𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓━━━J. Cheng

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆

020-Worries, I

At the same time [First Name] turned to look at Lan Wangji, she saw him absent-mindedly tripping on a rock. Thankfully, she reacted on time and held his arm immediately before he fell to the river. She breathed a sigh of relief and let him go as soon as he regained a stable footing.

"Wangji-xiong, be careful."

His eyebrows furrowed and his ears turned red in embarrassment. "... I'm fine." [First Name] didn't dare to laugh, this cousin of hers really has a thin face after all. She cleared her throat with a cough and simply nodded, "Mhm, I know." she then lowered her gaze and looked at his injured leg, "But your leg is not. It's already been a while but it still hasn't gotten better..." she sighed. "I really should've insisted on making you stay behind in Cloud Recesses..."

Suddenly, she felt warmth in her pair of cold hands. [First Name] was startled and raised her gaze and met with a pair of angry eyes. "Your hands are cold. What were you doing?" [First Name] frowned and tried to pull her hand back but unfortunately, Lan Wangji's hold tightened. "... Nothing. I washed my hands earlier in the river so-"

"Don't lie. What happened?"

She looked at him, "Wangji-xiong, nothing happened. Worry about yourself instead, I'll be fine." but he said nothing in response, and [First Name] felt something warm roaming inside her. It was warm and comfortable but she frowned, "... Don't you trust me? You don't have to send your qi to check..." Lan Wangji looked at her, his deep, light-colored eyes held some anger and worry but his face remained indifferent. "You lied. Your back has gotten worse. Just what were you doing these days?"

Since they had arrived in Qishan, every disciple dispatched was given risky and dangerous tasks for the sake of easy night hunts of that Wen young master. Everyone had their lives to watch and couldn't be bothered to care for the others. Although Lan Wangji did his best not to separate from [First Name], Wen Chao showed great displeasure to him, Wei Wuxian, and Jin Zixuan and kept making trouble for them. In the end, he couldn't really take care of this younger cousin of his.

[First Name] smiled somewhat helplessly and took advantage of the fact that Lan Wangji had loosened his hold of her wrist by pulling her hand back. "I just did the same stuff the others did. I didn't do anything else except for that, I promise. I've been taking care of myself too." He furrowed his eyebrows and was about to say more but Wei Wuxian had slowed down his pace and walked beside Lan Wangji.

He cast a quick glance at her and nodded subtly, and then he turned his gaze towards this stiff and strict boy around his own age, "What happened to your leg?" He asked curiously.

[First Name] heaved a sigh of relief and quickened her steps.

Lan Wangji didn't even turn his head towards the other boy and only narrowed his eyes to her back. "... Nothing. [First Name], don't escape."

In response, [First Name] turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder, "I'm not, I'm not! I just have... Something to tell Wanyin!" she didn't even give him a chance to say anything else and simply went and run towards the Jiang Sect young master.

It seems that Wei Wuxian and [First Name] have switched places now.

Jiang Cheng looked at the young lady beside him, who had a troubled expression. He couldn't help but frown. "[First Name]?" She sighed and looked at him quite guiltily, "Sorry for making you an excuse. Wangji-xiong is really persistent..." He raised an eyebrow and turned his head a bit, stealing a glance at his brother and the second young master of Lan who was having a one-sided talk.

"Did he find out about your wound?"

"Mhm. I guess every secret is really meant to be exposed eventually."

She bitterly laughed quietly. She knew that he would find out sooner or later but she didn't expect to be exposed like that, so suddenly out of nowhere.

Once again, Jiang Cheng looked at her with hesitation. And then after thinking about something for a moment, he cleared his throat and mumbled, "Excuse me." He then grabbed her wrist and sent his qi inside to check. A strange yet comforting feeling swelled inside her chest as he did so, but [First Name] sulked at his actions. Raising her head and looking at the boy helplessly, "Ah, not you too..."

But still, she obviously couldn't bring herself to push him away or tear her hand from his hold. So in the end, the two kept walking as Jiang Cheng continued to examine her condition. After he had finished, however, he didn't let go of her yet. He was glowering as he stared at both of their hands. And then, he raised his head and stared at her eyes directly. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips curled. Jiang Cheng's hand hasn't let go and tightened instead. Naturally, [First Name] felt the pain but she didn't utter a single complaint. Looking at him, she knew that he was displeased.

"Can't... You feel pain in your back? What did you do that made your wound worse?"

"It doesn't hurt one bit at-" Her eyes widened and she couldn't stop herself from letting out a small sound of pain. "A-Ah...!"

Jiang Cheng looked at her, pulling his hand back from her back. She stared back at her, both hands placed on top of her lips.

"... Who won't feel anything if their wounds suddenly get touched?" She whispered.

Jiang Cheng didn't say anything else and simply looked around hesitantly, still holding her hand at the same time. [First Name] watched him do so with a bleak smile. She was happy that he was worrying for her, but at the same time, she was afraid of getting him caught up in her own problems. And then, when he finally looked at her, he said in a quiet low voice, "Let's go over there first."

Lan Wangji was being bothered by Wei Wuxian and, thus, didn't see the two separate from the group. Moreover, everybody else was so busy finding the entrance to the cave that they didn't really pay any attention to the others. So, Jiang Cheng pulled [First Name] towards the thick forest, away from the others.

[First Name], startled by the grab almost fell down but she did not. Her lips curled down and her eyebrows furrowed, forming a grimace on her face. "Wait, don't walk so fast..." he did slow his pace but they both kept walking. "Why did we separate from the others? Wanyin, aren't you afraid that we're going to get in trouble? If those Wen cultivators see us..."

Cloud Recesses have already been wrecked by Wen Sect. And there's no doubt that they can, and will do the same to Lotus Pier once Jiang Cheng makes a single mistake. There's no need for him to do this, after all, [First Name] was just a friend he knew for a year. Of course, Jiang Cheng himself knows that. However...

Jiang Cheng stopped in his tracks. Both of them should've put a proper distance from the others at this point so there's no need to worry about being eavesdropped on by anybody. He turned around and looked at her. And then, he loosened his hold of her wrist until he finally let it go. [First Name] rubbed her wrist with a sigh. It was still warm from his tight hold and was slightly red. She raised her head and moved her eyes from her hand to him. "Wanyin...?"

His eyes held back all the complicated emotions that surged up within him while both were locked in each other's gaze.

Jiang Wanyin himself doesn't know why he was doing this for her.

Alright... I'm putting this fanfic on hold for a few weeks. I ran out of chapters to publish and im still busy, idk when i can find the time to write again.

Published: March 30, 2022