When Lan Zhan was back at the farmhouse, he found Youn asleep under the covers on the floor. But the bright boy had immediately noticed Lan Zhan's return and jumped into his arms with joy. "Yay, you're back!" Youn cheered.

"See? I told you I would hurry."

"Mhm. Did you bring me something?" Youn wanted to know, looking curiously at the paper-wrapped bundles Lan Zhan had with him.

"Yes. But before you get any of it, we have to bathe you. You really smell disgusting."

"But I don't want to bathe!"

"Then you won't get any of what I brought for you either."

"Please. I want to have this."

"Then you'll have to bathe first!"

"All right. But only for a short time."

"If, then properly. We'll wash you with soap and comb your hair. After that, you get to put on new clothes and get your presents."

"Yes?"

"Yes. But first you can have some strawberries. They are very fresh."

"Strawberries?" Youn asked in amazement.

"Exactly." Replied Lan Zhan, handing him a handful of the juicy sweet strawberries. Youn cautiously tasted a strawberry, the first of his life, and immediately found a taste for it. Hastily, he ate the strawberries and asked Lan Zhan for a few more. But Lan Zhan insisted that Youn bathe first.

Lan Zhan fetched fresh clean water from a well and dumped it into a barrel that stood next to the farmhouse. He heated some water over a fire, poured it into the barrel and put Youn in. At first, the boy didn't like it at all. But after Lan Zhan washed him thoroughly, Youn splashed happily in the water.

When Lan Zhan lifted the boy out of the barrel, he complained and wanted to bathe a little longer. Lan Zhan granted him a few more minutes. Then he took him out of the barrel, dried him, combed his hair, and helped Youn put on his new clothes and shoes. Then Lan Zhan handed him the bag of candy. Youn's eyes grew wide. He immediately put one of the sweet candies in his mouth and munched with relish.

"Do you like it?" Lan Zhan asked happily.

"Mn. I've always wanted to eat something like this."

"Then enjoy them. Don't eat them all at once, though. Besides, we'll be eating soon. And look at the blanket. There's another present for you."

Youn went to the blanket and unwrapped the gift. When he saw the wooden sword and animal figurines, Youn began to cry. "Thank you. I love this." He said with a sob and hugged Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan was very touched by Youn's tears. He held the boy in his arms for a moment, then let Youn play and began to cook something for him to eat.

Lan Zhan ate together with Youn, even though he could not taste anything. Afterwards, he let Youn play some more until the sun slowly set on the horizon. After dinner, Youn lay back on the blanket and while Lan Zhan read to him from a book, the boy fell asleep. Lan Zhan had decided to stay one more night with the boy at the farmhouse and only then set out with him.

As Youn slept soundly, Lan Zhan went out of the house and looked up at the night sky. All day he had forced himself not to think about Wei WuXian, but now that Youn was asleep and he could do nothing but look up at the night sky, he could no longer divert his thoughts from Wei WuXian.

"What are you looking at? The stars?" Someone asked. Lan Zhan didn't have to turn around to know it was Wei WuXian.

"Yes. The stars. A few clouds. Damn. Who are you? And what was that creature?" Replied Lan Zhan.

"I'm nobody. That's easier to remember and safe for everyone. The creature, well I think they call it a werewolf."

"Why would it be safer not to know who you really are? And what is a werewolf?"

"A werewolf is a human who can turn into a wolf. Into a big bad wolf who can also turn you into a werewolf if he hurts you. Or no, not you. But people."

"And the other question?"

"I can't explain it to you. Just believe me when I tell you that it's safer if no one knows who I am."

Lan Zhan stepped close to Wei WuXian and asked him, "And what if I still want to know?" He felt so strongly attracted to Wei WuXian that his body automatically continued to move toward him until he was standing toe to toe in front of Wei WuXian. Neither in his 23 years of life as a human, nor in the nearly 200 immortal years, had he ever felt anything like this.

"Is that really what you want to know?"

"Yes." Lan Zhan breathed into his ear.

Wei WuXian grabbed Lan Zhan by the collar of his robe and held him tightly. "I don't believe you." Returned Wei WuXian.

"Tell me why I'm so attracted to you! Why do I feel like I can't resist you?"

"What are you talking about? You're resisting me. If it weren't true, you'd have been jumping on me a long time ago."

"Does this happen to you often, that you turn men and women's heads and they can't resist you anymore?"

"Mhhh, no. I admit, I've aroused interest in men and women hundreds of times. But I never gave anyone permission to touch me."

"No?"

"No, never."

"What if I want to touch you?"

"You already do. Look to your hand."

Lan Zhan looked to his right hand and was astonished, for he was holding Wei WuXian's hand. "When?"

"What would be more interesting is how is this possible?"

"Why?"

"Because you are holding my hand and you are still alive."

"What do you mean by that?"

"No vampire who has ever touched me has survived."

"Why not?"

"It's always been that way. They touched me and crumbled to dust. Just like that. And because I didn't want the same thing to happen to you, I always stayed away from you and made sure you didn't notice me."

"You didn't want that kind of destiny to happen to me? But then why did you show yourself to me now?"

"Well. Actually, I only intended to point you in the right direction so that the townspeople wouldn't find you and the boy."

"Oh, I see."

"As it turned out, that was all for no reason. For the innkeeper told the inn's guests and a few curious ones that you had already left the inn that evening, long before the fire. He said you paid for your room and food after dinner and left."

"What makes him say a thing like that?"

"Well, maybe someone put that 'knowledge' in his mind."

"That was you, wasn't it? You had an influence on his memory. Didn't you?"

"You caught me."

"You saved me and Youn."

"I had to do that. What would have happened if they had caught you and the boy? The boy would have been sold to the highest bidder. You, they would have tried to torture. And then they would have realized you weren't human and tried to kill you. And then the existence of vampires would no longer be a secret."

"So you only did it so that the vampires wouldn't be discovered? If so, then I have to disappoint you. Because there are people who know about the existence of the vampires. Youn, for example, learned about the vampires from his grandpa."

"Individual people know about the vampires, right. But what if more learn what kind of creatures live among them? And no, I didn't do it just for that."

"So you did it for me, too?"

"Yes."

"And I'm really the first and only vampire who can touch you?"

"Yes."

"So that means if I kissed you right now, I wouldn't turn to dust?"

"You want to kiss me?"

"Since the moment I first saw you in the sunrise."

"It's new for you to desire someone, isn't it?"

"I thought you said you knew all about me. Then you know the truth."

"True. I know you've never felt desire for anyone. Not as a human, and not as a vampire. That's why you're special. So am I. Because I, too, in my long life, never desired anyone until I first saw you."

"When did you first see me?"

"You were walking through the market with your brother, holding your mother's hand. She bought you and your brother a candied apple. You couldn't wait to bite into the apple. And when you did, your first loose tooth fell out. And because you were so scared about it and there was blood on your apple, you dropped the apple and cried. Your mother scolded you. But your brother put his arm around you and gave you his candied apple."

"Oh, God. That was when I was 6 years old."

"Yes."

"You've been following me around that long?"

"Yes. I actually just wanted to watch you for a few days. How you live, what you do, and if you ever smile. But after a few days, I just couldn't stop and kept following you. Sometimes I would leave for a while. But I kept coming back to you. It was like an addiction."

"That's really amazing. You were always a part of my life without me knowing it."

"Right."

"So? Can I try to kiss you?"

"I... wait..."

"What's..."

"Shh. Do you hear that?"

Lan Zhan listened. At first he heard nothing but the rustling of leaves shaken by the wind. But then he heard something else. It was footsteps! And they were not coming from a human. "A werewolf?" He asked Wei WuXian.

"Probably. Go back inside. I'll take care of it."

"Let me help you."

"No. You don't know how to fight them. If the werewolf hurts you, the wound won't heal for a very long time, if ever."

"But..."

"Lan Zhan go into the house and take care of the boy."

"Will you come back afterwards?"

"Not tonight. I'll see you again soon." 

Wei WuXian wanted to run away. But Lan Zhan grabbed his hand tighter and held him back. He pulled him to himself so that they were standing body to body. He put his free hand on the back of Wei WuXian's head and held him while giving him a kiss. "Now you may go. Now we know that I won't turn to dust when I kiss you. And we know that we seem to have something special in common." Said Lan Zhan after the kiss.

"I guess that's the way it has to be. Now let me go. One more important thing. Don't stay here another day. This place is too dangerous. Even for a vampire like you. Or especially for a vampire like you. I'll see you again soon." Said Wei WuXian. Lan Zhan nodded, let go of his hand, and within the blink of an eye, the beautiful strange Wei WuXian was gone and Lan Zhan stood alone again in the darkness.

"Who were you talking to this time Lan Zhan?" Youn asked.

"Why are you awake?"

"I woke up because I was thirsty. And then I heard you talking."

"Well, that Wei WuXian was here again. You must have heard him too."

"Mhhh, no. I only heard you."

"What? But that can't be. Wei WuXian was standing right here talking at the same volume as me. You must have heard him."

"No, I didn't hear anyone by that name. There was only your voice."

"Strange. Anyway, you should go back to sleep now. As soon as day breaks, we'll be on our way."

"Okay. Good night Lan Zhan."

"Good night Youn." Said Lan Zhan. He watched Youn go back into the house and then listened into the night. He hoped he could hear which way Wei WuXian had run. But all he could hear now was again only the rustling of the leaves in the wind.

Confused that he seemed to be the only one who could see and hear the beautiful Wei WuXian, he wondered if he was losing his mind. Is Wei WuXian nothing more than a figment of his imagination? Someone he dreams of after his long years of lonely life? Did his mind invent Wei WuXian to show him that he needed a mate?