Shooting Star [Never Let You Go, Again Book 2]

40: You Pinky Promised

Wei Wuxian fell to the grass. Lan Zhan tried to catch him but Wei Ying just crashed right through him again. Looking down sadly, Lan Zhan stepped back. Wei Ying rolled over and sat up, brushing the grass off of his robes and hair. Siting up and looking around he found Lan Zhan awkwardly standing nearby, looking down at his feet in pain.

Wei Ying stared at the way his husband's body flickered in the starlight. There was still no moon, but Lan Zhan's body gleamed, shining a faint pearl-white. But it was translucent. Not a body, but a soul. Wei Ying sighed. "You've finally answered me."

No reply. Just that the beautiful head hung lower.

"So you're just going to stand there and watch me cry?"

Lan Zhan lifted his head, golden eyes glistening with immaterial tears out of horror upon hearing about his beloved crying.

"Or are you going to come and sit here?"

Lan Zhan hurried forward and sat right in front his husband.

Wei Ying nodded. "So you finally decided to come see me."

"I..." Lan Zhan's usually cold voice trembled with despair. "I tried to come... Didn't work..." A silvery tear fell to the grass but dissipated as soon as it touched the ground. "Sorry."

"Don't say that. You know it's our policy. It's fine, as long as you came, no matter how long it took. But... This..." Wei Ying nodded to the spirit. "Why are you in spirit form?"

"I'm..." Lan Zhan shook his head to imply 'no more'.

"I see."

Lan Zhan raised his piteous head when he heard Wei Ying replying so coldly. Emotionlessly. Unaffected and serene. He saw Wei Ying looking away from him, staring somewhere high up above. "A-Ying?"

"Mn?"

Lan Zhan blinked when he heard his talkative husband saying his own trademark 'Mn'. "Is..." he gulped. "Is A-Ying angry with me?"

"Why of course not!" Wei Ying smiled a smile that tore through Lan Zhan's soul. A mockingly nonchalant but in truth, painful smile. "Why would I ever be mad at you? It's not like you broke a promise or anything!" Wei Ying smirked and continued to stare up at the sky.

Lan Zhan sighed, hurt that his husband didn't even want to look at him.

Little did Lan Zhan know that the one and only reason Wei Ying was doing this was so that the tears won't fall.

"A-Ying..." Lan Zhan knew he couldn't say sorry. But he couldn't do what he would normally do in place of apologising: he was immaterial. He couldn't hug him, couldn't kiss him. Couldn't draw circles on his back.

His back. Suddenly, A-Zhan sensed something terrible and moved to sit behind Wei Ying. Wei Ying compressed his lips as he heard his husband's loud gasp.

"A-YING! This...?"

"See?" Wei Ying turned around. "I beat you!" He smiled through the cascading tears.

Lan Zhan stared at him open-mouthed. "Beat me?"

"Sure I did! You've got thirty-three, right?"

"Mn..."

"Count how many I've got!" Wei Ying pointed a thumb to his back as he spun around proudly.

Lan Zhan looked at the bloodied back, horrified. There was so much blood he could hardly count. He clenched his fist, set on strangling whoever dared to hurt his husband like this. But he'd obey his orders first. Gently, he traced his finger along each line, counting under his breath. "One, two, three... Twelve..." Tears dazzling like shooting stars fell from his miserable eyes as he counted on. "Thirty-five, thirty-six." Lan Zhan shivered. "Thirty-six whip marks," Lan Zhan whispered, his tone beyond depressed, eyes still leaking, voice quivering.