Wei Ying with his wet white robes clinging tightly on his frame. He could see that his cheeks were flushed from coldness and his slender figure shivered like a leaf under the winter air. Even in that situation, the man looked effortlessly stunning, especially with those bright eyes. Flustered at the sight, Lan Wangji turned away and walked forward hastily to be a step ahead from Wei Ying, creating some distance between them.
Wei Ying sighed audibly at his action and trailed behind him, yelling, "Lan Zhan! Wait for me!"
The two of them continued walking deeper into the cave. The ceiling above them was covered with stalactites hanging down. The entire surface of the cave was glaciated, dropping the temperature to frost bound.
Lan Wangji halted as he saw a platform and an altar in the middle made of a cleanly cut rock slab; its surface was coated with thick layer of ice, making it looked like it was made out of smooth frosted glass. He turned his sight at Wei Ying, who already caught up to him and stood by his side.
Lan Wangji had gotten use to the cold spring temperature. Thus, this much of cold did not bother him. However, seeing the pale Wei Ying who was trembling like a wet puppy with his cyanosed lips because of just how cold it was inside the cavern, made him feel somewhat worried. He scanned through the area for signs of exit and potential danger. There didn't seem to be anything amiss here other than the icy cold temperature, so maybe it was really safe to continue walking towards the platform where both of them could stand out of the freezing cold water. Maybe it would help the miserable looking person to feel slightly better.
With that in mind, Lan Wangji stepped ahead and proceeded to walk towards the center of the platform with Wei Ying following closely behind him. As they got closer to where the altar sat at the end, there seemed to be something else lying on the altar. A white Guqin lay peacefully in the middle of the stone pedestal, its body glowed lightly as it was enveloped by the light.
He was only few steps away when a burst of whitish blue energy wave strummed from the qin and passed through him without harming him. He whipped his head around at the sound of Wei Ying's scream of surprise as the other was hurled backward several feet away back into the cold water. He lifted his foot, ready to take a step to help and Wei Ying's name was on the edge of his lips, but he decided to swallow it down when he saw Wei Ying was already back to his feet.
Rubbing away the water that went into his eyes and coughing the water he accidentally swallowed when he was under the water for a second, Wei Ying grumbled both in shock and annoyance as he checked himself of injuries, "What is that thing?!"
Lan Wangji turned his attention back to the Guqin from which another wave of offensive spiritual energy had already been launched towards Wei Ying's direction again.
This time, however, Wei Ying quickly ducked and managed to dodge it. As soon as the wave dissipated, he asked again with slightly louder voice, "What is happening? Why is it coming from me?!"
Lan Wangji took a moment to ponder the reasoning as he scrutinized the instrument from where he stood.
The engraving on this Guqin is the Lan Clan's seal. It will not attack me probably because it senses that I am a member of the Lan clan.
He came into a conclusion that the seal was designed to protect someone who was part of the Lan family. As soon as he finished his thought, another attack was sent Wei Ying's way once more.
Wei Ying's eye was widening at the incoming assault as he had yet to recover from the earlier shock. He quickly raised his hands and closed his eyes to protect his face in case he was flung backwards into the water again from the incoming onslaught.
Lan Wangji reacted quickly, and his hands performed a hand seal as he summoned Bichen to block the wave from assailing Wei Ying. The sword shone brightly, and a strong barrier formed before the attack reached the other person's direction. The waves stopped hitting the sword immediately and Lan Wangji dispersed the energy.
The shivering boy slowly cracked his eyes open when the anticipated hit did not come and he saw Lan Wangji's sword was hovering in front of him, creating a shield of defense. He breathed out in relief as he lowered his hands while staring at Lan Wangji's handsome face in admiration. At that moment, he noticed some movements behind the Second Jade and caught sights of some rabbits hopping and frolicking near the altar. The little creatures were all spotting the Lan forehead ribbons.
"How come these rabbits are wearing Lan headbands?" Wei Ying muttered lowly but still loud enough to reach Lan Wangji's ears.
Lan Wangji turned his gaze towards the bunnies with mild interest, wondering the same thing as the other.
"Lan Zhan, the headband! Hand over your headband." Wei Ying requested excitedly, as if it was a normal thing to do.
Lan Wangji frowned slightly, a little perplexed at the idea but did not say anything against it.
"Aiya, hurry!" Wei Ying whined at Lan Wangji for taking his time. He did not want to get attacked again, it was too cold as is and getting dunked in icy water another time was the last thing he wanted at the moment.
Lan Wangji took a glance at the water-soaked figure and without further ado, he leaped forward, landing by Wei Ying's side. He held no reservation or hesitation as he pulled down the ribbon that was sitting on his forehead and wrapped one end to his right wrist and the other tail to Wei Ying's left wrist.
Wei Ying was stunned with his action and just stared at the knots that bound them together while Lan Wangji tugged on it slightly, checking the tightness of the bond between them. His lips curved upwards in a sweet smile as he lifted up his gaze to meet Lan Wangji's golden ones.
Lan Wangji felt the tips of his ears were getting hot in embarrassment at Wei Ying's stare and quickly averted his eyes, unable to look directly at him for too long. The smile on Wei Ying's face grew wider and Lan Wangji wondered what it about that stupidly grinning idiot was that gave him such feelings of fondness and warmth every time he saw it.
The attack had stopped entirely now, and Lan Wangji gestured at the hovering Bichen and commanded it to go back in its scabbard.
Eyeing their wrists that was connected by the silky fabric of the forehead ribbon, Wei Ying's eyes crinkled, and dimples appeared in both of his cheeks as a smile spread across his face. He followed faithfully behind Lan Wangji as they continued to walk along the path towards the center of the island with the stone platform.
Wei Ying turned his attention to the Guqin that almost gave him heart attacks three times in a row. He muttered with curiosity clear in his voice, "I want to take a closer look and see what it is. It won't allow strangers to get near it."
His hands reached out to touch the deadly musical instrument, but Lan Wangji was quick to react and stopped him. The second Jade of Lan didn't want to take any chances for other form of attack that would possibly hurt Wei Ying anymore.
"Don't touch it. This Guqin is a rare masterpiece, and it's a powerful instrument. It will attack anyone who is not a member of the Lan clan. It must belong to an ancestor of Lan clan."
Wei Ying pouted in disappointment and tapped Lan Wangji 's chest with the hilt of his sword as a form of rebuttal. He justified, "I just want to look at it. I swear I won't touch it."
But of course, it was a lie. He stretched out his fingers and slowly inched towards the Guqin and Lan Wangji blocked his attempt again while glowering with a deep frown etched on his flawless face, "Drop it. Be respectful for the heirloom."
Wei Ying dropped his arms to his sides with a dejected expression on his face, he complained, "How can I get a good look with touching it?"
Lan Wangji sighed internally, feeling like giving up on talking with Wei Ying who was acting like a spoiled child. After a short silence, he looked straight at the Guqin which was emitting a soft glow. He could hear the sound of gentle wind buzzing in the air and he thought for a second before saying, "I have a way."
Wei Ying tilted his head in confusion as he was dragged to go behind the altar by Lan Wangji who then took a seat in one position; his wide sleeves flapped gracefully behind his talk figure and folded his legs underneath him. With their hands tied together, Wei Ying who had no choice had to bend down a little to allow some room for the Second Jade of Gusu Lan to be more comfortable in his posture.
Lan Wangji placed a hand on the Guqin, his fingers slide across the seven-strings porcelain white instrument, feeling the tautness of the cords. He then closed his eyes, began plucking the strings He then closed his eyes, began plucking the strings and playing a melody that resonated in the still air and in an instance, it seemed as if the whole world around him had disappeared. His spiritual energy was responding to him in ways that were completely foreign to him, his emotions became stronger, his thoughts clearer, and his senses sharper. His golden core started to grow restless, and his body suddenly became alert. He could feel his energy rising and spreading throughout his entire body in a steady stream of power before finally flowing out in a bright bluish light that burst forth from him like fireworks. That was when another presence appeared as if answering his call. Another spiritual force, the same as his own that somehow emitting familiar sensations of calmness and tranquility.
Lan Wangji slowly opened his eyes to see Wei Ying watching him intently while sitting onto the edge of the altar, right next to the Qin. The first thing that Lan Wangji noticed was the pure, unadulterated aura emitted from Wei Ying, which made him feel a strong connection with the younger man. That feeling was so powerful that his heart ached as it kept beating frantically. It made him felt something was going wrong inside himself and something he could not understand.
Wei Ying tilted his body forward and peered into Lan Wangji's and asked in a soft tone of voice, "Summoning spirit?"
Lan Wangji snapped out of his trance and directed his gaze to where Wei Ying's disrespectful bum was sitting on.
Wei Ying got up with a chuckle, his hand swept the surface where his bottom had touched a few times as if he was meaning to clean the evidence of his unmannered deed. He apologized although it didn't sound like he meant it," Sorry."
He smiled and Lan Wangji could see a faint hint of mischievousness in those beautiful eyes as the boy stood up beside him, causing his eyes to narrow slightly.
All of the sudden, the strings on the Guqin vibrated and a few tones of melodic tune filled the area as if there were invisible hands strumming the instrument gently.
Lan Wangji turned his attention at the Guqin, recognizing the melody. It was Qin language, the language that Gusu Lan Sect used to communicate with spirits. He focused on the notes that was played and interpreted it by the sounds. He spoke in an undertone, "It's her."
Wei Ying cocked an eyebrow at Lan Wangji's words, confused. He asked in a curious manner, "Who is it?"
Before Lan Wangji could answer, an apparition of a lady made an appearance from a corner. The woman had a serene expression on her face as she bent down to pick up a rabbit in her arms and walked gracefully towards them with a gentle smile.
Lan Wangji recognized her immediately as the former Sect Leader of his sect and the only female leader that had led the previous generation in her lifetime. Lan Yi. In a swift movement, Lan Wangji gave up the seat out of respect and made his way to stand the opposite direction, dragging his counterpart to follow his motion wordlessly.
Lan Yi looked warmly at the two members of the younger generation who stood in front of her and took a seat.
Lan Wangji kneeled down and bowed respectfully towards her. As both their hands was joined steadfastly, Wei Ying had no choice but to drop to his knees too.
Lan Wangji put both hands together and paid his respect, "Master Lan Yi, I am Lan Zhan. A descendant from Lan clan."
Wei Ying was still processing the entire situation, trying to make out of the sudden turn of event.
Lan Wangji tugged on their tie, signaling him to show some manner before the ancestor of Lan clan.
Wei Ying immediately understood the hint and lowered his head in greeting, presenting himself politely, "I am Wei Ying, a guest disciple."
With the introduction, both of them bowed low to the ground in unison as a form of utmost courtesy.
Lan Yi's eyes went on to the headband that binding the two together and she smiled approvingly at the pair as she received their salutation.
There was a brief moment of silence before Wei Ying decided that it was time to speak out, "Master Lan Yi, are these your rabbits?"
Lan Yi nodded her head in response while stroking the white furry ears of the bunny in her arm. She said smilingly, "They are here to keep me company."
The pair watched silently at the older woman as she sat there playing with the small creatures. Noticing that her spiritual body starting to fade, they couldn't help but let out their voice of concern, "Master Lan Yi?"
Lan Yi shook her head lightly as reassurance and told them, "Don't panic. My day is now coming to an end. I stayed here to repay my debt to my dearest friend. Now that you both have come here, I can fulfil my promise as well as deliver my wish."
Her words caused the duo to freeze momentarily at what they were hearing. They could feel how serious she was being and how she really wasn't joking.
"In nearest future, the world will face a war which would sacrifices thousands of lives, and it will start here in Gusu. Young ones, it is my humble wish to ask your help to prevent the disastrous bloodshed and to protect our clan. Please help me fulfill my last wish." Lan Yi said solemnly with conviction.
Her words brought chills through both the youngsters' bodies and they exchanged brief glance at each other. There was a brief moment of silence as the pair mulled over the revelation of the future events from the elder. Their hearts pounded painfully against their chest as they tried to decipher what was expected of them to do. Her request was simple but there was a heavy weight behind it. They both felt the pressure bearing down on their chests. However, they could not deny the feeling of obligation that came from deep within themselves, as they both had sworn to protect the weak and the innocent, and they would carry out that vow.
Lan Wangji was the first to break the silence as he bowed solemnly and made a promise to Lan Yi, "As the descendant, I will try my best to accomplish your wish."
Wei Ying nodded vigorously as he followed suit, saying, "
Lan Wangji turned his head to look disapprovingly at the person beside him and spoke in a hushed tone, "This is Lan's family matter."
"Lan Zhan, you can't stop me anyway. Not anymore." Wei Ying returned his gaze with determination. He then directed his eyes towards the ribbon that united them, pulling it slightly to convey his sincerity. He continued, "I may not grow up in Gusu but now as I am here, this is part of my duty too."
Both of them were silent for a few moments as their gazes remained fixed upon each other's eyes. Lan Wangji stared intently at Wei Ying's eyes, looking deeply into his soul searching every inch. He felt that if he kept gazing into those eyes, he wouldn't be able to tear himself away from the feeling of comfort, the warmth, the sense of familiarity, the urge and desire to be there with him. He was afraid of getting lost inside those clear eyes, so he stopped his stare immediately and averted them.
Lan Yi looked fondly at the couple as they continued to stare at each other and felt her heart melt slightly. She smiled softly as she knew that her wish had been granted. She spoke up gently, "Baoshan descendant was right. Please remember this, there will be many barriers and challenges that are coming your ways. I hope you can avoid making the mistakes of the past. Trust each other."
Wei Ying casted his eyes on Lan Wangji again and gave him a smug grin with a clear implication of 'I told you so', which earned him a frown. Then, he turned to face Lan Yi again and his eyes glinted with resolve as he added, "Please be assured, Master Lan Yi. I will do my best."
"Good luck. I wish both of you will achieve happiness no matter what it takes," She responded, smiling in satisfaction with the pacts that the duo had made. Her figure started vanishing from their vision rapidly as Lan Wangji and Wei Ying prostrated, bidding their final goodbye to the ancestor.
Before both of them could erect themselves, they were pushed by an unseen force to the outside world. Both of them fell forward onto the floor, with Wei Ying's body landed squarely on top of Lan Wangji's frame. Their hands were still tied to each other, as both of them were lying horizontally on the floor.
Wei Ying groaned slightly as his cheek collided with Lan Wangji's broad chest. He raised his head to meet an intense stare from Lan Wangji. He immediately realized how close they were and the position that they were in. He was hovering over the Second Jade of Lan and his free hand was at the side of the latter's head, effectively pining the handsome male underneath him. A glint of playfulness flashed across Wei Ying's eyes as he uttered Lan Wangji's given name like he was singing, "Lan Zhan..."
Lan Wangji felt his breath hitched and he swallowed a gulp. It was evident to see how much this statement affected him, as his pupils began dilating at Wei Ying's closeness to him.
Before anything could happen, Lan Wangji sprang up to a sit and gasped for air. Looking around, he was now all alone in his bedroom. The room was pitch dark but the moonlight filtering through the window gave light enough to see everything clearly. Wei Ying was nowhere to be seen.
He steadied his breath as he realized, he had another dream yet again. It was not a nightmare this time, but his heart was still thumping fast. He clutched the fabric on top of his chest as his mind went on a rollercoaster of emotions. His mind kept replaying the scene where he tied his ribbon onto his and Wei Ying's hands, connecting them together. His ancestor's wish also played through his mind, echoing in his entire being over and over again. There was something that felt unsettled as he thought of the meaning of this dream since it involved the foremother of his clan.
Is this just a dream or a forewarning?
He couldn't ignore it anymore. He could not shake the feeling that something big was about to occur and it involved him and Wei Ying. It seemed so real to him, and his heart started thumping furiously once more. The more he pondered on it, the more confused he became. He sighed heavily. He wanted answers. He needed answers. He might have to ask his brother for his advice later on.
But for now, he knew what he should do next as if he had gotten used being hot and bothered like this. Cold spring. He had to go there. Now.
Little that second Jade of Lan knew, Xiao Zhan jolted awake at the same time after having the same dream. He huffed and puffed as his heart pounded heavily. He felt like his body was heating up and his face was flushing with shade of crimson. He rubbed his forehead gently with his palms as he tried to control his raging heart as he attempted to calm himself.
What the hell is this?
When his thoughts were at a reasonable pace, he recalled back the dream and compared it a similar scene that had acted in before. The wording however somehow altered, and it felt more like a message. The words that were spoken by Lan Yi rang clearly in his ears repeatedly.
There is no such scene in the novel. In Chen Qin Ling, it was more on the Yin Iron. The prophetic lines were not in the scripts too. Also, it was not the same attire too. An d what did she meant by avoiding mistake of the past? What exactly did she mean?
He pondered over the question as his brows drew together. His mind drifted to the last scene that played out. He bit down on his bottom lip tightly as he suppressed an uncontrollable shiver. He didn't know if he should laugh, scream or cry at himself at the same time. He could remember vividly how their body were pressed against each other, he still felt the heat emanating from Lan Wangji's body and the way the man tensed up from underneath him. He had never felt such strong connection between the two of them. It was almost unbearable. All these sensations flooded his senses, bringing his heart to a violent beat. A strange burning sensation engulfed him as if his whole body was on fire. As if his heart was set ablaze. He smacked his forehead in an attempt to control the unbidden desire.
Xiao Zhan! Get a hold of yourself! Oh God, did I dream about Lan Wangji because I hung out around him these couple of day? This is really bad... Control yourself!
To Xiao Zhan dismay, if there's one part in his 'Wei Wuxian' body that he couldn't control, it would be his infatuation towards the body's fated partner. There was nothing he could do to stop his heart from racing or blushed at the thought of Lan Wangji.
Ahhhh! How embarrassing... I think I should avoid Lan Wangji for the time being. This is for the best. Yes, this is the best thing to do for now.
It is safe to say that right now, he really missed his one-way talk with his cat, who always lend him an ear whenever he needed to vent. Jian Guo always meowed back, alright? Don't judge.