In the Shadows

Chapter 08

Wen Qing's gaze hardened as she locked eyes with Wang Yibo, her response filled with defiance. "Don't forget, Lan Wangji, that you are just a mere pawn in this intricate puzzle. Do not tempt me," she retorted, her words laced with a veiled warning.

Wang Yibo's lips curled into a knowing smirk, his confidence unshaken by her words. Haikuan, fueled by his loyalty and protective instincts, growled in response, ready to defend his master. "Not if you want the entire wolf pack on your heels," he warned, his voice carrying an undertone of ferocity.

Wen Qing's laughter rang through the room, a display of her self-assuredness. "You forget, Lan Wangji, that I'm the one who turned you. I can end you. I can handle both you and your wolf pack," she asserted, her tone dripping with a mix of superiority and confidence.

Amidst the escalating tension, Zhan finally found his voice, interrupting their verbal clash. "Please, enough of this argument," he pleaded, his tone tinged with a mix of confusion and urgency. "Please, tell me what is happening."

Zhan gingerly rose from the bed, his movements cautious as he sought a space amidst the individuals who crowded the room. The atmosphere crackled with tension, a palpable unease that weighed heavily upon him. His voice quivered as he voiced his confusion and concern, desperately seeking answers to the enigma that stood before him. "What is happening? Who is she?" he implored.

Wen Qing, her voice laced with a bitter irony, responded, her words cutting through the air like a cold gust of wind. "Isn't it ironic, how he can't see? Weren't his eyes the first thing they gouged out?" The weight of her words bore down on Zhan, sending a shiver of fear coursing through his veins. The darkness of his past whispered in his mind, reminding him of the horrors he had endured.

Wang Yibo, unable to bear the weight of Wen Qing's cruel words, swiftly moved toward her, his hand instinctively reaching for her throat. But she proved to be stronger than expected, effortlessly overpowering him, a twisted smirk playing on her lips. The sound of her laughter pierced through the air, a chilling echo that reverberated within the room.

Haikuan's instinct urged him to intervene, but Wang Yibo's firm hand halted his impulsive movement. Wen Qing's voice broke the tense silence, her words laced with a chilling determination. "If you don't mind, I need to speak to Zhan alone. None of you should meddle in this conversation. If I detect anyone's presence near us, I will not hesitate to end him," she asserted, her gaze steady and filled with an unsettling resolve.

Haikuan's muscles tensed, ready to launch himself at Wen Qing once more, but Wang Yibo's commanding presence held him back. Wang Yibo approached Xiao Zhan, whose body trembled with fear and uncertainty, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead, a gesture of comfort and reassurance. "It will be alright," he whispered, his voice a soothing balm amidst the turmoil. "She just needs to talk to you. I won't be far away," he assured Zhan, his unwavering support providing a glimmer of hope.

Wen Qing's voice dripped with icy menace as she countered, "Yes, you will be far away. Consider yourself warned." The air crackled with tension as Zhan's gaze shifted between Wang Yibo's calming presence and Wen Qing's chilling determination, caught between conflicting forces that held the key to unraveling the mysteries surrounding his existence.

Haikuan and Wang Yibo discreetly exited the room, leaving Zhan alone with Wen Qing. She enveloped him in a tight embrace, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and longing. "Wei Ying, I never thought I would see you again. It has been such a long time."

Zhan stood frozen, his mind racing as he tried to comprehend the unfamiliar connection, she claimed to share with him. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," he confessed, his voice tinged with confusion and apprehension.