❃ 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ❃

🔹𝕱𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖞 𝕰𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙🔹

Lan Wangji had no intention to join the night hunt and wanted to go out and search for his husband. But he had no option. He had to oblige.

Nodding, Lan Wangji followed the Wen guards to the rest of the other clan disciples. He tried to locate Wei Wuxian in the crowd but unfortunately he couldn't.

His heart sank down, a bad feeling creeping within him.

This location was known as Muxi Mountain.

The disciples were taken deep into the mountainous forest, where the canopy of leaves above their heads got denser and denser, and the shadows underneath their feet got more tangled and dense. Aside from the sound of the rolling waves of leaves in this sea of trees and the sound of their own footsteps, the youths could hear nothing else. The appearance of birds, beasts, and bugs always seemed to catch them by surprise in this thick forest.

As they continued deeper into the forest, the group encountered a small brook. The flowing water carried fallen maple leaves downstream, the leaves drifting past them one by one.

The sound of moving water and the appearance of maple leaves diluted the invisible, oppressive atmosphere by several factors. From ahead of them came the faint sound of disjointed giggling.

Nie Huisang and Jiang Cheng cursed the Wen dogs under their breath as they walked. Jiang Cheng inadvertently looked back, only to see a person dressed in white robes. Walking a short distance behind them was Lan WangJi.

Jiang Cheng's heart pounded in him only to see Lan Wangji and not Wei Wuxian. Ever since he received the message from Wei Wuxian asking to protect Lan Wangji, he knew that something was wrong and he had tried to hunt Wei Wuxian down right at that moment but the guards have stopped him.

He had looked for Wei Wuxian in the crowd too, but he had been no where to be seen. He had asked Nie Huisang if he had seen Wei Wuxian anywhere, but the answer had been 'No'.

And now that he had got a chance to talk to Lan Wangji, he ran towards Lan Wangji, worry and panic written all over his face.

Because Lan Wangji had been walking so slowly, Lan WangJi had fallen behind most of the others.

"Where is Wei Ying?"

"What happened to Wei Wuxian?"

Both Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng asked at the same time, panic evident in their voices.

Lan Wangji stiffened instantly. Jiang Cheng too did not know anything about Wei Wuxian?

"Where is Wei Wuxian?!" Jiang Cheng barked, having no patience in him. He could not wait to know what had happened to his brother. Well, what the Wen's had done to his brother!

Lan Wangji was dumbstruck. He did not know to make head or heels out of the situation. When Wei Wuxian had not been by his side earlier when he had woken up, he had assumed that Wei Wuxian must have sneaked out to fetch some food. Never did he think that Wei Wuxian must have been... Been captured by Wen Chao!

"Lan Wangji! I am speaking to you!" Jiang Cheng yelled bringing Lan Wangji back to his senses.

"I..." Lan Wangji was cut off.

"Lan Wangji," Wen Qing came over, "Wei Wuxian asked me to hand this over to you." She said, holding out a bottle of pill in it.

"Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji asked, astonished. "Where is he?"

"Where is Wei Wuxian?" Jiang Cheng followed.

Wen Qing looked at both of them sharply, studying their faces for an entire minute before asking,

"Where is Wei Wuxian?"

"What?!" Seemed like, Jiang Cheng had run out of patience and could not take this anymore.

Lan Wangji's heart clenched at hearing Wen Qing's words but he tried to ignore the pain and asked instead,

"When... When did Wei Ying tell me to give this? What is this?"

"It's an antidote. He sent me a message few hours ago. Well, it wasn't him who brought the message but his paper talisman. He said that Second Master Wen had spiked your food with aphrodisiac and asked if I had an antidote for it. He said that it would be a great help if I could give this pill to you. I thought he was with you. Where is he, then?" Wen Qing was confused same as Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng.

"Wait, what?" Jiang Cheng interrupted. "Wen Chao spiked your food?" He asked Lan Wangji.

"Yes. He asked the ser..." Before Lan Wangji could, say what had really happened earlier that day, Wang Lingjiao came over to them, the iron steak in her hand.

"What are you guys doing here? Did you not hear the Second Master Wen? He asked you to get going."

"We are on the way." Wen Qing replied.

She then turned towards Lan Wangji and said, "Have this." She handed him over the antidote and upon the questioning gaze of Wang Lingjiao, Lan Wangji swallowed it.

"Thank you."

"Get going!" Wang Lingjiao snarled. And so, the trio followed, unable to object.

"Fast!" Wang Lingjiao yelled at Lan Wangji. It almost seemed like she had been gritting his teeth while saying that. There was a hint of indescribable loathing in his voice.

Lan WangJi didn't even bother to glower at Wang Lingjiao before he forced himself to increase his pace. Although it was impossible with his broken leg, he still had to force himself to walk faster.

But the pain that he felt while walking faster was no comparable to the pain that he was feeling right now, in his heart.

It was indescribable!