TFOD Chapter 77

Two months later. Yunmeng.

After the Wen Clan of Qishan collapsed, the once most prosperous Nightless City vanished overnight, becoming a ruined city. A large number of cultivators sought new places to operate, dispersing to various new cities. Among them, the most flocked to Lanling, Yunmeng, Gusu, and Qinghe. On the long streets, people came and went, disciples from various families walked with swords, and discussed the current affairs of the world with high spirits.

Suddenly, the surrounding pedestrians lowered their voices slightly, and their gazes turned towards the end of the long street.

There, a young man in white robes with a forehead ribbon, carrying a guqin and a sword, was walking slowly.

This man’s face was extremely handsome, yet he seemed to be surrounded by an aura of frost and snow. From afar, even before he got closer, the various cultivators were already consciously silent, watching him with respectful gazes. Some, who were slightly more renowned, mustered their courage to step forward and greet him, saying, “Hanguang-Jun.”

Lan Wangji nodded slightly, returning the courtesy meticulously, without lingering. Other cultivators did not dare to bother him too much and consciously retreated.

Who knew that at this moment, a girl wearing colorful clothes walked up with a smile and brushed past him. Suddenly, she threw something at him.

Lan Wangji caught the object with lightning speed. Looking down, it turned out to be a snow-white flower bud.

The flower bud was delicate and fresh, still bearing dew. Lan Wangji remained silent, but then another graceful figure walked up, and tossed a small light blue flower at him. It was aimed at his chest, but it missed and hit his shoulder. Lan Wangji picked it up, his gaze shifting to the woman. She giggled, and without any bashfulness, she covered her face and fled.

The third time, it was a young girl with twin buns, hopping and skipping as she came. She was holding a bunch of flower branches adorned with scattered red buds and threw them at his chest, then turned and ran.

Again and again, Lan Wangji had already received a large handful of colorful flowers and branches, standing expressionlessly on the street. The cultivators on the street who recognized Hanguang-Jun wanted to laugh but dared not, feigning seriousness, but their eyes kept drifting over there. Ordinary civilians who did not recognize him were already pointing and whispering. Lan Wangji was pondering, when suddenly, he felt a slight weight on his hair. He raised his hand and found a fully bloomed pink peony, which had fallen perfectly on his temple.

From a high building, a laughing voice came, “Lan Zhan—ah, no, Hanguang-Jun. What a coincidence!”

Lan Wangji looked up, and saw pavilions and towers, with gauze curtains fluttering. A slender figure in black robes was leaning against a vermilion railing, with one hand hanging down. In his hand, he was holding a delicate black ceramic wine pot. The wine pot’s bright red tassel was half wrapped around his arm and half swaying in mid-air.

Seeing Wei Wuxian’s face, the faces of the aristocratic disciples who were watching became very strange. Everyone knew that the Yi Ling Patriarch and Hanguang-Jun did not get along. During the Sunshot Campaign, even when they fought on the same side, they often argued. No one knew what kind of trick this was. They no longer bothered to pretend to be reserved, and focused their gazes even harder on the two of them.

Lan Wangji did not coldly brush him off as they had expected. He only said, “It’s you.”

Wei Wuxian said, “It’s me! Of course, it’s me who would do such a boring thing. How did you find time to come to Yunmeng? If you’re not in a hurry, come up for a drink?”

Several girls gathered around him, crowding onto the railing, and laughed towards him, “Yes, young master, come up for a drink!”

These girls were the ones who had just thrown flowers at him. It was self-evident who had instructed them.

Lan Wangji lowered his head and turned to leave. Seeing that he could not tease him, Wei Wuxian was not surprised. He clicked his tongue and took a gulp from the pot. Who knew, after a moment, light and unhurried footsteps could be heard.

Lan Wangji steadily climbed up the stairs, lifted the curtain and entered. The sound of the beaded curtain jingling was as crisp as a melody.

He placed the pile of flowers that had been thrown at him on the small table, saying, “Your flowers.”

Wei Wuxian leaned against the small table, saying, “You’re welcome. I’m giving them to you. These are already your flowers.”

Lan Wangji said, “Why?”

Wei Wuxian said, “No why, I just wanted to see how you would react to such a thing.”

Lan Wangji said, “Boring.”

Wei Wuxian said, “It is boring. Otherwise, why would I be so bored as to pull you up here… Hey, hey, hey, don’t go yet. You’re already up here, why not have a couple of drinks before you leave?”

Lan Wangji said, “No drinking.”

Wei Wuxian said, “I know that your family forbids drinking. But this isn’t Cloud Recesses. It’s okay to have a couple of drinks.”

The girls immediately took out new wine cups, filled them, and pushed them next to the pile of flowers. Lan Wangji still did not seem like he wanted to sit, but also did not seem like he wanted to leave.

Wei Wuxian said, “It’s rare for you to come to Yunmeng. Are you really not going to sample the fine wine here? However, while the wine is good, it still can’t compare to your Gusu’s Emperor’s Smile. It truly is the most exceptional wine. If I get the chance to go to Gusu in the future, I must hide ten or eight jars of it and drink my fill in one go. You, what’s up with you? You have a seat, but you won’t sit. Sit.”

The girls all cheered, “Sit!” “Sit, please!”

Lan Wangji’s light-colored eyes coldly sized up these beautiful girls, and then, his gaze fixed on the jet-black, shiny flute tied with a red tassel at Wei Wuxian’s waist. He seemed to be pondering, considering his words. Seeing this, Wei Wuxian raised one eyebrow, somewhat anticipating what he was going to say next.

Sure enough, Lan Wangji slowly said, “You shouldn’t spend your days with non-humans.”

The smiles on the faces of the girls surrounding Wei Wuxian instantly disappeared.

The gauze curtains swayed, occasionally blocking the sunlight, making the tower bright and dark by turns. At this moment, their snow-white faces seemed a bit too white, without any blood, and even looked somewhat bluish. Their eyes were staring straight at Lan Wangji, creating a chilling feeling.

Wei Wuxian raised his hand, signaling them to retreat to the side. He shook his head, saying, “Lan Zhan, you’re becoming more and more boring as you get older. You’re so young, not yet seventy or eighty, why are you always acting like your uncle, so rigid and always wanting to lecture people?”

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

“…” Wei Wuxian said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that sentence. The Sunshot Campaign is over, I thought you’d given up on that long ago.”

Lan Wangji said, “At the last Phoenix Mountain Hunt, did you sense any signs?”

Wei Wuxian said, “What signs?”

Lan Wangji said, “Loss of control.”

Wei Wuxian said, “You mean when I almost got into a fight with Jin Zixuan? I think you’re mistaken. I always want to fight Jin Zixuan.”

Lan Wangji said, “And what you said later.”

Wei Wuxian said, “What did I say? I say so many things every day. I’ve already forgotten what I said two months ago.”

Lan Wangji looked at him, seemingly seeing through his casual perfunctoriness, and inhaled, saying, “Wei Ying.”

He stubbornly said, “Demonic cultivation harms the body and corrupts the mind.”

Wei Wuxian seemed to have a headache, saying helplessly, “Lan Zhan, you… I’ve heard these words enough, haven’t you had your fill of saying them? You say it harms the body, but I’m fine now. You say it corrupts the mind, but I haven’t become that depraved, have I?”

Lan Wangji said, “It’s not too late now. Wait until the future, and you will regret it…”

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Wuxian’s face changed, and he stood up suddenly, saying, “Lan Zhan!”

The girls behind him, without realizing it, each had eyes emitting red light. Wei Wuxian said, “Don’t move.”

So, they bowed and retreated, but still stared intently at Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian said to Lan Wangji, “What do you say? Although I don’t think I will regret it, I also don’t like others predicting my future like that.”

After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji said, “It was my impoliteness.”

Wei Wuxian said, “It’s okay. But it seems I really shouldn’t have invited you up. Consider today my intrusion.”

Lan Wangji said, “No.”

Wei Wuxian smiled slightly, politely saying, “Is that so? Well, that’s good.”

He finished the remaining half cup of wine in one gulp, saying, “But no matter what, thank you. I’ll take it as you caring about me.”

Wei Wuxian waved his hand, saying, “Then I won’t bother Hanguang-Jun any further. We’ll meet again if we’re fated.”

When Wei Wuxian returned to Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng was wiping his sword. He raised his eyes slightly, saying, “You’re back?”

Wei Wuxian said, “I’m back.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Your face is full of bad luck. Did you by any chance run into Jin Zixuan?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Worse than running into Jin Zixuan. Guess who it was.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Give me a hint.”

Wei Wuxian said, “He wanted to lock me up.”

Jiang Cheng frowned, saying, “Lan Wangji? Why did he come to Yunmeng?”

Wei Wuxian said, “I don’t know, wandering around the streets. Probably looking for someone. He hasn’t mentioned this since the Sunshot Campaign, but now he’s starting again.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Who told you to call him over first?”

Wei Wuxian said, “How did you know it was me who called him over first?”

Jiang Cheng said, “Is it even necessary to ask? When is it not! You are also strange. Clearly, you always part ways unhappily with him, yet why do you persistently try to annoy him every time?”

Wei Wuxian thought for a moment, saying, “Call it boredom?”

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, thinking, “You even know it,” and shifted his gaze back to his sword. Wei Wuxian said, “How many times a day do you wipe that sword?”

Jiang Cheng said, “Three times. How about your sword? How long has it been since you last wiped it?”

Wei Wuxian picked up a pear and took a bite, saying, “It’s thrown in the room. Once a month is enough.”

Jiang Cheng said, “In the future, for large occasions like hunts or discussion conferences, don’t go without a sword. It’s a ready-made handle for those who want to say you are ill-mannered.”

Wei Wuxian said, “You know, I hate it the most when others force me to do things. The more you force me, the less I want to do it. I just won’t wear a sword. What can you do to me?”

Jiang Cheng glared at him. Wei Wuxian added, “Also, I don’t want to be pulled into sword sparring matches by a bunch of strangers. My sword must see blood when it is unsheathed. Unless you send two people for me to kill, no one can bother me. It’s better not to bring it, to have peace and quiet.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Weren’t you very fond of showing off your swordsmanship in front of people before?”

Wei Wuxian said, “That was when I was a child. No one can be a child forever.”

Jiang Cheng chuckled, saying, “It’s fine if you don’t wear a sword, it’s no big deal. But in the future, try not to provoke Jin Zixuan. He is, after all, Jin Guangshan’s only son. In the future, he’ll be the Lanling Jin Sect leader. If you fight him, how am I, the Sect Leader supposed to act? Am I to fight him with you? Or punish you?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Isn’t there also a Jin Guangyao now? Jin Guangyao is much more pleasing to the eye.”

Jiang Cheng finished wiping his sword, looked at it for a moment, and then inserted the Three Poisons into its sheath, saying, “What’s the use of being pleasing to the eye? No matter how pleasing, how clever he is, he can only be a family servant who receives guests. He’s destined to stop here, he cannot compare to Jin Zixuan.”

Hearing his tone, it seemed as if he held Jin Zixuan in high regard. Wei Wuxian said, “Jiang Cheng, be honest with me, what do you mean? Last time, you specifically brought Senior Sister there. Don’t tell me you really want Senior Sister and him to…?”

Jiang Cheng said, “It’s not impossible.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Not impossible? Have you forgotten what he did at Langya? You’re telling me it’s not impossible?”

Jiang Cheng said, “He probably regrets it.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Who cares about his regret. If he knows he’s wrong, does that mean we have to forgive him? Look at his father’s behavior, he might become that kind of ghost in the future, fooling around and looking for women everywhere. Senior Sister with him? Can you bear it?”

Jiang Cheng said coldly, “He wouldn’t dare!”

After a pause, Jiang Cheng looked at him, saying, “However, it is not up to you to say whether to forgive him or not. Who told my sister to like him?”

Wei Wuxian was speechless immediately. After a while, he squeezed out, “Why does she have to like this…”

He threw the pear, saying, “Where is Senior Sister?”

Jiang Cheng said, “I don’t know. It’s always those same few places. If she’s not in the kitchen, then she’s in her bedroom, or else in the ancestral hall. Where else can she go?”

Wei Wuxian left the sword testing hall, first going to the kitchen. A half-pot of warm soup was simmering on the fire, but no one was there. Then he went to Jiang Yanli’s room, but she wasn’t there either. Finally, he went to the ancestral hall, and as expected, she was there.

Jiang Yanli was kneeling in the ancestral hall, wiping the memorial tablets of her father and mother while talking softly. Wei Wuxian poked his head in, saying, “Senior Sister? Chatting with Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu again?”

Jiang Yanli softly said, “None of you come, so I have to come.”

Wei Wuxian walked in, sitting down next to her, and began wiping the memorial tablets with her.

Jiang Yanli glanced at him, saying, “A-Xian, why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to say to me?”

Wei Wuxian laughed, saying, “There’s nothing. I just came in to roll around.”

As he spoke, he really rolled around on the floor. Jiang Yanli asked, “Xianxian, how old are you now?”

Wei Wuxian said, “I’m three years old.”

Seeing that he made Jiang Yanli laugh, he then sat up, thought for a moment, and then said, “Senior Sister, I want to ask you something.”

Jiang Yanli said, “Ask away.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Why do people like another person? I mean that kind of liking.”

Jiang Yanli paused for a moment, saying strangely, “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 won’t like anyone too much. Isn’t that putting a yoke on your own neck?”

Jiang Yanli said, “Three years old is a bit too much, one year old maybe.”

Wei Wuxian said, “No, I’m three years old! Three-year-old Xianxian is hungry! What do we do!”

Jiang Yanli laughed, saying, “There’s soup in the kitchen. Go and drink some. I wonder if Xianxian is tall enough to reach the stove?”

“If I’m not tall enough, Senior Sister will just lift me up, and I’ll be able to reach it…” Wei Wuxian was still talking nonsense when Jiang Cheng just happened to step into the ancestral hall, and said after hearing him, “Stop saying all these nonsense! This Sect Leader has already ladled it out for you and put it outside. Go down there quickly, thank me and then go out to drink your soup.”

Wei Wuxian ran out, looked at it, and then came back, saying, “Jiang Cheng, what do you mean? Where are the ribs?”

Jiang Cheng said, “They are all eaten. Only lotus root left. Take it or leave it.”

Wei Wuxian nudged him with an elbow, saying, “Spit the ribs out!”

Jiang Cheng said, “Spit it out, and if you can, you can eat it back up!”

Jiang Yanli, hearing them start again, quickly said, “Okay, okay, you’re already so big, arguing over a few ribs. I’ll just make another pot…”

Wei Wuxian liked the lotus root and rib soup that Jiang Yanli made the most.

Besides its fresh and delicious taste, it was also because he always remembered the first time he drank it.

At that time, Wei Wuxian had just been picked up by Jiang Fengmian from Yiling not long ago. As soon as he entered the door, he saw a spirited young master running around the training grounds with several little puppies. Immediately, he covered his face with both hands and cried out, then clung onto Jiang Fengmian all day, and wouldn’t come down no matter what. The next day, the little puppies that Jiang Cheng was raising were sent to other people.

This incident made Jiang Cheng cry a lot. Even though Jiang Fengmian tried to comfort him with kind words, telling them to “be good friends,” he refused to talk to Wei Wuxian. After a few days, Jiang Cheng’s attitude softened a little. Jiang Fengmian wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so he let Wei Wuxian live in the same room as him, hoping that they could improve their relationship.

Originally, Jiang Cheng was hesitantly about to agree, but the mishap was when Jiang Fengmian, happy for a moment, picked Wei Wuxian up, letting him sit on his arm. Jiang Cheng was stunned by this sight. Madam Yu snorted coldly on the spot and walked away in a huff. As the couple both had matters to attend to, they went out in a hurry, thus not having time to argue further.

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

Wei Wuxian pounded on the door, saying, “Junior brother, junior brother, let me in, I need to sleep.”

Jiang Cheng was in the room, his back pressed against the door as he shouted, “Who is your junior brother! Return my Feifei, return my Molly, return my Xiaoai!”

Feifei, Molly, and Xiaoai were all the dogs he had raised. Wei Wuxian knew that Jiang Fengmian sent them away because of him, so he said softly, “I’m sorry. But…but I’m really scared of them…”

In Jiang Cheng’s memory, Jiang Fengmian had not picked him up more than five times in total. Each time was enough to make him happy for several months. He had a fit of anger he couldn’t get out, with his mind filled with, “Why, why, why.” Suddenly, he saw an extra set of bedding that did not belong to him in his room, and that fit of anger and resentment surged to his head, urging him to grab Wei Wuxian’s mat and blanket. Wei Wuxian had waited by the door for half the day. Suddenly the door opened, before he could even show his happy face, he was nearly knocked over by the pile of things that were thrown at him. The wooden door was shut heavily again, with Jiang Cheng inside saying, “Go sleep somewhere else! This is my room! You even want to take my room?!”

Wei Wuxian didn’t understand what Jiang Cheng was angry about at that time. He paused, saying, “I did not take it, Uncle Jiang said I could live here with you.”

As soon as Jiang Cheng heard him mention his father, it was as if he was deliberately showing off. His eyes became red as he yelled, “Go away! If I see you again, I will call a pack of dogs to bite you!”

Wei Wuxian stood at the door. When he heard he was going to call dogs to bite him, his heart filled with fear. Wringing his hands, he quickly said, “I’ll leave, I’ll leave, don’t call the dogs!”

He dragged the mat and blanket that were thrown out, and ran out of the corridor. He hadn’t been in Lotus Pier for long, so he didn’t dare to jump around recklessly so quickly. He obediently stayed in the few places that Jiang Fengmian told him to stay. He didn’t know the paths or the rooms and didn’t dare to knock on doors casually, afraid of disturbing someone’s dreams. After thinking for a while, he walked to a corner of the wooden corridor that was out of the wind, spread out the mat, and laid down there. But the more he lay down, the more the sentence “I’ll call a pack of dogs to bite you” rang in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more afraid he got. Wei Wuxian tossed and turned under the blanket, feeling as if a pack of dogs was quietly surrounding him at the slightest movement. After struggling for a while, he felt that he couldn’t stay here anymore. He jumped up and rolled up the mat, folded the blanket, and fled Lotus Pier.

He ran panting in the night wind for a while and saw a tree. Without thinking twice, he climbed up it, holding the tree trunk with both his hands and feet. Feeling that he was high up, he finally settled his mind. After hugging the tree for some time, Wei Wuxian suddenly heard someone calling his name softly in the distance. The voice got closer and closer. In a short time, a young girl in white robes appeared under the tree with a lantern.

Wei Wuxian recognized that it was Jiang Cheng’s sister, and he remained silent, hoping that she wouldn’t find him. Who knew, Jiang Yanli said, “Is that A-Xian? What are you doing up there?”

Wei Wuxian continued to keep silent. Jiang Yanli raised the lantern, saying, “I see you. Your shoe fell under the tree.”

Wei Wuxian looked down at his left foot, and then exclaimed in surprise, “My shoe!”

Jiang Yanli said, “Come down, let’s go back.”

Wei Wuxian said, “I…I’m not going down, there are dogs.”

Jiang Yanli said, “A-Cheng was lying to you, there are no dogs. You have nowhere to sit, your arms will become sore in a bit, you’ll fall down.”

No matter what she said, Wei Wuxian hugged the tree trunk and wouldn’t come down. Jiang Yanli, afraid that he would fall, put the lantern under the tree, and stood under the tree with her hands outstretched, not daring to leave. After about an incense stick’s worth of time, Wei Wuxian’s arms finally became sore. He let go of the tree trunk and fell down. Jiang Yanli hurriedly went to catch him, but Wei Wuxian still fell with a thump, rolled several times, hugged his leg and cried out, “My leg is broken!”

Jiang Yanli comforted him, “It’s not broken, it shouldn’t even be fractured. Does it hurt a lot? It’s okay, don’t move, I’ll carry you back.”

Wei Wuxian was still thinking about the dogs, and sobbed, “Dogs…are there dogs coming…”

Jiang Yanli repeatedly promised him, “There aren’t, if there are dogs, I’ll help you chase them away.” She picked up the shoe that Wei Wuxian had dropped under the tree, saying, “Why did your shoe fall off? Doesn’t it fit?”

Wei Wuxian wiped away the tears that had been forced out by the pain, and quickly said, “No, it fits.”

Actually, it didn’t fit. It was quite a bit too big. But this was the first new pair of shoes that Jiang Fengmian had bought for him. Wei Wuxian was embarrassed to ask him to buy another pair, so he didn’t say that they were too big. Jiang Yanli helped him put on his shoe, and squeezed the slightly deflated toe, saying, “It’s a little big. I’ll modify it for you when we get back.”

Hearing this, Wei Wuxian felt that he had done something wrong again. He felt a little anxious.

When living under someone’s roof, the thing you fear the most is causing trouble for people.

Jiang Yanli carried him on her back, stumbling along as they walked back, saying, “A-Xian, no matter what A-Cheng said to you just now, don’t hold it against him. He has a bad temper. He always plays at home by himself. He liked those little puppies the most. When Father sent them away, he was sad. Actually, he’s happy to have someone to play with him. You’ve been out for half the day and didn’t return. He was worried something had happened to you. He rushed to wake me up, that’s why I came to find you.”

Jiang Yanli was actually only two or three years older than him. She was only twelve or thirteen years old at the time. Clearly, she was also a child, but she spoke very naturally like a little adult, constantly coaxing him. Her body was very thin and fragile, and she was not very strong. She would wobble from time to time and had to stop to hold up Wei Wuxian’s legs to prevent him from sliding down. But, when Wei Wuxian was on her back, he felt unparalleled peace of mind, even more so than when he was sitting in Jiang Fengmian’s arms.

Suddenly, the night wind brought the sound of sobbing. Jiang Yanli shivered with fright, saying, “What was that sound? Did you hear it?”

Wei Wuxian pointed his hand, saying, “I heard it. It’s coming from that pit!”

The two of them went to the edge of the pit and cautiously looked down. A small figure was lying at the bottom of the pit. When he raised his face, the mud on his face had been streaked by tears, and he was choking out, “…Sister!”

Jiang Yanli sighed in relief, saying, “A-Cheng, didn’t I ask you to call someone to come out and look for him with you?”

Jiang Cheng just shook his head. After Jiang Yanli left, he waited for a while, feeling restless. He simply chased after them himself. Who knew, he had been running too fast, and forgot to bring a lantern. He fell into a pit halfway, and hit his head.

Jiang Yanli reached out and pulled her younger brother out of the pit, taking out a handkerchief to press on his bleeding forehead. Jiang Cheng looked dispirited, with his dark eyes secretly glancing at Wei Wuxian. Jiang Yanli said, “Do you have anything you want to say to A-Xian?”

Jiang Cheng, while pressing his handkerchief on his forehead, said softly, “…I’m sorry.”

Jiang Yanli said, “Later, help A-Xian take his mat and blanket back, okay?”

Jiang Cheng sniffed, saying, “I already took them back.”

Their legs were both injured, and they could not walk. At this moment, they were still a distance away from Lotus Pier. Jiang Yanli had no choice but to carry one on her back, and one in her arms. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng both hugged her neck. She walked a few steps before becoming out of breath, saying, “What am I going to do with you two.”

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

In the end, she still walked step by step to bring her two younger brothers back to Lotus Pier. She quietly woke the physician, and asked him to bandage and treat Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. After that, she repeatedly said sorry and thank you, before sending the physician back. Jiang Cheng was looking at Wei Wuxian’s leg, looking nervous. If other disciples or servants knew about this, and it was passed on to Jiang Fengmian’s ears, then if Jiang Fengmian found out that he had thrown out Wei Wuxian’s mat and had also hurt Wei Wuxian’s leg, he would certainly dislike him even more. This was also why he had only dared to chase after him by himself and did not dare to tell anyone else. Wei Wuxian looked at his worried expression, and took the initiative, saying, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Uncle Jiang. It was because I suddenly wanted to go out and climb a tree at night that I got hurt.”

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng sighed in relief, vowing, “You can also be at ease, if I see any dogs in the future, I will help you chase them away!”

Seeing that the two finally made up, Jiang Yanli happily said, “That’s how it should be.”

After all of that trouble, they were hungry. So, Jiang Yanli went to the kitchen, tiptoed around for a while, before making a bowl of lotus root and rib soup for each of them.

The fragrance lingered in his heart, and had yet to dissipate.

Wei Wuxian squatted in the courtyard, placing the empty bowl on the ground. He gazed at the sparse stars for a while, and smiled slightly.

Today, he and Lan Wangji ran into each other on the streets of Yunmeng, and he suddenly remembered many things from when he was studying at Cloud Recesses.

He had called out to Lan Wangji on a whim, and had originally also wanted to steer the conversation in that direction. But Lan Wangji had reminded him that everything was different from back then.

But, as long as he returned to Lotus Pier, returned to the Jiang siblings, he would have a false impression that nothing had changed.

Wei Wuxian suddenly wanted to find the tree that he had hugged that year.

He stood up and walked towards the outside of Lotus Pier. The disciples on the road respectfully bowed and nodded at him. They were all unfamiliar faces. Those junior disciples he knew who never walked properly like monkeys, those servants who would wink and not properly bow, were already gone.

Walking through the training grounds, stepping out of the gate of Lotus Pier, was a wide wharf. No matter day or night, there were always food vendors on the wharf. With a sizzle as the oil fried, the aroma spread in the air. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but walk over, smiling, saying, “There’s a lot of ingredients today.”

The vendor laughed, saying, “Young Master Wei, want one? This one is on me, no need to put it on the tab.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Sure, bring it on. But still keep a tab.”

Next to this vendor, a person covered in dirt was squatting, hugging his knees and shivering, seemingly cold and tired. After hearing Wei Wuxian say a few words, this person suddenly raised his head.

Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened slightly, saying, “You?!”