WangXian: Reunited ✔

Chapter 29: Where It All Started

No matter what happened from here, it would all be alright. 

~WEI YING'S POV~

"Lan Zhan! Come here!" Wei Ying exclaimed, excitedly holding up a beautiful, red and blue kite. The kite had flowy clouds painted across it, and a little red string held it afloat. "I remember this! We used to fly these kites when I was little!" 

He sighed. Those were the good old days. The days when they were still young and naive, spending all their time playing and bantering under the sun. Wei Ying still remembered those evenings. Evenings where they would all gather around the campfire, telling stories of their adventures. He remembered the hot summer days of Yunmeng, when they would all swim around Lotus Pier. Shijie would stand on the side, silently laughing at their antics. When they were too tired to swim, she would bring them watermelons and lotus seeds. 

Wei Ying chuckled. Madam Yu had been furious with them. She had scolded Shijie and yelled at her for caring so much. "You are the master! Not the servant," she would scream, face red with rage. 

Shijie had given her a small smile, bowing her head in obedience. But as soon as Madam Yu left, she would turn back to her younger brothers, indulging them with a barrage of sweet treats. 

A sad, pained smile drifted across Wei Ying's face. He missed Shijie. He missed her so much. 

Jiang Yanli had a calm, soothing presence to her. She was always so gentle and patient, always putting up with Wei Ying's troublesome ways. Shijie would comfort him with a tender pat on his head and a small smile on her face. She would rush to the kitchen to bring him some of her famous lotus and pork rib soup, whenever he was feeling down. 

If there was one thing he regretted from his past life, it was not being able to make it to Shijie's wedding. He had heard Jiang Cheng describe how beautiful it had been, how radiant Shijie's face was. Wei Ying wished he could've seen it. Say what you will about that peacock, but Jin Zixuan loved his wife. 

Wei Ying's lips curved up in a satisfied smirk. Good. Shijie deserved all the love in the world. 

"Wei Ying?" Lan Zhan's voice sounded beside him. His voice was a tether, grounding him to this Earth. 

"Lan Zhan..." Wei Ying murmured, letting his gaze drift across Yunmeng. The marketplace was bustling with activity as vendors scurried about. Lively shouts echoed in the air as children ran around, happily laughing as they played.

"You know, this is quite nostalgic." 

"Mn?" Lan Zhan asked, his question hanging between them. 

Wei Ying gave a resigned sigh before continuing, "When we were kids, Jiang Cheng and I would often come here to play. We would just grab things and run off with it, leaving as fast as we could. I suppose there was a sense of thrill that it brought, like we had done something dangerous and sinful. Although, Uncle Jiang would always clean up after us, paying for our expenses." he laughed- a bitter and dark chuckle. "I wonder what he would say if he saw us now. Would he hate me? Would he hate what I did to Jiang Cheng?" 

"Wei Ying. What happened with Jiang Wanyin was not your fault." 

"But is it? Lan Zhan, I was the one that left him; I was the one that broke my promises; I was the one that chose to protect the Wen's remains; I was the brother that slipped from his grasp..." Wei Ying broke off in a shaky voice. "I don't regret it, but I do feel guilty about it." 

"You were doing what you thought was right." 

"What difference does that make Lan Zhan? Just because I tried to uphold justice, doesn't mean I didn't hurt people in the process. I hurt him. Lan Zhan, I hurt my baby brother. I promised to protect him, promised that I would never let anything happen to him. I swore to them. I swore to Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu that I would take care of Jiang Cheng, that I would keep him safe." Wei Ying gave a despairing laugh. "In the end, I was the one that harmed him the most."