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The Burial Mounds are… not as bad as Jiang Yanli imagined they would be. Wei Wuxian has made lots of new friends! (That is important; he’s used to just having A-Cheng, so it is very good to see him branching out). Wen Qing seems quite responsible, and her younger brother is also a very polite young man. The only thing that Jiang Yanli is worried about is the dark circles under Wei Wuxian’s eyes, but there’s not much that can be done to fix that; Jiang Yanli has long ago learned that her genius younger brother works on his own bizarre schedule.
“You have a lovely place here,” she tells Wen Qing. They have been left alone together on the main road leading through the Burial Mounds as Wei Wuxian drags Jiang Cheng off to go look at the boundary spells. “I can tell everyone is very happy to be here with you.”
Wen Qing’s perpetual frown momentarily softens. “Thank you,” she says quietly. “We work very hard to keep everyone safe…” she trails off and glances down the dirt path towards Wei Wuxian’s laboratory cave. Jiang Yanli keeps her expression light and neutral, and tries not to think of the pool of blood in there.
“You’re doing a wonderful job. I don’t know where Wei Wuxian would be without you!”
A hint of a smile tugs at Wen Qing’s mouth. “He’s quite a genius. I’m sure he’d be all right no matter what.”
“And yet, your radish crops are flourishing with no thanks to him.” Jiang Yanli lifts her sleeve to hide her own smile as Wen Qing laughs.
“Yes, on that account, we—”
Wen Qing breaks off, her eyes widening as they flicker up to something over Jiang Yanli’s left shoulder. That is all the warning that Jiang Yanli gets before there is a blade at her throat.
“If you like your head attached to your neck, I wouldn’t move right now,” says a voice that sounds as playful as a cheerful flame licking up a funeral pyre.
Jiang Yanli opens her mouth but nothing comes out. All she can think is, assassins found A-Xian. They are here to kill him. Dimly, she realizes that Wen Qing is not running to get help. She is standing still, arms crossed, lips pursed in—anger? Frustration? Jiang Yanli blinks.
Wen Qing does not look like a hunted woman. She looks mad.
“Sha Hualing,” she snaps, “Put down that knife right this instant.”
To Jiang Yanli’s immense surprise, the cool metal at her throat disappears. A young woman, presumably the owner of the flame-tongued voice, bounces into view. Jiang Yanli does a double take.
Oh. She’s not—
“Your robes,” she says aloud, alarm clear in her voice. “They’re all torn apart!”
The woman—Sha Hualing?—sticks out her tongue at Jiang Yanli. She really isn’t wearing much at all! A single bolt of Wen-red fabric slung across her chest, a loincloth wrapped around her hips, a few silver bracelets on her wrists and ankles—goodness, Jiang Yanli feels lightheaded.
“What’s wrong, lady? You’ve never seen a gorgeous demon girl before?” Sha Hualing strikes a pose and preens a little. “I think my outfit is pretty stylish. Don’t you?”
“A demon…?” Jiang Yanli looks nervously at Wen Qing, but the doctor is busy scowling at Sha Hualing.
“You’re so shameless,” she snaps. “Lady Jiang is a guest. She’s Wei Wuxian’s sister!”
“And I’m the Empress of Heaven!” Sha Hualing snipes back. “What do I care?” She turns pouty, sidling up to Wen Qing and draping herself over her arm. “Only I get to make Qingqing laugh.”
"Don’t call me that.” Irritated, Wen Qing tries to shrug off Sha Hualing, who clings on deftly like a burr. “You’re only here because of Wei Wuxian’s summoning spell. If he wanted to, he could send you back to the abyss you came from. Be more respectful to his family!”
Sha Hualing rolls her eyes back so far, Jiang Yanli momentarily fears for her health. But then she snaps to attention and aims a pointy-fanged grin in Jiang Yanli’s direction. “Jiejie,” she purrs, “It’s soooooo nice to meet you. I’m Sha Hualing, but you can call me…” she pauses for dramatic effect. “Wen Qing’s wife.”
Wen Qing smacks Sha Hualing’s hand off her arm. “What did I say!”
Sha Hualing clutches her hand and shoots Jiang Yanli a wounded look. “You see the abuse I suffer? Everyday this cruel husband beats me for his own twisted pleasures.”
“Stop it.” Wen Qing makes a shooing motion at Sha Hualing. “If you won’t behave, leave us alone.”
“Alone with this seductress?” Sha Hualing wrinkles her nose at Jiang Yanli. “I don’t think so. Unless…” she brightens. “Qingqing, surely your straw mat could fit three for one night!”
Jiang Yanli is certain she is blushing down to her bones. She may need to sit down. “Ah… that’s…”
“You brat!” Wen Qing lunges to pinch Sha Hualing’s pointy ear. (Pointy! How did Jiang Yanli think she was human?!) “She’s a respectable woman who is engaged to be married! Do you have no shame?”
“Ow, ow, ow!” Sha Hualing shrieks. “I’m sorry, okay? Let me go!”
“You’ll apologize to Jiang Yanli?”
Sha Hualing mutters something sulkily, and Wen Qing redoubles her grip.
“OW! Yes, fine!”
“And you’ll carry my basket for me after the next harvest.”
Sha Hualing whines. “You always pick the heaviest potatoes—”
“Yes or no.”
“Yes! Ah! Let me go!”
Wen Qing releases her, satisfied. Sha Hualing rubs at her ear, bottom lip jutting out. Jiang Yanli is reminded of Wei Wuxian’s plaintive, manipulative pouts when Jiang Cheng gets more lotus root in his soup than him, and something warm stirs in her heart.
“I’m sorry, jiejie,” mutters Sha Hualing, scuffing the ground with her foot. “I shouldn’t have been so shameless.”
“And…?” prompts Wen Qing expectantly.
“And I shouldn’t have threatened you with a knife.”
“Good.” Wen Qing looks satisfied. “Now I can make a proper introduction. Jiang Yanli, this is Sha Hualing, princess of the Demon Realm.” She pauses. “She’s in the Burial Mounds by accident. Wei Wuxian was trying to open a rift for teleporting goods and she fell through… In any case, we can’t seem to get rid of her.”
“And even if you could,” Sha Hualing says with a toothy grin, “you’d miss me too much.”
“And this,” Wen Qing continues as if she hadn’t heard Sha Hualing, “is Jiang Yanli, sister of the Yunmeng Jiang sect leader.”
Sha Hualing purses her lips and gives Jiang Yanli an unsubtle once-over. “Not very strong, are you?” she says bluntly. “You don’t look like a fighter.”
Wen Qing clenches her teeth, but Jiang Yanli only smiles. “That’s right. I’m not. I prefer to work in the kitchen, or in the medical tent if I must be on the battlefield.”
Sha Hualing nods slowly. “That’s okay, then. We don’t have to duel over Wen Qing’s hand, yeah?”
“Oh, absolutely not,” Jiang Yanli assures her. “She isn’t my type.”
“Good.” Sha Hualing flutters her eyelashes, and her bracelets jingle as she bounces forward. “We can be friends then. For now.” Her smile has sharp edges now, but Jiang Yanli returns it wholeheartedly.
“If you are going to marry Wen Qing, I suppose we will have to be,” she agrees, and enjoys the sudden, startled blush that spreads across Sha Hualing’s cheeks. “I’ll be sure to cook something lovely for your wedding if I am invited.”
Wen Qing snorts. “You’ll be the first on our guest list,” she says, and lays a hand on Sha Hualing’s arm. Jiang Yanli doesn’t miss the way Sha Hualing flushes the same color as her clothes—at least, what’s left of them. “Now, let’s keep walking. I’d be remiss if I didn’t show you our herb garden…”