WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 3 Coping

Wei Ying had to fight against years and years of conditioning in order not to feel stressed about sitting next to Uncle Qiren...by himself.

True, their relationship had vastly improved from the elder Lan throwing missiles at him, to actually receiving and giving hugs, and they had both learned to adjust to each other and this gradual change in their conversations. Wei Ying could not believe it sometimes that Uncle Qiren even missed him when he wasn't around...

Wei Ying saw out of the corner of his eye that JingYi had hidden in some bushes not too far away and was using hand signals to ask him if he was okay being there...unfortunately, there was no way Wei Ying could respond without alerting Uncle Qiren, and therefore getting JingYi into trouble.

Wei Ying held his hands out in front of him, as if he was examining his thumbs, when really it was a thumbs up sign on the other side...he saw JingYi grinning wildly before scurrying off.

Over here, Uncle Qiren had already started speaking.

"While you and WangJi were not here...it was...difficult." He began. "I missed you two very much...as much as I missed your children. My grandchildren..." He smiled sadly.

"We missed you too..." Wei Ying said, hoping for sincerity in his tone.

It wasn’t that they hadn't missed him...more that there hadn't been time to miss him. At the very least, Wei Ying hoped Uncle Qiren couldn't tell either way...

"How are you feeling these days?"

"Much the same, Uncle." Wei Ying replied. This situation felt too surreal.

"I should not have tried to separate the both of you. That was my mistake."

Wei Ying was so surprised, he did look at him then.

"Do you remember the prophecy?" Uncle Qiren went on.

"Yes."

"Say it for me now." He requested.

"Alright Uncle." Wei Ying thought back, going over it in his head.

"Dark equals Light,
Eternal chase goes on,
Supremacy a fight,
Yet one cannot
Exist without the other.

Soul Bond complete,
Entices Demon hoard,
Two remain to ward
Each their own protection
Lest they perish into the dark."

They sat in silence, both of them mulling over these words.

"Whatever happens...it's best if you both stick together. Whatever is going to happen...I think it is unchangeable. It would be better if neither of you was alone."

"Yes Uncle." Wei Ying wasn't sure what had brought about this strange melancholy in the elder. "Actually...about this sleeping sickness that's spreading...I want to go and ask people about it...but I don't think Lan Zhan will be too happy about that."

"My nephew can be...overprotective sometimes."

They shared a look; Wei Ying raising a brow at that, and Uncle Qiren responded with a twinkle in his eye.

Wei Ying suspected that the elder did not find much amusing, but he surprisingly had a sense of humour, albeit hidden...heck no, buried...

"Still, discuss it with him. A good marriage is after all, based in communication. Maybe if you both aired your feelings, it might make him a little more pliant?"

"Okay Uncle, I will."

They were quiet for a while.

Wei Ying thought about how rare these moments were. Just sitting under the moon tree was .... therapeutic in many ways.