A Phoenix Rising - An Untamed Story (Book 1 In Series)

Chapter 20

"Shijie," Wei WuXian whimpered. With the veil covering her head, Wen Qing looked just like Jiang YanLi must have at her own wedding. One of the most important days in his Shijie's life and he missed it. The pain was as excruciating as it was sudden.

"Wei Ying?" a concerned voice at his shoulder asked. Wei Ying shook his head at his husband. I'm fine. It's fine.

Jin Ling, on Wei WuXian's other side asked, "You were at my parents' wedding?"

"No... but I did see your mother in her wedding dress. She and Jiang Cheng came to see me in Yiling City just before the wedding. She was so beautiful. That was also the day she told me she was going to have you; Shijie asked me to give you your courtesy name."

"You gave me my courtesy name?" Uncle Jiang had always said 'your uncle gave it to you' when asked. Jin Ling had thought Jin GuangYao had given him the 'Lan' because of his friendship with Lan XiChen. But it was really Uncle Wei?

Lan WangJi repeated the question. "You gave him his courtesy name?" His ears were turning slightly pink.

Wei WuXian laughed. "Well, the Ru part I had no choice about.... Family tradition and all that. But, yes," his voice turned softer, more intimate as he gazed at his husband. "I named him RuLan."

Jin Ling felt decidedly uncomfortable as his uncles looked at each other. He was quite sure they were silently promising to do lewd acts to each other. Was this how Uncle Jiang was going to act now that he was getting married? He tried to look at something innocent and instead found himself watching ZeWu-Jun staring at Li MeiLi. Do all men look this idiotic when they lust after someone?

Wei Ying nudged his husband's shoulder. "Are all weddings this boring?" he whispered. Then as it dawned on him that he was also married, "Was our wedding this boring?"

"Hush."

"Well, was it?"

Jin Ling snickered. "Yours was funny, Uncle Wei. The two of you arguing over which one was 'the wife' was quite funny. And then the rest of us arguing, too...."

"I don't know why there was any arguing," Wei WuXian complained. "It's obvious."

"Yes, it is obvious," Jin Ling deadpanned. Wei WuXian sent his nephew a sharp look; what was obvious was that his nephew thought Lan Zhan was the husband! Jin Ling gave his uncle his most innocent look and went off to find a less confrontational group of people to stand with.

"Hush," Lan WangJi repeated. The conversation was disrupting his ability to remain passive. Thinking of his own wedding brought back memories of their wedding night. And the things he had done to Wei Ying to prove conclusively which one of them was the husband. He took a step to the side and stood behind his husband to hide his burgeoning erection.

Wei Ying took advantage of this new position and leaned back. "Really, Lan Zhan. In public?" he murmured and wiggled his backside appreciatively. Then his tone turned somber. "I envied him, you know. Jiang Cheng.... By the time I figured that maybe you were more than just a friend, I was already cultivating resentful energy, and I knew that even being just your friend was impossible. Jiang Cheng at least had the courage to give Wen Qing a comb. I could only name my nephew after you."

Lan Zhan wrapped his arms around Wei Ying's waist and held tight. "You said you were seventeen when you thought...."

"The night we killed Wen Chou. It hurt so much to see you.... Jiang Cheng hugged me, and all I wished for was that it was you instead. That was the night I knew I had lost you. That no matter what it was that I felt, you could never feel the same way about me. You would never abandon your principles for someone who abandoned the sword path. What about you? When did you know?"