Lost In The Past | WangXian | The Untamed

Chapter four, wait... that's me!

Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian were almost at each other's throats. While trying not to kill each other they ate their breakfast.

It had been a month of this crap, a month without Lan Zhan and Wei Ying was almost losing it. However, they had more than half the list now. It was good progress, although Wei's legs and ankles were bruised from his constant running and or walking, there hadn't been one day this month that he hadn't walked all day.

Sighing, Wuxian stretched his sore muscles before standing up with a wince. He took a pair of robes Nie had bought during their first week here and set off for the Gusu clan's Cold Spring.

He and Nie were still not on good terms at all, everyday Nie Huaisang set him a new ingredient to get while he prepared the enchantment and spell. Wuxian wasn't exactly giving him the silent treatment, but the constant bickering and snarky remarks between the two were starting to get old.

Wei Ying breathed in the fresh Gusu air, surprisingly they hadn't been caught yet but they had to move shelters a few times. Wei Ying briefly considered the Cold Pond Cave but chose against it. He'd rather sit with Nie Huaisang in a small makeshift shelter than freeze to death in there. Plus it was an intimate spot for him and Lan Zhan, their story began there, he wasn't ruining it with memories of 'The Stupid Short Toad.'

It was around four in the morning, he knew nobody in the Lan Clan would be awake right now so he seized this opportunity to take a refreshing bath.

Once Wei was done, he dressed himself in the thick robes and tied his belt around his waist before heading out for the day.

The next ingredient on their list was Wolfsbane. It was a pretty flower but had deadly intent. Wolfsbane grows around damp shady areas, this one wasn't going to be much of a challenge since it grew in places like Gusu that was damp and had a lot of lakes.

Wei Ying travelled far into the woods, his wedding is in two weeks and he knows that with the list there is no way he's making it back in time. The thought crushed him. However, amongst everything the postponed wedding really was the least of his worries, Lan Zhan must be breaking...

Wei Ying stopped for a moment to lean against a tree, he eventually fell to the floor in a fit of sobs. He hadn't seen Lan Zhan in a month, he knew that the other would be fretting but what hurts more is that his Lan Zhan doesn't exist at this time.

A Lan Wangji exists, but that's the sixteen-year-old Lan Zhan who doesn't understand and grasp his feelings yet, besides that Lan Zhan belongs to the past Wuxian.

Maybe he could go back to the exact second he disappeared... So Lan Zhan wouldn't suffer too much. He didn't know what would happen, he just knew that he was going back sooner rather than later.

Taking a deep breath, Wei Ying gathered his strength and stood up prepared to face the day and get another ingredient.

Escaping through the wards he manipulated, (something he learnt after all his years staying in Cloud Recess) he started on an adventure to find Wolfsbane.

Wei Ying held back a groan, every step hurt. Really he should take a day to rest before venturing out for more ingredients but he just wanted to get back to Lan Zhan as soon as possible.

And so he proceeded, by midday he had gone to four different rivers and still no luck, the man was starting to worry now.

Wei Ying was concerned not only at the lack of the plant but at the fire in his bones. His legs were crying for him to stop, despite spending his whole life walking there were always rest bites but he'd just kept going.

By the time he actually found enough to go back, it was almost nine at night, Wuxian was almost on the floor considering just staying there until tomorrow but he just kept pushing and pushing.

One leg in front of the other, he finally made it back to Cloud Recess, however, a familiar figure caught his attention.

Stopping in his tracks he looked closer, in the person's hand were two jars of- HOLY SHIT THAT'S ME!

In a blind panic Wei Ying ran away as fast as he could, he ran through the trees and jumped over bushes until the small light of a burning fire caught his attention.

Collapsing to his knees, he did his usual routine of throwing the ingredients at Nie Huaisang before lying down. Wei Ying let out several sighs of relief and slight whines at the ache in his legs until eventually, Nie snapped.

"That's it, you're staying here tomorrow." He declared before going back to the list, fire, and spell.

Wei Ying sat up on alert, eyebrows furrowed, "Erm... no, the fuck I'm not. I'll be fine after a night's rest..." He mumbled but Nie Huaisang raised his eyebrows. In one swift move, he lifted Wei Ying's robes and pant leg to show his abnormally thin shins covered in bruises.

Wei Ying tutted, his face covered in shock as he pulled them back down before sighing in defeat.

Nie Huaisang's face was covered in a shit-eating grin that Wei Ying so badly wanted to shove into the lit fire. For a moment he was angry until the thought of Lan Zhan looking for him back, he sighed, a slight whimper in his words, "Frog... I can't leave Lan Zhan alone for months..." His voice held the pain of someone who's struggling to hold tears, "I can't go without him for this long..."

This time a tear dropped to the floor, Nie Huaisang was surprised at the lack of offensive insults but guilt distracted him, "Master Wei, you're working very hard to get these ingredients, just take a day off, just a day of rest... please." He begged.

Wei Ying looked to the sky as his tears fell, "How am I supposed to rest when Lan Zhan won't be able to rest?"

This past month of watching Wei suffer had really eaten at Nie Huaisang, but the guilt and regret were especially bad at this moment, the Clan Leader bit his lip, "Master Wei, I really am sorry, this wasn't supposed to be like this..."

Wei Ying nodded in understanding, this idea of Nie's was really fucking stupid, but he couldn't blame him for having a lack of experience. If Wei Ying was completely honest, at this moment in time, despite being fucking pissed at Nie Huaisang, he didn't hold a grudge.

Although they could never be as close as before, and he could never trust Nie again... he could see him giving him the time of day after this. Wei Ying might actually consider hanging out with him once again.

Wei Ying sighed, "Fine." He gave in, "But I'm getting two ingredients the day after..." He declared, lying back and crying silently into his pillow that Nie had also bought.

Nie Huaisang was really fucking sorry.

***

Wei Ying woke up at midday the next day, Nie Huaisang had made a somewhat fort overnight and placed him inside hence the darkness.

Wei Ying was slightly surprised to say the least, as he was about to get up the protest from his legs made his lay right back down, he just awkwardly switched sides.

It was difficult to be comfortable when you go from sleeping in the arms of your soulmate to sleeping on a blanket on the cold, damp forest ground.

Nevertheless, he took a while of trying to fall back asleep again before he actually did. While dreaming he was content.

His dreams were of Lan Zhan.