Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

May

02 7:15 p.m.

Dear Yiling Passengers,

We offer you success and that the next trip is to your liking.

✓Next stop from Yiling to Yunmeng Jiang.

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Wei Wuxian had left work late again.

It would be the fifth promise he broke if he didn’t hurry to get to Yiling Railway Station. He had planned to leave work early with the goal of reaching Yunmeng Jiang just in time for his Shijie’s birthday. Jiang Cheng had emphasized over and over that he should make every effort to be there for her special day. Jiang Yanli wanted to have a family dinner—and that included him.

Wei Wuxian had agreed to the arrangement despite his overwhelming responsibilities, resulting in a promise that was proving difficult to keep. By then, looking at the watch on his wrist, he concluded he was thirty minutes late. He hurried with his briefcase in hand to enter the train station, buy his ticket, and run toward the designated platform that would take him to his hometown.

—Hey, no! Stop it! —Wei Wuxian didn’t even know what he was saying, since it was obvious a train couldn’t be stopped.

The beautiful train was already closing its doors.

One more minute, and he would have missed it if not for the adrenaline in his feet and the slim build of his body that allowed him to slip into the carriage. When the doors closed, he was completely exhausted from the run and noticed how many people were inside. He glanced around, and it was clear there wasn’t a single available seat.

“Great... There’s nowhere to sit,” he thought as he moved, politely asking to squeeze through the crowd and grab onto one of the poles that offered stability amid the motion. He was incredibly hot. Many thoughts swam through his mind in his irritation, but one stood out: “Wait a minute, what about the gift?”

He checked every pocket of his beige vest, panicking when he couldn’t find his Shijie’s birthday gift.

His fear of having lost it during the hustle worried him. He opened his briefcase amid the scarce available space, apologizing here and there as the other passengers stared at him, and he felt a small wave of relief when he found the pearl necklace wrapped among all his papers.

It was a dazzling white pearl necklace that he had made with his own hands.

The passengers around him complained about the amount of space the open briefcase was taking up; some looked at him with disdain, while others simply whispered criticisms or turned their backs. The truth is, Wei Wuxian ignored all of it, completely absorbed in his relief with a wide smile on his face.

Now back to reality, he paid closer attention to his surroundings.

There had to be at least one empty seat among the crowd. He didn’t want to stand for three hours until reaching Yunmeng Jiang. He had to find at least one spot occupied by bags that he could ask for.

—Excuse me, may I pass...

Slipping through the passengers like a snake, he spotted an empty seat in a corner. It didn’t seem to have an owner; it was alone. It was strange that it hadn’t been claimed earlier among the sea of people. He had to seize the opportunity.

He quickly placed his briefcase on the empty seat as he arrived and was about to take off his beige vest when, suddenly, a woman’s voice spoke up:

—Excuse me, young man. Are you going to use this seat?

—Yes, I am going to use it —Wei Wuxian replied very confidently.

—Oh... —The elderly woman, holding a cane in one hand and gripping one of the poles with the other, showed a disappointed expression for having lost her chance to sit down— I’m sorry to have bothered you, young man.

Wei Wuxian sighed.

Why did these things have to happen to him?

Did it really have to be an old lady with a cane competing with him for a seat?

—Let’s go, A-Yuan. Let’s keep looking for another place.

The boy, about five years old, became sad for having lost another chance to rest. At that moment, Wei Wuxian clenched his fists, not wanting to feel bad for having arrived first. Although his feet hurt from standing for many hours at work, he was seriously questioning whether keeping the seat was the right thing to do.

Suddenly, he heard the little boy shout, “Grandma! Watch out!”

The elderly woman almost fell forward if it weren’t for Wei Wuxian quickly catching her by the arm and helping her regain her balance. —You can keep the seat.

—Oh no, young man. It’s no problem...

—I insist —he said, pointing to the seat—. It’s all yours.

Wei Wuxian was even willing to help her to the seat, and so he did. The elderly woman didn’t protest any further and, at her own pace, took a seat, placing the cane between her legs.

—Thank you, Hat Man! —shouted the boy excitedly as he sat next to her.

Wei Wuxian had forgotten he was carrying a hat with him.

How rude!

He quickly took it off and gave a brief bow to the woman as a gesture of politeness. Right after that, he said goodbye, and when he turned around with his briefcase and hat in hand, he quietly cursed his bad luck. The bright side was that he was already on his way to Yunmeng Jiang. At least he would arrive a bit earlier than he usually did...

Almost always, when he traveled to his hometown, it would be nighttime because he usually left work very late. He generally visited his family at the beginning or end of the month on his days off. Today was an exception—he had swapped days off with a coworker to line up with his sister’s birthday. He had begged his supervisor to let him leave early, and apparently, his persistence had paid off. Although, he hadn’t counted on Yiling Railway Station being so crowded. He was used to there being fewer passengers after 7 p.m. But hey, it was something, right?

With that thought in mind—"it’s something, at least"—he calmed down a bit.

Or rather, he resigned himself to it.

He didn’t find another empty seat throughout the entire carriage. He ended up standing with his briefcase, leaning against one of the walls. Wei Wuxian sighed for the thousandth time that day over his bad luck. It seemed fate never tired of throwing obstacles his way. Oh well, what could he do... “Something is something... Something is something...”

When inside a crowd, whether on public transportation or in a closed space, the human mind tended to study each person present. Wei Wuxian had already become familiar with the elderly woman and the boy. Therefore, he observed the other people around him, and his gaze suddenly fell on a man dressed in smart casual attire diagonally across from where he was standing.

That man was wearing a golden trench coat with six buttons. On the upper left side, the symbol of a Peony was embroidered. His tall dark hat was embroidered with golden lines, and at the base, it featured delicate flower silhouettes resembling peonies. His hair fell past his shoulders, and his handsome face was fair skinned with distinctive pupils. His features were attractive, and it seemed as if a shadow of a smile lingered at the corners of his lips.

Suddenly, their eyes briefly met.

Wei Wuxian was the first to look away, but not for long, as he realized it was the man who ultimately avoided direct eye contact, giving the impression that he had been distracted by something else running through his mind.

Wei Wuxian also took his time to disguise his gaze. He decided to look to the other side of the seat next to the man, and there he found a woman who was reading a book. She appeared to be dressed elegantly like him, but it seemed they did not know each other.

They were sitting next to each other, but the distance between their bodies was very obvious.

The minutes passed like this; Wei Wuxian looked at them and then checked his watch, frequently tapping his foot on the floor. He was growing impatient. He needed to calm his thoughts before they played a bad trick on him.

Suddenly, his eyes caught the movement.

The woman who had been quietly reading the book next to the man stood up from her seat along with her belongings. Wei Wuxian saw the opportunity to sit down. His legs hurt, which was reason enough to go over and take the seat, but he didn’t want to be discourteous. If the woman came back, she would feel disappointed. Unfortunately, he had to suppress his desire to claim the spot. He lowered his beige briefcase to his feet, then straightened his back and crossed his arms, waiting for the woman’s return.

“Sir”—suddenly, he heard someone say, so he turned toward the man— “You may take a seat if you wish.”

Wei Wuxian fell silent.

Was that handsome man inviting him to sit next to him?

Seeing that the woman showed no sign of returning, he grabbed the handle of his briefcase and moved over there. When he sat down, his legs felt great relief. He had been standing for hours all day at work. Running, buying the ticket, and boarding the train had also tired him out. He let out a big sigh of relief.

Now he could rest.

—Thank you —he said—. I thought the young lady was with you.

—Oh, no —the man replied very softly—. I’m alone.

Wei Wuxian could see a smile on his face.

It was impossible not to pay more attention to his facial features: natural beauty undoubtedly accompanied him. It was clear he was a foreigner. Wei Wuxian wasn’t quite sure if he came from Lanling Jin, although the peony embroidered on his trench coat was quite obvious. Besides, his elegance… it could be said he came from a different social class, without forgetting that he was very handsome. Wei Wuxian didn’t know his height, but his caramel-colored eyes (light brown) and his carefully crafted smile full of empathy made him feel an instant sense of trust.

“Thank you,” Wei Wuxian replied with a smile. “I’m alone too.”

Wait... what?

“What does this man care about whether I’m alone?” Wei Wuxian wondered to himself. It wasn’t that it was a bad response, but it definitely didn’t leave room for anything deeper between them—or rather, it didn’t seem like a response befitting someone as sophisticated as him. Maybe he was tired and not in the mood to socialize as he normally would.

The man didn’t respond. There was a silence that became somewhat uncomfortable from Wei Wuxian’s point of view. There, he tried not to pay attention and looked out the other side of the window. With his briefcase on his lap, he remembered his Shijie and the fact that she was already a young lady. She was about to turn 25 years old, and he still saw her as his older sister who helped protect him from the fears of his childhood.

A smile suddenly appeared on his lips. “I’ll be with you soon, Shijie.”

—Do you often travel on this train? —His thoughts stopped remembering her when the man beside him resumed the conversation.

Wei Wuxian nodded. —Usually.

—Really? I’ve never seen you in this carriage before.

—I used to take it frequently when I traveled every day. Now, I only travel on weekends.

The man nodded, giving the impression that he had swallowed his lie.

Wei Wuxian didn’t travel every weekend. He jokingly did so at the end or beginning of the month, but he felt he shouldn’t give too many details.

—I see — the man replied softly —. You visit Qishan Wen a lot from what you tell me. It’s a very beautiful country.

Wei Wuxian nodded twice but suddenly raised an eyebrow. —Excuse me, Qishan Wen?

—Yes. The train is headed to Qishan Wen.

Upon hearing the actual destination, "Qishan Wen," Wei Wuxian abruptly turned toward the window, especially focusing on the vegetation they were leaving behind. His eyes widened like marbles, and his hands began to sweat as he entered a panic attack. He didn’t know exactly how his fear was showing on his face, but the man beside him noticed when he observed his unusual behavior.

—Is there a problem?

—Um... Does this train go directly to Qishan Wen? Are you sure? Could it be that you’re mistaken and it actually goes straight to Yunmeng Jiang?

—Yunmeng Jiang? —With doubt, the man took out a small piece of paper resembling a ticket from his modest trench coat and unfolded it.

"Destination from Yiling to Qishan Wen"

Wei Wuxian searched for his ticket in the pockets of his beige vest and found it crumpled into a little ball. —No, look —he unfolded it—. I have the destination from Yiling to Yunmeng Jiang. Could it be that you’re mistaken?

The man became thoughtful. Doubtful, he took the trouble to ask the passenger sitting right next to him about the correct destination of the carriage.

—This train goes directly to Qishan Wen.

Upon hearing this, Wei Wuxian trembled inwardly in a tragic way. He heard the man beside him thank the passenger for clearing up the doubt, but what did it matter? If this train was going directly to Qishan Wen, all his plans to arrive early at Yunmeng Jiang would be completely ruined.

Being present at his Shijie’s birthday was no longer going to be possible. Since he left at 7 p.m., he would arrive in Qishan Wen two and a half hours later. Frankly, he felt like he was having a panic attack mixed with disappointment.

Desperately, he rummaged through his briefcase looking for a quick solution. He took out his wallet to find more money. A sudden idea flashed through his mind: if he arrived at Qishan Wen, he could buy a ticket to Yunmeng Jiang that left late at night. He thought he could arrive an hour after dinner and blame the train delay in case he needed to justify himself to his uncles, especially Mándame Yū.

However, as soon as he opened his wallet, his face darkened with embarrassment and the terrible state of his luck. He had spent all his money on his sister’s gift. The only bill he had left was the ticket in his hand—the ticket he had already bought, which was now useless because he had boarded the wrong train.

The ticket was never to blame.

He was to blame for being careless.

—Damn it... —He couldn’t help but whisper those words in a somewhat loud tone.

—Is something wrong? —As expected, the man next to him had heard him curse.

—No —Wei Wuxian quickly closed his briefcase—. It’s just that I got on the wrong train. I don’t have any money left to buy another ticket. —His seriousness was evident. However, he forced a smile that was accompanied by two bursts of laughter—. Only the devil and I get these kinds of things.

—Qishan Wen isn’t far from Yunmeng Jiang —the man encouraged, giving him a consoling smile—. I mostly take this train to stop over in Qishan Wen and then head to Jinlintai.

—Are you headed to Lanlin Jin?

—That’s right. It seems shorter and faster to me than going directly from Yiling to Lanlin Jin.

—…

—Have you ever visited Jinlintai?

Wei Wuxian shook his head, somewhat distracted from the conversation as a flood of thoughts filled his mind searching for a solution. —I’ve only seen Lanlin Jin once in my life —he replied, reopening his briefcase to rummage through the mess, trying to find some money tossed at the bottom.

—I see —the man noticed him rummaging through his things—. No wonder I hadn’t seen you before. You have the accent and customs of the people from Yunmeng Jiang. It’s nice to meet people from different nationalities.

—Are you from Lanlin Jin? —Wei Wuxian asked as he continued rummaging through his things.

A slight lift of one of his lips spoke more than a thousand words. The man took his time before saying, —I love Lanlin Jin, but I’m not originally from there.

—And why do you visit? Do you work there?

—Let’s just say I visit my father. Nothing important.

Wei Wuxian resigned himself. He listened to the man talk about his reason for going to Lanlin Jin, but his mind had nothing else to focus on except the need to resolve his problem.

He had no money.

What did he have to do to buy the return ticket to Yunmeng Jiang?

Along the way, he had no choice but to wait until he reached Qishan Wen and solve the problem on his own. He had no way to communicate with his family. Discouraged, he engaged in a kind of conversation with the gentleman beside him, who seemed quite compassionate. At no point did he make him feel uncomfortable or annoyed. On the contrary, he offered him some peace by distracting him with interesting topics of conversation.

When they arrived at Qishan Wen Station after two and a half hours, Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe it was already past nine at night. He still had to find a way to buy another ticket, so the best thing to do was to go to the ticket control area and explain his situation.

—Are you leaving already? —The man beside him spoke up just as he noticed his intentions.

Wei Wuxian turned to look at him. He hadn’t realized how short he was until now, seeing him standing. Then, he felt encouraged to say, —For now, I’ll stay in Qishan Wen to sort out my problem. Thank you for your company. —He didn’t go into details. As always, he smiled as a way to show he was “okay.”

—Alright. I’m going to buy my ticket to Lanlin Jin. It was a pleasure meeting you, sir. —He took off his hat as a gesture of farewell.

Wei Wuxian wasn’t at all used to being addressed with such respect. The most common thing was a handshake and that was it, but he knew this man came from a different social class and surely had sophisticated manners that were uncommon among ordinary people.

—May I ask you a favor? —Wei Wuxian asked, and the man looked up at him, hat in hand. —Could you lend me a little money, and I’ll pay you back later? It’s just that I have no way to get back to Yunmeng Jiang, and I really need to get there today.

The man blinked at his bold request. He took a step back as he placed the hat back on his head. By then, Wei Wuxian waited somewhat anxiously for his response. —Well? Will you help me?

After a few minutes of silence, the man said, —Well... if it’s that urgent. Would you be so kind as to keep me company?

—Keep you company? —Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow.

Keep him company?

What did that mean?

His sixth sense told him to be careful. He knew he shouldn’t be asking a stranger for money. However, he was running out of options. At that moment, the man nodded with a gentle smile. —Would you like to accompany me to the Ticket Control?

They walked until they reached the ticket purchase area. Since it was past 9 p.m., Wei Wuxian was a little surprised that Qishan Wen Station was as crowded as any midday. He stood next to the man in gold while they waited in a short line for their turn.

—Two tickets to Lanlin Jin and Yunmeng Jiang, please —the man beside him requested.

—There is a trip that departs right now to Yunmeng Jiang, but we no longer have any seats available —the cashier said—. You will have to wait for the last one, which leaves no later than 10 p.m. That is, if there are no delays.

Wei Wuxian despaired. He was going to be too late if he took that trip. "Don't you have a position available for the one you're leaving right now? Even if it's a small one."

"I'm sorry. They're sold out," the woman replied.

The man next to him spoke up. "Absolutely everyone?" The girl nodded. "What about the first-class section?"

The young lady checked her ticket paperwork and found an opportunity. "We only have two empty seats left in first class. These tickets are usually more expensive than the standard ticket. Would you like one?"

-Perfect. Give me one, and another one bound for LanlinJin, please.

Wei Wuxian saw the situation and didn't like it at all.

First class?

Those tickets were exorbitantly expensive!

I didn't want to exaggerate, but how would I pay this man for a ticket like that as soon as possible?

"Thank you, very kind. Have a nice evening." The man left with a calm smile as they left the line.

Once away from the crowd, he informed Wei Wuxian that he would escort him to the designated ticket counter. If he had made a mistake once, it was best to prevent him from doing so now that he had provided him with the ticket. By the time they arrived at the correct station, bound for Yunmeng Jiang, dusk had faded. The scarlet red lights of the train and the luminous lanterns surrounding it were what added to the beautiful evening's glow.

The man in gold handed him his ticket. "Have a wonderful trip, sir."

"I really don't know how to thank you. I promise I'll pay you back in full as soon as possible. Or maybe I could have your mailing number?"

The man laughed.

As he dictated his mail number, the train whistle signaled its readiness for departure. Wei Wuxian clumsily finished writing it in his hand. “Perfect. I’ll call you with the money. Thank you very much.” As he hurriedly walked toward the train door, he suddenly turned to shout, “By the way! My name is Wei Wuxian! And you?”

--Meng-Yao --He answered with a smile on his lips.

--Thank you, Meng-Yao! See you later!

The train closed its doors as it said goodbye. Meng Yao watched it depart as the train's reins accelerated. At that moment, he stood for a moment looking in that direction while other people around him also remained in the same position, waving goodbye to their loved ones with their hands raised.

Deep down in his heart, Meng Yao thought the boy was very peculiar and funny. "He looks a lot like him," he finally thought of his younger brother.

When the train was out of sight, he decided to walk back to his station. However, unexpectedly, a blue-trimmed golden macaw flew by.

Upon seeing him, he extended one of his arms so that he could land on it.

When he noticed that it was carrying a rolled-up message in its paws, he unrolled it very delicately and then opened it:

"Greetings, A-Yao."

Sorry for what I'm about to tell you, but Mo Xuanyu escaped again.

This time, he didn’t mention where he was going. Jin GuangShan sent all his men to search for him. Because of that, he asked me to tell you to come to Jilintai soon to give him an explanation about your trip.

I went ahead and sent Wangji to search for him. My uncle is also helping to calm your father down while you arrive.

"I hope to hear from you soon."

Zewu-Jun.

When he finished reading, he let out a deep sigh that made him fold the paper calmly.

In his mind, he imagined the “possible reason” why Mo Xuanyu had escaped again. It had happened many times in the past. This wasn’t the first time he had run away from LanlinJin, and his father would go mad each time due to his lack of control.

The strange thing this time was that Mo Xuanyu had left without saying where he was going. That was new.

Even though it was new, he wasn’t surprised by his younger brother’s impulsive decisions. Living with their father all day, every day, at any hour, made anyone want to leave and never come back.

Mo Xuanyu was the youngest son of the Jin family.

He became his younger brother over the years.

Since he went to live with them at a very young age, his whole life had been overprotected by his father, to the point of becoming the perfect example of a spoiled, pampered, and disobedient son.

To make matters worse, that wasn’t where the problem lay; the problem was that his father wasn’t capable of solving anything without his help.

Chapter Text

"Qishan Wen Railway to Yunmeng Jiang"

Wei Wuxian held tightly onto one of the train car’s columns ever since the train started moving. With the ticket in hand, he remembered that it was true he didn’t belong in basic class. He needed to head to the first-class section if he wanted to claim his seat.

In front of the divider that separated the two social classes, a woman welcomed him while asking for his ticket and punching a hole in it to show it had been checked. Wei Wuxian thanked her with his hat held to his chest and thought the young lady was very attractive. Right after, he proceeded to take a seat. He sighed in relief as he leaned his back fully against the chair and stretched out his legs.

What a long day.

He hadn’t planned on leaving work early only to end up arriving in Yunmeng Jiang at the same time—or even later—than on previous occasions.

He glanced at his watch with that thought. It was a fact—he wasn’t going to arrive early for his Shijie’s dinner. He figured he’d need to come up with a believable excuse to explain himself to his uncles, especially to Madam Yū...

An aggressive shiver ran through him.

How dreadful. Most likely, he was going to get the harshest scolding of his life for not keeping his promise. Even though he was working on his new independent life in Yiling, where any excuse could be a good reason not to arrive on time, Madam Yū didn’t buy excuses.

That woman never cared about well-crafted excuses. If he missed an important family gathering, it was simply bad manners—and his Shijie’s birthday dinner was one of those occasions.

It made Wei Wuxian uncomfortable to have to endure her bitterwoman shouting, but by now… he really should be used to it, shouldn’t he?

"—Excuse me, young man,"—suddenly, the deep voice of an older man to his left was heard. He turned to look and noticed the man’s beard framing each of his cheeks, along with a neatly groomed goatee. —"Would you be so kind as to switch seats? I need my companion to sit next to me."—He pointed to an empty seat diagonally across. —"There’s a free seat over there where you can sit."

Wei Wuxian looked at the seat being pointed out, then at the other old man who was waiting for his approval for the exchange. “Well… this is just the last straw,” he thought, not wanting to start an argument. He really wasn’t in the mood for something like that. So, he decided to get up without saying a word.

He took a seat next to two young people: to his left was a woman with her eyes closed. Her dress was a pale pink. On the other side of his seat was a man dressed in white. However, that man was not just any ordinary man.

Wei Wuxian’s grayish eyes were struck with surprise as he took in how incredibly handsome the man appeared at first glance.

That man had long hair, and his pale skin enhanced his well-defined facial features. His white clothing appeared to be a very prestigious uniform—all of it complemented by the white ribbon on his forehead.

"A white ribbon on his forehead? Could he belong to some kind of religious sect or something?" In the middle of his analysis, Wei Wuxian caught the man’s gaze as he turned to look at him.

He looked away almost instantly, turning to face forward as if something else had completely caught his attention, imagining he hadn’t been subtle enough. After a few minutes, he let out a deep sigh. If the man beside him had noticed his lack of discretion—so what. Maybe he wouldn’t mind having a conversation with another handsome man while heading to Yunmeng Jiang.

When Wei Wuxian turned his attention back to him, he realized he had been ignored. The man in white had never intended to speak with him and maintained his seriousness with no interest in getting to know him. "So serious," he thought as he adjusted his briefcase on his lap and leaned back to find a bit more comfort in his seat.

Wei Wuxian felt tired, and the darkness outside the windows didn’t allow him to see anything. After several uncounted minutes, he fell asleep. He hadn’t considered the consequences when his poorly positioned head ended up bothering the man beside him.

"—Hey! I’m sorry!" he said quickly as he straightened up, shaken from sleep. "I haven’t had a good day and I’m tired."

The man in white never responded to him.

Wei Wuxian gave him a quick glance to see his reaction, and that’s when he met the golden gaze of his eyes. “Nice to meet you, my name is Wei Wuxian,” he took the opportunity to introduce himself and extended his hand, though he then thought it might be better to remove his hat as a proper sign of respect. Either way, he had to behave like a true first-class passenger…

“—Lan Wangji,” the man in white introduced himself, and his deep voice was striking.

“Oh... That’s a nice name...” Wei Wuxian suddenly felt enthusiastic and tried to continue, “Do you travel to Yunmeng Jiang often? I haven’t seen you around here before...”

For some strange reason, Wei Wuxian wanted to impress him by using the same dialogue that Meng-Yao had used with him for being first class. However, all he heard from him was a “Mm” and nothing more.

A monosyllable that—perhaps it was just his impression—but Lan Wangji didn’t seem interested in talking the way Meng-Yao had. By then, Wei Wuxian felt slightly disappointed by that reality. So much beauty wasted on such a stern personality...

“I’m from Yiling,” he said, not giving up. He offered his brightest smile in hopes of making the conversation more enjoyable. “I made a stop in Qishan Wen and then bought a ticket to Yunmeng Jiang. What do you think?”

“—Have you been traveling aimlessly?”

Wei Wuxian heard him speak and then raised an eyebrow at the words “aimlessly.” To be honest, he wasn’t traveling without direction... Well, if he looked at it from a more objective point of view, maybe it did seem that way, but it was due to several reasons. Reasons that... didn’t really matter to mention right now.

He had to admit he didn’t want to contradict him, so he brightened his smile and said, “Exactly. I’m a traveler without a destination. You couldn’t have described me better. I’ve traveled so much that… if it hadn’t been for my good friend, Meng-Yao, who lent me the money to buy this ticket, I would’ve missed my last chance to get to Yunmeng Jiang. They say it’s a very beautiful country. You know?”

Lan Wangji glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

“This must be your first time coming to Yunmeng Jiang, right?” Wei Wuxian grew excited at the sound of his silence. “Maybe... we can discover what this beautiful land holds together.” He nudged him gently while wiggling his eyebrows. “I’d love to have an adventure companion.”

Lan Wangji ignored him, to the point of shifting in his seat to take up more space when he felt Wei Wuxian’s elbow touch his. After all that excitement, Lan Wangji didn’t seem interested in continuing the conversation. Unfortunately for Wei Wuxian, he got no further response. Lan Wangji ignored him the entire journey, even though he tried to bring up other topics. In the end, everything turned out to be boring—until they arrived in Yunmeng.

When the train arrived, Yumping Railway Station began to fill with people as passengers disembarked. Wei Wuxian checked the time with his briefcase in hand—it was past 10 at night. He had to catch a taxi if he didn’t want any more delays. Suddenly, voices called out to him. When Wei Wuxian turned around, he found himself face-to-face with Lan Wangji and the lady in pink who had been sleeping throughout the entire trip.

"—Excuse me... Are you Wei Wuxian?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.

"Oh… Yes," he nodded, but then remembered his hat in front of a lady and quickly removed it. "Nice to meet you..."

“—Luo QingYang,” she replied, raising her hand to receive a polite kiss from him.

Wei Wuxian didn’t know what to do when he saw the young lady offer her hand. He wasn’t used to such refined gestures from first-class passengers. However, he didn’t hesitate. He simply took her hand and greeted her with a rather unrefined shake for a lady.

“—Nice to meet you, miss. To what do I owe the honor?” Wei Wuxian seemed genuinely interested in the interaction, especially when he noticed Lan Wangji standing beside her. “Would you like to travel with me and explore Yunmeng Jiang? In the end, did my offer catch your interest?”

Wei Wuxian smiled broadly at him, hoping to find some hint of interest on his face about exploring Yunmeng Jiang together. However, it was the young lady who withdrew her hand from the grip they had formed, having had enough. “Where do you plan to go? It’s a bit late…” she said to him.

“Oh, well. I have family nearby,” he replied, but then turned his gaze back to Lan Wangji. “I’m not that lost, you know. I can help you find an inn in Yunmeng Jiang if you’d like. After all, thanks for keeping me company throughout the trip.” He winked.

The man in white remained in complete silence, his expression no different from usual. At that moment, MianMian turned her gaze toward him, and that was when he gave a slight nod of his head.

Wei Wuxian looked at them both equally, and then, for a moment, he began to wonder, “Wait. Are they a couple?” If they could speak with just a glance, without needing words, it meant they’d known each other for a long time. He was confused. He hadn’t thought of it that way until now. Why, then, did they sit separately in the train car?

The train whistle snapped him out of his thoughts. He needed to keep moving if he wanted to finally arrive. “Ah... You know what? I’d better go ahead. See you later!” With his hat in hand, he gave a small bow to the couple and then turned around to continue on his way.

“Good grief… How did I not think of that before? It’s obvious they’re a couple,” Wei Wuxian thought the whole way as he placed the hat back on his head. “Oh well. I’ll be near you soon, Shijie. Just hang in there a little longer.”

As he turned the corner to look for the exit, a cloth was suddenly pressed against his face, specifically over his nose, carrying a strong and strange smell.

An incredibly strong arm pressed him against the other person’s chest, making him struggle to breathe. Wei Wuxian dropped his briefcase to the floor immediately. He tried to pull away the arm forcing him to smell that, but slowly he felt weak compared to the other person.

His eyes slowly closed, and that was when everything went dark as he fainted.

~~~

"Jiang Residence"

Yunmeng Jiang.

By the Lotus Pier, a special dinner was being held for the birthday of the family’s princess, Jiang Yanli.

Usually, family dinners on birthdays were a very meaningful tradition. Gathered in the main dining room, Jiang Yanli stirred a bit of sugar she had added to her tea. That was when she heard her mother’s voice say:

“—Let’s begin the dinner now.”

Jiang Fengmian, her husband, who was seated right beside her, cleared his throat. “My lady, we’re not all here yet. We should wait a little longer.”

“—A little longer?” The woman’s voice rang out with annoyance. “How long have we been waiting? Do you think four hours is a short time?” Her tone was intense. She was not happy about any of this.

“—No...” he replied very carefully, not wanting to upset her temper. “I just think that Wei Wuxian must have had some mishap. Usually, he arrives earlier on ordinary days. It’s only today that he’s taken longer than usual.”

“—Father is right, Mother,” Jiang Cheng’s voice spoke up, trying to ease the tension of the moment and protect his brother’s reputation. “Under normal circumstances, Wei Wuxian arrives earlier. Maybe something happened to him on the way.”

Jiang Yanli, who was beside her brother, looked somewhat affected by that possibility. She didn’t want to think that something bad had happened to her dear younger brother. She slowly lowered her gaze as she felt worried settle in her chest.

“—Let’s not think negatively,” Jiang Fengmian added for everyone. “If he doesn’t show up within an hour, we’ll call the police. For now, I’ll call his residence in Yiling. Maybe they can give me information that he is still with them.”

Hearing his father speak, Jiang Cheng wasn’t very convinced of that possibility. If Wei Wuxian were still at his residence in Yiling, he would have already notified them. He didn’t believe that fool would be so careless as to not inform anyone that his trip was canceled if that were the case. He looked toward his sister to see what she thought about all this, but it could be said he didn’t get good news. His sister looked downcast, all because of Wei Wuxian’s fault.

He felt deeply upset inside. He couldn’t understand Wei Wuxian’s way of thinking. If you made a promise, why not just keep it? Oh no, of course, the proper way to do things wasn’t etched in that idiot’s mind.

He sighed deeply as he took a sip of tea. He disliked imagining the pain he was causing his older sister on her own birthday. Wei Wuxian knew that his presence was important to her. She wanted to see him today for the family dinner, and he was the one ruining everything.

“If he doesn’t arrive within an hour,” Madam Yū said as she stood up from her seat, “we’ll eat without him, and that’s the end of the discussion.” She walked away, her long purple dress flowing with her movement.

Jiang Fengmian didn’t respond. He watched her leave, and it could be said that his shoulders relaxed with relief. He released the tension he had felt seeing his wife stubborn about their nephew’s delay. Perhaps he was being too lenient in justifying the four-hour delay so late at night. However, anything could happen. To be honest, he could understand his wife’s annoyance, as she was probably thinking that their nephew had been delayed because he went out drinking with friends and living a wild life. With that thought, he turned his gaze toward his daughter and saw the distress in her eyes.

Today was her birthday, and she was the one who had missed him the most since he left for Yiling. He didn’t quite know what to make of all this. Now more than ever, he felt it was the right time to make the call—and to hope for good news.

By then, Jiang Fengmian stood up and informed his children that he was going to call the residence where Wei Wuxian had been staying. Jiang Cheng watched him leave, then let out a sigh.

“I swear, when I see you walk through that door, I’m going to break your legs so you never disappear again, you idiot.”

~~~

"Little lolo hostel"

Yunmeng Jiang.

Entering the small inn located in the city of Yumping, MianMian walked gracefully through the interior, smiling at each man who watched her pass. She was a very beautiful woman, the kind any man would love to have by his side. With her flawless stride, she approached one of them and took a seat right beside him.

Lan Wangji didn’t turn to look at her when he sensed her presence.

“—Are we leaving tomorrow morning?” she asked calmly as she adjusted the beautiful ruffles of her dress.

“I informed my brother about what happened,” Lan Wangji said after taking his time. “Leaving tomorrow morning would be ideal.”

MianMian sighed in disappointment as she adjusted the corset covering her chest. “What a shame. Yunmeng Jiang is one of the prettiest countries of the five great nations,” she pouted in disagreement. “If only that fool had taken longer to show up... we’d be discovering the treasures these lands hold.” She noticed the waiter coming toward them and raised her index finger to signal for a drink. “Care to have a drink with me, Hanguang-Jun?” she smiled. “I’m feeling generous enough to treat you to a delicious cocktail.”

He shook his head. “Thank you. But I’ll head to the room.”

“—You’re leaving already? Come on, I don’t like that. Stay a little longer. If you leave, those men over there…” —she pointed with her finger to the group of diners gathered at several tables— “they’ll want to come over and take your seat, and I don’t want to be harassed. But if you stay here, they’ll hold back from approaching.”

Lan Wangji directed his gaze toward the number of men who were indeed looking in their direction. It wasn’t the first time MianMian had attracted attention in a crowded place. The woman was beautiful and loved to flirt a lot. However, Lan Wangji clearly forgot what MianMian could cause when they traveled. Meanwhile, he didn’t notice when one of them approached them from behind, heading toward her.

“Miss, you are an amethyst fallen from the sky. Would you like to have a drink with us? Of course, if it’s not too much trouble...”

MianMian felt flattered to hear the man invite her to drink with his friends. Then, she looked at Lan Wangji beside her, who showed no expression other than his usual one. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t tired of the same thing.

She smiled softly. “Oh, such a noble gentleman, I would love to join you, but... I highly doubt my husband would like the idea.”

“—What? Who is your husband?” the man asked, surprised.

She wrapped her arm around Lan Wangji’s and beamed a huge, loving smile, happy to have a husband like him. At that moment, the man, seeing her nestle close to Lan Wangji, became frightened when the latter gave him a serious, displeased look for getting too close. The man stepped back apologizing and then ran away.

“HA HA HA,” MianMian felt empowered. “See? You have a unique power, Hanguang-Jun. You help me scare off those idiots.”

“You shouldn’t stay here for too long,” Lan Wangji said as he stood up to put their retreat plan into motion. “It’s getting late. He should have already woken up.”

“Hanguang-Jun, calm down,” she said, taking his arm and asking him to sit back down. “Let me finish the drink I ordered, and then we’ll go see him together. How does that sound?”

Lan Wangji politely withdrew his arm from her grasp. He didn’t enjoy waiting around while someone finished their drink and chatted nonsense, but he had come with MianMian—his mission partner for some time now—so he had to tolerate it. That’s how the hour passed until she finished the last drop of her drink. She handed the waiter his tip with a flirtatious wink before stepping down from her chair.

The waiter was left speechless. The woman was like an angel fallen from heaven. She had an incomparable beauty. Of course, his first thought was that her husband probably had no idea he might be growing horns. He laughed to himself and slipped the tip into the pocket of his uniform.

Some time later, the two of them went up the stairs.

The room was located at the very end of the hallway. When MianMian handed him the corresponding room key, Lan Wangji opened the door. At that very moment, both they and the man who was tied hand and foot on the bed locked eyes.

Wei Wuxian frowned and exclaimed:

“You two! Why did you do this to me!? Do you think I’m some kind of madman to be tied up like this!?”

Chapter Text

"The Jiang Residence"

Yunmeng Jiang.

“—That... can’t be...” Jiang Yanli’s voice faltered with a hint of distress as she realized another full hour had passed and there was still no sign of her A-Xian.

Unfortunately for the Jiang family, Wei Wuxian was not at the residence in Yiling, where he had been living. The owners of the residence informed Jiang Fengmian that Wei Wuxian had left that morning for work and mentioned he wouldn’t be coming back to sleep. Therefore, they followed through with what Jiang Fengmian had said—they called the police.

It’s worth noting that the family dinner became a secondary concern.

It was no longer a priority for the Jiang family. Now, with the disappearance of one of their sons, the Jiang elders had to face the situation. Of course, the one most invested was Lord Fengmian. As for Madam Yu, she was in no mood at all—she had already endured enough, having waited so long on an empty stomach because of his delay.

A high-ranking private detective who was casually assisting at the Yunmeng Jiang Police Unit took on the case, as he found it interesting that they were waiting for a family member who never showed up for the young lady’s birthday.

—If possible, could you give me all the details of the missing person? —asked the detective.

Jiang Fengmian nodded, providing the personal information of his beloved Wei Wuxian. At that moment, Jiang Cheng was also present. His main attention, however, was focused on his sister, who had a clear sorrow on her face.

“Shijie, don’t worry,” he approached her to give a small comforting hug (he wasn’t used to doing that), but he needed to be empathetic and offer her reassurance. “The detective will do everything possible to find him. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Yanli accepted the hug she had been hoping for and clung to it. She needed it more than ever, as the fear that something bad had happened to her younger brother pierced her soul. All she wanted was to see her beloved A-Xian and be able to peel lotus seeds for him and make his favorite soup.

Why did fate have to be so unfair?

"All set," the detective said as he finished writing down the last characteristic of the missing young man in his notebook. "We’ll stay in contact as new developments arise."

Jiang Fengmian thanked him. "Thank you very much. We’ll be keeping a close watch."

"Either way, you must understand that a person is only considered missing after 24 hours. That means Wei Wuxian hasn’t reached that threshold yet, so the police case might take some time to provide you with an answer."

"You can't do that," Jiang Cheng interjected, slightly breaking the hug with his sister after hearing such nonsense. "If we're calling you, it's because his delay isn't normal."

“A-Cheng is right,” Jiang Yanli chimed in, her eyes slightly welling with tears. “A-Xian doesn’t usually take this long, especially not when he’s traveling from so far away…”

The detective looked at the distressed young lady and nodded. “I understand. But you must understand that there are policies that must be respected here in the country. From what you’re telling me, living far away is already a factor in delays. It’s possible he might have checked into a hostel in another region due to how late it is and wasn’t able to call or send a letter. Anything can happen before the 24-hour mark.”

Jiang Fengmian understood the reasons why it wasn’t considered a disappearance before the established time. However, the uneasiness of not having received a message from Wei Wuxian all day made him feel the same helplessness as his children.

“We will wait as long as necessary,” he forced himself to say as he shook the young man’s hand in a gesture of thanks. “Thank you for your cooperation, young man.”

—You're welcome —he said, offering his hand—. You can call me Jin Zixuan.

Jiang Fengmian heard him loud and clear, then nodded and withdrew his hand.

On the other hand, Jiang Cheng, not very convinced, also extended his hand as a gesture of farewell, imitating his father's politeness. As for Jiang Yanli, she lowered her gaze when the young detective bowed to her and turned around.

She didn’t know exactly what she was feeling right now with this terrible twist of fate, but she had hoped that her birthday would be the best day of the year because they were all supposed to be together. The memories of a cheerful A-Xian, promising to arrive much earlier so he could be in her arms, made her chest ache.

Without seeing it coming, she now found herself holding onto the detective's arm without thinking of the consequences. Her fingers curled tightly around his sleeve—a grip that could be interpreted as if she wanted to say a thousand words, but the only thing she could offer was a pleading look wrapped in silent desperation.

Their eyes met for a few seconds, during which he seemed quite confused, not understanding what she was doing.

She felt her throat burn as she pressed her hand against her own chest. —Please, bring him back —she pleaded, and only then did she let him go.

"Shijie..." Jiang Cheng approached and hugged her again, having witnessed her plea.

It was horrible to see his sister so affected, but as usual, Wei Wuxian had to be the cause of all her troubles. By then, the young detective watched as the young lady broke down in tears against her brother’s chest.

He imagined that the disappearance of this Wei Wuxian was not due to a trivial matter—at least, not for her.

~~~

"Little lolo hostel"
Yunmeng Jiang.

In the room, Lan Wangji and MianMian were surprised to find that the man they had captured was awake.

“Oh no. He woke up...” MianMian whispered to Lan Wangji.

“That’s right! I woke up!” Wei Wuxian heard her loud and clear. “What were you thinking? That I’d be unconscious forever? Untie me!” He struggled by moving around and then used his own teeth to remove the rope tied around his wrists.

MianMian thought it was an improper act. Using his teeth to free himself from the ropes that bound him... it was madness!

--It's okay. It's okay. Child, calm down --She acted quickly with the aim of soothing him--. Mo Xuanyu... Don’t get impatient like that. Let us explain.

--Mo Xuanyu? --Wei Wuxian looked confused-- My name is not Mo Xuanyu! Stop acting like lunatics and release me now!

It was clear that MianMian didn’t know how to handle the situation. Her next response was to wrinkle her face and then turn her gaze to Lan Wangji. For some strange reason, the members of the Jin palace firmly claimed that Mo Xuanyu was so spoiled that he sometimes chose to behave like a madman. It was unknown how many times he changed his name, and he would switch personalities without considering the consequences. He pretended to be crazy when asking his older brother, Meng Yao, for money to run away from their country, giving a terrible headache to his father, who never wanted him to be far away.

However, even if MianMian didn’t know how to handle a situation when Mo Xuanyu lost his mind, Wei Wuxian wasn’t about to sit around waiting for this little couple to feel like untying him. They were kidnappers—of course they weren’t going to do it.

He bit the ropes while making a tremendous effort to pull his hands downward in hopes of breaking them. MianMian glanced at Lan Wangji for the second time, seeking his help, which prompted the Jade to step in.

Lan Wangji approached Wei Wuxian and took hold of his bound wrists, managing to make him stop chewing on what he shouldn't.

--Let me go! --Wei Wuxian moved his wrists to start gnawing at the rope again, but the strength of that man in white was too much as he stopped him once more.

Wei Wuxian looked him in the eyes as he moved. His grayish gaze locked with the other's impenetrable golden eyes, and they remained in silence for an unknown amount of time. Neither was happy to see the other. At that moment, Wei Wuxian wasn’t going to allow anyone to deny him his freedom. He would fight with everything he had, even if he was tied up. By then, he had gathered all his strength in his thighs and raised his bound legs to deliver a kick, but unexpectedly, the man in white stepped back.

However, Lan Wangji didn’t keep his distance for long. The very next second, he forced him to stay still by using one of his legs and placing it over Wei Wuxian’s.

--Let me go! I thought you were a good guy! But you turned out just like all the handsome men... a kidnapper!

Lan Wangji widened his eyes in surprise upon hearing him say such nonsense. He decided to step back right after, giving him some space.

Wei Wuxian got what he wanted. Just at that moment, when he was about to bite the rope, a surge of electricity ran across his lips, and they were instantly sealed shut.

His eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected situation. He desperately tried to part his lips, but he couldn’t. Suddenly, he found himself forced to look into the pink eyes of the only woman accompanying them as she grabbed him firmly by the collar of his beige vest.

--Understand one thing, Mo Xuanyu. You're coming with us to LanlingJin early tomorrow whether you like it or not, and we won’t tolerate any more complaints. This is the last time we’re coming to get you. Is that clear?

--It’s best if we leave now --Lan Wangji intervened--. We can call a taxi directly to Jinlintai.

"Jinlintai?" Wei Wuxian grew alarmed upon hearing their next destination.

He shook his head incessantly, letting each of them know he did not agree. MianMian released him upon noticing his clear opposition. She wasn’t too keen on leaving right now either—at night, when she could relax and have a few beers with the men downstairs who had invited her to keep them company—but she knew that the moment they found Mo Xuanyu, they had strict orders to return to LanlingJin as quickly as possible, as requested by Jin GuangShan.

She sighed deeply, not at all happy, placing her hands on her hips. --Alright, let’s travel tonight to Jinlintai. It will be much better for us—and for you --She pointed at him with some annoyance--. That way, you won’t be disturbing our existence tied up all night.

Wei Wuxian thought they were very mistaken if they believed he was going to let them take him like that without a fight. He decided to stay still while looking at them with clear indignation. He was immobilized and mute. He couldn’t do much more than pretend to agree with their plan, only to make his move later.

--I’ll inform my brother --Lan Wangji said, taking hold of the door knob. He was about to say something else, but seeing that Wei Wuxian was cooperating, he simply decided to finish--. Keep an eye on him.

She nodded and then withdrew.

After several minutes of complete silence, MianMian glanced at Wei Wuxian sideways with some discomfort, crossing her arms. --When will the day come that you mature and stop causing us problems? I don’t know how many times Lan Wangji and I have come looking for you --She snorted--. Next time, if you want to leave the palace, just work and become independent. Otherwise, it won’t work.

Wei Wuxian blinked.

Who was this Mo Xuanyu?

Why were they confusing him with him?

Alright then, well.

Definitely, Wei Wuxian thought this day was dedicated to the worst bad luck in the world. Since he left work, fate didn’t want him to go see his family. He cursed in his mind. Was it not in his destiny to see his beautiful Shijie on her birthday? It was obvious that the family dinner was ruined.

His heart broke in two imagining his Shijie crying over his absence. How horrible. His family must now be plunged into chaos while he was being restrained in freedom, mistaken for someone named Mo Xuanyu. At that moment, he watched as MianMian took a seat in a chair as elegantly as possible while adjusting the sleeve of her delicate clothing.

The woman was not ugly. In fact, she had a charm that wasn’t seen in other women. He imagined that if he empathized a little with this girl, maybe it would work to get her to free him. He cleared his throat twice, catching the attention of the woman, who frowned as soon as she looked at him.

Wei Wuxian gestured with his hands, needing a pencil and paper. Something he could write on.

She refused. --You won’t pull any tricks. As soon as Hanguang-Jun arrives, we’ll leave here.

"Hanguang-Jun?" he thought as he raised an eyebrow.

Now he understood. He supposed that this so-called 'Hanguang-Jun' was that man in white. He let out a slight grunt at the thought of him.

What was he thinking the first time he saw him in the first-class carriage?

He had found him attractive. He even wanted to start a conversation and had invited him to take a walk through Yunmeng Jiang without even knowing him. All with the idea of trying to build a friendship with him, but he had been wrong to think he was a decent and kind man, like Meng Yao.

For a moment, he remembered him.

Meng Yao had told him he was heading to LanlingJin, specifically to Jinlintai.

That's it. If he couldn’t escape the clutches of this little couple, he could go look for Meng Yao. After all, he had his contact number. He could send him a message explaining his situation and find a way to escape. With that line of thinking, Wei Wuxian tried to lift his gaze toward his suitcase to figure out where the heck it was among so many things, but he didn’t see it anywhere.

These people...

Where had he left his belongings?

It had to be here.

He had his Shijie’s gift in there!

The door opened right after, revealing the man in white. --The taxi is downstairs; we can go now.

MianMian nodded with clear relief. She looked at “Mo Xuanyu” as she stood up. --How will we take him, Hanguang-Jun? We’ll have to go outside, and we can’t allow anyone to see him tied up.

It was a good question. If they untied him, "Mo Xuanyu" might have the chance to escape and make their lives miserable. On the other hand, if they took him while still tied up, it would look very strange to people outside.

Wei Wuxian, who was listening to them talk about him as if he weren’t even there, tried to spot his suitcase, but he couldn’t see it anywhere. He didn’t want to even consider the possibility that he had lost it. If that happened...

He couldn’t finish thinking about the worst-case scenario when, suddenly, the man in white grabbed him by the wrists while immobilizing his legs. With a knife he pulled from one of the pockets of his coat—white as snow—he cut the ropes around his feet, setting him free. At that moment, Wei Wuxian had the chance to move, but he didn’t have time to react before Lan Wangji yanked him off the bed in one swift motion, forcing him to stand up in an incredibly clumsy manner.

--You’ll walk by my side --he ordered, casting a sideways glance at him--. You’ll hold my hand as we leave the inn --In fact, he grabbed his still-bound hand with impressive strength, making it clear that he wasn’t going to let go of him for anything in the world.

Wei Wuxian was furious inside. Not only was he tied up by hands and feet, but he was also being treated badly.

--Move it --Lan Wangji quickened his pace but got the exact opposite.

The next second, Wei Wuxian pulled his bound hands toward his own chest, using force to prevent Lan Wangji from pulling him away. However, Lan Wangji realized he was trying to tell him something through sounds that didn’t form syllables.

Wei Wuxian insisted on communicating with him, and when he saw him open the door as if to ignore him, he bent his arm with a defensive move he had learned in his teenage fighting days and used his body to push him against the door, forcing him to close it with his weight. As a result, Lan Wangji suffered a blow to one of his shoulders when he collided with the door.

The Jade was secretly surprised to have been attacked by Mo Xuanyu in that way. Of all the times he had encountered the man, he had never been confronted like that before.

He observed his grayish eyes filled with palpable fury. Wei Wuxian was willing to do whatever it took to be allowed to speak, because for some time now, he had wanted to, but being silenced by the spell, he hadn’t been able to make himself heard. At that moment, Lan Wangji tried to walk away, but Wei Wuxian intercepted his feet in such a way that if he moved, they both would trip and fall to the ground.

Lan Wangji noticed his strategy. He couldn’t believe that this man, being younger than him, was rebelling in such a way.

--Please stop! --MianMian arrived to the rescue with seriousness and concern-- Mo Xuanyu, step away from Hanguang-Jun. If you keep this up, both of you will fall and get hurt.

Wei Wuxian pressed his foot harder against Lan Wangji. If they were going to fall, he wished with all his might that this idiot would take all the pain from the fall.

Lan Wangji, somewhat immobilized, released his wrist, but Wei Wuxian wasn’t going to give up so easily.

--Step back --Lan Wangji ordered.

However, Wei Wuxian tried to press his foot in harder. The man's grayish eyes were furious at still not getting what he wanted.

--Hanguang-Jun --MianMian said with concern--. It’s better if you remove the silencing spell... He’s been asking me for paper and a pen for a while now...

Lan Wangji didn’t stop looking at Wei Wuxian, and the latter was in the same state. Even though MianMian had stepped in, the two were so focused on staring at each other that it was clear seeing each other was a source of irritation. After hearing MianMian’s reasoning for why “Mo Xuanyu” was resisting cooperation more than usual—to the point of becoming violent—the Jade removed the silencing spell.

Wei Wuxian was finally able to open his mouth. He breathed more calmly as he stepped away from that spot, noticing how the man in white had steadied himself in place with a hint of discomfort in his shoulder.

--Speak, what do you want? --MianMian looked at him.

--My suitcase --Wei Wuxian demanded with a slight rasp in his voice--. Where is my suitcase?

MianMian frowned. What was he talking about? She turned to Lan Wangji to see if he knew what he was referring to but found that he didn’t know either.

--I’ll ask you again... --Wei Wuxian took a deep breath and said slowly-- Where is my suitcase?

If he heard even the slightest possibility that they had lost it, he wasn’t going to hold back.

It was one thing to be kidnapped because they thought he was some lunatic, but it was a whole different matter to be kidnapped without his belongings. Inside that suitcase, he had everything—his ID, the work he needed to do over the break, his travel permit, passport... EVERYTHING!

Inside, he also carried the beautiful gift from his Shijie, which she had worked so hard to create. If there was a possibility that he had lost it... No! That was not something he could accept!

Not hearing a response from anyone, Wei Wuxian’s face darkened. --If you lost it, I swear that...

--It’s not lost — Lan Wangji answered confidently —. Like all our belongings, I sent them directly to LanlingJin before we left.

MianMian looked at Lan Wangji with a certain quietness. She decided to give him full control of the situation.

--What’s the reason for sending my belongings somewhere else first? What kind of kidnapping is this? --Wei Wuxian questioned-- I don’t believe any of you.

--If you want to get them back, you’ll have to come to Jinlintai with us --Lan Wangji continued.

--How convenient --Wei Wuxian caught on immediately--. Is this how you bribe me? What guarantees do I have that you’re telling the truth, and that when we arrive, you won’t come up with another excuse to blackmail me? I want my suitcase now. If you don’t give it to me... I’m capable of doing many things you wouldn’t want to know about.

MianMian looked offended. How insolent this boy had become.

Why was he suddenly choosing to rebel out of nowhere?

He didn’t seem to be Mo Xuanyu.

--I give you my word --Lan Wangji added, managing to pull her out of her thoughts--. As soon as we arrive at Jinlintai, I will give it to you with my own hands.

Wei Wuxian listened carefully to the confidence in his promise. He looked at the woman beside him, and she nodded firmly, giving him part of her word as well. He had to admit, none of this was what he expected. Believing the promise of his kidnappers was equivalent to believing a ghost. A situation he had never found himself involved in before.

So many things he thought about daily, he never questioned whether trusting his kidnappers was a good idea. He didn’t want to leave Yunmeng Jiang knowing that his family was surely very worried about him, but he couldn’t lose his suitcase.

--Alright. I’ll go with you --he decided, keeping his plan B: Meng Yao in mind--. But I’ll do it on the condition that you give it to me as soon as we set foot in LanlingJin. Agreed?

Lan Wangji nodded.

As for MianMian, seeing the Jade’s firmness, she decided to nod as well, not quite sure what Hanguang-Jun was planning.

Just as they had originally decided, they carried out the main plan: Lan Wangji held Wei Wuxian’s tied hand while he walked beside him, looking anything but graceful.

MianMian went out afterward and closed the door.

She sighed a little to herself.

She was afraid of Mo Xuanyu’s new attitude. He seemed more aggressive, doing things he had never dared to do before, but maybe it was one of his new crazinesses. She thought that, fortunately, Lan Wangji was always there to accompany her.

What would become of her dealing with that lunatic alone.

No way!

Chapter Text

As they came down the stairs, all the men inside the inn whistled at the three people descending. Wei Wuxian looked at each of them and frowned. Of course, he didn’t understand why they were making such a fuss, but after hearing MianMian’s voice, he finally found an explanation.

--Goodbye! Good Samaritans! Your beautiful princess is leaving!

Several were upset by the news; others shouted for her to return soon to the city of Yunping. Women like her, so beautiful, weren’t easy to find. At that moment, Wei Wuxian couldn’t see the end of the spectacle because Lan Wangji pulled him toward the exit of the inn.

The car had been ready for a while. Lan Wangji informed the driver that they were ready, and he opened the back door. Lan Wangji let Wei Wuxian get in first before taking a seat himself. On the other hand, MianMian knew she was supposed to sit in the front passenger seat, so she opened the door, turned halfway toward the inn, and ended up blowing kisses to each of the men as if she were a celebrity.

When she finished her little show, the car began to move. Wei Wuxian was the only one in the back seat alongside Lan Wangji. The man in white was still firmly holding his tied hand. He clearly wasn’t risking letting go in case Wei Wuxian got the idea to open the car door and jump out. That thought amused Wei Wuxian. Of course, he would consider that solution if he were looking for the slightest chance to escape—but that wasn’t the case.

He still needed to know where his suitcase was, so he was forced to stay still until they arrived in LanlingJin. There, while listening to MianMian have some sort of conversation with the driver, he cast a sideways glance at Lan Wangji.

He observed the seriousness that defined him as he stared straight ahead. Cautiously, he leaned in a little closer, bringing their shoulders together with the intention of moving his mouth near his ear. --Sir... Let me remind you that I expect you to keep your promise. As soon as we arrive in Jinlintai, you’ll give me the suitcase.

Wei Wuxian could see how Lan Wangji’s golden eyes glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

--If you don’t do it or fail to keep your word... you’ll find out what I’m capable of. And you’ll be the first to suffer the consequences.

Lan Wangji didn’t respond.

Wei Wuxian stared at him with a frown. Lan Wangji decided to ignore him and returned his gaze forward. At that moment, Wei Wuxian looked at the white ribbon on his head. For some strange reason, he thought that if he lost that white ribbon, he would surely understand what he was feeling right now fearing that his belongings had been lost.

The only way Wei Wuxian could trust this man’s word was if everything he had promised was true.

~~~

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

That night was quite long.

Over at Jin Palace, Meng Yao had arrived from his long train journey, entering the surroundings of the elegant estate while several servants approached to greet him and, at the same time, helped lighten his load by taking his suitcase and assisting him in freshening up by removing his golden overcoat. Each of them was kindly thanked by him. After tidying himself up a bit, Meng Yao entered one of the meeting rooms, which was usually where his father received him in urgent matters. As soon as he walked in, he found his friends gathered.

--San-Ge! --A slim man with shoulder-length short hair and a fan quickly stood up from his seat-- Oh, it can’t be! You finally arrived! --He rushed over to give him a strong hug-- I heard that Brother Mo has run away again... What terrible news!

--Huaisang... --Meng Yao responded politely while nodding slowly in agreement with what had been said--. So, it seems. That’s why I’m here.

Zewu-Jun, better known as Lan Xichen, stood up and slowly walked over to them. --A-Yao --he said with a joyful look full of relief.

--Er-Ge --he responded, feeling the same sense of relief just from seeing him.

--So you’ve finally arrived, huh? --Suddenly, a rough voice cut into the reunion.

Meng Yao cautiously turned his gaze toward the new arrival, the happiness he had just felt upon seeing Zewu-Jun fading slightly the moment he stepped into the meeting room.

--We were starting to think you wouldn’t come --The man took a seat on the couch where everyone had stood up from. After a strange silence caused by his appearance, he pointed to the seat right next to him—the one he had saved for him--. Go ahead, Meng Yao. It’s getting late. Don’t think we have time to waste. We’ve already spent enough waiting for you.

Meng Yao looked directly at the invitation Nie Mingjue was offering him.

In response, he forced a smile as a strange discomfort settled in his chest. Being with his friends was one thing—of course he preferred that over being with his father—but sitting next to Nie Mingjue...

Of course, he didn’t show his displeasure. On the contrary, he forced himself to say— --Da-Ge... --smiling slightly-- It’s a pleasure to see you here in the company of all of us.

--And miss out on what’s already becoming routine? Mo Xuanyu escaped again. How many more times do we have to endure this incident?

--I’m just finding out... I came as soon as possible when Er-Ge warned me through a letter.

--Mm, I understand. Now I have a question. Doesn’t it seem too much of a coincidence... that Mo Xuanyu tries to escape just as you go on a trip?

--Da-Ge... --Nie Huaisang tried to stop the conversation, knowing where it was headed.

Meng Yao observed firmly what had happened between the Nie brothers. For a moment, he cleared his throat slightly and said, --Has he tried to escape just as I’m leaving on a trip? That’s something I hadn’t really noticed until now.

--For someone who’s supposed to be the next leader of the Jin Palace, you seem very unaware of what’s going on around you. I’m surprised by your lack of attention to these problems, Meng Yao. Well, what am I saying? It would all make sense if the boy is badly influenced...

--What are you implying? --Meng Yao asked seriously-- Are you suggesting that I persuaded my younger brother to escape from the Jin Palace in my absence?

--I’m not implying it, but it can’t be possible that Lan Xichen and I have to endure Jin GuangShan’s hysteria simply because his younger son has escaped once again, while you’re never around to help solve the problem. Zewu-Jun has to come and ask his twin brother to go search for that boy, because apparently, his older brother is never present.

--Da-Ge, if I may --Lan Xichen spoke up upon hearing his rather stubborn tone of voice--. Not every time Mo Xuanyu has gone missing has Lan Wangji gone after him. This last time, it happened because Wangji was on an important mission in Qishan Wen with Miss Luo QingYang, so I asked him as a favor.

--A favor that doesn't concern us --Nie Mingjue said bluntly, frowning--. We all know perfectly well that you asked Lan Wangji for help because it was the only way to calm Jin GuangShan's hysteria while Lan Qiren gave him several alternatives to prevent another escape. Personally, I find it utterly ridiculous to worry about a boy who clearly doesn't want to be here.

--Da-Ge... --Meng-Yao tried to interrupt him.

--Wait --he stopped him--. It's my turn to set clear boundaries, because all I'm seeing is that we're getting worked up over a situation that makes no sense to me.

--It does make sense --Meng-Yao spoke seriously--. We're talking about my younger brother. If you think this is a trivial or illogical situation, you can easily walk out the same door you came through, and no one will bother you again.

--And put up with the complaint he throws at me afterward? --He pointed at Nie Huaisang with his hand, who was surprised when he realized his older brother was referring to him-- Who can deal with him after he thinks I don’t help others with their problems? Do you know how long we’ve been here? Since 2 in the afternoon, which was when Mo Xuanyu disappeared—and you had no idea.

Meng-Yao tried to speak but then decided to remain silent. He understood Nie Mingjue’s frustration. He had arrived late, and his father wasn’t an easy man to deal with. On top of that, getting any rest seemed nearly impossible. If he tried to do his work away from home, his father would come and bother him for not being at Jin Palace to solve his problems. On the other hand, when he chose to stay and serve his father so as not to leave him alone, the man somehow still managed to send him away on a trip…

He knew that, in any case, Nie Mingjue was also looking for someone to blame. After all, Mo Xuanyu was his brother, Jin GuangShan was his father, and the real problem should be dealt with by him, since Jin Zixuan wasn't home—as usual...

“I... I understand the stress we're all feeling,” Meng Yao added very carefully, trying to ease the tension. “I truly appreciate that you’ve taken an interest in helping my father and his bouts of impatience, which... are not usually easy to handle. I humbly offer my sincerest apologies for the trouble caused. From now on, this matter will be in my hands.”

“That won't be necessary,” Lan Xichen added after listening to everything. He touched his shoulder reassuringly. “Lan Wangji informed me half an hour ago that Mo Xuanyu was found safe and sound in Yumping City, Yunmeng Jiang. He’s already on his way back along with Miss Luo Qingyang.”

Meng Yao felt a huge sense of relief wash over his shoulders. Every time Lan Xichen spoke, he gave him that peace and hope he felt he was losing.

"I'm grateful, Er-Ge," he said with a smile. "Lan Wangji and Luo Qingyang should be rewarded for taking care of such a nuisance on our behalf. I truly apologize for all the trouble."

Lan Xichen smiled, shaking his head. “That won’t be necessary. In fact, Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue also helped out. We’re all here simply to support you.”

Meng Yao looked grateful, but he did doubt that Nie Mingjue was truly here to help him out of sincerity. “As for the coincidence that Mo Xuanyu ran away during my absence… I hadn’t noticed that. As soon as I arrive, I’ll try to speak with him. To find out the reason why he still holds on to the desire to be a disobedient son.”

"You should have done that from the very beginning," Nie Mingjue said as he stood up, still frowning. "If possible, punish him as he deserves. If you keep letting him do whatever he wants without serious consequences, he'll keep walking all over you like it's a joke. To be honest, I'm almost certain that Qinghe Nie or GusuLan are ready to provide behavioral guidelines that could help set him straight. There he'll learn that if rules aren’t followed, he’ll have to face the consequences." He took a step forward, brushing past Meng Yao with an overbearing attitude. "Let’s go, Nie Huaisang. We have nothing else to do here."

“Da-Ge...” the boy complained softly, afraid to question him given his temper. “Please wait. I want to see Mo Xuanyu. I’ve been waiting all day with Er-Ge for that...”

“We're leaving,” he ordered. “And don’t make me drag you out by force, because you know what will happen.”

Nie Huaisang worried as he remembered all his paintings, fans collected from every era, and the neatly stacked stories written in his room. If he didn’t obey, they would quickly face the consequences.

“All right! All right!” He turned to the other two men, fan in hand. “Sorry for having to leave. Please give my regards to Brother Mo. Tell him I’ll definitely come tomorrow!” He gave them a quick hug and then left.

What had happened seemed somewhat bittersweet to Lan Xichen. Nie Huaisang was the one who had most wanted to see Mo Xuanyu return. He felt sorry for his situation, but knowing his older brother’s temper, he was sure he was making the best decision.

“Thank you for being here, Er-Ge,” Meng Yao let out a deep sigh—so deep that Lan Xichen noticed signs of exhaustion on his face. “I know I shouldn’t criticize... but the moment I saw Da-Ge come in, I imagined he had something negative to say to me about all this.”

“We’ve been waiting for you for several hours. I suppose Da-Ge thought you would arrive early. Although, on second thought, we hadn’t expected you to arrive at this hour.”

“Neither did I...” He walked over to the couch and sat down. “I took a train straight to Yiling and... I couldn’t find Xue Yang anywhere.”

Lan Xichen sat down beside him. “He didn’t show up at all?”

“No,” Meng Yao sighed deeply, feeling exhaustion sweep through his entire body. “I don’t understand the way he behaves. He stole a considerable amount of money from my father, ran off, then arranged a meeting in Yiling to repay the debt—and never showed up.” He let out a tired huff. “And now, with Mo Xuanyu’s escape...”

“That’s why I wanted to help you,” Lan Xichen offered comfortingly. “I knew the real reason behind your trip, why you had gone so far. I couldn’t allow myself to leave you alone in this situation if there was any way I could help.”

“Thank you, Er-Ge,” he said, giving him a calm smile. “I can always count on you and Lan Wangji. Your brother also deserves more than just a simple thank-you.”

“That won’t be necessary. You know that anything involving helping you—we’ll always be at your service.”

Meng Yao smiled at him. He watched as Lan Xichen stood up and then offered him his hand. “Come on. Go get some rest. As soon as Lan Wangji arrives, I’ll let you know.”

“Oh no… How can I leave you alone when you’ve been waiting for me all day? I’ll wait until your brother arrives to be by your side.”

“Go get some rest, A-Yao. If you don’t, staying up will take a toll on you tomorrow.”

Meng Yao knew he was right. He sighed. There were so many things on his mind. Maybe getting some rest would do him good. So, with a smile on his face, he took his hand and carefully stood up.

Both decided to leave the meeting room side by side, hoping that this day would finally come to an end, and that tomorrow would be a much better one.

~~~

"The Jiang Residence"
Yunmeng Jiang.

That early morning, Jiang Yanli hadn’t been able to sleep.

She had lost sleep because she didn’t know where her A-Xian was. Not receiving even a small letter was already worrisome. Her dear younger brother was missing. For that very reason, she needed to walk. Staying in bed wouldn’t help her fall asleep. Surely, she wasn’t going to sleep much that night. Hopefully, a relaxing tea would help her find the peace she so desperately sought amid her pronounced dark circles.

As she walked down the hallway of her vast home, she heard strange noises near the main entrance. What was that? It was well past midnight for such sounds to be heard. She decided to investigate to see what was happening.

When she arrived at the training area, the open space connected to the main entrance, Jiang Yanli found a man kneeling, picking up several things from the ground and putting them into what appeared to be a bag.

“A-Cheng?” She thought she recognized the person. She stepped closer to him until he turned around.

“Shijie!?” Jiang Cheng sounded surprised to see her awake so late. “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?”

“I could ask you the same...” She looked over all of his belongings, then raised her hand to her mouth. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to...”

“Run away?” He sighed deeply. “Yes, I am.”

She was stunned. “What? A-Cheng? Why? Are you leaving too?”

“Wei Wuxian needs my help,” he said, picking up the last thing from the ground, putting it in the bag, then closing it and standing up. “I’m going to look for him myself.”

Jiang Yanli was supposed to have woken up to ease her worries, not to intensify every single one of them.

“A-Cheng, I… I don’t think this is the right thing to do. We don’t know A-Xian’s whereabouts. He could be here, or he could be in Yiling. If you leave, where will you even start?”

“I’ll figure out where to start,” Jiang Cheng knew his sister would object. He sighed deeply as he slung the bag over his shoulder. “It’s the only way to speed up the search, since we can’t rely on the police. It still hasn’t been 24 hours since Wei Wuxian went missing, and in cases like this, time is gold.”

Jiang Yanli didn’t want to accept it. “Then I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?” Jiang Cheng widened his eyes at hearing such nonsense. “Of course not, Shijie. This could turn into a very risky trip. Besides, our parents will worry if we both leave without giving any explanation.”

“A-Cheng...” Her worried gaze locked onto his eyes. “If you leave, they’ll still be worried. It wouldn’t just be A-Xian who’s missing anymore—it would be you too.”

“I can’t do anything else. They’ll understand that I left to search for him and that I can defend myself. Wei Wuxian and I have always been together. Even though he’s an idiot, I’m sure he would do the same for me.”

“A-Cheng...” Jiang Yanli’s gaze grew sad as her hands rested on her chest. “We can find another solution. Please... don’t leave me alone too.”

Jiang Cheng didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t like his sister begging him to stay. He felt terrible seeing her practically in tears. It was understandable—Wei Wuxian had disappeared. He didn’t want the same to happen to him, but Jiang Cheng felt like he was running out of options, especially since the police couldn’t be trusted. Besides, both their father and she were deeply distressed by the possibility that Wei Wuxian was in serious trouble—maybe injured, on the brink of death, or even begging for his life.

So many things could happen during a disappearance.

For Jiang Cheng, imagining that Wei Wuxian had been kidnapped meant he must have come across someone very strong—or a gang of criminals who overpowered him to the point where he couldn’t escape.

He shook his head, refusing to imagine the worst possible situation he could be in. The worst-case scenario would be death, and he didn’t even want to think about that possibility.

“I have to go,” Jiang Cheng said firmly, his frown deepening after that last thought. “It’s better if I leave now.”

“A-Cheng, please. At least wait until sunrise.”

“By the time the sun rises, it could already be too late,” he sighed heavily, looking at her. “I’m sorry, Shijie. I promise I’ll bring him back soon and we’ll be together again. Tell our parents that... I left on my own. Please, don’t get involved in this problem.”

Jiang Yanli rubbed her eyes when she felt she could no longer hold back the sadness. Her younger brother wasn’t listening to her. She understood his intentions—but who was there to understand her?

Jiang Cheng realized that she wasn’t in the state to say goodbye. At that moment, he stepped closer with the intention of giving her a tight hug.

“I promise I’ll bring him back. I’m someone who keeps my word.”

“Let me go with you...” she insisted, her voice trembling. “Together we’re stronger...” Jiang Cheng seemed to sigh in protest. “Please, A-Cheng,” she pulled back to look him in the eyes, “I won’t be a burden, I promise.”

He looked into her eyes, and it was clear he was struggling to refuse. He mustered some courage to fully pull away. “I’m sorry. You can’t come with me. I have to leave now.”

Jiang Yanli lost all hope. She lowered her gaze and wiped her face. “Alright,” her voice cracked. “I’ll stay here. I hope... you can find him.”

“I’ll be back soon. Trust me.”

She just nodded.

Without intending to prolong the farewell, Jiang Cheng knew it was time to leave. “Tell our parents that I left on my own. When you woke up, I was already gone.” He didn’t wait for her to respond; he simply turned around and headed for the exit.

Jiang Yanli was left with a deep sadness that she could no longer bear.

When she saw Jiang Cheng leave the Jiang residence, she quickly headed to the kitchen and covered her face with both hands. She didn’t want to break down into uncontrollable tears. All she wanted was to calm her emotions.

She tried to calm the lump in her throat and the terrible feeling in her chest by taking several deep breaths, then stayed there, leaning against the edge of the counter as she thought.

After taking some time to prepare a relaxing tea, she remembered the detective from a few hours ago and that he surely must have left a phone number or something similar to contact him in case of an emergency. She had an idea. She quickly went to the main pavilion; a very spacious place her father used to store any household files and began searching through the papers on the desk.

During her inspection of each one, looking through the folders in the dim light of the office, she found what she was looking for. “Perfect,” was her first thought before heading to the house phone. She picked up the receiver to place it to her ear, then began to turn the dial to dial the numbers.

It was a little late to call at this hour, but after all, it was an emergency. With that thought, she waited as the phone rang and no one answered. There was a possibility that the detective was sleeping. She felt a bit helpless. What should she do now? If no one answered, then maybe she would have to find solutions on her own.

“A-Cheng can’t be that far…” she whispered, feeling the nerves about what she was about to do. “If he was able to go out looking for A-Xian… I can do it too.”

With that idea in mind, she stopped doubting. If she was going to do it, she had to do it now or never. That’s how she convinced herself that it was her responsibility, as the older sister, to bring them back.

She put on a black hooded cloak, packed a small bag, and finally left a note for her parents on the table explaining that they would soon be reunited as a family.

That night, Jiang Yanli left the Jiang residence to go in search of her younger brothers like a true warrior.

~~~

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

The next day, birds sang across the skies of LanlinJin. It was always beautiful to see them sing early in the morning as the wind spread freshness throughout the vast palace.

That was what Lan Xichen thought as he descended the grand stairs of the Jin Palace. Just as he stepped on the last step, Lan Xichen smiled toward the main entrance of the great palace. It was very early in the morning. Most of the servants weren’t even awake yet, so the tranquility could still be appreciated.

Suddenly, outside the palace, an ordinary car arrived. Lan Xichen assumed it was surely the one that Princess Luo Qingyang and Lan Wangji had been traveling in with Mo Xuanyu. However, when the car parked right in front of him, he was greatly surprised to realize he had been mistaken.

Jin GuangShan and Lan Qiren stepped out of the car.

Lan Xichen greeted them with a bow. Jin GuangShan, who was wearing a hat on his head, took it off to return the gesture.

“Zewu-Jun,” he greeted him while placing his hat back on his head, and with his other hand, he opened a fan. “I suppose you stayed up all night accompanying my children...”

Lan Xichen smiled. “Actually, I accompanied Meng Yao while waiting for Mo Xuanyu. The young man hasn’t arrived yet. Lan Wangji is still traveling, but I assure you it won’t be long before they’re here.”

Jin GuangShan was not surprised by the news. Despite the rumors that he supposedly caused a scene when he found out Mo Xuanyu had escaped again, right now it seemed that nothing involving him was new, and it was clear he was tired of the same situation. He sighed heavily, with large bags under his eyes that made him look even older.

“I’m glad everything is being resolved. That means Meng Yao should be ready for us to go to Yiling.”

Lan Xichen looked surprised. “Excuse me... Going to Yiling?” Jin GuangShan nodded at the hesitation. “But... I think A-Yao isn’t fully aware of it. He just returned from Yiling yesterday.”

“Yes, I know. And now we will be leaving right away,” Jin GuangShan said without hesitation as he climbed each of the steps.

“Excuse me, Jin GuangShan,” Lan Xichen couldn’t stay silent. This was a decision too hasty. “A-Yao had planned a special breakfast for when Mo Xuanyu arrived. I promised to stay by his side to help him, especially now that my brother must also be very tired. He has no idea that you will be making another trip to Yiling.”

“Let him make the special breakfast for another occasion. The servants will take care of Mo Xuanyu once he arrives at the palace. I have already spoken with Lan Qiren so that Lan Wangji stays to escort him during our absence. After all, your brother is the only one who has been able to bring him back all this time... I’m sure he will do an excellent job watching over him so he doesn’t run away again.”

“What?” Lan Xichen looked confused and somewhat offended by that unexpected decision. He turned toward his uncle, who was just on the other side, climbing the steps.

“My apologies for the delay in informing you, Xichen, but yes, I allowed Lan Wangji to stay at the Jin Palace and took charge of escorting Mo Xuanyu to prevent him from escaping again during the absence of Meng Yao and Jin GuangShan.”

Lan Xichen couldn’t believe that his own uncle had made such an important decision without consulting Lan Wangji or him. Especially without him, since as the future leader of the GusuLan kingdom, he wasn’t even allowed to weigh in on the pros and cons of that decision.

Most likely, after this trip, Lan Wangji would want to rest—and he deserved it. On the other hand, the special breakfast that A-Yao wanted to prepare for his younger brother, as well as to thank Lan Wangji’s hard work and Princess Luo Qingyang’s efforts, was going to be forgotten.

“When Lan Wangji arrives, tell him he can eat whatever he wants inside the palace,” Jin GuangShan said generously. “Tell the same to Miss Luo Qingyang. As for Mo Xuanyu, lock him in his room. He already knows what awaits him for escaping again.” Then he turned his gaze toward his companion. “Come on, Lan Qiren. Let’s find Meng Yao to continue with the plan.”

Lan Qiren nodded and then turned to Lan Xichen. “I’m leaving you in charge of GusuLan while I’m away.”

“Shufu...” Lan Xichen spoke softly, with a hint of dissatisfaction. As if it weren’t enough that Lan Wangji had been left in charge of watching over the youngest Jin, now his uncle was also leaving him with full responsibility over GusuLan. “They’re going in search of Xue Yang... That’s why A-Yao traveled to Yiling these past few days. He didn’t receive good news. Xue Yang mocked him. What guarantees that this time he’ll show up just because Jin GuangShan is present?”

“Your concern is understandable. But Jin GuangShan isn’t the only one searching for that scoundrel’s whereabouts. Some friends of ours, Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan, are also looking for him. We’ve planned a meeting in the center of Yiling City to coordinate his capture. Apparently, they have better leads than we do regarding his location. This is our chance to join forces with the mystical figures to find him as soon as possible and rid the streets of that criminal.”

Lan Xichen wasn’t very sure.

It was dangerous if he looked at it from the perspective of wanting to protect his uncle’s safety, but what could he do? He had been the head of the GusuLan kingdom ever since his parents passed away, and everyone had to follow whatever he said—even if Wangji or he himself disagreed.

“Let’s go, Lan Qiren,” Jin GuangShan didn’t waste any more time and climbed the stairs, waving his fan as he went.

Lan Qiren followed him without saying anything more to Lan Xichen. As always, his uncle was inclined to accompany Jin GuangShan through thick and thin, like the close companions they were. At that moment, Lan Xichen couldn’t help but see a bit of irony in their relationships.

He couldn’t deny it. He thought it was madness that his uncle was willing to go in search of Xue Yang alongside Jin GuangShan—but if he were in the same position, accompanying Meng Yao instead of his father, of course he would do it without hesitation.

GusuLan and LanlinJin had grown together for years. Thanks to the bond his uncle had built with Jin GuangShan since their youth, that was how he met Meng Yao—and they became best friends.

Perhaps one of the foundations of being a good disciple of GusuLan—being faithful and loyal to one’s friendships no matter what—instead of being a blessing, also turned out to be a bad omen. Because now, with this situation involving Xue Yang... each of their lives could be in danger.

“I hope Shufu and A-Yao will be safe during the trip...” he said to himself, feeling a certain sadness specifically for Meng Yao.

He knew that Meng Yao wouldn’t want to return to Yiling again.

Chapter Text

Meng-Yao definitely did not take his father's decision well at all.

He didn't have much luck opposing it. His father arrived with the idea of traveling once again to Yiling, and he didn't wait to hear the report about the disastrous meeting with Xue Yang.

He had to admit it didn’t surprise him. His father often changed his mind, but this time, it seemed to him that Jin GuangShan was acting as if it had been entirely predictable that he had failed in his attempt, and that’s why he was now proposing to return to Yiling.

Lan Xichen stayed by his side, listening to each of his complaints while he tried to repack his suitcase. Meng-Yao felt frustrated. All his plans to prepare an amazing breakfast for his beloved younger brother, to make him understand that he was always welcome no matter how many times he tried to run away, had vanished. Not to mention that having a conversation with him to understand his need to escape also wouldn't be possible while being far away.

—Forgive me, Er-Ge. I... —Meng-Yao closed his eyes and then pressed the inside of his wrist to his forehead— It's just that... I'm truly outraged.

Lan Xichen understood his situation. It was normal for him to be so outraged that he didn’t want to pretend. And really, he shouldn’t have to. That’s what he was there for—to help him solve his problems.

—A-Yao —Lan Xichen tried to remove the hand he was pressing to his forehead, managing to see his honey-colored eyes—. You’re not alone. I understand the helplessness of not being able to see Mo Xuanyu, but I promise you Wangji will bring him back safe and sound. As for the conversation you wanted to have with him... I can take care of it.

—Oh no... Er-Ge... —Meng-Yao couldn’t bear it, nor could he allow him to keep offering to solve all his problems— Lan Wangji and you have already done too much. I don’t want you to carry a burden that doesn’t belong to you. He won’t open up to you, no matter how much you try... Remember that A-Yu tends to be very reserved. His shyness keeps him from opening up to others.

—Mo Xuanyu is your brother; therefore, I can listen to him without any problem. All it takes is for me to offer him a bit of my trust —Lan Xichen smiled.

Meng-Yao looked him in the eyes and, honestly, Lan Xichen had to be the best friend he had ever had. He smiled at the same time Xichen did, bringing a bit of light to his soul, which had been in chaos thanks to his father.

—I wish you could come with me —Meng-Yao said without thinking about the situation, his smile fading a little—. But I know it’s not possible. Besides, your uncle left you in charge of GusuLan. That means you shouldn’t stay here for too long.

Lan Xichen lowered his gaze.

Meng-Yao sighed with a somewhat gloomy aura, but to not ruin the moment, he forced himself to smile again. —Thank you for everything, Er-Ge. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without you.

—A-Yao —he said sincerely—. I can plan to go with you if you really need me —Meng-Yao watched him, attentive to his words—. Maybe this situation with Xue Yang doesn’t concern me, but you’ve done too much these past days. I thought offering you my support might be a good idea. Besides, my uncle is involved. If something happens to him, it’s my duty to help.

Meng-Yao didn’t know what to say. If Lan Xichen accompanied him on this journey, it would completely change his perspective that it was going to be a waste of time.

—Er-Ge, I... I can’t ask you for that.

—There’s no need for you to ask. If you want me to go, I will.

—What about GusuLan? Lan Wangji? He’ll be left alone. Besides, many things could happen in my absence, and I trust that you can help me keep the palace under control. It would be best if you stayed.

Lan Xichen understood the reasons why Meng-Yao didn’t agree to him coming along, even though his face seemed to say otherwise. He didn’t insist on making it happen. His uncle had already entrusted him with the leadership of GusuLan, and Lan Wangji was expecting to see him when he arrived. For a moment, he realized that the proposal was not the right one at this time.

Meng-Yao sighed with a depressive aura. —After all this, we should take a kind of trip to free ourselves from so many worries. Maybe we can go to the hot springs located on Anyu Mountain, south of Qinghe Nie. That’s where we did our first mission together, do you remember?

—I’m sure that would be the best.

The door sounded with a sharp knock. —My lord, His Majesty is ready to depart. Are you ready? —asked one of the servants from the other side of the room.

Lan Xichen realized they were taking too long. He shouldn’t keep interfering. —It’s best if I leave now.

—Wait a moment —Meng-Yao didn’t want him to leave so quickly. He didn’t even feel ready to leave soon and face another trip. Maybe he needed to pack something else and didn’t remember, or maybe what he was losing was the desire to go every time he imagined traveling alone with those two old men— Please stay with me until I finish.

Lan Xichen could see his plea, so he didn’t oppose.

When it was time to say goodbye, Meng-Yao turned halfway toward Lan Xichen with his suitcase in hand. —Here is where we say goodbye —Lan Xichen nodded in response. There, Meng-Yao took off his hat and bowed to him—. See you soon, Er-Ge.

Lan Xichen also made a brief bow. —If anything comes up, keep me informed. I’ll be on the lookout in case you need me.

—Oh, I’m sure everything will turn out fine —Suddenly, they heard Jin GuangShan speak as he approached them—. Goodbye, Zewu-Jun —He made a bow— You know the rules, Lan Wangji can stay and rest in our beautiful home. My home is his home. Now, without further delay, let’s go, Meng-Yao —Jin GuangShan gave him a look that said he was tired of waiting and that he should hurry up.

As soon as he turned halfway around, Lan Qiren also made a farewell bow to his nephew, and then they headed together toward the car.

Meng-Yao swallowed his discomfort with the situation. When he looked back at Lan Xichen, he realized that perhaps he was making a mistake by not accepting his support and company. However, used to his father’s bad moods, he tried to smile to hide his displeasure. —See you later, Er-Ge —He said nothing more and walked away straight toward the car.

Lan Xichen was left alone in that place once the car departed. He no longer had the smile he had earlier. Nor was he happy to have seen them leave. Maybe Meng-Yao tried to hide it, but it was clear he was exhausted, and Jin GuangShan was not an easy man to deal with. He remained silent, thinking that he probably made a mistake by not accompanying him.

After a couple of hours, Lan Xichen had no choice but to relax and anxiously wait for his brother’s arrival. The journey by land from Yunmeng Jiang to Lanlin Jin was quite long, around 15 hours—almost a full day of traveling. Lan Xichen knew it could be very exhausting, so he decided to go down the grand staircase and personally wait for the arrival of the car.

Suddenly, in the distance, a new car arrived at the outskirts of the kingdom. When it parked right in front of him, he could see through one of the front windows a very beautiful lady, identical to Princess Luo QingYang.

“They’re here,” he thought as he smiled.

The driver showed his chivalry and opened the front passenger door. The young lady stepped out with characteristic elegance, smiling at him. —Thank you very much, kind sir... You are excellent travel company —She winked at him as she got out of the car.

On the other hand, the driver also opened the back door, and it was then that Lan Xichen saw Lan Wangji step out, but something strange happened.

Lan Wangji hadn’t fully gotten out yet. It was only after several minutes that he managed to do so, carrying another person in his arms like a princess. Lan Xichen couldn’t help but think that it was Mo Xuanyu.

—Zewu-Jun! —MianMian ran toward him in heels. She hugged him joyfully— It’s so good to see you again. It was about time you came back!

—Really... —Lan Xichen smiled at her, but then he looked at his brother, who was carrying the missing man in his arms, completely asleep.

When they returned to the interior of the Jin Palace, Lan Xichen guided his brother to the bedroom section, where one of the rooms was Mo Xuanyu’s. The servants opened the younger man’s room since it was usually kept locked. When he had the chance, Lan Wangji was the first to enter and gently laid him down on the bed.

—Let’s let him rest —Lan Xichen suggested upon seeing the man deeply asleep.

Once outside, Zewu-Jun looked at his brother, who looked quite exhausted. —You should rest. Mo Xuanyu won’t leave here as long as I’m around. I’ll also tell Miss Luo QingYang that if she needs to rest, she can do so.

Lan Wangji did not respond.

Lan Xichen could see in his gaze that he seemed to be thinking about something else. —Wangji? Did you hear me? —He seemed lost, but it was then that Lan Wangji decided to look at him.

In response, he immediately nodded without saying anything about it. Just as he had arrived, he left, descending each of the stairs without giving any explanations. Lan Xichen watched him go with a certain strangeness on his face due to his behavior.

He didn’t stay like that for long.

He would soon get the details. For now, what was needed was for everyone to rest and be given the comforts they deserved after completing their mission.

~~~

After a while, the table was set for lunch.

Lan Xichen went upstairs and walked straight to the room his brother had chosen to rest in. There, he knocked on the door several times until he heard the invitation to enter. He opened the door very slowly, and that’s when he saw him arranging the bed sheets with wet hair. “He took a bath,” was his first thought as he stepped inside and smiled.

—Wangji, lunch is ready.

His brother finished by flipping the sheet over and then placing it right in the center of the bed, in impeccable order. Lan Xichen understood that he was done. However, his brother’s gaze still seemed lost in thought.

Usually, he didn’t take long to respond or give details about what happened on a mission. Right now, it seemed like he didn’t want to talk about it. Lan Xichen didn’t need to hear it to understand what his brother wanted. He didn’t want to bother him. He had just returned from a long road trip. Anyone would be in a bad mood if they hadn’t been able to sleep well. Besides, he also understood that Mo Xuanyu was not an easy person to deal with, so he preferred to remain silent on the subject until his brother himself took the initiative.

When they decided to go downstairs for lunch, having a light dish as they were used to doing in GusuLan, suddenly, MianMian was walking through the halls, having fun with her companions in the Jin Palace.

For Lan Xichen, her attitude was a huge surprise. She was indeed happy and cheerful. It didn’t seem like the trip had affected her. On the contrary, quite the opposite.

MianMian spotted them and headed toward them. As expected, her attitude was an incredible contrast to her brother’s. She could see that Lan Wangji was stubborn since he didn’t even look at her to greet her.

She took a snack from her plate with her fingers and took a bite, finding it very tasty. —It’s delicious! Oh, forgive my boldness, Zewu-Jun. I won’t stay to have lunch with you all. I’ll go have lunch with the others outside the palace. That’s not a problem, right?

—Oh... —Lan Xichen looked surprised. He hadn’t expected her to leave so soon now that he had planned lunch— I was hoping you would have lunch with us. But, alright. No problem.

—Thank you —she smiled satisfied—. When Meng-Yao arrives, please let him know that I will be coming around mid-afternoon.

—He won’t be coming today.

Suddenly, MianMian’s intention to leave stopped as she seemed surprised by the news. On the other hand, Lan Wangji also paused his meal to look at her.

Lan Xichen sighed. —I know it’s surprising, but he left just this morning with Jin GuangShan and... —He directed his gaze toward Lan Wangji— and with Shufu to travel once again to Yiling. It’s a long journey. I wouldn’t be able to tell you when they would return.

Both newcomers had different reactions.

On one hand, MianMian looked upset. How was it possible that he had just arrived and already left again? She had been waiting for Meng-Yao since his last trip to give him reports on his latest missions, and now it turned out he had left again. On the other hand, when she heard that her uncle was involved in this new plan, Lan Wangji wasn’t too surprised.

It was a fact. When it came to visiting Jin GuangShan, his uncle had no ears or eyes for anyone else. If his uncle left, then that meant GusuLan was under his brother’s charge, and therefore, he had to help him.

—Meng-Yao is never with us —MianMian crossed her arms, clearly showing her disappointment— What are we going to do now? Mo Xuanyu can’t be left alone. If he is, he’ll run away again.

—About that... —Lan Xichen cleared his throat softly and then directed his gaze toward his brother— Shufu authorized you to stay and watch over him until his return.

—What? —Lan Wangji was slightly taken aback. That was something he really didn’t expect.

—Lan Wangji guarding Mo Xuanyu? —MianMian looked just as surprised, and even took it as truly offensive— How could you allow that, Zewu-Jun? You really don’t know how difficult it was to deal with that boy this time. He went crazy and violent to the point that Hanguang-Jun had to use force and cast the silencing spell on him because he did nothing but insult us.

Lan Xichen was now the one surprised. —What? Is that true, Wangji? I thought we had agreed that you wouldn’t use magic...

—I don’t think that’s right —the woman continued questioning— Zewu-Jun, you really don’t know what we had to go through. That boy was a headache throughout the entire car trip as well —MianMian looked exasperated, with one hand on her forehead— Don’t let us continue suffering this torment.

—Someone has to stay here. That’s the ideal —Zewu-Jun replied to her plea hidden in complaint— I understand it’s not the right thing. I know you’re tired, and so am I. Just... let’s wait for Mo Xuanyu to wake up. Once he does, I’ll talk to him, and then we’ll make the right decisions depending on his current mental state.

MianMian scoffed. She was really tired of that lunatic. She glanced at the time on her wrist and noticed it was getting late. —I’d like to keep talking, but it’s getting late —She gave a half-hearted bow and then turned around to leave just like that.

Lan Xichen felt her irritation. Even so, he felt relief when she decided to leave. At least he had the chance to explain himself to Lan Wangji, who still had a flood of questions in his eyes that deserved answers.

—I’m sorry, Wangji. I know what you’re thinking, but Shufu didn’t give me the option to intervene in his decision. To be honest, it hit me like a bucket of cold water too. The original plan that Meng-Yao and I had was to welcome you with a special breakfast as a token of our gratitude —He sighed—. In fact, A-Yao arrived yesterday from his last trip and told me he was very grateful to you for always being the one who manages to bring Mo Xuanyu back home.

—Stay to escort him? —he asked with a certain sadness in his voice— Brother...

—I know. I understand that your idea wasn’t to arrive and have to stay here watching over him every hour. I didn’t agree either, but... You know how uncle is when he makes sudden decisions. He isn’t objective regarding our needs.

Lan Wangji sighed deeply, letting out a breath full of despair.

The truth was that he had no problem fulfilling the mandate; the difficult part was doing so after what had happened. Mo Xuanyu caused him problems. He made their lives impossible at the inn in Yunmeng Jiang, not to mention how whiny he was during the car trip. He kept saying his legs hurt, that he needed to pee, that he was hot. And on top of that, he fought with MianMian many times. He was really unbearable. After so many times they had captured him, it seemed he was defending himself. Now that he had to escort him... it seemed he would have to make peace with someone who was surely unwilling to do so after having called him a "kidnapper."

—Wangji —he heard his brother’s call, managing to pull him out of his thoughts. Lan Xichen looked at him seriously— What’s going on? I’ve noticed you’ve seemed a bit... lost for a while now.

Lan Wangji shook his head and finally looked away.

—Wangji... —Lan Xichen spoke more gently— Is there something you want to tell me?

Hanguang-Jun didn’t say anything. After a while, he shook his head again, indicating that everything was fine. By then, Lan Xichen raised an eyebrow. As someone who understood few words well, it could be said that he might have believed him, but not entirely. He knew his brother; just by reading his body language, he knew what he was feeling, and on this occasion, he wasn’t being himself.

—Do you think we should go see Mo Xuanyu? —he suggested as a way to find out for himself what was going on— He’s been sleeping for quite a while. The ideal thing would be to invite him to eat with us.

Lan Wangji did not respond.

In the end, he nodded so as not to worry his brother. Lan Xichen nodded in approval, taking the initiative to stand up.

~~~

When each of them arrived at the bedroom section where they had left Mo Xuanyu in his room, the servants opened the door again and bowed before leaving the place.

Lan Xichen turned to his brother, looking to see if he was ready. After receiving an approving look from him, Lan Xichen nodded in response and then approached the door to knock.

—A-Yu? It’s Zewu-Jun. May I come in? —They waited for a considerable amount of time— A-Yu? —He knocked again— May I come in?

Not even receiving a "No" as a response, Lan Xichen turned to his brother, who didn’t know what to say. It was then that Lan Xichen chose to take the doorknob and slowly turn it.

—Brother, wait —However, he was interrupted by Lan Wangji, who was practically blocking his action—. Let me do it.

His golden eyes locked onto Lan Xichen’s like two beams of light that seemed to warn him. Lan Xichen decided to give him space and stepped back. He wouldn’t lie; he found it very strange that his brother had volunteered to open the door. It was clear that something was going on. If Mo Xuanyu had become as violent as MianMian had described... maybe barging in wasn’t the best option.

Lan Wangji turned the doorknob with extreme, but extremely slow, care. He opened a tiny gap between the door and the frame. Cautiously, he began to open it wider and wider, gaining a better view of what was inside.

When he was able to see the interior more clearly, the bed was empty.

A huge question appeared on Lan Wangji’s face.

“Where was Mo Xuanyu?”

—What’s wrong, Wangji? —Zewu-Jun’s voice was heard from behind, wanting to see inside. When he managed to look in enough, he found Mo Xuanyu nowhere to be seen— He’s not here? Could he have left?

Lan Wangji was brave enough to enter completely, looking all around. It was true—Mo Xuanyu was not there. The bed looked somewhat messy, which meant he had been sleeping for quite some time, but... where was he now?

—Maybe he’s in the bathroom —Zewu-Jun pointed to the other door connected to the room.

Lan Wangji quickly headed over there.

—Ah... Wangji, wait.

Lan Xichen tried to stop him, but Lan Wangji opened the door without any caution and then realized the place was very spacious for a bathroom. There was a long hallway leading to the back where the bathtub was surely hidden behind the visible curtains. Without thinking twice, Lan Wangji went straight there.

—Wangji, wait. Don’t enter like that... —Lan Xichen tried to tell him to ask first before going in like that, but it seemed his brother didn’t want to listen.

In his irritation, Lan Wangji pulled the curtains wide open.

—AHHHH!

A sharp scream was heard.

There was "Mo Xuanyu," or rather, Wei Wuxian, fully submerged in the bathtub, taking a relaxing bubble bath. It was clear that the situation had led to a big misunderstanding.

—AH! YOU, AGAIN! DO YOU WANT TO RAPE ME? PERVERT!

For any Lan, being deliberately called a pervert (not to mention a kidnapper) would be so embarrassing that they would be too ashamed to look at themselves in the mirror for more than a decade.

—GET OUT! NOW! —Wei Wuxian shouted.

Unfortunately, Lan Xichen also got caught up in the situation. Wei Wuxian threw everything that was on the bathtub at them—soap, shampoo, conditioner, razors... Everything! All with the intention of making them leave and not see him naked!

By that time, both Jades had to leave and then slam the bathroom door shut.

Lan Xichen hurriedly said, —A-Yu, sorry for our intrusion. It won’t happen again. We just wanted to know how you were feeling and...

—Leave me alone! Perverts! I don’t want to see you again! Get out!

Just as he finished hearing each of his curse words born from hysteria, Lan Xichen couldn’t believe how insolent he had been. He couldn’t lie—he understood his position. It was true that they had entered the bathroom without warning; that was their mistake, but to call them perverts...

He stepped back, somewhat trembling from the strangeness of being accused of something so horrible. Then he turned to Lan Wangji, who didn’t seem impressed—quite the opposite, in fact. A clear look of displeasure was evident on his face, his arms crossed.

-- ...

Lan Xichen didn’t know what to say.

Apparently, serious incidents had occurred between Mo Xuanyu and him.

"It would be better... to give him his space until he’s done," Lan Xichen said, unsure of how to feel, though it was obvious they wouldn't get anything done by staying in the room. "For now... let’s leave, alright?"

Lan Wangji didn’t need to be told twice. As soon as his brother said the last words, he turned around and left the room, leaving him alone. At that moment, Lan Xichen felt certain that his brother was no longer going to involve himself in this.

Lan Wangji was very selective, and if he didn’t like something...

He simply...

HE DIDN’T LIKE IT.

Chapter Text

"Yunmeng Jiang Police Unit"
Yunmeng Jiang.

Early in the morning, Jin Zixuan had begun his workday as a private detective in the Yunmeng Jiang Police Unit. He was walking there in his long golden coat. The garment matched his black tie and a beret-style hat of the same golden color that he wore every day. It was a bit chilly that morning, so his outfit kept him perfectly warm.

With a pipe in hand, he had been smoking after breakfast.

When he finished the tobacco completely, he removed the small pipe from his mouth and emptied the ashes into a little bag he always carried in his front pocket.

"Hey! Cousin!" —In the distance, a man was jogging in his direction.

Jin Zixuan turned that way with a certain seriousness.

It was his cousin Jin Zixun.

—How are you today? —He greeted him enthusiastically, but he simply responded with monosyllables.

It could be said that Jin Zixuan wasn’t in the mood to talk about his personal life and all that. He had come to the police station in a hurry because he was already late. Once they arrived at their destination, Jin Zixuan gave a quick wave to everyone he knew along the way while Jin Zixun kept up a monologue behind him.

—Can you believe it? I insisted so much, invested time and money in her, and she had the nerve to reject my proposal to be my girlfriend —He snorted while rolling his eyes— Women really are a waste of time.

—I told you —Jin Zixuan warned him— Getting involved with married women doesn’t work.

—I just wanted to give her my heart, but she only wanted an affair —He sighed, truly fed up— I thought that if I gave her everything she asked for, she would accept me. As usual, women are selfish. They’re always complaining that all men are the same, but when they find a good one... what do they do? They reject him —He rolled his eyes again.

—I told you to stay away from women —Jin Zixuan sounded serious— A man’s life is better when they’re not distracting you from your existence.

—Hey cousin... It’s not good to think like that either. Women are an essential part of our lives. They help us grow and become men.

—Yes, men who become sex slaves —He paused just after saying that last part, looking him directly in the eyes with seriousness— I have always lived it. All my life I have witnessed the consequences that come from having too many women involved in a marriage... —Seeing the other’s confusion at what he said, he nodded— Exactly, I’m talking about my parents’ marriage. That’s why I warn you to stay away from that life. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself sunk in the same mediocrity, chasing women, to the point of becoming a womanizer prone to destroying his family’s wealth over scraps of love —He turned around, putting his pipe in the front pocket of his coat, leaving him behind.

Jin Zixun frowned. He understood his cousin’s point, but... he wasn’t like his uncle. He shouldn’t reproach him or share the hatred he felt toward his father for wanting to seek a bit of affection from women.

He rolled his eyes silently.

Perhaps this was a sign that he should find another confidant to share his troubles with, someone who wouldn’t criticize him.

When they arrived at the reception area, a young lady with glasses, looking like a secretary, placed some papers on the desk and quickly approached Jin Zixuan.

—Jin Zixuan —She came close enough to stand right in front of him— Thank God you arrived on time.

—Aori, sorry for being late. A problem came up, but I’ve already solved it. What’s the first thing that needs to be done?

—We have many things to do —The girl’s expression showed stress— But in your case, we have only one —Jin Zixuan raised an eyebrow. She led him to the waiting area of the unit where the relatives of the accused and the victims under interrogation usually stayed— There is a young lady who arrived at the station yesterday at dawn with the sole purpose of seeing you.

—Yesterday at dawn? Why haven’t they attended to her?

—We have, seriously. But she insisted so much on wanting to see you that she even fell asleep in the waiting room.

Jin Zixuan frowned with some surprise. There, Aori pointed her out, and through the window, they could see the girl sleeping on the sofa, using her black hood as a blanket. At that moment, Jin Zixuan saw her through the glass and couldn’t believe it.

Did that young lady really stay overnight waiting for him?

For her to have been so urgent, it must be a very serious case.

~~~

After discussing the case with his colleagues, Jin Zixuan finally decided to enter the waiting room alone.

As the door closed, the young lady seemed to stir in her seat but did not wake up. The movement caused her hood to fall to one side of her head, revealing her face more clearly. His dark eyes widened when he recognized her.

Silently, he approached and gently touched her shoulder. —Miss Jiang, wake up —He shook her slightly— Miss Jiang.

After several minutes, she slowly opened her eyes and then looked at him, getting startled to see him standing right in front of her. Immediately after, she quickly straightened her back on the sofa, covering part of her body with the hood as she realized she was still wearing it. —D-Detective... —She stammered a little, trying to stay calm.

—Calm down —Jin Zixuan took a step back— I just came because I heard you stayed here... waiting for me all night?

Jiang Yanli lowered her gaze, somewhat embarrassed, as she tried to cover herself better with her hood, feeling a bit sad as she remembered the reason why she had ended up here at dawn. At that moment, she watched as the detective moved silently, took an empty chair, and then placed it in front of her.

—Tell me —He sat down while maintaining a calm demeanor with a hint of seriousness in his voice— What is the reason for the urgency to wait for me all night?

—I... —Miss Jiang was a little uncomfortable. The detective looked very well, unlike her. She felt she looked unkempt and somewhat pale. She really didn’t want to look like that, but perhaps it wasn’t the time to think about it— I need your help...

—Excuse me? —He asked, not having heard her.

—I... need your help.

Jin Zixuan nodded very slowly upon hearing her almost inaudible voice. He stood up right after. —Would you like me to bring you something? You must be hungry. Maybe a hot chocolate could make you feel better.

She didn’t respond, only lowered her gaze and nodded, very withdrawn.

After going back and forth, Jin Zixuan not only brought a freshly made hot chocolate that was still steaming but also brought a small bag containing a filled bread roll. He came close enough to sit in the chair, looked her in the eyes, and handed her each item he had brought. —This is for you.

Jiang Yanli, shyly, took the cup and the filled bread roll, which was also warm. She took her time sipping the chocolate, which was truly very warm. Minutes passed, and her body had warmed up. Then she looked again at Jin Zixuan, who was still waiting to hear the reason why she had come to look for him.

—Yesterday I ran away from home —She explained very softly, feeling bad for having done something so disobedient— I went looking for my younger brother, but... I never found him.

Jin Zixuan nodded very slowly. —Your brother... the missing one?

—No —She shook her head slowly— I’m talking about A-Cheng.

—Alright. So, let’s recap. Last night you decided to run away from home in search of your younger brother A-Cheng, correct? —She nodded— Good. What is your brother’s full name?

—Jiang Cheng.

Jin Zixuan took the opportunity to cross one of his legs while taking out his notebook and pencil to jot down the details. —What else happened?

—I couldn’t find him —Her voice was tinged with sadness— I thought that if I left at the same time he did, I could catch up to him, but I couldn’t. Now not only is A-Xian missing, but Jiang Cheng... has also left my side —When she mentioned the last part, her eyes quickly became teary. She apologized as she wiped them with the hood she was wearing.

—Take your time —Jin Zixuan handed her a small cloth he had kept in his coat pocket— You can continue when you feel comfortable.

She appreciated his kindness. After wiping her tears, she apologized once again.

—Don’t worry. The important thing is to know the reason why Jiang Cheng ran away from home so late at night. Do you know the reason?

She nodded. —He went searching for A-Xian, my other younger brother.

—Regarding that, what was his full name?

—Wei Wuxian.

Jin Zixuan now understood. Yesterday, when the Jiang family called the police, it was because one of their children had disappeared. He clearly remembered Mr. Jiang Fengmian and Mrs. Yū explaining the situation to them. Jiang Cheng was surely the other son. He was likely the brother who was with her when she broke down in tears. From what he understood, the man had left the house searching for Wei Wuxian, and now Jiang Yanli was left alone, failing in her attempt to find him on the streets.

—How long have you been at the station? —He asked, continuing the interrogation.

—I... don’t know, maybe a few hours before dawn. I don’t know if you noticed, but yesterday I tried calling him, but I figured he was probably asleep and wouldn’t answer the phone. I didn’t know what to do. I felt I had to seek help, so I decided to wait here —She sighed weakly— Please, you have to help me. I know it hasn’t been 24 hours since A-Xian disappeared, but A-Cheng also left, and I’m very worried. I want them to come back so we can be a family again, please.

Jin Zixuan could see the desperation in her soul. It was clear she was the most affected member of the family. As always, sadness and worry were the emotions that weighed heaviest on the relatives in these cases.

She looked like the typical desperate family member who ended up appearing pitiful. She tried to seek help in an exasperated way, resorting to all means at her disposal, even if they weren’t the most appropriate. With this, he didn’t intend to criticize her. He understood her desperation, but police policies couldn’t be overlooked.

—Miss Jiang, listen. I understand that you are in a difficult situation, but I believe I was clear with all of you yesterday when I explained the police policies.

—No, please —She begged— Help me, you’re the only one I have to search for my brother A-Cheng before he can go any further and something bad happens to him. Please, at least help me look for him all over Yunmeng Jiang before it’s too late.

Jin Zixuan sighed deeply, feeling her stubbornness. "Are you sure he’s still in Yunmeng Jiang? Do you know any exact place where he might have gone?"

She thought about it for several minutes and then shook her head.

"Alright. The right thing to do here is for us to return to your home so you can talk to your parents..."

"No, no, no," she exclaimed, shaking her head repeatedly. "Don't involve my parents in this. I'm 25 years old. I'm an adult and you can consider me as the one making the claim or the demand. Please, don't make this more difficult..."

Hearing her say that, Jin Zixuan thought she was right. If she was an adult, of course she could be the one making the claim without involving anyone else. However, it was a bit hard for him to imagine that she was 25 years old. She still lived with her parents, got upset like a lost child, and her innocent face didn’t show her age at first glance. Jin Zixuan actually asked her for her ID to verify what she was saying, and indeed, she had just turned 25.

At that moment, Jin Zixuan had no choice but to help her. She was looking for someone worthy to take on the case, and she had chosen him. After all, he was a client, and he had to provide her with peace because that was part of his job.

"Alright..." he finally said. "Let me see what I can do to start the search for your younger brother, okay?"

She nodded gratefully. "Thank you very much, detective. Please, do whatever you can."

Jin Zixuan nodded and then stood up, putting his pencil away in his jacket. When he left the room, he let out the longest sigh of the day. It wasn’t even 8 in the morning, and he already had a somewhat complicated case. The first step he had to take was to find clues and search the busiest places where this Jiang Cheng might have hidden.

He couldn’t do anything else. If the client needed his help, he was going to exhaust all the options he considered necessary.

~~~

Outside the Yunmeng Jiang Police Station, Jin Zixuan was examining a small map, analyzing and observing the different landmarks where Jiang Cheng might possibly be.

With a pencil, he marked each one of them with an X, concluding the analysis. Then, he turned toward Miss Jiang, who had been very quiet, not saying a word. She had a rather withdrawn personality. Sometimes he even got the impression that she didn’t want to talk to him.

"It's time to go." However, Jin Zixuan didn't make a fuss. He folded and put the map in his front pocket. Then he walked over to his parked car to open the passenger door. "After you."

Miss Jiang looked at the invitation and seemed somewhat hesitant. She hugged herself, as if afraid to get into a stranger’s car.

"Miss Jiang," he insisted.

Jiang Yanli looked at the invitation again. She had to admit that all of this was new to her. She decided to accept, if only to search for her brother. After all, she had stayed overnight at the police station, and she wasn’t going to back down now.

"Cousin—" Suddenly, a male voice coming from the station made both of them turn toward him. Jin Zixuan had gone out looking for him, but he didn’t expect to come face to face with Miss Jiang as well.

Just at the moment he wanted to say something more, he froze, completely captivated by the innocent beauty accompanying that woman. With those caramel-colored eyes as big as two full moons, it was hard to look away from her.

Jin Zixuan observed the situation and cleared his throat when he saw him standing still in place. "Zixun," he called out.

"My manners," he chided himself for his lack of courtesy and took off the hat he was wearing to bow. "My name is Jin Zixun," he said, extending his hand. "What is your name, beautiful lady?"

Jiang Yanli was surprised to see his hand waiting. She already knew where this kind of polite greeting was headed. For a moment, she found it a funny and very gentlemanly gesture on his part. Without further ado, she extended her hand toward him and said, "Jiang Yanli, that is my name."

"Jiang Yanli..." Jin Zixun felt her cold and delicate hand as their fingers brushed, as soft as white foam and as small as a little girl’s. "Forgive me for what I’m about to say, but you have a beautiful name. One that’s impossible to forget." He raised the back of her hand and then placed a kiss on it.

Jiang Yanli smiled softly and then withdrew her hand. "Thank you very much..."

"It's time to go." Jin Zixuan already knew where this was heading. Every time his cousin acted like that, behaving foolishly in front of a woman, it was because he had fallen in love—ALONE.

Jiang Yanli said goodbye to the man she had just met and finally got into the car. At that moment, Jin Zixuan closed the passenger door and took the keys out of his pants pocket to head to the driver’s side.

"Cousin, wait," Jin Zixun grabbed him by the arm before he left. "Is she the woman who stayed overnight waiting for you to arrive?" Jin Zixuan confirmed. He continued, "She can’t be... She’s too... beautiful. She looks like a porcelain doll." Jin Zixuan was about to speak, but he interrupted him, "Is there a chance I could go with you? I’m a detective too. Together we can..."

"No, enough," Jin Zixuan replied seriously, not wanting to hear any more of his words. "She and I will go alone. Since we spoke, she has been very scared and withdrawn. I need her to open up more to me for the sake of the case, and it’s best that you stay out of this."

"But cousin... We can both help her."

"I can do it alone," he said, pulling his arm free and stepping away. There was no need for long goodbyes between them. Just turning their backs to each other was more than enough to understand that there was nothing more to discuss.

Jin Zixun watched them leave, and then he grunted softly with some annoyance at his cousin’s serious attitude. He snorted shortly afterward. It wasn’t fair.

He also wanted to help a woman as beautiful as she was.

~~~

From the moment the car departed, silence inside became the most prominent and least expected guest. Neither of them took the initiative to start a conversation. On one hand, he was fully focused on driving, while she tried not to cry from sadness.

On the map, there were different landmarks where Jiang Yanli believed her younger brother might be. She spent most of her time focused on that as they visited each of the places to check.

Jin Zixuan rang doorbells, asked questions, and took note of the most relevant statements from the residents, and that’s how they spent almost the entire morning. Around noon, they stopped at one of the last landmarks that had been marked.

"Is this the place?" he asked.

She looked at the front of the establishment through the window. "Yes. This is the place."

He opened the car door first and, after closing it, walked over to the passenger side. By then, Jiang Yanli had begun to think that both the young man from earlier and this detective had a particularly gentlemanly way about them. Their manner was quite refined compared to what she was used to on the streets of Yunmeng Jiang. She decided to step out carefully until he was able to close the door.

There was no exchange of words after that. She noticed that Jin Zixuan turned around to head toward some steps that led to the entrance of the place. The establishment wasn’t very big. It was like a narrow-walled restaurant made of stone. You could enter without needing to go through a door—everything was open to the air.

Jin Zixuan rang the small bell on the table.

"Good morning! Or rather... good afternoon! Time has flown by!" A chubby man in a white long-sleeved uniform and apron appeared. "What can I help you with, lovely couple?" He wore a grin from ear to ear, but when he saw the police badge that Jin Zixuan immediately showed him, his smile slowly began to fade.

"Do you have a moment? We need to ask you a few questions."

The man swallowed slowly, then placed his hand behind his neck. "Oh... Did something happen? It’s not very common for the police to show up without a fine beforehand. Look, all my debts are paid..." His voice sounded nervous. Suddenly, when he got a better look at the young woman standing behind him, he was shocked to see it was the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. "What? Miss Jiang Yanli? Is that you?"

"You two know each other?" Jin Zixuan asked, noticing the way he greeted her.

"Of course," he replied more enthusiastically, as if believing that would save him from whatever was happening. "My spicy food stall has always been loved by Miss, the young Jiang Cheng, and the most adored boy... Wei Wuxian! That boy is my star customer!" He laughed heartily to lighten the mood. However, when he saw that neither of them played along, his smile immediately faded. "What is really going on?"

"We have come seeking answers," Jin Zixuan said. "It’s nothing personal. We just want to know if you’ve seen Jiang Cheng around here."

"Master Jiang Cheng? Oh well... I’m sorry to say I haven’t seen him this morning. He never came to eat here." He looked worried when he saw Miss’s expression. "Why? Did something happen to him?"

"This morning Jiang Cheng left his home, and we’re looking for him. We thought he might have passed through here," Jin Zixuan explained.

When Jin Zixuan explained the exact reason for their search, the man felt bad for not being able to help. To improve the situation, he asked his assistant if he had seen Jiang Cheng pass by, to which the 15-year-old boy firmly shook his head no.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help, Miss Jiang," the man truly felt bad. "If I see him later, I will gladly let you know as soon as possible."

The tone of voice used sounded honest and concerned about the situation.

Jiang Yanli felt she had done enough. "Don't worry, Monse. I'm sure I can count on you if anything different happens."

Jin Zixuan took out his pencil and then wrote down his phone number on a piece of paper. "Call me as soon as possible if you see him. I’ll be on alert for any emergency."

Mr. Monse nodded. "I will do that. Don’t doubt it."

As Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli were about to leave, the man called out to them, inviting them to eat something as a reward, since he truly felt quite embarrassed for not being able to help.

At that moment, not hearing a response from Miss Jiang, Jin Zixuan declined the offer. Near the car, he took out the folded map he had kept in his front pocket and looked over the remaining landmarks.

If that "Jiang Cheng" wasn’t nearby, it meant he had managed to walk all night. If that was true, he could be anywhere on the map of Yunmeng Jiang.

"No choice, we'll have to keep searching at his friends' homes," Jin Zixuan said as he headed toward the passenger door so she could get in.

Once they were both inside, Jin Zixuan placed the map on the glove compartment and inserted the keys into the ignition. However, amidst his thoughts, a cry slipped in—a miserable sob of desolation.

When he turned to his side, Jiang Yanli was using the long sleeve of her hood to cover her eyes. Curled up, she seemed to have lost all hope.

"There’s no need to cry," he said to her.

She shook her head slowly while her long sleeve covered her face. "It's just that... you don't understand. A-Cheng would never have done something like this... I should have gone with him when I had the chance to follow him."

"Miss Jiang, Jiang Cheng went searching for your brother Wei Wuxian. We’ve been to the most 'frequented' places where he could be. If you believe he couldn’t be anywhere else, then I ask you: Where was Wei Wuxian staying?"

"In Yiling..."

"Yiling is located in Qishan Wen. There are two ways to travel to Qishan Wen: by water or by land."

"A-Xian didn’t even make it to my birthday..." It didn’t really matter what she had said. Her voice sounded choked by the lump in her throat "I... It’s all my fault..."

"Your fault?"

"If I hadn’t told him to do whatever it took to come and see me on my birthday, he... maybe we... no..." She covered her face, unable to bear it.

She choked back her tears. She had held herself back from crying in front of him. However, holding back the tears any longer meant that it hurt her. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore. Going from being a close family to now being separated without knowing the reason was breaking her heart.

By then, Jin Zixuan felt in unfamiliar territory facing a woman’s tears. He was usually used to being around strong, independent women who could carry a lethal weapon alongside him at the Yunmeng Jiang Police Unit. Jin Zixuan didn’t like weakness, and unnecessary crying was one of the things he despised most—but... what could he do?

Miss Jiang clearly seemed like a woman raised by two parents who loved her to the point of overprotecting her from the outside world. If he wasn’t mistaken, she had confessed to him that she was the eldest sister of two brothers. Jin Zixuan understood a little of the burden that came with being the firstborn in a large family.

By coincidence, he was also the older brother of two men.

Mo Xuanyu was the youngest of them all. If he were lost like that so-called "Wei Wuxian," he would surely be in the same situation as her.

"Sorry for wasting your time, detective," she said softly.

"There’s no need to apologize. Missing person cases are rarely solved overnight. They take time and thorough, hard investigative work."

"B-But now... A-Xian and A-Cheng are missing..."

"They both have two different versions. From my point of view, the real missing person is Wei Wuxian, since there have been no signs of his current status since last night. On the other hand, Jiang Cheng told you his reason for running away. In theory, Jiang Cheng should be easier to find. The search for him can be better directed with the clues we collect."

She gently wiped her eyes. "How can we keep gathering more clues?"

"If Jiang Cheng’s reason was to search for Wei Wuxian, he could be heading to Yiling right now to solve the case." Using his ink pen, Jin Zixuan showed her the world map that displayed the five great nations. He circled "Yiling" and pointed to it. "Just think about it this way: If Wei Wuxian was coming back from Yiling, it’s possible that Jiang Cheng did what anyone would do—go to the place where he disappeared. It’s still early, and since the Yunping Railway Station opens around 8 a.m., he might have taken the first train of the day."

"Oh no..." She looked worried. "How can we be sure?"

"Well, one thing is clear. There are different ways to travel to Yiling. As I mentioned earlier, you can travel by water or by land. Jiang Cheng could have taken a boat or, alternatively, a train."

She fell silent. Her caramel-colored eyes looked drier. Then she lowered her gaze and said, "I think I just remembered that... A-Xian has always traveled to Yiling by train. I don’t recall him taking any other means of transportation... Do you think that could help in any way?"

Jin Zixuan nodded. "I also believe that the Yunping Railway Station could have been the means of transportation that Jiang Cheng took as his first option. It seems we should start looking for clues there."

"Are we going now?"

He looked at the time on his wrist—it was precisely noon.

They still had a chance to gather more clues.

~~~

"Yumping Railway Station"
Yunmeng Jiang.

"I need the passenger records for those who traveled to Yiling and Qishan Wen between last night and today," Jin Zixuan requested the passenger logs for the recent trips at the ticket control.

If the morning trips made that day could give him an exact clue as to whether Jiang Cheng had taken the first train to the lands of the Sun, it would be a great step forward to eliminate doubts.

"Excuse me, young sir, there has only been one trip today destined for Yiling and Qishan Wen, and none have recorded the name Jiang Cheng."

"Are you sure?"

The cashier nodded confidently.

Jin Zixuan found it strange. He then asked to see the records from the previous day. On the 7 p.m. train from Yiling to Yunmeng Jiang, it happened that the name Wei Wuxian was registered on departure but not on arrival. Wei Wuxian had taken a train around seven in the evening but never reached his destination, which was Yunmeng Jiang. This confirmed what the owners of the residence in Yiling had told Mr. Jiang Fengmian when they said that Wei Wuxian would not be coming back to rest.

"Thank you very much," Jin Zixuan had had enough for now. There weren’t many clues, but if he wanted to know more, he would have to request a warrant.

"What happened?" Miss Jiang Yanli looked worried as she saw him leave the ticket control. There, Jin Zixuan told her:

"Jiang Cheng doesn’t appear on the records of recent trips heading to Yiling or Qishan Wen, which means he’s most likely still in Yunmeng Jiang territory. On the other hand, Wei Wuxian did take a direct train to Yunmeng Jiang. That confirms he intended to come to this area, but his journey was never completed. He never reached our territory, and that leaves us with many more questions."

"What kind of questions?"

"If he never reached his destination, there’s a possibility that he made a stopover in another country, or the train never departed. I’ll have to find the real reason why Wei Wuxian never arrived. It’s also possible that he never left Yiling and is still there."

Miss Jiang lowered her gaze, thoughtful. "Um... This is very confusing. What do you think is the right thing to do for now?"

"For now, we should return to your home."

"What?" Her voice sounded upset. "No... Detective. You promised me you would help me find A-Cheng. You don’t have to involve my parents..."

"Miss," he said firmly, "I understand that you don’t want to involve them, but you must recognize that disappearing from your home is not an option. Search cases take time. Going to your house also helps the case. I need more information about Wei Wuxian if you really want me to start your case."

She stared at him, wanting to say something more, but gave up. Something in her chest told her he was right. With nothing else to say, the ride back was very quiet. She still wanted to keep this search out of her parents’ involvement. They would worry far too much if they found out that Jiang Cheng had also run away—especially her mother, who adored him.

When they arrived at the residence, the Jiang parents were surprised—they hadn’t expected their daughter to show up accompanied by the detective. Jiang Yanli confessed what had happened. As a result, Madam Yu was frustrated and disappointed in her younger son.

How was it possible that he had left without saying anything just to go looking for Wei Wuxian?

This was unheard of. He was exposed to all the dangers that could be out on the streets. It was simply inconceivable, unacceptable.

At that moment, Jin Zixuan took the opportunity to directly inform them of what he had found at the Yunping Railway Station, and he demanded more information about Wei Wuxian’s stay in Yiling.

"He left four months ago," Jiang Fengmian stated calmly. "He got a new job. That’s all I know.

"Where exactly was he working?" Jin Zixuan raised an eyebrow.

"In a pharmaceutical warehouse, where they sell all kinds of medicinal ingredients, as well as spare parts for medical equipment."

"Any girlfriend? Friends?"

Jiang Fengmian remained thoughtful. He recalled how mischievous his nephew could be when it came to women, but he had never known him to have a romantic interest. "I'm sorry. I don’t know," he finally said.

Seeing Jin Zixuan carefully noting everything down, Jiang Fengmian realized it was important to look for his notebook located in the main pavilion and thus give him Wei Wuxian’s residence number. "It's the only thing I can give you to help."

"Thank you very much. We will begin the search as soon as possible. For now, you can rest easy. I will keep you informed of every detail."

"Search for my son too," Madam Yu demanded, paying close attention to the conversation. "A-Cheng is also missing. You should look for him first since he should be within our lands."

“Darling...” Jiang Fengmian interjected for a moment. However, his wife continued demanding reasons why they should start the search for Jiang Cheng first, even though she knew Wei Wuxian was the one in greatest danger here. “My lady,” he added very cautiously and gently so as not to upset her, “let’s let the authorities handle this.”

"You understand that our son ran away and is lost, right?" His moderate tone carried a hint of sarcasm and irritation.

"I understand..." he spoke more quietly. "That’s exactly why we should let the authorities handle it... Jiang Yanli arrived with the detective. Just as they found her, they will be able to find A-Cheng and A-Xian."

Madame Yu frowned when she heard her daughter’s name mentioned. The moment Jiang Yanli saw her mother’s gaze fall on her with a hint of seriousness and judgment for having run away, she couldn’t help but avoid her eyes, lowering her head.

"I hope everything you say is true and not just one of your cheap words to shut me up." Those were the last words Mr. Fengmian heard from his wife before she turned around and walked away.

Suddenly, the place fell into an awkward silence. Jin Zixuan felt it, so he brought a fist to his mouth to clear his throat and then said, "It’s time for me to go."

Jiang Fengmian nodded slightly, a bit embarrassed. "My sincerest apologies, and thank you for bringing our daughter back," he said, offering his hand, which was returned—a gesture enough to bring closure to the matter.

Just as Jin Zixuan was about to open the car door outside the Jiang residence, a soft voice caught his attention. "Detective Jin!" Jiang Yanli ran up to where he was standing. "What’s the next step?" she asked, slightly out of breath.

"For now, I will seek a warrant to conduct a deeper check of the tickets registered at the train station and also at the dock. It’s important to know if Wei Wuxian arrived by any means. If not, I should start directly in Yiling."

"Will you be traveling to Yiling?" She looked somewhat confused.

"That might be the last option."

She watched him open the car door, still with the thought in her mind. Then she noticed that Jin Zixuan had taken off his beret and then made a bow as a farewell. After a moment, he got into the car and closed the door.

There was no chance for anything else. He left, leaving her at the house empty-handed. At that moment, Jiang Yanli felt she had done everything possible by turning to the police to search for A-Cheng. Now she didn’t know exactly what her next step should be. She just hoped that Detective Jin could find more clues than they had today.

"YANLI!" her mother’s loud and firm voice rang out. "Come here and come inside right now!"

She froze.

Her head began to throb, and then she remembered she needed to give good explanations if she didn’t want to be scolded by her mother’s fierce temper...

Chapter Text

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

Around the Jin Palace, in the middle of the afternoon, Lan Xichen carried a tray with a calming tea as he walked up the stairs.

The tea was very simple, not sweetened at all like the servants of the grand palace used to make it. Lan Xichen had prepared it with the intention of soothing any lingering hostility Mo Xuanyu might harbor after what had happened in the bath.

Lan Xichen had only one purpose: to talk to him.

When he went up to the section with the rooms, the servants accompanying him once again used the key to open the door to the room, which was kept under strict security at all times.

“—Please, may I have the key?” Lan Xichen asked them gently. “While I’m here, Mo Xuanyu won’t leave. I promise I’ll speak to A-Yao about it, so you don’t feel like you’re disobeying him.”

Each of the servants exchanged glances, but upon seeing Lan Xichen’s kind and gentle smile, they decided to hand over the key they always used to lock the younger one’s room. Once the key was given, they bowed and left. Finally, alone in front of the door, Lan Xichen slipped the key into the inside pocket of his white robe, not believing it would be necessary. Mo Xuanyu needed to be treated like someone trustworthy. Keeping him locked up was hardly the way to achieve that.

He raised his hand and tapped with his index finger. “A-Yu, may I come in?”

He waited a few minutes, and then, when he knocked again...

“No!” came the response from the other side of the door.

Lan Xichen was surprised. However, he used his hand and slowly turned the doorknob, which was unlocked. But suddenly, he realized the door was locked again from the inside. “A-Yu, I am Zewu-Jun. I’m not here to bother you, I just want to talk for a moment.”

“What do you want to talk about? GO AWAY! I WANT TO BE ALONE!”

Lan Xichen was even more surprised to hear the shout. It was the first time he had heard him respond with such insolence.

Could something bad have happened to him during the journey?

Had something during the journey disturbed him, causing him to be so defensive?

“I understand that you want your space… I respect that. However, I would appreciate it if you could spare me a little of your time to talk. It won’t take long.”

“If you really want to talk to me... bring me what you promised! Now!”

Lan Xichen heard him clearly. Bring him what he promised? What could he be referring to?

“A-Yu... what exactly do you want me to bring you?”

“You know very well what I want. I told you again yesterday. Until you bring it to me, I won’t open the door.”

Lan Xichen was confused. He didn’t know what the other was referring to. Holding the tray in his hand, he thought about using the key the servants had given him. In fact, he tried, but then he realized that the doorknob wouldn’t turn, even after he had removed the lock.

“Nice try! No one’s going to hand it over! I don’t want a pervert in my room! So go away and bring me what I asked for!”

Mo Xuanyu was preventing the door’s lock from being fully disengaged from the inside. No matter how many times Lan Xichen tried the key, he wouldn’t be able to get in if Mo Xuanyu kept re-locking it every few seconds from the other side of the room. The only way to get in would be to push the door open—and he wasn’t going to do that. Lan Xichen sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

To him, Mo Xuanyu had always been a shy child with flashes of intelligence. He had changed over the years. Perhaps now he was more grown-up, but Lan Xichen wasn’t quite sure if he was any more mature. He began to think that if he couldn’t even hold a casual conversation with him, he really didn’t know what he was going to do. Judging by how things were going, Meng-Yao’s journey would take a while. If Mo Xuanyu was only going to allow himself to speak with his older brother and ignore everyone else, they were in trouble.

However, just like A-Yao, Lan Xichen saw Mo Xuanyu as a younger brother. He was patient, so Zewu-Jun wasn’t going to give up that easily.

“A-Yu, I respect your reasons for not wanting to talk to me. However,” he said calmly and patiently, “we are all worried about you. Your father was very concerned, as was A-Yao when they found out you were missing. Having you here brings us relief. Now more than ever, this is the perfect opportunity for us to talk. You are not alone.”

He waited for a response that never came. He realized the younger one didn’t want to talk under any circumstances. He sighed, somewhat disappointed.

What A-Yao had told him came to mind:

“He won’t open up to you easily.”

He saw no reason to bother him any further. Holding the tray in his hand, he said, “Whenever you want to talk, you can come find me. I’ll gladly listen.”

He slowly stepped away, feeling completely rejected.

He didn’t understand many things, especially that thing he had been “promised.” He couldn’t remember promising him anything in particular.

With that thought, he decided to go down the stairs, left with little more than disappointment.

~~~

Walking down the main hallway of the Jin Palace, somewhat lost in his thoughts, Lan Xichen heard the arrival of several people. When he glanced toward the grand staircase, he saw the presence of the Nie brothers.

“Er-Ge!” Nie Huaisang quickly brightened upon spotting him. “We’ve arrived! We’ve arrived again!” It was no surprise he felt excited after what had happened at the previous meeting, where Nie Huaisang had wished he could have stayed at the Jin Palace to welcome Mo Xuanyu. As he bounced up each step, he gave Lan Xichen a strong hug. “How is he!? Has he arrived yet? Tell me he’s here!”

Seeing his excitement mixed with curiosity, Lan Xichen smiled. “Yes, he’s already here.”

“I want to see him! I’m going to see him!” Nie Huaisang said, rushing off with the intention of reaching his room quickly. However, a firm grip on his arm stopped him.

“A-Sang, I don’t think now is a good time,” Lan Xichen warned him.

“At least stay to say hello,” Nie Mingjue’s firm and stubborn voice caught both their attention. “Zewu-Jun also deserves recognition. If it weren’t for his brother, Mo Xuanyu would never have returned.”

Nie Huaisang looked slightly embarrassed. He covered his face with his fan and stepped aside to give space to his older brother.

“Da-Ge,” Lan Xichen smiled warmly at him. “It’s a pleasure to see you here again.”

“I wasn’t going to return, but since Jin GuangShan insisted so much on this matter, I at least had to find out what finally happened with that boy,” he said, looking around as he spoke. “Besides, I’ll take the opportunity to talk with Meng-Yao. Where is he?” Lan Xichen looked a bit hesitant to answer. Nie Mingjue raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Isn’t he here?”

“Mmm... He had to leave unexpectedly on a trip to Yiling with his father and my uncle. For now, I’m in charge of the palace, looking after Mo Xuanyu.”

A frown appeared on the elder’s face. “What exactly were you supposed to do in Yiling? All that commotion over Mo Xuanyu’s disappearance, only for that boy to arrive and none of you to be there?”

Lan Xichen tried to briefly explain the situation, as he didn’t want to reveal too many details about Xue Yang and the troubles involving Jin GuangShan. He knew Meng-Yao had done his best to keep everything low-profile.

“Hmph. Now I see what this means,” the elder added seriously. “Meng-Yao takes the opportunity to leave, passing the care of his disobedient brother to someone else who isn’t responsible for it. Why couldn’t Jin GuangShan have gone alone with Lan Qiren? Why did he have to take him along as a tag-along?”

“He went to resolve a family matter about which, for now... I don’t know the details,” Lan Xichen said, extending his hand in invitation. “If you want, Da-Ge, we can talk more calmly in the dining hall. Even A-Sang can join us while—” When he turned toward the younger one seeking his presence, Nie Huaisang had disappeared.

Nie Mingjue frowned, crossing his arms. “I’m not surprised. With all that insistence on coming, it was strange that he hadn’t left earlier.”

Lan Xichen found it somewhat amusing, but at the same time, not entirely so, given the attitude Mo Xuanyu had shown since his arrival.

“Shall we continue?” Nie Mingjue asked him.

Lan Xichen, having no other choice, nodded and prepared to serve him as he had been invited. After all, he held a faint hope that perhaps Nie Huaisang could help draw Mo Xuanyu out of his defensive state, hoping he might open up a little more.

~~~

Throwing everything out of the closet and the huge chest in Mo Xuanyu’s room, Wei Wuxian couldn’t understand how he had ended up here in less than twenty-four hours—and worse yet... suffering harassment!

All his excitement about arriving in Yunmeng Jiang for his Shijie’s birthday had gone to hell. Now, inside an unfamiliar room, he was trying to find something that would help him come up with a proper plan to get out of there. However, his options seemed limited since the large room was filled with nothing but trash—not to mention he still didn’t have his briefcase.

His kidnapper had promised to hand it over to him personally.

How was it possible that he still hadn’t handed it over yet?

A fairly loud knocking sounded on the door. “Brother Mo! Brother Mo! It’s me!”

This person’s voice was much shriller than before.

Wei Wuxian frowned as he pondered whether this was the so-called "Hanguang-Jun." Judging by the way the person addressed him, he doubted it.

“Open up!” Nie Huaisang turned the doorknob carelessly. “Why is it locked? I want to come in!”

Wei Wuxian didn’t respond. With seriousness, he searched the room for something to defend himself with. At the back of the closet, he spotted something metallic. When he went over, it was a heavy metal bat. This could work in case anyone tried to enter the room, tie him up, or cast a silencing spell on him again.

He positioned himself near the door, gripping the handle of the bat tightly, then raised it to shoulder height, ready to strike.

“Brother Mo? Are you there?” the other man asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Wei Wuxian furrowed his brow. “Whoever you are... leave me alone! I WANT TO BE ALONE!” he shouted, gripping the bat tighter.

When he shouted that, silence took over on the other side of the door. Wei Wuxian pressed his ear against it, sensing the prolonged quiet. Apparently, the man had left. His furious gaze and tight grip on the bat relaxed a little. After waiting several minutes for any further interruptions to his privacy, he heard nothing else.

“Has he left?” Wei Wuxian wondered seriously. If so, it had been much easier compared to the other man in white who had been pestering him every second.

Apparently, the new impostor had left. Wei Wuxian sighed deeply. He had a headache that not even a bubble bath could soothe. The good thing about this place was that it had everything for his comfort. That Mo Xuanyu was at least a wealthy guy. Wei Wuxian figured he could make use of anything in the room to come up with an escape plan. Although his hopes of finding something useful were slim, he approached the chest again, leaving the bat on the bed.

After the bath, he had no clean clothes to wear. He had to rummage through each of the garments belonging to this guy to find something halfway decent to put on. At least he was lucky that the man was just as slim, liked black clothing, and didn’t have a bad sense of style. It didn’t matter whether he wore a shirt or pants, as long as he could wear his beige vest over them, everything was perfect.

Suddenly, the doorknob clicked.

As soon as the door swung wide open, the man entering was stunned when the other lunged straight at him to attack.

“Ah! Calm down! It’s me! Nie Huaisang!” The desperate shout came as he extended his hands toward “Mo Xuanyu,” who was threatening him with the bat.

They stared fixedly into each other’s eyes.

Startled, the key Nie Huaisang had used to open the door slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor, slightly breaking the tension of the moment. Feeling awkward about it, Nie Huaisang forced an uneasy smile born from fear. However, the furious glare of who was supposed to be his "best friend" had now shifted to one more akin to surprise.

“You...” Wei Wuxian slowly lowered the bat. His eyes couldn’t believe who he was seeing.

Nie Huaisang immediately wiped the smile from his face upon recognizing him. He took a step back and almost dropped his fan as he instinctively covered his mouth with his hand in shocked disbelief.

“Well, look at that... what a small world,” Wei Wuxian said, his voice dripping with ironic sarcasm.

“W-Wei Wuxian...” he stammered, feeling his voice leave him.

“Nie Huaisang,” Wei Wuxian said, slapping the bat against his palm. “Look where you ended up after all this time... I can’t believe the surprises life throws at you. Who would’ve thought it’d be you who’d come along and screw up my life when I least expected it.”

Nie Huaisang felt completely vulnerable. His heart raced. He didn’t know what to say or what to do. Wei Wuxian was standing right in front of him—bat in hand.

“Cat got your tongue now?” Wei Wuxian raised both eyebrows. “Oh, of course not. No one could be more of a rat than you.”

Nie Huaisang quickly stepped back.

“Hey!” Wei Wuxian pointed the bat at him threateningly. “You’re not leaving. Lock the door—or else…” His gaze darkened. “I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

The man with the fan trembled. Staring fixedly at the bat pointing at him so mercilessly, he swallowed hard as his legs threatened to shake and give out at any moment.

“You’ll pick up the key from the floor, hand it to me, and then walk to the back of the room,” Wei Wuxian ordered.

“Br-Brother Wei...”

“Don’t you dare call me that. Go over there! Now!”

Nie Huaisang didn’t think twice. He obeyed the order exactly as he was told and went to the back of the room where the huge chest was, watching as Wei Wuxian locked the door. When he finished, the man with the fan grew even more nervous.

“W-Wei Wuxian... Please, can we talk more calmly...”

“Shut up! Do you think I feel like talking to you after everything you did to Jiang Cheng?”

“I... It was a mistake...”

“Was it a mistake to vanish from our home without saying a single word? You know what you did, right? Because if you don’t remember...”—he slapped the bat against his hand—“I can easily remind you.”

Nie Huaisang didn’t remember Wei Wuxian being that fierce. In all their years of friendship as brothers-in-law, he had never witnessed that twisted look in his eyes—one that wanted to cause harm—and now it was making him quite afraid. He could easily describe it as an angry gaze, worthy of seeking revenge.

Faced with that possibility, Nie Huaisang was overcome with desperation. “Please, please, Wei Wuxian. I don’t know anything... I don’t know anything!”

“Now you don’t know anything?”

“No!” He looked at the bat, truly terrified as it came closer to him. “PLEASE! LET ME EXPLAIN!”

“Explain to me at this point?! What are you going to explain? You were a terrible boyfriend!”

“I loved Jiang Cheng!”

He shouted it so loud and strong that after a few seconds, Nie Huaisang completely covered his mouth, feeling his lips tremble at the shock of what had been said. At that moment, Wei Wuxian remained silent, staring at him intently.

“I can explain,” Nie Huaisang insisted with a trembling voice. “Please... put the bat down.”

“Explain.”

“Please... put it down...”

“Explain it now!”

“All right! Fine!” Feeling restrained in his place, Nie Huaisang slightly opened his fan to fan himself while trying to take a deep breath. He didn’t know how to begin. After two months of having left Yunmeng Jiang, he imagined that being miles away, he would never meet any of them again—or at least, not under these circumstances when all he wanted was to see his best friend. “I...” He looked uncertain. “I never wanted to end the relationship I had with him...”

“Tell me the reason why you left. I don’t need anything else.”

“I had told him! I told Jiang Cheng many times that our relationship wasn’t going to work because his family would never accept us! ” He swallowed hard as he continued, “You know how Madame Yū is... That woman is very conservative. Maintaining a homosexual relationship in her own house, no...”

“Enough,” Wei Wuxian threatened him with the bat. “Don’t say anything else.”

“What?” He looked confused and somewhat offended. “But I’m explaining!”

“I’m not interested in more of the same. I know your relationship had many ups and downs, but it wasn’t enough for you to vanish one day and never return to our home again. Do you know how long Jiang Cheng was tempted to go looking for you? To search all over Qinghe Nie, only to... what? Ask you to come back? To resume a toxic relationship? You never truly loved him, and just as I was there for him to try to open his eyes, I’ll be there to make sure you never destroy his life again.”

“For God’s sake...” Nie Huaisang looked regretful and offended. “A toxic relationship? We never had a toxic relationship, and I never wanted to destroy your life, Brother Wei... Never...”

“Of course we are! I told you not to call me that! You and I are no longer friends after that. If anyone harms my family, rest assured they are dead to me.”

Nie Huaisang felt a bit bad that he had been told the relationship he had with Jiang Cheng bordered on toxic, and that Jiang Cheng had even been tempted to come looking for him in his homeland many times. He knew he had done things wrong in the past. In fact, having a romantic relationship with Jiang Cheng wasn’t one of the smartest decisions, especially since his stay in Yunmeng Jiang was only meant for studying.

Nie Huaisang had simply fallen in love; it was surprising, and he hadn’t realized the problems it would bring. Now, seeing Wei Wuxian holding a bat with such pent-up resentment, in a room that wasn’t his... his focus no longer remained on Jiang Cheng, but rather on Mo Xuanyu.

What was Wei Wuxian doing here when he wanted to see his best friend?

“If you don’t want to listen to me, then answer me,” Nie Huaisang mustered courage and slightly furrowed his brow, gripping his fan tightly. “Where is Mo Xuanyu?”

Wei Wuxian snapped back. “I don’t know. I don’t know who that idiot is, and I don’t know what I’m doing here. All I know is that I was kidnapped, and when I woke up, I was already trapped in this place.”

“What? Could it be... Hanguang-Jun was mistaken?” Nie Huaisang looked surprised at that possibility.

Hearing the name "Hanguang-Jun" mentioned, Wei Wuxian knew perfectly well that it referred to the man in white who wore a strange ribbon tied around his forehead. Of course, he didn’t like hearing that name. Besides having kidnapped, tied up, and enchanted him, the man had promised to bring him the briefcase that so far seemed like a sham. If the impostor standing beside him knew him, then he must be part of the same scoundrel group.

“I’m not surprised that you’re allied with a gang of kidnappers,” Wei Wuxian said, dripping with irony. “You left Yunmeng Jiang only to show up here in Lanlin Jin as one of the people responsible for this crime. How low you’ve fallen, Nie Huaisang.”

“Excuse me? I haven’t kidnapped anyone. I simply thought from the start that you were Mo Xuanyu, but apparently, Hanguang-Jun got the wrong person. And well... how can I explain it? You look too much like him...”

“Is that reason enough to kidnap me?”

“Not entirely,” Nie Huaisang sighed more calmly. “But Mo Xuanyu has been escaping more often than expected lately... In Jin GuangShan’s desperation to find his youngest son at all costs, he surely forced Hanguang-Jun to not distinguish you clearly enough...”

“Great. Now I’m the result of a mistake on his part. What luck I have!”

“Brother Wei...”

“If that’s the case, why doesn’t he let me go if I’m a mistake? What does he want from me?”

Nie Huaisang remained thoughtful, tapping his chin several times with his fan. Then his eyes widened. Now he understood what Lan Xichen had surely tried to warn him about earlier. Given the way things were, it seemed Lan Xichen had no suspicion that Mo Xuanyu was actually Wei Wuxian.

For a moment, he lowered his gaze, hiding his face behind the fan.

Could it be that he was partly to blame for Mo Xuanyu having run away from Jin Palace for good?

“All right, whether I can stand you or not, you’re staying here to help me find a solution,” Wei Wuxian declared. “I don’t have anywhere else to go, and I need to contact a friend as soon as possible to get out of here.”

“A friend? But... I can help you.”

“You are not my friend. After what you did to Jiang Cheng, forget it.”

“Brother Wei...” —Wei Wuxian raised the bat, forcing him to quickly backtrack— “All right! All right!” he said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Please... if you really want my help, you’ll have to put that down...”

Suddenly, the door to the room echoed with a knock. “A-Yu, A-Sang... is everything all right in there?”

Wei Wuxian raised the bat, ready to strike at any moment. Suddenly, a hand stopped him, grabbing his wrist and then abruptly covering his mouth.

“Relax, Er-Ge!” Nie Huaisang raised his voice. “Brother Mo and I are perfectly fine! We’ll come out for dinner soon! Just give us a little more time!”

“Are you sure? I’ve had hot tea ready for a while...” —There was a pause before adding— “A-Yu, I still have your favorite tea saved.”

Wei Wuxian struggled in Nie Huaisang’s arms, which were holding him back and not allowing him to move freely. Then he stumbled, and both of them fell onto the bed as Nie Huaisang pushed him down and landed on top of him.

“Everything alright?” Apparently, the struggle had caught his attention, as Lan Xichen’s concerned voice was heard.

“YES! ER-GE! DON’T WORRY!” Nie Huaisang firmly covered Wei Wuxian’s mouth, who in turn was trying to block the bat in his hands. “Leave us alone for a moment! We’ll be out soon!”

After a moment of silence, Lan Xichen added an unconvincing “Alright.” They each waited a few more minutes until finally, Nie Huaisang’s slender arms released him, allowing Wei Wuxian to reclaim his space and fall to the floor.

“I can’t believe it...” Wei Wuxian spat out the bitter taste of having his hand over his mouth. “Since when did you get so strong?”

“Da-Ge has forced me to train more than usual...” Nie Huaisang sighed, straightening his back as he opened his fan to cool himself. “You know... the usual stuff.”

“Some things never change, huh? Your brother is still addicted to exercise, I see.”

Nie Huaisang nodded but looked truly tired as he sighed. “Brother Wei...” he hissed, “We’d better talk seriously about this. You’re in the Jin Palace where no one knows you except me. If Hanguang-Jun and Miss Luo QingYang couldn’t recognize you... it means this is serious.”

“What do you have in mind? The only thing I want is to get out of here with my briefcase and not see any of you again.”

“Well, that’s complicated... No one here will let you escape again. Do you understand that? You are Mo Xuanyu.”

“No, I’m not. If that’s the case, then I’ll do it my way. I’ll tell each and every one of them that they were mistaken and that I am WEI WUXIAN.”

Nie Huaisang looked very worried. Wei Wuxian didn’t make the best decisions before getting himself into trouble. “Brother Wei... No. That would be worse. If they find out you’re an outsider... they’ll think you were just an opportunist!”

“Then you’ll stay here with me. I don’t care about seeing their faces!”

Nie Huaisang tapped his fan against his chin, deep in thought. Dinner time was approaching soon. If Wei Wuxian didn’t come out to eat with the Lan brothers and his older brother, it would raise suspicions. In the worst-case scenario, Nie Mingjue would surely force him out of the room, as he was somewhat involved in the matter due to Jin GuangShan causing an uproar over his disappearance.

He was the only one who knew he wasn’t Mo Xuanyu and had the privilege of knowing him well enough to help cover for him.

Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

"The only way for you to be safe is for you to impersonate Mo Xuanyu while... we find a way to get you out of here."

"What? Act like Mo Xuanyu? And who is that? I don’t even know how he acts or anything like that."

"For that, you have me. Daa... You're lucky that Mo Xuanyu and I are like brothers."

"No way," he said, getting up from the ground to brush off the dust. "For now, I'll stick with the bat option."

"Are you crazy?" Nie Huaisang hurriedly grabbed the bat left on the bed and hid it behind his back. "If you go out with that, my brother might get offended, and believe me, that won't be a good idea. You're lucky Jin GuangShan isn't here to punish you. Otherwise, you'd have been in trouble a long time ago..."

"Do you think I'm afraid of punishments?" He sneered, recalling the punishments Mandame Yū had given him all his life. Compared to hers, they must not be anything. "You're mistaken if you think that scares me."

"Brother Wei..."

“Don’t call me that. If you say it again…”

“It’s the only way I’ll be able to call you that from now on,” Nie Huaisang wasn’t joking. Wei Wuxian noticed a bit of seriousness in his gaze, something that had been missing throughout the entire encounter. “If you want me to make up for all the bad things I did to Jiang Cheng, let me help you.”

"And let you manipulate me like you did with him? Please, stop being a liar."

"He’s serious!" He looked desperate. "Brother Wei, being in the Jin Palace isn’t easy unless you help yourself get out of here by listening to advice. Even though it might seem like a crime to impersonate Mo Xuanyu, if by mistake you fall into the hands of the Jin leader... It won’t be easy to get out of there..."

Wei Wuxian was precisely annoyed by how much Nie Huaisang could talk nonsense.

Jiang Cheng lived one lie after another every second he was by his side. He gave him shelter, helped him with all his university subjects under the excuse that this airhead should learn since he never understood anything. They studied together, and when the year ended, Nie Huaisang decided to leave without giving any explanations.

He couldn’t believe that such a shy, reserved boy, whose only interest was crafting, could be so bad to the person who had given him comfort in his country. On top of that, he had also given him love—genuine love that surely no one had ever given him in his entire life.

"Brother Wei..."

"I don’t believe you at all."

"Let me help you."

"I will not be allied with liars."

Nie Huaisang sighed deeply, looking regretful. "I'm sorry, okay? Jiang Cheng doesn't..."

"He didn’t deserve to live through what you did to him. Mmm..." There was sarcasm in his voice. "Good thing I was the one who found you, because now I can give you the beating you deserve."

"Brother Wei, no, please. Let’s not think about that now. You’ll have time to kill me later, but for now, let me help you."

"Help me how? Pretend to be someone I don’t know? Honestly, your way of solving things is the worst."

"I can help you act like him," Nie Huaisang said confidently as he gathered a bit more courage. "Besides, I’m his best friend. We’re almost like brothers, just to give you an idea. Also, if you don’t try... how will you know it won’t work?"

Wei Wuxian looked him straight in the eyes.

Was he supposed to trust him?

Chapter Text

It was night when Lan Xichen no longer heard anything from the two young men.

Nie Mingjue had gone out to run an errand through the streets of LanlinJin while returning for dinner. He was alone in the palace. His favorite hobby was reading romance novels; he even had one of his favorite books unfinished on the table. He had been reading in the royal dining room for a while, but his attention wasn’t focused solely on the written pages.

It had been a while since he visited Nie Huaisang and Mo Xuanyu. He understood that he should leave them alone if that was what they wanted, but... why hadn’t they come out of the room yet?

"—Zewu-Jun," a woman in charge of the kitchen had approached him with a bow. "Dinner is ready. When may we begin the preparations?"

Lan Xichen didn’t know what to say. He remained thoughtful for a moment before suggesting, “Wait one more hour, in case Chifeng-Zun and Hanguang-Jun arrive at Jin Palace.” When he finished, he gave her a gentle smile. She nodded and then took her leave.

For a moment, he looked a bit more uneasy.

What could Nie Huaisang and Mo Xuanyu be doing right now?

~~~

"—Ready, Brother Wei?" Nie Huaisang stood beside the bathroom door, fanning himself lightly with his fan. "Everything in order in there?"

When he didn’t hear a single word in response to his concern, he knocked on the door firmly.

"—Alright! You can come in now!" came the response.

Nie Huaisang lit up with excitement and turned the doorknob. Just as he opened the door, he found himself facing a wide mirror—and in its reflection stood a man dressed in black, with a few red stripes on his vest.

"—Are you sure about this?" Wei Wuxian asked, not very convinced. "I feel like... I don’t know. These black pants are way too tight for my taste."

Nie Huaisang observed him closely, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his fan. He circled around him, paying particular attention to the area that seemed to be causing Wei Wuxian the most discomfort.

“No,” he said with a wide smile, clearly pleased with what he saw. “It’s perfect. With that ass, anyone would fall in love!”

Wei Wuxian couldn’t have looked more stunned upon hearing that!

“—You...” He intended to reply with something against him, but when he looked at himself in the mirror to confirm what was just said, his intentions changed as he began to believe it was true.

“—Brother Wei, maybe I’ve become stronger after these months apart, but you... you have so much to show and you’re not making the most of it.”

Wei Wuxian caught the half-smile Nie Huaisang gave him at those words and didn’t hesitate to narrow his eyes. Then, he untucked his shirt from his pants and used the length to cover that area.

"—What are you doing?!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed, scandalized by such a tragedy. "Don’t do that! It looks perfect on you!"

"Hey, I’m not here to show off my assets to everyone. You’re supposed to be showing me how that Mo Xuanyu dresses, not staring at me!"

Nie Huaisang looked offended as he touched his chest upon hearing that last remark. How outrageous—how could he be looking at his soul friend in an obscene way?

“Don’t get me wrong, Brother Wei. I would never be capable of looking at you—or anyone resembling Brother Mo. Besides,” —he flicked his fan with seriousness— “you’re not my type.”

“—Huh?”

"—Not to offend you, but the type of men I’m attracted to is very far from what you really are..."

"—I guess you’re into bullies so you can play tricks on them."

“Mmm… Not bullies exactly, but men with a strong character—like Jiang Cheng, yes.”

Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe it. He rolled his eyes. “Don’t mention him again,” he snapped. “He doesn’t deserve to be next to a liar like you.”

“Brother Wei…”

“—I don’t want to fall into the same trap again,” he sighed seriously, looking at himself in the mirror with his new outfit. “Just… help me finish getting ready. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“Alright… But I already told you that high ponytail won’t work. You need to tie it in a half-done ponytail. Brother Mo suffers a lot from heatstroke, so he likes to wear his hair tied up and messy.”

Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe it. Whatever. He grabbed the ponytail with his hands and tied it into a half-up ponytail. “Like this?”

Nie Huaisang helped with a few final touches to the ponytail that worked perfectly. “Oh, wow,” he said, staring at him intently. “You look just like him. No wonder Hanguang-Jun couldn’t tell you apart.”

Wei Wuxian felt stressed once again as he remembered the briefcase. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Hey! Hey! Wait!” Nie Huaisang stopped him with a hand on his chest as he tried to leave. Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. Nie Huaisang took his time walking over to a small shelf in the bathroom. “Aha! Here it is!” He pulled out a small bag that looked like a makeup case.

When Wei Wuxian saw it, he looked confused. “What? What is that?”

"Makeup! It’s something Brother Mo loves to use! And besides, it’ll help a lot in hiding your identity."

“—What?”

There was a back-and-forth about it. Wei Wuxian refused to put on such a ridiculous thing—he had never worn makeup in his life, and he wasn’t about to start now. On the other hand, Nie Huaisang acted quickly and practically forced him to go along with it. He had to act like Mo Xuanyu; that was the role he needed to take on if he wanted to get out of there.

After about 40 minutes—filled with smudges and Nie Huaisang’s slow attempts to apply the eyeshadow properly—it was finally done.

“—What the hell is this?” Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe it—for the third time. His entire face was covered in white powder, along with ridiculous red circles around his eyes. “I have one question... Is this guy even normal? How can he go out like this?”

Nie Huaisang put away each of the brushes. “Actually... he doesn’t go out like this. He only puts on the makeup while inside the house.”

Nie Huaisang had to admit that, even as his best friend, he didn’t really know why Mo Xuanyu wore makeup—but without a doubt, the talent Mo Xuanyu possessed suited him far better compared to the clumsy attempt he had just tried to replicate.

“Definitely, that Mo Xuanyu guy must be a bit of a lunatic.”

“Not entirely,” Nie Huaisang chuckled softly. “He’s more of a quiet, reserved guy around the elders. When we go out, you’ll need to make several bows in front of Zewu-Jun and my older brother. If you don’t have anything good to say, it’s better to say nothing at all. Leave the awkward questions to me.”

Wei Wuxian wasn’t enthusiastic. Seeing Nie Huaisang’s confident look, maybe he should trust him a little. After all, he was the only one who really knew Mo Xuanyu.

“If they ask you the reason for your escape this time...” —He paused thoughtfully as something crossed his mind— “Just say you went to look for lotus seeds in Yunmeng Jiang.”

Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that?"

"—Hm? What thing?"

"How do you know I was found in Yunmeng Jiang when I never told you? How do you know that?"

“Oh, well...” Nie Huaisang waved his fan a little more with a faint smile. “Zewu-Jun revealed it yesterday when Hanguang-Jun told him that he captured you in Yunmeng Jiang...”

Wei Wuxian’s serious and distrustful look now shifted slightly to irritation as he remembered the man in white once again.

He was never able to keep his promise.

What was he thinking?

That his kidnapper was going to keep a silly promise of handing over a simple, old briefcase?

He felt somewhat mocked and a bit devastated.

The loss was the main reason he was in a bad mood.

Nie Huaisang laughed to lighten the mood. “Brother Wei... You may be upset, but the makeup doesn’t help you convey the seriousness you deserve. I suggest you soften your features a bit more for this dinner. You’ll look more like Brother Mo.”

“I’ll act however I want,” he said firmly. “Honestly, I don’t care about being nice to anyone who lives in this place.”

“I’m telling you as a warning,” he insisted, somewhat worried as he noticed his low willingness to cooperate. “Brother Wei... I warn you that if you disrespect my brother, Zewu-Jun, or...”

“All right. It won’t happen,” he finished, calming Huaisang’s concern a bit. “But I warn you—if they provoke me, I won’t respond.”

“That’s why leave it to me. I know what to say on every occasion.”

Wei Wuxian looked him in the eyes and crossed his arms. He sighed after a few minutes of reflection to take a deeper breath and clear his mind. His head was already hurting from the stressful state he had been submerged in all day. At least eating something delicious, and if it could be spicy, might help change his mood to a more approachable one.

“I trust you, Brother Wei,” Nie Huaisang cleared his throat. “Or rather… Brother Mo.”

~~~

Exactly one hour had passed since dinner was postponed.

Lan Xichen informed the servants to prepare the table so that when everyone arrived, they could eat right away. He was calmly straightening every crooked utensil on the table until, suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching up the stairs.

“Brother,” Lan Wangji appeared after a long journey. He gave a brief bow as a greeting.

“Wangji,” he smiled. “It’s a pleasure to see you. You’ve had a long journey. You must be tired from traveling from Lanlin Jin to Gusu Lan.” He invited him to take a seat. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Lan Wangji looked at the invitation but did not move from his place. Lan Xichen understood with just one glance that he had the necessary news.

“Has everything been fine in my absence?” he asked.

He nodded. “For now, Gusu Lan is calm and stable. I made the necessary reports so you can be free for several days while Shufu returns. Lan Su, She proposed taking the position during the season.”

Lan Xichen sighed with relief.

His brother always arrived with good news. It was no wonder he considered him his right hand. “Alright. For now, let’s focus on relaxing and...”

“Where is Mo Xuanyu?” Lan Wangji suddenly asked, catching his attention.

Lan Xichen remained silent for a moment. When he processed the question, the smile he wore slowly faded. “It hasn’t been easy. Without exaggeration, he hasn’t wanted to leave his room all day. When I tried to talk to him, he rejected me. However,…” He remembered Nie Huaisang. “Brother Nie is in his room at this moment.”

“Has he also failed to get him out of his room?”

“No, not really,” Lan Xichen knew it was very strange. For the little time, Nie Huaisang would have almost gotten him out by the time of sharing, but strangely he had stayed inside the room all afternoon. “I have given them their space. I didn’t want to bother them so as not to upset young Mo. However,...”

“They are taking too long.”

Lan Xichen nodded. “Since this doesn’t seem normal, perhaps we should… call them again.”

Lan Wangji sighed softly. It wasn’t a long sigh; he just felt that this matter was starting to become a nuisance.

“You’re tired,” Lan Xichen said to him compassionately while touching his shoulder. “It’s better if you sit down while I go look for them.”

“Thank you very much, with your permission,” Nie Mingjue’s voice was heard as he was attended by the servants while going up the stairs. At that moment, his characteristic stern gaze turned toward the Lan twins. “Zewu-Jun, Hanguang-Jun.” He gave a brief greeting and then turned toward the table upon seeing the appetizing appetizers. Not seeing the presence of his younger brother and the other boy in the area, he asked, “Where is everyone else?”

The Lan twins exchanged glances, and then Zewu-Jun stepped forward to say, “They haven’t arrived yet.”

“What? After all this time, and they still haven’t come down? How is that possible?” He was not at all pleased with this.

How was it possible that Nie Huaisang had gotten lost for so long in a foreign realm?

Suddenly, the sound of several footsteps coming down the stairs was heard. The three men turned in that direction.

“Surprise!” Nie Huaisang’s cheerful expression, with one arm extended and the other holding a fan, echoed as he revealed the person standing right behind him.

When he stepped aside, the man they had been waiting for so long finally appeared.

Wei Wuxian looked at each of them with a lowered gaze and a body posture that seemed "shy." However, when he took in the three male figures waiting for him to dine, he couldn’t help but be secretly surprised to see the two men in identical white robes, while the other—much taller—didn’t have a trace of happiness on his face upon seeing him arrive.

“Brother Nie, A-Yu. Welcome,” Lan Xichen stepped forward. He extended his hand toward the table as an invitation, wearing a pleasant smile that conveyed calmness and joy at seeing him after so many failed attempts.

Wei Wuxian glanced at him superficially, then turned his gaze to the other figure in white, where those golden eyes seemed to burn his skin by the way they were staring at him without any attempt to hide it.

~~~

The plates and glasses were distributed in such a way that Lan Xichen was the last to receive his corresponding portion. Everyone present was seated at the table. Hanguang-Jun and Chifeng-Zun were on the right side, while the younger ones, Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian, were on the left. As the acting leader, Lan Xichen sat in the center.

When his cup was filled completely, Lan Xichen kindly thanked the young lady and then turned to look at everyone present.

“Gentlemen,” he added with a positive attitude, “we are now in the presence of a blessing that we can enjoy and share as a team. I ask you to join me in a bow of gratitude for this dinner.”

The chairs were pushed aside as everyone present knew what to do next. At that moment, Wei Wuxian didn’t fully understand what was happening. Upon hearing and seeing others push their chairs back, he did the same out of imitation.

Zewu-Jun raised his hands and bowed. Everyone else followed seconds later, giving thanks for the meal. At that moment, Wei Wuxian imitated them, but in reality, he wasn’t feeling grateful at all. He took his time carefully observing the man in white whom he believed had brought him here.

He didn’t quite recognize which of the two had kidnapped him. They looked too much alike. The only differences he could notice were the color of their eyes and their attitudes.

Supposedly, Nie Huaisang had briefly explained that the man who had stayed in charge of the Jin palace was the more cheerful and kind one. The other man in white, as attractive and indifferent as he remembered, was supposedly the one who had made his life miserable.

When Zewu-Jun gave the signal to sit down again, Wei Wuxian did so, but he couldn’t help feeling suspicion and resentment.

“Thank you for the dinner, Er-Ge,” Nie Huaisang said enthusiastically. “Brother Mo and I were really hungry after having fallen asleep all afternoon.”

Lan Xichen found it interesting to learn a little more about what they had been doing. “You slept? I didn’t know that,” he smiled. “I thought you had been doing something else all this time.”

“After talking and talking until we were exhausted, we got sleepy. Right, Brother Mo?”

Wei Wuxian had barely heard him. When he realized that he was waiting for his confirmation, he saw how this "Zewu-Jun" had directed his gaze at him with interest in hearing his opinion.

Wei Wuxian didn’t make it complicated. He simply nodded in response, returning his gaze to the food without much emphasis.

He had in mind what Nie Huaisang had told him:

“If you don’t have anything good to say, then don’t say anything.”

“Is that all you’re going to do?” The loud voice of the man sitting right across from him, Nie Mingjue, made Wei Wuxian raise his gaze slightly to meet his eyes. “I mean, since you disappeared almost the entire day, you could at least tell us how you’ve been feeling.”

Nie Mingjue was not very reserved when it came to starting a conversation with someone he considered relatively a stranger. However, he wanted to talk a bit more in order to better understand the mind of this boy.

“Da-Ge...” Nie Huaisang’s voice was heard. “Dinner has already started. We shouldn’t be talking during the meal.” He pointed with his eyes to the perfect example Lan Wangji was setting.

Nie Mingjue directed his gaze toward the second Jade beside him, perfectly understanding where he wanted to go. He didn’t emphasize it much; he simply closed his eyes and continued eating in silence. At that moment, Wei Wuxian glanced sideways at Nie Huaisang, who gestured with his eyes for him to relax. For some strange reason, he looked more tense than one would normally be at a “family” dinner.

After an unknown amount of minutes, Nie Mingjue drank all his drink after finishing dinner. “I need to get more water,” he said as he stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

“Da-Ge,” Lan Xichen intervened upon seeing him stand up. “There’s no need. The water can be brought to you. Stay and rest.”

“Thank you, but I’ll also take the opportunity to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” He left as the servants cleaned up every crumb he had left on his side of the table.

Everyone else continued eating.

During that time, Wei Wuxian took the opportunity to observe the palace more closely. It was very beautiful, if he gave credit to the golden and immaculate coloring of the place. The brightness stood out in an extravagant and spectacular way. He had to admit that this “Mo Xuanyu” had an expensive lifestyle.

Suddenly, a sound caught his attention. He unconsciously turned his gaze to his left side, where Nie Huaisang was ready to whisper, “Do you want some of my food?”

Wei Wuxian heard and looked at the plate he pointed to. He remained silent, not knowing what to say. He didn’t have much of an appetite. The only thing that mattered to him now was examining the place to find an escape.

“Welcome back, A-Yu,” Lan Xichen’s voice intervened again as he apparently finished his dinner, wearing a pleasant smile. “I’m glad you’re finally sharing this time with us. Lan Wangji and I are happy that you can join us from now on while your entire family returns from their work-related trip.”

Wei Wuxian decided to remain silent as he felt the brown eyes of the Lan leader watching him. It was then that he realized all three pairs of eyes were now openly staring at him.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, not knowing why they were looking at him that way.

“Oh…” Nie Huaisang immediately intervened. “It’s just that…” He leaned a little closer to his ear. “You haven’t tried anything from your plate…”

He was right.

Wei Wuxian had eaten, but not enough.

All hope of eating something delicious, full of spice or seasoning, went down the drain when he tasted that the food was bland.

And to think that Nie Huaisang was offering him some of his plate...

“Is it to your liking, A-Yu?” he heard Zewu-Jun ask him. “If you need anything else... I can place an order so you can eat something of your preference. After all, this is your home.”

Wei Wuxian felt that this man was too kind compared to the other. They were twins, as their relation showed, but it seemed they didn’t think alike.

“Perhaps Brother Mo feels full,” Nie Huaisang’s voice intervened with an uncertain smile. “A little while ago, he told me he had a slight burning sensation in his stomach. It’s nothing serious, but he didn’t have much of an appetite.”

Wei Wuxian knew it was his way of covering for him and keeping him from participating too much in the conversation. However, that didn’t stop him, because throughout the conversation, the only thing he focused on was watching the man with golden eyes.

He couldn’t stop looking at him after everything that had happened between them.

“Do you have gastritis?” Zewu-Jun asked with some concern. “I understand perfectly. If you want, I can ask for the tea I prepared for you this afternoon to help you feel more relieved and comfortable. There’s no need to force yourself to eat if you really don’t want to.”

Wei Wuxian nodded almost imperceptibly as he put the cutlery down on the table and tried to disguise a little the discomfort he felt from seeing that this “Hanguang-Jun” also wouldn’t stop staring at him.

It seemed that he realized he was staring at him intently. Wei Wuxian didn’t know exactly what he wanted to communicate with that fixed, penetrating gaze. He was the one to blame for him not having the briefcase in his hands. If anyone should be aware of their actions, it was him, for having forcibly brought him here.

The truth was that Wei Wuxian didn’t care much about making him uncomfortable. If he wanted war, he was going to get war.

In the distance, Nie Mingjue was already coming back. When he reached the table and took his seat calmly, he paused for a moment. “Huh?” He noticed the almost untouched plate Wei Wuxian had forgotten. He hadn’t touched it at all. “Why haven’t you eaten your food? Most of us are almost done. Aren’t you hungry?”

Wei Wuxian looked at him, feeling a heavy aura that became somewhat intrusive.

“Brother Mo is just tired, Da-Ge,” Nie Huaisang hurried to explain. “He doesn’t have much of an appetite.”

“How is that possible?” He frowned. “You were in your room almost all day. When dinner time comes... you don’t have an appetite? What kind of man are you, then?”

“I’ve already ordered a relaxing tea,” Lan Xichen intervened calmly, looking directly at the elder. “Don’t worry, Da-Ge, it’s understandable that he doesn’t feel hungry after being away from home.”

“It seems to me that it should be the other way around,” he continued. “Every time I’m away from home, my appetite increases because I don’t stick to my usual mealtimes. Now that we’re at a family dinner… how is it possible that you refuse to eat?”

It was evident that Nie Mingjue had been holding back many things since the beginning of the dinner.

Wei Wuxian could feel the strange aura this man was giving off. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he didn’t seem happy to see him again.

“Hanguang-Jun,” Nie Mingjue spoke again, addressing him directly. “Where exactly did you find Mo Xuanyu?”

“Arriving at Yunmeng Jiang.”

Nie Mingjue said, “How curious... Tell us a little more about that experience, Mo Xuanyu. Why did you go to Yunmeng Jiang without telling anyone, not even your father?”

The atmosphere at the table was getting a bit tense. Nie Huaisang already knew where his brother was headed. “Da-Ge... Brother Mo doesn’t want to talk about that.”

“Did I ask you?” He frowned more openly. “I’m talking to him, not to you. Stop interfering and let him share his experience with us. We’ve been wanting to hear from him for a while now, and he hasn’t allowed us to.”

The table fell silent. Wei Wuxian knew the kind of person he was. People with strong personalities didn’t give up easily until they achieved their goal. It reminded him of Mándame Yū. It could be said that he knew how to deal with these temperaments.

“My only reason for leaving here without notice is because I consider myself capable of doing whatever I want.” His grayish gaze turned toward him. “Any problem with that?”

Everyone remained silent after hearing his response. Then Nie Mingjue, with a slight raise of his eyebrow, said to him, “Do you think you’re mature enough to go wherever you want?”

“Yes.”

“And then, if you think you’re mature enough... what’s the reason for running away? Why not let us know you’re going far from here and stop making your father suffer?”

“Mo Xuanyu just wanted to have fun,” Nie Huaisang quickly intervened. “He never intended to harm Leader Jin, much less Brother Yao…”

“About that…” Nie Mingjue continued, “It’s fine that you don’t want to explain your reasons for running away. However, given the coincidence that you do it just when Meng-Yao is absent, it simply seems planned to try Jin GuangShan’s patience.”

“Meng-Yao?” Wei Wuxian asked upon hearing that name.

“Alright, answer me,” he continued with the conversation that felt more like an interrogation. “Why do you run away every time Meng-Yao goes on a trip?”

“Da-Ge,” Lan Xichen added, “please, don’t insist.”

“Why not? I just want him to answer me. If he feels mature enough to act however, he pleases, then why isn’t he capable of answering that small detail in a mature way?”

“It’s all just a coincidence,” Lan Xichen insisted, wanting to put an end to the conversation. “That’s all in the past. Thank the heavens Lan Wangji went to find him and brought him back safe and sound to the palace. The rest doesn’t need to be mentioned now if he doesn’t feel comfortable.”

Wei Wuxian felt a sarcastic, somewhat loud chuckle take over his seriousness at a bad moment.

“Are you laughing?” Nie Mingjue frowned, seemingly taking it as a sign of disrespect. “What exactly do you find so funny? We’re having a very important conversation.”

“Safe and sound?” There was nothing but resentment laced with irony in his voice as he turned his gaze toward the stubborn man. “Do you really want me to be honest about how that man brought me here by force?”

A sharp kick to his leg under the table made him turn toward Nie Huaisang. With just a look, he told him to stay quiet. The extreme concern in his eyes was clearly visible.

Nie Mingjue had caught on.

He didn’t know exactly what he meant by what he had said, but he did see it as important to ask. “Are you talking about Hanguang-Jun? Explain yourself.”

Wei Wuxian realized that Lan Xichen, the “acting leader,” was paying attention to him, but then shifted his gaze toward his brother in doubt.

At that moment, upon hearing a possible accusation against him, Lan Wangji fixed his gaze on him—and that somewhat heavy stare amused Wei Wuxian.

“What can I say…” Wei Wuxian flashed one of his most cheeky smiles in the situation. “Don’t you know? Hanguang-Jun treated me terribly to bring me here. He made me faint with an unknown cloth on my nose, tied me up from head to toe, cast a silencing spell that kept me from defending myself, and, to make things worse, he stole my things. And he still hasn’t been able to RETURN them to me.”

A hard knock under the table made him realize he had spoken too much. Nie Huaisang could no longer find a way to tell him to be quiet. Now, with this big accusation, what was going to happen?

Silence hung around the table in a strange tension. Then the sound of a chair being pushed back was heard, coming from the same man in white whom he had just accused.

“With your permission, I will take my leave.”

Lan Xichen watched as his brother gave a slight bow and turned around to leave.

Zewu-Jun was impressed. His brother was not one to leave a family dinner so suddenly. However, after hearing all of Mo Xuanyu’s accusations, he felt like everything had slipped out of his control.

“We will leave too,” Nie Huaisang stood up quickly.

“You will stay,” Nie Mingjue ordered. “The conversation is not over yet.”

“Da-Ge,” Lan Xichen intervened. “That’s enough.” Then he looked at Nie Huaisang, understanding what he wanted to say with his gaze. “You may leave.”

Nie Huaisang didn’t wait any longer to grab Wei Wuxian’s wrist and force him to leave with him up the stairs. By then, Nie Mingjue couldn’t believe what had happened. Somewhat annoyed, he looked at Lan Xichen, who seemed to be taking a deep breath, noticeably affected and confused.

“Why did you let him go? It was important to know if he was really telling the truth. You know Mo Xuanyu isn’t right in the head.”

Lan Xichen didn’t hesitate to stand up. “Da-Ge, now is not the time. The idea was to have a pleasant dinner that would allow us to share as a family, knowing how difficult things have been.” He stepped aside to walk away.

“And where are you going now?” He frowned, not understanding.

“I’m going to see my brother. It also seems important to me to hear his side of the story.”

Lan Xichen didn’t wait long to walk away. He was determined to go see Lan Wangji because his sudden departure could mean something more.

Of course, Nie Mingjue didn’t know that. He remained seated, watching him leave with clear curiosity that quickly turned into annoyance.

Chapter Text

"The Jiang Residence"
Yunmeng Jiang.

That night, near Yunmeng Jiang, Jiang Yanli was at her home, sitting on one of the islands located in the backyard in the middle of the vast lake that made up the Lotus Dock. She was collecting seeds and counting them one by one, as she often did. It wasn’t very fun since it was a punishment her mother had imposed on her, and besides, her A-Xian wasn’t there to eat them.

Her mind often wandered back to the last time she saw Detective Jin. She let out a sigh, forcing herself to stop counting. Suddenly, she lost track of the exact number of seeds she had placed inside the basket. Just then, her thoughts made her imagine the train station and the tickets. She remembered Jiang Cheng and how much she missed him too.

Footsteps approached. When she turned her gaze in that direction, she found her father.

“My girl,” Jiang Fengmian said to her gently.

“Father,” she sighed as she tried to give him a slight smile as a greeting.

“What are you doing here?” Jiang Fengmian carefully observed what his daughter was doing as she arranged the lotus seeds inside the basket. She explained to him that it was a punishment imposed by her mother but added that she took it as a kind of escape from sadness.

Jiang Fengmian understood the situation. Usually, when his daughter did these things, Wei Wuxian would help her by sitting beside her. For a moment, he imagined seeing him laughing with them as he ate each of those seeds. Then he picked one up to remember him better.

“What are you doing, Father?” she asked with some interest in continuing the conversation.

“Actually, I wasn’t doing much. I came specifically to find you.” She tilted her head. He continued, “Someone came to see you, and I was wondering if you were free to come with me.”

~~~

Jiang Yanli walked down the grand hallway of the Jiang residence just behind her father while thinking that it was probably Detective Jin. When they arrived at the living room, she saw a man in a very elegant golden vest sitting on one of the sofas.

“Miss Jiang,” as soon as the man in gold spotted her, he stood up with an enthusiasm never seen before and then took off the hat he was wearing. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

She recognized him.

That man wasn’t Jin Zixuan; he was his cousin, Jin Zixun.

The man in gold extended his hand toward her to greet her as he was accustomed to doing with women: by giving them a chaste kiss on the back of their hand. “It’s a pleasure to see you again,” he released the contact. “I’ve come with new news regarding the case of your brothers’ disappearance.”

Her eyes shone upon hearing him. Her heartbeat faster, hoping it was good news.

“We have received a full order to examine the ticket records from Yumping Railway Station regarding the trips from yesterday and today. It’s a task that takes time; therefore, we are still analyzing the tickets.”

“Did you find anything related to A-Cheng or A-Xian?” she asked.

“No. So far, we haven’t found anything relevant. However, Jin Zixuan and I are planning to leave early tomorrow for Yiling to begin the search for Wei Wuxian. Everything indicates that he may still be on that island.”

She listened, but a strange anxiety was settling in her chest. “What about A-Cheng? Didn’t he take a train heading there?”

“So far, we haven’t found his name on any ticket, either by land or by sea.”

Jin Zixun seemed confident in what he said. By that time, Jiang Yanli became very thoughtful. Where exactly could Jiang Cheng have gone? She knew she shouldn't have let him go that night. She had the chance to insist and ask him to stay. If Jiang Cheng wasn't out of the country... where had he ended up? The regret of letting him go had tormented her all this time, not to mention that now it was killing her.

—Where is Detective Jin Zixuan? —she asked with a hint of desperation—. I would like to see him and talk to him.

—He... —Jin Zixun felt her desperation, so he tried to soften his tone—. He won’t be able to come, Miss Jiang. What I’m telling you is that he ordered me to inform you about any upcoming news, since we will be leaving on a trip soon.

She was starting to feel anxiety shoot through her body. If they were going on a trip, that could delay their search—or maybe not. The truth was, she wouldn’t have many chances to do anything about it. She wanted to intervene; she felt it was her duty as the older sister.

—In any case, we’ll be keeping you informed about any progress we make —Jin Zixun bowed—. With nothing more to add, I’ll take my leave.

Jiang Fengmian nodded in agreement. All they could do was wait. He trusted the detectives who had taken on the case. On the other hand, Jiang Yanli, for the first time, didn’t feel the same way.

—Thank you very much for your cooperation —Jiang Fengmian placed a comforting hand on his daughter’s shoulder—. We’ll be keeping an eye on the progress. We trust in you.

Jin Zixun nodded and then turned around to head toward the training grounds and exit the premises. At that moment, when Jiang Yanli saw him leave, she regretted his departure. She heard her father tell her to calm down and have faith that each of them would do their job well and manage to bring her brothers back safe and sound.

She nodded with a faint smile, saying nothing. When her father walked away, she turned her gaze back to the main entrance, thinking that perhaps she shouldn’t leave all the responsibility to Detective Jin Zixuan.

~~~

"Yumping Railway Station"
Yunmeng Jiang.

—Jiang Wanyin... —Jin Zixuan, who was in the ticket control office carefully examining the record books, found that specific name.

He remained focused as he read it more than twice. He picked up another book to review the suspicious names he had found and marked with his pencil. As he looked over each of them, all of whom also had the surname "Jiang," he sighed, somewhat tired.

The truth was, he felt like he was looking for a needle in a haystack.

Yunmeng Jiang, as the name suggests, had "Jiang" as its most prominent surname. Not all citizens living in this country carried the original surname, but it was always the most commonly seen among passengers. The only luck he had on his side was that he could filter the records depending on the trip he wanted to investigate.

—Jin Zixuan —suddenly, Aori entered with three more books, which she dropped onto the table—. I’m really tired.

—Did you find anything? One of the names we’re interested in?

—No —She sat down right in front of him with a frown—. Neither Jiang Cheng nor Wei Wuxian took a train trip.

—What about the maritime records? Do you have any information on them?

She nodded. —Jin Zixuan, our colleagues have checked the maritime records a million times. They didn’t find any of those names by sea.

Jin Zixuan couldn't believe it. As he suspected, Wei Wuxian was definitely still in Yiling because he had never arrived at Yumeng Jiang. However,... Jiang Cheng was a different story. By now, he was sure that both cases seemed the same, but the circumstances told him otherwise. If he was looking for a lead from Jiang Cheng, he couldn't focus on a lead from Wei Wuxian, and vice versa.

"What about your options?" She asked, seeing the books he had on the table and his thoughtful expression. "Did you find anything?"

"No," Jin Zixuan was stubborn. He tried to sigh to calm his frustration. "The only thing I found were these names marked with the surname 'Jiang.'" She stood up and stood right behind him to look at the clues. "This is the last one I found in this book." She pointed it out to him.

"Jiang Wanyin," she said as she looked at the passenger's destination. "It says here that he boarded a ride to Qishan Wen around 1 p.m. today."

Jin Zixuan listened to her while leaning his elbow on the table and placing his hand under her cheek. "Qishan Wen is close to Yiling, but at the same time, it can take about two and a half hours by train to get there. You know, both territories are connected, but at the same time, they are divided."

--Exactly, but Qishan Wen is closer to Yumeng Jiang than to Yiling. Very ironic, but... Don't you think it's a bit of a coincidence that that passenger took that route?

Jin Zixuan understood what he was trying to say. However, he repeated himself. "We're talking about Jiang Cheng. This name says Jiang Wanyin; they're not the same. To take a train, you must provide your correct birth information. According to the agents here, they assured me they never make any mistakes in that regard. Also, look," he showed her the other names highlighted. "They all have the surname Jiang, with different destinations. This one here, Jiang Han, was headed to Qinghe Nie and took it an hour ago."

Aori understood the point he was trying to make. — I suppose you're right. But it's very strange that the common factor among all the names with the surname Jiang that you found is Qishan Wen. Don't you think you should start looking there?

Jin Zixuan didn’t think twice. — Apparently, I’ll take these names in a little bag as clues. Going to Qishan Wen and then to Yiling will be our next move.

— Sounds excellent to me. When will you travel?

— Tomorrow morning. For today, I think we've done enough.

They finished that night searching for the names of the missing people. With scissors in hand, Jin Zixuan cut out each of the names destined for Qishan Wen and then stored them in a transparent little bag, which he sealed with a magical closure. When he put them in the front pocket of his golden coat, they both left the office.

Jin Zixuan left the ticket control registry and observed each of the people who were waiting for their next night trip. The station wasn’t very crowded, but the faces of the passengers could be seen clearly. Once outside that station, he realized that his search squad was waiting for him.

— What will you do right now? Will you inform Miss Jiang about what you’ve discovered and your next move? — Aori asked him right beside him.

— No — Jin Zixuan took the pipe out of his golden coat — Jin Zixuan took care of that — Right after, he said to him — May I have a moment?

The young lady looked him in the eyes and understood what he intended to do. Without hesitation, she nodded to give him space. By then, Jin Zixuan moved away as he took out what seemed to be the tobacco he would use to smoke. He chose a solitary spot while warming the contents with a lighter. He gently blew out smoke while holding the pipe in his hand.

The search had been intense. He had a slight headache. Searching and researching for hours in the books had left him exhausted. Smoking was one of the not-so-healthy addictions he had picked up since leaving his life in LanlinJin. It was one of the few things that made him feel good after a tiring day of work. After several minutes of silence, he looked at the watch in his hand and, seeking a bit of artificial light, figured it was around a quarter to ten at night.

— Cousin — Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching, which made him slowly turn toward him — I was looking for you — Jin Zixun threw him the car keys. Jin Zixuan caught them — How did the search go?

Jin Zixuan inhaled a bit from the pipe while putting the keys in his pocket. It was only after that he answered as he exhaled the smoke. — The trip for tomorrow is still on. We will go first to Qishan Wen and then to Yiling.

— What? — Jin Zixun frowned as soon as he stopped speaking — Qishan Wen? You’re crazy. You know I hate going there because of what happened last time. I thought we were only going to Yiling.

— Tell me about it — He inhaled a bit more from the pipe and then exhaled — I didn’t plan on returning to those lands, but I found several names with the surname "Jiang" that have that destination as a common factor. Whether we like it or not, we have to go there.

Jin Zixun looked displeased.

How could he even consider going back to set foot on the lands of the Sun? He wasn’t happy. He imagined that going directly to Yiling would be different, even though it was territory that belonged to Qishan Wen. He was willing to overlook that trip because Yiling was practically the backyard of Qishan Wen. They weren’t talking about the capital, the heart of Qishan Wen itself. This decision was simply madness.

— What’s wrong? — Jin Zixuan asked him with some seriousness — Why that face?

— I don’t think returning to Qishan Wen is a good idea. Last time, we had serious disagreements with Wen Rouhan’s sons. You know well that those guys are crazy.

Jin Zixuan leaned against the body of a lamppost. — Wen Xu doesn’t intimidate me.

Jin Zixun looked dissatisfied with that answer. His cousin was being too confident about the reality of the matter. The Wen government was deceptive, and if they infiltrated their territory again without being noticed, once they found out, they would come after their heads.

— Did you go to Miss Jiang’s house? — Jin Zixuan asked what really mattered to him — Did you inform her about our next move?

Jin Zixun nodded, but he was clearly not happy at all.

— What did she tell you? — Jin Zixuan continued asking.

— Not much. You know, she thanked me for informing her. Actually, we don’t have anything relevant to tell her beyond that we will be traveling early tomorrow. What do you think she was going to say to me?

— For the victims’ families, any information is important, even if it doesn’t seem relevant — Jin Zixun inhaled and then exhaled, calming his frustration a bit — With that, we’ll keep her under control until we return.

Jin Zixun, with his arms crossed, remained silent. He became thoughtful, not wanting to admit that she had called him just before coming here.

— Alright, let’s go — Jin Zixuan stopped smoking after feeling a bit better — We need to prepare everything to set off early. By the way, don’t worry about the trip to Qishan Wen. We won’t stay even two days. It will be so quick they won’t even notice we were there — He put his beloved pipe in his front pocket and then walked away.

He walked past Jin Zixun with his head held high. The latter watched him walk away so confidently, but that phrase, "It will be so quick they won’t even notice we were there," did nothing to reassure him.

~~~

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

That same night, inside Mo Xuanyu’s room, Nie Huaisang pulled Wei Wuxian into the depths, locking the door securely behind them.

— Oh no! — He suddenly shouted, holding the fan in his hand, completely restless — Are you crazy!? What did you do out there!?

— What do you mean, what did I do? — Wei Wuxian questioned — I defended my rights.

— Rights? Haven’t you understood anything I told you? You’re not Wei Wuxian here! You are Mo Xuanyu!

— No — he said firmly — I am not Mo Xuanyu. Here and wherever I am, I will continue to be Wei Wuxian, and I have the obligation to demand my rights.

Nie Huaisang was bursting with frustration. Almost immediately, he tried to calm down and take a deep breath. He let the poor fan he was clutching in his hand bear the consequences of his worry. — Listen... — When he was calmer, he gave a slight, somewhat bitter smile — Remember that you are in LanlinJin... In the Jin Palace!

— So what? Can’t Mo Xuanyu defend his rights?

— No! I mean... — He sighed deeply — Brother Wei... Brother Mo would never, ever be capable of raising his voice or doing what you did... That could lead to serious suspicion!

— And what did you want me to do? Your brother wouldn’t leave me alone with his few questions. Besides, it was my chance to get back in some way at that idiot Hanguang-Jun, who is the one who really committed a crime by bringing me here.

Nie Huaisang witnessed how Wei Wuxian seemed very upset by the way he was being addressed. To be honest, he was unaware of the resentment he held toward the Second Jade. The truth was, he didn’t know many things. The only thing he knew about Wei Wuxian was that he had been kidnapped by mistake and hadn’t been able to find a way out. Now, acting as Mo Xuanyu, someone he had never met in his life, it wasn’t going to be as easy as he had expected.

— Brother Wei... Calm down a bit, okay? — He tried to think a little more about the right words — Usually, Brother Mo doesn’t talk back to his elders.

— Then how does he defend himself? With punches? Kicks?

— No... He... He’s not violent in any way. He simply... — He lowered his gaze — Doesn’t defend himself...

Wei Wuxian was surprised to hear that. Had he heard correctly? He doesn’t defend himself.

— Pff, well forget it. I definitely don’t let anyone mess with me.

— Brother Wei... I’m not referring to that.

— Then what do you mean? If Mo Xuanyu isn’t capable of defending his rights like a respectable man, then I will.

Nie Huaisang sighed. Seeing it from this perspective, he realized that Mo Xuanyu had actually been a victim of many things in the past for never raising his voice. Wei Wuxian was the complete opposite. He was capable of defending himself and getting his way so easily that he was sure Mo Xuanyu would never even think of doing so. Now, with all this in mind, he imagined that perhaps he should have paid more attention to his best friend, because seeing Wei Wuxian dressed like him, acting like him, was practically like talking to him—but with a much stronger character.

— You know what? I won’t keep pretending to be someone I’m not. I’ll go straight to that Hanguang-Jun and tell him exactly what I think...

— Brother Wei! No! Don’t get yourself into trouble. Just... understand that I don’t want you to face repercussions for disrespecting Zewu-Jun and especially not Da-Ge... — He sighed — Although it sounds crazy, the right thing to do would be for you to apologize...

— Apologize? Please, Nie Huaisang. We both know I’m not going to do that. The only thing I want is the briefcase that Hanguang-Jun promised to give me with his own hands. I demand that he hands it over to me now!

— A briefcase?

— Exactly. My belongings. I demand to have them now, and the only way is to go and get them.

— Alright, Brother Wei, just... calm down. For now, let’s let things settle and... then we’ll go down to look for your belongings. Okay? Understand that I’m protecting you. I don’t want Da-Ge or Zewu-Jun to take a stance that could harm you.

When Wei Wuxian heard the others mentioned, with one hand on his hip, he quickly recalled the name Meng-Yao.

— Meng-Yao — he said suddenly.

— What?

— Who is he? Tell me exactly who he is.

— Meng-Yao? Ah... well...

— Tell me! — He grabbed him by the collar of his turtleneck, pulling him close to his face, watching his frightened olive-green eyes.

— I don’t know what you want to know! — Nie Huaisang was starting to get scared.

— Everything. Tell me who he is, what he does, what position he holds in this family, where he is.

— Meng-Yao is one of the Jin sons. He is the second son of the royal family, followed by Mo Xuanyu. They have different surnames because Brother Mo never wanted to change his since it belonged to his mother. They are not blood brothers on their mother’s side, only on their father’s.

— Where is he?

— He is in Yiling right now.

Upon hearing the location, Wei Wuxian quickly let go of him, feeling confused.

Nie Huaisang noticed as he adjusted the collar of his beautiful turtleneck sweater. — What’s wrong? Do you know Brother Yao?

— I... I’m not sure. If he’s in Yiling right now, that seems like too much of a coincidence.

— He has made two trips there. The second was unexpected; he had to leave here this morning.

Wei Wuxian remained thoughtful. It was too much of a coincidence. Nie Huaisang, on the other hand, tried to get more information. — Did you meet?

—I met a man who called himself Meng-Yao on my trip from Yiling to Qishan Wen. Actually, I was headed to Yunmeng Jiang, but I got on the wrong train and well... I ended up traveling to Qishan Wen, where I happened to run into him in the carriage. He was the friend I wanted to call. He gave me his contact number and everything.

Nie Huaisang looked interested. — But Hanguang-Jun kidnapped you upon arriving at Yunmeng Jiang... How did he capture you then if you got on the wrong train?

— Meng-Yao helped me buy a new ticket to Yunmeng Jiang after I ran out of money.

With the tip of the fan resting on his chin, Nie Huaisang seemed to have a better understanding of the events.

—I was going straight to my house to visit Jiang Cheng and my Shijie... — Wei Wuxian’s gaze softened even more as he remembered her. He felt the need to sit on the bed. He sighed deeply while thinking about the state of his family while he was here, trapped.

Nie Huaisang remembered something. — Wait... Jiang Yanli just had her birthday yesterday, right?

He nodded.

— Oh no... — He looked regretful — So your idea of going back home was...

— To go to her birthday. It was what I longed for the most — He looked devastated — Jiang Cheng told me many times he wouldn’t miss it because she wanted to see me. I did everything possible to go early. I asked for time off work, planned my arrival and departure times. I made a mistake along the way, but I still tried to get there, and just as I stepped onto Yunmeng Jiang soil, that Hanguang-Jun guy and an eccentric woman kidnapped me and brought me here — He shook his head with some regret — Now I’ve lost the briefcase where I kept the most important thing: my Shijie’s gift...

— Brother Wei... — Nie Huaisang sat down right beside him, empathizing with him — There’s still hope. You know I’m here to help you. Honestly, I can’t imagine what Jiang Cheng is doing right now — He laughed lightly — Anyone would think he’s planning to come looking for you.

Wei Wuxian wasn’t in the mood to joke. However, one thing he was sure of was that Jiang Cheng, along with his uncle Jiang Fengmian, had surely already informed the police about his disappearance. Suddenly, amidst his thoughts, a loud knocking was heard at the door, completely interrupting the peace.

— Nie Huaisang, open the door — Nie Mingjue’s rough voice was heard without any hesitation.

Just hearing the loud pounding on the door, Nie Huaisang became extremely worried to the point of feeling a terrible chill at the back of his neck.

What was his brother doing here!?

~~~

— Wangji? — Lan Xichen had found his brother outside the palace, breathing fresh air after what happened at the dinner — Can we talk?

Lan Wangji looked at him and nodded. Lan Xichen slowly approached until he was standing in front of him. There were no words as he looked into his eyes. Lan Wangji lowered his gaze. He surely knew why he had come.

— According to what the young Mo mentioned... — He got straight to the point with his doubts — Was all of that true?

Lan Xichen could see that Lan Wangji seemed to think too much before giving a simple answer. From his point of view, it was strange that a young man as quiet as Mo Xuanyu was would have spoken out of turn just to accuse his brother of mistreating him. Lan Xichen could understand that his brother was not an easy person to deal with, but he couldn’t comprehend the source of so much displeasure. Since Lan Wangji arrived beside him, it was very clear that there were conflicts between them, and he was determined to get to the heart of the matter.

— Are you going to tell me what really happened? — He asked again, demanding an explanation.

— Brother... Not everything happened exactly as he described it

— Then, enlighten me — He remained patient.

Lan Wangji said, — MianMian did most of it. It’s true that I sedated him so he wouldn’t escape. However... when we arrived at the inn room... MianMian had already tied his wrists and ankles.

— And the silencing spell? Did she do that too?

Lan Wangji had been found out. He lowered his gaze with a hint of regret. — I'm sorry.

— Wangji... I honestly didn’t think you would resort to those measures when you were the one who promised me you wouldn’t use magic this time. I can’t believe it coming from you — Lan Xichen looked somewhat disappointed. Now he understood the young Mo’s frustration in their presence much more clearly — Why didn’t you apologize in that moment and instead chose to walk away? You should. Young Mo didn’t deserve to be treated that way.

— But... — Lan Wangji tried to object.

— I don’t want you to argue when it comes to taking responsibility for your actions. Remember that Shufu was the one who authorized you to stay for several days in LanlinJin as his guardian. If young Master Mo doesn’t trust you as his protector, how can he possibly feel safe under your care?

He knew Lan Wangji wouldn’t like being reminded that he had to act as Mo Xuanyu’s guardian. Lan Xichen didn’t agree with the situation either, but all this time he had been misled into believing that, since his brother was the one who always brought him home, they must have formed a good friendship.

All these mishaps seemed very strange to him. Lan Xichen had witnessed how Lan Wangji carried young Master Mo from the car to his room. Usually, his brother wasn’t one to act so unusually kind. In an ordinary case, he would have told Mo Xuanyu to walk, but this was not the case.

— What’s wrong? — Lan Xichen asked him upon seeing his expression.

— Brother, I... don’t think it’s right to do that.

— Apologize? Wangji, you must do it. No matter what happened between you two, young Mo seemed affected. If he feels that way towards you, it’s because he feels hurt.

Lan Wangji looked him in the eyes and knew he was speaking the truth. — Alright — He resigned himself.

With that, it seemed enough to Lan Xichen that he had reconsidered. However, his brother’s gaze seemed to reflect something else. — Is something else going on? — he asked.

"Mo Xuanyu's attitude... has changed. I feel he's not the same."

Lan Xichen wasn’t surprised when he told him that. He lifted his gaze toward the sky, looking at the stars. —I’ve noticed it too — he said, his hair flowing beautifully in the wind — He’s not usually this bold. I mean, he has crossed the normal limit of tolerance.

— He is more hostile.

— Yes... He’s also very elusive. No matter how much we try, he doesn’t want to talk to us knowing we won’t harm him.

Lan Wangji didn’t feel very connected to the last statement, “We won’t harm him.” After the previous conversation, he now felt that he had behaved like a monster toward the young man.

— Don’t think about it anymore — he heard his brother’s voice — Let’s go — Lan Xichen smiled as he invited him with a wave of his hand — Let’s find young Master Mo and the Nie brothers to apologize to them for the misunderstanding.

He nodded, deciding to follow him. However, before doing so, he stopped when he heard the jingle of something stored in the front pocket of his white coat.

When he took it out, it was the precious pearl necklace he had picked up right at the moment when the "Mo Xuanyu" briefcase fell to the ground as he fainted.

~~~

— Da-Ge! NO! I CAN EXPLAIN!

When Lan Xichen returned with Lan Wangji to the main dining hall, he heard Nie Huaisang’s voice filled with such desperation that it sounded like pleading.

— None of that! It’s time for us to leave! Don’t make me say it again!

Zewu-Jun quickly approached upon hearing Nie Mingjue’s voice responding. When he looked enough toward the stairs leading to the room section, he saw them coming down. However, his relief didn’t come. Nie Mingjue was holding Nie Huaisang firmly by the wrist, while with his other hand, he gripped tightly the other man who had been accompanying him.

When they came all the way down, Nie Mingjue pushed "Mo Xuanyu" aside, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground, hurting the palms of both his hands upon impact. On the other hand, Nie Huaisang stifled a small scream of horror when he saw his Da-Ge throw Wei Wuxian like that.

— Nie Mingjue! — Lan Xichen reacted upon witnessing that outrage.

— Don’t try to stop me, Zewu-Jun! — While Nie Mingjue held his younger brother by one hand, he mercilessly pointed at "Mo Xuanyu" with the other, who was still lying on the ground — People like this clearly have no shame because they don’t know the manners they should show their elders!

Wei Wuxian felt that when he tried to get up, the elder’s foot stopped him by pressing against his back, forcing his chest to stay pressed against the ground.

— Da-Ge! Let him go! — Nie Huaisang exclaimed.

— Shut up! Or you’ll receive the same punishment!

— Enough — Lan Xichen spoke seriously to Nie Mingjue — Please, Da-Ge, lift your foot. There’s no need to resort to violence for any reason.

— For no reason? How can they have men in training as shameless as this one? — He pointed at him indignantly — On top of running away and making his whole family put on a cheap show, wasting my time... He even dares to tell me to my face that he loves being in the company of Meng-Yao, and that’s why he’d rather leave than waste his time here seeing the faces of fools like me!

Lan Xichen expressed distress at seeing his anger being pressed down on the young man’s back. It was leaving him breathless. Just when he thought it was important to go help him, Lan Wangji interpreted that same fear and acted first, stepping between them. There, he forced the older one to lift his foot off his back.

“Leave me alone, Hanguang-Jun!” Nie Mingjue backed away as he saw how boldly he had stepped in, with a dark look warning him to keep his distance.

Lan Xichen came to protect him by stepping between them. “Step back, Da-Ge.” His voice, that seriousness so characteristic of the future successor of Gusu Lan, was quickly understood by the elder.

Not being supported nor heard, Nie Mingjue did not say goodbye. “Let’s get out of this place!” He chose to turn his back on them and dragged Nie Huaisang along, who had no choice but to follow him despite being a bundle of nerves.

Lan Xichen watched them leave until they were out of sight. Right after, he directed his gaze toward a pair of Jin guards who had arrived upon witnessing the disturbance. “Make sure they leave the palace.”

The men nodded and went right after the Nie brothers, following their orders.

After an unknown amount of time, caught in the trance of the moment, Lan Xichen heard a dry cough coming from the area. When he slowly turned toward where the young Mo was, he saw him kneeling on the ground, trying to catch his breath. He wanted to go help him, but Lan Wangji read his mind again. It was Lan Wangji who ended up taking him by the arm to help him stand.

Wei Wuxian was able to support himself and stand up while coughing to catch his breath. During the process, he looked at Lan Wangji more calmly, but immediately pushed him aside as an automatic reaction, not wanting him close.

“Stay away!”

"Young Master Mo, calm down," Lan Xichen approached upon noticing the aggressive treatment his brother received. "Calm yourself, we won't hurt you."

Wei Wuxian looked him straight in the eyes with some unease. He couldn’t believe that, after being with Nie Huaisang, he was now alone with these two harassing men.

“Don’t come any closer!” he shouted.

“We won’t hurt you,” Lan Xichen quickly tried to calm him. “We’re just here to help you…”

None of them knew what was happening to Mo Xuanyu. It was already strange to see his face covered in dust and red makeup which, combined with his behavior... gave him the appearance of a complete madman. If that was the case, Lan Xichen didn’t want to miss the chance to be able to talk to him. If he was so afraid that Lan Wangji would hurt him again because of the misunderstanding, he had to take the opportunity to say:

“A-Yu, we are only here to help you. We are not the enemy.”

“Not the enemy? Don’t make me laugh! You know perfectly well what you owe me!” He directed his gaze at Lan Wangji. “And you know it very well too. Or have you forgotten?”

Lan Xichen furrowed his brow with a hint of confusion. Then he glanced sideways at his brother, who seemed to be keeping more secrets than he had thought. With that in mind, he could see that Lan Wangji was maintaining his calm very well.

“What we owe you?” Lan Xichen tried to ask, still not understanding what he was referring to. “Can you tell us exactly what ‘that’ is?”

“My briefcase,” he demanded. “I want it now.”

Silence fell over the entire dining hall. Lan Xichen was perhaps the one who was out of the loop. Noticing his brother’s calm and composed expression, he realized that he was not confused at all, but rather conveniently silent.

“You promised me you would hand over my briefcase this morning,” Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes. “And I’m still waiting.”

Seeing that Lan Wangji didn’t respond, Lan Xichen had no choice but to say, “That briefcase you want so much... we will find it soon. For now, let’s not make our time together any more difficult. A-Yu, since this morning I have been trying to communicate with you, giving you your space. Please...” He pointed to the dining room. “I accepted a relaxing tea so we can talk more comfortably.”

“I’ve already told you that I won’t do anything else without my briefcase, and I’m not willing to change my mind.”

Lan Xichen analyzed the way he addressed them—so bold and confident, without any respect—and simply gave up. “Alright. We won’t bother you anymore.” He then glanced at Lan Wangji. “Let’s go.” He gave a slight bow to the young man in black, who lowered his guard a bit upon seeing them give up so easily.

Lan Wangji didn’t quite understand what his brother was doing, but for him to have decided to walk away, it must have been for something important.

Both men in white turned around and went down the stairs.

After a few unknown minutes, a time during which Lan Xichen had the chance to think more calmly about the events that had occurred, he glanced sideways at his brother, who had also fallen silent, staring out toward the palace horizon.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the briefcase?” he asked, wanting answers.

Lan Wangji lowered his gaze.

“Wangji, do you have more secrets?”

“No.”

“Are you sure? Because that man over there seems very convinced that you should hand over something that belongs to him.”

“Brother. I have no more secrets.”

“Then, why don’t you give him the briefcase you promised?”

“I...”—he sighed weakly— “I lost it.”

Lan Xichen raised both eyebrows, suspecting as much. The idea that Lan Wangji would keep something that wasn’t his was not an option. Just when he thought things had been resolved, more secrets now came to light. With not much left to say, it was already quite late. Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang had left, not on the best terms. The dinner that had been so carefully planned did not end well.

Now he perfectly understood why Meng-Yao complained most of the time about the planning of his events when they never came to fruition or simply ended up falling apart.

“Fine,” he said without any intention of continuing. “Before you go to sleep, you will go to him and do what you have to do.”

Lan Wangji looked at him with some surprise, but when he saw his brother’s serious eyes, he knew what he meant.

Lan Xichen said nothing more. He left quite tired, devastated for having sent Nie Mingjue away like that. Perhaps he had already had enough for the day. Maybe what he needed was to rest to get rid of this bad taste in his mouth.

Lan Wangji saw no need to refuse. Clearly, all the troubles Mo Xuanyu had caused were tied to his name. The man definitely hated him.

He lowered his gaze, knowing he had to set aside his pride—if only to ensure peace for his dear brother, and perhaps to salvage a bit of the coexistence he was now duty-bound to maintain with the man in black.

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji returned walking with a multitude of thoughts in his mind. It was sometime later that he finished climbing each of the steps until he reached the dining hall, where Mo Xuanyu was supposed to be.

When he arrived, as usual, Mo Xuanyu was gone.

A strange sound, like several objects falling to the ground, caught his attention. Lan Wangji turned toward it, toward the other steps leading to the back garden. As he carefully descended each step, he directed his gaze toward the flowering bushes full of yellow peonies. There, a person dressed in black seemed to be climbing the wall that divided the great Jin Palace into different sections.

Mo Xuanyu was a headache.

Was he trying to escape again?

Lan Wangji thought that if this was how he had escaped the previous times, then the Jin guards really were completely blind...

When he got close enough to the wall, he looked up and said, “Mo Xuanyu.”

Lan Wangji noticed that the individual froze as soon as he heard his name. The fugitive had already swung one leg over to the other side of the wall while sitting on the very edge. His hands, resting on the wall with the intention to continue, relaxed as he slowly turned his gaze toward him.

“Get down,” Lan Wangji ordered.

Wei Wuxian must have been experiencing some kind of inscrutable karma with this man. Of course, he found it amusing what he was being told. “Get down? Why? What am I supposed to be doing here if you don’t give me the briefcase?”

“You are an indispensable part of the family.”

“Oh, really? But look at the coincidence... Since when has that reason ever been strong enough to keep me here?” He recalled the times Mo Xuanyu had escaped thanks to Nie Huaisang. It was foolish. If the young man didn’t want to be here... why force him? “Don’t you realize that being in this stupid family makes me sick? I don’t want to be here!”

Lan Wangji furrowed his brow slightly. Then he saw the man in black stand up on the wall and turn his back to him.

“Mo Xuanyu, come back,” he insisted.

Wei Wuxian had already had enough to keep paying attention. He stood up and felt dizzy from being so many meters above the ground. He guessed he was about five meters high. However, he didn’t care. He was able to better examine the surroundings to find a way out.

Suddenly, during his assessment, a sound resembling a bark took over the surroundings. A large canine appeared on the side of the wall where he planned to descend. Lowering his head, he saw the hound barking at full force, clearly enraged. By then, Wei Wuxian had forgotten how difficult his phobia of these creatures was. Just having one close enough was enough to make him lose his mind. The muscles in his legs tightened so much they trembled. His face turned pale, and his resolve to escape wavered.

His heart pounded loudly, his hands began to sweat, and fear clouded his mind. For a moment, he forgot what he had truly planned to do. Jumping, running, and chasing freedom through the forest connected to the palace no longer seemed like a simple task. Now, it felt like a suicidal act—especially with the animal attacking him, naturally believing he was an intruder.

“Mo Xuanyu.”

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian heard the voice of the man in white on the other side of the wall.

When he turned back, with incredible terror running through his whole body, he saw the white figure asking him to come down. However, more barking added to the chaos.

A pack of frantic barks grew louder as two more dogs approached when they spotted him frozen atop the wall. Wei Wuxian suffered a panic attack, imagining they would leap at him. He planted his feet and ran along the edge of the wall, intending to get out of there. He knew he was on a narrow, dangerous path with little room for error to keep his balance—but it didn’t matter. His mind only wanted to escape to a safe place.

As he fled, the three dogs chased him from below. Wei Wuxian jumped over a fallen tree branch lying across the narrow path. However, he misstepped, slipped, and that tiny movement caused him to lose his balance. He swayed back and forth, risking a fall on the side where the hounds were—if not for forcing himself to shift all his weight to the other side of the wall, the side where Lan Wangji stood.

The descent was inevitable. Wei Wuxian fell among several flower-filled bushes but did not hit the ground. The strength of two arms cushioned his fall. Wei Wuxian remained motionless as he realized the man in white had caught him.

The golden eyes, like two suns in the darkness, made his heart race even faster now that they were so close to his own. “Let me go,” he ordered, somewhat agitated by the unexpected situation.

The man in white did not respond.

Wei Wuxian tried to move, but felt even more restrained as Lan Wangji had no intention of letting go. Then he heard his voice say to him:

“Don’t move. I will get you out of here.”

“...”

Wei Wuxian fell silent, not understanding why he was being offered help to get out when he could have easily done it himself. However, he didn’t insist on saying more—only later, once they were away from the foliage in a more open space.

“All right, you can put me down,” Wei Wuxian squirmed in his arms when he felt it was enough, but it seemed Lan Wangji had no intention of setting him down and instead wanted to continue deeper into the Jin Palace.

“Hey! No! Wait!” Wei Wuxian grew uneasy still being held like a damsel in arms. He lowered his feet to break free from the grip once and for all. “Don’t touch me!” He was defensive as he stepped back, leaving Lan Wangji with empty arms. “You’re a kidnapper. You abducted me and left ugly marks on my wrists and feet!”

Lan Wangji was about to speak, but...

“Don’t say anything! I don’t want to hear you. Unless you give me the briefcase, maybe, just maybe, I’ll decide to change my mind.”

The man in white remained silent, looking him in the eyes. He wanted to make peace, but upon realizing that the briefcase wasn’t in his hands, it was hard to comply with his request.

“—Hand it over. Now!”

"—I don’t have it."

"—What?"

"—That briefcase didn’t make it back to LanlinJin."

Wei Wuxian’s eyes showed an inevitable shock. Was he saying he didn’t, have it? If he didn’t have it, that meant he had lost it. And if he had...

Rage and despair finally came knocking at the door of his heart. Because of this man, his life was ruined. There was no longer any hope of recovering his belongings.

"—You lost it..." —Wei Wuxian said, his voice almost drained of energy— "You have no idea what you’ve done… Do you even know what I had stored in there? Do you know how many important files were in that briefcase? Exactly. You don’t. None of it could matter to you because they weren’t your things. None of it mattered to you because it wasn’t yours!"

"—Mo Xuanyu—" Lan Wangji tried to explain but then reached out to grab his wrist to stop him, as Wei Wuxian had already made the decision to leave.

Right then, Wei Wuxian yanked his hand away with a single swipe. "—Don’t touch me! You’re a ruthless, cruel man who only cared about using me to fall into your trap!" —By that point, Lan Wangji was left stunned by his words— "—You kidnapped me! But it didn’t work out for you. Do you know why? Because I’m not Mo Xuanyu! I’m Wei Wuxian!"

Suddenly, several dog barks echoed right after his shout, sounding so eerie behind him that, in the next second, Wei Wuxian spun around—and three dogs were running straight toward them. They were the same dogs from before! The fury in his eyes was replaced by pure horror. His body reacted faster than his mind, and he fled in panic into the depths of the garden.

There, he climbed up a tree. However, the dogs chased after him and began barking fiercely at him. "—AH! Somebody help me! Help! I hate them!"

Right there, Lan Wangji arrived at the foot of the tree and furrowed his brow in confusion. Normally, Mo Xuanyu adored his dogs... so why was he afraid of them now?

An unknown man shouted, "—Katriona! Kara! Kaite! Stay away from him!"

"—AAAH! HELP!" Wei Wuxian screamed, his desperation growing louder.

Lan Wangji couldn’t just stand there doing nothing. He quickly positioned himself between the furious dogs, causing each of them to take a step back, intimidated by his presence. At that moment, the unknown man arrived and began attaching leashes to each of the dogs.

“—Get them out of here!” Wei Wuxian shouted at him. “Take them far away! If possible… sell them or throw them out on the street! I don’t want to see them here!”

"—Young Master Mo..." The man looked confused and, at the same time, hurt by his words. Why was he saying that? What fault did his beloved hounds have for being happy to see him?

“—Please, leave,” Lan Wangji insisted as he saw the man hesitate.

The man hesitated at the command. It was highly unusual for Mo Xuanyu to behave this way toward his pets. However, the man in the tree looked like a bundle of uncontrollable nerves, so he had no choice but to pull on the leashes and lead the dogs away.

“—Oh no!” Wei Wuxian was still squealing. Lan Wangji slowly looked up at the noise. “—My luck! I hate dogs! Someone get them away from me!” Lan Wangji furrowed his brow slightly. However, Wei Wuxian seized the moment to say, “—You too! Leave me alone! If by the count of three you’re not out of my sight, I swear I’ll get rid of you myself.”

“—Go ahead.”

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow.

This guy really liked challenges...

Maybe he should give him one to struggle with until he got stubborn. With that thought, Wei Wuxian stood up on the branch, then climbed to the very top of the tree. When he gained momentum at the right moment, he jumped toward the mural he had climbed before, placing his arms on the edge, where he slowly found his balance as he pulled his legs up.

“—Mo Xuanyu,” Lan Wangji said again. “—Come down.”

Wei Wuxian shot him a disdainful look. "—If you think you’re so tough… then come and find me. Otherwise…" He stuck up his middle finger. "—Suck on this."

Lan Wangji felt genuinely offended seeing how Wei Wuxian had insolently flipped him off. By then, Wei Wuxian completely ignored him. He stood atop the mural he had climbed, surveying everything around him while analyzing the best way to get down and head toward freedom. Just as he was certain of the next step to take, a strange, loud noise—like an alarm horn—echoed throughout the entire compound.

Wei Wuxian searched for the source of the deafening noise, looking all around, but he never expected a bullet to suddenly strike his abdomen, causing him to lose his balance. The impact was so strong, swift, and painful that it immediately pushed him backward.

Lan Wangji was too stunned to think after hearing the gunshot. When he saw Wei Wuxian fall, he instinctively raised his arms to catch his heavy, motionless body, as he had lost consciousness.

~~~

"Yumping Railway Station"
Yunmeng Jiang.

That morning, everything was planned. Jin Zixuan had been watching the time on his watch as the moment approached to catch the first train heading to Qishan Wen. His luggage was small and simple—a golden briefcase that didn’t take up much space since it was a short trip. His stay in Qishan Wen was meant to be brief.

His goal was simple: to arrive at Qishan Railway Station and then study the ticket records of people with the surname Jiang. If each of the collected names matched an arrival ticket, he would look for more information on each one, hoping to learn more from their files and to compare Jiang Cheng’s photo with theirs. If he didn’t succeed in finding Jiang Cheng among those names, he would rule out the possibility that Jiang Cheng had come to Qishan Wen, and then they would head to Yiling in search of Wei Wuxian.

If Jiang Cheng wasn’t in Qishan Wen, by process of elimination he should be in Yiling looking for Wei Wuxian.

With the pipe in hand, Jin Zixuan took his time thinking that he should make the most of searching for any useful information. He only hoped that both brothers were together in the same place so the trip wouldn’t be so long. With that in mind, he carefully emptied the remaining tobacco from the pipe into a small pouch. Then he cleaned the pipe’s surface with a small handkerchief, treating it as if it were his most cherished possession.

The sound of a suitcase dropping to the floor right behind him made Jin Zixuan slowly turn around. There, he saw his cousin taking a deep breath, as if carrying that thing had been the greatest effort of his life.

“—Why are you carrying such a big suitcase?” Jin Zixuan raised an eyebrow, finding the luggage way too excessive.

Jin Zixuan sighed. “—Cousin, you wouldn’t understand.”

“—Why wouldn’t I understand? I suppose inside all that stuff you have your passport and the money to buy both tickets.”

His brow furrowed. "—She’s here."

"Her?" Jin Zixuan looked confused. It was after he said it that he saw the figure of a woman approaching them, wearing a beautiful lilac dress that reached below her knees, feminine low-heeled shoes, black gloves, and a wide-brimmed lilac hat that gave her expression a touch of innocence.

Jin Zixuan couldn't help but remain static when he saw her arrive in that outfit that suited her quite well unlike the black hood she wore yesterday.

There, Jiang Yanli bowed briefly to him. “Greetings, Detective Jin. It’s nice to see you again.”

Jin Zixuan was caught in surprise.

What was Miss Jiang doing here just before leaving for Qishan Wen?

"What are you doing here?" he couldn't help but ask, skipping any greetings he might consider inappropriate.

"I heard you were traveling to Yiling," she said softly. "So I'd like to go with you to search for my brother A-Xian."

"What? No," Jin Zixuan immediately denied. "I don't want you to misunderstand me, but this trip is exclusively between us who are qualified to conduct the investigation. You're not a police officer."

"I spoke with Mr. Jin Zixun yesterday, and he allowed me the opportunity to accompany them," Jiang Yanli explained confidently. "He told me I didn't need to be a police officer to help them search."

Jin Zixuan couldn't believe what he was hearing. He then turned to Jin Zixun, who looked away, knowing he would be upset.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you do need to be a police officer to conduct a police investigation," he declared seriously. "Miss Jiang, what we're about to do won't be a vacation plan. We'll be working under pressure to find clues. These will be tough days, so it's advisable that the victims' families stay out of this."

"Cousin," Jin Zixun intervened hastily. "I informed her how difficult this trip might be. She's aware of that."

--Aware? How aware can a victim's family member be, desperately searching for answers? An investigation like this is not only fraught with strong emotions like stress, frustration, and fatigue, but it's also likely to be fraught with bad news, he emphasized. Now, tell me, Miss Jiang. Are you aware of what we might find? Are you capable of handling a situation where your siblings could be involved in the worst possible situation?

She listened to him and then nodded slowly.

"Even death?" Jin Zixuan finally said.

--Cousin... --Hearing that his cousin's words were so harsh that they made the young lady uncomfortable, Jin Zixun intervened in defense-- I told you all of that just yesterday...

.....
....
...
..
.

Flashback

"The Jiang Residence"
Yunmeng Jiang.

That night, when Jin Zixun had left the Jiang residence, he took the car keys out of his pants pocket to open the door. However, a sharp voice called his name so loudly that it startled him.

“—Young Master Jin Zixun! Young Master Jin Zixun!” —Jiang Yanli’s voice came, slightly out of breath, until she stopped outside her home— “Please, wait a moment.”

"—What’s wrong? Did something bad happen?"

"—Oh, no. It's just that... I... Please allow me to go to Yiling with you."

—What?

"—Please," she said, bringing both hands together in a pleading gesture. "I need to go look for my A-Xian. I need to be near him. I need to protect him. As his older sister, I feel I must do everything within my power, and you are my chance to make that happen."

"—..."

Jin Zixun was somewhat astonished. Usually, the victims’ family members would remain still once they handed full control of the case over to the detectives. This time, for Miss Jiang to be asking to go with him—it wasn’t right.

"—Please, Young Master Jin Zixun," she insisted, a slight sadness in her eyes. "Let me go with you. A-Xian needs me, and I know very well that he would move mountains and seas to come find me."

"—Miss... I... I'm not authorized to allow something like that."

"—Then, speak with Detective Jin. Please, I want to help in some way. I don’t want to stay at home waiting for answers... I want to go look for him just like A-Cheng."

"—Miss, I... You know this involves facing many challenges we don't even know what we’re up against. I can’t allow it. It’s best if you stay."

Suddenly, Jin Zixun was surprised when the young lady took each of his hands and held them tightly. She moved just a few centimeters from his face and said, "Please, do it for me..."

"—I-I...," he stammered.

“If you allow me to go with you, maybe you and I... could go out for dinner for a while.”

Jin Zixun was perplexed. Was she asking him out on a date? Suddenly, his hands felt warmer as she squeezed them tighter, patiently awaiting a positive response from him. Seeing those bright, excited eyes hoping he would agree, he said, "Miss Jiang, I... Well, I, it’s just that my cousin won’t be happy if I ask him to come with us..."

"—Then, take me to talk to him," she insisted in a soft voice. "I can convince him to change his mind."

"He... will get upset."

"I give you my word that I will help in every step of the case."

"I don’t know..."

"I know you would like me to go with you, young master Jin Zixun," she said with a playful smile, then closed her eyes. "You seem like a very handsome and strong man. I know I’ll feel safer by your side."

Jin Zixun couldn't help but blush. The cool breeze of the place did nothing to make his body feel fresh because having her so close made him feel even hotter.

"—Please, young master Jin Zixun," she opened her eyes very carefully, "help me make this dream come true. Help me convince Detective Jin."

"—Alright..."

She widened her eyes in surprise that he had agreed. “—Really? Yes!” She got close enough to give him a tight hug, which she then decided to destroy as she pulled away. “—Please, come by here early tomorrow to go with you all. You see, I really do want to go out with you.”

Jin Zixun was still stunned by the hug. Jiang Yanli separated herself and headed toward the entrance of the Jiang residence with a big smile, waving her hand to say goodbye.

End of flashback

.....
....
...
..
.

"Look, I really do want to go out with you."

Jin Zixun had that phrase stuck in his mind. Miss Jiang had, in a way, confessed to him that she wanted to go on a date with him. He couldn’t refuse the opportunity. She was a very beautiful woman in every sense. Of course, he would find it hard to resist. Now that his cousin was opposing the possibility of her accompanying them, he felt it was his duty to do his part of the deal.

"—No," Jin Zixuan retorted.

"—Cousin!" Jin Zixun exclaimed in disagreement.

"I will not accept that she comes with us. It’s dangerous."

"—Detective," Jiang Yanli’s voice appeared, "can you please listen to me?"

"—With all due respect, Miss Jiang, we do not have authorization to bring a companion."

"I don’t want to be a burden; I just want to go to help with the investigation. I can pay for my own passage if that’s also part of your concern." She looked him directly in the eyes, holding her purse in her hand. "Please, just let me help you. I would like to go to Yiling with you."

Jin Zixuan realized that she didn’t even know their main destination was Qishan Wen and not Yiling directly. “—You don’t even know about the recent changes. Yiling will be our second destination. Our priority for now is the heart of Qishan Wen, and I’m sure you’re not familiar with those lands, so I ask you to refrain.”

"—Detective Jin..."

"—Let’s go," Jin Zixuan said to his cousin. "We have to leave now."

Jiang Yanli saw him take that stance and quickly said, "Then I will go to Yiling alone in search of A-Xian. I know where he was staying. Maybe this way I can find more clues and speed up the process while you are in Qishan Wen."

"—What? No," Jin Zixun objected. "Miss Jiang, do you want to get lost like your brothers? It’s already enough that they are missing; we won’t risk the same thing happening to you."

Jiang Yanli heard him and then lowered her gaze.

"—Miss Jiang," Jin Zixun saw the opportunity to insist, "please stay."

"—No," Jin Zixun contradicted himself, having a better idea. "Her going alone to Yiling is a bad idea. However, it wouldn’t be if I go with her."

Chapter Text

—What? —Jin Zixuan frowned.

How was it possible that he was telling her such nonsense? She understood that Miss Jiang might say foolish things because she didn’t know the risks involved in traveling alone to a foreign country. But… what justified Jin Zixun in saying that nonsense about going with her to Yiling? Jin Zixuan was annoyed that he was changing the plans at the last minute without a valid reason. Jin Zixun knew perfectly well the procedure to follow to carry out a successful search. They shouldn’t separate.

Jin Zixun realized from Jin Zixuan’s look that he needed to explain himself. —Cousin, listen…

—I won’t accept any alternative you have in your favor. No means no — Jin Zixuan declared.

—Cousin! —He got upset, clenching his fists— At least listen!

—What is there to listen to? We had planned a direct trip to Qishan Wen, not to Yiling as the first option. You know the reasons why we decided to do it that way.

—And that’s exactly where the problem is. Do you think I’m eager to go to a place where we’re not welcome? Qishan Wen hates us. If Wen Xu or Wen Chao find out we’re stepping on their land…

—Neither Wen Xu nor Wen Chao intimidates me —he argued with strength and determination—. Qishan Wen is a free country where any foreigner has the right to visit. We have in our favor a sealed order from the prosecutor’s office to go and gather as many clues as needed regarding the disappearance case. If they find out we’re in Qishan Wen, they won’t be able to do anything against us because the laws of Yunmeng Jiang protect us. They will have to deal with the laws and conditions imposed by the prosecutor’s office if they want to take action, not with us.

Jin Zixun felt uncertain about the protection Yunmeng Jiang could provide them in a foreign country. Jin Zixuan, as always, was being too confident about what the matter really implied. —You and I both know that we are wanted by the Qishan Wen police. If they catch us… we’ll be dead.

—We are detectives — Jin Zixuan said to him frankly —. We’re always in danger. You should be used to it by now.

—Well, I think it’s an act of suicide. I’m going with her to Yiling, whether you like it or not — He directed his gaze toward the woman —. Let’s go, Miss Jiang. Let’s buy the next one-way ticket to Yiling. There’s nothing more to discuss here.

Jiang Yanli had seen them talking. She didn’t know that Detective Jin was going to be so stubborn about going with her. Of course, that didn’t make her feel good or comfortable. She didn’t want to seem like a burden, but it seemed that Detective Jin Zixuan didn’t think the same way. At least, Jin Zixun seemed more open to the idea, considering the main objective was to speed up the search.

Jin Zixun grabbed the huge suitcase she had brought as luggage and turned around, turning her back to her cousin as a sign that the conversation was over. She followed him with her head bowed because, after all, it was never her intention to cause a dispute between them.

On the other hand, Jin Zixuan watched them leave with his arms crossed. He was serious and bitter because of the situation. He sighed deeply as they disappeared from sight.

That wasn’t the idea. He had everything planned out so that all his plans wouldn’t be ruined just because she wanted it that way.

~~~

"Yiling City"
Qishan Wen.

—A little more liquor, lovely lady —The older man gave an adorable smile to the waitress who was serving him. The young lady simply blushed when she heard that beautiful compliment as she poured more of the liquid from the bottle.

Once he finished, Jin GuangShan thanked her with another similar compliment, managing to get a sweet giggle from the girl, who then walked away until she disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, Meng-Yao rolled his eyes. Sitting right next to him, he tried to ignore the embarrassment that came with going out with his father. Instead, he brought the coffee cup to his lips and took a small sip in silence.

They had arrived in Yiling yesterday, but until now they hadn’t planned anything at all for the capture of Xue Yang. It was early at the five-star hotel where they were staying. Supposedly, Meng-Yao understood that no plan had been made yet because they needed the help of Lan Qiren’s two “great” friends. He could understand that, but if the wait was going to be so long… why did his father have to force him to travel so soon? If only they had stayed a little longer at the Jin Palace, he would have seen his younger brother return from the trip, and he might have even given him his special breakfast.

—Meng-Yao — Jin GuangShan broke the prolonged silence common between them as he placed the liquor drink on the table — Why didn’t you carry out the last mission as I instructed? I thought you and Xue Yang had arranged a meeting to settle things.

He lowered the coffee cup he had been holding very carefully onto the table. —Indeed. Xue Yang arranged the meeting, I came all the way here, but he never showed up, Father.

—Funny how things are, right? It doesn’t surprise me in the least. From being a good friend to a scammer… Next time, you should choose better the crows that will pluck your eyes out. Oh, wait, that’s not how the saying goes. Next time, you should choose your friends wisely. Otherwise, they might betray you for something worse… —After finishing his “friendly” advice, he opened the fan he was carrying to fan himself, then turned his attention back to the waitress.

Meng-Yao felt the sarcasm in his father’s tone, so he thought it was important to say —Xue Yang was never my friend, Father. On that trip, I did what I could. That he never showed up to the arranged meeting… was not my fault.

—You’re too naive when it comes to these things —Jin GuangShan responded instantly—. From the very beginning, you knew we were dealing with a traitor. It was obvious he could mock you at any moment. You should’ve anticipated those possibilities, knowing the kind of person he is, and stayed one step ahead of him. Not show up empty-handed. —Meng-Yao felt underestimated, not being acknowledged for doing everything possible to come to the country and handle things the best way he could—. On this trip, I’ll teach you how to deal with a scoundrel like that —Jin GuangShan continued—. So I hope you don’t disappoint me, because I won’t tolerate another failure on your part.

Meng-Yao just forced a smile. —Yes, Father... —which he then hid as he sipped his hot coffee.

Jin GuangShan fanned himself with a certain seriousness as he focused his attention on him. It was only after that that his gaze shifted toward the hotel entrance. —Oh, Lan Qiren, you’ve finally arrived —Indeed, the man in question had entered the hotel after having gone missing for a couple of hours—. Were you able to speak with your peculiar friends?

Lan Qiren asked for permission and took a seat at the table where they were having breakfast. There, he nodded confidently. —I was able to speak with Xiao Xingchen. I gave him the location where we’re staying so we can come up with a better search plan.

—What time will they arrive? —Jin GuangShan asked.

—He didn’t give me an exact time. He said that if we hear the chime of a bell, that would mean they’re right behind us.

Meng-Yao raised one of his eyebrows upon hearing that peculiar way of making their presence known. Hearing the chime of a bell? He definitely didn’t know who these mystical friends of Lan Qiren were. At that moment, he thought of Lan Xichen and the chance he could’ve had to join him on this trip. He sighed. He imagined that having his company would truly be a great help. Being here with two decrepit old men didn’t amuse him much.

—Alright, for now we should stay here until they show up —said Jin GuangShan as he watched the waitresses walk by, attending to the other guests—. Either way… without any information about his whereabouts, we can’t take action. So we might as well take this time to discover the beauties this island has to offer…

Jin GuangShan was speaking, but it was clear that his eyes were not fully focused on the conversation. By then, Meng-Yao couldn’t help but think that his father was an unpleasant man when it came to looking at women.

—Xiao-shixiong informed me that one of the most well-known clans in the country, the Chang Clan, is located nearby —said Lan Qiren as he stroked his beard—. He told me we might be able to get more information about Xue Yang’s whereabouts if we speak with the patriarch, Chang Ping.

Jin GuangShan looked more interested upon hearing that information. —Chang Ping? Is he connected to Xue Yang?

—It seems the two have gotten along in the past —Lan Qiren said with certainty—. We can start our visit to the country by heading there.

—I understand, although I think we should rest first and then go looking for this so-called Chang Ping —added Jin GuangShan with great nonchalance as he waved his fan. He didn’t want to get caught up too quickly in a matter that would bring more stress. Just hearing the name ‘Xue Yang’ more than once already put him in a bad mood—. For now, let’s enjoy a bit of the comfort this beautiful hotel offers us before we move on.

The same young lady from earlier approached and brought more liquor to Jin GuangShan as a courtesy from the establishment. The man, of course, accepted her lovely gesture. —Thank you very much, sweetheart...

Meng-Yao heard how his father used the same soft and flirtatious tone he always used to charm women. There was never a lack of a ridiculous compliment added at the end of each thank-you, and certainly not the silly giggle from the woman when she was flattered for her gesture.

"I’ve had enough." Meng-Yao stood up unexpectedly in front of the two old men, immediately drawing their attention.

—My sincerest apologies —he said immediately afterward with a brief bow—. Since you won’t be needing my presence for now, I’ll retire to my room. —He didn’t say much else, simply finished the bow with a smile, and then headed toward the stairs leading directly to the rooms.

By then, Jin GuangShan watched him leave with a certain hidden seriousness. Deep down, he knew Meng-Yao didn’t want to be here handling his responsibilities. His attitude didn’t surprise him. Rather, he was getting tired of him too. How was it possible that he had let himself be fooled by a guy like Xue Yang?

—Oh, excuse me. Would it be too bold of me to sit here with you? —he heard the voice of the same young lady who had been serving him—. It’s just that… I have some free time, and I’d like to get to know you better, sir…

The young lady was referring to him, Jin GuangShan. It seemed she realized he was the leader of LanlinJin.

At that moment, Jin GuangShan was distracted from his thoughts. —Oh, of course, darling —he added with a gentle smile while pointing to the seat where his son had been sitting—. Stay with us as long as you like. Either way, that young man isn’t coming back.

~~~

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

That new morning, the immense Jin Palace was on edge. Every member of the household staff was running around after having learned about the incident involving young Master Mo.

Lan Xichen, the interim leader, had been informed of the news as soon as he woke up. He couldn’t believe that the security guards had mistaken young Master Mo for an intruder. As he hurried through the halls, he had fragments of the story in his mind but didn’t know the original version coming from young Master Mo himself.

As he climbed each step leading to the bedroom section, the imperial doctor, a friend of the Jin family, was coming out of the room.

—Zewu-Jun —The man made a brief bow, holding his briefcase in hand—. It’s nice to see you right now. I happened to want to speak with you.

—What is the diagnosis? Was it very serious?

—Don’t worry. Young Master Mo is fine. He only had an abdominal tear from the impact of the pellet. Thank heavens, it wasn’t a real bullet that would have pierced him completely. He only suffered a minor but deep wound. Therefore, he must get plenty of rest.

Lan Xichen felt relief upon hearing that it wasn’t a real bullet. According to the stories the servants had told him since this morning, it sounded more like a certain death. It was no surprise that his extreme worry was due to his knowledge of the high level of security the Jin Palace possessed. Meng-Yao had always told him that each of the Jin guards would only attack an intruder if they were ordered to do so. Otherwise, the alarm horn would sound continuously, without any intention to attack.

For a moment, he replayed precisely the last part in his mind.

“They would attack only if they were ordered to do so. Otherwise, the horn would sound and sound, without the intention to attack...”

If that was really true...

Who gave the Jin guards the order to shoot?

—I informed Hanguang-Jun of all the special medications young Master Mo needs to properly heal his wound —the doctor finished saying.

—Is Wangji inside?

He nodded.

Lan Xichen raised both eyebrows in surprise. After all, his brother did return to where young Mo was. Surely, since he left him alone at night, Lan Wangji went to apologize to him, and that’s when the whole accident happened. With that hypothesis, Lan Xichen decided to enter the room after thanking the doctor for his service.

When he opened the door very slowly, he saw his brother sitting right next to young Master Mo’s bed. When he opened the door wider to see inside, there was the injured young man covered with a sheet.

At that moment, Lan Wangji caught his brother’s gaze as he entered. Quickly, he made a silence gesture with his index finger, so Lan Xichen agreed to enter without making much noise.

—How is he? —He approached him while looking at the younger’s injured body on the bed—. He looks pale. Is he alright?

Lan Wangji nodded. —He’s resting.

Lan Xichen knew that when his brother said he was fine, it really meant he was. However, he couldn’t help but feel guilty that Mo Xuanyu had gotten injured under his care.

—Brother. Don’t worry —Lan Wangji told him.

Lan Xichen sighed. —Yes. I know... It’s just that... what really happened?

—Yesterday, he tried to escape again by climbing one of the walls. When the alarm sounded, he was injured by a pellet.

He nodded slowly. —That’s what the doctor told me, but I don’t understand why something like that happened. The alarm didn’t even sound long enough to wake me up...

Lan Wangji observed his confused gaze as he shared his true concern. He himself didn’t know exactly what had happened. He could only do what anyone would do: stop him during the descent, and then call the doctor. Mo Xuanyu’s abdomen had been bleeding constantly. While the doctor arrived to help, Lan Wangji had to stop the abdominal bleeding himself when the boy was completely unconscious on the bed.

Lan Xichen noticed that Lan Wangji’s white uniform was stained with a brownish color, similar to dried blood. —Oh, Wangji... —No more words were needed. His gaze conveyed the surprise he felt just imagining what he must have gone through.

Suddenly, a groan from Mo Xuanyu caught both their attention. The man on the bed slowly opened his eyes. Pain and fatigue were visible on every part of his face. As his vision cleared a bit, along with the confusion in his mind, he directed his gaze toward the two figures in white who were watching him.

Wei Wuxian was a bit alarmed upon realizing who they were. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his abdomen prevented him.

—A-Yu, please don’t move —Lan Xichen warned.

—Wh-what... —He felt a lot of pain as he touched that part of his body— What did you do to me...?

Lan Xichen was about to speak, but he saw how Lan Wangji acted first. Carefully, the second Jade took him by the shoulder and then by the wrist to prevent him from touching the fresh wound. —Lie down and rest —he gently urged him to lie back and rest on the pillow.

Wei Wuxian felt very confused but accepted the suggestion, barely able to move from the pain. Lan Wangji took the trouble to cover him up again with the utmost care.

Lan Xichen smiled as he watched his brother’s good deed. —Wangji is right, A-Yu. You need to rest as best as you can. If you move, you risk the wound opening even more.

—The wound? —Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe what was happening. The only thing he remembered was the sound of a horn blowing before feeling the impact. After that, he remembered nothing else.

—You suffered a pellet wound to the abdomen after being mistaken for an intruder by the Jin guards... —Lan Xichen used his calmest tone as he tried to explain the details as briefly as possible—. Thanks to Lan Wangji, who was there, he was able to help you and prevent major bleeding.

Wei Wuxian cautiously looked at the man in white sitting beside him, wearing the same headband that, to be honest, looked a bit worn and misaligned. There, he recalled a bit more about last night. The man must have caught him during the descent when he lost consciousness.

—Wangji, thank you for your support —Lan Xichen added as he touched his shoulder with a smile—. You should go get some rest. A-Yu and I can stay and talk for a while.

Lan Wangji looked at him and, after a moment of silence, stood up from the chair. At that moment, Wei Wuxian couldn’t take his eyes off him when he noticed that his white uniform was stained with a brownish color, similar to the coloration of dried blood. He imagined that must have been his blood spilled on his sophisticated clothing.

There was no farewell. Lan Wangji simply left.

When the door closed, Lan Xichen turned his gaze toward him. At that moment, Wei Wuxian didn’t see enough threat in the Jade to feel the need to protect himself fiercely. Rather, he couldn’t even move, so if he thought about it carefully, he could let his guard down a little and maybe talk things over better.

—Mo Xuanyu —Lan Xichen placed his hands behind his back—. Now that we are alone… —He took his time to say— We have the opportunity to start over.

Wei Wuxian saw him move next to take a small box of tissues that was on the nightstand, and then he dared to sit beside him.

—Let’s start over. Why don’t you begin by taking off that makeup from your face and… telling me who you really are.

Chapter Text

"Yumping Railway Station"
Yunmeng Jiang.

The train whistle signaled that it was ready to depart. It alerted all the passengers who had yet to board their respective cars. There, Jin Zixuan observed several passengers who belonged to first class. Previously, he used that method of travel to go anywhere in the world, but after having experienced a less sophisticated lifestyle, he discovered that middle- and lower-class tickets were more economical, and it didn’t require so much prestige to travel the world—especially when the journey was as short as the one he was about to take.

A train journey from Yunmeng Jiang to Qishan Wen lasted one hour.

He set the tobacco aside and carefully placed the pipe in the front pocket of his golden jacket. Shortly after, he returned to his middle-class carriage and headed to his seat. However,... since there were now three people in total, there wasn’t much space in the seats they had reserved, especially with the large suitcase belonging to Miss Jiang taking up half the space as if it were another passenger

He didn’t hesitate much. Jin Zixuan isolated himself and took a seat in the empty spot in front, ready for his comfort. By then, Jiang Yanli realized that he had moved away to sit somewhere else. She had a strange feeling in her chest that perhaps his isolation was because he didn’t approve of her traveling with them, even though he had allowed it.

“Miss Jiang, here you go.” She turned to Jin Zixuan, the man who had sat next to her since they boarded the train. There, she showed him a chocolate. “I bought this especially for you,” she finished with a smile.

It was a bar of pure chocolate. You could tell by the wrapper. It wasn’t large, but you could see it was from a quality brand.

“Thank you very much...” She smiled at him slightly. “You are very kind to me.”

“You don’t need to thank me. You are a lady who should be treated like the petal of a rose.”

She laughed softly, thanking him again. Jin Zixuan was a much kinder man than she had imagined. He had made her feel good since they reunited, unlike Detective Jin, who hadn’t spoken to her again except when strictly necessary. It was then that she let out a slight sigh.

She didn’t know how to feel about it. However, when she looked at Jin Zixun, a peony symbol embroidered on the upper left side of his golden jacket caught her attention. She wouldn’t lie—ever since the first time she saw that symbol on Detective Jin’s clothing, she had been intrigued by its meaning.

“Mister Jin Zixun...”

“You can call me Zixun, if you wish,” he said, smiling even more.

“Oh, Zixun,” she smiled back as well, her tone softer. “What does that flower symbol on your vest mean?”

The man, upon hearing her ask about it, lowered his gaze to the symbol. “Oh, I’m glad you asked. It’s a delicate embroidery that represents a magnificent peony. Its meaning is tied to honor, wealth, and prosperity.”

She looked intrigued. “I have the impression that I’ve seen it before...”

“Probably,” he said with pride, smiling. “This symbol is also known as ‘The peony that sparkles over the snow.’ Doesn’t that sound familiar to you?”

She remained thoughtful. In the end, she shook her head.

“Do you know LanlinJin?”

Jiang Yanli looked surprised. “Wait a moment... Are you saying that this emblem belongs to LanlinJin?”

“Exactly,” he said proudly, pleased to have gotten it right. “The vermilion mark between our eyebrows also symbolizes openness to wisdom and aspiration. It’s a way of showing the world that LanlinJin illuminates the earth with vermilion light. That’s where we belong.”

“I can’t believe it...” She looked surprised. “No wonder I felt that you weren’t from Yunmeng Jiang. Something about the way you speak, as well as your manner and dress, told me you came from another country, but I never imagined it was from the beautiful LanlinJin.”

“Your intuition is very accurate, Miss Jiang. In fact, we moved here some time ago and currently reside in Yunmeng Jiang.”

“Why did you leave your homeland to come to Yunmeng Jiang? Were there no job opportunities as detectives in your country?”

“If that had been the case... we wouldn’t be offering you our help now. Don’t you think?” Jin Zixun smiled slyly.

By then, Jiang Yanli lowered her gaze with a bit of embarrassment. Jin Zixun hadn’t explained the reason for moving to Yunmeng Jiang. Perhaps she shouldn’t have asked about such a private matter. If they were in Yunmeng Jiang looking for job opportunities, it didn’t involve her in the slightest.

“Thank you, Zixun,” she ended with a smile to cut off the conversation that embarrassed her. “You are very kind to be doing everything possible to help me.”

“Miss Jiang, I’m not lying when I say that by my side, absolutely nothing will happen to you.”

Jin Zixun didn’t stop smiling at any moment. Jiang Yanli felt very comfortable beside him. It was true that they hadn’t known each other until yesterday, but Jiang Yanli didn’t judge anyone for that. She was a woman who, if she felt the person next to her was kind and friendly, she would be the same in return. Jin Zixun seemed like a confident and assured man, so she imagined that if he stayed by her side throughout the journey, he would protect her from anything that came their way and also avoid bothering Detective Jin Zixuan.

With that thought, Jiang Yanli remembered the argument between them. In the end, it all ended when Jin Zixuan agreed to let her accompany him, and it seemed that was the only condition Jin Zixun expected to get from him in order to accept traveling to Qishan Wen as the first option, just as they had planned. When Jin Zixuan agreed, she felt relieved, but as the time to board the train approached, Jiang Yanli felt that he seemed to be ignoring her, probably annoyed for having opposed him.

She had a lot on her mind to feel bad about someone who was annoyed at receiving support. It was never her intention to hinder the case, but it seemed he didn’t think the same way. So she remained thoughtful in her seat until she saw the short hair of Detective Jin fluttering in the air.

He had taken off his beret. He was intently looking out his side of the window, but she was there, watching him from behind, becoming more and more convinced that she should apologize at any moment for the trouble she had caused.

~~~

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

Inside Mo Xuanyu’s room, Wei Wuxian stared intently at Lan Xichen.

“Let’s start over. Why don’t you take off the makeup on your face and... tell me who you really are?” The smile Lan Xichen had maintained in front of his brother faded until it became a straight line.

When Wei Wuxian saw that he was offering him the small box of tissues while sitting beside him, he realized he had been found out. “Excuse me?”—still, he dared to question.

“Unless I’m mistaken...” Lan Xichen continued, “You are not Mo Xuanyu.”

“How can you say that?” Wei Wuxian tried to question. He had remembered what Nie Huaisang had told him about if they discovered he wasn’t really that lunatic. Maybe if he acted offended, he could convince the supposed leader of the palace that he was completely wrong.

Lan Xichen raised an eyebrow. “Am I wrong? Fine. Then tell me something simple. When is your birthday?”

Wei Wuxian was about to say “October 31” as if referring to himself. He almost forgot that he wasn’t Wei Ying, but Mo Xuanyu. He remained silent, slightly annoyed with himself. What could he say? He hadn’t asked Nie Huaisang about that, and if he had been told... he didn’t remember.

“When is your birthday?” Lan Xichen asked again.

“Who cares? If you’re going to give me something, then I’ll be happy to have my briefcase returned. Other than that, I won’t talk to you.”

Lan Xichen remembered the countless times that briefcase was used as his main excuse to avoid talking. “I understand that this briefcase may be of extreme importance to you,” he added patiently. “However, just as you feel you have lost that vital object, we have lost a brother—and that brother goes by the name Mo Xuanyu. I think between you and me, we are not willing to stay silent...”

“If you doubt my identity... why do you keep pretending to be so kind to me?” Wei Wuxian frowned. “What’s next? Will you tie me up and mistreat me until I confess the truth? Lock me in the dungeons until the dogs eat me? Tell me, leader—what should I be prepared for?”

Lan Xichen blinked twice upon hearing each of his suggestions. He felt regretful for believing they were still bad people. Surely this man had no idea that thinking like that was forbidden in the kingdom of GusuLan. Mistreatment was not allowed, unless it was strictly necessary to correct behavior. In any case, thinking that he was to blame for ending up here, believing he deserved punishment, was already a sign of why he appeared so frightened, aggressive, and defensive.

“What are you going to do to me?” Wei Wuxian insisted seriously.

“Mmm...” Lan Xichen took his time to speak. “I’m a bit surprised that, after Lan Wangji brought you here, called a doctor, and even stayed up all night just to make sure the bleeding stopped, you still think we’re bad people.”

“Lan Wangji?” Wei Wuxian listened carefully. He looked confused at the impossible. “He couldn’t have done something like that.”

“That seems to be the case,” Lan Xichen remained calm as he continued, “I didn’t find out what happened until dawn. Other than that, Wangji took care of everything and stayed by your side until you woke up.”

Wei Wuxian was so bewildered that he looked at his body, especially the abdominal area that hurt so much from the swelling. He was so traumatized that there was no way that explanation could be entirely true.

“Young man,” he suddenly heard Jade’s voice say, “Could you please tell me your name?”

Wei Wuxian looked at him, choosing to remain silent since he didn’t trust him enough.

“My courtesy name is Lan Xichen. My social title is Zewu-Jun. However, my birth name is Lan Huan,” the first Jade smiled gently as he took the initiative to introduce himself. “Now that you know who I am, could you tell me what your name—or names—are?”

For a moment, Wei Wuxian was taken aback upon hearing his birth name, since it was usually very personal. Not everyone was willing to reveal their birth name to just anyone. If that happened, it meant the trust that person gave you was more than valuable.

Feeling a bit calmer and more at ease because Lan Xichen was giving him the opportunity to express himself freely, Wei Wuxian had no more reasons to resist. “My name is Wei Wuxian,” he said quietly. “Although my birth name is Wei Ying.”

“Wei Ying...” He nodded slowly. “It’s a pleasure to have met you under these unusual circumstances. I must admit you bear an incredible resemblance to the young Mo. I’m not too surprised that my brother was confused.”

“Should I be worried about that? What will he do to me?”

“Master Wei, my brother and I don’t intend to do anything to you. In everyone’s eyes, you are still Mo Xuanyu. In fact, you almost completely fooled me.”

“How did you realize?” he asked, still knowing he hadn’t been very discreet, especially remembering Nie Huaisang’s scoldings for disrespecting his elders.

“Let’s just say... Mo Xuanyu is the complete opposite of you, Master Wei,” Lan Xichen remained silent, then added, “He would never have thought of raising his voice at me, much less fought to the last by setting conditions like a briefcase. And another thing, no less important... I’m almost certain he wouldn’t have jumped over the palace mural as an escape method, knowing very well that security guards patrol every corner of the Jin Palace every night.”

“So... my ignorance gave me away.”

Lan Xichen let out a smile. “It seems so.”

When he saw his smile caused by finding his clumsiness amusing, he calmed down a little more. “So... Lan Wangji and you are... twins?”

“Is it that obvious?”

Wei Wuxian nodded his head in agreement.

Lan Xichen laughed. “Yes, we are. We were born on the same day, January 23. The only difference you’ll find between us is our personalities and that, having been born first, I have the authority to inherit the leadership of the GusuLan kingdom.”

“GusuLan?” Wei Wuxian looked surprised. “So you are foreigners. You weren’t born in LanlinJin.”

“We are natives of GusuLan. We speak the royal language of Gusu, and we are in the Jin Palace only to provide support while the royal family is away on a mission. In fact, our duty from the moment you arrived was to watch over you to prevent you from attempting to escape. But since you are not the Mo Xuanyu we were looking for, basically we are not doing the job we were assigned.”

Wei Wuxian understood a little more. He saw in Lan Xichen’s eyes a mix of disappointment, disillusionment, and nostalgia. He assumed that now that they realized he wasn’t the real Mo Xuanyu they were looking for, their problems had surely doubled.

There was no other response from him. The truth was that Wei Wuxian didn’t know what to say either. The problems of high-class people were a headache. In fact, he preferred to take the time to better examine the bandage on his abdomen, carefully and precisely secured. It was well placed and fitted just right.

“Lan Wangji did an excellent job,” then he heard Lan Xichen praise his own twin brother. “I suppose he hasn’t introduced himself either.” Zewu-Jun cleared his throat slightly before saying, “His courtesy name is Lan Wangji, his social title is Hanguang-Jun, and finally, his birth name is Lan Zhan.”

“Lan Zhan...” Wei Wuxian repeated those two syllables, finding them pleasant to hear.

“My sincerest apologies if you felt that he mistreated you,” Lan Xichen spoke again. “The truth is, Wangji would never be capable of doing something like that—unless it was in self-defense. With that said, I’ll also take the opportunity to apologize on his behalf, since he made a mistake by bringing you here. Don’t think he kidnapped you with vile intentions. He would never be so cruel. If you got to know him a little better, you’d see that he’s the most devoted, loyal, and kind man in the world—and I don’t just say that because he’s my brother.”

“And now I’m injured...” Wei Wuxian compared his words to Lan Wangji’s actions in dealing with the accident all night on his own. “If I were a little more comfortable with you, I’d think you’re trying really hard to sell me your brother’s reputation.”

Lan Xichen noticed a slight smile from him as he finished speaking, and could only say, “I’m simply trying to make sure there’s no resentment from you toward him.”

“I don’t know what to say about all the misunderstandings.”

“Don’t worry. For now, I think it’s best that we keep this situation a secret. No one besides the two of us knows that you’re someone else. If we can keep it hidden a bit longer until we find a solution, it will be the best decision.”

“If you figured it out so easily... what guarantees that someone else hasn’t done the same?”

“Nothing guarantees it, but you’re not alone in this place. If you open up to us and let us get to know you better in order to find a more feasible solution, we’ll be at less risk of facing the consequences.”

“What’s the problem if they find out?” Wei Wuxian looked puzzled. “I mean... it sounds like it would be a crime if that were to happen in front of the authorities.”

“It becomes complicated, especially because of the president of LanlinJin. If he finds out and, in turn, believes that you are impersonating his son—simply with the idea that Mo Xuanyu will never return home—it could bring troubling consequences for you as well as for us. I know it’s only a hypothetical case, but I prefer to keep this incident low-profile to avoid more commotion and to protect your identity from the media. If news spreads that you are an impostor...”

“I’ll be disgraced in the country,” Wei Wuxian understood immediately. “I see.”

Lan Xichen sighed. “Anyway, you shouldn’t worry about such speculations. Your main goal right now is to recover from the accident and just trust that Wangji and I will find a way to fix this so that you won’t be harmed.” Suddenly, the sound of the door was heard.

When Zewu-Jun gave the person permission, a servant bowed respectfully to him. “A letter from Yiling has arrived exclusively for you, Zewu-Jun.”

Did Wei Wuxian hear that correctly?

Did he receive a letter from Yiling?

For his part, Lan Xichen was also secretly surprised by fate. “Thank you very much for informing me. You may leave.” The man nodded and then left, closing the door.

During that process, Lan Xichen decided to stand up. “My apologies, Master Wei. I’m needed and must leave. It’s best, please, that you remain lying down. No one will bother you if that worries you. In any case, I’ll try to return as soon as possible.”

Wei Wuxian didn’t respond.

With nothing more to say, Zewu-Jun left the room.

In solitude, Wei Wuxian thought he could come up with another escape plan while they weren’t around. The idea still ran through his mind. However, after thinking it over with a clear head about his clumsiness—the very thing that had revealed his identity—perhaps he should just stay lying down, enjoying his comfort and necessary recovery.

~~~

When Lan Xichen left the quarters area, the servant waited to hand him the beautiful golden letter adorned with a long, shiny ribbon. After thanking him, he held it very delicately and could see, through its elaborate design, that it was from Meng-Yao.

"Greetings, Er-Ge."

I hope your stay in LanlinJin is going much better than mine. Yiling is a charming city, but at the same time, it has few places that can entertain me. Maybe I could enjoy my stay more if my father weren’t wasting time with every woman who crosses his path...

Without changing the subject, now I don’t know what to say. I’m out of options because I can’t find a way to put everything I’m feeling onto paper. Do you remember when you told me that if I needed you to come, I just had to ask? Now that Mo Xuanyu is home safe and sound, and Lan Wangji has him under his care, maybe you could come and give me a hand.

Honestly, I really need your great company to deal with all this that’s tormenting me, Er-Ge.

Please, if you can come, I will be extremely grateful. Otherwise, I will understand.

“Answer me when you can.”

Lianfang-Zun.

With everything that was happening, the reality that Mo Xuanyu was not under his care, that Lan Wangji was not guarding him, and that this new man calling himself Wei Wuxian had come out injured unnecessarily, gave Lan Xichen no peace as he thought, even for a moment, about how he was going to solve all his problems. Now that Meng-Yao was almost shouting for him to come keep her company in Yiling, he was definitely going to end up losing his mind.

He sighed deeply as he continued looking at the letter with regret. He didn’t want to give Meng-Yao a negative answer when he himself had confessed that:

“If I asked him to come with me, he would go without thinking twice.”

He lowered the letter onto his desk and then stayed in that spot, trying to analyze.

“A-Yao... You’ll have to wait for a definitive answer. Things... aren’t going as they should, and I have to stay to fix them.”

Chapter Text

At noon, the Jin Palace was calm after having listened to Zewu-Jun's report on young master Mo's new condition regarding the accident.

Nothing serious had happened to him, but it was determined that it would be best for the young man to stay in his room and get plenty of rest. With that, Zewu-Jun tried to limit the number of people who could enter the room where Wei Wuxian was currently staying.

Right now, Lan Xichen was climbing the stairs one by one in search of his brother, as lunch was about to be served. When he arrived, he gently knocked on the door. —Wangji? May I come in? Upon hearing the permission granted, he slowly turned the doorknob and then saw his brother just as he had the last time: making the bed with damp hair. —Did you get some rest? —he finally asked.

Lan Wangji nodded without any visible expression as he finished folding the sheets to maintain order. At that moment, Lan Xichen thought it was important to close the door and say:

—He thanks you for having helped him in his worst moment.

Lan Wangji stared at him. Then, he lowered his gaze. —It was my duty. My responsibility here is to protect him.

Lan Xichen could see on his face that he was not satisfied with the brief response. —Wangji, I need us to talk. The man you captured is not Mo Xuanyu.

~~~

After explaining the circumstances, Lan Xichen led his brother to his own room, the place where he had left his best friend’s letter folded on the table. —The man you brought to the Jin Palace is named Wei Wuxian; his birth name is Wei Ying.

—Wei Ying... —he whispered softly, still processing it.

—I had my suspicions —Lan Xichen continued—. However, from the beginning, I didn’t fully believe it was possible because this new "Mo Xuanyu" used to be quite withdrawn and unpredictable. With Nie Huaisang, he behaved decently. It seemed like they got along pretty well. Thanks to that, I wasn’t able to confirm whether my suspicions were true until this morning.

Lan Wangji looked at him. —What do you mean?

—The real Mo Xuanyu would never have thought of escaping through the murals of the Jin Palace, knowing it is full of guards. I started to analyze that if none of the guards had been able to find Mo Xuanyu’s escape route until tonight, when he chose to climb the walls, it’s clear that he never used that method. It’s simply ridiculous.

Lan Wangji listened attentively, and now that he thought about it more clearly, he was right. That escape method didn’t make any sense.

—Mo Xuanyu is a very intelligent boy —Zewu-Jun continued—. Within my capabilities, he wouldn’t choose to escape by climbing the walls. It’s clear that he uses another escape method that we don’t know about, to the point of mocking the entire security elite. With this in mind, I could only come to one conclusion: that boy you captured is not him, but someone else, and I was right.

Lan Wangji looked somewhat bewildered. Deep down in his heart, he had some suspicions. The first time he met him on the train; the man started a conversation without fear of acknowledging that he was Hanguang-Jun. He also remembered the name he had given, "Wei Wuxian." Although everything seemed to point to someone else, Lan Wangji doubted his suspicions because it wasn’t the first time Mo Xuanyu had mocked him. Now everything fit perfectly and made sense.

—I was fortunate that young master Wei Wuxian understood the situation. We cleared up the misunderstandings, and I asked for his cooperation so that he wouldn’t be harmed while we find a way to get him out of this place.

—Can he be trusted?

—We won’t know until we give him the chance —Lan Xichen sighed afterward with concern—. The difficult part of all this isn’t the recovery of that man. It’s, in fact, the disappearance of Mo Xuanyu.

After finishing saying that, Lan Xichen went to the table where he picked up two letters.

—A-Yao informed me that he is requesting my help in Yiling. He said that if I could go as soon as possible, he would appreciate it. However, with all this about the discovery that Mo Xuanyu was never with us... —He sighed with a hint of sadness— Maybe it won’t be possible for me to go help him, at least not now, until I find a solution on how to deal with this inconvenience. —He showed him the other letter— This second letter I wrote this morning to send to Nie Mingjue with the intention of discussing our differences after what happened at the last dinner. However, it doesn’t seem appropriate to confess to him that Mo Xuanyu is actually Wei Wuxian.

—What if he doesn’t find out? —Lan Wangji suggested.

Lan Xichen looked at him, considering the proposal. It wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, he had already thought about it. The only problem was that if he didn’t confess the truth, Nie Mingjue could find out through other means, and if he learned it from a third party instead of from him, he would become angry for having been kept in the dark.

—Nie Huaisang surely knows —Lan Wangji continued—. That night, they were very close. They communicated during dinner.

Lan Xichen narrowed his eyes with a thoughtful expression. Now that he thought about it more carefully, his brother was right. That day, Nie Huaisang hadn’t left Mo Xuanyu’s room since he arrived. He stayed all day with Wei Wuxian, and now that he mentioned it, during dinner, Nie Huaisang was the only one who talked, so as not to give much opportunity to others.

—Maybe Brother Nie... knows the truth that he is Wei Wuxian?

—Mm —Lan Wangji nodded.

—If that’s true... then it seems I have a weightier reason than just an apology to invite the Nie brothers to dinner again.

Lan Wangji didn’t respond, but his silence meant he agreed with the situation.

By then, Lan Xichen thought he should set aside his worry about whether hiding the truth would hurt Nie Mingjue.

After all, what mattered most to him was resolving the situation. If Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian knew each other, it could mean an important breakthrough that he hadn’t yet discovered, and with that, find the true whereabouts of Mo Xuanyu before it was too late.

~~~

"Love and Peace Restaurant"
Tourist area. Qishan Wen.

In a corner of that tourist entertainment spot, an unusual musical group was playing. The blue eyes of the man sitting at the bar scanned all the diners in the area. As the music blended with the atmosphere, beside him was a woman: a beautiful maiden with brown skin and gentle features. Her long hair reached down to her waist, and she wore bright red robes like the sun, with flickering flames dancing around the collar and sleeves.

The maiden had remained seated beside him since he arrived. During all that time, she seemed unaware of whoever was next to her. She simply limited herself to drinking from her glass in silence. Jiang Cheng was intrigued by the way she didn’t even bother to turn toward him, even though he hadn’t looked away from her at any moment.

During the evening, he had ordered something light to eat. When it was brought to him, he thanked them and then proceeded to satisfy his hunger.

"She says she loves me...

He says he loves me...

That without my love, he’ll die...

The best thing has been meeting you...

As he listened to the words coming from each of the singers' mouths, his brow furrowed.

"He says he loves me, that his body rolls over mine..."

That he clings to my chest...

And feeds the longing to have me.

Those words made him think of someone in particular.

Why did Nie Huaisang have to come to his mind right now?

His brow furrowed even more as he painfully remembered that Nie Huaisang was no longer part of his life. The worst part was that, while listening to the same verse over and over — "He says he loves me... That without my love, he'll die... Oh, heavens! Thank you, life, for having you..." — he didn’t realize he had grabbed his glass and slammed it so hard against the table that the sound echoed throughout the restaurant.

The waiter, as well as the woman beside him, turned to look at him.

Jiang Cheng realized he had overreacted. For a moment, he allowed the ghosts of the past to reach his frustrated self over the breakup. His next move was to clear his throat and turn his back slightly, forcing himself to focus on what really mattered: his freshly served food, not remembering that fool Nie Huaisang.

“What’s wrong with you? Control yourself,” he thought, scolding himself as he once again remembered Nie Huaisang as the cause of his melancholy and bad mood.

"He tells me that in his dreams..."

I am dew that hides...

Like the first night...

Like the day that wakes up and falls asleep.

"He says he loves me..."

She says she loves me..

That without my love, he/she dies...

Oh heavens!

Thanks life for having you.

Suddenly, the people listening to the musical group from their tables stood up and formed a large circle to enjoy a romantic dance. Jiang Cheng could sense the happiness reflected on each of their faces, especially those who were couples.

He couldn’t help but reject it. Love didn’t exist. It was simply an ungrateful thing that one day lifted you up to the sky and the next, brought you crashing down without any apparent reason. Nothing he heard in those songs was real. It was all commercialism, a trick so live singers would have something to offer restaurants and, in turn, the restaurants could attract more customers.

Next to him, the woman who had remained silent the whole time suddenly began to sing.

"And what does it matter..."

If in my dreams I don’t find you...

This love that I carry inside...

It doesn’t fade, it doesn’t erase.

"And what does it matter..."

That now lives on your waist, like waves without foam...

I travel the sea of your body.

"And what does it matter..."

If in the end, you take up everything...

And I surrender to your seeds...

And you surrender as always.

Jiang Cheng was able to see something interesting. She didn’t seem like an emotionless statue after all.

That song caught his attention a bit more. Maybe he could try doing something different and start some kind of conversation with this woman. Anyway, according to that idiot Wei Wuxian, he firmly believed that getting any kind of information from ordinary people was more productive.

—May I ask why you keep staring at me so much? —Suddenly, the rough voice of that woman became evident. It was nothing like the melodious voice she had used a minute ago to sing that nonsense— Did you lose something?

—As if I were the only woman in this place... —he said in his defense.

—Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Since you arrived, you’ve been staring at me all day —she replied.

—If you noticed, you let yourself be looked at more than you should have.

—As if that could worry me. I highly doubt that a tourist from Yunmeng Jiang can harm me —Jiang Cheng frowned— What’s wrong? Just as you’ve been staring at me openly for some time, I’ve also been watching you in my own way.

Jiang Cheng did not like this woman’s way of being at all. However, the wall clock, which used to have a classic and timeless design with elegant and easy-to-read hands, showed a good time that he could use to waste time.

—So... —he dared to say while listening to the music play— would you like to dance with me?

The silence was to be expected.

Jiang Cheng watched her intently. He was prepared for a possible rejection. After all, she didn’t know him. After several minutes of uncertainty, he imagined that she was probably one of those women who preferred the man to take full initiative. If that was what she wanted... He stood up and extended his hand to her.

“Don’t worry about who I am,” he told her. “Just have fun.”

That woman, who had appeared somewhat rough throughout the entire encounter with an arrogant and determined posture, softened the expression in her eyes a little as she felt tempted by the desire to grant him the pleasure. Jiang Cheng patiently awaited a response, although deep down he seemed tempted to give up at any moment, not wanting to force her.

However, she didn’t keep him waiting any longer. She barely allowed their hands to touch, stood up, and let him lead her to the center of the dance floor.

From Jiang Cheng’s point of view, the only women he had ever danced with in his life were his older sister and his mother. The latter never missed an opportunity to teach him new steps, as she believed that any man who knew how to dance had a thousand points in his favor to win a woman’s charm. That’s how, after several minutes in that small corner of the dance floor, where he put his skills to the test, Jiang Cheng had the strange feeling that he really wasn’t that bad at dancing.

In fact, he felt a bit of fun for having forgotten his problems while leading her. He wasn’t going to lie—at first, it was awkward, but then the young lady followed the rhythm of his steps without any trouble, making sure to enjoy the dance as well.

"In the rain, drops of sky"

You on the shore of my silences...

You, my tenderness, my companion

You, what I seek, what I want most...

The more I think about it...

You

The movements were elegant as they surrendered to the action of brushing their hands together with growing confidence. Two strangers joined their hands and then separated them, repeating the same movement until their fingers met their palms. Their feet followed a slow rhythm, and their souls connected in the silence of their gazes. In that place, only one story was being written: a man and a woman enjoying the moment, without worrying about making the other uncomfortable, since there was no romantic interest between them.

That lasted quite a long time. The songs from the band changed to a different, faster rhythm, and it was clear that they were exhausted, even though they didn’t say so. The young lady, with a slight noticeable smile and feeling warm, was the first to let go of his hand. She gave a brief nod indicating that she would return to the bar.

Jiang Cheng followed her, and they each took their respective sides of the table. There, he noticed that his drink was still fresh but almost finished. He directed his gaze toward the woman, who had taken out a small pouch, similar to a coin purse.

“A glass of water, please,” she asked the waiter.

“Make it two,” he said immediately after

The waiter nodded upon hearing him. As for the woman, she glanced at him sideways. Who was this stranger? Now she wanted to know the identity of this man who didn’t dance badly at all.

When the glasses of water were delivered to each of them, she was about to pay, but Jiang Cheng stepped forward. He took out the necessary amount of money to pay for both glasses of water and handed it to the waiter. She said nothing; she just stared at him with the money in her hand.

“I hope you enjoyed it,” Jiang Cheng said, hiding the discomfort of being so kind… He wasn’t used to it.

She nodded slowly. “What exactly are you looking for from me?”

“Excuse me?”

“You are... handsome, pleasant, gentlemanly, but I’ve learned that men are not kind by nature—unless they want something in return from a woman. So, save me the time and the formalities, and confess the reason you approached me.”

--...

“What a woman,” he thought quickly. She didn’t even pretend to like the special treatment he was offering her. Of course he didn’t like it. Up until now, Jiang Cheng had been sure that something like this could happen, but it didn’t seem fair—not when he had made an effort to earn at least a little of her trust.

Maybe he was wasting his time. If she wanted to play the same role, it was time to be direct.

“I’ve noticed that you belong to the Qishan Wen government. I’m guessing you can help me find the information I need.”

She found the situation amusing.

Jiang Cheng closely observed her reaction. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked seriously.

“Is that how you travel? Picking people at random to tell you the information you want to hear? With me, you’re mistaken.”

“Can you even hear me? You know Qishan Wen, right? I need to find my brother, Wei Wuxian. I need you to take me to a police station that’s willing to listen and take the case. The only thing I want is to find him, and I know your influence can help me avoid obstacles and refusals.”

“And why do you think I would be willing to help you?”

“You’re a native of Qishan Wen. I highly doubt that a woman like you can’t help me.”

The young lady stared at him after that response. She had taken her glass of water to drink a little, but then she set it down on the table. “I won’t do it,” she said directly. She got up from her seat and then ended her stay by heading toward the exit.

Jiang Cheng watched her leave without saying goodbye. This woman was definitely unbearable. She had crossed the line. Everything he had tried to do to earn her trust, it seemed, had been destroyed. Being a "gentleman" hadn’t worked at all. That only came naturally to Wei Wuxian.

If he wanted things to move forward, he had to do it his way, without a doubt. He didn’t waste any more time. He got up from the chair just like she had and left the restaurant. Outside, he spotted her several meters away. She had stopped to talk to someone and was about to cross the street that connected to an avenue. Jiang Cheng felt the urgency to hurry if he wanted to catch up with her and start over. However, something distracted him along the way

A car, moving at an unknown speed that caused its tires to skid on the pavement, lost control of the steering wheel and veered out of its lane. There was no time to think; Jiang Cheng knew it would inevitably crash.

That out-of-control car passed by so fast that the young lady who had been standing in front of the avenue talking to someone was now lying on the ground.

If it hadn’t been for a strong push that moved her out of the way, the car would have collided with her—and consequently with the streetlight that had taken the brunt of the crash.

Chapter Text

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

“Zewu-Jun,” the servant said with a bow as soon as he reached his side in the main dining hall. “The letter addressed to Qinghe Nie was successfully sent.”

He nodded in relief. “Good work. You may go.”

The servant gave another bow as a farewell. At that moment, Lan Xichen and his brother were having lunch in silence after discussing what they had previously discovered. However, Lan Xichen had so many things on his mind that eating in silence was becoming quite tormenting—he had no peace at all.

He still hadn’t given Meng Yao an answer. He didn’t want to deny him the opportunity to go with him, but he also couldn’t confess that Mo Xuanyu was still missing. At that point, he ended up sighing, setting down his food, and looking at his brother, who was eating very calmly.

“Wangji...” he called, catching his attention. “Young Mo is missing. If this continues, I hope to have your help in searching for him.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he placed his utensils crossed over the plate and lowered his gaze.

“I understand that all of this is bothersome. I also understand that what you want is to return to GusuLan,” he continued. “But for now, we have a stranger in Mo Xuanyu’s room. That man upstairs will need our attention in order to heal quickly. I suppose our duty for now is to help him recover rather than guard him. The time will come to set him free once he feels better, and that will be our chance to go in search of Mo Xuanyu.”

Lan Wangji didn’t agree with the latter. In fact, he didn’t agree with either option. On one hand, letting the man upstairs go would mean admitting he was wrong, and he and his brother would likely be accused of not doing their job properly. That’s not to mention the media would label this so-called “Wei Wuxian” as an infiltrator who snuck into Jin Palace to commit crimes. And on the other hand, he had no idea where Mo Xuanyu might have escaped to this time.

“Now that young master Wei Wuxian is resting, the ideal would be to bring him his food in bed,” Lan Xichen reiterated in the silence. “Would you mind if you...”

“The servants can take care of it,” Lan Wangji responded immediately. “I have to leave.”

“Where are you going?” Lan Xichen felt confused. His brother hadn’t told him that he would be leaving that afternoon, if that was the case.

Lan Wangji remained silent, having nowhere to go—he just didn’t want to carry that responsibility. Suddenly, the sound of heels ascending the stairs could be heard. There, MianMian appeared with a smile, which grew even wider when she saw them at the table.

“Ah! It can’t be! You’re here having lunch! Enjoy your meal!” She arrived very cheerful and playful. She used the glorious sound of her heels on the floor to highlight her runway walk as if she were on a red carpet, not to mention she was wearing a beautiful, short dress that was very extravagant and sensual to the eye.

Zewu-Jun smiled upon seeing her. He couldn’t ignore it—her positive attitude was contagious.

“Zewu-Jun, enjoy your meal!” MianMian hugged him, then turned to Lan Wangji. “Oh, Hanguang-Jun... Hanguang-Jun... Yesterday I thought about you. I really missed you on the mission I shared with the other guys,” she said, placing her hands on his shoulders while seeming to pout. “I’m more and more convinced that being by your side is much better than being with the others. Next time, I’ll take you with me without restrictions. Oh”—for a moment, her eyebrows rose at the memory that came to mind—“wait... I heard that this morning Mo Xuanyu... got hurt?”

Lan Xichen directed his gaze toward his brother, who had no intention of answering. “Indeed, MianMian. He is currently resting in his room. Yesterday, the guards mistook him for a real intruder...”

“Hmph. Do you really know that he’s resting?” She looked skeptical, even raising an eyebrow. “Be careful, Zewu-Jun. He might be pretending to plan another way to escape.”

“I don’t think so,” Lan Xichen replied confidently. “Young master Mo is badly injured. Lan Wangji guarded him all night to prevent his condition from worsening.”

“Oh... I’m so sorry, Hanguang-Jun...” she said with a pitiful pout, squeezing her shoulders. “Having to guard his nonsense... I really feel sorry for you... But don’t worry,” she smiled widely. “The good thing is that Zewu-Jun is here, so I was thinking that you and I could go out later with my friends so you can clear your mind for a while.”

“...”

Lan Xichen turned to look at his brother upon hearing young lady MianMian say that.

“What’s going on?” MianMian saw them exchange suspicious looks. “Don’t tell me you’d rather stay here in Jin Palace doing nothing, Hanguang-Jun.”

Hanguang-Jun wasn’t one to go out with many people, especially not to waste time. Lan Xichen knew this, and so did MianMian, but it seemed she didn’t want him to stay guarding “Mo Xuanyu.” In any case, under other circumstances, Lan Xichen would have let his brother go wherever he wanted, but right now, he needed him to solve the problem that really had to be addressed.

“Miss Luo...” he said right after. “For now, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to go out.”

“Why? I had already planned to go with Hanguang-Jun,” she said, looking displeased with her arms crossed. “Hanguang-Jun, come on. I promise you won’t regret it. Besides...” She smiled encouragingly and then placed her hands back on his shoulders. “At night, the guys and I are planning to go to the opening of a small café near Jin Palace. We can have fun and...” She whispered in his ear, “I have a friend who would like to meet you. What do you think?”

The chair was pushed aside instantly. “I’ll go deliver lunch to Mo Xuanyu,” Lan Wangji said, breaking the contact of her hands on his shoulders as he stood up and then walked away.

“What?” MianMian stood there with her hands in the air, watching him leave. “Deliver lunch to Mo Xuanyu? Do you really prefer to do that instead of coming with me? Hanguang-Jun!” The man walked away without paying her any more attention. She got upset. Then she turned her gaze toward Lan Xichen, who was secretly amazed that his brother had left just like that without saying a word. “Can I ask why he left without telling me anything?”

“Miss Luo... I don’t exactly know what just happened,” he told her with complete sincerity. “But remember that Lan Wangji is authorized to guard Mo Xuanyu...” He felt a bit dishonest saying that, but he had to continue to avoid raising suspicion. “So for now... any occasion that involves leaving him alone is not an option until A-Yao returns.”

“I’m upset. It can’t be that I have to wait for Meng Yao to return for Hanguang-Jun to come with me on missions. It’s always been the two of us. I don’t think that’s right,” she said, placing a hand on her hip while breathing out in frustration. “Besides, I don’t understand. Mo Xuanyu will do anything to leave the palace sooner or later. Yesterday was a clear example that it’s only a matter of time. You shouldn’t let Hanguang-Jun get frustrated by his side.”

“Miss Luo, that won’t happen. Besides, yesterday’s shot was an accident.”

“Please, Zewu-Jun. An accident? How are you so sure he didn’t plan it? Mo Xuanyu is unstable. He surely resorted to getting hurt to distract us and plan another method of escape.”

“Even if that were the case, the guards shouldn’t have acted without my consent. That’s what puzzles me,” he confessed, still unable to understand how the order to shoot was accepted, knowing that Meng Yao had told him that if it wasn’t approved, the alarm would keep sounding without action. “I never gave the order to shoot.”

She crossed her arms. “You never gave the order?”

He shook his head.

“It doesn’t make sense; someone must have given it.”

“At that moment, the Nie brothers were in Jin Palace, but I highly doubt it was them. At that hour, there was no other person of authority in charge of the palace.”

“How strange,” she remarked, averting her gaze. “Maybe the security guards got tired. They lost patience, thinking that kid was going to get away with it again. The dogs were barking incessantly. That must be why they chose to act without a direct order.”

He stared at her intently. “How do you know the dogs were barking at that exact moment?”

“They told me. Several of my friends who were here heard the commotion,” she sighed. “If Mo Xuanyu really got hurt, I would verify by all means whether he’s telling the truth. If that’s the case, then he’ll be incapacitated for a few days. At least, that seems like good news for Hanguang-Jun. He won’t have to be after him every second.”

Lan Xichen didn’t respond. To him, it seemed like a strange way to see the facts. The strangest thing of all was that MianMian seemed to hold a grudge against the younger one. He had never seen that until now.

What guarantee was there that she wasn’t the one who gave the order to shoot?

“I have to go now,” she said as she walked away, but before continuing, she stopped for a moment to say, “I hope Meng Yao returns from that trip as soon as possible. He’s taking too long. It’s time you send him a letter telling him to hurry.” She said nothing more and continued walking until she was out of sight.

MianMian had no idea that Lan Xichen was one of the people she most hoped would return. However, Meng Yao wanted her to go see him in Yiling City, so of course everything was thrown off from the original plans. She remained silent as she analyzed every aspect of the situation.

Someone gave the order to shoot "Mo Xuanyu" in Jin Palace, which led him to think that not everyone residing there welcomed the young man’s presence.

And that was a big problem.

~~~

Inside Mo Xuanyu’s room, Wei Wuxian was hungry. “No... not now,” he thought as he touched his stomach and frowned.

He couldn’t move too much. Changing position, sitting up, finding comfort—it was simply torture. His swollen abdomen restricted him, and now he looked frustrated, tired, and hungry. He had slept all morning, but Wei Wuxian wasn’t used to staying still for long. He needed to move, to get out of that bed that was already bothering him. That’s why he thought that if he wanted to move, he should start by going to the bathroom.

With that thought, he slowly pulled his legs out from under the sheets while touching that area on his abdomen. With a grimace of pain, he moved until he was sitting up. He sighed a little; this was proving to be much harder than he had anticipated. Since waking up, he had wanted to take a bath.

He wanted to relax in the tub and also see the wound on his body—to know how big or deep it was. Since that morning when Zewu-Jun had given him the wet wipes to remove the traces of makeup, he had felt his face greasy. He needed to take a bath as soon as possible. With that thought, he tried to stand up. He did it so slowly that his body urged him to hunch over.

He walked over until he could open the bathroom door and see the large mirror that adorned it. When he turned on the light, it was enough to realize he was a mess. He hadn’t even completely removed the makeup from his face. He looked terrible. The dark circles under his eyes were abnormal, and his messy hair was beyond words.

Now he really looked like a madman. Maybe the role suited Mo Xuanyu better, but he felt disgusted in a way. Wei Wuxian was truly tired of all this, but before doing anything about his appearance, he decided to unbutton every button of the shirt he was wearing to free his chest and see the bandages wrapped around his abdomen.

There was dried blood all over the white fabric. That pellet couldn’t have been just an ordinary shot for him to have lost consciousness. He quickly dropped the shirt carelessly on the floor and went to the faucet to wash his face. He looked paler than usual as he checked if he had removed the traces of makeup.

Suddenly, the door outside sounded. Wei Wuxian froze when he heard the knocking. He figured it must be that Zewu-Jun trying to call him to eat. He didn’t feel like eating with those people, but his stomach had been complaining for a while. Wei Wuxian wiped his face with the first towel he found. He completely forgot about his shirt and left the bathroom. There, he returned to bed and covered himself completely with the sheet.

“Come in!”

When the door opened, Wei Wuxian caught sight of the golden eyes of that man. What was this? This wasn’t Zewu-Jun; it was his twin brother, Hanguang-Jun...

His kidnapper!

His body tensed immediately. He used the sheet to cover his face even more... How uncomfortable.

Lan Wangji had entered holding a tray in his hands. On it was a deep plate emitting a smell similar to food. Wei Wuxian’s senses sharpened, and of course, his stomach began to growl.

“I brought you lunch,” the man in white decided to say.

Wei Wuxian thought this was very strange. He had bet that from now on, Lan Xichen would be the twin to speak to him, not him. Lan Wangji continued placing the tray on the nightstand. However, during his action, he noticed the floor was stained with unusual drops of water. When he turned toward the bathroom, he realized the door was half open.

“Thank you. You may leave,” Wei Wuxian said as he covered his face more with the sheet.

Lan Wangji heard him but chose to remain silent, staring at him intently.

“Is something wrong?” Wei Wuxian asked, seeing him standing there motionless, looking at him without hiding it. “You can...”

“How have you felt about the wound?”

Wei Wuxian remained silent. He had to admit that it hurt, but he didn’t want this guy to interfere. —Better. You can leave now.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, now please... I need my space.”

Wei Wuxian made a gesture with his hand for him to get lost. The Jade turned around, but didn’t go straight to the door—instead, he headed toward the bathroom. There, Lan Wangji entered and saw the shirt he had been wearing earlier lying on the floor, along with several drops of water scattered across the countertop of the sink. —You got up —he said when he turned to look at him.

Wei Wuxian looked at him, but with even the slightest movement in his place, an incredible pain showed in his gaze. By that time, Lan Wangji quickly approached him, took off the sheet that covered his chest, and as he expected, he was shirtless, with one of his hands resting on the bandage.

“Lie down,” he asked him while gently pushing his shoulder to make him lie back down on the bed.

“Leave me,” Wei Wuxian slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

“If you move too much, you’ll risk making the wound worse.”

“This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to me,” he said, frowning. “You should leave. I can take care of myself.”

Lan Wangji remained silent as he looked at him. With so many mishaps between them, he hadn’t noticed that the man’s arms were still covered in scrapes that had yet to heal—likely caused when he tried to escape through the mural yesterday. “I don’t want to cause any trouble,” he felt compelled to say.

“More than you already have…” Wei Wuxian scoffed begrudgingly. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“I just want to help you.”

“For what? A guilty conscience? Spare me that nonsense.”

“I found out that you’re not Mo Xuanyu,” Lan Wangji clarified. “It was never my intention to hurt him in the first place.”

“So what then? You made a mistake? Why should I be upset? Staying angry after clearing things up makes no sense. But just so we're clear—the problem wasn’t the misunderstanding,” he said, frowning. “From the beginning, I trusted you on the way here because I had no other choice, and now... am I supposed to thank you for saving my life? I would’ve rather fallen off the wall and bled out on the ground. I would’ve even preferred that the shot had killed me on the spot. I swear, it would’ve been a thousand times better than falling into your arms and still having to look at your face.”

Deep inside, Wei Wuxian felt that he had gone too far by saying that. He was being very insolent and not at all grateful. He didn’t know what was happening to him, but the resentment from having gone through all of this—and that he was the one responsible for bringing him here—brought out the need to vent in any way possible.

Lan Wangji couldn’t keep holding his gaze. Silence fell. Wei Wuxian looked at him cautiously, not knowing what was going on with that stoic expression. However, a strange jingling sound of a necklace was heard. Suddenly, Wei Wuxian saw how that man took a necklace of shining pearls out of his white uniform.

“This is what I was able to recover from the briefcase,” he said, showing it to him as he let it hang from his fingers.

Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened in disbelief at what he was seeing. He immediately tried to move to hold it in his hands, but the pain in his abdomen stopped him. By then, Lan Wangji approached the bed and took his hand to place it in his palm. Wei Wuxian felt the coldness of the pearls against his skin. His face, which had been full of distrust and frustration, changed as he was affected by the meaning that necklace held for him.

Lan Wangji had hesitated to give it to him. The main reason was that if he really was Mo Xuanyu, the discovery of this necklace could be a clue as to why he fled without a trace. Perhaps it was because of an unknown love. He didn’t know. However, now that this man was not Mo Xuanyu but someone else, it no longer mattered to keep it confiscated.

Wei Wuxian slowly admired the pearls between his fingers. He couldn’t believe it. All this time he had it... “All this time you had it?” he asked him, a certain affection in his voice.

“Mm,” he nodded.

“Why? Why did you give it to me now and not when I asked you for it?”

“I thought your true identity was Mo Xuanyu. After my brother confessed the truth to me, I no longer had any reason to keep it.”

Wei Wuxian felt vulnerable with every possession that belonged to his Shijie. Now that he had in his hands what hurt him the most to lose, a sense of calm settled in his chest, and afterward, he didn’t know what to say.

In the silence, Lan Wangji said to him, “If you need help with your wound, let me know.”

“I’m fine...” he said very softly.

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything else. By then, Wei Wuxian saw him leave the room, but right after, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

After an unknown number of minutes, Lan Wangji returned with a glass of water and a small plate holding a pill. “It’s recommended that you take a painkiller after eating,” he said, placing it on the nightstand.

Wei Wuxian felt the bandage itching. He felt pain, but more than anything, discomfort. “I want to take a bath,” he said without thinking as he sighed. “I want to get out of here and take a bath.”

Lan Wangji, after hearing him, went to the bathroom without saying anything. By then, Wei Wuxian placed the necklace on the nightstand and tried to take the pill and glass of water instead to swallow it in one gulp. Just as he heard one of the bathroom doors open, he realized that the man in white came out of the bathroom with a towel splendidly folded over his arm.

“After your shower, I can change the bandage,” he said. “When the bathtub finishes filling with water, you can get in.”

Wei Wuxian felt puzzled by his new way of serving him. After thinking for so long that this man was an enemy, now this new treatment felt very strange to him.

“I’ll leave the towel here,” Lan Wangji said, placing it on the sink countertop. “If you need anything, let me know.”

When Wei Wuxian saw him walking toward the door, he exclaimed, “Wait!” —he squinted in pain— “Maybe… I’ll need you to help me get to the tub… You know, it’s really hard for me to walk…”

Lan Wangji assessed the situation, but it didn’t take long. He approached and waited for him to pull his legs out from under the sheets. Then, he helped him walk at his own pace. When they entered the bathroom, the distance to the tub was quite long. However, Lan Wangji’s support was extremely helpful. Wei Wuxian managed to reach the deep end and sit on the edge of the tub

“You can help me up to here,” Wei Wuxian told him, knowing that from now on, he would have to undress on his own.

“When you’re finished, we’ll heal your wound,” Lan Wangji said, handing him basic cleaning supplies like soap, shampoo, and conditioner to have within reach.

Wei Wuxian nodded while thinking about how the hell he was going to take off those tight pants without feeling so much pain.

“What’s wrong?” Lan Wangji noticed his unease.

Wei Wuxian didn’t want to tell him, but the more he thought about it, the more he believed he needed his help. “The pants... they hurt a lot...” —he was definitely thinking about getting into the water and then coming out with wet pants.

However, it was after the man in white knelt down to his level, grabbed his pants at the sides of his thighs, and slowly slid them down his legs.

~~~

"Love and Peace Avenue"
Tourist Area,  Qishan Wen.

"Someone have mercy on me," thought Jiang Cheng, still on the ground, hearing the car horn blaring repeatedly, along with the voices of all the people who witnessed the disaster. He never imagined that saving the young lady from certain death would cause him this intense pain in his left ankle.

“What is this!?” The young lady felt implicated once she regained better clarity about what had happened. Trapped in his arms, she quickly pulled away, crawling on the ground and turning back toward a car crashed into a lamppost. Seeing the black smoke rising from the damaged vehicle and the noise made by the people around her, she realized that a traffic accident had occurred.

She looked at the man beside her. It was him—the one who had danced with her.

“What is he doing here? Was he the one who pushed me? Did he save my life?” she thought.

However, her doubts vanished when the pain on Jiang Cheng’s face became intense. Apparently, his arms responded when he pressed them against the ground, but another story was happening with his ankles, as he couldn’t even move one of them. At that moment, the young lady didn’t hesitate. Taking advantage of being unharmed, she immediately helped him.

“Sit down,” she ordered him.

“Thanks... Don’t worry,” he whispered, not wanting to worry her. “I can bear it...”

“Sit down, I’m telling you,” Jiang Cheng said, looking at her with a certain bitterness in his eyes when he heard her, but he had no choice but to obey. His left ankle wasn’t responding, so she quickly assessed that he couldn’t move it because of the pain. “Your ankle will swell if we don’t treat it in time. We need to get out of here and to a hospital urgently.”

“No need for that,” he frowned more with discomfort. “I’ll be fine. It’s better if you go ahead…” Suddenly, Jiang Cheng didn’t notice that she had taken a bandage from inside her robes and wrapped it around his injured foot after removing his shoe.

“What are you doing?” He didn’t like it at all.

“I’m a doctor,” she told him, very focused on her task. When she finished, she used one of her hairpins to secure it. “It’s better that you come with me to the hospital.”

~~~

When the accident was handled by the Qishan Wen police, Jiang Cheng and the young lady were taken to the nearest clinic. They were treated and given a full check-up. When the nurse finished examining the young lady, she turned her gaze toward the man beside her, lying on another stretcher, still being treated by the doctor on duty.

Once the doctor on duty gave him instructions for treatment and proper rest, he left, leaving Jiang Cheng alone.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, seeing the opportunity.

“Sore,” he said with a hint of irritation in his voice. “I didn’t think something like this would happen to me.”

“What exactly happened out there? The only thing I remember is being on the ground next to you.”

“I don’t know what happened either. All I know is that if you hadn’t moved out of the way, you might be in worse shape than I am right now.”

“You saved me?” Jiang Cheng remained silent at the question. She continued, “I never imagined the day would come when the stranger who invited me to dance at that restaurant… would be the same one who’d save my life. All that, not to mention injuring your ankle in the process. The good thing is, it wasn’t a fracture.”

Jiang Cheng had to admit that the situation was turning out to be a real headache. He was in an unfamiliar country, with pain in his ankle and no idea how long the injury might take to heal, not to mention having no one to turn to if he needed more medicine. He heard the young lady’s footsteps approaching his stretcher. There, he saw the calm look in her eyes.

“You didn’t have to save me,” she said softly. “But thank you.”

Jiang Cheng looked away.

She continued, “If you need anything, I can help you find the medications you require. An injured ankle will need plenty of rest to heal properly.”

“I have nowhere to go,” he said, finding it ridiculous that she was talking to him as if he had the chance to return home. “Soon I’ll run out of money. I’m just wandering the streets. You said it yourself—I’m a foreigner from Yunmeng Jiang.”

“What exactly did you come to Qishan Wen for?”

“To look for my brother, Wei Wuxian. He’s been missing these past few days,” he frowned. “I left my family intending to travel here to ask for help and then go to Yiling, but, as usual, the first police station I went to turned me away.”

“Does he live in Yiling?”

He nodded. “He works there. But I came to Qishan Wen first to see if they could help me here, since this is the capital, right?”

She listened to him attentively. He was right—they were the capital, but Qishan Wen and Yiling were somewhat separate. Reporting a missing person case in the capital of another region could take a long time to conduct a proper investigation. Suddenly, the doctor entered along with the nurse on duty and explained to each of them the importance of taking a blood sample in order to discharge them.

The nurse wanted to draw blood from Jiang Cheng, but he refused.

“It will be quick,” she informed him.

“I don’t want to. Leave me alone.”

Hearing his response, the nurse felt rejected. By then, the doctor told her to try again another time when the patient felt calmer. After all, without that, they couldn’t leave the hospital.

The young lady saw them leave, and therefore, she didn’t like this man’s attitude. If he refused to undergo the standard tests, it would take even longer for them to get out of here.

“I won’t do it,” Jiang Cheng said firmly, looking at her face. “I hate needles.”

“If you don’t do it, you won’t be able to leave here. It’s part of the protocol.”

“Forget it then.”

She could see that this man was stubborn, very much like herself in a way. Sometime later, it was time to take his blood sample again. However, before the nurse could face off with the man’s temper, the young lady who had stayed with him stopped her. “If you want, I can try.”

“Miss Qing...” said the nurse with some concern. “I can’t allow that. You’re a patient in this case. My duty is to help you both.”

“I understand. But I’m capable of starting an IV line,” she smiled slightly. “I can do it without him even noticing.”

The nurse’s eyes sparkled. She had a deep respect for this woman. It was no wonder she was considered one of the best doctors in Qishan Wen—truly a role model. Without much ado, she handed her the necessary medical instruments to start an IV line and thanked her for her cooperation.

When Wen Qing got the proper instruments in her hands, she prepared the smallest needle she could find. Once it was fully ready, she hid it behind her back and approached him.

“What’s going on?” Jiang Cheng looked at her, sensing that she was acting strangely.

“Have you ever had acupuncture? I was thinking that could help a lot with the healing of your foot.”

“Not a chance I’d do something like that.”

“Think about it. I’m good at doing it. I could help you. Actually, I can help you right now to relax a little and breathe deeply while we wait for the discharge.”

Jiang Cheng was reluctant, but her tone of voice—unlike the harsh one he remembered—somehow made him feel calmer. She gave him some relaxation exercises that helped him stay calm while instructing him to place his arms along the stretcher. She asked him to close his eyes as she gently brushed her fingers over the veins in his arms, discreetly.

As soon as Jiang Cheng felt the prick, he suddenly opened his eyes.

“Hey..!”

“Calm down,” she said immediately, pressing his arm against the stretcher. “Don’t move, it will be quick.” Sure enough, within seconds she had already removed the needle from his arm.

“This is a violation of my rights,” he criticized her while touching his pricked arm. “I don’t want you to send that to the lab.”

“If I don’t, you’ll never get out of here.”

“I’m not from Qishan Wen. They’ll report me.”

She now perfectly understood what his real fear was. She didn’t say anything about his irrational fear. She simply went to where she had left the red-capped test tube and deposited the blood there. She grabbed a marker and sat down. “What’s your name?”

“Now you want to know my name. I’m not going to tell you anything.”

“I already explained that if you don’t cooperate, you won’t be discharged. Unfortunately, it’s one of the protocols of the health unit. If you don’t want to be reported or anything like that, the best thing is to do things properly. Besides, if you agree… I promise I’ll do everything in my power to help you find your brother.”

He squinted as he looked at her intently. His arm hurt, but the offer to help him find his brother made him sigh slowly as he tried to set his pride aside. “Jiang Cheng,” he confessed. “That’s my name.”

She took note as she wrote the name on the tube. “Done for now,” she said, standing up to place the sample on the desk next to the other medical supplies. Just as she was about to leave the room to take everything to the lab, Jiang Cheng asked her:

“What’s your name? I still don’t know it.”

She stopped when she heard his question. Just then, the nurse arrived saying, “Doctor, is the sample ready?” She nodded as she handed it over.

In the end, as she left, she turned to him and said, “My name is Wen Qing, better known as the Goddess of Medicine.”

~~~

"Jin Palace"
J ilintai, LanlinJin.

Inside the bathroom, Wei Wuxian had to admit that he still felt embarrassed. How was it possible that the man in white had offered to take off his pants? He still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to stop him. But at least he was able to cover his body with the towel during the process, preventing him from seeing him naked.

He had already let him see him shirtless enough, all because the wound on his abdomen hurt. However, such tight pants... "I swear I’ll kill you, Nie Huaisang," he thought with no other choice. What’s done was done. Nie Huaisang had advised him to wear those pants that not only accentuated his backside but also cut off his circulation.

Still submerged in the tub, he had a lot on his mind. He couldn’t do anything but relax, taking advantage of the pill he had taken, which had lessened the pain a bit. After several minutes, once he finished washing his hair, he grabbed the same towel Lan Wangji had given him, feeling his embarrassment grow again because of what had happened with the pants. “Good thing I took them off before any embarrassing mishap… I’ve had enough with him seeing me shirtless.”

When he got out and wrapped himself in the towel, he moved close enough to the sink countertop, where he could observe in more detail his reddened and swollen skin. The wound really needed rest and recovery. On the other hand, he was still hungry. He hadn’t eaten anything at all since waking up, so the best thing was to leave the bathroom.

Once he opened the door, he stopped abruptly upon seeing the man in white sitting on a chair at one end of his bed. He was stunned, staring at him from head to toe. How was this possible? Hadn’t he told him to leave the room? Had Lan Wangji been waiting there all this time, just sitting?

“Wei Ying,” he said with a straight posture and an indifferent expression, “it’s time to treat your wound.”

~~~

"Peace and Love Outpatient Clinic"
Tourist Area,  Q  ishan Wen.

After some time, Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing had been discharged. Now walking through the clinic hallways directly toward the exit, they found themselves the center of attention from all the healthcare staff who stopped their work just to watch them pass by. At that moment, Jiang Cheng, who was being helped by a nurse while walking, noticed this unusual behavior.

He thought that the excessive attention they were giving him was because of his ankle injury, due to his incapacity. However, the smiles from the passing nurses, the security guards, and the bows from all the doctors toward them made him dismiss that theory.

“Doctor Wen Qing! Take good care of yourself! You will always be welcome in our humble health unit!”

She just smiled and sometimes raised her hand to greet.

“We adore you! Come back here soon! We need more of your knowledge!”

“Yes! Come back soon so we can learn from you!”

Wen Qing was simply acclaimed and welcomed by all of them. There wasn’t a single person who overlooked her, so Jiang Cheng moved a little closer to whisper, “So, you’re very well-known around here… aren’t you?”

She glanced at him sideways when she heard him but didn’t say anything. Further ahead, just as they were about to leave the clinic, a group of young people in white coats approached them, surrounding them within seconds.

“Miss Wen Qing, give me your autograph! I admire you!”

“I want to be like you in the future! Beautiful and talented!”

“I will be the best internal medicine doctor Qishan Wen has ever known, just because of you!”

“The Goddess of Medicine!”

The Goddess of Medicine.

The Goddess of Medicine

Jiang Cheng felt overwhelmed. Pencil and paper were what dominated that place. For a moment, he felt displaced in the company of the nurse who was helping him. Everything had become a total nuisance. He couldn't help but see how that woman who had danced with him was now signing autographs with a smile on her lips that didn’t seem very genuine.

Since he met her, she had never smiled. It was strange to see how, suddenly, there was a smile on her face that didn’t seem to fade at any moment while she was in front of so many people who admired her. All this time he had imagined that she must be an important person, and he was right, because if he analyzed her clothing compared to the rest of the common working people, she shone like a radiant sun due to having a higher economic status.

He wasn’t sure who she was. He had never heard of a woman called "The Goddess of Medicine." Maybe today was a lucky day, putting aside his ankle injury. When Wen Qing finished signing autographs, they managed to leave the public clinic, but that wasn’t all.

More people seemed to be waiting for her outside the parking lot. Everyone was shouting for her to come back soon, saying she would always be welcome. She waved her hand, but at no time did she respond to them; she just made an effort to walk a little faster until they reached a car parked in the exit area.

Jiang Cheng noticed that everything was madness, especially when outside the clinic there were more people being stopped by the police as they tried to enter just to greet her. It was really a scandal, not to mention that several of those people also had small boxes with a strange lens in the center.

Cameras!

Jiang Cheng felt suffocated when several of those cameras emitted a blinding flash of light. The nurse hurried to help him get into the back of the car, and then Wen Qing was next to get in, closing the door afterward.

"Start," she quickly ordered the driver, and he didn’t wait any longer.

When she stepped on the clutch and then the accelerator, they left that clinic behind, never to return.

Chapter Text

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

Wei Wuxian couldn't believe it. Lan Wangji had stayed seated in that spot, doing nothing but just waiting for him. It was only when the man in white stood up that he saw him there, motionless, experiencing some kind of unfamiliar shock. He extended his arm and, without saying a word, invited him to take a seat on the bed.

“Why are you still here?” Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but ask, feeling vulnerable. He quickly remembered he was wearing a towel tied around his waist. It was about to fall off if he didn’t tighten it, so he took a moment to hold it firmly while stepping back.

“Lie down,” Lan Wangji invited him once again.

“Are you crazy? Don’t you see I’m in a towel? Ah...” Wei Wuxian looked around in all directions and then hid behind the bathroom door, which could help him better cover his wet skin dripping with water drops. “I asked you to leave... Don’t you see I’m not even dressed?”

Lan Wangji said nothing. Then he went to the closet and looked for a bathrobe that used to belong to Mo Xuanyu. “You can use this,” he offered it to him.

Wei Wuxian didn’t understand this man’s insistence on wanting to heal him even if it meant being naked. “I don’t think this is the most appropriate. I really want you to leave, and I’ll call you when I’m done...”

“You shouldn’t waste any more time,” Lan Wangji ignored his concerns and handed him the bathrobe.

By then, Wei Wuxian frowned. "How controlling," he thought as he grabbed the robe with one swift pull. With no desire to get into an argument where he was clearly at a disadvantage—being injured and naked—he obeyed to the point that, once he finished putting on the robe, he opened the bathroom door again.

“Lie down,” Lan Wangji insisted, pointing to the bed while mixing something in a mortar.

Wei Wuxian looked at him cautiously and slowly approached to rest on the bed with some pain. Finally seated, he watched as Lan Wangji turned his back while grinding the contents. He was surely preparing the medicine, although he wasn’t completely sure. Wei Wuxian still felt some distrust toward him. He didn’t know him well enough to take orders or be told what to do. Much less to have him stay in his room the whole time while he finished bathing.

“All set,” Lan Wangji informed him. “Get into the most comfortable position.”

Wei Wuxian sighed with annoyance and unease. He tried to adopt the proper position to rest his back on the bed and make it easier for whatever Lan Wangji was about to do.

“Expose your abdominal area, where the wound is,” he told him.

He obeyed, but he had to admit that as he untied the sash holding the robe closed around his body, he felt like he was undressing for him. Of course, he didn’t undo it completely; he did what he could to expose just the specific area where the wound was, without showing too much skin. However, what he intended to do and what Lan Wangji had in mind were very different. Without further delay, the Jade took control and opened the robe wider, fully exposing his abdomen.

“Hey!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed at his boldness in opening his robe like that... “My robe! —What are you...” However, he stopped speaking when he felt that cold substance placed on his wound, and he couldn’t help but wince in pain.

By then, Lan Wangji ignored all of his complaints while treating him. He had a clear goal: to apply the medicinal substance onto the wound. Slowly, his fingers carefully spread the healing ointment over his skin. At that point, Wei Wuxian had no complaints—only the sensation of the carefully applied cream soothing the burning and pain of his reddened and swollen skin. He took a deep breath as the gentle massages helped dry the ointment.

Lan Wangji took a new bandage he had kept inside his white robe. “It’s important that you take off the robe so I can put the bandage on you.”

Wei Wuxian was barely processing what he had just done to him. Taking off the robe completely in front of him was not an option. “Uh... you know? I can put the bandage on myself.”

“No,” he explained. “It’s important that I help you. If you put it on wrong, it won’t heal.”

Wei Wuxian stared at him, shame throbbing all over his body and reaching his face. He had no choice but to turn around while sliding the robe off his shoulders. At that moment, all his senses seemed heightened. He wasn’t used to situations like this—at least, not while being almost naked...

Suddenly, he was startled when he felt Lan Wangji’s hands intervene to wrap the bandage around his waist and place it in the right spot. “Show me exactly where the wound is,” he asked him.

Wei Wuxian heard his voice close to his ear and had to admit it gave him chills. He was way too close. He didn’t even want to turn to see how close he really was to his body. When he saw only his hands in front of his abdomen waiting for a response, Wei Wuxian mustered the courage to take one of them and place it near the wound.

Lan Wangji was able to wrap it carefully, adjusting it to perfection. At that moment, Wei Wuxian remained silent, impressed by how gentle he had been. It didn’t hurt at all. Once the process was finished, the Jade stood up from the bed.

“Rest as best as you can. I reheated the soup so you can have lunch,” Lan Wangji gathered everything he had brought.

Wei Wuxian glanced at him as he pulled the robe up to his shoulders. He looked at him for a moment and then had an idea. “Lan Wangji,” he called, but the man didn’t respond. “Lan Wangji,” he insisted, but it so happened that the man was now ready to open the door. “Lan Zhan!” he exclaimed, causing the man in white to stop before opening the door.

When Wei Wuxian saw that he gave him a sidelong glance, he hurriedly said, “Thank you.”

The Jade turned his back to him. “Don’t call me that again.” Without another word, he walked away, closing the door.

On the bed, Wei Wuxian was left confused.

Why didn’t he like being called by his birth name now?

~~~

Zewu-Jun, seated in the Fragrance Hall, searched for an ideal spot within the palace that would provide him with the inspiration he needed to write the letter to Meng-Yao. He had chosen a spacious and quiet corner, convinced that the aroma and tranquility of the hall would help him express the reasons why he couldn’t accompany him as he had promised.

He had spent a long time thinking of a logical reason why Meng-Yao wouldn’t feel neglected. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find an excuse strong enough for him to believe. Without a doubt, there was nothing better than telling him the truth: Mo Xuanyu’s disappearance—but something in his chest told him it wasn’t a good idea.

He let out a deep sigh.

Lan Xichen had promised him that he would take care of the younger one in his absence. All of this made him feel very guilty. Maybe he should rest. Trying hard to find the right words wasn’t going to work unless he felt more prepared to give him an answer.

“Zewu-Jun,” suddenly, one of the servants entered the Fragrance Hall and bowed. “You have a visitor.”

“A visitor?” Lan Xichen asked as he set the pencil down on the table.

“The visitor is Qinghe Nie.”

When Lan Xichen heard “Qinghe Nie,” he couldn’t have found himself in a better situation. Finally, the Nie brothers had arrived. Since the last time they left the Jin Palace, he feared that neither of them would pay attention to them, but, as it seemed, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang were willing to resolve the troubles caused that night and thus establish peace between them with the new dinner that had been planned.

“Please, tell them to come in and wait for me. I’ll be with them shortly,” he said with a smile full of kindness.

The servant nodded and left. There, Lan Xichen remained silent, while a light sigh escaped from his chest, indicating relief. If Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang were present, that meant a new opportunity to apologize and make amends.

For now, he would set aside the matters that were weighing on him. He left the pencil and paper on the table and stood up before leaving the Fragrance Hall, all with the idea that the letter he had planned to write to Meng-Yao could wait a little longer.

~~~

When Lan Xichen reached the top of the grand staircase, he felt slightly confused upon not finding either of the Nie brothers there. He broadened his search, looking in all directions, but they were nowhere to be seen. He decided to ask one of the servants to ease his concern. The servant informed him that they were most likely in the dining area, waiting for his arrival.

When Lan Xichen went over there, he saw that Lan Wangji was in the area along with Nie Huaisang.

“A-Sang,” Lan Xichen approached with a pleasant smile. “Welcome.” He gave a small bow.

“Thank you, Er-Ge.” He did the exact same while closing his fan.

Lan Xichen looked around. “Where is Da-Ge?”

“Ah...” Nie Huaisang looked somewhat nervous as he glanced at Lan Wangji, who was also waiting for an answer. “Er-Ge, I… He decided not to come.”

“What?” Lan Xichen looked confused. “Why? Did he receive my letter?”

“Oh yes, of course he received it,” he responded quickly while nodding. “It’s just that... he told me to tell you that he had to stay in Qinghe Nie, since he wasn’t going to waste any more valuable time now that his birthday is coming up and all...” Nie Huaisang knew that his birthday had nothing to do with Nie Mingjue’s decision to stay in Qinghe Nie. He clearly didn’t want to travel back to Lanling Jin after what had happened. “You know, Er-Ge... You know how responsible Da-Ge is with the duties of the Heijan Palace... I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed for that excuse, hehe...”

Lan Xichen remained silent, lost in his thoughts. He imagined that Nie Mingjue never truly intended to reconcile after what happened the last time; it was only Nie Huaisang who was interested. They were supposed to be a family after all; not for nothing had they formalized their bond as sworn brothers before the three most important palaces of the five great nations: Lanling Jin, Gusu Lan, and Qinghe Nie.

This oath had been forged a long time ago, and each of them—Meng-Yao, Nie Mingjue, and himself—knew the enormous burden of carrying the role of leader on their shoulders. The responsibilities inherent to a reign were not a sufficient excuse when it came to an important apology. Nie Mingjue was failing his promise by refusing to apologize and ensure peace between them.

“It’s a shame,” Lan Xichen responded with some disappointment. “I was going to need to discuss an important matter with him.”

Nie Huaisang tilted his head. “An important matter? I can deliver the message to him if you need, Er-Ge,” he smiled. “You know you can count on me for anything.”

Lan Xichen felt compassion seeing how Nie Huaisang wanted to help him. Unlike his older brother, his pride was practically nonexistent. It was easier to talk things over with him. However, even though he felt Nie Huaisang was a good younger brother, he sensed from Lan Wangji’s gaze the real reason why they had been invited here.

His seriousness and silence signaled to Lan Xichen that it was time to act. “Actually... A-Sang, now that you’re here, it would be good to talk about what happened last time with Mo Xuanyu.”

“Brother Mo?” Nie Huaisang looked interested and then smiled. “Don’t worry, Er-Ge. What happened last time with Da-Ge was nothing... It’s just that, you know, Brother Mo can sometimes be a bit naive... Saying things that might sound incomprehensible to a closed mind like Da-Ge’s...”

Lan Xichen nodded slowly, clearly seeing how he was still lying.

“On the contrary, I’d love to see him,” Nie Huaisang didn’t miss the opportunity as he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. “I’d love to talk to him again!”

~~~

When they went up to the bedrooms section, Nie Huaisang knocked on Mo Xuanyu’s door. “Brother Mo! It’s me! Nie Huaisang!”

Once permission was granted, Nie Huaisang carelessly opened the door and entered inside, observing Wei Wuxian lying in bed.

“Oh, it can’t be...” he said with some lament in his voice and a worried expression. “They told me you got hurt accidentally...”

Wei Wuxian looked at him somewhat stubbornly. The truth was, he didn’t want to talk about what happened with anyone, especially not with him, who still turned out to be a liar.

“The good thing is, you’re not alone,” Nie Huaisang smiled and then brought his fan to the side of his mouth to whisper, “We have visitors.”

Upon hearing that, Wei Wuxian watched as the Lan brothers entered the room. The last to enter was Lan Wangji, who ended up closing the door.

“Greetings,” Lan Xichen added with a gentle smile toward Wei Wuxian. “How are you feeling?”

Wei Wuxian looked a bit caught off guard. He wondered if Nie Huaisang knew that these two were aware he wasn’t Mo Xuanyu, but Wei Wuxian.

“Don’t hold back with them, Brother Mo,” Nie Huaisang intervened upon seeing him hesitate to respond. He didn’t know how many times he had told Wei Wuxian to be respectful to his elders. “Zewu-Jun and his brother are just worried about you...”

Lan Xichen, hearing him act so naturally, realized that Nie Huaisang had been pretending very well these past few days. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. He approached him, close enough to catch his attention. “A-Sang, there’s no need to keep pretending.”

The man who had a smile painted on his face slowly erased it, to the point that he felt nerves settle in his stomach and then spread throughout his body. “W-what?” he stammered.

“We know,” Lan Xichen asserted confidently. “We know he’s not Mo Xuanyu.” Nie Huaisang’s olive green eyes darted side to side as he saw Zewu-Jun’s certainty in saying this. “He is Wei Wuxian—a man who was mistaken for Mo Xuanyu, and you helped him pretend in front of us.”

Nie Huaisang felt his mouth go dry. He didn’t know what to say, even if he wanted to. “A-Ah... Er-Ge... The truth is that I... No...”

“Where do you know each other from?” Lan Xichen asked upon hearing him hesitate. “If you’ll excuse my boldness... To have gotten along so well from the start, you must have known each other for a long time,” he slowly directed his gaze toward Wei Wuxian. “You can also speak up if you wish. After all, we are the only ones who know that Mo Xuanyu is not present in the Jin Palace. So, one way or another,” he said seriously, “we need to start finding clues to help us locate him.”

Nie Huaisang felt very strange about all this, even somewhat attacked in a way. Explaining to Lan Xichen where he knew Wei Wuxian from was something he never expected. The reality of coming here today didn’t mean facing such confrontation.

“Neither of you is going to speak?” Lan Xichen continued.

“Er-Ge, I...” He swallowed slowly before saying, “Brother Wei and I have known each other for some time when I was studying in Yunmeng Jiang. I stayed at his house many times, where... they gave me their full support and...”

“So you’re originally from Yunmeng Jiang,” Lan Xichen said, directing his gaze toward Wei Wuxian.

The latter remained silent. He still wasn’t comfortable revealing more about his private life. After all, searching for Mo Xuanyu was none of his business at all.

“If you’re originally from Yunmeng Jiang, I now understand why Wangji and Miss Luo found you in those lands. However...” He directed his gaze at Nie Huaisang. “Mo Xuanyu escaped some time ago; we don’t know why. Could there be a chance that you know the reason?”

“What? Me!?” Nie Huaisang looked shocked and began shaking his head. “Oh no, Er-Ge! I... I don’t know the reason why Brother Mo left! Really!”

“Are you sure?”

“Completely! I don’t know anything! I don’t know absolutely anything!” Nie Huaisang acted like a man who genuinely didn’t know the reason why Mo Xuanyu had escaped from the Jin Palace this time and never returned.

By then, Wei Wuxian looked away, feeling disbelief. If Zewu-Jun had discovered his identity so easily by knowing he wasn’t that lunatic, he didn’t expect to believe Nie Huaisang much either.

“All right... I believe you, A-Sang,” Lan Xichen said, and Wei Wuxian widened his eyes, thinking it was impossible. He continued, “It’s a shame you don’t know the reason for his escape this time. Without that, we’re practically back to square one. It’s clear we have no leads to start tracking him down.”

“Are you sure you don’t know where he is?” Lan Wangji spoke up after remaining silent for a long time. Wei Wuxian realized that he didn’t believe him.

“I’m telling the truth,” Nie Huaisang said desperately. “Why do you think I know everything about Mo Xuanyu? I mean... just because I’m his best friend doesn’t mean I understand everything he does...”

A mocking chuckle was heard in the room after that. Everyone turned toward Wei Wuxian, who was trying not to exaggerate as he pressed on his wound.

Noticing that he was only laughing and not speaking, Lan Xichen asked, “Do you have something to tell us, young master Wei Wuxian?”

“Hm? Me? Oh no, not at all. Keep talking...” Wei Wuxian acted as if this conversation didn’t matter to him in the slightest.

“Er-Ge...” Nie Huaisang felt it important to emphasize, “I really don’t know Brother Mo’s whereabouts. I don’t know where he is and... You don’t know how worried I am about his disappearance too. Usually, he left notes saying where he was. You know well that San-Ge would find them in his own room and use them to notify you, but this time he left nothing. I’m just as worried about him as you are!”

Wei Wuxian watched as Lan Xichen analyzed his words. After that, the Jade nodded, as if caught in his false webs. A few more words were exchanged before the conversation was interrupted by a servant knocking on the door, urgently requesting Lan Xichen’s presence. At that moment, Zewu-Jun had to leave, leaving Nie Huaisang vulnerable under the critical gaze of his former brother-in-law, while Lan Wangji remained impassive, showing no kindness.

“Er-Ge! Wait for me!” he shouted as he hurried out, fan in hand, leaving the two of them inside the room.

Being the only visitor left, Lan Wangji made no move to leave.

“Lan Zhan,” suddenly, upon hearing his birth name mentioned again by the man lying in the bed, Lan Wangji stopped and gave him a sidelong glance.

“Don’t go yet,” Wei Wuxian said to him with a strange smile on his lips. “I’m sure we both know that Nie Huaisang is making fools of us.”

~~~

Upon leaving Mo Xuanyu’s room, Lan Xichen looked worried as he received another letter from Meng-Yao. Apparently, this time he really needed his help. The letter didn’t give him the option to decide; it simply asked him to assist as soon as possible. This meant urgency, not a choice, which stressed him more than usual. If Meng-Yao urgently needed his company, he had to do something about it as soon as possible.

“Er-Ge!” Nie Huaisang arrived somewhat agitated upon leaving that room. However, when he saw him holding the letter, his worried expression changed to one of curiosity. “Everything... okay?”

Lan Xichen sighed weakly. His gaze reflected everything but something positive.

“What’s wrong?” Nie Huaisang continued. “Er-Ge... If you feel bad about Brother Mo... I’m sure we can go look for him and...” He had an idea. “Oh, we can even ask San-Ge for help. Maybe he has a clue about where Brother Mo might be hiding, and perhaps he knows what to do next.”

“Actually... A-Yao is busy with other matters that require his attention,” Lan Xichen said, directing his gaze at him. “Given that the issue outside Lanling Jin is important, he’s asking me to go to Yiling to help him as soon as possible.”

Nie Huaisang remained silent, thinking that was not a good sign.

“I wanted to make peace with Da-Ge to talk to him about Meng-Yao’s situation and get his help, but...” He sighed, looking devastated by the reality. “If he couldn’t come... there’s nothing I can do.”

Nie Huaisang looked distressed seeing Lan Xichen affected by the situation. On second thought, the fact that Meng-Yao was far away, unaware that his younger brother was still missing, was horrible. On the other hand, Wei Wuxian was injured, and Lan Wangji had made a fatal mistake by being wrong... Truly, everything sounded difficult.

Nie Huaisang couldn’t help but say, “Er-Ge, you know that if you need my help, don’t hesitate to ask me. In fact, you can talk to me. You don’t necessarily need Da-Ge’s involvement if I’m here...”

Lan Xichen looked at him with a gentle smile, appreciating his understanding. “Thank you for coming after all, A-Sang. However, Da-Ge’s involvement was basically to talk to him about whether he could help take care of the Jin Palace while I’m away for a few days traveling to Yiling.” He directed his gaze toward the room where Wei Wuxian was. “I could ask Wangji for help. It’s just that... young Wei is injured. He has offered to help heal him. Once young master Wei Wuxian feels more recovered, he will surely want to return to Yunmeng Jiang, and that would be the best decision.”

Lan Xichen knew that if that happened, it would be the way to have Lan Wangji’s full help. His brother was like that—always focused on finishing one task before moving on to another. Therefore, he needed Wei Wuxian to recover as soon as possible so that Lan Wangji would no longer have the obligation to care for him and could offer his full assistance.

“Er-Ge, don’t worry,” Nie Huaisang said. “If you need to go to Yiling and have someone stay here to take your place...” He confidently waved his fan while smiling. “I can help you manage the Jin Palace in your absence.”

Lan Xichen tilted his head slightly. “Are you sure about what you’re telling me?”

“Of course! I can help you take care of the palace. I’ve learned a bit of what Da-Ge does, since he’s made me in Qinghe Nie... But I can make the most of the opportunity to manage a royal palace like the Jin Palace.”

Lan Xichen’s expression seemed to have seen a bit of light. Nie Huaisang very rarely offered himself when he had responsibilities. Usually, he avoided duties, but this time he seemed very confident in what he was saying. “Do you think you have the ability to take control of everything that goes on in the Jin Palace?” He felt the need to clarify.

“I can do it if you teach me too, Er-Ge,” he smiled at him.

Lan Xichen nodded slowly in consideration. Now with the letter in hand, he reasoned that if he was going away for a few days, he could ask his brother to also help Nie Huaisang in case he needed a helping hand. If Nie Huaisang stayed as a substitute, it would give him the opportunity to be absent—not for too long, but for a considerable number of days while Wei Wuxian recovered.

“All right. For now, let me deliver a response to A-Yao,” Lan Xichen smiled at him, then directed his gaze toward Mo Xuanyu’s room, remembering that he hadn’t seen his brother come out.

“Zewu-Jun,” suddenly, the same servant approached him and made a brief bow. “Dinner is ready at your command.”

“Thank you,” Lan Xichen smiled with a brief bow in return. “In half an hour, serve dinner so we can all eat together.”

~~~

"Palacio el Sol"
Q ishan Wen.

The entire landscape they left behind was simply incredible to Jiang Cheng’s eyes. Since he had taken a seat in the car alongside Miss Wen Qing, he didn’t know exactly where they were headed. However, he didn’t feel distrustful. Wen Qing had been very calm beside him, her two hands folded on her lap as she gazed out the window by her side.

Jiang Cheng held back the urge to start a new conversation, but her constant silence discouraged him. She didn’t seem interested in engaging in dialogue or getting to know him better. At that moment, Jiang Cheng didn’t know exactly where they were headed, but he was clear that, given his injured state, it would be less likely to find Wei Wuxian on his own. Therefore, he chose to remain silent and keep a certain distance, waiting for the right moment to bring up the topic of searching for Wei Wuxian with her.

When they entered the vicinity of what seemed to be an immense palace, with elegant and slender structures on the walls, Jiang Cheng had a strange impression. Was this her home? Was the young lady beside him really such a celebrity to live in such a huge palace? At that moment, the driver parked the car right at what appeared to be the main entrance, where other attendants were already waiting to open the doors for them.

Wen Qing was the first to get out. With a forced smile, she greeted everyone. Jiang Cheng frowned at her attitude. Why was she making such an effort to smile like that in front of everyone? Once the door was opened for her, the people present bowed to her, showing their utmost respect.

Jiang Cheng was surprised by such unusual treatment. It was clear that this woman belonged to the upper class. She had an army of servants at her disposal, and he even thought that she was probably the empress of this place. Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, he was startled when the door on his side also opened, and he saw more servants helping him out of the car.

After being helped, he was taken inside the grand palace. If the exterior was incredibly beautiful, the inside was another story. His eyes could hardly stay open due to how dazzling the place was.

“Take him to the dungeons,” Wen Qing ordered as she continued walking.

“What?” Jiang Cheng couldn’t say anything else when, suddenly, the men who were helping him walk forced him to obey, taking him to a very different place that she didn’t even bother to look back at.

Wen Qing walked alone through the hallways lined with guards at every corner. With an indifferent gaze, she passed by until she reached the Dark Hall. The guards there raised their weapons. However, she introduced herself and gave them a very brief bow. After an unknown number of minutes, the door opened wide.

When she entered the hall, Wen Qing stayed in the shadows, as the place was quite dark, illuminated only by red lights where Wen Rouhan was positioned.

“Wen Qing?” The man seated on his throne lowered his gaze upon seeing her arrive.

“My lord,” she said, bowing respectfully.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

She remained silent, and after thinking it over, she decided to say, “I just came to inform you that I have just arrived.”

"Wen Chao has been looking for you," Wen Rouhan's voice was deep and slightly bitter. "He even came to me to ask about you."

"Yes, I figured as much."

"He went to look for you again. I don’t know where he is right now."

She nodded. "Thank you for the information... I will go in search of him." Not hearing any response, Wen Qing bowed again. "With nothing more to say, I must take my leave..."

“Why did you separate from my son? As far as I understood, I sent them together on an urgent mission. Now it turns out they leave together but return... separately? I don’t understand this situation.”

“We separated for a brief moment,” she quickly explained. “There was an incident with a car that almost collided with me, and it so happened that Wen Chao was not present. As soon as I was discharged, I came straight to you to inform you that I arrived without any consequences.”

Wen Rouhan let out a clear sound of disapproval. "I do not like that you are separated at all. Good teamwork means leaving and returning together. You should have gone to look for him as soon as you left the hospital. After all, he will be your man, and you will be his woman. Your mission as future spouses of the palace is to be together through thick and thin. You must honor the union you have by contract since birth. If you are going to be my future daughter-in-law, I warn you to behave accordingly, Wen Qing."

She swallowed slowly. "Yes, sir..."

"Regarding my son, I have the duty to teach him to become an excellent husband, just as Wen Xu soon will be. I am aware that Wen Chao can be impulsive and sometimes doesn’t do things right. However, this time, it was you who separated from him, and there is no sufficiently good reason for you to have split up on this mission," he said more firmly. "From now on, you will understand that your obligation is to wait for him in your room, and you will both remain in confinement for 12 continuous hours." Wen Rouhan stood up from his seat with a domineering attitude. "You will both be responsible for resolving your differences and needs as a couple. At this point, I shouldn’t even have to tell you how to satisfy the desires of an angry future husband. Remember, you are his wife, and you must answer to him."

Wen Qing swallowed slowly, feeling like she was holding back nausea, which she tried to hide.

“If that doesn’t work, I will tell Wen Xu and his wife to teach both of you how you should act and become an excellent couple. Now, go and prepare yourself. When Wen Chao arrives, the first thing he will do is lock himself in your room for 12 continuous hours. You shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

Wen Qing felt that, for some strange reason, her body trembled more than usual. Her fists clenched tightly, but she didn’t show it. Nor did she question it. As soon as she turned around, she imagined that what she really wanted to tell Wen Rouhan about Jiang Cheng’s arrival simply couldn’t be said. Being punished by being locked in her room with Wen Chao for 12 hours was going to be the most annoying and tiresome thing in her life.

This was perhaps the worst thing that could happen to her within this arranged marriage.

~~~

Jiang Cheng couldn’t understand how he had ended up inside a dungeon. He felt somewhat incredulous and disappointed. All this time, Wen Qing had acted like a trustworthy girl. He never imagined her next move would be to lock him in a cell.

Sitting on the only resting place inside the dark prison, he heard footsteps approaching. When he turned his gaze that way, the presence of a guard and a woman became visible as they stood in front of the cell. At that moment, he frowned. The young lady requested privacy, and then the accompanying guard withdrew.

"Jiang Cheng," she greeted him.

"Wen Qing?" Jiang Cheng said angrily. "What does this mean?"

She made a shushing gesture with her index finger. She waited a few more minutes, then whispered, "Listen. It’s better if you stay here a little longer."

"What? Of course not. I trusted you. Why are you putting me in a cell now?"

"It's for your safety. It's not easy to deal with the people who rule this place. All I can tell you is that I'll be gone for a while until tomorrow."

He was not comfortable with any of this. —“Gone for a while? I’d rather get out of here than stay locked up in this inhospitable place.”

—I promised to help you look for your brother —she spoke firmly—. Besides... I doubt your foot injury will let you go very far from here. You yourself told me you had nowhere to go. If you stay here, it’s much better to heal the injury in your ankle.

—Locked up like a prisoner? You’re crazy.

—You told me you wanted to go in search of your brother. I also belong to Yiling —Jiang Cheng remained silent upon hearing that information. She continued—. I have been in Qishan Wen for two and a half months, but actually, my place of origin is Yiling. My family is currently there, and I can help you find your brother.

Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes. —If you really live there... what are we doing in this great palace?

—Those who reside in the Palace of the Sun are also my family. However, they belong to the first main branch, so I am offering my services as a doctor during missions. You should keep in mind that the supreme leader of this place is named Wen Rouhan, so while I’m busy, it’s best that you stay here and don’t draw any kind of attention. Got it?

—I don’t understand. If you wanted me to keep a low profile in front of your family, you could have left me alone anywhere in Qishan Wen instead of bringing me to the palace to be trapped.

—Believe me, here we can give you the comforts you deserve, unlike wandering the streets. Besides... I can heal your ankle with acupuncture, massages, and painkillers. The main thing is your recovery if you want to go in search of your brother, right?

Jiang Cheng didn’t reply. By then, he was starting to regret having asked this woman for help

—For now, I’ll have to be away until tomorrow. However —she took out a small bottle containing pills—, it’s a strong painkiller. It will help ease the pain. Take one before going to bed.

Jiang Cheng didn’t agree. His displeasure was evident. — I want to get out of here.

—Alright, let’s do this. If tomorrow morning your foot still feels the same and you still want to leave, I’ll let you go. Agreed?

He wasn’t in the mood to reopen another debate. He ended up sighing as he felt his foot hurting quite a lot. Maybe he should stay put for now to recover quickly, and who better than this woman who seemed to know what she was doing. He didn’t think twice and took from the small pill bottle in one go. He sat down calmly, trying not to hurt his foot.

—I’ll see you early tomorrow —she finally said.

Jiang Cheng didn’t reply. He wasn’t in the mood to say goodbye to her. Wen Qing realized this by interpreting his silence. She made no attempt to stay and simply left without saying anything else.

Jiang Cheng remained silent as he thought:

“Damn Wei Wuxian, you’ll have to listen to me as soon as I find you, because I’m pretty sure I’ll want to kill you the moment I see you.”

Chapter Text

"Jin Palace"
Jilintai, LanlinJin.

“—Just a little more — Nie Huaisang said to the maid who was kindly filling his glass with juice.”

In the Jin Palace, Nie Huaisang and Lan Wangji were sitting facing each other in the dining room, after Zewu-Jun had informed them that they would wait sitting down to have dinner all together.

At that moment, Wei Wuxian was not present. On recommendation, it was preferable for him to stay in his room and not come downstairs or make any sudden movements. The main priority was for him to recover from his injury, so he was not invited to the table. This suited Nie Huaisang well, since after the last conversation with the Lan brothers, he did not want to see Wei Wuxian’s face.

However, being alone with Lan Wangji wasn’t exactly pleasant either. Not at this moment, when he felt that all the time Lan Wangji was judging him somehow with his gaze. The truth is, Nie Huaisang preferred to drink the juice in hopes of ignoring Lan Wangji at his fullest. He tried his best not to look at the man in front of him, but sometimes the unwavering attention Lan Wangji gave him distracted him, making him really uncomfortable and nervous.

“—How long will Er-Ge take? — he ended up asking to ease the great discomfort he felt.”

—He will arrive at the right moment — Lan Wangji replied without further comment.”

Nie Huaisang nodded slowly and then looked away. Perhaps it was best to remain silent and not get false hopes that Lan Wangji could behave like a normal guy... Suddenly, the sound of a strange thud was heard. Both instinctively turned toward the source, toward the beginning of the stairs leading to the rooms, and they couldn’t believe what they saw.

Nie Huaisang was alarmed. “—Brother Wei!”

Indeed, there was Wei Wuxian with one hand on the area of his bandaged wound, while leaning against the wall with the other hand, showing some pain. At that moment, Lan Wangji acted immediately by getting up from the chair. Nie Huaisang was secretly surprised when the Jade went to help him by taking his arm and signaling him to lean on him.

Wei Wuxian looked to be in pain due to the forward bend of his body. However, it was not enough to stop him from starting to walk. Nie Huaisang watched the whole process and realized that Wei Wuxian had come downstairs to sit at the dining table with them, even though it was supposed to be inadvisable.

“—Brother Wei... You’ve risked a lot coming all the way here without help — he scolded as he watched him take a seat right next to Lan Wangji —. You’re not getting the rest you need.”

“—I’m hungry — he added, adopting the laziest posture of all by resting his arms on the table —. I wasn’t going to miss the chance to eat again...”

Unlike Lan Wangji, his posture at the table was a mess, too careless. The tablecloth spread over the surface of the table was ruined as he put all his weight on the spot, damaging it with the awkward position of his arms.

“—You should be... Mm... careful when you lie down like that. You could cause something poorly placed on the table to fall and break — Nie Huaisang warned him.”

Wei Wuxian looked at him with some amusement. “—Relax. You must already know how my manners are at the table. Anyway, it’s not the first time you’ve seen me eat. Or is it?”

Nie Huaisang was alarmed and looked away. He hated that he was constantly being reminded of his past in Yunmeng Jiang. There was no exchange of words from any of the three after that. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant dinner. The situation was complicated. A bit embarrassing? No one knew. The truth was, Nie Huaisang felt like he was the only one who had everything to lose.

“—Welcome — Suddenly, before things got more complicated, Lan Xichen appeared, causing the three to turn toward him.”

Nie Huaisang felt the light fill his soul. “—Er-Ge, you’ve arrived just in time — he smiled broadly —. Come. Take a seat and have dinner with us.”

The elder nodded gently and then stepped close enough to make a bow. Everyone knew what the next step was with the freshly served food on the table. The next thing they had to do was stand up and give thanks for the opportunity to eat one more day.

“—There’s no need for you to stand, Young Master Wei Wuxian — Lan Xichen announced, so Wei Wuxian remained in his seat while watching Nie Huaisang and Lan Wangji stand up.”

After a long prayer of gratitude, they returned to their respective seats to begin eating. Everything was calm from the start. Apparently, speaking during dinner was not allowed, mainly because of what had happened last time with Nie Mingjue. They didn’t want a repeat of that situation where they had to leave everything unfinished. At that moment, Wei Wuxian no longer had Lan Wangji in front of him, but Nie Huaisang, who had now become the person he had in his sights.

When Wei Wuxian set out to eat a light vegetable soup, he noticed it lacked flavor. He quickly remembered the sweet soup his Shijie made — the one seasoned to the max with the richness of pork fat. At the memory, he was overcome with misery. He had forgotten that the last dinner with the Nie family was the same; everything was bland for his taste. Of course, he had no desire to eat anything like that again.

He remembered the soup Lan Wangji had brought him at lunchtime, and he had to admit it was delicious. It was well seasoned and flavorful. That had been the main reason he made the effort to come downstairs, as he wanted to drink that same soup. Just then, he sighed deeply—so deeply that even he himself could hear it loud and clear.

“—Any problem? — suddenly, he heard Lan Xichen’s voice asking.”

Wei Wuxian knew he had caught his attention because of that sigh. Whatever. He decided to be direct about his dissatisfaction. “—Yes. The truth is, I would like to have some of the soup that was served at lunch. Is there still some left?”

Lan Xichen remained analyzing his words. Then he looked at the soup he had in his possession, feeling slightly confused. “—Young Master Wei Wuxian, this soup is the same one we had for lunch.”

“—The same? — Wei Wuxian examined it, confused —. But this tastes different...”

“—Different? Maybe the kitchen staff prepared it again, but I highly doubt it. If that had been the case, they would have informed me.”

Lan Wangji remained silent the whole time. He focused on eating his own soup without giving any details about what had happened, but the look from his brother directed at him conveyed whether he was responsible for the sudden change in flavors. Even if that was the case, Wei Wuxian let out a disheartened sigh. “—What a shame. I imagined it was the same soup from this afternoon.”

“—I always love the food here — Nie Huaisang didn’t miss the chance to chime in with a smile —. I like eating something different every day, like they do in GusuLan. I’ve even told Da-Ge that we should eat more balanced and healthy meals. If that ever happens in the future, it will be the first thing I change in the regimen.”

Lan Xichen watched him, his lips curling as he saw Nie Huaisang motivated to say that. It gave him hope to leave him in charge of the palace for several days, which, by the way, felt like the perfect opportunity to speak up. “—Since we’re all here gathered and sharing our tastes... I would like to take the floor to confess something extremely important to you all.”

Everyone stopped looking at their plates of food. Wei Wuxian was the first who didn’t insist on giving this soup a chance. He clearly pushed it aside, openly signaling that he didn’t want it.

“It’s an important time to announce that A-Yao has asked me to assist him in Yiling. I had been avoiding giving him an answer because I wasn’t sure I would accept now that Mo Xuanyu is missing. However,…” He turned his gaze to Nie Huaisang. “A-Sang gave me the option that I could take over as acting leader of the Jin Palace for a few days while I leave to travel to Yiling.”

"Yiling," Wei Wuxian thought quickly, his senses sharpening. He knew Yiling perfectly. That was where his work and residence were.

"Any opinions?" Lan Xichen asked, sensing the silence. "I'd like to hear your thoughts on this."

"I have nothing to say, Er-Ge," Nie Huaisang smiled broadly. "I find this opportunity you're giving me interesting. If San-Ge needs you, it's important that you go. I promise you that nothing bad will happen during my term."

"I'm going to Yiling." Wei Wuxian's voice suddenly rang out, drawing the attention of everyone present. "I... I know Yiling. Even my work is there. I've been missing for a few days now, and... I'd like to go back."

The silence at the table was far too long for what Wei Wuxian had in mind. He focused his gaze on Zewu-Jun, waiting for a response from him.

"Young Wei..." He said gently. "I understand that you are not part of our legacy. I understand that you have a family to support and personal matters to attend to. However, allowing you to leave the palace with a wound of that magnitude, where you still need attention, is not the right thing to do. Much less when we want to keep a low profile so as not to betray your true identity. Furthermore, the journey may be difficult. It is advisable that you recover first before you can leave the Jin Palace."

Wei Wuxian wanted to continue insisting, but in a way, he was right. He knew what he'd promised Zewu-Jun about keeping a low profile in the Jin Palace so as not to be labeled as an intruder, and that he'd actually pretended to be Mo Xuanyu. All in order to avoid causing a nationwide scandal. On the other hand, he managed to go downstairs as a joke. He wasn't even in a condition to walk properly...

How was he going to be ready to go on a trip?

"Lan Wangji will help you improve in my absence," he continued. "So far, the four of us are the only ones who know that you are not Mo Xuanyu. In the eyes of others, you are, and it's best to stay low-profile for everyone's sake."

"Zewu-Jun is right," Nie Huaisang helped reinforce. "Meng-Yao and Leader Jin don't know Brother Mo is missing. It's best if Er-Ge lets them know while we plan a search plan."

"About that..." Lan Xichen added with some concern. "Mo Xuanyu is surely somewhere. We don't know his true whereabouts, and perhaps we should start with the last few times you've been able to find him, Wangji."

When he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at him, including Wei Wuxian, who was standing next to him, who could see him better without so much anger or prejudice. By then, Lan Wangji remained silent, and then he ended up nodding.

"Where was the last time you and Miss Luo got Brother Mo?" Nie Huaisang asked him, somewhat intrigued.

--Near the Royal Villa Mo --He replied.

"--His birthplace..." Lan Xichen added as if it were an important clue to highlight.

As Lan Wangji nodded, he heard the voice beside him ask:

“So why did you take a train to Yunmeng Jiang?” Wei Wuxian asked, catching her eye. “The Mo Royal Villa is far from the heart of Yunmeng Jiang. Usually, people go there by kayak. You could have easily taken a boat from Qishan Wen and headed toward the Mo Royal Villa.”

“The Mo Royal Villa is far from the heart of Yunmeng Jiang, but it’s the same territory,” Lan Wangji argued confidently. “We didn’t take a direct kayak from Qishan Wen because it was too late. For that reason, we took the train to Yunmeng Jiang first, then assessed our options and made a new plan to head towards the Mo Royal Villa.”

“If last time they found Mo Xuanyu at Mo Village… could it be that he wanted to go see his mother?” Lan Xichen asked. “Usually, Mo Xuanyu can go see her every summer. Could it be that this time he decided to do it differently?”

“There’s a possibility, Er-Ge,” Nie Huaisang argued immediately. “Brother Mo loves his mother very much. Surely, he’s felt the desire to return to her side, and that’s why he’s chosen to run away so often…”

Lan Xichen nodded as he analyzed. “There’s a possibility he might still be at the Mo Royal Villa. It would be best to organize a search there. Bringing Mo Xuanyu back will be our priority. When I arrive in Yiling, I’ll try to approach this matter calmly with A-Yao and learn more information about the young man that could be of help.” He sighed, a hint of concern in his gaze. “With all this, I hope A-Yao will understand.”

Wei Wuxian carefully observed his gaze. He could see that Lan Xichen was devastated. The opposite was true for Lan Wangji, who showed no outward concern regarding Mo Xuanyu’s disappearance.

During the silence, Lan Xichen forced a slight smile. “In any case, let’s not dwell on the negative. Young Master Wei Wuxian, we can’t keep you captive all this time to make you pretend to be someone you’re not. I’m sure that once you’ve recovered, we’ll return you to your home in Yunmeng Jiang.”

Wei Wuxian remained silent. It was a relief, but the looks in everyone’s eyes didn’t seem to say the same. The loss of Mo Xuanyu seemed like a misfortune none of them were willing to discuss if things kept getting worse. Wei Wuxian could only see discord in their gazes. He was now beginning to realize that perhaps they weren’t such bad people after all.

“Let’s not delay dinner any longer,” Lan Xichen said kindly, still smiling. “Let’s continue the meal and enjoy this moment together.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Remembering that he had set the soup aside, Wei Wuxian now saw the main dish which, at least at first glance, didn’t look bad—although, in truth…

Tonight was going to be the longest and most difficult dinner of his life.

~~~

The dinner ended very quietly. Each of them stood up from their seats after finishing their meal, except for Wei Wuxian, who hadn’t enjoyed the food at all and now seemed to be starving. Meanwhile, Lan Xichen withdrew to speak with one of the servants about the reply he had sent to Meng-Yao, to which the servant responded that it had been successfully delivered.

Lan Xichen nodded with great relief. He thanked him and then searched for Lan Wangji with his eyes until he saw him enter the royal kitchen. “Wangji,” he quickly approached, causing the Second Jade to turn sharply toward him. “Everything alright?” Suddenly, Lan Xichen realized he had surprised his brother, noticing at the same time that his hands were occupied with several strange condiments.

Lan Wangji looked at him, carefully examining the condiments between his fingers, then slowly set them down on the table. “Nothing important,” he replied. However, Lan Xichen didn’t say anything upon seeing him place the condiments on the table. He continued, “Is something wrong?”

“Well… now that we’re alone, I’d like to let you know that A-Yao’s letter was sent successfully,” Lan Xichen replied. “As of now, my travel plan is to leave early tomorrow.” Lan Wangji looked him directly in the eyes as he listened. “For the time being, Nie Huaisang will stay in my place. I explained that to A-Yao in the letter, but I didn’t mention anything about Young Master Wei Wuxian. I want you to take care of him during his recovery. I’m sure you’ll be able to protect him from anything.” He sighed, somewhat relieved, before saying, “I’m also leaving you in charge in case Nie Huaisang needs your help. You have the power to decide.”

Lan Wangji saw a bit of the worry his brother was trying to hide. “Brother, I promise to resolve the matter of Mo Xuanyu.”

He nodded slowly as he placed his hand on his shoulder. “For now, don’t worry about that. We all make mistakes. Focus now on making sure Young Master Wei Wuxian recovers completely. Alright?”

“Zewu-Jun! Zewu-Jun!” Suddenly, Nie Huaisang came running with a piece of paper in one hand and a pencil that, honestly, left much to be desired. “This is the only thing I could find to write the letter to Da-Ge!”

Lan Xichen approached him with a slight smile. “I have an ink brush in the Fragrance Hall. Let’s go find it, and I’ll also show you what I’m leaving in your charge besides the tasks I’ve been handling.” He then looked toward his brother. “See you later, Wangji.”

Lan Wangji said nothing, simply nodded, and watched as Nie Huaisang left hand in hand with his twin brother

“Brother Wei!” Suddenly, Nie Huaisang’s voice exclaimed that.

In the solitude of the kitchen, Lan Wangji had intended to return his attention to the condiments, but he didn’t get the chance to continue with what he had planned when he became worried to the point of going out to the main dining room to see what had happened. At that moment, Wei Wuxian was standing, trying to climb the stairs without help. Lan Xichen didn’t have time to tell him to stop when, suddenly, his brother came to his aid.

“Brother Wei! Are you crazy!?” Nie Huaisang approached just like Lan Wangji while gripping tightly the pencil in his hand. “Don’t be reckless. Going up is more strenuous than going down. You should have waited until Hanguang-Jun was free to help you.”

Wei Wuxian shot him an annoyed look because of the pain, which was what was really putting him in a bad mood.

“I’ll help you,” Lan Wangji warned him. “Go at your own pace. Don’t overexert yourself.”

Lan Xichen watched everything from a considerable distance.

He didn’t focus on getting involved or doing anything about it, nor did he lecture Wei Wuxian. He placed one hand under his chin as he calmly analyzed how his brother was taking on the role of caretaker appropriately. During that analysis, he noticed Nie Huaisang was somewhat upset, and that’s when he felt it was important to intervene. “Calm down, A-Sang. Wei Wuxian is in the right hands. Wangji will help him up.” He smiled. “We can continue on to the Fragrance Hall. We need to write that letter to Da-Ge as soon as possible.”

Nie Huaisang nodded, knowing that Lan Xichen was right. Lan Xichen gave him the reassurance he needed, so he didn’t insist on continuing to lecture Wei Wuxian. He left with him toward their true destination. Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian was climbing the stairs very slowly. However, he wasn’t doing a good job as he bent further forward, unable to tolerate the pain.

“Hey, wait, wait a moment,” Wei Wuxian complained as he tried to sit on the step. He pulled away the hand that was helping him while taking a deep breath.

“If you can’t go up, it’s better that you stay down here while I go and bring you some painkillers.”

“No. I’m fine. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to me. I just… need to wait for the pain to ease so I can make it to the room.” Wei Wuxian knew he could climb; he just needed a moment to catch his breath and regain his strength.

In fact, he had an idea.

“I’ll crawl up,” he said as he positioned his hands and feet on the steps. “If you want, go find the painkillers. I’ll come back that way. Don’t worry.” Wei Wuxian didn’t wait for a response. As soon as he lifted his hands onto the first step, a third person stopped him by the shoulder.

Right at that moment, when Wei Wuxian felt that hand grip him firmly, he raised his gaze to him, to those golden eyes that held such raw seriousness, basically telling him that he wasn’t going to allow it.

“I’ll carry you.”

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian looked somewhat confused and worried. “What do you mean you’re going to carry me? What do you plan to do?” He even took a step back at the thought.

Lan Wangji used his arms, bent down, and Wei Wuxian couldn’t even speak as he unexpectedly found himself pressed against his chest, while Lan Wangji warned him, “Hold on tight.” Right after, he carried him, lifting him off the cold floor, with Wei Wuxian now wrapped in the strength of his arms that kept him comfortable without having to exert himself in the slightest.

Almost instantly, Lan Wangji climbed each step effortlessly. By that point, Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe he was in such an embarrassing situation. Of all the ways he had thought of to go up, he never imagined this one in any way.

His heart pounded strongly. For a moment, he decided to look at Lan Wangji’s face, but the man didn’t seem focused on him—instead, he was concentrating on the steps he carefully climbed to avoid falling. At that point, Wei Wuxian turned downward and felt it necessary to hold on tighter to his shoulder and also the back of his neck if he really didn’t want to risk falling on the way back.

At that moment, he observed Lan Wangji’s profile more closely, then rested his head on his shoulder, letting himself be carried—just this once.

When they arrived at Mo Xuanyu’s room, Wei Wuxian thought it was time to get down from the man’s arms. However, when he tried, the firm grip prevented him from doing so.

“Don’t move,” Lan Wangji asked him.

Wei Wuxian lost the calm he had gained, thinking his embarrassment was finally over. What was he planning to do now? Was it really not over yet? The madness was just beginning when he never expected the door to that room to suddenly burst open.

Lan Wangji had kicked it open wide.

Right after, he slowly entered the room and laid him down on the bed. He was so gentle that Wei Wuxian didn’t feel any pain. When he fully lowered him, Wei Wuxian looked up at him but unexpectedly met his gaze, their eyes locking for a moment.

Lan Wangji stepped back, since he was the one who could move and leave freely

Wei Wuxian remained silent as he watched him step away. Then, Lan Wangji simply nodded as a farewell and turned around.

“Lan Zhan, wait. Don’t go.” Lan Wangji hesitated for a moment about whether he should turn around. Then he continued, “I… it wasn’t necessary for everything you did for me. I could have climbed up on my own without you having to exert yourself so much.”

“Stay still and rest. I’ll be back soon to apply the last treatment of the day.” He said nothing more. He simply left the room, closing the door behind him.

Wei Wuxian lowered his guard and embarrassment when he found himself alone again in the room. He looked around the entire interior, still thinking about what had happened moments before. Then, he spotted the nightstand and found his Shijie’s necklace.

If it hadn’t been for him…

Would he have lost it?

No. Lan Wangji was the one who kidnapped him. He shouldn’t be thinking that Lan Wangji saved the necklace from certain loss when he was the one responsible for losing all his things. However, with everything that had happened between them so far, he didn’t seem like a bad person.

Could he be mistaken? Why did he feel like he was the one who always treated Lan Wangji badly, and not the other way around? He didn’t know where this feeling came from, but it seemed to be stirred by regret.

Wei Wuxian felt guilty. The truth was, up until now, Lan Wangji hadn’t done anything but care for him very carefully, leaving him with many questions and few answers.

Who was he really?

Chapter Text

"Red Hostel"
Qishan Wen.

It was nighttime in the city of Qishan Wen when Jin Zixuan and his companions arrived in the country. Since the train had departed from Yunmeng Jiang, the journey had been more than troublesome. Along the way, the train was delayed by several hours due to an accident. What should have been a one-hour trip ended up taking three hours or more, eventually stretching into a whole day.

Jin Zixuan was tired and stubborn. It had been a lost day as far as the search was concerned. Whatever. He had forgotten that something like this could happen and that he didn’t have absolute control over it. He drank from the bottle of water he had asked for until he felt the presence of his cousin approaching.

—Cousin, everything is ready —Jin Zixun took out two keys that had a card and a number—. The reception gave me the keys to the rooms we’ll be staying in. One is for us, and the other is for her.

—Alright, give Miss Jiang her corresponding key. I’ll go upstairs right now.

Jin Zixun nodded. Without saying anything else, he left as quickly as he had arrived. Being alone with Miss Jiang was what he wanted most, despite having done so throughout the entire trip. Unlike his cousin, Jin Zixuan, who found the whole journey bothersome, Jin Zixun found it very pleasant, all because he had spent the time with her. He got to know her a little better, and having one more moment alone before going to sleep would make the trip fruitful and perfect.

By that time, Jin Zixuan was left alone for less time than he expected. He glanced sideways toward the stairs upon hearing his cousin climb them very quickly.

He remained silent as he realized that, throughout the entire trip, Jin Zixun had acted like an idiot. He could bet that his cousin didn’t even remember the real reason they were here, and if he did, he wasn’t taking it as seriously as he should.

On the first floor of the hostel, Jin Zixun looked at the door numbers and found one of them. When he inserted the key and opened it, the first thing he saw was Miss Jiang sitting on one of the beds. She was calm, with her hands resting on her lap, waiting for someone to enter the room.

—It's good to see you here, Miss Jiang —he smiled as he closed the door—. I already have your key —he handed it to her—. You can go to your room whenever you want.

She gave a slight smile at his kindness. Jin Zixun proved to be an extremely gentlemanly man. After spending the whole day on the train, he was the only one who took the trouble to keep her company and reassure her that she didn’t need to worry so much about arriving on time. He stayed by her side the entire time. On the other hand, Detective Jin...

—Miss Jiang —suddenly, his voice brought her back to the present from her thoughts—. Are you hungry? There’s a restaurant outside the hostel. We can go there and get whatever you’d like. Of course, if it’s not too much trouble...

There was something that motivated Jin Zixun to continue with the trip, and it was the date she had promised him if he traveled with them. Although it might be considered hasty—they had barely met—at that moment, Jiang Yanli kept it in mind. Now seemed to be the perfect opportunity to make that promise come true. However...

—Thank you, Zixun —she replied softly—. But right now I feel very tired. Maybe tomorrow, once we’ve regained our energy. Does that sound alright to you?

Jin Zixun nodded. —Of course, yes. Whatever you say, princess

She gave another slight smile but tried not to drag the matter out—especially now that he had given her a new nickname, “Princess.” In fact, she thought it important to ask. —Where is Detective Jin?

—He’s downstairs, but I don’t know what he’s doing there. I suppose drinking or smoking —he shrugged, unconcerned—. You know how he is. He seems to be annoyed about the trip.

"Not just because of the trip... I’m probably the problem too," she thought, sinking into the discomfort of that notion, which quickly saddened her.

After a while, she let out a sigh and then smiled at him again. —I’m going to the bathroom and will take my things to the new room. Thank you for having me on this trip, Zixun.

—Oh, not at all, Princess. I’ll help you move your luggage if you don’t mind.

Jiang Yanli agreed. Jin Zixun acted like a true gentleman from start to finish, and she could see it. She really liked this young man. She laughed softly when, for a moment, Jin Zixun nearly stumbled while trying to carry the large suitcase she had brought as luggage. The truth was that Jiang Yanli hadn’t intended to bring so many things. She had only packed the most important items, but she never imagined it would be an obstacle due to its weight. She had only included what she considered necessary for her comfort. It was a trip she didn’t know would end up being long or short...

When the suitcase hit the floor of her new room with a thud, Jin Zixun let out a breath behind her and then straightened up to show a big smile, as if the pain in his palm from the suitcase handle was no big deal...

—Have a lovely night, Princess —he made a brief bow while removing his hat and bringing his other injured hand behind his back. After that, he left with, “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

She laughed very softly. How sweet. She bade him farewell with a slight nod of her head. Once alone, she looked around and noticed there were two single beds. The room was arranged the same way as the detectives’ room, the difference being that she had to stay alone in this place.

In the midst of her thoughts, she remembered the absence of her brothers. Although she had enjoyed Jin Zixun’s company, she now felt down because she missed each of them. For a moment, she glanced toward the door.

Perhaps she should go downstairs and make peace with the only man who was keeping the case alive.

~~~

It was late that night, past eleven o’clock. With the pipe in hand, Jin Zixuan was still sitting at the bar of that place, wasting time. He had decided to lock himself away in his own mental cave while smoking, taking advantage of the fact that there weren’t many people around, and he didn’t see any sign that said: No Smoking.

The citizens of Qishan Wen were very indifferent when it came to manners. He knew that smoking indoors wasn’t enough reason to be thrown out onto the streets. Besides, he wasn’t in the mood to be polite to anyone. He simply needed peace and quiet, and that was exactly what he was getting right now.

—Excuse me... May I sit with you?

Suddenly, upon hearing the sharp and delicate voice of that woman, Jin Zixuan glanced sideways to his right. To his surprise, there was Miss Jiang, asking for permission to sit with him. He didn’t know why she wanted to sit next to him, but it was clear that he had to stop whatever he was doing to attend to her.

In a brief silence, he nodded out of politeness, but it was to be expected that her presence disturbed his entire contemplation of solitude, to the point that he took what might be the last puff from his pipe and then set it aside.

No matter that he was in Qishan Wen, smoking in front of a lady was not proper. It was a complete lack of respect.

—I didn’t know you smoked —he heard her say.

—Sometimes I do —Jin Zixuan didn’t explain and didn’t look at her. He simply put the pipe away in the front pocket of his golden jacket as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Yanli looked at him and, with a slight unease in her hands clasped on her lap, sighed slowly before saying, —I’m sorry if coming here was wrong. I just want you to understand. I needed to do it to look for my brothers.

Jin Zixuan looked straight ahead as he listened to her explain something that still bothered him for having questioned it.

—I promise I won’t be a burden to you —she continued.

—You don’t understand the real problem of being here —he spoke seriously—. In case you don’t know, Qishan Wen is a dangerous place, even if it doesn’t seem like it. The idea of coming here was never for a vacation plan. We have to act quickly to find clues and leave. We don’t have permission to stay as long as we’d like. Do you understand that?

—I am willing to help you. Believe me when I say I will do anything you ask —her voice sounded desperate, with a hint of pleading. At that moment, Jin Zixuan glanced at her sideways, and that’s when he saw her face full of worry—. Please, trust me...

—I’ll tell you one thing, and I hope you understand: Don’t try to distract us —he said coldly. He immediately remembered Jin Zixun’s attitude throughout the trip. He had to make things clear—. That’s the first rule you must follow if you want to act like one of us. Maintain a professional distance. By this, I mean you shouldn’t be behaving as if we were your friends. There’s a thin line you must respect as a client. Do you understand?

She blinked several times, and upon hearing the last question, she lowered her gaze. —Alright...

—Secondly, you will understand that anything can happen, and you must fend for yourself —Jin Zixuan frowned more—. If you’re not capable of defending yourself, I recommend you take the first train back to Yunmeng Jiang early tomorrow morning and return home. As you know, here no one watches anyone’s back, and I won’t be responsible if something bad happens to you.

Jin Zixuan said nothing more. She didn’t say anything else either. Despite the noise in the background, the silence between them became noticeably uncomfortable. By that time, Jiang Yanli imagined that talking to him wouldn’t be easy, but she never expected it to be this harsh and without any tact or kindness.

She didn’t want to be a burden. It was never her intention for Detective Jin to see her that way. Perhaps she didn’t know what the life of a private detective was like. Nor did she know the dangers they faced daily. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to search for her brothers with someone skilled in the matter. She wasn’t looking for anything else.

For a moment, Jiang Yanli observed the peony symbol embroidered on his jacket. She raised her gaze to him and then said, —It belongs to the Jin dynasty in LanlinJin.

Jin Zixuan widened his eyes in surprise and looked at her after hearing something so unusual. —How do you know that?

—The symbol embroidered on your jacket. Young Master Jin Zixun explained what it meant to me. To be honest, it’s impressive. I had never met anyone native to such an elegant country as LanlinJin.

Jin Zixuan didn’t know what to think. Regarding his cousin, he wasn’t surprised. For a moment, he did know what to think—that idiot was sharing details of his personal life with a client. Of course, he disliked it.

Even though she had brought up a topic that could be explored further, Jin Zixuan had no intention whatsoever of continuing that conversation. By that time, Jiang Yanli realized it.

—I... I’m sorry for everything we’ve been through —she continued speaking softly with some concern—. I understand your worry and that I should be able to protect myself in case of any mishap, but this is the first time my family has been separated for so long... —She sighed—. You must understand me... right? You must have a family who misses you being so far from LanlinJin.

—I don’t have a family.

She opened her eyes wider in surprise. —You don’t have a family? But... Young Jin Zixun confessed to me that you are the eldest of two brothers...

Jin Zixuan looked at her again with noticeable seriousness. How was it possible that she knew that too? He couldn’t believe it. Jin Zixun had opened his mouth more than usual.

—Aren’t they your family? —she continued asking, uncertain.

—I don’t have family in LanlinJin. Three years ago, I left home to work as a professional detective.

—And your brothers? Who are they? I mean... —She looked a bit surprised as she insisted, but she wanted to know about his past—. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but Young Master Jin Zixun told me that you were very close to them until you decided to leave your homeland to seek a better future in Yunmeng Jiang.

Jin Zixuan remembered moments from his childhood, recalling how close he was with Jin Zixun and their brothers. His brow furrowed as he recalled that none of that had a place now. None of his childhood was worth remembering, all because of his father’s manipulation. By that time, the silence grew longer. Jiang Yanli wanted to continue, but he didn’t seem willing.

She feared she had made things worse by talking about his past, to the point that he became more closed off. Because of that, she didn’t hesitate to say, —I’m sorry.

—How many times have you apologized tonight? An apology is worthless when the action has already been done —Jin Zixuan replied to her.

She felt small in the uncomfortable moment; however, he seemed to sigh, sitting up as he rested his elbows on the bar while saying, —The only person I ever considered family was my mother —he recalled—. She was the woman who gave me the meaning of justice and the courage to move forward no matter the hardships.

—Where is she now? —she asked.

—My mother passed away three years ago.

Jiang Yanli was overwhelmed by surprise and sadness. His mother passed away? Oh heavens. That must have been terrible. —I’m so sorry —she finally said.

—Why? Thanks to her passing, she helped me build my life away from LanlinJin. When Jin Zixun graduated from the Police Academy, he came to me in Yunmeng Jiang looking for job opportunities. Since then, we’ve been a team.

She smiled slightly upon hearing that. —You’ve been inseparable.

He made a gesture with his head as if to consider it so, since he had also brought him trouble. However, he didn’t go into details and just nodded.

—You remind me of the relationship A-Cheng and A-Xian have had since they were very young —she looked happy remembering them—. From the beginning, it was love and hate when A-Xian was brought into the family at just 4 years old. A-Cheng never wanted him with us, but over time, they became the best brothers in the world.

Jin Zixuan recalled the relationship between Meng-Yao and Mo Xuanyu. They were practically the same, except that Meng-Yao eventually gave in. At first, when Mo Xuanyu arrived at the Jin Palace still a child, he wasn’t quickly accepted by him. They had their clashes, considering each other complete strangers. However, as they lived together every day, the bond they forged made them inseparable brothers.

Mo Xuanyu became the younger brother who hoped that Meng-Yao would make the best decisions in his life. They both created such a close relationship that Jin Zixuan often felt sidelined as the older brother.

The brotherly relationship they had built was unlike any other. In any case, being alone didn’t really hurt him. Jin Zixuan tried to understand that their bond was surely because they both came from different mothers outside the royal marriage. They shared the blood of one father, and perhaps that’s why they had formed such strong ties.

The stay at the Jin Palace, as the first son of the reign, changed when he began to be bothered by his father’s behavior. The latter started to change his interests, giving more importance to his younger brother, Mo Xuanyu, and also neglecting Meng-Yao. Since Mo Xuanyu joined the family, his father seemed to prefer him over the two of them, without anyone knowing the reason for his favoritism.

At first, Jin Zixuan didn’t pay much attention, since his father had acted similarly with Meng-Yao the first time he joined the family. However, the favoritism his father showed toward Mo Xuanyu completely exceeded normal standards.

His father was not a normal father. He didn’t care about showing the intense favoritism he had for one of his sons.

Jin Zixuan considered himself his mother’s favorite, and Mo Xuanyu his father’s favorite.

However, years later, when his mother passed away, Jin GuangShan seemed to have directed his anger and rage over the loss toward him, simply for being his eldest son. All his brothers suffered in different ways due to the hysteria and vices his father chose as mechanisms to cope with his grief: from getting drunk to seeking comfort with women of different ages in the palace.

The Jin Palace suffered an economic decline after his mother passed away because that man spent all his income on his sick obsession. At that time, Meng-Yao considered it crucial to take control of the Jin Palace, worried that it would fall into ruin due to his father’s poor management. He didn’t hesitate to inform him of this.

Jin Zixuan knew he was right. His father was straying from the right path to the point of leading them to ruin. Both had to sign a contract removing him from the position of leader. Jin Zixuan took care of all that, as he had graduated from the Police Academy and knew the laws and legal rights to obtain the leadership of the Jin Palace.

Although he was a recent graduate at the time, he managed to take him to court.

When he sued Jin GuangShan to hand over the leadership position while still alive, Jin GuangShan was engulfed in betrayal and misery that his late wife’s son was overthrowing him without waiting for the proper time to succeed the position. At the end of the trial and the bad times they went through, Jin GuangShan tried to keep everything peaceful, as he couldn’t allow his three sons—the only family he had left—to oppose continuing to live with him.

Like any egotist, he wasn’t going to allow everyone in LanlinJin to find out that he had been overthrown by his own sons due to his negligence in managing the palace. He reached an agreement to be given a six-month period to recover all the income he had spent on his obsessions. His desperation bordered on the ridiculous when he knelt before them, begging for mercy and asking them to have pity on their own father.

Jin Zixuan never believed him at all. Womanizer was womanizer. He would never change, even if he was dramatizing his failure in person. However, his brothers didn’t share his opinion. At that moment, Meng-Yao was the first to empathize with him, seeing him begging on his knees for another chance. On the other hand, Mo Xuanyu also didn’t want to see him in that state. Despite Jin Zixuan’s attempts to make them change their minds about their father never changing, in the end, his younger brothers, united as always, rejected his plea and gave him a new opportunity.

That was enough for Jin Zixuan to start thinking about leaving.

His father was a hypocrite.

He deceived his wife his entire life.

What guarantee was there that he wouldn’t do the same to his children?

From words to actions, all the promises Jin GuangShan had made to them remained mere words because, in less than six months, Jin GuangShan never gave up his addiction to being a sick alcoholic obsessed with women.

By then, Jin Zixuan felt that he could no longer thrive in LanlinJin. Some time later, he found out that his father had disinherited him because of what had happened during the lawsuit and trial. He decided to leave and never return.

“You’re ungrateful, Zixuan. I paid for your studies at the Police Academy, and the first case you face as a professional is a lawsuit against your own father... HYPOCRITE!”

Unfortunately, to this day, that is the only farewell memory his father gave him before leaving. He had already been away from all of them and from his homeland for three years. Jin Zixuan kept staring at the bar, still remembering the moment when his father said it to him with anger in his eyes.

Nothing was ever the same in the Jin Palace since his mother passed away.

The salvation he once had under his arms no longer existed. Jin Zixuan was left defenseless and always believed that his father would settle down once he had the responsibility of three children solely in his care, but that was not the case. He fell even deeper into his vice of being a womanizer and alcoholic. Meng-Yao and Mo Xuanyu decided to tolerate his ridiculousness just for a bit of his affection. And well, you couldn’t blame them.

Jin GuangShan always painted a paradise for Mo Xuanyu, claiming that he adored him and prioritized him. Meng-Yao wasn’t really involved much, but seeing his younger brother happy with those crumbs of love, he never tried to question it.

“—Being the older sister hasn’t been easy,” she told him. “But I like being it. In the end, I would risk my life for them, even coming here with the goal of finding them.”

Jin Zixuan looked at her and made a grimace, understanding that need to do the impossible for them. He had lived it too. At one point, he tried to do something for his siblings, but he failed.

“—I hope you can understand why I wanted to come,” she sighed, a bit more calmly. “I fully trust you and believe in your ability to help me find them.”

Jin Zixuan hadn’t heard someone say they fully trusted his ability and work in a long time. Now, with the memories of the past, he understood what conviction characterized the young lady. “You must understand that,” he thought it important to say, “anything can happen, and you must be prepared.”

She nodded. “I know. That’s why I want you to give me the chance to trust you just as I trust you. Please.”

He didn’t respond. Only after a few minutes did he say, “You should return to your room. Tomorrow we’ll get up early. It’s best that you’re well rested.”

She nodded upon hearing his voice calmer than at first. She decided to get down. “You should come too, detective. Don’t stay out here too long.”

“Don’t worry. Rest.”

She felt that he was a bit curt after the little empathy that had arisen between them. “I... I’m sorry,” she ended up saying without knowing why, but she simply turned around and walked toward the stairs.

Jin Zixuan slowly turned toward her when he heard another apology. He watched her disappear from view as she went up the stairs.

“An apology is worthless if what’s done is already done...” He whispered to himself as he slowly took the pipe from his golden coat, which he had left halfway smoked, and placed it back in his mouth.

He needed to smoke, especially now, to be able to forget the memories of a truly painful past.

One he still hadn’t been able to overcome.

Chapter Text

"Palace of the Sun" 

Qishan Wen.

While she was preparing the special medicines for the scrapes she had on her arms and knees due to the car accident, Wen Qing was recalling in her seat what had happened today during the conversation she had with Wen Rouhan.

While she gently applied the medicinal cream to her injured skin, she also remembered the sealed letter that had arrived an hour ago for her.

The letter came from Yiling. She sighed weakly as she remembered her brother. At that moment, he was in Yiling with his family. He was surely waiting for her return, since she had promised to come back as soon as possible. Supposedly, her stay in the heart of Qishan Wen was going to last as long as it took to complete the mission for which Wen Rouhan had called her. However, everything had become complicated and unnecessarily prolonged.

She had already been in this place for more than two months, and it was obvious that she was tired of living here, especially since Wen Rouhan did nothing but try to pair her with Wen Chao. In fact, at that very moment, the door to her room opened without permission and was then slammed shut. The noise alerted Wen Qing.

—But just look at this... —Wen Chao’s voice was heard— Wen Qing. For being a lady, you have no idea how little respect you show to your superiors.

She never looked at him; she simply continued with her treatment.

—Typical of you. A woman without reins or restraints. What excuses are you going to give me now?

—First of all, to be a gentleman... you haven’t learned to knock or ask for permission before entering someone else’s room. If that’s the case, I should be asking you the exact same thing: What excuses are you going to give me now?

Wen Chao’s footsteps came closer and closer to her. Those steps were heavy and determined. At that moment, she glanced over her shoulder.

—To be a gentleman... you have to know whom to be one with, and you have disrespected me — he told her boldly and reproachfully.

—So, if disrespecting you means going to take a break at a small tourist restaurant... I warn you, I have bad news for you.

—Oh, really? What could be worse than finding out that... you were being unfaithful to me! —He raised his voice, making her turn to look at him with surprise— Do you think I’m an idiot you can easily fool? Answer me, Wen Qing!

—Stay away from me —She didn’t let him come closer while frowning— I remind you that we are not married yet, so please —She pushed him away with her hand— Keep your distance.

—Oh... What kind of marriage would you and I have if we don’t even touch each other? —He laughed, then continued— Wen Qing, stop your nonsense. You’d better start behaving like the future wife I so deserve. Because otherwise...

—What? —She replied sharply— Are you going to call your father? Run crying to his skirt to get him to solve your problems? Because, to be honest, it’s about time you became a man and stopped being a spoiled, foolish child who only looks for help from his father to fix his problems.

Wen Chao was left speechless.

She continued. —If you want me to behave like the wife you say you "deserve," then put on the pants of the man I deserve to have by my side.

—Oh... So your aspiration is for me to become the man you deserve to have by your side... by cheating on me? Is it fair for me to become someone like that while you betray me?

—I have never cheated on you.

—Of course, darling. If I were you, I would tell the truth right now. I have reliable sources that saw you at that Peace and Love Restaurant. You say you went alone, but it just so happens that you appeared to be doing the opposite when they saw you dancing with someone.

Wen Qing immediately remembered Jiang Cheng. Had they seen her dancing with him? Who could it have been? She made sure that no one she knew was near that insignificant restaurant while she was taking a break from Wen Chao’s harassment. —Where did you get that information? —She decided to ask.

Wen Chao lowered his voice to a colder, more chilling tone. —They didn’t just see you dancing with that guy, they also saw you flirting with him while exchanging kisses and whispers.

—What? I didn’t kiss anyone! It’s true that I danced with someone, but I didn’t flirt with him, much less offer myself like that. He just invited me, that’s all!

—And why did you accept? You’re about to get married!

—So what! —She replied.

—Do you know who you’re going to marry?

—Unfortunately... with you!

Wen Chao looked disgusted. What an ungrateful woman. How dare she say that marrying him was a misfortune? He was supposed to be the most handsome man in Qishan Wen. She was going to marry the most sought-after man in the whole country and didn’t even appreciate it!

—Oh, Wen Qing. The day will come when you’ll regret saying that.

—Threatening me? —She tilted her head— Is that what having courage means to you? Threatening me?

—Apparently, you have the guts to attack me and offer yourself to whoever crosses your path. But... I remind you that we are engaged, darling. Do you understand that? Under no circumstances will I allow you to make me lose face in front of all of Qishan Wen —He spread both arms to his sides with an air of superiority—. If our parents decided that the future of the family depended on our union, who are we to contradict them? Oh, of course... What they didn’t count on was that, in the end, you would become unfaithful.

—I haven’t been unfaithful to anyone. I don’t know why you’re so determined to think I stabbed you in the back.

Wen Chao pulled several papers from his scarlet robes. —If you haven’t been unfaithful to me... Explain to me, what does this mean?

Wen Chao threw the papers onto the table where the medicines were. Besides being somewhat ungentlemanly, he dared to throw the papers at her as if she were a dog. Obviously, that annoyed her greatly. At that moment, although annoyed, Wen Qing looked with little patience at what had been thrown on the table. Each paper she picked up with her hands left her shocked. They were photographs from the restaurant, focusing on her dancing with Jiang Cheng.

—What is this? —She asked, unable to believe that they had taken photographs of her.

—By the look on your face, it seems I’ve been right all along.

—That woman is not me.

—Ah, ah. No, no... Don’t try to deny it —He pointed again at the photographs with his finger— They speak for themselves.

Wen Qing swallowed slowly despite how problematic a revelation like this could be in the kingdom. However... —We’re not married yet —she justified— You left me alone during the mission, I arrived there, wanted to have fun, and accepted that man’s invitation because I felt like it. I didn’t do anything wrong, we just danced, that’s all —Wen Chao knew she was making a fool of him—. Do you see anything more compromising here? Where are the kisses and whispers you kept accusing me of?

Wen Qing looked him straight in the eyes, challenging him, and then ended up throwing the photographs onto the table, knowing that none of this implied anything serious, since a dance is not synonymous with infidelity like a kiss would be.

By then, Wen Chao knew it wasn’t the first time Wen Qing had mocked their engagement. In fact, he was being far too tolerant, knowing deep down that this woman did not love him. But what could he do? He had in mind that she might change if he gave her a proper reprimand.

—If you’re so sure nothing happened between you two, then tell me. Who is that man?

—How would I know? I didn’t ask his name.

—You expect me to believe you didn’t ask his name? You’re lying! —Suddenly, his patience ran out as he slammed his hand harshly on the table, managing to startle her— I’m fed up to the crown with your lies. You’re going to tell me that guy’s name here and now, because if not...

—If not... what? —She defended herself, head held high, looking him straight in the eyes, defiant— What difference does it make to us if you know his name or not? Are you going to hunt him down to kill him? Oh, because that’s what you’re good at—going, intimidating, and killing for your own benefit, taking advantage of your father’s power.

—Well, well... —He couldn’t help sounding sarcastic— Supposedly, in this mission, my brother, you, and I were searching for a murderer. Yet now it turns out that, in your eyes, I was the murderer all along... —Wen Chao stepped away from her with a look of disgust— Keep one thing in mind, woman. The mission failed because of your debauchery.

—We failed? No, you failed —She blamed him— I was only on the mission as medical support. End of story.

—Now you’re going to excuse yourself with your medical skills? Please, Wen Qing. I’m sick of that nonsense. If it weren’t for my father giving you the opportunity to study at one of the most prestigious medical academies in Qishan Wen, you wouldn’t be an honored woman today. If you keep dragging the Wen name through the mud with betrayal, be sure that you’ll disgrace the entire Wen clan. So, I advise you to tell me that man’s name... right now!

—I already told you I don’t know! If you keep asking... get out of my room.

Wen Chao’s eyes sparked at hearing her throw him out of her room. He stared at her for several seconds, clicked his tongue, and then headed for the exit.

—Where are you going? —She asked him, remembering that they had to be in confinement for 12 hours in the same room— In case you forgot, you’re grounded. Or are you not aware of the lovely punishment your father gave us for your carelessness?

Wen Chao laughed uncontrollably. —Oh, of course... —He turned toward her— How could I have forgotten? However, there’s a change of plans —Right after, he waved his right hand and a strange aura of red energy lifted the photographs he had left on the table. Then, he pulled them toward himself as if they were being attracted by a magnet— You’ll stay alone serving your punishment as an unfaithful woman.

—What? —Wen Qing alarmed— No. You can’t leave me alone and locked up. Your father was very clear when he spoke to me. You’re the one who stays here.

Wen Chao waved his hand as he left and closed the door.

—Idiot! —Wen Qing stood up and went over to the door to turn the knob, but she realized it was locked— Open the door! —She struggled— Open it!

—Don’t scream so much, my dear wife... —he said to her from the other side of the door in a mocking tone— If you keep insisting that you didn’t betray me... I’ll believe you. But if I find out about something like this again... I’ll show the photos to my father and make sure your family in Yiling pays the consequences.

Wen Qing looked worried when he mentioned her family in Yiling. Her brother, grandmother, uncle, and little cousin would pay the consequences of this man’s fury. A strange fear ran through her body. She didn’t know how far Wen Chao’s cruelty could go.

—Please, Wen Chao. No —She pressed her lips tightly and then said— I’m sorry for all the bad things I’ve put you through... You’re right about everything —She bit her lower lip and then said— I... was wrong. I shouldn’t have left your side during the mission because my duty was to support you as a doctor, and also as your future wife...

—Good girl —He was heard saying to her— But... do you really think that by saying everything I want to hear from you, it will help you at all? What will happen if I change my mind and show these photographs to my father right now?

—Don’t do it! —She insisted with serious fear, knowing that if he did, Jiang Cheng would possibly be hunted for having crossed paths with her, without having the slightest fault in what happened at that restaurant.

It wasn’t in her best interest for Wen Chao to find out now that he was in the dungeons of the hidden palace... To be honest, she never imagined that something as silly as a dance could bring so much fear because of how crazy Wen Chao could get believing she was betraying him.

—Please, Wen Chao... Let’s start over —She looked desperate— I promise that if you stay with me for these twelve hours... I will forget that insignificant dance ever happened. Besides, I won’t ever leave your side again on missions, or for the rest of your life. Please.

Not hearing his voice behind the door, she panicked.

Has he left?

Was she talking to herself?

Suddenly, the door lock was undone, and that’s when the man entered, causing her to step back. —Will you continue to deceive me?

She, sensing his voice mixed with a hidden threat, shook her head firmly.

—If that’s true... why are you so stubborn with me?

She chose to remain silent, closing her eyes.

—What do you have to say? —He asked her as he dared to gently touch her face, sliding his fingers along her cheek.

—I’m sorry... —She replied as she felt his cold hands on her skin.

—I’m sorry... What?

Feeling Wen Qing’s silence, Wen Chao grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the table where he kept his homemade remedies. She bumped against the edge of the table, and that’s when Wen Chao had the chance to trap her with his arms by placing each hand on either side of her on the surface, looking her straight in the eyes.

—I’m sorry... What? —He asked her again.

—I’m sorry, my lord —she replied.

—My lord? I prefer to hear... My master.

—I’m sorry, my master.

He, visibly pleased to have heard those words come from her mouth like a good and future wife, gently stroked her cheek as softly as if she were a trophy. His dark eyes shone every time she seemed shy under the touch of his hands. Seeing that behavior in a girl was a sign that he had to continue so she would lose her fear.

—Let’s make a deal... —he whispered very softly as he looked into her eyes— Let’s forget about those ugly things tonight; the dance, the photographs... What does that matter? Let’s just enjoy the moment alone, just the two of us.

—The threats —she reminded him— If you promise to leave that aside —She sighed deeply— I will gladly agree tonight.

—Alright. Alright —He, delighted, gently kissed her cheek— Let’s seal the deal with a kiss on your lips. May I?

Seeing his affectionate gaze in an attempt to reconcile, she nodded, noticing a subtle smile on his lips in response. When she found herself wrapped in his arms, their bodies close and their lips touching, anyone might think this man was a maniac who disrespected women for a bit of sexual pleasure, willing to manipulate each one to get what he wanted. But, ironically, that was not the case.

Wen Qing thought differently. Although she somewhat despised him for being an insensitive and foolish scoundrel, their intimate moments turned out to be a different story.

Wen Chao had the reputation of being an unblemished idiot in her mind, but for her heart, he was the complete opposite. In their moments of closeness, she relived the good times she had spent with him. It wasn’t the first time they had consummated a romantic relationship. During their upbringing as “cousins” within the Wen dynasty, they had experienced the pleasure and attraction between them

Wen Chao always courted her silently. Over the years, Wen Qing imagined that Wen Chao would be an exemplary man, a prince worthy of the Wen dynasty, as he seemed to know what he was doing with his peculiar skills in the Palace. However, little by little, he became a completely different person when he began to feel the power his father held in the country. He turned into an arrogant, overbearing, proud, and evil man... He was everything she never wanted to have in a relationship.

She didn’t kill, she wasn’t ambitious, she wasn’t focused on doing harm to all her enemies; she always did her best to do good. Wen Chao knew this, but he didn’t care to change his ways, even knowing that it would make her happier. If it hadn’t been for their parents agreeing to a marriage contract... Wen Qing would have already thrown him out of her life.

She wasn’t sure what she felt for him, since they went from being inexperienced children who exchanged shy glances with smiles and games, to becoming adults where he did whatever he pleased, regardless of what having a good man by her side meant to her. It definitely confused her.

The innocent feelings she might have had for him in her childhood, without the slightest idea of what he would become as an adult, of course, changed. She couldn’t say she loved him, because practically, she didn’t, feeling that being with him displeased her. But she didn’t hate him either, because if that were the case, she wouldn’t allow herself to fall into these romantic encounters that, after all, didn’t turn out to be so bad.

Wrapped in the passion of their mouths, she preferred to let her heart speak— the heart that reminded her of when she once loved him, where her dream of living by his side was more an idealization than a reality...

~~~

"City of Yiling"

Qishan Wen.

That night in the city of Yiling, a downpour was falling.

Meng-Yao and company had returned late to the hotel after visiting the Chang clan. Unfortunately, they had no relevant clues about Xue Yang’s whereabouts, since the clan had simply been destroyed.

It was all surprising; Meng-Yao never expected it. Instead of going to the Chang clan in search of a possible clue about Xue Yang, they all encountered an unexpected massacre. Blood spilled on the ground, lifeless bodies, weapons scattered... Everything that could be described as a crime scene was inside the premises.

Meng-Yao was overcome with fear when the authorities reported that the incident was carried out by a suspect. A high-caliber criminal who had the power to kill an entire clan without any help, in just one hour. During the time his father was investigating and listening to the authorities’ remarks alongside Lan Qiren, Meng-Yao couldn’t stay any longer when he suffered severe nausea that forced him to isolate himself.

He had already had enough after seeing the number of victims involved. He breathed in some fresh air in a lonely place that didn’t have the stench of blood in the air, and quickly took out a sheet of paper and an ink pen from his trench coat. With a trembling hand, he hurriedly wrote:

"Er-Ge, come quickly. I need you."

LianFang-Zun.

Meng-Yao rolled up the letter and then called his macaw, asking it to send the message as quickly as possible to LanlinJin. If a criminal like this could kill a clan as large as the Chang clan in an hour, he had to be a man armed to the teeth

In fact, thinking about Xue Yang now was giving him more than just chills.

~~~

They were currently at the hotel in Yiling. The downpour had stopped, but the streets were still wet. By then, Meng-Yao left the room and walked toward the hotel exit. He prepared to look at the lantern lights that night while the pavement gleamed with the reflection of moisture against the light. After making sure it wasn’t still raining, he decided to go outside to a more open space where he could whistle without interruptions.

Suddenly, the macaw arrived at his call but perched on the grille of a window, where below there was a black metal box similar to a mailbox. He raised one of his eyebrows. He went over there to open the mailbox. When he did, he saw several letters waiting to be received by their owners.

Meng-Yao picked up several of them. He couldn’t clearly see the names due to the darkness of the night. Without further delay, he went back into the hotel and headed to the room. As soon as he entered, he turned on the bathroom light, hoping to find one that belonged to Zewu-Jun.

—Meng-Yao! —His father’s voice was heard— I told you to bring me a relaxing tea! Why are you coming back without it? Go back and bring it now!

Upon hearing his father's commands, Meng-Yao let out a weary sigh as he said, "I'm coming!" He then shook his head slowly with some frustration as he returned to what really mattered to him—the letters in his hands.

Just when he thought he wouldn’t find it, he managed to find Zewu-Jun’s letter. When he quickly opened it, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. “Is he going to leave Nie Huaisang as a substitute?” He wondered, thinking he had misread it. It really said that. He hadn’t expected it. Zewu-Jun didn’t explain any more details, so, thinking it over, Lan Wangji would also stay at the Jin Palace alongside Mo Xuanyu, which made sense to him.

If he had to accept Nie Huaisang taking responsibility for the Jin Palace, he had to trust the decisions of his Er-Ge.

—Meng-Yao!

—I’m coming! Good heavens... —he ended up muttering.

In the distance, when Jin GuangShan heard his son respond like that, he simply rolled his eyes. He was more than frustrated with how slow he was. What was so hard about going to get his tea right away? Usually, he needed a cold chamomile tea to be able to fall asleep at night. At that moment, he turned his gaze back to Lan Qiren, who was still focused on examining some files found in the massacre of the Chang clan.

—Sometimes I wonder, how did you manage to make Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji so obedient?

For a moment, Lan Qiren stopped his reading and directed his gaze toward his godfather.

Jin GuangShan sighed with exasperation. —If only I had known more than 20 years ago that spoiling them is something you learn... It would have completely changed the story of my life —he grimaced, lazily exhaling—. You're lucky your nephews didn’t turn out as spoiled as my children. None of them obey me, they do whatever they want, and the worst part is they’re ungrateful.

Lan Qiren remained respectfully silent. However, it’s important to say —If I had left the upbringing of my nephews solely to their father, I’m almost certain they wouldn’t be where they are now.

Jin GuangShan looked interested.

Even though he knew the history of the GusuLan kingdom, he wanted to hear it again.

—Qingheng-Jun was the leader of the GusuLan kingdom during his lifetime. I admired him for his great passion for his homeland and also for maintaining the safety and well-being of all the country's citizens. Despite so many good qualities that made him a leader worthy of admiration... As his younger brother, aspiring to be his right hand, I knew that, deep down, he had a flaw that, no matter how much he wanted to correct it, he couldn’t —Jin GuangShan looked interested as he fanned himself. He continued—. From the very moment he fell in love, he was no longer Qingheng-Jun to everyone, but rather Qingheng-Jun for his wife.

Lan Qiren sighed as he recalled the old times, closing his eyes with sorrow. —When my brother fell in love, he looked at no one else. He abandoned many tasks in the kingdom just to attend to his wife’s needs. As time went by, I knew he was never going to change when he confessed to me that he was soon going to have his first children, because his wife was going to have twins.

—Did he really tell you that? How did Qingheng-Jun know he was going to have a twin pregnancy?

—I really don’t know. At that moment, I thought he was joking with me, but he seemed very sure. So, I didn’t question it. Having had problems conceiving before, being certain they would have a twin pregnancy... It was simply crazy. I won’t lie. It was strange, although I was happy for him. Everything changed when, in the lonely valleys connecting the lands of GusuLan and the Yunmeng Jiang mountain ranges, the demonization of his master occurred. Do you remember?

—Oh yes... You almost lost your life, didn’t you?

Lan Qiren nodded. —That day was strange; there were many living corpses, and I remember encountering a minister from Yunmeng Jiang along the way. I recall sending a message to the kingdom of GusuLan to request reinforcements. However, I don’t remember anything beyond what happened in the battle because I was badly injured and passed out. Qingheng-Jun’s master died, and it was later that I learned that Madam Lan was the one who had killed him to protect the kingdom of GusuLan from something worse due to the demonization of that man, whose cause remains unknown to this day. When she killed him while still pregnant with those "children," that’s when I understood that they were not going to have a good future.

Jin GuangShan remained silent as he listened.

—The GusuLan council was direct about what they thought regarding Madam Lan’s murder, so they demanded that she be isolated in a detention area to serve the sentence established for her crime. But she was pregnant; she was my brother’s wife, so he was forced to confine her in another place away from the central areas of the GusuLan kingdom, where she could have her children without problems —he continued his story—. I was his brother, his family; I had to be there to help him make sure those children grew into strong men capable of doing things right —He remained silent for a moment before saying—. After nine months, when that woman gave birth, it happened that Qingheng-Jun was always telling the truth: twins were born.

—Amazing. Your brother was a sorcerer, I see —He laughed—. I can’t imagine your face, or the faces of all the councilors and ministers of the kingdom.

Lan Qiren nodded. —We were all stunned by the news. The difficult part of the pregnancy wasn’t knowing it was twins, but that everyone in the kingdom of GusuLan did not accept Madam Lan as part of the dynasty. Therefore, they had to obligatorily accept one of the twins as the next leader of GusuLan, and they decided it would be the first child born. As a result, they wanted to raise him isolated from his mother and his own twin brother, so that he would be raised solely by Qingheng-Jun.

—Of course, they wanted to separate them at birth, right? That Lan Wangji would be raised by his mother, and Lan Xichen by his father to inherit the kingdom in the future.

Lan Qiren nodded. —Of course, my brother did not agree. He didn’t want to separate his children from their mother. So he always disagreed with the council on that matter, while I was simply his servant, more than his right hand.

—Lan Qiren, your brother was really something. While you bought everything they needed at twice the price... What else did he do besides argue with the council?

—Taking care of his children with his wife —he replied—. However... happiness didn’t last long when that woman relapsed into an illness that seemed incurable. Since she knew she was rejected by the GusuLan dynasty, she began to gradually get sicker. When Qingheng-Jun received the terrible news of losing her, the pressure was so strong that he entered a severe depressive emotional state. He used me all the time to do his work, while he excused himself by saying he had many tasks to do in his room —He shook his head slightly as he remembered that terrible event—. I remember one day... tired and overwhelmed by so many tasks he assigned me to cover for his absences... I decided to confront him, because just as his wife was gone, it seemed he had also forgotten to care for the children. I had to do something about it as their uncle. From my point of view, those children were not to blame for their mother’s death, nor for their father not taking responsibility... When I decided to confront him in his room, upon opening the door... I knew everything was over.

Jin GuangShan lamented as he continued fanning himself. —That’s when you saw him.

—Yes —he nodded—. That’s when I saw him commit suicide.

—I’m really sorry. That must have been very hard.

Lan Qiren sighed deeply. —From the moment I was left alone with my nephews, I knew that if I wanted their father’s genes not to multiply, I had to do something about it. And that’s how I took matters into my own hands and raised them as two future leaders who would make their country a better place to live.

—How do you evaluate them now that they’re practically adults?

—I would say... —Lan Qiren carefully chose his words—. They could improve.

—Aren’t you afraid of that? —Jin GuangShan thought it was important to ask, as he carried many fears he had never let go of in his life, mainly because of his children—. Aren’t you afraid that one day they’ll tell you they no longer want to follow in your footsteps and that their father’s genetics will trap them in unrequited love?

Lan Qiren shook his head with complete confidence. —Both Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen know that they must not fall in love.

—I notice you’re very sure —he said with some surprise—. Aren’t you even a little afraid to imagine it? Love can be everywhere...

Lan Qiren blinked and then thought of his nephews, giving an affirmative answer to his doubt. —I’m very sure. The training I gave them suppresses all those feelings that end up being irrelevant.

Jin GuangShan didn’t look very convinced. —I don’t know. Sometimes love comes when you least expect it, it traps you, and look at me here. Twenty years later with three children, one of whom is within the marriage and turned out to be a total failure... —Remembering Jin Zixuan, his gaze grew darker—. I always suspected he was going to gouge my eyes out when his mother passed away. My wife and I started having many marital problems long before that. For a long time, I tolerated her bad temper, but like any capricious and overly jealous woman, she began to underestimate my abilities, and that’s when I felt that the love and that flame that once united us had ended.

Lan Qiren remained silent as he listened. As his godfather, he knew about the affairs Jin GuangShan had outside his marriage. From that, he understood the situation of Meng-Yao and Mo Xuanyu. However, he didn’t know the real reason why his marriage was a total failure. Since Madam Jin died three years ago, he hadn’t heard him mention her until now.

—Oh God... But what can I tell you? —He fanned himself lazily, feeling somewhat tired of the past—. My eldest son rebelled against me when his mother died. Now he no longer exists in our lives because that’s what he wanted —He smirked before adding—. At least I knew in time that spoiling is something you learn. That’s why I say that, even though my youngest son can be spoiled and run away as many times as he wants... He’s the only one who never says no to my requests.

—Mo Xuanyu?

—Exactly. He is the most handsome son I have. At any moment, he could win the love of a young lady and maybe... lead the Jin Palace in the future.

—What about Meng-Yao? —he asked.

—Oh, yes —Jin GuangShan wiped the smile off his face as he looked away—. He’s a good son, but he lacks growth, maturity, and character. The truth is —he whispered very quietly—, just between us, I don’t see him as a future leader.

Lan Qiren raised an eyebrow. —I always believed he would.

—Please, Lan Qiren. Haven’t you seen him? —Jin GuangShan replied obviously—. I sent him on a mission to meet with Xue Yang to get back what he stole, or else he would pay the consequences of his actions. As usual, Meng-Yao didn’t manage to do it. Besides that... —He looked slightly bored— his overly helpful and excessively cordial behavior with everyone seems more like the genes of a commoner than a man with royal blood. Sometimes I wonder, how did he end up being my son?

Lan Qiren remained silent.

He wasn’t one to interfere with his beliefs. So far, Meng-Yao seemed like a good boy, but if his godfather said so... he had no solid arguments to contradict him. On the other hand, he found the mention of Xue Yang important.

—If Xue Yang was the one who murdered the Chang clan —he added seriously—, he is a very dangerous individual.

—It seems so... —Jin GuangShan looked more interested in watching his golden fan than taking the matter seriously—. But I’m not worried. The more he causes trouble, the more enemies he makes. So, I’m still determined to go after him

—I would recommend that we don’t go alone this time.

—Hm? —He looked at him with some interest—. What do you suggest?

—Tomorrow I will talk again with Xiao Shixiong to discuss what happened. With this new development, I’m almost certain they will come immediately.

—Alright, then talk to your friends so we can finish this journey as soon as possible —He directed his gaze toward the room’s exit with a certain seriousness on his face—. As soon as I find him, I will make sure he pays for what he did to me. Of that, I have no doubt.

Chapter Text

"Qishan Wen Railway Station"

Qishan Wen.

The next morning, Qishan Wen Railway Station was crowded with many passengers buying tickets and waiting for their scheduled trains.

At that moment, Jin Zixuan had shown the order at the ticket control area. The order had been issued by the authorities of Yunmeng Jiang, so he would try to carry out the inspection as quickly as possible and avoid involving the authorities of Qishan Wen.

Jiang Yanli, who wore a large pale lilac hat because of the strong sun, was realizing that the search was taking too long. It was already around 11 a.m., and they hadn’t found anything. She sighed, feeling that the search for her brothers was becoming more complicated than she had expected.

—Oh, Zixun —she called as soon as she saw him leave the ticket control—. Is everything alright? Did you find anything?

Jin Zixun looked frustrated. However, he tried to moderate his mood as he cleared his throat. —Miss Jiang... We’re still searching.

—Was there any incident?

—In a way, yes —he added, glancing around before stepping closer to her to lower his voice—. Yesterday should also be considered part of the search, even though it was wasted. That means more work for just the two of us. Jin Zixuan is doing his best to speed up the process. However, we’ve already been here for 5 hours and haven’t found anything relevant.

—I can help. Please, Zixun. Let me help you.

—It’s very hot inside. I’m worried you might start feeling unwell again.

—That won’t happen —she pleaded, clasping her hands together—. I promise.

Although Jiang Yanli had suffered heatstroke an hour ago inside that place, which made her decide it was important to go out and get some fresh air, she now wanted to go back. She wanted to continue her role of being helpful. On the other hand, Jin Zixun wasn’t very convinced. Heatstrokes could be dangerous.

—I promise, Zixun —she insisted—. Let me take part.

~~~

Inside one of the registration offices, Jin Zixuan had taken off his beret and golden jacket, leaving them hanging on the back of the chair. The heat concentrated in the room was unbearable. There was a fan that barely worked at all. He found himself thinking that he had forgotten how changeable Qishan Wen’s climate was—it had the peculiarity of being a desert by day and a winter by night.

Two knocks on the door caught his attention. When he looked up, he found Miss Jiang there.

—Excuse me... —she said softly—. I’m ready to continue the search.

Jin Zixuan frowned. Why had she come back despite her unstable condition?

—I recommend that you go back outside —he instructed her.

—I’m better —she replied quickly—. I can continue the search for whatever is needed. Please understand why I want to do this.

He looked away with some annoyance. This woman was really too stubborn. The heat had already put him in a bad mood. Trying to convince Miss Jiang with words to go back where she came from would be an unnecessary waste of energy.

He stood up after pulling the chair back. With slow steps, he approached the door and stood right in front of her, just a few inches away. Then, he pointed toward the exit. —Please, wait outside.

She lifted her eyes to look at him as he stood so close. He was taller than her, but there was something else that intimidated her. She noticed his tired face, yet the seriousness that defined him never wavered. Unintentionally, she found herself getting a little lost in the beauty of his gaze

It could be said that this was not the time, but the man was not unattractive. The long-sleeved white shirt he usually wore under his jacket made him look more appealing as it clung to his skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. On the other hand, the black tie gave him a very masculine and elegant contrast. The truth was, seeing him without the golden jacket and beret was like seeing him with new eyes.

—Miss Jiang, wait outside.

She shook her head slightly upon hearing his deep voice. —I can help you. A-And I… —She quickly turned toward the desk and then went over to take a seat.

—What are you doing? —He raised an eyebrow as he released the door—. If there are two of us, the heat will become even more intense.

--If there are two of us... We can finish the search faster.

--My duty is to finish my work. I told him not to get in my way.

--My duty is to help you, detective. So you also… shouldn’t get in my way.

Jiang Yanli didn’t know what she had said, but she didn’t feel like letting him win this time. By then, she noticed how Jin Zixuan let out a weary sigh, placed one hand on his waist and the other on the bridge of his nose while continuing to sigh.

He didn’t say anything else.

He returned to his respective chair with a moodier look than before. He grabbed the books on the desk, sorted them into completed and current ones, and then handed her a small one that didn’t have many recorded pages. --You know what to do. Find the check-in and check-out records for the names listed here. --He handed her the papers with the suspicious names so she would have a clearer idea of which ones they were.-- So, get to work.

Upon hearing his last order, Jiang Yanli nodded. Immediately, he left her in charge while he continued with his work, taking a seat and focusing on the book he had been analyzing earlier. At that moment, as Jiang Yanli watched him wet his index finger with saliva to turn the pages, she began to think:

"Why would he give me such a small book?"

Without intending to see herself as a burden—more than she already suspected she was to him…—she decided to ignore her thoughts and carefully examined the names written on the papers. Her surprise grew even more when one of them bore the name “Jiang Wanyín.”

For a moment, Jin Zixuan directed his gaze toward her as he saw her standing still in that spot, staring intently at the paper. --What’s wrong? --he asked-- Did you find something?

--Um… --She looked at the destination this person was headed to: "Qishan Wen"-- Detective, um… --She stammered with a hint of worry-- This is the name of my younger brother, A-Cheng.

When Jin Zixuan heard her, all his senses sharpened. --Are you sure?

--Yes. --She nodded.-- This is his courtesy name.

Jin Zixuan couldn’t believe it. He pushed his chair back and stood up to go to the other side of the table, searching through the pile of books for the names he had marked all morning, thinking they might be more solid evidence.

Seeing his interest, Jiang Yanli also wanted to help in her own way. By then, she imitated him by opening the small book he had given her, trying to familiarize herself with the check-in and check-out records for the exact day Jiang Cheng decided to come to the country.

--Jin Zixuan had found some information about him. --After saying that, Jin Zixuan opened another book--. Where could he have marked it?

As Jiang Yanli watched him try to find the evidence discovered by Jin Zixun, she continued on her part, examining each of the surnames that began with "J."

--It’s better to go look for him. --Jin Zixuan rolled up his sleeves due to the heat, then unbuttoned his shirt further to cool himself off--. Stay here while…

--I found it! --she shouted--. Detective Jin, here it is. Look at this.

Noticing the speed of her discovery, Jin Zixuan approached her to examine it and saw the location marked in the book.

--He arrived here, on the same day he decided to leave the house, but at night. --She looked at him confidently--. Detective Jin, it’s him.

Jin Zixuan couldn’t believe it. So many hours spent searching for a result, only for Miss Jiang to do it in less than 10 minutes. He nodded slowly, knowing there were no mistakes. Still astonished, he looked at her and simply withdrew to focus on himself

--I’ll speak with Jin Zixun to inform him about the removal of the evidence. --He grabbed his golden jacket hanging on the chair, along with the beret, and put it on his head--. Keep examining the books. Maybe we can find Wei Wuxian’s name by chance.

As he had announced, he left the office. At that moment, Jiang Yanli nodded, feeling both anxious and joyful for having found her brother’s name, while also taking pride in having been helpful in the search. She brought her hands together at her chin in a prayer-like gesture and closed her eyes.

--I’m getting closer and closer to you guys. Just… wait for me. --She prayed silently, then let out a deep sigh, continuing with the hope of finding her dear A-Xian’s name.

~~~

"Jin Palace"

Jilintai, Lanlin Jin.

--What? How is that possible? Of course not! --Nie Mingjue’s denial of the proposal that Nie Huaisang would stay to lead the Jin Palace in Zewu-Jun’s absence echoed throughout the palace.

--Da-Ge! --In fact, Nie Huaisang exclaimed upon seeing his brother trying to decide for him-- Er-Ge needs me! That’s why I agreed!

--I demand to see Lan Xichen right now to discuss this situation. --He directed his gaze toward Hanguang-Jun, who was the only Lan present--. Where is he? I want to speak with him.

--My brother has already left. --Lan Wangji added very calmly--. He left half an hour ago for Yiling.

--If that’s the case, I absolutely refuse to let this happen. If Meng-Yao isn’t capable of solving his own problems, we won’t get involved in his schemes. --He gave his younger brother a dark look--. We’re leaving here, whether you like it or not.

Lan Wangji remained completely silent.

Since Nie Mingjue had arrived early that morning after learning through a letter that Nie Huaisang had not returned to Qinghe Nie because he was providing support at Jin Palace, he had become quite uncompromising over a decision he had never authorized. Lan Wangji immediately realized that this man’s presence in the realm meant trouble.

--No! --Nie Huaisang confronted him, looking at him seriously-- I will stay at Jin Palace! I promised Er-Ge that, and that’s what I will do!

Nie Mingjue couldn’t believe his attitude. That he was rebelling in this way, and on top of that, in front of the Second Jade, was unacceptable. --I won’t say it twice, Nie Huaisang.

--Neither will I, Da-Ge. --He replied immediately, breathing more deeply--. Er-Ge, San-Ge, and Brother Mo need me right now. Er-Ge trusted me. If I can support Hanguang-Jun in leading Jin Palace, it’s my chance to do things right. --Nie Mingjue was more than furious. Nie Huaisang continued--. Besides, it’s time for Hanguang-Jun and me, as the second brothers in succession, to demonstrate the leadership skills we’ve learned over time. --He leaned closer to Lan Wangji, seeking his support--. Brother Mo is also included in this. He is the youngest, just like us.

Lan Wangji gave him a sidelong glance, seeing himself once again involved in something irrelevant. What did it matter that they were both the younger brothers? Moreover, involving Mo Xuanyu, when the one actually here was Wei Wuxian, didn’t seem like a good idea.

--I’ll count to three, Nie Huaisang. If I see that you don’t leave with me… forget about your things in Qinghe Nie.

The courage that the younger brother had built up during the argument quickly crumbled, as he couldn’t believe that his Da-Ge was blackmailing him with the same tactic again. By then, Nie Mingjue felt satisfied for having achieved the submissive expression he had hoped to see. He said nothing more, turned his back on both of them without even saying goodbye to Hanguang-Jun, and walked toward the exit.

Nie Huaisang was filled with terrible worry thinking about his books, painted fans, and decorations—collected over the years thanks to his travels. Meng-Yao had also contributed to building a vast collection of crafts from the gifts he brought back on all his journeys, and he simply couldn’t let them perish.

--Don’t fall for that blackmail. --Suddenly, he heard Lan Wangji’s voice beside him--. If you do, he’ll keep manipulating your decisions.

His olive-green eyes darted from side to side as he heard him.

--If you’re sure of what you want, stand firm in your word.

--B-But… --Nie Huaisang hesitated, glancing sideways at the stairs where his older brother had gone--. My things… --he whispered in lament.

--Don’t cling to it. --Lan Wangji continued, positioning himself directly in front of him to block his view in that direction--. My brother trusted you. It’s your duty to do a good job from now on. If you need to make sacrifices to keep your promise, then do it.

--But… you don’t understand… it’s too high a price… --Nie Huaisang didn’t seem very certain, filled with a strange anguish as he imagined all his beloved things burning in the flames.

--Nie Huaisang, --Lan Wangji added seriously--. True progress comes from great sacrifices.

The fan-wielding man looked directly into his eyes as he heard the confident tone in his voice. He couldn’t help but lower his head in response, gripping the fan in his hand more tightly. He knew he was right, but he was the only one who knew his older brother perfectly. If he said he was going to burn his things, he would do it.

--I… I’m sorry, Hanguang-Jun. My things… I just can’t leave them. --He stepped aside and quickly walked toward the stairs.

--If you go down, --he heard Lan Wangji warn--, you’re not ready to be a leader.

After hearing him, Nie Huaisang stopped just a few centimeters from stepping on the first stair. He paused to look down the staircase, motionless, firmly listening to Nie Mingjue’s shouts over and over again.

Motionless in his position, all he could do was squeeze his eyes shut, clutch the poor fan that had endured so much of his stress, and then sigh, giving up. He didn’t know what happened next, but after a few more minutes, silence returned to the palace, indicating that his brother had left.

Knowing that he had left, that would be all.

All his things would pay for his Da-Ge’s fury for disobeying him. It was then that he heard footsteps behind him, realizing that Lan Wangji had witnessed his new decision.

--Now that you’ve made the right decision, --he added, placing his hand on his shoulder--, the next step will be to go in search of Mo Xuanyu.

~~~

After the incident with his older brother, Nie Huaisang was distracted, thinking about his things and realizing that he would never get them back. Disheartened, he followed Lan Wangji up the stairs to the residential section. He stopped when Lan Wangji slowly opened the door to the room where Wei Wuxian was staying.

When they entered, Wei Wuxian looked at each of them, while Lan Wangji closed the door and Nie Huaisang approached the bed, standing directly in front of him.

--Brother Wei… --he whispered, seeing him sitting on the mattress while having soup for breakfast--. How are you feeling right now?

Wei Wuxian tried to cover his mouth and then slowly swallowed the piece of meat he was chewing. --Better, --he said with his mouth full as he tried to set the bowl on the bedside table.

Seeing his effort to set it on the table, Lan Wangji stepped forward to help hold the bowl and place it where it belonged. At that moment, Wei Wuxian carefully observed his kind and helpful gesture, remaining silent.

--I see… --Nie Huaisang added, watching the scene with a slight half-smile--. I’m really glad that today you’re feeling better than yesterday.

--What about you? You’re now in charge of all of Jin Palace.

Nie Huaisang nodded, not entirely convinced by what had happened earlier with Nie Mingjue. However, he didn’t want to talk about that, so he asked, --Hanguang-Jun told me to come here to set up the new plan to search for Brother Mo. Do you have any idea how we can start?

Wei Wuxian nodded slowly at the remark. Then he looked at Lan Wangji, who also turned to look at him, having thought exactly the same thing.

--Brother Wei? --Nie Huaisang asked, somewhat puzzled at seeing that unusual exchange of glances--. What’s going on? Why are you looking at each other like that?

--Calm down, Nie Huaisang, --Wei Wuxian replied, leaning back lazily against the headboard--. Why don’t you explain to us from the beginning what happened with Mo Xuanyu?

--What happened? --He looked confused as he looked at both of them equally--. We all know what happened. He escaped and didn’t say where he was going. I think telling you what happened afterward… is unnecessary.

--No, I’m not referring to that, --Wei Wuxian said, waving his hand briefly in the air as if dismissing something irrelevant--. Leaving aside my story of how I got here, we want to know the real reason why Mo Xuanyu escaped. --He frowned--. And you, you’re the only one who knows the answer.

Nie Huaisang felt his heart race as he was confronted. --What? Why do you think I know?

--You’re his best friend, aren’t you? Do us a favor: stop hiding the truth and confess.

--I… No. I have nothing to confess. I don’t know anything!

--You’re the only one who knows his tastes, his habits, his obsessions, even the opinion he has of everyone present in Jin Palace, yet you say you don’t know the reason why he decided to escape and never return. --Wei Wuxian looked him straight in the eyes with intensity--. Do you need more proof?

Nie Huaisang shook his head as he took a step back. --Guys, no, I… You’re mistaken. I’m not lying when I say I don’t know anything, really.

--Then help us. Maybe Zewu-Jun believed you from the start, but the two of us… don’t.

Nie Huaisang looked very nervous when he heard that truth from Wei Wuxian. He couldn’t help but also look at Lan Wangji, who had lied to him about the real reason for this conversation. --I… I… If that’s the case, then… I… I’m not going to have this conversation. --He then quickly went to the door to open it, but after trying, he found it was locked--. What? Why won’t it open? What are you doing?

He backed away trembling when he saw Lan Wangji approaching him, ultimately standing in front of the door.

--What are you trying to do!? You can’t force me to stay here!

--Aiya, calm down, --Wei Wuxian intervened, slightly annoyed by his exasperating attitude--. We’re not accusing you of anything, nor are we forcing you to stay. It’s just that we believe you’re hiding something important, valuable information that you don’t want to share with anyone, and we won’t let you leave until you tell us.

--I already told you, I don’t know anything!

--Fine, then tell us about him. Tell us the reasons why he has escaped the last few times. Anything he may have told you. As his best friend… you should know at least one reason, even if it’s insignificant.

--I… No… I, I just can’t…

--Tell us the truth. --Lan Wangji’s voice spoke up as he saw him hesitate, catching Nie Huaisang’s attention--. Tell us the reason why you think Mo Xuanyu escaped this time.

Nie Huaisang’s nerves were already coursing through his entire body. Hearing the strong voice of the Second Jade directed at him, he couldn’t help but feel even more vulnerable and ridiculously confronted. Trapped from every possible angle, he cornered himself, fanning himself hastily as he felt extremely hot.

--I don’t know why you lie, or worse, hide the truth, --Wei Wuxian complained as he saw him resist.

--I already told you, --he inhaled sharply while fanning himself--. I don’t know anything about him.

--Then… what kind of best friend are you if, when he leaves… you don’t even do anything to go after him?

--It’s not my fault that he left! --he exclaimed, exasperated--. Yes, he left. He had wanted to do it for a long time. It’s not the first time he’s done it!

--And you keep letting him! --Wei Wuxian retorted--. Do you think I’d believe that story that you don’t know the reason? If you really cared about him… you’d try to find a way to make sure he doesn’t make that mistake again!

--No… --he said, shaking his head in desperation--. He matters to me. He matters more than you think!

--Then prove it! --Wei Wuxian was tired of his omissions. He raised his voice, unleashing the anger he had held back from when he had done the exact same thing with Jiang Cheng, leaving Yunmeng Jiang and never returning. All without the courage to tell the truth--. If you keep hiding the truth… you’re definitely a bad friend!

--No! I’m not!

--If you keep omitting the truth and don’t tell us where he might be, he will remain lost. He could even be attempting suicide, and you… wouldn’t even know!

Nie Huaisang, upon hearing the word “suicide,” felt terror spread through his legs, and both of them trembled. He lowered his gaze as he shook his head. --No… He couldn’t have left for that reason… He didn’t…

--Nie Huaisang, tell us the truth, --Wei Wuxian insisted.

The room was filled with a tense silence. Wei Wuxian kept pressing, while Lan Wangji remained quietly patient, waiting for Nie Huaisang to finally reconsider.

--Nie Huaisang, remember one thing, --Wei Wuxian added seriously--. If anything happens to Mo Xuanyu, remember that the first person to be blamed will be you.

--What? Why me? --Nie Huaisang shook his head, resisting the truth--. No… of course not!

--That’s how it will be. Do you know why? Because Lan Zhan and I will be the first to accuse you.

--For God’s sake… ENOUGH! --he shouted, unable to take it anymore--. ENOUGH! --Feeling his whole body tremble as he clutched his head--. Stop! Please… just… --He covered his face as he leaned against the wall in that corner--. He was never going to continue living happily here…

--Why? --Lan Wangji asked.

--Because of his father, --Nie Huaisang looked vulnerable as he confessed, still lost in his trance--. If I went ahead and told the truth… I would be condemning him to the same hell.

The place was filled with a silence that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji chose to respect, wanting to hear more of the context. By then, Nie Huaisang was forcing himself to confess a truth that seemed to have been buried deep within him. However, despite doing his best to cooperate, Wei Wuxian knew he had to press further.

--Nie Huaisang. What really happened with Mo Xuanyu? --The one mentioned knew there was no turning back. However, he didn’t seem to want to continue with the explanation-- Nie Huaisang...

--Brother Mo escaped to get away from his father --he finally declared, trying not to break down in the process--. He asked me to promise not to tell anyone --he squeezed his eyes shut--. Now you… I…

--Why did he try to run away from his father? --Lan Wangji interjected, wanting to hear more.

Nie Huaisang bit his lower lip despite his denial. --He... confessed to me that he had been the victim of rape --He squeezed his eyes shut tightly--. And his father was the main abuser.

Chapter Text

When Nie Huaisang confessed the truth, he covered his mouth. He pressed it tightly as his eyes quickly became wet. Crying was inevitable. Tears streamed down his cheeks as images of Mo Xuanyu crying during his confession haunted him.

Frozen in place, he was suffering the consequences of having carried the harsh truth alone, without telling anyone.

By that time, Wei Wuxian remained silent as he watched him in such a state. He had never seen Nie Huaisang break down over any situation. When he argued with Jiang Cheng in the past, he always played the victim and used the excuse of “not knowing anything,” but he had never cried like he was now. In short, he didn’t know what to say, and apparently, neither did Hanguang-Jun.

--Brother Mo… --Nie Huaisang’s trembling voice tried to make itself heard as he attempted to regain some composure--. He asked me not to tell anyone. If I did, I would be condemning him to the same hell.

--When did he confess it to you? --Lan Wangji asked.

Nie Huaisang shook his head. --I… All I know is that it’s been several weeks.

Wei Wuxian said, --What exactly did his father do to Mo Xuanyu? You say he was the main abuser—what do you mean by that?

Nie Huaisang swallowed slowly as he said, --I know he was the victim of a lot of harassment from him on several occasions, when he was forced to prostitute himself right here in Jin Palace.

--He forced him to prostitute himself? --Wei Wuxian asked, curious--. Do you know more about that?

Before continuing, Nie Huaisang rubbed his fingers across his face to wipe it clean. After several seconds, he proceeded:

--Years ago, when Jin Palace held extravagant parties, all the guests had fun. They enjoyed themselves, and the Jin family loved watching their guests have a good time. However, not everyone was on that list. It happened that Brother Mo was the only one of the heirs who didn’t fit into the wider social circles. Since Da-Ge was always invited, I would accompany him, but it happened that I didn’t enjoy myself enough either --He sighed--. That’s when we met and began to share many common interests until we became like brothers.

As he recalled it, a barely perceptible smile appeared in his gaze, but that very smile made him break into tears again. Seeing him sniffling, Wei Wuxian tossed him a small, unused towel.

--Thank you, Brother Wei… --Nie Huaisang clumsily caught it, smiled faintly once more, and then continued to blow his nose.

--Continue, --Lan Wangji said.

--Well… what can I tell you… We became like brothers as we grew up. We know everything about each other, but for the past two months, I had been noticing that he was acting very strangely in terms of his moods.

--In what way? Depressed? --Wei Wuxian asked.

--Yes… Moody… More withdrawn… Very changeable… Every time I came to visit him, he wasn’t as enthusiastic as he used to be. Since Mrs. Jin passed away three years ago, his life became difficult living alone with his father, even more so when Meng-Yao had to travel far away.

--Nie Mingjue mentioned something like that the other night, --Lan Wangji added, remembering--. Is it true that Mo Xuanyu takes the opportunity to escape when he’s absent?

Nie Huaisang touched both sides of his face as he lowered his gaze at the question. --It’s difficult to explain, but yes… Every time San-Ge left the palace on a new mission, Mo Xuanyu begged me to stay here for an unlimited amount of time. Of course, I did. I always believed his insistence was because he enjoyed my company, but then, when I went to study in Yunmeng Jiang… --He shook his head again, feeling guilty--. He made me understand that he didn’t want me to stay with him just because he loved my company in Jin Palace. There was another hidden reason, and he never forgave me for abandoning him --He looked up at Wei Wuxian--. Although it’s not really relevant, he was one of the main reasons I left Yunmeng Jiang without saying goodbye.

Lan Wangji found that remark strange. He then turned his gaze to Wei Wuxian and noticed how he looked away to the side, having touched on a topic that wasn’t relevant at the moment.

--When I was away studying in Yunmeng Jiang for a year, Brother Mo changed a lot --He continued--. As soon as I returned, I tried to persuade him to explain why he felt so devastated, but he would make excuses and tell me they were unimportant problems --He paused--. One day I found him crying in his room, curled up into a ball. I asked him what had happened, and that was when he had the courage to confess that his father had harassed him to the point of forcing him to interact with his friends in Jin Palace when Meng-Yao was away. He told me that after they drank to exhaustion, he would push him to have “encounters” with the wives of his friends as some kind of game. He was practically prostituted. The last time, he suffered a non-consensual sexual act. It was so much… that he didn’t even want to tell me the name of the man or woman involved. The only thing I remember was the cigarette burn mark on his neck that he showed me, in addition to desperately telling me to keep quiet because he didn’t want anyone to know --He sighed--. I understood his needs. I really obeyed him despite my concerns. But… after that, the only thing I discovered was that he had run away to never return.

--Any clue, or any place he mentioned as a reference? --Wei Wuxian asked.

--No. I… I don’t know. Before, he used to leave notes for Meng-Yao in his room telling him where he was, and that’s how Hanguang-Jun would go look for him. But this time… he didn’t leave anything.

--The last time, Lan Zhan found him at the Royal Mo Villa, --Wei Wuxian said, recalling the conversation at the dining hall--. Is that his place of origin?

--Correct. But… --He looked away, then closed his eyes--. I don’t think he’s there.

--Why?

--His mother passed away a month ago.

Wei Wuxian was stunned by the news.

--She passed away? --Lan Wangji asked, his voice carrying a hint of surprise--. How do you know?

Nie Huaisang sighed slowly, not too surprised as he assessed each of their reactions. He knew that if he was telling the truth, he had to tell it completely. --Mo Xuanyu confessed it to me after I pressed him. It was a secret kept by the Mo clan in general. He never revealed it because he wasn’t even allowed to attend his own mother’s funeral. He found out through a letter that the Mo clan gave him, explaining what had happened. That’s why, in the end, he resigned himself, saying it wasn’t worth returning.

--I don’t understand, --Wei Wuxian said in disbelief--. Why would a boy who was always close to his mother… not want to seek answers? It doesn’t sound very logical.

He shrugged. --Perhaps to avoid facing reality. I don’t know…

--So… to summarize, --Wei Wuxian said--. Mo Xuanyu had already been suffering abuse from his father. The only way he could defend himself was to flee the palace. The last few times he managed to escape, he left notes describing his location, which is why Hanguang-Jun would always go look for him. However, when you returned from Yunmeng Jiang, you noticed that his sadness had worsened to the point that he confessed to you that his mother had passed away, and then, the final straw was the non-consensual sexual act he suffered a few weeks ago.

--Yes… It’s just that I didn’t realize the severity of the situation with his father. What happened with his mother was a month ago. I had a vague understanding that his sadness was affected by that, but I don’t know— --He closed his eyes in regret--. I never inquired, never asked enough… He distanced himself from me when I went to Yunmeng Jiang, and I abandoned him. When I tried to get close again, he confessed the assault to me as a sort of reproach and then ran away without saying where. Now he didn’t even leave a note… You might say I haven’t been a good friend, but my omission has always been because I wanted to protect him from his father…

After a silence, Wei Wuxian felt it was important to turn his gaze toward Lan Wangji, who then met it.

For Wei Wuxian, there were a few inconsistencies in the story. He believed Nie Huaisang, but not entirely. Since Mo Xuanyu’s last escape, he had feigned ignorance. He hid the truth in silence, claiming it was to protect him from his father and prevent him from being found.

Given all those claims, the only solution they had at hand was the possibility that the boy had escaped to the Mo Royal Villa to look for his mother’s body and uncover the truth behind that mysterious death.

—That’s why I was so worried about you, Brother Wei —Nie Huaisang remarked with evident concern—. You were lucky that Jin GuangShan wasn’t here at Jin Palace during your stay. Brother Mo confided to me that whenever he returned from a trip, he would reprimand him cruelly. He didn’t give me details, but it was a painful hell. If that old man had been here while you were staying... —He shook his head sharply, unable to imagine it— No, not a chance. What would he have done to you? Or worse, if he had discovered you were pretending to be his youngest son... He might have killed you.

Wei Wuxian slowly rubbed his throat as he thought about the worst-case scenario. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. What a disturbing thought... The Jin leader was a Machiavellian man from any point of view. If poor Mo Xuanyu had gone through all that... he didn’t even want to imagine what he would do to him. He had to recover as soon as possible if he wanted to get out of here.

—None of that will happen —Lan Wangji’s voice came, drawing his attention—. If Jin GuangShan is abusive, he will have to pay for his actions sooner or later.

—How do we do that? —Nie Huaisang looked a little hopeful upon hearing his words— Do you have something in mind, Hanguang-Jun?

—Last time, MianMian and I found Mo Xuanyu at the Mo Royal Manor. If he still hasn’t claimed his mother’s body, there’s a chance he’s there mourning her loss.

—I think the same —Wei Wuxian smiled, liking this man’s way of thinking—. It’s ridiculous to think that, no matter how crazy you are, if your mother dies, you wouldn’t want to go see her. It’s impossible.

—Then... —Nie Huaisang looked confused— Do you think his real whereabouts are at the Mo Royal Manor?

Wei Wuxian nodded. —It’s a strong possibility.

—Since he has only been missing for a few days —Lan Wangji agreed—, it would be best if I inform my brother of what we’ve discovered.

Wei Wuxian agreed. However, a squeaky voice desperately broke in:

—No, please, Hanguang-Jun —Nie Huaisang said fearfully—. The idea of confessing this to you wasn’t for it to be revealed; I’d rather it remain a secret, just as he asked me so many times.

—Let’s see, let’s see, Nie Huaisang —Wei Wuxian said—. Zewu-Jun also put us in charge of the palace on the condition that we come up with a search plan. If you keep hiding the truth, you’re contributing to the abuse.

He looked terribly confronted. —No. I... You know that’s the last thing I want!

—Then, take the risk —Lan Wangji added, catching his attention—. True help also involves making great sacrifices.

Nie Huaisang looked him in the eyes, a faint fear in his gaze. He lowered his head, feeling his shoulders tense and exhausted from struggling to hold onto something he no longer knew if he could bear. Somewhat distressed, he gave up, realizing that doing the right thing sometimes didn’t mean doing the easiest thing.

—Alright —he resigned—. I’ll do whatever it takes to save Mo Xuanyu and bring him back.

~~~

"Sun Palace"

Qishan Wen.

Around noon, in the dungeon area of Wen Palace, Jiang Cheng’s ankle was being treated.

—One more needle is needed to finish —Wen Qing added seriously—. Please make my job easier and give me your full cooperation.

Jiang Cheng was very tense and also bitter. She had already pricked almost his entire body. While most of the chosen areas were important points of spiritual energy, he didn’t understand why she also had to prick his head. He refused several times, but she still insisted it was fair and necessary.

—Take a deep breath and relax…

—No —he replied sharply—. I don’t want you to prick my head.

—It’s important.

—I told you no. You’ve already done enough by pricking my feet, my ankles, my legs, my arms… —Suddenly, a light tap on his head was felt, and his eyes flew wide open.

She had pricked him with the needle!

—Don’t move —she quickly warned him—. Relax.

Jiang Cheng had to admit that he didn’t feel anything, but that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to voice so many complaints, and in the end, he stayed silent while clenching his fists. It annoyed him that this woman went against his wishes.

—Don’t clench your fists, for heaven’s sake… —she insisted, trying to open them—. You’re interrupting the proper relaxation process.

—Pe-

—But nothing. Stay still, because otherwise, the therapy won’t work

They stayed like that for several minutes without saying a word.

The silence gradually became uncomfortable for him. However, Jiang Cheng decided to cooperate and swallow the irritation he was feeling. As a form of compensation, he observed the woman in more detail while she seemed busy, taking notes in a notebook. There, he noticed that she was wearing a black coat that covered most of her shoulders, along with a white dress with red stripes. On the other hand, her face showed fatigue, with noticeable dark circles, and the paleness of her lips stood out.

Her skin, as white as snow, reminded him of his Shijie.

“What could she be doing now?” he wondered, as he softened the harsh expression on his face.

After a few minutes, he felt it necessary to ask. —How long will this therapy take?

—Ideally, you should be relaxed, not asking when the session will end —she replied.

—I feel fine. The only problem I have is my foot.

—Your foot will get better —She stopped writing the last notes in her notebook and set it aside to give him her full attention—. I’m going to remove the needles. If any of them cause bleeding when I take them out, it could mean that part of your body is trying to tell you something. Okay?

—Trying to tell me something? This sounds like witchcraft.

She got close enough to one of them and said, —Ready?

Jiang Cheng let out a heavy sigh. It was only then that he felt something being withdrawn from his skin. He realized that his injured ankle had started to bleed.

—This is interesting —she told him while observing the affected area—. Here we can already see that it’s injured. —As she continued removing the other needles, Jiang Cheng only complained about the pain from the needles in his leg and right arm.

—Ouch, that really hurt —he complained.

—That could mean two things —she replied, placing the last acupuncture needle into a test tube—. First, you’re carrying too much stress, or you’re taking on responsibilities that aren’t yours.

—What do you mean?

—The right side of your body corresponds to responsibilities, while the left side corresponds to your emotions. Here we could clearly observe a small trickle of blood in your left ankle, indicating that, perhaps, in addition to being physically injured, you are also carrying all your worries, anger, and sadness in it.

—I just twisted it recently…

—Yes, but with the medicine I gave you yesterday, there’s hardly any swelling. Also, if the needles make the affected organ “bleed,” it means that you might be accumulating very strong negative emotions in your heart —Jiang Cheng frowned without questioning her. She continued—. I suppose those strong emotions stem from searching for your brother. Isn’t that right?

Jiang Cheng wasn’t in the mood to continue. Wen Qing realized she had hit the mark when she saw his facial expressions harden.

—Do you think he’s still in Yiling? —she added, breaking the silence.

—He’s been living there for four months —he replied—. He was supposed to arrive at our home in Yunmeng Jiang a few days ago, but he never did.

—So you decided to go search for him.

—I had to. If I had waited for the police in Yunmeng Jiang… who knows how much time we would have lost waiting for a response.

Wen Qing listened to him as she prepared to continue the treatment, using an anti-inflammatory gel to give his foot a gentle massage.

—You’re going to help me find him, right? You promised me —he reminded her.

—I’ll try. I have family in Yiling and can ask them to report the case. However, you must be patient. A missing person case takes time to resolve. For now, you are injured and need to take care of your health before moving forward.

—You don’t understand, Wei Wuxian could be suffering the worst misfortune in the world right now, and I’m here unable to help him.

—You’re already helping him by asking for my help —she said clearly—. For now, let yourself be helped and let’s focus on your recovery.

Jiang Cheng was outraged. —When do you plan to go to Yiling? —He needed to know.

Wen Qing remained silent for several minutes before saying, —Soon.

—Exactly how long are we talking about?

—Relax —she told him again, frowning—. When I travel to Yiling, I’ll let you know. For now, I’ll ask my brother to report Wei Wuxian’s case along with his personal information. That’s already doing quite a bit. Later, I’ll also file a report in Qishan Wen. Is that enough?

Hearing the strong and confident voice of that woman, Jiang Cheng did nothing but stay silent. Several minutes of silence made his time in the dungeon a bit uncomfortable. Right now, her giving him a foot massage felt extremely strange. He wasn’t used to being cared for by an unfamiliar woman, much less receiving such delicate treatment…

For a moment, he thought it was a good time to change the subject and stop feeling uncomfortable from the silence, but he couldn’t help but think of his Shijie again as he looked at the pale skin of the woman’s face beside him.

A kind of nostalgia swept through his mind. A slight guilt for seeing his older sister so sad before she left. During the painful memory, Jiang Cheng glanced at the maiden’s neck and had to look twice, thinking he saw two bruises.

Yes, they really were two bruises visible on the lower part of her neck near the collarbone. He was surprised. What could have happened to her? He didn’t remember seeing anything like that the last time.

—I’ll make you an ankle brace —she told him.

When she proceeded to make him an ankle brace, he felt even more uncomfortable because it was too tight. —Careful, it hurts if you tighten it —She adjusted the bandage. As she continued, Jiang Cheng focused on watching her in silence until she finished.

—Done. That’s all for now. I’m sure the injury will heal in less than a week with the anti-inflammatory medicine and proper rehabilitation.

Jiang Cheng watched her gather everything and stand up. —What happened to your neck? —he suddenly decided to ask—. I didn’t see those bruises before.

She turned to look at him as a natural reaction, then covered the evidence with her hand. —No, it’s nothing. I just hit myself by accident.

—By accident? With what? Doesn’t it hurt?

—It’s already being treated —She put her medical supplies away in her case without giving details. When she finished, she looked at him and said—. I need you to stay here and not show yourself too much. It’s better to keep a low profile until you can walk.

—What? How long are you going to keep me locked up? I want to leave.

—I understand you —she said seriously—. But there’s nowhere else to go, and your health is the most important thing. Calm down; as you improve, you’ll be able to go out sooner if you follow the treatment to the letter.

Jiang Cheng frowned at all these restrictions. While it was true that she had been helping him since the accident, there was a possibility that it was a way to keep him locked up for no reason. He was beginning to doubt.

—Trust me —she asked him—. If I really wanted to harm you, I would have abandoned you a long time ago.

—Wen Qing! —Unexpectedly, the woman’s eyes widened when she heard that male voice call her name. Nervousness spread through her limbs, and she looked extremely pale.

—What’s wrong? —Jiang Cheng could see it.

Quickly, she took off the black coat she had draped over her shoulders and pressed it against his chest. —Quick, put it on and cover your face. Don’t let yourself be seen under any circumstances.

“--Wen Qing!”

Jiang Cheng heard his name mentioned again by that unknown man, and he was closer than they had expected. He took notice and wore the coat that had been given to him. During the process, Jiang Cheng’s impression grew even stronger when he saw that the woman’s shoulders also bore clear bruises on her skin, visible at a glance, making him realize that those bruises were not exactly accidental. He knew that this did not bode well.

“What had happened to her during the entire night that they hadn’t seen each other?”

“—Don’t make a sound —she ordered—. Keep your head down, I will leave.”

“Jiang Cheng didn’t say anything else. For her to have left in such a hurry, locking the cell, meant that the person coming could be dangerous.”

“—Wow… Just look at this… I finally find you… —At that moment, he realized that Wen Qing couldn’t disappear when a man dressed in scarlet red approached her, arriving right in front of the cell—. You’re good at hiding, darling. For a moment, I imagined that you always want to disappear from my sight.”

She shook her head while lowering her gaze. By then, Jiang Cheng could catch a glimpse of how the man seemed to be someone very close to her, given that he dared to invade her personal space in that way. The man was naturally taller and had a refined appearance. His hairstyle was meticulously styled, typical of a pampered child of royalty. His deep, strong voice sounded somewhat sarcastic and ironic to him.

“—What did I tell you about having breakfast early to go to my brother’s wedding rehearsal? —the man asked, daring to stroke the left side of her head, while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear—. I don’t want to think that you’re disobeying me, darling.”

“—I’m not —she said firmly—. I was doing my job, tending to one of the inmates. Now that I’m finished, we can go.”

After listening to her, Wen Chao turned his gaze toward the inmate in the cell where they were standing. His expression turned bitter when he saw that man, utterly unrecognizable, wearing a black coat that covered every part of his face and body. He remained silent for several seconds, watching him with suspicion.

“—Who is this guy? —he finally asked.”

“—He’s an inmate who’s been here for a while —she explained—. Don’t you remember last month when he tried to pass himself off as one of the guards and turned out to be a private spy that Wen Xu managed to catch?”

Jiang Cheng listened to her and knew immediately that she was lying. Who was this man? Why did she have to lie to him about his identity? Was he not supposed to know? He didn’t dare look in that direction again. In fact, he remained still, motionless, with his arms at his sides and his legs tense, waiting for the man to turn around and leave.

“—Didn’t you say you didn’t want to be late for your brother’s wedding rehearsal? —she said right after, urging him—. Come on, let’s not waste any more time.” She took his hand and started walking.

“—Hey, hey —Wen Chao interrupted her action as he stepped closer to the cell—. What’s your name?”

Jiang Cheng remained silent. What should he say? Should he give his name?

“—Hey, what’s your name? —Wen Chao raised his voice at his delay—. I’m talking to you. I mean you, inmate.”

“—Jiang Cheng —he replied.”

Wen Qing felt her whole body tremble when she heard Jiang Cheng give his real name. She quickly looked at Wen Chao, who wore a face of complete confusion.

“—We have to go —she said to him immediately, then tugged him by the arm—. It’s getting late. You know how furious your brother’s fiancée gets if we delay the wedding rehearsal. She’ll go completely crazy, and you know very well that you hate being blamed for being irresponsible.” Wen Chao heard her perfectly, but he seemed to ignore her.

After a couple of minutes of silence, as if analyzing her words, Wen Chao took a more relaxed stance and then said, “Alright, alright, woman. Let’s go. I don’t want to waste any more time looking at an idiot like this.”

Jiang Cheng frowned when he heard him being called an idiot.

“What the hell was wrong with him?”

He didn’t like this guy at all anymore.

“—What terrible taste, woman… —he dared to whisper, reflecting a bit more on whether he hadn’t done the right thing by revealing his name.”

Wen Qing didn’t seem comfortable with that.

Chapter Text

"Qishan Wen Railway Station"

Qishan Wen.

That morning, unfortunately, Jiang Yanli couldn’t find the name of her A-Xian in the book where she had found Jiang Cheng’s name.

She only had the clue that Jiang Cheng must be in this country. She didn’t want to think that the arrival ticket records might be incomplete due to the disappointment of not finding satisfactory answers. She sighed. After spending so much time in that registration office, she preferred to leave when she believed she was done.

“—I told you none of this was going to be a good idea.”

“—And what do you want me to do? Throw everything overboard after I’ve already made progress?”

Jiang Yanli overheard a sort of “conversation” between the two detectives outside the ticket control. She didn’t understand what was happening with either of them, but she could see that the conversation was far from friendly.

“—Do you think it’s a good idea to continue with this? We’ve already found the clue we were looking for; we don’t need to take any more risks.”

“—I’ll ask you again: Do you want me to throw everything overboard after I’ve already made progress?”

As that conversation showed no signs of stopping, Jiang Yanli approached. “Guys,” she said softly.

The two men turned to look at her with bitter expressions. It was only afterward that they put some distance between them, slightly easing the tension of the moment.

“—What’s happening? —she asked with a hint of worry—. Did something bad happen?”

“—Princess… —Jin Zixun spoke first, moderating his tone, which had become agitated during the argument—. It’s nothing. We were just discussing the next step to take now that we are certain her younger brother is in Qishan Wen. Nothing to worry about.”

Jiang Yanli looked at him, then turned her gaze toward Detective Jin Zixun, who had turned his head away, a noticeable bitterness on his face.

“—The recommended course of action for now is to inform the Yunmeng Jiang police station about the progress we’ve made. Don’t worry —Jin Zixun continued, feigning a smile—. Rest assured, we will proceed with the case as soon as we get a response from them.”

Jiang Yanli heard him perfectly but felt disappointed. Weren’t they going to move forward with the case on their own? Why did they have to wait for a response from the Yunmeng Jiang police station? It seemed unnecessary to her, given the little time they had.

“—I’ll call a taxi to return to the hostel —Jin Zixun asked for permission and left. He didn’t ask if it was already time to go; he simply did, leaving them alone.”

Jin Zixun had already seen it coming. He was upset, and rightly so. Jin Zixun’s fears of returning to Qishan Wen were delaying the case and the chance to complete the mission as quickly as possible. The main objective now was to find Jiang Cheng’s whereabouts, since they had confirmed, he had arrived in this country.

“—Detective Jin… —suddenly, he heard the young lady’s voice, tinged with worry—. What’s happening? Aren’t we going to continue with the mission now that we’ve found more clues?”

He sighed, closing his eyes. “Come on,” he said, taking a step forward. “Let’s go somewhere cooler to continue the search.”

Jiang Yanli felt excited when she heard him.

She just wanted to continue the search without so many “buts.”

She didn’t need anything else.

~~~

When they left the train station, they entered what seemed to be a boulevard: there was too much noise everywhere; street vendors wandered about, shouting and offering their products to every person passing by. However, despite the crowds and the noise being stressful, not to mention the intense heat of the sun on the red earth, Jin Zixun had his focus solely on his cousin, who was already talking to the taxi driver in the distance.

When they got close enough to him, Jin Zixun didn’t miss the opportunity to ask to speak with him again in private, away from the presence of Miss Jiang and the driver.

“—Can you tell me what you’re doing? —he asked seriously, looking him straight in the eyes—. Stop acting like a coward and understand that we need to continue with the next step, which is finding his whereabouts. It’s the only thing left for us to complete the mission.”

“—I already told you I won’t do it —Jin Zixun said angrily—. I won’t do anything that compromises my integrity as a detective in this country. I told you from the beginning, and I’ll tell you again now: I NEVER wanted to come to Qishan Wen.”

“—You’re already here —he replied—. What will you do now? Are you going to back down? Since when is your integrity more important than our reputation and professional ethics? If you came here, you must face the consequences.”

“—I’ve already helped you confirm that Jiang Cheng is here —he continued, defending his stance—. What more do you want? Do you want us to go to the nearest Qishan Wen police station to ask about him? In case you’ve forgotten, we’re being hunted. So I completely refuse.”

Jin Zixun growled. His fists clenched as he felt fury coursing through his veins.

“—Do you want me to tell you what will happen if we get caught? —Jin Zixun continued, sensing his displeasure—. Forget about coming out alive. Don’t for a second think they’ll show us any mercy. What will you do with Miss Jiang if we happen to leave her alone? Of course, nothing. And just so you’re clear, Jin Zixun, I will not allow her to suffer the consequences of us walking into the lion’s den.”

“—That’s our job —he replied firmly—. In case you’ve forgotten, we walked into the lion’s den from the very moment we both decided to take the case. Besides, I remind you that it was YOU who agreed to let her come with us without consulting me. You knew very well the risks this mission entailed. Are you regretting it now?”

“—Yes, that’s true —Jin Zixun nodded twice—. I knew the risks, and I’m still aware of them. That’s why I think we shouldn’t take any more chances.”

“—And what will you do? Will you abandon me?”

“—No —he stepped aside—. But I’ll stay on the sidelines, because I do value my life. And I don’t want to lose it due to a stupid mistake in case we get discovered.” He brushed past him, deliberately bumping his shoulder as he headed straight toward the taxi waiting for him.

There, Jin Zixun watched him walk away, truly outraged. His intention had simply been to invite Miss Jiang to take a seat in the back of the car.

“—But… —she said, feeling confused by Jin Zixun’s actions—. Aren’t we going to continue the search for A-Cheng?”

“—Of course, princess —he said, not intending to elaborate—. However, for now, we need to take care of some paperwork. Let’s take this moment to rest and… —he raised both eyebrows with a half-smile—. I’ll treat you to lunch. A good reason to celebrate this new discovery. How about it?”

Jiang Yanli heard his invitation, along with the joy reflected in his eyes that didn’t match the moment at all, and she realized it was an excuse to avoid the mission.

Of course, she didn’t say anything. She smiled slightly at his proposal, but quickly turned her gaze toward Detective Jin Zixun, who had now approached them, taking Jin Zixun by the arm.

“—I’ll go my own way —he said harshly, catching his cousin’s attention—. I’ll continue looking for more clues. See you later.” After gathering his pride and deciding to leave, he let go of him abruptly, making it clear that he would go on his own. By then, Jiang Yanli felt uneasy watching him leave, for she had heard perfectly well what she wanted to hear.

“—Don’t worry about him —Jin Zixun ignored him completely, pointing to the back of the car—. After you, princess.”

She looked hesitant. She didn’t want to refuse his invitation, but her strongest desire was to keep searching for clues…

“—Huh? What are you doing?” he asked her as he watched her walk away from the car.

“—Excuse me, Zixun,” she said, putting her hands together in a pleading gesture. “But I have to look for more clues for my brother. I’ll go with Detective Jin, and then we can have lunch later.” Without waiting any longer, she gave a brief nod, lifted her dress slightly, and ran off toward where Jin Zixun had gone.

“—Tsk. Damn it!” Jin Zixun slammed the car door he had opened, clearly frustrated.

“—Hey,” the driver said upon seeing that aggressive act. “If you really want the service, don’t slam the door like that. If anything happens, you’ll be responsible for the damage.”

“—Alright, alright. It won’t happen again, old man,” Jin Zixun said, rolling his eyes before turning his unfriendly gaze toward where Miss Jiang had gone, practically disappearing from sight.

~~~

“—Detective Jin! Detective Jin!”

Hearing the calls repeatedly, Jin Zixun turned around and saw Miss Jiang running toward him, nearly tripping. She would have hit the ground if he hadn’t quickly caught her by the arm. “—What are you doing? Are you alright?” he asked.

She nodded repeatedly, panting as she said, “—Please, let me go with you. I also want to look for more clues. I have to do it now, my younger brother is probably somewhere in Qishan Wen…” Her voice sounded like a fast-playing recording. It was clear she was exhausted from running, on top of the intense heat radiating from the midday sun.

“—Let’s find a place to buy some water. We’ll talk about everything else later,” he replied.

After finding a kiosk selling drinking water, they took shelter under its roof, sitting at a table to refresh themselves. They were in the shade, but the sun was so strong that the coolness of the place was hardly noticeable. Jin Zixun could no longer keep his golden jacket on; he set it on the table and fanned himself with one hand, listening to everything happening around them.

In the haze of a possible heatstroke, he watched every person passing through the boulevard, especially the street vendors. He couldn’t understand how some of them didn’t even use anything to protect their bodies from the ultraviolet rays. Most of them were wearing only sleeveless shirts, risking heatstroke.

“—Extra! Extra! Today’s paper! Get two for the price of one!”

“—The Red Newspaper! With the hottest news of the past few days!”

They rang their handbells incessantly to attract attention. The vendors continued selling newspapers to everyone passing by, and at that moment, Jin Zixun remembered the time he had tried his luck working for the Wen dynasty in his first year as a private detective.

It was an opportunity that had come up suddenly, and Jin Zixun accompanied him to try his luck and gain experience. However, things quickly became complicated when he discovered widespread corruption involving dangerous spiritual artifacts in the Wen palace. These objects seemed useful for dark energy. Wen Rouhan and his sons were misusing that power to gain more reputation, prestige, and authority.

Jin Zixun realized that they had no good intentions. With the power of dark energy in their hands, they did as they pleased, and he could no longer stay silent. That was when he decided to escape with his cousin and return to Yunmeng Jiang.

Magic was frowned upon. At the time, Jin Zixun thought that the Qishan Wen government was using illicit and esoteric methods to maintain the country’s power, not to mention other forms of deception and corruption within the Wen Palace that were rarely discussed.

Their escape was disastrous for all of them, as he was supposed to continue working, serving the Wen dynasty until his last breath, with the only condition being that he remain silent.

When Wen Rouhan’s sons learned of the betrayal, they considered him a high-profile criminal under the regime—and, of course, Jin Zixun was included as well. Both became the most wanted private detectives throughout Qishan Wen. Although a couple of years had passed since then, at that moment, Jin Zixun thought that perhaps his cousin hadn’t been entirely wrong in saying that going to the authorities of Qishan Wen would be worse than suicide.

If Wen Chao or Wen Xu found out that they were in their territory after all this time, it wouldn’t be a good idea. Besides, with Miss Jiang under his care—who seemed far too fragile despite her insistence that she could take care of herself—it wouldn’t be right to take the risk and leave things to chance.

“—Can you believe that?”—suddenly, he heard a woman speaking to another nearby—“The first heir of the Wen Palace, Wen Xu, is getting married this weekend. His wedding will surely be the biggest of all time.”

“—Unbelievable. Wen Xu is such a handsome man, although, honestly, I don’t find the bride very attractive…”

“—Oh, yes… I think the same, dear. What was her name again?”

“—Wang Lingjiao.”

“—How awful… To me, that woman looks like a second-rate commoner with no natural beauty whatsoever… And with that name, it sounds like they dragged her out of the most dangerous neighborhood in Qishan Wen.”

“—What could the handsome Prince Wen Xu have seen in her? Could it be that she offered herself to him during one of those casual bachelor outings, and he decided to make her his wife? Hahaha!”

The laughter between the two women was loud as they mocked the future wife of the president’s eldest son. Jin Zixun found that information interesting. Ever since he had left, he had been completely unaware of what had become of that fool Wen Xu—and also of his younger brother, Wen Chao.

“—At least Wen Chao’s fiancée seems promising… And that’s saying something, considering that guy is hideous.”

The other girl widened her eyes as she remembered something. “—There’s a rumor going around that the Goddess of Medicine, Wen Qing, fell madly in love with Wen Chao and that they’re the perfect couple.”

“—Not so perfect, I’ll tell you…”

While they continued gossiping, Jin Zixun couldn’t risk missing the chance to learn more about the subject. He rose from his seat and approached them politely, removing his cap. “—Greetings, lovely ladies,” he said with a slight bow, an action that immediately caught both their attention. He cleared his throat. “I apologize for arriving unannounced, but I couldn’t help overhearing the recent news about the heirs of the Wen Palace… Is it true that they’ll be getting married very soon?”

They exchanged glances upon hearing him ask about something that had been rumored throughout the streets. However, their gazes didn’t seem focused on the topic itself; rather, they lingered on his appearance.

It was true that it was very hot, but this man looked like a beautiful angel carved by the gods themselves, the white shirt clinging perfectly to his body. Both of their cheeks flushed, unable to resist being captivated by his loosely tied hair, tousled from the heat, and the dark brown of his eyes, shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

“—What do you want to know, handsome?” one of them asked with a sly smile. “Sit with us. That way we can talk more comfortably…”

“—Don’t worry,” Jin Zixun said with a slight smile, lowering his head a bit at hearing the word “handsome.” He knew the kind of impression he had made. “I just want to know if the rumors are true.”

“—Wen Xu is getting married soon, this weekend,” replied the other, calmer woman. “However, Wen Chao hasn’t yet. It’s said that he will surely do so soon. The Wen dynasty doesn’t waste any time.”

“—I heard that man will be marrying Miss Wen Qing… Is that correct?”

They both looked at each other and nodded.

“—Although,” said the calmer one, “it’s still uncertain if that’s true. Recently, she was seen leaving one of the public clinics with someone else, almost holding hands.”

“—Oh yes,” the other girl added, with the same sly smile. “That guy she was seen leaving with is way more handsome than the heirs, I’m telling you. He’s exquisite—just like you,” she said, winking at him.

“—Li Hua!” the calmer one scolded her. “My sincerest apologies, but you must understand that my friend is a bit… overexcited…”

“—Hey! You’ll scare off the handsome man with your lies!”

Hearing them argue out of embarrassment, Jin Zixun let out a slight smile—one of those rare smiles that appeared only when something amused him. His luck with women was noticeable, though if he truly cared… that would be a different story.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yanli had been watching the entire interaction he was having with the girls, and she felt somewhat unsettled seeing him smile. She was surprised. What could they be talking about to make him smile like that? Her curiosity got the better of her, weakening her initial intention of leaving him alone. She got down, set her purple hat on the table, and approached.

“—Hello…” she whispered, clasping her hands over her dress, finally smiling. “What are you talking about?” Jin Zixun cleared his throat, averting his gaze slightly, while the other girls exchanged glances. An awkward silence filled the conversation, which had been going so smoothly moments before. Jiang Yanli noticed this and continued, “—Sorry for interrupting. I just wanted to join back and…” She glanced at Detective Jin and realized that his smile had disappeared.

She didn’t continue. Feeling a pang of sadness, she thought she wasn’t welcome. She lowered her gaze and asked permission to leave. That’s when a hand stopped her. She looked up at the person holding her, and it was then that Jin Zixun explained the topic of conversation before letting her go.

The girls at the table also explained to her what had been said about both Wen heirs, as well as the supposed infidelity of the Goddess of Medicine.

“—Infidelity?” she asked, feeling a pang of sympathy. “Really? Oh… How terrible. Poor guy.”

“—Poor guy?” the bolder one laughed. “He’s on the front page. Wen Chao should be ashamed for not being as handsome as this stud.” She grabbed the newspaper from the table and showed it to her. “See? This man is gorgeous. Don’t you think he’d make a better boyfriend for Miss Wen?”

Both of them laughed, finding the younger heir’s misfortune amusing. Miss Wen Qing was very beautiful, so Wen Chao had to stay alert in case she got the chance to be with more handsome men. Although the news was a sensation from any perspective—a topic straight out of the gossip columns—something unusual happened.

Jiang Yanli wasn’t smiling.

As she leaned closer to the newspaper to take a better look at the photo printed on the page, a slight tremor became evident in her hands.

“—Miss Jiang?” Jin Zixun asked, having turned his attention to her. “What’s the matter?”

Her fingers slid over the face of the man standing beside that Wen Qing. Her hands trembled more and more as her breathing grew heavier.

“—He is…”

“—What’s wrong?” the bold woman asked, seeing her frozen in place.

“—He is my brother…”

Jin Zixun couldn’t help but find the matter strange and, indeed, confirmed it when he looked more closely at the male face beside Miss Wen Qing in the newspaper. “Suspicious infidelity of Miss Wen Qing after leaving the Peace and Love Clinic with a handsome young stranger…” As he read the lead of the article, he noticed how Miss Jiang grew increasingly restless.

“—It’s him… It’s him, and he’s beside the fiancée of one of the Wen heirs…”

Jin Zixun watched the situation grow complicated right before his eyes. Of all the citizens and places that made up Qishan Wen… how had Jiang Cheng ended up beside Miss Wen Qing?

Suddenly, he lifted his gaze toward his surroundings, and by chance, he saw several figures dressed in red passing by together. His eyes locked directly with one of the Wen guards patrolling the area.

He didn’t know what came over him, but he grabbed Miss Jiang by the hand and pulled her out of there. Without waiting a single moment, he grabbed her belongings from the table and took her to another spot, far from the guards’ sight. Along the way, he stumbled upon one of the wandering newspaper vendors and snatched a paper from him.

“—HEY! NO! COME BACK AND PAY ME! GUARDS! I’VE BEEN ROBBED! I’VE BEEN ROBBED!”

The entire route turned into a spectacle as the old vendor’s shouts alerted the crowd to a supposed thief among them. Despite the commotion, Jin Zixun didn’t stop for a moment.

He didn’t care whether Miss Jiang could keep up while running aimlessly. He simply focused on dodging and pushing past anyone who got in their way, determined to disappear from sight.

“—Hey, stop! Halt! Qishan Wen Police!”

Jin Zixun ignored everything in his path. He didn’t care to hear the police taking charge of the chaos. To make matters worse, among the crowd were a few people with black boxes hanging from their necks—apparently cameras—trying to capture the story of a supposed thief among them.

Unaware of everything happening around him, Jin Zixun quickly took the busiest path to disappear into the other parts of the boulevard. His goal was simply to blend into the crowd, pushing past anyone in his way, until he turned the corner of one of the lonelier sections and found an empty alley with a tall mural that blocked visibility from the outside.

He pulled Miss Jiang into the alley, forcing her to lean her back against the wall while he positioned himself directly in front of her, trapping her with one arm and raising his other index finger to signal her to be silent.

Confused by what had happened and ridiculously trapped next to him due to an escape whose reason she couldn’t even begin to understand, Jiang Yanli felt the heat of their bodies suffocating them from being so close.

With their chests nearly touching, she realized that the space where they were hiding wasn’t very large. She didn’t know what to do next as she focused on his dark eyes, which glimmered strangely even in the shadows.

For her, she lost track of how much time had passed while being so close. The only sound she heard was the newspaper and the golden jacket hitting the ground as he released them. Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the alley, where the authorities’ displeasure could be heard as they ordered the search for the supposed thieves.

She trembled, her chest heaving at the horrible feeling of being hunted like a suspected criminal, and for a moment she felt the urge to move—perhaps to flee, perhaps not. The truth was, she didn’t know what to do. However, the closeness between them caught her attention again when Jin Zixun raised his index finger, signaling her to stay silent—and therefore, to remain still in his arms.

In fact, he didn’t miss the chance to repeat it. “—Calm down,” he whispered softly near the edge of her ear so she could hear him clearly. “Nothing will happen to you as long as I’m with you.”

She swallowed slowly and then lowered her gaze, feeling the warm breath near her ear.

After an unknown amount of time, silence filled the alley. By then, Jin Zixun deemed it important to put some distance between them, while still signaling her to remain quiet. “—Please. Don’t move from here,” he whispered. He then moved aside, peeking toward the alley’s exit to see if the officers had finally left.

Jiang Yanli was still processing what had happened, even though he had broken the closeness between their bodies. It seemed the danger had passed, but she remained motionless, a relentless tremor running through her legs and coursing through her entire body up to her chest

“How uncomfortable,” she thought as she dared to glance with her caramel-colored eyes at Detective Jin, who remained peeking out, making sure the danger had passed—completely calm, unlike her.

Jiang Yanli finally lowered her gaze at a strange sigh that brought her a sense of calm, noticing the newspaper lying at her feet along with the golden jacket.

“—It seems they’ve gone,” he said seriously. “However, we must stay alert. We can’t be too careless.” He turned his gaze back to her, noticing that she now held the newspaper in her hands, the golden jacket still draped over one of her arms. He realized her pulse was still restless, her hands trembling, clearly very frightened. “—Miss Jiang…”

“—It’s him,” she said, still unable to process seeing her brother on the front page. “What does this mean?” She lifted her gaze to his eyes. “—Is he in danger?”

Jin Zixun didn’t know what to say. Whether he was in danger or not, he couldn’t tell. However, he couldn’t ignore that if Jiang Cheng was close to one of the country’s most important political figures, like Wen Qing, it meant something serious.

“—Is that why we ran?” she asked, still not understanding what had just happened. “Something bad is happening with you all in this country… isn’t it?”

“—It’s not what you think,” Jin Zixun immediately defended himself and, in a somewhat insolent—or rather, hasty—attempt to fix things, tried to take the newspaper from her without asking. But she pulled it away before he could. “—Miss Jiang,” he frowned at her resistance, “give it to me.”

“—You didn’t pay for it,” she replied seriously. “Detective Jin… what you’re doing is wrong.”

“—That doesn’t matter right now. This is an important clue. We’ve already discovered exactly where Jiang Cheng is. The next step is to carefully study the situation and see how we can proceed now that he’s allied with the Wen government.” He tried to take the newspaper from her again, but she completely refused, hiding it behind her back. “—What are you doing?” he seemed outraged by her immature behavior. “Stop playing games—I’m not playing. So, give me the newspaper.”

She refused again, and that’s when Jin Zixun tried to reach for the newspaper hidden behind her back. Just as he managed to grasp it, Jiang Yanli pressed herself further against the wall, preventing him from pulling his hand back and making it even harder for him to get the newspaper.

Jin Zixun grew annoyed at her stubbornness. He tried to pull his hand away from her back, but she wouldn’t allow it, pressing herself against the wall. In doing so, their gazes met again, now closer than before, and they remained in silence, staring into each other’s eyes

“—You being here… means trouble, doesn’t it?” she asked again, staring directly into his eyes, where he seemed to show displeasure. “—Don’t try to deny it. I heard Detective Zixun talk about something similar with you. I could see a strange fear in your eyes that I’ve never seen before. And now you’re running… It can’t be just a coincidence.”

“—It’s difficult to explain,” he replied, not wanting her to continue. “The only thing I need right now is the newspaper.”

“—I have time,” she replied immediately. “Only then will I give you the newspaper.”

Jin Zixun grew even more annoyed at her condition. “—If you want an answer, the only thing I’ll say is that I warned you this journey could be difficult. You insisted, you were willing—now face the consequences.” He then stepped back, unwilling to remain so close to her, completely giving up on retrieving the piece of recycled paper she had hidden behind her back.

She watched him isolate himself with that unfriendly attitude, but she didn’t feel upset about it, much less about the warning he had given. Instead, she became thoughtful, sensing a hint of resentment in his voice, and—contradictory as it seemed—she also detected a trace of concern.

This last part was barely perceptible—almost nonexistent—but she could hear it, and she could easily describe it as concern disguised as bitterness.

“—It’s best to return to the hostel and report Jiang Cheng’s new whereabouts to the Yunmeng Jiang authorities. Surely, Jin Zixun has already received a response from the Yunmeng Jiang police station.” Jin Zixun distanced himself enough, turning his back. “—Let’s stop wasting time and go.”

“—No,” she replied.

“—Excuse me?” He turned to look at her, his tone tinged with noticeable bitterness. “—May I ask why you’re contradicting me now? Aren’t you tired of going against me?”

“—We have to do what’s right,” she said, ignoring his complaints, and pulled a small coin purse from her lilac dress. “I’ll pay the man for the newspaper. If you don’t want to do the right thing, please don’t interrupt me.” She walked straight to him, handed over the golden jacket, and then headed directly toward the exit.

Jin Zixun was taken aback, clearly surprised. Receiving his jacket back in that manner, of course, didn’t sit well with him.

Before she could reach the alley’s exit, he gripped her hand firmly, preventing her from carrying out her plan. “—I won’t allow you to go alone. Didn’t you understand anything that just happened? It’s dangerous.”

“—Then you can take care of it and pay for the newspaper you ‘borrowed,’ like the good citizen of Yunmeng Jiang that you are,” Jiang Yanli said, handing him the newspaper while he looked at her, puzzled. “—You’re a detective, not a thief. So please, do the right thing.”

Chapter Text

Hidden in a tailor’s shop, Jin Zixuan couldn’t believe that Miss Jiang had forced him to pay for a newspaper that had no value whatsoever. Qishan Wen was no game. He understood her point of view about being an exemplary citizen, but in this country it didn’t matter. Here, manners didn’t matter, and the citizens of Qishan Wen were the exact replica of those who ruled the country.

His intention was never to steal but remembering the past—and the fact that they were risking being seen by the Wen guards—he definitely chose to escape without considering the consequences. Besides, he had in mind that this trip was meant to be short, so he needed the newspaper to study and better analyze the facts of how they might go after Jiang Cheng now that he was in the company of Miss Wen Qing.

Hidden in a sewing shop, where various fabrics of different colors were sold, Jin Zixuan stared intently at Miss Jiang, who had approached the old vendor to finally pay him.

“—Don’t do it again! Next time I’ll press charges if you leave without paying, and the full law of Qishan Wen will fall upon you! Let that be clear, young lady!”

Jiang Yanli only smiled with incredible patience as she listened to the old vendor’s fury. Jin Zixuan frowned at the man’s unfriendly behavior toward her. He didn’t like it, but it was already time to leave. So his next thought fell on her and the fact that they needed to get out of there. She had already paid. What was she waiting for?

“You already paid him, get out of there,” he thought as he grew impatient watching her nod at the man.

“—Greetings, sir,” a young lady who worked in the sewing shop suddenly approached him kindly. “Do you need anything?”

“—No, thank you,” Jin Zixuan declined without turning to look at her.

“—Oh… Then… what are you doing here? If you need anything, I can help you.”

“—I already told you no, please, stop—” He suddenly fell silent when he saw a pair of guards pass right in front of the shop: two men dressed in red, patrolling the area with weapons in their hands. Jin Zixuan immediately hid among a cascade of colorful hanging fabrics, managing to conceal his face just in time. However, his relief was short-lived when he realized that each of them was heading straight toward where Miss Jiang was.

“—Hey, sir… What’s going on? What are you doing?!” The young saleswoman was frightened when Jin Zixuan grabbed several of the hanging fabrics and pulled them, taking the most vividly colored one with him.

He took a large amount of money from his wallet and handed it to her without looking back. “—Please, take the change.” He said nothing else. He left the shop, covering his head with the fabrics, and hurried stealthily toward where Miss Jiang was.

He hid behind a column in the crowd and tried to get a view of the surroundings where the woman was— the place where she seemed to be smiling during the conversation she was still having with the old vendor—unaware that the Wen guards were patrolling the area.

Jin Zixuan couldn’t understand her carelessness. The plan was to pay and leave, not linger talking about trivial matters. He couldn’t find a way to get over there without being seen and bring her back. His right hand touched the inner pocket of his golden jacket, where he kept a hidden weapon

In the middle of the pleasant conversation Jiang Yanli was having with the old man, a bold hand reached out to touch her shoulder from behind. Without warning, she was abruptly spun around. In that instant, her eyes met those of an imposing guard dressed in red, wielding a sharp weapon and wearing a stern expression on his face.

“—Were you the woman who stole a little while ago?”

She felt a bit intimidated by his deep voice. Nonetheless, she remained calm and said, “—Greetings, sir.” She gave a slight nod as a bow. “—As for earlier, it was a misunderstanding. Mr. Zhang and I have already resolved it…”

“—She’s right! Stop interfering, guards! I don’t need you anymore! I don’t need you anymore! Go away!”

“—Not until you answer a few questions,” said the man, his gaze filled with palpable seriousness. “Where is the man who was with you earlier?”

“—Who?” she asked him.

“—The man who ran off with you. Where is he?”

“—Oh…” She became worried as she remembered Jin Zixuan, who was hiding in a sewing shop. She knew she shouldn’t tell the truth. Placing her hand on her chest at the thought, she said, “—He hurt me a little while ago. I’d like to know where he is, just like you. That man caused me a lot of pain in my wrist when he tried to force me to escape with him… I… I don’t even know him. I almost believed he was going to do me serious harm.” Her eyes glistened slightly, her voice tinged with emotion. “—I wanted to ask for your help, guard. I want you to find him. He attacked me, and I don’t want to suffer any more abuse from him…”

“—Weren’t you with him?”

She shook her head, letting a tear fall. “—No… Please, guard. Help me find him…”

“—Which direction did you see him go? I need you to give me an answer.”

She pointed toward the depths, the place they hadn’t gone yet. Minutes later, the guard nodded. He turned to his companion to go investigate those locations.

“—That’s it! Get lost! You do nothing when it matters! Why come now!” shouted the old man. Then he turned toward where the young lady had been to continue the conversation, but his surprise grew even more when she disappeared. “—Huh? Young lady? Where did you go?!”

Jiang Yanli had run off as soon as the guard turned away. She spotted Detective Jin hiding behind a column. “—Detective Jin…” She approached, one hand holding her hat to keep it from falling, the other trying to lift her dress so it wouldn’t get dirty.

“—Why the delay? The plan was to pay the old man and be done. Not to linger talking with him,” Jin Zixuan said, grabbing her wrist with great seriousness. “—Let’s go. We’ve already wasted too much time.”

~~~

"Red Hostel"

Qishan Wen

After experiencing a rollercoaster of intense emotions, they both returned to the hostel, the place where they were staying.

Jin Zixuan paid for the taxi ride and closed the car door after Jiang Yanli got out. During the entire trip, Jin Zixuan reflected on how he had forgotten how terrible it was to be pursued. That, not to mention the headaches he got when he was mentally exhausted.

On the other hand, Jiang Yanli also felt tired. She had uncovered more clues about Jiang Cheng than she had expected, but she wasn’t sure if the discovery was a positive one. Now, with the added problem that both Detectives Jin had pending matters with the Wen government, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy that this mishap might be a sign they would abandon the search halfway.

“—I ask you to go into the hostel,” he said without looking at her as he took the pipe out of his front pocket.

From his attitude and the way, he approached her, Jiang Yanli once again felt that she was not welcome to engage in conversation. Although she understood his displeasure, he was not the only one going through this situation.

“—Detective Jin… can we talk?” she dared to say.

“—I told you to go into the hostel,” he replied as soon as he turned toward her, pointing to the entrance. “—Is it that difficult? Or are you going to oppose me again?”

His voice was frank and direct. He was not willing to talk to her in any way. By that time, Jiang Yanli lowered her gaze and said softly, “—I just wanted to tell you that it wasn’t my intention to make you worry. I was trying to be kind to the gentleman…”

“—In case you haven’t noticed, kindness doesn’t exist here. You took too great a risk just to return some money that wouldn’t make anyone poorer. I dare say you didn’t even notice the Wen guards near you. And now you come and tell me it wasn’t your intention to make me worry?”

Jiang Yanli didn’t know what to say, feeling confronted and vulnerable. She usually avoided arguments because she didn’t like them. She always liked to mediate, seeing both points of view. He was right to feel worried, but it wasn’t that serious… was it? “—Detective Jin… I… My intention was always to help. I just wanted you to also…”

“—Next time, you will do as I say. Understand?” Jin Zixuan interrupted, not letting her finish. “—I told you from the beginning not to get in my way.”

“—Detective Jin, I… I didn’t…”

“—Are you going to keep going against me?” She looked him straight in the eyes. He continued, “—Did you have any way to protect yourself from those guards in case you were caught? Tell me.” Jiang Yanli lowered her gaze at his words, unable to bear seeing the disappointment on his face. He went on, “—You were the one who told me you would do as I said, so I ask that from now on, you do not interfere in my decisions. You are one of us. You must act as such, and not as a burden, as you so promised me when you came here.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “—What? Was I a burden?” Jin Zixuan turned his back on her. She continued, “—Am I a burden?” She kept asking as she watched him adopt such a rude attitude of ignoring her. “—I thought… despite all the bad… our discovery was fruitful…”

“—A breakthrough that could have been destroyed at any moment due to your carelessness.” He closed his eyes sharply. “—I don’t want it to happen again. If you’re going to be by my side, behave like one of us. Let me remind you that I am the leader here, and you are just a client. As I told you from the beginning, we came to work, not on a vacation plan. Do not interfere, or I will dismiss the case and we will return to Yunmeng Jiang with nothing.” Jin Zixuan didn’t want to continue.

He ended the conversation by completely isolating himself.

By that time, Jiang Yanli remained in her place. She lowered her gaze as her eyes grew misty from the harsh words.

Everything that happened today wasn’t entirely her fault. He was the one who stole the newspaper in the first place and then ended up escaping, drawing everyone’s attention…

Even though he was mostly to blame for everything that happened, she understood him. He still made the effort to face his mistakes and take responsibility for them. However, no matter how hard she tried, he wasn’t happy to have her by his side.

Even if she told him countless times that she was there to support him, he didn’t see it and only focused on the negative.

“—Miss Jiang?” Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to her, making her tears—filled with a pile of broken dreams—well up in her eyes. “—It can’t be… it’s you.” Jin Zixun smiled with relief upon seeing her here after so much time apart. “—Come, princess. You’d better get comfortable now that you’ve just arrived. It will get cold soon, and it’s best if you go into the hostel so you can also eat.”

Jiang Yanli forced a smile at him, holding back the tears she wanted to shed, and ended up glancing sideways toward where Jin Zixuan had gone, feeling a pain in her chest from being cruelly underestimated by his harsh words.

~~~

"City of Yiling"

Qishan Wen

That day was the most anticipated for Meng-Yao.

All day, since waking up, he had been waiting to see his Er-Ge step off at the Yiling Railway Station, until he finally saw him emerge from that golden train. Now, sitting across from each other inside the facilities of that five-star hotel, serving him a bit of his favorite tea, he watched as the elder’s hand stopped him, indicating that it was enough.

“—Forgive me, Er-Ge,” he said, withdrawing the cup embarrassedly. “—It’s just that, as you can see, I’m very happy to see you again.”

Lan Xichen shook his head slightly while giving him a warm smile. “—Don’t worry. In fact, I’m happy to see you too. I’m truly grateful that we’re finally together.”

He looked compassionate. “—Thank you for coming. If your presence hadn’t been absolutely necessary… I wouldn’t have troubled you at all.”

“—A-Yao, I would never consider your call a bother. On the contrary, if you ever need my help, never hesitate to ask. I will always be at your disposal.”

Meng-Yao couldn’t help but feel good, mainly because he felt the great weight on his shoulders lighten as the negative thoughts that had been tormenting him since the tragedy of the Chang clan began to dissipate, though the fear it still caused him remained. He didn’t want to admit it; deep down, he was afraid. He wasn’t sure of what exactly, but a kind of fear coursed through his entire body that he didn’t want to face alone.

“—How have you been feeling these past few days?” Lan Xichen thought it important to ask in order to continue the conversation.

Meng-Yao sighed upon hearing that very question, which didn’t seem easy to answer. His eyebrows rose at an inaudible response, which was far from satisfactory.

Lan Xichen could see the fatigue and insecurity on his face. “—Something important happened, didn’t it?”

Meng-Yao leaned back against the backrest of his chair, sighing deeply. “—More than I expected.”

“—Xue Yang?” he asked, with a hint of concern as he tried to pinpoint the source of his unease.

“—It seems so. The authorities still don’t know who could have been the killer of the entire Chang clan, but I am certain it was him.”

Lan Xichen shuddered at his suspicions, although he didn’t let it show in his expression.

He had learned about the massacre of the Chang clan that morning thanks to the LanlinJin newspaper. The clan had been destroyed that very night, leaving the authorities with a lot of work, as they were unable to find any witnesses who could describe the suspect’s identity.

Several media sources argued that the massacre of the Chang clan was the work of a single person due to the pattern of the killings. Others suggested that it could have been a gang of five bandits acting against the Chang regime, in opposition to the leader Chang Ping, who was known as the main politician upholding the opposing ideology against the Qishan Wen government.

Yiling, despite being one of the islands belonging to the great country of Qishan Wen, gradually became the government’s backyard due to not sharing its ideologies. Over time, it came to be considered one of the “lost islands” of Qishan Wen. It belonged to the country, but it did not follow its laws to the letter. Its opposition to the dictatorial regime forced it to become an autonomous territory, especially since private entities were not required to pay taxes to the government. Public entities were isolated from the country’s prosperity, as each of them was obliged to pay taxes to the government, where most of the money seemed to be embezzled rather than used honestly.

No matter how much the Qishan Wen government imposed rules to control the island, Yiling managed to get its way through protests. As this rebellion gained momentum over the years, the Wen government stopped considering the island as part of its territory. This exclusion brought many consequences to Yiling. One of them was that ongoing projects were never completed. Promises to improve roads or pave highways remained just words. Not to mention that public services such as water, gas, and electricity were inefficient and sometimes lacking. The small amount of money that entered the state came from private entities, and the cost of imports was high, making everything more expensive.

For that reason, the population of Yiling lived full of promises and disappointments. Every time the government promised to improve the standard of living in Yiling during election campaigns, they never actually invested in the people. As a result, the citizens of Yiling did their best to vote against the president in hopes of his removal. At that time, Chang Ping became one of the main politicians trying to maintain hope among his own people. He essentially took it upon himself to act as the leader of the small “lost island” of Qishan Wen, keeping it afloat by earning the trust of its people.

As Chang Ping upheld his beliefs and the opposing ideology grew alongside him, his strong and righteous spirit gained momentum until it became a global force. For that reason, Lan Xichen imagined that his exile might be linked to the threat the Wen government had always seen in him as a new opposition leader. However, now imagining that Xue Yang could have been the one responsible for the massacre, instead of an opposing gang aligned with Chang Ping’s beliefs, meant that there was a possibility Xue Yang may have acted for reasons outside of politics.

However, all of that amounts to just a hypothesis. There were others, such as the possibility that the Wen government had something to do with it by hiring assassins to destroy the Chang family’s assets. Whoever it was, the tragedy happened during the night, in less than 60 minutes, and it seemed absurd that a single person could have done it. To besiege an entire clan of around 200 members, and have it fall so easily, it would definitely have to be someone beyond all human abilities.

“—Do you think all of this could have been the work of Xue Yang?” Zewu-Jun asked, a note of confusion in his voice.

“—Something inside me tells me it doesn’t seem like an absurd possibility.”

The elder looked troubled as he said, “—It seems like a monumental task for a single person. Reading the way the events unfolded… it’s hard to believe that someone like him could have killed around 200 people in less than an hour.”

“—That’s the tactic,” Meng-Yao said, very convinced. “If you’re a sociopath driven to commit crimes, you only want to cause more harm… If Xue Yang could stab my father in the back, even though he gave him many opportunities to grow in the Jin Palace, to the point of stealing a significant amount of money from us… I don’t see it as absurd that he could have committed a crime of this magnitude.”

“—What kind of skill would someone need to be able to kill more than 200 people with their own hands?”

“—Someone who, for a long time, planned all of this.”

Lan Xichen looked incredulous and somewhat affected by the concern in A-Yao’s eyes. “—Are you really that convinced it was him?”

“—It was him, Er-Ge,” he admitted confidently. “I traveled with him on several occasions. Every time we passed through the Chang clan’s territory, he would completely change his demeanor. He would talk to me about death, and there was always a homicidal thought in his mind. I don’t have solid proof beyond my words, but ever since I ventured into the outskirts of the destroyed clan and suddenly saw the scene of the bodies with my own eyes…” —A shiver ran through his slight frame, leaving him feeling quite shaken— “No, what a horror. The first person I thought of was him, judging by the way they died. It was the same homicidal method he always described to me: two stabs straight to the heart.”

He was terribly affected by what he had just said. Suddenly, his hand was enveloped by a warm touch, prompting him to lift his gaze.

“—A-Yao,” the elder said, giving him a calm look. “—Don’t think about it anymore. I’m here, with you.”

Meng-Yao felt relieved as the troubling thoughts that had been tormenting him lately began to fade. “—Thank you, Er-Ge, but I would really feel completely at ease if my father weren’t so determined to go after him.”

“—Is he still continuing his exhaustive search despite all of this?”

“—More than you think. He didn’t even care, being so determined to recover those millions that were stolen from him. To make matters worse, he didn’t even care to go looking for A-Yu.” —Meng-Yao sighed, somewhat disappointed, thinking he would lose control if he didn’t calm down— “—My sincerest apologies for all of this, Er-Ge. Truly, I don’t know how to face you when you’ve helped me so much, even with the matter of my younger brother, which none of you have anything to do with.”

Lan Xichen looked grateful for his honesty. However, deep in his heart, he knew that none of it was true.

Since he learned that Mo Xuanyu was not Mo Xuanyu but Wei Wuxian, he felt increasingly guilty for having failed him. From the beginning, he had told Meng-Yao that he had taken charge of the matter with his younger brother in the Jin Palace. He did it all because he didn’t want to burden him with more problems. But now… it seemed that not only were his problems doubling, but A-Yao’s as well, and by far.

“—I have no words to thank you, Er-Ge,” Meng-Yao repeated, not wanting to stay silent about how grateful he felt. “—Perhaps my father makes me anxious with his reckless plans, but you always know what to say. I know Hanguang-Jun will do an excellent job taking good care of A-Yu.” —He smiled softly— “—In fact, I dare say it’s his chance for both of them to get a little closer now that they’ll be spending more time together than expected. Maybe your brother can even pass on some of his good manners.” —He laughed— “—Just kidding, but you know what I mean.”

Lan Xichen smiled faintly, having understood his humor. However, the guilt was beginning to overwhelm him.

“—The positive thing now is that we’re enjoying our reunion,” Meng-Yao said, taking his teacup and then raising it toward him. “—Let’s toast to that.”

Zewu-Jun hesitated. He was tempted to take his cup and join in the toast like in the old days, and he did. He raised the small cup with great elegance, and both glasses clinked before they proceeded to drink. However, just as he was about to bring the cup to his lips, Lan Xichen paused upon seeing Meng-Yao drinking from his own.

“—It’s divine, Er-Ge,” he praised. “—Your favorite tea is definitely mine as well.”

Zewu-Jun slowly wiped the smile from his face, feeling that he couldn’t bear it any longer. He refused to drink and toast to something that was basically not true. All the gratitude directed at him felt overwhelming, something he didn’t feel he deserved.

“—Tell me. How has your stay at the Jin Palace been?” Meng-Yao continued, showing enthusiasm as he tried to change the subject. “—I saw in the letter that you left Nie Huaisang in charge… Honestly, I was surprised. I didn’t know he would be your first choice over Da-Ge.”

“—With Da-Ge, several issues arose that I wasn’t willing to help with. A-Sang was very eager to take on the responsibility, so I thought it was right to leave him under Wangji’s supervision.”

“—You weren’t willing?” Meng-Yao raised an eyebrow. “Oh… I think I understand now. You didn’t want anything to do with us, right?” —Zewu-Jun nodded slightly, implying a possible affirmative. He continued— “—I’m not surprised at all that Da-Ge acted that way. Even though Nie Huaisang doesn’t have much experience leading an entire palace… I trust that Hanguang-Jun will guide him. If you decided this, it’s because it’s the right choice.”

“—A-Yao,” Lan Xichen suddenly spoke with seriousness. “—Honestly, I don’t know if I made the right decision.”

Meng-Yao looked at him, then smiled. “—Oh, I understand, Er-Ge. You have doubts about his performance. Don’t worry. I do too, but relax. Even though Da-Ge is a difficult person… I’m sure he has trained him very well for this kind of task.”

“—That’s not what I mean,” Meng-Yao looked at him with some surprise. Then, Lan Xichen continued— “—The truth is, the decisions I’ve made so far haven’t been the right ones.”

“—What do you mean?” Meng-Yao slowly wiped the smile from his face, feeling confused.

Lan Xichen closed his eyes and, with a gesture of deep regret, added, “—Mo Xuanyu never made it to the Jin Palace. He is still missing.”

Chapter Text

"Mo Xuanyu never arrived at the Jin Palace. He is still missing."

When he replayed it in his mind once more, Meng-Yao remained motionless, his eyes wide open. From the beginning, Zewu-Jun had wanted to gauge his current feelings toward Xue Yang before delivering the news. The result was more than accurate, as he saw Meng-Yao distressed.

Now, with this confession…

—Excuse me? —Meng-Yao exclaimed in astonishment—. Ah… I get it now. We’re telling bad jokes —He smiled faintly—. Oh, Er-Ge, I almost believed it…

—A-Yao, I didn’t tell a joke. I’m speaking the truth.

Meng-Yao’s gaze, wrapped in a feigned joy, completely shifted to one of confusion. —What are you talking about? You told me that Hanguang-Jun was returning to LanlinJin that day because he had been captured… Wasn’t that true?

—It was true. He arrived at LanlinJin that morning when you left, but… he didn’t come with Mo Xuanyu, but with someone else identical to him.

The younger one’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing that Lan Wangji had been mistaken. In his years of friendship with the Lan twins, he had never witnessed such an unusual error. Being wrong implied that Mo Xuanyu had never returned to the Jin Palace and was still missing, somewhere unknown.

Meng-Yao had no words to continue. He pushed his chair back as he stood up and left the table, ultimately turning his back on Lan Xichen.

—A-Yao —Lan Xichen looked worried seeing him act that way—. Let me explain.

—Lan Wangji was wrong? —Motionless, he stared into nothing, as if trying to process it—. How could that be?

—I’m not entirely sure. He ran into someone identical to him and got confused. To be honest, you have to see it —he justified—. The boy looks so much like A-Yu that he almost managed to convince me.

—He almost convinced you? How can someone identical to him even exist? —He narrowed his eyes in doubt, then turned to look at him—. Was that man pretending to be my younger brother?

Hearing Meng-Yao’s voice tinged with a misinterpreted suspicion, Lan Xichen felt it was important to object. —Oh no, nothing like that. Quite the opposite. Ever since he arrived, the boy had been very defensive with us. He had a personal issue with Wangji after being forcibly brought to an unfamiliar place.

—How similar could that person be to have fooled your brother’s judgment?

—Too much —he affirmed—. To tell you the truth, he almost managed to fool me.

Meng-Yao couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No one in this world could compare to his younger brother. He knew Mo Xuanyu like the back of his hand. Of course, he had physical and personal traits that made him unique compared to anyone else.

Lan Xichen felt it important to explain. —The poor boy, in his desperation to escape the Jin Palace, suffered a terrible accident while trying to climb the royal walls —he recalled that incident with the suspicious shot he had never approved of—. And… one of the Jin guards aimed at him, thinking he was an intruder.

—What? —Meng-Yao looked even more surprised—. Did you give the order to fire?

Lan Xichen lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. —I never approved the order.

—I don’t understand. The guards of the Jin Palace would only attack under the order of a superior in charge. I told you repeatedly that if the alarm went off, they had no right to proceed without any approval…

Lan Xichen nodded firmly. —I’m well aware of that, A-Yao. However, that day someone acted without my consent. —Meng-Yao looked puzzled. He continued—. I don’t know what truly happened, but all this time I imagined that for someone to have acted without my approval, it means there are people in the Jin Palace who don’t seem pleased that Mo Xuanyu is there. —Meng-Yao seemed lost in his thoughts, so Lan Xichen went on—. In any case, I didn’t open an investigation without your authorization. I didn’t want to abuse the authority of the Jin Palace, which belongs only to you. That’s also why I decided to come here, to discuss this with you.

—Why wouldn’t they want my brother in the palace? —Meng-Yao still couldn’t grasp the idea—. Who was responsible for something like this? —His fists clenched at the mere possibility that someone residing in the Jin Palace had tried to harm him in his absence. Then, another troubling matter crossed his mind—. Don’t tell me that boy is seriously injured…

—Fortunately, Wangji was by his side the whole time. He was able to act before he bled out.

Meng-Yao had had enough. He decided to withdraw to get some air before things could get worse. To top it off, the intruder seemed to have been gravely injured. If Mo Xuanyu had been the one to take the hit, he wouldn’t even know what he’d be feeling right now. On the other hand, Lan Xichen didn’t know how to interpret his withdrawal, but he clearly felt judged.

There, he found it important to stand up and say, —A-Yao, the boy is recovering. You mustn’t worry about that. My brother has also stayed to look after him.

—They could have killed him.

—I know. But it didn’t happen.

Meng-Yao shook his head, feeling no comfort. —What about my brother? Where is he now? This time he didn’t leave me any note about his whereabouts. Why did he do that? Why did he leave without saying anything this time?

—All this time, I’ve been analyzing that incident together with Wangji, and I’ve proposed resuming the search to find Mo Xuanyu’s true whereabouts. I’ve put him in charge along with Nie Huaisang under that condition.

—Your brother was mistaken before. How can we be sure he won’t get confused again this time?

—I’m sure he won’t get confused again. With all this, I also suggested to Wangji that he return the boy to his home in Yunmeng Jiang.

—To his place in Yunmeng Jiang? —Meng-Yao narrowed his eyes with a hint of puzzlement.

—What’s wrong? —Lan Xichen found that expression in his eyes strange.

—What is the boy’s name?

—Wei Ying, better known as Wei Wuxian.

The silence that took over the place after he said that last part felt unsettling to Lan Xichen. Meng-Yao’s expression seemed on the verge of breaking down, all just from hearing that name, which he appeared to recognize.

—A-Yao? —Lan Xichen asked.

By that time, Meng-Yao remembered the man who had gotten mixed up on the trip by choosing the wrong train—the one who reminded him of Mo Xuanyu due to their close resemblance. He couldn’t help but say, —Hanguang-Jun found him arriving in Yunmeng Jiang… at exactly what location?

—Mm… I think just as he was getting off the train.

Meng-Yao let out a deep sigh as he placed the back of his wrist against his forehead. —It can’t be… It’s too much of a coincidence.

—Have I missed something?

—On my way back to LanlinJin, I met a man who called himself Wei Wuxian. He told me he was heading straight to Yunmeng Jiang to see his family. He had gotten on the wrong train, and I gladly helped him by giving him a ticket back home because he urgently needed it. Now… that Lan Wangji caught him at Yunmeng Jiang Station… poor boy… he never made it to his destination.

—If you know him… you’ll understand why Wangji got confused.

—He looks incredibly like A-Yu. But I would never have confused them, Er-Ge.

Meng-Yao stepped aside as soon as he finished saying that, leaving Lan Xichen in his place, watching him leave. “I would never have confused them” in a way implied disapproval of the work his brother had done. Lan Xichen felt judged, but he understood his frustration. He had promised him peace, and all it had brought was more problems.

Watching Meng-Yao, who seemed to have a possible headache from the way his hand rested on his temple as he sat on the bed, he felt compelled to remedy his mistake in search of a solution. —A-Yao, you don’t know how sorry I am about this. However, I’m sure we can fix it.

—How? —He looked slightly annoyed—. Mo Xuanyu is missing —he felt a terrible throbbing in his head—. And… my father doesn’t even know.

—Does he need to know? —When Meng-Yao heard this, he looked surprised to hear such a suggestion coming from him. At that moment, Lan Xichen might have been mistaken in proposing something like this, but he knew Meng-Yao’s main concerns perfectly. As someone who understood few words, he decided to approach him and say, —We can resolve this matter without involving Jin GuangShan and Shufu.

—Sooner or later, my father will find out.

—So far, no one knows that Mo Xuanyu is missing. Not even Da-Ge.

—What? You hid it from him? Also from Nie Huaisang?

Lan Xichen was about to speak, but upon hearing the name of the younger Nie brother, he said, —Nie Huaisang does know. In fact, he was the first one to hide it from all of us.

—What are you talking about?

—Nie Huaisang already knew Wei Wuxian in the past. Therefore, he pretended to say that he was Mo Xuanyu, with the goal of covering for him in front of everyone.

—Why did he do that? What was he trying to accomplish?

Lan Xichen shook his head. —For now, that is the task I left to Wangji when I put him in charge. If A-Sang was willing to cover for Wei Wuxian, he may know more about the reason why Mo Xuanyu left the Jin Palace without saying where he was going, and perhaps know his whereabouts.

Meng-Yao looked confused, imagining that Nie Huaisang had helped ensure that no one discovered Wei Wuxian. Why did he do it? Why didn’t he trust Lan Xichen and confess?

—A-Yao —Lan Xichen continued—. Only Nie Huaisang, my brother, and the two of us know that A-Yu is not in the Jin Palace. I believe that as long as we keep it quiet, there’s less chance it will become a bigger problem, considering that your father and my uncle are focused on finding Xue Yang.

—So what do we do then? It’s important that we return to LanlinJin to search for him.

—Don’t rush —he added calmly—. I understand that you may doubt Wangji’s abilities due to his inefficiency, but he is more regretful than I am and is determined to search for him. Mo Xuanyu may be closer than we think. Let’s not lose faith. Out of all the times he went to look for him, only this last time did he get confused.

Meng-Yao sighed, devastated.

—I promise you that this time, I won’t let you down.

—Er-Ge… —Meng-Yao couldn’t help but feel guilty upon hearing it.

Lan Xichen’s gaze reflected complete remorse for his mistake. At no point did he reproach him; he said he shouldn’t blame him because, from the start, sending his brother to look for Mo Xuanyu was not his responsibility. The anger and frustration dissipated when Meng-Yao recognized that he should have handled his own problems from the beginning, instead of waiting for Nie Mingjue or Lan Xichen to deal with them when it wasn’t their concern.

—Er-Ge, this is not your fault. You don’t have to keep trying to find a solution that isn’t your responsibility.

—Everything that happened was my fault, A-Yao.

—From the very beginning, I should have taken care of the Jin Palace’s problems. I shouldn’t have let the two of you handle all of that.

—You were already taking care of them —he replied confidently—. You had just returned from a difficult journey for that very reason.

—Yes, but my duty was to continue trying to resolve them on my own. I shouldn’t have allowed you and Da-Ge to get involved. It’s not your responsibility.

—A-Yao —Lan Xichen knelt down to face him directly, looking him straight in the eyes—. Don’t overload your hands with so many things that could fall. I ignored that very principle when I tried to carry everything myself, and it turns out I was wrong this time. However, nothing has changed. You know that if you need my help, I will do everything possible to give it to you, no matter the cost.

Meng-Yao closed his eyes. How could Lan Xichen still be so kind at this point? No matter the circumstances, he remained unconditional: he had planned a several-hour train journey just to come and help him. Meng-Yao felt he should be ashamed for insisting that he come offer support when he could have handled this mission on his own. Now, putting himself in Lan Xichen’s shoes—having to leave his brother alone in charge of Nie Huaisang, in a reign that wasn’t GusuLan’s—was not an easy decision. Yet, he took the risk and was here, offering his unconditional help despite the circumstances.

—Now that we are together, we will solve this problem the right way. I trust that I can rely on your wisdom to resolve it —Lan Xichen finished saying.

By that moment, Meng-Yao smiled faintly upon hearing that his support was also needed. He felt the need to stand and then gesture for Lan Xichen to do the same, so they would be facing each other. —If there’s one thing I’ve learned all this time, it’s that if we’re together, everything is better —he finished with a wider smile.

Lan Xichen seemed in better spirits. —I agree —he nodded, knowing that even though he had made the worst mistake of his life, he was still willing to forgive him.

Neither of them noticed when the door to the room slid open unexpectedly. Both turned toward it, focusing their attention on the Jin and Lan leaders, who were surprised to see Lan Xichen among them.

—What? —Jin GuangShan frowned, confused—. What does this mean? Zewu-Jun?

—Xichen? —Lan Qiren also looked confused—. What are you doing here?

Lan Xichen directed his gaze toward Meng-Yao. The latter let out a deep sigh, indicating that this was yet another problem to deal with…

~~~

"Red Hostel"

Qishan Wen.

That night, sitting at the bar drinking a small glass of orange juice, Jiang Yanli found herself staring into space. She was thinking more than usual. Apparently, she didn’t feel as happy as she would have liked. Her mind kept replaying the latest discovery and incessantly asking herself, “How is A-Cheng doing?”

She let out a faint sigh as her gaze grew sad. So close, yet at the same time, so far… She didn’t know exactly how to move forward now that more hidden problems were coming to light…

—Princess Jiang —Suddenly, Jiang Yanli turned toward the voice calling her, having been distracted. Jin Zixun hung up the landline phone he had been using on the wall and then approached her.

—I have good news —he sat down right beside her—. At the Yunmeng Jiang police station, they are aware of the progress we’ve made today regarding Jiang Cheng. Although they haven’t given me answers yet on how we can proceed… I have faith that we will soon find a way to go after him.

She understood what he meant. She nodded in approval. However, she felt it was important to ask, —So, what would be the next step for all of us?

—For now, we will wait for a response. Without permission from the Yunmeng Jiang police station, we can’t take action, especially in foreign territory —he lowered his voice, placing his hand beside his mouth as if sharing a secret—. Legal policies —he smiled at the end.

Jiang Yanli nodded slowly, understanding how important legal policies were. Perhaps he was right. But there was another part of her heart that didn’t understand the reason for waiting for a response from them. She was certain that if they analyzed the best strategy to search for Jiang Cheng on their own, they could achieve better results and stop wasting time. However, everything seemed simple only if all three of them agreed…

—I assure you that everything will be fine from now on —Jin Zixun said in a gentle tone that conveyed peace and confidence.

—What about Detective Jin Zixuan? Will he be in favor of continuing with the case?

She didn’t know if it was real, but she could see how her cousin’s face grew more serious after she mentioned it. —Don’t worry about him. He will have to accept it. He knows the protocols, so he must follow each of the regulations —Jin Zixun finished by making a request to the waiter who was drying some glasses.

Jiang Yanli became distracted as she focused all her attention, and didn’t notice someone approaching from behind, which made her jump in fright. When she turned to see who it was, it turned out to be Detective Jin Zixuan.

The man had appeared suddenly, approaching without warning. Their gazes met for a brief moment. They stayed like that until she quickly looked away, lowering her eyes as she still felt uncomfortable from the argument they had when he arrived.

—Jin Zixun —he said seconds later, redirecting all attention away from her—. Tomorrow morning, we will continue the search, and I don’t want any complaints —his voice was confident and firm, leaving no room for contradiction.

Jiang Yanli remained silent as she watched them exchange glances without saying a word. Usually, Jin Zixun accepted everything she said, but this time, he didn’t seem very receptive to her decisions, creating friction.

—I don’t want to hear anything about the Yunmeng Jiang police station —Jin Zixuan stated, as a defense against anything anyone might say to oppose him—. Tomorrow we will decide how to continue the search, and that’s the end of the discussion. —By then, he didn’t allow for anything else. His indifference stood out as he turned around and left.

Jiang Yanli watched him go up the stairs without saying goodbye, feeling uncomfortable. She let out a faint sigh as she closed her eyes. It was obvious he had a serious problem with her. He had told her before, and now he was emphasizing it.

Suddenly, she heard faint whispers of disagreement right beside her. —Who does he think he is? —Jin Zixun criticized behind his back as he rolled his eyes—. He becomes so stubborn when he thinks he has to control everything.

Jiang Yanli agreed. Detective Jin was acting far too stubborn. She had seen him like this before, but this time, he seemed like a different man—someone determined to go against both of them, even knowing that she was still a client.

—Don’t pay him any mind —Jin Zixun straightened his back as if nothing had happened—. Come, I’ll buy you a drink —he smiled gently—. We can enjoy the evening with a pleasant dinner together.

She smiled faintly. She felt a little uncomfortable with the proposal. She already knew where he was leading.

—I promise you’ll enjoy it, Princess —he smiled even more as he saw her interest—. We can talk, laugh, and have a good time now that we’re alone. We deserve a little celebration for the achievements of your younger brother. Don’t you think? —Suddenly, she felt the space between them shrink as he draped his arm behind her seat, holding his drink as if to propose a toast—. What do you say, Princess? Would you like to enjoy it with me?

She smiled a little more, somewhat uncomfortable with the situation. —Oh, Zixun. Thank you for the offer, but… I don’t think it’s the right thing. Rather, I have something important to say —His cheerful expression faltered as she seemed to speak seriously. Gradually, he moved away from the posture he had assumed, placing his glass on the table—. I… —She continued—. Since today, I haven’t felt comfortable on this trip, mainly because of Detective Jin Zixuan —she said softly.

—Why do you say that? Did he hurt you?

She shook her head. —It’s just that I understand that each of you has your reasons for not wanting a conflict to arise between you and the Wen dynasty. Now that my brother is in the government, which may make it difficult for you to intervene… I want to tell you that I can continue the search on my own.

—What are you saying? —Jin Zixun didn’t seem prepared or pleased with the news—. Go search for him on your own? What are you thinking? That’s unacceptable.

—It’s the best option considering that you’re in danger of being pursued —she argued, trying to make him listen—. Zixun, I don’t want you to face consequences that can be avoided. Detective Jin had his reasons from the beginning for not wanting me to come. I… promised you that I wouldn’t be a burden.

—A burden? B-But, what are you saying? —Jin Zixun was surprised.

What did he mean by saying she was a burden? He had never considered her as such. On the contrary, her presence was a good opportunity to make the mission more enjoyable and efficient. Indeed, it turned out that way. They managed to make significant progress with her participation. She couldn’t understand why he thought that now.

“—Wait a moment,” he said, frowning. “Did my cousin make you feel that way? Did he say something like that to you?”

She shook her head quickly. “No, Zixun. Detective Jin didn’t say anything like that to me,” she lied. “I just want to avoid complications. After all, I’m A-Cheng’s older sister. He needs me to find my A-Xian. Everything ends up being my problem, not yours. I… don’t want to be a burden, or the reason you get into trouble in the future.”

“—Let me see,” Jin Zixun said, confused. “Did my cousin make you feel bad while I was away? Because if that’s the case, I swear I won’t allow it. If he told you to step aside, or hurt you in any way, I won’t let him…”

“I’ve decided to leave,” she interrupted, looking him straight in the eyes. “No one forced me. I just… don’t want to keep being a problem.”

“No, princess, you will never, ever be a problem,” he said hurriedly, fearing she might leave without giving an explanation, especially over a misunderstanding. “From the very beginning, you asked me to come. I agreed, and that’s how it will stay. I’ve never said that working with you is a bother. On the contrary, I value your company.”

“But Detective Jin doesn’t—” she argued, with a hint of sadness. “And I know when to leave when I’m not wanted around.”

Jin Zixun was surprised and upset, feeling a jumble of conflicting emotions, he couldn’t quite understand. He wasn’t angry at her, but at everything she was saying. How could she consider herself a nuisance? Of course, it had to be words his cousin would use to push her away from the case, behaving like a scoundrel in front of a beautiful lady.

“Don’t make such a hasty decision, princess,” he lowered his voice, shifting his entire demeanor to show his trust in her. “You are a key part of this mission. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, least of all my cousin. That idiot doesn’t know how to work as a team, and I know because I’ve worked with him for over two years.” He paused before adding, “Don’t think that you’re the problem. You never will be.”

She looked away.

“Please, stay. Here, you will always have a man who will protect you from anyone. I promised you that the first time, and now, I don’t intend to break that promise by letting you go so easily.”

Her caramel-colored eyes gazed at him intently as she felt her hand being held, only to be kissed by his lips. She couldn’t help but blush. She had to admit that his words were comforting, but his actions… were incredibly sweet.

“I promise you won’t feel that way with me,” Jin Zixun said with a smile. “If I decided from the beginning that you would stay with us, I won’t go back on my word.”

“But…” she hesitated, looking uncertain. “The disagreement with Detective Jin…”

“There is no disagreement,” Jin Zixun said firmly. “Don’t pay any attention to the empty words that might come out of that idiot’s mouth.”

~~~

“Jin Palace”

Jilintai, Lanlin Jin.

In that dining hall of Jin Palace, everyone present was at the table enjoying the delicious dish that Nie Huaisang had requested be prepared for dinner on his first day of leadership. However, Nie Huaisang couldn’t continue eating in peace when he saw Wei Wuxian next to Hanguang-Jun, eating as if he hadn’t had a single bite all day. He was so focused on devouring the entire bowl of soup that he hadn’t even said a single word.

“Wow… Brother Wei…” he said, impressed, holding back a slight smile. “It’s clear that you’re feeling much better today.”

Lan Wangji had stopped eating to pay attention to what Nie Huaisang said. He cast a sidelong glance at the man sitting next to him.

“What can I say?” Wei Wuxian finished the last sip of soup, drinking it like it was a glass in his hands. After setting the bowl on the table, he continued, “This dinner is absolutely delicious.”

“You liked it?” Nie Huaisang asked, genuinely interested in hearing the answer.

Wei Wuxian immediately gave his approval and was about to move on to the main course. Seeing him in better spirits and mood, Nie Huaisang felt pleased. He couldn’t help but glance at Lan Wangji, who remained silent while continuing with his own meal. He didn’t want to say anything, but Hanguang-Jun seemed to have hit the mark.

“This is really good, Nie Huaisang,” Wei Wuxian continued. “It’s not the same as the food from Yunmeng Jiang… but I can see you’ve picked up some of their habits. A point in your favor, huh.”

Nie Huaisang didn’t want to bring up the topic of his trip to Yunmeng Jiang… but setting that aside, he felt slightly pleased. Lan Wangji, who seemed uninterested in the conversation as he focused on his own meal, was surely enjoying hearing the praise in silence. After all, he was the one who had prepared the dinner, wasn’t he?

After the confrontation regarding the truth about Mo Xuanyu, Lan Wangji approached him in private to discuss something else of great importance. Nie Huaisang trembled at the thought of continuing with difficult topics, only to find that the question was: “What would the dish for dinner be?”

At first, Nie Huaisang didn’t understand why he was so concerned about it, since there were still hours to go. But after realizing that Lan Wangji’s focus was on making sure Wei Wuxian took his medicine—and that the best way to do so was by tricking him with food—he understood Lan Wangji’s need to know his favorite dishes.

Right now, seeing this unexpected success, Hanguang-Jun had truly outdone himself with the results.

Wei Wuxian finished eating after one last bite, then said, “Now that we’re here, what’s the next step in searching for my clone?”

Nie Huaisang tilted his head and then exchanged glances with Hanguang-Jun upon hearing “my clone.”

“You understand, right?” he continued, noticing the silence between them and the strange exchange of glances. “Mo Xuanyu could easily be my clone, and vice versa,” he said with a smile. “We could definitely pass as twins. Something like you two, huh,” he added, nudging Lan Wangji.

The latter averted his gaze, finding the idea completely ridiculous…

“Oh… of course, of course,” Nie Huaisang laughed. “You’re right, Brother Wei. You both could have switched identities if you really wanted to. You’re identical.”

“You’re not the same,” Lan Wangji added confidently, catching both of their attention. “You are completely different.”

An awkward silence settled over the room after that. On one hand, Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow, apparently not understanding the joke.

“What seriousness…” he thought, continuing to watch him for a while longer.

“Well, it’s true that you’re not the same…” Nie Huaisang replied, letting out a sigh. “You know? I’ve really missed Brother Mo. The truth is… we need to act soon.”

“I sent my brother a letter a while ago,” Lan Wangji added, crossing his utensils over his plate. “I explained what the next step would be.”

Wei Wuxian said, “That’s what I was referring to. I suppose you explained that our next destination will be to search for his whereabouts in Mo Royal Village, right?”

“Mm.”

“Are you really going to Mo Royal Village?” Nie Huaisang asked, looking troubled. He wasn’t sure that Mo Xuanyu would actually be there.

“It’s the ideal way to rule out possible locations,” Wei Wuxian continued. “After all, Mo Royal Village is in Yunmeng Jiang. It’s your responsibility to go find him—and also to bring me back home.”

“I understand, Brother Wei… You’re right about that, but I don’t think he’s there… What if you waste time and end up following a wrong assumption?”

“We’ll gather information,” Lan Wangji replied.

Hearing this, Wei Wuxian agreed. He thought that this man surely already had experience, given how many times he had gone searching for him. The truth was, he was only going on this trip because they would be bringing him back home. Today, his wound hurt less, so he was motivated to feel at ease. “You know what? Ideally, we should leave as soon as possible. In fact, I think we could go tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Nie Huaisang exclaimed, surprised by his suggestion.

“Yes. What’s the problem?” Wei Wuxian replied.

“Your wound hasn’t healed yet,” Lan Wangji replied immediately. “You need to wait about three more days before you’ll be able to walk properly.”

“What? Three more days!?” he exclaimed, shocked. “I’m sorry, but I’m not staying in bed any longer when I feel better.”

“Brother Wei… it’s for your health,” Nie Huaisang added, emphasizing his point.

“We’re talking about a disappearance, aren’t we? How is it possible that you want to postpone something so important just to keep me in bed for three days?” He frowned, clearly displeased. Then he turned his gaze toward Lan Wangji. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“But we can’t let you overexert yourself either,” Nie Huaisang spoke again. “Brother Wei… remember that your recovery is important too.”

“I already told you that I feel better. Why do you insist? You promised to get me out of here, and I’m ready to go tomorrow. What else are you waiting for?”

“My brother’s approval,” Lan Wangji added seriously. “Without it, we cannot act.”

“Oh, right…” Nie Huaisang nodded. “Hanguang-Jun is correct. Without Zewu-Jun’s authorization, we cannot proceed.”

Wei Wuxian frowned, sensing nothing but excuses. By then, Lan Wangji stood up with utmost care and gathered the empty plates—both his and Wei Wuxian’s. Without another word, he left.

Wei Wuxian followed him with his eyes until he disappeared from view.

“Brother Wei…” Nie Huaisang suddenly whispered, taking advantage of the moment alone. “You have to understand that your recovery is important…”

“Let me make one thing clear, Nie Huaisang,” Wei Wuxian added seriously. “I may be helping you solve this case now that I’m here, but once I get home, I won’t be involved in any of this. Understood?”

Nie Huaisang fell silent upon hearing that condition from him. On the other hand, Wei Wuxian didn’t wait for a response. He carefully rose from his chair, feeling a slight pain in his abdomen, but it was more bearable. Then, he headed straight for the stairs.

“Hey! Brother Wei! Be careful!”

When Wei Wuxian heard the shout, he turned toward it uncertainly, only to collide unexpectedly with someone. This caused the tray of dishes the maid was carrying to fall to the ground. One, two, three, and so on—each shattered into a thousand pieces. The noise echoed so loudly that everyone present immediately stopped what they were doing to witness the disaster.

When the last plate fell, breaking in two beneath his feet, Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“Oh God… I’m so sorry, young master,” the maid said, feeling deeply embarrassed. “It wasn’t my intention. Please forgive me. I really didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it…”

The woman was horrified to realize she had made such a mistake, especially with the youngest heir of the household. She quickly bent down to pick up as many pieces from the floor as she could, without any protection to avoid getting hurt.

“No, please. Stand up,” Wei Wuxian said, unable to tolerate seeing her risk a more serious accident with those broken pieces. “Don’t do it.” He turned to another person he could see and asked for a trash bag. Within minutes, it was brought to him, and with the bag doubled over, he bent down and said, “I’ll take care of it. Go wash your hands.”

“B-But, Young Master Mo, I don’t…”

“Don’t risk it, I’ll handle it.”

At that moment, Lan Wangji had stepped out of the kitchen after hearing part of the commotion. What he found was completely different from what he had imagined: Wei Wuxian was on his knees, helping the maid pick up the broken dishes from the floor. Nie Huaisang joined in, fan in hand, telling him he should let others handle it, but he refused, determined to finish the task himself.

It didn’t take long before several servants also stepped forward, wanting to help Young Master Mo quickly resolve the problem. After all, it wasn’t very conventional for him to be doing it himself, being part of the royal family.

“Are you seeing that? How amazing…” whispered another of the maids

“Young Master Mo Xuanyu is taking responsibility for something that isn’t his, but how generous…”

“Is that really Young Master Mo? He’s such a gentleman.”

Lan Wangji heard every comment around him clearly, realizing that Wei Wuxian had made an incredibly good impression, winning over the servants. When he finally finished cleaning up all the mess, he was helped to stand. Wei Wuxian was slightly surprised when he suddenly received a round of applause and approval from everyone, seeing the happiness on each of their faces.

Wei Wuxian felt that this was something new amid so many crazes. He even saw Nie Huaisang join in the applause, clapping with his fan in hand.

“Thank you for helping me, Young Master Mo,” the maid bowed to him. “Please forgive my clumsiness.”

“Don’t do that,” Wei Wuxian said, feeling uncomfortable. “If you let it go, would that make you feel better?”

The maid saw a smile on his face and, confused, nodded slowly while blushing.

Even though Wei Wuxian didn’t want to be treated with excessive respect, there he was again, receiving countless bows of gratitude from all the servants. By then, Wei Wuxian realized that he had a number of people at his disposal—something he hadn’t appreciated before.

“Listen, everyone,” he added, confident that he would be heard. “Let’s forget this ever happened. No one is to blame. Alright? I won’t mention it to my crazy father. You can continue with your duties without any problem.”

Each of them relaxed and murmured in agreement, showing that they were relieved the mishap wouldn’t be reported to Leader Jin.

The maid who had made the mistake bowed to him with a slight smile of gratitude. Right after, when everyone had left, Wei Wuxian faced Hanguang-Jun and offered him his hand.

“It’s time for your treatment.”

Chapter Text

“City of Yiling”

Qishan Wen.

“How is that? You left Hanguang-Jun in charge of Jin Palace with my son?” Jin GuangShan asked, seated at one of the tables in the five-star hotel’s restaurant. His voice and gaze showed no signs of being pleased.

“I didn’t leave my brother and your son in charge of Jin Palace,” Zewu-Jun replied calmly and confidently. “Nie Huai is also there…”

“Nie Mingjue,” Meng Yao quickly clarified with a smile, not letting him finish.

Everyone remained silent at that remark. By then, Meng Yao found it important to turn his gaze toward Lan Xichen, silently urging him with his eyes to continue the lie.

“Oh, yes,” Lan Xichen cleared his throat softly and tried to correct himself, though it was difficult for him to lie. “Nie Mingjue stayed with them to offer his support.” When he finished, he wasn’t sure if he had lied enough or if it was merely convincing. The truth was, he looked to his uncle for a reaction and found the elder wearing a serious expression, narrowing his eyes while stroking his beard.

--Nie Mingjue agreed to lead Jin Palace? --Even Jin GuangShan found it really strange. It wasn’t usual for something like that to happen. Nie Mingjue was a fanatic about staying in Qinghe Nie most of the time. Convincing him was a difficult task.

--Er-Ge explained the situation to Nie Mingjue and he agreed to stay during these days in his absence --Meng Yao explained, trying to create more solid arguments--. Don’t worry about Mo Xuanyu, Father. He will be fine under Hanguang-Jun’s custody.

Jin GuangShan squinted, remaining silent. He opened his fan and leaned back against the chair’s backrest while fanning himself, eventually turning toward his godfather, who couldn’t stop looking at Lan Xichen sitting next to his son.

--If that’s the case —added Lan Qiren, stopping stroking his beard with seriousness—. What is the reason for your arrival?

--That’s something I would like to know as well —Jin GuangShan agreed, finding it very unusual that Lan Xichen had come without notice. Zewu-Jun was never called by them, so they didn’t know the reason for his sudden arrival—. What brings you to Yiling?

Lan Xichen felt interrogated, as if coming here had been a bad decision. However, he already had a perfect speech prepared in his mind. Just as he was about to speak, a hand stopped him, saying:

--Er-Ge, allow me —Meng Yao spoke up—. I asked him to come for support, mainly because I consider Xue Yang to be a very dangerous individual who isn’t worth confronting without a strategic plan.

--Excuse me? —Jin GuangShan asked, somewhat offended at the suggestion that they didn’t have a strategic plan—. What are you trying to say? Are you saying we don’t have a worthy plan to capture him?

--So far, we haven’t reached or resolved anything. We don’t know how to proceed, and it seems to me that we’re behind schedule.

--If I may remind you, Xue Yang is a criminal who must be located with great precision. All this time we’ve been waiting is to buy time. It doesn’t mean we aren’t carrying out a strategic plan. Just so you know, we have everything under control. I suppose you remember what you were supposed to do on the last mission I assigned you, right?

--A mission that was not carried out, Father —Meng Yao replied, a certain seriousness in his voice—. And judging by the events that have occurred recently with the Chang clan, I suspect that he was the one who killed more than 200 people in less than an hour.

Jin GuangShan had already suspected the same, as Lan Qiren had mentioned it. However, he still appeared indifferent.

Lan Xichen spoke up to reinforce Meng Yao’s concern. --With your permission, I want to say that this is a serious matter. Whether he was responsible or not, we cannot carry out this pursuit without reinforcements.

--We are not alone —Lan Qiren spoke, drawing everyone’s attention—. I spoke with Xiao-Shixiong a few hours ago, and he indicated a meeting point starting tomorrow in Yi City.

--In Yi City? —Lan Xichen asked—. Isn’t that place located north of Yiling?

--Indeed. Xiao-Shixiong, along with Song-Shixiong, will go in search of Xue Yang there. They obtained important clues about his escape, which indicate that he might be hiding in that place. Ideally, we should depart tomorrow morning.

--Furthermore… —added Jin GuangShan with a hint of boredom—. If we get their help, we are more than protected by their fighting and combat skills. So, I advise both of you to stop intimidating yourselves with false beliefs in your heads. Xue Yang is just one person, and we are a squad prepared to deliver justice and make him pay for what he deserves.

Lan Xichen remained silent, not very confident about the situation. He then looked at Meng Yao, and just by seeing him, he knew that he wasn’t satisfied either.

--Father —Meng Yao actually spoke—. I’m not in favor of this. I think we should abort the mission once and for all —Jin GuangShan raised an eyebrow. Then he continued—. Xue Yang is very dangerous. It seems to me that the best option is to leave and…

--Did I ask for your opinion? —the elder interrupted, causing his son to fall silent—. Meng Yao, if you are here with me, it’s because you must make amends for what that scoundrel did to us, and also learn to deal with villains like him so that the next time they try to use you as a rag doll, you’ll know what to do —By then, he laughed, remembering a good joke—. Start behaving like a man. One who is willing to show me that he truly deserves the crown in the future.

Jin GuangShan spoke each word without holding back, like one stray bullet after another hitting unexpectedly, expressing everything that annoyed him about Meng Yao in a certain way, as he was convinced that the root of all this trouble with Xue Yang was his son’s fault. At that moment, there were several reactions at the table. The main one was Meng Yao’s, who, through Lan Xichen’s eyes, could be seen as having fallen silent with a transparent helplessness that slowly resurfaced within him. Lan Xichen noticed it in the strong clenching of his hands.

--A-Yao —he said softly, covering one of his hands with his own, trying to prevent it from being filled with a negative feeling that could ruin everything.

--What’s the matter? —Jin GuangShan raised an eyebrow at the sight of his face—. Do you have something to tell me?

The sigh that Meng Yao let out, a sign that he could no longer tolerate his father’s behavior, alerted Lan Xichen. He was turning red with anger as he stared at him, indicating that he could explode at any moment.

--I know that look —the Jin leader continued—. The same look your mother would have when she complained and opposed my ideals. Are you also willing to act that way? Wanting to give me orders… when clearly this whole problem with Xue Yang is your fault?

--Jin GuangShan —Lan Xichen spoke in defense—. I will not allow you to continue speaking that way —He was already crossing the line. Mentioning Meng Yao’s mother was unnecessary, especially under these conditions when he was only trying to warn him of his concerns.

--Are you confronting me, Zewu-Jun? —Jin GuangShan asked, somewhat challengingly.

--Xichen —suddenly, Lan Qiren added, addressing him for intervening in that way, which was a great sign of disrespect.

--No —Jin GuangShan stopped Lan Qiren with his fan, understanding his intention—. Let him speak —He smiled as an idea came to him—. Now I understand why Meng Yao needed Zewu-Jun’s support at this moment. He needed it to have the courage to confront me, showing me once again that he is not capable of doing it… on his own!

--Enough —Lan Xichen could no longer bear it—. One thing is for you to explain the reason why you want to continue the search, but a completely different matter is adding irrelevant arguments from the past that have nothing to do with the case to justify a person’s behavior. A-Yao was simply expressing his concerns. Nothing more.

--Then, I was also expressing mine… Isn’t that fairness, Zewu-Jun? Someone who deserves to be called the leader of Lanlin Jin in the future should already be able to defend himself. He shouldn’t need someone to represent him…

Lan Xichen didn’t want to continue with this. He turned to Meng Yao and said, --A-Yao, let’s go somewhere else.

--No —Just as the man in white thought he would agree, he found that Meng Yao intervened reluctantly, managing a smile never seen before, somewhat twisted, that was unsettling—. There’s no need, Er-Ge. I can prove to this man that I can be a good leader of all of Lanlin Jin, even if YOU —he emphasized Jin GuangShan— never see it —With all the calm in the world, somewhat forced for the moment, he stood up from the chair, signaling to Lan Xichen that they should leave.

--I’m not finished with you yet —Jin GuangShan replied, with restrained fury as he saw him pass by. He grabbed his wrist firmly, feeling ignored—. You will go back and sit down, now.

Meng Yao looked him in the eyes as he felt the strength of his fingers gripping his skin. Then, he leaned closer to his face and whispered—. Let me tell you something, Father… One thing is what you want me to be, but a very different thing is what I am. You don’t know what I’m capable of if you keep pushing me… So I warn you, if you continue underestimating me, don’t come asking for my forgiveness later with your tail between your legs.

Jin GuangShan, astonished, was genuinely upset by his insolence. By then, he could no longer maintain his forced authoritarian attitude when Meng Yao pulled free with a single jerk, giving him one last, completely shadowed look. He turned his back and continued walking alongside Lan Xichen.

He couldn’t handle it. Jin GuangShan closed his fan and slammed it onto the table, somehow swallowing his bitter taste. Then, when he saw his empty glass, he threw it to the floor with a single strike, causing the glass to shatter immediately.

--Jin GuangShan! —Lan Qiren shouted, witnessing his action fueled by anger—. Calm down! It’s not worth going to such extremes!

Jin GuangShan heard him loud and clear, but he clenched his fists so tightly that he couldn’t take it anymore. --You damn son of a bitch! —he growled—. Does he think he can say whatever he wants? Disrespecting me like Jin Zixuan did? Screw him! —Then, he stood up, throwing the chair back, leaving Lan Qiren wide-eyed.

After that display, old Lan had no desire to follow him. He stayed in his place, observing the mess left beside his chair. He couldn’t believe how far this reunion had gone. As his longtime godfather, he knew that Meng Yao was not Jin GuangShan’s favorite son. However, calling him a “son of a bitch” was too much accumulated hatred that he hadn’t noticed until now.

--Oh my God… —One of the waitresses hurried over, covering her mouth upon seeing the mess—. Sir… what did you do?

~~~

--You damn son of a bitch! —A loud kick followed by that curse alerted Lan Xichen as he was the last to enter the room where they were staying—. I hate him! —Meng Yao slammed both hands onto the table in the room, then threw every object that caught his eye—. I’m fed up with him!

Lan Xichen was entering a state of intense worry. Meng Yao was red with anger. --A-Yao… please, calm down —He tried to intervene, but it seemed that Meng Yao was not willing to listen, consumed by his rage.

--Don’t come near me! —he exclaimed as he saw him approaching, choosing to step back—. Just… please, stay away from me right now —Then he pressed his temple, signaling to Lan Xichen that his blood pressure had probably spiked. The discomfort was so intense that Meng Yao tightly closed his eyes, feeling the need to clumsily sit in the nearest chair, leaning his body forward as the veins on his forehead became visible.

--A-Yao —Lan Xichen stepped closer to take him by the shoulders, but Meng Yao refused.

--Please, Er-Ge, stay away from me.

--I’m here, with you —Meng Yao heard him, but all he did was press that area on his head, feeling very uncomfortable—. Breathe deeply —Lan Xichen insisted, repeating—. I’m with you —By then, seeing that Meng Yao seemed to cooperate a little more in the silence, Lan Xichen took a free chair and placed it directly in front of him before sitting down—. A-Yao.

--Why are you still here, Er-Ge? —His voice was strained by the discomfort—. I can handle this on my own. You… have nothing to do with it. You’ve never had anything to do with the problems I’ve always had with my Father…

Lan Xichen knew that he did have a lot to do with it. All his life, he had watched him endure the harshness of a dysfunctional family. He understood Meng Yao’s sacrifices under Jin GuangShan’s guidance, especially over the past three years.

--You shouldn’t have seen or heard any of this —Meng Yao now looked embarrassed as he covered his eyes with his fingers—. You don’t know how hard it is to be the child of someone so ungrateful like him. I’ve always been the loyal son, the one who has offered to help, attended to him, accompanied him everywhere, even endured his countless dates with women I don’t even know, just for him to be so ungrateful and… —He clenched his teeth, trying to stop himself from saying what he wanted to next.

--And… a damn son of a bitch.

Meng Yao opened his eyes in astonishment upon hearing Lan Xichen say that. He never expected to hear him utter such a strong curse.

--Isn’t that so? —Lan Xichen smiled very calmly.

Meng Yao remained silent as he looked him in the eyes, until he managed to say—Exactly… —he admitted, feeling the resentment course through his veins—. Even you know that he’s a damn son of a bitch.

Lan Xichen widened his smile as he saw him more willing. --It wasn’t easy to say, but I understand that Jin GuangShan is a complicated man. That’s why I understand him.

--Why did this have to fall on me? Oh, I know —he recalled—. It’s all because of Jin Zixuan’s abandonment three years ago. Ever since he left us after his mother’s death, I was left with the full burden of dealing with that son of a bitch. I should have expected it. As soon as he left, Father had to pick someone to bother, and of course, since I’m second on the list… —He shook his head in frustration—. I should have acted long ago and reopened the case we had abandoned.

As Lan Xichen listened, he recalled that event and how traumatic it had been for all of them. He had always been by Meng Yao’s side, listening to his problems with his Father. If a witness was needed, Lan Xichen was even willing to be one. In fact, he was the perfect person, knowing everything because Meng Yao never held anything back.

--Back then… I was so confused —Meng Yao continued in a low voice, a little calmer—. I always knew that that old man wasn’t someone worthy of raising us. When I brought it up to my foolish older brother and he filed the lawsuit against him, I thought that would be it. Finally, we would get justice, but I never expected that Mo Xuanyu would be the only one of the three of us who wasn’t in favor of the lawsuit —Meng Yao closed his eyes—. I don’t know why, but seeing him so sad over that old man made all my ideals feel questionable —He sighed deeply—. In the end, I ended up declining entirely to give him everything he wanted… a united and perfect family.

Lan Xichen already knew the story. However, he didn’t know that Meng Yao had felt so much regret.

--Mo Xuanyu was very close to my Father from a very young age —Meng Yao sighed—. He had always been that way since he was a child. All my life, I believed that I, having arrived at the Jin Palace at the age of eight, would be the most spoiled of all. In fact, Father made me feel that way as soon as he accepted me into his family —Meng Yao closed his eyes—. But it didn’t last. As soon as he came into our lives, all my expectations were destroyed. Mo Xuanyu seemed like a threat to me for taking the role of the youngest son that was so rightfully mine. However, my relationship with Jin Zixuan was never special. Under no circumstances did he make me feel better when I asked for his support. I had no relationship with him beyond a title, so I was forced to take care of A-Yu on several occasions when our “real parents” were away —He took a breath, and a slight smile appeared on his lips—. Over the years, Mo Xuanyu’s presence was very different from what I expected. In those days, Jin Zixuan never made me feel welcome as a brother. I never knew what it meant to make someone feel at home in a place until I saw that Mo Xuanyu needed someone like that. I felt compassion for him, and, even though he was a very quiet and shy child, over time I felt that we developed a special relationship. That’s when I understood what it meant to take care of a younger brother, and I learned that it wasn’t so bad after all.

Lan Xichen could see the joy that memory brought him. --That’s why I understood how important it was to tell you the truth—that he wasn’t with us. Besides… if A-Yu always considered Jin GuangShan a good father… why has he recently chosen to run away several times? Do you think you know the reason?

Meng Yao remained silent as he recalled the past few weeks, then added—. I’m not very sure, Er-Ge. He has changed a lot over the past year.

--It’s a bit strange that A-Yu, being a boy very attached to his father, has been running away quite often lately, and according to Da-Ge, it happens frequently when you’re absent.

Meng Yao considered that possibility. --The last time, A-Yu didn’t want me to go on a trip. However, he didn’t want me to leave, but he also didn’t tell me why. I don’t know. Lately, he’s been exhibiting unusual behavior that even I haven’t been able to interpret. And now, unfortunately, he’s missing again. This time, he didn’t leave me a note —He shrugged—. It makes me think that he’s upset with me.

--Is there a reason you think he’s upset with you?

--Besides being away for long periods at the Jin Palace due to the missions my Father assigns me, I can’t find another reason. Perhaps he feels neglected by me. I don’t know —Meng Yao looked a little tired—. Don’t get me wrong, Er-Ge. It hurts me that he feels this way, but he doesn’t understand that I must fulfill my duties as the future leader of the palace. Mo Xuanyu can be very stubborn at times. He doesn’t want me to be apart from him at any moment.

Lan Xichen listened to him attentively. It was clear that Meng Yao was going through a difficult time, also struggling to understand his younger brother’s actions. At that moment, he felt guilty for having contributed to his sadness due to Lan Wangji’s mistake. He wanted to do anything he could. He wanted to give him reassurance and find a solution. An idea even came to him, but he didn’t know how Meng Yao would take it.

--A-Yao, I promise that we will find A-Yu very soon —He looked away and then sighed deeply—. However, if you want to speed up the search, perhaps we could consider getting Jin Zixuan’s help…

--What? --He widened his eyes in surprise and then frowned--. No, of course not. Jin Zixuan chose to turn his back on us a long time ago. I won’t try to contact him for anything in the world.

--A-Yao… But it’s necessary. I understand that Jin Zixuan left, but he is a detective belonging to the Yunmeng Jiang police station, according to what Wangji has told me during his missions —He paused, then added—. It never hurts to ask for his help.

Meng Yao understood his point, but he didn’t agree. --I have faith that you and I can handle this. I will find my younger brother, and it will be me who protects him from now on. I’ve always been the one there for him, through good times and bad. No one else. So, I don’t want Jin Zixuan to get involved in this problem that has been handled before.

Lan Xichen listened to the certainty with which he spoke. On one hand, he was right. Meng Yao was the only one who had been there for Mo Xuanyu through both good times and bad. He even knew that his reason for becoming the leader of Lanlin Jin was to provide him with the best comforts. Meng Yao had witnessed the decline of the Jin Palace and didn’t want Mo Xuanyu to suffer further from those consequences. For him, Mo Xuanyu was always the first consideration in his decision-making. That he had said he lately didn’t understand Mo Xuanyu’s behavior, to the point that their communication seemed somewhat impaired, seemed very strange to Lan Xichen.

Amid the silence of the room, Lan Xichen noticed a bird land on the windowsill. As he approached, he recognized Meng Yao’s golden macaw holding a letter in its beak. When he carefully took it, he took a moment to see that it belonged to Lan Wangji. Finally, some good news.

--Er-Ge? —Meng Yao turned toward him upon seeing him reading a letter—. Is it from Hanguang-Jun?

Lan Xichen nodded as he read each word. --My brother explains that he has news about A-Yu. He says that he will begin his search in the Mo Royal Villa.

--The Mo Royal Villa? —Meng Yao looked confused—. Why will they start searching there?

Lan Xichen continued reading, but his expression became unreadable as he began reading the reason.

--Er-Ge? —Meng Yao stood up—. Does it explain the reason why he’s going to the Mo Royal Villa?

The man in white lowered the letter very slowly, then looked at him with a worried expression. --It says that he will begin the search in the Mo Royal Villa because Mo Xuanyu’s mother passed away a month ago.

When Meng Yao heard the news, his hopeful gaze changed to one of complete unhappiness. --What? —he asked, thinking it couldn’t get any worse.

The shock was so intense that Lan Xichen couldn’t help but approach and grab him by the arm. --A-Yao? —Unaware, he was suddenly hugged, feeling how his arms clung to him.

Lan Xichen couldn’t help but feel his heart tighten, as the news hit him like a bucket of cold water.

--I’m with you —He repeated, returning the hug gently, knowing that this news had completely shattered him.

Chapter Text

"Jin Palace"

"Jilintai, Lanlin Jin"

In Mo Xuanyu's room, Wei Wuxian felt somewhat uncomfortable watching Lan Wangji crush the medicine in the mortar without saying a word. He lifted his shirt a little to look at the bandage on his abdomen, which, in reality, didn’t seem very useful now that he was feeling better.

“--Please, take off the bandage; I’m almost done,” Lan Wangji said to him.

Wei Wuxian heard him and then sighed. Doing this didn’t give him much peace of mind, but he had no other choice. He did as he was asked: he set the bandage aside while the Jade approached and took a seat in the same chair as always. Then, Wei Wuxian leaned back on the bed, leaving all the work to him. In a way, he liked that Lan Wangji had control, so he had resigned himself to giving it over completely.

Wei Wuxian let him lift his shirt and use his fingers to carefully apply the medicine on his abdomen. However, the coldness of the substance on his skin made him laugh. “Hahaha, careful. You’re tickling me.”

Lan Wangji stopped, looking him in the eyes.

“--Since I don’t feel much pain anymore, the tickling gets to me,” he laughed again. “Yeah… it’s something I hadn’t told you. So, you know, go easier, otherwise it’ll tickle me a lot.”

The man in white didn’t say anything in response. He continued with the healing as gently as possible, almost with an imperceptible circular motion. However, a burst of laughter could be heard. “Hahaha, stop, stop!” Wei Wuxian had to make him pause. “You’re tickling me!”

“I didn’t even touch you,” he replied.

He laughed. “Of course I did. As soon as I felt your fingers, I burst out laughing.”

“If you don’t let me apply the medicine, the wound won’t heal.”

“Alright, alright, fine,” Wei Wuxian sighed, trying to regain his composure and do his part while struggling with the strange cold sensation on his abdomen. “I’ll tense my stomach to prevent it from tickling me more. Okay?”

Lan Wangji looked at him and then turned his gaze away without saying a word. When Wei Wuxian tensed the muscles of his abdomen, the Jade took a little more of the medicine with his fingers and applied it to the wound. “Take a deep breath.”

Wei Wuxian nodded, ready. Just at the moment he felt his fingers on his skin again, he pressed his lips tightly together as the ticklish sensation spread through his insides. He tensed his abdomen further, flexing each muscle to try to prevent the sensation from spreading. It worked, but every second Lan Wangji spent on this maneuver was torturous, lasting far too long. Wei Wuxian grew impatient to the point that he threw his head back, unable to endure it any longer.

A burst of laughter escaped him, naturally causing his abdomen to contract. By then, Lan Wangji’s hand pulled back immediately in response to his unexpected outburst, ending up watching as the boy seemed to be having a full-blown laughing fit

“Sorry! Sorry! HAHAHA!” Wei Wuxian added, overcome with laughter. “B-But I really can’t stand it! Seriously!”

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything. He simply kept watching him, and when Wei Wuxian seemed to have finished his performance, he stood up with the mortar and headed toward the table where his medicinal tools were kept.

Wei Wuxian forced himself to calm down on the bed while wiping a tear from one of his eyes that was threatening to fall. He leaned forward slightly with a soft cough.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your healing,” Wei Wuxian cleared his throat while wiping another tear. “B-But really, I don’t know what it is about your fingers that tickles me so much.”

Lan Wangji turned toward him with a new bandage in his hands and approached, saying, “Let’s finish this.”

“Oh no… why do you have to put that thing on me again? It makes me really hot. I’d rather leave my abdomen uncovered.”

“It’s part of your healing; it’s important.”

“There’s no need. My abdomen is already better, look,” Wei Wuxian showed that part of his body with more confidence than before, lowering the edge of his pants slightly to reveal part of his hips and give him a more panoramic view of his well-defined abdomen. “Don’t get me wrong, my body is built to withstand anything, and I feel much better like this, with nothing on.”

By that moment, Lan Wangji noticed the mischievous smile on his lips, along with the exposed skin, and had to shake his head at the lapse. Immediately after, he turned his back to him. “If you don’t do it, you won’t be leaving here.”

Lan Wangji’s voice sounded more serious than usual. For a moment, Wei Wuxian watched his long hair fall down his back, and he ended up sighing once again.

This man seemed very strict about following procedures to the letter. Sitting down, with no intention of causing conflict, he took off his shirt completely, gathering some of his hair to toss it forward. “Alright, fine. Let’s finish this.”

Lan Wangji cautiously turned toward him, taking in the sight of his bare back. He was naked from the upper body. There was no need to do something like this when he could have easily lifted his shirt. However, seeing Wei Wuxian cooperating while waiting for a response, Lan Wangji didn’t think twice and sat on the bed right behind him, then crossed his arms around his waist, waiting for him to indicate where the wound was.

“Well… you know where it is. You felt it yourself a moment ago, didn’t you?” Wei Wuxian replied, sensing his presence. However, seeing that Lan Wangji didn’t dare to search for it on his own, he decided to take one of his hands directly and place it on the spot dampened by the medicine. “Here it is. Can you feel it?”

It was immediate how Lan Wangji’s hand pulled back at the unexpected contact. Throughout the procedure, the bandaging was the phase that interested Wei Wuxian the most. Since his way of wrapping it was usually quick, he found it fascinating how this man took the task so seriously, doing it with extreme care.

“What’s the matter? Are you going to bandage me, or are you too afraid?” Wei Wuxian asked, noticing his hesitation, as if trying to provoke him.

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything, but Wei Wuxian could hear his breathing behind him, so close. Almost immediately, his hand dared to wrap the bandage around his waist in response. “Is this okay for you?”

Wei Wuxian heard him ask exactly that, and, for some strange reason, his voice sounded very charming when he seemed concerned. “Mmm… It feels too tight. Maybe if you loosen it by about two fingers’ width… it could work.”

When Lan Wangji adjusted it by the width of his two fingers, that minimal contact of each finger brushing against his skin made Wei Wuxian both amused and intrigued. The first was due to the ticklish sensation, and the second because his rough, coarse hands became more careful and gentle.

When Lan Wangji intentionally wrapped his hands around his waist to adjust the bandage more securely, feeling that pressure sent a shiver down Wei Wuxian’s spine, making his skin tingle.

“And now?” he asked him.

Wei Wuxian whispered, “This is better.”

There was a brief silence that allowed both of them to make decisions, during which Wei Wuxian mentally counted three seconds, knowing that the man in white would get up from his spot. And indeed, he did. After stepping back, Wei Wuxian grabbed his shirt lying on the bed and then directed his gaze toward him. He had had something in mind since dinner, and perhaps he could take advantage of the opportunity now that they were alone.

“Lan Zhan, since I’m feeling better and the wound doesn’t hurt too much anymore, I think we should go look for Mo Xuanyu tomorrow.”

Lan Wangji glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

“The more time we waste, the more valuable time slips through our hands,” Wei Wuxian concluded.

“I sent the letter to my brother, waiting for his permission,” he replied. “I have to wait for his response. In the meantime, you’ll stay here to recover.”

“No… I’m bored,” Wei Wuxian said with exasperation and annoyance. “At least, let’s do something. I mean, I understand we didn’t start off on the best foot, but we can have some fun tonight. Don’t you think?”

Lan Wangji didn’t pay much attention to his comment. He simply gathered his things and then headed toward the door.

“Lan Zhan, wait,” Wei Wuxian insisted, making the man in white stop right at the doorway. “Stay with me tonight and let’s talk. I promise you won’t be bored with me.”

Lan Wangji looked at him with a hint of surprise. What was he saying? Was he actually inviting him to stay the night? Suddenly, the door made a sound, catching his attention. Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian quickly put on his shirt as one of the household servants appeared the moment Lan Wangji opened the door, offering a bow.

“Hanguang-Jun, with all due respect, I’m here to inform you that Miss Luo QingYang has already arrived at the palace. She is eager to see you.”

Lan Wangji thanked him for his time and courtesy, allowing the servant to leave.

“Oh… who is Miss Luo QingYang?” Upon hearing that, Lan Wangji slowly turned toward the high-ponytailed boy, where he could see a strange half-smile painted on his lips. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Lan Wangji closed his eyes

“Come on, I want to know. Who is she? Your girlfriend?” Wei Wuxian lay on his side on the bed, resting his head on his fist. “Tell me about her—look, I have plenty of experience with women who might suit you.”

Lan Wangji couldn’t believe the amount of nonsense coming out of his mouth. In fact, seeing him take that position on the bed prompted him to say, “Lie down properly. You could hurt yourself in that position.”

“What position? Lying on my side on the bed?” He laughed. “Relax. I did it on purpose so you’d come and sit—” He patted the free edge of the mattress. “Tell me, who is Miss Luo QingYang?”

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything else. Resigned, he shook his head and withdrew.

“Lan Zhan! Hey! Wait!” The door closed. “Damn…” he ended up whispering.

Wei Wuxian let out an annoyed sigh. Why did Lan Wangji choose to leave when the gossip was getting good? If that young lady was eager to see him… she was definitely his girlfriend.

“Well… I can’t blame her. That man is… quite attractive,” he thought aloud, staring at the door with the fresh memory of Lan Wangji having been there just a few seconds ago.

Amid the silence and his thoughts, he drew a mischievous smile as an idea came to him. If he wanted to have some fun… why couldn’t he go and explore the palace now that he had the household staff on his side? Maybe he’d be lucky enough to catch Lan Wangji flirting with the young lady.

Wei Wuxian smiled, quite intrigued at the idea of watching Lan Wangji interact with a woman. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to gauge how good his taste in women was—after all, he was quite handsome, so he should have someone of equal caliber by his side. Then, he got off the bed and stood up slowly, glancing at the nightstand by chance, where he noticed the necklace he had made for his Shijie.

His smile and all the ideas in his mind vanished for a moment, as he remembered the real reason he wanted to leave. However, Wei Wuxian chose not to dwell on those thoughts. He stepped forward and began exploring every corner of the Jin Palace.

As he descended the stairs and prepared to take a clearer look around, he had to admit that the Jin Palace was beautiful from every angle. It had elegant, immaculate structures that made it look very sophisticated. The household staff greeted him with great respect, bowing before stepping aside. Wei Wuxian eventually made his way down the stairs from the dining hall, which connected to a previously unseen corridor.

At that moment, he remembered that there were dogs in this place, so he chose to be more cautious as he ventured further down the corridors. The night was cold. He walked along a long hallway until he came upon a large door. It was enormous, giving the impression that it led to a very glamorous hall hidden within the palace.

“Makes sense,” Wei Wuxian thought as he read the sign above the door indicating it was a museum. “So, every palace has its history. Of course, a museum wouldn’t be unusual for these upper-class people. The question here is… how big is it?”

Before going to explore a bit further, he heard the sharp voice of a woman nearby. Wei Wuxian turned in that direction and realized that the area he was in led toward one of the royal gardens. Just peeking enough to see who the woman might be, he found what he had been eager to witness: Hanguang-Jun flirting with a woman.

Wei Wuxian gave a sly smile, finding this very interesting. He stepped back toward one of the columns, aiming to hide and get a better view of how the encounter would unfold.

In that spot, there was a young lady wearing a pale pink dress that matched her high heels, highlighting her striking beauty. Her long hair, reaching down to her waist and styled meticulously, gave the impression that she was ready for him. On the other hand, Lan Wangji looked as always—immaculate and simple in his white uniform—but what caught Wei Wuxian’s attention the most was that she was carrying…

…a huge bouquet of flowers in her hands!

Hanguang-Jun was a tall, calm, and reserved man… but that didn’t mean he wasn’t romantic! The woman looked genuinely happy. She had a smile as wide as that of a maiden joyfully reunited with her husband. Well, with that enormous bouquet of flowers in his arms, Wei Wuxian couldn’t blame her…

Wei Wuxian thought that he, too, would be perched on top of Lan Wangji if he happened to receive a bouquet of flowers as large as that. Even taking his arm and laughing by his side seemed far too little gratitude for what he would have in mind if he were in the girl’s place. “Who would’ve thought, Hanguang-Jun… You’ve fallen for a woman so different from yourself. Apparently, opposites really do attract,” he thought, watching the woman laugh while he showed no particular expression, though he didn’t seem bothered either.

“I knew there was something between them,” Wei Wuxian whispered to himself as he looked at the size of the bouquet, and he was no longer as eager to watch them flirt once he noticed how well they got along. “If he likes her… why deny it? The girl is beautiful. Although…” He squinted slightly as he continued observing her. “Haven’t I seen her before?”

When he finally remembered who she resembled…

She was the same woman who had kidnapped him!

Upon realizing this, his expression grew more serious. It was that ungrateful woman! The same woman who had kidnapped him that night in Yunmeng Jiang! Now, thinking about it, if they were a couple, what a waste from Hanguang-Jun’s perspective.

That woman was extremely obnoxious. He had never met anyone so contentious and arrogant. If they were dating, for a moment he thought it made sense, considering that both of them were attractive, but even so, it made him feel disappointed.

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian had completely lost his enthusiasm. The more he watched them interact and flirt, the less interested he became. He didn’t want to admit that it bothered him in some way. He decided to step aside and continue with his plan to explore the Jin Palace, hoping to have a bit more fun.

When he opened the enormous museum door and slowly stepped inside, taking in the interior, the silence was palpable. Wei Wuxian felt like he was on a treasure hunt and continued venturing deeper, regaining the enthusiasm he had lost, when he noticed a person standing right in the middle of the grand museum. “Huh? Nie Huaisang?”

The individual, who was facing away, jumped and clutched the fan in his hand tightly as he spun around in fright. He stepped back and nearly knocked over one of the display columns right behind him. “No, no, no, no!” Nie Huaisang juggled to prevent the small column from falling and destroying a statue on display. Finally, he managed to set it back in place, visibly nervous.

“What are you doing here?” Wei Wuxian asked, puzzled.

“Brother Wei!?” Nie Huaisang exclaimed. “What are you doing here!? How did you get here!?”

“I don’t know, I saw the door and came in. What are you doing here? Or rather… what is this place?”

Nie Huaisang couldn’t believe it. He almost had a heart attack seeing him appear out of nowhere, risking the destruction of one of the palace’s most valuable statues. Moreover, the fact that Wei Wuxian was here implied an even bigger problem. He was breaking the rules! No one, except the person in charge of the Jin Palace, was allowed to enter. It was a sacred place that the family kept secret, and prior permission was required to be there freely.

Considering that Wei Wuxian was not Mo Xuanyu, it was far more inappropriate for him to be examining each of the treasures.

“Hey… this is interesting,” Wei Wuxian said. Just as he approached one of the display columns to touch a treasure, Nie Huaisang hurriedly said:

“Brother Wei! No!” He swung his fan at him. “Don’t touch anything! Please.”

“What? Why? What is all this? Where exactly are we?”

“This place is the Fragrance Museum. It’s a highly confidential area of the palace. Y-You really shouldn’t be here.”

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you here if this is considered a ‘highly confidential place’?”

He looked slightly nervous. “Well… I’m the person in charge… Besides, this is where everything the Jin family has preserved for generations is kept. It’s not right for outsiders to be snooping around. It’s very personal…”

Wei Wuxian understood the point, nevertheless… “At least let me take a look and have some fun. You know I’m way too carefree to actually take anything from here. Besides, it would really help me to know a little more about ‘my history,’ now that I’m Mo Xuanyu.”

Nie Huaisang wasn’t very convinced, though he did have a point in his favor.

He agreed for that reason alone.

Wei Wuxian got what he wanted: Nie Huaisang gave him a tour, explaining briefly who made up the Jin family. He learned that the royal title was passed down to the leader’s sons through a law of consanguinity. The current Jin leader, Jin GuangShan, inherited the position at the age of 21. He was the only one of all the generations who did not have to fight for leadership, since he was an only child. A few months after taking the title, he married one of the maidens his father had imposed on him through an arranged marriage, and that was when he had his first son, Jin Zixuan, who, by law, was to be the next leader of the country.

--Jin Zixuan was the only child within the marriage --Nie Huaisang explained.

He continued afterward by showing him some of the achievements that Jin GuangShan had acquired during his rule more than 20 years ago. Apparently, his marriage and life with his son had been happy for about a decade. Everything changed when Jin GuangShan began getting involved with women from other regions of the world. It did not go unnoticed that these women demanded he take responsibility for his illegitimate children, two of whom turned out to be Meng Yao and Mo Xuanyu.

“So, Mo Xuanyu and Meng Yao aren’t truly of royal blood,” Wei Wuxian concluded.

--Correct --Nie Huaisang continued with the tour--. They arrived at the Jin Palace at a very young age to be raised by their father and gain a better life, considering that Brother Mo’s mother was a servant of the Mo clan, and Meng Yao’s mother... --He paused for a moment before saying--. She was a prostitute.

Wei Wuxian remembered Meng Yao. The elegant man with the hat and golden coat who had given him the train ticket was nothing like what one would expect from the son of a prostitute. He had to admit, it surprised him.

“Madame Jin died three years ago from unknown causes,” Nie Huaisang added, stopping right beneath a massive portrait that depicted the entire Jin family gathered together. “It is speculated that the reason for her death was respiratory failure, as she used to smoke excessively.”

“It’s not common to hear of a woman smoking,” Wei Wuxian added.

Nie Huaisang nodded. “Smoking was the only vice she never gave up, and ever since I knew her, she always did it. Obviously, not in front of everyone, but I remember that once she smoked openly near the palace after having a very heated argument with Jin GuangShan one night. If you’re wondering how I knew, that day I was staying overnight here alongside Mo Xuanyu.”

“What were they arguing about?”

He took a deep breath and then shook his head. “I’m not exactly sure. The only thing I do know is that they had many conflicts due to bad habits. Madame Jin smoked excessively, while Jin GuangShan… took his promiscuity to another level.”

“That guy’s a Casanova,” Wei Wuxian remarked, and Nie Huaisang nodded in agreement. “I see. If he really spent his time sleeping with women all around the world, it makes me think that Mo Xuanyu and Meng Yao might not be the only children born out of wedlock. Don’t you think?”

“That’s possible.”

“If that’s the case, why were they the only ones accepted by Jin GuangShan?”

Nie Huaisang grew thoughtful. “Honestly, I’m not sure. So far, it’s always been said that they are the only children of Jin GuangShan born out of wedlock. Of course, each of their mothers must have proven with solid evidence that they carried royal blood in their veins. If Jin GuangShan had more offspring around the world, it probably wouldn’t matter now that each of them is already grown. Besides, three heirs waiting for the crown is already enough. Why would Jin GuangShan accept more competition?”

Wei Wuxian nodded, analyzing the situation. Then, he turned his gaze back to the painting of the five people, taking a closer look at the appearance of the three children.

“That’s Brother Mo,” Nie Huaisang said, pointing to the smallest child with the fan, a smile on his face. “Don’t you see the resemblance he has to you?”

Wei Wuxian tilted his head. He didn’t really see it, to be honest, but he didn’t rule it out. He knew that his own mind probably couldn’t grasp the idea that someone identical to him existed. At that moment, he heard a deep sigh. There, he could see that Nie Huaisang looked affected.

“Honestly… I feel like it’s all my fault,” Nie Huaisang said, moving to sit on one of the sofas that offered a place to rest inside the museum. “If, by any chance, Mo Xuanyu never shows up…” —he covered his face— “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Wei Wuxian, arms crossed, thought it important to return his gaze to the painting. This royal family appeared to be happy, but like everything else, they had their flaws.

“Brother Wei…” Nie Huaisang continued, “I know that for a long time you’ve had your suspicions about me because of everything I did to Jiang Wayín, but… carrying the guilt that Brother Mo is no longer with us is very painful. You say I was wrong to leave Yunmeng Jiang without warning and abandon Jiang Cheng, but you have to understand that I didn’t do it because I was a bad friend. Brother Mo needed me—wouldn’t you do the same if someone so important in your life needed you?”

“Maybe, but the boy was already used to running away in your absence. Returning to Lanlin Jin… do you think it would have made a difference?”

Nie Huaisang looked at him, then lowered his head.

“You think you made a difference by returning to Lanlin Jin without warning, but in reality, you caused a huge impact in Yunmeng Jiang, especially in Jiang Cheng’s heart when he was devastated by that enormous gap you created between you two.”

Nie Huaisang felt guilty hearing him speak that way. However, despite feeling guilty, he chose to remain silent, having nothing to say in response.

“Nie Huaisang, I consider you a smart man. You know when to stay silent and when to act. I suppose you understand that what you did to Jiang Cheng is unforgivable. However, I can’t help but feel that there’s something else that catches my attention, and that is… you don’t even feel remorse?”

Nie Huaisang looked him in the eyes upon hearing the last word. He could have said the first thing that came to mind, but he preferred to take his time to think, and then said, “Brother Wei, there are many things I’ve regretted in my life. However, Wayín always imagined having a serious relationship with me, so… perhaps I felt that everything went too far.”

“If you didn’t want a serious relationship with him, then why did you get involved? Why not tell him that you wanted a casual, no-strings-attached relationship?”

--I loved him too! But… after that… I… Argh! --Nie Huaisang ended up covering his face, unable to continue. By then, Wei Wuxian didn’t press him. It was obvious that Nie Huaisang had never loved Jiang Cheng the same way he did. The only thing he hadn’t dared to do was confess it—God knows why--. “Brother Wei, since you’ll be leaving here soon and, hopefully, might encounter Mo Xuanyu along the way…” --He sighed deeply-- “I would love it if you could give this to him for me.” --He offered his precious fan.

Wei Wuxian took it with some curiosity. “Isn’t this your usual fan?”

“It used to be, but no longer. I don’t deserve it. A good friend like Mo Xuanyu gave it to me, trusting me a long time ago, but I haven’t been a good friend by any measure. It’s better if you give it to him as a gesture that I am truly sorry.”

Wei Wuxian unfolded the fan and looked at it. “Did he make this?”

Nie Huaisang nodded. “He made the entire fan himself, even its framework. When he gave it to me, he said it was the most beautiful object he had worked so hard on, and the only way it wouldn’t remain in his hands was if he gifted it to the person he trusted most in the world.” —He smiled at the memory— “The day he gave it to me; he told me I deserved it for being his best friend…” —He closed his eyes as his lips trembled— “I felt like the luckiest man in the world. Now… all that being his ‘best friend’ meant, it doesn’t exist. I left him alone in his worst moments when I went to Yunmeng Jiang, and I feel that I should give it back to him.”

Wei Wuxian listened carefully, studying the fan in more detail. It looked like something he himself would make for his Shijie. In fact, he remembered the necklace he had made for her on her birthday.

“Here.” —He didn’t wait any longer and handed it back— “This is yours.”

“What?” —Nie Huaisang didn’t understand—. “I’m giving it back to you so you can return it to him.”

“I highly doubt that someone who chose to create such a precious object would want to know that the person is giving it up because they don’t feel worthy. I wouldn’t like to have something I gave with so much care returned to me. What is gifted, is not returned.”

“B-But… no… I don’t deserve it…”

“Then make amends for the past and become someone who truly deserves to receive a gift like this.”

Nie Huaisang lowered his gaze and then sighed quietly. Wei Wuxian couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t take it. “Nie Huaisang.”

“I want you to give it back to him.” —The mentioned person stood up with empty hands—. “Please, listen to me this time.” —Right after, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small letter, like a note—. “I know it’s not really the right time, but this letter explains the real reason why I disappeared from Yunmeng Jiang. I want you to give it to Jiang Wayín. Maybe he won’t do anything with it, but I don’t want him to be left with doubts.”

Wei Wuxian was sure that when he arrived at the Jiang residence, Jiang Cheng wouldn’t want anything to do with him. But he took it anyway, since he should have given explanations a long time ago.

“Thank you, Brother Wei.” —Nie Huaisang smiled faintly—. “I hope you can return home soon and see Jiang Yanli.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Nie Huaisang looked him directly in the eyes, and in doing so, remembered an important phrase. “All growth deserves great sacrifices. I’m tired of running and lying to cover my problems. It’s time for me to change if I truly want to be a good leader and protect those I love.”

Wei Wuxian had no words of comfort. If he needed to do this to feel fulfilled, perhaps he should let him make his own decisions and forget the past. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He tucked his things inside his clothing and dared to touch his shoulder. “Do you know what I just found out a few minutes ago?”

Nie Huaisang looked at him. “What is it?” —He looked worried, thinking it was something about him.

“Guess.” —Wei Wuxian smiled wryly—. “It’s a secret of Hanguang-Jun, and I’m sure you don’t know it.”

Nie Huaisang raised an eyebrow, his unease fading slightly since he wasn’t involved in a gossip. “A secret of Hanguang-Jun? What do you mean?”

Wei Wuxian made a gesture with his index finger for him to come close enough so he could whisper. “Hanguang-Jun has a girlfriend.”

Chapter Text

Nie Huaisang went blank upon hearing what Wei Wuxian said.

Coming and saying he had a secret was already strange, but the most surprising thing was that this secret was about Hanguang-Jun having a girlfriend. It was simply crazy!

—Brother Wei… where did you get that nonsense from?

—Nonsense? He told me himself —Wei Wuxian was very convinced, but Nie Huaisang seemed doubtful— Don’t you believe me? Then maybe you’ll believe me when you see the big bouquet of flowers he gave to that Luo QingYang outside.

When Nie Huaisang heard the young lady being mentioned, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

—What’s so funny? —Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow.

—Brother Wei… —Nie Huaisang laughed again, unable to stop— I don’t want to disappoint you, but Hanguang-Jun and Miss Luo QingYang are not in a romantic relationship.

—Are you sure? They were very close out there. She was carrying a huge bouquet of roses in her hands while giving Hanguang-Jun little glances. It seems very serious to me. Besides, the servants told him that she was waiting for him eagerly. Don’t you think that’s a bit too much of a coincidence?

Nie Huaisang remained silent as he analyzed his words.

—Why don’t we go investigate? —Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrows, seeing an opportunity to have a little more fun—. Maybe it’s time for you to catch up on everything happening under your command in the Jin Palace, and we can start by watching the little couple.

~~~

—You don’t know how happy it makes me to go on missions with you again, Hanguang-Jun! —MianMian walked down the hall right beside him, very cheerful. She was so happy to see him after so many days without his company—. On my last mission, I couldn’t help but think of you. That’s why… —She stepped forward and intercepted him, standing right in his way— I’m giving you this beautiful bouquet of flowers since I’ve missed our performance as a great team.

Hanguang-Jun looked at the extravagant bouquet of flowers being handed to him and didn’t show any expression at all. He simply added, —Thank you, but it’s better if you keep it —After saying this, he stepped aside and continued walking.

—Come on, Hanguang-Jun. Are you too embarrassed to carry it? —She laughed.

The man in white continued walking as he said, —The bouquet of flowers is your gift, not mine.

—Yes, but now I’m giving it to you —She felt very amused as she walked beside him—. You know that many men find me irresistible, but… these kinds of gestures become routine and boring. If they want to impress me… they have to put in more effort than this. It seems very standard to me, even cliché, not authentic at all, I’ll tell you.

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything in response. He continued walking until they reached the main dining hall. There, he approached the table and took the initiative to pull a chair back to give MianMian the chance to sit down. She did so and then place the bouquet of flowers on the table, very pleased, while he did exactly the same in front of him.

—So, then? —She crossed her legs and smiled at him, very interested—. What do you need from this beautiful lady? What am I good for?

Lan Wangji, sitting with an incredibly elegant posture while looking her in the eyes, carefully considered each word he should use to inform her about the upcoming search mission they had to undertake. However,…

—Excuse me, Hanguang-Jun —Suddenly, a servant approached and bowed with utmost respect—. I don’t mean to interrupt, but a letter has just arrived for you.

He nodded, assuming it was from his brother, as he had been waiting for a response from him. He then asked for permission to stand and informed MianMian that he would be right back. By that time, she watched him leave with a small, disappointed sigh. Why did they have to call him just when they were together? She sighed again as she remained seated, waiting for his return.

Meanwhile, near the main dining hall, two men were hiding behind one of the columns of the grand Jin Palace to avoid being seen.

—Did you notice? —Wei Wuxian whispered to Nie Huaisang, who was right beside him—. Hanguang-Jun pulled the chair over for her, and they probably positioned themselves in the dining hall to talk alone.

—I don’t know, Brother Wei… I see that they took their seats without any other kind of interest.

—Nie Huaisang, you need to be more observant. Look —He grabbed him by the head and pointed to the girl sitting very calmly at the table, adjusting her sleeves and her hair—. The way she sits and fixes herself is to maintain her appearance in front of him. It also shows that she wants him to find her attractive. And I know this because when women are nervous, they become restless.

Nie Huaisang didn’t understand much about female behavior under a spell of infatuation… But if he analyzed it from a more personal perspective—like how he got nervous when he was next to Jiang Cheng…—he might get an idea. At that precise moment, MianMian picked one of the red roses from the bouquet resting on the table and brought it up to smell it. Nie Huaisang slowly nodded as he analyzed each of her movements, trying to gather enough evidence to accept Wei Wuxian’s speculations.

Unexpectedly, both of them had to hide more carefully behind the column when she turned precisely in that direction. Hearing whispers coming from there, MianMian focused on trying to figure out who might be nearby, squinting her eyes, but realized there was no one. Shortly after, she heard approaching footsteps, and when she turned that way, she saw Lan Wangji arriving.

—That was quick —She smiled as she held out the rose still in her hand—. I’m giving it to you; it smells really nice.

By that time, behind the column, Nie Huaisang couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Was MianMian giving a rose to Hanguang-Jun? And he accepted it!? Without a doubt, Lan Wangji took it as he resumed his seat. Then, he held it for a brief moment, admiring its beautiful and vibrant red color, and finally thanked her.

—Did you see? —Wei Wuxian whispered beside him—. Hanguang-Jun received his first rose… —Suddenly, a strange feeling of competition settled in his chest after saying that. “I would have given him a bigger one,” he thought.

—So now are you going to tell me what you need my help with, Hanguang-Jun? —She asked him with the same ever-present smile that seemed impossible to wipe away.

The man in white placed the rose on the table very delicately and then took a deep breath. —I will need your help to go in search of Mo Xuanyu.

MianMian’s expression, filled with complete happiness and excitement, changed to one of utter confusion. —What? Mo Xuanyu? —She asked, slightly frowning—. Did he escape again? Don’t tell me he got away once more even under your supervision…

Lan Wangji heard the annoyance in her voice and could do nothing but nod, then proceeded to explain what had happened from beginning to end. While they talked, behind that column, Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang watched the conversation in silence with doubtful expressions, as they couldn’t quite hear the topic of discussion.

—What do you think they’re talking about? —Nie Huaisang whispered—. He didn’t hear anything.

Wei Wuxian made a gesture for silence with his index finger while keeping his attention fixed on them.

—WHAT!? —MianMian’s scream that followed took both of them by surprise—. Don’t tell me that…!

Hanguang-Jun nodded. —My brother sent me a letter from Yiling and authorized me to begin the search tomorrow morning. That’s why I need to know if I can count on your cooperation.

By that time, MianMian couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was too much to process. A strange feeling of displeasure showed in her eyes as she covered her forehead with her hand and closed her eyes, completely outraged.

—Oh, oh —Nie Huaisang thought that body language was not a good sign—. Jiang Cheng used to get like that when he was upset with me… —He looked at Wei Wuxian, who was still paying attention to the conversation—. Brother Wei, that means danger anywhere… Do you think they’re fighting?

Meanwhile, MianMian didn’t seem likely to calm down anytime soon. —If Zewu-Jun is with Meng-Yao in Yiling… does Meng-Yao know that Mo Xuanyu is missing? —Lan Wangji, with all the patience in the world, nodded. She continued—. This is outrageous! Horrible! I can’t believe it! That boy… UGH!

Nie Huaisang looked worried seeing her adopt that attitude. —Brother Wei… she’s already exploded. Nothing good can come of this. I remember when Jiang Cheng and I fought, he would get so upset that he didn’t want to see me ever again. She looks very displeased. Do you think they’re breaking up? —Not hearing a response from Wei Wuxian, Nie Huaisang insisted—. Brother Wei? Can you understand what they’re talking about?

Wei Wuxian remained silent as he continued watching the scene.

—I can’t handle this, Hanguang-Jun, I really can’t —MianMian was more than outraged, with a strong intention to get up from her chair—. That boy is a problem for everything. We can’t be having to search for him again, and now because of a supposed mistake, making us look like complete idiots —She growled—. If it’s true that we were wrong, who is the person we captured? Who the hell is that commoner?

—That commoner you despise so much is named “Wei Wuxian,” just so you know, dear —Suddenly, Wei Wuxian made his presence known, very nonchalantly, in the main dining hall, leaving Nie Huaisang perplexed at realizing he had gone to make an appearance. His attempt to stop him and bring him back was too late. Wei Wuxian continued—. If you have something to say to me, miss… you can say it here and now.

The place was filled with an unusual silence, and Hanguang-Jun noticed his arrival. MianMian was the first to react. —What does this mean? Were you spying on us?

Wei Wuxian directed his gaze toward Hanguang-Jun, catching his attention, as he also seemed to want an explanation.

—Yes —He smiled broadly, with a confidence as if he were having fun—. Why? I don’t think I interrupted a lovely date after hearing my name in your conversation… I figured that if you wanted to know about me, I could appear and clear up all your doubts. Don’t you think that’s easier? —Boldly, he took the rose that Hanguang-Jun had left on the table to smell it—. What a charming rose. As charming as you, miss, but… why, out of so many roses in your favor… do you choose to give only one to the man who went to so much effort to give you such a splendid gift?

MianMian couldn’t believe this invasion of privacy. To make matters worse, she didn’t understand what he was referring to, but she didn’t care. —You shouldn’t be here —She added, determined to make herself heard—. You’re not even Mo Xuanyu to have permission to speak to me. You’re an unknown commoner pretending to be him.

—You didn’t answer me —Wei Wuxian ignored what had just been said and then boldly sat on top of the table—. Tell me, why give a single rose to the man who gave you that huge bouquet? —He picked two more roses from the bouquet, one white and one red, and finally stretched across the entire length of the table to reach Hanguang-Jun—. Three warm roses for such a respectable man as you, sir —He flaunted his softest and most flirtatious smile, noticing how Lan Wangji’s golden eyes were impressed by his audacity.

With the three roses in his hand, Wei Wuxian kept staring at him until Lan Wangji took them. By then, Lan Wangji didn’t quite know what he was doing, but he accepted each of them without fully considering the situation. As a result, Wei Wuxian smiled like a man satisfied that he had fallen into his seductive trap. Right after, he stepped down from the table.

—What does this mean!? —MianMian also looked very confused by everything that had happened—. Hey, boy —She immediately stood up—. I don’t know who you are or where you come from, but spying, interrupting someone else’s conversation, and on top of that, behaving badly at the table… that’s definitely punishable in the palace!

—Oh, really? —Wei Wuxian looked sarcastic—. And who’s going to punish me? You? Excuse me, miss, but if I’m not mistaken, you should also face the consequences of a punishment… for committing a kidnapping!

—YOU!

—ENOUGH! —Suddenly, Nie Huaisang intervened, calling everyone’s attention except for Hanguang-Jun, who was still lost in the charm of the roses in his hands—. Everyone be quiet! —Wei Wuxian and MianMian turned to look at him, not very inclined to take him seriously. However, Nie Huaisang didn’t miss the opportunity to say—. Here, we are all doomed to suffer a greater punishment for our poor decisions, and I’m not going to point out who is worse than the other, because we have all contributed to Brother Mo not being with us.

—You know it too!? —MianMian couldn’t believe it—. Who else knows!?

—All of us —Suddenly, Hanguang-Jun snapped out of his daydream and stood up—. Including my brother and Meng-Yao.

MianMian turned to look at him, worried. —Does the Jin leader know? Is he aware?

—Fortunately, no —He continued—. However, we need your help so that we can begin the search tomorrow morning and hopefully find him before the news spreads throughout LanlinJin and the rest of the five great nations.

Wei Wuxian was astonished to hear that they would set out on the journey “tomorrow morning,” when it was supposed to be impossible due to his injury. That was exactly what he wanted, and it seemed that Hanguang-Jun had managed to fulfill his request. A warm feeling settled in his chest as he felt heard.

—And what do you think I can do? —She asked, trapped in a dilemma—. If I refuse… do I even have a choice? Obviously not. I have no choice if I refuse because the mistake was mutual. Besides, if the Jin leader finds out that I also failed and did nothing to fix it, he’ll probably kill me.

—Everyone —Nie Huaisang spoke up, addressing the group—. It seems Er-Ge has agreed that they will go in search of him tomorrow. That’s a good sign so we can correct our mistakes as soon as possible.

Hanguang-Jun thought it important to say—. The mission will begin in the Mo Royal Villa. We will depart tomorrow morning, without delays. Nie Huaisang will remain in charge of the Jin Palace in our absence.

MianMian heard him loud and clear, and it seemed that everything had already been planned for some time. She was truly upset, with a jumble of conflicting emotions, barely having time to process all this madness. To her misfortune, she now had to leave to prepare her luggage. In the end, she looked at Wei Wuxian, feeling that this had to be some kind of damn joke. No wonder he had acted so wildly from the very beginning when he was captured—something Mo Xuanyu would never have been capable of.

She already disliked him.

—You’d better go prepare your luggage —Lan Wangji added to her, sharing the same thought—. Tomorrow will be a long day.

She couldn’t help it. She was outraged, but she couldn’t take it out on him. Hanguang-Jun wasn’t at fault for a mistake they had both made. She had no desire to stay any longer. She turned around, flicking her sleeves in frustration, leaving everything she had brought on the table.

The tension that had built up during the confrontation became uncertain for everyone when she left. At that moment, Nie Huaisang thought it was very rude of her to leave without saying goodbye. However…

—And she still talks about manners… —Wei Wuxian added with a hint of irony in his voice, sharing the same impression as him—. Ha! She should know that saying goodbye is part of that package too. What she did was completely disrespectful; she should set an example before criticizing —Then, he turned to Lan Wangji with a broad smile, only to find him looking more serious than usual.

—Did you like the gift I gave you? —Wei Wuxian didn’t miss the chance to hear his opinion, bragging a little about his bold move—. Next time, tell your girlfriend that… —Suddenly, a jolt of invasive electricity passed through his lips and sealed them completely.

He cast the silencing spell on him!

He couldn’t believe it!

—Take him to his room —Hanguang-Jun instructed several Jin guards who had arrived in response to the disturbance, and they nodded to his order. At that moment, Wei Wuxian was forced by the large guards who approached him and made him go up the stairs leading to his room—. Make sure he doesn’t come out again —He finished by saying.

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes wide. He kicked and complained in his own way, disappearing from sight as the Jin guards dragged him up the stairs. On the other hand, Nie Huaisang didn’t have the courage to act on his behalf, being the acting leader. Instead, he remained completely silent, noticing that Lan Wangji looked more serious than usual.

By that time, Lan Wangji directed his gaze at him, completely ignoring Wei Wuxian’s complaints.

—I… Ah… —Nie Huaisang became worried and then clasped his hands together to make a bow—. I will finish preparing everything so that you can travel early tomorrow without any inconvenience.

—Nie Huaisang —Hanguang-Jun spoke seriously, making him so uneasy that he didn’t even want to meet his eyes. He continued—. I have faith that you can lead the Jin Palace in my absence.

Upon hearing that strong declaration of trust, Nie Huaisang’s unease eased, and he felt the need to nod, affirming that he could do it. Lan Wangji looked more at ease, just in time for some maidens to approach and collect the large bouquet of flowers on the table, as well as the roses that Hanguang-Jun still held in his hands, the ones Wei Wuxian had given him.

Nie Huaisang watched as each of those women disappeared like a flash of light. Lan Wangji didn’t say anything further about it. He then left, going down the stairs directly to where MianMian had gone.

Nie Huaisang let out a deep sigh. Now, with the Jin Palace completely in his hands, he had to admit that it made him very anxious.

However, he held onto the hope that if this was the only way for Mo Xuanyu to return home, he had to make the effort, even though sometimes he felt it was useless. After all, he never wanted to come back to this place again.

Chapter Text

"Parish of the Holy Loyalty"

Sun Palace, Qishan Wen

That new morning, another rehearsal for the wedding of the palace's first heir, Wen Xu, alongside his fiancée, Wang LingJiao, was taking place.

At that moment, Wen Qing was once again wasting time in this place. She had already spent all of today and yesterday trying to carry out the rehearsal correctly in its designated spot, but it seemed that, for any tiny mistake someone made, the entire rehearsal would stop, and they would have to start over from the beginning.

It had happened more than once, and it was starting to frustrate her.

"You have to do it right! If you don’t do it right… we won’t get out of here! It’s my wedding, and you will do as I say!"

Wen Qing rolled her eyes upon hearing Wang LingJiao complain and issue orders into the air one after another, which was quite irritating. While Wen Xu and some of the palace servants debated how to proceed with the incomplete rehearsal, she felt the urge to check her wristwatch, convinced that far too much time had already passed.

Jiang Cheng was still trapped in the dungeons, and she was fortunate that Wen Chao hadn’t asked about him again. However, she had spent the entire day on this absurd rehearsal that seemed never-ending. It was already time to give her the necessary therapy, but she didn’t want his concern to be obvious in front of Wen Chao and the servants accompanying him. She needed to find a solution very soon, as Jiang Cheng needed his help to continue his healing process.

Suddenly, the woman’s shrill voice broke her concentration.

There was Wang LingJiao again, directing the ideal path to walk down the grand aisle of the parish. The parish itself was already immense, with luxurious and refined details that made it even more spacious, but Wen Qing felt increasingly suffocated, all because the sense of peace that had once been felt upon entering the sacred temple had completely vanished in the face of that woman’s shouting.

Suddenly, Wen Chao’s voice made itself heard as he entered through the main door alongside his bodyguard, Wen Zhulio, who stopped at the porch. “Let’s see, let’s see. If we’re wasting so much time debating how the rehearsals should be carried out, the most practical thing is for us to do each of them, and then you can choose which one you like best, my dear,” he said, addressing Wang LingJiao.

The young lady, upon hearing him, grumbled. “I just want you to do it right! That’s all!”

“Alright, alright. Then let’s try each of your ideas and then you can choose which one gives you the most spotlight. After all, the only one who should shine here is you, right?” Wen Chao gave her a smile that was quite convincing given Wang LingJiao’s state. It wasn’t surprising that, seeing his interest and that willing smile, she agreed, having heard something coherent for once.

“All right, all right. Let’s start over!” he shouted as he applauded the servants.

Everything went according to the fiancée’s preferences. Wen Qing didn’t have much motivation to continue, but here she was, choosing to give Wen Chao the benefit of the doubt—hoping that, at the very least, he could do something productive and encourage the woman to cooperate, and, with any luck, get out of there soon. For the time being, she remained still in her place, waiting for her turn, until…

“No! Stop! I don’t like it this way! I don’t like it this way!” Wang LingJiao complained again, and now her dissatisfaction was directed at her own fiancé, Wen Xu, who didn’t seem willing to endure her capricious shouting like Wen Chao did. “How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t walk like that? You have to do it strictly elegantly right by my side! Nothing more!”

Another commotion turned into routine.

Once again, the rehearsal fell apart, making it more than tedious. For Wen Qing, this was reaching the limit. Wang LingJiao was a woman who didn’t take into account the effort each of them was putting in by standing here for hours, in the heat.

Wen Qing couldn’t stay here any longer. At that moment, she mustered up the courage and approached them close enough to say, “Excuse me, but I see that this is dragging on unnecessarily. We all have things to do, and we’re getting nowhere every time we stop the rehearsal over some triviality.”

“I support Wen Qing,” Wen Xu said seriously. “Wang LingJiao, if we don’t finish this, the time will come when I’ll have to leave for an important meeting with my father. Half the morning has already passed, and I don’t have as much spare time as I did yesterday.”

“It’s not fair!” she said, pouting as she pointed at him. “You’re supposed to stay here. It’s your wedding too, and it seems like you’re never interested. I want it to be perfect! And all of you should cooperate to make it a flawless wedding!”

Of course, Wen Xu didn’t stay silent, quickly sparking a marital argument, since she wasn’t going to remain quiet either. Wen Qing rolled her eyes and then sighed, literally exhausted from it all.

“All right. Enough, enough,” Wen Chao interjected between the marital quarrel, managing to get close to Wang LingJiao and stand by her side. “Listen, darling, we can look for other options by asking my father for new alternatives. Perhaps hiring rehearsal experts who know what they’re doing and can make your preferences possible could help us. What do you say?” A gentle smile appeared, causing her to look him in the eyes before crossing her arms. “Come on, I promise we’ll solve this issue, and you’ll be the most beautiful bride of all time—so much so that people in GusuLan will be talking about you…”

GusuLan was the farthest country from Qishan Wen. However, that saying was meant to convey to the young lady that her wedding would be so popular it would be talked about in all five great nations. In other words, he was promising her something grand, something he knew would amaze her—and he was right. She seemed convinced, wearing a wide smile, and that was when Wen Chao turned to his brother and then to Wen Qing.

“All right, you two,” he said, pointing at them. “Stay here while Miss Wang and I go ask Father for his opinion. Agreed?”

Wen Xu didn’t do much. He simply gave them permission to leave, since that way he could take the opportunity to catch up on tasks he had left unfinished due to this waste of time. On the other hand, Wen Qing sighed. The truth was, she didn’t care whether he went with her or not. All she wanted was to get out of there, and she could take advantage of the opportunity now that the rehearsal had been postponed.

Suddenly, someone dared to take her by the waist, pulling her close to his body, and then planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll come back for you later,” Wen Chao said, looking into her eyes. “I hope you won’t miss me…”

Wen Chao smiled broadly and then let her go, turning around to walk away. Wen Qing did nothing but wipe her cheek, forcing a smile until they finally left the sanctuary with the crazy woman. Miraculously, the parish was enveloped in a productive silence. The sense of peace that had originally been felt returned, with only a few servants remaining, along with her and the future leader of the Wen government, Wen Xu.

“That woman is unbearable,” Wen Xu said, and when Wen Qing heard his voice, she nodded almost immediately. “Luckily, Wen Chao is the only one who knows what to say to handle her hysterics,” he sighed in relief. “At least he’s a good brother-in-law.”

She remained silent. She didn’t say anything about it. She didn’t care much about what Wen Chao did with the others. All she wanted was to leave that place, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

~~~

After being gone for nearly an hour, Wen Chao and Wang LingJiao returned, very happy from the supposed meeting they had with Wen Rouhan to plan the upcoming rehearsals. However, when they arrived, that happiness that had complemented them began to fade as they found the place almost empty.

It was to be expected that no one would stay for such a long wait.

“What!? Where is everyone!?” The woman didn’t hesitate to express her displeasure. The echo in the parish almost caused the few servants who had stayed behind to become disoriented. “This can’t be!” she shrieked, clenching her fists tightly. “Wen Xu! Where are you!?”

The woman was fuming. As soon as she blamed her fiancé for being an insensitive fool, she ran into the depths of the grand sacred temple, hoping to find him, but to her misfortune, he wasn’t there.

On the other hand, Wen Chao frowned at the foot of the porch. He turned toward where Wen Qing was supposed to be waiting for him, and indeed, she wasn’t there either. No one from his “family” was present. It seemed that he was the only one who cared about this wedding.

“I can’t believe this!” he heard the woman’s shrill voice again, completely furious. “I’m so upset! No one is paying attention to this wedding! It’s not fair! It’s not fair!”

Tired of hearing the woman’s hysterical echo spread throughout the parish, Wen Chao approached her with a calm demeanor, offering one of his hands as a form of comfort. “Calm down, darling. I’ll inform Wen Xu to come soon. There’s no need to ruin your beautiful appearance over something that can be resolved. I’m here with you,” he said, winking at her with a broad smile. “As long as I’m here, you’ll have everything you want…”

When he finished speaking, she looked away, unable to bear seeing that smile on his lips. To be precise, it wasn’t that she disliked it—quite the opposite. From her perspective, Wen Chao seemed to be the only man genuinely interested in listening to her. It bothered her that his brother, who was her real “fiancé,” didn’t act the same way, always caught up in politics and the royal duties of the palace.

“So?” Wen Chao continued. “We can go look for him. I promise I won’t let you deal with this alone.”

She crossed her arms, wearing a serious expression. But who was she kidding? After hearing his insistence, she decided to give a half-smile, though she didn’t take the hand he had offered. Then, she tossed her hair back to brush past him and walked toward the exit on her own.

By then, Wen Chao understood everything. What she had just done—though she hadn’t given any explicit response—meant anything but a refusal. That last look she gave him drew a smile on his face, one more for himself, as the woman was becoming increasingly intriguing to him. He resumed his slow pace, following her toward the outskirts, and it was then that he noticed Wen Zhulio waiting there.

“Sir, I need your attention,” the man said as he approached his side.

“Huh?” He raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. “Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?”

“Something important happened. It’s better to discuss it in private.”

“What? I’m busy,” he said, pointing to the young lady waiting for him several meters ahead, accompanied by several servants. “I can’t stay to listen, unless you tell me right now.”

Wen Zhulio refused. “It’s confidential. Only you are supposed to know.”

Wen Chao frowned as he looked him directly in the eyes. Usually, Wen Zhulio didn’t refuse anything, unless it was strictly confidential. He had no choice but to accept. If it was that important, he had to hear it, no matter what.

After telling Miss Wang to give him a few minutes of privacy, Wen Zhulio guided him into the parish, specifically to the confession section, a place that was quiet and empty.

“So? What do you have to tell me?”

Wen Zhulio got straight to the point. He took out two newspapers. “This newspaper reports that Miss Wen Qing was seen leaving the ‘Peace and Love’ clinic accompanied by a man.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Chao quickly grabbed the paper to read the news. “Suspicious infidelity of Miss Wen Qing after leaving the ‘Peace and Love’ clinic with an unknown young man…” He couldn’t believe it. She, accompanied by a relatively handsome young man leaving that public health center, seemed to be smiling more than usual, never letting go of his side.

By then, Wen Chao’s gaze, full of astonishment, darkened completely as he couldn’t believe that this scandal had already spread throughout all of Qishan Wen, causing him to lose face.

“This second newspaper reports another piece of extremely important news,” Wen Zhulio said, handing him the second paper and pointing to the face of the alleged thief who had fled down the boulevard. “Jin Zixuan has returned to Qishan Wen.”

Wen Chao grabbed that piece of paper and looked more closely at Jin Zixuan’s face. His eyes darted back and forth, unable to believe that this traitor had returned to set foot on the lands of the Sun, filling him with a palpable fury that was practically reflected in the way he crumpled the printed paper in his hands. “And this woman?” he asked, pointing to her. She was the woman holding Jin Zixuan’s hand. “Who is she? His girlfriend?”

“So far, my informants report that her name is Jiang Yanli. She arrived on the same train as Jin Zixuan, along with his cousin, Jin Zixun. Their three tickets all match the same arrival time at Qishan Wen Railway Station.”

“Who would have thought…” Wen Chao couldn’t believe such a coincidence. “So, if Jin Zixuan returned to our territory even after being warned, that means he doesn’t care about our rules. Not satisfied with that, he brought a woman and his cousin, with unknown intentions—but not entirely unknown, since I know that bastard is hiding something.”

Wen Zhulio nodded, indicating that he was absolutely right.

“I want you to find out the reason they returned to our lands,” Wen Chao ordered immediately, and Wen Zhulio nodded in response.

Wen Chao couldn’t believe these two surprises. One thing was the discovery of Jin Zixuan in his territory, which was very important since he was considered a criminal, but something entirely different—and arguably what angered him the most—was the confirmation that Wen Qing was being unfaithful to him with another man, practically mocking him.

“Do you know this guy’s name?” he asked, pointing to the male figure beside her, wanting to know more details.

Wen Zhulio shook his head.

“All right. I want you to go right now to the ‘Peace and Love’ clinic and find out the name of this man, along with other guards,” he said, then glanced at the newspaper showing Jin Zixuan. “As for the Jin detectives… find out why they are trespassing on our lands.” Unexpectedly, a malicious smile appeared, dispelling his bad mood caused by the infidelity. “I think I should do my part and inform Wen Xu about this rather interesting discovery. From now on, it’s time to play cat and mouse. Let’s see how good Jin Zixuan is at hiding like a thief while being pursued by all the law that Qishan Wen enforces…”

He couldn’t help it. He let out a tremendous laugh that echoed throughout the entire parish.

“Oh, Jin Zixuan… If you came for revenge, face the consequences, because this time, you won’t get out alive.”

~~~~

Peace and Love Clinic

Tourist Area, Qishan Wen

“That’s right, Jiang Cheng was here.”

“How long ago?” Jin Zixuan asked upon seeing the young lady at the reception, who didn’t seem to be in a very good mood today. Beside her, Jiang Yanli was also paying close attention to his question.

“Three days ago,” the woman replied apathetically while organizing other papers.

Jiang Yanli felt the need to ask. “What happened to him? Why did he come to this clinic? Would you be so kind as to tell me?”

“Why do you want to know about him?” she asked, with a certain seriousness in her voice.

It wasn’t normal for a trio of people to suddenly show up asking for information about someone who happened to be a patient, and who, moreover, had been in the company of Miss Wen Qing.

That was when Jin Zixuan pulled out his police badge. “I’m a detective, and I need information about that man. In his homeland, he is missing, and we need information that can help us continue our search.” He paused, then leaned on the reception desk and whispered, “We have a warrant in case you refuse, so please make our job easier to avoid further delays.”

“Do you belong to the Qishan Wen police station?”

Jiang Yanli grew worried at that question. Detective Jin didn’t belong to the Qishan Wen police station, but rather to that of Yunmeng Jiang. If he confessed that truth, it could make the young lady suspicious of them for not being from her country. However, he replied:

“Yes. We are Qishan Wen police officers transferred from Yunmeng Jiang to handle the case.”

“Are you sure?” the woman raised an eyebrow, not very convinced.

Jiang Yanli knew he had lied. They weren’t Qishan Wen police officers transferred from Yunmeng Jiang. They weren’t even welcome there! She was certain that Qishan Wen and Yunmeng Jiang didn’t even have such an agreement, being different countries. She had to admit this was making her anxious—especially since that woman was also giving her a wary look, as if she were a suspect.

“—You don’t believe us? —Jin Zixuan continued, much calmer than she was. —All right then, let me call the Qishan Wen police station to file a complaint that the Peace and Love Clinic is refusing to give me valuable information... —He pulled out his notebook and the ink pen from a new black coat. He had to continue the investigation wearing a coat of a completely different color. If he kept using the golden one, the one that openly displayed the White Peony of LanlinJin, it wouldn’t be wise to expose himself so stupidly. He had to protect his identity from the citizens. —Excuse me, what’s your name? So I can file the complaint under it.”

The woman was taken aback by his confidence and quickly grew uneasy. “—There’s no need. I’ll look for the patient’s information.” She said nothing more. That was when she stood up to search through the folders of the most recent patient records.

At that moment, Jiang Yanli sighed in relief. She couldn’t help but keep her eyes on Jin Zixuan, the man who maintained his calm and unperturbed demeanor, which genuinely made her admire the way he handled difficult situations, in addition to being truly skilled in the art of deception. It was clear that he had experience dealing with complicated matters, and she had to admit that she found that very attractive.

“—Here it is,” the woman slammed the folder onto the counter. “Jiang Cheng, identification number 0687. Admitted three days ago around 6 p.m. The reason for the visit was a minor injury to the left lower limb. Capsulitis was detected in the ankle region as a result of a fall.”

“A fall?” Jin Zixuan narrowed his eyes. “How did he get here, exactly?”

“He was referred by the authorities after suffering the consequences of a car accident near the ‘Peace and Love’ restaurant around the corner. He and Miss Wen Qing were victims of the accident.”

“Oh no…” Jiang Yanli couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Jin Zixuan noticed that it had affected her in some way, so he spoke again. “Did Miss Wen Qing also get injured in the accident?”

“Fortunately, no,” the woman replied confidently. “Her injuries were almost nonexistent, unlike his, as he was hurt. That day, both of them were discharged around mid-afternoon/evening. That’s all I can tell you.”

Jin Zixuan nodded, taking the opportunity to write down every word of her statement so as not to miss any detail. When he finished, he asked, “Do you know if they left together that day?”

“I’m afraid that’s enough questions for today. I’ve already told you everything I know. If you want more details, I can assure you you’ll find information in the newspaper. It says there that they left together in a taxi,” she shrugged. “If that’s not a direct answer to your question, Detective… I’m afraid nothing will be. Am I wrong?”

Jin Zixuan perfectly understood the sarcasm in her response. The situation became a bit tense after that, as her reply didn’t go unnoticed by either of them.

He ended up rolling his eyes and putting his notebook away in his black coat. At that moment, he figured that if they had left together, Jiang Cheng could be at the Sun Palace, and therefore, still allied with the Wen royalty.

His brow furrowed as a question came to mind: “Why did Wen Qing decide to take him along?”

They didn’t waste any more time with the woman at the reception. She had already provided part of the information they needed to better understand Jiang Cheng’s current whereabouts.

Through the hallways of the clinic, Jiang Yanli wandered, lost in her thoughts. Hearing everything that had happened to her A-Cheng—suffering a car accident and then an ankle injury, during which she hadn’t been there to help him—clenched her poor heart.

When they exited the health unit, they found Jin Zixun watching the area. He turned toward them as soon as he heard his cousin’s whistle.

“We’re leaving,” he announced as he continued toward the exit.

“Huh?” Jin Zixun raised an eyebrow as he watched him leave. “What does this mean? Are you done?” Not receiving a response from his cousin, he turned his gaze to Miss Jiang, who had stopped right beside him, watching Detective Jin walk farther away, as usual. “Princess? What happened? Did you get information about your younger brother?”

She looked at him and then let out a deep sigh with her eyes closed. "Let's follow Detective Jin. The next stop is the corner restaurant."

~~~

"Peace and Love Restaurant"

Tourist area, Qishan Wen

Beautiful voices spread throughout the surroundings of that restaurant in the early hours of the afternoon. The place itself was very lively. The diners couldn’t stop laughing as they received their orders with great enthusiasm, making it impossible not to catch such good vibes.

Today there was a rather important event, as the waitresses moving back and forth were dressed in a very lively and peculiar way, wearing uniforms identical to some very stylish one-piece swimsuits.

They served drinks and lunches on roller skates, flashing model-like smiles with their red-painted lips and tousled hair, some wearing red polka-dotted scarves. At that moment, in Jiang Yanli’s eyes, this atmosphere was simply beautiful—something she had never seen since arriving in the lands of the Sun. The music and the pleasant aura, filled with positive energy, made her feel right at home.

For the first time, she felt herself enjoying the tourism that Qishan Wen had to offer, setting aside, for a moment, the worries about her brothers. They ventured further into the famous restaurant, where the lively energy seemed highly contagious, with the musical group in the back playing drums and various instruments that made you want to dance.

"Would you like something to drink, Princess?" She was distracted when she heard Jin Zixun's voice appear right beside her ear. "Order whatever you want, beautiful. I’ll treat you."

She blushed slightly. Jin Zixun was very bold with his compliments. Now, adding the word "beautiful" to the list, it could be said that it was becoming difficult for her to refuse. In fact, she dared to order a small glass of orange juice, an action he gladly accepted and approached one of the waitresses who was returning with a tray in hand to place the order.

At the moment Jin Zixun was placing the order, Jiang Yanli turned her gaze toward Detective Jin, wanting to spot him with her eyes, and eventually found him talking to the cashier. Unlike his cousin, he seemed much more focused on inquiring about the case of her younger brother.

She felt the need to go over there.

"What else can you tell me?" With a notebook and pencil in hand, Jin Zixuan was attentive, ready to write down everything the woman had to say about the car accident.

"A commotion broke out! So I decided to call the police! Then the paramedics came to take the injured away!"

"I see. By any chance, was Miss Wen Qing one of the victims?" he continued asking.

She looked thoughtful for a moment. She was about to deny it, but then her eyes widened even more. "Wait! Of course she was! She was here that day! I remember she danced almost the entire afternoon with a foreign man. To be honest, he was very handsome. It was clear he wasn’t from around here."

Jin Zixuan’s hand froze before writing that down. To all the women, Jiang Cheng seemed handsome. They did nothing but emphasize how good-looking he was, but no one said anything beyond what had already been repeated, and he began to get annoyed by the lack of intelligence he could find in this place.

"Detective Jin?" Suddenly, Jiang Yanli approached, catching his attention. "Did you find anything relevant about A-Cheng?"

"Are you detectives?" The young woman at the register spoke up after overhearing them, catching both of their attention. "I can help you find more information if you’re trying to close a case," she said, raising both eyebrows with a wide smile on her red lips. "If it’s about that handsome foreign young man, I’m willing to help you in your search."

Jin Zixuan frowned at the woman. She was clearly thinking this was one of those cheap games where people go around asking about others with no real purpose other than to have fun. "Thank you. But it won’t be necessary. We’re not going to, and…"

"Kae!" The young cashier shouted the name of another woman who was on the dance floor in the center of the restaurant, catching her attention. She came skating over very happily and cheerfully. She looked just like a porcelain doll with her spectacular figure, and her polka-dotted swimsuit fit her perfectly. She continued, "We have new exotic guests! Some detectives!"

"Oh, incredible!" The girl smiled excitedly, approaching Jin Zixuan to take his hands. "Come over here, young gentleman! I can offer you some of the best lunches we have!"

"Sorry, but no." He declined her invitation seriously.

Jiang Yanli didn’t understand anything at all. The happiness of these women was beyond her comprehension. She couldn’t even ask Detective Jin anything more about his investigation when, suddenly, the young woman on skates grabbed both of their hands and pulled them toward the center of the dance floor.

"You two will be the first exotic star couple!"

Soon there was going to be an incredible dance, and all the couples were more than invited. By that time, Jin Zixuan was scandalized when the woman joined his hand with Jiang Yanli’s to form a proper dance position.

It wasn’t until Jin Zixun arrived with the orange drink in hand that everything calmed down for Jin Zixuan, who took the opportunity to break the direct hand contact, not allowing it to continue fully.

"What’s going on here?" Jin Zixun asked, noticing the strange closeness that both of them had assumed with the young woman on skates.

"Oh! Gentleman!" Even that woman, with her big smile, came up to him and took his hand. "Do you know what I see? You look like you know how to dance very well. Would you like to dance an exotic piece with me?"

Jin Zixun was more than flattered to be invited to dance with her. This wasn’t something you saw every day. On the other hand, Jin Zixuan tried to subtly signal with his eyes that he should refuse, as they shouldn’t keep wasting time. However, this time he accepted, signaling with his eyes that, in a way, it would be quick.

For her part, Jiang Yanli smiled at seeing Jin Zixun enjoying the moment a little. He really was more open to having fun. It wasn’t until the sound of a chair being dragged back caught her attention that she turned to Detective Jin, who had taken a seat with a deep sigh, wrapped in clear annoyance.

"Have a seat," he suggested seriously, closing his eyes. "We’ll have to wait for Jin Zixun to finish dancing."

Chapter Text

“--Have a seat,” he suggested seriously, closing his eyes. “We’ll have to wait for Jin Zixun to finish dancing.”

His voice, the way he was sitting, and even his beautiful facial features, now tinged with the bitterness of waiting, conveyed to Jiang Yanli that he was missing the positive aspects of the moment by not letting himself be carried away by the pleasant atmosphere. By that time, she turned her gaze back to Jin Zixun enjoying himself on the dance floor, making it impossible not to compare them.

As she listened to the music, she felt more the excitement of being part of it. This kind of entertainment reminded her of the fun in Yunmeng Jiang. A wistful smile brought back memories of her A-Xian inviting her to dance whenever he had the chance. For her, dancing was an adventure. Whenever the opportunity arose, she didn’t like to let it go to waste.

For a moment, she turned her gaze toward Detective Jin at that thought, noticing how he was occupied watching the area outside the restaurant.

“--Detective Jin,” she called, realizing that he already had other plans as he stood up.

“I’ll head outside,” he said without turning to look at her. “As soon as Jin Zixun finishes, tell him to come out so we can continue the search.”

“--Detective Jin, please. Stay. There’s no need for you to be out there alone. Just…” She looked a little nervous about what she was about to ask. She had to set her drink down on the table and then take a breath before saying, “Would you be so kind as to dance a piece with me?”

There was an awkward silence despite the loud noise around them. It was not surprising that she thought he didn’t like the idea.

She shrank back, fearing a possible rejection. What had she done? Now she felt regret for having suggested something as intimate as a dance, being a woman and he a man. At that time, it was not considered proper for a woman to take the initiative. Society simply said that a man should do it, for that was what nature dictated.

Right there, prepared for a possible rejection, she realized that Jin Zixun remained still, his seriousness seeming even more pronounced. “Dance?” he asked, closing his eyes. “Miss Jiang, do I need to remind you that this isn’t a vacation plan?”

She had already anticipated it. “I was just thinking that… maybe a little fun is the perfect ingredient to distract us,” she said with a small smile. “Zixun is enjoying himself, so why can’t we?”

“No. You know that these things don’t work with me.”

“Why?” She looked saddened.

“You know the reasons. We’re not here to seek out danger, but rather to avoid it.”

“What danger could there be in granting me a dance? It’s just a few minutes, Detective Jin. If you don’t like the way I dance… I won’t insist again.”

Jiang Yanli lowered her gaze, and it seemed as if she were pouting. Although the music was playing louder and louder, he didn’t want to feel obliged to do it. Why did Jin Zixun have to go dance with another woman? If only he were here, he would be granting the lady the pleasure. However, it then occurred to her that this wouldn’t be proper either, as they had a mission to complete. From the start, Jin Zixun shouldn’t have gone to dance with another woman at all.

With this, it was not difficult for Jin Zixun to imagine that if he agreed to dance with Miss Jiang, he would be crossing his professional ethics.

“You know… never mind,” she said in a saddened voice. “I just thought that if we danced a little, I could revive the lovely memory of dancing with my A-Xian.” She sighed slowly and took a seat in the chair. “It’s been hard being away from them. Since we arrived in Qishan Wen, we’ve been overwhelmed with so much stress that maybe a bit of entertainment could help balance it. Just to forget the mishaps for a moment.” When she finished, Jiang Yanli placed her hand under her chin and closed her eyes

By that time, Jin Zixun said to her, “You must understand that we shouldn’t do it.”

“Detective Jin, I would never ask you for something that would delay the mission. At least, I doubt that a dance would…”

Jin Zixun didn’t want to feel guilty for refusing. The pride he held was at its peak; he must not yield. That pride was the only thing keeping him focused on the real objective of the mission, without falling into distractions. Seeing Miss Jiang’s distress, a strange memory also came to mind: “If a woman asks you for something in particular, my son, never abandon her, for among all men, she chose you to help her.”

“It can’t be… why now?” he thought, frowning. “Why do you have to remind me right now, Mother?” He couldn’t help but sigh as he placed his hands on his hips.

He turned his gaze toward her for the second time, finally making the decision to say:

“Stop lamenting,” he said, catching the attention of her caramel-colored eyes. He continued, “Let’s dance a piece.” He then extended his hand to her.

A few seconds later, each of them found themselves in an empty space within the dance circle, keeping their distance while watching the other couples enjoy each other’s company. By that time, ironically, Jin Zixun, observing all the people around him dancing like professionals, seemed unsure of what to do, even though the answer was right in front of him.

Jiang Yanli, standing in front of him, eagerly waited for him to make the first move, but to her initial disappointment, he seemed lost. There was a strange exchange of glances between them after that thought. He took the first step of holding her hand, but when it came time to assume the proper dance position, he looked clumsy. He didn’t know which hand to raise and which one should rest on her waist.

“Detective Jin…” she whispered.

“What’s wrong?” He stepped back automatically. “Did I do something wrong?”

She looked him in the eyes and then laughed. “Oh, no. It’s just that usually my right hand holds your left hand like this—” She touched his hand delicately to show him, intertwining their fingers and then lifting it slightly in the air. “My left hand rests on your shoulder, while your right hand touches my waist.”

Jiang Yanli taught him the most basic dance position. Jin Zixun’s mind was already getting tangled. However, he said nothing. He followed each of her instructions to the letter and realized it wasn’t so difficult. Meanwhile, the music sank deeper into his ears, and he quickly froze. How on earth was this supposed to be danced? He was filled with a strange, unfamiliar insecurity. Still, not knowing how to proceed, he tried to set the negative thoughts aside, wanting to make a good impression.

Everything felt forced and awkward due to the closeness between them. Jin Zixun didn’t know how to proceed. He had to move his feet, but… no matter how hard he tried, he kept getting tangled. How was he supposed to do it? Did this music have a dance style different from other rhythms? To make matters worse, he compared himself to the other couples who were dancing very well. He felt intimidated. At that moment, he didn’t want to be the man to take the first step!

“Excuse me, but no…” He immediately stepped back, ruining the closeness they had created. “I’m not in the mood to continue.”

“What? But… we were doing fine.”

He shook his head. “That was a disaster.”

“Don’t worry,” she said with a gentle smile, taking his hand again very delicately. “Let’s try again. We can do better if we give ourselves another chance.”

Jin Zixun felt insecure, not so much because of the words she had spoken, but rather because of the joining of their hands and what that implied next. He hated that feeling. He didn’t want to feel this way, considering he was a strong and determined man. Much less over a silly dance that… had been very common in his childhood, those days when his parents organized extravagant parties at the Jin Palace.

His mother came to mind again, making him feel even more vulnerable. By that time, Jiang Yanli continued, unaware of his thoughts. She just wanted to have fun, so she guided him through the steps in time with the music. When Jin Zixun tried once more, he felt like he was messing it up, so he simply stepped back.

“I’m sorry, I don’t…” He closed his eyes.

Jiang Yanli tilted her head. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you having fun?”

“I have a lot on my mind. This isn’t going to work.”

“Detective Jin, it doesn’t matter how we dance. The point is just to have fun.”

“I can’t have fun when I don’t know how to dance.”

Unexpectedly, everything came to light. Jin Zixun looked her straight in the eyes with a hint of embarrassment, worried that she would think him useless, but to his surprise, he saw her smile.

“So that’s why you’re hesitant, Detective?”

“I won’t waste your time. I don’t know how to dance. If you really want to do this, do it with someone who actually knows how.”

Jiang Yanli heard him and then listened to the music. She watched each man paired up, enjoying themselves endlessly with their partner. Then she looked at him, standing right in front of her, seeming worried about not being a good choice. In that moment, she understood what might really be going through his mind: he didn’t want to be judged.

“With me, you can make mistakes,” she confessed with a pleasant smile. “I don’t know how to dance either. So we can make mistakes and learn together.” She took his hand and showed him a new move herself, turning halfway under his arm to change position. “Try it, okay?”

Jin Zixun wasn’t sure about trying again, but seeing her excited to dance with him gave him the confidence to give it another try.

He lost track of time when he understood the essence of this little dance. He remembered the true meaning of having fun. The worries that had been holding him back faded when he realized it didn’t matter if he made mistakes. She gave him the confidence he needed not to feel completely ridiculous.

Little by little, they began to understand each other. Little by little, their hands touched. Little by little, their bodies came together again, maintaining the closeness.

"Run"

“Thought, run”

"Where"

“Bring her with me.”

“Look”

“You’re driving me crazy"

“Fly”

“My thought”

"Run"

“Thought, run”

“Tell him”

“That my light is fading.”

“I’m sorry,"

That I need it,”

“Let him/her/it come”

“What I’m missing…”

“In love with her”

“Madly in love with her”

“I think this star in my hand is slipping away from me…”

With every word that echoed in that place, Jin Zixun began to realize that all this time he had been overly stressed. He had complained too much, forgetting that there were also pleasant moments like this. Feeling more confident while dancing with her, he didn’t notice that, unexpectedly, he bumped into someone while stepping back.

“Hey, man!” criticized the man who got bumped. “Watch where you’re going! Don’t you know how to dance?”

Jin Zixun didn’t like at all that he had been confronted in that way over a minor mistake that anyone could make.

“Excuse us,” Jiang Yanli said, releasing their hands and then approaching the man to make a small bow. “It won’t happen again.” She smiled once she looked him in the eyes, but then realized that the man rolled his eyes and took his partner’s hand to move to another spot.

She watched them leave, feeling bewildered. In that moment, Jin Zixun understood the rudeness of those people. Of course, he couldn’t forget that they were in Qishan Wen.

Suddenly, Jiang Yanli turned halfway to look at him again. “Can we… continue?”

“The best thing would be to—”

“Let’s keep enjoying ourselves together,” she finished the sentence for him.

He was left speechless. Seeing her innocent face tinged with an unfamiliar blush did not go unnoticed. The shyness with which she asked him to continue stirred something inside him, a strange feeling, something different, an unusual attraction he had never experienced before. For the first time, he felt the desire to keep going, regardless of his own insecurities.

Without overthinking, he let himself be guided by impulse. He took one of her hands confidently and invited her to join him in the dance, without saying a single word. In that moment, the outside world faded away, and there was only the two of them, moving to the rhythm of the music.

The arm resting against Jiang Yanli’s back pressed more and more intensely, to the point of jarringly and unexpectedly squeezing her chest, almost knocking her to the ground, just as the blast of a gunshot rang out across the area.

Everything happened too quickly. The next thing heard throughout the restaurant was the screams of horror from everyone present.

By that time, Jiang Yanli didn’t exactly know what had happened. She was currently being held tightly, literally trapped in Jin Zixun’s arms. When she tried to turn her gaze toward the source of the commotion, she saw a man armed at the entrance of the restaurant.

Jiang Yanli was filled with fear when the man raised his weapon, intending to shoot again. Then, another gunshot rang out in the area, and the protective embrace Jin Zixun had been giving her quickly turned into a firm grip on her hand, forcing her to be dragged out of there, fleeing through the back of the restaurant that led to another street.

Outside, a crowd of people was running back and forth, truly panicked. The once cheerful restaurant, overflowing with happiness, had turned into a disaster.

The figure of a man hidden in the shadows, Wen Zhulio, closely watched from a distance as Jin Zixun emerged from that place accompanied by the same woman from the newspaper.

“Catch him,” he instructed several of the Wen guards standing beside him.

The speed at which they were escaping didn’t allow Jiang Yanli to process who they were running from. Terrified by the situation, she turned back in search of answers, but by then they had rounded the corner, completely losing sight and any chance of understanding.

The area they found themselves in was different from the boulevard; it wasn’t crowded with people. In fact, it belonged to the upper class and was prepared to welcome tourists who marveled at its charming stone-built architecture. By that time, Jiang Yanli didn’t know where Detective Jin Zixun intended to take her, but she got a clue when they entered a large clothing store.

Jin Zixun didn’t greet anyone. He went up to the second floor and came across the fitting rooms. Without saying a word, he dragged Miss Jiang along with no chance for her to resist and forced her into one of the cubicles, paying little attention to the gender indicated on the sign. At the same time, he took a set of men’s shirts and pants from a nearby basket and entered the cubicle with her in the same manner.

“Detective Jin!? But what—” She couldn’t continue when he locked the door and forced her to be quiet, covering her mouth with his hand. He made it clear that she must remain completely silent as they watched the movement of shadows beneath the counter.

Some people had entered the fitting room. She noticed and felt her heart pounding so hard it seemed like it wanted to burst from her chest. The last time Detective Jin had escaped like this was while fleeing the Wen guards… At that moment, she had many questions: Could it be them again? Had they found them? How? Her worried gaze seemed almost poetic. However, the man in front of her didn’t look nearly as fearful as she felt; if anything, he seemed even more tense.

Jin Zixun wasn’t joking. He was genuinely scared of having been seen by the Wen guards, to the point that he seemed more terrified than Jin Zixun himself. For a moment, she opened her eyes wide as she remembered it.

Where was Jin Zixun?

How could they have left him alone?

What if something bad happened to him because of that bullet?

What if that shot was aimed directly at him?

“D-Detective Jin…” —She stammered.

Jin Zixun once again signaled her to be quiet, pressing a finger to his lips. Suddenly, he turned around and shielded her with his back as several voices approached their cubicle. She felt suffocated, cornered in a space where her legs wouldn’t stop trembling. After a while, when it all seemed to have passed, a strange sense of relief—almost the most anticipated—brought them, in a way, back to life.

Jiang Yanli watched as he moved away from the spot, but she never expected that the clothes he had randomly picked and brought in with them would be pressed toward her. “Put all of this on. Don’t ask why. You know very well that we’re doing something illicit here, so just do it.”

She couldn’t believe it. That clothing was horrible, and on top of that, pants? Since when was it acceptable for a woman to wear pants!

“Detective Jin, I… n-no, I don’t feel comfortable wearing pants…”

“You’ll have to do it.” He removed the black coat that covered his entire body, revealing his long-sleeved white shirt, which fit him very well. “You’ll have to dress like a man if you want to get out of here without being recognized. We’re at risk of being pursued, so I won’t risk you facing the consequences.”

“Murder,” he said, without considering the impact of the word he had used. “Wen Chao and Wen Xu are ready for that.” He grabbed her ponytail and untied it, letting her long hair fall freely, then rolled up the sleeves of his arms. When he finished, he bent down enough to lift the hem of the pant leg on his right leg, revealing a small weapon he had been carrying with him.

The shock she felt upon seeing the weapon in his hand made him feel the need to justify himself. “It’s the only option I have to defend myself. That’s why, as soon as you dress like a man, leave here and take a taxi straight to the hostel. We’ll meet there.” He handed her the black coat. “This will be enough to fully cover your body.”

“No.” She threw the black coat aside, fear evident in her eyes. “Detective Jin, don’t leave me alone. Please.” She gasped desperately. “Detective Zixun is missing, possibly injured from that shot in the restaurant that…”

--He’s fine --Jin Zixuan said confidently--. He knows how to defend himself in a situation like this. We’re police. Don’t forget that.

--But I don’t --She felt it was important to insist--. Detective Jin, don’t forget. Please, don’t leave me alone --She closed her eyes in fear, feeling vulnerable, to the point that tears threatened to fall--. Don’t leave me alone. You’re all I have. I don’t know Qishan Wen and… my brother depends on us to find him. Please, Detective Jin. Don’t leave me.

--You can’t leave here without me, understand. We have no other choice.

--Together we know how to do it right --She insisted, referring to their most recent experience together--. Remember how we did it at the dance. I helped you try, and you let me teach you. Help me now to get out of here together. You might not know how to do it, but you do. If you teach me how to watch your back… we’ll both do an excellent job, please.

Jin Zixuan looked her in the eyes as he saw her pleading. She was on the verge of crying just at the thought of receiving a positive response from him. He clenched his fists. His original idea of handling all of this alone was falling short in the face of her insistence. Jin Zixun wasn’t here for her to help with him. He knew that this mission depended solely on him.

He had to understand that this time, he wasn’t going alone. He had someone by his side who needed his help to escape the real danger waiting outside. Jin Zixuan frowned as he let out a deep sigh, forced to think of a more viable solution—one that would help him get out of here in the best way possible without putting Miss Jiang at risk of suffering the consequences.

Anyway…

That was his main goal as a police officer. Wasn’t it?

After several minutes had passed, outside the fitting room, Jin Zixuan paced back and forth with incredible unease. Arms crossed, he waited for Miss Jiang to come out of the cubicle with her new look, but it seemed she wasn’t ready yet. “Are you ready?” he asked.

Seconds later, the door of that small space slowly opened, revealing her dressed in an outfit very different from what she was used to: long pants, a black jacket, and a strange hat of the same color that fit over her hair tied up in a small bun. He had to admit she looked like a young woman trying to dress like a man.

--What do you think? --She asked timidly, feeling insecure and at the same time embarrassed, not wanting to make a fool of herself--. I... I feel strange.

--It’s perfect --he said, his voice gentle, and she caught it instantly--. From now on, you’re not going to leave my side. All right? Remember, now you’re a man, and you must act like one.

She sighed, nodding since she had no other choice. She was afraid they might discover her and make her look ridiculous, but at least she would return to the inn with him and not alone, which was what she feared most…

--Let’s go --Jin Zixuan took her hand, which startled and blushed her at his unexpected initiative--. Until we get out of here, you will not leave my side. I’ll tell you when you can. All right?

She nodded at once, lowering her gaze, unable to keep holding his, and tightened her grip on his hand as she felt the long-awaited protection she had wished to receive from him.

Chapter Text

Jin Palace

Lanlin Jin

"Greetings, A-Sang.

My reason for writing you this letter is to inform you that my stay in Yiling may possibly be extended now that we will be moving to Yi City.

I need you to remain longer in Jin Palace while I finish my journey and return with all the gifts

"I trust you and that you can do it."

Zewu-Jun.

It was early that day when Nie Huaisang received a letter from Zewu-Jun. As he held it in his hands, his expression remained worried, but in a way, also relieved to feel that Zewu-Jun still trusted his ability to lead the palace on his own.

--Young Master Nie --One of the servants entered the Fragrance Hall and bowed--. Hanguang-Jun and his company are ready to depart.

He raised both eyebrows as he remembered that each of them was about to leave on their journey. He folded the letter sent by Zewu-Jun and slipped it into his trouser pocket before standing up and heading straight there. As he descended the grand stairs of Jin Palace, he came across Hanguang-Jun and Miss Luo QingYang at the foot of the last step.

--And Brother Wei? --he asked, not seeing him anywhere.

MianMian rolled her eyes upon hearing him ask about that guy. Finally, she turned her gaze toward the car that was already coming through the main gate. --Oh, they’ve come for us --she told one of the servants to help her with her luggage--. I’ll be the first to put away my luggage, Hanguang-Jun. She said nothing more. Her heels clicked against the cement as she walked toward it, turning her back on them.

Nie Huaisang blinked as he watched her walk away.

What do you mean there’s no good mood around here…

--I sent a letter to my brother before we left --Lan Wangji’s voice was heard, managing to catch his attention.

--Oh, what a coincidence --he said, remembering the letter folded in his pants--. A few minutes ago, I received a letter from him notifying me that his stay in Yiling will probably be extended. Apparently, they plan to go to a city called Yi…

Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the remark. Yi City? Why would his brother and his uncle be going there?

--Hey! --Suddenly, a cheerful and lively voice was heard from the top of the grand stairs as a hand waved in greeting. Wei Wuxian descended each step wearing his long beige vest, along with his hat of the same color that he hadn’t worn for several days. He looked happy, excited to embark on this journey— --I’m ready to depart!

His cheerfulness was evident to the point that it rubbed off on Nie Huaisang. --Wow… Brother Wei, you’re very happy. Honestly, your smile, along with that outfit, looks divine on you.

--What can I say --he boasted, tossing his ponytail back--. I’ll finally leave here and see new horizons. I’m getting closer and closer to seeing my family.

Suddenly, a loop grabbed one of his wrists. Wei Wuxian frowned as he got a better look at the object tied to his hand, noticing that it wasn’t a handcuff. Rather, it was a long rope being held by the only woman present.

--Don’t rush --she said seriously, tightening the rope in her hand--. You’ll be traveling with us under this condition. This way, we’ll prevent you from running off the moment we get distracted.

--But what? --Wei Wuxian pulled on the rope, but she exerted more force, creating a struggle of strength--. This can’t be. This wasn’t part of the conditions. What do you think I am? A dog you can control however you please.

--You’ll come with us, and that’s final --She didn’t want to argue further. She turned to pull hard on Wei Wuxian’s wrist, only to realize she didn’t have enough strength. The rope was tugged in the opposite direction, forcing her to stop. She looked at Wei Wuxian’s face and noticed a strange pride in his eyes, knowing he was stronger than her.

--This only works when the captain is stronger, dear. You’d probably have to be born again to beat me.

Wei Wuxian’s smile widened, knowing he was completely right. No matter how hard she tried, she didn’t have enough strength to carry him back and forth on her own. However, the next move was overwhelming when the rope tightened for the third time, causing Wei Wuxian to lose his balance and lurch forward.

--Let’s go --Lan Wangji ordered.

Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe that he was the one who had just pulled on the rope!

That’s not fair!

--Hey! Wait! You’re hurting me! Can’t you treat me like a normal person!? --He complained the whole way, trying to keep up without getting in the way.

--Goodbye, guys! --Nie Huaisang waved, watching with a hint of regret as Wei Wuxian continued complaining while the others forced him into the back of the car.

When the car departed, leaving him completely alone, he let out a deep sigh. “I hope you appear soon, Mo Xuanyu. I really need you to return home. Don’t make me feel even more guilty than I already do.”

--Can you tell me, why are you still here?

The moment Nie Huaisang heard that male voice appear right behind him, he went pale as a ghost. Fear made him tremble, to the point that he didn’t even want to turn around. When he heard the man’s footsteps approaching more firmly, he spun around and found Nie Mingjue, radiating an overwhelming aura, accompanied by other guards from Heijan Palace.

--Can you tell me --He grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close--, what the hell are you still doing here, Nie Huaisang?

~~~

--You can’t do this! Why do you have to tie me up like this? --In the car, Wei Wuxian kept complaining.

In the same arrangement as the first time—MianMian in the front passenger seat and the other two men in the back—Wei Wuxian was making the otherwise calm trip to LanlinJin Railway Station more than tedious with his complaints.

--Lan Zhan, let me go. Now --he demanded, but by then, Lan Wangji was looking straight ahead, never once meeting his gaze. Wei Wuxian kept glaring at him in frustration.

--Do you want to shut up? --MianMian’s voice sounded weary and tired--. Just stay silent until we get to the station. My goodness… --She rested her elbow on the door armrest, touching her head with her fingers--. Since last night, you’ve been a huge headache…

--I won’t shut up, I demand my rights. You can’t treat me like a lunatic or a dog when I clearly am not --He pulled on the rope to assert his demand more forcefully, but Lan Wangji tightened it just as much to keep him from moving too much--. I want to be free!

--For heaven’s sake! Stay still! --she exclaimed in desperation.

A heavy, chaotic aura ruined the trip that had just begun, shattering all tranquility. Lan Wangji was getting stressed. Suddenly, the two mouths that had been keeping the argument alive were abruptly silenced as the muting spell took effect.

--Both of you will remain silent until we reach the station --Lan Wangji commanded.

Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe it. He was tired of having to stay quiet because of the damned spell. He tried harder to open his lips, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t. This unusual tactic to make him shut up was starting to annoy him. The only consolation he had now was that the young lady had also been affected by the spell. He enjoyed hearing her huff, as well as seeing her arms crossed, completely indignant.

When they arrived at LanlinJin Railway Station, Lan Wangji politely bid farewell to the driver. By then, Wei Wuxian stomped the ground with his arms crossed while waiting. Afterward, Lan Wangji pulled him back inside as soon as he finished. The only thing Wei Wuxian could do under his supervision was observe the structure of the station, since every railway station in every country had a design inspired by its culture, and this one was truly quite prestigious.

--I’ll go buy the tickets --MianMian announced, managing to speak quite normally.

Wei Wuxian widened his eyes. How could she do that? Had the spell been reversed? He tried to open his lips at the thought, but he still couldn’t speak like her. He complained with guttural sounds, managing to make both of them turn to look at him.

--If you want to speak again, the least you have to do is resist the spell --she said, rolling her eyes--. The harder you struggle, the longer it will take to break. --Then she turned her gaze to Hanguang-Jun--. I’m going to pay for the tickets to Yunmeng Jiang. I’ll be right back. --She turned around and walked away.

Wei Wuxian let out a heavy sigh. It wasn’t until they were alone that Lan Wangji fully met his gaze. --If you behave, there will be no need for this --He lifted the rope that kept him tied, making it clear to Wei Wuxian that he wasn’t referring to the silencing spell. That annoyed him. Between the two things… did the rope matter more to him than breaking the spell? He didn’t want to hear it, turning his gaze away and crossing his arms firmly to ignore him. Then the man beside him offered him some water, taking a small bottle from his white coat--. Drink it; you’ll need it for your body to keep recovering.

When Wei Wuxian looked at the offering, he was naturally going to say that he couldn’t drink anything because of the spell, but suddenly, he found that he could now open his lips in the most natural way in the world, taking a deep breath as he felt his dry mouth.

After holding the water bottle, Lan Wangji quickened his pace, turning toward him the entire time to wait. By then, Wei Wuxian took a sip of the vital liquid, but he wasn’t very sure if he wanted to go alongside him. Unfortunately, he had no other choice. Either he decided to go with them to Yunmeng Jiang, or he simply stayed here, pretending to be someone he was not.

~~~

As he gazed at the golden train, composed of enormous carriages, Wei Wuxian thought it must be the most beautiful train he had ever seen. Once MianMian returned with the tickets, he and Lan Wangji made their way to the corresponding first-class carriage. They sat side by side, while MianMian positioned herself in front of them, looking straight out the window, with her hand under her chin and her legs crossed.

Wei Wuxian could better appreciate the beauty of that lady. She was pretty and all, but she didn’t attract him at all. Not after so many problems they had faced since meeting… It was then that he turned his gaze to Lan Wangji beside him, still wondering if there was something more romantic between them. The truth was, it didn’t seem like it. But everything she said, he accepted. For example, the reason he was tied up for no purpose other than caprice was because of her.

There, he had the idea of leaning close to his ear and saying, --Lan Zhan, what do I have to do for you to untie me? --The man gave him a sidelong glance. He continued--. Tell me what I have to do, and I’ll gladly do it.

Lan Wangji didn’t say a word. Wei Wuxian sighed. This trip, without a doubt, would be one of the longest he could ever imagine…

During the journey, he began to think about several things: One of them was that he was heading straight to Yunmeng Jiang, but that didn’t mean he would arrive directly at his home. First, they would go to the Mo Royal Villa, who knows for how long. At least, he hoped they would find Mo Xuanyu there, considering his mother had recently passed away. Another thought that came to mind felt like déjà vu; the three of them were in the same carriage, bound for Yunmeng Jiang. Of course, he remembered the first time they had reunited.

Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe this coincidence. Now that he and Lan Wangji knew each other, he didn’t have to make an effort to catch his attention. They could easily talk about anything and get to know each other better, but every time Wei Wuxian thought about it twice, the excitement waned as he remembered the silencing spell. Wei Wuxian imagined that this man was an enigma he wasn’t sure he wanted to solve, but the more he saw him, the more attractive he seemed, and the stronger grew his desire to understand him better. Suddenly, in the midst of his daydreaming, the reflection of a girl appeared on the window glass. Wei Wuxian turned to the neighboring seat, seeing that indeed, a girl with white eyes was staring at him intently.

She didn’t stop staring in his direction, as if she were frozen in that seat. By then, Wei Wuxian tried not to pay attention, but no matter how much he wanted to ignore her, her unwavering gaze made him uncomfortable. Finally, he had the bright idea to raise his free hand and wave it as a greeting.

--A-Qing --A man beside her, dressed in black with a matching hat and wearing sunglasses, spoke firmly to her in a scolding tone. She seemed to pout and then leaned closer to whisper something in his ear

--Could they be father and daughter? Or siblings? --Wei Wuxian wondered aloud.

--What’s wrong? --Suddenly, he heard Lan Wangji’s voice. Startled, he immediately shook his head, not wanting to go into details.

Hanguang-Jun turned his gaze toward the girl next to him after not receiving a satisfactory answer from Wei Wuxian, watching as the little girl got up from her seat and walked straight toward him. --Do you want a candy?

Wei Wuxian was surprised. --What? For me? --She nodded--. Oh, well… I… Of course.

She got excited upon accepting. She handed him a dozen of them and then ran back to her seat. By then, Wei Wuxian thought it was the first time something like this had happened to him. He tucked each candy into the front pocket of his beige vest, appreciating the girl’s kindness. It seemed that he had a way of being well-liked by children without even realizing it.

After three hours, they arrived at Yumping Railway Station. It was around noon, and Wei Wuxian felt hungry when his stomach began to growl. He felt the need to stand up and leave the carriage, but Lan Wangji stopped him. At that moment, Wei Wuxian was forced to remain seated, quite puzzled. However, he noticed that Lan Wangji preferred for Miss Luo QingYang and the other passengers to get off first, following the rule of courtesy.

Wei Wuxian grumbled to himself, believing that his rules of courtesy were far too extreme. When he finally stepped onto the ground at Yumping Railway Station, the sea breeze brushed against his face, and all the irritation he had felt just a minute ago completely vanished

On the other hand, MianMian took a deep breath, seeming to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere.  --Ah yes --She smiled from ear to ear--. I love traveling to this place.

--And you haven’t seen anything yet --Suddenly, she heard Wei Wuxian say that, and her expression tightened. Immediately after, she grabbed her luggage and announced that they would continue-- Where are we going? --Wei Wuxian looked confused, as he didn’t understand what the next step was supposed to be, knowing that the ticket control was on the other side of the premises.

--To reach the Mo Royal Villa, the most advisable way is to travel by sea --Lan Wangji replied.

Wei Wuxian’s face lit up. --You’re right. I almost forgot. We can travel by kayak --His smile appeared as he nudged him--. You’re lucky I’m with you this time, huh. I’m a good swimmer, and there’s nothing more fun than traveling with me in a kayak. An adventure you wouldn’t want to miss for anything in the world.

Lan Wangji made no comment as he watched Wei Wuxian boast, but he did witness the charismatic smile his companion projected while speaking of the great adventures of his homeland. When they arrived at Yumping Maritime Station, the sun was shining fiercely over the surface of the sea. At that moment, Wei Wuxian felt ecstatic watching people board different kinds of sea transport, from giant ships to modest canoes.

--How I miss my home --Wei Wuxian finally said, feeling an immense urge to dive into the sea and submerge himself--. Doesn’t the same happen to you? --He looked at him--. You’re from GusuLan, aren’t you?

Lan Wangji remained silent.

Not hearing an answer, he continued. --I suppose growing up means a constant search for a fake happiness. Then you realize you won’t always get what you want, and you end up here, looking for someone I don’t even know, and you, apparently, don’t either --Lan Wangji frowned slightly. He went on--. If you confused me with him, it’s because you and Mo Xuanyu aren’t very close friends, am I wrong?

--It’s not the first time this has happened.

--I suppose you’re talking about his escapades --Wei Wuxian added--. Because if you mean being mistaken, then yes, it is.

Lan Wangji closed his eyes. --It was just a mistake.

--Of course. Who am I to say otherwise? Obviously, no one. It’s just that I’m a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. With such a long history of you searching for him so many times... I can’t wrap my head around how you could have so easily mistaken capturing a commoner like me. That tells me that the relationship you have with this so-called Mo Xuanyu isn’t very close, to say the least...

Lan Wangji lowered his head in response. At that moment, Wei Wuxian figured that perhaps he had hit the mark, although at times he doubted it. No matter how much he tried to interpret Lan Wangji, he couldn’t get immediate results, since his face hardly changed expression. Suddenly, his stomach growled, betraying just how hungry he was.

--Hanguang-Jun --MianMian arrived holding three tickets in her hand, ready to depart--. Our kayak leaves in an hour --She turned her gaze back to the horizon of the sea while seagulls echoed in the sky--. We should take the chance to enjoy the beauty these lands hold while we wait --She smiled broadly--. We mustn’t waste a single second. What do you say?

--MianMian --He called her, which immediately caught Wei Wuxian’s attention, since he had never heard him call her by that name he didn’t know--. We should go eat. We can go to a nearby restaurant while we wait for the appointed time.

Wei Wuxian was impressed when he heard him speak. Could it be that he had heard his stomach growl? If so… wow. With that thought, he took out and unwrapped one of the candies given to him by the girl in the carriage, but just as he was about to put it in his mouth, Lan Wangji’s hand stopped him, signaling that he shouldn’t.

Wei Wuxian was bewildered by the unexpected obstruction. Then, when he looked into the golden eyes of his companion, he understood that he should look elsewhere at an unusual sight. There, he glimpsed the same, white-eyed girl holding the hand of the mysterious man in black, who remained partially hidden behind his sunglasses.

When each of the outsiders realized they were being watched, they suddenly moved to another spot, as if it had nothing to do with them.

--Are they following us? --Wei Wuxian asked him with some curiosity, watching as Hanguang-Jun nodded in response.

--Hey! --MianMian shouted from several meters away--. Let’s go! What are you waiting for?

The wind blew strongly, and both men exchanged glances once again.

By then, Hanguang-Jun was the next to step forward, followed by Wei Wuxian. However, Wei Wuxian discreetly cast his gaze toward where the other two had been, giving them one last look, and realized they were gone. This left him puzzled, as it seemed they had some strange, hidden interest in them.

Who were those two people?

What could they be looking for from them?

Chapter Text

" Yi City "

Yiling, Qishan Wen.

Instead of being a successful trip in terms of searching for answers, it turned out to be more of a waste of time, since they didn’t find any clue about Xue Yang’s whereabouts

At that moment, a splendid male figure dressed in silver was walking along the road that made up Yi City, with his beautiful ponytail flowing behind his back.

After a brief inspection of the area, he approached the two leaders who were waiting for him. —Lan Qiren —Xiao Xingchen announced gracefully as he looked him in the eye—. It is definite. Xue Yang is not in Yi City.

Jin GuangShan, who was at his side, couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh full of disappointment as he closed his fan completely. By then, Lan Qiren realized that when his companion sighed in such a way, it meant he was more than disappointed, and it even seemed as if he were doubting Xiao Xingchen’s great tracking skills.

At that moment, Lan Qiren found it important to say, —Are you completely sure, Xiao-Shixiong?

—Song Lan is searching for more clues north of Yi City. Perhaps we might be missing something, but judging by the way the wind sounds, it’s most likely that he is somewhere other than Qishan Wen.

Several meters away, Lan Xichen was paying attention to the little he could hear of the conversation. His gaze turned hopeless when he heard what he feared the most: Xue Yang was not in the country. If that was true, it meant they were wasting their time on a search that perhaps fate itself was preventing from happening.

If Xue Yang truly was the one who managed to kill more than 200 people in a single night, it was preferable to have him far away. He didn’t waste any more time. He withdrew, leaving the elders to handle their own matters, for there was nothing more foolish than the thirst for vengeance—the very one Jin GuangShan refused to abandon. At that moment, he returned to the small café he had chosen with Meng Yao to spend a pleasant time together.

That place didn’t have a sophisticated structure. The café was made of wood and furnished with shelves of the same material for selling food. It was very rustic and simple compared to what they were used to, but neither of them minded.

Judging by Yi City’s poverty, tourism was scarce. The establishments dedicated to visitors were modest, since foreigners came and went without remembering they had ever visited this place. In that café, the only thing that shone was their royal attire, which stood out among the locals.

As he climbed each step, Lan Xichen noticed Meng Yao from behind, sitting at one of the empty tables while a ceiling fan spun endlessly above him. When he got close enough, he saw him holding a newspaper, along with a cup of coffee.

There, Meng Yao noticed his presence. —Oh, Er-Ge. Sit down.

—Enjoy your meal —he replied with a smile as he took a seat.

—Thank you —Meng Yao smiled in response, lowering his glass onto the table and adjusting his posture by resting his back against the chair—. How’s everything out there? Any news?

Lan Xichen pursed his lips. —Unfortunately, Xiao Xingchen reported that he found no trace of Xue Yang in the city, and he suspects that he is not in the country. He and Song Lan suspect that he has fled, who knows to where.

Meng Yao let out a heavy sigh. —Why am I not surprised…

—Apparently, Jin GuangShan is realizing that this mission isn’t as easy as he thinks. If Xue Yang is a born criminal, he won’t be easy to find. There, he will also realize that the previous mission wasn’t due to any negligence on your part.

Meng Yao nodded slowly, finding it a good way to look at things. However, it also seemed like a mockery to him, since he knew his father wouldn’t consider anything.

There, he returned his gaze to the newspaper on the table and began to turn the pages, as if trying to amuse himself with it. Meanwhile, he took a small sip of his coffee, though in reality, all he was doing was thinking in silence…

Thinking that his father was a complete idiot.

—It seems the only thing left is to wait and see what they decide to do about it —Lan Xichen remarked.

—Well —Meng Yao said as he lowered the small cup from his lips onto the table—. The positive thing about all this is that the idiot of my father is realizing that he’s not as smart as he thinks, and that I’m not as dumb. In the end, it’s a gain of sorts for the two of us. At least, we’re out of danger for now.

Lan Xichen agreed. Words were unnecessary for the one wearing glasses. Jin GuangShan had to experience this to understand that the world wasn’t the Jin Palace, where everyone was at the mercy of his commands and orders. Xue Yang wasn’t like them, nor was he ignorant. If from the beginning he had been accustomed to committing crimes, escaping was his best skill.

Meng Yao continued talking about another topic, which brought up the letter from Lan Wangji that Lan Xichen had received that very morning. Thanks to that letter, both of them felt relieved because Lan Wangji had left early to go in search of Mo Xuanyu. Nevertheless, Meng Yao had his doubts, as always. In his gaze, there was a hint of distress and worry that Lan Xichen easily noticed.

—There’s no need to get ahead of ourselves —he tried to reassure—. I’m sure that this time, Wangji will do an excellent job and bring Mo Xuanyu back safe and sound.

Meng Yao knew he was right. —I understand, it’s just that… I can’t help but feel worried about A-Yu. Why did he simply decide to leave without telling me anything? Why didn’t he tell me about his mother?

—I understand —Lan Xichen nodded, as it also seemed very strange to him—. Perhaps A-Yu didn’t want to worry you, considering that you’ve had many obligations to attend to. He probably thought he didn’t want to be a burden to you.

—Ironically, he’s causing me more problems than solutions —Meng Yao sighed—. When my father finds out, the one who will have to endure his fury will be me.

Lan Xichen didn’t know what to say, since he was right. However, he couldn’t leave him alone. —A-Yao, remember that the mistake was Wangji’s. I should also bear his fury. In the end, we’re in the same position, aren’t we?

Meng Yao looked him straight in the eyes. —Er-Ge, you shouldn’t think that way. I mean, you shouldn’t feel responsible for also receiving his fury. My father won’t take action against you, nor against Lan Wangji if your uncle doesn’t approve.

—Shufu will feel disappointed, just like Jin GuangShan.

—Maybe, but surely Father will direct his fury at me when he asks why Mo Xuanyu ran away this time, and I won’t have anything to tell him, since I don’t know. And I’m sure he’ll criticize me, saying that we are brothers and conspiring to lie to him —He rolled his eyes—. Anything can cross that man’s mind…

—It’s better not to think about future events that haven’t happened yet —Lan Xichen said again, a smile playing on his lips—. For now, I have a feeling that A-Yu is stronger than we think. Perhaps he made a mistake in deciding to run away, acting out of desperation. His mother died, and at this point, I trust that his intentions were never to worry anyone, especially you.

Meng Yao felt that it made sense. The death of a mother wasn’t easy to talk about, and he could understand his omission from that perspective. However, he was still puzzled as to why it had been kept from him for so long.

Mo Xuanyu relied on him for everything. They were inseparable in a way. Why didn’t he consider him someone trustworthy enough to tell? Why did he tell Nie Huaisang first and not him?

Suddenly, Lan Xichen became interested in the newspaper on the table.

—Oh, yes —Meng Yao handed it to him—. The truth is, it was already on the table when I arrived. Apparently, it’s from Qishan Wen… —He didn’t pay it much attention as he took another sip of his coffee, a sense of doubt running through his mind—. It seems old.

Lan Xichen’s brown eyes scanned all the front-page headlines, carefully examining a photo of Miss Wen Qing alongside another unknown man, who frankly wasn’t Wen Chao. —Isn’t she the fiancée of the second heir of the Wen Government, Wen Chao?

Meng Yao nodded. —Indeed, it’s her. Honestly, that scandal doesn’t surprise me. That she’s being unfaithful to Wen Chao seems like a more believable event than them being about to get married —He continued sipping from his glass.

—Why? —he asked, intrigued.

—Wen Chao has a reputation for being a terrible person. As far back as I can remember, the Qishan Wen government has been very oppressive in many ways. They have a mindset rooted in dictatorship. I remember once, when I was a child, the Jin family met with them seeking a political agreement, where Lanlin Jin could benefit economically from Qishan Wen and vice versa, but… —He shook his head slowly, letting out a small laugh—. All I remember is that my father left there furious. We never went back, and to this day, there hasn’t been any reconciliation.

—A bad impression? —Lan Xichen continued asking.

—Terrible —he confirmed—. I never felt the need to talk about this, but yes. Leader Wen Rouhan is a man who thinks of no one but his own benefit. Imagine the war of pride between my father and him—a fiasco. Then there were the sons, Wen Xu and Wen Chao, who seemed to be cut from the same cloth. I remember once Jin Zixuan tried to debate an interesting topic regarding the economic problems of each country, and Wen Xu was so ridiculous that he argued that Qishan Wen had no faults, and that the faults lay with Lanlin Jin because we didn’t have the correct vision of prosperity. Then I analyzed whether his way of thinking was actually correct… until I realized that if a government doesn’t think about its people, it’s useless. From that moment, it saddened me to know that he would be the next heir to take control of this country…

—And Wen Chao? Did he think the same way?

—Of course, Er-Ge. Wen Chao has always been overly influenced by his father’s ideals. He never had any originality in expressing himself and would argue the same points the king made to defend himself. He was just a child back then, and I want to believe he didn’t fully understand our discussions. Although, on second thought… he has always been unbearable and immature. Now, seeing this news, where Wen Qing seems to be cheating on him with an apparently foreign man —a mocking smile appeared on his face—, he must have lost a lot of face.

While they continued chatting about topics that might seem trivial to anyone else, in the distance there was a man wearing a straw hat and white clothing with red stripes, paying attention to their conversation, trying to be discreet. Every time he heard the name “Wen Qing” in a sentence, he became more convinced that they might know his older sister.

Being the only people in the place with greater purchasing power, Wen Ning had made it his goal to listen carefully. It had been a long time since he had heard anything from his older sister; almost three months had passed since she left for the central region of Qishan Wen. Moreover, the only letter he had received from her after all that time was a request to report the disappearance of someone named “Wei Wuxian,” without providing any further details.

Wen Ning had missed his sister and couldn’t understand her coldness in not sending a letter explaining the reason for her delay. The last letter he received was asking for his help in reporting the disappearance of a complete stranger. What was really happening in the Qishan Wen government that wouldn’t allow her to return?

When he heard his sister mentioned again in the conversation, he mustered the courage and approached them. —Excuse me… I know you’re talking quietly, but… w-would you be so kind as to lend me the newspaper?

Both of them exchanged glances as soon as they finished hearing him.

There, Lan Xichen nodded. —Of course. No problem.

When the printed paper was handed to him, the man, who appeared to be around the same age, looked immensely astonished as he carefully read the front-page news. Suddenly, his hands began to shake.

—Is something wrong? —Lan Xichen noticed his strange behavior.

—Th-This is… since when? —Wen Ning asked, pointing at the newspaper.

—It’s from three days ago —Lan Xichen replied, somewhat puzzled as he saw him seem to enter a trance, like a panic attack—. Is there a problem, sir?

—Who is he? —he asked urgently, pointing to the man beside his sister—. Do you know him? Tell me if you know him.

—Ah… —Lan Xichen was at a loss, sensing the exasperated and fearful tone in his voice as he pointed to the boy, wanting a quick answer—. We don’t know him. I’m sorry —he finally said.

Wen Ning looked disappointed, returning his gaze to the person beside her, knowing that this didn’t bode well.

His strange, nervous behavior made both of them, in a way, uncomfortable. Lan Xichen and Meng Yao exchanged glances once more, prompting the latter to clear his throat as he tried to speak. —Excuse me, sir… is there any problem with the man in the photo?

Wen Ning snapped out of his trance when he looked at them again, realizing that they were both expecting an explanation. He then realized he had overreacted. —Oh, no, no. It’s just that… ah… I wanted to know the name of this man beside… —For a moment, he fell silent as an idea came to mind—. Jiang Cheng.

Meng Yao raised an eyebrow. —Excuse me?

—Jiang Cheng —he repeated—. Jiang Cheng. That must be the name of this man —He pointed desperately at the boy in the photo again, emphasizing it so that Lan Xichen would look more closely, since he was the one beside him—. This man is the one keeping my sister company right now.

Silence fell between the two of them after he revealed his relation to the woman.

—Your sister… is Miss Wen Qing? —Meng Yao asked, intrigued, as until now he had convinced himself that the boy might not be in his right mind. To say that he was Wen Qing’s brother… that was a different story.

—Yes —Wen Ning nodded firmly—. My sister is Wen Qing, and if she’s with him, that means… —His eyes filled with a fear he had never shown before. Anxiety built up quickly, to the point that he handed the newspaper to Lan Xichen and ran off—. See you later! I have to go! Thank you for everything!

Lan Xichen grabbed the newspaper almost blindly as it was thrust against his chest. He thought about stopping him, but his voice didn’t come out in time, and he chose instead to focus on the newspaper that had caused him so much concern. Wen Ning disappeared from sight, no one knew where.

There, Meng Yao watched the exit, the place where he supposedly ran off in a panic. —That was strange —he finally said—. Something tells me that maybe… he’s not all there in the head. I highly doubt he’s actually Miss Wen Qing’s brother, to be honest. What do you think, Er-Ge?

Lan Xichen thought something similar, but he didn’t fully agree. From all his years of experience, when a person acted that way, it was because something was truly troubling them, to the point of causing chronic stress that could become dangerous.

—Don’t worry, Er-Ge —Meng Yao comforted him, giving a gentle smile—. Maybe with us, he found the path he needed, even if we doubt his relation to the woman. Surely he’s a fan of hers. You know, she’s very well-known on this island.

Lan Xichen nodded at his words. However, his gaze returned to the printed paper in his hands for the third time, examining the photo more closely.

He didn’t know why, but a strange feeling settled in his chest as he studied the man who supposedly called himself “Jiang Cheng,” as if he had seen him before in his dreams.

~~~

"Palace the Sun"

Qishan Wen.

After several hours of leaving the marital rehearsal, Wen Qing had completed Jiang Cheng’s rehabilitation.

—You should understand that your recovery still needs time —she told him as a suggestion, making things clear so he wouldn’t go crazy and believe he was fully healed—. Your foot isn’t completely healed yet. So you shouldn’t make any sudden movements.

—I can’t even move from here —Jiang Cheng replied, clearly crossing his arms—. How do you expect me to make a sudden movement?

—Well, you don’t need to move to adopt a bad posture —She finished putting away all her materials. When she was done, she watched Jiang Cheng, focused on his injured foot, showing a bit of pain with even the slightest movement.

—When will it be fully healed? —he asked.

—It all depends on rest and therapy. The good thing is that you can move it a little more freely. That’s already a big improvement.

Jiang Cheng sighed, feeling devastated. His brow furrowed even more, thinking that perhaps this was delaying him too much.

—What’s wrong? —she asked, noticing his expression. She knew he had something to say.

—This isn’t enough —he replied seriously—. This is delaying me too much. I have to go in search of Wei Wuxian, and all I’ve done since I arrived is stay locked up in this place, which I can no longer stand.

—You must understand that rest is crucial —she told him frankly, knowing where this was going—. If you leave here, it will be very dangerous. Besides, I’m not authorized to let someone go who is supposed to be in custody.

—Prisoner? You know I shouldn’t be one! —his voice rang out in anger, tired of not being heard—. I want to get out of here. You promised me that once I was better, you’d get me out of here.

She sighed as she felt his intense aura. —Listen...

—No. You listen to me —Jiang Cheng was exhausted—. This morning I got tired of waiting for you. I’m alone every hour of the day, sick of not being able to see the outside because I’m kept in captivity... And you still say you don’t have authorization to let me out... when it was you who put me in this hole!

Wen Qing raised her index finger to her own lips to signal him to be quiet. Jiang Cheng’s bluish eyes narrowed in indignation. —Are you even listening to me?

—Yes, I am —she replied calmly, unlike him who was not at all pleased—. Just… give me a chance and I’ll get you out as soon as possible.

—A chance? A chance for what!

—To get you out of here! —She raised her voice, feeling that his confrontation was pushing her to give an answer she didn’t have—. Listen, your foot is still injured. If what worries you is that your brother is still missing, let me tell you that I already sent a letter to Yiling City explaining the situation. I sent it to my brother so he could report the disappearance, and let the Yiling police forces take care of it.

—And that’s supposed to make me feel better? —Jiang Cheng was getting fed up with so many excuses—. Wei Wuxian needs me. I have to be in Yiling right now to go look for him… and you won’t let me!

—It’s not my choice to have you here! —She replied, feeling herself lose her temper a little.

—How can you say it’s not your choice, when it was YOU WHO PUT ME IN HERE!

Wen Qing heard his harsh voice, aimed at winning the argument, and felt the need to remain silent. By then, Jiang Cheng was upset, and rightly so. Tired of not being able to help, tired that his plans had been disrupted by the lack of a speedy recovery, and with his brother still missing, anyone would feel powerless.

Feeling the silence, the man let out a heavy sigh and then stood up. —I’m getting out of here, no matter what condition I’m in. If you won’t release me, I will.

—Jiang Cheng —Wen Qing stopped him by stepping in his path. Her arm rose like a barrier—. If you leave here and escape without the kingdom’s authorization, you will be punished.

—And what’s your solution? Keep waiting? Forget it.

—I understand —she looked him in the eyes, maintaining her composure—. Even though I agree with you, unfortunately, I won’t be able to get you out of here for now. Ideally, you should give me more time so that…

Suddenly, she was interrupted when he stopped listening to her cheap excuses. He left her words hanging as he stepped aside and slowly walked toward the exit.

—Jiang Cheng —she called out, being completely ignored—. Stop being so stubborn, for God’s sake…

—Stubborn? —For a moment, he stopped, furrowing his brow even more as his fists clenched—. Didn’t you say you have a brother? What would you do if he disappeared without a trace?

She, upon hearing him, sighed deeply. —That’s not relevant right now.

—Don’t you consider it relevant that your brother has disappeared?

—I didn’t mean—

—What is relevant to you, then? Would you stay locked in an unfamiliar place doing nothing, waiting for others to decide for you? —Jiang Cheng looked her straight in the eyes—. Because, to be honest, I’m not the kind of man who does nothing, waiting for fate to solve my problems. If I want to leave, I will, because I can and because I wish to.

"If I want to leave, I will, because I can and also because I wish to."

Those words, spoken with an unwavering tone of certainty, echoed in Wen Qing’s mind. She was affected in a way, as it wasn’t the first time she had wished to change her life, wanting to run away from here, bound to an arranged marriage she wasn’t entirely willing to continue. Fear coursed through her body every second at the mere thought of disobeying any of Wen Chao’s rules, knowing that doing so could bring terrible consequences.

The obvious silence of the young lady caused Jiang Cheng to watch her more than usual. —Is she going to consider it now?

Wen Qing remained silent, knowing that Jiang Cheng was the kind of man who wanted an immediate answer. —No —she replied—. I won’t let you leave. If I do, my family in Yiling would be at risk of punishment, so, between them and you, I will always choose to protect them.

Jiang Cheng couldn’t believe what she was telling him. His anger was palpable. Indisputably outraged. —What does this mean? If I let you go… your family in Yiling would be threatened? What the hell are you talking about now?

—You are a threat to all of Qishan, Wen —she added coldly, erasing any trace of empathy from her gaze—. That day we danced at the restaurant, someone from the government infiltrated and took pictures of us together. When it became public, I made a mistake because my future husband found out, causing misunderstandings —she spoke slowly—. Dancing with you should never have happened. Do you now understand why I cannot let you go?

Jiang Cheng was left speechless as a tight knot formed in his throat. The confession, “Dancing with you should never have happened,” was one of the hardest things he had ever heard in his life so far—perhaps because he had considered that experience a beautiful memory.

—So, if you’re going to ask me to open the door and let you go, then my answer is… and you better remember it —Wen Qing stepped closer to him, standing too close to his face as she looked him in the eyes—. My answer is a definite NO.

He was fuming. From the very beginning, he knew this woman was up to something, offering empty excuses that gradually revealed her true personality. His hands clenched tightly, trembling with irritation. Unlike him, she didn’t seem disturbed in the least. In fact, she was so calm that he could see the unusual discoloration of several bruises on her neck, which she was trying to hide with her dress.

—So that’s what the bruises are from, huh? —he confronted her, noticing a different reaction in the woman’s eyes—. Don’t think I didn’t notice. I can tell when bruises are from falls, and when they’re… violent hickeys that leave marks on the skin that are hard to miss.

As soon as he mentioned the last part, Wen Qing looked embarrassed and very uncomfortable, ultimately covering those marks with her hand and looking away. —I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Jiang Cheng made a quick move to grab her wrist, to which she reacted swiftly, dodging his attempt. Just as action met reaction, they locked eyes, and he noticed a certain fear in her gaze.

—What are you afraid of? —he asked her.

—I’m not afraid of anything.

Jiang Cheng acted abruptly once again, managing to grab her wrist firmly.

—Let me go —she demanded, gripping his other wrist tightly as a scalpel slid out from her long sleeve, threatening to cut his skin—. If you don’t, with a single move, you’ll bleed out.

Jiang Cheng felt the danger as the tip of the knife pricked the skin on the inside of his wrist. However, he challenged her by saying, —Do it. If you see me as a threat, go ahead.

There were no more words to complement the mutual threat in their gazes. After an indeterminate amount of time, Wen Qing began to lose ground as she felt Jiang Cheng squeezing her hand painfully. Usually, when she threatened someone with the scalpel, people showed respect, knowing that, as the Goddess of Medicine, she could not only heal but also harm. Everyone who felt threatened would immediately let go, but Jiang Cheng didn’t seem to be the same.

The scalpel in her clothing was a last-resort weapon, and she usually used it only when she felt threatened. However, Jiang Cheng had been the only man (aside from Wen Chao) who didn’t let himself be intimidated, nor did he have any desire to back down.

Not knowing what to do next, Wen Qing didn’t have the guts to hurt a man she had worked so hard to heal. Besides, it wasn’t ethical for a professional doctor. As a result, she withdrew the scalpel, letting go almost immediately, and he managed to be free.

—So strong you seem, and yet you’re impossible to hurt —he said to her.

She attacked. —You don’t know me. You have no idea what I’m capable of.

—Defending yourself from abusers doesn’t seem to be on that list. Those bruises are not the result of an accident.

—You don’t know that.

—You’re a doctor; you know they’re not —he said, clearly upset—. Everyone in this place praises you. I saw it with my own eyes at that clinic. Why do you let yourself get hurt like that?

Wen Qing shook her head, not wanting to go into details. —You won’t be leaving here. So don’t try to make me change my mind.

—Answer me. Why do you keep allowing yourself to be abused by that so-called husband of yours?

—What? No one has abused me.

—Wen Qing, don’t lie to me. I saw you the day that man approached the cell door. The guy was talking, and you just lowered your gaze, worried about explaining your reason for being here. I, who don’t even care what others do, noticed your fear when you lied about my identity. I’m not some private detective who was imprisoned by anyone —he frowned—. Maybe you’re trying to appear as a strong woman, but you don’t fool me. That guy who came that day had you scared, and the worst part is, if that’s your husband… let me tell you, he’s taking advantage of your fear to manipulate you.

—No one manipulates me! —she exclaimed, looking indignant—. You know nothing about my life. You’re just some guy who showed up at a restaurant with the intention of ruining my life, and nothing more!

—You’re the one ruining your own life!

She heard him as if it were a megaphone slapping her to make her react. —No… you’re wrong. Every decision I make is to ensure that my life gets better each day. So, my personal life doesn’t concern anyone.

—Exactly —he added—. I have no reason to be involved in your marital problems. Now, get me out of here!

Suddenly, the loud sound of a cell door closing in the distance echoed. By then, Jiang Cheng realized that it had alerted Wen Qing, to the point that she grabbed her things and ran straight toward the exit. For a moment, the heated argument was forgotten when she signaled for him to be quiet, insisting that he also put on the black coat that concealed his identity.

Slowly, a guard approached. —Miss Wen Qing, they need you upstairs. Young Master Wen Chao wants to speak with you.

As soon as she heard the man’s name, her face instantly paled. Jiang Cheng couldn’t believe it. It was clear that this guy brought her more trouble than happiness. This was one of the many clues he had already gathered just by being locked up. By then, Wen Qing seemed to control her unease, giving the guard an appropriate response so that Wen Chao would wait for her.

—It has to be right now —the guard announced firmly, unable to wait—. He told me not to return without you.

For a moment, Wen Qing glanced at Jiang Cheng out of the corner of her eye, but not for long. She knew this wouldn’t mean anything good if Wen Chao urgently needed her. She had slipped away from the marriage rehearsal without warning, which would surely annoy him.

She didn’t think any longer. Without saying goodbye, she agreed to leave, departing with the guard in charge. On the other hand, Jiang Cheng pulled the hood off his head, frowning.

There was nothing in this world he hated more than unjustified physical abuse. His suspicions that she was being manipulated mentally and physically by that degenerate were more than confirmed, and the worst part was that she seemed to allow it, even when she didn’t have to.

Chapter Text

With every step she took, Wen Qing felt that the thousands of catastrophic thoughts in her mind were about to drive her insane at any moment. She was barely processing everything Jiang Cheng had told her, let alone able to endure any nonsense Wen Chao might confront her with.

With her back straight and head held high, she wasn’t going to let him manipulate her any longer. There, when the guard and she reached the entrance of the Dark Hall, Wen Qing furrowed her brow and asked, “What is this? I thought Wen Chao wanted to talk to me—why did he bring me to the Dark Hall?”

“Master Wen Chao and His Majesty are waiting for you,” the guard said, gesturing as he opened the door for her to enter.

Wen Qing felt herself tremble, but she tried to maintain her composure as she took a step forward. If Wen Rouhan was involved in this situation… what could Wen Chao have told him? As she slowly walked down the grand red corridor, darkness filled the space when the guard closed the door behind her. She stopped in her tracks, lifting her gaze toward the throne, imagining a man sitting calmly at the front of a large table.

“Darling—” Suddenly, another voice sounded just behind her. She turned to see Wen Chao approaching with open arms, his expression full of joy at seeing her again. “Finally, I’ve found you. It’s getting harder and harder to find you on my own…”

When Wen Qing saw him approaching with that smile, she decided to ignore him. She turned her back, with no intention of speaking.

“Aren’t you happy to see me?” Wen Chao asked, standing in front of her with one hand behind his back and the other reaching out as if to communicate. “What’s the matter, dear? Why do you have that look on your face?” Suddenly, she dodged his hand when he tried to touch her face in a gesture of comfort. Wen Chao noticed this, and his brow furrowed.

“What is it that you want to talk to me about?” Wen Qing spoke loudly, directing her words straight at Wen Rouhan.

Silence grew increasingly heavy as the minutes passed, as no one seemed interested in speaking or explaining why she had been summoned. In fact, Wen Qing noticed, to her surprise, that Wen Chao had stopped his harassment and positioned himself calmly by her side—nothing like the arrogant or overbearing attitude he was so often known for.

He gave up very quickly on harassing her to the extreme. He looked serene, maintaining the composure of a normal man. “He’s doing this because his father is here,” she thought.

“Wen Qing—” Suddenly, a voice from the throne made her look up, seeing Wen Rouhan rising to his feet. “You must understand that you and Wen Chao are at the most fruitful and important stage of your lives. The reason for my summons is simple: since the day after tomorrow is Wen Xu’s wedding to Miss Wang LingJiao, I hereby declare that your union with Wen Chao should also be joined in holy matrimony before the eyes of God.”

When she heard that, her eyes widened suddenly, her jaw dropped in shock, and fear quickly spread through all her limbs.

“You meet all the requirements for your union, which you have always maintained. Your marriage, like Wen Xu’s, will have a positive influence on the governance of Qishan Wen, as you will have each other to support one another and uphold the justice that this country needs.”

“That’s right, darling,” Wen Chao declared with a triumphant smile. “My father has authorized Wen Xu and me to have a double wedding.” Then, he lowered his voice in a sort of reproach. “With this, there will be no way for you to keep escaping from my hands without my permission.”

Having heard his words filled with threat, Wen Qing felt it was important to clarify. “This is far too rushed, sir,” she said, addressing Wen Rouhan directly. “I understand the reasons why you want us to marry, but I don’t think it’s right to take the spotlight away from Wen Xu and his fiancée, who has been eagerly anticipating this special day for a long time…”

“Are you opposing this?” the elder asked seriously. She tried to explain her point of view more clearly, but he interrupted her. “The marriage contract requires that you wed as soon as possible. Wen Chao proposed the idea of marrying on the same day as Wen Xu, and I thought it was an excellent opportunity.”

“Excuse me, sir, with all due respect, doing that would mean double the expense. It seems far too rushed to me.”

She wanted to avoid this at all costs. A double wedding would be a complete nightmare. She couldn’t stand Wen Xu’s fiancée. That woman was far too irritating and did nothing but complain about trivial things during the wedding rehearsals. Now, imagining sharing the wedding… she was going to lose her mind! On top of that, marrying Wen Chao… it was already too much stress for her to believe she could endure any longer.

“As for the appetizers, don’t worry,” she heard the elder’s voice addressing her concerns. “Just follow the established orders and let the committee in charge of the wedding details handle the rest. If you need to make any suggestions or add any details, inform Wen Chao, and he will send the updated list to the head of the committee.”

“B-But I…,” Wen Qing protested, completely in denial. “What about my family in Yiling? They don’t even know I’m getting married. They won’t be able to come after such a rushed decision.”

“Don’t worry about that. In time, they will learn what happened and will be able to come visit you.”

Suddenly, Wen Chao’s voice reached her as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Calm down, darling. From the very beginning, I told you that our destiny was written…” She shot him a sidelong glance, her anger barely contained. He continued, “You’re not going to challenge our parents’ contract now… are you?”

Wen Qing was growing furious at hearing those words, which sounded far too sarcastic. She didn’t understand what Wen Chao was doing with all of this. Why did he have to be such an idiot? What did he hope to gain by forcing the relationship they had and turning it into a marriage?

“When your souls are joined in marriage,” Wen Rouhan’s voice caught her attention, “the next step you must follow is to remain here, by my son’s side. You will not continue traveling to Yiling City, unless absolutely necessary. Likewise, your family will be informed and will be able to visit during appropriate times. For now, your lives will remain here, hand in hand, contributing to making Qishan Wen the most radiant land of all, upholding our motto of being an empire in the eyes of the five great nations.”

Wen Rouhan was brief. He concluded by telling them they could leave. By that time, Wen Qing tried to speak, feeling the need to make herself heard and to oppose them, but she remained silent when she felt an arm around her neck.

Wen Chao invaded her personal space once again. “You wouldn’t want Father to get upset if you try to oppose him…” he whispered near her ear. “Let go of that hostility,” he added, gently caressing her face before kissing her cheek. “You are mine.”

The harassment didn’t last long. The guards arrived beside each of them to tell them they had to leave the Dark Hall. By then, Wen Chao seemed anything but upset about the situation. What more could he ask for? He got what he wanted at the expense of his father. All the while, his requests were fulfilled thanks to him. On the other hand, Wen Qing was beginning to feel the harshest symptoms of rejection in her mind, practically having to hold back nausea as she recalled, over and over, the words Jiang Cheng had told her.

Once outside the hall, she heard Wen Chao mention something about lunch. When he grabbed her hand without warning, Wen Qing didn’t hesitate to pull it away in a single jerk, causing him to turn and look at her with a frown at her abruptness.

“Will you leave me alone?” she said, demanding for the thousandth time that he not touch her.

Wen Chao looked her in the eyes, wiping away all the happiness he had had when leaving. However, as he was about to respond, he realized that all the guards outside the grand Dark Hall were watching them. He knew that if they created a couple’s conflict in front of witnesses, it wouldn’t be appropriate for maintaining his image.

Wen Qing stepped back at the sight of his silence. She wouldn’t wait for him to respond; she had had enough. As she rounded the corner, she quickened her pace to avoid being caught. However, her attempt was in vain. The guards, strategically positioned along the corridor, formed a straight line with their weapons crossed in an X. Soon, more guards joined from different directions, all blocking her path with the aim of preventing her from moving forward.

She stepped back.

What was happening?

Why were they blocking her way?

“Where are you going now?” Suddenly, Wen Chao’s voice rang out as he approached her with an eerily calm demeanor. “Wen Qing… running away from me again?”

“And you, deciding for me again?” she replied, keeping her head held high.

Wen Chao seemed to smile slyly. “What’s the problem with wanting to marry you very soon? If we’re going to do it in the future, why not do it in two days?”

“Move out of the way!” she shouted at the guards, demanding that they give her space to leave.

Each of them ignored her command, making her realize that with Wen Chao present, they weren’t going to act.

With her fury barely contained, Wen Qing turned to Wen Chao, meeting his eyes as a smug smile decorated his face. “Don’t you understand that it’s time for lunch, darling?”

“I want to go to my room,” she added firmly.

Wen Chao shook his head from side to side, apparently thinking it was a good idea. “Alright,” he said, raising his hand in a direct signal for the guards to step back. “Let’s go to your room, then.”

When she heard the verb “go” conjugated in the plural, she didn’t want to continue. Unfortunately for her, the guards broke the line they had formed, giving them direct passage to the rooms. It was obvious that Wen Chao was playing with her. Her fists clenched as she felt the man following her every step as they arrived at her room.

Wen Qing had a lot on her mind, but the main thing was that if he wanted to accompany her, he would have to listen to her complaints and face the reality that she did not want to marry him—much less alongside her brother’s fiancée.

Once they were inside, she closed the door and lifted her gaze with seriousness. “I will not marry in two days. Neither you, nor anyone else.”

Wen Chao seemed bored of the same lines as always. “I’m not surprised. At least have the decency to hear my reasons.”

“Do you even listen to mine? What are you going to tell me? Are you eager to marry me when you can’t even stand me? We don’t love each other, understand that. When will you understand that I hate you, and I’ve never felt any attraction to you?” Wen Chao frowned. She continued, “I’m asking you to leave me alone. You and I don’t love each other, nor are we destined to be together. Simply…”

“You love him. Isn’t that right?”

Wen Qing remained silent, not understanding what he meant. At that moment, a paper emerged from his scarlet clothing, firmly showing her a newspaper photo in which she appeared alongside Jiang Cheng.

“You say you hate me so much… now I understand. You hate me because you’re incapable of hiding your unfaithful tendencies.”

She had no words. Her eyes were fixed on the newspaper, unable to understand why a photo had been published suggesting she had an alleged affair with Jiang Cheng.

“Wen Qing… I think I was too blunt with you last time when you were caught dancing with a man at the Love and Peace restaurant… Oh,” he widened his eyes, showing irony, “what a coincidence… it turns out this guy from the clinic matches perfectly with the same man you were seen dancing with at that restaurant.” He pulled out each of the photos previously shown at the restaurant, turning them into evidence. “I think the one who needs more explanations here is me, not you.”

She looked worried. She was still overwhelmed by the shock of seeing Jiang Cheng on the front page of the newspaper alongside her, further fueling Wen Chao’s suspicions.

“What did I tell you last time about what would happen to your family if I found out about something like this again…?”

“No,” she replied immediately. “Wen Chao, no. None of that is true. I never cheated on you with him. I never did.” He rolled his eyes, seemingly tired of hearing the same thing. She noticed him taking an attitude she found unacceptable, so she felt it was important to explain. “I only saw that man that one day, and that’s it. I explained it to you before—do you really think I’m such an easy woman that I would get involved with a stranger?”

“Yes,” he said, without hesitation. “Didn’t you just hear yourself? You said you hate me… and what about him? Do you love him? ” He moved closer slowly. “Tell me the truth, Wen Qing. Do you enjoy testing my patience?”

“I just had an accident that day, and… so did he. So that photo must have come from some paparazzi who saw us…”

“YOU DANCED TOGETHER!”

“SO WHAT!” she replied with the same intensity, taking a step back as she saw him adopt the same arrogant and intimidating stance, moving closer and closer to her. “Please, Wen Chao. I-I don’t want us to argue…” She looked worried and lowered her voice. “Let me explain this whole misunderstanding…”

“More lies? Is that what you’re going to tell me?”

She placed her hands over her chest as she once again endured another invasion of her personal space. She should have been more than used to it. She felt trapped, needing to push him away, to tell him to keep his distance, but it was only a matter of time before her jaw was manipulated, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.

“Tell me the name of that man, now.”

She swallowed slowly, unwilling to answer.

“Tell me.”

“I don’t know what it is.”

“Darling, I don’t believe a word of it.”

“I’m serious.”

“Mm… I suppose that if you don’t give me his name… your family in Yiling will pay for all the consequences of your mistakes. One by one.”

“No, Wen Chao, please.” She grabbed his arm tightly, remembering Jiang Cheng’s voice telling her that he was manipulating her. Now she knew he was blackmailing her. This was his manipulation tactic—going against her family, knowing it was her greatest weakness. “I… I don’t know his name.”

“You still choose to lie to me… knowing that I don’t believe anything you say?”

“Believe me,” she said quickly, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes. “I know why I’m telling you this.”

“Oh… why? Is he someone I should be worried about? Do you think I’m going to fall for that nonsense that you’re supposedly protecting me from?”

“Think whatever you want.”

“What’s the matter? Are you regretting that mistake you made? Well, it’s too late, my dear. If you did it once, unfortunately, you’ll keep doing it.” He stepped back, putting some distance between them. “Don’t be surprised if you end up locked in this place for as long as I see fit. In the end, whoever that man is, I will find him, and he will pay the consequences for trying to steal my girl.”

After saying that, Wen Chao no longer intended to stay. Disappointed and, in a way, angry, he tucked the evidence of her alleged infidelity back into his clothing and decided to leave.

“And what are you going to do?” Suddenly, Wen Qing confronted him, demanding his attention. “Are you going to lock me up so I can never be in his arms again? Will you tell your father that, according to this ‘evidence,’ I’ve been unfaithful to you? Are you going to take it out on me that way? Will you end up destroying me? You should know that I realized you didn’t confess the truth about your suspicions. Why? Didn’t you want to lose face in front of your father?”

Wen Chao shot her a sidelong glance, his expression serious.

“Why didn’t you do it?” she continued, confronting him. “Are you too embarrassed to make it public? Or did you simply not do it because you know I would never be unfaithful to you, and you just want a strong enough reason for us to marry in two days and prevent your image from being tarnished in the country?”

The man chuckled lightly, as if he had just told a very good joke, causing her to furrow her brow even more noticeably.

“Darling, my image is perfect,” he told her. “There’s no need to fix anything. The only thing that’s needed here is for you to straighten yourself out so you can become the wife I so deserve.”

“And when will you become the man, I deserve? Every time I do something on my own, you choose to be a jerk, punishing me and threatening to go after my family. Is that what love means to you?”

Wen Chao argued, “These are just methods to make you understand your place as my future wife.” He smiled with a hint of self-pride. “Or are you going to blame me now for never giving you all the love you needed? Who bought you an entire hospital in your name? All your medical equipment? Your university career? Remember, Wen Qing, without me, who knows where you’d be stranded.”

He was right. Most of her personal growth and professional development had remained in the hands of the Wen government, since there weren’t many opportunities in Yiling to advance as a recognized doctor.

During her stay in the center of Qishan Wen, when she was barely a teenager, Wen Chao helped her on several occasions whenever she faced financial difficulties. From that time, they were already aware of the marriage pact their parents had arranged. However, neither of them was concerned about it. They treated each other “well” from the perspective of cousins, but as they grew apart and later crossed paths again as adults, Wen Qing began to become disillusioned with him, realizing she didn’t like him at all—so much so that she disapproved of him as a future husband.

The man was a terrible character. His delusions of grandeur had been honed year by year, to the point that he no longer cared about what others thought. He constantly hurt and manipulated her to maintain his false reality of having a perfect life by her side.

“Let it be known that these punishments are to make you straighten up, my dear,” Wen Chao spoke again.

“What kind of future would we have if you only punish me, and you never try to truly get to know me? You leave, abandoning your ‘future wife,’ when if we are to be husband and wife, we’re supposed to do everything together.” She let out a heavy sigh, trying to set aside her annoyance. “Your father was right when he said we should be together in every good or bad moment. If you punish me, then I also ask that you stay here with me and understand the future husband I want to have, so we don’t fall into the same situation again.”

Wen Chao remained silent, appearing slightly interested in what she was saying.

Wen Qing mustered the courage to approach him and said, “If it’s just the two of us… we can make up for lost time, and perhaps…” She touched his clothing, slowly moving her fingers upward to his cheek, looking him in the eyes. “We could rehearse our honeymoon before the wedding.”

“Is this some kind of joke? You told me you hate me.”

“Yes, because it’s a good reason for you to teach me how to love you…”

Seeing that he wasn’t very convinced, she used her feminine charms, looping her arm around his neck and brushing her lips gently against his. “See how easily we can be together if we just talk things out? Stay here as long as you want to punish me.”

She didn’t know what she was doing, nor did she know if she would accept it. Guilt and regret lingered for having told him she hated him, knowing it could create an irreparable rift between them, ruining her chances of survival. Nevertheless, an arm slipped behind her back, caressing every part of it until it reached and rested on the zipper pull of her current dress.

He slowly slid it down, revealing the upper part of her chest—the area around her collarbones—and the bruises that Jiang Cheng had scolded her for. By then, his breath could be felt as his lips kissed the skin of her neck, making her shiver from the contact and his gentleness.

He kissed her so gently that Wen Qing felt his fingers brush her shoulders in a strange, tingling caress. His hands moved up her neck and reached her cheeks, studying her eyes slowly, just a few centimeters away.

“You and I both know…” he said, “that this is the best part when we argue.” Then he kissed her, capturing each of her lips as she gave in, slowly closing her eyes.

Wen Qing allowed her hands to travel over his body down to his hips, wanting to remove the red fabric that kept her from enjoying him. With a little help from its wearer, Wen Chao had the great advantage of touching her.

From Wen Chao’s point of view, Wen Qing could be described as the most beautiful—and the most ungrateful—woman that could exist. It was clear that she was a woman he had never been able to tame, but, in a way, she hadn’t been able to tame him either… until this moment, where they simply allowed themselves to be swept away, declaring eternal love in the heat of their bodies.

Chapter Text

"Red Hostel"

"Qishan Wen"

That day turned out to be extremely stressful for Jin Zixuan. After escaping from the Amor y Paz restaurant and forcing Miss Jiang to dress as a man to go unnoticed, it still wasn’t enough to come out unscathed. Along the way, he suffered a terrible fall that caused a wound on his left hand.

Upon entering the hostel, Jin Zixuan’s eyes scanned all the diners, making sure no bandits had followed them. Once he realized there were no threats, he went up to the rooms. There, he inserted the key into the lock of his own chamber and pushed the door open.

“Please, have a seat,” he asked Jiang Yanli, who was walking beside him as he headed toward his briefcase, where he kept first aid supplies.

Jiang Yanli sighed deeply, exhausted. She sat on one of the beds as he had asked, trying to keep her wound from coming into contact with her male attire, which was already making her quite warm.

“Miss Jiang,” he spoke, bringing with him the few supplies he could find in his briefcase, “please, give me your hand.” He asked for her injured hand so he could examine it and take care of everything. After a long session of cleaning with hydrogen peroxide and cotton, he applied some medicinal ointment, and finally, put on a bandage. “I’m sure this will be enough for it to heal.”

Jiang Yanli looked him in the eyes and then lowered her gaze to her hand, where she noticed the bandage. Normally, she wouldn’t have paid it much attention; after all, it wasn’t the first time she had hurt herself like this. However, seeing Detective Jin take an interest in caring for her and doing all the work struck her as sweet and a little endearing. So, without saying a word, she let him continue.

Several silent minutes passed between them while Jin Zixuan examined her other hand and treated it as well, cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide. In the end, he stood up and walked back and forth, deep in thought. Jiang Yanli had never seen him like this, to be honest.

“You can’t stay here in Qishan Wen,” suddenly, what he had been debating in his mind came to light. “The best thing for you is to take the first train to Yunmeng Jiang early tomorrow morning.” She looked worried. He continued, “If you stay here, you could face the consequences of being on this journey. I’ve been honest with you from the start: I won’t take responsibility to your parents if something bad happens to you under my supervision.”

“Detective Jin…” she tried to speak.

“Yes, I understand that you want to go in search of your brother. I get it,” he spoke immediately, placing one hand on his hip as he looked at her. “But hear me out for the first time: this is no longer a game. Your safety is at risk, and it’s not advisable for you to stay here with us.”

“What about Detective Zixun?” She understood perfectly what he was trying to tell her. In fact, she was terrified, just like him. But the man in front of her seemed unwilling to listen beyond his concerns.

There, Jin Zixuan simply said, “Don’t worry about him. Jin Zixun will be fine.”

Jiang Yanli didn’t want to ask anything further. Detective Jin had already done too much to protect her. Asking about Jin Zixun would only leave her with more doubts, as neither of them had a concrete answer. The heat was suffocating her. She had to take off the black coat he had given her so she could fan herself. She did the same with the hat.

“It would be best if you change and feel cooler,” Jin Zixuan suggested, then picked up his golden coat that he had left hanging on a chair. He rummaged through its pockets, taking out his pipe along with the corresponding tobacco. “I’ll go downstairs to see if I can spot Jin Zixun.”

She didn’t have the chance to respond. The man opened the door and left. By that time, Jiang Yanli let out a deep sigh, feeling pity for him, and for all of them in general. Everything seemed difficult, to the point that going in search of her A-Cheng was turning into a suicidal act.

She began to think that what had happened at the restaurant was terrifying. If it hadn’t been for Detective Jin protecting her, she—so distracted by dancing—wouldn’t have noticed the danger lurking nearby.

Perhaps she should listen to him more. After all, he had always been right to believe that dancing could pose a latent danger, all because they let their guard down in unfamiliar territory.

~~~

Outside the hostel, hidden behind a car, Jin Zixuan carefully removed the pipe from his mouth, lost in thought, while keeping his arms crossed. Upon hearing an unusual sound approaching his position, he drew the gun he had hidden in one of his boots and aimed it steadily. The shock was so great that it paralyzed the only woman in a suit who had taken the trouble to come see him.

Jin Zixuan, startled, widened his eyes even more and quickly lowered the gun. “Miss Jiang? What are you doing here?”

She, with her hair down, still wearing the pants and long-sleeved white shirt, felt relieved when she saw him lower the gun. “I thought you wanted to talk.”

“You shouldn’t be here. Go back to the hostel. It’s safer there.”

“What about you?” she said softly, her eyes reflecting concern. “They could see you, Detective. This place isn’t safe for you.”

“I’ll be fine,” he reiterated, eyes closed, discreetly removing the pipe from her view, since it wasn’t polite to smoke in front of a woman. “Please, go back.”

She heard him loud and clear. Nevertheless, she did the exact opposite, taking a step forward and moving closer to him, standing directly in front of him. Leaning against the hood of the car, Jin Zixuan frowned as he saw her standing still, looking him in the eyes.

“You don’t need to hold back with me, Detective Jin. I’ve known for a long time that you smoke,” she said.

Jin Zixuan stepped away from the car. “If you know, then you’ll understand why I want to be alone,” he said, subtly turning his back to her as he brought his pipe back to his mouth.

There was no further exchange of words. Jin Zixuan moved far enough away to let the smoke from his tobacco drift into the air. By then, Jiang Yanli understood. He always isolated himself when he needed to smoke, and his intention was never to be interrupted. Afterwards, she ended up leaning against the hood of the car in the same way he had a few minutes earlier. She crossed her arms, trying not to feel sadness as she faced her own vulnerability in all of this.

After ten minutes of complete silence, accompanied only by the natural sounds of the night, she heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, she saw the same man, now with his hands in his pants pockets. Jin Zixuan didn’t say anything as he looked at her. On the other hand, she knew he didn’t like being contradicted. She had promised not to challenge him again, but here she was, still leaning on the hood, simply waiting for him.

There was a deep sigh from him. Possibly resigned, Jin Zixuan decided to lean against the hood of the car in the same way she was.

“I’m sorry for getting in your way by inviting you to dance, Detective,” she said, closing her eyes, feeling remorseful. “You were right all along. I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away by the fun of the moment. It was very dangerous.”

He remained silent, watching the insects flutter around the lantern light, keeping his arms crossed.

“Don’t think I wanted to delay the mission,” she continued, lowering her voice. “It’s just that I wanted to have some fun, but I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

“You must understand that it’s important for you to return home tomorrow,” he said seriously. “You cannot stay here.”

“What about A-Cheng? He’ll be here alone…”

“Tomorrow morning, I’ll request reinforcements from the Yunmeng Jiang Police Unit for this case. Don’t worry about us. Now that Jiang Cheng is with the Wen government, it would be best to start by searching for Wei Wuxian in Yiling, who is the one truly missing here. As for Jiang Cheng, we’ll handle the case with reinforcements. Regarding you, you know well that you must return to Yunmeng Jiang.”

She listened, but her gaze was distant, fixed on the ground, as she felt uneasy about leaving in the middle of a mission they had worked so hard to advance. She was even less willing to leave now that A-Cheng might be in danger. However, she also knew that if she stayed, sooner or later they could be caught, and things would only get worse. The truth was, she didn’t know what to think. She felt that she couldn’t make the best decision right now.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly. “Thank you, Detective Jin, for not leaving me alone this afternoon, even though you had other plans.”

“We were very close to danger; we could have died.”

“But it didn’t happen,” she slowly looked at him. “If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know what would have become of me.” She paused before continuing, “Perhaps what happened today shouldn’t have occurred, but despite everything, you found a way to protect me. Moreover, you’ve been the only one truly concerned with searching for my brothers, and I really appreciate it.”

Hearing her, Jin Zixuan realized it wasn’t necessary. “Don’t take it the wrong way, but it’s my job to make sacrifices for my clients.”

Jiang Yanli lowered her gaze to the ground, a hint of blush on her cheeks. “So… as a client, I have a good review: You do an excellent job, Detective Jin.”

She finally smiled at him and then stepped away from the car. Jin Zixuan remained silent as he watched her walk away. Some time later, he saw her heading straight for the hostel, leaving him completely alone. For a moment, he felt that watching her leave was more captivating than anything else happening around him on that cold night.

Hearing that he did an excellent job wasn’t something he heard every day.

Jin Zixuan had to admit that today had been a stressful day, but setting aside the difficulties of being a pursued detective, the dance at that restaurant had helped him forget all his worries, even if just for a second. After all, on second thought, Jiang Yanli had been quite brave. She hadn’t broken down in tears over the attack. She was scared, but it was because she didn’t want to be left alone.

He didn’t want to think about it any longer. Jin Zixuan simply stepped away from the car and walked back to the hostel. Upon entering, he saw Miss Jiang at the bar ordering something unknown. Right beside her was a young man trying to strike up a conversation. Jin Zixuan wasn’t the paranoid type, but he preferred to go over there to see what that guy wanted from her.

“Women like you aren’t found around here, miss,” the man said with a smile full of charisma. “Even less so with such a… masculine style.”

She didn’t want to go into details. She simply smiled, lowering her gaze as she waited for her drink in silence.

“Don’t misunderstand me,” the young man said when he saw her reaction. “I say it because, even though you dress in such a masculine style, it suits you perfectly.”

“Miss Jiang,” suddenly Jin Zixuan’s voice was heard as he approached them, managing to catch both of their attention—especially hers. “What are you doing here?”

Just as he finished asking, the waiter handed Miss Jiang a well-chilled mineral water.

“Thank you,” she said to the waiter with a pleasant smile. Then she turned her gaze to the man who had been giving her compliments. “Thank you very much to you as well, sir,” she nodded. “But I must be going now.”

“Oh, what a shame,” the man said, pouting. “And here I was wanting to treat you to dinner. I’m sure you’d have a great time by my side if you accepted.”

“Thank you, but no,” Jin Zixuan spoke for her.

If Jin Zixuan hated womanizers, he disliked just as much those who did nothing but shower women with compliments to sweet-talk them. That was when he didn’t wait any longer and took Miss Jiang by the hand with the sole intention of getting her out of there. She did nothing but follow him in silence…

“You shouldn’t be talking to anyone,” he advised once they were several meters away from the bar. “Miss Jiang, Qishan Wen is a dangerous country—the less you talk to those kinds of men, the better. All right?”

Jiang Yanli looked him straight in the eyes, feeling the absence of his hand when he let go of hers. She understood perfectly what he meant. The man had been very flirtatious, and she had noticed his intentions, but… it wasn’t that serious. However, no matter what she thought, right now Jin Zixuan seemed more serious than usual, and all over a simple casual conversation.

“No way,” an unexpected third voice caught both of their attention, and they each turned toward the hostel’s exit. There, the missing man, Jin Zixun, had appeared out of nowhere, staring at them with surprise. “You’re here!” Jin Zixun approached them, clearly relieved that they were safe. “Miss Jiang, how are you? Are you all right? Did anything happen to you? I was very worried about you.”

At that moment, Jin Zixuan wanted to take the opportunity to talk to him about what had happened at the restaurant, but to his surprise, he was practically ignored due to the excessive concern Jin Zixun was giving to Miss Jiang.

“I was so worried about you that, honestly, when I arrived at the hostel a little while ago and didn’t see you anywhere, I decided to go back and check the same places where the attack happened to see if anything had happened to you. But night fell, and suddenly seeing you here… seeing you here,” he said, taking her hands confidently, making her look him in the eyes, “is a great gift from heaven.”

That was when Jin Zixuan felt truly uncomfortable—and not precisely because of the way he was holding her. By then, Jin Zixun had taken the trouble to kiss the back of one of her hands, noticing the wound she had on it. “What is this? What happened to you? Were you hurt? How? Why?”—he became even more unbearable.

“Calm down, Zixun,” she said softly. “Detective Jin took care of it and helped me heal the wound.”

Upon hearing his cousin’s name mentioned, Jin Zixun finally looked at him. There, he realized that his cousin had a look full of bitterness.

“It would have been easier if you had informed us that you arrived first,” Jin Zixuan replied.

“What?” Jin Zixun frowned upon hearing his voice filled with complaint. “How was I supposed to know you’d arrive late? I was very worried, and the first thing I did was go look for you.”

“Very dangerous of you,” he snapped, not at all pleased. “Look at the time.”

Jiang Yanli listened to the conversation and knew that an argument wasn’t necessary. “Guys, please, let’s not dwell on what happened. All right? I know everything that happened today was difficult, and Zixun, thank you for worrying about us enough to go looking for us.” She covered his hand with hers while smiling. “We were very worried about you.”

Hearing her words, Jin Zixuan closed his eyes with a certain apathy and decided to walk away. “I’m going to sleep. You should do the same.” He turned his back and went up the stairs, leaving them alone.

When Jiang Yanli saw this, she felt somewhat puzzled by his changing behavior.

“Miss Jiang—” But Jin Zixun didn’t care in the slightest. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you again. With that new look… you really surprise me.”

She looked slightly embarrassed upon realizing she was dressed like a man. "--I... Ah... It's a long story," she said, pulling her hands away from his before adding, "--Actually, I should go to my room to take a bath and change."

"Of course. I will go in your company if you allow me, Princess."

She smiled at being called "Princess." She nodded and continued up the stairs, heading straight to her room. Along the way, she became lost in thought about everything they had experienced, but even more so about Detective Jin's reaction.

It wasn’t unusual to see his changing attitude, but in these circumstances… she didn’t know why it seemed odd, considering she should have been happy to see her cousin safe and sound after that ambush. After all, both of them were fine after that attack… right?

~~~

"Yumping City" 

Yunmeng Jiang

The steam rising from each dish on the table made Wei Wuxian’s stomach growl even louder. At that moment, he couldn’t hold back any longer. He grabbed a hearty dish and began devouring it even though it was still hot. By then, MianMian, who was sitting across from him, kept watching him, not forgetting that every time he had the chance, Wei Wuxian would add more spicy sauce to his food without fear of burning his mouth.

The amount of spiciness was excessive. It didn’t even seem to reach the tolerable limit for a normal person.

There, he decided to turn his gaze toward Hanguang-Jun to see what he thought about it, only to realize that he didn’t seem to care. He was simply eating in silence.

"—Delicious," Wei Wuxian finished his plate too quickly, leaving it on the table while grinning from ear to ear. "Nothing beats the food of Yunmeng Jiang and her precious seasoning."

"—Oh my God…" MianMian added, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "I can’t believe you ate the entire plate with spicy sauce, on top of the extra spiciness. It’s just…—" She shivered slightly—"I can’t believe it. How horrifying. Aren’t you afraid of your own stomach later?"

"—Should I?" He had already noticed that she had been watching him more than usual. "Don’t you like spicy food?"

"—I like it, but not in excess."

"—And you say you adore Yunmeng Jiang?" He hissed. "Those tastes don’t seem like someone who calls herself a fan of our culture…"

MianMian closed her eyes with clear displeasure. "—Maybe you’re from here, but your tastes go beyond the acceptable limit." She turned her gaze to Lan Wangji. "Isn’t that so, Hanguang-Jun?"

Lan Wangji had to stop eating upon hearing her question. Suddenly, he heard the boy beside him speak:

"—Everyone born here knows that the adventure of trying new things is what makes us feel alive. Spicy food, my dear, is one of those blessings." Wei Wuxian took some of the super spicy sauce and placed it right next to her plate. "I invite you to try it, and then we can talk."

Seeing his smile from the invitation, she immediately shook her head.

"—You don’t want to?" Wei Wuxian asked, noticing her refusal. "Do you know what you’re missing by saying no to me?" Suddenly, after speaking, he turned to Hanguang-Jun, who was focused on his food. When the latter felt the man’s gaze on him, he lifted his golden eyes to his face, where a wide smile was already drawn on his lips. "—I bet… you wouldn’t refuse to give it a little taste. Would you?"

His mischievous tone, along with that strange interest reflected in his gaze, put Hanguang-Jun in a difficult position. Immediately after, a laugh from the young lady broke the tension between them.

"—Give it up already, boy. If I don’t want to try it, Hanguang-Jun is even less likely to want to—" MianMian said proudly. "We’re both used to eating healthy food, far from greasy dishes and harmful seasonings like that. You should already know that from all the time you spent in the Jin Palace under Zewu-Jun’s command."

Wei Wuxian raised one of his eyebrows. "—You’re right, the food in the Jin Palace wasn’t that good at first, but it improved later during my recovery and when Nie Huaisang took command." He directed his gaze at Lan Wangji. "—All the bowls of soup you brought me were very delicious."

MianMian heard that perfectly, turning her gaze toward Lan Wangji, who had lowered his head without saying a word in response to the compliment.

"—If you’ve tried Hanguang-Jun’s food, then you must understand that everything he gave you comes from the exquisite seasoning of GusuLan," MianMian praised again, feeling proud of her mission partner. "I love eating there, especially when the food comes from you, Hanguang-Jun."

MianMian kept praising the man in white, and that seemed to be a somewhat interesting detail that Wei Wuxian began to analyze silently. What could he say? It wasn’t very normal to hear a woman constantly compliment a man. In fact, when Lan Wangji and she shared a brief glance, Wei Wuxian noticed how she seemed to smile a little too much when she looked him in the eyes.

Not hearing Lan Wangji give a positive or negative response, but only a slight nod of his head, Wei Wuxian twisted his mouth, having a hunch that if they weren’t a couple, Hanguang-Jun seemed to be in love with her. By that time, Wei Wuxian gave up on inviting him to try the same sauce he had used earlier. He didn’t know why, but it was all because of disappointment.

Suddenly, when he spotted one of the waiters passing right by his side, he called out to him.

“—Yes? Tell me.” The waiter approached kindly. “—What can I get for you?”

“I want a bottle of the strongest liquor you have.”

“I’ll bring it to you right away.” He bowed and then stepped away.

“—Who’s going to drink the liquor?” MianMian asked with a certain seriousness in her voice. “—You’ll be wasting your money by ordering a whole bottle, because neither Hanguang-Jun nor I are going to drink.”

Wei Wuxian laughed, mocking her naivety. “—Who invited them? Oh, don’t worry, my friend. I’m not borrowing it from them.”

After the waiter had brought the bottle of the finest liquor in the region, Wei Wuxian opened it as if it were just any ordinary bottle and drank from the neck as if it were water. Just as his body had absorbed the appropriate amount of that rich substance, he turned to her and asked, “—Do you want some? There’s still some left.”

“No, thank you.” She didn’t waste any time. She got up from her seat at the table, signaling that she was done. “—We should head to the station to get our kayak. It’s almost time.” She looked at Wei Wuxian. “—I hope you have a way to pay for that liquor. Neither Hanguang-Jun nor I will lend you money for it.”

Right after, MianMian took the money that Hanguang-Jun had given her to pay for the three dishes and headed to the counter to settle the bill. When Wei Wuxian saw the little pink pouch that Hanguang-Jun had used to pay, it struck him as very peculiar.

Feeling that man’s gaze fixed on him, Lan Wangji looked at him.

“—Hey, Lan Zhan… you’ll pay for my liquor, right?” Not hearing a response from him, Wei Wuxian moved a little closer to whisper. “—Remember, I don’t have any money because they lost my briefcase. So… if you want me to help you…” He showed him the bottle. “—Buy it for me.”

The man in white stared at him, sensing that the request was rather bold.

Wei Wuxian blinked several times with a slight pleading look. “—Do it, okay? Please.”

Not hearing a response, Wei Wuxian became bold and took the little pink wallet he was carrying, finding it somewhat intriguing that someone so elegant, serious, and masculine would carry such a delicate and feminine money pouch.

“—Wei Ying—” he spoke but couldn’t continue when the other stepped a little closer with a strange, triumphant smile on his lips, trying to convince him with his gaze while showing that he held the wallet in his hands.

“—You owe me, okay. Let it be known that you broke a promise to give me the briefcase with your own hands. Now, I’m going to take your money for the time being.”

Right after, Wei Wuxian stepped back to lift the bottle and drink it as if it were nothing. There, he once again enjoyed the pleasant liquid on his palate, happy to savor the beauty of Yunmeng Jiang.

On the other hand, seeing him drink so carelessly, Lan Wangji felt the need to turn his face away and close his eyes, because watching him drink like that seemed a bit difficult to process.

He didn’t know why it was difficult. He also didn’t understand why his ears seemed to grow warmer and warmer, out of nowhere.

Chapter Text

The kayak trip had begun. For Wei Wuxian, it turned out to be very relaxing. He had forgotten what it was like to travel by boat. At his residence in Yiling, there were few places where he could enjoy the beautiful sight of the sea. In fact, thinking about his past made him imagine that he had already been missing for several days—enough to justify it at work.

He didn’t know what excuses he was going to give his supervisor once he returned. Having been kidnapped, perhaps—it might sound like a good pretext, although it also seemed like a very convenient one to never go back to work again. Suddenly, a contagious giggle from a woman echoed through the middle of the kayak. When Wei Wuxian turned in that direction, of course, it came from MianMian.

As usual, her incredible way of connecting with men stood out. She never missed the chance to talk to strangers during her trip. Besides the three of them, there were three more passengers in their company, not counting the sailor. The fun the five of them were having didn’t go unnoticed, with her being the center of attention for being the only woman there.

Wei Wuxian watched closely the way she interacted. He remembered the first time he met her and how several of the men at the inn complimented her and were saddened by her departure, even going so far as to ask her to return to Yunmeng Jiang very soon. At that time, Hanguang-Jun, who was practically at his side since they were “tied” together, seemed noticeably calm, detached from the commotion.

Wei Wuxian felt a slight confusion, not really knowing what Hanguang-Jun felt for her. Didn’t it make him jealous to see her interacting with other men in such a flirtatious way? Wei Wuxian had the urge to twist his mouth. Maybe Hanguang-Jun was a calm and reserved man, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have feelings… Or did it?

Suddenly, the bouquet of flowers came to mind: beautiful white and red roses appeared in his memory, recalling the exact moment when he gave him three of them. What could he have done with them? From the way he treated him that night, it seemed Lan Wangji never liked it. Well, he had interrupted his evening with the young lady. Wei Wuxian shrugged when he selfishly considered that he hadn’t done anything wrong…

He couldn’t help but turn toward the sea right after, watching the immense lake ripple with waves before spotting several lotus flowers covering the incredible life-giving water. As they slowly drew closer to a cluster of them gathered in a circle, Wei Wuxian leaned on the edge of the raft and stretched out his free hand to brush the life-giving water, gently wetting his fingers. There, he caught several of those lotus flowers, managing to take three with him.

Upon finding seeds ready to eat, his hunger returned in his stomach. Happily, Wei Wuxian ate several of them. Then he felt the need to check if he had gotten lucky with the other two lotus flowers he was holding in his hand, but at that moment, an idea left him perplexed, and he cast a sidelong glance at Hanguang-Jun.

The man in white seemed so calm that, if he wasn’t sleeping, he was meditating.

The prettiest and most presentable flower was chosen by his heart when an idea came to him: “Give it to him.”

However, he stopped himself upon thinking it over, for… “Why do I now have the urge to give him everything I hold in my hands?” he wondered.

Wei Wuxian didn’t want to be a killjoy with himself, but he had already had the experience with the roses, and it seemed Lan Wangji never liked it. Besides, if he tried being romantic again, Lan Wangji would probably get fed up with him and end up tossing him into the lake with a silencing spell—and if that happened, he wouldn’t be able to breathe underwater and… he would die! He would never see his family again, let alone his Shijie, if he drowned for not leaving the poor man in peace.

Wei Wuxian felt slightly frustrated by that movie playing in his mind, because he really did want to give him the most beautiful flower he held in his hands. The urge itched at him with the opportunity so close. Suddenly, upon hearing the laughter at the center of the kayak, he remembered the joy that filled Miss Luo QingYang, and that was when an excellent idea came to him.

—MianMian! —He raised his hand high, wanting to quickly catch her attention. When he called her name again, the young lady turned and looked toward the tip of the kayak, where he and Hanguang-Jun were seated.

By then, when MianMian realized it was Wei Wuxian who was calling her—considering that Hanguang-Jun didn’t seem interested—she grew annoyed. It was a great show of disrespect for him to call her by her nickname when there wasn’t even the slightest bit of trust between them.

—Hey! MianMian! Come here for a moment!

—Tsk —She grumbled under her breath, deciding to go on paying attention to the other men.

—The young master is calling you, fair lady —said one of them, observing the situation—. You should go over there; he seems urgent…

—Urgent? —she smiled with a hint of arrogance—. Let him be. I don’t consider it important…

—MianMian! Come! It’s an important matter!

—Tsk! —She turned toward Wei Wuxian, insisting without giving herself a chance to stay silent, and her hands clenched into tight fists out of annoyance.

What did he want from her now?

Wasn’t it enough that Hanguang-Jun was by her side?

How annoying!

Of course, she couldn’t let her frustration show in front of the passengers who considered her a very proper and elegant lady. Like a well-mannered young woman, she asked for permission and stood up. When Wei Wuxian finally felt acknowledged, he broke into a wide smile upon seeing her coming.

—May I ask, what do you want? —She stopped right in front of him, looking down with her hands on her hips, showing seriousness.

—Tell me a number.

—Huh? —She raised an eyebrow—. A number?

—Yes, from 1 to 20.

She frowned, now confused. Then she turned her gaze toward Lan Wangji, as if seeking some kind of explanation for what this boy was trying to do, only to find that he was also just watching, so he didn’t know either.

After thinking it over, she sighed helplessly. —Mm… I don’t know, 15.

—Bingo! —he shouted enthusiastically—. You’ve earned a beautiful lotus flower —He handed her one, looking like a beautiful scene of a man in love giving a bouquet to his fiancée.

MianMian was puzzled by the situation. Did he really make her get up and come all the way here just to give her an ugly, wet lotus flower, and on top of that, full of seeds?

—Aren’t you going to take it? —Wei Wuxian asked, still holding his hand up—. It’s for you, MianMian.

She narrowed her eyes at hearing him call her “MianMian” again, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her expression grew even darker because of it. She didn’t get a chance to respond when the voices of the other men in the middle of the kayak intervened, clearly annoyed.

—Hey, friend! Are you confessing your love to the young lady? What a scoundrel!

—Yes! She was here with us!

—Don’t take her with that intention! Wait until we get to the Villa!

It was obvious that each of them was scolding him for showing affection, having witnessed him giving her a flower. By then, Wei Wuxian, instead of getting annoyed, found it really amusing. Were they jealous? How crazy! They didn’t even know her!

—Hey, guys! —In fact, he saw the opportunity to raise his voice at them and say— Are you jealous? Stop being envious and take it! —He threw the flower he was holding at them when he saw MianMian wouldn’t take it, managing for each of them to catch it on the way down— Eat the seeds and stop being nosy!

One of them, upon hearing him, protested. —It’s not fair! The young lady was with us! You took them from us!

—Yes! She was here with us! Let her come back!

As he listened to them shouting nonsense, Wei Wuxian found it increasingly ridiculous that they were complaining about him “taking” the young lady when they didn’t even know her. How naive. Did they really consider him a threat, knowing she was in his company? How far could the foolishness of a lovesick man go? However, when he turned his gaze toward MianMian, he realized that she seemed to be enjoying it.

—You heard them. I have to go —she said with a clear, triumphant smile, turning halfway around and completely ignoring him.

MianMian left without even looking at Hanguang-Jun at any point during her farewell. She simply went over there, receiving the approval of the men who seemed happy to have her back. Wei Wuxian couldn’t understand this oddity. In fact, he wanted to imagine Lan Wangji’s reaction to this madness, but he seemed far removed from the commotion, paying it no attention at all.

—Hey, Lan Zhan —Lan Wangji heard his name being called and cast a sidelong glance at Wei Wuxian. There, he noticed a lotus flower held in his hand, ready to be given—. Eat lotus seeds with me.

For a moment, Lan Wangji perfectly remembered that night when he had given him the three roses in the main dining hall. Immediately after, he looked away with his eyes closed, unwilling to accept another gift from him this time.

—Come on, Lan Zhan. Lotus seeds aren’t bad. You’ll love them —When Wei Wuxian spoke again, an unusual idea came to his mind, seeming amusing to him—. If they taste bad, I’ll let you tie my hands as punishment. How does that sound? That way, I won’t even have the slightest chance of escaping from you, huh —Lan Wangji didn’t respond. He continued—. Well… if that’s not enough… You can throw me into the lake to fetch more lotus flowers just for you until you find one you like. What do you say?

Lan Wangji remained motionless, without saying a word.

Wei Wuxian sighed deeply, trying not to be too obvious, but in some way, he disliked being rejected in every possible way. Lan Wangji didn’t seem like a man who could be easily won over, despite the gentle care he had shown him during the past few days of his recovery. Now, it seemed like none of that mattered. He felt disappointed, believing that Lan Wangji had been different; all this time, he thought Lan Wangji treated him that way because he held a special affection for him, but apparently, he had been wrong.

By then, Wei Wuxian observed MianMian from afar, feeling envious of how she could easily capture the attention of all those men. He didn’t understand any of it. She had the most handsome man in the world by her side—Lan Wangji, possibly sighing over her—and she wasn’t taking advantage of it.

He suddenly felt dissatisfied with the situation. Wei Wuxian imagined that all his attempts failed simply because he wasn’t a woman. He didn’t have the charisma of one, and of course, he didn’t have the beauty that she possessed.

He let out a sigh as he thought…

“Would Hanguang-Jun look at me differently if I were dressed as a woman?”

~~~

"The Sea Villa"

Yunmeng Jiang.

When they arrived at the Sea Villa, where the kayaks were docked at a pier very similar to the Yunping City wharf, Wei Wuxian realized that the lifestyle here was very fresh and comfortable. The residents seemed happier than those in the central regions, creating a pleasant sight alongside the sunset.

Several words of thanks were heard from the three men who had accompanied Miss Luo QingYang the entire time. At that moment, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian disembarked, and when they tried to start walking to continue with the mission, they realized they were alone—MianMian was nowhere to be seen.

—Huh? —Wei Wuxian asked, turning in all directions—. Where is MianMian?

Suddenly, a loud laugh was heard from a distance. When both of them turned that way, they realized that MianMian was still enjoying herself with the men she was supposedly saying goodbye to. Wei Wuxian crossed his arms and shook his head. What a woman! Didn’t she get tired of talking to strangers the entire trip?

When he turned his gaze to Lan Wangji to see what he thought about it, he realized that he had no intention of telling her to end that gathering, so Wei Wuxian suggested: —Since you don’t plan on going after her, I’ll go get her, Lan Zhan —As he took a step forward, he realized he was tied to him, without the chance to be free—. Could you let me go for a moment to bring her back?

Lan Wangji’s golden eyes met his gaze. There, they both stared at each other for several seconds until Lan Wangji said, —Let’s go together —It was all he said before taking a step forward, guiding him toward where Miss Luo QingYang was.

—Don’t worry, guys. I promise I’ll see you again, really —She added, overflowing with joy, while the men seemed enchanted by her charms.

Suddenly, a very obvious clearing of the throat was heard, catching the attention of the three men—and also MianMian, who guessed who it came from.

—Are you done? —Wei Wuxian added, arms crossed with a hint of boredom—. It’s time for us to go.

“—Hey, friend, don’t rush things,” one of the men said to him, still feeling resentment over what had happened with the lotus flower. “She’s the one who decides when to leave our side. Stop being jealous.” The others laughed at his remark, causing the man to hold his head high, his ego inflated. However, Wei Wuxian didn’t find it funny.

“How ridiculous,” he thought.

“You two should go on your own,” the man continued, pointing at both of them somewhat insolently. “If she doesn’t want to go with you… why are you forcing her?”

“—Let’s see, I don’t think we’re understanding each other,” Wei Wuxian immediately interjected, no longer willing to tolerate this guy. “Do you think I’m jealous just because she’s talking to you and not me? Pff, please, don’t make me laugh. If you really think I’m jealous, you haven’t even looked in a mirror. You’re the first ones who have been! You haven’t stopped criticizing me for thinking I might take something that belongs to you when you don’t even know her.”

“—Don’t play dumb,” one of them replied. “We saw you give her a flower! And since she rejected you, now you’re jealous because she prefers to be with us.”

“—Yes! That’s right! She only wants to be with us! So go find another woman to bother!” another one criticized, then laughed, as if what he had said were a great joke.

“—Let’s go,” Lan Wangji said loudly and clearly, not wanting to waste any more time. As he turned around to leave with him, Wei Wuxian’s tied hand stopped him. That’s when he realized that Wei Ying had no intention of leaving this argument unfinished.

“—You guys,” Wei Wuxian said, “do you think that just because I got rejected by this beautiful woman… I’m going to feel bad?” He laughed, finding it amusing, which offended the others. “No, gentlemen. Of course not. If a woman rejects me, that’s her decision. Who am I to feel bad about it? As if she were the only woman in the world. There are plenty of fish in the sea, so you can see that being rejected is no big deal. As they say, there are many vines in the forest. Why should I settle for just one? Besides…” He smiled to the side, a certain person crossing his mind. “I can assure you that I’m already in love with someone else.”

When he revealed that, all the men felt the need to look at each other’s faces, eventually turning their attention to Miss Luo Qingyang, who had frowned after hearing all that nonsense about going after another woman in case she hypothetically rejected him.

Wei Wuxian captured everyone’s attention, achieving his goal. “—For that reason, if another woman rejects me or not… what’s the problem?”

The men didn’t know what else to say. Only one dared to ask, “—Is that woman actually in love with you, as you boast so much?”

“—Of course!” He smiled widely. “She loves eating lotus seeds with me, and she’s always willing to offer her lap for me to rest my head and caress me. She makes the most delicious soup in all of Yunmeng Jiang…” He sighed deeply, smiling nostalgically as he thought of his Shijie. “I’m sure that when I get home, she’ll be more than happy to see me again, hugging me and kissing me, enjoying our time together. She’s the most beautiful woman you’ll ever meet, because she’s mine.”

-- ...

Everyone fell silent upon hearing that sense of possession spill from his chest.

Only one of them dared to speak: “Wow… You really seem to love her.”

“—I seem to? I think I made it very clear. I love her.”

After that confession, there were no more laughs to be made. Rather, the men felt it was important to leave, as the sunset was fading. It was only after a few more minutes that the three of them were finally alone. Each of them decided to withdraw in silence, creating a very strange moment for Wei Wuxian.

Unaware of it, each of them was walking beside him, but none seemed happy. On one side, MianMian had her arms crossed and her frown was very pronounced. She seemed upset about how things had ended. Likewise, Lan Wangji didn’t say anything—neither before, during, nor after. Like MianMian, he walked more seriously than usual, with no intention of saying a single word.

Wei Wuxian thought he had said something wrong, but the truth was he hadn’t. It was true that he loved Jiang Yanli, and somehow, he didn’t want to be the joke of those guys who felt triumphant for having MianMian’s attention throughout the journey. Everything he said was true, but perhaps he had underestimated MianMian. As for Lan Wangji… why would it have bothered him that Wei Wuxian said what he did?

The truth was that the image of his Shijie came to mind. And now, after having described her with so much feeling, longing was killing him, making him want to see her very soon

~~~

When they chose an inn near the Royal Mo Villa, Wei Wuxian was sitting by the window of his room on the second floor. From there, he gazed at the outskirts, enjoying the view of the stars and the cold night, carried by the nighttime wind that brought the scent of the sea. In that moment, he felt at peace having arrived in Yunmeng Jiang.

The Royal Mo Villa might not have been his home, but it was in Yunmeng Jiang, and that was enough. He took a deep breath in silence and then smiled softly, closing his eyes, savoring the solitude and tranquility of the moment. After several minutes had passed, the door to the room opened.

When Lan Wangji entered the room, he stood still, watching Wei Wuxian resting by the window, seemingly enjoying his solitude. For a moment, he looked thoughtful, wondering if he should interrupt him, as he needed to talk to him about something important, but it seemed it wasn’t the right moment.

Just as he was about to leave, a voice stopped him. “—Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian’s voice asked. “—Everything alright?”

Lan Wangji slowly turned toward him. “—Tomorrow morning we’ll head to the Mo Clan,” he paused before continuing, “—Perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to find Mo Xuanyu.”

Wei Wuxian sighed. “—What will happen if, in case he’s not there, the Mo Clan family thinks I am Mo Xuanyu?” he asked, the doubt coming to his mind. “—Something like that could easily happen and given how Mo Xuanyu has mocked his own family in the Jin Palace, these people might think I’m mocking them too.”

“—We’ll be direct,” Lan Wangji replied. “—We’ll ask straightforward questions. They will have to answer if they’ve seen Mo Xuanyu around here. If not, they’ll have to tell us where he went, and then we’ll leave the premises.”

“—It seems simple, but if they didn’t explain the reason for his mother’s death… I feel like something doesn’t add up.”

“—What do you mean?”

“—You know what I’m talking about. Something seems fishy. It doesn’t make much sense to me that this family wasn’t forthcoming in explaining Mo Xuanyu’s mother’s situation to him. Could there be a possibility that they killed her?”

Lan Wangji remained silent, deep in thought.

“—I know you’re not very close to him,” Wei Wuxian continued, “—but look at it from this point of view: If his mother died of natural causes, they should have informed Mo Xuanyu without delay. Why didn’t they do it that way?”

“—Mo Xuanyu spoke little. I don’t know if he had problems within the Mo Clan that would lead one of them to kill his mother.”

Wei Wuxian grew thoughtful. “—Perhaps… we’re missing something. If Mo Xuanyu only told Nie Huaisang that his mother passed away, without involving anyone from the Jin family, he might have suspected something else. Perhaps the Royal Mo family was involved in the murder and never told him the reason for her death to avoid being implicated with Lanlin Jin. Moreover, Mo Xuanyu didn’t give any more details to Nie Huaisang. It’s possible he was threatened by his own maternal family so that he wouldn’t tell his father or Meng-Yao, all with the goal of preventing a thorough investigation. Don’t you think?”

“—We’ll look for information,” Lan Wangji said firmly. “—For you, don’t worry.”

Wei Wuxian seemed to show a slight, somewhat mocking smile, as if laughing at what had been said. Lan Wangji noticed it and, as a result, frowned.

“—Don’t worry?” Wei Wuxian asked immediately after, shaking his head. “—You kidnapped me from the start, thinking I was him. I’m directly involved, even if it seems otherwise. If that boy doesn’t show up, it could bring us terrible consequences. Haven’t you thought about that?”

Lan Wangji remained silent, fully understanding his concerns.

“—It may seem like we have a guarantee of finding him because of your experiences,” he continued. “—However…” He leaned his back against the window frame as he elaborated. “—The leader of the Jin Palace sounds like a malevolent man. If he was capable of prostituting and harming his own son… what hope is there for me?”

“—Jin GuangShan will have no power over you,” Lan Wangji replied firmly. “—I won’t allow it.”

Upon hearing that, Wei Wuxian felt a sense of reassurance. He sighed afterward, somewhat tired, not wanting to build up false hopes. Even though Zewu-Jun wasn’t here, he could see the worry in Lan Wangji’s eyes, knowing that all of this could lead to a bigger problem if they didn’t find him in time, and that included Lan Wangji as well.

“—Ah, Lan Zhan… Let’s just hope this gets resolved without too many complications. In any case, I wouldn’t want to involve my family in a bigger problem because of my disappearance.”

“—That’s exactly why, once we finish this mission, I’ll take you back to Yunmeng Jiang, straight to your home.”

“—Lotus Pier,” he said, managing to draw a smile. “—I bet you haven’t seen it, right?” Lan Wangji reserved his comment, simply shaking his head in denial. “—Then you’ve missed the best part.” Wei Wuxian got down from the edge of the window and then reached into his beige bag for the necklace he had made for his Shijie with great care. “—I never properly thanked you for returning this to me, Lan Zhan. I made it myself. It’s a very special gift for the woman I love most in the world.”

When Lan Wangji heard him explain how beautiful it was to have his precious creation in his hands, a gift made especially for the woman he loved most in the world… he couldn’t help but look away.

From the moment he recovered it, Lan Wangji knew that the necklace held some significance. It had to be a gift for someone important. However, he never expected that Wei Wuxian’s love interest would be a woman. At this moment, he didn’t know how to feel about it.

With that, he tried to forget what had happened earlier with those men, the moment when Wei Wuxian had expressed so much happiness about her. He took a breath and said, “—It’s time for your healing.” He headed toward the door. “—I’ll be right back.”

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything else; he simply left, closing the door behind him. Watching him go, Wei Wuxian remained silent, then raised an eyebrow before returning his gaze to the necklace. “I’ll give this to you soon, Shijie. Hold on a little longer.” Just after, when he reached into his bag again, he felt something hard in one of the pockets.

There, he found the fan that Nie Huaisang had given him. He automatically remembered the letter Nie Huaisang had also made for Jiang Cheng, feeling curious to open it and read what nonsense he had written to explain why he had made him suffer so much. Nie Huaisang knew there was nothing strong enough to make Jiang Cheng forgive him.

If he had always had doubts about his relationship with Jiang Cheng, regarding Madame Yū being a potential threat, he could have explained it—but no… Nie Huaisang decided to leave Yunmeng Jiang without warning, destroying everything they had both built.

Even though he felt like reading it, Wei Wuxian decided to set it aside on the bed. He tossed it there, thinking of Jiang Cheng. Surely, the latter was satisfied with his disappearance, although it was clear that it was all meant as a joke.

“What would you think if… a letter from your impossible love fell into my hands and is waiting for a reply from you?”

“If I were you, Jiang Cheng, I would obviously reject it.”

Chapter Text

"Royal Villa Mo" 

"The Seaside Villa, Yunmeng Jiang"

Breathing in the pleasant air of the new day, Wei Wuxian stood, carefully observing the structure that made up the main residence of the Mo clan, without overlooking the buildings of the residences surrounding it. In the Mo clan’s main residence, several people were coming and going as if it were a family home.

“—You’d better behave.” —Suddenly, he heard the voice of the woman beside him. He looked at her and saw her standing with her arms crossed and a serious expression. “Hanguang-Jun can’t control you here. However, that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. You will stay right next to me until he returns. Clear?”

“—Fine.” —Wei Wuxian replied with a slight roll of his eyes. “You shouldn’t have tied me up in the first place. You know it was completely unnecessary.”

She looked him up and down. “Hmph. I doubt it.” —She stepped aside with a hint of disgust. “Knowing you, you seem even crazier than Mo Xuanyu.”

Wei Wuxian frowned at her so contemptuous way of speaking to him. She really had no manners!

Just as he was about to respond, suddenly, Hanguang-Jun emerged from the Mo clan’s compound and walked toward them. “It’s time to go inside.”

~~~

The Mo clan’s compound was quite elegant. Its owners had considerable wealth. It didn’t reach the level of extravagance of the Jin Palace, but without a doubt, it was a well-appointed estate. The residences within it were no more than one story high, maintaining the modesty of bohemian quarters spread across large plots of land.

Wei Wuxian was able to take a better look at each of them as he walked. He took his time to observe his surroundings meticulously, and in the distance, he spotted a group of people gathered together who, the more closely he looked at them, showed immense sorrow on their faces. Gradually, he began to notice the black funeral attire that each of them wore. Something had happened—who had died to leave everyone so devastated?

More people were gathering in the distance, and it so happened that they were whispering, turning in his direction. For a moment, Wei Wuxian felt the need to look at them again to confirm whether it was just his imagination, and indeed, it was not: several of those people paused in their walking or conversations to look at him with doubtful expressions.

“What could have happened here?” —MianMian’s voice spoke up as she looked at the crowd in the center. “It seems that someone has recently passed away.”

“The best thing to do is find out,” Lan Wangji suggested as he kept walking, followed by her.

Wei Wuxian watched them move, but his curiosity made him glance back for a third time at those people who now seemed uncomfortable seeing him in the compound. Somewhat puzzled and uneasy, Wei Wuxian decided to quicken his pace, almost jogging, to fall in step beside Lan Wangji.

A woman approached them with a hint of curiosity from within the crowd. “Excuse me… who are you?”

MianMian already knew this would happen, considering they were strangers. She took it upon herself to explain the reason for their visit and where they had come from. She emphasized each of their names to avoid any misunderstandings. It was only after that the woman looked more closely at Wei Wuxian, staring at him in silence as if she had seen a ghost.

“What’s the matter?” Wei Wuxian asked, noticing her gaze fixed on him for no apparent reason. “Is there something you want to tell me, miss?”

Unexpectedly, a slap landed on his left cheek so quickly that he couldn’t dodge it in time. The blow was so strong that Wei Wuxian almost lost his balance if he hadn’t taken several steps backward.

“How dare you show up here, bastard! GET OUT!” —The woman tried to push him to worsen her attack, but Lan Wangji stepped in just in time to block every one of her attempts.

“Calm down!” —MianMian also stepped in front of Lan Wangji to hold her back with her arms, managing to see up close the immense hatred in the woman’s eyes directed at “Mo Xuanyu.”

“Get out of here! GO!” —she shouted hysterically, struggling with MianMian to leave her alone. “Guards! TAKE THAT BASTARD AWAY! MO XUANYU IS WITH US!”

Sounds of hatred, surprise, and indignation echoed throughout the compound as the mourners witnessed the entire scene. By that point, Wei Wuxian had to spit out a bit of blood. Damn it, what did that woman have in her hand to have broken his mouth with a slap? It was no surprise that, when he lifted his gaze toward the madwoman, his gray eyes met several armed and uniformed men who were gradually approaching from all directions.

What was happening?

The immense pain in his cheek was more than enough without having to fight each of these men as well.

Get out of here!

Get out of here!

Get out of here!

In unison, the crowd began shouting for him to leave. The rejection was overwhelming. For a moment, Wei Wuxian felt like the most pathetic man in the world, hearing so much disgust directed at him. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t Mo Xuanyu—he was receiving all the harsh criticism from everyone abruptly and directly.

To his surprise, a hand gripped his wrist, forcing him to stand behind someone. Wei Wuxian was impressed when Lan Wangji took matters into his own hands to protect him. Feeling his hand holding him so firmly for his protection, Wei Wuxian thought that, at this moment, being tied up wasn’t so bad. However, his thoughts were interrupted when, in front of Lan Wangji, a powerful woman stepped forward.

“Calm down already!” —MianMian took charge, raising her voice and extending her arms to control the enraged crowd, directly protecting Lan Wangji. “We didn’t come here to hurt anyone! We simply came to talk like civilized people!”

While MianMian desperately explained the reason for being there, among the enraged crowd, there was a man who was fat, sturdy, tall, and had features far from handsome. In fact, his face grew even more horrid as he watched “Mo Xuanyu” being protected. He couldn’t contain the force in his fists, which clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned completely white.

“He is not Mo Xuanyu!” —MianMian explained seriously, emphasizing the facts. “His name is Wei Wuxian, and he came with us to find the true whereabouts of Mo Xuanyu, who has gone missing.” —Breathing heavily, MianMian looked at the hundreds of eyes judging her, and none of them seemed willing to relent.

“He’s not Mo Xuanyu? Liar!” —shouted the same woman who had slapped Wei Wuxian. “HE IS! DON’T THINK TWICE! HE IS!” —She gestured to the guards. “GET HIM OUT OF HERE! NOW!”

The guards wasted no more time and lunged at Wei Wuxian with the intent of expelling him. By that point, he saw no reason to stay there. Together with Lan Wangji, he fled the place, dodging everyone around them who tried to catch him by any means necessary.

One man nearly caught him if it hadn’t been for Lan Wangji, who stepped in and pushed him aside, clearing a path for Wei Wuxian to continue on his own. By that point, Wei Wuxian knew how to flee—he had the skill and the certainty of what to do; he knew there was no turning back. But when he realized that Lan Wangji seemed to be facing an enraged crowd alone, aiming to distract them while he escaped, Wei Wuxian immediately hesitated, unsure whether to go help him.

“GET OUT, SHORTY! LEAVE HERE!” —Several rocks were thrown at his position as he stopped, and the people attacking him now were the same ones who had spotted him from the beginning.

By that point, Wei Wuxian had to cover his eyes and head. Staying to help Lan Wangji was simply useless, as he was the one they wanted to expel. He could do nothing but head toward the exit, almost stumbling as his feet slipped in the process. Along the way, he hid in a small alley, taking cover behind a wall while the voices of the mourners approached, intent on finding him.

Everything was ironic: they wanted to expel him, yet at the same time, they wanted to find him to do even more harm. The greed to mistreat him ran through their veins, driving them to continue searching other areas to beat him to death. In that moment, Wei Wuxian breathed heavily as he watched each of them run off in different directions, aiming to search elsewhere. He let out a deep sigh of relief, though he still felt wounded.

He placed his hand on his abdomen, right where the first rock had hit, near the pellet wound. It hurt—he couldn’t deny it. Wei Wuxian leaned against the wall and let out a deep sigh, feeling uneasy from the lack of breath caused by the physical exertion. What the hell had happened? He couldn’t believe that no one had realized he wasn’t Mo Xuanyu.

Being rejected like that… what could that boy have done for everyone to hate him so much?

“Wei Ying!”

Suddenly, a loud and concerned voice—one he knew and cherished so well—sharpened his ears. His heart immediately felt relieved upon realizing who it was. Just as he peeked out from his hiding spot, Wei Wuxian saw the man in white on the verge of desperation, turning his head in every direction in an attempt to find him.

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! I’m—” —Suddenly, a fabric like a long rope was looped around his neck from behind, nearly choking him instantly. His call couldn’t be finished as the thick rope threatened to strangle him at any moment. Wei Wuxian had to bring his hands up to stop it from tightening further.

“You think you’re too quick to escape… don’t you, cousin? Well, since my mother couldn’t straighten you out… I’ll do it myself!” —The shrill voice of a young man, sounding almost like a teenager, intervened as he tried to take a turn at causing trouble.

“All right! All right! Enough!” —Wei Wuxian forced his voice, desperately trying to take control of the situation. He didn’t understand who was threatening him, but the person clearly said he was his “cousin,” indicating someone close to Mo Xuanyu. “I’ll follow you wherever you go, but let me go.”

“Wei Ying!” —Lan Wangji’s voice continued calling for him.

For Wei Wuxian, it was agonizing not to be able to keep shouting his name so he would know he was hiding there. He was so close, yet so far, that he couldn’t intervene recklessly. He didn’t know who this guy threatening him was. If he wanted to kill him, he shouldn’t involve Lan Wangji. However… the click of a gun was heard. When Wei Wuxian glanced sideways to his left, a firearm was pointed directly at the man in white, ready to fire.

His heart pounded so hard that his pupils shrank to pinpoints. “Don’t do it, no, please. There’s no need, stop—” Wei Wuxian pleaded, fear evident in his voice. “Whoever you are, take me with you, but leave him alone. He has nothing to do with us.”

“Do you take me for an idiot? YOU MORON! You brought the idiots from the Jin Palace with you! Do you think that’s fair? Without the slightest respect for us, you bring your bodyguards to make our lives miserable…” —He aimed the weapon more firmly at Lan Wangji. “Say goodbye to him!”

Wei Wuxian gave up on letting himself be strangled. His hands acted, violently knocking the other’s weapon to the ground. He didn’t know how, but he gained enough strength to push the man against the wall, making him crash into it.

“You bastard! LET GO OF ME!”

When Wei Wuxian got a better look at his face, the man definitely looked like a teenager. He was too fat and, of course, had an advantage in strength, but not in agility. At that moment, Wei Wuxian thought this idiot was unlucky. He wasn’t Mo Xuanyu. He didn’t let himself be messed with so easily. He devised a strategy to trip him with his feet as if it were a dance. When he made him fall to the ground so easily, he managed to take full control of the weapon by positioning himself on top of him. In reality, what he was doing didn’t really help his chances of not being strangled at any moment. However, for some strange reason, he couldn’t allow this brat to manipulate the weapon.

He couldn’t allow him to take it out on Lan Wangji when the problem was with him.

“GET OFF ME!” —Mo Ziyuan shouted in anger. Immediately after, he tried to kick him off, but Wei Wuxian placed one of his shoes squarely on the unfortunate man’s face, pressing down harder to keep the weapon from changing direction. “BASTARD! YOU WON’T WIN! SEJMFNGNF…

He couldn’t finish his sentence when Wei Wuxian deliberately stomped on his face a second time as hard as he could. Gradually, the man stopped focusing on the weapon until, finally, he couldn’t hold on any longer and let it go. The struggle ended, allowing both of them to stop hurting each other. Wei Wuxian tried to get up as quickly as possible, but in that moment, the teenager took the opportunity to kick him, causing him to lose his balance and fall.

“YOU…! YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY FAMILY!”

Mo Ziyuan, completely red with rage, lunged at him but missed. Wei Wuxian got up as quickly as he could, but not fast enough when the young man grabbed the weapon still in his hands. There was an unexpected struggle as they tried to wrest the weapon from each other. After a while, Wei Wuxian realized this was going nowhere. He was exhausting himself too quickly in the foolish struggle. He had to lift the weapon with both hands and fire, the shot echoing incredibly throughout the compound.

He did it as many times as necessary until he had used up all the ammunition.

There, he finally handed the weapon back to its owner.

“Damn you, shorty! You used up all my ammunition!”

“‘Shorty’?” he wondered, but he couldn’t think further when Mo Ziyuan, truly enraged, shoved him roughly against the wall, now intending to grab the rope wrapped around his neck.

“You will pay for killing my entire family…” —His voice sounded dark. “Do you think I don’t know it was you, the murderer? DO YOU THINK I’M SO STUPID TO BELIEVE YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! Well, I’ll warn you, Mo Xuanyu… Evil deeds… bring misfortune… So it is my duty as my mother’s son, Mo Ziyuan, to kill you, to exact my revenge and make things even!”

Mo Ziyuan was ready to make him pay, tightening the rope around his neck with each moment. Wei Wuxian struggled for air, his eyes watering from the suffocating pressure that his hands couldn’t relieve. However, the attacker was interrupted when someone ambushed him from behind, using one arm to choke him while covering his face with a cloth that had a strange odor, slowly weakening him as he tried to resist. Caught off guard, Mo Ziyuan fell to the ground once he became drowsy, completely unconscious.

Wei Wuxian couldn’t say anything as he coughed violently, feeling dizzy and thinking he might pass out at any moment. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji loosened the rope around his neck until it fell to the ground, took him by the waist to pull him close, allowing him to rest against him and regain the air he was missing.

However, that wasn’t enough to calm Lan Wangji: as soon as he carefully examined the marks of strangulation on his neck, he was convinced that the man would have choked him if he hadn’t arrived in time. He couldn’t help feeling secretly outraged by all of this. How far were these people willing to go just to hurt him?

Whether it was Wei Wuxian or Mo Xuanyu, they had no right to be so despicable.

“I’ll take you with me,” he offered immediately. Just as he was about to carry him in the usual way, like a princess, Wei Wuxian stopped him.

“No, please, don’t carry me,” he coughed a bit harsher, his voice sounding hoarse. “I can walk, really.” —He stepped back, prompting the Jade to look him in the eyes as he insisted on slowly freeing himself from his embrace. “I can walk. A-and I…” —He coughed— “Let’s get out of here.”

Wei Wuxian felt dizzy from the suffocation, but he knew it would pass as he recovered. He insisted on going alone, which made Lan Wangji uneasy, seeing that he was struggling to walk.

“Wei Ying—” —In fact, he took his hand. There, Wei Wuxian felt the touch of his hand against his before looking into his eyes. “Let me help you.”

It was then that Lan Wangji placed one of his arms behind his neck so he could lean on him while they walked. If he didn’t want to be carried, this way he could still help him walk, while his other hand held him by the waist. At that point, Wei Wuxian linked with him, and they walked side by side. Lan Wangji walked slowly to help him recover his breath, while also intending to protect him from anyone who might be waiting to ambush them as they exited the alley.

Any desire to find out what had happened to the Mo royal family was gone.

~~~

After several unknown minutes, out of sight of everyone at the Mo Royal Villa, they found MianMian in front of an inn, talking with another woman.

“MianMian—” Lan Wangji called out upon seeing her.

She was startled to hear her name, but when she turned around, her eyes widened even more upon seeing them together. “Oh my God! It can’t be! You’re finally here. I thought you had gotten lost during the escape.”

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything in response; he simply looked more closely at the young lady beside him, a bit cautious since he didn’t know who she was. He wasn’t sure if he could trust her, especially now that Wei Wuxian had been attacked by everyone near the Mo clan’s main residence.

MianMian noticed his distrust, so she decided to explain. “She is the daughter of the inn’s owner, Qin Su. As soon as I arrived, we were talking about the commotion.”

“Greetings,” —Qin Su gave a brief bow to both men, keeping her hands in front of her outfit. Her gaze was calm and indifferent toward them. “It seems you were mistaken for Mo Xuanyu.”

Wei Wuxian slightly frowned upon hearing the woman say that to him.

“Do you know Mo Xuanyu?” —Lan Wangji asked.

She noticed the serious gaze of the man in white and nodded calmly. “Mo Xuanyu always stayed at my mother’s inn whenever he came here. He and I are very close.”

“‘They’re very close?’” Wei Wuxian thought. That statement could be an important clue.

“Please, come in,” she invited them. “Step inside so you can get comfortable.”

~~~

After a well-deserved rest in the room chosen by Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, the door opened to let in MianMian along with the young lady from earlier. By that time, the second woman had brought a tray with several freshly brewed teas. When she set it on the small table, she handed each of them their respective cup.

Wei Wuxian took his cup. However, he wasn’t paying attention to the drink. At that moment, he preferred to get a better look at Miss Qin Su’s appearance: a slender, short woman with striking greenish eyes and pale, smooth skin.

“Enjoy your meal. I hope you like it,” she said to them.

“Thank you, dear.” —MianMian sat down directly across from the men, crossing her legs. “Sit with us; perhaps then we can talk more about what you were telling me earlier. I’m sure Hanguang-Jun and…” —She lowered her voice, unsure how to address Wei Wuxian exactly— “…he would also like to hear it.”

Wei Wuxian perfectly understood the omission of his name. It seemed unnecessary to him, considering everything he had gone through for being mistaken for Mo Xuanyu. Apparently, she didn’t care who he was; it was clear she had a serious personal issue with him. Wei Wuxian didn’t like being treated that way at all, but he chose not to pay much attention, as he was more interested in what the other young lady had to say.

Qin Su agreed to share what she had been telling MianMian when they arrived.

“I’ve known Mo Xuanyu for almost his entire life. We grew up together as children after my mother left Laoling Qin and came here for a better future. She established the inn as a family investment, and through it, we grew up together.” —She sighed slowly, lowering her head. “Mo Xuanyu spent part of his childhood here in the Mo Royal Villa, until his mother managed to open the way for him to go to LanlinJin, where his father was.” —She paused before raising her gaze. “Since he went to another country, he would visit his mother here sporadically every summer. As a child, he loved it. However, as he grew older, the Mo clan slowly became envious of his progress, primarily the matriarch, Mo Ling.”

“As the matriarch… that means she was the leader of the Mo family, right?” —MianMian asked, pausing at that part of the story, finding it strange since it wasn’t common nowadays for women to hold command over something as significant as a clan.

“Indeed. Mo Ling was the matriarch, and Mo Calu was her younger sister, Mo Xuanyu’s mother.”

“Did both of them pass away?” —MianMian asked again.

She nodded slowly, letting out a soft sigh. “Mo Calu, Mo Xuanyu’s mother, died over a month ago. The reasons still aren’t clear, but it’s speculated that it was a suicide. However, I don’t believe it.”

“Why?” —Wei Wuxian asked, curious.

She looked at him before saying, “Ever since Mo Xuanyu was chosen to go to LanlinJin a long time ago, there has always been a lot of envy from the matriarch and her only son, Mo Ziyuan, toward him.” —She sighed again— “Mo Ling always said that Mo Xuanyu had taken away her son’s chance to be recognized in the Jin Palace as part of the royal family, all because she believed her son should be loved by a wealthy father like Jin GuangShan. According to her, she claimed that Mo Ziyuan was also Jin GuangShan’s son.”

“Wait a moment…” —Wei Wuxian showed a look of surprise on his face. “Did you say Mo Ziyuan?” —She nodded— “He was the cousin?”

She nodded again. “He’s the only cousin he has so far.”

“I don’t understand…” —Wei Wuxian continued asking. “If they’re cousins, why did his mother say he had Jin GuangShan’s blood? If that were the case, they wouldn’t be full cousins, but half-brothers.”

“If both of them had Jin GuangShan’s blood, they could be half-brothers, but through their mothers, they could be cousins. It’s a bit confusing,” Qin Su replied. “However, the matriarch Mo Ling’s claims that her son also had royal blood running through his veins could never be proven, unlike Mo Calu, who was able to prove that Mo Xuanyu did have royal blood, since it was always said that she had a secret romantic relationship with Leader Jin whenever he visited Yunmeng Jiang in the past. And well, we’re talking about more than a decade ago…”

“What did Mo Ziyuan’s mother die of?” —Lan Wangji asked, finding it strange that she was also dead.

The young lady looked at him. “Well, the Mo clan’s royal family was found dead this morning. It seems they were murdered during the night, which is why all of you got caught up in this commotion.” —She sighed— “Mo Ziyuan, the matriarch’s son, was the only one left alive from the royal family.”

Wei Wuxian listened carefully and couldn’t help but recall the teenager who had tried to strangle him, unconsciously touching his neck as he remembered the revenge he wanted to exact. Suddenly, a question came to his mind. “How did you know I wasn’t Mo Xuanyu at first sight? I understand you’ve known each other since childhood, but apparently, no one here could tell me apart. Not even Mo Ziyuan. Why could you?”

She looked slightly flattered in a way, then drew a faint smile. “Mo Xuanyu is a bit shorter, and… he has a cigarette burn mark on his neck. When I first saw you and noticed the absence of that mark, I knew you weren’t him.”

“Great, I don’t have a cigarette burn mark… but now I have a very noticeable strangulation mark,” he thought as he finally took a deep breath.

“Do you know who could have been the one to kill the Mo royal family?” —MianMian asked, curious. “Do you know who it might have been?”

The young lady shook her head. “Everything is still very fresh. The only thing I can tell you is that ever since Mo Calu passed away, the Mo Royal Villa became a very murky place. Many claimed that she ended her own life by committing suicide. This is because it was no secret that she was discriminated against for having an illegitimate son of Jin GuangShan, even though she proved that her son truly had royal blood. But as I mentioned before, Mo Ling seemed to be in charge of mistreating her own sister for not having the chance to make her son shine as Mo Xuanyu did. Of course, all of this aside from the fact that she was also criticized for having a ‘shorty’ son.”

Wei Wuxian listened carefully to the last two words. “I heard that,” he added, drawing everyone’s attention. “‘Shorty’—what does that mean?”

The two women felt the need to exchange glances for a brief moment. They couldn’t help but look both surprised and somewhat amused by the matter. MianMian felt the need to take a sip of tea at that very moment. Wei Wuxian found the situation very unusual between them, so, in search of another explanation, he glanced at Lan Wangji beside him, who had conveniently closed his eyes in silence.

“Hello? Is anyone going to tell me?” —he insisted.

“Let’s see, boy…” —MianMian said— “How do we explain this to you?” —She gestured with her hands, trying to communicate a definition easily, but then the young lady beside her took the floor.

“‘Shorty’ refers to a sexual orientation: the preference for people of the same sex. In this case, it is much more commonly used among men. So… Mo Xuanyu has that inclination.”

Wei Wuxian raised both eyebrows in noticeable surprise. He cleared his throat slightly, thinking this had to be one hell of a coincidence. He didn’t want to exaggerate, but… was he also a “shorty,” then? He couldn’t help but glance at Lan Wangji as he thought carefully about it, biting his lip, feeling hesitant and uncomfortable.

“However, Mo Xuanyu’s sexual orientation never played a role in the real problems the Mo family had,” she continued. “Whenever he came to visit his mother, he was cruelly mocked by his cousin over the smallest things.” —She sighed— “Mo Xuanyu had the habit of coming to vent to me, saying he hated his cousin for being a bully. However, I never heard that he ever wished to kill him, let alone his entire family.”

“I heard something like that on my way back,” MianMian added. “Everyone in the Mo Royal Villa says that Mo Xuanyu was the one responsible for killing the Mo royal family.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Wei Wuxian added. “We came looking for him, and it just so happens that no one here wanted anything to do with him. From the way they treated me… they made it clear that Mo Xuanyu had been exiled from the estate a long time ago and hadn’t shown up since. Don’t you think it gives the impression that they were framing him? All with the intention of finding someone to blame?”

MianMian thought it important to say, “For them to hate him so much… they surely drove him out once his mother died, and used the accusation to tarnish his name in the hope that he would never return.”

“Exactly,” Wei Wuxian nodded. “Everyone, without exception, hates me. Who else could they blame if not him?”

“I’m not surprised,” Qin Su said, visibly affected. “Maybe they’re right. However, I haven’t been completely honest with you: Mo Xuanyu did arrive a couple of days ago to stay here, with the sole intention of claiming his mother’s ashes.”

Chapter Text

—When Mo Xuanyu arrived at the Royal Mo Villa, he was so upset that—said Qin Su, clenching his hands as he mustered the courage to speak—he swore he would retrieve his mother’s ashes no matter what. I understood his point. I supported him, but something in his eyes told me he wasn’t himself.

—What do you mean? —Wei Wuxian asked.

—His mood, his gaze, the way he expressed himself. It wasn’t him —After saying that, she lowered her head, feeling devastated—. He looked angry. Furious. As if his resentment were speaking for him. I suggested he be careful, since Lord Mo wasn’t easy to deal with. He understood. I accompanied him the next day to the Mo estate to demand the ashes and an explanation for why his mother “committed suicide,” to which the royal family refused to give us solid reasons, and he, furious… —She took a deep breath, feeling sorrow— made the terrible decision to threaten the entire Mo family with death in front of all the neighboring residents.

Recalling that, Qin Su’s face looked even sadder.

—Since the day he threatened them, everyone seemed convinced that his words were empty threats from a “madman” who had lost his mother. In fact, they completely banned him from the Mo clan. His suspicions that he had already been exiled before were true. I was there with him and witnessed the humiliation he endured. But… after tonight’s massacre, many became paranoid. Afraid, they assumed that he was the real culprit behind the killing of the Mo royal family, and that’s why the rumor spread.

—Do you think Mo Xuanyu could have been the killer of the Mo family? —Wei Wuxian asked with a certain seriousness upon seeing her devastated expression—. Do you think he’s capable?

—Honestly… —The young lady didn’t know what to say.

—That would be madness —MianMian interjected, drawing everyone’s attention—. I mean… the boy is a little out of his mind, but from saying it to actually murdering the Mo royal family… it doesn’t seem like something such an indulgent child as him would do.

Wei Wuxian found it intriguing how MianMian seemed to reflect terror in her gaze while at the same time insisting it was madness. It was true that he also didn’t believe Mo Xuanyu could have been the one to kill those people, but he didn’t rule it out either, since he thought that people who endured mistreatment time and time again were the most likely to become criminals when the hatred contained in their hearts overflowed.

It was foolish to think, after what had been heard, that someone like him wouldn’t be capable of killing the Mo family. He had the cunning to escape and anger his father. He came here with the conviction of reclaiming his mother’s ashes, and they denied him. Miss Qin Su claimed that he hated his cousin for being a bully.

MianMian, noticing the disturbing silence, turned her gaze toward the men. —Do you think he’s capable? —She needed an immediate answer to her concerns

Lan Wangji was serious, listening in silence. On the other hand, Wei Wuxian had his opinions on the matter, but in the end, he couldn’t judge him. He didn’t truly know him. What was important to highlight, though, was that some of the things Nie Huaisang had said also matched what Miss Qin Su had shared. It seemed that she had been his best childhood friend, and Nie Huaisang his best friend in LanlinJin.

After thinking it over and connecting the dots, Wei Wuxian took the initiative to say, —If, in a hypothetical case, Mo Xuanyu had been responsible for this crime… why leave his cousin alive?

They all turned to look at him, especially Lan Wangji, who had been harboring the same doubt.

—Did you have the chance to see him? —Miss Qin Su interjected.

—Yes, he was the one who left me these strangulation marks —he pointed to his neck—. He wanted to kill me. He longed for it as a way to take revenge.

—I’m so sorry you went through that, but it doesn’t surprise me. What you’re saying makes sense. There’s no reason for Mo Xuanyu to have left his cousin alive, considering he was his worst abuser. But we have to keep in mind that Mo Xuanyu already had the intention of taking revenge on them for his mother’s sudden death. He claimed that the Mo royal family had killed her. I don’t know where he got that conclusion from, but… he seemed very sure of it.

—Do you know where he might have gone? —Wei Wuxian continued asking—. You said he stayed here a couple of days ago. Do you know where he could have gone?

She sighed. —I don’t know. But he wanted to go in search of his older brother, Meng-Yao. He missed him more than you can imagine. He says Meng-Yao is the only family he has left.

Upon confessing that, everyone at the table exchanged glances.

—Yiling —MianMian remarked, recalling where Meng-Yao was at the moment, even directing her gaze toward Lan Wangji to say—. Zewu-Jun is with him right now. Do you think Mo Xuanyu would go there directly?

Lan Wangji understood what she meant. He had already considered it as soon as she mentioned “Yiling.” However, drawing such conclusions without solid evidence could lead to an unnecessary search, or one as dangerous as today’s.

—If you’re looking for him —Qin Su said upon hearing them—, let me tell you that he doesn’t want to return to the Jin Palace. I don’t know the reason. He didn’t want to tell me, even though we’re good friends. That’s why I consider you all to be very perceptive. Especially you —she turned to Wei Wuxian—. The authorities might be looking for you, since you’re highly suspicious, even if you’re not him.

After another conversation among them, the young lady thought it important to excuse herself to continue serving the other guests. MianMian also left, intending to help her and perhaps find a bit more interesting information to highlight… The truth is, she also wanted to go downstairs to shake off some of the problems with Mo Xuanyu, which had already become too many.

Only the two of them remained in the room. Wei Wuxian had become very pensive over everything he had heard. Now that Mo Xuanyu was being treated like a criminal, it seemed to be a dangerous case—one worse than being imprisoned in the Jin Palace. Judging by what Nie Huaisang had told him, and now by what this young lady had said, it seemed that his clone was veering off the right path. He no longer seemed like the “shy” boy Nie Huaisang had emphasized he was.

—Wei Ying —Suddenly, the voice of the man beside him immediately caught his attention—. Was Mo Ziyuan that man?

Wei Wuxian thought it important to nod.

—Did he tell you anything else?

—Not really —He crossed his legs, assuming a more thoughtful position—. He only confessed that he would take revenge on his family if he killed me.

With seriousness, Lan Wangji took from his white vest the weapon he had picked up from the alley after having incapacitated Mo Ziyuan, placing it on the table. —Did he have it?

Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but be impressed upon seeing the weapon that had been so difficult to take from his hands. He felt fear remembering that moment, especially because of the danger Lan Wangji faced while being stalked by that madman. —You shouldn’t have brought it.

—Did he have it? —He asked again, seeking an answer.

—Yes, but —He shook his head—, there’s no need for it to be here. Lan Zhan, I’m serious.

Wei Wuxian’s expression looked worried. The truth was, he didn’t know why, since he hadn’t actually killed anyone, but he didn’t want to recall that moment when terror coursed through his veins at the thought of seeing Lan Wangji hurt.

—If he had brought it —Lan Wangji said—, you could have died.

—It didn’t happen. I manipulated him to the point of using up all the ammunition. I’m fine, look at me —he gestured to his body with his hands—. I came out unscathed —Paying close attention to his golden eyes, insisting enough to make him believe, Wei Wuxian noticed that Lan Wangji wasn’t very inclined to stay calm—. Please, Lan Zhan. Put the weapon down.

Lan Wangji didn’t seem affected by hearing his plea. Instead, he stood up from his seat and then said, —Let’s treat your wound. It’s almost time —He said nothing more. He simply picked up the weapon from the table, put it back in his white vest, and headed toward the exit.

Wei Wuxian wanted to tell him to put it back, wanted him to listen, but he didn’t get the chance when he saw him leave, apparently upset.

~~~

After a few unknown minutes of waiting, they were together again. Wei Wuxian didn’t know why he felt more embarrassed than before about taking off his shirt. It wasn’t the first time he had done so in his presence, but a faint blush appeared on his cheeks, and the worst part was that he himself noticed it from the warmth he felt.

Nevertheless, he tried to maintain his composure as he felt Lan Wangji’s fingers slowly massaging the area of his abdomen where the wound was. It no longer seemed to require much attention, but Hanguang-Jun was very strict about completing the treatment to the letter. Wei Wuxian wasn’t bothered; it’s just that… he didn’t know what to make of all this.

Having managed the ticklish sensation better than the first time, Lan Wangji carefully withdrew his fingers as he felt the cream absorb. —You don’t need the bandage anymore —he said—. You’re almost healed.

—Almost? —Wei Wuxian looked at his abdomen and even touched it, confirming there was nothing there—. According to my calculations, I’m completely healed —he smiled softly—. And you know what? All thanks to you, Hanguang-Jun.

Lan Wangji heard that voice, and upon seeing that strange smile on his lips, he ended up lowering his gaze, wanting to ignore the flirtatious way he addressed him. However, as his field of vision shifted, a bruise caught his attention. The mark was near the wound, in a spot he hadn’t noticed before. —What is this? —he asked, unconsciously touching the area as he contemplated the discoloration. Wei Wuxian, however, felt the ticklish sensation.

—It’s nothing… —He laughed, unable to help it. Although, the brush of that finger was now causing him a bit of pain—. It was caused by a stone… It’ll go away.

Lan Wangji remembered what had happened at the Mo clan’s main residence, recalling the stones that had been thrown at Wei Wuxian as a way to drive him out into the street once and for all. For a moment, his heart froze at the horror of it. —Do you have another one?

—Huh? —Wei Wuxian tilted his head slightly.

—Do you have another bruise on your body? —he asked him.

—Uh… Not that I know of.

—You should be sure.

Wei Wuxian touched his arms, parts of his thighs, and legs, not feeling any others. —It seems there’s nothing else —Lan Wangji stared at him, not fully believing him. He continued—. I’m serious. If you don’t believe me… if you want, I can take off all my clothes so you can examine me with your own eyes…

Wei Wuxian said that, wanting to tease Lan Wangji a little about his seriousness, but he never imagined that his reaction would be to stand up and turn his back completely. Without saying a word, Lan Wangji isolated himself in search of something in his luggage. Apparently, all the medicine he had prepared had run out.

Wei Wuxian, in his place, whispered to himself… —It’s like he didn’t get the joke… —while finishing covering that area of his abdomen with his shirt.

—Take off your shirt —Suddenly, Lan Wangji returned to his place, bringing a bit more of the medicine he had kept stored for emergencies—. It’s important to heal that bruise on your skin.

Wei Wuxian didn’t think it was a big deal, but if Hanguang-Jun said so… alright. There, he allowed him to take control and felt his finger now caress that part of his skin which hurt, yet the way Lan Wangji treated him so gently made him feel a slight shiver accompanied by a strange jolt that settled in his belly. He bit his lower lip lightly as he watched the way he caressed him.

To tell the truth, he had started to enjoy, in a certain way, each one of his treatments. After several minutes of silence, Wei Wuxian snapped out of his daze when Lan Wangji stopped. It seemed that he had finished very quickly, or perhaps he had been so cooperative in letting himself be treated without interruptions that he hadn’t noticed he remained silent the whole time, only focused on the way Lan Wangji touched him.

—Wei Ying? —By then, the man in white interrupted him, finding his silence equally strange.

—Oh, well… I… Uh… What did you ask me? —Wei Wuxian didn’t know if he had asked him anything other than mentioning his name. It seemed he had been hypnotized by something he wasn’t sure was normal—. No… it doesn’t hurt, if that’s what you’re worried about —he continued, still recovering from that touch of his fingers, full of electricity, that coursed through his skin in different directions across his body until reaching his mind.

Hanguang-Jun withdrew his hand and said nothing. He didn’t even tell him whether he had asked another question. The only thing he did in response was stand up and pick up his belongings.

—Lan Zhan, wait —Wei Wuxian grew worried, afraid he might have realized he got distracted by something that could be misinterpreted—. Did you ask something? It’s just that I… I just got distracted, but it has nothing to do with you, okay? It’s just… you know. I have a lot on my mind… —Lan Wangji glanced at him sideways—. You’re not upset… are you?

At that moment, Wei Wuxian didn’t know why he felt nervous, but he was worried about causing a negative reaction in him. —I know I was in danger when I fought that man in the alley while he had a weapon, but this bruise on my abdomen isn’t serious. Really, I didn’t get hurt like when I received the buckshot wound. Maybe that day was entirely my fault. I didn’t listen to you, and I got shot…

Even though he explained everything to him, Lan Wangji didn’t seem to want to turn around and talk. In fact, he didn’t. The only thing Wei Wuxian heard was a bland “Rest,” before he finally left the room.

Wei Wuxian was left alone and couldn’t believe what had happened. Did he really leave without saying anything? Could he have realized that he had been entranced by the way he touched him? He let out a deep sigh, frustrated in a way, because he didn’t want him to get upset or misinterpret anything worse.

Believing that Lan Wangji felt uncomfortable and left because of it, he now felt annoyed at himself.

Why did that man have to be so confusing, and at the same time, so beautiful?

~~~

"Qishan Wen Railway Station"

Qishan Wen.

It was very early that morning when Jiang Yanli and her companions decided to head to Qishan Wen Railway Station with the intention of returning to Yunmeng Jiang.

Being at risk of being pursued, there was no turning back. She decided to return, understanding the danger of continuing alongside the detectives. However… deep down, she didn’t want to give up and leave Jiang Cheng alone, but there was no other solution. Standing at the station, waiting for the scheduled time, it was very cold. Qishan Wen was usually extremely hot, but in the mornings it tended to be so chilly that she needed to use her beloved purple coat, though it didn’t seem to be enough.

—It’s almost time —Jin Zixuan approached, standing right beside her as he looked around.

She looked at him while wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. Suddenly, a ticket came into view: Jin Zixuan had handed her the newly purchased ticket. —Be careful on your way home. Don’t worry about us. We’ll take care of the rest.

Jiang Yanli took the ticket and read what was written on it: "Ticket from Qishan Wen to Yunmeng Jiang."

She finally sighed, falling silent. She was becoming more and more convinced that she didn’t want to leave… As time passed at the train station, which was filling with people, the whistle sounded as the first warning for passengers to board the train.

—You’d better go —he told her—. You shouldn’t wait any longer.

With a flood of conflicting emotions, she was overcome with sadness. —Detective Jin… Please, promise me that you’ll return with my brothers —Jin Zixuan remained silent, observing her large, translucent eyes filled with sorrow. She continued—. Detective Jin?

—You know that I can’t promise you that —he replied.

—What? Detective Jin… Don’t say that to me. I trust you.

—I understand, but you know that anything can happen and…

Suddenly, one of his hands was caught by hers, so small and delicate that they wrapped around it in a gentle, yet not warm, grip. Her hands were cold. —Detective Jin, it is in you that I have placed all my trust. I agreed to leave Qishan Wen for that reason. You have shown me that you can do it.

Jin Zixuan listened to her clearly as her hands gripped his firmly. He didn’t want to disappoint her, but he couldn’t promise something like that. Returning to Yunmeng Jiang with her two brothers was too great a responsibility, and he didn’t know if he could guarantee it. Moreover, he shouldn’t get involved in the emotions of clients, since anything could happen, and it wasn’t proper to promise something he wasn’t completely sure he could accomplish.

—What are you doing? —Jin Zixun arrived, his gaze serious, observing their joined hands—. Why are you so close? Did I miss something? —After saying the last part, he looked directly at his cousin as if seeking some kind of explanation.

By then, Jin Zixuan understood the meaning behind that look and quickly separated their joined hands, clearing his throat as he took a step back to put some distance between them. On the other hand, Jiang Yanli also stepped back and lowered her gaze, feeling embarrassed about what Zixun might be thinking.

—Alright… —The latter, with one eyebrow raised and a frown, didn’t want to waste time—. This trip doesn’t seem right to me —He turned to Jin Zixuan—. It seems like a terrible mistake.

—It’s already decided. There’s no turning back. I’ve already bought the ticket —he replied.

—We’re one step away from finding Jiang Cheng. Miss Jiang should stay, after all the effort that has been made to come to the country.

—It’s dangerous to stay here, understand —Jin Zixuan reinforced his opposition—. How many times do I have to say it? Qishan Wen is dangerous, so we will leave immediately for Yiling to get Wei Wuxian. It’s decided, and that’s the end of the discussion.

Jin Zixun didn’t like the way he responded. Ever since he found out that morning that Jiang Yanli was supposed to return to Yunmeng Jiang, he hadn’t looked happy at all. It was all because he hadn’t had any say in the decision. The choice had simply been made between the two of them, and that situation had him stubborn.

—Miss Jiang, you shouldn’t leave —he addressed her, trying to convince her—. You were the first to tell me that you wanted to come help us. You asked me, and I agreed.

—Jin Zixun —his cousin scolded him, clearly seeing that he was trying to stir her motivation to stay.

—It’s my turn to speak —Jin Zixun replied, with little kindness, knowing that yesterday he wasn’t consulted about these changes in plans, so now he was determined to take the opportunity to make himself heard—. I don’t want to be the one opposing all of this, but I think we have a high chance of winning the case if we stay together.

—It’s very dangerous —Jin Zixuan insisted.

—I know. I understand that all of this is dangerous, but Miss Jiang has every right to stay if she wishes. We’re talking about her brothers —he emphasized. Then he turned to her, noticing her large eyes focused on his words—. As for me, stay. By my side, nothing will happen to you. I will protect you with my life if necessary.

Jiang Yanli was impressed upon hearing his words: “I will protect you with my life if necessary.” She thought that perhaps Jin Zixun was exaggerating to emphasize his reason for keeping her by his side, but at the same time, she felt he was serious.

She didn’t know what to think. On one hand, Detective Jin had been very frank in explaining the reason for returning. On the other hand, Jin Zixun seemed to want the exact opposite, as it was clear he greatly enjoyed her company.

She felt overwhelmed.

—Miss Jiang, come back —Jin Zixuan insisted, seeing her hesitate.

Jiang Yanli saw him standing confidently and then let out a deep sigh as she remembered his words. —Thank you for being so kind to me, Zixun —she added to him—. But Detective Jin is right in saying that our lives are in danger, and it’s best that I leave for my own safety.

—It’s the best decision —Jin Zixuan saw the opportunity to reinforce, knowing she was finally on his side—. The best way for you to feel safe is to return home.

By then, Jin Zixun shot his cousin a sidelong glance, clearly displeased, but the train’s second whistle sounded shortly after, indicating it was ready to depart.

—It’s time —Jin Zixuan continued—. I’ll help you carry the suitcase for…

—I’ll do it —Jin Zixun intervened seriously, interrupting his action, causing them to lock eyes.

Jiang Yanli didn’t understand that precise moment when they looked into each other’s eyes without saying a word, sensing a challenging aura. This was another thing she didn’t want to experience again. Since arriving, she had witnessed confrontations between them. She didn’t want to be the cause.

—Thank you, Zixun —she broke the silence, not wanting a confrontation between them—. Please, let’s head to the train.

Jin Zixun walked past his cousin to be the one to help her carry the giant suitcase, and he managed to do it more effectively than before. It was still heavy, but he seemed so annoyed that he didn’t care. When Jin Zixun turned his back and headed straight for the train, Jiang Yanli looked over at Jin Zixuan, who now stood with his arms crossed.

—I trust that you’ll be able to find my brothers, Detective —she said softly—. I’ll pray for you so that your guardian angel protects you. Thank you for taking on my case.

There was no heartfelt farewell. In fact, she didn’t want to waste any more time with him. When he saw her leave, Jin Zixuan only removed his beret to bid her goodbye. That was all. Their time together, which hadn’t been easy to keep safe from danger, had come to an end.

~~~

Inside the train, Jiang Yanli chose her preferred seat. Jin Zixun placed the luggage right next to her, making sure it wouldn’t be in her way.

—Thank you, Zixun —she said—. You have been very kind throughout the entire journey.

The man said nothing. He simply stared at her with a palpable seriousness that almost never showed around her. Jin Zixun could be upset with everyone, but not with her. —Miss Jiang, don’t leave.

"--Zixun..."

"--I'm serious," he didn’t miss the chance to continue. "--You are not at all a weak woman, nor someone who would hold back the mission. I understand your fears that something bad might happen, but I must remind you that I myself agreed to let you come regardless of the risks. I understand your grief for your brothers, and I have the duty to protect you. Nothing will ever happen to you while you are by my side."

"She appeared somewhat withdrawn in the face of doubts."

"--I promise you that if you stay, we will find your brothers so quickly that no one will even notice."

"--Zixun..." she whispered again, but then she felt him take her hands and interlace his fingers with hers in a gentle, comforting squeeze. The man’s expression showed distress as soon as he felt the physical contact with her. "I… understand that you want me to stay," she replied with a faint smile. "I would like to as well, but it’s not the best option."

"--For whom? For you or for my cousin?" She remained silent upon hearing his direct question. He continued, "--I know him. And I’m almost certain that he proposed this solution without discussing it."

"--He only suggested the idea when he saw us in danger..."

"--There are no excuses," he said, squeezing her hands tighter, determined to make her listen. "--You are very valuable in this mission. You are an incredible woman who deserves all the good things in life. Besides…" He looked away, remembering something important. "--You promised me we’d have dinner together, something I really want to happen. If you leave… it won’t."

She opened her eyes a little wider in surprise. Now she understood his insistence better. It was true that he had promised her a dinner, but the opportunity had never arisen. In Jin Zixun’s gaze, she could see the regret he felt because his expectations had not been met. At that moment, she felt fortunate that he was so sweet in hoping the dinner would actually happen.

Rising onto her tiptoes, she leaned in to give him a small kiss on the cheek. "--When we arrive in Yunmeng Jiang, it will be the first thing we share together," she whispered to him.

The train’s third whistle signaled that they were ready to depart. Jin Zixun heard the horn loud and clear, but after that unexpected kiss on his cheek, he felt paralyzed, his eyes wide open, unwilling to look at anything other than her beautiful, angelic face. The blush on her cheeks was clearly visible. It was only when she let go of his hands that he realized he had been in a daydream he didn’t want to break.

Jin Zixun didn’t want to let her go. In fact, his next action was to take her hands again, which caught the attention of her caramel-colored eyes.

"--Miss Jiang, I am in love with you," he confessed, setting aside the fears that would serve no purpose if this was the last time he might see her. "--You are the woman I have longed to have in my life for a very long time. Please, stay with me." He raised one of her hands and kissed the back of it. "--I am willing to love you unconditionally if you allow me."

Jiang Yanli was stunned to hear his confession of love—something she hadn’t expected to hear now, and even less at a moment that wasn’t appropriate.

"--With that dinner, I only hope you can give me the chance to get to know you and show you that I can be a good man for you." He kissed her hand again, letting himself be carried away. "--I want to be the right kind of man for you, solely to serve you, princess."

She couldn’t help but lower her gaze and blush. In fact, she felt a little vulnerable. She didn’t know how to respond to something like that.

"--Please, stay," he insisted. "--You are the key piece in this case, no one else but you."

"--Z-Zixun..." she whispered with a slight hesitation, looking overwhelmed by not knowing how to handle the situation. "--I-I understand. But everything is ready now, and… it’s time for me to leave."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you have a pleasant journey from Qishan Wen to Yunmeng Jiang."

When he heard the announcement, Jin Zixun had no choice but to leave the carriage. However, before doing so, he took off the black coat he was wearing and carefully draped it over her shoulders, keeping her warm. "--I will return, and I will bring your brothers to you as I promised."

When Jin Zixun said goodbye with one last kiss on her hand, he remained outside, watching the train doors close. There, his heart tightened in a way that made him realize what was really happening: she was leaving, and he was once again left alone, feeling that his chance at love was slipping away once more.

"--Jin Zixun," suddenly, his cousin’s voice appeared. "--It’s time for us to go."

When he heard "It’s time for us to go," his gaze hardened so much that the pleasant feeling he had shared with her for a moment vanished. His fists clenched until they turned white, but he didn’t respond. She simply walked past him, ignoring him.

"--Where are you going?" Jin Zixun grabbed his arm, but he was met with a sharp swipe that made him let go. "--Can you tell me, what’s wrong?" he asked, frowning.

"--Do I have to explain it? I think it’s very obvious."

"--Good God. Understand, she had to leave."

"--She should have left a while ago, right?" He looked him straight in the eyes, angry. "--That’s what you wanted from the beginning. Well, congratulations. Your dream came true."

Jin Zixuan felt offended hearing the sarcasm in his voice. "--Understand that it is our duty to keep her out of danger. You know very well that from the beginning I was never okay with her coming with us. Being here is very dangerous."

"--Leave me alone. You’ve always been like this. From the beginning, I’ve known the bad looks and attitudes you’ve shown her."

"--What? What are you talking about now? I have never disrespected her."

"--Of course you have, she told me herself," he admitted. "--All this time, you’ve treated her with indifference, as if she were a nuisance who should never have come. She even told me this, intending to abandon the search with us and continue it on her own."

Jin Zixuan was left completely stunned.

What was he telling him?

"--Wait, hold on. I never disrespected her," he defended himself. "--Yesterday I protected her from the attack, gave her first aid, and gave her tips so she could stay unnoticed by my side. And you’re still saying I treated her badly? I never did."

"--Cousin, don’t fool yourself. I saw it many times. From the beginning, you couldn’t stand her, to the point of considering her a nuisance."

"--A nuisance? What an insult."

"--Of course I have!" he emphasized. "--She told me! You’ve been a total jerk to her, as if it were her fault for worrying about her brothers! If we’re going there, you haven’t even acknowledged that… all the progress we’ve made with Jiang Cheng is thanks to her, not you!"

Jin Zixuan got angry. "--Are you even listening to yourself? The only truth I see here is that we’re in danger. Our duty is to protect our clients. Doesn’t that seem enough to you?"

"--She was the one who practically did everything in this search! Admit it, cousin. If it hadn’t been for her, we would never have found Jiang Cheng or secured the alliance with the Wen Government. Her motivation to find her brother pushed us to learn more about him, while you were busy making sure we weren’t seen by… those dogs!"

"--I don’t know why you’re pointing fingers at me when you were the first one who intended to abandon the mission."

"--I never intended to abandon her. From the beginning, I wanted to ask for help from the authorities of Yunmeng Jiang. It’s part of the protocol. You should know that by now!"

"--Yes, but none of that worked. The people involved in the Wen Government still saw us, and we’re in more danger of being hunted than before. In fact, we shouldn’t keep wasting time exposing ourselves here. We should…"

"--Thanks, I’m not going anywhere with you," Jin Zixun dismissed him. "--I’m surprised you’re so blind. You haven’t realized the real problem in this situation."

Jin Zixuan was getting fed up with his attitude. "--What? Do you have another complaint to throw at me? A list of your grievances? Because if we’re going there, I have mine too, and I’m not here, singing them to you."

"--Hmph. If we’re going to talk about complaints, I’ll easily say that you’re doing to her the same thing you once did to your brothers."

Jin Zixuan looked annoyed. "--What the hell are you talking about now?"

"--What you and I know. You’re making her abandon her brothers the same way you abandoned yours when everything became difficult for you! Do you think I don’t know? You left them for your own benefit!"

"--You know very well it was never like that," Jin Zixuan replied, looking somewhat attacked by that outrageous assumption. "--You know the reason I left the Jin Palace. You know my father and all the hardships I had to endure. Her circumstances and mine are completely different. You offend me by playing those cards against me when you’re the only one who knows everything I’ve suffered."

"--Exactly, precisely because I’m the only one who knows, I’m the only one who can see what you’re doing to her! You’re keeping her from searching for her family out of an irrational fear of failing!"

"--Irrational fear? Are you even listening to yourself? Do you think it’s an irrational fear to be caught by these people!?"

"--And that’s why I don’t think it’s right for her to leave! I don’t abandon anyone when things get tough. You have to man up and keep going! You told me that yourself once. We’re detectives, and that’s our life, right?" He paused and continued, "--Besides, you didn’t even stop to think that her being far away… could put her in even more danger! You booked a ticket in her name at the enemy’s railway station!"

The argument was tense; the frustration from both sides was palpable. By then, Jin Zixuan had a lot to say—bringing up the past, his brothers, the reason he left and distanced himself from his family, only to now be criticized by the person to whom he had confessed everything, felt like a huge stab in the back.

"--Tell me one thing, cousin," Jin Zixun asserted, seeing him remain silent. "--When will you learn that being a police officer goes beyond getting caught up in our own personal problems? Stop thinking about yourself for once in your life."

After finishing speaking, he turned around, not wanting to listen. Jin Zixun knew that his cousin had, in a way, abandoned his brothers. He had never cared about each of their well-being. He never called them, never asked about their daily lives. He had never taken the initiative to visit them for three years, simply to avoid being close to his father.

"--Jin Zixun—" However, Jin Zixuan didn’t want to leave things like that, especially with words still on his lips. "--Don’t leave me talking to myself."

Jin Zixun didn’t pay him any more attention and walked away. By then, Jin Zixuan was boiling inside. He felt he hadn’t done anything wrong by telling Miss Jiang to return home. Being here was very dangerous. Even his idiot cousin knew that, but somehow, it seemed that the reason for his outburst was influenced by another cause, one that tugged at his heart.

Jin Zixuan looked annoyed at his own stupidity. He crossed his arms, truly furious, while directing his gaze toward the red train, still stationary. He felt slightly puzzled amid his anger. Since it had announced its departure after the third whistle, it should have already left.

Why wasn’t it moving?

Jin Zixuan finally directed his gaze to the front of the train, noticing the red flashing "Stop" light indicating a delay.

Amid his doubts, a strange sound made him turn toward the rear of the carriages, and the last two doors were beginning to open again. Thick white smoke poured from each opening, spreading from the inside of the carriages to the outside of the station at the same moment that passengers fled, desperation and terror written on their faces.

The screams shattered the morning’s calm: Jin Zixuan almost got caught up in the chaos as everyone around him began running in all directions, bumping into each other and into him while trying to escape the apparent terrorist attack. He didn’t know what was happening. The one person who came to his mind as fear enveloped him was: Jiang Yanli.

He quickly rushed to the carriage door where Miss Jiang had entered. He pounded forcefully on the door while ordering the command personnel to open it so that all the passengers inside could get out. The people inside also desperately tried to escape through the windows when they heard the screams of horror from the neighboring carriages, but they were sealed shut.

"--Friend! The other doors!" A man, who had taken the same action as him, pointed to the rear doors of the other carriages, which were slowly beginning to open, releasing the highly toxic white smoke.

All the passengers who managed to get out desperately covered their faces due to the pain and irritation in their eyes. Jin Zixuan knew that the gas was tear gas. He detected it from the smell and the effect on his eyes, which were beginning to sting from the particles dispersed in the air.

He had nothing to protect himself from the gas, but he also couldn’t allow Miss Jiang to suffocate in that place.

He had no choice but to use his black coat to cover his head, mainly his nose and eyes. There was no other alternative. If he didn’t act, everyone in the other carriages would be terribly poisoned, including her.

Chapter Text

The positive side of all the chaos is that Jin Zixuan was not the only man who had the courage to face the toxic smoke in the train cars. Other men in the area were also willing to confront the irritating gas to save the lives of their families and those of the other passengers.

Jin Zixuan had a bit of experience dealing with these kinds of situations. At the Police Academy, he had learned how to save himself in such circumstances. He grabbed a water bottle he found among the abandoned luggage inside the train car, along with a hockey stick, and then approached close enough to strike the door that separated that car from the next one.

The men helping him managed to push it open. The crowd inside that second car rushed out in desperation as soon as they had the chance to escape. By that time, Jin Zixuan didn’t waste any more time and approached the second door, only to realize that it was locked.

“—Is it locked? —One of the men with him came to help, confirming his suspicions as he shook it with several pushes—It won’t open! It’s locked!”

That information alerted the men who had been focused on helping the passengers get off the train. A commotion broke out as they all tried to force the door open. Meanwhile, Jin Zixuan kept a considerable distance behind the abandoned seats, feeling a slight itch in his eyes.

Even with his black coat covering his nose and part of his eyes, it was impossible not to feel the effects of the tear gas. Jin Zixuan remained still, repeatedly thinking that there had to be a way to break down that door. The screams from the other side of the third car sounded pleading and desperate. The trapped passengers were scared; they wanted to get out, and it was only a matter of time before one of them lost their head in panic.

“—Step aside! —A passenger who had just been helped to escape returned to assist all the men present. He had a machete stored in his luggage and struck the glass of the door that separated them. Consequently, the screams of the crowd on the other side grew even louder as the window shattered into a thousand pieces. Seeing hope in the bravery of these men, the crowd on the other side pushed the door until they managed to force it open.”

“—Quick! Quick! Get out! —Each of them shouted in unison, urging the children and women to leave the train as quickly as possible.”

On the other hand, Jin Zixuan managed to move toward the door separating the third car from the fourth—the one where the middle-class passengers were. Surprisingly, he was able to open it effortlessly, and all the people trapped in the fourth car ran toward the path to freedom. By that time, Jin Zixuan continued to strike the door that separated the fourth car from the last one, which was for the upper class: the one where Miss Jiang was.

However, the whistling of a bomb about to explode quickly filled the narrow space of the car with a whitish smoke, terrifying all the passengers who had not yet managed to escape. The white gas settled into every corner of the car, enveloping everyone present like a white cloak. Jin Zixuan heard the other men’s instructions to cover their eyes and noses without exception. He had already covered his face, tightly closing his eyes and covering his nose with his coat, but the gas was so potent and concentrated that he felt as if he were suffocating.

Immediately after, he made the decision to open one of the car’s windows, but it so happened that each of them was sealed. Just imagining being in an enclosed space, with no way for the air to escape while a highly potent and dangerous irritant gas filled it, was terrifying. Jin Zixuan could do nothing else but tightly close his eyes and cover his nose with the thick fabric of his coat.

Overwhelmed by the danger, he wondered why the windows were sealed. In the first-class car, where Miss Jiang was, they were also sealed. Of course, he wanted to continue his assessment, but his eyes burned painfully. He couldn’t bear it any longer and opened the water bottle to rinse each of them, easing the itching and irritation a little

The noise from the other men suggested the idea of breaking down the last car door with everything they had in their hands. Jin Zixuan knew he had to keep going. No matter how overwhelmed he felt, with the urge to run toward the fresh air, he could not give up. He began to think about the pattern of each bomb that had exploded. If there were 10 cars, surely there were 5 hidden bombs, and if 4 had already gone off… then one last one remained… and that one belonged to the first-class car.

"Damn it, why won’t the main doors open?" he thought anxiously, knowing that the last bomb would soon explode. If it went off before the first-class passengers could escape, each of them would be caught in a tragic situation, ending up suffocating. The windows were sealed. It was a fact—they would die in that airtight car.

A strange fear took hold of him. He forgot about his physical discomfort and grabbed the hockey stick to head straight for the last door separating the two cars. On the other side of the first-class car, the murmurs of terrified passengers disrupted Jiang Yanli’s calm.

Sitting in her assigned seat, she didn’t understand what was happening. The only thing she knew was that something bad was going on, since the train hadn’t moved and people outside were trying to break the sealed windows. She didn’t want to give in to panic, but it was impossible when she heard children crying, clinging to their mothers, while the men tried to smash the window glass with anything they could find in their luggage.

She was alone right now. It was up to her to stay calm, since she had no one to help her take cover. She touched her chest several times as she felt her heart pounding with a powerful, real fear—one that urged her to find a place to shelter and save her life. However, there was nowhere to go. All she could control was maintaining her composure while her limbs trembled.

Suddenly, a commotion was heard at the door separating the middle-class car from the upper-class car. She was filled with fear when she saw several men on the other side seemingly trying to break down the locked door by pushing it relentlessly. Unfortunately, several passengers around her moved in that direction, obstructing her view.

On the other side of the door, Jin Zixuan used all his strength to break it down, ignoring the side effects of the toxic gas lingering in the air. Having inhaled the gas for so long, he gradually felt weak and couldn’t stop coughing. Jin Zixuan knew that exerting himself further under these circumstances would be counterproductive due to the lack of oxygen. If he continued, he could pass out.

Throughout the entire process of breaking down the door, he hadn’t wanted to speak at any moment. If he did, he would inhale more of those particles, making things worse. The door had no intention of opening, even with the push of several men. It seemed more securely locked than the previous ones… or was it just a sign of his own weakness?

The man with the machete stepped forward, intending to break the glass, but his suspicions were confirmed when he realized that the window in the door was made of a material too tough to break with a simple swing of a machete. 

“—Wen Fang! Darling! —A woman screamed from the other side—Please! Get me out of here!”

Every time the man heard his wife pleading for help, he struck the window even harder, even using the handle of the machete to hit it with more force, leaving his hands purple. Of course, his effort was in vain. The man cursed the entire Qishan Wen government for not helping them, and it was then that Jin Zixuan felt a strange will burning in his chest.

“—Clear the area! —Jin Zixuan stepped back from the door. He used all the strength he had to pull the weapon hidden in his boot and aimed it directly at that damned window.”

He fired at the spot, managing to completely break the sealed window. The door had two windows, so he used another round of ammunition to destroy the second one as well. Of course, firing among a crowd of agitated people made them even more unsettled, but when the man, frightened for his wife, realized that the strategy had worked, he managed to remove the remaining shards from the edges and finished breaking them with the strength of the machete.

Inside the first-class car, Jiang Yanli observed the situation as best she could. Of course, the gunshots scared her even more than she already was, and she couldn’t help but hide under her seat to protect her head. However, it seemed that on the other side of the door, there were more people willing to help them.

She didn’t know what to do or how to help. The truth is, she tried to look for Detectives Jin outside the train, toward the station, but she didn’t see them anywhere. On edge, she stayed in her place, wanting to do the best she could: pray. However, when she heard a woman calling for her husband amid all the noise, she felt the need to look more closely at who was on the other side of the car.

Suddenly, all her senses were so heightened that it seemed she heard Detective Jin’s voice. Could she have imagined it? Her heart pounded like an engine, and her eyes flew open at the sight of hope. Could he really be on the other side of the door, intending to save her?

She couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Summoning her courage, she stood up and made her way through the crowd, managing to reach the surface of the door where the glass windows had been shattered.

“—Miss Jiang! —She turned toward the voice and saw a man whose eyes were the only visible part of his face, his head wrapped in a black coat— —I’ll get you out of here! Hold on!”

She hoped his attempt to encourage her had been enough, because not even a minute later, the car full of first-class passengers was engulfed in a thick layer of white smoke, spreading easily to every corner of the car and making the situation even more dangerous.

Another tear gas bomb had exploded.

Jin Zixuan’s eyes, bloodshot and surrounded by a storm of dust and particles, were now disturbed as what he had feared most had happened: the last bomb had exploded.

“—My beloved! —The man with the machete, who had his wife inside the affected car, grew desperate, not wanting to see her suffer from the gas— —Cover your eyes and your nose! Quick!”

Jin Zixuan also became agitated. “—Miss Jiang! Use your coat to cover your nose and eyes! Listen to me! Don’t open your mouth at any moment, and keep your eyes shut until we can open the door!”

Jiang Yanli was overwhelmed. She did nothing but remain still, covering her nose and tightly closing her eyes. The white smoke spread easily throughout the car until it became blinding. All that could be seen was the white smoke spreading everywhere, to the point that no one could even see their own hand. Fear consumed all the men on the other side of the door. The smoke did manage to escape naturally through the broken glass, but it was no consolation for someone like Jin Zixuan, who, already feeling extremely weak from having inhaled the gas for so long, didn’t even want to imagine how dangerous it could be for Miss Jiang.

Petrified in place, fear coursing through his veins, Jin Zixuan grabbed the hockey stick, wedged it into the lock, and began pushing harder to try to destroy whatever was keeping the door shut. With his other hand, he used the weapon he had in his possession, and, aiming directly at the spot without error, he fired.

Screams rang out when the shot was fired, but Jin Zixuan didn’t care. He had only one determination: he had to get Miss Jiang out of there as quickly as possible. He was running out of options. The man with the machete also joined in, regardless of suffering more from the toxic smoke. He used his machete to cut through the metal between the door openings, and with a single downward motion, the lock came loose.

The door was forced open in two, and the crowd began rushing out to save their lives. Jin Zixuan had to step aside to avoid being trampled, while also covering his eyes, which he couldn’t even open. They itched and burned terribly. This new tear gas was more potent than the previous one. It had a direct effect on his eyes, making them water uncontrollably. Even so, he couldn’t give up. As soon as he allowed the people to exit in groups, he hurried inside to search for Miss Jiang.

He got close enough to wrap his arms around her, asking her to follow him to get out of there. She agreed for her own safety, allowing herself to be guided toward the exit of the car. However, at that moment, she began coughing, showing clear signs of difficulty breathing, to the point that she didn’t feel capable of continuing.

She held tightly onto Jin Zixuan’s arm to keep her balance. He felt the need to support her against his chest so she could steady herself better. Immediately after, he wrapped his arm firmly around her waist while pressing her head and face against his chest, preventing her from breathing in the toxic air directly.

He looked extremely worried that she might pass out during the journey due to the thick, suffocating smoke. There was still a long way to go to reach the last car for fresh air. He glanced around, searching for a quicker solution, until he noticed that the main door—the one where the first-class passengers had originally boarded—had unexpectedly opened.

He couldn’t help but believe this was a great gift from heaven. He quickly guided her toward it, until they saw the light of the station, and with that opportunity, they escaped as fast as possible, carrying her away from all that disaster.

Jin Zixuan found a private bathroom at the Qishan Wen Railway Station and closed the door. He then removed the coat from his head and turned on one of the faucets to rinse his face as quickly as possible. Immediately afterward, he invited Jiang Yanli to do the same.

“—Don’t open your eyes,” he told her, taking the time to help rinse her eyes very carefully. “Stay calm. Clean them as much as you can to prevent irritation.”

Jiang Yanli coughed violently while rinsing, still affected by the gas coursing through her lungs.

“—You’ll be fine,” Jin Zixuan said, worried, tucking several strands of her hair behind her ear while she tried to wash each of them on her own. He felt very uneasy about her. All he could do was carefully gather her long, thick hair into a small bun at the back of her head, letting it rest so it wouldn’t get in the way while she washed.

After several minutes of silence, during which he also tried to ease his own symptoms of exposure, he noticed that she seemed to feel much better, as she had stopped coughing.

“—Can you see?” he asked her.

“—A little…” she whispered, then coughed again, her voice hoarse. “I see somewhat blurry…”

Jin Zixuan saw the same way, but that couldn’t be an obstacle. They were still in enemy territory, and anyone could open the door and enter the bathroom in the worst-case scenario.

“—Detective Jin… I-I’m scared… I-I can’t see properly…”

“—You’ll be fine,” Jin Zixuan said, not wanting her to panic. “It’s just the side effects of the gas. We need to get out of here.” To be honest, he didn’t know what else to say. This attack had been completely unexpected, totally unfair to her and to all the passengers heading to Yunmeng Jiang.

“—Where are we going? W-Where is Zixun?” She had many questions. She was worried. She didn’t know what had happened outside and didn’t want to believe that something bad had happened to Jin Zixun.

“—We have to find him, and the best way to do that is to get out. Okay?” Jin Zixuan took her hand, inviting her to follow him. She didn’t want to argue; she couldn’t do anything. She was partially blind and felt too weak to go on her own.

When Jin Zixuan stepped out of that private bathroom, he felt just as weak as she did. He was sure that if he tried to run, he would collapse, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from searching for the exit. He felt that, between the two of them, he was the only one who had the strength and skill needed to get them out and protect her.

With their hands tightly clasped, Jin Zixuan scanned his surroundings, blinking constantly. He couldn’t clearly distinguish the people in the distance. As soon as they reached a corner, he felt her hand being abruptly pulled from his.

“—Miss Jiang?” When he turned toward her, two guards dressed in red had grabbed her in their arms while covering her mouth.

“—Jin Zixuan.” Suddenly, his eyes narrowed to slits in fear upon hearing that voice behind his back. There, the deep voice of Wen Zhuliu struck him: “—We meet again.”

~~~

"Sun Palace"

Qishan Wen.

Lying in bed, Wen Qing opened her eyes very slowly. It was daytime; she could tell from the sound of birds singing. She woke up feeling so lazy that even moving seemed bothersome. After a few minutes of staring into space, she decided to move very slowly. The moment she tried to lift her upper body on the bed, every muscle in her hips and legs ached.

As fragments of the previous night’s experience came back to her, she understood the reason for her muscle pain. Moreover, it wasn’t just the memories of last night that provided the answer; Wen Qing also realized that she was wearing only a kind of translucent white nightgown.

That garment was simply revealing. It was almost transparent, with a wide neckline over her chest. Of course, she remembered that she had put on that lingerie just to please him. Overwhelmed with intense shame, Wen Qing realized that on the other side of her bed, there was no one.

“Where is Wen Chao?” she wondered, feeling a slight sense of shame toward herself.

What was happening inside her felt strange. Every night that she slept with him and woke up like this—completely vulnerable and naked—she felt as if she were mocking herself. She didn’t understand why she always woke up with a sense of regret. Most of the time, she ignored that feeling, but today it seemed stronger, causing her discomfort.

She felt the need to release the held breath to dissipate the uncomfortable sensation in her chest. To shake off those thoughts, she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up, clean her mouth as part of her daily routine, and then take a shower that would help her see her body more clearly, including the bruises that seemed unwilling to heal and leave her skin.

It was after half an hour that she now found herself sitting at her medicine table, where she used her remedies to heal the bruises. In her thoughts, she remembered Jiang Cheng, and she was sure he would be very angry for her not having visited him a second time that night when he confronted her.

She grew thoughtful as she remembered everything he had reproached her for. She didn’t want to see herself as a victim, but Jiang Cheng didn’t know what he was saying about her life. She wasn’t manipulated by anyone, and if she allowed it… there was a greater reason that compelled her; and that was saving her family from Wen Chao’s madness.

Suddenly, the door of the room opened. When she turned that way, Wen Qing realized that her “future husband” had arrived, apparently very cheerful, smiling from ear to ear:

“—Hello, darling,” Wen Chao closed the door as he slowly approached her spot. “But just look at you, as striking as always, only for me.”

Upon seeing him approach, Wen Qing shifted her gaze toward the table, discreetly putting away her medicinal containers by arranging them in order. There, she felt Wen Chao wrap his arms around her waist, managing to place a small kiss on her lips.

“I loved spending the night with you. You always end up flattering this man in the best ways.” He kissed her on the cheek. “For that same reason, I wouldn’t trade you for anyone in this world. You are mine.”

Wen Qing smiled with a clear stop of trying to enjoy his compliments. It could be considered that the physical contact with him, it didn't matter to her, she could bear it to a certain extent, but that she was telling him: "You are mine", there was no other word that she repudiated more than that.

“—I’m still not your wife,” she felt it important to emphasize to him. “We haven’t gotten married yet.”

“—It won’t be long now,” Wen Chao smiled brightly at the news. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll be husband and wife. I’m sure the celebration will be wild, but what I long for most is the wedding night, to keep enjoying you. Don’t you like the idea?”

Wen Qing took a deep breath. She didn’t want to talk about that. She didn’t want to hear his desires of making her his wife either. She did not want this wedding. What’s more, the fact that her family couldn’t come only made her feel even less motivated.

--My father authorized you to have the day off today so you can prepare the dress --Wen Chao added, sensing her silence as he caressed her cheek--. You’ll be able to choose it to your liking together with Miss Wang.

--What? --Wen Qing finally reacted, her eyes widening at hearing that name-- She’s going to be with me at the dress fitting?

“—It was her idea,” Wen Chao said, unaware of what it meant for Wen Qing to be assisted by that woman. She couldn’t stand her and least of all wanted her involved in choosing her dress. She knew she would never actually make a decision. “—See it as a good way to share in the happiness they are feeling. Miss Wang is happy to be my brother’s wife, and you will be happy to be mine.”

Wen Qing wanted to disappear.

Suddenly, she felt him take the opportunity to plant another kiss on her lips, seeking more of the passion they had shared last night. However, Wen Qing wasn’t in the mood to be carried away after that news and with the presence of the crazy Wang Lingjiao. She didn’t want another encounter if it was going to be like this. Fortunately, before she could express her true wishes to him, it seemed she was lucky that he didn’t ask for anything more than a simple exchange of kisses.

In fact, he took the initiative to pull away first. “—I hope you have a wonderful day today, my dear.”

“—Where are you going?” she asked, seeing his intentions. Most of the time, when Wen Chao decided to interrupt their precious moment of “passion,” it was because something else was on his mind, and, as expected, he intended to head toward the door. “—Aren’t you going to stay with me?”

Hearing her, Wen Chao adopted a tender tone. “—Oh, really… didn’t you have enough of me all night?” He felt flattered. “—Don’t worry, darling. I won’t abandon you; of course, I’ll come back for you once I finish a few matters.”

“—Matters of what?” she asked, curious, since he was naturally too talkative to keep things from her. If he omitted them, it was because it wasn’t in his interest to reveal them. “—If I’m going to be your wife soon, I should know.”

Wen Chao raised an eyebrow, still smiling. “—Are you really willing to help me with my duties in the palace? How crazy. And to think that yesterday you hated me…”

“—One can hate and love a person at the same time. I mean… I’m a woman. My hormones… they make me feel like I sometimes hate you for no apparent reason.”

Silence fell after she said that. Several minutes later, the room was filled with laughter from the man. “—Wen Qing… Wen Qing… Honestly, a man who tolerates you like I do doesn’t exist in this world.”

“—Just like a woman who loves you the way I do,” he smiled faintly. “—So… what matters do you have pending? I can help you.”

Wen Chao narrowed his eyes at her insistence. At that moment, Wen Qing had the impression that he was weighing whether to tell her or not. She couldn’t help but feel her heart pounding with uncertainty. After a minute of silence, he said to her:

“—I will look for someone who has been trespassing on our territory for days.”

Wen Qing felt fear. “Is he going to look for Jiang Cheng?” she wondered.

“—So I don’t think it would be wise for you to help me with this matter,” Wen Chao continued.

“—And what do you mean by ‘he’s invading our territory’? What are you referring to? I mean… it sounds pretty serious.”

Wen Chao remained silent. Seeing her interest in learning more about what was happening in Qishan Wen, he decided to put aside any reservations and said, “—There’s a leak of evidence showing that Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun entered our territory after two years. If that’s true, you’ll understand that I need to deal with it, so I’ve already sent Wen Zhuliu with the Wen troops to capture them.”

With every word Wen Qing heard him speak, her level of alertness eased considerably, realizing he had no intention of going after Jiang Cheng as she had pleaded yesterday. However, hearing that both Detective Jin had deliberately returned to set foot in their territory after what had happened in the past was very strange to hear.

“—You know what that means, darling,” Wen Chao continued with a wide smile. “—If I capture them, it will be a blessing for the Wen Palace, and I’m sure my father will be so pleased that he won’t hesitate for a second to consider giving me an important position in the kingdom…”

“—What will you do with them if you catch them?” she asked out of pure curiosity. “—Actually… how did you find out about the problem?”

“—Unfortunately, it was published on the front page of the newspaper, but today I’m going to make sure the capture of each of them is made public, and all of Qishan Wen will talk about my great efficiency in exterminating the demons of the streets.” His wide smile grew increasingly eerie amid his delusions of grandeur. “—Let it be known that this will be our next wedding gift.”

He laughed shortly after, heading toward the exit as he bid her farewell. On the other hand, Wen Qing said nothing as she watched him leave. At that moment, she frowned and crossed her arms.

“Why has Jin Zixuan come to Qishan Wen again?”

The last time she saw him, she had been very clear with him when he managed to save her life from one of the most difficult-to-heal wounds in her chest. No one knew this, but she, even while allied with the Wen Government, had helped him recover from certain death in Yiling.

When Jin Zixuan decided to escape with intentions of betraying them, he was harmed by the Wen Government. He was so badly injured that he remained in a coma for several days, experiencing severe episodes of amnesia. The wound in his chest was so serious that it destabilized all of his meridians, causing him to lose a great deal of blood.

If she hadn’t come across him along the way, he would have died a long time ago. And now, seeing him stepping onto enemy territory was a clear sign of two things:

1.He had completely forgotten how traumatic it was to endure that tragedy.

2.He must have come for reasons unrelated to the Qishan Wen government.

What other reason would he have to return to the Sun lands after being on the brink of death?

Chapter Text

"Qishan Wen Railway Station"

Qishan Wen.

--Jin Zixuan — Wen Zhuliu’s deep voice settled near his ear, as dark as a small gust of cold air passing by.

His paralysis in the situation indicated that he wasn’t ready to be discovered by the Wen guards, much less by the infamous “Core Breaker.” Immediately afterward, Wen Zhuliu pushed him against the wall, where his left shoulder took the impact, and his head struck the rough surface hard as he grabbed hold of his hair.

The pressure that man applied against the rough surface hurt the skin on his face maliciously, causing him pain. It was only afterward that Jin Zixuan felt violated when the man’s hands explored every part of his pants, until they found the weapon he had hidden in his boot.

—A weapon —Wen Zhuliu whispered—. Illegal and carrying a weapon. Two reasons not to spare your life.

Jin Zixuan tried to wriggle in place, but it was useless when he took another blow to the head as his forehead slammed against the wall. Wen Zhuliu was not one to toy with his victims. The truth was, he went straight to the point. With the weapon held firmly, the click of the safety release was heard, and he positioned it against his back, specifically over the area of his heart.

—NO! —Jiang Yanli’s terrified voice rang out. She had the strength and luck to pry the hand of the guard that was keeping her silent— —Let him go! He doesn’t deserve to die!

Hearing her take that stance, it was a huge misfortune for Jin Zixuan. It wasn’t wise for Miss Jiang to try to defend him. It wasn’t wise for her to intervene in such a critical situation, where the most likely outcome was that she wouldn’t come out alive.

Wen Zhuliu cast a sidelong glance at him. His stoic expression in the face of Jin Zixuan’s desperation showed that it didn’t affect him in the slightest.

—Let him go —she pleaded, tears in her eyes—. Please. No one deserves to die. No one deserves such a cruel fate…

With each word of her fearless innocence, a grave silence fell over the room. Suddenly, the weapon clicked again, a sound that caught Jin Zixuan’s attention. He strained to turn his head back and saw how Wen Zhuliu had raised the weapon toward her.

—If you believe he shouldn’t die, then… —He dropped the weapon to the ground, where he stomped on it several times with force until it was destroyed.

Jin Zixuan was stunned to see the immense strength that man possessed, having destroyed the weapon with just three stomps. Meanwhile, Jiang Yanli fell silent in the arms of the guard who held her still, having thought exactly the same thing.

—Happy? —Wen Zhuliu asked him.

Jin Zixuan frowned at hearing him ask that. What was he trying to do? Why was he mocking her like that? However, all his questions became irrelevant when…

—Please, let him go —she pleaded again, her voice trembling—. Don’t hurt him.

Jin Zixuan didn’t want her to keep pleading for something like that. In fact, she shouldn’t be helping him. She should stay silent if she truly wanted to leave here alive. Why did she keep insisting on helping him? She shouldn’t. She shouldn’t get involved. What she should be doing was begging to be released and set free. However, Jin Zixuan was in for an even greater surprise when, suddenly, Wen Zhuliu obeyed her once again.

The man released his head pressed against the wall. Jin Zixuan managed to pull away, his face aching intensely, but he didn’t mind as he chose to turn his gaze toward her, where Wen Zhuliu had now approached. Immediately afterward, the guards who had held Jiang Yanli captive released her on his direct order. By then, Jiang Yanli felt fear as she saw Wen Zhuliu position himself beside her. Her eyes, red from crying, were filled with terror at the unsettling and intimidating confidence she sensed from him.

—Surely, you’d want to come with us to take his place. Maybe that way you can help him atone for his sins —she heard him clearly, trembling. He continued—. What do you think? You could help him get out alive…

—He won’t do it! —Jin Zixuan shouted.

Of course, his next move was to prevent him from continuing to intimidate her by staying by her side, but when Wen Zhuliu saw his intentions, a strange electric power appeared in his right hand, while with the other he held Jiang Yanli closer to his body, threatening to touch her chest at any moment.

Jin Zixuan froze at the sight of the danger she would face if she were touched by that destructive power—the same power that had once made him dance with death.

—If you resist, she will take the impact —Wen Zhuliu said bluntly—. If you give them to us, your sins will be atoned for at the cost of her bravery. The choice is yours.

Jin Zixuan clenched his fists at the terror he felt in his chest. He didn’t understand why this deal was being made when he was supposed to be the one they were always after. Why did they want her to atone for his sins? His fury grew more evident as Jiang Yanli pleaded in a whisper for him to let her go, but Wen Zhuliu held her tighter against him, causing her pain.

—If you don’t decide, I will —Wen Zhuliu was direct, and not a second more passed before Jin Zixuan made a decision, before he could cause any more harm.

—Alright, I’ll go with you. But, in exchange —he demanded—, you will release her.

—Detective Jin… —Jiang Yanli looked devastated upon hearing his conditions—. Don’t do it… Don’t leave me alone…

Jin Zixuan ignored her, focusing all his attention on Wen Zhuliu, who was still standing by his side. —So? Release her —he demanded again.

Wen Zhuliu released Miss Jiang by pushing her to the side, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground in pain as she tried to break her fall with her hands. Jin Zixuan tried to help her, but Wen Zhuliu stopped him by grabbing both of his arms the moment he intended to move.

Jin Zixuan could do nothing but follow the man, who forced him to turn around, not allowing any farewell between them. By then, Jiang Yanli watched them leave, feeling a sharp pain. It was true that her hands hurt from the impact of the fall, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest. She clenched her fists, then stood up, lifting her dress as she moved toward them.

She didn’t know what came over her, but she tried to pull Jin Zixuan away from the hands of that dangerous man, in a clearly desperate act. The Wen guards accompanying him quickly stepped in to remove Miss Jiang from the disturbance. They grabbed her by the arms to separate her from them, and just as they succeeded, Wen Zhuliu didn’t hesitate to act ruthlessly.

He released Jin Zixuan and used his right hand, charged with the same electricity, to strike Miss Jiang’s chest—but someone else stepped in unexpectedly, taking the full impact. By then, Jiang Yanli, who had seen everything, was horrified to see Jin Zixuan step in just in time to protect her from the “Core Breaker” power, taking the consequences on his own chest.

It was inevitable for him to feel the destructive power coursing through his body. He coughed violently, feeling his throat fill with a strange metallic taste as his legs weakened and faltered until he collapsed to the ground, spitting blood afterward, noticeably trembling.

Jiang Yanli broke free from the guards’ grip and rushed to him, wanting to help, hoping to hear his voice as a sign of reassurance—but he was no longer able. Jin Zixuan was wracked with endless agony, vomiting a large amount of blood and saliva.

—Detective Jin! —she pleaded, crying openly, feeling helpless not knowing how to help him.

The only thing that came to her mind as a protective instinct was to wrap her arms around his torso, holding him tightly from behind while resting her face against his back, desperately whispering that she was there for him, that she wouldn’t go anywhere, as her tears streamed down her cheeks.

On the other hand, Wen Zhuliu didn’t prolong this any longer. He walked toward them with the intention of grabbing Jin Zixuan by the arm, but an object moving at high speed crossed his path. It forced him to step back when he deliberately noticed an arrow embedded in the wall. Then, as he turned toward where it had come from, screams pierced the air under a clear and concise command:

—YUNMENG JIANG POLICE!

—HANDS UP WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!

A group of three people appeared, wearing purple coats and holding weapons. Among them, Jin Zixuan was in sight, and Wen Zhuliu instantly recognized him in the area.

Wen Zhuliu wasn’t about to let anyone intimidate him, even if all three of them had firearms in their hands. For a moment, seeing that several Wen guards had followed them here intending to reinforce him, he took matters into his own hands to go after Jin Zixuan. Meanwhile, Jiang Yanli had no idea what was happening with all the commotion, but she was frightened when she saw Wen Zhuliu heading toward them.

She quickly stood up and positioned herself to protect Jin Zixuan, spreading her arms out to the sides. However, a second arrow acted first, signaling Wen Zhuliu to stop as it sank firmly into the ground. In the distance, a man dressed in black—a sniper—threatened him again by firing a third arrow.

Wen Zhuliu moved away from the incredible shot, trying to dodge it. He didn’t realize that, at the moment he evaded it and stopped in his new position, something round, about the size of his fist, collided with one of his feet and unexpectedly exploded.

No one could see anything else as a thick white gas, similar to tear gas, spread throughout the area, blinding everyone present. At that moment, Jiang Yanli crouched down beside Jin Zixuan and covered his mouth and nose with one hand, while using the other to shield herself from the spreading smoke. The situation felt like a terrible nightmare, compounded by the explosions of other smoke bombs around them.

A sudden, unexpected tug on her arm caught her attention.

—Help me get him out of here! Now! —shouted the man in black.

Everything was very blurry for her, but upon sensing that the unknown person intended to help, she obeyed. They got Jin Zixuan out of the chaos, while the reinforcements from the Yunmeng Jiang Police Unit clashed with the Qishan Wen guards.

~~~

One would think that going in search of a loved one shouldn’t be dangerous.

The only concerns she should have had in her mind were for his well-being. Although, on second thought, she should have been worried about returning to Yunmeng Jiang and seeing her parents again. The trip she was supposed to take that morning was meant to bring her back to her country, to her home, but now she was here in Qishan Wen, in an unfamiliar new hostel for several hours.

Jiang Yanli had remained lost in her thoughts, consumed by new worries that no longer bore the name of her home country, but now carried the name of Jin Zixuan, the man who now lay in the bed, completely unconscious.

They had arrived several hours ago at this modest new hostel, chosen by the hooded man in black who had accompanied them. Jiang Yanli didn’t know who this person was, but since their arrival, he had stayed by Jin Zixuan’s side, treating him as if he understood the damage caused by that ruthless electric power.

—All set —he said, placing the detective’s hand on his abdomen—. He’ll be better from now on.

Jiang Yanli felt relieved upon hearing those words; however, she wanted answers. —What did you do?

—Energy purification —He lowered his hood so she could see his eyes better. There, he realized she didn’t understand, so he found it important to explain—. The “Core Breaker” power has the ability to destroy the victim’s vital energy. When the attacker fails to completely destroy the vital core within our body, it causes effects that usually manifest as severe symptoms of agony.

Jiang Yanli nodded slowly, trying to comprehend the event. —Does that mean that if he had had the chance to take his life… he would have succeeded?

He nodded, pressing his lips together. —I recommend that you don’t put yourselves in that kind of danger again. At the very least, stay hidden until Master Jin Zixuan is in better condition.

Jiang Yanli sighed, closing her eyes in sadness.

—The Wen Government is the only one with the ability to cause harm through dark magic. The “Core Breaker” power is considered one of the most lethal.

—Will he be alright? —She was referring to Jin Zixuan, as he was her only concern.

—Don’t worry —The young man smiled, noticing her concern and giving her the reassurance she needed—. With care and plenty of rest, he will wake up again.

Jiang Yanli sighed, letting the tension leave her shoulders. She watched Detective Jin still in his place, unconscious. She stayed that way, focusing her attention on his injured face until she felt the urge to brush her thumb across the wound on his forehead, but she stopped when another movement caught her attention.

The man in black stood up, taking his quiver of arrows and the bow he had left on the ground.

—Where are you going? —Jiang Yanli felt uneasy seeing his intentions. If he left, who would help her treat the detective’s symptoms if he suffered another irreversible collateral injury?

—It’s time for me to go. It’s better if I do it now.

—Please, stay —she pleaded, her voice filled with concern—. You’re the only one who managed to heal him after that incident. If something happens again… an unprecedented collateral injury…

—Don’t worry —he said calmly—. Master Jin Zixuan will be able to endure it. It’s not the first time he has suffered the impact of the “Core Breaker.”

—What? —She was shocked, managing to stand up—. What do you mean it’s not the first time he’s suffered something like this? Do you know him from before?

The man nodded slowly, unsure if he should confess, but he decided to do so. —My sister once healed him in Yiling. That’s why I knew how to act when I saw the symptoms of agony.

Jiang Yanli couldn’t believe it. What a small world it was. To find this young man who knew Detective Jin, and for him to suddenly appear to help them at this exact moment when they needed it most—it had to be a miracle from heaven.

—You don’t know how grateful I am for everything —She placed her hands over her chest with deep gratitude—. You are a gift from heaven. Thank you so much.

He looked slightly embarrassed. He simply scratched the back of his neck and then lowered his gaze. —It was nothing. Rather, are you alright?

—Oh, yes —she replied immediately—. Don’t worry about me. I just have some mild irritation in my eyes, but that’s due to the tear gas…

The man looked her over carefully and, at first glance, confirmed that she seemed fine. He said nothing more, simply gave a slight bow, and then headed toward the door.

—It was a pleasure to spend time with you, young gentleman —she said, still curious—. What is your name?

--Wen Ning.

Jiang Yanli wiped her smile away immediately. As soon as she heard the surname “Wen,” she couldn’t help but think it might be dangerous. At that moment, Wen Ning noticed her angelic smile disappear instantly, which made him fearful. That’s when he realized his mistake.

—Oh no, don’t worry —he quickly explained—. I’m from Yiling, but I don’t work for the Wen Government.

—Oh… —She hugged herself, feeling fear run through her body.

—My family’s surname is Wen, but I don’t work for them.

—That makes sense… If you did, you wouldn’t have helped us. I… —She looked away—. Excuse me… These past few days have been difficult —She sighed slowly, then continued—. Nice to meet you, Wen Ning. My name is Jiang Yanli.

Wen Ning returned the greeting, but upon hearing her surname, he had to ask. —Excuse me… Jiang? Are you from Yunmeng Jiang?

She nodded.

Seeing her affirmation, Wen Ning felt the need to turn to Jin Zixuan, a questioning look on his face. —What brings you to Qishan Wen, exactly? Of course, if you don’t mind me asking…

For a moment, the place was filled with an unusual silence. Jiang Yanli simply sighed as she recalled the real reason for coming here. She looked sad as she said, —Detective Jin and I came to look for my brothers. They’ve been missing for several days, and… Coincidentally, one of them is from Yiling. We suspect he’s still there.

—What a coincidence. My sister sent me a letter a few days ago explaining that she would report a missing person case in Yiling. It was a bit strange for her to ask me something like that because she had never done it before.

Jiang Yanli tilted her head. —A missing man? What is his name?

He seemed to hesitate, trying to remember. —Wei… Mmm… Wei Wu…

—Wei Wuxian? —she asked.

—Oh, yes —Wen Ning smiled—. It’s him —However, seeing her wide, seemingly astonished eyes, he too felt the surprise of the coincidence—. Ah… How did you know it was him?

—Wei Wuxian is my brother.

Wen Ning couldn’t contain his surprise. He turned to Detective Jin again and then back to her, understanding the reason for returning to a forbidden land.

—A-Xian has been missing for some time —Jiang Yanli felt the need to explain—. My other brother, A-Cheng, went in search of him and… Now he is at the Wen Government with a young lady who calls herself the Goddess of Medicine…

—Jiang Cheng? —When Wen Ning heard the mention of her second missing brother, he couldn’t help but look noticeably surprised—. The surname Jiang… Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng… Are you siblings? —She didn’t know what to say; indeed, they were. He continued—. My sister is the Goddess of Medicine, Wen Qing.

—Oh, wow. I… I don’t know what to say… —Jiang Yanli was as surprised as he was—. I mean, if she is your sister… She works for the Wen Government, and you… don’t, right? —She looked confused—. With all due respect, what are you doing here?

—As strange as it may sound, I came to look for her. I haven’t heard from her since she left Yiling —Immediately after, he took a rolled-up newspaper from his quiver—. In fact… thanks to this —he handed it to her—, I found out that she’s getting married tomorrow.

When Jiang Yanli took the newspaper, she saw on the front page the big news that the heirs Wen Xu and Wen Chao would be getting married at the same time, as a double wedding. In the photo, both couples looked happy as they joined their lives in marriage. The only person she recognized was Wen Qing.

There, she looked up at him, noticing in his eyes a clear sadness from never having been informed about the engagement. —I’m very sorry —she finally said.

Wen Ning shook his head slowly. —It’s nothing.

—If your sister is going to marry one of the heirs… where could my brother be? The latest news in the newspaper reported that she was having an affair with him, but… that’s impossible.

—What do you mean? —Wen Ning asked, somewhat confused.

—A-Cheng and her… —She shook her head—. It’s impossible.

—Why is it impossible? —He asked, tilting his head.

Jiang Yanli felt that she didn’t know how to explain it. I mean, she knew her younger brother’s preferences—how could she possibly believe that he was in love with a woman when all his life he had only ever loved one person, and that had always been Master Nie Huaisang?

Wen Ning didn’t understand why it could be impossible, since it was clear that his sister was a very well-known woman in the country, and it wasn’t the first time she had caught the attention of foreign men. Rather, the idea that she would soon marry Wen Chao did seem impossible to him—a piece of otherworldly news—but he resigned himself, not wanting to talk about the matter. “—I’d better go. You should stay hidden here while Master Jin Zixuan recovers.”

“—We can work together,” she suggested just like that, saying the first thing that came to her mind. “—You know my brothers, you know Detective Jin, and… A-Cheng is meeting with his sister right now.”

Wen Ning felt her insistence that he stay with them.

“—Please, Master Wen,” she pleaded. “—You could be the key we need to get closer to the Wen Government.”

“—That would be very dangerous,” Wen Ning said, clearly displeased with what she had in mind. “—Miss Jiang, if the Wen Government discovers you, they won’t show mercy to any of you this time. If Master Jin suffers another shock like today’s, he could sustain irreversible damage, which will only become harder to heal. The power of the ‘Core Destroyer’ harms the body’s health. If he undergoes another impact like that, he could possibly die.”

She looked horrified upon hearing that confession. She turned to Detective Jin with a gaze full of deep concern.

“—The aftereffects of an injury will always remain,” he continued. “—Master Jin has risked a lot by receiving two strikes from that destructive power. I suggest that… he should focus on protecting himself. Knowing the Wen Government, they won’t stop searching until they find you. If you have the chance to flee the country as soon as he’s better, take it.”

She just nodded, looking noticeably hopeless. “—Thank you,” was all she could say.

Wen Ning wanted to stay longer to help, but he knew the Wen Government had ruthless people under its command, and he needed to go in search of his sister. Moreover, now that he had revealed himself during that morning’s commotion, he had to be more cautious from now on. He could no longer risk these people with his presence. From today onward, he had also become a target for having interfered in Jin Zixuan’s capture.

Just before turning around, he looked at the young lady once more. “—If I find Jiang Cheng, I promise I will take care of him.”

She widened her eyes and then nodded, simply grateful for such a valuable promise. After he left the room, the place was filled with an overwhelming silence. Jiang Yanli sank into a quiet melancholy. In a way, she no longer knew what to think of all this. She was worried about everything—most of all about being left alone now that Jin Zixuan needed medical help.

She was worried that something bad might happen now that Wen Ning had left. Perhaps what she needed to do at that very moment was urgently try to relax. She went back to sit beside the bed, lost in her thoughts as she looked at his pale face. She brought a fist to her mouth while her lips trembled, then shut her eyes tightly, feeling she was about to break into tears.

She couldn’t bear it any longer and rose from the chair, feeling deeply restless. Her tears overtook her gaze as she watched the nightfall descend more quickly through the window. She held back a few drops of pain that longed to slip down her cheeks, but they grew harder and harder to restrain. There, she could no longer contain it and let herself go.

Silent crying was what she did best since she left home. The loss of her brothers, being far from her land, the danger of being caught—up to today, when she came close to losing someone important to her—she didn’t know which situation was worse. She was, in a way, tired. She didn’t know if she could endure something like this for much longer.

She spent several minutes leaning against the window ledge, crying in silence while feeling very vulnerable. It was only after releasing her tears that she began to slip into a calmer state of mind, gently wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. There, she realized she was still wearing the coat Jin Zixuan had given her just before leaving the train. It was filled with the same scent of that tear gas, so she found it important to remove it carefully and set it aside.

Right after that, there was a knock at the door. Her tearful eyes filled with worry. She didn’t want anyone to see her crying, so she hurried to wipe away every trace of sorrow from her face to avoid looking so obvious. “—Come in,” she said once she thought she was finished.

When the door opened, a woman and a man appeared, looking at her.

“—May we come in?” asked Aori, who had come as reinforcement from the Yunmeng Jiang Police Unit, along with the other man who accompanied her.

Jiang Yanli nodded, not wanting to maintain direct eye contact. “—Can you stay while I go downstairs for a moment? Please.”

“—Don’t worry,” she said at once. “—We’ll stay.” Jiang Yanli looked grateful, then stepped aside to leave the room, finally closing the door behind her.

At that moment, Aori exchanged glances with her companion, sharing the same impression: she had been crying alone.

~~~

At the bar of the new inn sat a man who had kept his distance from everything that had happened to his cousin. It was not surprising that memories of the past began to overwhelm his mind, and the truth was, he didn’t want to face the fact that his cousin had died without the chance for him to arrive in time to save him from the ruthless power of the “Core Destroyer.”

With his leg restless, he preferred to keep the area of those Wen dogs under watch, as it was the only thing he could do for the time being. With a drink in hand, he remained stationary at the counter, watching the time pass and wasting it.

“—Zixun,” suddenly, the voice of that lady calling his name made him turn toward her almost immediately.

“—Miss Jiang?” Jin Zixun looked alarmed to see her face so angelically flushed from crying. “—What’s wrong? Are you alright? Is Jin Zixuan okay?”

She nodded, but couldn’t help her eyes welling up even more at the memory, feeling the need to close them tightly as her lips trembled once again. Seeing her so vulnerable and obviously distressed, Jin Zixun invited her to come closer and held her in his arms. She leaned against his chest, burying her head in his clothing, overcome with tears.

It was to be expected that something like this would happen. Jin Zixun had no explanation at all for why the attack occurred at the Qishan Wen Railway Station. It had come as a complete surprise to him when he learned that the train had been targeted in a terrorist attack. Finding Jiang Yanli alongside his cousin, confronting Wen Zhuliu, was too much for him to process.

He didn’t know what to say next. The truth was, he didn’t want to speak either. He only wanted her to feel safe in his arms, just as he had promised. If she needed someone to offer her comfort, he was willing to give it to her without hesitation.

Chapter Text

"Laoling Inn"

Seaside Villa, Yunmeng Jiang.

Bored in the room, Wei Wuxian sighed once again. Since they had arrived at the inn that morning, everyone had decided to keep him confined to the room he shared with Lan Wangji for his own safety. Right now, he was sitting in front of a table, lazily resting his head on his hand.

He had been watching Miss Luo Qingyang fix her nails for over an hour without saying a word. And this wasn’t because he didn’t want to talk to her, but rather, it was obvious that she was never willing to speak with him. However, Wei Wuxian didn’t waste the opportunity to make use of his time, so he remained silent with the aim of studying her carefully.

Since they arrived at the inn, she had changed her clothes, wearing a dress more revealing than the previous one. The area that drew the most attention from any man was her chest; it had a pronounced neckline that suited her very well, while her shoulders were covered by a delicate, almost transparent veil.

Her style was very daring for a lady of high society in the Jin Palace. Nevertheless, there was something about her that made her look very elegant rather than vulgar. “MianMian is a very beautiful woman,” he thought. However, all that beauty couldn’t hide the poor manners she displayed toward him by simply ignoring him, even knowing that he wasn’t Mo Xuanyu.

For a moment, Wei Wuxian turned his gaze toward the window and realized that night was falling. “—MianMian,” he called.

The woman didn’t respond.

“—MianMian,” he called again, but she was simply ignoring him. He frowned. Not wanting to prolong it, he asked, “—Where did Hanguang-Jun go? He left a while ago on some ‘errands’ and still hasn’t returned.”

She glanced at him with the nail polish cap in her hand, then returned to continue her task.

Wei Wuxian said, “—Do I have to repeat myself?”

“—Calm down, boy. He’ll be back soon.”

“—He’ll be back soon? He’s been out for about four hours. Aren’t you worried that something might have happened to him?”

MianMian mocked his comment. Wei Wuxian wasn’t in the mood to tolerate her teasing. Seeing her react that way to the possibility that he might be in danger didn’t sit well with him.

“—It’s obvious you don’t know Hanguang-Jun,” she replied, raising her nails to blow on them. “—He’s too powerful for anything to happen to him. He’s not like certain other people…”

Wei Wuxian realized that she was pointing at him without using her finger. He made a sound like “Pff” and said, “—I guess you know him all too well… don’t you?”

She laughed. “—I know him like the back of my hand. I know him too well, more than you can imagine.”

Wei Wuxian looked slightly… jealous.

That lingering doubt still stayed in his mind—whether they liked each other…

“—I suppose that, for a woman like you, knowing that other people, you know… ‘other women,’ are after him and desire him… must infuriate you.”

“—You have no idea,” she said confidently, continuing to paint her nails. “—Hanguang-Jun is the second most handsome man on the list of all the heirs in the governments. And well, how could you blame him?” She laughed. “—He’s a Lan.”

Wei Wuxian, upon hearing that little laugh along with “He’s a Lan,” felt jealous. He began analyzing the way she acted when talking about him, and it seemed like she smiled even more.

“—What do you mean by saying he’s a ‘Lan’?” he had to ask.

“—Do I really have to explain it? Just by looking at him, you should have an idea. Hanguang-Jun is handsome, talented, upright, friendly, attentive…” She sighed with delight. “—He’s the prototype of a perfect man for any woman. Of course, he’s highly sought after.”

Wei Wuxian pursed his lips, not quite sure what to say about it.

“—Since he turned 20, he has received at least 50 marriage proposals from chancellors and politicians across the continent.”

“—What?” he exclaimed. “—50 marriage proposals, and he hasn’t accepted a single one?”

“—Why would he accept? He doesn’t like any of those women.”

“—Well, but…” She shrugged. “—He could try if he happens to like someone… You know. He should open up a bit more and explore new things in love… Maybe one of those women could become the love of his life… You never know…” After saying that, she had to bite her tongue.

Wei Wuxian imagined that the possibility of being with him was far too unlikely. To his disadvantage, he didn’t know if Hanguang-Jun’s affections were even on his side. Moreover, just hearing that he had received 50 marriage proposals and had rejected them all… what were the chances that he would take notice of him?

For a moment, he narrowed his eyes at MianMian, believing he knew who Hanguang-Jun had rejected each of them for. He still held the hypothesis that Hanguang-Jun was hopelessly in love with her.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened, revealing the person they had been talking about, holding a small umbrella in one hand and a red piece of clothing draped over his arm.

“—Hanguang-Jun!” MianMian exclaimed excitedly upon seeing him. He had finally arrived. “—I’m glad you’re back.” She stood up very delicately, setting the nail polish on the table. “—You’re lucky this boy hasn’t done anything but chatter.”

Wei Wuxian looked bored at hearing her. “—Careful, it shows that you’re eager to leave,” he said. She paid him no attention. She walked straight toward Hanguang-Jun, intending to speak to him privately, but he continued, “—Let him in. Let him sit, at least. After being gone for so many hours, he must be tired. You’ll have him to yourself later, don’t rush.” A smile spread across his lips as he finished, causing both pairs of eyes to remain fixed on him.

Hanguang-Jun didn’t really know what was going on. He had to look at MianMian for an explanation, which she didn’t miss the chance to give:

“—Ha! I doubt I’ll be able to rest having to listen to you all night…”

“—Well… if the majestic Hanguang-Jun doesn’t want to listen to me…” Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji with a mischievous smile. “—You can use the silencing spell whenever you want.”

Hanguang-Jun looked surprised, mainly because of that wink Wei Wuxian gave him at the end of that sentence.

“—Oh, come on. Just look at him, how bold,” MianMian’s voice followed. “—Seems like you actually enjoyed being silenced in the past, huh?”

Wei Wuxian tilted his head as he said, “—After trying it enough times, you start to acquire a taste for it.”

“—Anyone would think you’re playing the perfect role of a coy maiden. You look like you’re flirting with him.”

Wei Wuxian was doing exactly that, but upon seeing Lan Wangji’s expression, clearly not too pleased with the idea, he felt the need to change his words. “—Nah… I just… Why did you take so long to get here?” he finally asked, changing the subject.

When everyone heard that, MianMian turned her gaze to Hanguang-Jun, sharing the same question.

“—I went to get this,” Lan Wangji said, showing the wine-colored garment, a long hood. “—It will work to cover your identity in public.”

When Wei Wuxian heard the explanation, he couldn’t help but feel it was a bit much. Had he really spent so much time outside just to find a hood to cover his identity?

“—Good idea, Hanguang-Jun,” MianMian said as she looked at it more closely and felt its texture. “—As always, thinking of everything. I like it. It looks light enough for the hot moments of the day.”

“—Wait… hold on a moment,” Wei Wuxian interrupted. “—Are you seriously going to make me wear that? You’ve got to be kidding.”

“—It’s necessary,” Lan Wangji added. “—If the same thing that happened at the Mo clan’s main residence happens again, we might not be so lucky. Ideally, you should keep your identity hidden while we decide on the next step.”

MianMian reinforced her point. “—There’s not much you can do to argue with us,” she said, turning to Wei Wuxian. “—Hanguang-Jun and I have discussed it. So, whenever you go to any social event, you’ll have to wear it, whether you like it or not.”

After saying that, Lan Wangji brought the hood closer, letting him take it in his hands, feeling the fabric as he squeezed it with his fingers. By that point, Wei Wuxian was far from happy about this. It felt like having no freedom at all.

Right after, MianMian felt the urge to leave, leaving them alone once again. Wei Wuxian didn’t even notice her departure, so absorbed was he in feeling the fabric of the hood. As soon as he realized the woman was gone, he turned his gaze toward Lan Wangji, who was still standing in his place.

“—Are you really going to make me wear this?” Lan Wangji nodded. He continued, “—It doesn’t seem fair to me; I’m not Mo Xuanyu.”

“—Today you were lucky to get away,” he reflected. “—If a situation similar to the weapon incident occurs, where you could be watched from afar or captured without solid evidence that you’re responsible for the Mo family massacre, it’s better to be cautious.”

Wei Wuxian let out a sigh. “—I understand, it’s just that… how much can you really guarantee that no one will recognize me wearing this?”

“—I’ll be by your side at all times,” he added confidently. “—Your safety is our priority until we reach the Lotus Pier.”

"Your safety is our priority"

Was it really the priority of both, or just his?

Wei Wuxian remembered perfectly when Lan Wangji had also been on the verge of getting hurt if he hadn’t stopped Mo Ziyuan’s atrocious act. “—What about you? If someone sees you out there dressed like this, without hiding your identity, you could be captured or even worse,” he said, looking slightly concerned. He knew Hanguang-Jun was powerful, but… “—Mo Ziyuan wanted to kill you,” he stated. “He thought you were my bodyguard, and if I hadn’t stopped him, he would have shot you with the weapon.”

Lan Wangji tilted his head upon hearing him.

Wei Wuxian stood up. “—Both you and I face the same danger. If you only hide me…”

“—You are the priority,” he reinforced, not wanting to hear any more of his worries. “—For MianMian and for me, don’t worry.”

“—We’re in this together. How could I not worry?”

“—My role in this mission is to go in search of Mo Xuanyu and return you to your home, nothing more. Once you reach your home, you’ll have nothing to do with us anymore.”

Wei Wuxian widened his eyes in surprise. His heart took a low blow from the disappointment of hearing him confess his true intentions. It was true that their being together was due to this mission, and once it was over, each of them would go their separate ways. But there was something inside Wei Wuxian that didn’t like hearing that reality. He began to resent the idea, without fully understanding why.

As he looked at Lan Wangji with a rather unreadable expression, deciding for both of them without consulting him, the slight pain that appeared in his chest from disappointment spoke for him.

“—Fine, alright, but while we’re together, we need to set some conditions,” he said, crossing his arms seriously. “—Where did you go for four hours? I highly doubt you were just looking for this garment in the middle of a heavy downpour.” He tossed the piece still in his hands onto the table, demanding an explanation. “—Come on, tell me. Where did you go?”

Lan Wangji noticed his change in mood. Seeing the garment he had spent so long finding thrown like that, without any care, he felt a slight urge to frown.

“—You’re not going to tell me?” Wei Wuxian kept asking. When he didn’t hear a response, he grew noticeably more annoyed. “—Fine. I won’t wear anything if you’re not going to tell me.”

“—I went to get it.”

“—Just to get it?” he said with a hint of irony. “—It’s obvious you didn’t go just for that. Where exactly did you go?”

Lan Wangji felt somewhat confronted. By that point, perhaps underestimating him had been an understatement, since Wei Wuxian was a very perceptive man. He noticed everything. It probably wouldn’t be very wise to continue hiding his intentions, so he felt the need to confess. “—I went to investigate more about the incident with the Mo Royal family.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Wuxian looked offended. “—And you did it alone? You risked yourself like that without telling me anything?”

“—It was the right thing to do,” Lan Wangji said, breaking direct eye contact as he turned his back.

“—The right thing?” Wei Wuxian couldn’t understand this. He had put himself at risk to go to the Mo Royal Villa alone. “—If it was the right thing, why didn’t you tell me? You exposed yourself unnecessarily. Don’t you understand the risk you’re taking in this place too?”

“—It seems the Mo Royal family was killed by someone else,” he said, turning to look him in the eyes. “—I managed to infiltrate the main residence to gather clues and found no evidence linking Mo Xuanyu to the murders. The way the victims were killed shows a very clean and calculated modus operandi. In other words, for Mo Xuanyu to have done it on his own, he would have needed perfect mastery of a sword, and I’m more than certain he doesn’t use anything like that.”

“—A sword? —Wei Wuxian looked confused— Why do you say it could have been the work of a sword?”

“—The wounds have the same thickness as a blade of that size. Moreover, the way each of the victims died was due to two thrusts straight to the heart. There is a sword combat method that can achieve that strike. Unless I’m mistaken, someone with good aim and skill with that lethal weapon could have done it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been successful.”

“—And according to you… Mo Xuanyu…”

“—He isn’t capable of using a weapon like that. That technique had to be the work of someone else.”

"And Mo Ziyuan was set free..." Wei Wuxian analyzed what they had so far. "That also suggests Mo Xuanyu shouldn't have been the murderer. If I had a bully making my life miserable, the first person I'd want to kill would be him."

Lan Wangji didn’t reply, but he agreed.

Wei Wuxian had to admit that he did an excellent job in making sure to verify those details in this case, but still, he didn’t feel comfortable about being left out.

"I’ll write to my brother to inform him of the events," Lan Wangji said. "It will be important to explain everything in detail to know his opinion regarding the next step to take."

Wei Wuxian crossed his arms again, slightly annoyed at being excluded. He turned his gaze away with his eyes closed, making it clear he was not at all pleased. After a few minutes of silence, he noticed that Lan Wangji had once again picked up the maroon hood he had carelessly tossed onto the table, seeming to wrap it around his arm very carefully.

“Don’t even think I’m going to wear that,” Wei Wuxian added, trying to be provocative with him. “You shouldn’t have left me out of such an important discovery as this. You should have told me.”

“Wei Ying…”

“Nothing. I’m very angry,” he said, moving straight toward the door.

“Wei Ying.”

At that very moment, when Wei Wuxian heard his voice—completely different from what he was used to—he froze with one hand on the doorknob. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but hearing Lan Wangji’s voice, with a hint of pleading, made him slowly turn toward him, catching in his gaze a feeling akin to regret, while the hood remained carefully wrapped around his arm.

“You have to wear it,” he insisted.

“I’m just going downstairs. Don’t tell me I have to hide my identity from everyone down there too.”

“It’s for your own good,” he replied.

Hearing his concerned voice, patient in hoping he would listen, made Wei Wuxian feel deeply touched. Why did Lan Wangji have to be like this? Why did he feel so weak hearing him take that stance?

“All right…” He stepped closer to him and grabbed the hood, pulling it toward his body. “But just so you know, I’m wearing it because I like the color, okay? Don’t think I’m doing it just because you told me to…”

Wei Wuxian spread it in one swift motion, draped it over his shoulders, tied it around his neck, and then headed toward the doorknob.

“Wei Ying—” However, Lan Wangji stopped him before he could leave and stepped closer, intending to carefully lift the fabric rolled up at the back of his head so as not to mess up his hair and perfectly conceal his face. Once he made sure it was fully covered, he adjusted the messy knot Wei Wuxian had made in front of his neck to keep the hood resting on his shoulders. After checking everything, he looked him in the eyes and said, “Please, be very careful.”

Wei Wuxian, witnessing everything he had done, couldn’t help but get lost in the gaze of his eyes. Seeing him there, standing with the hope that he would listen, Wei Wuxian found it hard to refuse

~~~

That night, the view inside the inn was melancholic, thanks to the music. Wei Wuxian felt the place was a waste, unlike what he had imagined, which was having fun. Still, he went downstairs, noticing several couples enjoying themselves at their tables while drinking beer.

A rather striking yet modest laugh near the bar caught his attention. There, he saw MianMian with a man who hadn’t yet taken a seat but seemed mesmerized listening to her speak. From that distance, Wei Wuxian could observe the situation more clearly and noticed that while she talked, the man did nothing but stare at her chest. He had already seen this kind of behavior from her when she approached strangers as if they were her friends.

With an idea in mind, he walked over there, and as they continued talking, his voice interrupted the conversation, catching both of their attention:

“Excuse me, sir, but this is my seat, sorry,” Wei Wuxian sat down right where the man had been standing the whole time, interrupting his conversation. “Huh?” By then, Wei Wuxian looked at the man, who was already glaring at him with annoyance. “Did I interrupt something? Oh, sorry,” he feigned regret. “Maybe I should tell your wife that you’re flirting with a forbidden girl.”

“What?” He looked even more annoyed. “I don’t have a wife.”

“And that ring?” He pointed to his ring finger, which had a gold band.

The man looked noticeably surprised. Having been caught in the most pathetic way, he covered the ring with his hand, but Wei Wuxian was already shooing him away with a slight wave of his hand. “Go.”

The man did nothing but huff, roll his eyes, and leave.

“Great,” MianMian said with displeasure. “Just what was missing.”

Wei Wuxian noticed her reaction of obvious disappointment. There, he felt the need to say, “Most men, when asked what they would be like if they were a woman for a day, angrily claim they would be prostitutes, to say the least. However… they say this because they don’t understand the value of being a woman. You, on the other hand… it seems that the more attention you draw, the more you enjoy it.”

“Is that a crime?” She looked proud. “I’m a goddess. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Yes, but there are many men who won’t see you in a healthy way.”

She didn’t want to hear a lecture. “What are you? A priest? Please… don’t come giving me lectures. You’re not a woman, so you have no right to have an opinion on this.”

“That’s true, I’m not a woman, but I have a sister, and I know that a woman’s reputation can be tarnished very quickly. That’s why I always try to protect her from precisely these kinds of situations.”

MianMian closed her eyes as she adjusted one of the sleeves of her outfit. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t need anyone to protect me. I’ve known how to take care of myself for a long time,” she paused before adding, “You, on the other hand, it’s a good thing you followed orders and are wearing the hood Hanguang-Jun gave you. Otherwise… you’d be in serious trouble.”

“Don’t think I’m excited about this. At this rate, I’ll have to use your makeup or dress as a woman to completely hide my identity.”

“Not just your identity, but your ugliness too.”

One thing was certain: Wei Wuxian thought that perhaps MianMian was upset about him kicking out her “date” that night, but that wasn’t the crux of the matter. It didn’t matter the place or the time—she continued treating him contemptuously for no reason, and he was getting tired of it. This time, Wei Wuxian didn’t want to ignore it. He confronted her, saying, “Fine, since we’re together, explain to me why you despise Mo Xuanyu.”

“Excuse me? I don’t despise him at all.”

“You’re the only one who can’t tolerate him. Even knowing that I’m not him, you treat me terribly.”

“You’re mistaken.”

“Then… why do you despise me? You use derogatory words when referring to me, and as if that weren’t enough, I feel like you want to leave just for the simple fact that I’m keeping you company.”

She said nothing, just frowned and closed her eyes, ignoring him. By then, Wei Wuxian knew he had touched on an important topic. He wanted to call Qin Su, who was tending the bar. “Dear, please bring me a glass of your finest liquor and…” He turned his gaze toward MianMian, having an idea. “Better make it two.”

“Gladly, I’ll bring them to you,” she said, nodding before walking away.

“For whom did you order the other glass of liquor?” MianMian asked. “If it’s for me, no thanks.”

“Well, I was thinking that with a little alcohol between us, this conversation might not be so unpleasant.” Just then, Qin Su arrived with the drinks. “Thank you, miss,” Wei Wuxian smiled at her and then turned to MianMian. “Go ahead. It’s on me.”

MianMian noticed his kind smile as he handed her the glass of alcohol, and her serious expression changed to one of confusion. “Was he going to toast me? With what money?” she thought. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Wei Wuxian pull a fuchsia pouch from inside his clothes.

“What!?” She looked scandalized. “Where did you get that!?”

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian looked at the fuchsia pouch in his hands and realized the reason for her shock. “Ah, yes. Hanguang-Jun gave it to me.”

“What!? He gave it to you? That’s a lie! Did you steal Hanguang-Jun’s purse?”

“Steal? He owes me after losing my briefcase. All my things were in there.”

When Wei Wuxian took out the corresponding money and paid Qin Su, MianMian was fuming. She couldn’t believe that he had in his possession the little pouch she had given Hanguang-Jun as a symbol of their great friendship. It was a huge disrespect in every sense. Why would Hanguang-Jun allow him to handle something as important as his money? She couldn’t understand such condescension.

Wei Wuxian didn’t wait and drank from his glass as if it were water. He made a slight grimace after taking a large sip, then wiped his mouth. “So? Are you going to tell me why you hate Mo Xuanyu so much?”

“I’ve never hated him. I don’t know where you got that nonsense from.”

“Mmm… well. To be honest, you’ve never been happy with anything that involves him. Not even when you believed, along with Hanguang-Jun, that they had captured him when he kidnapped me.”

“After so many times?” Sarcasm laced his voice. “Who would consider themselves happy to look for him for the tenth time?”

“Someone who didn’t hate him, for example,” she replied.

MianMian shook her head. It was clear she didn’t want to talk after the purse incident. Wei Wuxian studied her carefully as he crossed one leg to get more comfortable.

“Just so you know, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he said.

“Well, you’re managing it,” she replied.

“But—” He continued, ignoring that unexpected interruption— “I noticed your concern about the possibility that Mo Xuanyu might have been the murderer of the Mo Royal Family. I sense that if it worried you so much… it’s because you know something that perhaps we don’t.”

“Tsk,” she huffed. “What are you saying now? Everyone has their own way of reacting to things. If my reaction was exaggerated, well, it’s for obvious reasons: I don’t see him as capable.”

“Is that it… or are you afraid that he might one day take revenge on you? Because to be honest… with all this contempt… he could have you in his sights and you wouldn’t even realize it.”

“Shut up,” she demanded. “I… none of that is going to happen. Mo Xuanyu would never be capable of something like that.”

“Why not? It hasn’t been confirmed that he stays away from crime.” Wei Wuxian knew the conclusions Hanguang-Jun had shared with him after studying the case of the Mo Royal Family massacre. It was possible that Mo Xuanyu was innocent, but he needed to lie to get her to tell the truth.

“That’s not true,” she said, slightly worried by his words. “He has always been a calm man. He would never have turned aggressive that first time when Hanguang-Jun and you…” There, she remembered when Wei Wuxian had gone wild the moment, he thought he had been kidnapped, confronting Hanguang-Jun with his strength. Just by looking at him, MianMian realized the clear difference between the two: Mo Xuanyu and him were never the same person. “Mo Xuanyu has never been a violent man,” she sighed with a touch of bitterness. “On the contrary, thanks to him, the Jin Palace family fell into ruin.”

Wei Wuxian tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

MianMian let out a heavy sigh as she felt one of her legs fidget. She didn’t want to dig into the corners of the past for what no longer mattered.

—MianMian —Wei Wuxian added when he saw her hesitate—. Why was he the one who caused them to fall into the abyss?

She sighed deeply, thinking that maybe this time she could vent to someone willing to listen. “Well, three years ago, Madam Jin passed away. The palace came under the control of Jin GuangShan and his three sons. However,… we all knew that Leader Jin wasn’t doing his job properly due to his mourning.” —Seeing Wei Wuxian paying attention, she continued—: “Because of that, Jin Zixuan, who was the son from the main marriage… proposed to revoke his father’s title as ruler while he was still alive, in order to gain control of the Jin Palace. The petition was made, they tried to win it, and just when it was about to be granted, guess who opposed it.”

—Mo Xuanyu —he said.

—Exactly. Because of him, my life fell apart.

Wei Wuxian felt that it was a strong statement. “I don’t see the connection as to why it affected you so much, knowing that the ones who directly suffered the consequences of that man’s disgrace were his children.”

MianMian remained silent, remembering those days clearly. She was right to say that Jin GuangShan’s disgraces didn’t affect her directly. Yet, in the same way, she was left alone when she needed support the most, finding herself in the most difficult situation she had to endure as a woman.

—MianMian? —Wei Wuxian pressed—. Did something else happen that you haven’t told me?

—I… don’t feel comfortable talking about this.

—Hey, calm down. I want to listen to you. We’re in this mission together, right? I want you to consider me as your ally, just like you do with Hanguang-Jun.

—No one compares to Hanguang-Jun —she said firmly—. He will never be replaceable, not even by you.

—So harsh…

—I’m serious. Hanguang-Jun can never be replaceable. He would never be capable of abandoning me. We made a pact to go on missions together. It’s always been that way since the first year —And it was true; for the past year, Hanguang-Jun had become part of her missions as they gradually began to cross paths by chance.

Their encounters between missions became more frequent than they had ever imagined, and as a result, they formed a friendship each time they met to solve their problems together. At first, MianMian didn’t understand his behavior, but as they began working as a team to the point of thinking almost alike, there was a chemistry between them that helped them ally and forge the friendship that turned them into the inseparable duo they are now.

For several months, MianMian couldn’t imagine finding anyone else who would accompany her the way Jin Zixuan once did.

Before Hanguang-Jun, Jin Zixuan was her mission partner. He was her instructor. He taught her everything that being a ruler in the Jin Palace entailed, and every one of her duties. He helped her grow and become a strong woman who gradually found herself dependent on his company when she confused their close friendship for something more.

As the years passed during their growth, they became inseparable best friends. They supported each other and sometimes found moments of distraction that helped them have fun and break from routine. Jin Zixuan became one of those rare friends you hardly ever find in life. They shared everything, to the point of becoming confidants. Three years ago, she witnessed how difficult it was for him to cope with his mother’s death. Her passing was sudden, in a way uncertain. She mourned her loss deeply, mainly because Jin Zixuan loved her like no one else in this world.

Jin Mándame was always very kind to her. Many times, the three of them had fun at the extravagant parties in the Jin Palace, where on several occasions she “forced” Jin Zixuan to dance with MianMian, but he always refused, clearly embarrassed. MianMian always laughed at it, but it was impossible not to want a dance with him every time she saw him embarrassed. Gradually, she found herself more and more drawn to him. Jin Zixuan had become her best friend, but also the prototype of her ideal man. Many times, she wished that when the time came to marry, he would choose her as his wife without hesitation.

MianMian had fantasized about a beautiful life by his side. However, all that paradise was destroyed when he lost his mother. It was then that she decided to give him her unconditional support. She wanted to be there for him at all times, with the idea of going through the mourning together.

MianMian tried her best to help him, offering support and advice; she was simply unconditional because seeing his suffering hurt her. However, when the petition against Jin GuangShan took a downturn, with forecasts predicting it would not succeed, Jin Zixuan chose to isolate himself.

That was when her real nightmare began: Jin Zixuan no longer called her like before, didn’t seek her out, and didn’t ask for her help. MianMian tried everything she could to make him lean on her, but he chose to do everything on his own, leaving her feeling emotionally abandoned.

—When I was about to lose him… I did the biggest mistake in the world —she continued recounting.

—What did you do? —he asked her.

—I confessed my love —Wei Wuxian could see the sorrow in her eyes. She continued—. I confessed my love believing he would return my feelings as a woman after so many years, but… he didn’t. I never understood why. We had chemistry, we shared everything. There wasn’t a day we didn’t laugh together. Our friendship was so close that sometimes I felt he was flirting with me. He was so gentlemanly with me that… I only ever had the chance to kiss him once —She sighed—. And that was only because we had both drunk too much.

She sighed.

—That kiss, I will never forget it. I even considered him the love of my life, but… —She looked frustrated—. After everything I always believed we were, and what I thought we would become, it was all a complete farce. I never meant anything to him. I was only ever someone he could have fun with and flirt with as many times as he wanted, but he never loved me. To the point that, when he left Lanlin Jin, he didn’t even say goodbye.

—What a jerk —Wei Wuxian said, unable to help himself.

—I don’t know what happened between us. He left and left me alone in the Jin Palace with all the problems that arose there because of the lost petition. Those days were difficult, but it was later that I found out the petition had failed because of one person… and that person was always that bastard.

—So that’s why you hate Mo Xuanyu —Wei Wuxian said, understanding the situation better—. Because of him, Jin Zixuan left —She said nothing, but her displeasure was evident. Wei Wuxian thought it important to add—. Well, I have some bad news for you, my dear. Mo Xuanyu wasn’t to blame for anything. If Jin Zixuan chose to leave without saying anything, it was because he wanted to. No one was at fault; neither Mo Xuanyu for trying to unite his family, nor you for being an unconditional friend —He continued—. The one to blame was Jin Zixuan, for causing that pain in your heart.

She listened to him carefully, feeling her facial features relax. —Do you really believe that?

—Of course. You weren’t the reason he left. If he had truly felt love for you, he would have chosen you above everything else.

MianMian looked away with drooping eyelids. Remembering those times made her heart still long for the good moments with Jin Zixuan. —All this time I always thought he left because I confessed my love. If he didn’t want to return my feelings… why drag it out? Honestly, I was never attractive to him as a woman.

—If I were you, I would never have worried about something like that.

—It’s just that before I wasn’t even half of what I am now —she justified—. Now, I’m more beautiful.

—There’s something I’ve always learned… —Wei Wuxian said—. A person’s beauty is always found on the inside, not in their appearance.

—Pff —she teased—. Men always eat with their eyes, and don’t think about denying it. I saw you earlier looking at my breasts.

—Well, my dear. If you keep deliberately showing them off, that will be the only thing men notice, including me. Do you want to know what I think when I see your breasts? —She remained silent, curious. He continued—. I think they’re the only attributes you have to offer as a woman, and you have nothing to show in terms of your personal beauty.

She looked offended. She turned her gaze away, unconvinced. —Personal beauty? I already have beauty. That thing called “personal beauty” is just an excuse for ugly people. Besides, I’m not in a hurry to find “true love” in a man, because obviously that doesn’t exist. I’d rather use it to my advantage until it no longer serves me and then continue enjoying my single life.

—And does that satisfy you? —he asked her—. Because to be honest, I know what it feels like to have multiple options: in the end, you get the same result—loneliness.

She looked at him with a hint of surprise. She wanted to say something, but after carefully considering his words, she felt the need to remain silent.

—Don’t you think that if you try to catch the attention of one good man instead of several, you might find true love?

—That never worked for me.

—I’m not talking about Jin Zixuan or any other jerk you’ve come across. I’m talking about a good man who’s willing to give everything for you, to the point of making you sigh and say: “He is my man.”

For a moment, Wei Wuxian heard a laugh coming from her. —Wei Wuxian, what are you saying? You really are something else —MianMian couldn’t hold back her laughter, which made him smile sincerely, for it was the first time she had finally used his name to refer to him.

—Do you have someone in mind who inspires you to call him that? —He wanted to dig deeper into the conversation, hoping to learn more about her romantic interests. MianMian seemed to think about it amid her laughter but then shook her head. He continued—. No one attracts you? Hanguang-Jun seems like a good candidate… —He nudged her casually, which made her laugh even harder.

—Of course he’s a good candidate —she affirmed—. But not in that way. Ever since Jin Zixuan left me, I’ve learned that with Hanguang-Jun I would never make the same mistake.

—And is confessing a crime? When you like and love someone, it’s not something you choose.

—Maybe you’re right —she lifted her glass of liquor from the bar—. But that’s one of the things that makes us inseparable. We both know how to be friends to each other, without any other intentions involved —She drank from her glass before adding—. Even if, in a hypothetical case, I confessed my love to him, I’d know he would reject me, so it’s ridiculous to even try.

—Ouch… Don’t be so hard on yourself.

—It’s not about me. It’s about him. Hanguang-Jun has never liked a girl, or, for that matter, ever mentioned to me any romantic interest throughout this whole year together.

Wei Wuxian looked intrigued and, at the same time, puzzled. —Not even a little fling?

—Nothing —she said confidently as she continued drinking—. He doesn’t usually waste time on that.

For a moment, Wei Wuxian didn’t entirely believe her. Not even a little fling? During those four hours that he was absent, he could have had the opportunity to hire a companion. Of course, his thoughts would have been reasonable if he hadn’t felt jealous. He mentally slapped himself for thinking such nonsense. Even he realized that his imagination was going to extremes that seemed to harm him. He wanted to drink more of his beverage to calm his madness. If what MianMian said was true regarding Lan Wangji’s little desire to find his soulmate, that meant the majestic Hanguang-Jun also had no romantic interest in MianMian.

He had to admit that this hypothesis raised many doubts for him. I mean, MianMian was too beautiful for him to have never felt any attraction toward her. Besides… if Hanguang-Jun had never had a romantic relationship with anyone… didn’t that mean his life lacked a bit more fun?

—You know —she said—, I should have been bolder back then and slept with Jin Zixuan when I had the chance. Offered him myself and maybe… we would have had the most passionate night in the world as a farewell —She sighed—. After all, I always think of him when I want to lose my virginity.

Wei Wuxian widened his eyes in surprise, thinking she was opening up more than expected. —Wait a moment. Could it be… you’re a virgin?

She looked at him and found it amusing. —Is it so hard to believe?

—Well… are you still waiting for it? —She blinked as she looked into his grayish eyes, feeling a vulnerability about the topic. Wei Wuxian said to her—. I recommend you stop deceiving yourself by expecting anything from him at this point. If he hasn’t returned to Lanlin Jin after so much time, it’s not worth it.

—But how do I tell my heart that he’s not the right guy? I think when you feel the desire to give yourself to someone, body and soul, nothing and no one can take them out of your heart.

—You have to erase that mark he left on you —he said confidently—. There are plenty of fish in the sea. That jerk isn’t the only man in the world.

—What about you? —she asked him—. From what you said that night when we arrived in the kayak… you confessed that you had a girlfriend. How true is that?

—What do you mean by “how true”? Don’t you believe me?

—You’re too playful. One day it seems like you’re flirting with me, and the next you’re flirting with Hanguang-Jun. Does your girlfriend take you seriously? Or… could it be that you made her up?

—I adore my girlfriend —he told her with a half-smile—. I may be cheerful and mischievous with everyone I meet, but her, I wouldn’t trade for anyone.

MianMian didn’t believe him much. No woman would be able to put up with such a mischievous attitude as his.

—Hey, beautiful —suddenly, as they heard the gentleman’s voice approaching, Wei Wuxian saw the same man with a ring in hand walking toward her—. Come dance with me. I want to enjoy this piece together.

Wei Wuxian noticed that they had changed the music on the record player to something more lively and fun. By then, MianMian felt flattered by the invitation and the persistence of this man. However, upon seeing Wei Wuxian’s look clearly telling her not to, she immediately remembered the ring and everything they had been talking about.

She then walked over to the man to say—Actually… —She grabbed one of Wei Wuxian’s hands firmly before adding—. I already have a dance partner.

Both Wei Wuxian and the man were taken by surprise. The former couldn’t help but smile and play along, since he loved to dance, and if he had someone to do it with… why not? On the other hand, the man with the ring looked at Wei Wuxian with disdain. However, Wei Wuxian didn’t care if he had a burgundy hood covering most of his face; when it came to dancing and having fun, nothing and no one could stop him.

The music lifted the gloomy atmosphere. Several couples lined up, laughing, caring little that that morning the Mo Royal Village was supposed to be in mourning for the loss of its owners.

The noise was so exceedingly loud that it caught the attention of the only man in white who loved silence, who was currently at the table in the room writing a letter. Curiosity struck him, and he was already making his way down each of the stairs to find out what was happening outside the room.

When Lan Wangji took in the scene, it was complete chaos. He couldn’t find Wei Ying anywhere—until he turned toward the dance area, the place where he was dancing with MianMian.

Seeing him having so much lively fun with her, and she not falling behind, following each of his steps as if they had known each other their whole lives, a strange feeling arose in his chest—and not in a good way.

What was happening?

Why were they smiling so much while dancing?

Chapter Text

"Palace of the Sun" 

Qishan Wen.

The next morning, the wedding preparations were underway. Wen Qing was in the dressing room with the beautiful dress she had finally decided on yesterday with Wang LingJiao.

To be honest, it was a somewhat annoying afternoon. Wang LingJiao had left her exhausted with so many touch-ups that were still continuing today. Right now, Wen Qing just stood motionless in front of the mirror, not paying attention to anything related to the wedding. Her mind was focused on another problem.

--Oh my God… This can’t be… --Her bridesmate’s voice was heard as she entered the dressing room. She had an exceptional hairstyle paired with makeup that was somewhat grotesque due to its excess, and a glass of champagne in her hand— --But look at you, doll. You finally look decent.

Wen Qing rolled her eyes.

She didn’t want to listen to that woman.

--I can’t believe that, from being my maid of honor, you will finally be Wen Chao’s wife --She looked her up and down--. Do you realize that he is finally the man of your life?

--The idea of the wedding was never mine --She added bluntly, without taking her eyes off the mirror.

--Still on about that? --Wang LingJiao raised an eyebrow--. Everything he’s done for you, and you… you’re still not happy? You really can’t be grateful. How ungrateful you’ve become --Wang LingJiao took a sip from her glass and then said--. You lack the manners to be Wen Chao’s future wife --She smirked--. The good thing is that I’m here. I can help you correct that bad attitude of yours.

--No, thank you. I clearly didn’t ask for that --After a loud laugh, Wen Qing felt the need to glance at her out of the corner of her eye.

--Doll, I don’t need you to ask me. As long as Wen Chao did it --She laughed--, that’s more than enough.

--Excuse me? --She frowned.

--Wen Chao has told me how difficult all of this—his marriage—has been for you. He hasn’t spared a single detail in telling me about the flaws you have as his future wife, making you seem like a low-class woman… but don’t worry --She waved her hand dismissively--. I’m here to guide you and turn you into a refined woman…

"How insolent," Wen Qing thought.

Her fists clenched. What did this woman care about her problems with Wen Chao? It was obvious that everything she said felt offensive, but what bothered her even more was that that idiot Wen Chao was spreading all the “flaws” he found in her to everyone, especially to this woman standing in front of her. At that moment, Wen Qing thought that Wen Chao was truly a hypocrite; criticizing her behind her back, and then when they were together, reminding her that he loved her with all her “flaws.”

Suddenly, the seamstresses who had been fixing the final details of the dress apparently finished. Only the veil on her tiara was left.

--Eh, eh, no. Stop --However, Wang LingJiao added, catching everyone’s attention. Then she approached one of her attendants who was holding a bag and took out a different veil--. This is the real veil for her.

The seamstress who was next to Wen Qing had to replace it and then attach it to her tiara.

--Wait a moment --Wen Qing stopped her, noticing that this veil was different because it had writing embroidered along its entire length.

When she had the chance to bring it in front of her eyes and read the writing, she couldn’t contain her surprise:

"The bride is Wen Chao's property"

Her dark eyes darted from side to side from the shocking sight, while her hands trembled as they held the soft, delicate fabric… She was definitely being driven crazy.

"The bride is the property of…"

PROPERTY.

Her hands began to tremble more and more with anger. There was nothing else in this world that disgusted her as much as the meaning of that word.

--What the hell is this? --She asked hastily, directing her furious eyes at the other woman.

--Huh? --Wang LingJiao looked confused by the expression in her eyes--. Darling, what do you think? It’s a veil that clearly shows who you belong to --She smirked as she saw her disgusted reaction grow even more--. The original idea came from Wen Chao. All with the goal of letting the world know that you’re not unfaithful to him.

Upon hearing her confession, Wen Qing stared at her. --How did you find out about that?

--It’s in the newspaper, darling! --She replied immediately--. What did you think? That no one would find out? Hahaha! Please, Wen Qing. You should be a bit more aware of the consequences of your actions. You clearly made a terrible mistake. But don’t worry… --She waved her hand--. You’re lucky that Wen Chao is a good man and has made sure no one else knows, not even Leader Wen, because otherwise… you wouldn’t be here.

Wen Qing now understood everything.

Apparently, this woman was more than aware of the problems she had with Wen Chao, more than she could have ever imagined. No wonder the man told her yesterday that she would accompany her to choose the wedding dress—he needed someone to make sure that the personalized veil would match the wedding gown.

Wen Qing felt that this woman was a schemer in every sense of the word. However, seeing the situation, she thought it was important to ask. --And yours? --She referred to the veil--. I imagine it also says that you belong to Wen Xu.

Wang LingJiao laughed. --No need. I don’t play the role of a slut like you.

Wen Qing was outraged. She had an immense urge to punch that mouth to wipe off her damn brazen smile. It seemed the other woman noticed, as she wasn’t foolish enough to stay there any longer. With her laughter echoing throughout the palace, she waved her hand in the air to call all her attendants to finally help her with the wedding dress, since the time for the double wedding was approaching.

With the veil in her hand, Wen Qing trembled with fury.

--Miss Wen… --She heard the seamstress’s voice--. It’s almost time. Could I… --She gently took the veil that Wen Qing hated so much.

Wen Qing had to let her put it on until she was finished. Through the mirror, she carefully watched as that dreadful veil draped over her red dress, tarnishing the elegance she radiated with those horrible words.

--Miss Wen --One of the maids said--. It’s almost time for the royal wedding. You should go out.

--Could you give me a minute? --She asked, forcing a smile--. I need to go to my room urgently.

The young ladies looked at each other, as it wasn’t normal for Miss Wen to be asking for permission. Obviously, they didn’t refuse her request.

Since the bizarre wedding was about to begin, most of the servants were focused on their tasks. There weren’t many guards in the hallways, so Wen Qing had the freedom to go to her room and perhaps enjoy her last moments of being single. She locked the door, leaned her back against it, and then clenched her fists tightly, sinking into a state of complete indignation.

By then, Wen Qing noticed some things that Wen Chao had left on the nightstand from their last encounter, and she went over to throw them to the floor. A masculine perfume filled the room with its stench. The bottle shattered into a thousand pieces.

Wen Qing covered her nose even though the smell wasn’t bad. However, that distinctive scent reminded her more and more of Wen Chao, making her feel slightly nauseous as she breathed heavily while looking at the mess on the floor that she had caused.

What was happening to her?

Why was she losing her mind like this?

The stench of that fragrance reminded her of everything she had heard the night before.

.....
....
...
..
.

Flashback

It was barely nine o’clock at night when Wen Qing had stopped seeing Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng ignored her the entire time. He didn’t care to listen to her instructions on what she should do from now on for her foot to fully heal. He wasn’t interested at all, and as a result, made her feel as if she didn’t exist, since, according to him, he wouldn’t speak to her until she got him out of there.

Wen Qing imagined that something like this would happen after the last argument they had. However, it was impossible not to reflect on the fact that Jiang Cheng’s pride was unbreakable.

After that dreadful visit, she carried all the medical supplies while walking through the hallways. However, she stopped when she came across an unexpected conversation. Around the corner, there was an argument—she knew because both voices were agitated. Peeking cautiously, Wen Qing realized that one of the participants was Wen Chao, and the other was Wen Zhuliu, the latter briefly explaining that he had been unable to capture Jin Zixuan.

--You have to do it! That animal shouldn’t still be here, touching our pure lands! It’s going to contaminate them! --Wen Chao was furious, enraged. She understood the context of the situation as she saw him spouting nonsense into the air regarding his opinion of the detective.

By then, imagining that Jin Zixuan had managed to escape from Wen Zhuliu was completely unexpected, which meant he had come well-prepared. On this occasion, the detective was quite lucky to get out unharmed… Meanwhile, Wen Zhuliu continued recounting the story from beginning to end, justifying the reason for his failure. Wen Chao’s face seemed to redden more and more at the “excuses.” In fact, a vein stood out prominently on most of his forehead.

--Is there any good news you can tell me about everything I asked you to do!? I need good news! Not these timewasters! Damn it!

--Actually… I do have one for you --Wen Zhuliu said.

--Then, say it!

Wen Qing leaned in closer, wanting to hear what this so-called "good news" was amid all the misfortune.

--I discovered the name of the man who accompanied Miss Wen Qing through the tourist valleys of Qishan Wen. His name is Jiang Cheng.

Upon hearing that truth revealed, Wen Qing turned completely pale.

--Jiang… Cheng… --Wen Chao enunciated each syllable of that man’s name with irritation, staring at his bodyguard--. Are you sure about that?

--Completely sure. That is the man who accompanied Miss Wen Qing at the “Peace and Love” clinic, and he is the same one she danced with at the restaurant in the same area.

Wen Zhuliu also told him the truth about the car accident, not omitting that Jiang Cheng should now be experiencing an issue with his left ankle as a result of the accident. By then, Wen Chao had changed drastically. From being enraged, he now seemed to be overanalyzing everything, even placing a hand under his chin as doubt crossed his mind.

--Wait a moment, Jiang Cheng… I’ve heard that name before. Could it be that… --He paused as an idea came to mind while still staring into Wen Zhuliu’s eyes--. I remember now. That man… isn’t he in the palace dungeons?

When Wen Qing heard this, she became frightened. "Oh no… He realized it," she thought, feeling anxiety course through her body. If Wen Chao knew that Jiang Cheng was here, he would be in serious trouble. Her breathing grew much heavier from the fear it caused her. She didn’t want Jiang Cheng to suffer the consequences of something he wasn’t guilty of.

--Wen Qing told me that Wen Xu caught him a month ago… --Wen Chao continued connecting the dots, remembering that he had an issue with his left foot, similar to what Wen Zhuliu had mentioned--. Now everything makes sense… If that prisoner is him… then there’s a possibility that Wen Qing sneaked out with him that day to have fun at the restaurant. Mmm… Let’s see who has fun now.

--What’s the next move? --Wen Zhuliu asked--. Should I go after him?

--No, not for now --Wen Chao added, believing that if he was already captured, it was one less problem to worry about--. Tomorrow is the wedding, and I’m almost certain that if Wen Qing finds out I hurt him, she’ll be angry. For now, let’s enjoy the wedding and… --His expression darkened further at the memory--. Keep searching for those Jin bastards! Next time, I don’t want any excuses! Kill all those filthy foreigners from Yunmeng Jiang if necessary! I DON’T WANT THEM IN MY LANDS!

Several footsteps alerted Wen Qing as they approached her location. By then, Wen Qing had hidden much better behind another wall where he couldn’t see her even for a moment. Fortunately, Wen Chao continued down the path without realizing that she had heard their entire conversation. However, that didn’t change the fact that this news was truly devastating.

Hidden in that hallway, her hands trembled, her legs trembled. Her whole being shook with fear that he might do something bad to Jiang Cheng. Immediately after, she tightly closed her eyes, recalling the phrase he had given her:

"I will do whatever I want, because I want to and I can."

End of flashback

.
..
...
....
.....

When Wen Qing remembered each of those words, a flame in her chest blazed fiercely and grew stronger. Jiang Cheng was right. He had always been aware of the reality of her nightmare, having been manipulated all this time by Wen Chao.

What was she doing? Why was she still by the side of a man she didn’t love? Did she really have to endure a lifetime submerged in this misery just for an arranged marriage? Was she going to throw away the happiness of her single life for a marital agreement her parents had made in her childhood? Was it worth it? Was it worth losing herself by accepting her fate?

Her fearful thoughts were overshadowed by anger. Within seconds, she quickly grabbed a bag and packed everything she needed to take with her. Most of her luggage was filled with all her medicines from the table. She set aside everything she no longer needed and grabbed her purse to escape from there.

As soon as she had everything ready to leave, a voice came from the other side of the door. --Miss Wen? --One of the maids called her attention--. Everyone is waiting for you at the parish. The wedding is about to begin.

--I’ll be there in a second --She replied--. Wait for me there! I want to arrive by surprise!

When she finished giving her reason for the delay, the maid seemed to laugh at how sweet it was that she wanted to arrive by surprise to impress her fiancé. Right after, the maid left her alone, just as she had asked. There, Wen Qing didn’t waste any more time. She slung her bag over her shoulder and opened the door to run out of that palace.

~~~

Inside the dungeons, there was a man imprisoned, carefully observing the depths of the jail to plan his next move.

He was determined to leave that place if Wen Qing wasn’t going to free him.

After noticing all these days that the Wen guards walked by without really supervising the cells, their faces looking truly tired, Jiang Cheng had the idea of capturing one of them in some sort of ambush to forcibly take the keys. The truth was, he couldn’t do much while confined on the other side of the cell, but he believed that if he tried, maybe he’d get lucky. However, at the very moment he thought that, he heard a sudden noise near the main entrance that echoed throughout the place.

The guard, who was about to pass near his cell with a tired face, was startled and quickly headed in that direction, destroying Jiang Cheng’s chance to ambush him.

By then, Jiang Cheng seemed to curse in his mind, trying to get a better view of what was happening out there. However, several screams, followed by loud, gut-wrenching blows, were what he heard next, making him worry about the well-being of the guard he had seen on patrol. To Jiang Cheng, those screams were terrifying. What was going on? Who were they torturing?

“Whose screams are those? Could they be coming from the guards?” he wondered, until each of the screams suddenly faded away.

The prison fell into a chilling, deathly silence that sent shivers down Jiang Cheng’s spine with fear. To make matters worse, Jiang Cheng had no way to defend himself in case something serious had happened to the guards. He stepped back and put on the black hood he still had from Wen Qing to hide his identity. Then, he stayed alert, listening to several footsteps approaching his direction, clenching his fists tightly — if he had to defend himself, he would use all his strength against whoever it was.

As soon as he saw that mysterious person appear in front of his cell, his eyes froze when they met Wen Qing’s gaze. She was dressed in a very elegant and different way, wearing a passionate red dress and a dark veil over her head. To be honest, everything Jiang Cheng saw on her — even the makeup — seemed like a cartoon, something like a big joke.

--What does this mean? Wen Qing? --He looked her up and down, clearly impressed.

--Shut up --She took out some keys, trembling badly, and flung the cell open--. Don’t say anything and let’s get out of here as fast as possible. NOW!

~~~

Jiang Cheng couldn’t believe what Wen Qing had done. Those screams he had heard earlier in the dungeons were from the Wen guards lying defeated on the floor. As she forced him out of that place, going up the stairs leading into the massive palace and then toward freedom, the voice of a guard caught them.

--Hey! Stop! You’re committing a crime!

Jiang Cheng couldn’t even think about the fear of being discovered, as Wen Qing didn’t slow down for a moment. It seemed she had forgotten that he had an injury in his left ankle that wasn’t fully healed. Although it didn’t hurt as much anymore, Jiang Cheng felt that a wrong move could worsen the injury. Therefore, he begged Wen Qing for mercy to go a little slower, and the good thing was that she guided him to a fairly large stable out of sight of others.

He was quickly led to the place where several horses were gathered.

--We’re leaving --She said as she prepared to open the pen of one of them and take it out with the harness ready--. We have to get out of here as fast as possible.

Firm in her stance, Wen Qing signaled for him to get onto the animal’s back immediately. Jiang Cheng studied it carefully, but that would require a tremendous effort, and he didn’t think it would be easy to mount a horse with an injured ankle. However, before he could voice his concern, the sound of several guards approaching them completely changed his decision.

Wen Qing grabbed him by the arm and forced him to hide in a storage room with a single push; the place was large enough to conceal them but also narrow enough that they had little comfort while hiding.

--Shh --She gestured with her index finger on her red-painted lips while carefully arranging the dress so it wouldn’t be visible at the edges of the storage room.

By then, Jiang Cheng was affected in two ways: the first was from being hurt when his back collided with the interior wall of the storage room, and the second was from Wen Qing’s truly enchanting perfume, which seemed to overwhelm him due to the close distance between them in that space.

He didn’t want to think about that. In fact, he didn’t even want to move to avoid touching inappropriate parts of her body, as the closeness was far too uncomfortable, not to mention the heat concentrated between them. He could barely breathe. He let out a slight groan while trying to find the best position for his injured foot, but she covered his mouth with one of her hands, insisting that he remain completely silent.

--Get out of there, Miss Wen Qing.

Upon hearing her name mentioned, she muttered a curse under her breath at having been discovered. There was no point in staying hidden when the guards had found her anyway. --Stay --She told Jiang Cheng with unwavering seriousness, then mustered the courage to step out.

As soon as she stepped out, Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, recovering the air he had lost from feeling suffocated. He adjusted his posture and relaxed a little more… In fact, he took the opportunity to peek through the storage room’s opening carefully, observing a quartet of guards outside. Each of them was armed, unlike them, who had nothing to defend themselves with.

--Miss Wen Qing --Spoke the chief security general--. Return to the palace.

By then, Jiang Cheng was confused. What could Wen Qing have done to be running from the guards like that? Since she had locked him in the dungeons, she had been clear that he shouldn’t raise any suspicion about being imprisoned. Although his stay in the dungeons annoyed him, he chose to obey her anyway, as he didn’t want to get her into trouble.

Now… that she had appeared unexpectedly and forcibly taken him out, not to mention the disobedience of all the guards… it seemed very suspicious and strange. Was she rebelling against them?

--What makes you think… that I’ll return with you? --Her voice echoed clearly in the stable, revealing the confidence in her tone--. I won’t return. If you want me to, you’ll have to force me.

"This woman is crazy," Jiang Cheng thought, unable to believe it was right for her to be challenging them like that.

Suddenly, he was even more surprised when one of the guards rushed to the storage room and managed to fling the door wide open, revealing their location in seconds. Jiang Cheng was shocked when the guard grabbed him firmly by the hem of his shirt and pulled him out of his hiding place.

Then, he was thrown into the center of the stable as the guard shoved him reluctantly. By then, Jiang Cheng fell, and then lifted his gaze toward each of them, eventually meeting Wen Qing’s eyes, who stared at him with no apparent expression.

--This man doesn’t belong in the palace dungeons --She explained as if she were talking about something trivial, but in reality, she seemed to be clarifying his true status to the guards--. He’s not a criminal. He’s just a foreigner from Yunmeng Jiang whom I came across on the road, and he injured his ankle. That’s all. If you really want me to return with you, I will, on the sole condition that you release him.

--You know very well that none of us have the power to release the prisoners, unless the leader so desires --the chief general replied.

--I will be Wen Chao’s future wife --Wen Qing said to him seriously--. I am his superior. You should obey my orders.

Jiang Cheng now understood the reason she was wearing such an unusual dress for the occasion, along with that hideously dark veil. As he had suspected, the way she was dressed looked like a circus, and he now realized that the main purpose was the wedding with that jerk who mistreated and manipulated her.

--Miss Wen Qing, your orders hold no power on this occasion. You know that all men who enter the dungeons of the Sun Palace never come out again.

Without warning, Jiang Cheng couldn’t even get up when the guard who had discovered him—and consequently thrown him to the ground—now approached with the intent of forcing him to stand so he could be handcuffed. No one expected that a small scalpel was now pressed against the guard’s neck at the jugular area.

--If you continue… --The scalpel pressed against the man’s neck, who seemed to freeze upon feeling the cold object on his skin--. You will bleed out --She threatened.

--Miss Wen Qing --The chief general spoke--. If you harm any of my men, I will be forced to take extreme measures --The man drew the firearm from his waist and unlocked it--. I’ll count to three. If you don’t let him go, I’ll shoot. One… Two… Three.

As the count was about to finish, the gun in his hand was interfered with by Jiang Cheng, who grabbed his wrist and tried to redirect it elsewhere. However, the chief general was stronger and landed a sharp blow to his head, causing Jiang Cheng to fall to the ground, dazed from the impact.

As soon as the man insisted on firing, Jiang Cheng acted quickly from below, using his good leg to kick him, causing the chief general to stagger. In the process, the other guards around him assisted their chief against his desperate attacks, each drawing their firearms to deliver several blows to Jiang Cheng’s forehead, which proved to be quite painful.

--Enough! Leave him alone! --Wen Qing shouted, stepping between the chaos and pushing all the guards who were attacking him--. No one will hurt him anymore! No one else!

At that moment, Jiang Cheng, lying on the ground, could only cover his head with his hands, feeling the terrible pain in his forehead, along with drops of blood running down his face. He listened intently as Wen Qing tried to protect him with her stern words, attempting to stop the confrontation. Yet, even though the chief general had initially stated he would only shoot to prevent her from threatening his men, he now seemed to have changed his mind.

Wrapped in anger at the woman’s insolence, he didn’t want to abandon his decision to aim the gun at her.

--DON’T DO IT! --Jiang Cheng shouted, trying to stop him, but it was too late.

The sound of the gunshot rang out. The bullet flew toward its target but unexpectedly missed, as the chief general’s hand went off course when something struck his chest: blood gushed from his heart, mixing with the color of his uniform, and a medium-length arrow was embedded in his thoracic cavity, the cause of his death.

Just as the chief general fell to the ground, Jiang Cheng was stunned, for his surprise didn’t end there. A trio of arrows also struck the bodies of the other guards present unexpectedly, causing each of them to collapse to the ground, their lives taken with the sound of a snap.

Without the other guards able to defend themselves, they now lay on the ground near Jiang Cheng, leaving each of their firearms exposed. Jiang Cheng crawled backward to keep his distance from the bodies, overwhelmed by the traumatic situation. However, a man dressed in black entered the stable and shouted to his sister:

--Quick, let’s get out of here!

Wen Qing couldn’t believe who she was seeing. It was her brother… WEN NING!

Caught by surprise, neither of them could even greet each other because they had to help Jiang Cheng to stand and get onto the horse. Wen Qing mounted alongside him as the rider, while Wen Ning quickly brought out another horse and got on within seconds. However, it seemed they weren’t alone. In the distance, more Wen guards arrived as reinforcements for those who had been killed.

Wen Ning had to tell his sister to escape first while he followed closely, with his bow and arrow ready to take out each of them.

As instructed, Wen Qing rode alongside Jiang Cheng across the vast grounds of the Sun Palace, looking for a way out. By then, Jiang Cheng clung to Wen Qing’s waist, still dazed, thinking that this was the craziest thing he had ever done in his life.

With his brow furrowed from the pain, he didn’t even know where they were heading.

~~~

"Qishan Wen Railway Station"

Qishan Wen.

Since that morning, the station had been crowded with many Wen guards due to a strange incident that had occurred the previous day, specifically on the Qishan Wen train heading to Yunmeng Jiang.

Wen Qing didn’t know exactly what had happened on that train, but she didn’t care. She dragged Jiang Cheng with the intention of hiding from all the guards and headed toward the ticket control area. There, she decided to buy a ticket for the next trip to Yiling, but she never expected that her escape would become even more complicated in front of all the people around them.

--Miss Wen Qing? Oh no, it can’t be! It’s you!

--Wen Chao’s bride? She’s here? That’s impossible!

--YES, IT’S HER! Oh my God!

--She’s with someone who isn’t him! IT’S THE LOVER!

The murmurs and excitement of the people around them, as they tried to buy tickets for their respective trips, was madness. Neither of them had anticipated this invasion of privacy. Jiang Cheng, still a bit dazed from the blows he had received to his head, felt even more overwhelmed by the flood of questions and comments suggesting that he was her new lover.

--Back! Back! --Like any good brother, Wen Ning tried to take charge by pushing all those people away, allowing his sister to run toward the platform for her next trip to Yiling.

Wen Qing was ready to leave, but seeing her younger brother stay behind to prevent her from being harassed made her hesitate, slowing her pace, unsure whether to go back and help him.

--Let’s go! --Jiang Cheng grabbed her hand to hurry her along.

As if being harassed by the citizens wasn’t enough already, the shouts of the Wen guards who were guarding the Qishan Wen Railway Station joined the commotion, realizing that Miss Wen was among them after her escape.

Wen Qing and Jiang Cheng had no choice but to run and flee from that hell. In the distance, the designated train blew its whistle, ready to depart. By then, Wen Ning quickened his pace as the last one running. However, when he turned back, the number of Wen guards intent on capturing them was overwhelming. At any moment, they were going to catch up if they did nothing about it.

Wen Ning had no choice but to stop with the few arrows he had left in his favor. He knew they would run out at any moment, but that wasn’t reason enough not to draw each one and set them to his bow, ready to kill.

On the other hand, Wen Qing managed to climb onto the balcony of the last train car along with Jiang Cheng, but she noticed her brother’s absence. When she looked more closely into the distance, she found Wen Ning fighting each one of them.

--WEN NING! COME BACK!

--GET OUT OF HERE! --He shouted from afar-- I’LL DISTRACT THEM! DON’T STOP FOR ME!

When Jiang Cheng heard everything from both siblings, the last whistle of the train signaled its departure along with its movement. His next action was to grab Wen Qing’s waist when he saw her intention of getting off the train to go save him.

--Let me go! No! Wen Ning needs me! Wen Ning needs me!

A few gunshots fired in their direction forced Jiang Cheng to drag the woman into the interior of the carriage, seeking protection behind the iron walls. By then, he immediately blocked the carriage door.

--MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! --Wen Qing seemed to have lost her mind. She pushed Jiang Cheng with all her strength to get him out of the way, but it was useless-- GET OUT!

--What do you think you’re doing!? Jumping off the train!? Dying!? Is that what you want!? --The severity in Jiang Cheng’s words was meant to make her think clearly.

Wen Qing pushed him harder to try to open the door, but it was truly impossible. Normally, once a train door was closed, there was no way to open it at will. Agitated, with clear concern in her eyes, she searched through the window for her younger brother, but all she could see was that the Qishan Wen Railway Station had been left far behind.

--No… A-Ning… --She lamented, seeing the vegetation along the path, then struck Jiang Cheng’s chest while closing her eyes and clenching her fists-- You… Look at what you did! Because of you, I lost the chance to save him!

--And what did you want me to do!? Let you go into his fight only to watch you die!?

--NO! --She kept pushing him to break the hold on her body-- Let me out! I have to… --She hit him harder across his chest, feeling that with every blow, her strength was fading-- I have to go after him… I have to… --She lowered her gaze, feeling sorrow as she came to the realization that there was nothing left to do-- My brother… --She whispered very softly in pain-- How could you leave him? You don’t know… You don’t know anything…

--What is it that I don’t know? --Jiang Cheng hadn’t moved from his spot, maintaining his seriousness while she clung to him-- Losing a brother? Is that what you mean? --Wen Qing closed her eyes, not wanting to keep looking into his eyes-- Don’t tell me I don’t know what it’s like to lose a brother. You know very well my reason for coming to Qishan Wen.

She couldn’t continue to tolerate so much closeness between the two of them. She pulled away and turned her back, feeling utterly devastated that her younger brother was no longer by her side.

Thanks to Wen Ning, she had managed to escape. If it hadn’t been for him, she would have definitely died in that stable. Now, without Wen Ning by her side, she felt that she had left everything she loved most in Qishan Wen. The luggage she had packed seemed meaningless if she wasn’t going to arrive and see her whole family in Yiling.

Desolate and, in a way, powerless, she had no choice but to take a seat in any spot in the carriage, since, being the last one, there were no other passengers on board.

Jiang Cheng watched her the entire time, it was impossible not to recognize the feeling that was consuming her. He moved away from that door shortly after and took a seat right next to her, resting both arms on his knees, lost in thought. The sound of the wheels was the only thing that could be heard in the carriage, thanks to the silence between them. By then, Jiang Cheng glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. --He’ll be fine.

--You don’t know anything… --Wen Qing seemed to fear an unknown tragedy, showing an evident pain that kept her from lifting her gaze-- If the Wen Government catches him… He will suffer all the consequences for helping me escape… --As soon as she finished, she covered her face with her hands and let out a groan of pain, almost like crying.

Jiang Cheng listened to her loud and clear, staring intently into the void. He didn’t fully understand her concern about the Wen Government, but he made an effort not to be intrusive or make her feel worse with his questions. In fact, thanks to that thought, he focused on examining her wedding dress. He couldn’t believe she was actually willing to marry that abusive man who left ugly marks on her skin and seemed to manipulate her through fear and intimidation.

--If everything you’re telling me is true, you did the right thing by escaping, --Jiang Cheng said to her immediately after, then stood up and turned his back.

Wen Qing lifted her tear-streaked, reddened gaze toward him.

--If I were your brother, I would have done exactly the same thing—She didn’t understand why he was so confident about having done “exactly the same thing.” It seemed utterly ridiculous to her. However, Jiang Cheng continued—--In case you don’t know, I also have an older sister. If she were getting married without telling me, or, in the worst case, marrying a man who treats her badly, of course I would help her escape, no matter how risky it might be—He remembered Jiang Yanli and sighed deeply—--What your brother did, I would have done for her too.

--It’s not right, it’s stupidly risky to do that…

--But he did it because you’re his sister—He frowned—From my point of view, I don’t think you should worry about him. I saw him shoot an arrow into each of the stable guards all by himself. He killed every single one of them before they could harm us. That’s exactly why I think you shouldn’t worry about him.

--How can you ask me something like that? It’s like me asking you not to worry about your missing brother. It’s completely ridiculous.

--Maybe you’re right. I’m not in the best position to tell you this, but, unlike me, you know that your brother is in Qishan Wen. You can make decisions from now on to go and find him. As for me, it’s the complete opposite. That idiot Wei Wuxian… He could be anywhere in the world, and he could end up causing more problems than the ones we’re already dealing with right now, to the point that he wouldn’t be able to defend himself like yours would.

Wen Qing looked away as she tried to dry the moisture from her eyes. The truth was, no matter what he told her, Wen Ning was going to fall into the hands of the Wen Government, and there would be no escape there. Returning to Yiling would be useless, except to worry even more.

It didn’t matter how hard she tried to leave Qishan Wen or stay away from Wen Chao—her fate was sealed to marry him. Now, with Wen Ning lost or captured, she already knew how everything was going to end: sooner or later, she had to marry Wen Chao, and even more so now, since she would surely have to do it to save her brother from being punished.

Because of the heat, she felt a sudden, slight dizziness. The dress was already too tight and hot. At that moment, Wen Qing didn’t realize that Jiang Cheng had approached her to take hold of the tiara on her head.

--Hey! What are you…? --There, the tiara along with the dark veil on her head were removed. Jiang Cheng read the words that were embroidered on the fabric.

--Are you serious? “The bride is the property of Wen Chao”? --He looked disgusted.

Wen Qing didn’t know what to say or do. She just looked away, feeling somewhat embarrassed upon hearing the word “property.” By then, Jiang Cheng opened one of the carriage windows and took out the embroidered veil, then let it go, causing the fabric to fly away into the air, disappearing across the plains.

--You don’t belong to anyone, and certainly not to a guy like him—Jiang Cheng approached her and then returned the tiara—You are a woman free to do as you please. You don’t have to answer to anyone because you don’t belong to anyone.

Wen Qing hesitated to take the tiara. She wasn’t in the mood to talk about her relationship problems with Wen Chao. However, she never expected Jiang Cheng to ask her:

--May I?

She looked at the tiara in his hands, and then he proceeded to place it on her head.

--There’s one thing you should keep in mind—Jiang Cheng added—No one should be more important than you. Don’t let the crown fall. Hold your head high and keep going; you can do it.

Wen Qing didn’t know what to say in response to his words, but there was something strong and solid about them, as he was urging her to be strong despite the adversities. Suddenly, she noticed the brown stains on his hands. There, she recalled the wounds on his forehead, remembering the confrontation that had taken place in the stable.

It seemed he noticed it when he touched his forehead, remembering that he had two fresh wounds. --I’m going to the bathroom to wash my face, --he finally said.

Wen Qing didn’t say anything. She let him go to the bathroom so she could later treat him with the medicines she had brought. There, when Jiang Cheng opened the door separating the two carriages, he collided with a man who had decided to head toward the last carriage—the one where they were gathered.

The man he had collided with had grayish-colored eyes, along with a high ponytail of messy hair. When their gazes met, Jiang Cheng didn’t know what to feel when he saw the red ribbon tied in his hair, flowing freely in the wind.

Wen Qing noticed the strange encounter when she saw Jiang Cheng take a step back, unable to take his eyes off that man.

--Wei… Wuxian? --He stammered.

That man, having heard that name directed at him, smiled with a hint of shyness and a touch of amusement. Who would have imagined that the man standing in front of him was none other than Mo Xuanyu himself.