A Life with You

13. Nostalgia

Previously...

Jiang cheng, "Prepare a bath and get the horses ready tomorrow, we will go to the south."

Jiang Cheng's POV

A hot bath is truly the best thing ever. I just feel like I'm floating, but not gonna lie, getting away from them is surely hard. What were they going to do, kill me? I am a strong cultivator and a sect leader; did they forget that. It's not like I wanted to go there either, blame the physician for not coming to Yunmeng.

Hui zhong, "Sect leader, we received a letter from Gusu Lan clan." What! I turned towards the door where I could see his silhouette standing behind the door. "Keep in my room." "Yes, sect leader."  A letter from Lan clan, did they find out it's me? Obviously they did, why else would they search for a purple robed man.

I got up from the tub and went behind the screen to change into my purple inner robes, I let my hair down and wore Zidian before opening the door to my room. I took the envelope which was sitting on the table, and I started reading it. By the end of the letter, I was almost panicking.

Oh no, they can't come here, not tomorrow. They would have probably told what happened to xichen, then, they must be here to threaten me. Should I block their path? maybe I should just inform them that I will be absent. Yes, that's what I'm going to do.

*Knock knock*

Hui zhong, "Sect leader, you haven't eaten dinner yet, should I bring it in?" Perfect timing, he is truly the best disciple. "Come in." The door opened and a head peeked in looking around for his master, but suddenly the door was pushed open, and he fell down. "What are you doing?"

Hui zhong, "I-I thought... you...there...here..." I sighed before sitting on the chair and gesturing him to sit as well. He stood up and walked towards me and promptly sat down. "What is it, sect leader?"

Jiang cheng, "Write a letter to Gusu, tell them I am not here and I have gone to deal with a business matter." 

Hui zhong, "Did something happen in Gusu, sect leader? Did they not welcome you there?" Why is this kid always on spot? 

Jiang cheng, "No, I went there to deal with a personal matter, nothing to do with them. Just write it and make sure it reaches them before dawn." He nodded his head and looked around the room. "You may leave." He bowed to me and left.

Today is definitely not my day, I stood up and went towards my bed and I saw a wooden box. It's the one that boat man gave us. He said something about moonlight, is it a part of the festival celebration? How funny, I stayed there to enjoy the festival and yet we didn't even go close to it.

I opened the box and saw a white jade tassel with a white lotus on top, it was all white and blue. What's wrong with those people? Don't they see any other color than that? Purple is obviously a way better color. 

I kept it aside and blew out the candles before tucking myself in. I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I was already asleep.

A beautiful scenery and rice wine along with the Yunmeng spring winds is the best thing ever. I could sit here forever. I took another sip from the wine and closed my eyes feeling the breeze. The cold lake water where my feet is dipped in, calms me down from anything.

I was just swaying with the wind until two brats decided to run into me and push me down. I groaned and my back hit a flat rock. I opened my eyes to see the two kids playing without a bother of their surroundings. How fun. I got up to warn them not to push people and that's when I saw their faces.

It's ...me? another kid who was with him looked at me, "Mister, could you move, your in our way." "S-sure..." I moved and they ran past me, maybe I am mistaken. I went inside to take a look at that burning injury in my back. "A-cheng, I made you lotus root rib soup." I went to the dining to see my sister and Wei wuxian happily chatting and shijie was feeding him.

"Shijie?" She turned around and looked at me and smiled, so pretty. Jinling definitely got her smile. "Chengcheng~ come eat fast, or I'll take everything." I walked towards a chair and sat down. A bowl filled with soup was placed in front of me. I took a sip and nostalgia hit me. It tastes just like before. How blessed I am to see her again. Wei wuxian sat next to me and started patting my head. "Aiya, how long will you practice. you look so dead." I turned to him and glared in a playful manner. He immediately hid behind Shijie and she laughed. 

"How does it taste a-cheng?" I looked at her and smiled, "Good as it always was." But something was off, I tried to say something but then everything became blurry. "Chengcheng~ If you like it then come with us. We can enjoy this forever." When my vision cleared, all I could see was Wei wuxian standing in front of me. Maybe it's cause I'm sitting down but he seems much taller. I tried to stand up by holding onto the sides of the chair but all I felt was flesh. 

I looked down to see dead bodies lying on the ground, blood seeping out from them. Even my hands became bloody. "A-cheng, don't you want to be with me? with mother and father?" I turned to see shijie with blood dripping from the side of her mouth. She was wearing the same dress as that night.

"I ...do." I tried to keep a calm demeanor, but tears started rolling down my face. "Jiang cheng, you were a failure and you always have been. But this time I won't ask you to work hard. Cause no matter what you do, you will never beat Wei wuxian." I looked at mother, she looked sad and disappointed. I can never change that look. At least not in this life. I was turned around by my father, he looked disappointed as well. "Even though you bullied Wei wuxian I will forgive you, instead come with us. Make it all right, repent in your next life, end this nightmare, just come with us."

I turned around to see all four of them surrounding me. I pushed through them and ran until I hit something, my hands were seized by two disciples who stretched them. I couldn't open my eyes, tears were flooding them, but a brutal hit on my chest woke me up. It was Wen chao, with his whip. I cried as the whip opened my skin, revealing blood which filled the floor. It hurts so much. More than it actually should.

Suddenly, a hand was placed in my neck and Wen zhuliu stood in front of me. I could feel the same pain I felt that day. I know what's going to happen, I tried to stop him, but it was useless. "Chengcheng, your useless body can do nothing. It was me; I am the reason for your strength. When you push me away you're weak. Can't you see? It's been me and always will be. And you will always hide in my shadow, forever until you die." 

I looked at Wei wuxian, he looked at me like he always did, I tried to reach out and he held it tight. The hand around my neck was gone, the disciples who held me are gone as well. I looked at him and he hugged me just like before. "Chengcheng, my dear brother, will you join me, us, we can all be happy with shijie aunty and uncle. You can finally defeat me, make them proud." Behind me shijie joined the hug as well.

"A-cheng, come with us. It's so lonely without you. We can go back to the way it was." I could feel another wave of tears rolling down my face. Before I knew it my parents were hugging me as well. If only this could last forever. There is no point in living either way. Nobody needs me.

Madam Yu, "Come with us my child, make us proud."

I nodded my head, "I will."