The Tamed

Vinegar

"Zhan Ge!"

Xiao Zhan felt a firm squeeze on his hand. He knitted his eyebrows. It had been so long since he heard the deep voice called his name like that. His real name. Not 'Wei Ying'.

Hmm? Lan Zhan never called my real name before. Wait? Zhan Ge?

"Wang Yibo?" He muttered. Xiao Zhan struggled to part his eyelids.

"Zhan Ge! Xiao Zhan, wake up!"

The bright light entered his retinas, the glares of the sun rays overwhelmed his sight. He pinched his eyelids together again before opening them slowly so that his eyes could re-adjust with the ambient light. He saw a blurry figure looking at him.

"Yibo? What are you doing here?" It took a little too longer for his vision to register the person's face. The person's hand was on his shoulder, gently shaking him to wake up. He propped himself up on his elbow and squinted his eyes to take a closer look.

"Wei Ying."

"Oh, Lan Zhan. It's you." Xiao Zhan finally saw the owner of the face, sitting at the edge of the bed.

Lan Wangji looked dejected at his reply but he still helped Xiao Zhan to sit, not that he needed it. Xiao Zhan rested his back on the headboard.

Lan Wangji's fingers tightened around his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

Xiao Zhan recalled the last memories he had before waking up. He winced at the remembrance of the disturbing noises, he could still hear faint constant ringing in his ears. "I feel fine. Did I passed out?"

Lan Wangji nodded, "You were out for the whole day."

Xiao Zhan studied his face. Lan Wangji looked tired, worried, and gloomy. He could feel the tremors from the hand that was still on his shoulder. He sighed.

Why is he always like a scared puppy? Did he even rest?

He took Lan Wangji's hand and sandwiched it in between his hands. Rubbing the knuckles with his thumb, "Sorry. I troubled you a lot."

Lan Wangji stared at their joined hands but did not attempt to pull away. He shook his head, "No, you did not."

Xiao Zhan gave him a warm smile. "I don't know what to do without you, Lan Zhan. Thank you."

Lan Wangji shook his head lightly before saying softly, "Between us, there is no need say 'thanks' or 'sorry'."

Xiao Zhan took a sharp breath upon hearing that. He remembered reading the line from the novel. He lowered his gaze as he said, "Still, I am grateful."

"You need to see this." Lan Wangji, with his free hand, took out Xiao Zhan's flute from his sleeve. The once brown bamboo now resembled the infamous ghost flute and the only thing that was missing was a red tassel.

"Chenqing? How did this happened?" Xiao Zhan gasped. Letting go of Lan Wangji's hand, he examined the flute carefully and thoroughly. He clenched it , trying to feel the difference than the former form.

The flute emitted a faint black smoke as if it was greeting him and he could feel the ominous spirits within it. In the novel, Wei Wuxian made it to increase his control over the resentful energy even if he could do it by snapping, clapping or whistling. Like an amplifier for his commands, as the shrill of the whistling tones could reverberate to cover a bigger perimeter, hence reaching more spirits and raising more corpses. Just like a loud speaker.

Was it always a spiritual tool? The novel never really explained the origin of Chenqing. Didn't Wei Wuxian played another bamboo flute after his resurrection? Ah, whatever. This must be the scheme of that Being since I only used the flute for pacifying spirits instead of summoning tthem.Ah, nothing goes as planned!