After Meng Yao was guided away, Jin ZiXuan moved on to the second order of business, "Then, as everyone is already here, I will state this now. As sect leader of the Jin sect, I deem all allegations against Wei WuXian and the Wen Remnants dropped, and their names innocent,"
"The Jiang Sect agrees,"
"As do the Lan,"
"And Nie," Nie MingJue's voice is what pauses any protest, "We have all seen first hand the settlement. There's no cultivator, everyone is innocent,"
Wei WuXian and Wen Qing are frozen in shock. Jiang Cheng announces, "They will be brought to Yunmeng as A-Xian is my right hand and older brother,"
Lan WangJi takes Wei WuXian's hand softly, "Not only that, but everyone in the cultivation world owes Wei Ying their life and favor. Without him, we would all be under Wen Ruohan's tyranny and lost the war. Not to mention how the cultivation world uses his inventions greedily, yet never gives him the appropriate credit,"
Wei WuXian is speechless. He stares at Lan WangJi, eyes wide. Silence follows, despite the shameful expressions and lowered heads. Jin ZiXuan ends the meeting and everyone is quick to leave. Madam Jin takes Jin ZiXun out so he won't cause trouble, giving a nod to her son as she left. Soon the hall was empty except for the young group of gentry.
Jin ZiXuan and Jiang Yanli rise to their feet, the group standing in a circle in the middle of the hall. There was a comfortable silence around them, all their minds going over the last couple weeks. Wei WuXian breaks it first, smiling and placing a gentle hand on Wen Qing's shoulder, "Well, it was a pleasure to see you all again,"
Frowns blossom at once. Nie MingJue asks, "Why are you saying it like that?"
"Lan Zhan is okay, everything is okay. I've done what I needed," Wei WuXian smiled and then glanced at Wen Qing who nodded to him, "We should head back home- to YiLing,"
"What are you talking about?" Jiang Cheng scowled, "Were you not paying attention? You're free, you're all free. You don't have to live behind the Burial Mounds. You can come home, the Wens can all come to Yunmeng with us,"
He speaks a little softer, "We're the Twin Prides of Yunmeng, after all..."
Wei WuXian winced, "A-Cheng, I can't be by your side, you know this. Not without a golden core,"
Jiang Cheng's face sours at the reminder. Nie Huaisang looks at Wei WuXian, "When did it even happen? If you got caught back then by Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu melted your core, Wen Chao would have bragged the same way he bragged about throwing you into the Burial Mounds," Nie Huaisang shook his head, "Damn it, Wei-Xiong. How did you manage to convince us he hadn't,"
Wei WuXian didn't say anything, shifting awkwardly. He glances at Wen Qing, who is glaring sharply at the younger. She's telling him silently to tell the truth, to explain what happened. Wei WuXian turned away and gave a harmless smile, "Its in the past, who cares?"
Jiang Cheng snapped at the sentence, his brother's lack of self-preservation always ticking him off, "How could you not tell me such a thing?! For so many fucking years!!!"
"If I had told you, if I had told anyone, I wouldn't have been able to fight," Wei WuXian defended.
Lan Xichen frowns deeply, "For good reason. A-Ying, you shouldn't have been fighting at all,"
Wei WuXian feels a familiar anger and defense rise in him. Not fight? Not fight just because he could die? Wei WuXian hadn't been conditioned that way. He had to be a service. If he could not fight or protect those he loved, he was useless! What other point did his life have?!
"I survived years without a core, I suffered through the Burial Mounds without a core, I won that war without a godamn core!" Wei WuXian exclaimed, "I don't need a core anymore! And I don't want it back!"
Jin ZiXuan furrowed his eyebrows, "...want it back?"
Wei WuXian freezes, expression suddenly paling.
"Why are you saying it as if its an object you gave away?" Nie Huaisang blinked.
Wei WuXian opened his mouth to fix it, but it was too late. The moment Nie Huaisang had spoke, Jiang Cheng goes pale, releasing a sharp gasp. All eyes snap towards the young sect leader, Jiang Yanli calling worriedly, "A-Cheng?"
Wei WuXian went stiff, staring at Jiang Cheng with wide eyes, the male shaking slightly as he reaches up towards his dantain. Jiang Cheng knew he had a scar there, a perfect scar that he doesn't quite remember how it got there. It's very faint, but its there. Jiang Cheng had known it was there.
"No...no, no, no," Jiang Cheng shakes his head, "Please tell me I'm wrong, you didn't..."
"Jiang Cheng..." Wei WuXian begins but his words fail him.
"Sect Leader Jiang?" Lan WangJi asked slowly.
"When Lotus Pier fell," Jiang Cheng swallowed, "When A-Xian and I were running, I had gotten caught by Wen Chao. I lost my core, melted by Wen Zhuliu,"
Multiple faces of shock lit up.
"But- you have a core?" Lan Xichen said breathlessly.
"Because A-Xian found me. He told me...he told me that he took me to Baoshan Sanren to fix my core," Jiang Cheng's voice is shaking as Wei WuXian begins to wilt as everyone begins to slot the pieces together, faces slowly losing color as they look towards Wei WuXian, "We were with Lady Wen and her brother, they had sheltered us. I got knocked out after a while of climbing the mountain, I had been blindfolded. When I woke up, there was a golden core in my dantain. B-but A-Xian was gone. He wasn't in town and I couldn't find him anywhere,"
"A-Xian..." Jiang Yanli whimpered.
Wen Qing snaps and she inhales sharply, turning to face Jiang Cheng directly, "Breathe," she pauses before saying firmly, "It can't be undone,"
"WEN QING!!!" Wei WuXian screams as the doctor all but confirms the assumption.
Wei WuXian had given his core away. And it was revolving in Jiang Cheng's chest.
Jiang Cheng lets out a choked sob, before feeling sick. Sick of the feeling of spiritual energy. He can't- it shouldn't be there! It's not his! He doesn't want it! Jiang Cheng's breathing goes erratic and he crumbles to the ground as his body suddenly tries ot reject the spiritual energy, upsetting the flow . Jiang Cheng falls to the ground and Jiang Yanli screams, Wen Qing running forward to assist the minor qi deviation she was expecting.
Jin ZiXuan yells for doctors as the group steps back to give Wen Qing space to work. Lan Xichen had already pulled out his xiao and begin to play Song of Clarity, the notes drifting around the room. Nie MingJue watched over the doctor's shoulder, inputting now and then about his knowledge in qi deviation despite Wen Qing not needing it. Wei WuXian is all but frozen in place, staring at his pale and unconscious brother with a heavy heart.
He suddenly moves, turning around and running. His movement catches the attention of others, Lan WangJi yelling after him, "Wei Ying!"
Wei WuXian doesn't stop, just running out of the hall. Lan WangJi doesn't look back to tell anyone anything, only chasing after him. Wei WuXian swerves through the halls hearing the rushing footsteps behind him and the calls of his name. He screams over his shoulder, "Leave me alone!"
"Wei Ying!"
"Get lost!"
The thing is, Lan WangJi was faster than him, especially with the assistance of his golden core. They reached the back of Koi Tower and a familiar garden, Wei WuXian going to escape through one of the back entrances, only to yelp as Lan WangJi grabbed his wrist, forcing him to stop.
Wei WuXian struggles, "Let go! Let go! Let go!"
"Wei Ying-"
"Get lost! Get lost!" Wei WuXian begs, tears brimming his eyes, "I have to leave- I have to-"
Lan WangJi pulls the other in, halting the words by capturing Wei WuXian's lips with his own. Wei WuXian lets out a small gasp, before closing his eyes and returning it. His struggles stop and he grips the lapels of the white robes tightly as Lan WangJi holds him close by the waist and releasing his wrist.
They part softly and Wei WuXian lets out a choked sob, pressing himself into the older man, shoulders shaking as he whimpers into Lan WangJi's shoulder. Lan WangJi only holds him tighter, placing a loving kiss to the younger's temple, "I am here,"
Wei WuXian grips tighter, shaking his head as his whimpers become sobs. Lan WangJi speaks with a tender tone, "Are you worried about Sect Leader Jiang?"
Wei WuXian confesses, "He wasn't supposed to know...n-no one was supposed to know,"
"Wei Ying," Lan WangJi frowned, but he stays silent as Wei WuXian lets out a broken sob.
And he's suddenly talking. The demonic cultivator is spilling everything of the procedure, of what he had done. He explained how he found the surgery, explained how Wen Qing had been so against it, explained how he had convinced her. He told Lan WangJi about the conditions, how he had to be willing and completely awake for two days. He tells him how he knew Jiang Cheng would never forgive him, how Jiang Cheng would hate Wei WuXian for doing such a thing. Lan WangJi has his own tears falling, his grip on the younger so tight that it will surely bruise.
"What were the chances?" Lan WangJi asked, voice choked by his tears.
"...50 percent,"
Lan WangJi let out a strangled sob and Wei WuXian pulls back, glancing up to see the effect his words had. His face falls, "Lan Zhan, oh Lan Zhan, I didn't mean to make you cry, I'm sorry. I'm-"
"Stop, please," Lan WangJi cuts him off, "Stop apologizing..."
Wei WuXian obeys, lips pressing together but his eyes are shining in worry. Lan WangJi looks at the man he loves with all his heart. He takes in a small breath, moving one hand up to cup the younger's face, "I love you..."
Wei WuXian's eyes widen a fraction, before softening. He smiles, "I love you too,"
Lan WangJi speaks softly, "I missed you. These three months, I wondered how to tell you. Of what to tell you. I worried of A-Yuan as well, wondering what you would have told him when I had not visited...I was very scared of what assumption you would make,"
"I made a few," Wei WuXian whispered, "One's that hurt a little,"
"They are not true," Lan WangJi said simply.
"...are they not?" Wei WuXian asks carefully, "What are we Lan Zhan? We've stolen secret moments for two years ever since we kissed in this garden at A-Ling's full month festival. I have let you see me, all of me, see my home and buy me gifts. You have such a control over me that sometimes its scary. But I trust you with my life and I would do anything you ask of me. Lan Zhan, if I were to ever lose control, if I were a threat, or if the sects had really willed themselves to face me...dying by your sword would have been worth it,"
"Wei Ying..."
"No, no, let me speak," Wei WuXian shakes his head, "Lan Zhan, I like you. I really like you, you're great. I love you, I want you, I favor you, I whatever you. I want to be with you, it cannot be anyone but you. I am not saying all of this out of gratitude, I never have. All these nights, all these visits, all our moments, I have cherished them and I have faded into believing that this is real and that one day, I can truly be yours and show everyone the man I wish to one day call my husband..."
"Yes," Lan WangJi exhaled, "Yes. Wei Ying..."
Wei WuXian lets out a tear, "I never told you about my core because I never wanted you to carry the burden of it. I never wanted you to look back at all our misunderstandings and miscommunications and realize the effect they would have had on me. I never wanted to tell you because then I'd have to face the truth that our time is limited,"
Lan WangJi inhaled sharply, "No,"
"Yes, Lan Zhan. Yes, it is," Wei WuXian pressed their foreheads together, "I have no golden core, I will age. I will wrinkle, I will grow old. I will die young, the effect of war and the price of this cultivation path tax me every moment I am alive. My son, our beautiful son, if I can watch him grow, then that is enough. If I can be happy with you, that is enough of a life. I will be content, even if I wish I could be here forever,"
"We can find a way," Lan WangJi refuses, "You have your meridians, there must be a way..."
Wei WuXian laughed sadly, "Don't say those things. If its from your mouth, I'll believe it..."
"Wei Ying..."
"Lan Zhan," Wei WuXian smiled brightly at him, despite the tears, "Stay by my side, okay?"
Lan WangJi stared at him, a pain in his heart at the truth and weight of the words. He took hold of Wei WuXian's hands, pulling back the black sleeve to reveal the forehead ribbon the jade had refused to take back. He placed a kiss to the fabric and then a kiss to the ring Wei WuXian wore, the same one that matched his own. Wei WuXian's was black and blue, Lan WangJi's was white and red. He then moved to place a deep kiss on the demonic cultivator's lips, mumbling against them, "Always...I will always be by your side, my love,"
They stared there, in each other's embrace and sharing gentle kisses. They talked, talked about many things, the past three months. The experiences they each had faced. Wei WuXian told Lan WangJi of their son, of how the visit had gone when the other nobles had realized. Lan WangJi smiled amused when he heard of how Wei WuXian lied to them about when they had last met and the reaction of everyone when A-Yuan had referred to Lan WangJi as 'Baba'.
After a few hours of just spending time together, Wei WuXian muttered, "Lan Zhan...I want to check on shidi,"
"Mn," Lan WangJi hummed, interlacing their fingers together.
Wei WuXian smiled softly, the two sharing a quick peck, before walking out of the garden. As they headed towards the compex, Wei WuXian turned his head to the side where three familiar ghosts appeared beside him. Lan WangJi glanced at them as well, bowing his head in greeting.
"Nice to see you three again," Lan WangJi said.
"Nice to see you and Xiao Wei finally sementing your relationship," Zeng Minsheng responded.
Wei WuXian glared, "Drop it. What do you want?"
"Jiang Wanyin is awake," Ren MingXia informed.
Wei WuXian froze beside Lan WangJi, "Oh,"
"This way," Bai Chunhua flew in one direction.
Lan WangJi followed, pulling Wei WuXian with him. The journey seemed to go by far too quickly for Wei WuXian, as soon they were standing in front of a door, the ghosts once again hiding themselves. Wei WuXian stared ahead, blankly for a moment, before glancing up.
Lan WangJi looked at him softly, leaning down to kiss him, "I am here,"
Wei WuXian smiled, nodding slowly. He reached forward and slid the door open, his other hand squeezing Lan WangJi's. When the door opened, every head in the room turned to face them. Once it was registered who exactly stood, all the eyes shifted to Wei WuXian. Wei WuXian swallowed, glancing towards the bed to find Jiang Cheng glaring at him with rage and pain marking his face.
Wei WuXian sucked in a breath and hesitantly stepped towards him. His hand slipped from Lan WangJi's and returned limply to his side as Wei WuXian pushed himself forward and walking to stand in front of his shidi. He then hangs his head, waiting for the anger, the yelling, even a punch.
He receives nothing as Jiang Cheng just stares at him.
"Why don't the rest of us leave? This is a family matter," Lan Xichen suggests softly.
"Good idea," Jin ZiXuan nodded, giving Jiang Yanli a small squeeze on the shoulder, "I'll go to A-Ling,"
Jiang Yanli just nods, her eyes trained on her brothers. Lan WangJi glances worriedly at Wei WuXian, "Wei Ying?"
"I'll be okay," Wei WuXian said, voice small, yet his head never raised, "Qing-Jie will be here,"
Wen Qing blinks softly, before looking at Lan WangJi and giving a nod, "You have some conversations to have with your own siblings anyway, WangJi,"
Lan WangJi glanced at Lan Xichen, before nodding. The group files out of the room, Nie Huaisang closing the door behind them. Left behind in the room is Wei WuXian, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, and Wen Qing. The four of them stay silent for a minute longer, until Jiang Cheng finally opens his mouth, voice coming tight with controlled anger, "How could you..."
Wei WuXian hung his head further.
Jiang Cheng's voice turned more hurt, "Why would you not give me a choice? Why would do such a thing?"
He glares and laughs darkly, "Do you really think so little of me that I would let you? That I want your core in my fucking chest?!"
"No," Wei WuXian shakes his head, "I knew you would never let me. It was why I did it in secret,"
"Why did you do it at all?!" Jiang Cheng screamed.
"I promised the Madam and Sect Leader," Wei WuXian speaks with a tone that is so careful, so emotionless. The tone that belongs to a servant, "I owed the YunmengJiang Sect my core, my sword, my cultivation. You were the future of the Sect. The person I was to serve for the rest of my life. Your protection, Shijie's protection, was my responsibility..."
Wei WuXian lets out a pained smile, "But above it all, you are my shidi. As your older brother, your shixiong, I would have done it alone. Your life was always more important to me,"
Jiang Cheng looked more furious than before, screaming, "You're so fucking reckless!!!! Why can't you understand that you are not replaceable! That you are not expandable!!! Why don't you realize how much you mean to us!?"
"A-Cheng...now and then are different," Wei WuXian looked up, a tired gaze in his eyes.
"Lotus Pier wasn't your fault!!!!" Jiang Cheng screams, "Mother was wrong!! I was wrong!! I didn't mean it and I so sorry if you think I did! I was angry- I was hurt- I was grieving- but I knew! I knew it was not your fault! Mother shouldn't have asked you to protect me like that! Father shouldn't have told you to protect A-Jie and I as if it was a final order! I don't know why he did when he should've told us to protect each other!!"
"Your parents loved you, Jiang Cheng," Wei WuXian shook his head, "Your father always loved you. I was never a son, hardly a nephew,"
"A-Xian-"
"No, shijie, it's true. I know everyone saw it as something else. As favortism. It was hardly that. Uncle never saw me as a son or nephew, he cared for me, I know he did somewhere. But I know he also saw me as a reminder of his friends, as a memoir of grief," Wei WuXian looked at Wen Qing, who had a small glitter of support and pride in her eyes as Wei WuXian actually addressed his emotions.
"Our parents did awful things, taking their miscommunication with each other on us! We didn't deserve it, WuXian. YOU didn't deserve it!!!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed, "Mother tried to make me hate you, but I couldn't! I never could truly hate you WuXian! Why the fuck do you think I lost my core?! Because I saw the Wen troops! They were sneaking up behind you! I had just lost my home, my parents, I was not ready to lose my older brother too!!!!"
Wei WuXian snapped his head up with a horrified face, "...what,"
Wen Qing's eyes had blown wide from the confession, while Jiang Yanli went still. Jiang Cheng looked defeated, a few tears passing by his eyes, "I distracted the guards, A-Xian. I didn't want them to get you. I could not let them get you..."
"You..." Wei WuXian's body trembled.
But before the guilt could be expressed through words, a frustrated scream tore through the room, "YOU BOTH ARE ABSOLUTE IDIOTS!!!!"
Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng turned their heads to Jiang Yanli, who looked more furious than either of them had ever seen before. They were frozen in place as they stared at her, her yells seemed to physically beat them down, "You two love each other so much so why the fuck can you not express it properly?!!?! Why can't you just communicate with each other instead of doing shit like this?!!?!"
A silence falls her outburst, every person in the room unsure of how to respond to Jiang Yanli cursing her brother's stupidity without mercy. Jiang Yanli panted as she came down from her anger, glaring darkly at her brothers, who felt genuine fear in their hearts. Wen Qing huffed amused, speaking up, "A-Ying, I told them everything. How it worked, the chances, everything,"
Wei WuXian glares at her in betrayal, but Wen Qing calmly ignores it and continues, "They brought up points, you know. How it might not be impossible for you to cultivate a new core. You still have your meridians, though clogged with resentment. With the right amount of cleansing and determination, it isn't impossible for you to form a new core,"
Wei WuXian is hit with the reminder of Lan WangJi's earlier words. He looks away, "Its impossible,"
"You've done the impossible before," Jiang Cheng speaks firmly, "I think you're just afraid to hope and fail. A chance is a chance, isn't that what you told Lady Wen when she told you the success rate of the surgery was 50%?"
Wei WuXian grimaced, "I'm in my twenties...far past the age to form a good core,"
"Dual cultivation will be an effective catalyst," Wen Qing deadpans.
Wei WuXian turns red with shame, while Jiang Cheng looks shocked, "What?!"
Jiang Yanli giggles softly, "I had known since I caught you two in the garden last time,"
Wei WuXian let out a strangled screech, "You saw?!"
Jiang Cheng looks confused before catching sight of the white ribbon and ring. A dry expression crosses over his face, "Ah, it's Hanguang Jun, isn't it?"
Wei WuXian's sister's give matching hums of amusement. Jiang Cheng sighed and then rolled his eyes, "Alright, I'll draft an engagement letter,"
Wei WuXian is mortified.
"WHAT!?!"