Once upon a lifetime

Bound - Part one

Revised 08/01/23

Hello? Hello hello? Finally the drafts are actually readable! I'm not cringing as much as before omds this is such a milestone 😭😭

Happy New Year!

* * *

Wei Wuxian awoke to utter silence.

He sat up groggily, slowly recalling the night prior's events as clear and vivid as if he was still living it.

The dormitory was mostly empty, save for him and a few other Jiang disciples. Jiang Cheng was already absent from his bed, assumedly after attempting to awake Wei Wuxian multiple times but to no avail, as what usually happened each morning.

A sudden foreboding feeling of dread was at the back of Wei Wuxian's mind, almost as if foreshadowing that something bad was to happen that day...Then again, there have been plenty of times he's had these thoughts, and the evening turned out perfectly fine and just like any other day.

He dressed, wondering just what the time was and how late he was going to be for the lectures...It was then that a thought occurred to him: he promised his shidi they would all catch fish together before the lectures began! No wonder he felt so nervous!

In his haste to run out of the room, Wei Wuxian nearly crashed into a second party who was on the other side of the door, but if they hadn't jumped back so abruptly, he and them both would have collided.

"Ah, I'm sorry— Wei Xiong! You're finally awake!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed, snapping his fan shut abruptly. "I was wondering where you were! You know, there's quite a ruckus today. Everyone looks so bright for some reason."

Nie Huaisang, just the person he wanted to see. Lately, he has been hanging around the dunderheads that are his shidi (he means that kindly), and wanted a refreshing person to talk to for once.

Nie Huaisang had probably grown to become a great Sect Leader in his old time, living up to his brother's ideals. Despite the airhead he was, Nie Huaisang could be serious when need be; thinking rationally and logically.

"Good morning, Nie-Xiong," said Wei Wuxian, waving a casual hand at the boy. "Looking forward to today's class?" he added teasingly.

"Wei-Xiong!" Nie Huaisang whined pitifully, clutching onto his closed fan like a lifeline. "Don't say that! You know how I feel about tests...I wonder what Da-Ge will say when I fail...last time he confiscated my paints for an entire month, who knows what he'll do now?!"

"Don't be so pessimistic," chided Wei Wuxian encouragingly. "Instead of saying 'when you fail,' you should say 'if you fail.' Actually, it would probably be much better to think about what would happen should you pass instead."

"That's easy for you to say," Nie Huaisang murmured, snapping open his fan. "You're an all-rounder, Wei-Xiong...no reason to stress over smarts because it was given to you at birth...hmph..."

"There, there, Huaisang," Wei Wuxian gently patted the other's shoulder slowly. "At least he won't threaten to break your legs. By the way, that's something I deal with every day, and I can say from experience that although it doesn't happen, it feels like it will. And it is frankly terrifying."

Nie Huaisang shuddered violently. "Oh dear, oh dear...what if Da-Ge does? He might break my legs, or...or...break my fans! Oh, Wei-Xiong, please! My handsome, tall and wise best friend!"