A Flower Of Youth

Chapter 7

"Your zhiji was Wei Wuxian?" Lan Sizhui blinks at him in shock. But...

Lan Sizhui takes a deep breath.

"I see, Hanguang-jun."

"Do you not have any more questions?"

"No," Lan Sizhui replies. Whatever past Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had had, he didn't want to impose. There had been such a sad tone in Lan Wangji's voice when speaking his zhiji's name. Maybe he was a bad person, maybe he wasn't. Either way, Lan Sizhui decided that unless he somehow met the man one day or spoke to him through Inquiry, he would not judge.

"I won't tell anyone about what you told me. It'll be our secret. Good night, Hanguang-jun." Lan Sizhui bows and turns to leave.

"Good night, A-Yuan."

The next morning, Jin Ling didn't sit with them. Instead he sits alone at one of the tables and from where Lan Sizhui sits, he can see the boy poking around at his food with his chopsticks.

"I must have upsetted him too much yesterday," Lan Sizhui sighs.

"He's really sensitive about that topic. He was barely keeping it together during class," Zizhen says.

"Gossip is forbidden," Lan Sizhui says warningly, looking around to make sure nobody had heard.

"Sorry."

"He'll come around, right?" Lan Sizhui says quietly.

"Who knows?" Jingyi shrugs. "He has such a bad temper."

"Jingyi! What did I just say?"

"It's true though!"

"Let's just hurry and get to class." Zizhen stands up and brings his empty plate over to the appropriate location. As Lan Sizhui opens his books up to take notes, he puts the issue of Jin Ling's attitude behind him and tries his best to concentrate. However as the days go by, Jin Ling still doesn't approach them again and Sizhui takes matters into his own hands by finally approaching him during the last week of lectures.

"I'll probably see you on a night-hunt one day, right?"

"Sure," Jin Ling replies curtly. "My uncle is waiting for me. I have to go." He gives a short dip of his head and walks towards the gate. His uncle, Sect leader Jiang stands there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Lan Sizhui quickly looks away as they make eye contact with one another. He had only seen Jiang Wanyin two or three times during night hunts and the intimidating aura he gave off keeps most of the Lan juniors from approaching; they opt to greet him with bows from a distance.

"Zizhen, don't be sad. We can meet up for nighthunts together." Jingyi was hugging the boy in blue who looked upset.

"Alright, I'll be sure to write!" Zizhen says cheerfully.

"We'll write too," Lan Sizhui replies. They wave to Zizhen as he leaves with his disciples and just like that, the guest lecture month is over.

One evening, Sizhui brings his guqin out to sit in the back hill with the rabbits. Looking down at the instrument he wonders if there was some way he could reach Wei Wuxian. He wants to speak to the man despite the possible risk that he was malicious.

Yiling Patriarch, He plays

Wei Wuxian?

Senior Wei?

No response. Sizhui didn't expect one. After all, he was one of the many cultivators that tried to get in contact with Wei Wuxian's soul and they had never gotten a response. Nothing made him special. Giving up on Inquiry, he instead practices the 'Song of Clarity', 'Rest', and the 'Song of Vanquish'.