Unbroken

14

((Mature and sensitive content in this chapter...read with caution))
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"Before we do this, are you sure you want to go through with it?" Wangji asked his brother once more for confirmation.

Lan Xichen and Wangji were sitting in the middle of a room that was made specifically for situations like this. Whether it be Wei Wuxian checking out items for curses, charms, poisons and so forth, or to be used to craft those said things, or even cleansing things and performing empathy. This room was actually built just for Wei Wuxian, and there were special charms and talismans on the walls to prevent possessions from happening and even a protection charm from outside and inside forces. Just in case something either tries to break in or out, or Wei Wuxian accidentally makes something explode.

"I have to do this, I'm sure it will mess me up emotionally in the end but I have to know for sure. I also trust that you will not judge me for what will happen..." Xichen said.

"And you do not trust Wei Ying to not judge you?" Wangji asked.

"I did not mean it like that.." Xichen said.

"He just feels more comfortable having his brother do this," Wuxian said, "I have Chenqing to the ready and we also have Wei Ning and Wei Qing here. You two can start when you are ready."

"Xiongzhang, for this to work, you have to think back to the time you think that happened to you," Wangji told him, "apparently, according to Jin Guangyao from doing empathy on Wei Ning, you were drunk. Try thinking of times when you were alone with him."

Lan Xichen nodded. Wangji realized that he may be seeing a few moments where he was alone with Jin Guangyao, "was it perhaps just before Jin—" Wei Ning was about to say Jin Zixuan's death but Wei Qing covered his mouth.

Lan Xichen decided to think back to a few times he was alone with Jin Guangyao after the sunshot campaign. Wangji nodded to him and took his hands and started empathy:

Wangji and Xichen's subconscious spirits were teleported to a location, it was in a room within the Nie Sect. Lan Xichen looked at himself playing the Guqin, teaching Jin Guangyao to play Cleansing.

"I know you are the sect leader, but you trust him with this music? Teaching him our soul calming music?" Wangji asked.

"A'Yao said it was to help out Da-Ge to learn to try and gain his trust again. The two have been at odds for a bit. Da-Ge agreed to allow A'Yao to try...and he really wanted to learn the guqin...or continue to learn it. He has some knowledge on it but I just continued to teach him," Xichen explained.

Wangji could only sigh. They then went back to watching the memory. They watched as Xichen continued to teach Jin Guangyao the guqin. After about half an hour the two stopped for the day. Lan Xichen started to boil a fresh pot of water for tea. Lan Xichen left for a moment to speak with one of his disciples that was in Qinghe with him. While he was away, the subconscious spirits of Wangji and Xichen watched Jin Guangyao put something in Lan Xichen's tea cup...it was some type of powder.

"He did spike my drink but what is that?" Xichen asked.

"Aphrodisiac powder...it's tasteless but it acts just as quickly as one swallows it," Wangji answered, "it will make a person feel hot, and aroused. They will want to be relieved with whoever is nearest to them."

"How do you know this?" Xichen asked.

Wangji smirked, "to spice things up a bit, Wei Ying and I took some on out wedding night...provided by Wei Qing. It is intense to use between two people under its influence...it was also the night...A'Yuan was conceived."

Lan Xichen felt his heart ache when he heard Wangji mention A'Yuan. That pain stuck there for a bit but there was also some sort of smirk on his face hearing that his brother was so daring.

"Oh...so daring of you," Xichen said. He was hoping to try to try to get A'Yuan off his brother's mind.

"Mnn," Wangji nodded.

The two then watched as the memory played out. After one drink Lan Xichen was already feeling the effects of the powder. A cunning smirk appeared on Jin Guangyao's face as he tossed several privacy talisman to the walls and lock talisman to the door. Lan Xichen's head piece came off and Jin Guangyao immediately grabbed him, kissing him on the lips. Lan Xichen shoved Jin Guangyao roughly back onto the floor and began to rip his robes off.

"Do you want me to pull us out?" Wangji asked as he noticed tears in his brother's eyes.

Lan Xichen nodded the moment he saw Jin Guangyao flipped them over and force himself into Xichen. Wangji pulled them both out of empath and sat there for a bit just waiting for what his brother would do or say.

"A'Zhan?" Wei Wuxian asked, "what happened?"

"It is true, he used aphrodisiac powder..." Wangji said and moved to sit beside his brother, "Xiongzhang, if you help us clear Wei Ying's name, you will also get justice for yourself. No matter what happened in the past, I'm at still your little brother. I still look to you and I love you. I want you to know that."

Lan Xichen looked into his brother's eyes, "thank you...and I'm so sorry," he said, "if I had just listened to you or paid more attention to you..."

Wei Wuxian shook his head, "Xichen-Ge, I do not actually blame you for what happened. I do not hate you either. I have always respected you...even if you called me selfish because I didn't pay attention to others because of my actions..." he explained, "You were just like everyone else...unsure of the unknown...but it also was not you who killed A'Yuan. You may have, at first, misunderstood him and me but I promise you, I do not hate you."

Lan Xichen felt his heart warm as he heard Wei Wuxian call him Xichen-Ge. The two even sat on either side of him and hugged him, "we cannot change the past but we can make sure that it never happens again in the future by getting justice," Wangji said.

Lan Xichen nodded, "I will...and I will not let Jin Guangyao get away with doing that to me."

"Xichen-Ge, I have these small supplements that I made, that if you drop it in a drink and it turns black, it's poisoned or has been tampered with. Jin Guangyao said back in empathy that he'd try to do that again...why don't I get you some to make sure you are safe...if it is safe to drink, the supplement will just dissolve and not effect the taste at all. It's just to test it for poisons and such," Wuxian told him.

"You made something like that?" Xichen asked.

"I created them during the sunshot campaign as it was a bit dangerous. They have become very useful," Wuxian said taking out a small bottle and handed it to Xichen, "they are really small, so sneaking it into your drink to check is quite easy. It's also a clear gel like supplement as it is harder to see in even clear liquids."

"Has anyone ever told you how extremely smart you are?" Xichen asked.

"Mmm, A'Zhan might have told me once or twice but I thought he was just saying so as he is my husband...plus he always compliments me on what I do," Wuxian told him.

"And it is true," Xichen said.