Chapter Text
It was a mistake. His farce of marriage was a mistake. Wei Wuxian stared at Lan Wangji's figure. His eyes were filled with un-shed tears he kept for all those years. He stood there, frozen, unmoving, his grip on the white bundle in his arms tightening. He was crying but no sobs could be heard.
"Lan Zhan..." He whispered broken heartedly. To see his husband marrying another, tying his ribbon to another, and bowing three times in a proper wedding they never had. His heart broke, cracking up in excruciating pain. 'Lan Wangji never liked me...'
Everything between us...
Was a big mistake...
The loud wail of the child in his arms filled the serene silence of Cloud Recesses taking all attention to himself. Wei Wuxian can no longer hear anything even his child's cry. His eyes fixed on Lan Wangji whose eyes widen in surprise.
He bowed and turned around. Taking his child away from his own home, away from his father.
He feels so lost...
So betrayed...
What happened to his promise?
What happened to his return?
Did Lan Wangji just play with his feelings?
He loves him. Really... Loves him.
Yet... Yet...
Ah... Wei Wuxian smiled, 'now that I realized... He never really did give me that ribbon.'
The rain continuously flows down. He lifted his face and meet the rain. His outer robe already covered his little one.
"A-Yuan... My Yuan... Your father has someone he wants by his side..." He whispered, "mama can't give you a family... I'm sorry that mama can't save you now.."
Purple uniform spread out. Two Alpha's stood before him. Their scents comforted him. Their warm gazes filled some gap in the void inside him.
He smiled... He smiled bitterly. The two Alpha's stared at him in his state. He was completely malnourished, hurt, and in pain. His robes were tattered, his hair flowing in an undone ponytail, his arms were filled with cuts and bruises, and his feet... It was bare and full of cuts, too painful to watch. His face smudged with blood. And... His robes... All stained with blood, just like when he was still a street rat several years ago.
Swear, Jiang Wanyin should have never allowed him to be near that piece of shit. He should have never allowed him to go back to that person after the war. He should've fought and forced him to stay. He should've protected his brother from the pain of that love and loneliness.
"Jiang... *sobs* Cheng... *sobs*... Brother.... *sobs*. Uncle..*sobs*. Jiang..." He finally sobbed, kneeling, the bundle in his arms crying, "help me... *sobs*... Please..."
Jiang Fengmian couldn't help but shed tears for his adopted son. Kneeling in front of him, he reached for his face and smiled, "come with me? Back home okay?"
Swear to all the gods, he will never forgive that person. Taking the bundle from Wei Wuxian's arms, Jiang Wanyin took charge of supporting his brother. They were about to set off. When a commanding voice halted their movements.
"WEI YING!"
However, the YunmengJiang sect created a barricade, protecting Wei Wuxian from the rest of the world.
"Not another step Second Young Master Lan..." Jiang Fengmian growled, tightening his hold over the baby, his sword gleaming with a deadly glint ready to kill anyone in his way.
Lan Wangji stared at the unconscious Wei Wuxian in Jiang Wanyin's arms. His eyes now rest on the now-black bundle in Sect Leader Jiang's arms. Stepping forward, blades almost reached his neck. His eyes were red, pleading, and wanting to explain.
"Please..." He pleaded.
Purple lightning was whipped in front of Lan Wangji. The violet spider with her eyes sparking with anger lashed out the GusuLan's disciples. "Please?" She asked, "Please?"
Her sarcastic laughter echoed as she descend. She took the child from Jiang Fengmian's arms and glanced at her broken adopted son. Hissing, she shot Lan Wangji a death glare and said, "wage war if necessary..."
"I know... San-Niang..." Jiang Fengmian gave her a tap and signaled his men, "take them home... I'll handle everything from here..."
But one week after the fateful clash between the sects.
The news finally broke.
"I am sorry Wangji..." Lan Xichen bit his lips before telling his brother, "A-Xian is.... dead..."
[Eight Years Later]
"Sect Leader Jiang is here to discuss private matters.."
Lan Qiren and Qingheng-Jun sighed. They glanced at Lan Wangji whose attention was caught by the announcement. There's a speck of hope in his eyes. The desire of wanting to see someone. As if praying for some sort of miracle to grant him something after all those years.
"Sect Leader Jiang is here.."
Two purple-robed figures entered the Hanshi. It was Jiang Fengmian and a child not more than ten, with silver eyes and an expression akin to Lan Wangji.
The child paid his respect to the elders. Bowing, and announcing his name almost made Lan Wangji break into tears, "Greetings elder! I am Jiang Yuan... Courtesy Sizhui!"
Jiang Fengmian told Jiang Yuan to play outside with Jiang's disciples. Lan Wangji's eyes followed the child's back until he disappeared.
"I am here to discuss his education... His core has been well developed and he had mastered YunmengJiang's cultivation... But the void in his core requires another type of cultivation..."
"I presume it requires the Lan cultivation?"
Jiang Fengmian sighed, "as much as I want to keep him in Lotus pier... I can't deny him the cultivation he needs to learn... My son wouldn't like that... He wants the child to be free..."
Right, Jiang Yuan is a Lan through and through. The son of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.
"However..." Jiang Fengmian interrupted, "I have two conditions I shall impose before anything else..."
Impose? Not a condition where they could disagree.
"First... He must not know his Lan bloodline... Second... He must not know Lan Wangji is his father..."
"Preposterous!" Lan Qiren exclaimed loudly, "who do you think YunmengJi—"
"We respectfully accept your terms sect leader Jiang..." Lan Wangji interrupted, he kowtow as if it was the greatest grace he could have.
Lan Qiren and Qingheng-jun could only agree.
"Wangji... This is... He is sti—" Lan Qiren growled displeased.
"It is fine..." Lan Wangji replied, as long as he can be with his son. As long he can stay with him. Even if he has to be a teacher, a master, or anything as long as he can be with him, "I have no right to be called his father..."
Staring at Jiang Fengmian, Lan Wangji calmly said, "I was never his father the moment I abandoned his mother..."
"Glad you know Lan Wangji..." Jiang Fengmian deadpanned, "If I knew... I should have never let him be with you..."
Lan Wangji's eyes widen, but he remained in his position until Jiang Fengmian left.
"Wangji!" Lan Qiren roared in indignance, "You can't possibly allow them to have their way! He is still a La—"
"Enough..." Qingheng-jun ordered, "brother please.. don't make it worse... Aren't you the one who forced Wangji to leave him and marry who the elders chose for him? Aren't you the one who forced this upon the child and made him an orphan? Aren't you the one who refused everything between them? If I were Jiang Fengmian, I would never allow the child to come here too!"
Lan Wangji decided to leave. He remembered the years when he last saw his son— when he last held him in his arms. He was a failure as a father, as a husband, and as a man.
His attention was taken by the cute laughter from his Jingshi's garden. He watched the innocent smiles and giggles from one child he longed to have by his side with a fond expression. He hitched his breath when he saw the same silver eyes. Ah... His Wei Ying's beautiful silver eyes.
Unknown to him, his tears fall freely from his eyes. His mind went back to those innocent and naive young years he had. The warmth and happiness he got from one man. The smiles he took away, the laughter he peeled from the man, the brightness he lidded with sadness, and the love he wasted for his beloved rules.
He felt warm palms cupping his cheeks and brushes his tears away.
His eyes stared at that silvery luster letting out a soft smile.
"Why cry?" His child asked, "did geg—um—master feel sad?"
"Gege is enough..." Lan Wangji replied, "gege just felt like crying.."
He wants to protect this—his child's happiness. He wants to take him away from careful machinations and a dark future. He wants his son to live a free life away from the rest of the wicked world. For his love who sacrificed his life to protect this child's future, he too will make sure that A-Yuan will live the life he wants.
Even if he's not his father.
Even if he will never become his father.
He will protect him at all costs, even at the exchange of his life.
The world had taken his love away from him. He will never allow it to take another.
If he has to break all virtues and morals. He'll willingly break them all under his feet.
If there's a price to pay... He'll pay it with his life.
[Five Years Later]
"A-Ling! Don't fight back!" Jiang Yuan warned, "It's a soul-consuming goddess!"
"Ah! I know! Just be quiet? Or do you want to be eaten by this monster?!"
"Young mistress Jin, will you behave for a while?!"
"What? Damn you Jingyi!"
At Dafan Mountain where cultivator's come and compete in a night hunt.
Had once again heard a flute's battle cry.
Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin were flabbergasted by the turn of events.
"WEI YING/WEI WUXIAN!"
"Awww... Do you guys just snatch my sweet entrance with your whip and swords? Atleast spare this one an opponent will you?"
The smile and lively demeanor that Lan Wangji missed.
'Go back to Gusu with me, Wei Ying.'
All he wanted to ask.
But he could only watch his beloved walk away from him.
Their distance grew apart, shedding a tear for this heartbreaking encounter.
Wei Wuxian did not spare him a glance, a laugh, or even a smile.
He just walked past him as if he never existed.
He wants to stop him, hold him and ask for forgiveness.
"Don't catch a cold now... Lan Zhan."
But the purple colors of YunmengJiang were no longer there.
...to be continued...