So many colours in my life

28. Forgotten turquoise of friendship

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian called after the other. The Second Jade stopped and turned around.

Wei Wuxian smiled despite himself. "Lan Zhan, wait, I want to tell you something..."

He wanted to tell the other he was sorry for snapping at him earlier. And perhaps also for being a jerk even earlier in the day. Now that he had the suspicion that Lan Zhan actually cared about him and was worried for him, he needed to check if it was a correct assumption. How wonderful would it be?

However, he never got to say anything more.

When Lan Zhan turned around, there was a hard and close-off expression on his face. If Wei Wuxian was not mistaken, the Second Jade was angry with him. But it was still a far cry from clear and unfiltered hatred he had thought he would face. He would take it.

Then, suddenly, a little too suddenly for Wei Wuxian's dulled instincts and confused and exhausted mind, Lan Zhan drew out his sword.

Wei Wuxian did not react at first. Both because he truly could not move so quickly anymore without a golden core and because he did not belief Lan Zhan would actually attack him. But he had been mistaken yet again apparently. He was losing his touch.

Lan Zhan raised his sword and attacked him. It was not a vicious attack, nor one meant to actually hurt him. Wei Wuxian had seen the other fight on the battlefield countless times now, he knew how deadly Lan Zhan could be. And this was not even a half of his strength.

It was still too much for a coreless Wei Wuxian to handle though. He managed to parry two strikes but he was obliged to take a step back with each one of them. Luckily, his demonic flute was strong enough to withstand even a blow from a cultivator's sword. It did not break.

Wei Wuxian was focused on how strong Lan Zhan was and how he had improved in the time they had not seen each other. His movements looked even more powerful than the last occasion they had crossed weapons.

Back then, in the Cloud Recesses, under a waterfall which was highlighting his features, Lan Zhan had looked like a true immortal. So regal and strong. Wei Wuxian would never be able to forget that sight. At that time, he had thought that they had been made to face each and have each other's back. That they would improve as they were equally skilled in martial arts and cultivation.

Well, this last part was not true anymore. And no one knew it better than Wei Wuxian himself.

His body refused to listen to him in the same way as it had in the past. He was barely managing to avoid the attacks, not even talking about returning them. He was losing as clearly as a day.

However, he did not mind. He did a backflip to avoid another of Lan Zhan's strikes. At least this was something he could still do. His heartbeat quickened in the best of ways. He was actually getting excited from the fight.

Not in the same uncomfortable manner as on a true battlefield. Lan Zhan would never actually hurt him. They were just sparring and it felt wonderful. It was as if Wei Wuxian had just gotten back something he had thought he had lost forever.

Even when Lan Zhan finally got through his defences and was holding a sword to his throat, he was still not afraid. It was as if he had just gotten Lan Zhan back after such a long time. He was truly given the best gift.

His heart was warm and it seemed like it was reaching out directly to Lan Zhan. Was this perhaps friendship he was feeling? Could it be that Lan Zhan was in reality just playing hard to get but would still indulge Wei Wuxian in the end?

No matter how unlikely this possibility was, it would still be a million times better than having the Second Jade hate him. Wei Wuxian could not keep back a smile.

***

Wei Wuxian was sitting on a rooftop with a jar of wine in his hand. It was night time now. But until this moment, he could not forget about the sparring session he had had with Lan Zhan in the afternoon.

Even if it had finished in the Second Jade telling him that he had not improved over the last months, Wei Wuxian was not disheartened or mad. It was not as if he was not aware of this fact.

After all, Lan Zhan had surely been cultivating a great deal while he only had demonic cultivation to help him get by. They were too different now and he could no longer match the esteemed Second Jade's strength.

It did not bother him though. It was a fact that he was not able to do anything about.

More important was that Lan Zhan did not attack him because he hated him. At least Wei Wuxian did not believe that had been the case4. It had been more to show him his point. After all, had he not insisted several times before that Wei Wuxian should pick up his sword? That he should abandon demonic cultivation and go back to spiritual energy as it was more reliable?

After seeing Lan Zhan's worried face when he had put away his sword, Wei Wuxian understood everything. Lan Zhan had simply wanted to get him back to the correct side. Not because he did not approve of his new method of cultivation. Or at least it was not the only reason. He was truly and genuinely worried about Wei Wuxian's health and temperament.

When seeing things in a new light, their previous encounters had actually not been about anything else. It had only been Wei Wuxian misunderstanding the Second Jade's motivations all on his own. Looking back, he was actually feeling slightly guilty. He had trampled all over Lan Zhan's good will.

With a slight worry, he realized that this was just another trick of the resentful energy. It was trying to underline him. Had he not realized it, it would have succeeded. Really, the resentment was not something he should take lightly.

It had been manipulative from the very beginning, he should have probably expected something like this. He had just not thought it would attack sneakily like this. Slowly corroding his relationships with other people by making him more suspicious and irritable.

He had even been harsh with Lan Zhan and his Shijie!

Now that he was aware of it, he was actually wondering how he had not seen it before. It could not have been any clearer really.

He took another sip of his wine. He was not intending to drink too much today. He still vividly remembered what had happened when he had gotten drunk previously. Now that he could see the resentful energy's schemes, he was not going to give it even more weapons against himself.

Once he knew however, it was easy to defend himself. At least against this subtle manipulation. He just had to believe the people around him and listen to them. He should not let himself be swayed anymore. He knew they cared and that they only wanted to help because they were worried about him.

Especially Lan Zhan. The Second Jade had never been good at expressing himself, much less wearing his heart for others to see. The fact that he had shown Wei Wuxian so many different expressions lately should have spoken for itself. Lan Zhan was truly the best.

And speaking of the devil.

Wei Wuxian's eyes were attracted to a movement down below. He lazily shifted his gaze into that direction. He had not gotten alarmed because from the first moment he understood he was not alone in the courtyard anymore, he knew who the other person was.

Lan Zhan's pristine robes were shining in the full moon's light. He looked like an immortal again and it was for some reason taking Wei Wuxian 's breath away. He could not believe that he had the honour of befriending someone like him.

For he was not going to keep himself at a distance anymore. He was done with running away. If Lan Zhan did not outright hate him, there was still a possibility he would be able to restore their friendship. He only needed to reach out his hand and grasp it.

He felt that what he had been missing all this time was right in front of him now. He had just been too blinded to see it. Not anymore thought, now he was about to take back what the resentful energy had made him throw away.

"Lan Zhan! Come join me if you have time. The moon is beautiful!" he called down from the roof. For the first time in what felt like ages, he craved company.