Chapter Text
"Get a glass of water! And a damp towel!"
The bustling coffee shop was at its peak, customers flowing in during their lunch breaks and college kids in between their classes. But hidden in the corner, near the door to the back rooms, was a man in all white robes.
Chu Wanning felt terrible. In the final years of his life, he was used to the constant sicknesses that afflicted him. But he rarely felt this dizzy unless he was forced into sword flying. He had hardly any time to take in his surroundings when he woke up, stumbling against the walls of strange looking buildings on a terrible smelling street. Thankfully, the owner of this shop took him in when she saw him nearly eat pavement.
"Here you go, young man. Slow sips. You'll feel much better soon." She patted a damp cloth on the cultivator's head, smiling as some clarity came back to Chu Wanning's eyes. She then turned, pointing at the baristas leaned in the doorway. "Quit staring, it's bad manners!"
“Sorry boss.” They turned back to their jobs, still mumbling about how authentic his outfit looked. Chu Wanning could hear none of it, too much information circling his mind. Everything looked unfamiliar, sounded unfamiliar, felt unfamiliar.
This couldn’t just be a different country. He was even positive that the afterlife wouldn't look like this either. He had remembered his old master telling him of its depictions, it was supposed to be ancient and traditional as could be. Chu Wanning could hardly even understand the style of clothes people were wearing around him.
"We had a few more of you stop in yesterday. That costume designer really likes showing off their work, hm? But clearly all that fabric made you overheat, poor thing-"
The woman kept blabbering about the most random of things. Chu Wanning continued his slow sipping, slowly beginning to settle in.
"I'll get you a t-shirt, it has our logo on it, but it'll be better than staying stuffy." She promised him, getting up and leaving him to his own devices.
He didn’t know what kind of garment that could be, but by the looks of everyone else around him, it meant he’d be quite exposed. Now wasn’t the time to mourn the lack of sleeves, however. He had to think.
He was placed into a private bathroom to change, which gave him the perfect time to consider all that had transpired. He had to admit, his memory was a bit hazy. There were some definite gaps, most likely due to some kind of trauma. Physical or otherwise. But the last thing he remembered was being incredibly weak, waiting for...
...he wasn't here, was he? This city was bustling with life, and he would never have let some place go un-suffering.
If he was here, there was no doubt Chu Wanning would’ve been found by now. Not even that. The woman who had rubbed his head with a towel would have been made to kowtow a hundred times on a bed of nails for touching Chu Wanning.
He took a deep breath. And he was sure it was from...relief. Even though it was bittersweet. He hadn't meant to leave his disciple. Especially being that he was at fault for how things ended up. But at the same time, it had been years since he experienced a moment of freedom.
He was sure it wouldn’t last long. So it was best to enjoy this fleeting moment, before he was thrown back into the storm of his past. He shed his robes, stashing them away into the qiankun pouch he found tied to his waist so he could put on the t-shirt and subsequent matching sweatpants he was given.
He hated it. The second they were on his body he actually wished he was back with Taxian-jun.
“…somehow he still looks like he’s out of a period piece…” One of the staff members said, squinting to see if they could blur his perfection into the barista uniform.
“Aiya, He looks fine.” Another insisted, waving their hand. They looked at Chu Wanning, joking, “you look ready to work.”
"I'm unfamiliar with how any of your machinery works." These were the first words out of Chu Wanning's mouth since he had woken up. In truth, his tone of voice caused some surprised faces among the staff!
He nearly thought that perhaps his dialogue was too odd to be understood, but the employee responded. “I mean, register isn’t impossible…”
"The steamer wand is a little tricky, though." The one beside them mumbled.
"I apologize. I'm far more suited for teaching." Chu Wanning admitted, brushing some hair over his shoulders.
They tilted their heads, “you’re a teacher? What subject, history?”
"Sometimes. I have knowledge on a variety of subjects."
Cultivation wasn't solely about shooting spiritual blasts from one's hands. It was a disciple. From martial arts to proverbs to simple calligraphy, Chu Wanning taught it all to his disciples.
“Well, if this ever doesn’t work out, the local universities are always hiring!”
Chu Wanning's interest was piqued. Did he know what a university was? Not particularly, but it apparently was a place for teachers. "Where is the closest one?"
That was how he was pointed towards an expansive village. It clearly resembled a cultivation sect, seeing as most of the residents looked to be of disciple age. Chu Wanning had traveled to the far distances of multiple sects and spiritual sites, so this was the first time in a long while he was genuinely curious about a new location. He stuck to the brick paths, exploring at his own place comfortably.
In his mind he had already concocted a plan: he needed to learn how to lay low within these new crowds. He had already acquired some clothes, unfortunately. But this university place was the closest thing to a sect he had seen this far, so he should try to blend in with the adults he saw walking around here.
The older people here, who he assumed were teachers, did have similarities between them. They seemed to like pointed collared, cotton shirts in neutral colors. Some even wore short outer robes over them, matching their pants. He was also beginning to notice that his hair was definitely out of the usual style. Not even most of the women he saw had his length.
It was a split second of consideration that he might cut his hair, reaching out behind him to touch his ponytail. But even in the depths of his imprisonment he had managed to keep it long and healthy. He was not about to sacrifice it now that he was free, like some beggar needing to sell it for food to eat. That was the first and very last time Chu Wanning considered picking up a pair of shears.
He was too preoccupied with another detail nagging at him: there wasn't a single person performing any sort of cultivation. Not here, and not for miles at the very least. This may be a school for those without spiritual abilities, but even then the lack of even mentioning it was odd…
Chu Wanning sighed, leaning himself against a large willow tree that was growing in the center of the quad. He mumbled to himself quietly, tapping his fingers as he plotted out his next moves. He needed a place to stay. That would require money, which he has...none of. Taxian-jun wasn't exactly handing out pocket change for him to buy himself something nice.
He’d need to get a job, but he could tell that the clientele here were upscale. Meaning they’d want a teacher who hadn’t just fallen out of the sky. And he'd need nicer clothes if he wanted to work here. But that required money as well! Chu Wanning groaned, annoyed at the conventions of society.
Just when he was about to give up, it was as if his prayers were answered. He observed as a group of girls stood in front of a rack of clothing in the field beside him. He expected to see their customer hand over their coin pouches, but was surprised to see that clothing was exchanged instead.
Chu Wanning observed for another minute or so, eyes scanning the rest of the rack to spot a few nicer outfits for men as well. Deciding he quite literally had no other options, he walked over to check it out. The girls instantly greeted him, telling him to pick up and touch whatever he liked.
"What exactly is this?" Chu Wanning decided to ask while pulling aside outfits, trying to match what he had seen before on other teachers here.
It seemed like the right question to ask, since one girl responded eagerly, “it’s a thrift swap! If you want to get something here, you have to give us something in return. Trying to get people to get fast fashion less.”
Chu Wanning seemed pleased with that answer. This concept was honorable to him. Anyone could trade for clothes, but not everyone could buy new ones.
"That's very admirable of you all." He shifted, miraculously holding out the neatly folded cultivation robes that hadn't been there before. "Would you be able to take these, by chance?"
They all stared shocked, looking at the robes and abandoning any folding or organizing they had previously been doing.
“…no.” The same girl responded, “they’re too nice! Are these family heirlooms?”
"..." Chu Wanning would never in a million years admit this, but he genuinely began to blush.
For years, he heard disciples whispering behind his back how awful his clothing choices were, being compared to boring, all-white things, like plain mantou. He was honestly a little touched that these girls thought it was nice.
"Hardly. I...have an acquaintance who's a costume designer. He insisted I take this, but I have no use for it."
She frowned, “…are you sure? If you want to take some clothes, I can make an exception this time.”
"That's being far too generous." Chu Wanning shook his head, glancing back at the rack of clothes sheepishly. "I am not even sure what would look good on me yet..."
“What kind of stuff are you looking for?” The girl smiled.
She began helping Chu Wanning choose a nice suit. It was so long since he’d interacted with a student, he could feel his heart tug at the familiar sense of warmth. He listened and nodded as she spoke of what she was studying this year. It seemed that in this sect-like campus, children stuck to one discipline to focus their knowledge on. But the girl was clearly passionate, so he said nothing aside from 'goodbye' when he walked away with new clothes in hand. Certainly better ones than a t-shirt.
The new outfit left him feeling confident as he approached the main building, asking to see about any teaching positions. He was made to write his name down and sit in an open hall, getting to people watch a while more until he was called in.
Chu Wanning was a man of few words for a reason: he hated tedious nonsense. Job interviews were one of those things that he found to be a theatrical game that he'd rather not play at all. And even more so, he was a fish out of water in this strange place. If he misspoke a sentence, he would very easily get rejected for being too odd.
Safe to say, Chu Wanning was nervous.
“Chu Wanning?” He heard a female voice call from behind him, a woman holding a clipboard.
Mentally reprimanding himself to not stumble, he stood calmly and slowly to follow the women into the office. There were so many devices in this room alone that he had never seen before. Chu Wanning realized quickly that he’d need to assess these machines at the earliest convenience, lest he stay in the dark.
“Sorry about the wait, I was finishing a meeting.”
"There's no need to apologize for hard work." He held a hand up in understanding, sitting across from her.
She smiled, clicking her pen, “so, have you ever taught before?”
Chu Wanning nodded, "multiple times, to different age groups as well."
Giving his experience, he wasn’t sure he was doing well until she put her pen down. “So good news, you don’t need a degree to start here. But you will need a teaching license in the field. One you said you didn’t have.”
Chu Wanning didn't seem deterred, just adjusting his posture to sit up straighter. "Does that require some sort of skills assessment?"
She nodded, “it’s a written test. We have only a history position open, so it’d be on the usual important events.”
All of which Chu Wanning knew nothing of. She saw his face seem pensive, so she added, “but you’re in luck. The university can hire you, you just need to take the exam by the end of the semester to continue your employment.”
Chu Wanning wasn't even sure if he'd last the semester. He kept feeling this nagging in the back of his head, warning him to not relax just yet, that something was horribly off. So of course he'd accept this gracious opportunity.
"You've been too kind."
“It’s nothing, I just know a promising faculty member when I see one.”
They agreed he could get started within the week, her even offering to have a tour of campus arranged tomorrow for him. Chu Wanning made his way out of the office just a touch more relieved than when he walked in.
It was occurring to him now that he had zero reputation here. There was no memorable past that everyone knew, following him like a haunting wherever he traveled. It was sort of comforting to know that he was still reputable, even without the name Chu Wanning being known to anyone here.
So, it didn’t feel so humiliating when he chose to sleep on campus tonight.
Walking through the building, Chu Wanning had noticed many unattended classrooms. Unlocking them was as simple as snapping his fingers together, as well as locking them back up again for the evening so no one bothered him.
It was at least clean in here, making it so Chu Wanning didn’t have to worry about his clothing getting dusty. It was just a bit uncomfortable, but Chu Wanning had fallen asleep on the hard floor when he used to work on his projects in the Red Lotus Pavilion. He could tough through it, especially with the lack of tools and materials poking into his body.
He stared at the ceiling, waiting a while before he actually slept. He still couldn't remember exactly how he had ended up in this place. It almost felt like a trick. No cultivators. No demons. No Taxian-jun.
When he woke up, seeing the streams of light cascade across the room, he figured he made it throughout the night without being found out. The information should’ve brought him joy, but his chest ached instead. He’d finally committed to abandoning his disciple.
He rubbed his hands over his face, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Rationally, he knew there was nothing more he could have done. There was no amount of letting himself be tortured that would bring Mo Weiyu back, or save Xue Meng's reputation. That world was an apocalypse, beyond saving. Still, there would always be guilt about what he could have done...
Having to get started with his day, he went to a building labeled the ‘Student Center’. In there they had all kinds of hygienic amenities. Chu Wanning had a bit of trouble at first. There were no baths in this place, and all of the closest he checked had no washtubs. He almost gave up cleaning himself entirely before he passed by some students entering from the gym, turning on the showers with the turn of a knob.
It was intuitive after that, his hair washed and then dried almost instantly with a spell. He was thankful he seemed to have his spiritual energy back at its full capabilities. Perhaps even the body he was in was brand new.
Looking in the gym mirror, he was quite proud of his work. He really looked like a proper citizen of this world. All he had to do now was learn how to speak their dialect and simply get through this 'semester.' And not ruin the lives of any of his students this time.
His tour was going smoothly. No one mentioned his repeated outfit, so it seemed this would fit as a standard uniform.
“Tomorrow is the first day, so you showed up at the perfect time!” The tour guide smiled, leading Chu Wanning through a long canopy. At each side, merchants stood, trying to entice fellow students to join their own guilds.
Chu Wanning glanced over the names written on flimsy signs, finding the handwriting in this world needed serious work. "How convenient." He mumbled, "how many students attend here?"
“20,000 give or take.” Seeing Chu Wanning’s shocked expression, they chuckled, “it doesn’t feel that way! Most people stay within their own major.”
"Of course." Chu Wanning nodded, "it's just that your facilities must be very accommodating, is all."
He jumped a little as some students beside him were handing out tiny foil packages, urging Chu Wanning to grab some. He stared down at them as he walked, seeing they were some kind of candy from the bright letters on the front. They didn’t ask him for payment when he took it, only moving on to the next people passing by.
...this place wasn't so bad, actually. The more students the merrier, in fact.
“We try to accommodate all kinds of people. There are a lot of activities for every hobby on campus. Some may even surprise you.”
“Hey! Ever think about volunteering?”
Chu Wanning stopped dead in his tracks, staring ahead of him. The stall was lavishly decorated, dressed in rich blues with an accent of white. On the table were collages of all kinds of service work, whether it be smiling faces cleaning or handing out food to the unfortunate. But what caught his eye was none of that.
Holding out a flyer, the man he couldn’t get his mind off of stared at him, short hair moving in the breeze of the canopy. He grinned at Chu Wanning, signature dimples clear as day.
Chu Wanning knew that his expression wouldn't give him away, but a rapid amount of emotions flurried through his heart all at once, making him feel faint all over again.
He tried to convince himself that this was just an extremely accurate look-alike. Some kind of doppelganger. And there were obvious differences, like height and skin tone. But the most stark contrast of all was the genuine kindness in this man's eyes. Something that had been completely lacking from the Taxian-jun he knew.
He picked up a flyer before he could start spiraling, staring down at it like he was totally reading the words on the page. Excited to see his pitch worked, the younger man continued.
“You don’t have to come to everything, every once in a while makes a huge difference. I can see you’re the kind of guy who loves to help.” When Chu Wanning glanced up, he was looking at him, “you have a kind face.”
Okay so he's going to kill himself.
Chu Wanning’s eyebrows furrowed just a little bit, forcing words past his lips. "...You're very passionate."
‘Mo Ran’ rubbed his neck, “this kind of stuff means a lot to me, heh…”
Chu Wanning felt a tug at his own wrist; an undeniable urge to reach out and see if this version of his disciple was illusionary or not. This was the person he wished he had taught, the impact he wished he could have made on Mo Ran.
But he didn't. His touch had ruined that dream.
In one smooth motion, the man in front of Mo Ran rolled the flyer in between his hands into a neat little scroll, holding it between his middle and ring finger.
"Never let that feeling go dull." He gave a small nod, turning back to continue the tour.
If ‘Mo Ran’ responded, he was unaware of it. The tour guide continued on, but Chu Wanning knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on another word. He felt bad for the person leading him around, since any small talk was absolutely not happening anymore. He wanted to just keep staring down at the rolled up little scroll in his palm, as if it was some mystical relic he had to keep safe.
Could that have been Taxian-jun? There was no way. Taxian-jun had expanded his spiritual capabilities so greatly that Chu Wanning would've been able to feel his presence from miles away. That boy had not a drop of potential to make a palm torch.
But who cared about spiritual capabilities? That was the happiest he’d seen Mo Ran in decades. That meant it wasn't Mo Ran. It couldn't be him. Unless...
Unless that wasn't his Mo Ran.
Chu Wanning had heard of moving across time before. It was a forbidden technique that often had fatal consequences. But this was...far out of his knowledge. Which meant that it would have been far for Taxian-jun's as well.
He considered this could be an illusion or a curse, molding his mind to imagine...this. But he had performed some tests and determined this was a real place. And even so, what curse would lead him to a happy, domestic life?
The world was full of many evils. A curse that showed Chu Wanning a strange yet content life only to rip it away from him had to be a punishment in Hell. For someone. But he didn't think he was that bad. He felt alive enough. It was there that Chu Wanning decided he would need to spend his free time in this world studying it. Teaching by day and uncovering secrets by night.
And perhaps, if he ran into that Mo Ran lookalike, see if he knew anything at all.
The first day of class was odd.
Chu Wanning had many different classes, teaching the same thing. It was strange compared to his typical one-on-one approach, but he at least didn't have too many troubles that he couldn't work around. The semester started with 'ancient China', which was extremely familiar to him. (He felt a little off about that wording, but decided that would be a later problem).
A few students asked for a 'syllabus' as well. After tricking a student into explaining the definition of a syllabus to him, he simply started telling kids 'I'll tell you if there's a problem.' and that seemed to shut them up.
He had some time between classes, so he watched an event that was going on in the field once more. It was a festival-like set up, with students able to play games and eat typical street foods.
Chu Wanning was starting to get genuinely hungry, which was an issue. He had never taken too much time practicing inedia, since Meng Po hall was always open with some sort of meal. He found himself eyeing some snacks, feeling genuine envy at the students buying and sharing with one another.
He considered if they’d be willing to give a teacher something for free, but asking for handouts was never his style. He’d simply water fast until his pay on Friday…
“Yeah, yeah I’ll see you soon, okay?” He heard familiar laughter as ‘Mo Ran’ stepped into the canopy, holding a large bag at his side.
Chu Wanning's gaze instantly locked onto him, feeling some intense deja vu at this scene. He could remember the festivals the older disciples threw at Sisheng peak, catching glimpses of Mo Ran running around, looking for wherever Shi Mei had volunteered. He was honestly expecting the young man now to brush past him as if he didn't exist, just the same as his old disciple.
This world’s Mo Ran took a few steps forward, pulling a small device Chu Wanning saw often from his pocket. He began to tap it, but stopped when he saw Chu Wanning.
“Oh hey, you’re the guy from yesterday, right?”
He felt his shoulders stiffen when he was addressed, being pulled out of his daydreaming of the past. "I...yes." He nodded like a normal person.
“I never got your name.” He walked over, plopping down next to him on the bench, “I’m Mo Ran.”
"Chu Wanning." The name slipped past his lips faster than he could really think, almost trying to cover up the fact that he had heard 'Mo Ran' at all.
“Chu Wanning.” He repeated softly, committing that name to memory, “well, Chu Wanning. How was the first day of classes?”
The man beside him averted his eyes, looking back out as a group of younger students excitedly yelled about ice cream. "They're usually not difficult, but I'm finding myself preoccupied with getting used to my surroundings." He gripped the edge of the bench they were sitting on, "I only just arrived here yesterday."
“Oh, that’s why you were on that tour, right?” Mo Ran recalled, rustling through his bag, “hold on, I have something that’ll make you feel right at home….”
Okay. This is it. This is the part where it's revealed that this is some elaborate test of loyalty to Taxian-jun or something. Chu Wanning held his hand behind his back, feeling a spark of spiritual energy snap between his fingertips. He was ready to blast at any moment-
“Ta-da!” Mo Ran’s weapon of choice was…a small cat plushie. It was no bigger than his palm, smiling and wearing a blue shirt. “It’s the school mascot, I was handing them- are you okay??”
Chu Wanning could hear the fizzle of his spiritual blast dissipating into a pathetic ember as he realized in real time he was acting like an insane person right now.
"I'm fine," he reached forward, carefully taking the small cat. "I just haven't eaten yet today. I... apologize."
“You haven’t?” He looked at him with more seriousness, “the welcome festival has food, c’mon.”
Before he could protest, Mo Ran was already herding him towards the field. Chu Wanning was convinced now: this was definitely Mo Ran; pushy, loud, entirely oblivious to any social cues. Most people would've thought Chu Wanning was uncomfortable, but Mo Ran only saw an opportunity to drag him along.
The welcome festival was bustling with students and faculty since it was a particularly warm yet cloudy day. There were even a few of the therapy dogs enjoying the weather that sniffed at Chu Wanning as he passed, looking a little confused but going back to minding their business.
“What do you like to eat? Most of the stuff here is sweet stuff, but I think there are some pork buns in the corner.”
"Sweet is more than fine."
Chu Wanning still hadn't eaten the candies he was given yesterday. They were too precious. He hadn't been able to indulge in sweets since he was a child, and obviously Taxian-jun didn't offer him pastries during his imprisonment. It wasn't exactly ideal nutrition to indulge himself in sweets in this world, but he had never cared about nutrition to begin with.
Because of that, Mo Ran took him to the tanghulu stall. Chu Wanning felt his mouth watering, the sugary sticks beckoning him. As much as the bright red hawthornes were calling his name, he had to mentally prepare himself to break it to Mo Ran that he had no money. He could probably say that his coin pouch was stolen, or that he lost it somewhere. But he didn't know which was less embarrassing to admit to-
“What do you want? My treat.”
He looked back up at the man beside him, surprise lifting his features. "What do you mean?"
Mo Ran motioned to the stall, “like, do you want classic? Strawberries, orange-“
Mo Ran continued to list combinations as Chu Wanning made a tough decision. Pridefully refuse to be bought food, only to have to admit that he wasn't going to buy anything because he was broke or just take the damn offer.
"...this one." He pointed to a stick that had hawthorn and mandarins interspersed, his fingertips reflecting in the shine of the sugar shell.
Mo Ran never took out a coin pouch, but instead hovered his rectangle above another one with a small ‘bing’ noise. It seemed like Chu Wanning would really be needing one of those. At least they looked small, which meant they probably weren't worth that much.
He gave a nod to the student handing him his meal for the day, feeling his face rush with heat. This was so childish, eating candied fruits and having someone else pay for it all. Despite his blush, he bit the fruit of the top of the stick, letting the sweetness melt across his tongue. He could feel every detail of his expression relaxing, face going soft with a simple happiness.
“After this, you gotta eat a real meal.” Mo Ran chastised him, casually strolling along the path, “do they not have meal plans for grad students?”
"I'm a teacher." Chu Wanning countered right before he ate an entire little mandarin in one go.
Mo Ran looked down at him, not masking his surprise, “you’re a teacher??”
He nodded his head up and down since his mouth was full. Stray pieces of hair dusted across his cheek bones. "I don't look like one?" He asked, holding a hand over his mouth in courtesy.
“Most of my professors are in their 50s, so I thought you were still studying.” He said, “plus, you let me call you Chu Wanning instead of Professor.”
"You asked my name, not my job." He plucked another fruit off the stick, admiring its perfect surface. "Besides, you're not my student."
“Chu Wanning it is, then.”
That pleased him to hear. If he could avoid being Mo Ran's shizun in this lifetime, then perhaps he would stay like this: sweet and relaxed.
"You seem very involved in activities around here." Chu Wanning glanced back down at the small cat plush, which was currently sitting cutely in his shirt pocket.
Mo Ran smiled down at it, badly wanting to boop its nose. “Me and my friends are pretty active around campus. My friend Shi Mingjing is on the welcome committee, so I wanted to come out to support. I don’t know where he went though…”
Hearing Shi Mei’s name was like a record scratch. Chu Wanning fully stumbled, having missed a step up on the path and nearly dropping what was barely left of his tanghulu.
Sure, there was a nice version of Mo Ran in this strange timeline that Chu Wanning had ended up in. No big deal. But somehow he had failed to realize that meant other people he knew could be lurking around. Were all of his disciples here, safe and sound? His old friend still alive? He felt dizzy all over again, and that absolutely had nothing to do with the fact he hadn't eaten anything but sugar for two days.
It was extremely difficult not to pester Mo Ran with questions of his family immediately, needing to know if they were still here. But there was no way to bring it up without seeming even weirder, so he swallowed the question in that split second.
He was occupied anyway, as Mo Ran reached out to grab his arm to keep him from tripping entirely.
“Woah, watch your step!”
The very second his body was touched, a spiritual blast shot forth from his free hand on reflex. It whizzed past a few students, hitting a trash can and knocking it over with a flurry of garbage flying into the air.
"Hey, watch it with those fireworks!" One of the event coordinators yelled in RanWan's general direction.
"We don't even have lighters yet!" Turning to look behind them, a group of students were selling sparklers and were now very displeased that they were being accused. Yelling broke out after that, the festival erupting in arguments.
“…Let’s get out of here-“ Mo Ran mumbled as he pulled Chu Wanning down a different path by the lake. He made Chu Wanning sit down and left to go to a nearby stand. He only returned with some dumplings in hand, insisting he wouldn’t have fallen otherwise.
Despite his protests, Mo Ran simply wasn't taking any excuses. Chu Wanning pressed a dumpling to his lips, mumbling a thank you into its soft skin before taking a dejected bite.
“I don’t know who the hell brought fireworks.” He sat next to him, running a hand through his hair, “oh, who the heck brought them.” He shouldn’t cuss in front of his elders.
Chu Wanning rolled his eyes, "saying the sentence again doesn't undo the first one."
He tried to divert the topic, since he felt personally guilty for causing a scene. He hadn't meant to be so jittery, but he hadn't had his spiritual core in good use in a decade. He wasn't used to having his power back again, so easily supplied.
"I'm assuming these aren't usually rowdy events?"
“Oh, they get rowdy.” His tone said that he partook in those behaviors, “just not on day one.”
"I'll be looking forward to actually getting hit with the fireworks later in the year then-"
“You’ll have to work on your dodging.” He chuckled, watching the sun begin to set.
Chu Wanning turned to look out at the lake behind them, seeing it begin to glow with crimson and terracotta. Just like his tanghulu, which he already sorely missed.
"...thank you for taking me around." He spoke quietly, voice sounding gentler.
Mo Ran shrugged it off, “it’s nothing, seriously. You’re good company.”
The sentiment was one he never thought would be heard in that voice again. Taxian-jun was always confused, slipping between anger, lust, and unrelenting sadness. Chu Wanning knew it was because of his presence. The staff that cared for the emperor and himself always looked at him with such disdain. Whenever they were having a bad day, it was because Chu Wanning had done something to personally push Taxian-jun over the deep end. Or at least, that's what it felt like.
He just stared at the figure next to him, deep guilt in his expression, but also...hope. Perhaps he really had died, and this was some sort of nice afterlife. Some peace after the chaos he had lived through. Perhaps he deserved this bubbling feeling of warmth that weakly heated the very bottom of his chest.
His hand began to lift towards Mo Ran, before his phone started buzzing and playing some obnoxious ringtone. Shi Mei was calling, after sending a half dozen texts about the firework fiasco.
Mo Ran picked up, “hey Shi Mei…whaaaattt, no way, fireworks?”
He winked and mouthed ‘gotta go’ to Chu Wanning, standing to go find his friend. Chu Wanning's hand curled into a fist, falling back into his lap as he was left alone, sun setting behind him.