WangXian Forever 7

Chapter 16 Peony

Sunrise over the ocean was a spectacular sight, even if one fell asleep again straight after.

Lan Zhan put it down to the previous day's injury to Wei Ying's body, rather than the fact that he rarely got up earlier than eleven in the morning, and ten was definitely being ambitious.

Breakfast was served and Wei Ying's bowl was kept warm until he was properly awake. Word had spread that they would be leaving today, and excitement hummed through the travellers at wanting to leave together.

Suanni was content to lay on the beach next to Wei Ying for as long as he could, but it wasn't just him; the children didn't venture far from him either, and Lan Zhan was different shades of attentive.

"I'm really alright." Wei Ying insisted, smiling at all of them.

"Nevertheless, I will accompany you back to your home." Suanni told him.

"It's always great to be with you," Wei Ying told him, giving his ears a good scratch.

"What about my babies?" JingYi had whispered to Wei Ying, hoping that they would all join Suanni coming to Cloud Recesses.

Shen Ling smiled a toothy smile at him.

"We do not mind joining you."

This of course made the babies and JingYi very happy and they went off to celebrate a little further away.

During the night, Daden Yaonu and Daden De Long had taken Tiaopi De Long and Zai Shu Xia to the Crystal City; they returned now with an anxious Shui, bearing gifts.

This time they presented smaller chests of precious gems and gold and silver, bowing to both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan.

"I'm going to miss you both so much!" Daden Yaonu said, crouching so she could hug both Rumi and Li XiWang. "You must promise that you'll come and visit again."

"Yes, Aunt, we will."

Zai Shu Xia also came forward.

"I hope you will come back, also to visit us. I know we have had our ups and downs, but I am ready to accept that I may have been hasty...I want you to know that I didn't mean to scare you."

Li XiWang obediently went to hug her too. She remembered that her father had said before, people can make mistakes, but everyone deserved a second chance. Perhaps she might not be ready now, but the time would come and things would be better between herself and her mother.

Shui was gesturing for Wei Ying to come to the sea for one last swim, and he was excitedly taking off his outer robes, watching Lan Zhan's face as the Jade clearly did not like this but was being fully supportive.

Wei Ying stretched out his wings, loving the way Lan Zhan's eyes darkened, as he gave him his clothes to hold.

"I'll be right back." He promised, kissing a pale cheek. "He's our kid too..."

"Mn." Lan Zhan held his upper arms before he could slip away. "Wei Ying will be careful."

"Yes, I promise!" Wei Ying bubbled up with naughty laughter as he escaped, running into the ocean.

Li XiWang slipped her hand into his, and Rumi came onto his other side. Both of his children wanting to offer him comfort, feeling his anxiety over the untameable Wei Ying.

Shui was a delight to swim with as they wove in and out of the grasses, playing tag one last time. Shui seemed to sense that Wei Ying's time was running out; when Wei Ying let himself be caught one last time, Shui held onto him for longer.

"Don't go." The boy said.

Shui also rarely spoke, like Rumi.

Wei Ying felt helpless, not knowing how to explain why he had to go back, how he couldn't stay here longer. So he just held the boy, who purred into his chest, smiling happily when Wei Ying patted his head like before.

Daden Yaonu arrived soon after, smiling knowingly at Wei Ying. She had become closer to Shui as well, and the boy liked to listen to her too.

"Shui, why don't we say goodbye now, and then you can come with me. I have something to show you."

This piqued his interest and he happily hugged Wei Ying before waving goodbye.

As Wei Ying smiled back and left, he only hoped whatever she was going to show him would be sufficiently interesting, but at least Shui was happy, and this in turn made Wei Ying feel less guilty.

Lan Zhan hadn't moved from his spot on the beach, and for a second, Wei Ying considered coming out of the water somewhere else and surprising him from behind, but today was not the day for pranks. If yesterday hadn't happened like it did, he would definitely have gone for it though.

So like the good boy he could be, he swam out of the water and went to hug his husband who wrapped him in a towel. Lan Zhan helped him change his clothes and then, almost as if he knew what Wei Ying had thought about and not done, he kissed his forehead and said thank you.

When they joined the others who were now ready to leave, there was a commotion.

SiZhui was holding his hand out and a golden peony was gliding through the air towards him. It sparkled, and glitter fell from its petals.

"That's new." Wei Ying remarked.

"SiZhui came up with it." Jin Ling said proudly. "It's so much more convenient, and similar to the Lan Clan butterfly messengers."

SiZhui passed it to Jin Ling so he could hear what the message was.

He smiled at first, but then it disappeared the longer the message went on. By the end, he was frowning and staring at Wei Ying.

Lan Zhan not so subtly inched in front of him, squeezing his hand.

Jiang Cheng picked up on all of that and went to interrogate his nephew.

"Is it your Elders? What do they want now?"

It was no secret that there was no love lost between Jiang Cheng a.k.a. scary uncle, and the Elders of the Jin Sect.

"So... apparently, they are going to hold an archery contest on Phoenix mountain."

"So? That's nothing new. It will be good for the young cultivators." Jiang Cheng scowled, thinking Jin Ling was making a fuss about nothing.

"It's just that they're also inviting father too." SiZhui added, but he also was looking at Wei Ying.

"Not just inviting... they're insisting."