THE GAME

You Are A Memory

"Lan Zhan is still searching for him out there. Please let us know if you hear anything" Wei Ying ends the call with a shaky voice. He leans against the couch for support, worried to death about the kind of trouble his son could get into. There were still others out there who could hurt him regardless of the fact that he is just a boy. How will they live if anything bad happens to their son?

Lan Wangji forced the omega to stay home just in case Yuan returned, and also to take care of Mingji. But now the restlessness of waiting patiently was eating out Wei Ying's mind. "This is my fault...This is all my fault," he cursed himself for breaking everybody's heart in one lifetime. He could only imagine what Wen Xu would have done in a situation like this.

Lan Jingyi heard what had ensued by midday. How the Cloud Recesses became noisy because everyone was asking questions and calling someone. His parents didnt even notice when he slipped into their room.

Going back to his room, he receives a text message on his phone.

'Huh...Yuan?' he read through, wide-eyed. The text said to not tell anyone or risk being ex-communicated as well. Since no one was watching anyway, Jingyi burrowed some money from his father's case and strolled out of the Cloud Recesses in hindsight.

Jingyi found his cousin at a bus stop in a quiet town not far from the main city. Yuan was in a blue striped shirt and pants, cosied up in a yellow fur jacket. His bag pack was beside him, his head sadly down.

"Lan Yuan...," Jingyi took a seat by his cousin. Yuan simply raises his eyes when he feels the other's presence.

Lan Jingyi does not speak another word while Yuan's head rests on his shoulder. He only puts an arm around the other and lets him get a shut-eye in peace.

***

By the time the Lans realized that their future clan leader was gone, it was already nightfall.

Now both Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying were in the same pot of soup, unnerved and afraid. Lan Xichen went with his brother, searching every place they believed a child would go.

Their position made it hard to get it on air but they made use of their law enforcers, sending out scouts discretely. The rest of the crew took the initiative to help as well.

"That's it! Im handling this my way," Wei Ying declared after two days. He locked himself in a room and cut through his flesh to draw unhealthy spells that would certainly make Lan Wangji mad.

Out there the boys were on the road, trying to get to the border; taking buses, walking for hours. Any other means would get them caught hands-down by their parents.

Lan Jingyi went along with what Yuan wanted to do- to get to old QishanWen. His birth home. Jingyi had never seen Yuan this upset after his mother came back to him. Surely Jingyi knew this idea would get him punished but he loved his cousin and the road trip didnt sound like a bad idea. Besides, he wouldn't let Yuan wander off alone.

After going through three towns they come across an old beta couple going the same direction. They seemed nice enough so the boys tagged along.

"Why would your parents leave you two to go to old QishanWen all by yourself? Are you sure you didnt run away?"

"No Grandma...Mmm, this kebab is delicious." Jingyi gobbled down everything he was fed at the next rest stop.

"Haha, what a charming lad... Why won't you eat up son, do you want something else?" the old lady turned to Yuan. The little man shook his head, stating that he was not hungry. Yuan was the only quiet one on their journey.

"He's mad because his parents lied to him."

"Jingyi!"

"What? You've got to tell someone sometime!" Jingyi shrugged.