Black Lotus

23

Wei WuXian, "We're also just gonna sneak a few looks, from far away."

The young waiter had an outgoing personality, getting friendly with strangers a bit too quickly. Although they only chatted for a short while, he was already treating Wei WuXian as if they were friends. He came over to put his arm around Wei WuXian's shoulder, "Is the work that you two do hard? Do you earn lots of money? Probably a ton, right? What a respectable job. Let me ask you something—is it difficult to get started? I..."

As he babbled, he suddenly shut his mouth, nervously looking to the side. He whispered, "Young Master, why is the one beside you... staring at me?"

Wei WuXian followed his gaze just to see Lan WangJi turn around, stand up, and walk outside the liquor shop, "Oh, him. This friend of mine was brought up strictly. He absolutely hates it when other people are being too comfortable with each other in front of him. Isn't that strange?"

The waiter awkwardly took away his arm, replying in a hushed voice, "Strange indeed. The way he looked over, you'd think that I was putting my arm around his wife..."

With Lan WangJi's hearing ability, it was impossible for him to not catch something just because it was with a lowered voice. Imagining how he'd feel right now, Wei WuXian tried so hard not to laugh that his stomach hurted. He quickly said to the waiter, "I finished a jar."
The waiter, "I'm sorry?"

Wei WuXian pointed at himself, "I'm standing."

Finally recalling the "if you can still stand after you finish this, I'll adopt your surname" that he said earlier, he blurted out, "Oh... Ohhh! Uhm... Wow! I'm not kidding, but this is my first time seeing someone who can still stand and speak properly after downing a jar. Young Master, what's your surname?"

Wei WuXian, "My surname..." Suddenly remembering the "Wei WuQian" that the waiter mentioned, the corners of his lips twitched. He smoothly transitioned, "Is Lan."
The waiter was also someone with a thick face, announcing without any change of expression, "Yes. From today on, my surname will be Lan! And you, cultivator, what's yours if I may ask?", he asked Wei Ziyou, who in turn couldn't help but tease. "Wei." The waiters face paled and he scampered back inside, leaving Wei Ziyou snickering.

Under the bright-red banners of the liquor shop, it seemed as if, for one second, Lan WangJi's figure stumbled ever so slightly. With a mischievous smile on his face, Wei WuXian walked over with his hands behind his back and patted his shoulder, "HanGuang-Jun, to thank you for paying the bill, I made him adopt your surname."

After they left the city, the two walked in the direction of where the waiter pointed at. The number of people gradually decreased, while the number of trees increased. Wei WuXian asked, "Back then, why did you not let me continue asking him?"

Lan WangJi, "I suddenly remembered hearing about what happened in Yueyang. There was no need to continue asking."

Wei WuXian, "Before you tell me, let me ask you something. Confirm for me that the, uh, wiping out of the Chang Clan wasn't done by me, was it?"

Other than how he died ten years ago and his soul had been fairly stable, it was impossible that he killed an entire clan and didn't remember anything!

Lan WangJi, "No." Wei WuXian, "Oh."
It was as if he returned to those days, before he died, of being even worse than a sewer rat, despised by everyone. He played a role in everything; he was to be blamed for everything. Even if one's neighbor's grandson didn't eat properly and lost five pounds, it was because the child was frightened by stories of the YiLing Patriarch commanding the Ghost General to murder people.

However, Lan WangJi spoke again, "The killing was not done by you, but it was related to you."

Wei WuXian, "What's the relationship?"