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

30: Keep It Safe

"Wanyin?"

Silence.

"Wanyin? Wanyin, look here. Wanyin... Look at me."

Jiang Cheng didn't even lift his head from the cloth he was rubbing along his blade to polish Sandu.

"Wanyin? Wan-YIN!"

"Stop screaming in my hall before your brother comes to kill me."

"You're talking, at least."

"Hmph," Jiang Cheng smirked and went on cleaning his sword.

Lan Xichen, leaning on the table to look into his face, sighed. "Wanyin... Stop this."

"My sword was a bit dusty, I dropped it in the lake earlier today, got to polish it."

"Wanyin, you know that's not what I'm talking about."

"Oh? Do I?"

Lan Xichen grabbed Jiang Cheng's chin and raised his eyes to meet his own. "Would you please listen to me!"

"You can keep talking, I'm not silencing you with your Lan charm or anything! Let go!"

"Look me in the eye!"

"I don't look at liars in the eye," Jiang Cheng shoved Lan Xichen's hand away and resumed polishing his sword.

"L– Liar? Wanyin... Wanyin, look. I really don't have any other choice! I can't send A-Sang, he's too important. And he's got a whole family. Same for my brothers! And my sister, Little Qiang's married too. The juniors, four of them are parents already–"

"What?" Jiang Cheng looked up.

"Yes," Lan Xichen grinned at Jiang Cheng inadvertently making eye contact out of surprise. "Clan Leader Ouyang and the Shen girl, and your A-Ling's best friend, Jingyi and his wife the Jin girl."

"Well there's at least some good news to hear," Jiang Cheng groused before looking down again. He kept the gritty cloth aside and picked up a flattened stone before rubbing it against the edge of the sword.

I get that he wanted to polish it but... sharpen? Lan Xichen raised a brow. Must be a habit to do when he's vexed, he sighed before speaking on. "So yes, can't send the juniors. Also Wuxian-di won't allow it–"

Screech! The stone slid down the sword as Jiang Cheng shouted, "So Wei Wuxian doesn't mind sending you?"

"Of course not! But I'm older than him, he can't prevent me, has to listen to me. Nor can we send any of your Jiangs, Yunxi, Qiao or Baozhai. Yunxi won't be able to defend himself well, Qiao and Baozhai are mothers. And Baozhai just came–"

Jiang Cheng wouldn't let him finish saying anything today.

"Either of the two can stay to take care of the child and the other can go on the mission!"

"You're really willing to send your own sisters on this?"

"I..." Jiang Cheng sighed. "No. But if I have to choose between sending my sisters and my lover, I'd choose them. Between sisters and beloved, losing you will pain more."

Lan Xichen stared at him open-mouthed. It was... Rarer than a blue moon for Jiang Cheng to be saying something like this. To be expressing a feeling so intimate. "Wanyin... No families shall be bereaved in this. I'm not allowing that. So I can't send either of them. Just like I'm not sending you. You have a daughter–"

"SHE'S YOUR DAUGHTER YOU BLASTED IDIOT! YOURS! YOUR FREAKING DAUGHTER! AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOODY FAMILY? THEN WHAT THE GODDAMNED HELL AM I?"