Chapter Text
It had been six months since the events at the Guanyin Temple and, more importantly, Wei Wuxian’s departure from the Cloud Recess.
There had been mixed feelings about the Yiling Patriarch’s decision to leave, especially within the Lan Clan. Sizhui felt the absence of him keenly; having only recently had his memories of his childhood restored, he felt like he was losing Senior Wei for a second time. Jingyi, too, missed Wei Wuxian as he mourned the loss of kinship, with the Yiling Patriarch being the only other loud and boisterous personality in the Cloud Recess.
In contrast, many of the elders of the Lan Clan were grateful Wei Wuxian left as, in their eyes, his continued stay could only bring misfortune. Most of them remembered the days after the bloodbath of Nightless City, the fear and grief of it all, and none wanted the likes of the Demonic Cultivator who caused it to stain their ever-graceful reputation.
Despite the relief at his departure some may have felt, none dared to voice it - not just because of the rules prohibiting gossiping behind other’s backs - for fear of Hanguang-Jun overhearing.
It wasn’t a secret that the person who mourned Wei Wuxian’s decision to leave most was Lan Wangji. Not that one could tell just by looking at him, with his face as blank and emotionless as ever.
It wasn’t that he was more emotional or sad now, instead it was that when Wei Wuxian was there Hanguang-Jun had expressed more emotions than he had in the sixteen years previous.
The absence of an aura of sadness in Lan Wanji during those few months were what made it obvious.
So when the Chief Cultivator began joining the juniors on night hunts, no one really questioned why, they already knew, Hanguang-Jun was hoping to happen upon Wei Wuxian while on his travels.
“Hanguang-Jun.” Sizhui spoke as he spotted the Second Jade approaching. He felt several of the juniors beside him, including Jingyi, hasten to copy his salute to their senior. “You are joining us for our night hunt.”
His tone wasn’t a question as he knew why the man was here, but Hanguang-Jun nodded plainly in response anyway.
His eyes lingered on the muddy patches already staining the hem of Jingyi’s robes, but he didn’t comment.
“Hm.”
“This one is honoured by your presence.” It was a truthful statement. Not only because lying was forbidden, but also because Sizhui always felt a thrill when night hunting with his father.
Even now, at sixteen years old, watching his father gracefully take down corpses, ghosts and demons alike, was a joy like no other. He learnt a lot during their hunts, but he also was able to enjoy the companionship of his father in a more relaxed and casual manner than one could in the Cloud Recess.
“All of us, will benefit greatly from Hanguang-Jun’s guidance.” Sizhui gestured to the group beside as he spoke.
The group consisted of a couple of the younger Lan disciples - since they were not anticipating this particular night hunt to be that dangerous - Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen, who was visiting from the Baling Ouyang for the month for his studies.
Sizhui tactfully didn’t comment that Hanguang-Jun’s guidance was unnecessary for a night hunt this small, opting instead to smile warmly at his father as the senior joined the group.
“We are heading towards Qinghe. There have been reports of a number of random corpse attacks in a village nearby.”
“And the Nie Sect?”
“Sect Leader Nie is at Yunmeng on business and the Nie cultivators have not been given authorisation for night hunts at this time.”
“Hm.”
Sizhui took the noise as acknowledgment and motioned for the group to mount their swords.
****
By the time they landed in the closest town to the Unclean Realm it was early evening. Sizhui and Jingyi decided to check into the local inn and allow the younger Lan members to rest before heading out for the Night Hunt the next day.
“Hanguang-Jun?” Sizhui bowed diligently to his father, Jingyi and Zizhen following suit beside him. “This one requests to be allowed to survey the areas with Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen before retiring for the night.”
“Mn.”
Lan Wangji nodded back at him. Some would call his expression passive, but Sizhui could see the slight lilt in his eyes, indicating fondness. It was an expression reserved solely for him, Lan Xichen and, of course, Wei Wuxian.
“Would Hanguang-Jun like to join us?”
Lan Jingyi let out a startled cough, as he’d mistakenly assumed the scouting would allow for a couple of hours of hanging out with his friends before bed, hours of not being observed by Lan Wanji.
His hopes were dashed, however, when Hanguang-Jun responded. “Yes.”
It was the most any of the Lan Clan had got out of Lan Wangji all day, despite travelling together, so Sizhui took it as a win.
As they headed towards the edges of the forest, Jingyi yanked the back of Sizhui’s robes.
“I thought this was going to be a trip for you, me and Zizhen?!” Though his voice was lowered, Sizhui would be willing to bet - if betting wasn’t forbidden - that his father could still hear them perfectly. “If I wanted a senior trailing us on a night hunt, I would have suggested we all go night hunt with Jin Ling!”
It was hardly a secret that whenever Jin Ling went on a night hunt, word made it back to Lotus Pier and, within a day or two of starting the hunt, they would gain a shadow trailing them. Jiang Chang wasn’t the paradigm of subtly, after all.
“I thought Hanguang-Jun looked lonely.”
“Well, of course he looks lonely. He’s looked lonely ever since Wei Wuxian left on his travels. Especially as he hasn’t written to Hanguang-Jun in over a week!” Jingyi’s expression turned pensive. “Maybe we should write to Wei Wuxian and tell him to visit.”
Sizhui would wonder how Jingyi had such intimate knowledge of Hanguang-Jun’s personal letters but he’d long since accepted that if anything happened in the Cloud Recess, Jingyi knew about it.
“Quiet.”
Lan Wangji interrupted the conversation, holding his hand up for the three juniors to stop.
The juniors immediately silenced.
Hanguang-Jun’s attention narrowed to their left, without pause he moved toward whatever disturbance he could hear. Zizhen, Jingyi and Sizhui followed after him and, as they drew closer, they could make out cries from deeper in the bracken.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh, accompanied by another strangled yelp.
Lan Wangji broke through the tree line, Bichen in hand and surveyed the scene.
There were three men, two of whom appeared to be restraining a young woman on the ground - one holding her legs and the other had his arms wrapped around her pinning her own arms behind her back. The third was kneeling before the woman, undoing his sash.
It was obvious what he was trying to do.
Another observation Lan Wangji made, one which caused further anger to blaze through him, was that each of the men bore a sword at their hip. The men were cultivators, and while they weren’t wearing the colours of any particular sect, the idea that a cultivator who was sworn to protect those weaker than them would force themselves on someone in such a way was sickening. It was an affront to everything a cultivator stood for.
None of the three men had noticed his arrival, too engrossed in committing their heinous act, the woman, however, had. Her eyes snapping to meet his, pleading.
Furiously, Lan Wangji sent Bichen hurtling through the air where it embedded itself in the attackers back. He fell to the floor, dead.
The two men restraining the woman bellowed in shock, each releasing their captive and reaching for their weapons. But they were too slow for Hanguang-Jun. The cultivator mercilessly cut down the man who’d been holding the girl’s legs and sliced the arms of the accomplice who’d been wrapped around her arms. The man with bleeding arms fell to the floor groaning, while the other two lay dead beside him.
The whole encounter was over in a matter of seconds, long enough for Ouyang Zizhen, Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui to catch up to him. The juniors took the scene in, horrified. It didn’t take a genius to work out what had occurred; the woman lay shivering on one side of the clearing, clothes in disarray, and the men around her.
Jingyi hurried over to the woman, he stopped a little distance away - not wanting to frighten her - and removed his outermost layer, offering it to her to cover herself.
She tentatively took it from his outstretched hands, her own hands shaking.
“Are you alright, miss?”
“Y-Yes, t-thank you.” Tears ran down her face as she spoke, which she wiped away angrily.
”No need for thanks.” Hanguang-Jun intoned, keeping a strong hold on his anger, maintaining his expressionless mask.
“Hanguang-Jun,” Sizhui said, gaining the attention of his father. “I recognise these men. There were likenesses of them on the bulletin in the inn. They are defectors from the Nie Clan.”
”That’s right!” Jingyi nodded, confirming Sizhui’s statement. “They are wanted by the Nie Clan for, um, dishonourable behaviour.”
Glancing back at the shivering woman, there was no need to ask exactly what dishonourable behaviour may have got them banished from the Nie Sect.
Lan Wangji did not deign to look at the perpetrators when he said. “We will take the last one back to the Unclean Realm for punishment.”
“Yes, Hanguang-Jun.”
The three juniors saluted.
Sizhui and Zizhen moved to bind the one, still living, defector, while Jingyi remained by the girl’s side trying to provide comfort where he could. After a moment or two, she pushed herself off the ground, still clutching the outer robes around her securely.
“We can escort you to town and find you a healer.” Jingyi spoke, purposefully pitching his voice lower. “Are there any friends or family this one can find for you?”
“N-No. There’s no-one.”
”You’re certain?”
The girl nodded, with a surety that saddened Jingyi. As they made their way back towards the edge of the tree line, she stopped, urgently grabbing the end of Jingyi’s sleeve.
“Wait!” She tugged the sleeve, “T-they took my necklace and broach. They said they wanted s-something to remember me by.” Jingyi’s hand tightened around his sword, but otherwise tried not to react, ”... It was my mother’s.”
She looked back towards the man that Zizhen and Lan Sizhui were manhandling to his feet, but made no move to get her belongings.
“This one will get it for you. Where did they put it? Did you see?”
“Over there.” She pointed over the other side of the make-shift camp. “They put it in a pouch, in one of the bags by the fire.”
Jingyi grabbed a couple of bags abandoned by the fire, fumbling his way through the contents until he found the pouch in question.
Opening it, Lan Jingyi found a broach atop a pile of other trinkets. He felt his stomach turn at how full the pouch was, knowing it was potential evidence of other victims. Retrieving the broach, he was about to pass it back to the girl when he saw another item underneath, one that made his entire body seize.
Directly underneath the broach was a bright red ribbon. A ribbon eerily familiar to him.
It is identical to the one Wei Wuxian typically wears.
A Wei Wuxian who hadn’t written to Hanguang-Jun in over a week.
It couldn’t be.
“Sizhui.” Unable to keep his voice stable, Lan Jingyi turned to his closest friend, fear obvious on his face.
“What is it?” Sizhui moved towards his, lugging his prisoner behind him. Jingyi passed the bag to him silently. Concerned with the non-verbal reaction from his most outspoken friend, he looked down.
He inhaled sharply.
“Sizhui?” His father moved towards him, his brow creasing minutely, the only indication of his concern.
“Father.”
Sizhui reached a trembling hand into the pouch and withdrew a ribbon. A ribbon Lan Wangji considered as familiar as his own cloud-covered forehead ribbon. Wei Ying.
His beloved’s ribbon was in a pouch of tokens, items taken as proof of their crimes, the nature of which he’d nearly borne witness to.
White hot fury, beyond any emotion he’d ever felt, spread through him.
Instantly, Bichen was unsheathed and pointed at the neck of their prisoner.
The remaining attacker, still conscious but quietly whimpering and bleeding profusely, stilled. “I’m sorry, whatever you want I will give it to you. You can take the bag, it doesn’t matter to m-“
”Where?!” Hanguang-Jun interrupted the man before him, uncaring that he was breaking one of the many rules from the Wall of Discipline.
“Wha-?“
“Where did you get this ribbon?” He pointed toward the red ribbon that Sizhui still held.
”F-From a man. A week ago.” A trickle of blood fell from the man’s neck as Bichen nicked his neck. “W-We didn’t get his name, I swear!”
”Talk.” Lan Wangji insisted. He wanted, no, needed to know if they had hurt his Wei Ying.
“H-He was a rogue cultivator. He d-didn’t have a sword but could use talismans. Sicheng f-found him sleeping, managed to catch him off-guard and gagged him.“ Lan Wangji found his heart wrenching at the idea of Wei Ying, set-upon while sleeping, gagged so he couldn’t use Chenqing or even whistle. ”And they-“
The man broke off, as though unwilling to continue.
Lan Wangji dug Bichen further into his neck, uncaring of the juniors watching. “Continue.”
”They tied him up and started to attack him... they took his ribbon and some of his clothes. And then they made him kneel-“
He could hear the quickening of Sizhui’s breath behind him and felt his eye close in pain. Involuntarily, he could picture the scenario, Wei Ying unable to defend himself with Mo Xuanyu’s tiny golden core, being forced to kneel before violent criminals.
“-But I didn’t do anything, I swear, it was just them!”
He flinched at the look in Lan Wangji’s eyes, “W-they didn’t do anything else! They took off his gag to-to-“, the man broke off looking away shamefacedly.
But at the feel of the sword pressing even further into his neck, he continued. “-but he started whistling and then t-there were so many corpses. We got distracted fighting the corpses and when we’d disposed of most of them, he’d gone.”
Lan Wangji felt the tiniest hint of relief; Wei Ying got away, he was still alive.
However, Lan Wangji knew from his experiences during the Sunshot Campaign and in the last sixteen years, that the damage that can be inflicted from these encounters could have impacts far beyond the physical.
Without conscious thought, Bichen moved, following through with the desire of it’s owner; the cultivator before him fell to the ground.
He heard one of the junior’s behind him gasp but couldn’t bring it upon himself to regret his actions.
He turned around.
Jingyi stood before him, teary-eyed, Sizhui to his left in shivering in shock and Zizhen beside him, horrified. His gaze finally landed on the woman, the victim of the most recent attack, and all he saw in her eyes was relief.
He bowed towards her, lowly, before striding back towards the town, leaving the juniors to sort out the rest. He had a more important job to do.
He had to find Wei Ying.
****
Wei Wuxian laid silently on his bed.
The silence in itself was an indication of just how wrong he felt.
Ever since that night he’d been quiet, shut in.
He couldn’t help it.
When he went to open his mouth, all he could hear in his head was the sounds of the men’s laughter and his muffled pleas for them to stop.
His words hadn’t done much good then, so why would they now?
After what had nearly happened, he’d run.
He couldn’t go to Lotus Pier in the state he’d been in, he could imagine Jiang Cheng’s disgusted reaction if he found out what had happened. The idea that Wei Wuxian, the Grand Master of Demonic Cultivation, couldn’t defend himself would have been laughable, especially to Jiang Cheng. He’d been more likely to set dogs on him than to help him. And why should his brother help him? He was the murderer of hundreds, maybe thousands, if anyone deserved something like this to happen, it was him.
He’d thought about maybe going to Gusu and taking Lan Zhan up on his offer to stay for a while. But the more he thought about it, the worse the idea it seemed; Lan Zhan had suffered enough in the sixteen years he’d mourned him. The idea of burdening Lan Zhan with the knowledge of what nearly happened nauseated him. Or worse, if Lan Zhan blamed him for what happened, he had teased Lan Zhan all the time in their youth with shameless taunts and behaviour. He wouldn’t blame Lan Zhan if he kicked him out of Gusu once and for all; after all, promiscuity was forbidden in the Cloud Recess, wasn’t it?
In his heart, Wei Wuxian knew Lan Zhan would never blame a victim of this type of crime for it, but it didn’t stop the self-loathing taking root. It didn’t stop the darkness from festering and the disgust settling within himself.
So he didn’t go for help.
After all, it’s not like anything had actually happened. He was fine, he’d escaped. It didn’t matter.
Nothing happened.
Instead, he’d picked a direction and started walking. It wasn’t until he set his eye upon the small wooden cottage that he realised where his feet had taken him.
In his desire to get away and hide from the rest of the world, he’d led his way to the one person who’d been able to achieve that for the last sixteen years: MianMian.
The former Lady Luo Qingyang, mercifully, hadn’t asked any questions, even with his dishevelled state, instead she’d fixed him up a cot in the back room and welcomed him into her home. He knew she suspected something, as her eyes had lingered, that first night, on the rope burns around his wrist and the partially hidden bite mark on his neck.
He felt a tear fall, silently, down his face.
Frustratedly, he brushed it away.
He couldn’t understand his own reactions to the events; they’d barely touched him, he’d had far worse from Zidian or his times in the Burial Mounds. Wounds were inflicted there that had scarred, whereas the bruises from the rope burns or the bite marks from his attackers were ones that would, no doubt, heal with time. The difference, however, was the shame.
The times he’s closed his eyes since the attack, he could feel their hands on him. Undoing his sash, removing his outer robes. He could remember them forcing his hands to touch them, could feel their lips upon him. He’d only ever had one kiss before - back in his first body - it had been exhilarating and sensual, these ones had been nothing like that one. It had been violent and, most of all, unwanted.
The men had bitten him and pressed him against him, rubbing and jeering. And he’d felt powerless. Even in the Burial Mounds, where the voices had threatened to overwhelm him, he’d felt more in control; he’d had a purpose, he’d had Chenqing and the knowledge that Lotus Pier needed him.
And now, what did he have?
He was no longer wanted, or needed, at Lous Pier - his brother had made that clear - and Jin Ling has been doing remarkably well as the Jin Sect Leader, despite his young age. Sizhui was full-grown, having been raised by the perilous Hanguang-Jun. Would anyone really miss him if he stayed away?
”Wei Wuxian?”
His spiralling thoughts were cut off by MianMian, who’d entered the room with a bowl of soup and a cautious expression.
He’d been staying with MianMian, her husband and her daughter for the better part of three days and was eternally grateful to her.
“Thank you, MianMian.” He whispered softly.
“I think we should talk.”
He had wondered when this would happen, when he would become a burden to her, and so just nodded in acceptance. He fully expected to be asked to leave and let her get back to the life she’d made for herself.
After a moments pause, MianMian spoke.
“I want to help you, and I think it would help, for you to talk to someone.” His face morphed into confusion, did she not want him to leave?
“I thought you were going to ask me to go.”
”What?! No!” MianMan returned his confused look with her own horrified expression. “You saved my life and my honour in our youth, I owe you more than you know and I want to return the favour.”
Wei Wuxian’s confusion turned slowly to understanding. He remembered suddenly, during the Wen’s indoctrination, the lewd advances Wen Chao had made to her and how he’d managed to interrupt before Wen Chao went too far.
“I’m sorry. I’d forgotten.”
“Well, I haven’t.” MianMian stared at him, expression serious. “I want to help you.”
Unconsciously Wei Wuxian felt himself relax, the renewed knowledge of her own difficulties helping him to see her as ‘safe’ in a way that he hadn’t considered possible.
“Was it Hanguang-Jun? If it was, we can still report it. It doesn’t matter if he’s Chief Cultivator or not, he-“
“What?! No! Lan Zhan would never! Why would you even think that?!”
MianMian reared back, startled by the intensity of his words. Internally, relief went through her. She had seen the way Lan Wangji had looked at Wei Wuxian the last time they’d met her at her cottage, it soothed her to know that he hadn’t taken his passions further than Wei Wuxian might have wanted.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I thought that.” She spoke swiftly, trying to put her friend at ease. “I didn’t mean to cast aspersions.”
There was an awkward pause as MianMian wondered how to ask what she wanted to know. However, she wan’t a coward, she hadn’t turned her back on Wei Wuxian all those years ago - having chosen to defect rather than join the masses calling for retribution against the Yiling Patriarch - and she wouldn’t do so now.
“What happened?”
“I-There were some- They-” Wei Wuxian was struggling to find the words, a feat that nobody had achieved in his first life.
“Take your time, Yuandao.”
Wei Wuxian gave a small smile at the old nickname, the first smile he’d had since that night.
He could do this.
He proceeded to tell her about what happened while he was travelling the road. He told her how he’d been caught off-guard after an exhausting night hunt. He spoke of how they attacked him and how he got away.
MianMian looked progressively more distraught as Wei Wuxian tells the story, moving closer to comfort him until she had all but engulfed him in a hug.
As Wei WuXian finally began to breakdown, she wrapped her arms around him in a fierce embrace.
He hadn’t been hugged like this since his first life, before Jiang Yanli had died. The hug felt like coming home, like the unconditional love of a sister.
“I’m sorry for what happened, Wei Wuxian.” MianMian looked down at the fragile form of the so-called terrifying Yiling Patriarch, feeling nothing but sadness for all he’d had to endure.
“Do you need healing?”
“No.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head. “I’m fine.”
He had endured far worse than some rope burns in his time, even without the advanced healing of a proper Golden Core, he would be fully healed within another day or so.
“I’m not just speaking of physical healing, but mental healing too. When I defected the Jin Sect, I spent some time at the Cloud Recess with their mind healers. It did wonders for my meditation and mental health.”
As oblivious as Wei WuXian could be, he knew a hint when he heard one.
“I can’t go there, MianMian, Lan Zhan would-“
“Hanguang-Jun would what? Care about you? Try to help?” MianMian questioned Wei Ying hesitantly, not wanting to pressure him too much. “The presence of friends might help you at this time. I know meeting my husband helped me.”
“I don’t want to worry him.” He whispered.
“He may worry anyway.” MianMian replied. “Look, if you don’t want to go to GusuLan, I won’t make you...but if you do want to go I can accompany you. I have neglected my old friends there for too long.”
He felt his breath catch. MianMian took the gasp as encouragement and plowed on.
“You wouldn’t even need to tell Hanguang-Jun anything, if you don’t want to, but I believe familiar surroundings and familiar people will help.”
With every word, despite his previous reluctance, the possibility became more and more appealing. The possibility of having Lan Zhan nearby, of feeling safe. And now that he’d cleaned up and his wounds were healed, he wouldn’t even have to trouble Lan Zhan with the truth. No one else would even have to know what happened.
“Okay, MianMian. Let’s go to Gusu.”
****
It had been a few days since they had parted the relative safety of MianMian’s cottage, leaving Little MianMian behind with her father, and Wei Wuxian was beginning to regret agreeing to go with MianMian.
They were less than a day’s journey from Caiyi Town and Wei Wuxian’s stomach was churning violently.
The last few days had proven just how unprepared he was to face the world again, for while Wei Wuxian’s injuries had all but faded, the imprint the of the encounter on his mind had not.
The last few nights on the road had him unable to sleep, every time he heard a twig snap or leaves bristle all he could remember was being jerked awake and gagged and-
Suffice to say, he hadn’t been sleeping well.
“-do? Yuando?”
He was jerked back to reality by MianMian’s tentative voice.
“Sorry, did you say something?”
Thankfully, MianMian didn’t comment on his lack of attention, though her eyes lingered on the bags beneath his eyes.
“I said, I think we should stop the night in Caiyi Town, maybe get a couple of rooms there and head to Gusu in the morning.”
Wei Wuxian’s anxiety spiked.
Being so close to Gusu was both a blessing and a curse. He wanted nothing more than to enjoy the soothing presence of Lan Zhan, maybe even listen to the tranquil sounds of Cleansing as he slept, but he was also nervous. He knew if anyone would see through his fragile mask of indifference, it would be Lan Zhan.
But it was too late to turn back now, he’d agreed to head to Gusu with MianMian and he was certain the ex-LanlingJin cultivator would ensure he makes it there.
At least an extra night in Caiyi Town would provide some relief before they arrived.
One more day.
“Okay, let’s do that.”
He received a smile in return, so he supposed he made the right decision.
By the time they reached Caiyi Town, the sun was already setting.
They headed to the closest inn, where Wei Wuxian gave Lil’ Apple to the stable boy to care for.
Fortunately, there were still two rooms spare, despite the late hour, likely due to the turning weather. It was beginning to get cooler, especially the further into the mountains they headed. It was the time of year where travellers would begin to set off for the warmer ports of Lotus Pier and beyond.
Wei Wuxian shivered lightly.
He was certainly feeling the cold more than normal. This was partially because the clothes he was wearing were not his normal cut, or even colour; black and red had been swapped out for faded grey, the fabric swapped for lower quality and thinner cloth. The clothes he’d been wearing that night were unsalvageable, MianMian had been quick to offer up her husband’s clothes, unwilling to let him remain in the damaged ones.
Even his normal red ribbon was substituted for by a piece of string that he had scrounged. He hadn’t remembered losing the ribbon in the events that occurred but he supposed it shouldn’t be surprising given how it ended with him dodging a hoard of walking corpses.
With a sigh, the Yiling Patriarch began trudging down the stairs of the inn, towards the bar, eager for a drink to settle his nerves.
He’d got no more than a foot through the door when the sounds of his own name caught his attention.
“Senior Wei! Senior Wei!”
He had only a moment to process the oncoming herd of Lan Juniors - none of whom he recognised, with them being a year or two younger than his own Lan Sizhui - before they reached him, forming a welcoming circle around him.
Instantly, he felt claustrophobic.
He felt his breath quicken.
He wondered, distantly, how long it would take for him to either collapse on the floor or to lash out uncontrollably.
“Hey, get away from him! Back off! What do you think you’re doing crowding your senior like that?!”
MianMian - his saviour - stormed over to the throng of juniors, who parted the way towards Wei Wuxian instinctively. The moment she reached him, she grasped his hand to ground him and whispered so the juniors couldn’t hear, “Are you alright?”
Her face remained close to his, waiting for him to respond.
His breathe evened and his vision cleared slightly, panic receding. “I’m fine, MianMian.”
He squeezed her hand in thanks, finally bringing his attention to the juniors who were staring awkwardly between MianMian and him.
“Sorry about that, juniors. We’ve just been travelling a while to get here so we’re a little worse for wear... I can catch up with you all tomorrow, if you’ll be in the Cloud Recess.” He sent a fake but dazzling smile their way, managing to pat the heads of the closest couple of juniors as he did.
Not able to tell the difference between his fake and real smiles, the juniors surrounding him broke into rapturous cheers.
“Really?!”
“Amazing!”
”Someone should tell Han-“
The joyous responses around him were enough to draw a genuine smile from his lips. At least someone will be happy with this visit, his smile drooped slightly as he wondered if they would be so happy if they knew what caused his visit.
MianMian skilfully cut through the beginning of his morbid musings. “Thank you for greeting your Senior, but Senior Wei still needs to eat. If you would excuse us.”
Leaving the bowing juniors behind, MianMian steered Wei Wuxian back to his private rooms. She would see about ordering some drink and food to his room.
****
Meanwhile, in the back rooms of the inn, a Butterfly message left for Hanguang-Jun, letting him know the one thing he wanted: Wei Wuxian is in Gusu.