WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 21 Grandmother

Wei Ying was already fast asleep when they reached the Jingshi.

Lan Zhan carried the dear sleeping man to their bed and took off his shoes. He carefully removed his outer robes and laid him down, climbing in after him.

Even in the deepest of sleep, Wei Ying gravitated towards his body, letting out the deepest of sighs as his skin came into contact with Lan Zhan’s.

Lan Zhan could never resist the pull of this sweet, sweet man, his beloved looking more peaceful and happy even in this unconscious state. He kissed the top of his head and fell asleep himself, happy to be holding his Wei Ying close.

*******

In the morning, at exactly five am, Lan WangJi woke up. He bathed and meditated, before looking over any papers he had to go through.

Breakfast time came and went, but he was not hungry this morning; he had no appetite. It felt wrong to be eating without Wei Ying.

It felt wrong to not have Wei Ying sitting next to him, or lying on the mat beside him resting his head in Lan WangJi's lap. It felt wrong not to hear his voice chattering away...Lan Zhan would give anything to hear it now.

Part of him wanted to put all duties aside and crawl back into bed next to him, holding him tight. Maybe in the smallest part of his brain, he believed that simply holding Wei Ying would keep him safe from whatever was happening to him. As though Lan Zhan could protect him from whatever was coming for them.

But he had not played WangJi for days now, and he hoped by doing so, that it could help to heal his lover.

So he summoned WangJi, his fingers drifting over the old, old wood, soaked with magic. They were all four of them entwined; WangJi, Bichen, himself and his Soulmate. Even as he was with Wei Ying, Chenqing and Suibian.

The seven strings vibrated, as his fingers hovered above them, a welcoming call.

That old magic, the one imbibed with his soul as he pictured what his feelings regarding Wei Ying would sound like if they were musical notes, came to life as he began to play their song.

Each note washed over him, his mind and body as one, calling out to the other half of his soul. This melody had been playing in his mind from possibly that first duel, that first fight on the rooftops of Cloud Recesses. A love letter...a love song...one that sang with his blood.

Lan WangJi let his spiritual energy gather with strength and played with the whole of his heart. He closed his eyes and let his fingers take over, letting them play with free abandon.

When the song finished, he heard a soft knock on the door of the Jingshi.

"Enter." He called out.

He was still feeling the healing vibes of their song washing through his mind, so he was completely taken by surprise when he saw who their visitor was.

Baoshan Sanren, Wei Ying’s grandmother, swept in.

She was wearing brilliant white robes covered in a winter white Cape, lined with white fur. She spared him a smile as Lan Zhan stood up, helping her to remove her outerwear.

"The Demon came to visit me." She said softly, not waiting for a reply.

"Mn."

She went over to the bed where Wei Ying was sleeping, and sat down next to him. She felt his pulse and checked his temperature, humming to herself.

Lan Zhan tried not to pin his hopes on her and her abilities...but it was so hard. She had helped Wei Ying grow a new white core...and that fact was amazing all by itself.

Baoshan Sanren was the creator of miracles so of course, he was hopeful.

But when she sighed, and gently brushed the hair away from Wei Ying’s face...Lan Zhan knew.

"He looks so much like my dear daughter." She whispered. "It is a shock to me, every single time I lay eyes upon him. And then I remember that she is gone...and I feel that sharp lance of pain to know that I will never look upon her beautiful face again."

"Wei Ying is his own person." Lan Zhan replied.

It was a solid statement...something to remind her that she still had him, still had a family to take care of, to enjoy. And the connection she still had with her daughter through him, was something to be celebrated, not mourned.

Baoshan Sanren gave out a small laugh, like little bells tinkling on a summer's breeze.

"You know...on that first night when you brought him to me...I wondered at your connection to my nephew. I know you care about him deeply. He is lucky to have you."

"No. No, grandmother...you are mistaken. It is I who is the lucky one. He has forever changed my life." Lan Zhan could not say anything more.

He came and kneeled next to her feet, looking at his sleeping husband.

There was a lump in his throat that made it impossible for him to speak, and instead, his eyes filled with tears.

"My boy..." Baoshan Sanren stroked his hair softly. "You are as much my grandchild as he is." She sighed, barely a whisper.

"I do not know what is wrong with him." Lan Zhan said, even more quietly than her, both of them afraid to break the silence.

"He changed my life too, you know." She sounded sad. "We never know the impact of the people who come into our lives will have on us, do we?"

Lan Zhan took deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

Baoshan Sanren was an elder, and the last blood relative of Wei Ying...and as a result, he felt closer to her too. He felt a little unburdened because of his confession and because more than anything else, she understood.

"When will he wake up?" She asked.

"He's already been sleeping for fifteen hours...so a couple more?"

"Good." She stood up. "When he's ready, we need to call a meeting. I have news."