OUR HAPPILY EVER AFTER (A WANGXIAN STORY)
Chapter 48
Future Sect Leader Lan was ecstatic when Hanguanjun entered his room. HuiZhong crouched on the floor and begged his uncle for forgiveness once more. "It's ok, you can practice your writing today. Meet me at the Jingshi tomorrow.", Lan Wangji said.
Going to his father's quarters with happy feet, Lan Jiang chanced on his father telling a servant to send herbs to his mother's house. He didn't intend to eavesdrop; he only happened to be there just when the words came out. That bit of information made his day. Lan HuiZhong's first idea was to surprise his mother with a visit but that changed once he recalled Madam Lan disliked him appearing without being summoned. So he decided to wait until he was called.
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Jiang Cheng received word from JinLintai that his nephew had been away from home for more than a month and it made him worry. Jiang Ju reminded him Rulan was no longer a child he had to lock up. "I know, but he can't disappear without making anyone aware of his whereabouts.", Jiang Cheng cross-checked a few plans while Jiang Ju held onto their son.
"Husband, you're right...Why don't you go there yourself?"
"Yes, I'll go but promise not to stress yourself with any duties. Li Qiang will be here to make sure you're well protected.", he picked up the next scroll.
"Pffft...There's peace in the lands, who would he be protecting me from?", Jiang Ju laughed and Jiang Cheng frowned. "Jiang Cheng, would it be alright if we asked Wei Ying to come around soon?"
"Why?", Her husband lifted a brow.
"I don't know, maybe it's because I miss having him here... I just have a feeling he should have stayed a little longer.", Jiang Ju smiled. Her husband stroke her face affectionately. "You're right, I wish he stayed longer too."
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Lan JingFei frowned with a look black as thunder cloud when she opened her eyes. "What am I doing here?", She asked her maids in a sour tone. "Mistress, ZewuJun brought you back himself two days ago." Cuifen, the first servant answered. Madam Lan tried to get out of bed but they stopped her, reminding her she was pregnant. "My baby is strong, he doesn't need to be in this house to grow.", JingFei spat out furiously.
"Yes Mistress, but he will be nurtured properly if you allow Zewujun to care for you. Please reconsider." Fan, the second servant closer to Madam Lan knelt at her feet. "Out here, you'll have better control over what goes on around you.", She added, swaying JingFei's judgment.
"You're right, I can do more out here...Get ink and paper, I need to write a letter to my mother.", Madam Lan lay back in her bed. Her eyes landed on a light blue tassel merged with a precious stone. "What's that?", She asked.
"It's a lucky charm from Future Sect Leader Lan to his mother.", Cuifen answered cautiously. "Bring it to me...", JingFei snatched the gift and threw it on the floor. "Don't ever bring any trash from that brat before me. And stop referring to him as the Future Sect leader, that will never happen- Not while I'm still alive. This baby, my only child, he will be the next Heir of Gusu!", She clenched her jaw.
" Mistress, please calm down. Anger is not good for the baby.", Cuifen lowered her head. Within a split second, Madam Lan switched moods. "Yes...Sorry, my beautiful child. Your mother is just stressed but doesn't fret, I'll make sure you have everything you need. My little Lan Jun.", She smiled as she caressed her barely prominent belly...
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Wei Ying sneezed. He raised his eyes and Wangji's head was already sticking inside the room. "Can you stop being paranoid and focus on teaching my Shidi. I'll kick you out if keep this up.", Wei Ying laughed. Lan HuiZhong found it funny too and chuckled.
"HuiZhong, concentrate.", Wangji scolded.
When the lesson was over, Lan Jiang went to Wei Ying's side to show him what he learned. "Wow, Lan HuiZhong, you're even smarter than your HanguanJun when was your age.", Wei Ying overpraised the boy intentionally to irritate his husband. Wangji gave him a look and returned to his Zither.
"Wei Xiong, can we go out and play. You promised to teach me how to swim.", HuiZhoing got comfortable. Again, Wangji stopped playing, waiting to hear the reply someone would give the boy. "Sure, let's go right now.", Wei Ying grinned. Wangji cleared his throat, "Lan Jiang, he can do that some other time."
"But why not now?"
"Don't ask too many questions.", Lan Wangji said to the boy.
"Pff...Lan Zhan, saying that will only make him curious?", Wei Ying snickered. Catching HuiZhong in his arms, Wei Ying blurted out that he was going to give him another cousin. Since the boy was used to Sizhui calling Wei Ying 'mother', he took it to be a normal phenomenon and expressed how glad he was about the news. The dark clouds in his world clearing out, Lan Jiang began to feel warm light; He had his Uncle back, his mother was out of isolation and now, his Wei Xiong is going to give him another cousin to play with. He was happy.
After the boy left, Hanguanjun went to Wei Ying's side to cuddle. "Your sister will come around tomorrow to examine you...What do you want for dinner?", Lan Wangji was pretty much basic with him. "I want candied fruits.", Wei Ying closed his eyes. He had begun to enjoy watching Wangji's little frustrations when it came to his wellbeing.
"Wei Ying..."
"Hihihi...Yes, my dear subject who can't seem to let me be, is your Master not healthy enough to have skewered candied fruit for dinner?", Wei Ying tugged on Wangji's forehead ribbon.
"No, not yet.", Wangji kissed him. Suddenly he became quiet and Wei Ying could tell Hanguanjun was absent-minded. Pinching him slightly on the cheek, he smiled when the man's gaze returned to him.
"Wei Ying, you've not talked about what happened at your Grandmother's Sect.", Wangji looked him in the eye.
"Oh that, I'll tell you all you want to know in due time...I mean it Wangji, it won't take long.", he buried his face in Hanguanjun's chest and inhaled his alluring scent.
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Jingyi tossed and turned in the night, immersed in his thoughts. Lan Jingyi knew he cared about Sizhui but there was something magnetic about Jin Ling holding him. He was not sure what it was but he didn't despise it.
He came down from his bed and slipped out of his room; the uneasiness made him feel suffocated. Lanterns hang at vantage points, illuminating the compound yet when he looked past the enclosure, all he could see was darkness. "I'll just walk in circles.", Lan Jingyi was not prepared to go far.
The Lan had his head down the entire time he buried his mind in a game of tug of war. As he looked up moments later, he found himself starring at Jin Ling's door. Confused as he was, he felt light-headed when he climbed up and stepped in. Recognizing just a few old artifacts in the room, he was sure this house was recently built and not renovated like he previously assumed.
Step by step he tip-toed into Jin Ling's inner chamber and got closer to the sleeping body. 'How did I get here?', He flinched when he saw his hands draw closer. Jingyi pulled back. 'I shouldn't be here.', he turned.
"Can't sleep?"
Master Jin's voice gave him goosebumps. It was embarrassing being caught sneaking. 'Why am I ashamed?', Jingyi thought as he orbited- facing Jin Ling.
"The night is cold today, you can lie here with...I won't do anything improper.", Jin Rulan lifted the blanket and patted the bed. Lan Jingyi hesitated, peering softly at the other.
'Friends, we're only friends.', he said in his conscience while his feet began to move. Rulan scooted further as the Lan joined him on the bed. Then he draped the blanket over him and lay on his side to get a better look.
"Jingyi, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Jin Ling.", he whispered back.
Jingyi was the first to shut his eyes, then Jin Ling...Breathing rather calmly, Jin Ling opened his eyes again; he imagined waking up next to this person but did not want the night to end. A minute later, Jingyi's eyes also came alive...They lay there staring at each other, letting the tension ease between them. Lips parting slightly, Lan Jingyi's heart thumped softly when Rulan traced the side of his face with a finger. It was a light tickle; pleasant and playful. Rulan shifted when the man he fancied also outlined the shape of his nose.
He chuckled lightly, touching foreheads. Rubbing delicate skin with his thumb, Jin Ling arched Jingyi's head a bit and crushed his lips. The air in the room was still, and the shuffling sound of two people getting closer in the sheets was continuous. They kissed till their lips were raw and swollen but it only felt better. Jin Rulan pulled away when he felt the other's hand fidget with his upper garment. His breath shallow, he latched on again, taking the chance given to him.
'We're just friends', Jingyi kept reciting in his head even as he was being fondled and passionately kissed. 'Just friends...', his breath hitched in the night...
Days Later...
The first two faces that greeted them when they reached JinLintai made Rulan and Jingyi perplexed. The not so surprising scowl on Jiang Cheng's face and the happy yet befuddled look on Sizhui's was more than they anticipated.
While his Uncle didn't hold off scolding him in front of everyone, Jin Ling was only bothered by the show of affection Jingyi received from Sizhui. It was bittersweet. Jingyi would be ripped away from him in no time-never to be in his arms again but he took comfort in the truth that at least one of them would be happy...
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Gusu
"Jingyi Xiong!!", Limin and the others embraced and crowded around Lan Jingyi. Lan Sizhui had to pull Jingyi from their grasp to prevent him from being smothered. The first thing they did was a report to ZewuJun and Hanguanjun that Jingyi had been found alive and well. When it got to explaining how he got kidnapped and where he was found, Jingyi did his best in cooking up a story.
It was not a spontaneous thing; he practiced what to say over and over again until it became rooted in him. "I don't remember everything that happened that night but I was poisoned by a corpse and taken by a demon...When I managed to escape, I hid in a small town to heal. I found out a week ago I was closer to the LanlingJin sect and sought out Sect Leader Jin's help to get back home. Fortunately, Lan Sizhui found me then.", He wanted it to be so real that he believed in his own lies.
Jingyi was welcomed back home and given some days to rest. With Sizhui by his side, he tried to recuperate and forget about his little adventure outside of Gusu. What he didn't know was that Sizhui had already begun to notice the hidden bumps in his tale.
Lan Xichen was rejected by Madam Lan the moment he set eyes on her. JingFei made it clear she did not need his pity and forbade him from laying claim to her unborn child. In the end, Zewujun decided to give her some space to stop her from harming herself.
Madam Lan vented out on her most loyal servants upon finding out they had a hand in revealing her pregnancy to her unfaithful husband. "I told you I'd kill you if you told anyone about it, didn't I?!", She wrapped a guqin string around Cuifen's neck.
"Madam Lan, Cuifen only had your interest at heart. If, if Zewujun had not taken you out of that place you could have lost your child. You were depressed, angry, and always weak. We had no choice... It's our duty to you and the unborn Future Sect Leader!!", Fan was sharp-tongued and knew just what to say to get his mistress' attention.
Jingwei loosened her grip and pushed Cuifen. The young woman fell, coughing and panting from the painful scratch on her neck.
"My dear Cuifen, you need to be more careful with your work. I wouldn't want to lose such a loyal servant and friend. Did you do what I asked you to?", She asked the maiden she had just wounded in a kind tone. Cuifen was frightened by how easily her Mistress swapped her anger with care in her eyes.
"Ye, yes Mistress. Your mother will be here in a month.", Cuifen crawled away from JingFei.
"Good, I need more ink and paper...You see, there's an old acquaintance of mine that will help me turn this place upside down. Also, make sure the men are ready at my command. I wouldn't want our little surprise to get ruined... Everything needs to go smoothly or my little Jun will be upset.", She sat down and began to hum a lullaby.
Cuifen and Fan exchanged distressed glances. Both women knew their Mistress was getting out of hand. They had seen JingFei at her high and low and understood she was not always the monster she is now. All those nights they had to embrace JingFei when she sulked and cursed the day she got married.
How disheartening it was to watch Madam Lan struggle to love her first child and in the end used him as a medium to vent out her frustration. Maybe things could have been bearable if she had not fallen in love on the first day she met Xichen. They pitied her; a woman of beauty and substance, broken by unrequited love...
Thanks for reading. Sorry for any grammatical errors. Are you anxious about what Madam Lan may be planning?... Your constant reads, votes, and comments go a long way for me. I hope you're looking forward to the next update, see you soon💕💕💕
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