Lan WangJi was excited and trying not to show it.

There were many things to do and organise before the disciples would get to Cloud Recesses, some from the nearby smaller clans were already here, and Lan WangJi had to remind himself that Suibian had mentioned it would take him two weeks to get here.

In his head, he was having a mini countdown and every morning he would knock off one day at a time. The arrival of letters was erratic and he wasn't sure whether this was because Suibian was a little chaotic by nature or if there was a genuine delay.

So every chance Lan WangJi got, he was heading back to the Jingshi to check if anything was waiting for him.

Even XiChen noticed.

"You seem excited, Didi..."

They were having breakfast in the dining halls. Lan WangJi didn't look up from his bowl of soup.

"Mn."

"Is it because we are to have new guests in Cloud Recesses?" He smiled warmly when he noticed a pair of gradually reddening ears.

Lan WangJi hated him sometimes....

XiChen loved to tease him, just like their mother used to.

Lan WangJi ate as fast as he could and speed walked to the Jingshi.

There on his little table, were three letters.

Three...

Lan WangJi hoped he would be able to open them in order.

Dear Bichen,       Day 14

I am so excited, I really can't wait to reach Cloud Recesses. My brother was so annoyed at me, he yelled that if I didn't stop moving around so much, I was gonna capsize our boat.

As if...

I love swimming...I've never asked you, do you swim? Can you? Is there somewhere you are able to?

I love the way I can glide through water, just like the tiny fishes that gather in big groups. I like opening my eyes under water and seeing all the different colours, especially if there are corals. It's so pretty, Bichen.

Don't worry if you can't swim, I'll teach you one day. I'm good at teaching, at least there's something I can do...

We're going to moor the boats at night, each night, because the further away we get from....um, nearly gave away the name of my hometown, haha...anyway, the further away we get, the river becomes choppy with a nasty undercurrent, especially at night.

This is actually great because as long as we are on land, I'll be able to send you my letters and get yours.

Oh, Bichen...I'm kind of nervous too...

Sincerely,

Suibian.

Lan WangJi frowned and carefully opened the next letter, after pulling out a fresh piece of parchment and writing down his question.

Dear Bichen,     Day 14 (still equals sad faces)

We passed by some lovely fishing villages, all their homes were decorated in flowers, so they were really pretty to look at.

We're travelling quite fast, but it doesn't feel like it. I hate sitting around doing nothing, and I get told off if I stand up. I'm told I'm too restless...but really, is that my fault??

I'm going to think up different kinds of talismans instead and keep my mind occupied. It's either that or listen to Ji- oh my gosh, nearly gave away his name there, my brother, whining.

I do wonder what you look like.

Don't worry, I'm not asking you...not until we're both ready. It's just that I often think about you, especially when I see something pretty, or if I think you'll like it too. I wonder about what your face looks like, when you see something beautiful...does it change at all? Do you smile?

We saw a bunch of lanterns that were on sale, and this one had rabbits painted on it. (See bottom of letter for picture).

Things like that...but don't tell me.

I kind of like the mystery of anonymity, of not knowing whom I'm writing to. There's something so nice and safe about it. And thrilling too, thinking that when we reach Cloud Recesses, I might even be talking to you and not know it - internally screaming!!!

Calmly...I must be calm...

If I get another chance, I'll write one more.

Sincerely,

Suibian.

Lan WangJi made some notes, trying not to think about Suibian always getting told off...he seemed like a harmless fellow, and if he was feeling nervous, then it was a perfectly natural reaction while travelling.

Whomever was telling him off probably had a stick shoved up them, and of course that would make travelling uncomfortable...he smiled at the mental image in his head, and felt better. At least Suibian was brushing it off and not letting it affect him. He sounded cheerful too, which made Lan WangJi happier.

He opened the last letter, feeling a little bit sadder that it was the last one...

Dear Bichen,  (sigh...still Day 14)

Okay we're moored by a town called LuiXing. I love that name: Falling star.

Do you make wishes too when you see them? I can't seem to help myself, I always do. I think of my mother and father and I hope they can see that I'm happy and doing well...and I hope they're at peace wherever they are.

I love to sit at the water's edge and lie down, looking up at the sky. I can see so many stars, some of them single and shining brightly, others in clusters of light. It's so beautiful that they're out there, lighting the way for travellers at night. When I look at the moon, I'm happy because you are somewhere and you could be looking up at the same moon too.

We should really do that. Every full moon, let's go outside and shout hello, at the top of our voices! It's so comforting to know that sound travels and will reach you eventually.

I hate the thought of you being lonely. I wish you had lots of friends to keep you entertained. If I was by your side, I'd never let you feel lonely.

My eyes won't stay open now, so I'd better say good night.

Good night!

Suibian.

Lan WangJi frowned some more.

Although Suibian sounded happy, there was something so bittersweet about his words...it was making him worry.

What if Suibian was having to be cheerful all the time, but not really feeling it?

Lan WangJi shrugged off the thought reluctantly...he might be reading too much into...but now he had to fire off a quick response and drop off the letter on his way to help his brother.

There was still so much to do before the lectures began, fourteen days from now, and yet he had to answer these letters.

If Suibian didn't want him to be lonely, well that was true for Bichen as well.

*******

Wei WuXian was lying down at the helm of the boat, watching the clouds passing by. The captain of this ship was an elderly man who had taken a liking to him when he was still a child, and now they were spending more time together in a companionable silence.

It was peaceful, to just rest.

They had left LuiXing in the early hours of daybreak, catching a quick breakfast at the same place they had stayed at.

"Have you ever been to Gusu?" Wei WuXian asked, closing his eyes.

"Nope, young master, never have, never will." He replied with a grin.

"You sound happy about that." Wei WuXian opened a single silver eye.

"That's because I am. My place is on the water. I've never been more than a day not sailing." He said proudly.

"Hm. That's good if you like it." Wei WuXian settled himself again.

"Oh...I think it's more than just liking it. It's a burning need. Sometimes I think that need is so strong, it's as if I'll die if I don't get on a boat right that second. Frenzy...maybe even stronger than that."

"Frenzy..." Wei WuXian murmured.

He must have fallen asleep because the jarring of the boat hitting the side of the pier jerked him awake. By the time they reached their hotel, he was half asleep already.

The next morning they had a delay before they could leave. There was something wrong with the rudder of their boat and it was a few hours before they were able to resume their trip.

Those two hours were put to good use, as Wei WuXian had received the letter from Bichen.

Dear Suibian,

I can swim, no need to teach me.

But thank you for the offer. And thank you also for the picture of the rabbits. They are very sweet.

I too, cannot wait until you are here.

I have visited LuiXing a few times in the past, although we always travel by sword.

Travelling by boat sounds nice. We are at a place where it is mostly not necessary but Caiyi Town has waterways in the town centre that lead to Billing Lake. You will see this when you arrive.

My mother told me that when our loved ones die, they become stars for a time. Sometimes this is because they cannot move on, or perhaps it is because of a desire to see their loved ones.

My mother passed away when I was six years old. I still miss her.

And your parents will be happy with your progress. You are a kind person, and must have some measure of patience if you are good at teaching. Both of these are good qualities, and they should be proud of you.

I do not like anyone telling you off. I am frowning because of that, and I can't seem to stop.

I must go and help my brother now, but please continue to write as much as you can, and I will do my best to answer as well.

I hope you arrive in Cloud Recesses safely, and not too tired.

Sincerely,

Bichen.

***************

Dear Bichen,  (Day 13 - yay! One less in our countdown!)

I was just thinking about that word.

You are dear to me, you know. I might not know what you look like, or even your real name, but I feel incredibly lucky that I know, know you. So it is with the utmost honesty that I'm using it now.

Words are so important, aren't they? Like Frenzy, for example?

The captain of our boat was saying something like that yesterday, when we were sailing towards this new town, more about that in a second...he said, the way he felt about sailing was akin to a Frenzy...he said he couldn't even spend a day off the water without feeling all kinds of jittery.

Anyway, this town, we've left it by the time you get this letter, but Bichen, honestly, it's so beautiful!

The town is called Chahua, and I swear, I've never seen a group of people so passionate about camellias before! Springtime has these flowers blooming everywhere!

And they're used everywhere too! People have been making garlands out of them, and decorating their homes and their shops, signposts and even the chairs they keep outside for tired pedestrians. Everywhere we looked, pink was predominantly abundant, but there were splashes of reds and yellows too, and it was such a joyful town.

I do not have any colours with me, otherwise I would have drawn something truly spectacular for you, but you shall have to content yourself with the bunnies for now...maybe I can draw or paint something for you when I'm there.

We still have to work out a place....but there's still time for that, don't worry!

We're leaving now, as in right now, so more later, though I am simply thrilled by this assignment and how successful it's been, especially for the both of us.

Signing off for now,

Sincerely,

Suibian.

***********

Dear Bichen, (Day 13 but hours have gone by, and I'm still excited)

I can't seem to stop being able to write to you...is that weird? I really hope you don't mind.

The boat speeds on and already there are countless miles in between Y- oh, dear...almost gave it away again...I can't seem to hold back with you, haha...

Anyway, what I meant to say was that after a while, travelling by boat gets weary and boring. Thankfully after tonight, we'll be walking or travelling by sword. I think it will be the former though, because of all my Shidis and Shimeis, their golden cores aren't strong enough yet to travel longer distances by sword, and it's not like we're going to ditch them out of the blue.

So we'll be walking, but I have to say, travelling away from home is a learning experience by itself. True that there's no place like home, but outside of home, we are seeing the kindness of strangers, which is its own reward.

People are voluntarily giving up gossip about Gusu, though it's mostly about the Twin Jades, whoever they are.

But I'm not going to be scared, and neither should you be. So what if they're really strict about following rules and all that? We'll make our own rules and that'll be that!

The motion of the boat is making me sleepy, so I'll say good day now, and resume as soon as I have something interesting to tell you about.

Sincerely,

Suibian.

************

Dear Bichen, (Day 13...*sigh)

The hours are dragging by, but as the sun sets, and we are closer to approaching our moorings for tonight, we can see something happening on the shores of this town.

It looked like a procession of some sort, because there was a golden statue being brought along their pier, and there was hundreds of people lining the roads, and they were all shouting and cheering merrily. It looks like a fun place to be...

I don't want to send off a short chapter, and I've a feeling that there'll definitely be more to report on in a few hours, so please, just be patient with me.

************

So guess what???

It just so happened that there's a special three day celebration happening here, all to do with Buddha. Shijie says we should find a way to stay, and it's auspicious...so I think we're going to stay one more day here.

There are monks and laypeople handing out sugar sweets to all visitors...I have got a sweet tooth as well as a tongue that likes spices, so I'm having a lot of fun.

What kinds of food do you like? Do you enjoy spices at all? I really hope so. My favourite is a local brand of chilli sauce...did you know, my brother once tried to outspice me? Really, it was a useless challenge and I won...I want you to know that your friend is no stranger to winning...haha...

But talking about diets and everything, I can see the cuisine changing in increments as we leave our hometown behind. I suppose while the river is close by, we shall see a lot of fish based recipes in the nearby towns, however I'm so curious about when they're not.

We are about to find out after tomorrow I suspect.

There's all sorts of talk about a dragon dance tomorrow and I'm so excited to see it, I wonder what it will be like...

Gotta go to sleep now, it's late and my brother wants me to snuff out my candle now.

Goodnight, Bichen, and sweet dreams...of rabbits no doubt...

Sincerely,

Suibian.

*********

Dear Suibian,

I will never get tired of receiving your letters, please continue to write as much and as frequently as you can.

I am happy that you have many things to see and experience. Travelling is a blessing and something to be grateful for. It warms my insides to read of your adventures.

I like it.

For me, I have been kept quite busy, with many tasks that my brother would normally be doing. I do not mind except for the fact that I am not where your letters are delivered and must wait to read them.

I do not like waiting...

Words are...priceless.

They are the bridge between people, the strings of fate that connect.

Words have the power to join and the same power to separate. Words can wound and words can heal...it is the miracle of such a tool.

You too, are very much dear to me. You are the fire by my side in the cold winter months. You are the blanket of comfort when otherwise I would be cold. You and your friendship are like the air I need to breathe, every single day.

You must forgive me in that I'm trying to write everything in a single letter, and it's because I have many duties of late.

You said you like teaching, well that is another thing we share; I teach the younger members of our clan. I like teaching the ten year olds too, but there is something heartwarming about the littlest ones too.

Their faces are full of sweet innocence and trust...and so ready to learn.

I am already late, so I should be going. Perhaps I shall get more time in the evening to write to you.

If there is anything I have missed, please do ask me. I enjoy your curiosity.

Sincerely,

Bichen.

***********

There was no letters on day twelve, or day eleven, and not even on day ten.

Lan WangJi experienced a shortness of temper for the first time in his life.

So did everyone else.

His answers to basic questions were a mix of razor sharp slashes inferring that the one questioning was so far behind on the intellectual scale to him, that Lan WangJi feared he might be infected with their stupidity.

By the second day of no letters, a simple glare was enough to silence the most enthusiastic of students.

Even XiChen had noticed the change in his behaviour.

There was a knock on the door of the Jingshi.

Lan WangJi frowned even more.

He was playing the song he had written for Suibian, but there was a part of it that wasn't sitting right, and Lan WangJi was trying to fix it. Some of the notes sounded...just wrong, and Lan WangJi blew out the air in his lungs out of sheer frustration.

The door opened anyway, in spite of Lan WangJi remaining silent.

He watched XiChen come over and sit opposite him.

"Didi...are you tired? I know things have been hectic these past few days...it's okay to feel that way." He began, pouring tea for them both.

"Not tired." Lan WangJi stated, feeling annoyed.

"Then?"

How to explain?

These past two days were torture. Each second that ticked by without relief was excruciating. Lan WangJi had begun thinking of the worst case scenarios...and then regretting it.

What if something had happened to his friend? What if from now on, there were going to be no more letters? What if the last one that had arrived, really was the last one?

He remembered Suibian writing of that very possibility. And of himself, when had he become so attached to these letters, that the mere absence of them had him pining away like some lovesick puppy?

But even that thought did nothing to change his feelings. He was worried about his friend and nothing except another letter was going to make it any better.

Just then, a single, familiar sliding of a white envelope on the floor of the Jingshi made his ears perk up, and Lan WangJi was out of his seat to intercept it within seconds.

XiChen didn't even know what was going on until he saw the envelope in his brother's hand. He looked at the clear expression of happy relief on his baby brother's face and suddenly everything fell into place.

But before either of them moved again, there was that same noise again and a slew of letters came sliding under the door, one after another.

There were six in total.

Lan WangJi had them on his table, laid out instead of WangJi, his guqin that had been resting there only moments ago. He stared at the letters, and more specifically at the tiny numbers in the corner and he arranged them in order.

Then, he fixed XiChen with a look that clearly said, 'go away'.

XiChen was so relieved that it was only not getting the daily letters that had resulted in such a change of behaviour, that he did not mind at all. Smiling at his Didi, he left after telling him to get some rest.

Lan WangJi waited until the door of the Jingshi slid into place, before opening the first one.

Dear Bichen,  (Day 12 - every time I write these numbers, I wanna put the brush down and scream out loud) - probably not a good idea because everyone is always sleeping, but I don't seem to get any peace otherwise.

We are travelling by walking so far, but we have been meeting travellers returning from where we are supposed to be going, and it doesn't look good.

My brother always tells me not to talk to strangers, but I think it was a good thing I did, otherwise we would never have found out. There's a disturbance further ahead, where the farmers are revolting against their local council. One of the elders has gotten a big head and proclaimed himself their leader and of course, that hasn't gone down too well with everybody else.

Suffice to say we may be walking into violent protests, but I shall keep you up to date.

Letters may be irregular and I apologise for that, but then I thought, seeing as I'm sending you multiple letters a day, I should start numbering them so you can read them in order.

Better go, because my brother is restless and if he sees my candle, I'll get into an unnecessary fight with him.

See you soon, (= that's coming true too! Squealing!!!)

Sincerely,

Suibian. (I forgot to number this, but it's one....maybe I'll put that on the outside of the envelope instead...otherwise you could be reading them all before finding out it was the wrong order.)

Lan WangJi calmed himself down with five minutes of concentrated meditation, holding that first letter to his chest.

Suibian was alright.

Suibian was still coming to Cloud Recesses.

Everything was okay.

But, if he was heading into trouble, Lan WangJi was now doubly worried. So he got out fresh parchment and ground his ink, thinking about what he wanted to say. He wrote down his questions first before opening the second letter.

Dear Bichen,

Have to drop this one off real quick, we've managed to fall into angry fighting, unfortunately there was no way to avoid it. We're kind of skirting around the edges and I'm going to trust in the Universe that this letter reaches you soon.

I know you'll worry, and I wanted to let you know that all of us are alright. Can't fly there...

Sincerely,

Suibian.

Lan WangJi moved onto the third letter with a speed that even surprised himself.

Dear Bichen, (Day 12 - yay!)

So we're closer, having successfully avoided any skirmishes. Apart from Night hunts, I haven't actually ever fought anyone for real, and training doesn't count, so I was nervous but anticipatory about the whole thing.

If it came down to it, I would have defended my Shidis and Shimeis, no question about it...but the only thing that worries me is taking another life.

It is a serious consequence and one that should not be taken lightly.

Luckily, we avoided the conflict and then guess what happened???

We found ourselves in a forest, and all the leaves were whispering, like, I don't mean normally, you know, when the wind blows and there's rustling and all that, no way! I mean, whispering!!

It was slightly worrying at first, but everything was explained when we settled for the night. There was a kindly old lady who offered us shelter and we shared out meal with her in exchange, and she knew all sorts of stories.

She told us about a young maiden who got lost in the forest, and a young man came to help her, but as evening was falling, he asked for a lock of her hair. She gave it without question and he led her to the edge of the forest, promising her that when the time came, he would return to collect his payment.

She thought nothing of it and when she came of age, her family organised her wedding, to a boy in the next town over, and of course, the bridal procession had to go through the forest. But then, the creepiest thing happened; not a single person got through to the other side, and these guys only found out when that other village contacted them, asking where the young maiden was.

And ever since then, the leaves have been whispering to each other!

Isn't that bizarre!??

We weren't scared when we passed through it, but maybe we can take another route when we return home. Or perhaps we can try and help those poor souls...if the story is real.

Anyway, gotta go, talk to you later!

Sincerely,

Suibian.

Lan WangJi hadn't ever heard of such a place. He had often led night hunts in the near vicinity but perhaps in an attempt to avoid the fighting, Suibian and his group had to pick a different route to Gusu?

He quickly picked up the envelope with the four on it, eager to know more.

Dear Bichen,  (Day 11 - not long to go now!)

We camped somewhere, I have no idea where we are, but this forest is nicer than the whispering one. Sandalwood grows in abundance here, and at night, there's a strong, peaceful and cooling fragrance in the air. It's very restful.

I shall have to post this at the next town...though I've a feeling that you may get a letter dump of more than a few altogether. It's just a feeling though.

I'm getting tired of eating congee and the only thing that makes it edible is my chilli sauce. You said Caiyi Town has lots of shops, so I think I'll have to stock up on my supply then.

Have to sleep now, too tired. We've been walking all day, wanted to put distance between us and the fighting.

Goodnight, friend.

Sincerely,

Suibian.

Lan WangJi impatiently tore through the fifth envelope...he had never done that before. It was....wildly satisfying.

Dear Bichen, (Day 10 - look at that! We're nearly into single figures!! How cool is that??)

Thinking back to your last letter, you know me very well by now, if I want to know something, I'll ask you. But thanks for verbalising it. Sometimes I think I'm annoying to other people, especially my younger brother, who always seems to be telling me off. I've often warned him that if he keeps scowling like that, one day the wind is going to change direction and it'll be permanent...haha...

I really think he should smile more often though. I get it...I know why he's stressed but nobody knows what's going to happen in the future, and really, what's the point in worrying about what hasn't happened yet?

Isn't it easier to just take each day as it comes without thinking too much? So much less complicated.

Sometimes life is hard enough with everybody else's opinions on what you should be doing...why should we add to that by putting more pressure in ourselves?

I think that aside from duty, it's nice just to be able to enjoy the little things, like chilli sauce...things that make the rest of life so much more bearable.

I will be able to tell you more about the next town soon, we haven't quite reached there yet.

I hope you are also able to take some time for yourself and not be working too hard. I hope you can eat nice things and think of me. I hope you can rest easily and have sweet dreams of frolicking rabbits and fluffy cotton tails, twitching cute noses and rabbit paws.

Sincerely,

Suibian.

Lan WangJi made more notes and asked his questions, and then moved onto the last letter. With a bittersweet sigh, he slowly tore open the envelope...this was the last one so far...

Dear Bichen, (Day 9 - I can hardly believe it!!)

So this town is called TianShui. There are so many lakes here, it reminds me of home. And I guess that's how it got it's name, Sweet Waters.

I was worried about not being able to eat fish but I guess those fears were unfounded. That's literally the only thing to eat here, still it's a relief. That other night, when we camped in the forest, the other disciples caught rabbits for dinner...and I couldn't eat them. I felt awful, and knowing I am coming to a place where you're going to be, I thought, how can I show my face?

So I never ate anything and told them I had a stomach ache.

But today's breakfast was delightful. They make a local delicacy here, frying fish with a whole load of seasoning, and it just melts on my tongue! I haven't tasted anything as good as this in a long while. My Shijie even asked them for the recipe after she saw me eat my food in seconds...haha!

Though that was bound to happen on account of me not eating anything last night.

Otherwise, today is another beautiful day and we've been lucky so far. Lots of sunshine every day, and it makes travelling so much easier and more fun.

I'm going to say goodbye now because otherwise I'll be past the drop-off point and you'll only get it tomorrow. I shall save up my questions...

Sincerely,

Suibian.

Lan WangJi got to work.

***********

Wei WuXian had spoken too soon.

Today the sky was overcast and the petrichor was stronger than normal.

Ordinarily, Wei WuXian loved the rain. He could sit for hours under the canopy of his room and watch it falling, while drinking lotus wine.

But now, trudging through it was hard.

The only upside to it all was that they all agreed it would be hazardous to their health if they continued, and so everyone agreed to wait at a hotel, and luckily, there Wei WuXian had a letter waiting for him.

He ripped it open at the first chance he got, as soon as Jiang Cheng fell asleep to the pitter patter of the rain outside.

Dear Suibian,

I confess, I was really worried about you, especially when you said there was fighting up ahead. And you're right, I received six letters in one go.

I don't think I've ever been this irritable with anyone, even my brother was worried about me, but he left as soon as soon as your letters arrived, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I like reading about your adventures, and even though I've been to some of the places you are travelling through right now, it's different because these are your views. I like reading what you think about these places, and their customs, and I feel happy when you and yours encounter kindness on your way.

My brother tells me that all the time, that if I cannot be anything at all, I should strive to be kind.

He has told me on numerous occasions that we never know what someone else is going through, or what they might need when you chance upon them. For my part, I prefer to remain silent.

I find it difficult to talk to strangers, and that's why I am glad that my...that I will not have to be the leader of our Sect.

It has always been this way with me, and I do not know why. But I find it easy to talk to you, especially after you suggested I write as if you are standing in front of me and can hear what I'm saying.

I read my letters back to myself before I send them off and I can already see an improvement - they read more naturally and I have you to thank for that.

Day by day, my excitement grows at the thought of only eight more days to go. I await your arrival with growing anticipation.

I like the idea of having a place that only the two of us know about, where we can leave each other gifts whilst still retaining our anonymity. But I am also thinking, if the organisers of this assignment decide to stop facilitating the delivery of letters, we can find another way.

I do not think I could bear not writing to you any more, and certainly not able to suffer the knowledge that I would never receive another letter from you. Let's hope things continue as they are for now.

Sincerely yours,

Bichen.

********

A/N

Things are a bit hectic for me in the next few days and we're short staffed where I work, so I'm not at all sure how long it will take for me to update, but thank you all so much for your patience with me!

Honestly, you're all so sweet and lovely to me, and it's a kindness I don't think I can ever repay.

I hope you all have a lovely day filled with chocolates and surprises, the good kind.

Charlie.