Moonlit Hearts

Chapitre 2: Beneath the Moonlit Roof

Wangji and Wei Wuxian knelt together, awaiting their impending punishment. Wei Ying overheard the number of whips each of them would receive and was surprised to learn that Wangji would endure more lashes than he would.

"But it was my fault. Why not punish me more?" He blurted out, even though he could see that Odin had already left. Freya glanced at Wei Ying, her expression apologetic.

"A-Xian, why does it always have to be you? Hmm? This time, you even dragged Hanguang Jun into it," Freya sighed, already weary.

"This isn't fair! Wen Qing, you have to whip us the same number of times! No, wait, whip Lan Zhan less, or don't whip him at all. He's innocent!" Wei Ying pleaded.

"There's no need for leniency; please do as Odin said," Lan Zhan calmly said.

"Are you even in your right mind, Lan Zhan? Why would you even..." Wei Ying began to shout.

"Anyway, A-Xian, you know I can't. Are you trying to drag me into this mess too?" Freya interrupted, her tone slightly exasperated.

"No, but come on, you've got to admit it's not fair! I receive 150 whips for trespassing, being loud, and maybe for trying to sneak into the human realm... Don't give me that look; I said maybe! But he gets 200 just for shooing me away from his place? Really?" Wei Wuxian continued his complaint. 

"You know it's meant to teach you a lesson, a lesson you never seem keen on learning, by the way! Why do you always go out of your way to provoke him?" she also complained, her voice tinged with frustration.

"Because watching his face twist with displeasure is my daily dose of entertainment!" Wei Wuxian grinned mischievously.

Lan Wangji struggled to understand how Wei Ying could continue to joke and maintain his carefree demeanor after all they had been through. As he sat there, waiting for their quarrel to end, he couldn't help but wonder why Wei Ying was making such a fuss about the number of whips he had to endure, especially since it didn't concern him. His attention had drifted from their conversation when Wei Wuxian suddenly became serious again.

"I'm sorry, Wen Qing. Okay, okay, please get it over with quickly! Jiejie is probably already waiting for me anyway," Wei Wuxian urged her, his tone anxious.

"Fine," she responded reluctantly, positioning herself behind them. Despite her dislike for using the whip, she knew that orders were orders.

When the first lash struck their backs, Wei Wuxian hadn't expected it to be so powerful. He stumbled forward slightly before regaining his balance and gripping onto his knee while the whip continued to strike them both with significant force. From his side view, he couldn't help but notice that Wangji didn't even flinch as the whip struck him.

"Are you made of iron, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian couldn't help but think, marveling at how stoic and unyielding the other man remained. This was Wangji's first time being punished, and yet, if someone looked at his face right now, they wouldn't be able to tell if the whipping truly hurt him, as no emotions were visible on his expressionless face.

By the time Freya stopped whipping Wei Wuxian, he was already thoroughly exhausted. Despite this, he remained in place, silently enduring the punishment and waiting for it to end for Lan Wangji as well. He didn't dare look to his left or at the spot where Freya had been striking Wangji, keeping his focus fixed on Odin's throne. Once he could no longer hear the sound of the whip and was reasonably sure that it was over, he slowly turned around, wincing as he did so.

Wei Wuxian keenly understood the pain the whip could inflict on one's back, having endured it many times over the past few years. However, witnessing it on Lan Wangji, knowing that his punishment resulted from Wei Wuxian's actions, inflicted a different kind of pain. The whip had left long, red marks on Wangji's back, and blood oozed from the wounds, staining his once-white robes. Wei Wuxian couldn't escape the pang of guilt for what he had brought upon Lan Wangji. He knew those wounds would sting and throb for several days before finally subsiding.