Now that piqued Wei Wuxian’s interest. Ordinary cultivators grew wary at the sight of him. They didn’t dare approach even when there were other people around, never mind interacting with him alone, up close and personal. If it wasn’t for the fact that he sensed no killing intent from the newcomer, Wei Wuxian might’ve assumed they came bearing ill intentions.
He straightened up slightly and tilted his head in the direction where the person presently stood. The corners of his lips quirked upward in a faint smile.
Just as he was about to say something, he was suddenly shoved hard, slammed back against the tree. He moved to yank off his blindfold, but the attempt was thwarted by his wrist being seized. There was strength in that grip. Wei Wuxian couldn’t shake it off.
And still, there was no killing intent.
Wei Wuxian subtly shifted his left sleeve, planning to shake out a talisman. However, the newcomer noticed his intent and seized his other wrist in the same manner, then forcefully pinned both his hands against the tree. Wei Wuxian raised a leg, about to start kicking, when he suddenly felt a touch of warmth on his lips. Stunned, he aborted the movement.
The touch was both strange and peculiar, both wet and warm. Wei Wuxian couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening at first. His mind was completely blank. When he finally regained his senses, he was shocked.
His wrists were locked in place, and he had been pinned against a tree. And the person who had done it was kissing him.
He struggled violently for a few moments, wanting to break free and yank off the black blindfold, but surprisingly didn’t succeed. Though he had the mind to keep trying, he ultimately forced down the urge.
This was because the one kissing him seemed to be trembling, ever so slightly.
And Wei Wuxian had thus lost the heart to struggle.
Even though this girl’s got some strength in those arms of hers, it seems she’s the shy and bashful type. She’s a nervous wreck.
This had to be the case, or she wouldn’t have chosen a time like this to ambush him. She must’ve had to summon a great deal of courage before she dared try. Besides, it seemed her cultivation was high, which meant she must have pride to match. If he rashly pulled off his blindfold and saw her face, it was sure to embarrass her terribly.
Their lips brushed and pressed together, careful and cautious and loath to part. Wei Wuxian hadn’t yet decided what to do when those other lips suddenly turned fierce. His mouth wasn’t fully closed, so the intruding tongue slipped inside easily. All of a sudden, he was at its mercy.
He could hardly breathe. He wanted to twist his head away, but the other squeezed his face in their grip and forcibly twisted it back. As their tongues tangled and swirled, his mind spun as well, until he was thoroughly dizzy. A pair of teeth bit his bottom lip, shocking him out of such distraction. Those mysterious lips nuzzled against his own for a moment before they very reluctantly retreated. Only then did Wei Wuxian manage to recover his wits.
Left weak by the kiss, he lay sprawled on the tree for a long time before strength finally returned to his arms.
He yanked off the black blindfold and was briefly blinded by the abrupt glare of sunlight. When he finally managed to open his eyes, there was nothing around him. Shrubbery, wizened trees, wild grasses, vines…but no second person.
Wei Wuxian was still feeling a little faint. He sat there on the branch for a while before attempting to hop down. His legs felt weak beneath him, and his head was reeling.
He quickly grabbed hold of the tree trunk to support himself and silently cursed his own uselessness. To think he’d just let himself be pinned and kissed like that—to think his knees would still be this weak from it!
He glanced up and scanned the area. There wasn’t a single sign anyone else had come through. It was almost like it had been an absurd and amorous daydream. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but recall all those tales of lustful mountain spirits and lovesick ghosts.
But he was quite certain this hadn’t been some mountain spirit or ghost. It had most certainly been a human.
Recalling how that kiss had felt, a nebulous itch crept into his heart. Wei Wuxian pressed his hand to his chest, and in doing so, noticed the flower he had pinned there was gone.
He searched around on the ground, but it was nowhere to be found. It couldn’t have vanished into thin air…
Still stunned, Wei Wuxian unconsciously touched his lips. It was some time before he managed to utter a comment on what had transpired.
“Unbelievable… That was my…”
He searched nearby but still found no one. Wei Wuxian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He knew the person was likely hiding from him on purpose and wouldn’t show themselves again, so he eventually had to abandon his pursuit.
He started wandering the forest, and after a while, heard the noise of heavy blows from ahead. Looking up, Wei Wuxian saw a tall, white-robed figure ahead. And who could that possibly be, if not Lan Wangji?
But while it was obviously Lan Wangji, he wasn’t acting at all like himself. Wei Wuxian had spotted him just as he slammed a fist into a tree trunk with such force that it snapped in twain.
Wei Wuxian thought the sight to be very strange. “Lan Zhan! What’re you doing?”
The figure whirled around. Sure enough, it was Lan Wangji. His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was rather frightening.
Wei Wuxian was stunned by the sight. “Whoa, scary.”
“Leave!” Lan Wangji snapped.
“I just got here and you’re telling me to leave,” Wei Wuxian said. “Do you hate me that much?”
“Stay away from me!” Lan Wangji shouted.
This was the first time he’d seen Lan Wangji lose his composure like this, aside from the days they’d spent in the Xuanwu of Slaughter’s cave. It had been understandable back then, given the extreme circumstances—but everything was perfectly fine today, so why was he being like this?
Wei Wuxian took a step back to “stay away” but continued his questions. “Hey, Lan Zhan, what’s going on with you? Are you okay? If something’s the matter, speak up.”
Lan Wangji wouldn’t meet his eyes. Instead, he drew Bichen. Glimmers of blue light slashed past as the surrounding trees were shredded by the sword qi. Moments later, they all collapsed with a loud rumble.
He stood there in silence, his grip on his sword tightening until his knuckles turned white. It seemed he had calmed down somewhat. The he suddenly looked over again, and his heated stare fell on Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian was entirely puzzled. He had been blindfolded for over two hours, so the sunlight was still too much for his eyes. With the black blindfold removed, they now kept tearing up. His lips were also slightly swollen. Knowing he must look quite unsightly, he couldn’t help touch his fingers to his chin as Lan Wangji continued to stare.
“…Lan Zhan?”
“…It is nothing,” Lan Wangji stated.
He sheathed his sword with a schwing, then turned and left. Wei Wuxian still felt something was off about him, so after some thought, he hurried after him just in case. He attempted to lunge for Lan Wangji’s wrist to take his pulse, but the man sidestepped and dodged away, glowering coldly at Wei Wuxian.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Wei Wuxian said. “I just wanna see what’s going on with you. You were acting really strange just now—are you sure you didn’t get poisoned? Or have an accident recently during a Night Hunt or something?”
“No.”
Seeing that his face had returned to normal and he was probably fine now, Wei Wuxian finally relaxed. While he was curious as to what had been the matter, it wasn’t his place to pry, so he settled for some idle chatter. Lan Wangji didn’t respond at first, but as Wei Wuxian went on and on, he began to give a terse word here and there in reply.
The remnant heat and swelling on Wei Wuxian’s lips was a constant reminder that he’d just lost the first kiss he’d been protecting for twenty years. He’d been smooched silly, and he didn’t even know who did it or what they looked like. Absolutely unbelievable.
Wei Wuxian heaved a soft sigh. “Lan Zhan, have you ever kissed anyone?” he asked all of a sudden.
If Jiang Cheng had been here to hear the frivolous question, he would’ve immediately pulverized him.
Lan Wangji abruptly stopped in his tracks. His voice was cold and somewhat stiff. “Why do you ask?”