Xiao Xingcheng came up to Xue Yang and looked at him, then down at the ground, then up at him again, smiling this time, with a tinge of worry most probably.
I can never make out someone's inner feelings but, his expression spoke, 'How much longer will you do this?' and I heard his voice take a tender tone in my head.
"Xiao Xingcheng, you little-" Xue Yang stopped his boneless threat right after Xingcheng gave him that look in the eye. A look in the eye-
Jiang Cheng on the other hand stood disgusted with a smile, Jin Ling was aghast and shocked as if he saw a ghost, Yanli put on a smile looking at the two.
"So the rumours are true, he's alive and..."
THERE ARE RUMOURS SURROUNDING THESE TWO?! (Or maybe not, but still-) OF WHAT?!
I laughed internally, it seemed that they didn't even care about rumours anymore, I mean, looking at them, they gave very little effort to cover their 'relationship' up. Or maybe I hit my head and was overthinking everything, but! I still held the suspicion that these two...
Were friends, all the while.
I mean what else could it be? Their relationship.
"Hm, and what would these rumours be?" Upon hearing Xue Yang's sarcasm-toned voice, Jiang Cheng shot him a dirty look.
"Hah, even after seeing that I am able to see his stability, you still think me gullible."
"And what exact stability? Clan leader Jiang Wanyin." Ouch. That curt force. Damn. Xiao Xingcheng...
"My, I always suspected."
"A-cheng..."
"A-Jie..." Jiang Cheng was now filled with guilt as shijie looked at him, shijie always had us...smiling and crying at the same time...both of us love her a lot...I guess.
"Pardon us...", then shijie went on whispering something to Jiang Cheng.
I could see a range of expressions his face formed, and I viewed him from a side-angle. Jin Ling was also focused on hearing the conversation between shijie and Jiang Cheng. And, from where I stood, it seemed they had formed an unorderly circle discussion on a very serious topic, but I suspected it was sweet shijie being shijie, telling Jiang Cheng to mind his own god damn business and not be so tense but, at the same time, being considerate that, that was fucking Xue Yang and he was alive? Is that what this was about? Not that it surprised me but, wow.
I stood as a by-stander, taking in everything, every shit that was happening today, unfurling before me.
"Ha."
Jin Ling stared at me after hearing that awfully loud laugh which I didn't realise was awfully loud-
"JIUJIU!"
"A-Ling?"
I shot a glance towards the side where those two stood, Xiao Xingcheng and Xue Yang.
A flash, a flood, a swirl of black, white, with gold-blue,
And, They were gone.
"BAHAHAHAHA!" Now I intended to make my laugh loud.
"What the hell are you laughing at maniac!?" Jin Ling shouted.
"I'm laughing at your uncle's carelessness!"
"YOU-"
"A-Cheng...leave him alone, he isn't worth our time."
Those words shattered me worse than when I wasn't able to save the Wens, or feel worthy to look at Lan Zhan.
I quitened down.
"I am still reporting this...that delinquent demon is back, and it seems he's got a buddy with him..."
"Mhm." Shijie looked very serious now.
"And what about him?" Jin Ling pointed at me.
"He's just some tail that decided to follow around the 'pristine' Hanguang-jun, ignore him, and let him be." Okay geez, I get it, you still can't stand me in this other world. I rolled my eyes.
"Shameless." Jiang Cheng not at all quietly uttered.
Shijie seemed to be put into a serious and stately attitude and face. She seemed...seemed worried, yet- yet there was this slightness, easily could go unrecognisable,
She was guilty? No. Sad? No...
Perhaps, contemptual...
Towards me...
She looked at me, it was bitter...a bitter look,
'Shameless.' I imagined her speak so about me in her mind.
Now I fucking regretted my stupid behaviour.
They walked off the three, two in huffs, and one in...sullen face.
The marketplace didn't seem like a marketplace anymore, it had gotten quiet, the ruckus from earlier had its impact.
I imagined what Lan Zhan may be doing...I had his money pouch in my pocket but I hadn't spent any...I didn't even feel like doing so anymore.
The chatter died out, and so with my earlier liveliness, but the past just couldn't stop finding everywhere I went, hell what was I even thinking? Joing Hanguang-jun?
It is me who isn't giving myself an out, I- I seem to be getting more deeply wrapped in this, like last time, like how...
All these people, all these faces...
No, no, no...
This familiarity yet...
I must escape, I must flee, why did, I don't want to return I- I-
"You seem to be deep in thoughts, out in the streets." A tender yet almost booming voice spoke, putting a hand on my shoulder.
I turned around, Xiao Xingcheng.
"Yiling Laozu, the name, behaviour and face, is always...unforgettable..."
Beside him, stood Xue Yang.
What the hell...