Chapter 51, Number Fifty-One
Chapter Summary: [Another boy, his face streaked with tears and covered in soot, looked up and echoed, "Yeah, how did you know? What if you received it…"]
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Another boy, his face streaked with tears and covered in soot, looked up and chimed in, "Yeah, that's right. How did you know? What if you could receive it?"
Wei Wuxian murmured, "How would I know?"
Of course he knows!
In the years after his death, he didn't receive a single piece of paper money!
Lan Jingyi stabbed him in the heart again: "Even if you don't receive it, it must be because no one burned it for you."
Wei Wuxian asked himself, "How could this be? Am I really that much of a failure? Is there no one willing to burn paper money for me? Is it really because no one burned any for me that I didn't receive any?"
Everyone: ...
A notorious villain who was once famous throughout the country, you think people would burn paper money for you? You'd be lucky if they didn't throw a few little ghosts down to bite your soul.
Jiang Yanli looked at Wei Wuxian with a pained expression, then scanned the entire room and noticed that everyone's expressions were truly different, yet somewhat similar.
Whatever the reason, they didn't want to treat Wei Wuxian as someone who had disappeared, so no one burned paper money.
The more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. He turned to Lan Wangji and whispered, "Hanguang-jun, have you ever burned any for me? At least you have, right?"
Lan Wangji glanced at him, then lowered his head to brush away a speck of ash from his sleeve, gazing silently into the distance without uttering a word.
Looking at his serene profile, Wei Wuxian thought to himself, "No way?"
Really not?!
Seeing the atmosphere become somewhat tense, Wei Wuxian snuggled up to Lan Wangji and said, "Lan Zhan, do you know how heartbroken I am? You didn't even burn me any paper money. No wonder I'm so poor after my rebirth!"
Lan Wangji wasn't amused by Wei Wuxian; instead, he looked at him intently and said, "You won't."
Wei Wuxian understood the seemingly random sentence.
You won't die, so I don't need to burn paper money for you.
Moreover, you will have me after your rebirth, so you will not be poor.
At this moment, a villager carrying a clay bow came over and said with dissatisfaction, "Why are you burning things here? This is in front of my house, it's very unlucky!"
Wei Wuxian said, "See? You got scolded, didn't you?"
These teenagers had never done anything like this before and didn't know that burning paper money at someone's doorstep was unlucky, so they apologized repeatedly. Lan Sizhui asked, "Is this your doorstep?"
The villager said, "My family has lived here for three generations. If it's not my house, is it yours?"
Jin Ling, hearing his impolite tone, stood up and said, "How dare you speak to me like that?"
Wei Wuxian pressed his head down. Lan Sizhui then said, "I see. I'm sorry, my question just now didn't mean anything by it. It's just that we passed by this house last time and met another hunter here, so I asked that question."
The villager, bewildered, asked, "Another hunter? What other one?"
He held up three fingers and said, "My family has only had one son for three generations! I'm the only one, I have no brothers, my father died long ago, and I haven't married or had any children, so where would another hunter come from?"
Lan Jingyi said, "It really is!" He also stood up and said, "He was dressed very warmly, wearing a big hat, and was sitting in your yard with his head down repairing his bow and arrow, as if he was about to go hunting. When we arrived here, we even asked him for directions. He was the one who pointed us in the direction of Yicheng."
The villager said, "Nonsense! You really saw someone sitting in my yard? There's no such person in my house! People are killed by ghosts in that corner of Yicheng. Why would I point the way to you? I'm trying to kill you! You must have seen a ghost!"
He shook his head, turned, and left. Only a group of teenagers remained, looking at each other in bewilderment. Lan Jingyi said, "He was definitely sitting in this courtyard; I remember him very clearly..."
Wei Wuxian briefly explained a few words to Lan Wangji, then turned back and said, "Do you understand now? You were led to Yicheng. That hunter wasn't a villager at all; someone was in disguise."
Everyone: ...
Is this another shift from comedy and romance back to suspense?
However, a group of people were more interested in seeing how this villager beat up these younger generation members, but unfortunately, they didn't get their wish.
Why use your brain if you don't have to? Right?
Jin Ling said, "So, from the moment we started killing cats and dumping the bodies, someone was leading us this way? Was that fake hunter the one who did all that?"
Wei Wuxian said, "It's pretty close."
Lan Sizhui asked, puzzled, "Why did he go to all this trouble?"
Wei Wuxian said, "We don't know yet, but you must be careful in the future. If you encounter anything strange again, don't investigate on your own. Contact your clan first, send more people, and act together. If Hanguang-jun hadn't happened to be in Yicheng this time, your lives would be in danger."
The thought of being alone in Yicheng sent chills down many people's spines. Whether it was being surrounded by zombies or facing the living demon Xue Yang, the prospect was terrifying.
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, leading a group of aristocratic youths, traveled for a while and, as night approached, arrived at the city where they had left their dogs and donkeys.
Everyone: ...It's amazing that you guys even remembered your own dogs and donkeys.
Xue Yang clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction again: How can it be a demon? How can there be a demon as cute as me?
The city was brightly lit and bustling with noise.
This is where living people should live.
Wei Wuxian opened his arms to the donkey and called out, "Little Apple!"
Little Apple barked furiously at him, and then Wei Wuxian heard a dog barking and immediately darted behind Lan Wangji. Fairy also rushed over, and the dog and donkey faced off, baring their teeth at each other.
Lan Wangji said, "Tie them up here. Go eat, everyone."
He led Wei Wuxian, guided by the tea vendor, up to the second floor. Jin Ling and the others wanted to follow, but Lan Wangji turned back and gave them a cryptic glance. Lan Sizhui immediately said to the others, "The senior and junior seats should be separated; let's stay on the first floor."
Lan Wangji nodded, his expression indifferent as he continued walking up the stairs. Jin Ling hesitated, standing on the stairs, neither going up nor down. Wei Wuxian turned back and chuckled, "Adults and children should keep to themselves. There are some things you'd better not see."
Jin Ling pouted and said, "Who wants to see this!"
Everyone: ...
What are you two planning to do upstairs?
If Wei Wuxian knew what these people were thinking, he would definitely say: "What kind of garbage are you all carrying in your heads? I want to mess with Lan Zhan but you won't let me."
Lan Wangji instructed someone to reserve a table for a group of aristocratic youths on the first floor, while he and Wei Wuxian booked a private room on the second floor. The two sat facing each other and talked for a while, clarifying many details. Before long, the dishes and wine were served.
Wei Wuxian glanced casually at the dishes on the table; almost all of them were bright red and spicy. He observed Lan Wangji's chopsticks and noticed that he mostly ate the lighter dishes, only occasionally reaching for the bright red ones, and even then, his expression remained unchanged. A slight thought stirred within him.
Lan Wangji noticed his gaze and asked, "What's wrong?"
Wei Wuxian slowly poured himself a cup of wine and said, "I want someone to drink with me."
Upon seeing this scene, Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and all the juniors present that day all changed their expressions.
The long-awaited white curtain descended once again, accompanied by Xiao Niangui's voice: "Give Young Master Lan some face."
Everyone: ? ? ?
However, all they could see were Wei Wuxian and the younger generation trying to suppress their laughter, leaving them completely bewildered.
A chicken wing fell from Lan Jingyi's mouth. It landed in the bowl, splashing sauce all over his face and staining his chest.
Wei Wuxian had only one thought in his mind: once he sobered up, Lan Wangji wouldn't have to see anyone anymore.
Jin Ling asked with surprise and uncertainty, "...What is he doing?"
Wei Wuxian said, "I'll show you a special way to use the Lan family's forehead ribbon."
Lan Sizhui asked, "What special usage..."
Wei Wuxian said, "When you encounter a strange walking corpse and feel that you need to take it back for a proper examination, you can take off your headband and tie it up like this to take it back."
Lan Jingyi exclaimed, "How can this be? Our family's forehead ribbon is..."
Lan Sizhui stuffed the chicken wing back into his mouth, saying, "I see. It has such a wonderful use!"
Wei Wuxian was also surprised that Xiao Niangui had kept this part.
He looked at Lan Qiren's face, which was gradually darkening, and awkwardly touched his nose.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at Wei Wuxian, annoyed: "You're really good at talking nonsense. You can even give me seventeen or eighteen ways to use the Lan Clan's headband."
After saying that, I wanted to see what Lan Wangji did with his forehead ribbon, but then the white curtain fell down again.
Jiang Cheng: ...
Wei Wuxian sat on the ground, lost in thought all night. Before he knew it, his head lolled to the side and he fell asleep against the wooden bed.
He drifted in and out of sleep until dawn, when he felt someone gently lift him up and lay him flat on the couch. Wei Wuxian struggled to open his eyes, and Lan Wangji's still indifferent face came into view.
He suddenly became seven or eight parts more awake and called out, "Lan Zhan."
Lan Wangji responded with an "Mmm." Wei Wuxian then asked, "Are you awake or drunk?"
Lan Wangji said, "Awake."
He picked up Wei Wuxian's wrist; both wrists bore several bloody marks from the binding. Lan Wangji took out a small, light blue porcelain bottle and bent down to apply medicine. The delicate ointment brought an immediate cooling sensation wherever it touched. Wei Wuxian squinted and said, "Ouch. Lan Zhan, you're really rude when you're drunk."
Lan Wangji didn't even look up, and said, "He brought it on himself."
Wei Wuxian's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "Lan Zhan, you really don't remember what you did when you were drunk, do you?"
Lan Wangji said, "I don't remember."
Wei Wuxian thought to himself, "He probably doesn't remember. Otherwise, he would be so angry that he would skin me alive."
He felt both relieved that Lan Wangji didn't remember, and a little regretful that he didn't. It was as if he had secretly done something naughty, stolen something, and was now hiding in a corner, smugly laughing to himself. Involuntarily, his eyes were drawn to Lan Wangji's lips again.
Although the corners of her mouth never curve up, they look very soft, and they are indeed very soft.
Wei Wuxian unconsciously bit his lip, his mind wandering again: "The Gusu Lan Clan has such strict discipline, and Lan Zhan is completely clueless about romance. He's definitely never kissed a girl before. What should I do now? I've beaten him to it. Should I tell him? Maybe he's never even had those kinds of thoughts... Wait! Last time when he was drunk, I asked him, 'Do you have someone you like?' He answered 'Yes.' Maybe he's kissed her? —No, no, even if he did, given Lan Zhan's habitually restrained nature, he definitely hasn't kissed her. It's all about propriety. Come to think of it, maybe he didn't even understand what kind of 'like' I meant back then..."
Everyone: ...! ! ! ?
The movie played for almost an hour in the theater. What exactly did you guys do last night?!
Lan Qiren's face turned completely dark. Lan Xichen, who had just rested, placed his hand on Lan Qiren's back again to pat him on the back.
Lan Wangji's ears turned slightly pink as he leaned close to Wei Wuxian's ear and asked, "Do you really want to kiss me?"
Wei Wuxian: ...!! What's wrong with Lan Zhan? Did he get a shock?
The thought had barely formed in his mind when he felt his lips soften. The person beside him lowered their head and pecked him on the lips.
Jiang Cheng and the others who happened to witness this scene: ...
You two better tone it down!
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