WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 14 Answers

XiChen looked fondly at the man sitting with his eyes closed in front of him, making a real effort to cultivate more.

It pleased him immensely that Jiang Cheng, not the most patient of people, was trying so hard to concentrate and control his temper. Of course, it was early days yet, for no one could make such a drastic change over night. And he was trying to, with such sincerity that XiChen was glad they had talked it out.

There was a faint knocking on the door, and XiChen went to open it, wondering who it could be.

Lan Zhan's knock was clear and firm, Brother Wei's was non existent; he just marched in whenever he wanted to, and Uncle Qiren; he hardly needed to.

It was Healer Fei.

"May I come in? I have important news for you. Both," he added when he saw Jiang Cheng.

The latter opened his eyes and frowned.

"Please, have a seat." XiChen gestured to the little table.

He had just finished pouring the tea for everyone when the door burst open and Wei Ying barged in, dragging a not completely hesitant Lan Zhan after him.

"Healer Fei! I thought I saw you! That's why I ran and got Lan Zhan! Did you find out anything?" He asked excitedly, his words tumbling out one after another.

"Oh, please don't bother to knock." Jiang Cheng said, smarmily.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Jiang Cheng! I never do." Wei Ying gave him a blinding smile and obliviously carried on talking to Healer Fei.

XiChen smiled at his brother, who was staring fondly at Wei Ying, who hadn't noticed yet.

"You were right, Master Wei. It is definitely poisoned perfume, absorbed through the skin. And since Sect leader Jiang used it often and in the same place, it was more potent."

"I have another bottle in Lotus Pier." Jiang Cheng said, quietly.

XiChen reached across the table to hold his hand.

"We should still keep this quiet, at least for now." XiChen told them all. "As long as the real culprits think we don't know, they may still slip up."

"And Huaisang is still making inquiries. I'm sure he will find out who it is." Wei Ying added. "But, Healer Fei?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be possible to trace the source of the poison they've used? It's definitely not a common one, because until now, we all thought it was something Jiang Cheng had eaten or drunk." Wei Ying looked hopefully at the Healer.

"We can try." He stood up and left, taking the bottle with him.

"Is that fresh tea, XiChen-Ge?" Wei Ying blessed him with a bright smile.

"Of course." XiChen poured out two more cups.

Jiang Cheng scowled at Wei Ying but dropped it into a smile whenever he thought his husband was looking at him.

Wei Ying wondered if his previous attempt to make Jiang Cheng happy, had long term side effects that he hadn't realised.

There was a tense and awkward silence, where nobody spoke. Just the sound of tea being drunk enthusiastically.

"If Wei Ying has finished his tea..." Lan Zhan said.

"Yes!" Jiang Cheng jumped in, with a threatening tone. "If Wei WuXian has finished his tea..." He stared at the empty cup pointedly.

"Well actually," Wei Ying smothered a laugh at Jiang Cheng's simultaneously eyecrolling and groan. "I have a question for XiChen-Ge."

"Brother Wei is welcome to ask." XiChen replied, pleasantly.

"So you know, Li XiWang's aunt told us there was a power surge under the sea when Li XiWang had shown them the contents of her pouch. I was wondering if there was any place in Cloud Recesses that could protect us, her in particular, from any resulting backlash? Should she want to open her pouch here."

"Yes, I remember that!" XiChen said, excitement creeping into his voice. "When you both were under the water, we were on the beach, and we definitely felt the ground shake. We wondered what it was that was so powerful."

"What about the cave?" Lan Zhan offered.

"The cave? The one with the rabbits? And Lan Yi, of course." Wei Ying added quickly, blushing.

"Yes." Lan Zhan told him.

Wei Ying just smiled up at him.

It was times like this that XiChen thought anyone witnessing them like this, was intruding on private moments. They so easily were lost in each other, that nothing else mattered.

While he loved Jiang Cheng deeply, and knew the same was true of his husband, the fact remained that what they shared was only a fraction of what he was seeing. And in spite of realising this, XiChen was very happy for both of them.

"Can we kick them out now?" Jiang Cheng squeezed his hand. "I want to be alone with my husband." He added, barely whispering.

XiChen's ears blazed red, and he stood up on shaky legs, ready to open the door.

Jiang Cheng beat him to it. He stood with the door open.

"Get out." He told his brother.

"It's fine! We know when we're not wanted! Come on, Lan Zhan, let's go." Wei Ying took away his husband, adding, "rude, Jiang Cheng!"

But Jiang Cheng closed the door behind him triumphantly. He turned to a slowly backing away XiChen...and pounced.

******

In the seconds before sleep claimed him, Lan Zhan asked Wei Ying a question.

"Why does Wei Ying want our little rabbit to open her pouch?"

Wei Ying smiled sleepily and reached forward to plant a kiss at his throat. He snuggled into him on the bed and yawned.

"Oh, that? I just thought that if I was really her father, I would have left her a way to find me. And what if the key to finding her parents has been with us all this time? But Lan Zhan?" He yawned again.

"Mn?"

"I really would like to know about her cultivation properly, before she opens it. We just don't know..."

Lan Zhan waited for him to finish speaking, but then he realised Wei Ying had fallen asleep. He kissed those ruby lips and closed his own eyes, content.