::Chapter 3 (2/2)::

((Ep. 4)){Wen Mei}

As we reached a certain point after leaving the room, my brother took a hold of my hand and gently pulled me away from the group.

"Are you-, are you okay? Could you show me your arm?" He asked as he took out a small pouch. I rolled up my tarnished sleeve and exposed my arm to him.

"I'm okay, it just hurts." I answered.

My sister made it clear to us a day prior to coming that we should always carry ointment just in case. However, I didn't have any because I gave mine to the men at the entrance.

He rubbed the ointment over the burns then wrapped a cloth around the burn.

"We should go back before Qing gets mad at us." I told him.

He smiled with a nod and we walked back together towards the place we were staying in silence.

~~~

《The Next Day》

"I'm bored..." I mumbled as I counted the number of arrows I had repeatedly.

"I don't think Qing will want us going out of this room." My brother replied.

"I know." I agreed with a small frown.

"Hm... I don't think she'll mind if we stay around the area. Want to shoot some arrows?" He asked with a soft smile.

"Yes!"

We arrived in front of a waterfall and decided to shoot some arrows at the rocks falling down from the top.

"Aw~ you stole my rock..." I mumbled when I noticed the rock suddenly disappear.

"Sorry." He sheepishly laughed.

"Young Master Wen, you're good at archery!" A familiar voice exclaimed.

The both of us quickly spun around to see the same boy I saw yesterday who had asked if I was alright.

Wen Ning dropped his quiver causing him to rush over and set it by a boulder.

"I'm sorry I startled the both of you. Wen, you're skilled at archery! And little Wen, you're not that bad either. Why didn't I see you at the Qingtan Fair?" He asked my brother.

"You flatter me. I'm not good at it and I shall ask you for more advice." My brother replied.

"You're too humble." The boy shook his head with a smile. "I think you're gifted. Ordinary people can't compare to you. Let's learn from each other's strong points and close the gap." He finished.

My brother nodded in agreement.

"By the way, Wen and little Wen, why are the both of you here alone in this lonely place. Why didn't the two of you attend the lecture?"

"We're still young. And we aren't qualified to attend classes. Besides, my sister was bored so we decided to shoot some arrows. Young Master Wei. Why are you here?" He questioned.

"Ah... well... um... to tell the truth, I just got kicked out by Grand Master Lan."

"What?"

"It's a long story. Forget about it. I just saw you shoot an arrow. Your strength is enough, but your posture can be better. How about this? I'll adjust it for you." He easily changed the subject.

"Okay." My brother smiled.

I sat down and watched both of them.

'I assumed the boy was dangerous... I guess he's not.'

A small smile formed on my lips, but quickly left when my brother accidentally shot the arrow at my sister.

"Qing!" I exclaimed as I stood up.

The boy threw a paper at the arrow, deflecting it before it got a chance to hit her. I let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.

"Why are the both of you with him?" She asked us.

"Oh! This is Young Master Wei. He's a nice person. He's instructing me." Ning responded.

"Lady Wen. I haven't asked you yet. Why do I always see you in the back hill? Are you following me secretly? Or... are you looking for something in the back hill of the Lan Clan." He questioned my sister.

I rose my eyebrow at his statement.

"Wei Wuxian!"

'Oh. That's his name... Wei Wuxian.'

"Stop talking nonsense." She replied then left.

"Let's go." My brother hurriedly grabbed his belongings and ran off.

I stayed behind noticing that Wei Wuxian was in deep thought.

"Y-you think she's trying to find something?" I shyly asked him.

My brother and sister were the only two I talked to comfortably, so I wasn't used to talking to others. But Wei Wuxian piqued my interest.

"Mm." He agreed. "Shouldn't you know if she is?" He questioned back.

"She doesn't tell me anything." I replied.

"Want to go look for it?" He asked with a playful grin.

"It's alright. I don't want to get into trouble." I answered as I shook my head.

"If you say so. Just don't let anyone know where I'm at." He said as he took off with a small wave.

Once he left I took out a large-sized book, a brush, and paint. I grabbed a small bowl of water, then returned to my spot.

'What should I paint this time...?'

A person's cheerful smile popped up in my head, and I automatically open the book to a blank page. I dipped the brush into the water, then into the red paint. I let my hand move on its own, flowing across the paper. I chose red and black as my two primary colors.

I noticed a shadow loom over making my hand abruptly stop. I slowly looked up to see a blank face staring down at mine. He slowly pointed at the painting.

"Where is he?" He asked.

I shakily pointed in the direction he left to.

"Thank you." He curtly bowed his head, then walked away in the same direction.

I placed a hand over my chest trying to calm down my racing heart.

"Oh! Who's that?!" A voice exclaimed by my ear causing me to jump up in fright.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." She said as she tried to calm me down once again.

"I-it's okay." I replied.

"Do you mind if I go through this?" She asked me as she picked my book from the ground.

"Go ahead..." I nodded.

She opened the book and I noticed her eyes sparkle as she scanned the pages thoroughly.

"Where did you learn how to paint like this?" She questioned in awe.

"On my own." I softly answered.

"Let go of me! I don't want to go there!" A voice complained.

Wei Wuxian emerged from the woods getting dragged by the boy from earlier.

"Did you tell him where I was?" He asked me in slight betrayal.

"... No...?" I averted my eyes.

"So you're the person she painted!" The girl that held my book said in realization.

She stopped at a certain page and showed it to him.

"Wow! This looks amazing! Though, I'm pretty sure I'm better looking than this." Wei Wuxian sarcastically added with a grin.

"No. She made you look better here." The boy holding him quietly commented.

The girl started laughing and I couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. He didn't seem like one to make such a remark like that.

"Lan Zhan! How could you say something like that." Wei Wuxian pouted.

The boy, actually, Lan Zhan pulled him towards one of the rooms.

"Start writing." He simply ordered.

"Here you go." The girl next to me spoke as she returned the book.

I looked down to see my somewhat finished painting. I just needed to fill it in with different shades of colors.

'I'll finish this later on.'

I closed the book and put it in my bag, making sure to clean the brush and bowl before placing them in my bag as well with the paints.

"Psst. Follow me." The girl urged with a whisper as she grabbed my arm and pulled me along with her.

"Where are we going?" I quietly asked.

"You'll find out."