Soul bound Strangers

2. Right Time

Wei ying felt someone's fingers brushing over his forehead during his sleep. It felt somehow comforting and he didn't mind. He badly wanted to open his eyes, but it was too tiring to even think about it. After a short while, he felt someone trying to pry open his mouth, he let it go without struggling, and the same someone fed him bitter liquid. Since he was too tired and very hungry, he didn't throw a tantrum. 

It was nostalgic and fresh tears knocked the eyelids trying to flow freely. 

"......n" 

"Mn?" It was Wei ying's reflexive response. 

"Sleep" 

"Mn" He complied. 

When Wei ying woke up from the deep slumber, he was inside a stranger's house. He got up and noticed the food and water kept beside the bed. He didn't know how he ended up there, so he didn't dare touch anything inside the room. With slow steps he opened the sliding door and peeked outside. 

He was startled when he heard a voice. An old woman was sitting outside the room, as if she had been waiting to check on him. 

"!?" Wei ying scratched his head and looked at her awkwardly. 

Looking at his expression, the old lady explained to him about how her husband stumbled upon his donkey and the feverish him near their fruit shop. Since Wei ying was not conscious when he was found, the old man took him home to let him rest. 

It was early in the morning and Wei ying was deeply moved by the gesture of the couple, who took care of him throughout the night, when his own family didn't when he needed them the most. He didn't know how he should repay their kindness. He thanked her and promised her that he would help them in their shop for a day or two, to ease his heart. 

Like promised, Wei ying followed the old man to his shop but he himself got to know in an hour that he really sucked at pleasing people to buy fruits. The old man initially tried to appease Wei ying to rest but eventually gave up upon his constant request. Thus he asked him to deliver a basket of apples to an address which is reachable by walk. Only when the old man gave him the address, Wei ying realised he was back in the same village. The old man gave directions to the manor and Wei ying was cautious that he might see someone from 'the sect'. 

He left Little apple in the shop letting it rest, so he was all by himself. 

"Took left and 1,2,3,4, here it is. Gu manor" 

'But where did I hear about Gu manor?!' 

He shrugged the thought and entered the manor as it was important that he delivered the fruits on time.  A servant stopped him from entering further, but after he told the young lad that he was there to deliver the fruits, the young lad led the way to the storage room. 

Once the apples were handed over, the young lad asked Wei ying to get the money from their master Gu, who is in the courtyard. When Wei ying neared the area, he found a huge crowd covering the courtyard. He heard people talking about cultivators who are currently at the Gu manor. Then it dawned on Wei ying about where he heard about Gu manor. 

But at this point, he cannot back off, as he still owes the oldman and must give the money from Gu manor to him. Wei ying mustered his courage and invaded the crowd to reach Gu. The said man was standing in the middle of the courtyard and there was a junior cultivator and a few servants with him. Since it has already been three years and since the cultivator looked very young, Wei ying let out a sigh of relief as the kid might not recognise him. 

Wei ying approached Gu and got the money for the apples without even looking at the cultivator's face who stood just next to him. And the cultivator was also so focused on the seat arrangements that he didn't look at Wei ying. As Wei ying turned, he heard the young cultivator say,

"Please leave an extra seat near the sect leader's seat." 

Wei ying who really thought of rushing out of the place, actually walked like a slowcoach. 

"Is there an addition to the list?" Wei ying heard Mr.Gu ask. 

"It's for Madam" 

Wei ying literally stopped walking for a few seconds, but resumed when he realised that it was not his concern anymore. 

'Past is past'

He walked faster. 

'But won't they announce it if a famous sect leader gets married?' 

By the time Wei ying's thought process took a break, he was already back at the shop. 

He was dejectedly arranging the fruits on the tray when the old man probed whether he could drop by the same address to deliver another box of fruits. 

'He could have asked me to take both the boxes last time.' 

"That-that we just received a new request from the Gu household. It's okay if you feel tired, I shall deliver." Looking at Wei ying's expression, the old man explained patiently. 

"No no problem, I'll do it." Wei ying was so anxious that he wanted to go and return quickly. He didn't take Little apple with him as he had a plan that if he were to meet someone, he could come back running, not struggling to make the almighty pet move faster. 

Again Wei ying carried a basket, delivered and collected the money as if time was running out for him. 

He was not in his right mind when all he could think about was how to escape from the place sooner, that his face abruptly collided with a broad chest and the sandalwood fragrance reached his nose. 

Wei ying felt extremely light headed, not because of the collision but because of the memories the sandalwood fragrance brought to him. When he looked up, there were the once intimate, now distant eyes looking at him. 

"La...sect.." 

Before Wei ying could produce any words or think about how he should refer to the person, the person walked past Wei ying without any emotion.