Zhan Qiling
In the moment that Wu Xie fall backwards, Qiling was already in position to catch him, as he was already behind him to begin with, so he easily catch Wu Xie before hitting the ground and held him on his arms protectively. He knew that Wu Xie and Wu San Xing had their own ways to do things and resolve old conflicts among them, so didn't intervened before, but now that Wu Xie was out cold, either from exhaustion or something else, he was not letting San Xing touch him.
"What's wrong with him? I didn't really touch him." Wu San Xing said and Qiling carry Wu Xie into a corner of the tunnel and lay him down gently on the floor. Previously, when he had kiss him, he had feel him a bit hot, but they had been running before they were corner into the river. Maybe he had failed to notice that Wu Xie had been bite by a snake.
"We were ambush by snakes." Xiaoge said as he unzipped Wu Xie's jacket, to look for bites he had perhaps missed or anything else that could had make Wu Xie faint and lifted his shirt, to see if somehow his wound had open or get infected, but it had heal just fine so far without traces of anything out of ordinary.
"I told him not to follow me and look just how he turn out. He is a mess..." San Xing said, yet Qiling was only concerned to find what was wrong with him.
"San Xing, you should had known Wu Xie was not going to give up on you so easily. I will bring the first aid kit." Xiao Hua said as he turned, to join Xiazi, who was currently taking care of Pangzi.
Qiling check Wu Xie with care, finding noting but old bruises and wounds so far, but they had fall a long way, so maybe there was a wound on his back that Wu Xie may had hide from him. Worry for the sudden loss of consciousness, Qiling gently flipped Wu Xie, after he placed his jacket on his head, so the dirt of the ground will not touch his lover's face, then lifted his shirt again, but this time he found what was wrong in the spot.
"Keelbacks hatchings." Wu San Xing said, but Qiling already knew what it was attached to his lower back. He had deal with that things before and he wonder how could he had miss them again a second time.
"I will remove them. I need a knife." Xiaoge said and San Xing give him his own knife. By then, both Xiao Hua and Xiazi came back with the first aid kit and antidote.
"That looks painful... you guys have it ruff." Xiazi said as he looked at Wu Xie's back.
"It's his own fault. I told him to stay away, that it was too dangerous here." San Xing complained, yet he was worry.
"I need a lighter." Qiling demanded and Xiazi comply, giving him one at once.
"Had you done this before?" Xiao Hua asked and Qiling assented as he heated the knife on the small flame of the lighter.
"He got them before." Xiaoge whisper and Xiazi shudder.
"I see he is as unlucky as ever. It's a good thing you manage to find him before he could kill himself in the desert." Xiazi said.
"Hold him still." Qiling said and both Xiao Hua and Xiazi hold Wu Xie's shoulders for what was coming. It pains Qiling to had to do that again, but it was better than let it dry him out like last time.
So, unlike what happen back then, on this round, there was no hesitation or fear to do Wu Xie more harm. Zhang Qiling knew what was needed to be done and that Wu Xie will withstand it again. The small bulge was not that bad, which was a good sign that it happen just recently. Perhaps when they fall into the water after rolling down the steep or when they were fighting snakes right and left, just a few hours ago.
He injected Wu Xie first, then he carefully cut the bulge, which wake up the previous unconscious Wu Xie in a yell of deep pain.
"Keep him still!" Qiling demanded and so they did the two men that were holding him tight, as Qiling pulled out the miniature snake of Wu Xie's skin and throw it to the fire San Xing's team had made, to finally cauterize the wound with the heated knife. Wu Xie yelled more at that, but Qiling immediately cut his own hand and pass it over the wound he just made, to make it heal faster.
"Xiaoge... I told you... not to use your blood on me again..." Wu Xie whisper in the middle of his pain.
"It's worthy." Qiling answer, as he pull down Wu Xie's shirt and sat by his side. Close, both Xiao Hua and Hei Xiazi look at each other, like trying to read between the lines of the two friends.
Zhang Qiling was not someone who will call worthy just anyone and by the way he had carried Wu Xie before, so gently and searched Wu Xie while unconscious, so carefully and even with certain familiarity to it... it was obvious those two were in a very close friendship, if it could be called that. Both of them knew Wu Xie was kind of obsessed with Zhan Qiling since young, so it was not surprising he liked Zhang Qiling more romantically, but the story was a bit different from Poker Face.
Yep, they knew Zhan Qiling will always show when Wu Xie was in danger and that he will go to any extent to keep him safe, but call that love was been too optimistic... however, maybe it had been that all along. It was just that they had not develop any kind of relationship aside from comrades, giving the annoying habit of Zhan Qiling disappearing from sight shortly after the adventure of the moment was done.
Perhaps, having Wu Xie missing for so long in the desert while he was to wait in their camp for his return and then go in search for him, with the possibility of him been dead had finally break that wall he had had erected over the years and finally let the young Wu Xie in for good.
"What happened?" Wu Xie asked as he turned to look at Qiling.
"Keelback hatching on your back." Xiaoge responded.
"Damn it. Why is it always me?" Wu Xie asked in annoyance as the pain subsided with Qiling's healing blood on his wound.
"You are the danger magnet, remember?" Xiazi said and Wu Xie whined.
"I'm not the only one with bad luck, Pangzi... wait, Pangzi!" Wu Xie shouted as he suddenly remember what had happen before he fainted and looked around finally seen his uncle, standing in a corner watching him curiously.
"You brat, why did you follow me? Just look at you, barely alive. You are lucky to have Xiaoge finding you. Why didn't you listen?!" Wu San Xing yelled and Wu Xie frowned now getting mad.
"Had you ever listen to me? I had been running in circles trying to get you and to what? You never offer explanations, you never tell me anything, so I have to look for answers or my own. It's not like I am always thrown into this tomb robbing business because I want to die young! I'm looking for you!"
"You don't need to involve yourself in this business, not even for me, nor looking for me! I know how to take care of myself better than you do!"
"Oh yeah... as if I haven't seen so many corpses from your team along the way. Do you have an idea of how hard it was for me finding corpses and fearing that among them I will find yours?"
"You stubborn brat!"
"Just tell me already what terrifies you so much that keep you from telling me what's wrong? What are you looking for? Why hiding? What happen in the underwater tomb? Just what the hell is wrong with all this? I'm your nephew, but you act as if I don't matter!"
"Wu Xie!!!" San Xing exploded.
"I want answers. I'm old enough and certainly I had gone through hell already and I think all of the present here right now can prove me right. Just for how much longer will you keep me chasing empty clouds? Until my luck finally runs out even with Xiaoge by my side?" Wu Xie asked in desperation and Wu San Xing closed his eyes in pain.
Oh if he just knew... how much hurt he will become? And not only Wu Xie, but also Xie Yunchen who was there watching silently along with Hei Xiazi. How hurt will Xiao Hua will be after knowing what he had done? Will they even understand why he had done it and what was yet to come?
"There are things that are better not been said. Perhaps one day you will understand that. Have some rest, this place is not exactly safe and we need to move soon. By the way... Pangzi will be fine soon." San Xing said and then he walked away, leaving a frustrating Wu Xie behind.
Xiaoge was instantly by his side, taking Wu Xie by his forearm, perhaps fearing that the heated exchange may weaken him more.
"I'm fine Xiaoge." Wu Xie told him as he try to calm himself.
"You are still hurt." Xiaoge insisted and Wu Xie simply let himself be guided to where Qiling wanted him to, on the floor, resting even if it was for a minute.
Xioa Hua was now sure those two had something more than a friendship and he looked at Xiazi in sings of confirmation, which smiled at him.
"Yaba Zhang is definitely head over heels for Wu Xie. Never seen him care that much for anyone else." Xiazi whisper to Xiao Hua.
"I think the same." He reply.
"So, they too had a bonding journey in here. He had grown quite a lot on just these few days, he even dare talk back to San Xing like that." Xiazi added.
"It's not like he is wrong. Wu Xie certainly had been involve in tomb robbing since younger and all because of his uncle secrets. He deserve to be told the true about his past. San Xing can't deny it had fall down on Wu Xie, whatever sin he had committed in the name of the Wu family, if that is what had keep him silent for so long."
"I wonder just what his secret is." Xiazi ponder.
"No idea, but sooner or later Wu Xie will find out. He is meant to discover the true whatever San Xing likes it or not and I hope his demons will not hurt Wu Xie to a point of breaking him."
"Yeah... but I think only one man can break your cousin." Xiazi said as he pointed at Zhang Qiling's direction with his face and Xiao Hua looked over to them.
Wu Xie had sat by a wall of rock with his back to the wall and Qiling was sat by his side. Shortly after, Wu Xie closed his eyes and recline his head over Qiling's shoulder, slightly placing his right hand on the border of Qiling's leg. The fact that Xiaoge let Wu Xie had that kind of close contact speak volumes of their level of intimacy, because on Xiaoge's body language there was no signs of tension, nor desire to push him away, but the contrary. If he went for body language Xiazi was sure that Yaba Zhang was itching to pull Wu Xie closer and hold hands with him.
"Perhaps you are right." Xiao Hua conceded, pretty much concluding the same thing he did.
"Of course I am... by the way, can we sit for a moment just like them? We can add a holding hands too." Xiazi teased.
"In your dreams. Let's go back and had our gears ready, we will leave soon."
"Ah, Master Hua'er, don't be mean..."
"Whatever." Xiao Hua whisper as he went back to where his backpack was, closely followed by his now second shadow called Hei Xiazi.
AN: A fast update, yeah! Next one of course will be intense for both Wu Xie and Xioa Hua, so see you next time. Take care dears. 💖💖💖