Stars at Dawn ~ 黎明於星星

by Anonymous

Summary:

Being the Oracle was important. It was a celebrated thing.
Being the Oracle meant that you were special. The world depended on you, you granted wishes, you kept the world balanced and afloat.

That was what she was told anyway. That was what she had learnt anyway.

Chapter 1: Aurora ~ 第一光

Notes:

A word from the author:

Before we begin, I would like to remind you that this fic is extreme canon divergence, Wei Ying is also female in this fic. If you have issues with her being female or may suffer due to your own body dysphoria, please don't read this as it may trigger you. There's a lot of shaming Wei Ying about her not being "feminine" enough, a lot of derogative terms, so if you are affected by such language, please don't continue reading. 

If you simply don't like such themes, please don't continue reading.

If you end up having an issue with the story of this fic, by all means, air your constructive criticism but immature, unwarranted hate comments will not be tolerated.

You have been warned. 

Here's a playlist to go with this fic.

The air was tense, but of course, it was. If it was possible to choke on air, this was it. The Principal's office looked the same as she remembered it to be. In the past, she wasn't the nervous type. However, after how last year— last school year to be exact, had ended, she had a reason to be nervous. It had become rather dramatic, almost as if it were a plot of a terrible sitcom, except it had starred her in it. Beside her sat Madame Yu. Her face, a stern one. Her lips, her usual tight frown.

 

“Mrs. Jiang- Madame Yu.” the principal choked nervously as he looked at the elegantly and formally dressed woman. “Please understand that this is usually not acceptable, if this got out to the rest of the schools, I would have surely been fired.” the man paused, scratching his cheek nervously. “However, as the circumstances that caused Miss Wei here to cut her studies short last year were different and given that she had continued the rest of the curriculum in her spare time, as well as gone ahead and learnt an extra skill, I’ll allow it.”

 

“Tea ceremony is hardly a skill.” Madame Yu replied coldly. “You hear that, Wei Ying? You better not cause trouble again for us or this school this year!” she said coldly, more of a command than a statement.

 

“Yes, Madame Yu.” Wei Ying responded respectfully. She felt that she was lucky to have not been thrown out last year. However, Uncle Jiang absolutely fought tooth and nail with Madame Yu, the fight lasted a long time, her relationship with Jiang Cheng was still quite strained. Jiang Cheng had made it a point to tell her that he won’t be travelling to school with her anymore. Wei Ying didn’t mind, it wasn’t like she had expected much, especially not after last year.

 

“Madame Yu, please. Surely we could not place all the blame on Miss Wei here. She’s only a child, an adolescent, but a child regardless. What happened last year wasn’t her doing. Of course, Miss Wei can be rather mischievous at times, but nothing harmful. Asking questions and being curious is highly encouraged in our school.” he replied. Wei Ying had to give the Principal, Mr. Tang credit. Others would have chosen to just keep quiet and let Madame Yu reprimand Wei Ying, however, Mr. Tang was always rather different. He allowed Wei Ying’s inquisitive nature, encouraged it even. Even when she was sent to him after challenging a teacher on something she felt wasn’t correct, he had supported her. In fact, he would often support her. Only chiding her when she went too far.

 

“Mr. Tang, I advise you not to meddle with family matters. She was taught better and making such a rookie mistake caused our family problems. She should have known better.” Madame Yu replied.

 

"Perhaps that's how you see it, Madame Yu. Since Miss Wei missed out on the rest of her school year, let's just consider it as a lesson learned, shall we? Now, I have a few things to discuss with Miss Wei to settle her back into the school year, if you would be so kind to give us a few moments? It won't be long, I promise." he said.

 

“Don’t take too long, or you’ll have to walk to your tea ceremony lesson.” Madame Yu said coldly before getting up from where she was sitting, opening the door and leaving the room before Wei Ying could even respond.

 

“Miss Wei, here’s your schedule for your lessons. I’ve updated your teachers on your situation.” the man said as handed Wei Ying a clear file. “I’ve also made sure that your extracurricular activities have been put back on there.”

 

Wei Ying accepted the file gratefully before bowing. "Thank you, Principal Tang," she replied. "I can't express how grateful I am towards how understanding you are of my situation." she continued. "But please, next time, there is no need to put in a good word for me in front of Madame Yu. I was in the wrong and I caused the Jiang family and your school's reputation problems, not to mention, I've caused you problems as well." she said, taking care to be quiet so that Madame Yu didn't hear her.  

 

“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Miss Wei. You’re still young at the end of the day, given the situation you were in, you just wanted to resolve the issue.” he replied. “If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask. Also, if you feel the need to, the school counsellor is always there to help, just know that you aren’t alone, alright?” he asked.

 

“Thank you, Principal Tang. I shan’t keep you from your work anymore.” Wei Ying said, bowing once more before leaving the room.

 

 

“You’ll take the bus as you usually do after your lesson. Dinner will be served at seven, if you’re late, don’t expect to be fed, do you understand?” Madame Yu said as Wei Ying stood outside of the car.

 

"Yes, Madame Yu. Thank you for using your valuable time to drop me off at my lesson." Wei Ying said as she bowed, taking care to make sure her posture was perfect.

 

The door slammed shut with no response given, Wei Ying didn’t mind, this was what she was used to. Even getting a lift to her lesson today was already an amazing thing for her. Madame Yu never did such a thing, but today was an exception as she could have been late. She normally got the bus there, it always took an hour by bus and the bus only came hourly, which meant that sometimes she was just waiting for a while. She honestly hoped that nothing happened to stop her from getting home late, or dinner will be off the table for her. Today had been a pretty good day, so perhaps the rest of the day will go well for her?

 

 

She had been proven wrong. Only one good thing could happen apparently. First of all, it was raining and she had forgotten her umbrella. Secondly, she had missed the bus, which meant that she’d have to wait the next hour. Thirdly, her stomach was rumbling and she knew she was going to miss out on dinner. Given Madame Yu’s mood from earlier, she knew that even Jiang YanLi couldn’t sneak her any food. The only good thing that had happened was that her lesson went well. She just hoped she wouldn’t get too drenched, her tea ceremony clothes were beautiful but thin and delicate. Just her luck, she guessed. To rub it in more, her phone also was dead.  

 

As she stepped into the rain, committing fully to being drenched and cold and shivering on the bus back home, she wondered why she couldn't have predicted this? Then, she reminded herself that she was taking suppressants. Only Jiang Cheng could shine, after all. No one is to know of this. Of course, somebody did know. Wen Qing and Wen Ning certainly did. Wen Qing had chided her all the time about taking the suppressants. “You know that one day it will come out? You can’t avoid this forever right?” 

 

She stood at the bus stop, waiting, hoping that the bus would arrive soon, hoping for something. Instead, the heavens answered with more rain. This was probably punishment of some sort, punishment for avoiding it all. Really, she just wanted to live an easy, carefree life. She didn’t want to bump into the odd, random stranger on the streets and read their future, know their fate. But here she was. Yet, she couldn’t stay away from it. She knew her ending wouldn’t be good, she would have to choose, but really, it didn’t bother her. It was fate. Perhaps in a different life, fate would mean nothing to her, that she would pave her own future. However, she knew she was living this life, she couldn’t avoid it forever.

 

A hum of a car in the empty road made her look up. It was a fancy car, expensive too. However, it gave her a bad vibe. Her instincts were usually on point, if only she would listen to them half the time. The windows were tinted black, it looked either the car of a rich person or a kidnapping car that was expensive. Either way, Wei Ying ignored it. It was probably her imagination anyway, who would kidnap her anyway?

 

Except, she was proven wrong and before she had time to react, the door swung open and someone had grabbed her from behind, when did he get there? If she had been less distracted and if not for the heavy rain, she perhaps would have heard him. A hand covered her mouth, the other held her wrists tightly together, she had no choice but to be forced into the vehicle. Was she actually being kidnapped?

 

“Ai, Wen ZhuLiu, how terrible of you! I told you to escort her into the car, not force her into the car! This isn’t a kidnapping!” sighed a voice that Wei Ying hadn’t wanted to hear. Not now, not ever. Yet, she was here, having to face it.

 

“Allow me to apologise for the rough treatment, Wei Ying.” the voice said again. It was then that she broke out of her own haze.

 

“What do you want? Haven’t I given what you wanted?” she bit out. She won’t forget what had happened last year. “You have plenty of it to amuse yourself with, what more possibly can you ask from me?” she said, finding the courage that she had lost when it had all happened.

 

She had run away last year, she wouldn’t allow him to do this to her once again, but she knew she had to tread carefully, if she did anything against his wishes, last year may repeat itself.

 

“Wei Ying, please. I don’t want to be enemies. I’m here today to apologise for what I’ve done to you last year.” the other said, his voice almost pleading.

 

"I don't believe this, I won't believe any of it, Wen Chao!" she said, finding the strength to meet his eyes finally. She hated that she felt afraid, but being afraid was normal, he had so much ability to ruin it all again. It was then when she looked out of the window, she noticed that they had been moving since she was forced into the car.

 

“You’re kidnapping me, aren’t you?” she said, more of a statement than a question.

 

"Ai, I've already told you! It wasn't intended as one! Wen ZhuLiu messed up and handled you roughly, I also apologise for that." Wen Chao replied earnestly, very unlike himself. If Wei Ying had drunk alcohol beforehand, she would believe that she was drunk. But she was not in fact, drunk. She wished she was.

 

“You don’t expect me to just accept this apology of yours right? You threatened my family! My brother!” she hissed. “You almost ruined his life!” she said.

 

“I understand that you won’t just accept my apology just like that. Nor do I expect you to believe me, Wei Ying. What I did was awful, a truly horrid thing. I don’t expect forgiveness, I just want to tell you that I’m sorry.” he said.

 

“Where are we going?” Wei Ying asked shortly, brushing off the apology. It was a little too late.

 

“Wei Ying, I’ll burn it, I swear! If that will make you believe that I’m sorry, then I will! In fact, I can do it right now!” Wen Chao said quickly, pleading with her. If this was a different situation, Wei Ying would be amused. But with the bad blood between them, this was just odd.

 

“You know, begging with me like this doesn’t mean you’re sorry, doesn’t show you’re sorry. You’re still acting like I’m expected to just forgive you with a few words and actions.” Wei Ying replied, suddenly regaining her strength.

 

“I’m sorry, I am trying, but it’s hard to apologise… I’m not sure how these things go.” Wen Chao admitted.

 

To this, Wei Ying raised a brow, then after a long pause, she sighed. "Fine, let's say hypothetically you are truly sorry, I'm going to tell you it won't be easy to convince me that you are and that you have changed as a person." she said. "So, for now, I'll just amuse you by sitting in this car like a good girl, instead of breaking your window and jumping out of it. So, won't you tell me where you're taking me?" she said.

 

“Home.” Wen Chao replied.

 

“What?” Wei Ying said, thinking she had heard wrong.

 

“It started raining,” Wen Chao began. “Then I happened to see you out in the rain when we were heading down the road, it was raining rather heavily by then.” he continued. “I didn’t want you to get wet from the rain waiting for the bus.” he explained.

 

“Oh.” she replied. “So you’re driving me home, back to the Jiangs?” she said.

 

“Yes. No tricks, I promise you.” the other replied.

 

Wei Ying didn’t say anything for a while, only stared out of the window. Then, after thinking through the situation, she decided that she might as well ride this weird train. Life had been insane, what’s a bit more insanity?

 

“Well, at least I’ll be home in time for dinner.” she said.

 

 

Dinner had been a strained affair. Jiang-shushu tried his best to ask her how her day went. She managed to tell him that it went well but was promptly told by Madame Yu that she was taking far too long eating her dinner, that if she wasn't done soon, she would throw her food away. So Wei Ying quickly ate her meal, bidding goodnight to them both, before going to her room to prepare for tomorrow. If she said she wasn't nervous, she would be lying. It would be a big day, too much would go on. Besides, she would be seeing Lan Zhan again.

 

Her mind couldn’t help but bounce back to their last meeting. The look in his eyes, it was that very look that made her leave. It wasn’t his fault, it was all hers. Nothing could ever be his fault, Wei Ying could never fault him. Lan Zhan was too good, too kind. It was all her fault. With those thoughts, thoughts that had haunted her since the event, she laid down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling as her planetarium projector transformed her room into a world beyond her. She found that the stars would always calm her and they did just that. 

 

 

As she heard the blare of her alarm, she realised that she had dozed off by accident, in her house clothes. She made a groaning sound as she wiped the drool off of her mouth. It was a good thing that Madame Yu never saw her as a girl or she would have told her that drooling was unsightly for a girl. She was about to lay back down, finding it hard to roll out of her bed when a second alarm went off again. She'd better get up, shut off those alarms and get ready, lest she be told off. Not that she worried about making Jiang Cheng wait. He wasn't going to wait for her to travel to school, she was to make her own way there, take a bus. It was part of the punishment. Apparently, this year, Jiang Cheng was getting chauffeured to school, for fear of harm coming to him. The best for the Oracle of course.

 

So, she clambered out of bed, put on her school uniform, brushed her hair and tied it into her signature ponytail, picked up her packed bag for the day’s activities and rushed out of the room.

 

“Good morning, A-Xian.” her amazing shijie, Jiang YanLi greeted her.

 

“Good morning, shijie!” she beamed.

 

“The school uniform really suits you.” Jiang YanLi beamed, her eyes gleaming as if she was capturing it as a moment in her life. Beside her sat Jiang-shushu, his eyes also twinkling with the same gleam.

 

“Up nice and early, are we, A-Xian?” smiled the older man. Wei Ying was so fond of him.

 

“Good morning, Jiang-shushu.” Wei Ying greeted the other with a smile as she dropped down into her seat and began to eat her congee. It would seem that one of her favourites was made today. Century egg with pork congee. One might be put off by the odd colouring of the egg, but really, the creamy texture made up for it. Wei Ying happily ate it, adding generous amounts of chilli oil to her meal.  

 

Breakfast was peaceful. As it turned out, Madame Yu had gone ahead to their office. Apparently, she had eaten with Jiang Cheng. In the past, Jiang Cheng had joined them during breakfast, always rushing Wei Ying out of the door, causing her to always be eating congee in a thermos on the bus. They must have gotten used to her doing so by now. Still, it probably wouldn't feel the same as before as there wasn't a Jiang Cheng to yell at her and be angry with her. Being the Oracle meant different timetables, sometimes being away from school itself. Wei Ying didn't mind though, it wasn't like they were on speaking terms. Given that what happened last year was her fault, she didn't mind. She deserved this. So she didn't make any contact and Jiang Cheng hadn't done so either.

 

For some odd reason, she had managed to finish her breakfast early, so she had time to linger a bit longer. It was nice though, to spend time with the two members of the household that calmed her down.

 

“Ah, A-Xian. I’ve been wanting to ask.” Jiang FengMian said with a twinkle in his eye. Wei Ying knew what it meant. It meant that she was permitted to use mischief. “What tactics do you suppose I should use tonight for the mahjong game with the Jins tonight?” he asked.

 

“Oh, you’re going against Jin-shushu tonight?” Wei Ying asked curiously.

 

“Yes, I am, A-Xian.” the other replied.

 

“Aiyo, Jiang-shushu! That’s rather unkind of you! How can you make me choose between my uncles? Both of you are my favourite uncles!” Wei Ying cried dramatically.

 

Jiang-shushu laughed, his eyes crinkling with fondness as he looked at her. Wei Ying was glad Madame Yu wasn’t here to see this, she would have been angered by this.

 

“Jin-xiong doesn’t play fair though, A-Xian.” he mused.

 

“Oh! You’re right!” Wei Ying laughed before moving her chair closer to him and gestured towards the newspaper that Jiang FengMian had been reading. “May I?” she asked.

 

“Of course, go ahead.” he smiled as he handed a particularly empty page to Wei Ying. She closed her eyes, allowing her vision to darken around her, then she visualised the game tonight, watching each move both players would make. Once she had the full scenario, she wrote it all down.

 

"Make sure to lose in games two and four, then follow these moves and the game is yours. Jin-shushu will ask for a game of five." she beamed.

 

“If I win tonight, I’ll treat you to a day out to the aquarium. Then, afterwards, shark fin soup.” Jiang-shushu mused.

 

“Oh, then you best prepare to be buying the tickets tomorrow then, Jiang-shushu.” Wei Ying mused confidently. “Aiyo! I should be running for the bus! I should have been at the bus stop a few minutes ago!” she cried, remembering that she had a bus to catch suddenly.

 

“Shall I drive you to school, A-Xian?” Jiang FengMian asked.

 

"No, I wouldn't want to trouble you, Jiang-shushu. I'll run partway, then I can catch up with it eventually!" she beamed.

 

“Please join us tonight when the Jins come over to play, you probably want to watch your Jin-shushu lose anyway, A-Xian.” the older man smiled with the same mischievous twinkle in his eye from before.

 

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it!” she smiled.

 

“Goodbye, Jiang-shushu! Goodbye, shijie!” she cried loudly as she ran out of the house, bolting down the long private driveway.

 

The doors were taking far too long to open up, so she decided to just scale them instead, as she landed on her feet off of the other side of the Jiang property, she was surprised to find Wen Chao waiting there, outside of the car she was taken home in yesterday.

 

“You sure know how to make a man nervous.” he said as she looked at him.

 

“You’re hardly a man, Wen Chao.” she mused as she skipped past him, only to have Wen ZhuLiu block her pathway.

 

“Where do you think you’re going? Get in the car, or we’ll be late for school!” Wen Chao chided as if they were somehow now the best of friends.

 

“Aa?” she said, confused. Then, she was ushered into the car, well, escorted into the car by Wen ZhuLiu.

 

“I don’t care about school, but with what happened last year, I’d rather not be late, Wei Ying.” Wen Chao chided, once again acting like they were friends.

 

“Am I being kidnapped again?” Wei Ying cried, yet she found herself strapping herself in.

 

“Wen ZhuLiu, can you please stop escorting my friend into the car like we’re kidnapping her? I know we were running a bit slow on time, but still, she is a guest.” Wen Chao said like the spoiled heir he was of the Wen Sect.

 

"Yes, Mr. Wen." Wen ZhuLiu replied robotically like he had rehearsed this over and over again.

 

“Ai, Wen Chao, don’t be so mean to Mr. Wen here, he’s just doing as you asked, besides, he’s probably so used to threatening your friends that it’s a reflex. I’m not hurt, so let it slide!” she chided him back. Seriously, this was the weirdest experience ever, were they supposed to just pretend to be good friends now?

 

“Fine, I’ll let it slide, but if you do it again, I’ll tell Father.” Wen Chao replied.

 

Wei Ying tutted loudly with a sigh. “See? This is why you asking me whether I wanted a lift turned into a dubious kidnapping instead!” 

 

“I’m guessing he hasn’t forgiven you then?” Wen Chao asked. Wei Ying frowned, when did Wen Chao pay attention to her home life?

 

“No, if he did, would I be travelling to school alone?” she replied.

 

“How cold of him, I thought you were supposed to be a bodyguard to him.” Wen Chao mused. “Still, I guess it gives me an excuse to give you a lift.”

 

“Did you really camp out at the back of the Jiang property so that you can escort me to school?” she asked.

 

“What would you do if I said ‘yes’?” he replied.

 

"Hmm, I could smash your window and jump out of the vehicle?" she mused.

 

"Please don't, Father would take away my PlayStation." Wen Chao replied.

 

She laughed, despite the unorthodox situation she was in. Perhaps it was because of how strange it was that she found that she was able to laugh.

 

"We could do this all school days if you want, Wei Ying." Wen Chao said.

 

“What a weird way to ask whether I want a lift every day, you’re making it sound like a date, which is weird, considering that you have a girlfriend.” she replied. “Still, if the offer is there, I guess it’s a ‘yes’. I did say I was going to give you a chance after all.” she said. “Is this why people have rich friends?” she mused.

 

“Just don’t be late next time then you can get into the car like a normal person.” he said.

 

“Last time I checked, I am far from a normal person. I think you’re talking about the wrong person.” she laughed.

 

“What were you doing jumping down the wall by the way? Did Madame Yu lock you in or something?” Wen Chao asked.

 

“No! The doors were taking far too long to open up, of course I scaled it! I was already late for the bus!” she laughed. It was then, with dismay, she realised that she had forgotten to grab her lunch when she ran and she had no pocket money on her. Well, so much for a lunch box packed with shijie’s love! 

 

Oh well, guess she’ll just have to steal more food later on, it wasn’t like Jin-shushu wasn’t going to feed her anyway, he always put extra food on her plate and that was the only time Madame Yu couldn’t stop someone from doing so.

 

“So, are you sure you want people to see us arriving together at school?” she asked curiously.

 

“Why wouldn’t it be a problem? I’m a Wen! I can choose to do whatever I want when I step into the school!” he said haughtily.

 

“Hm, your girlfriend might not like it.” Wei Ying said pointedly.

 

“Oh yes.” Wen Chao said, it must have been Wei Ying’s imagination, but he seemed to grimace when he said that. From what she remembered of last year, they were all over each other, doing scandalous levels of PDA that they might as well have gotten a room. She ignored it, pretending she didn’t see it.

 

“You can drop me off at the back of the school, you know by the turtle pond? No one is there usually in the morning and I know I can get to the classroom quickly.” she said.

 

"That's true. Okay, we'll do that." Wen Chao replied.

 

“And at school, how are we supposed to act?” she asked.

 

“I think it would be in our best interests to act as if we aren’t friends.” 

 

“True true, wouldn’t want me to ruin your reputation, would we?” she laughed before gazing out of the window to distract herself from the odd car ride.

 

 

 

“Wei-jie, I know you’re a strange person, but why did you enter through the back-way of the school today?” Nie HuaiSang asked during their first break.

 

“Were you following me to school?” she frowned.

 

“No, I just happened to see you when I was looking out of the window.” Nie HuaiSang replied, staring her down.

 

“I can’t tell you right now, HuaiSang. There are too many ears. I’ll tell you later at lunch, alright?” she replied.

 

“You just said ‘lunch’ so sadly, did you forget to grab your lunch again?” the other chided, tapping his fan on her head playfully. Sometimes, she forgot Nie HuaiSang was older than her. It didn’t help that he called her ‘Wei-jie’ instead.

 

She nodded quietly. “What a way to start the school year, right?” she sighed.

 

“Oh, another thing. Lan WangJi has been staring at you ever since you’ve entered the classroom. You should probably go over there and rekindle your loving relationship!” he mused.

 

“Maybe later, I don’t feel like rekindling anything right now.” Wei Ying whined as she laid her head on her desk, earning another tap from the fan.

 

 

Things went mostly normal, only mostly because she was in the middle of fun conversation and bantering with Nie HuaiSang in their usual spot up in the rooftop when Wen ZhuLiu appeared from seemingly nowhere, a fancy steak meal in hand and insisted that she took it and that it was Wen Chao who had instructed him to give it for her. She was so stunned that she took it without even questioning it. It wasn't until she placed it before herself, ready to eat it that it dawned on her.

 

“You know, it could very well be poisoned, I don’t think you should eat it, Wei-jie.” Nie HuaiSang said as he reached over to grab a slice of steak with his chopsticks.  

 

“Ah yes, you’re really looking out for my concern here, I totally trust you.” Wei Ying said, jokingly swatting his hand away.

 

“What? You can’t get poisoned! You’re the bodyguard of WanYin-xiong’s!” Nie HuaiSang cried as he watched with sad, mournful eyes as Wei Ying ate the first slice happily.

 

“I’m not sure whether I’m anything to Jiang Cheng anymore.” she said sadly as she picked up a slice and placed it into Nie HuaiSang’s lunchbox.

 

“Have you tried to talk it out with him at all since it happened?” Nie HuaiSang asked firmly, but not harshly.

 

“No.” she moaned and sighed. “I don’t deserve to know, it was my fault after all.” she said.

 

“Clearly everything is fine now, not to mention, you just got delivered lunch by Wen ZhuLiu-” Nie HuaiSang said, then pointing and looking at her with an equally accusatory look, “You and Wen Chao carpooled together?!” he cried.

 

“Why don’t you say it louder for Jiang Cheng to hear?” she sighed.

 

“What happened? How did it happen? He hates you!” HuaiSang cried.

 

“He apologised… Yesterday. After he had Wen ZhuLiu escort me into the car when it was pouring down. I figured I might as well hear him out and see what he wanted, I don’t really want to fight Wen ZhuLiu.” she sighed.

 

“If I didn’t hear it from you or see you being dropped off today, I wouldn’t have believed it, Wei-jie!” HuaiSang cried.

 

“I don’t really know what to do, but it would be better if I keep him pleased, I don’t want him to pull what he did last year. I can’t forgive myself if something threatens Jiang Cheng again.” she replied.

 

“You know that it’s not your fault, right, Wei Ying? What Wen Chao chose to do was dirty, still I’m glad it was resolved, but why did you drop out of school suddenly? Was Madame Yu really that mad? Not to mention, I’m your best friend! Why couldn’t you have told me that you needed a ride?” Nie HuaiSang sighed.

 

“In my defence, I was going to take the bus!” she replied, earning another bap on her head with the fan.

 

“Don’t even get me started! You drop out of school, say nothing all summer, don't even come over to visit Da-ge and me, then now you're apparently carpooling with Wen Chao and getting lunch delivered to you by his bodyguard?! What happened to my best friend? Are you an impostor?!" Nie HuaiSang cried.

 

"I'm sorry," she grumbled. "I know I've been a bad best friend. I promise I'll make it up to you." she continued. "Madame Yu pulled my phone rights and I wasn't permitted to have friends or even contact them, but the good thing is that I was allowed to take up tea ceremony classes though." she replied.

 

“Oh, how nice! Hey, can you help me bully Da-ge into letting me join too?” he asked.

 

“I’ll try.” she smiled. 

 

“How’s tomorrow after school sound?” he asked, stealing a slice of beef.

 

“Perfect! Oh, I better remember to tell Wen Chao I don’t need a ride home tomorrow then.” she said offhandedly.

 

“This is too weird and too suspicious. Be careful, Wei-jie. I don’t trust him.” Nie HuaiSang said.

 

“I know, it’s odd. I’m concerned but I also get free rides and food apparently. I don’t know whether to be scared that he heard that I didn’t have lunch or be thankful. It’s weird. I’d expect this from Lan Zhan, but not Wen Chao.” she frowned.

 

“Yeah, speaking of which… You need to go fix your lover’s spat with him!” Nie HuaiSang said pointedly.

 

“I think it’s going to take time.” she sighed. “Look, just give me some time to adjust to school again, it’s more complicated than that, okay? I want nothing more than to rekindle our friendship, but there was a misunderstanding and now I don’t know what he thinks of me.” she said quietly.

 

“Xian-mei, if I may be so blunt. Lan WangJi worships the floor you walk on. He would probably collect the air you breathe if he could in a jar.” Nie HuaiSang laughed.

 

“Lan Zhan isn’t a creep!” she cried, huffing and pouting. “Besides, he’s too good for me. He would be better off not dealing with me, my name only drags his down.” she said quietly. Nie HuaiSang smacked her on the head once again with his fan.

 

“Sometimes I want to beat some sense into you… Right now is one of them, Xian-mei!” he cried as he carried on smacking her with the fan on the head. “I can’t believe you just said that! Don’t you dare say that about yourself ever again!” HuaiSang cried.

 

Wei Ying said nothing, only ate the rest of her lunch.

 

 

Being the Oracle was important. It was a celebrated thing.

 

Being the Oracle meant that you were special. The world depended on you, you granted wishes, you kept the world balanced and afloat.

 

It was said that a long time ago, the people suffered, they prayed and prayed to the Gods, but it was hard because the Gods couldn't relate to the pain of the average human. They were far too removed from humanity. So, in order to ease their pain, the Gods discussed amongst themselves, it was then, it was decided, they needed someone that was in between. So, the God, Lan An, being the noble being he was, chose to descend and live a mortal life, eventually passing on his abilities to his firstborn and that was how the Oracle came about. No one ever really knew what happened to previous Oracles, all they knew was that they lived longer, were stronger and had unpredictable abilities.

 

Yes, healing and divination were a given, granting wishes was also one of their abilities, depending on the gravity of the wish of course. In order to be more connected, a special shrine was created to hear all the wishes.

 

When the first Oracle disappeared, everyone panicked. However, things quickly settled down as a new one was born, replacing the original.

 

Of course, the Oracle was the bridge between humans and the Gods, it was made that way and it had worked for a long time, but then, the humans became dependent, they stopped trying themselves…

 

 

If it were another life, another world, Wei Ying would not have believed in this Oracle nonsense. It was silly to rely on one person to balance out the world. This was what Wei Ying always thought when they were taught their lessons by their teachers. She hated to think that she lost her parents because the Gods had willed it so. It was too painful a thought. She was lucky of course, the Jiangs took her in. Jiang FengMian had insisted as he had known her parents and thus, Wei Ying became the ward of the Jiangs, she knew that one day she would protect their son, Jiang WanYin and stay by his side and guard him.

 

It wasn’t a bad life, living with the Jiangs. Even though Jiang WanYin hated her. No, it wasn’t. She was fed, she was clothed, she could sleep on a warm bed and the most important of all, there were no dogs to bite her fingers, chase her. There were dogs at first but they were sent away in the end because Wei Ying would freeze whenever she saw one.

 

She had tried to put on a brave front at first since she knew her new Auntie didn’t like her. She always looked at her with an expression as if she had swallowed something bitter. Wei Ying had tried to be good for her, she didn’t eat too much, didn’t bother her, didn’t play too hard or speak too loud. Yet, no matter what she did, her Auntie scrutinised her, mocked her over her usefulness when she found that she was afraid of dogs. But Wei Ying didn’t mind, because they were willing to take her in and that in itself was enough.

 

Her Uncle was a kind man. He gave nice hugs and saved her from dogs all the time, but eventually, maybe because he was tired of the yelling or maybe he was tired of saving her from them, he gave the dogs away. Still, he treated her kindly, sneakily feeding her extra food when he could, took her out to have ice cream too when he could. But because he had given the dogs away, her brother was angry with her, hated her. He pulled her hair, hid her blankets from her, called her an orphan and a street urchin, at school, he would ignore her, asked his friends to do the same. This was why her Uncle found her crying, hidden in a bush in their vast garden one day. It was late evening when he had found her, he put her in a car, drove with her out into an open lake. He set a blanket up for her to lie on, asking her to look up into the sky. She had told him that she missed her parents and asked him why they've left her. That was when her Uncle pointed up into the sky and said,

 

“Silly, A-Ying. Your parents are up there, watching over you. They’ve become stars in the sky, but they will always shine upon you.” 

 

This was why she loved planetariums. She loved the stars because her parents were there amongst the stars. She hoped that perhaps one day she would be amongst them too. The lake in the distance calmed down greatly, this was also why Wei Ying loved aquariums.

 

Things calmed down for a bit, Wei Ying even made a friend at school too! A nice boy named Nie HuaiSang who laughed at her silly jokes and smiled at her. He was picked on because he didn’t like “boy sports”. He braided Wei Ying’s hair, then one day, he came to school, a beautiful, vibrant red ribbon in his hand.

 

“Here, for you. Wei Ying is as bright as the colour red. I wanted everyone to know that.” Nie HuaiSang had said as he tied the ribbon into Wei Ying’s hair, putting it into a pretty ponytail.  

 

The ponytail was a revolutionary move for the seven-year-old Wei Ying. She had started training but her hair always got in her face and when it got messy, Madame Yu would be angry, angrier than her usual self. So when Nie HuaiSang had tied a ponytail for her that day, Wei Ying found that she could concentrate on her training. The next day, she jumped on him, hugging him, happily thanking him. She learnt how to put her own hair in a ponytail that day.

 

The Jins were a weird bunch. Wei Ying learnt this because the two Jin boys who came to play were horrid, they made her kind sister cry, called her plain and boring. Wei Ying hated this. Then, they teased her brother, picking on him because he was the only ’boy’ there and therefore was ‘weak’ because there was only one of him to fight them. Wei Ying hated this. So when they picked on him, thinking they were away from their strict mothers, therefore no one would catch them, she intervened, easily beating both of them to a pulp. Instead of slapping away her hand and shunning her like he always had, her brother smiled at her, took her hand, announced that he will always protect her from dogs and that was when a pact was made between them.

 

But not all the Jins were bad. The leader was kind to Wei Ying, he was her other Uncle. He brought her nice gifts, gifts that were meant for little girls. When he came to visit, Wei Ying would feel like a girl. He gave her beautiful dresses and hairpins, doted on her, much to the anger of his son and nephew, also his wife. She scared Wei Ying, much like Madame Yu, her brows would knit and her face would scowl when she saw Wei Ying. Once, when they were alone, she called her “a wild thing”, even with her bad memory, it somehow stayed with Wei Ying forever. There was one more Jin who wasn’t too bad, a nice, quiet boy name Meng Yao. It seemed that Wei Ying befriended nice, quiet boys. After all, Nie HuaiSang had been one until he had met Wei Ying. Meng Yao would always sneak her interesting books to read, read to her; because for some reason, her Jin-shushu refused to give her books, stating that pretty little girls didn’t need to read.  

 

That was the world Wei Ying knew for a year, then it happened. A new boy appeared. He was dressed neatly, he was often alone. Wei Ying always wondered whether he was lonely. Then one day, he was crying. Wei Ying hated seeing others sad, so she went up to him, asking if someone was bullying him. What the boy said broke Wei Ying’s heart.

 

“Mother is gone, she suddenly disappeared.” Those six words, like an arrow through Wei Ying’s chest, it brought bad, painful memories.

 

"My dad and mum are gone too, they disappeared one day… But, please don't cry. Jiang-shushu says that my parents are always watching over me, shining upon me." she said. The boy didn't look convinced, but that was when Wei Ying had an idea. Their school had a planetarium light, she had asked Jiang-shushu to donate one for the other kids that miss their parents so that they can see them whenever they wanted to. So she took him by the hand, pulled him with her inside. After shutting all the lights, burying the boy in blankets, Wei Ying turned on the light.

 

“Jiang-shushu said that my parents are in the stars above in the night sky, but because night only comes out when we’re supposed to sleep, Jiang-shushu bought me this starry light, so I can always find my parents. I’m sure you can always find your mother like this!” she chirped.

 

Soon, the boy’s tears dried and he stared up at the stars. Then he turned and said to her, “Lan Zhan.” 

 

Lan Zhan was his name. He treated Wei Ying kindly, never shooed her away when she was extremely loud or annoying, even HuaiSang had his limits. Lan Zhan was always so good, then they grew up and they grew further apart, but in a strange way. Like lanterns in the night sky, sometimes they would bump together, then separate, then bump together again. Lan Zhan and her were just like that.

 

 

When she awoke, she realised she had fallen asleep in the car on the way back home. It would have been alright if it had been Nie MingJue driving her. He was Nie HuaiSang’s older brother, he treated her kindly, sometimes he would tell them both off for messing around too much. Wei Ying often challenged him to sword fights because sword fighting was fun, besides, he’s taught her plenty of tricks.

 

However, this was Wen Chao’s car she had fallen asleep in.

 

“Did school really tire you out this badly?” she heard him tease when she wiped the sleep away from her eyes.

 

“Shut up, I haven’t been in a while, cut me some slack!” she said. “You could have woken me up instead of watching me sleep like a creep!” she said.

 

“You looked tired.” was the reply.

 

Well, that was odd, to say the least. Wei Ying decided to not let it bother her. Instead, she gathered her belongings and exited the car.

 

“Thank you for the ride.” she said, quickly bowing before bounding off.

 

“Don’t be late tomorrow!” she heard Wen Chao call after her.

 

This would take some getting used to.

 

Chapter 2: Cluster ~ 簇

Notes:

I just wanted to mention that I believe in characters being slightly different according to the environment they grew up in etc. If you feel that they are a bit OOC, it could be. But since this doesn't follow canon, circumstances are different for each character and I believe they would react differently and have a slightly different personality because of that.

Here's a playlist to go with this fic.

Being the Oracle was important. It was a celebrated thing.

 

Being the Oracle meant that you were special. The world depended on you, you granted wishes, you kept the world balanced and afloat.

 

That was what she was told anyway. That was what she had learnt anyway.

 

It had all started when a fortune-teller came one day. Usually, Madame Yu would send someone like that away, she thought fortune-tellers were nonsensical, that they were a cheap version of the Oracle. However, this was the appointed Oracle predictor. They spent their entire life using their divination to predict the next Oracle. Wei Ying later learnt that divination itself had many forms and most specialised in only one type.

 

The lady came in, taking the tea that was offered to her graciously. Wei Ying had hidden behind the curtain with Jiang Cheng - both of them were excited to see this new guest in here. They hadn’t had a fortune teller visit them before, they watched fascinated as she did her ritual.

 

“Congratulations, Madame. You must know that you are very lucky indeed, Madame. Blessed even.” the fortune-teller chimed. “For, the future Oracle resides in your household!” she cried.

 

“Do they now?” Madame Yu asked, sounding cold, however, she could hear the excitement in her voice. “I have a son and daughter, who would it be?” she queried.

 

“The boy will grow up to be the Oracle.” the fortune teller said. 

 

Those words were the start of her personal hell. Well, at the time, it wasn’t a curse. She hadn’t known what it had meant yet. That night, she read up on the Oracle, asked Jiang-shushu to tell her stories about the Oracle. She went to bed thinking nothing.

 

At the young age of nine, her brother, Jiang Cheng becomes ‘the Oracle’ in the family. She couldn’t tell others. Not even HuaiSang. So Wei Ying said nothing. She was happy for him, it meant great things. Everyone had said this. Not to mention, Jiang Cheng always had others following him, treating him well. Even those pesky Jin boys have included him into their circle, so it was natural that he was the Oracle. Wei Ying was nothing but happy for him.

 

Except things were a bit slow for Jiang Cheng. He came home frustrated, sure, he was good with ‘divination’ as what the adults called it, but there was something about him not connecting, not hearing. It was strange indeed. Wei Ying didn’t think much of it, practised this so-called ‘divination’ in her spare time for fun, predicting the lottery numbers or who was going to win the next match, she was always right. Jiang-shushu had noticed it, her talent that was, so when Madame Yu wasn’t there, he humoured her. Asking her to predict his day at work, how his sales would do. When his friends came over to play cards or mahjong, he would ask Wei Ying for a prediction beforehand.

 

Wei Ying didn’t understand, Jiang Cheng was gifted at divination, but he was always sour when he came back from training, she didn’t understand. Sometimes he was wrong too, he couldn’t always get it completely.  

 

She pretended to be worse than him so he would feel better.

 

Then one day, her world shifted upside down, inside out. It had been a windy day, a rainy day. Apparently, it was perfect divination weather, perfect weather for the Oracle. Wei Ying remembered that she was eleven. Eleven when her world changed for her, but not for anyone else.  

 

Madame Yu had finally decided that Wei Ying should escort Jiang Cheng up to the shrine, Wei Ying didn’t mind doing that for her brother, she loved him after all. So, without suspecting anything, she followed him to the shrine, sat aside as she watched him train.

 

Then, she heard voices, then millions and millions of them. Her head hurt, luckily, the wind and rain were on her side, so her cry and burst of strength were hidden within it. The keepers at the shrine were ecstatic, stating that Jiang Cheng was finally hearing them, activating his abilities. Wei Ying was happy, thinking that perhaps all the training paid off, however, her heart sunk when Jiang Cheng said, “I don’t hear anything.” 

 

She hid until it was time to leave.

 

There was a girl named Wen Qing, much like her sister, she was caring. Wei Ying had met her one day when she found her lost brother, Wen Ning, he was so scared but didn’t cry or speak. Sigh, she really was collecting all the quiet boys after all. Luckily and unluckily, his sister wasn’t like that. She studied medicine. It was after the shrine incident that Wei Ying ran to her, asking, begging.

 

“Please, Qing-jie. Is there a medicine that can suppress divination abilities?” she said desperately and quietly.

 

Wen Qing knew. She was clever, she always knew, she was the first to know. Wei Ying knew she knew for she shut the door and shushed her.

 

“Don’t let my Uncle hear you!” she hissed. 

 

She sat on the bed, Wen Qing examined her. Then, she was given these pills, it was crazy that these small, tiny tablets were the answer to quelling the growing strength within her. Wei Ying felt relief for the first time in a while. This was good, no one would know.

 

“You know that one day it will come out? You can’t avoid this forever right?” Wen Qing had said to her that day. “One day you will have to answer to all this.”

 

Wei Ying knew there was a price. As time went on, the suppressants only worked less and less and she took more and more, the shrine was driving her insane, she could hear them, but she couldn’t help them. So she ran, she excused herself from accompanying Jiang Cheng up the shrine by stating, “No one would dare attack the Oracle in his rightful place.”

 

Jiang Cheng bought it.

 

So, she practised divination, no matter how much she avoided it, she still couldn’t keep herself away from it. Jiang-shushu would humour her, so would her shijie. She would do love divinations, help find the odd, lost item, used her abilities to predict exam questions and such. It didn’t go unnoticed for it had caught the eye of the wrong person…

 

Wen Chao was an arrogant, idiotic and greasy sort of person. She hated him. He called her a boy constantly and when other girls were growing into their bodies, he would say that she never would because she was just secretly a boy. It didn’t help that she wasn’t allowed to wear girl’s clothes. It was when she finally made the connection that she knew it was truly her and not Jiang Cheng. The fortune-teller probably thought she was a boy. What Wei Ying hated about Wen Chao the most was that he clearly sucked at divination, but because his family had the most Oracles, he acted like he was important. She didn’t think he even believed in the Oracle.

 

Really, Wei Ying wanted to be a girl, a normal girl, enjoy the girlie things in life. She enjoyed fighting, she loved that she was better than most at fighting, but she wanted to feel like a young lady. She didn’t miss the casual remarks or digs at her, it had hurt at first. Then, one day, Nie HuaiSang whispered in her ear, suggested something.

 

Cheerleading. For the first time, Wei Ying felt like a girl. The only bad thing about feeling like a girl was that others noticed that she was a girl too. It was a hard pill to swallow, to be seen for the first time, but also to be so seen.

 

Then, she saw her death.

 

 

“Ah, there you are, A-Xian! How is my lovely A-Xian doing?” said a voice that brought only happiness and warmth to her whenever she heard it, she skipped over, knowing that Jin-shushu liked her youthfulness and this was the only time she was allowed to be a cheerful girl.

 

“Don’t you grow more lovely each time I see you!” the older man sighed as he pet her on the head. “Ah, Madame Yu, I’m so glad you finally came to your senses and allowed A-Xian to wear the gifts I’ve sent! Just be careful, A-Xian will grow too lovely one day and you’ll have all those horrid boys after her.” Jin-shushu teased her. She was used to these words, he always teased her like this. She didn’t mind, she desperately wanted to grasp onto what little of feeling like a girl was like.

 

“It’s okay, Jin-shushu! A-Xian will fight off all the horrid boys before they can even get to her!” she chirped. The man laughed before sneaking her a lotus paste bun, she gratefully took it, skipping away and finding a place to stuff her face with it, also to avoid hearing what Madame Yu’s answer would be.

 

“Well, if it isn’t the ruffian from the streets! Look at how she eats! So unsightly!” sneered an irritating voice. Wei Ying decided to pretend not to hear and focused on finishing her bun instead. “It would seem that being kicked out of school at the end didn’t change your attitude, Wei WuXian!” 

 

She honestly couldn’t wait for them to start playing so she didn’t need to engage with the boys. Then again, not all of them, there was one that wasn’t so bad. So, she chose to ignore the comment, not up for confrontation tonight. Instead, she chose to skip over the Meng Yao who was currently in the corner, reading.

 

“Whatcha reading?” she chirped as she casually sitting down next to him.

 

"The Great Lie." Meng Yao replied, slipping the bookmark into the area where he had stopped reading before turning it over and showing her the summary. Wei Ying pretended to read it, casually placing her finger on the book, feigning that she was marking her place with her finger. Instantly, the entire book's contents entered her mind, that was one of the only good things about being the Oracle, being able to read books at a silly speed.

 

“Hmm, interesting.” she said as she let the contents spin around in her head, processing them.

 

“It is, isn’t it?” Meng Yao said, a smile on his face.

 

“So, what is your opinion on it so far?” she asked curiously.

 

“They’re not wrong, honestly. To place all their belief and their problems on one person seems a bit excessive. The Oracle is only part God after all.” Meng Yao replied.

 

“So what brings you to reading this side of non-fiction, A-Yao?” she mused. “Usually, you read incredibly boring, factual books.” she mused.

 

"Father has been invested in finding the next Oracle. It's been a while since the last one disappeared, so he's been wanting to find them since he feels that he should know before Wen RuoHan did." he replied. "You know, with the circumstances with how the last Oracle had left this earth and whatnot."

 

That was true, the last Oracle’s disappearance shrouded the world in mystery. It was said that they just disappeared one day, some swore that she was killed by her followers, tired of the skewed path she had started to take. When Wei Ying used to visit the Oracle shrine, she would try to seek out answers, thinking that perhaps she could ask someone how to solve it. There never was an answer though. She wondered if she was being punished for not admitting the truth from the moment she knew.

 

"And I'm guessing Jin-shushu would most likely ask you to investigate it?" she mused.

 

“Yes, it’s silly really. Perhaps the Gods have tired of us, what if they just want us people to have a bit more initiative?” he replied.

 

“From what I’ve read in the past and how the world acts, they truly seem to rely far too much on the Oracle.” Wei Ying replied. “I’ve heard that someone once wished for the Oracle to find their tv remote, that’s just a bit absurd! If I were the Oracle I would have just left them to their own devices.” she mused.

 

Beside her, Meng Yao let out a soft huff, an amused smile on his lips. “I wonder what sort of world you would create if you were the Oracle, A-Ying.” he said, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

 

Wei Ying enjoyed Meng Yao’s company, thought he was fun and interesting. However, she knew to be wary of him as he’s clever, easily overlooked. Much like Nie HuaiSang, he was underestimated. Those were the people to be wary of. If Meng Yao ever had an evil thought, he would most likely accomplish it, Wei Ying felt. Even though Meng Yao seemed to only have kind intentions, she did wonder. It was like how she was fond of Jin GuangShan, loved how kind he was to her, but she had heard the whispers of rumours. She, of course, chose to ignore them since she didn’t want to think that a man that smiled at her so kindly and always treated her like she existed was such a man. It was like how she would hate to believe that Meng Yao was unkind like that. After all, he was on the Student Council. He listened to pupils’ complaints constantly, a kind smile on his lips when he did. He had asked Wei Ying to join him before, saying that Wei Ying had an interesting vision. Wei Ying had declined as she felt that she had done enough of a disservice to the world by hiding away. Deep down, she was glad that he didn’t ask about last year and what happened. He acted like they had all just returned from their summer holidays to school, the normality gave Wei Ying reassurance, she was thankful for this.

 

“Are you going to be playing mahjong?” she asked, changing the subject.

 

“Will you be playing?” he asked.

 

“Nah, I like watching. It’s unfair if I play, I’ll have an advantage.” she laughed. He smiled at her response, understanding her words. He was one of the only ones she let know just how strong her divination actually was. Which, in hindsight seemed a bit stupid now. If Jin GuangShan were serious about it, it would mean bad news for her. She was fond of the man and he treated her kindly, but would he be as kind if he knew who she was? Still, she had a feeling Meng Yao knew, but never asked her, so she never asked or told him either.

 

“You could lose a few rounds like your Jiang-shushu does.” Meng Yao said, amusement in his voice. 

 

“I’m sorry, your father will be losing again this time. Jiang-shushu promised me an aquarium visit and shark fin soup afterwards!” she chirped.

 

“I don’t mind, A-Ying. He cheats anyway.” Meng Yao huffed. “Plus, a disappointed A-Ying is an A-Ying we wouldn’t want to have, would we?” he mused as he poked her cheek, laughing when she tried to bite his finger.

 

“You’re the worst!” she huffed.

 

"Oh, they're about to play! Want to watch me beat the other two?" Meng Yao asked as he watched everyone set up to play.

 

“Of course! Anything to see Jin ZiXun and that peacock angry!” she laughed. “The good thing is that you don’t need my cheats and if they cheat, I’ll tell you.” she mused deviously.

 

“Yes, definitely.” Meng Yao mused as Wei Ying looped an arm around his. “I’ll be relying on you then, A-Ying.” he replied. “Though, I have a curious question.”

 

“Hm?” 

 

“Will you let me beat your brother?” he asked.

 

Wei Ying paused, thinking for a moment.

 

“Do it, Yao-ge.” she chirped, deciding that Jiang Cheng needed a good challenge.

 

 

At first, the Gods weren’t too bothered by it. Were pleased with their work. Their system worked for years and years.  But then, suddenly the world became modern, started using machines and technology. Being the Oracle no longer was being the bridge between the humans and Gods. The humans had stopped appealing to the Gods and expected the Oracle to answer their prayers, they thought the Oracle could always solve their problems, they’ve stopped entirely to try themselves, asking the Oracle to solve their problems.

 

Then, the Sects that were meant to aid the Oracle, to help them, became corrupt. In an attempt to gain power, someone had tried to control the last Oracle, use them as their power source. The Gods had a tough decision, but with great reluctance, the Gods killed the previous Oracle.  

 

The next few days, then weeks, then months and eventually years were filled with heavy conversation amongst the Gods. Some saw hope and believed in the people still. Some didn’t believe in them, but wanted to be proven wrong and then there were the ones that wanted the humans to suffer, to no longer have that connection with their Gods.

 

“Since they won’t acknowledge us, we may as well not acknowledge them. When they realise that they are alone, they will come bounding to us again.” One of them stated.

 

Then, a decision was made. They had all come to a conclusion.

 

“We’ll let the Oracle themselves decide. Let’s give them the best of gifts, but a bad life, let them see their own demise and see what they will do. After all, the Oracle is still human. They have human ties, they will have human wants. If the Oracle tires of humanity and chooses to ignore their legacy, then let all of humanity sink and we will create a new set of humans, better ones. They chose to be dependent on the Oracle, they chose to corrupt the previous Oracle, this will be what they will answer to.”

 

So it was decided that this entire fate of humanity itself would be placed on young, small shoulders.

 

 

The game itself was intense, Wei Ying could tell that everyone was at their full concentration. Wei Ying almost felt swept up in the high herself. The clacking of the tiles can be heard on each table. She glanced over at Jiang Cheng who was currently playing against some of the other Jin interns that had joined them in tonight’s party. Last time Wei Ying recalled, it was meant to be a fun little affair between the two families, but she guessed it had become a bigger thing. She used to play with them too, but she found that even touching the tiles sometimes would give her information on the other players’ decisions, it was just extremely distracting and Wei Ying just couldn’t handle it. Lately, she found that the suppressants weren’t working as well as they used to as well. She couldn’t help but wonder if that were the case for the Oracles before her.

 

It was strange how her abilities worked. It would seem that luckily, the people she’s familiar with escaped her abilities somewhat, or perhaps in some subconscious way, she managed to be able to control her ability to stop it because of her full desire to not do so. Nonetheless, she couldn’t take the risk as she knew that her visions were just getting stronger. She also tied it down to the theory that because she was surrounded by magic users, perhaps they were more protected from her visions. She had tried researching it before, but to no avail, she found nothing.

 

Sometimes she wished that there was someone she could ask. Someone that would give her guidance, but wouldn’t ask her to take over Jiang Cheng’s role and cause him pain. Jiang Cheng always took his achievements to heart, Wei Ying did not.

 

Meng Yao's amused laugh brought her back to reality as she stared at the game before them. Usually, one didn't sit next to the other for mahjong, you would be accused of cheating. But Wei Ying didn't exist in the eyes of the Jin boys, not that she minded. It was better this way. So, she was sitting next to Meng Yao, watching and approving of his moves silently. Meng Yao was extremely good at this. He was also remarkably good at poker. For Wei Ying, even poker was overwhelming, because the essence left behind by the one who shuffled the cards would still affect her. She missed the days when the suppressants worked.

 

It was then, she noticed Jin ZiXun suspiciously moving his sleeve, quickly and subtly, she put a hand on Meng Yao, transferring her current vision to him telepathically. She had to give A-Yao credit, he truly knew how to keep a straight face. Anyone else would flinch if she had done this. But this was Meng Yao, the one who was too good at the customer service face. She already had this idea that he would probably end up being on a PR team for a famous person. She felt like he was easily the most normal person in her school. It wasn't meant as an insult. Everyone that attended their school came from some important Sect background that had had an Oracle in it or had something to do with the Oracle. For example, the Nie Sect were guards to the Oracle for centuries now, next to that were the Jiang Sect who helped in their own ways, sometimes they had a fortune-teller or two that was gifted. Wei Ying's parents belonged to no Sect. Well, her father once did - The Jiang Sect. That was how the puzzle pieces slotted together, but she didn't know whether it was some badly placed joke from the Gods themselves that they chose her to be the next Oracle. Well, they probably knew her ending, still, she didn't understand it at this point in time. Perhaps, someday she would.

 

“A-Ying is always so observant, I’m glad you warned me.” Meng Yao said once he had taken his victory and far away from the other two.

 

“I expected as much, but still, how rude! At the end of the day, Jin-shushu is still your father, so Jin ZiXun should be showing you respect.” she huffed.

 

“A-Ying, there’s no need to be angry on my behalf.” A-Yao smiled at her. “It’s not like you’re being treated any better.” 

 

“A-Yao, do you always have to be right?” she sighed. “Still, Jiang-shushu treats me well, how’s everything at home? Is it still alright?” she asked.

 

"It's the same as always, I suppose. Luckily, the start of the school year has made it extremely busy for me since I've been flooded with student council errands." he replied.

 

"That's good to know. Now that I have friend rights again, we could always go hang out again. Hmm, maybe I can ask Jiang-shushu to buy extra aquarium tickets- Hm… no, even better! Planetarium tickets!" she beamed. "Though, you may be busy for a while because of the student council duties, right? But, then again, you're Meng Yao, you work hard and achieve results!" she smiled.

 

"A-Ying, aquarium tickets would probably be better, since I know that planetariums hold a different sort of importance to you. Still, thank you for wanting to share your special place with me, A-Ying." he smiled at her warmly. "Most of the work isn't too bad, however, there is one that's a bit… challenging..." he replied weakly.

 

“Oh? What could be challenging for the amazing Meng Yao?” she asked.

 

"Someone had… left me a letter… To ask me on a date..." he replied.

 

“Oh, that is a tough one indeed.” she said.

 

“A-Ying, could you possibly-” he began.

 

"Nope! Absolutely not! I refuse!" she interjected quickly.

 

“A-Ying, I haven’t even finished my sentence!” he replied, sighing. “Please, A-Ying. I want to know if it’s a good thing if I reject her or accept it.”

 

“I’m not giving you spoilers for your love life!” she mused as she stuck a tongue out at him.

 

“A-Ying!” Meng Yao said.

 

Wei Ying was about to refuse him further when another voice interrupted them.

 

“A-Xian, where did you go?” she heard Jiang-shushu ask.

 

"Oh, that's my cue to leave. The answer is 'no'!" she chirped as she skipped away, leaving Meng Yao behind. Meng Yao couldn't help but laugh softly in amusement. Wei Ying was always so full of life and warmth. Knowing her, she'd probably end up caving and tell him by tomorrow.

 

 

Wei Ying wished the situation was easier, but alas, how could it be? Of all the luck in the world would have it, Nie HuaiSang was ill and stayed at home. She wondered if he did this on purpose, knowing that Lan Zan would take up the opportunity to become her lab partner. To be fair, his eagerness to become her lab partner surprised her immensely, especially after what happened before she dropped out - or rather, part of the catalyst for why she dropped out in the first place. Perhaps Lan Zhan fell and hit his head and forgot? Surely a shuttle cot hitting him on the head wouldn’t make him forget this easily, right?

 

“Wei Ying,” she heard the other say. There was a pause. “Don’t worry, everything is fine.” the other said.

 

“Lan Zhan, why wouldn’t everything be? I haven’t started put in any of the chemicals yet.” she replied with a small smile. She couldn’t get close to him, she refused to, even though they were at some point, well, she considered them close, as close as two lanterns the bumped into each other in the night sky were.

 

"Wei Ying, you know that isn't what I meant. Please, Wei Ying. Can we at least speak during recess?" said Lan Zhan quietly, not allowing others to hear.

 

In all honesty, Wei Ying felt like it was only fair. She had been hiding from Lan Zhan actively for a few weeks now ever since they’ve started school. It was October at this point. So, she owed him an explanation at least. After the chat, perhaps she’ll just hide from him again. She shouldn’t get close to him again, she was going to die anyway. It would be cruel to get close and then to leave him behind. But then again, it wasn’t like Lan Zhan reciprocated her feelings, so perhaps it was safe? Though, if she got too close, she may not fulfil her role, the role that the Gods gave her.

 

“Okay. Meet me in the usual place.” she said quietly.

 

"I'll buy lunch. Wei Ying forgot her lunch again." Lan Zhan, being the ever-observant person replied.

 

“Lan Zhan, why aren’t you studying to be a detective? You’re too observant.” she replied with a weak smile.

 

“Only when it comes to Wei Ying.” he replied.

 

She chose to not reply to him and instead, focus on the case study they currently had at hand in chemistry class. Yes, she's totally not doing this to avoid a retort, her grades were still important, after all. Even though she planned to go quietly when it happened, without people's knowledge, she would at least want them to say she had good grades. Or else it may reflect badly on the Jiangs.

 

 

Wei Ying likened Lan Zhan and her to lanterns because sometimes she wondered if he only put up with her because he was too kind to push her away. Especially when it came to messing around. Lan Zhan's uncle was a teacher at the school, he also managed the Lans' prestigious book publishing business. Or it might as well be their book business as they were everything to do with books. Be it fiction or non-fiction, if you looked at the spine, it would usually be their Sect symbol that was more of a logo now.

 

She remembered the first time when the teacher asked them to write notes in the novels they were studying and Lan Zhan's horrified face. To his family, books were sacred. It was almost preposterous to even imagine doing such a thing. Lan Zhan would always tell her off for rolling the soft covers of her books. When he saw her doodles inside her textbooks or any book, he wasn't pleased and he let her know, citing, "Wei Ying." but in his usual angry Lan Zhan voice. It was interesting how there were ways he spoke that signified whether he was pleased or angry. Wei Ying was always so fascinated by that. Even if it usually consisted of him saying her name a certain way, it was still amusing now to her.

 

She had first met his uncle in passing, he was a rather stern man. Then eventually, she became the bane of his existence - or he would act as such anyway. When he first met her, he mistook her for a boy, then was rather apologetic over it. It was the sincere kind that frightened her. She hadn't minded. Everyone thought she was a boy because of her clothes, she was teased by others for not being enough of a girl and how she only had boyish hobbies. Plus, it was because of this whole thing about her looking like a boy that even got them in this mess in the first place.

 

What others probably didn't understand or understood but didn't care to truly understand was that she was Jiang Cheng's bodyguard, a weapon almost at this point. The extensive training she went under meant that she felt half like a human. The other part was knowing that she was the Oracle, it added a different perspective for her. Due to this, her pain tolerance was also higher. It helped that because her body wasn't fully human, she healed quickly. So, when his uncle acted so scandalised that he had wronged her, it weirded her out. Of course, he didn't overreact. No, the Lans never had emotion or acted rashly, they were the opposite of what Wei Ying was like.

 

She always knew that Lan QiRen had no issue with her boyish ways. Instead, he had a problem with her inquisitive nature. When she had found out she was the true Oracle, an odd, rebellious streak arose in her. She questioned everything - Why the world was still so antiquated in their ways when it came to the Oracle, why the Oracle had to stay in one place, etc. Basically, anything that was more difficult to answer, Wei Ying threw the poor man's way. He certainly wasn't pleased.

 

Usually, when others mistook her for a boy, they would apologise, but Wei Ying could tell they didn't mean it, sometimes she could hear them sneering behind her back.

 

"Oh, there goes that messily dressed ward of the Jiang again! You would have thought she would have changed now that she's grown up!"

 

“Didn’t you hear? She can do martial arts and can wield different types of weapons already? Such unsightly abilities for a lady!” 

 

This was why she liked spending time at HuaiSang's because Nie MingJue didn't care. In fact, he had wished that HuaiSang showed a bit more interest in sword fighting. Nie MingJue had very much hoped that HuaiSang would take up the sword and follow his role as a guard, much like their ancestors. However, when he realised that it just wasn't going to happen and that it was Wei Ying that would fill the role of protecting the Oracle, he became less pushy with HuaiSang and she was glad. Instead, Nie MingJue took her under his wing and helped train her. Of course, as deadly as Wei Ying was at her age, she was still a young girl. People like Wen ZhuLiu posed a threat to her, she was still training after all. What happened that day when Wen Chao first picked her up at her tea ceremony classes still haunted her mind, she constantly berated herself over being distracted and letting her guard down. She had learnt the hard way after all. There needed to be no next time.

 

Lan Zhan had an older brother. She had seen him in his badminton games, watching him play his competition, unlike Lan Zhan, he smiled, even introduced himself to her, saying, “So you’re Miss Wei, WangJi’s good friend. Please take care of him, Miss Wei. WangJi doesn’t get friends often.”  

 

Lan Zhan was honestly really good at the sport. He had been playing as early as Wei Ying could remember. He most likely did summer training courses. Wei Ying herself played in her spare time, had it as a hobby, enjoyed it. Because of her training, she was fit normally, she enjoyed sports because that was the only time she was too busy immersed in the moment to get visions. It was like how cheerleading was a thrill, that's why Wei Ying could handle it.

 

Wei Ying started cheerleading in her second year of high school. She was still twelve, about to turn thirteen. After a whole first year of school of having boys mock her for her male clothes and physique and how she must have been born wrong, cheerleading was a blessing in disguise.

 

When she first put on the cheerleading uniform, she found herself staring for hours. Then, she ran to Nie HuaiSang, twirling around and laughing when he complimented her. She naturally made the team because of her reflexes. The cheerleading uniform was the first time Wei Ying wore something girlie at school. She spent most of her school years in boy’s uniform. She wasn’t sure whether her mother dressed her like a girl, but in her false memories, she liked to think that her mother was the type to let her do whatever she wanted, most likely dressed her in both. She still asked them questions when she looked outside into the sky during a starry night.

 

When she put on her cheerleading uniform, she almost found it difficult to part with it. However, she had to because of Madame Yu. So, Nie HuaiSang kept her uniform, he washed it for her, kept her secret for her. One thing Wei Ying liked the most about her cheerleading uniform was the black and red on it. When she did any form of exercise at school, she was never seen without it from then on.

 

She could never quite forget the first time she showed up on the badminton court in her cheerleading uniform. Lan Zhan was so distracted by it, he took a shuttle cot to the face. His ears were so red too, she wondered what that meant. She still wondered what that meant to this day. After he had recovered from it, she challenged him to a game of badminton. After the intense game that ended up in a tie, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan lazily sat up on the rooftop, staring up at the sky. She had teased him that day.

 

“It’s a shame you’re in badminton, WangJi-xiong~ If you played basketball or football, I could have cheered for you!”

 

He chided her, his ears red once again.

 

Honestly, what did that mean?

 

Of course, the new change didn't go unnoticed. Her locker was suddenly filled with love notes, jocks who never paid any mind to her were now sending her Wisper requests. All of the attention made her sigh. Of course, the harassment never bothered her and she made a name for herself when a rather largely built boy tried to coerce her into going on a date with him, when she denied him, he became aggressive, tried to get touchy with her. When he became enraged that she wouldn't even let him touch her, she easily put him in a body lock and had him on his knees within seconds.

 

 

From then on, boys were more respectful and girls admired her. It was the first time people at school were nice. Then, she started doing divinations. Be it love divinations, luck divinations or just test results, she did them. It was really fun. When it reached Jiang Cheng’s ears, he wasn’t pleased. When she looked back, that was when their relationship started to have cracks. She knew that Jiang Cheng had started to notice that something wasn’t right, but he hadn’t caught on yet.

 

 

He still hasn’t caught on yet.

 

Then, that incident happened.

 

Jiang Cheng's grades were always excellent. Naturally, Wei Ying's were also excellent, if she had bad grades, Madame Yu would most likely punish her by adding extra training to her already challenging regiment. But the most important part of being the Oracle were your grades in divination class naturally. Wei Ying always made sure her grades were lower than her brother's when they were being accessed. Luckily, Jiang Cheng was excellent at divination, it's just that he wasn't the Oracle, so of course, he will never be as accurate as Wei Ying, but he didn't know that.

 

Ever since the day Wen Chao existed in their life, he had been a pain. The Wens had the most Oracles in their bloodline, therefore, Wen Chao enrolled himself into divination class, despite being just plain awful at it. However, instead of picking fights with Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying became a target for him. Treated her like some sort of rival, but also like the dirt on the floor, sometimes she felt that she was even beneath that in his eyes. It was simple really, Wei Ying didn't come from a prestigious line, she wasn't considered important as she was a child that was taken into to be the Jiang's ward. Wei Ying's mother was a travelling fortune-teller and her father was Jiang FengMian's ward. She didn't mind that, ignored the hurtful remarks about her not even being a proper girl, the standard. It carried on like that until one day, he decided to target Jiang Cheng. He falsified evidence and accused Jiang Cheng of cheating in their last major divination exam last year.

 

Wei Ying was blamed at home because it was her fault that Wen Chao was targeting Jiang Cheng. It was Wei Ying’s fault because she was so unsightly to Wen Chao that he had decided to get personal and personal meant Jiang Cheng.

 

Jiang Cheng blamed her wholeheartedly. Jiang-shushu and shijie stood up for Wei Ying, but eventually, Wei Ying asked them to stop because there was so much tension, so much anger in the air every day be it at home or school. Eventually, Wei Ying started coming home late, only having dinner then disappearing.

 

She knew she had to fix it, so, she did the only thing she could do.

 

 

"I'm sorry, Lan Zhan. It must have been so offensive to your eyes when you stumbled upon that scene. A respectable Lan like you should never have had to see what you did." she said.

 

“No need for apologies, it was never Wei Ying’s fault. None of it was your fault, Wei Ying. Not even what happened with Jiang WanYin.” he said as he placed his hand on hers. She couldn’t quite remember when he had started to reciprocate bodily contact, but apparently, no one else was allowed. Lan Zhan didn’t even hug his Uncle or brother.

 

"If I didn't challenge Wen Chao or make him look bad, Jiang Cheng would have never been wrongly accused. I'm just glad that it got cleared up." she replied. "I should have known better, the situation with Jiang Cheng and the situation I ended up in. I should have known better." she said.

 

“Wei Ying, you were only thirteen. Even Uncle would not have blamed me for such a thing if it had happened to me.” he replied.

 

Lan Zhan’s voice was always so nice to listen to, it was like music to Wei Ying’s ears. When he hummed as he played the guqin, it brought a calmness that Wei Ying couldn’t describe.

 

“Well, I’m going to be fourteen soon at the end of the month, so I’ll know better.” she mused. Yet, she was now being driven to school with the very person that had caused the issue in the first place. She really didn’t know better.

 

“Fourteen isn’t that old, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan replied. 

 

“It is!” she argued. 

 

“It isn’t.” he replied.

 

“Is too!” she continued, frowning.

 

There was a silence. Then, it became a pause. She had started to zone out, watching the view in front of her.

 

“I wasn’t offended by the scene I discovered.” Lan Zhan said, cutting through the silence. “I never faulted you. If anything, it should be him that was punished. But you didn’t even make an issue of it and disappeared just before the year ended.” he said, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

 

"I'm sorry, Lan Zhan. Madame Yu was livid… I chose to drop out myself, but she confiscated my mobile phone, I was banned from the landline and seeing my friends. But it's alright, I spent all that time studying. I even got to learn tea ceremony! I've always wanted to take up that class! Now I can serve the prestigious Second Jade of Lan tea properly." she beamed, trying to convince Lan Zhan that everything was alright. Those pain-filled golden orbs were the worst. She hated seeing him in pain. She loved him dearly, she knew that she loved him, but that was why she didn't think it was a good choice to continue this, yet, she wanted to selfishly cling onto him until it was time to go.

 

“It isn’t Wei Ying’s fault. Wei Ying, I would- We should- Are we still best friends?” he asked, fumbling over his words.

 

Against her better judgement, she blurted out, “Of course!” immediately. “But you can’t tell HuaiSang that! Or he’ll get mad at me!” she pouted.

 

There was a soft, amused huff. “We wouldn’t want that.”

 

Why didn’t people think that Lan Zhan was funny?

 

 

“How long have you and Lan WangJi been dating?” Wen Chao asked.  

 

She almost dropped her phone. She was in the middle of texting HuaiSang. She had told him the good news earlier and he had been replying as quickly as Wei Ying was replying to his messages. It truly made her question whether he was truly sick.

 

“We’re not dating. What gave you that idea?” she asked.

 

“You two sure act like it, guess you made up with him then.” the other mused. “He even bought you lunch, how cute. Are you planning to ever ask him out?”

 

"Do you just spend your time stalking me now? Is that your new hobby, Wen Chao? I'm not going to that! If anything, if I were to indeed tell him, I would tell HuaiSang! You don't have best friend rights! You were my bully for as long as I can remember, in fact, I don't even know why I'm trusting you to not drive me to the middle of nowhere and murder me." she sighed as she finished the text she was typing, erasing the mistakes she made since she got thrown off guard.

 

“You!-” Wen Chao cried. However, Wen ZhuLiu put a hand on him.

 

“She’s not wrong, Mr. Wen.” he said, seemingly amused at this stupid conversation.

 

"See? Even Mr. Wen gets it. Maybe I should get acquainted with him instead of you." she mused.

 

"A thirteen-year-old hanging out with a grown man, yes, not predatory at all."

 

“You’re sixteen.” Wei Ying replied. “Your girlfriend is fourteen. Someone could have slammed charges on you, you know?” she mused as she sent a few love heart emojis to Nie HuaiSang as a response when he replied to her previous text.

 

“Hey, I was being pretty nice up until now!” Wen Chao replied angrily as he made a move at her, but was greeted by a swift kick to his hand.

 

“Calm down, Wen Chao. I was only teasing. Friends tease each other all the time, if you intend to be my friend, you’re going to have to get used to the banter.” she mused, not even looking up from her phone.

 

“Mr. Wen, I would advise you not to pick a fight with Miss Wei here. You forget her standing in the Jiang family.” Wen ZhuLiu spoke once again. This was so odd, he had spoken more than she had heard him speak in her lifetime of knowing him. Which, arguably wasn’t a long time since she only ever saw him in passing, she only started seeing more of him since the last month.

 

“Are you implying that I’m weak?” Wen Chao asked, seemingly offended.

 

"I wouldn't dare, however, Miss Wei has been trained heavily by the Violet Spider. She won sword-fighting competitions and not to mention is a black belt in martial arts, so I ask you to reconsider, Mr. Wen." Wen ZhuLiu replied. Basically, very politely telling the second young master of the Wen corporation that he sucked. Wei Ying held back a laugh as she texted HuaiSang.

 

Wen Chao said nothing for a while, seemingly putting together the puzzle.

 

“Very well. I shan’t pick a fight.” he replied, seemingly having processed everything.

 

She put down her phone once she had finished texting HuaiSang back.

 

“Look, Wen Chao. We’re not the best of friends, but you’ve known me to have a mouth on me since the first day you met me and decided to pick on me. HuaiSang and I tease each other often, that’s the friendship we have. I tease everyone I know, I don’t mean it in a horrid way. If you truly want to be my friend, you can’t get worked up every time I say something smart. Even Jiang Cheng, before he stopped talking to me altogether, dealt with it well. And he’s not very good at holding his temper.” she said. “But, you were angered by my statement, so I apologise.” she said.

 

“It’s alright.” Wen Chao replied quietly. “I don’t have many friends, so this is new to me. I’m sorry for getting angry at you. You’re right, you were only teasing.” he said.

 

“It’s alright, apology accepted.” she smiled.

 

 

Things flow well for the rest of the month. With it being spooky month and all, some people who thought organising ghost hunts were a good idea and because Wei Ying didn't want people to actually run into trouble, she'd go with them, always wearing her cheerleading uniform after school as it was the one set of clothes that got dirty less easier, she also had several sets of it since cheerleading was a sweaty sport.

 

Since she was the Oracle, spirits flocked to her, greeting her as she stepped foot in there. Luckily, a lot of the people that went to these ghost hunting events didn’t understand ghosts. So none of them heard the ghosts greeting her by her title.

 

Since things were still awkward with Jiang Cheng, her upcoming birthday will be celebrated with Nie HuaiSang. It was meant to be a small gathering, that wasn't the case. Granted that it was Halloween in some beliefs, Nie HuaiSang turned it into a glorified Halloween party, it was a party that she was sure offended actual witches and pagans. She didn't know why Nie MingJue had okayed it, but at least there was no alcohol served. Wei Ying didn't expect any less from Nie MingJue. He was a strict older brother, but not as bad as the Lans. She was grateful though and slept over at the Nie's place instead of going home late. Seeing that Madame Yu wasn't there to disapprove of her, she decided to wear a girlie Halloween costume for once, which meant it was slightly skimpy.

 

It was so sneaky of Nie HuaiSang as well, he had started a conversation off one day, prior to her birthday, asking her what she would go as for Halloween if she had a choice. She had a deep think about it, pondering. After a while, she finally answered, "I would like to try one of those bad skimpy costumes the popular girls wear for Halloween. Madame Yu wouldn't even let me get into a dress, so those bad Halloween costumes would never get worn by me..."

 

"But… I would also really like to be Alice… It would be fun to have a weird adventure like hers." she mused.

 

 

So, on her birthday, when she was due over, Nie HuaiSang had ushered her over to his, showed her the costume. Instead of Alice's signature blue though, Wei Ying had a red dress waiting for her. When she finally got dressed, Nie HuaiSang sat her down, doing her makeup and curling her hair. Then, he left Wei Ying to stare at her own reflection. Just like before, she took a few selfies, about to share them to Wisper, however, the sound of the door opening made her look and instead of Nie HuaiSang, there stood Lan Zhan, dressed in a costume of the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

 

She was so surprised that she accidentally clicked on "Share to story" instead of selecting friends to send it to. However, she decided that she didn't care at this point, Lan Zhan was here, looking ever so handsome, his hair, not a hair out of place. The white bunny ears attached to the hat that he wore on his head really suited him.

 

Because nothing was actually going through Wei Ying's brain, all she managed to say was, "We match…"

 

“Mm.” Lan Zhan replied before stepping closer to her. Lan Zhan looked into her eyes, those golden orbs filled with intensity, for a while they stayed like that, Lan Zhan looked like he was struggling with his words.

 

Then finally, he opened his mouth to say, “Wei Ying looks beautiful.” Lan Zhan’s ears were red again, yet, Wei Ying still didn’t know what that meant.

 

"L-Lan Zhan! You aren't allowed to say that! If you do, my heart will stop!" she gasped, playing it off as her usual self.

 

“Mm.” was all Lan Zhan said in reply before bending down and scooping Wei Ying up, carrying her bridal style.

 

“Wha- Lan Zhan! Put me down!” she cried.

 

"Nie HuaiSang asked me to escort you downstairs." Lan Zhan answered blankly.

 

“I don’t think he had this in mind, now put me down!” Wei Ying replied, her cheeks flushed.

 

“No. Wei Ying is the birthday girl, I will escort Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said as he tightened his grip.

 

And that was how she descended the stairs to the Nie mansion in the arms of Lan WangJi. She could just imagine the talk now. But, she didn’t hate this, so she decided to worry about the repercussions much later.

 

 

Repercussions did come and did they come down hard. Wei Ying almost felt that it was hilarious because had it been any other household, her selfie and the photos that came from the party wouldn't have gotten her into trouble. But Wei Ying's life was not a normal one. Wei Ying wasn't a normal girl either. She was fourteen, yet she was already getting into trouble and she was barely a day into her fourteen-year-old life.

 

When Wei Ying came home the next day after the party, she knew that she was in trouble. She knew this because Madame Yu was sitting there, waiting for her. The next minute she knew, she was in her study, Jiang-shushu sitting by her side. 

 

"I received a message this morning, what do you suppose it was about, Wei Ying?" she asked, a frown on her face. With her tone and her expression, Wei Ying knew she was not meant to answer the question, so she said nothing. In response, the older woman slammed down the tablet she was holding on the table, on it was a series of photos of her in the costume yesterday, the main one was Lan Zhan carrying her.

 

“My Lady, they aren’t bad photos. A-Xian was just dressing up for Halloween. There are worse costumes that young ladies these days wear.” Jiang-shushu said. 

 

“Don’t you start, Jiang FengMian! You and A-Li have fallen under her spell! You two have always spoiled her rotten! Why do you think we have to deal with so much trouble?” she hissed. “Even if the costume wasn’t so bad, these photos. Look at these! Putting her arms around the Second son of the Lan corporation, dragging him into this infamy! Wei WuXian, do you care to explain yourself?!” she cried. 

 

“Yu ZiYuan.” Jiang-shushu said, raising his voice slightly. Wei Ying wanted to hide, she only knew things were going to escalate from here. 

 

“A-Xian wasn’t doing anything scandalous. It just looks like teenagers having fun.” Jiang FengMian replied firmly. “A-Xian has been good, she’s been studying all summer and working hard in her training. Couldn’t you at least let her celebrate her birthday? It’s not like anything scandalous happened at all.” he frowned. 

 

“Jiang FengMian- you!” Madame Yu started.  

 

Wei Ying stood up and bowed, her eyes on the floor only. 

 

“I acted without considering the image of the Jiang corporation, for that I apologise. I will take any punishment you give me, Madame Yu.” Wei Ying said, hoping that this will dissolve the tension in the air. 

 

“A-Xian, you don’t need to apologise for this. You did nothing wrong.” Jiang-shushu said firmly, directing most of the speech at Madame Yu. 

 

“Jiang-shushu, please. Madame Yu is correct, I shouldn’t have allowed those photos to be seen. Others may see the photos and think lowly of Lan WangJi.” she said, still bowing. 

 

“Stay bowing.” Madame Yu said coldly. “After this, you will go do training until I tell you to stop.” she frowned. “But since you have so much spare time, you need to do something with it.” she frowned. 

 

"Please, My Lady, A-Xian has barely returned to school." Jiang-shushu said, once again trying to stop Madame Yu from punishing her.

 

“So? Life isn’t easy, carefree people like her need to learn that life comes with responsibility. Since you somehow still have all this money to throw around, I’m cutting you off your allowance entirely. You need to find a job.”

 

“My Lady, she’s fourteen! Most places don’t hire until they are sixteen!” Jiang FengMian said. 

 

“Well, it’ll teach her a hard lesson, wouldn’t it?” Madame Yu replied coldly. “You have one week to find a job, then I’ll cut you off.” she said. 

 

“No. One month, give her a good chance, jobs are hard to find.” he said firmly. 

 

“Fine. One month. One month and I cut you off, you understand?” she asked coldly. “Also, your allowance will be paying your phone bill, so you better find a job or consider your phone rights to be gone.” she said. 

 

“Yes, Madame Yu.” she said. 

 

“Get out of my sight.” she replied. 

 

 

“A-Xian, why didn’t you let me fight her over the situation? You did nothing wrong.” Jiang-shushu asked her later, when she was out in the back garden, staring up into the stars, nursing a hot water bottle on her stomach. It ached from hunger, but she shouldn’t complain. She was their charity case, it had always been this way. 

 

"My mistakes from a few months ago greatly put Jiang Cheng at stake, caused you all trouble. Madame Yu is still angry with me over it. The mistakes I made were rookie errors, I should have known better, so it's alright. You don't need to stand up for me, Jiang-shushu." she replied.

 

Jiang FengMian sighed and sat down next to her, placing a lunch box in front of her, along with a thermos. “This was all A-Li and I could sneak out before she noticed, I’m sorry, A-Xian.”

 

“It’s alright, Jiang-shushu. Thank you for going to the trouble of getting me food.” she smiled as she started eating, ravenous from having not eaten all day. 

 

“You are anything but trouble, A-Xian.” he said. “I’ll ask Jin-xiong if he could help you find something.” he continued. “I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to help you.” 

 

“Please, Jiang-shushu, there is no need for that. If Madame Yu found out, she would not be pleased. Don’t worry, I will find something.” she beamed. 

 

Jiang FengMian stared at her for a while, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

 

“Alright, but if you struggle, please let me know.” he replied.

 

“Okay.” she smiled.

 

 

“The Violet Spider is a cruel mistress indeed.” Wen Chao said flatly when Wei Ying lamented about it to him. It was weird to unload it on him. Wen Chao wasn’t HuaiSang. They have only been friends for two months. You can live with someone all your life and still barely know them, so Wei Ying shouldn’t be unloading it on him, but he had said, “I didn’t know it was your birthday on Saturday, you could have told me!” when she had entered the car.

 

"Honestly, the worst I've been punished was when Father took away my Xbox for a whole week." Wen Chao replied.

 

“You say this as if you didn’t have the other consoles.” Wei Ying mused.

 

“Well, at least you looked cute in your costume.” Wen Chao said offhandedly.

 

"I don't know if I want to take a compliment from someone that constantly teased me about my flat chest and my boyish looks for as long as I can remember." Wei Ying replied.

 

“Couldn’t you move in with Nie HuaiSang? You two have been close since young.” Wen Chao suggested.

 

“I’d rather not trouble them. MingJue-ge is a great person but he has enough on his plate. He already has one teenager to look after, I doubt he needs a second one. Besides, the Jiangs gave me a home, I owe them my life.” she said.

 

“I’m not sure whether your loyalty towards them is too far. Surely, working at the age of fourteen is somehow illegal. I’ll ask Da-ge about it.” he replied. “But you know, how Madame Yu is treating you is bordering certain allegations.”

 

“I’m not being abused if you’re suggesting that. Look, Madame Yu has always been harsh on me. I’m Jiang Cheng’s bodyguard, nothing more, nothing less. I was lucky enough they found me, I would most likely have been stray animal food if they hadn’t found me.” she replied.

 

“If I get my brother on the phone, he’d agree with me. It somehow doesn’t sound right, she seriously sounds like she has it out for you.”

 

“She doesn’t. She’s strict and I’m mischievous, that’s all. Besides, I’m not her birth daughter, there’s bound to be discrepancies. I have food and clothes and a home, there’s nothing I need more of.” she said quietly. 

 

“I see. I guess us rich people won’t understand.” Wen Chao replied. “Still, I’m mad for you, the photos weren’t even bad at all. That selfie was also really cute.”

 

“Never compliment me on my appearance again! It makes me scared.” she mused in response.

 

 

She opened her eyes, she was confused. When did she have time to sleep? Judging by the fact that she was lying down in a comfortable bed, it definitely wasn’t her bed. Madame Yu had taken her mattress away yesterday night after all.

 

“You passed out in the locker room and Miss Luo brought you over.” said a harsh voice.

 

"Miss Luo, so formal, Wen Qing. Clearly, you two are closer than that." Wei Ying laughed lightly.

 

“How can you laugh so lightly? You’re exhausted and there has been no food in your system since yesterday night.” she frowned.

 

“I have plenty of energy to burn, Qing-jie. I just slept badly, is all.” she laughed lightly.

 

“Sure, that’s what I will believe. Just because you heal by the next day, it doesn’t mean I won’t know if you were injured yesterday, you know!” she frowned. “We’ve been through this before, it still takes a toll on you when you heal.” she continued. “Along with your suppressants and also your training towards being immune to sedatives, your body is barely coping if you aren’t going to feed it!” she hissed.

 

“Hey, don’t call me out like that.” she mused. “Like you said it’s exhaustion.” 

 

“Also, what are you doing catching rides with my cousin?” she frowned, a tight line on her face.

 

“Qing-jie, you’re just a nurse’s assistant, why am I being interrogated by you?” she mused.

 

Instead of answering her, however, Wen Qing stabbed her with a needle, more violently than she should.

 

“Qing-jie, you’re so mean. I thought I was in here because I passed out from mistreatment.” she laughed.

 

"Yes, because of course, that was so painful for you." she frowned. "I never said you were being mistreated."

 

“Yes, but you implied it.” she laughed.

 

“Listen, you should be careful of Wen Chao. The main branch of the Wen family isn’t to be trusted.” she said.

 

“I know. But he apologised to me and is trying to become a better person.” she replied. “Well, that’s the long story short anyway. But don’t worry, I’m being careful.” 

 

"I grew up with him and it's just out of his character to be nice." she frowned. "Though lately, he has admittedly been less of a pain, it doesn't mean anything, however."

 

 

"I'm grateful towards you for your concern, but I'll give him time, douchey types like him can't just unlearn to be douches overnight." she laughed.

 

Wen Qing seemed to take that as she didn’t comment after that.

 

“You really should stop taking your suppressants. They’re not even doing their job anymore. Besides, the issues you’re having are because your ability is being suppressed, so it’s doing you more harm than help.” she sighed.

 

She gave it some thought, Wen Qing was right, but she was always right when it came to her well being. Honestly, at this point, she knew that there was no way the suppressants could help her anymore.

 

“So, do I just stop taking them altogether?” she asked.

 

“No, that would make it worse. I’ll lessen the dosage for you and eventually ease you off them. Leave it to me.” she replied. 

 

“Thank you, Wen Qing. I really appreciate all of your help.”

 

Wen Qing said nothing and went about checking the rest of her body, making sure she didn’t have anything else wrong with her. When she was satisfied that Wei Ying was doing just fine, she left her side, writing up a report.

 

"Wei Ying, you do realise that if things get too much at home, you have a place with us to go to, right?" she said suddenly.

 

“Thank you, Wen Qing. Everything’s going fine, you don’t need to worry.” she replied.

 

Although Wen Qing’s face showed that she wasn’t convinced, she made a hum of agreement then went back to her notes, leaving Wei Ying to her own devices. So, Wei Ying took the opportunity to take out her phone and scroll through social media instead.

 

"The dress looked pretty on you by the way," she said. "I'm glad that you at least had a good birthday. Sorry that we didn't attend, I didn't want to make my idiot cousin aware that he wasn't invited." She said

 

"It's okay, Qing-jie, I understand." Wei Ying replied as she decided to play the rhythm game she downloaded on her phone instead of sticking with social media. "HuaiSang was the one responsible for the costume and the makeover. He's so good at it. Though, he was so sneaky! He tricked me by saying it's going to be a simple get together! I didn't even know how he invited so many people! Even Meng Yao attended and he tends to not attend these sorts of events!" she mused.

 

“Well, Meng Yao is fond of you, Wei Ying.” she replied. “Many girls will be jealous of your stance. He’s extremely popular with the girls, next to your Lan WangJi.” she said.

 

“Please, don’t remind me. Those photos are the reason why I have to find a job by the end of this month!” she lamented as she somehow managed to finish the rest of the game on her phone.

 

“It’s not your fault, Wei Ying. It’s not like you planned to be carried by him down the stairs. A-Ning likened you to an angry cat in some of the photos taken by people.” she mused.

 

Wei Ying sighed, Wen Ning wasn’t wrong. She wasn’t exactly pleased about being carried by Lan Zhan, being looked after felt strange.

 

Suddenly, the door flung open and Nie HuaiSang burst in.

 

“Wei-jie, I’m sorry. I should have known better!” Nie HuaiSang cried as he bolted into the room, throwing himself onto her bed.

 

“It’s not your fault, HuaiSang. It’s not like you predicted that this would happen.” Wei Ying replied as she started playing a new game in the rhythm game she was playing.

 

"No, I could not have. But I know how Madame Yu is. She has it out for you, she's always trying to find whatever excuse to punish you. But this time, it's actually pushing it to the point where it's a bordering something else." HuaiSang said.

 

“Please, HuaiSang. Not you too. I can’t believe I’ve been told this by three people today.” she frowned. “It’s not even that bad, it was just exhaustion!” she said. “Aiyo, all of you treat me like I’m made of glass!” she sighed.

 

“Wei Ying, I was the one that got you into trouble. I will go tell Madame Yu myself.” Lan Zhan, who was probably waiting outside when HuaiSang burst through the door said.  

 

At this point, Wei Ying put her phone down, ignoring the game altogether.

 

“Please, if you make this a bigger issue than it should be, Madame Yu would be displeased. I appreciate your offer, Lan Zhan but I’m fine, really.” she smiled. “It was just a bit of exhaustion, alright? I just need to rest and I’ll be good to go again.” she beamed.

 

“Yes, she collapsed from exhaustion and you two are stopping her from resting, so let me kindly ask you to leave.” Wen Qing said coldly as she started to open the door to signal that she meant it.

 

“Yes, Miss Wen, we will take our leave, won’t we, WangJi-xiong?” Nie HuaiSang said quickly. “I’m going to go search for jobs for you, I got you into this mess, so I’ll fix it!”

 

“So will I.” Lan Zhan announced before Wen Qing slammed the door on the both of them.

 

“Aiyo, Qing-jie! You just slammed the door on the Second Jade of Lan! Imagine the scandal!” she gasped.

 

"You keep messing around and I will turn you into a pincushion, Wei Ying!" she frowned.

 

“Qing-jie… How could you be so mean?” Wei Ying grumbled as she laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

 

"Get over it, you're the Oracle, you can't die just like that." she replied flatly.

 

“Yes, but I can and will die one day.” she replied just as flatly as Wen Qing had replied her.

 

“It’s still not too late you know, Wei Ying.” Wen Qing said quietly.

 

 

"Jiang Cheng has been prepared for this life since he was nine. I can't possibly take it from him. I know it's awful because I know he suffers over it, but I can't just go marching into Madame Yu's study, announcing that I am the true Oracle. Imagine the humiliation Jiang Cheng would feel when his bodyguard, someone that wasn't even important in the first place was actually the Oracle." she replied.

 

 

“You saw something, didn’t you?” Wen Qing asked, making it sound like a statement.

 

“Mm. But it doesn’t bother me though, it’s what I chose.” she replied quietly. “You’re too perceptive.” she frowned.

 

“How you’ve been acting ever since you’ve come back says it all, Wei Ying. I’m just saying that I believe that there is something else that can be done. You should tell them the truth before it becomes the way it does.” Wen Qing said.

 

“I’ll think about it.” she replied.

 

Perhaps when she died and finally got to meet the Gods, she could ask them to give her abilities to Jiang Cheng?

 

 

"I've had a think today, I heard my Father mention that our shrine is in need of more hands to help. I can ask Father for you? You can even do divinations on weekends there if you like." Wen Chao said as soon as the car started moving.

 

“I’d rather not trouble you. Besides, given what’s happened last school year, I doubt your Father would want to take me in.” she replied. “I still have a few weeks, so I’ll just keep looking around.” she replied.

 

“If you do struggle to find something, I’ll ask my Father, how about that?” he asked.

 

It was strange seeing Wen Chao be so sincere to her. Odd that he was so nice to her.

 

“Why are you so happy to help me? If this is so that I’ll forgive you, it doesn’t work this way. I know this comes off as harsh, but you’ve been teasing me since primary school. I just find it hard to believe you’ve changed over the summer.” she stated.

 

"I don't blame you for being skeptical, Wei Ying. I really have treated you badly over the years, so I understand. I guess the way I ended up acting last year made me realise that I took it too far. The way I was punished was enough to remind me of it, ask Wen ZhuLiu, he'll agree that Father punished me harsher this time." he replied.

 

“Well, I’m glad you’ve decided to change your ways. We may have a bit of hope for you.” she mused.

 

To her surprise, the other laughed lightly.

 

“Perhaps.” was all he responded with.

Notes:

I've decided to post the first two chapters to see what people think, tell me what you think about these first two chapters. I will update each week at least once.

Chapter 3: Twinkle ~ 閃閃

Notes:

Once again, I am reminding you that the warnings I have in the tags are in place for a reason, please take heed to them. I won't apologise for any pain caused.

Here's a playlist to go with this fic.

“Tell me why we’re out having dinner on a school night again?” Wei Ying sighed as she sat in her chair, staring at her phone.

 

“Because you want to be a waitress and take the night shift and I think you should see the horrors before you put yourself towards it.” Wen Chao of all people replied as he sat opposite her.

 

“Last time I remember, I never asked for your help.” she frowned.

 

“Choose whatever you want, I’m paying.” the other chose to reply instead.

 

“I still don’t think this is a good idea. What if someone sees us?” she said.

 

“You can take them out and I’ll get my Father to cover for you.” Wen Chao replied.

 

“How about we don’t murder anyone?” she huffed, opting to start reading the menu instead. “Honestly… I could have asked HuaiSang instead. We barely know each other, this just feels awkward.” she sighed softly.

 

“Would you rather it be Lan WangJi instead?” the other teased.

 

“Stop it.” she replied, burying her face in the menu to hide the red tint on her cheeks.

 

“How did I not notice before that you liked him?” Wen Chao laughed.

 

“That’s coz you were too busy bullying me back then!” she hissed. “Keep teasing me and I’ll order one of everything on the menu!” she frowned.

 

“I thought that was the idea in the first place.” the other replied, earning a hard kick to his shin.

 

“You just called me fat! Who does that to a pubescent teenage girl?” she pouted. “Honestly… How did you get girlfriends when you’re so mean?” she huffed, putting on the charade that she was still mad even though she wasn’t to push his buttons, if he insisted on being annoying and insisted that she shouldn’t get a waitressing job, then she’ll be annoying to him by causing a fuss at the dinner table. Her fussing certainly got a few people’s attention.

 

“That’s not what I meant and you know that.” Wen Chao said, almost pleadingly. “Besides, you need to eat more. I heard about the other day.”

 

“Since when do you listen to all the rumours at school?” she replied. “That was just exhaustion.” she continued.

 

“Yes and your mission to get a job is just for experience.” he retorted.

 

“Since when did you start caring about my home life? We’re not even close.” She retorted back.

 

“We aren’t, but a friend should be concerned, right?” he replied.

 

“Yes, but this is just a lot of change going on, I can barely keep up.” she said.

 

“Look, you don’t have to trust me right now. But I will be here to show you that you can trust me.” Wen Chao said.

 

Not knowing what else to say, Wei Ying kept her eyes downcast on the menu, while quietly muttering, "Thank you."

 

Those were two words, she could never imagine herself saying to Wen Chao of all people.

 

 

“The steak you gave her isn’t rare. She asked for rare steak.” Wen Chao said, rather unkindly, not even trying to soften his words.

 

“Wen Chao, it’s fine. It’s not her fault that the chef overcooked the steak. It still tastes delicious.” Wei Ying said kindly as she put a hand on him.

 

“We-Wen?!” the waitress gasped, her eyes in shock and fear.

 

“Yes, Wen Chao, the second son of Wen RuoHan. Our family comes here all the time! You dare make a mockery of us?” Wen Chao hissed, very obviously causing a scene by now.

 

“No, I wouldn’t dare!” the waitress said meekly.

 

“Are yo-”

 

“Wen Chao, please. There is no offence to be taken. This clearly was a mistake and besides, it’s rather busy tonight.” Wei Ying said calmly but firmly. “I would like to continue eating this.” she continued, then she turned to the waitress and smiled apologetically. “Please excuse him, he’s been taught all his life that he needs to be coddled, you did nothing wrong, so you needn’t apologise for it.” she said softly, kicking Wen Chao in the shin under the table when she sensed he was about to cause another scene. Luckily, after the kick of warning, Wen Chao got the message and shut his mouth quickly.

 

“Please apologise to the Miss that’s been serving us patiently tonight.” Wei Ying said kindly, but Wen Chao knew better than to fight her, the kind tone with the flat smile she gave him was very much a warning, something like, “If you don’t apologise, Wen ZhuLiu will find you in parts in the embankment and you may be missing some parts, so don’t screw this up.” 

 

“I’m sorry, it was my mistake. I shouldn’t have been rude. You have been nothing patient with me.” he managed, relaxing when he saw Wei Ying’s usual softer smile reappear.

 

“It’s alright, Mr. Wen. There is no offence taken.” the waitress squeaked before bowing quickly and leaving.

 

 

“Wei Ying!” a voice cried behind Wei Ying as she stormed through the park.

 

“Wei Ying! Please, I apologised, didn’t I?” cried the voice behind her. Upon hearing those words, she stopped abruptly and turned around. “Firstly, you only apologised because I asked you to. Secondly, if you hadn’t acted like a spoilt brat, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place! And thirdly, when paying, instead of giving the waitress a better tip, you barely left anything!” she chewed out her words. “Ugh! I’m so angry! I’m walking home, no need for a lift home, Mr. Wen.” she hissed, before turning around and marching off again.

 

“Don’t be so silly! I already said sorry, what is the big issue?” Wen Chao sighed as he walked after Wei Ying. “Hey! Don’t walk away from me! Please, Wei Ying, there could be dangerous people on the street after dark, won’t you just get in the car?” he cried as he chased after her.

 

Instead of complying with what he wanted, Wei Ying instead ran further into the park, scaling a climbing frame that was quite high up and impossible for those who weren’t used to climbing up that high. She decided to sit there for a while, in an attempt to clear her head, if she got any more angrier, she may actually attack the other. So, she sat there, staring up at the moon, taking in a deep breath. She knew she wasn’t just angry at him for that. She was also angry with him because his outburst in the restaurant would have caught a few people’s attention, meaning that they would have seen her. Granted, she had been cautious beforehand and took care to wear a hat and glasses to obscure her face, so that it would be harder to recognise her. It was also by some stroke of luck that Wen Chao had managed not to accidentally call her by her name. She was certain he would mess up along the way and do so.

 

Still, it was pretty risky.

 

“Wen ZhuLiu! Climb up there and escort her down!” Wen Chao cried, his voice cutting through the quiet air around Wei Ying.

 

Wei Ying huffed, sitting at the top of the climbing frame, pulling out her phone and texted Jiang YanLi, stating that she will be a bit late getting home tonight as she had missed her bus. It was almost amusing as she was the one that was causing the delay and this could have been easily avoided, but she wasn’t going to give Wen Chao what he wanted, so instead, she stayed sitting here. Wen Chao was doing his typical spoiled Young Master thing and trying to bully a man who was probably tired of being his bodyguard. Honestly, making a grown man climb a climbing frame to get your friend down! How embarrassing! Perhaps the spoiled second son of Wen hasn't really changed that much. She didn't expect any less from him, to be honest. Surely, someone couldn't change that much in a short period of time. So, she just casually scrolled through social media as if nothing of the sort had happened.

 

“Please, Mr. Wen! Don’t be so rash! You can injure yourself!” she heard Wen ZhuLiu shout, interrupting her scrolling through her phone. When she looked, she saw Wen Chao, attempting to climb the climbing frame.

 

“Leave me alone, Wen ZhuLiu! I won’t let her beat me at this game!” he cried as he carried on attempting to climb up towards her.

 

She sat back, watching him painfully climb, struggling, but doing better than she had expected him to.

 

“Wen-er-gongzi, you might not want to come up to get this lowly one~ Wei Ying fears you may fall.” she teased, speaking like how women would speak in periodic dramas.  

 

“Don’t break my concentration, I know you’re trying to sabotage me!” Wen Chao cried as he struggled on.

 

It was then, Wei Ying got an idea, it was a terrible idea. She fixed her gaze over to Wen ZhuLiu to warn him that he had to be on the lookout for Wen Chao losing his grip. When she was sure Wen ZhuLiu got the message, she took off one of her shoes, aiming it at Wen Chao, giggling when it hit its target.

 

“Wei Ying! Are you trying to kill me?” he hissed as he almost lost his grip, managing to grip on the last moment.

 

“Hm, I thought you were sorry.” she huffed.

 

“I swear… when I get to you!” Wen Chao hissed.

 

"How awful of you! I thought you were worried that there could be dangerous people on the street after dark~ But it turns out I should be wary of you!" she mused as the other continued to climb.  

 

She carried on watching until he was about midway. It was then, she hurled her other shoe at him, hitting him square on. This time, he didn't manage to catch on in time, causing him to lose his grip and cry out in fear. Seeing that this height could cause potential danger to him, Wei Ying decided to jump down and intercept it, grabbing the other with ease and landing on the ground.

 

“You did better than I expect you to.” she huffed as she watched Wen Chao dust himself off, pretending that he wasn’t crying out like a baby when he was falling.

 

“You… are going to be the death of me.” Wen Chao heaved angrily.

 

“Maybe in another lifetime.” she laughed.

 

“Miss Wei, your shoes.” Wen ZhuLiu said as he walked over, handing over Wei Ying’s shoes.

 

“Ah, thank you very much, Mr. Wen. You shouldn’t have, I could have picked them up myself.” she smiled as she took them gratefully and began to put her shoes on.

 

"Well, at least football is semi-good for you, helps you have that stamina. Though, I can't say too much about upper body strength." she mused.

 

“You should feel lucky that I don’t kick girls.” he frowned.

 

“Oh, so I’m a girl now.” she laughed. “Good thing I’m a girl now, or you would have kicked me and called me a boy like you used to tease me.” she mused.

 

“Best get into the car, Mr. Wen, Miss Wei. If you arrive any later, they may suspect.” Wen ZhuLiu said.

 

Wei Ying hummed in agreement before following him to the car.

 

 

“Did I upset you when I used to call you a boy?” Wen Chao asked suddenly once the car had started moving.

 

Wei Ying had almost drifted off to sleep, given the events earlier. She almost missed Wen Chao’s question.

 

“No. I’ve been called that before you even showed up. Jiang Cheng was the first, then it was Jin ZiXuan and Jin ZiXun. By the time you came and called me that insult, it already wore off its novelty as an insult.” she replied.

 

Wen Chao said nothing for a while as if processing the information in his mind. She thought about today and the whole situation, it was almost so abstract how everything had happened. She had told Wen Chao off in a public space, in front of many that knew who the Wen family were. She had also made him chase after her and climb a climbing frame. Not to mention, she had thrown her shoes at him too. Yet, he wasn't yelling at her like he used to, threatening to use his family name to ruin her life.

 

“Even if the novelty has worn off, I shouldn’t have called you that. For that, I apologise. When I look back at how I treated you, I’m shocked, despite myself.” Wen Chao suddenly said.

 

“I think you need to see a doctor.” was all Wei Ying could muster out of shock. She did not expect Wen Chao of all people to apologise to her, especially after she could have murdered him with her shoes.  

 

Then, completely out of character for the other, there was a blush on his cheeks.

 

“I’m serious! You just got an apology from me! How could you embarrass me like this, Wei Ying?” he cried.

 

She huffed lightly, then shrugged. “In all my years of living, I never once expected to hear you apologise to me so sincerely. It was so sincere that I thought you had hit your head on the way down.” she mused. “You can’t blame me for this.” she said lightly.

 

"No. No, I can't blame you at all. After all, I hadn't been the kindest to you." he replied.

 

She looked out of the window, watching how the light lit up the paths that they drove past. Perhaps, just perhaps he was actually turning over a new leaf. But it was still early days, she had to be cautious still.

 

“I forgive you.” she said. “For everything, even what you did last school year.”

 

 

Her day started normally. Well, as normal as it can be.  

 

Eating breakfast with Jiang-shushu and shijie, then sneaking through the back, away from their cameras and getting into the car with Wen Chao. She was surprised that no one had caught on yet, that she was taking her time considering that she had a bus to take. If anything, Jiang-shushu seemed to be somewhat happy to have her eat at the table with him, shijie of course was delighted, always giving her extra helpings, making sure she ate a good substantial breakfast since Madame Yu wasn't there to control her portions. They both asked her how the job searching was going.

 

It had been a few days after her meal with Wen Chao, after she had told him off, almost murdered him via shoe and him apologising to her. In truth, job hunting was going badly, every place she applied to turned her away. Most said it was due to her age, they didn't want to take her in due to not wanting to have the law go after them for allowing a minor to work. They gave her a few encouraging words before shijie ushered her out of the door with a big lunch box. Ever since that incident at school, Jiang YanLi had made sure that she always had a full lunch box to avoid her fainting. Of course, her shijie would somehow find out. She often wondered how much she knew.

 

Jiang YanLi should technically still be studying in their school like Lan XiChen and Nie MingJue, but because she didn't have the ability to use magic strongly and also didn't have divination, she decided to study things like tea ceremony and also cooking. Wei Ying often wondered what a day looked like for Jiang YanLi. Because of her lack of ties to having magical abilities, Jin ZiXuan used to look down on her, but somewhere along the way, during last year, Jin ZiXuan had smoothed some things out with her shijie, convinced the adults that they were fine with being engaged. Wei Ying was happy for them. It was nice to see her shijie happy. That was another reason why the Jins and Jiangs spent so much time together. It wasn't like Wei Ying minded, she had Jin-shushu and Meng Yao. It was good.

 

Despite not being in the same school as them, Jiang YanLi still managed to catch up with the latest gossip at their school, which was outrageous. Wei Ying never asked though.

 

So, everything was going smoothly, the car ride was pleasant. Wen Chao had started sharing memes with her. She was still trying to adjust to the concept of a friendship with him. But she chose to not think too much over it, she had chosen this after all. The sad thing about divination is that you could never really see for yourself everything about your life. Not to mention, she was the Oracle, she wasn't allowed to see everything in her own life and no one else could see into hers.

 

And then it happens, they get to school and she gets a text from A-Yao that makes her sigh.

 

 

[A-Yao]:

YingYing is so good as a person, but I fear you're not being careful enough. 

ヾ ( ￣ ω ￣ ; )

 

 

What do you mean by that, A-Yao? I’m so confused.

 

[A-Yao]:

[Attached Media]

 

[A-Yao]: 

Others won’t be able to tell, but I can tell that’s you out with Wen Chao.

 

 

Omg, that is not what it looks like! Don’t you dare think it’s a date! (` 皿 ´ ＃ )

 

[A-Yao]: 

(¬ ‿ ¬ )

 

Screw this, I’m coming to you to explain everything!

 

 

So that was how she ended up bolting down the hall as soon as she could to where Meng Yao was. As ‘concerned’ as he seemed to be earlier, he was sitting in his chair, reading away, as if he hadn’t just silently accused Wei Ying of being out on a date with Wen Chao.

 

“A-Ying is always so full of energy.” he mused as he shut his book and turned around to face her.

 

“Please don’t get the wrong idea.” she started.

 

"Madame Yu wants me to apply for a job… I was thinking about waitressing and Wen Chao insisted that I wouldn't enjoy it, so he made me go to a restaurant to show me how bad it was." she said.

 

“Is Madame Yu aware that there are child labour laws?” Meng Yao asked, his eyes asking for more of the story.

 

“She’s aware, but she’s doing this because a few of the photos from my birthday leaked out and she wasn’t pleased…” she sighed softly.

 

“A-Ying, you weren’t even doing anything scandalous! If anything, it was Lan WangJi who picked you up and carried you down the stairs.” he said.

 

“Did Madame Jin see it that way too?” she asked.

 

Meng Yao said nothing, only sighed. “A-Ying, I’ll ask Father, he’ll be able to help.”

 

“Please don’t. Jiang-shushu said the same thing, but Madame Yu won’t be pleased. I have to do this myself.” she frowned.

 

“Still, hanging out with Wen Chao of all people, after what he did to you and your brother.”

 

“He apologised. It’s complicated…” she said quietly.

 

“A-Ying, you know I won’t judge you. We’ve seen each other at our worst. But please be careful of him, A-Ying. I don’t like that he’s suddenly shown interest in you.” he said mildly.

 

“Don’t worry, A-Yao. I don’t think he means anything by it. He’s been teasing me for years at this point, perhaps last year really changed him too. I know it certainly changed a lot of things for me.” she replied. 

 

“Just stay vigilant, A-Ying. Wen Chao doesn’t always have a good track record with girls, we both know that. I don’t want to stop you from making new friends. If Wen Chao truly has good intentions towards you, then I’m happy for you. However, with how he used to treat you and the situation last year, I’m just worried.” Meng Yao said as he took her hands in his. An action that always made Wei Ying smile and put her at ease.  

 

“I know, A-Yao. Thank you for worrying about me, I’ll be careful.” she replied.

 

“A-Ying can be too kind, too forgiving.” he said. “If you do find difficulty searching for a job, please let me know. I may be able to pull a few strings for you.” he smiled. 

 

“A-Yao, that makes me think you’re some sort of Mafia boss or something. I seriously doubt that’s what you were going for!” she laughed. “Still, thank you. Just knowing that I have others to talk to and to fall on makes me happy already.” she smiled. 

 

“A-Ying, have you and Jiang WanYin talked since that incident?” Meng Yao suddenly asked. 

 

She sighed, knowing that even if she lied, he would know. "No... Jiang Cheng's been busy ever since. Madame Yu is insisting on him increasing his training to protect himself, as well as his usual divination training. I think Madame Yu is still nervous about what happened with Wen Chao last year and all." she said softly. "I miss him, but I caused it, so I'm going to leave it be." 

 

“A-Ying, don’t be so harsh on yourself. You were thirteen, just coming into yourself. Do you really think that any of us are aware of what we want yet? Though, perhaps this is a good opportunity for you, A-Ying. Think about what you want in your life.” he smiled. 

 

“Thank you, A-Yao. You always give the best advice. Maybe you should become a career counsellor.” she said. 

 

“Perhaps, but I’m not sure whether Father would care for that, you know that the Jins only like jobs that are pretentious.” he laughed. 

 

“Do what you want, A-Yao. Whatever you do, you’re going to be brilliant at it.” Wei Ying replied, a warm smile on her face. 

 

“Do you know what I really want, A-Ying?” A-Yao asked, rather seriously. 

 

“What?” she replied. 

 

“I want to remove the role of Oracle.” he replied. “Not because I have a problem with the Oracle themselves, I don’t even know who they are. But, I feel that we’ve been relying on them too much. It makes us humans act like a flock of sheep. Not to mention, those families who have had an Oracle in their bloodline always act so atrociously. I don’t like that the Oracle is made to listen to everyone’s problems once they are discovered, then, when they hit sixteen, they can’t even go anywhere else and it’s been like that for centuries.” he said. “We live in a modern world, they should really think about modernising this part of the practice, especially when they play such a big role in the lives of everyone.”

 

Wei Ying smiled. Meng Yao was always a forward thinker, extremely smart. She was glad that in a way he didn't live in the Jin household. Well, they did, within the grounds of the Jin mansion. But the Jin mansion was massive. He lived with his mother who was a good beacon for him in his life. When Lan XiChen had learned about Meng Shi and Meng Yao's living situation, he made Nie MingJue aware of it and Nie MingJue offered her a job. Because of this, Madame Jin herself didn't dare to disrespect Meng Shi. Still, because of the way he was brought into this world, others treated Meng Yao with coldness. The world was a cruel place. Wei Ying knew this first hand herself. She was glad that he at least had a comfortable home. Right now, he still relied on his Father for certain things, but she knew he would be able to find his own footing himself one day. 

 

“Your vision is such a good one, A-Yao. Perhaps you can adapt it into your life in the future. The people in this school respect you for what you have to say. I think one day you’ll be able to achieve it.” Wei Ying smiled. “Even if I won’t be there to see you succeed, I know you will succeed, A-Yao.” she thought quietly to herself. 

 

“A-Ying-” A-Yao began, only to have the sound of the bell interrupt them. 

 

"Ah, I've kept you. I'll mention it to you another time." he said a smile on his face. 

 

“Yes, of course! See you in philosophy class, A-Yao!” she beamed, before bounding out of the door. 

 

 

“Xian-meimei, you’re famous!” Nie HuaiSang tease as Wei Ying took out her lunch box, placing the levels on the ground. 

 

“Don’t tease needlessly.” Lan Zhan said as he opened up his thermos and started to pour tea for all three of them. 

 

After Wei Ying’s fainting incident, Lan Zhan had been taking care to make sure he would bring Wei Ying extra food, tea that gave her energy and sometimes even soup. 

 

“Still, that was so amazing! It makes sense that Wei-jie would be the type to end up trending online!” Nie HuaiSang said. “You’ve seen the video, haven’t you WangJi-xiong?! Wasn’t she amazing?” he mused. 

 

“Mm, Wei Ying was very firm with him, taught him manners accordingly.” Lan Zhan replied. 

 

“Not you too, Lan Zhan!” whined Wei Ying. “I knew it was going to be trouble as soon as he pulled his own family into it, but honestly... for someone to record us!” she lamented. Lan Zhan said nothing, picking up a piece of vegetable and feeding it to Wei Ying who happily ate it, thinking nothing of it. 

 

"The good thing is that no one apart from those who know you know it's you. Most people are wondering who Wen Chao's new girlfriend is, saying she's amazing! Oh man, I don't think he's even broken up with his current girlfriend yet!" he said as if realising something. "Careful, Xian-mei, she may be out to get you!"

 

“As if I won’t be able to handle her! I’ve dealt with her since we both joined cheerleading, not to mention, I’ve dealt with many versions of her at this point, if she challenged me to a fight, I’d easily beat her.” she replied coolly. 

 

“That’s true. Still, well done!” he mused. 

 

“He needed to be brought down a few notches. If he insists on being my friend, I won’t allow my friends to act like that or treat others with so much disregard.” she replied. 

 

Suddenly, Nie HuaiSang’s phone started buzzing. “Oh! Better take this! I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone!” Nie HuaiSang mused as he winked before walking away. 

 

Wei Ying, who was in the middle of eating a piece of chicken that Lan Zhan was feeding her flushed. 

 

“Lan Zhan, are you mad that I was seen out with Wen Chao?” she asked after she finished eating the piece of chicken. 

 

“No. What Wei Ying chooses to do is up to her, others shouldn’t get to choose what you choose to do or who you are friends with.” he began, “Although, I do have my own concerns, only based on how he’s treated you in the past and also that past event. The event that forced you to cut your school year short.” Lan Zhan replied as he placed his hand on Wei Ying’s shoulder. 

 

She smiled and took his hand. “Lan Zhan is so kind. I’m so lucky to have you as a friend.” she said softly. 

 

“I naturally have my concerns, Wei Ying. However, perhaps Wei Ying can teach him to be a better person.” Lan Zhan replied. 

 

“I think you think too highly of me, Lan Zhan.” she smiled. “Still, I’m flattered that you give me so much credit.” 

 

Lan Zhan said nothing for a while, feeding her food as she happily ate the food. Silence between Lan Zhan and her was always a nice thing, she always enjoyed and cherished their moments together. Although she didn't know whether Lan Zhan reciprocated her feelings, she did enjoy whatever little time they had together. In the past, they didn't hang out like this, it had always been her and Nie HuaiSang. Jiang Cheng was often in and out of school due to his duties and such, so Nie HuaiSang was the one that she saw the most of. She didn't mind though, since there was always an odd tension between her and Jiang Cheng. Even though Wei Ying had tried to tone down her abilities, she found it effortless to complete her tasks, barely studying for tests. Jiang Cheng was always studying. It was as if that even though he was the one that others always regarded in a good light, he still compared them, even though Wei Ying didn't actually gain any popularity until last year when she had joined the cheerleading team.

 

“Wei Ying, would you consider spending the day out with me after school sometime?” Lan Zhan asked after a while.

 

“Of course, Lan Zhan! I’m surprised that you want to spend more time with me, I’m so annoying, I’m surprised you haven’t steered clear of me after all these years!” she mused.

 

“Not annoying.” Lan Zhan replied.

 

“What day?”

 

“Friday?”

 

“Friday is perfect!” she smiled.

 

“Is there a place you’d like to go, Wei Ying?”

 

“Anywhere you’d like, Lan Zhan.” she smiled.

 

“Mm.” replied Lan Zhan.

 

 

She was sitting at the weights machine, doing her last set on her legs when Jiang Cheng walked in. Due to not seeing him in such a long time, Wei Ying’s first reaction was just to freeze in place. Then she hurriedly got up, wiping down the machine.

 

“I was just finishing up!” she cried, wincing at how awkward she had delivered that line. Still, she darted past him, hurrying for the door as if she had been scalded.

 

“No, don’t go!” Jiang Cheng cried rather abruptly.

 

Jiang Cheng had meant it in a softer way, however, his desperation to make the other stop running made it sound harsher and more commanding than he had intended to, he flinched inwardly, hoping that he hadn’t scared her off.

 

Wei Ying froze, gripping onto her water bottle and towel as if those were the two things that kept her planted onto the ground.

 

“Wei WuXian, I would like to talk.” Jiang Cheng tried awkwardly.

 

 

Jiang Cheng had an older sister and he loved her very much. That was the reach of his small world until one day, his father came home with a dirty looking, meek girl. The girl was ushered away to have a shower, finally presented before him, dressed in more boyish clothes, not like A-jie, who is feminine, delicate and pretty.

 

“A-Cheng, say ‘hello’ to your new jiejie, Wei Ying.” his Father had said gently.

 

"A-Die, why did you change A-jie? I don't like this new one!" his five-year-old self had cried. He had somehow thought that his lovely, older sister had been replaced by this once dirty looking girl - if he could call her a girl.

 

“I-I’m Wei Ying. P-Pleased to meet you, shidi.” she said carefully, softly, hiding behind and gripping the fabric of his Father’s trouser legs.

 

He didn’t like her.

 

So he ignored her, pretended she didn't exist. His mother did the same thing, so it was the correct thing to do. At kindergarten, he mocked her when his friends did, pulled her hair too when she silently cried, hit her because she was too quiet. Yet, he hated it when she hid from him.

 

Then one day, she screamed. It was the only time he heard her making such a terrified noise, he froze himself. Then, he saw that she was screaming at his dogs, so he went to protect his dogs instead. After weeks and weeks of her screaming and hiding, his dogs disappeared one day. He later learned that his Father had given them away.

 

He felt betrayed, so he decided to avenge his dogs. He chased after her, yanked her hair more roughly.  

 

“Street urchin!” he would call her, when her hair was messy, most of the time by his own hand because he had pulled her hair out of the hairstyle his jiejie had so lovingly and patiently put into Wei Ying’s hair. She would give him a confused, heartbroken look, tears would fill her eyes, but she would never screech out loudly like he had observed other girls did when they were hurt.

 

But it wasn’t enough, so he made his friends tease her more, she never told his Father. She never told the teacher. In fact, she hid from him, tried to pretend she didn’t exist. So, he stole her blankets to punish her for not confronting him. What a useless bodyguard! Oh right, she was supposed to protect him, but all she did was hide from him. That’s no bodyguard! She was older than him too! A whole month! How pathetic, being bullied by a younger sibling! He hated her, he didn’t understand why A-jie told him to be kind to her and said that they were all family now. But he didn’t want another sister. He already had one that was perfect! This new one wasn’t sisterly, besides, they weren’t blood related. She was a ‘bastard child’ born out of ‘wedlock’, he had heard. He didn’t know what those words meant, but he knew it wasn’t okay socially.

 

“Shidi, please. I-I need my blankets for tonight.” she had cried feebly when she had come to his room to take back the blankets he had stolen from her and he had beat her once again. He noticed that she had just worn her hair down now, it would seem she had given up since he always yanked out her hairstyle anyway.

 

“You’re so stupid! Get out of here! Give my dogs back, I don’t want a bodyguard like you!” he had cried.

 

“Pl-Please shidi.” she had said softly.

 

“Why don’t you tell my Father about it then? Then he can protect you like he always does!” he teased. “You’re so pathetic, you won’t even tell on me!” he laughed haughtily.

 

“I’m sorry.” she cried, tears in those large, grey eyes of hers.  

 

"Get lost, who wants you?! You're an orphan! Your parents didn't want you, or else why would you be left with us?" he mused cruelly, hitting her and pulling her hair as an extra measure. He liked feeling like he was better because he was! He liked making her feel small since he was afraid she'd shine over him. She held some sort of importance to his Father, he didn't know why. But his mother hated her, so clearly she was right about it.

 

Instead of her getting angry like most children would when pushed to their limit, she looked at him, fat tears falling down her cheeks, her lower lip quivering. Silently, she got up and ran away, disappearing so quickly that he couldn’t catch up with her and tease her more.

 

She didn't eat lunch with them that day. That was also the first time he had seen such anger and possibly hatred in his father's eyes towards him. When his father had found out that he had called her an orphan, he told him that he won't be going to his playdate on Saturday. He truly hated her, it was her fault.  

 

Then she didn't come to dinner and he was starting to get worried, not understanding why he was worried about her. It wasn't until late into the night, he spied his father coming home with an asleep Wei Ying. When he padded quietly into the hallway to follow them, his father had said, "A-Ying's parents were killed, they didn't want to leave her, but they didn't have a choice. Please be kind to A-Ying, she was alone with no one to protect her when we found her." 

 

He felt a pang of guilt, but he still avoided her. 

 

But then she suddenly stopped paying attention to him, she stopped trying to please him or hiding from him - she had found a friend. A young boy named Nie HuaiSang who was picked on a lot at school. He didn’t know why he turned green, he wanted her to laugh like how she laughed with him, smile like she wanted to be there.

 

Then one day she came home with him on the bus with a red ribbon in her hair, pulled back into a ponytail. When they got home, he tried to yank it out of her hair, but she looked at him, with such a fierce look in her eyes, that he backed down.

 

“HuaiSang gave it to me, please don’t break it.” she said softly, yet firm.

 

He never liked the Jin boys that much, even before Wei Ying came, he didn't like them. They always picked on him. They hadn't visited in a while now, but were brought over by Jin-shushu who treated him kindly but other than that, it was that. However, the first time he laid eyes on Wei Ying, he ushered her towards him quickly, asking her questions and treating her with such fondness as if she was his.

 

"Aiyo, Madame Yu! Why is this young lady dressed up like a boy? How could you do this? She has such a cute face, you should have put her in a red dress! Think about all these wasted years!" Jin-shushu had sighed as he put Wei Ying on his lap. "Tell me young lady, what's your name?" he had said as he played with Wei Ying's hair.

 

"I'm Wei Ying, but Jiang-shushu says I'm old enough to have a courtesy name now, so now I'm called Wei WuXian." she beamed at him, she really did have a dazzling smile, but she never showed it around him or his mother.

 

“Hm, so it’s ‘A-Xian’ then. A-Xian is such a good girl, so well behaved. How old are you, A-Xian?” the man had asked.

 

“Seven! Almost eight!” she chirped.

 

“Oh, almost a big girl then!” he smiled at her with an unreadable smile.

 

He had decided that he had seen enough and ran out of there to play with the Jin boys who had bolted immediately to the gardens when they had arrived.

 

“Heard you got a new sister.” Jin ZiXun teased as soon as he came into sight. “Is she prettier than your other one?” he laughed.

 

“Shut up!” he frowned.

 

“Hey, ZiXuan, the Jiang kids sure are weak! YanLi-jie was sent away crying by our words and now WanYin-di is here, angry as usual, but never doing anything!” he laughed.

 

“I don’t even know why we come here, your jiejie is so boring and plain.” Jin ZiXuan, the Jin heir huffed in response.

 

God, the Jin boys were such brats!

 

“Shut up! If you don’t like it here, then don’t come visit!” he bit back.

 

“We’re only here because ZiXuan is engaged to your sister!” Jin ZiXun laughed. “If you’re so annoyed about it, then beat us at a fight! Bet you can’t!” he laughed.

 

He saw red and lunged. But with his small body and lack of training, he really couldn't win. They both beat him until they heard a voice in the distance. Oh no, if these boys sent A-jie off crying and beat him black and blue, there is no way his weak and meek bodyguard would stand a chance against these boys.

 

“Don’t come over!” he cried loudly, but his efforts were in vain, Wei Ying came running over, her ponytail and red ribbon swishing in the air.

 

“Jiang Cheng?” she said confused. “Jiang Cheng!” she cried the next second when she realised that he was hurt. “Why are you hurting him? It’s not nice to hit others!” she cried.

 

“It’s what boys do!” Jin ZiXuan said arrogantly. “You’re a girl, you won’t understand!”

 

He had expected Jin ZiXun to come out with some sort of retort, but it would seem that he had been staring at Wei Ying instead.

 

“What’s your name, xiao-meimei?” Jin ZiXun finally said after a while.

 

“Let go of Jiang Cheng!” Wei Ying cried, not answering his question.

 

"Xiao-meimei, this gege will stop when you give your name." he mused. Wei Ying didn't answer him, only stepped closer as a reply. "Aiyo, you're so cute! If only you'd give me a smile, xiao-meimei! It would seem that the Jiang family has some substance to them!"

 

“Leave her alone! We’re just playing, leave us alone!” Jiang Cheng cried, suddenly feeling the need to protect Wei Ying, despite being her biggest bully himself.

 

“ZiXuan, go hold him down. Come with me, xiao-meimei, I’ll play house with you!” he mused as he reached out to take Wei Ying’s hand, except, he was met with a punch square in the face, he recoiled, crying out in pain. At his cry of pain Jin ZiXuan went to assist his cousin, angered that someone had dared to hit him.  

 

This was it, he thought to himself as he pathetically stayed on the ground in pain, feeling hot tears gather at the corners of his eyes. They were going to beat up Wei Ying and they were both going to be miserable together. Instead though, within minutes, Wei Ying had them both keeled over, crying in pain. 

 

“You’re no girl! A girl doesn’t fight like that!” Jin ZiXun cried.

 

“Hm, I still beat you though!” she chirped, before running over to Jiang Cheng.

 

“I’m going to tell Father on you!” cried Jin ZiXuan as he pulled Jin ZiXun up and they both ran off.

 

“Jiang Cheng, let’s go find shijie!” she smiled, helping him up off of the ground.

 

It was then, that an alliance between them was formed.

 

 

Wei WuXian stared at him with those bright, large grey eyes of hers. He almost blinked, when did she start looking more like a girl? There wasn't much of a difference in her appearance, but something about her changed, there was a more feminine quality to her. He could tell she was nervous, she was doing that lip-biting thing, her hands behind her back, fidgeting.

 

“How do you train for so long every day? It’s so tiring.” he tried, hoping to break the ice.

 

“It’s a slow and painful process.” she replied, huffing lightly. This was good, she was more relaxed after this.

 

“Can you help me train?” he tried, hoping she’d stay.

 

“O-Okay...” she replied, smiling at him, but with much nervousness.  

 

Relieved, he followed her over to train.

 

"Listen, I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for last year, it really wasn't your fault." he began once he was sitting down, taking a break. Wei Ying was currently doing pull-ups, making them seem as if they were the easiest thing to do. Despite the amount of training she did, it would seem that she had gotten more feminine looking instead. Maybe it was because she had begun wearing more feminine workout clothes, or maybe it had been too long since they had talked. 

 

“Wen Chao has had it out for you since we were young, I shouldn’t have acted like you could control what you do or say when I truthfully wanted to say the same things to him.” he continued. “Besides, it’s not your fault that you’re more gifted than him.” he continued. He was nervous, he was awful at this. He didn’t know if Wei Ying would forgive him, but he was also tired of avoiding her. Sure, there have been moments where things were complicated, like when she stopped going to the Shrine with him, but he always noticed that she seemed uncomfortable there. He also didn’t miss how the helpers at the Shrine often stared at her. As if there was something they recognised in her.

 

“Jiang Cheng, it’s alright. You had every right to be angry.” Wei WuXian, his adopted older sister smiled at him, doing that slight smile that she always did when she accepted your apology. He knew it was one of discomfort, she always didn’t like people apologising to her, it was odd.

 

“I-I shouldn’t have let A-Niang’s words affect me. It wasn’t okay.” he tried. “I know that things have changed and you can’t catch rides with me anymore, but maybe if I sneakily do it?” he suggested.

 

“No, it’s alright, Jiang Cheng. I’ve worked up a morning routine that works for me, so I think it’d be better if I stuck to it.” Wei WuXian said quietly, fiddling with her hands. She was off the machines now, standing there in her training gear. The red ribbon Nie HuaiSang gave her as a gift, tied in her hair. He was almost jealous, he wished that it had been him that had thought of the idea, then she’d have something he gave her with her at all times. Especially with how things were lately, the distance they’ve had between them was immense.

 

"I know you don't really like going to the shrine with me, but the helpers have been asking about you. Maybe you could show up to show that we haven't thrown you out or something?" he said, meaning it to be a joke, but cringed at how badly it was delivered.

 

“Uh,” Wei Ying began, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t… I-I also have to look for a job. But, if I do manage to acquire one, I will try?” she said softly, averting her gaze.

 

He felt a pang of guilt in his heart. No, their relationship really hadn't changed much. In fact, it felt like they were back to square one. Except now he wasn't yanking her hair or hitting her, now his remarks were his weapon against her. He hadn't been kind to her in the past months at all, hitting her with his cold words and remarks. His mother was delighted at the turnout. At first, he thought he had every right to be treating her like that, after all, she had almost cost him his divination grade. It was almost blasphemy if the Oracle was found to have cheated during their test. In two years, he was expected to present himself and start dedicating his life to being the Oracle full time. However, as time went on, the distance and the lack of her in his life made him upset. They had had a good few years of closeness. She never once cared about the 'boy' comments and protected him whenever he needed it. He knew that given her personality, she would still protect him now. He only wished that things would go back to being normal.

 

“Alright… If that doesn’t work. How about we go watch a movie together? Like old times?” he asked, trying to mend it like one would with a torn sheet of paper.

 

She smiled, this time her smile a bit wider than before. “Okay. Saturday night? I’m bringing chilli powder.” she smiled, the mirth had reached her eyes now.

 

“You’re still as weird! No one is going to want to date a girl like you, you know?” he hit out, almost trying to imagine what poor boy would have to eat spicy dishes or popcorn with her and not cry over it.

 

“I don’t go on dates.” she mused back. “I’m too busy training for that.” she said as she punched him lightly in the arm.

 

"You should do it sometime, it could be good for you, teach you some femininity!" he teased.  

 

She laughed then moved over to the other side and began running on the treadmill. “No thanks! I’d rather train!” she beamed.

 

There was a ping that came from his phone, he quickly pulled out his phone, someone had texted him a video. Apparently, according to the counter, the video had gone viral. He played the video, watching as the girl in the video made the boy that had caused him so much aggro last year apologise and humble himself to the waitress. Oh, this was so funny! Whoever this girl was, she needed a better dinner date. Amused, he moved over to Wei WuXian who was doing her laps on the treadmill.

 

“Hey, you should watch this!” he said as he thrust the phone in her face, turning down the treadmill so she wouldn’t misstep.

 

She was glad that Jiang Cheng had turned down the treadmill, or she would have tripped in her step. Did Jiang Cheng not recognise her? Perhaps… Perhaps it was because she didn't look like herself. She had put on makeup - HuaiSang had been teaching her. Glasses hid her eyes, plus the candlelight and the darkness of the restaurant itself helped her ultimately.

 

She laughed, pretending that it was the most amusing thing.

 

“I’m glad to see him being humbled! Good on that girl!” she cried, hoping Jiang Cheng wouldn’t notice her change in tone.

 

“Doesn’t he still have that other girlfriend?” he asked.

 

“Mm, yeah. She’s been pretty vocal about it during cheerleading practice. It’s kinda funny.” she mused. It was true, Wang LingJiao had gone on about it non-stop, she was seething, saying the things she’d do when she found out who this girl was. Well, too bad for her, Wei Ying wasn’t intending to get caught that easily, besides, it wasn’t even like they were out on a date.

 

“Wei WuXian… I-I have something for you… I meant to give it to you for your birthday… But I forgot.” Jiang Cheng suddenly said rather hesitantly. “This is to apologise for how I’ve treated you, but don’t take it as that you have to forgive me!” Jiang Cheng quickly cried before shakily handing out a charm to her. She quickly recognised it as a protection charm.

 

“Oh, how delightful! Thank you, Jiang Cheng!” she said, feeling the warmth inside as she took it.

 

“It’s badly made, but I learnt how to make it last month… I wanted you to have it though, you are my bodyguard after all!” he said.

 

She smiled. To others, that would have sounded so bratty, but to her, this was special. “Thank you, Jiang Cheng! I love it!” she smiled.

 

He watched her run excitedly to the side and pick up her phone. Realising that she intended on attaching it onto her phone, he suddenly felt extremely embarrassed.

 

“W-Wait! You’re going to hang it on your phone for everyone to see?!” he stumbled.

 

“Of course! It’s a protection charm from my dear shidi!~ Not to mention, it’s the first one he’s made!” she beamed.  

 

Seeing how happy she was, he decided that he couldn’t just ask her to not do that. So, he swallowed his pride and let her attach it onto her phone.

 

 

"Wei Ying, you changed." Lan Zhan said as he stared at her, the tips of his ears red.

 

Wei Ying still didn’t know what it meant. Somewhere, someone knew and they were probably screaming at her.

 

It was Friday and after hearing about Lan Zhan’s invite towards her, Nie HuaiSang dragged her clothing shopping. Typical HuaiSang, she needed a job to fund her life, yet here he was taking her shopping. At least he was kind enough to pay for it. Well, he didn’t, MingJue-ge did.  

 

"He'll understand once he finds out what it's for. Even he knows what's up." HuaiSang mused with one of the sneaky, cryptic smiles he always did when he had an ace up his sleeve.

 

So just before she was due to meet up with Lan Zhan, Nie HuaiSang helped her get ready, helping with her makeup and somehow had his curling iron handy. So now, she was facing Lan Zhan, who was still in his crisp, pristine-looking school uniform.

 

"Ah-haha, do you like it?" Wei Ying asked awkwardly.

 

“Wei Ying looks pretty.” Lan Zhan said reassuringly as he held out a hand to take hers. “A new dessert shop opened downtown. Wei Ying said anywhere I wanted to go, so I thought that would be a good idea.” he continued as he began to lead the way, their hands linked.

 

If it were anyone else, Wei Ying would have said it was a date that they were out on. But this wasn't anyone, it was her. Even though HuaiSang had adamantly said it was definitely a date.

 

“I heard their crepe cake is delicious.” Lan Zhan had said.

 

He was right, of course. It was delicious and as she happily ate hers, spooning into the green tea ice-cream that was paired with the chocolate crepe cake, Wei Ying couldn’t help but wonder how Lan Zhan even heard about this. Or how he apparently knew that she really wanted to try crepe cake but hadn’t had the time to do so during the summer when it was first extremely popular.  

 

It must be HuaiSang… She just knew. So, when Lan Zhan got up to use the bathroom, Wei Ying quickly pulled out her phone to tell him off.

 

 

 

You told him, didn’t you? ヽ ( ○ ` Ɛ ´ ○ ) ノ  

 

[HuaiSang]:

No ( ๑ °o° ๑ ;;;)

 

Only you knew that I wanted to try crepe cake!! (↼_↼ ╬╬╬)

 

[HuaiSang]:

⭒ ✧ § Ծ ᴗ Ծ § Have fun, Xian-mei!!~ Gotta live out your youth fully!!

 

( ○ `x´ ○ )

 

 

 

She sighed, putting down her phone and choosing to eat her crepe cake instead. She did attach an image of the crepe cake to the conversation with HuaiSang. She had taken it before she dug into it, getting some aesthetically pleasing shots of both hers and Lan Zhan’s desserts before posting it to her social media. It felt kinda nice, she wasn’t exactly a huge poster as she was busy training most of the time and prior to this, she didn’t see a point as she didn’t do anything interesting enough to have bragging rights.

 

She felt a buzz, seeing the notification on her screen that Wen Chao had liked it. She cocked an eyebrow in confusion, she didn’t remember adding him as a friend at all. Luckily, her likes ratio was turned off so others couldn’t see who liked what on her timeline anyway. Those who were friends with Wen Chao could probably see. Then she saw another notification, this time from her texts.

 

 

 

[Wen Chao]:

Looks good, I didn’t know you liked desserts like a normal girl.

 

 

How rude, of course I like desserts! And what is that supposed to mean? Boys like desserts too! (○`x´○ ╬)

 

[Wen Chao]:

Good point, have fun on your date with Lan WangJi.

 

 

You’re a stalker, stop prying into my life! o(-` 益 ´- ｡ )

 

She didn't remember giving him her number either… Or even adding him as a contact. But her bad memory probably didn't have her remember it. Besides, she was always pretty sleepy when going to school or after school, so she can see herself adding him both on social media and as a phone contact without remembering herself doing so due to fatigue.

 

"Wei Ying." Lan Zhan said when he returned to the table. He had a look on his face like he wasn't sure how to put the sentence.  

 

“What is it, Lan Zhan? You seemed troubled.” she smiled, teasing him lightly so he’d feel more sure of himself.

 

“Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan began. Then in a smaller voice, he said, “I would like to take a selfie with you.” The tips of his ears turned red once again.

 

Wei Ying blinked, then when the sentence finally sunk into her, her face flushed up, her entire body rather warm as well.

 

“I-Yes, of course!” she stumbled, awkwardly scooting over for Lan Zhan to sit next to her.

 

Lan Zhan smelt so nice, he always did. She in all honesty was surprised that Lan Zhan had a modern phone and even knew what a 'selfie' was. He held up the phone and took a few selfies with her. When Wei Ying looked at the photos, she couldn't help but laugh.

 

"Lan Zhan-" she wheezed. "This is- Tian ah, Lan Zhan! You take selfies like an old person does!" she giggled softly.

 

Hearing this, Lan Zhan’s ears turned redder and his eyebrows knitted together. 

 

“How do you take selfies like a young person?” he asked rather sincerely, so sincerely that Wei Ying immediately stopped laughing.

 

"Turn on your front-facing camera again." she smiled, fixing her hair to make sure she looked good.

 

“Okay, so angle your phone more, like this.” she said patiently, ignoring the blushing and the heat she felt as her fingers accidentally brushed against his. When she was happy with the angle and how they looked, she selected the timer, starting it.

 

“It’s best to use a countdown timer because it gives you time to pose.” she said. “Oh! Have you heard of filters?” she asked.

 

“Mm, but I’ve never used them before.”

 

“They’re actually really fun!” she smiled, tapping on a bunny filter that added bunny ears to their heads.

 

This time, they took a few more selfies than earlier before stopping.

 

“Wei Ying, do I have your permission to share them online? I will make sure to keep them from reaching Madame Yu.” he said.

 

“Uh, okay. Though, I’m not sure how she wouldn’t see it.” she said quietly.

 

“I’ve blocked most of the adults that would be able to share it back to Madame Yu.” he said flatly with a tone of coldness.

 

Lan Zhan! So disrespectful! So unlike you!! 

 

“I don’t wish for Madame Yu to punish you any further.” he said frankly.

 

She giggled. “Well, thank you for defending my privacy and saving me from punishment, Mr. Lan.” she teased, playfully hooking her foot around his leg under the table.  

 

“Man, their smoothies look so good.” she mused offhandedly as she stared at the display screen that was showing off the different smoothies they had.

 

“Which one do you want?” Lan Zhan asked.

 

“Sunset.” she answered distractedly as she watched the displays. It wasn’t until she heard the beeping noise of the contactless being confirmed that she realised what he had done.

 

“Lan Zhan!” she chided, pouting when Lan WangJi smiled smugly at her.

 

“I can’t believe this! I only mentioned it!” she huffed.

 

“Want to buy it for Wei Ying.” he answered.

 

“You’re going to spoil me rotten if you keep this up!”

 

“Want to spoil Wei Ying.” he said.

 

So, she ended up drinking a smoothie. She couldn’t complain though, it was really good. She didn’t regret this, even if Madame Yu somehow found her photos, this was worth it. It really was.

 

 

“Xian-mei, you looked like you had a lot of fun with WangJi-xiong the other day!” Nie HuaiSang teased over dinner. She had been invited to the Nie household by Nie MingJue, but really, she knew that HuaiSang was just using his brother’s name so that Madame Yu will definitely allow it. He even got his brother to call the Jiang household too on Friday night.

 

She ignored him and instead chose to focus on reaching out and taking her share of Mapo tofu, however, Nie MingJue beat her to it and scooped it into her bowl for her instead.

 

“WangJi did seem to have had a good time, XiChen was rather pleased about it.” Nie MingJue mused. “He even has that photo as his lock screen, according to XiChen.” 

 

“Ai, I hope he at least uses the better selfie as his lock screen.” Wei Ying said as she ate the Mapo tofu.

 

"Oh no, the selfie is his background, a rather cute selfie, by the way, Xian-mei!" Nie HuaiSang teased. "The bunny filter suits you both rather well!" he smiled as he scooped steam egg into her bowl.

 

“Wait… What photo are you talking about if the selfie isn’t the lock screen?” she asked, confused. She didn’t remember taking any more photos.

 

As if realising something, the two brothers looked at each other.

 

“Oh… You didn’t know?” Nie HuaiSang said, a bit nervously. “Da-ge, you still have the photo XiChen-ge sent over right?” 

 

“Wait, why does XiChen-ge have a photo of me that I don’t even know about?”

 

“Apparently, XiChen had asked how the ‘outing’ was going and WangJi replied with this photo.” Nie MingJue said as he showed Wei Ying the photo.

 

She stared at the phone screen. It was a photo of her happily digging into the crepe cake. Aiya, Lan Zhan! Taking a photo of me without my permission!

 

She must have been blushing because both Nie brothers had a smug look on their faces. Seeing their smug smiles, she looked down and focused on digging into her food instead.

 

 

“You were really distracted at sword practice earlier.” Nie MingJue stated as Wei Ying floated in the water in the Nie’s indoor pool.

 

“I don’t understand.” Wei Ying sighed. “Why does Lan Zhan have a photo of me I didn’t even know of as his lock screen? Also, couldn’t he have used a better photo? Like the one during my birthday?” she huffed.

 

“Perhaps he didn’t want to use a moment that gave you problems in the end?” Nie MingJue suggested as he swam past where she was floating.

 

“I still don’t understand why he has a photo of me.” she pouted.

 

Nie Mingjue looked like he was about to say something, but instead, he cracked a half-smile and huffed in amusement.

 

“What’s so funny, MingJue-ge? Please share the joke! I’m dying to know!” she huffed as she swam next to him.

 

“You’ll have to find out yourself.” he replied smugly.

 

"Oi! You too?!" she huffed as she splashed him, annoyed that everyone else was apparently in on a joke that she didn't understand.

 

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Nie MingJue laughed as he splashed her back.

 

She sighed and lamented, “How am I even supposed to ask him that question? I’m flattered that I’m his lock screen picture, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.” 

 

“Why not? I thought you have romantic feelings for him.” Nie MingJue responded.

 

“I do.” she said as she stared up at the stars in the night sky while floating in the heated pool. “But I don’t think he likes me the same.” she continued sadly.

 

"You really think that?" Nie MingJue replied, a hint of surprise and disbelief in his voice.

 

“I’m so annoying, I only annoy him and make him look bad by hanging around him. My status ruins his.” she said quietly. That was right, they could never be together, Lan Zhan was too good for her to ever hope to reach that level. He only humoured her because he was kind.

 

“Do you really think that lowly of yourself?” Nie MingJue asked, his tone suddenly changing flat. In surprise, she flipped up, standing in the shallower side of the pool now.

 

“Do you think you ruin HuaiSang’s status by being around him?” he asked her rather harshly.

 

“No! Of course not! I jus-” she began.

 

“Then you don’t ruin WangJi’s either. I’ve known WangJi since he was a boy. If he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t have humoured you. He obviously cares for you.” Nie MingJue said, swimming towards her and stopping next to her.

 

“You need to stop thinking you’re a burden, Wei Ying. You’re not one.” he said. “I’ve never thought of you as one when I trained you or when you came over for your sleepovers with HuaiSang. I know XiChen certainly doesn’t think of you as one either. He keeps lamenting over the fact that WangJi won’t invite you over.”

 

“Oh…” she said quietly.

 

“I think if you look past what you think of yourself, you’ll find that WangJi likes you very much.” Nie MingJue said, not teasingly, rather kindly in fact. “You need to be kinder to yourself, Wei Ying.” he said as he put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll find as you grow up that there are things you can’t change yourself and that sometimes situations occur because they do and you can’t fix them.” he said. “What happens isn’t always your fault, Wei Ying.” he said. “What happened last year was awful, but you need to stop punishing yourself over it. You’ve already punished yourself the hardest and lost the most in it. Just be more vigilant in the future.” he continued.

 

“Thank you.” she said quietly. “Is there any more important wisdom MingJue-ge would like to bestow on this young meimei?” she mused after a while.

 

“About your friendship with Wen Chao…” Nie MingJue began.

 

She sighed. He knew, of course HuaiSang told Nie MingJue. Great, she was going to be all wrinkly when she got out of the pool.

Notes:

Once again, let me know what you think in the comments.

Chapter 4: Solis ~ 太陽

Notes:

Here's a playlist to go with this fic.

“It’s so endearing to see you looking so cheerfully at that charm, but why would you keep it on your phone?” Wen Chao asked in the car on Monday as they were heading back home.

 

“Because Jiang Cheng made it for me!” she chirped.

 

“It’s so ugly, it’s badly made.” Wen Chao huffed.

 

“Well, can you do better? Don’t be so mean! It’s his first handmade charm!” she beamed. 

 

“You really can forgive him just like that after what he’s done to you?”

 

“Jiang Cheng’s always been prickly like that, our relationship has always been like this.” Wei Ying smiled softly. “But when he does apologise afterwards, he’s always really sweet and awkward.” she said, huffing in amusement when a memory popped up in her mind.  

 

“You forgive others too easily.” Wen Chao replied. 

 

“Perhaps.” Wei Ying said softly. 

 

“It’s an ugly charm anyway, why would he let you hang it on your phone? Surely he’s self-aware enough to know it doesn’t look good!” Wen Chao said, scrunching up his nose. 

 

“Jiang Cheng didn’t want me to, but I insisted. It’s the thought that counts! This is an improvement from that dog plush he made me when he first accepted me into their family~” she mused. 

 

The other took a minute to himself as if trying to process something and wondering what to say to her. 

 

“Why would he do that? He doesn’t strike me as the kind to like doing such things, seems more like Nie HuaiSang to do such a thing.”

 

“I think his class was teaching it? I forget now. But he decided to make me a dog plush. Wanna see him? Though, I think you’re going to have to brace yourself.” she mused. 

 

“Surely, it can’t be that bad.” he replied. 

 

Wei Ying wore an amused smile on her face as she angled her phone towards him with a photo of the dog. The dog in the photo had a crooked face. Its eyes, not aligned and snout far too close to the eyes and a bit too close to the left eye. Uneven stitches along with the contrasting thread choice really brought out the mistakes. The greyish fur mimicked the blue Pomeranian dog breed. Its feet and paws were also not in the right places, also different sizes. 

 

“You’re right, it’s a monstrosity.” he replied. “Wait, is that from Snapshot?” he asked as he clicked on the screen of the phone, scrolling down the feed, revealing an abundance of images of this ugly dog plush. “You have a Snapshot for this plush. This ugly plush dog. How are you not embarrassed by this?”

 

“Don’t be so rude! Jiang Cheng was only seven when he made this! I think it’s quite amazing that he managed to!” she mused. “Besides, my five thousand followers seem to agree!”

 

“Why do you not have a Snapshot?” he asked her. 

 

“I do, but it’s private. I don’t really post photos often. I have nothing to show for anyway, you know, with my boyish clothes and my boring flat chest, who would want to look at that? At least my dog plush has a charm to him.” she mused. 

 

“What’s its name?” Wen Chao asked after a while. 

 

“Whatever.” Wei Ying replied, a smug smile on her face. 

 

“What? What do you mean by ‘Whatever’?”

“No silly, I mean “Suibian”. That’s his name!” she laughed.  

 

It was an odd name but it suited the dog. 

 

“It suits him.” was the response. 

 

She stared out of the window, humming a tune quietly to herself, watching the same scenery she always saw when they drove back to hers, but she enjoyed this view. 

 

“Why do you forgive him time and time again? Even in the past, I’ve noticed that he’s not exactly kind to you, yet you always humour him and listen to him. Are you even brother and sister?” he said. 

 

“I was adopted. That’s all there is to it.” she mused. “Every family has its problems, do you mean to tell me that you and your brother are the best of friends?” she said. 

 

“You’re right, my brother and I are well... We tolerate each other at best.” he said. 

 

“See?” she said. 

 

“Speaking of family. Would you like to come over tomorrow? Maybe you can have a look at the Wen shrine and see how you like it then decide?” Wen Chao asked. 

 

It was nearing the end of the month now. With her insane week last week, she had almost forgotten. She was still getting rejected as per usual. Due to her age and whatnot. Besides, the idea of looking after a shrine and also doing divination on weekends sounded fun. 

 

“I’ll ask HuaiSang to cover for me.” she replied. 

 

“Okay.” Wen Chao replied, pleased with her answer. 

 

 

“Stop fidgeting! You’re only visiting my family!” Wen Chao cried from across her as she continued to mess around with her uniform and hair, making sure everything was tidy. 

 

“That’s precisely why!” she frowned. “Your Father isn’t just anyone! Seeing how everything went down last year, I’d rather make a good impression even if he doesn’t want to accept me as an employee.” she said quietly as she continued to make sure everything was in place. 

 

“Not gonna lie, the tea ceremony uniform really suits you, shame that the school most likely won’t let you wear that as your day-to-day.” Wen Chao said as his eyes lingered on Wei Ying just a bit too long. However, Wei Ying, who was busy making sure her bows were in place, didn’t even notice. 

 

“Does it?” she asked, surprised for a moment. Honestly, she had expected him to have the opposite to say. 

 

“It’s a big change from the oversized t-shirts and sports bras and trousers you used to wear.” he replied. “Now you look like a cute, young lady.” he continued as he reached over to adjust an article of clothing of hers.

 

However, Wen ZhuLiu put out a hand to stop him and stated, “If Miss Wei is truly a Lady in your eyes, then treat her like one.”

 

“Wen ZhuLiu, relax! I wasn’t going to touch her indecently!” Wen Chao sighed as he sat back in his chair, folding his arms. 

 

“Mr. Wen, with all due respect, Miss Wei has always been a young lady, one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” he said quietly, yet firmly. 

 

Wei Ying, who had been too focused on her clothes had missed the entire conversation, so when she finally settled down, she only noticed the tension in the air, blissfully unaware of the situation at hand. 

 

“Finally!” she huffed. “I’m still trying to get my head around these clothes even though it’s been at least half a year at this point!” she grumbled. “Shijie’s showed me it before but I wish she could have helped me a bit more.”

 

“Couldn’t you have asked her for more help?” Wen Chao asked. 

 

“No, Madame Yu promptly put a stop to that when she saw her helping me out one day. Her argument is that if I was going to tea ceremony class, they would teach me how to do it and I’ve never even been allowed to wear hanfu before in my life.” she sighed sadly. 

 

“Someone at the shrine might be able to help you.” Wen Chao replied. 

 

“Really?” she beamed. 

 

“Yes. I can ask for you.” he replied. 

 

“Thank you. I’ve never really been surrounded by a lot of female figures who were willing to help in my life. I have shijie and she mainly helps, but sometimes I wish I had a few more. I’m grateful for what little I’m allowed though. Hanfu is just harder than dresses, usually I only get given dresses, by Jin-shushu mainly.” she continued. 

 

“It’s unfair you’re treated this way. I’m surprised that you haven’t moved in with the Nies, you’re close with them, aren’t you?” 

 

“I don’t want to trouble them. It’s easier that way.” she said quietly as she looked at her phone and started scrolling through her Snapshot. 

 

Luckily it would seem that Wen Chao had some tact and decided to drop the conversation and ask, “How many followers does Suibian have now?”

 

“Mm, five thousand five hundred.” she mused. 

 

“So why a dog specifically?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow when Wei Ying visibly shivered. “What’s up with you? All I said was ‘dog’.” he said. 

 

“D-Don’t say that word on its own.” she bit her lip. 

 

“You had no problem calling it a ‘dog’ plush yesterday.” Wen Chao replied, purposefully accentuating the word ‘dog’.

 

“It’s because when paired with another objective word, it doesn’t sound bad but do-that word on its own, I don’t like.” she pouted. 

 

“I didn’t know that you didn’t like them.” 

 

“‘Didn’t like’ is a rather gentle way of putting it. Their bites hurt.” she frowned. 

 

“Did Jiang WanYin know this when he made you that plush?” he asked. 

 

“Yes, he made it specifically with a closed mouth because ‘It couldn’t bite me or bark at me.’ Also that ‘It could help me get rid of the fear of them’, according to him.” she smiled softly. 

 

“That’s oddly sweet of him.” Wen Chao remarked snidely. 

 

“I told you, he’s strangely sweet and cute when he gets over that prickly personality.” she replied. 

 

“So what did he do to make that?”

 

“I’m sorry. You have to be friendship level a hundred to unlock my tragic backstory.” she mused. 

 

“What do I have to do to reach that level?” Wen Chao mused, surprising Wei Ying. 

 

 

The Wen mansion was huge. She knew that they came from old money like the Lans, but this was ridiculous. It reminded her very much of the rare times they visited the Jins, except for the lack of gold. But in a way, in Wei Ying’s opinion, this was more tasteful. The front of the drive was lined with blossoming cherry blossom trees, as she stepped out of the car, it was nice and warm, nothing like the actual weather right now. 

 

“We aren’t known for our sun Sect symbol for nothing.” Wen Chao commented rather proudly when he saw her admiring the view and change. “The magic keeps it this way.”

 

“I figured.” Wei Ying smiled. “It’s beautiful though, I can appreciate the added touch.” she smiled. 

 

“Let’s go greet Father before I show you the shrine.” he said as he began to walk, Wen ZhuLiu trailing behind him. 

 

“Okay.” she replied before following them both into the building. The inside was as tasteful as the outside. Very quickly, Wei Ying realised that she liked this place very much. Despite its fearsome leader, the place made her relax. Strange indeed. 

 

The inside of the mansion was beautiful, there was an elegant mix of modern lavishness, mixed with tasteful traditional decorations. Wei Ying could only marvel at it silently and quickly as Wen Chao had walked ahead, apparently more excited than her at the prospect of her finding work here.

 

“Hey, why are you so hesitant for? I’ve never seen you hesitant ever!” Wen Chao said as he looked over his shoulder, stopping when he realised that she had stopped. 

 

“It’s because this is different.” she replied. 

 

“Look, I understand that it’s intimidating to you, but my Father’s not going to eat you! He doesn’t care much for what you are, just what you bring to him and you’re good at divination. I don’t think my Father would turn that down.” Wen Chao said as he came over to Wei Ying’s side, taking her hand to guide her.

 

“My Father knows of your abilities, I may have mentioned them in the past in passing.” he said sheepishly. “Besides there are always rumours, he would have heard them.” he continued. 

 

This was strange. Wen Chao was strangely supportive today. Out of her own nervousness, she decided to overlook Wen Chao’s strangely intimate action of taking her hand and leading her through the hallways of this lavish and sizeable mansion. He would occasionally stop to let Wei Ying know what room was what if it was important enough. It was like he assumed that Wei Ying would come and visit again or something. She didn’t hate this version of Wen Chao, honestly. He’s kinder now and she’s glad. Maybe too kind at times and it confused and alarmed Wei Ying. But still, this was better than the one that used to bully her, call her a boy. Make remarks such as asking her why she was using the female changing room rather than the male one when clearly she didn’t have a body of a female’s. As much as the teasing did stop somewhat when she put on the cheerleading outfit, it brought her into Wang LingJiao’s view and jealousy. Suddenly they were rivals. Luckily, Wang LingJiao was never really a real threat to her. She tried to prank Wei Ying, but being the Oracle and also a trained bodyguard, Wei Ying was always very receptive to these things. Wang LingJiao was also wise enough to never challenge her to a fight because Wei Ying knew she would win. 

 

“This is the sports section. We have all sports equipment at your need.” he said as he gestured to the different disciples training between themselves or on their own. Wei Ying has never seen many disciples around Wen Chao, he only has two lackeys that followed him around. It was for the clout really. In the past they would make comments at her too, however, this year, they were gone altogether. She would hate to think about what happened to them. 

 

“Even a swimming pool?” she asked curiously. 

 

“Olympian sized.” was the reply. “Follow me, let me show it to you.” he said before taking her hand once again and guiding them past the disciples who are currently training. When they passed by, Wei Ying noticed them stare. Was it just her or were the stares directed at her? It probably was because Wen Chao probably never spent time here, so they were most likely surprised is all, was what she told herself anyway.

 

“Here we are.” Wen Chao said as he gestured towards the pool. Being one who loved the sea and swimming in water in general, Wei Ying was tempted to just run and dive into the pool.  

 

“The indoor and outdoor pools are also enchanted so the weather always stays warm here.” he boasted. “There’s also a hot spring to replenish energy and for healing. It’s extremely useful, especially after training.”

 

She laughed, “You say this as if you expect me to visit you again.”

 

“You don’t want to visit again?” Wen Chao asked, an unreadable expression on his face. 

 

“It’s not that, Wen Chao. I don’t exactly know whether your Father would approve of me as a friend for you. I’m the Jiang’s ward and also, not to mention, I did cause your family some trouble last year too.” she replied. 

 

“He’s most likely over that. He was the one that brought up the opening and suggested I ask you, in fact.” he replied.

 

That was odd. Wen RuoHan had been the one that suggested it? Wen Chao must have phrased it like he had asked his Father as not to scare Wei Ying off in the first place. Plus, it sounded better from the mouth of a ‘friend’ rather than a Sect Leader. Or rather, Corporation Leader instead. Nowadays, the Sects went with ‘corporation’ because it was more modern sounding apparently. Wei Ying didn’t care for these things. She never considered herself part of any of them. Besides, her death made it easier to give herself a bucket list of things to do before she died, there was no such thing as forward-thinking to what she wanted to do when she was older. Sometimes she felt sad, whenever she made bodily contact with her friends, she could see glimpses of their future, even Jiang Cheng’s and Jiang YanLi’s. They were all bright futures, which put her at ease. HuaiSang will become a celebrity dresser, something that suited him. But unlike any of theirs, she would never live to achieve any of that.

 

“He did?” Wei Ying asked curiously.

 

“Yes.” he replied.

 

“Did he ask you to befriend me too, then?” Wei Ying mused, jokily prodding him.

 

“No, of course not. I did it out of my own volition.” Wen Chao replied. “Don’t think too hard on it, Wei Ying. It definitely wasn’t a ‘new year, new me’ situation. There were just things I felt I did out of hand and also that I never really tried to get to know you at all. Now that I think about it, I don’t even know why I picked on you… I guess it was just because you were an easy target, seeing that even Jiang WanYin himself didn’t exactly fight for you either.” he said sheepishly.

 

“Firstly, Jiang Cheng can’t get into fights over my honour, it would reflect badly on the Jiang Family. I’m not part of the Jiangs by blood, so people will just say that the Jiangs have let their crazy charity case of a child run loose again. I’m used to it, so I’m not bothered by other people’s judgement or teasing.” Wei Ying mused, shrugging and finding it amusing that Wen Chao was being so honest with her. It was odd having someone admit that they decided to pick on her because everyone else did so.

 

“Secondly, stop being so sappy. The past is the past, you can’t alter it. You can only really look forward, in my case, seeing forward is part of my life.” she mused again.

 

“I’m trying to be nice here, Wei Ying. Don’t ruin my style like this! What if the other disciples heard?” he replied. “Since I’m being sappy, I’ll tell you this - I’ve always envied your talent for Divination, I’m not good at it at all.”

 

“T-Thank you.” Wei Ying said, surprised by the compliment. After all, it was her talent that even made her a constant target of Wen Chao’s teasing for the past two years. “Why are you in Divination class if you’re not even good at it?” she asked curiously. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but couldn’t you have focused your time on something you’re good at and actually enjoy?” she continued.

 

“Father insisted. Every main Wen Family branch member has to, even if you can’t do it well at all.” he sighed. “Da-ge did it too, he seems to have a knack for it, at least some sort of talent. I don’t understand it as my Father wasn’t exactly good at divination either.” he continued.

 

Well, that was interesting information to learn about, she always knew that Wen RuoHan had many talents and was well rounded, so it came as a shock to her that he wasn’t good at divination at all. He was said to have even mastered all four elements.

 

“That’s interesting to know. I sort of understand that as Madame Yu was like that with Jiang Cheng and shijie, but she gave up when shijie couldn’t pick it up at all.” she replied.

 

“How about you? Did she make you study it?” he asked her curiously.

 

“No, I discovered it when Jiang Cheng was starting his classes, I got curious and started learning it myself in my own time. I guess it makes sense as my Father had some divination abilities in his blood and my Mother was also apparently extremely talented at it. Well, that was what Jiang-shushu told me when he could tell me about my parents. Madame Yu doesn’t like talking about them, especially not my Mother.” she replied quietly.

 

She wasn’t sure why she had shared those details about them, maybe because Wen Chao had shown interest in her properly and that she seemed like a person in his eyes now. It was nice for a change to be asked about yourself. Of course, there were others that treated her like she was a human being, Nie HuaiSang and his brother certainly did. In fact, she knew that Nie MingJue looked at her like a younger sibling. That lecture he gave her the other day still fresh on her mind. Lan XiChen always treated her kindly, asking her to address him by “XiChen-ge” rather than “Mr. Lan”. Lan WangJi definitely treated her kindly, especially recently, everything Wei Ying did, he would make sure she was being careful.

 

Then there was Meng Yao, who arguably knew her the most to some degree. Sure, Nie HuaiSang was her best friend and understood the whole being different from your gender thing. But when it came to family situations, Meng Yao understood it the most. He was also far more perceptive, HuaiSang was extremely perceptive, but she had managed to pull the wool over his eyes when it came to her true identity. Meng Yao, on the other hand, definitely knew. When he had mentioned his father was looking for the next Oracle, he meant it as a warning and Wei Ying knew it. Still, she was grateful that he didn’t tell his Father. Instead, he sent her secret messages using magic, showing her what he had found in his research and asking her where he can make a change to the information so that it looked like he was still giving enough of it away to his Father but never revealing anything. She was surprised he had decided to do that instead of ratting her out, he could have gained a lot more from that. When asked though, Meng Yao said that he’d rather kick back and enjoy his life as a student right now. He was always self-aware like that.

 

She was extremely thankful that Lan XiChen and Nie MingJue looked out for Meng Yao and that he had them as good influences in his life. Sure, Nie MingJue didn’t always see eye to eye with Meng Yao’s ways but at least he had someone who was overly honest in his life to guide him too. Admittedly, Nie MingJue’s lack of tact sometimes worried Wei Ying and HuaiSang, but an honest personality wasn’t exactly one you could tweak overnight. She liked it better that way, over the sneaky good appearances of people. Like how Madame Yu and Madame Jin would be on their best behaviour in front of Jin-shushu, but when he was out of the room, they would resume to normal.

 

“Well, that sucks…” Wen Chao replied. Wei Ying had almost forgotten their conversation or that they were even having one while she was thinking things through in her own mind. “Uh, I meant that Madame Yu shouldn’t treat you that way, it’s simply unfair.” Wen Chao managed awkwardly, probably feeling like a douche when he gave such a short answer.

 

“No, it’s fine. It does suck, but what can I do? Don’t feel like you need to be sensitive towards my feelings all the time, Wen Chao. I’m not made of glass or delicate at all. In fact, when you try to act sensitive, it scares me instead.” she mused.

 

“Hey! I’m trying to be nice!” Wen Chao cried as he lunged forward to push her playfully, except Wei Ying’s reflexes were faster than his so he missed and ended up slipping and ended up falling towards the pool.  

 

Luckily for him, Wei Ying saw it and quickly grabbed him and yanked him back before he fell into the water.

 

“T-Thanks…” he said quickly. “You’re so fast, the football team would love to have someone like you on the team.” he continued.

 

“They will until I get them fouls for accidentally tackling people out of habit.” she mused.

 

“Yes, that would be quite unhelpful. I don’t think the guys would appreciate that.” Wen Chao mused back.

 

 

“Wen-zongzhu, thank you for inviting this humble one today and allowing your son to offer me a grand tour of your mansion. I, Wei Ying, courtesy name, WuXian, the ward of the Jiangs greet you.” Wei Ying said as she bowed low before the man who many feared. Even Madame Yu feared him to a point, she just hid it well. Naturally, Wei Ying herself was fearful as she was at the end of the day, a representative of her sect. Even if no one considered her part of the family, they would definitely use an opportunity to take a jab at their Sect when need be. It was funny, you can be considered not a part of anything until someone had a problem with you or your Sect, then suddenly, you were part of their circle. Suddenly, you were something.

 

“‘Mr. Wen’ is fine, Wei WuXian. Though, the manners are greatly appreciated.” Wen RuoHan said, sounding somewhat amused by her words. She didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad thing, either way. Amused was better than angered, right? She stayed bowing.

 

“In fact, there is no need to be so formal with me, I’m a friend’s Father after all. Why don’t you call me ‘Wen-shushu’ like you would address Jin GuangShan, instead?” he teased.

 

“That wouldn’t be too appropriate Sir, I’ll start with Mr. Wen first.” she answered quietly.

 

“Perhaps you can teach Chao-er some manners and some divination too.” the man said lightly, definitely taking a jab at his son. For once, Wen Chao said nothing. Only stood nervously next to her. So, there was someone he feared too. Then again, children feared their parents to a point, related by blood or not, you always wanted to win their favour and make them proud.

 

“Fa-Father, I can’t help it if I’m not gifted at divination. Isn’t that right, Wei Ying?” Wen Chao said quickly before nudging Wei Ying’s arm to try and rope her into the conversation. “She didn’t even get taught divination the conventional way, yet she always got the highest grades in class, she definitely is gifted at it.” he continued nervously, shooting Wei Ying a desperate look.

 

Wei Ying, who was nervous for different reasons didn’t know what to say, luckily or unluckily, depending on how you were looking at the situation, this awkward conversation was quickly interrupted by Wen RuoHan himself.

 

“You weren’t taught the conventional way?” he asked, curious now. “You can stop bowing now, take a seat.” he said, amusement once again laced in his voice.

 

She quickly did another bow, uttering a quick ‘Thank you, Mr. Wen.’, before sitting down in a seat next to Wen Chao.

 

“No, I wasn’t. Madame Yu intended for me to be my shidi’s bodyguard, nothing more, nothing less. I just simply picked it up as a hobby.” she said. “Jiang-zongzhu indulged me by letting me predict mahjong games and the lottery on the news, but that’s really all. It’s just used for trivial things.” she continued quietly.

 

“How fascinating, how did Madame Yu not find out?” he asked.

 

“I always switched my papers with Jiang Cheng. I always mimicked his handwriting for the tests, so she never caught on.” she replied.

 

“Perhaps you should swap your papers with Chao-er too. It may give him a boost in his grades.” he mused once again.

 

“I- Mr. Wen-” she began nervously.

 

“I’m only jesting, Wei WuXian. I don’t expect you to do something for him. Don’t swap papers with him even if he begs you to.” Wen RuoHan interrupted.

 

“Understood, Mr. Wen.” she said quickly.

 

“Chao-er has told me that you’re a healer too. Also, a master in the four elements as well as different fighting styles, is that correct?” he asked.

 

“Yes, I am, Mr. Wen. Though, I still have a long way to go with my training, I’m not as well learned as it looks in writing.” she replied. She knew she couldn’t just talk herself up, Wen RuoHan would not like that. The story of Wen RuoHan sabotaging Nie MingJue’s Father because he was envious of his abilities was told far and wide. It was something she knew Nie MingJue still held close to his heart to this day. Still, it was a cautionary tale to all about what may befall you if you were to outshine the Wen Sect.

 

“Wen ZhuLiu.” Wen RuoHan quickly said.

 

Wei Ying barely had time to act before Wen ZhuLiu lunged at her, attacking her. Still, she managed and dodged out of the way, blocking his attacks when he attempted to hit her. She continued blocking, attacking him when there were openings. Wen ZhuLiu, being the stronger and more experienced man he was, quickly managed to grab her, holding her arms behind her back, forcing her onto her knees. This was a good reference for Wei Ying as she could gauge what sort of opponent she could be dealing with in the future, what level she needed to surpass. In actuality, he was going easy on her. She could tell.

 

“Father! Call Wen ZhuLiu to stop! He’s hurting her!” Wen Chao cried, breaking Wei Ying out of her thoughts.

 

However, Wen RuoHan didn’t seem phased. He wasn’t like his son who had an untrained eye.

 

“Are you so sure, Chao-er?” he mused as Wei Ying quickly broke free of the hold, swinging around and kicking Wen ZhuLiu away from her. She got ready to fight another round when she steadied herself, however, a clap suddenly sounded in the air, as if on queue, Wen ZhuLiu quickly went back to his usual self, bowing to her. She quickly reciprocated the action, bowing to him to thank him for the match like she was taught to, even though, technically it was a surprise one.

 

“The rumours didn’t exaggerate, you are well trained.” Wen RuoHan mused once again.

 

Wen RuoHan, despite being a father of two, looked rather young still. He certainly didn’t look like the cruel man everyone described him to be. He looked rather smart in his suit and his short hair. Unlike his son who sported a literal ‘fuck boy’ haircut, he had a smart haircut, one you would expect of a businessman. In a way, she could understand how he even got a wife in the first place. Rumours said that Wen RuoHan was a paranoid man, one that changed emotions at the drop of a hat. Talented and skilled, yet paranoid in the mind and unnecessarily cruel. However, he seemed stable enough in Wei Ying’s eyes. But who knew, it wasn’t like she saw him on the daily basis. She hoped that she never had to witness his cruel side, however, she knew that if she chose to work under him, she would soon see his true colours. She knew this, yet she was here, trying to appease him so that he would offer her a job. She needed this job.

 

“This humble one thanks Mr. Wen for his praise, you’ve overpraised me.” she replied, bowing once again.

 

“This young and already so formidable. I wonder what would happen when you grow up. The Jiang family are very lucky to have you.” Wen RuoHan said, an odd gaze in his eyes. Whatever it was, it gave Wei Ying shivers down her spine. She didn’t want to know what he was thinking, so she chose to ignore it.

 

“Chao-er, show her the Shrine. This is what you came for today, wasn’t it?” the man said, more of a command than a comment.

 

“Yes, Father.” Wen Chao replied diligently.

 

“Thank you for having me over, Mr. Wen.” she said, bowing before following Wen Chao out.

 

 

The Wen Shrine, much like the rest of the mansion was summer through and through. She was beginning to wonder if the Wens liked summer and only that, not that Wei Ying even had a problem with it. It’s comfortable. It meant that she wouldn’t have to worry about the change of seasons.  

 

“The actual Shrine is a bit of a walk-up.” Wen Chao said as he began to walk up the stone stairs. The sound of the small streams running through the place gave it a serene feeling. Wei Ying was so focused on enjoying the environment around her, she almost forgot where she was. However, the carving of the Wen Sect symbol on a shrine gate reminded her.  

 

“You seem to be enjoying this environment.” Wen Chao commented when he caught her gazing around in awe. Was it just her imagination or was Wen Chao looking for her approval on the place? 

 

“It’s beautiful.” Wei Ying breathed. There was also a calming presence in the air. She could feel the spiritual energy all around the shrine. Unlike the Oracle shrine itself, where the voices and energy constantly called out to her, it was peaceful here. No one was calling to her. 

 

“They built this shrine for our long line of Oracles. In fact, there’s a whole section dedicated to them.” Wen Chao replied.

 

“There is?” Wei Ying asked curiously. 

 

“Let me take you there first, it’s within the shrine, so don’t worry, it’s not going to slow us down.” he replied. 

 

“Okay.” she said, following behind him as he led the way.

 

The building itself was beautiful, its white walls and black roof built in the traditional style with its tiled roof added to the grandness the Wen Sect gave off. Wei Ying knew and understood now why Wen Chao acted the way he did. They had everything. 

 

As they walked in, there were painted images of the past Oracles, before moving to the modern day where photography existed. However, judging by the photo style, Wei Ying could tell that their last Oracle wasn’t from the Wen Sect. She wondered who they were. Perhaps this place’s photos will tell her? Though it would be disrespectful to touch the photos, so she held back from in. As they got further and further in, Wei Ying found that she couldn’t breathe, the air felt thick and the room was suddenly loud. She bit her lip and took in a deep, but quiet breath. She couldn’t let Wen Chao see her like this. She couldn’t risk him picking up on her behaviour and then mentioning it to his Father. She was worried that she was about to get a vision in front of Wen Chao. She wasn’t about to allow that to happen. 

 

Suddenly, the voices and everything else stopped. There was a smell of incense and an old lady in traditional Wen Sect robes walked into the room. 

 

“Ah, Er-gongzi. What brings you here today? It’s rare to see you come into this building.”

 

“Good afternoon, Wen-shifu.” Wen Chao greeted somewhat respectfully. “I’m showing my friend, Wei Ying around. She’s going to be working here soon.” Wen Chao said.

 

“Ah, you’ve brought a friend, how quaint.” the old lady smiled as she came closer.

 

“Good afternoon, Wen-shifu. I’m Wei Ying, courtesy name, WuXian, the ward of the Jiangs, pleased to meet you.” 

 

“Ah, what a cute young lady! Please, ‘popo’ is fine! Treat her kindly, won’t you, Er-gongzi?” she smiled as she looked at Wei Ying.  

 

“So, Mr. Wen has agreed to let her work here?” she asked curiously, looking at Wei Ying with a look in her eyes, Wei Ying couldn’t quite make out what it was yet. 

 

“I believe that Father approves of her, he seemed rather pleased with her earlier.” he replied. If that was approval, Wei Ying wasn’t sure whether she wanted to see displeased. 

 

“Well if Er-gongzi says that Mr. Wen approves, then he certainly must have.” she smiled.

 

“Wen-shifu, would you be able to help her find some uniforms for the shrine? Also, can I trouble you in teaching her how to wear the hanfu styles?” Wen Chao asked. 

 

“Of course, it’s my pleasure.” Granny Wen replied. “I like this new friend of yours, she makes you have good manners, Er-gongzi.” she mused as she began walking. “Feel free to take a seat, Er-gongzi, it will take a while for her to try on the different styles.” she said. 

 

“Come out and show me the styles when you’ve put them on, won’t you, Wei Ying?” Wen Chao said. 

 

“You’ll get to see when I work here. We’re not girlfriends going out shopping, Wen Chao.” she giggled, laughing more when Wen Chao flushed red, realising he had overstepped the line. 

 

“Please forgive him, Miss Wei, Er-gongzi is only used to having girlfriends but not actual friends as girls.” Granny Wen laughed, rather amused by this conversation.  

 

“I’ll be back soon.” Wei Ying smiled as she followed Granny Wen through the building. 

 

“Xian-er, why are you hiding?” Granny Wen said when they were alone in the uniform room. 

 

“Wen-popo, what do you mean? I don’t understand?” she asked, confused. 

 

Then suddenly, without warning, the old lady got on her knees and grovelled before her. 

 

“This humble one is pleased to be graced by your presence, O Holy One.” she said respectfully. “This humble one didn’t think she would live to see the next Oracle. It would seem that the Gods have reached a decision.” she said. 

 

“We-Wen-popo, please… There is no need to treat me so highly. Please rise to your feet.” Wei Ying replied awkwardly as she helped the old lady up onto her feet again. “I haven’t done anything deserving of your respect and praise. Please don’t refer me by that title…” she said quietly. “I like ‘Xian-er’ better.” she continued shyly. 

 

“Whatever do you mean, Xian-er? You’re still young, but you’ve been hiding since you’ve been chosen, haven’t you?” Granny Wen asked her kindly, taking her hands with hers.

 

“It’s complicated.” she said quietly.

 

The old lady smiled and ruffled her hair gently. “Show me, Xian-er.” 

 

So Wei Ying did, only the little bits of her life. From Jiang Cheng’s announcement to her realisation.

 

“Such talent and potential even though you are young. You’ve been given the best gifts there could be, Xian-er.” she said, a warm smile on her face. “But there’s more isn’t there, Xian-er? There’s something else that comes with these gifts, isn’t there.” she said sympathetically.

 

She nodded, about to show her the vision of her own death. However, the other walked away and started picking out some clothes for her.

 

“No need to show me, Xian-er.” she said with a knowing look. “I also have visions from time to time, not as accurate as yours, of course. However, I was hoping that the one I saw was another inaccurate one.” she said sadly as she looked through the clothes they had.  

 

“I don’t mind.” Wei Ying smiled. “Knowing just gives me time to do everything I want to, see everything I want to see first.” she smiled.

 

“Try these, I think they will suit you, Xian-er. You have such lovely hair, shame you hide it behind a ponytail all the time.” Granny Wen said as she brought over a few sets of clothes.

 

“I… don’t really know how to do other hairstyles. When I do sport another one, it’s because shijie or HuaiSang does my hair for me.” she replied shyly, putting on the clothes, feeling embarrassed when the old woman started to help her with her clothes. However, she didn’t hate this. She felt comfortable with this.

 

“Come sit down Xian-er, allow Wen-popo to help.” she smiled kindly as she led Wei Ying over to a dresser, she sat down like Granny Wen had instructed her to do so.

 

“Poor Xian-er, society hasn’t been exactly kind towards you. Er-gongzi has been rather unkind until this year too.” she said as she started to undo Wei Ying’s ponytail. “I’m surprised that you’re still willing to accept what the Gods have given you so graciously. Heavens, if it was another Oracle, I doubt they’d choose to be so gracious about it.” she continued as she combed out Wei Ying’s hair.

 

“I’m no saint, Wen-popo. If I was better, I would have already told Madame Yu.” she replied.

 

“You’re a child, a thoughtful one. Besides, at this point it would be rather complicated to fix it.” she replied as she began braiding Wei Ying’s hair. Wei Ying watched her intently, taking note of the hand gestures. 

 

“You do it like this, hold the hair taut like this. You can pin it like this or like this.” Granny Wen said as she showed Wei Ying the different styles. “But don’t worry about this too much, Xian-er. When you arrive here, come find me and I will help you get changed.” she smiled.

 

“T-Thank you.” she replied.

 

“Anything for the Oracle.” the old woman said, a smile on her face.

 

“How did you know?” she asked curiously.

 

“I see visions, but it’s because of your aura. I can just tell. Those with the trained eye can tell.” she smiled. “Though, the suppression drugs you’ve taken have also made your aura stronger. I can show you some simple exercises to help regulate your aura so it won’t be leaking everywhere if you wish. I know that you don’t want some people to be aware of who you are.” she replied as she finished off the hairstyle on her. It was then, the look in her eyes from earlier made sense. She had realised who Wei Ying was upon laying eyes on her.

 

“Are your ears pierced?” she asked her.

 

“Yes, HuaiSang took me to get them pierced last year.” she smiled at the memory, she couldn’t forget how he had cried when he got his done, then whining when Wei Ying made no sound when hers were done.

 

“Nie-er-gongzi must be a very dear friend to you, Xian-er. It’s nice that you have nice friends.” Granny Wen smiled as she searched through a set of drawers.

 

“HuaiSang is kind, he’s the reason why I’ve managed to have some normalcy in my life. MingJue-ge is also kind, they’re like family to me.” she said. Granny Wen had a calming presence, one that put Wei Ying at ease. She also felt like she could confide in her. Perhaps because they had similar abilities or she accepted her excuses so easily, but Wei Ying liked this and was grateful for this.

 

“If you told them, I’m sure they’d understand.” she said knowingly as she presented a beautiful box, opening it up. Inside was a pair of earrings, beautiful pink and red cherry blossom clusters and lotus flowers were their design.  

 

“I can’t possibly take this.” she said quietly.

 

“Nonsense. They suit you.” she smiled. “I think they’ve been waiting for you.” she smiled. “Put them on.” she encouraged.

 

So Wei Ying did.

 

As soon as Wei Ying put them on, she couldn’t stop looking at herself in the mirror in awe. They were so beautiful.

 

“I couldn’t possibly take them home. I doubt Madame Yu would be pleased.” 

 

“Touch the top earring pin.” Granny Wen instructed.

 

She did so, letting out a sound of surprise when the earring changed form to a small white bunny instead. “Magic earrings.” she gasped.

 

“They also regulate strong auras too. Not to mention, it keeps your abilities in control. Of course, regular exercises would help you manage your visions, so you can play mahjong with others again.” Granny Wen smiled, once again, seeing through Wei Ying. “Oh Xian-er, if only you came here sooner. Perhaps we could have helped you. Such a cruel fate to cast on such small shoulders.” she said sadly.

 

Wei Ying said nothing for a moment, changing her earrings back to their original form and taking in what she looked like in the mirror.

 

“Will you tell Mr. Wen?” she asked.

 

“Of course not.” the old woman said as she walked closer to Wei Ying. “I would hate to think what he would do if he knew, Xian-er.” she said quietly, only for the two of them to hear. “Your secret is safe with me.” she said kindly.

 

She ended up trying the many styles they had, putting aside ones that she liked or that Granny Wen approved of.

 

“Do you want to humour Er-gongzi and show him one?” Granny Wen asked.

 

“Okay, he’s probably getting annoyed out there anyway. With him being a spoilt Young Master and all.” she mused. Honestly, she wished it was Lan Zhan waiting outside instead. That was one person she would love to show or HuaiSang. But definitely Lan Zhan the most.

 

So, she wore the one she liked the most, walking outside with Granny Wen behind her.

 

“Finally! I thought I was going to w-” Wen Chao grumbled, then the words apparently died in his throat. Instead, he just stood there, his mouth agape.

 

“The clothing suits Miss Wei very much. The added touches are rather elegant on you.” Wen ZhuLiu, who had joined them at this point said in Wen Chao’s place.

 

“Thank you, Mr. Wen.” she said gratefully.

 

It was then Wen Chao cleared his throat. “It suits you, I was wrong to have called you a boy in the past.” he said quickly.

 

“How cruel of you Er-gongzi! Calling Miss Wei a boy! Perhaps I should tell Mr. Wen, have him take away your Xbox for a month.” Granny Wen mused next to Wei Ying.

 

“Pl-Please, Wen-popo, there is no need for that. It’s in the past.” Wei Ying replied quickly.

 

“Oh my dear, I jest! You’re so cute, I think I’m going to enjoy having you around! A-Ning is such a good child, but he’s so quiet!” she mused.

 

“Wen Ning works here too?” Wei Ying asked curiously.

 

“Yes, he’s such a nice boy, always helping me carry things and chop wood.” she said.

 

“He is very kind and his sister too.” Wei Ying agreed.

 

“Ah!” Granny Wen said suddenly as if connecting the dots. “So you are the mysterious little miss that befriended our A-Ning! Now I can see why!” she smiled. “Now, I mustn’t keep you any longer, let’s get you changed back in your original clothes and let you continue your tour around the Shrine.” she said, quickly ushering Wei Ying back inside the changing room.

 

 

“It’s wonderful that people still write their wishes here.” Wei Ying said in awe as she ran her fingers along the different notes written and hung up in the shrine.

 

“I think it’s silly. If you want something, you just go get it yourself.” Wen Chao said, “Besides, why do people write their wishes to someone who won’t hear them.”

 

“That’s really funny coming from someone like you.” Wei Ying mused. “You’ve never worked for anything in your life! You pay your friends to pass exams for you!” she mused.

 

“You’re right, I don’t even know why I tried to say that.” Wen Chao agreed.

 

The earrings she was given worked rather well, unless Wei Ying was purposefully trying to read their lives, she didn’t get unnecessary visions. She had taken note of the exercises that Granny Wen had taught her, already set a reminder for every night to practice them. They were easy to practice so doing it in the shower was ideal for her.

 

She laughed lightly in response to his response. “What’s this? The spoiled Second Young Master is admitting his faults?” she laughed lightly.

 

“I’m learning, am I not? I have a good teacher.” he mused back as he put a hand on her shoulder.

 

She brushed it off. “Hey now, flattery doesn’t always work on me, you know? I’m not that easy, Wen Chao. Have you never had a female friend in your life before?” she mused as she carried on looking around the Shrine.

 

“I’ve only ever had girlfriends.” he replied. “Is there a difference?” he asked.

 

“Of course there is! Do you try to put your hands on all of your friends or ask them to show you their clothes and how they look when you go shopping with them? In fact, I don’t think you would even go shopping with all of them.” she laughed. 

 

“You’re right, I don’t.” Wen Chao answered simply. “But you and HuaiSang must go shopping together.” 

 

“I do, but HuaiSang and I are close and plus, we enjoy that. Lan Zhan and I don’t go out shopping for clothes together. We go do activities together because that’s what we enjoy.” she said. “Your every move just reminds me of a guy trying to court a girl and well, last time I checked, you aren’t interested in me, so it’s funny that you’re acting like that.” Wei Ying mused.

 

“Duly noted.” Wen Chao replied, somewhat strangely. However, Wei Ying didn’t think much of it as she skipped through the area, looking around more. It was such a beautiful place, so peaceful and calm. Never had she imagined there to be a place such as this in the Wen Manor. It wasn’t that Wei Ying didn’t think it would be beautiful, it was more because she had heard such terrible things about the Wen Sect that she didn’t want to imagine what it was like instead. Judging by Granny Wen’s words, she also didn’t trust Wen RuoHan to use Wei Ying’s abilities in a good way.

 

They walked around a bit longer, Wei Ying, continuing to admire the place, Wen Chao, leading the way and boasting about the place. Eventually, they had seen most of the place.

 

“Would you like to stay for dinner, Wei Ying?” Wen Chao asked.

 

“I wouldn’t want to impose.” she replied.

 

“You’re getting a ride to the Nie household anyway, why don’t you just stay for dinner too?” he said.

 

“Alright, I’ll text HuaiSang to expect me after dinner then.” she replied.

 

“Good girl.” Wen Chao replied, causing Wei Ying to lightly punch him in the shoulder.

 

“Call me that again and I’ll kill you and bury your body parts all over the place. No one will find you.” she mused as she began typing out the text to Nie HuaiSang.

 

“Ooo, threatening.” Wen Chao mused. “I sometimes forget how dangerous you are, Wei Ying.” he continued.

 

“I literally fought your bodyguard earlier.” she laughed lightly, looking back at her phone when it buzzed.

 

 

 

[HuaiSang]:

ヾ ( ◎ Д ◎ ;;;) ﾉ Xian-Mei!! Are you okay? If he’s holding you hostage, remember our safe word!!

 

 

I’m fine! It’s just rude to decline! =͟͟͞͞ ( •̀д•́ )))

 

[HuaiSang]:

Ծ ᴗ Ծ Whatever you say, XianXian~ I’m glad he’s treating you well. You look very nice in the Wen Shrine uniforms, by the way.

 

 

Thank you~! ♥ (ˆ ⌣ ˆ ԅ )

 

 

“He said ‘no problem’.” Wei Ying said as she finished her conversation with the other.

 

“Good.” Wen Chao responded.

 

“So… Judging by what you said earlier, you don’t believe in the Oracle?” she asked, trying to gauge where Wen Chao stood to see how she could elude him.

 

“No. It’s a stupid concept. The last one died or something right? I think everyone’s just worshipping people who were better at divination than us.” Wen Chao replied rather sure of himself.

 

This was good, very good for her. It meant he wouldn’t notice or catch on. She was relieved and pleased.

 

“That’s an interesting theory. Everyone’s so caught up with the Oracle that I’m actually shocked you don’t believe in them.” she said. “It’s not a dumb theory though.” she praised.

 

“Hey now, I have smart ideas sometimes.” Wen Chao mused. “Now let’s go meet Da-ge.” he continued, changing the subject completely.

 

“Sorry, what?” Wei Ying said, almost dropping her phone in shock.

 

“You’ve met my Father and Wen-popo, naturally it’s only right to go greet Da-ge. If you visit and he hasn’t met you, no doubt he’ll complain about it.” he said. “Don’t worry, he’s less terrifying than Father. He’s just odd.” he continued, moving to lead the way.

 

“I don’t think you’re helping your argument there.” she mused.

 

Though she was hesitant, she still followed behind him.

 

 

Wei Ying didn’t know what she thought when she sauntered behind Wen Chao as they made way their way through more halls of the lavish and modern mansion that belonged to the Wens. Having met Wen RuoHan earlier in his study and greeted him, then have him try to convince her to call him ‘Wen-shushu’, as if he were an uncle that had been in her life like Jin-shushu had been, she was already unnerved enough. But now, Wen Chao had announced that he would like to introduce her to Wen Xu, the terrifying older brother of Wen Chao’s. He was a formidable lawyer and businessman, she had heard. She had perhaps glanced at him once or twice at the fancy dinners that were held almost monthly at this point. She knew it was to keep up good appearances. Madame Yu always cursed when they received yet another invite, especially when it came to the Wens. Wei Ying had always grimaced before this, however, at least it wasn’t so unbearable now that they were “friends”. Well, as Wen Chao had put it. Still, it felt odd being formally introduced to his family. She never did experience such a thing with Nie HuaiSang, let alone, Lan WangJi. Perhaps the Wens were just different. After all, they were treated like royalty, it probably meant something that she was being introduced as a friend to Wen RuoHan. 

 

“My brother’s weird, he doesn’t like working in an actual office. So his study is more like a greenhouse or something.” Wen Chao explained as he opened the door to what she assumed to be Wen Xu’s office. 

 

“Coming in without knocking? How rude of you, Didi.” Wen Xu mused as they stepped into room.  

 

The room itself was modern, much like the rest of the house, but instead of the closed-in walls of Wen RuoHan’s study, the room was open plan. Large panes of glass let in the sunlight, outside were plants of many different variations. It was quite a relaxing garden, like being in a garden while being indoors. There was a sofa area with a coffee table, most likely for his more important clients, though, Wei Ying wasn’t sure who was even more important than the Wens anyway.

 

“Ah, you’ve brought a friend! A rare event!” Wen Xu’s voice interrupted her thoughts. That was right, she was inside the Wen mansion and apparently no one ventured past the grand greeting hall of the Wens, well according to Wen Chao and the surprised faces of their servants anyway. 

 

“Good day to you, Mr. Wen.” Wei Ying began, it was probably the best way to greet Wen Xu. “I’m Wei Ying, Courtesy name, WuXian, the ward of the Jiangs.” she said as she bowed respectfully. 

 

“ChaoChao, you should learn some manners from your friend here. She would know to knock before she entered.” Wen Xu mused, his lips curling into a smirk when Wen Chao next to her huffed and turned red like he did in the past whenever Wei Ying bested him at something. 

 

“By all means, sit! I’m just done with this case anyway!” he mused as he gestured to the sofa area in his office.

 

Wen Chao said nothing and made himself at home on the sofa, as if he had done this countless times. Wei Ying followed, began to sit next to Wen Chao, but with precaution. However, she felt a hand tug her by the arm lightly to the other side.

 

“Didi, you wouldn’t mind if I borrowed your friend here for a bit, would you? You get to see her plenty at school anyway.” he mused.

 

“No.” Wen Chao replied, rather begrudgingly.

 

Wei Ying said nothing and awkwardly sat next to the man.

 

“So you’re the famous Wei WuXian!” Wen Xu mused as he set his sights on Wei Ying. His piercing gaze much like a predator’s. Wen Xu had more resemblance of his Father than Wen Chao did, that was for sure. His haircut also cut into a smart style, the suit and tie really driving home his occupation. 

 

“Aiyo, ChaoChao, how could you bully such a pretty and cute girl?” he sighed as he focused his sights on Wei Ying, ignoring his brother’s angry reaction when he teased those words. “I’ve heard a lot about you from my didi, mostly bad things in the past, but lately it’s been a bit different, hasn’t it, didi?” he mused. “Come, sit closer, Miss Wei, you’re our honoured guest after all!” Wen Xu laughed lightly as he gestured for her to sit closer. Maybe it was because of the awkward situation, or that Wen Xu was just good at commanding others, but she found herself obeying his words.

 

“Now,” Wen Xu said, placing both hands on her shoulders, his voice serious. “Why aren’t you running away from my didi? Blink once if you’re being held hostage, Miss Wei.” he said. His gaze and hold on her were interrupted by a throw pillow thrown in his direction by Wen Chao.

 

“Stop making me lose face, Da-ge!” Wen Chao cried, his face red, this time in embarrassment.

 

“I’m serious, Didi, why would someone like Miss Wei be spending time with you? Surely, you’re holding something over her head!” Wen Xu mused as he held off his brother’s punches. Wei Ying watched in surprise when the two brothers started fighting, much like how Jiang Cheng and her used to fight in the past, it wasn’t like that anymore.

 

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door, breaking up the two that were fighting. Wen Xu, who was messing around and Wen Chao, fully intending on causing harm to his older brother for making him lose face in front of Wei Ying. Wen Xu said a quick, “Come in.” before sitting down. A servant came in with a tray filled with tea and various snacks, from cookies to savoury snacks. The servant quickly made themselves scarce, barely uttering, “Please enjoy, Mr. Wen.” before bowing and disappearing out of the door, as quickly as they had appeared. It would seem that the rumours were true, many feared the firstborn of Wen RuoHan.

 

“Please, Wei Ying is fine. Please don’t call me that, Mr. Wen.” Wei Ying said, picking up the conversation she could only really reply to. Honestly, she felt odd being addressed as ‘Miss Wei.’

 

“Then you would need to stop addressing me by ‘Mr. Wen’.” he mused.

 

“But that wouldn’t be appropriate, Mr. Wen. You’re my senior.” she replied, choosing her words carefully as although there was a lighthearted atmosphere around them, Wen Xu was still a Wen at the end of the day. What Wei Ying did could still impact the Jiangs heavily, she wasn’t going to allow her own actions to cause the Jiangs trouble, not like a year ago, never again.

 

To her and apparently Wen Chao’s surprise, Wen Xu laughed lightly and pinched her on the cheeks. “Since you’re such a cute and pretty guest, I’ll ask you to call me ‘Da-ge’?” he mused as Wen Chao almost choked on his tea.

 

“Please Mr. Wen, that would be inappropriate.” she frowned seriously, not being able to fathom the idea of addressing someone she just met as ‘Da-ge’, especially not Wen Xu of all people. She addressed Nie MingJue as ‘MingJue-ge’ because she was familiar with the Nie Household. After all, she was over there most of the time. Quietly, she thanked HuaiSang for covering for her today, no one actually knew she was here apart from Nie HuaiSang. It wasn’t exactly a bad thing for her to be doing, per se, but at the same time, due to the situation with Wen Chao and Jiang Cheng last year, it would be far too early for her to be letting everyone see her together with Wen Chao. Even Jiang Cheng didn’t know about this new friendship.

 

“Ai, is my charm failing? Normally others humour me and do exactly what I ask them to.” teased Wen Xu with a dramatic sigh, as if he were heavily burdened by it. It seemed that Wen Xu liked to tease her too, she couldn’t help but wonder if to Wen RuoHan and Wen Xu, she was just some entertainment brought to them by Wen Chao.

 

“Mr. Wen doesn’t have charm, not that sort anyway. Others do what you ask them to because they fear you, if I may be so bold to say.” she quickly nipped without realising she had said it, but oh well, those words were out now, she may as well roll with it. So, she took a sip of her tea.

 

“Ah, so that’s the smart mouth my didi complains about. It would seem that I don’t just have a cute and pretty little Miss on my hands. Yes, you are rather cute,” Wen Xu mused as he pinched her nose teasingly, much like an older brother would. “Not to mention, beautiful, yet you are a rather prickly little Miss, aren’t you?” he laughed.

 

“As much as I feel flattered that Mr. Wen would call me ‘beautiful’, that’s reserved for girls who act like ladies. I’m not a Lady.” she replied.

 

Wen Xu laughed as a response. “Didi, why didn’t you bring Wei Ying home earlier to meet us? This boring place could use some fun!” 

 

“You never approve of my friends, especially not girls that were my friends!” Wen Chao replied defensively.

 

“That’s because they’re annoying! Like your girlfriend, JiaoJiao. Speaking of which, your girlfriend has been demanding to see you since this morning.” Wen Xu said, laughing when Wen Chao pulled a face.

 

He had a point. Last year, when she was at school, Wen Chao had been an item with Wang LingJiao. Wei Ying never really had much of an opinion on Wang LingJiao except that she didn’t particularly like her. She barely attended cheerleading practice, only seemed to be part of it to hook up with jocks or to attract people like Wen Chao. Though, now Wei Ying didn’t know whether she should refer to Wen Chao as that since they were ‘friends’ now.

 

“When did she even get your number?” Wen Chao frowned.

 

“You know how it is, if there’s a will, there’s a way.” Wen Xu mused. “It doesn’t bother me, that little miss could never be lethal against me anyway.” he laughed. “ChaoChao, if you don’t like your girlfriend, you should at least break up with her instead of flirting with others!” 

 

“I did try! She won’t listen!” Wen Chao replied defensively. “I’m also not flirting with Wei Ying!”

 

“Are you sure that you weren’t just hinting instead of being firm about it, Didi?” he laughed.

 

Wei Ying let out a soft huff in response, forgetting herself. It was true, Wen Chao talked himself up a lot, well from her past experiences with him in the past years anyway. However, whenever he dumped a girl, it was more like the girl was the one dumping him, sometimes it was a public display and there was a slap from the girl that broke up with him.

 

“Wei Ying! I can’t believe you’re laughing at me! We’re supposed to be friends!” Wen Chao said, clearly not happy that his older brother had once again made him look bad in front of Wei Ying. She didn’t know why he was trying so hard anyway, it wasn’t like Wei Ying had particularly high expectations of Wen Chao anyway. She was still just merely giving him a chance, besides, it was better that they were friends as it meant he wouldn’t threaten Jiang Cheng like before.

 

“Ai, Wen Chao. We’ve been over this before.” she sighed. “Friends make fun of each other, Wen Chao.” she mused, “HuaiSang and I insult each other out of endearment most of the time. If you can’t make fun of each other, then it feels more like you’re an acquaintance.” she replied.

 

“You tell him, Wei Ying! This poor boy has never had a real friend before, this would be a first!” Wen Xu laughed.

 

“Neither do you, Da-ge!” Wen Chao retorted.

 

“I don’t need friends.” he mused back. Then, like before he teasingly pinched Wei Ying’s cheeks. “We’re friends, aren’t we, YingYing?” he asked, catching Wei Ying off guard.

 

Before Wei Ying had a chance to answer, however, there was a loud wailing noise in the hallway, followed by clawing on door of the study.

 

“ChaoChao! I know you’re in there! Don’t you dare hide in there!” wailed a voice that was no doubt Wang LingJiao’s. It was further confirmed by Wen Chao’s grimacing face.

 

“Wait, I thought you’ve never brought anyone home to yours, Wen Chao.” Wei Ying mused.

 

“No one that was a friend! She and I were serious at one point!” Wen Chao hissed.

 

“Ooo… Serious huh?” Wei Ying teased.

 

“Not anymore!” he replied.

 

“ChaoChao! If you don’t come out right now, I will break the door down!” Wang LingJiao screamed as she clawed the door with more ferocity.

 

“Well, time to break things off properly, ChaoChao.” Wen Xu teased as he ushered Wei Ying up from the sofa and towards the garden side of the study. Wei Ying who was so surprised and confused, allowed the other to do so, only realising that Wen Xu was leaving with her out to the garden side door when she felt the sun’s warmth on her skin.

 

“We’ll leave them be, for the moment. I’ll buy you dinner if he doesn’t break up with her today.” he mused.

 

“Shouldn’t it be the other way round, Mr. Wen?” Wei Ying replied. “I’m barely fifteen, Mr. Wen. You could be done for soliciting a minor.” she mused.

 

“I’m offering it as an apology, you’re a guest. I shouldn’t be dragging you outside with me, especially when you’re my brother’s guest.” he replied, not bothered by Wei Ying’s pointed slander.

 

“I don’t mind, it’d probably turn for the worst if Wang LingJiao had seen me inside with Wen Chao. She’s a rather jealous girl.” she replied, remembering how she had attempted to attack MianMian with a pair of scissors when Wen Chao was drooling over her last year.

 

“If JiaoJiao had done anything, I would have protected you, YingYing.” Wen Xu teased as he guided her down the garden. “Now, tell me. What does my brother have over you for you to be friends with him?” he asked. It was in a strange tone. It was as if he meant it as both a joke and in seriousness at the same time.

 

“Nothing. He begged me to give him a chance to prove he’s changed, so I’m giving him a chance.” Wei Ying replied.

 

“I’m suspicious. Nice ladies like you don’t hang out with my brother, not without being coerced or tricked to.” he laughed.

 

“Well, maybe I’m not nice and I’m certainly not a lady.” she replied.

 

“And who was the nasty person that told you that you weren’t a lady?” Wen Xu replied.

 

She didn’t know why, but perhaps it was the surreal situation or maybe because Wen Xu created a strangely comforting space, but she found herself admitting, “Madame Yu.” 

 

“So cold, not even letting you address her by ‘A-Yi’.” Wen Xu mused, not in jest however. “I’ve heard the rumours, but I didn’t believe it until I’ve seen it myself.” he replied.

 

“Rumours?” Wei Ying asked curiously. Just what rumours were the Wens hearing from their side of things to do with the Jiangs?

 

“That the Jiangs took in a child and Madame Yu had always been unfond of and unkind to said child because she looked too much like her husband’s deceased friend, or rather, his crush, that the child wasn’t even allowed to wear feminine clothes.” he replied.

 

“Well, she’s letting up a bit more this school year. I’ve done adequately on tea ceremony according to her.” Wei Ying replied offhandedly, knowing she wasn’t exactly helping diffuse the rumour.

 

“So her letting up a bit means just your school uniform and what you wear to your tea ceremony lessons, am I correct?” Wen Xu, being the observant man he was, asked.

 

She sighed lightly. “Yes. It’s better than nothing.” she added quickly.

 

“I disagree. She made you feel less than a lady, still continues on doing so too. I think it’s not better than how she treated you before.” the man replied.

 

“Why does an established lawyer like yourself care? Especially a member of the Wen family?” Wei Ying asked, curious as to where this conversation was going.

 

“My Father isn’t exactly the best man in the world, but he certainly never made me feel less of a man, even my didi, as useless he may be, was never made to feel less of a man.” Wen Xu replied.

 

“Each family has its own rules. She was kind enough to let Jiang-shushu take me in, I don’t need more than that.” she replied, not wishing to discuss her family’s matters with someone else, especially not a member of the head family of the Wen corporation.

 

“Ai, so stiff, YingYing! You couldn’t be the same cheeky and frivolous Wei WuXian I’ve heard of!” Wen Xu teased once again.

 

“Well, you aren’t exactly acting like the fearsome and cut throat Wen Xu either.” Wei Ying replied cooly as they strolled down the garden path.

 

“Did ChaoChao show you the shrine area earlier?” Wei Ying heard Wen Xu ask as she made her way through the garden, marvelling at its beauty.

 

“Yes, he did.” she replied. 

 

“Did he ask for you to stay for dinner tonight as well?” Wen Xu asked.

 

Wei Ying couldn’t help but wonder if Wen Chao had a pattern or whether Wen Xu knew things she didn’t know yet, it was almost a joke as she was the one that could tell the future for definite, not him.

 

“Yes, he did. Why do you ask? Does he do this often?” Wei Ying asked casually.

 

“No, he doesn’t. I just happened to hear him ask Father for permission to show you the other day, that’s all. Though, it would seem he had something else in mind.” Wen Xu said casually. “Something like… asking Father whether you could work at the shrine.” he continued.

 

Wei Ying made a noise of understanding, expecting it. She had expected it because she had heard it straight from Wen Chao’s mouth. She found herself distracted by the lotus flower pond, koi fish swimming around happily in the water. Wei Ying found herself kneeling down, feeling a serene sense wash over her when she watched them swim.

 

“As much as you don’t seem surprised, I feel like you should be scared. You should probably not associate with my didi too much.” Wen Xu suddenly said in a serious voice, breaking the serene atmosphere.

 

“And why shouldn’t I, Mr. Wen?” Wei Ying asked, wondering if the next line would be something about her place in the world they lived in, she had heard it many times before. Even though Jin-shushu liked her, treated her well, the same cannot be said about Madame Jin or Jin ZiXuan and definitely not Jin ZiXun. Even before this year, Wen Chao treated her like she was the dirt on the ground, beneath all of them. The only person that was kind to her in the Jin group was Meng Yao, but she knew why, they were in the same position after all.

 

“My brother doesn’t just hang out with girls, not without wanting something from them anyway, especially not pretty girls.” he replied seriously.

 

“Oh.” Wei Ying said in surprise, this wasn’t what she predicted he would say. “Don’t worry, he promised me only friendship out of this. He only suggested that I try working at your family’s shrine to help, honestly. I enjoy divination, but Madame Yu would prefer I don’t do it since Jiang Cheng is the one being trained in it. She also wanted me to get a job.” she explained.

 

“Still, be careful of him. You and I know that he doesn’t exactly have a good track record with girls.” he replied. “I don’t mean anything by it, I just fail to see him being nice without a motive. But, for the sake of you, let’s hope I’m wrong.” he said.

 

“I’m not going to lie, I was suspicious at first when he asked for my forgiveness, but I’ve decided to give him a chance.” Wei Ying replied.

 

“So, divination, how good are you at it?” Wen Xu asked causally. “I’ve heard my didi mention that you made him look bad in divination class.” he mused. “Or really, said you cheated in divination class.”

 

“My classmates used to pay me to predict the answers for their tests if you want to know how accurate I am.” she replied, meaning it as a joke, but at the same time, a boast.

 

“When you say ‘used’ does it mean that you no longer do it? What a shame.” Wen Xu laughed. “Do me a favour won’t you, Wei Ying? Tell me what the prosecution side of my case will use against my defendant, won’t you?” he said, a smirk on his face.

 

“Do you not believe in divination, Mr. Wen?” Wei Ying asked, choosing to ignore the other question, she would not do such a thing, it was going against what her abilities were for. 

 

“Of course I do. Many of my ancestors were the chosen Oracle, hence why our family is so well known.” Wen Xu replied. “It’s a bit unfair isn’t it though? To rely on one person to balance out the world? And when the world becomes endangered, they’re blamed for it.” he said.

 

Wei Ying was beginning to wonder if the other knew something about her. Did he catch onto her? It wasn’t like she was that obvious, was she?

 

“It is unfair.” she agreed. “I don’t believe that being the Oracle means they can solve everything in this world. Say if someone were set to die on a certain day and you prevent it, it won’t stop them from dying another day.”

 

“Exactly. I believe that being the Oracle is too overrated, in fact, it puts a stupid expectation upon the Oracle, how can one person be responsible for other’s lives?” Wen Xu responded.

 

“Does your Father believe in divination himself?” Wei Ying asked curiously.

 

“What did you think he thought of it when you met him in his study?” Wen Xu, the sharp person he was mused.

 

“I think he believes in it, but if he knew who the Oracle was, he’d probably use that ability to trample his competition.” Wei Ying replied. 

 

“YingYing, how much money did my didi pay you to be his friend?” Wen Xu mused suddenly, breaking the heavy conversation between them.

 

“I don’t know whether I should be offended that you think I’m paid off to be your brother’s friend.” Wei Ying pouted.

 

“It’s just I feel like you’re too smart to be friends with someone like him.” he mused.

 

Wei Ying huffed, splashing the water at him from the pond. In response, Wen Xu laughed and splashed her back.

 

“Mr. Wen, you’re too old to be playing games with a minor.” Wei Ying said flatly.

 

“How can I stop when you’re so cute?” Wen Xu mused.

 

“You do realise that’s the exact words a predator would say, right?”

 

 

Somehow she found herself at the shrine, drawing out a divination chart on the table she sat at, Wen Xu sat opposite her, his eyes on her once again. Something about the gaze wasn’t bad though. She had heard many rumours about Wen Xu, yes, she had to be cautious still as he didn’t seem to be the kind that would let go if angered. However, it also felt like he was difficult to anger. That or the man was simply going easy on her. All Wei Ying knew was that he seemed to enjoy teasing her.

 

“Okay, all done. Now, please put your hand in the centre of the chart.” Wei Ying instructed calmly, watching as the other complied, it would seem that this wasn’t his first reading. She really shouldn’t be doing this, not so close to a member of the head family of the Wen Sect, it was dangerous. What if they figured it was her that possessed the power? There was such a huge risk to it. She knew she shouldn’t, but she loved divination so much. The more she was kept away from it, the more the urge came to her.

 

Well, she had chosen to do this, she may as well see it through. So, she placed her hand on his, holding it.

 

“YingYing~ I didn’t know you felt this way about me!” Wen Xu teased, only chuckling when Wei Ying chose to ignore him. Despite her working hard to not let him get to her, she found herself kicking the other under the table.

 

“Don’t distract me!” she huffed. “There’s always a risk if the person doing the divination gets distracted and there’s a backfire!” she frowned.

 

“You’re so cute when you get angry, YingYing.” Wen Xu mused as he leant forward to pinch Wei Ying’s cheek with his free hand.

 

However, Wei Ying wasn’t having any nonsense happen, not when it was a divination session, especially not hers. So, she did what she had to do, pinching the pressure point on Wen Xu’s wrist, causing him to stay still.

 

“Aiyo, what a heavy-handed shrine maiden! Won’t you be kind to your Gege?” the man teased, causing Wei Ying to pinch harder, huffing.

 

“Another word from you and I pinch even harder!” she frowned. “You asked for this reading, so sit down and be good. If you behave, I’ll call you ‘Da-ge’ like you asked me to.” she said firmly.

 

“Fine.” the man replied. “YingYing is cute when she is mad, Da-ge should tease her more.” he mused.

 

She said nothing, only closed her eyes to concentrate. She could feel herself being transported to a familiar scene she always saw during her divination sessions - a dark world with the magic circle beneath them, red bright lights glowing beneath them.

 

Then, the scenery changes, landing her inside a world that was almost like a dream, except it was real. She saw it, he would win the next case and another one, then the many that he had to fight, but then… but then, he would be sentenced himself. Wei Ying almost pulled her hand away in fear, however, she couldn’t break the circle. She decided that she wanted to see no more, therefore, she pulled herself away from it, ending the session. When the session was correctly ended, she did her best to not yank her hand out of his out of fright. Once again, she had seen something unsavoury and she had something to do with it. But she didn’t know how or why.

 

“YingYing,” she heard him say, with perhaps concern in his voice. “Did you see something bad?” he said gently as he petted her hair.

 

“No.” she said with bated breath, composing herself quickly. However, she knew it was too late, she had let it slip, she couldn’t avoid it. Wen Xu wasn’t easy to fool after all.

 

“It’s alright.” the man said as he carried on petting her hair. “Don’t tell me if it’s bad.” he said.

 

“Okay, I won’t.” she replied quietly. Still, she didn’t know why she wanted to cry.

 

 

When she had agreed on staying for dinner, she had forgotten that Wen RuoHan would be there too. So, when she entered with Wen Xu who had kept her by his side after the reading she gave him, she almost did a double-take when she stepped into the dining room to find Wen RuoHan sitting at the table, with a disgruntled Wen Chao next to him.

 

“There you are! Where have you been? Wei Ying is my friend, how dare you disappear with her and not return until dinnertime!” Wen Chao huffed like a child.

 

“YingYing is now my friend too, friends don’t belong to you, ChaoChao.” Wen Xu mused as he pulled Wei Ying closer to him to wind Wen Chao up. For some odd reason, even during the short amount of time they spent together, Wei Ying didn’t mind this, didn’t mind his teasing.

 

“Hey, I befriended her first!” Wen Chao frowned.

 

“ChaoChao, Did you break up with your girlfriend?” Wen Xu mused, ignoring the outburst from Wen Chao.

 

Wen Chao made a noise instead of replying. Wen Xu laughed next to Wei Ying.

 

“Well then, YingYing sits with me then.” he mused as he took Wei Ying by the shoulders and started manoeuvring her towards his side of the table of what she presumed.

 

“Father! Surely you won’t let Da-ge do this to me!” Wen Chao, being the spoilt brat he was, cried as he looked over to his Father pleadingly.

 

“Xu-er, you’re too old to be fighting with your brother.” Wen RuoHan said flatly, like he had had this conversation too many times before. “Besides, if anything, Wei WuXian herself should choose where she wants to sit.”

 

“Come to dinners more often, won’t you, YingYing?” Wen Xu mused teasingly as he took his seat.

 

“I can’t promise you anything.” she huffed, choosing to sit by Wen Chao. This was probably for the best. Wen Chao’s ego is so big that he would be easily hurt if she didn’t do so.

 

“See? Wei Ying still prefers me more!” Wen Chao remarked childishly.

 

“Whatever you say, didi.” Wen Xu mused as he gave Wei Ying a knowing look.

 

The food arrived rather quickly. Brought in by a few servants on lavish-looking dishes, she wondered if they dined like this every day. Delightfully, there were a few dishes with spice in them, one of them including Lotus root.  

 

“Help yourself, don’t be shy.” Wen Chao said as Wei Ying looked at the food, not really sure how to go about this. Luckily, the food was on a turntable, so she didn’t have to awkwardly get up and grab food off the table.  

 

“ChaoChao, how awful of you to not serve YingYing! She’s our guest after all!” Wen Xu mused from across the table. “See, this is why YingYing should have sat next to me!” he teased. 

 

“YingYing can feed herself.” Wei Ying retorted as she picked up the glass noodles on the plate with her chopsticks, placing them on her plate. She meant to pick up the lotus root herself next, however, Wen Xu was one step ahead of her and placed it in her bowl.

 

“Thank you.” Wei Ying said quietly as she moved to withdraw her bowl.

 

“No problem, YingYing. It’s rude to not honour our guest.” Wen Xu mused, “Especially such a cute and lovely guest.” he teased with a wink. 

 

Wei Ying who was used to Wen Xu’s teasing already since he had incessantly been teasing her for the hours they had spent together when they were “hiding from JiaoJiao” as Wen Xu had put it, easily ignored him. However, Wen Chao was not pleased and angrily huffed before grabbing up some green beans and placing them in Wei Ying’s bowl too. 

 

“Father!” Wen Chao whined as he looked over to Wen RuoHan who ignored his kin, eating quietly on his side of the table.

 

Seeing that his father was going to ignore him, Wen Chao huffed and ate his food sourly. Wen Xu from across them looked victorious. The meal continued on and the food was delicious, she was surprised that there were spicy dishes even. Was this a normal occurrence?

 

“Wei WuXian, how are you liking the food so far?” Wen RuoHan asked casually when she took a break from her eating to sip her tea. 

 

“It’s delicious, Mr. Wen. Thank you for allowing me to have dinner with your family.” she replied humbly. At this odd stage, being humble and polite towards Wen RuoHan was the best. After all, there was a risk at stake. 

 

“Don’t be silly, you’re my son’s friend. What would others say if a friend of the Wen’s main family branch couldn’t have a meal with us?” Wen RuoHan mused. “It’s certainly unexpected that Chao-er has decided to be kind to you when he had been badmouthing you all this time to me.” he huffed as Wen Chao made a noise of protest. “However, if Chao-er decides that you’re friends, who am I to stop him? Especially when it’s such a talented friend.”

 

So, in a way, Wei Ying was allowed into their circle because she served a purpose. Her talent for divination and healing was probably what Wen RuoHan was interested in. She knew to be vigilant still, Nie MingJue’s lecturing words entering her mind whenever she pondered as to why and how she ended up friends with Wen Chao. 

 

“Father, please. It’s all in the past now. I’ve realised that treating Wei Ying less than me and picking on her because I was jealous of her talents and good grades wasn’t the right way to go around it.” Wen Chao said quickly, apparently nervous to have Wei Ying hear that he had badmouthed her behind her back in the past. 

 

She laughed despite who she was at the dinner table with. “Wen Chao, did you really think that the feeling wasn’t mutual? That I didn’t badmouth you to HuaiSang or Jiang Cheng behind your back too in the past?” she laughed softly. “It’s in the past now, we’re friends, right? So, all the badmouthing is forgiven. Besides, your taunts were so unoriginal, it never even bothered me anyway.” she mused, Wen Xu from across the table laughed. 

 

“YingYing, I’m curious. What did he taunt you with?” he asked, dead set on embarrassing his younger brother. 

 

“Wei Ying, please don-” Wen Chao began. 

 

“That I was a boy secretly and had no appeal as a girl. Hm... Also that I’m an orphan from parents who were not part of any prominent Sect.” she mused. 

 

“Aiya, didi! How cruel of you! Even if YingYing was a boy, she would have be a pretty boy! How could you be so cruel?” Wen Xu teased. 

 

Next to her, Wen Chao shot her a look of betrayal, however, she squared him off with a look herself. 

 

“Hey, you asked to be friends, Wen Chao, being friends with me requires you to have a thick face.” she mused. 

 

Wen Chao, for his credit, took a deep breath and nodded. “That’s true.” he replied simply. 

 

Was Wen Chao actually capable of swallowing his pride? Throughout these past weeks, he had been actively working on himself, he wasn’t as bad anymore, wasn’t as spoiled as before. There was definitely a change in him. Sure, he had his moments, Wei Ying wasn’t too alarmed though. Change takes time, after all, she would be more alarmed if he had changed overnight. 

 

“Hm, I’m beginning to think that we should have YingYing around more often, Father. I think she could do a good change to him.” Wen Xu mused. 

 

“Perhaps she would be a good example for him indeed.” the older man said as he eyed Wei Ying. “After all, she knows her place and is humble about her own talents. Chao-er really could learn some things from her.” he said. 

 

“Mr. Wen, please. I’m humbled, but I’m no saint.” she replied. 

 

“Nonsense, I’m just giving credit where credit’s due.” was the reply. 

 

“Thank you.” she said quietly before returning to her food. 

 

“So, how did you find our Shrine?” Wen RuoHan asked after a while. 

 

“It’s beautiful.” Wei Ying said. “Wen-shifu was very kind to me.” she said with a shy smile on her face, recalling the time spent with the old lady. “Thank you for giving me a chance to see it.”

 

“Wei WuXian, you will start tomorrow, after school.” the older man said matter of factly. 

 

“T-Thank you!” she stuttered, a bit surprised how quickly the man just hired her on the spot. 

 

“We’ll discuss payment tomorrow after Wen-shifu shows you the ropes.” the older man stated once again.

 

“Yes, Mr. Wen. This one thanks you humbly for considering me.” she said softly, standing up and bowing towards him as an extra move to show respect towards the much-feared Sect leader.  

 

Tomorrow, she would start at the Wen Shrine. Tomorrow, she will be working under the much-feared Sect Leader, Wen RuoHan.

Notes:

Things sure got interesting, hm?

As usual, tell me your thoughts in the comments~

Chapter 5: Orbit ~ 軌道

Notes:

Okay, so I meant to upload earlier but life came and distracted me. The good news is, I do actually have two chapters for you this week too, so I guess I'll upload them back to back?

Also, warnings do apply, they are as bad as you think they are but also not as bad as you may think they are. However, the warnings are there for a reason.

Here's a playlist to go with this fic.

Working at the Wen shrine wasn’t actually as bad or as daunting as she thought it would be. It did help that Granny Wen had been there to help her every step of the way. It was mainly simple tasks like sweeping the place and cleaning up the shrine. After work, she would often eat with the main family branch. It was interesting, to say the least. Just like that, a week passed by like nothing.

 

It was a Tuesday when Wen Xu came by. She had been busy cleaning the Oracle shrine, making sure it looked presentable when the man came by.

 

“Ah, we meet again, beautiful shrine maiden.” Wen Xu teased as he stepped inside the room, flashing his usual smile.

 

“We literally saw each other at the dinner table yesterday.” Wei Ying retorted as she wiped the table area where the offerings were placed.

 

“Aiyo, so young and so prickly already.” Wen Xu mused as he walked over to her. It was then she realised that he had a box in his hands, judging from the box, she could tell that it was from a cake shop. 

 

“Don’t you have some important case to work on?” Wei Ying asked as she carried on cleaning the area.

 

“I finished early today. I just thought you might enjoy this. I’ve heard good things about this bakery.” he smiled as he walked closer.  

 

“If that’s to sweeten me up to help you with your case, I’m not accepting that!” Wei Ying frowned, remembering his joke the other week when they first met. 

 

“YingYing, I’m hurt! Do you think so little of me?” he cried, pretending to be wounded by her words. 

 

“Men like you don’t bring gifts to girls like me unless they want something from them.” she answered flatly as she focused on dusting the area. 

 

“You’re right, you’ve caught me! I just wanted to spend quality time with our new cute shrine maiden.” he mused in a good-natured way as he walked closer to her, the box still in hand. 

 

“You’ve been working hard since after school, why not take a break?” he said.

 

“If you’re so bored, go bother your brother instead.” Wei Ying replied. 

 

“Nah, I prefer your company.” he mused. “Besides, he’s off training for the football team.” the man replied. 

 

“You’re not going to quit asking unless I say ‘yes’, right?” she huffed, a bit amused how hard Wen Xu was working to get her to slack off. She didn’t mind the man, so far he hadn’t been awful to her, he also didn’t actually seem to have an ulterior motive. What she also enjoyed was in the rare moments they were left alone in the past week, they shared interesting and fulfilling conversations.

 

“No, I’m not going to, Xiao-YingYing.” he smiled as he pinched her cheek playfully. 

 

“Fine, I’ll take a short break.” she replied.

 

Wen Xu, satisfied with the answer, began to lead the way. Wei Ying followed him to the tea room. 

 

He set the cake carefully on the table and began serving it. She grabbed the teaware and brought it over to the table. 

 

“YingYing, there’s no need for that, why don’t you sit down?” he asked as she set the teaware on the table next to them. 

 

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.” she replied as she began preparing the tea like she had been taught in her classes that she had still been attending. Then she poured the tea for the two of them. 

 

“A private tea ceremony done for me? I’m flattered, YingYing!” he mused. “You must do this so often.”

 

“It’s my first one outside of class.” Wei Ying admitted shyly. “How did I do?” 

 

“Very graceful and well done. Like a professional.” Wen Xu replied. 

 

“Don’t tease me!” she huffed, pouting as he set a slice of cake in front of her. “I’m asking for proper feedback here!” she continued.

 

“It’s the truth, I wasn’t teasing you, YingYing.” he replied. “You carry yourself well, your posture and gestures are executed excellently.” he replied. “I don’t lie when I say this.” he continued.

 

“T-Thank you.” she said quietly, taking up the cake and eating it.

 

“You didn’t have to do such a favour for me, YingYing. I wanted to bring you cake because I thought you’d like it.” the man said.

 

“I wanted to… to thank you.” she replied quietly. She rarely ever got close to someone that quickly, but there was something about the older man that made her enjoy his company. He was much like an older brother to her.

 

Before she knew it, she had finished her slice of apple cake. It was delicious, light and fluffy with enough sweetness to it. “That was delicious! Thank you for the cake.” she said happily.

 

“I’m glad you like it, YingYing.” he said. “I hope you’ve been enjoying working here, if there’s something you’re concerned about, don’t be afraid to bring it up.” he continued.

 

“I’m really enjoying it, it’s a relaxing job to have.” she smiled. 

 

“I’ve heard that people are already enamoured with your divination. There’s a rumour that a certain young maiden at the Wen shrine is excellent at readings and extremely accurate.” he mused. “It’s only been a week since you’ve started working here and you’ve only been doing divinations for two days, yet you’re already so popular.” he said. “There’s something special about you, YingYing. It’s like the world is naturally drawn to you.”

 

She bit her lip. “I disagree.” she said. “I don’t think I’m special. I just have a talent and I enjoy using it.”

 

“You shouldn’t see yourself so lowly, YingYing. You’ll find that there are many that adore you in this world. I know life hasn’t always been kind to you, namely how others treated you, but wildlife adores you, so even if you don’t have humans, you always have animals.” he said reassuringly.

 

Wen Xu was a cold and cutthroat lawyer, according to many; according to everyone around her too, but to Wei Ying, he was kind, he looked at her like she was there. His praise of her was never to gain something from her, so far anyway. She didn’t know whether it would be something long term but having someone praise you properly felt nice. Not to mention, the fact that he always came over to visit her of his own volition made her feel special. Not the way Jin-shushu made her feel, or even how Nie MingJue or Lan Zhan did. Perhaps it was how normal he acted towards her like she was just another living being that made her feel like she was there for once. Sure, the others were kind to her, but they had been part of her life for a long time. So, having someone that she didn’t socialise within the circle with, treat her like an equal, it felt different.

 

“Thank you.” she said once again, feeling awkward at his kind words.

 

“YingYing is so cute when she is shy. Perhaps Da-ge should bring desserts more often.” he teased.

 

She kicked him underneath the table as a response.

 

 

And so, a month passed by, then two. Things have been not bad for her. Wen Xu had continued to come by with cakes and she continued to serve the tea for him. In terms of her relations with the Wen Family, it was not bad. Wen RuoHan paid her generously. When she received her first paycheck, she just stared at it. He had laughed at her and told her “not to spend it all in one go”. With her new large portion of income, Wei Ying found that she had the opportunity to buy herself things. Things such as dresses she liked and costumes for Suibian. Of course, she couldn’t store her clothes at her own home, so she started storing clothes at the shrine as Granny Wen had suggested it herself. She enjoyed her job as she often worked side by side with Wen Ning. Wen Qing would also bring refreshments. She later learnt that the Wen siblings of the side family were related to Granny Wen.  

 

Her friendship with Wen Chao was going well. Of course, they still pretended that they weren’t friends at school, but things were the same. There were whispers as Wen Chao wasn’t picking on her at school like last year. However, most accepted that he was humbled by his attempt to slander the Jiang head family last year. Overall, he wasn’t too bad, still acting like the overindulged and spoiled Young Master he was at times, but overall, he had been better than before.

 

Wen RuoHan himself wasn’t a bad boss to her anyway. Maybe it was because she was still a teenager and a friend of his son, but he was generally friendly to her, as friendly as he could be anyway. It probably also helped that she raked in a lot more visitors at the shrine. So more people began visiting the Wen shrine. So much so that Wei Ying began doing readings wherever one asked her to. Under Granny Wen’s kind tutelage, Wei Ying had learnt how to control her abilities better. It had been going so well that she had joined in on one game with the Jin boys when they came over to play mahjong again for once. 

 

Overall, she was left to her own devices with Granny Wen overseeing her at the shrine. Wen RuoHan did visit sometimes. Sometimes alone and sometimes with Wen Xu. The first time when she had served him tea, she could feel her heart pounding. Luckily, she managed to not allow her feelings to transfer to her practice.

 

Things with Jiang Cheng went well. He made more of an effort to spend time with her. Sometimes doing it in such an awkward way that Wei Ying just had to tease him about it. She did end up visiting the Oracle shrine with him as well, it hadn’t been too bad for her. However, she felt that the helpers were starting to catch on as some of them were bowing lower to her than before. One even tried to ask her about it when she was alone. Of course, she let nothing slide. It would seem that Jiang Cheng suspected nothing. Madame Yu also seemed to believe that Jiang Cheng would begin to be able to hear wishes when he hit sixteen. It was possible for some Oracles as being able to connect to the higher plane was apparently a difficult skill to master. 

 

All in all, things were calm and she was thankful for what little peace there was in her life. It allowed some normalcy in her life as the calendar days for her own demise slowly got closer and closer.

 

 

Nie HuaiSang was usually not one to accept any form of dares. However, for some reason, he had accepted this time. 

 

“HuaiSang, why did you accept this challenge when you keep jumping at every sound?” Wei Ying laughed as Nie HuaiSang jumped out of his skin over a rustling noise once again. “You don’t even need the money!” she laughed.

 

“I wanted to finally shed my cowardly reputation at school! I’ve told you this!” HuaiSang said as he trembled next to her. Suddenly, the lights in the building lit up, causing Nie HuaiSang to scream next to her. 

 

“Wei Ying.” said a voice from behind them, causing another scream to leave her friend’s mouth. 

 

“Thank you, Lan Zhan! Now maybe we can ease this one here’s fears.” she laughed as Lan WangJi joined her side. 

 

“WangJi-xiong! Warn a guy when you pull a stunt like this!” HuaiSang sighed. 

 

“Ai, I don’t know why you’re acting so frightened, HuaiSang! You have us to protect you! Do you think that we would let the ghosts attack you? Besides, most of them aren’t harmful, one of them guided Lan Zhan to the light switch just now!” she laughed. 

 

“H-How d-do you say that so casually?!” her best friend cried, clutching onto her arm. She was amused, if you looked at HuaiSang and his brother, you would not have guessed that they were related. She couldn’t imagine how he would react to ghosts if he lived in a world where it was their profession full time.

 

“In my opinion, living humans are scarier than ghosts, they can affect how the world moves.” she shrugged.

 

“You have a point, but I still find them scary.” Nie HuaiSang replied, shuddering next to her. “One sec, now that the lights are on, I’m going to use the bathroom.”

 

“Do you need Lan Zhan to accompany you?” Wei Ying replied.

 

“Nah, the lights are on, I’m a scaredy-cat, but I’m not that much of one!” Nie HuaiSang cried as he ran to the bathroom.

 

“The ghost has a gift for you.” Lan Zhan said once the other was out of an earshot. He placed a beautiful pendant into her hand. She decided that she would read the memories in the pendant when she was alone later.

 

“Thank you for coming with us today, Lan Zhan. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.” she smiled.

 

“If Wei Ying ever needs anything, I will always be there to help.” Lan Zhan, the ever good person he was, offered. 

 

“You’re so good to me, Lan Zhan. You spoil me too much.” she smiled.

 

“I would like to spoil Wei Ying more.” Lan Zhan began as he took her hand in his. “Will you go ice-skating with me this week?” he asked.

 

“Which day?” she asked, her heart thumping inside her chest.

 

“Would Thursday do?” he asked.

 

“I’ll ask for a day off tomorrow then.” she smiled.

 

Suddenly, she felt a shift in the air. Then, without warning, Lan WangJi pushed her up against the wall. A second after that, the light above where they were standing originally came crashing down. However, even after they were both safe, Lan Zhan didn’t move his body away.

 

“Lan Zhan, you saved me.” Wei Ying breathed. “You’ve always had such good senses, I’m glad I have you here.” she smiled.

 

“Am glad I was here too to save Wei Ying.” he said. “Though, I know that Wei Ying would have been just fine if I wasn’t here.” he continued.

 

“Aiya, Lan Zhan! How am I supposed to react when you’re here praising me so highly and sincerely?” she whined.

 

“Wei Ying is worthy of praise.” Lan Zhan replied, staring into her eyes with his golden ones.

 

She could feel her heart pounding once again. She loved him so much.

 

“Lan Zhan is the best. You protect me even if you know how I’m no damsel in distress.” she smiled.

 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan replied, his tone suddenly shifting to a more serious one. “You are not who you say you are, are you?” he asked.

 

It was then, she saw it in his eyes. Lan Zhan being how smart he was probably figured it out, especially after the incident with the ghost earlier. The Lans came from a long bloodline of Oracles, so of course, he would know. What was she to do? Was she to admit that to him? Tell him that she was indeed the Oracle? She didn’t want to admit it to him, not when she knew what was coming around the corner for her.

 

“I-” she began.

 

“Woah! What happened to the light?” Nie HuaiSang cried loudly, interrupting the two of them.

 

“Aiyo, are you two taking the chance to have a moment with each other while I was gone? How shameless! I’d expect this from Wei-jie, but not from you, WangJi-xiong!” Nie HuaiSang cried.

 

“Ai, HuaiSang! How could you accuse Lan Zhan of such a dishonourable thing! The light fell and the great Second Jade of Lan saved me from injuring myself!” Wei Ying mused, not at all fazed by her best friend’s teasing.

 

Lan Zhan who also didn’t seem embarrassed about it at all either, moved away cooly as if nothing had happened before.

 

“Sure, sure. You teenagers are all the same!” Nie HuaiSang teased.

 

“Hey, HuaiSang! What’s that behind you?” Wei Ying asked suddenly, causing Nie HuaiSang to screech and look behind him frantically.

 

Wei Ying laughed as a response.

 

 

“Ai! In the end, it wasn’t even a cursed place!” Nie HuaiSang sighed. “I feel like my time is wasted here!” he frowned.

 

It turned out that it was just a random haunting, most of the spirits were pretty happy not to pass on there. Apparently, chose to stay to scare the living. Well, if they didn’t want to pass on, Wei Ying won’t force them to. She was no medium, this wasn’t her job anyway. Even if technically she sometimes had to do exorcisms, but those were extremely rare cases. Since spirits weren’t tied to the human world, Wei Ying could sometimes hear their wishes if they happened to be floating by. Those were wishes she could grant. She didn’t really understand it, with modern technology, why was it that the Oracle was tied to the shrine? If there was a system that was implemented which made it possible for the Oracle to hear wishes away from the Oracle shrine, perhaps she could have silently helped appease the wishers, away from prying eyes. However, because they were only able to be heard at the shrine, Wei Ying couldn’t do anything. It almost felt like the Gods decided on her just so she could die.

 

“Would you rather it be a cursed place?” Wei Ying mused.

 

“It’ll still give me something to do! Empathy isn’t my forte! Curse dispelling or removal is still more of my thing, though, you wouldn’t have needed help anyway, since you’re talented at everything when it comes to the occult.” HuaiSang replied.

 

“Give yourself some credit! You’re excellent at dealing with curse work! Not to mention, your divination isn’t bad either, this is why I don’t get why you didn’t take up divination.” Wei Ying replied.

 

“It’s such a hassle!” HuaiSang sighed. “There are so many technicalities that go into it and plus, the bad energy between you and Wen Chao last year would have been something else.” he frowned.

 

“Fair point.” she mused.

 

Nie HuaiSang could pick up on auras. This was why she was surprised that he never asked her. Surely, her aura changed the day she discovered she was the Oracle. However, it would seem that he didn’t think anything of it or didn’t want to ask her.

 

“Is Wen Chao treating you well, Wei Ying?” Lan WangJi, who had been silent since the incident inside asked.

 

“He’s honestly a lot better now. When we do go out to eat, he treats service members a lot kinder, he even learnt to say ‘thank you’, would you believe that?” she mused.

 

“I am glad. Wei Ying is firm with him and he listens to Wei Ying. It is good.” Lan Zhan replied. “Forgive me for prying, I only mean it in good faith.” he continued. It would seem that Lan Zhan was afraid he had offended Wei Ying.

 

“Don’t worry about it, Lan Zhan. I know you only have the best interests for me, thank you for your concern, Lan Zhan. I really appreciate it.” she smiled.

 

Those aloof and cold seeming golden eyes softened a hidden smile on his lips.

 

Then, she felt his hand around hers, subtly bumping into her as HuaiSang walked forward on his own.  

 

She smiled and squeezed his hand, returning the favour. 

 

 

“So it’s a second date then?” Wen Chao asked her.

 

“Don’t call it that!” she huffed.

 

“Why not? A date’s a date, is it not?” Wen Chao mused as he walked up the steps of the shrine.

 

“It’s not! Lan Zhan and I are friends!” she frowned, focusing on sweep the ground.

 

“Sure, sure, whatever you say, Wei Ying.” Wen Chao mused.

 

She didn’t know why, although Wen Chao seemed amused, she couldn’t help but feel that there was something else he was hiding as an emotional underneath that, however, she decided not to think too much into it as Wen Chao was an oddball. One thing he never did change were his womanising ways, which Wei Ying wasn’t exactly fond over, but it wasn’t her business.

 

A buzz sounded and Wen Chao looked down at his phone.

 

“Did you break up with your girlfriend yet?” Wei Ying asked, figuring from his face that it was some new girlfriend he had somehow found that he was texting.

 

“Of course, who do you take me for?” he asked, a frown on his face.

 

“Hm, I don’t think so. In fact, she’s going to text you and tell you she misses you and you’re going to rep-” she teased as Wen Chao covered her mouth with his hand.

 

“Don’t you dare say it!” he cried. “Ow!” he yelped when Wei Ying bit his hand.

 

“How rude! Handling your friend so roughly like this!” she huffed as she carried on sweeping the ground beneath her.

 

“Remind me to never do that to you again.” Wen Chao huffed as he rubbed his hand. “I think you broke skin and drew blood!” he frowned.

 

“I don’t appreciate being handled so roughly.” Wei Ying pouted as she moved to the side grabbing the first aid kit in her bag that was nearby.

 

“Let me see.” she said.

 

Without a word, Wen Chao held out his hand, Wei Ying took it wordlessly and sanitised the wound, running her thumb over it, quickly healing his wounds.

 

“There.” she said.

 

 

“Thank you.” Wen Chao replied.

 

There was a buzz from his phone, followed by Wen Chao looking down at his phone, then his face paled.

 

“I told you so~” she said in a singsong voice before walking away with the broom to another area of the shrine.

 

 

“You know, if you’re going to linger around, you could at least help.” she mused.

 

“My Father hired you, not me.” Wen Chao replied as he continued to sit on the shrine counter that Wei Ying was trying to clean. He was currently playing a game on his phone.

 

“Why are you here today? Don’t you have practice or something?” Wei Ying asked as she shot him a look that roughly said, ‘Do you mind?’ as she cleaned the area next to him.

 

Wen Chao noticed the look but didn’t move.

 

“Wait, I’m close to beating my high score.”

 

“You better move or I’ll take your phone off of you and make sure you don’t ever beat your high score by playing it myself.” she said.

 

“Bossy!” Wen Chao sighed as he got off the counter.

 

“Shouldn’t you be respectful towards your family’s shrine? You may not believe in the Oracle, but they were still your ancestors, you know?” she chided.

 

“Yes, ancestors that were never buried. Sure, not even a trace of evidence of their existence was left behind. How could you believe in that stuff?” he asked.

 

“Yet you believe in divination. For all we know, we could all be hallucinating.” she laughed.

 

“True.” he replied.

 

She looked up at the clock, realising that it was just past five.

 

“Hmm, Da-ge will be finishing up soon.” she said absentmindedly.

 

“Do you keep tabs on when he finishes work?” Wen Chao said with an odd tone in his voice.

 

“Of course not, he told me he works no later than five-ish. Such a carefree person and that’s coming from me!” she mused.

 

“‘Carefree’ is not exactly how I’d describe him.” Wen Chao huffed, seemingly annoyed at something but Wei Ying couldn’t quite figure out what. He sure was odd.

 

“How would you describe him then?” she mused as she tidied the incense sticks that were left around the shrine.  

 

However, before he could answer, there was a dreaded sound, a sound she never wanted to hear. Somehow, there was a dog. Where did it come from? Her breaths became heavy as she realised that the dog was closer than she had wanted to be.

 

To others, the dog’s happy barking was probably cute, loveable. To Wei Ying who had spent her orphaned months on the streets, hiding from stray dogs that bit her when she had managed to end up with food in her hands, the barking reminded her of the big, monstrous-looking animals that hurt her.

 

All she knew when she focused again was that she was suddenly in Wen Chao’s arms, her heart was still racing and her breaths were heavy. She was dizzied by the adrenaline running through her head from the panic she had felt just now. Wen Chao was shooing the dog away with one hand while holding her away from it with the other.  

 

Then just like that, the dog was gone.

 

“YingYing!” she heard a familiar cry. In the distance, she saw Wen Xu bolting in her direction. Seconds later, he was before them.

 

“Are you hurt? Did it bite you?” she heard the man ask in concern as he moved to take her out of Wen Chao’s arms.  

 

“I-I…” she breathed, her mind was racing but she felt like she was still not in control of her body.

 

“It’s gone now, don’t worry. I don’t know how it got in but it’s gone now.” Wen Xu said soothingly as he rubbed circles into her back.

 

“Go ask someone to bring in some tea to my office.” Wen Xu said to his brother.

 

“Okay.” Wen Chao replied before running off.

 

Something felt weird about all of this, Wei Ying couldn’t put her finger on it, however, she also felt like she wasn’t in the correct mindset to query anything currently.

 

“It couldn’t be a stray.” Wen Xu commented once she was laying down on his sofa, blanket bundled around her. “There’s a barrier that keeps random strays from coming in. Besides, the main wildlife we get are birds and rabbits.” he explained.

 

“It appeared suddenly, I heard it before I saw it.” Wei Ying replied quietly as the man held her hands to calm her down.

 

“You think it’s suspicious, don’t you?” she asked quietly.

 

“Yes, I do. I don’t like it.” he replied.

 

“But why would someone do that randomly? It doesn’t make sense.” she replied.

 

“You’ll be surprised at how far some people are willing to go to get something they want.” he replied. “Anyway, let’s not continue this conversation when it stressed you out so badly. I’d rather calm you down than make it worse.” he said.

 

“Thank you.” she replied.

 

Just then, there was a knock at the door and in came Wen Chao with Wen ZhuLiu, they were followed by a servant carrying a tray of refreshments.

 

“Wei Ying, are you feeling better?” Wen Chao asked as he moved to her side.

 

“Yes.” she said. “Thank you for protecting me.” she replied.

 

“It’s no problem. We’re friends after all.” Wen Chao replied. 

 

“I’m glad my didi was there to save you. Still, I’m shocked that something like this even happened. I’ll let Father know about this, there shouldn’t be strays running around.” Wen Xu said as he began running soothing circles into her back. She was thankful for the man. 

 

“Here, this will help.” Wen Chao said as he passed her a cup of tea. 

 

“Thank you.” she said, a smile on her face. 

 

“Wow, YingYing, you’re actually making a change in my didi, he never does this for others!” Wen Xu said, smirk on his lips when his brother’s expression darkened.

 

“Ai, Da-ge, how old are you? Stop teasing your didi! He’s trying, so don’t embarrass him about it.” she chided as she put a hand on the man. 

 

“YingYing is right.” Wen Xu said as he pinched her nose teasingly. “I hope you’re feeling better now.”

 

“Yes, I am. Thank you.” she said, smiling.

 

Wen Chao silently passed her a plate of sugar cookies. They were chocolate flavoured, in the shape of cats and bunnies, which were her favourite. That was interesting, she didn’t recall telling him that she liked all of these things. Then again, she spoke about so much rubbish that she probably mentioned it without remembering  it. 

 

Wen Xu smirked, it would seem that he noticed her reaction. “ChaoChao was so adamant about these today, now I know why.” he mused as he picked up a cookie and ate it himself.

 

“Oi! Those are for Wei Ying! Not you!” Wen Chao cried angrily. 

 

“I’m testing for laced drugs.” Wen Xu teased. “Don’t worry, all safe.” he smiled as he picked up another cookie and basically fed it to her.

 

She was too busy chewing to even protest. 

 

“YingYing, if you don’t want me to tease you then don’t look so cute when you’re mad at me.” he huffed as he pinched her cheek. 

 

“Da-ge, stop sounding like a predator.” she nipped back.

 

He laughed, amused by her words and fed her another cookie.

 

 

“You always hum that song when you’re working.” Wen Xu commented as she cleaned the remnants of the incense of the shrine for the last time today. She always did this, then she would change and sometimes go for a swim before she was dropped off back at the Jiang residence.

 

“Do I?” she mused as he picked up the items for her to help make the job easier for her. Something she enjoyed about the man was that he was always very helpful and supportive towards her. After the cake on Tuesday, he had taken her all around the Wen Mansion, introducing her to the members of the household, asking them to take care of her and if she needed any food, to give it to her. It was a gesture that she hadn’t expected from him, but was grateful towards him for nonetheless.

 

“Ai, these people! I know that they want their wishes to be heard, but after seeing our cute shrine maiden, how do they have the heart to make such a mess?” Wen Xu tutted as he helped tidy up the area along with her.

 

“People get distracted by their own wishes all the time.” she mused. “I don’t mind, it’s my job anyway.” she smiled.

 

“YingYing is too kind and too hardworking. Still, I’m glad you enjoy your job.” he said.

 

“It’s a fulfilling job, besides, it’s relaxing for me.” she smiled. “Not everyone could have a job they enjoy, besides, your Father is very generous and I’m thankful for that.” she smiled.

 

“It’s because you’re making him a lot of money.” he teased as he poked her nose. “We didn’t use to get that many donations from patrons, but we’ve been receiving an influx because your readings have been so accurate.” he continued. “Anyway, you’re done for today, YingYing. Come, sit with Da-ge and enjoy the stars together with me, hm?” he said as he put his hands on her shoulders and steered her outside.

 

“There’s stars out tonight?” she asked.

 

“Weather report said it was going to be clear skies tonight.” he replied. “So I assume that you’ll see the stars out tonight.” he continued.

 

Wen Xu was right of course, she stared up at the skies, the beautiful stars shining up above them. She couldn’t help but just stare up at the dark sky, enjoying the beautiful sight above them. She knew that in reality that the stars in the sky were already dead from last year, but that was the strange beauty of it. She wondered if when she got up there, she would be able to see the stars herself. She wondered what happened to the Oracles that left behind no trace of their bodies and disappeared. Did their souls go somewhere else?

 

“YingYing really likes the stars, doesn’t she?” Wen Xu asked as he wrapped a shawl around her. She didn’t know where he got it from but she appreciated the gesture.

 

“Yes, I do.” she replied as the man set down a blanket, then cushions on the ground. She sat down when he gestured for her to do so, happily joining him.

 

“So, where is your brother, hm? Wouldn’t he get annoyed that you’re out here with me and he’s missing out on this moment?” she mused.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? I sent him off on an errand, so I could have YingYing all to myself.” the man laughed as he pinched her cheek teasingly.

 

“He was going to join us, but then a certain friend in a form of a girl visited.” he mused.

 

“Visited, huh?” she laughed. “She’s been texting him the whole day.” 

 

“He really needs to break up with her.” the man mused. “If she sees you guys together, knowing her, she’d get jealous. Especially when YingYing is so much more cuter and sweeter than her.” he laughed.

 

“Da-ge, flirting with me won’t make me want to read your fortune.” she nipped back. Despite this, she still leaned back into him, using him as a cushion as she stared at the stars above. She knew that he meant nothing by it and her, vice-versa.

 

“So, why does YingYing love the stars so much?” he asked her as she leaned back into him, staring up at the sky above.

 

“The first time when I hid in the garden, Jiang-shushu drove me out to a field to look at the stars above. He said that my parents are in the stars, forever watching me. That’s why I love the stars so much.” she smiled. “I don’t just like the stars though. I love aquariums because it reminds me of being near the lake where Jiang-shushu took me.” she smiled.

 

“Did you hide because your adoptive brother made you cry?” Wen Xu asked carefully and gently.

 

Somehow he knew, so there was no point in evading his questions. Besides, Wen Xu never gave her a reason to be distant with her thoughts and past.

 

“Yes, he did.” she replied.

 

“Now, why would he say such awful things to make you upset? YingYing is so sweet and kind.” he said.

 

“He saw me covered in dirt and a complete mess. Of course, he wasn’t a fan.” she huffed.

 

“But surely, after being washed up, he would have noticed what a cute sister he had on his hands.” he replied. “Then again, your brother has always been odd. He’s not as bad as the Jin boys but still not any better.” he mused. “The Lan boys are stiff, but they aren’t pompous. Your brother’s somewhere in the middle.” he mused.

 

“How would you know? You never socialised with us whenever we’re at those socials.” she mused back.

 

“In case you haven’t noticed, YingYing, other Sects don’t like us very much.” he laughed.

 

“Oh, I wonder why.” she sneered, smacking his hand away playfully when he was about to poke her on the cheek.

 

“YingYing is so adorable.” the man said as he put his arms around her, hugging her.

 

“Watch me bite your arms off.” she huffed.

 

“That would be impressive.” he mused as he ruffled her hair. “If your brother won’t adore you as your brother, then this Da-ge will make up for it for him.” he said as he propped his chin on her head. “Don’t grow any taller, will you, YingYing?” he mused.

 

“I’m only fourteen! I’m still growing!” she huffed. “Why would you ask something so nonsensical of me?” she pouted.

 

“YingYing is at the perfect height for me to rest my head on hers like this, I like it like this.” he teased.

 

“What a silly reason, Da-ge.” she huffed.

 

“It might be silly, but won’t you indulge your Da-ge, YingYing?” he replied.

 

She could hear the smile in his voice, he had always been like this, teasing her and messing around with her, but he never meant anything by it. So it didn’t actually bother her, this was how they socialised. Sometimes, it felt that she was closer to him than to Wen Chao. She probably imagined it, but Wen Chao seemed to have a problem with it. She wasn’t sure if it was because Wen Chao’s pride played a heavy theme in it. His ego was probably wounded with how quickly his older brother stole away his friend just like that. Still, it was odd, but then again, Wen Chao was a strange guy. She had noticed that by now. However, he meant well, he had protected her earlier after all. Not to mention, he was the reason why she managed to find a job, she was lucky that his father was willing to give her a chance to work there. All in all, he wasn’t too bad, still, she felt that she got on with Wen Xu a lot more.

 

“So, how do you hope to best Jiang Cheng? You can’t grow younger than me.” she laughed.

 

“That’s true, but I can spoil you like an older brother would.” he smiled. “What does YingYing enjoy doing? I know you like desserts, but I don’t think it’s good to ply you with food all the time. What do you want?” he said.

 

“I’m content with what I have. I don’t have anything else I need or want.” she replied. 

 

“Really now? Everyone wants more, I’m sure you have things you want yourself.” he said.

 

“No, I’m grateful for what I have in life.” she replied. After all, it wasn’t like she was going to live a long time, there was no need in having so many possessions. When she disappeared from this world, there wouldn’t be anything to remember her by. She knew that Wen Xu was going to outlive her too.

 

“Surely there’s something I can do.” he replied. “Even the most simple person would have something they want.” he said.

 

“Come on, anything, I’ll make sure to get it to you.” he said gently when she didn’t reply him.

 

“You are impossible.” she pouted. “You won’t stop until I ask something from you, will you?” she grumbled.

 

“Nope, Da-ge just knows there is something you want, YingYing.” he mused. “I don’t want to keep buying you cakes, YingYing. Cakes don’t last forever.” he said.

 

“Fine. But don’t laugh at me!” she said quickly. Perhaps, this was the only person she could selfishly ask for such a thing, because she hadn’t known him her entire life. It was harder to say such things to others that knew her. Even Lan Zhan, especially Lan Zhan.

 

“Now why would I laugh at you, YingYing? It would be mean of me to do that if you earnestly asked me something right? Besides, it was me who asked you, so if anything, it would be me that’s foolish, right?” he replied gently and tenderly, without any mockery behind it.

 

“If I disappear one day, promise me you won’t forget me.” she said quietly.

 

He didn’t ask her why, he didn’t mock her, he didn’t pry.

 

“I promise. I will remember YingYing even when I pass on.” he replied with such earnestness that she felt moved by it.

 

There was a pause, the both of them sat in silence.

 

“YingYing, sing me that song, won’t you?” he asked, petting her head.

 

So, she sang to him softly, staring up at the stars above them.

 

 

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!” she chirped cheerfully as the other caught her in his arms.

 

“Do not play dangerously.” Lan Zhan chided her.

 

“Aiya, Lan Zhan! It’s not even that dangerous!” she laughed lightly. “You were there to catch me anyway!” she smiled.

 

“Wei Ying, we are on ice.” Lan Zhan continued to chide her.

 

“Which is why I had to do that!” she chirped. She heard the other give a soft huff before taking her hand in his.

 

“Seriously though, Lan Zhan, is there anything you can’t do?” she smiled as they skated with their hands joined together.

 

“It is forbidden to boast.” Lan Zhan replied.

 

“Aiyo, Lan Zhan. You’re such a good boy, I bet you can’t commit a crime, that’s something you can’t do.” she laughed. “But that’s good. I’m glad that in this crazy world that you’re just and good.” she smiled softly.

 

“If Wei Ying likes that, I will stay just and good for Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan replied, squeezing her hand with his, his ears tinted red once again. 

 

“No, don’t do that. Stay just and good because your heart tells you to. Follow where your heart leads you, don’t base what you wish on another person.” she replied, squeezing his hand back with hers.

 

“Wei Ying-“ Lan Zhan began but was cut off by someone screaming her name. 

 

She glanced over to whoever it was since usually whenever someone who screamed her courtesy name couldn’t be a well-meaning person.

 

“How cute, out with Lan WangJi, is this a date?” Jin ZiXun mocked.

 

She sighed inwardly, oh yes he existed. She despised him. He had been obtuse towards her since she beat him up for picking on Jiang Cheng when they were kids. 

 

“What if it was?” Lan Zhan who beat her to speaking nipped out. 

 

“Oh, this will be juicy for the gossip circles! Imagine what Madame Yu would do if she saw these photos of you out with Lan WangJi and holding hands with him?!” he laughed. “She’d probably throw you out! I heard she was livid when she found out about your birthday!” he sneered, taking up his phone, about to take a photo of her. However, Wei Ying reacted quickly, kicking his skates, making him fall on his face. 

 

“You! That’s it, I’m broadcasting this live! From this angle, I can get a nice upskirt photo too! Loving the skirts lately by the way! I’m glad you’re finally realising that you’re a girl!” he sneered. 

 

Lan WangJi, who was next to her was about to move, however, a new voice interrupted them. 

 

“ZiXun, I leave you for a few seconds and I find you harassing Miss Wei! Leave her alone!” Jin ZiXuan cried as he appeared from the crowd that had now formed around them. 

 

She cocked an eyebrow when she heard Jin ZiXuan address her by “Miss Wei”, but didn’t say anything. 

 

“I’m sorry about my cousin and apologise on behalf of him.” Jin ZiXuan said as he pried the phone out of his cousin’s hands.

 

“It’s alright, nothing happened, therefore no harm done.” Wei Ying replied. “Lan Zhan, I’m feeling hungry, let’s go get something to eat.” she chirped, squeezing the other’s hand since she could sense his dark aura next to her. It was kinda cute that Lan Zhan was angry for her. 

 

“Mm.” was Lan Zhan’s response. 

 

“Go and enjoy the rest of your outing, Miss Wei. I’ll make sure no one’s loose lips speaks of this.” Jin ZiXuan said, glancing at everyone else around them. 

 

“Thank you, Jin ZiXuan. Also, call me ‘WuXian’! ‘Miss Wei’ sounds too stiff!” she huffed in amusement, before pushing Lan Zhan to get him to move and leave the scene. 

 

“Aiya, Lan Zhan! I just told you to stay good and just and you were going to break Jin ZiXun’s arm off for being all talk and no game!” she laughed when they were away from the scene.

 

Lan Zhan said nothing, only sulked. Wei Ying knew he was sulking anyway. With the way his eyebrows knitted and his lips were stretched into a thin line. She giggled, the Second Jade of Lan was so funny, he was funnier than people took him for. He was so kind, so nice to her. He humoured her silly whims. The reason why she liked him the most though, was because of how caring he was towards others. She had seen him helping others with their studies when they needed it, although he was the worst person to cross paths with when they are offending or running around the halls without a hall pass, he was also the sort of person to drop the rules if that person honestly needed the help. There was one time when a student was roaming the halls looking for her earring that she had lost, it was an important gift from her mother and instead of giving her a warning slip for not having a hall pass, he went around looking for it with her. It was little things like that.

 

Lan Zhan had an excellent memory, he always remembered important things. When Wei Ying mentioned that she had a bad memory, he had texted her the important events that were coming up and that was immensely helpful for her. Especially the tests that teachers mentioned in passing but never noted down. Over the years, he had become less stiff, more willing to bend the rules. Very different from the him she knew in primary school. She was glad though, it allowed him to live a bit more. 

 

“I’m going to get a slushy, do you want one, Lan Zhan?” she asked.

 

“Mm.” he replied.

 

“What flavour?” she asked.

 

“Whatever flavour Wei Ying wants.” he replied.

 

“Aiya! Soon you’ll be expecting me to make all of your future food orders!” she scolded.

 

“Mm.” he responded.

 

“Lan Zhan! Are you teasing me? Oh, you’re totally teasing me!” she huffed, walking away to get the slushies instead. He was impossible!

 

 

Wei Ying was beautiful.

 

Wei Ying is beautiful.  

 

Not only was she beautiful, she was a beautiful person. This had always been the case. From the moment he met her, Lan WangJi knew he had met a special person.

 

He could never forget the smile she gave him that day when he first joined the class. He couldn’t forget how she kindly noticed his tears, didn’t make a scene out of it. Her signature red ribbon with her signature ponytail, along with that beautiful, vibrant smile of hers. Wei Ying reminded him of the sun, daytime. Her laughter, sunshine.

 

“My dad and mum are gone too, they disappeared one day… But, please don’t cry. Jiang-shushu says that my parents are always watching over me, shining upon me.”

 

Those kind words she had spoken to him always lingered in his memory, etched in and never leaving him. How she tenderly took his hand and shared with him her most treasured item - the planetarium.

 

Wei Ying loved the stars, she always looked up at them with such a longing whenever Lan WangJi had the chance to share those moments with her. Even though the stars in the planetarium aren’t real, her smiles were.

 

“Don’t be afraid to come get me every time you want someone to look at the stars with.” she had chirped sweetly at him after the first time.

 

He learnt later that the planetarium was her most treasured item and pastime. Almost no one got to spend time like that with her. It made him feel special.

 

Of course, there were times where their values clashed. He was always so stiff, it was the Lan way. He didn’t like breaking the rules while with Wei Ying, it would seem that “It’s not permitted” meant “Try and find a loophole around this.”, it was infuriating for someone like Lan WangJi. Hence why at the start, there were many misunderstandings and misgivings. However, he finally realised that following the rules to a T wasn’t always the way to go. In fact, it was Wei Ying who had taught him that lesson herself.

 

There was one day where Wei Ying was late for school. He had heavily scrutinised it when he first heard of it, even told her honestly what he felt. Then later, he had learnt that she had helped out a lost child on the street and the mother had come to thank her herself. Instead of defending herself when she had been reprimanded for it, she had taken her telling off graciously and in a carefree manner. He had felt terrible for scrutinising her. However, when he tried to apologise for his misgiving, she just beamed and told him that she never blamed him for it.

 

Despite being such a beautiful person, others were unkind towards her. Mocking her for things she couldn’t help. Her fellow female peers, mocking her for ‘not being enough of a girl’, her male peers, mocking her for the same thing, jealous that she bested them at most things. He had always noticed this about their peers. They never saw past her exterior. But Wei Ying was resilient, she didn’t let others beat her down, this was another thing he admired about her. Though they had treated her cruelly, she never let it get her down, ignoring their mockery.  

 

Wei Ying was clever, inquisitive and talented. She, like him, mastered all four elements of magic, she was also excellent at fighting. Whenever they fought against each other, it was always fun. Her playful style made things different for him. However, despite her happy exterior, he knew that deep inside, there was a sadness that she hid. He could see it sometimes. Like how when other students’ mothers came running and embracing them or how their fathers would lift them up in the air. He could see the longing in her eyes. He also knew that behind closed doors, Madame Yu wasn’t the kindest to her. He didn’t know why she was never warmed by the girl’s warmth, but she always treated Wei Ying as an annoyance, like she was lucky they had found her that day. Yet, Wei Ying never held ill will towards her.

 

The saddest thing was that it would seem that she didn’t realise all of these things, that she was special, that she was loved.

 

Then there was this year… When she returned, something in her changed. She still had the sunshine in her, but something about her was dimmed. Of course, at first, he held it to what happened last year, however, after she had forgiven Wen Chao and accepted him as a friend, he realised that there was something else. Yet, she won’t tell him. It appeared that even her best friend, Nie HuaiSang didn’t know about this either. But he knew that something was amiss, but if Wei Ying won’t tell him, who was he to pry? All he could do was watch over her.

 

 

“So it was a date then.” Wen Qing said as Wei Ying tidied the shrine area.

 

“No it’s not!” she exclaimed, almost dropping the offerings others had left in the area when she moved them to clean underneath them.

 

“Ying-jiejie, if it isn’t a date, then why would Lan WangJi buy you dinner after your non-couple ice skating event?” Wen Ning teased as he helped her move the items off the shrine for her to dust.

 

“Wen Ning! Not you too!” she pouted.

 

“It’s the truth though.” he smiled.

 

“I don’t know why you’re so insistent that it isn’t a date.” Wen Qing stated.

 

“It’s because people like Lan Zhan don’t date people like me.” she replied.

 

“That’s stupid, what do you mean ‘people like you’? Lan WangJi isn’t the sort of person that ranks someone by their status! If he doesn’t like someone, he doesn’t give them the time of day, that’s all.” she frowned.

 

“Fine, let’s say hypothetically it’s a date. He’ll be wasting his time with me either way.” she replied.

 

“Why? Why do you think so little of yourself?” Wen Qing said.

 

“It’s because it’ll only cause him pain if he stays with me.” she accidentally blurted out.

 

“What do you mean?” Wen Qing asked.

 

“Forget it, forget what I said.” Wei Ying said as she moved to start on another area, however, Wen Qing stood in her way, Wen Ning, behind her. The Wen siblings had trapped her.

 

“What do you mean by that?” Wen Qing pressed. Then there was a look of realisation. “It’s to do with the thing you saw right? This is why you’ve been acting stupidly impulsive lately, isn’t it? It’s all to do with that!”

 

Wei Ying bit her lip as a response.

 

“Ying-jiejie, you saw a vision? Why haven’t you mentioned anything? You usually share interesting ones with us.” Wen Ning said.

 

“I shouldn’t tell you. It’s nothing you both can help.” she replied. “It’s been decided for me a long time ago.” she explained.

 

“I don’t care, just tell us. It’s clearly bothering you.” Wen Ning replied.

 

She looked to either side of her and realised with defeat that they won’t let up. They won’t let her go until she’s told them.

 

“Fine,” she sighed. “But we need to go somewhere more private if that’s the case. You also won’t like it, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.” she continued.

 

In response, both Wen siblings grabbed her and dragged her to a room towards the back.

 

“We’re somewhere private like you requested, so spill.” Wen Qing demanded, her hands still on hers. Wen Ning who was gripping her also didn’t let go. It was as if they were afraid that she’d runoff. Which, they were right. She totally would have.

 

“I’m going to die soon.” she replied, not sure how to lessen the blow. It was the harsh reality and now vocalising it had cemented it for her.

 

Instead of treating it like a joke like how she thought they would have, neither of them smiled. Instead, Wen Qing’s brows knitted her grip tightening.

 

“So this is what popo meant…” she said solemnly.

 

“Wen-popo told you?” Wei Ying asked curiously.

 

“Not directly, but she warned me that when I learnt the truth about you, I shouldn’t make a scene of it.” she replied.

 

“Are you sure there’s no other way around it, Ying-jiejie?” Wen Ning asked softly as he too gripped her hand.

 

“I’m afraid not, A-Ning. It was my fault, only I can fix it.” she replied. “It’s not so bad though, at least I know how long till it happens.” she said.

 

“Please tell us more… I know we won’t be able to help, but I want to know, then I will be able to accept it more when it comes.” Wen Ning, the sweet boy he was said.

 

So, she told them.

 

 

It had been another regular day at the Wen shrine, which meant extremely busy. Men came asking for divination in their business ventures, some even over their love lives and some asking for their children’s lucky items. There were no such things as lucky items, it was a bit amusing to her, honestly. Women and school girls came for mostly love divinations, some who were mothers, their children’s futures or their husband’s businesses or careers. They would always buy charms from her. These exchanges were the only times when she heard their wishes. Perhaps it was the connection of the Wen shrine to their previous Oracles that made it easier for her to read others’ wishes. Of course, she would grant what she could. However, she knew that her fate didn’t change. Of course, it wouldn’t change. The Gods have decided and would not change their minds.

 

“YingYing, sit down and rest a bit, won’t you? You’ve been working so hard.” Wen Xu, who had a tray filled with refreshments on it, said. “I brought some papaya sweet soup and also some cold oolong tea.” he said as he pulled out a chair for her to sit on in the shade. “There’s also some sugarcane juice for you for later if you need it.”

 

“Thank you, you didn’t need to, you know?” she smiled as she sat down in the chair he had pulled out for her.

 

“I must, I’m making good of my promise, you know?” he said as he sat down next to her.

 

“So, how many love divinations today, YingYing?” he mused as she happily lapped up the sweet soup. It had been refrigerated beforehand, so it was perfect for the warm feeling of the shrine.

 

“Thirty.” she mused.

 

“Thirty, huh?” he laughed. 

 

“Mm, spring has truly come.” she mused.

 

“How about you, YingYing? Do you have somebody you love?” he asked.

 

“Of course, I love plenty of people.” she replied.

 

“Ai, little miss smart mouth, you know what I mean.” he laughed. “Why don’t you let Da-ge do a love divination for you, hm? Though, I believe that a sweet girl like YingYing would do well in her love life anyway.” he said.

 

“No, whatever happens, it will end up the same. I know so.” she replied.

 

“So, you mean to tell me that you won’t allow yourself to be happy or experience anything because you already know how it all ends for you?” Wen Xu asked. “You should be kind to yourself and try it out anyway.” he said.

 

“It’s too cruel. What will they do when I stop replying to their texts one day?” she replied. “It’s not fair, so I won’t pursue it.”

 

“Well, if you change your mind, let me know, alright?” he said gently, petting her hair.

 

“Mm.” she replied.

 

“Pinky promise?” he said as he stuck his hand forward with his pinky out.

 

“Pinky promise.” she replied begrudgingly as she hooked her pinky around his and shook it.

 

“YingYing is the cutest. I’m glad my Father never gave me another younger sister to love.” Wen Xu mused as he teasingly pinched her nose.

 

“YingYing will bite off your fingers if you keep teasing her!” she huffed.

 

“Promise you’ll never change, YingYing.” he mused as he pinched her cheek again, despite her words.

 

“I promise I won’t if you don’t either.” she smiled. “Da-ge is the best older brother I could have.”

 

“I’m glad, or I would have to kill your other older brothers so I can be the best one.” he huffed.

 

Wen Xu left after spending some time with her, so here she was cleaning up the area, occasionally stopping for the sugarcane juice that Wen Xu had asked the kitchen to make for her. He always did this, making good of his promise of being a doting older brother to her by helping her when he could and bringing refreshments when he can. Sometimes it was cake from an expensive bakery too. It would seem that the man trusted her and would even bring his cases to work on sometimes with him, sometimes asking her how she would argue the cases. She huffed and laughed to herself at the memory of him venting some of his sillier cases, like the case of two neighbours fighting over a cat that didn’t even belong to either of them, but they decided to take it to court. Wen Xu was to represent the actual owner of the cat, but honestly, rich people have too much time and money on their hands! When she asked him why he had taken the case, he answered, “YingYing likes cats, so I thought it’d be fun.” he mused.

 

She had told him that he was “impossible” and “a silly man”. He had huffed in amusement and teased her by picking her up with ease. It was so sudden that she actually forgot how to act when someone did that, so he got an advantage and managed to stop her from fighting him, eventually torturing her by tickling her, the audacity of this man! They were, unfortunately (unfortunately for Wen Xu, fortunately for Wei Ying) interrupted by Wen RuoHan. The man’s father and her boss. She was actually pretty terrified, she had thought she was done for, but in fact, the older man thought it was amusing. By then, she had managed to worm her way out of his hold and ran off, not before chiding Wen Xu for being “shameless”. 

 

All this reminiscing had her just working up a casual rhythm as she was sweeping and dusting areas of the shrine. She worked steadily and hummed a tune to herself. It was the weekend so it was going to get busy again soon. During lunchtimes, sometimes there would be a break because people actually went to have lunch and such, so she was allowed a breather here and there. However, once the lunch rush in the restaurants was gone, it would be busy as usual.

 

So, when she heard footsteps making their way up the steps of the shrine, she was surprised.  

 

“Excuse me, Miss. I’ve heard that a young lady that works here is excellent at divinations, I would like to consult with her.” she heard a familiar voice say behind her.

 

No. No, it can’t be.  

 

She bit her lip, afraid to turn around. However, she knew that if she didn’t turn around now, she still would have to eventually. So she did, despite her body and mind screaming at her not to.

 

Staring back at her, in his signature purple robes was her shidi.

 

It was just her luck really.

Notes:

Before I say anything else, let me give a shout out to user ShiranaiAtsune for always commenting underneath my chapters. Don't worry, I read them all, I've just been quite busy so I've been unable to get around to replying but thank you so much for always telling me what you think and showing interest in the fic! It's much more appreciated than you think! 💕💖

Okay, so if you have an issue with my characterisation of Wen Xu, you can go ahead and go blame the fic Smoke From Jade, it has poisoned my mind! RainyGhost does such a beautiful translation of it. It's such a beautiful fic from start to finish, it's a shame that they've not gotten round to translating it! But if you can read some Simplified Chinese, definitely give it a go.

And finally, please tell me what you think! I enjoy seeing what people think!

Thanks for reading.

Chapter 6: Swirl ~ 漩捲

Notes:

Here's a playlist to go with this fic.

There was another reason why Wei Ying liked the stars so much. She didn’t have many memories of her parents, but one memory she always had a vivid memory of, was her Mother, sitting by her cot, her Father, by her side. She would hum a song. As she grew up from an infant into a child, she would sing the song to her in her bed instead.

 

The song had a sad tone to it, but Wei Ying didn’t mind. It was a beautiful and calming tune after all. Later, she would hum the song to herself whenever she looked at the stars above, whether in the sky or when her planetarium was on. The song talked about the stars, longing and dreams. All things that Wei Ying loved. As she grew up, the song became a pinnacle to her, especially in her toughest times. Sometimes when things got tough, she imagined her Mother singing the song to her, reaching for her, ready to pull her into an embrace.

 

Stars in the sky gave her hope, calm and peace. Even when it came to her own death, she wasn’t afraid. Instead, she imagined becoming one with the stars, hoping that the Gods would turn her into the stars when she fulfilled her role in their plan. Many would expect her to defy the Gods, to pave her own path; it was in her personality. However, this selfishness would put others at stake. She, in her own opinion, had already been selfish by not ironing out the misunderstanding when she had first discovered her role. Even when she saw her own death, it didn’t shake her to change any of it.  

 

Of course, if Wei Ying felt like she could shift her fate, she would have tried already. But she knew that her fate was written in the stars before she could have chosen it herself. The more she spoke to Granny Wen, the more she knew it to be true. Apart from her, only Wen Ning and Wen Qing knew of her fate now. She hadn’t wanted to tell them, but it wasn’t like she could burden Granny Wen in keeping her vision a secret forever. If anything, they were the people she was alright with them knowing. They didn’t turn it into a big thing like her other friends would have. If Jiang Cheng knew, she wondered how he’d react. But she didn’t want to know. She didn’t want people she loved to know, however, it was inevitable that Wen Qing and Wen Ning would find out sooner or later. Wen Qing was always very perceptive to her moods and Wen Ning knew her better than anything. Her relationship with the two siblings ran deep. They were her allies for the longest time. The only people who didn’t care about where she stood on the social ranking ladder when it came to outside of her social circle. They knew about her love for planetariums, knew about her favourite song that she hummed. Now, they knew about her closest guarded secret next to the knowledge of who she was.

 

If anything, she was grateful it was them who knew.

 

 

“Wei WuXian! You sure are amazing!” Jiang Cheng’s voice boomed in the quiet and serene place. Then he scoffed.

 

“Of course it was you! It had to be you!” he cried angrily, betrayal in his eyes.

 

Wei Ying gripped her broom in her hands tightly, biting her lip as her shidi stared at her with hatred.

 

“Why are you working here? After what happened last year, I would have thought you wouldn’t dare do such things again!” he cried. “Is this some sort of sick joke? It’s not very funny if it is!” he continued.

 

“Wen Chao apologised to me… a while ago.” she said quietly, gripping the broom in her hands as if the broom was what held her together. She was gripping it so hard that she could feel the wood splintering, she would have to apologise to Granny Wen after this.

 

“So what if he apologised? You’ll just give a time of day to someone who had caused me so many problems last year?” he asked angrily.  

 

“He was sincere.” she replied softly.

 

“You really are something aren’t you? Here I am, training hard in my craft and working hard on my future profession and here you are, playing fake divination giver at someone else’s shrine?” he hissed. “Are you even good? Are you even accurate? Don’t you remember your real place, Wei WuXian?” he barked.

 

“I’m sorry.” she said quietly. “Wen Chao… has changed. He’s become kinder… So when I couldn’t find anywhere else to work, he offered. I accepted because nowhere else would accept me… Minors aren’t permitted to work, apparently.” she continued softly as she looked down on the ground, afraid to meet the other’s eyes. His eyes reminded her of last year, remembering last year made her sick, gave her knots in her stomach.

 

“So… Like a dog with its tail between its hind legs, you chose to accept a job working for your bully’s Father? Are you stupid, Wei WuXian?!” he cried, swatting the broom out of her hands violently and grabbing the collar of her hanfu and yanking her closer so that they were at an eye level.

 

“Ex-bully, you’d find.” she corrected him quietly, choosing to glance away still.

 

“Try getting smart with me again and watch me slap you.” Jiang Cheng threatened. “You may look like a girl now, it doesn’t mean anything, I’d still slap you silly!” he cried.

 

“It’s honestly not that bad, Jiang Cheng. Most people who come here don’t know who I am.” she replied quietly, trying to calm the situation.

 

“Not that bad? Not that bad?!” he screamed into her face. “Are you kidding me, Wei WuXian?! You’ve truly forgotten who you are! You’ve forgotten what you are!” he continued to scream.

 

“No, you’re wrong, I’ve never forgotten my place. It’s better to be friends with an enemy than remaining the same, isn’t it?” she said. 

 

“Wh-” Jiang Cheng was about to respond when someone pulled his hands off of Wei Ying’s collar, knocking Jiang Cheng back in the process.

 

“Hey! What are you doing? Get your hands off of her!” cried Wen Chao.

 

“It’s okay, Wen Chao. There was just a misunderstanding.” she replied, hoping to calm the situation. This was the worst-case scenario. She didn’t want this to happen at all. But this was her luck, obviously, it would have happened like this.

 

“If it’s okay then why does it look like he hurt your feelings?” Wen Chao frowned, in what appeared to be concern for the first time in his life. A scene she didn’t want to be happening was forming and she didn’t like where it was heading, not at all.

 

A cold, bitter laugh cut through the air. It took a moment for Wei Ying to realise the laugh came from. She didn’t like this…

 

When Jiang Cheng laughed like that, it meant nothing good was going to happen. It brought her back to last year, when he had been accused of cheating. She froze, her body feeling stiff and cold.

 

“What a good joke, Wei WuXian! He’s even defending you! How amazing! You truly are seducing all the Sect heirs lately!” he snickered. “Don’t think I didn’t hear those rumours! First, hanging out with Lan WangJi, then having Jin ZiXuan defend you another time too! Now Wen Chao is here defending your honour, how adorable! You may look like a girl now, but deep down, really, after your shiny phase, they’ll forget you again!” he cried spitefully.

 

The words her shidi hurled at her hit her one by one, it pained her. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to him. She bit her tongue. Jiang Cheng was always like this when he was angry, he would run his mouth, saying horrible words. But then, after the volcanic eruption of emotions he smothered you with, he would wind down and be calm like a dormant volcano would be afterwards. However, she felt herself seething inside at him accusing her of seducing Lan Zhan. As if someone as honourable as Lan WangJi would be so easily seduced by her. Still, she let it wash over her, attempting to shove her anger down.

 

“Watch your words, Jiang WanYin! Just because you are the heir of the Jiang Sect and her shidi, it doesn’t mean I won’t hit you! Don’t you forget who my Father is!” Wen Chao cried.

 

Really? Even at this time, you still bring your Father into this, Wen Chao? Wei Ying truly wanted to laugh, despite the situation. However, she couldn’t, she was too much of a mess inside.

 

“Look how amazing you are, Wei WuXian! Wen Chao of all people is fighting for your honour! How touching! Where is your usual smart mouth, huh? Come on, give me a comeback!” he cried.

 

“Jiang Cheng, please.” she found herself pleading. “I don’t want to fight, not over this misunderstanding. It honestly is nothing-”

 

“So now it’s nothing huh? What a good thing to say to me, Wei WuXian!” he cried.

 

“You know that’s not what I meant!” she finally cried.

 

“What does your Lan WangJi think about this? Seeing you hang out so closely with Wen Chao? One would be suspicious, you know? Men and women cannot be simply friends in our society, you know this!” he cried.

 

Oh, he had done it now. She couldn’t hold her anger down.

 

“Jiang WanYin, how dare you! How dare you accuse Lan WangJi of such a thing! How dare you accuse Wen Chao of such a thing as well! Wen Chao is my friend, leave him out of this!” she bit back. “You can accuse me and scream at me all you want, but when you bring my friends into it, I’m not going to be kind!” she cried, her pent up emotions flaring out. Oh, she had done it now.

 

“Wei WuXian! It would seem you forget whose family you belong to!” Jiang Cheng cried angrily, launching himself at her, about to punch her in the face. However, before either of them could react, a loud cry was heard by the two of them, causing them both to freeze.

 

Jiang Cheng had punched Wen Chao in the eye.

 

 

“You are an idiot. Why would you do that?” she chided as she rubbed his black eye with a boiled egg wrapped around a towel.

 

“With all due respect, Miss Wei, I was defending your honour.” mused Wen Chao, letting out a cry when Wei Ying pressed his injured eye.

 

“Next time you decide to take a punch in my honour, maybe consider making sure you don’t faint straight after that! Honestly, you’re lucky that he decided to leave when you went down!” she chided once again. “Just because you are a star player on your football team, Mr. Wen, doesn’t mean you can take a punch to the face.” she huffed. “I had to carry you back, you probably lost some cool points with the staff here!” she teased.

 

“I don’t care, he was awful to you, he said awful things to you. I won’t let him punch you in the face, not on my watch.” he replied.

 

“How chivalrous of you, Mr. Wen.” she huffed. “But now you’ve made me feel bad. This was not how I expected my Saturday night to go.” she grumbled.

 

“If you feel so bad, then go on a date with me.” he mused.

 

As a response, she pressed on his wound harder.

 

“Ow! Are you trying to heal me or murder me?!” he cried. “Come on, Wei Ying! I was joking! Joking! Stop! It hurts!” he cried.

 

“Don’t ever joke about that with me again! I may not look like it, but I actually have this thing called feelings, Wen Chao.” she huffed.

 

“I know, I know. I was wrong, so won’t you forgive me, Wei Ying?” he cried as she continued to press on his injury. He sighed in relief when she finally removed the force.

 

“I was horrible, wasn’t I, Wei Ying? All those years of me saying such horrible words to you. Why did I even do that for?” he said.

 

“It’s in the past now.” Wei Ying replied. “It’s easier to pick on the one person that seemed like easy pickings.” she continued. “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger anyway.” 

 

It was then the door opened and in walked Wen Xu.

 

“You look terrible.” he mused, upon seeing Wen Chao’s eye.

 

“No shit. You try being punched in the eye by someone.” Wen Chao huffed. 

 

“YingYing, let me swap with you, I’ll handle it from here.” Wen Xu said, however, as a response, Wen Chao clutched her hand.

 

“No thanks, I’d rather have a cute girl treat my wounds, thank you.” Wen Chao replied.

 

“Keep this up and I’ll give you a black eye to match your current one!” Wei Ying huffed, shaking her hand free from Wen Chao’s grasp.

 

“Wei Ying! How could you be so cruel? I got punched in the face for you!” Wen Chao cried.

 

“Who asked you to, hm?” she huffed. “Still, I’m fine, Da-ge. I can handle this, after all, I have Wen Chao to thank for defending my honour so adamantly for me, don’t I?” she mused. 

 

“Thank you.” she said gratefully.

 

No one had so aggressively stood up for her before towards Jiang Cheng in her life. Of course Lan Zhan would have, but in his quiet and calm way. But this was different… This was… nice. It was odd.

 

“If you won’t go out on a date with me, Wei Ying, why don’t you let me take you that dessert bar that opened up near school, hm? It’s not a date, I promise.” Wen Chao said.

 

“Fine.” she replied. “But only because this is a one off.” she replied firmly.

 

“Come on, didi. It’s not even that bad, up you get. Now that you’ve coerced poor YingYing into eating dessert with you, surely you’ve achieved your goal now?” Wen Xu said as he took the egg off of Wei Ying and moved to attempt to ‘nurse’ Wen Chao.

 

“I feel better now.” Wen Chao said quickly as he sat up. “Wei Ying’s quick thinking with the egg really helped with the swelling.” he said quickly.

 

“I’m glad it helped.” Wei Ying smiled. “Never underestimate folk cures.” she smiled.

 

“YingYing is so smart.” Wen Xu said as he pet her hair and pulled her closer to him.

 

“Oi! What are you doing?” Wei Ying cried, struggling.

 

“Ai, stop being prickly for a second, YingYing! Let Da-ge hug you!” Wen Xu chided as he embraced her. “Stop acting so tough all the time!” he chided.

 

She sighed in defeat, leaning into the embrace. This was nice, these hugs were different from HuaiSang’s, different from shijie’s. These were strong and like a wall, there to support her. Could she get used to this feeling? Could she really? For now, she’ll allow herself to indulge in this.

 

 

“Wei-jie, you have the worst luck!” Nie HuaiSang said sympathetically as he patted her back while she was sitting on the bench next to him.

 

“I know right?” she sighed sadly, lying down on the bench.

 

“Come on, little one, be good.” Nie HuaiSang said gently as he fumbled around with the bird that was currently in its birdcage. However, instead of listening to him, the bird squeezed past him and flew out. “Ai! I told you to be good! Not fly out! Come back here!” he cried as he moved to catch the bird. However, the bird dodged and flew, landing on Wei Ying’s chest, chirping at her.

 

“Oiya, what’s this?” she exclaimed. “It looks like someone wants to pay me a little visit!” she laughed as the bird hopped forward, nuzzling her face with its beak.

 

“Ai, I feel so betrayed.” Nie HuaiSang mumbled. “Wei-jie, why do all animals love you? Even ones you don’t want to love you?” he sighed.

 

“I don’t know. I swear that in another universe they’ll be afraid of me, because I tease them too much.” she mused as she pet the bird.

 

“So, what’s happened since that incident?” he asked as he moved to sit next to Wei Ying who sat up so the other could sit next to him, the bird now on her hand, chirping at her.

 

“Well, he hasn’t spoken to me in days, but I can understand that… Ai, we were making such good progress, but I guess we’re going back to us not talking again.” she said with a sigh.

 

“It’s unfair.” Nie HuaiSang sighed. “He’s treating you too harshly and what he said to you, that’s so cruel.” 

 

“It’s always been like this, it doesn’t matter. I deserve this anyway.” Wei Ying replied.

 

“Just because Jiang WanYin has always been like this, it doesn’t given him the right to treat you like this. I don’t care if he’s the Oracle, he shouldn’t treat you like this.” Nie MingJue’s voice interrupted their conversation, startling both Wei Ying and Nie HuaiSang.

 

“MingJue-ge!”

 

“Da-ge!” both teens cried in unison. 

 

Wei Ying bit her lip. “I know you shared your concerns, but I still didn’t choose to listen-” she began.

 

“Silly girl, I’m not angry.” Nie MingJue said in a rare, gentle moment, after ruffling her hair. “You have your own reasons, besides, it is ultimately your choice what you decide to do from there.” he said. 

 

“O-oh...” Wei Ying replied softly.

 

“Even though Madame Yu raised you with the interest of being Jiang WanYin’s bodyguard, it doesn’t mean that you should always choose choices based on him now. You still have two years until he will be presenting himself to the world. He doesn’t control you, the Oracle’s guard is there to protect the Oracle and place their best interest at hand. That doesn’t mean that you always need to blindly follow behind him loyally. He shouldn’t be treating you like a servant, you are an equal to him. So don’t let him treat you anything less than.” he said. 

 

“In terms of working for Wen RuoHan, as much as I don’t like it, I won’t stop you. However, I do want to warn you to stay vigilant. He’s not the kind to let just anyone work in the Wen Shrine, you may be considered a bargaining chip for them in the future against the Jiangs.” he continued as he reached down and squeezed her on the shoulder.

 

“I will, MingJue-ge, don’t worry.” she smiled. 

 

“Still, I’m impressed that you managed to get Wen Chao of all people to take a punch for you.” the older male mused.

 

“Da-ge! Just how long have you been eavesdropping? This is so unlike you!” HuaiSang gasped, absolutely scandalised that his brother had done such a thing. 

 

“Longer than you expect me to.” Nie MingJue mused before he started to stride off again. “A-Xian, join me with training, won’t you?” he called back. 

 

“Okay!” Wei Ying chirped, bolting after the older male. 

 

“Xian-mei! How can you betray me like this?” HuaiSang cried dramatically as he followed behind them. 

 

 

“Ah, there you are YingYing!” she heard Wen Xu’s voice before she saw him. 

 

“Come, follow me.” the man said as he ushered Wei Ying into clothing storage room that she always used to change for her shift. 

 

“What’s going on?” she asked confused. It was then, she saw that Granny Wen was in there with her too. 

 

“Wen-popo?” she asked, confused. 

 

“Ah, Xian-er! Nice and early as usual, I see.” she smiled. “Come, let’s get you ready.” she said with a knowing smile on her face. 

 

“I’ll wait outside.” Wen Xu said as he exited the room, leaving Wei Ying confused. 

 

It wasn’t until she was sitting in front of the mirror with her hair tied into pigtails with bows in her hair that she realised that she wasn’t wearing her usual clothes. 

 

“Wen-popo? What’s going on?” she queried, confused. 

 

“Wen-gongzi has very kindly asked me and Wen-zongzhu for a day off for you. He’s taking you on an adventure, or so he claims. I can’t tell you because it’s a secret.” she smiled. 

 

She was tempted to read Granny Wen to see the surprise, but for once, she wanted to keep it a surprise. So she let the other fuss over her further. When she was done, she examined herself in the mirror. She was in a red dress with white frills. It was so cute and she couldn’t stop staring as she felt a warm feeling inside her. She loved this. 

 

“He asked me to go pick something that you would like out for you.” she smiled.

 

She was delighted. The older man knew she secretly wanted to wear cute dresses and feel like a cute young lady once in a while. She never expected him to actually do such a thing for her. 

 

“Oh, Xian-er! You look so adorable! I wish I was asked to do this for you more often !” she said. “Now, we mustn’t keep Wen-gongzi waiting, must we?” she smiled as she led Wei Ying out. 

 

When they stepped out, Wen Xu was on the phone. 

 

“When I say that I’m off the entirety of today, I mean it. If you don’t drop the attitude, I’ll charge you triple the fee.” she heard him say to a disgruntled client on the other side. “I have to go now, bye.” he said as he switched off his work phone, Wei Ying presumed anyway. 

 

“Da-ge, if you keep being so aggressive, you’ll lose all of your clients.” Wei Ying teased as she stepped towards him. 

 

“I won’t. Those who contact me are desperate to win.” he commented snidely. “Ah, Wen-shifu! What an amazing job you’ve done here! Then again, YingYing is so naturally cute, it really doesn’t take much, hm?” he mused as he immediately sauntered over to pinch her cheeks. 

 

“Da-ge!” Wei Ying whined as the other teased her. 

 

“Come on, the car’s just waiting outside. See you later, Wen-shifu.”

 

“See you later, Wen-popo.” Wei Ying said, quickly bowing. “Thank you for helping me dress.”

 

“It’s my pleasure. Have fun, Xian-er. Wen-popo only hopes that you enjoy yourself.” she smiled as she waved to the two of them. 

 

“You should consider yourself lucky, Xian-er, Wen-shifu rarely lets anyone but her main family address her by ‘Wen-popo’.” Wen Xu teased her as he led her inside the car.

 

“Da-ge is so mean, he’s always teasing me.” Wei Ying pouted playfully.

 

“If I don’t tease you, then I’m not being a good Da-ge to you.” the man teased back, pinching her nose. She giggled in response, allowing herself to let loose for a moment. In all honesty, she liked how he teased her, it was never meant maliciously and never actually wound her up. It was interesting to see how quickly his tone changed between reprimanding his client and speaking to Wei Ying herself, in a way, it was confirmation that he was fond of her.

 

“Aren’t you going to ask me where we’re going?” Wen Xu asked her.

 

“No, you’ll just tell me a surprise anyway.” she replied.

 

“YingYing is so smart.” the man mused as he helped her buckle her seatbelt in. “Ai, indulge me, won’t you? It’s not every day that Da-ge gets to dote on his adorable meimei.” he half chided when Wei Ying pouted at him.

 

“You should stop calling me adorable.” she huffed.

 

“Why?” 

 

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.” she grumbled. It was then, she felt a hand on her head.

 

“YingYing, as a lawyer, especially the kind of lawyer I am, I always lie. However, to you, I’ve never lied before. I won’t play with your feelings like that. With you, I will always tell the truth.” he said fondly.

 

She took the arm that was outstretched towards her with her hand, letting herself indulge in this moment and lean in. When she looked in his eyes, she knew he meant it, he didn’t lie to her, never lied to her.  

 

“I’m sorry I doubted you.” she finally said.

 

“It’s fine, YingYing. I don’t expect you to trust my actions and words, after all, most haven’t said kind things to you after all.” he replied. “It’ll take time, YingYing.” he continued fondly.

 

“Thank you.” she replied happily and equally as fond.

 

To many, he may be a cruel, cold-hearted man, but in Wei Ying’s eyes, he was kind, understanding and trustworthy.

 

 

“Here we are.” the man said as she stepped out of the vehicle and stared ahead of her. It was then, she realised that it was the aquarium. It had been a while since she visited one, so she was ecstatic. Excitedly, she bounded towards the entrance. When she entered, she noticed something was odd. It was a Saturday, yet, there was no one.

 

“I did say I was going to dote on you.” Wen Xu mused from behind her.

 

“What do you mean?” Wei Ying asked, a bit confused. Then it dawned on her.

 

“Mr. Wen, we are humbled that you would be so kind to book out the entire aquarium for such a generous price.” an attendant said as he greeted them.

 

“You have this young lady here to thank, she’s the one that adores aquariums.” Wen Xu replied.

 

The attendant bowed. “Thank you very much for your patronage, Young Miss.” 

 

“It’s my pleasure.” Wei Ying replied quietly.

 

“Come on, let’s go have some fun, YingYing.” Wen Xu said as he guided her through the area.

 

Going to an aquarium when there aren’t others around was amazing. The tranquillity and how immersive it was without the added sounds made Wei Ying feel like she was in a completely different world. Jiang-shushu had taken her here countless times, but he would never be so flashy as to buy out the entire day. She didn’t even want to know how much it cost Wen Xu. But because the man had done such a thing, she was determined to make every single coin worth it.

 

“Thank you, you didn’t have to do this. I knew you were arrogant, but I didn’t take you for being so flashy, Da-ge.” she teased when they decided to take a break, sitting down on a bench while Wei Ying ate ice cream.

 

“Anything to bring a smile to your face, YingYing.” he replied. “I know you don’t mention it, but the issue with Jiang WanYin really upset you, I don’t like seeing you upset.” he said as he petted Wei Ying on the head.

 

He had done all this for her, just to lift her spirits up. It was such an extravagant display of wealth, but the fact that the man did it to cheer her up and comfort her, she couldn’t help but feel touched by it. They hadn’t known each other long, but the kindness he displayed towards her was one she hadn’t felt much of before. She never expected in her many years that someone would do such a thing for her, but she was extremely flattered by it at the same time.

 

“Careful there, Da-ge. Others may see this and interpret it differently.” she said.

 

“I don’t care, as long as you and I know what I truly mean, who cares if the rest of the world thinks otherwise.” he replied as he held her hand, allowing her to lead him around the aquarium.

 

This was an aquarium that Wei Ying frequented herself with Jiang-shushu, so she knew this place like the back of her hand. She was glad to be able to share such a place with him, planetariums and aquariums were her favourite places to be after all. The man knew this, but chose an aquarium because he probably knew that planetariums would be more personal to her. She wasn’t sure why he was so attentive to her, but she didn’t hate it. In fact, she felt grateful as she enjoyed his company just as much.

 

 

“Suibian’s going to be jealous you know.” Nie HuaiSang teased as Wei Ying showed him photos of her new plush toy, it was a plushie of a sea bunny. 

 

“Nonsense! Suibian has a good personality!” she mused.

 

“So, what’s its name?”

 

“Mici!” she smiled.

 

“Like the frozen snack?” Nie HuaiSang asked.

 

“Yes!” she beamed. 

 

“It really does look like one. Wei-jie, you always have such good naming sense. Even Suibian strangely suits the other plush.” he replied.

 

“I’m glad you agree. Jiang Cheng didn’t like it when I named him that!” she mused. “But ah, I saw Mici and fell in love with her immediately!” she smiled. “After that, Da-ge bought it for me, even though I asked him not to.” she laughed. “He’s really so impossible.” she sighed.

 

“That’s because he’s smitten with you. Who would have thought though? The many times I’ve seen him during the meetings, I never saw him as that sort of person. If you didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t have believed you!” Nie HuaiSang exclaimed.

 

“I’m glad that he’s kind to me. He could have been unkind.” she said quietly.

 

“Yeah, I’m glad for you too.” he replied.

 

“Uh- H-Hey, WuXian.” a new voice interrupted them. Wei Ying had to blink when she saw that it was none other than Jin ZiXuan.

 

“Jin ZiXuan?” she said uncertainly.

 

“Could you possibly- Do you- Are you free after school today?” he stumbled as he looked at her.

 

“Yes? I’m not working today.” she replied.

 

“It’s about A-Li… I would like to buy her something as a gift.” he continued.

 

“Oh, how delightful! Shijie would be so happy.” she smiled.

 

“Would you be alright with joining me in picking out a present for her?” he asked nervously. Wei Ying could see that he was fidgeting. Oh, this was rather sweet. He was so nervous over Jiang YanLi, he really did adore her. It warmed Wei Ying’s heart.

 

“Okay, I’ll go with you. Let me just tell my ride home that I don’t need one today.” she beamed.

 

“Don’t you ride with Jiang WanYin?” Jin ZiXuan asked curiously, rather surprised.

 

“No, not since last year.” she replied.

 

“O-Oh. I’m sorry…” he replied.

 

“It’s fine, you didn’t know.” she smiled.

 

“Th-Thank you!” he said quickly. “See you after school, Mi-WuXian.” he said before quickly running off.

 

She laughed. Boys were so weird.

 

 

“No, for the millionth time, you’re not buying a whole new cooking set for my shijie!” Wei Ying sighed in exasperation as she rubbed her temples to calm herself down. These Jins and their money. Admittedly, Wen Xu did recently book out an entire aquarium for a day and they weren’t even dating. So, this was sort of minimum. 

 

“But you just mentioned that A-Li loves cooking!” Jin ZiXuan said, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

 

“Shijie also loves baking, sewing, knitting and playing the piano. Are you going to buy a whole baking set, the full works for sewing and knitting and also a whole ass piano for her?” she replied in exasperation. When Jin ZiXuan moved to head to the baking department, Wei Ying grabbed him and yanked him back. “No, don’t even think about it!” she cried. 

 

“Then what am I supposed to give her? I want to buy things that are practical for her.” he grumbled. 

 

“Do you think us girls always want something practical?” she asked incredulously. “Even if you buy something nice, it’ll still be seen as a nice gesture.”

 

“What would you want Lan WangJi to buy for you?” Jin ZiXuan suddenly, catching Wei Ying off guard. So much so that she almost tripped on nothing while walking alongside him. 

 

“You too?” she sighed. “Am I really that obvious?” she frowned. 

 

“It took a while for me to see it, but how you treat him is different. But if one didn’t know you enough, they wouldn’t know. Still, there’s nothing wrong with that. Lan WangJi is plenty popular with the girls, I’m not surprised.” he replied. “So, what would you want him to buy for you?”

 

“You’re asking the wrong person.” she answered quietly. The answer was anything. Anything from Lan Zhan would mean the world to her. But she wouldn’t ask or dream of it. After all, it wasn’t like she would live long enough to think about wanting anything. “The truth is, anything he buys for me, I would love.” she replied. 

 

“I want something long-lasting, I don’t want it to be a throwaway because I don’t want A-Li to think that my feelings are but a passing thought. You know... with how everything was before and all...” he said awkwardly. 

 

Jin ZiXuan was surprisingly sweet underneath all that bold and proud attitude. He was secretly rather romantic. She had heard rumours that Jin-shushu had a wandering eye. She had heard Jiang Cheng repeat those rumours. She never quite noticed it herself, besides, it wasn’t like she would judge someone based on rumours. Not to mention, Jin-shushu was just so kind to her, he wouldn't do such a thing. However, perhaps Jin ZiXuan would be different. He won’t have a wandering eye like his father supposedly had. 

 

“That’s really sweet.” Wei Ying said sincerely. It was then she was struck with an idea. “I know something she’d like and use a lot of!” she smiled. 

 

 

“I’m so glad I asked you and not WanYin.” Jin ZiXuan said next to her as she happily ate her crepe. 

 

“I did get told that I’m better at the delicate things.” she mused from in between bites of her crepe. 

 

“Don’t speak with your mouth full, it’s unsightly for a girl.” Jin ZiXuan said. 

 

“Ai, I think you forget who you’re talking to. Last time I remember, I wasn’t considered a girl by anyone that goes to our school.” she huffed.

 

“But you dress more like a girl now, maybe you should start acting closer to one.” Jin ZiXuan said. 

 

Wei Ying shrugged. “What is being a girl anyway? I’ve given up trying to be a girl that society expects me to be. As long as I see myself as a girl then everyone’s opinion doesn’t matter. Besides, even someone as prim and proper as Lan Zhan doesn’t scrutinise me for such things, so why should you?” she huffed. 

 

“I apologise.” Jin ZiXuan said. 

 

“It’s fine, I don’t mind! No offence taken!” she laughed. 

 

“No, for everything. I apologise for joining in on the teasing, for saying such cruel things to you. I shouldn’t have followed ZiXun’s behaviour or listened to my Mother’s cruel words about you. For that, I apologise.”

 

“While I appreciate your apology, it’s in the past now. We can only look towards the future.” she replied.

 

Jin ZiXuan said nothing in reply, only stared down at his phone. It was then, she noticed it. She hadn’t meant to snoop, but she had just managed to glance it at the moment. On his phone screen, with Snapshot open, was Suibian and Mici on his feed. When Jin ZiXuan caught her looking, he visibly went red.

 

“D-Don’t take this the wrong way, WuXian!” he cried, his face completely aghast.

 

“Jin ZiXuan, I don’t know who told you this, but grown boys are allowed to like soft toys.” she mused. “I’m not judging you, honestly.”

 

“Well that’s good. Honestly, it’s genius to use an ugly plush with a bit of charm to bring in the views.” he mused.

 

“It is, isn’t it?” Wei Ying mused. Deciding that because of how caring he was towards Jiang YanLi, she was fine with letting him on the secret.

 

In the end, they had picked out a beautiful jewellery set for Jiang YanLi. While the Jins preferred gold, Jin ZiXuan had trusted Wei Ying’s suggestion at silver and purple jade. The necklace, earrings and bracelet all designed to look like flowered lotuses sitting on the water’s surface. She felt that a jewellery set from Jin ZiXuan would be something Jiang YanLi would appreciate more over cooking sets or practical things. Sometimes it’s the materialistic things that mattered when it came to gifts. It wasn’t that Jiang YanLi was materialistic, but being given jewellery by a loved one was a different feeling to buying it for yourself.

 

Seeing how he was willing to try and understand her justifications and ultimately did understand them, she felt that he was a good match for her shijie. She was glad this change had happened with the couple.

 

“Wanna know a secret?” Wei Ying mused.

 

“Is it a bad secret?” Jin ZiXuan asked curiously, yet at the same time, trying to hide his curiosity.

 

“Hm, depends on how you look at it.” she mused as she opened up her snapshot, tapping away at the screen and pulling up Suibian’s Snapshot page.

 

“Oh… Oh!” he exclaimed when he made the connection. “Then you…” he gasped.

 

“Nah, Jiang Cheng was the one who made it. I just saw the charm in it and decided to make an account. It’s not like my life itself is interesting enough to post anything about, but stuff toys, people just love that stuff.” she mused.

 

“That’s understandable.” he replied.

 

“Are you going to unfollow, now that you know the truth?” she asked.

 

“No, I think I would like to see the new adventures Suibian gets up to with that sea pig.” he replied.

 

“It’s not a pig! It’s a sea bunny!” she frowned, offended on Mici’s behalf.

 

“Oh… now that you mention it, it does look like one.” he replied in realisation.

 

She laughed, amusement in her voice. “I suppose it does look like a pig.” 

 

She wondered if she could even call him a peacock anymore.

 

 

Summer passed by quickly for Wei Ying. It wasn’t anything special of note. She had some days off where she spent them with Nie HuaiSang, Meng Yao and occasionally Lan Zhan. Jin ZiXuan even came over sometimes, not just to see Jiang YanLi, but to see Wei Ying too. Of course, the Wen brothers of the head family were a constant as she worked there. Wen Xu often helped her out, sometimes he would be away due to his work. However, his younger brother, Wen Chao was vastly unhelpful, often there to distract her or the place. He often was just there to show her memes and mess around, it wasn’t until Wen Qing would come around and reprimand him that he would leave. Occasionally, Wen Ning would politely shoo him away, especially when it was during July, the most popular time for love readings. Wei Ying didn’t mind this too much, sometimes she thought was Wen Chao funny, entertaining even. His way of attempting to pick up girls at the shrine was seen as silly in her eyes. He really hadn’t changed when it came to that. She would often deter him by telling him that he was going to receive a text from his girlfriend that he still hadn’t broken up with. One thing Wei Ying thought was odd though was the amount of random stray dogs that have appeared during her working hours. Luckily, Wen Chao was always there to scare them away, occasionally it was Wen Xu. Wen Xu had brought up his suspicions over it, but there was never actual proof, so it wasn’t like he could do anything about it. Wei Ying didn’t think much of it, after all, there were plenty of random rabbits and birds that came flooding into the area on the occasion. At least someone was always around to shoo it away. 

 

So her summer passed just like that. At least it would seem that Jiang Cheng hadn’t said anything to Madame Yu, then again, he was pretty busy with his training. She barely saw him so she always left it at that. There wasn’t really anything they could fix between them as the last time he left, he had the same look he did back when he was accused of cheating. So she left it, there wasn’t anything she could say to make it better anyway. 

 

The Jins always threw a massive party before school started. Something about starting the new year with a bang for the kids. She didn’t understand it, but she used to look forward to them since Jin-shushu would always use that occasion to give her a tonne of gifts. Back then when she wasn’t allowed to be in touch with the feminine side of things, it was special to her, so naturally, this summer was no different. Last year, after the whole scandal, she wasn’t allowed to attend. She had understood, but Jin-shushu had somehow managed to deliver the gifts to her when the family was out. It was a relief for Wei Ying as she knew that the Wens would have been there. 

 

The only difference this year was that she was fine with the Wens, but she would have to keep her distance from them so there would be no suspicions. The other was, well, she was permitted to wear nice clothes. Nie HuaiSang had now fancied himself her personal dresser, dragging her over to his to get her ready, so as a result, she arrived with the Nies and before the Jiangs. 

 

“Man, even I may be jealous of the Second Brother of Lan.” Wen Chao made his presence known next to her while at the beverage table. “Wei Ying, don’t dance with too many boys tonight, won’t you? Us boys can be animals around pretty girls like you.” he mused. “Oh, pour me a coke too, won’t you?”

 

“No, you can pour your own drink, Wen Chao. If you really want to flirt with me, you should be the one pouring my drink for me.” she huffed, still pouring him a glass regardless.  

 

“Man, you’re such a tough one aren’t you? Well, at least I’ll be reassured that no one will be harassing you tonight.” he mused. “But watch out for that Jin ZiXun. He’s a slimy and greasy one.” he said. 

 

“Funny that, considering that some people like to say that about you.” she mused back. “By the way, have you broken up with your girlfriend yet?” 

 

“Why do you always have to call me out like that, Wei Ying?” he huffed.

 

“I wouldn’t be me if I don’t do such a thing though, would I?” she laughed. “Anyway, as much as I enjoy hanging out with you, people will notice.” she stated.

 

“Mm, you have a point. I’ll see you tomorrow anyway.” he replied casually and quietly so that no one would hear them.

 

“See you tomorrow. Break up with your girlfriend.” she mused.

 

Instead of retorting, he just padded away quickly. Wei Ying happily brought her own drink with her as she walked through the room.

 

“Ah, A-Xian! I heard you came with MingJue-xiong instead. How delightful to see you here with us this time!” said a voice she was very much familiar with.

 

“Jin-shushu!” she said happily as she pranced over to him, drink in hand. “I was just on my way to greet you.” she beamed when she reached the man, who was standing in the middle of the hall. Without hesitation, she set her glass down, embracing the older man as he happily returned her affections. He always smelt of fancy perfume, something she heard others sneer about behind the man’s back. However, for her, the smell of the perfume was a comfort, it reminded her of somewhere safe, someone that she adored.

 

“My, you’ve grown so much since I’ve last seen you! So ladylike now!” he smiled when they broke their embrace. “Those tea ceremony lessons have been doing well for you, haven’t they?” he continued as he cupped her face with a hand. “Come, A-Xian, before Madame Yu sees what I’ve got for you.” he said quietly as he took her hand and began to lead the way.

 

She followed behind him, happily allowing him to lead her through the twists and turns of the Koi Manor hallways. Centuries ago, it was called ‘Koi Tower’, however, for sake of modern times, they changed the name to ‘Koi Manor’. It was such a beautiful place. Many of her memories were also woven into the crevices of this place. Jin GuangShan’s fondness for her meant that he would take whatever opportunity to lead her around the place, give her an exclusive tour of the place. He also always brought her to the kitchen to treat her to snacks and food he knew she loved. Some of the other secret places of Koi Manor were shown to her by Meng Yao. When they both wanted time away from other people’s sneering and jeering looks.

 

“Ai, A-Xian, you growing up may become such a problem for Jin-shushu.” she heard the man sigh forlornly.

 

“Why ever would you say such a thing, Jin-shushu?”

 

“I may not be able to treat A-Xian as a child anymore.” he sighed once more. “Then again, A-Xian was always so mature for her age, so understanding and so good with secrets.” he said as he cupped her cheek with his hand once more.

 

“Fourteen is an important age, but fifteen will be even more important.” he continued. “Then there’s sixteen.” he said. “You must be careful, A-Xian. Boys are wolves around a sweet young lady like you. I don’t want them to hurt you with their claws.” he said as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

 

It was odd, Wen Chao had remarked something similar, not exactly the same but similar. Were boys really such vultures? Surely, the pristine and respectable Lan WangJi was different. She knew he wouldn’t act this way towards her. In fact, he had had many moments he could have. The ‘dates’ they went on and the ghost hunting incident could have given him the perfect opportunity. Wei Ying was strong physically, but Lan Zhan was stronger and she knew that. Yet, he had been nothing but gentlemanly towards her.  

 

“Yes, Jin-shushu. A-Xian will be more careful.” she replied indulgently, sighing happily as the man pet her on the head.

 

“A-Xian, come study under my Sect, won’t you? Madame Yu is too harsh on you, you don’t need to juggle a job and lessons at such an age. Koi Manor has everything you can have, A-Xian. Just say the word and I will provide for you.” he said.

 

“It’s alright, Jin-shushu. You don’t need to do such things for A-Xian. The fact that you’re always so kind to me already means a lot to me. Besides, Madame Jin would not be pleased to hear such a thing. I’d rather not cause conflict between the two of you.” she replied.

 

“Ai, A-Xian. My sweet, naive A-Xian. You’re always so thoughtful of others.” the man said as he cupped her cheek with one hand once again. “Madame Jin is nothing to worry about, besides, ZiXuan and Meng Yao are fond of you, they’ll look after you. Don’t think I didn’t notice that ZiXuan’s recently been kinder towards you. I’m glad he’s finally seen some sense, now if only ZiXun would treat you better.” he remarked.

 

“No, Jin-shushu. A-Xian is fine. A-Xian appreciates and is grateful to Jin-shushu for such an amazing offer, however, the Jiangs took me in, they gave me a purpose and saved me from what could have been my death. I could never leave them like this, I hope Jin-shushu understands.” she replied.

 

The man smiled at her fondly, pulling her closer, his arm around her waist. He held her like this often, in fact, he was always rather affection towards Wei Ying. “A-Xian is always so caring and sweet. Jin-shushu hopes that you never lose this part of you. Alright, I’ll give it a rest, pretend I didn’t say anything, won’t you? This old man is just rambling.” he mused.

 

“Yes, Jin-shushu. But Jin-shushu is anything but an old man.” she pouted.

 

“Always the flatterer, A-Xian.” the man mused, petting her head once more. “Come, the night is still young, spend more time with Jin-shushu before you have to be busy at school again, won’t you?” he said as he took her hand in his.

 

“Yes, of course.” she beamed, happily following behind him.

 

 

When they had returned, there were more guests. Because of that, Wei Ying retreated outside with Meng Yao while gorging herself on dumplings and other snacks they had left out in the buffet.

 

“A-Ying should go become a commercial actress. One that only advertises for food and restaurants.” Meng Yao mused as he watched her happily finish her last dumpling. 

 

“A-Yao! You’re teasing me!” she huffed as she took the napkin he offered her, wiping her mouth with it.

 

“I’m not, A-Ying always looks so cute when she eats, not to mention, you make me hungry just watching you eat even though I’ve eaten my fill. You can achieve anything if you set your mind on it, A-Ying.” he said as he pinched her cheek.

 

She may have believed him, if not for her own very destiny was controlled by the Gods in the skies above them. The very Gods that have chosen to forsake the humans by choosing her as their Oracle. They should have honestly chosen Jiang Cheng as their Oracle. Then things would be easier, much easier for them all. However, she would rather not have him die, yet, she felt that it was due to her own negligence that such a thing even happened in the first place. There was no one else to blame but her, this was the single path she had to take. But knowing that her death meant that everyone else would be safe, she was fine with this choice. She was composed for this.

 

“Hm, now that you put it that way, perhaps you do speak some sense, A-Yao.” she smiled.

 

“Mr. Jin, here’s the food you requested.” a staff member appeared, holding a tray with a few plates of bao in them. 

 

“Thank you very much, Miss Yun. However, please, call me ‘Mr. Meng’, or even just by ‘Meng Yao’. I’m not a Jin.” he replied as she set the tray of food on the table in between them.

 

“This humble servant will remember that for next time, Mr. Meng.” she said quickly before disappearing once more.

 

“Go on and dig in, A-Ying.” A-Yao said with a smile on his face.

 

“Ai, you! When did you ask for this? So sneaky!” she chided. Despite this, she still reached for the food.

 

“I know that A-Ying would want more food after that round we had just now. Besides, you can never quite say no to the lotus paste ones.” he smiled.

 

“Ai, I just hate it when you’re right.” she pouted as she bit into one, enjoying the sweet filling inside it.

 

“There you are, you little whore!” cried a shrill voice, interrupting the peace between Meng Yao and her.

 

“I see that you’re now working your petty moves on an illegitimate son of the Jins.” sneered Wang LingJiao as she wrinkled her nose at Wei Ying. In response, Wei Ying just ignored her and carried on eating her bun.

 

“You! How dare you ignore me! Do you know who I am?” she screeched at her.

 

“Wen Chao’s girlfriend or something like that.” she mumbled half-heartedly as she continued to eat her bun.

 

“Don’t you say his name with that disgusting mouth of yours!” she cried as she smacked the bun out of her hand.

 

“How rude, I was eating that.” she sighed. “Why aren’t you spending time with him anyway?”

 

“How dare you ask me such things when you’ve been worming your way into his life! First, getting car rides from him, then now, working at his shrine and eating dinner at his house?!” she screamed.

 

Wei Ying was thankful that no one was there to hear any of this, or this would have been terrible. She knew for a fact that Meng Yao already knew and he hadn’t told anyone about it for months now. She didn’t know how the other found out, but she really wasn’t too fussed. It wasn’t like she was doing anything indecent.

 

“We’re friends.” she stated flatly. “Last time I checked, you’re allowed to have friends of the opposite gender.” she replied.

 

“That’s because for the longest time you had such a flat chest that many of us thought you were a boy. But now you’re going around flaunting your legs and your chest, I suggest you learn some etiquette and lay your filthy hands off of other people’s boyfriends.” she said.

 

“We’re friends, Wang LingJiao. Nothing more, nothing less. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him. The contract to work at the shrine, I signed with his Father. It was his Father that hired me, so if you have so many problems with that, why don’t you speak to Mr. Wen about it? In fact, he’s just right inside. Would you like me to come with you for an extra morale boost?” she mused.

 

“You! Just you wait! I’m going to destroy your life!” she cried. “Madame Yu is also inside, I can just tell her.” 

 

“With all due respect, Miss Wang, I don’t think Madame Yu would believe it if it came from your mouth.” Meng Yao spoke up as he passed a plate of lotus paste buns to Wei Ying, it would seem that he was tired of her words and empty threats too.

 

Wei Ying happily took the plate and started eating one, walking a distance away from the two, taking the passing of the plate as a hint to just leave and he’ll handle it. So she did.

 

After a while of walking, she decided to take a seat by a viewing area, admiring the stars in the sky. However, the tranquil moment was quickly interrupted by someone sitting next to her and taking a bun off of the plate.

 

“Hey, A-Yao gave those to me.” she said, a frown on her face.

 

“I’m aware, he always does things like that. Really though, Wei WuXian, you’re of a higher ranking than him on the social ladder, you really shouldn’t be spending any time around him.” sneered the other who was sitting next to her.

 

“And pray tell who I should be hanging out with instead?” she asked flatly as she moved the plate towards herself and away from the other, causing the other to make an offended sound.

 

“You’ve really bloomed in the past year, I was thinking we could hang out sometime. You know, like a date?” the other mused, a smirk on his face.

 

She frowned, staring at the gaudily dressed teen. So that’s why he was here, to ask her out on a date. She hated that Wen Chao was right, it would seem that he was onto something about the other.

 

“Jin ZiXun, with all due respect. Prior to this year, you treated me as lower than the ground beneath your feet, like I was a passing thought or that I didn’t exist. Now that you’ve seen this version of me that you deem your taste, you suddenly see me as something, well, I refuse. I wouldn’t even be an acquaintance if you begged me.” she replied, getting up with her plate of buns and striding off.

 

“You’ll regret this!” she heard him cry from behind her.

 

 

Little did she know, he was right. She would come to regret it, but not in the way he thought that she would.

 

It had been a regular day, she had come home from her tea ceremony lesson. Everything had been fine, she was excited to start the school year again.

 

Unfortunately, what was waiting for her at home was less than pleasant.

 

“I’ve always wondered how you were able to get back home so quickly despite using public transport.” Madame Yu greeted her with as she stepped into the house.

 

“Madame Yu.” she greeted, bowing as usual, a bit confused but didn’t think anything else of it despite this odd greeting.

 

“Wei WuXian, you really are something. How long do you think you can lie to us like this? How long did you think you would get away with all of this?” she said coldly.

 

“I’m sorry, Madame Yu. I don’t follow.” she replied quietly as she stayed bowing.

 

“Jin ZiXun was so kind and vigilant to inform Madame Jin with some information that he had learned. It was a good thing too, or we may have continued to let you eat our food, waste our water and electric fees none the wiser this whole time.” she spat. “And do you know what that information may be, Wei WuXian?” she asked coldly.

 

“Please enlighten this one, Madame Yu.” she replied, still bowing, knowing that it was better to let her voice her grievances rather than interject.

 

“You’ve been working for the Wens of all people. Lying to us all this time, saying you’ve found work, but really, you probably were slacking off all this time and wasting your time with Wen Chao. You might as well go ask Wen RuoHan to go adopt you now, you little wench!” she hissed as she stepped closer. “Jiang FengMian has spoilt you far too much.” she cried as she slapped Wei Ying hard across the face, the sheer force of it and also her not expecting it completely knocked her onto the ground.

 

“My Lady, please. This is far too much.” Jiang-shushu who had been there the whole time said as he stepped forward to stop her from hitting Wei Ying once again.

 

“Look at you! Still defending her at this moment! It’s because of your careless behaviour that she’s like this!” she cried.

 

“Please, I’m sure A-Xian has a good explanation as to why she’s working at the Wen shrine.” Jiang-shushu said calmly, trying to ease the situation.

 

“Jiang-shushu, please. It’s fine.” Wei Ying said quietly and calmly. She quickly bowed again, this time, before the two of them. 

 

“You’ve taken me in since I was a child, fed me and made sure I was clothed. You saved me from dying on the streets and I will forever be grateful towards the both of you for such a favour. However, my thoughtlessness in accepting such a position at the Wen shrine has caused you problems. Madame Yu, please do with me as you see fit as punishment.” she said.

 

“Punishment? Ha! There will be no punishment, Wei WuXian!” Madame Yu scoffed. “Pack your things and get out. I expect you to be gone by tomorrow morning.” she said coldly.

 

“My Lady, please! A-Xian is a child still! We can’t throw her out onto the streets like this!” Jiang FengMian said quickly, distressed.

 

“Let her learn that the world is cruel and that no one would be as hospitable and kind as us. We’ve wasted enough time and resources on her all these years, like she said, she was lucky to have us to take her in.” she replied coldly.

 

“Yu ZiYuan-” Jiang-shushu began.

 

“Jiang-shushu, please.” Wei Ying interrupted. “I’ll be fine. I have some money saved up, please don’t worry about me.” she said. “I thank you both for giving me a chance at a second life and wish you both well.” she said. “Rest assured, I will be out of your hair by sunrise tomorrow.” she replied.

 

“Since the first term’s tuition fee is paid for, you might as well go to school, however, you’ll have to think of something for the rest of year.” Madame Yu replied. “Perhaps Wen RuoHan can pay for your school fees if you plead with him nicely enough.” she sneered.

 

“Yes, Madame Yu.” she replied.

 

“Get out of my sight.” the woman replied with a scoff.

 

And that was how her new year at school began. She hadn’t seen it coming, ironically, however, she wasn’t bothered by it. She was determined to make the most of it as she knew she had to. At this point, she was counting months. Soon, it will be weeks, then just days.  

 

So, she packed her things, thankful for the first time that she didn’t have many possessions and that most of her nice clothes were at HuaiSang’s and also at the Wen shrine. She had already arranged with HuaiSang to stay the night at his, after that, she will figure out things from there on. It’ll be alright, she had to make the most of this.

 

After all, she was on borrowed time.

Notes:

Let me know what you think~

Chapter 7: Rumble ~ 搖顫

Notes:

Before we begin, I would like to warn you that the warnings do apply to this chapter. If you are triggered by it, please don't read it and any nasty comments will be met with nasty replies.

A.N: I know, I know… I haven’t uploaded for two weeks. I’ve been quite busy as I took a holiday and have been pretty preoccupied with things. I thought I would have time to upload but I got too busy spending some quality time with my family as I haven’t seen them in months. So… I’m back and back to doing the two uploads a week thing.

Thank you for being patient with me!

“Shijie, please. It’s fine! I’ll be fine!” she sighed for the millionth time as Jiang YanLi smothered her with food and extra money.


“Nonsense, you’re my meimei. How could I leave you to live alone like this without giving you a means of getting back up on your feet when I can do so?” she cried. “Please, A-Xian. I’m sure A-Xuan will be able to help. Let us help you.” she said, her eyes filled with sadness.


“I’ll be fine, shijie. I don’t want to trouble Jin-shushu or his family.” Wei Ying said as she took the older girl’s hands with hers. “Mr. Wen is good to me, he pays me well because I’m friends with his son. So don’t worry, alright? Besides, this is a nice place. He had an acquaintance that had this place free.” she continued.


Beside her, Jiang Cheng wasn’t so attentive, he had an overgrowing sour look on his face that seemed to increase with each minute that passed by.


“I told you that it wouldn’t end well, Wei WuXian.” he said abruptly.


To others, it would be harsh, however, Wei Ying knew otherwise. Despite the hurt and anger Jiang Cheng had felt initially, he hadn’t told his mother nor did he try to stop her from going to work. She was grateful for that much, he could have outed her at any given point and he had chosen not to, therefore, Wei Ying was grateful.


“A-Cheng.” Jiang YanLi from beside him chided as she put a hand on his.


“No, shijie, Jiang Cheng isn’t wrong.” she said gently. “It wasn’t a smart choice, I have no good or logical reasons for this. All I have is the trust that someone’s apology was one that was meant truthfully and my own judgement.” she said quietly.


“While I understand that, A-Cheng needs to learn to be more sensitive to other’s feelings. He is to be the Oracle. The Oracle can’t act like this.” Jiang YanLi said. “A-Cheng, you’re going to be presenting yourself to the world next year, you can’t act like this. You have to try and be understanding towards others. The Oracle was made to be the bridge between humans and the Gods. If you don’t try to understand others, then your job isn’t done correctly.” she said gently as she squeezed Jiang Cheng’s hand. “And you, A-Xian. You need to stop rejecting our help. I don’t care that A-Niang threw you out, you are still my meimei at the end of the day. Please, if you need anything, let me help you.” she said.


“Don’t worry, shijie, I will.” Wei Ying replied, a weak smile on her face.


“Call me Jiejie. We’re not related by blood, but you are family to me, you’ll always be my meimei.” Jiang YanLi, the angel she was, said as she placed her hands on Wei Ying’s shoulders. “A-Xian, A-jie is sorry that she couldn’t do enough for you. This shouldn’t be happening but I’m so powerless to stop it. But please, let me help you when I can, please promise me to let me help you.” she said gently.


“I promise that I will let you help me if I need it, Sh-Jiejie.” Wei Ying replied.


“It’s getting late.” Jiang YanLi said regretfully. “We must return, but A-Xian, promise you’ll still have New Year’s Eve dinner with us.” she said.


“Yes, I promise.” she replied.


“Ah, I must take this phone call. A-Cheng, help your Jiejie with her items, won’t you?” Jiang YanLi said as headed outside, without giving either of them a chance to respond to her.


“Thank you for never telling Madame Yu about my job situation when you discovered it.” she said earnestly, locking eyes with the other.


“Why are you thanking me like an idiot? You got found out in the end! Why didn’t you just stay in Jin ZiXun’s good graces? It would have been fine otherwise!” he huffed angrily, looking away.


Wei Ying wanted to laugh. Jiang Cheng was still being tough during a time like this.


“So you’d rather I go on a date with him instead?” she mused.


“Wait, is that what he asked of you?” Jiang Cheng asked in surprise and disgust at the same time.


“Gross, right?” she mused. “Still, what luck to have him overhear Wang LingJiao screaming at me over a situation that her boyfriend is too much of a coward to solve.” she sighed.


“Wait, they’re not doing well as a couple?” Jiang Cheng asked curiously.


“Yeah, it’s been like that since the start of this year. He just seems a bit tired of her, it’s hard to describe it.” she replied.


“Stop that.”Jiang Cheng said quickly.


“I-I’m not doing anything.” Wei Ying said quietly.


“That’s exactly it, you’re not doing anything. You’re not teasing me lightly about anything, you’re not playfully annoying me like you used to. Are you even the same Wei WuXian I grew up with?” Jiang Cheng said.


“I-I want you to tease me.” Jiang Cheng stumbled when he was met with silence, his face flustered.


“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Wei Ying replied. “You heard Jiejie, you’re going to present next year. You were correct when you told me before that I’m your guard. I intend to stay as your guard but it’ll be better to have a professional relationship.” she continued. “I know that Madame Yu will replace my role soon anyway. She will most likely ask MingJue-ge to take my place. I don’t mind though, he was meant to be a guard for the Oracle from day one, I swear.”


“What will you do then? Are you just going to give up like that? You’ve always tried to achieve the impossible, I don’t believe this.” Jiang Cheng replied. “You’ve never just quit. This isn’t like you.” he scrutinised. “Are you just going to work for the Wen shrine?”


“I think for now I will. I just feel like it’s best to work with what I have so far.” Wei Ying replied.


“Why don’t you just quit your job? If you do, I’m sure A-Niang will let you come back.” he said, almost begging.


“Jiang Cheng, it’ll be alright. I’m fine like this. I’ll be fine with the job I have.” Wei Ying smiled. It was a fake smile but it had to be. This would be the perfect opportunity to keep her distance. That way when she disappeared no one would be aware. They would just think she was off on an adventure somewhere.


“I think given the circumstances, I’ve been pretty lucky. Once I earn enough money, I’m going to go backpacking and travel the world.” she smiled.


“You’re going to just abandon your duties like this? You’re going to abandon me?!” Jiang Cheng cried harshly.


She hadn’t meant it like that, but it was taken like that. So it wasn’t like she could take it back now. However, perhaps it would be easier for him to let go if she had worked with his thoughts.


“Jiang Cheng, I’ve never thought of abandoning you. However, given the situation, I don’t deserve the position as your guard. Not to mention, this wasn’t my first mistake. MingJue-ge is much more qualified and wiser than I am. Please, don’t be upset about this.” she said as she reached out to wipe away the tears she can see gathering in his eyes. He had always been like this, even when young. Whenever he said something horrid to her, he’d be crying himself, far away from her. That was why she didn’t mind him taking it out on her. He had his own grievances too.


“Shut up! Just admit you’ve abandoned me! That you’ve betrayed me for the Wen family!” he cried as he smacked her hand away. “You’re just like everyone else! Bought by money!” he cried. “I’m glad A-Niang weeded you out before you officially became my guard!” he huffed as he turned around and ran out of the small flat.


It hadn’t ended the way she had hoped, however, it was an end regardless. She was glad in one way, however, the tears in her eyes and the pain in her chest said otherwise. But, it was done now, there was no way to change it.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that you won’t let me hit him, I would have hit him for you!” Wen Chao cried as Wei Ying leant her head against the wall in her new room, sat on her bed with Suibian and Mici pulled up against her chest.


“He knocked you out with a punch last time and besides, you can’t even break up with your girlfriend.” she mused as she stared at the blank wall.


“I should have been there with you.” Wen Chao said, strangely sensitively.


“It’s my fault really. I shouldn’t have let them help me ‘move house’.” she said quietly. “But Jiejie was so insistent, I had to say ‘yes’.” she sighed. “Still, I have to thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to find a place to live, not to mention fake the other place I’m currently living in.” she said.


“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t need a place to live in in the first place.” Wen Chao replied as he passed her a cup of tea.


“It’s not your fault.” Wei Ying replied, taking the cup from him. “I’m grateful that your Father was so generous to open this room up for me and how you decorated it to my tastes, you didn’t have to. I would have been fine even living in the hut in the shrine, honestly.” she smiled as she sipped her tea carefully.


“Of course not! You’re a friend of mine, besides, you’re practically part of our family now. You have dinner with us so often and even our disciples adore you, Wei Ying. Father is pleased that the shrine has been thriving. This is but a little gesture of appreciation from him.” Wen Chao replied.


“Thank you all the same.” she replied, draining her cup. “I’m just so grateful that I even have a place to be. Also that you were so stubborn in asking me to come live here.” she smiled.


“You’re impossible, Wei Ying! You never ask for help when you need it!” the other said. “But it’s your personality, so I understand. Still, that Jiang WanYin, I swear I could hit him!” he said darkly.


“Please don’t.” she replied. “I don’t want you to hurt him.”


“I won’t, only because you don’t want it. But all you need to do is say the word and I will!” he replied.


“T-thanks.” she said quietly.


“C-Can I give you a hug?” Wen Chao asked awkwardly.


She laughed lightly, he was sort of cute when he was awkward like this. In the adorable animal way or child way though.


“Of course.” she mused.


She felt him pull her into an embrace, his arms around her.


“Wei Ying, from now on, if you need something, don’t be afraid to ask. You need to learn that you matter too.” he replied as he continued to embrace her.


Suddenly, the door opened.


“Oh, what’s this? Ai, didi, how awful of you! You haven’t even broken up with your girlfriend yet and you’re making moves on YingYing?” he mock gasped in scandalisation.


“Shut up!” Wen Chao cried as he quickly pulled away from Wei Ying.


She laughed. The dynamic between the brothers was always so odd to her, but after a while, she had begun to enjoy their dynamic.


“Children, please.” she mused.


“Come with me, YingYing. We’re going out for dinner.” Wen Xu said.


“Just you and me? What about your brother and Father?” she asked.


“Father is busy and as for my brother, he will come when he breaks up with his girlfriend.” he mused. “Plus, I owe you a dinner.” he laughed.


“I’m going to tell Father about this and he will ban you from seeing Wei Ying! She’s my friend!” Wen Chao huffed.


“ChaoChao, you can’t be like this! You don’t own friends!” Wen Xu replied in amusement.


“ChaoChao, please, Da-ge is only teasing.” Wei Ying mused back, joining in on the banter. “Plus, your girlfriend’s going to text you soon, asking for dinner tonight, so your dinner’s occupied!” she laughed.


Wen Chao flushed red, huffed and grumbled, then looked away.


“I better prepare.” he grumbled as he started to leave the room.


“YingYing, do me a favour won’t you?” Wen Xu said once it was just the two of them alone in the room.


“What is it, Da-ge?” she asked curiously.


“Next time, don’t let my didi hug you.” he said rather seriously. So seriously that it made Wei Ying concerned.


“Da-ge, please. I know he’s a womaniser, but he promised that we will only ever be friends.” she replied.


“YingYing, I understand that, but please, I beg of you to be careful and stay wary of him.” he replied.


“You’re thinking too deeply into it, Da-ge, but I will, don’t worry.” she smiled as the man pet her head affectionately. She leaned into his hand, embracing him.


“Da-ge, you’re going to spoil me.” she said fondly.


“I’m your Da-ge, after all.” he replied fondly as he returned her embrace. “I promised I’d spoil you.”


“You’re too good at this. But Da-ge, aren’t you being too biased? Wen Chao is your brother by blood, YingYing is a stray.” she replied.


“So what if you’re a stray? People take in stray cats all the time and stray cats are cute.” the man mused.


“How rude! Da-ge is comparing YingYing to a stray cat!” she huffed.


“YingYing’s not a stray cat. If anything, you’re more like a kitten to me, all cute and prickly.” he mused as he picked her up.


“H-hey! Put me down!” she cried in surprise.


“YingYing is too cute, besides, we’ll be late.” he mused.


“I wasn’t even ready yet!” she huffed.


“YingYing is plenty ready in this cute outfit.” he mused as he continued to walk out of the room with her.


“How rude!” Wei Ying grumbled. “Even Lan Zhan doesn’t dare do this to me and we’re close!” she huffed, yet she made no attempt to fight him.

“The second Jade of Lan is so lucky to have such a cute admirer.” Wen Chao remarked when she arrived to meet him at the dessert cafe he had mentioned the other day. She knew he was doing it since he felt guilty about the situation with the Jiangs, it was funny that he had felt such a way when it didn’t really concern him.


“Stop it with those comments. It’s those comments that I even ended up like this in the first place, I bet.” she huffed.


“It’s not your fault, Wei Ying. It’s my fault and JiaoJiao’s too.” he said. “Besides, I was just complimenting you. You don’t know how cute you look to others, or dare I say, pretty.” he replied.


“Thanks, but it feels weird being complimented by you.” she replied.


“Anyways, let’s order.” Wen Chao replied. “I heard their desserts are delicious.” he replied.


“Delicious and expensive too.” she replied.


“Oh, this is delicious and definitely worth the yuan, but I’m confused. Shouldn’t you be taking your girlfriend out to this?” she asked as she dug into her cake, enjoying the chocolate-filled layers.


“Should I? I don’t think she deserves it.” he replied darkly.


“What did she do now?” Wei Ying asked, confused as to what Wang LingJiao could have done to make Wen Chao act this way.


“There you are!” cried none other than Wang LingJiao. Cried was an understatement, it was more of a screech.


“Why are you here?” said Wen Chao rather coldly. It actually shocked Wei Ying to hear such a cold and harsh tone come out from the other. It had been a while, besides, she didn’t think she ever heard him address her that way, not even when he mocked her relentlessly.


“ChaoChao, how can you do this to me? How can you do this to us? Why are you out with this little whore? Don’t you know that she sidles with the rich heirs just to gain favours from them? You’re falling right into her trap!” she screeched once again. Wei Ying ignored her, just eating her cake. She felt that if she knew her own truth, then she was fine with it. What others thought of her were long ignored by her.




“Shut up.” Wen Chao replied coldly. “Don’t call me ‘ChaoChao’. You don’t deserve to do so. Also, we’re finished.” he continued harshly, not even sparing her a glance. Instead, he moved to push the extra dessert he had ordered towards Wei Ying, gesturing for her to have it.


“A-Are you breaking up with me?” Wang LingJiao gasped.


“Yes. I’m done with you. Actually, while you’re here, apologise to Wei Ying for what you’ve done.” he said coldly.


“Wen Chao, there’s no need.” Wei Ying said quickly. “It’s in the past now, it’s fine.” she replied.


“No, she will apologise.” he replied.


“Why should I apologise? What have I done to need to apologise for anything?” JiaoJiao cried. “Please, ChaoChao. You can’t just break up with me! We’re the perfect item! Do you know how it will look if you broke up with me right now?” she lamented. “Haven’t you heard the rumours? Can’t you see that the little whore is leading you on?” she cried, taking his arm.


“Look at you! Aren’t you pleased with yourself, you whore? Even ChaoChao is seduced by your disgusting behaviour! I knew you were trouble from the moment you put on that cheerleading outfit!” she cried, walking towards Wei Ying, about to strike her.


What happened next, Wei Ying didn’t expect. She had been fully prepared to just block her slap, however, a loud slap resounded in the air. By now, there was a crowd around them. She really hated this, she just knew someone was recording. The next thing she knew, Wang LingJiao was on the ground, holding her cheek. Wen Chao had gotten up from his seat. Seeing the scene and connecting the two, she knew that he had slapped her.


Wen Chao had slapped Wang LingJiao.


“Apologise to Wei Ying. Don’t think I didn’t know it was you who made her lose her home.” he replied. “You’ve also been spreading rumours about her at school, it was all you.” he said coldly.


“Why would I apologise to that whore? It’s her fault! If she wasn’t here getting into the good graces of all the heirs and leading them on, you wouldn’t be breaking up with me!” she cried. “Did you know that she’s even getting close with Meng Yao? Meng Yao of all people?” she cried.


This time, Wei Ying caught it in time. This time she stopped Wen Chao from slapping her.


“Please, there is no need.” she said. “We both know it isn’t true and there’s no point getting angered over such words, Wen Chao.” she said calmly. “Please don’t slap her. It’s not good to hit others.” she said firmly.


Seeing her face and demeanour, Wen Chao stopped and took a deep breath. “Fine. Only because you asked, Wei Ying. I’m surprised you’d be so kind to ask me not to. After all, she was the one that told Jin ZiXun.” he said as he glared at Wang LingJiao who was still on the floor.


“It would have eventually come out.” Wei Ying said. “As for you, Wang LingJiao, please focus your energy somewhere else. In case you’ve forgotten, girls and boys can be friends. I just happen to have a lot of friends that are male. Maybe you should get some friends for yourself.” she said. “Anyway, allow me to excuse myself, it’s too warm in here, I’m going to go out for some fresh air.” she said, walking away from the situation.

“I know you’re mad at me.” Wen Chao said as he sat on the swing next to her.


“You know I’m mad at you, yet you chose to follow me here.” she mused.


“I know I shouldn’t have slapped her. I’m sorry for my conduct in there.” Wen Chao began.


“But?” she replied, knowing there was a second-half to it.


“But I’m not sorry for slapping her. In fact, I’m shocked you didn’t. She ruined your life, she slandered your name and spread rumours about you!” he cried.


“It’s not worth it. It’s not like my life is bad after she ‘ruined’ it.” she replied. “I don’t mind living with you at all. It’s different from what I’ve known and grown up with. But it’s also nice.” she smiled. “Still, please don’t do that ever again. It’s not worth it.” she said, locking eyes with him.


“I’m sorry that I’ve disappointed you, Wei Ying. I won’t do such a thing again.” Wen Chao replied.


“It’s alright, as long as you know to do better. For a spoiled, rich Young Master, you’re making a lot of progress already.” she smiled.


“It’s because you’ve been inspiring me to be a better person.” he replied.


She grimaced and made a noise of uneasiness. “Did someone replace you? Are you an imposter?” she gasped. “Oh god, that was so cheesy, please don’t say that again!” she continued. “Even I’m embarrassed for you!”


“I know! I know! That was horrible! I won’t say it again!” Wen Chao replied. “Now, do you forgive me, Wei Ying?”


“Is my forgiveness so important to you, Wen Chao?” she mused.


“If I say ‘yes’ will that inflate your ego?” Wen Chao bit back.


She laughed. “I forgive you.”


“Good, good. I’m glad.” he replied nervously.


“I guess Da-ge owes you a meal.” she laughed. “You finally did it.”


He laughed as a response, “Yes, I finally did it.”

And so, peaceful days passed on like this. Wei Ying’s birthday came and went and her birthday came in the form of an over the top, grand celebration organised by Wen Chao. It was odd. She had not expected anything like this before this occasion, but she wasn’t going to complain. Her friendship with Wen Chao had become stronger and stronger. Her trust for him grew and she wasn’t sure if her judgement was the best, however, Wen Chao had changed as a person, he had even begun forming more solid friendships with the Wen disciples. Of course, Wei Ying always trained with them, Wen RuoHan encouraged her to keep her fighting abilities well polished and forever improving. She had also begun to train with Wen ZhuLiu too. It was heavily helpful to her as she could learn more. She didn’t think too much about it, just took advantage of the chances. After all, time was ticking away for her.


In terms of her relationship with the Wen head family, she felt like she could trust them. She liked being around them, it was always an odd time around them, but it also wasn’t too bad. Wen RuoHan was neither a fatherly figure or acted like an uncle that Jin-shushu or Jiang-shushu had been like in her life. However, she still respected him but also feared him since sometimes, something about how he spoke and quizzed her would take her by surprise. Apart from that, he still paid her generously, not to mention, made sure her accommodation was comfortable. She was also well-fed. All in all, she had no complaints.


Of course, Wen Xu was still the same. She would often spend time in his room and him at the shrine when she was working. He would always ask her about her opinions and would still tease her, asking her to use her divination on his cases while never actually meaning any of it. He still took her out to see her favourite places, spoiled and indulged in her, really, she was so grateful towards him.


Between her work life and whatever little was left of her school life, she spent time with her friends, but most importantly - Lan Zhan.


They had become closer, much closer than before. Her feelings for him were not dulling and she was afraid. She didn’t know how the other felt but according to others, he reciprocated her feelings. In another life, she would be pleased. But, in this life, it was bad news.


“He likes you.” Wen Xu had said once when she was casually lamenting about it to him. “Actually, ‘like’ is far too soft. He adores you, he hangs on every word you say. I can see it.”


“How do you know? It’s not like you see him and I together a lot. Unless you’re following us, Da-ge.” she had replied.


“I saw you two during the Jin banquet and not to mention, every time he comes to pick you up for your dates, I can see it in his eyes.” he had replied. “You have no idea how loved you are, YingYing. For the many that detest you, look down upon you, there are ones that adore you and would give the world for you. Please don’t ever forget that.”


“Well, are you going to tell him?” he had asked when after a while, Wei Ying didn’t reply.


“No. I can’t do that to him.” Wei Ying had replied.


“How about your happiness, YingYing? You deserve to be happy, you know that, right?” he had asked.


“It’s too cruel, Da-ge. I can’t do this to him.” she said.


“Come here.” Wen Xu had said kindly as he gestured for her to come over to him.


As soon as she was over there, Wen Xu had pulled her into a tight embrace.


“Are you sure that there’s no way to fix it?” he asked kindly as he looked at her.


“No. It’s been decided for me a long time ago, even before I was aware.” she had replied sadly.


“How cruel.” the man had responded, pulling her closer and petting her hair.


Wen Xu didn’t know about her end. He still didn’t. But she had a feeling that he knew. Perhaps that’s why he would always make sure she was happy, always made sure to indulge her and remind her that she mattered and is loved by many.


As much as Wei Ying wanted to let Lan Zhan know about her feelings, she couldn’t do that to him. It was too cruel. If they did become a couple and she had to disappear one day, she couldn’t imagine him alone and searching for her when she disappeared. However, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him. She felt that it was worse. Despite all of this, when Lan Zhan asked her to go to the planetarium with him, she had said yes without hesitation. Perhaps it was because how his hands trembled when he held their tickets in his hands when he had asked, or it was how he had bought a special day package so that she could spend as long as she wanted there, or it was just that he was Lan Zhan. In truth, Wei Ying could never say no to him. She loved him. She would give anything for him to be happy. This was why knowing that she could cause his sadness hurt her greatly.


“Wei Ying, why do you never dress like that when we go hang out together, hm?” Wen Chao asked as he saw her in the clothes she had chosen to go on her ‘date’ with Lan Zhan to the planetarium.


“I dress plenty nice, thank you very much.” she huffed. “I’m not going out on a date with you, am I?” she retorted.


“So it’s a date now to you, huh?” Wen Chao mused. “What happened to ‘no way it’s definitely not a date!’?” he mused.


“Let me have this one.” she huffed.


Wen Chao was generally fine with most things when it came to her, however, sometimes she felt that he didn’t like her hanging out with Lan Zhan. She didn’t know why, she just had a feeling. However, he never expressed it, so Wei Ying didn’t think too much about it.


“I’m trying to compliment you.” Wen Chao mused back. “I’m glad that it’s Lan WangJi that you’re going out with though. If it was anyone else. I’d be worried.” he replied.


“Wen Chao, you do realise that I’m not your average fifteen year old, right? I was trained to be a bodyguard and I still train with your bodyguard, not to mention the other Wen disciples.” she replied. “It’s hard for others to attack me.” she mused.


“I understand that, but can’t a friend worry?” he replied.


“I’m grateful for your worry over me, but I’ll be fine.” she smiled.


“I have to look out for you, you’re my friend after all.” he replied.


“Thank you for looking out for me.” she smiled. “Oh, he’s here now. I’ll see you later!” she beamed as she hurried out of the door.

As much as Wei Ying had been to this planetarium countless times as Jiang-shushu took her there often. Today had a different feeling to it. She had learnt upon arrival that Lan Zhan had not only paid for day tickets, but they were VIP tickets as well.


“Lan Zhan! You can’t do this! You’re going to be poor at this rate!” she pouted. “You should have asked me!” she sighed.


“Will be poor willingly for Wei Ying.” he mused. “As long as Wei Ying is happy, I am fine with it.” he replied.


“Lan Zhan!” she chided, huffing. “Still, thank you for this. You’re so kind, Lan Zhan.” she smiled. “Shouldn’t it be me treating you? It’s your birthday soon, Lan Zhan. I should have been the one to treat you!” she frowned.


“Wei Ying coming with me is a gift to me.” Lan Zhan said, without a hint of shame and embarrassment.


“Lan Zhan! How could you say such things like that? If I were any other maiden, I would faint! So bold, Mr. Lan!” she gasped.


She expected Lan Zhan to call her “shameless” or “ridiculous”, however, he didn’t. Instead, he reached out and pinched her cheek, an amused huff escaping his lips.


The planetarium sure felt different tonight. It felt magical, wondrous and beautiful. It was cliched but it was true. When you have someone you love romantically with you, everything feels more magical during the moment.


The darkness would make others be afraid to move around, even with the glittering of the stars, it was still dark. However, Wei Ying was different. The darkness with the glow of the stars made her feel brave.


“Follow me, Lan Zhan! There’s somewhere I’d like to show you!” she smiled as she took his hand bravely for the first time. With their hands intertwined, Wei Ying felt bolder and braver, lacing their fingers together.


Just like this, she brought him to her favourite spots in the planetarium, showing him the special places and her secret places there. Ones she had long found as a child, hiding away from the world or watching others, namely couples, sometimes family, spend tender times together with each other.


After a while of walking around, they found a quiet spot to sit together. No one was there, so it was even better. Perhaps it was the environment or the moment, but she found herself humming. It was the tune she always hummed. Sometimes she sang it, but she definitely hummed it the most. At some point, she and Lan Zhan had begun to cuddle together. It would seem that he had no problem with it and Wei Ying was comfortable anyway.


Then, suddenly, she felt the other leaning in pulling her closer and kissing her gently on the lips. In her moment of surprise, she froze. Then, when she moved to reciprocate the kiss, she was hit with the same vision she had seen over and over again. She fought hard to get it out of her mind, to hide that she had seen something, however, it must have shown, for as suddenly as the kiss happened, Lan Zhan pulled away just as quickly and lightly shoved her. There was such pain in his eyes as he quickly jumped onto his feet and ran out of the area.


Her heart was wrenching. It was awful because if she didn’t know that Lan Zhan had thought he had hurt her, it might have been better. It would have been easier for her to just laugh it off. He cared for her too, she knew it. However, she knew she couldn’t and shouldn’t. Yet, she wanted to. She knew that she shouldn’t have any worldly ties, after all, her life expectancy was now months away. It felt cruel. She felt like she had led him on instead.


The rest of the outing wasn’t too bad, Wei Ying felt like she had resolved it by telling him that it wasn’t a problem and that she was just taken by surprise and she had resumed teasing him, joking with him and happily strolling with him. But despite it all being eased over, she didn’t dare to hold hands with him again. It was a bit awkward at times, but towards the end of the outing, she was almost relieved when he dropped her off at the Wen’s residence and it was Wen Xu who greeted her at the door.

The following days, then weeks were awkward and distant between Lan Zhan and her. Her, awkward, him, distant. She didn’t know how to tell him that it honestly had been fine. If anything, she would rather it be that way in some ways. It would be much easier for when she faded away. Her sleep had been subpar at best, dreams plagued with her death, her memories of when she found out she was the Oracle. Sometimes it would be dreams of the calamities that would befall the humans if she didn’t die. It was all a bit much. On top of that, the amount of stray dogs that have found their way into the shrine was getting ridiculous. She was only thankful that Wen Chao had been there every single time to fend them off.


Despite all this madness, she managed to carry on in her studies. Wen RuoHan had discussed with her what she wanted to do after her term terminated, she had told him that she planned to focus on her tea ceremony classes as those were paid yearly, so they terminated at the end of the year. However, the man, on what seemed like a generous whim, offered to employ tutors to help her work on her abilities, to polish up her skills furthermore. Since it looked like there was no swaying him, she let it happen. Of course, Wei Ying was suspicious. She knew that Wen RuoHan wasn’t the kind to be generous for nothing and so she decided to do a divination session to see if she could see his motives.


Except, there was just a wall.


She saw nothing. It would seem that the Gods wouldn’t allow her to see into it. She decided that because of this, she would just let it happen, there was no fighting it. Whatever their plans were.


“YingYing, come into the shade and sit down for a bit, won’t you? You must be tired.” Wen Xu said, breaking her out of her thoughts.


“It’s fine, I’ve taken a break earlier on.” she replied.


“Don’t listen to her, she’s lying. I’ve been here the whole time and she’s just been going around, doing her work, but in the same zombie-like state since this morning.” Wen Qing cut in.


It was then, Wei Ying even realised that she was here. She really was out of it. The lack of sleep was starting to do her in.


“Qing-jie! Why did you have to show me up like this?” she sighed.


“If I don’t, who would, hm?” she retorted, lightly flicking her on the forehead.


“Now, now, Wen Qing, don’t be cruel! YingYing must have her own reasons, hm?” Wen Xu said as he came over and pet Wei Ying’s head.


“You’re spoiling her! Do you not realise that you’re just encouraging her to have no sense of self-preservation?” Wen Qing sighed.


“But that’s why we need to spoil and look after her. YingYing is smart, but doesn’t realise how cruel the world can be.” Wen Xu said as he sat Wei Ying down.


When Wen Xu was extremely doting, she could never stop him, so she made no effort to do so.


“YingYing, you look exhausted. Please rest or you’ll get seriously hurt if you don’t.” Wen Xu said as he poured her some cold oolong tea.” he said gently.


“Or you’ll have to answer to me again.” Wen Qing said casually as she began sweeping up the area around them, taking over Wei Ying’s work.


“Qing-jie... you’re so mean...” Wei Ying whined softly.


“I’ll ask Father to let you take the week off. You can sleep it off, hm?” the man said as he started to massage her back. “You should also take a break from training. Though I know that the disciples will miss you, but I’m sure they’ll understand.” he said.


“But I want to train.” she whined.


“So, what you’re saying is that you want to be stabbed by my needles.” Wen Qing huffed as she came over and flicked her on the forehead again.


“Qing-jie!” she whined.


“Stop overexerting yourself!” cried Wen Qing.


“I’m not!” Wei Ying replied, a pout on her face.


“Yes, because obviously you not even registering that I was here this whole time shows you’re fine.” she replied coolly as she put down a tumbler on the table.


“Make sure she drinks every drop of that, won’t you?” Wen Qing said. “It’s a good energy booster.” she explained.


“Don’t worry, I will.” Wen Xu replied as he began to pour out the liquid into a glass for Wei Ying.


She didn’t ask what it was, only drank it as she knew that Wen Qing wouldn’t let her off easily. Neither would Wen Xu, so she did as she was told. As she drank it, she felt a sort of serenity and relaxation. She closed her eyes, finding peace in her mind for once in what felt like a long time. Before long, her world turned dark. For Wei Ying, she wasn’t aware that she had drifted off to sleep, but for Wen Qing who knew what sort of tea it was, she felt relief.


“You’re so sneaky, Wen Qing.” Wen Xu mused as he gathered the sleeping girl in his arms.


“I’m glad that at least worked. I have no qualms about doing that because she needs to rest. She hasn’t been sleeping well lately, I can tell.” she replied.


“Yeah, something has been on her mind, that or she’s most likely having nightmares. But unfortunately, YingYing won’t vocalise it unless we press her.” Wen Xu replied as he adjusted his hold on her so that her head was resting on his shoulder.


“It’s probably something to do with Lan WangJi too, honestly.” Wen Qing replied offhandedly. “Anyway, I’ll let you go so you can tuck her in bed. It’ll at least give her a good day’s worth of sleep.” she continued.


“Thank you for this. I wouldn’t have thought of doing that for her.” he said.


“When she wakes up, she’ll be full of energy and at peace again, so even if she finds out and is angry at me, I don’t mind.” Wen Qing replied.


“Knowing her, she wouldn’t be angry with you.” he replied as he began walking with the girl in his arms towards the mansion in the distance.

She found herself in her room when she woke up. It confused her greatly as she remembered being at the shrine prior to this. Perhaps it was all a dream beforehand?


“Did you sleep well?” she heard Wen Xu ask her before realising that she wasn’t alone in the room.


“Were you watching me sleep? How creepy of you, Da-ge.” she mused as he poured her a drink.


“Well, you definitely slept well.” the man mused as he pinched her cheek teasingly.


“Get ready for breakfast, hm? You would probably be hungry since you’ve been asleep since yesterday afternoon.” he said.


“And you weren’t worried?” she mused.


“You needed it, YingYing. You’ve been out of it for a few weeks now. Did something happen between you and Lan WangJi during your date?” he asked.


“He kissed me.” she replied honestly.


“Aww, how sweet. But why are you acting like it’s a bad thing?”


“He thought that I didn’t want it and pushed me away and he’s been avoiding me since.” she replied. “But it’s better this way. It wouldn’t benefit him to know how I truly feel about him anyway.” she replied.


“And why would that be? You should let yourself be happy, YingYing.” he said. “Look, YingYing, you have nothing to lose. You should at least let him know how you feel.” he said as he petted her hair.


“But I’m going to die soon. It’s too cruel.” she replied. Not bothering to dance around the subject because she knew that Wen Xu knew. She often wondered why he didn’t go into divination as he seemed to have a good grasp on it.


“Isn’t it better to die knowing that he knows than anything else?” he began. “YingYing, have you thought that if you just vanished from his life, he won’t look for you? That he won’t wonder what happened to you? Wouldn’t it be worse if he thought you were still alive and won’t stop looking tirelessly for you?” he asked gently.


She looked down at her bedsheets. Wen Xu was right. She hadn’t thought about it that way before.


“You deserve to be happy YingYing.” the man said as he took her hands into his own. “Others that made you feel that you didn’t are scum. Especially that adoptive brother of yours. If you had let me, I would have some choice words for him to hear.” he said icily.


Wei Ying was shocked as she had heard him angry on the phone or sometimes in conference calls with clients. Sometimes, she would hear it personally when she happened to drop by the office with refreshments. But it was never this cold, she always knew he was a dangerous man, but being presented it felt different.


“I also have a few choice words to exchange with Madame Yu herself.” Wen Xu commented offhandedly, “Oh, also your Jiang-shushu. Honestly, with all the rumours about how he doted on you. It was cruel that he didn’t fight hard enough for you.” he said.


“Da-ge, please. Jiang-shushu tried. He and Madame Yu almost had a full-blown argument, it’s just that I asked him to just let me go.” she replied.


“You’re a child, YingYing. You shouldn’t be making adult’s decisions for them or have to mediate their marriage. You should have let them fight it out. Madame Yu may be unfair and unkind towards you, but your Jiang-shushu isn’t any better as he won’t properly fight for you. He also didn’t teach his son to be better to you.” Wen Xu said. “I know you see them as your saviours. Sure, they saved you, but they didn’t look after you correctly. They may have provided what they can but things like never letting you dress the way you wanted or never asking what you wanted in the first place aren’t exactly kind. They chose for you that you were to be Jiang WanYin’s bodyguard from day one. Even before all the extra load you’ve been given later.” he said. “Anyway, I’ve said most of what I had to say or wanted to say for a long time now, I won’t say anymore as I know that they still hold a special place in your heart for you, YingYing.” he said.


“Thank you, Da-ge.” she replied quietly.


“YingYing, are you sure there’s no way to stop it from happening?” he asked as he continued to hold her hands, squeezing them comfortingly. “Surely you can fix it?” he said.


“That would require me to humiliate Jiang Cheng in front of his mother. Besides, the Gods have decided so. It was a decision a long time ago.” she said quietly. “Granny Wen also believes that there is no way around it.” she continued.


“It’s not fair. They should have chosen someone else.” he replied. “I hate that you’re the type to choose the right choice ultimately.” he said, “But that’s something I also adore about you.” he replied as he pinched her nose.


“If I can, I would fight the Gods for you, YingYing.” he said.


“Da-ge, you doing something like that is so unlike you.” she mused. “We both know your reputation.” she laughed.


“Maybe I should take them to court, hm?” he mused as he pulled her into an embrace. “Though, I feel like you could win if you fought them, YingYing.” he mused.


“You think too highly of me, Da-ge. I only learnt how to stop seeing random visions just last year.” she mused. “I’m not powerful at all.” she replied.


“I believe that anything you wanted to be, you would achieve, YingYing.” he replied. “You shouldn’t punish yourself. Let him know how you feel about him.” he said.


“I think I will.” she said, feeling brave. “I will tell him during the New Year’s Eve meal at the Jiangs’ place. But I have to invite him first.” she smiled.


“I’ll sort it out with him tomorrow.” she said.


“Good, no going back on your word or I eat all your dessert.” Wen Xu mused. “I know how much you love that new cake they brought out in the patisserie we buy from.” he mused.


“Da-ge, you’re so mean.” she pouted.


“I’m your Da-ge, I’m supposed to tease you.” he mused back.

“I’m going to tell him.” Wei Ying said as she sat there on the sofa with Wen Chao who was playing a dumb football game on his console. She didn’t understand the appeal of playing sports video games, why not just go and do them yourself if you can?


“And when are you going to tell him?” was the reply.


“New Year’s Eve meal with the Jiangs.” she replied.


“Th-that soon?” Wen Chao asked, quickly losing at the game he was playing, as if in shock. “I forgot you were even going there for dinner. Honestly, I’m shocked that you’re even allowed to.” he continued.


“Yes. I’ve already invited Lan Zhan to it.” she replied. “You looked shocked, Wen Chao. Don’t tell me you were planning to ask me out or something.” she mused. “Actually, don’t answer that. I know that you don’t even like me that way.” she laughed. “It was Jiang-shushu and jiejie who insisted. Jiang Cheng also apparently asked Madame Yu, so it was three against one so she had no choice but to agree.” she replied.


“I was just surprised, Wei Ying. But I’m happy for you. I’m glad you’re allowed to spend it with your family and that you sorted out the situation with Lan WangJi too. I hated seeing you upset the past weeks.” he said.


“Thank you. I’m sorry I worried you.” she replied.


“We’re friends. Friends are meant to be concerned for each other.” he replied.


“I know. But even Mr. Wen was very kind. He gave me a whole week off after I slept for a whole day.” she replied. “You’ve all been so kind to me, I’m extremely thankful.” she said, smiling happily.


“It’s only right. You needed a break. You’ve been working hard since you started here. Father is extremely pleased with your performance at work and the visitors you bring in.” he replied.


“I’m glad he’s pleased with my work. It’s nothing honestly.” she said quietly. “I don’t know how to thank you properly. I’m extremely grateful towards you and your family.” she said.


“I’m happy for you, Wei Ying. You deserve to be happy.” Wen Chao replied as he took her hand and squeezed it.


She thought nothing of it. Wen Chao had been more intimate with her in the past months, similar to how best friends would be. She didn’t think much of it as friends did such things, not to mention, Wen Xu was rather intimate with her too and her the same back. She was just glad that he changed for the better now and continued to try to be a better person every day. Of course, he still had his moments, but he was definitely not as bad as before.


“Thank you, Wen Chao.” she replied, squeezing his hand back.

Wei Ying could never forget what happened that day. Even though she had chosen to forgive him, she couldn’t forget. It was rather hypocritical of her since she chose to trust him. It wasn’t that deep honestly, sure, she was cautious of him still, but he didn’t give her a reason to distrust him anymore. After all, he had supported her, helped her get a job when she needed one, gave her a safe way to return home each night when she still lived with the Jiangs. Not to mention, when she ultimately lost her home, he was the one that offered her a place, normalised the situation for her. So why would she distrust him anymore? He had changed for the better. It wasn’t that any of her other friends didn’t try, it wasn’t that Uncle Jiang and Jiang YanLi didn’t try either, it’s just that she felt awkward accepting their help. With Wen Chao, he just made it easy for her to accept. She spent so much time over at the Wen family house even before she moved there that it felt almost like home to her. She was friends with the staff as well as the disciples, she was there more than anyone else’s place. So it was only natural.


Yet, she couldn’t forget the events from before. Even if it wasn’t that bad, after all, Wen Chao only took some photos, that was all.


It had been a nice day because it was just her luck. The sun was shining but she was crumbling inside. Yesterday had been awful, there had been a terrible fight between Jiang-shushu and Madame Yu. Madame Yu was going to throw her out, but Jiang-shushu refused. She couldn’t take this anymore, so she decided that she needs to resolve it. She was the reason why this family was at war with itself. She wondered whether she should just pack up and leave. However, she knew that she had to resolve this. Jiang Cheng can’t have this false accusation on him. So, she found Wen Chao, told him they should resolve everything.


“Okay, let’s resolve it then, Wei Ying.” he had said. “Meet me in the sports shed after school, 4 pm sharp, don’t be late.” he had continued.


“Oh... Wear that cheerleader outfit you look so cute in too. If you meet my demands, I will drop the accusation and admit I framed him.” he had said.


So she did. Except she had been stupid. She suspected it was going to be a trap, but she entered it willingly anyway. The shed was a small enough room, quite claustrophobic, filled with sports equipment that usually smelt sort of funky. However, this time, it smelt sweet, kinda clinical.


She should have known better.


Later, Madame Yu had said the same to her, berated her.


The next thing she knew, she was bound with ability sealing ropes, her mouth gagged, she was groggy, disoriented and her mind foggy.



What she couldn’t forget was Wen Chao’s face, shoved up close to hers, a phone camera in his hand.


“Wei Ying, how nice of you to join us.” he had mocked. “I just want to take a few photos, you’re so cute like this in these clothes that it’ll make some excellent side cash. If you be a good girl and let me do so, I’ll make sure your shidi isn’t troubled.” he mused.


It wasn’t like she could fight him, her arms were suspended above her head, her legs, forcefully spread. Her mind, a blur. She really couldn’t fight him, she was completely vulnerable. But she also didn’t fight him. Anything to restore Jiang Cheng’s honour and good record. Anything to make things go back to normal in the Jiang family again. If she did this, then things will go back to the way they were. Sure, Jiang Cheng would most likely never talk to her again, but she didn’t mind. It was her fault anyway.


So, when he moved to lift her skirt and pull up her top, she didn’t fight him, didn’t protest.


“Aww, how disappointing! A sports bra still? Come on, Wei Ying, you can’t still be wearing a sports bra when you’re becoming a swan now.” he laughed. “Well, at least your panties are cute.” he laughed.


She didn’t even fight him when he undid her sports bra and cut off her panties. She can deal with this humiliation, she deserved it after all.


“Not going to fight me?” he mocked. “Come closer, we’ll get a better shot this way.” Wen Chao said as he beckoned his lackeys over. Ah, of course, they would be with him.


The camera clicked a few times, then a few more.


“Wow, I always thought she was completely flat under there! But they’re not so bad! Not super big, but a good size, don’t you think so, boss?” asked lackey number one. She can’t ever quite remember his name.


“Quite right, Wei Ying, why were you hiding all of this from us all these years? If I had known you were this hot, I would have never picked on you before!” he teased. “Well, better to know now than never!” he sneered.


Then, she felt a hand on her rear, copping a feel. This was when she fought him. He had said photos, nothing more nothing less. However, he never said this, besides, his hands on her bare skin was unpleasant. She never felt so violated in her life before.


“Such nice skin, why were you hiding all of this, Wei Ying?” he mocked.


“Can I have a feel too? I need to know how it feels!” asked the other lackey.


“Me too, me too!” cried the other.


She tried to fight them, free herself when they placed their hands on her. But she couldn’t fight them, whatever she inhaled, it was potent and long-lasting. Her arms and legs were still numb. Then, she heard a few more clicks of the camera.


“Ah, you look so cute when you’re struggling, Wei Ying, I just couldn’t resist!” he laughed as he took a few more photos.


Then, as quickly as all of this escalated, it diminished with the slamming of a door and discovered by someone that she never wanted to witness her in such a position.


“Lan WangJi! What are you doing here?” Wen Chao cried, half in fright and half in frustration.


“Leave.” Lan Zhan said simply. His cold, aloof face, staring at them.


“We were done here anyway!” Wen Chao cried as he packed up his belongings. “It was fun, Wei Ying, we should do this again sometime.” he laughed before hightailing it out of there, his lackeys, following suit.


“Lan Zhan…” she breathed desperately when he removed her gag. He looked so angry, he was seething. She couldn’t blame him, he was raised in a strict household. This was probably disgusting to him, she was probably disgusting to him.


“I-” she tried as he cut her free from her binds. Her throat and mouth felt sore for some reason, it most likely was because she had been gagged and crying out anyway.


“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, still looking at her with that intense gaze.


He was so angry… So angry with her.


To anyone else, it probably looked like kink play gone wrong anyway. Wen Chao’s words didn’t help her either. So, as soon as she was free, she bolted off. She couldn’t look him in the eyes. When she was far enough, she hid away and fixed her clothes, fully intending to return home after this. However, all that adrenaline she had prior to this dissipated. Suddenly, she was tired, she wanted to sleep.


When she woke up again, she was laying in a bed, connected to an IV.


“What a fool you are.” Madame Yu’s voice rang through the air, echoing her own thoughts. “What did you think you would achieve doing such a thing? He now has more blackmail on us. You’ve lost your dignity, honestly, I should just throw you out, I would have, but he won’t let me.” she said coldly.


“Is Jiang Cheng alright?” she asked, her voice raspy, her throat was still sore.


“Thankfully, your little stunt convinced Wen Chao to admit that he lied. So my son is safe. Just because you walked into a trap willingly for my son, doesn’t mean I won’t punish you. Do you understand?” she replied coldly.


“I understand, Madame Yu. I never expected to be let off. Do with me what you wish.” she replied quietly.


“I knew you were shameless, but you are utterly revolting.” Madame Yu said coldly before walking out of the room.


Then came the days of nausea, she didn’t know why. She figured it was just a side effect of the gas that was used on her to knock her out. But her body felt different. She felt disgusted, food didn’t stay down. So, she was allowed off school for a week. However, when the week was ending, the thought of going back and seeing Lan Zhan when he had witnessed what he did made her nauseous.


Then came the vision. The first time she saw her death, the world’s calamity.


She remembered feeling numb like things didn’t matter. Then she felt a sense of relief and duty. She owed it to the others anyway, she had been living her life, avoiding her duties, pretending that she wasn’t the Oracle.


So this was expected. The Gods have given her a mission and it was for her to die.


This was alright, this was fine.


As the Oracle, she was ready to accept the prophecy placed upon her shoulders.

What Wei Ying didn’t know herself, were the true details of that day and how she really shouldn’t have forgiven him at all. But who could blame her? The drugs in her system had rendered her unconscious and vulnerable to the predator of a male that Wen Chao was. What she didn’t know was that he had forced more sedatives down her throat while she was unconscious, rendering her into a groggier state than she realised she was in.


He had indeed taken photos of her and copped a feel too. His lackeys had joined in on the fun. What she had failed to notice was that he had recorded the whole moment. He had taken photos of her while she was unconscious too.


When he decided it wasn’t enough, he had removed her gag, forcing his length into her mouth. Wei Ying in her extremely dizzied and groggy state could not remember that detail, but perhaps it was a good detail to not remember. After all, what would she have felt afterwards? To know that the other had made her swallow every drop of his climax, then forced her to lick him clean. Not satisfied with just that, he had allowed his lackeys to follow suit and perform the same acts.


There had been photos and recordings too.


He had called her derogatory names, but she didn’t remember any of that.


He had played around with her some more, but her mind didn’t allow her to remember any of that.


When she came to, regaining some of her consciousness, he had tried to go the final step, deciding that he had wanted more, even after he had thoroughly tortured her and humiliated her before that. But in her semi-conscious state, she had thought it was a hallucination, not aware of the conversation they had had before Lan WangJi had interrupted them.


After she had run off, after being freed, Wen Chao had found her outside unconscious and dropped her off at Madame Yu’s office. He had boasted that he had bested her strongest disciple and if she knew better, she wouldn’t talk about what happened today. He had also told her that he will drop the accusations as Wei Ying had been “so satisfying”. Wei Ying didn’t know any of this.


Madame Yu knew exactly what had happened, as the doctor had relayed everything to her. However, instead of seeing Wei Ying’s actions in a good light, she scrutinised her for all her mistakes, berated her for becoming a victim.


Meanwhile, Wei Ying never got the full story of what happened that day. Jiang FengMian didn’t even know what had happened and Jiang Cheng was none the wiser. The incident was never spoken of in the household again.


When Wei Ying was sick to her stomach days after the incident, the mix of the drugs, but mostly her body remembering the incident had caused it. Unfortunately, nothing would stir her memories, meaning that she was never aware of how badly it went that day. The only people who knew of the true incident were Madame Yu, Wen Chao and Wen RuoHan when he was brought into it eventually.


You see, Wen Chao had forgotten a very important detail. Lan WangJi, who had interrupted that last moment would never let such a thing go, so naturally, he brought it up with the Principal, causing Wen Chao to be punished somewhat. If Lan WangJi could have it, he would have murdered Wen Chao that day, but alas, it was against the rules.


Wei Ying had stopped attending school by that time and hadn’t known of the feud that had gone on at school while she was away.

She woke up groggy, her body felt heavy and the world was spinning. All she remembered was getting into the car with Wen Chao after he had picked her up from her tea ceremony class. It was a short class today as it was New Year’s Eve. She had bundled herself into the car in high spirits. After all, tonight was the night she was going to Lan Zhan how she truly felt about him. He was finally going to know. She didn’t know where it was going to go from here, but she wanted to let him know, it was what he deserved anyway.


Wen Chao had teased her about still wearing her school uniform as she didn’t need it anymore. It was true. From today on, she was no longer attending the classes at school. Instead, she was going to be tutored at the Wen household instead. She didn’t mind. It wasn’t like she could use this information in death anyway. Still, she liked to learn, she liked to question things about the world. With how well things were going, she almost felt like it was such a shame. It was a shame that things were going so well when her death was so close by.


And then she was here, feeling groggy. She must have accidentally fallen asleep while sitting on the bed in the hut by the shrine. It wasn’t exactly surprising, it happened once in a while to her since the serene setting made her feel relaxed. However, today was different. She couldn’t afford to be asleep. She had a meal to go to after all! It was going to be a big event too.


“Jeez, with how long you’ve been out for, others would think we’ve been overworking you, Wei Ying.” Wen Chao’s voice rang in the air, interrupting her thoughts. “I tried to wake you, but you weren’t stirring.” he sighed.


“Am I late? Did I miss it?” she asked frantically as she clambered off the bed, almost falling over from dizziness and the numbness in her legs. If it weren’t for Wen Chao steadying her, she definitely would have faceplanted.


“Easy there, Wei Ying. There’s still time. Here, let me help you back to the mansion, you need to change anyway.”


“It’ll be fine. HuaiSang’s attending and he had an outfit planned for me.” Wei Ying replied. “I’ll just get to the front of the house and have A-Xing drive me there.” she continued.


“Alright, let me help you there, you seem so unstable on your feet. I don’t want you falling down the steps of the shrine.” replied Wen Chao, taking her hands in his and leading her slowly to the exit.


She slowly plodded along behind him, steadying herself as they reached closer and closer to the outside of the mansion. She rarely ever went this way as usually, she would leave through the front door, not the shrine’s outside path. However, she had seen enough people come and go, so the path was familiar to her. However, as she reached the front of the exit, it was clear that something was extremely wrong as she suddenly felt a searing, burning pain course through her body, her veins, her head, her muscles and joints, everything felt as if it were on fire.


“We-Wei Ying! Are you alright?” Wen Chao cried as he helped her up from where she had doubled over in pain.


“Ye-Yes.” she breathed. “Please, just get me to the car. I need to go there today.” she said quietly.



“Do you really have to go to the meal today, Wei Ying?”


“I have to, I need to see Lan Zhan. Plus, I promised jiejie and Jiang-shushu I’d be there.” she replied as best as she could through the pain.



“Come on, let’s get you into the shade again, you must have had too much sun earlier when you were working.” Wen Chao said as he picked her up without asking her, carrying her with ease.


“That must have been it.” Wei Ying replied miserably. “Still, this is the worst. I need to go see them.” she whined. “Can you get Wen Qing for me?” she pleaded.


It was then, she realised that they were back at the hut from earlier.


“I will once I settle you in, alright? I know how important it is for you, Wei Ying.” he replied as he placed her on the bed.


“T-Thank you.” she said as she laid down, feeling the pain subside almost immediately. “Oh, I’m feeling a lot better, maybe there’s no need of Wen Qing’s aid after all.” she said offhandedly.


“No, there really isn’t any need for her aid.” Wen Chao said. However, the tone in his voice sounded different. It wasn’t something she had heard a long time ago. She found herself feeling alarmed. Why did Wen Chao sound like that?


Still, she was distracted with only her thoughts of needing to be at the Jiangs’ household soon. Moving to get up to try again. However, she was pinned down on the bed.


“Where do you think you’re going, Wei Ying?” Wen Chao said as he bent over her.


“What are you doing, Wen Chao? I need to go have my New Year’s eve meal with the Jiangs!” she cried.


However, he only answered by tying her wrists down against the bed. With his full body weight against her and also the sudden weakness she felt in her body, he very easily managed to secure her down against the bed.


“If this is a joke, it’s not very funny, Wen Chao!” she cried as she struggled against her binds.


Instead of receiving an answer though, Wen Chao chose to say nothing and bent down to kiss her neck, pressing his face into her neck. She panicked, struggling as he did so.


“I’ve waited for this for so long, Wei Ying.” Wen Chao said as he ran a finger down her cheek.


“Wen Chao, this isn’t funny anymore! Get off of me and release me!” she cried as he began running his hands down her body. It was then, she realised that she was still in her school uniform, she had never changed into her shrine uniform.


Suddenly, memories of her accepting a drink from Wen Chao came flooding back. She realised with horror that she had been drugged. He had drugged her drink.


“Aww, you’re so cute when you’re like this, Wei Ying. I like a scared Wei Ying.” she heard the other muse sadistically as she witnessed him producing a knife from seemingly nowhere, just as quickly as he had ambushed and tied her down.


“Since you won’t be needing this uniform anymore, I’m not concerned about ruining it.” he mused.


“Hey, what are you doing?!” she cried. “Why did you drug me?”


“Ah, so you remember.” he mused as he began to pull her blouse open, not bothering to undo the buttons and breaking the seams. Still, with the blouse open, he didn’t seem satisfied as he began cutting the fabric off of her.


“How nice. It would seem you listened to my advice, Wei Ying!” Wen Chao mused from above her as he slid a finger under her bra strap. “I thought you looked bigger than last year! Well, only one way to check.” he mused as he began to shred the bra off of her.


“No stop!” she cried, struggling and trying to get out of her binds. However, as she began to fight him, she felt pain course through her body. She didn’t have time to process it as she felt Wen Chao shoving something into her mouth, securing it around the back of her head. He had gagged her, she realised.


“As much as I love hearing your cries, Wei Ying, I don’t want those pesky cousins of mine to hear you and help you. We have a very important moment between us after all.” he mused as he pulled the ripped fabric off of her body, leaving her completely naked at the top.


“Oh… I was right! You’ve indeed gotten bigger!” he mused as he gave her breasts a squeeze with both hands. “How nice, who knew that you were going to grow into such a pretty and hot girl.” he laughed darkly as he moved to destroy the rest of her clothes. Being groggy and completely restrained, all she could do was watch in horror as he cut up the rest of the fabric, leaving her completely naked. She felt humiliated and so vulnerable.


“Ah, there’s that face again. Just like last time. I love it, Wei Ying. Do you realise how many times I’ve watched those videos and looked at those photos? But it’s not the same. I needed the real thing.” he breathed into her ear as he began feeling her skin. She could only let out muffled whines of protest when he did so.


He carried on feeling her for a bit, she felt extremely violated as he had felt everywhere possible. The worst was that she was completely at his mercy, there was no way she could fight him. Then, she felt him stop and instead, he moved to remove her gag. It wasn’t until she heard the unzipping of his pants that she realised what he was about to do.


“No! Don’t you dare! I’ll bite you!” she threatened as she watched with horror as Wen Chao pulled out his length.


“Oh, how feisty!” Wen Chao mused as he cupped her face, rubbing his thumb over her lips, then, without warning, he crushed his lips against hers, kissing her and forcing his tongue into her mouth. However, just as she had warned him before, she bit down hard on his tongue.


“Oh, you little bitch!” he cried as he nursed his tongue. “You may look triumphant now, but let me warn you, Wei Ying. You won’t be so smug soon.” he cried as she suddenly felt a seething pain course through her body.


To her disgust and dismay, Wen Chao used the moment of her crying out in pain to forcefully shove his length into her mouth, causing her to almost gag on it in the moment.


“Not so smug now are you.” he laughed. “Ah, it feels so good already, I can’t wait, Wei Ying.” he mused sadistically as he began thrusting into her mouth.


This feeling felt horribly familiar.


Then, memories of him forcing her to perform fellatio on him appeared in her mind. He had done this to her before… He had done more than just take photos. It’s just that she hadn’t remembered due to the drugs… As more and more memories came flooding back, a rather horrifying one came flooding back to her mind.


“I’ve changed my mind. I think I need to have more from you, Wei Ying. All these years, you’ve made me feel like you’re better than me, humiliated me by besting me at everything! You need to pay for this!” he mused as he cupped her face with his hand, forcing her to look at him.


“Why not celebrate your womanhood by giving up your virginity to me?” he sneered as he began undoing his trousers.


She fought him, she fought her binds, but she couldn’t fight back.


“Aiyo, why so frightened, Wei Ying? Hey, it’s not going to be bad. Since it’s your first time, I’ll be gentle.” he said with a mock soothing voice, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.


“Record this, won’t you? I need to remember this.” Wen Chao said.


“Yes, Boss!” cried his lackeys.


As she struggled, he laughed.


“Wei Ying, haven’t you forgotten? I told you that if you do this, I will drop my accusations. You just need to give me this. It’s a fair trade.” he said cruelly.


“If you don’t I will upload the photos everywhere and the Jiangs will suffer shame.” he sneered.


So she stopped struggling, tried to say something instead. He seemed to understand, undoing the gag around her mouth.


“If I do this, you’ll admit that you forged the evidence?” she breathed.


“Of course, a deal’s a deal. So do we have a deal, Wei Ying?” he asked, stroking her cheek, his hand rubbing her thighs.


“Yes.” she said before he fastened the gag around her mouth once again.


“It’s after school, but someone might still hear.” he murmured into her ear. “Wei Ying, you being such a good girl makes me want you more. Why would you do this to me?” he mused. “I’ll be nice and be gentle, after all, it’s your first time and you’ve been so good so far.” he said, as he put his hands on her waist, feeling her.


A lot of feelings washed over her in that moment. Humiliation, disgust, horror, shame, fear, confusion. It almost felt unreal.


She tried her best not to struggle when he put his hand on her crotch area, fighting the humiliation and the violation she felt.


“I’m going to enjoy this.” he breathed in her ear.


This was it, it was her first time and she was going to spend it with someone she disliked.


Then the door opened, interrupting everything.


“Swallow it all.” she heard him instruct her. Instead of listening to him though, she spat it out at him instead.


“You little bitch! Still, I enjoy this, it wouldn’t be you if you weren’t so feisty, Wei Ying.” Wen Chao mused as he gave her nipples a hard pinch.


“I was right, you were so satisfying back then and you are still so satisfying right now.” he said as he began to feel her body once more.


“St-stop it! You got what you wanted, now let me go!” she cried.


“Oh, you silly girl.” Wen Chao snickered. “Don’t you realise that you will never be free? You’re mine, Wei Ying. You were mine the moment you took the job at the shrine.” he laughed as he continued to feel her body.


“I don’t belong to anyone, especially not to you!” she cried. “I shouldn’t have let you back into my life! Especially now that I remember what you did to me!” she cried.


“Probably not, but hey, it’s a bit late now, isn’t it?” he laughed. “You’re basically Wen property now, Wei Ying.” he mused as he tugged lightly on a chain around her neck. She then realised that it was new, she hadn’t worn a necklace before.


“Still, I couldn’t have done it without Father.” he mused. “But I guess he couldn’t say no, after all, you have such amazing abilities, it was a win-win situation for our family.” he laughed as he continued to play with the chain, now holding the small pendant with the Wen symbol on it.


“You see, this is a locking charm.” Wen Chao mused. “When I mentioned to Father that I wanted to keep you as mine, he suggested I butter you up then catch you when you are vulnerable. As you can see, it worked beautifully.” he sneered. “This charm disallows you from leaving the Wen household or defying us. If you do, well… you’ve felt it already. It’s not nice, is it, Wei Ying?” he laughed as he bent down and kissed her again.


“Why are you doing all this? I let you take photos of me, in exchange for Jiang Cheng’s innocence! You even got more than what was agreed upon, what else do you want, Wen Chao?” she cried.


“Oh, Wei Ying. So naive and innocent. That doesn’t matter anymore. When you let me have access to you, it awakened something else in me. It can only be you, Wei Ying. I intend to take you as my wife. You’re mine and no matter how much you fight me, you won’t be able to. Only my Father can remove the lock, so don’t bother running off to my cousins.” he laughed darkly.


Then, she felt his hands on her thighs, rubbing them, moving to her crotch. She mentally chided herself when a moan escaped her lips when he started rubbing her crotch with his fingers, teasing her.


“Unfortunately, Father refuses to let me take you. Apparently, he doesn’t trust me to stay faithful to you, Wei Ying. So, I can’t have you till we get married.” he sighed as he showed a matching chain around his neck to her. “However, I can still find the loopholes around it.” he mused as he continued to tease her as he used his other hand to secure the gag around her mouth once again, this time he secured it more tightly than last time.


“You should be glad that I’m taking so much care with you, Wei Ying. Do you realise what you do to me?” he mused as he began inserting a finger inside her. “Wow, you’re so wet already! You’re quite a slut aren’t you? Look at you! Fighting me when you're actually turned on by this!” he laughed as he began inserting a second finger inside of her.


It was awful. It was horrible. She hated that her body had responded against her own desires and wishes. She hated that all she could do was watch in horror as he played with her, teased her and then after he was done playing with her with his fingers, she could only lay there and watch in horror as he came up to her with toys. She had never felt so violated in her life. There were photos taken and he definitely took a video of his actions as he had threatened to release it if she didn’t obey him when he went to assault her mouth with his length a second time.


When she was finally released from her binds, she had told him rather frankly that she wasn’t going to just let him do what he wanted. It had enraged him and as a result, he had dragged her outside, washed her forcefully in the pool before clothing her then tying her back down on the bed. She had tried her best to fight him, but just as he had told her, the searing pain coursing through her body from the lock disallowed her to, making it perfectly easy for him to tie her down.


She didn’t understand any of this, the world was still spinning for her. All she knew was that others would be waiting for her, but she would never show up. That was all she knew before her world turned black.

“YingYing, YingYing, what happened!” she heard a voice say. Her hands and feet felt cold, her arms and legs numb, most likely because of being tied down on the bed for so long. Since she was still coming to, she only half registered that it was Wen Xu who had bundled her in his arms.


“YingYing, please tell me what happened. Why are you being tied up outside here?” he asked.


Why was he being so nice? Surely, he knew about this ploy.


That was right…


She was so stupid…


All these months living at theirs, happily eating their food, only for them to be looking at her as their bargaining chip, the property they were going to have. All those words Wen Xu had said to her, to butter her up, to make her feel at home. But he was lying. Lying to her all along.


“I’m going to go confront Father.” Wen Xu said quickly when Wei Ying didn’t reply to his questions.


So, she found herself inside Wen RuoHan’s study, Wen Xu still holding her in his arms.


“How sweet.” she heard the older man muse when Wen Xu walked into the room with her still in his arms. “Though, you may want to think twice about carrying your brother’s future wife like that, Xu-er.” she heard him muse.


She wanted to be sick when she had heard those words, memories of what had occurred earlier flooding her mind.


“What do you mean ‘future wife’, Father. YingYing doesn’t like him that way, in fact, she’s supposed to be at the Jiangs’ and staying over at the Nie household. Instead, I come back from my business trip to find her tied up in the hut outside in the shrine. Care to explain what’s going on, Father?” Wen Xu asked coldly.


“You’ll have to ask your brother why she was being punished earlier. After all, Wei WuXian belongs to us now and obviously, being his fiancée, she naturally belongs to him. I have no control entirely over what he does.” Wen RuoHan replied.


“Why has this suddenly transpired?” Wen Xu asked, his eyebrows knitting together. “Father, when did YingYing become our prisoner? She belongs to no one.” he said angrily.


If it was before this, Wei Ying would have felt happy that he was standing up for her, but after the incident earlier, she didn’t believe him. This was still part of his act. Perhaps it was part of his game. After all, Wen Xu was said to be cruel and vindictive. She should have taken the signs, the warnings. But she stupidly let them trick her. She was truly so stupid.


“We can’t just do such a thing! She has a life! She has friends that will wonder where she’s gone!” he frowned. “Besides, why would you force her to marry him when she doesn’t even care for him the same way?” Wen Xu cried, seemingly angry.


“They can look but what can they do? They won’t dare accuse us of kidnapping.” Wen RuoHan mused. “Why don’t you have closer look, Xu-er? Do you recognise that?” the older man mused.


“Father, you couldn’t possibly have!” Wen Xu cried angrily when he recognised the chain around her neck.


“Don’t try to free her, Xu-er. Only I can undo that chain.” Wen RuoHan mused. “Don’t you see? She’s useful to us, look how many visitors we’ve had in the past year. We can’t just allow such a powerful asset to leave our hands.”


“Especially her divination. It would be useful for us in the future.” he continued. “It also helps that Sect Leader Jiang still has a soft spot for her, so the Jiangs would obey us if we threatened it.”


“Wei WuXian, I suggest you be a good girl and obey us. If you fight, it would only hurt you.” Wen RuoHan mused. “Serve me well and you will live a good life here.” he said.


“You’re wrong. I am no bargaining chip. Jiang-shushu may care for me, however, Madame Yu will not be moved. You’ve failed in that respect, Mr. Wen.” she replied coldly. It wasn’t until now that she had realised that Wen Xu had set her on the ground at some point. She took it as her cue to leave. She refused to stay in this room any longer. She wanted to be away, away from the main branch of the family. So, she bolted outside.


Except, Wen Xu had chased after her as she ran through the hallways.


“YingYing!” she heard him cry. “YingYing, stop!” she heard him say again.


For some odd reason, she did. She didn’t know why, even though she felt betrayed by him, she still did.


“I’ll get you out of this, so don’t lose hope, okay? I won’t allow them to trap you here like their pet or toy.” he said as he reached to what she assumed pet her on the head in assurance, like he always would to comfort her. However, this time, she swatted his hand away.


“Don’t touch me!” she cried.


“YingYing, what’s wrong?” he asked confused. It almost felt real.


“I know that you were in on it! Don’t pretend to be kind to me! You’re just like the rest of your family!” she cried.


“No, I would never do that to you! I didn’t know, YingYing! I didn’t think I would come home to this!” he replied.


“Don’t lie to me!” she cried. “Leave me alone! Get out of my sight! I never want to see you again, Wen Xu!” she cried before bolting away and outdoors to where the Wen Oracle shrine was. She couldn’t do this right now.


Wei Ying never questioned the Gods why. She never challenged them before. However, today was the first time she let her grievances be known with them. She stayed at the shrine, letting out her pain, her anger and sadness. She asked them why and received no reply. This was how Wen Qing and Wen Ning found her in the morning, curled up in a ball, tears still in her eyes from a night of weeping.


The Gods were cruel indeed.

 

Notes:

Remember to tell me what you think and keep a lookout for the next chapter sometime this week!

Chapter 8: Grounded ~ 根住

Notes:

Here we are, basically past half way in the fic now. Thank you for your kind comments so far. In truth I’ve been pretty nervous posting this fic to begin with but I want to thank all those who are continuing on this crazy, depressing journey of a fic with me. The tags do apply for this chapter too, so be warned.

Here's a playlist to go with this fic.

It had been only two days, yet they were a struggle for her. Wen Chao had taken full advantage of Wei Ying’s inability to fight him fully and abused it. He would place his hands on her and kiss her when he felt like it. Only stopping when he felt like it or when Wen Qing and Wen Ning would intervene. She didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse that Wen Chao couldn't have intercourse with her as there was an odd belief that those with the power of divination shouldn't be defiled by someone until they've become of age. Seeing as she was an asset to Wen RuoHan, he disallowed his son to ruin the chances of using her abilities. She had spent the past few days avoiding taking meals with the head family, unable to face all of them and not wanting to see them. She shouldn’t feel so betrayed or shocked. She should have seen this coming. She had even been warned, but she stupidly fell for it, despite all of the warnings she had been given. She truly felt so stupid.


She hid from him but she had duties to attend to. She still worked as their shrine maiden after all. So, eventually, during the day, he would find her and harass her. There was no area on her body left untouched by the other, she felt disgusted. She wondered why the Gods hadn’t chosen to kill her now. Surely, they could put a stop to this. She began to wonder why they had such a plan for her, why were they doing this? Did something about her offend them so badly that they thought to choose her in the first place? Had her ancestors somehow offended them in the past?


“There you are, my little pet.” a voice cut through her thoughts. Immediately, her stomach sunk. She was allowed to keep her luxuries, for some odd reason. Perhaps it was to honey her up. Whatever it was, she was at least thankful for it. She was currently on Snapshot updating Suibian’s account. There were messages in her inbox, all most likely asking where she was and why she never showed up to the meal.


She ignored them all.


It wasn’t like she could say anything to change the situation, she couldn’t leave. If she asked for help, it would risk others’ safety too. She was sure that Nie MingJue would not pass up the opportunity to take down Wen RuoHan, however, she knew better than to ask for help. Wen RuoHan was right, she was still leverage. She was technically also leverage for the Jins and the Nies too. She couldn’t risk it at all.


Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed the phone she was holding, then, she was pinned down onto the sofa she was sitting on, her phone eventually wrestled out of her hands.


“It’s so cute that you still update your social media.” Wen Chao mused as he took a piece of her hair and started playing with it.


“What a good girl you are, not letting anyone know where you are.” Wen Chao mused as he leant in and kissed her. “Wei Ying, why are you so beautiful to look at? I like this dress on you, I think I’ll ask Father to get a tailor to make more of these dresses for you.” he said as he ran his fingers down her neck.


“Why are you here?” she asked, finally finding her voice.


“To see you, of course. Can’t a man see his pretty wife-to-be? My pretty little songbird, it’s a shame you won’t sing for me.” he mused as he cupped her face with his hand.


“Did you mean caged bird?” she frowned.


“Birdcages are small. The Wen property is so big that it’s not a cage, Wei Ying. I couldn’t do that to you, aren’t you glad how kind I am?” he mused as he kissed her again.


“The Wen property is just a glorified, oversized cage for me. How is this kind? If you were kind, you would have let me tell Lan Zhan my feelings, let me be with someone I adore. But no, instead of sorting out your perverse and disgusting infatuation for me, you’ve trapped me within the walls of your residence.” she retorted.


“Such cutting words, what a tongue you have, Wei Ying.” he mused as he played with her hair. “But that’s why I love you so much.” he continued. “That is why I had to take you and hide you away before someone else took you from me. You were mine from the day you accepted that ride from me, you just didn’t know it. You have no idea what I was like during the months you were gone from school. How much I thought about you and how I couldn’t wait to take you and keep you forever.” he mused as he started to lift her dress up, his hands touching her legs, feeling and squeezing them.


“You don’t love me. You just want to own me. That’s not love!” she cried angrily. “Give my phone back! Now that you know I haven’t been asking for help, you don’t need it anymore.” she frowned.


“Oh yes, my apologies. I was too distracted by my little treat in front of me.” he mused as he began to hand over the phone. However, there was a pause. “Ah, Wei Ying, what a silly and sweet little thing you are.” he mused as his fingers touched the charm that hung on her phone. “You don’t need this anymore.” he said darkly, before making a motion that signified that he was going to yank the charm off.


“No! Please don’t!” she cried. However, it was too late as the loud snap of the string being ripped off told her all she needed to.


“Please, at least let me put it in my room. I promise you don’t need to see it.” she pleaded as he began to pocket it.


“I refuse to have you keep this trash with you. I don’t want to be reminded of that irritating shidi of yours.” Wen Chao said as he pocketed the charm. However, Wei Ying wasn’t going to just give up like that.


“No! Give it back!” she cried as she moved to take it out of his pocket. However, a very familiar pain encompassed her body and Wen Chao easily fought her off, grabbing her wrists and holding them together with one of his hands before producing a length of rope and tying her wrists tightly together.


“Ai, Wei Ying. Why are you so difficult? Why do you try so hard to fight me? If you be good, your life would be so much easier. I’m already so kind to you too.” he lamented as he kissed her once again. “But I’m sure you’ll learn soon that it’s an honour to belong to me, my cute little pet.” he mused as he began spreading her legs and pulling down her underwear.


She fought him, but really how much could she do to stop him?

One thing she didn’t account for was Jiang Cheng coming to the Wen shrine, loudly asking for her. He was so loud that she could hear him at the entrance of the shrine, far away from where she was located. Before she could contemplate whether or not she should meet with him, Wen Chao appeared, grabbing her and dragging her into the hut and tying her down onto the bed.


“Don’t worry, Wei Ying. I won’t let him harm you.” Wen Chao said somewhat tenderly as he gagged her and secured her binds to make sure she couldn’t get out of them. If he wasn’t doing such things to her, Wei Ying may have almost believed he truly cared about her. But she knew that he only cared about himself and what he wanted. “You know that these ropes seal your strength, so don’t tire yourself out, okay?” he said as he stopped to play with her hair fondly before heading outside. “Don’t worry, Wei Ying. I’ll put him in his place.” he smirked.


“Where’s Wei WuXian? Where is that ungrateful brat who kept us all waiting during New Year’s eve?” she heard Jiang Cheng cry out loudly and angrily. Upon hearing his voice, she felt guilty that she was glad that she was tied up in here and not facing that. Though, she wasn’t sure what she would have said if given the opportunity.


“Wei Ying doesn’t want to see you. So naturally, she didn’t come to your little meal gathering.” sneered Wen Chao in response.


“What nonsense! If she didn’t want to come, she wouldn’t have invited Lan WangJi!” he cried. “Where is she? I want to ask her why she would do such a thing to me, to us! I specifically asked Mother to let her come, yet she ruins it for us by not showing up!” he cried.


Inside, Wei Ying wanted to hit him, only because he had literally voiced doubt but chose to still believe that she would do such a thing to them if she had the choice to. She was beginning to wonder if Jiang Cheng saw her completely differently from how she carried herself. No, he definitely saw her completely different from her intentions. When Jiang Cheng was angry, he would miss all the warning signs. He would easily misunderstand the situation. Wei Ying knew all this, so she couldn’t bring herself to be angry with him.


“It’s funny how privileged you act.” she heard Wen Chao muse. “Wei Ying doesn’t belong to you. It wasn’t like you tried to beg your mother to let her stay when she kicked her out. Us Wens on the other hand helped her, found her a place to stay. My Father gave her a job when your mother forced her to get one. She sleeps well and eats well here, our disciples adore her. My brother treats her like his own sister, who do you think she would end up choosing?” he sneered.


“Where is Wei WuXian? I need to hear it from her own mouth that she chose you Wens over us, the family that saved her from dying on the streets.” Jiang Cheng growled.


“Oh, how great of you Jiangs! Oh yes, you save someone but remind them how lucky they were to have you, such saints the lot of you!” Wen Chao mused. “Do you think the reason why a lot of us treated Wei Ying the way we did was because we just simply disliked her for no reason? Jiang WanYin, it was you who showed us how to treat her in the first place! I could never forget how you would never stand up for her when others picked on her, of course, others followed suit teasing her!” he mused.


“As if you were any better! You were her biggest bully and now you’re her biggest advocate? Did you hit your head or something, Wen Chao?” he frowned. “I know she’s here! I can sense the charm I gave her here! Where is she hiding?” he cried.


“Oh, this old thing?” Wei Ying heard Wen Chao sneer, assuming that he had brought out the charm that he ripped off her phone yesterday. She began struggling, even though it was absolutely futile and that it was only going to hurt her instead.


“She didn’t want it. She told me herself as she ripped it off of her phone.” he mused as he handed it back.


“No, she wouldn’t, she didn’t…” Jiang Cheng stammered, almost bewildered and for a moment Wei Ying thought that perhaps he would sense that something was wrong.


“Would she really not though? Are you suggesting that I’m lying? I saw her do it with my own two eyes.” Wen Chao laughed. “Do you think that she would stay loyal to you forever, Jiang WanYin? Did you think that treating her the way you did for so long wouldn’t eventually backfire in your face?” he sneered cruelly. “Just accept it, Wei Ying finally saw sense and decided to choose others that treated her well. I frankly think that Wei Ying wants a new life, away from everyone. Away from you, away from the Jins and the Nies or even the Lans. She wants a life without you or your family in it.” he continued.


She struggled, unfortunately, no matter how much she struggled, the ropes held her down, kept her bound. No matter how much she screamed or cried, her voice was muffled. No one could hear her and no one but Wen Chao knew she was there.


“Take back this disgusting thing won’t you? I won’t have Wei Ying be reminded of you Jiangs.” she heard Wen Chao say.


“So this is how it is. Wei WuXian sure has some gall to be like this! Tell her that I don’t want anything to do with her either! Tell her that I’ll tell everyone! Including Lan WangJi! None of us want anything to do with her ever again!” Jiang Cheng cried angrily. On the surface, he sounded enraged and only that, however, Wei Ying knew he was wounded and in pain, in turn, she could feel tears creeping at the corners of her eyes. She would never pick a family over another, the only reason she would is to save another family. But it was too late now, the damage was done and it wasn’t like she could rectify anything at this point. It’s easier to simply let it be, so she laid there in defeat, hearing Jiang Cheng storm away, trying her best not to burst out into tears.


“Ai, Wei Ying. I told you not to fight and struggle. Why are you always like this?” she heard Wen Chao muse as he untied and removed her gag. “Aiyo, let’s get these rope burns tended to, shall we?” Wen Chao said as he moved to take her wrists in an attempt to nurse them. However, Wei Ying who was angered and in pain shot up from where she lay as soon as she was free and shoved him. Not caring about the pain that coursed through her body.


“How dare you! How dare you hurt him like that!” she cried angrily. “Why would you say that to him?” she continued. “I would never abandon them just like that! No one but Jiang Cheng is going to believe that!” she cried.


“So what if no one else does? You don’t need him, Wei Ying. Don’t you remember that you belong to me?” Wen Chao mused as he moved to grab her. However, Wei Ying slapped him across the face then shoved him away from her, darting out of the hut. She hid herself for the rest of the day, hiding with Granny Wen and the Wen siblings who consoled her and treated her kindly.

“Mr. Wen, you called for me?” Wei Ying said as respectfully yet defiantly as she made her way into Wen RuoHan’s study.


“Wei WuXian, have we not treated you kindly? We welcomed you into our family. It’s not like we’ve been beating you every day ever since you were told that you may never leave without my permission.” Wen RuoHan began, his eyes boring into hers.


“You haven’t but you tricked me into thinking you were decent people and trapped me within your own mansion. Am I supposed to thank you for that? Am I supposed to be happy about being treated like a weapon or tool by you, Mr. Wen?” she bit back.


“You might as well get used to it. It’s not like anyone can come save you anymore. No one would dare try it anyway.” he mused. “You should be honoured. Chao-er doesn’t settle when it comes to girls, but he’s taken by you. Shouldn’t that be enough? He’s your husband to be, so I suggest you show him some respect.” he said.


“You expect me to show him some respect when he shows me none? If he truly is so taken by me, he would have opposed doing such a thing to me! Just because you have me trapped, I don’t have to act submissive towards it. Yes, you’ve treated me well, shown me kindness in the past. But it doesn’t mean I will just ignore the fact that you tricked me into thinking you didn’t have an ulterior motive and then trapped me here!” she hissed.


“Wen ZhuLiu.” Wen RuoHan said coldly as he signalled to the man. Wei Ying wasn’t going to go down without a fight, so naturally, she dodged at any attempt to grab her, fighting off the man as best as she could. Unfortunately, Wen RuoHan’s lock around her neck meant they would always have the upper hand. Even as she fought past the pain she felt, she eventually was put into a holding lock by Wen ZhuLiu, her face pressed down onto the ground.


“You may think that you can’t be used as leverage against the Jiangs, however, I wonder what Jiang FengMian will do when he sees this photo of you?” Wen RuoHan mused as he walked over with a tablet, on the screen was a photo of her. It was one taken when she was out cold. From the photo, you can tell clearly that she was a hostage, she knew deep down it would cause Jiang-shushu to spiral down in worry. “Do you really want him to worry about it? Do you really want him to go running to Jin GuangShan for help?” he mused. “You don’t realise how much advantage I’ll gain if they see this image.”


In response, she turned her head and spat at him, even though she knew it wouldn’t hit him in the face.


“You need to be taught a lesson.” Wen RuoHan said, gesturing towards Wen ZhuLiu, who quickly pulled her up on her feet, holding her wrists behind her back. Then she was suspended in the air by her wrists. Her legs were chained up as well. Before there was any other time to react, there was a knock on the door and a group of Wen disciples entered the room.


“Sect Leader Wen, you called for us?” asked one of them meekly and nervously.


“Ah, just in time.” Wen RuoHan said. “Wei WuXian here needs to be taught a lesson, she’s been acting disrespectfully towards your shixiong.” he said.


“How can we help with that, Sect Leader Wen?” asked the same disciple nervously as he looked over at Wei Ying. She knew this disciple well, they had often trained together. In fact, she knew this entire group.


“Hit her until I say you can stop.” Wen RuoHan said coldly. “She needs to learn the hard way that defiance against me will only end badly for her.” he continued.


She could see it in his eyes that the disciple didn’t want to do such a thing, he looked remorseful even before he even began to do so. As the first punch hit, then another and then another, she held strong despite it all, enduring the pain. She didn’t blame them, she knew that they were terrified of him. Most people were. She was too, but now, her anger made her feel differently. So, she bit back her pain and defiantly refused to let out any cries of pain, even as Wen RuoHan instructed them to hit harder.


Eventually, she was escorted outside and tied up in the cold, suspended by her wrists, “To serve as a warning and example” as Wen RuoHan had said. Despite the pain she felt, she somehow felt tired. Knowing that there wasn’t another way around it, she allowed herself to slip into unconsciousness.

When she came to, she found herself in a bed and bandages around her wounds. The disciples that were responsible for the beating, beside her bedside.


“Miss Wei, we’re sorry! We’ve done wrong and should have fought him!” cried one of them.


“Yeah! We shouldn’t have just let our fear of Sect Leader Wen control us and beat you up!” another cried.


“We’re sorry for being such cowards!” another chimed in.


She laughed lightly, the Wen disciples were so cute at times.


“Aiya, you lot!” she laughed. “You’re so silly! Do you think I’d hold it against you? Most people are scared of your Sect Leader. I never faulted any of you.” she continued.


“Still, it’s wrong of us!”


“Yeah! Yeah!”


“Yeah! You should be mad at us!”


“Miss Wei, please let us do tasks for you for the next month, no- year! It’s the least we could do!” one cried.


“Who bandaged me up?” she asked curiously instead.


“We did! Da-shixiong asked us to!” said another.


“Wen Xu?” she asked, surprised.


“Yes. You should have heard it, Miss Wei! He argued so loudly with Sect Leader Wen that we could hear it a few rooms down! When he found out we were responsible, he instructed us to free you and tend to your wounds but we’re to go kneel and keep kneeling until he decides it’s enough later.” one of them said.


“He really didn’t know then…” she said quietly, mostly to herself.


“Please, Miss Wei. If you want to be angry, please be angry at us. Da-shixiong never wanted to hurt you, he didn’t know. We didn’t know either.” they cried.


“Don’t worry, I’ll go talk to him. I’ll also ask for his mercy towards you all for you.” she smiled as she got up. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” she smiled. “I’m not angry with you, you don’t need to be punished.”


“At least allow us to help you.”


She sighed, realising they weren’t going to let up. “Fine, I’ll let you help me out around the shrine, alright?” she said.


“Yes, we’ll be the best helpers ever!” they cried gratefully.


With that sorted out, Wei Ying began making her way to the kitchen, deciding that she needed to bring something with her to Wen Xu’s office. Besides, it wasn’t like the man was currently available. She knew that if it was her, he would most likely drop everything to accommodate her, however, she didn’t want to get in the way. So instead, she busied herself with baking.

If she wasn’t trapped in this mansion, she would agree that it was beautiful and also as spacious as anyone could imagine it to be. Perhaps for those who had grown up with extreme wealth, it would seem small to them, but to Wei Ying, it was spacious. When she wasn’t trapped here, she actually loved the place. She loved swimming in the pool and playing other sports with the disciples. Now, it just felt like a lavishly decorated cage for her.


The issue she had now was trying to figure how to slip away when her time came as there was no way she could leave. As much as she held hurt in her heart towards the Gods for allowing her to be tricked by Wen RuoHan and Wen Chao, she also knew it was also her own fault. Though, she just knew that the Gods had planned this. After all, they chose what she saw for her own future. This was the downside of being the Oracle. She didn’t know whether it was because they were testing her or trying to end the world themselves. She would like to believe the first option as the second one was too cruel. To weigh all of humanity’s survival rate on one individual, it just seemed too much.


It had only been four days after she had initially shouted at Wen Xu, accusing him of being in the know of the plan and lying to her. It felt too long. Usually, when Wen Xu was on a business trip, his study would be empty, but he’d still call her every night. When he wasn’t, she visited him often when she wasn’t working at the shrine. Four days of not sharing casual banter with the man felt so off and long. As she stared at the door in front of her, she felt nervous. When her hand made contact with the door, knocking despite her fears, she almost panicked and ran.


She must have stood there for too long as she was greeted by Wen Xu’s surprised face as the door opened.


“YingYing? Did Father send you?” Wen Xu asked, bewildered.


She didn’t blame him, if Jiang Cheng came over with a peace offering, she’d feel the same.


“I-I-“ she tried as she grasped at the words that had suddenly all but dissipated off of her tongue, her mind empty as well.


“Come, take a seat on the sofa, YingYing.” Wen Xu said as he ushered her over to the sofa.


“I brought cookies?” she finally managed to say as she sat down on the sofa, producing the box she had put the cookies in.


“YingYing, did you make them for me?” Wen Xu asked, an amused look twinkling in his eyes.


“It’s a peace offering.” she said, finally finding her courage.


“Now, why ever would you need to take a peace offering over to me, hm?” he mused as he sat down next to her.


“It’s to apologise.” she said quietly, suddenly finding the ground rather interesting.


“You don’t need to apologise for lashing out at me, YingYing. You had every right to. I’m not surprised that you thought that I knew and was just lying to you all this time. You were betrayed by two people that acted like they can be trusted.” Wen Xu said as he put a hand on her shoulder.


“Still, I shouldn’t have just assumed, Da-ge. You’ve been nothing but kind to me. I should have known!” she said, her hands balling into fists, clutching at the fabric on her dress.


“There is such a technique as killing with kindness, YingYing. Even kind seeming people can be malicious in reality, I don’t blame you and would have never blamed you if you never spoke to me again.” he replied as he placed a hand on her head.


“Can I have a cookie now, YingYing? I’m excited! YingYing went to the trouble of baking for me!” he smiled.


“Go ahead. I can’t guarantee that it’s any good, but I hope they taste okay.” she said quietly.


“Oh, these are nice! Chocolate and chilli sugar cookies! They’re delicious, YingYing!” he complimented as he finished off the cookie. “I’m glad that you know that I never would decide to try you like this. I know that I’m not the best of character, but when it comes to you, YingYing, I would never choose to hurt you like this.” he said as he took one of her balled up hands into his. “I promise that I won’t let my brother get his way. I’ll find a way to free you, YingYing.” he said.


“If you must, please do it carefully.” Wei Ying said, biting her lip.


“Don’t worry about me, YingYing. I’ll be fine.” he said as he pulled her into an embrace. “YingYing, if my didi has hurt you physically in any way or touched you inappropriately, you’ll let me know right?” he continued. “I know what he’s like.” he said.


“I was stupid. I let him fool me into thinking he’s changed. You even warned me, Da-ge. You warned me and I should have taken it as the biggest warning. You’re his brother and yet you went out of your way to warn me. But I was stupid. I can’t believe I was tricked so badly.” she replied.


“YingYing, it’s not your fault. He acted well and he had someone to coach him how to act. I should have not gone away when I did. I could have prevented it. Or I should have come back early.” he said as he pulled her closer. “YingYing, what did my didi do to you that night I found you? You know you can tell me, right? Please, I don’t want you to suffer in silence.”


She wanted to tell him, she wanted to tell him everything, but she was afraid and ashamed and that fear and shamefulness gripped her tongue, froze and paralysed it.


“Nothing happened.” she lied. “He just tied me up outside because I refused to stay his property quietly.” she continued. This at least was the truth.


“I’m going to cancel my business trip coming up.” Wen Xu said.


“No. There’s no need, Da-ge. I’ll be fine. Wen Chao’s not permitted to have sex with me. Your Father didn’t believe that he’s serious about this engagement and he has to prove it.” she said. "Not to mention, there's the belief that those who are gifted in divination shouldn't be defiled until they are of age, or their abilities will weaken."


“That doesn’t matter. He will and can find loopholes around it. I know my brother, he treats women as playthings.” he said. “YingYing, please. I know he did something to you. If you just tell me, I can do something about it.” he said, almost pleadingly.


Wei Ying’s resolve almost crumbled. Almost…


“He did the occasional kiss and feel. But it’s not anything concerning… Please, I’m fine. Please don’t bring it further.” she said quietly.


“If he does anymore, please tell me, YingYing. I won’t let you suffer in silence.” he said.


“I will.” she said, deciding that perhaps at some point she could let him know.


“I hate that I can’t be here to make sure you’re fine due to my trip. But if you need something, you can call me, YingYing.” he said as he held her hands in his.


“I know that, Da-ge.” she smiled as she squeezed him within their embrace, desperately clinging onto this kind affection. It scared her to know that when Wen Chao hears of this, he no doubt would be all over her again. She was just lucky that he had an event to attend today. It was nice to know that at least she had one ally in the main family.

She would be lying if she said it got any easier with each passing day. She wondered how long she could hold out. Sure, she was glad that Wen RuoHan had banned his son from actually engaging in intercourse with her, but that didn’t make it any easier for her as Wen Chao found ways around it. In fact, it was worse because it made him more lustful, more touchy. Wen Xu was unfortunately away and she didn’t want to tell him. It was hard for her to just tell others like this when she wasn’t the type to disclose her feelings and hardships easily. She had endured countless groping and she couldn’t avoid it.


After that incident where she had been punished, Wen RuoHan made it known that she was expected to have her meals with them, making things extremely difficult. However, she knew she had to somewhat obey him, so she begrudgingly did so. She was also expected to serve them tea sometimes as the future wife to Wen Chao, that was the sole reason why she was allowed to continue her lessons and the only time she was allowed to leave the mansion. Still, she bore with it, knowing that the leverage there was still somewhat threatening. She didn’t want Jiang-shushu to ever see those photos of her bound and helpless, it would make him and Jin-shushu act rashly and that would be the worst-case scenario.


Things had escalated though after Wen Chao had found out that she had made up with Wen Xu. He had been more hungry, more touchy and prolonged their sessions together longer. However, this morning, he escalated things further. She had gone to take a shower as per usual after a good session of training with the Wen disciples. It was one of the only times that she enjoyed now as she could immerse herself in the training and nothing else. Wen ZhuLiu was sometimes sent over to train her as she was expected to advance in her abilities. She personally had nothing against him, he respected her heavily and sometimes she couldn’t help but see a look of pity in his eyes ever so slightly. She wondered what Wen RuoHan did for him to make him so loyal towards him, but she knew better than to ask.


Since she was given the privilege of having a beautiful and lavish ensuite room as her bedroom, she always showered in her room. Today, however, she felt that something was amiss as she did so. It was when she felt someone’s arms around her and groping her that she realised that Wen Chao had climbed into the bathtub with her. The amount of humiliation and terror she felt as he played with her like she was merely a toy was awful. He forced her to let him bathe her and then carried on torturing her on her bed afterwards. He had reasoned it to be that he would be spending an entire day away from her that he felt the need to do such a thing. The worst was throughout all of it, she was stark naked while he was fully clothed, just casually playing around with her as she helplessly watched him do so. It seemed like every day he had a new toy to try on her and it was awful for her. The worst thing she knew was that even if she opposed him, there wasn’t much she could do.


Her only solace was the tranquillity of the shrine currently, after taking a second shower, she got herself dressed in her uniform and began working. This week was extremely hectic as it was the New Year. Everyone wanted their fortune told. So she was pretty preoccupied. Things had crawled to a still now since it was just after lunchtime, meaning others would be preparing for their evening meetings. She could feel a tug at heart as she remembered the fun new years spent with the Jiangs. Memories that she would never get the relive again.


“Wei Ying.” a familiar and unexpected voice broke the silence and her concentration. At first, she thought she had hallucinated it, before seeing the owner of the voice and then almost dropping the incense burner she was carrying as she was cleaning up the area around the shrine.


The other, being the helpful and amazing person they were, quickly rushed over to help her.


“I apologise, it wasn’t my intention to startle you.” he said softly.


Oh, how she had missed his voice. It was music to her ears.


“Lan Zhan,” she began, finding her voice finally. “Aren’t you mad at me for New Year’s Eve?” she managed, smiling to mask the pain within her.


“Wei Ying, what happened? Why were you not there?” he asked as he took her hands in his after he set down the incense burner. She had missed those hands of his, those warm and kind hands.


What was she to say? That she was trapped? That they had kidnapped and imprisoned her? At a loss to what to say, she could only look down at the path beneath them.


It was then she heard the other let out a gasp, one that sounded like devastation, following that was a gentle tug at the chain around her neck.


“Wei Ying.” she heard him breathe, this time in pain and utter despair. “Why? I thought Wen RuoHan treated you kindly. I thought you were a guest here.” he said.


“I was at one point, or I thought I was. But… But not anymore. I was so stupid, Lan Zhan. So foolish. I thought that he had changed, but he had been planning for a long time.” she cried, the swarm of emotions she had been suppressing, threatening to burst out.


“Why? Why all of a sudden?” Lan Zhan asked as he guided her over to a seating area, helping her sit down and taking a seat next to her after she was seated.


“I-I was going to confess to you on New Year’s Eve…” she began. Wen Xu was right, Lan Zhan deserved to know, even more so now. “Lan Zhan, Lan WangJi, I’ve loved you for a very long time. When you kissed me, I wasn’t disgusted by it. I was just surprised… surprised that you felt the same about someone like me.” she said, a painful smile on her face.


“Wei Ying is perfect, there is no other like Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said as he took her hands in his once again. “Have loved Wei Ying for a very long time too.” he said as he caressed her face. “Want to protect Wei Ying as best as I can. Wei Ying, I will free you.” he said with determination.


“Please be careful.” she said quietly, knowing that once Lan Zhan decided on something, even mountains can be moved.


“I promise I will be.” he said kindly.


She leant in and kissed him because that’s what she had wanted for so long. She wanted to tell him everything, share everything with him. So this was what it felt like with someone you actually loved. They weren’t being dramatic when they talked about true love. Suddenly it made sense to her.


“I was not angry with Wei Ying when you were not there.” Lan Zhan said kindly as he ran his fingers through her hair. She savoured the feeling, thirsting for his affection and gentle touch. “I was worried. I knew something was wrong. Wei Ying is not the kind to do such a thing.” he said.


“I bet Madame Yu was angry with me.” she said quietly.


“She was, but Mr. Jiang was worried. He looked troubled.” he replied. “Nie HuaiSang and Mr. Nie were concerned, they also looked rather troubled.” he continued.


“Oh, it’s so weird to hear you call him ‘Mr. Nie’! It makes him sound so old!” she huffed. “Lan Zhan, MingJue-ge may act like an old man, but shouldn’t you be more casual with him? He’s best friends with your brother after all!” she teased. Lan Zhan simply huffed in amusement and said nothing.


“Please, tell them not to act rashly.” she said seriously. “I know you can’t lie, so I won’t ask that of you. But please tell them not to act impulsively, especially not MingJue-ge. I know he would be bolting over here, armed and ready to take down Wen RuoHan at the given opportunity.” she continued.


“I will, do not worry.” Lan Zhan replied as he put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly.


“You’re so good, Lan Zhan.” she smiled. “No… You’re the best. I don’t know what I would do without you.” she continued.


“Wei Ying, I know this is inappropriate to ask, but will you consider dating me?” he asked.


“Yes!” she cried without thinking twice. Right now, she was thinking with her heart, not her mind. “But before we decide on anything, I have some things to tell you.” she said quietly as she took his hands. He squeezed them in return, a silent gesture for her to carry on.


She felt so safe with him and for once felt like she could tell someone what was happening, so she told him. She told him what exactly Wen Chao had done to her.

Wen Xu never considered himself as a kind person. He still didn’t. All his life he had been taught to be anything but kind. He also had no problems with being considered evil. It was what the Wens were known for. They were feared and respected because they are powerful business owners, it also helped that he was a lawyer. He knew he didn’t have the best reputation. He defended awful people, it was all that it was. When money calls, he would take it. Alongside their business dealings, they were also held in high regard because they had the most Oracles in their heritage.


Unlike his stupid younger brother, he very much believed in the Oracle. If divination was a believable thing, so was the Oracle. Of course, it was well known that the Oracle simply disappeared when they died, it was the entirety of Wen Chao’s argument after all. In a way, he almost pitied the Oracle as they were a slave to their people and also the Gods. He had been waiting for the Gods’ intervention, although he mostly lived a life where he didn’t care and took as much as he liked, he also thought that surely, with all the sins they were committing, the Gods would be tired?


When the previous Oracle died, he had actually asked his Father whether he was responsible for their straying from the path. He was shocked when he said he had nothing to do with it. His Father was never one to lie about such things, in fact, if he was responsible, he would have bragged about it. So he knew he was telling the truth. Still, he was curious about who had such guts. From that moment on, he had been waiting for their world to entirely cave in on them. However, it didn’t happen.


He had heard whispers of the Jiangs’ adopted child for as long as he could remember. The child was apparently a ruffian, a hard to look at creature. A girl but wouldn’t act or dress like one. Then there were the rumours where they were more sympathetic.


“It’s honestly not her fault,” some would lament. “Madame Yu absolutely refuses to acknowledge her and disallows her to wear anything feminine or even be feminine.”


It was all he heard, he honestly didn’t care about it. He must have seen her once or twice in passing for their events, but that was all. There really wasn’t an impression.


Then his brother decided to target her. Apparently, she dared to show him up and also make a mockery of him. He had to admit, the girl had some guts. Although it was easy as anything to best his brother, it would take some guts to not care. Others feared the Wens after all. He almost wanted to shake her hand for making him so enraged.


Then he met her.


He had studied divination at school and wasn’t bad at it but it wasn’t his best subject. He knew he always had great intuition though. When he met her, he just knew something about her made her different.


She wasn’t hideous, nor was she impossible. She was just a bright girl in a world that put her in an awful place in the food chain of humans. She came from nothing, he knew she was reminded of that constantly. Her loyalty to the Jiangs was admirable. He didn’t know why, when he first met her, he felt extremely compelled to tease her.


The more he spent time around her, the more fascinated he was by her. He knew that she wasn’t just anyone. Her strong ties with divination and her ways of just knowing things just gave her away. It was surprising that his Father hadn’t caught on. However, it was the night when she asked him to not forget her when she disappeared that he knew. She was the Oracle. However, whatever that was waiting for her wasn’t anything kind. Yet, from how she acted, he knew that she was going to see it through to the end, she was going to ultimately make the ‘right choice’. But what of her? When he made that connection, it was the first time that he cared extensively about these things. He had ended up re-reading texts about the Oracle to see if something can be changed. During that time, he had bumped into Wen-shifu on some occasions. She had confirmed for him that unfortunately, he could do nothing and he would have to just watch it happen. He didn’t like that. For once he felt so impossibly useless. So that was why he doted on Wei Ying. She gave him a perspective on the world that made him want to try to be a good person, but only for her. She never judged him for the court cases that he took up. He never bothered to hide anything from her as he knew she could touch his documents and find out. Moments spent with her were his highlights as she made him see the tranquillity of life and also the fragility of life. How a young, promising, lively person could have their life taken so early on. He knew from how she acted that it was going to be soon. Wei Ying thinks that she’s being secretive, however, for those that knew her and her mannerisms, you could pick it up.


This was why he gained a new dislike for the Jiangs. They spent the most time around her, yet they didn’t know. With how Madame Yu fussed over Jiang WanYin, he knew that there was some stupid case of mistaken identity. That she thought he was the Oracle instead. However, if she had looked at him compared to Wei Ying, one could tell. Especially how prior to this, her visions were not even controlled. Then there was Jiang FengMian. He supposedly asked Wei Ying to predict the lottery and mahjong games for him. How did he not know? He didn’t even want to think about Jiang WanYin’s case. What about Jiang YanLi? Perhaps the lack of ability to do divination made her not be able to sense it? But surely she would have seen that something was off about Wei Ying. That something had been off about her since the start of that year.


Wei Ying had once mentioned it to him, during their many calm, quiet picnics under the stars that she had seen the vision shortly after the situation with Wen Chao threatening her brother.


Wei Ying wasn’t the only one that had changed that summer though. His brother had very much so. But not in a good way. He had noticed it the first day he had officially met Wei Ying. How he acted and tried his best to impress her said it all. He knew his brother liked her, but he thought it was a passing thing, but he still didn’t like it. He just couldn’t imagine such an amazing person being with someone like his brother. When he noticed his brother acting in an alarming manner, he warned her. Yet, she thought nothing of it. He had even raised his concerns with his Father.


He felt stupid to have been tricked by his Father and of all people, his brother. If he had known that his Father had planned to keep Wei Ying so he could have a good tool at his disposal, he would have made her leave. Even if she would end up hating him, he would have done so. When it came to Wei Ying, he wanted to make the right choice.


It had begun as casual teasing when he had first asked her to address him as ‘Da-ge’. Then it became a constant and he had started to think of her as a younger sister. He wanted to protect her and dote on her.


Hence why he did so. Often in small ways, sometimes in elaborate ways because her reactions were funny to him. Especially how she was struggling between being upset and surprised when he had bought out the aquarium for the day. It was amusing how Wei Ying didn’t like it when others did nice things for her, her reaction was so different that he did it out of amusement as well as to dote on her.


He was determined to make the rest of her life as happy and comfortable as he could for her. That was the least he could do for her.

Lan WangJi had been quite troubled over the past few days, he had been tiptoeing around subjects to avoid a certain Corporation leader from charging into the Wen Corporation headquarters and demanding they release Wei Ying. Luckily, his brother and Nie HuaiSang had been helping him in that sense. Of course, he was angry himself. He wanted to charge in personally and dispose of Wen Chao himself. Especially with the knowledge of what the awful torture he had subjected Wei Ying to. He was only glad that he wasn’t beating her, still, it didn’t mean he didn’t abuse her. He could never forget the pained expression on Wei Ying’s face as she shared with him what he had done to her that day in the sports equipment shed and also what he had done to her on New Year’s Eve. When he visited the shrine, he made sure to be sneaky and to dote on her as much as he could.


He had blamed himself when it happened. When he discovered that they had trapped her in the mansion. He blamed himself for not observing how Wen Chao acted towards her before. He was sure that if he had seen it, he could have warned her. She would at least have heeded those words. Unfortunately, Wen Chao had been clever, only showing a good side to him when he was in front of others and Wei Ying. Even Nie HuaiSang hadn’t seen them together enough was able to see the warning signs. But what can he do? He could only plan carefully to save her now.


He had visited every day, he just had to make sure she was doing alright. She has often mentioned Wen Xu, he had no idea what he felt about Wen Xu, after all, he was part of the Wen main family, however, he seemed to treat Wei Ying well enough. Wei Ying herself had insisted that he didn’t know of the lies his father and brother told either. So, who was he to judge? He also hadn’t seen the signs of it. Though, he could never be too sure as Wei Ying didn’t always tell him everything. It was like how she definitely hadn’t told the older man the abuse his younger brother would put her through every day.


This was why when he saw Wen Xu waiting for him at the front, out of everyone’s sights, using the usual secret trail to get to the shrine, he panicked. He was immediately suspicious. How did the man find out? Was the man going to stop him?


“Yo~” the man greeted him.


He in return greeted back but with a guarded stance and expression.


“Don’t worry, I’m not here to catch you sneaking in, but I think you need to find a new path, my didi is starting to suspect.” Wen Xu said when he saw that he wasn’t going to respond much. “I’ll show you later, hm?”


He nodded awkwardly in response, not sure why the man would help him when technically he should be siding with his family.


“Oh how forgetful of me,” Wen Xu began casually. “I wanted to ask you to come with me as I need some help with something. It concerns YingYing.” he said.


‘YingYing’ was what Wen Xu had always addressed Wei Ying as a way of teasing her with it, however, it would seem that it was in endearment now. Wei Ying herself seemed rather fond of the nickname. Even though he knew that Wei Ying saw him as nothing but a brother, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.


“I want to give her a present, but I want it to be special. Will you be willing to come with me?” Wen Xu asked.


“Alright.” he replied quietly. He didn’t know where this was going but he wanted to help when it came to Wei Ying’s happiness. For all he knew, it was a trap. But he was willing to risk it and give this man the benefit of the doubt.


It wasn’t until they arrived that he realised where they were. There were dogs barking everywhere, then birds chirping and various other animals noisily causing chaos.


“YingYing really likes cats, she’s told me before.” Wen Xu explained. “I want to give her a pair to cheer her up.” he continued. “I thought what better than to ask her boyfriend to help out.”


Boyfriend. Oh yes, that’s what they were. Boyfriend and girlfriend.


They sifted through lots and lots of kittens, there were so many to choose from. However, he just felt they weren’t perfect and Wen Xu felt the same.


“Haven’t you got any more kittens?” Wen Xu had asked the shop assistant once they had gone through all of their choices.


“There are... However, there are two that came that are... difficult.” he had replied nervously when Wen Xu asked.


“How so?” Wen Xu asked.


“One won’t engage with anyone and unfortunately, your average customer doesn’t like that and the other is too energetic.” he sighed.


“Can we look at them?” Wen Xu asked.


So, they were brought forward. As soon as they saw the kittens, it was like they both knew these were the pets for Wei Ying. She would love them as Wei Ying had a charm on animals. The only animal she didn’t welcome with open arms was a dog, but that was because of trauma. They on the other hand loved her.


The kittens were both fluffy, one white, one black. A contrast, much like Wei Ying and himself. It was perfect. When paired together they seemed to enjoy being with each other. This was a further sign this was a good choice. Now all they had to do was give them to Wei Ying.


There were questions he had for the other man, but he wasn’t exactly the most sociable person and words didn’t come easily to him, unfortunately. He was even surprised that Wei Ying enjoyed chatting to him as he felt that she was such a vibrant person, such a contrast to him. He honestly thought that Wei Ying would be better off with someone else. Still, he was grateful that things turned out the way they did in the end, that the misunderstanding between them was cleared up. Even if they never ended up dating, he would have been fine with just them back to being friends, to him watching over her. But this was better than he hoped for. Wei Ying generally seemed happy when she was with him. Well, as happy as a trapped person would be. However, sometimes there was a look in her eyes. A look of sadness that faded as quickly as it appeared. He didn’t dare to ask or want to ask. Wei Ying will tell him when she feels comfortable about letting him know.

Things had been tough this week. She had woken up in the middle of the night to find Wen Chao in her bed, touching and groping her. As usual, he had made sure that she was completely helpless and unable to fight back. After his prolonged torture, he had whispered into her ear that she was to come sleep with him in his bed every night. At first, she hadn’t listened to him and didn’t obey his demands, however, after waking up one day, after numerous times in his bed with him feeling her up, he had threatened her with sending her photos to the Jiangs and she had listened to him. As soon as she had obeyed his demands, Wen Chao was delighted. Then, he took it one step further.


“Don’t get into my bed with your panties on, there’s no point anyway since they always come off, Wei Ying.” he had said. “In fact, I’ll cut them up and you’ll have to explain why you need more and we both don’t want that, do we, Wei Ying?” he had mused.


So, she obeyed.


He was delighted, of course, lifting her nightdress to check and having a feel of her rear and lower regions as he savoured it. She in turn swallowed her pride and let him. She hated that despite not being tied to the Jiangs anymore, she was still leverage.


As much as Lan Zhan knew about the situation, she still felt dirty every time he did such acts to her. Even though she wasn’t a willing participant, she still felt disgusted that she couldn’t help but have to obey him. Every kiss and every touch made her nauseous and disgusted, she now understood why she was sick for a week straight after the initial attack. She would feel the same after each moment spent with him. However, she never let him know how he made her feel, never begging him to stop or letting him have anything easily, even if he slapped her for her disobedience or punished her by prolonging her torture, she refused to let him see her suffering.


So, she was rather tired, stuck in this vicious cycle of torture with him. Despite this, she didn’t let it intervene with her work. It was the only solace she had as the Wen siblings would spend as much time with her as possible during non-school days and when they weren’t there, Granny Wen would be there, making sure that Wen Chao couldn’t intervene. The good thing was that he was also back at school now, so he wasn’t there to pester her during her work hours.


It had been any other day, it was fairly busy but not that busy. The New Year had gone by so things had gone back to their normal pace now. As usual, she heard Wen Xu’s footsteps making their way up to the shrine. However, it sounded different. Instead of one set of footsteps, there were two. That was unusual, to say the least. When she looked, she was greeted with the sight of Wen Xu and Lan Zhan walking towards her together. She wasn’t going to lie, it was quite funny. It was so unusual that she almost missed a box Lan Zhan had in his grasp. This wasn’t unusual, Lan Zhan often had gifts to give her after all.


“I happened to find this intruder on the way here to see you, YingYing.” Wen Xu mused when they got closer.


“Oh did you now? I would have thought that you purposefully sought him out, Da-ge.” she huffed, her voice full of amusement.


“YingYing is too smart.” the older man replied in response as he lightly pinched her cheek.


“Lan Zhan, haven’t I told you no more gifts?” she huffed.


“It was Mr. Wen’s idea.” Lan Zhan replied quietly as he handed the box over to her. Upon further inspection, there were holes in the box.


“Ai, it was a collective effort!” Wen Xu sighed. “You were supposed to take the credit, you’re the boyfriend, after all, Mr. Lan.” Wen Xu mused.


“Can you two stop with the “Mr.”s? It’s so weird!” she frowned.


“Never mind us, YingYing. Go open the present!” Wen Xu said as he put his hands on her shoulders, steering her towards the seating area in the shade. She let him do so without complaint as she was too curious herself.


As she lifted the lid, she can hear the soft sound of meows. She looked in, surprised and excited.


Cats. Her gift was cats.


As she gently lifted the two cats out of the box, she saw that they were in fact kittens. Both had fluffy fur. One black, one white. The black one was much smaller than the white one.


“Hi!” she greeted them ecstatically. In return, both of them pawed at her hands and nuzzled their faces into them.


“Looks like she loves them and they love her.” Wen Xu mused at Lan Zhan who replied with a simple ‘Mm.’


“Please don’t tell me you travelled with them in the box the whole time.” she said as she cuddled them.


“No, we only transferred them up into the box when we came up here.” Lan Zhan replied.


“Thank you.” she beamed. “I love them, thank you so much.” she continued.


“Name them well, won’t you, YingYing.” Wen Xu said kindly as he petted her head.


“Of course! You know that naming is my speciality!” she mused.


Things were not the best but this was a good thing out of the sea of bad things.

‘Pidan’ and ‘Shourou’ were what she named them in the end. Pidan, the black small kitten that reminded her of century egg that went inside congee. Which in this case, Shourou was named after the pork that went into the congee dish and because when Shourou curled up around Pidan, it reminded her of the dish itself. She didn’t want to name the white one ‘Zhou’ as it sounded odd if it was just century egg congee, so she went with this as the idea. They were smart cats. Wei Ying knew this as they hid from Wen Chao so he didn’t even know of their existence. It was only because she wanted them to hide. At first, it seemed like they wanted to attack him, but she told them to hide, it was better that way.


When Wen Xu was away, they were what kept her afloat. This was how her days passed by, still suffering from Wen Chao’s unwanted advances and also his torture. She still tried her best to defy him where she could. She was never going to make it easy for him, she refused. Dinners were still awkward. She had to act like a good wife to be and she hated it. However, she swallowed her pride as she knew she had to be good or they would threaten the Jiangs. She didn’t want to be an inconvenience after all.


It was like any other day when the silence was disrupted.


“So this is where you’ve been hiding all this time, you little whore!” screeched a voice she never wanted to hear again. She simply ignored it, sweeping the area around her and continuing to work.


“Just look at you! Treating me like nothing because you got the favour of my ChaoChao!” she cried. “Just because you’re his fiancée, it doesn’t mean you get to treat me like I’m below you!” Wang LingJiao cried as she lunged at Wei Ying, attempting to hit her. However, Wei Ying took no chances, blocking her attacks with her broom effortlessly.


“How dare you touch me, you filthy bitch! You are nothing but a leech! Soon ChaoChao will realise what you are and drop you!” she cried. Something about those words set Wei Ying off. She gripped her broom to stop herself from hitting the other.


“What gives you the right to talk to me like that? We’re no different. Even if someone came from poverty, it doesn’t mean they can’t thrive. If you care about someone’s status so much, you shouldn’t be talking down to me. I am as you say, Wen Chao’s fiancée. You should show me some respect.” she replied coldly.


“You-You-“ Wang LingJiao cried as she dashed towards her.


“Well spoken, Wei Ying.” interrupted a voice that belonged to none other than Wen Chao, who stepped in between them. If he wasn’t who he was, Wei Ying would be moved by his chivalry.


“ChaoChao...” Wang LingJiao begged. “Why would you choose her? You told JiaoJiao before that she was the one for you! That I was better than everyone else!” she cried.


“I must have been mistaken. As it’s Wei Ying that’s my fiancée after all.” Wen Chao replied coldly.


“How? How can you choose her over me? I have a better body than her! We aren’t even sure if she’s even a real girl! ChaoChao, what spell did she put on you?” she continued to cry.


“Wei Ying is simply better than you.” Wen Chao replied. “She’s pretty and doesn’t vie for my attention constantly and doesn’t need much to be happy, who wouldn’t want that?” Wen Chao mused. “She’s talented in divination and can protect herself, not to mention, she looks so pretty in our sect’s traditional robes. So why wouldn’t I like her more.” he sneered.


“Please, ChaoChao, don’t say that! You told JiaoJiao that she is the prettiest girl ever!” she cried, heartbroken.


“Guess I was wrong and that I lied.” Wen Chao sneered. “Now leave, I never want to see you again.” he replied coldly. “In fact, I’ll tell the guards to throw you out if you ever try to come near here again.”


“No. No! You can’t do that to me!” she cried.


“Guards, throw her out.” Wen Chao said coldly as he looked at the men who had appeared behind them. Without another word, they grabbed a screaming Wang LingJiao and dragged her out of the place.


“Wei Ying, are you hurt?” Wen Chao asked as he cupped her cheek.


She slapped his hand away in response.


“Don’t touch me.” she said coldly.


“Oh, we’re extra feisty today, are we?” Wen Chao mused as he licked his lips, causing Wei Ying to shudder in disgust inwardly. “I like it when you’re feisty, Wei Ying. It’s fun for me.” he mused as he pulled her close to him, pressing his body against her. “In fact, I could say it even turns me on.” he laughed as he put his hands on her.


She felt horrified when she felt his length press against her. It made her nauseous to know that he was indeed turned on. This was disgusting, she was disgusted.


“Do you know how you make me feel, Wei Ying? I can’t wait to make you mine.” he said softly into her ear.


She managed to break free of his grasp and when he got closer again, she slapped him across the cheek.


“Don’t touch me.” she said coldly again, ignoring the searing feeling of pain within her body and veins.


“You bitch! Haven’t I given you the best? Haven’t I helped you find a job when you needed one? Given you a home when you needed one?” he hissed as he held his cheek. “How can you be so ungrateful when I’ve been nothing but kind to you?” he cried.


“Kind?” she scoffed. “How is any of this kind? You tricked me, then imprisoned me! You touch me against my will and rape me every night!” she cried.


“All I’ve been doing was having a feel with my fingers! It’s not rape because I didn’t penetrate you!” he said. “Stop playing so hard to get, you do realise that my Father would never let you go. I won’t let you go. You’re mine, Wei Ying. You can never leave me, even if I tire of you, you will stay within the walls of the Wen residence!” he mused as he once again put his hands on her.


“I will never belong to you.” she replied coldly. “I’d rather die than belong to you. You’ll never receive my love because I don’t love you. I don’t care if you truly love me or not, I will never return those feelings. Therefore, I will never truly belong to you!” she cried.


“You little bitch!” he hissed as he grabbed her forcefully, dragging her roughly to the hut. He promptly managed to trap her, pulling her clothes off of her body so she was completely bare.


“You need to be taught a lesson, Wei Ying.” he said as he began to secure her in her binds, chaining her wrists together and suspending her up in the air. “You need to learn your place.” he said. “Good thing I bought some new toys.” he mused as he gagged her, adjusting it to the tightest he could get it to. “You’re going to regret disobeying me.” he continued as he spread her legs. “I’m not going to let you off easy today.” he said. “It’s such a shame though, Wei Ying. All I want to do is spoil you, you’re my fiancée, after all. I’m supposed to dote on you. But it’s all your fault, you won’t accept me, so all I can do is put you in your place until you decide to be a good girl for me.” he said as he unlocked the box of toys that he now kept in the hut. He had several around the house, all for his own convenience for whenever he wanted to play with her.


“Wei Ying, why are you so pretty? If you weren’t I wouldn’t want you so much.” he mused as he pinched her nipples. “Don’t worry, I’ll be kind even though this is your punishment. After all, I love you.” he said as he ran his fingers down her cheek. Then, she felt him force his fingers into her, feeling her as he brought out a toy.


“This will be your punishment today.” Wen Chao mused sadistically as he produced a dildo, it was a larger one than the average one he’d use on her to torture her with. “Because you’ve been such a bad girl, I can’t use any lube. So you better relax and take it or it won’t be comfortable for you at all, Wei Ying.” he breathed into her ear.


Internally, she was freaking out. She knew it was going to hurt. However, she refused to let him see her fear. She also refused to be scared, she was going to fight him till the end.


So, he carried on feeling her and fingering her, she always felt so violated. No matter how many times it’s been, she felt violated.


As he pinched her, touched her, kissed her and played with her, she tried her best to just zone out. This was how she coped with it all. This was the only way she kept her sanity. Then, it stopped and she knew why.


“You’re ready, I think. It’s going to be a bit of a tight fit, but you can do it, Wei Ying.” he laughed as he began to place the toy against her entrance.


She knew it was going to hurt. It was going to hurt and she will have trouble walking later. Instead of letting her feelings be known, however, she remained calm, refused to let him see her fear.


“I’m going to enjoy this.” Wen Chao mused as he began to press the toy into her.


Suddenly, the door slammed open and in stepped Wen Xu, Wei Ying had never seen him so angry before, it was moments like this that she was reminded what a fearsome man he truly was.


“Y-You weren’t supposed to return till tomorrow!” Wen Chao cried in shock.


“Good thing I lied.” Wen Xu said as he grabbed Wen Chao and slammed his head against the wall. “I knew you were doing something to her! YingYing is too good and will never let me know, so I just had to catch you in the act!” he said coldly. “Tie him up or something, make sure he can’t escape.” Wen Xu barked.


It was then, Wei Ying realised that there were guards with him. The guards grabbed a shouting Wen Chao with them, dragging him out of the hut, leaving only Wei Ying and Wen Xu in there. He began to release her from her binds, all the time avoiding setting his sights on her bare body. He had always been so respectful towards her. When she was free from her binds, he quickly wrapped his jacket around her, then he gently undid the gag around her mouth.


“YingYing, why did you hide this from me? I told you to tell me. You know that you can trust me, right?” he said sternly but kindly as he cupped her cheek to make her meet his gaze.


“I didn’t want to trouble you. You’ve been so busy, Da-ge. It’s not like you can stop him every single time. You can’t always be here to protect me, after all, I am his fiancée.” she said quietly.


“I won’t allow him to hurt you further. I’ll stop this.” he said quickly as he picked up her discarded clothes and scooped her up, carrying her.


“You don’t need to fight for me, Da-ge. It’s better if you don’t.” she said quietly.


She was brought over to Wen Qing, who analysed her injuries wordlessly and took photos for evidence. It was then that she realised that Wen Xu wasn’t going to just let it go.


“Please, you don’t need to do this.” she begged as she took his hand. “I don’t want to cause trouble.” she continued.


“You’re not trouble.” Wen Xu said as he pet her hair. “You have never been trouble.” he continued. “I promised that I would get you out of this and while this may not be the best method. It’s the only one I can think of right now.” he said.


She wasn’t sure what he meant, it wasn’t until they entered Wen RuoHan’s office that she knew.


“Father, I’ve sat back for long enough, but this is too much. I refuse to let this go on any further.” Wen Xu said coldly as he stood next to Wei Ying, holding her hand to keep her calm.


“Xu-er, you do realise that Wei WuXian is engaged to your brother. You can’t just go intervening every time. Others will begin to talk.” the older man mused, not at all bothered by Wen Xu’s words.


“Then break off the engagement. You’ve already got her trapped here. What more do you want?” Wen Xu frowned.


“It’s not that simple. After all, I’ve already announced to the Sects that there will be an engagement party between my son and Wei WuXian. Do you want our Sect to lose face, Xu-er?” Wen RuoHan replied icily.


Wei Ying said nothing, nervously gripping onto the fabric of the gown she was wearing.


“Wouldn’t it be worse to show the couple of the hour, but others can clearly see that she’s not into it at all? Wouldn’t that cause you to lose face even more so?” Wen Xu retorted coldly.


“She will be good and act happy for it, won’t you, Wei WuXian?” Wen RuoHan said, directing his gaze at her.


Wei Ying was about to reply when Wen Xu quickly interrupted with, “She won’t have to. Did you specify which son she’s engaged to?” he cut in.


“Are you suggesting that you want to be engaged to her instead?” Wen RuoHan mused. “You truly are something, Wei WuXian. Both of my sons are so taken by you.” he laughed unkindly.


“Da-ge, please. You don’t need to do this.” Wei Ying said quietly.


“If you don’t make her my fiancée, I’ll report Wen Chao’s misconduct.” Wen Xu threatened.


Wen RuoHan said nothing for a moment, then replied, “Fine. An engagement is an engagement. But don’t think you can free her just by being engaged to her.” he sneered. “The only way she could leave this place is in a bodybag.” he laughed frostily.


“Wen Chao is to never lay another hand on her. YingYing is my fiancée now. You better drill that into him.” Wen Xu replied coldly.


“Of course, a deal’s a deal.” Wen RuoHan mused.


Then, they left the room. As soon as they were far enough away from here, Wei Ying found that her legs no longer functioned. She felt Wen Xu’s arms around her, his hands rubbing soothing circles into her back.


“YingYing? YingYing, don’t worry. You’re okay. It’s okay.” he said kindly. “You’re safe.” he continued.


“Y-You didn’t have to do that, Da-ge.” she managed. “Your engagement to me is going to be your downfall, Da-ge.” she replied shakily. “I couldn’t figure out why before, but now I know for certain.” she said sadly.


“I don’t care. Whatever happens in the future, I will never blame you, YingYing.” Wen Xu replied kindly as he scooped her up in his arms. “I will protect you however I can.” he replied.


“Thank you.” she said. “Thank you for protecting me and always looking after me.” she continued.


“Of course I would. After all, YingYing is my adorable little sister.” he smiled as he held her closer to him.

Things were hectic in the Wen residence, an engagement function was in place. Usually, functions like this were held in public places, but Wen RuoHan, in a move to show the power he had and also for security's sake, decided to hold it in his mansion. She knew it was most likely to safeguard against anyone that may want to try to save her. Wen RuoHan wasn’t a stupid man after all. Wei Ying also could see that he was paranoid. She was incredibly nervous around him since she knew he wanted something from her. She just couldn’t quite figure out what yet. The fact that he said that she could never leave this place unless she was in a body bag meant there was something else he needed. She did wonder if it was something to do with her divination. As of late, most of her lessons were divination. The tutors also would write a report every week and Wen RuoHan would read over it. At this rate, he was going to catch on. Wei Ying was extremely nervous just thinking about that.


So, when she was asked to go to his study, she was all nerves and nothing else. Wen Xu was preoccupied since he was a busy man, he was a highly sought out lawyer after all. Wei Ying could not ask for more though. As soon as he saved her from her horrendous engagement with Wen Chao, he had always checked up on her, asked his personal guards to guard her room so that Wen Chao wouldn’t try anything. The only downside was that they went with her everywhere. She understood though, was even thankful for it as she had her own fears of Wen Chao sneaking up on her when she was alone. She hated that she had to tell him that Wen Chao would force her to share a bed with him. Luckily, he didn’t force her to detail what he did to her in bed, Wen Xu was always kind to her like that. He had made sure she was comfortable and doing as well as someone that had gone through the trauma she did. He took her out as often as he could and bought her her favourite snacks all the time. All in all, she was spoiled rotten. She in return would help tidy up his office when she wasn’t working at the shrine, give him pointers on his cases when she saw something. All in all, she was having a much better time. Sometimes, she actually forgot that she was trapped here.


“Mr. Wen, you called for me?” Wei Ying asked when she entered the study shortly after she had knocked on the door. She made sure to still address him politely and bow to show him respect, despite the very fact that she felt nothing for him.


There was another male in the room, their back turned to her. He was extremely smartly dressed, so Wei Ying knew he came from a prominent family.


“Wei WuXian, I would like to introduce you to our new assistant.” Wen RuoHan said as he gestured to the other male who now had his sights on Wei Ying. Wei Ying worked hard to not do a double-take when she realised who it was. For there, standing in front of her, was Meng Yao. He was dressed even smarter than he usually was, a tablet in his hand, his reading glasses on his face. Basically, a picture of a crisp, clean businessman.


“He’ll be helping with the business and learning under Xu-er, so you’ll be seeing a lot of each other in your daily lives. Though, it probably isn’t a problem anyway, since you both know each other well anyway.” the man continued. “Since you’ve nothing to do today, why don’t you give him a tour of the mansion?” he said, a command more than a suggestion.


“Yes, Mr. Wen.” Wei Ying replied as she bowed once more.


“Welcome to the team, Meng Yao.” Wen RuoHan said.


The both of them bowed, then left the room after they had finished their greetings towards Wen RuoHan. When she finally was far enough, she allowed herself to take in a breath of air, then turned around to Meng Yao who had a smile on his face as he observed her and said, “Meng Yao, what are you doing here?”


“I’ve decided that I wanted to learn a few tricks and tips from the Wens. Besides, Father has been rather agitated lately. It would make sense I find a good backing before he drops Mother and I.” he mused.


“Oh, I see.” Wei Ying said. “Well, if anything, you’ve chosen the best place to learn from when it comes to tricks.” she replied, distaste in her mouth.


Suddenly, hands were placed on her shoulders and she was face to face with Meng Yao.


“A-Ying, you vanished suddenly from the world. I was told that you stopped attending school because your fees weren’t being paid for anymore.” he said quietly, only for the two of them to hear. “A-Ying, why didn’t you ask Da-ge for help? Or even Er-ge. We both know that Er-ge will do everything in his strength to help you, not to mention, he would do anything to keep Lan WangJi’s happiness.” he continued. “Even more so, you could have asked Father for help with school fees. He’s always been so fond of you.” he continued.


“Mr. Wen makes sure that I’m being taught by the best, you need not worry, A-Yao.” she smiled weakly, not exactly wanting to dip into the topic too much.


“A-Ying…” A-Yao said, almost chiding her. “Tell me, A-Ying. Your secret’s safe with me, I hope you know that.” he said.


“Please, A-Ying?” Meng Yao pleaded with her after a while of her not responding to him.


Knowing that he wasn’t going to drop it, Wei Ying decided that she might as well as Meng Yao was someone that she felt could know secrets but not immediately act upon them. She knew it was a big risk as she knew he wasn’t simply here because he wanted to switch, they always had these double meaning word games.


“A-Ying, I’ll let you see too?” A-Yao pleaded once again in genuine concern.


Others couldn’t read A-Yao, but others weren’t the Oracle. So Wei Ying knew he wasn’t going to lie to her, he knew he couldn’t. So, she showed him, she let him in on her memories.


“A-Ying...” A-Yao said sympathetically after witnessing memories of her imprisonment, being careful as to omit what Wen Chao had put her through.


“Please don’t report that.” Wei Ying said quietly.


“I really can’t hide anything from you, can I, A-Ying?” A-Yao replied with a soft huff. “Are you going to let your fiancé know?” he asked.


“Not unless he presses me. There are certain cogs in fate you shouldn’t move, it may change things for the worse.” she replied.


“A-Ying, you do realise that you don’t need to feel ashamed if Wen Chao did anything to you, right?” A-Yao said.


“Yes, but I’m not ready and I’m not sure if I ever will be.” she replied quietly.


“It’s alright, I understand.” the other replied as he put a hand on hers.


“A-Yao is too perceptive as well, nothing escapes you.” she replied with a fond smile. “And you don’t even need to use divination to know.” she mused.


“Well, it’s like those who are born without sight still manage with their other senses, we who aren’t gifted with it have other ways of reading others.” he replied.


“Are you sure this is what you want to choose as your path, A-Yao? You can be anything you want to be, you shouldn’t let your father take advantage of you.” she replied. Jin-shushu was kind to her and that’s why she adored him, however, she was not blind to his blatant mistreatment of Meng Yao. She was just glad that it was thanks to Nie MingJue’s insistence that Meng Yao’s mother was allowed to be funded by Jin GuangShan. However, it doesn’t mean that A-Yao wasn’t mistreated, didn’t have his hand forced. “Also, what of your mother?” Wei Ying asked. “I hope that this switch hasn’t made it difficult for you at home.”


“I’m not doing it just for him. HuaiSang is worried about you, A-Ying. He has been worried sick since the day you didn’t turn up for dinner.” he said. “In terms of my mother, you need not worry. HuaiSang has provided her with a safe place to stay.” he continued.


“I’m glad your mother is fine. I would hate for Madame Jin to mistreat her.” she replied. “I feel guilty over what happened with everyone. But I can’t use my phone to ask for help or tell them I’m fine. They would know if I did anything.” she said quietly.


“Don’t risk yourself. You don’t have to do anything risky. You just need to power through this. We’ll get you out of here.” he said.


“Thank you, A-Yao.” she smiled. “Just be careful, alright?”

“YingYing is too sweet.” Wen Xu said as she set down a tray of refreshments. “Always thinking so much of me and helping me out.” he continued as he put a hand on her head. She didn’t know why, but she loved it when he would pet her and treat her like she was still a child. She felt like there was no shame when it came to him doting on her.


“This case is a particularly hard one. I’ve never seen you work for so long, Da-ge.” she replied. “Should I be using something more intimate with you? Now that you know… we’re engaged and stuff.” she asked.


“I think ‘Da-ge’ is fine.” he replied. “I have to work hard to get it out of the way so we can spend more time before the engagement party, YingYing.” he replied as he took a sip of his coffee.


“You don’t have to do that! You already waste plenty of your time on me!” she pouted.


“YingYing, stop pouting. You’re so cute when you do that, but it’ll make me feel guilty.” Wen Xu teased.


“What lies! Da-ge never feels guilt!” she huffed.


“Nothing escapes the great YingYing.” he mused back as he pinched her cheek.


“The time and location of death will be trouble for you. It could place your client at the scene since he has no alibi.” she said.


“Is he as innocent as he proclaims to be, YingYing?”


“What do you think, Da-ge?” she responded.


“For once, yes.” he replied. “I can tell when people are deceptive. After all, I’ve worked with plenty of them in my time. But YingYing knows this.” he mused as he pulled a chair out for Wei Ying to sit next to him.


“He is, Da-ge. I was shocked when you decided to take on this case.” she said. “It might damage your bad reputation.” she teased.


“Perhaps YingYing makes me a better person, hm?” the man mused as he playfully pulled at the hair tie that was holding her plait in place.


“Da-ge! Stop it! Are you going to fix it when it’s loose?” she huffed.


“YingYing is talented, she’ll put it back in place.” the other replied as he continued to undo her plait.


“Hey! Stop that!” she cried.


It was at that time Meng Yao came in with his tablet and glasses on.


“My apologies, I’ve knocked several times but no one heard me.” Meng Yao, for his credit, said without batting an eye.


“No need for apologies, I was just teasing my adorable fiancée here. You weren’t interrupting anything.” Wen Xu replied.


“Ai, you are so impossible, Da-ge!” Wei Ying whined as she began redoing her plait.


Wen Xu said nothing in response but put a mirror in front of her so she could fix her hair.


“I’ve found a loophole you could possibly use in this case.” Meng Yao explained.


“Explain.” he said, his playful demeanour completely dissipating off of him when he addressed Meng Yao.


Wei Ying was used to this at this point. Wen Xu would be doting and warm towards her, but when it came to others, he’d change as if it was with a flick of the switch.


“Da-ge, be kind, won’t you? Meng Yao is a friend of mine.” Wei Ying pouted. She knew that Wen Xu was like this, but it didn’t mean she had to like what he was doing or turn a blind eye to it.


“Fine. Only because YingYing asked me to.” he replied.


“While I appreciate Miss Wei’s kindness, I am not offended by Mr. Wen’s treatment of me. I am, but an intern to Mr. Wen. If I were to learn the ropes, I can’t just have it easy.” Meng Yao responded.


“It is true that the client has no solid alibi, however, I managed to find footage of him that puts him far away from the crime scene. The only problem is that there is no time stamp, so that may need a bit of pushing for the jury to see it your way.” Meng Yao said, swiftly changing the topic to the one at hand.


“A-Yao is so dependable.” Wei Ying smiled.


“Miss Wei is working hard and she’s not even on the case, so why wouldn’t I be?” he replied.


“Impressive. It would seem that you are rather useful for digging up information.” Wen Xu stated, there was a certain look in his eye that made Wei Ying nudge him. It was difficult for her as she knew that it was Meng Yao’s job to infiltrate the Wen’s business, but she also knew that Wen Xu would use whatever that was helpful to him, so he would take advantage of Meng Yao’s abilities. She didn’t want Meng Yao to fall into the deep end and not be able to stay afloat.


“Have you eaten today, A-Yao?” Wei Ying asked, changing the subject at hand. “Make sure you eat, I know how you get carried away.” she mused.


Suddenly, Wen Xu’s phone went off and he stood up, petted Wei Ying’s head and said, “Excuse me for a bit, hm, YingYing? I’m sure you won’t be bored having Meng Yao here to keep you company.” Then, with that, he was out of the room.


When she was sure that Wen Xu was out of the room, she pinched Meng Yao’s arm and huffed, “Stop with the ‘Miss Wei’ this and ‘Miss Wei’ that! It’s so weird! I’m getting goosebumps from this!”


“A-Ying, you’re technically in a higher position than me. I can’t just address you as ‘A-Ying’ in front of any of the main family. It would certainly make them displeased. As much as you may be their prisoner, you are Wen Xu’s fiancée, so it’s better that I address you as such.” he replied.


“But maybe Da-ge will bully you less if you did that!” she frowned. “Plus, it’s no secret we’re good friends. Everyone knows about this!” she continued.


“A-Ying is so cute. I can see why Wen Xu dotes on you and teases you.” Meng Yao replied in amusement.


“A-Yao, not even you too!” she whined with a frown.


“Do you not like being called cute, A-Ying?” Meng Yao mused.


“Not exactly…” she replied with a frown. Just then, the door opened and in stepped Wen Xu once again.


“YingYing, let’s go out for dinner tonight.” Wen Xu said fondly as he walked towards them.


“How fancy are you thinking?” Wei Ying asked, knowing the drill by now. Wen Xu would often take her out to dinner, as much as possible. It wasn’t even just any normal restaurants, it was fancy restaurants and restaurants that were used to the patronage of the Wens. But there was a scale of fancy restaurants they would go to and depending on how fancy it was and what type it was, she would dress accordingly. She didn’t hate being doted on, didn’t exactly know how to react that she had all these beautiful clothes at her disposal. However, she didn’t complain. It wasn’t like Wen Xu actually expected anything from her when he bought her nice things.


“How about ‘very’?” Wen Xu replied.


“I’ll go get ready then.” she replied.

“I didn’t want to give this present to you where there were prying ears and eyes.” Wen Xu explained as he reached into his pocket and took out a box.


They were currently in a private area of the fancy restaurant Wen Xu had booked for them. Wei Ying never read the prices on the menu when Wen Xu took her out. She didn’t want to know how much she owed him or she’d feel terrible. She didn’t even want to guess the price this time either since they had ordered several courses. One thing she now noticed a lot about the difference between Wen Xu and Wen Chao was that the older man always asked her what she wanted. At the start, Wen Chao had done that. However, as their friendship continued, he didn’t. He always ordered for her or tried to. She didn’t know why she overlooked that. But hindsight was twenty-twenty. As she let the environment sink in around them, she couldn’t help but feel lucky. Lucky to have someone who at least did his best to protect her from harm. It would seem that Wen RuoHan was threatened by Wen Xu as he hadn’t tried to dish out any punishments on her anymore. Not to mention, Wen Chao hadn’t tried anything yet. So it was a plus.


From the looks of it, what Wen Xu was holding looked like a ring box. “I know you would have preferred it to have been Lan WangJi that gave it to you, but I feel like you feel trapped with my bodyguards constantly guarding you, so I figured that this will give you some breathing space.” Wen Xu reasoned as he opened up the box, inside was a gold ring with pink lotus flowers and red gemstones in it. It was beautiful and Wei Ying felt moved that he went to the trouble to have it made for her.


“This will alert the guards and I whenever my brother is near you. If you press the middle, it will send out an alert too.” he explained. “I know this isn’t the same as removing that lock around your neck and such, however, it would give me peace of mind when I’m away.” he said.


“No, this is a lot already. You’ve already done a lot for me, Da-ge. Haven’t you heard the gossip? How others see you? The fact that you’re willing to ruin your reputation to protect me means so much to me.” she reassured him.


“YingYing makes me want to do the correct thing.” Wen Xu replied.


“Put it on for me.” she said.


“Okay.” Wen Xu replied as he took her hand, slipping the ring on her ring finger. “I didn’t want to give you diamonds, because it’s cliched and also the one that should be giving you the diamond ring should be Lan WangJi.”


She observed the ring, admiring it on her finger. The thoughtful gift was so meaningful. As much as Wen Xu was always deliberate with the things he did, he didn’t know how much it truly meant to her. Would he ever know? Still, her heart ached, for this should have been a rather sweet moment. It should have been a sweet moment if it weren’t for the fact that she knew what the future held for Wen Xu.

Notes:

I would like to stress that once again that Wen Xu isn't a good person, he's just good to Wei Ying. I still blame Smoke From Jade for ever even planting such thoughts in my head. If you can read simplified Chinese or want to put it through google translate, please go read the original version.

Chapter 9: Earthbound ~ 困在球上

Notes:

Another chapter, another world of angst and chaos. The tags apply by the way, there's also violence in this chapter so be warned. Thank you for you comments and staying with me on this crazy ride.

This playlist is to set the mood for this fic.

“Ah, Mr. Wen! Congratulations to you and the lucky young lady!” a loud, cheerful voice cried as the man in front of them raised his glass to show his respect to Wen Xu and Wei Ying.


She wasn’t going to lie. If it weren’t for Wen Xu’s hand on her back, her legs may have already given way at the start of this event. Everyone was present, including those she knew most of her life. Even from all the way over here, she could feel the heated, deathly gaze of Nie MingJue. If it weren’t for the fact that currently Lan XiChen and Nie HuaiSang were by his side, Wei Ying could see him attempting to throttle the Wen head family, most likely going for Wen RuoHan first.


“Many thanks.” Wen Xu replied as he politely acknowledged the other. Well, as politely as Wen Xu could ever be. He was oddly the perfect gentleman to Wei Ying, but he dismissed everyone else. Still, she could see a look in the other man’s gaze, she felt extremely seen in her red dress, it was a modern off the shoulder dress. Wen Xu wore a matching red. It was a purposeful choice, pushing the colour of the sect that was represented by the sun. She was almost tempted to accidentally bump into the man to read what he was thinking, even though she doubted that it was anything good. However, she felt Wen Xu’s protective hand on her.


“Thank you very much, Mr. Tao.” she said with a smile on her lips, despite the uneasiness she felt. She had made sure to read up on the list of guests beforehand. Upon being addressed by her, the man seemed shocked and spooked.


“I will leave you be.” the man said, excusing himself.


As the event went on, Wei Ying saw all sorts of reactions. She could hear the heated whispers and gossip circulating between certain groups, the judgemental gaze of many others as they looked at Wen Xu. Wei Ying was fifteen after all. A fifteen-year-old marrying an older man, it was scandalous. In the background was the sullen gaze of Wen Chao. Wen RuoHan had made good of his word and Wen Chao had not tried to approach her since the incident. She was glad, however, his gaze in the dark corner unnerved her. Luckily, Wen Xu was by her side the entire time.


“Many congratulations towards the happy couple.” a voice boomed in front of them.


She had been so distracted, she hadn’t noticed that Nie MingJue with Nie HuaiSang had walked up to them. It would seem that HuaiSang and Lan XiChen had deemed that Nie MingJue was calm enough to speak to them now. Besides, they had to eventually. It would be a huge disrespect towards the Wen Sect if they didn’t address the couple of the hour.


“Thank you.” Wen Xu replied casually. Nudging Wei Ying when she said nothing, too frozen on the spot to say a word.


“Thank you very much, Mr. Nie.” she managed to reply, noticing how Nie HuaiSang had a funny look on his face.


“YingYing, it’s alright to speak to them like you usually do, you know? Stop acting so stiff!” Wen Xu mused as he pinched her cheek teasingly.


“You’re teasing me again!” she pouted in instinct, forgetting where they were for a second, earning a soft huff from Nie HuaiSang who was hiding behind his fan.


“Wei-jie, I’m glad you’re being looked after.” HuaiSang said carefully. “Congratulations to you both.”


“I’m lucky I am.” she replied, this time with more liveliness and less stiffly.


“I’m happy for you.” HuaiSang replied. “We will now excuse ourselves, can’t hog the couple of the hour.” he laughed as he led Nie MingJue away. It was a good shout honestly, for Nie MingJue looked ready to fight Wen Xu or anyone with the Wen surname.


“There’s far too many guests.” she whined as she stretched when they were away from the gaze of others. Wen Xu had taken her outside for a breather. A much-needed one at that.


“Father has overdone it.” Wen Xu replied.


“I don’t understand it. Why is it such a big event? I’m not even from an important background.” she breathed.


“As far as the public is concerned, you were a member of the Jiang Sect. Father is trying to make a statement about how he could easily take what he wants or needs. I’m not pleased at all.” Wen Xu replied.


“Don’t start a fight with him, it’s not needed.” Wei Ying said as she put a hand on his.


“YingYing knows me too well.” the man mused. “Fine, because YingYing asked me not to, I won’t.”


“You didn’t have to do this for me. You still don’t.” Wei Ying said, looking at the other. Her words were met with a pinch on her cheek.


“I won’t leave you with my brother. I refuse to.” he said. “If it weren’t for the fact that you keep asking me not to, I would put him in jail.” he frowned.


“It’s not worth it. It would only spark more problems at home for you.” Wei Ying replied.


“YingYing’s safety and justice for you matters to me.” Wen Xu said firmly.


“Hearing ‘justice’ coming out of your mouth is weird, Da-ge.” she mused. “But thank you. You doing this for me is enough.”


“I will free you.” he said.


“I know you will do your best.” she said quietly. “But there are things you can’t change.”


“How long is there left for you?” Wen Xu asked.


She wrote the number in his hand with her finger.

 

“I’m going to kill him, I’m going to kill them all!” his older brother’s usually stern voice flared through the echoed hallways, if Nie HuaiSang was anyone else, he would have been cowering in fear. Then again, he would have been doing so if he was at the receiving end of it, however, Nie MingJue simply didn’t lash out at him like this, he tended to threaten loudly to break his legs but definitely not with the intensity and heat he had behind his current threats.


“Da-ge,” he sighed out in a long-suffering way. “You can’t just do that! I know you are strong and powerful, but firstly, you can’t simply storm through Wen Manor declaring war on Wen RuoHan and secondly, even if you achieve killing all three of the head branch, you’d be arrested for murder. I don’t think Wei Ying would want to see you in jail with three lives over your head.” he continued to sigh.


He groaned loudly when the older man said nothing, choosing to run into his training room instead. As he followed the other into the room, observing as all of the disciples dodged out of the way, not wanting to be victims of Nie MingJue’s wrath, he couldn’t help but remark, “Da-ge, please, I don’t want you to get a stroke over this.” he said. “I understand you feel hopeless and furious over it, but there isn’t anything that we can do that won’t put Wei Ying in harm’s way.”


The man said nothing for a while, only opting to take it out on a punching bag. Each swing and thud made Nie HuaiSang wince inwardly.


“I know that, but it’s not just that.” Nie MingJue finally replied after a while, still punching the object. “It’s those awful comments that I heard at the party.” he continued. “It’s like they don’t think that she’s just a child.” he hissed.


People were cruel. Nie HuaiSang always knew this. He had experienced it first hand and had seen it happen to his best friend. Wei Ying had always protected him, always ignored the comments others would throw her way, as if their cruel words was just rain hitting an umbrella. Despite her cheerful front, it was but a front. He knew deep down those words had stung her at some point. That was why he admired her so much but at the same time felt frustrated whenever she would cheekily hit back with taunts herself, shrugging their insults off.


They called her a boy, a she-man.


They picked apart her body, commenting on the size of her breasts or whether she even had female parts underneath her clothes.


“And that Jiang WanYin, what is wrong with him? I know he’s the Oracle, but it doesn’t give him the right to act as if she was insignificant!” Nie MingJue cried out.


“Da-ge, please! Like you said, he’s the Oracle, perhaps he’s trying to put up a front and avoid causing a stir.” he said, trying to calm the other down.


“Don’t give me that bullshit, HuaiSang!” the older man continued to cry. “You and I both know that Wei Ying always gave him the respect he demanded but he gave her none!” he continued, his face filled with fury.


“I’m not going to do it! I’m going to refuse the proposal that I be his guard!” he announced.


Nie MingJue makes good of his threat, the next day, he refused the offer, tearing up the contract as an act of final defiance.


Nie HuaiSang had to admit that as much as he had expected his brother to say such a thing, he didn’t expect him to actually carry through with his threat. His brother followed tradition very much. He had been prepared to be the next Oracle guard from longer than HuaiSang himself remembered. However, as much as a traditionalist he was, he was also extremely loyal.


If this was anyone else, perhaps he wouldn’t have been that adamant about it.


But, this was Wei Ying.


Wei Ying wasn’t just anyone else. Wei Ying was like a younger sister to him. His brother and Wei Ying were also as thick as thieves when it came to training. She used to train with him constantly, always learning new moves and thinking up unorthodox tactics to best him. He was always so fond of her because of that.


And now Wei Ying was trapped. He knew it and so did his brother.


That night, when Wei Ying had not shown up for the New Year’s Eve dinner, alarm bells rang in both of the brothers’ heads. HuaiSang had had an ominous feeling for a long time, yet, he found it difficult to express those feelings to Wei Ying. Sure, he had warned her, but there was no proof of it. He regretted never forcing her to stay with them instead. It was clear that she had been tricked by the Wens into believing that they had only good interests in mind for her. In hindsight, it had gone too smoothly. The apology, then the carpooling, then the job offer. The dinners Wei Ying spent at their Manor, slowly lulling her into a false sense of security - like a frog put into a slowly boiling pot of water. It was a slow and careful ploy. Wen RuoHan had seen Wei Ying’s potential and decided to take it for himself.


He had to watch his older brother hold in his anger when Madame Yu slandered Wei Ying, he himself had to hold in his own anger watching Jiang WanYin’s features darken. How could he not see that something was clearly wrong? Wei Ying was not the type to stand others up when invited. Especially because she specifically invited Lan WangJi. Unlike the mother and son duo, the Lan brothers could clearly see that something wasn’t right. They had suggested a wellness check, a call or two even, however, Madame Yu refused.


He had tried to call her, so had Lan WangJi. But there was no answer. His snapshot messages, left unread. It was like Wei Ying vanished.


As much as he knew he may not have been able to prevent it, he blamed himself heavily on not being able to stop her from falling into the trap.


“I can’t believe you actually refused them and then ripped up the contract. You never show such disrespect, Da-ge!” he said, still shocked it had happened.


“They don’t deserve my respect, Oracle or not, how could they act as if she abandoned them?” the older man frowned. “She only left because they abandoned her.” he continued.


“I should have forced her to stay with us.” he stated, clearly disappointed in himself for not being able to protect her. “I knew that Wen RuoHan didn’t offer her a job out of the kindness of his heart, yet I failed to act in time. I should have given her a job myself instead.” he continued.


“Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Da-ge.” he replied. “I tried to warn her but I also didn’t think Wen RuoHan would try something so reprehensible. You’re not the only one that feels guilt over this.” he said quietly, seething inside.


“I need to do something. I can’t just sit here knowing that she’s trapped there.” Nie MingJue frowned.


“Perhaps we can ask Jin GuangShan for help.” Nie HuaiSang said. Technically he was thinking aloud, the man was a coward, but he cared for Wei Ying. Everyone knew of his adoration for Wei Ying.


“No, I don’t trust the man. His adoration for her isn’t correct.” his brother frowned.


“But Da-ge, he may be the only one who can deal with someone like Wen RuoHan. He seems like a coward on the surface but I know he knows how to manipulate people. He didn’t simply become the leader by being a coward.” he replied. “We don’t have to trust him, but he may be the only answer right now.”


His brother laughed, more of a soft huff, pride in his eyes. “Sometimes I forget you’re just a teenager, HuaiSang.” the man said fondly.

 

She was groggy even when she was forced to kneel on the ground in front of Wen RuoHan. After a rough and long night of the engagement party, Wei Ying was exhausted, all she wanted to do was to sleep.


“How long do you think you could trick us for, Wei WuXian?” Wen RuoHan’s voice said icily as she was still trying to make heads to tails over the situation.


“You seem confused, did you think you weren’t going to get found out?” the man mused. “Someone saw you with the second son of Lan and decided to report this detail.”


“Excuse my insolence, Mr. Wen. But am I not permitted to speak with those who visit the Wen shrine?” she bit back quickly.


“Xu-er spoils you far too much, it’s almost like you’ve forgotten your place.” Wen RuoHan mused. “Don’t worry, you’ll be reminded once more.” he said as he signalled for the guards to drag her closer to him.


Suddenly, a burning, searing sensation coursed through her veins. She had to fight hard to avoid crying out from the pain.


“It’s admirable that even as you’re suffering, you could look so stubborn. Though I suppose it’s a good thing you’re not a loud one, or Xu-er would have heard by now.” the man mused.


“You would have silenced me if I were the type to cry out.” she responded.


She felt his fingers hold onto the chain around her neck.


“Next time when Lan WangJi speaks to you, which I know he will given your closeness as friends, you won’t be able to tell him honestly what occurred.” he said. “In fact, you won’t be able to speak of it unless I permit you to.” he mused. “Nor will you be able to do anything that I don’t permit you to do.” he laughed.


“Let’s give it a test, shall we?” the man mused as there was a knock on the door.


“Father, you called for me?” said a voice that Wei Ying certainly never wanted to hear again. Her blood went cold, knowing that something bad was about to happen. Before this, she could still fight him, she could still push him away while fighting the pain. However, despite wanting to run, she could feel something forcing her to stay rooted where she was kneeling.


“Ah, such good timing. I just wanted you to help me confirm something, Chao-er.” the older man’s sadistic voice rang through the air. “Consider this as your actual punishment, Wei WuXian. Also, a reminder of who your Master is.” he said.


“Do with her as you please, Chao-er. Xu-er is in a meeting till dinnertime.” Wen RuoHan laughed.


“With pleasure, Father.” she heard Wen Chao say darkly.


Her heart was racing and as she felt Wen Chao’s fingers on the fabric of her nightgown, she knew that all she could do was watch. She knew that Wen RuoHan wouldn’t let it go. She may be safe with Wen Xu around, but Wen RuoHan was older and had more knowledge. She knew this considering that she had noticed with horror that the ring on her finger was missing as well. All she could hope for was that Wen Chao would get bored after a while of torturing her.

 

 

“Wei Ying, I’m not angry at you. I know it’s not the way it seems to look.” Lan Zhan said a week after the event. She cursed inwardly, but she had known this was coming, she couldn’t avoid him forever. She had been going through a cycle this entire week. Because of this new hold Wen RuoHan had over her, she would be made to serve him and sometimes Wen Chao as well, however, Wei Ying couldn’t disclose anything either as the man had a hold on what she could disclose. She wouldn’t have felt a sort of way had it been just her alone that was affected by it, however, she could see the look of worry and pity in Meng Yao’s eyes when the man ordered her around. This time there weren’t any loopholes, she was also to cease all contact with Lan Zhan. Wen Xu had been incredibly busy so he hadn’t noticed that something wasn’t right with Wei Ying, but she didn’t plan to tell him even if he was free. It wasn’t like she could hide behind him forever and ask him to protect her forever. She knew that Wen RuoHan had most likely been plotting this after Wen Xu saved her anyway. So, she wasn’t surprised, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.


“Everyone’s been talking about it. It’s the truth.” she replied quietly, feeling the burn of the necklace lock around her neck and her jaw involuntarily locking at the same time.


“I know it’s not the truth, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said.


She said nothing, feeling relieved when the burn subsided.


“I have to go.” she said quickly when she felt the summoning tug. “I hope you enjoy your time at our shrine, Mr. Lan.” she said quickly, bowing and rushing off to the residence.


“I should have done this from the start, then you would have been the perfect little daughter-in-law for me.” Wen RuoHan mused when Wei Ying entered the room and bowed. “Though, I suppose that it would take the fun out of knocking your spirits down, hm? I must commend you, even now you can still give me that defiant gaze despite the fact that I have full control over you.” he mused.


“How can I help Mr. Wen today?” she asked pleasantly, despite wanting to snap his neck with her own hands.


“I will be having a business meeting soon and I was thinking that wouldn’t it be grand if my wonderful daughter-in-law to be would give me the honour of serving the tea?” he said, although said like a suggestion, it was very much an order.


“Yes, of course. Anything for you, Mr. Wen.” she replied diligently and in a service voice. “Would Mr. Wen like me to dress accordingly?” she continued in her pleasant tone.


“Some new sets have been tailor-made for you recently, they’re already in your room. Choose one to your liking.” the man replied. “Ah yes, Xu-er will also be present at the meeting, I’m sure he would be thoroughly pleased by this new change.” he continued.


So Wen RuoHan planned to rub it in Wen Xu’s face that he could do nothing to stop him and that there will always be a way around it. Wei Ying didn’t think that she was safe when Wen Xu had saved her from her situation, she knew if the older man had wanted to do something about it, he could have. And now, he did.


“You may be excused, make sure you are there before our guests, won’t you, Wei WuXian?” he said.


“Yes, Mr. Wen.” she replied, bowing then leaving the room.

 

It would seem that Wen RuoHan was determined to drive the wedge in as if Wei Ying’s romantic feelings for Lan Zhan somehow threatened his reputation. Wei Ying could only speculate this as to her horror, Lan QiRen, Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi made their way into the meeting room. So this was why Lan Zhan was here today. Wen Xu, the ever-observant man he was, squeezed her hand encouragingly before taking a seat as well. She ignored the gaze Lan Zhan trained on her, carefully serving the tea and refreshments as the meeting went on. As she served them, she eavesdropped here and there over the discussion over the business proceedings.


“Ah, A-Xian, take a break, won’t you? Don’t work yourself too hard or one would think that we’re treating you like a servant instead.” Wen RuoHan said, acting as if he was a doting father-in-law. She had to hide her discomfort, Wen RuoHan was the last person she wanted to address her by ‘A-Xian’.


“Yes, Mr. Wen.” she said quietly and pleasantly before sitting down next to Wen Xu who pulled out a seat for her to sit.


“How many times do I have to tell you to address me by ‘Yuefu’? We’re basically family at this point.” he mused, putting on the same pretence he put up during the engagement party. The very party where she had acted like a perfectly happy bride to be. As much as Wen RuoHan was known to be fearsome and unpredictable, he still knew how to play the field well. Therefore, appearances were everything, he couldn’t look bad in front of the Lans as the Lans were people who definitely wouldn’t tolerate mistreatment.


“It wouldn’t be appropriate, Mr. Wen.” Wei Ying said pleasantly, however, behind those words, there was laced malice. “After all, with my standing and all, it would take me a while to feel like I match up to the Wen household’s standing.” she continued sweetly.


“Mr. Wen is incredible indeed. It would seem that staying with the Wens has taught Wei WuXian a thing or two about correct conduct.” Lan QiRen said flatly.


She wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t like she had been the best student to him. She had questioned the curriculum, fiercely challenged the workings of the world that centred the Oracle. Wei Ying had been quite a thorn at his side, asking why the world hadn’t fixed the issue of the Oracle being stuck in one place, or why the traditions for the Oracle were still so antiquated.


“Shufu, please. Miss Wei is just a very spirited and curious girl. In some households, it would have been highly encouraged.” Lan XiChen said politely, a smile on his lips. What concerned Wei Ying though, was the fact that his eyes weren’t smiling. Next to him, Lan Zhan had such a dark aura about him, she was surprised that the cup of tea in front of him wasn’t turned pitch black by it. As if noticing her unrest, Wen Xu subtly squeezed her hand underneath the table, giving her a bit of space to breathe.


“With all due respect, Mr. Lan, YingYing is only fifteen. I think having an inquisitive mind at such a young age is better than following the cookie-cutter guide to becoming another member of society, don’t you think?” Wen Xu mused.


“Yes, a young age indeed. I was surprised to hear that the engagement was even approved of. Miss Wei is still so young, it honestly came as a shock.” Lan XiChen said lightly and kindly, but the underlying words and tone were anything but that.


“Well, life is rather surprising, wouldn’t you agree, gentlemen?” Wen RuoHan replied. “As long as my son and A-Xian are happy together, who am I to stop them?”


What Wei Ying wanted to do was run out of there and find the closest toilet to throw up, then go and blow off her steam in the gym. However, what she couldn’t do was exactly that; forcefully made to smile and act happy like a puppet instead. She was afraid that this was going to escalate. If he forced her hand with divination, what would she do? What could she do?


“Ah, look at the time! YingYing, don’t your shrine hours start soon?” Wen Xu asked quickly as he checked his watch.


“Ah yes, they do.” Wei Ying replied quickly. “Apologises for being rude, I need to be on my way as I mustn’t keep Wen-shifu waiting.” she said, getting up before quickly bowing.


“Don’t work too hard, will you, A-Xian.” Wen RuoHan said.


“I won’t, Mr. Wen.” she replied pleasantly, ecstatic that she was getting out of this tense atmosphere.


“Let me walk you there, YingYing.” Wen Xu replied as he began getting out of his chair.


“Please, Da-ge, there’s no need. I’ll be fine.” she replied sweetly, keeping up the pretence that they were in love.


“I’d rather know that you made it safe there, YingYing.” Wen Xu replied as he walked next to her.


“Da-ge spoils me too much.” Wei Ying mused, ignoring the fact that Lan Zhan was staring holes into them. She hated doing this, but she also knew that if they pushed it too much, Wen RuoHan will threaten the Lans and she absolutely could not have that happen. He had told her so privately when she was being punished anyway. It wasn’t like it was going to matter soon anyway. All she wanted to know is how she was going to sneak away and complete her service to humanity if she was trapped here.


“Don’t take too long, will you, Xu-er?” Wen RuoHan said.


“You won’t even notice that I’ve left.” Wen Xu mused back as he led Wei Ying outside.


“YingYing…” Wen Xu said quietly as he held the necklace between his fingers when they were at the shrine area.


“I…” Wei Ying began quietly.


“Don’t worry, I know that Father did something to the lock.” he replied. “I thought he had been acting too high spirited these past few days. It’s my fault, YingYing. I’ve been so busy, so I haven’t been able to stop him.” he said angrily.


“It’s not your fault.” Wei Ying said quietly. “It’s not that bad honestly… I’m just afraid that he’ll find out, then I won’t be able to stop him.”


“He won’t.” Wen Xu said determinedly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.


“Da-ge, you better head back.” she said quietly.


“Don’t worry about me, YingYing.” the man replied as he petted her head. “I won’t let Lan WangJi misunderstand this situation.” he continued as he took her hands in his and squeezed them. “Wait a little longer, won’t you, Wei Ying? I won’t let Father have it easy.”


“Just be careful, won’t you, Da-ge? I don’t want you to be hurt and I don’t want you to sever ties with your family because of me.” she replied quietly.


“Don’t worry, I chose what I chose.” he replied.


“You don’t need to do this, you know? It’s not going to work out in your favour, Da-ge.” she said as she locked eyes with him. There was still time to stop him from falling in too deep and meeting his eventual fate. As much as Wen Xu had destroyed others, ruined their lives and had it coming, Wei Ying was also fond of him. She also didn’t want him to be put away for the one thing he wasn’t guilty of.


“Silly YingYing. Your Da-ge doesn’t care.” he mused. “You and I both know that I’m no saint, YingYing. But I refuse to let Father get away with this. I’m willing to believe that he knew what my brother was doing to you and allowed it. There was no way he didn’t think that my brother wasn’t going to find a way to get around it.” he replied. “YingYing’s happiness and wellbeing are what I care about the most.” he continued as he squeezed her hands again. “Anyway, I can see you getting antsy, so I’ll go back, hm?” he mused as he gave her hair a final ruffle before turning around and walking away.

 

Lan WangJi was alarmed. As soon as he saw Wei Ying standing with Wen Xu, pretending that she was happily engaged to the man, he knew that it was all part of a ploy. He knew at least that Wen Xu only ever looked out for Wei Ying’s best interests. However, what concerned him was what prompted him to go to such lengths.


The other thing that alarmed him was how distant Wei Ying acted with him back at the shrine when he saw her, there was something in her eyes that said something else. Wei Ying’s eyes were always so expressive, they gave off her true emotions. This was how he knew that there was more behind this. And then there was the act between Wen RuoHan and Wei Ying. It made him uncomfortable to witness the man being so kind to her when he knew for a fact that Wei Ying was trapped there.


This was why, when only his Uncle and brother were needed, he decided to go see if he could find Wei Ying. This was how he found himself sneaking around the Wen shrine. He considered himself a pretty silent person. Everyone always said this about him anyway, however, when he felt a tap on his shoulder he wondered if their statements were actually true.


“Yo, aloof boyfriend, this way.” mused a voice he was familiar with at this point. He turned around to be met by none other than Wen Xu.


He didn’t say anything in turn, only acknowledged his existence.


“Still as silent as ever.” the man mused. “I sometimes wonder why YingYing adores you so much. She’s so different from you, yet it does make sense.” Wen Xu replied as he signalled for him to follow him, leading them somewhere more private.


“Wei Ying likes me.” Lan WangJi replied almost like he didn’t believe it or he was confirming it for himself. Sure, last time they spoke, Wei Ying definitely confirmed as such. In fact, she would use ‘love’ or ‘adore’ instead. However, with the current event and as much as he didn’t trust Wei Ying’s actions and the gossip, he did feel worried. Wei Ying did spend more time around Wen Xu lately. It was almost believable, except for Wei Ying’s statement herself.


“He’s the equivalent of a brother to me, an older brother any girl could wish for.” Wei Ying had once commented to him.


“Ai, aloof boyfriend, don’t be like this! YingYing adores us both so much, why don’t we meet common ground? Or are you just busy drinking vinegar because I get to see her more?” he mused.


“Wei Ying is my girlfriend.” he replied, having nothing else to say.


“You should be more careful sneaking around, things have been tense lately. Unfortunately, I’ve failed because I thought I did something that made sure that YingYing was going to be protected, however, Father had something else up his sleeve.” he replied. “Let’s be honest, I know that YingYing confided in you about what my brother has been doing to her.” he said.


“This is the reason for our engagement. However, I can’t say that I’ve succeeded in protecting her as Father took the chance when I was away to strengthen his hold on YingYing. She’s his puppet now and only he can remove the lock. I’m having Meng Yao look over information about the lock, so hopefully, someone can break it.” he said. “Now that Father has done this, I don’t want him to feel triumphant, I plan to bring my brother to justice, so if you have any information, please tell me.”


“Wen Chao assaulted Wei Ying last year. I intervened at the last moment. But what he did to her before that, I’m not sure. I also cannot say for certain that Wei Ying remembers.” Lan WangJi said without missing a beat. “I doubt that you heard about the incident last year, Wen Chao was suspended from school at the end of the year.” he continued.


“I heard briefly about it, but I wasn’t aware that it was to do with YingYing. It suddenly makes sense now.” he replied with a frown before taking out his phone and making a call, stepping away from where they were.


“He’s not getting away with this.” Wen Xu said when he came back.


Before he could ask how Wen Xu intended to take his brother down, someone interrupted them, carrying a tray of tea and snacks with them.


“Consider this as an apology for earlier, Lan Zhan.” said none other than Wei Ying.


“Wei Ying.” he managed as he felt her pulling him into an embrace.


“I was so cold earlier, Er-gege. I must have hurt you.” she said sadly.


“It’s not Wei Ying’s doing. Wen Xu told me what happened.” he replied as he took her hands.


Wei Ying smiled, a relieved one on her beautiful face. He couldn’t help but pull her onto his lap, wanting them to be as close as possible. It was then, he saw the chain around her neck. Gently, he put his fingers on it, tapping into the energy of the chain. From what he could tell, it was a rather strong lock, but it would seem that the energy around it required someone to concentrate to make sure Wei Ying was under their control at all times. This meant that there was hope. But for the sake of Wei Ying’s safety, he decided that he would tell Wen Xu later. But he felt relieved knowing that there was hope in breaking the control on her and not to mention, freeing her from the lock. If only he could get someone in his sect to analyse it, then they could work out how to undo the lock, however, it was a big risk, so it was best to do it quietly.


“Er-gege is too good, always thinking the best of Wei Ying.” she smiled.


“Anything for Wei Ying.” he replied as he ran his fingers through Wei Ying’s silky hair. Now that they were together again, all he wanted to do was to take her away from this place and hide her, shield her from the deviousness of the world. However, now was not the time.


“I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone, don’t worry I’ll go stall them so you’ll have more time together, hm?” Wen Xu teased as he got up to leave. “Enjoy your time together.” he mused as he began to leave the area.


“Da-ge!” Wei Ying cried as the man laughed and left the room. “Honestly! He’s always teasing me like this!” Wei Ying huffed.


“Wei Ying.” he said as he pulled her closer, taking in her scent that always reminded him of lotus flowers with a bit of spice mixed in. No matter how dirty or sweaty she got, she always smelt so nice to him.


“Lan Zhan…” she breathed gently as she leant her head against him.


“Mm.” he replied quietly as he combed his fingers through her hair. Wei Ying had her hair down today, so it was easier for him to do so. He could see the other visibly relax as he did so, he went further, kissing her as he continued playing with her hair. He couldn’t help but smile softly as he heard her sigh happily, snuggling against him.


“I’ve missed you so much, Er-gege. These weeks have been torturous for me. But it’s better we keep apart as Wen RuoHan found out about your visits.” she said sadly. “I can speak to you normally for a bit since Da-ge managed to stall the spell for a bit. But we only have a maximum of an hour before the spell is on again.” she continued as she took his hands gently with hers.


“Mm.” Lan Zhan replied as he savoured her touch, savoured their time together.


“Aside from the control, does he treat you well?” he asked Wei Ying carefully, taking care to lace their fingers together, trying his best to create a safe space for Wei Ying to tell him how she felt and the truth of the scenario at hand.


“He…” he heard Wei Ying breath. “He punished me the first time he had control over me… With Wen Chao.” she whimpered so softly that he almost missed it.


A fire lit up inside him, the flame was so hot that he swore he could take down the flames that were the Wens’ sun. However, he contained it within himself, Wei Ying needed him. She needed a place of solace. So, he pulled her closer, held her tighter, allowing her to find solace in him.


Wei Ying, I’ll become stronger to protect you.

 

Everything eventually came to an end. The young Oracle knew this, she had predicted this just like she had seen her own death. However, even she could never predict what would be the catalyst to the beginning of the extinguishing of the sun.


The man who had grown up in a family so filled with corruption and sin, suddenly overcome with care and kindness towards the young Oracle, decided that he would betray his own blood.


No one could have predicted this. Thus, the beginning of the end began.


The young Oracle had no idea what sort of power she possessed, how she could shift the cogs of fate.


Perhaps even the Gods themselves didn’t know that either.

 

“You didn’t have to do that for me, Da-ge. Now your relationship is strained with your father.” Wei Ying said quietly as she stared up at the stars, a blanket wrapped around her small frame while the older man had his arm around her as if shielding her from the horrors of the world.


“I had to. Someone had to. I can’t just let Father mistreat you and not fight back.” he replied.


“Thank you for protecting me.” she said quietly.


Wen Xu had been kind, he had made sure that she was not to be brought into court as a witness, he didn’t want to bring trauma onto her. Naturally, the case won in her favour and Wen Chao was put behind bars. Heavy, grim charges were put upon him. However, given that he was the son of Wen RuoHan, he still got off lightly for what heinous acts he had committed against her, much to Wen Xu’s irritation.


“I wish he had been given a heavier sentence, but Father made sure that didn’t happen.” he replied cooly.


“You did the best you could, Da-ge. Really, you did more than you needed to.” she replied quietly.


“It was only right, YingYing.” he said as he adjusted the blanket around her, making sure she was warm enough.


She felt safe for once. She felt at peace for once.


That night, she slept extremely well.

 

Life could never stay stable for Wei Ying. It would seem that despite all the craziness that ensued, the Gods weren’t done yet. It starts with a calm tea break outside in the shrine with Wen Xu.


Ever since Wen Chao’s arrest, Wen Xu had not left her alone at any given moment. She knew it was because he didn’t trust Wen RuoHan to be in the same room as her alone without him trying something. Wei Ying was certain that he was catching on. He had to be. Lately, when there was free time, he would ask her to do little bits of divination. Simple, harmless things. However, she knew what he was trying to do. So, she would purposefully make mistakes as even those that were the at best at divination could make mistakes easily. Only the Oracle didn’t make mistakes. Every time she made a mistake though, he would attempt to beat her. Luckily, Wen Xu was always close by so he was never successful.


“YingYing, say ah.” the older man mused as he attempted to feed Wei Ying a spoonful of ice-cream.”


“Absolutely not! YingYing is not a child!” Wei Ying huffed, pushing the spoon away from her.


“YingYing says she’s not a child, yet she refers to herself as ‘YingYing’.” he mused as he pressed the spoon against her lips.


Wei Ying said nothing, only kept her lips shut.


“Please, YingYing. The ice-cream is melting.” the man pleaded in a voice like he was speaking to a child.


Wei Ying let out a noise of defeat and opened her mouth.


“Ah~” she said, humouring the other. She decided that she might as well do so since she knew that this wasn’t going to last forever. She savoured the ice-cream, always freshly made and delicious. Wen Xu always made sure she had the best. He really looked after her.


“YingYing is such a good girl.” Wen Xu mused as he petted her on the head.


In response, she stuck her tongue out.


“I think today’s flavour might be one of my favourites.” she said contently as she laid down on the picnic mat, staring up at the sky, enjoying the never-ending sun in the Wen shrine. It was still such a beautiful place despite it being her personal cage. The ice-cream, left forgotten on the side.


“You say that almost every time.” the man mused, fondness in is voice.


“That’s because they’re all my favourites.” she retorted.


His amused laugh filled the air, she continued to stare up at the sky, watching the clouds go by, savouring the quiet moment between the two of them.


“Where do you think the Oracle goes to when they die if they don’t have a body to leave behind?” she asked, cutting through the silence between them.


There was a pause, Wen Xu’s face looking thoughtful.


“I think they turn into stardust and become part of the sky.” he said.


“Tch, you’re only saying that because you know that’s something I’d like, Da-ge.” she frowned.


“What if I believe in that myself, YingYing?” the older man said, not teasing in his voice as usual. “I think it’s a nice place to go, don’t you? It seems nice to be stardust in the sky.” he replied.


“That does sound nice.” she said softly. “I just hope you’re right.” she replied.


“YingYing deserves nice things.” the man said after another long pause. “No, YingYing deserves the best things.” he said.


“Da-ge is being biased.” she replied fondly.


“So what if I’m biased.” he mused back. “If they don’t let you turn into stardust, I will fight them.” he replied.


“You can’t fight the Gods.” she replied simply.


“I can try.” the man replied.


“Da-ge is being unreasonable and silly. He’s acting like he’s a child.” she nipped back.


In response he pinched her cheeks.


“Da-ge is so mean!” she whined.


“Being your ‘Da-ge’ I have to tease you sometimes, YingYing.” he mused in response.


She laughed and stared up at the sky above once again.


“Thank you.” she said quietly after a long moment had passed by.


“I can’t thank you enough for being so kind to me, Da-ge.” she said quietly.


“You deserve the best, YingYing.” he said.


Suddenly there were loud shouts and a ruckus, causing Wei Ying to sit up from where she lay. Then there was a single voice yelling louder than the rest. It was then, she recognised it to be Meng Yao who was yelling. It was odd to hear him do so. For he never yelled. Upon further observation, she saw that Meng Yao was attempting to hold back a crowd of men, all donning uniforms.


“Please, I understand that you are the authorities, but you cannot just storm through the Wen residence to arrest Mr. Wen without a warrant!” she heard him cry.


She watched as a group of men easily pushed past Meng Yao, ignoring his protests and made their way over to them. Instinctively, Wen Xu put a protective arm around Wei Ying, shielding her from them. Seeing them made her nervous. The last time this happened, they had arrested Wen Chao.


“Mr. Wen, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll come with us without contest.” the lead guard said cooly.


“Don’t worry, I’ll come with you quietly if you would tell me what you’re taking me away for.” Wen Xu said calmly as if he had been anticipating it for years now.


“No! Whatever charges you plan to put on him regarding me, he didn’t do it!” Wei Ying cried as she stood between the guards and Wen Xu, acting as if she could stop it just by standing there. She had foreseen this. She had known this day was coming, yet, she refused to let it happen. Sure, Wen Xu was by no means a good person, but Wei Ying could not let them slam charges onto him that were fabricated. She knew from her visions that they were going to do just that.


She felt a hand on her head, patting her as she protested. She knew it was his way of asking her to leave it be, letting her know that it was something they both understood very clearly - It was his fate.


“I’m sorry, little lady, I’m not the one you should be taking your case with. I’m only here to arrest him.” the man said sympathetically.


“YingYing. I’ll be alright. Just come visit me often, won’t you?” Wen Xu said gently as he began to walk with the group of men. However, Wei Ying wasn’t going to just leave it at that. For the first time, Wei Ying wanted to change his fate. She chased after them. In the back, she heard A-Yao call after her, then his footsteps following hers.


“Please! Tell those in charge that when it concerns me, he didn’t do anything to me!” she cried once again, about to carry on chasing after them. However, she was quickly held back by Meng Yao.


“A-Ying! A-Ying calm down! Please, A-Ying, there is nothing we can do currently. You and I both know this.” A-Yao said as he held onto her. She never took A-Yao to have so much strength, but then again, perhaps it was the trembling in her hands and the shock that made her weaker.


“Let me go, A-Yao! I can’t let this happen to him! I can’t let them press false charges on him!” she cried.


In her haze and desperation, she hadn’t noticed that Wen Xu had turned back until she felt a hand once again petting her on the head. “YingYing, everything will be alright.” he said soothingly.


As she looked up at him, she could feel hot tears in the corners of her eyes.


“Meng Yao,” the older man said as he looked over at the other. “Look after YingYing for me, won’t you?” he continued.


“Yes, of course.” Meng Yao replied diligently.


With that, Wen Xu turned around and left.


As soon as he was gone, Wei Ying fell onto her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cried. The ice-cream in the bowl had completely melted at this point.

 

“A-Ying, please, eat something. If you don’t Wen Xu won’t be happy when he next sees you.” Meng Yao said as he placed a bowl of congee in front of her.


Wei Ying said nothing, held the kittens close to her. As if knowing her pain, both kittens licked her hands as she sat there absentmindedly, gazing into the distance of the shrine.


“A-Ying…” she heard Meng Yao say quietly as he sat opposite her.


“He knew… didn’t he? He knew who it was, right?” Wei Ying asked quietly, petting the kittens as she did so.


“If it weren’t for the fact that your divination is so good, I would feel ashamed at my abilities.” Meng Yao replied quietly.


“A-Ying, are you angry at me?” he asked after a while when she didn’t respond.


“No.” she replied softly. Wen Xu and her always knew that one day he would be put away for his crimes. He wasn’t exactly the most honest practising lawyer out there, he was infamous for his dirty deals. She also knew from the moment that she saw Meng Yao here that he wasn’t here to learn. She was sure that Wen Xu had an inkling too.


“You’re working for Jin-shushu.” she explained. “Has Wen RuoHan suspected you yet?” she asked concerned.


“I don’t believe so, if he did, he would have gotten rid of me already.” Meng Yao replied.


“I didn’t think so. Just be careful, A-Yao.” she said. “I should go, he probably needs me for something.” she replied quickly as she stood up.


“At least have half a bowl, A-Ying.” Meng Yao pleaded.


“I can’t. I can feel him beckoning me,” she said, “Thank you for bringing this to me though.” she said before getting up to leave.

 

As soon as she entered the room she was forced down onto her knees, her arms locked behind her back.


“I should kill you for the situation with both of my sons.” Wen RuoHan said coldly, his face facing away from her.


Wei Ying said nothing, there was nothing to say. She had expected this after all.


“Predict the trial for me and tell me how to bend it to my advantage.” he said when Wei Ying didn’t give a response.


“I refuse.” she replied, finding the strength to fight him. This was one thing she couldn’t do, wouldn’t do.


“Stupid girl.” was all she heard before a hard sting hit her left cheek.


“You’ll do it.” the older man said. “Wen Zhuliu, bring her to the shrine spring.”


The Wen shrine spring was a place their first Oracle trained and resided, it was a place saturated with magic and divination. This was before the humans established the main Oracle shrine. She knew that the moment she used her abilities, the gig would be up. So, she knew she had to hold strong.


As soon as she was chained down into the spring waters, she received another smack across her cheek but on her right cheek this time.


“Xu-er isn’t here to protect you anymore. I suggest that you do as you’re told. Remember, you are my tool, I’m giving you leeway by letting you choose to do this yourself before I force you to.” he said coldly.


“I refuse!” she replied once again.


“What an ungrateful brat. He protected you, sullied his name for you. Yet, as his fiancée, you refuse to help him now?” Wen RuoHan said as he yanked at her hair, forcing her to look up at him.


“It’s precisely because he protected me that I refuse! Da-ge would not have wanted this! He knows how it works! He’s known this would happen one day!” she cried.


She was answered by her face being slammed against the ledge of the water.


“Useless.” the man hissed angrily.


It was then, she could feel the man attempt to gain control of her body. What Wen RuoHan didn’t know was that he had unknowingly aided her. Since this was still technically a shrine of the Oracle’s, it made her stronger here. It meant that she could resist his control over her. However, because she was bound with chains that sealed her strength, she couldn’t break free of them.


She could see the man trying, attempting to gain control over her, but it wasn’t happening for she was blocking him. Sure, it still hurt her as the lock around her neck was still there, but she stopped him with ease. She won’t let him gain control, there was no way she would. When he realised that he wasn’t going to gain control, he shoved her head underwater, leaving her down there until she was about to go unconscious before bringing her head up so she could breathe.


“How funny, you’ve somehow managed to fight against my control. Unluckily for you, it would seem that you’re still trapped here.” the man sneered cruelly.


“Wen Zhuliu, beat some sense into her.” Wen RuoHan barked before getting up and making a move to leave.


“Let’s see if you’ll be so stubborn by tomorrow.” the man mused before leaving her alone with Wen ZhuLiu.

 

 

“Miss Wei, perhaps you should consider obeying Mr. Wen’s words.” Wen ZhuLiu’s words rang through her semi-conscious mind. It was almost laughable as this man was still beating her, punishing her, yet, here he was advising her to give in for the benefit of her own health. What the man didn’t know was that the knowledge of how she would eventually die made her pretty unafraid of such threats, pain was also something she was used to. After all, the Oracle’s bodyguard had to endure a lot since they had to protect them.

 

She laughed in response. “You and I both know that I won’t do that. As much as I appreciate your concern, Da-ge always made me promise to not let his father get his way when it came to this day.” she replied. “I won’t let him make me do this.”

 

“Surely, First Young Master wouldn’t want you to get beaten black and blue in the process. This is not what he would want for you.” Wen ZhuLiu replied.

 

She pitied the other man. She knew that deep down, he didn’t want to do such a cruel thing to her. She could tell from how he used to correct Wen Chao’s treatment of her when they were still on kind pretences. Even when she was trapped here and would train with Wen ZhuLiu, he would let her let out her rage during the sessions.

 

“He must have something hefty over your head for someone like you to stay loyal to him.” she mused after he punched her in the gut.

 

“Miss Wei, please.” the other said.

 

“You’re going easy on me.” was her response.

 

 

“A-Ying, couldn’t you slip him a few readings that won’t give him much but will appease him regardless?” Meng Yao asked as he applied ointment on her injuries. Although he hid his expressions well, Wei Ying could tell that he was bothered by her injuries.

 

She had cast a spell on herself to stop her injuries from healing so quickly. As much as it was painful, she didn’t care. She couldn’t risk him knowing that she healed easily.

 

“No, I refuse to let him think he has complete power over me.” she replied cooly.

 

“A-Ying, please. I don’t want him to hurt you further.” Meng Yao pleaded as he wrapped the bandages around her injuries.

 

“Don’t worry, A-Yao. I’m fine.” she said, “I can take a lot more than people think I can handle.” she continued.

 

“I don’t want it to escalate. Wen RuoHan is getting impatient. I heard him suggesting that you needed your bones broken. I would like to avoid that, A-Ying.” A-Yao replied, concern in his voice.

 

“He won’t do it, A-Yao.” she replied simply. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that they believe that those who do divination need to have undamaged bodies, which is why Wen ZhuLiu has clearly been going easy on me. A broken bone would mean an imperfect body. Wen RuoHan needs me for my divination, he definitely won’t do it.” Wei Ying replied.

 

She was surprised that Meng Yao had forgotten, it was certainly odd since his memory was much better than hers in general. Then again, these past few days were hard on A-Yao, she could tell by the dark circles underneath his eyes. He probably was tired as well.

 

“A-Yao, you tell me to look after myself, yet, you’re not looking after yourself either.” she said. “You’ve clearly not been sleeping.” she said. “Hence why you forgot that detail.” she mused as she playfully knocked him on the head with her fist.

 

“Things have been insane at Wen Manor.” Meng Yao said simply.

 

“Awww, is Sect Leader Wen having a man-child meltdown because a teenager won’t help him with divination?” Wei Ying mused.

 

In response, Meng Yao let out a snort despite Wei Ying never pegging him to be the type to snort.

 

“You could say that, yes.” Meng Yao mused.

 

“Good.” she replied. “Let him have his tantrum.” she continued.

 

“Please consider what I said to you.” Meng Yao said as he moved to leave, knowing that Wen RuoHan was most likely looking for him.

 

“No.” she replied.

 

“Please, A-Ying. You’ve been in here for days now. You must be tired and uncomfortable.” he pleaded.

 

“I’ll be fine, let him do his worst.” she replied simply. Sure, she would prefer not to be hit or chained down, however, at the same time she wasn’t going to just let him have access to her abilities. She refused. Wen RuoHan was the last person she wanted to use divination for.

 

“I’ll be fine, A-Yao. I survived on the streets, I’ll survive Wen RuoHan.” she said assuringly.

 

The other sighed, knowing that he couldn’t change her mind.

 

 

The eternal palace of the Wens collapsed soon after like a house of cards.

 

The only regret Wei Ying had was that she only contributed to it a little bit.

 

It had been any other day as always, she was trapped at the shrine pool permanently now. The only food she was provided with was when Meng Yao snuck some in for her and occasionally Wen ZhuLiu. The man gave her mixed feelings. He didn’t seem to want to hurt her but also didn’t want to disobey his master. So he was always harming and helping her. Still, she had stayed resilient and defied Wen RuoHan, much to his annoyance.

 

She had lost track of all time. At first, Meng Yao would tell her how many days had passed, now, it would seem that he himself was defeated. He knew that Wei Ying wasn’t going to make it easy despite him wanting her to do so. She appreciated his concern, but her promise to Wen Xu and also her knowledge of her own end made her brave and strong willed.

 

“YingYing, I understand this is awful of me to ask as it may be too much. However, no matter what happens to me, make sure you never let my father use you as a tool.”

 

“Don’t worry, Da-ge. I won’t. I refuse to let him wield me like a weapon.” she replied. “He won’t get a divination out of me easily.”

 

“I’m sorry, YingYing. I hate that I’m asking this of a fifteen-year-old girl. It’s not correct, but I know you have the ability to stop him.” was what Wen Xu had said to her that day.

 

So far, she had made good of her promise. He simply couldn’t just have his way. No, not when it was such a danger to others.

 

Her body ached thoroughly from the torture. Cuts and bruises littered her body. As much as an imperfect body may affect divination, being injured wasn’t something that would hinder it. Therefore, Wen RuoHan had been ordering Wen ZhuLiu to take a knife to her flesh. No matter how painful the cuts were, she held in her pain, refusing to let the other see it.

 

She had been recovering from another session of Wen RuoHan’s attempts at getting her to bend to his will, asleep to be precise when she was awoken by the loud commotion. She should have known that things had been far too quiet when she was allowed to rest, however, she didn’t think much of it, taking the chance to soothe her injuries.

 

She saw a figure rushing into the shrine spring. It wasn’t until the man came up to her and grabbed her roughly that she realised that it was Wen RuoHan himself. Where was Wen ZhuLiu? He never strayed far from Wen RuoHan after all.

 

Next thing she knew, there was a sharp object pressed tightly against her throat. Upon further inspection, she realised it was a knife. She inwardly cursed at her disposition, her wrists were secured tightly behind her back with chains. Her ankles were chained together and down to the pool itself, making it impossible for her to even kick the man if she wanted to. She hated being a damsel for she was anything but a damsel.

 

So, even with a blade pressed towards her neck, she struggled against her binds, putting on the best fight she could.

 

“I’d advise you to stay put, if you know what’s good for you.” she heard the man threaten.

 

It was then, a loud commotion sounded, she watched as a whole gathering of men clambered into the springs.

 

“Mr. Wen, I’d suggest you give up already. We’ve already apprehended Wen ZhuLiu, we can easily apprehend you.” said a voice that brought Wei Ying extreme relief. It was Jin-shushu! Jin-shushu had come to save her. Next to him, Nie MingJue was also standing there, a stern, searing expression on his face. She hadn’t recalled ever seeing the other being so enraged before, it made her nervous to witness it herself. So it would seem that Wen ZhuLiu had been captured, it explained the man’s sudden erratic behaviour.

 

“Look, Wen RuoHan. You can make it very easy for us all and release Wei Ying. There is no need to bring her into this.” Nie MingJue gritted through his teeth. He looked like he very much wanted to throttle the man himself.

 

“Now why would I want that when the young lady here is such good leverage for me?” mused Wen RuoHan as he pulled Wei Ying closer, his grip on her tightening.

 

Upon further glance, she realised there were others that were not part of the Jin Sect. The other Sects had stormed Wen Manor it would seem. They had finally decided to end the Wen Corporation once and for all. She was just surprised that Jin-shushu who usually wasn’t the type to face conflict head on actually joined the group. However, what was missing was the Jiang Sect - not that Wei Ying herself expected them to come aid them. Even if Jiang-shushu had wanted to, Madame Yu would never allow it. In fact, she was shocked as she hadn’t expected anyone to come to her rescue.

 

“Mr. Wen, this is your final warning.” Jin GuangShan said rather cooly, it was a tone had never heard Jin-shushu use before, it chilled her. Still, she hated this. She couldn’t just stay and be a good hostage. So, she did what she knew and wriggled and struggled.

 

“Do you think I’d let her go easily? She is a rather good bargaining chip for me. Not to mention, her abilities are of use to me.” the man said.

 

“Y-You! I’m warning you!” cried Nie MingJue as he raised his sabre, ready to fight the man. However, Wei Ying could tell that the other was worried. He of course didn’t want any harm to come to Wei Ying.

 

“Please, I know you can’t attack me, not with Wei WuXian as my hostage.” the man mused. It was then, Wei Ying could feel the man attempting to gain control of her. Naturally, she wasn’t about to allow that and struggled and fought him, attempting to bite him as he fought for the reins of her mind and body.

 

“Be good.” her captor warned as he pressed the blade closer to her neck, pricking the surface of her skin, drawing a little bit of blood in the progress. This had a different effect on Wei Ying. After all, Wei Ying was no normal teenage girl. She was meant to be the Oracle’s guard. One that wielded all four elements. She was also technically the true Oracle. Wei Ying was a developing weapon in a sense, these were things that went through her mind when she was being held against her will. Another thing was that Wen RuoHan had not realised something rather important. Since they were at the shrine spring, it meant that Wei Ying’s abilities were enhanced. She had to take advantage of this!

 

With her mind set, she decided to focus her energy on the water beneath them.

 

Wind and Water were good for the Oracle’s predictions. High winds and rain were perfect divination weather. Therefore, water always listened to Wei Ying well. For once it felt like it wasn’t an utter curse that she had been chosen. For once, she was glad she was chosen.

 

She concentrated, closing her eyes as she connected with the water beneath them. Then, she brought it all up, dropping it on the two of them with such force that the man lost his hold on her. Then, she made the water hold the man in place, bound him so that he was unable to move.

 

By the time she had stopped using her abilities, she realised that she was in safe hands.

 

“Tsk, what a cruel man Wen RuoHan is. How could he raise a hand to a pretty young lady that’s my A-Xian.” sighed Jin GuangShan as he sat by her while she was getting her wounds tended to by a medic.

 

“He’s Wen RuoHan, Jin-shushu.” she replied calmly.

 

“It’s a good thing A-Xian is so resilient.” the man said as he petted her on the head. “Still, I wasn’t aware that A-Xian had such strong abilities.” he said.

 

She didn’t know whether it was a good thing that Jin GuangShan had seen her abilities. However, it was the only thing she could do at that moment and she didn’t regret it. Honestly, she was shocked over the immense amount of power that came out of her when she used the water around her as a weapon. She had to be wary of using her abilities in the future.

 

“I’m glad we managed to remove the awful lock around your neck, A-Xian.” Jin GuangShan said. “To think my poor A-Xian was forcefully engaged to that mad man, Wen Xu pains me!” he continued.

 

“I’m safe now thanks to you, Jin-shushu.” she replied. “However, you’ve got it wrong, Jin-shushu. Wen Xu is no monster. He didn’t touch me!” she said. “Please, Jin-shushu, get them to drop the charges against him to do with me!” she said.

 

“Ai, A-Xian, you don’t need to be scared. Wen Xu touched you inappropriately, but there’s no need to be ashamed. We all know that you’re a victim, A-Xian.” the man said kindly, putting a hand on hers and squeezing it.

 

“No, Jin-shushu! Wen Xu didn’t touch me inappropriately! Those pictures are all taken out of context! He treated me kindly and respectfully!” she cried.

 

“A-Xian, you’re clearly delirious from Wen RuoHan’s mistreatment of you. Let’s let you rest up a bit before we have this conversation, shall we?” Jin GuangShan replied, giving her head a last petting before getting up to leave the room.

 

“Goodnight, A-Xian.” he said kindly.

 

“Goodnight, Jin-shushu.” Wei Ying replied, knowing that the conversation was going to go nowhere. Deciding to leave the conversation for tomorrow and that she needed the sleep anyway, she allowed herself to relax. Getting into the bed and closing her eyes, she quickly fell into a dreamless slumber.

Notes:

Once again, I will stress that my version of Wen Xu is definitely OOC, does not follow canon. Though we never actually got to know much about him. He's good to Wei Ying but it doesn't mean he's a good person. You can thank
this fic for forever warping my mind. It's one that has lived with me since I've read it.

Chapter 10: Sequence ~ 順序

Notes:

So... We're quite close to the end of this fic. I've decided to break it up a bit as I didn't want people to be waiting too long for cliffhangers and such. Aren't I kind? 😊🥰

Here's the playlist to go with this fic~

He was angry. Of course he was. Despite all of his cowardly whimpers, Sect Leader Jin, or rather, Jin GuangShan, with the help of others had invaded the Wen residence last night and rescued Wei Ying. After trembling like a frightened field mouse and flattering Wen RuoHan to his face, it was someone who was so cowardly who took the foundation out of a strongly built fortress, causing the Wens’ long established stable business to crumble like a house of cards. Then after the deed was done, he announced himself as Wei Ying’s new guardian before anyone else could. Not even Nie MingJue could convince him otherwise.


“WangJi, don’t be this way. At least A-Xian is safe now.” Lan XiChen said soothingly. His brother was always a mediator, always attempting to smooth out the rocky situation.


“He still put Wei Ying at risk. Wei Ying suffered greatly before he saved her.” he replied coldly. “She was only saved from further suffering because Meng Yao managed to ease the situation. Wei Ying fought tooth and nail against Wen RuoHan alone before she was saved by Sect Leader Jin.” he continued.


“I understand your feelings of anger, WangJi. However, we can’t go fight Sect Leader Jin over custody of A-Xian. I also care deeply for her, she’s brought great joy to you, WangJi and she’s brought happiness into my life too. While I want to take her away from the Jins as I don’t trust her safety with them, we can’t possibly act rashly. After all, the Jins are strong.”


“Us Lans are strong too.” Lan Zhan retorted.


“Yes, WangJi. However, we prefer not to jump into conflict.” Lan XiChen said soothingly.


He said nothing, there was nothing to say. For he knew that he couldn’t possibly just storm into the Jin Sect to take Wei Ying away from them. Jin GuangShan had always been extremely fond of Wei Ying. When it came to him personally, Jin GuangShan made him feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t a secret when it came to the gossip behind Jin GuangShan. The only person that was blinded by Jin GuangShan’s mask in some ways was Wei Ying. He couldn’t blame Wei Ying though, it wasn’t her fault that he had already tricked and lulled her into his web of lies. It scared him that Wei Ying put so much trust in him, for Lan WangJi could tell that his care for her just wasn’t quite normal, it was nothing like how Jiang FengMian treated Wei Ying.


“Please, WangJi. Understand that I won’t stop looking for a way to take A-Xian out of this situation. Da-ge, A-Yao and I will absolutely make sure to save her, but we can’t be rash lest we fan the flames.” Lan XiChen said pleadingly when he hadn’t made a sound of reply or acknowledgement.


“Don’t worry, brother. I won’t act rashly. I trust you and Sect Leader Nie.” he replied. “Meng Yao also has Wei Ying’s best interests in mind, therefore, I know he will look out for her.” he replied.


Once again, he was left feeling powerless, left feeling so utterly weak.


Didn’t you promise that you’d become strong to protect her?


But Lan WangJi was only a sixteen-year-old teen and one person.

Koi Manor was a beautiful place, is a beautiful place. Wei Ying had always enjoyed her visits here. Really, to be taken in by Jin GuangShan was a blessing. He allowed her to keep her two kittens, clothes and accessories she loved. Anything she wanted, he allowed her to have. Her kittens were clever, they stayed away from the evil creature that Jin ZiXuan named Little Gold. In turn, she also stayed away from it. Jin ZiXuan was also banned from bringing the fanged monster anywhere near her, much to his disappointment as he seemed far too keen to introduce her to it.


Apart from that, there was nothing wrong with Jin ZiXuan. In fact, he treated her kindly and sympathetically. He had changed a lot as a person now, which she was glad for since it meant her shijie was going to be well looked after. There was also a sense of relief as she knew that she could carefully sneak away when the time came for her to leave this world.


Jin GuangShan had also encouraged her lessons to be maintained, hiring tutors for her. She was grateful towards him. He also used any excuse to spend time with her, which she wasn’t going to complain about as she adored him. However, this in itself created problems for her. Madame Jin had always been unkind to her, in fact, one could argue that she treated Wei Ying much worse. Much of the horrid gossip about her was started by Madame Jin, Wei Ying knew this as she had heard her initiating it herself. She always treated Wei Ying like she was an annoyance as if she was lower than the ground beneath her. So, her living at Koi Manor meant that Wei Ying would run into her often and although she had greeted the other, treating her kindly and politely, Madame Jin still acted like she was nothing.


“Just because you’ve now had the decency to dress like a girl, it doesn’t mean like I should treat you any better, you’re still unsightly to me.” Madame Jin had said once when Wei Ying happened to walk by her in the corridors.


She kept it all to herself, never once bringing it to Jin-shushu, there was no need to trouble him with such miscellaneous details. Really, she was lucky to be able to stay at Koi Manor. Initially, she had told Jin-shushu that she was fine with sharing the house that Meng Shi and Meng Yao lived in, however, Jin-shushu flat out refused.


“A-Xian, you’re basically a daughter to me, how could I just cast you away like that? I won’t allow it, A-Xian belongs in our household, you deserve the finest things.” Jin-shushu had said to her when she suggested she stayed at Meng Yao’s instead.


Luckily, Koi Manor was big. Not to mention, with her time split between her tutors, her time spent with Jin ZiXuan and Meng Yao, also Jin GuangShan, she was always kept busy. It also meant that her chances of running into Madame Jin were slimmer and she wouldn’t have it any other way.


It had been like any other day, she was walking along the beautiful gardens, especially the lotus pond. She swore it was new as Jin GuangShan never showed her it before, but the man never let slip whether or not that was the truth. She thought nothing of it as he was always kind to her, so perhaps she just never noticed the new addition herself. Either way, it was a beautiful place.


After a while, she decided to take a seat by the edge of the pier, it reminded her very much of Lotus Pier. The view always brought her such joy and calmness. Here, she was enjoying the sunny weather, swinging her legs absentmindedly. It felt like ice-cream weather. She was donned in a white blouse and pink pinafore today. Jin-shushu had insisted on buying her a whole wardrobe of nice dresses and feminine clothes. Wei Ying didn’t have a problem with it but also didn’t want to make him waste his money on her. Despite him telling her that it was fine and she was no trouble, she still felt it. To match the pinafore, she had two plaits on the sides of her head, tied with pink ribbons at the end.


Without warning, two balls of fluff came bounding towards her, throwing themselves onto her lap. She let out a laugh and she cuddled them close to her.


“Somebody misses me~” she teased as she nuzzled them.


The kittens were the one thing that she could keep of Wen Xu next to the plush toy he gave her. Despite her pleading, Jin GuangShan absolutely refused to drop the accusations, much less allow her to visit the man. She didn’t understand what Jin-shushu had against Wen Xu. Wen Xu didn’t harm her, always protected her. She had told him so too! Why was Jin-shushu so stubborn about it?


She stared out at the pond, wondering what Wen Xu was up to right now in prison, whether he was eating well. Perhaps she could write to him. She was sure that Meng Yao would find a way to help her do so. She wasn’t permitted to leave Koi Manor, not without Jin GuangShan’s permission anyway. Jin-shushu had said it was to protect her, but in a way, this felt no better than Wen Manor. Though, she knew that if she begged for an outing, the older man would cave so that was still better.


“Pidan, Shourou, do you think you’d be able to deliver letters for me?” she mused as she watched the kittens play with her plaits, each taking one side of her braids. They paused for a moment looking thoughtful, as if they were considering it.


“I’m just messing with you.” she huffed in amusement. “I wouldn’t ask such things of you two.” she continued as she lovingly petted them both, earning content purrs as a response.


It was a perfect sort of weather where she wanted to take a nap, but of course, she won’t, not outside here in Koi Manor. If Madame Jin caught her doing so, she would most likely be livid. Besides, she didn’t feel safe when Jin ZiXun was roaming around Koi Manor. Ever since she had moved here, she could feel how his eyes would linger on her. Now that she had her experience with Wen Chao’s behaviour when they were friends, she had warning signs that she could look out for. Jin ZiXun’s actions and expressions very much reminded her of how Wen Chao had acted when they were friends. She couldn’t believe she had missed it all when she had decided to give him a chance. What irritated her was that she couldn’t actively push him away. There was a level of courtesy she had to keep, lest she gets an earful from Madame Jin.


Sometimes she would get lucky and Meng Yao would be there to intervene, however, most of the time, she would have to coexist with him without murdering him, despite her wanting to do so rather badly.


Out of boredom, she began to play with the water around her absentmindedly, forming it into a ball and throwing it about. It would seem that ever since the incident, her powers have awakened somewhat. She was always able to wield all of the elements with ease. However, ever since helping to take down Wen RuoHan, she could feel that her abilities have increased. Before, she could control fire, but it would need a source, say through a talisman, now, she could summon it from seemingly nowhere. She wasn’t sure that this was even what the Oracle was capable of. She knew that the Oracle could control all elements, but she had always seen Jiang Cheng training using talismans and summoning their elements through them. Wei Ying had watched her brother tirelessly train for his craft, feeling awful the entire time knowing that he would never achieve true control of those abilities for they weren’t given to him. Sometimes she wondered if she had been honest about her identity whether things would be different for them. She wondered if their relationship would be better too. Well, she knew that at this point there was no return from all of this. So she decided that it was time to let this all go. She had cut her losses and decided that this was most likely the best scenario. She was glad that she could still easily slip away undetected when her time came. The only thing she would regret was how worried Jin-shushu would be. This was the sacrifice she would have to make, she supposed.


“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you, Wei WuXian!” a voice she certainly didn’t want to hear cut through her thoughts. Quickly, she pulled her kittens to her chest and began to get up to leave in an attempt to avoid him.


“Nuh-uh, you don’t get to just dodge me, WuXian.” the other mused, blocking her path with his own body. She held in a deep breath to avoid sighing, instead, she focused on soothing her kittens, afraid they may attack him instead. Him calling her ‘WuXian’ also made bile threaten to rise up in her throat. They weren’t close friends or friends even, she wouldn’t even count them as acquaintances.


“What do you want?” she asked cooly.


“Aiyo, so cold, WuXian. You’re basically family at this point. We got off at the wrong foot, but perhaps I could change that.” the other replied.


“No thanks.” she replied as she attempted to look for another path to take to get away from the other. However, as she turned around, she felt him grab her hand, pulling her towards him.


“That wasn’t a suggestion, WuXian.” Jin ZiXun mused, a smirk on his arrogant face. Wei Ying badly wanted to punch him square in the face.


“Leave me alone.” she said calmly, despite her anger.


“No, I don’t think so. I rather like this disposition you have.” he mused as he gripped her wrist tighter. “I know you don’t dare hurt me as A-Yi would be all over your case.” he continued in his very arrogant and annoying voice. What she really wanted to do was to get the water to drag him into the pond, but she couldn’t and shouldn’t, so she instead held her ground calmly.


“Let me go.” she said.


“Not without you agreeing to go on a date with me.” he replied. His smirk, his sneering face, oh she wanted to hit him so badly.


“Hey! ZiXun, what are you doing?” cried a voice in the distance paired with the loud footsteps of someone tearing down the decking.


“Don’t worry, Cousin. We’re just messing around, aren’t we, WuXian?” Jin ZiXun mused, gripping her wrist tighter to send a warning. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say. It did not look like they were messing around and Jin ZiXuan wasn’t an idiot. He would immediately see that something was off.


“Don’t lie to me, ZiXun. You’re clearly picking on her. Let her go right now or Father will hear of this and you’ll be in trouble.” Jin ZiXuan frowned as he got closer to them.


“I’m an adult now, Cousin, do you think I’d be scared of your Father? Why aren’t you stopping me instead? Are you scared?” he mused.


“I’d rather not get into a fight with you, now let her go. Stop harassing her.” Jin ZiXuan said a frown on his face.


It was then, a flash of black and white blurred past her vision as she heard Jin ZiXun let out a loud cry in fear. She realised rather quickly that Pidan and Shourou were attempting to shove him into the water. As Jin ZiXun battled with the kittens, he managed to grab Pidan tightly, attempting to hurt her. Just as she was about to do something, the water from behind him grabbed him and yanked him into the water, causing him to lose grip on the kittens, she ran forward and caught them in time.


As soon as she realised that her kittens were safe, she realised something.


She had visualised that in her mind and had not intended it to happen.

 

 

 

 

“Mother won’t be going after you, don’t worry about it.” Jin ZiXuan said as she sat there in her room, feeding her kittens.


“Thank you, you didn’t have to.” she replied.


“Why didn’t you hit him? You could have fought back, Father would believe that it was in self-defence.” he asked.


“I didn’t want to stir up trouble, I’m already lucky that Madame Jin even allows me to live in the same place as the head family.” she replied.


“If Mother has said anything awful to you, I apologise. The rumours about my Father always has her on edge.”


“Offspring shouldn’t be responsible for their parents’ mishaps.” she replied simply.


“Still, it’s wrong. I don’t know why Mother treats you so badly as there’s no reason to.”


“Perhaps it’s just because Madame Yu despises me.” she said as she played with her kittens as they pawed at her hand.


“ZiXun won’t be giving you any trouble, nor will he bring up today’s incident. I made sure of that.” Jin ZiXuan said after a long silence.


“Thank you, you didn’t have to do that.” she replied. “I can’t believe this, though. You and Jin ZiXun are thick as thieves, I can’t believe you would stand up for me, but thank you.” she said quietly.


“He clearly was in the wrong, he shouldn’t be harassing you like that.” he said. “On a happier note, A-Li will be visiting tomorrow, would you like to join us for tea?” he asked.


She was ecstatic, however, she wasn’t sure whether she was ready to face her sister. After all, the last time, she had lied to her then completely vanished on her during the New Year’s Eve meal.


“I think it’s probably best that I don’t.” she replied.


“A-Li said you would refuse otherwise and told me to tell you that she wasn’t angry with you for lying to her and for not turning up during New Year’s Eve dinner.”


Trust Jiang YanLi to know her so well. She sighed, knowing there wasn’t a way to escape her forever.


“Alright, I’ll join you.” she said. “But no gross lovey-dovey stuff!” she said.


“I promise we’ll be on our best behaviour.” Jin ZiXuan replied, a smile on his face.

“A-Xian! Oh, A-Xian! It really is you! I’m so glad that you’re alright and unharmed!” her jiejie cried as she pulled her into her arms, hugging and squeezing her with as much might as she could manage, as if trying to make sure she really was in the room with her.


“Jiejie! You’re squishing A-Xian!” Wei Ying whined as she let the other do so, savouring the moment. She had missed Jiang YanLi dearly, she had felt guilty at their last parting, that despite she tried to stay on Jiang Cheng’s good side, she still angered him and caused a scene.


“I’m glad that A-Xian is healthy and happy. It puts me at ease.” Jiang YanLi said as she took her hands in hers.


“Of course! Jin-shushu wouldn’t deprive me of food, jiejie. You and I both know he spoils me so.” she smiled fondly. “In fact, he cancelled our visit to the botanical gardens today because he knew you were visiting me.”


“That’s very kind of him, I’m glad that he still dotes on you, A-Xian.” Jiang YanLi replied, a pleased smile on her face while Jin ZiXuan next to her looked oddly uneasy when she had said that. It was an odd reaction, but Wei Ying said nothing, decided that she wasn’t going to quiz Jin ZiXuan on it.


“Now come on, let’s go have our meal, I’ve packed so much of your favourite foods!” Jiang YanLi cried as she latched onto Wei Ying’s arm, tugging her along. Wei Ying let her do so, happy to be spoiled by the other. She never thought she would get another chance to see her after that day when she was imprisoned within the walls of Wen Manor. She knew she had to savour what little of this moment she had.

“Here, A-Xian, have more chicken. Here’s a chicken leg too since jiejie missed out on your birthday.” Jiang YanLi said gently as she piled more food into her already full rice bowl. At this rate, she was going to have to swap to a soup noodle bowl for all this food.


“Ai, jiejie, poor ZiXuan will starve at this rate!” Wei Ying grumbled in response.


“ZiXuan will have plenty of opportunity to eat A-Li’s dishes, WuXian, so you should savour the moment to have them.” Jin ZiXuan mused as a response.


“Now, now, A-Xuan, are you trying to say I won’t visit A-Xian after this? Even after we’re married I would be visiting.” Jiang YanLi mused.


“Of course not. However, you and I both know how much WuXian loves your food.” he replied.


“I’m so glad to see getting along with A-Xuan, A-Xian.” her jiejie said happily when Jin ZiXuan had excused himself from the table to give them some time alone together.


“He’s really changed, for the better too. I’m so happy for you, jiejie.” Wei Ying replied happily.


It was true, Jin ZiXuan had changed a lot. She was glad, glad to know that her jiejie would be happy even when she was gone, turned into stardust.


“Still, for you two to address each other fondly, I’m surprised. Happily surprised of course.” she smiled.


“He asked me for help once over a present and well I guess it got better from there.” she replied. Ever since he had asked Wei Ying for help with Jiang YanLi’s present, they had been on friendly terms. Then, when Wei Ying had moved here, they had had a conversation. Jin ZiXuan had started it, asking her to address him as “ZiXuan” since she had permitted him to call her “WuXian”. At first she felt odd about it, however, Jin ZiXuan had said, “You’re living under our roof now, Father considers you family, so why would it be wrong for you to call me ‘ZiXuan’?” It was then she gave in as he had made far too much sense, she was just being silly, she had realised.


“Yeah, we kinda sorta had a talk about it. Something about since I’m living under the same roof as them and how Jin-shushu treats me like family, that we shouldn’t be so formal with each other.” Wei Ying replied.


Jiang YanLi huffed lightly in response, a smile on her face. Wei Ying liked it best when her jiejie smiled. It brought such warmth to her heart.


“Congratulations by the way.” she said. “On your engagement that is.” she beamed after a long pause of comfortable silence.


“Ah, I forgot to mention it to you, A-Xian! I should have before this too.” she said a bit bashful. “He asked me and I said ‘yes’.” she beamed as she showed her the ring.


Wei Ying examined the ring, admiring how beautiful it was. It was simple, yet unique, a perfect engagement ring for her jiejie.


“I wish you didn’t have such good perception, A-Xian. It really ruined the surprise!” Jiang YanLi huffed, feigning irritation.


Wei Ying in response laughed. Jiang YanLi had always known about her ability to just know things. She had always knew about her powers of divination and how Wei Ying was just connected to the celestial plains more than the average person was. Still, Wei Ying couldn’t help but wonder if Jiang YanLi suspected anything as not everyone was that connected to knowing and predicting the future. Even if she knew though, she hadn’t asked her, so she decided not to bring it up.


“It’s beautiful, jiejie! Your wedding will be a grand and beautiful display!” she smiled, knowing all this to be true. It was a shame that she would not be there to experience her jiejie’s happiness.


“Madame Jin must be pleased! She has been wishing for this since you two were young.”


“Yes, she is indeed. She spoils me very much, keeps pestering A-Xuan for a wedding date even though we have time since A-Xuan hasn’t even finished his studies yet.” she laughed.


“That’s true, you have a lot of time.” she agreed.


“A-Xian, since you’re good with divinations, could you do me a little favour?” Jiang YanLi said, taking her hand in hers. “Help me pick an auspicious day for the wedding won’t you?” she said.


“Jiejie, why didn’t you ask Jiang Cheng for a date? He would give you a better date than me.” she said.


“A-Cheng is good at his craft, but I just know that A-Xian would be able to find a better date for me because A-Xian’s soft heart would be able to find one more accurately.” she smiled. “Besides, I’ve heard that the Wen Shrine’s shrine maiden was extremely accurate at love divinations, so why shouldn’t I trust her?” she smiled.


“April. April the sixth is a good day.” Wei Ying said without skipping the beat. She had known for a long time now. “But not this year coming, it will have to be eight years after this year.” she said.


“I will remember the date you’ve given me well, A-Xian. Thank you.” she smiled.


Later on in the day, her jiejie asked for a name for her first born. Wei Ying, knowing she was a going to have a son, gave her the name ‘RuLan’.

 

“Ah, A-Xian! Just the person I wanted to see! Since you’ve done so well with your studies this week, why don’t we go to the zoo this weekend?” Jin-shushu said happily as Wei Ying stepped into his office.


“What’s wrong, A-Xian? Is ZiXun bullying you again?” the man asked, his voice full of concern when Wei Ying didn’t answer.


“No, don’t worry, Jin-shushu. He’s stopped doing so.” she said. “The zoo also sounds great. I just… have some… things to discuss with you, Jin-shushu.” she continued, fidgeting with her fingers.


“What is it, A-Xian? You know you can tell me anything, don’t you?” the other asked her, beckoning her to come closer, which she did, nervousness swimming in her stomach.


“Wen Xu’s court date is drawing close, Jin-shushu.” she began nervously. “Please, Jin-shushu. Please reconsider those claims you’ve got on him. I’ve told you before that he was nothing but kind to me, please don’t let them file false charges against him.” she said.


The man in response let out an exasperated sigh, still, despite his exasperation, he patted his lap, beckoning her to sit there. She did so without much thought, this was normal for them.


“Ai, A-Xian…. We’ve been over this before.” the man began as he placed a hand on her head. “There is no way we can drop those charges. A-Xian, you are but a child, you wouldn’t even know if an adult is taking advantage of you. Besides, there are photos of him touching you, how can you say he never did anything to you?” he said.


“Those photos are taken out of context, Jin-shushu!” she cried, her hands turning into fists as she gripped the fabric of her dress. “They are nothing but lies! Please, Jin-shushu, if you tell them it was a misunderstanding, then they would drop the charges!” she continued.


“He’s already being charged with his dirty dealings in his court cases, extortion and dishonest business dealings, what’s one more little charge?” the man said instead.


“Sexual assault against a minor is not another little charge, Jin-shushu!” she cried. “Please, Jin-shushu! He protected me! He intervened whenever Wen Ruohan tried to hurt me, he protected me from Wen Chao as well!” she cried, tears threatening to appear at the corners of her eyes by now.


“No, A-Xian, no one will believe you. People will just see you as a manipulated child, don’t you see?” he said with a frown.


“But Jin-shushu!” she pleaded. “Why can’t you see that he did nothing of the sort?” she cried.


“Wen Xu is a grown man who was hanging around a teenage girl all the time, A-Xian. That in itself looks suspicious, don’t you think?” he said as he cupped her face with his hand. “You need to know how it looks and how the world works, A-Xian, Not everything is so simple.” he said.


She said nothing, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill.


“Ai, A-Xian. There is no need to be upset over this. Him and you have no connections now, it’s not like you’re going to see him ever again, so why worry about the one thing he’s innocent for?” he said.


“It’s wrong, Jin-shushu! Those lies can harm someone badly!” she cried. “Please! Just let me testify, let me tell them that he didn’t hurt me! If you let me, they will understand!” she cried.


“That’s enough from you, A-Xian.” she heard the man say coldly. It was so cold that it gave her the chills.


“Ai, look at what you’ve made me do, child.” he sighed as he pet her hair when her tears fell down her cheeks. “Okay, why don’t you let Jin-shushu think about it, then we can discuss it another time?” he said.


She nodded, her tears continuing to fall down her cheeks.


He wasn’t going to change his mind, so Wei Ying decided that it could only be her that stopped such a horrific accusation.

 

“Jin-shushu, not that I’m not appreciating this day out, but isn’t it a bit excessive?” Wei Ying asked as the man handed her her ticket to the amusement park.


“No such thing, A-Xian. After all, everyone is here anyway.” the man replied as he smiled at her fondly, taking one of her hair clips and re-clipping it. “There, all better.”


Jin-shushu had decided to buy out the amusement park for a day. It was with the idea that his family could enjoy it. Wei Ying had no complaints as she enjoyed them and rollercoasters were her favourite thing. The only issue was the company she could have for this trip was questionable. The only person she could play the rollercoasters with was Jin ZiXuan. Luckily, Jin-shushu had invited Jiang YanLi to the outing and had actually extended his invite to Jiang Cheng. Rather predictably, he declined. To be fair it could very well be Madame Yu’s decision. Nonetheless, she could spend the day with her jiejie so it was good. So she had spent most of the day playing the rollercoasters with both Jin ZiXuan and Jiang YanLi, until she had branched off from them in an attempt to give them some couple time. She was about to go into the aquarium alone when Jin ZiXun had attempted to tag along. Luckily, Jin-shushu had intervened in time, citing that there were some disciples that needed his company, much to Wei Ying’s relief.


So, the amusement park wasn’t exactly empty but still, the lack of other random people was odd to her.


“A-Xian is so precious, always thinking of Jin-shushu’s wallet.” the man mused as he took her cardigan and put it on her shoulders. “It’s cooler in here, we wouldn’t want you to catch a cold would we?” the man continued.


“I don’t really get sick, Jin-shushu.” she replied quietly.


“But you were sick the year before so you couldn’t attend my special banquet! I missed seeing you, A-Xian.” the man replied. “I was so worried too.” the man said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.


“I’m sorry I worried you.” she smiled guiltily. It was true, she had been sick but the nauseous kind. It was a symptom left over from the incident with Wen Chao. Now that all the pieces were back together for her, she felt stupid, stupid that she had been tricked so badly.


“A-Xian is growing so quickly that Jin-shushu can barely keep up. That’s why today is a good day for me.” the man smiled as he held out his hand, then he quickly dropped it, a thoughtful look on his face. “A-Xian, are you too old for this old man to hold hands with you? Much like we used to when you were younger?” he said.


“Never!” Wei Ying replied excitedly as she took his hand.


“I’m glad.” the man said. “Still, A-Xian is too kind, always humouring this old man.” he said.


“Jin-shushu isn’t old. If anything, MingJue-ge is much older, he’s a grandpa compared to Jin-shushu.” Wei Ying mused as the man led them through the quiet halls of the aquarium.


“Ai, A-Xian. What is Jin-shushu supposed to do with those honeyed words coming out from that pretty mouth of yours?” the man said endearingly as he petted her head. If anyone else had said it, Wei Ying would have not liked that statement. However, this was Jin-shushu. Therefore, Wei Ying didn’t mind those words. With him, she felt safe.


They carried on walking through the halls, stopping every so often when Wei Ying found a sea creature she thought was interesting. This wasn’t the usual aquarium she frequented so she wasn’t as familiar with it. This was a good thing though as in a way, the other aquarium held dear memories for her of her time spent with Jiang-shushu. She in some sort of way wanted to keep those memories in a box for herself. Jin-shushu was always kind to her. However, the bond with him was different. She knew that it would never change.


“Jin-shushu, as much as I appreciate these outings… Shouldn’t you be spending time with Madame Jin instead? She must miss you terribly.”


“A-Xian is better company.” the man stated rather cooly. “A-Xian is always such a joy to spend time with unlike my Madame. Did you know she scoffed at the idea of today? That’s why she isn’t here with us.” he continued.


“Perhaps you should go take her flower viewing some time.” Wei Ying replied. She has known long ago that the marriage between the couple was rocky at best. It had been the talk of all circles and social groups.


“She’s lived a nice and comfortable life. Such things bore her, A-Xian. That’s why Jin-shushu would rather take you. You look at things with such wonder and enthusiasm that Jin-shushu feels youthful and happy once more.” the man replied.


“As much as I appreciate this, Jin-shushu. I feel like Madame Jin misses spending time with you, with you being busy most of the time.” she said quietly.


“Let’s not bring that woman up anymore, A-Xian.” the man said coldly snipping the conversation to an end.


The abrupt and cold way the older man had ended the conversation really frosted Wei Ying to the core, sometimes she forgot that he had that side to him. Nevertheless, she knew everyone had a colder side to them, so she wasn’t surprised. Only surprised that speaking of his wife would bring such a cold air about him.


“Ai, A-Xian. Jin-shushu is a bit tired. I apologise for the unpleasant attitude. I didn’t mean to ruin the wonderful atmosphere.” he said as he placed a hand on her back.


“No, it’s alright. It was A-Xian’s fault for pressing the matter, Jin-shushu. So if anyone should be apologise, it should be me.” she replied.


“There is no need. A-Xian is just being her sweet and thoughtful self. Jin-shushu very much adores this side of you, so he hopes that A-Xian will never change.” he smiled. “Speaking of which, I’ve noticed you looking sad when you saw the whales in their tanks, A-Xian.”


“I just think it’s sad that they’re not in their homes and as you said, they are in tanks. It’s much too small for them to live a happy life in. Besides, they should be in the ocean, not here for our own amusement.” she replied.


“But A-Xian, isn’t that human nature?” Jin-shushu replied. “Us humans see something beautiful or powerful or sometimes just amusing and we want to keep it to ourselves. That’s unfortunately how the world works. Still I understand A-Xian’s feelings.” he continued. “How about Jin-shushu go put in a suggestion to give them bigger areas to live in? It won’t solve the problem but it would make their lives more comfortable.” the man replied. “In fact, why don’t we do so now?” he said as he guided Wei Ying towards the exit without Wei Ying having a word in it.

 

“What an amazing being you are, you’ve somehow helped my husband gain a heart.” Madame Jin said coldly as she stared daggers into Wei Ying’s eyes when she happened to pass her by on the hallway. In fact, Wei Ying knew that she had actively sought her out as she never walked near Wei Ying’s side of the wing ever.


After the outing, Jin-shushu had donated a large sum of money to fund the aquariums all over the country so that their sea creatures could have a better place to live in. Many praised him for his good deeds but Wei Ying had mixed feelings as she felt it still wasn’t the solution, besides, she also knew the man had done so in order to please her and she wasn’t sure why he would need to do such a thing. After all, she always was fond of him anyway. He needn’t do more to get in her good books.



“Madame Jin has over praised and overestimated me.” she replied respectfully, bowing her head as she spoke to the older woman. “Jin-shushu only chose to do so on his own accord, it is nothing to do with this one.” she continued.


“What a little fox you are. Worming your way into my household like this and now you’re worming yourself onto my husband’s lap. Do you really think I wouldn’t hear about how he spent over an hour in the Ferris wheel with you?” she frowned. “If it weren’t for the fact that my husband would notice, I would have you whipped for your insolence.” her words dripping with malice.


“Madame Jin has misunderstood, the Ferris wheel broke down when we were in it. Jin-shushu is my uncle, I am fond of him but would never dream of hurting you or even having such thoughts of him. I assure you that I am not trying to take your husband from you, Madame Jin.” she replied respectfully, wanting to do nothing but run away.


“Why you little insolent-”


“Mother, there you are! I was looking around for you everywhere!” interrupted a new voice. Much to Wei Ying’s relief, it was Jin ZiXuan.


“ZiXuan, can’t you see that I’m busy?” Madame Jin said, anger in her voice, however, she was also trying to hold it back as her son was here. “What is it that’s so important that you have to interrupt me disciplining Miss Wei?” she continued.


“A-Li just told me she was coming over to visit.” Jin ZiXuan said quickly. Wei Ying could tell it was an obvious lie, however, she had to commend him for his quick thinking.


“Ai, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Madame Jin practically cooed. “Excuse me then, Miss Wei.” she said quickly, giving her one last cold gaze before turning around and storming away.


In honesty, if Wei Ying didn’t know her own fate, she would actually be afraid of Madame Jin. The look of hatred in her eyes was so intense she swore she could have killed someone with it.


“ZiXuan, weren’t you told that you’d lose your molars if you lied as a child?” she mused when Madame Jin was nowhere to be found. “Thank you though, I’m willing to foot your dentist bill.” she smiled.


“Mother has overstepped the line. I understand that she’s angry at Father but she had no right to take it out on you.” he replied. “I’m glad I found out in time.” he said quietly.


“It’s alright, ZiXuan. She just needed to blow off some steam. I know that she would never do anything to me.” she said.


“It doesn’t mean that her words were justified.” Jin ZiXuan replied.


“It’s sweet that you’re so sensitive over the insults others throw at me now.” she said. “Though, know that I can hold my own.” she replied.


“I know. But it doesn’t mean I will stand there and let someone speak horridly to you, even if it’s Mother that’s doing so.” he replied.


“I know and I’m thankful towards you for that. Oh, jiejie is going to text soon, you might want to tell her to come over today.” she mused, laughing when Jin ZiXuan’s phone went off and he fumbled for it quickly.


“I hate it when you do that!” he cried, his face flushed.


“That’s precisely why I’m doing that!” she chirped.

After days and days of begging and pleading with the older man, Wei Ying finally got him to allow her to go visit Wen Xu in prison. She hated that she had to lie her way in but she had to see him, had to make sure he was doing well in prison. So, through some practiced tears and voice shaking that swayed the man, Jin-shushu finally let her see him. She was ecstatic when she was given permission, quickly planning a meal and the cookies she used to bake him to bring to him.


A guard accompanied her all the way through the prison until the private visiting room. On either side of her, Pidan and Shourou accompanied her.


“Thank you, JingHen. I’ll be fine from here alone.” she said kindly and gratefully.


“It’s alright, Miss Wei. Please take as long as you need, if there is anything you require, don’t be shy to tell this one.” he replied diligently. Yet, Wei Ying couldn’t help but notice the surprise on the man’s face when she called him by his name. Did no one ever do so? She decided that she didn’t have time to ponder this as she had something more important to do — See her Da-ge, the man that had been her rock when she was trapped in Wen Manor. She nervously gripped the presents she had for him against her chest before walking through the doors, trying to act as natural as possible.


She was greeted by a chuckle, then an embrace. Inside, the men guarding the man shifted, preparing for an attack but visibly relaxing when she happily sighed and attempted to embrace him with one hand.


“Ai, Da-ge, you’ll crush your meal!” she chided with no heat in her words.


“YingYing made me food? How sweet!” the man mused. “Come, sit! I know it’s not the Jin estate but they sure have some comfy seats.” he continued.


She raised a brow in response, setting down the food she had brought with her before sitting down herself.


“Perhaps Da-ge has forgotten the luxurious life he lived before prison, hm?” she teased as the man began opening up the lunch box she had brought with him.


“YingYing is the best meimei I could ask for! You made all my favourites.” the man beamed, seemingly ignoring her teasing words.


“I’m glad you’re pleased about it.” she smiled, glad he looked well and seemed well.


At this point, the kittens had jumped up onto the table, nuzzling their faces against Wen Xu’s hands, as if trying to get his favour for him to share some food with them.


“Pidan, Shourou!” she chided as she attempted to pull them away from the lunch box, however, the kittens were relentless.


The man let out a soft huff, offering the kittens some of the meal. “You’re as mischievous as your owner.” he mused. “But it’s cute though.” he teased as he reached over and pinched Wei Ying on the cheek like he always used to. “Would you also want some of Da-ge’s meal like your kittens?” he laughed.


“Da-ge is the worst.” she huffed. “I haven’t seen you in so long but you’re already teasing me again!” she said. “No, I don’t want any of the meal I made, thank you very much.” she huffed once again.


“It’s precisely because I haven’t seen you in so long that I have to make up for lost time, YingYing.” he smiled before tucking into the meal she made.


She sat there in comfortable silence, letting the man enjoy his meal. Choosing to observe their surroundings while he ate.


Considering that this was a prison, this prison did seem like a nicer place than she had imagined. The seats were actually not bad, Wen Xu wasn’t jesting when he said it. She was also glad to find that the man hadn’t been abused for the horrific accusations that were placed on him by Jin-shushu himself. Still, she was worried. She just hoped that the court would see sense and not be bought by the reputation of the Jins.


“I’m sorry for not visiting for so long.” she said quietly.


“It’s not your fault, YingYing. I bet your overbearing Uncle had something to do with it, hm?” he said as he petted her hair with his hand.


“Da-ge is too intuitive.” she replied, a soft smile on her face, feeling glad that he wasn’t angry with her.


“Does he treat you well, YingYing?” he asked quietly, only for the two of them to hear.


“Jin-shushu is rather protective of me, he doesn’t let me out of his sight. He makes sure that I’m fed well and can have anything I wish for.” she smiled. “I guess I could say that I’m happier than anything right now.” she continued.


“YingYing says this, yet her eyes and smile are sad.” he replied.


“I feel like I’m suddenly made out of glass, I don’t like it, Da-ge.” she replied honestly.


Wen Xu said nothing, only hugged her, she hugged him back gratefully.


“I’m trying to beg him to drop the charges, Da-ge.” she said, finally able to find something to say after a moment of silence between them.


“It’s alright, YingYing. Everything will be fine. Just don’t do anything to put yourself in harm’s way.” he said as he petted her head once again. She let him do so, she had forgotten how much she missed his presence and just his way of doting on her.


“I heard about your amazing feat of taking down my father.” he said. “YingYing is truly amazing, I knew that you were special the moment I met you.” he continued.


“It was nothing. I didn’t do much.” she replied.


“I don’t know, being able to take down a grown man with your water abilities is quite amazing.” he replied. “Don’t downplay your abilities.”


“Fine, I’ll admit that it was amazing then.” she replied, not feeling like arguing with the man over her abilities.


“YingYing, you don’t understand how special you are to others and how they would be sad if you disappeared.” the man said kindly as he placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. “Don’t ever let others make you feel like anything less, alright?” he said, as if knowing certain things that had gone on in the Jin estate. “If anyone gives you any trouble, tell me, alright? I may be locked away, but I have my ways.” he said.


“I would like to avoid adding more to your charges, Da-ge.” she smiled. “But thank you for your kind words.”


“YingYing deserves the best.” the man said. “I’m glad your Uncle is looking after you well and making sure you have the nicest things.” he continued. “YingYing looks so cute today, I might get cavities from it.” he mused.


“Da-ge is being mean again!” she huffed with no heat behind it, earning a pinch on the cheeks by the man. “Da-ge! Stop it!” she continued to huff.


“YingYing is so cute, I have to tease her!” the man mused as he let go.


“I’m going to put a curse on you if you keep teasing me!” she huffed.


“YingYing is too kind to do that.” he laughed. “Speaking of which, I have a favour to ask of you.” he said. “Don’t worry, nothing to do with cursing, I know you don’t like that.” he continued.


“Predict my chess matches won’t you? I’m at the top right now and don’t want to lose any of them.” he said.


“You’re only asking that of me because you want to touch my hands you pervert!” she huffed once again.


“Ai, what a prickly meimei you are! You wound me so with your words, YingYing!” he sighed, feigning hurt.


In response, she kicked him underneath the table, earning a snicker from the man.

 

“A-Xian is so talented.” the man complimented her when he ate one of her brownies that she had freshly baked.


“Thank you for holding the bowl for me, Jin-shushu.” she replied, flushing slightly at the compliment. She never knew what to do or say when people said kind things about her abilities, frankly, it made her embarrassed.


“Of course I would help out, my dear A-Xian.” Jin-shushu replied. “A-Xian is too sweet, always thinking of others. It’s a shame that you’re kind towards those who are clearly using you for favours.” he said.


Jin-shushu had been odd since she returned from her visit Wen Xu. He tried to hide it behind his smiles, but Wei Ying could tell something was off. When she had tried to ask Meng Yao about it, he told her that she would be better off not understanding why he was acting in such a way. Since he wouldn’t let her know, she had casually tried to ask Jin ZiXuan about it since he was the next person that she felt like she could ask in the residence. However, she was only met with a darkened expression, following by him asking her to not spend too much time alone with his father. She was confused but chalked it up to perhaps he was feeling like Wei Ying was taking his father away from him. The older man did spend a lot of time with her, after all. When she told him that she’ll ask the man to spend more time with him, Jin ZiXuan’s expression darkened even more, excusing himself, but muttering something about her being naive.


“Jin-shushu, A-Xian likes that you spend time with her but I fear that you may be neglecting ZiXuan.” she said carefully.


“Oh, did that boy say something to you, A-Xian? He’s been awfully short with me lately. Ignore him and don’t believe everything he says, he’s probably jealous that I dote on you, A-Xian.” the man said as he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.


Jin-shushu had been far more affectionate than he usually was as of late. Especially after she went to visit Wen Xu. Before she had left, Wen Xu had warned her to be wary of the man, something she listened to despite feeling like she wasn’t in any particular danger.


“It’s not that, Jin-shushu. Don’t worry, ZiXuan hasn’t said anything to me. He’s been extremely kind and looks out for me, so has A-Yao. I’m grateful that you were kind enough to allow me to stay here while I get back on my feet.” she continued.


“A-Xian doesn’t need to look for anywhere else, you may stay as long as you need.” Jin-shushu said kindly as he cupped her face with his hands. “Just be careful to not let those with ill intentions trick you, hm?” he said.


“Jin-shushu keeps saying that I’m being tricked but I’m confused…” Wei Ying said quietly. “Is Jin-shushu displeased that I met with Wen Xu the other day?” she asked sweetly, hoping to coax some sort of answer out of the man.


“Would A-Xian be unhappy if I said ‘yes’?” the man asked.


“No. A-Xian understands.” she replied. “Jin-shushu has always had my best interests in mind, of course he would be worried about me since Wen Xu has a bad reputation in many other fields.” she said. “He’s a flawed man, but I’m forever grateful towards him for protecting me when I was trapped at the Wen residence. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know how I would have coped back then.” she said.


She was met with silence and for once she felt alarmed. Still, she chose to act like she hadn’t noticed it. She didn’t understand it, why was Jin-shushu so hellbent on believing that Wen Xu had ulterior motives? Perhaps in an outsider’s point of view, it would seem that it was so, but even the ever stubborn Nie MingJue backed down and took a step back when Wei Ying had had time to tell him what went down at Wen Manor. Despite his biases, he still listened to Wei Ying and trusted her words. So, this was odd to her. Did Jin-shushu feel threatened by Wen Xu’s relationship with her? Surely not.


“A-Xian is such a kind and clever girl.” the man said after a while. “But so naive at times. You don’t seem to understand the ways of men, despite experiencing the more horrid side of it.” he continued as he twirled a lock of her hair. Jin-shushu always liked to play with her hair, she was so used to it, she never really thought anything of it. However, today it felt different. The entire atmosphere felt wrong, felt odd. “A-Xian won’t leave me, would she?” he asked suddenly as his expression changed to one of sadness and dare she speculate, fear.


Her heart softened and she took his hand in hers.


“You needn’t worry, Jin-shushu. A-Xian is going nowhere.” she smiled, reassurance in her voice. “Jin-shushu has done so much for A-Xian, she would never dream of betraying him. However, I will never not speak out if something I fear is wrong, so Jin-shushu may feel like I’ve betrayed him in the future.” she stated, almost as a warning of some sort.


The more she spoke with the man, the more she realised that he was dead set on getting Wen Xu condemned for something he wasn’t guilty of. Yes, he was in prison for his dirty dealings, but pedophilia charges was something she refused to let others place on him. She of all people knew that Wen Xu never had ill intentions towards her. Sure, at first, he probably looked at her as an amusement for himself after a long day of boring work. Wei Ying could tell as such from their first meeting. But as they spent time together, he cared for her. If he truly didn’t, he wouldn’t have protected her like he did. Wen Xu didn’t do just things, Wei Ying knew as much with the amount of time she spent in his office, reading his court cases. He simply did what he liked and what he felt like. This was why Wei Ying knew that he never had ill-intentions towards her. Why would he have risked his relationship with his own father when the stakes were higher than Wei Ying never talking to him again or not being safe? Wei Ying was just another tool in Wen RuoHan’s eyes and it should have been the same in Wen Xu’s eyes. Even Wen Chao saw her as a possession, something he liked to have and look at. Once he lost interest, he probably would have thrown her aside. That was all it was.


“A-Xian is so kind, always humouring this old man.” the older man finally said after a moment of silence.


“Jin-shushu just hopes that this kindness won’t come to bite you back one day.”

 

In the end, the court listened to her words. They saw through the doctored images and decided for themselves that Wen Xu wasn’t guilty of ever laying a hand on her inappropriately and had inappropriate thoughts towards her. She couldn’t help but sigh a sigh of relief. As much as she knew that Jin-shushu wouldn’t be pleased with part of the outcome, she knew that there was still a victory for those who despised the Wens. Wen Xu had been found guilty on what he was guilty of — embezzlement, falsifying evidence and his role in dirty business dealings with his father. All in all, what he deserved, Wei Ying felt as much anyway. She adored the man because he was kind to her, but she won’t just turn a blind eye towards the wrong he has done. They both understood this as such.


She walked through the room, because Wen Xu at the end of the day came from a good background, he was to be jailed in best prison with tight security. In fact, the Nies were the ones that managed this prison. This gave Wei Ying a lot of relief. She trusted Jin-shushu to a point, but she didn’t trust him at all with Wen Xu’s safety. Given his previous behaviour and especially definitely not now, not when Wei Ying had gone and acted as a character witness on the stand to attest Wen Xu’s innocence in the case of his treatment of her. She herself had also asked Meng Yao to help her submit evidence to Wen Xu’s lawyer to help prove his innocence in the case that concerns her. Wen Xu had wanted to represented himself initially. In his early letters to her, he had expressed so. Those letters she carefully hid after Meng Yao handed them to her. How he found a way around it, she didn’t know but was grateful towards him for it. After she urged and pleaded with him to ask someone else to represent him, he relented, deciding to trust her intuition.


It was frustrating as no matter how much she tried to peek into the trial, she wasn’t allowed to see it. So, she like everyone else had to hold their breath while they waited for the verdict.


She wondered if money bought comfort in the past and now she could confirm that it did as she strolled through the hallways of the prison. She was lucky this time as it was Nie MingJue who asked her whether she wanted to see the man off before he was locked away for good with limited visiting hours and days. Since he was the one who had asked, Jin GuangShan had no choice but to allow her to do so.


The visiting room was also lavishly decorated. Sure, the entire prison had a mechanism that suppressed any abilities or spiritual energy, the living standards though were comfortable. Of course, Wei Ying being the Oracle wasn’t actually affected by the mechanism, not that anyone knew anyway.


“YingYing! What a nice surprise! I thought they’d bar you from seeing me.” Wen Xu said as she bolted towards him, embracing him with all her might. She knew that this may very well be the last time she saw him, she had a strong inkling. Her days were numbered and getting fewer, after all. She heard the man chuckle and hug her back. She didn’t want to let go, for once her resolve for her decision felt like it was crumbling. It dawned on her that soon she would leave this world, leave him behind. He wouldn’t even have a trace of her to remember her by. She didn’t think she would make connections that would make her rethink her decisions. It was much like her connection with Lan Zhan, the more deeply she thought about it, the more she felt differently.


She hadn’t seen Lan Zhan in a long time. Jin-shushu always had an excuse for it, she was wondering why he disliked and distrusted him so much but she grew tired of arguing with him. She felt lucky that she was even allowed to visit Wen Xu once. Jin-shushu was just rather protective over her when it came to other males, it would seem.


“You should thank MingJue-ge, he was the one who suggested it.” she said.


“Should I be jealous that someone is outdoing my role as Da-ge?” Wen Xu mused, playfully pinching Wei Ying’s cheeks as he always did. Yet, unlike before, Wei Ying humoured him, let him without protest. She was going to miss him, she just knew it. She fought hard to hold back tears that she could feel in the corners of her eyes.


“Now don’t be that way YingYing. Even if you disappear on me, it doesn’t mean I won’t remember you.” the man said reassuringly, reading exactly what was going through her mind once again. “I know you existed.” he said gently as he pulled her into his arms.


After a while of staying like this, they finally settled down to chat as if it was any other day between them. Him teasing her and her fighting back in her own playful way.


“Sect Leader Nie is so generous, letting us spend time together for as long as this.” Wen Xu said.


“He can be very understanding, Da-ge.”


“Maybe coz you’re so cute, YingYing.” he teased.


“Not everyone looks at me like I’m some sort of damsel, Da-ge!” she huffed. “Only you do!”


“Oh, so your overbearing and doting Uncle doesn’t? He sure loves looking after you, YingYing.”


“Are you jealous of an older man, Da-ge? Actually don’t answer that, I don’t want to know that you want to be my Uncle instead.” she frowned.


“Now why would I want that? I prefer YingYing to be my adorable meimei.” he mused as he pinched her cheeks once again. She indulged him, holding their moments close to her heart.


Suddenly, the ground shook and the lights flickered before everything went dark. In the darkness, Wei Ying could make out red glowing eyes. Then suddenly she was pulled into a scene where shadowed beasts were attacking humans, the one in the lead was the shape of a turtle, its red eyes boring into her soul. Then, she watched in horror as it proceeded to devour a few people around her. Around them, the world was crumbling and anguish and fear filled the atmosphere.


Then, as quickly as she was pulled into the world, she was yanked out of it just as quickly as strong arms embraced her.


“YingYing, it’s alright. It’s only a delusion.” She recognised the voice to be Wen Xu’s as she came to. She gasped for air, realising she was holding her breath before she broke into sobs for she knew it wasn’t a delusion. She was being shown that the end was near, she was being shown the consequences of her choices.


“I-It’s not a delusion.” she choked out as the other held her.


Wen Xu being the supportive older brother he always was to her, held her close and didn’t press her for answers.

 

It was always hot and sunny in Lotus Pier when it came to summer. Unlike the Wen Sect, which is rumoured to have a forever sun, the Jiang Sect opted to have all seasons. So summer was a well received season when it came despite its hot and sticky environment. She had been told that part of this was so that there was a balance to the amount of power they borrowed from the earth. After all, their magic came from the roots of the earth and from the Gods. If they drained too much of it, the Gods will surely punish them. This was why the Wens were always such a controversy. They had been draining and using the earth’s resources for so long that Wei Ying wondered why back then she never pondered these things. But why would she? She was young and Jiang Cheng hadn’t been announced as the Oracle yet to the Jiangs.


It had been a typical, sticky and hot day at Lotus Pier. One where you could never shake off unless you threw yourself into the water. The cool waters were what you need for this sort of weather. So Wei Ying was splashing about in the water, Jiang Cheng was in the water with her too and they were doing their usual banter of splashing water at each other. Often, she would win and annoy him, sometimes she let him win so that it wouldn’t be so hard on him. He was a sore loser after all. Then they settled down, happily sharing watermelon slices that Jiang YanLi had cut for them as they dried off in the sun together.


“Hey, Jiang Cheng, what did you think about today’s lesson on the Oracle?” Wei Ying remembered herself asking. She had been so curious about it, after all, they had the Oracle’s lore drummed into their tiny minds since young. Since Wei Ying descended from divination users, she was taught too. Also because she had an inkling that if they didn’t, Jiang-shushu would not be pleased at the inequality.


“It’s boring, why do we have to learn this stuff anyway? It’s not like we can get so lucky that one of us ends up as the Oracle.” he had huffed.


Boring was a way to describe it for sure, sometimes she would fall asleep during lessons and get scolded, then she was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall. Unlike others though, Wei Ying never felt that shameful about kneeling in front of plaques made of wood filled with ancestors she never knew.


She knew that she shouldn’t be so lax about it, after all, someone in their generation would turn out to become the Oracle in the future, still it was boring. Lots of repetition was thrown in their faces.


“It is boring.” she agreed. “Who do you think will be the Oracle anyway?” she asked curiously. She knew it definitely wouldn’t be her, why would it be her? She came from lowly blood, there was nothing special about her anyway.


“Definitely not you!” Jiang Cheng snidely remarked as he looked at her. “You don’t hold yourself to standards that others expect of you.” he continued. “Not that it’s a bad thing or anything.” he tried to explain when he realised that he must have sounded a bit mean spirited.


“ChengCheng~ There’s no need to be so sensitive with me, you know? I’m the great Wei WuXian, insults don’t work on me!” she laughed in response.


In response Jiang Cheng went as red as her hair ribbon and screamed a “Shut up!” before chasing after her when she began to bolt. Being the fast runner she always was, she easily avoided him and evaded his attacks before he grew too tired and bored of being angry with her. She had decided then that her training had served her well. The gruelling sessions paid off as not once did she lag behind while Jiang Cheng was huffing and puffing behind her. She was meant to be his bodyguard after all.


“Mother says I’m good at divination.” Jiang Cheng said once they had settled down as if he hadn’t just chased her around for almost ten minutes. It probably was less but it felt like it was a long time.


“Well then, perhaps you’re the Oracle.” Wei Ying mused. She at this point hadn’t practiced divination yet, only Jiang Cheng was allowed to do so as he’s the heir to the Jiang legacy. Madame Yu liked to remind her that when Jiang-shushu wasn’t there. She never was as hurtful with her words in front of Jiang-shushu, but once he wasn’t there, she would be quite happy to remind her that she was their charity case. It wasn’t that Madame Yu was afraid of her husband, it was more like she knew that Wei Ying wouldn’t tell and why bother stirring the pot even more. Even she could feel tired it would seem.


“You’re my bodyguard,” Jiang Cheng said. “So if I become the Oracle, you’ll guard me, right?” he said. She had to credit Jiang Cheng as only he could ask a question only for it to sound like a command.


“Of course. I’m your bodyguard, so why wouldn’t I become your guard?” she mused.


“Good.” was the reply.

 

Today’s incident was no simple earthquake. The earth was starting to show signs of the beginning of the end, it was falling apart to put it simply. Everyone had waved it off like a casual earthquake, however, she knew that soon their wisemen and women alike would be warning them against this. The world would be a fury of terror, unstoppable and unyielding. It will become a frantic and frenzied place. She wasn’t afraid of the end, she was just afraid that she may be too late to nip it in the bud. Yet, the Gods were telling her that it wasn’t her time yet. Why was this? Surely if she had stopped it now, it would work right? Yet, she dared not to question them since she was afraid of a worse backlash.


There was a celebration party. To celebrate their victory. The Wens have all been officially put away and behind bars, this was what they all wanted. Wei Ying on the other hand felt numb. She had begun to doubt Jin GuangShan. She knew that he was not the most righteous person, unlike Jiang-shushu who was a good man, the only crime he committed was his passiveness and his overly doting attitude towards her that caused a rift between her and Jiang Cheng in some ways. Despite Jiang Cheng being the Oracle in the couple’s eyes, Jiang-shushu still spoilt her, showing her more affection than he did his own son. She knew that he was disappointed that despite being the Oracle, Jiang Cheng still had this trait for a need of importance. It wasn’t like Wei Ying didn’t know, it was the reason why she never came clean about her true identity. She could only hope that he would gain her powers after her sacrifice and that he would change for the better. You couldn’t seem to be the best and need importance as the Oracle. You were worshiped, yes. However, at the end of the day you served the mortals. That was the true purpose of the Oracle, to be the messenger, to help both sides understand each other, not what it had warped into. Her mind couldn’t help but think back to her teachings and about how humans had been borrowing too much from the Gods and had drained the earth of its resources and now the earth was dying beneath them.


She could feel it as she walked the halls of Koi Manor, even as she got back her room to get ready for the evening, it felt the same. The darkness was creeping upon them. Some in the form of shadowy figures, some in the form of shadowy creatures. Either way, this was the negative energy of those who had felt wronged by the Gods and by the Oracle. Some were just day to day negative feelings but as the world was running its course, she just knew that it had started. Yet, she couldn’t do anything about it, however, she planned to try tomorrow. Tomorrow she would ask Meng Yao to go to the Oracle shrine with her, since he already knew and guarded her secret, she felt safe asking him to go with her. With that in mind, she quickly got ready for the party herself despite not feeling up to it at all.

 

She had mixed feelings when she walked into the room. Some looked at her with pity but many looked at her warily or with resentment. She had known that this was going to happen as for the sake of putting the Wens behind bars, they overlooked false accusations. She had gone against the tide, defended someone who was considered their enemy despite being a victim of theirs. She could hear the whispers by some without even being close to them. Still, she chose to grin and bear it, walking through the place as if she hadn’t noticed that something was up.


A drink was offered to her as she stepped into the hall and she gladly took it. She knew she was underaged but she needed this to deal with all of this circus. She moved through the crowd and ignored the looks that fell on her. As she moved around Koi Manor, she was glad to find some familiar faces. Wen Qing and Wen Ning were at the celebration party despite how others were scrutinising them. Luckily, Nie MingJue of all people had stepped in on their behalf and given them a chance to complete their studies and then eventually work for his Sect. Wei Ying was glad that the man had listened to her words and trusted them. At this point she felt like he was one of the people that would vouch for her next to Lan Zhan of course.


“It must be some sort of Stockholm syndrome.” one said.


“That must be it! I have to feel pity for the poor girl, she must have been conditioned by that man. All Wens are bad so that’s the only logical reason why she would defend him!” another one chimed.


“They did treat her well before she was trapped there but I can’t help but wonder if it’s just a ruse, you know how Corporate Head Jin has a weakness towards certain age ranges in females.” added another.


Wei Ying clenched her fists and downed her drink. Deciding that she had heard enough, she made her way towards the Wen siblings.


“Qing-jie, A-Ning!” she greeted happily and loudly in order to make it clear that she was there. Behind her, she could see the gossiping people look red in the face before scurrying away. “I didn’t think I would see you guys here.” she smiled.


“I didn’t want to come.” Wen Qing replied. “But A-Ning mentioned that you’d probably need moral support.”


“Aww, so you do care about me, Qing-jie!” she teased, earning a flick to the forehead from the other.


“Idiot.” she chided with no heat behind it.


“How are you? Are you doing alright?” Wei Ying asked. “If MingJue-ge is being unreasonable to you both I’ll have a word with him!” she continued.


“Nothing of the sort, Ying-jiejie. Mr. Nie has been nothing but kind to us. He also asked us not to address him by Corporate Head Nie or Sect Leader Nie as it’s too outdated and we don’t need to be stiff with him.” Wen Ning replied.


“I’m glad he’s treating you well! How about Wen-popo?” she asked. “How is she doing?”


“She’s doing well, she’s enjoying taking a break from her shrine duties.” Wen Qing replied.


She was relieved to say the least, they were well treated. It wasn’t like she expected any less of Nie MingJue, after all, that man was noble in his own way. Of course, he has his faults. He can be awfully black and white with his views at times, but this time, Wei Ying had to thank him for what he had done for the side branch of the Wen family. She was glad that they weren’t condemned by their name but she supposed that it was modern times now, it was stupid to condemn a whole family based on what others in the family may have done.


“Basically, we’re being treated very well, so don’t worry about us and start worrying about yourself.” Wen Qing said, flicking her on the forehead again.


“Me? Why wouldn’t I be okay? Jin-shushu has been nothing but kind to me and doting on me. I’ve been so lucky, honestly.” she said.


Wen Qing didn’t say anything in reply and for a while she didn’t. There was a haze of silence between them, only broken by a waiter coming over to offer her yet another alcoholic beverage. Deciding that she was lucky, she took it and drank it without questioning it.


“I’m sorry.” Wen Qing said suddenly after the peace had settled once more. She had said it so quietly that she almost didn’t hear her. “We should have seen it coming but instead of seeing it, we were also tricked into believing that you were going to live happily in Wen Manor.” she said.


“No, it wasn’t your fault. The only person I have to blame is myself. I should have listened to your warnings. I should have listened to Wen Xu’s warnings but I stupidly thought he had changed for the better. Heck, I should have seen the signs because they were there!” she replied. “We all didn’t think that Wen RuoHan would do this but we’re all safe now and that’s all that matters.” she continued.


Wen Qing looked like she wanted to say something and she struggled for a while. This was strange to Wei Ying as she had always been so blunt with her. After a while of trying, it would seem that she had finally found the right words to say. Instead of saying them however, she grabbed her hand. Knowing that Wen Qing wanted to make sure absolutely no one heard her, she respected her wish and tapped into her mind.


“I understand that Jin GuangShan treats you well and dotes on you but please, A-Ying, be careful and be vigilant. Something feels wrong.” she said.


For once, Wei Ying felt concerned. Even Wen Qing was warning her and Wen Qing had a good intuition. She also had been feeling uneasy around Jin GuangShan ever since the trial. He didn’t seem angry with her nor pleased with her.


“Thank you, I will keep that in mind.” Wei Ying replied, smiling at her.


They spent more time outside, catching up and chatting idly until Wen Qing and Wen Ning had to leave.


“It’s late.” Wen Qing stated. “You take care of yourself, alright? And don’t drink anymore drinks, you’ve had enough already!” she said, always being the bossy older sister she was. Wei Ying laughed in response before saying ‘goodbye’ to the both of them. It was a nice night and what if she’s had quite a few drinks? Was it nine or was it twelve? She’s forgotten. Deciding to call it a night, she headed back to her room as well, she didn’t want to deal with pleasantries with everyone. She was tired and she truthfully did drink quite a bit and even though she had a good tolerance of alcohol, due to her being a guard and all, she was feeling a bit woozy.


So she made her way to her room. However, as she walked through the halls, she began to feel her world spin, this wasn’t good. Why did it suddenly hit her like that? Soon she was finding that she had to put her hands on the walls in order to keep herself standing. As the world around her spun and her vision got more blurred, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would even make it to her room. Was she really going to just pass out here? It wouldn’t be good if Madame Jin happened upon her next morning, surely she would call her all sorts of names if she discovered it.


Suddenly, a strong pair of arms steadied her from behind.


“Aiyo, it looks like our A-Xian had a bit too much to drink.” mused a voice behind her. Her worries and fear immediately dissipated as he supported her.


“Jin-shushu…” she tried to respond, instead the man shushed her tenderly, scooping her up with ease. The world was spinning, oh god, what did she drink?


“Don’t worry, A-Xian. You’ll sleep off your drink soon.” the man said tenderly as he walked with her in his arms.


In her tired state, she was about to drift off to sleep when she realised that they weren’t heading into her room, instead, it was a room that she was unfamiliar with. This was when confusion and panic started to seep into her body. So, as an instinct, she began to try to wriggle out of the man’s hold. Of course, being the state she was in, it was impossible and when the door closed behind them, she couldn’t help but panic more.


“This-This isn’t… my room…” she managed through her dizzied haze.


“Ai, A-Xian. If you hadn’t been such a bad girl and not listened to me, this wouldn’t need to happen. But oh well, A-Xian is becoming a woman soon so she might as well learn a lesson or two about the world.” Jin-shushu said darkly as he dropped her onto what she felt like was a bed.


She was panicked, she tried to scramble up but none of her limbs cooperated. She didn’t know what was going on but she knew that she had to get out of there no matter what.


“It took so much to finally get you to this state, I thought I was about to run out of alcohol and sedatives, A-Xian.” the man mused as he cupped her face with one hand. “Do you know how hard it is for me every day, watching you flaunt your pretty little body in front of me? Tease me with those smiles of yours? Well, I’m glad you finally gave me a reason to teach you a lesson.” he continued as he stroked her cheek. As she began to protest by opening her mouth, the man slammed his lips down on her, muffling her cries.


The true fear came when she felt the man lift up her dress as all she could do was lay there, her limbs refusing to move and her jaw now numb as the drugs worked their way through her system. Her speech wasn’t coherent anymore, all that came from her mouth was slurred ‘Why?’s and tears were the only things that worked properly in her body.


For the first time, she was afraid. All the warnings others had given her over the man were now echoing in her head. Once again, she was so stupid.


As the man pulled down her panties, she couldn’t help but feel ashamed of herself. When the man played with her hair, she could only flinch and even that used too much energy.


“Poor naive A-Xian…” the man laughed. “It was always going to be like this A-Xian. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you enjoy it, after all, I do adore you so.” the man mused as he kissed her once again, laughing when she shivered.


“I’ve been waiting for so long but it’s worth it.” he laughed as he pulled up more of her dress until it was just under her collar bone. As he moved to undo her bra, she could only whimper as the drugs in her system made her disoriented. She could feel the man feeling her body, putting his hands on her. This wasn’t the man she had grown to adore. No, this wasn’t the one that had taken her to the aquarium nor the one that always asked her to join his Sect. Who was this man with his cold smiles and predator-like eyes? He looked like he was going to eat her instead. In her mind, she cried out for someone to help her, knowing that no one will save her. She couldn’t even save herself. She had let her guard down after all and was dumb enough to take drinks from some waiter who kept offering her some. Why had she done something so stupid?


As she lay there, feeling hopeless and that no one will save her, she suddenly heard the door fly open. Except it was no saviour.


“GuangShan, what do you think you’re doing?” cried a shrill, angry voice before the golden figure of Madame Jin ripped Jin GuangShan off of her.


Just when Wei Ying thought she possibly might save her, she felt a sharp sting on her cheek.


“You disgusting fox! I knew you were a slut the moment you moved into our quarters! Did you think I’d believe you when you said that you weren’t after my husband?” she screamed as she slapped her again. She was ready to go in for another slap when Jin ZiXuan of all people bolted into the room and started arguing with his mother. There were a lot of loud noises, blurs of shapes. As she lay there like a rag doll, unable to do anything, she could feel the drugs finally hitting her full on and then, as quickly as it happened, her world faded.

Notes:

As per usual, let me know what you think!~

Chapter 11: Gentian ~ 星之花

Notes:

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for staying with me on these rough seas! Secondly, for those who received replies from the name "月兒" that is me, I'm just a dinosaur and didn't realise you will be anon if you replied! 😂🤣 Anyways, enjoy this chapter and try not to angst too hard, hm? 😘

Here's the playlist to go with this fic.

P.S. Just realised that the playlist I've been sharing since early on doesn't actually work🤡🤡RIP me, I guess💀💀💀

Meng Yao didn’t care about the world they lived in.

 

He didn’t care about the Oracle.

 

It wasn’t that he had something personally against the Oracle, he just thought it was a stupid system. From a young age, he had learnt about the significance of the Oracle. It was something that a normal person like him and his mother could never dream to be a part of — that was what he was told anyway.

 

Most of his early childhood was spent with his mother, inside her little one room flat in the rough part of the city. Then one day, a man that looked like he was made out of gold came to get him. From that day on, he was introduced to the lavish world of divination and most importantly — Their Oracle.

 

No one knew who the current Oracle was, no one was announced. However, it was an important role and a honour to be them — that was what he was told anyway.

 

He was eleven when he was introduced into the world of gold and status. Despite his mother assuring him that it was a better life for the both of them, he hated it. The hallways were too lavish, too wide, too long. The place was too bright, too clean and too well kept. It wasn’t that his mother’s one room flat was dirty but it felt cozy and like home.

 

The two boys he was forced to play with were like princes, the woman in lavish clothes who he called ‘Madame Jin’ was like a Queen, but not the nice kind. She looked at him with distaste and like an eyesore. He hated it here but his mother insisted it was a better life.

 

Then he met her.

 

She was a girl with a vibrant smile and a red ribbon in her

 

 

hair. Ponytail tied up and all. The King of the lavish palace adored her, fawned over her, showered her with gifts.

 

At first, he thought she was like the rest of them. The boy in purple certainly wasn’t kind. He was angry, sour faced and didn’t give him the time of day. The older girl in purple seemed like a nice lady but she was always whisked away by the Queen. So, if the King adored her so much, it would make sense she acted like the princes in gold.

 

The Princes were awful, they sneered at him, ignored him. Acted like he was beneath them. He often hid from the princes, sat in his corner. When he did cross paths with them, he simply let them tease him because it was easier than being attacked by them.

 

He was doing his usual of hiding away from the Princes when the Princess from another place came to visit. The King was fawning over her and he had been dragged into the hall to greet her for the sake of manners. The Queen didn’t like her, he could see the disdain all over her face, yet, she kept herself in check, hiding her misgivings towards the Princess in red. Unlike the others who treated him with coldness or shyness yet kindness like the Lady in purple, she beamed at him happily, her smile like the sun and genuinely made him feel human or like one of their own. The greeting was short-lived before she was ushered away.

 

He had decided to go outside and read, away from the lively party that he hated. These lavish parties were too often, too loud and too crazy. Before he stole away though, a small hand tapped him lightly on his shoulder, gentle and soft.

 

“Excuse, Mr. Meng, was it? You might want to bring an umbrella outside and perhaps not bring your book with you.” the Princess in red said quietly. There was no mockery in her voice, just a bit of concern.

 

“Thank you, but I think I will be fine.” he had replied politely before giving a bow and leaving for the gardens.

 

In truth, he was a bit thrown by the show of kindness from such a vibrant and shiny person. How she had said it was with genuine concern and care, it was different, it felt different. So, he ended up going outside with his book, however, he realised with dismay that it was raining.

 

Oh well, he would just read it on the porch then.

 

He had managed to get halfway through the book, enjoying the soft pattering of rain around while the earth soaked up the moisture. However, before long, he was interrupted by the nastier one of the princes snatching his book away from him.

 

“Ugh! He’s reading them silly stories again!” the nastier one said.

 

“Don’t you know those stories are fake? You should be training instead of reading anyway!” scoffed the other boy who was definitely the one more in charge.

 

“I would like my book back, please.” he said politely, not wanting to cause trouble as he knew it would only affect his mother.

 

The Princes scoffed and ran out into the rain with it.

 

“Come and get the book then!” they sneered as they held it above his head when he chased after them. He tried and tried desperately to grab it from them while the two laughed and tossed it between them.

 

“Please, it’s raining! Books don’t do well in the rain!” he cried desperately.

 

“Fight us and take it back then!” they sneered, making him run between the two of them. All he wanted was to finish the story he read.

 

The story told one of a person’s success - A rags to riches story if you will. It may not be anything to others but for someone like Meng Yao, who was at the bottom of the ladder, it was everything, an inspiration.

 

Then it happened, the book that was tossed between them was taken by the nastier Prince and right in front of his eyes, the boy tore out its pages before throwing it down into the wet earth beneath them. For an extra measure, he stepped on it with his foot, dragging it underneath his feet. He let out a cry of despair, feeling anger well up in him. His mother had painstakingly saved up for the book and now one of them had destroyed it. He had almost never felt such anger before, charging at the two only to be grabbed by them.

 

“Ha! You actually think you would win against us? Keep holding him, ZiXuan! I’m going to teach him a lesson!” the nastier one sneered.

 

“Just don’t over do it.” the other replied.

 

He knew what happened next as this happened to him often, closing his eyes, ready to face a pounding. As he stood there and held his breath, feeling so small and that the world was truly the worst sort of place, he suddenly felt the force that was holding onto him loosen. Confused and afraid, he dared to open his eyes.

 

“Why do you enjoy teasing others?” cried a voice loudly, so loudly it cut through the loud pattering of the rain around him. When he dared to glance more, he saw that an umbrella had knocked his captors off their feet, both boys’ glamorous clothes, now drenched in mud, looking less than perfect.

 

“Why you little ruffian!” cried the arrogant one, getting up and stomping over to the Princess in red who was so boldly standing he wondered if she was in charge here instead.

 

However, instead of watching him, the Princess in red leapt into the air and in one motion, kicked the arrogant prince, using him as a leaping post midway before kicking the other prince in the face.

 

“Come on then, I thought you wanted him to fight you? Why not fight me in his place?” she mused.

 

“Wait till I tell Madame Yu! She will have your head!” cried the arrogant one, tripping up the steps before bolting off.

 

“Wait till I tell Jin-shushu!” she mused cockily, eyeing the remaining of the pair.

 

“You are nothing but a brute! Even in a dress, you are a boy!” cried the one that was left behind before bolting off.

 

Then an umbrella was held over him, before she bent down and collected the torn pages and the book.

 

“I told you that you needed an umbrella.” she said gently, in a cheerful, chiding manner. Despite getting into a scuffle with the two boys, there was not a spot of mud on her save for perhaps the soles of her shoes.

 

“M-Miss Wei! You didn’t have to do that! You’ll be in trouble now!” he cried.

 

“Call me Wei Ying.” the Princess said, her face grimacing. “‘Miss Wei’ is far too formal.” she beamed, her smile much like the sun. “And worry not, Mr. Meng, I’ll be in trouble with Madame Yu regardless so I don’t care.” she mused.

 

“Call me Meng Yao then.” he replied as he took the muddy book from her, sighing dejectedly. It was clear that the book was beyond repair, unreadable.

 

“Perhaps it’s better you didn’t finish it anyway.” she said kindly. “It’s not a nice ending anyway.” she continued.

 

“What do you mean? Doesn’t he get to the highest position?” he asked. “The summary told me so.” he continued.

 

“It’s true that he did achieve that in the end. However, he lost many friends, lost those he loved, trusted no one. Is that really a good achievement in the end? In a way, he became the antagonist instead.” she said.

 

“But, do what you wish with that information. It’s just how I feel anyway. I feel that living a happy life with those you can trust, love and who love you is the best success you could get.” she smiled.

 

He could only stare at her in awe. Did such a person really exist in this world? One that didn’t aspire for success and glory?

 

He later received a new, clean version of the book. Given to him the very next day by Wei Ying herself. When he tried to reject the present, she had said, “Please, it doesn’t matter. I understand it doesn’t hold the same significance to your mother’s copy but you were finishing the book, weren’t you?”

 

He was stunned, he hadn’t told her that. So he accepted it.

 

She had been correct, of course. The book didn’t have a satisfactory ending.

 

Wei Ying was a different sort of person.

 

That day when Meng Yao met her, the innocence she had with her way of viewing the world awed him. He later learnt that despite looking like a Princess on her visits to Koi Manor, she was anything but a Princess.

 

Their lives were not too different from one another. Both treated like they were beneath dirt because of their standing. Others were cruel towards her, calling her a boy, nitpicking at what she did. Madame Yu, treating her with unkindness and Madame Jin, the same. But there was a difference between the two.

 

His father was obsessed with Wei Ying, he often wondered why Wei Ying who knew what the weather would be like, how someone was going to fair in their tests, would be someone who so easily be tricked by his father’s less than innocent love for her. He didn’t blame her, however. After all, he was the only one that treated her like she was a girl, a blossoming flower. He knew that despite the way she laughed off the insults, the words like knives thrown in her general direction, deep down it did hurt her. It hurt her to not be allowed to explore being that side of things.

 

But that wasn’t what made Wei Ying a different sort of person.

 

It was how she just knew, the way how she had never claimed to have read a book but would know instantly if she touched it. Or the way she would cryptically tell him to avoid his father or Madame Jin that day. It was little things she would say to him at school that made him curious. Lastly, how she seemed so at peace in general with how the world flowed, wasn’t that what they claimed the Oracle would be? The all knowing being who was a bridge between the humans and Gods themselves.

 

Most people overlooked Wei Ying, but he knew. Perhaps it was because he saw those sides of her or that he was more observant but there were signs.

 

His very role at school was proof of it.

 

“A-Yao, you look troubled, why are you troubled?” Wei Ying said as she sat next to him.

 

“They’ve got openings in the Student council and I want to apply.” he replied.

 

“Then why not? Apply!” she smiled.

 

“We have people such as Jin ZiXuan and others of better standing applying for it.” he replied. “Yes, Principal Tang isn’t the type to accept people for their status but others may vote differently.” he sighed.

 

“Well, I believe you would get it.” she said, a knowing smile on her face. It was the face she often wore when she gave him a weather prediction or one a warning of how home life was going to be like.

 

“Of course, you have to hand in your application and work hard for it.” she smiled. “But A-Yao will definitely get it.”

 

“How certain are you?”

 

“As certain as when I told you MingJue-ge was going to offer your mother a job.” she smiled.

 

Wei Ying’s smile was something that cheered him up. Her kind, encouraging words when others looked down on him and how she would jump in and fight his bullies was something that held him up. The discussion they had over the book that had started their friendship still clear in his mind every day. In fact, both copies of the book were kept in a box, locked away safely.

 

Wei Ying’s words shattered his view of the world that day. She shattered the illusion that the family he stayed with were royalty. Shattered the illusion of his father’s life being glamourous. He saw the two spoilt princes now as spoilt children who use their status to look down on others. He also saw how really, no one actually wanted to be friends with them. He also saw his father the same. Everyone wanted to have good favour with him but not actually want to be friends with him. It was the reality.

 

He saw how honest men like Nie MingJue and Lan XiChen had support from others, had trust from others and are beloved. He didn’t want to be like them exactly, however, he refused to do such deeds like his father.

 

“A-Yao, I’m so happy for you that you’ve found a friend.” his mother had said, a smile on her face. “Such a kind and helpful one at that.” she continued. “Miss Wei is a special kind of person, so don’t let how others speak of her affect you, alright?”

 

“Of course not, mother. It would be silly of me to forget the kindness she’s shown me.” he replied.

 

“Good. I hope you continue to befriend such kind friends, A-Yao.” She replied.

 

He wouldn’t exactly say he befriended many kind friends or ones like Wei Ying. However, the ones he did befriend some good people, ones that looked out for him. Another thing was that the main student body didn’t act like the cliquey types in their main circle and actually respected him. Not everyone was like the main Sects, full of talent and whatnot. The majority were normal people.

 

He was grateful that he always had people like Nie MingJue and Lan XiChen to look out for him too. They had made sure that his mother was not mistreated in anyway and in fact, it was thanks to them and also Wei Ying that his mother and him were able to live in a small house, away from the main family. He much preferred it that way. Wei Ying would visit often, sometimes with Nie HuaiSang in tow.

 

Another thing he was grateful for was that despite being able to read a book by just touching it, Wei Ying never spoiled any of them for him. She only threatened to when teasing him or when he teased her. How she treated others despite their cruelty was the reason why he didn’t want to submerge himself into the life his father led. This was also why he did not take the surname ‘Jin’.

 

This was also how when his father sent him to Wen Manor as a spy, he was able to stay afloat and not sink further down with them. Yes, he had done deeds that weren’t great but he refused to sink completely low with his father. He had chosen to help Wei Ying out with Wen Xu’s case instead of obeying his father with gathering evidence that the man was a predator because of this as well. It felt wrong to him as, in fact, his father was the predator.

 

When Wei Ying was staying at Koi Manor, he was tense. He was worried constantly. That was how he was prepared for when his father had finally tried to take advantage of Wei Ying, he had Jin ZiXuan at the ready to interrupt, not to mention, had her belongings ready and packed. Of course, he had the help of Nie HuaiSang too. It was thanks to him that they arranged for Wei Ying to stay at The Cloud Recesses as it was the safest route.

 

He wasn’t a good person but he also refused to follow in his father footsteps.

 

 

Her head hurt badly as she felt the plush bed underneath her. Wherever she was, it was really light and bright. This definitely wasn’t Koi Manor. No, Koi Manor smelt different, even its beds felt different.

 

“It’s a good thing that you got there in time.” said a hushed voice.

 

“Will she be alright? Didn’t the healer say that she had a huge dose of the drug in her system?” a familiar sounding voice said, almost a whisper.

 

“They said that it’s a huge dose but A-Xian’s body is churning it out quicker than usual so she would be fine. All she would need is to stay hydrated and a good sleep.” the other replied.

 

It was then that she decided to try to sit up from where she lay only to find her body not allowing her to. At least her eyes were opened now. The bright light made her dazed and caused her to wince.

 

“A-Ying, you’re awake!” cried none other than Meng Yao. It was Meng Yao, that’s why that voice sounded so familiar.

 

“A-Xian, you’re finally awake.” cried the other voice in relief.

 

When her eyes finally adjusted, she realised that it was Lan XiChen. Of course it would be, he was another person that would address her by that term of endearment and in such a gentle voice. Nie MingJue would sometimes call her that, but it was mainly “Wei Ying”.

 

She should have known.

 

“Wh-What happened?” she managed.

 

“Father drugged you and tried to assault you. Madame Jin discovered it but she was blaming you for it even though you were like a rag doll and almost in a state of comatose. Luckily, Jin ZiXuan created enough of a diversion for me to get you out of there.” Meng Yao said.

 

So that wasn’t a nightmare. It really did happen.

 

“There is no need to be ashamed, A-Xian.” Lan XiChen said kindly. “Jin GuangShan took advantage of your trust in him.” he continued sympathetically.

 

Feeling ashamed wasn’t exactly something she felt. It was more like betrayal.

 

“Thank you for your kind words, XiChen-ge but I don’t feel ashamed. Just betrayed.” she replied. “And perhaps a bit stupid as I had been warned about this before.”

 

“A-Xian is young and given your circumstances, no one can fault you for falling for his tricks.” Lan XiChen replied kindly. “Take as long as you need to process it but know that we are behind you in every aspect.” he continued.

 

“Thank you.” she replied quietly.

 

There was a knock at the door and it opened, revealing Lan Zhan who was holding a tray.

 

“I’m afraid that it’s only congee as we don’t want to aggravate your injury.” Lan XiChen said apologetically as Lan Zhan set the tray on Wei Ying’s lap after Meng Yao had helped her sit up.

 

“Brother, Sect Leader Nie is here.” Lan Zhan said.

 

“Ah, let me go greet him.” Lan XiChen said. “Take your time to eat, A-Xian.”

 

“I’ll join you.” Meng Yao said as he got up to head out of the room but not before giving a knowing smile to Wei Ying, causing her to flush at that.

 

“Lan Zhan.” she smiled. “It feels like it’s been so long.” she continued.

 

“Eat first, Wei Ying.” he said in reply quickly.

 

She complied, letting out a happy hum as she enjoyed the flavours of the pork rib and the mushrooms, there was also a small portion of century egg.

 

“No salted eggs so to avoid aggravation to your stomach.” Lan Zhan said.

 

“It’s delicious as is, Lan Zhan. Besides I like century egg more.” she smiled. “Sometimes the salted egg is more salt than anything else.” she continued. “Unless they’re homemade like my Jiejie’s, they’re the best.”

 

They sat there in silence mainly because she was eating and Lan Zhan wasn’t exactly a conversationalist.

 

After her meal was finished, Wei Ying ended up falling asleep again. It wasn’t until the next morning when she woke up that she realised this. For breakfast, she was given congee once again but a different type. Lan XiChen had explained rather apologetically that the healer had suggested that she ate congee and blander foods only for a few weeks since the drugs used on her were quite harmful and since she had had a rather high dosage. She knew that technically she was fine due to her non-mortal body but she appreciated their concerns.

 

 

“Miss Wei, please, you’ve just recovered a few days ago!” cried a rather desperate sounding Lan disciple as they chased, sped walked, rather since Lans didn’t run. She remembered that rather vividly that being one thing Lan Zhan had told her off for many a time.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine, little Lan! I’ve been cooped up in bed for two days, I can’t stay in my bed any longer!” she mused as she happily skipped through the halls. “Also, it’s Wei Ying, not ‘Miss Wei’! I’m fifteen years old, not an adult!” she continued, laughing when the Lan disciple behind her fumbled over his words.

 

She giggled, almost colliding with another person on the opposite side, luckily for her, she dodged in time.

 

“My apologies, Sir. This one wasn’t watching where they were going!” she mused until she felt a pair of arms place themselves on her shoulders.

 

“Wei Ying.” the other voice said, flatly but definitely in a chiding manner.

 

“Lan Zhan! You’re done with your studies already?” she beamed.

 

“Hm. Wei Ying should be in bed resting.” he continued.

 

“My-my apologies, Lan-er-gongzi, th-this disciple was incompetent and Miss Wei managed to slip past this one.” the disciple behind her stuttered out, fearing for their life.

 

“Ai, it’s not this little Lan’s fault! I’m sneaky, both you and I know that, Lan Zhan.” she chirped.

 

“You may continue with your studies now, I will look after Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan replied.

 

“Y-Yes, Lan-er-gongzi!” the disciple cried before scurrying away.

 

“Aiya, Lan Zhan! You’re so scary that that disciple couldn’t help but runaway!“ she laughed. When she was met with silence and a stern look, she couldn’t help but giggle more. “Lan-er-gongzi, please~ I’ve been stuck in bed for a few days, you know that I’m usually one to be doing something! Doing nothing for a few days is killing me!” she pleaded.

 

“It was two days.” he replied rather flatly.

 

“Two days is too much for someone like me! Lan Zhan, I used to train every day with the Jiangs and not even the laid back life at Koi Manor has changed that pattern!” she pleaded, making sure to put on her pleading eyes this time.

 

“I will walk with Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan after a long suffering sigh. “Sect Leader Nie wishes to meet with you anyway.”

 

“Ah, so you were coming over to tell me, well, I saved you half the journey didn’t I?” she mused as she looped an arm into Lan Zhan’s. “Well, lead the way, won’t you?” she chirped as she leaned into him, enjoying their closeness.

 

Lan Zhan said nothing and started to walk but Wei Ying spied the tips of his ears turning pink.

 

“MingJue-ge!” she cried happily as she skipped into the room when she saw him.

 

“Hey, who let you out of your bed? Ai, WangJi, don’t tell me you let her talk you into letting her out!” Nie MingJue mused when he saw her.

 

“Not you too, MingJue-ge!” she whined. “You know how tough I am! I was so bored in bed for two days! That’s forty-eight hours! That’s too much time in bed!” she whined.

 

“Says the one that’s constantly always half asleep most of the time!” mused the older man.

 

“It’s different when you choose to sleep yourself! It’s terrible when you don’t have the freedom to do so!” Wei Ying cried. “Now that I’ve had these two days of rest, I need to go burn off my energy!” she mused.

 

“WangJi, you have a lot of work on your hands, I wish you good luck.” Nie Mingjue mused.

 

“Wei Ying is no work.” Lan Zhan, being the amazing person he was said.

 

Nie MingJue gave a soft chuckle. “That’s what I like to hear.”

 

“I will go brew some tea.” Lan Zhan said, leaving the room to give the two some time together.

 

“I hope Meng Yao’s alright after what he did for me.” Wei Ying said quietly.

 

“His mother and him are staying at mine for now. He intends to move out when he has the means to.” Nie MingJue replied.

 

“I’m glad he’s alright. Thank you, MingJue-ge.” she smiled.

 

“It’s the right thing to do. I can’t just let him stay with his father when we both know how awful the environment is there.” he continued. “But enough of that. How are you feeling?”

 

“I feel fine. Ready to go back to training for sure!” she replied.

 

“You had enough sedative in you to take down two horses, Wei Ying.” the other replied grimly. “He could have killed you.” he continued.

 

“It could have but it didn’t. Unluckily for him, I was already doing training on sedatives so it took him more to drug me.” she replied. “And unluckily for him, I am tougher than I look.” she mused, placing a hand on the older man’s in assurance, knowing full well he was angered and upset. “Please don’t blame yourself. You warned me, I didn’t listen. So many people warned me, I didn’t listen. I was stupid to trust a man like him or believe his lies when I knew his nature.” she continued.

 

“He’s been grooming you since you were a child. There is no way you would have seen, Wei Ying. So you shouldn’t blame yourself for not noticing.” he replied.

 

“How long will you be staying here today?” she asked.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be staying long enough for some sparring.” the man replied.

 

“You read my mind so well.” Wei Ying smiled.

 

 

Her days in The Cloud Recesses were calm and peaceful. Too calm and too peaceful for her eventual fate. However, she embraced and grasped at the little moments. Instead of running around the halls, breaking Lan rules and giving Lan QiRen a headache, she decided to settle down and take it slowly, spending time by the Lan disciples as they trained, partaking in their private lessons on the Oracle and such. And lastly, spending her time in the library. The first time Lan QiRen saw her there was gold, for he did a double-take.

 

Of course, she also spent her time with Lan Zhan. Those quiet, peaceful and dare she say safe moments were what she treasured. As the days counted down, she couldn’t help but feel at peace.

 

Still, the safe and peaceful Cloud Recesses wasn’t safe from the obvious crumbling of the world. Heated and frantic discussions could be heard through the walls when Wei Ying listened in. In the corners of her eyes, she could see shadow creatures lingering. She could hear whispers of anger when she was left alone for too long. However, she knew she couldn’t do anything about it. It simply wasn’t her time yet. The only good thing was that the beasts would only ever lurk, they never attacked anyone and just stayed in the shadows - she very much hopes it remains this way.

 

Today was a good day as she was finally able to eat solids again. She had been eating congee non-stop for the last few weeks, sure, Lan Zhan had been the amazing person he was by asking the kitchen to make different types of congee every day. He had even asked them for homemade salted eggs rather than the mass produced kind. He simply was the best, she never knew what she did to deserve him.

 

She made her way down the path, one she had become familiar with over the past few weeks. As if on schedule, the little Lans all ran out happily, flocking like birds around her.

 

“Miss Wei! You’re here!” one cried.

 

“Miss Wei, what are we going to do today?” cried another happily.

 

“Now, now, little ones. Don’t you remember that the first rule is to not run in The Cloud Recesses and the second rule is to yell?” she mused as she petted the children on their heads.

 

“We’re too excited, Miss Wei! You always show us such fun things so we can’t wait!” another chimed in.

 

She laughed as they all excitedly chirped two her much like baby ducklings. She was sure Lan QiRen and the elders were perplexed by her presence as she was bringing chaos to their very peaceful Lan environment.

 

So off they went as she guided the cute little Lans to the pond. She had been showing them water magic since water was the most safe. She just couldn’t fathom putting these innocent lives at risk with fire.

“And what does this one look like?” she smiled as she animated a bird using her water abilities, making the little sparrow sit on one of the little Lans’ shoulders.

 

“Bird!” cried a child near the one she had made the bird land on before trying to catch the bird, only to have it explode as it was made out liquid. When it happened, the child cried loudly.

 

“I hurt the birdie!” the child wailed in despair.

 

“Aww, don’t worry, the birdie is fine!” Wei Ying mused as she recreated the bird, making it fly around the child. Delighted, the child chased after the bird.

 

“A-Hua, be careful! You might hurt yourself if you run!” she cried as she followed the child.

 

The child laughed as they were chased until a cry was heard, then followed by a, “Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

 

“Ai, A-Hua! I’ve told you to be careful!” Wei Ying cried as she picked up the crying child before looking up at the angry disciple glaring a hole into the child.

 

Her first thought was how much he tried to look like Lan Zhan. She just had an odd feeling about him, though.

 

“I do apologise, gongzi. I hope you can find it in you to look past this one’s failure in watching this little one here.” Wei Ying said as she held the crying child in her arms, soothing the child by rubbing soothing circles in their back.

 

Upon hearing her words and locking eyes with her, the other softened. An almost pleasant air painted itself over him. “Ah, Miss Wei. Forgive this one. It must be so difficult to look after a whole herd of them. These young disciples are far too rambunctious and haven’t been taught the Lan rules yet.” he replied pleasantly.

 

“You know of me?” Wei Ying blinked, completely confused that the other knew of her.

 

“Of course, Miss Wei has such good credentials, of course this one would have heard of her.” the other replied.

 

“May I have your name? Since you know mine, it would only be polite if I received yours in return.” Wei Ying said.

 

“This one is Su MinShan but you may call me Su She.” he replied.

 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Su-gongzi.” Wei Ying replied with a careful smile. As if knowing Wei Ying’s uneasy feelings, A-Hua kicked up a fuss once again.

 

 

 

“Lan Zhan, are you aware you have an impostor?” Wei Ying mused as she sauntered into his study.

 

Lan Zhan didn’t respond but she could see the quizzical look in his eyes. In response, she laughed lightly.

 

“A certain Su MinShan, if you will.” she replied. “He has his hair, clothes, stance all close to you to a T but of course I can tell the difference.” she continued.

 

“I know not of him.” was the response.

 

“Aiyo, so cold! The great Second Jade of Lan not even knowing of his impostor’s existence! I almost feel sorry for him!” she laughed as she sat down in front of him, propping her head on her hands, staring at the other. “Of course, the pristine Second Jade of Lan would never raise his voice at a child who happened to bump into him, would he?” she said. “You should have seen him, Lan Zhan! He was so mean to little A-Hua but completely shifted gears when he saw me! Goodness knows if I wasn’t there what else he would have done!” she sighed.

 

“Wei Ying adores the disciples.” Lan Zhan replied, staring into her with an undecipherable gaze. “It is good.” the other continued as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

 

“They’re adorable. Such sweet little things.” she replied, suddenly, her mind flashed back to Jiang YanLi having a little boy and how she would never meet him. She felt awful that she had named a child she would never get to meet. She herself would never have any children either.

 

“Wei Ying is bothered by something.” Lan Zhan stated as he took her hand in his.

 

“Nothing that can’t be solved.” she replied lightly as she played with a strand of hair by twisting it around her finger.

 

“It’s amazing how Gusu’s weather differentiates so much from LanLing’s. It’s a good thing your robes are nice and cozy.” she smiled, deciding the change the topic when she could see that Lan Zhan didn’t want to let go of the topic.

 

“Wei Ying looks good in our traditional robes.” Lan Zhan replied.

 

“Aiya, Lan Zhan! You can’t spring that on me! My poor heart can’t cope!” she cried, grabbing her heart dramatically.

 

Lan Zhan let out a small chuckle before moving closer to her, pulling her into his arms. She in turn leaned into him, savouring their moments together. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the peace.

 

“Hey, Lan Zhan. What do you plan to go into for the future? Will you teach? Will you become a guard?” she half mused and half queried.

 

“I plan to help Uncle out with the library, perhaps teach as well.” he replied.

 

“That suits you. I think you’d do well in both fields.” she smiled. This was very much the future she saw for him, yet sadly, there was no one by his side. He would never have another lover. This stung Wei Ying a lot. Perhaps if she hadn’t been selfish then Lan Zhan would have someone he loved dearly by his side.

 

“And Wei Ying?” he asked her as he carded his fingers through her hair.

 

“Me? I don’t know! Anything really!” she replied, masking herself with a smile.

 

“Wei Ying could be a shrine maiden at our shrine. Wei Ying’s divination is perfect.” he replied as he laced their fingers together.

 

“Yes, that’s true. I would very much love that.” she smiled.

 

That night she couldn’t sleep a wink at all. The shadowed beasts stared at her with their red eyes, smug expressions, as if grinning at her.

 

 

 

“Miss Wei, fancy seeing you here.” said the voice of the person who Wei Ying had dubbed “wanna be Lan Zhan” to herself.

 

She had decided to take some time to herself by reading books in the library. She had been through about half of the collection they had but half didn’t mean much, considering that it was an enormous library. Much more impressive than the Wen library. The more she read though, the more it was obvious that even if she had wanted it, this fate that was woven for her was fixed forever. There just simply was no escape.

 

“Oh, hello there, Su-gongzi. Coming to get some reading material?” Wei Ying replied as pleasantly as she could despite not wanting to be around him.

 

She decided to go back to focusing on her book instead.

 

“You love reading, don’t you?”

 

“Knowledge is power. According to some.” she replied as she pretended to read the book. It felt odd having to flick the pages to read a book. She had never had to do so since a child. It was weird, she had always been able to do it and often got accused of being lazy by Madame Yu. If she had known that being able to read a novel without needing to every read it properly was only an ability the Oracle had, she would have known from the start, but alas, no one had told her so.

“Well said, Miss Wei.” Su She replied as he sauntered closer to her, placing himself next to her. “You’re so knowledgeable and brilliant and kind too.”

 

“You think too highly of me, Su-gongzi.” Wei Ying replied quietly, deciding that even the book won’t save her so she put it away. However, Su She’s hand reached out and took the book off of her midway through her action.

 

“Ah yes, the dry text that was drilled into us since young.” he remarked.

 

“You don’t enjoy these texts?” Wei Ying replied.

 

“Of course not, Miss Wei.” Su She replied as he haphazardly slotted the book back into its slot. Wei Ying almost winced at his rough handling of the book as she had been gotten used to Lan Zhan’s careful, neat and respectful way of treating books. “People take such importance over the Oracle and all these Sects ride off of the coat tails of having an Oracle in their bloodline. Why such importance? It’s not like the Oracle has really answered any prayers or wishes in a long time! Besides, it’s not like any of these Sects care to be noble anyway! Like that Lan WangJi! So stuck up just because he comes from the main Lan bloodline!” he spat as he said those words, as if Lan Zhan had insulted him himself.

 

“I’ve never heard the Second Jade of Lan to be rude or unpleasant.” Wei Ying said gently. “In fact, I’ve heard quite the opposite.”

 

Did Su She live at the bottom of the well or something? Did he not realise that Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were best friends? It’s odd.

 

“Of course you wouldn’t, Miss Wei!” he cried. “Everyone always sees him as this pristine, good and upstanding person!” he continued, venom dripping from his words. “But they don’t even know how lowly he treats everyone around him!” he hissed. “You need to be careful around him, Miss Wei. He’s not a good man.”

 

“Duly noted, Su-gongzi.” Wei Ying replied shortly, hoping to shift the conversation.

 

“I’ve heard of your talents, Miss Wei. You’re incredible with your divination.” he said, quickly shifting the conversation. She was glad he changed the subject but she didn’t like this topic either. “I’ve also heard your accuracy in love divinations is spot on.” he replied.

 

“You seem to have heard a lot about me, Su-gongzi. I only wish I had heard a bit more about you as it seems a bit unfair.” she replied carefully. There was something about him that really put her off and she wasn’t sure about what. However, she was done trying to tap into the future and just wanted to be in the present more for once. She wanted to enjoy every second, every minute and every day to its fullest. There was almost no time left, after all.

 

“Forgive this one. It’s because this one isn’t important enough or hasn’t done anything of importance to put me in your sights, Miss Wei. However, rest assured, I will do my best to help you where you may need aid.” he replied earnestly.

 

“Thank you for your kindness, Su-gongzi.” Wei Ying smiled, a bit uneasy about how enthusiastic the other was. “However, don’t think so lowly of yourself. Everyone has a place in the world and you included. It may not be big in your eyes but to someone else, it may be amazing.” she replied. “Though, I am curious, Su-gongzi, why are you saying such words to imply that I’ll be doing something of importance in the upcoming days? As far as I’ve heard, I’ll be doing studies and such.” she continued.

 

“Forgive this one, once again, Miss Wei. I happened to catch wind of it today! Head Teacher Lan has decided to appoint you as our shrine maiden at the Lan shrine.” he said quickly.

 

“Oh, that’s interesting. I certainly didn’t catch wind of this. Thank you for enlightening me, Su-gongzi.” she replied gratefully. She felt quite excited having heard this news. It must have been Lan Zhan’s pushing as she had mentioned to him offhandedly that she felt she was useless at the Cloud Recesses as she did nothing but read all day and rest all day. She had told him that she had missed doing divinations for others. The only divination she wasn’t concerned about was those close to her or concerning herself.

 

“Ai! I should have checked with you that you knew of this news before I broke it to you! I do apologise, it was insolent of me to assume you were already told.” he said apologetically.

 

“It’s fine, Su-gongzi. You wouldn’t have known.” she said.

 

“Miss Wei, I was wondering if perhaps you could do a reading for me? Just one to help me on the right track.” he asked suddenly. “It’s not a love divination, don’t worry but I would like to just be guided to the correct path for my future.” he replied.

 

Wei Ying just knew she wasn’t supposed to read his future, there was a nagging pit in her stomach.

 

“Don’t worry, I don’t want it now, perhaps when you settle down at the shrine.” he said, a bit too enthusiastically.

 

“A small reading, if you would be alright with it.” she managed to reply. “However, knowing your future is at your own risk, Su-gongzi. Sometimes you may get unsavoury readings instead.” she replied.

 

“I understand. Don’t worry, I won’t blame you if I end up getting a bad reading, Miss Wei.” he replied earnestly.

 

She didn’t know why, instead of feeling good about his earnestness. It felt odd, a sour feeling and gave her goosebumps in a bad way. She decided to start moving instead of staying in one spot, hoping that Su She would decide to just leave if she began picking up more books to read. After all, she was doing a quiet self study. Lan QiRen had specified that she shouldn’t join them in classes yet as she still needed to rest after her ordeal. A rather kind gesture honestly.

 

Unfortunately, her moving was followed by him, she felt extremely uncomfortable but didn’t really see a point in being rude to him as he hadn’t given her a reason to, well, apart from the fact that he insulted Lan Zhan. But it wasn’t something so egregious that she felt like she should be rude to him. She didn’t know anything about him and besides, she didn’t want to cause trouble for the Lans as they had so graciously taken her in anyway.

 

“Ah, A-Xian. There you are.” a kind, familiar voice rang through the library, cutting the awkward moment in half.

 

She smiled for she knew it was none other than Lan XiChen. The man was the usual, a kind smile on his lips as he strode in. He was always smartly dressed. Despite being the Head family and one that followed traditions to a T, the Lans didn’t particularly wear their traditional robes unless they were carrying out important matters to do with divination or the Oracle. Even the important women didn’t wear the robes. In fact, Wei Ying was probably one of the only ones that did next to the younger disciples.

 

In a way, Wei Ying just wore them because she liked being in them. She didn’t mind the white in her robes even though she did miss wearing the nice dresses she had in the Wen and Jin Sect. As much as Wen RuoHan had held her captive, he always made sure that his future daughter-in-law was well dressed. Of course, with the context that she had now, Jin-shushu liked to keep her in nice clothes because of his perverse love for her. So, wearing something more modest and traditional was a nice step away from both.

 

“XiChen-ge, you were looking for me?” she asked, masking her relief. Su She quickly moved away from her upon hearing Lan XiChen’s voice.

 

“Ah, Mr. Su, there you were. Teacher Lan was wondering where you were, he had a few things to discuss with you, please don’t keep him waiting. We both know how he is about being kept waiting.” Lan XiChen said with a smile on his face.

 

“Yes, of course, Mr. Lan.” Su She said quickly before making himself scarce.

 

“If it’s to do with working at the shrine, I’m afraid that Su-gongzi has spoiled the surprise.” Wei Ying said when Su She had left.

 

“Ah, he told you the news, did he?” Lan XiChen said. “It would seem he was eavesdropping. I would have to warn Uncle about discussing such private matters.”

 

“It was meant to be a private matter?” she asked, curious.

 

“Yes, we didn’t want everyone to know who you were for safety purposes, of course. Wen Xu’s case was rather high profile, so there’s been some notoriety surrounding it. Of course, most reception was kind towards you but some are a bit too enthusiastic in knowing about you, A-Xian.” he replied.

 

“Oh, I see.” Wei Ying replied. “It does make sense. It would seem I’ve caused trouble for you and your Sect.” she said quietly.

 

“A-Xian is no trouble, don’t ever think that of yourself. It’s just an unfortunate situation for you since others haven’t been too kind to you.” Lan XiChen said kindly. “Please don’t ever think of yourself as a burden.” he said.

 

“You’re all too kind.” Wei Ying said. She wondered if he knew he was speaking to the person that controlled their future damnation if he would say such kind words to her. “You, Lan Zhan and Head Teacher Lan.” she continued. “I’m so grateful I have you all to look out for me.”

 

“A-Xian is a young vibrant and kind girl, our world needs more people like this.” Lan XiChen said. “We need more people who want to change tradition and I believe as infuriated Uncle feels about such things, he also respects your interest despite it feeling like you’re there for the sake of an argument.” he said.

 

“Y-You’ve heard?” she said sheepishly.

 

“Of course! It may be frowned upon to gossip but gossip always finds its way even into the Cloud Recesses.” he mused. “There’s no need to feel sheepish over your actions, A-Xian. You’re not wrong in your queries. We do have a rather antiquated way of doing things, don’t we?” he said. “Hopefully by the time the next Oracle is announced, we would have a more forward way of aiding them.” he said.

 

“Perhaps that will be the new world.” Wei Ying replied quietly.

 

She wondered what the next Oracle’s world would be. Would it still be like hers? Would their ways change? Would the Sects try to incorporate the world of the Oracle’s back into the modern world?

 

“Speaking of topic of the Oracle and divination, that’s why I was looking for you.” Lan XiChen said. “Uncle wanted to ask someone to do a fitting for you to make sure the shrine uniform fits, we mustn’t keep them waiting.” he said.

 

“But isn’t Lan-Shifu supposed to be dealing with Su-gongzi?” Wei Ying asked.

 

“Hmm, I suppose you’re right, A-Xian. Teacher Lan is dealing with Mr. Su indeed.” Lan XiChen mused with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

 

“Oiya, did the pristine First Jade of Lan lie?” she mused.

 

“Hmm, you’ll never know.” the man mused. “Now, let’s not keep Uncle waiting, hm?”

 

 

“Aiya, Lan Zhan! It was so exhausting today! There was so much standing still and making sure I keep my back straight!” she sighed as she flopped down against him.

 

Lan Zhan huffed in amusement in response, running his fingers in her hair in response.

 

“Wei Ying looked beautiful in those outfits though.” Lan Zhan said as he twisted one of the thin plaits in her hair around his fingers. “Uncle approved too.” he said when she turned around to hide her flushing face from him.

 

“Lan Zhan!~” she whined helplessly. “My heart can’t take this!” she continued weakly, letting out little whines of protests as Lan Zhan turned her over, forcing her to face him again.

 

“Beautiful.” he said as he cupped her cheek.

 

She was like putty in his hands. She knew she couldn’t fight him, not like this when her face was flushed, her heart pounding in her chest. Despite the fact that they were dating and official, she still couldn’t believe that she had gotten so lucky. It was moments with Lan Zhan that she could forget her imminent death. It was a nice distraction to say the least. It was almost like the shadowed beasts were afraid of Lan Zhan or perhaps both of their auras together as they never showed their faces around them. They were an unlikely team, it would seem. Many probably compared them to opposites, however, they were opposites that slotted together well like puzzle pieces, shaped differently but together they made a picture.

 

She loves him.

 

She loves him so dearly and would trade her own happiness for his. She would have given anything to him had the world not been at stake. Alas, she had to choose and despite feeling like she couldn’t bear to leave him, she knew it was her duty and that it was something she had to do. She only hoped that these moments with him would show him how much she loved him and help him stay on the good and just path. She never wanted him to change from his ways.

 

“Something is on Wei Ying’s mind.” Lan Zhan said, his quiet voice cutting through the silence shared between them.

 

“Lan Zhan is too perceptive.” she replied as he laced their fingers together. “It’s nothing, I’m just worried that I’d disappoint your Uncle when I start working at the shrine.” she said.

 

“Uncle will not be disappointed. Wei Ying is extremely talented.” he said quietly as he cupped her face before placing a soft, gentle yet firm kiss on her lips. “In fact, it was Uncle that suggested it.” he said.

 

“Ai,” she sighed gently, feigning disappointment. “And I thought my amazing Lan Zhan was the one that fought for my position at the shrine.” she teased as she leant in and returned his kiss in the same manner.

 

She had expected him to tell her to “Not tease.” Or “Behave.” Instead, she found herself pinned down against the low table, him bent over her and kissing her. The pen he had been writing with rolling off the table in the movement and the sheets of paper scattered.

 

In the first time of brave passion, she felt his hands sliding down her body, gripping her waist as he kissed her. When she had a moment, she found herself gasping, realising that she had been holding her breath for a while. And when he bit her, she found herself crying out and letting out a moan.

 

“Lan Zhan! What’s gotten into you today?” she gasped. “I never took you for such a brute, Er-gege!” she teased.

 

“Wei Ying looks too beautiful in our shrine uniforms.” he said as he bit into her collarbone, making her let out another moan.

 

“To think you were scared to even kiss me before!” she mused as she stared up at the other teen, admiring his stern golden eyes, yet soft boyish features. Not yet an adult but definitely not a child. Lan Zhan was so beautiful. How he was single for so long was a mystery. Not to mention, how she had gotten so lucky was surprising to her.

 

“Wei Ying is staring.” he said, the tips of his ears, now red. It was then she realised it, perhaps it was out of embarrassment?

 

“Don’t I speak the truth?” she mused, deciding to test her theory more.

 

“Do not tease.” he replied as he gave her rear a warning squeeze. When did his hand get there?

 

She must have blushed for he wore a satisfied, smug look before pinching her there once again. When did Lan Zhan get so shameless? However, he didn’t allow her any time to think on it for too long as he leant down and kissed her again, this time, making and extra effort to put his hands on her rear. At this rate, they were going to go the full way on this table and she wasn’t sure whether the poor table could hold up.

 

However, as sudden as the act started, Lan WangJi suddenly halted.

 

“I must not continue.” Lan Zhan said quietly.

 

“Lan Zhan, surely you know that divination has nothing to do with whether I’m pure or not right?” she mused.

 

“That is a myth, however, we are both young, we should wait till we are older.” he said. “Besides, I would like to wed Wei Ying beforehand.”

 

Lan Zhan was simply the best.

 

 

The Lan shrine was a very tranquil place. It was definitely colder than the weather in Wen Manor. However, this was why the Lans weren’t frowned upon like the Wens were. The cycle of the seasons were natural and the Lans didn’t put excessive magic into their lives, not relying on it excessively either. As she wandered around their quarters, she can see that they very much still hold what Lan An held deeply, the values of being the Oracle was still deep in their hearts.

 

In a way, it was a rather nice thing as other sects seemed to have forgotten. The Wens remembered but it wasn’t the way that the Lans did. The Jins remembered but they definitely didn’t the same way either. She felt like the Nies would if they had had an Oracle, however, much like the Jiangs, they have only had people who served the Oracle, never any Oracles. That was another reason why Wei Ying didn’t want to burst Madame Yu’s bubble, it would have meant so much to her. Especially when there was an ancestor in the past in her bloodline that had been a previous Oracle, so there was a lot of pride that she held. Despite having the honour of knowing first hand what it’s like to be the Oracle, Wei Ying still didn’t understand the glory behind it.

 

Perhaps it was because of her nature but it was the idea of being cut off from her loved ones at the age of sixteen, living past everyone else that was upsetting for her. Being immortal meant nothing to Wei Ying. Not to mention, always knowing what comes next to others, seeing but only being able to watch on the side. It wasn’t just one future she could see, it was the multiples that made it worse. For example, if someone were to die, even if they avoided it that day, they could die the next day or in a worst way than before. Things like that always bothered Wei Ying. The only thing she was grateful for was her fast healing body.

 

She found herself standing at the Lan’s shrine, staring at the scenery, enjoying the tranquility. It was a nice crisp day. She was grateful for the extra layers from the robes she wore. Before long, she found herself working into another rhythm as she tidied up. People that visited the Lan shrine were more respectful and neat, so her job was easier. It had been a quiet day, very few readings. A lot of them came to get charms for their studies. Such adorable students. She never thought she’d enjoy the tranquility so much.

 

“You sing so well, Miss Wei.” a voice said, cutting through the air as the owner of said voice approached her. To her dismay, it was Su She but it wasn’t like she hadn’t been expecting him. She knew he wasn’t the type to just leave it.

 

“You praise me too much, Su-gongzi.” she replied. “So what brings you here today? Come to get a charm like the others for your exams?” she asked, taking care to not seem too interested as she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. Ever since her situation with Wen Chao and Jin ZiXun, she already could pretty much see the warning signs and know to shut them down before it got too far.

 

It was weird to think that just two years ago, others were still making fun of her lack of femininity. Now, it had changed drastically. Wei Ying felt so odd about it. How in a year things can change and in a way, how fickle humans were. Then again, it would seem that the Gods were just as fickle, deciding that they needed to end it all for them if she didn’t follow through.

 

“No, of course not! This one would never need such frivolous things! Charms are silly superstitions and create a placebo effect for those who buy them!” he sneered.

 

“I would disagree.” she said quietly. “Charms give others hope and if you put your love into it, those you love will be protected.” she continued. “Do not sneer at the wishes of others, Su-gongzi.”

 

“Miss Wei is correct, this one apologises for his insolence.” he said.

 

“Su-gongzi, just so you know, how we all came to be is from divination and charms, you shouldn’t treat it so lightly.” she said. “However, you are correct that sometimes it can be seen as a placebo effect when you get your charms. Some believe that just by wishing and not working hard for it would get them what they desire.”

 

“I’m glad that I at least raised one good point, Miss Wei.” Su She said. “Slight change of topic but I came here today to ask you to read my fortune, Miss Wei.” he said.

 

She just knew within her that his fortune should not be read by her. However, it wasn’t like she could just refuse when he was here asking for it. It was part of her job anyway.

 

“Of course. Please follow me, Su-gongzi.” she said pleasantly as she led him over to the reading area.

 

When she had drawn the sigils and all, she took his hand and before she even started, she saw snippets, snippets of his future. She bit her lip, trying to let it pass. She had a proper reading to do after all. However, before she could even do so, a black mist surrounded the two of them before morphing into a wolf like creature, its red eyes boring into them.

 

“Wh-Wh-What are these?!” Su She cried out in fear, quickly tearing his hand away from her, running away from the area. However, the wolf was not relenting, instead, the dark mist surrounding it spread and morphed into more wolves, chasing down Su She as if he had personally offended them.

 

Wei Ying who had been seeing these wolves over and over again realised that it was getting worse. Now everyone can see them. This was bad. Unfortunately, a wolf got ahold of Su She and began attacking him. Wei Ying sprinted over before grabbing it and absorbing it, purifying its energy. She hadn’t known what to do in truth, it was more like autopilot. She turned her sights to the rest of the wolves, ready to do the same despite feeling lightheaded from the previous energy.

 

Suddenly, the wolves let out howls before dispersing. The sound of a bell ringing and incense that she could tell was cleansing incense coated the air.

 

“A-Xian!” she heard a cry before the tall and usually calm looking man ran over to her. “A-Xian, are you hurt? Did they bite you?!” Lan XiChen asked worriedly as he inspected her.

 

“Luckily I’m fine.” she said softly.

 

“Thank goodness we got here in time! They suddenly appeared!” he said, rather shaken, unlike his usual self.

 

“Did they attack others?” Wei Ying cried, worried.

 

“Luckily, no. They seem to have the shrine as the destination in mind.” he said.

 

It was her turn to let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good to know, at least no one else was hurt.”

 

Lan XiChen seemed curious but knew not to press her as Su She was still there. Suddenly Su She straightened up, as if changing his stance completely.

 

“Since Miss Wei is fine, this one will go help out downstairs.” he quickly said before running off.

 

“He left in a hurry.” Lan XiChen mused.

 

“He sure did.” she replied.

 

“Would you like to join Uncle and I for lunch? We’re just about to have some. Don’t worry, we have something with more flavour prepared for you.” he said.

 

“So, it wasn’t exactly an invitation then?” she mused. “I guess I’m inclined to accept then.” she laughed.

 

She followed him as he begun walking in the general direction of their destination. She loved the serene air around them, wishing she could spend the rest of her days here instead. However, she knew that her duties were more important than anything else and decided that no matter what tempted her, she would refuse to do so.

 

As they passed by the beautiful fountains, the water flowing around them, she couldn’t help but stop and admire the view for a second, taking in all the nature around her.

 

“A-Xian, if that Mr. Su is bothering you, we can bar him from seeing you, you know that, right?” Lan XiChen said, his face looked like he had been contemplating the correct words to say it to her without coming off the wrong way.

 

“Yes, I understand.” she replied. “He hasn’t tried anything yet but I know he’s not here for a reading just because he wants one.” she replied. “I just don’t want to cause you any trouble. Not Lan-Shifu or you yourself, ZeWu-Zun.” she replied.

 

“A-Xian,” the man sighed. “First of, it’s ‘XiChen-ge’ and secondly, A-Xian has never been trouble, never been a burden. WangJi would be so upset hearing you say such things about yourself.” he continued. “You’re family now, our family. Uncle might be a bit stiff with you but he approves of you.” he said gently.

 

“Lan-Shifu is aware of the nature of my relationship with Lan Zhan?” she asked quickly, her cheeks flushing red, feeling rather embarrassed and sheepish for the first time in a long time.

 

“Ai, A-Xian. There’s no need to be embarrassed.” the older man mused, pinching her on the cheeks in amusement. “WangJi and you make such a sweet couple.”

 

“Y-Y-You pinched me!” she cried, her cheeks flushing more. “Even Lan Zhan doesn’t pinch me on the cheeks!” she said quickly.

 

“Hm and A-Yao, also Wen Xu don’t?” he teased back.

 

“It’s different.” she huffed, pouting slightly. Not bothering to ask why he knew that about Meng Yao or Wen Xu.

 

He laughed and she stayed huffing until they got to the dining area outside.

 

“It’s such a nice day today, so we thought we’d best make use of the good weather and dine outside.” Lan XiChen said.

 

“It’s a good idea.” Wei Ying replied before following him.

 

Upon getting closer, she could see that Lan QiRen had already arrived, sitting there and sipping his tea with the same solemn expression he always wore. It almost made her turn around and second guess her decision. However, a supportive hand on her shoulder by Lan XiChen made her think twice about doing so. Not to mention, he also had very scary Lan arm strength, she doubt she’d be able to slip away without putting up a huge fight.

 

“XiChen, Miss Wei.” Lan QiRen greeted when he spotted the both of them.

 

“Lan-Shifu.” she greeted nervously as she seated herself next to Lan XiChen. In reality, she would have liked to not be sat opposite the man but next to him was a scarier thought, so this was the best.

 

“Apologies for being late, Uncle. Some trouble came up on the way of me retrieving A-Xian.” he said.

 

“The shadow hounds, if I’m correct.” Lan QiRen said in his usual calm demeanour.

 

“Yes. Luckily, no one was hurt but the shadow beasts were headed for the shrine. It was peculiar and it would seem that they were only interested in that destination.” Lan XiChen replied. “Luckily, A-Xian wasn’t hurt when I arrived.”

 

Wei Ying in truth knew why this had been the case. They were interested in attacking her, scaring her. The darkness wanted her half god side as well as wanted her godly blood. After all, it was her godly side that would answer their prayers, put their pains at ease. This was all her own doing, her own selfishness. These were the very visible consequences to her actions, or in the case, her non-actions.

 

“Some of our analysts have already started researching the situation, so worry not, XiChen. As long as Miss Wei wasn’t harmed then there’s nothing to worry about.”

 

“Miss Wei, how are you enjoying working at the shrine, I hope it is pleasant enough for you.” Lan QiRen said, turning his sights on her.

 

“It’s beautiful.” Wei Ying replied. “There is nothing I’m displeased with. Thank you for allowing me to work there.” she continued.

 

“Good, if anyone gives you any trouble, do not be afraid to say so. We do not tolerate harassment here.” the older man said.

 

“Thank you, Lan-Shifu. However, everything’s fine. Your disciples are rather sweet, all they’ve been doing is asking for charms for their upcoming exam. Lan-Shifu should be pleased that they are all so hardworking.” she replied.

 

“As they should.” Lan QiRen replied, although, Wei Ying could sense a sliver of pride in the man’s response.

 

“Uncle, there is something that I’m concerned about.” Lan XiChen said. Wei Ying bit her lip, she hadn’t wanted to bring it up but it seemed that Lan XiChen was rather serious about it. He was dead set on removing Su She from her side. “Mr. Su has been spending a suspiciously large amount of time at the shrine. He should be keeping up with his studies, yet, I found him today at the shrine. I was certain you had asked him to study today.” he continued.

 

“I did ask him to study today. He was also supposed to be cleaning the classrooms after classes.” the older man frowned. “I will make sure to reprimand him for distracting Miss Wei.”

 

“It’s nothing, Lan-Shifu. Mr. Su was merely trying to get a reading off of me, nothing more, nothing less.” she replied pleadingly. She didn’t want to deal with the problem. It wasn’t anything bad anyway. Sure, she wasn’t exactly comfortable around him but she also didn’t see him as a creep.

 

“I will talk to Mr. Su.” Lan QiRen replied, a bit more firmly this time.

 

She flushed, feeling a bit put on the spot and a bit bashful. She wasn’t used to someone taking such claims so seriously, deep down, she was glad.

 

The food came and just as Lan XiChen had promised, there were dishes that were so red that Lan QiRen himself looked perplexed, only looking calm once again when he realised that they were for Wei Ying. Since she knew that the Lans ate in complete silence. She had done so, quietly trying to eat as neatly as possible as she realised that the fault with white clothes was well… the red sauce that could stain them.

 

The dishes were so delicious, she had to hold back from making sounds of appreciation. They were just too good, it felt so good to be eating this instead of congee all the time. She was in a way, very glad that she was busy eating or else the awkwardness of the situation would kill her before the ceremony itself. She doubted the Gods would appreciate that very much. All in all, she was glad that she was allowed into the small circle that was a glimpse of Lan Zhan’s world.

 

 

“Wei Ying had lunch with Uncle and Brother today.” Lan Zhan said, a smile in his voice as Wei Ying knelt down behind him, putting her arms around him, taking in that sandalwood scent that he always gave off.

 

“Yes, I did. I was very good, Er-gege! I didn’t make a noise once!” she boasted as the man took her hands in his.

 

“Mm. Heard that Wei Ying was very good. Even Uncle complimented you.” he mused.

 

She could feel herself flushing, how dare Lan Zhan compliment her like that! She moved her hands in an attempt to hide her face, however, she had forgotten the very important detail that Lan Zhan currently had her hands in his grip. He turned around and quickly pinned her down underneath him, much like last time.

 

“Wei Ying is embarrassed.” the other mused as he inspected her with his golden eyes. When she moved her face to get out of his gaze, he cupped her face and held it in place.

 

This was the second time he had gotten so brazen, so boldly handsy with her. This boy was secretly a beast underneath, she just had a feeling.

 

“Er-gege is so mean.” she pouted. “Why are you teasing your Wei Ying like this?” she continued.

 

“Wei Ying is adorable when she is shy.” Lan Zhan replied as he leant down, kissing her on the lips again.

 

She laid there as she felt Lan Zhan fondle her, wondering how once again a perfectly innocent move had become a completely different situation. It wasn’t like she was complaining but she was confused. She truly wondered how much the other kept within him if all of this was spilling out now.

 

As the other pulled away from the kiss, she decided that he wasn’t going to be the only one to have fun and quickly snaked her arms around his back and pulled him down, crushing their lips together. The next few kiss were messy but passion filled. She hadn’t realised how much she missed him until now. It had only been a few hours that they were apart.

 

Once again, his work was laid abandoned, the answer sheets he was helping Lan QiRen mark were completely forgotten. She wondered whether they could ever do any work around each other. It would seem that they couldn’t be apart from each other for just a few hours.

 

Now she truly wondered if she could leave this man behind.

 

 

The little disciples were adorable.

 

They were also adorably sneaky.

 

Somehow, one way or another, they found their way at the shrine she worked at. Luckily, they were still little Lans, so there wasn’t much chaos. Still, children were children. They asked a million questions, curiously poked at the charms, played with the fortune sticks. After they leave, she would have to cleanse them all of their auras. HuaiSang would have been mourning over all of it, the tainted auras of the objects.

 

It wasn’t good to leave unwanted auras on charms or fortune sticks. It could interfere with other’s fortunes and cause charms not to work, it was pretty serious stuff. This was why every charm needed to be cleansed.

 

She couldn’t help but think back to Jiang Cheng’s charm that he had made for her. Her phone felt rather empty without it. From the moment Wen Chao had ripped the charm from her phone, her heart was broken. That was what finally put the nail in the coffin that he clearly didn’t care about her as he had witnessed first hand how happy she was when she received it from him. However, this was probably for the best. After all, Jiang Cheng would look for her if he hadn’t misunderstood the situation. Despite him wanting to please his mother, it would seem that in some odd way, he would sometimes choose to follow his heart. For example, begging his mother to let her have New Year’s Eve dinner with them. If he hadn’t begged, she most likely wouldn’t have complied. She often wondered how he was, how his training was going. Every day, she prayed that her abilities went to him. She can only hope that the Gods will comply with her wishes.

 

“Xian-jiejie, Xian-jiejie!” cried one of the children, snapping her out of her thoughts.

 

“A-Sin, what is it?” she said as she knelt down next to the child.

 

“A flower for you!” the young boy beamed as he held it up to her.

 

“Oh, thank you!” she smiled. “Put it in my hair for me won’t you?” she said. The child happily did so, laughing cheerfully as he did so.

 

“Xian-jiejie, Xian-jiejie! Look what I found!” cried another child as they happily showed her a stick they had most likely found from the ground.

 

“What have you got there, little one?” she asked.

 

“An amazing paintbrush! It can paint anything!” chirped the child.

 

She smiled and pet their head. “If you think so then it is one.”

 

The child giggled happily, drawing images in the ground beneath them.

 

Wei Ying couldn’t help but smile, watching the child as they drew on the ground. This child would become an artist in the future, she thought. She must let Lan-shifu know. It was a shame that she wouldn’t be able to watch them grow and achieve their dreams. Playing and watching over them reminded her why it was so bittersweet that she’d be leaving this earth soon.

 

“Xian-jiejie, Xian jiejie!” cried another child happily. “Look, Xian-jiejie! I made friends with a wolfie!” the child cried happily.

 

It would have been an ‘awww’ moment had it not been the shadowy, dark mist creatures she had seen stalking her, grinning at her.

“A-Song, come over here please.” she said calmly, putting on her no-nonsense voice towards the child, causing the child to walk over.

 

Except there was no relief as the wolf pounced at the child. Luckily, Wei Ying suspected it and quickly got in between them, absorbing the wolf to purify the energy.

 

“Children, start going downstairs, there’s some fruit for you down in the dining hall.” she said calmly, taking the precaution to stay calm so that there wouldn’t be panic. She knew that wolves hunt in packs so there wouldn’t just be one wolf hanging around.

 

Luckily, the children listened to her, a lot of them filing down. However, before she was able to breathe a sigh of relief, more wolves showed up.

 

“Come gather around me.” she said calmly to the remaining children, knowing that if she showed any distress, the children would start crying and panicking.

 

She held them close, around her, preparing to make her next move. Then suddenly, there was a cry that cut through the air, causing the wolves to look towards the general direction of the sound.

 

“A-Xian!” she heard the voice cry again. At first, she had thought it was Lan XiChen as he usually called her by that term of endearment. It wasn’t until they got closer that Wei Ying realised in shock that it was Lan QiRen who was rushing towards her with his sword in hand. It would seem that the incense used last time didn’t make them disperse anymore. They had gotten stronger.

 

He rushed to her side, slicing the shadowed wolves to get them out of his way before standing by her side.

 

“Lan-shifu, please get these little ones to safety.” she said, almost pleadingly, knowing the sliced wolves will regroup and attack once again.

 

“I refuse to leave you here alone, you are only one person, Miss Wei.” Lan QiRen said, having gained his composure again, he stuck to what he generally addressed her by.

 

“Lan-shifu, please.” she pleaded as she could see the wolves reforming themselves already. They were getting faster and stronger.

 

As she watched the shadowy wisps stitch themselves together again, she knew there was no time. So out of pure impulse, she bit her finger, drawing blood before jumping into the middle of the wolves and drawing an amplifying sigil, a mark to amplify her abilities, in this case to absorb them quickly. She had only hoped that Lan QiRen would write it off as something else and not query her afterwards.

 

Then things happened rather quickly. Firstly, she could sense the shadowed beasts around her fading away as she absorbed their darkness, secondly, she could feel herself getting tired, it took a toll on her, after all. Clearing the darkness came with a price. In this case, her life. And thirdly, a vision flashed before her eyes as she heard the older man call for her, all the while crying “A-Xian!” Instead of what he usually addressed her as.

 

The crowd before her was the one she saw many a time before, except this time, there was someone she recognised, someone she had loved rather dearly. She couldn’t help but shed a few tears until her world turned black.

Notes:

I would like to stress that I don't see Meng Yao/ Jin GuangYao as a good person, he's a well-written villain for sure. I didn't make him "good" in this fic to redeem him in any sort of way, it's not me. I just like to think that if someone had a different circumstance, they would become a different person, so I explored it.

Anyways, what did you think? Let me know!~

Also, I was thinking of making a twitter for people to chat to me, it'll probably be private to be safe. I'm not afraid of people coming after me, more tired and too old for this. 😂 Really give kudos to all of you who are commenting and associating yourselves with this problematic fic. Thank you all!~ Let me know if you think it's a good idea for me to do that!~

Chapter 12: Constellation ~ 星座

Notes:

Will I choose set a consistent upload day?

Here's the playlist to go with this fic.

When she awoke, she found that she was in her room, no one was by her side, which she was glad for. She looked at the calendar that she had in her room and found that it was still the same day. Groggily propping herself up, she found that the clock read three-thirty. Lan Zhan wasn’t back from his lessons yet, that was a good thing.


It was then she realised that the healers had gone and went. As her vision adjusted, she saw a stack of books placed on her desk. She forced herself up from the comfortable bed and put into the cold, touching the top book to quickly read it.


Lan QiRen knew.


From the essence that was left behind, she could tell it was him that left these at her desk. The entire stack were books on the Oracle.


She realised with a deep sense of dread that she would have to speak with him.

She found him outside in the courtyard, overlooking the beautiful, tranquil view of The Cloud Recesses. Nerves and nausea were the things that filled her. She didn’t want to come clean but no one that was trained that well would miss that detail. After all, only the Oracle had the ability to absorb darkness and purify it.


“You’ve awoken.” she heard the man say as she knelt down next to him.


“I read the books you left on my desk.” she began, bile threatening to come up in her throat. “I think I owe you an explanation, Lan-shifu.” she said quietly.


“Have some tea first.” the man said as he pushed the cup towards her before pouring the tea for her. “And sit down, this isn’t a punishment, A-Xian.”


It would seem that he had chosen to stick with that term of endearment now. It wasn’t that Wei Ying minded but she felt rather ashamed that he was addressing her so closely, yet, she was about to slap him in the face with the words she will speak to him.


“I don’t deserve your kindness, Lan-shifu.” she replied quietly, almost a whisper. “There’s no hiding it, I am the current Oracle.” she said.


The man had no reaction towards it, having suspected as much from before.


“But it is no happy news. I was irresponsible, never letting Madame Yu know who the true Oracle was when she was told it was my adoptive brother, Jiang WanYin. Though, I doubt I’m anything to him anymore.” she continued quietly. “I allowed the lie to go on and therefore, as you have seen yourself, the world is in peril. I have caused this and the only way to solve this is by trading my life in place for the safety of others.” she said, feeling relief that she had admitted it.


“It was irresponsible of me and I fully intend to carry out my duties to this world.” she said.


“I will end my relationship with your nephew as of now. I understand I will only bring him pain.” she said, gripping her robes, tears welling up in her eyes.


It was then, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.


“Sit down, there is no need to kneel. You haven’t done anything wrong, A-Xian.” she heard Lan QiRen say, it wasn’t in his usual stern tone, the tone was gentler, softer. She quickly sat next to him upon his request.


“I don’t believe you should end things with WangJi. You clearly love him, isn’t it better to give him closure than break things off with him?” the older man said after a while.


“I don’t want to let him know. If he knew, he wouldn’t let me do it. I don’t want the Gods to hurt him. I know they won’t be merciful towards anyone that intervenes.”


“That much I can confirm is true.” the other replied solemnly.


“I can’t tell him so please don’t tell him. I don’t want to burden Lan Zhan with this.” she said quietly.


“Only promise me you’ll treasure each moment you two have left together.” he replied.


“Thank you for being so understanding, despite my irresponsibility. I’ve only caused more trouble and nothing else. Madame Yu was right about that detail.” she remarked.


“I would have to disagree.” Lan QiRen chimed in. “You are but a child, Wei WuXian. The actions you took were in fear. If us adults blamed a mere child for something that we could have rectified, then we surely have failed altogether.” he continued in his sagely voice. “You aren’t trouble, despite me having remarked that in the past. Knowing what I know now, I can understand why you had acted the way you did in your younger years.” he continued. “I should have taken note, the signs were there, after all.”


She said nothing, only sipped at her tea quietly, at a loss for words. She wondered whether Jiang-shushu had noticed anything before but chose to ignore it, she wondered the same about those who were close to her around her.


“Come with me, A-Xian. There is something I would like to show you.” the man said as he got up, wordlessly, she got up and followed him.


They were in a room, it reminded her heavily of the room the Wens had for their Oracles. She could see the transition from old to new between the portraits of the Oracles, much like the Wen Shrine. It was a beautiful place, set to commemorate them but it wasn’t as over the top as the one the Wens owned.


She watched as Lan QiRen walk forward and stop before a photo. The lady was a beautiful lady, full of smiles and life. It then clicked very quickly for her that she was the last Oracle. The one everyone was curious about but never knew anything about it.


Beneath the photo was a beautiful hairpin, silver in colour, star shaped flowers and blue gems decorated it. It was clear that it was hers. From the way Lan QiRen had showed her the item, it would seem that he wanted her to see for herself. So, she stepped forward.


“Lan-shifu, may I?” she asked to confirm if that was what he desired.


“Go ahead, you of all people should know the truth.” he said.


So she reached forward, touching the hairpin.


The Oracle lived to serve the Gods, the Oracle lived to serve humankind. Therefore, the Oracle has no free will of their own. They may be presented with choices that alter their ending slightly, however, if the Gods willed it so, their end would ultimately end the same. These were the unwritten but said rules of being the Oracle.


In a way, being chosen could be seen as a blessing or a curse.


All of the previous Oracles accepted their fate, fine with their roles to serve both the Gods and Humans, willing to accept being trapped in one Shrine for all eternity until they waste away. Knowing that when they pass, nothing of them would be left but a memory and a picture. Oracles don’t get a proper burial, for there was no body to do so.


So this acceptance went on for years, but then it had to happen, the breaking point of this sacrifice. An Oracle dared to have self preservation, dared to think about themselves.


“But what about my children?” this Oracle cried as she thought about how she couldn’t see her own offspring too often because of her duties. She couldn’t even see her own husband. She was cut off from the world.


“You are the Oracle, you do not need worldly ties. Those foolish humans will throw you to the wolves if they were in trouble.” the Gods had replied.


“Don’t you see that because of this foolish system that you set up that humans have become spoiled?” she queried. “You will only cause disbelief in all of you faster like this. You will teach humans that all they need to do is ask and they shall receive!” she cried.


“You dare question us? You were put here to do your job! You were put here because of us! You dare bite that hand that feeds you?” the Gods cried.


“I’d rather do that than lose time with my sons!” she had cried.


Someone had picked up on the Oracle’s weakness, had whispered into her ear.


“Forget the Gods, you are also part God. Why don’t you change it by manipulating their wishes?” the person in gold had whispered into her ear. “Think about it, you’ll be able to spend time with your sons.”


At first, the Oracle refused and refused. She had a duty. But as the weeks rolled on and as her sons began to grow, it hung on her. The Oracle wasn’t tempted because of the idea of controlling others, she was tempted at the prospect of being able to love her sons, to not leave them out in the cold, to not only see them once a week.


But the Oracle had forgotten the most important part. She was but part God. There was no way she could have won the fight, instead, her sons witnessed her be taken away, their Father, suffering the same fate as he tried to fight them. Just like that, the two young boys were left alone, without parents. Luckily, they had a caring Uncle to look after them.


That day, when the little boy had told the little girl with the red ribbon that his mother and father disappeared, he did not exaggerate. What he hadn’t told her was that the both of them disappeared right in front of his very own eyes.


When she had finished, tears filled her eyes.


“She was a rather carefree individual and my brother was smitten with her. No reasoning could keep him away from her. That was how he became her guard.” Lan QiRen said. “She was a good Oracle but I knew she hated her duties, she wanted to live a normal life.” he said. “In a way, it was cruel of the Gods to expect her to drop everything for the world when she had a smaller world she cared about.”


“The Gods can’t understand, they won’t understand. They aren’t human after all.” Wei Ying replied quietly. “But, Lan-shifu, why didn’t you report the man? The one that planted the ideas in her mind? Surely, he should be punished.” she said.


“I wanted to badly, believe me. But I had two little ones to take care of, I couldn’t possibly make them lose their Uncle too.” Lan QiRen said, rather sadly.


“I understand.” Wei Ying replied. “I apologise that I have trapped your nephew into the same fate. Believe me, I didn’t want to drag him into this fate, I didn’t want to trap him. But someone told me that it would hurt him more if I disappeared without a word, without letting him know how I truly felt about him. Selfishly, I acted upon my own desires.” she said. “I had hoped that perhaps after I pass he would find someone else but unfortunately, I see no one else by his side in his future.” she continued sadly.


“It’s not your fault, for Lans only ever love once.” Lan QiRen said.


That night, she hugged Lan Zhan tighter, stuck to him closer.

Ever since that incident, Lan QiRen never stopped calling her ‘A-Xian’. Lan XiChen didn’t miss the sudden change and was much delighted. In another life, Wei Ying would be able to find it in herself to be delighted. However, in this life, it almost felt cruel.


Her thoughts couldn’t help bounce back to the previous Oracle. How Madame Lan had wanted to just keep her family and be a normal being. She could understand that feeling a lot, in fact, she had often felt the same. If she could choose it, she would work to make a life where the Oracle didn’t have to sacrifice all their life for their duty. One where the human side of the Oracle would be fulfilled and therefore wouldn’t fall to temptation. With that thought in mind, she decided she would do her best.


“Lan-shifu, I understand if you refuse this as you are a busy person yourself, however, would it be possible if you had a few moments to look over this for me?” Wei Ying asked as she presented a stack of papers. These papers held a new design formed around the Oracle chambers.


How the Oracle mechanism worked in the first place was through the main family shrine they lived at, through there always existed a magical door that you could enter through if you were the Oracle, that was. This was how most Oracles entered their designated chambers. Using that knowledge, Wei Ying figured that by using the correct sort of energy and magic, one could replicate the sigil on the door and enter anywhere, meaning that the Oracle can be anywhere and not tied to one place. Unfortunately, that opportunity to use portal was stolen away from Jiang Cheng. Wei Ying herself had never dared to attempt to open it, for fear that someone may discover her. She couldn’t help but wonder whether Madame Yu had her doubts, knowing her son couldn’t open the door.


The other solution she also had was the idea of a mechanism that allowed the Oracle to hear the wishes of others anywhere, anytime. It would have to link up to the magical mechanism inside the Oracle shrine and pass the message through. It was a finicky one to work on as one wrong tweak could result in the wishes being revealed out in the open which wasn’t ideal.


“I’m free now.” the man said, patting the seat next to him, signalling for her to sit next to him.


“Please feel free to correct any points that I may have mistaken. After all, I’ve never been within the chambers before myself.” she said as she took a seat next to him.


The man took his time reading through her musings and drawings, a stern expression on his face the entire time, making her nervous. When he was finished, he stacked the sheets of paper together before setting down the sheets of paper on his desk.


“These are brilliant. In fact, I think it could be improved if you saw the chambers yourself. Would you like to have a look yourself?” he asked.


“Only if it’s not too much trouble.” she said, smiling.


“I have time free after lunch, we can go to the shrine together after our meal.” he said.


“Thank you, Lan-shifu!” she smiled.


“It’s ‘Shufu’ to you, A-Xian.” he said, surprising her.

Being inside the actual shrine was a different experience to seeing it through her visions or other people’s memories. It was a beautiful place with its tall red pillars and grand decoration. The shrine was immaculate, kept perfectly. Had it not felt like a prison for life for the lives of many before her.


Inside, she could feel the sorrow and pain and most of all, loneliness that was felt by many. As she made her way through the halls, all empty and pristine with the smell of incense in the air, she couldn’t help see the final moments of Madame Lan and her guard, QingHeng-Jun. What she couldn’t forget where the frightened faces of both children as they watched their parents disappear into dust, as if they never existed in the first place. They must have gotten bored and snuck in there, hoping to find their mother that day. Unlike many before her, Madame Lan tried to push back on their ideals, went against the Gods. The Gods didn’t like change, perhaps why the system never changed was because they never felt the need for change. It wasn’t like they understood human feelings, they were far too detached from them to understand them.


She spent the last hours of the day in the shrine before joining the Lans for dinner. Lan QiRen had left her alone after a while to let her work out the mechanics herself but let her know he is just a shout away with the communication talisman. It was nice that the man was so supportive and even told her that her ideas were brilliant. Now that she was in his good books, she would hate to disappoint him.


So her days ebbed on like this, making cookies for Lan Zhan, training with the disciples, working at the Lan shrine and also refining the sigils so that it can be used without using too much energy. She was also tweaking the communication array so that it can be linked to the wishes. That way, the Oracle wasn’t bound to the shrine. Sure, these changes won’t help her personally but the next Oracle wouldn’t have to struggle like she or the previous ones did.


In terms of things with Su She, it seemed to have settled, he just didn’t visit, not to mention, she only saw him in training with the other disciples. At least he wasn’t shadowing her at the shrine, he must have been warned by Lan QiRen or Lan XiChen. She didn’t think Lan Zhan did so as she never raised it as a huge issue with him, so he wouldn’t have really known about it either.


So, when Su She showed up at the shrine, she was completely blindsighted, pretty surprised to see him there.


“Miss Wei, it’s been awhile.” Su She said as he sauntered up to her.


“Ah, Su-gongzi, it has been awhile indeed. I hope you’ve been keeping well.” she replied, making sure to sound pleasant.


“I’ve been rather busy, Teacher Lan has been putting me up to some intense training, so this one has become more skilled from the last time we met.” he said.


“I’m happy for you, Su-gongzi.” she replied, pretending to tidy up the place.


“Miss Wei, you’re so incredible. Even in your fighting, you’re so skilled. You move as if you’re dancing.” Su She said as he continued to get closer to her.


“Thank you for your praise, Su-gongzi, however, you’ve overpraised me.” she replied.


“Please, there is no need to be so humble, Miss Wei! In fact, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.” he said, tone suddenly getting rather soft, his stance awkward. “The Mid Autumn Festival is upon us soon, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me for the occasion?” he continued.


She had been right, Su She had been honing in on her since day one. She knew she had to put a stop to it right now before it got worse.


“Su-gongzi, that’s awfully kind of you, however, what you feel for me is not what I feel for you. I would hate to lead Su-gongzi on and apologise that I’ve ever given you the wrong assumptions that I have feelings for you.” she said as kindly as possible.


“But Miss Wei! We get on so well!” he cried as he stood before her. “Besides, you and I barely know each other, so who is to know whether you have feelings for me at all until you try?” he asked desperately, getting closer to her.


“Su-gongzi, please. I understand that it pains you to be rejected but I don’t like to lie and play with other people’s feelings.” she said. “No means no.” she said firmly, hoping this will close the case.


“So, the rumours are true, aren’t they? Of course they are!” Su She suddenly snapped. “You really are the witch others say you are!” he laughed bitterly. “A seductress that seduced Wen Chao, Wen Xu and even Jin GuangShan himself! You truly are a disgusting wench! Have you no shame, Wei Ying?” he sneered. “That Wen Xu too! So seduced by you that he was willing to take the pedophilia charge without batting an eye! You really do worm your way through people’s lives!” he cried cruelly.


“Get out.” she said, feeling a rare, cold anger wash through her.


“Fine, fine. I’ll leave. Just glad I dodged a bullet, you stupid witch.” he sneered before making himself scarce.


Comments like these usually didn’t anger her when it came to her. However, her mind couldn’t help but flash back to all the worry and fear she felt for Wen Xu when he had those charges slapped on him. Charges that will no doubt linger on even to this day.


Not to mention, the accusations on how she led Wen Chao on and seduced him made her angry, the time he robbed her of and the disgusting things he did to her replayed in her mind, things she had put behind her.


This anger wouldn’t go, not even when she joined the other disciples for training.


The Lans had a strict training rule that you were not to use your full force to harm the other. This usually made sense to her but today it didn’t at all. Well, she held back when it concerned the others as they did no wrong, she went about her usual, training with them and telling them how they could improve before they bowed respectfully and left.


However, with some luck or maybe no luck at all on Su She’s part, he was selected to be her sparring partner in the ring for demonstrations. When he joined her, she bowed lazily, then went at him with her full strength and abilities, going fast, not holding back, letting her anger out as he feebly tried to block every single one of her blows. However, she was a weapon who had had several different Masters. There was no way someone like Su She who bragged more than trained could best her. Quickly, she hit him in his pressure points, quickly putting him out of commission for the rest of the fight and perhaps for the weeks. It wasn’t until she did so that she finally felt her anger dissipate. She bowed low so that only he could hear her say it.


“I may be a witch but at least I can fight off my opponents, what can you do, Su-gongzi?” she asked pleasantly before standing up and walking off the ring.


She knew she had broken rules and had done wrong, therefore, she handed in her weapon, bowing and thanking, also apologising to the others for her indiscretion and misbehaviour before promptly walking herself over to the ancestral hall of the Lans. She knelt down there, knowing that there will be further punishment, a beating or two for definite.


As much as it felt good, the comments from before still hurt. Unwanted memories of the entire situation with Wen Chao from the year before and recently flooded her mind. Still, she bit her lip to stop herself from completely breaking down, she bit so hard that she drew blood as tears flowed down her cheeks.


Then to top it off, the utter betrayal she felt from Jin GuangShan’s actions stung her further. She trusted him, she loved him, yet, he didn’t love her in an innocent way. The way Madame Jin treated her was correct in a way, she was stealing her husband even if she was unknowingly doing so. She never wanted any of this unwanted attention, why was it her fault that these males were attracted to her?


Quickly though, she found a calm within her after her tears and cleaned herself up. It was in good time too as it didn’t take long before Lan QiRen joined her in the hall. She decided that she needed to cut to the chase before he reprimanded her, after all, she still broke the rules, she had put Su She out of commission for a while too.


“Lan-shifu, I understand that I’ve done wrong, therefore, I am willing to take any punishment you decide is fit for me.” she said quietly, trying to get her voice to sound normal again after her tears.


“You will be copying texts for a whole week.” he said calmly.


“A week? Lan-shifu, I should have known better to fight with my full strength, it wasn’t even allowed. I broke the rules, so I will accept any punishment. Please don’t go easy on me just because of who I am, Lan-shifu.” she said.


She was surprised when he suddenly turned her around, using that very scary Lan strength to hold her in place.


“Did he not make you upset with his words? I know you, A-Xian. You don’t start unnecessary fights. Even back when you were being smart with your mouth, you never had any malice behind those words. Your actions today were different, you were clearly hurt so he must have said something rather awful to you.” he frowned.


“It’s nothing, just something silly. I should have known better to ignore his words.” she muttered, suddenly feeling rather small.


“A-Xian, what did he say to you? Did he harass you again?” he asked.


“He didn’t harass me per say. He asked me out, I rejected it, he took it badly, that was all.” she said, trying not to make it into a big thing.


“You aren’t the type to put someone out of commission over a few words, A-Xian.” Lan QiRen said sternly, not letting her walk out of it.


“He brought up some old scars.” she said. “He brought up Wen Chao, Wen Xu and Jin-shushu.” she continued quietly this time, not dodging his pressing questions as she knew he wouldn’t let it go until she told him.


“So he called you a witch and degraded you, am I correct to believe that?” he asked.


She was surprised, she hadn’t said that and it must have shown on her face as Lan QiRen huffed smugly.


“A-Xian, us Lans have our ways to get answers out of others, don’t you know?”


Lans are truly scary, that was that.


“As for what you did, it wasn’t right but getting angry over such words is normal. In fact, we had been worried, you seemed so nonchalant over your situation, we were beginning to wonder if we needed more intervention but at least you got it out of your system.” he said.


“Y-You’re not angry I broke this rules?” she managed in surprise.


“Mr. Su has been a thorn for a while, now I don’t have to teach him for a few months now, it’s almost a blessing.” he said. “But you didn’t hear those words from me, A-Xian.” he said.


“Now, come have some tea before you start copying the texts.” he said, sternly but Wei Ying knew it was kindly behind the stern exterior.

In the end, she only copied texts for one day, then she was back in the library reading books. Lan QiRen would drop by, give her secret texts they owned. Her time was spent like this, just her reading multiple texts, working through the different challenges that the ancient, antiquated system of the Oracle shrine threw her way.


It was almost done though and luckily, it would be finished before Mid

Autumn Festival.


With Mid Autumn Festival just rolling around the corner, the Lan shrine was a busy place. Word had gotten out that her love divinations were the best and therefore many disciples excitedly hopped up the steps like rabbits as they chattered between them in nervousness as they pleaded with her to tell them their fortunes.


Who knew that these little Lans were just the same as anyone else when it came to love, acting like school children when asking for fortunes, what charms to buy for love. Some are shy and just quietly buy the charms or the incense to help with their love. Some chat up a storm with her about just about anything. Their studies, the weather, some even drop gossip. It was rather sweet actually. It almost felt like the Gods were mocking her, showing her what real life was like beyond her enclosed world of the Oracle.


See what they can have and you don’t? They seem to say.


You don’t even know what you’re missing, it seemed to say.


She ignored the noises, squashing them down like she did whenever the wolves appeared near her. She had strung up a system with talismans and bells to disable them. The bells were to amplify the talisman’s magic, the talisman, loaded with her energy, written in her blood to draw in the wolves then to destroy them, to absorb them.


She was slowly getting used to absorbing them now, therefore she was less tired. Lan QiRen had also been sending the medics to check up on her very week, making sure that she ate a diet filled with nutrition. There were a lot of medicinal soups, one for each meal. Even if the meal didn’t make any sense with her meal, it would be there. Lan XiChen and Lan Zhan had noticed it, Lan Zhan choosing not to query it but Lan XiChen teased it when they were having their quiet lunch sessions together.


The Lans were so kind to her. Lan QiRen and Lan XiChen were frequent visitors at the shrine, always making sure she was alright and that no one was bothering her. To be fair, ever since Su She was put out of commission for months, there was no bother anymore. She didn’t break his bones that day, simply severed his meridians, causing him not to be able to tap into his abilities. Wei Ying had often forgotten how dangerous she was in some ways, she was but a weapon anyway. She was a weapon for the Jiangs, a weapon for the Gods too. If the Gods so willed it, she probably would have to kill the humans at her hand. Luckily, they never asked her to do so. She didn’t know if she can if they asked her. She may have fought against the Gods like Madame Lan did. That image stuck in her mind, how her body disappeared into dust along with her guard who tried to protect her.


No one could escape their fate and no Oracle can go against the Gods.


“If I didn’t know you were the witch you were, I would have mistaken you for some nice young Lan shrine maiden.” a sneering voice said. One that she thought she had left behind in that elaborate gold castle she previously lived in.


“Why are you here.” she said flatly, not even asking him the question, pretending to be busy.


“ZiXuan decided to visit. I just wanted to tag along to see whether you learnt any conservatism with the Lans, that’s all.” he continued smugly. “It seems you’ve learnt to close your legs now, it’s good.” he continued.


“Leave.” she said coldly, not caring for his nonsense today. Inside, she recited the virtue texts that she had copied that day for punishment, after she had put Su She out of commission. Lan QiRen hadn’t punished her thoroughly when she had lost control and attacked Su She but she was certain he wouldn’t overlook it once again. At the end of the day, she was the Oracle, she simply couldn’t lose it all the time.


“How haughty of you! Asking me to leave as if you have any standing in this place! I think you’ve forgotten you’re an outsider! A stray!” he jeered as he got closer, shoving his gross and greasy face at her, his eyes, still the same as he used to stare at her, same as how Wen Chao had looked at her.


He’s so disgusting. So greasy, so slimy.


She stared at how close he was to a stairwell and it how it would so easy to make a panel break or a gust of wind to blow him down said stairwell.


She recited virtue once more.


“Ah, there you are, ZiXun!” cried Meng Yao who had suddenly appeared in their vision. Wei Ying had been so busy fighting with herself that she hadn’t noticed but she did sense him making his way up the stairs.


“ZiXuan is looking for you.” he said.


Wei Ying brightened inside. It would seem that the Jin boys were more accepting of him now. About time, honestly.


“Well, I suppose I should go, it’s not like there’s any good company here anyway.” Jin ZiXun sneered, once again, Wei Ying wanted to hit him or to blow him away.


“ZiXun, you shouldn’t stand so close to the stairwell, it doesn’t looks stable enough.” Meng Yao said, voice laced in concern, eyes full of mischief as he stared at Wei Ying.


Then, a gust of wind, as if hearing Meng Yao’s words, blew and knocked Jin ZiXun down the stairs.


“See what I told you? You should really be more careful, ZiXun!” Meng Yao called as he smirked at Wei Ying who returned a smirk back to him.


“Boy, it sure is windy up here!” Wei Ying exclaimed loudly before dropping her voice quietly, “A-Yao, I’ll be copying virtue for the next month if someone knew.”


“I simply suggested it, A-Ying.” he mused, his face smiling secretly. “And besides, it’s not like you weren’t entertaining that idea.” he continued.


“Thank you, A-Yao.” she smiled gratefully.


“He really is a hypocrite, acts like you’re disgusting when everyone can tell he still has eyes for you.” he said. “I’m just glad you’re here, out of his reach.” he said. “I know you can handle him but I know you didn’t fight him back at Koi Manor because you wanted to avoid Madame Jin’s anger.”


“You know me too well, A-Yao. Are you sure you can’t do divination?” she mused lightly. “Still, it’s so nice to see you.” she said. It’s so nice to see you one last time before I die.

The visit from Jin ZiXuan was actually quite a pleasant one. Whether he did so on his own accord or was convinced by Jiang YanLi, she didn’t know but she was pleased nonetheless even if it meant having to deal with Jin ZiXun. It wasn’t really a problem as this was no longer Koi Manor, she didn’t have to be kind to him. It was a relief honestly. He hasn’t changed, was still looking at her with those eyes he always did, eyes that she now knew nothing good was to happen if they were set upon her. It was a good thing that Meng Yao decided to step in and gave the little suggestion of knocking him down the stairs, it was a relief for her as she didn’t want to cause trouble for the Lans by injuring a visitor. Su She was a different case, he was an internal situation and not a visitor. At least falling down the stairs wasn’t much as Wei Ying cushioned his fall, so it was just an ‘accident’.


Later on, Meng Yao had casually told Lan XiChen over tea and rice cakes about it as if it was something amusing that happened during the day. And in a way it was amusing, at least Lan XiChen thought so anyway, she could see the laughter in his eyes. She was glad that at least one person thought it was alright for her to have acted that way. These details were of course not shared with Lan QiRen, everyone feared his lectures, after all. It was nice to see Meng Yao. She knew for a fact that this was the last time they would see each other. She was going to miss their interactions, his musings and his ambitions. However, she felt glad to know that he would succeed in what he sought out to do. She had felt a shift in his future in the sense of his career. Regardless, it was going to go swimmingly and with the guidance of Lan XiChen as well as Nie MingJue, he would tread on the right path instead of following his father. She was relieved.


She spent a lot of her days training, working hard at the shrine. It was almost a bit futile since her abilities had gotten stronger under Lan QiRen’s tutelage but she wasn’t going to be needing them anytime soon. The way she was to save the world was to die, it didn’t require her fighting anything.


Because of her time spent with Lan QiRen, she felt like- if she could dare say; that they had gotten closer. These days, whenever she showed improvement, he would be there nodding in approval.


“A-Xian learns rather quickly.” he has once remarked, almost in a way that said, “It’s a shame you to die so early.” She definitely didn’t miss the look of sadness in his eyes.


The Lans, she had learnt were emotionless to most who didn’t seem to know them but for those who were more familiar with them- it’s all in their eyes. It was the same with Lan QiRen. There was always a look of pride whenever he looked at his two nephews, with her it was a mix. But it wasn’t her fault, she only felt guilty for building a relationship with him. There were too many days where she felt guilty for deciding to build a relationship with Lan Zhan.


“Er-gege, you’re being all mysterious and everything, are you sure you don’t have darker intentions in mind?” Wei Ying mused as Lan Zhan continued to pull her along by the hand. Despite her words, she went along with it, happily following his steps as he led her to a destination, a mysterious one at that.


“Patience is key.” Lan Zhan replied but there was amusement in his voice.


So, after a while of more mystery and guessing, they finally stopped at a nice spot, LED fairy lights draped all over the place along with LED candles, there was a picnic mat laid down on the ground with cushions as well as food. The food looked like it was freshly placed there.


“Lan Zhan, what’s this?” she asked, rather surprised.


“Wei Ying has been working so hard lately, so I thought Wei Ying can take some time to relax.” her loving boyfriend said.


Lan Zhan was simply the best.


The food was delicious, pickled carrots, beansprouts and beancurd noodles, mixed in with black fungus, drizzled with sesame oil. There was also Dan Dan noodles and Mapo tofu.


“Lan Zhan, there’s nothing for you here to eat! Even the beancurd noodles has chilli oil in them!” she said knowing full well that Lan Zhan’s family didn’t eat spice.


“Can bear with the spice for Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan deadpanned as he picked up some Mapo tofu and scooped it into her bowl.


How did she get so lucky?


“Lan Zhan is too good to me.” she smiled as she laced their fingers together as she learnt against him.


“Anything for Wei Ying.” he said as he ran his fingers through her hair.


“Er-gege, you can’t say words like that or I’ll melt!” she cried as she turned around to face him, only to see his smug looking face. “Lan Zhan!” she huffed as she buried her face in her hands.


The other huffed and took her hands away from her face before something was placed into her hands. She could only stare, in shock and flabbergasted, when did her boyfriend get so smooth?


“La-Lan Zhan, what’s this?” she stammered, flustered as she fumbled to open up the box. Her fingers were like jelly, they were failing her.


As if knowing that she was struggling, he gently held her hand and opened the box in one swift movement.


Inside, was a necklace. It was a beautiful golden pendant in the shape of a lotus flower, but what it would look like when it was hasn’t bloomed. Engraved around it were their constellations, her cats, rabbits and lotus flowers. Everything that she loved. She handled it gently, almost afraid that she would break it if she moved it just a little bit.


“Here.” Lan Zhan said quietly as he took it from her and twisted the bottom a few times before letting go. The flower bud started to blossom and open up as it played a tune. As if having recited the tune over and over before, Lan Zhan started to hum along to it.


She couldn’t help but cry, be emotional. It was such a beautiful present.


“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan’s voice full of concern as he cupped her face.


“Lan- Lan Zhan.” she breathed through her tears.


“It-It was not my intention to hurt Wei Ying.” she heard the other day, afraid he had upset her.


“No.” she breathed. “No, Lan Zhan. You didn’t hurt me.” she continued. “I’m so happy.” she choked through her tears.


“I love it, Lan Zhan.” she said as she leant over and kissed him, closing the gap between them. “Er-gege, I love you!” she cried as she embraced him, pulling him closer.


“I love everything! The engravings, our constellations and the tune!” she sniffed as she wiped her tears away. “It’s a beautiful tune, it sounds so familiar.” she said quietly. “I feel like I’ve heard it before.” It was true, she knew that it wasn’t the tune she always hummed, it was different, yet so familiar.


“You’ll remember in due time, Wei Ying.”


“Put it on for me?” she said softly as she handed the necklace to him.


“Of course.” he replied as he did so.


“I’ll treasure it forever.” she smiled. “I love you so much, Lan Zhan.” she continued. “You have no idea how much this means to me.” she smiled.


The rest of the date was spent cuddling and just having quiet moments together, Lan Zhan’s hands were like glue, stuck to her body at all points. She didn’t blame him though, they had both been so busy lately. Lan Zhan had started helping out with teaching some of Lan QiRen’s classes for experience and Wei Ying had been inside the Oracle chambers, tweaking around with the magical system to get it more up to date. It was strange to spend so many hours in the place that will eventually be her place of passing. Unfortunately though, she wasn’t going to have an easy one. There will be an angry mob, so she couldn’t just choose to quietly pass on.


She was convinced that at this point, the Gods wanted her to choose herself over the humans. She was convinced they were trying to end all of them, however, she wasn’t willing to do such a thing, she wouldn’t let them simply just wipe them all out.


When they arrived back to the Cloud Recesses, it was already late. Yet, when she made a move to return to her room, Lan Zhan still had his hand in hers.


“Lan Zhan,” she said gently before pressing a clean kiss on the other’s lips. “Lan Zhan I need to go to bed now, we’re already out late, if someone caught us, I doubt even you would escape punishment.” she continued.


Lan Zhan said nothing, his hand still gripping hers. There was a look in his eyes, a glint that looked like he was intending on devouring her. Inside, she shivered. Her heart was beating in her chest. She could hear her heartbeat in her eardrums too, the blood rushing there as well.


“Wei Ying can stay in my room tonight.” he said simply and began walking, with his scary arm strength, he easily dragged her along.


“Wait, Lan Zhan- Lan Zhan!” she cried. “We’ll get into trouble, Lan Zhan!” she said as he dragged her along. Instead of stopping, however, he continued walking, pulling her along.


“Lan Zhan!” she frowned.


It was then, Lan Zhan stopped, causing her to smack into the back of him since he had been pulling her with such force. Instead of letting go though, she found his hand pressed against her mouth.


“Shh, someone will hear, Wei Ying.” he said as he pressed his hand tighter around her mouth, making it impossible for her to speak. There was also an air of smugness in his voice. She felt his other hand now pressed against his back before feeling herself lose control of her mobility. When she went to make a noise of surprise, she noticed that she couldn’t, in fact, she lips were sealed. Then, she felt herself scooped into his arms, carried bridal style. Her heart was pounding as she had rarely seen this side of Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan who was always so proper and collected was suddenly inappropriately forcing her to go to his room with him. If it were anyone else, she doubted she would just let them so easily, no. She knew that if it had been anyone else, her guard wouldn’t be down like this.This wild side of Lan Zhan’s has only appeared once or twice but this was the most bold he had been.


When they finally arrived in his room, he set her down gently on his bed and undid whatever spell he had put on her lips.


“Ai, Lan Zhan! When did you get so naughty? Who corrupted my good, upstanding Lan boy, hm?” she said, realising that he hadn’t undid the spell that force her limbs in place.


“Wei Ying did.” he said, capturing his lips with hers.


“Aiya, Lan Zhan! What happened to waiting till we were old enough, hm?” she said when he eventually pulled away, from the kiss.


“I will wait.” he replied simply as he cupped her face with his hand, if she wasn’t frozen in place, she would have leant her head into his palm.


“Lan Zhan, I can’t sleep here in my day clothes! I haven’t even taken a shower yet. I’m dirty and you’ve put me in your bed!” she huffed.


“I will get Wei Ying’s clothes, if Wei Ying is willing to stay here for the night.” he said.


“Fine, I promise I won’t leave.” she said. “But Lan Zhan, maybe I should come with you, it doesn’t seem right asking you to bring my underwear over.” she said, feeling her cheeks heat up and she pretty much mumbled the words ‘my underwear’. However, instead of being scandalised by those words, Lan Zhan instead pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.


“Not shameful at all.” he said before leaving the room, leaving her sitting on his bed helplessly.


He only undid what she learnt was the body locking spell when she promised that she wasn’t going to run after he undid it. It was odd, being held captive by your own boyfriend but in an odd way, she didn’t hate it. She liked this bold side of Lan Zhan’s. So that was how she ended up taking a shower in Lan Zhan’s ensuite. When she put on her underwear, she could feel herself flushing, knowing that he had held her panties in his hand.


When she walked outside, she was towel drying her hair, feeling a bit awkward being in her nightgown in front of Lan Zhan. She never thought he would see her like this at some point in her life. But she didn’t hate it, in fact, when he took her hand and led her over to a chair, she complied. It wasn’t until she felt a gentle tugging in her hair that she realised he was working in oils and combing it.


“Lan Zhan! Stop spoiling me!” she whined when he carried on doing so, however, he ignored her cries and instead, moved on to drying her hair when he was done combing it.


No one had ever dried her hair for her, not as an adult, anyway. A very long time ago, Jiang YanLi had done so. However, when Madame Yu found out, that was promptly stopped. Having someone else dry her hair made her feel warm inside, almost bringing back memories. In fact, she almost fell asleep had Lan Zhan not gently said, “Wei Ying, I’m done now.” Then he carried her over to his bed, setting her down in it once again.


“Feel free to sleep, I’ll go take my shower now.” he said before planting a kiss on her forehead.


“No, I’m going to wait for Er-gege.” she whined.


There was soft huff before the other left the room.


When he returned, Wei Ying was still awake, despite feeling tired. She decided she would return the favour and dry his hair. So, she sat him down on the same chair he had sat her on and did the same, drying his hair with the hairdryer and enjoying how soft his hair was. She was convinced that Lan Zhan looked beautiful no matter when. It took less time to dry his hair, of course. He had shorter hair after all.


She found herself climbing onto this lap and kissing him, it wasn’t just him that was crazy about her, she, like him was addicted. She wondered how she could ever leave his side, yet, she knew deep down that she couldn’t choose her own happiness over others’ wellbeing. As she kissed him, she could feel his arms around her, once again, his hands had found their way on her rear, however, she still let out a cry of surprise when he squeezed it. She heard him huff in amusement before standing up with her arms still around his shoulders and her legs around him.


It was interesting that Lan Zhan always targeted her rear, Wen Chao in the past had always fondled her chest. She had always pegged herself as one that didn’t enjoy sexual advances, didn’t feel the desire. However, Lan Zhan’s touches had awakened something in her. It was then, she had decided - she would give her innocence to him on Mid-Autumn.

 

When she woke up, the rays of sunlight were gently shining on her. Last night’s memories still fresh on her mind. They had fallen asleep, she cuddled still around him. It would seem that he had managed to pry her from him in the morning. Lan Zhan was always an early riser. Of course, she rose early enough already but not the scary Lan hours. They had been gracious and kind and let her slowly get used to the scary hours and now she was just an hour off from her boyfriend’s awakening time. As she looked, she found her day clothes placed neatly on a chair, folded too. She smiled fondly as she hurriedly pulled on the clothes, hoping she would make it in time for breakfast with him.


She had been lucky and managed to catch him in time. In fact, all of them were there, breakfast hadn’t been served yet.


“Good morning, Shufu, XiChen-ge and Lan Zhan.” she beamed as she sat down next to Lan Zhan.


“Good morning, A-Xian. I hope you slept well.” Lan XiChen said as he smiled at her.


She smiled and was about to reply.


“Mm, Wei Ying slept well.” Lan Zhan replied shamelessly as he took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.


She couldn’t help but flush, hoping it wasn’t going to show at all. However, she knew that it indeed did show as Lan QiRen made a throat clearing noise and Lan XiChen giving them what was close to a smirk. She had some sinking feeling that the information will make its way to Meng Yao and Nie MingJue’s ears and eventually Nie HuaiSang.


Luckily, they were saved by the food coming and never before was she so glad that there was no talking during meals allowed.

Her relationship with Lan QiRen developed further when she was reading one day during her break time, going through more texts at the Lan library. She found a calm solace in reading. Perhaps it was the Cloud Recesses’ appeal itself but it was comfortable to be surrounded by silence and the noise of nature.


“It’s a hot day, A-Xian. Make sure you’re not reading the entire time in the sun.” Lan QiRen said as he set down some sugarcane juice next to her.


“Thank you, Shufu.” she smiled as she picked up the drink gratefully.


“Commendable reading choice, A-Xian.” he said as he sat next to her.


If she had been told that she would be casually sitting and drinking sugarcane juice with Lan QiRen in the future, past her would laugh and think the person was joking with her. She was happy that she could find a middle-ground with the man in the end and a mentor as well. He seemed to pick up on her moods and would prompt her when he felt concerned but generally, he would wait for her to come to him with the problems she had. Today was no different.


“Something has been bothering you lately, A-Xian.” he said pointedly.


“Shufu is too observant.” she said quietly.




“Shufu, I don’t think it was a whimsical decision that the Gods chose me to be their next Oracle.” she began. “It’s been bothering me for a while now.” she continued. “I used to ask them why, used to wonder why they didn’t choose Jiang Cheng instead of me, however, now I’m certain I know why.” she said.


“I think they chose me because I would have the credentials to end this world.” she stated. “Not because I’m powerful, no. It’s because of my start in life and how others treated me. I believe they threw all these conditions at me because they want me to make the decision for my own self preservation.” she continued.


“But I won’t let them. Humans are capable of kindness. Where there is evil, there is also kindness. After all, I’ve experienced it myself.” she smiled.


“I won’t let them destroy this world.”


“I’m pleased that you would walk the kind and righteous path, A-Xian. But I can’t help but selfishly wish you would choose the latter to make yourself happy. However, I know you aren’t the kind to place your own happiness before others.” the other man replied, a solemn look on his face.


“I’m no saint, Shufu. Please don’t ever remember me as one.” she said. “In fact, please remember me as your troubled student, the one who wouldn’t stop being a nuisance. The one who asks far too many questions.” she smiled.


“I will remember you as such but I will also remember you as my kind, brave niece-in-law, the one who loved my nephew dearly too.” he answered. “You will be missed but you are loved, A-Xian.”

 

She found herself humming that tune whenever she was cleaning as well as doing any task at the shrine. She hummed it whenever she could, when she was tweaking with the Oracle shrine’s magical system, reading or just idling watching the view, even when she was showering, she hummed it. Of course, she would also hum the song that her parents left behind too, both of them made her happy. However, the one that played in the locket was different since it was a different sort of love.


She really loved him.


It hurt so much to know that she would never get to make a life with him.


“A-Xian, you seem to be humming a different song than usual lately.” Lan XiChen’s kind, soft voice cut through her thoughts. He had a knowing smile on his face, as if he had known what it was about.


“Yes, I am.” she said happily. “Do you know where it came from, XiChen-ge? I asked Lan Zhan but he told me that I’d remember it soon.” she said. “But I don’t remember.” she sighed.


“No, I’m unaware of what that tune might be but I’m sure you’ll remember soon, A-Xian.” Lan XiChen smiled.


“Ai, XiChen-ge, it’s useless! You know what my memory is like! And that Lan Zhan! He’s so mean! He knows I have a terrible memory, yet he chooses to keep me in such mystery!” she sighed, pouting.


Lan XiChen laughed in response. “Ah yes, WangJi can be incredibly stubborn and petty when he wants to be.” he mused. “It seems that you bring out that side in him too.” he continued. “Though, I think it’s nice to see him act differently, he’s so happy around you, A-Xian.” he added.


If you had known what’s going to come next, will you be pleased with me? She thought quietly to herself.


“It’s quiet today, A-Xian. Come, take a stroll with me, won’t you?” Lan XiChen smiled. “I won’t tell Uncle.” he said with a teasing look in his eyes.


“You better not!” Wei Ying chirped before following him.


Whenever it was quiet, Lan XiChen would ask her to spend time with him. It was nice, it definitely took away the long hours of waiting for someone to show up at the shrine. The Lan shrine was always quieter. She felt like perhaps others were a little bit afraid to visit it and because the Cloud Recesses was still a boarding school of sorts for many disciples, usually, the people who visited the shrine were students, meaning it was only busy after hours of classes or during break time.


It was then, a question came to her mind. Why did Lan XiChen and Lan Zhan not stay within the walls of the Cloud Recesses to study? After all, it would have been much easier and they wouldn’t even need to use the magic link to help travel to the school they attended.


“XiChen-ge, if you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t Shufu keep you here to study instead of sending you to the school we all attended?” she asked.


“Ah, that is a long story, A-Xian.” Lan XiChen answered, a bit too grimly for her liking. “Follow me.” he said as he began walking up a set of stairs.


As she followed him, she realised that she’s never seen this part of the Cloud Recesses before. Then again, she didn’t dare to go venturing out as it was a pretty big place so she avoided it for fear of randomly getting lost. She had a tendency to wander to she probably would get lost and the Lans would have to send a search party after her.


Besides, she had been far too busy tweaking the magical system and also studying the texts in the library that exploration was the last thought in her mind. She wanted to learn the most she could about the history of the Oracle and it did help that Lan QiRen gave her separate lessons on it. This was kept a secret, of course. She knew for a fact that Lan XiChen and Lan Zhan were sharp and would pick up immediately if they had known about the extra lessons that she partook in.


“Here we are, A-Xian.” Lan XiChen said before stopping in front of a small house, gentians grew around the cottage. It was a beautiful and serene scene. She couldn’t help but notice that the flowers that grew there looked like the ones on the hairpin that belonged to their mother.


“Here is?” she asked, despite pretty much knowing the answer.


“I doubt that WangJi has told you about our mother.” he said quietly, the happiness he had in his voice now completely gone.


“No, he hasn’t. I also won’t pry unless he chooses to tell me.” she replied.


“This cottage is her favourite place, her special place.” he said. “Since your brother, Jiang WanYin is the Oracle, I won’t hide the fact that our mother was the previous Oracle. Despite her duties, she would always sneak out here to spend time in this cottage, spend time with my Father and us, her sons.” he said, his voice still quiet.


“Those memories are the best memories I’ve had.” he said. “And I’m sure that WangJi feels the same. No, I know he feels the same.” he continued, his voice so quiet in the crisp air, so sad sounding.


“If it hurts too much, you don’t need to tell me further, XiChen-ge.” she said quietly.


“No, I would like to tell you as you are part of our family now, A-Xian.” he replied before walking up that path to get closer to the house.


“The world always needed her and she worked so hard, so tirelessly. However, when she was done, she would sneak away to spend quite nice with us and Father. Uncle would also be included too.” he continued. “We were such a happy family but the Gods required her to serve them, only them. In the end, they decided to make her pay for her defiance and unfortunately, WangJi and I had to witness it.” he continued as he opened the door to the simple cottage, stepping in.


Wei Ying followed him inside, admiring the quaint little house. It was as if the place was frozen in time, it still looked so homely, papers and books were still on the desk as if waiting for someone to come back to read them. There was even a book left on the desk.


“They killed my Father too because he tried to protect her.” he continued quietly. “We only had Uncle left.”


Inside, she was in pain, remembering the memories she saw through Madame Lan’s hairpin. Feeling her pain and anguish of being separated from her sons, being cut off from living a normal life.


As if she hadn’t felt enough, she dared to tap into the memories of this little house. She saw memories of Madame Lan happily dancing with a stoic faced Lan Zhan, teasing him and laughing at him whenever he pouted at her. How she read to both Lan XiChen and Lan Zhan, how she sang her two boys to sleep. How she loved her husband and spent time with him, how she celebrated life with Lan QiRen too. She could feel it all, the pain, the happiness, the regret, the comfort, the forlornness and the togetherness. She had to fight back her tears that threatened to flow.


“Uncle decided that we should attend the school other Sects attended to take our mind off of the situation. He didn’t want us to feel trapped inside our home like our Mother and also Father did. Then, WangJi met you and you became his beacon, you made him happy.” he said.


“I-I became his beacon?” she asked quietly.


“You told him that his parents were in the stars and that he can always see them in the sky.” Lan XiChen replied.


She flushed.


Oh, Wei WuXian, why do you say such embarrassing things? she chided herself.


“Ai, it’s so like Lan Zhan to remember something silly young me said!” she sighed. “I apologise for my words, XiChen-ge. They were silly words.” she continued quickly in embarrassment.


“No, A-Xian. They weren’t silly words. I think they were lovely words and your kindness helped him heal from his experience. You should never take how much you help others lightly. I know for a fact that you didn’t just help WangJi come out of his shell. Da-ge has given you credit for how A-Sang was able to become the confident person he is today.” he said.


“Ah, it’s nothing. I just don’t like seeing others sad.” she mumbled.


Lan XiChen huffed lightly. “Look at you, when others compliment you, you don’t know what to do with yourself.”


“It doesn’t feel right.” she replied.


“Then we need to keep complimenting you, A-Xian.” he mused.


It seemed like everyone liked to tease her.

 

 

It was reaching late afternoon when they made their way down the path. Soon, the students would be queuing to get their fortunes read or their good luck charms. Wei Ying enjoyed reading their fortunes, found them all so cute. It was always about their studies, rarely love.


“Thank you for sharing such an important part of your life as well as Lan Zhan’s with me, XiChen-ge.” she said, a smile on her face.


“It’s fine, A-Xian. I know that WangJi wouldn’t have told you unless you asked him.” Lan XiChen smiled weakly.


The rest of the walk was quiet, she took in the scenery, feeling an odd clarity of mind, her mind still replaying the memories she had seen. She was thankful that Lan XiChen had decided to she was part of their family, however, she couldn’t help but wonder if he would hate her if he had known that she was going to repeat the same tragedy, except this time, one of them would be left behind.


She looked into the distance, feeling the comfortable air around her, feeling at peace, almost being lulled into a false sense of security.


However, it was short-lived by both her and Lan XiChen stiffening up. There was a spike of darkness in the air, a spike of anguish and hate. Then, Lan XiChen was suddenly standing in front of her, crying, “Run, A-Xian! I’ll hold them off!”


The shadow wolves were now upon them, trying to bite Lan XiChen as he fended them off. However, Wei Ying did not do as she was told for she knew that only she could cleanse them. Besides, there were far too many, so much more than the initial she had seen.


Day by day there were more and more of them and they were morphing past being wolves at this point.


The only good thing was that they were back at the shrine, meaning the array she had set up to protect the area was up. So, without thinking she charged up the area with her energy, tapping into the array before absorbing the energy into her.


“A-Xian!” she heard the other cry out in shock and surprise.


But before she could hope to reply or explain her case, she found herself losing consciousness once again.

 

The crowd was angry, it was roaring, they were yelling for her to burn.

 

For her to be killed.

 

Their angry faces, all boring into her.

 

The man she knew, loved and adored riling up the crowd.

 

They were yelling, they were saying-

 

“A-Xian!” was the first thing she heard when she came to.

 

She made a noncommittal sound, showing that she was awake but barely. Oh, she felt so groggy, so tired.

 

“XiChen, no need to fret, the healers said she was fine. Just a bit of overexertion of her energy, that’s all.” Lan QiRen’s voice cut in.

 

“Uncle, how can I not worry? She was out for a day.” Lan XiChen replied.

 

“I-I was out for a day?” she managed, finally waking up.

 

“Yes, I’m surprised that WangJi could even be persuaded to go to his classes.” Lan XiChen replied.

 

“I’m awake now, XiChen-ge. The crisis is averted.” she smiled. “I think I overdid the purifying spell, that’s all.” she laughed lightly, feigning sheepishness.

 

“That was dangerous, A-Xian! You should have listened to me.” Lan XiChen sighed.

 

“What’s important is that the crisis is averted now and we should probably leave A-Xian to rest a bit longer and have some time to herself before WangJi comes home and hovers over her like a mother hen.” Lan QiRen said.

 

“Yes, you are correct, Uncle. Forgive me for getting too concerned.” Lan XiChen said before leaving the room.

 

“I’m sorry.” Wei Ying said quietly when she was sure that Lan XiChen wasn’t there.

 

“A-Xian, it’s not your fault.” Lan QiRen said. “You knew that if you had allowed him to fight them, it wouldn’t end well.” he continued.

 

“He could have found out, I should have thought of another way.” she said quietly as she gripped the sheets in front of her. “I don’t wish to bring this tragedy upon them, it hurts me that they will have to re-live it.” she continued.

 

“Shufu, if you wish for me to leave, I will. I will disappear quietly so they don’t have to know when I leave one day.” she said.

 

However, there was a hand placed on her shoulder.

 

“No. My nephews are strong, they will understand, A-Xian. Spend the rest of your days happy rather than hiding. They would want that for you and I would too.” Lan QiRen said.

 

“But there isn’t much time left.” she said quietly.

 

“The more reason to spend every moment you can enjoying your life.” he replied.

 

Time flies when you’re having fun, a wise person once said and for Wei Ying, time indeed flew.

 

For her, each hour, each minute, each second flew for her. It was almost crazy for her how unstopping time was for anyone. If she had more time or just one more day, she would decide to fit more things in there.

 

In a blink of an eye, it was Mid Autumn already. Lanterns decorated the air. Even The Cloud Recesses with all its strictness and stiffness took on a lighthearted air, allowed their students to decorate it with lanterns. Wei Ying had helped decorate, of course.

 

“You’re so lucky, A-Xian.” Lan XiChen had said. “Uncle seemed to have taken a laxer approach this year, so A-Xian gets to spend a cheerful Mid Autumn.”

 

Ever since the incident, things had gotten awkward on her end. She felt like Lan XiChen knew something, suspected something. But he respected her enough to not pry it out of her. He did however once say to her, “You know that whatever troubles you, A-Xian, you can share it with me, right?”

 

This family was too good to her, indulging her.

 

If she had more time, she would have gone and visited the Nies, spent time with the Wens, especially with Wen-popo. She regretted that she was unable to even say goodbye to her in person. The Lans were determined in monitoring her health, worried about the drugs that she had unknowingly drank that day. They weren’t wrong, the amount she was given should have killed her. She wondered if Jin GuangShan had done that knowing that she was so immune that it would take a lot to take it down or did he not care whether she lived or not that night? Unbeknownst to all parties though, she was the Oracle. Drugs would not kill her. Her death was decided by a higher power.

 

Over the weeks, she had been pondering what the song Lan Zhan hummed was still, unable to recall it. It didn’t matter, at least she can go to her grave with two beautiful tunes. She can at least die knowing that she was once loved like she loved those around her. After everything that has happened, she was grateful for what she received. She was grateful for the love she had received. Whether it was the odd brother-sister relationship she had with Wen Xu or how the Lans treated her like their family or how the side branch of the Wen family still asked after her, still video called her. Or the Nies who had always looked out for her, she was grateful for it all, she couldn’t have asked for more.

 

In all her fifteen years, she had lived well, lived happily, so there were no regrets in her life.

 

So, as her final day of freedom and feeling alive reared its head, she felt oddly at peace. She did the usual, just tidying the shrine, finalised her settings on the Oracle shrine, leaving behind instructions of how to operate it with Lan QiRen and chose the clothes she was going to wear for the event.

 

One thing she was grateful for was being able to see her best friend and his brother, who is basically another brother to her at this point. The Lans had invited the Nies around. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was Lan QiRen’s doing. Because of this though, she could spend her free time with Nie HuaiSang and he had decided that he was doing her hair tonight.

 

She treasure that moment dearly.

 

“You’re awfully quiet today, Wei-jie.” Nie HuaiSang mused. “Aiyo, could it be that staying here has quietened you down significantly?” he mock gasped.

 

She laughed. “No such thing! I’m just enjoying some quality time with my best friend.” she smiled. “It’s been so long.” she said.

 

“You do seem to be doing rather well. Da-ge was saying how well you did during your sparring earlier, he was so proud!” HuaiSang mused.

 

“Well, I’m glad.” she said.

 

“You know, if there’s something bothering you, you can tell me, right?” Nie HuaiSang said as he sat down next her.

 

It would seem like she had been giving it away, too obvious. Everyone seemed to picking up something wasn’t right.

 

“Of course, you’re my best friend.” she smiled. “And I’m glad to have a best friend like you, HuaiSang. I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting lately since the Cloud Recesses does have that effect on you and well… I just think I’m so lucky. Okay, maybe not in everything but I couldn’t ask for more.” she smiled. “You’ve all treated me so well, I couldn’t be happier.” she continued.

 

It felt good to finally admit it.

 

“I think you need to spend a week back at our house, no. Scratch that. A month! You’ve been doing far too much reflecting! What is that Lan WangJi feeding you? Herbal soup?” Nie HuaiSang cried.

 

“Mm. A month at yours sounds great.” she said. If only there was more time.

 

“Anyways, I will leave you be now, you have to prepare for your big date!” Nie HuaiSang teased.

 

“I think it’s about time you go find someone too, HuaiSang.” she laughed. “Would you like me to tell you about your love life?” she teased.

 

“No thanks, I’d like that to be kept in mystery!” her best friend mused before leaving her.

 

Tonight she was dressed in a pink ruqun, the under-layer was white, red ties secured the ruqun on. She couldn’t help admire the dainty silks that hung as sleeves on her. She almost felt ethereal wearing it. Her hair was also secured with hair pins. Most of it was tied back with a ribbon, but HuaiSang had plaited and pinned some sections up with the hairpins. The necklace Lan Zhan had given her was safely secured round her neck and the earrings that were given to her by Wen-popo, turned into simple lotus flowers that matched the necklace.

 

HuaiSang had also given her a soft makeup look to bring a sort of softness to go with the outfit brought. She enjoyed every moment of it, being able to dress with in such beautiful silks.

 

They had arranged to meet down at the docks and that’s what they did.

 

When she got there, Lan Zhan, her Lan Zhan stared at her with those beautiful eyes of his. She could feel an aching inside.

 

How could she ever leave him?

 

“Wei Ying looks beautiful tonight.” Lan Zhan, her good Lan Zhan had said as he took her into his arms. If she could give him the world, she would.

She spent time with everyone, lighting lanterns, playing with glow sticks, reliving being a child again. She couldn’t help but remember those nights at Lotus Pier. She couldn’t help but wonder how they all were.

 

When the time for the lanterns came, she happily sat with Lan Zhan, writing down her wishes, musing that she even thought to write wishes. Dead people don’t need wishes.

 

Still, she indulged in it, wished everyone well. It was to the point where she ran out of space to write. Unlike her, Lan Zhan, forever the composed and collected person only wrote a simple line. She didn’t read it, she couldn’t bring herself to for she knew what it said.

 

“Okay, Er-gege, we have to release them together!” she chirped as they held up their lanterns.

 

“Mm.” he replied simply.

 

Three.

 

Two.

 

One.

 

The lanterns floated into the air, flying parallel to each other, then they started to drift apart.

 

“Ai, look at my lantern, misbehaving as usual.” she mused, not wanting anything to indicate her fate, their fate.

 

Instead of saying anything, she saw Lan Zhan throw a small pebble at his lantern, causing it to bump into hers, now they were floating together.

 

“I will always catch up to Wei Ying, will always catch Wei Ying.” he said as he pulled her close to him. She leant in for a kiss, completely enchanted by him.

 

Lan Zhan is such a beautiful person, inside and out. Did he ever realise that? When his parents were taken away from him, he could have been bitter to the Gods. He could have become a cold and twisted person, yet, Lan Zhan was kind, warm and gentle. Despite others seeing him as aloof, he truly cared deep inside.

 

It was such a flurry what happened next. One moment they were kissing in the lantern light, away from prying eyes. Next moment they were in Lan Zhan’s room, passionately exchanging kisses as if they never needed air to begin with. The hairpins in her hair were now carelessly scattered on the ground but she didn’t care. Tonight was the last night and she was determined to give him everything she could.

 

The air was hot and full of flurry as they carried on exchanging kisses. She was pulling his clothes off of him while he had started doing the same while putting his hands all over her body. Then, she was beneath him as he pinned her down onto the bed, biting into her neck.

 

The red ties holding her ruqun up was yanked off, causing the fabric to slide down. This was it, this was what she wanted, she wanted him so badly.

 

Laboured breaths.

 

Then a pause.

 

“I cannot, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan breathed suddenly, his eyes looking guilty. “I apologise, I said that I would wait.” he continued.

 

“Yet, I’m here tempting you.”

 

The moment was gone now, she knew as much and she knew why he had stopped.

 

“Wei Ying, please don’t misunderstand… I find you enticing but I can’t.” he said.

 

“It’s alright, Lan Zhan. I understand.” she smiled, even though full of sadness and regret. “You’re so good to me, Lan Zhan.” she said, gently.

 

“Please stay the night, Wei Ying.” he pleaded, as if afraid she would leave him because he didn’t go the full way.

 

So, she did.

 

 

“Wei Ying, please understand that I just wanted to wait.” Lan Zhan said when she had set down the tea on the table in front of the bed.

 

“Lan Zhan, are you still thinking about what happened earlier?” she smiled. Lan Zhan was so sweet, so kind.

 

“Mm. I let Wei Ying down.” he said.

 

“No, you’re right. We are far too young.” she said as she snuggled into his chest, enjoying the closeness they shared. “Lan Zhan, I’m not upset.” she reassured.

 

There was a soft breath, a relieved breath.

 

“Am glad Wei Ying understands.” he said as he kissed her.

 

She kissed him back, enjoying the closeness, the passion, the want.

 

If it was another life, they would be happy together.

 

Then, it was bedtime. She watched the person she loved so dearly, not quite yet a man yet but too old to be a child. Her Lan Zhan, her good Lan Zhan.

 

She watched as he emptied his teacup and snuggled into his arms happily as sleep took him. Then finally, she watched as he fell asleep.

 

When she was sure that the drug had worked, she got changed and took off her necklace, not wanting it to be destroyed in what was to come. She can only hope selfishly that he wouldn’t hate her for leaving it behind.

 

Then, with tears in her eyes, she bent down, gently kissing him one last time before turning her heel and leaving.

Notes:

So, how's everyone holding up? There's one more chapter to go.

Chapter 13: Supernova ~ 新星

Notes:

Whelp, here we go. It's the final chapter! Honestly, thank you for all your support and nice comments!

Thank you for coming on this wild ride with me and for the final time, thisplaylist is to set the mood for this fic.

Sneaking out of The Cloud Recesses was a bit more challenging than she had taken into account, but she managed anyway. It was a good thing that she was just the kind to mess around and climb rooftops of buildings with ancient history behind them. When she felt that she was far away enough, she decided to enjoy the scenery before her, staring up at the round moon that glowed in the sky. As she stood there, enjoying the night breeze, taking in her surroundings and fresh air, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would be part of the sky when she finally completed her duty. Would they let her be at least that?


It was so peaceful, far too peaceful for what was to be the last moments of her own freedom, her visions and dreams had cemented this in her mind, after all. She was ready for it, prepared for it. After all, she had had enough of her freedom and fun already, she had ignored her duties for far too long, so it was time to pay it back in blood, just like they had wanted and planned it to be.


It was a shame it had to end this way, it was a shame after she had had the time to study more texts and had more ideas that she had to leave so quickly, but she knew she had to leave this world without any attachments. This was why she had chosen it to be like this, if Lan Zhan were there with her, she wouldn’t know if she could complete her task.


Lan Zhan…


She loved him dearly, she couldn’t help but think back to his sleeping face as she said a quiet goodbye, feeling terrible that she had drugged his tea. However, she knew that if he had known what she was about to do, he would never let her leave. He would assure her that there was another way. She felt awful that his life was so tragic. Losing both parents to the Gods, then his lover becomes a sacrifice for the Gods. If she could choose, she would have taken his feelings for her away, then it would have been fine, then she wouldn’t have to worry about how he lived his daily life without her. She knew he would be the type to keep looking for a trace of her, never giving up his pursuit until his last breath. She felt so selfish for deciding to listen to her heart instead. She clearly didn’t think it through when she professed her feelings for him and accepted his. Yet, she couldn’t say she regretted it. Her only regret is not being able to wake up the next morning and find him in his study, reading his books as he always did. She would miss him asking whether she slept well and whether she had had breakfast yet. She would miss the quiet moments they spent together and the other ones where she sparred with him. Those were the moments that made her feel alive.


She would very much miss being alive, breathing and knowing she existed.


After all, her existence would soon fade away as if there was nothing there to begin with. It wasn’t like she wanted to be world-renowned, she just wanted those she loved to remember her fondly, to have something to remember her by, but they wouldn’t. Not even a strand of hair would be left behind when she died. This was the cold truth of being the Oracle, your body couldn’t be allowed to exist in the world. It would harm the mortals after all.


She wondered if others had this opportunity and whether they would consider being chosen as the Oracle to be an honour. She had an inkling that they would have decided that it wasn’t, that it was a curse instead. She herself felt nothing. Her life hadn’t been smooth sailing from the start, so naturally, Wei Ying didn’t have many thoughts about it. Sure, she disagreed with the Gods in some ways, however, she still would do her duty. If the blood in her veins was enough to calm the fiery anger they felt then let it be.


So with this decision, she slowly made her way further away from Lan territory.

She encountered the mob just a bit off from the Lan region. She was glad that she had managed to travel far enough so that they wouldn’t storm The Cloud Recesses. Such beautiful architecture should be protected and so should their amazing library. Years and years of records noted down. Her last months spent in the library and in the study halls had taught her more than she needed to know. She had only wished she had this knowledge earlier. It was inevitable that she would be denied of this knowledge for the Gods had long decided her fate.

 

As she made her way down the dirt path, still clad in the Lan robes she had grown accustomed to, she saw the lit talismans carried by the crowd of men who had come to take her away. As she took in the sight around her, she couldn’t help but wonder if the unfortunate victims of those who were accused to be witches saw a similar sight - those angry and solemn faces staring back at her, out for blood. The difference was that she had heavily anticipated this day and had willingly chosen this. She knew she couldn’t escape this fate.

 

“Jin-shushu.” she said quietly as she greeted the man that was at the front of the mob. Despite seeing the scene in her mind over and over again, she was still surprised that he had actually decided to come with the rest of them as he wasn’t the type of person to lead a crowd up front. He was more of someone that worked from the shadows, whispering ideas into others’ ears.

 

“You needn’t bring such a big crowd. I never intended to run from any of this.” she continued calmly as she walked towards the crowd who brought up their swords defensively as if in fear that she would retaliate.

 

“A-Xian, you’ve been such a naughty girl. You’ve lied the whole time to me. If I had known who you truly were, I would have known that you had the ability to enchant hearts… I would have avoided you.” the man said coldly as he waved a hand, signalling for his men to come forward.

 

“I never wanted to trick you, Jin-shushu.” she replied simply, holding out her hands to show that she didn’t intend to fight back. Despite this, the men grabbed her roughly, one held her in place while the other chained her wrists together. Then she was led away, thrown over someone’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The journey had been rough. They had chosen to walk her the whole way. At one point, they had yanked the shoes off of her feet, forcing her to walk barefoot the rest of the journey instead. When they stopped for a rest, she wasn’t given any water or food. Sleep was also denied, if she fell asleep, someone would pour cold water on her to wake her up. However, Wei Ying said nothing, didn’t complain and bore with the pain. This angered them so they chose to make her journey there more difficult instead. But as the earth shook, they were reminded how close the time was, so they wordlessly dragged her into the portal for the courtroom instead.

 

“I would like to thank everyone today for joining me in this siege.” Jin GuangShan began as he stood in the middle of the platform, his eyes falling upon the crowd that gathered in front of them as Wei Ying sat inside a glass box with golden reinforced edges, a fancy cage really. Her wrists, secured behind her back with chains while her ankles were secured together, a metal collar attached to her neck with chains secured to it like a leash. In the glass box, she felt entirely exposed as they had changed her clothes. Clothes that were more fitting for a sacrifice apparently. She didn’t see how something that was closer to a courtesan’s dance outfit was considered closer to what a sacrifice should wear, but it wasn’t like she could argue with that logic. They had insisted that they had a trial for her, despite the verdict to be unanimously guilty. It was as if in their rage, they had forgotten their impending doom and that the world was falling apart for them. Nevertheless, they stared at her, their eyes were all boring into her, their gazes, hateful. Yet, she wasn’t bothered, she wasn’t afraid. Her only regret was not giving Lan Zhan another kiss before she vanished from his world.

 

This was the scene that had played again and again in her mind when she saw her visions. She felt calm, not worried. She only hoped that this was enough to save them all.

 

Were the Gods appeased by this? Or did she do something wrong?

 

“You are invited here today to this council as we have to decide what to do with this witch that has been lying to all of us all this time.” the man who once treated her like a daughter said. “As we all know, the wishes that we wish had fallen on deaf ears for years now. Now, I know that there hasn’t been an Oracle since the last one sadly passed, but we all knew there was a new one living amongst us all these years. Little did we know, this Oracle of ours not only neglected her duties to live a happy life, but she had allowed our world to crumble around us, threatening our lives.” he continued.

 

The crowd roared. Some ordered for her to be punished, and some ordered her to be killed. All in all, they all wanted her in harm’s way.

 

“Our specialists have been warning us a few months now, plagued with visions of our world ending, begging us to seek out the one causing our calamity. We were told that we must offer the traitor up as a sacrifice. Luckily, the Gods are on our side and have helped us find the one who betrayed us. I must say, the Gods have been treating us poorly. Giving us two Oracles in a row who would dare betray us for their own ambitions.” said the man.

 

While he was spouting those words, Wei Ying couldn’t help but think about the pure irony and hypocrisy of the man. He had in fact caused this calamity in a way. He had whispered in the previous Oracle’s ear, causing her to put her devotion somewhere else, making a misjudgement. That misjudgement had caused her sons to lose both of their parents that day. That misjudgement had caused the Gods to abandon them, to be angered and decided to punish the humans along with their Oracle. Slowly, the mask the man wore slipped from his face, showing him as the conniving man he truly was. Now she understood the rumours, the murmurs and the disdain on both Madame Yu and Madame Jin’s faces. Now she realised how foolish she was, blindly looking at him as a kind man who loved her. She was nothing but an object to him, a possession, something that he was eventually going to use to release his lustful deeds upon. She now realised that as soon as she had entered through the doors of his residence, she had been doomed to be trapped by him. He would have kept her for his own amusement until he grew tired of her, much like how Meng Yao’s mother was or even Madame Jin. She felt stupid as everyone else could see his ways but she didn’t. As she thought all this, all she could do was watch the man she once thought the world of, the one who only two months ago treated her kindly, spoiled her rotten. All she could do was hear his slanderous words against her. His eyes, cold as he addressed the crowd, his actions were clear, he was ready to kill her.

 

“So what do you say? What should we do with our lovely but rather irresponsible Oracle?” he asked cruelly, an equally cruel smile on his face.

 

“She’s not our Oracle! She’s a witch!” cried a voice.

 

“Exactly! She bewitched Corporate Leader Jin! We need to sacrifice her before she angers the Gods even more!” cried another along with cries that agreed with that statement.

 

“We should burn her! Back in the day, they burned witches!” another voice cried.

 

“It would seem that the court of public opinion has spoken.” the man said coldly.

 

Suddenly, a stone bashed against the glass cage, bouncing off against the glass but leaving a mark. Then another stone was thrown, then another. Meanwhile, Jin GuangShan had walked away, untouched by the stones thrown her way. He stayed on the side, just watching all of this happen in front of him. His eyes, cold as ice and his gaze, like winter itself. It remained unchanging when a large rock smashed the glass case she was kept in and when arms forced their way into the already small cage and dragged her away, he only stood there watching with frost in his eyes.

In the end, when everything ended and they grew tired, Wei Ying could only lie on the floor. Her neck seared with pain from being dragged around on the chain by some, her body bruised and sore from the beatings they gave her. The taste of her own blood in her mouth from when someone had kicked her far too hard. Maybe because she felt like this was good retribution and that she deserved it, but she felt nothing. As she lay on the ground, she felt at peace. She was going to be meeting her own death soon anyway. After this, the world would be saved and her misdeeds would be fixed. Yet, part of her worried that after this the Gods wouldn’t keep their end of the deal, wouldn’t look after the world like they had promised her in her visions. That was all she wanted. Everyone deserved to live and be happy.

 

“Ai, A-Xian, look at you.” Jin GuangShan’s voice said, interrupting her thoughts.

 

“A-Xian, it’s not too late, you know.” the man said as he ran his fingers through her hair. “The fact that you alone as a sacrifice can appease the Gods must mean you hold a lot of power. It must mean that you have powers that may rival the Gods.” the man continued. “You easily stopped Wen RuoHan when we went to rescue you, your divinations are incredible, you’re so in tune with the Oracle plain that you might as well be part of it. It all makes sense now, A-Xian! I’ve heard all the rumours from before, how brilliant you were with your talents, I should have known.” the man said, continuing to run his hands through her hair.

 

“Join me. We can oppose the Gods together with that power you have, A-Xian. If you choose to join me, I promise I will protect you. You were hiding all this time because you were scared, weren’t you, A-Xian?” the man said, cupping her face, his eyes like a predator’s, Wei Ying felt like a small prey animal suddenly.

 

“Jin-shushu, you endangered mankind once by whispering into the ear of the previous Oracle and trying to sway her, you angered the Gods. I won’t allow you to do such a thing again.” she said calmly. “This sacrifice they call for is because the previous Oracle insulted the Gods, therefore I as their chosen Oracle have to atone for it.” she continued. She completely omitted the part where she could choose, choose to leave them all to crumble, it wasn’t necessary. She had made up her mind a long time ago that she would fulfil their punishment. After all, the Oracle was half god, half-mortal. Her mortal side had to pay in blood for what her previous self had done.

 

“Suit yourself, A-Xian.” the man replied cooly, his hands dropping from her face. “Still, it’s such a shame. Such a pretty little thing, only to be wasted and sacrificed to the Gods. But I suppose that we’ve always had a history of sacrificing beautiful maidens to solve our problems, haven’t we, A-Xian?” the man mused as he got up.

 

“Oh and one more thing, A-Xian.” the man said as he paused in his steps. “What happened to the last Oracle is between you and I. Even if you tell them, they won’t believe you anyway.” the man sneered before turning his heel and walking away.

“You really are a witch, despite all those injuries on you yesterday, all of them are gone today.” Jin GuangShan said as his guards secured her wrists behind her back. Then, she was led in front of the crowd, the chain secured to her neck pulling her forward, forcing her to attempt to walk faster than she could since her ankles were chained together too. The crowd behind cheering and egging her on to go.

 

As she walked through the Oracle shrine, a place that once gave her anxiety, she felt like she could finally breathe. It had been a dark cloud over her head for years, so, to finally be rid of this pretence made her feel lighter. Now she had pleasant memories in this shrine, memories of her consulting with Lan QiRen and memories of her working on the system. She only wished that it hadn’t ended up in such a big, dramatised way. Now Jiang Cheng was going to actually know. Her eyes fell on the attendants of the shrine, each looking ashamed and sympathetic towards her. She flashed them a smile of reassurance.

 

“What a witch! She’s smiling as she’s going to her death, what is wrong with this girl? We should have never let her live!” cried one of the men in the group, cries and hums of agreement following afterwards.

 

“Better sacrifice her quick lest we be cursed for another generation!” another spoke in a hushed tone, as if thinking that Wei Ying couldn’t hear it and that if she did, she’d curse him.

 

When they reached the back of the shrine, there was a wall. From the looks of it, Wei Ying could tell that it was the sacrificial chamber, from what she had read in the Lan library, sometimes the Gods asked for sacrifices to test their Oracles. Sometimes it would be themselves or someone or something they loved. Though, so far, she was the only Oracle in the records in which the Gods decided to go through with their sacrifice. Usually, just their decision was enough for those who ruled from above. They were angry, they were livid. She supposed that if she were a god, she would understand their feelings. She was secretly glad it wasn’t Lan Zhan they were asking for, she didn’t know what she would do if it was him instead of her. Suddenly, a flash of pain hit her face as she was roughly slammed against the door, opening the hidden chamber.

 

“Tsk, so rough. I’m sure A-Xian would have opened the door for us like a good girl if you had only asked. Wouldn’t you, A-Xian?” Jin GuangShan said, a tone of amusement in his voice as he cupped Wei Ying’s face with his hand.

 

“Sect Leader Jin shouldn’t call me “A-Xian”. Lest you be tied to my sullied name.” Wei Ying replied in return.

 

The man said nothing, only taking his hand off of her cheek, signalling for them to go further in. She followed behind without much fuss, having seen this place in her dreams and visions so many times, it was almost like home to her at this point. A strange thought, really.

 

The sacrificial sessions done by Oracles were different. They weren’t the usual, offering something or someone on a table and letting them bleed out. It really depended on the reason for the sacrifice. For her, it was her life, her blood, more importantly, her ‘mortal’ blood.

 

Around her, the men lit the torches in the chamber, lighting up the stone in the middle with carvings in them. She knew all too well what it was meant to do, therefore, she walked forward without hesitation. The men leading her, in an attempt to show their power yanked her forward, chaining her down to the ground of the stone slab. Then, one of them held her right wrist down as one of Jin GuangShan’s men prepared to do the final touches of the ritual. However, just as he was about to so, Jin GuangShan held out a hand to stop him.

 

“Allow me.” the man said as he took the blade from the man. It was then, the man knelt down next to her, cupping her face with one hand as he began to carve the sacrificial symbol into her palm.

 

“A-Xian, you’ll always be so lovely to me. At least your memory will be kept with me in death.” the man mused quietly, only for the two of them to hear.

 

As her blood flowed, it was collected in a bowl, every drop was collected meticulously by them. In an attempt to get more blood, they squeezed hard on her palm when the blood wasn’t flowing out enough for their liking. When they were finally satisfied with the amount of blood, the same symbol was painted onto the stone slab before she was made to sit down and secured to it.

 

Suddenly, there was a loud rumble, then there was loud shouting, followed by people rushing into the room, swords drawn and fighting the men that had captured her. There was no social interaction, no negotiations, only fighting. Then, as quickly as the people rushed in and started fighting the others, the fighting ceased and the men who had held her captive were apprehended. She was so distracted by it that she didn’t realise that in the moment of chaos, Jin GuangShan had unchained her and instead had her in his arms. This felt like a recreation of the scene a few months ago when Wen RuoHan had done the same, with strangely enough, the same people. The difference was this time, Lan Zhan was there with Nie MingJue and Lan XiChen.

 

“Don’t move! You wouldn’t want her getting hurt, would you, MingJue-xiong?” mused Jin GuangShan as he held onto Wei Ying tightly, as if thinking he could lose her easily.

 

“Have you gone mad, Sect Leader Jin? Sacrificing Wei Ying without thinking twice might not solve the issues currently.” Nie MingJue said as he gripped his sabre in his hand.

 

“Now, now, MingJue-xiong. Do you really think you can talk me out of this? Have you seen the state of the outside world? She is the key to stopping all of this! I’m just trying to save all of us!” he cried as he pulled Wei Ying closer to him, pulling her back as he stepped back from the men pursuing them.

 

“Sect Leader Jin, please. There is still time to discuss this.” Lan XiChen said.

 

Suddenly, a terrifying roar sounded through the place, petrifying everyone, shaking the ground beneath them. In the chaos, Lan Zhan had managed to pull Wei Ying away from Jin GuangShan, cutting her free from her binds. In the meantime, the others have apprehended Jin GuangShan. However, instead of giving up, the men that followed the man decided to fight with their last breaths, attacking the opposing group’s men in an attempt to get to Jin GuangShan.

 

“Wei Ying.” was all Lan Zhan said as his eyes fell onto her wound, his brows furrowed.

 

“Lan Zhan,” she began gently as she took his hand in hers in an attempt to push his hand away from her wound. “Please… Let me go.” she continued gently as the other stubbornly held onto her hand. “Lan Zhan, please… There can be no other way. It has to be this way or the world will be destroyed. The creature you heard just now was just the start of it.”

 

“There will be other ways, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan replied stubbornly, still holding onto her hand.

 

“No, Lan Zhan. This is the only way, unfortunately. I’m sorry that I have to put you through loss again. I never intended it or wanted it, but my fate has been long decided.” she said quietly. “Lan Zhan, please. I can’t allow another tragedy to befall humanity. We angered the Gods above once, Lan Zhan. There won’t be a second time.” she said pleadingly, looking into his eyes, hoping to appeal to him.

 

“Even if Wei Ying sacrifices herself, there will always be more Oracles that will come along and anger the Gods. There will always be something that will displease the Gods. There is another solution, Wei Ying… so please…” Lan Zhan said to her, holding her hands, pleading with her.

 

Then suddenly, much like earlier, the ground shook beneath them. Causing Lan Zhan to lose his grip on her. The ground burst apart, a creature blackened and filled with dark aura screeched a disembodied screech before charging toward a group of terrified men. Without thinking, Wei Ying rushed toward the creature, touching it with her right hand and absorbing all of its darkness, leaving nothing. This was the result of the unanswered wishes, the hatred and unkind things that mankind had done. Taking it into her would purify it. Although she had managed to get rid of it, she knew that the time was ticking, there was no time. She quickly looked behind her and saw that Lan Zhan was preoccupied, fending off some other smaller monsters. Others were doing the same, fending off the shadowy monsters that had begun to appear. She knew that it would be much better if she went and did it now. Taking the opportunity, Wei Ying ran off back to the area with the stone slab. The area had now turned into a portal, a dark, deep void of nothing. Without thinking twice, she jumped into it, behind her, she could hear Lan Zhan calling after her desperately.

 

“I’m sorry.” was all she thought.

 

She landed softly as if the Gods in a twisted sort of way didn’t want her to break her bones on the way down. As her feet touched the ground, a pathway was lit up, in the middle of the pathway was an altar. She walked forward without hesitation, even as the ground was shaking, she walked with confidence. It was then she realised that this was a timeless space, what she was doing here was frozen in time. As she stopped at the altar, she decided to take a moment to herself. She had decided that it was now or never when it came to getting her own thoughts out there for the first time. After all, she still needed to draw the sigil.

 

“Hi, I’m not sure if you can hear me… I’m Wei Ying.” she said quietly as she took out a sharp shard she had managed to scrounge from the ground, cutting into the lines of her previous injury of where Jin GuangShan had carved the symbols into her. When the blood dripped, she began to draw the sigil onto the altar.

 

“I hope that by paying with my blood it will appease your anger and your hatred for us. I understand that my predecessor has failed you, succumbed to mortal temptations, but didn’t you mould us in that way, Dear Gods? Weren’t you the ones that wanted to connect with the mortals so badly that one of you decided to descend to the mortal plain so you could understand us? I don’t know what Gods are like, I don’t understand their feelings, but mortals are mortals. They will always make mistakes, wiping out all of us won’t change anything. Even if you created a new race of us, we will forever make mistakes. It’s all part of being flawed and non-godly.” she said as she continued to draw the sigil.

 

“But as much as there is greed, ill intentions and all things corrupt, there is good. There is kindness and being merciful. There is selflessness. Please, I beg of you, after you take my life, I beg you not to do this again. Instead, give the Oracle a different means of living, create a balance. The world depended on their Oracles far too much, this is a fact. I’m sure you’ve noticed too. I understand your frustration and disappointment, but this isn’t the answer. I don’t mind sacrificing myself today, but I just wanted to let you know that this may happen in the future too. Sometimes being imperfect is the best way to go.” she continued, the sigil finished.

 

Moving her hand, she stretched her hand out to touch the panel. This was it. This was the death she always saw for herself. She hoped that this will end it all, that she will be able to save them.

 

“Wei Ying!” a loud cry followed by hurried footsteps and the grabbing of her hand stopped her in her tracks. “I won’t let you, Wei Ying. There is another way. I can’t let you sacrifice yourself, I can’t lose you, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said as he held her close.

 

“I shouldn’t have stopped that night, Wei Ying. You knew and you wanted to give yourself to me, didn’t you?” he said as he held her close, as if afraid she would disappear in front of his eyes.

 

“Lan Zhan, please.” she pleaded. “Don’t you see those creatures out there? They are made from the negative feelings of others, if I don’t do this, they will devour us all, the world will be finished.” she continued.

 

Lan Zhan said nothing, only holding onto her tightly.

 

“I wasn’t hurt when you stopped going the full way.” she began gently. “It’s true, I wanted to give myself to you because Lan Zhan, I love you so dearly. If it was another life, another place, another situation, I would find happiness with you. But we are in this life and I can’t, I can’t give you everything I want to.”

 

“Lans only love once, I was told by your Uncle once. I’m sorry, Lan Zhan. I’m sorry that I selfishly trapped you like this. But understand that as much as I would want to be with you, to spend my time with you, I can’t. I have a duty to the mortals as their Oracle. Because of my cowardice, I have let this happen and now I must pay in blood for it. Besides, it cannot be undone, my blood was already on the stone slab, it has to be this way.” she said.

 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, his golden eyes now glistening with tears threatening to spill. However, his grip on her began to loosen, as if the realisation of the bigger picture hit them. Seeing his face, Wei Ying broke inside, it pained her. She didn’t want to do this to him, but a duty was a duty. So instead, she decided to try and comfort him.

 

“Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"

Birds singing in the sycamore tree

Dream a little dream of me”

 

She sang quietly as she cupped his face with her hands and kissed him gently.

 

As she kissed him, she couldn’t help but think about their moments together, the happiness she felt with him. She couldn’t help but feel sad that this was all going to go away. She couldn’t help but feel sad that Lan Zhan will be all alone, by himself, left only with the memory of her.

 

“Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me

Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me

While I'm alone and blue as can be

Dream a little dream of me”

 

Her own eyes were watering now, however, she knew she had to be brave, this was always the choice she would make. As she backed away from him, he moved forward, attaching the necklace he had given her as a present around her neck, before following her to the altar, where she placed her hands there, she could feel her energy and her own life force fading, but she had to press on, she had to purify the impurities that had formed during these past years.

 

It was then, she realised where she had heard that tune that he had hummed, the tune that played from the necklace. He had hummed it one night when she was trapped in a cave overnight after a test of courage night. She had been feeling rather feverish and he had held her. How could she have forgotten that even back then he had loved her so?

 

He was right, she did remember in due time. A bit late but still, she remembered.

 

She continued to sing because she knew that the song calmed her and in turn, it would calm him since Lan Zhan was always that sort of understanding person.

 

“Stars fading but I linger on, dear

Still craving your kiss

I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear

Just saying this”

 

She could feel herself falling, she was fading and that was the truth, still, she clung on, making sure to do the ritual correctly. She could feel herself coughing, was that blood in her hand? Lan Zhan was holding her now, holding her close while she faded away. Had this been enough? Had she appeased them? Had she soothed their anger? Have they heard her words? Did they understand her reasoning? These were all her last thoughts as she felt herself losing all of her energy.

 

Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, her world went black.

She was gone.

 

Wei Ying was gone.

 

That lively, warm, fun-loving girl, now cold and unmoving in his arms. Once again, someone he loved had faded away. He gripped her now limp body close to him, the tears he had held in this entire time came flooding out.

 

Wei Ying... Wei Ying was gone. His sun in the sky, gone. His world plunged into eternal darkness. Much like the scene that he had re-lived all his life from his childhood, Wei Ying’s fate was the same, taken by those who rule from above. He had been angry and hurt when the Gods killed his Mother and then Father in front of his eyes, however, back then he had also taken it as fact - that they had gone against the Gods. But Wei Ying was innocent. Wei Ying was a young girl, scared when she found out who she was. Wei Ying was living in a place that made it impossible for her to have told the truth, Wei Ying was given no chances and only selected as their sacrificial lamb because the Gods so decided it.

 

As he held her now cold, lifeless body in his arms, he wondered if they ever stopped to reconsider what they had chosen, stopped to think the gravity of this situation and how young Wei Ying was. Wei Ying was only fifteen, not even allowed to become a sixteen-year-old. She could have still been announced as the Oracle, they could have fixed this. The Gods could have given her a chance, given them all a chance. But no, they had decided to abuse their abilities and chose what they assumed would be the one to fulfil what they had wanted. This was definitely what they had planned, they planted the idea that there was no other way, but Lan Zhan couldn’t help but wonder if Wei Ying had the ability to stop them. After all, Gods were created by the belief others had in them, so in turn, wouldn’t Wei Ying have abilities? After all, the Gods believed that she would choose to end them all, given her terrible background and life.

 

What would have they done if Wei Ying wasn’t diligent and had thought it through?

 

What would have happened if Wei Ying fought them instead?

 

He stared down at her, his tears hitting her beautiful face as he ran his fingers through her hair. Never again would she laugh, never would she smile at him nor hold his hand in hers again. Never again will she kiss him and cuddle up with him. Never again will she hum that song she loved so dearly. He could only hope that she was one with the stars she loved so much.

 

Wei Ying was so cold now…

 

Still, he refused to let her go, he refused to accept this. How could he leave her? Lans only loved once and that was the truth, he couldn’t just leave her, no matter what.

 

It was then, that he realised something. When they took his mother away, she had disappeared, her body disappearing into stardust, gone. His Father, the same fate as his defiance was considered a sin and therefore wasn’t allowed to even have a body for others to commemorate him by.

 

Wei Ying was still in his arms, in his embrace. Then, as if answering his questions, a hand tapped gently on his shoulder, when he looked up it was his beloved. Her form was now engulfed in light, a soft smile on her face. Her beautiful inky locks, fashioned into a looped style with hairpins in them. Beautiful silks covered her body, a scarf around her arms floated in the air weightlessly.

 

“This is so weird.” she said bashfully, scratching her cheek. It was odd, Wei Ying and bashful didn’t mesh well. “I’m not even a God and they’ve dressed me up like this.” she sighed. “Still, I guess it’s better than wearing those other awful clothes, right, Lan Zhan?” she laughed.

 

“I don’t really know how to say it without it sounding weird but the Gods have decided otherwise. Because I chose what I chose today, I will be granted a second chance at life. I’m allowed to live my life again.” she said.

 

He was overjoyed, he reached for her, however, there was a look on her face, one that held him back.

 

“But my body has taken too much damage, therefore I can’t come back until thirteen years.” she said.

 

“I’m sorry.” she began.

 

He quickly took her hands, pulling her towards him. “Between you and I, there are no ‘sorries’ and ‘Thank yous’.” he quickly said as he held her close, savouring the moment, still not believing that she was still there with him. She embraced him back, nuzzling her face into his neck like she always did when she hugged him. Wei Ying was so warm, she was truly like the sun. It made sense that she would be given a second chance.

 

“I finally remembered, by the way. You said I would remember when I heard that song. You kept me so safe that night, Er-gege. I was so sick and you kept me safe. You’re the best, Lan Zhan.” she smiled.

 

“Even though you’ve just said that there are no ‘sorries’ and ‘thank yous’ between us, thank you. Thank you, Er-gege for loving me, for seeing me when I wasn’t seen. And finally, thank you for letting me be selfish once again.” she said smiling, a smile he knew he would miss. Then, she let go and stepped away from him. “I need to go now, Lan Zhan.” she said gently.

 

He said nothing, only nodded.

 

“I know that I don’t need to ask this of you, but visit me often, won’t you?” she asked before disappearing before his eyes.

 

He barely registered it when there were yells and rushes into the space he was in, he had been focusing on holding Wei Ying close. Despite her telling him that she wouldn’t return for thirteen years, her body was still precious to him. It was the one thing he had to look after so that she could return.

 

“WangJi, the shadowed beasts have stopped attacking and the world seems to have returned to normal… Please let this be untrue…” Lan XiChen’s words cut into him, stirring him from his trance.

 

“Wei Ying is gone… Will return in thirteen years… Wei Ying told me herself.” he said.

 

He realised that he must sound like a madman to them, but he knew that this was the truth, Wei Ying’s body is all the proof he needed.

 

“WangJi…” Lan XiChen said sympathetically, not believing his words. “WangJi, please. I know that A-Xian is gone, I understand that. But she wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

 

“I only speak the truth, Brother.” he replied simply. “If you don’t trust me, ask Wen Qing.” he continued.

 

By now, more and more people have filtered into the area, staring at the scene before their eyes. Nie MingJue was at the front, his face like stone but Lan Zhan knew very much that inside he was a wreck. The man had cared deeply for Wei Ying, treated her like a sister. How could he not be destroyed over this? He was only keeping a brave face, much like his brother.

 

He noticed that even the ones that had asked for Wei Ying’s death were there. Guilt now in their eyes rather than the hatred they had bore when they fought against them in an attempt to get Wei Ying back to sacrifice her. Why Wei Ying chose to save these people, Lan Zhan didn’t understand, couldn’t understand. As much as Wei Ying hadn’t hated them, he did. He wanted to end every single one of them if he could. They had caused this, they had taken Wei Ying from him.

 

“Lan WangJi, please allow me to examine her. I can’t do so with you holding onto her.” a voice cut through his thoughts. He realised it was Wen Qing as he looked up. Her voice sounded firm but her eyes were sympathetic. It was apparent that she had known of Wei Ying’s end. He let her go, gently laying her on the ground as if she were porcelain itself.

 

“She has a pulse, she’s alive.” Wen Qing said. “It would appear that Lan WangJi was right. Whether she would wake up in thirteen years I don’t know, but all I know is that she is very much alive.” she said.

 

Behind her, his brother and Nie MingJue looked happy, relieved. Whether it was because Wei Ying was alive or that he wasn’t insane, he wasn’t sure. However, it was a good thing nonetheless. Behind them, the ones that condemned her looked sorrowful, their looks of hatred now aimed at Jin GuangShan who had been caught by a group of men. Lan WangJi couldn’t help but note how hypocritical and fleeting mankind were, they’d quickly change their tune at the drop of a hat. It made him hate them, not understand them. Nor did he want to understand them. It wasn’t like any of them tried to understand Wei Ying when they chose to sacrifice her. Nor were they merciful or kind to her when they captured her. He had accidentally seen some of her memories as she was fading away in his arms. The death she had suffered was not a kind one, her blood on his clothes was the proof of that. Still, she bore with the intense pain she must have felt and saved them all.

 

He hated them. Why Wei Ying chose to save them, he didn’t understand. Yet, it wouldn’t be her if she didn’t. She was so kind, so brave. Only she would go to her grave with a warm smile on her face. Only she would still see the light in such a grim situation for herself. How she lived for so long without going insane over her visions was a mystery. But now that he knew the truth, he understood why she was so impulsive, so carefree. She was living each day to the fullest because she was to be taken coldly from this world so soon. This was why she never seemed to talk about her dreams like others did. He should have seen it all, yet he had been so oblivious to it all.

 

“I suggest we keep her in the Oracle shrine. This place should allow her body to heal better.” Wen Qing said matter of factly. How she could mask the storm that was within her was a mystery.

 

Then, there were two sets of loud footsteps, bolting their way towards them.

 

Flashes of purple confirmed that it was who he thought they were.

 

“A-Xian! My silly meimei…” cried Jiang YanLi as she held onto Wei Ying’s right hand, her face in pain as she sobbed over the sister that she lost.

 

Of all the people in the world, Lan WangJi found that he couldn’t hate Jiang YanLi. She had loved Wei Ying unconditionally, always trying her best to help her. She tried as much as she could. He knew he would never fault her.

 

However, the next one to cry and wail over her, he very much had no sympathy for. It was Jiang WanYin.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you hide this all?” he cried as he held her limp form. He wanted to step forward and yank him off of her. He didn’t deserve her. However, a hand placed on his shoulder by Lan XiChen made him back down.

 

Through all his anger and hatred, he realised that he had also failed her, also taken her for granted. He had never asked her if anything was wrong, he hadn’t noticed that she had changed more than usual when she returned to school. He had just chalked it up to the trauma she had experienced the year before. However, he had been wrong, so very wrong about everything. So should he really hold everything against Jiang WanYin when he seemed so remorseful over his treatment of her? It wasn’t a good thing, nor was it the Lan way. He had to be kind, she loved him for his kindness, he reminded himself.

 

Still, he found it hard. He wanted to hit the other. He wanted to storm over to Jin GuangShan and kill the man. He wanted to kill every single man that taken part in hurting Wei Ying. But it wasn’t the Lan way. He had to hold this within him, wash a calm over himself, he knew, just knew that if he let himself be, the beast within him would wreak havoc. He couldn’t allow this.

 

After all, Wei Ying had asked him to always be good and kind. Not for herself, but because it was his nature. But it was silly, she never understood that she brought the good out of him, saw the good in him. Only she spoke highly of him even behind his back. Everyone else was fake, not that he cared. But losing the very one that saw the goodness in him made him spiral. However, he stood firm, dug his heels into the ground.

That day, when the young Oracle, despite with all her future ahead of her, despite her talent, despite how the world treated her and eventually led a mob to order her death, wanting to burn her at the stake like a witch. Despite all this, she still chose to save them and sacrificed her life for them.

 

That day, the young Oracle softened the hard hearts of the humans and Gods alike. As they stared down at the slumbering form of the young girl, not even having the opportunity of reaching the tender age of sixteen, never being able to celebrate being a teenage girl, they realised their errors.

 

The humans, realising that they had relied far too much on the Oracle for every little issue.

 

The Gods, realising that they had imprisoned the one that would give up their life for a life of servitude towards them. They realised that they had underestimated the kindness of a young girl.

 

So that day, the heavens and earth alike mourned the loss of their beloved Oracle. The Oracle that never got given the respect and guidance that she so desperately needed.

 

As the ones that barely knew her mourned her, they couldn’t help but wonder how painful it must be for the ones who knew her personally, it must be painful for the ones that she left behind.

 

And so, to remember her, to honour her, her birthday became the day where they would light lanterns, floating their wishes, words they would like to say to her, hoping they would reach her.

 

There was an altar built for her and in that altar lay her slumbering body. Around her, flowers bloomed brilliantly, colouring the room. Next to her, by her side at all times were her two cats and her lover.

 

They say that if you listened properly, you could hear the other singing to her, they say that if you listened even closer, you may even hear what he’s singing to her.

 

“Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me”

 

Notes:

Is everyone okay? How are we all? Are we glad it's ended?

Please tell me what you think and if you all want me to set up a twitter for a mingle or a Q&A. please tell me. A sequel is in the works, it will be a lot shorter than this one but it may take a bit longer to write.

Notes:

Well, that was the first chapter posted and done with. I'm posting the second one along with the first one for a taster. Just let me know what you feel in the comments.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Planetarium ~ 天文館