Ultimate Note: You Are Worthy

Deception

Wu Xie/Xiao Hua

It was so much to take that he felt numb and uncertain of what could happen next. He wanted to confront his uncle... oh, right,  Xie Liang about what Wenjin had told him and see if he deny or confirm it, but he didn't have the strength. Wu Xie was too drained both physically and mentally to do that. He feared that the man he had known as Wu San Xing would admit the truth and make the nightmare as real as the one he had experience in the past.

Perhaps unconsciously he had known the truth a long time ago, thus those awful nightmares in which he doubted his uncle. Now, that doubt that had stayed inside his heart despite himself was growing up on his way to consume him. How could he? What about Xiao Hua? Wu Xie ponder, as Qiling grab his weigh an pull him up into a standing position yet not letting go of his waist.

"Someone is coming." Xiaoge told him as he looked at the crack in the wall from which they enter and just a few seconds after, they hear Pangzi yelling Wu Xie's name.

"Tianzhen! Tianzhen!"

"Pangzi! I'm here!" Wu Xie called back and he could hear hurried steps coming their way in order to meet with him.

"Tianzhen... I finally found you... your uncle San is injured, come on, let's hurry back." Pangzi said and took Wu Xie's hand to pull him along with him and Xiaoge follow them in turn.

Wu Xie didn't have the time to react, because he had so many things on his mind, that he could only follow Pangzi, who had dropped his hold on him as they ran back to where San Xing was and when they reach him, Wu Xie saw the man sit with his eyes closed, while laying his back on a pillar. Xiao Hua was by him, putting a bandage on San Xing's arms that was stained by blood.

Seen the one he had called uncle like that, so vulnerable, while Xiao Hua tended to his wounds... it make it all come back to bite him ten times harder. All that, was so unfair, especially for Xiao Hua and himself... and yet, he could not pretend to no longer care for the man he had loved as a member of his family for so long, for the one he had look up to the most while he grew up. Thus, despite himself, he squatted by Xie Lian and grabbed the bandage that Xiao Hua was putting.

"Let me do it." Wu Xie whisper and Xiao Hua assented, letting go the bandage gently. Still not knowing how to act, Wu Xie keep silent and avoid Xie Lian's gaze. He may had lie to him for most of his life... but not all have been wrong. There was a time he had admire the man and wished to be just like him... it was honestly confusing.

Maybe his silence was interpreted as worry for Xie Lian, because he looked at Wu Xie with a kind of reassurance reflected on his bloody face.

"Don't worry Wu Xie, I am your uncle San, of the Wu family... I'm not that easy to kill." Xie Lian said and at that Wu Xie stopped his action for a fraction of the second. Xiaoge, behind him came closer and so did Chen Wenjin that finally showed herself to him after nineteen years without seen her.

"Chen Wenjin..." Obviously, Xie Lian was surprised to his core to see her out of the blue, but he was not the only one who was surprised as Pan Zi, Pangzi, Xiao Hua and Hei Xiazi were too.

Wenjin squatted down to at the same level as Xie Lian and took a few seconds to look at him. He had aged a lot, but she knew that the lies he had sustained over the year had weight on him heavily to that point. He smiled lightly at her, but his eyes showed uncertainty and caution, perhaps fearing what she was about to tell him. Still, it was time to end the lie.

"I have told Wu Xie everything. You don't need to keep your secret hidden anymore." She whisper and Xie Lian was taken aback by her words, instantly showing a sorrowful expression, but also with a hint of relief, like if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.