The Mad Ҡìղց

Lan Wanji's Life. 15

Wanji had never been good at pretending. He'd always been a person of few words, more comfortable with action than the convolutions of conversation. But tonight, he was pushing himself to the limit, maintaining a façade that he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold. His mind was buzzing with thoughts, each one circling back to Wei Ying. He was close enough to sense him but too far to do anything about it.

The place was alive with the buzz of conversations and the occasional outburst of laughter, but all of it seemed to fade into the background for Wanji. He had resisted looking at Wei Ying for hours, the pressure of unspoken words building inside him. Yet a part of him didn't want to give in, as if by avoiding Wei Ying, he could preserve the delicate balance between them.

By 8 pm, Wanji could no longer hold his bladder. The tension, the anticipation—it all paled in comparison to his immediate physical need. He stood abruptly, excusing himself from the group. "I'll be right back," he mumbled, barely making eye contact.

As he reached his room, relief washed over him, both from relieving himself and from being momentarily away from the crowded atmosphere outside. After freshening up, he hesitated. Should he just stay in his room? The idea was tempting, but he knew he couldn't hide forever. He sighed and decided to go back out, though the brief moment of solitude had done little to ease his unease.

Stepping back outside, his eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings. He didn't immediately see Wei Ying, but his gaze locked onto Victor. The smug look on Victor's face irritated Wanji, though he quickly averted his gaze, pretending not to care. The air between them had always been thick with tension, and Wanji had no intention of stirring it tonight.

As the night wore on, the conversation continued around him, but Wanji couldn't fully engage. He tried to be present, nodding occasionally, but his mind kept wandering. Victor, on the other hand, had other plans brewing.

"Is that not Cheng?" Victor's voice sliced through the low hum of voices as he pointed toward the gathering.

Wei Ying followed his gaze, spotting his brother, Cheng, at his table but didn't see Wanji. "Yes," Wei Ying replied quietly, his voice laced with indifference.

Victor's expression shifted into something almost predatory. "Let's join him and his friends," he suggested with a casualness that Wei Ying didn't buy for a second.

Wei Ying shook his head. "Let's just sit here," he said, reaching for Victor's hand as if to anchor himself.

Victor's response was swift, pulling his hand away and frowning deeply. "Oh, I see. You didn't want to go over there because of Wanji, didn't you? Goddess knows, maybe you've started developing feelings for him."

"What?" Wei Ying blinked in confusion, his tone sharp. "What are you even talking about? I don't know if Wanji is even there. It was your idea to come here in the first place!" He took a deep breath, reigning in the frustration that was threatening to spill over.

Victor gave him a look that was hard to read, but it was clear he wasn't buying Wei Ying's denial. Deep down, Victor knew exactly what was going on. Ever since Wanji had stopped chasing after Wei Ying, their once-passionate relationship had become stale. No more dramatic fights, no more tearful apologies—it was all just... ordinary. Victor hated it. He craved the excitement, the jealousy that once burned between them, and now that Wanji was no longer in the picture, things felt dull.

Victor had made sure to keep tabs on Wanji, hoping that by pushing the right buttons, he could stir up the drama again. And tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity to reignite that fire. He knew Wanji was still in love with Wei Ying—it was written all over him, even if Wanji didn't say it.