The Mad Ҡìղց

Confusion

"Please..." Wei Ying's voice cracked, his emotions overwhelming him. "Please stay away from me." And with that, he turned and ran, his heart pounding in his chest as he disappeared into the night.

"Wait!" Lan Wangji called after him, but Wei Ying was already gone, lost in the shadows.

As Lan Wangji stood alone, Ayana emerged from the trees, her face pale but composed. "Lan Wangji," she called, her voice soft but firm. "I ran after you. I was worried. What happened? Who are they?"

Lan Wangji shook his head, his thoughts a tangled mess. "I don't know," he muttered.

Ayana's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Hmmm," she hummed, but she didn't press further.

"What are you doing here?" Lan Wangji asked, his mood souring.

"I told you, I followed you," Ayana replied, her voice sharper. "Why do you think the arrows stopped? I had a part in that."

"Did you ask who they were?" Lan Wangji asked, his voice colder now.

"No," Ayana hissed in frustration. "I was too angry to ask. Let's just head back."

Wei Ying's heart raced as he ran through the forest, the wind cooling his flushed cheeks. He cursed himself for letting things go that far. Wanji's kiss had caught him off guard—his breath, his touch, everything. It was too much, too fast. Wei Ying knew he had to keep his distance, no matter how his heart ached with confusion and longing.

How could Wanji, the young master of the Lan clan, be interested in him? Wei Ying's thoughts were a jumbled mess as he slowed down, realizing he had run far from the camp.

He stopped at a clearing, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. Looking up at the night sky, he felt a pang of guilt. He knew Wanji didn't mean to hurt him, but something about the whole situation felt wrong.

"Why would he...?" Wei Ying muttered to himself, his fingers brushing over his lips, still tingling from Wanji's kiss.

Meanwhile, Wanji stood still, staring at the spot where Wei Ying had disappeared. He didn't understand why Wei Ying had reacted the way he did. Wanji wasn't good at expressing his emotions, but he had been sincere. He had felt something undeniable between them and acted on it.

"Wanji," Ayana called, her voice softening as she noticed his pained expression. "Why did he run away from you? What happened?"

Wanji shook his head, unwilling to share his feelings. "I don't know. He just... left."

Ayana looked at him skeptically, her lips pursed as if she knew there was more to the story. She could read Wanji well enough to know that he was struggling with something deeper than he let on. But she didn't push.

"Let's head back, then," she said quietly. "It's getting late."

Wanji nodded and followed her, his mind still on Wei Ying. He needed to talk to him, to explain. But Wei Ying had asked him to stay away, and that made Wanji's heart clench. Why would Wei Ying say something like that? Had he misunderstood Wanji's intentions?

They walked in silence, the weight of the unsaid things between them heavy in the air. After a while, Ayana spoke up, trying to break the tension.

"Your first kiss, huh?" she said with a small smile. "Didn't go as well as you thought?"

Wanji remained silent, his face impassive. He wasn't in the mood for teasing.

As they neared the camp, Niobe appeared, waving with a wide grin. "Ayana! There you are! I saw you running, and I couldn't keep up. You're too fast."

Ayana smiled, though her mind was still on Wanji. "Niobe, this is my brother, Wanji."

Niobe greeted Wanji politely, but Wanji's mind was elsewhere. He gave a quick nod and mumbled a farewell before walking off, needing time alone to process what had happened.

Ayana stayed behind, talking to Niobe, though her thoughts lingered on her brother. Something was happening between Wanji and Wei Ying, and she wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. But she knew one thing—this was far from over.

Wanji didn't bother to join the campfire; the noise and laughter felt like a distant world, one he wasn't ready to reenter. Instead, he made his way to his chamber, his hands absentmindedly rubbing his lips. He could still feel the warmth, the slight tremor of his body in response to Wei Ying's touch. Could he have imagined it, the way Wei Ying had drawn in a sharp breath, the way his body seemed to shudder and release that small, almost inaudible moan? He wasn't sure anymore.

The walk back to his chamber had done little to calm his mind. His thoughts were spinning out of control, replaying that moment over and over again. Each time, he tried to convince himself that he was reading too much into it. Maybe Wei Ying hadn't reacted the way he thought. But there was something undeniable about the way his pulse quickened every time he remembered it.

Wanji stepped into his chamber, immediately heading for the wooden bathtub, which was already filled with hot water. He stripped off his clothes and sank into the bath, letting the warmth of the water soak through his muscles, easing the tension in his body. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but it was no use. The memory of the kiss, the way Wei Ying's lips had felt against his, kept intruding on his thoughts.

After a long soak, Wanji finally climbed out of the bath and wrapped himself in a night robe. His eyes drifted toward the clothes he had discarded earlier in the day. Resting atop was the book Nie had given him. He picks it up and opens it.

A knock sounded on the door, startling him. Wanji quickly closed the book, placing it on the bedside. He stood and went to answer, finding a servant holding a tray with a glass of warm milk. He took it with a nod of thanks and returned to his bed. Sitting down, he drank the milk slowly, savoring its warmth as it settled his nerves. He needed to relax, to stop thinking about the kiss and the book didn't make it easy. The overwhelming emotions were all too much.

He set the empty glass aside and lay down, pulling the covers up over him. His eyes flickered over to the book again, but he forced himself to close them, willing himself to sleep. He didn't want to lose his grip on reality, to let the darkness creep in. Whatever was happening to him, he couldn't let it consume him.

Meanwhile, at the campfire, the night was still young. Laughter and soft murmurs filled the air as everyone paired off, seeking a bit of privacy in the cool night. The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows against the trees. Yet, amidst the merriment, one figure sat apart, his eyes distant and troubled.

Wei Ying couldn't sleep. His cuts had healed, his body had recovered from the physical strain, but his mind was in turmoil. He kept cursing himself, replaying everything that had happened. He was reckless, he always had been, but this time felt different. The consequences of his actions weighed heavily on him. Madam Yu would have his head if she found out about any of this-about the risks he had taken, the lines he had crossed.

He sighed, staring into the fire, his mind drifting back to Wanji. There was something about him, something Wei Ying couldn't quite place, but it had been stirring within him. He tried to shake the thoughts away, but they clung to him, persistent and insistent.
If Madam Yu found out... Wei Ying shuddered at the thought again. He had always walked a fine line, but now, it felt as though he had crossed into dangerous territory. And for what? For a fleeting moment of something he didn't even understand?

His fists clenched, frustration boiling within him. He needed to clear his head, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the feeling.