Surprisingly, Fu Ran was the first one to sit up fully awake. The room had fallen into a comfortable silence that was nothing like the stillness of last night. Disciples could still be heard breathing and snoring in quiet bursts; the little noises were much better than waking up all alone.
Sun filtering through the shutters warmed the skin against Fu Ran's neck.
The first thing he registered was that Wan Yu had once again wormed his way between him and Tian Han, even though there wasn't much space left from the night before. In a tight and unrelenting grip, Tian Han held the troubled child as if he were a pillow.
However, there was something strange about the subtle shift of the morning. The absence of Meng Xiao was neither worrying nor confusing, as his heavy breathing could be heard from the balcony, along with the clang of metal whenever he accidentally kicked his feet against the railing.
Even Lin An shuffled as a beam of light flickered into her eyes.
The real strangeness came when he looked for her.
The bedsheets were tousled, and the mattress surprisingly empty. To his memory, there should have been two young girls sleeping together, however it was only Lin An.
Su Biyu was gone.
The bed's shifting had nearly gone unnoticed, until a voice broke Fu Ran's focus. "Hm? Did Su Biyu leave?" Tian Han asked with not a hint of leftover sleep on the tongue.
Fu Ran's attention snapped back. Tian Han, too, eyed the empty side of Lin An's bed.
He dispelled the worry with the shake of his head. "She does live in this city, perhaps she's busy." Another disappearance was undeniably worrisome, however, he wasn't going to stop her if she wanted to leave. She wasn't even an official disciple yet.
Fu Ran paused for a moment and changed his tone. "Is Tian Han a light sleeper? You seem to wake up at a mere breath." He cocked his head to the side with a weary questioning grin.
"Light Sleeper?" He leaned over past Wan Yu and chuckled. "I'm attentive."
Almost as if to reinforce this, there was a noise that caused Tian Han to stiffen and turn towards the door. Seconds later, it creaked open and let in the hallway's dim lights. Su Biyu stood in the narrow gap, frozen for a moment as if caught in hesitation.
"Ah," she startled, voice barely above a breath. Then, quickly, she added, "Did I wake you up…?"
She looked different.
Her usual dark buns were gone, replaced by long, loose hair barely strung together by a single teal ribbon. The clothes she wore were now a soft blue, and a small bag hung off her shoulder. Everything about her appeared new and fresh, and she was the picture of a cute young city girl.
She must have left to gather some of her belongings.
Su Biyu shifted her weight and her fingers clawed at the string of her bag as if she were bracing for a reprimand. For some reason, that nervousness squeezed Fu Ran's chest. She looked so small and tired. Even the bags under her eyes insinuated that she likely hadn't slept well in days.
"I, um…" Su Biyu fumbled through her bag, before she pulled out a small wooden box. "I bought something from my hou—the place I'm staying." Her voice wavered, but she recovered quickly.
Soon, she stood beside Fu Ran and bowed to present it.
"What is this?" Fu Ran asked.
When she placed the box in his palm, he felt the faint warmth lingering on the wood, as if she had been holding it tightly for a while. By the time he lifted the lid, she had already answered.
"It's medicine. The madam said it would help you recover quicker."
Fu Ran's fingers stiffened slightly on the edges of the box. A thick creamy white substance filled the container. "The madam?"
"Of the Violet Court."
Her words hit like a shrill note in an otherwise quiet room.
Fu Ran tensed at the name. "You… you know that place?" His gaze shifted to Tian Han, who mirrored his shock.
Tian Han pressed his palm to his chin, his next words slow and uncertain. "I've known those girl's for a long time, but I don't…" his words trailed.
Su Biyu's shoulders lifted slightly with a deep breath. Something in her expression darkened—an emotion she rarely showed. "Have you really forgotten? You saved me once before."
The room stilled.
By now the other disciples had stirred awake, but they said not a single word. This wasn't a conversation for the rest of them. It was between her and Tian Han. The two had some unspoken history clearly, but Tian Han's face twisted like he was genuinely trying hard to recall it.
A memory flicked his expression alive. "Oh." The single word carried weight. "So that's why you wanted to follow Shizun—you recognized me? Are you one of the girls bought a year ago?"
She nodded once.
Bought? Fu Ran's stomach twisted. He couldn't fathom that happening to someone twice.
Then came another voice, soft and fighting off sleep. "I remember." Wan Yu's volume dropped lower than usual. "You were at the auction house for the first time, too. I—I forgot that…" His eyes were lit with a rare light of attentive recognition.
He shared a glance with the girl for only a moment before he suddenly turned away, guilty.
Fu Ran looked between the two children. "Wan Yu… and Su Biyu? Have both been sold before?" The ache in his chest intensified.
Whatever warmth the sun had offered was gone now; the room was icy cold. Two of his disciples had roots in this city, and those roots seemed to cling relentlessly. Kids getting injured, kids being kidnapped—Fu Ran was growing tired of the constant shows of abuse.
He grit his teeth. Small mental curses were all he could muster to keep his expression cool. He tried to change the topic to something a touch less dark, "Then, how did you meet the madam of the Violet Court?"
It was a simple question, but instead of a direct answer, she looked at Tian Han. It was almost as if she were asking permission to reveal the reason. Fu Ran followed her gaze.
"Well," Tian Han began. "I was only there for Wan Yu. But most of the other children were abandoned and sold. I simply bought them and took them to a place I trusted."
His jaw showed a hint of tension, but he forced a smile. "That's all."
Su Biyu looked away, and her fingers tugged again at her robes. "I went back home to get some things. I hope… the medicine really helps."
"You didn't have to do that, Su Biyu," Fu Ran said.
But she quickly shook her head, "No, I—!" She looked like she was struggling with her words similar to the way she reacted at the restaurant. Actually, no, she looked more frightened than embarrassed.
"Please, you have to use it," Su Biyu added. Her face was red, and her shoulders shook.
Even the other disciples were taking closer notice of the room's air now: Lin An sitting up and Meng Xiao peeking back into the bedroom.
"Su Biyu?" Fu Ran cocked his head to the side. At this point, he had already pushed his legs off the bed and closed the distance to the girl.
"I'm so sorry… What happened at the auction house—What if you really become disabled like Tian Xiansheng said?"
"Whoa, whoa!" Fu Ran waved his hands. "Why are you acting as if this is your fault?" He lightly clamped his hands on her shoulder and gave her a light shake. "That had nothing to do with you. You were a victim!" Praying that his words didn't come off as chastising, he tried to speak in a whisper.
However, she only continued to shake her head.
Fu Ran quickened his reply, barely thinking through his words. "I'll still live; It's only my qi meridians. Even if I do, it'd be okay."
"It wouldn't be okay!" The girl gasped, akin to a breathless sob. He hadn't expected to see her break down so suddenly, but her condition began making sense. Had she been losing sleep over this? By the heavens, what could have caused her to see any of this as her fault?
Lin An whispered, "Shizun won't blame Su Biyu. It was that 'fake Shizun' that did it, right?"
At the very mention of a 'fake Shizun' Su Biyu cried another sob. She trembled, grabbing a fistful of Fu Ran's white robes. He firmly rested a palm on her hair and didn't budge as she leaned into him.
The room had once again fallen into an eerie quiet, everyone awake, but no one willing to break the tensions of sobbing.
Except for Tian Han. His question came out blunt, "Did you really not do anything else last night?"
Su Biyu held her breath.
"Tian Han," Fu Ran snapped.
It was a simple and biting gripe, but Tian Han looked oddly serious about the accusation. His brows had lowered into a scowl, and he watched the girl's movements down the bridge of his nose.
Don't you dare show your tendencies right now, tyrant. Fu Ran's teeth clenched and he met the glare with one of his own. "Don't answer that, Su Biyu."
Tian Han's expression twitched, a small shift into disbelief or perhaps unruly annoyance, before looking away. "I'm just trying to make sure we know the whole story."
"She can't respond for crying—that's enough for now." Fu Ran waved his hand. This action was to dissuade all disciples and Tian Han from saying more.
Even if Su Biyu was doing something else, it doesn't change the fact that she was worried for him. And Fu Ran would never punish a child for being kind. Kindness should never come with punishments.
A child's kindness was one of pure love and respect, and it deserved the same in return. However, a teacher's kindness needed nothing in return.
He gently brushed her bangs to the side, urging her breathing to slow.