Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Parting XV 3

Two months later. Yunmeng.

After the thundering collapse of the Wen family of Qishan, the once most prosperous Nightless City vanished overnight, reduced to ruins. Many cultivators sought new havens, scattering to various cities, with the majority flocking to Lanling, Yunmeng, Gusu, and Qinghe. The main street was bustling with people, young nobles and disciples walking with their swords, discussing the current state of the world, each brimming with confidence and vigor.

Suddenly, the surrounding pedestrians slightly lowered their voices, their gazes unanimously turning toward the end of the street.

There, a young man in white, wearing a forehead ribbon, carrying a qin and a sword, was walking slowly toward them.

This man had an extremely elegant appearance, yet his entire being seemed enveloped in an aura of frost and snow. From afar, the cultivators instinctively quieted, paying their respects. A few of the more prominent cultivators mustered the courage to step forward and greet him, saying, "Hanguang Jun."

Lan Wangji nodded slightly, returning the greeting with utmost seriousness, and did not linger. The other cultivators dared not disturb him too much and quietly stepped aside.

However, at that moment, a brightly dressed girl walked toward him with a smile, brushing past him in a hurry, and suddenly threw something at him.

Lan Wangji swiftly caught the object and looked down to find a snow-white flower bud.

The bud was tender and fresh, glistening with dew. As Lan Wangji stood silently, another graceful figure approached, tossing a light blue flower toward him. It was aimed at his chest but missed, hitting his shoulder instead. Lan Wangji caught it again, and when he looked up, the girl giggled, fleeing without a trace of bashfulness.

The third time, a young girl with twin buns came skipping over, holding a branch adorned with scattered red buds. She threw it at his chest and then turned and ran.

Time and again, Lan Wangji ended up holding a large bundle of colorful flowers and branches, standing expressionlessly in the middle of the street. The cultivators who recognized Hanguang Jun stifled their laughter, pretending to be serious while their eyes kept darting his way. The ordinary civilians who didn't know him were already pointing and whispering. As Lan Wangji lowered his head in thought, he suddenly felt a slight weight in his hair. He raised his hand and found a blooming pink peony resting perfectly on his temple.

From a high building above, a cheerful voice called out, "Lan Zhan—ah, no, Hanguang Jun. What a coincidence!"

Lan Wangji looked up and saw a slender figure in black leaning against a vermilion railing, one hand dangling down, holding a delicate black ceramic wine jug. The jug's bright red tassel was partly wrapped around his arm, partly swaying gently in the air.

At the sight of Wei Wuxian's face, the young nobles who had been watching nearby all looked rather strange. Everyone knew that the Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang Jun did not get along. During the Sunshot Campaign, even when they fought side by side on the same front, they often clashed. No one knew what kind of antics they were up to this time, and they couldn't even pretend to be reserved anymore, staring even more intently at the two.

Contrary to their expectations, Lan Wangji did not coldly brush him off and leave. Instead, he simply said, "It's you."

Wei Wuxian replied, "It's me! Of course, it's me who would do something so boring. What brings you to Yunmeng? If you're not in a hurry, come up and have a drink?"

Several girls gathered around him, crowding against the railing and laughing down at Lan Wangji, "Yes, come up and have a drink, young master!"

These girls were the same ones who had thrown flowers at him earlier, and it was clear who had orchestrated this behavior.

Lan Wangji lowered his head and turned to leave. Seeing that he couldn't provoke him, Wei Wuxian wasn't surprised. He clicked his tongue, rolled off the railing, and took a sip from the wine jug. However, moments later, the sound of footsteps, neither too heavy nor too light, neither too fast nor too slow, approached.

Lan Wangji steadily climbed the stairs, pushed aside the curtain, and entered. The beads of the curtain jingled, their crisp sounds like musical notes.

He placed the pile of flowers that had been thrown at him on the small table and said, "Your flowers."

Wei Wuxian leaned on the table and said, "You're welcome. I gave them to you; they're yours now."

Lan Wangji asked, "Why?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "No reason. I just wanted to see how you'd react to something like this."

Lan Wangji said, "Boring."

Wei Wuxian said, "Exactly, it's boring. That's why I dragged you up here... Hey, hey, don't leave now that you're here. Have a couple of drinks before you go?"

Lan Wangji said, "Alcohol is forbidden."

Wei Wuxian said, "I know your family forbids alcohol. But this isn't the Cloud Recesses; having a couple of drinks won't hurt."

The girls immediately brought out new wine cups, filled them, and placed them next to the pile of flowers. Lan Wangji still showed no intention of sitting down, but he also didn't seem to be leaving.

Wei Wuxian said, "It's rare for you to come to Yunmeng. Aren't you going to try the fine wine here? The wine here is good, but it still doesn't hold a candle to Gusu's Tianzi Lao. It's truly the finest among wines. When I get the chance to visit Gusu again, I must hide away ten or eight jars of it and drink to my heart's content. What's your deal? There's a seat right there, but you're just standing. Sit down already."

The girls all chimed in, "Sit down!" "Sit!"

Lan Wangji's light-colored eyes coldly surveyed these overly coquettish girls, then his gaze settled on the pitch-black, shiny flute with a red tassel hanging at Wei Wuxian's waist. He seemed to be deep in thought, considering his words. Seeing this, Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow, somewhat anticipating what Lan Wangji would say next.

Sure enough, Lan Wangji slowly said, "You shouldn't spend all day with spirits."

The smiles on the faces of the girls around Wei Wuxian vanished in an instant.

The fluttering curtains occasionally blocked the sunlight, making the interior of the pavilion alternately bright and dark. At this moment, their snow-white faces seemed excessively pale, almost bloodless, even somewhat ashen, and their eyes stared fixedly at Lan Wangji, exuding an inexplicable chill.

Wei Wuxian raised his hand, signaling them to step aside, and shook his head, saying, "Lan Zhan, you're really becoming a bore as you get older. You're still young, not some old man in his seventies or eighties. Why do you always imitate your uncle, so rigid and always thinking about lecturing people?"

Lan Wangji turned and took a step closer to him, saying, "Wei Ying, you should come back to Gusu with me."

"..." Wei Wuxian said, "It's been a long time since I've heard that. The Sunshot Campaign is over; I thought you'd given up on this long ago."

Lan Wangji said, "During the last hunt at Hundred Phoenix Mountain, did you notice any signs?"

Wei Wuxian asked, "What signs?"

Lan Wangji said, "Loss of control."

Wei Wuxian said, "Are you referring to the time I almost got into a fight with Jin Zixuan? I think you're mistaken. I always feel like fighting Jin Zixuan whenever I see him."

Lan Wangji said, "And what you said afterward."

Wei Wuxian said, "What did I say? I say so many things every day, I've long forgotten what I said two months ago."

Lan Wangji looked at him, seemingly seeing through his casual dismissal, and took a deep breath, saying, "Wei Ying."

He stubbornly said, "Ghostly cultivation harms the body and the mind."

Wei Wuxian seemed somewhat exasperated, saying helplessly, "Lan Zhan, I've heard this a million times. Don't you ever get tired of saying it? You say it harms the body, but I'm fine now. You say it harms the mind, but I haven't become that deranged, have I?"

Lan Wangji said, "It's not too late now, but you'll regret it later..."

Before he could finish, Wei Wuxian's expression changed, and he stood up abruptly, saying, "Lan Zhan!"

The group of girls behind him had, unnoticed, all developed a red glow in their eyes. Wei Wuxian said, "Don't move."

So, they bowed their heads and stepped back, but their eyes remained fixed on Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian said to Lan Wangji, "What are you getting at? I don't think I'll regret it, but I don't appreciate people making predictions about my future."

After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji said, "I was rude."

Wei Wuxian said, "It's fine. But it seems I really shouldn't have invited you up today. That was presumptuous of me."

Lan Wangji said, "No."

Wei Wuxian smiled politely and said, "Is that so? That's good then."

He downed the remaining half cup of wine and said, "But in any case, thank you. I'll take it as you caring about me."

Wei Wuxian waved his hand and said, "Then I won't bother Hanguang Jun any longer. We'll meet again if fate has it in store."

When Wei Wuxian returned to Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng was polishing his sword. He glanced up and said, "Back?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Back."

Jiang Cheng said, "You look like you've had bad luck. Did you run into Jin Zixuan?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "Worse than running into Jin Zixuan. Guess who."

Jiang Cheng said, "Give me a hint."

Wei Wuxian said, "He wants to lock me away."

Jiang Cheng frowned, "Lan Wangji? What's he doing in Yunmeng?"

Wei Wuxian said, "I don't know. He was wandering around the streets, probably looking for someone. He hasn't brought it up since the Sunshot Campaign, but now he's starting again."

Jiang Cheng said, "Who told you to call out to him first?"

Wei Wuxian said, "How do you know I called out to him first?"

Jiang Cheng said, "Do I even need to ask? It's always you, isn't it? You're so weird. Every time you end up on bad terms with him, yet you still relentlessly go out of your way to annoy him."

Wei Wuxian thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I'm just bored?"

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, thinking, "You finally admit it," and then turned his gaze back to his sword. Wei Wuxian asked, "How many times a day do you polish that sword?"

Jiang Cheng said, "Three times. What about your sword? How long has it been since you last polished it?"

Wei Wuxian took a bite of a pear and said, "I left it in my room. Polishing it once a month is plenty."

Jiang Cheng said, "From now on, don't go without your sword at big events like hunts or discussion conferences. It's an easy way for people to criticize your lack of manners or bad example."

Wei Wuxian said, "You know how much I hate being forced to do things. The more someone pushes me, the less I want to do it. I won't carry a sword, so what can they do about it?"

Jiang Cheng shot him a glare. Wei Wuxian added, "Besides, I don't want to be dragged into sword duels by a bunch of strangers. My sword only leaves its sheath to spill blood. Unless someone sends two people for me to kill, no one should bother me. It's easier to just not carry it and avoid the hassle altogether."

Jiang Cheng said, "You used to love showing off your sword skills in front of everyone."

Wei Wuxian said, "That was when I was a kid. No one can stay a kid forever."

Jiang Cheng chuckled and said, "Fine, don't carry a sword if you don't want to. But from now on, stop provoking Jin Zixuan. After all, he's Jin Guangshan's only son, and he'll be the future head of the Jin family of Lanling. If you fight him, what am I supposed to do as the family head? Join you in beating him up? Or punish you?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Isn't there Jin Guangyao now? He's much more pleasant to look at than Jin Zixuan."

Jiang Cheng finished polishing his sword, examined it for a moment, and then sheathed Three Poisons. He said, "Being pleasant doesn't mean much. No matter how pleasant or clever he is, he'll never go beyond being a servant handling greetings and farewells. He'll never surpass Jin Zixuan."

Wei Wuxian, hearing the tone in Jiang Cheng's voice, seemed to sense some admiration for Jin Zixuan. He asked, "Jiang Cheng, be honest with me. What are you thinking? Last time, you specifically brought Shijie along. Are you really hoping for Shijie and him to...?"

Jiang Cheng said, "It's not impossible."

Wei Wuxian said, "Not impossible? Have you forgotten what he did in Langya? And you're telling me it's not impossible?"

Jiang Cheng said, "He's probably sorry now."

Wei Wuxian said, "Who cares if he's sorry? Just because he realizes he was wrong, does that mean we have to forgive him? Look at how his father behaves. Who's to say he won't turn out the same, wandering around everywhere chasing women? Shijie with him? Can you stand that?"

Jiang Cheng said coldly, "He wouldn't dare!"

After a pause, Jiang Cheng glanced at him and added, "But whether or not to forgive him isn't up to you. It's because Shijie has feelings for him."

Wei Wuxian was momentarily speechless. After a while, he managed to say, "Why does she have to like him, of all people..."

He threw the pear aside and asked, "Where's Shijie?"

Jiang Cheng said, "I don't know. It's the same few places as usual—either the kitchen, her bedroom, or the ancestral hall. Where else could she be?"

Wei Wuxian left the sword-testing hall and first went to the kitchen. A pot of warm soup was simmering on the stove, but no one was around. He then went to Jiang Yanli's room, but she wasn't there either. Finally, he went to the ancestral hall, and sure enough, she was there.

Jiang Yanli was kneeling in the ancestral hall, quietly cleaning her parents' memorial tablets and murmuring to them. Wei Wuxian peeked his head in and said, "Shijie? Are you talking to Uncle Jiang and Lady Yu again?"

Jiang Yanli replied softly, "Since none of you are here, I have to be."

Wei Wuxian walked in, sat down beside her, and started helping her clean the tablets.

Jiang Yanli glanced at him and asked, "A-Xian, why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to tell me?"

Wei Wuxian smiled and said, "Nothing much. I just came in to mess around."

With that, he actually rolled on the floor. Jiang Yanli asked, "Xianxian, how old are you?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "I'm three years old!"

Seeing that he had made Jiang Yanli laugh, he sat up and, after some thought, said, "Shijie, I want to ask you something."

Jiang Yanli said, "Go ahead."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Why do people like someone else? I mean, that kind of liking."

Jiang Yanli was slightly taken aback and asked curiously, "Why are you asking me this? Do you like someone? What kind of girl is she?"

Wei Wuxian said, "No. I won't like anyone. At least, I shouldn't like someone too much. Isn't that just putting a yoke around your own neck?"

Jiang Yanli said, "Three is a bit too old. Let's say one."

Wei Wuxian insisted, "No, I'm three! Three-year-old Xianxian is hungry! What should I do?"

Jiang Yanli laughed and said, "There's soup in the kitchen. Go and have some. I wonder if Xianxian can reach the stove?"

"If I can't reach it, Shijie can just lift me up so I can reach it..." Wei Wuxian was babbling nonsense when Jiang Cheng happened to walk into the ancestral hall. Hearing this, he spat out, "Spouting nonsense again! As the family head, I've already ladled you a bowl and left it outside. Hurry up and thank me, then go out and drink your soup."

Wei Wuxian dashed out to check and then returned, demanding, "Jiang Cheng, what do you mean? Where are the ribs?"

Jiang Cheng said, "They're gone. Only the lotus root is left. Eat it or don't."

Wei Wuxian elbowed him and said, "Give me back the ribs!"

Jiang Cheng retorted, "If I spit them out, you'd better eat them!"

Hearing them bicker again, Jiang Yanli quickly stepped in, "Alright, you two are grown-ups fighting over a few ribs. I'll just make another pot..."

Wei Wuxian loved Jiang Yanli's lotus root and rib soup the most.

Not only because it was truly delicious, but also because he always remembered the first time he had it.

Back then, Wei Wuxian had just been picked up by Jiang Fengmian from Yiling. As soon as he entered the house, he saw a spirited young man running around the training ground with a few puppies. Wei Wuxian immediately covered his face with his hands, let out a loud cry, and started wailing. He clung to Jiang Fengmian all day, refusing to let go. The next day, the puppies Jiang Cheng had been raising were given away.

This incident made Jiang Cheng cry bitterly. Even though Jiang Fengmian tried to comfort him with kind words, urging them to "be good friends," Jiang Cheng refused to speak to Wei Wuxian. After a few days, Jiang Cheng's attitude softened a bit, and Jiang Fengmian, hoping to seize the opportunity, had Wei Wuxian move into the same room as Jiang Cheng, hoping they would grow closer.

Jiang Cheng had been reluctantly about to agree, but things went wrong when Jiang Fengmian, in a moment of joy, lifted Wei Wuxian up and let him sit on his arm. Seeing this, Jiang Cheng was completely stunned. Lady Yu let out a cold laugh and stormed off. Since both husband and wife had urgent matters to attend to, they left in a hurry, avoiding further arguments.

That night, Jiang Cheng locked Wei Wuxian out of the room, refusing to let him in.

Wei Wuxian knocked on the door and said, "Shidi, shidi, let me in. I need to sleep."

Jiang Cheng was inside the room, leaning against the door and shouting, "Who's your shidi! Give me back Feifei, Jasmine, and Xiao Ai!"

Feifei, Jasmine, and Xiao Ai were the dogs he had originally raised. Wei Wuxian knew that Jiang Fengmian had sent them away because of him, and he whispered, "I'm sorry. But... but I'm really scared of them..."

In Jiang Cheng's memory, Jiang Fengmian had held him in his arms no more than five times, and each time had made him happy for months. Anger and resentment filled his chest, and his mind was filled with thoughts of "why, why, why." Suddenly, he saw an extra set of bedding in the room that had always been his alone. The anger and resentment surged to his head, driving him to grab Wei Wuxian's mat and blanket. Wei Wuxian had been waiting by the door for a long time, and when the door suddenly opened, before he could even show a hint of joy, he was nearly knocked over by a pile of things thrown at him. The wooden door slammed shut again, and Jiang Cheng shouted from inside, "Go sleep somewhere else! This is my room! Are you trying to take over my room too?!"

At that time, Wei Wuxian didn't understand what Jiang Cheng was so angry about. He was stunned for a moment, then said, "I'm not trying to take it. Uncle Jiang told me to share the room with you."

When Jiang Cheng heard him mention his father again, it felt like a deliberate provocation. His eyes reddened, and he shouted, "Go away! If I see you again, I'll call a pack of dogs to bite you!"

Wei Wuxian stood at the door, terrified at the thought of dogs being called to bite him. He nervously wrung his hands and quickly said, "I'll go, I'll go. Don't call the dogs!"

Dragging the mat and blanket that had been thrown out, he ran down the corridor. Having just arrived at Lotus Pier, he didn't dare to wander around too much and had been obediently staying in the places Jiang Fengmian had told him to. He didn't know the layout or the rooms, and he was too afraid to knock on doors, worried he might disturb someone's sleep. After thinking for a while, he found a sheltered corner of the wooden corridor, spread out the mat, and lay down there. But the more he lay there, the louder Jiang Cheng's words, "I'll call a pack of dogs to bite you," echoed in his mind. Wei Wuxian became increasingly terrified, tossing and turning under the blanket, hearing every rustle of the wind as if a pack of dogs was quietly surrounding him. After struggling for a while, he decided he couldn't stay there any longer. He jumped up, rolled up the mat, folded the blanket, and fled Lotus Pier.

He ran breathlessly through the night wind for a while until he saw a tree. Without thinking, he climbed up, clinging to the trunk with both hands and feet. Only when he felt he was high enough did he feel slightly calmer. He clung to the tree for what felt like an eternity when suddenly, he heard someone softly calling his name from afar. The voice grew closer, and soon, a young girl in white appeared under the tree, holding a lantern.

Wei Wuxian recognized her as Jiang Cheng's sister and remained silent, hoping she wouldn't notice him. However, Jiang Yanli said, "Is that you, A-Xian? What are you doing up there?"

Wei Wuxian continued to stay silent. Jiang Yanli raised the lantern and said, "I see you. Your shoe fell under the tree."

Wei Wuxian glanced down at his left foot and exclaimed, "My shoe!"

Jiang Yanli said, "Come down, let's go back."

Wei Wuxian said, "I... I won't come down. There are dogs."

Jiang Yanli replied, "A-Cheng was just teasing you. There are no dogs. You don't have a place to sit, and your arms will get tired soon. You'll fall."

No matter what she said, Wei Wuxian clung to the tree trunk and refused to come down. Jiang Yanli, fearing he might fall, set the lantern down at the base of the tree and stood beneath him with her arms outstretched, not daring to leave. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Wei Wuxian's arms finally gave out, and he let go of the trunk, falling down. Jiang Yanli quickly tried to catch him, but Wei Wuxian still hit the ground with a thud, rolling a few times and clutching his leg, crying out, "My leg's broken!"

Jiang Yanli comforted him, "It's not broken, and it's probably not fractured either. Does it hurt a lot? Don't worry, don't move. I'll carry you back."

Wei Wuxian, still worried about the dogs, whimpered, "The dogs... are the dogs coming..."

Jiang Yanli assured him repeatedly, "No, there are no dogs. If there were, I'd chase them away for you." She picked up Wei Wuxian's shoe from under the tree and asked, "Why did your shoe fall off? Does it not fit?"

Wei Wuxian, holding back tears of pain, quickly said, "No, it fits."

In truth, it didn't fit—it was too big. But since it was the first pair of new shoes Jiang Fengmian had bought him, Wei Wuxian didn't want to trouble him to buy another pair, so he didn't mention it. Jiang Yanli helped him put the shoe back on, pinching the empty toe area, and said, "It is a bit big. I'll adjust it for you when we get back."

Wei Wuxian felt like he had done something wrong again and grew uneasy.

Living under someone else's roof, the worst fear was causing trouble for others.

Jiang Yanli carried him on her back, walking carefully back, one step at a time, and said, "A-Xian, no matter what A-Cheng said to you earlier, don't take it to heart. He has a bad temper, and he often plays alone at home. He loved those puppies the most, and when Father sent them away, he was devastated. Actually, he's happy to have someone else to play with. When you didn't come back for so long, he was worried something had happened to you and rushed to wake me up. That's why I came out to look for you."

Jiang Yanli was only two or three years older than him, just twelve or thirteen years old at the time. Though she was still a child herself, she spoke naturally like a little adult, constantly comforting him. Her body was thin and frail, and she didn't have much strength. She swayed from time to time and had to stop occasionally to adjust Wei Wuxian's position on her back to prevent him from slipping off. Yet, Wei Wuxian felt an unparalleled sense of security lying on her back, even more so than when he sat on Jiang Fengmian's arm.

Suddenly, a faint sobbing sound was carried by the night wind. Jiang Yanli shivered and asked, "What's that sound? Did you hear it?"

Wei Wuxian pointed and said, "I heard it! It's coming from that pit!"

The two of them cautiously approached the pit and peered down. A small figure was lying at the bottom, his face streaked with tears that had washed away the dirt. He sobbed, "...Sister!"

Jiang Yanli sighed in relief and said, "A-Cheng, didn't I tell you to call someone to help look for him?"

Jiang Cheng just shook his head. After Jiang Yanli left, he had waited for a while but grew too restless. He decided to go out and search himself. However, in his haste, he forgot to bring a lantern, tripped, and fell into a pit, hitting his head.

Jiang Yanli reached down and pulled her brother out of the pit, using a handkerchief to press against his bleeding forehead. Jiang Cheng looked dejected, his dark eyes sneaking glances at Wei Wuxian. Jiang Yanli asked, "Is there something you haven't said to A-Xian?"

Jiang Cheng held the handkerchief against his forehead and said in a low voice, "...I'm sorry."

Jiang Yanli said, "Later, help A-Xian take his mat and quilt back, okay?"

Jiang Cheng sniffled and said, "I've already taken them back."

Both of them had injured legs and couldn't walk. They were still some distance from Lotus Pier, so Jiang Yanli had to piggyback one and hold the other in her arms. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng both clung to her neck, and after a few steps, she was already panting heavily, saying, "What am I going to do with you two?"

Both of them still had tears in their eyes and hugged her neck even tighter, feeling wronged.

In the end, she managed to carry her two brothers back to Lotus Pier step by step, stopping frequently. She gently roused the physician and asked him to bandage and treat Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. Afterward, she thanked and apologized to the physician repeatedly before seeing him off. Jiang Cheng's face was tense as he stared at Wei Wuxian's injured foot. If other disciples or servants found out about this and it reached Jiang Fengmian's ears, Jiang Fengmian would know that he had thrown out Wei Wuxian's mat and caused Wei Wuxian to injure his leg, and would surely dislike him even more. This was why he had only dared to chase after Wei Wuxian alone earlier and hadn't told anyone else. Seeing Jiang Cheng's worried expression, Wei Wuxian proactively said, "Don't worry, I won't tell Uncle Jiang. I just suddenly wanted to climb a tree on a whim at night, so I got hurt."

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng sighed in relief and vowed, "You can rest assured too, from now on, whenever I see a dog, I'll help you chase it away!"

Seeing that the two had finally made up, Jiang Yanli happily said, "That's the way it should be."

After the commotion of the night, both of them were hungry. Jiang Yanli went to the kitchen, tiptoeing around as she busied herself, and heated up a bowl of lotus root and pork rib soup for each of them.

The aroma lingered in their hearts, unforgettable.

Wei Wuxian crouched in the courtyard, placing the empty soup bowl on the ground, and gazed at the starry night sky for a while, smiling faintly.

Today, he had run into Lan Wangji on the streets of Yunmeng and suddenly remembered many things from his time studying at the Cloud Recesses.

On a whim, he had called out to Lan Wangji, originally intending to steer the conversation in that direction. But Lan Wangji had reminded him that everything was already different from back then.

Yet, as long as he returned to Lotus Pier and to the Jiang siblings, he could feel as if nothing had changed.

Wei Wuxian suddenly wanted to find the tree he had clung to back then.

He eventually stood up and walked out of Lotus Pier. Along the way, the disciples bowed respectfully and nodded to him. They were all unfamiliar faces. The mischievous juniors who used to refuse to walk properly and the household servants who would wink and refuse to bow properly were all long gone.

Passing through the training grounds and stepping out of Lotus Pier's gates, he came to a wide dock. Whether it was day or night, there were always food vendors on the dock. The oil sizzling in the pots filled the air with a tantalizing aroma, and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but walk over, smiling, "The ingredients are quite generous today."

The vendor also smiled, "Wei gongzi, want one? This one's on me, no need to put it on the tab."

Wei Wuxian said, "Sure. But the tab stays as usual."

Next to the vendor, a dirty figure was crouched, hugging his knees and shivering, seemingly cold and exhausted. Hearing Wei Wuxian speak, the person suddenly looked up.

Wei Wuxian's eyes widened in shock, "You?!"