"Agh! I almost had it!"
Pan Wukun heard Wei Wuxian's frustrated shout from where she was strolling. Curious, she peeked out from behind a stone wall to see what he was doing.
Wei Wuxian stumbled and fell into the water as a fish slipped out of his hands.
Nie Huaisang wasn't doing much better either.
Pan Wukun watched them in amusement.
These poor rich kids had no idea how to catch fish with their bare hands. Awwwww. How adorable.
"Having trouble fishing, boys?"
Wei Wuxian's back straightened. "Chun-ge!"
"Pan-xiong!"
Pan Wukun crossed her arms. "Isn't there a rule that you can't kill animals within the Cloud Recesses?"
Wei Wuxian rushed out of the water and placed a finger on Pan Wukun's lips. "Shh! What the old stick-in-the-mud doesn't know won't hurt him! What the GusuLan sect's kitchens serve us is too bland! Jiang Cheng and my shijie need a real meal!"
Pan Wukun used her finger to push Wei Wuxian's finger away.
His finger smelled like fish. Gross.
She wiped her mouth clean with her sleeve. "Right…So how's that working out for you?"
"The fish are so slippery! They thrash around so much!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed.
Pan Wukun nodded. "Yeah. They're like that. That's why you gotta grab them quickly by their middle or their gills."
Wei Wuxian leaned closer to Pan Wukun. "Eeeeh? How would you know that, Chun-ge?"
"Farmers eat food other than the crops we grow, Wei Ying." Pan Wukun rolled up her coat sleeves above her elbows and pants up to her knees. "Watch and learn. I'll show you how a real pro does it."
Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang stepped out of the water. They stood to the side, watching Pan Wukun closely.
She crouched down over the water, her eyes focusing on the fish.
Back then, Pan Heng had shown Pan Wukun how to catch fish with her bare hands, saying, "Sometimes you won't have a knife to attach to your staff for a makeshift spear. And your fishing rod might break. So your last option is your bare hands."
Pan Heng had bent over the water and scooped up the fish with ease.
"Haha. It's like that scene in Mulan," Pan Wukun remarked.
This puzzled Pan Heng. "…What? What does this have to do with Mulan?"
"Never mind, A-ge. I'll explain later."
Pan Wukun had tripped in the water a lot. It took her several weeks to become good at catching fish with her bare hands.
But now all those days of wet clothing paid off.
Pan Wukun's hands plunged into the water swiftly. She caught the fish in quick succession, tossing them into a basket.
She wiped her hands. "There! All done!"
She turned to Wei Wuxian to see him staring at her in awe. Once he noticed that she was looking back at him, he quickly turned his head away.
Pan Wukun rolled her eyes in amusement. Wei Wuxian must be feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, Wei Ying. You may be great at catching pheasants, but there's no doubt you just got bested by fish."
Wei Wuxian pouted. "Pheasants and fish are two very different creatures on completely different terrains!"
Growing up in Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian was talented at any activity that involved water, even catching water ghouls. So this was a blow to his pride.
A devious smile formed on Wei Wuxian's face. He rushed into the water and splashed a great wave of water onto Pan Wukun.
Pan Wukun sputtered. She wiped her face and glared at Wei Wuxian. "Oh. So that's how you want to play."
Pan Wukun retaliated with water splashes of her own, making Wei Wuxian squawk in indignation.
And so a fierce water fight ensued.
Nie Huaisang scrambled out of the way to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
"Give up, Wei Ying! You're no match for a waterbender!"
Wei Wuxian laughed with a challenging glint in his eye. "I should be the one saying that to you, Chun-ge!"
The two splashed water at each other until their arms grew too sore to continue.
Pan Wukun groaned at her drenched robes. "I gotta go dry my clothes."
She got out of the water and shook her head, letting the water droplets fly out of her hair to dry it.
Before she could leave, Wei Wuxian called out to her, "Chun-ge! Wait!"
He held out a sack of fish to her. "Here! Take some! A master fisherman mustn't leave without his catch!"
Pan Wukun didn't want to break any of the GusuLan sect's rules. But free food was free food. She should be able to cook the fish in Gusu City to avoid breaking any rules. Then she could share the fish with Meng Xingyao.
"Thanks, Wei Ying." She took the sack and walked away, waving at Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang. "Later, you two."
Wei Wuxian waved back with a smile. "Thanks, Chun-ge! You've saved our taste buds!"
Then once Pan Wukun was gone, Wei Wuxian shook his body like a dog, getting water splattered all over Nie Huaisang.
"Ah! Wei-xiong!"
Wei Wuxian laughed. "There! Now you're wet too, Nie-xiong!"
Wei Wuxian pulled Pan Wukun into a tight embrace.
"I love spending time with you, Chun-ge..."
Pan Wukun laid his head against Wei Wuxian's shoulder. The smaller man wrapped his muscular arms around Wei Wuxian. "Just stay here with me, Wei Ying…"
Wei Wuxian rested his chin on top of Pan Wukun's head. He fondly rubbed circles into Pan Wukun's back. "Always, Chun-ge…"
Wei Wuxian woke up with a start, his face feeling incredibly warm.
He covered his face with his hands.
How embarrassing. He wanted to hug his good friend Pan Wukun so badly.
Pan Wukun had rolled his pants up to his knees, exposing his bare legs. He also rolled up his coat sleeves, exposing his muscular arms.
Wei Wuxian wanted those arms to wrap around him in a hug…to feel Pan Wukun close by his side…
Then when Pan Wukun shook the water out of his hair, time seemed to slow down for Wei Wuxian. The sunlight definitely complemented the glow of Pan Wukun's hair…
Pan Wukun had such a well-sculpted figure. Whoever married him would be lucky indeed.
And Pan Wukun was such an amazing person that Wei Wuxian couldn't bear to lose.
But Wei Wuxian knew that their time together at the Cloud Recesses would come to an end eventually.
After Pan Wukun's inevitable departure, Wei Wuxian had no idea whether they were going to meet each other again or not.
Rogue cultivators weren't known for staying in one place forever. His parents certainly didn't…
So he was going to spend as much time with Pan Wukun as possible before he had to say goodbye.
But Wei Wuxian knew in his heart, no matter what, he wanted to stay friends with Pan Wukun forever…
A/N: I have learned that a hand-fishing method called noodling exists.
Pan Wukun is talking about the fish-catching scene in the "Be a Man" song sequence from the Disney Mulan movie.
I'll be going on a tour group trip to Japan and Korea soon on Oct 28. It's a trip I've delayed since 2020. I was supposed to go after graduating from college but…2020, y'know.
It'll be my first time going to Japan and Korea.
Not sure if I'll have Wi-Fi access at whatever hotel I'll stay at in Japan on October 31. So just in case, Happy early Birthday Wei Wuxian!
I wonder what Halloween is like in Japan.
In Japan, I'll be going around Tokyo, Yamanashi, and Kawaguchiko.
In Korea, I'll be in Seoul and Incheon.
If anyone has travel tips, food recommendations, must-buy souvenirs, or must-go places for Japan and Korea, feel free to share! I would appreciate it.
