Lost of Oblivion: Chapter 26

“Ér Gege, my forehead ribbon got too soaked to be worn.” said Wèi WúXiàn.

“It’s okay. I’ll give you another ribbon.” Lán WàngJī replied.

“It looked that you were pleased because I was wearing a forehead ribbon.” Wèi WúXiàn remarked, “Do you like to see me wearing a ribbon? If that is the case, then, from now on, I’ll be wearing one.”

He then added, “However, the inconvenience of wearing a forehead ribbon is that it’s easily got crooked.”

“You don’t have to.” Lán WàngJī said, “If it is awkward for you, then, don’t wear it.”

Then, he reassured him, “Wèi Yīng, with me by your side, just act like you always do. You don’t need to discipline yourself to behave differently.”

Wèi WúXiàn smiled at him.

Lán WàngJī was washing Wèi WúXiàn, and, when he was done, he carried him to the bed.

After putting Wèi WúXiàn under the duvet, Lán WàngJī kissed his forehead, then left the room to go and find his brother and the doctor.

Since, today, he had slept a lot, Wèi WúXiàn woke up soon after. And, while quietly complaining about Lán WàngJī not behaving like an upright member of GūsūLán, earlier, Wèi WúXiàn was making his exploration of the room.

He aimlessly inspected every corner of Jingshi, rummaged through all the furniture of the room until he found a small hidden trapdoor on the floor, the inside was of the size of a large drawer.

The first thing Wèi WúXiàn saw was a few clay jars of ‘Emperor Smile’*

With a smile, Wèi WúXiàn uttered, “It’s not so bad to have an indecent Lán Zhàn.”

He took out one of the jars, and when he was about to drink it, he noticed a dimmed blue light beneath the clay jars. He removed all the jars, and revealed a box that was sealed with a weak spiritual power.

To open the box required the one who put the seal. Wèi WúXiàn thought, “Since I am also the host of Jingshi, I can open this box.”

So, he poured a small amount of his spiritual power on the sealed box, and, as he was expected, the seal was broken.

The wooden box was exquisitely crafted, with two hibiscus flowers engraved on top, so beautifully carved that the flowers looked like they were real.

Wèi WúXiàn opened the box, and took out a booklet that was titled ‘Mountain of Joy and Grief’. He glanced through it, and was dumbfounded. Then, he sighed, “Lán Zhàn has become really indecent.”

Something else inside the exquisite box attracted his attention; it was some rolled papers. Wèi WúXiàn took out the papers carefully, then unrolled them.

He earnestly looked at the contents, and then, he said, “Lán Zhàn actually painted me...”

The first painting was in the ‘cold spring’ of Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù. In that painting, Wèi WúXiàn was sitting by the spring, wearing only a bathrobe that was already wet, revealing his enticing body shape.

His beautiful face was faintly visible, he had one leg raised as though he was about to splash the cold water onto someone. The painting was candid with warm tones, and, at the same time, arousing.

The second painting was in Jingshi. Wèi WúXiàn was sitting in front of the mirror of the dressing table, his upper body was naked, his long hair was tied up into a ponytail, revealing his slender and graceful neck, as well as his slim and toned back.

His face was slightly turned towards the back, and his eyes gleamed ambiguously with a seducing smile on the corner of his lips.

The third one was also in Jingshi, Wèi WúXiàn was sleeping in bed, with the duvet only covering his body up to the waist, revealing here and there the love bites on his bare skin.

The love bites were from the neck down to the belly button, and seemed to form a pattern that was done on purpose.

In that painting, Wèi WúXiàn appeared to sleep soundly, with the forehead ribbon wrapped around his wrists.

The painting seemed to have being painted in the morning, showing where Lán WàngJī was sleeping.

Being moved by the splendid view of his sleeping Wèi Yīng, Lán WàngJī could not resist to capture that moment into a painting.

As Wèi WúXiàn kept on looking at them, one by one, he noticed that the paintings were getting more and more daring, which made his cheeks turn pink.

Then, he saw a painting that appeared to have being painted by him. In that painting, Wèi WúXiàn had painted Lán WàngJī. And, when the latter returned, he found him sitting at the table with the wooden box placed on the table.

Wèi WúXiàn’s face wore a solemn expression, and he was staring fixedly at Lán WàngJī. Then, with a resolved tone, he said, “Lán Zhàn, take off your clothes.”

Besides the box, there were also two paintings, placed side by side, in front of Wèi WúXiàn.

One of the two paintings depicted Lán WàngJī, with a majestic expression on his face, lying on one side with one elbow supporting his upper body.

He had one leg bent, the foot lay flat on the bed, and his other arm limply rested on his knee. In that painting, Lán WàngJī appeared to look straight at the one who was painting him.

This posture revealed one rounded scar on his chest and a few string-like scars on his shoulder, since he was only wearing a pair of trousers.

In the other painting, Lán WàngJī’s upper body was also bare, and, since he was giving his back to the painter, the thirty three gruesome scars left by the GūsūLán’s whip were all exposed.

Wèi WúXiàn was now tapping his fingers on the table, indicating his impatience. As for Lán WàngJī, he was looking at the two paintings, then, at Wèi WúXiàn’s fingers, then back again at the paintings.

Being already aware that Wèi WúXiàn had seen all their paintings, Lán WàngJī then looked at him affectionately.

This display of love almost swept away Wèi WúXiàn’s irritation. He then quickly regained control of himself, stood up all of a sudden, and thundered, “What are you waiting for? Remove your clothes!”

Then, unable to wait any longer, he quickly walked towards Lán WàngJī, and began frenetically to untie Lán WàngJī’s waist belt.

As he did so, Wèi WúXiàn asked, “Are you planning on making love to me with your clothes on, for the rest of our lives, if I don’t regain my memories?”

Lán WàngJī let Wèi WúXiàn remove the waist belt. Then, he held Wèi WúXiàn’s hands, tenderly patted them, and then, he began to take off his clothes himself.

In a low voice, he called, “Wèi Yīng.”

Wèi WúXiàn raised his head to towards him, and saw that Lán WàngJī’s eyes were expressing a deep sadness.

After removing all his top clothes, Lán WàngJī hugged Wèi WúXiàn.

Unlike his usual cold expression, Lán WàngJī’s skin was warm, and made Wèi WúXiàn feel relaxed and comfortable. Wèi WúXiàn then rested his head on Lán WàngJī’s chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Then, he turned his head to face the burned mark* on Lán WàngJī’s chest, and then, he tenderly kissed it.

“Lán Zhàn.” Wèi WúXiàn asked in a hoarse voice, “Does this mark have something to do with me?”

Intuitively, Wèi WúXiàn knew that all those scars on Lán WàngJī’s body were related to him.

“Yes.” replied Lán WàngJī.

Then, he asked another question, “Lán Zhàn, my past, or rather our past, was it painful?”

Lán WàngJī replied, “Yes, it was painful.”

In Caiyin Town, Wèi WúXiàn had already become aware of people’s hostility towards me.

“It seems that I have been living with Lán Zhàn as a couple for many years. By now, those people should have changed their attitude towards him for the sake of Lán Zhàn and GūsūLán sect.

“Unless, I have done something else more terrible than what happened during the Shooting Sun campaign.” thought Wèi WúXiàn.

He then asked again, “Was it extremely painful?”

In a low voice, Lán WàngJī replied, “Yes, it was extremely painful.”

“Oh.” uttered Wèi WúXiàn, then, he gently fondled the rounded scar on Lán WàngJī’s chest, and then, he said, “Let me see your back.”

Lán WàngJī turned around slowly. His whole back was covered with the criss-cross scars, which were spread across his shoulders and the back of his arms.

Some scars were shallow while others were deep and hideous, making a strong contrast to Lán WàngJī’s white and smooth skin, and ruining his back that once could be considered as a perfect male back.

After looking at Lán WàngJī’s scars, Wèi WúXiàn was still unable to recall how Lán WàngJī got them. However, he could not understand why he felt so sad all of a sudden.

Then, he recalled asking Jiāng YànLí* why people fall in love, why one would like to put the noose around the neck.

“So, that’s how it feels to have the noose around your neck; you also feel the pain of the one you love.” said Wèi WúXiàn inwardly.

As though he had read Wèi WúXiàn’s mind, Lán WàngJī said, “Wèi Yīng, it’s all over now.”

“Oh.” said Wèi WúXiàn in a low voice.

Then, unable to prevent his hand from shaking as he brought it close to Lán WàngJī’s back, Wèi WúXiàn began slowly to slide his trembling fingers on the criss-cross scars.

And then, with his forehead pressed on Lán WàngJī’s back, Wèi WúXiàn hugged him tight.

“Wèi Yīng?” Lán WàngJī called him.

Then, since Wèi WúXiàn didn’t reply, he called him again.

“Why are you calling me?” Wèi WúXiàn finally replied, then, he added, “I’m not crying.”

“Oh! Okay, then.” said Lán WàngJī, “You are really brave. Well done!”

“Are you consoling a child?” remarked Wèi WúXiàn.

Lán WàngJī said, “Wèi Yīng, do you remember what you said back then when we were in Xuanwu Cave*: ‘It’s not a big deal for a man to have injuries that leave scars’.”

Sceptical, Wèi WúXiàn asked. “Did I say that?”

“Yes, you did.” replied Lán WàngJī.

Then, he added, “You also said: ‘Even though this injury will leave a scar, however, that will always indicate how brave I was in protecting a girl. And also, that girl will never forget me for the rest of her life’.”

Lán WàngJī then turned around to face Wèi WúXiàn, and, once more, he embraced him.

As a result of what Lán WàngJī had just said, Wèi WúXiàn pinched him and bit him on the chest, out of displeasure.

He then asked, “Are you comforting me, or taking this opportunity to vent your still-not-forget jealousy?”

Then, he exclaimed, “Wait a minute! Are you implying that I am like a girl in need of protection?”

“I’m not.” denied Lán WàngJī, “I am truly comforting you, as well as, venting my jealousy.”

He then added, “You said that you like it when I am jealous, that I can be jealous as many times as I want.”

Wèi WúXiàn laughed and said, “How could I possibly say such a thing?”

“And yet, you did say it, last year.” affirmed Lán WàngJī.

He then said, “Wèi Yīng, many unpleasant things had happened in the past. However, since you came back, everything has been fine.”

As he remember what Jiāng Chéng told him earlier, Wèi WúXiàn asked in a low voice, “Ever since I came back, have you always been by my side?”

“Yes.” replied Lán WàngJī.

“No wonder everything has been all right.” remarked Wèi WúXiàn.