A white robe being blew lightly by a wind, fluttering amidst the sorrowful surroundings. Standing in the middle of now destroy small refugee area used by remnants of Wens and Yilling Patriarch is the well-known cultivator from righteous sect, Hanguang-Jun or Lan Wangji.

He was known to have stoic, icy cold, emotionless face, but right now, as he staring around the placed, he couldn't help but be sad. He knew—not that much but he knows that they are all good people, and Yilling Patriarch is protecting good ol' people against the greedy, full of pride cultivators.

Why is he here? Lan Wangji is supposedly resting at his seclusion house, deep within Gusu, he was punished for hurting thirty three elders from his own clan, punished for protecting a demonic cultivation practitioner.

What are they know?

They didn't know how heroic and righteous Yilling Patriarch is.

They didn't know anything about him.

They never try to look at him properly since he went to this single plank path.

They don't know anything.

And just like them, Lan Wangji awares that he himself doesn't know anything about Wei Wuxian either.

Why he chose this path?

Why he switches into demonic cultivation?

Lan Wangji doesn't know, and even he did ask Wei Wuxian, Yilling Patriarch doesn't trust him that much to answer him truthfully, to share his burden to him.

Lan Wangji halted on his steps and bow down, staring at the ground he was standing at. His upper lip bitten his lower lip until blood ooze out, his mouth opens gasping for the air, not caring about how would be dirty the wind around the place. He crouched down and pick something from the ground.

A long red ribbon that he so familiar with.

It's reddish color has been stain with much darker red, which Lan Wangji could say to be blood.

Whose blood?

There's only one person he could think of, and this realization made his eyes crystalize and soon tears stream down on his cheeks. He grips the ribbon with his both hands and place it to his chest, doesn't care how dirty it is, how his white clean robe get dirty by it, he just cry as he gripping on that lone item he found, that lone memorial of the person who used to be annoying teen, of that person that despite Lan Wangji's indifference has still save him, care for him, help him and concern to him.

No one would think that the ever so stoic, icy cold young master could cry, could fill the whole place of Burial Mounds with his sadness.

MDZS Fanfic

Red Strings of Connections

Chapter 34 Within the Snowstorm

The next day, the awkwardness continues.

Wei Wuxian still contemplating Lan Wangji's effect to him, while Lan Wangji feels dejected, so none dares to start a conversation even about their mission. Both are afraid that they would choke their own words making things more awkward.

Honestly, Wei Wuxian doesn't know why he felt so awkward towards him, after all he done many embarrassing shameful teasing to Lan Wangji; he could only sigh in defeat.

Seeing he could only ponder his head but no way of getting any answer, Wei Wuxian went up the mountain again to reinvestigate, to forget everything as well, hoping when he meets Lan Wangji later, he could again look at him straight; no more awkwardness, of him being back as a shameless young master of Zhuque Sect.

Two days before the awakening of the "Divine Beast", the snow piles up more, that Wei Wuxian's feet buried deep in snow and halfway up to his knees, which makes difficult to walk, adding to his distress is he is still wearing female robes, which has more layer than to his normal ones, plus it is not even a cultivation robe, well fitted for fights. Wei Wuxian could only cheer for himself.

His stamina is fairly strong, but since this pile of snow is due of that "Divine Beast" influence, his stamina could compare to common folks. If this is the case for him who strengthens his stamina for any situation, then how about the citizens of this town? How are they coping with coldness? Concern, worried, Wei Wuxian decided that this must be finish as soon as possible. With that nail down in his determination, Wei Wuxian find strength on his freezing legs to continue onwards.

Sunset meets Lan Wangji who is waiting for Wei Wuxian to come home. Apparently, Wei Wuxian didn't inform Lan Wangji about his reinvestigation and didn't also inform the disciple where is he going either. Lan Wangji thought that Wei Wuxian is avoiding him, which he understands. Wei Wuxian is straight, and Lan Wangji just recently accepted the fact that he is actually a cutsleeve—only for Wei Wuxian—that he have eyes ONLY for WEI WUXIAN.

Unfortunately, Wei Wuxian won't see Lan Wangji in that light, and to think that Lan Wangji has been pinning and flirting with Wei Wuxian for many years now.

During his seclusion he sees a dream—a nightmare where Wei Wuxian is being besieged by all, and he couldn't do anything to help him, he saved Wei Wuxian once, and even tries to coax the other to come with him to Gusu, where Lan Wangji could protect him but Wei Wuxian who already out of his mind due to exhaustion keep shooing him away. Lan Wangji sighs as his dream clearly resurface on his mind.

Lan Wangji opens his eyes, wishing that dream would never happen—and even it does happen, Lan Wangji swore that he will be at Wei Wuxian's side no matter what.

Easing his fist, Lan Wangji got more worried, anxious as the sunset already gone and yet Wei Wuxian haven't coming back. It's not tonight, not tonight—it will be tomorrow according to the old man—the night where the "priestess" will be offer. Still, Lan Wangji cannot remove the feeling inside his chest. He stands up abruptly, at least how the disciple has witness, and turn his heel to the door.

"I'll look for Wei Ying."

"Then I'll go as well!"

"No. Stay here. So, when Wei Ying comes back, someone will greet him." Lan Wangji said, before closing the door behind him.

Hua Xie left stunned, and sighs, thinking that for once a rumor holds truth. That Lan Wangji only talking nicely, not stare with icy cold eyes, to the heads, the head disciples, especially to Wei Ying. He raises his eyebrows with both smile and frown on his, placed hands on his waist and turns his heel towards the kitchen, roll up the sleeves, ready to make dinner for tonight. He was ordered to stay so this is the only thing he can do for them, in addition their sect leader clearly instructed him that he shouldn't engage in battle, that Wei Wuxian will take care of it. At first, the disciple of Zhang's House is worried for his young master, but since Lan Wangji came to help Wei Wuxian, his worries ease.

With those two together nothing is impossible, that they could get through on anything together.

That's what he believed, and what he will continue to believe in.

Snows is descending from dark sky, thickening the piles on the ground. If this morning the snow pile was up to knees, now it already passed the knees and almost reach Lan Wangji's crotch. It is alarming, who knows how much snow must fall before the whole town will be cover in white scape. But what worries Lan Wangji is the thing that Wei Wuxian is in the middle of this snow piles. If it's possible, Lan Wangji would curse loudly.

In the foot of mountain, the snow is descending calmly, if not for the fact that it is a sign of monster awakening, it is really soothing. That said, it is a different alarming story if we look at the thick, strong snowstorm at the mountain itself, which makes Lan Wangji wish that Wei Wuxian wasn't in there at all.

Going onwards despite being clueless of where Wei Wuxian is, Lan Wangji strode into the snowstorm, while shouting Wei Wuxian's name internally at the same time trying to detect Wei Wuxian's spiritual energy.

In all honesty, Lan Wangji has a thought that Wei Wuxian has already down the mountain and went into someone's house to continue the investigation, since Wei Wuxian is not an idiot; still the feeling and thought that Wei Wuxian might be on the mountain, in the middle of snowstorm is not leaving Lan Wangji at all.

Its good if Wei Wuxian did already down the mountain, but what if? And that "what if" bothers Lan Wangji so much, thus he continues.

The second young master of Lan Clan thank himself for clinging on that "what if".

Standing in front of Lan Wangji, is Wei Wuxian clinging on his outer robes, and trying his best to keep steady despite the weather. The snowstorm noise made them deaf and voiceless, that despite yelling they could not hear anything, even themselves, worst the cold making their throat dry giving them a feeling of incoming sore throat. So instead, without words Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian went to the cave—definitely not the same cave as that beast—and stay there.

From the looks and objects inside the cave, it seems like it is used to such a situation. There are dry branches that could be used to light a fire to survive the coldness, and haystacks to provide temporary bed. Since the snowstorm isn't normal, so is the coldness, that despite the strong stamina they have as cultivators, Wei Wuxian is now trembling and clinging himself tight. On the other hand, Lan Wangji do everything: from fire and bed. Unfortunately, food is unavailable, so they could only bare themselves of not having one.

Still trembling, Lan Wangji undresses his winter robe and put it on Wei Wuxian, hoping it would ease the other's trembling. Wei Wuxian looks at Lan Wangji and tries to speak but he was exposed into snowstorm far too long, that he cannot even form a word through his pale lips. Wei Wuxian knows that he is not the only one who feels the cold right now, Lan Wangji too, yet Lan Wangji gave up his winter robe to lend it to Wei Wuxian.

Soon, thanks to the heat from the fire, and embrace from layers of robes, the chilling coldness eases even for a little, enough that Wei Wuxian no longer stiff still, and could run his mouth nonstop again. Wei Wuxian, since he can move now, plop himself down at Lan Wangji's chest thinking he could warm the Second Young Master who give up his robe for him.

"Thank goodness for Er Gege! If you didn't come, this humble one will die in cold!!"

"I won't let that happen."

Wei Wuxian turns his head slightly to peek on the expression on Lan Wangji's face, and he regretted doing it that as he immediately buried his face back at Lan Wangji's chest. The expression Lan Wangji held is something full of affection and sincerity.

Wei Wuxian doesn't know, honestly, where did people get the rumor about Lan Wangji not having any expression on his face. Wei Wuxian always, always sees some reaction from him, he even saw him smile several times. The ever-so-troublemaker of Zhuque Sect pushes himself, let himself to plop at Lan Wangji's upper most body, coil his arms onto Lan Wangji's shoulder, embracing him.

"It's cold."

"Are you cold Wei Ying?"

"Aren't you Lan Zhan?"

A long silence, which Wei Wuxian doesn't mind either Lan Wangji answers or not, he'll keep warming him up. "I do..." Lan Wangji replied in his low voice, coiling his arms onto Wei Wuxian's waist, pulling the black robe teen closer.

The two stays in that position for as long as the snowstorm blast outside the cave.

During the darkness in the cavern, with their only light is from firewood that are about to be extinguish, Wei Wuxian trembling restarted despite the warm of Lan Wangji's body. He wants to stop trembling, to relax his tense body, but with no avail. Until he hears a voice, a deep manly yet soft and gentle voice humming from atop his head. He doesn't need to look up or move to know who it is humming, or if he is hallucinating due to cold, he knows that it is Lan Wangji, as he heard him many times.

Dawn break, lighting the whole white town, the fluffy snow glisten under the orange hue of sunlight. The Zhuque Sect's disciple watches this scenery from the window, waiting for the two teens to come home, without a rest, hoping for the best.

Hua Xie decided that once morning light came and there's still no shadows of the two young masters then he will search for them atop the mountain, where the snowstorm have finally halted.

He was about to get out from leaning on the windowsill when his sight caught a sight of two familiar figure coming towards their house's direction: one wearing white, one wearing pink. Smiles spread on his face, as relief washes over his anxiety.