"BI ZHEN! WHY- Why do you have it?!"
"SSH!" Bi Zhen screeched. Yue Yang shut up. He looked uneasily at Bi Zhen.
"I… it was there!! It was hidden inside her tapestry Gege!" Yue Yang blinked. He massaged his head. Oh lord. He was confused.
"Ying Ran was hiding the bag Gege! I'm sorry I spouted some random nonsense earlier. It… it was to erm… throw Ying Ran off course?"
Yue Yang sighed.
"Well, she isn't the only one you confused!" Ri Yang retorted.
Bi Zhen laughed and looked away guiltily.
"Wait! Bi Zhen, that thing about Zha Xiao… did you mean it?" Bi Zhen blinked for a second at Yue Yang's question before meekly shaking his head.
"I'm sorry Gege…" Yue Yang sighed and began to sort out his thoughts.
"Bi Zhen… now please tell me the full story." Yue Yang sighed in exasperation. Bi Zhen looked up at him guiltily. He smiled lightly before he began.
"Ok… Gege…"
---
The tapestries were sure lovely. Bi Zhen admired their craft work softly. He brushed his fingers lightly over the tapestry. Aah~ he admired the people from the legends he had known from so long ago. They were so beautifully rendered here.
Bi Zhen stretched his hand out to caress the nearest tapestry. The moon God eh? Bi Zhen loved him honestly.
However, Bi Zhen soon realised that this Moon God was one he didn't recognise.
It was odd how the inanimate object sent a shiver down his spine.
Bi Zhen continued to stare at the tapestry. His heart began to beat faster. A drop of sweat rolled from his cheek down onto his lap. Why… Why did he feel so nervous?
He continued to stroke the tapestry lightly.
Wait… there was something…
Bi Zhen moved his hand deftly around the tapestry till he hit something. A lump pouch dropped out from behind the tapestry. Bi Zhen blinked. He reached to pick it up. Inside… there was a dark spiritual energy.
Huh?!
Ying Ran?! Why? How?
Bi Zhen quickly hid the pouch. He was about to return to eat when he realised that he had left a tiny mark on the tapestry.
If he went back now… if Ying Ran checked the tapestry later… she would know.
He needed to find out more about Ying Ran with Yue Yang first.
He headed to the door.
"Gege!"
---
" Yue Yang smiled through his gritted teeth. Bi Zhen laughed sheepishly.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine mhn~"
An awkward silence descended between them. Yue Yang was still hesitant to believe his cousin was part of anything sinister. No! He wouldn't believe it till the truth would arise!
He glanced at Bi Zhen slowly. How did Bi Zhen trick him though? Bi Zhen seemed to have pretty powerful illusion magic. That… was slightly unsettling for Yue Yang. Well… Yue Yang didn't know if he was impressed, unsettled, jealous or everything all at once.
GAH! Bi Zhen seemed… really cool…
"Amy theories about Ying Ran?" Yue Yang asked smoothly. His voice seemed to waver with the wind. He waited the reply on edge. Bi Zhen parted his lips slightly, opening his mouth a little, bracing himself to reply. However, he closed it back, unsure of his theory. The silence between them grew thicker and thicker till it was almost unbearable for poor Yue Yang.
"Any… theories?" Yue Yang asked again. He heaved a sigh of relief when he was met with Bi Zhen's soft voice.
"She must have known the ghost bride when she was alive, Gege. Otherwise… I don't think Ying Ran would have any reason to help the ghost. She seems… like a nice person… I can't imagine Ying Ran being part of anything sinister." Yue Yang felt a lot lighter after Bi Zhen's reply. His heart steadied slightly and a flighty bit of anxiety that had been creeping inside him seemed to evaporate.
"Yes, I think so too."
"Should we go back…?" Bi Zhen asked awkwardly. He didn't know if they should return. They'd like awfully stupid if they did.
What would they say they returned for?! Some item left behind?!
"No. Let's actually go back to Shan Lu and research first. Then, we'll find a way to make our way back to Ying Ran without being suspicious." Yue Yang said. His voice was pretty firm, leaving not much room for negotiation.
Bi Zhen tsk-ed.
Yue Yang was probably still annoyed by the whole ordeal he had put Yue Yang through.
The awkward silence soon turned to a colder silence. A quiet animosity between the two began to rise.
"Should we go back…?" Bi Zhen asked awkwardly. He didn't know if they should return. They'd like awfully stupid if they did.
What would they say they returned for?! Some item left behind?!
"No. Let's actually go back to Shan Lu and research first. Then, we'll find a way to make our way back to Ying Ran without being suspicious." Yue Yang said. His voice was pretty firm, leaving not much room for negotiation.
Bi Zhen tsk-ed.
Yue Yang was probably still annoyed by the whole ordeal he had put Yue Yang through.
The awkward silence soon turned to a colder silence. A quiet animosity between the two began to rise.
The slight coldness ricocheted throughout their bones as the two got ready to move on to Shan Lu.
Bi Zhen hated it. He inhaled in a sharp breath before sighing loudly. The wind came and blew a leaf or two in his face. Bi Zhen imagined they were scolding him for his trickery.
Bi Zhen had begun to lag behind Yue Yang a little. The elder had to constantly check behind him so he was sure Bi Zhen didn't go missing.
Yue Yang desperately wanted to break the animosity between them.
It made him feel sick to his stomach as well.
This cold wind was simply not needed.
However, just because something isn't needed, it doesn't mean it'll just disappear.
So, the two trudged on to Shan Lu with a little grey cloud hovering over their heads. The clouds above seen to laugh at the ridiculous tension between them.
The trees bent and swayed, shaking their heads at the duo as the wind egged them on.
"Gege… we're almost there…" Bi Zhen broke the silence momentarily. Yue Yang hummed as they made their way closer to the mountain. However, their cute silence was utterly destroyed by the sound of screaming and the sight of fire setting all the vegetation of the mountain set aflame.