After they parted once more, Lan Wangji rested his head on Xiao Zhan's shoulder. As he reveled in the pleasant tingle that came with being close to the person he loved so dearly. He felt content, like a bird settling back to its nest after flying around and looking for something new to land on. But then, it suddenly came to his mind on how the latter lost all common sense and acted rashly just because he got injured a little earlier. His lover was truly out of his mind. The brutality that Xiao Zhan displayed made him worry about his sanity and mental state. The thought made him frown slightly and he wanted to make Xiao Zhan understand the despondency that weighed over him.
"Ahh!" Xiao Zhan yelped as Lan Wangji bit him on his shoulder. He immediately pulled the man's head up with both hands on the cheeks and held it down so their eyes met, "Lan Zhan! What's wrong with you?? What was that for?!"
"That's for being reckless today." Lan Wangji answered with deadpanned face.
"You... Seriously! That hurt!" Xiao Zhan exclaimed as he hit Lan Wangji's chest.
"Good." Lan Wangji caught his wrist and brought it to his lips, kissing the palm then the back, murmuring softly, "I will do it again if you insist on acting impulsive next time."
What the... Is he threatening me?
Xiao Zhan's jaw dropped, feeling a little dumbfounded by the threat. He scoffed, "Are you a dog?! You can't go around biting people!!"
"I don't bite people," Lan Wangji replied softly. "Just you, Wei Ying."
This puppy has gone crazy!
"You're incorrigible!" Xiao Zhan groaned through clenched teeth." What happened to the sweet and gentle person earlier?"
"Someone needs to remind you of consequences when you take risks like that." Lan Wangji answered with a small smirk that never quite failed to make Xiao Zhan melt inside.
"You're lucky that I am crazy about you or else this wouldn't end well for either of us." Xiao Zhan retorted dryly although his heart fluttered like hummingbird.
"I agree."
Xia Zhan raised an eyebrow, "About what?"
"You are crazy about me." Lan Wangji said without a trace of shame in his voice.
"Oh my God! You're insufferable!" Xiao Zhan snapped, turning red with embarrassment.
"But you love me," Lan Wangji answered that as his lips was back at smooching the soft skin on his wrist, moving up towards his shoulder.
"Okay, get off me, you shameless flirt." Xiao Zhan tried to wriggle out his grip.
If you think you can kiss your way out, you're wr... Shit! What a smooth transition!
Xiao Zhan couldn't help but to shiver slightly as Lan Wangji nuzzled his neck softly, sucking and biting the soft flesh there lightly. He squirmed and tried to escape from Lan Wangji's grasp, "Stop that! You're going to leave marks!"
"Mn." Lan Wangji hummed as his lips moved to the other side. They moved further until Xiao Zhan could feel them against the sensitive skin behind his ear.
Did he secretly study the art of seducing people?
Xiao Zhan gasped. The man's lips were cold but felt so good and addictive. If Lan Wangji would keep doing this, he might not be able to stop himself from wanting more. His legs started to quiver slightly under him, and he had no choice but to lean closer against Lan Wangji to stay upright. There was no way he could breathe properly, or speak properly, or really anything when it came to this man, who made him feel this way.
Some muffled noises in the distance interrupted their romance and brought both of them back to reality. They immediately snapped their heads towards the sounds and their senses flared awake.
Which sonovabich dares to interrupt this moment?!
Feeling annoyed, Xiao Zhan closed his eyes as he launched a couple of Dire owls to the sky to scan through the area. Once he deemed nothing seemed amiss, he opened his eyes and looked at Lan Wangji, he sighed heavily, "It's just some disciples of Nie Sect passing through the woods."
They stared at each other in silence for a brief moment, both were reluctant to part.
"We should go." Lan Wangji spoke up first as he brushed away Xiao Zhan's wet bangs, which were clinging to the sides of Xiao Zhan's face. He then pecked him on forehead tenderly before stepping away from Xiao Zhan reluctantly. If he didn't let go now, he might not be able to stop himself from pulling the mesmerizing man into his arms again and kiss him senselessly. He shook the thought away and proceeded to walk towards the riverbanks.
"Yes, we should." Xiao Zhan nodded and followed suit, watching the rippling water as they walked. The scenery seemed peaceful and tranquil even when Xiao Zhan caused some damages to the landscape during his outburst earlier. It was almost painful to feel the chilly night breeze on his warm skin now. To be honest, he wanted this moment to last for just a bit longer. He was tempted to just stay here and prolong this sweet escapade to momentarily forget about all those horrible death as well as distract him from the heavy responsibilities that started to weigh him down a little. But alas there was work that had to be completed and that required immediate attention.
As soon as they reached the land, Lan Wangji passed Xiao Zhan a towel as well as his Qiankun pouch which contained their belongings. It still amazed Xiao Zhan to this day of how very convenient this handy little thing was. The best thing about the magical spatial bag was that they could store any physical non-living matter inside. Since the capacity of it was based on the user's strength and magic power respectively, the storage space in the pouch was huge for both Xiao Zhan and Lan Wangji which allowed them to keep whatever stuff they liked. There was enough space for everything. The easiest way to he could describe it was, it was like Doraemon's dimensional pocket. Therefore, it was safe to say that Xiao Zhan's entire wardrobe came with him along with a fair share of his stacks of talismans, spiritual tools that he had inventions, and other various things that he occasionally reached out to.
Xiao Zhan took out a new set clean clothes and spare footwear out of the bag while he dried himself up and began dressing up quickly. Lan Wangji did the same while facing the other direction and keeping his gaze firmly on the trees behind them. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by the man beside him anymore and he certainly didn't need to see Xiao Zhan's beautiful figure while he struggled internally to keep his desire in control.
Xiao Zhan glanced at the mess that was once his clothes and his brow furrowed, "Urgh... It's all ruined and that is a new set."
"You have plenty of clothes," Lan Wangji reminded him while putting on his attire calmly but swiftly. He tied the sash around his waist securely.
Xiao Zhan pouted childishly, "Well that's not the point. That was my latest suit."
"You can always make another one." Lan Wangji smiled faintly, knowing that Xiao Zhan's habit of tweaking his design every so often. Hence, it wouldn't be too difficult for the genius lover of his to remake the enchanted robe once more. He offered, "I'll buy you more sets if you wish to have more."
"You might regret that decision." Xiao Zhan turned to flash a cheeky smile at Lan Wangji. The middle robe that he wore flapped behind him gently with each movement he made.
"Not likely." Lan Wangji replied in a heartbeat.
"Ah! I am so lucky that my Lan Er Gege is a rich guy!" Xiao Zhan teased as he put on a long black vest as his last layer of clothing. He adjusted the hemline of his vest a little before he stood up straight and faced Lan Wangji, "You're really going to spoil me rotten."
"As long as you are happy." Lan Wangji responded without hesitation not missing the way his lover brightened up when he said it. He didn't mind, he would buy his beloved anything he wanted anyway. Not that Xiao Zhan was ever short of money. In fact, the man earned himself quite a sizeable fortune through his inventions alone. However, it was still a privilege to be able to spoil him.
"Alright! Since you insist, I'll hold on to your offer!" Xiao Zhan said cheerily as he fastened his belt. His hair that tied up loosely at the back of his head fell freely and swayed back and forth due to the light wind blowing across the place. With his hands on his hips, he declared with renewed vigor, "That's it! I'm going to add new waterproof, sweatproof and bloodproof features next time!"
Lan Wangji smiled fondly at him, "Do whatever you want, Wei Ying."
What a waste! If it's hard to get it out from my hair, there's no way I am going to even attempt to wash the blood away from the clothes!
"Well, I can't use this anymore" Xiao Zhan sighed resignedly. With that said, he just burned the bloodied clothing in the ashes with a talisman. The reason was simple, the complex incantations he inscribed on the robes was customized for him and only him. It must not be replicated by anyone else since it would probably kill the one who attempted to do so. Although, he doubted that anyone would even want to touch that soiled and stinky garments, but he couldn't take the risk as he knew that there were crazy cultivators out there who would do anything to be more powerful.
Xiao Zhan then turned to Lan Wangji who was already back to his ethereal prince appearance and ready to go, "Let's wrap this up, shall we?"
As the Yin and Yang duo emerged from the forest, a group of Nie sect disciples greeted them, stopping in their tracks to bow respectfully to them. The two figures were deserving of such respect considering the extent of their accomplishments earlier. Both nodded at the greetings, acknowledging them politely before they continued walking, ignoring the inquisitive looks being sent towards them.
Xiao Zhan looked at the mass grave that was forming in the center of the village. The uncomfortable feeling in his chest stirred up again as his grey eyes set on the corpses of the villagers that were already lined up in the humongous hole in the ground in a neat manner. He had never seen such a gruesome scene involving humans before in his past life, except in movies and surprisingly, he didn't hurl out the content of his stomach content, not even once. Perhaps, it was because of the fact that he was used to see blood and gore like during the night hunting missions these past weeks and he was desensitized due to that. Nonetheless, it still did bring a bad sense of foreboding, especially knowing that there would probably be another massacre happening in future. As his eyes trailed along the path the bodies lay on, he was reminded of the imagery of war in his vision.
Even if it's a war, will I be to kill anyone at all? Even if they deserve death but can I actually do it? Do I have to? Can I protect everyone without having to kill? God, it sucks to be Wei Wuxian right now! No wonder his mental state was so fucked up. With constant exposure to violence, bloodshed and horrifying death, he was bound to lose his sanity regardless of demonic cultivation or not! Anyone will get PTSD with such traumatizing experiences. I'm sure as hell that I am going to get it too. What a shitty life I am going to have soon!
With a heavy sigh, Xiao Zhan forced his thoughts off his mind and focused solely on the task ahead of him. His lips drawn into a firm line as his gaze fixated upon his surroundings. Now wasn't the time to dwell on this or let negative thoughts invade his brain. He was going to face his problems like he faced every single disaster that happened throughout his life. He couldn't let this get to him. He had no choice but to continue moving forward and hoping he won't come across another disastrous incident like this. He closed his eyes, trying desperately to keep his heart calm and said solemnly, "We should send them off properly so they can rest in peace."
"Mn." Lan Wangji agreed softly.
The melody of 'Rest' resounded throughout the area and resonated through every bone and fiber of those present as the bodies of all the slain villagers were gradually covered by layers upon layers of soil. The pair continued to play the music until the pit was completely filled.
Nie Mingjue observed the pair playing the forlorn music from afar as the souls of the dead got comforted by the spiritual melody coming from their instruments. To be more precise, his eyes were locked on the multitalented Young Master Wei face since the duo made their appearance. After witnessing the true powers of that younger lad firsthand, it crossed his mind that the man could actually defeat him easily during the duel between them previously with this kind of cultivation level. His brain was working overtime as he assembled a list of the man's skills that he had shown so far. The more he thought about it, the more peculiar the power that the head disciple of Jiang before he disappeared to the dark earlier seemed to his eyes. The intense bloodlust felt familiar yet different at the same time and the amount of energy that he produced when he went almost berserk, was truly a terrifying thing to behold. He was extremely curious about what exactly happened that left the beast in pieces.
However, he knew it was not an appropriate time to do so. Especially not when Lan Wangji kept a tight grip on Xiao Zhan, unwilling to let anyone near him. Sensing the cold sharp glare shot at him, his eyes narrowed questioningly at Lan Wangji before averting his eyes to the funeral procession. Was the second Jade really offended when he asked Xiao Zhan to join his sect this morning? How unreasonable. A talent like that would go well in Nie Sect. Hence, he decided to wait for the right time to have a proper conversation with that Young Master Wei. After all, there was no telling how the man was going to react given his current mood.
The smell of incense and joss paper hung in the air as it was lit ablaze, venerating the dead bodies in an offering of peace. The depressing day finally over and Xiao Zhan wanted to do nothing else but to rest for the night. Since it would be too late to go back straight to the Nie Sect residence, the group spent the night in the guest house that the Nie Sect owned in the nearby town. The couple was more than willing to have to share a room with each other after everything that had transpired.
Exhaustion finally caught up to Xiao Zhan and drifted to sleep almost instantly as he snuggled closer towards Lan Wangji who laid beside him. Right before he succumbed to slumber, he felt Lan Wangji caress his temple affectionately before kissing him on the forehead tenderly. The gentle gesture brought a content smile to his face before he drifted into sleep.
Unfortunately for Xiao Zhan, his sleep was short lived. He woke up in the middle of the night with a loud gasp and sat up abruptly. His eyes were wet with tears, and he was clutching at his chest tightly. He felt as if there was something constricting his breathing and his heart was beating too fast. He had a nightmare of people being ripped apart cruelly, their blood splashed, pooling into puddles on the ground, screaming in pain as they struggled futilely against what was happening around them all, while he stood in the background helplessly, powerless to stop it. He felt utterly wretched after reliving those awful images in his mind. They were so vivid that he could feel the terror in which they were taken place and the shrieks of death still echoed in his ears like an eerie melody, drowning out any rational thoughts he might have. It was a horror show. It was also a gruesome warning and a cruel reminder of the terrible death toll that might happen in future if he failed in stopping it.
"Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji called out worriedly, awakened by the sudden movement of the body that were lying down beside him. He propped himself up on one elbow and his face creased with worry as he watched the way Xiao Zhan tried desperately to calm down but was failing miserably in doing so. He asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Lan Wangji's voice brought him out of it somewhat, but it didn't seem to help ease the intense anxieties that lingered like a heavy fog that clouded his senses. The memory of his lover got hurt and bled resurfaced again and put his mind in a state of panic even more. His breathing quickened, feeling like his throat was closing up as he choked up on his fear of losing the very man that was calling out to him.
"Are you alright?" Lan Wangji asked again when he realized his partner was still unable to answer him properly. He held out his hand and pulled the trembling figure towards himself, stroking his hair lovingly as he did so.
Xiao Zhan buried his head in Lan Wangji's chest and sobbed quietly, trying to calm down, as his body shuddered violently with every tear that slipped past his eyelashes. His fingers clutched at the fabric, desperate to keep his racing heart from escaping his chest cavity. His emotions are going haywire at the moment, and it was taking everything that he has just to keep himself together. His voice cracking as he whimpered, "Please don't leave me..."
If you get hurt again... Or worse... No... I will die if you leave me.
"I'll never leave you." Lan Wangji answered soothingly as he noticed the raw terror in Xiao Zhan's voice. He had never seen Xiao Zhan act so vulnerable. The man had always been so strong, so independent and yet he looked helpless and fragile in this moment. He could hear the rapid heartbeat pounding away in the other's chest as well as the occasional gasps for air. His hand trailed to Xiao Zhan's cheek he leaned over him slightly, bringing his mouth closer to his ear so the man couldn't possibly miss what he was saying, he murmured gently, "I'm here. Just breathe slowly, Wei Ying. Breathe."
Soon, Lan Wangji's soft humming filled the quiet space as he rubbed soothing circle on his back gently. For a moment, they stayed like that until he felt the tension slowly ebbing out of his partner. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head as he continued to hum quietly until his lover's tense muscles relaxed and his breaths evened out a bit more. At least now he wasn't hyperventilating anymore.
Xiao Zhan took in deep breaths, allowing his lungs to fill up with oxygen as he was listening quietly to Lan Wangji's soothing voice. The gentle vibrations caused by that action gave him a feeling of comfort that eased his anxiety a little. As soon as he managed to regain his equilibrium, he mumbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay. I'm always here for you whenever you need me." Lan Wangji shook his head and placed a soft kiss to his temple as a reply. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"...It's just a nightmare. I'll get over it.," Xiao Zhan answered quietly against Lan Wangji's chest, feeling gentle touch on his scalp. He didn't know why, but he wanted to avoid discussing it in fear that they would bring about bad memories again. If anything, he wanted to forget about them altogether. He didn't want to remember the horrible things that he saw in his dream. Instead, he needed a distraction right now. He tightened his arms around his lover and asked in a whisper, "Can you kiss me?"
Lan Wangji pulled back slightly to look at Xiao Zhan, watching carefully as the pair of silvery pupils began to focus on his face again. He brushed aside the stray strands of hair sticking to Xiao Zhan's forehead with careful fingers and wiped away the remaining tears on the corners of his eyes. He murmured, "If that's what you want, Wei Ying."
With that said, he moved forward and met Xiao Zhan halfway and their mouths clashed together as they kissed languidly. He wanted to make him feel better and make him feel safe. He wanted to be able to give him everything he deserved. And right now, those things included giving Xiao Zhan some much needed comfort in the form of physical affection. His hand traveling to hold the back of his head, deepening the kiss as if to drown the horrible imagery from his beloved's mind even more.
However, he soon found his self-restraints challenged once again as he felt Xiao Zhan reciprocate with the same ardor that he was showing him, wrapping both hands around Lan Wangji's neck and pulling their bodies flush together as their lips moved feverishly against one another. Xiao Zhan had always had an addictive taste which had long ago taken Lan Wangji over, and he never seemed be able to resist it every time. His lips tasted sweet like honey, smooth and pliant and he couldn't get enough of it. Even when they pulled apart, he continued to pepper kisses on Xiao Zhan's neck, trailing them across the smooth skin as his lips travelled further and further south pausing at the neckline of the garment that was slightly loose and revealed Xiao Zhan's delicate collarbone and some of his chest. His eyes landed on the marks he left earlier on the exposed pale skin and immediately felt his blood boiling with need. He closed his eyes as he tried hard to ignore his raging hormones which threatened to overflow at this moment. "We should stop."
Xiao Zhan felt Lan Wangji shift slightly and opened his eyes to look at the man before him. His eyes dropped down to look at Lan Wangji's full lips. The man's lips looked so kissable, pink and slightly moist.
Screw it!
Xiao Zhan cupped Lan Wangji's handsome, beautiful features before capturing those tempting lips. Lan Wangji groaned deep in his throat as he responded to the sudden assault on his mouth by pushing Xiao Zhan down slowly on the bed, taking over the dominant role once again. Their kiss was hot and passionate, the kind that could easily turn into something steamier if they indulged themselves any further. It was pure, raw desire and the feelings they felt for each other flowed through their veins like lava. All that mattered to them, was the other person and this intense urge to have them. The only thing that separated them was their robes that were getting loose around their waists from their frenzied movements.
The sculptured muscles on his partner caught Xiao Zhan's attention. His fingertips traced the defined lines of a lean and muscled torso that he had admired before but hadn't been given the opportunity to really study properly until now.
Lan Wangji let out a soft groan as Xiao Zhan's finger traced his abdomen, making his body tense and heat spread throughout his body. Withdrawing one of his hands from its position at his lover's waist to move forward to grab Xiao Zhan's wrist, pining it down above his head and preventing it from wandering hand from teasing him any farther. He was trying desperately not to let himself go too far, but there was no way he would be able to hold back much longer. The temptation was nearly overwhelming him. He whispered hoarsely as he stared straight into his partner's soulful gaze. "Wei Ying, please. If we don't stop now, I don't think I can control myself later."
Xiao Zhan's breath caught in his throat at his words. Their gazes connected, locking themselves in several long moment. He could clearly see Lan Wangji's dilated pupils, his parted lips, and his heavy breathing. He knew what the second Jade of Lan meant, but he couldn't find it within himself to pull away from the man who loved him with all his heart, not now. He gulped thickly as a wave of heat rushed throughout his whole body. He could feel his own heart racing wildly against his sternum, and his body began to tremble slightly as if trying to keep itself from melting onto the bed beneath him. He wanted nothing but to continue exploring that wonderful anatomy of the gorgeous man that hovered above him. His free hand came up to stroke Lan Wangji's cheek and murmured softly, "Lan Zhan, I love you."
Lan Wangji leaned into his touch, tilting his head into the hand caressing his face, closing his eyes briefly as a shiver ran down his spine at Xiao Zhan's touch. After several moments he opened his eyes, to meet Xiao Zhan's that seemed to sparkle before lowering his lips back onto his beloved's, savoring the tenderness from the soft lips. "I love you too, Wei Ying."