OUR HAPPILY EVER AFTER (A WANGXIAN STORY)

Chapter 69

The threshold of their new estate left Wei Ying breathless. This place was like a merge of both worlds. Some elements remind Wei Ying of Yunmeng and his lazy days as well as elements that reflected Wangji's origin. Wei Ying sparkled with excitement from the few places they went. For the banquet hall, guest quarters, and other parts of the estate, Wei Ying did not need to see them now.

Lan Wangji handpicked the servants to make sure his family was comfortable. By his standards, he chose only good and hardworking people. He would not tolerate any malicious individual around his loved ones.

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Back in Gusu, Lan Qiren did not know how to scold his nephew. What unfolded a few days ago was a huge disgrace.
"So you also like men?", the senior could not find the energy to frown or smile. Xichen was quiet and withdrawn.

" Do you not have anything to say Lan Huan! How could you disrespect your wife this way?... That woman has bitten off more than she could chew and sullied the name of the clan. But you're responsible for letting it continue to this extent...You should have told me from the very beginning!!"

"Would you understand if I did?...", Xichen snapped back to reality. " If I had refused to marry Lan JingFei, would you have accepted Jiang Cheng and not treat him like a vermin?... Would uncle not say I was being delusional in the first place and teach me that I can only be happy with a woman?", Xichen's face loosened up after a long period of silence.

" I know I drove my wife to this...but I tried, Uncle. To love her as much as I loved Sect Leader Jiang; to be a better father and husband...But somehow it pulled me into a black hole."

Lan Qiren clenched his jaw at those words. The discomfort behind them made him wonder how much Xichen was enduring.
"Xichen, as your uncle I have to see you on the right path."

"And I have followed that path you paved...tell me, Uncle, am I a better person? Is this happiness?", Xichen said meekly.

"Lan Xichen!"

" I fear for my wife's mental state.  I can not punish Jingfei more when life is already teaching her a lesson. The best I can do is get her help...Forgive me uncle but that's my final decision."

Lan Qiren had no more words until his nephew left him to his thoughts. It is true; knowing Xichen loved someone else could not have changed the outcome. He would have still pushed the Sect Leader to marry his wife. For the first time, the senior questioned his motives. All this occurred because he wanted to separate Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. Seeing how miserable it turned out for Zewujun, he wondered if this was how Wangji's world would have been, had he succeeded.

Qiren did not say it but surely the senior felt his nephew may hold some form of blame and resentment toward him and it sat on his conscience...

Sizhui had just finished teaching a class when Jingyi entered holding a lunch box. The man put aside the books and cleared the table.
"I was heading out.", Sizhui smiled. Not much was said by Jingyi, only that he didnt want the other to move too much.
Sizhui did love the attention but held the perception that Jingyi was still bottling up his emotions.

"Jingyi, are you still upset?"

"No...I'm sorry for the misconduct. I made everyone uncomfortable back then.", Jingyi set the wooden sticks on the round bowls.
Sizhui gives him a pleasant sigh and caresses his face to dismiss any undesirable assumptions.

Halfway through, Lan Sizhui felt impatient. He had been meaning to discuss with his beloved but did not know how to go about it. Jingyi appeared more distant even though he tried harder at being caring. Satisfied, Sizhui placed the chopsticks aside and gulped down some water.
" Jingyi, my parents want me to move in with them...I need you there with me."