A Little Too Late

Chapter Two

A/N: Hoping to post weekly at least until August, but don't hold me to it. XD

It didn't take nearly as long as he had expected to arrive in Gusu. Once he had swiped an apple from a passing cart and discovered that not only was the fruit appealing to him but the donkey as well, they had managed to cover an impressive amount of ground in only four days. He wasn't foolish enough to stroll into Cloud Recesses, though, even with a different face concealing his identity. Mo Xuanyu would have no reason to be there, and even if he could come up with an excuse for his visit, he didn't particularly care to see anyone besides the person who hadn't turned on him at the moment. It was doubtful that he would even speak with Lan Zhan when he found him; he just needed to make sure that his soulmate was safe, despite how they had fought in Nightless City.

Thankfully, he knew well the layout of Cloud Recesses and how to slip in without notice. He waited until nightfall before leaving the donkey - now rightfully dubbed Apple - tied loosely in a hidden patch of grass that the animal would surely appreciate and making his way past the Lan Clan's barriers. It was shockingly easier than it had been only a few years ago; he wasn't sure if he should attribute it to his increase in experience or their abundance of confidence.

Unsurprisingly, the pathways were empty at this time of night. He kept to the shadows as he made his way to the first place he could think of, assuming that Lan Zhan wouldn't have changed his sleeping arrangements over the years. But he was disappointed - and more than a little worried - to discover the area, while most certainly still belonging to his friend, to be empty. He stood hesitantly just inside the doorway, unsure of where else he would have gone when a soft noise from outside drew his attention.

His brow wrinkled as he spotted Zewu Jun, the older man quietly sliding a door shut, one hand balancing a tray topped with a bowl and other supplies, including what looked to be bandages. Wei Wuxian could think of only one place the Lan Sect leader could be going at this time of night with such things in tow, and it filled his chest with dread.

Wei Wuxian waited until Zewu Jun was far enough ahead for him not to notice a shadow in his wake before slipping out after him. His heart seemed to threaten to leap out of his chest as they made their way further away from the main area of Cloud Recesses. He paused amidst the thin trees at the edge of a clearing, watching as Zewu Jun passed beneath an archway that he could hardly read in the pale glow of lanterns - Shadow Bamboo Pavilion - before entering a house within its borders, far away from the rest of the Cloud Recesses. He could do nothing but settle on the ground amidst the tree trunks as he waited for the older man to leave, though he wanted nothing more than to spring into that house and see what had become of Lan Zhan.

~

The soft sounds of a door sliding shut startled Wei Wuxian out of what must have been sleep, though it felt like nothing of the sort. His gaze immediately found Zewu Jun as he walked away from the building, this time with no supplies carried in his arms. He made no move to even sit up until the older man was out of sight, but the moment the sound of footsteps faded, he was on his feet.

For a moment, as he stood at the edge of the line of trees, he did nothing but stare at the building before him, apprehension like a chill wind brushing down his spine. Finally, though, he could hold back no longer; he forced his feet to carry him towards the building, noting the name that graced the front of it: Jingshi, Silent Room. Fitting, for how deathly silent it seemed now.

He reached slowly for the door as if terrified of what he might find - oh. His hands were shaking. His entire body was shaking. When had that happened? Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the door and pulled, sliding it open just enough for him to slip through before closing it behind him.