Chapter Text
Mo Ran rested his chin on Chu Wanning’s shoulder as he watched the other’s hands carefully fold the dumplings. The smile stuck to his face vanished in an instant when he recalled how he’d thought the wontons were made by Shi Mei, how stupid. He truly was blind.
It’s different now.
He’ll cherish Chu Wanning, respect him and love him after all the tragedies he had caused Chu Wanning especially with the many misunderstandings.
“Tomorrow is Taxian-Jun's day.”
Chu Wanning replied with a simple mn.
Just saying Taxian-Jun made Mo Ran want to throw up. When he was Taxian-Jun, he had imprisoned his shizun, defiled him, forcefully tugged him down from his title of Yuheng Elder, Beidou Immortal and shattered the man’s golden core. The times he’d forcefully feed Chu Wanning food he disliked, and all the crimes he had committed kept rushing back when he felt truly happy with Chu Wanning; In vino veritas.
So this was Mea culpa.
The pain is nothing. The guilt is worse.
He couldn’t help himself, apologizing consistently when they woke up in each other’s arms. Chu Wanning of course, from the goodness of his heart kept on lecturing him that nothing was his fault and that he didn’t need to apologize.
Mo Ran felt himself smile when Chu Wanning shyly handed him the prepared bowl of wontons, all for him. Tears also pricked his eyes as he held the bowl in his hands. The wontons steamed gently in the porcelain bowl, their delicate skins half-submerged in clear broth. A soft scent of ginger and white pepper rose with the steam, it felt clean, warm and familiar. He stared down at them, unmoving, as if he was hesitant to even eat them.
Shizun had prepared these. Chu Wanning , the untouchable Beidou Immortal had rolled each of them by hand carefully.
Mo Ran’s throat tightened.
In his past life he would have sneered. He had flung the bowl aside, accused Chu Wanning of making a piss poor copy of Shi Mei’s wontons, watched the pain flicker through those proud eyes. He had convinced himself Chu Wanning deserved it.
Now, seated in the soft light of the Red Lotus Pavillion, Mo Ran couldn’t bring himself to lift a spoon. He had seen Chu Wanning’s brows draw together, lips pressed together into a thin line as worked alone in the kitchen, deciding to make something for an excuse of a disciple who had once hated him and misunderstood all his kind gestures as cruel.
He almost wished the broth would burn his undeserving hands that still had the remnants of blood from Taxian-Jun's past crimes.
None the less he whispered, “thank you.”
Chu Wanning blinked a couple of times at the younger’s reaction and raised his wide sleeve to wipe away the tears that fled down the healthy tan skin of Mo Ran’s face. Mo Ran tried to smile, closing his eyes and thanked Chu Wanning profusely for the wontons.
By the time he opened his eyes, Chu Wanning wasn’t there. All he had were the wontons made by his shizun but the man wasn’t there in front of him.
The porcelain bowls in his hands still steamed. The broth quivered, golden and rich, and the wontons floated innocently.
“Shizun..” He murmured, glancing around. “Shizun?!”
Yet no answer.
His grip tightened on the bowl.
This wasn’t his timeline. This wasn’t even his world. The spiritual signatures, the qi in the air, even the temperature of the wind; it was all off!
This wasn’t the courtyard of Red Lotus Pavillion or Sisheng Peak.
Where the heck is he?!
He rolled to his feet instinctively, the heavy lion-head belt at his waist clinking faintly. His nearly-black blue robes rippled with the motion, the silver trim catching stray sunlight like glittering frost. The armor weighed familiar against his shoulders. The half-eaten bowl of wontons steamed nearby, somehow undisturbed.
In the end he wandered.
The land was too clean like it had never been spoilt by a real war. This realm was soft, too light.
He knelt down, picking up the bowl with both hands and sat cross-legged in the wild grass, eating the wontons slowly, every bite softened the dread twisting his insides.
A voice rang out sharply across the trees. “There’s someone there!”
Mo Ran didn’t bother hiding.
Two cultivators in green robed emerged cautiously from behind the ridge. One of them, tall with broad shoulders, sharp eyes with wavy hair pulled into a ponytail, raised a hand as if to halt. The other one, wielding a fan and a deeply suspicious expression, narrowed his eyes at him.
Mo Ran straightened.
“Where am I?” he asked flatly. His voice held no fear but a clear message of urgency. “Where is Chu Wanning?
The two cultivators exchanged a glance.
“Who?” The taller one asked warily.
Mo Ran’s expression didn’t change but his eyes sharpened.
He repeated, “Chu Wanning. Tall. Pale. Wears white. My-”
His voice was caught in a web.
“My Shizun.”
A green screen popped up beside Mo Ran, giving a 'ding!' sound as it formed pixel by pixel.
[Welcome HOST to Pride Immortal Demon Way Version 0.2! ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ ) System 1980 online. Activation code: Where is Chu Wanning? ]
Mo Ran blinked, the others couldn't see this... thing next to him??
How would he get home with the help of a green mechanical entity, especially through a world he doesn't know!
Hopefully Taxian-Jun doesn't cause the green and white cultivator and the demon to distrust them...