They step out of the portal onto a different mountain, this one full of old trees. The smell of pine and wood, golden leaves swirling on the breeze, and the faintest floral scent simmers in the air, and Lan Zhan has to blink a few times.

He's both excited and sad, to close one chapter of his life and open another, a new one.

He has no idea what to expect, or what is going to happen.

"Um, Gege, it's this way." Wei Ying takes his hand and they walk through the trees to a clearing.

Lan Zhan is still getting used to being touched at random intervals, and so suddenly, yet so naturally as if it's the most ordinary thing in the world.

One day, a long time ago, Uncle Qiren had taken both him and XiChen to the carnival in Caiyi Town. There was a manual ferris wheel which XiChen insisted they should ride on, and Lan Zhan remembered the feeling of his stomach swooping without warning.

Wei Ying touches him like this, and the side glances and shy smiles are giving him the same feelings, but amplified by a hundred. Added to that, he feels too warm, his heart drumming in his chest as if it needs to be somewhere else, and why can't he breathe properly?

He feels like he hasn't been able to take a full, long breath since that morning, when Wei Ying introduced himself to Lan Zhan for the first time.

Does Wei Ying feel the same way?

Is this normal?

Part of Lan Zhan feels bad that he's being deceitful by thinking of Wei Ying in any capacity other than his friend. He cannot, he should not feel any of these inappropriate emotions, because he has already promised to marry the Kitsune.

Lan Zhan has so many questions about the arrangements, about everything he has to do, and the fact that he's in the same position as he was that morning, when he did not know anything further than the promise he made to the Great Deity. In his mind, he hasn't made any progress on that front.

His head starts to hurt and he really wants to lie down, and he's just about to say something when they walk into a clearing and a good sized house is sitting right in front of them.

Butterflies begin swirling and fluttering in his stomach as his nerves grow; will he meet the Fox Spirit now? Is he already waiting inside?

The house is kind of odd.

It's definitely old and comfortable looking, made from locally sourced tree logs forming the outer shell. It must have been built a long time ago, because he can see the auspicious green and orange coloured lichen growing in the curves of the wood, making the whole house glow a deep ochre colour in the last rays of the golden sun. The curved roof adds character and Lan Zhan wonders what it will sound like, when it rains?

There are quite a few windows, too, some curved into round shapes and others the traditional square, oblong and a few a curious mix of curved at the top and square at the bottom, as if the creator couldn't decide and was experimenting.

The front door is painted a brilliant red, reminding Lan Zhan of the Kitsune's eyes, when they had briefly flashed so vibrantly, in his dream.

There are steps leading to the door, and they are home to plant pots of varying shapes and colour. There's even an old boot with soil filled up to the top and sprouting leaves that look suspiciously like potatoes growing from it.

A watering can hangs from a holder right next to the bright door, and on its other side, there's a birdhouse from which the call of baby birds can be heard. Wind chimes made from bamboo with tiny bells jingle in the wind.

It is…chaotic.

But at the same time, Lan Zhan thinks there might be a strange kind of secret order to it, like breaking a code. One only had to find the right key in order for it to make sense.

The sun drifts past the horizon fully now, and in the darkness, a light bursts into flame hanging just outside the red door. As they climb up the stairs, it gives a wild energy to their shadows, making them dance without a care against the walls and the floor.

"Come in, come in!" Wei Ying tells him, sounding terribly nervous now. "You must be tired. We can rest now and I'll give you a tour tomorrow morning? I doubt you'll see anything interesting if we try it now."

"Mn." Lan Zhan watches as Wei Ying picks up a strange looking spider, far too realistic looking for him to be enthusiastic about it, and places it over the lock under the doorknob.

The darkness, and the shadows make it really hard to see properly, but it looks like the spidery thing has thrust all eight legs into the keyhole and after it wriggles around a bit, there's a click and the door opens.

Wei Ying holds his palm out and the spider crawls out of the hole and onto Wei Ying’s hand, where he places a sweet kiss on the top of its head. The thing purrs with joy.

"Thank you, Fluffy! Good boy!" Wei Ying strokes his back affectionately and puts him back in the pot with the hairiest looking foliage and smiles brightly back at Lan Zhan.
"Shall we?" He gestures to the gaping darkness inside that yawns open with the sliding door.

"Is the…your Master at home?" Lan Zhan wasn't sure what the custom was here.

Back home, back in Gusu, candles were lit at twilight or just before, so one was not overwhelmed by the darkness when it fell. But Lan Zhan remembered that foxes were nighttime creatures and their night vision must be extraordinarily good. Was that why it was still dark here?

"Huh? Oh…yeah, my Master. No, he's um, he's away for now. He has a message for you, that I have to tell you tomorrow." Wei Ying replies cryptically.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Lan Zhan searches through his pouch and brings out the food, still hot thanks to the talismans he'd placed upon them. "Wei Ying must be hungry now," he says, kindly.

Wei Ying’s stomach rumbles just then, like a distant thunder storm before it arrives, and the protesting denial dies on his lips. Wei Ying laughs awkwardly and accepts the offerings.

"I'll show you to your room," he says instead, leaving the food downstairs.

Lights from an unknown source illuminate the way up rickety steps which open to a landing. Wei Ying comes to the first door and opens it.

"This is your bedroom, Gege. Tell me if you require a bath, and it can be arranged."

Lan Zhan feels bad for the attractive man; he hasn't even eaten yet, and Lan Zhan doesn't want to add to his list of chores.

"That won't be necessary. We can see about a bath tomorrow." Lan Zhan blushes then, glad of the cover the semi darkness provides. "I usually draw my own," he adds.

"There's a well out back." Wei Ying shrugs, and he seems reluctant to leave.

"Where will you sleep tonight?" Lan Zhan asks him, hoping that he's not taking the bed away from him.

He doesn't know if there are any other beds anywhere in this home, or if he's actually going to use the one that belongs to the Kitsune.

"Oh, I'll be around if Gege wants me." Wei Ying grins cheerfully back at him.

"I'll be fine until the morning." Lan Zhan reassures him.

"Do you usually wake up by yourself? Or would you like me to come and wake you?" The question seems truly innocently asked.

Lan Zhan pushes him out of the room before he makes the mistake of agreeing to everything Wei Ying has suggested. He doesn't want to think about how easily he would have agreed.

Wei Ying is a dangerous temptation that Lan Zhan must try better to avoid.

When he closes the door, he hears Wei Ying’s laughter echoing away as he returns downstairs, with a call of, "thanks for my dinner!"

Maybe it wasn't quite as innocent as Lan Zhan thought?

Lan Zhan turns around and sees a light hanging over the bed. He makes his way over to it and sheds his robes, taking time to fold them carefully. He's brought along a few changes of clothes with him, but he can already see how his white robes are inappropriate for living here.

Since he no longer belongs to the Lan Clan of Gusu, perhaps he is expected not to wear them any more? He adds that to the list of questions in his head, to be addressed tomorrow morning.

Bone weary, he sinks onto the bed with only enough energy to pull off his guan and boots, before folding his long body under the sheets.

Exhaustion seeps from every pore as he closes his eyes, and sleep wraps around him like a comforting blanket.

Tomorrow is another day, and the beginning of a new life for him.

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

At five in the morning, Lan Zhan’s eyes open immediately and he sits up, disorientated in an unfamiliar place.

As the events of yesterday are recalled, he feels a fleeting sadness for his brother and his uncle. They must be missing him now.

Lan Zhan is missing them, too, but he's also filled with a little excitement.

Perhaps today, he will meet with the Kitsune and maybe he can ask him his name. It feels funny to call the one who will be his husband, 'the Kitsune'.

It is time for early morning meditation and reflection, both of which Lan Zhan completes until the sun is high in the sky. His body is demanding nutrition and so Lan Zhan opens the door of his bedroom, and promptly trips up over a sleeping Wei Ying, who was lying across the doorway.

He lands in a tangle of limbs and grunts, as Wei Ying is awakened most unceremoniously.

When Lan Zhan opens his eyes, Wei Ying is staring back at him with the most adorably confused pout.

"Why is Gege awake at this hour?" He squints at Lan Zhan’s face as if the answer will appear if he looks hard enough.

In the fall, Lan Zhan had grabbed his hips to stop him from falling onto the ground and hurting himself, and that small action trapped Wei Ying’s hands against his chest. Everything, from falling and losing his balance, to the heady scent of lotus flowers that is definitely coming from Wei Ying’s neck, has made Lan Zhan’s mind spin and he's feeling rather dizzy.

Then he remembers that Wei Ying asked him a question.

"I always wake up at five," he struggles to answer.

It's hard to think when his arms are full of a warm and sleepy, beautiful man.

The screech that bursts out of Wei Ying's mouth is inhuman.

Lan Zhan’s precious ears must be protected, and that's how Wei Ying rolls away from him when his hands cover them instead.

"Gege," Wei Ying says, most forcefully. "That is a bad habit, and your husband-to-be will be greatly upset if you rise before him. It is a well known fact that foxes wake late in the day!" He stands up reluctantly and holds out his hand to help Lan Zhan up.

"I'm sure we can come to some arrangement," Lan Zhan tells him, also just as determined to keep to his own timetable. His ears are still ringing.

But it won't do to cause a disruption in this household on the first day he arrives, so Lan Zhan doesn't say anything else yet.

His few words could be taken either way, and Wei Ying nods amicably, scratching the top of his head.

"Are you hungry?" He yawns.

"Mn." Lan Zhan wonders how good he must be at his job, or else the Kitsune had really low standards for a servant.

But then, if the Master wasn't here to watch over unruly servants, of course they were going to be lax about their duties. Lan Zhan wasn't sure if the Kitsune was the one who had given Wei Ying permission to be so casual about the way he was living here, and if Lan Zhan was honest with himself, he didn't really mind.

It was just something odd, to note rather than remark upon, or make an issue out of.

"Kitchen is this way." Wei Ying beckons for Lan Zhan to follow him.

Daylight is full and bright, lighting up inside of the Kitsune's home so that Lan Zhan can see into every nook and cranny.

Plates and bowls are neatly stacked on a shelf next to a fire with a chimney funnel leading out. They look new.

So do the spoons which look quite expensive.

Lan Zhan raises a brow at their pristine condition.

"Oh, ah, my Master doesn't really use utensils or bowls or…anything," he explains.

"Then how?" Lan Zhan doesn't want to be rude, but he has to ask! "He must eat?"

If he's to marry Wei Ying’s Master, he must know everything about him.

It's only fair…

"Well, every time he gets hungry, he just, you know, goes outside and catches something. It's quite easy, too. No fuss, no cooking." Wei Ying nudges him cheekily. "Less work for you!"

Lan Zhan decides he doesn't have to think about it.

Wei Ying shows Lan Zhan where the rice is kept and the pots for cooking.

Lan Zhan has a vague idea how to cook…but he's never actually had to do it before. His upbringing in Cloud Recesses was devoid of cooking lessons because they had servants who cooked for them, and it had never been addressed.

The rice looks dirty and Lan Zhan thinks it should be washed first. Glancing at Wei Ying is not helping at all; the manservant seems to have no idea how to do anything, let alone cooking rice.

Yet again, Lan Zhan wonders how on earth Wei Ying has continued to serve his Master, when he's not that great at the actual serving part of the job description. But it's not his place to say, so he gestures towards the rice, hoping Wei Ying will understand what he means, without Lan Zhan having to elaborate.

Lan Zhan doesn't like talking too much, especially this early in the morning. Thankfully, his intentions are read correctly.

Wei Ying beams and comes with him outside, to show him the well. Together, they draw the water and begin rinsing out the grains of rice. Lan Zhan has brought three fistfuls in this saucepan.

When the water comes away clean and he can see the rice sinking to the bottom of the pot, Lan Zhan turns to a sprawled out Wei Ying lying next to him.

"How much water is required to cook the rice?"

Wei Ying hasn't merely closed his eyes for fun, no…Wei Ying is fast asleep!

Perplexed, because Lan Zhan was hoping for some help and now that revenue is basically dry, he's not sure what to do, or how to cook the rice.

But it can't be that hard? Right??

He leaves Wei Ying lightly snoring peacefully outside, and lights the fire in the kitchen. He discovered the little flap which opened, feeding much needed oxygen to the flames, and was quite pleased with himself. He set the rice to cook, and brought out a blanket to cover the manservant with.

Wei Ying looks so cute with his puckered lips in a sleeping pout, and he clutches the blanket closer in fists of a tight grip, mumbling in his sleep.

Lan Zhan tucks the blanket around his body and strokes his hair, ignoring the way Wei Ying leans into his touch.

Then he goes back into the kitchen to check on their breakfast.

Today has already started out so interestingly well.

***********

It turns out, you have to keep an eye on rice when it's cooking, especially if there was too much water in the pot to begin with. Luckily, Lan Zhan came back inside just in time, and managed to lift the pot away from the flames licking at its base, effectively managing to save their meal. He doesn't budge from the stove after that.

While it's cooking, Lan Zhan looks around for seasoning.

There is a noticeable lack of any except chillies in all the different ways one can store it. Pickled chillies, fried chillies, dry chillies, and chilli powder. There are chilli oils and even a chilli sauce in the cupboard.

Lan Zhan closes his eyes and thinks about what he can usually taste in the food back home. Their rice is mostly always plain unless it is fried, so he's going to be fine, but Wei Ying may not be. The steamed vegetables are usually flavoured with a little salt.

Maybe they will have to go shopping soon.

But the lack of necessary ingredients makes Lan Zhan think about Wei Ying and how he must be surviving here, without proper nourishment.

Is the Kitsune making Wei Ying eat raw meat? What exactly is Wei Ying eating on a daily basis?

Lan Zhan remembers the way Wei Ying had eaten the spicy chicken breast yesterday morning, how hungry he was…and the only conclusion he could realistically arrive at was that the Kitsune was grossly neglecting his manservant by not providing adequate food.

Lan Zhan was quite annoyed by that!

How could a supposedly 'Great Deity' be exactly that, when he couldn't even look after one person?

Well, Lan Zhan was going to change that from today.

The moment Wei Ying was awake, and had eaten breakfast, they could make plans on what they were going to do today.

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

Just as Lan Zhan was thinking about going to wake Wei Ying up, the man in question walked into the kitchen yawning loudly, clutching his blanket to his bare chest.

Lan Zhan was only glad that his flaming ears could be attributed to the heat of the flames next to which he was standing.

He was boiling water now, for tea. It looked old, as if someone had gifted it to the Kitsune a long time ago, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and Lan Zhan hadn't realised how addicted to his morning cup of tea he was.

He looks away from the captivating image Wei Ying presents, with his robes askew, not even tied properly and gaping to show off most of his upper body. He must have taken a drink of water by the well, because tiny droplets were making their way down each clearly defined pectoral.

Lan Zhan’s mouth feels ever so dry.

He forces himself to look away, and hence is utterly unprepared for Wei Ying to come and drape himself all over Lan Zhan’s shoulders.

"Gege wakes up too early," he yawns again, hugging him from behind before letting go far too soon, "but if it means breakfast, then I'm all up for it."

Wei Ying sits down at the still damp table that Lan Zhan had cleaned just before Wei Ying entered. He folds his arms into a makeshift pillow and rests his head upon them, watching Lan Zhan through thick, curved lashes.

He looks far too alluring for poor Lan Zhan’s heart.

Wei Ying should come with a warning label: liable to make vulnerable hearts explode…

Lan Zhan makes himself concentrate on the bubbles rising to the surface of the pot and covers the flames so that the fire continues to warm the tiny kitchen.

In the light of day, it is much easier to see everything that needs to be done.

Wei Ying really is scraping the barrel of useful employees, and then Lan Zhan berates himself. He has no idea what Wei Ying is like, or how he grew up. What if his circumstances prevented any kind of education? What if the 'Great Deity' is known for taking care of people who have nobody else?

What if, by employing someone whose serving skills rival that of a lazing cat, the Kitsune was actually looking after Wei Ying?

Again, Lan Zhan tells himself that he has no place to say how Wei Ying should be behaving here. This is his home as much as it is of his husband-to-be, and Lan Zhan would do better by remembering that, rather than seeing how inefficient the staff is.

That's another thing.

How is it that the 'Great Deity' only has one servant? Don't celestials have more than one person to do their bidding? To look after them?

He has trouble believing that this is it.

Lan Zhan didn't have dreams of living in a Palace and being waited on hand and foot, but even if he wasn't sure what to expect, it certainly wasn't this…whatever 'this' was.

Still, even if it was some misguided attempt to test his worthiness, Lan Zhan was determined to do a good job.

A marriage was made from a union of two people, even if one half of the team wasn't here. It was up to Lan Zhan to make this work.

Today he was going to roll up his sleeves and get to it, face whatever challenges came his way, and in doing so, hopefully he can make the Kitsune see that this wasn't a mistake, that by choosing Lan Zhan to be his husband, it is a better decision than employing the world's worst ever candidate for a manservant…

Wei Ying has fallen asleep again…

The scent of fragrant rice is what does it, waking up the ravenous man who falls upon the food like a starved man.

After making his portion unrecognisable by adding copious amounts of chilli sauce sure to rupture something inside his body, and turning something which was pure white into sinfully red in the process.

Lan Zhan keeps his eyes firmly on his own bowl while they eat, blushing at the compliments Wei Ying showers him with.

Wei Ying insists on washing their dishes and since Lan Zhan doesn't trust him to do even the most menial of tasks, he goes with him, taking a questionably clean rag with them to dry said dishes.

So what if Wei Ying’s laughter echoed among the tall trees, because he suggested they leave the dishes to dry 'naturally', and the look on Lan Zhan’s face was enough to make him clutch his waist and belly laugh.

It is good to see him laughing, Lan Zhan realises, feeling something settle deep inside his chest.

His beautiful silver eyes are sparkling with mirth, amusement in the raised curve of his shapely brows, a faint rosy blush dancing across his soft-looking cheeks…and those gorgeous pink lips. Lan Zhan cannot seem to drag his gaze away from them at all.

"Gege…"

"Lan Zhan," he bites out, annoyed more with himself, and his reactions to this lovely man, than the man in question.

"Lan Zhan…" Wei Ying tests out the name on his tongue, feeling it out.

Lan Zhan likes the way he says it, loves the way it sounds coming from his mouth.

It sounds as if Wei Ying is saying it with care, as if it is something precious to him. By forming the actual syllables that make up his name, Wei Ying is wrapping it up with love.

Lan Zhan shakes his head, trying to get rid of the image in his mind.

He's not going to marry Wei Ying.

He's supposed to marry the Kitsune.

No one else.

"My Master has a message for you." Wei Ying tells him, after he has stopped laughing, and the silence between them seems full of intentions that neither of them are aware of.

Lan Zhan remembers last night, when Wei Ying had mentioned that.

"What should I call him?" Lan Zhan asks him.

"Um…nice try, Gege. I can't tell you his name, he has to be the one to do that. It's the rules!" Wei Ying pouts.

Lan Zhan bites his bottom lip, and looks away at his adorable gesture. He hears a deep groan and is startled enough to look up, but Wei Ying is also looking away now.

No matter, Lan Zhan is going to concentrate on what they are going to do, come what may.

So he directs the conversation back to it's origins.

"The message?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, the message." Wei Ying gives him a sheepish grin.

That's not helping at all.

They're sitting outside and the midday sun is warm and kind, coating them in waves of comforting relaxation.

Wei Ying gives up first and lies down in a star shape, arms and legs out. He closes his eyes and begins to talk.

Lan Zhan lets himself watch him, unobserved and unhindered.

"My Master wants to ask you a question," Wei Ying tells him.

"Mn?"

"How much do you know about the Kitsune? First, tell me that."

"Fact or fiction?"

Wei Ying’s eyes snap open at that, enough to startle Lan Zhan into looking away.

"Both. Please."

"I saw him in my dream, and from that, I can tell that he is someone who dies the right thing, someone who keeps their word. That promises matter…otherwise he wouldn't have sent his trusted servant with me." Lan Zhan closes his eyes too, and thinks lying down might not be such a bad idea.

There is a hum of approval from his counterpart.

"I don't know his name, but the lady in the marketplace in Caiyi, she said that whoever the Kitsune favours, he will tell them his name. The market vendor said the Kitsune is a known trickster." Or had that been Huaisang? Lan Zhan can't remember.

He stops talking because only now, he realises why his brother was right to be so shocked at him, and his decision. He has chosen to agree to marry a person of whose knowledge can be written down in less than a handful of characters.

It is so sparce as to be nonexistent.

Birdsong drifts towards them in the quietness of the afternoon, and the breeze sings in the swishing leaves atop the highest trees.

This place is calming and restful without even trying.

"I don't know this, but I get the feeling that the Kitsune is lonely." These last words are whispered.

Lan Zhan feels like he's exposing a great secret by saying it out loud like that. He cannot bring himself to look at Wei Ying now, or wonder what he thinks about that.

"A long time ago, my Master was approached by the daughter of a witch. She claimed to have fallen in love with him, and demanded that he reward her for her affections, and to take responsibility for her. My Master felt nothing for her and he tried to let her down gently, but she was persistent. Relentless, even." Wei Ying says, his beautiful voice low and soothing.

Its cadence matched the calmness surrounding them and Lan Zhan found he was captivated by his tale.

"What happened?" He finds himself asking.

"She would turn up whenever he was around, following him everywhere. She would loudly proclaim to love him wherever he went, and she became unavoidable. My Master became more and more reclusive but she never gave up, until one day, my Master told her in clear words that he did not feel the same way and she should move on.

"But instead of understanding him and leaving him be, she turned around and cursed him."

Lan Zhan gasped, his gaze shooting towards Wei Ying, who seems rather sad on behalf of his Master.

Lan Zhan just feels angry at the injustice of it all.

The witch's daughter seemed unhinged, but that was no excuse for her stalking behaviour, and the attempt to force the Kitsune to fall in love with her. And then to curse him? How unfair was that?

"And then?" His heart is hurting for the Kitsune.

Even if he doesn't know him well, Lan Zhan thinks sadly, that his first assessment of the Fox Spirit was right, that he was lonely.

"She said that since my Master spurned her true love feelings towards him, that from then on as a result, he would only suffer unrequited love for the rest of his life."

Tears begin to fall from Lan Zhan’s eyes and he used his sleeves to wipe them away quickly, uncertain as to why he feels so bad for this person whom he doesn't know well enough yet.

Wei Ying’s voice is also thick with tears as he continues.

"His mother found out about it. She tried to find the daughter of the witch, but she found out that in a fit of depression, she had passed away from the pain of a broken heart. So with no other recourse, she went to appeal to the Jade Emperor, to see if there was some way to break the curse."

"And? Did the Jade Emperor know? Did he help?" Lan Zhan scoots closer to hear Wei Ying’s words better.

Now they're lying on their sides face to face, watching each other.

Wei Ying hums, not a yes and not a no.

"He told his wife, the Queen Mother of the West. She felt sorry for the Kitsune and took pity on his plight. She gave them a question, and told him, when this question is answered by someone important to you, this curse will be broken," he says.

"What was the question?" Lan Zhan whispered back, already making up his mind to see if he can help answer it. He's also feeling terribly sad for the Kitsune, who really was innocent in all this.

Wei Ying wipes the tears in his beautiful silver eyes away, sitting up.

Eager to find out more, Lan Zhan also sits up next to him.

"The question is this: what is the greatest thing about love?"

***********

Dear Wonderful Readers,

Haha! I am on a roll!

Can you answer this question?

I look forward to your answers!

Mine are all about chocolate 🍫 😋 😍 hehe…

Charlie