Soul Bound

Competition Day One: Morning

The crowds were beginning to enter the marketplace. Large seating stands were set up in different areas. The two older boys introduced Kirin to the captains of the smaller competitors and as soon as they watched some of his signature moves, they were both clamoring for him to be on their team. Kirin grinned with pride and watched as they flipped a copper coin to see who would win his services. After he was settled in and practicing, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying set out to locate the area where the dance competition was being staged.  A voice called out and the boys turned around. A pretty girl walked up and bowed before Wei Ying. 

"I came as you asked me! Do you still need me as a prop in your dance?" She had a deep dimple that bracketed each corner of her mouth and she showed excessively white teeth when she smiled at Wei Ying. Lan Zhan did not like the way her eyes gazed into Wei Ying's eyes and he felt irritated just looking at her. He wanted to growl at her but refrained...for now.

"Lan Zhan, this a girl visiting from Yunming. Her name is Mian."

"No silly, Mian Mian." She giggled excessively, too. So annoying, sniffed Lan Zhan, silently.

"Mian Mian. This is my best friend, Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan, I met Mian Mian last night on the way home and I asked her if she could help me in the dance routine I want to do." Lan Zhan's bow was as short and perfunctorily as he could make it, without being impolite. Wei Ying looked at him, rather puzzled.

As Wei Ying began to explain what role Mian Mian was to have, he began to map out his choreography and Lan Zhan looked quickly away. After their first run-through, Wei Ying wandered over to his friend and tapped the back of his shoulder. Lan Zhan refused to turn around. 

Wei Ying softly walked around to face him."Lan Zhan? Do you want to watch the rehearsal?" The tall boy shook his head.

"Why?"

"Because. I want to see the performance as my first time to watch."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes. I...I don't like her. She looks at Wei Ying strangely."

"Strangely? Like how? Oh...oh! I see. I think she has a little crush on me. Nothing to worry about."

"Does Wei Ying like her back?"

Wei Ying laughed. "No! I don't like girls. At least not yet. They are so weird. I mean, they laugh at any stupid things a guy says. They also cry over everything. When they are sad. When they are happy. When they are really mad. When they are laughing. They are all over the place. I can't keep up with them."

Lan Zhan looked relieved and nodded in agreement. After that, he treated Mian Mian kindly...which of course brought tears to her eyes because she was happy. The boys looked over her head and just shrugged. Lan Zhan excused himself to run back to watch Kirin play his first game and begin his eavesdropping campaign. 

Wei Ying ran after him in a panic. "Lan Zhan, I forgot to find an accompanist. Can you find someone, maybe on flute or lyre or, or, or even drums? I guess even someone who could just sing Little Lifelong Love?"

"Do you have a copy of the music?"

Wei Ying pulled it from his sleeve.

"I will be back in an hour."

He dashed off and arrived in time to watch the soccer competition and cheered loudly as Kirin made the final goal to propel his team to the next round. He ran an urgently needed errand and returned to Wei Ying. His friend smiled sadly when he saw Lan Zhan alone. I"I guess they all had better offers, huh?"

Lan Zhan sat on the cobbled road. When he caught his breath, he said, "I think I solved the problem"

With a wave of his hand, a qin appeared in his lap, leaving Wei Ying and Mian Mian gaping in shock.

"I...I...Lan Zhan, can you really play that thing?" 

The qin groaned out a protesting note at the rude word.  Lan Zhan soothed it with a gentle caress. "This is Wangji and he is my cultivation tool. He has been with me since I was three years old. We can handle one little ballad."

He began to pick out the song, and Wei Ying sagged in relief.

"Oh, you have just saved my neck, again. This is becoming quite a habit!"

"Lifelong, I hope," muttered Lan Zhan.

"Hmmm?"

"Nothing. Let's rehearse."  

He handed Wei Ying a package. "Do not open, not a peek, until you are getting ready for the performance!"

They rehearsed for another hour and Wei Ying was thrilled! The qin, under Lan Zhan's fingers, brought the ballad into the world of yearning for perfection, and he was dizzy by the time he had practiced it at least a half-dozen times. Lan Zhan led the performers into a curtained-off space he had rented for them. "Eat some fruit and drink plenty of water. I will go fetch Kirin. He would die if he missed one second of this performance."

Wei Ying nodded, his mouth stuffed with berries, as Lan Zhan left.

"Wow!" Squealed Mian Mian. "Who is that guy?"

"He is a friend. " He paused. "No. He is my protector. He has saved me and Kirin from harm and starvation and loneliness. Likewise, he listens to my nonsense, and I find it amazing when he shares his secrets with me. I think he likes it when I tell him how great he is because he never hears that from his Uncle and other adults. They just force him to be perfect."

He sighed deeply. "One day, very soon, we will part, and it will be the saddest day of my life." His silver eyes welled with tears.

Mian Mian patted him on his back. "Now, now...you might see him again. Life is funny sometimes. 

"Yeah. I guess." Mian Mian cringed as he wiped his nose on the hem of his tunic. She distracted him by pointing to the package.

"He said to open it before we got ready... Go on. It's been long enough."

"Oh, I had forgotten that!" He opened the top of the sack, stared a second, then closed it back up.

"I can't believe that Lan Zhan! This is too much!" 

"What? What is it?"

He laid the gathered brocade to the side to reveal two lovely garments. On was a girl's dress made of yellow silk, little butterflies embroidered all over, in Mian Mian's size. The other was an ankle-length tunic in rich crimson silk, embroidered with dragonflies from head to toe. There was a note in perfect calligraphy. 

'You said no silk clothes. You said nothing about silk costumes.'