Work Text:
Wei Ying ran out of breath, the song had been paused for a second. He grasped for air while observing the concern in Lan Zhan's face. Inquiry had been played for a while on the guqin, no results.
There was no time to waste. ChenQing met the owner's lips again, the most powerful song he knew, WangXian, would not hold them away for much longer.
The haters were too numerous. Their weapons, the words thrown at Wei Wuxian, too harmful. He could only resist long enough for Lan WangJi look for that soul.
As that one note was played, though, Wangji was put aside.
“Wei Ying. Do not.”, Hanguang-jun said, no softness in his voice.
“We must go, then. Now.”
Both fled the scene as Haters put the barn down.
“No sign nof WangXian Fan?”
“Mn.”
They’ve wandered together for days and nights, no pauses during their search for the art connoisseur that went missing from AnKaiFu, which was supposed to be a land free from all evils, just like TuiWenEr. But the plague had spread over there. Artists from other places only noticed the situation because the kindest Patron never shown up at a major fair held at Qinghe. The few ones that survived the quest after the Patron told horrible stories about the folks converted into something even more horrifying than fierce corpses: creatures full of hatred, that cared for nothing good, converting the decent citizens into the horrible thing they were.
The survivors named them Haters.
Wei Wuxian noticed his husband’s fatigue. Although the quest was tough, he knew WangJi woudl not get drained easily. The Haters got to him, opening a wound that brought his darkest nightmares to surface.
The damage was enough to keep Wei Wuxian quiet as he treated Wangji’s wounds, wiping away any eventful tear before his dear Lan Zhan could see it.
ChengQing was played again, the sorrowful melody echoing through WaiTing Forest. An attempt to ease Lan Zhan’s heart.
But all he could think of was about the words Haters spillt. Hanguang-Jun had seen that before. The fall of his most beloved, who had to everything before losing himself and giving in to darkness due to people who acted just like the haters.
And Lan Wangji would never allow it to happen again.
To anyone.
Wangji on his lap, Inquiry was played again.
Where would WangXian Fan be?
How could the haters be stopped?
His tears touching the guqin, as he thought of losing Wei Ying again.
Oh, his man was brave enough to not ever get hurt by those. But people filled with hatred go for the weakest. If they were not stopped, the fate would be repeated, and the precious fragile life they managed to rebuild would be broken again.
There was no answer.
The blue light of Bichen illuminated the forest, as Hanguang-Jun got back on his feet.
He was about to end that for once.
He was gonna find WangXian Fan.
He was determined to take the kind Patron back with them, to Gusu.