WangXian Forever 4

Chapter 61 Sentiments

Jiang Cheng was munching on an onion, walking back to the Hanshi with his new stash of snacks, safely ensconced within his sleeves, when he found himself standing outside the Jingshi.

He looked at the doors and felt a pang go through his heart.

He missed his brother.

He missed Lan WangJi too.

That last one was a surprise, one he never thought he'd feel, but there it was. Jiang Cheng had never actually liked him, so he'd never thought about how he felt towards Lan WangJi.

In the beginning, when they'd first met, only by chance and probably never would have out of choice, through a forgotten invitation, the Jade had struck him as cold and unfeeling, well representing his nickname. Calmly refusing entry, despite the many protesting pouts from his brother, which up till now, Jiang Cheng had found nobody could resist, but this young man.

Throughout their interactions, he had always assumed that Lan WangJi had only tolerated Wei WuXian out of politeness, and it was through the painful days of separation, his family destroyed and Wei WuXian going missing, that he had begun to suspect that perhaps their friendship wasn't as one-sided as he had thought.

During that time, he had learned to work, sword by sword with the younger Jade, to the point of developing, if not friendship, at least a deep respect for one another. Although that probably was one-sided.

He knew Lan WangJi only tolerated him, in the way one tolerates a stain on one's clothes only until they can be changed, and Jiang Cheng didn't mind it. He understood that as the brother of Wei WuXian, he had a lot to answer for, and to say it was because he was the younger brother, well, that was just lame even to his own ears.

He wondered why his younger self had made such bad decisions? Why, when Jin GuangYao had pointed them out, one by one, he was forced to examine himself...and come up short.

He could blame the pressures of being a Sect Leader at such a young age, but he knew that was not the whole truth. In fact, if he was honest, it was the perpetual tug of war between his parents, the constant shoving of himself by one parent to the other, consequently feeling unwanted. It was no fun being used as ammunition to make the other feel bad, and somehow, it was only he who felt bad at the end of every argument.

And then of course, Wei WuXian had to come along.

The boy was a genius, a prodigy. He was good, no, excellent at everything.

His parents noticed. His mother used him as an example in every single conversation. His father showered the orphan boy with more love and attention in a day than he had shown his blood son in a year. How could Jiang Cheng not be affected?

Teachers noticed, other disciples noticed. Wei WuXian became head disciple, and then everyone noticed.

Jiang Cheng wished he could have hated Wei WuXian. It would have made everything so much easier to handle, to understand, but the truth was, he loved Wei WuXian.

Their sister had made him see. Perhaps that was one relationship that wasn't tarnished by his jealousy, in that he could see, and A-Jie made clear, that she loved them both equally. Even if it was a little bit tipped towards Wei WuXian, Jiang Cheng didn't mind so much here.

Wei WuXian was a lantern in a dark sky, the full moon at night, as every one of the brilliant stars haunting the darkness. Wei WuXian shined.

He was the flame to which all moths flocked towards, the light at the end of a tunnel, the warm bed at the end of a day full of toil.