Chapter 90: Longing—Part One

Wen Ning immediately shut his mouth. Amidst the gurgling sound of the boat being rowed, Wei WuXian opened his eyes with a terrible headache.

Leaning completely against Lan WangJi, he realized that they were no longer at Lotus Pier. For a long time, he didn’t understand what had happened. Only when he saw the blood splattered on Lan WangJi’s left arm, like a plum blossom resting on snow, did he finally remember what had happened before he fainted from anger. His expression immediately changed as he abruptly sat up. Lan WangJi went to help him, but the ringing in Wei WuXian’s ears hadn’t stopped. The pungent smell of blood also felt suffocating in his chest. It felt incredibly uncomfortable.

He was worried that he would vomit blood on the cleanliness-loving Lan WangJi again. He waved his hand, turned to the side, and tried to hold it in for a moment, leaning against the boat’s railing. Lan WangJi knew he wasn’t feeling well. He remained silent, not asking anything. He placed a hand on his back, sending a warm stream of spiritual energy.

After the iron taste in his throat subsided, Wei WuXian finally turned around, allowing Lan WangJi to release his hand. After sitting in silence for a while, he finally managed to ask, “HanGuang-Jun, how do we get out?”

Wen Ning’s expression immediately turned nervous. He stopped rowing. As he had expected, Lan WangJi kept his promise and didn’t reveal the secret. However, he didn’t lie or make up an explanation either. His words were simple, “We’ve already fought.”

Wei WuXian reached out with one hand and massaged his chest, as if trying to ease the tightness in his heart. A moment later, he exclaimed, “I knew Jiang Cheng wouldn’t let us go so easily. That brat… How could he?!”

Lan WangJi frowned, his voice deep, “Don’t mention him.”

Hearing her displeased tone, Wei WuXian paused in surprise. He immediately replied, “Alright. I won’t mention it.”

After thinking for a moment, he started again, “Um, HanGuang-Jun, don’t mind what he said, okay?”

Lan WangJi, “Which sentence?”

Wei WuXian’s eyelids throbbed, “Everything. That brat has been like this since he was little. He’ll say anything when he’s angry, no matter how nasty it is. He disregards all manner of decorum and discipline. As long as it irritates whoever he’s arguing with, he’ll say it, no matter how nasty the insults he uses. After all these years, he hasn’t gotten any better. Please don’t take it to heart.”

He spoke while silently observing Lan WangJi’s expression. Slowly, his heart sank.

Wei WuXian initially thought—or hoped—that Lan WangJi wouldn’t take those words too seriously. However, unexpectedly, Lan WangJi didn’t seem too well. He didn’t even respond with an “mn.”

It seemed that Lan WangJi was even more irritated by Jiang Cheng’s insults than he had expected. Perhaps he simply disliked Jiang Cheng’s character, or perhaps… he simply couldn’t tolerate being called ‘shameless,’ ‘lacking integrity,’ and ‘undesirable.’ After all, the GusuLan Sect was known for its motto of ‘doing right.’ HanGuang-Jun himself had never been associated with such terms.

Although these past few days, he had felt that Lan WangJi might have thought of him as being high and different from others, he had never dared to guess just how “high” or “different” he thought he was. Wei WuXian had never considered self-confidence a bad thing, and in fact, he had prided himself on it. Legends often gossiped about the YiLing Patriarch’s supposedly full love life, but in reality, he had never experienced such a feeling before. He used to think Lan WangJi was too easy to understand, but now everything was different. He was afraid that he was the only one who thought of them that way, that it was all just his own wishful thinking, that he was too confident for his own good.

Lan WangJi fell silent. Wei WuXian wanted to joke, which was his specialty, but he was worried that a forced laugh would make things awkward. After a moment of hesitation, he suddenly asked, “Where are we going?”

The change of topic was awkward, but Lan WangJi continued obediently, “Where do you want to go?”

Wei WuXian rubbed his head, “We don’t know ZeWu-Jun’s situation yet. We also don’t know what those people are planning. How about we go to Lanling first…” Suddenly, he remembered something, “No. Not Lanling yet. We’re going to Yunping City.”

Lan WangJi, “Kota Yunping?”

Wei WuXian, “Yes. Yunping City, Yunmeng. I told you, didn’t I? Back at Koi Tower, I looked at my manuscripts in the secret chamber of the Fragrant Palace. Right next to them was the title deed to a place in Yunping City. The LanlingJin Sect possesses wealth and power. I think, if it weren’t for some ulterior motive, Jin GuangYao wouldn’t have kept the title deed that way. Maybe we’ll find something there.”

Lan WangJi nodded. At this moment, Wen Ning spoke up, “Young Master, is Yunping City in this direction?”

Wei WuXian, “Apa?!”

Both he and Lan WangJi were sitting with their backs to the tail of the boat, which was why he didn’t see Wen Ning. Suddenly, someone spoke behind him, and he immediately felt his scalp tingle. He rolled around before asking in shock, “Why are you here?!”

Looking up, Wen Ning replied with a blank expression, “Me? I’ve always been here.”

Wei WuXian, “Then why didn’t you say anything?”

Wen Ning, “I saw you were talking to HanGuang-Jun, Young Master, so I didn’t…”

Wei WuXian, “Then shouldn’t you be a little louder??”

Holding the oar in his hand, Wen Ning protested, “Young Master, I’m rowing the boat. I’m always making noise. Can’t you hear me?”

“…” Wei WuXian waved his hand, “I didn’t notice. Enough, enough, stop rowing. The water here is rough at night. The boat will keep moving without you needing to row.”

He had grown up in Yunmeng, swimming in the waters here since childhood, so naturally he was familiar with it. Wen Ning complied and lowered his paddle. Hesitantly, he sat on the edge, nearly six feet away from the two of them. It was three in the morning when they arrived in Yunmeng. After so much had happened, dawn had already broken. White light shone against the blue sky. The mountains on both sides of the river finally came into view.

While looking around, Wei WuXian suddenly exclaimed, “I’m hungry.”

Lan WangJi looked up. Of course, Wei WuXian wasn’t hungry at all. He had just eaten three pies from the vendor in front of Lotus Pier’s gate. However, Lan WangJi had only eaten one, and it was the only thing he had eaten in the past two days. The image lingered in Wei WuXian’s mind. Before them, there seemed to be almost no sign of human presence. They would most likely have to wander for a long time before reaching a town where they could rest and eat.

Lan WangJi replied a moment later, “Move aside?”

Wei WuXian, “There aren’t many people on the beach here, but I know a place to go.”

Wen Ning immediately took up his oars and rowed in the direction she pointed. Soon, the ferry turned onto a branch of the river and drifted towards Lotus Lake.

The lake was lined with lotus leaves of varying heights, almost forming a blanket. The thin boat pushed through the crowded stems and drifted toward the depths of the lake. Seen from above, trailing behind the boat were rows of swaying lotus leaves. Walking among the green umbrellas, pushing aside the large leaves, and discovering the plump seed pods hidden beneath, one by one—it felt like discovering a small treasure. Grinning, Wei WuXian was about to reach for it when Lan WangJi suddenly called out, “Wei Ying.”

Wei WuXian, “What’s wrong?”

Lan WangJi, “Is there an owner to this lake?”

Wei WuXian’s face was completely honest, “Of course not.”

Of course there was. Ever since Wei WuXian was eleven, he had been stealing lotus seed pods and water chestnuts from the various lakes in Yunmeng. He had long since abandoned that hobby, but now that they needed to find food to survive, he had to revert to his old habits.

Lan WangJi’s voice sounded lukewarm, “I heard that all the lotus lakes here have owners.”

“…” Wei WuXian, “Hahahahahahaha, really? What a shame. You’ve heard a lot of things, haven’t you? I’ve never even heard of this. Let’s go.”

After being caught, of course, he wasn’t so shameless as to invite Lan WangJi to join him in such a foolish act. It didn’t seem right for the famous HanGuang-Jun to steal lotus seeds from someone else’s lake. Just as he was about to grab the oar in embarrassment, Lan WangJi reached out and plucked one of the lotus seeds.

He handed the seed pod to Wei WuXian, “There is no next time.”