Chapter 4

"What I didn't expect was them to leave me coreless and Wei WuXian to actually give me his golden core... Later on I thought the best thing was for Wei WuXian to die but..." Jiang Cheng choked as he started crying.

"I didn't truly blame him. I regret not pulling him up. I regret not truly believing in him. I regret it so much... I only had him left..."

Lan XiChen walked into Jiang Cheng's room and placed him on the bed. He wiped Jiang Cheng's tears and stroked his hair. "You did good. You did what you think was right"

"Really?" Jiang Cheng said as he started crying again. He sat up and hugged XiChen. "Really?" He asked again.

"Mn, WanYin, you did good. I'm sure your parents and your sister are extremely proud of you and your courage to save your senior brother." XiChen said as he pat Jiang Cheng's back.

Jiang Cheng sobbed harder and cried all he wanted. He cried till he sobered up. He got a little embarrassed but he was comfortable and comforted. He could stay like this forever.

"WanYin, you know... I truly think that you are great. Really great. What happened to you was unexpected but I truly think you did a good job managing the sect.

Look, the Lotus Pier now is what you recreated, what you rebuilt. You built your own reputation and now you're even helping Jin Ling gain control of Lanling Jin Sect.

WanYin, be confident of yourself. You're a great man and you can do great things. Besides, don't feel guilty towards your senior brother. Brother-in-law doesn't blame you or anything. He wouldn't have done if he was going to blame you for it.

I sometimes wish time would go back to when I first saw you. When you would scold brother-in-law for doing mischevious things, yet end up doing them together. You've made yourself even tougher and stricter but I really miss your mischevious side."

Lan XiChen continued spewing comforting words along with compliments while patting Jiang Cheng's back. Jiang Cheng blushed as his heart beat faster. He also felt touched and grateful.

"You're you and everything about you is good. So good that I like you so much." Lan XiChen whispered, thinking Jiang Cheng will forget everything anyway.

Jiang Cheng blushed harder as he pushed XiChen away, his mind still processing what XiChen said.

XiChen was pushed away and looked at Jiang Cheng, whose face was as red as a tomato. "You... Are you sober?"

Jiang Cheng slightly nodded and before he could say anything, XiChen ran out. Jiang Cheng felt disappointed as he thought. 'Doesn't he want to know how I feel?'

XiChen went back to the banquet hall to inform Lan Zhan that he will leave first. After all, no one was protecting the sect, only the elders.

On the way back to Cloud Recesses, XiChen was embarrassed and scolded himself for saying such things when Jiang Cheng could have heard it.

XiChen breathed in the air and cleared his mind, though he wondered how he should act the next time they meet, since... since Jiang Cheng likes Wen Qing. Even if he got over Wen Qing, he is not a cutsleeve.

Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng's mind was in a mess. He thought that XiChen liked Jin GuangYao?! Maybe he meant that as a friend. Or maybe he said that just to comfort Jiang Cheng. Or maybe he talked and talked and started talking about Jin GuangYao.

Jiang Cheng thought and thought and laid back down but could not sleep. He sighed as he missed Lan XiChen's embrace. How good it would be if XiChen really likes him. Though he wouldn't believe it.

The man who Jiang Cheng had admired and felt comfortable and a sense of attraction towards... How good it would be... Jiang Cheng thought as he fell asleep.

The next day, Jiang Cheng was greatly disappointed that Lan XiChen had already left. Jiang Cheng couldn't help but sulk and feel moody.

A week had passed and Lan Zhan finally managed to drag Wei Ying back to Cloud Recesses. The moment they reached, they were greeted by Lan XiChen.

After they talked a little, Lan XiChen asked "How's WanYin doing?" Wei Ying crossed his arm and huffed "He's still the same sarcastic man but I really don't get why he was so moody!"

Lan XiChen was wondering why Jiang Cheng was feeling moody. Lan Zhan saw that his older brother needed time to think and excused himself and Wei Ying.

A month passed. They didn't meet since... they didn't have reasons to. XiChen was getting more and more restless and absent minded by the day. Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng had also been feeling restless and moody.

They both kept asking Wei Ying about each other as Wei Ying would meet Jiang Cheng occasionally for night hunts with the juniors.

Wei Ying finally couldn't take it and complained. "Lan Zhan! I can't stand it anymore!" Wei Ying shouted.

Lan Zhan internally panicked as he wondered if he did something wrong. He sat beside Wei Ying on the bed and held his hand. "What's wrong?"

Wei Ying huffed thinking about it and started complaining. "Jiang Cheng and brother-in-law keep asking me about each other! I can't stand it anymore! Why are they even asking me about each other? And aren't they friends and sect leaders? Why can't they visit each other and ask each other instead of asking me everytime they see me?"

Lan Zhan internally shook his head at Wei Ying's cluelessness. "Wei Ying, don't you think that they like each other?"

"What?!?!?!" Wei Ying shouted as he stood up. "What?!?!" He repeated as he tried to connect the dots. He then shook his head and looked at Lan Zhan.

"My dear Lan Zhan, just because they asked about each other, it doesn't mean they like each other! Besides, doesn't your brother like Jin GuangYao?"

Lan Zhan pulled Wei Ying back down beside him. "Wei Ying, my brother never saw Jin GuangYao as more than a brother..."

Wei Ying gasped. "Lan Zhan, are you sure? You are totally clueless! It is so obvious and everyone has been making love stories between your brother and Jin GuangYao!"

Lan Zhan sighed at the clueless one. "Wei Ying, my brother really only saw him as a brother. A sworn brother, like how he saw Nie MingJue."

Wei Ying shook his head and sighed "Lan Zhan ah Lan Zhan. It's totally different! Have you heard him calling Nie MingJue 'A-Jue'?"

Lan Zhan kissed Wei Ying. Wei Ying looked so cute being clueless and trying to prove his point. "What are you doing!" Wei Ying gasped.

Lan Zhan smiled at Wei Ying. "Believe me, my brother likes Sect Leader Jiang."

Wei Ying gave Lan Zhan a suspicious look and hmmed to himself while trying to think of ways to get them together whereas Lan Zhan kissed him and made him focus on their everyday is everyday activity.

On their next night hunt, Wei Ying had been thinking about his conversation with Lan Zhan. During dinner, he couldn't help but blurt out "Jiang Cheng, you like brother-in-law?"

5-

Jiang Cheng spit his drink out as he choked while the disciples widened their eyes in shock, some even dropped what they were holding.

"Wei WuXian!!!!!" Jiang Cheng blushed while screaming and all the disciples immediately pretended they heard nothing. Wei Ying was surprised by his sudden outburst.

"What?! I only asked you if you like brother-in-law!" He shouted back. Jiang Cheng got embarrassed as all the junior disciples were around. "Stop speaking nonsense!" Jiang Cheng shouted as he hurriedly ate his food and stormed off to his room.

Wei Ying was puzzled. "This Jiang Cheng... he could have just said no. Why did he get so angry..." Wei Ying muttered.

From then, rumours spread and when it reached Lan XiChen's ears, it went something like this:

Wei Ying asked Jiang Cheng if he likes Lan XiChen and Jiang Cheng angrily shouted 'Nonsense!' then stormed off.

Lan XiChen felt upset by it. Together with him getting more and more unfocused and absent minded, Lan QiRen suggested he do some seclusion meditation.

Lan XiChen sighed and agreed as he felt that he needed to get back his focus. Since it was around the time Jin GuangYao had died... rumours spreaded again.

By the time it reached Jiang Cheng's ears, it said: Lan XiChen went into seclusion because of Jin GuangYao, though some argued why didn't he do so last year and the year before.

Another month passed... before they met again, at the annual Sect Leader meeting held by the current Chief Cultivator - Nie HuaiSang.

Nie HuaiSang also held a hunting game. As many sects were invited, he decided to pair the sects up and each team will send a limited number of people in.

By coincidence, Yunmeng Jiang Sect is paired with Gusu Lan Sect. Jin Ling protested but couldn't do anything since he was paired with Baling Ouyang sect (Ouyang ZiZhen inside).

Since each group could only send 8, they sent Wei Ying and Lan Zhan as pair 1, SiZhui and JingYi as pair 2, and another 2 disciple from Yunmeng Jiang Sect.

Jiang Cheng had wanted to pair up with his assistant but before he could, Lan XiChen had already asked him if he could pair together. Jiang Cheng didn't have a reasonable reason to reject so he agreed.

The hunting started and Wei Ying and Lan Zhan went in hand in hand. Jin Ling dragged Ouyang ZiZhen to find SiZhui and the 4 of them went in together.

Jiang Cheng and Lan XiChen went in together, but neither of them spoke. Jiang Cheng cleared his throat "You... you went into seclusion?"

"Mn" Lan XiChen replied as he nodded his head. "Why?" Jiang Cheng asked. Lan XiChen glanced at him then replied "To clear the mind"

Jiang Cheng bit his lower lip as he thought 'So the rumours are true. Then why did he say that? Giving me hope like that...'

"Sect Leader Lan, I think there is no need for us to go in pairs. See you" Jiang Cheng said and walked away before XiChen could do anything.

Lan XiChen froze. Jiang Cheng suddenly called him Sect Leader Lan and XiChen did not like that. XiChen stood there for some time, wondering if he said something wrong.

Then, two Sect Leaders from a smaller sect walked by. They greeted XiChen and one of them spoke "Sect Leader Lan, you just came out of seclusion?"

"Mn, how did you know?" XiChen asked. That person replied "Haha everyone heard the rumour. I don't think anyone does not know you went into seclusion because..."

XiChen frowned as he stopped there "What rumour? Because of what?" The other person quickly bowed and said "Zewu Jun, no offence. The rumours simply stated you went into seclusion for... for Jin GuangYao."

XiChen frowned even more and said "That is not true", then excused himself. He walked and wondered if Jiang Cheng was jealous.

As he walked, he realised that Jiang Cheng probably got angry because Jin GuangYao was mentioned again. After all, Jiang Cheng greatly dislikes Jin GuangYao.

Lan XiChen sighed as he tried to find Jiang Cheng. He caught sight of Jiang Cheng screaming his head off "Wei WuXian! What are you doing!"

Wei Ying was sitting on Lan Zhan's lap under the tree. Wei Ying grinned and replied "Jiang Cheng! If you see us like this, kids like you should cover your eyes and walk away!"

Jiang Cheng blushed a little and got angry "Who are you calling a kid?! And why aren't you hunting more?"

Wei Ying leaned his head against Lan Zhan's chest. "Jiang Cheng, I already used my flute earlier on. Now is my private time with Lan Zhan! Right, Lan Er Ge Ge?" Lan Zhan replied Wei Ying "Mn".

Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes "You... you didn't catch too much right?"

Wei Ying waved his hand. "Not much not much. Probably about 30% in Yunmeng and Gusu's traps each and 20% for Jin Ling.

Jiang Cheng was silent. He literally already ensured the top 3 places. Lan XiChen who just reached said "WanYin, let's go"

Jiang Cheng glanced at XiChen then walked pasr him. Wei Ying narrowed his eyes and asked "Brother-in-law! Do you like Jiang Cheng?"

Jiang Cheng tripped when he heard the question but luckily, he didn't fall. Wei Ying was busy laughing but stopped the moment XiChen replied "Yes"

Jiang Cheng stopped in his tracks and froze there. Lan Zhan immediately stood up and carried Wei Ying bridal style, then walked away.

Lan XiChen turned around and faced Jiang Cheng's back. "WanYin, I really like you"