COSMIC SERENDIPITY

Chapter- 21 (INTERLUDE 2.2 XiCheng Special)

Canon timeline
Simultaneously....

'.... and that's how I fell in love with you at first sight. Ah.... looking back at it now, it seems like a lifetime ago.' XiChen reminisced about that particular day in the midst of Nightless City, when his younger self, still unmarred by wars and deceit, fell in love with WanYin's innocent self.

'Hah... really?! Then I must say, your younger self had a much better eyesight than your older one', WanYin said, being all smug.

Lan XiChen and Jiang WanYin, who had been on a night hunt since the past few days, had finally returned to Gusu. They were still roaming around Ciayi City as XiChen wanted to spend some more quality time with his beloved, before they parted ways in the next few days, as Jiang Cheng had to return to his sect leader duties, and so did XiChen.

XiChen looked at his beloved with a smile that was only reserved for him, 'Oh! Then you mean to say that your younger self was better than you?'

'Yup', the excitement and the smug smile was soon replaced by a sombre expression, as he was reminded of the innocence and happiness that he lost due to all the conspiracies, wars, and deceit. Basically, the problems of adulthood and Sect politics that marred their entire lives.

XiChen immediately sensed his change of mood. So, instead of saying anything, he intertwined their hands together and firmly held WanYin's hand, indirectly assuring him that he would always be there for him. WanYin would never be alone ever again.

He smiled slightly at XiChen's actions but immediately concealed it. Instead, he asked, 'So, tell me one thing. If, according to you, you had a crush on me since that discussion conference in our childhood, then what about those rumors regarding you and Jin GuangYao? Weren’t you both so much in love with each other that  you trusted him implicitly, resulting in his abuse of power?' Distress and jealousy were clear in his voice.

XiChem sighed, for he remembered everything related to his sworn brothers. Jiang Cheng seemed to have realized his folly, as he winced when he heard XiChen sighing. WanYin immediately turned towards him to ask for forgiveness when he tightened his hold on their conjoined hands and simply said, 'They were just that, rumors. There was only slight truth in them. It's true that I trusted him. But that was only because I had seen him at his lowest point and when he was honest and hard working. I had seen him infiltrating the Wens, risking his own life for this cultivation world that had only ridiculed him for his lower birth status. He was my sworn brother, after all.

But I would also accept that there were some times when I gave into my physical needs. I am not a saint. Still, those moments held no emotions, and I hadn't crossed any line since he got married. It didn’t affect me much, because we were both more like friends with benefits. Whenever the political pressure became too much, we released it through s*x. It was purely physical. (Taking a small pause) He doesn't affect me that much anymore. It's just Da-ge's death that keeps repeating itself in my mind and how I was an utter failure to save my sworn brothers.

And, you don't have to be sorry about bringing him up. In fact, I am sorry. Due to errors in my judgment, you and your family had to suffer so much. I don't even know what use is my love for you. Look at WangJi. His love for Wei WuXian was so strong that he withstood the 33 whips, took the Wen brand to his chest, mourned him for 13 years years, even if the world was against him and ultimately raised his adopted son too. Even shufu never got married because he loved one person for his whole life, even though he couldn’t be with them. I sound so pathetic and an utter failure in front of all of this.

WanYin was taking his time to process it all, but when he heard XiChen badmouthing himself, he looked at him sternly, turned his face towards himself and said, 'XiChen, you can't compare your love with anyone else. Your love, your feelings are entirely yours. Do you know, if you had pursued me back then, just how much of a backlash you would have got, both from me and the cultivation workd at large? Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian had always been distant from the political matters, so it wasn't much of a hassle for them even if one of them was HanGuang-Jun and the other was YiLing Patriarch. Isn't that why it was so easy to blame my ahixiong because he only thought about right and wrong and not the politics behind it?