Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

13: He Left. Again.

Jiang Wanyin was sitting in his hall, pinching the bridge of his nose, when someone marched in. Someone with a cold aura that chilled him right down to his bones. He looked up from the message Nie Huaisang had sent to see his brother walking towards him.

"A-Xian?" Goodness, what's up with the darkness...

Wei Wuxian smiled. "A-Cheng. Good to see you. Busy?"

"Oh no, come, sit," Jiang Cheng pointed to a seat in front of his table. "What brings you here? And..." he looked around Wei Wuxian and at the door. "Alone? Where's that darling of yours you take wherever you go?"

Wei Wuxian sat down and smirked sourly. "He nearly turned into a demon."

"AH?" Jiang Cheng goggled at him. "WHAT?"

"Absorbed the sceptre's energy."

"Why the hell would he do that? Wasn't it you doing that this whole time?"

Wei Ying nodded. "But I think he felt it was hurting me. Well, it did, but everything felt a million times better when I got into the Cold Springs. But, no, he had to go and do that."

"I bet you saved him. But why are you here?"

"To let him heal."

Jiang Cheng sighed. True, even he realised having a demonic cultivator near-exploding with his own demonic energy would only worsen Lan Wangji's condition. Cores and bodies never were understanding allies of hearts and souls. "Good, you stay here for a while then."

But the older one shook his head to deny the offer.

"What the hell do you mean no?"

"If I stay here, he's bound to try to come find me. He has to heal first. I'm going."

"Where?"

"Somewhere." He shrugged. "I've travelled the world before, what's this little thing? Might keep moving from place to place, might get myself a shack in the woods and stay there, who knows? But don't worry, I'll manage."

"Oh, I thought you came here to stay."

"No, just to say goodbye should you wonder where I went. Where's my beautiful niece?"

Jiang Cheng walked to the door and called out to a disciple nearby to send for Lianhua Meiren. In seconds, Meilien ran in crying, "SUSU!"

"Little Lien!" Wei Wuxian beamed and hugged her. "How's training going? Spiritual, I mean."

"Brilliant! Baishan is getting better and better."

"Good."

"Meilien, here," Jiang Cheng sat beside them and handed her something. "I saw you practising all day with the sword, try this now."

Meilien looked down at her palm to see her favourite sparkling purple ring. "Zidian! Susu, you've got a ring too, right?"

"Yes, I do!" Wei Wuxian showed her Heixing.

"Can I use that too?"

"Are you nuts? No way. It kills instantly."

"Oh... Never mind. Susu, where's Lan Shushu?"

Wei Wuxian looked down at the ground. Wherever he went, whoever he met, if he was alone, they'd always ask that. Had they always been that close by each other's side? One never went without the other?

"I know what you're thinking, you buffoon," Jiang Cheng whacked his head. "Don't you remember even back then? Before the Sunshot Campaign and all that? Whenever Lan Wangji embarked on a mission you'd always follow? Never let him be alone even then."