When We Were Young || A WangXian Fanfiction

Age 4 (cont.)

Jiang Cheng and a bunch of other kids barged into the room. Wei Ying stood and faced his brother. 

"What's wrong?" Wei Ying asked. "Why did you bring Lan Zhan into my room?" Jiang Cheng asked. Wei Ying rolled his eyes. "This isn't your room Jiang Cheng, this is our room. It's not like he's sitting on your bed, so what's the big deal?" Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes. "At first, I was okay with him because you said he was nice to you. But he didn't even show up for the banquet! That's so rude!" My lower lip trembled, and I slowly stepped forward.

"I'm sorry. I'll...I'll leave now." I walked towards the door, but a hand grabbed my wrist. It was Wei Ying. 

"Why are you leaving? You didn't do anything wrong." Wei Ying said, his eyes glowing with anger. "He didn't attend my banquet!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed. "It was too loud and noisy for him!" Wei Ying shouted back. "If he doesn't like noisiness, why did he come to the party? Everyone knows that parties are loud." Jiang Cheng yelled. "That's none of your business." Wei Ying cried. He squeezed his grip around my wrist and led me past the others. "Come on, Lan Zhan. Let's go somewhere else." 

After walking for a while, he took me to another room. "No one ever comes in here. I just stay in here when I don't feel like being with anyone else. It doesn't have a name." He lit a candle. The room was full of toys and seemed very cozy. "The rattle drum!" I exclaimed. Wei Ying smiled shyly. "Yeah. Do you want it back?" I shook my head. "I have a lot at home. Besides, I gave it to you, I can't take it back!" Wei Ying smiled, and put my hands in his hands. He looked at me in the eye, his face turning serious.

"Lan Zhan...is there something wrong? Why are people so rude to you?" I sighed. "I don't know. I'm like you. I don't have blood parents either, so my Uncle takes care of Gege and I. My uncle is very invested in our studies. It's rare for him to let me go to a party and such, and impossible for him to let us go without bringing scrolls. People just think that I'm serious and I don't have feelings because all I do is stay in my room and read and meditate but..." I sniffed. Wei Ying squeezed my hands. "Hey, don't cry!" he said, reaching to wipe my tears. I shook my head. "Don't touch me. I don't like being touched." I said. It was true that I didn't like being touched, but with Wei Ying, I wouldn't have minded. But crying is an embarrassing thing. I didn't even realize the tears rolling down my face. Wei Ying backed away. "Okay. I won't touch you," he said, putting his hands behind his back. I shook my head. "No, it's okay," I said again, reaching for his hands again. "I'm confused..." he said, as I touched his hands again. "Do you want me to touch you or not?" "When you hold my hands, it makes me feel better. But I don't like hugging. Or people touching my face. You're the only one, other than Uncle and Gege that can touch my hands." I said honestly. 

"Anyways...people just think that I don't have the mindset of a child, but sometimes, I do want to have fun. But just, not noisy fun. Peaceful fun. But people don't like me, cause they think I just ruin everything. I have basically no friends. And sometimes, it really hurts. Does that make sense?" Wei Ying blinked. "I guess not." I sighed. Suddenly, before I could say anything else, Wei Ying embraced me in a huge hug. I was so shocked that I just stood there and let him hug me. After a while, he released me.

"I'm sorry. I know you don't like hugs, but...you looked like you really needed one. I...won't do it again," he said. "I-" Before he could finish, I leaped into his arms again, letting my tears drip onto his shoulders. 

"It doesn't matter if everyone else is mean to you. You'll always have me by your side," he said, patting my back. "Thank you," I sighed. "Thank you."

I don't know how long we stood there hugging. But I didn't ever want to let go. However, the long moment was ruined by knocking.

"Wei Ying, I know you're in there!" a voice called from outside. "Jiang Cheng, leave us alone." Wei Ying called back. Regardless, Jiang Cheng opened the doors, a gang of kids following him. 

"Seriously. Wei Ying, you should stop hanging out with him." Wei Ying stepped in front of me, blocking them from reaching me.

"So what I want to be friends with him? Why does that concern you?" Wei Ying shot back. "Why do you guys care so much?" "He's no fun. I don't want you to become a no-fun person." Jiang Cheng said. "That'll never happen. Besides, you don't get to decide if Lan Zhan is boring or not. So what he likes studies? That's good too." Huaisang snorted. "Wei Ying, I'll be honest with you. You're the person I least likely expected to become friends with Lan Zhan...you have such an outgoing, noisy, playful personality, and Lan Zhan has such a cold, stoic, quiet personality. You guys are so different..." Wei Ying flashed a smile. "Opposites attract." 

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and barged into the room. He picked up the rattle drum that was sitting on the side. "Hey, whats this? You never had this before. And it's blue!" He threw the rattle drum to Huaisang. "Hey Huaisang, look at that!" Instantly, Wei Ying's happy attitude turned into a panicked expression. "Give that back!" Huaisang spun it around. "Look at the design on it. Its from the Gusu Lan Sect." Jiang Cheng's eyebrows raised.

"Wei Ying, did Lan Zhan give this to you?" Wei Ying didn't say anything, but glared at Jiang Cheng and Huaisang. I should speak up. But who knows what would happen?

"Give that back to Wei Ying!" I said, not even realizing the words left my mouth. Huaisang giggled. "Catch!" He threw the rattle drum back to Jiang Cheng, who accidentally "missed". The drum cracked a little. "Oops." Jiang Cheng said, unapologetically. Wei Ying's face turned distressed. "Jiang Cheng, give that back to me right now!" he said, running after his brother. "Huaisang, back at you!" He threw the drum at Huaisang with far too much force. The drum crashed against the wall, before thudding on the floor. The stick part cracked in half, and the drum portion had a long crack running across it. 

"Sorry, Wei Ying!" Huaisang exclaimed. Wei Ying ran to what remained of the drum, tears welling up in his eye. "Why did you guys do this!?" he cried. "This was from Lan Zhan." Jiang Cheng frowned. "I knew it. You don't accept gifts from Father, but you accept gifts from him? Why?! Let's go. This is getting boring." The other kids left, leaving Wei Ying and me alone in the room. Wei Ying sobbed, kneeling on the floor.

"I know it's just a drum, but it was from you. It was one of my favorite things. And it was also one your favorite things. And Jiang Cheng and Huaisang just broke it like that." he sniffed. I wrapped an arm around him, and let him cry into my chest. 

"It's okay, Wei Ying. I have more at Cloud Recesses. When we meet again, I can give you another one." He sniffled quietly. "Thank you."

-

"I didn't see you for the majority of the party," Gege remarked as we headed back. "I was with Wei Ying. You know my favorite rattle drum that I gave Wei Ying? Huaisang and Jiang Cheng broke it! In front of our eyes! He was so distressed," My little hands balled up into a tight fist. "How could they?!" Gege patted my back. "Calm down, Lan Zhan. You have more at home. Give him another one next time." I let out a deep breath. "That's exactly what I said. But what if we never meet?" Gege smiled. "Your birthday is in a couple months. Invite him over." I looked at Gege, my face showing obvious doubt. "You know how Uncle feels about chaotic parties," Gege smiled even wider. "Who said it was going to be a chaotic party?"