The Red Prince: Hua Ying

13

Hua Ying's bed was set up beside a wall of their room at the inn. He sat on his bed with his back against the wall and looked into the open room. He glanced over at Lan Wangji who was sitting at the table, a teapot was set up and looked to have been a fresh one, and Wangji was meditating. Hua Ying wanted to converse with Wangji, get to know him, but how could he.

I knew you were fond of him, Hua Ying

"Shut up!" Hua Ying said. Wei Wuxian popped up and spoke to him again, and now Hua Ying is just blurting out random things. It caused Wangji's to wake from his meditation.

"Hmm?" Wangji questioned.

"Huh?" Hua Ying wondered, "Oh, my brain is all over the place. Sorry for disturbing you."

"So you told yourself to shut up?" Wangji asked. Hua Ying just smiled at him and giggled. Wangji sighed, "it is fine. Maybe you should meditate to calm your mind."

"I...don't need to meditate," Hua Ying told him, "being half ghost, it is not necessary."

Wangji blinked as he glanced at Hua Ying, "so you are just a strong being?"

"I suppose so," Hua Ying said and sighed, "I am honestly...not sure who I am or what I am. I'm just...considered crown Prince because both my parents are rulers. Xie Lian is Heaven's current emperor, I'm his natural born son. Hua Cheng is a supreme ghost king, so I am a crown prince in his realm too. Now I am told I am this, Wei Wuxian person and I know nothing about him and why I was reborn as him to begin with. I have always had to wear a make going around in the mortal realm because of him and I do not know why. Just because he wanted to save some innocent people he was betrayed for it...and used the ghost path...so what. He had no choice."

Lan Wangji did not realize just how mixed up Hua Ying was. Yes, on the outside, he was a crown prince and was a very god and ghost being, but on the inside, he was so much more complex. He has so much inner turmoil that he doesn't know how to process any of if.

"I also just have his memories for the most part," Hua Ying continued, "and he loved you more than anything. It was plainly obvious...maybe not to him but it was true. Now I am just sitting here with you and I know nothing about you or this whole situation that I am basically putting myself in...so Hanguang Jun I have to ask, who are you? Why are so willing to help me?"

"For Wei Ying," Lan Wangji said, "I loved him and I failed to tell him that. You are here with me for a reason. You have Wei Ying's memories and you are his reincarnate. What I know of Wei Ying...he was kind, he was annoying but he was always happy and smiling. He was smiling even when he fell from the cliff in Nightless City. His smile held many secrets but it was the most beautiful smile any person could have.

He stood up for the right thing and I was too late to help him. The cultivation world does not like it when the young are more advanced than the old, so the older generation has to always find some sort of excuse to tear the young generation apart. Wei Ying did everything he could to make others safe and happy, but never himself. If you want to know who I am, I am a person who loves Wei Ying and would do anything to make it up to him. His name deserves to be cleared of this slander against him. To clear his name, we need the real criminal."

Hua Ying nodded, "I'm sorry," he said and balled up on the bed, "I did not mean to upset you. I am just confused."

Lan Wangji could now see more similarities between Hua Ying and Wei Ying. They were both very happy people and smiled all the time, but behind closed doors, they become completely different people. They are so broken and vulnerable that they have no idea how to cope with it all. Lan Wangji, grew up in a sect where he always had the support of his brother and was always praised, no matter what he did. He was always supported and loved by his brother and he also had his strict uncle who would still break mountains for him if he had to.

In Wei Ying's first life, it was said he had his sworn siblings there for him. Looking back at it all, he really only had Jiang Yanli and she died protecting Wei Ying. He then had a family of the Wen Remnants of Dafan, who were Wen Qing and Wen Ning's people. They took Wei Wuxian in as family and lost them all too. He said even lost his parents so young, that he lived independently and alone on the streets for a few years.

Hua Ying has the love of his parents now but that doesn't mean he was happy. He is happy when he was with his parents, but when he was away from his family, he was in pain. Lan Wangji realized just how lonely the two were. Lan Wangji's chest pained at the thought of it all.

"Hua Ying," Wangji called out. Hua Ying looked up at him, "I want to be your friend. You may not be the Wei Ying I knew, but you are the Wei Ying of now. You are Hua Ying, my Hua Ying."

Hua Ying blinked in shock, did I hear that correctly? His Hua Ying? I am not the Wei Ying he used to know, but he wants to know about me, Hua Ying. He wants me?

"You are not just saying that because I am partially Wei Wuxian?" Hua Ying questioned.

"No," Wangji replied, "you are Hua Ying. My Hua Ying. My precious flower."

Hua Ying blushed, "your precious flower? Really?"

"Hua means Flower or Prosperity," Wangji says, "Just like Lan or Lanhua (Orchids). The gentry of flowers."

Hua Ying chuckled, "So, you are my Lanhua then."

"And you are my Hua Ying," Wangji told him.