The meaning of protecting you with my life

Back to reality

Wei Wuxian had been all but crushed in his brother's embrace. He was confused. It was not because he did not like the hug or because he would have never expected it, he knew Jiang Cheng was just a big old softie under all his anger and scowling. He knew his brother cared and that he must have been scared out of his mind when Wei Wuxian had asked him to leave him in the Nightless City palace.

None of those things were unbelievable or unusual. He had also expected a good scolding, but that would probably come later.

What had shocked him was that he was actually feeling Jiang Cheng's arms around his torso and how they were crushing him uncomfortably, with way too much strength that his weak and tired body could not handle. He felt his ribs rubbing against his skin, trying to exchange their places and it actually hurt. His whole body actually hurt now that he was focusing on it. It was heavy and hard to move too.

Once again, here he was, feeling something while being dead. At this point, he was really starting to question his own death. Was it possible that he had been, by some kind of a miracle, saved and that he was still alive? If he was, he would not complain, he would at least get to say a proper goodbye to his siblings before Madame Yu would throw him back out onto the streets for being useless. She always promised him that much if he failed to protect her family.

He shook his head lightly and laughed together with his siblings. He did not want to think about this right now. Surely he was at least allowed a single nice moment with them. They seemed happy to see him too. Hopefully, he had enough time to indulge them a little bit.

All his worries disappeared in an instant when he noticed that Jiang Yanli was holding a basket he knew only all too well. His heart melted in gratitude. His Shijie prepared her special soup for him.

True to his prediction, Jiang Yanli lifted the basket with a huge gentle smile: "A-Xian, you must be hungry. I have prepared some soup for you."

Wei Wuxian did not even know where he had gotten the strength to sit up by himself once he was released from Jiang Cheng's hug. But here he was, folding his legs under him and grinning like an idiot while he was observing his sister lifting the lid of the basket. The well-known aroma of Jiang Yanli's Lotus root pork rib soup filled his nose and he realized he was hungry. Another thing which he should not feel while being dead, he supposed.

His sister finished pouring the soup into a bowl and she sat on the side of the bed, facing her brother. In the meantime, Jiang Cheng stood up and took two steps back to give them more space. Wei Wuxian had been expecting to have the bowl handed to him so he could already taste the heavenly smelling soup, his stomach was growling now, urging him to hurry up and fill it.

However, Jiang Yanli scoped a spoon herself, blew on it a little and then held it in a way that suggested she was about to feed him like a baby. Wei Wuxian did not want to sadden her by refusing her attention. It would not be too embarrassing either since Jiang Cheng had already seen him in more awkward situations. And Lan Zhan – Wei Wuxian glanced in the direction of the Second Jade – was sitting with his eyes fixed ahead of him, apparently giving the three siblings some privacy while his fingers continued plucking the strings.

Wei Wuxian leaned forward and drank the soup from the spoon that Jiang Yanli was holding. Familiar flavour which he had doubted he would ever get to taste again exploded in his mouth and his eyes went blurry with tears.

"Shijie," he whispered all emotional, "this is the best soup I have ever tasted..."

His voice broke down towards the end of the statement. He did not mind one bit even when tears finally spilled out of his eyes and he could hardly see his sister anymore. He could however hear that Jiang Yanli was not better off than him, she was also crying. He wanted to console her but he had his hands full with himself at the moment.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a splotch or purple, Jiang Cheng came to the bed. He took the bowl from Jiang Yanli's hands and pushed it – gentler than normally – into Wei Wuxian's.

"Just eat by yourself. You have been fed way too many times in the last three weeks."

His brother scoffed but there was no heat behind his words, just something resembling worry and relief. Wei Wuxian could not stop his tears as he started shovelling the soup down while trying to hide his horror. He could not believe it had been three weeks already. Wait, three weeks from what exactly? From the moment he had died controlling the Yin iron? Or from when he had been rescued and brought here? Unconscious but alive; wherever this 'here' was. If his family and Lan Zhan were here, he had nothing to wish for anymore.

"A-Xian, slow down." He heard Jiang Yanli gently reprimand him. He could finally focus on her again and he saw that she had also stopped crying already and was now giving him her best big sister smile. "You would get a tummy ache. There is enough for seconds if you will like to have more."

The waterworks of Wei Wuxian's tears broke down again and he could barely feel it when his brother put his hand on his shoulder and his sister wiped his tears with a handkerchief.

"I am really home, am I not?" he asked more himself than the others in the room.

He still received a reply though: "Of course, A-Xian, and you are never going anywhere again. We are happy to have you back with us, safe and sound."

This only made Wei Wuxian cry all that harder as his siblings hugged him both at the same time now. This all felt too real to be just a dream – although it would have been a lovely dream indeed – it must have been reality in fact. Wei Wuxian could not explain it in any other way. He had indeed been rescued and was now allowed to reunite with his siblings and live this perfect moment. He never wanted it to end.

He had so many questions and so many things to say, but he remained silent. He did not want to ruin his reunion with his siblings. There would be time for heavy conversations once they would all calm down. There was still uncle Jiang and Madame Yu to meet as well. Wei Wuxian however did not want to think about any of those things right now. He felt safe and cared for in his siblings' arms and he melted even more into the embrace, putting his arms up to return it.