Divinity

15

To maintain her distance, Kaili would only come out when A'Yuan called her. Otherwise she was always hanging with San Lang and Xie Lian either at Paradise Manor or Puqi shrine. She hung around the two as they were closest to her and treat her like family. She was younger then them and they looked at her like she was their little sister. Sometimes Xie Lian would almost mommy her and she would feel like a daughter to them.

Kaili didn't know how badly she was hurting by not being around Xichen. She would talk to Wangji from time to time to see how Xichen was and from what it sounded, Xichen seemed fine. It actually hurt her more as she felt Xichen never thought of her.

Wei Wuxian had spent the last three months under a meditation simulation. During the meditation sessions, Wuxian would be taken to a place deep inside himself and train his new abilities. When he woke from each session, his body would feel exhausted. That meant the training was working. Though his body my not be physically training, when he meditates, it's like he teleports there spiritually and he learns his new skills. When he comes too, he would wake after a good four to six hours of meditation each day for three months.

During the time he was not meditating, he noticed how much Kaili had been distancing herself and become withdrawn from the world. He knew that look anywhere. When his Shijie and Jin Zixuan's marriage was first announced that it had been cancelled, his shijie was actually hurt by it. She would try to hide it but Wuxian knew she was hurt. He would also remember times when Jin Zixuan would berate or humiliate her to her face and she'd be hurt and crying all the time. He knows a broken heart when he sees it. He felt it was similar in Kaili's case.

Wuxian thought he knew Lan Xichen. To Wei Wuxian, Lan Xichen always had a kind and gentle personality. He tends to wear a smile on his face, and is polite to everyone he meets. In contrast to many in their cultivation society, Lan Xichen treats everyone with the same courtesy regardless of status. Overall, he seems to believe that most people act with good intentions despite their actions.

Though, Lan Xichen was one of the cultivators who was against him at Nightless City. After witnessing Wei Wuxian's outburst towards Jin Zixun for enslaving the remnants of the Qishan Wen Clan, Lan Xichen reflects solemnly that Wei Wuxian's heart has changed. When news arrived that Wei Wuxian has killed several overseers at Qiongqi Path to free the remnants of the Qishan Wen Clan, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji both attend an emergency conference at Golden Carp Tower.

Although Lan Xichen reminds those present that Wen Qing and her branch family are not associated with any crimes, Nie Mingjue quickly replies that her silence renders her complicit. Knowing Nie Mingjue's hatred towards the Qishan Wen Clan, Lan Xichen does not argue further. After Luo Qingyang storms out due to sexist remarks from her clan and Lan Wangji follows, Lan Xichen brings the meeting back to order, attempting to stop their worsening conversation.

Lan Xichen was present for the pledge conference at Nightless City. He witnesses Wei Wuxian's appearance and fights against the Fierce Corpses summoned by the Yin Tiger Tally after Jiang Yanli's death. Wuxian had mixed emotions about the older of the Twin Jades but as he was Lan Wangji brother and as a sect leader, he always respected him.

Wei Wuxian also knew that the Lan Sect are not known for their courting game. They claim to be hopeless romantics but they have no idea how to act when they have the right person in front of them. It was only after Wei Wuxian was resurrected, that he understood how he felt about Lan Wangji, and thought back at some things that happened between them. Especially the moment when Wangji tried to save him from jumping that day of the bloodbath at Nightless City. He knew then, that Lan Wangji had believed in him and never gave up on him.

Wuxian noticed Kaili spending more time in the gardens of Paradise Manor. So he decided to go and talk to her. He may not be good at the ideas of love but he was always known for his flirting skills and social skills. He thought maybe he could help her in some way.

"Hello Kaili," Wuxian greeted.

"Hi Wuxian," she greeted back. She was sitting on a bench in the middle of the garden.

Wuxian sat beside her, "want to talk about what is on your mind?"

"What do you want to know?" Kaili asked.

"Tell me the situation about Jin Guangyao and Xichen again," Wuxian told her.

So Kaili indulged him. She told him how, in her snake form, her senses are heightened. She can sense emotions and auras a lot more. She felt something off about Jin Guangyao the first time she ever met him. The situation has changed when she saved Xichen from getting poisoned. It was a poison to cause Xichen to fall into a deep sleep and the antidote was very difficult to create.

Xichen was angry at Jin Guangyao for betraying him, but he also took his anger out on her. Kaili had given Xichen several warning signs and ignored them all. He then tells her to lighten up and leave him be. Once Jin Guangyao was caught, he lashed out at Kaili. Kaili told him that he was lucky that she was there to help protect him or he would have fallen under that poison and could have been taken advantage of. Who knows what Jin Guangyao was really up to with that poison.

"It was as if he was angry with me. He apologized to me but since then I felt as if he didn't want me to help him with his problems. He saved me and took me in, helped me heal, but when I return the favor he didn't seem to appreciate it," she explained.

Wuxian now could understand. Lan Xichen made this girl feel as if her efforts as a spiritual companion were not enough, even when it came to saving him from being poisoned. Wuxian would feel a bit hurt himself. He was also getting the impression that Kaili had developed feelings for Xichen and because of Xichen's actions and words towards her, it broke her heart.

Wuxian was even more appalled that Xichen was questioning a deity. A deity who has told him numerous times of her being able to sense emotions, energies, and auras. Who was he to question a deity?

"You are still connected to A'Yuan, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, why?" She asked.

"Can you be connected with more than one person?" He asked.

"Well, it is possible but not ideal. There could be a situation where they are both in trouble at the same time and I would have to prioritize one over the other," she said, "as A'Yuan is a child, my connection would have me favor him over someone who may be Xichen's age, unless I somehow became a spiritual companion to my soulmate, then that would favor over a child as my heart would naturally want to help the person I love most."

"I see, well even if you are not connected to A'Yuan, he has one of your scales and a ring to summon you. I say, if he calls you, go to him but otherwise why not cut the connection with him too and travel for a while or live with Xie Lian and Hua Cheng a little bit longer. You need time away from all of the Lans, and I know you care for A'Yuan but your mental and physical health should come first. You are struggling," Wuxian explained.

Kaili nodded and took Wuxian's words to heart. Even though she loved helping and protecting A'Yuan, he will always be protected by the scale she gave him and he has someone like Lan Wangji to protect him too. She decided to cut the connection from A'Yuan. In the middle of the night, Kaili removed the snake ring and tampered with A'Yuan's memory a little bit. Only to have him forget she became his spiritual snake. Once she did that, she did the same to Lan Wangji and teleported out of the Jingshi.

Being very bold, she decided to take one last look at Xichen before she would leave for a good and not really be sure if they'd meet again in his current lifetime.