Chapter Text
He stood in the middle of his room, hand clutching a bottle of white pills. It's been a few months since he started taking sleeping pills to help him sleep but lately, it ceased to work. He's been taking more than prescribed but it doesn't help. He was alone in this world. Even his parents was hoping he wasn't born. His best friends was avoiding him since the incident a few months ago. He is totally alone, he laughed bitterly and tears fell on his cheeks and he brushed it away roughly. He took out his phone and send all the messages he had composed earlier. It was late at night and he was sure everyone were asleep. Then he opened the bottle and poured the contents into his mouth and went to his bed and laid down.
~A-Yuan~ (the name listed on his phonebook)
Lan-Yuan, you are one of my best friends and I am really thankful for that. I know you are tired of cleaning mess after mess that I made, but don't worry. I won't do it again after this. Thanks for everything. {Sent}
~Mistress~
Jin Ling. you are one of my best friends even though we didn't like each other in the begnning but we are best friends, right? I am sorry for always making you upset and quarreled with you but being friend with a mistress like you makes my day enjoyable and fun. But I won't bother you again after this. I know you are getting tired of my behaviors and after all this time, I have never apologized to you, so now I am sincerely apologizing to you. Thanks for putting up with me and thanks for being my friend. {Sent}
~Emotionless Uncle~
Uncle Zhan, thanks for caring for me all these years. I'm sorry I cannot repay your and Uncle Wei kindness but I am really thankful for the cares you guys give me.{Sent}
~Smiley Uncle~
Uncle Huan, I'm sorry I can't keep my promise to become the top three student in school. Thank you for all you guidance and teachings all these years. {Sent}
And lastly,
~Obnoxious Uncle~
Uncle Wei, sorry for bothering you late at night. I just wanna say thank you for everything you have done for me all these time. I am really sorry for leaving like this but no one cares. Not even my parents. I am all alone and I am in pain. I can't take this anymore. I'm sorry and thank you.{Sent}
But there was one message left unsent. The name listed was Grumpy Love.
1 year ago,
Jingyi and Sizhui was walking towards the canteen when a loud commotions erupts. They looked at each other and ran to the canteen. It was Jin Ling. He was fighting with a smaller but agile teen, who they recognized as Xue Yang.
"Jin Ling!" they both shouted and rushed in to pulled them apart. Jingyi was holding on to Jin Ling while Sizhui pushed Xue Yang away.
"What happened?" Sizhui asked looking around.
"Heh, your firned here thinks he is the King, strutting around with his expensive clothes and pushing people away. He messes with the wrong guy." Xue Yang sneered.
"You! So what? It's not like I'm using your money to buy all my stuffs." Jin Ling lifted his chin and huffed.
"Jin Ling." Sizhui said in a small voice, hand patting the other boy shoulder to calm him down and it worked.
"Hey, Xue Yang! No one can make fun of him except me. I will not tolerate anyone bullying my best friend." Jingyi declared and Jin Ling glares at him.
"Who are you to defend me? I can defend myself well. You are not my parents." Jin Ling said and walked away. Sizhui followed him, leaving Jingyi, who was momentarily stunned by Jin Ling's harsh words.
"Heh, you hear that? He never cared about your friendship. He only tolerate you because of Sizhui. HAHA!" Xue Yang mocked him as he walked away.
~Maybe mother was right. No one ever really cares about me.~ he thought and shakes his head. Just like that, a seed of doubt planted itself in his heart.
He didn't see both of them again for the rest of the day and he went home alone, for the first time in two years of their friendship. He arrived home and he heard screaming. He sighed and decided against going but turned and walked towards the park instead. He sat on a bench for who knows how long, lost in his thoughts. It was sunset when he went home. As soon as he opened the door, his mother was standing there waiting for him.
"Where have you been?!" she asked angrily and he automatically shrinks his neck.
"Umm, I was working on my homework at the library." he lied and lowered his eyes. Li Yulan narrowed her eyes at him.
"You dared to lie to me? Brat!" he was slapped hard. But it wasn't enough to appeased her anger. She pulled his hair and brought him to the living room and proceded to take a belt and hit him with it over and over again. He curled himself into a ball and bit his lips to prevent himself from crying out.
"I wished I never gave birth to you! I wish I never married that poor bastard! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! No one will ever care for you. You are an unwanted person! No one will! You are a burden to everyone!" she screamed while hitting him.
Li YuLan didn't feel any better after hitting her son with the belt, so she resorted to kicking. Jingyi was on the verge of losing concsiousnesss when she stopped kicking him and stormed away.
He laid there, holding back tears as his mind going back to what his mother had said earlier. ~No one will ever care...~
After half an hour, he slowly stood up on shaky legs and wiped the blood away from his broken lips and silently made his way into the bedroom.
He skipped school for a week as the buises was on his face and his lips was split open. But no one text him. No one cares about him. Just like that, multiple seeds was planted.
When he finally returned to school, Sizhui immediately pulled him to the his class.
"Where have you been for a week? I texted you multiple times but you didn't even read it. I was worried."
"What? I didn't get any text messages. I was at home, sick." He pulled out his phone and show it to Sizhui.
"No wonder. Your phone is dead. Why didn't you charged your phone?" Sizhui handed his phone back. Jingyi was silent for a moment, staring at his phone.
"Ah, I must have forgotten." he smiled at his best friend who stared at him, sceptical.
"Nevermind. Dad asked you to go to the his office when you are free." Sizhui said and walked to his own class when the bell rings.
At lunch, he didn't go to the canteen but went to the office. He stood outside for a minute before raising his hand and knocked the door.
"Come in."
"Teacher." He greets when he stepped in and closed the door. Wei Wuxian was smiling at him and beckoned him to take a sit across the table.
"Jingyi, call me uncle when we are alone. How many times have I said this to you?" Wei Wuxian scolded him in a joking manner. Jingyi scratched his head and smiled shyly.
"Uncle. Why do you call for me?"
"Ah, you were absent for a week and no one notify us. I called your father but all he said was he doesn't know."Jingyi shuddered slightly at the mentioned of his father and Wei Wuxian noticed.
"I was sick and my father doesn't know. He was busy so I didn't tell him." he lied. Lying was easy for him. He had been lying for as long as he can remembered.
"I see." Wei Wuxian gazed was full of doubts but Jingyi hardens his heart. He didn't wavered under the intense gaze. Then the bell rings and he stood up to leave.
"Jingyi, you know you can find me or Lan Zhan when you have problems right? We will always welcome you. Remember that." his voice was stern and Jingyi nodded.
~I will only become a burden to you.~ he thought as he walked away.
The rest of the week went smoothly. Jingyi hardly sees Li YuLan at home but his father, Lan Tang was home one day when he arrived. His father was death drunk and he slowly tiptoed his way to his bedroom when suddenly his collar was grabbed and he was thrown on the floor.
"You useless piece of shit! A teacher called me and said that you were absent from school for a week. I wasted my money to send you to school and you dare to skip?" he growls as he towered above Jingyi.
"..."
"Are you mute? I'm asking you a question." Lan Tang yanked his hair and he hissed in pain.
"I was sick.." Jingyi's words was cut short when a punch landed on his stomach and he gasped. Bile rising to his throat but he held it in.
"Pathetic excuse! You really are like you mother. Ungrateful bitch. Only knows how to spend money and whoring around!" He yelled as he punch and kicked the boy under his feet. Jingyi felt something broken and he can taste blood in his mouth. He vomited the blood he held in when a kick landed on his chest and he can't breath. He was gasping for air and Lan Tang stopped hitting him, satisfied at the sight of blood that's trickling out from the boy's mouth.
"It will be better if you die! ptui!" he spat as he walked out from the house. Jingyi was clawing at his throat trying to gasp for air. He tried to scream but his voice failed him.Then his vision darkening and he passed out.
It was dark outside when he regained his concsiousness. He tried to move but the pains kept him still. He started crying,trying to scream and his chest burned. He just want someone to care. He wished he wasn't born and yet here he was. Broken and battered. Lying on the cold floor in his own blood. Suddenly, his phone rings. He was going to ignored it but his hand already reached out and pressed the button. He didn't know who's calling but he managed to said one word before passing out again.
"Help.."
Wei Wuxian was getting anxious. He can't stop thinking about Jingyi. Lan Wangji noticed and held him.
"Wei Ying, what's wrong?"
"I can't help feeling that something is wrong with Jingyi. He acted unusual earlier today." Wei Wuxian said and lean his head in his husband's chest.
"You can call him." Wei Wuxian perked up and laughed.
"Silly me. I forget about that. Thanks Lan Zhan." he pecked Lan Wangji's lips and grabbed his phone and dialed Jingyi's number.
It rang for a moment too long for his liking and his brows furrowed. Then it was answered.
"Jingyi?"
No one answer.
"Hello, Jingyi?"
Silent.
"Help.." came a weak and hoarse voice before it all went silent again and Wei Wuxian immediately went into panic mode.
"Lan Zhan! Something is wrong. We must go there. Now!" Lan Wangji didn't say anything. He stood up and immediately pulled Wei Wuxian and grabbed the car keys. On their way, Wei Wuxian called Lan Xichen.
"Brother, something is wrong with JIngyi. Please go check on him!" Wei Wuxian said directly without waiting for the other man to speak.
"Okay." he hung up and directly drove to Jingyi's.
Lan Xichen arrived five minutes later.
"Jingyi?" he called as he knocked the door. No one answer. He knocked louder. Then he heard a gasping sound and immediately he tried the door handle and it opened. What he saw was horrible. Jingyi was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, his face was swollen and one of his leg was twisted at a weird angle.
"Jingyi!" Lan Xichen rushed to the boy and took out his phone and called an ambulance.
"Stay with me Jingyi. I'm here. Uncle Huan is here." he said softly as he slowly racked his hand through Jingyi's hair.
Fifteen minutes later, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrived at the sight of an ambulance and a small body on a stretcher being pulled into the ambulance.
"Brother!" Wei Wuxian ran to Lan Xichen with Lan Wangji. When Lan XIchen turned around, Wei Wuxian gasped in shock and almost fell if Lan Wangji didn't support him.
"Bro-brother. That blood, who?" Wei Wuxian choked. thinking of the worst.
"It was Jingyi's. I found him inside, barely breathing." Lan Xichen's voice was shaking. His nephew was almost died in front of him. Wei Wuxian went pale. Lan Wangji's hands curled into a fist.
"Brother, where is Lan Tang and Li YuLan?" He asked, anger evident in his voice.
Lan Xichen shakes his head. Wei Wuxian suspected the same. But they have to wait until he was safe and awake before jumping into conclusion. But they made police report and soon the two was caught and put under arrest.
Sizhui and Jin Ling was at school when a teacher called them to the office.
"Teacher." they greets.
"Sizhui, Jin Ling. Take a seat." They sat on the couch and the teacher sat across them.
"I noticed that you two are friends with Lan Jingyi, right?" the teacher asked and they nodded.
"Jingyi wasn't at school today. Did he done something again?" Jin Ling asked with laughter. Sizhui just sat silently.
"Lan Jingyi is admitted to the hospital last night. You can ask the details from your fathers, Sizhui." the teacher said and both of them paled instantly. They didn't asked anymore and ran outside. Lan Wangji was waiting at the gate and immediately ushered them in and drive to the hospital in silence.
They stood outside the ICU watching the person lying there, body laced with wires and tubes.
"Dad, what happened?" Sizhui clung to Wei Wuxian's arm as his legs was too shaky to stand up right.
"Sit first." Lan Wangji guide them to the waiting room. Lan Xichen was sleeping inside, still wearing his bloodied shirt and Sizhui gasped. Jin Ling eyes widen.
"It's not his. It's Jingyi's." Wei Wuxian took a deep breath.
"Uncle, tell us." Jin Ling said in a small voice.
"He was beaten by his parents. He was abused for a long time. There are so many scars on his body. Old and new. But last night was the worst, his lungs is punctured by his broken ribs and his throat was almost crushed. His left leg was broken and he suffered a concussion." Wei Wuxian explained.
"But he never told us. He always look happy and bright." Jin Ling sobbed. Sizhui was crying silently as he listened. He was speechless at how much his friend had suffered and yet hidden it so well no one noticed.
"Abuse victims will never tell you that." Lan Xichen suddenly spoke. They didn't noticed he had woken up. Lan Xichen cover his face with his palm and sighed.
"I should have paid more attention to him. I didn't think that Lan Tang and Li YuLan is so cruel to their own son." his voice was filled with regrets.
"Brother, no one knows what was happening in that house." Lan Wangji said.
"Yes, we will never expected that they were abusing him. They never together with him." Wei Wuxian eyes flashed with something.
"Go home. I will stay here tonight." Lan Xichen said with a tired voice.
"You are tired, brother. We will stay." Lan Wangji argues and Lan Xichen can only nodded and took the two unwilling boys home.
"Lan Zhan, I want to take Jingyi home with us after he get discharge." he stared at his husband's eyes and nodded as he too wanted the same.