Wei Ying tried to sleep, but his grandmother's questions had pushed him unwillingly into the past. He was not awake, but not fully asleep, reliving those memories which were better left buried. A scream slowly building in his chest forced itself out, and he awoke, out of breath and gasping.

Lan Zhan sat up with him, rubbing circles on his back, and when that didn't work, he pulled him into his lap and hugged him. They sat like that for awhile until Lan Zhan felt him calmer.

"Nightmare?"

Wei Ying nodded, trying to wipe his eyes. Lan Zhan replaced his fingers with his own lips. He kissed his eyes, his cheeks, his nose and finally, his lips.

"I-I'm sorry. I woke you up."

"I do not mind." Lan Zhan said kindly. "Wei Ying should not suffer alone. I am here."

Wei Ying smiled, a mixture of adoration and gratitude. "Can I hug you again?"

Lan Zhan gently embraced him, tucking his head into his shoulder. "Wei Ying does not have to ask, ever."

"Thank you," Wei Ying breathed out, tired all of a sudden. "This feels good."

"Mn."

They were silent for a few minutes, just breathing in each other's scents, a mix of lotus flowers and sandalwood.

"Wei Ying is beautiful. Wei Ying is kind." Lan Zhan said, quietly. "Wei Ying should always be happy."

"Thank you, Lan Zhan." He pulled away. "I love you so much." His heart felt full of joy, the nightmare mostly forgotten.

"I love Wei Ying. I will tell you every day."

Wei Ying practically glowed.

*****

Wei Ying could not wait for the evening. Their day passed much in the same way, and his grandmother always left them to their own privacy when it was time to soak, knowing they were bathing together, a fact he appreciated greatly. After all, it would be awkward and embarrassing to do it in front of her.

And the afternoon, which seemed to pass even faster because of the mandatory meditation, so no speaking then either. That left the few minutes after dinner, and he was ready.
As soon as she put her chopsticks down, he pounced.

"Grandmother?"

She looked up at him. Today she was wearing a white, sparkly dress that shimmered when she moved. It reminded him of the people living in Cloud Recesses, and it comforted him greatly.

"Can you please tell me about my mother?" He held his breath, waiting for the rejection.

He was not prepared to see her eyes fill with moisture.

"Ah, it's okay if you don't want to."

She shook her head. "Give me a moment." She wiped her eyes, a small smile gracing her lips, her expression soft.

"My daughter was my greatest joy. I put all of my love into her happiness. I watched her grow up into such a beautiful woman. She was kind, like you, and just as lively, imaginative and full of life. After my husband died, we only had each other." She paused, reflecting. "I sent her to Cloud Recesses and that was that. She met Wei Changze, and that man stole my daughter."

"Did you like him?" Wei Ying asked, cautiously.

"Pig and cabbage come to mind," she laughed. "But he loved her too much for me to get in the way, and I could never deny your mother anything." She looked away into the distance, remembering. " They brought you with them once, to visit here."

"Really? I don't remember."

"I think you might have been two or three years old. A very happy family."

Wei Ying wanted to ask her another question, but he didn't know how to. It would be insensitive to ask, yet he really wanted to know. "Did you...did you-" he broke off, unsure how to phrase it.

"What are you trying to ask?"

"Did you know...did you look for me? You know, when..." He trailed off, feeling miserable for making her answer an obviously painful question. But it had always bothered him, those days spent running from dogs and fighting for survival.

"I did not know they had passed away immediately, and when I found out, I was heartbroken. I couldn't leave my bed for the grief that swamped me. I had failed in the only thing I had promised not to do. And by the time I left this mountain to find you, you had already been adopted by the Jiang Fengmian. I didn't know how bad it was for you, otherwise I would have taken you away from there." She sniffed, and got up, clearly wanting to avoid further conversation.

*****

"I wish you would have been able to meet my parents." Wei Ying said, later when they were getting ready for bed. "My mother would have loved you."

Lan Zhan's ears tinged pink. "I also wanted Wei Ying to meet my mother." He smiled shyly.

"Aww. You're so cute when you're embarrassed." He threw himself into Lan Zhan's arms and kissed him. Lan Zhan enthusiastically kissed him back, arms tightening around him.

*****

Day 4

Today, when they left the still mysteriously glowing tub of unknown substance, the colour was different, like a milky white. Still glowing though. Baoshen Sanren was excited when she saw it and rubbed her palms together gleefully.

And when they sat down to meditate, Wei Ying felt the change drastically. A white light filled his body, ecstacy pouring into every cell. He felt himself float off the floor but was unwilling to open his eyes to check. Euphoria lit his brain and mind until he saw nothing else, just a blinding radiance.

When he finally opened his eyes, he had to blink several times before his eyes accustomed to the semi darkness of the cave. To his surprise, both Lan Zhan and his grandmother were staring at him, shock on their faces.

"What?" He asked, feeling embarrassed.

"You glowed." Lan Zhan said, smiling at him. "It was beautiful."

His grandmother rolled her eyes. "Unexpected, but well done." She turned to Lan Zhan. "You have some catching up to do."

He bowed at her. "I will do my best."

*****

The days passed quickly, their progress coming along in leaps and bounds. Lan Zhan had already caught up to Wei Ying in their meditation; one glowed white and the other, a pale blue aura.

Before they knew it, two weeks had passed.

"Today is your last day, dear grandson. You have completed everything I could possibly teach you both. Your last step will be taken when you make the three salutations." She said, a bittersweet smile on her face.

Lan Zhan blushed while Wei Ying, cluelessly looked at them both, questioningly.

"Would you like to see how your children are doing?"

Wei Ying beamed at her, bouncing forward and taking her arm as they walked down to the cherry grove.