Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

33: Bound By Blood

"A-CHENG! PLEASE LET HER GO!" Wei Wuxian ran into the scene, panting, gasping for air. "I BEG YOU!"

"SHUT UP!" Jiang Cheng barked. "She's an enemy, whether she's your sister or not!"

"So you kn– know me?" The girl being hanged croaked, hands burning as she pulled on the lightning whip around her neck.

"You look just like my brother," Jiang Cheng snarled, "But that doesn't make you my sister. I don't care who you are, tell me WHERE HE IS?"

"How can she speak if you choke her to death!" Wei Wuxian grabbed the whip in both hands. "Retreat Zidian."

"A-Ying!" Lan Zhan shouted at the sight of his husband holding on to the lightning whip. "Let go of Zidian!"

"I won't! Not until he does! A-CHENG! Let go of her!"

"Why are you so bloody blind?!" Jiang Cheng shouted at him, worry lines sinking into his forehead when he saw Wei Ying's hand begin to tremble around his whip.

Wei Wuxian wasn't being blindly trusting, even he knew he couldn't trust her; he just couldn't watch his sister being hanged. So all he did was stare Jiang Cheng in the eye.

Jiang Wanyin couldn't take it. He retreated Zidian, far enough to pass out of Wei Wuxian's hands and shot it out again to catch the girl as she fell. Wrapping it around her waist, he tied her against the tree around her belt so that she wouldn't get burnt. "Happy now?"

"Thank you," Wei Ying nodded as he flailed his hands in the air to get rid of the burning heat.

Lan Zhan sighed and washed them clean in no time.

While he treated the burns, Jiang Cheng walked to the girl. "Wei Xiaolian, you better answer now! Where is he?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"BECAUSE I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU WON'T!"

"A-Che–"

"YOU!" Jiang Cheng pointed to Wei Wuxian, holding up the straw hat. "DO YOU SEE THIS?" He pointed to the blood all over the hat. "Shut up before I chop off your blind eyes. I get that you trust her like an idiot so she should at least be grateful for that and TELL ME WHERE HE IS?"

"Why would I tell you?" Xiaolian asked again, leering at him.

"Meimei, at least tell for my sake?"

"Gege, I thought I made myself clear on this. That rascal friend of yours, whoever he is–"

"HE HAS A NAME!" Zidian tightened around her waist.

"How do I know! I only saw Jiuyue's scouts dragging him into our place! I remember him wearing that hat when I walked past him earlier, that's how I know who you're talking about but how the hell am I supposed to know who he is! I've been in town all day!"

"Meimei, when did they take him?"

Silence.

"Was he hurt?"

Pursed lips. 

"Is that even a BLOODY QUESTION?" Jiang Cheng held up the straw hat again. "Blood all over this goddamned thing and the grass where I found it!"

Wei Wuxian's eyes widened in fear. "Where was he taken?"

Absolutely no reply whatsoever.

"Not speaking, eh?" A feminine voice sneered at her from behind them. Chen Xuanji held Zhipei to her neck. "Wei Xiaolian, you better talk!"

"Kill me if you want, I don't care. I'm not telling!"

"Woah, that haughty?"

"I'm not a traitor," Xiaolian glared at Xuanji. "A wife must be faithful. Who'd know it better than you, General Nie?"