The tale of the fox and the dragon egg

Chapter 48 - Gathering

Their picture must have been enough, with the fox standing in front and Lan Zhan behind him, covered in blood splatches, the body of a phoenix in his hands. The same was already turning worried heads of countless people, as to be expected.

At last, Jiang Cheng spoke up.

"Do you still know where your room is?"

Wei Ying would have doubted that he could raise his eyebrows as quick as this. Even his eyes grew as huge as apples.

"My room?"

"Bring him there. Wait for me after. We have something to discuss."

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Two strong and warm arms caught him in a safe embrace.

The aftershock of the vanishing pain was making his muscles tremble still, but with the scent of sandalwood engulfing him he truly had nothing to fear. He was at least able to focus on something else now but the curse that had been growing on his body before.

"Breathe with me", Wei Ying heard in that low tone he loved so much and so he decided to followed the command, listening to the breaths of the chest on his arm, rising and falling steadily.

Only then did he realize how desperate he was for air and how hyperventilating he had been just a second ago. Now that his body finally calmed down, his mind was finally able to take over the tense realisation that occupied his muscles, the tense expectation that maybe it will start again.

With a well-timed hit of his fist against that strong shoulder, one that would be deemed pathetic really, he let out a hiss.

"Why – Why didn't you follow him?!", he wheezed out, but the arms around him tightened only as a consequence.

"Wei Ying – "

"No!", the fox cut Lan Zhan off swiftly, his arms trying to fight himself out of the hold. Only to find those arms even tighter around himself. Anger and panic, a mixture that was bound to no good, racked down his airway and made his heart pound painfully, "You should have followed them. You should have rescued A-Yuan and Jin Ling! We can't even imagine what they would do with them right now!"

"Wei Ying – "

"They could be dead, Lan Zhan! While I'm here doing nothing! I couldn't even do anything! So why didn't you?!"

Wei Ying finally succeeded in pushing himself away a little, his teeth gritted and his silver eyes harsh. There was a painful expression on his lover's face, with golden eyes lowered, eyebrows furrowing the slightest bit and lips pressing together in a thin line.

There was this urge to run away and find them, no matter what. It was fighting in his mind, but his body couldn't comply with it. He barely succeeded in pushing himself from Lan Zhan's chest, it would be impossible to follow their trails now.

Having a resentful curse almost reach the own heart was no joke. It would leave every body in a part of distress and exhaustion, something he didn't. Need. Right. Now.

"Lan Zhan, leave me here. Or take me with you so we can get them – "

"Would you fucking shut up already!"

The outburst was so sudden and loud that the fox immediately jumped, his muscles tensing to fight off whatever enemy was still there. It was only undermined by the heavy growl that swung in those words and not a second after, a body in purple robes stood next to them.

Wei Ying could only look up into the blazing eyes of Jiang Cheng, a man that was covered in wounds of his own and not his own blood.

"Get yourself fucking together!", he shouted at him, his words harsh and commanding, "You want to fucking go out there? You want to fucking send him after them? Are you out of your mind?! Do you have any idea what your words mean?!"