"Wen Ning may be a naïve boy, but I am not." Wen Qing said, still slightly wary of the two men.
Xiao Zhan flashed his sunniest smile. "I knew you would say that. I have something you might find interesting enough for your studies in medicine." He offered his wrist to the doctor, urging her to examine it.
Wen Qing was hesitant, but her curiosity got the best of her. She had a suspicion about the aura surrounding the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang since earlier, and it intrigued her scholarly instincts. She took Xiao Zhan's wrist anyway and ran a quick check on his core's condition. She scrunched her eyebrows and retracted her hands not long after that. "That is strange. It's like two opposing powers are flowing in you. One feels almost too dark. But the other is light. How do you even manage to balance them out?"
Xiao Zhan simply shrugged and said, "Isn't it interesting?"
Wen Qing chuckled slightly. "Well, I must admit, you must have some sort of special power hidden."
Xiao Zhan smiled at this, and he wasn't exactly lying when he said he brought an interesting piece of information to show her. "Yes. Ah, that reminds me. About the golden core transplant. In that future, you are the first person who will successfully perform the transfer of the core from one person to another. So, your theories on the subject are valid."
"Is that so?" Wen Qing tilted her head, intrigued by his statement. "But this procedure is far too risky."
"I know. The success rate is only fifty percent, am I correct?"
"Hmm... Yes, that is right." Wen Qing nodded her head. She couldn't help but to ask further, " So, if you say it would be a success, to whom and from who?"
"It's going to be a long story." With that opening, Xiao Zhan recounted a run-through of the Lotus Pier massacre and the core-melting incident that led to the procedure. The Wen siblings listened to his story intently, and their faces showed how horrified they were to learn of the mass murders. They both knew that their clan was capable of such things, and they were deeply ashamed of the misdeeds and the bloodbath their clan had caused (in that future).
Xiao Zhan also described explicitly all the details of the steps and processes of the procedure for the transplant. Wen Qing was fascinated by how detailed his words were that she could not doubt that it was indeed the truth. He did not mean to make it a sad and tragic incident, but his audience thought otherwise. The sacrifices Wei Wuxian made for Jiang Cheng moved them to tears.
Lan Wangji clutched his sword, which was covered with black cloth, tightly as he listened to the story, feeling some sort of pain in his heart as he imagined how much hurt Wei Wuxian had to endure during the two days.
Silence fell in the area for a while before Wen Qing finally broke it and declared firmly, "That's it. I will never perform this procedure. Not to you or anyone ever."
Xiao Zhan smiled wryly. "I don't think it will be necessary this time around." He did not fail to notice Lan Wangji's solemn mood. He patted the knuckles that had turned white. He gave him a reassuring smile and murmured, "It won't happen, Lan Zhan. No need to worry."
Lan Wangji relaxed his grip, feeling slightly reassured. "Mn."
Wen Qing stared at their close interaction, her lips playing a knowing smile. She could tell that the two cared for each other deeply, but it was not her business to mind. She then said, her tone lighter now, "Second Young Master Lan, you are well-known for being a righteous and honest person. That said, I believe that you would not try to deceive us. So, I will give this alliance or friendship, whatever you want to call it, a try."
She looked at Xiao Zhan. "Young Master Wei, my young brother trusts people too easily, but I can see that you are genuine in your words. Therefore, I will keep our meeting and your ability a secret. If your words on the future are proven right, then I hope you will keep your word."
The smile on Xiao Zhan's face grew wider. He inclined his head. "Thank you for believing us, Maiden Wen. I promise to honor my word. And as a token of our new friendship, I will give you these." Xiao Zhan took a stack of talismans from his robe and gave them to Wen Qing. "These are long-range communication talismans. If you need any help or have any questions you need answered, just write on the paper, and I will get the message. I will answer as soon as possible. Oh, and they will burn without a trace once the message is delivered."
"Oh..." Wen Qing examined the enchanted papers, amused by what she saw. "You are quite innovative, I see."
Lan Wangji supported the statement immediately, feeling proud on the man's behalf. "He is an expert in this field."
Xiao Zhan glanced at Lan Wangji from the corner of his eye and nudged him. "Lan Zhan, stop it."
Lan Wangji mumbled, "It is the truth."
"That does not mean that you have to tell it to the world."
"But the world needs to know."
"Lan Zhan."
"Wei Ying."
"..." Xiao Zhan facepalmed in the end, resigned to his fate. Lan Wangji had turned into this weird guy who liked to show him off at any given opportunity. It was embarrassing.
Both of the Wen siblings looked at them with amusement. Wen Qing commented, "It seems the two of you are very close."
Lan Wangji, being himself, replied without any shame, "Indeed, we are."
Xiao Zhan laughed awkwardly, blushing slightly before he changed the topic. "How about we order some food now? It's my treat and my apology for starting our meeting off on the wrong foot." He promptly disabled his 'isolation' array and called the waiter over to order some food to celebrate their newly formed friendship.
As time passed, Xiao Zhan somehow eased himself into familiarity with the two Wens. As their conversation flowed, they felt as if they had known each other for a long time.
Lan Wangji was quiet throughout the meal but occasionally gave Xiao Zhan a faint smile whenever the latter placed some of the dishes that suited his mild palate into his bowl.
Their subconscious displays of affection did not go unnoticed by the siblings. Wen Qing raised her eyebrow as she remarked, "You are right, Young Master Wei. You did bring something that piques my interest here. How fascinating."
Xiao Zhan blinked at her, confused for a moment. But then he realized how his actions might look in the eyes of the witnesses. His face turned scarlet, but he didn't say anything about the comment. He knew that even if he denied it, no one would believe him. He steered the conversation away skillfully and continued to get to know the siblings better.
"Qionglin-xiong, would you like to practice your archery with me? A quick one before we take our leave," Xiao Zhan suggested after they finished their hearty meals.
Wen Ning looked meekly at his sister, who halfheartedly gave her permission. His brother was always timid and shy, but looking at his expectant face now, she had no heart to turn him down.
So, the four of them went to the wooded area just at the town's outskirts and found a place with a decent environment to use the bow and arrows that Xiao Zhan kept in his Qiankun bag.
Xiao Zhan made a red dot target on one of the trees and stepped back ten feet away. With his audience watching from the sidelines, he drew his bow and aimed the arrow. The feather brushed the side of his face as he released the bow, and it hit the center. Again, after taking another deep breath, he took another shot. It was a bull's-eye again. Wen Qing nodded in appreciation of his fine skill while Wen Ning stared at the arrows stuck in the trees with admiration.
"Young Master Wei, you are truly skilled at this." Wen Qing expressed her admiration. Wen Ning seconded his sister's statement with an eager nod.
Lan Wangji was not surprised, even though this was his first time seeing his sparring partner's archery skills. The man was a genius; he had long acknowledged that fact.
"Well, Lan Zhan is better than me at this." Xiao Zhan passed the bow to Lan Wangji, who was startled at the sudden mention of his name. Xiao Zhan merely grinned at him, patting him on the shoulder. "Lan Zhan, show me what you've got."
Lan Wangji sighed, but he could not refuse the request. He stepped to the same spot Xiao Zhan was standing on and swiftly hit the target. A round of applause sounded from the side.
Xiao Zhan wrapped his arm around Lan Wangji's shoulder as he got back to the side and proudly presented, "See? He has greater skill, am I right?"
Wen Qing hummed, breaking into a bemused smile. "Right. Second Young Master Lan is indeed great."
"Well, Qionglin-xiong, it's your turn!" Xiao Zhan called out.
Wen Ning went to the spot shyly, looking like a lost sheep as he stood there frozen for a second.
Xiao Zhan walked over to his side and encouraged the nervous Wen Ning, "Let me tell you the truth, you shoot better than anyone I know. You are a great archer, and you know this yourself. So, don't be nervous."
"How do you know this, Young Master Wei?" Wen Ning spoke slowly.
"Please, drop the formalities, Wen Ning. Call me Wei-xiong." Xiao Zhan tapped his shoulder and gave Wen Ning a pep talk, "And I know this because you are who you areâa capable and dependable friend of mine. Now, relax. Take a deep breath and exhale through your mouth slowly. Focus. Be confident in your shot."
Wen Ning followed his directions closely; his drawing posture was standard and beautiful. On the target, the feathered arrow landed at the red center, joining the other three tightly. Xiao Zhan applauded his successful shot.
Wen Qing put her hands together for her brother's flawless hit on the mark, and her warm, sisterly smile appeared on her face. Wen Ning's eyes twinkled with joy.
"What did I tell you? You did it, Qionglin-xiong." Xiao Zhan exclaimed.
"You can call me Wen Ning." Wen Ning said, his innocent smile making him look younger than he was.
Xiao Zhan chuckled. "Alright, Wen Ning. Now, let's do more!"
As Wen Ning was fueled by a sense of achievement and the words of encouragement, more arrows struck the middle of the red dot.
On the side, Wen Qing's heart grew tender when she saw her brother laughing cheerfully with his new friend. Her brother had always been alone and friendless before, and now there was someone who boosted his confidence in his skill and lifted his spirits. In spite of how it had started, she was silently grateful to have this unexpected encounter with the two young men and wished their friendship would last.
Before they went their separate ways, Wen Qing spoke. "Thank you for treating us. I am truly glad we had this meeting. I will definitely keep in touch with you two."
Xiao Zhan beamed. "Likewise. I am happy to finally meet the two of you. Thank you. I had an enjoyable day, thanks to you both. Please do write to me, and I will try to visit again later on. Or you can visit us too. We'll see you again soon."
Lan Wangji courteously bowed to Wen Qing. "Maiden Wen, it is my honor to meet you both as well. Take care."
"You too." Wen Qing glanced briefly at the devil-may-care Xiao Zhan, who was busy saying his farewell to her brother. She spoke again. "Take care of Wei Wuxian too."
"Yes," Lan Wangji nodded before he proceeded to respectfully bid his goodbye to Wen Ning as well. After all, these were the two people Wei Ying regarded as family.