Zhan Zhao Adventures: A very short post-canon scene, based on that one terrible translation. Spoilers for the ending.
"-said his name is Zhan Rifei."
It didn't matter that it was beneath her dignity as the leader of Linglong Manor. The last Linglong had seen of Zhan Zhao was his battered body being carried away by xiao-Zhao's soldiers, barely getting a chance to touch his cold, limp fingers before he'd been whisked away. She'd prayed every day for him - for him and Bai Yutang, who had been in even worse shape. It looked like Zhan Zhao had bandaged him up, trying to keep him from bleeding out, but his clothes had still been soaked with blood. She hadn't been sure he'd even been alive when they'd found him, his pulse so faint as to barely be perceptible.
But here they both were, alive and upright and even smiling. She wanted to fling herself into their arms, except they still looked a little like a breeze might knock them over. Bai Yutang was leaning heavily on a tall cane, his weight off his right leg, and Zhan Zhao's left arm was in a sling, with his right hand hovering at Bai Yutang's elbow.
"Zhan-dage! B-- Ding-dage!" She cried, just barely remembering the name Bai Yutang had given. She'd received a letter from xiao-Zhao a week ago, explaining that because Bai Yutang had thrown the arrow that killed an imperial uncle, regardless of how evil he had been, he would have to "die." Otherwise the emperor would be considered unfilial, and the killing a threat to imperial power.
"Huo xiao-mei," Bai Yutang quirked a grin at her.
"Linglong," Zhan Zhao nodded, a small smile softening his usual solemnity.
"Come in, come in; you're staying, right?" She felt a little overwhelmed, after so long without them, fearing for their lives, praying every day that they would recover, that the emperor would be able to resist the political pressure and keep them safe, that the emperor would order the imperial physicians to--
"Oh!" She gasped, stopping short. "Zhan-dage, are you well? Did the imperial physicians find a cure?"
Zhan Zhao froze, which left Bai Yutang stuttering to a stop.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Don't tell me that you are still poisoned?!"
Zhan Zhao looked conflicted. Bai Yutang turned his face away.
"You!" She nearly stomped her foot, she felt so infuriated. "Well it's a good thing xiao-Tang is visiting right now; he can -"
Bai Yutang coughed, still looking away. "No, no, it's fine, he's no longer poisoned."
"Oh why didn't you just say so?" She grabbed Zhan Zhao by the shoulders, peering at his face, to make sure he was really and truly cured. He'd lied about it too many times before, but she trusted that Bai Yutang wouldn't lie about Zhan Zhao's health. "Were the imperial physicians able to use the formula Baihuadao gave?"
Zhao Zhao wasn't quite able to meet her eyes. "Mm."
She frowned, starting to get worried again. "What do you mean? Mn? Was it some other cure? Xiao-Tang is going to want to know, so he will be able to reproduce the antidote."
Zhan Zhao's ears were starting to turn red. She frowned harder.
"Ah, Huo xiao-mei, you shouldn't ask him the details, it was my idea and my hard work and effort, really. It was all about the fire element, and, um, generating... heat, in order to overcome the cold poison," Bai Yutang said.
She turned to look at Bai Yutang. Despite his breezy tone, his ears were red, too, and he wasn't meeting her eyes, either.
"Hm, yes, your ... hard ... work. Took some trial and error on your part, though. Your medical skills needed some practice." She turned and narrowed her eyes at Zhan Zhao. His tone there was that earnest bland one that meant he was teasing Bai Yutang about something.
Sure enough, Bai Yutang's hackles went up and he sputtered, "What? You! I didn't think you had any complaints --" he wobbled a bit and Zhan Zhao moved in to support him. The move was practiced and easy, to Linglong's eye. But she also noted how his neck and cheeks were turning pink.
"Let's get you settled in before you start fighting in the courtyard," she herded them towards the family quarters. There was clearly more to this story. But she knew how to be patient. Her heart felt light. They were safe, healthy, and, best of all, home.
She'd get it out of them eventually.
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