The Untamed 2: The Unlikely Hero -Book 1-3

23. Resetting

RESETTING

The next morning Jiang Cheng awoke to find himself alone. The morning sun had awakened him and the hustle and bustle of movement below the small house roused him from his sleep. His heart sank when he found that Huang Jin was not there. His mind raced as he thought back to last night. He had fallen asleep stroking her hair and he had never felt more at peace.

A small cough and knock came from the doorway as Wei Wuxian smiled kindly at his brother. A tray of food in his hands. "Good morning sleepy head. Time for your breakfast. Is my wittle brother hungry?" he teased.

Jiang Cheng scoffed and rolled his eyes moving to sit up. "Shut up."

Wei Wuxian laughed as he put down the tray on the table beside the bed and quickly helped Jiang Cheng sit up. "Oh don't give me that I brought you breakfast in bed. Why do you have to be so grumpy?" he pouted.

Jiang Cheng was about to bite back something in retort but the concern on his brother's face stopped him. He merely huffed loudly and glared out the window.

"Jiang Cheng. I am glad to see that you are alright." Wei Wuxian poured a glass of tea at the table and held it out for Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng's face fell and he smiled weakly accepting the cup. "Thank you," his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for saving me...again."

"Jiang Cheng..." Wei Wuxian said exasperatedly. He knew that Jiang Cheng was beating himself up again. He could tell by his brother's slumped shoulders and the forlorn look written across his face. Jiang Cheng looked over a serious expression on his face.

"No. No, I have to get this off my chest. So be quiet." Jiang Cheng fidgeted with his hands as he began to talk "I have never said thank you for what you have done for me. I was young and ignorant to the world. I didn't want to face the fact that I would never be able to be as good as you. That I would always be behind you."

"Jiang Cheng you aren't..." Wei Wuxian tried to interject but Jiang Cheng put a hand up and his piercing grey eyes locked with his.

"Stop. Let me finish. I am ok with that now. I have come to realize that it is not all about power in this life. Life is too short to be worrying about how powerful or how renowned one can be. We only have such little time in this life and I have wasted it." Jiang Cheng's eyes lowered and they filled with tears as he began to fidget with the ring on his finger. Zidian. He spun it around his finger as he continued, "I have wasted so much time. I have held a grudge in my heart and it has taken almost everything from me. I don't want that anymore. I don't want to waste another minute on the things that I can not control...I am sorry." He smiled softly and looked up at Wei Wuxian, tears streaming down his face. The sunlight shining through the window seemed to illuminate the room brighter and Wei Wuxian smiled back his own tears falling down his face.

"Thank you," they both said in unison. Wei Wuxian laughed and couldn't help himself. He got up and rushed over to Jiang Cheng and hugged him.

Jiang Cheng grunted in pain as he was bear hugged by his emotional brother. "Wei Ying! Get off me, you pervert."

"Oh stop. You know that I only love Lan Wangji so your honor is fine." Wei Wuxian teased back.

"Shut up." Jiang Cheng said wiping the last of the evidence of the tears he had shed away from his face and he straightened himself up adjusting his clothes. He had felt a million times better. No wonder why people always told him to talk through his problems.

A quiet knock on the door brought both their attention up and Huang Jin was standing in the doorway. A tray of food in her hands and a soft smile on her lips. She avoided both their eye contact the moment she saw the other tray of food on the table.