Wei Ying POV
Wei Ying had heard the jade's soft footsteps getting closer as he executed his clan's fighting forms. His body remembered more than his mind did. Muscles that were lean and lithe stretched, pulled, and flexed with each intricate move. He found familiarity with the various positions and his longing for home and his parents grew. But now there was another Wei Ying longed for. His sandalwood scent became stronger as his footsteps brought him closer.
Upon finishing his final move, Wei Ying spun like a whirlwind and caught his husband-to-be in his arms. Lan Zhan froze, his golden eyes a mix of want and confusion. Wei Ying smiled and gave him a tiny peck on the nose before releasing him to return to the clapping children.
"See? I told you. Anything can be a weapon." he boasted proudly, his smile so wide his silver eyes were nothing but crescents.
He bent down in front of the little girl and returned her fan to her with a bow. She giggled and went running back to her parents, followed closely behind by the young boys who had previously teased her. They were all begging to hold her fan but she held it close to her chest like a rare treasure.
When Wei Ying stood, Lan Zhan ensnared his wrist that had held the fan. His calloused fingers dug deeper into the protective leather as his eyes bore deeper in search of something. Wei Ying began to feel the pressure against his skin, uneasiness crawling across his skin like icy pins and needles.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Lan Zhan asked firmly.
Wei Ying tried to turn away, unable to face the intense scrutiny of those golden orbs that always seemed to make him forget who he was. But those fingers were like a steel shackle.
"I-I don't know. No one. I just....made it up." Wei Ying answered. "She looked really sad and I wanted to cheer her up. I don't like when kids are upset. They should be happy and free-spirited. They should be able to believe the impossible is possible."
He smiled softly, leaning in next to Lan Zhan's face, his lips just a breath away from the blushing pink ear.
"Aren't we the impossible made possible, Hanguang-jun?"
Wei Ying pulled back slowly, his sparkling silver eyes dancing as they dared the young jade to say otherwise. He felt Lan Zhan's grip loosen slightly and slipped free. Wei Ying started walking back towards the carriages hoping his response was enough to settle the jade's curiosity. If it was not, Wei Ying was already thinking up alternative excuses. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice a figure in purple standing in his path until he heard the crackle of electricity.
Wei Ying stopped, fear making it difficult to breathe. He tried to look up but his body refused to listen. When he failed to make eye contact, Madam Yu grabbed his chin, pinching his tender skin, and raised his head for him.
Her lavender eyes sent chills down his spine, his legs weakening as if she was draining him of his life force. Wei Ying could not fight the feeling of submissiveness washing over him and his self-loathing threatened to bring his breakfast out of his tightening stomach.
"I hope you had fun, Wei Wuxian." Madam Yu hissed quietly with a sneer. "I'll be expecting your presence in the study as soon as we return."
Wei Ying's eyes tinged with red, his jaw clenching under her bony fingers. She looked down and saw his fists hardening at his sides.
"You still think you can defy me?" she said, her expression softening into a sick grin. "I wonder how your fiance would feel if he knew that the exhibition you just performed was by none other than the famous Mo Xuanyu?"
Wei Ying's heart wilted. Madam Yu's hand released his face with a hard push. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lan Zhan striding towards them with hatred blazing in his eyes. He knew that dark emotion was not currently aimed at him but he feared that one day soon it would be.
"I'll be there within the hour after we arrive back at Lotus Cove." Wei Ying said blankly.
He walked confidently towards the fuming jade, knowing he needed to intercept and diffuse the situation before Madam Yu had yet another excuse to punish him. In the blink of an eye, Wei Ying's anger and fear took backstage to a bright smile and cheerful voice.
"Lan Zhan! Are there any more peaches? I'm still hungry and they were so good and juicy." Wei Ying giggled, remembering how the jade had watched him eat the last fuzzy-skinned fruit.
Unwilling to let Lan Zhan confront the Purple Spider and start something they would all regret, Wei Ying slipped his arm around the jade's and forcefully pulled him to their carriage. He never stopped talking and soon he had Lan Zhan looking at him instead of Madam Yu.
"Wei Ying.....fine?"
Wei Ying could hear the desperate concern in Lan Zhan's voice and was touched that the youngest jade was so worried about him.
"Yes, yes, I'm totally fine. I just really want to get back to my parents and check on my mother. My father also said he was going to do some investigating while we were gone and I want to know if he found anything that will clear your name."
Lan Zhan's eyes softened.
"What?" Wei Ying asked with a half smile.
"Wei Ying's father does not blame?" Lan Zhan wondered.
Wei Ying took Lan Zhan's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Of course not. None of us think you did it. Well, actually my baba believes me and I believe you."
Entering their carriage, Lan Zhan sat first with Wei Ying cuddling up next to him. Lan Xichen was not there yet to give any disapproving looks so the two took advantage of their alone time together. Wei Ying moved to kiss Lan Zhan's cheek but was caught off guard when the jade turned his head just in time for their lips to meet.
The kiss started out simple but quickly grew into something more intimate. Lips caressed lips, a gentle meeting, separation, and return. Wei Ying yearned for more, a warmth growing in the pit of his insides he did not want to ignore. His body turned towards Lan Zhan's as his arms slowly moved up the jade's arms to his neck. Their mouths danced silently to the rhythm of their beating hearts.
When Lan Zhan took charge of the kiss, Wei Ying surrendered to the jade's demanding need. Their tongues swirled, their breaths mingled, and their bodies drew even closer.
"Xiaoazhang." Lan Zhan whispered unexpectedly, breaking their connection.
Wei Ying tried to adjust himself and not look guilty for indulging. When he looked at Lan Zhan, his eyes focused on the single bead of sweat that slowly trickled down the side of the jade's sharp jawline. He wanted to lick it. If he was being honest with himself, he wanted to lick more than just that tiny drop of saltiness.
The dip of the carriage alerted Wei Ying to the older jade's presence.
"How did you know?" he whispered in Lan Zhan's ear. The pink blush that resulted made his insides dance.
"Will always protect Wei Ying." whispered His Jade.
"Are you two finished?" Lan Xichen grumbled as he sat down across from them.
Wei Ying blushed this time and hid his head in Lan Zhan's robes that smelled of sandalwood. He breathed deeply and relaxed against the firm body next to him. He tried to forget about what was waiting for him back in Lotus Cove. But to keep his secret and keep his Lan Zhan, he was willing to suffer any punishment Madam Yu had planned for him.
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"I'll meet you at dinner." Wei Ying told Lan Zhan.
He knew the Second Jade was unwilling to let him out of his sight. Lan Zhan had followed him around wherever Wei Ying went once they arrived in Lotus Cove. He had even tried to accompany him to the bathroom! There had to be a way for Wei Ying to put the jade's mind at ease long enough for him to meet with Madam Yu and receive his punishment.
"Lan Zhan! Do you know how much I lovvve lotus seeds?" Wei Ying purred into his finance's ear. "Would you pick some pods with Jiang Yanli for dinner? I'll give you as many kisses as you want afterwards."
Wei Ying noticed the flicker of uneasiness in those eyes that set him on fire and hated himself for what he was doing.
"Just tell her 'lotus seeds for Wei Ying' and she'll know exactly what you mean. I promise. Please?"
Lan Zhan stared at him. "What is Wei Ying going to do?"
Wei Ying giggled and looked at Lan Zhan with his silver eyes peeking out from under his thick lashes. "I'm going to see my mama and explain to my baba what's happening and why. If you like, I'll take you to them after we eat. Okay?"
Lan Zhan nodded. Wei Ying turned the jade with his hands in the direction of the kitchen where he knew his shijie would be making his favorite soup.
"Now go!" he chirped and gently pushed Lan Zhan. "Pick your husband-to-be the best lotus seeds he's ever eaten!"
Wei Ying gave Lan Zhan his biggest and brightest smile, ensuring the young jade that everything would be fine. Because it had to be. No matter what happened in the next hour, Wei Ying would make sure that Lan Zhan believed that he was safe and unharmed.
Unlike before, Wei Ying's steps towards Madam Yu's study were hurried. He needed to get this over with so he could get back to Lan Zhan. He even forgot to announce his arrival and walked straight into the spider's web, bowing before the powerful female cultivator.
"Mannerless oaf." she growled.
"My apologies, madam." Wei Ying answered hastily.
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
Madam Yu circled around him. Zidian was already sparking and slithering on the floor, sending shivers down Wei Ying's back.
"Do you enjoy your punishments?"
"N-n-no madam, I do not." he answered, falling into a kowtow.
"You must have been proud of yourself for turning everyone against me. Even my own son. Were you proud of yourself, Wei Wuxian?"
"No. That was never my intention. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise."
"I think you knew exactly what you were doing. You think you're smarter than everyone else, than me. I deserve your respect, not your childish ridicule."
"Yes, madam." Wei Ying replied, still kowtowing.
"And now you're engaged to the Second Jade of Lan? Your clan's centuries old enemy? I gave you the perfect chance to destroy him and instead you're going to take him as your husband? I knew you were many things but I never expected you to be a cut-sleeve!"
He could hear the disgust in her voice. A voice which had constantly tried to belittle him every time he visited Lotus Cove. Madam Yu never held back with her insults about him. At first, he never said anything. Why would he? He was just a small boy when he first started visiting Lotus Cove and brushed them off with a smile.
But that smile only made things worse. Words turned into whips. Madam Yu's hatred towards the Wei Clan's heir became a dark veil, light enough that no one took it seriously but heavy enough to cleverly disguise what was being done behind closed doors. Her threats towards Wei Ying's family and clan, against his shixiong and shijie, forced Wei Ying to endure her anger and hide his pain under a cloak of silence.
"What are your parents going to think?" she asked, her words meant to manipulate his feelings, to regain control.
But Wei Ying remained silent. He had learned many years ago that if he defended himself, his punishment would only worsen. And this was not the time for that.
"Ever since you set foot in my sect you have tried to undermine me, to make me look like an idiot. To make my son look like a fool and turn my own daughter against me! I suppose threatening your shixiong and shijie wasn't enough to tame you, was it? I hate it when people think they can take advantage of me because I'm a woman."
Wei Ying felt her intensifying anger, the glow of Zidian now blinding to look at.
"On top of everything else you did to anger me on this trip, now you've made it even more difficult for me to punish you, haven't you, you little shit?"
"My apologies, madam."
Madam Yu stopped her pacing behind him, only the sizzle of Zidian letting Wei Ying know where she was.
"Remove your upper robes." she ordered cunningly.
Without a hint of hesitation, Wei Ying did as he was asked to. He quickly undid his robes and slid them over his shoulders, his bare skin glistening with sweat that wreaked with fear. Whatever price she asked him to pay, he would always agree to it in order to protect those he loved. No price was ever too high to keep peace between their clans. And now, to keep his Lan Zhan by his side.
Madam Yu grabbed his ponytail and tugged his head back so hard he saw stars. She kept pulling until his legs unfolded out from under him. Her fingers were ensnared in his thick hair as she dragged him on his back a few feet across the bare wooden floor. His eyes widened when he saw Zidian waving in the air around him. And then....the spiritual whip returned to its serpent bracelet form which she slid off her wrist. She spun it slowly in her hand, admiring the craftsmanship of her weapon.
"You think you can get Hanguang-jun to love you? I saw the way you looked at him. You're nothing but a snake who slowly squeezes the life out of people. And now you will be reminded of that every day."
Zidian's bracelet blazed bright purple, its flare hot and deadly. Madam Yu brought it down onto Wei Ying's chest over his heart and burned it into his skin. The smell of burning flesh suffused the air around them.
Wei Ying denied her his screams as he lay on the floor. His body shook violently from the scorching pain, his mind searching for something to hold onto. For someone to save him.
Lan Zhan.
My Lan Zhan.
When Madam Yu removed Zidian, a blistering red brand in the shape of Zidian's snake adorned Wei Ying's now paling skin.