OUR HAPPILY EVER AFTER (A WANGXIAN STORY)

Chapter 43

Lan HuiZhong was caught up in a fight bigger than him. All his life he's seen his father this furious only once, and it also revolved around him and his mother's actions.

"You can't possibly believe what your son is accusing me of...He said that to save that man.", Madam Lan turned the tables on the boy.

Out of sheer frustration and gross disgust, Xichen snatched the whip and headed for his wife.

"Father, please...Don't hit my mother, it's all my fault.", HuiZhong shielded JingFei, making the angry man halt with a pained look on his face.

"Xichen, what are you doing...Who said you could hit your wife because of Wei Wuxian!", Lan QiRen defended his daughter In-law without blinking. The Clan Leader could not believe his ears. "You'd support someone who teaches your grandson how to lie and accuse the innocent?!...Uncle, is that the quality you want for a future Sect Leader?".

The Elder went mute recognizing the fault in his words. He took a step back and glanced over at the mother and child. "Nephew, if you can forgive Wei Wuxian for slaughtering over three thousand cultivators, then you should be able to let this go.", QiRen bounced back.

The disciples, young and old did not know what to make of the Senior's words. It's not that they had a say in the matter. They were only there as spectators. The crowd was saddened when Lan Xichen began to laugh. Blood still oozing from the cut on his right arm and left leg. His light blue robes stained red. Beads of sweat formed on his temple when the day was cool. He had the face of a man with four expressions; rage, guilt, grief and awe.

He singled out two disciples and called them forth. "Lock her up in a cell for four days with no food or water.", he kept his eyes on the woman he married.

JingFei flinched at her husband's words. "Xichen, you want to treat me like a criminal because of this?!"

"Not only did you lead our son astray, but you also got a man injured! Because of you, my brother has threatened to leave his home. If I were you I'd be grateful I was not given a harsher punishment and ask for forgiveness.", Xichen clenched his jaw.

Madam Lan gasped. Her eyes travelled to her son who wept at her feet, pleading. At that moment she only felt one thing- betrayal. The crowd was taken aback when Madam Lan; the woman adorned with beauty and grace, one whom many wished to be like, attacked her son in the heat of the moment.

"You liar, ungrateful being...Because of you, your father treats me like a criminal!... And you call yourself my son!", JingFei barked as she sank her nails into HuiZhong's skin, almost clawing his eyes out. The boy whimpered, still pleading.

*Slap!*

Xichen had had enough. JingFei fell to the ground after the burn on her left cheek. She traced the shoes of the assailant with her eyes from below upwards. "Lan...Xichen.", she muttered with trembling lips.

"I warned you never to lay a hand on my son again!! From the looks of things, I doubt you ever stopped."

Lan HuiZhong was prevented from crawling back to his mother. His face bleeding red, stung as the tears run over.

"Forget being starved for four days...That's too good for you. You're going into solitary confinement for five years...or ten...or until our son comes of age! And don't bother waiting for me to show up cause I don't even want to see your face.", Xichen declared.

"No, you cant! I won't agree to this...", Tears welled up in her eyes.

"If you cant then send word for your parents to come for you and annul this marriage.", Xichen's words were so cold his Uncle couldn't believe that was the boy he raised. The Sect Leader picked up his aggrieved son and limped his way out of the place, leaving his men to carry out the order.