Nie Huaisang was struggling to hide his smile at Jiang Cheng's brilliant blush as he tried to explain how he knew Wen Qing's schedule.
"It's just a coincidence! Really! I was searching for my idiot brother and happened to see her!"
Wei WuXian made a doubtful noise and deflated that defence.
"Searching for me at 6am ? Near the Healers pavilion? Me? The person who knows absolutely nothing about healing and doesn't even wake up until nine? Nice try, ChengCheng." Wei Ying scoffed as Wangji covered a wry smile with his sleeve.
"Who are you calling ChengCheng? " Jiang Cheng muttered, his face still quite red.
"Fine, fine, enough about Jiang Cheng's romantic stalker tendencies." Wangji waved off, while Jiang Cheng looked murderous.
"How are we going to catch the little spy in the act?"
"We should probably take turns tailing her until we find something out," Huaisang added, running his fingers along his fan in thought.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Wei Ying agreed with a nod.
"Jiang-Xiong and I can watch her in the morning, Wei-Xiong the afternoon, and since Ji-Xiong knows the patrol routines, he gets night duty."
"Sounds good to me; I'm good at sneaking around at night. Ooh, I can wear my new navy blue robes I bought last week." Wangji added with a smile as he clasped his hands together.
"Is everything clothing with you?" Jiang Cheng scoffed, still salty about being called a stalker, which he wasn't!
"Yes, yes, it most certainly is. And unless you want me to cut off your supply of lotus silk under robes, I suggest you zip it." Wangji sassed while Jiang Cheng glared but bit his tongue, not wanting to annoy his lotus silk dealer any further.
"Eh, kitten, play nice. Jiang Cheng wouldn't last the week if you cut him off. He'd die from withdrawal." Wei Ying joked as he wrapped his arms around Wangji's waist.
"I- you, well. Argh! How am I supposed to be even the slightest bit intimidating if you go around calling me things like 'kitten' and 'JiJi' every five seconds." Wangji pinched the bridge of his nose while Jiang Cheng snorted.
"Alright, that's enough dog food for one day! " Huaisang clapped his hands, bringing the focus back to him.
"Can we please concentrate? We have a spy to catch."
"Right, sorry." Wangji wormed his way out of Wei Ying's grasp, while Wei Ying gave a pouty whine.
"Everyone. Let's do this."
The quartet all gave each other affirmative nods before they each walked out of the Jingshi with a mission on their minds.
Wangji felt ridiculous that night as he stood watch outside Wen Qing's quarters, perfectly camouflaged under the night sky in his navy robes.
He was going to go mad if this kept up.
Seeing dawn edge over the sky, he quietly went to return to his rooms, only to slip and fall, the air filling with a loud tearing sound. Horrified, WangJi looked at ugly tears from hems to the chest.
"Screw this, I'm doing this my way!" Wangji screeched as he stomped back to his quarters to formulate a plan and fix his robes.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Wangji walked with great purpose as he made his way through Cloud Recesses. He was supposed to wait for Wei Ying and just observe Wen Qing, but right now, he was on a mission.After that little incident yesterday, Wangji was now positive that the Wens were up to no good.
He knew from the moment they set foot in Cloud Recesses that they were up to no good. As to why his Uncle and brother were completely oblivious to this very obvious fact, he couldn't tell you.
But now it was clear that something needed to be done. Cotton may have taken care of Wen Xu,(which he still can't believe actually happened), but he still knew far too much.
Nie Huaisang is correct. There has to be a spy inside Gusu who was sending news to Nightless City of his movements.
Well then, if the Wens could use spies, so could he.
Which is why he needed to have someone on the inside. He didn't know that much about Wen Qing, but unlike her cousins, she didn't seem inherently narcissistic and evil. And it was obvious that her younger brother couldn't wouldn't hurt a fly.
So, he was going to take a chance and hope for the best.
Arriving at the quarters, he put on his Icy Jade face and knocked on the door.
Wen Qing jumped at the sharp rap at such an early hour. Dread ran through her mind, belly tight with fear of her Uncle; she nearly fainted in shock at her visitor. Swallowing hard, she felt proud of her even tone as she welcomed Lan WangJi in.
"Second Young Master Lan, do what do I owe this visit?" Wen Qing curtly said as she sat down across from Wangji.
"It's about your cousin, well, partly." Wangji gave a bored sigh as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear, putting Lan Wangji aside for now and bringing out Young Master Fuyu. Letting his concealment magic go, he watched as Wen Qing's eyebrow twitched slightly in curiosity at his statement.
"Oh, what about him?" She frostily replied as her posture was rigid and her face was uptight and reserved.
"Well, my pet cat mauled him half to death yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if he lost his eye."Wangji leisurely leaned back in his chair as he gave a wry smile.
Wen Qing had to do a double take as she just looked at Wangji with concealed shock and confusion. She wasn't sure which part she was more confused about, what Wangji had just said or how Wangji said it.
"Look, I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll just say it. I know full well that the Wen Sect is planning something; I'm going to take an educated guess and say that they're preparing for war."
"Second Young Master Lan, I'm not sure what you mean." Wen Qing's face hardened as her lips were pressed into a thin line. She always knew there was more to the Second Jade of Lan than met the eye, but this was not what she was expecting.
"Oh, come off it. I know everything, the Dire Owl, The Waterborne Abyss. Your cousin went all the way to Jiangnan to try and kill me. Young Lady Wen, I think you know exactly what I mean."
"And if I tell you that you are correct in your assumptions?" Wen Qing apprehensively asked, clenching her fists at her sides, ready to accept her fate.
"Let me ask you one thing. Do you really want a war?" Wangji questioned as Wen Qing's face softened in thought, her fists loosening in slight relaxation.
"You're a healer; last time I checked, you're in the business of keeping people alive, not the opposite."Wangji simply said, as he tilted his head to the side.
"I'm opposed to the idea of war, but I don't have a choice." Wen Qing looked down at her lap."Well, I'm giving you a choice. Join forces with me."
"Wen Rouhan has taken my relatives captive. I'm part of a small outer part of the Wen Clan called the Dafan Wens. "Wen Qing explained with a frown, not really sure why she was telling him this.
"We're just healers; most of us are either children or the elderly. If Wen Rouhan wants to kill them all off, he can do so with the snap of his fingers."
"Dafan, huh? That's on the outskirts of Qishan...It's not too far away..." Wangji said out loud as he twirled his hair in thought.
"Not too far away from what?" Wen Qing questioned.
"How often is your family under surveillance?" Wangji questioned, his brows furrowed in thought.
"Wen Rouhan has a Dire Owl stationed around the village."
"I know someone who runs an armed escort agency and owes me a favour. They're not too far away from Dafan. If I tell them beforehand about the owl, they should be able to get them out safely. I have a house in Jiangnan about eighty miles west of the nearest road stop, so they can stay there temporarily."
"...You have a house in Jiangnan?"
Wen Qing's eyes were huge in confusion and hope. Lan WangJi was almost certain that she wasn't the one reporting on him. Lan WangJi's mind reeled, but he was unwilling to accept her act at face value.
"... That's beside the point." Wangji waved off awkwardly.
"What I want to know is if you're in or out?"
"Right now, it seems like you're my only hope... I'm in."
"Well then, here's to stopping full-scale war," Wangji smirked and raised his teacup in a toast to Wen Qing.
"...You know, you're not at all like people say you are." Wen Qing deadpanned, before schooling her facial expression.
"Oh honey, you have no idea." Wangji huffed as he flamboyantly flipped a stray hair away from his face, as he got up from his seat and went over to the door.
"Young Lady Wen, I'll be seeing you around." Wangji winked as he closed the door behind him.Wen Qing couldn't help but let out a small squeak once Wangji left. Checking her temperature, she double-checked just to make sure that the whole thing wasn't a hallucination.
"Well, that was easy; now, where's Sang-ge." Wangji felt rather proud of himself as he walked around, trying to find his friends.
Nie Huaisang was struggling to hide his own anger at friends.
'How hard is it to follow a plan?! We all agreed to watch Wen Qing for a few days and gather proof before confronting her with a confession. I really don't know what is wrong with these idiots!'
Grinding his teeth, Nie Huaisang recalled finding Wei WuXian asleep instead of following Wen Qings's movements with Lan WangJi. And just where was that peafowl anyway?!
Snorting in an angry breath, he tried to calm down as he tried to figure out what Wen Rohan's endgame was.
"This is stupid!"Hissed Jiang Cheng to Nie Huaisang as they followed Wen Qing after her lessons with Healer Shuo. Now, if only the purple grape would stop moaning, they could get on with the plan.
Huaisang rolled his eyes in annoyance and hissed back.
"You volunteered! Now shut up!... Wait." Turning around in a small circle, Nie Huaisang threw up his hands in aggravation and screamed; birds took flight at the sound.
"Great! We've lost her! I really don't know why I agreed to you coming with me! You've been complaining the whole time!"
Jiang Cheng's blush heated to new temperatures even as he tried not to smile at the sight of his normally calm friend having a stomping hissy fit. Losing the fight, he let out a chuckle, which caused him to fall into a stomach-holding laughing fit at Nie Huaisang's outraged face.
"Are you joking?! You lost our best lead, and now you're laughing at me! What is wrong with you, you, you weirdo! Stop it!"
Laughingly dodging the small objects the angry Nie threw at him, Jiang Cheng found himself wanting to tease his friend.
"Ok! Ok, stop before you hurt yourself! Oh, what's the matter Sang-ge? Are you missing a certain performance artist? Whoa! "
Laughing, Jiang Cheng turned and ran away from the sudden bull charge of his friend and, for a few moments, felt like a free teenager.
Right until he ran into the soft but solid form of Wen Qing. Only instinct had him twisting to land first. A sharp pain went up his knee, hitting the ground.
Jiang Cheng let out a sound similar to a yawning ferret but quickly covered his mouth in embarrassment. Biting his lip in pain. Wen Qing just looked confused for a second before she awkwardly stood, then offered Jiang Cheng a hand.
"Uh, Young Master Jiang, are you okay." She asked, scrunching up her nose a bit, while Huaisang was torn between laughing and seriousness.
"Uh, I- yes, I'm fine, OW!" Jiang Cheng waved off before he stood up and felt a jolt of pain go through his left leg.
"You most likely pulled a ligament." Wen Qing said quite matter-of-factly while Jiang Cheng looked down. "Young Master Jiang, allow me to assist you."
"I, I'm fine, it's nothing, really." Jiang Cheng tried to act tough while Wen Qing crossed her arms.
"At least allow me to assist you to the Healers pavilion. A pulled ligament should be treated right away. "
"Ah, don't be silly, Jiang-xiong. You better get that treated; who knows what infections you could get!" Huaisang said, just having a good idea.
"I pulled a ligament; how would I get an infection? It's not an open wound; even I know that." Jiang Cheng dumbly replied while Huaisang felt the urge to throttle him rise up.
"Yes, but still, you could, you know, get muscle damage if you don't get it treated." Huaisang emphasized his point, hoping Jiang Cheng would finally take the damn hint.
"... Oh! Ah, yeah! Ugh, now that you say it, it does hurt a lot, ow, ouch." Jiang Cheng lamely hopped on one leg while rubbing his knee.
Wen Qing rolled her eyes at the flippant attitude of this young master but just took a deep breath in. As a healer, it was her job to heal, no matter how annoying the patient was. With a firm grip, she and Nie Huaisang help the Jiangs heir to a flat top rock.
"Thank you. You're a pretty good healer." Jiang Cheng dazedly said as she gently but firmly examined, massaged, and manipulated his knee. Jiang Cheng was frozen, caught between nerves of excitement and embarrassment at her being so close and touching him.
'Please don't be the spy. I would hate to have to hate you!' Jiang Cheng couldn't help but think as he watched Wen Qing go through her medicine bag.
Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes at Jiang Cheng's face and again tried to reign in his temper. Tried and failed.
"Young Lady Wen, we know," Huaisang said, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer.
"Pardon?" Wen Qing replied, pursing her lips.
"We know that youre...spying." Jiang Cheng winced. " We know youre in Gusu to spy on the Lans."
" We know you spend all your free time on the back hills, testing the barriers. We know you were present during Lan WangJi's encounter with the Waterborne Abyss, and we know you receive a Dire owl every day. We know you're telling Wen Xu of Lan WangJi's movements. "Clutching his fan in stunned disbelief at his runaway mouth, he waited and watched Wen Qing closely.
He felt deeply confused at her reactions. Angry and sharp, Wen Qing glared at the pair and with a great deal of hurt, for a moment, she believed the Jiang heir was sincere and spoke her mind.
"Young Masters, l am only following the orders of my Sect Leader, which is to find a way through the barriers on the back hill. Nothing else. I have zero interest in the coming or going of anyone in Gusu. Instead of looking for a Wen spying for the Wen Sect, you should maybe find out where the second dire owl goes. The one that lands in the boys' dorms." Wen Qing curtly said, as she quickly packed up her medical supplies.
Nie Huaisang's eyes were huge in confusion. Blinking, he slowly shook his head and suddenly felt faint.
"What do you mean? Second owl?"
"That is all I will say." She harshly replied before picking up her things and walking out.
"I don't think she's the spy." Jiang Cheng happily chirped while Huaisang hit him on the head with his fan and scowled.
"Ow, geez, who hurt you today?" Jiang Cheng hissed as he rubbed his forehead and side-eyed Huaisang, who looked like he was about to explode.
"I'm done; I'm really done this time." Huaisang ominously muttered before he caught sight of Ji-Xiong walking toward them, looking pleased with himself.
"There you are, Sang-ge! I've got news! Wait... What happened to you, Cheng-ge?" Huaisang felt his Nie temper boiling listening to Jiang Cheng wax poeticness about Wen Qing treating his leg. Gosh, what is he, a poet laureate?!
"Then Sang-ge accused her of being a Wen spy, and she got mad and left."Jiang Cheng gave a resigned huff as he glared at Huaisang, who just glared back.
"Oh, well, that sucks, especially considering I made an alliance with her like an hour ago," Wangji said as he scrunched his nose up.
"YOU WHAT?!" Huaisang screeched, feeling uncharacteristically homicidal.
"Oh, that's good. I wonder what I should do to say sorry? Yanshi, what do you suggest?" Jiang Cheng added, looking relieved and thoughtful while ignoring Huaisang's yelling.
"We had a plan! And you just went off on your own! How do you know that she's not lying?! She could be a double agent!"
"Yeah, but I'm good at reading people, so. Besides, she's not a spy, so~" Wangji gave a non-committal shrug while Jiang Cheng gave out a whine.
"Oh, god, she probably hates my guts now! " Jiang Cheng commiserated with his head in his hands.
" Do you think I should send her an apology letter? No, wait, maybe a gift. Yeah, a gift, that would work! Wangji, is there anything new at Fuyu's?"
"Well, I do have a new hairpin and hair comb collection. It's the lower class range, so they're not as flashy, but she looks like the practical minimalistic type." Wangji helpfully supplied while Jiang Cheng nodded in thought.
"That could work. Do they come as sets?" Jiang Cheng asked, ignoring Nie Huaisang completely, whose right eye was now violently twitching.
"Yeah, I could sort something out; they come in scented boxes too." Wangji helpfully added, in his element.
"Ooh, that sounds nice. Do you guys do custom scents, maybe something medicinal smelling? Y'know, since she's a doctor."Jiang Cheng mused.
"Ooh, cute touch! Jiang Cheng, who knew you were a romantic." Wangji teased while Jiang Cheng tried to hide his blushing face.
Huaisang stared with an open mouth, shocked at his two friends, and felt like the top of his head exploded. With a strange hissing noise that slowly rose into a scream that echoed, he threw his fan on the ground and gave it three hard double-footed stomps. When he finished, he was pleased to see that his two idiot friends were staring at him, finally looking serious.
"Sang-ge, that was a one-of-a-kind! Why did you kill it!"Jiang Cheng gave Huaisang a look of disbelief before snorting out a laugh at Huaisang's slowly dawning horror at his destroyed fan.
"Screw you both!"Huaisang screeched before he stomped off to find some peace and quiet before he had an aneurysm over these two idiots.
"I think he's spending too much time around you, y'know." Jiang Cheng sighed as he watched Huaisang angrily turn a corner.
"Oh, shut up; he's just annoyed because he has a crush on my best friend. " Wangji quipped.
"He's more obvious than Wei Wuxian is with his beloved kitten."Jiang Cheng mocked before he felt a heavy silk sleeve slap him on the face.