The next day, Lan Xichen had a little panic when a petal fell off the lotus. He knew it must have been the effect of yesterday's incident but he can't really blame the young men nor the maid who almost discarded it.
All he could do was place the fallen petal in between a book to preserve it well.
After doing such thing, he went out to meet Lan Qiren in their garden. Their garden is nothing special, not as special as what he had seen back....
It was just a sea of white and red roses with a few occassional blacks and pinks. It's quite bland if asked, but then again, no matter how elegant the Lan Kingdom is, their taste in designing is certainly not that much. Only their clothings are fine, the other things, just pure bland. If it weren't for the fact that their theme color white and light blue made everything elegant, they could have been regarded as a morgue/mauseleum/museum of ancient antiques instead.
"Xichen, do you have any plans now?"
Lan Xichen sighed and looked away. He almost forgot that he was given a few days to settle out the matter about the Jiang Kingdom's barrier.
"I do not understand, uncle. What was so scary about the barrier disappearing?"
He didn't know why he said that as if he's sure that nothing is inside aside from heaven. Perhaps it was because he had an ephemerally surreal taste of it. Until now, he can't explain what happened that night. He can only resort it to his occassional hallucinations.
Lan Qiren gave him a stern gaze, "Xichen, I understand your pains, but one must really separate inner conflicts to that of one's responsibilities. I know you know why such small matter should be bothered with, but you are just not looking deeper."
Lan Xichen closed his eyes, knowing by heart that his uncle is right. Ever since his lover died, he became less and less perceptive. He became more and more useless, more and more weak.
"I assume you don't even recall the history behind the Jiang Kingdom?"
If this was him before, he would be able to think smarter, just like Jin Guangyao. Too bad, on Jin Guangyao's death, he himself fell ill out of his depression and has forgotten a lot of things. It was either he forgot them, or he just refuses to remember them anymore, deeming them useless.
Truly, he became such a useless man, already on his lowest state. Lan Xichen can't help but feel sorry and pity for himself, but he just can't bring to get himself out of this misery.
The pain of losing his lover was too much for him.
All he wanted to do now was think about Jin Guangyao and the time they spent together, to somehow ease the hollow feeling in his chest. He is that foolish now, just as foolish as his second brother who left to chase after an almost impossible dream.
Lan Qiren sighed, seeing his nephew in a miserable state. "Let's talk again next time. Anyway, you are given until the barrier worsens. Surely, they can understand just how foolishly they are worrying right now."
His voice gradually turned down as he walked away, leaving Lan Xichen pondering to himself.
"Hard time I see?"
Lan Xichen turned around, surprised to see Jiang Cheng walking out of a pillar.
Jiang Cheng uncrossed his arms, an action he seemed to liked doing, and approached the seemingly overly calm man. Although he didn't like talking that much, he has to as this handsome elegant prince has no regards for what he wants.
"Sire Jiang, might I ask how you got in?"
Jiang Cheng blinked, a little offguard from that question. Afterwards, he waved his hand, "I'm just professionally sneaky."
That excuse is not so much, Jiang Cheng knows. He wouldn't be able to enter the castle without permission, but anyways, he did without problems. He walked right in and no swords were pointed at him, and the fact that he sneaked in as well.
But if he said that, it might offend this prince, making it sound like they're a clumsy kingdom. He's not that foolish enough to do that when this prince already looks down.
"Thought of a wish yet?"
Lan Xichen gave him another one of those strange looks like yesterday and shook his head.
Good, Jiang Cheng thought. It was better that Lan Xichen openly shows his disbelief rather than make Jiang Cheng look like a fool, pretending to believe his words. It kind of offended him.
"Gentleman, I honestly do not have anything to ask of you," Lan Xichen replied in a polite tone. It was true though, he has nothing in mind that a person can even make true. What he wants, even a god wouldn't do it.
"Might I ask what your intentions are for coming over here?"
Jiang Cheng pointed at himself, "Already asked you, but since it looks like you want to get rid of me, I won't go anywhere."
Jiang Cheng carefully watched the other's reaction since he just forgot that he's talking to a prince. He mentally sighed when Lan Xichen only flashed him a smile to show his amusement, seeming to not care about politeness. He wasn't joking though, what was there to laugh about?
Still, his cheeks brightened up a little because the prince is admittedly attractive. Jiang Cheng shook his head and followed after Lan Xichen when he started walking away.
"Where is Prince Lan going now?"
Lan Xichen slowed down to let him catch up. He gave Jiang Cheng a side glance and a side smile, "Would Sire Jiang be willing to go with me then?"
Jiang Cheng paused, eyes wide and cheeks growing rosy again. After realizing he's being stupid, he cleared his thoughts and crossed his arms, shooting Lan Xichen a dark gaze as if to say, 'Do I have a choice' or 'What did I say earlier?'
He decided to follow this overly handsome elegant prince until he makes his first wish. They stopped in the stables first and Jiang Cheng knew they'd take the horse again.
After listening for a long time, Jiang Cheng still hadn't heard of its name. The thought quickly slipped off of him when the horse's head is suddenly up close to his own they were almost touching.
Jiang Cheng quickly stepped back, avoiding the horse's overly intensive scruintizing gaze.
Lan Xichen smiled in amusement, taking the horse back to his side. "It seems like Sire Jiang does not like horses?"
Jiang Cheng only shot him a cold glare, face growing pink, "No."
It wasn't that he didn't like horses since he owned quite a few before, he was just surprised earlier. Lan Xichen smiled at the red faced man. He turned to his horse when it nudged him. What he saw made him smile more. He glanced at Jiang Cheng with a smile, saying, "He likes you."
Jiang Cheng jumped in surprise, his cooling cheeks beginning to grow red again, but that wasn't what made him blush that much. It was because this prince just extended a hand at him as if asking Jiang Cheng to ride with him.
Jiang Cheng eyed the outstretched hands warily, "What?" He asked although it was obvious.
Lan Xichen though did not berate him and instead nudged his horse closer to Jiang Cheng.
"I cannot possibly make my companion walk," he stated as a matter of fact, but still managed to make Jiang Cheng blush feverishly.
"No. I'm walking."
Still, the refusal was as hard as steel and as cold as ice. Lan Xichen flashed him a big smile and quickly jumped off the horse.
"Very well,"
"What are you doing?" Jiang Cheng asked warily.
Lan Xichen only smiled and raised a hand. A royal guard approached them without saying anything and took the reins of the horse, bowing as he left the two again.
"I shall walk alongside you."
Jiang Cheng coldly turned around and began walking ahead. Lan Xichen lightly chuckled at his hand which has been hanging in the air. Earlier, he offered a hand to Jiang Cheng again but he didn't even as much as spare a glance at it.
Lan Xichen smiled bitterly afterwards, retracting his arm. Of course Jiang Cheng wouldn't accept such gestures, he is not Jin Guangyao, not his lover, and they are still strangers. He knew he had to remind himself that no one is Jin Guangyao here. That lover of his is long dead.
"Still going or what?"
Lan Xichen looked up to Jiang Cheng with another smile, one that is forced. "Of course."
Along the way, it surprises Lan Xichen that Jiang Cheng never once asked about their destination, and he thought it would be better that way. He liked bringing surprises...
No.
Surprises?
Lan Xichen's eyes hardened. He just scolded himself to stop treating everyone like Jin Guangyao but he's at it again.
"Prince Lan?"
He shook his head off to clear his thoughts and faced the stoic man with a smile. "Yes?" Jiang Cheng looked away and shook his head.
"Nothing."
Lan Xichen's smile faded into a small real one. Ah-Yao used to do that too.. His smile faltered, knowing he's at it again. He sighed in frustration, successfully catching Jiang Cheng's attention.
But Jiang Cheng only watched him at the corner of his eye, not saying or asking anything.
"We're here," Jiang Cheng announced.
Lan Xichen finally fully snapped out of his major mess of a thought. He looked around, seeing the same scenery that he had grown to quite like. It's a not so high plateau outside their kingdom but near enough to be claimed as theirs though it stayed unclaimed and remained a free land.
In contrary to the low land rock forest, this plateau is a place Jin Guangyao introduced him to. And thus had planted flowers and made it into a mini garden. It was fortunate that the soil here is fertile, and there was also fresh air.
However, Lan Xichen's brows twitched when he noticed that the flowers growing were not white peonies as he told their royal servant to plant. Rather, they were the same white roses back in their castle's garden.
"Something wrong?"
Lan Xichen shook his head and stared at the plants solemnly, "His death anniversary is nearing and his birthday..... I asked for white peonies, not white roses."
Jin Guangyao had always like peonies, and is the Jin Kingdom's motif and signature. Lan Xichen truly is upset, even a forced smile can't make it into his face as looked around the mass of white roses.
"Well, do you wish it was another?" Jiang Cheng asked.
The prince grew hope for a while, but then it dimmed down as he scolded himself because of his total foolishness and desperation. Still, he replied with a small smile as he faced the height before him, "Indeed."
The wind flashed by, and he closed his eyes to feel the cold breeze sipping in and out of his clothes. He took a deep breathe, surprised to smell another familiar scent rather than white roses.
He snapped his eyes open and turned around onky to get caught up in a major surprise when the massive sea of white roses turned into a sea of peonies. He was rendered speechless.
Jiang Cheng stood in the middle of it, hands behind his back as he stared back at Lan Xichen nonchalantly.
His cold tone flowed along the wind, lingering for so long as the wind danced endlessly around them, taking a few petals away and wafting everywhere with the same sweet smelling scent.
"I said I can grant you three wishes. Just take care of my lotus."
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a/n: unedited