With You || MDZS - Short Story

Part-(Two)

I'm sorry for existing...

The words rang around the forest clearing in a hollow silent echo, bouncing from one's mind, to one's heart, making an ugly feeling of guilt mixed with desperation boil in their guts.

Jiang Cheng fell on the ground, no longer caring about his stature as a Clan Leader, and hyperventilated, choking on his own tears, hitting the dusty ground with his fist until they bled.

Why?

Just Why!?

Wei Wuxian was there, in front of him all the time. Yet he wasn't. Cheng didn't even realise that his brother had been suffering.. That idiot put up a smile on his face, shoving everything behind and did his best to do what he had promised.

When you will be the clan leader, I will be  your subordinate! Just like my and your father! So what if Gusu has it's Twin Jades? We will be the Pride Twins of Yunmeng!

His brother had been slipping away from him... He already did slip away, the moment he and decided to take the risk of transferring the core. They would never be the same again. Cheng would live up to his dream, to cultivate and lead the clan, and Wuxian would silently, happily watch, all the while, breaking inside whenever others would gossip and badmouth about his crooked ways... The crooked way, he didn't have a choice but take.

Cheng loved his brother... His badmouthing would not tell much, but he did love him. Wuxian loved him as well. Yet he didn't realize that, Wuxian loved and cared about him so much, that he was willing to give up his own golden core-- the very core and the most important valuable thing a cultivator posessed--to save Cheng's life.. So that Cheng can live up to his ambitions.

I failed him.

Do I even deserve someone like him as my brother?

Jiang Yanli had tears running down non stop. She knew something was wrong. She fucking knew it! But couldn't figure out what. Her beloved XianXian was breaking apart day by day, hearing the slanders, all the while, controlling such a dangerous form of cultivation perfectly without a golden core....

She always knew Wuxian was highly selfless... And had a problem of blaming himself for everything. Others may not see him cry much, but she did. She was the person, who he trusted and loved the most, and often cried in her warm embrace.

So all this time, why didnt she notice? He always told her he was fine but why couldn't she just talk to him further?!

Suddenly, a horrible thought came to her and she froze.

Wuxian, as said before, had a habit of blaming himself for every tarnish. When something like this happened, he tended to.... Harm himself sometimes.. She had once or twice caught him red handed, and sternly made him promise to never do it again and frequently checked his arms.

He did keep his promise.

But after he had returned after three months of disappearance...

... Had she ever checked his arms?

Especially now how Jin Zixun slandered him and the confession-

Oh god.

Her eyes widened and she dashed away, heading down the mountain to Jinlintai, her ears deaf to Madam Jin calling her name as well as Jin Zixuan.

I'm sorry for existing..

........

Yanli stumbled in the pavilion where her brother's quarters was situated, and went in front of the door. She sniffed and tried to open it.