You Don't Know Love (Fanfic)

Chapter 1: Drowned

Lan Wangji waited and waited.

He can feel his knees going numb and cold. It is getting difficult to breath for the air around him is slowly freezing his lungs. His eyes are getting heavier and heavier and it’s like he’s going to fall into a deep and long slumber. But he’s determined and his mind is resolute. He will wait for the door to slide open. He will wait for the teasing smile of his mother to welcome him, then embrace him in a tight hug. He will wait for her soft voice to calm him down and lull him to sleep.

“Wangji,” His uncle’s voice suddenly called his name.
Lan Wangji did not turn around, did not stand up to bow and greet him. Once again, he broke another rule in a day. ‘Always pay respect to your elders’. He doesn’t mind for there is a pressing matter that is much more important than the rules. His mother.

“I told you, you didn’t need to come here anymore, Wangji.”

His uncle stated with a firm voice, Wangji can tell that he’s disappointed for how his younger nephew’s acting now.

“Go back to the Jingshi. Tomorrow, you will receive your punishment for disobedience.” After saying that his uncle left, muttering ‘—influence of his mother…’
Wangji did not care. He continued to kneel for several hours, wondering why his mother can’t come anymore. He’s young. No one told him why. He asked his uncle and his brother, but they just avoided meeting his eyes.

Lang Wangji wants to know.

“Wangji, are you sure you want to come with us?”

Lan Xichen looked at his younger brother with worry etched on his face. It has been three months since their mother died. He’s glad that his younger brother stopped coming to the Gentian house. Stopped kneeling and waiting, he must have accepted the fact that mother will never come.

Wangji just gave him a curt nod and headed out. His little brother became more distant and quieter after what happened. Well, he’s been like that since young but it becomes more evident after their mother’s death. No one wants to come close to him anymore. His little brother keeps on giving the younger disciples a cold look, like a warning for them not to get close to him, even Lan Xichen himself can’t breach the wall that Wangji decided to put around his heart.

“Wangji…”

Lan Xichen waved off all his thoughts and decided to gather the disciples for the night hunt near Biling Lake. Some folks there, reported strange sightings in the lake and mysterious disappearances of products and tools that the vendors were selling.

Could it be water ghouls? Lan Xichen thinks. But why would water ghouls steal loquats or wine or ropes that vendors use to tie their boats to the deck? The case is odd.

After they arrived at the Caiyi Town, Lan Xichen and the rest of the Lan disciples rented boats to inspect the lake and find out the cause of strange happenings. Lan Wangji is in his brother’s boat, quietly holding a book and reading. He’s supposed to take notes and observe to make a report about the Biling Lake case. Their uncle told Xichen to take Wangji for experience or maybe to distract Wangji on the thoughts of their mother.

“Young master!”

Lan Xichen immediately drew his sword and witnessed how three ghouls managed to sink the boat of one of the Lan disciples. Most of them had their swords drawn and blindly plunging them in the water some of them failing to get them back.

The boat that Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji was suddenly pulled in a fast pace. Lan Xichen lost his balance. Considering the number of ghouls, it must be a nest. He was not expecting a nest in the Biling Lake. He should not have brought Lan Wangji with them.
“Wangji, come here!” Lan Xichen extended his hand reaching for Wangji who’s gripping the side of the boat with great strength so as not to be toppled down.

There’s a slight panic in his eyes, probably the first emotion that Lan Xichen saw after the few months of mourning. Hearing his brother’s voice calling for him, Wangji lets go and reached out to Lan Xichen, ready to fly off on his sword.

But before Lan Xichen got a hold of him, Lan Wangji was snatched away from the boat by several ghouls. They dragged his little body further down the blackening water of the lake.

“Wangji!”

“Young Master!”

Lan Xichen can’t move, for the others are holding him and preventing him from submerging into the water himself to save his brother.

 
Lan Wangji watched as the light from the surface gets dimmer and dimmer, which means he’s being dragged further down the cursed lake. Even if he struggles, it’s no use because he’s not strong, he’s just a child. He doesn’t have enough strength or even spiritual power to chase away the ghouls clawing into his arms. If ever he did not survive this, will Wangji see his mother again? So, he decided to close his eyes and bear the burning of his lungs. Everything around him swirled and moved, the water somewhat in chaos and the last thing he felt were cold hands arms wrapped around his torso tugging him away from the cold and dark lake bed.