Dust & Gold

11

~*Wei Wuxian's POV*~

Sect Leader Jiang was to be here sometime today. I was a bit nervous about that. He doesn't know all that I've been through back at Lotus Pier because I have kept it a secret for so long...then again, I was forced to keep it a secret. I was free of Yu Ziyuan but I wasn't out of the woods entirely. I was sitting with Lan Zhan, his uncle, and his brother at the Elegance Room. Here they hold meetings with families.

"Wei Ying, you are safe," Lan Zhan told me.

"You don't know that for sure," I said calmly, "all this is coming out to Sect Leader Jiang now. He never knew any of this and he is going to question why I took so long."

"You have your reasons for that," Lan Zhan said, "and there is evidence to support that."

"It's also a family that is getting ready to be torn apart," I said.

"It wasn't your fault either. If anyone is to blame it is Madam Yu's fault," Lan Zhan said.

"Wei Gongzi, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Lan Xichen told me.

I sighed and nodded. I didn't want to continue this conversation as I felt they wouldn't understand my reasoning. Soon enough, Sect Leader Jiang arrived...and so did Shijie.

"Shijie," I said with a smile.

"A'Xian," she replied and hugged me, "staying out of trouble?"

"Trying to," I replied.

"A'Ying," Uncle Jiang said, "why have we been called here?"

I pulled away from Shijie and looked at Lan Qiren, "We called you here for a few reasons. One, your wife and son were both harassing Wei Wuxian within this sect; two, it seems that your wife has a habit of abusing Wei Wuxian on a regular basis, and three, if this gets solved properly, we will be happen to form an alliance with you as Wei Wuxian is my youngest nephew's soulmate."

"Mother is here?" Shijie asked and looked at me, "are you okay?"

"If it wasn't for Lan Zhan, I would probably be dead soon," I told her and looked at uncle Jiang, "Madam Yu threatened to kill me if I told anyone. Especially if I told anyone about a condition that I've had since birth."

"What kind of condition?" Uncle Jiang asked.

"Congenital insensitivity which means I am unable to feel pain," I answered, "the reason it is coming out now is because the Lan bloodline has this effect where when they cross paths with their soulmate, a bond forms. He can feel my pain for me. If not for him and his family I would probably be in the infirmary right now. Maybe even dead."

"My wife wouldn't make you hide something like this," Uncle Jiang said.

"She did and she has been experimenting on me for three years trying to get me to feel pain. I have so many scars and bones that have been broken because of her. If you don't want to believe me, I will leave your sect. I may not have been able to say anything but you should have been able to see that I wasn't doing okay. You know that Madam Yu curses me all the time in front of you. So you know what she is capable of!" I argued.

"Sect Leader Jiang, your wife is currently in a cell in our dungeon along with your son for trying to harm Wei Wuxian," Lan Xichen said, "if it wasn't for my brother, Wei Wuxian would probably be in a worse state. He can remove his robes to show you the scars his body is currently carrying. You have to know that something is wrong here. Stop denying it."

Sect Leader Jiang looked upset, "released my wife and son, my family is leaving," he said, "Wuxian, you can do as you please. I don't want to believe my wife would do something like this."

"Did you know I was going to disappear?" I asked, "that I was going to run away when I got here? That changed when I met Lan Zhan. He has shown me what love and trust really means. His family hardly knows me but that they still choose to stand up for me. I grew up around you and you think I'd make this up? What would my parents say to you today if they saw you abandon their son for something like this? Or was it all a lie and you never cared for me or my parents?"

"Your parents were just and respectful," Sect Leader Jiang said, "you are nothing like them."

That felt like an arrow shot into my heart, "I can't believe I thought you'd believe me. I was wrong. I hope your sect falls!" I said and went to leave.

"A'Xian!" Shijie said grabbing my arm.

I shoved her off making her fall, "you are just as bad as your father! You probably don't care either!" I said and stormed off. I just kept walking. I walked straight into the back hills and into the woods. I soon tripped and fell to the ground. I sat up and leaned against the nearest tree and cried.

"Wei Ying?!" Lan Zhan called for me.

I looked up at him and he ran to me...since when does he run? Well within the sect anyway.

"Lan Zhan?" I asked. He knelt beside me and pulled me into a hug, "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Lan Zhan told me.

"What do I do now? Where do I go?" I asked.

"Shufu told sect leader Jiang that you are staying here with us as you are my soulmate. He also declared the Jiang Sect an enemy to the Lan Sect and it will be said to the chief cultivator at the next conference meeting of his wrong doings to you."

"I didn't think he'd do that," I said, "what he said about my parents."

"What he did was wrong and I can tell you that even though I've never met them, they wouldn't want you to suffer anymore. They wouldn't want you around the Jiang's anymore," Lan Zhan said.

"I didn't mean to hurt Shijie," I said, "she was the only one who really cared about me...she'd see me sick and she'd take care of me. She'd make sure I'd eat, and if she saw I was injured, she'd tend to me."

"She's a bit upset but I believe you two will be okay. My Uncle let the Jiang's leave, Madam Yu and Jiang Wanyin too. Though the lectures are still going, they will not be here to finish it," Lan Zhan told me.

"Why do people always leave me?" I asked.

"I won't," Lan Zhan said, "you know I won't."

"If we didn't have this bond, you wouldn't have even looked at me," I told him.

"I actually believe I would," he said, "you are really good looking, and kind."

I blushed and looked away from him. Just as I looked away he placed his hand on my face and had me look at him again. This time, his face was closer to mine. I got a really good look into his eyes. They were beautiful and gold. It was like looking at a wheat field under a sunset. I felt warmth from them.

I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck and pulled him in to kiss him. His lips were warm and soft. He kissed me back and it felt more heated. I knew then that he really meant it when he told me he was here for me, so I will be there for him.