The meaning of protecting you with my life

Stirred emotions

Yu Ziyuan and her husband were already sitting in the sect hall where a table for eight people had been set up. They had decided yesterday that they should also include Jin Zixuan, Wen Qing and Lan Wangji into the discussion with Wei Wuxian. She had long seen that her children had developed feelings for those three and they were also the appointed supervisors. If they were going to tell Wei Wuxian everything, he should also hear it from their own mouth that they did not count of actually reporting anything about him to the Lanling Jin sect, or any other for that matter. Her son needed to know that he was safe and free at last.

Although it looked like everyone just decided to be late this morning, letting them wait in an uncomfortable silence that neither she nor her husband were willing to break, each lost in their own thoughts and worries. They had heard a commotion outside but they had assumed it was just because the disciples finally saw Wei Wuxian up and around after so long. They had been very excited to have him back.

Their assumption however lasted only until Jiang Cheng threw the door to the sect hall open and marched in followed by all the of the youngsters. For some reason, they all did not look too calm, each of their expressions variating between different levels of worry, anger, embarrassment and resignation. Aside for Lan Wangji's whose face Yu Ziyuan had yet to learn how to read. But even there, the emotions were somehow easier to see today. Something must have happened.

She and her husband were not left in the dark for long because as soon as Wei Wuxian made it into the room with tense shoulders and a fake smile, Jiang Cheng turned to him and scolded: "See what you did, you made everyone worried unnecessarily, you should stop with that. Disappearing like that... never do it again. You need to be more careful now that..."

Jian Yanli intervened just as she always had: "A-Cheng, that is enough. A-Xian had already apologized for not telling us he was going to train this morning; you should let it go. He did not know how dangerous it could be going outside without informing anyone. It was just a misunderstanding really. We did not explain things properly; he could not have known."

"Sure he could not!" retorted the Yunmeng Jiang sect leader. "I am not angry because of that. I am angry because he had been forcing himself unnecessarily again! After everything, Wei Wuxian should just..."

Yu Ziyuan was thoroughly confused now and she could not stay silent any longer. She wanted to know what had happened that led to Jiang Cheng scolding his brother like this. Although she could have taken a not so wild guess from the previous conversation between her children. A conversation, in which Wei Wuxian did not take part, only looking to the ground, seemingly very uncomfortable and guilty.

"A-Cheng, A-Li, what happened?"

She glanced sideways at her husband and confirmed that he was just as confused as she felt. It looked like her children were having some kind of argument and she could tell that Wei Wuxian was feeling bad for doing whatever he had done. She knew this kind of posture only too well and she did not like seeing it now. They have already agreed that they would take care of the boy and that they would try not to upset him but it seemed like it was already becoming hard to accomplish. Especially with her younger son's temper.

Jiang Cheng's eyes snapped to look at her and she could tell that he was not as much angry as he was worried. He was just trying to mask his emotions. In this regard, he was way too similar to her. They would have to work on this together, she decided. Not now thought, now they had to concentrate on the matter at hand, whatever that matter was.

"Mother, Wei Wuxian had just thought it would be a great idea to run away from his room and go train with Suibian in the training grounds." He glared at his brother again but continued talking to her instead of starting to scold him again. That was some progress at least, he must have realized how uncomfortable Wei Wuxian was feeling at the moment already. "He had pushed himself too much.

And he refuses to tell us why." He turned towards his brother again, this time to question him: "Wei Wuxian, tell us why. Why did you decide to pick up your sword? Why did you push yourself until you looked ready to collapse at any moment? And do not think for a second that I had not seen that. I know. Tell us why?"

Wei Wuxian looked away from him, his eyes still glued to the floor, and pressed his lips together even tighter than before. He looked very guilty at the moment. The silence was stretching uncomfortably.

Then Jiang Cheng seemed to have taken a deep breath and realized that Wei Wuxian was already probably feeling very bad – something that the whole family had agreed upon preventing with all their might – and he turned to the Dafan Wen clan doctor instead: "And Wen Qing, you should have known that my reckless brother would just run around as soon as you let him. Why did you not tell him to stay in his room for longer?"

Yu Ziyuan had already realized that Wen Qing was not one who would let herself be put down this easily and not defend herself when attacked. Now she was only proven right when the Dafan Wen clan doctor turned on her heels and glared at Jiang Cheng dangerously. Her voice was sharper than the best sharpened blade and it made even Yu Ziyuan shudder. She wondered how her son could stand her scolding without batting an eye. They really were well matched.

"Jiang Cheng," Wen Qing spoke in a low key voice. It seemed to have been above her to shout but she sure did not sound pleased with the previously received harsh words. It was a clear warning for the Yunmeng Jiang sect leader to reign in his anger. She continued even quieter: "Do not use this tone with me. I am Wei Wuxian's doctor and I decide to say when he is well and when not. What do you know about medicine? And anyway, I want to see you try keeping your brother in his room."

Yu Ziyuan was quickly thinking how she should deal with the situation. This was not what they had had in mind when they had decided to have a talk this morning. They were supposed to try and talk openly with Wei Wuxian and instead, they were now making him feel bad. If they would not stop with this soon, how would they be able to explain everything so the boy would trust them?

She could feel her own anger burning inside her. That had been the only way she knew how to take control of a situation for the longest time. She however did not want to let herself be controlled by it this time. She had already decided to change and this would make her take several steps back. She had to prevail. And more importantly, she wanted to show Wei Wuxian that things would not be the same from now on.

What should, or could, she do to avoid a disaster when the boy would start blaming himself for everything again? It was clear to her that he was not far from that if his guilty expression – not even hidden under a smile for the sake of his siblings – was anything to go by. She looked at her husband with plea in her eyes. She was ill equipped for this but she hoped that Jiang Fengmian would be able to calm the situation before it escalated even more. He had always been the more diplomatic one of the two of them.