Jiang Fengmian looked at his nephew. His voice was firm, even commanding, "A-Ying, can we have a brief moment?"
Xiao Zhan nodded and followed Jiang Fengmian to a corner not too far from the others but far enough for their conversation to remain between the two of them. He saw Lan Wangji cast a worried glance toward him, and he offered a reassuring smile as a sign that everything was fine.
The Second Young Master Lan reluctantly gave them privacy. The Jiang siblings seemed to be curious as well, but they turned their heads away when they caught their father's eyes.
"What is it, Uncle Jiang?" Xiao Zhan could almost see the gears turning behind the man's eyes, as if he were trying to decide whether he should continue or not.
Jiang Fengmian looked at him remorsefully as he spoke, "A-Ying, I apologize for yesterday. I know I overstepped my boundaries. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by bringing it up. I didn't ask for your opinion, and I was so consumed by our clan's current situation that I neglected to listen to yours. If there is anything at all..."
Xiao Zhan did not wait for him to finish. He shrugged. "No, it's alright. It wasn't a big deal."
Jiang Fengmian wasn't entirely convinced by his answer. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Uncle Jiang. It was just a moment, and I know you were thinking and worrying about our sect's future. I am too, and I will do what I can to protect everyone," Xiao Zhan said reassuringly. He knew what he said was probably partially true. The incident was already fleeting. It did, however, bring some concerns for Xiao Zhan, namely, whether it would happen again in the future. He was already busy with too many issues in the first placeâtoo many people with problems he alone couldn't solve, and he couldn't possibly help everyone. A war was impending, and there were thousands of lives that needed to be saved. It was exhausting to think about. The last thing Xiao Zhan wanted was more trouble for himself than what he already faced. He would rather avoid it as much as possible.
"Alright, if you say so." His uncle smiled down at him. "Now, A-Ying, I didn't get the chance to ask this properly. How do you feel? How is your injury?"
Xiao Zhan lifted his palm, showing the recovering diagonal, pale pink bumps. "I feel fine. It wasn't that bad, and it's almost fully healed now."
Jiang Fengmian examined it more closely and sighed in relief. "That's good." He then smiled. "I am glad that Second Young Master Lan took good care of you when you were unconscious. He was persistent in sharing his spiritual energies until he was positive that you were in better shape."
Xiao Zhan smiled as he stole a quick look at Lan Wangji. His heart swelled to know how much concern and affection the man held for him. In fact, Lan Wangji never stopped making efforts to protect him and went all out to sincerely help Xiao Zhan since he first came clean about who he is. "He would probably do anything for me and protect me," he blurted out mindlessly.
"And I understand why he did that." Jiang Fengmian turned to look at Lan Wangji before returning his gaze to Xiao Zhan. Judging by how the two looked at each other, he saw the affection in both their eyes and knew there was nothing that could possibly keep them apart now. If anything, the two seemed more determined than ever to stay together. "A-ying." He pulled Xiao Zhan's attention back to him. "You know that you are still young and that Second Young Master Lan is also young."
"Mm... What about us, Uncle Jiang?" Xiao Zhan replied, knowing full well where this conversation was headed. There was no question as to what his uncle needed to talk about. He bit his lower lip, feeling a little on edge.
Jiang Fengmian reached out his hand and placed it on his nephew's shoulder. "I know there is something going on between the two of you."
Xiao Zhan couldn't deny it.
Jiang Fengmian continued, "Personally, I have no qualms about same-gender relationships. You know full well our sect believes in freedom of choice. Howeverâ"
Xiao Zhan frowned. His uncle hadn't exactly said anything that he disagreed with, yet he felt a little anxious. Something in the back of his mind was screaming that something was amiss. He kept quiet, though, giving Jiang Fengmian time to work out whatever he wanted to say.
The silence between them stretched longer until Jiang Fengmian finally sighed and continued in a gentler tone. "I'm afraid things may be different in Gusu Lan."
Xiao Zhan took a deep breath. There was no use hiding it from his uncle any longer. His words were slow, carefully chosen, and filled with the utmost honesty. "I know, Uncle Jiang. You could say I am fully aware of their views on doing things. I memorized all the Lan sect rules."
"You memorized them all...?" His answer caught Jiang Fengmian off guard. After several moments, he relaxed slightly. "So, you understand that it won't be easy, right? There will be people who might renounce or ridicule you. They'll probably use any means necessary to stop you. And there may come a point where you might change your mind."
"Well, they can try. And I won't change my mind." Xiao Zhan shook his head stubbornly, his eyes daring anyone to contradict him.
Well if anyone dared to spout their spiteful nonsenses to my face, I can just punch them in the faces and still can get away with it. Beating the crap out of people or even killing someone is not illegal in this world anyway.
Jiang Fengmian studied his nephew for several more moments before his expression softened slightly. "Then I suppose I'd better start working some things out."
"Wait, Uncle Jiang. What things?" Xiao Zhan snapped from his circling thoughts. He was still a little paranoid after yesterday's events, as his uncle seemed to have a tendency to decide things prematurely.
Jiang Fengmian squeezed the hand that was on Xiao Zhan's shoulder. "I want nothing more than to support you in all aspects of your life. So, if you want, we can discuss the possibility of you marrying into the Lan household."
"M-marry? I'm supposed to marry who?" Xiao Zhan's voice raised by a few octaves. He clamped his mouth shut when he realized that his voice was loud enough to attract the attention of Lan Wangji and the other two Jiangs. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Lan Wangji's brows knit close together. He gulped as he prayed Lan Wangji did not hear what he had just shrieked out loud.
Oh no... What is this? What the hell is he talking about now?
Jiang Fengmian was taken aback by his almost completely incongruous response. He was also unsure why his nephew even bothered to ask when the answer was so obvious. "Who else?"
Am I still in the same country? What is the legal age to marry here? Is there any? Also, what the heck with the overly supportive manners? Are we really cool with same sex marriage? And why am I even here having a marriage talk now? I am currently fifteen?! Physically but what the...
Xiao Zhan stared back at him blankly before letting out an incredulous chuckle. "You can't be serious, Uncle Jiang? Didn't you just say that I am too young for this just now? Fifteen is not exactly the age for marriage, is it?"
"I am not saying that you have to marry him now. We can go about arranging matters properly when you are ready." Jiang Fengmian trailed off, obviously having realized how bad this could potentially sound. He cleared his throat before speaking up again, "You are going back to Gusu for several months, and if the two of you spend so much time together, I am afraid that youthful passion could lead...I mean, I know about your collection of books, and you might be in a curious stage. So if you need any advice..."
Oh, for the love of God. We are heading to that direction, aren't we? From marriage to the sex ed talk. Although I appreciated the offer to help me getting married to someone I adored, this is getting a little weird now.
"Uncle Jiang, can we not discuss this now? We don't have to rush things," Xiao Zhan asked with some urgency. This conversation was starting to get awkward; this was simply too far from his expectations. Plus, this was not the right time nor place to be having this kind of discussion. His relationship with Lan Wangji had only just begun, and the reality of it had just set in. It would be best to leave these things as they were for now.
Jiang Fengmian stared at Xiao Zhan for a long time, eyes narrowed, studying his face. He then sighed resignedly. "Alright. We will speak about it once you are ready then."
Xiao Zhan's face burned crimson. His uncle was trying so hard to be supportive, but he wasn't exactly the best person to talk about love and intimate relationships.
Noooo! We will not speak about this. Ever! I am already an adult; I don't need to know more about what I already knew. I am probably more well-versed in that sense than you, Uncle Jiang. Please, just stop talking.
Jiang Fengmian continued, "Just remember that I care deeply for you, and whatever decisions you makeâwhether it's marriage or anything elseâI will be here for you, and Lotus Pier is always your home."
Xiao Zhan plastered his face with an awkward smile. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang." He muttered.
"I will let you get back to spending time with the boys, then. I'll see you off later." Jiang Fengmian gave him one final squeeze on the arm before he took his leave. He then dropped by to talk briefly to his children and went off like the wind afterward.
Xiao Zhan was still rooted in place, and with his uncle finally gone, his mind started to reel once again.
Almost everyone seemed to be supportive of his relationship with Lan Wangji, so much so that it started to feel a little surreal. So much had happened that he could hardly believe that everything had turned out all right, and it still felt impossible to believe what he had been through in these last few months. Deep in his mind, he was afraid that one day he would wake up and find all this was just a dream or his delusions. Sure, he missed his old life in the modern worldâhis parents, cat, friends, and all. But this present life was pretty amazing, and there was one person who had made it happen. That strongly made him want to stay here forever and never leave, regardless of how selfish and childish it sounded. Now that things had turned out this way, he wanted to live this one without holding back or having any regrets.
Lan Wangji called out to him, "Wei Ying."
Xiao Zhan turned his head slowly and let out a heavy exhale, relieved to see the very person he wanted to be with at that moment, approaching him with elegant steps. He instantly brightened up, his smile widening from ear to ear and his eyes sparkling.
Lan Wangji's expression softened at the sight. He asked softly, "What did you talk about with your uncle?"
Xiao Zhan paused to recall the conversation, and he ended up cackling so hard that his stomach hurt. It was too funny for him when he did a double-take on the particular matter. Lan Wangji patiently waited for him to finish his laughing fit.
"He wants you to marry me," Xiao Zhan joked carelessly. His body was still shaking with the remnants of humor that he had found in that situation.
Lan Wangji's face went blank immediately. "..."
Xiao Zhan narrowed his eyes at Lan Wangji's reaction before he decided to tease the innocent-looking person, "Hmm... Lan Er Gege, what was that reaction? Are you not planning to?"
Lan Wangji was silent for a long moment, seemingly deep in thought. He then swallowed hard and slowly gathered his words. "Do you want to marry me?"
Xiao Zhan was starting to feel the atmosphere shift into a more serious mood. "Lan Zhan, I was joking."
Lan Wangji's face was full of resoluteness, and he sounded solemn. "But I am not."
"Huh?" Xiao Zhan could no longer laugh.
Looks like I just dug my own grave...
"Do you not want to?" Lan Wangji did not hide his pained expression. The weightiness in his voice made Xiao Zhan feel guilty for his raillery.
Shit... How can I say no to you when you are making this kind of face?
Xiao Zhan bit his lips and tried to reason with him. "Lan Zhan, I'm fifteen. You're sixteen."
"You've already had your coming-of-age ceremony." Lan Wangji pointed out.
Crap. That's true. I am technically considered as an adult.
"Butâ" Xiao Zhan wanted to argue.
Lan Wangji frowned and turned to leave, his white robes swishing as he refused to listen to his argument.
Yep, I am fucked.
"Lan Zhan! Wait!" Xiao Zhan hurriedly trailed behind him. He grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the hidden corner. He looked at him with doe eyes, wholeheartedly persuading the stubborn young man, "We can think about this slowly, hmm? We still have time."
Lan Wangji's face was calm, but it seemed like a façade to cover his hurt. He said, a little coldly, "Wei Ying, don't play with me."
Oh no.
The words were nowhere near as harsh as his icy tone, but they still stung Xiao Zhan's heart. He raised his palm as his oath fell from his mouth, "I am not playing with you. I swear. I am utterly and completely serious with you."
A brief silence took place before one corner of Lan Wangji's lips quirked upward, almost resembling a smirk. "Mark your words then."
What the... did he just...
Xiao Zhan was flabbergasted beyond words. He stood there, looking at Lan Wangji with unmoving eyes for a solid ten seconds while his mouth remained agape. His brilliant mind stopped working for a while as it put out a banner saying 'error 404: not found'. When it started to process again, he asked in disbelief, "Did you just trick me?"
Lan Wangji remained silent, but the smile on his face widened, his eyes shaped like crescent moons.
"Yah! Lan Zhan!" Xiao Zhan landed a few slaps onto Lan Wangji's arm. "I take it back. It's invalid!"
Lan Wangji snatched both his hands, one-handedly before he looked directly into Xiao Zhan's eyes, emphasizing sternly, "Wei Ying, you swore."
That's because you looked like you wanted to cry, damnit!
Xiao Zhan felt his throat go dry at the statement. He struggled to free himself from the iron grip, whining, "Lan Zhan, you're forgetting your clan's rules."
Lan Wangji relaxed his tone, his eyelids drooping as the light golden eyes glinted with devotion. He declared earnestly, "There are no rules when it comes to you, Wei Ying."
Holy mother of Gods...
Xiao Zhan's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and his eyes widened at the bold declaration. His heart began to beat irregularly as serotonin and dopamine flooded his system. He was still piqued, but with that fatal move of Lan Wangji, he eventually relented. "Fine. You've won. Let go of my hands now."."
Gratified, Lan Wangji smiled and released his strong hold very very slowly. In Xiao Zhan's eyes, the man sparkled with heavenly glow and he couldn't help but to smile back. The rushing hormones left him in a state of high that he felt jittery.
The spot they were at might have been hidden from the disciples' view, but there were two people who could still see what happened there, although they could not really hear what the two were saying. At the sight of the spectacle, Jiang Cheng almost gagged. He had mastered the art of eye-rolling at this point; he could do double or triple flips inside his eye socket while his sister forced him to look away.
Afterward, Xiao Zhan pretty much channeled the superfluous energy from the earlier banter onto training the disciples in front of him. He was strict and stern, but his words were still somewhat kind, relentlessly adjusting and correcting mistake after mistake in their stances and forms. After all, these young boys needed to be stronger to prepare themselves for the upcoming campaign.
Sitting down on the bench, Jiang Yanli, who had never witnessed this drill sergeant side of him, talked softly to Jiang Cheng. "Did he train you like this?"
"This? Haaaah..." Jiang Cheng crossed his arms at his chest and scoffed. "Compared to the hell he brought onto earth that one week, this is nothing, Jie!" He then whispered closely to his sister's ear, hinting about Lan Wangji, who stood motionless a few feet away from their seat with his eyes locked on Xiao Zhan. "Don't be fooled by his good looks; he's just as evil as that demon over there," he whispered. "We almost died. Seriously."
Jiang Yanli gasped loudly a few more times as she continued to pin her ears back to the more scandalous version of her brother's real-life experience as a trainee under the duo.
*****
The sun was getting higher, and a couple of hours had passed. On the training field, the disciples sat in the lotus position to rest and restore their spiritual powers after being tortured by the head disciple's sudden intensive training regime. All of these people had since worn themselves out, desperately needing to catch their breaths as their sweat ran down their bodies like waterfalls.
The group of older batches discussed among themselves; the head disciple needed to pay for making them extremely drained and exhausted in just two short hours. The boys leaped like monkeys, shouting as they ran towards him, "Da Shixiong!"
Looking at his juniors suddenly running towards him. Xiao Zhan could smell their salty sweat from a distance. He immediately took cover behind Lan Wangji, who was teaching Xue Yang how to properly replenish his energy and grow his core. "Woah! You all stink! Don't come near!"
Sixth Shidi yelled with a devious smirk on his face. He led a few juniors to surround the three of them to exact their revenge. "Da Shixiong! You love us, right? Come on now! Let's have skin-to-skin conversation before you leave!"
"Nope!" Xiao Zhan groaned loudly, shaking his head at them as he stuck himself close to Lan Wangji's back. "Not happening."
Lan Wangji immediately went into protective mode. Armed and dangerous, he glared at the sweaty disciples with burning passion while Xue Yang wore an amused look on his face as he sat in a meditative pose.
As though he had been shot with daggers made of ice, Sixth Shidi stopped dead in his tracks and put both his hands in the air. He announced without hesitation, "We surrender."
Hearing that spontaneous declaration of defeat, Xiao Zhan wrinkled his brows and yelled from behind Lan Wangji, "Yunmeng Jiang disciples! I never took you for someone who would give up so easily. How embarrassing!"
"We happen to value our lives, Shixiong!" The youngest Shidi simply shrugged. "Being embarrassed is nothing compared to being dead."
Xiao Zhan took a stance beside Lan Wangji and slung his arm over the latter's shoulder, shaking his head at his juniors. Pointing his fingers at all of them, he started nagging, "Tsk tsk. Look at all of you! I took all the beatings for you, and yet no one here cares about my reputation. The least you all can do is save me some face in front of the Second Jade of Lan here. And since you all still seem energetic, it looks like we'll have to repeat this session once more!"
"Oh, come on, Da Shixiong, give us a break!" One of the disciples yelled.
Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow and replied, "If you want a break, you have to defeat me."
"Da Shixiong, aren't you being mean? You know we can't go against you in a duel." Second Shidi exclaimed unhappily.
Xiao Zhan responded with an impish smile on his face, "Who said it would be a duel?"
"Then?"
"All of you against me alone," Xiao Zhan said.
Everyone around was silent before a disciple spoke up again, "Da Shixiong, you sure are confident, huh? All of us against you? Okay. We shall see then."
Xiao Zhan chuckled softly before announcing, "The rules are simple: if anyone manages to land a hit on my back, then I've lost."
After hearing that, everyone's eyes turned eager, and they began moving toward Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan's handsome face was decorated with a devilish grin as he stood still in the center. With his long legs and flexibility, there was no way anyone would ever get close to him, let alone land a hit on his back.
"Oh boy, here we go." Jiang Cheng shook his head as he spoke to his sister. "Jie, cover your eyes. It's going to be brutal."
That comment only made Jiang Yanli keep her eyes peeled on the field. Brutal or not, she wanted to watch it.
"Hmmph... Fine! We'll defeat you then! Let's go!" one disciple declared as he ran toward him.
When the second disciple heard this, he warned, "No!! Don't just charge ahead without thinking! Don't let your guard down. This is an extremely dangerous environment. Never underestimate..." He didn't finish speaking because Xiao Zhan already grabbed the first disciple and threw him into the air.
"Ack!" the poor disciple shouted as he was sent flying toward two other disciples, causing them to crash down like dominoes.
The second disciple tried to run away, but Xiao Zhan already caught him by the wrist, causing him to scream like a girl.
Xiao Zhan chuckled heartily before kicking him into the three disciples who had toppled on top of each other earlier, adding another to his body count.
Xue Yang's loud cheering from where he was seated made the entire scene seem even more one-sided, while his 'father' was completely engrossed in his partner's acrobatic show of agility, looking truly satisfied.
"My martial brothers, don't embarrass me. It hasn't even been five minutes, and four of you are already out." Xiao Zhan said coldly, with a hint of mockery in his voice.
His tone made all the disciples pale. After hearing these words, the remaining disciples tried to escape the training field while screaming loudly, "Da Shixiong, we were wrong! We surrender!"
Xiao Zhan sent a few talismans flying, striking down those who attempted to flee the scene. He jeered, "Where are you all going? Get back here!"
Another was caught by the wrist. "Da Shixiong, you are the most handsome here. Please spare me?"
Xiao Zhan paused for two seconds before replying. He motioned his finger towards Lan Wangji. "He is the most handsome here. Hence, that's a lie."
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" The boy joined the mountain of bodies soon after. One by one, they followed suit, and then there was no one left. Xiao Zhan stood in front of the disheveled boys, hands on hips. "You rascals. Two dozen of you, and you all only lasted for half an hour? What happened here? I thought you all should improve a little when I am away?"
"Da Shixiong, it's not that we didn't improve. It's you who got a lot stronger!" Sixth Shidi cried out.
"Yeah, what are they serving in Gusu? You are too strong now! It's unfair!"
"But still... Da Shixiong, you're so cool!" The disciples cheered grandiosely despite the fact that they had just been beaten up. They were all overjoyed that their head disciple was already this powerful at a mere fifteen years old, and they were even more thrilled that they could boast about him later.
Xiao Zhan himself seemed rather pleased to see that the juniors were all proud of him.
Jiang Cheng finished his commentary with a shake of his head. "See? He's not human, Jie."
"A-Cheng." Jiang Yanli cupped his cheek and lovingly said, "Please try not to get on A-Xian's nerves when you both stay in Gusu. I don't want you to get hurt." She advised wholeheartedly.
Jiang Cheng huffed. His sister was not wrong. As much as he had improved significantly, it was all thanks to the training that the pair had conducted. Compared to the cultivators of his age, he himself was quite skilled and already above average. The duo, however, were playing in a different league altogether, and he knew that very well.
"We'll stop for now. Go meditate and get ready for lunch in an hour," Xiao Zhan stated while tidying up his messy hair.
"Why in an hour?" The other disciples wondered.
"Because it is almost noon, and I'm cooking," Xiao Zhan answered casually.
The disciples exchanged looks, then nodded to say in unison loudly, "WHAT?!"
Xiao Zhan was perplexed by their reactions and scowled. "Why are you all so surprised?"
"Da Shixiong, you once burned a hole through a pan!" one of the disciples reminded him.
Xiao Zhan's eyes widened. The memory came to his mind, and he quickly countered, "That was an accident!"
"Accident? Are you sure?" another disciple asked.
Xiao Zhan scowled. "It was just an accident, okay? So drop it!"
All the disciples burst into laughter.
Lan Wangji, who had been observing them from the side, came forward. "Wei Ying can cook," he stated, his PR-specialist self making an appearance.
"Is that a joke?" a disciple asked in disbelief.
Xiao Zhan glared at the disciple. "No, that's not a joke." He huffed, crossing his arms.
"A-Xian, you may be a man of many talents, but do you really know how to cook now?" Jiang Yanli interjected from the back.
"Wei Ying can make very good dishes," Lan Wangji informed her.
Xiao Zhan crossed his arms over his chest, his lips forming a pout. "See? He was speaking from experience!"
Jiang Cheng snorted. "If you can cook, I will gladly give you half of the money in my pouch after this!"
"Fine! Let's bet on it then." Taking it as a dare, Xiao Zhan declared. "I'll show you guys how good my food is."
Lan Wangji gazed adoringly at him, knowing that there was nothing Xiao Zhan could not do.
In the kitchen, Xiao Zhan walked over to the counter to start the preparation. He removed his arm guards and rolled up his sleeves, leaving his arms fully exposed.
"May I help?" Lan Wangji stood beside him.
Xiao Zhan hummed while pointing at the basket of pre-washed greens beside him. "If you want, you can help me cut the vegetables."
Lan Wangji leaned over Xiao Zhan to grab the vegetables from the cutting board. With their bodies so close, Lan Wangji's gaze trailed over to Xiao Zhan's pink lips. He had never wanted something so badly in his life than to kiss those soft and full lips again.
Xiao Zhan must have felt his gaze because he raised his head slowly and met Lan Wangji's eyes. "Lan Er-gege, you are so shameless."
"I'm not," Lan Wangji denied.
Xiao Zhan made sheep's eyes at him. "Why are you staring at my lips so much then?"
Lan Wangji blinked. He knew exactly why he was staring at those lips. He couldn't tell him, though. "It's nothing."
Xiao Zhan grinned, already having figured out what was on Lan Wangji's mind even before he asked. He then looked around the area, ensuring that no one was in the vicinity. Convinced that they were alone, he placed a quick peck on Lan Wangji's lips. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to placate Lan Wangji. "Now, focus."
Fully satisfied with the smooch, Lan Wangji lifted the knife and began chopping the ingredients into smaller pieces with full concentration. His slices were thin and even. It didn't take him long to finish the task.
Xiao Zhan watched as Lan Wangji chopped the ingredients with ease beside him. He noticed that Lan Wangji was doing a much better job than he had thought. He smiled and turned back to his own preparation of ingredients.
Being back in the kitchen was like returning to his comfort zone. His soft singing made the kitchen more lively. Taking the knife in his dominant hand, he bent his fingers parallel to the blade and clamped firmly onto a carrot. He started squaring off the orange vegetable, cutting it uniformly into thin julienne matchsticks. His movements were swift and within a short period, he set the finished stacks aside. The next minute, he handled the poultry and marinated it in flavoring that he put together quickly. He fired up the stoves with talisman and put two woks on top of it, cooking two dishes at the same time.
Lan Wangji was already impressed with his knife skills. He was more astonished in wonderment when Xiao Zhan started tossing the wok with one hand, using the other to stir the contents with a spatula in high heat.
As if Xiao Zhan hadn't shown his talents enough, he let the ingredients reach the edge, and they caught on fire in a matter of seconds. With a literal fire burning directly onto the mixed ingredients, it took only three minutes for them to fully cook and become infused with a smoky flavor. He carefully poured the quick stir-fry onto a large plate on the counter that he had prepared earlier.
"Wow!" Jiang Yanli exclaimed. She couldn't hold back her awe-struck remark when she saw her brother cook with such expertise. She, too, loved cooking and had been cooking since she was young. She knew how hard it was to master that kind of flair, yet she saw no hesitation in the young man's movements, as if he had been doing this for years. She couldn't help but compliment him, "A-Xian, you're really good at this!"
Xiao Zhan didn't notice her arrival as he was too engrossed in his multitasking. Lan Wangji didn't either, as his eyes were practically glued to Xiao Zhan after he was done with his tasks.
"Oh, you're here, Shijie," Xiao Zhan said. He quickly placed the very hot wok back on the stove and attended to the other wok with a different dish simmering inside. Stirring it to make sure it didn't burn, he started throwing some oil in it and added some chopped garlic and onion. He talked without looking back. "I'll talk to you later, Shijie."
"It's okay. Do your thing." Jiang Yanli said with a smile as she continued to ogle the fiery performance in admiration.
Xiao Zhan put more things in the wok and added just the right amount of salt and other condiments. With such dedication to his work, he had prepared enough food to serve at a banquet within an hour. He separated the dishes onto a few trays.
"Shijie, can you do me a favor and ask the juniors to carry the dishes into the dining hall?" Xiao Zhan said. Jiang Yanli nodded, and moments later, the kitchen was emptied of the cooked food.
The disciples dug into the food without further ado, exclaiming in pleasure.
"These are delicious." One disciple praised with tears in his eyes.
Another complimented, "They're really gooood."
"Our Da Shixiong can really cook!" A third commented.
An older disciple also praised, "Ah! This smells like heaven."
"This is amazing! You should try eating some of this, Xiao Shidi." Another said, urging Xue Yang to have a go.
The boy took a bite and his mouth stretched into a wide grin. "Wei-ge, you should cook full-time!"
Lan Wangji brought some cold water out and handed it to Xiao Zhan, who was fanning himself, finally feeling the post-cooking heat. Xiao Zhan beamed at his sweet gesture. "Lan Er Gege, how thoughtful of you."
Jiang Cheng, who was sitting across from them, coughed loudly as he almost asphyxiated when the food went down the wrong way as he heard the term of endearment coming from his martial brother's mouth. No, actually, he would rather have smothered to death on it than listen to the cringeworthy endearment at that very moment. As much as he did not want to admit it, the food was delicious, and he did not mind flying to heaven with it.
"Oh, that reminds me. Jiang Cheng, I guess you'll have to pay up," Xiao Zhan snickered, and Jiang Cheng begrudgingly handed over his part of the bet.
Xiao Zhan looked over to the tables where his juniors were seated and asserted with an enigmatic smile on his face, "You all better remember my cooking talent. When I come back here again, I expect to see significant improvements, or I'll never cook for you all again."
The dining hall was noisy with the disciples' swearing to improve themselves, and it was all for tasting his cooking once again in the future.
Jiang Yanli praised him as well. "A-Xian, where did you learn how to cook?"
Xiao Zhan froze for a second before he stammered a lie. "From... well... Lan Zhan."
""Oh, I didn't know Second Young Master Lan could cook too." Jiang Yanli raised an eyebrow. She then turned to Lan Wangji and smiled. "Second Young Master Lan, how did you manage to turn him into such a great cook?"
"...", Lan Wangji's stoic face was replaced with a vacant look. He couldn't lie, so he was at a loss for words. He had yet to learn to cook, and if anything, the head disciple was probably the one who could do the teaching.
Xiao Zhan coughed slightly before he came to Lan Wangji's rescue (after throwing him under the bus himself). He babbled, "Shijie, Lan Zhan has so many talents. It would take a whole day to describe them all."
Seeing how flustered Lan Wangji was, Jiang Yanli continued to tease the couple, "Second Young Master Lan, you must be a very skilled teacher, seeing how much A-Xian has improved."
"..." Lan Wangji froze.
"Shijie, why don't you try my dishes first?" Seeing Lan Wangji, who looked slightly pitiful after being teased, Xiao Zhan wanted to do nothing else but shut Jiang Yanli up at the moment. He picked up some dishes and fed them to her. "Here."
Jiang Yanli took a big bite with a wide smile. Another. And one more. She kept taking small bites, finally quieting down to Xiao Zhan's relief. She paused to look at Xiao Zhan with a satisfied expression. "It's really delicious."
"Thank you," Xiao Zhan mumbled while busily putting some dishes into Lan Wangji's and Xue Yang's bowls before he started eating as well.
Jiang Yanli noticed his attentive manners toward the other two, and her heart felt full. She then said, "Second Young Master Lan, you are truly talented. A-Xian was once a horrible singer, but now he can sing and play the flute. His cooking almost burned down the entire kitchen a few years ago, but now we are all eating his delicious dishes. Well, if it's like this, I'm happy to hand my brother over to you."
Hearing that, Xiao Zhan almost choked. The entire Jiang family was too eager to marry him off! Even Jiang Cheng once wanted him to take the Lan surname. He looked at her with his bottom lip jutting out. "Shijie, you really will give me away? Just like that? Without any reluctance?" He pouted. "Will you not miss me?"
"Of course, I will miss you," Jiang Yanli replied bluntly. She then added with a soft giggle, "But my brother's happiness is my happiness. I saw how happy you both were this morning."
Xiao Zhan felt his cheeks flush profusely, and he looked over at Lan Wangji to see him smiling back.
"Wei-ge, I will miss you too!" Xue Yang exclaimed while linking his arm with Xiao Zhan, who was seated beside him.
"Me too, Xue Yang. I will see you again in a few months, alright? Meanwhile, listen to Shijie and learn a lot from the other boys," Xiao Zhan said affectionately to the boy. He then nagged the rest of the disciples not to teach the young boy nonsense like pulling pranks by pretending to be a dead body floating in the water or stealing someone's chicken, et cetera.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes before he looked at Xue Yang, sneering, "What a spoiled brat."
"Boring." Xue Yang retorted before continuing to eat lackadaisically. His food was more important than entertaining this jealous person at the moment.
Lan Wangji, next to Xue Yang, shot a freezing stare at Jiang Cheng. He was not going to tolerate that remark about the boy. "Jiang Wanyin, watch it."
Jiang Cheng immediately recoiled in his seat. "Sure, sure."
Xue Yang had a triumphant grin on his face as Lan Wangji reached out his hand to stroke his head softly, causing Jiang Cheng to roll his eyes again.
It was late noon when they finally bid their goodbyes, with Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Yanli, and Xue Yang sending them off at the Lotus Pier dock. Before leaving, Xiao Zhan passed some of his long-range communication talismans to all three of them, just in case of an emergency.
The duo then made their way back to Cloud Recesses, along with Jiang Cheng, who unwillingly became the disgruntled third wheel.