OUR HAPPILY EVER AFTER (A WANGXIAN STORY)
Chapter 80
"Jingyi! Stop for a moment."
"..."
"Why? So can hurt me more?"
"No...Hey, hold on.", Sizhui snatched a hand.
Jingyi struggles with him, and when all efforts failed, he clenched his fist and threw the first punch.
Lan Sizhui let go instantly, putting pressure on his bleeding nose. Jingyi becomes aware of himself in a second and could not find the strength to leave.
"Jingyi...You have to understand me.", Sizhui said. His focus lies with the other person, not his bleeding nose.
"...", Jingyi's head dropped as he looked at his bloody fist, feeling sorry for using that much force. He bites his lower lip, fighting the urge to cry. But it's too late, his face Is already leaking.
Sizhui stuffed a good amount of fabric in his nostril to hold the pressure. At least he could breathe through his mouth.
"*Sniff* I have nothing to say to you... You've made your decision so quit asking for a reply.", Jingyi endured the tension building in his chest; a type of misery that words failed to capture. Worse than getting scared at night hunts, or carrying out a punishment at the Cloud Recesses.
"You're upset, I get it... But this is not just about you Jingyi. You cut out a piece of me with your actions and heaven knows how much I bleed. All my intentions and dreams of spending my life with you are shattered... Im barely holding it in because two wrongs can't make a right, Jingyi. Consider how devastating it would be to live in an unhappy union.", Sizhui tackled it with a clear head. He still loved this person, but sometimes love alone is not enough.
Lan Jingyi averts his gaze more than he should. Sizhui lost count of the minutes it took to get him to even say something. The man just stood there, crying till his throat felt dry and sore. And when Sizhui tries to get close, Jingyi shifts away.
"Lan Jingyi...", Sizhui sighed fretfully.
"Do you know what hurts about this the most?", Jingyi suddenly looks up-ending his long silence.
Sizhui's ears were alert, eyes peering at the love he lost.
"You gave up on me so easily...Haha...", Jingyi chuckled, shaking his head. "I was so wrong to think you're better than Jin Ling. You're both the same.", His breath dipped.
Right there he piled up the disappointment and threw it out. "...You both think you know what's best for me, that I should love and feel when you expect me to, never caring about my opinion or what I want."
"You kissed another man Jingyi...You won't admit it but I know you shared intimate moments with him and it kills me!", Sizhui interrupted his speech.
"Boo hoo, so I kissed your cousin and caught feelings for him...But I never slept with him and I stayed with you. Can you not forgive this? Take responsibility Sizhui, you're leaving me because you think I'm dirty... Nothing else."
"You know that's not true Lan Jingyi, I worship the very ground you stand on."
"If that were true then you would not throw me away like I meant nothing to you."
"Hey, don't say that. You are my best friend Jingyi.", Sizhui takes a pace forward.
"You think that after what happened between us, we can go back to being just friends? Quit being delusional Sizhui!"
"What do you want Jingyi? ... You want both of us, is that it?", Sizhui pulls out the handkerchief in his nose and shoves it in his lapel with a scrutinizing gaze. "Do you expect I and Rulan to share you?"
"Hah! Wouldn't that be interesting?...", Jingyi scoffed. He sucks in a breath, now finding a way to stop the tears impeding his speech.
"..." Sizhui had the patience to listen to him, wishing to clear every misunderstanding. Yes, he was pissed off but he didn't want to end things on a terrible note.
"You think you know me, but you don't. Cause if you did you'd know that it's hard to imagine how life would be without you... That I'm scared to be alone Sizhui."
Lan Jingyi left go of his clenched fist and embraced the heartache.
The tip of his nose turned pink and his mouth stayed parted to grasp air. "...You're right, I made a mess. I'm sorry Sizhui... We should have never happened in the first place. Neither you nor Jin Ling." Jingyi lowered his eyes painfully.
'So no, Im not something you can share....and I want both of you out of my life, completely.", He then found the courage to look at Sizhui- his face puffed up, eyes red.
Jingyi chokes for a moment but once he remembers how to breathe, he calmed down; as if something heavy had fallen off his chest.
Sizhui was lost for words; it hurt more to hear the other talk that way. Jingyi was his weakness and at that time his heart cried for that weakness, screaming for him to stop the young man from leaving- to tell him that he didn't want to end things as he said.
Then he recalled his father's advice. 'Some people are meant to stay as they are...friends.', Sizhui gulped down the hard truth. He let Lan Jingyi leave but stayed longer on the path to lament. There was no rush to get away from this person in the first place.
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WangXian Mansion...
Lan Xing also caught the pox but luckily his aunt was around to treat him. His brother, on the other hand, got better and less fussy. Wei Ying did worry about him, however, he wasn't as scared as the first.
"A'Xing, you're very brave. I thought you'd be unbearable in this condition, but you're handling it pretty well.", Wei Ying praised the baby in Jiayi's hand, prepped for his morning bath.
Xing did not understand his mother's words but he was upset about the bath. "Waaaah!", he screeched when a pale of water trickled down his head and the sponge touched his itchy skin. Wei Ying feigned tears playfully to console his baby but Xing is not satisfied; stretching his hands in Wei Ying's direction, asking to be carried away.
"Pffft! Look at him...Aren't you the cutest when you're mad. Aww don't mind me, I'm sorry Lan YongMing... ", Wei Ying made sad faces at the child. But Second Young Master Lan could not be consoled by mere words, he needed the bath to end quickly, and also some cuddles...and of course, milk.
" Oh, he's mad alright.", Jiayi had to watch out for the coming tantrum when Xing grabs the pale and refused to let go, in protest of the bath.
"He gets like this when I'm around. I'll just step back so this spoiled Lan can learn some manners, huh?..." Wei Ying rubbed a finger on the tip of his boy's nose. "Lan Zhan must be at the library.", Xing blinks out of reflex and mews lightly, thinking his mother will save him.
"Go on then...", Jiayi said.
"Mn...Sure.", Wei Ying stood up. Sharing another glance with his sister and the precious little boy, he leaves them alone.
With him gone, Xing's crying did not last long.
Wei Ying swings his arms as he walks past the confines of his quarters and stepped into the courtyard.
He did enjoy stretching his legs. The place looked quite colourful in the morning, especially when dewdrops had not dried up totally.
Wei Ying entered the enclosure with a smile on his face and sighed when he sees Lan Wangji sitting behind a table. Wangji gives a quick nod to acknowledge his wife's presence, then goes back to writing.
Wei Wuxian took a seat in front of him. "Hmm.", He hummed at the internal structures. It did bear some similarities with the one in Gusu.
"Is everything okay?", Wangji asked.
"Yes... Jie is bathing Xing, and Xiang is asleep. Thought I'd watch you work.", Wei Ying said.
"Mn...Uncle says you took good care of him."
"Naah, it's more like he took care of me...Pfft, shocking right?", Wei Ying chuckles when Wangji paused to look at him "What are you writing?", Wei Ying inclines his head gleefully.
"I'm making copies of the clan rules. Uncle says the ones here are not enough. We will have copies of other texts when he visits again."
"Okay...I'm glad that's not my job."
"Mn."
Wei Ying had his elbow on the table, supporting his cheek with a hand. After a while he began to brood over the scene, reminiscing; about when he first sat in the library with this man at the Cloud Recesses.
'Lan Wangji, Lan Wangji, would a 15-year-old Wei Wuxian believe it if anyone told him he would have all this?... I know I wouldn't.', Wei Ying said in his head.
It's funny how that memory never faded, not even when he died and returned with a damaged mind. Somehow that memory was rooted in his soul- every single detail of it; Wangji's head buried in a book, his hand moving gracefully as he drafted with a stoic face.
The yilling patriarch suddenly had a fun idea.
Wangji does not think much of it when his spouse goes for writing materials and sits quietly. After moments of scribbling and shading, Wei Ying lifts the sheet to examine his work.
He also realized another thing, this man had not aged at all. It is not uncommon for cultivators to maintain a youthful look when they become very powerful, but Lan Wangji seemed to own time itself- looking almost twelve years younger.
Wangji takes his eyes off the book when someone set a paper on his table. His lips curled upwards, flattered by the image drawn on it.
Wei Ying shrugs when the jade looks up at him and melts as the gesture is well received, for a gentle kiss soon lingered on his lips.
"Hihi...I added the flower, do you like it or...are you also going to throw this into the trash?", Wei Ying inclines his head with a sly smirk and a sharp wink.
"Mn, it's going into the trash...", Wangji plays along and smooched him once more, putting more pressure on his lower lip.
Wei Ying flinched when his husband's tongue sneaks into his carven. He pushed Wangji away slowly and complained, "Lan Zhan...Lan Zhan stops kissing me, you're turning this sweet moment into something raunchy."
"How so?", Lan Wangji responded in a low tone.
"Do you want me to say it?", Wei Ying raised his brow, not wanting to mention that erotic scene he witnessed after taking a peek into Lan Wangji's dreams with the help of the strange incense burner.
Lan Wangji pursed his lips, knowing exactly what the other meant. He pecks his wife and says, "We can recreate it if you want. We are yet to do it here."
Wei Ying choked on his spit, marvelled by how bold Wangji grew every day."Lan Zhan, I think we should stay in separate rooms tonight."
"For what reason?", the jade did not like the sound of that.
"It's for my safety, I can't keep up with your ways of luring me into sleeping with you...You used to be boring and dull Lan Zhan, now you're livelier than I am.", Wei Ying stood tall on his knees, nagging with the pen in his hand.
Lan Wangji's smile vanishes instantly. He takes his eyes back to the book, extends his palm and quietly takes the pen. "As you wish my love, I'll be in the study tonight.", He says plainly.
'Huh, he just gave in so easily?... Is he upset?', Wei Ying was a little dissatisfied by Wangji's reply. He sits down, grinding the ink on the side sluggishly with a slight pout.
" My love...", Wangji called in a while.
"Yes husband.", Wei Ying lifts his eyes with a short smile, thinking Lan Wangji was going to flirt with him again.
"There's an old book on the shelf labelled X. Can you get it for me? It's closer to the forbidden library..."
"We have a forbidden library?", Wei Ying's eyes went wide with wonder.
" Mn...The title of the book is Chi, handle it with care.", Wangji spared him no glance, answering with a little indifference.
"Okay, I'll go get it.", Wei Ying was up and moving, nursing a small frown on his face.
Their library is not as huge as the one at the Cloud Recesses, but it did involve a lot of walking to find the shelf- which happened to be the last wooden structure close to the wall at the back.
" Okay, that's shelf X in the corner...Now to find the book.", he flicks a finger on the tip of his nose as he screens the books neatly arranged on the shelf. There was a long line of them.
Wei Ying went high and low, back and forth- pulling stacks and flipping through anything he found interesting along the way. "Sending me because I said something you didn't agree with, how petty.", He muttered to himself when he got bored searching.
Just when Wei Wuxian thought he may have found the said book, someone pressed him against the shelf. The heavy wood shakes but remains standing against the wall. "You're too old for this Lan Zhan!", who else could do this if not his shady husband.
Lan Wangji chuckles before getting serious again. "You said not to bother you in the evening, so I have all day to make love to you.", Wangji grabbed him from behind.
"Huh? Lan Zhan, someone could walk in at any moment."
"No one's coming." Wangji relaxed his weight on the other, resting his head on Wei Ying's shoulder. "Wei Ying, why are you being mean to me? Did we do it yesterday?"
"Uhhh no.."
"What of the whole of last week?"
"...", Wei Ying shook his head. They were busy sulking about their sons falling ill.
"So you have no case... Let me love you till you can't tell the difference between us. I'll drink of you till your love runs dry.", Wangji lulled.
"Dont be silly Lan Zhan, my love will never run dry. Not even in a thousand years or ten thousand lifetimes.", Wei Ying blushed sheepishly.
Lan Wangji slides his arms around Wei Ying, squeezing gently as he takes in the person's smell and feels the smoothness of his skin with his lips.
"Mn...My love, can we go on a night hunt after the children get better? It's been months since we got to be truly alone."
"Hanguanjun, are you asking me out on a date?"
"Is that what it's called? Spending time with my wife outdoors?", Wangji swayed his partner side to side.
" Maybe, but will the children be alright. I've never been away from them...It feels wrong, let's wait till they're a year older.", Wei Ying turns his head slightly.
"Two days for a night hunt is not that long, they will be fine my love.", Wangji pecks him on the cheek.
"Lan Zhan, I'll think about it later. *Sigh* I like it when you hold me like this. The world is peaceful in your arms and I feel more alive than I should.", Wei Ying leans his head back, onto his husband's broad chest.
"That makes two of us...Wei Ying, can I kiss you?"
"You can do more than that dear husband.", his face lit up as he veers around to hug the jade.
Lan Wangji melts into the embrace and humbles himself when Wei Ying kissed his lips; loving him gently, owning him sweetly.
"Mnn...Lan Zhan, I'm yet to... find the book.", Wei Ying's eyes refuse to stay open as Wangji's tongue travels below his neck.
"Forget it, you won't find it here.", Lan Wangji clasped his lip on a savoury bud.
"Ah...wha...what do you mean?", Wei Ying grits his teeth to the ticklish sensation.
"It is not here Wei Ying.", Wangji said between breaths.
"Waaaaaait, did you intentionally send me to the wrong shelf?!... Aish, dont pinch.."
"..."
"Quit playing innocent Lan Zhan!...", Wei Ying looked below.
"...", Lan Wangji climbs up, giving Wei Ying a devilish grin. "You can punish me later.", He rubs his nose against Wei Ying's before taking his lips.
Every time they felt this close, Wangji questioned why he was able to breathe when this huge part of him left. And Wei Ying kept telling himself that this right here is worth more than any spiritual energy he could ever conjure.
As the kiss blossoms into strong desires, Lan Wangji heaves his spouse up and leans him against the wall- between two shelves. Wei Ying encircles his legs around the jade's waist, arms locked around his neck.
Wangji did not rush the process or overpower the other. The ground was levelled in a mutual gentility. Like they wanted a taste of each other's soul; to understand why they can't be without each other and live for each other...
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Few moons later...
Jingyi falls apart, having several days with sleepless nights. After the breakup and liberal rants came the bitter taste of guilt, regret and heartbreak.
Lan Sizhui often visited the Cloud Recesses in search of him. But Jingyi hid away, refusing to see or talk to him.
Thus, he went back to his Father's home to give Jingyi space. He did return once in a while to check if Jingyi got better yet all he got when he crossed paths with the other Lan disciple was a stone-cold shoulder.
Soon their peers noticed, and rumours about their romance ending on a sour note circulated. Lan LiMin and Lan Yong sided with their second Shixiong without knowing the full story, and even when they heard it from the horse's mouth they still stood by Jingyi.
It is not that they hated Sizhui or Jin Ling, at that time Jingyi was an emotional wreck. In a short period, he lost a lot of weight and lacked zeal. Unlike before, he jumped in whenever there was a night hunt and often acted recklessly. They were worried- He needed the love and support more.
Be as it may, Lan Jingyi lost the joy of life. No food tasted sweet and no flowers were beautiful. Liquor gave a little comfort and sometimes summoned sleep. He hated listening to the sound of a zither or the pull of a bow. Anything that reminded him of sharing himself with Sizhui or Jin Ling irritated him... And in a couple of weeks, he would conclude that the entire Cloud Recesses was a death trap filled with memories he needed to erase...
"The other day, while it poured like cats and dogs, I found Jingyi Xiong standing in the rain. He was soaked from head to toe, yet when I tried to give him an umbrella and take him away, he got angry and stormed off. He caught a terrible cold afterwards yet still insisted on carrying out duties on an empty stomach.", LiMin explained to Zizhen and Sizhui during their special hunts.
In light of what occurred the last time, Jin Ling did not wish to take part in the activity, and Jingyi- well, we all know the answer.
"I saw him transcribing the wrong text from the book he uses to teach the younger ones. When I pointed it out to him, he broke down in tears, apologizing and saying it was his fault. That he messed up and deserved what he got. It's clear Jingyi Xiong was not referring to the book.", Lan Yong added.
Sitting in the grass field, Zizhen spied on Sizhui's reaction, wondering if Jin Ling's would be any different if he knew.
LiMin, "I mean, who forgets to take their sword to a hunt?... We had to make Zewujun aware of all this before Jingyi Xiong hurt himself worse than he already had."
Sizhui could barely raise his head as the Lan disciples gave intel on what his ex-lover was going through. He felt accountable and sorry. "So...what did Zewujun say?", His voice went off as he asked.
Zizhen hands him a gorge containing water and pats Sizhui's back to show support. Knowing how glued the latter was to Jingyi, he could only imagine what the man must be enduring.
Lan Yong sighed, "Well, Zewujun counselled him for days. He agreed to let Jingyi go into seclusion to clear his head, but Jingyi made a more difficult request."
"And what was the request?", Zizhen asked after the lasting silence and gloomy expressions.
Lan Yong, "He refused to tell us exactly where, and we cant ask Zewujun...But we know our Jingyi Xiong is leaving the Cloud Recesses in a few days."
"What?!", Sizhui and Zizhen exchanged glances after exclaiming at once.
Lan LiMin, "Jingyi complains about everything...Isn't it obvious, that staying in a place marked by Sizhui Ge is torturous for him?"
Zizhen, "Come on LiMin, it's not Sizhui's doing. This is absurd, how can Jingyi go this far? He's a cultivator, this is unnecessary!"
"That's easy for you to say Master Zizhen. If our Jingyi Xiong stood before you, you'd probably understand the severity of it...Hahh, the meat should be done by now. Lan Yong, can you help me with it this time?", LiMin stood up.
"Certainly...We'll be back soon Sizhui Ge, Master Zizhen.", Lan Yong dusted his shoes and picked up his sword. Sizhui and Zizhen stayed in an awkward stillness for a long period before one spoke.
"Do you think Jin Ling can make him better?", Sizhui pokes the ground with the tip of his sword. It was never his intention to stress Jingyi.
"No one but Jingyi can make himself feel better Sizhui.", Zizhen gears his neck at his friend." True, we all have different ways of dealing with pain but in the end, we need to understand that life is not always sunshine and bliss. Honestly, I dont want Rulan to get involved in this."
"Why? Does he not love Jingyi anymore.", Sizhui could not resist the impulse to ask.
Zizhen, "No...It is because he loves Jingyi dearly that I don't want him to hear of this. He might vent his anger on you for letting this happen or do something much crazier than the last time(talking about when Jingyi got kidnapped)...And what happens if they don't work out, huh?"
"..."
"Sizhui, it took a lot for Jin Ling to accept your relationship with Lan Jingyi. Rulan crumbled and resented you on so many occasions, yet he still decided that you were the best person for Jingyi. I'm guessing Rulan gets that idea from how Hanguanjun treats Master Wei, and how you two were already close and seemed inseparable."
"..."
"Sizhui, this love triangle has created holes in our brotherhood. So do me this favour. I hope Jingyi heals, but Jin Ling needs to stay in the dark about this.", Zizhen raised a brow.
Lan Sizhui had a different insight. He was beginning to feel like the culprit.
What if Jin Ling was not the one breaking a couple up, what if he was the stumbling block that prevented Rulan and Jingyi from getting together in the first place?
According to previous discussions with Zizhen, Jin Ling had feelings for Jingyi way before they even became lovers.
Now that Sizhui thought of it from a different perspective, there was hardly any time that Lan Jingyi said 'no' or denied him anything.
It dawned on him that Jingyi may have accepted him out of guilt or the fact that they were childhood friends. What if Jingyi meant his word; that he did it to make Sizhui happy- to keep that friendship between them from suffering?...
Sometimes no matter how hard we try to stick with the ones we think need us, the heart will constantly demand what it wants... And Jingyi's heart turned on him when he least expected.
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(Many days go by...)
Time spins shortly. It seemed like just yesterday when Yuelian came into the world- a survivor. So soon a year had come and her family gathered to celebrate her.
Jiang Cheng left the planning to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji since they were the girl's godparents. The couple thought it wise to make it an intimate affair, with just family.
This day also marks a sensitive moment in both the child and her father's life. So they organized something simple and heartwarming in the garden at Jiang Ju's quarters.
A few close relatives from her mother's family were present to show their love and support.
From the father's side; Wei Ying and his family, Sect Leader Lan and Future Sect Leader Lan...Wen Ning, Jiayi and their daughter Wen Li...Sect Leader Jin and Future Sect Leader Ouyang, and Li Qiang...
"Can someone catch that radish!... Shidi, please pick your brother up.", Wei Ying facepalms himself when he spots Lan Xing crawling on the trimmed grass, unsupervised.
"I'm sorry Uncle Wei, Muyun insisted on carrying him. I should have kept a better eye on them.", Huizhong lowers his head.
"*nervous laugh*...Umm, Shidi, it's not a big deal. There's no need to apologize. Here, take YongZheng, go play with Wen Li and the others...", Wei Ying hands the second twin to Lan Jiang and quickly runs to snatch the boy off the ground.
Xing exploded with excitement and giggles when his mother tosses him in the air and calls him out for being a naughty baby who got his hands dirty.
As if to bribe Wei Ying, YongMing bares his mouth open and tries to plaster his face on the adult.
"ohhh, do you want a kiss...*muah* *muah*. Hihihi.", Wei Ying laughs along with the infant who already had a way of weakening his mother's reproof. Xing's eyes squint just like his mother's when he is overly excited. His mouth barely stayed closed, exposing the pair of teeth on his gum when he giggles loudly.
" Ah ah ah, don't even think about it young man, let's go find your Father. He will probably make you do handstands for getting dirty, Second Young Master Lan.", Wei Ying holds the baby up when he tries sticking his head through his mother's garment. Xing mewls for a second, but giggles again when Wei Ying blows air in his face to distract him...
****
*Jiang Ju's Room*
Jiang Cheng held his girl for long, keeping her close to his chest. Yuelian was used to being rested there and did not fuss at all. Clothed in a cute purple and blue dress, she curls her arms on her father's shoulder and laid low.
"...", Jiang Cheng forced his mind to remain strong and not succumb to grief. So far he did a good job keeping the tears at bay. He wanted to celebrate, nothing else.
Wei Ying enters to inform him that the guests were waiting. Wei Wuxian understood how Jiang Cheng reasons and zipped up from speaking about his sister in law for the meantime.
Yuelian clung to his father, a little shy at the strange and familiar faces cheering for her when they go outside.
If any stranger held her for too long, she would cry for her father. And of course, Sect Leader Jiang was always around the corner.
Halfway through the celebration, a special table is set for the birthday girl with five items spread over it. They all clapped and cheered, persuading her to select one or two.
There was a sword, a tiny silver spoon, a piece of gold, a purple flute, a book, and a carrot.
"A'Lian, pick the sword!", Muyun was jumpy.
" A'Yun, don't influence her. Let her decide what she wants to be.", Lan Jiang said. Xichen gave his son a light path and an approving smile, proud of the man Huizhong was growing into.
"It's okay A'Lian...", Jiang Cheng grinned at his little girl. When the girl screens all the objects for some time and then touched the book, he glowed. 'My little girl will be intelligent.', he said in his head. But after tugging the brown book, Xuelian goes in for her brother's choice as well.
" Yes!", Muyun exclaimed. Future Sect Leader Jiang made his way to his sister and showers her with affection in a sweet hug. It gets cuter when Yuelian reciprocates- burying her face in the inlet of his neck.
"A'Lian...", The boy plays with her cheek when she looks at him.
"Muyun.", Yuelian responded to the surprise of the others. Jiang Cheng knew all along.
"Huh? Is it me or did we just hear little pod say a word?", Wei Ying turned to his brother. Jiang Cheng went quiet after meeting his son's eye and the boy smirked. "A'Cheng did your son steal A'Lian's first word from you?... Pfft, you suck at raising girls.", Wei Ying just had to tease him. With everyone else staring at their constant whispering, Jiang Cheng gives him a grin and whispers back; "Shut up before I strangle you in front of Lan Wangji."...
*******
Although they stood at a close range, Sizhui and Jin Ling said nothing to each other. Watching their families laugh, joining the activities and paying respect to their Seniors is what they mostly did. Zizhen stood between them almost the whole time until Wei Ying calls for him. Then Jin Ling steps away from Sizhui, looking for other means to keep himself busy- to avoid any form of interaction with the other.
Playing with his cousin becomes the second-best option. Jin Ling sits with Muyun, sharing some of his encounters during his recent night hunts.
"You went alone...Woah!", Muyun became thrilled by the simplest things. He was having fun with the kid until a firm voice called out to him.
"If you want to apologise, this is not the place.", Rulan did not wish to look at Sizhui.
"I'm not here to apologise. We need to talk... Jiang Muyun, can you excuse us for a moment.", Sizhui asks the little boy politely. Muyun bows swiftly and leaves the adults alone. Jin Ling still keeps his face away from Sizhui, acting difficult.
"You're an adult Master Jin, behave like one. This place is too open for what I want to discuss. Let's take a walk."
"Look, if you think I'll let you disrespect me..."
"Five minutes, that's all I'm demanding. You can decide later if what I have to tell you is important or not.", Sizhui furrowed his brow. He was not in the mood to beat about the bush and let Jin Ling play high and mighty.
"Fine, I know where we can talk in peace.", Rulan shot him a look as he stood up...
********
While the party continued blissfully, Wei Ying taps his husband. "Look closely Lan Zhan, there's something wrong with Huizhong." He said. Wei Wuxian began to notice the pattern after his first radish escapes from Muyun.
And now it was quite clear; Lan Jiang's smile goes up when he faced the crowd, but as soon as he turned away, it was something else. Huizhong found himself a seat away from everyone else. It was almost sundown, so people hardly noticed. Xichen had left with Jiang Cheng when the birthday girl fell asleep from fatigue.
"I'll let my brother know.", Wangji saw it too.
"No, you're his Uncle, go talk to him now.", Wei Ying muttered.
"Maybe you should do it, he responds to you better...I'll handle the kids.", Lan Wangji shifts the responsibility to his spouse, using his sleeping babies as an excuse.
"Not so fast, we'll both do it...These two won't wake up so let them be where they are.", Wei Ying burdens Wangji with the second baby and leads the way.
Huizhong had his backing facing the venue while he stared at the flowers grown closer to the walls.
" Shidi...", Wei Ying sat on his left and waited for Lan Wangji to sit on the other end of the bench.
Wei Ying didn't have to ask, the young boy saw right through him. Huizhong was used to his Wei Xiong coming to his rescue.
Wei Ying drapes a hand over HuiZhong's shoulder and pulled him closer. A single tear cascades down Lan Jiang's face as he leans on Wei Ying, and he slides his arms around the senior to be comforted. The boy always felt safer acting his age around this man.
Lan Wangji adjusted the sleeping babies in his arms. He shared a glance with Wei Ying then asked the question. "Lan Jiang, what's wrong?"
"..."
"Shidi, you're gonna have to say it sooner or later. You know how I get when you're sad...", Wei Ying rubs his shoulder.
"I...I miss my mother.", the boy confessed.
Wei Ying became speechless in the first few minutes. The name Lan JingFei was taboo to him. Lan Wangji withheld his comment as well, waiting on Wei Ying to be that motherly figure he always praised him for.
"Shidi, do you...do you want to spend more time with your Father? I know he's been busy with Yuelian today...", Wei Ying tried to twist the truth.
" No...Father never lets me be alone when we're at Gusu or anywhere else. He gives me space here because Muyun hogs me to himself.", Huizhong sits up and looks directly into Wei Ying's eyes. "I promised mother I would visit soon. It's been more than three months and I've not kept my word to her. What if she feels lonely and hates me for it?", Huizhong's pouts sadly "... Father says I may visit for a week after my exam, but that's two months away...I don't know what else to do Wei Xiong.", Huizhong gulps when his throat turns dry. And in a blink, his face was wet with tears.
Wei Ying's heart went out to the boy as he wiped those teardrops. Lan Wangji understood his pain as well. For a second he wondered why their fates had to be so difficult when it came to their mothers.
"If it's your mother you wish to see, then worry not. I will have a word with your father.", Lan Wangji said. Wei Ying did not agree with Wangji's choice of words, he still believed Jingfei was bad news. But right now, what he wanted was to ease Huizhong's pain.
"Huizhong, you've held on for many months, two more will arrive quickly. You'll see her in no time...Have you tried sending her a message?", Wei Ying grins softly, still cleaning tears.
"*sniff* A butterfly message?", Huizhong shuddered.
" No...Something that she can keep for long. A letter?", Wei Ying explains.
Lan Huizhong stares blankly.
'Huh? Why didnt Xichen mention this to him...or was he too busy to notice?', Wei Ying thought.
Lan Wangji pays rapt attention to his wife's words thereon, impressed by his ability to find light in the middle of a storm.
"Lan Jiang, you don't need to be far from someone to miss them, neither do u need to be close all the time to feel their presence...Why don't you write her a letter whenever you miss her? That way you get to see and talk to her in your mind's eye...You can write as many as you want. Your father can teach you how to.", Wei Ying suggested.
The boy gradually digested the wholesome idea. "*Snif* Wei Xiong, then...can you teach me? I want you to teach me how to write it.", Huizhong started to feel better after accepting there was another way to communicate with JingFei.
"Umm...Okay, why don't you join the party, have fun... and I will teach you when it ends.", Wei Ying said.
" Ok...Thank you Wei Xiong.", Huizhong hugged Wei Ying once more. With Hanguangjun carrying the babies, Lan Jiang only bows to thank him afterwards.
"That went well.", Wei Ying relaxed with a deep breath when Huizhong left. Lan Wangji stares at him in admiration. " If only I had someone like you to explain this, I could have spent more time with my mother.", he said.
"...", Wei Ying caresses his cheek before carefully taking one of the kids. It's hard to find a reply for such a heavy comment.
The party came to an end by five in the evening, and everyone retired to their allocated rooms to freshen up. Huizhong knocks on Wei Ying's door an hour later, with Muyun tailing behind him- ready to be taught...
****************************************
Sect Leader Jiang was left alone when the servants took Yuelian. Li Qiang knew not to bother him with anything and took care of whatever emergency that came that night.
After falling victim to his thoughts for hours, Jiang Cheng stepped out of his quarters-empty handed. He could do without his sword for a few hours.
Moments later, when he raises his head, he finds himself standing back in front of Ju's quarters. A small smile touched his lips when he realized his mistake; he aimed to visit the ancestral hall, not here. So he whirls around and takes the right path.
His feet slow down when he enters the ancestral hall...
Lighting up the incense, Jiang Cheng looks at the cenotaphs bearing his parent's name, then his sister's, then that of his late wife. Even then he managed to hold himself back from crying. For a second he didnt known what to say to them. So he stalls for a while and starts with a bow.
His prayers were silent and brief. The rest of the time he spent on the ground, staring at the placks was geared toward questions that could not be answered; are they okay where ever they are, was he doing a good job with the children and the Sect?
'Mother...Father...Sister...my dear Ju... I'm doing okay. The children are ageing beautifully... Senior Sister, Jin Ling is old enough to have a family of his own now. I'll be stepping back from running his affairs- but I will always be here to guide and protect him. I hope you're pleased with how mature he has become...Mother, Father, please continue to watch over all of us.' He closed his eyes and delved into deeper thoughts. 'My Ju... I'm glad our little girl took after you- to give me joy when I lose sight of it. You were an excellent mother, and I wish she had your warmth... I hope my best is enough to raise her as you would have...', He summed up his thoughts.
Wanyin clasped his fist when he leaves. Praying helped to some extent, however, it also tore open his wounds and swallowed him whole. It made him restless and he needed an outlet. Luckily his feet knew where to go...
He found Xichen in his room; sitting in the lotus position with his eyes closed. Zewujun did not mind at first- he thought it was his son that entered without knocking. But when he hears the word, "Huan", he opens his eyes.
"Wanyin.", Zewujun's knee was already on the floor, getting up to meet the other.
Jiang Cheng's downcast look affects Xichen. His true will is to give Sect Leader Jiang peace and fill every crevice left in his heart with love. If Wanyin is happy, Xichen will be overjoyed- if he is sad, Xichen will be tormented...So the latter had to be stronger for both of them.
"...", Jiang Cheng walks into the jade's arms, hiding the burning drops about to escape. The dam holding back his tears suffers a crack, and it all comes crushing when Xichen overwhelmed him in a bear hug.
Zewujun said nothing...Some broken hearts and painful experiences did not need words, that would only make it more unbearable. What mattered was that he understood Jiang Cheng's pain and stood by him.
"What do I do Huan, I wish she were here. I'd give anything to see her just one more time... Ju deserves to see A'Lian grow Huan... Why must I always lose the ones that truly cared about me?", Jiang Cheng creased Xichen's robes.
It had become a norm, that something inside him breaks every time he saw others getting too close or being loyal. Maybe they too would perish like his Parents, siblings, and Jiang Ju. Xichen already slipped out of his hands once, what if staying together lead to something unfortunate and he lost the jade for good?
"You should stay away from me Huan, I bring only bad luck to the people that sacrifice everything to see me succeed.", Jiang Cheng spat out his depressing thoughts.
Xichen gently grabs his face, looking into the other's eyes in the night light. Since it was a difficult time, Lan Huan chooses to kiss Jiang Cheng's cheeks softly.
The latter shut his eyes, taking a steep breath as he felt Huan lips on the other cheek...
****
Lan Huizhong came out of his Uncle's room with a faint smile on his face. In his right hand was a letter written with the help of Wei Ying and Lan Wangji, and on the left was his cousin, Jiang Muyun.
"Jiang Ge, can we go now, you promised to sleep in my room.", Muyun didnt understand why they were heading to Zewujun's chambers.
"I'm only dropping this letter so I don't dirty it. We won't take long.", Lan Jiang beamed. His mind grew fluffy over the last hour, floating in cloud nine as he imagined his mother smiling after reading the letter.
"Okay Ge.", Muyun jumped over a rock for the thrill of it, then grabs Huizhong's hand again.
"Wait here Muyun, I'll be gone for just a second.", Huizhong took off his shoes. He assumed that his father was still meditating. Having a loud Muyun around may not be helpful.
Lan Jiang pushed the door slightly and sneaked in. He tiptoes to the table in the middle of the outer room and slides the note between the pages of a heavy book.
As Huizhong turns to leave, he hears a clear sob, then little murmurs coming from the inner chamber.
Again, he tiptoes to take a peek out of concern. As far as he could recall, his father should be in there alone, meditating.
His lips part slightly as his fingers touch the wood lining the entrance of the second room. He blinks once, observing the scene.
'Uncle Cheng...', he felt sorry seeing the Senior weep in his father's arms. Judging by how close they were, Huizhong did not find anything amiss... until his father caresses the man's face with an incredible expression, and plants a tender kiss on his lip. Huizhong stood unmoving; shocked, confused.
'Jiang Ge!'
Huizhong flinched when Muyun's voice reached him faintly. Fortunately, the adults were too distracted to hear it. Huizhong turns swiftly and rushed out, making sure his footsteps were as light as a feather.
He holds his breath when he managed to leave unnoticed and lets it out after seeing Muyun.
"You took so long Ge!", Jiang Muyun complained.
Huizhong was lost for a moment, but when the boy climbs up five bricks to get to him at the door, he comes back to earth.
"Sorry...Let's go.", Huizhong smiled as he took Muyun's hand.
While walking away, he turns his neck briefly to spy at the door. Oh, many theories were building in his head.
But as much as he was curious to understand his father's actions, Huizhong had learned to know when to ask questions...and when to wait for answers to fall at his feet.
Nothing is truly hidden forever...
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Thank you so much for waiting patiently...Sorry for any grammatical errors and the length. At this point it's only fair that I tell you that we have two more chapters to go🤧...After that, the book ends...😃But dont worry, I will write many extra chapters. (No crazy plot, only happiness and more fluff. And we get to enjoy the children😍🥰)...See you in the next update dear WangXian Babies ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
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