A week passed, too slow for both Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng, who ended up taking turns watching over Wei Ying. The few times he woke by himself or was woken on purpose to administer the various potions and experimental cures that the medics were trying out on him, but aside from the fever abating, there did not seem to be much improvement in his condition.

Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan had come to an unspoken agreement where the bare minimum of contact or conversation existed between them. Like the sun and moon, Lan Zhan cared for Wei Ying during the night, asleep next to him on the bed, and Jiang Cheng took over whenever he had to leave the Jingshi.

Lan Zhan knew that the best way to tolerate his presence was to accept that he was important to Wei Ying, and as a result, would have to see him often, but of course, that didn't mean he'd have to talk to him. And in his opinion, he had made a vast improvement already by allowing him anywhere near his  beloved.

Jiang Cheng realized that this small concession was probably the most he could receive for now; he understood that Lan Zhan blamed him for a lot of things, and if he was absolutely honest with himself, it was not unjustified. Regret was a bitter companion who just wouldn't leave him be. His wish to make amends far outweighed any awkwardness when they happened to be in the same room together, and it seemed like a small price to pay for the chance to be with his brother, because in spite of the hugely public announcement of Wei Ying's defection, Jiang Cheng had never stopped thinking of him as anything other than that: his brother.

It was on one of these rare occurrences when they were both present that Wei Ying woke up, and appeared to be far more lucid than normal.

He squeezed his hand that was already encased in Lan Zhan's bigger palm and stretched.

"Lan Zhan?"

"I am here."

"So am I!" Jiang Cheng jumped in.

"Jiang Cheng! Why are you here?" Wei Ying exclaimed, excited for someone who had been out for the past week.

"Because of you, you idiot! I know what you did!" He shouted back.

Lan Zhan cleared his throat noisily.

"Anyway..." Wei Ying turned his attention hurriedly to the man sitting next to him. "I'm so glad to see you, Lan Zhan. I was coming here on my way to see you in the first place, but then, well, you know..."

"I was coming to find Wei Ying." Lan Zhan lifted his lips slightly, which was the equivalent of a wide smile on Wei Ying.

"Really? What for?" Wei Ying tried to rise and Lan Zhan helped him sit up, arranging the pillows so he was more comfortable.

"Brother gave me permission." And then he really did smile.

Jiang Cheng gasped and Wei Ying beamed at him. It was such a rare sight to see.

"Why was Wei Ying coming?"

"Well, the thing is, I thought you might worry if you couldn't find me, and I was going somewhere I'm pretty sure that I'd have no way to contact you, so-"

"What?! Where are you going? What for?" Jiang Cheng shouted.

"Indoor voice, Jiang Cheng," Wei Ying said quietly, not making eye contact with either of them. "I want to find my grandmother."

For once there was silence to his announcement.

"Do you even know where she is? This is ridiculous! I won't let you go on a wild goose chase like that!" Jiang Cheng recovered first.

"Mn. Wei Ying is in no condition to travel." Lan Zhan added, already worried.

"Well, I was fine when I was coming here. And I actually feel so much better now." He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "How long have I been here?"

"Today is the eighth day."

"Wow. I was out for so long!" He moved the blanket, and sat properly as if to stand up, but the moment he tried to, a wave of dizziness had him falling back. Lan Zhan caught him and firmly put his legs back on the bed and covered him back.

"Wei Ying must rest."

"What exactly is wrong with me?"

"The creature stabbed you with it's tail. You have venom in your body."

"Right, I remember. Come to think of it, we should totally come up with a name for that thing! I've never seen something like that before."

Lan Zhan raised a brow.

"Absolutely, we could be the first ones to name it. It should definitely be a mix of two, like spidion or sciper or..."

"Shut up! Only you would think of something so utterly stupid! Why don't you concentrate on getting better instead?" Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes.

The door opened and Lan XiChen entered.

"Zewu-Jun!"

"Master Wei. I'm glad to see you awake finally. How are you feeling?" He came forward and placed a hand on his forehead. "Your temperature is back to normal."

"I feel great, except for my back." He fidgeted then, wriggling against the pillows.

"Let's see." Lan XiChen raised his shirt to expose his back.

They all gasped in shock.

"What?! What's wrong?" Wei Ying said, distressed.

But they did not know how to tell him what they were seeing. The wound was now even brighter red, angry looking and definitely nowhere near looking cured, plus the black veins appeared to have spread all over, reaching his shoulders and disappearing under his trousers.

The medic turned up then with new medicine in a glass. Wei Ying tried not to show his disgust at the muddy looking liquid but even he could not stop the grimace on his face. The medic handed it to him and turned to examine his back.

"It's spreading still." He murmured, concerned. "Nothing seems to be working."

No one said anything.

"Am I..." Wei Ying started to say but Jiang Cheng interrupted.

"No. Do NOT say it!"

"What? I was going to say 'getting better'! Getting better!" Wei Ying defended himself.

"I am not sure, Master Wei. I think these tonics will only delay the venom spreading. As yet, if they had any positive effects, it would be apparent in the state of the wound. But it is definitely getting worse." The medic rung his hands, worried.

"You have to do better!" Jiang Cheng shouted at the poor man who cowered, not used to hearing anything above the normal conversation levels in Cloud Recesses.

"Jiang Cheng, please, indoor voice!" Wei Ying said, smiling at his victim. "He's doing his best, you shouldn't bully him."

The medic scurried out quickly. Lan XiChen followed, taking a protesting Jiang Cheng with him.

Lan Zhan sat down next to Wei Ying and took his hand again.

Wei Ying watched him back, studying his face. The minute expressions that he was capable of would seem like nothing to those who didn't know the stoic white Jade, but Wei Ying was now an expert at reading him.

"If they can't find a cure-" he began.

"No. Wei Ying must not think that." His tone stubbornly final.

"But Lan Zhan! If they can't, then we need to decide what to do." We Ying stroked his thumb over the other's knuckle softly. "I know you don't want to think about it, but the truth is unavoidable. And I think my original plan still makes sense."

"Baoshen Sanren?"

Wei Ying nodded. "Don't you think so?"

"But you don't know where she is."

"I know. But I'm sure I can find her."

"We. How?"

"Huh?"

"We can find her." He emphasized. "Where do you think she is?"

"What? You want to come with me?" Wei Ying couldn't hide his surprise.

"Mn. Wei Ying is not alone. I will come with you."

"But Lan Zhan," he whined. "What about your duties? I can't expect you to drop everything just for me-"

Lan Zhan tightened his hold and scowled, although it was just  furrowed brows. "Wei Ying is more important. And Brother is here now."

Wei Ying didn't know how to respond to that. He knew Lan Zhan cared for him as a friend, surely, not so much to put aside all other concerns? But for himself, he was happy beyond words. Since their time as teenagers studying together, his feelings had blossomed into something else, and it was only now he could dare put a name to them. This was all meaningless though, if they weren't reciprocated, and he was too much of a coward to ask right now.

So he finished his medicine and yawned loudly, receiving the expected reaction of being pulled down into a sleeping position and firmly tucked in.

"Sleep."