❃ 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ❃

🔹𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊🔹

To an initial observer, Jiang Yanli's personality was mild, with nothing too notable. She enjoyed cooking for others, especially her brothers, and was implied to prefer cooking over cultivation.

Underneath her gentle and polite exterior, however, Jiang Yanli was fiercely protective of her family. She refused to tolerate any insults towards her sworn brother Wei Wuxian, and she alone possessed the ability to reason with Wei Wuxian in the depths of his grief-stricken madness.

And now that Wei Wuxian was whipped by her mother, she was outraged and infuriated. She did her best to control her anger and asked, her viuve filled with worry and concern,

"A-Xian, how are you feeling now?"

Wei Wuxian lost the count of time his sister had been asking this same question again and again. He could not see his sister's tearstained face so he, said, pretending to be alright, when his back hurt badly,

"Shijie..." he whined, "I am doing alright. I am all good."

"But the doctor said that you won't be able to get up for the next two days."

Before Wei Wuxian could even answer, Jiang Cheng interfered,

"Mother used a lot of force on you. She was very angry. Are you seriously alright?"

"Aiya... Jiang Cheng, what's up with you too? Can you not see me clearly? I am already half alright. By tomorrow, I will be fine fully. There is no need to worry about me!"

"Shut up!" Jiang Cheng hissed. "Don't you even think of getting out of the room for the next two days. I will not hesitate to break your legs!"

"Jiang Cheng, just say that you love me and cannot see me in pain." Wei Wuxian sang, trying to ease out his sibling's mood.

"You! Do you think...."

"Enough, both of you!" Jiang Yanli stopped them from getting into a fight. She then turned towards Wei Wuxian and said, "A-Xian, Master Lan had ordered to whip you 300 times as punishment. Will you be really fine?"

Concern and worry were written all over her face.

"Shijie, do you think I am so fragile to be unable to take in their strikes? You seriously cannot think such a thing, okay?" Wei Wuxian pouted. "I, Wei Wuxian, excel at everything, and most importantly at, receiving punishments." Wei Wuxian smiled, sheepishly.

"Just cut off your nonsense!" Jiang Cheng roared, "How could you even say that you accepted the punishment? It was not fair at all. Gusu Lan standed for justice and upright when they just try to forget it when it comes to their own family matters."

"What are you blabbering?" Wei Wuxian asked puzzled.

"Hmph, wasn't it Lan Wangji who tied the forehead ribbon around you, shouldn't he too be punished along with you? How could Lan Qiren punish only you and not his nephew?"

"Jiang Cheng, didn't he clearly say that this punishment was not only for this issue but for all the trouble I have caused since entering Cloud Recesses? I deserve this." Wei Wuxian muttered.

"Of course you deserve it, but not under this circumstance. I think, Lan Qiren is just using this opportunity to kill you. And, why the heck are you defending him? Are you already obsessed with you future family?"

'Future family....' Wei Wuxian repeated those words on his mind, feeling a pang on his heart.

It was then that he remembered that he was to be married in a week's time! To Lan Wangji!

He felt his heart tighten at onde and fekt a throbbing pain on it, as if it was being shattered to million pieces.

It was like lightning had pierced through his head. His heart was burning, and he could feel hatred in it. But Wei Wuxian did not know, who he was supposed to hate. Lan Qiren or Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji had wanted to save his life while Lan Qiren just wanted to punish him. Wei Wuxian knew that it was their custom to tie the ribbon around their partner's, but, Lan Wangji had not tied the riboon on him out of love or affection. He had tied it just to save his life. He would be the least person Lan Wangji would ever want to tie his sacred ribbon on.

Wei Wuxian reflected Lan Wangji's words from the other night. He had clearly heard Lan Wangji say,

  'I have never thought of him that way.'

He knew that was true. He knew Lan Wangji considered him at least as a friend and he too never considered Lan Wangji to be his partner in both life and cultivation. But, at least, he treated Lan Wangji as a friend.

Wei Wuxian thought back on earlier the morning in the main hall on how Lan Wangji had tried his best to call off this alliance. He never had even worded that he accepted this marriage.

Wei Wuxian laughed bitterly. He did not know how he was going to be living with Lan Wangji who was so cold and aloof and always stuck to rules. Although he did not know much about his future, he was very sure that, his life was going to turn into a living hell soon.

"Hey, are you even..."

Jiang Cheng was cut off by a knock on the room door. They were startled at first but then recovered, thinking it would be their father.

"It must be father." Jiang Yanli stated, walking towards the door.

"Father left just now." Jiang Cheng muttered under his breath but still waited for the door to be opened.

"Young Master Nie." Jiang Yanli bowed.

"Eh... Uh... Da jie... just call me Huisang. No need for formalities."

Jiang Yanli laughed at the silly behaviour of Nie Huisang.

"Alright then, Huisang, Come in." She beckoned.

"Thank you, thank you."

Not waiting anymore, Nie Huisang ran into the room, crying, "Wei Xiong, Wei Xiong...."

"Why are you shouting? Isn't he here?" Jiang Cheng was irritated.

"That is not important. I have come to tell you something very important." Nie Huisang said taking a seat on Wei Wuxian's bed.

"What?" Wei Wuxian asked weakly, not at all in a mood for joke.

"Wei Xiong, Second Master Lan had taken the beating for you. He had been so stubborn and wouldn't stop kneeling. He had said that he would not get up unless he was given your punishment and that you should be set free from the punishment. That old Lan had been very furious and knowing that Lan Wangji would not back off no matter what, he had commanded to strike him 400 times."

"What?!" Wei Wuxian yelled, straightening his back which made him hiss in pain.

"Yeah, just now, he was taken back to his room."

"He deserves it." Jiang Cheng huffed.

"Lan Wangji did not do anything wrong for him to deserve it. In fact, we should be sorry for him as he is the sole reason why A-Xian is alive now." Jiang Yanli joined.

Wei Wuxian shrank back unable to think clear. Why would Lan Wangji take his punishment?

He looked at Nie Huisang and inquired once again, in a low voice, unable to believe his own words,

"Lan Zh-Wangji took the beating?"

"Yes."

"Fo...for me?"

"Yes."

Wei Wuxian inhaled sharply, trying to calm down himself from the swirl of emotions he was feeling.

'Lan Zhan had taken the beating, FOR ME!'