Temple of Truth

Chapter 61

Wu Xi just stood there, occupied in how that single glance of Zhang made him feel.

Like a small child clinging to his parents hands – afraid of them leaving him alone, afraid and somewhat knowing that they would never return. And yet letting go – not daring to cling too much, not wanting to bother them any more than he already did – hoping that if he would let go, if he didn't bother them they might just stay – or come back.

Wu Xi didn't dare cling to Zhang – sure that getting too close to him will only make him leave. He knew that he was still around somewhere, he could feel it.

It was hopeful, that he hadn't left yet. It gave Wu Xi time – he needed to figure out what had made him look like that and that mood he had been in earlier. If he could straighten thinks up – Zhang wouldn't leave them, right?

He would come back.

Locked in his mind pondering, Wu Xi just stood there. He didn't even mind the mercenaries that he had cautioned himself of earlier – he didn't even notice them now. He didn't notice them staring and mumbling between themselves.

He didn't notice his uncle coming back to pick up another batch of mercenaries to speed up the work – he had them carry lights and pickaxes, he probably wanted to brake through the stone before midnight.

He turned cycled in his mind, he just couldn't understand Zhangs sudden freezing attitude.

When suddenly Pan Zi, his uncles assistant slash friend suddenly stood right in front of him. He really hadn't noticed him approaching. But now he was there.

Saying something to him, Wu Xi wasn't totally sure what so he just hummed from time to time. He knew that if it was something life-threatening Pan Zi would just have dragged him away to a save place.

He was sometimes a bit to overprotective over Wu Xi, not only pulling him out of chaotic situations but also shielding him from the falling glass of a cracking light bulb.

Pan Zis tone this time - even if Wu Xi didn't really understand what he was saying – sounded more like he informed him of some decision he had made in his and his uncles absence, or something like that.

He didn't really mind – he had to figure out something more important then some food issues.

He didn't really listen until he heard Pan Zi ask him if he had time to help.

"Sure", Wu Xi mumbled.

He couldn't really tell him, that he was completely busy with trying to figure Zhang out. Pan Zi would only laugh about it telling him that he was an enigma and that it wasn't healthy to think too much about something.

He didn't want him to laugh, even if it was never meant to hut him, and he didn't want to let him know that it was Zhang that he was pondering about. He could only hope that he would have enough capacity left in order to not make too much of a mess out of things.

Knowing – that he couldn't just ban his beloved friend out of his mind.

He had made it from the excavation site to the camp without falling. Surely it couldn't be that difficult to help out Pan Zi for a bit.

At least, that was what he thought – until Pan Zi put a knife in his hand and left him alone with it telling him that he knew what to do.

And what if he actually didn't?