Lan Ying - Gusu's Third Jade {Being Updated}

Chapter Three

"A-Niang, A-Die be careful." Wei Ying called out to her parents after they left for their night trip. Wei Ying walked back to the room her parents rented at the inn to continue her studies, her parents left just after lunch and had left her money to pay for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next 3 days. The little girl just paced around their room for awhile before sitting at the table to do her studies that uncle Qiren had paced for her to do. 

The first three days went by with her sitting at the table studying and going downstairs for lunch and dinner, sleeping at nine and waking up at five. One the fourth day she left the inn for the first time trying to find where her parents had gone and why they aren't back yet. She didn't return that night, instead choosing a tree to lean up against, passing out after the long hours of looking for her parents. On the fifth day at Yiling she stayed at the tree, she spent most of the day curled up against the tree crying. Around the time she should have dinner she got up to walk around looking for her parents again.

~At Gusu~

Lan Zhan was getting worried, no one had heard from Wei Ying and her family in a week. He was sitting at his desk studying, but he was not able to focus on anything. He was too busy worrying about Wei Ying to focus. A quiet knock was heard followed by his uncle and brother opening his door. "A-Zhan, are you okay?" Lan Huan asked although he already knew that actual answer, he knew that his younger brother is extremely worried and stressed.

"Mn. I am fine." Both his uncle and brother sat down at the table with him.

"A-Zhan, me and A-Huan are going to Yiling if you want to join us in looking for A-Ying. We got news from some of the disciples that both of A-Ying's parents had passed away and that they had found Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren's bodies, but they couldn't find A-Ying anywhere." His uncle explained. This set of alarm bell in his head, what happened to A-Ying's parents? Is A-Ying hurt? Why couldn't they find A-Ying? Lan Zhan nodded his head swiftly.

"Mn, I will join uncle and brother."

"Since you are joining us, we need to get you ready as we are leaving as soon as possible." Lan Qiren continued before standing up and walking to the door, "A-Huan can you please help A-Zhan to get ready." The two boys followed suit and got up to start preparing for the trip after Lan Qiren left the room. They started packing by grabbing Wei Ying some spare robes and a comb for if they find her, along with Lan Zhan's night robes as they are most likely to stay at Yiling overnight. The two brothers continued packing and getting ready to leave before meeting their uncle at the gate at the front of Gusu.

After their almost 3-hour flight by sword, Lan Qiren, Lan Huan, Lan Zhan, and the senior disciples went to the inn that they were going to stay at overnight, it was the same one that Wei Ying was staying at before. After dropping off the things that they would not need at the inn the Lan disciples scattered out in pairs to try to find Wei Ying, Lan Qiren, Lan Huan and Lan Zhan stuck together and wandered around the outskirts of the forest as the rest of the group went further into the forest.

At around 7pm, just before they were all going to head back to the inn for the night, Lan Zhan started to hear a faint crying and ran off in the direction of it, freaking out both his brother and uncle who didn't hear anything due to being further away talking to each other. "A-Zhan where are you going?" Lan Huan called after his little brother. Lan Zhan didn't respond he just kept running in the direction of the crying. Wei Ying suddenly came into view she was sitting on the ground crying to herself.

"A-Ying!" He called out seeing Lan Zhan she stood up. He ran up to her, picking her up and spinning her around, and setting her back down holding her in an impossible to escape hug with her head nuzzled into his chest. Before she could say anything, he whispered, "I was so worried." The kept hugging not wanting to lose each other.

"A-Zhan! A-Ying!" Lan Huan called out after finally meting the two in the small clearing with Lan Qiren.

"A-Huan, A-Zhan, Uncle Qiren. What are you doing out here?" Lan Zhan let go of her and she walked over to Lan Huan giving him a hug, and then went to Lan Qiren who picked her up to talk to her.

"We were looking for you. We were all very worried when we got the news. We were told you were going to stay the inn that your parents rented, why are you out here?"

"A-Die and A-niáng left to the forest and told A-Ying to stay at the inn, but they didn't come back. So, A-Ying wanted to find them, but I can't find them." Wei Ying told Lan Qiren, but she started crying the more she talked.

"A-Ying please don't cry. Your mother and father are in a better place right now." Lan Qiren whispered trying to calm her down. "I know that your parents didn't want to leave you, but they don't have any choice. You will understand it when you're older." He stopped talking to wipe the tears from her face. "Why don't you come with me, Lan Huan and Lan Zhan back to Cloud Recesses?"

"Really?" She questioned Lan Qiren with him just responding with a nod. "Thank you, Uncle Qiren!" She almost yelled hugging his neck. Lan Qiren was already planning on bringing her back to Cloud Recesses, it would be the easiest solution for them in the future. Lan Qiren was planning to tell the elders that he is going to adopt her later, he wanted her to have a family and people that she can rely on and that he can trust. Although there are many great options that he could have adopt her, Lan Qiren has been looking after Wei Ying since she was one and she was a very intelligent and disciplined child.

"Let's go back to the inn now. It is getting dark, and we need to get you cleaned up A-Ying." Lan Qiren said while grabbing Lan Zhan's hand and ushering everyone to walk back towards the inn that the rest of the disciples are staying at. When they got to the inn Lan Zhan and Lan Huan went to the room that they were going to share with Wei Ying and got the spare robes that they had brought for her. The group stayed at an inn for the night as it was getting too late to trave the distance back to Cloud Recess.