"Mmm no not again," Wei Wuxian mumbled.

Lan Zhan continued to plant kisses along his neck and chest. His breath was hot against his skin. Lan Zhan's panting was almost in time with his own.

Wei Wuxian hadn't slept well and had woken before the sun had risen. For Lan Zhan, waking at mao time was normal and when he'd noticed that Wei Wuxian was also up, he'd taken his chance to pick up where they'd left off before.

It was nice to be with him again. Everyday hadn't meant everyday for a while, and it had been bothering both of them.

"I can't go another time," Wei Wuxian insisted.

Lan Zhan stopped immediately. "Are you still hurt?" he asked. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, no," Wei Wuxian said, interrupting him before he could descend into a guilty panic. "I feel fine."

It was mostly true. The pain in his temple had returned late in the evening, but it was a weak ache now, no worse than if he would have stood too quickly beneath a low branch.

The idea that Lan Zhan had somehow hurt him, though, was ridiculous. He'd been exceptionally gentle with him that morning, which was very sweet but also just a little disappointing.

"Mn," Lan Zhan said happily. "We should go again then."

Wei Wuxian laughed. "Please, Lan Zhan!" he cried, still laughing as Lan Zhan pulled him closer. "I'm not ready to make good on my promise to you yet! We will catch up on every day that we missed, but I need my strength for today!"

He wasn't sure at first if Lan Zhan was going to listen to him. Eventually, though, he let out a sigh and rolled over.

Wei Wuxian patted his arm consolingly.

"Would it make you feel better if I let you do whatever you want to me for the first round?" he asked.

"Anything?" Lan Zhan asked in a serious tone that sent a little shiver of anticipation down Wei Wuxian's spine. Part of him wanted to let him try whatever it was at that very moment, but the other part of him knew that he really did need to conserve his strength.

"Anything," he promised. "Later. Right now, I need to get dressed."

"Mn."

He rolled out of bed, feeling Lan Zhan's eyes upon him as he began to dress.

"Do you still want to do this?" Lan Zhan asked.

"I told you that I do," Wei Wuxian said. "We just can't spend all morning together yet. Like I said, I'll make it up to you later."

"…That's not what I was talking about."

"Oh."

Lan Zhan continued to watch him as Wei Wuxian pulled his hair back with a ribbon.

"We have to deal with Xue Yang one way or the other," Wei Wuxian said. "This is what most of us thought was best. I'm willing to try it."

"Mn."

"Why did you also support it?"

Lan Zhan didn't answer at first. He rose and began to dress himself as well.

"You asked me that last night," he said at last.

"That was your only reason?"

"It will be better to meet Xue Yang somewhere outside of Nightless City if we anticipate that that is where he wants to meet us," Lan Zhan said simply, an echo of what he'd said the night before.

Wei Wuxian racked his brain but couldn't come up with another way to say what he was trying to ask. So he gave up and decided just to ask him outright.

"You hate Jiang Cheng," Wei Wuxian said. He partly expected Lan Zhan to deny such a harsh description of his opinion, but when he didn't, Wei Wuxian carried on. "You don't want him near me. I don't see how having a slight advantage over Xue Yang convinced you not to try replacing either of us in this lure scheme."

Lan Zhan slipped an arm into the sleeve of his Lan robes, a pensive look on his face. Wei Wuxian couldn't figure out what was going on in that head of his.

"I don't know," Lan Zhan said at last.

"You don't know what?"

"I don't know why I supported it."

Wei Wuxian blinked a few times in shock. "It is very unlike you to make a decision on a whim, Lan Zhan," he said. "Are you all right?"

He moved to press the back of his hand to Lan Zhan's forehead, checking for a fever. His skin was smooth to the touch, and warm, but not abnormally so. He hadn't expected him to be hot anyway.

"It isn't a whim, it's…"

Wei Wuxian removed his hand and waited for him to finish what he was saying. When he got bored of waiting, he went back to preparing himself for the day, packing two Lan signal flares and lots of scrap paper in a pouch on his belt.

"I think you haven't decided yet," Lan Zhan murmured.

Wei Wuxian looked over his shoulder at him. "Haven't decided what?"

"Decided whether or not you want Jiang Wanyin in your life."

Wei Wuxian frowned. "Regardless of how I feel, I think he's made that decision for us, don't you think?"

Lan Zhan shrugged. "I wanted to give you… space," he said.

"Were you trying to make up for our disagreement that morning?" Wei Wuxian asked. "You know I've gotten past that, don't you?"

Lan Zhan shook his head. "It wasn't about that," he said. "Not really."

Wei Wuxian was having trouble following what he was saying. It didn't help that Lan Zhan liked to say only half of what he meant.

"If you don't want to do this today, we can send someone else," Lan Zhan said.

From how he'd said it, Wei Wuxian knew that he wanted him to request that someone else go.

Despite how well they'd gotten to know one another, there were still times when Wei Wuxian just couldn't understand him.

"I'll go through with it," Wei Wuxian said. "Better to get all of this over with now."

Lan Zhan nodded.

"Huaisang will probably be leaving soon," Wei Wuxian added.

Lan Zhan only nodded again.

Any second now, he was going to ask him not to go. Lan Zhan would take his hand and tell him it was a bad idea. He'd probably be able to convince Wei Wuxian not to do it too. His curiosity of Huaisang's plans was barely winning out over Wei Wuxian's apprehension about being around Jiang Cheng.

"I'll be on my way…" Wei Wuxian said slowly.

"Be careful," Lan Zhan said. "Please."

It must have taken every fiber of strength in his body not to stop Wei Wuxian from walking out of the room. After all, they both knew that Wei Wuxian was the exact opposite of careful.

He stepped out into the hall and called back to him, "I'll get us something from downstairs," before heading on his way.

It was at this point that they all needed to pretend. And Wei Wuxian intended to play his role to the fullest.

There was no answer from Lan Zhan. Very in-character. He was doing great!

Jiang Cheng, however, came out of his room and followed Wei Wuxian down the stairs without a word. He didn't even look very angry.

Not a perfect start for him, but there was time to improve.

It was unlikely (but not impossible) that the huli jing was in the inn with them. They were each acting a part that they had rehearsed yesterday just in case.

When they got downstairs, Huaisang was already there. Jiang Cheng was supposed to find a seat at a separate table, but one that was close enough to listen to their conversation.

At first, it seemed like he had forgotten this step of the plan. He started to go toward where Huaisang was sitting. Wei Wuxian tried to figure out how to correct him.

He had settled on racing him to the chair and stealing it out from under him, when Jiang Cheng suddenly took a sharp turn and sat down alone nearby.

Both relieved and disappointed that he hadn't needed to annoy him, Wei Wuxian took the seat across from Huaisang. He was prepared to start with light small talk, but Huaisang went straight for the kill. Apparently, he wasn't wanting to waste any time.

"I've been thinking about the… huli jing, was it?" he said before Wei Wuxian's bottom had even touched the seat.

"Oh – uh - yes, a huli jing," Wei Wuxian said.

"I think it might be good to see if we can find others," Huaisang said. "To get an idea of their abilities."

Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrows and smiled. "You think you'll just happen upon a huli jing out here?"

" We, you mean," Huaisang corrected. "You can't expect me to go out there by myself."

"You think-?"

"Can I help you two gentlemen?" asked a server.

They paused their fake conversation to order food. Neither of them ordered much, just tea and something small to fill their stomachs before they left.

When the server meandered over to Jiang Cheng, they continued their conversation without missing a beat.

"You think that I'll leave everyone here and go on some silly adventure with you?" Wei Wuxian asked. "Why don't you tell the others your idea and then we can all go?"

"If we all go, we might scare them away. Plus, I'm not sure they would agree to it and I'd rather ask forgiveness than permission."

Wei Wuxian paused for what he felt was a respectable time to mull things over.

"What will you do if I don't come with you?" he asked.

"I'll be very… annoying," Huaisang said with a little too much eye contact. It felt like an actual underhanded threat, which didn't make any sense to Wei Wuxian since this was how they had rehearsed things before Jiang Cheng went to bed. He was doing what Huaisang wanted. "It's best that you come with."

"But I told Lan Zhan I would get him something to eat."

"Get him something and leave a note," Huaisang said. "We should be on our way before the others come down."

Wei Wuxian faked a groan and pretended to dig around in his pouch for paper. Of course, he'd brought a ton of it with him, but if Xue Yang was aware of their teleportation abilities (and he probably was), he wouldn't be keen on pursuing them if it was obvious they were planning an escape.

"Do you have something to write with?" Wei Wuxian asked Huaisang.

Huaisang shook his head.

"How do you not have anything?!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "You carry that stuff with you all the time!"

"I'm not going to bring it all on a hike!" Huaisang whined. "Er-ge already carries my things for me because I can't. Why would I weigh myself down with all that unnecessary stuff?"

Wei Wuxian received a cheap brush and ink from the server who brought them their food. He and Huaisang scarfed down their portions and then Wei Wuxian left a note for Lan Zhan next to the meal he'd ordered for him.

"I hope he comes down to look for me before this gets cold," Wei Wuxian said as Huaisang rose from the table.

They made their way to the door.

According to the plan, Jiang Cheng was to rise and follow them discreetly until he later made himself known to them.

Not according to the plan, Jiang Cheng knocked into something behind them quite loudly, putting Huaisang and Wei Wuxian in the position of having to decide whether or not to acknowledge that they'd heard him without being able to discuss it with one another.

Wei Wuxian hardly had any time to think before Huaisang had seized his arm and dragged him forward through the door at a run.

"What in the-?!"

Outside, they ran a few more paces. Huaisang then released his arm and turned to face the door.

They stood like that for a short time, but Jiang Cheng did not emerge.

"What was that about?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"I don't know," Huaisang said. "I guess I'm jumpy now that we're sneaking around."

It seemed a flimsy answer to him, but Wei Wuxian figured it would have to do. What was said was said.

"If you jump like that around all the huli jing that we're probably not going to find, you're going to scare them off."

Huaisang flicked his fan open. "Let's go," he said, heading toward the trees.

"Where do you think you're going to find them?" Wei Wuxian asked, feeling amused that Huaisang thought he should take the lead.

"Uh… I don't know," he said. "Somewhere nature-y?"

"Nature-y."

What a dandy!

"Well is there somewhere nearby that they might be?" Huaisang asked.

"Like I told you," Wei Wuxian said, "they're incredibly rare. But you weren't completely wrong with your assumption. They will be where the yang forces of nature are strongest."

"And where would that be?"

"Seriously, Huaisang?"

"…N-no?"

"Just follow me."

They set off down the path in the direction of a tall grassy knoll on the outskirts of the woods. The grass was tall enough for Xue Yang to hide in if he wanted to, but it didn't provide the best cover to attack them. Unfortunately, most well-lit places wouldn't. But sun was a strong source of yang energy, so he couldn't exactly delve into the darkness of the trees without seeming like he didn't understand the first thing about the simple concept of yin and yang, which would certainly make Xue Yang suspicious.

At the top of the hill, Huaisang began to poke around in the grass as if a huli jing would make itself known to him if he just looked in the right spot. He was very good at playing the fool.

When he faced Wei Wuxian, he paused.

"Jiang Cheng?" he said, straightening and pressing the end of his fan to his head in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Wei Wuxian turned around to see Jiang Cheng standing, arms crossed, halfway up the hill. His face was red and he refused to look at either of them. Not surprising.

Huaisang had described the night before what role that Jiang Cheng was to play. During this explanation, Jiang Cheng had adamantly denied that he would normally behave in such a ridiculous manner. He'd never agreed to play the part assigned, per se, but he had been outvoted by everyone except for Lan Zhan, Lan Xichen, and Sizhui who had all refused to vote.

Wei Wuxian had expected trouble here and could only hope that Jiang Cheng's drive to protect Jin Ling from Xue Yang would get him to satisfactorily play his part.

"I heard you two talking about the huli jing," he said gruffly. "I demand to be part of the hunt."

"Why would you want to come with us?" Huaisang asked.

"Because," Jiang Cheng said, concentrating like he was trying to remember his lines, "I need to be the one to kill it."

"We aren't searching for Xue Yang," Wei Wuxian said. "Huaisang wants to look for other huli jing to study them."

"You're going to start studying them out in the wild now?! Why don't we focus on the one that keeps attacking us?"

"Because we don't know for sure how to kill it," Huaisang said.

"Did Zewu-jun and I not provide you all with enough information?" Jiang Cheng asked. "What more do you need?"

"We need to know its abilities," Wei Wuxian said. "We need the details."

"Tch. It's always lurking around in the woods," Jiang Cheng said. "I'll go find it and tell you what its abilities are after I kill it."

He drew Sandu and leapt aboard the blade, sailing high up into the sky. Wei Wuxian was supposed to follow him, leaving Huaisang behind. They would fly high enough that Huaisang could see where they'd gone, but they weren't supposed to fly so fast that they couldn't see him following below.

"Jiang Cheng, wait!" Wei Wuxian yelled.

He had recently cultivated enough in Mo Xuanyu's body to allow him to fly on a sword again. It felt nice, but it also felt weird to chase Jiang Cheng across the sky when he'd spent so much of his time lately running or hiding from him.

Jiang Cheng's violet hair ribbon whipped around behind him, looking a little like Zidian reaching back to strike Wei Wuxian from the sky. If he didn't act carefully, that could be exactly his fate.

Huaisang was barely visible on the ground, waving his arms over his head to try to get their attention. The trees were far enough apart at the moment to allow them to continue their flight above the canopy, but the forest was growing denser. There was no way that they'd be able to keep an eye on Huaisang all the way to the glade that Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen had suggested they stop at.

It seemed Jiang Cheng had noticed this too. He tipped forward, diving down toward the ground at a frightening speed.

Wei Wuxian followed him even though he worried his skills would be too rusty to save him from an unfortunate accident. It had been a very long time since he'd flown. But he also refused to be shown up by Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng had rarely beaten him in their aerial races and Wei Wuxian didn't intend to let him win now.

He pulled out of the dive a little earlier than Jiang Cheng did, but he'd managed to almost catch up with him. When Jiang Cheng glanced back over his shoulder at him, Wei Wuxian could have sworn he saw him smirk, as if to say 'what? Are you scared?'

Wei Wuxian scowled.

He wasn't scared! Who was it among them who'd always been the voice of caution? Certainly not him!

Wei Wuxian tilted forward a little, speeding up against his better judgement. He would wipe that smirk off Jiang Cheng's face when he beat him to the glade.

As they evened out, neck and neck, Jiang Cheng glanced over and sped up.

So they were racing! Huaisang be damned! They could find him later.

Wei Wuxian redoubled his efforts and so did Jiang Cheng.

They twisted and turned. They dodged the trees and one another, all the while picking up speed. Wei Wuxian very nearly nicked Jiang Cheng, but he seemed to sense it and spun out of the way at the last second.

The wind rushing through his hair while he and Jiang Cheng weaved through the forest brought a sensation that Wei Wuxian hadn't felt in ages. He felt light and carefree in a different way than he usually did.

It wasn't something that he was actively trying to feel. He wasn't forcing it or making an effort to appreciate the moment. It simply was.

"Watch it!" Jiang Cheng called to him.

A fallen tree blocked Wei Wuxian's path forward. He sped up, now feeling confident that he could pull off the same spiral trick that he'd used hundreds of times over the lake at Lotus Pier.

Jiang Cheng sped up too and veered into his path.

"What are you doing?!" Wei Wuxian yelled, moving aside to avoid colliding with him and simultaneously losing his opportunity to show off.

Jiang Cheng merely shook his head and pushed Sandu to go faster.

Had he pushed him out of the way on purpose? There was no other reason for him to have swerved in front of him. He probably just didn't want to be shown up by Wei Wuxian.

No matter. There was plenty of time for that.

Or was there?

An opening in the trees ahead revealed the glade where they were to stop. Little flowers speckled the sunlit patch.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian sped up even more. They were still even with one another. Wei Wuxian would not stand for being beaten in both their knowledge exchange and their race.

They were so close to the glade now… he could almost reach out for it…

And that was exactly what he did. Wei Wuxian outstretched his arms, leaning all the way on Suibian. By just a fraction of a second, he'd beaten Jiang Cheng to the glade.

His landing, though rough and jarring to his knees, sent him into a fit of laughter. It would not do to rub in his win to Jiang Cheng, but surely laughing didn't count.

"You left Huaisang alone in the forest to chase me?" Jiang Cheng asked, dismounting smoothly and sheathing Sandu again. "I told you to leave the huli jing to me."

"Huaisang will be fine," Wei Wuxian said, brushing himself off. "I'll go back for him in a moment after I find out why you wasted your time pulling me into a race. I thought you were going to hunt the huli jing. Why waste your time with this?"

"You were chasing me," he said. "What was I supposed to do? Let you stop me? Go back to Huaisang and leave the huli jing to me."

Oh he was a terrible liar. Jiang Cheng hadn't even looked at him to deny it.

But it wouldn't have mattered even if he had. Wei Wuxian had seen that smirk.

This was not according to plan… not according to Huaisang's plan at least.

"You lured me on purpose!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Jiang Cheng as if there were anyone else around who needed to know who he was talking about.

"I did not."

Jiang Cheng's eyebrow flicked as he turned away from Wei Wuxian.

"You did! You wanted me to have to double back for Huaisang! You really are going after it by yourself!"

"So what if I did?! So what if I am?!" Jiang Cheng shouted, spinning on his heel to face him again. "I said I would handle this on my own! I meant it! This is my business!"

"It isn't your business!" Wei Wuxian yelled. "Xue Yang is after me, remember?"

"Why doesn't it feel that way?! Why does it feel like, yet again, the people around you are paying the price for your choices?!"

None of this was part of the plan. Wei Wuxian was good at adjusting quickly to new situations, but this had thrown him. He simply hadn't anticipated that Jiang Cheng would try to trick him like that.

"I didn't mean for anyone else to get caught up in this, but what was I supposed to do?!" Wei Wuxian yelled back at him. "You wanted me to let Jin Ling die in Yi City? That way, Xue Yang at least wouldn't hold a grudge against me for having killed him!"

"He only took Jin Ling to lure you there for your cultivation knowledge!" Jiang Cheng bellowed. "Don't think Jin Ling didn't tell me all of that! If you hadn't practiced the dark arts, none of it would have happened!"

No, Wei Wuxian thought, Xue Yang took Jin Ling because Huaisang lured him out there. Xue Yang didn't even know for sure that I cared about him.

"Sure," Wei Wuxian said. "If I hadn't practiced demonic cultivation, Jin Ling wouldn't have been put in that situation. And I wouldn't have caused all the problems that I did after the Sunshot Campaign was through. But we also never would have won that campaign. Shijie and Jin Zixuan wouldn't have been married and Jin Ling would have never been born. You and I would be dead or worse. Every clan would be under Wen control right now. Is that what you would rather I had done?!"

"You think you're so important, don't you? No one else made any difference in the Sunshot Campaign. It was all you, huh?"

"No, that's not what I-"

"But now," Jiang Cheng went on, "after you've already destroyed my family, now you finally have the sense to return to the righteous path and leave demonic cultivation behind you. Don't think I haven't noticed you've returned to your sword."

"I don't recall you taking such issue with my methods when I used them against Wen Chao!"

Jiang Cheng balled his hands into fists. Violet sparks crackled around Zidian.

"Fine! You didn't have a choice during the Sunshot Campaign," he said, "but you had every choice after that."

"Ah we're back to the 'you should have let them all die' argument," Wei Wuxian sneered. "Very original. Aren't you tired of going back and forth on this?"

"You could have told me that demonic cultivation was all that was left to you!" Jiang Cheng roared. "I could have done something!"

"Yes," Wei Wuxian said, "you could have destroyed the remaining Wens and hated me as you do now for putting you in the position to be eternally indebted to me. That would have gone very well."

"It's all about protecting those Wens, isn't it?! What about us?! What about my fucking family?! The family that raised you!"

"More tired arguments!" Wei Wuxian yelled. "Those Wens were innocent and deserved freedom! They protected us when we needed it and you turned your back on them! I've told you I did what I did to protect you both! And I do still feel guilty for it! I know I went back on my word to you! But my answers aren't going to change when you keep saying the same things!"

The sparks around Zidian crackled with more ferocity, spreading up Jiang Cheng's arm and reaching into the air around him. Wei Wuxian's fingers were cramping from how tightly he'd curled them.

It was at that moment that Huaisang arrived at the glade, winded and disgruntled. He opened his mouth, most likely to tell them off for leaving him behind, but Jiang Cheng spoke before he had the chance.

"So what if they were innocent?!" he screamed. "What would you have me do about it now?! What do you want me to say?! You want me to apologize?! You want me to beg for your forgiveness?!"

"I don't want anything!" Wei Wuxian yelled. "You're the one that hates me, remember? I'm not asking you for anything!"

"Don't act like you don't have grievances of your own," Jiang Cheng said. "Why else would you argue like you have been?! So, what is it? What do you want? Like you said, I'm eternally indebted to you! But just like you, I can't atone for anything! Everything that's done is done! So what do you want from me?!"

"I don't want anything!"

"TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME!"

Jiang Cheng ripped Zidian from his finger, scattering violet sparks of electricity across the bed of wildflowers.

Wei Wuxian had expected him to do something like that. When words failed him, he always resorted to violence. As such, he was almost always violent.

Wei Wuxian drew no weapon of his own, though. He spun and darted off back through the trees the way they had come.

Huaisang stood there, mouth hanging open. He didn't try to stop him as he ran past.

"FACE ME, WEI WUXIAN!" Jiang Cheng screamed after him. "STOP RUNNING, YOU COWARD!"

Wei Wuxian didn't respond. He shoved branches out of his way and danced around the trees to avoid the lightning whip that snapped at his heels.

"THIS IS YOUR ANSWER TO EVERYTHING! YOU JUST RUN AWAY!"

He stumbled over an exposed tree root and failed to take cover. Zidian cracked across his back. A paralyzing pain shot through his entire body. Wei Wuxian yelped as he was thrown forward onto the ground.

"Maybe I run because this is your answer to everything!" Wei Wuxian bellowed.

He scrambled to his feet and jumped out of the way to avoid the next strike. Sparks nipped at his hands as Zidian smashed into the dirt, mere centimeters from him.

"Don't act like you don't have the capacity to fight back!" Jiang Cheng yelled.

"You want me to start throwing corpses at you?!"

"You have a golden core! Use it!"

"It's not as strong as yours and you know it! What would be the point in fighting like that?!"

That was the wrong thing to say. The next strike from Zidian came faster.

Wei Wuxian ducked behind the nearest tree, but the whip cut cleanly through the trunk and hit him anyway. Electricity coursed from his chest and through his veins like millions of needles zipping around under his skin.

The tree creaked and began to fall toward him, but Wei Wuxian couldn't move.

Jiang Cheng pulled Zidian back to himself, releasing Wei Wuxian from its paralyzing touch.

But it was too late.

Wei Wuxian's strength wasn't returning quickly enough to move out of the way. Why did Mo Xuanyu's body have to be so damned weak?

"Look out!" Huaisang cried.

Jiang Cheng struck at him yet again, this time hitting him such that Zidian wound itself tightly around his forearm.

Wei Wuxian screamed as he was dragged across the ground toward Jiang Cheng. The tree narrowly missed him, but he had bigger problems now. Jiang Cheng was going to kill him.

"Stop fighting!" Huaisang begged. "Stop it!"

Wei Wuxian continued hollering at the top of his lungs. Lan Zhan couldn't be too far away. Could he?

"Stop screaming," Jiang Cheng growled. "I haven't done anything to you!"

There was a 'yet' implied by his tone.

Wei Wuxian reached into the pouch on his belt, fumbling around for a signal flare. Jiang Cheng's boot came down hard on his fingers.

"Use your corpses, then!" he yelled at him. "Don't involve Lan Wangji. Stop involving him in this!"

"Stop fighting!" Huaisang yelled.

With his free hand, Wei Wuxian grabbed a fistful of leaves and threw them into the air. He cast soul summon on each, knowing that few, if any, would touch Jiang Cheng. He simply needed to distract him enough to free his hand from under his boot.

As expected, Jiang Cheng released an explosion of violet light, burning the leaves into dust. And then… he fell flat on his face.

Wei Wuxian leapt to his feet. He looked down to see that a lone half-charred leaf had managed to stick itself to Jiang Cheng's shoulder. He'd hit him after all!

"Stop this!" Huaisang shrieked.

"You want me to use corpses?!" Wei Wuxian shouted down at Jiang Cheng. "Let's go then!"

He ripped Chenqing from his belt. Huaisang reached out to swat it out of his hands, but Wei Wuxian easily shuffled away from him.

Jiang Cheng used another shower of sparks to burn the leaf that held him. He got to his feet, face set with deadly intent. Wei Wuxian considered running again, but he knew it would be useless. He had to play Chenqing to keep Jiang Cheng busy before he could escape.

"Stop it now!" Huaisang yelled. "This isn't how you two were supposed to act! You're wasting your chance!"

"The huli jing will attack us or it won't," Jiang Cheng growled.

"Yes, maybe our fight will draw it to us," Wei Wuxian mused darkly. "Then I'll know this secret that you've been keeping from all of us."

Jiang Cheng's sharp features contorted with rage. He reeled Zidian back to strike. Wei Wuxian raised his flute to his lips.

"To hell with the huli jing!" Huaisang yelled, putting himself between the two of them. "Xue Yang isn't going to come for us! That wasn't even the point!"

Both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian lowered their weapons slightly.

"What?" they said in unison.

Huaisang flicked his fan open. "No – I mean-" he stuttered, hiding behind the flimsy folded silk. "You misunderstood me."

"Explain it to me, then," Wei Wuxian whispered, his grip on Chenqing tightening.

"I meant Xue Yang wouldn't come for us," Huaisang said. "We would have to g-go to him… find him ourselves. Not wait for him to c-come to us…"

"That makes no sense," Wei Wuxian said. "That's not how you described the plan to us. We were supposed to be bait."

"Huaisang," Jiang Cheng said, his pitch low and dangerous, "you had better start explaining what the fuck is going on here."

Huaisang excessively fanned his face.

Jiang Cheng had not fully lowered Zidian. The whip started to spark in earnest.

Wei Wuxian inched nearer, unsure whether or not Jiang Cheng would attack the practically defenseless Nie Clan leader.

"Nothing is going on," Huaisang squeaked. "Why are you so suspicious of me?!"

"You've been suspicious since Guanyin Temple!" Jiang Cheng retorted. "What the fuck are you up to?!"

"You took Jin Guangyao's words to heart? Really?" Huaisang said. "I'm not up to anything! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Why did you specifically request myself and Wei Wuxian?! If you knew we would have to seek Xue Yang out, why would you not have replaced yourself with Hanguang-jun? Why would you not have replaced one of us with someone else? What do you gain from this?!"

Wei Wuxian was a little surprised that Jiang Cheng had paid any mind to the claims of a traitor during the events at Guanyin Temple. Huaisang did a good job of presenting himself in an unassuming manner.

But, he supposed, Jiang Cheng was naturally paranoid.

"Very well," Huaisang said. His demeanor changed suddenly. He straightened his back, slapped his fan closed in one hand, and looked Jiang Cheng dead in the face. "So I did it on purpose. So what?"

"Why?" Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian asked together.

Huaisang sighed. "Isn't it obvious? I want you to mend what's broken. We can't work as a group with you two at each other's throats constantly!"

Jiang Cheng glanced at Wei Wuxian, then looked away just as quickly.

"You were having fun flying together," Huaisang said. "I saw you! You looked like you used to, like it was the pair of you against the world and the world didn't stand a chance."

"Keep your nose out of this, Huaisang," Jiang Cheng barked. "What's broken between us can't be fixed. Stay out of things you don't understand."

Huaisang laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound.

"Oh I understand plenty," Huaisang said darkly. "You two were as close as siblings could be, and now you're not. And even though you have a second chance – something no one gets – you're both going to squander it like the idiots you've always been. Seriously? And people say I'm the stupid one?"

He laughed harshly again.

Everything about him had become threatening. Wei Wuxian began to consider how much force would be appropriate to use against him if it came to that.

"Do you two have any idea what I would give for a second chance with my brother?! Do you?!"

Considering the lengths he'd gone to in order to exact revenge in Nie Mingjue's name, Wei Wuxian felt that he actually did have a pretty good idea of what Huaisang would do to get more time.

"Look," Jiang Cheng said, his tone a little less acidic than before, "I'm sorry for what happened to Chifeng-zun, but that is entirely different. You have no business sticking your nose into our affairs!"

"You're right," Huaisang retorted. "Your situation is entirely different. I mean, for starters, it wasn't my fault that my brother died."

Wei Wuxian was struck speechless (an odd occurrence for him).

"Have it all figured out, do you?" Jiang Cheng asked, his voice deadly quiet.

"Please, Huaisang," Wei Wuxian cut in once he'd regained some of his composure. "Don't start those rumors again."

Huaisang rounded on him, his eyes alight with a fire that Wei Wuxian had seen in Nie Mingjue before, but never Huaisang.

"They weren't really rumors, though, were they?" Huaisang said. "Maybe he didn't kill you directly, but if it weren't for how he turned his back on you, who knows how things might have ended?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense, isn't it?" Jiang Cheng hissed. "I always lived in his shadow. Why wouldn't I want to kill him? Especially after everything, I had the perfect excuse, didn't I?"

"And it's another perfect excuse not to move forward," Huaisang bit back.

Zidian glowed so vibrantly that it looked more pink than violet. Wei Wuxian debated what to do. Surely he needed to intervene. But should he send up a signal flare? Should he summon the nearest corpses? At this point, words were not going to diffuse the situation. Anything he could say would only make things worse.

"Are you asking for an apology on his behalf?" Jiang Cheng asked incredulously. "You think Wei Wuxian isn't strong enough to stand up for himself? To ask for what he wants on his own?"

"I'm asking for you two to get along!" Huaisang said. "I don't care how you do that!

"Get along like you and your brother did?!" Jiang Cheng asked. "I should destroy his things and scream at him? Slash his arm? Is that what you want?"

Huaisang went very still, his face impassive yet somehow more dangerous than it had been before. The air around him felt frigid.

"That was his qi deviation," he said. "That wasn't him. What's your excuse, Jiang Cheng?"

The almost pink light of Zidian dimmed to a dark purple… and then back to pink… then an even darker purple…

Wei Wuxian had never seen its color oscillate like that. Jiang Cheng must have been extraordinarily enraged.

And, Jiang Cheng was at a loss for words again, which meant he would either start lashing Huaisang or would try to find a way to pull Wei Wuxian into the argument.

Right on cue, he rounded on Wei Wuxian. "Why don't you ask me yourself?" Jiang Cheng demanded.

"Ask you what?"

"For an apology," he said. "That's what you want from me, isn't it? You want me to get down on my knees too?!"

"I haven't asked for anything! What is wrong with you?!"

"You!" Jiang Cheng hollered. "You're what's wrong with me! You have always been what was wrong with me!"

Despite the fact that he sounded no less angry than before, Zidian reverted to its ring form. The sun was once again the only source of light in the forest.

"Anything I did wrong was always in comparison to you!" Jiang Cheng continued on. "I should have defended Mia – Luo Qingyang on Muxi Mountain only because you did it and I didn't! I should have stayed with you to fight Xuanwu! I should have been the hero defending the defenseless! But I was always a coward compared to you! Making sacrifices to protect my clan – my family – paled in comparison to your heroic efforts for the greater good! What would my father say if he could see me now?!"

Wei Wuxian said nothing.

"How could I ever be right? How could I ever be anything but the selfish coward when I was always compared to you?"

Still, Wei Wuxian said nothing.

"Agree with me, Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng yelled. "Stop acting like this is all something I've imagined! Stop treating me like I'm undeserving of an answer! Say something!"

"I don't know…"

"You don't know what?! You have your chance! Air your grievances! Tell me that you were innocent and I was wrong! I don't care what you say! SAY SOMETHING!"

"I don't need an apology from you," Wei Wuxian said quietly. Jiang Cheng stilled. "I shouldn't have broken my promise to you. I should have persuaded you to see my side. I should have been your right hand like I said I would be."

It was Jiang Cheng's turn to be silent.

"And demonic cultivation was a path I chose. The consequences of it are also my responsibility," Wei Wuxian went on. "Even if you weren't always right, you weren't always wrong either."

Jiang Cheng's silence lasted only a moment more. Then his nose scrunched up and his brow drew down. He shook with barely contained fury.

"Why won't you fight me?" he snarled.

Wei Wuxian exhaled and shrugged. "It's a waste of time, isn't it?" he said. "We go around and around in circles like this. And when I fight back, we both leave wounded. I don't want to be stabbed again, and I'd bet you don't want your arm broken."

"Wen Ning isn't here to defend you."

"I'm tired of it," Wei Wuxian murmured. "Aren't you?"

Jiang Cheng didn't answer, but he also didn't draw Zidian. They were in agreement, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Xue Yang isn't going to ambush us," Wei Wuxian said, glaring at Huaisang who glared right back at him, "and we aren't going to find him out here. I'm going back to the inn so someone else can come up with a plan that doesn't involve the two of us ripping each other apart."

Jiang Cheng continued to glower at him. He made no move to stop him, though, so Wei Wuxian turned on his heel and started the trek back to Lan Zhan.

He'd gone only a few steps when he stopped again and looked back over his shoulder. Neither Jiang Cheng nor Huaisang had moved.

"For what it's worth," Wei Wuxian said, "I'm sorry for my part in things."

Jiang Cheng's scowl deepened. "Your words are cheap."

"Around and around we go," Wei Wuxian mumbled.

He left the two clan leaders standing alone together in the forest while he hiked back to the inn.

Why had he ever believed Huaisang's plan? He'd known he was up to something! He should have trusted his instincts. Jiang Cheng could have killed him – either of them, really.

It was midday by the time he arrived back at the inn. Everyone was gathered outside, trying to look casual and failing miserably. Jin Ling was polishing the same spot on Suihua over and over again. Luo Qingyang laughed too loudly at something Wen Ning had said.

But it was Lan Zhan who had all of Wei Wuxian's attention.

He looked distressed at first until he caught sight of Wei Wuxian and brightened. But then his eyes lingered on the leaves in his hair and the dirt on his hands, and his expression morphed into one more similar to the first. Especially when he noted that neither Jiang Cheng nor Huaisang were with him.

He rushed over to him, trailed closely by the rest of their group.

"What happened?" Lan Zhan asked him, tenderly brushing the leaves out of his hair.

"Huaisang's plan had nothing to do with Xue Yang," Wei Wuxian said sourly.

Lan Xichen tilted his head to the side. "What were his true intentions?"

"To fix things between Jiang Cheng and myself."

Lan Xichen raised his eyebrows. Jin Ling, however, didn't miss a beat.

"Where are they?" he demanded. "Did you leave them back there?"

"Of course I did," Wei Wuxian said. "Xue Yang wasn't going to come to us. He could probably sense a trap from the next region over. They're fine."

"You shouldn't have lef-"

"I said they're fine!"

Jin Ling scowled and crossed his arms. Wei Wuxian turned away from him and looked up at Lan Zhan.

"I want to go inside," he said.

"Mn."

Lan Zhan moved to walk beside him. The others did nothing to stop them from returning to the inn.

"Someone should go back there," Wei Wuxian said to them. "I imagine that Jiang Cheng won't be very likely to make sure Huaisang makes it back safely either."

Lan Xichen sighed and nodded. Jin Ling had already headed toward the forest. The others seemed too confused to move, except perhaps Sizhui and Wen Ning, who were both staring after Wei Wuxian with concern.

Dining room chatter assaulted his ears when they entered the building. Thankfully, Lan Zhan didn't try to talk to him at all as they moved through the sea of tables and chairs and mounted the staircase. Even when they were in the much quieter hallway, he didn't speak.

It wasn't until the door was closed securely behind them and Wei Wuxian had closed the window shutters that Lan Zhan finally said anything to him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No, of course not!" Wei Wuxian answered with a smile.

But when Lan Zhan put his hand on the small of his back, Wei Wuxian winced before he could stop himself. Unfortunately, it was still very easy to see in their room even with the shutters closed.

"He hurt you," Lan Zhan said angrily.

"It doesn't matter."

Wei Wuxian waved him away but Lan Zhan didn't budge.

"Show me," he said.

"No," Wei Wuxian said. "I don't want you to treat it, so showing you will only enrage you, and I don't want that either."

Lan Zhan scowled regardless. "I shouldn't have let you go," he said.

"I would have done whatever I was going to do."

"Not if I'd opposed it," Lan Zhan said. "You considered it more strongly because I had."

"I suppose so."

"I'll keep him away from you. He'll never lay a hand on you again."

Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and sighed. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

He opened his eyes again and stared at Lan Zhan's perfect face, so well-meaning and caring.

"Why do you assume what it is that I want or what is best for me?"

Lan Zhan frowned.

"You assumed I would do best never uttering Jiang Cheng's name again," Wei Wuxian said. "And then you assumed that I would want to have a chance to talk to him. And now you are assuming again that I want him out of my life. Why do you do that?"

Lan Zhan seemed very hurt by his accusation, but Wei Wuxian didn't take it back. He was still seething from his fight with Jiang Cheng… and still stinging from it too.

"What do you want me to do?"

Wei Wuxian threw his arms up in the air. "I want you to be on my side! I want you to listen to me!"

"Wei Ying…" Lan Zhan breathed. "I am on your side. I will always be on your side."

"I know that!" Wei Wuxian yelled, fully aware that he sounded childish for shouting.

Very slowly, Lan Zhan leaned over to pluck one last leaf from his hair. Wei Wuxian's anger subsided a little when he realized how absurd he must look. He reached up to press Lan Zhan's hand against his head.

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said with a hint of frustration, "I'm trying to clean you off."

"Leave it."

It almost seemed to pain him to see Wei Wuxian so dirty, but he did as he'd asked.

"I don't care about it," Wei Wuxian said. "I just want you to be here with me."

"I'm here," Lan Zhan murmured. "And I'm listening."

Wei Wuxian peered into his amber eyes. He shouldn't have yelled at him. He was only trying to help.

"Kiss me," Wei Wuxian said.

Lan Zhan obliged, pulling him into a close embrace, somehow without pressing against the wounds on his back or chest. Wei Wuxian drank in the heady scent of sandalwood. He felt so safe…

Lan Zhan suddenly pulled away.

"Have I hurt you?" he asked, brushing away tears that had started to drip down Wei Wuxian's cheeks.

"I'm not hurt."

Lan Zhan's mouth flattened into a hard line briefly, but he didn't argue with him.

"Mn," he said. "What do you want me to do?"

Wei Wuxian tried to wipe his face clean, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. It was remarkably difficult to stop when he didn't know why it was happening in the first place.

Lan Zhan cupped his chin and tilted Wei Wuxian's head to look up at him.

"What do you want me to do?" he repeated.

Tears still streaming down his face, Wei Wuxian grinned at him.

"Distract me," he said.

And Lan Zhan obliged.