Silent in his Obedience

Ch.2

When Wei Ying opened his eyes he saw he was in the infirmary. He saw the doctor on the other side of the room with his back to him. He was nervous and just wanted to go back to his room. Back to his room where he didn't have to worry about saying something wrong and be punished severely.
The idea of having to go through the raw pain and fear the curse caused, made Wei Ying shiver.

The doors to the infirmary opened and he looked to see Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli.
"Are you alright A-Xian?" Jiang Yanli asked concerned and although Jiang Cheng didn't say anything Wei Ying could tell he was at least a little concerned.
Wei Ying opened his mouth to reply but his lips just trembled as fear washed over him and words wouldn't come out. His mouth closed as he settled for simply nodding to her.
"Is there anything we can do for you A-Xian? Shall I make you some soup?" She asked.
Wei Ying nodded with a small smile, her soup always made him feel good. Yanli will always the best, she's so kind and caring to everyone even someone like him.

________

From that day on Wei Ying didn't speak. He had developed a unreasonable fear of speaking and Madam Yu only further pushed him into a corner by commenting on his silence saying,
"Good. Silent, as you should be. You have no need for a voice, you're only the son of a servant after all. " She said telling him he had no need for a voice, a opinion.

Wei Ying had started staying in his room more often after that. When Jiang YanLi wasn't talking with him and Jiang Cheng wasn't playing games or studying with him, he was in his room drawing. He loved to draw everything, animals, flowers, buildings, and people. He had only shown Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng his drawings. They are something special to him. They are something in his life that Madam Yu hasn't taken from him.

Wei Ying decided he wanted to be free one day and be a rogue cultivator like his parents and draw all the amazing sights in the world as he wanders but... Madam Yu had forbidden him from leaving Lotus Pier without her permission. Not only that but even if he found a way to escape her and nullify the curse, it will never get rid of the scars she has left.

Wei Ying sighed and abandoned those thoughts of his for now. Wei Ying had drawn all of Lotus Pier so he was excited to see new people at the gathering being held in Lotus Pier in a week. He would never approach them though since he knew it was inappropriate for someone like him to talk to the sect leaders or the cultivators they may bring.

Wei Ying took out his drawing stuff from under his bed and set it on his desk. He sat down at his desk and picked up the brush, dipping it in the ink. The brush danced across the paper as he drew to his hearts content. When he finish he looked at drawing that he poured his art into. It depicted him laughing and free of his scars, it depicted him happy and free of worry.

_________

A week later Wei Ying hid in a tree near the room where the gathering of sect leaders and whoever they brought would be. He watched as several sect leaders  and their children arrived and he took a mental note of each and every persons face but there was one that really stood out. Wei Ying stared at two brothers in pure white robes, the older one smiled kindly like Yanli does but the younger one was expressionless.

However Wei Ying's eyes widen as the boy looked at him and they made eye contact. Wei Ying could see swirls of different emotions in the boys golden eyes. Wei Ying was fascinated and the image was immediately burned into his memory. The boy entered along with everyone else, and now that he was alone he climbed out of the tree and sat against the tree. Wei Ying took out his paper and started to draw the image while it was still fresh in his mind.

He made sure to do his absolute best to capture the emotions he saw in the boys eyes despite his cold expression. He was so focused on drawing that he thought his soul left his body when he noticed someone hovering over him and watching him. Startled, Wei Ying immediately clutched his drawing to his chest, as if to hide it.

"You are quite talented." The boy said and Wei Ying looked at him wide eyed.
Wei Ying shook his head in disagreement, he's not not talented, he can't even do something as simple as talking.
"What is your name?" The boy asked and Wei Ying took out a spare piece of paper to write it down.
'Greetings young master, this servants name is Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian. I apologize for any inconvenience my lack of voice may cause.' He wrote and showed it to the boy.
"It is no problem, my name is Lan Zhan, courtesy name Lan WangJi." Lan WangJi said, his voice calm.
Wei Ying didn't know what else he could say, the only people he really talked too was Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi since most Jiang disciples are scared of incurring Madam Yu's wrath.

"Can.... can I see what you were drawing?" Lan WangJi asked and Wei Ying wanted to say no.
He was scared that he would anger the boy and he would get punished by Madam Yu or worse, the curse. However when Wei Ying looked at Lan WangJi, he only saw curiosity in the boys eyes. He reluctantly nodded his head slowly showed him the unfinished drawing. He had only done the head, hair and eyes so far.

"Is that me?" He asked and Wei Ying nodded.
"Can I watch until you're done?" Lan WangJi asked and Wei Ying nodded once again.
Lan WangJi didn't say anything as Wei Ying kept drawing and Wei Ying was grateful for that.

After awhile Wei Ying was just about done, he had one last thing to draw. The mouth. Wei Ying thought about it for a moment and although Lan WangJi does not smile, he thinks that he is smiling inside. Wei Ying draws Lan WangJi with the slightest tilt to the corner of his mouth, a slight and almost unnoticeable smile.

"WEI WUXIAN!" A angry shout echoed through Lotus Pier and Wei Ying immediately paled, abandoning his art supplies and drawing. He quickly bowed to Lan WangJi before running off to Madam Yu who was no doubt furious.

_______

When Jiang Yanli heard her mothers shout, she went towards her mothers quarters. She was worried about Wei Ying, she didn't understand what caused a boy his age to act that way. She also didn't understand why the Jiang disciples avoided him.

When she arrived she heard her mother already scolding Wei Ying.
"You ungrateful brat! A servant reported you were with the second young master Lan, how could a servant like you be with someone like him? You'd do nothing but dirty his reputation by being with him!" Madam Yu spat and Jiang YanLi's heart sank with dread as she peeked through a crack in the wall.
"Kneel and strip." She ordered and Wei Ying complied, taking of the upper half of his robes and kneeling.

Silent tears fell down Jiang Yanli's face as she saw the scars on Wei Ying's body. There was whip marks, symbols engraved in his skin, and what really broke Jiang Yanli's heart was the Yunmeng Jiang's symbol cut into the back of his neck like a slave brand mark. She cried as she witnessed her mother use Zidian to whip Wei Ying as she spat degrading words, insulting Wei Ying and his parents.

Jiang Yanli quietly wiped her tears as she clenched her fist and left. She had to be careful. She doesn't know what the symbols do but when she thought about some of Wei Ying's odd behaviour, it obviously did something.

She thought about it carefully and decided she needed to tell Jiang Cheng. She also decided she needed to make sure he went to the cloud recesses with Jiang Cheng. Then Jiang Cheng could get Wei Ying help, even if that means that he stays in the Cloud Recesses and she can't see him often.

If it means Wei Ying doesn't have to suffer at the hands of her mother anymore... she'll do whatever it takes to get him out of here. Nobody deserves to be treated the way her mother treats Wei Ying.