Rewrite the stars

Chapter 14

Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing depart Unclean Realm before Wei Wuxian wakes up the next morning. They arrive back at Lotus Pier before the afternoon with Jiang Cheng stopping by Caiyi Town briefly to buy a stick of hawthorn candy and some toys for A-Yuan.

"Cheng-ge!" Something collides with his leg the moment he steps into the courtyard.

"A-Yuan, what have I told you about grabbing people like that?" Wen Qing says sternly. "You could make them trip and get hurt."

"Sorry Auntie Qing..I forgot." Wen Yuan blinks apologetically up at Jiang Cheng who only reaches down and ruffles his hair.

"Here," Jiang Cheng hands the child the candy and toys and he squeals with delight.

"Thank you, Cheng-shushu." Wen Yuan hugs him again before hurrying off, toys and food each in one hand.

"No running while eating, A-Yuan!" Wen Qing calls after him.

"Jiejie, Sect leader Jiang, you're back!" Wen Ning hurries into the courtyard.

"Wen Ning, I told you to call me 'Jiang Cheng'. We're family now."

Wen Ning ducks his head and nods.

"Yes, Jiang Cheng."

"How were things while we were gone, A-Ning? No trouble?" Wen Qing asks.

"No, things were quiet other than letters being sent to us from minor sects such as Ouyang and the Yao sect. I helped to organize them like you asked, A-jie," Wen Ning replies.

"That's good." Jiang Cheng nods. He had been rather hesitant of leaving Lotus Pier without much defense, but he'd assured himself that Wen Ning, however fragile he seemed, was more than capable of defending his home and taking charge of the other disciples. After all, Wen Ning had undoubtedly good archery skills. He heads towards his room and begins to go through the pile of paperwork and letters on his desk with Khan as his only companion. It was going to be a long day.

By evening, he's more than grateful when Wen Qing brings him his evening meal, insisting that he eat. Whenever he spent late nights doing paperwork, it'd either been Wen Qing or his sister who coaxed him out of his room to eat something. Growing up, he either faced harsh criticism from his mother or silent judgement from his father with only the gentle coaxing of his sister as sincere encouragement.

Though with Wen Qing, although it wasn't as gentle as his sister', it was nowhere near as harsh as his mother's. Her voice was always firm and hard, but with a soft undertone. It was something entirely new and he'd slowly gotten used to it in the weeks after he married her.

"A-Yuan, did you do anything fun while we were gone?" Jiang Cheng asks the young toddler while eating dinner that day. He had Wen Yuan on his lap as he ate.

"I watched Xing-gege, Ning-shushu and everyone else practice his bow. He shot down the kites one by one!"

"Really?" Jiang Cheng gives him a fond look. " Who shot down the most kites?"

"Of course it was Ning-shushu! He shot the highest too!"

"Do you want to be like him then?" Wen Qing pinches the boy's cheeks.

"I want to be like Rich gege and wear a forehead ribbon and white robes!" Wen Yuan exclaims. "Or wear a red ribbon like Xian-gege."

"Hmm? You want to be a Lan, huh?" Jiang Cheng scoffs, unable to keep himself from rolling his eyes. "I think you look best in purple. Like your Li-jiejie and Cheng-shushu

"But Li-jiejie wears green sometimes." Wen Yuan blinks. "And gold," He adds in a smaller voice. Jiang Cheng sighs and shifts the boy closer to him. It wasn't going to be easy to make the young toddler no longer associate the color 'gold' with bad people. But perhaps after the wedding celebration, things would be different.