Dance with you

Chapter 20

She had known something was coming. Even if she wasn't aware of it at that moment, somewhere deep down she knew trouble was coming. Everywhere they went, they heard gossip and rumors. And then one day, while she was searching for the residence of the recipient of a letter she was carrying, she thought she spotted a familiar face in the crowd of people. Following her instinct, she tailed them through the daily hubbub of a market place. After a while they turned and entered an alley.

Meng Yao was just doing a supply run when he felt a very intense gaze on his back. He didn't dare turn around and look. No matter how fast he walked and weaved through people, the gaze never left.

What if it was a Wen?

The thought sent shivers of panic down his spine. The burning of Cloud Recesses wasn't that long ago and even though he was sure wasn't being followed when he brought a very beat up Lan Xichen to his little hut at the edge of a nearby town, he didn't think it was impossible for them to know where the Lan heir was. With someone following him, he couldn't return home. He would lead them straight to Lan Xichen. After a short debate with himself he decided to try to confront this follower. He knew he wouldn't be able to defeat a cultivator in a fight, fair or not. He had to find another solution. He couldn't die here. Lan Xichen still hadn't woken up.

He hurried around the turns of the alley, before stopping suddenly.

"Who are you and what do you want?" His voice was stable like always, even if he felt anything but confident.

"Meng Yao?" The voice calling out to him was female and oddly familiar. When he turned around he made eye contact with someone he would have never expected here.

"Liu-guniang?" The disbelief was very clear in his voice and he couldn't hide his surprise from his expression.

Her lips curled into a smile. "Still as formal as ever, huh? I'm just Liu Xiaolin now. A courier and occasional scribe."

His whole body relaxed at her friendly demeanor. He still remembered the day they met very clearly. He had thought he would remember that day as the day his father refused to see him and had him kicked down the stairs of Koi Tower. But every time he thought back on that fateful day, he remembered the kind smile and welcoming attitude of the young mistress who broke his fall and invited him to dinner. She was the first person he met that didn't think twice when he told her of his unpleasant background. And even after they parted her behavior didn't change towards him, always answering his letters enthusiastically and quickly. She listened to him ramble and his opinions without once invalidating what he said or felt. He had never met someone like her before and the only one that showed him similar kindness was Lan Xichen. And even though Lan Xichen was kind and respectful, he felt more distant. Meng Yao still wasn't sure how to act around him.

Liu Xin walked over to Meng Yao and laid a hand on his shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. "Did I scare you that much? Sorry about that."

"It's fine, Liu-guniang. I am glad it was you." He smiled at her. Liu Xin smiled back and then pointed at the basket she had spotted earlier.

"Running some errands?" He nodded. She risked a small glance at the contents. "Say, there's a lot of medicine in there. Are you okay?"

"Oh! Yes, I am completely fine. Those are for someone else."

"Ever the helpful soul, I see. You are very kind, did someone ever tell you that?" Neither of them really noticed when they had started walking again, Liu Xin following Meng Yao where he led.

"It's nothing extraordinary, really. It's not complicated or taxing getting supplies for someone when I was going to buy some for myself anyway. Especially in these uncertain times."