Letting go of self-restraint 5 - Great happiness in a small package

Chapter 24

Jiang Yanli watched her brother with tears in her own eyes. It was clear from how pained and desperate his sobs had gotten that he had been shutting all of this inside for way too long, now his stubbornly hidden suffering had all come to light at once. And it was both wonderful to see him finally admit he was prepared to accept their help and at the same time looking so broken-hearted and hurt. Luckily, everything would be over soon.

"Poor A-Xian..." she thought while hugging a sniffling Jin Ling who had been influenced by the drama around him and was about to start crying as well. "This is the first time I see him asking for help like this. It must have truly been hard for him. But at least now, he is open to have us all around and not hide his pain behind a smile. Even though it is very hard to watch, I am sure that everything will be better after he calms down. Nie Huisang's invention will surely help put his mind at ease as well."

It took another long minute when no one said anything, just watching Wei Wuxian cry his heart out into A-Yuan's hair, before Jiang Yanli decided she should do something. She felt like her brother's pain was needlessly put on display and everyone was now pitying him. That was the last thing he needed in order to open up to them about the reason for hiding away from the whole cultivation world for so long. She had to act.

Jin Ling now started to finally cry in her arms and she was running her hand absentmindedly on his back, trying to sooth him. However, she knew it would be of no help as the child was crying in sympathy because A-Yuan and Wei Wuxian were. Even if the toddlers did not yet fully understand what was going on, they could somehow tell that their parents were upset and they mirrored their behaviour. Which, in this exact moment, was not for the best.

Cradling Jin Ling safely to her chest with one hand, she went to crawl over the clean space in the middle of the circle of people. She wanted to go to her brother and somehow help to sooth him in his apparent pain. She was not too sure what else she could do, she suddenly felt powerless and out of her depth, much like she had been feeling when she had learned that Wei Wuxian had suffered in the hands of their mother for so long without her knowledge.

However, before she could decide what she should be doing, it seemed like her brother had finally found his resolve and that something had broken inside of him. In a good way. He lifted his head from A-Yuan's hair and although there were still tears glistering in his eyes, his expression was soft and determined.

He was looking at Nie Huisang as he all but begged: "Brother Nie, could you please help us? Could you help... me?"

The last part seemed the most hesitant, as if Wei Wuxian still did not believe he deserved any help or as if he was not convinced that he was allowed to ask for it. It was breaking Jiang Yanli's heart all over again.

"Poor, A-Xian. He had never deserved to be traumatized and pushed so far to even doubt that he could ask for help when he needs it. But luckily, he is slowly starting to come out of his shell. He even smiles less often these last days, which is good as well. It shows that he does no longer try to hide his pain behind a smile all the time. He lets us in little by little and is not afraid to admit he needs a helping hand and to ask for it. I am so proud of him, he has walked a long way from the last time I saw him."

"Of course we will help you, you idiot! Do you even have to ask?"

Jiang Yanli was suddenly disturbed from her thoughts by Jiang Cheng exclaiming loudly his opinion. Just as always, his words and tone seemed harsh, but she knew he cared very much and hated seeing their brother this vulnerable just as much as she did. She glanced at Wei Wuxian, checking that he too had understood that Jiang Cheng was not truly scolding him, it was just his way of talking.

"What A-Cheng wants to say," Wen Ning quickly stepped in as if there was any possibility that his husband could be misunderstood, "is that of course we are here for you, Young Master Wei. We want to help you with whatever you could need." Wen Ning looked around their little circle and added solemnly: "And not only A-Cheng and me. Everyone here will readily offer to help without a second thought, both right now and in the future. Please never think anything different."

Jiang Yanli smiled sweetly at her brother-in-law. Wen Ning had taken the words right out of her mouth. She watched with new tears in her eyes how Wei Wuxian's lips parted in a real smile and how his whole person seemed to brighten and relax. It did not even take a second and A-Yuan already stopped crying as well and snuggled closed to his father, probably content that everything was fine once again.

"Thank you, everyone," Wei Wuxian looked at each other in turn, his expression full of gratitude and relief.

"Brother Wei," this time, it was Nie Huisang who addressed the Omega. He was looking all serious, but there was definitely a relieved and soft edge to smile. "I am glad you are willing to try this. Please believe me when I say that we all are. We want to see your small family happy and wandering around as much as your heart desires. And for this, I have prepared a special gift for you."

Saying this, Nie Huisang reached into his robes and took out the talisman he had invented. It was the same one which he had showed to Jiang Yanli and the other and which they had tested together. It was really useful and she already had one of her own hidden safely in her room, waiting for her return to the Koi Tower so she could ask a skilled master in talismans to copy it for her.

"This talisman should make it easier for you whenever you will not be able to see A-Yuan and watch him yourself," Nie Huisang did not hesitate with explaining what he had come up with to help his friend. He showed the two parts of it one by one:

"It can transmit sound no matter where you will be and you can hear everything that will be happening around the person who will have this part attached to their clothes. The source of spiritual energy comes from the wielder of the second part. Which is to be carried with you. It will not only transmit sound whenever activated but it will also let you find the location of the other half. So you will be able to find A-Yuan in the unlikely event that something happens. It is a prototype for now so the range is somewhat limited but I am sure that if we sit together and have a look at it, we will be able to figure this out in no time."

Jiang Yanli watched with a content smile how Wei Wuxian's face grew awed and how he quickly reached for the two parts of the talisman. She did not even have to ask, she knew he loved the idea already. Now, all that was left was to let him test the effects and determine the exact distance limits. With this, Jiang Yanli hoped, her brother would be able to relax once more and go back to his usual life without fearing for his son's life all the time.

At least not to such a degree. She was a mother herself and was very well aware that the sentient of fearing for her child and wanting only the best for him was natural and never went away completely.