Beloved Beyond the End

Part 10

Hearing the elders discuss Weiying's punishment, Wangji felt a wave of numbness wash over him. The situation felt eerily familiar, reminiscent of the day he lost his mother—a memory that haunted him. He closed his eyes, struggling to breathe as the pain of that loss resurfaced. The fear of reliving such trauma gripped him, but he had to maintain the dignity expected of the second young master of the sect. No one could see his turmoil, except his brother, yet Xichen could read him like an open book.

On the other hand, Xichen shared Wangji's pain; he too had lost their mother. But he felt powerless to help either Wangji or Weiying.

Wangji stood there, legs trembling as he fought to remain upright, feeling as if he might collapse at any moment. His mother had meant everything to him—she was special, a beacon of love in his life. As a child, he had been helpless against the irrational decisions of clan elders, and now that helplessness returned, leaving him nauseous.

While the elders debated Weiying's fate, Wangji was lost in his thoughts. Finally, they decided on a form of seclusion that was far worse than anything he could have imagined—one that would cut Weiying off entirely from the outside world. He would receive minimal food and water, just enough to keep him alive, and no one would be allowed to interact with him. It was a prison disguised as punishment.

Wangji was shocked by their cruelty; he had never thought his clan could be so heartless. Unable to bear it any longer, he stepped outside the hall and walked toward the Jingshi with a heavy heart.

Feeling powerless to change anything, Wangji tried to push aside his emotions. He knew Weiying had made mistakes—no matter the reasons—but now he felt trapped in a marriage that would never allow him the life he had envisioned for himself. With this weight on his heart, he settled into a lotus position and began to meditate.

Yet concentration eluded him as thoughts of Weiying swirled in his mind, each one a reminder of the bond they shared and the pain that now threatened to sever it forever.