The Lonely Bridge (WangXian Fan fiction)✔️

Always Hoping... Always Waiting

Wei Ying doesn't want to answer. He wanted to take this secret to his grave. He knew the truth would only bring pain to both the men... but he had no choice.
He closes his eyes and when he opens them, there is something akin to resolve in them.

He looks at Jiang Cheng first, "When I rescued you and found out your core was gone I kept it a secret from Senior Sister. I tried to search for a cure... I knew how important it was for you... you could never live like a mediocre person... your core was your everything.... but even after searching for many days... going through tons of books... I found nothing. Till one day I found a way... the only way to bring the core back. Transfer of core if done right had a fifty percent chance of success... A fifty percent chance is better than nothing... so I decided that it was good enough... I knew there was a chance of failure and I knew being so proud you would never accept my core. Wen Qing and I made a plan..."
Jiang Cheng cuts in and finishes, "You decided to do the core transfer... I suppose you needed Wen Qing because of her medical expertise...And then I.. like a fool took your core thinking it was mine...and gave you a hard time about not using your sword... And you said nothing... You would have said nothing today either if I wouldn't have been able to summon Subian....am I right?"

Wei Ying stays silent.
The three men remain silent... all of them hurt... all of them in pain... enduring it... living with it.

Another thought crosses Jiang Cheng's mind and he asks, "At Nevernight... when you used Chenqing, it didn't hurt Yunmeng sect before... What happened for you to lose control?"

"It was not me. I never wanted anyone to die... I... I was just trying to scare everyone. That day before... Shijie... when Shijie was looking for me I heard someone else playing a different flute melody... I didn't see who.. It was very subtle, but it was there."

Jiang Cheng sighs... then he remembers something else. He looks at Wei Ying again, "You turned to demonic cultivation because you had no choice... that was the only way you thought you could help... You took all the blame... All the pain... All the mockery all on yourself... You distanced yourself from us to protect our Clan name... And I.. I... didn't... I..."  Jiang Cheng's heart feels heavy... He finds it hard to breathe... How can one apologize??? How can one thank???  This burden was too great.

'You are a fool Jiang Cheng... Now you know why father always loved Wei Wuxian more and why mother always hated him... And why Shiji always dotted on him... He has always been the better man.' Jiang Cheng thinks as tears of regret roll down his face.

Jiang Cheng sighs again and finally looks at Lan Wangji. Lan Zhan's eyes are bloodshot. Tears are freely flowing from his eyes, a clear testament of how much Wei Wuxian means to him. His hands are trembling. He is holding Wei Ying and gently stroking his arm.

Jiang Cheng had always hated Wangji's guts. Jiang Cheng thought Wangji to be cold and unsociable... high headed even. 'Ice Prince' uncaring... unloving.
Jiang Cheng was wrong... so so wrong.
'The two Jades of Lan are not so different after all. Only difference is one shows all on his face and other hides all in his heart....I see it now... I see his heart... Wei Wuxian... you did not choose wrong... you chose the best.' Jiang Cheng thinks and he stands up.

"Hanguang Jun, if you still want me dead I will not resist... God knows I deserve it." Jiang Cheng says remorsefully.

"Jiang Cheng that is not true... I made a promise to madam Yu." Wei Ying tries to cut his words but Jiang Cheng holds up a hand and continues to address Lan Zhan, "But first, we need to take care of Wei Wuxian. He looks a little pale." Jiang Cheng says as he bows to Hanguang Jun... and this time he bows, not because he has to... Not because he is required to... Not because someone is looking... This time Jiang Cheng bows to Hanguang Jun because he wants to... Because when the world abandoned his brother, Hanguang Jun stood by him... Protecting him... took care of him...went against the world for him.
He owes Hanguang Jun that bow.