Wei WuXian struggled out of Lan WangJi's arm. He plunged into the water. Lan WangJi followed. Yet, after searching for a long while, they still couldn't find any holes. Not even one that could let a single person through.

"You're wasting your energy." said Jiang Cheng

"It's better if you up first." said Jin Zixuan.

Wei WuXian, "What do we do now?"

After a while of silence, Lan WangJi replied, "Let us go up first."

Wei WuXian waved his hands, "... Let's go up."

"Take a rest first." said Jiang Yanli.

"You need it more better." she added.

"And that's what we are going to do, shijie." said Wei Wuxian with a smile.

Both were drained of all energy. They swam slowly toward the shore. When they rose out of the water, both were covered in a bloody shade of purple. Wei WuXian took off his clothes. Wringing them dry and flinging them around in the air, he couldn't help but curse, "Are we being toyed with or what? I was thinking that if nobody came to help us, we wouldn't be able to kill it even if we wanted to, and that was why I went for it. And now, we finally have it dead, and the son-of-a-bitch made the hole collapse. Fuck!"

Hearing the 'fuck', Lan WangJi's brows twitched. He wanted to say something, but held it in.

"It might be Wangji-xiong's first time hearing him curse." laughed Nie Huaisang.

"Well, you'll hear more of it from now on." said Jiang Cheng.

"I rarely curse." said Wei Wuxian but Jiang Cheng just gave him a look.

"I'm not like you who took cursing and swearing as part of your life." he added.

Wei WuXian flung his clothes around as he cursed. Suddenly, his legs gave out. Lan WangJi lunged forward in time to catch him. Leaning against his hand, Wei WuXian spoke, "It's fine, it's fine. Used up all my energy. Oh, right, Lan Zhan, did you see that I was holding a sword when I was in its mouth? Where did the sword go?"

Lan WangJi, "It sank underwater. Is there anything about it?"

Wei WuXian, "It sank? Nevermind, then."

"Why? What are you planning with it?" asked Jin Zixuan.

"How would I know?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"Maybe he's going to use." said Jin Guangshan.

"To cut off your head, I guess." said Jin Ling.

"How many times do I have to tell to respect me?" asked Jin Guangshan.

"And how many time do I have to tell that you don't deserve it?" asked Jin Ling.

"Respect us earned, not asked." said Qingheng-jun.

When he was clutching onto the sword, he kept on hearing a deluge of screams beside his ears. His body felt cold and his head spun. The iron sword must've been something special. The Xuanwu of Slaughter had consumed at least five thousand people. When the people were dragged into its shell, body still intact, there had to be some that were still alive. The sword might have belonged to a cultivator who had been eaten. It had been hidden for at least four hundred years within the corpse mound of the shell. Tainted with the pain and resentment of countless humans, both dead and alive, it had heard their screams.

Wei WuXian had wanted to keep the sword and examine the iron properly. Now that it had sunk, however, and they were stuck here, unable to escape, it seemed appropriate to let the matter drop. If he mentioned it too much and Lan WangJi picked up on what he was getting at, they'd be at odds with each other all over again. Wei WuXian waved his hands, There really isn't anything good about this, is there?

"There's nothing good about it, it will only ruin your life." said Wen Rouhan.

"Why? It seems interesting." said Wei Wuxian.

"Just listen to me." said Wen Rouhan.

He continued to drag his legs forward. Lan WangJi followed behind him in silence. A few steps later, Wei WuXian's legs gave out again.

And Lan WangJi caught him again. This time, he put one hand against his forehead. After contemplating for a few moments, he spoke, "Wei Ying, you... are so warm."

Wei WuXian put his hand to his forehead as well, "Lan Zhan, you're also really warm."

"Is a-xian sick?" asked Jiang Yanli worriedly.

"That's because he exhausted himself to the limit." said Jiang Cheng.

"It's not that bad." said Wei Wuxian.

"You're not sure." said Jiang Cheng.

Lan WangJi took his hand away, speaking in a tepid tone, "That is because your hand is cold."

Wei WuXian, "I think I do feel a bit dizzy."

About four to five days ago, he put all of the herbs in the perfume sachet onto Lan WangJi's leg. He only wiped the brand mark on his chest a few times. In the past few days, he hadn't rested well, and he had just been rummaging through the corpse mound and the pool water. His injury had finally worsened.

Wei WuXian had a fever.

"This is why I told you a lot of times to care for yourself too." said Jiang Cheng.

"It's just a fever, ChengCheng. It won't kill me." said Wei Wuxian.

"Are you for real?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"Lan Wangji, you better make sure his safe there." he said.

"Mn. Always." said Lan Wangji.

"Good. That man doesn't know how to care for himself. Always thinking about others." said Jiang Cheng.

Wei Wuxian just pouted at him.

After managing for a while, Wei WuXian felt dizzier and dizzier. He couldn't walk any longer, so he decided to just sit down where he was, musing, "How could I get a fever so easily? I haven't gotten a fever in years."

Lan WangJi didn't feel like expressing his opinion on the 'so easily' part of his words, "Lie down."

Wei WuXian did as he was told. Lan WangJi took his hand and began to pass him spiritual energy.

"You don't have to do that, Lan Zhan." said Wei Wuxian.

"Wei Ying needs it." said Lan Wangji.

"But, Lan Zhan." said Wei Wuxian.

"A-die is right, a-niang needs it." said Sizhui.

Wei Wuxian looked at Jiang Cheng.

"I agree with them." said Jiang Cheng.

Though he had been lying for a while, Wei WuXian soon sat up again.

Lan WangJi told him, "Lie down properly."

Wei WuXian drew his hand back, "You don't need to give me any. You don't have much left yourself."

Lan WangJi grabbed his hand again and repeated, "Lie down properly."

A few days ago, Lan WangJi was drained of energy and got both scared and teased by him. This time, it was Wei WuXian's turn to be drained of energy for him to do whatever he wanted.

"Just listen to your husband." said Jiang Cheng.

"He knows what's best for you, a-xian." said Jiang Yanli.

But, even when lying down, Wei WuXian didn't like loneliness. Soon afterward, he began to complain, "It's too hard, it's too hard."

Lan WangJi, "What do you want?"

Wei WuXian, "I want to lie somewhere else."

Lan WangJi, "Where would you want to lie, at such a place?"

Wei WuXian, "Let me borrow your lap for a while, won't you?"

Lan WangJi spoke with an expressionless face, "Stop fooling around."

Wei WuXian, "I'm serious. My head is so dizzy. You're not a girl; why can't I borrow it for a bit?"

Lan WangJi, "Even if I am not a girl, you cannot just lie on it."

"Even if you have fever, you're still annoying." laughed Jin Zixuan.

"But, I have a point. I'm sick, I need to lie comfortably." said Wei Wuxian.

"But, will he lend you his lap?" asked Nie Huaisang with a grin.

"He will. He loves me after all." said Wei Wuxian.

Seeing that he began to frown, Wei WuXian responded, "I'm not fooling around. You're the one who should stop fooling around. I refuse to accept this. Lan Zhan, tell me, why?"

Lan WangJi, "What why?"

Wei WuXian managed to flip around and lay stomach down on the ground, "Of all the other people, there isn't anyone who doesn't secretly like me despite saying that I'm annoying. Why is it that, whenever it's you, you never give me any good looks? We count as having lived through death with each other, don't we? You don't even want to lend your lap for me to lie on and you're lecturing me again. Are you an old man or what?"

Lan WangJi replied with a thin voice, "You are delirious."

"Well, he secretly has feelings for you, Wuxian." said Lan Xichen.

"And I'm not delirious." laughed Wei Wuxian.

"Lan Zhan, will you lend me your lap or not?" he asked.

"Mn. Whatever Wei Ying wants." said Lan Wangji.

Perhaps he was indeed delirious. Not long after, Wei WuXian had fallen asleep.

When he was sleeping, he felt that his lying position wasn't too bad. It seemed that he really was lying on someone's lap. A cold hand rested over his forehead. It felt quite comfortable. Happily, he rolled around as much as he wanted to, and there wasn't anybody who scolded him. When he rolled onto the ground, his head was even gently stroked before he was picked up and put onto the lap again.

"You really did, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian beamed.

"My man is so caring." he added.

"That was sweet." squealed some female cultivators.

"Oh my didi." laughed Lan Xichen.

"If you did that when he's awake then maybe he could grasp even just a a little bit of your feelings." said Jiang Cheng. 

"But yeah, it's impossible." he added.

But, when he woke up, he was still lying on the ground. What had replaced the lap was a pile of leaves behind his head, which felt somewhat better than before. Lan WangJi was sitting quite a distance away from him. A fire had been started. The firelight reflected against his cheeks as though he was jade, warm and gentle.

Wei WuXian thought to himself, Of course it was a dream.

"It's not a dream, my future self." said Wei Wuxian.

"Such a pity, he doesn't know." he added.

The path that the two had wanted to escape through was severed. Stuck within the cave, they had to wait for the YunmengJiang Sect to rescue them, and spent two more days. Within the two days, Wei WuXian had always been under a low fever, sleeping before waking before sleeping again. It all depended on Lan WangJi to pass him spiritual energy that he could manage to maintain his current condition and ensure that it didn't worsen.

Wei WuXian, "Ugh. It's so boring."

Wei WuXian, "It really is so boring."

Wei WuXian, "It's too quiet."

Wei WuXian, "Ahhh."

"Can't take it anymore?" Jiang Cheng asked with a teased.

"Shut up!" exclaimed Wei Wuxian.

"Well, I take pleasure from suffering." laughed Jiang Cheng.

Wei WuXian, "I'm hungry. Lan Zhan, why don't you get up and make me something? Make me some of that tortoise meat."

Wei WuXian, "Nevermind, I'd rather not. The meat of man-eating beasts like this one is definitely rotten. You shouldn't move after all."

Wei WuXian, "Why are you like this, Lan Zhan? You're so boring. Your mouth is closed and your eyes are closed; you don't talk to me and you don't look at me. Are you in Zen or are you a monk or something? Right, your founder really was a monk. I forgot."

Lan WangJi, "Be quiet. You are still fevered. Do not talk. Conserve your strength."

"If I'm the one sitting there with you, I would've strangle you to death." said Jin Zixuan.

"I would do the same to you." said Wei Wuxian.

"Only Jiang Cheng can last long with me in that kind of situation." he added with a laugh.

Wei WuXian, "You finally responded to me. How many days have we been waiting for? Why hasn't anyone come to rescue us yet?"

Lan WangJi, "It has not even been one day."

Wei WuXian covered his face, "Why is it so difficult? It must be because I'm with you. Jiang Cheng should've been the one who stayed. Even arguing with him would be more interesting than being like this with you. Jiang Cheng! Where the hell are you?! It's almost been seven days!!!"

"See, Jiang Cheng can only last with me." said Wei Wuxian.

"That's because Jiang-xiong knows you too well." said Nie Huaisang.

"Wangji is trying, Wuxian." said Lan Xichen.

"Do you need some some guidance from me, Lan Wangji?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"I can manage, sister-in-law." answered Lan Wangji.

Lan WangJi stabbed a branch into the fire, somehow managing to give it the air of a sword. Spreading everywhere, the sparks danced through the air. He spoke coldly, "Rest."

Wei WuXian curled up into a shrimp again, facing him, "Are you serious? I just woke up and you're telling me to rest. Do you really hate seeing the awake version of me so much?"

Taking the branch away, Lan WangJi replied calmly, "You are thinking too much."

Wei WuXian, Absolutely nothing works on him. He's not at all as interesting as how he was a few days ago, face as dark as the bottom of a pan, speaking with actual tone, even biting others when he was mad. But one shouldn't hope to see such a Lan Zhan so easily. I probably wouldn't be able to see it again until the end of my life.

"He's just worried about your health, a-xian." said Jiang Yanli.

"What can he do? Entertain you? He doesn't know." said Jiang Cheng.

"Well, from now on I will teach Lan Zhan on how to make the sitution more fun so that I won't be bored." said Wei Wuxian.

"Might as well, teach him how to cause troubles." said Jiang Cheng.

"Shufu will kill me." laughed Wei Wuxian.

"Your father-in-law won't let that happen." said Qingheng-jun.

"You're spoiling them." said Lan Qiren.

"Well, Jiang Cheng could be the favorite nephew-in-law but I will be the favorite son-in-law." Wei Wuxian said smugly.

He spoke, "I'm so bored. Lan Zhan, let's chat. You can start."

Lan WangJi, "When did you usually sleep?"

Wei WuXian, "Your start is so boring. It's so dry that it really makes me not want to continue. But I'm still gonna give you some face and continue. Let me tell you—in Lotus Pier, I've never slept before one in the morning. I often stay up all night."

"Not good for health." said Lan Wangji.

"It's not that bad." said Wei Wuxian.

"It gives me more time to cause mischief at night." he added.

"Which is not good." said Jiang Cheng.

Wei Wuxian just grinned at him.

Lan WangJi, "Improper conduct. A bad habit."

Wei WuXian, "You think that everyone is like your sect's people?"

Lan WangJi, "It needs to stop."

Wei WuXian covered his ears, "I'm sick. I'm feverish, Brother, can't you say something nicer? And make poor, poor me feel better?"

"Brother?" laughed Nie Huaisang.

"Poor Wangji-xiong. His crush called him brother not lover." he added.

"That's because they're not together." said Jiang Cheng.

Nothing came out of Lan WangJi's closed mouth. Wei WuXian, "You don't know what to say? Fine, I should've known. Then, if you don't know what to say, can you sing? How about you sing a song?"

It had originally be an offhand remark. He was chatting with Lan WangJi to pass the time and didn't at all expect him to agree. Yet, after a few moments of silence, a low yet mild voice echoed softly through the hollow cave.

Lan WangJi really did begin to sing.

"You can sing, Lan Zhan?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"So talented." he added.

"Sing for me a lot of time Lan Zhan, can you?" he asked.

"Will do. For Wei Ying." said Lan Wangji.

Wei WuXian closed his eyes, turned around, and spread out his limbs, "It sounds nice."

He asked, "What's it called?"

Lan WangJi seemed to murmur something. Wei WuXian opened his eyes, "What was it called again?"

"What's the name?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"We didn't hear it." said Nie Huaisang.

"The song is kinda familiar though." said Jin Zixuan.

"Yeah, like I've heard it before." said Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian looked at his son.

"You'll know it, a-niang." said Sizhui.

"My son is not spoiling me, anymore." Wei Wuxian said with a pout.

"He already said the name of it, just try to remember or dig your brain to remember." said Jin Ling.

"So cruel, my nephew." said Wei Wuxian.