The meaning of protecting you with my life

Chase

Wei Wuxian climbed the steps on his way back to the inn's room where his siblings were waiting for him. He had managed to get the fever medicine for Jiang Yanli, enough so it would last them for a few days and some pancakes for them to eat. After that, he had asked the inn keeper for some clean robes but unfortunately got only enough money for one set. He was actually a little bit disappointed he could have not negotiated better terms; he was just too tired to really get a feel for it at the moment. No matter, his sister needed them the most, he and Jiang Cheng could just stay in their own and wait until they were dried.

Despite his dep bone exhaustion and thundering headache, he put up a reassuring smile on his lips for the case that any of his siblings were already awake. He opened the door quietly to not wake them up if they were still sleeping and completely froze in place, trying to find it in himself to actually start breathing again.

He immediately knew that something was wrong, but it took him nearly two seconds to realize that the bed where Jiang Cheng had been laying in before he had left was now empty. His eyes frantically scanned the whole room, to no avail, his brother was not there. There was only one person inside, Jiang Yanli, still sleeping in the second bed.

He quickly threw the things he had brought onto the table, happy that he had been given a bag to carry them so they would not get scattered all around. Then he run to his sister's bed and gently shook her shoulder to wake her up. She could be the only one who could dissolve his horrible premonition of where Jiang Cheng might be right now.

She woke up after a while, visibly disoriented and probably still delirious with fever. He silently apologized to her, it was clear she needed more rest but he just had to know if Jiang Cheng had told her where he was going.

She blinked at him and finally her eyes focused. "A-Xian?" she asked in a voice hoarse from both crying and the fever.

Wei Wuxian took her hand into his own and asked quickly: "Shijie, Jiang Cheng is not here. Did he tell you where he was going?" He needed answers, and quickly. He was dreading what his brother's disappearance could mean.

Jiang Yanli just looked at him with a very confused face and he immediately understood that she knew nothing. "A-Cheng is missing?" she asked him with a lot of effort.

Wei Wuxian's heart fell down into a bottomless pit, his thoughts spiralling back to the oh so angry Jiang Cheng who he had knocked out in the boat. He had hoped that his brother would have enough common sense to not go back to Lotus Pier on his own, not now when they still did not know how the battle ended and who was now the master of the town. Perhaps he should have known better, he knew his brother's temper and his fierce love for his family which he had always been hiding behind a scowling face and thoughtless words.

"Shijie, I will go look for him," he informed her. He did not even want to think about the possibility that none of them would come back but he still had to prepare his sister for that outcome: "If we do not come back two days from now, please try to get to Meishan, you will

be safe there. There is some food on the table, and medicine for your fever, the room is also paid. So please just rest and be safe, I beg you."

He knew he was probably not making any sense with his pathetic voice and all the begging, he could not help it, he felt tears gathering in his eyes all over again. He had just lost one sibling – well not technically since Jiang Cheng was probably still safe and sound somewhere out there, just not wanting anything to do with him – he did not want to even imagine losing also the other. His sister must remain safe while he would search for Jiang Cheng. He had no power to protect her when he would leave so he needed her to lay low and hopefully stay unnoticed until he returned with their brother.

He did not wait for Jiang Yanli to try and keep him from going after his impulsive brother. He stood up quickly and gently pulled his hand from her weak grip. He tried to smile at her reassuringly, he however did not think he truly succeeded this time. His thoughts were in too much turmoil; he could barely concentrate on anything else but to go search for Jiang Cheng.

"I will find him, I promise."

To himself he added that he would find his brother, dead or alive, or he would die trying. His words sounded even to him as a farewell. It was even harder to ignore his sister desperately calling out his name as he was already running down the stairs and onto the street.

He wanted to believe so much that his brother had not decided to go back to Lotus Pier, but he knew better than to harbour hope. He would not be able to take it if it would be betrayed later on. He had to find Jiang Cheng immediately in order to be able to protect him.

He run at the highest speed his aching and tired body could manage. First he went to check if the boat was still where he had hidden it. If Jiang Cheng took it, Wei Wuxian would not be able to catch up to him in time. Luckily, it was still there. So his brother must have gone on foot. That was good, there was still a chance for him find him before he reached Lotus Pier.

He chose to follow the river, fully convinced that Jiang had done the same since the woods around were quite deep and he would not want to get lost in an unfamiliar territory. His body was not really cooperating with him, he felt like he was being dragged down by it and he was fighting an already lost battle. He however refused to give up. He did not count how many times he had fallen down, he only willed himself to get up at every turn and continue running.

Everything was still damp from the rain and his robes had quickly become all wet again. He shivered from the cold he was not used to. At this point, without his golden core to keep him warm, he could only hope that he would not end up with a fever like his sister. He would be completely useless to protect anyone then.

The whole forest was shrouded in a thick fog; he could barely see a few steps in front of him. It would be hard to track anyone under these condition but he just looked all that harder, he knew Jiang Cheng must be somewhere out there.

Soon, he reached some kind of a wide field surrounded by the woods. And his heart almost burst with relief when he noticed a silhouette running on the other side. Of course, he could

not be sure that it was his brother, he had to only make sure before the person would disappear in the foggy forest again.

He redoubled his efforts, willing his already exhausted body to obey him. Once he came closer, still desperately trying to catch up, he called: "Jiang Cheng!"

It could have been just a trick of the fog, it seemed like the person in front of him was now running slower. He was so close now that he could see the distinctive purple robes, it was his brother after all. He felt as relieved as never before.

He closed the last few steps between them and reached out his hands, grabbing Jiang Cheng by his shoulders and making him stop in place. It worked and his brother finally tuner to face him.

Wei Wuxian felt as if a red hot dagger was just driven into his stomach. He had never seen Jiang Cheng this angry before, all the more that he knew all of it was currently directed at him. He shrugged and his hands fell down from the other's shoulders, settling like strangers next to his sides. His head fell forward in a desperate attempt to apologize for everything he had done wrong as he could decrypt an ocean of grief and pain hidden behind the angry mask.