Solstice Souls

Two-legged Beasts

Lan Zhan POV

Night hunting.

Since the verdict, no, since Lan Zhan had seen Suibian...no, that was not correct either. Since Lan Zhan had seen Wei WuXian in the water, when his mother had defended him, he had felt restless.

Angry, upset and annoyed too, but restless.

Livid, blood boiling furious, but restless.

He was supposed to be resting now.

Two hours to go before the night hunt would begin.

It wasn't enough that openly his brother had defended his actions in public, and Uncle Qiren had been supportive, however their consequent words to him privately were laced with disapproval. The Lan family did not "talk it out" much less hug it out, and Lan Zhan felt isolated in a way that reminded him of his childhood.

Many instances stood out, each moment different and unique like each snowflake that landed around him in the winter nights of Gusu.

The time he was cornered by bullies in the library, accused of receiving special treatment just because of his family ties, the moments that followed when he did not snitch on them to his brother, instead remaining tight lipped about the whole incident, but having no explanation for the cuts and the bruises.

His mastery of the sword and the guqin, finally bonding with his instrument to infuse with his own spiritual energy....that was another type of isolation, one that empowered him to face any bully, anyone who thought to take advantage of a weaker person.

Having been on the receiving end of unwarranted hatred and jealousy, a small part of him understood that he was to blame, for he had let his emotions get the better of him, and how the consequences of that could have severe repercussions.

He had to win.

Sitting through the testimonies had been another kind of torture.

Exactly opposite himself, sat the very man who had blown kisses at him, had actually kissed him, stolen his first kiss.

Lan Zhan would have much preferred to have his dancer be the first one...but this upstart Wei WuXian had taken that away too. Lan Zhan was sitting close enough to spot the mole, just under his bottom lip. He could not stop thinking about it.

His dancer had no mole.

Lan Zhan wasn't a fool. He knew the chances of two people, both with moonlit silver eyes, both the cause of his unrest, both making his heart beat out of his chest, was a near impossibility that they were different.

But...the mole.

While the Elders talked, he examined.

It was hard to do, when the object of his discrimination kept staring at him, moments of longing, moments of disbelief...and then disappointment, especially when Wei Changze criminalised Lan Zhan's attack.

Nobody put into words what he felt, what he was still feeling.

All his life, from as early as he could remember, there had been hushed talk about the artifact. The Wei Clan had it, it was what they used to disperse the resentful energy that the Burial Mounds were drowning in, and they, so close living in Yilling, how could they not use it?

Their dishonesty about this, and all the additional lies they presented to the outside world...but Lan Zhan would not be swayed. He had learned that the truth would prevail, shining like the sun to drive away the darkness of the night.

When they found the artifact in the Wei Clan treasury, then...then what?

Would he be any happier? Would that fix the cracks in their family unity? Cracks that were only getting wider as time passed. Lan Zhan felt lost, floating on the winds of uncertainty.