Chapter 93: Longing (Part Four)

“…” 

Wei WuXian, “Buka mulutmu.”

Lan WangJi raised his head high, maintaining his cold gaze. Leaning forward slightly, he moved his teeth from the first knuckle to the second. He bit down even harder.

Wei WuXian, “Aduh!”

Lan WangJi finally relaxed a little. Wei WuXian took this opportunity to pull his finger back and roll to the side. The bite made his hair stand on end. Whatever it was reminded him of dogs, and his hair stood on end every time he thought about it. However, before he could roll far enough, Lan WangJi drew Bichen from its sheath and stabbed it hard into the cushion, nailing the hem of Wei WuXian’s robe to the ground.

The two of them changed into the clothes they were currently wearing at Lotus Pier. They were made of a special fabric and wouldn’t tear easily. Stuck by the hem of his robe, he couldn’t roll any further, muttering, “Lan Zhan, look at you. You made a hole in the floor and the cushions of the inn. You have to pay…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt someone grab his collar and pull him back. Wei WuXian’s back slammed into the person’s chest. Lan WangJi’s low voice boomed in his ears, “Pay!”

After he finished, he pulled Bichen up from the ground as if to stab him a few more times. Wei WuXian stepped back and stopped him, “Stop! What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this just because of a cup of wine? Look how bad you’ve become.”

His tone was reproachful. Lan WangJi looked at him, then at his hand, then at the hole in the floor. As if suddenly struck by realization, he immediately threw his sword. Bichen fell to the ground with a dull clang before rolling. Wei WuXian grabbed the scabbard with his left hand and used his foot to kick it into the air. Steadily and precisely, Bichen plunged straight into the scabbard. He snapped, “Don’t throw such a dangerous thing.”

Hearing this, Lan WangJi sat up straighter. He lowered his head, as if he knew he was wrong and wanted to correct himself. Lan WangJi always scolded him so seriously. It wasn’t until they drank that he was able to turn the tables. Wei WuXian, who was hugging Bichen with his arms folded, looked at him with his head tilted, trembling with laughter.

He really loves the drunkard Lan WangJi!

Now that he was drunk, Wei WuXian’s previous dilemma had completely vanished. It was as if all the directionless wildness within him had finally found a way out. Walking a few times around Lan WangJi, who was still sitting neatly and politely, Wei WuXian turned and sat beside him, lifting his tattered robe for him to see. “Look what you’ve done. You tore my shirt. You’ll have to patch it up later, you know?”

Lan WangJi nodded. Wei WuXian, “Do you know how to patch clothes?”

Lan WangJi shook his head. Wei WuXian, “I knew it. Learn if you don’t know how. Anyway, you have to sew my clothes. Got it?”

Seeing Lan WangJi nod again, Wei WuXian cheerfully took another cushion and used it to cover the hole Bichen had made, since no one had found it yet. “I’ll hide the hole for you. This way, no one will know you made a mess.”

Lan WangJi took out a small, beautiful money pouch from under his collar and gave it to Wei WuXian, shaking it as he said, “Pay.”

Wei WuXian, “I know you’re rich. Just keep it, just keep it… What are you doing?”

Lan WangJi stuffed the bag into his arms. Wei WuXian felt the heavy bag against his chest, “For me?”

After putting the money bag inside, Lan WangJi pulled Wei WuXian by the collar and even patted his chest a few times, as if afraid of losing it, “Keep it.”

Wei WuXian, “You’re really giving it to me? That’s a lot of money.”

Lan WangJi, “Mn.”

The bankrupt Wei WuXian expressed his gratitude, “Thanks to you, I’m rich now!”

However, Lan WangJi’s brow immediately furrowed. He grabbed Wei WuXian’s collar and pulled out his pocket, “No!”

The money Wei WuXian had just earned was taken away again. He was surprised, “Nothing?”

Lan WangJi looked disappointed and restrained. He only shook his head slowly and put away his money pouch dejectedly, looking somewhat dejected.

Wei WuXian, “Didn’t you say you’d give it to me? Why aren’t you giving it to me anymore? Aren’t you a man of your word?”

Lan WangJi turned to the other side. Wei WuXian grabbed his shoulders and turned him around, coaxing, “Look at me. Don’t run. Come here, come here, look at me.”

So Lan WangJi looked at him. The two of them stared intently at each other. They were too close, so close that he could even count Lan WangJi’s long eyelashes. The scent of cool sandalwood and the love-filled wine—two scents intertwined between their imperceptible breaths.

After staring for a long time, Wei WuXian’s heart pounded even faster. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and stepped back resignedly, being the first to look away. He said, “Alright! You win. Let’s play again. Just like before, I ask a question and you answer. You can’t lie…”

However, upon uttering the word ‘play’, Lan WangJi suddenly replied, “Yes!”

He grabbed Wei WuXian’s hand and dashed out of their room like a gust of wind, rushing down the stairs. Confused, Wei WuXian was dragged into the main hall. On the ground floor, the owner and his workers were eating around a long table. Lan WangJi didn’t spare them a glance, focused on dragging Wei WuXian out the door. 

The owner stood up, “What’s wrong? Young Master, is the food not to your liking?”

Wei WuXian managed to reply amidst the chaos, “Indeed! Especially the wine. It’s indeed strong…” Before he could finish his sentence, Lan WangJi had already dragged him out of the inn.

Even when they reached the road, Lan Wangji still didn’t seem to want to stop. He kept running. 

Wei WuXian, “Where are you going?”

Lan WangJi paused. Arriving at someone’s courtyard, he suddenly stopped. Wei WuXian was a little confused. Just as he was about to ask, Lan WangJi put a finger to his lips, “Shh.” He reached out and wrapped his arm around Wei WuXian’s waist. With a kick, they leaped lightly onto the roof of the house. Bending over the roof tiles, he whispered, “Look.”

Seeing how mysterious the man was, Wei WuXian felt a little curious. He followed the man’s gaze and saw a chicken coop in the courtyard.

“…” Wei WuXian, “Is this what you wanted me to see?”

Lan WangJi whispered, “Go.”

Wei WuXian, “To do what?”

Lan WangJi had jumped and landed in the middle of the courtyard.

If the householder were awake at this moment, they would have thought a Heavenly God had landed on Earth, watching as a celestial figure floated down, dressed in white robes illuminated by the moonlight. However, what Lan WangJi did didn’t feel like a Heavenly God at all as he slowly searched around the courtyard. Wei WuXian grew increasingly suspicious. He jumped down from the wall and tugged at his forehead ribbon. “What are you trying to do?”

Lan WangJi pressed his forehead ribbon with one hand and reached into the chicken coop with the other. The soundly sleeping chickens inside were instantly awakened, flapping their wings frantically, trying to escape. Lan WangJi’s gaze hardened. Like lightning, he caught the fattest chicken in his hand.

Wei WuXian was shocked and speechless.

The hen crowed uncontrollably in Lan WangJi’s hand. Seriously, Lan WangJi handed it over to Wei WuXian’s arms. Wei WuXian, “What?”

Lan WangJi, “Chicken.”

Wei WuXian, “I know it’s a chicken. Why are you giving me a chicken?”

Lan WangJi said with a straight face, “For you.”

Wei WuXian, “As for me… Fine.” It seemed like if he didn’t accept it, Lan WangJi would get angry again. Wei WuXian took the chicken, “Lan Zhan, do you know what you’re doing? That chicken has an owner. This is called stealing.”

If anyone were to find out that the prominent HanGuang-Jun tried to steal someone else’s chicken after he got drunk… It would be beyond imagination.

But right now, Lan WangJi only listened to the things he liked. He would pretend not to hear the things he disliked. He continued to busy himself with the task at hand. From inside the chicken coop came the sounds of “crowing” and “kooing,” eggs and feathers flying everywhere. It was unbearable to hear.

Wei WuXian, “I didn’t tell you to do this.”

The two of them were carrying a trembling hen as they jumped over the wall. After walking for a while, Wei WuXian was still confused as to why Lan WangJi suddenly wanted to steal the chicken. Could it be that he wanted to eat it? Suddenly, he noticed a feather caught in Lan WangJi’s black hair.

With a ‘pft’ sound, Wei WuXian couldn’t bear to look at him anymore. Just as he was about to let go, Lan WangJi turned around again and jumped into the tree.

The tree was in someone else’s yard. It was overgrown, and its branches extended beyond the courtyard wall. Lan WangJi was sitting right on one of its branches. Wei WuXian looked up, “What’s wrong this time?”

Lan WangJi lowered his head, “Shh.”

Hearing this, Wei WuXian suspected that what he was about to do might be similar to stealing a chicken. He watched Lan WangJi reach out, grab something from a branch, and throw it at him. Wei WuXian held the chicken with one hand and caught it with the other. He took it back and examined it. It turned out to be a large, round, and still half-ripe jujube.

Just as I suspected. After stealing chickens, now he’s stealing dates!

Things like stealing chickens and dates were nothing new to Wei WuXian. In fact, he had enjoyed such activities since he was little. He always did it with a large gang, causing a huge commotion every time. But if his partner in crime were swapped with Lan WangJi, that would be too terrifying. No, they weren’t partners in crime. Lan WangJi was clearly the mastermind here.

At this point, something suddenly crossed his mind.

Back at Lotus Pier, he took Lan WangJi to visit his upbringing in Yunmeng and told him many fascinating stories from his youth. Among these stories, there were many “glorious accomplishments” like this one. Could Lan WangJi remember them after hearing them and want to experience them too?

It’s very possible!

The GusuLan Sect was extremely disciplined. Lan WangJi had been confined to his room to read and write since childhood. Every word, every action, was said and done according to the standards of his seniors. He had never played around so much before. He couldn’t do such things sober, so he did it drunk?

On the jujube tree, Lan WangJi swept past like a tornado. Soon, all the jujubes on the tree had been picked. After stuffing them all into his Qiankun sleeve, he jumped off the tree and opened his sleeve, showing Wei WuXian his ‘spoils of war’. Staring at all the round jujubes, Wei WuXian was at a loss for words. 

A moment later, he praised, “… They’re so big, so many, you’re so cool! Good job!”