Chapter Text
The lake is dry.
The lake… is dry.
Why is the lake dry?!
Wei Ying stands at what once was the waters edge of his beautiful island in Biling Lake but is now nothing but a muddy slope down to the lakebottom and what looks like a big black writhing mess in the middle of the dry lake. Staring left and right changes nothing, the water is gone and with it Wei Ying’s breakfast, lunch and dinner.
He should have listened to Zhao Zhuliu and become a farmer instead.
…Wait no, if the water is gone from the lake how would that help?! The crops would die anyway! Besides this island is not large enough to farm on!
Why is his lake gone!? His beautiful lake filled with carp and anchovy and icefish and… and… other fish…
Wei Ying falls to his knees in despair. Who would just go and dry up a lake like this?! Wait… GusuLan! It has to be those dammed cultivators! They always mess things up! Last time it was Lan Wangji… his perfect face… and pretty golden eyes… taking his traps on the other side of the shore and before that it was Lan Xichen with his stupid smile stopping him from stealing some lotus seeds from a lake.
…Sure Lan Xichen had paid for the seeds and let him keep them but still! It’s the principle of the matter!
They never let him have his fun!
“Why!?” He cries dramatically. Behind him he hears footsteps in the soft grass come closer.
“Waterborne abyss.” Is the only thing that smug bastard Zhao Zhuliu says.
“What? Waterborne abyss? Isn’t that a water demon? …That is formed when people drown?” Wei Ying asks remembering the cultivation lessons Zhao Zhuliu has given him. He jumps up from his position on the ground and points accusingly at the older man “People don’t drown that often in Biling Lake!”
“Hm.” Zhao Zhulius face doesn’t even twitch as he throws Wei Yings fish basket at him. “Go catch mud crabs or something. There should still be plently left in the mud.”
After that he walks off without another word, leaving Wei Ying to wade around in the mud. Which he does. For hours. Being pinched and attacked by furious crustaceans that probably are blaming their bad day on him. Which is rude! Because he is having an equally bad day. Sure he isn’t going to get eaten but they aren’t being messed with by Lan Wangji!
He catches one crab which looks ugly and mean, he lifts it up to stare into its little eyes and grins at it. Its pinchers snap at him but he holds it away from himself.
“Honestly buddy, you should have moved earlier. The real-estate value has really gone down in recent days. It’s your own fault for-“ With a mean look the crab pinches him on the cheek. “Ouch! You little-! See if I give you anymore life advice!”
He stuffs the rude crustacean into his basket before finally returning to the shore to hopefully be able to take a bath and eat something. He slowly trudges back to the small hut he and Zhao Zhuliu live in, fighting his muddy robes and the crustaceans trying to escape their fate of becoming a delicious meal.
When he finally reaches the hut he pushes open the door with a shout.
“Zhuliu-gege! Look what I found!” He opens the basket and shows it off like an over-eager puppy waiting for a treat.
“…Don’t track mud inside.” Is the only comment from Zhao Zhuliu. Wei Ying pouts only to realise a moment later that Zhao Zhuliu is in the middle of cutting up a big carp. He blinks a few times before shouting.
“Where did you get the fish?!”
“…The other side of the island.” Zhuliu says looking pleased with himself, a tiny smirk forming on his face.
“Wha- what!! But the lake is dry?! Are you telling me you made me wade around in the mud all day for no reason!” Wei Ying shouts feeling extremely betrayed.
“Be more observant.” Zhao Zhuliu says simply and stands up to take the basket of now pointless crabs from him. “Go take a bath and change.”
Wei Ying stumbles out of the hut like a corpse, feeling cold and miserable. He makes his way around the hut to the bathing tub that usually stands empty in the back only to stop in delight as he sees the warm water already in the tub and next to it an old crate with a clean change of clothes on it.
With a loud cheer Wei Ying undresses quickly, washes his hair in a smaller tub before jumping into the bathing tub to soak for a while.
After the bath and a change of clothes Wei Ying finally feels like himself. No, he feels like a much improved Wei Ying! Like a… Wei Ying that has been praised by Lan Wangji! That has been smiled at by Lan Wangji!
A dopey smile stretches out over his face, before he catches himself, shakes his head hard enough to get dizzy.
Inside the hut again Zhao Zhuliu serves him a steaming bowl of fish soup.
“Eat. Tomorrow we are leaving.”
“Eh?”
“…A waterborne abyss is currently camped outside our doorstep.” Zhuliu looks at him critically. “I have no desire to become its lunch.”
“But shouldn’t it be stuck now? It shouldn’t be too dangerous for us.” Wei Ying had lived in this hut for almost as long as he had known Zhao Zhuliu, he had no desire to move away. “Besides where would we go?”
“…Cloud Recesses.”
“…What?”
With a heavy sigh Zhao Zhuliu places his own soup bowl down before staring at Wei Ying for a long moment. The younger man fidgets under his stare before pouting.
“The Lan sect is holding a study year in the Cloud Recesses. I have contacted Lan Qiren and asked him to allow you to attend it.”
“WHAT?!”