Chapter Text
~~~
Wei Ying moved to Tokyo and spent most of her first month there settling into her company-provided apartment. She took some time to acquaint herself with the neighborhood, especially seeking out late-night snack venues and darker corners for her personal practices.
The contract she was under was comprehensive enough, which made sense. There weren't many with her specialty. She had sort of invented, or rather, upgraded, the methods of demonic cultivation. And although people in Japan were less superstitious than those in China, the difference was not as great as the Japanese would want to admit.
Cemeteries, temples, shrines, apartments with a History, everyone needed a good exorcist.
And that's what landed her in Japan, working for a lucrative business that dealt with many of the finer aspects of Japanese spirituality. Sure, some of the company's business seemed shady at best, but Wei Ying had done some snooping around and decided they did enough good to warrant her time and efforts.
She was not accustomed to Japanese work regulations, though. The first two weeks on the job were the toughest. She was late to arrive the first few days, but the department manager had scolded her and told her to make the effort and be there on time, or she would have to leave.
Waking up at five in the morning to get to the office on time was challenging when she stayed up rather late every night, and she spent the entire hour commute time on the train sleeping obnoxiously against whoever sat next to her.
That's why she only noticed her on the third week. After two weeks of utter exhaustion, Wei Ying started going to sleep earlier, and was more aware of her surroundings on the commute to work.
She saw her first on a Monday, standing in the nook by the door. An angel sent from icy heaven for sure. The weather was quite cold by now, and on brand, the woman wore all white clothes. She had white, stout, leather heels, a pencil skirt that went down to her knees in an elegant pearl shade, showing off the length of her white shins, seemingly not encased in any stockings like the rest of the women on the train. Above the skirt, all Wei Ying could see was the fluffed out trimmings of a white, suede overcoat, belted at the waist. It hugged the woman's shape almost too well, making it hard to look any further up. Around her neck lay a fluffy white fake fur scarf, wound around twice or thrice if Wei Ying had to guess. It covered a delicate neck only barely visible under the woman's chin.
And her face was the icing on the cake. Perfect, unblemished skin, wonderfully full pink lips, a gently curved nose. Her eyes, dark and piercing. It wasn't immediately discernible whether she had makeup on. She had a white ribbon in her hair with little cloud patterns on it in silver. Her hair was styled to keep most of it out of her face, with a few strands left to play gently against her cheeks whenever the breeze came in with the doors opening and closing at a station.
Unlike most everyone else on the train, she wasn't looking at a mobile device. Her hands were folded on the handle of a posh, intricately embroidered handbag. She was looking directly at Wei Ying.
Wei Ying had never seen anyone so put together as this woman. In all of the 6 weeks since landing in Japan she's seen many women who were way more on top of their appearance than she was - and she wasn't an amatuer, herself!
Caught in her staring, she quickly fumbled for her phone and lowered her gaze to it.
When her station was announced, Wei Ying shoved her phone in her bag and got up to get off. The lady in white was getting off at the same stop, and walking at a brisk pace, heels clicking against the floor. Wei Ying looked after her for a long moment, before sighing and shaking her head, walking in the same direction at a much slower pace.
By the time she exited the ticketing gate, the lady in white was nowhere to be seen.
~
The lady in white was on the same train and the same car the next morning. She looked exactly the same as the previous day, down to the hair arrangement. When she turned her head to one side when someone tumbled to the floor further down the car, Wei Ying saw that she had her hair in a half ponytail, a silver ornament clasped around the band that held her hair together. It was distinctly a non-Japanese style, and Wei Yin tapped a forefinger against her own cheek in thought. Probably not Japanese, then. Maybe a foreigner with a work visa like Wei Ying?
When the ruckus in the car settled down, the woman straightened up and turned to look at Wei Ying. Her dark eyes bore a hole through Wei Ying's mind and she quickly scrambled to occupy herself with the little notebook she always carried with her. She could feel the woman staring at her for the rest of the ride until the train took them to their destination.
After getting to the office and greeting her colleagues, Wei Ying slowly forgot about the woman she saw on the train and put her mind into the next case on the agenda.
She had been assigned a small village in the Fukushima area, now fully annihilated after the 2011 tsunami. There had been only short excavations to the area, and all concluded the place was haunted. No one wanted to spend any length of time there because too many ghosts were present.
For her first step, she mused as she sauntered to her personal office, she'd need to collect reports about the radiation levels in the area, how affected it was by the meltdown at the nearby power-plant, and if it was safe for her to even venture to the vicinity.
By the time she headed home that day, Wei Ying's mind was full of her plans for the rest of the week, and the reports sitting in her drawers in the office.
~
On the third morning, the lady in white had her hair styled differently. She still had the white ribbon, but her hair was free to flow in slick black rivulets down her shoulders and back. She wore a light blue tweed scarf instead of the white fake fur one. Everything else looked more or less the same, and this time when she caught Wei Ying staring, Wei Ying didn't look away immediately.
They stared at each other for a long moment, Wei Ying's eyes glued to that beautiful, icy, expressionless stare. She started feeling warmth rise in her belly around where the center of her spiritual powers resided. It traveled up her chest and up to her face. She wasn't sure if it showed through, but there was no discernible reaction from the lady in white so maybe it was inconspicuous enough. Wei Ying shook herself mentally, she had to find out who this person was!
When their station was declared, Wei Ying pulled herself to her feet and hurried to stand by the door, hoping to be able to keep pace with this mysterious person. The lady's gait wasn't any different than usual, and she all but floated down the stairs, Wei Ying following just close enough behind to not seem like a stalker. Though she suspected it wasn't holding very well.
She spotted the lady taking a sharp turn into the Starbucks Wei Ying had been thinking of checking out, so she turned in as well. The lady stood at the counter and was already ordering. By the time Wei Ying made it to the counter, the lady was waiting by the pick-up counter. She didn't acknowledge Wei Ying's presence at all.
Wei Ying placed her order and went to the pick-up counter just in time to see the lady in white picking up a tall sized drink in a travel thermos. She was out the door before anyone behind the counter even started working on Wei Ying's order. She didn't see her anywhere when she headed out the door with a paper-cup clasped in her hand. Maybe next time.
Once again, upon arriving at the office Wei Ying gradually forgot about the lady in white, and started focusing on her travel plans for the following week. The destination she'd been assigned to has been cleared in terms of radiation levels and other more mundane things like accommodations and supplies. She spent the rest of the day researching sighting cases and preparing talismans.
On the way home, she stopped at the convenience store and bought two nikuman balls and a carton of orange juice. At least these buns have meat in them, she mused. It was blasphemously bland, but then she couldn't really expect anyone here to be able to eat the kind of hot food she was used to from back home.
~
The next day, Wei Ying spotted the lady in white before even boarding the train. She got so distracted that she missed her opportunity to grab a seat for herself, and had to stand idly across from her on the other side of the doors. The lady seemed to have a favorite spot and she seemed willful enough to always stand in it, despite trains being the most chaotic thing Wei Ying had experienced so far in Japan.
Today the lady in white had her hair in a neat bun at the back of her head, with a few strands indulgently allowed freedom around it. The ribbon was ever present, wrapped around the base of the bun. Her eyes were adorned with faint, light blue shadow. Her skirt today flowed all the way down to her ankles and her shoes were a faded shade of beige. She had white gloves on, and the fake fur scarf was back in action. Temperatures had continued dropping, Wei Ying thought, absently lamenting the fact that she had moved to Japan during the winter. She shifted her weight a little, moving in her spot, worrying her lower lip as she stared at the woman.
The lady's eyes flicked to Wei Ying's lips and stayed there. The iciness of her stare intensified somehow, and she looked away first, this time.
Following her when they arrived at the station was as difficult as before, but this time Wei Ying stayed outside of the offending Starbucks, pretending to be looking for something in her bag as she waited for the lady to emerge. She fished out her phone to check if anyone had sent her any texts while she was distracted.
Thermos in hand, the lady stepped out of the shop, paused briefly to throw a sideways glance at Wei Ying, and then stalked off. Wei Ying followed adamantly.
She followed her to the familiar building where Wei Ying's employer company resided. To the same floor wei Ying worked on. The silence in the elevator was deafening.
The lady exited the elevator to the right, while Wei Ying took a left as usual.
She didn't see the lady in white at all for the rest of the day, but got very little work done in between sneaking out to see if she could find her anywhere.
~
The same thing happened the next day, but now, knowing her route, Wei Ying was less worried about losing the lady in white on the way. She picked up her pumpkin spice latte and stepped out of the Starbucks, and nearly dropped her paper-cup upon seeing the lady waiting for her beside the door.
Today she was dressed exceptionally nice. She had a different white coat on, the shape and shade different but still complementing her figure perfectly. It also had delicate, silver embroidery patterns along the lapels and the skirt of it. She wore higher heels than usual, a pristine white leather pair. Her fair legs were framed by the tweed ends of her white and ivory checkered skirt. The scarf around her throat was fine cotton, and her makeup was mild as ever. Her hair was pulled up to a high ponytail, the ribbon wrapped around its base and a delicate ornament settled on top. Wei Ying could only gulp as she took in the looks of her.
The moment broke when the lady started walking towards their office, though. Wei Ying hurriedly followed. Was she being rude? Should she have introduced herself instead of just staring?
Still hesitating, Wei Ying boarded the elevator with her. Thankfully no one else needed the elevator right at that moment. She decided to make her move, steeling herself for whatever outcome.
"Hi," she said in Japanese first. No response whatsoever. "I'm Wei Ying, just recently moved to Japan from Yunmeng in China." Still the lady did not acknowledge that she spoke.
"Do you not speak Japanese?" She said, this time in standard Mandrin. There was not even a flinch of recognition or understanding. Wei Ying stared at her face, willing her to reply, but before she could say anything else, the elevator doors opened on their floor, and the lady stepped out without waiting to hear more.
Deflated, Wei Ying headed to her office. She found a note on her desk directing her to join the weekly meeting this week. The CEO was going to give a speech and all employees were expected to show their faces. She groaned as she plopped into her chair and tossed the note in the bin. She counted to ten and then straightened up and got started on the last preparations for her trip.
After lunch, she went to the big meeting room with everyone else in her department. The space was packed, but she spotted the lady in white next to the speaker-pod. She stood quietly and regarded the room with her icy gaze. Wei Ying had to wonder how come she'd never seen her around the office. She looked like an important person in the company.
~
The speech was rather long. The lady in white - Lan Zhan-san, Wei Ying learned from someone speaking nearby, stood perfectly still for the entire duration.
When the CEO stepped down from the podium, Wei Ying's direct boss, Tanaka-san, gestured for her to come with him. He led her towards where Lan Zhan stood. If Wei Ying had known her better, she might've caught some traces of awkwardness about her, but to her Lan Zhan-san only looked cold, distant, like she'd been on the train.
But she did wait for Wei Ying by the coffee shop. What did that mean?
"Wei-san, we've taken too long to introduce you to everyone in the company, I'm deeply sorry for that. Please accept my apology. This is Lan Zhan-san from Gusu, China. She is our other specialist," Tanaka-san said by way of introducing them. "Lan Zhan-san, please allow me to introduce Wei Ying-san, our specialist from Yunmeng."
"Nice to meet you!" Wei Ying said in Japanese at first. She gave Lan Zhan a Japanese styled bow for the sake of Tanaka-san and the other Japanese staff present. "I hope we can work well together," she added in Mandarin, letting a wide smile stretch her lips as she offered her hand to shake.
Lan Zhan didn't smile back, but she similarly bowed back to her and offered only a rather dry "Nice to meet you," in Japanese as she took Wei Ying's hand.
Something shifted, making Wei Ying squeeze Lan Zhan's hand briefly on reflex, and she noticed a similar response from Lan Zhan's grasp. This person was not just any specialist, she realized. Lan Zhan was a cultivator like herself. A high level master with a golden core spinning in her body. Their eyes met for a long moment, though Lan Zhan's expression didn't change in the slightest. Wei Ying could feel herself gaping at her in return.
"You-" Lan Zhan said, this time in Mandarin, barely a breath of a word. Wei Ying's gaping stare turned into a beaming smile as Lan Zhan extracted her hand from her grasp. A chuckle escaped her, levity filling her up. Finally someone who shared some life experience. Someone strong enough to speak to her on her level - if she could ever get her to say more than two words.
"It is an honor to meet a peer so far from our homeland," Wei Ying said in Mandarin still, bowing now in the respectful cultivator fashion. "Perhaps we can discuss some of the local cases some time? I only just arrived recently, so I'm sure Lan-jie can teach me some valuable points about the local… residents."
Lan Zhan didn't move a muscle for a long time, and then inclined her head imperceptibly in agreement before returning the cultivator fashioned bow and turning to leave the conference room. Wei Ying wanted to follow, but Tanaka-san cleared his throat behind her, telling her he'd like to have a short chat regarding her upcoming assignment. It couldn't really wait.
~
The week ended on a sigh. Wei Ying didn't get to see Lan Zhan again, and she was due to travel the following week. She went to the small Chinese restaurant down the street from her little rental place and ate a few dishes that tasted approximately like home, but not quite so. She then prepared her things for the trip and went to sleep.
The trip itself went by without much of an issue. It was her first time running a night hunt outside of China, and she found it both distinctly different, and quite similar. There were no walking corpses at all, fierce or otherwise. There were other more natural instances of demons and monsters roaming about the uninhabited, decimated villages.
After clearing out the requested areas over her week-long trip, she returned to an empty apartment and contemplated the stack of talismans she'd prepared for the trip. There were some left over, and she'd considered a few alternatives during the hunt, since the creatures she encountered here seemed to have different properties.
It was so consuming that she emerged the next day from her stupor of invention completely bewildered, and slept for the rest of the weekend.
On the Monday that followed, boarding her regular train, she found Lan Zhan standing where she always did, her coat done up to under her chin and her stare as icy as ever. If Wei Ying didn't know better, she'd think to call it a scowl.
Lan Zhan had her hair up in a ponytail today, adorned with a shiny pin. She actually waited for Wei Ying on the platform and walked beside her in complete silence, and they got their coffee without a word, too. Wei Ying learned that Lan Zhan took her coffee strong and with soy milk.
Wei Ying finally caved as they entered their office building.
"So…. did you miss me?" She asked, as cheerful as she could muster. They stepped toward the elevators and waited for one to arrive. Lan Zhan glanced at her but didn't reply. It might have been that she thought Wei Ying was being rude, speaking Mandarin, but it was what came naturally to her, and she didn't get many opportunities to use it in Japan otherwise.
"That's cold, hey, wait up-" she exclaimed as Lan Zhan boarded the elevator and reached for the panel. They were once again alone. Something seemed off and she leaned over a bit to bump her shoulder against Lan Zhan's. "Lan Zhan-"
"You disappeared," Lan Zhan said in a quiet tone. It was the most Wei Ying had ever heard her speak outside of social requirements. Her voice was a little deeper than Wei Ying had expected, but it suited her personality very well. She grinned at Lan Zhan then.
"You did miss me!" She exclaimed, bumping her shoulder again. "We didn't get to talk after the introduction with Tanaka-san, so I didn't have a chance to tell you I was going on an assignment in the Fukushima area. It was pretty interesting - you should join me next time. We could be cultivation partners!"
Lan Zhan took a quick breath, like she was about to say something, a retort or a genuine reply, but the elevator dinged and announced their floor, and the doors opened. The moment was gone. They disembarked and Lan Zhan stood idle for a moment, glancing sideways at Wei Ying, before giving a slight shake of the head and heading towards where Wei Ying assumed her office was.
She was tempted to follow, but Tanaka-san showed up on the elevator to her right and greeted her, asking about the report from the hunting assignment. She lost track of things after that.