While we are going towards cloud recesses, I saw a familiar silhouette who was following us. Dressed in black and his hair lend down. From that roar I realised it was Wen Ning. He helped us to clear our path.
After a while we reached cloud recesses. Carrying him on my arms I went inside. Meanwhile brother already arrived at cloud recesses. "Quick Wangji, bring him into the Hanshi. Let's get a doctor as soon as possible."
I asked, "the Hanshi? But Xiong Zhang it's your room."
Brother replied, "that's why I said. Let's treat his injuries. Before the truth is being revealed I will not reveal his information. And I know that you need him the most."
I thanked brother for his help to keep him safe. Wei Ying was in the state of coma because of that stab. I transferred some of my spiritual energy to him. Soon the doctor arrived and told that wound on his stomach is not that serious. I felt relieved. I washed his wounds and clean them. The doctor treated his wounds and I bandaged them. I lend him one of my undershirts. He didn't wake up. "How long it will take for him to wake up?" I asked.
Brother replied, "atleast 3 to 4 days, I suppose. Wangji, come eat something, he is going to be fine. After all we have a high level medicines in our lan sect which also healed the whip scars on your back years ago, right?"
I refused, "but Xiong Zhang,...." I paused.
Brother understood my concern. So he said, "alright I'll bring the food here. Hm?"
I nodded. I couldn't leave by his side. At night, since my brother's Hanshi has two compartments my brother slept on the other side of the compartment while I stay close to Wei Ying. During his coma he mumbled in his sleep. "I'm sorry, I was wrong." I stroked his head. I whispered. "Don't worry. I'm here." After a while I saw a tear fell from his eyes. He must be having nightmares. Again I could hear him mumbling, "I'm sorry, please forgive me. Jiang shu shu, yu furen, shijie, Jin Zixuan, Jin Ling Jiang Cheng, Wen Ning, Wen Qing." I wiped his tears. He keep on tearing up. I felt sad. I transferred my spiritual energy. I couldn't see him in pain. I leaned closer towards him. My eyes were wet. "Wei Ying, please wake up. I need you." I kiss those tears from eyes. "Please don't leave me ever again." I mumbled. I leaned again to kiss his lips. Suddenly I felt someone's coming I straightened my back and get up. It was brother.
"How is he?" Brother asked.
I give a light nod. He understood.
For three days he was like this. Mumbling in his sleep and I comforted him.
On the fourth day however, while he was sleeping he murmured, "Lan Zhan."
He reached out and grabbed one of my sleeves. I had always been beside him. I immediately bent down and whispered, "I am here."
Wei Ying hadn't woken up yet. His eyes were still tightly shut, yet his hand didn't let go either. He seemed to be dreaming, muttering, "... Don't... Don't be angry..."
I was surprised. I spoke gently, "I am not angry."
Wei Ying let out an "oh".
Hearing this, as though he finally felt assured, his fingers loosened.
I sat beside Wei Ying for a while. Seeing that he was motionless again, I was about to stand up when Wei Ying grabbed me with his other hand, hugging my arm and refusing to let go. He shouted, "I'll go with you, quick, take me back to your sect!"
What did you say? I widened my eyes. You want to stay with me?
After he shouted, Wei Ying seemed to have shouted himself awake. His long lashes trembled before he slowly opened his eyes. After his sight finally went from blurred to clear, he suddenly realised that both of his hands were wrapped around mine as though he was grasping a straw, clutching a floating piece of wood within water.
He immediately let go, almost wanting to roll away. His movement was so large that it hurt the wound at his stomach. He exclaimed an 'ah' as he scrunched his brows, finally remembering that he was still injured. Perhaps he is too shy just like me.
I held him down, "The wound at your stomach?" Don't force yourself like that. You know how much I'm scared for you.
Wei Ying spoke, "The wound? It's fine, it doesn't hurt..."
After I settled him down, I lifted his clothes. Wei Ying's stomach had been bandaged properly already. After the bandages had been peeled away, I could see that the wound had healed. On his legs, the curse mark had disappeared as well. Thank heavens that stab was not serious as the doctor said.
Wei Ying asked, "How long have I been resting for?"
Only having ensured that his injuries were indeed fine did I finally let him go, "Four days."
Four days, it was really sleepless nights for me. I was really worried about you.
Jin Ling's sword stabbed right through. The wound hadn't been shallow at all. How it healed within four days without even leaving a scar behind meant that high level medicine of our GusuLan Sect had to have been necessary. He assumed. Wei Ying thanked me, mocking himself along the way, "I've reincarnated but somehow I've become even weaker. I couldn't keep going after just a single stab." Wei Ying, don't thank me. I'm not doing this for gratitude. I'm doing this because I love you. I felt really sad everytime he said thank you. In the past because of those thank yous' we always distanced ourselves and our next interactions would become worse. Each time saying thank you he distanced himself from me, while I tried to get closer to him.
I said, "Nobody would be able to keep going after a stab through the body."
Wei Ying said, "That's not true. If I was in the body from my past life, even if half of my intestines were dangling out, I'd be able to stick them back in and continue fighting."
Stop talking nonsense. You know yourself that you are pretending to be strong but at the same time you are vulnerable as well.
Seeing that right after he woke up he began to speak nonsense again, I shook my head and turned away. Wei Ying thought that he was going to leave. He hurried, "Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! Don't go. I was talking nonsense, my fault, but don't ignore me."
I asked, "Even you are scared of others ignoring you?
Wei Ying said, "I am, I am. I hadn't experienced the feeling of having somebody at my side when I had gotten hurt and woke up for a long time."
Don't worry. I'm not leaving from your side ever again. You always have me. I sighed. I have to give him back his sword.
Two swords were worn at my waist. My Bichen and his Suibian. I took off Suibian and passed it to him, "Your sword."
Seeing the sword, Wei Ying first hesitated. He quickly replied, "Thank you." it's your sword. Why does he hesitate each time he saw his sword? I thought.
Holding the hilt, he slowly pulled it out. A pair of eyes were reflected against the snow-white blade. Wei Ying stared at the pair of eyes for a while before he put Suibian back into its sheath again, "It really did seal itself?"
I grabbed the hilt of Suibian as well. I pulled out, but it didn't move at all. I felt sad. I couldn't unsheathe it. It is a spiritual sword. But I heard that if a person's loved one touched his spiritual tool then the spirit recognises that person's loved one. I felt disappointed while I tried to unsheathe his sword. I thought I could do it. It seems that he didn't understand what I feel about him. He patted the body of the sword and was thinking about something.
He looked around. Hanshi was a clean room. The light was dim, with only a paper lantern at one corner. Wei Ying asked, "Where is this?"
I said, "The Cloud Recesses."
Wei Ying became worried, "You took me back to the Cloud Recesses? What if your brother finds out?"
He already knows. It was he who let you sleep in his room. Outside I could hear my brother spoke in a loud voice, "I have found out already."
He suddenly recalled something and asked, "Where's ChiFeng-Zun's body?"
Brother replied, "The many sect's have already seen with their own eyes da ge's body. It is being kept by HuaiSang as of the moment. I have sent those I trust to watch over it as well."
Wei Ying felt, to an extent, relieved. He asked again, "Jin GuangYao's reaction?"
I said, "Flawless."
I didn't left Wei Ying for four days. But brother told me about what happened after we escaped. Brother find Jin Guangyao's reaction suspicious but he still not willing to accept it. He still trusts Jin Guangyao.
However, brother spoke slowly, "He said that he would definitely get to the bottom of the matter and give everyone an explanation. Now that Wei Gongzi is awake, then, WangJi, is it not time for you to give me an explanation as well?"
I stood up, "Xiong Zhang."
Brother let out a long sigh, "WangJi, what do you want me to say to you?"
I said, "Xiong zhang, ChiFen-Zun's head is indeed in Jin GuangYao's hands."
Brother asked, "You saw with your own eyes?"
I replied, "He saw with his own eyes."
Brother asked, "You believe in him?"
I said, "I do."
He won't lie. I answered without any hesitation. Wei Ying felt his chest warm up. He stroked and let out a sigh. Brother continued, "What about Jin GuangYao?"
I replied, "Not to be believed."
Brother chuckled, "WangJi, then how do you judge whether someone should be believed or not?"
He looked at Wei Ying, "You trust Wei Gongzi, while I trust Jin GuangYao. The fact that da ge's head is in his hands, neither of us have seen it with our own eyes. We only believe in what another person says based on how much we know about them."
"You think that you know about Wei WuXian, so you trust him; I think that I know about Jin GuangYao, so I trust him as well. You believe in your judgement, then am I not allowed to believe in my judgement?"
Wei Ying became worried. I couldn't argue anymore. My brother trusts him so deeply. Wei Ying called, "Sect Leader Lan!"
Brother nodded, "Wei Gongzi, no need to worry. Before the truth is entirely revealed, I will not be partial to either side or reveal your whereabouts. Or else, I would not have allowed WangJi to take you to my Hanshi or helped with your injuries."
Wei Ying spoke, "Sect Leader Lan, I'm grateful that you gave me this opportunity. The fact that ChiFeng-Zun's head is inside of Jin GuangYao's secret chamber is nothing but true. Not only have I seen it, I've seen some other things due to having been affected by its energy of resentment. Maybe this could offer some proof?"
Brother replied calmly, "Wei Gongzi, perhaps you have seen some things indeed. However, you cannot prove that you saw those things within the secret chamber of Jinlintai."
Wei Ying spoke, "Hm. That's true. Then how about something else? The direct cause of ChiFeng-Zun's death was a qi deviation, but, Sect Leader Lan, don't you think that the timing is a bit too much of a coincidence? The doings of the sword spirit might be one of the reasons, but have you ever thought that there might be another cause to it?"
Brother asked, "What do you think the cause is?"
Huh? How is that possible? Back then my brother taught himself that song to Jin Guangyao. It was indeed very difficult to learn. It even took me a lot of hardwork to learn that music. But I was a fast learner. I indulge myself into my studies when I was a junior.
Brother said, "Wei Gongzi, did you know that his Song of Clarity had been taught by me personally?"
Wei Ying asked, "Then, Sect Leader Lan, could you please listen if there's anything strange with the song?"
His flute was right by the bed. Wei Ying held it up and began to play after a few moments of thought. After the song was finished, he spoke, "Sect Leader Lan, this song really is the one you taught Jin GuangYao?"
I felt that music strange. Some of the notes are wrong. Did he played it wrong? I thought.
Brother agreed, "It is."
Wei Ying was somewhat surprised, but he kept his composure, "What is the name of the song?"
Brother replied, "The song is named Cleansing. It is capable of clearing the heart and steadying the mind."
I said, "The song is obscure. It is difficult as well."
Brother agreed to my comment, "Precisely."
Wei Ying asked, "Did Jin GuangYao choose this piece himself?"
Brother responded, "That is correct."
Wei Ying asked, "Is it really that difficult? Then why did Jin GuangYao choose this piece instead of something easier?"
Brother spoke, "Because I have told him that although Cleansing is difficult to master, its effects are excellent. The song is indeed difficult. Wei Gongzi, you played one of its sections wrong as well, did you not?"
Hearing this, Wei Ying felt something click inside of him, "I played it wrong?"
I said, "One of its sections is wrong."
Wei Ying grinned, "No, no. It's not that I was wrong. Jin GuangYao is the one who was wrong! When the resentful energy attacked me, this really was how he played it. I can promise that I repeated this song without any mistake at all."
Brother seemed to be surprised, "Then he learned it wrong? That... would be impossible."
Wei Ying said, "That would indeed be impossible. LianFang-Zun is that clever. His memory is uncommonly good, how could he remember the melody wrong? It's likely that it was on purpose. I'll play it again. Sect Leader Lan, HanGuang-Jun, this time, please listen carefully to the section that I 'played wrong'."
Brother and I nodded. He did play it again. Near the end of the second section, I spoke, "Stop." This was the part I felt wrong. This is not part of the cleansing music.
I said, "It is the section that has just passed."
Wei Ying withdrew the flute from his lips, "It really is this section? But I don't find this section different at all."
Brother said, "It does not sound different indeed. However, it definitely is not part of Cleansing."
If it was a normal mistake, it wouldn't blend so seamlessly into the other sections of the original song. This melody had to have been purposely polished before it was put in here. And this unfamiliar melody, not part of Cleansing but mixed into it, was likely the key to Nie MingJue's death.
After a while of thought, brother spoke, "You two can follow me."
I figured it out from brother's mind. Yes, this music is somewhere in the forbidden chamber of our library pavilion.
As we went out of the house, Wei Ying was somewhat surprised. Even though he spent a month here with copying scriptures he didn't see this place in our library pavilion.
It was a secluded little cottage within some hidden corner of the Cloud Recesses. Our Lan Sect's residence was inside of the mountains. In its bounds, pines grew endlessly. Most of the plants were trees and grasses. It wasn't that there were no flowers, but that the flowers were mostly pure, elegant varieties like magnolia, gardenia, and white chrysanthemum, and even then only as rare, decorative glimpses. Yet, the area before this house was filled with purple gentians. The buds were small while the color was brilliant, gaining the love of whoever passed. Under the light, it seemed to glow softly, as beautiful as a dream, an illusion.
Gosh! Seeing the library pavilion while being with him, it reminds me of my wet dreams I saw about him in the past. I felt embarrassed. One of my wet dreams that happened here. I bit my tongue.
Wei Ying knew that this place was definitely different from the rest. However, he only had time to have an overall glance at it. It was already past nine. Most of the people within the Cloud Recesses had rested long ago. It was extremely quiet. Not a single person passed our way as brother led us to the Library Pavilion.
Our mother really loved flowers. After our father had passed away, we planted these flowers to remember them.
The Cloud Recesses had once been burnt down by a fire. The Library Pavilion wasn't the Library Pavilion from back then he saw when he was young. However, after it had been rebuilt, the interior setup was no different from the previous one. We had even planted another magnolia tree outside of the the pavilion. After the three of us walked inside, Wei Ying suspected, "Sect Leader Lan, would we be able to find the source of the melody here?"
Brother said, "Not here."
He walked before a row of books, lowered himself, and flipped over one of the mats on the ground before he took off a piece of wooden board, "We would be able to here."
Below the wooden board was a secret door.
I said, "The room of forbidden books."
Under the door was a flight of stairs over fifty steps low. The three of us walked down one by one. What came into Wei Ying's eyes was a wide, dry underground room made of stone. The sound of footsteps echoed emptily. He was quite surprised about our lan sect's forbidden chamber in the library pavilion. Rows and rows of bookshelves stood within the room. Books sparsely rested along the shelves. They were covered in dust, as though nobody had flipped through them in a long time.
Brother led us to one of the bookshelves, "This section is all books of strange songs."
There was a desk in the room and only one paper lamp on the desk. I took from the shelves a writing brush and paper that hadn't been used in years. I wrote down by memory three copies of the melody's score. The three of us sat around the desk and got to work. Each of us was responsible for a few dozens of books. We compared the melody to scores copied down onto the books, book by book, page by page, searching for parts that matched.
However, four hours had passed, and none of us found a score that was the same as the melody. This meant that we didn't find its source.
Wei Ying scanned the scores as quick as he could. He felt sleepy. Its getting late actually. And I'm passed my bed time.
Wei Ying stared for quite a while at the tightly-packed characters. His eyes felt somewhat tired. He still had a few books left, so he decided to look at them sometime afterward. However I had already finished the stack that he was responsible for. In silence, I took over the books that Wei Ying left and continued to flip through. Brother lifted his eyes. Watching the scene, he seemed to stop himself from saying something. He is tired. So I don't have the heart to waste his energy.
Brother sighed. Even though we both didn't talk he read my mind and smiled at me.
After checking for a while. I found the note that we are looking for. Suddenly, I spoke, "This one."
I passed over the book in my hands. Wei Ying was immediately more energized. Earnestly, he looked at the pages that I had opened to, comparing them to the score in his hand, "It's not the same at all?"
I stood up and sat beside him, pointing for him to see, "Look at these two pages."
Our heads pressed close together, and my voice was right by his ear, low and magnetic. Wei Ying's hand trembled lightly. The book had almost fallen off. He finally steadied himself and forcibly tore his eyes away from my long, white fingers. He concentrated on comparing the two, "Ah, these two pages." He must be nervous. I sighed.
At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything strange with the score book. However, those familiar with music would be able to tell with just some attention that, on the page that it flipped open to, the melody on the former side wasn't connected to that of the latter side.
Wei Ying picked up his flute and played a section according to the score. As expected, the two parts of the melody were disconnected. The half of the score on the first page wasn't the same song as that on the second page at all.
There should be another page between these two pages. It had been torn off, cautiously, stealthily.
The person tore the page with a lot of care. There wasn't a single trace left of the page, which made it difficult to be discovered. Wei Ying turned over the book. On the dark blue cover, there was a title of three characters.
Wei Ying spoke, "The Collection of Turmoil? What book is this? The songs in it sound a bit strange."
I said, "A song collection from Dongying."
Wei Ying said, "From Dongying? So that's why the tune sound a bit different from the ones over here."
Brother's expression was complex, "... Legendarily, The Collection of Turmoil, is a collection of dark songs gathered by one of the GusuLan Sect's cultivators during his years of wandering when he was travelling by water and arrived in Dongying. The songs in this book, if played along with spiritual energy, are able to harm others, from weakening the body to irritating the mind to agitating the spirit to shutting the senses... Those with great spiritual power could take others' lives in just seven notes."
Wei Ying slammed the desk, "This is the one!"
He was so happy that when he slammed the desk, he almost knocked over the paper lantern on it. I moved it upright just in time. Wei Ying spoke, "Sect Leader Lan, within the The Collection of Turmoil, is there any that can disturb a person's composure, making them irritated, agitated, violent, easily-angered?"
Brother spoke, "... There should be."
Wei Ying said, "Jin GuangYao's spiritual energy isn't high. He wouldn't have been able to take someone's life with just seven notes. And killing him this way would've been too obvious. He definitely wouldn't have chosen a song so powerful. But, if he could use the reason of playing the Song of Clarity for ChiFeng-Zun to calm his temper and continued to play it for three months, would the song be able to act as a slow poison and catalyse ChiFeng-Zun's outburst?"
Brother agreed, "... Yes."
Wei Ying continued, "Then, the speculation would be very much reasonable. The torn score not part of Cleansing belonged to a missing page of the The Collection of Turmoil. All of the Dongying songs recorded in The Collection of Turmoil are complex and difficult to master. He didn't have time to copy them down in the forbidden room and could only tear it out-no, that wouldn't be right. Jin GuangYao is able to look at something once and never forget it again. He tore the page out not because he couldn't memorize it, but that there'd be no proof once it was gone. To ensure, even if one day it came to light or if he was caught red-handed, nobody would be able to find the source of the melody."
"All that he's done has been with extreme caution. In front of you, he was clearly playing the correct version of Cleansing. ChiFeng-Zun wasn't someone passionate about the arts. He had heard you, Sect Leader Lan, play Cleansing before and knew the overall melody of it. Thus, Jin GuangYao didn't dare straight up play to him the dark song and instead took trouble to combine two songs of different styles with opposite uses. And he combined them so well. They sound as though there were the same. His musical talent is indeed excellent. I'm guessing that he used little spiritual power in the Cleansing sections and only exerted power in the section of The Collection of Turmoil. After all, ChiFeng-Zun wasn't familiar with this method of cultivation, so of course he wouldn't realize the fact that Jin GuangYao had already changed one of the sections into a dark, life-taking tune!"
After a while of silence, brother whispered, "... Although he had often visited the Cloud Recesses, I have never told him about the forbidden chamber within the Lan Sect's Library Pavilion."
Wei Ying said, "Sect Leader Lan, apologies for the bluntness, but during the Sunshot Campaign, Jin GuangYao was a spy in Nightless City of the QishanWen Sect, and a very good spy at that. He could even find Wen RuoHan's secret chamber, sneak inside without anyone noticing, memorize all of the maps and scrolls, and write from memory all of the information before sending it to Koi Tower. Before him, the forbidden room of the Lan Sect's Library Pavilion... really isn't anything."
Brother took into his hands the piece of paper with the score on it. He stared at it for a while, "I will find some way to try this score."
I called, "Xiong Zhang."
Brother said, "When da ge passed away, the siege at Burial Mound had already passed and Wei Gongzi was no longer in this world. If after trials, this part of the score really is able to disturb the mind and not merely made up, I will..."
Wei Ying said, "ZeWu-Jun, trying the song on living people might oppose the GusuLan Sect's sect rules."
Brother said, "I will try it on myself." no Xiong Zhang, don't put yourself in risk.
How, as the sect leader of the GusuLan Sect, he could say such an almost ridiculous thing meant that his heart was already in a tangle. I raised my voice slightly, "Xiong Zhang!"
Brother supported his head on his hand. His voice was low, as though he was trying to hold something back, "WangJi, the version of Jin GuangYao that I know is entirely different compared to the version that you know and the version that the world knows! Throughout all these years, in my eyes, he has always been... enduring his suffer, caring for all people, treating everyone with respect. I have always believed, without a doubt, that the criticism he received from others all came from misunderstandings, that what I knew how he truly is. Now, you want me to believe, at once, that everything about this person is fake, that he planned to kill one of his sworn brothers, that I was also a part of his plan and even helped him... Could you please allow me some more discretion before I make my own judgement?"
Xiong zhang, you can't trust anyone so deeply. Brother had taught Jin GuangYao the Song of Clarity, keeping in mind the grudge between Jin GuangYao and Nie MingJue, hoping that they could be how they used to be. He requested Jin GuangYao to help calm Nie MingJue in place of him. Who would've known that his kindness made possible Jin GuangYao's cruelty? How should he face himself now?
None of us said anything. After we had walked out of the Library Pavilion, I finally spoke, "I will go see shufu."
Having been silent for a long time, brother spoke as well, "I will bring Wei Gongzi back. You can come afterwards."
I nodded and left. After what happened at the Mingshi Sizhui told me that shufu became well after a few days of rest.
"Wangji, you came back." Shufu said.
I nodded. "How are you feeling?"
Shufu said, "I'm fine. Xichen said that you find all the body parts of sect leader Nie."
I nodded. "What happened to him was indeed tragic." He said this after a sigh.
Shufu spoke, "Wangji, it's getting late, the hai hour has passed. Why don't you go to bed?"
I said, "wangji wants to know that shufu is okay."
Shufu sighed. "I'm fine."
I nodded. I bowed to him left. I went to visit mother and father's grave. "Muqin, fuqin. As I promised I bring him back to cloud recesses. He is with me and I'm going to protect him." I said.
I went to Jingshi. He must be craving for emperor's smile. I pulled the floor board under my bed and took two jars of emperor's smile.
My brother lead him to long dan xiao chu, the place where my mother lived. Since it's past bed time I removed the hair tie and crown from my head. I lend my hair down, wearing my forehead ribbon as usual. As per the rules of the gusu lan sect, one must lend his hair down only in front of your loved one or a family member.
I walked slowly. My brother and Wei Ying were talking about something. Seeing this place it reminds me of my childhood that I would came here to visit mother and to see her smiling face. Muqin, I miss you so much. Her smiling face still exists in my memory. She was so beautiful. However now I have someone who's smile is more brighter than the sun. While I came towards them I raised my hand where I carry the two jars of emperor's smile and smiled at him. He smiled back. It was a full moon light. Seeing this full moon I remember our first encounter at the high wall in cloud recesses years ago.
Wei WuXian's eyes lit up, "HanGuang-Jun, you really are considerate!" For you. Brother smiled. Wangji you really bought wine for him? Brother looked at me. His eyes asked that question. He wants it. I thought. He figured it out.
I walked closer and gave him the jars of Emperor's Smile. Jars in his arm, Wei Ying walked inside. To his back, I shook my head. Brother glanced at me, "You took them from your room?"
I nodded.
Brother said, "It is best... if you do not touch liquor again. Be careful not to have what happened back then happen again."
I understood what he meant. I remembered about that day when I branded myself using the Qishan wen sect branding iron while I was on my drunken fit. I was really heart broken because all those people were celebrating his death. I sighed. His eyes landed on the clothes beside my collarbones. I looked down as well, at where the center of my chest was, "It will not happen again."
Brother forced a smile. He sighed right after.
After brother went away, I walked inside and gently closed the door behind me. Wei Ying took off the covers of the jars and was thinking about something.
I sat down and took a book from the bookshelf and started reading. A paper lantern was on the corner of the desk. Against the soft light of the fire. I looked at him. He looks like he was watching me in this whole time. The candle light made his face look ethereal. His grey eyes are so mesmerizing. Even though his soul was in Mo Xuanyu's body my eyes could only see the same Wei Ying I love and fantasized about. In his new body he still acted the same. It made me smile. Caught by the moment, Wei Ying was somehow entranced. Involuntarily, he inched closer.
I looked up, asking, "What?"
Wei Ying immediately returned to himself, "Nothing. Your bookmark looks quite pretty."
This one. Don't you remember? My bookmark was a dried flower in a light shade. It had been kept with much care, its color as vibrant ever. The petals and the veins were so delicate that it seemed to be alive. Between pages, it let off a soft aroma. Wei Ying picked out the bookmark and asked, "Herb peony?"
I nodded, "Mn."
Wei Ying played with the bookmark in his hands before giving it back to him, "Your brother received quite a big shock."
I can't believe you forgot this. It was the peony you gave to years ago at Yunmeng. I got many flowers from him on that day. Before that at Baifeng Shan he tossed a flower at me and then I stole that flower which Jiang gunya give to him after I kissed him while he was blindfolded. It was all dried up. But this one. I kept it safe. Its because the peony has a meaning. Did he really mean it while he throw it to me? I thought. Will you return your feelings for me, Wei Ying?
With care, I put the dried herb peony back into the book. I shut the pages, "Now that he has found the evidence, he will not tolerate this."
Wei Ying saud, "Of course. He's your ge ge after all."
No matter how close of a relationship brother and Jin GuangYao had, he was still from our GusuLan Sect and had his own principles.
Wei Ying opened one jar of liquor and was thinking about something.
Wei Ying was feeling quite pleased with himself. I asked, "What happened?"
He turned around with a serious expression, "Nothing. I'm in a good mood." Not paying attention, he opened a jar, picked it up, and swallowed a gulp of it before suddenly spitting it out with a pfft.
I put down my book at once, "What happened this time?"
Wei Ying waved his hands, "Nothing! Nothing, nothing!" what are you thinking? I want to know.
As he said nothing, he put the jar back where it had been and picked up another one with a dejected look on his face.
Ooh now I get it. You look surprised. In the past I was always angry whenever you sneak wine into cloud recesses. Now at present I bought the emperor's smile myself and give it to you. Its because I care about you so much.
He felt tired. After drinking the wine he fell asleep on the bed. I stroked his head and wished him good night. I finally made it. That wish I told to my brother years ago about bringing a person back to cloud recesses and hide him here has been fulfilled. Looking him while he is asleep I smiled happily.