Wen Xu paced through the palace's corridors, his mind swirling with conflicting thoughts about his father's sudden marriage to Wei WuXian. The bond of respect and fear he held for Wen Ruohan clashed with the uncertainty of this peculiar union.
As he navigated the pathways, he couldn't ignore the heavy atmosphere surrounding Wei WuXian. The gloom and palpable hostility emanating from him were impossible to overlook. Wen Xu observed this with a mix of curiosity and wariness, wondering about the complexities that shrouded the newly betrothed.
His father's order to keep Wen Chao away from Wei WuXian puzzled him. Wen Xu had always followed his father's commands without question, but this directive came with a different tone-an undercurrent of caution. He pondered the reasons behind such a warning, questioning whether there was more to Wei WuXian than met the eye.
The age gap between his father and Wei WuXian added another layer of perplexity. Wen Xu, close in age to Wei WuXian himself, grappled with the unusual circumstances surrounding this marriage. He revered his father, taking him as a role model, but the dynamics with Wei WuXian introduced a hint of uncertainty.
Encounters with Wei WuXian in the palace only intensified Wen Xu's dilemma. The hostility and hatred directed at him and his younger brother, Wen Chao, were unmistakable. It left Wen Xu questioning how he should approach this new addition to the family and what role Wei WuXian would play in the Wen sect.
Amidst the conflicting emotions and unanswered questions, Wen Xu remained committed to following his father's orders and maintaining the loyalty he had always upheld. Yet, the enigma surrounding Wei WuXian continued to cast a shadow over his understanding of the situation.
Wen Xu couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that there was a shared secret between his father and Wei WuXian, something veiled in their interactions that he was not privy to. Each encounter left him with a sense of unease, as if there were layers of understanding between the two that escaped his comprehension.
The high regard and genuine respect Wen Ruohan held for Wei WuXian didn't escape Wen Xu's keen observation. It puzzled him to witness his father caring so deeply for someone who seemed to hold an unconventional place within the family dynamics.
The first time he heard Wei WuXian address his father with a tone that held a mix of familiarity and irreverence, it left Wen Xu torn between offense and fear. The audacity to address Wen Ruohan so casually was both shocking and confusing, especially when his father responded with laughter and a smirk rather than reprimand.
The confusion deepened when Wei WuXian, upon entering the Sun Palace, sought out Wen Xu's cousins, Wen Qing and Wen Ning. The fact that Wen Ruohan promptly appeared afterward, granting Wei WuXian the authority to give orders similar to his own, added another layer of mystery. When Wei WuXian declined the privilege with a hint of annoyance, refusing to issue commands, and then addressed Wen Ruohan plainly as "Ruohan" without a shred of formality, Wen Xu was left dumbfounded.
The dynamics between his father and Wei WuXian defied convention, leaving Wen Xu grappling with the uncertainty of their relationship and the unspoken truths that lingered in the air. It was a puzzle he couldn't decipher, leaving him both intrigued and apprehensive about the mysterious connection between the two.
Then, 3 days after his father's proposal to Wei WuXian, 3 days after Wei WuXian took residence in his father's quarters, Wen Xu stood frozen outside his father's room, the haunting, heart wrenching screams echoing in the corridor.
Panic gripped him as he contemplated the possibility of Wei WuXian being tortured, but his fears intensified upon hearing his father's voice reassuring and calming the distressed cries.
The muffled voice by the door had sounded like pleas and such, something along the lines of:
Don't come! No, please stop, stay away! Not him,! Please don't kill them!, Just leave me alone;! and so on.
When the cries subsided, Wen Xu hesitated for a moment before tentatively entering the room. The sight before him was unexpected - Wei WuXian, visibly shaken and drenched in cold sweat, was being comforted by Wen Ruohan.
Wen Ruohan, though stern in demeanor, had a rare tenderness in his voice as he spoke to Wei WuXian, "It was just a nightmare. You are safe now, and they are alive. No harm will come to you here."
Wei WuXian, still trembling, looked up at Wen Ruohan with a mixture of relief and vulnerability. Wen Xu observed the exchange, unsure of how to react. His father, for the first time, seemed less imposing and more like a protective figure.
Wen Ruohan continued in a softer tone, "You are not alone anymore. I won't let anything harm you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
Wei WuXian, though visibly shaken, managed a faint nod. Wen Ruohan's words seemed to offer a strange comfort, and the tension in the room began to dissipate.
Wen Xu, after a moment of hesitation, cleared his throat and said, "Father, I came to seek permission for an urgent matter. If now is not the right time..."
Wen Ruohan glanced at Wen Xu and nodded, "Speak."
Relieved to shift the focus, Wen Xu explained the urgency, and his father gave the necessary instructions. As Wen Xu left the room, he couldn't shake off the unsettling scene he had witnessed - a vulnerable Wei WuXian and a surprisingly comforting Wen Ruohan. The dynamics between them remained a puzzle, leaving Wen Xu with a mix of confusion and newfound questions about his father and the enigmatic guest in his quarters.
Wen Qing, upon learning about her uncle's marriage proposal to someone much younger, struggled with an overwhelming sense of disgust, a sentiment she rarely felt towards Wen Ruohan. She often felt fear and despair around the man.
The fact that this person was the one who had shown kindness to her brother intensified her aversion.
As a healer, her hands were sworn to save lives, not to harm, yet the desire to poison Wen Ruohan crossed her mind - a testament to the depth of her abhorrence.
The peculiar behavior of Wei WuXian, searching for her and her brother, only added to the unease, though she couldn't ignore the haunted look in his eyes. As if one wrong move, one wrong word and he will break beyond repair.
When Wen Ruohan brought Wei WuXian to her medication room for a check-up, Wen Qing's initial shock at the audacity of Wei WuXian's question - "Ruohan! What do you think yourself doing?" - and the answering resigned sigh from Wen Ruohan, was quickly replaced by concern as she examined the scars inflicted by Zidian.
The realization hit her that one wrong move with such spiritual whips could have jeopardized Wei WuXian's golden core and, subsequently, his life.
Because, if he had received one other set of these hits, his golden core could have gotten damaged beyond repair and his life would be in danger, of the electricity reaching his heart.
While she had a visceral reaction to Wen Ruohan's actions, Wen Qing knew she had to keep her composure. The delicate situation demanded her medical expertise rather than immediate retaliation. As she started treating the injuries, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that this union might bring unforeseen consequences, not just for Wei WuXian, but for the entire Wen sect.
Just, what was that woman thinking?
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Notes:
Hello everyone, this chapter was supposed to be after the wedding but I adjusted it to fit the time before it, because that wedding chapter just doesn't want to write itself!
Therefore, if you found the writing and continuous of the events weird, that's the reason.
Also, yes, I am still on hiatus but then again, I have some time before the exam so I decided to fix, edit this and post it.
Well, I was listening to this song while editing this chapter, and the confusion is quite.. matching?