On the Petals of a Flower, I found something that does not belong to me

14

To Everyone who feel their hearts in their chest just looking for answers.

 The next day, I was feeling very angry and very tired. I had been up since five in the morning and I was told to get ready to leave soon. Less than ten minutes passed before they came and told me we were leaving.

 I was able to put in something like a bag I had asked for yesterday from Zewu Jun, some food I stole from the kitchen and some cloths. I didn't even get water, since I didn't even have a bottle to put it in. Let alone anything to defend myself.

 "Bollocks" I cursed slowly and rubbed my eyes. We were already on our way to a place called 'Gusu', where Zewu Jun and Lan Wanji lived, which not to my surprise, I learned were brothers.

 "Do I look a lot like Wanji huh?" made Zewu Jun.

 "What shall I tell you Zewu Jun. At first I thought you were twins" I answered and dragged my feet on the path. How much longer did we have to walk? But I didn't want to complain aloud. I had to go home. And I didn't have to stress to get there quickly. Panic and anxiety would cloud my mind.

 A hand landed on my head. "Don't call me Zewu Jun. Call me Lan Xichen."

 I shrugged. "Okay." Then I dry swallowed.

 "Lan Xichen" I tried to say his name. "Your ribbon is a little crooked." Without a second thought and as something completely natural that I did to my friends if they had something on them, I reached out and corrected it.

 "So" I did and looked at how straight it was. "It's okay now. All good."

 Lan Xichen stopped walking and looked at me with his mouth almost ready to fall off.

 I stopped too. "What happened?" I did.

 He kept looking at me like a loser. When he came to, he gave me his characteristic smile.

 "Are you thirsty?" he asked me finally.

 What? That was it? Why did he look at me before as if I had committed the crime of eternity?

 I sighed. "Oh, a little," I said.

 He nodded and took something like a bottle out of his own 'bag'. Then he opened it and gave it to me.

 "Thank you" I did and took it in my hands. I gulped the water with large sips. I felt my throat so dry.

 When I finished drinking, I gave it back to Lan Xichen, who also drank some.

 I looked at him and my mouth almost fell.

 It was not that I believed in indirect kisses and blue fricking smurfs, but to see Lan Xichen drinking from the same bottle as you, I wish it was something like that and not something simplistic.

 I shook my head and slapped it with my palm somewhat secretly, so that Lan Xichen would not see me.

 What was wrong with me my God? Why did I come here and kept drooling all the time?

                                                                                         ***

 When we arrived in Gusu, my feet were on fire. I had never walked so much since elementary school.

 At the entrance of Gusu, there was a gate. Two boys in white clothes made a greeting with their hands outstretched in front and let us pass.

 Lan Xichen and I were the only ones on the trip. Throughout this journey we had time to talk about many different topics, in addition to drinking water from the holy bottle that touched Lan Xichen's mouth. I told him about my country, my friends, my family. And he told me about his own. Within a few hours we had told the stories of our lives. But that did not make us have anything to talk about later.

 Gusu was a beautiful place. And cold. Very cold.

 Which I couldn't stand. From the fog in the surrounding mountains, you could tell how cold it was. He was completely different from Yunmeng.

 You will tell me, we climbed an entire mountain. Of course it is different from Yunmeng.

 "Zewu Jun!"

 "Zewu Jun!"

 Two boys ran towards us. When they saw us, they stopped at a safe distance.

 "Ah" Lan Jingyi said when he saw me.

 "Ah" Lan Shizui repeated.

 I pursed my lips into a line. When did they come from Lotus Pier here? "Ah?" I did. "Is that how you greet a guest, you ungrateful brats? Zewu Jun is 'Zewu Jun!' with a sweet voice and I am 'Ah'? Only 'ah'?"

 Lan Jingyi scoffed. "And what would you like us to say? 'Oh, not again'?"

 "You're looking for a beating" my eyebrow flickered.

 "Lan Shizui, Lan Jingyi" Zewu Jun interrupted. "Do you know where Uncle Qiren is?"

 "Sir Lan is in the hall. You will find him there Zewu Jun" Shizui replied.

 "Thank you" Zewu Jun nodded and the little ones greeted with their hands.

 "Lan Xichen" I did and ran a little to catch up with his big steps, leaving the little ones behind. "What do you do with your hands? Is this a greeting?"

 Lan Xichen smiled at me. "Yes. We show respect for the other person."

 "Hmm, I see" I did and put my hand on my chin, caressing my non-existent beard.

                                                                                    ***

 "Hmm, I see" I did and put my hand on my chin, caressing my non-existent beard.

 "Is that so" the gentleman in front of me said and stroked the really small beard on his chin.

 I looked at him. He looked at me too. Our eyes met and fell into our hands. We both took our hands off our chins.

 "Your story sounds interesting. It's something I have never heard before. But the Lan clan is welcoming and we show respect to all our guests. So you are welcome here," explained Lan Qiren.

 I grabbed the mini glass of tea in front of me. At home I made a whole bowl of tea to drink. This was just a shot.

 "Uncle, we will not sit for long. We are just asking for permission for the library. To help Madden Charlie," Xichen explained.

 "Xichen, you can go to the library whenever you want and you know it," replied Lan Qiren. "As for the maiden ..." he turned to me. "Because she has a purpose, she can go too. You can also look at the.... Forbidden Documents. I give you my permission."

 "Uncle ..." Xichen said. "Thanks."

 "Hmm" I did and put my hand on my chin again. This Qiren seemed very welcoming to me and something was stinking over here. Did he want anything from me?

 Nevertheless, for some reason, I nurtured sympathy for him.

 "Hmm" said Lan Qiren and stroked his beard. "You know," he told me. "For some reason, I do not know why, I like you."

 I looked at him with my hand on my chin. "To tell you the truth," I replied. "For some inexplicable reason, I like you too."