Happy Monday Readers! This chapter has me all fired up to finish this story for all of you! I know it's been a really rough road lately but I promise better things are on the horizon. I've already started to think about the sequel to this story and how our two powerful cultivators will continue their adventure together. So please comment or vote and let me know if you want more. Thanks again for your unending support!
Song List:
Rise by Katy Perry
Speechless by Naomi Scott
Hold On Me by Ella Henderson
Jiang Cheng stood on the dock of Lotus Cove waiting for his brother to return. He could see his boat in the distance and the nervousness of seeing Wei Wuxian again started to show outwardly. It had been years since the two had last seen each other and Jiang Cheng knew that this was not going to be a happy reunion. Lan Xichen had warned him about what had happened with Lan Zhan missing, Wei Ying searching for him and coming back alone, and his brother's current state of mind. Jiang Cheng thought he knew what to expect when Wei Wuxian's boat grazed against the wood at the dock but his shock was difficult to hide when he laid eyes on his elder brother.
Wei Ying did not wear his infectious smile that always used to annoy Jiang Cheng and his body was hunched over as if he was too weak to hold his head up. His hair was tangled and his clothes were dirty. When Wei Ying looked up at him, Jiang Cheng saw a ghostly face with gaunt features and dark circles under clouded grey eyes. Those eyes that used to hold so much life in them now only harbored loneliness and grief. He had seen those eyes before. And it scared him.
"Welcome home, A-Xian." He said as he helped his brother off the boat. Jiang Cheng's heart flooded with concern when his hands grabbed Wei Wuxian's arm and he felt how thin Wei Ying had become, his weight that of a childs.
"What? Gusu food still doesn't agree with you? You're as thin as my bow!"
Jiang Cheng gave a strained smile but Wei Ying didn't even look at him. He just started walking towards the houses, as if his feet knew where to go even if his mind did not. Jiang Cheng moved next to him, his arm wrapping around his brother's bony waist, afraid that in this state, Wei Ying might fall and never get back up. He didn't know what to say or do. He was never very good at the emotional support part of being a brother. That had been Jiang Yanli's strength.
Wei Ying walked silently into his room and fell carelessly into his old bed without taking his boots off. He curled into a tight ball and stared at the wall, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Jiang Cheng was at a complete loss of how to comfort Wei Ying. He had never in his entire life seen Wei Wuxian like this.
He knew that his brother had been close to Lan Wangji but just how close were they? Something must have changed over the past few years that made Wei Wuxian inconsolable. It was as if Jiang Cheng was watching a wife grieve for her dead husband. What had happened to him? To them?
But now was not the time for questions. He lovingly removed Wei Ying's boots, covered him with a blanket, and left the room, slowly closing the door behind him.
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Wei Wuxian remained in his room for days. The staff brought him food and clean clothes on a regular basis. But at the end of every day, the food was barely touched and the clothes never taken. Jiang Cheng finally grew tired of waiting for Wei Wuxian to get himself together on his own and impatiently charged into his room on the seventh day.
"Wei Wuxian! It's time to get up! Stop being a child and pull yourself together! Would Lan Wangji want to see you like this? NO! Here!" he said throwing the clean clothes at his sulking brother. "Get dressed and meet me at the training grounds. We need to get your strength back!"
Wei Ying turned and stared at Jiang Cheng with a questioning look on his face.
"Well, how do you expect to find your partner in this condition?"
'Partner?' Did Wei Ying hear him correctly? He thought Jiang Cheng hated Lan Zhan.
"The longer you wait, the more of a chance you won't find him. Now get up!" Jiang Cheng's voice startled Wei Wuxian's thoughts and his hands shook Wei Ying's shoulders roughly before grabbing them, forcing him into a sitting position.
Wei Ying's eyes dropped to the floor as he whispered, "He's not coming back."
"What? How do you know that? Lan Xichen said he was just missing and you simply hadn't found him this trip."
Jiang tried to sound optimistic but he could tell there was something very wrong when Wei Ying looked up at him with tears flooding his eyes and his lips quivering.
"He's not coming back!" Wei Wuxian yelled. His grief echoed off the walls of his room and sent a chill to Jiang Cheng's core. He calmly sat down next to Wei Ying and put his arm around his shoulders.
"How do you know this, A-Xian? Please tell me. I want to help but I don't know how."
Wei Ying looked into his eyes as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. His heart felt heavy in his chest and his soul was broken. How could he tell Jiang Cheng what he had done? What he had sacrificed? To his surprise, he didn't have to tell him.
"You found him. Didn't you?" Jiang Cheng said plainly as he hugged his brother closer.
Wei Ying could only nod.
"Then why is Lan Wangji not here by your side? What happened that he would leave you?"
Wei Ying's breaths came in gulps as he answered, "He was happy."
"That's crazy!!!! How could he be happy without you?!" Jiang Cheng sprung off the bed and stared down at Wei Wuxian. "There's no way Wangji would have left you! NEVER!! Tell me EXACTLY what happened, A-Xian! Now!"
Wei Ying took a deep breath and began slowly. "He didn't leave me......I left him."
Jiang Cheng's jaw dropped in disbelief at what Wei Wuxian had just said. "Why?" was the only word he could form.
Wei Wuxian began weakly, "He lost his memory to whatever stole the other villager's minds. He didn't remember who he was. He didn't know who I was. I could see it in his eyes. My Lan Zhan was gone. He was a different man. One who smiled like someone whose heart was free."
Wei Ying remembered Wang Xian's face, how it lit up the world, and a small smile touched his lips. But it faded so quickly Jiang Cheng didn't even notice it.
"He was happy. I couldn't bring him back to my world of pain.......suffering........death......." his words trailed off into nothingness.
"And love! I can't believe you just left him! How could you? Are you insane?"
Wei Ying was shocked at his brother's accusations, a confused look covering his face. Was Jiang Cheng scolding him for what he had done? Why? Wei Ying had put Lan Zhan's happiness before his. Why was Jiang Cheng so upset with him?
Jiang Cheng could see the puzzled look on Wei Wuxian's face and he realized he needed to spell things out for him.
"You think you did such a good thing leaving Lan Wangji there to be happy and live a life of peace, don't you?" Wei Ying nodded slowly. "Well, you're so clueless I might have to break both your legs because you're so stupid!
Jiang Cheng started to pace around the small room in anger and frustration. If kindness wasn't helping Wei Wuxian, then maybe this would.
"If your places were switched, would you want Lan Wangji to leave you there? To suffer in this world alone, without you by his side? Would you want to live without him, even if you didn't remember him? Do you think HE would leave you there? Would he have given up on you that easily? UHHHH!!!"
Jiang Cheng's arms were flailing wildly above his head in exasperation. "I've seen the two of you together. One cannot live without the other! If Lan Zhan could see you now, would he be happy? Would he have wanted you to abandon him so he could live on in happiness while you fade away into nothingness?"
Wei Wuxian was silent. His eyes followed his brother around the room and as Jiang Cheng's words started to sink into his thick brain, Wei Ying became more and more angry with himself.
Jiang was right! He was so stupid! The fire in his eyes sparked once again and his heart began beating harder and faster in his chest. He stood up quickly to hug his brother but ended up falling into his arms as his weak legs gave out from under him.
"Woah there, brother!" Jiang Cheng said. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get my Lan Zhan back!" Wei Ying said proudly.
"Not in this condition you're not! You need to eat and get your strength back. If I know Lan Wangji, when he sees you in this condition, he'll stab me for starving you to death!" he said, laughing, but in the back of his mind realized that he had spoken the truth.
"You're right, A-Cheng." Wei Wuxian said kindly. "Thank you." His smile returned to his face and Jiang Cheng knew his brother was back and nothing would stop him from finding the one he loved.
Go Wei Ying!!!!! That's what I keep yelling in my head! Our boy is going to go get his man!! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please give a little click at the end or leave an honest comment. Thank you so much and have a great week!
"You have to be odd to be number one." Dr. Seuss