Shooting Star [Never Let You Go, Again Book 2]

29: Locket of a Lotus's Love

"I think I'll keep this."

"Xichen?"

The three Jiangs, Jin, two Lans and two Nies all stared at Lan Xichen. "Er-Ge?" Huaisang couldn't hold back the grin no matter how hard he tried.

"I think I've heard of the tale of when Jiang Fengmian gave this to Madam Yu. See?" He showed what was in his hand. The lotus pendant had opened. Opened? Yes, it was a locket. The lotus pendant of purple garnet had been a locket all along.

"Wait, it's a locket?" Wei Wuxian gaped at it. "How come I didn't notice an opening?"

"Exactly, even I didn't," each of the juniors shook their heads. Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang shook theirs too.

Jiang Wanyin, on the other hand, was staring at Lan Xichen.

"Xi– Xichen... You opened it..."

"Wanyin," Lan Xichen softly smiled as he wiped the one tear that had leapt out of Jiang Cheng's dazed eyes. "Yes I did. Trust me now?"

Jiang Cheng smiled back and nodded happily.

"Er... Not meaning to disturb your romance or," Wei Wuxian waved his hand between the two of them, "whatever this is, but... Is this some code language or am I missing something?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"Wei-xiong, don't you know the story?"

Wei Wuxian mumbled his denial to Nie Huaisang.

"Well, then, let me say it. Jiang Fengmian got this made by some special craftsman. The craftsman made it in such a way that when a Jiang — and only a true Jiang — gave it to his or her truest love, something magical would happen. Something like a magical revelation. If the recipient truly loves the Jiang back, then he or she would be able to open the locket. As in, it will open to the person's touch. When Jiang Fengmian got it made and gave it to Yu Ziyuan as an engagement gift, it actually opened in her hands. Meaning Madam Yu, no matter how furious she was all the time, truly loved him back. I mean, obviously she did, why else would she die alongside him that night?" Nie Huaisang sipped his wine. "So yes. Jiang gives to True Love, True Love opens it, True Love becomes Jiang's Partner. Something like that. Do you know what the people called it?" He smiled over his jar of Lotus Lure. "The Locket of a Lotus's Love. Some called it the Lotus Heart."

"Wow..." Wei Wuxian and the juniors chorused.

"That's the most romantic thing I've heard after Hanguang-Jun and Senior Wei," Jiang Liwei grinned. "How come even I don't know this?"

"I guess it's because the locket went missing sometime after the marriage. Nobody knew it was with that bastard of a Liu Zhongliang," Nie Huaisang moped at the Romance-Destructor's name.

"I bet it would have opened to Jin Zixuan's touch," Wei Wuxian muttered under his breath as he swirled the wine in his twenty-fifth jar sadly.

"Indeed. But what we should be thinking is not that!" Nie Huaisang grinned. "Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen opened it. Meaning he's the True Love of a Jiang. Jiang-xiong, you better stop denying it!"

"I..." Jiang Cheng pursed his lips before slowly nodding. "Fine. Yes, yes, the story's true so I guess I don't need to say anything more. I'm a true Jiang. I love him, he loves me back. So he could open it. So what? It's not like he can go around wearing it!" But he found he could shout no more because his breath flew away when strong arms crushed his chest.

Lan Xichen was hugging him far too tight. "Xi–Xichen, I can't breathe!"

"Sorry," he quickly let go. "Just that... You actually said it!"