The Gentle Cloud's and Purple Lotus's Second Chance

The Beginning of the Purple Lotus and the Gentle Cloud

Jiang Cheng POV

The next day, we made our way to find the nearest village. Thankfully, due to his high cultivation Zewujun's wound was not as bad yesterday,thus allowing him to walk with a stick we found in the woods.

After a few hours, we finally found a village. One of the villagers directed us to the nearest inn that apparently only has one room left. Thus, we are here,talking to the local healer that the innkeeper brought.

"Thank you, for your services!" thanked sect leader Lan, slightly bowing from his seat.

That night, I couldn't sleep. Apparently, after a long rest, the events of yesterday started to come into my mind in waves. One in particular kept me awake tonight.

FOR FUCKS SAKE! YOU JUST HAD TO CARRY THE MAN IN A FUCKING SWORD WHILE HOLDING ON TIGHTLY TO HIS WAIST...WAIST REALLY?

You could've just held his shoulders or his sleeves but NO, you just had to hold on to his waist and hold him tightly, I swear to gods I could still feel the heat of his skin and hear his breath...

"Fuck stop it Jiang Cheng!" I called out to myself.

Well Shit!

"Hmm, what was that sect leader Jiang?" asked a sleepy Zewujun who was clearly awoken by my unintentional outburst.

"Nothing, sect leader Lan! My apologies!"

Great, now he probably thinks I'm a crazy person even in bed. Sigh, let's just get some sleep which is hard because the man was sleeping in the bed next to me and I swear I could feel his presence in the room.

I forced my eyes closed and tried to even out my breathing. Thankfully, my body listened to me for the first time tonight and felt myself relaxing.

The next morning, we decided to discuss our course of action. We agreed that we would talk with Wei Wuxian and Hanguanjun about both cases as we think that it could be connected. We just don't know how yet.

"Huh, Yunmeng Jiang is greatly indebted to Gusu Lan for this help!" I bowed formally.

I felt him grab my hands to stop me from bowing further down and I froze.

"No need,sect leader Jiang! We are already allies since even before the Sunshot campaign, this threat is not just a threat to Yunmeng Jiang but to all cultivation world, Gusu Lan will gladly offer help in any way we can!", he smiled.

And I blink a few times until finally taking my seat opposite him for the table.

Huh, really Jiang Cheng! You hate his brother, loath his brother in law, but just had to fall for him don't ya!

Of all the fucking people to fall for you just had to fall for that stuck up shit hole of a person's brother!

That Guanyin temple really is a place for realization. Inside I discovered my brother had moved on without me, hell, I don't even think he thought of me as more than a debt to be fucking payed.

And outside... when I saw him so quiet with no smile on his face. I finally realized my feelings for him. The angry feeling I got when I saw him with that snake, the dislike I had for the snake in the first place turned out to be jealousy not just for him having Jin Ling as an heir but also because he seemed to have the affection of the person I love.

So, all those feelings of admiration I had for the man, was... actually a feeling of... love...

And with just my luck, his brother doesn't like me so of course he won't like me either and then...he went away for 2 years...

Well, who am I kidding, like I even had a chance even if hadn't went away in seclusion for 2 fucking years.

"Sect leader Jiang...sect leader Jiang?" he called concerned.

I broke out of that little rent in my head and apologized. Huh, it seems I've been doing it a lot lately when I'm with him.

"I was just asking if you would like to keep correspondence after this?" he repeated.

Ah... right back to business...

"Of course, sect leader Lan! We should keep giving updates on what we found!" I nodded my head.

"No! I meant even after this case is over," he clarified.

I looked at him and slowly I narrowed my eyes...

I felt my heart squeezing.

Hah, so is this his fucking attempt to atone for his brother and brother in laws action?

Right, Zewujun is nothing but honorable and selfless, and add in the love he has for his brother, he would of course force himself to spend time with the fearsome Sandu Shengshou.

"No!" I stated firmly.

"Sect leader Jiang..."

I could tell he was about to ask the reason or even try to persuade me to accept, but I am my mother's son, so of course I would also get her stubbornness.

"If this is your attempt to coax me into trying to mend things with Wei Wuxian and your brother, then you can stop here and now because that is never going to happen!" I unexpectedly growled out.

After a long pause, I am about to apologize again, considering I just growled at another sect leader but he beat me to it.

"It is not for Wangji or master Wei, it is for me!"

Now, I'm just raising my eyebrows at him.

" I must admit, the reason I extended my visit to Lout Pier is to get to know you better for master Wei and Wangji, they were quite affected by what transpired that night," he admitted.

I squeezed my hands tightly. Shit, that hurt! So he really was trying to appease his brother and brother in law.

Well, at least he's honest!

"However, right now I just want to make a new friend. I seem to need some at the moment!" he said almost....sheepishly?

Fuck I never Lans could make such expressions and that is coming from their sect leader. He looks kind of... cute...?

I shook my head to bury that thought and looked at him.

And of course he needs friends, you know considering his other ones are... well... currently fighting it out in a coffin where we burried and sealed them.

Come on focus Jiang Cheng!

"Why me? Why not someone else? I am sure there are more...agreeable people out there that would surely be more than happy to be friends with the great Zewujun!" I half sarcastically asked.

He cringed a little at the overbearing use of his title.

"I want someone who is honest with me," he simply said, well more like murmured out but I still heard it.

"Even if those truthful words are hurtful and most times uncalled for?" I smirked.

"Yes," he surprisingly answered immediately.

Well, I don't know if I should be happy or be offended by that.

I looked at him and I could see the sincerity in his eyes. Well, A-Hui and A-Ling do keep saying that I need to make friends. And besides, he's a sect leader and I'm a sect leader so our interactions would mostly be like he said... correspondence...

So without thinking about it further, I sighed and nodded my head.

The genuine smile he gave me then, almost made up for the shit show that is about to happen next.