"I am not from this world."
Lan Wangji's words echoed in Wei Wuxian's mind as he eyed Lan Wangji up and down, taking in the serious and stoic expression on the man's face for a good minute. "Prove it then." He dared, despite his instinct was telling him that the other man was telling the truth. His heart began to beat faster as anxiety started to grow within him.
Lan Wangji was silent for a moment, thinking of the best way to prove himself to Wei Wuxian. He had no sword to showcase his swordsmanship and there was no Guqin that he could play to demonstrate his proficiency. Eventually, he settled with an undeniable advantage that he possessed and said, "Forgive me for doing this."
"Huh? Forgive you? Wha-" Wei Wuxian did not even finish when he found his lips were sealed shut and he couldn't say anything else. His eyes widened significantly, staring at Lan Wangji as though seeing him for the first time. He recognized this spell. He had experienced it multiple times before and he still remembered how it felt. It was no doubt that this was the very same kind. He gestured wildly with his hand to let him speak.
Lan Wangji released his silencing charm and apologized, "Sorry. That was the only way I knew how to prove myself."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Wei Wuxian yelled in frustration as soon as he was able to talk again. He closed his eyes momentarily to hurl all kinds of expletives that he could think of internally. Once he was done, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. "That... That was Gusu silence charm, right?" He asked for confirmation again, just in case Wang Yibo had figured out a very elaborative prank that involved learning some kind of silencing spell that was almost indistinguishable from the one of the Lan clan.
"Mn." Lan Wangji confirmed.
Wei Wuxian swallowed thickly, his breath hitching in his throat for a fraction of a second before he got up, pacing quickly around the room. He kept glancing at Lan Wangji with wide eyes, not sure of what exactly to do next. His hand went through his hair, "You are... uh... Lan Zhan?" He started tentatively. "I mean Gusu Lan's Lan Wangji?"
Lan Wangji nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "Mn."
Wei Wuxian continued gawking blankly at him for several seconds. "...How are you here? How did you end up here?" He asked exasperatedly.
Lan Wangji wondered the same too. "I don't know." He answered.
"Ahhh!! I should have known that something went awry when the Empathy session turned out that way." Wei Wuxian muttered to himself, thinking about how this happened as he continued pacing around.
Surely the gods hated him. Surely there was some god out there laughing at this situation or maybe even pulling the strings that caused this. And to think that he was just getting comfortable living in this modern world!
"Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian prompted after a while of awkward silence between them. "Why don't we try Empathy again? You are here because of it and maybe we can reverse this situation through it."
"Okay." Lan Wangji agreed immediately, following Wei Wuxian as he walked back over to the bed.
Wei Wuxian sat down on the bed and waited until Lan Wangji laid back flat on the mattress. "Close your eyes." He said with a heavy sigh as he lay down beside Lan Wangji put his left palm on the other's chest right above his heart and began to chant softly. However, before he could even do a deep dive into Lan Wangji's consciousness, the magnitude of their spiritual connection grew rapidly overwhelming that he was thrown off by it. It was so powerful that he felt like he was sucked into a vortex, being spun inside it violently. In short, the world was spinning too fast for him and he was feeling disoriented from both the dizziness and extreme sensitivity of all the sensory input. It was too much. Too much for his core-less self. This backlash was not one that his body could handle. He could taste metallic on his tongue and his head ran as if it was about to explode. He had to pull back but he was losing his consciousness.
"Wei Ying!" he heard Lan Wangji's voice calling him repeatedly. It sounded frantic and desperate. He opened his eyes just as the world came rushing back to him slowly. He groaned, feeling queasy and dizzy.
"Wei Ying..." Lan Wangji called him again, prompting a response.
Wei Wuxian looked up only to see Lan Wangji's face hovering over him, eyes blown open in alarm and concern. When he was finally able to speak coherently, he said, "That was... intense." He shuddered involuntarily. "Way too intense."
Lan Wangji frowned deeply as he noticed the blood dripping from the corner of Wei Wuxian's lips, he instinctively reached out to wipe it off. As soon as his palm met the soft skin of Wei Wuxian's face, he noticed something amiss. Something was wrong with this Wei Ying. His brows knitted deeper and his other hand went right above Wei Wuxian's solar plexus, trying to assess the Dantian, seeking an answer on the abnormality. And most importantly, he could not sense the pulses of spiritual energy that should have been there.
Wei Wuxian flinched at the sudden act. "What are you doing?" He rasped, pushing away Lan Wangji's hand.
"Wei Ying..." Lan Wangji began, his voice of concern, "What's wrong with your Jindan?"
Wei Wuxian blinked. He was already certain that this man was not Wang Yibo being a little gremlin, but this man was really someone who was from the cultivation world and well-versed in spiritual energy flow. Of course, he could discern his lack of Golden Core. "Uh, well..." He stammered, "I don't have one."
Lan Wangji froze. He might have Wang Yibo's memory but it had yet to settle fully. He finally recalled that this Wei Ying was the one who fell from the cliff. The one that he saw back in his nightmare. He recalled the sorrow he felt for this man before him and his heart ached. It didn't help that he was so used to his Wei Ying's bright spiritual energy pulsing through his body during their usual mutual exchange and he felt almost none of the energy from this person before him. He could feel his heart breaking for Wei Wuxian. Wei Ying.
"Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian's weak voice snapped him out of his stupor.
Lan Wangji stared at the pale-looking man. His lips trembled slightly as he tried to regain his composure. It was all too complicated. So many conflicting emotions that he didn't know how to process them right now. But he did not need to know that right now. Instead, he took a breath and asked, "Are you alright?" The man's well-being should take priority at the moment and Wei Wuxian did not look like he was in a good condition.
"Yeah, I think so." Wei Wuxian replied. He was still reeling from the sensations from earlier and the blood taste in his mouth didn't help matters either. It was an unpleasant sensation and he wanted to vomit. "It's just a backlash." He added, trying to ignore the nagging ache that started to take place in his skull and the spinning motion that plagued his senses.
Lan Wangji looked at him worriedly, knowing that said backlash was severe for someone without a core to heal the internal injuries. "Let me help." He said, taking Wei Wuxian's wrist and infusing his spiritual energy immediately.
Wei Wuxian was about to protest, afraid of more backlash but it seemed that the energy transfer did not trigger whatever it was that happened to him earlier. In fact, Lan Wangji's energy felt good and warm. It was the same as Yibo's. He could feel the dizziness gradually lessened and his body relaxed. "Thank you." He mumbled in appreciation, sounding thoroughly exhausted.
"Rest." Lan Wangji said as he continued the transfer, watching as the creases on Wei Wuxian's face smoothened and slowly succumbed to a peaceful slumber. He subconsciously reached out his fingers, tracing the side of Wei Wuxian's face. Wei Ying, no matter which version, had a massive influence to him that he could not deny. He frowned at the sight of a remnant of blood that stained the other's lower lips. He stood up, taking a breath as he looked around, searching for things to wipe the drying crimson liquid off. Thankfully for Wang Yibo's memory that he inherited; he found the stuff he needed without much fuss. He wiped Wei Wuxian's face carefully with a gentle hand, trying not to disturb the man's slumber.
Once he was done, he sighed. "Wei Ying..." He muttered under his breath. "What should I do?" He asked very quietly while staring at the other intently. His heart longed to hold this person in his arms in a tight embrace but he was contemplating to do so. He was aware that this or his Wei Ying were the same soul but their difference in personality made him think that they were two separate persons.
In the end, he spent the night in a lotus position on the floor, trying to calm himself through meditation and hoping to clear his mind enough to think of a solution as he waited for Wei Wuxian to wake up.
Wei Wuxian was awoken early in the morning by a phone call. More accurately, a phone call that came from Wang Yibo's phone. He opened his eyes blearily, looking for Wang Yibo but there was no one by his side. He sat up abruptly only to see Lan Wangji staring vacantly at the phone that was still ringing.
"Lan Zhan? What are you doing?" Wei Wuxian said, blinking away his sleepiness. "It's noisy."
"What should I do, Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji asked him as soon as their eyes met.
Wei Wuxian frowned before the recollection of what had happened the day before finally registered in his brain, "Oh... you're Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian said before he sighed heavily, "Who's calling?"
"Lele Ge?" Lan Wangji answered.
Wei Wuxian didn't look surprised at that and stretched out his hand. "Pass me the phone." He said.
Lan Wangji watched silently as Wei Wuxian picked up the phone and conversed with Wang Yibo's bodyguard in casual manner. Somehow, Wei Wuxian managed to come up with an excuse that he needed Lan Wangji to stay with him for another day. Then, Wei Wuxian was busy sending texts to a few people from both their phones before he finally lifted up his face, staring straight into his eyes. "Lan Zhan, do you have Yibo's memories?" He asked. He managed to adapt to this world in no time thanks to Xiao Zhan's memory that he inherited.
Lan Wangji nodded.
"Okay. Okay. That's good." Wei Wuxian said, slightly relieved with that confirmation. Although looking at how lost Lan Wangji looked, he could tell that Lan Wangji would need slightly longer to adapt to this modern world despite the memories. He sighed again before asking, "Would you want some breakfast before we talk about this?"
******
Wang Yibo observed carefully as Xiao Zhan was showing him how to ride a sword since they would have to ride one soon.
"Pay attention to how I keep my balance, okay?" He said, pointing upwards. "Like this." He said, shifting his weight slightly until the blade began floating higher in the air. "See?"
"So, this is just like riding a hoverboard." Wang Yibo commented as he watched Xiao Zhan mounting his sword, floating two feet above the ground without much effort at all.
"Yep, basically. But on air." Xiao Zhan replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Now, you try it." He said, gesturing at Wang Yibo to move forward slowly, guiding him to where his foot was supposed to go.
Wang Yibo managed to do a perfect copy of what Xiao Zhan did in one attempt, hovering above the ground with immaculate control. He grinned excitedly. "This is easy." He said confidently.
"As expected of you." Xiao Zhan could understand his excitement. After all, who wouldn't be thrilled when they found out they could do something superhuman like this? Albeit, he was pretty sure that Wang Yibo would have the same autopilot-like muscle memory to be able to do this, just like how he still retained his swordsmanship skills. He was just awakening it earlier.
"Of course." Wang Yibo smirked, proud of himself for being able to do it on the first go. He played around with the trajectory as he would with a skateboard, prompting a scolding from Xiao Zhan.
"Ahhh! Hey! Not like that! This is not skateboard, for God's sake!" Xiao Zhan said exasperatedly. "Come on. Stop playing!"
"I am not playing. I am practicing." Wang Yibo replied. He was clearly having a fun time flying the sword as he liked.
"Seriously! You'll get hurt!" Xiao Zhan exclaimed as he watched Wang Yibo fly with ease, maneuvering the sword playfully.
"But this is really fun!" Wang Yibo said excitedly.
Xiao Zhan rolled his eyes at him. "I'm glad you find it fun then. But that's enough of playing. Be serious for once."
"Okay. Okay." Wang Yibo said nonchalantly before he continued practicing flying the sword as he was taught, circling the area a couple of times.
"You did well." Xiao Zhan said approvingly as Wang Yibo landed safely by his side.
"You know you really nag a lot." Wang Yibo complained, sheathing Bichen back into its scabbard.
Xiao Zhan raised his eyebrows. "Well excuse me for worrying about your safety."
Wang Yibo laughed. "Why? Do you think I am fragile?"
"Not at all. You're probably one of the strongest people in this world right now." Xiao Zhan said, shaking his head. "It's just that this world can be dangerous. If anything happens to..." He trailed off, unable to say anymore.
Wang Yibo stared at Xiao Zhan, his expression turned a little darker, "You actually worry about him. Not me, right?" He asked.
A frown marred Xiao Zhan's face. "No... I..." He bit his lip, feeling a little guilty.
Wang Yibo nodded knowingly. "Right, I get it." He mumbled.
"Lan Zhan..." Xiao Zhan started to say but stopped midway. The look in the other's eyes made his words falter. He hesitated momentarily then finally relented to saying, "Look, you are not familiar with this world yet. I just want you to be safe. I am genuinely concerned about you."
Wang Yibo looked at Xiao Zhan silently for a while. Then he let out a deep sigh, realizing that he was unnecessarily jealous of his other version. "Fine." He said flatly.
Xiao Zhan pressed his lips together. He changed the subject, "We have to leave for Yunmeng in half an hour. We should go back."
Wang Yibo nodded in acknowledgement and the two headed back to the Nie Manor.
"Qing-jie, how's Father doing?" Xiao Zhan asked as he walked into Sect Leader Nie's room with Wang Yibo trailing behind.
"Better than yesterday." Wen Qing replied as Xiao Zhan approached her with an expectant expression. "I managed to mend the damaged upper meridian pathways. He should be able to recover most of his cultivation when he wakes up later."
"Good." Xiao Zhan replied, visibly relieved. "I will try to be back by then. Maybe next week, depending on the progress we make."
"Rest assured, I will take good care of Sect Leader Nie. Just catch the person responsible for this." Wen Qing said seriously.
"I will. Thank you, Qing-jie." Xiao Zhan replied.
Wen Qing took a glance at Wang Yibo, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Wangji, can you give me your wrist?"
Xiao Zhan's eyes widened at Wen Qing's request, "Ah? What for, Qing-jie?"
"Something is different." Wen Qing said, rubbing her chin in thought as she continued to look at Wang Yibo with discerning eyes. "Give me your wrist." She requested again, stretching her palm out.
Wang Yibo glanced at Xiao Zhan who eventually gave him a nod. He let Wen Qing have his wrist to do her check-up.
Wen Qing's eyes went slightly round and looked at Wang Yibo with disbelief, "How did your cultivation base grow this much in just a short period? It's almost doubled." She stated in shock.
"..." Wang Yibo looked at Xiao Zhan again, seeking for an answer.
Xiao Zhan smiled wryly, "Well... I don't know what happened either."
"Are you two rabbits? How many dual cultivations did you two do that Wangji literally ascended by one plane?" Wen Qing questioned incredulously. Her expression changed into curiosity, "Was the sex that great? Did you to go at it non-stop or-"
"Qing-jie, please." Xiao Zhan cut her off, feeling his cheeks burned at her question.
Wang Yibo blinked rapidly, processing what Wen Qing had just said before he looked at Xiao Zhan with an inquisitive stare.
"Ahaha, Qingjie, we'll take our leave now. See you later." Xiao Zhan said urgently to Wen Qing before he dragged Wang Yibo out of the room, ignoring Wen Qing's chuckle in the background.
"Was the sex-" Wang Yibo started.
"Shut up!"
Wang Yibo pressed his lips together, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud like a gremlin.
****
On the way to Yunmeng, Wang Yibo managed to maintain his Lan Wangji persona while riding his sword like an expert to Xiao Zhan's relief. His eyes wandered at the beautiful landscape below them, admiring every single detail. The world of cultivation while retaining most similarities with the world he originated from, was far more scenic and magical looking. It was akin to something out of a promotional travel pamphlet, edited and enhanced through Photoshop. It certainly felt surreal to be gliding in the air, high above the majestic-looking ground on a freaking sword.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Xiao Zhan said.
"Mn." Wang Yibo agreed as his eyes roved from left to right, following the curves of the land.
"Why didn't we just use transportation talisman?" Jiang Cheng complained. "It'd be much faster."
"The side effects." Xiao Zhan replied simply.
"I don't get it. Why are you the only one who gets severe side effects?" Jiang Cheng wondered aloud.
"If I have an answer to that, you'd already know about it." Xiao Zhan stated, sounding completely fed up. "Besides, you don't want your sword-riding skill to get rusty, do you?"
Jiang Cheng opened his mouth, ready to retort, before quickly closing it. He shook his head instead. "Whatever."
"Transportation talisman consumed a lot of spiritual energy too. You know that as well. You'd be out of commission for the day should you be the one to activate it. And I would suffer side effects which I do not want to suffer from. That would make things inconvenient for Uncle Jiang and Lan Zhan, wouldn't it?" Xiao Zhan reminded. "Also, it is better to keep it for emergency purposes. I don't have time to create more of it these days and Xue Yang needs to focus on training his swordsmanship now. The supply is limited now." Xiao Zhan added.
"Fair enough." Jiang Cheng mumbled.
"A-Ying is right. We shouldn't be too dependent on the talisman." Jiang Fengmian interjected.
Jiang Cheng nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Father."
Wang Yibo kept his silence throughout the exchange; he had no idea what they were talking about.
It was already the afternoon when they reached Yunping City. The city was bustling as usual and many people were going about their business. Jiang Fengmian led them to the store where he bought the lanyard.
"Laoban, was there anyone else who bought a lanyard of the same design that you sold to me?" Jiang Fengmian asked the shopkeeper.
"I sold a few of the identical items, Sect Leader Jiang." The shopkeeper replied, "The difference was the decorative beads. You bought the one with gold ones. Others bought the one with silver beads, white jade stone, and pearls." The shopkeeper replied. He took out one lanyard that was similar but with green beads on it. "This one is with green jade."
Jiang Fengmian inspected it for a while then handed it to Xiao Zhan.
"Hmm... It does look identical. That means, they could have buy one and swapped the beads." Xiao Zhan mused, handing it back to the shopkeeper after examining it carefully. "Do you keep track of the purchases you make here, Laoban?" He inquired.
"Yes." The shopkeeper answered. "I keep a record of each transaction I make here every single day."
"Can you show us your record book for us?" Xiao Zhan asked.
"Of course." The shopkeeper said before bending down and taking a book out from under the counter. He handed it to Xiao Zhan. "This is the record from last month until now."
Xiao Zhan flipped through it before pausing abruptly at a certain page. "Hmm..."
"What is it?" Jiang Fengmian asked.
"This is the entry for the day you bought the lanyard, Uncle Jiang." Xiao Zhan said, showing the paper to Jiang Fengmian. It showed the day of purchase, the item purchased, the price, and the buyer.
"Yes, that's correct." Jiang Fengmian confirmed the details.
Xiao Zhan continued scanning the list quickly before he stopped again. He raised an eyebrow. "Huh? A Gusu Lan disciple?" Xiao Zhan muttered. He furrowed his brow before stating, "This person purchased the pearl beads lanyard not much later."
"What?" Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Cheng exclaimed in surprise before they both took a look at the entry.
Xiao Zhan turned his gaze back on the shopkeeper. "Laoban, do you not know of their name?"
"Xiumo-jun, unless they are a well-known person like each one of you or unless the person buying told their name, I could only identify them through their uniform." The shopkeeper explained.
"Could you be wrong about the uniform?" Xiao Zhan questioned.
"No." The shopkeeper replied firmly. "The only sect with white robes is Gusu Lan. It looked just like Hanguang-jun's uniform here." He pointed at Wang Yibo.
Xiao Zhan frowned deeper at his words; something wasn't adding up. He flipped through the records up to the day of the banquet to try to find anything else that was suspicious, but nothing came up. Other purchases fell outside the timeline he came up with. He then closed the ledger with an uneasy feeling growing inside him. "Laoban, is this design exclusive to this store only?" He queried.
The shopkeeper nodded. "Yes. I made an exclusive deal with the craftsman. There is only one batch of this design and the quantity is limited. The only one left is the one I showed you earlier." He explained.
"I see. Thank you for your help, Laoban." Xiao Zhan said. They got a lead but this lead was truly unexpected.
Once they exited the shop, Jiang Fengmian spoke up, "A-Ying, why don't we discuss about it at home?" He suggested. "It's getting late and we should make it in time for dinner."
"Alright, Uncle Jiang." Xiao Zhan nodded in agreement.
Along the way, Xiao Zhan was silent, deep in thought, and trying to piece together. Jiang Cheng, for once, was uncharacteristically quiet.
Wang Yibo had no choice but to keep his mouth shut because he was Lan Wangji. He was itching to ask Xiao Zhan what was going on but he couldn't. At least not now. Not in the presence of other people.
Lotus Pier was as lively as usual and the dinner was full of chatter and laughter of the rambunctious disciples, despite the somber atmosphere in the air. Xiao Zhan was too preoccupied with his pondering to act as normal as he would but he tried his best.
Wang Yibo, however, found it harder and harder to keep a stoic face as the time passed. Especially when Xue Yang was sitting next to him and talking non-stop to Xiao Zhan the entire time without ever taking a breath while he was stuck in the middle, struggling to keep himself quiet. Plus, he didn't know how to make of the young boy who was supposed to be the horrible villain of the story calling him and Xiao Zhan 'brother' and acting like the average slightly spoiled kid towards both of them. Although, he was more carefree with Xiao Zhan.
"Seriously. Why do you always have to talk so loudly?" Jiang Cheng grumbled under his breath in annoyance, glaring at Xue Yang at one point.
"Why do you always have to be a mood spoiler?" Xue Yang retorted with his usual smirk plastered across his face.
"Have your brothers not taught you about manners?" Jiang Cheng snapped irritably. "Or perhaps you have no manners because you are more used to the street life?"
Xue Yang's face immediately fell, and his grin disappeared.
"Jiang Cheng!" Xiao Zhan called out in warning as he shot a glare at Jiang Cheng.
"What?" Jiang Cheng said defensively. "He was being disruptive."
"It doesn't give you the right to say shit like that!" Xiao Zhan said, raising his voice.
"Did I say something wrong?" Jiang Cheng demanded heatedly. "He was from the street!"
"A-Cheng!" Jiang Fengmian reprimanded angrily.
"What the fuck are you trying to say?" Xiao Zhan roared furiously. "I was from the street too!"
"I figured that much! No wonder he is as uncouth as a bastard like you!" Jiang Cheng spat.
The atmosphere turned deadly still as if the conversation had stopped. Xiao Zhan was livid. His eyes seemed to sparkle dangerously as anger filled the depths of his eyes.
Wang Yibo couldn't stay quiet anymore. He couldn't take watching Xiao Zhan getting all worked up and upset because of this person again. He stood up abruptly, causing everybody's attention to turn towards him.
"You have a shitty mouth for someone who was raised in a noble home, Jiang Cheng." Wang Yibo remarked coldly. "You talk about manners when you have none yourself. How hypocritical. Even someone from the street is not as crude as you."
"What did you just say?" Jiang Cheng asked in outrage, standing up to face Wang Yibo at the same height.
"You're a fucking rude hypocrite." Wang Yibo stated plainly. "Do you want me to fucking repeat it again?"
As soon as Wang Yibo said this, everyone's eyes widened at Wang Yibo's words, their jaw nearly hit the floor. The Hanguang-jun who was the epitome of elegance and grace, just cursed.
"Lan Zhan, sit down." Xiao Zhan said, pulling Wang Yibo's sleeve. He couldn't let this go on any further. Wang Yibo would truly start to unleash his vast vocabulary of expletives if this drags on.
"No." Wang Yibo replied stubbornly. "He deserves to hear it."
"Sit down, Lan Zhan!" Xiao Zhan urged again. He just remembered how stubborn Wang Yibo was.
"Why should I?" Wang Yibo demanded, still glaring daggers at Jiang Cheng who was standing his ground with clenched jaws. "He's in the wrong." He stated.
"Lan Wangji!" Xiao Zhan raised his voice, ticked off by Wang Yibo's childishness.
Wang Yibo turned to stare sharply at Xiao Zhan, his hand clenched on Bichen tightly.
Before Wang Yibo could say anything, Jiang Yanli finally stepped in, "Everyone please calm down. Please stop fighting!" She pleaded. She turned to look directly at Wang Yibo. "Hanguang-jun, I apologize for my brother. What he did was uncalled for. Please forgive him." She said softly.
"No! Why are you apologizing to him, Jie?" Jiang Cheng said, shaking his head.
"A-Cheng, it is not up for debate." Jiang Fengmian said calmly. "You were out of line and you deserved to be reprimanded by Wangji. You will apologize to A-Ying and Xue Yang now!"
Jiang Cheng opened his mouth to argue but closed it again. He kept his eyes on Wang Yibo but sat back down obediently. "I'm sorry for saying that. It was very disrespectful of me." He said without a trace of remorse.
Wang Yibo looked at him icily. "How insincere." He spat scornfully. "Your apology is hollow."
"You." Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth to hold back.
"Lan Zhan. That's enough." Xiao Zhan said firmly as he tugged at Wang Yibo's arm lightly. "Please." He said quietly as he gave Wang Yibo a pleading glance. "Please sit down."
Wang Yibo sighed. He sat back down, muttering some under his breath which only Xiao Zhan could understand. Xiao Zhan simply raised a brow before shaking his head, taking Wang Yibo's hand into his own and giving it a gentle squeeze to placate him.
Wang Yibo glanced at the hand wrapped around his own before turning away, not uttering another word. He lowered his head, staring blankly at the floor.
Xue Yang looked at Wang Yibo before he got closer to say quietly, "Wangji-xiong, thank you for protecting me, I am forever grateful. But please do not be upset on my behalf." He said, smiling at Wang Yibo.
Wang Yibo looked up slowly and stared back at Xue Yang. The boy was looking at him with earnest gratitude and sincerity in his eyes, making Wang Yibo's heart clench with guilt. He didn't get mad on Xue Yang's account but Xiao Zhan's. The boy misunderstood it as a kind act on his behalf. He felt bad for the boy. He let out a shaky exhale before smiling gently at him. "Mn."
The dinner resumed with a quieter and more subdued atmosphere than before.
"Why don't we postpone our discussion until tomorrow morning? I think everyone is not in the right state now. We can talk again once everyone is calm." Jiang Fengmian suggested once the dinner was over.
"Okay, Uncle Jiang. Sorry for causing such commotion during dinner." Xiao Zhan said, smiling wryly.
Wang Yibo pressed his lips together. He was out of character, he realized that belatedly. He lowered his head, "I'm sorry too, Uncle Jiang. I'm ashamed to have lost my composure." He apologized. After all, he just cursed at the man's son right in front of him. But he didn't regret cursing at Jiang Cheng. He would do it again if the insufferable guy did it again.
"You've nothing to be sorry about, Wangji. You're not at fault here. My son was," Jiang Fengmian said, giving Jiang Cheng a hard look. Jiang Cheng flinched in his seat, keeping his head low. Jiang Yanli was by his side, giving him a long speech about what he did wrong.
"Xue Yang, don't take what Jiang Cheng's said too seriously, okay?" Xiao Zhan told the boy as they went out the dining hall.
"Okay." Xue Yang responded simply.
"You mustn't." Xiao Zhan said firmly.
"I understand, Wei-ge." Xue Yang repeated. "Don't worry. I'm fine." He reassured with his usual cheerfulness.
"Good. You can go back to your room and rest." Xian Zhan said, patting his shoulder affectionately. The boy smiled.
"Good night, Wei-ge, Wangji-xiong." Xue Yang said, bowing politely before leaving them alone.
"Xue Yang is a good kid." Xiao Zhan stated as he turned to see Wang Yibo staring after the boy curiously. "He might be loud, but he's a bright child."
"Yes... I noticed." Wang Yibo muttered softly.
"You cursed earlier." Xiao Zhan commented idly, breaking the silence between them as they walked to their shared room.
Wang Yibo huffed, "He deserved it."
"Maybe." Xiao Zhan shrugged. "But you shouldn't forget who you are now." He paused. "Lan Zhan." He emphasized.
"So, you are telling me to stay quiet like a dumb rock while someone insulted you?" Wang Yibo replied with a hint of bitterness in his tone.
"I could've handled it myself!" Xiao Zhan protested, sounding quite exasperated with Wang Yibo. "Besides, Jiang Cheng is..." He waved off dismissively, "He's always like that. He didn't mean it."
"Hah! Now you're defending him?" Wang Yibo scoffed.
Xiao Zhan sighed tiredly. "It's not like that. I would give him hell if you didn't step up too." He reached out to hold Wang Yibo's arm. "Can you just let this go? You're being difficult."
"Difficult?" Wang Yibo snapped in disbelief. "You think I'm being difficult?"
"Lan Zhan." Xiao Zhan groaned in exasperation as he rolled his eyes dramatically. "You're literally being the definition of difficult right now!"
Wang Yibo stared at him for a moment, looking hurt at the words. "Well, I'm sorry I am difficult. I'm sorry I am not your Lan Zhan," he muttered sullenly, pushing away Xiao Zhan's hand.
Xiao Zhan felt guilt twist in his stomach. "No, no, that's not what I meant..." he stammered, his words falling short when he saw the look Wang Yibo was shooting him with. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." He apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad."
"Are we done?" Wang Yibo asked emotionlessly, avoiding Xiao Zhan's gaze.
"Lan Zhan..." Xiao Zhan started again.
"Wei Ying." Wang Yibo cut him off. "Forget it." With that, he pushed past Xiao Zhan and entered the room.
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A/N: Hey guys! I am truly sorry for this delayed update. I was having a block for the longest time and I was depressed about not being able to write. It turned out that it was medically induced. Anyway, thank you all for reading, and thank you for your comments!