The meaning of protecting you with my life

Wen soldiers

Wei Wuxian woke up in an even worse condition than before. After Jiang Cheng had clearly taken his anger out on him and calmed down, they both must have fallen asleep at some point, it was morning now. Wei Wuxian sat up with difficulty. His throat was hurting even more than his back and he knew it was not only because it was a worse injury, it was hurting deep down too.

He shook his head slightly to get himself rid of all the unwanted emotions. He had deserved a punishment and had gotten it, that was all that this was, nothing more. Jiang Cheng surely could not have started to hate him, not really. And even if he did, it would not matter in the end, he could still protect him.

He slowly got up, holding back a painful groan and stood unmoving until his head stopped spinning. He was drenched again and he could already feel that he started developing a fever. He had to get somewhere warm so he could prevent it from becoming worse, he would only become a burden for his siblings and that was the last thing he needed.

He looked down at Jiang Cheng and his heart started hurting all over again, it seemed like his brother was doing even worse than yesterday. All the anger which had been sustaining him and kept him running was now gone, all that left was a husk of a broken boy. His brother was slowly rubbing Zidian on his finger, his eyes were unfocused, looking into a distance, probably thinking about what could have happened to Lotus Pier.

Wei Wuxian almost wanted to start crying again, he had failed Jiang Cheng so much in just a few last days, he did not deserve to stand by his side anymore. He did not, but he still had to. He had to protect both him and his sister who was still waiting in the inn, probably beside herself with worry by now.

He stepped closer to his brother and offered a hand to help him stand up. When Jiang Cheng did not take it, he reached down and grabbed him. He was horrified when his brother would not take his hand and instead was looking at him with empty eyes, letting his hand limply slip from his grip. Wei Wuxian's heart broke and he let go of the hand reluctantly. He knew what this meant, Jiang Cheng did not want to have anything in common with him anymore.

He took a deep breath and shook his head again even though it blurred his vision and his whole world started to swim under his feet. He had to get a hold of himself, he had to remain strong. Even if his siblings hated him now, he could not abandon them, he promised to protect them and he would do just that. If Jiang Cheng would not accept his help and would not come back to the town with him, he would just have to remind him of his sister.

His throat felt like someone had made him swallow shattered glass when he finally found his voice again: "Jiang Cheng, do not forget that Shijie is still waiting for us to come back."

For a scary few seconds, nothing happened and Wei Wuxian was already convinced that Jiang Cheng chose not to listen to him altogether. Then, Finally, his brother stood up with visible effort and without sparing him even a glance, he started walking back to the town. A weight was lifted from Wei Wuxian's shoulders; he had not been sure if he would be able to carry his brother if the other would have been too shaken to walk on his own.

They walked several steps apart, Jiang Cheng in the front and Wei Wuxian in the back. He was glad at the moment that his brother did not seem to care about him, he did not want him to see him this weak and unsteady on his feet. He had a hard time even walking, how was he about to protect his siblings? He was silently cursing his uncooperative body and willing it to obey him for a while longer. Once he would get Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli to safety, he would be able to rest.

No, that was not quite right, he would first have to also learn what had become of Lotus Pier and if there was anyone else he should be saving. He hoped there was, he did not want to think about Madame Yu and Uncle Jiang not being in the land of the living anymore. It hurt too much to lose his family a second time. He would not mourn them until it was confirmed that they were really dead and he had failed them.

His chest was constricting painfully, not unlike when his golden core had been melted, but his time, it was a different kind of pain. He reached up his hand and put it over his heart. As if that could do anything, he knew that very well, but still it was better than to become a crying mess which could not do anything.

He was already walking on sheer willpower when they finally reached the small town. He thanked all the gods that they had made it safe and sound, now his sister could stop worrying and get some good, healing sleep. He was sure that she had been waiting for them this whole time and her fever must have gotten even worse, just another one of his crimes, they just kept adding up.

He fought to raise his head and look at the first houses, he knew he would already be able to see the inn from this place. He could not remember to which side of the building the windows of their room led but he hoped that to this one so Jiang Yanli could be able to see them coming back earlier.

Suddenly, he spotted movement on the street ahead of them and his eyes were immediately drawn towards it. The robes of the people standing there, their backs to them, were red. The same red as the Qishan Wen sect. And they were carrying swords. He would have loved to believe that this was just a coincidence and some merchants with their guards were just coming through the town, but he could not fool himself. They were Wen sect soldiers, probably looking for them.

His mind started running a few miles a second, a bit sluggish but he was too tired to manage anything more. Luckily, the soldiers had their backs turned to them still and it did not look like they had noticed them just yet.

Jiang Cheng was walking a few steps ahead of him and he had probably not seen them either. His head was lowered and he was looking at his feet, just putting one in front of the other, not caring about the world around him. Wei Wuxian had to warn him somehow. He could not speak; it could alert their pursuers. So what should he do so his brother would not just walk into the danger without as much as noticing it?

He willed his body to move faster and he quickly caught up to him. He was having trouble to breathe both from fear and because of the strain. He had tried to be as quiet as possible, however, he had probably made some noise after all. He watched in horror as one of the soldiers started turning around.

It was too late now to try and hide or run away. They could not fight, not while being this exhausted and without their swords. They would just be captured both. No, he had to safe his brother at all cost!

He gave no warning as he pushed Jiang Cheng into a pile of garbage and other things laying in an entrance of a back alley just to his right side. He was glad that his brother did not make a sound as he fell head first into it.

He could not check on him nor warn him in any other way because the Wen sect soldier had finished turning around and finally spotted him. He only gave a last short glance towards Jiang Cheng, hoping that no one saw him pushing his brother away and he turned on his heel, running away from the soldiers in a desperate attempt to lead them away. If someone had to be captured, better be him than his siblings.