WangXian Forever 3

Chapter 62 Suspicion

XiChen knocked on the door of the Jingshi, twice, wondering if he should just enter. What if WangJi was still asleep? He was just about to do so when SiZhui opened it.

"Uncle, please come in."

He came inside and looked for his brother, raising a brow at SiZhui when he didn't see him.

SiZhui handed him the note. XiChen scanned it quickly and looked up, worried.

"When do you think he left?"

"Father always wakes at five." SiZhui looked down. "What do you think has happened to father Wei? He will be alright, won't he?"

XiChen folded him into his arms. SiZhui was often given many responsibilities and his demeanour was that of an older cultivator, so it was easy to forget that he was still a teenager. One who never really shared what he was thinking, preferring to hold everything inside.

"We must have faith in him. Your father would never leave us voluntarily, but something is stopping him from returning to us. We just need to find him, and then everything will be fine." XiChen hated that he couldn't give the boy something more concrete, something solid to believe in. "The best thing to do now is make sure that life continues normally for your sister. If she sees you worrying, it will make her worry too."

"Okay, Uncle. You are right, father Wei wouldn't want her to worry. I will be as normal as I can." SiZhui straightened his young shoulders and wiped his face.

Outside the Jingshi, Li XiWang also wiped her tears away. She had heard everything. If they wanted her to act normal, she could do that. So what if she wanted to cry and beg that they find him? So what if she thought it impossible to live without her father Wei? She could be strong. She put a smile on her face and waited until it didn't feel so fake, before entering the Jingshi and greeting her uncle.

*******

XiChen closed the door behind the scout. Lan Pei was an excellent sleuth, often going into enemy territory undetected and coming back with priceless information. If XiChen had a choice, he would always pick Lan Pei.

"Now tell me." He said to the younger man, after placing a silence talisman on the room. "What did you find out?"

"We followed the men back to Caiyi Town. They did not realise they were being followed." He kept his eyes on XiChen.

XiChen liked that about him; his reports were always sharp, concise and to the point, delivered in an unflinchingly honest way.

"Where did they go?"

"That is the strange thing. They headed for the orphanage in Gusu. They even had pass codes for the wards."

"Interesting. Did they leave after?"

"I've left someone there to keep an eye on them, but they're still there as far as I know."

"Good work." XiChen stood up. "Let me know if anything changes."

It was a dismissal and the young man was too smart not to know. He stood up as well and bowed before he left. Seconds later, there was another knock. XiChen rubbed his temples, wishing he could have just five minutes to himself, but it was not to be. He sighed in relief when he saw it was his husband.

Jiang Cheng came forward and held him, not saying a word.

"How did you know this is exactly what I needed?" XiChen whispered.

"I know you. And this is for me more than you. I'm sorry you have to go through this." Jiang Cheng kissed his cheek and reluctantly let him go.

"Any news on Brother Wei?" XiChen asked, too hopefully.