this changes everything. ⟲ wangxian

24. The White Whale and The Black Stallion

Take one look at this silent suffering

See me standing here in loneliness

Decadence of a heart

It is late evening when Wangji strolls through the clean-cut grounds of Cloud Recesses, bundled in a sky-blue shawl as though it were winter. He walks slowly and leisurely so that the young woman clinging to his side can match his steps without striding too fast. A full moon hangs in the night sky. Two weeks have flown by since Wei Ying's return, and Wangji's health has already improved remarkably: he can play Qin smoothly for at least an hour on-end without resting; the itch in his throat has vanished; and his incessant headache has dwindled to a slight throb. At this rate, he will be able to walk the grounds unaccompanied in no time. Maybe then, he and Wei Ying can finally—

"Your Excellency?"

"Hmm?" Wangji's gaze flicks down to Gu Meiyou whom, he realises, has just said something and is waiting expectantly for his answer.

He forcefully rips himself out of his thoughts.

"Apologies, Lady. My mind was elsewhere," he mumbles, keeping his eyes glued to the path in front of him. "What were you telling me?"

"Well, I was saying it's been quite gratifying to talk alone with you like this, especially since we are to be married in four moons."

Wangji doesn't reply. The reminder that he will be wedded to Gu Meiyou fills him with a bitterness sharp enough to bite. He swallows this bitterness.

"Your Excellency," continues Meiyou. "I couldn't help but notice you're spending an awful lot of time with that Master Wei ... not to intrude, but how long have you known him?"

"19 years," replies Wangji curtly.

"Oh my, that... is a long time. You must be very close."

"We are."

Silence befalls them. Wangji finds his mind wandering to Wei Ying. He wonders what he's doing at the moment. Perhaps leaping off the roof of a four-story tower with a sack full of stolen wine, a plethora of guards on his heels. Or sneaking into an active class of junior cultivators and passing out cheat sheets for free. Wangji shakes his head at these thoughts.

"Your Excellency, we have been walking for quite some time now. Do you have a certain destination in mind?" Meiyou asks.

"We are already here."

By then the couple has reached the walkway built into the roofs, which connects the Cloud Recesses buildings. A perfect view of the full moon and Milky Way is scattered before them.

"Oh, my. It's so beautiful," beams Meiyou. She extends a hand in front of her, fingers spread in a welcoming gesture. "It's as if I could pluck the stars from the sky. Have you heard the tale of The White Whale and the Black Stallion?"

Of course Wangji has. Every Lan Clan student is taught this story from infancy. He remembers every detail and meaning behind the fable.

However, this isn't what Wangji responds. Instead, he says quietly, "No. Tell me."

"Well... they say there was once a whale as white as the moon, and a stallion as black as the night sky. The whale and the stallion were deeply in love, but the whale couldn't live above water, and the stallion... well, underwater, he would die. So one day—when the stallion lay so heartbroken over this matter—he went to the gods and begged them for a chance. A chance for him to be with his love. The gods took pity on the poor creature, and so both the whale and the stallion were turned into constellations. Now, they relish gaily amongst the stars in the forms of Cetus and Pegasus... you see, Your Excellency, I've been thinking... you and I are very similar to the white whale and the black stallion. We just compliment each other... don't you agree?"

"Yes. We do," lies Wangji.

Meiyou sighs dreamily and gazes up into the starry sky. She whispers, "I'm so happy I could dance." And, to Wangji's surprise, she swings a leg over the banister of the gazebo and drops down onto the other side.

"Lady, do be careful," Wangji calls out.

"Fear not, Your Excellency. I will do it with caution." Meiyou raises her arms above her head, rises on the tips of her toes and begins to dance. Her movements are lithe and graceful, matching the rhythm of a silent song. She leaps and twirls on the rooftops, dangerously close to tripping yet somehow never falling. Wangji studies her. And his mind wanders back to the first time he met Wei Ying: after he had scaled the Clan walls with two jars of illegal Emperor's Smile in hand. He remembers Wei Ying's mischievous grin, his own scowl, their fight on these very shingles Meiyou's silk slippers touch.

Gu Meiyou's dance feels almost invasive.