To Love the Gentle Moon - Lan Xichen X Reader

Journey to Gusu - Part 4

A/N - sorry for the late update, I got caught up with some personal work and couldn't edit this one soon ... But here it is. Hope you all like it and do let me know what you think as you read by commenting 😊
.
.

Yuemei and Wuxian walked back in the cool evening air towards the Lotus pier, ending their day on a happy note full of understanding and respect for each other. As they approached the pier, they could hear the faint sounds of arrows whooshing and the cheers. Looking at each other, they wondered what was going on, and sure enough they saw both their brothers' in an archery competition, and from the looks on their faces, they were both determined to outdo the other.

Yuemei caught sight of Jiang Yanli who was watching the archery from afar. Her serene expression faltered slightly the moment she caught sight of the duo approaching, her gaze sharpening her smile replaced by thinly veiled displeasure and irritation.

“You’re back late,” Jiang Yanli remarked, her tone sweet but edged with a hint of reproach. “A-xian, we missed you, are you done with your packing for tomorrow’s journey? You shouldn’t leave these things until the last moment. You know how much work needs to be done in arranging all. A-Cheng can't be bothered with it all after all, you know how he is.”

Yuemei couldn't help but frown at the choice of words. As if Wuxian was a small baby and needs someone to look after him, but then again that was how Yanli saw herself as, a mother figure to her brothers' instead of being a sister. And she knew which brother got the most attention with how she talked. And it was not Wei Wuxian. For all Jiang Yanli talked about, you could see that whatever she does or says, it is to support her beloved brother and not Wuxian.

Wuxian chuckled lightly, and Yuemei observed that his smile didn't reach his eyes which made her wonder just how much he was struggling. "Shijie I've already completed my packing" he replied, his voice warm but slightly tinged with an unknown emotion. "I wouldn't dare to leave it till the last minute. And don't worry about my shidi . He is more than capable to handle things, he just pretends he is too busy. Grumpy old man" he muttered the last part and from the looks of it, only Yuemei heard it and she was having a hard time trying to control her laugh.

Yuemei had hoped that the conversation with Yanli came to an end, but given the way the other lady tilted her head and gave that smile, she thought not. "I know you A-Xian, you always say everything is fine, but sometimes it may not be. You should double check everything and make sure that it is all ready. For your shijie, please do,  it would put my mind at ease.

Yuemei observed the exchange her eyes catching the slight flicker in Wuxian's expression, the way his hand was gripping his sword, knuckles white and tense, as if holding himself back. She sighed and felt so bad for him, how is he dealing everyday with all these emotions. He lowered his face for a moment and took the time to school his features to a grin, which looked a bit sarcastic. Can anyone blame him?

"Shijie, you wound me," clasping a hand over his chest dramatically. "Do you think I'd leave a single detail unchecked for our journey? I might not be looking forward to their wall of rules, but I sure am going to enjoy the time away while travelling."

Yanli smiled though her eyes liberated a second longer as though weighing whether or not she can trust him. "Alright if you say so, but if anything is missing, don't come to your shijie crying. I cannot help you."

Wuxian waved off her concerns, "of course, of course ! I'll take full responsibility is anything goes wrong. I'll even skip your soup to make up for it. Speaking of which, I have asked the vendor to send the fresh batch of Lotus root, tomorrow morning to the docks."

Wuxian looked at Yuemei with a bright grin, but she caught the shadows lingering in his eyes. And it struck her, for all of his light-heartedness and carefree smiles, Wuxian had learned to carry the weight others placed in hin, even if it hurt.