**This book is edited up to the previous chapter. The scenes that follow may have slight differences**

Watching your gaze follow me wherever I go,
I'd joyously be your pied piper, you'll be asking for more.

---------------------------

Lan Zhan started hanging out with us. Just like that, four became five. And it was a welcoming change for everyone.

Yes, friendship is complicated. But something told me that with these people, I don't have to be extra cautious. I felt that they'll be with me in anything, although they proved to be idiotic most of the time. We were naturally bonded. And I liked it. I needed it.

But right now, I'm suffering from jitters in the dressing room in the Nightless club. I am dampening the non-existential crumples on my t-shirt which was mostly hidden under my jacket. Twice I dropped my box of picks.

"You okay bud?" Xingchen asks once Song and Ning leave to set up the stage. He must have noticed me acting weird.

"Yeah, I'm good," I reply.

He gives me a tender smile. "Nervous about playing for him?"

Hold up now. Am I that obvious?

"What's with the surprise?" he asks.

"Don't tell me you just figured it out."

"Partly yeah. But it was you who told me." I continue to stare at him dumbfounded. "Remember that 'motivational speech' you gave when you persuaded me to sing here?" I nod. "Remember? Even just a sentence can motivate you'?"

"Oh," Goddamn my memory. I guess paranoia comes as a side effect of nervousness.

"I just figured out the rest. And you confirmed it." He says with a playful smile and I glare at him. "Chill. I know that saying 'chill' before going on stage doesn't help at all. But trust me he's not going to judge you even if you make a fool out of yourself. I'm just saying with experience."

"What experience?"

"I sang in front of my inspiration on the day you 'auditioned' me personally." He says as he leaves the room.

I turn down the volume of the console to zero for the others to plug the instruments and the mics. Once they were done I adjust the controls and wear the stash of my guitar. I play a few notes to check the sounds and the others follow me with their relevant instruments. Once everything was set I connect them to the main speakers of the dance floor and we were ready to go.

I step on the stage and wonder why the fuck I was nervous. This is what I live for.

I spot Sang, Cheng, and Lan Zhan near the counter with Qing. Giving a nod at them, I start to play. Soon the other instruments join in their queue and Xingchen starts the lyrics.

The faster we're falling
We're stopping and stalling
We're running in circles again
Just as things were looking up
You said it wasn't good enough
But still we're trying one more time
Maybe we're just trying too hard
When really it's closer than it is too far

And then the whole band comes in giving it a rich blend making more heads turn to us. And that was it. I let myself get lost in the music, welcoming the familiar adrenaline rush in my brain.

Cause I'm in too deep, and I'm trying to keep
Up above in my head, instead of going under

Almost the whole crowd joined us dancing, singing along, or simply tapping their fingers to the beat halfway through our performance.

We continue song after song, and I forget that a world beyond this stage exists. I forget about college, my possibly-heir fate, and the shit that weighs me down. I just wish that I could hang in this feeling forever. Care about nothing. Just feel free.

That's when my eyes fall on him. He was looking at me with glimmering eyes, and they never left me. It was not that inexpressive face he always maintained, nor was he the kid who shared his burden with me on that lone cliff. I could read him. He was enjoying it. He was happy. Happy watching me play.

And then, I realize that I want to care. I have been since the day I met him.

"I propose a toast for Lan Wangji," Sang says. He was slurring his words slightly.

"For Lan Wangji." We all raise our glasses.

Lan Zhan who looked a bit uncomfortable with all the attention nods.

"Kids, don't drink too much." Wen Qing says although she knows that it won't stop us.

Sang gasps dramatically. "You can't call us 'kids' here."

"Oh yes, I can. You know if I suddenly decide to not allow you here." She replies. There was no arguing with Wen Qing.

"You love me too much to do that Qing, don't you?"

"Right. You're the first in my list of the guys I love. When you read it backward." Everyone breaks into laughter.

They carry on their conversation and after a while, Song and Xingchen disappear into thin air. Wen Ning who was not allowed to drink was helping his sister with the glasses. Sang was now sobbing going on about how pathetic his life is because he can't turn his phone into a fan when he wants to. And Cheng was explaining how it can be done scientifically, but I'm not sure if half of the words he used even exists.

I ask Wen Qing to make something with no liquor. She raises an eyebrow at me but makes one anyway. I take it and sit next to Lan Zhan who was scrolling his phone.

I hand him the drink. "No alcohol," I say.

He takes it and keeps it on the table.

"So, you liked it?"

"Mn."

"Come on. Add some more words."

"How did you convince her to let you play here?" he asks. Why did he avoid it?

"Well, the three of us basically grew up together. Of course, she should let me play."

"So you're playing here thanks to her?"

"Huh?"

He avoided my gaze when he spoke. "You said... You're playing here thanks to someone... Is it Wen Qing?"

Honestly, I was having an internal battle in my mind trying not to yell 'you're cute.' Either my brain was short-circuited because of it, or I was under the influence of too much alcohol. "You." I blurt out. "'Self-doubt kills more dreams than an enemy.' It's because of you."

He just stares at me.

At that moment I hear Song's voice. "Hey, we're leaving." Well, the appeared just in the way they disappeared.

"Let me guess, Song's roommate went home?" I ask.

"Guilty." He replies.

I laugh. "Anyway, can you drop Sang on the way? I should take care of Cheng."

"Sure."

They take Sang and leave through the back door. I spot Cheng in the other corner of the counter, asleep.

"I guess we'll have to leave too," I say. When I look back at Lan Zhan he was drinking what I bought for him. He keeps the glass on the table and stares at me. And he just falls. Just falls. He would have fallen off the chair if I didn't catch him on time.

"Wen Qing, I thought I ordered something nonalcoholic."

Wen Qing looks at me and sees the situation I'm in. Lan Zhan was leaning on my stomach and was fast asleep.

She keeps her hand on her mouth as if that would stop me from seeing her laughing. "I thought you were joking."

"Damn Qing. You owe me for this."

One more for this week... why not?

The lyrics were taken from "In too Deep" by Sum 41.
The song is here, listen to it. That's the first song that came to my mind when I put Wei Wuxian and a band together
(◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

Till next time...