Restart - Xue Yang x OC

5. Separations and Reunions

"Come to the training grounds at Xu Shi," she said coldly. "We'll fight."

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As soon as Su She arrived at the training grounds at Xu Shi, he and Lan Minghui unsheathed their swords. As Su She stabbed his sword towards her, she blocked it with her sheath, and repositioned herself on his side.

"Lan Minghui, I don't understand why you want to fight me."

"Think about it, Su Minshan! Why did you hurt Xue Yang on purpose during sword practice today?"

Su She scoffed as he blocked her attack. "Why would you defend him? He's just a street rat that won't ever belong with our sect!"

By now, the two of them had drawn attention with their shouting. A handful of their fellow disciples had arrived to see what was going on. Lan Xichen, who was among them, cried, "A-Hui! Stop!"

Knocking Su She's sword out of his hand, Lan Minghui stalked off bitterly. Lan Qiren, led by two disciples, hurried over.

"Minghui! I expected better behavior from you!" Lan Qiren berated. "You too, Minshan. We'll discuss your punishments in a moment."

***************

"Jiejie, you didn't have to do that," Xue Yang said as he sat next to Lan Minghui, who was copying the rules while doing handstands for her punishment.

"A-Yang, I would've done it sooner or later," Lan Minghui answered. "It was in defence of you! And look at how he got disciplined. I got off easy."

Xue Yang leaned his head gently against her shoulder. If you only knew how much it pains me to see you like this...

One year later

A fourteen-year-old Lan Minghui entered her bedroom, polishing the dagger she'd bought in Caiyi Town earlier. The material glinted a bright yet sinister obsidian, with intricate patterns of golden clouds on the hilt. The moment she saw it, she was reminded of Xue Yang, and she could not resist the urge to get it for him. An uncontrollable, semi-conscious smile made its way onto Lan Minghui's face at the mere thought of him. Yes, as the two of them grew up together, the (light) feelings she'd had for him in her past life returned with the force of a strong tide, making her heart beat like crazy whenever Xue Yang was nearby.

Just as she stood up to go find Xue Yang, he came in.

"Perfect timing, A-Yang! I was just going to go look for you," Lan Minghui said. "I saw this in Caiyi Town earlier, and I was reminded of you!"

Xue Yang blushed a little, looking down a little shyly as he accepted her gift. "Jiejie, thank you!"

Lan Minghui, despite having been called "Jiejie" by Xue Yang for three years, felt warmed to the core every single time. However, she noticed the slight break in his voice. "A-Yang, are you alright?"

The boy lowered his head even more. Slowly, unsurely, he got closer to her and awkwardly hugged her. Lan Minghui returned the hug, but frowned when she felt tears leak out of his eyes and into her shoulder. "Jiejie, thank you. Thank you so much for the past three years." Xue Yang untied his headband and handed it to her. As their fingers briefly made contact, she felt a spark of connection, and... Were his fingers shaking?

Confused, worried, and sad, she asked, "A-Yang, w-what... What do you mean?"

"I - I'm leaving the sect," Xue Yang explained quietly. "Thank you for treating my injuries, convincing Grandmaster Lan to take me as a disciple, helping with my cultivation, and spoiling me with sweets. But... I... The Cloud Recesses doesn't - It doesn't really feel like home. I... I want to be more free! There are so many rules here, and I- Jiejie, I'm sorry. I promise I'll try to keep in contact with you!"

Lan Minghui felt tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't try to suppress them; she let them flow out. "Don't be sorry, A-Yang... I enjoyed the past three years with you. I want you to be happy and free, even if it means I can't be there with you," she comforted. "Make sure to have lots of fun and enjoy your time."

Standing back up, Lan Minghui hesitated for a second before kissing the top of Xue Yang's head.

"Bye, Jiejie. Everything will be alright! You better be alright, too, or - or else I WILL come back here to help you just so I can shout at you!"

Despite her surprise and sadness at the unexpected turn of events, Lan Minghui laughed. There was the Xue Yang that she knew and loved.

"I trust that things will be okay, too," she answered. As she watched Xue Yang leave the Cloud Recesses, she whispered, "And that we'll meet again soon."

Two years later

Lan Minghui, now sixteen, sat in the library pavilion, composing a guqin melody. A paper crane flew in from the window, and she snatched it out of the air. She silently thanked Lan Keyin, one of her shijies, again for inventing such a quick way to deliver messages. She excitedly unfolded it; it was another letter from Xue Yang!

Jiejie,
I won't be able to contact you for a while. I'm not sure how long it'll be, but Wen-zongzhu has given me a task that will require lots of travelling and time. Don't worry too much about me; I promise I'll be fine!

See you soon!
Xue Yang

Lan Minghui stood up, abandoning her work, and left the library pavilion to find Lan Biyun. Things are not looking super pretty, she thought grimly. A-Yang, please don't forget...

She found her twin sister with Lan Xichen in a relatively secluded spot under a tree, duetting with Liebing and Fengqi (Lan Biyun's guqin). Seeing Lan Minghui looking worried, they stopped playing and looked at her.

"Minghui? Did something happen?" Lan Xichen asked.

Lan Minghui shook her head, but then quickly said, "Actually, yes. Wen-zongzhu is sending A-Yang on a task, and I'm feeling pretty unsettled about it. A-Yang didn't include any details but said that we'll probably be out of contact for a while. As soon as he informed me that he had become a guest disciple of the Qishan Wen Sect, my worry just skyrocketed. I have nothing against them; it's just... Wen-zongzhu is such a power-hungry man, and - and I'm afraid that A-Yang will forget everything we've taught him, get stuck in a battle of what's considered good and bad, become a psychotic murderer, or-"

Lan Xichen rested his hands on his sister's shoulders. "A-Hui, relax. Chengmei is very smart and a great cultivator. I know that you still see him as the sweet-craving boy you found on the streets of Kuizhou, but remember that he will continue to grow every day. Chengmei will remember you as the only one who willingly cared for him back then, and he should remember what you've taught him. Now, just go relax. The other sects will start arriving this evening."

"Ge, thank you so much for always listening," Lan Minghui sighed. "I'm so lucky to be your sister."

"We're lucky to have you, too," Lan Biyun added, a tiny smile gracing her features. Through her eyes, she said, Xingsi and Yilian are, too. We'll be able to see them again soon.

(A/N): Xu Shi = 7-9PM

In case you don't remember, Xingsi and Yilian are Lan Biyun and Lan Minghui's friends from their past lives. The paper crane letters were my own idea, too.

I changed Chapter 4, so go back and read that again.

Pretty long chapter. I'll include a few more Xue Yang x Minghui moments as extra chapters and flashbacks. Hope that you're enjoying this story, and have a nice day/night.