Chapter 45 Attraction—Part Three
For some reason, that night, Wei WuXian felt a little too guilty to dare squeeze into the same bed as Lan WangJi. He spent the rest of the night sitting on the floor and fell asleep one night, his head resting on the wooden bed. At dawn, he faintly felt someone gently lift him up and lay him down on the bed. Trying to open his eyes, Wei WuXian could see Lan WangJi’s still indifferent face.
He immediately felt more awake, “Lan Zhan.”
Lan WangJi replied with a “mnn.” Wei WuXian asked, “Are you sober or still drunk?”
Lan WangJi, “Wake up.”
Wei WuXian, “Oh… So it’s already five o’clock.”
Lan WangJi woke up at this time every day, which was why Wei WuXian had learned to tell the time without looking out the window. He lifted Wei WuXian’s wrists, which were covered in red marks. He took out a small, turquoise porcelain bottle from his sleeve and applied the contents. The smooth ointment immediately soothed the area. Wei WuXian narrowed his eyes, “It hurts… HanGuang-Jun, you’re so rude when you’re drunk.”
Lan WangJi didn’t even look up, “You reap what you sow.”
Wei WuXian’s heart pounded, “Lan Zhan, you really don’t remember what you did after getting drunk, right?”
Lan WangJi, “I don’t.”
Wei WuXian, that might be true. Otherwise, he would have killed me out of shame.
In his heart, he felt both happy and sad that Lan WangJi didn’t remember him. It felt as if he had secretly done or eaten something he shouldn’t have and was hiding alone in a corner, giggling because no one knew, but disappointed because he couldn’t share that happiness with anyone. Unconsciously, his eyes returned to Lan WangJi’s lips.
Even though the corners never turned up, her lips looked quite soft, and did feel quite soft.
Wei WuXian unconsciously bit his lip and began to daydream again. The GusuLan Sect was very strict, and Lan Zhan wasn’t romantic at all, so he’d obviously never kissed any girl before. What should I do now? I just happened to have received such a great honor. Should I tell him? Would he be so angry he’d cry after finding out? Oh well… He might have been when he was younger, but probably not now. And he was like a monk made of wood. It was possible he’d never had such thoughts before… Wait! Last time he was drunk, I asked him ‘do you have anyone you like,’ and he said yes. Maybe he’d kissed her? But judging by Lan Zhan’s habit of holding back, he was probably very careful not to cross the line. They probably never kissed, or even held hands. Speaking of which, maybe back then he didn’t even understand what kind of ‘like’ I meant…
After Lan WangJi finished applying the ointment, someone knocked on the door three times. Lan SiZhui’s voice rang out, “HanGuang-Jun, everyone’s awake. Shall we go now?”
Lan WangJi, “Wait downstairs.”
The group left the city and separated in front of the city tower. Initially, the disciples weren’t very familiar with each other. They only visited each other during discussion conferences in their respective sects. However, over the past few days, they had gone through the cat corpse incident and the tense day in the haunted city together. They had even burned paper money, smuggled liquor, argued, and cursed at others together. In short, they had gotten to know each other quite well. Before leaving, they were all reluctant to leave, spending time in front of the city gates discussing when to attend the discussion conference and when to hunt at someone else’s place. Lan WangJi wasn’t in a hurry either. He let them chat while standing quietly under a tree. Under Lan WangJi’s gaze, Fairy didn’t dare bark or run around at all. She crouched under the tree, staring anxiously at Jin Ling, wagging her tail.
Taking advantage of the Fairy being watched by Lan WangJi, Wei WuXian grabbed Jin Ling’s shoulder and walked for a while.
Mo XuanYu was one of Jin GuangShan’s illegitimate children, making him Jin ZiXuan and Jin GuangYao’s half-brother. Generationally, he could also be considered Jin Ling’s uncle. Therefore, as he walked along, he spoke condescendingly to Jin Ling, “After you return, don’t continue arguing with your uncle. Listen to him. From now on, be careful. Don’t wander around alone at night again.”
Although Jin Ling came from a prominent sect, rumors never lied. With his parents gone, it was only natural that he wanted to prove himself to others as soon as possible. Wei WuXian continued, “What are you? Fifteen? Most disciples your age haven’t hunted such a magnificent beast, so why are you so eager and ambitious to be the first?”
Jin Ling sulked, “My uncles were also around fifteen when they became famous.”
Wei WuXian remarked to himself, “It’s not the same! Back then, the QishanWen Sect was still in power, and everyone had to be on guard. If they didn’t fight and cultivate to their fullest, who knew if they would be the next to run out of luck? During the Sunshot Campaign, you would be dragged onto the battlefield, regardless of your age. Now, since the situation is stable and the sects are at peace, the atmosphere is naturally less tense, and people aren’t cultivating like mad. There’s no need for that anymore.”
Jin Ling added, “Even when Wei Ying, the dog, was about fifteen years old when he killed the Killing Turtle. If he can do it, why can’t I?”
Hearing his name appear right after the previous one, Wei WuXian immediately felt a chill run down his spine. Somehow, he managed to shake off the shivers that ran down his spine. “He killed him? Wasn’t he killed by HanGuang-Jun?”
Upon mentioning Lan WangJi, Jin Ling gave Wei WuXian a strange look. He wanted to say something, but held back, “You and HanGuang-Jun… Never mind. That’s your own business. Besides, I don’t care about you guys at all. Enjoy your circumcision. This disease is incurable.”
Wei WuXian grinned, “Hey, how can this be called an illness?”
He laughed inwardly, He still thinks I’m shamelessly nagging Lan Zhan?!
Jin Ling continued, “I already know the meaning behind the GusuLan Sect’s forehead ribbon. Since it’s come to this, stay by HanGuang-Jun’s side well. Even if you’re a brazen man, you must remain humble. Don’t mess around with other men, especially those from our sect! Otherwise, don’t blame me for the outcome.”
The “our sects” he was referring to included the LanlingJin Sect and the YunmengJiang Sect. It seemed his tolerance for short-sleeved people had improved, so as long as they weren’t from those two sects, he could turn a blind eye.
Wei WuXian disagreed, “You brat! What do you mean ‘messing around with other men’? I’m not that bad of a person. Forehead ribbon? Is there a meaning behind the GusuLan Sect’s forehead ribbon?”
Jin Ling, “Come on! You know what I mean. Don’t get too carried away. I don’t want to discuss this anymore. Are you Wei Ying?”
At the end of his reply, he suddenly asked a blunt question, surprising Wei WuXian. Wei WuXian replied calmly, “Do you think we look alike?”
Jin Ling was silent for a moment. Then, suddenly, he whistled and called out, “Fairy!”
After being called by its owner, Fairy ran over with its tongue out. Wei WuXian immediately ran over, “Behave! Why did you send that dog out?!”
Jin Ling, “Hmph! Goodbye!”
After saying goodbye, he proudly walked toward Lanling, perhaps still afraid of seeing Jiang Cheng at Yunmeng Lotus Pier. The disciples from the other sects also departed in different directions. Eventually, only Wei WuXian, Lan WangJi, and the juniors of the Lan Sect remained.
While walking, the juniors couldn’t help but turn around and look back. Although Lan JingYi didn’t say anything, the reluctance to leave was clearly visible on her face. She asked, “Where are we going next?”
Lan SiZhui, “ZeWu-Jun is currently out night hunting in the Tanzhou area. Should we return directly to the Cloud Recesses, or go there to meet him?”
Lan WangJi, “Pergi ke Tanzhou.”
Wei WuXian, “Good. Maybe we can even help him. Besides, we don’t know where else to look for our good friend’s head.”
The two of them walked in front while the other children followed a short distance behind. After walking for a while, Lan WangJi spoke up, “Jiang Cheng knows who you are.”
Wei WuXian sat on the donkey as it trotted slowly forward. “Yes, he knows. But what can he do? He has no proof.”
Unlike corpse possession, there was no evidence to support the sacrifice of a corpse. Jiang Cheng only confirmed the fact through his expression when confronted with dogs. Firstly, Jiang Cheng had never told anyone that Wei WuXian was afraid of dogs; secondly, only those who knew him could judge things based on his reactions and expressions, as there was no conclusive evidence. Even if Jiang Cheng ultimately chose to post flyers saying that Wei WuXian, the YiLing Patriarch, was afraid of dogs everywhere, everyone would probably still believe that SanDu ShengShou had finally gone mad after searching for the YiLing Patriarch countless times and failing.
Wei WuXian, “So, I’m actually really curious. How do you know me?”
Lan WangJi replied in a calm voice, “I am also very curious as to why your memory is so bad.”
They arrived in Tanzhou within a day. Before meeting Lan XiChen, they passed a garden along the way. Seeing that the garden was vast and magnificent, yet unmaintained, all the disciples entered out of curiosity. As long as it didn’t violate the sect’s rules, Lan WangJi never forbade them, which was why he let them in. In the garden, there was a pavilion and several fences, a table and several benches, all made of stone, for people to enjoy the scenery. However, due to years of wind and rain, one corner of the pavilion had collapsed and two benches had fallen over. There were no plants or flowers in the garden, only brittle branches and withered leaves. The garden had been neglected for a long time.
After the juniors had been wandering excitedly around the garden for a while, Lan SiZhui spoke, “This is the Damsel of Annual Blossoms garden, isn’t it?”
Lan JingYi was confused, “The Annual Flower Girl? Who is she? Does this garden have an owner? Why does it look so shabby? It seems like no one has taken care of it for a long time.”
Annual flowers are those that have a short flowering period and only bloom during certain seasons. Their various varieties and colors fill the entire garden with a fragrant aroma when they bloom. Hearing that name, Wei WuXian immediately remembered something.
Placing his hand on one of the pavilion’s pillars, Lan SiZhui thought for a moment, “If I remember correctly, that’s probably it. This garden used to be quite famous. I once read about it in a book, in the chapter on The Flower Girl’s Blossoming Spirit . In Tanzhou there was a garden, and in that garden there was a girl. Under the moonlight, if someone recited a poem, when she thought it was good, she would bestow upon them an annual flower, the fragrance of which lasted for three years; when she thought it was bad or when the rhymes were endless, she threw the flower in their faces, and it withered.”
Lan JingYi, “So if you misread the poem, she’ll throw flowers at your face? Hopefully the flowers aren’t thorny. Otherwise, if I try, my face will definitely bleed. What kind of fairy is she?”
Lan SiZhui, “I wouldn’t call her a fairy. She’s more like a spirit. It’s said that the first owner of the garden was a poet. He planted these flowers himself and treated them like friends, reciting poetry here every day. Influenced by the emotions of the poems, the spirit crystallized from the garden’s flora and became the Annual Flower Maiden. When someone comes, if their poem is good and reminds her of the person who planted it, she will be pleased and give them a flower. If the poem is wrong or unpleasant, she will emerge from the bushes and throw a flower at the person’s face. The person attacked will faint and realize they have been banished from the garden upon waking. Ten years ago, countless people came to this garden.”
Wei WuXian, “Romantic, romantic. But I know for a fact that the GusuLan Sect’s Library Pavilion wouldn’t have books containing such things. SiZhui, be honest. Tell me what book you’re reading and who gave it to you.”
Lan SiZhui blushed and glanced at Lan WangJi, worried that he would be punished. Lan JingYi asked, “Is that girl really that pretty? Otherwise, why would so many people come?”
Seeing that Lan WangJi had no intention of scolding him, Lan SiZhui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he smile and reply, “Perhaps. After all, she is made up of such pleasant things and is such a romantic figure. But in reality, no one has ever seen the Damsel’s face. Because even if one doesn’t know how to compose poetry, memorizing a few is very easy, most people have received the Damsel’s flowers. Even the rare person who misreads them will never be able to meet her because they will immediately faint. However… there is one person who is an exception.”
Another boy asked, “Who?”
Wei WuXian coughed lightly.
Lan SiZhui, “Patriark YiLing, Wei WuXian.”
Wei WuXian coughed again, “Eh, why is he here again? Can’t we talk about something else?”
No one paid any attention to him. Lan JingYi waved his hand anxiously, “Shut up! What is Wei WuXian doing? He’s such a big bad guy—what did he do this time? Did he snatch the girl and take her out?”
Lan SiZhui, “Well, no. But, in order to see the Princess’s face, he was willing to come all the way from Yunmeng to Tanzhou. Every time he came to the garden, he would deliberately misread the poem so that the Princess would get angry, hit him with flowers, and chase him away. When he woke up, he crawled back inside and continued reciting the wrong poem. After repeating this over twenty times, he finally saw the Princess’s face. After that, he went around praising her beauty. However, the Princess was also a bit upset. He didn’t appear for a while. Every time he came, he would shower her with flowers. The sight was truly more breathtaking than any miracle.”
The children burst out laughing, “Wei WuXian is so annoying!”
“Is he really that bored?”
Wei WuXian touched his chin, “So boring, huh? Who hasn’t done something like that when they were young? Speaking of which, why do people know about this kind of thing? And it’s even recorded in a book. That’s pretty boring, too, if you ask me.”
Lan WangJi stared at him. Although still expressionless, a strange glint hid behind his eyes. He looked like he was laughing at him. Wei WuXian thought to himself, Hey, Lan Zhan, don’t you dare make fun of me. I know at least eight—if not ten—of your embarrassing stories from your childhood. Sooner or later, I’ll tell them to those boys and ruin their unwavering and impeccable HanGuang-Jun reputation.
He declared, “You kids are always so hyperactive. You must be reading idle books instead of focusing on cultivation. When you get back, make sure HanGuang-Jun punishes you by making you follow the sect rules ten times.”
The kids wailed, “Ten times even while doing a handstand?!”
Wei WuXian was also shocked. He turned to Lan WangJi, “Your sect has its students do handstands while copying? That’s horrible.”
Lan WangJi replied calmly, “There will always be people who don’t learn from their mistakes by simply following the sect’s rules. Handstands not only guarantee better performance in the future, but they are also beneficial to cultivation.”
Of course, Wei WuXian was the one who never learned from his mistakes. He pretended not to know what Lan WangJi was talking about. Turning around, he felt relieved that he didn’t have to copy scriptures while doing a handstand.
After listening to the stories with rapt attention, the boys decided to camp in the Annual Flower Garden for the night. Camping was a common practice when hunting at night. The group gathered a pile of dry twigs and leaves around them and finished building a campfire. Lan WangJi went to patrol the area, not only ensuring the safety of the surroundings but also setting up a formation in case of a nighttime attack. Wei WuXian stretched his legs and sat by the campfire. After Lan WangJi left, he finally had a chance to clear up his confusion, “Alright. I wanted to ask you guys. What exactly is the meaning behind your sect’s forehead ribbon?”
Hearing this, the boys’ expressions immediately changed. They all began to stutter. Wei WuXian’s heart pounded, then pounded even faster.
Lan SiZhui asked cautiously, “Senior, don’t you know?”
Wei WuXian, “If I knew, would I still ask? Do I look like a bored person?”
Lan JingYi muttered, “Yeah… After all, you could even do something like trick us into lining up and seeing something like that…”
Wei WuXian poked the fire with a stick, releasing sparks. “Isn’t that to train yourself and get out of your comfort zone? It’s really effective. If you listen to what I say, you’ll definitely benefit from it in the future.”
Lan SiZhui seemed to be choosing his words carefully. He only replied after a long hesitation, “Very well. The GusuLan Sect’s forehead ribbon means ‘self-governing.’ Senior, you know this, right?”
Wei WuXian, “Ya. Dan?”
Lan SiZhui continued, “And the founder of the GusuLan Sect, Lan An, once said that one can only let go of all rules when one is with the one one loves and cherishes. So, the message that has been passed down through the generations is, uh, our sect’s forehead ribbon is a very, very personal and sensitive special object. One must not casually give permission for others to touch it, one must not remove it at will, and one must absolutely not tie it on another person. It is forbidden. That is, unless, unless…”
He didn’t need to finish his sentence.
By the campfire, the innocent young faces were flushed. Even Lan SiZhui couldn’t continue speaking.
Wei WuXian felt almost half the blood in his body rush to his head.
Forehead ribbon, forehead ribbon, ke-ke-ke…
Forehead ribbons do mean quite a lot!
Suddenly, he felt a desperate need for fresh air. He jumped up and dashed outside, only managing to steady himself by clinging to the withered bark of a tree. He cried out inwardly, …Oh my God! What have I done?!
At that time, in Qishan, the Wen Sect held a grand Discussion Conference. The conference lasted for seven days. Each day’s entertainment was planned differently. One of the days was an archery competition.
The rules of the competition were as follows: Every student under the age of twenty had to enter a hunting area. Of over a thousand life-size paper mannequin targets, only one hundred were possessed by evil spirits. If any of the targets missed, they were immediately eliminated. The competition could only continue if they consistently shot the correct paper mannequins containing evil spirits. At the end, the students were ranked based on who had shot the most, who had the most accuracy, and so on.
In such an event, Wei WuXian would naturally participate as one of the YunmengJiang Sect’s contestants. Before the competition, he had been listening to the sect’s debates all morning, feeling quite dizzy. His spirits were boosted as he hefted his bow and arrows onto his back. Yawning as he walked toward the hunting grounds, he suddenly noticed a handsome young man with a bright face and a cool demeanor beside him. He wore a red robe with a round collar, sleeves that were tightly slitted, and a nine-ringed gold belt. This was the uniform of all the juniors attending the Qishan Discussion Conference. On him, it looked exceptionally good. He had a hint of elegance, a hint of vigor, but was also incredibly handsome. Seeing such a young man would undoubtedly make people beam.
The boy was busy testing his bow, carrying a bundle of white-feathered arrows. His slender fingers brushed the bowstring, making it sound like the strings of a guqin, powerful yet beautiful.
Wei WuXian felt the boy looked somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, he finally remembered and greeted the boy enthusiastically, “Hey! WangJi-xiong, it’s you!”
By then, it had been a year since Wei WuXian had studied in Gusu and been sent back to Yunmeng. After arriving in Yunmeng, he recounted everything he had seen there to the people there, especially things like how, although Lan WangJi’s face was beautiful, he was so stiff in doing this, so boring in doing that. Soon, he had forgotten his days in Gusu and continued to frolic in the lakes and mountains. In the past, he had only seen Lan WangJi in the plain “mourning clothes” of the GusuLan Sect uniform, never in such bright and eye-catching attire. Coupled with Lan WangJi’s overly beautiful face, now that they met again, Wei WuXian’s eyes were momentarily blinded by his appearance, failing to immediately recognize him.
On the other hand, as soon as Lan WangJi finished testing his bow, he immediately left. Awkwardly, Wei WuXian turned to Jiang Cheng, “He’s ignoring me again. Huh.”
Jiang Cheng glanced at him indifferently, then decided to ignore him. There were over twenty entrances to the shooting range; each sect was different. As Lan WangJi walked toward the GusuLan Sect entrance, Wei WuXian slipped past him before he could. Lan WangJi shifted to one side, and he shifted to the other as well; Lan WangJi shifted to the other side, and he shifted to the other side as well. In short, he refused to let Lan WangJi pass.
Finally, standing where he was, Lan WangJi raised his chin slightly. In a serious tone, he said, “Excuse me.”
Wei WuXian, “You’re finally willing to talk to me? Are you pretending not to know me or not to hear me?”
Not far away, boys from other sects were staring at them. Some were laughing, some were exclaiming. Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue impatiently. With his quiver on his back, he walked toward another entrance.
Lan WangJi raised his eyes coldly and repeated, “Excuse me.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips, Wei WuXian raised his eyebrows and glanced to the side. The archway at the entrance was rather narrow. Lan WangJi could only barely squeeze through it as he entered. After entering, Wei WuXian called out from behind him, “Lan Zhan, your forehead ribbon is crooked.”
All disciples from prominent sects took great care in maintaining their appearance, especially those from the GusuLan Sect. Hearing this, Lan WangJi immediately adjusted it without a second thought. However, the forehead ribbon was clearly still in place as usual. Turning around, he glared at Wei WuXian in annoyance. Wei WuXian only laughed as he turned back toward the entrance of the YunmengJiang Sect.
After everyone entered and the competition officially began, the students left one by one, having accidentally shot a regular mannequin. Every time Wei WuXian shot, an arrow fell. Although slow, he never missed. The number of arrows in his quiver soon dwindled to seventeen or eighteen. Just as he was contemplating what would happen if he shot with his other hand, something suddenly flew into his face.
Softer than the touch of a catkin flower in the wind, it made Wei WuXian’s cheeks itch. Turning around, he saw that Lan WangJi had somehow walked up to him. With his back to Wei WuXian and his face facing the paper mannequin, he was drawing his bow.
The ends of her forehead ribbon danced in the wind, gently brushing Wei WuXian’s face.
He narrowed his eyes, “WangJi-xiong!”
With his bow already in the shape of a full moon, Lan WangJi still answered after a moment of hesitation, “What?”
Wei WuXian, “Pita dahimu bengkok.”
This time, Lan WangJi refused to believe him again. As he released his arrow, he replied without looking back, “Ridiculous.”
Wei WuXian, “This time it’s true! It’s really cheating. Just watch it if you don’t believe it. Let me set it straight.”
He continued speaking, reaching for the end of the ribbon that kept fluttering before his eyes. Unfortunately, his hands were too wild. In the past, he had a habit of tugging at the braids of Yunmeng girls. Whenever he touched something like a ribbon, he would have the urge to pull it. So, without thinking, he pulled it this time too. However, because the forehead ribbon was already a little crooked, a little loose, the moment he pulled it, it immediately fell off Lan WangJi’s forehead.
Lan WangJi’s hand holding the bow immediately shivered.
It took him a long time to turn around. Slowly, his gaze finally met Wei WuXian’s.
Wei WuXian still held the soft ribbon in his hand, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. Here, you can tie it again.”
Lan WangJi’s expression was darker than before.
It felt like a cloud of black mist was enveloping his face. As he gripped his quiver, the veins on the back of his hand bulged. He looked so angry that his body was almost trembling. Seeing his eyes, which were even bloodshot, Wei WuXian couldn’t help but grab his forehead ribbon. Am I sure what I pulled out was his forehead ribbon, not a part of his body?
Shocked that he dared to squeeze it, Lan WangJi snatched the forehead ribbon from his hands as fast as he could.
Wei WuXian let go as soon as he grabbed it. The other Lan Sect disciples also stopped their attacks, and everyone drew closer. Embracing his younger brother, Lan XiChen spoke to the silent Lan WangJi in a low voice. Everyone else looked equally solemn, as if they were facing a powerful enemy. They shook their heads as they spoke, glancing at Wei WuXian with indescribable, strange expressions on their faces.
Wei WuXian only heard a few vague terms, such as “accident,” “calm down,” “no need to worry,” “a gentleman,” “sect rules,” and so on. He felt increasingly confused. After glaring at him one last time, Lan WangJi turned and walked alone toward the outside of the field.
Jiang Cheng approached and asked, “What are you doing this time? Didn’t I tell you not to tease her? Your day wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t dig your own grave at least once, huh?”
Wei WuXian shrugged, “I said her forehead ribbon was crooked. I tricked her the first time, but the second time it was true. She didn’t believe it and got angry. I accidentally pulled her forehead ribbon. Why do you think she was so angry? She’s not even participating in the contest anymore.”
Jiang Cheng sneered, “Isn’t it obvious? It’s because he hates you so much!”
The arrows behind him were almost gone. Seeing this, Wei WuXian got to work.
For years, he hadn’t paid much attention to this incident. Initially, he had doubted that the forehead ribbon had any special significance to the Lan Clan. However, after the competition, he had forgotten about it. Now, considering how the other Lan Sect disciples viewed him…
Having his forehead ribbon removed by a brat without permission or anything in front of everyone’s eyes, Lan Zhan managed to restrain himself from shooting Wei WuXian to death on the spot—those well-mannered people were truly terrifying!!! He was indeed worthy of the title HanGuang-Jun!!!
And, after thinking about it further, Wei WuXian realized that he had touched Lan WangJi’s forehead ribbon more than once after the incident!!!
Lan Jingyi was confused, “What is he doing, pacing around like that? Did he eat too much?”
Another boy added, “And his face is changing between red and green… Is that something he ate?”
“We didn’t eat anything special… Is it because of the meaning of the forehead ribbon? He seems a little too excited. It seems like he really loves HanGuang-Jun. Look how happy he is…”
Wei WuXian finally managed to calm down after walking around the withered flower bush about fifty times. Hearing those last words, he burst out laughing. Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone stepping on dry leaves behind him.
From the sound of the footsteps, he knew it wasn’t a child. Lan WangJi had probably returned. Wei WuXian quickly adjusted his expression and turned around, seeing a dark figure standing in the shade of a nearby dead tree.
The figure was quite tall, quite upright, quite dignified.
However, his head was missing.