Dearly Detested: Grooms in Hate

Xian Xian is three...

Note: so I messed up posting a bit, and missed a part in between... But I've put it up now! Go back to part 4, there's a bonus : )

After Lan Wangji left, Wei Wuxian was lost. Sure, he knew not to be too dependent on the man, but it felt like his anchor to reality was lost. This resulted in him having a perpetual bad mood.

Wen Qing observed this, and said, "Wei Wuxian. We need to go trade the radish today. Will you join Wen Ning?"

Maybe it would be a good change of pace, Wei Wuxian thought. He helped cart up all the radishes and sat on the cart, which Wen Ning began to drag.

"Young Master Wei."

"Mhm?"

"Do you miss Young Master Lan?"

Wei Wuxian momentarily stopped biting on his tanghulu.

"WHAAAT? NONONO NO! Why would you even think that?"

"Right? But you look like an abandoned puppy. Is anything the matter?"

Wei Wuxian was stumped. Was he that obvious?

"I just miss home." A half truth. He missed how Lan Wangji made him feel at home. The fear that he wouldn't return was ever present, strangling Wei Wuxian's heart.

Wen Ning kept quiet for the rest of the trip. Just as they were reaching the inn, Wei Wuxian was lifted off the cart and pulled into a corner, his mouth muffled.

"It's me! Ouch- Don't bite me, you dog!"

"Jiang Cheng?!"

"Who else?"

Before him stood his younger brother, in the flesh. Seeing him made Wei Wuxian ecstatic.

"Wen Ning! Go trade at the inn and then meet me back here!"

Without waiting to hear Wen Ning's response, Jiang Cheng dragged Wei Wuxian off.

"You really did it, Wei Wuxian. You really resurrected a dead man. You're insane, man."

"Ouch- ow- ouch- not- that hurts! Be gentle!"

"Shut up. I'm only here because someone specifically requested it." Jiang Cheng huffed, looking annoyed.

"And who is that?"

Just then, they arrived at a door. Jiang Cheng pushed it open, to reveal the back of a woman in red wedding clothes.

"S-Shijie?"

She turned around. Jiang Yanli, at that moment, looked like she descended from Heaven.

Her inner robes were embroidered with golden lotuses, while her outside mid-length robe featured the peony. It was all brought together by a net sash, and the skirt was light, yet elegant.

"A-Xian, how do I look?"

A tear had escaped Wei Wuxian's eye unknowingly. Then he burst out crying. Tears he didn't know he was holding back gushed out.

Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli were stunned for a moment, before Jiang Yanli pulled him into a hug with Wei Wuxian.

"You're getting married to-, to that Jin brat…"

"He loves me, A-Xian. I'm very happy, believe me."

"And since you defected from the Clan like a fool and can't attend the wedding officially, Jie wanted to show you her wedding dress at least."

He cried as he spoke, soon devolving to sobs and hiccups.

"My Shijie, hic, is the prettiest bride… Don't marry that Jin brat..."

"Oh, my little A-Xian. Can I bribe you with Lotus root and pork rib soup?" she coaxed him, while patting his back.

Wei Wuxian's eyes glinted when his head shot up from Yanli's shoulder. "There's soup?"

"Oh course there is. I don't know when I'll see you…"

Jiang Yanli's words trailed off, hurting Wei Wuxian like a knife through his heart, even more than before.

They sat at the table, drinking soup.

"When is the wedding?"

"In ten days. It's going to be a grand affair at Carp Tower. Everyone possible is invited."

Wei Wuxian's mood soured. Jiang Cheng and he had decided in their childhood that their sister would have the best of weddings possible, and they would stand and weep with her. Now it seemed like a pipe dream.

As they ate, they spoke about this, that and everything in between, but the underlying pain never went away. Wei Wuxian heard all about the new disciples from Yunmeng Jiang, who couldn't even hold their swords and told his siblings about A-Yuan and Lan Wangji.

Jiang Cheng got up from the lunch table and left for a bit, with the excuse of having to meet someone.

Jiang Yanli looked at Wei Wuxian smugly.

"What's going on between you and Young Master Lan?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all! Nothing significant. Absolutely nothing. Why?"

Jiang Yanli smiled. "Because when you talk about him, your eyes light up. A-Xian, I know you. Liking Young Master Lan isn't a bad thing! He's a very good man, he's proved that more than once."

Wei Wuxian was silent, pondering.

"Jie. How does it feel to love someone?"

Jiang Yanli sighed.

"It makes you happy. You want to spend time with that person and not let them leave. You think about them a lot. It makes your heart beat, yet you feel comfortable with them. "

Wei Wuxian moved, leaning against his sister's shoulder. This was more to hide his blush and less for support."But Jie… why would you voluntarily halter your neck to someone?"

"A-Xian, you're old enough now. When you really do love someone a lot, you won't treat your feelings in such a way."

Wei Wuxian pouted. "But Xian-Xian is three."

He held up three fingers, as if making a point.

Jiang Yanli caught hold of his fingers, folding two of them.

"Isn't three too much? Xian-Xian is one."

They laughed, remembering the conversation they had had just before Wei Wuxian had left for the Koi Tower on that fateful day.

Wei Wuxian had a sneaky suspicion about his feelings, but hearing it from his sister made him a little more certain, solidifying his doubts.

"Shijie."

"What is it?"

"I think I might love Lan Zhan..."

"You think? This whole conversation you have spoken only about him."

Wei Wuxian shook his head. "That's not true! It's because he's always such a fuddy duddy that I can't help but notice him…"

"A-Xian. So many people live in the Burial Mounds, yet all your attention is focused on him, no?"

"...Yes."

"You keep thinking about him and enjoy his company?"

"... Yes, but-"

"And how would you feel if he left the Burial Mounds and never came back?"

"Very sad, BUT-"

"What about if he marries someone?"

"HE CAN'T!"

Jiang Yanli smiled.

"You do love him."