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“Jiujiu!”
Jin Ling’s anguished scream echoed through the forest, but ultimately fell on deaf ears, because Sect Leader Jiang was dead, dead in his nephew’s arms, all his fire and spark and gruff compassion erased with a single arrow.
“Sect… Leader…” Sizhui’s voice, distant and shocked from where he knelt on the ground, eyes locked on the Sect Leader’s slack face with an expression Zizhen couldn’t begin to decipher.
“Don’t leave me!” Jin Ling begged with all the frantic desperation of an abandoned child, cradling his uncle’s face with a shaking hand, “Don’t leave me, Jiujiu, Jiujiu, please don’t leave! Wake up! Wake up! You promised I’d never be alone, you promised, you promised you’d always be there, always! Wake up, please, I’ll be good, Jiujiu, I’ll be good, I’ll be good, I’ll be good…” He broke off into heaving sobs, wrenching from his throat as he hunched over his uncle’s body, clutching him close as if he could keep him warm, as if he could bring him back with sheer force of will. Zizhen ached to go to him, but before he could take so much as a step, Sect Leader Jiang’s bracer began to glow. Zizhen watched as it slithered up the Sect Leader’s unmoving wrist and onto Jin Ling’s, curling around his thin wrist with a slight squeeze, as if to comfort him, before dimming.
Zizhen knew what that meant, and he saw the exact moment Jin Ling registered it as well. His heart clenched in his chest as Jin Ling’s eyes went wide, as he crushed his uncle’s limp body to his chest and screamed -
Zizhen woke up with a wrenching wail of his own, Jin Ling’s screams echoing in his head as he lurched upright, hunching over to clutch at his chest and try to control his breathing, trying desperately to blink away the image of Sect Leader Jiang’s lifeless figure, the desolation in Sizhui’s eyes, the wrenching torturous grief on Jin Ling’s face-
“A-Zhen!” his father’s voice made him jump, turning a tearstained face up to see the frazzled man settling at the edge of the bed, pulling him into his arms without hesitation, “A-Zhen, what happened? Are you alright?”
“Baba!” he melted into the hug, burrowing shamelessly into his chest as he shook with sobs, uncaring of his father’s sleep-rumpled state, tangling his fingers into unbound hair and haphazardly tossed on sleep robes and clinging tight, “I-I’m okay. I’m okay. I-I just.. It was just a v-vision.”
“A bad one?” Father guessed gently, stroking his back soothingly, and Zizhen nodded shakily, “Involving you?”
“No… No, not me.”
“Who?” Father urged softly, always so careful with him after a vision, “You’re distraught. One of your friends?” Zizhen nodded again, pressing his face harder into his father’s chest.
“Sect L-Leader Jiang is going to die.” he sniffled, and Father jolted.
“What?” he pulled back to look at him, grasping his shoulders tightly, “When? How?”
“He-He’s gonna take an arrow to protect his nephew.” Zizhen wiped his eyes, lip wobbling, “I don’t know when. At night, I think, i-in a forest. I didn’t recognize the area.”
“Hm.” Father looked troubled. He both respected and feared Sect Leader Jiang in equal measure, so it must have been jarring to be reminded that such a man was still mortal in the end, “Then we must prepare for the upheaval that will cause.”
The without being too obvious went unspoken. Sect Leader Ouyang had become skilled over the years at passing off the incredible foresight of his clan as simple luck. He’d had little choice but to hone his talent for deflection after a four year old Zizhen had calmly asked him when the medical pavilion was going to catch fire, because he’d had a dream that it would, and his dreams always came true. And when the medical pavilion indeed caught fire two days later, Sect Leader Ouyang’s world had been turned upside down.
Zizhen remembered blinking inquisitively up at him in the blazing light of the inferno, wondering why he looked so pale and shaken, why he was looking at him and not the chaos around them as everyone else scrambled to fight the blaze. He remembered being scooped up into his father’s arms and held close, a trembling hand stroking his hair as lips at his forehead whispering harried promises of safety and protection. Promises that Baba loved him no matter what. That Baba would never let anyone harm him.
Once the fire was contained and the shock had abated somewhat, the Sect Leader had done what he had to in order to protect his son’s secret, disposing of anyone who had heard Zizhen’s prediction and strictly impressing upon the boy the importance of secrecy, that he must tell no one about his dreams, no one except Baba. Zizhen shared almost all of his predictions with his father as he grew, little ones like Healer Yin’s baby is gonna be a girl, big ones like the scary man in red and black is gonna fall off a cliff, and even extremely scary ones like a man in Lan white is gonna paralyze me by accident. Sect Leader Ouyang took every prediction in stride, thinking deeply on each one before taking any action, wary of drawing too much attention to his sect, to his son.
His father was smarter than the world gave him credit for. Oh, he was overbearing, opinionated, rude, clingy, and an absolute nightmare when it came to Zizhen’s future marriage prospects, but never once had he pushed Zizhen or pressured him for predictions, never once had he treated Zizhen as an asset more than a son. Zizhen grew up knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he was loved, that his father would love him even if he was powerless.
Even when the dreams started happening while he was awake, giving him a reputation as a daydreaming oddball who probably had something wrong with him.
“I have to stop it.” Zizhen sniffled, his breathing finally starting to even out, though the trembling showed no sign of stopping, “I have to save Sect Leader Jiang, I have to do something. What good am I if I can’t?”
“You’re my son.” Father murmured, rocking him gently, “The greatest treasure of my life, even if you drive me to drink at times. You’re my boy, there’s not a thing in the world that could change that. If you can save Sect Leader Jiang, that’s wonderful, but do not feel guilty if you can’t.”
But he would feel guilty. If he failed to save Jin Ling’s uncle, he’d never forgive himself. The loss would shatter Jin Ling, and even all three of his friends would be hard-pressed to put him back together again. Zizhen was the one with foresight, he had the power to predict danger and try to avert it. He knew things his friends couldn’t imagine, knew the general trajectory of their lives and how to direct them to the best possible outcome.
He knew Sizhui was going to become the Lan Sect Leader, that he’d be beloved for his kindness, beauty, and mercy. He knew he’d develop a temper, there being at least one occasion where Jingyi would be in danger and Sizhui would display a fury unseen since Chifeng-Zun. He also knew that he would kiss Sizhui one day, the man taking Zizhen’s face in trembling hands and kissing him softly, breath hitching and face soft with blissful wonder, like he couldn’t believe he was allowed this.
He knew Jin Ling would drag his sect into line kicking and screaming, not tolerating corruption or greed or lechery of any kind, declaring his intent to mold the Jin sect into the shining beacon of hope and guidance it was supposed to be. He also knew that he would kiss Jin Ling someday, the temperamental youth shoving Zizhen against a wall and kissing him with a growl of long-repressed need, clutching him tight like he thought someone might take Zizhen away from him.
He knew Jingyi was going to accidentally strike him in the back during a chaotic battle, badly damaging his spine and taking away the use of his legs for the rest of his life. He knew Jingyi would torture himself over it, haunted by guilt and near mad with the horror of what he’d done. He knew their friends, including Zizhen, would forgive him with time, though Zizhen’s father never would. He also knew that he would kiss Jingyi someday, the distraught man on his knees clinging to Zizhen’s useless legs like a child, head in his lap as he sobbed apologies and words of love, heaving a shuddering gasp when Zizhen lifted his chin and wiped his tears, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to trembling lips, cradling his face as Jingyi clung to him like a drowning man finding land.
The memory of those visions, warm and sweet, almost eclipsed the terror of what he’d dreamed about tonight, what he now knew was coming.
Almost.
For now, he clung to his father and let himself be comforted, vowing to figure out how to save Sect Leader Jiang once he was thinking more clearly.
—-
A white rabbit was nestled in between four large rats, seeming comfortable and content, fast asleep as the rats sniffed at it and groomed its fur. Zizhen crouched over them, watching them curiously.
“Rats don’t normally cohabitate with rabbits.” he blinked, “How’d you manage this?”
“Xiongzhang’s rats are special.” Hanguang-Jun murmured, managing to look elegant even surrounded by excited rabbits and curious rats, “They’re good, and sweet. If Xiongzhang tells them you’re a friend, and you treat them well, they’ll do anything for you.” A rat nuzzled between the rabbit’s ears, uttering a happy little squeak, and Zizhen giggled.
“They’re so cute!” he cooed, “They love each other, Hanguang-Jun!”
“Mn.” he nodded, “The rats have always loved the rabbits.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re mine.” he said matter-of-factly, and Zizhen turned to look curiously at him.
“Because they’re yours?”
“Mn.” Hanguang-Jun’s regal face almost looked soft, “They love my rabbits because my brother loves me.”
“Zizhen!”
Zizhen blinked back into awareness to see Jingyi’s face inches from his, his hands at his shoulders gripping him tightly, his expression one of tense concern.
“Jingyi?” he blinked slowly, and Jingyi’s face crumpled.
“There you are!” he dragged Zizhen into his arms, hugging him tight enough to crush the wind from his lungs, “You went away again! You weren’t responding to us!”
“Ah… s-sorry…” he wheezed, returning the hug with a comforting pat to Jingyi’s back, “I don’t do it on purpose.”
“Are you alright?” Sizhui came up beside them, brow furrowed with worry, and Zizhen gave him a reassuring smile.
“I’m okay.” he said, and then added teasingly, “Aiyah, you guys worry too much. Like wives, all of you.”
“If you don’t want us to bug you, don’t go away like that.” Jin Ling glared, as if he could keep Zizhen grounded by sheer force of will, “I hate it when you go away.”
“I know, I know.” he laughed, reaching over to tug at one of his hair adornments, earning a fierce scowl, “Like I said, I don’t do it on purpose.”
“Well, fix it!” he huffed as Jingyi reluctantly released him, “It’s creepy, and dangerous!”
“He loses sleep over it.” Sizhui murmured to Zizhen, a smile curving his lips, and Jin Ling bristled.
“I don’t!” he snapped “But what’s gonna happen if you drift away like that in a fight, or in a dangerous area? What if someone mugs you while you’re drifting, or you fall off a boat again?”
The boat incident, as they all called it, had been a stressful day at Lotus Pier where Zizhen had drifted into a vision and not been able to adjust his balance with the movement of their boat, toppling over the side and into the murky water below. He hadn’t been aware of anything happening during the vision, only realizing something had occurred when he came back to the present to find himself lying drenched on the floor of the boat, with his equally soaked friends kneeling over him looking five seconds away from qi deviation.
“Then you’ll have to jump in after me again, A-Ling.” he teased, grinning as the other man flushed a brilliant red.
“I didn’t jump in after you!” he denied vehemently, “It wasn’t me, I wouldn’t have bothered saving your dumb ass!”
“You did, though.” Zizhen grinned.
“You did.” Sizhui nodded.
“You did.” Jingyi smirked, flourishing dramatically, “Like a dashing prince, you leapt heroically into the water and rescued our damsel in distress. You carried him in your arms like a princess, regal and lordly, I just about swooned at the sight.”
“Jingyi, I’m going to break your legs!” Jin Ling hissed as the group dissolved into laughter, his scowl weakening somewhat at the amused smile Sizhui sent his way.
“He teases to show affection.” he said kindly, and Jin Ling snorted haughtily.
“See how affectionate he feels when I liberate his head from his body with a single punch!”
“Don’t worry, A-Ling, Jingyi will get his due eventually.” Zizhen teased, “One day when we’re weak and infirm, he’ll be the one who has to carry us around like princesses.” Jingyi puffed out his chest at that, grinning confidently.
“If A-Zhen is ever too ill to walk, then I’ll happily carry him for the rest of my life!” he declared, and Zizhen couldn’t fight a fond smile. Jingyi truly had no idea how true his words would turn out to be if Zizhen couldn’t avert the whole paralysis eventuality.
“Oh, you’d still love me even if you had to carry me everywhere?” he batted his eyes, genuinely curious to hear the answer.
“We would fight each other for the privilege.” Sizhui murmured fondly, and Jin Ling snorted.
“Dumbass.” he reached over to tweak his ear, “We’d get you a wheeled chair, obviously, we’re not carting your lazy ass everywhere.”
“Speak for yourself, I’d fight the chair!” Jingyi exclaimed, “No dumb chair is gonna have Zizhen sit on it when I’m right there!” Jin Ling went bright red, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
“S-Shameless!” he exclaimed, scandalized, and Jingyi smirked.
“That’s right, I’m absolutely shameless.” he winked, “I’d be A-Zhen’s chair, his sword, his blanket and his pillow, I’d be whatever, I’m a sure thing, he doesn’t even have to buy me dinner.”
“Ugh.” Jin Ling jabbed a finger at him, “You are so… so gauche!”
“Says the Young Mistress of Gauche City!” Jingyi retorted.
“You’re the one talking about Zizhen so crudely!”
“And I’d say the same things about you and Sizhui!”
“Try it and die!”
Zizhen laughed brightly as they descended into an argument, heart swelling when Sizhui wordlessly laced their fingers together with a soft laugh of his own.
—-
Sect Leader Nie was the one who found him in the secret passage, covered in blood with his sword buried in the chest of an assassin who hadn’t expected a junior to intercept him. The infamously dramatic Headshaker gasped, eyes wide and face pale, trembling as he stared at Zizhen with horror.
“What… What did you do?” he asked fearfully, shaky and frightened, “Master Ouyang, what did you do!?”
“He was going to kill Jin Ling.” he said honestly, “No one would have stopped him in time.”
“And how could you possibly know that!?” he exclaimed, looking like he’d faint at any moment, and Zizhen absolutely would have believed his act had he not known for years that the man was a shapeshifter capable of some truly world-class acting.
“I know a lot of things.” Zizhen said defiantly, yanking the sword out of the assassin’s chest, “For example, I know you’re a mutant and you hate the Chief Cultivator.” Sect Leader Nie startled at that, blinking his big eyes at him as if to say Who, me?
“How could you say that?” he asked, distraught, “How could you accuse me of something like that? I’m not… A-And A-Yao is my dear friend, he-“
“He tried to kill your brother.” Zizhen cut off what would have become a rant, watching those teary eyes sharpen in response, a flash of the spider hiding behind the fly, “He played a healing song incorrectly, you only found out because you took Chifeng-Zun’s form and Jin Guangyao thought you were him. Your brother couldn’t recognize the difference in the song, but you could.”
Sect Leader Nie was quiet then, looking at him with an analytical gaze, the teary-eyed act dropped as easy as a mask. It was almost scary to watch how his face changed, the boyish airhead shifting into a cunning strategist almost too subtly to see.
“You appear to be privy to a lot of things you shouldn’t be, Ouyang Zizhen.” he said quietly, calmly reaching into his sleeve to pull out a fan, flicking it open, “Care to explain how?”
“I kinda had to put them together with context clues.” he admitted, turning his attention to his bloodied sword, grimacing as he produced a cloth to begin wiping it clean. Sect Leader Nie hummed thoughtfully, his eyes clear and curious.
“And what clues were those?” he asked calmly.
“Promise not to hurt me if I tell?” Zizhen asked, and Sect Leader Nie’s face did something complicated, the fluttering of his fan stilling briefly.
“I… I try not to hurt people without a damn good reason.” he murmured after a beat, “I won’t harm you. Unless you earn it.”
Eh… that was good enough for Zizhen.
“I’m a mutant too.” he said simply, and oh it felt so damn good to finally tell someone, to speak the truth he’d hidden his whole life. Sect Leader Nie blinked, cocking his head with a thoughtful hum, mind clearly racing.
“The Ouyang sect… is very lucky.” he murmured, calculating, “Extraordinarily so, now that I think on it. Always coming out alright no matter the misfortune, always prepared in the event of political upheaval. Just fortunate enough to avoid suspicion.”
“Yeah, that’d be me.” Zizhen finished cleaning his sword, sheathing it with a frown, “Well, me and my dad. He’s not the brightest, sure, but he’s not an idiot. He’s kept my secret my whole life while also helping the sect with my power.”
“And what is your power, Ouyang Zizhen?”
“I… I see things before they happen.” he said quietly, “Sometimes it’s like I live them, sometimes it’s just a flash of sound and visuals. I can have visions of people I know or total strangers, but the ones involving myself or my loved ones are stronger. Clearer.” Sect Leader Nie seemed to take his words in stride, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, taking a moment to process it.
“And this… clairvoyance. Is that how you knew about the situation with my brother?” he asked calmly, though he closed his fan.
“Yeah. I was little and I saw a vision of a man in yellow playing a song for Chifeng-Zun, but when he left the room Chifeng-Zun changed into you and you looked confused. Suspicious.”
“And that’s how you figured everything out?” Sect Leader Nie asked skeptically, “All your knowledge, cleverly deduced from one premonition?”
“No.” he shook his head, “I started to put it together when Chifeng-Zun fell into his coma and Zewu-Jun mentioned something about a song that hadn’t worked. I was young back then, but I could still put pieces together. I figured it was the song the Chief Cultivator had played, the one you looked troubled by. I also guessed that you had figured it out by then. Little me thought you looked smart.”
Sect Leader Nie was quiet, his eyes distant in a way that implied deep thought. Zizhen let him think, confident that he wouldn’t kill him, not now. He still had yet to kiss his boys, had yet to be carried around in Jingyi’s strong arms, and watch Sizhui become Sect Leader, and see the Jin sect flourish under Jin Ling’s rule.
No, he knew for a fact that he wouldn’t die here.
“Ah… Ouyang Zizhen.” the Sect Leader shook his head, a wry smile playing at his lips, “It seems you are someone I do not want to make an enemy of.”
“Ah.” he blinked, surprised, “I’ll take that as a compliment, Sect Leader.”
“As you should.” he gently tapped Zizhen’s nose with his fan, “You have the potential to be a very dangerous man, Master Ouyang. I will endeavor to stay out of your way, and hope that should any terrible event threaten my sect, you’ll let me know.”
“Ah, I-I’m not dangerous.” he laughed nervously, flushing slightly, “But yeah, I’ll warn you if I see anything major heading your way.”
“Thank you kindly.” Sect Leader Nie smiled, bowing respectfully before turning away, seeming content to just leave the body there to rot. Zizhen turned to leave as well, but he’d taken less than five steps before the Sect Leader spoke again.
“Young Master?” he called, and Zizhen turned to look quizzically at him. The Sect Leader was facing away from him, but his grip on his fan was tight, his voice carefully neutral.
“Yes?” Zizhen blinked.
“Will… Will my brother ever wake up?” And for a moment he seemed so small, so young despite his age. Every bit the fragile little brother Chifeng-Zun must have known him as. Zizhen felt a pang of sympathy.
“I don’t know.” he replied softly, “I’m not… I’m not all-powerful, or all-seeing. I see whatever my power wants me to see, when it wants me to.”
“It doesn’t happen at will?” he asked, and Zizhen shook his head, “That must make it difficult to stay ahead of everything.”
“I… Large-scale drama and politics isn’t… it’s not something I care about.” Zizhen said honestly, “I just want to enjoy life and be with my friends. I just want to live normally.”
“I was… much the same, once.” the Sect Leader murmured wistfully, sighing before turning his head slightly, a half-glance over his shoulder, “Your power, you can’t control it at all?”
“The visions happen randomly.” he confirmed, “Last time I tried to force one I got nothing but a headache and some temporary blindness. Dad was a nightmare for days.”
“Hm… Perhaps we can look into training you.” Sect Leader Nie offered, flicking open his fan and turning away once more, “Imagine how unstoppable you and your friends would be if you could peek into the future at will.”
“Are you trying to manipulate me into needing you so I won’t be a threat?” Zizhen asked bluntly, and the Sect Leader laughed, not unkindly.
“Is it working?” he asked cheekily, and Zizhen had to at least compliment his transparency. He thought about it for a moment, trying to look at the offer from all angles. On one hand, he didn’t trust Sect Leader Nie as far as he could throw him, and his father would weep if he began openly associating with the Headshaker. Also the Sect Leader’s power was much different from Zizhen’s, and there was no guarantee his training would be of any use at all.
On the other hand, having the ability to protect his friends, to see any and all danger before it happened… that was something he couldn’t pass up. If he turned down the offer of training, however slim the chances of success, and then something happened to someone he loved, he’d live with that regret for the rest of his life.
He glanced at the cooling body of the assassin, picturing what would have happened to Jin Ling if Zizhen hadn’t just happened to have that particular vision, and that more than anything else was what ultimately swayed his decision.
“You can train me?” he asked, “Even though our powers are nothing alike?” Sect Leader Nie turned to face him again, a smile on his face.
“I’ve found that many powers, however different, require similar techniques to hone.” he said, “And even if I cannot train you, I know several other mutants who could. I’ll happily introduce you.” Zizhen blinked, and then brightened, hopeful at the prospect of meeting other mutants.
“Yes!”
—-
Despite Zizhen’s best efforts, he hadn’t been able to save Sect Leader Jiang in the end.
But apparently that didn’t matter at all, because Sizhui had just… brought him back to life. Resurrected him like it was nothing. Because it turned out Sizhui was a mutant. His beautiful wonderful perfect Sizhui had been a mutant this whole time, and not just any mutant, but an insanely powerful one.
For once in Zizhen’s life he could confidently say that he had not seen that coming.
Sizhui looked so small right now, kneeling hunched and nervous like he expected them to turn on them, and Zizhen felt a surge of protectiveness. He glanced around and was gratified to see the feeling echoed in the faces of his fellow juniors, in the shocked yet determined set of Jingyi’s jaw and the wild gratitude in Jin Ling’s eyes. Even Sect Leader Jiang, though still shaken and pale, had a tellingly stubborn look in his eyes.
Mutant or not, no one would lay a hand on Lan Sizhui while they drew breath.
“Fucking hell.” Sect Leader Jiang rubbed at his eyes with the arm not wrapped tight around his nephew, “Fucking hell, are there any other life-altering revelations to be had today?” The question was sarcastic, but Zizhen glanced at Sizhui, his bowed head and trembling hands, and felt the aching need to comfort him, to show him he wasn’t alone, to take some of the scrutiny off of him.
Besides, there would never be a funnier time for this.
“I can see the future.” he announced, and all heads snapped to him.
“I-You-Wha-'' Jingyi slammed a fist down on the ground, still reeling from the revelation of his best friend’s massive secret, “Not funny, Zizhen! Not the time for jokes!”
“I’m not joking!” he exclaimed, “Where do you think I go when I drift away? Why do you think I’ve been so weird about this fight? Did you think I was sticking so close to Sect Leader Jiang because of his sparkling personality?” That at least seemed to catch everyone’s attention, Jingyi and Sizhui gaping at him as Sect Leader Jiang’s annoyed scowl turned dangerous. Jin Ling’s red-rimmed eyes stared unblinkingly at him, looking so lost and confused and shattered. It broke Zizhen’s heart.
“You… You knew this would happen?” he rasped, and Zizhen bit his lip nervously.
“I did.” he admitted, “I-I’m sorry, Jin Ling. I tried to save him, I really did. It all just… happened so fast. B-But it’s okay, because Sizhui saved him, and I… Wow, I really didn’t see that coming…”
“You’re not joking…” Jingyi breathed, hunching over slightly as if to stabilize himself, “You’re not jo… Oh… Oh gods…”
“Jingyi-“ Zizhen tried, but Jingyi shook his head.
“Just shut up for a second-“ he gasped, looking seconds away from a panic attack.
“A-Yi, breathe-“
“Hnnnn shut up!” Sizhui stood on shaky legs, giving Zizhen’s shoulder a comforting squeeze as he went to kneel by Jingyi, rubbing his back and murmuring soothingly to him. Jingyi collapsed into his chest, curling in on himself as he fought to get ahold of himself, and Zizhen tore his eyes away to give them some privacy, digging his fingers into the soil to stop himself from flying over and dragging them both into his arms.
His gaze fell to Jin Ling instead, who looked at him like he didn’t know who he was anymore.
“Zizhen…?” he mumbled, distant and dazed, and Zizhen felt guilt clench harshly in his chest as he wrapped his arms around himself, a self-comforting habit he’d never broken.
“I… You’re going to be a fantastic Sect Leader, A-Ling.” he murmured for lack of anything else to say, and Jin Ling’s lip wobbled threateningly, “You and A-Yuan both.”
“Sect Leader?” Sizhui’s voice drew his attention, and Zizhen looked over to see him watching him with wide eyes, Jingyi breathing a little easier in his arms, “Me?”
“What, you think Zewu-Jun’s going to be having kids?” he teased, desperate to lighten the mood, and Sizhui didn’t seem to have an answer for that. Sect Leader Jiang glanced between them with narrowed eyes, clearly working something out.
“Who else knows?” he demanded, sharp in a manner that seemed furious, but any who knew him would recognize the protectiveness in his tone, “Who else knows about you? Both of you.”
“N-No one knows about me.” Sizhui murmured, running his hands through Jingyi’s hair.
“My father knows about me.” Zizhen said, “Ah, and um… and Nie Huaisang.”
“And Nie Huaisang?” Sect Leader Jiang asked incredulously, and Zizhen gave a sheepish smile.
“He sort of… stumbled upon me killing an assassin in Lanling and I had to explain how I knew exactly which secret passage to intercept him in.” he admitted, and Jin Ling’s eyes narrowed, darting to the side as if remembering something.
“An assassin in Lanling?” Sect Leader Jiang’s face darkened. Zizhen nodded.
“Yes.” he said, carefully not looking at Jin Ling. “I had a vision of him poisoning Jin Ling’s evening tea, so I stopped him. He wasn’t expecting to run into anyone in the secret passage, let alone an Ouyang junior, so I got the drop on him.”
“Jiujiu…” Jin Ling rasped, pressing closer to the man as if seeking comfort, “I know which assassin he’s talking about. The one found dead in the secret passage near my room, with poison in his sleeve. No one else knew about him, and I didn’t tell anyone. Zizhen… Zizhen shouldn’t know about that. He couldn’t.” Sect Leader Jiang’s frown deepened, and he looked at Zizhen like he was trying to decide if he was a threat or not. It was absolutely not a look he ever wanted to be on the receiving end of, especially not from the notorious Sandu Shengshou.
“You… saved A-Ling?” Sizhui’s soft voice thankfully drew everyone’s attention, his eyes wide and awed, and Zizhen blushed.
“Once or twice.” he mumbled, “I-I’m working on honing my power, so the visions are less random. I… I wanna be useful to you guys, you know? You’re all so strong and powerful and important and I’m like… some guy, you know? If I’m useful, if I can protect you guys, then I-“
“Shut up.” Jingyi stood, wiping his eyes before determinedly striding towards him, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms tightly around Zizhen, “You shut up with that right now! I’m so so mad at you both for keeping secrets from me, but I absolutely won’t tolerate that kind of talk! You don’t have to be useful, we don’t care what you can do for us! We want you around, all the time, not just because you’re useful, A-Zhen, but because we love having you around!”
“He’s right.” Sizhui murmured, following Jingyi to wrap his arms around them both, burying his face in Zizhen’s hair, “We want you around because you’re our friend, you’re dear to us.”
“But don’t think for a second that our love for you will get you out of an interrogation.” Jingyi said threateningly, “You too, Sizhui. A-Ling and I are gonna have so many questions!”
“We will answer them to the best of our ability.” Sizhui laughed quietly, laying his head on Zizhen’s head, “Just please be patient with us, A-Yi, A-Ling.”
“Asking those two to be patient is like asking Sect Leader Yao to be cool.” Zizhen teased, earning a snort from everyone, even Sect Leader Jiang.
“Honestly, I think he would actually die if he tried.” Jingyi sniffed, and Zizhen hummed.
“No, that’s not how Sect Leader Yao is gonna die.” he said, and everyone looked at him with wide eyes.
“You know?” Jingyi asked incredulously.
“I do.” Zizhen laughed, and at Jingyi’s hopeful look he added, “And I’m not telling.”
“A-Zhen, I’m gonna kill you with a rock.” Jingyi moaned, dropping his head onto Zizhen’s shoulder, “Cruel, so cruel to your A-Yi, so mean and cruel!”
“Ugh, just kiss already.” Jin Ling groaned, making a visible effort to pull himself together in the face of their antics, and Zizhen grinned.
“We’re gonna, at some point.” he winked, “I kiss all of you at least once, I’ve seen it.”
And well, that just set off a whole new wave of clamor and chaos.