this changes everything. ⟲ wangxian

28. An Unprecedented Predicament

Wangji closes his eyes as Sizhui plays his Qin. When he finishes the song, Wangji murmurs, "Good. You have improved."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Sizhui says, dipping his head. Seeing a dumb, tiny smile on Wangji's face he adds gingerly. "Forgive me if I'm intruding, but I've noticed you seem much happier than the moons before."

"Yes, well. I'm glad to have retained full health."

"Yes! I'm glad for that as well," beams Sizhui. "Your health has really improved remarkably since Brother Wei's return. It's strange, though. Nothing was curing you before, but as soon as Brother Wei came to Cloud Recesses, all of your symptoms went away. I wonder why..."

"Perhaps it's the will of the gods," Wangji says promptly, without meeting Sizhui's eyes. "Again. Slower."

"As you wish." Sizhui places his hands across the instrument once more. But instead of playing, he holds them there for a moment longer. His mind whirs with thought. A beat of silence passes. "Your Excellency, may I ask you one more thing before I do so?"

Wangji bows his head in approval. He is soft for Sizhui. "Go on."

"Is it possible for one person to love another so much that that person can't live without them?"

"...Yes. It is."

"Then what if that person is marrying someone else—someone who isn't his beloved? Why would he marry someone he doesn't love?"

"Perhaps his situation was complicated," Wangji says bluntly.

"But his beloved would be heartbroken. And what about who he's marrying—"

"Enough," Wangji barks, starting to feel like he's being attacked. "I've permitted you to ask one question, and you've already asked. Let us speak no more of this."

At first Sizhui looks taken aback by his sudden defensiveness. But then he lowers his eyes ashamedly and murmurs, "Forgive me, Your Excellency. I overstepped my boundaries. Let me play the Song of Clarity once more."

•••

About an hour passes. The Lan Clan junior has begun a third song, when a Gu Clan maid bursts into the room, panting.

"Your Excellency!"

Wangji's head snaps up. He signals to Sizhui, who mutes the strings on his Qin.

"What is it?" Wangji asks.

"I-it's Lady Gu! She's in trouble!"

Wangji turns to Sizhui. The junior gazes back at him with startled, anticipative eyes.

"Stay here," reassures Wangji. "I'll be back." He stands up.

He hurries out the door, following the maid as she rushes through the courtyard, past the wooden gazebos and trimmed lawns. Almost immediately, his ears perk to the sounds of screams—Meiyou. Wangji overtakes the maid and resumes a quicker pace across the courtyard, drawing closer and closer to her frightened wails. He wonders what on earth it could be.

He bursts into Gu Meiyou's bedchambers in time to see a struggling Meiyou pinned to her bed by an unmistakable man in all-black robes, a scarlet ribbon in his hair, a wooden flute hanging from his belt.

Wei Ying.

"Oh... thank the heavens, Wangji!" shrieks Meiyou. At this, the one with the scarlet ribbon snaps around, eyes searching the doorway until they land on Wangji. Their eyes lock.

Wangji has grown impeccably still.

"Meiyou!" Gu Liban and Xichen, who had also heard her screams, rush into the room and pry the Yiling Patriarch away from her. The man stumbles and falls backward.