"Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can."
― Nicholas Sparks, At First Sight

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Lan Wangji

"Let's sleep, you're tired," I say, a while of waiting till Wei Ying wasn't concentrating on his work. He was subconsciously rubbing his forehead.

Wei Ying hasn't taken his eyes away from something he was scribbling for hours, although it was past midnight. He has been working till late for a few days. He needed a rest.

"You can go ahead Lan Zhan, I'll join in a while." He says.

He has been giving the same answer for a while. Knowing that there was no use of further arguing, I decided to oblige.

I lean down and cup his face and he happily places his lips on mine. And I cherish even this simple kiss we shared. Because each of them meant too much for us. Every second we spend with each other mattered. And with everything we face, it has proved itself again and again.

I pull away and head to the bed. My eyes were already heavy, therefore in no time, sleep came to me.

Sometime later I'm awakened by the feeling of soft fingers on my cheek. I open my eyes to find Wei Ying's smiling face looking at me.

"Did you finish working?" I ask.

"Hm," he says with a yawn, reclining himself to the bed. He pulls me close and places his face against my neck, and I feel his breath tickling me slightly. "I think I found something."

"You did?" I ask, with hope whirling in me.

He chuckles. "Calm down Lan Zhan, your heart is hammering. Let's talk in the morning. Right now I want to stay like this."

I don't refuse. I hug him tightly, breathing his scent in. He places a kiss on my neck and buries his face on my chest.

"You make me do the impossible Lan Zhan... Uncle Jiang would have liked you a lot." He rambles. "Ah... I'm sleepy. I love you."

He was asleep before I could reply.

Wei Wuxian

Attempt the Impossible. The slogan of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect.

I guess I'm alive to prove it.

"There are only two ways to change the body a soul possesses," I say, sitting near Lan Zhan's table in Jingshi, explaining my plan. "First is to possess a body by force, which I'm not willing to do, so we're trying the second."

"Soul summoning ritual?" Lan Zhan asks, but it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, but we have to change a few things. Usually, the soul will possess the summoner's body and as a result, his spirit will be destroyed. But since the will of our spirit is to be free, he will not agree to do it. So, I was working on a way for it to be performed by another person."

"You want me to perform it?"

I nod.

"And you don't intend to let the spirit free either."

I nod again, with a smile, pleased with the way he guessed my thoughts just with a look. "I don't want to take a risk by setting it free. It was formed by my power after... err, my soul left the body because there was no one to control it anymore." It didn't feel right to say 'my death' out loud.

"It's purely made with resentment, and can function like yin metal." I continue. "Which makes it too dangerous to be set free. And... I want to erase all the traces of Stygian Amulet." I say.

Lan Zhan nods, understandingly. "We have to inform my brother."

"No." I thought through this a few times. "I trust your brother Lan Zhan, but this is a very powerful ritual. It will do no good in the wrong hands. So I want this to be kept as a secret between the two of us. And when it's over, all the evidence and notes have to be destroyed."

"Hm," he replies.

I explain all the steps in detail to him. When I'm done he thinks for some time before asking the question I dreaded to answer.

"Wei Ying, for your soul to be summoned you should be-" his voice slightly shook in agitation.

I look away. "Yes, I have to be dead."

There were too many risks in this ritual. If my soul gets lost like last time, I will be gone for good. And I didn't know if reincarnating thrice was possible. It has never been heard of.

"How much is the chance?" he asks softly.

I sigh. "I don't know. Let's hope for the best." I say taking his hands in mine.

"When?"

"As soon as we can." This body is getting weaker day by day.

I only hope that the universe gives us another chance. After all, hoping is what makes impossible things possible, isn't it?

Lan Sizhui

I walk out of the class thinking about the paper with the word 'goatee', which was on Master Qiren's back. Till today, no one has dared to do such a thing. I removed it as soon as I saw it, making sure that he did not feel.

Suddenly I feel a knock on my and I turn back and scream at the wicked face I see.

"Sizhui, noise is prohibited in Cloud Recess." Senior Wei laughs while removing the scary mask he was wearing.

"Oh, it's you," I say suddenly feeling embarrassed for falling for his prank. "Wait, was it you who put that paper on Master Qiren."

"Shh, not so loud. It was fun, wasn't it?" he says giving me a grin that spread from ear to ear.

"You- never mind," I say with a sigh. "Why are you here all of a sudden?"

"Hmm, Lan Zhan wasn't willing to do anything, so I was wandering around." He says and I feel blood rushing into my face as I remember what I saw the last time I went to Jingshi.

He chuckles seeing my face. "Anyway, how have you been?"

Huh? "I am fine. Thank you."

"Come on don't be so polite." He ruffles my hair and sighs. "Listen, I wanted to tell you. Whatever that happens, Wen Ning will be here for you, remember that."

I nod, confused to do anything more.

"Take it as an advice, coming from experience. You might feel that he's the only family you have, but remember, there are people who care about you. You can find a family anywhere, as long as you want to find it." He says nudging his head towards a direction from where I hear Jingyi's voice calling my name.

He runs towards us. "Senior Wei! Oh, now I know where the 'goatee' came from. It suits him."

"Finally a kid with a sense of fun." Senior Wei says.

"But Sizhui removed it. You should have let it be for some more time." Says the idiot.

"You did? Just like Lan Zhan." Senior Wei mutters.

"What are you doing here?" Jingyi asks.

"Don't you like to meet me?" Senior Wei teases him. "Anyway, off I go now. Remember what I told." I nod. "I should check if Lan Zhan is interested." He winks at us before leaving.

"Why did that feel like a goodbye?"

"What are you muttering?" Jingyi asks.

"Nothing, let's go," I say, leaving Jingyi behind in his confusion.

"Hey wait! There's something on your back." I feel him removing something and he hands me another paper which was similar to the one on Master Qiren. But this time with different words.

Jingyi reads it aloud. "Zhu- ingyi? Zhuingyi? What does- oh! SENIOR WEI!"

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Finally some hope!!
Till next time...