Solstice Souls

All Kinds of Thirst

Lan Zhan POV

Lan Zhan felt much better after his restful sleep. Initially, he had found it hard to settle down; because it was a different bed, a different room, a different place.

And his enemy was sleeping nearby.

Lan Zhan was a creature of habit. He rose at five in the morning without fail every day. He lit his incense at five thirty every day, followed by two hours of meditation.

The incense which he carried everywhere, helped to settle his mind and calm his body, and he felt invigorated and refreshed after the ordeals of the previous night. It reminded him of his beloved Jingshi, and for a few moments he could pretend he was back in Gusu.

All alone.

For the first time in his life, he questioned it. Putting aside his shock at Suibian's real identity, he thought back to what he had seen.

The young man was always surrounded by the Jiang siblings. He had seen the natural way both Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng gravitated towards Wei Ying, as if he was the moon to their stars. Both were clearly affectionate towards him, and Lan Zhan wondered at how that could have come about. Their easy relationship was something he had never experienced himself, certainly not to that level where he was comfortable with someone slinging an arm around his shoulders. Or touching his back while escorting him to the carriages like Jiang Cheng was doing now. It bothered him.

Through the small window of their carriage, Lan Zhan saw Jiang Cheng help the young Wei heir into theirs, saw him wince momentarily as he got inside, schooling his features.

Probably on seeing Madam Yu.

That woman was enough to freeze all the lakes of Yunmeng.

"What's so funny?" XiChen asked him.

Lan Zhan brought his attention back to his brother, raising a brow at his question.

"You were smiling when you saw Young Master Wei getting inside their carriage. Even if they're our enemies, it is not good to be pleased with their plight. I spoke to Jiang Fengmian last night, apparently he was quite injured." XiChen sighed. "It is a miracle indeed that he is coming with us."

"Not pleased." Lan Zhan wanted to defend himself with more words, but they just wouldn't come.

He felt frustrated at himself whenever these moments arrived. Why was it so easy for everyone else to speak? To say the words they thought of, to be perfectly eloquent? It wasn't fair.

So often he was misjudged, the people around him assuming what he felt rather than asking him, that he had withdrawn further from social situations. However, it was rare for XiChen to make that mistake. He was searching his face now, looking for answers.

"Madam Yu." Lan Zhan clarified.

Xichen's face cleared of worry.

"I see." He smiled now. "I'm sure he saw her first. Although..." He stopped speaking, lost to his thoughts.

"Mn?" Lan Zhan prompted him when it looked like he wasn't going to get an answer.

"Nothing much, just an observation. Have you noticed, Young Master Wei is on edge every time she speaks? I thought it was because he feels the same as we do about her...but what if there is another reason?"

Lan Zhan had also noted this.

Wei Ying had a tell when he was stressed. His right hand would always grab his left hand thumb. Lan Zhan saw this many times, and it was only now he was putting two and two together. And, if his brother had noticed this too, it meant something.