Chapter Text
Through the bustling marketplace of Lotus Pier, Wei Ying ran.
He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, tripping over rocks and stones splashing in puddles and falling into holes in the road, ruining his new clothes and shoes in the process, the sounds of the dog's barks and pounding paws continued behind him enough incentive for him to run for his life.
No one on the streets of the pier stopped to ask him questions or offer him aid. They simply moved out of his way, shouting when he accidentally ran into their legs, not even caring why he was running in the first place. Wei Ying didn't stop either, didn't offer an apology to the people he bumped into that didn't move out of his way, he didn't look back.
He knew that if he did, it was going to be the last time he ever did so.
But, Wei Ying was hurt. His back pulsed in pain from all the lashes he received. His feet hurt from all the running he was doing. His chest ached from the panic attack he was no doubt experiencing. His entire body seized in pain from the sheer terror he felt in that very moment.
He knew he wouldn't last long, he only had two little feet that were already giving out on him, while those dogs had four.
Each.
Sooner rather than later he was going to collapse, his small body not used to such exertion, and then those creatures would descend on him like he was meat, and no one would be there to rescue him. This skyrocketed the fear that Wei Ying felt to such heights that he trembled with every step he took.
Wei Ying didn't want to run anymore, he wanted his Mama and his A-Die, he wanted his mama to tease and tickle him and his A-Die to laugh in the way that assured Wei Ying that everything was going to be alright. But... he didn't want to die.
And, Wei Ying knew his parents were dead, knew it in his very soul that they wouldn't be coming back for him and that they wouldn't want him to join them wherever they were so soon. Suddenly, at the thought of his parents, Wei Ying felt like crying. There was no way they could help him. He had to overcome this himself.
Since the moment of their death, the crippling sadness that had overtaken him wouldn't leave, even after Jiang Fengmian had found him to give him a place to stay, and new people to call family, just the thought of his parents made him want to scream his lungs out and fill a new ocean with his tears.
Especially right now, surely that would make him feel...
No, he shook his tiny head harder even as tears welled up in his eyes, he couldn't. Since he stepped foot in Lotus Pier it was forbidden to talk much less think about his parents, and if he cried about or for them Yu-Furen would whip him harder, Jiang Cheng would tell him to stop crying because he couldn't sleep with all his noise; Jiang Yanli would shush him, try to comfort him the only way another child could and that he should come with her so she could get him some soup and Jiang-shushu... Jiang Fengmian would pat him on the head and tell him to stay out of his wife's way next time.
Little Wei Ying pushed harder, the fear finally taking a strong hold of his heart, the sounds the dogs were making sounded louder and closer. He closed his eyes as he ran forward hoping, praying, that something would save him from this nightmare.
Then suddenly, Wei Ying stopped. No, he was forced still. A wall of red silk was suddenly in front of him, blocking his path, the way forward, the way away from the danger. Wei Ying knew this was the end. How could he continue forward if there was no path? How could he be expected not to scream and shout over the death of the people whom he loved so much?
Right at that moment, it was all too much for him and right there in the marketplace, Wei Ying started wailing, crying so loudly that he was surely, finally attracting attention.
Some cart rollers and merchants glanced over at the noise, while other market goers stopped and stared, whispering among themselves about the scene happening as if it were theatre. Yet, none of them stopped to intervene.
Wei Ying was lifted into the air by the scruff of his robes but his mind didn't register that, didn't register that if he was up this high the dog's couldn't reach him.
"Hey, kid you should really watch where you're going." Hua Cheng said holding the dangling child up to his face, though with the way he was wailing he doubted he heard a word he said.
Xie Lian immediately chided his husband, "That is not how you handle children, San Lang. Here let me," Xie Liam took the sniffling and panting child from Hua Cheng's arm, "It's alright now little one. There is no danger here, no need to cry."
The child opened his eyes and Xie Lian felt his heart stutter as the shimmering silver orbs stared at him, "T-The d-d-d-dogs are g-g-gone?"
Xie Lian looked over the child's head, and saw only the busy market place and its shoppers, "En. They're gone. So, there is no need to cry any longer."
The child sniffled, seeming to try to gather himself, then brought his hands together as he tried to give his best salute, "Thank you for saving A-Ying. A-Ying doesn't have anything to give to kind Gege as thanks. Sorry." Wei Ying looked as if he was about to cry again.
Xie Lian shushed him softly, smoothing his hands through his hair after carefully wiping his teary, snot filled face with his sleeve, "It's alright. You don't have to give me anything."
Wei Wuxian looked a little unsure but nodded his head anyway, "Thank you, pretty-gege!"
"My name isn't pretty-gege little one, it's Xie Lian and this is my husband San Lang."
Wei Wuxian looked at the pretty Gege and then at the red-gege standing several feet taller than them and suddenly blurted out, "You're married?"
"Yes." Hua Cheng answered. He kept staring at the child. His large silver eyes had mesmerized him too.
"A-Ying's A-Niang and Baba were married and they travelled all over the world! They had a donkey and Mama would ride on it and I would ride on A-Die's shoulders! I was super tall," Wei Ying opened his arms in a wide circle, as if to further emphasise his own exaggerated recount of his parents' lives. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were momentarily distracted by his bright smile. They've only just met this little child but somehow he's already found a way into their heart.
However, little A-Ying's smile suddenly dimmed and sadness darkened every inch of his bright face. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian felt their hearts breaking, "But then they died and now A-Ying has a new family in the-the-the-"
"Jiang Sect." Hua Cheng finished. The clarity bell hanging from his sash was what gave away his sect. While he was researching, he found that the Jiang Sect favoured freedom and that their disciples prioritised making the impossible possible.
Since their founding they had always been a fair and righteous sect. His eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully at the way the little boy flinched at the name. It would seem their reputation was slowly but surely being tarnished. He would have to find out why.
Xie Lian shushed him quietly when Wei Ying began sniffling again, "Does A-Ying want to go back to the Jiang Sect now?" Xie Lian asked, his hand moving to rub his back comfortingly.
Wei Ying cried out as soon as Xie Lian's hand touched his back with pain so sharp, he felt as if he was being stabbed by over one hundred swords a thousand times, shooting up his spine that he could do nothing but bury his face into Xie Lian's chest and let out his tears there. Xie Lian immediately stopped and turned to his husband with shock written across his face.
As always, Hua Cheng understood. He leaned down and kissed Xie Lian on the lips, caressing his cheek all the while, "Gege, you should return to the inn. I will return as soon as I am finished," He then looked at the still crying child and brushed his fingers through his hair, unaware he was doing it, "Take care of this rascal too."
"Be careful, San Lang. I love you." Xie Lian replied.
Hua Cheng grinned adoringly, "I love you, Gege."
Xie Lian watched his husband walk away, his gait confident and assured, in the direction of the outskirts of the city, towards the forest and beyond where the place teeming with resentful energy lay. Xie Lian knew he'd be alright.
He hiked Wei Ying further into his arms, and being careful of his back, began making his way back to the inn his husband had rented for them the day before.
|~|
"A-Ying," Xie Lian called softly. He had placed the now subdued Wei Ying on the bed in the inn's largest single bedroom. The inn keeper had stared at Xie Lian in astonishment when he walked in but Xie Lian calmly asked the man if he had children's robes and if he did to have it delivered to his room along with food that could feed three oversized men as well as a physician. The man's head nearly fell off with how hard he was nodding.
Wei Ying's cries had died down at some point during their walk back. Yet, Xie Lian had not stopped the soothing motions of caressing his hair and Wei Ying didn't want him to stop either. So, he simply left his head on Xie Lian's chest hoping that if he didn't move or make a sound the pretty-gege wouldn't send him back so soon and would continue playing with his hair.
And he would have fallen asleep too, if not for his heart constricting in worry at the thought of being sent back to that place. Now they were in a room and Wei Ying was being laid on a soft mattress with Xie Lian sitting right next to him, hand still softly carding through his hair, "A-Ying, what's your name?"
Wei Ying furrowed his little brows, confusion evident on his cute face, "A-Ying's name is A-Ying."
"Yes," Xie Lian chuckled, "But, what is A-Ying's surname?"
"A-Ying's surname is Wei!" Wei Ying declared happily, now finally understanding what this pretty-Gege was asking.
"Wei Ying is the name given to A-Ying by his parents." Xie Lian replied.
"Mhmm." Wei Ying nodded his little head rapidly. Xie Lian smiled and placed a hand on his forehead to stop him before he hurt himself.
"A-Ying should introduce himself to strangers with the name given to him by his parents since he does not yet have a courtesy name." Xie Lian said, now rubbing soothing circles into Wei Ying's skin.
"Courtesy name?" Wei Ying questioned, confused again, though a bit distracted. Whatever this Pretty-Gege was doing felt really nice.
"En. It is a name given to children when they reach a specific age. You introduce yourself with your courtesy name as well as your given name when greeting strangers."
"Ooh, does Pretty-Gege have a courtesy name?" Wei Ying questioned excitedly.
"En. It's Xianle."
"Wow," Wei Ying's eyes were so bright they were practically sparkling, "A-Ying wants a courtesy name like Pretty-Gege!"
"When A-Ying is older. How old is A-Ying?"
Wei Ying counted on his tiny fingers for a while, stopping every second before he continued. He stopped fully when he finished an entire hand and one finger, "A-Ying is six!" He shouted excitedly.
Xie Lian smiled indulgently at him, "Then A-Ying will have to wait seven more years before he can get his courtesy name."
Wei Ying pouted, "That long?"
"En," Xie Lian smoothed his bangs back, and continued rubbing his forehead softly, "A-Ying."
Wei Ying had his eyes closed. He looked to be dozing off, "Mhmm?"
"Won't you tell this Gege what they did to you?" Xie Lian questioned quietly.
Wei Ying looked confused for a minute before understanding dawned on his adorable little face. He didn't look all that sleepy anymore, "A-Ying didn't mean to cause any trouble."
"A-Ying did nothing wrong." Xie Lian soothed.
"Yu-Furen said A-Ying is just a street rat, that Jiang-shushu should have left him to die on the streets. Like A-Ying's servant of a father and whore of a mother. A-Ying doesn't understand... were A-Ying's parents bad people?"
"Of course not," It was only Xie Lian's godly self restraint that kept the growing anger out of his voice. To be saying such things to a child... Xie Lian calmed himself; it wouldn't do him any good to show anger right now. That wasn't what Wei Ying needed no matter how badly he wanted to run this woman through with his sword, "Was Yu-Furen the one who hurt your back?"
Wei Ying started sniffling, tears already streaming down his cheeks, "A-Ying really didn't mean to cause trouble. He was only playing. But... A-Ying was the only one who got hit. Jiang Cheng didn't get hit and he was the one who knocked the vase to the floor. Yu-Furen didn't listen, even when A-Ying apologized. A-Ying doesn't want to be bad."
Xie Lian took the crying child into his arms and laid on the bed, subtly passing the tiniest streams of spiritual energy into the boy's body as a more enhanced way of soothing him.
Xie Lian didn't bother to ask what Wei Ying was hit with because he was pretty sure the child didn't know it himself. That didn't stop him from getting angrier though. Xie Lian continued soothing the child whilst simultaneously trying to curb his rapidly growing anger.
Soon Wei Ying's cries subsided and his breathing evened out indicating the child was asleep. Xie Lian sighed, when a knock at the door signalled the arrival of the physician.
Wei Ying didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, his life unthreatened despite the immense pain he was in so there was no reason for him to be checked over now, but Xie Lian didn't want to risk it. All of a sudden, he felt like he never wanted to risk it.
Gently placing the sleeping child on the bed he went to the door to let the physician in.
"Gongzi." The person on the other side of the open door appeared as a young man with lightly tanned skin, a pair of spectacles over dark honey brown eyes, a slim round shaped face and a cultivator's build, his height reaching just barely above Xie Lian's head and with features so feminine Xie Lian would've thought he was a woman if it wasn't for his lack of breasts. He had stern eyes and a 'no nonsense' expression. He wore a lime green coat over his plain white robes and he held a brown leather bound bag at his side. He bowed to Xie Lian immediately and continued speaking, "You requested someone within my area of expertise?"
Xie Lian nodded his agreement, "There's no need for that, there's more important matters at hand, no time for dilly-dallying. But, before we begin, I must ask; are you able to understand the basis of spirituality and its many uses?"
The doctor rose from his bow and gave Xie Lian a curt nod, "Yes, quite well. I am the physician of a small sect in the area after all."
"Excellent," Xie Lian stepped aside to let the doctor in, "Please hurry in...?"
"Yan Jianyi."
"Yan-Yishi, right this way. Let's make haste, I do not know how dire the situation is." Xie Lian said as he hurriedly led the doctor behind the privacy screen where Wei Ying was resting fitfully on the bed.
Not wasting a single second the doctor opened his briefcase on the table by the bedside, quickly pulling out different equipment from his bag and lining them up in a white cloth, "Where is he injured?"
"From what I observed since he arrived, it's only his back." Xie Lian answered from the other side of the bed, his eyes watching the doctor sort out his equipment with steel minded focus.
"Since he arrived? You mean he's not your son?" The doctor stopped what he was doing to stare at Xie Lian with puzzled eyes, his face marred with a confused expression.
However, this was lost on Xie Lian who felt his heart stop and then restart with such a rapid rhythm he wouldn't be too surprised if it suddenly exploded from his chest.
His son.
He never even thou-
No, it's not possible-
The thought crossed his mind so many tim-
No, how could such a thing even be possible for him-
He never dared to dwell on it too long-
There was no wa-
They had only just met him-
His son-
little Wei Ying... his and San Lang's so-
"N-No, he isn't my son." Xie Lian's breath stuttered with every breath he took, the urge to cry and along with the tidal wave of hope suddenly bowling him over so hard he wanted to drop to his knees and pray to any God that was willing to listen to make it come true. However, he remained standing, his face an impassive mask, and his hands tucked serenely into his sleeves to hide their shaking from the eagle eyed physician staring him down on the other side of the large bed.
Yan Jianyi looked at this gongzi before him for a long moment, contemplating the sudden change in his attitude before he put the matter aside for now, deciding that attending to the child was more important, "Please turn him over onto his side and expose his back so that I may see the extent of the damage."
Xie Lian nodded and quickly sat on the bed, gentle hands bringing Wei Ying to his side and loosening his robes so he could carefully pull them over his shoulders and down around his waist.
Even though Xie Lian hadn't known him for long, he knew Wei Ying was beaten for who knows how long, he knew Wei Ying was injured, injured enough that he required medical attention, injured enough that if they had waited a day longer his injuries would've become life threatening. Xie Lian knew that regardless of what he found the madam of that sect and all its enablers would face just punishment. Xie Lian knew all of this, he was prepared for all of this and yet what he saw on little Wei Ying's back made his blood and the room run cold.
This little child's back was a bloodied mess of intersecting scars, some a months old brown, a few weeks pink while others were hours fresh, still bleeding, soaking his skin, robes and bedsheets in its crimson colour. It was impossible to count how many scars were there. They were so bountiful they even trailed down to his lower back. The inflictor seemed to hit without care, the deep wounds a reflection of their anger. The perpetrator clearly saw Wei Ying as a means of relieving all of their negative feelings.
Xie Lian felt a certain level of calm settle over him.
On the other side of the bed the physician was also shocked into silence. In all his years alive he had never met a child so badly injured. And it certainly was no accident. He chanced a glance up at the young gongzi and witnessed the horror shaking his very being. He took several deep breaths in an attempt at focusing. It took him a moment to compose himself enough to continue without anger coursing through his veins.
After carefully checking over the child's wounds, he pulled paste and bandages from his bag and began to tend to his wounds. After he was finished he sat back and allowed Xie Lian to redress the child. After a moment of stilted silence he spoke, his voice thick in his throat and heavy with anger his eyes never left Wei Ying's head, "The child was whipped with a first class spiritual weapon. From the state of his wounds, it's about close to a year since he was first injured.
The inflictor is a powerful cultivator who uses a lightning whip. Some of his wounds look fresh and others were reopened. He was likely whipped right before you found him. Unfortunately, the whip has damaged the muscles under his skin so it is likely they will scar. However, they may fade with time."
"Who?" Xie Lian felt as if he would explode from the amount of anger he was experiencing.
Yan Jianyi adjusted his glasses and began to pack up his equipment, "The only cultivator with a spiritual whip of that caliber is Yu Ziyuan of the Jiang Sect."
Xie Lian finally lifted his head away from Wei Ying's face. He stared at the physician who looked back at him. Yan Jianyi felt that if his glasses weren't fogged up he would've thought that Xie Lian's eyes were glowing.
Yan Jianyi took off his glasses and cleaned them with a small piece of cloth, his head lowered all the while.
Xie Lian stared at him some more before he lowered his head and looked at Wei Ying's sleeping face. While he was being examined Wei Ying had felt hot and cold simultaneously and his little face had scrunched up at the uncomfortable feeling though he remained asleep in Xie Lian's arms.
After contemplating for a moment he slowly slid off of the bed and stood turning Wei Ying over onto his stomach to ensure that his wounds didn't open. Then he reached into his sleeves for a money pouch and bowed to the physician.
"I thank you for your services, they were extremely enlightening. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude." He said and thrusted the pouch of silver coins into Yan Jianyi's arms not even pretending to take no for an answer.
For the first time in the shichen he'd been there Yan Jianyi's face morphed into a genuine expression of shock, "Gongzi... this is way too much. There is no way I could accept this."
"Nonsense," Xie Lian assured his arms tucked serenely back into his overflowing sleeves. He wore an expression of slight embarrassment, his ears a light shade of pink. He itched at his cheek and avoided Yan Jianyi's eyes, "I would've given you more but, I told my husband to take the rest with him, hehe."
The physician looked close to gaping.
"You're welcome to wait for him. When he arrives, I could pay you a bit more." Xie Lian suggested.
Rich people are scary, Yan Jianyi thought as he hurriedly shook his head to show his immediate disapproval of this suggestion, "No no no. That's quite alright. This is more than enough. Thank you."
He bows once again and rushes out before Xie Lian can say another word. Xie Lian stares after him with a bemused expression, a small smile of amusement gracing his lips before he looks back to the bed and catches something on the table in the corner of his eye.
He walks over and picks up the bottle of paste and the note left under it.
Apply twice daily after bath for two weeks. After the two weeks have passed please return to see me at the Baling Ouyang Sect. Yan Jianyi.
Xie Lian couldn't recall seeing him write such a note. Shrugging it off he tucked both the note and the paste into his sleeves and moved back over to the other side of the bed and sat slowly at the edge and stared at the small sleeping child.
Xie Lian should really wake him up so he could eat, so he could change the sheets, so he cou-
As if sensing he was near Wei Ying scrunched up his face and rolled over so he could comfortably grab Xie Lian's robes in his hands.
Xie Lian quickly removed his boots, laid down beside Wei Ying and gently hugged him to his body, so that his head laid down on Xie Lian's chest.
Feeling strangely content, Xie Lian closed his eyes to rest.
Everything else could wait until after Wei Ying woke up.
\~\
Xie Lian wasn't asleep when Hua Cheng arrived but he was nearly there.
Hua Cheng didn't know this and tried to be as quiet as possible when he stripped out of his outer robe and laid behind Xie Lian who had a protective hold over the child in his arms.
"Ah, San Lang, you're back." Xie Lian mumbled nuzzling back into the soothing body behind him.
"En. Everything is taken care of," He pressed a kiss to the back of his head, "Is he alright?"
Xie Lian was silent for a minute before he spoke his voice tight with anger, "The physician said this has been going on for close to a year."
Hua Cheng tightened his hands around Xie Lian's waist before he started, "Around this time last year a pair of rogue cultivators lost their lives in a remote part of Yiling to a beast that was bound to the forest."
"A-Ying's parents," There was no question about it, "What were their names?"
"Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren."
Xie Lian was silent for such a long time Hua Cheng thought he had fallen asleep. But then he spoke, and the amount of anger in his voice was something Hua Cheng hadn't heard in a long time, "I'm not sending him back there, San Lang."
Hua Cheng's hand rubbed soothing circles into his waist, a well of hope close to bursting in his chest, "What did they do?" He asked though there was no doubt in Xie Lian's mind that he had already found out.
"San Lang, the Madam of the sect whipped him with a first class spiritual weapon because she hated his parents. From what A-Ying has told me, the Sect Leader seems to be allowing it as well."
Hua Chang knew that people took advantage of orphans because of their need to be above others, Hua Cheng had first hand experience with these people. Because of them he had hated all living beings, wishing they all would burn in hell for causing and ignoring his suffering. But, then he realised that they could be kind and genuine people like his husband who genuinely wanted a better world for everyone and was trying their hardest to make a difference so Hua Cheng knew he couldn't hate them all.
He didn't know for sure if A-Ying would grow up kind and genuine - he would - but, he knew he was already attached, ready to give up his life, ready to live for him; and now he hears he's being abused? Hua Cheng doesn't take this lightly at all. He didn't respond to Xie Lian.
Whether it was his silence or something else, Xie Lian turned to look at him, his eyes burning with so much fury they were glowing, "San Lang," Xie Lian's honey coloured eyes are alight with the promise of death and destruction as he stared at his beloved. He as well had become immediately attached to the small boy lying by his side, "He's only six."
Xie Lian's voice cracked horribly and with those words he began to sob harshly, trying to keep his noise to a minimum mindful of the injured body in his arms.
Hua Cheng pulled him closer to his chest and offered nothing but physical comfort as he too felt his throat close up around his tears.
To whip an innocent person with a first class spiritual weapon was punishable by the victim inflicting the punishment on the punisher ten fold. However, to inflict such a thing on a child, one who Hua Cheng has come to care for? That was punishable by death.
The couple cried for a while, and they weren't exactly quiet however, Wei Ying didn't even stir, too tired and comfortable to feel even the smallest drop of water fall on his head.
Quickly wiping it away, Xie Lian took a minute to compose himself, taking deep breaths he calmed himself into a state where his breath didn't tremble with every inhale and he could clearly ask, "San Lang... can we- could we... keep him?"
They've only barely touched on the topic of children before and even then it had merely been in jest as a response to Xie Lian's idiotic cousins squabbles but Hua Cheng didn't even hesitate when he gave his answer, " Yes. Of course, Gege. Whatever you... Yes."
Xie Lian gave him a watery smile, its light momentarily blinding him. Hua Cheng didn't have to pretend as if this was all for him, Xie Lian knew he wanted this too.
To know that someone you've come to care for was abused in such a way would make anyone rightfully angry. But if you've come to see that someone as a son, surely you'd go mad from murderous intentions?
In all the years they've been together they never actively thought about having children, wholly content with only each other. But, now that the option had presented itself how could they not accept him with open arms?
"How was the hunt? Did you find anything?" Xie Lian asked his emotion-stricken husband after he too had managed to calm down.
"En." Hua Cheng pulled Xie Lian closer to his chest, one of his arms resting under his head as a pillow, the other thrown over his waist in a way that it covered Wei Ying too. He had found out so much on his hunt that it all left him feeling so angry, worried and confused, "I will tell you about it later."
Xie Lian glanced back at him, his red rimmed eyes meeting his husband's. He nodded and turned back around to continue caressing Wei Ying's hair, "Our A-Ying isn't going back there. They will pay for what they did to my baobei."
Hua Cheng placed a kiss to the back of Xie Lian's head to show his agreement and for the first time in a while the ghost king closed his eyes and rested.
|~|
Xie Lian awoke to quiet chatter the next morning.
As the sunlight beamed through the inn's window Xie Lian realised he was alone on the bed. Scared by the thoughts quickly overthrowing each other in his head, Xie Lian sat up and looked around only for his heart to calm when he saw his husband and son having breakfast at the low table from behind the paper privacy screen.
Quickly getting out of bed, he went to the wash basin in the room that was filled with fresh warm water and quickly washed away all traces from the night before.
This is quite the feast, Xie Lian couldn't help but think as he sat down beside Hua Cheng after having successfully cleaned up his face joining the two already eating breakfast. He couldn't help but ponder if this wasn't too much food for just three people. 'Did I overdo it when I asked the innkeeper for the food? Surely some tea, congee and baozi would be enough?
Shrugging a shoulder he dismissed the thought. It wasn't that big of a deal. If they couldn't finish it all they could just pack it up and enjoy it on the road, "Good morning, A-Ying, San Lang."
Hua Cheng gave him a gentle grin while Wei Ying shot him a smile as bright as the morning sun, at that moment Xie Lian felt like the luckiest being alive, "Good morning, Gege."
"Pretty-gege! Good morning! Here! Try this! Red-gege said that the owner made these! It's super yummy!" Wei Ying exclaimed, holding out a baozi to Xie Lian with excited chatter and a gummy smile.
Xie Lian accepted the gift wholeheartedly, "Thank you, A-Ying."
However, Xie Lian took a pause after he bit into the baozi. It was subtle but Wei Ying caught it, "Are you alright pretty-gege?"
Xie Lian blinked then smiled gently down at the little boy, "I'm alright A-Ying. This baozi just tastes a little familiar is all."
"Really?" Wei Ying looked down at his own baozi as if he could somehow pick out what his Gege found familiar.
"Perhaps it's a well known recipe." Hua Cheng suggested from beside him. Xie Lian turned to him but had to look away with a laugh at the serious look Hua Cheng was giving the spread.
"Yes, perhaps," He agreed after he calmed himself. Of course Hua Cheng would do this. From the moment he laid eyes on him Hua Cheng didn't trust the innkeeper.
However, when Xie Lian had asked why he had felt that way, he'd simply said that he didn't like the way he was watching what was his. Xie Lian had laughed and seriously told Hua Cheng not to do anything to the man. Of course his husband had complained but still listened and now it seems that he has prepared this spread himself because of his distrust in the man.
He was brought back to the present by Hua Cheng's interested hum, "Was he really that pretty?"
"Yes! The prettiest boy in the whole world. He looked like a piece of jade! His face was as cold as one too. He wore all white and he had a ribbon with clouds around his forehead. He wouldn't let me touch it though, which was a bit mean, but he gave me his rattle drum as a gift! Even though his face was really serious he was really nice!" He finally stopped to take a deep breath before continuing again, "When I see him again I'll make sure to give something extra special as well! Then I'll ask him to be my friend and then we'll go on all sorts of adventures together! I can teach him to swim, because I bet he doesn't know how to swim! Oh, and then I'll teach him how to run really fast because he probably wouldn't know how to do it and then-"
"Take a breath, A-Ying," Xie Lian instructed him with a laugh and watched in amusement as Wei Ying did indeed take a deep breath before immediately opening his mouth to speak again. Xie Lian hurried to try and stop him, "Eat a bit more first and then you can tell us all about how you're going to teach your new friend."
Wei Ying paused for a moment as if contemplating this before he nodded excitedly and went back to eating whatever Hua Cheng put on his plate.
At the other side of the low table the couple watched the young child eat with matching smiles on their faces. They shared this smile with each other and then began to eat as well.
Even though Wei Ying had agreed to eat until he was finished before he continued talking he simply couldn't wait anymore and began to talk about a different topic every other minute. Xie Lian couldn't find it in himself to direct him again.
After they were finished eating only a few baozi's remained on the table with everything else having been cleared away, Xie Lian was admittedly a bit shocked that they had managed to finish all that food. He shrugged mentally, food was meant to be eaten no matter how much of it there was.
He joined Hua Cheng in packing the dishes so they could be transported easily to the kitchen for washing when he glanced over at Wei Ying who had gone quiet. He paused his workings and asked the child, "Are you alright, A-Ying?"
Wei Ying flinched as if he wasn't expecting the attention before he nodded his head and then lowered it a bit further, "A-Ying thanks the kind geges for giving him food and medicine and making him smile and happy and-" Wei Ying suddenly stopped speaking his throat tight with suppressed tears.
He cleared his throat and attempted to carry on, "A-Ying doesn't have any money or anything to give to you but A-Ying swears when he becomes a cultivator and makes lots of money he'll pay you back for all your kindness!" He looked up at them his eyes shining bright, but his tears held at bay, "A-Ying will go back to the Jiang Sect and A-Ying will endure to become a good cultivator just like his mama and A-Die so he can pay you back for all that you've done for him!"
He sniffled and yet the tears didn't fall. The fear in his eyes was tangible, right there at the forefront, so bright it was practically burning him through with its heat.
But there was also determination, somehow burning brighter than fear, roots reaching all the way to the depths of his soul, its embers shining so bright they shone through his eyes. He held up a shaky salute and shouted, "I swear!"
All was quiet for a moment before Hua Cheng lowered the plate and chopsticks he had in his hands and stared at this small child. In this small child Hua Cheng could see himself, so many years in the past, a flower in his hand, a red umbrella held protectively over his head, a promise deep in his heart and determination burning through his soul. Hua Cheng couldn't save Hong-er, but he would make sure he saved Wei Ying.
"A-Ying." Hua Cheng and Xie Lian said at the same time. They turned to look at each other and Xie Lian smiled when Hua Cheng nodded his head indicating he continued for them, "Would you like to come with us?"
Wei Ying's eyes opened so wide Hua Cheng worried they would pop out from his skull, "Come with you? T-To y-y-your home?"
The hope in his voice squeezed Xie Lian's heart so hard he feared it would pop, "Yes, to our home." You wouldn't have to do anything you didn't want; you wouldn't owe anyone anything, you'd be loved and cared for, for as long as we lived. Xie Lian wanted to say all of this and more but, he wanted Wei Ying to agree to come with them of his own free will and not because they promised him anything.
"For... for how long?" He asked before the hope blooming in his chest eventually crippled him.
"Forever. No one would be able to take you away. You'd only be able to leave of your own free will." Hua Cheng responded, his words the push Wei Ying needed to finally let the floodgates open.
He started to cry, the strength of his sobs wracking his small body so hard Xie Lian stood up and went to his side to draw him into his arms. At the contact, Wei Ying seemed to cry harder.
"What do you say, A-Ying?" Xie Lian asked, lifting his head so he could wipe away his tears.
Wei Ying nodded his head rapidly, more tears falling no matter how hard he tried to keep them at bay, "Yes! Yes, I'll go with you! Thank you, Gege!"
Xie Lian hugged him to his chest and promised him with shaky breaths, "I swear, no harm will ever come to you again."
Across from them, Hua Cheng watched them with the smile of a man who had everything he wanted in the world.
|~|
"Jiang-zongzhu."
A knock sounded at the door and Jiang Fengmian who had been pacing around his office for the past shichen quickly called out, "Come in, come in."
A Jiang disciple entered and bowed immediately, "Jiang-zongzhu, I apologise. We weren't able to find Wei-Gongzi."
Jiang Fengmian felt anger rise in his chest before he quickly stamped it out, "Surely you found something on his whereabouts?"
The disciple rose out of his bow and nodded, "According to witness reports Wei-Gongzi was spotted escaping from a pack of dogs in the marketplace and was rescued by a pair of cultivators wearing red and white respectively.
They stayed in the inn run by the Lu family before departing earlier this morning. Wei-Gongzi was with them," The disciple bowed again, "I apologise. That is all I was able to find out."
"Is there any clue as to where they were headed?"
The disciple hesitated before he shook his head, "Some claim to have seen them fly south by sword; others say they got into a carriage and traveled to the west. The accounts are mixed. It is more than likely that civilians simply wish to involve themselves in the situation."
Jiang Fengmian nodded but he did little to hide his disappointment, "I see. Good work. Please continue searching, you mustn't stop until he is found."
"Yes, zongzhu." The disciple nodded and headed for the door.
Jiang Fengmian returned to his office chair and sat down heavily, his head already aching. Was he kidnapped? Or did he leave willingly? No, A-Ying loves Yanli and he and A-Cheng were finally getting along so well, there was no way he would run away.
I'll get him back. Don't worry A-Ze, I'll bring your son back home.
"Zongzhu?" The disciple called having not yet left.
"Yes? Is there anything else?" Jiang Fengmian knew not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help it from rising.
The disciple shook his head and then locked eyes with his clan leader. He looked extremely regretful, "On my way over... Yu-Furen was also on her way. She looked incredibly angry."
Jiang Fengmian felt the hope fall into his stomach like a heavy stone. His eye twitched before he sighed out loud and quickly dismissed his disciple before his wife could appear, "I see. Thank you for informing me. Please continue your duties."
The disciple nodded and finally left the door closing softly behind him.
The door had only just closed when harsh footsteps sounded outside the smell of sulphur and the tingle of lightning filled the air. Jiang Fengmian felt as if his headache gotten times worse.