After briefing Teacher Lin and Nihilister on everything that had happened over the past few days, Su Yan headed back to the academy for proper rest. He'd barely cleared the gate when Nihilister called after him.
"Next time, I'm coming with you."
Su Yan stopped. When he looked back, she hadn't even opened her eyes, still lounging as if she hadn't said anything.
He let out a slow breath, then nodded once. "Alright. Next time—I'll bring you along."
He left Teacher Lin's home and made for the academy at a brisk pace. The dorm greeted him with a peaceful silence. By the time he hit his bed, the tension in his body was already draining away, and sleep followed soon after.
The next week passed in a relaxed rhythm. Su Yan rested—sleeping in, eating well, and letting himself have a real holiday. It was during one of these lazy days that Xiao Wu came crashing into the dorm.
"DORM SEVEN! YOUR BIG SIS IS BACK!"
Xiao Wu shouted as she burst inside. She looked around the room, and when no one answered her, she frowned.
But then her eyes slid to Su Yan's bed.
The covers were rolled up into a log.
Stepping closer, she found Su Yan rolled up like a spring roll, still asleep despite all the noise.
A mischievous smile crept onto Xiao Wu's face.
Before Su Yan could even stir properly, the "log" shifted—lifted clean off the mattress.
Su Yan started to wake as he felt himself being carried. He cracked his eyes open and saw the blue, cloud-filled sky overhead.
…Huh? Why am I outside?
The cold air hit his face a heartbeat later, and then Xiao Wu's delighted voice followed. "Morning!"
He twisted his head as far as he could. At the edge of his vision, Xiao Wu's scorpion braid swayed with each step.
"Xiao Wu! What are you doing?! Put me down right now!"
"Nope. Not happening." Her voice was painfully bright. "I haven't seen you in forever, so you have to play with me now."
"And no one else is around," she added, far too casually. "Brother San went off to see the stinky Grandmaster, so he's busy."
Su Yan's stomach dipped as Xiao Wu suddenly shifted her grip, turning the blanket-roll so she could look him in the face.
"You're my only option, Su Yan," she said, eyes wide and watery—like she might start crying any second.
Su Yan's eyelid twitched. That silly rabbit was acting; he just knew it. Calling her out on it though would be completely pointless.
He sighed. "Fine. But what do you expect us to do with just the two of us?"
Xiao Wu's expression snapped from near-tears to pure sunshine.
"You'll find out soon!"
She lifted Su Yan back over her head and kept walking, carrying him like a trophy. Contrary to Su Yan's expectations, she was heading toward the market instead of the usual route they took.
"Uh… Xiao Wu, I think we're heading in the wrong direction…"
"Nope, we're heading for the market. I got my monthly stipend, and Grandpa Jack gave me so many carrots already. Now I want to try all the yummy food I saw!"
Su Yan blinked. Grandpa Jack… right. The old village head from Tang San's village. But then his thoughts caught up with him.
"Xiao Wu! Put me down—I'll lose all my dignity if people see me carried around like this!!"
"Nope. If I put you down, you'll run away!"
And with that, she broke into a jog.
"NOOOOOOO!!"
Su Yan's voice carried far enough that someone up the street actually turned to look.
Eventually, Xiao Wu put Su Yan down—much to his relief.
They spent a while sampling different foods and wandering through the stalls. Xiao Wu kept getting distracted by every rabbit-themed accessory she spotted, to the point Su Yan started losing track of how many times he'd had to tug her sleeve.
There was a point when he practically had to drag her away from a stall grilling rabbit, however. He was pretty sure she would've trashed the place—consequences be damned—if he hadn't stopped her.
It didn't help that the stall owner, spotting her trying to lunge back, called out with a grin, "Little miss! Special discount for you!"
Su Yan's eye twitched. He was working overtime to keep that stall intact, and the owner decided to provoke her. Incredible.
As the day drew on and Xiao Wu was once again distracted by something shiny, Su Yan caught, out of the corner of his eye, a flash of red.
Looking over, he spotted her, dressed in clothes trimmed in red and black—plainly meant to pass for civilian wear, yet still somehow looking like they belonged to someone dangerous. A short fur-lined mantle rested over her shoulders, and bracers hugged her forearms. A wide sash cinched her waist, cords and tassels hanging like ornaments. Her crimson hair was tied high, a long ponytail spilling down her back, the accessory in it catching the light.
Nihilister.
She was walking down the central street as the crowd naturally shifted to give her space.
When she turned a corner, Su Yan moved to follow—only to catch a glimpse of her slipping into an alley further away before fingers closed around his shoulder.
He turned. Xiao Wu was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Su Yan," Xiao Wu said, voice far too sweet.
"I thought you said you weren't going to run."
Su Yan gulped. "I'm not running. I just thought I saw someone I recognized, so I wanted to go greet them."
"Oh?" Xiao Wu tilted her head. "And where is this someone you recognized, hmm?"
Su Yan looked back, but Nihilister was already gone. He turned to Xiao Wu again and accepted his fate. There was no running from this one.
Xiao Wu didn't let him off the hook until hours later, after she'd made him buy her a bracelet. Only then did she seem satisfied enough to forget the whole thing.
The bracelet bore an image of a small white rabbit with red eyes, carrots circling it in a neat little pattern. It was surprisingly detailed for something so oddly specific, but that particular stall seemed to be one of the most popular in the market.
On their way back to the academy, Xiao Wu kept staring at the bracelet like it was the most beautiful thing in the world, lifting it up and turning it this way and that in the light of the setting sun. The joy in her eyes was unmistakable.
When they finally made it back to the dorm, Su Yan collapsed onto his bed, completely exhausted. Xiao Wu, on the other hand, still full of energy, rushed straight to Tang San's bed where he was meditating.
"Brother San! Brother San, look what Su Yan brought me!"
She shoved her wrist right in front of Tang San's face.
"Isn't it so cute!"
Tang San opened his eyes. His gaze flicked briefly past the bracelet—just long enough to register Su Yan face-first in his pillow—before he smiled and patted Xiao Wu on the head.
"Very cute."
"You should probably put it away and rest a bit," he added. "You look like you've had a long day."
Xiao Wu frowned, then her expression brightened as if she'd remembered something.
"I will!"
She padded over to Su Yan's bed, not caring in the slightest how dusty the covers had gotten over the course of the day.
"Su Yan," she whispered, leaning close, "don't forget snack time tonight."
Su Yan's only response was a lazy wave before his hand flopped back onto the bed.
Taking it as acknowledgment, Xiao Wu dashed back to her bed, kicked off her shoes, and dove beneath the covers. She squeezed her eyes shut as if that alone could make snack time arrive sooner.
Su Yan woke to the soft click of Dorm Seven's door closing.
Xiao Wu must be sneaking out.
He sat up and glanced over. Sure enough, her bed was empty.
With a quiet sigh, Su Yan swung his legs off the bed and headed for the door—only to stop short.
A figure stood between him and the door.
Tang San stepped forward into the wash of moonlight, and his face emerged from the dark—calm and cold.
"Su Yan," Tang San said. "Where are you going so late at night?"
Su Yan blinked, then smiled easily. "To the toilet. Want to join?"
Tang San's eyes flickered—just a hint of displeasure, quickly buried. He'd heard the dismissal for what it was.
"Don't play with me," Tang San said. "Where are you really going?"
Su Yan's smile slipped. "I don't see how it's any of your business where I go, Tang San."
"It becomes my business the moment Xiao Wu is involved," Tang San said, voice calm and certain—as if the matter was already decided.
Su Yan's smile had entirely dropped at this point.
"And why is that? I wasn't aware Xiao Wu had become your property."
"She is not," Tang San retorted. "She is my sworn sister, and I care about her safety and her reputation."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"Of course it does. You're sneaking out at night with her. People could easily misunderstand. Men and women should maintain propriety."
Su Yan's face went flat.
"I really do think you should consult the people involved before you make statements like that," Su Yan said, glancing over Tang San's shoulder. "Isn't that right, Xiao Wu?"
Tang San's eyes widened as he turned—expecting her.
No one was there.
A hand landed on his shoulder.
Su Yan's voice dropped to a whisper by his ear. "You reacted like that because you know it's nonsense. If you mean it, say it to Xiao Wu. Don't try to order me around with it."
He strolled past Tang San and out the door of Dorm Seven, leaving him alone in the dim room.