BOOK 9. Zhao Yunlan is a private investigator who will accept almost any case as long as it pays, and when he finds a client's lost cat, they ask him to look into their friend's memory loss but he refuses. Shen Wei is an architect and after he mee...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Backlash. Yunlan had seen this term written in the history book but didn't realise that it was still an issue Wei had to deal with sometimes.
"How long does this condition usually last?" he asked Chu who had seen it more times than he could remember.
"It varies with the event that causes it. No two are the same, it's his mind's way of dealing with stress, guilt, grief. Whatever he sees and feels, the Spirit will experience as well and I imagine that it's the only time when Black Robe can't help him."
Yunlan watched Wei as he slept with intermittent unrest followed by peace. Occasionally he'd try to open his eyes but it only lasted seconds before another episode of tears or shouts. Ying was aware of all his emotions and could confirm that this was a backlash, and they just had to sit it out and wait for it to pass.
Wei had been transferred to his own bedroom for comfort and also for some privacy. The guards had heard of the condition but only Ying had actually seen him go through it, even Ava had never been present. Yunlan stayed beside him for most of the time but he managed to rest when Chu or Ying took his place and they could recognise some of the things he was rambling about or crying over. It lasted for three days this time and involved a lot of snakes which sounded logical considering what he had just been through recently.
Yunlan had the night watch because tiredness was catching up with him and he needed sleep. He lay down and held Wei close to him in his arms and closed his eyes to rest while he could, when his sleeping beauty was having a quiet spell which could last between two to four hours. Wei was awake and never moved, he was extremely tired after fighting snakes the size of elephants for how many days? He'd lost track, and his headache was probably caused by tension, but if he concentrated, he could use healing energy and calm it down.
Wei watched this wonderful person beside him sleep. He had been through so much in a short space of time and he had stayed, he never ran away. He'd fought monsters to protect him and he'd accepted this unbelievable life. He couldn't imagine living without him but there would come a time when he would have to make that decision and it scared him. In all Black Robe's history, only once did the host die before his partner and it was because of a health issue, not for any other reason.
Yunlan was frowning, and Wei smiled, he even worried about him when he was sleeping and he risked moving his hand to smooth out the worry lines with some healing energy, allowing him to enjoy his rest.
Wei closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them he couldn't believe that it was three hours later, Yunlan hadn't moved, and he felt deliriously happy. It was too early for breakfast there was no smell, so Ava hadn't started cooking yet and he snuggled in closer to go back to sleep for another hour, then he would get dressed and go downstairs.
The sound of Ying tapping on his door awoke him and he entered the room. He came towards the bed looking to see who was awake, surprised to find out that it was Wei and not Yunlan and he whispered to him.
