Work Text:
The four of them acted without thinking. The four of them had jumped in front of Wei Wuxian, acting as a barrier between him, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng.
Cheng gasped, swinging his arm back, his long, lightning whip snapping back, away from them, realizing he was about to strike children with his Zidian.
He stepped back, gasping, the whip going back behind him, safely away from the four children, Wei Ying and Lan Wangji.
To be frank, having all three Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen, and having Jiang Cheng’s own nephew, Jin Ling staring at him as if he was literally the embodiment of evil, was enough to make him stumble back, his heart stopping.
His nephew had never looked at him that way-as if he were a waste of space.
Wei Ying collapsed-clearly whatever was wrong with him, it was too much for him to keep moving.
Lan Wangji lowered his body down, holding Wei Ying in his arms on the dock, holding him protectively.
A shape jumped by and landed on the deck next to the children, landing down, making the deck shake.
The four youths looked at what had just landed, startled to see that it was Wen Ning. And he was holding Wei Ying’s old sword, Suibien.
Wen Ning approached, feet clunking against the deck.
Jin Ling stared at the undead being, shocked. Wen Ning shared a sad look with him, before turning back to Jiang Cheng.
Cheng watched with anger and confusion as Wen Ning stepped in front of the children and held up Siubien in front of him.
Wen Ning demanded, “Unsheathe the sword.”
Cheng scoffed. What was this?
Having experienced disgust from the Lan juniors, not to mention his own nephew, and having to see Wei Wuxian walk around here as if he wasn’t responsible for the fall of Lotus Pier and for the deaths of three of the Jiang family, Cheng had had enough, and he swung his arm, brandishing his Zidian.
The whip hit Wen Ning, sending him flying backward, onto his stomach on the deck.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Jingyi demanded, staring at Jiang Cheng as if it was Wen Ruohan he was speaking to, “Wen Ning helped us and this is how you act?!”
“Should we be surprised?” Jin Ling remarked, a laugh in his throat that was both from shock and almost amusement-amusement, because really, of course, Cheng would act this entitled, “This is how Cheng treats those that help him. Just look at how he’s treating Wei Ying and Lan Wangji. And didn’t he leave Wen Qing to die, even after she helped uncle Cheng and his family?”
Jin Ling watched as the blow did its work. Cheng actually stepped back, flinching as if Jin Ling had slapped him.
Cheng was used to his nephew always obeying him. After all, Jin Ling had been lacking in parental figures as a baby, after losing both his parents in a short period of time.
So, when Jiang Cheng had set Wei Wuxian up as the villain of the story, had told Jin Ling that Wei Wuxian was entirely responsible for the deaths of not just Jin Ling’s father, Jin Zixuan, but Jin Ling’s mother, Yanli, as well, Jin Ling hadn’t thought to question it.
He had assumed what everyone had assumed. That Wei Wuxian was a monster. That Wei Wuxian had murdered his father, Jin Zixuan and his mother, Jin Yanli, out of maliciousness and nothing else.
But now? Now, Jin Ling had begun to doubt. Doubt Cheng’s claims so much.
Because how could the same person that Cheng had described to Jin Ling-a monster that had gleefully murdered Jin Ling’s parents, have also selflessly protected him and the rest of the juniors at Dafan mountain when that Dancing Lady statue had come at them, or in Yi City, when there were so many threats ready to kill them, or releasing Jin Ling and the others from the cave at the Burial Mounds, not to mention saving all of them from a bunch of fierce corpses that were trying to kill them?
And how exactly had Wei Wuxian, the supposed villain of all of the clans decided to protect them? By painting himself with the symbol that would have attracted the corpses, using himself as bait, so that everyone else could get away.
Were those the actions of a monster?
And then there was the possibility of Jin Ling’s other uncle, Jin Guanyao, being behind a great many schemes, which had led to several deaths of prominent figures, including Jin Ling’s own paternal grandfather, and while Jin Ling didn’t want to think that his Jin uncle would do that, if he was indeed responsible for those things, then wasn’t Wei Ying trying to stop him? Didn’t that make him a hero?
Now, did Jin Ling think that his uncle Cheng had been lying? No, he didn’t think that Cheng had been lying.
And that was the sad part.
Cheng most likely had been telling Jin Ling “his version” of what happened. And that? That actually made Jin Ling the least sympathetic of all to his uncle.
Because if Cheng more or less knew the truth, yet let his emotions get in the way, and told a different version from what happened? Or had so little faith in Wei Ying, that he had become biased against the young man that had protected him for years, that he had allowed those biased feelings to distort the story, then did Cheng really deserve any pity? Any whatsoever?
Yes, his sister had died, but Cheng had been there during when she had died, which meant that surely, he knew exactly what had happened.
And yet, Jin Ling kept getting the sense that something else had happened, other than the version that Jiang Cheng had fed his nephew, for Jin Ling’s entire life.
Regardless of what happened, since Jin Ling was almost sure that Jiang Cheng’s versions of the events, were either wrong or mistaken, Jin Ling was not moving from his spot.
Which made him startled when Wen Ning lifted himself up, determination all over his pale face, as he balanced himself up on Suibien, going right back over to Cheng and holding the sword out between them and gave the same instruction.
“Unsheathe the sword,” Wen Ning said.
Furious, Cheng spat, reaching for the sword handle, “So what if I unsheathe it?!”
He grabbed the handle, and………….
There was only one outcome to this that Jin Ling had been expecting.
That Jiang Cheng couldn’t unsheathe Suibien. After all, Suibien had sealed itself up after Wei Wuxian had died the first time, right?
So, Wei Wuxian, in theory, was the only one who could unseal it, right?
So, needless to say, Jin Ling, Ouyang Zizhen, Lan Jingyi, Lan Sizhui, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng, had not been expecting what happened next.
Jiang Cheng successfully unsheathed Suibien.
This time, it was Jin Ling’s turn to step back, shock hitting him.
How?
That shouldn’t be possible, right?
He could almost feel the shocked look that Lan Wangji was casting Jiang Cheng’s way. Clearly, this was a huge surprise to him too.
What the hell was going on here?!
The only one that didn’t seem to be the least bit surprised, was Wen Ning.
That was, until Jin Ling glanced at the other kids in the group.
Both Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen were equally shocked appearing.
But Lan Sizhui?
There was shock, yes, but also comprehension.
As if he had just realized something that he had always suspected, was suddenly confirmed.
The thing was, Lan Shizhui remembered everything from childhood. He and Lan Wangji had kept his past secret for years, because should anyone learn that Lan Sizhui was a Wen? He’d be killed.
Jin Ling and the others hadn’t even learned that Lan Shizhui was of Wen blood, until after they had listened to him talking with Wen Ning at the docks, after the battle at the Burial Mounds.
Lan Sizhui, named at birth, Wen Yuan, had been the A-Yuan that Wei Wuxian had adopted after defecting from the clans. And after the Yiling Patriarch’s death, Lan Wangji had taken little A-Yuan in to protect him.
But Yuan always remembered.
And it seemed as if there was something that he had suspected about Wei Ying, that he now had the confirmation to.
It was just that Lin Jing didn’t know what that something was.
But whatever it was, Lan Sizhui was certain of it now, as he shook his head, face filled with dread as he said, “No…………no, no, no, no, his core…………”
Jin Ling stopped, startled. What did this have to do with Jiang Cheng’s core?
A thought hit Jin Ling then. Was Sizhui talking about Jiang Cheng’s core……………..or Wei Wuxian’s?
As Jiang Cheng demanded answers, equally shocked along with almost everyone else, Wen Ning told Cheng, “Suibien is still sealed. Until just now. Suibien unsealed itself, because it recognizes you as Wei Ying.”
Jin Ling shook his head. How was this possible? Such a thing shouldn’t be possible, right?
Then he remembered what Sizhui had said.
About someone’s core.
Realization slammed into Jin Ling. Hard.
No. No way. Wei Ying couldn’t have…………………
Jiang. Cheng yelled, “What are you talking about?”
Wen Ning said, his voice merciless in how calm it was, “Suibien recognizes you as Master Wei, because the core that is flowing through your spiritual power through you, is master Wei’s core.”
Jin Ling let out a choked sob, realization wracking him torturously now. Because how could no one else have seen this?
Ugly realization after ugly realization hit him as he sank down to his knees on the deck, looking helplessly with a tearful gaze at the unconscious Wei Ying in Lan Wangji’s arms.
He had heard the stories like anyone of what had happened after the destruction of Lotus Pier.
The story was that both Madame Yu and Jiang Fengmian had been brutally killed, all of Lotus Pier was in destructive shambles, and Jiang Cheng had been brutally beaten at some point. Though many of these rumors had been quelled, there had been other rumors, that Jiang Cheng had been broken afterwards.
And yet, soon after that? Jiang Cheng had come back, more powerful than ever.
Had it really just been the call of vengeance that had motivated Cheng? Or had he been given something else?
Jin Ling’s mind followed that same logic. After Wei Ying came back from the Burial Mounds, he never had picked up his sword again.
Why?
Had the Wen servant, Wen Zhuliu taken Wei Ying’s core, melted it before he and Wen Chao had thrown Wei Ying into the Burial Mounds?
Or had something else happened?
Had Wei Ying willingly given his golden core?
To Jiang Cheng?
A certainty grew in Jin Ling, even before he had heard the rest between Cheng and Wen Ning.
And he could see it in the way that Lan Wangji was looking painfully down at Wei Ying, and in the way that Lan Sizhui was crying quietly as he also stared down at the unconscious Wei Ying, that both the Second Jade of Lan and Wei Ying’s adopted son, believed what Jin Ling was beginning to strongly believe.
Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch, the supposed villain in every childhood story for the past thirteen years, had committed a sacrifice that many parents wouldn’t even commit for the children that they had.
Jin Ling felt a pained laugh bubble up into his throat, as he watched Lan Wangji stared down at Wei Ying, a tear trickling down Wangji’s face as he comprehended everything, understood exactly what Wei Ying had gone through.
Jin Ling knew he would never truly be able to comprehend Lan Wangji and Wei Ying’s relationship. And no, it wasn’t because they were both men. It was because Jin Ling didn’t think he had seen any relationship where the feelings seemed to be……..unending. Where the devotion seemed bottomless.
Jin Ling couldn’t even contemplate what Lan Wangji must be feeling right now.
The regret at not seeing it before. The horror at understanding what Wei Ying must have suffered.
And as Jin Ling heard Wen Ning demanding if Jiang Cheng really thought that Wei Ying liked being mocked directly or indirectly or had gone into using demonic cultivation just because Wei Ying was too proud not to?
Jin Ling watched Lan Sizhui close his eyes, realizing that his father had been in pain the whole time before his death, and Lan Sizhui hadn’t been able to do anything.
Jin Ling’s body shook with an emotion he wasn’t sure he understood, but after a few moments, he thought he might recognize it.
Shame.
Because how could he have believed all those things Jiang Cheng had told him?
Even if they hadn’t been lies on Cheng’s part, even if they just had been the way Cheng remembered everything, how could Jin Ling have believed it?
How could he not have tried to look at the stories more critically, or even just looked at how his uncle Jiang Cheng treated others?
How Jiang Cheng, just for seeing someone copy the Yiling Patriarch’s tricks with talismans, would have them killed instantly-a thing that really didn’t deserve execution.
How Jiang Cheng, a supposedly respectable sect leader, had imprisoned people just because he suspected they might be Wei Wuxian and had tortured them to death in Lotus Pier.
Hadn’t Jin Ling seen evidence that his uncle Jiang Cheng wasn’t as respectable as he kept believing him to be?
Jin Ling felt determination begin to spread in his chest, just as Lan Wangji looked up, his eyes flashing with steel, as he raised his sheathed sword and brought it down, the end of the sheathed weapon slamming down into the dock’s wood as he began to stand up, tears still spilling out of his eyes, as he lifted Wei Ying’s left arm over his shoulders and began carrying Wei Ying off.
Lan Sizhui, without even a word, followed and so did Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen, both of which had hot tears in their eyes.
Jin Ling nodded. He understood. The action couldn’t be clearer.
They were leaving and they were not going to associate with the supposedly great clan leader, Jiang Cheng, any longer.
For Wei Ying’s sake.
Wei Ying didn’t need someone like Cheng in his life.
Jin Ling also realized he was going to be left with a decision here. He had to choose which of his uncles was going to be his family.
Because it couldn’t be all of them.
Jin Ling heard Wen Ning pick up the sword, which Cheng had dropped in his shock, and Wen Ning sheathed the weapon again and held it out between himself and Cheng again.
He heard Ning say to Cheng, “Take this sword to the dining hall or training ground or anywhere you like. Find anyone and ask them to unsheathe the sword. You can see whether they can do it or not and whether I lied or not.”
Jin Ling, sorrow stricken, watched as Jiang Cheng shook his head, trying desperately to deny that all of his greatness was only because of Wei Ying.
Wen Ning decided to hit Jiang Cheng again as he said, “Sect leader Jiang, being so eager to win, you compete with others your whole life, but did you know you were supposed to be beneath forever?”
Still Jiang Cheng’s head was shaking as he cried, whispering “no,” under his breath.
Jiang Cheng grabbed the sword from Wen Ning. “All of you are lying.” he said desperately, “Lying!”
Jin Ling watched as Jiang Cheng ran from the deck, not even addressing his nephew.
Jin Ling watched as Cheng fled and he felt his heart tear into two. Was this the man he had idolized and respected for years?
A man so incapable of being grateful to the sacrifice that was done for him, who only could see how he himself was wronged? A man so incapable of moving past his own pain and acknowledging that he should be grateful to someone who had committed such an unimaginable sacrifice?
Was this what disillusionment felt like?
Jiang Cheng couldn’t see beyond what was done TO him and ignored everything that was done FOR him.
Jin Ling knew what his decision would be.
He was cutting ties with Cheng now.
He had to.
Jin Ling might have been as spoiled and as proud as people said, but he knew one thing. He wanted to defend others. To protect those who were defenseless. And he understood with certainty that he would never be that, as long as he kept listening to his uncle Cheng.
Deciding on what to do next, Jin Ling lifted himself up off of the deck, and was startled when he felt a hand around his left arm, helping him up.
Jin Ling looked up, into the face of the Ghost General.
Jin Ling tensed, then felt a small laugh leave him at the worried expression on Wen Ning’s face.
Because really?
This was the monster that had killed his father?
Yes, Jin Ling knew that appearances could be deceiving.
But why would Wen Ning have done all those things, yet turned around and helped Jin Ling and the others at the cave in the Burial Mounds? Why tell Jin Ling at the dock that if Jin Ling wanted to, he could take his anger out on Wen Ning?
Whatever had happened thirteen years ago? Jin Ling now understood that it had to have been far more complicated than he had ever been led to believe originally.
Jin Ling was even beginning to doubt the story that his mother and father had been killed by Wen Ning and Wei Ying.
And if they had been? Then it must have been under some very complicated set of circumstances.
Jin Ling nodded in the direction of where Lan Wangji had taken Wei Ying, which Jin Ling knew was in the direction of the boats, “Come on. We follow them.”
He could see his words startled the undead man next to him. Wen Ning blinked in surprise.
Jin Ling snorted, “What? Do you think I’m going to stay with Jiang Cheng after that? No, I’m going with you.”
He watched Wen Ning’s expression, worried for a second that Ning might try to stop him.
Then again, after Jin Ling had stabbed Wei Ying? Wen Ning had every reason to distrust him with Wei Ying.
Still, Wen Ning didn’t stop Jin Ling, as the boy walked past him and headed after Wei Ying, Lan Wangji and the others.
He heard Wen Ning’s heavy footsteps along the wooden docks as they moved.
Jin Ling was glad his spiritual dog, Fairy, was back at the Jin clan’s palace. Even if Jin Guanyao was as dastardly as Wei Ying and Lan Wangji suspected, Jin Ling doubted that his other uncle would hurt the dog, unless he felt like someone was going to corner him.
But Jin Ling was glad that Fairy wasn’t here, because since Jin Ling was following Wei Ying, and they’d be sharing a boat, he didn’t want Wei Ying to be petrified the whole time.
Jin Ling and Wen Ning reached the others, just as they got to the boats.
Jin Ling tried not to wince at how Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen crowded around Wei Ying protectively immediately, as soon as they saw Jin Ling.
Because why was he surprised? Him having stabbed Wei Ying had clearly made both the Lan disciples and Zizhen very worried about Jin Ling being alone with Wei Ying.
“It’s alright,” Jin Ling said, forcing his head up and his gaze meeting Lan Wangji’s, who watched him cautiously, “I’m going with you. If you’ll have me.”
Jingyi and Zizhen, still tearful, looked at each other, then Sizhui nodded as he said quietly, “Wei Ying would want to bring him.”
Jin Ling smiled gratefully at Sizhui, glad that Sizhui didn’t begrudge him for the way he had behaved back at the docks near the Burial Mounds.
Jin Ling promised to himself that he would do better than Jiang Cheng. That he’d appreciate what was done for him, rather than let his resentment fester and take it out on others like Cheng had done.
How was it that Wei Wuxian used resentful energy as a weapon, and yet Jiang Cheng was the most resentful of them all?
Wen Ning gathered a couple of boats, and pushed them out into the lakes, and the group loaded up onto the two different boats.
The boats weren’t big enough for all of them to fit, at least not without it becoming uncomfortable.
So, they split up into two boats. Lan Wangji carried Wei Ying onto one boat, laying him down onto his lap, Sizhui got into the boat with them, sitting next to Lan Wangji, and Wen Ning got into the back of the boat.
Zizhen controlled the skiff of the second boat, and as he and Jin Ling and Jingyi got onto the boat, they pushed off away from Lotus Pier.
Jin Ling looked back at Lotus Pier, feeling pain in his chest. There was a strong possibility that he would never see this place again.
But that wasn’t his fault, was it? It was Cheng’s.
Turning away from Lotus Pier, very possibly forever, Jin Ling faced up ahead and listened to what Wen Ning said.
Wen Ning said, “Master Lan,” he then looked to Lan Sizhui, “A-Yuan,” he then looked to Zizhen, Jingyi and Jin Ling, “Please keep it a secret for now that I’ve leaked the fact about the golden core. Because he warned me that I should never expose it.” Wen Ning lowered his head, looking guilty, “Although he will know it one day.”
“Be assured,” Lan Wangji said, nodding.
“We won’t say anything, promise,” Lan Sizhui said, looking to Jingyi, Zizhen and Ling for confirmation.
Zizhen and Jingyi both nodded instantly.
Jin Ling said quietly, “I won’t tell anyone.” And he meant it.
It wasn’t his secret to tell. It was Wei Ying’s. And Cheng’s. Although, he doubted that Cheng would be eager for anyone to know anytime soon.
Wen Ning then looked at Lan Wangji and said, “Thank you for speaking up for us at Koi Tower. I’ve remembered that. Thank you. And thank you all the more for taking care of Yuan for so many years.”
Wen Ning then looked at Lan Sizhui and Sizhui smiled at Ning, wiping his tears away with the back of his right hand.
“I thought that all of the members of my clan died. That none of them survived,” Wen Ning said, and though Wen Ning wasn’t facing Jin Ling, he could practically sense Wen Ning’s smile as the undead man regarded Sizhui.
“But unexpectedly,” Wen Ning continued, “Yuan is alive. He looks similar to my cousin, when he was in his twenties.”
That cousin most likely, Jin Ling concluded, had been A-Yuan’s blood father.
Lan Wangji began telling the story of how he had found Yuan in the cave, after the Wens were killed and Jin Ling still couldn’t believe he had bought into those stories that his uncle Cheng had told him.
Because the Wens? They had been an oppressed people after the fall of Wen Ruohan.
How had Jin Ling not seen that before?
And his uncle Cheng? He had done nothing as women, the elderly, the sick and children were butchered.
Was that what a hero or even just a respectable sect leader was supposed to do?
Again, Jin Ling wondered if this was what disillusionment was.
How could he be so foolish?
The answers were all there, really. In the stories. Sure, the stories were all tainted with other peoples’ biases about how horrid the Wen people had been and how horrid the Yiling Patriarch had been.
But the answers had been there, nonetheless.
The Wen clan had been hunted to near extinction, save for one living Wen clan member today, who had to hide under a different name for his own safety.
Wei Ying had protected those remnants, resorting to desperate measures, and people had demonized him for it.
Jiang Cheng had been broken after the destruction of Lotus Pier and yet miraculously, from out of nowhere, he was able to catch up with great strength and become the new sect leader, without any explanation.
And Wei Ying, also without any explanation, never picked up his sword again and had resorted to demonic cultivation.
How had Jin Ling not seen the truth before?
The answers had all been there in the stories. How had he not seen it?
Jin Ling desperately tried to keep his new tears at bay. There were so many responsible for what had happened.
But Wei Ying and Wen Ning were the only ones that got the full brunt of it, and they had only been trying to protect an endangered people.
The boy’s jaw clenched. It just wasn’t fair.
Jin Ling heard a shift in the conversation and he glanced at the boat where Wei Ying was, to see Lan Wangji staring down at the unconscious man and asked the question that Jin Ling had hoped no one asked, because he already suspected the truth.
Lan Wangji asked, “Is it painful?”
“What?” Wen Ning asked, but Jin Ling didn’t need to wonder what Lan Wangji was asking, because he had been wondering it too.
“Taking out the core,” Hanguang-Jun clarified, “Is it painful?”
Jin Ling wanted to snap, “You know it is!”
But he kept his mouth closed.
But he didn’t want to hear this.
“You won’t believe me if I say it’s not, right?” Wen Ning asked sadly.
“I thought that Wen Qing might have found something to use in the procedure,” Lan Wangji said quietly.
“Before ascending the mountain,” Wen Ning began, “My sister did make many anesthtics. To ease the pain when extracting the golden core. But yet, she discovered that they can’t be put into use. Because when taking the golden core out of the body, if the person is in narcosis, the golden core will be affected, and it’ll be hard to make sure if the core won’t dissipate and then it will dissipate.”
Wen Ning’s words sparked dread within everyone awake and listening. Because they understood what Wen Ning’s words implied.
If Wei Ying couldn’t be put under when the core was being extracted, then……………
“So………….,” Lan Wangji said, and Jin Ling could hear his growing understanding in the man’s words.
“So, the one who donates to core,” Wen Ning said, “Has to be awake the whole time.”
Jin Ling felt like someone had punched him in the chest. Wei Ying had been awake the whole time his golden core had been removed.
Just how much pain and agony had he been in?
Wen Ning kept speaking as Lan Wangji looked down at Wei Ying, “He should be sober enough to see the golden core which connects to the spiritual vein, be separated from his body and feel the surging spiritual power die down, little by little, until it is motionless and nothing can be felt.”
Lan Wangji stared at Wei Ying, speaking one word that more or less announced the horror that all five Wangji himself, Zizhen, Ling, Jingyi and Sizhui were feeling.
“Awake?” Lan Wangji asked, and though he spoke quietly, Jin Ling heard the despair in his voice.
“Two nights and one day,” Wen Ning said, “He has to be awake.”
That information was clearly too much for Sizhui, because he buried his face in his hands, shaking, and Ling didn’t need to see Sizhui’s face to know the other boy was crying again.
Jin Ling wasn’t sure he wouldn’t break down in tears soon too. Two nights and one day? Wei Ying had gone through all that to give Cheng his core?
And the way Cheng had treated Wei Ying, had been how he repaid such actions? Even if Cheng hadn’t known years ago, it didn’t change that he had more or less betrayed the person who had served the Jiang family for years, and who had helped win the war against Wen Ruohan.
Lan Wangji asked what the chances were of the transfer being a success.
Wen Ning gave an answer that caused Ling to gape at Wen Ning’s back. The answer was fifty percent.
Jin Ling shook his head, listening to the rest of what Wangji and Ning said to each other half heartedly, until Wei Ying woke up.
Wei Ying lifted himself up off of Lan Wangji’s lap, grunting quietly, as Lan Sizhui pulled his hands from his face and kneeled down next to Wei Ying, wanting to make sure he was alright.
Wei Ying looked around him at the people surrounding him.
Jin Ling could see the confusion on Wei Ying’s face and could read why he was confused.
Everyone looked so worried or sad. Why?
“How did we get out?” Wei Ying asked, asking the first thing that came to mind.
“There was a fight,” Lan Wangji said flippantly.
Ling was sure that Lan Wangji considered what he had just said a lie, but he wasn’t sure that had been a lie.
Technically speaking, they had had a confrontation with Jiang Cheng.
So, was calling it a “fight” necessarily incorrect?
Wei Ying then chuckled, saying that of course, Cheng wouldn’t have let them go.
Wei Ying then said something that made Jin Ling flinch, because how could Wei Ying still be so selfless?
Wei Ying told Lan Wangji to not think too much about what Cheng said, that he had always been that way, that Cheng’s words shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
Jin Ling scoffed, angry more at himself for how he had believed in Cheng all these years, than at Wei Ying for worrying about everyone else but himself as he said, “You’re too soft on Cheng, Wei Ying.”
Startled, Wei Ying looked at Jin Ling and Jin Ling shook his head, continuing, “Cheng wouldn’t know how to be polite or grateful, even if the instructions for doing that, were carved out in stone before him.”
And yes, that was a joke about the Lan clan. But honestly, Jin Ling couldn’t believe he was able to make jokes right now.
Confused at Jin Ling’s words, Wei Ying watched his sister’s child, but Jin Ling made sure to give up nothing.
So, Wei Ying sighed, turning around in the boat and leaned down, reaching out and picking lotuses from the lily pads.
Jin Ling almost protested, as all the lakes here had owners and so, Wei Ying technically was stealing, right now, but stopped himself. After what he had just found out? He suspected that they all could make an exception.
So, when Wei Ying started picking the lotuses and handing lotuses out for everyone to take so they could eat the seeds, Jin Ling said nothing, but smiled and thanked the supposed Yiling patriarch.
When Wei Ying turned to Lan Wangji, Wangji told Wei Wuxian exactly what Jin Ling knew. That he heard that all the lakes here were owned by someone.
Jin Ling fought a glare. Dammit. The Lans and their rules. Then again, had Jin Ling been so much better not that long ago?
Finally, Wei Ying nodded, looking forlorn and put the lotuses down and ordered Wen Ning to begin rowing them away.
But thankfully, Wangji seemed to have made the same decision as everyone else in the group.
He reached out and picked a lotus and gave it to Wei Ying, startling the dark clothed man.
“Just for today,” Wangji had said, and Jin Ling could see the desire to make Wei Ying feel better in some way, in any way, all over the Second Jade of Gusu’s face.
Jin Ling smiled and fought a laugh when he could practically feel the confusion coming off of Wuxian.
He clearly had to have been thinking, ‘what the hell happened back at Lotus Pier?!’
But Wei Ying gratefully took the lotus.
Soon, dozens and dozens of lotuses were picked and emptied of their seeds.
You wouldn’t think that lotus seeds would be enough to fill up a group of three men and four teenagers, but there you are.
Multiple lotus pods were emptied and the group was bordering on full, with lotus seeds in their bellies.
Wei Ying smiled, clearly satisfied.
And Jin Ling couldn’t help but smile.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a group of golden butterflies came flying across the lake towards them.
Jin Ling frowned. Jin messengers? Here? Why?
Lan Wangji was the one that caught them, and got the message from them, he released the butterflies and looked at the rest of the group and made his announcement. Apparently, he knew where Jin Guanyao was.