Dust & Gold

26

The next morning after a nice bath and calming breakfast. I sat outside for some fresh air. I began to think about this condition of mine more. I questioned how Madam Yu knew about it. My parents would never tell someone like her about it, and they died way before she knew. Also, I'm starting to noticed that it's slowly becoming less effective on me. If it involves Lan Zhan, I can feel everything.

I could feel pain, my own pain...well him leaving love bites isn't really painful but I could feel it. To test it out, I pinched myself hard. It only got Lan Zhan's attention, "Wei Ying, what are you doing?" He asked.

"Sorry, I was just testing something," I answered.

He joined me outside with a fresh brew pot of tea, "testing what exactly? Does it have to involve pinching?" He asked.

"I couldn't feel it," I told him, "but last night...I could feel everything. It wasn't necessarily pain but maybe discomfort, and I could feel the bites you left behind. It was making me question this condition of mine. I've heard of curses that make people this way but it doesn't work with soulmates. I'm wondering if I really had this disease since birth or if it was something I gained while alone on the streets. If my memory is hazy it only makes sense for me to not remember...especially since Madam Yu knows out of everyone else. I never told anyone about it so I questioned how she came to know about it."

"To test you if you are cursed, we'd have to go to Gusu for a few days. We have methods to check for curses that other sects don't have," he told me.

I felt like crying, "Lan Zhan, why can't I just be normal?" I asked in a quiet voice, "why does everyone have such a vendetta against my parents that they have to take it out on me? Why is it the child that bears the responsibility of the burdens of blame?"

Lan Zhan pulled me to his lap and held me close, "I cannot speak for those people, nor do I have any excuses for their behavior. Sometimes people just have hatred so strong that they go to the next closest thing attached to that hatred. A lot of times, it is the child that bears it all."

"Please," I said as I rested my forehead to his.

"Tell me, what do you want?" He asked calmly.

"Help me," I said, "help me get this dealt with."

"I will help you," he said, "we can set up plans to travel in a couple days. I will write to my brother to tell him in advance."

"Thank you," I said and rested my head against his shoulder, "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you with me."

"It will have you think twice before making any rash decisions on going places without me," he told me.

I could tell he was still a bit bitter about that, "I am sorry," I said, "I just...don't trust a lot of people."

"I understand that, but you will always have me now," he said, "I am your husband and I will do everything I can to be there for you."

I nodded, "you are the only person I have come to trusting in a long time," I told him, "I actually can't remember the last time I trusted anyone."

"You can always trust me," Lan Zhan said, "no one else will be more honest and trustworthy to you than me."

I smiled and snuggled more into his embrace. I let out a soft sigh as I felt comfortable.

***

~*Lan Wangji's POV*~

Wei Ying was stressed, but I cannot blame him. After voicing his worries, I started to really think about his words. Even though there is a bond, there are some things that Wei Ying shouldn't be able to feel, but he had voiced that it isn't always the case as long as I am the one who makes him feel it. It was all evidence of a curse not a condition from birth.

When Wei Ying got comfortable on my lap and dozed off, I sent a butterfly directly to my brother to tell him of such news. I told him we would be going back to Cloud Recesses and I'd tell him everything else when we arrived. These butterflies were faster to deliver messages than a normal letter. It was only a few minutes later that he replied and he said he would be waiting for us.

After some time, I carried Wei Ying inside and placed him in bed. I sat beside him as I knew he would be restless if I was not close by. Sitting there beside him, it allowed me to think over some things.

Wei Ying was opening up to me slowly. He was difficult to get through when it came to his inner thoughts. What was most important, he said he trusted me. It gave me relief and I knew he'd be more open to me from now on. The only issue is that if he was to talk to me about personal issues, he may not do so in such public places. This place where we now reside, it was his safe space and he was free to talk about anything he wanted without others listening in. If we were back in Gusu, he wouldn't be as open.

I wanted so badly to go hunt down that Madam of Lotus Pier and punish her ten times worse than what she did to Wei Ying. First of all, I can't just do so, but second, even though we were no longer living in Cloud Recesses, we were still considered members of the sect. We cannot act out on our own without considering the consequences that would fall back onto the sect. If we were no longer part of the sect, I would have hunted her down by now. For all we know, it was her who potentially had placed this condition on Wei Ying just so she could beat up someone without remorse.

Those Jiang's won't be able to hide away for long, because sooner or later, their actions will become known to everyone else. We have yet to see Chifeng Zun about this matter but once he knows of this, he too, will want to take action. He was announced as the new acting Chief Cultivator as we know the Wen Sect is soon to start things that could lead to a war. Chifeng Zun was most knowledgeable in battles and he had the best spies through the sects. He knew almost anything as long as he had someone looking into the matter. It made me realize that he could be the key to helping bring justice to Wei Ying.