Eating his third out of eight tanghulu's, Jin Ling walked ahead. By his side were the two GusuLan disciples, who were donned in white robes and forehead ribbons.
Behind the group of juniors were the three couples.
"Where should we go next?" Wei Wuxian asked himself.
Lan Zhan stopped in front of a shop. "Wei Ying." His voice contained a hint of excitement, which could barely be recognized by anyone other than his lover.
Hearing that, Wei Wuxian stopped. He blinked, then turned to look at the shop which his lover stopped at. Then, black lines ran across Wei Wuxian's face. The shop was a shop that sold wine. White wine, red wine, rose wine, sparkling wine... etc. Wei Wuxian knew that back then, he himself was addicted to drinking Emperor's Smile, one of the best drinks in GusuLan.
However, he didn't think that Lan Zhan would take the time to mess around!
"Ehh?" Shen Qingqiu stopped to take a look as well. "I had no idea HanGuang-Jun was a drinker."
Lan Zhan pursed his lips. "Mn."
Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian was astonished. He couldn't hide the shock written across his face. By his side, Wen Ning noticed the unease expression.
"Wei-gongzi," Wen Ning spoke, "Is HanGuang-Jun right in the mind?"
Wei Wuxian fell silent.
Abruptly, the dark lines across his face had cleared. He smiled like a blooming sunflower. "Aww! Look at that! Lan Er Gege wants to drink and have a feast! Tonight, he will be a beast-"
Luo Binghe interrupted him, "On what basis do you think you're going to drink tonight?"
"Umm..." Wei Wuxian nudged him. "Luo-xiong, we're going to buy alcohol. See? This shop is a wine shop, and we're going to be wasted tonight."
"...by 'we', do you mean all of us?" Finally, Hua Cheng caught up.
"Ah, really?" Xie Lian was nervous. "But... I don't drink..."
"...Then tea for Xie-xiong!" Wei Wuxian blurted.
The three juniors were puzzled at the seniors' conversation. Lan Jingyi questioned, "Why are you guys having a feast tonight?"
"A feast!" Wei Wuxian piped up. "What a great idea!"
Lan Jingyi, "...I didn't mean it that way."
Seeing how the conversation had gone haywire, Lan Sizhui decided to pacify the situation. "Enough, Jingyi. It's a feast for Senior Wei and his friends. We play no part of it."
"Mhm! Exactly!" Wei Wuxian nodded confidently. "This isn't a place where children should belong."
Jingyi and Jin Ling, "..." They really wanted to smack that grin off of his face!
"Don't be angry." Lan Sizhui tried to calm his companions down. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work. Instead, Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling were more fired up than ever. They rolled up their sleeves and quickly finished all their tanghulu's (yes, Jin Ling ate the five remaining).
Lan Jingyi huffed. "We're not children!"
Jin Ling, "Wei Wuxian! You should take a look at yourself before... saying such things..." His words trailed off as he noticed a threatening aura in the direction of a young man in white.
The aura gave off murderous intent.
It was so sharp and piercing that Jin Ling took a step back.
The origin of the murderous intent- Lan Zhan coldly glared at the two junior disciples. His eyebrows were sharp like sword, curving downwards. His hazel eyes glowered, as cold as frost. Lan Zhan pursed his lips, which paled in comparison to his sword, Bichen. Finally, the said man flickered his eyes, enough to dethrone the kings of ice.
Lan Zhan raised a fist. "Enough."
*****
"Too bad there's no Emperor's Smile." Wei Wuxian pouted. "Those were the best. I remember drinking a jar and sharing some with Jiang Cheng and Nie-xiong... oh, it happened when we were young. Our youth was the best thing I remembered."
He carried a jar of alcohol. Opening the lid, an intoxicating smell of white wine flooded the room.
Bypassing the windows and white frolicking curtains... was the dark night sky. The day of babysitting the three junior disciples had finally come to an end. It was nighttime, with stars gleaming like jewels showing off in dark silk.
In the room was a round table. Sitting around the table were the rest of the three couples, who waited obediently for Wei Wuxian to join them.
On the surface of the table were glass cups, made of white porcelain. Wei Wuxian poured five cups, excluding one in thought for Xie Lian. The white wine slid from the jar of alcohol, pouring inside the cups, dying it in a light and yet vivid flavour.
"What would you like to drink, Xie-xiong?" Wei Wuxian played the role as a bartender.
Xie Lian extended out a hand politely, "I'd like a cup of tea."
"What type of brew?" Wei Wuxian asked smartly.
"Up to you." Xie Lian smiled.
Wei Wuxian took out a random teapot he found, and surprisingly, the content inside was already well-prepared and made. A cloud of hot steam had floated out from the tip teapot.
After pouring a cup of tea for Xie Lian, Wei Wuxian returned to his seat.
The three couples looked at each other.
Luo Binghe took a sip out of his cup of alcohol, "Remind me again, why are we drinking together?"
Wei Wuxian eyed him. "Do you not want to drink together?"
Luo Binghe scoffed, "I can, but I'm afraid you can't keep up with me."
A glint of light flashed in Wei Wuxian's eyes. He smirked, "Oh really?"
The two black and red clothed cultivators stared each other down. A bolt of tension crackled in the air, highlighting their faces and expressions in competitiveness. The couples seemed to notice just how stiff the atmosphere was.
Shen Qingqiu knocked against the table, "Why don't you two drink before you get tired."
"Fine!" Luo Binghe huffed. He held onto his cup of wine, with his knuckles melting into a colour of pale white. "Let's compete in drinking!"
Hearing that, Wei Wuxian smiled heartily. "Luo-xiong, are you sure you want to compete with me?"
Luo Binghe noticed how cocky and arrogant the other party was. He gritted his teeth, showing off a canine tooth. "I'm a Demon Lord! There's no way I'd lose-"
In ten minutes, Luo Binghe collapsed. His unconscious body slumped across the table, and he snored onwards, completely drunk. His cheeks were entirely flushed, clearly because of the wine he consumed. By his side, Wei Wuxian took another sip of his cup. "Hah." He snorted.
Shen Qingqiu smacked Luo Binghe on the head with his fan.
When he noticed his lover didn't wake up, Shen Qingqiu's mouth was agape. "He's... really drunk."
Wei Wuxian giggled, "Of course. Nobody can beat the Yiling Patriarch in a contest of drinking." Even after drinking those ten cups of white wine, not even a flush was visible on Wei Wuxian's face. Only his eyes were slightly absent-minded, with a light layer of mist.
Seeing his appearance, Lan Zhan didn't dare to take a sip of his wine anymore. He didn't want to become drunk and miss this spectacle...
"HanGuang-Jun must be as promising as his lover in the aspects of drinking... am I right?" Shen Qingqiu questioned. He fanned himself, while taking a sip of his cup.
Lan Zhan froze. He looked at Shen Qingqiu, who was unfazed from sipping once.
A sensation filled his chest. Perhaps... one sip wouldn't do much...
Shen Qingqiu snapped shut his fan. He planned to ask more questions, but then was interrupted by a loud ruckus. Before he knew it, Lan Zhan collapsed over the table as well. He was as drunk and passed out as Luo Binghe was. The two husbands were unconscious, with a tint of red blush washing over their cheeks.
Mouth agape, Shen Qingqiu's eyes flickered to Wei Wuxian. "Wei-xiong... is your husband... alright?"
"He's alright." Wei Wuxian promised. His eyes fell onto the cup he held, "But I won't be after tonight."
Shen Qingqiu, "..." He didn't need to hear that.
The only people left conscious were the three wifeys and Hua Cheng. As a Ghost King, naturally, such thing like wine couldn't affect his mind and state. Hua Cheng poured himself a fifteenth cup. Beside him, Xie Lian drank some tea, enjoying the bitter yet subtle taste on his tongue.
Then, he turned his attention on Wei Wuxian. "Wei-xiong, when we first met you, how come you were investigating the earthquake incident?"
Wei Wuxian straightened up. "Lan Zhan and I often solve mysteries around the area. We encountered the merge of three worlds, then felt the need to investigate. It's better to guarantee our safety first before acting, am I right?"
Xie Lian nodded.
Wei Wuxian sighed, "Though, sometimes, I do wish that Lan Zhan and I would live a life of nothing but peaceful times. We could grow crops, plant carrots... maybe plant a little A-Yuan while we're at it." He wore a helpless smile.
"Lan Zhan would cook, I would sell new inventions and earn money that way. We would drink Emperor's Smile at night, stay up late, sleep until we're happy, and continue the cycle. Everyday, we wake up, eat, work, sleep, then wake up all over again. That life... would be the best."
"Hah," Shen Qingqiu huffed. "I wished life could be that simple. Binghe brings me nothing but trouble. If he's not missing me, then he's clinging to me for life."
Wei Wuxian laughed at that statement. "He must really adore you."
Shen Qingqiu fell silent. His head hung over.
After waiting for a minute and still getting no response, Wei Wuxian was confused. He nudged Shen Qingqiu, but then noticed... the Peak Master had fallen asleep!
"One more down." Wei Wuxian smiled.
Xie Lian reciprocated the smile. "It'd be nice if I could live a life where nobody interrupts San Lang and I..." He pushed his cup of tea away. "You know, Wei-xiong, San Lang and I used to work on the farmlands. There was a place called Puqi Village, and we built a shrine there. Even though we worked up a sweat, it was really nice when it was so peaceful."
His eyes fell down on his bandaged arms. "I hope it can last forever..."
By his side, Hua Cheng raised his eyebrow. His eyes softened once landing on his lover, melting unbelievably fast like a cloud dissipating into the wind. Unknowingly, he reached out a hand and held his lover's underneath the table.
Xie Lian felt the sensation, and quickly grabbed on tight.
"I do too!" Wei Wuxian laughed, "Though adventures do sound quite interesting. Oh oh oh!" An idea popped in his mind, "If I earn up enough money without relying on Lan Zhan's wallet, I could buy us some rabbits. The best kind would be a black and white... then, we can tend to the rabbits everyday!"
"...rabbits?" Xie Lian gestured for him to continue on.
Wei Wuxian's mouth watered, "Yeah, rabbits! I've heard that they taste really pleasant!"
Xie Lian, "..." Wei-xiong, we're not on the same track here...
Slowly, Wei Wuxian's body reacted after drinking so many cups of alcohol. He slumped down, falling asleep over the table like his husband.
Only Xie Lian and Hua Cheng stayed collective.
Hua Cheng nudged his lover, "You can rest. I will look over them."
"It's fine." Xie Lian shook his head. No matter if anything happens, there will always be the skies as witnesses. His eyes should be like the sky, always looking out for the ones who roam the lands. As a heavenly being and their friend... he will make sure they stay safe.
*****
A dark figure slipped past the trees.
Bo Fan leaned against the trunk of a tall tree, appearing quite composed. In one hand was his demonic longsword, which was extended into a long slender arc.
He sighed, "Damnit, I couldn't wipe out that mountain of people..."
"Cang Qiong Mountain is intact?" A new voice spoke out in the forest.
Alerted, Bo Fan hurriedly rushed to take upon a stance. His figure was tense and muscular, as he froze into a focused state. He rested a hand on his longsword, intending to unsheathe it.
"Relax relax, it's just me." The owner of the voice laughed.
A woman stepped out from the shadows. She wore the same black robes as Bo Fan, making her appear like she belonged to the same organization. The woman's hair was a colour of dark chocolate brown, smooth and slick like the breeze. She had a streak of white bangs, which contrasted like snow to dirt. Wrapped around her wrist is a jade bracelet.
By her abdomen hung a string of Chinese drums. The drums were painted in a mysterious colour of azure blue. Normally, the drums were red. However, they were blue. Like an upgraded version of fire; blue fire.
"It's you." Bo Fan spat.
"Yup, it's me." The woman answered gleefully. "Master thinks you're useless, so he decided to send me out; someone who is actually competent and won't run away from a fight."
Bo Fan sneered, "What did you say!?!"
The woman huffed proudly. "Even if there are five hundred Yunmeng Jiang disciples, I won't flee! You're such a coward. I can't even believe that you're a demon."
Hearing that, Bo Fan felt offended. He couldn't take those words to heart!
"...YOU!"
"Me?" The woman scoffed, "What me? All I did was speak the truth!"
The demon and woman bickered like an old couple. By the time they came to an agreement, the moon already rose in the sky. It suspended in midair, gathering the attention of several onlookers.
The woman finally went back to business. "Okay. Truth be told, I was sent here to help you."
Bo Fan huffed. "You've got to follow my orders. Don't mess anything up."
The woman grumbled, "Says the one who failed in the first place."
Author's Little Theatre:
Wei Wuxian: I really do love Lan Zhan's wallet...
Lan Zhan: 😣
Wei Wuxian: But really, I want to earn money myself to take care of him!
Lan Zhan: 🥰
Wei Wuxian: I wonder how the rabbits will taste like...
Lan Zhan: 😔