MDZS Characters Watching the Future

57. Song Lan's Arrival

After the night when they talked at the furnace, Xiao XingChen would give both of them a piece of candy everyday. Of course, A-Qing was quite pleased. Xue Yang expressed neither gratitude nor rejection toward this act, which made A-Qing angry at him for some time.

"Maybe he was just not used to it and didn't know how to show his gratitude." said Nie Huaisang.

Xiao XingChen had always been responsible for the three's meals. Since he was blind, he didn't know how to select vegetables and was too embarrassed to bargain with others. When he went out alone, it was fine if the vendors were nice, but he sometimes met vendors who purposely took advantage of his blindness. The vegetables that he brought back would be lacking in either quality or quantity. Xiao XingChen didn't care much himself, or one could say that he didn't really pay attention to the matter, but A-Qing was often infuriated. In a seething manner, she'd demand to shop for ingredients alongside Xiao XingChen. Unfortunately, even though she could see, she couldn't express anything. She didn't dare throw tantrums and knock down the stalls in front of Xiao XingChen either. This was when Xue Yang became useful. With keen eyes and a sharp tongue that came with his delinquent self, if he went outside with them, whenever they wanted to buy something, the first thing he'd do was to shamelessly bargain the price down to a half. If the vendor agreed, he'd bargain even further; if the vendor didn't, he'd put on a menacing look, and the vendors would start thinking that they were lucky somebody like him would decide to pay at all, hoping for him to leave as soon as possible. Presumably, when he was roaming freely in Kuizhou and Lanling, he probably didn't have to pay anything for the things he wanted. Now that A-Qing had her anger vented out, out of happiness, she even praised him a few times. And, thanks to the delightful candy everyday, since then, for a short length of time, a delicate peace was maintained between A-Qing and Xue Yang.

"I hate those people who take advantage of him. Glad that Xue Yang helped them or else he will lose a lot of money." said MianMian.

"His help seemed scary." said Nie Huaisang.

"At least it works. If I were him, I would've curse them until they're going to agree with me." said Jiang Cheng.

"You never bargain." said Wei Wuxian.

However, she could never let down her guard for Xue Yang. The short periods of peace were also often immediately suppressed by multiple doubts and suspicions.

One day, A-Qing was playing on the streets again, pretending to be blind. She had been playing the game for her whole life, and hadn't grown tired of it even once. As she was knocking her bamboo pole while walking around, suddenly, a voice came from behind her, "Young Maiden, if your eyes can't see, it's best if you don't run so fast."

"That voice." said Xiao Xingchen while giving Song Lan a look.

"Who could it be? Don't tell me it will be another character in scenes we are watching." said Nie Huaisang.

"The voice is familiar though." said Wei Wuxian while trying to remember.

It was the voice of a young man, which sounded rather cold. A-Qing turned around to see a tall cultivator who wore black robes, standing a few meters away from her. A sword was carried behind his back while a horsetail whisk was in his arm. With an upright posture and drifting sleeves, he had a proud, aloof air to him.

This man just happened to be Song Lan.

"Me?" asked Song Lan.

"Did he came for his best friend?" asked MianMian.

"Maybe." said Jin Zixuan.

A-Qing tilted her head. Song Lan had already walked over. Putting his whisk over A-Qing's shoulder, he led her to the side, "There are less people on the side of the road."