Chapter 121 One Hundred and Twenty-One

Chapter Summary: Behind him, the group of girls had unknowingly developed a red gleam in their eyes. Wei Wuxian said, "You..."

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Behind him, the group of girls had unknowingly developed red eyes. Wei Wuxian said, "Don't move."

So they bowed and stepped back, but still stared intently at Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian said to Lan Wangji, "How should I put it? Although I don't think I'll regret it, I don't like others making such casual predictions about my future."

After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji said, "It was my rudeness."

Wei Wuxian said, "It's alright. But it seems I really shouldn't have invited you up here. I was presumptuous of me today."

Lan Wangji said, "No."

Wei Wuxian smiled slightly and said politely, "Is that so? That's good."

He downed the remaining half-glass of wine in one gulp and said, "But anyway, thank you. I'll take it as you caring about me."

Wei Wuxian waved his hand and said, "Then I won't bother Hanguang-jun any longer. Let's meet again if fate allows."

When Wei Wuxian returned to Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng was wiping his sword. He glanced up and asked, "You're back?"

Wei Wuxian said, "I'm back."

Jiang Cheng said, "You look so unlucky. Did you run into Jin Zixuan?"

Wei Wuxian said, "It's even worse than meeting Jin Zixuan. Guess who it is."

Jiang Cheng said, "Give me a hint."

Wei Wuxian said, "You're going to lock me up."

Jiang Cheng frowned and asked, "Lan Wangji? What's he doing in Yunmeng?"

Wei Wuxian said, "I don't know. He's wandering around the streets, probably looking for someone. He hasn't mentioned this for a long time since the Sunshot Campaign, but now he's brought it up again."

Jiang Cheng said, "Who told you to stop him first?"

Wei Wuxian asked, "How did you know I was the one who called out to him first?"

Jiang Cheng said, "Do you even need to ask? It's always the same! You're strange. You always end up on bad terms with him, so why do you keep going out of your way to annoy him?"

Wei Wuxian thought for a moment and said, "Am I just bored?"

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, thinking, "You know that too," before shifting his gaze back to the sword. Wei Wuxian asked, "How many times a day do you clean this sword?"

Jiang Cheng said, "Three times. Where's your sword? How long has it been since you cleaned it?"

Seeing the increasingly stiff and cold atmosphere between the two in the sky, Lan Wangji unconsciously stroked Wei Wuxian's cheek.

He was too impatient back then.

However, he couldn't think of any other way.

Where is your sword...?

At that time, Jiang Cheng only felt helpless and dissatisfied with Wei Wuxian's unruly behavior, not caring about other people's opinions; but at this moment, he found that his heart was faintly aching. How many times had he rubbed salt into Wei Wuxian's wounds because of the Jiang family and a series of other reasons?

Wei Wuxian took a pear, took a bite, and said, "I threw it in the room. It'll be enough to wipe it once a month."

Jiang Cheng said, "From now on, don't go without your sword at big occasions like hunting parties or intellectual gatherings. Otherwise, you'll be easy pretexts for people to criticize you for being ill-mannered and setting a bad example."

Wei Wuxian said, "You know I hate being forced. The more you force me, the less I want to do it. So I won't carry my sword. What can you do to me?"

Jiang Cheng glared at him. Wei Wuxian continued, "Besides, I don't want to be dragged into a sword fight by a bunch of strangers. My sword must draw blood when it's drawn. Unless they send me two people to kill, nobody can bother me. I might as well not bring anyone and be done with it, and have some peace and quiet."

Jiang Cheng said, "Didn't you used to love showing off your swordsmanship in front of people?"

Wei Wuxian said, "I was a child before. Who can stay a child forever?"

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but laugh at himself.

Yes, Wei Wuxian has grown up a long time ago.

He had grown up from the moment his mother entrusted him, his older sister, and everything else to him.

Whether someone is a child or not has nothing to do with age. It's just that as they grow up, they carry more and more burdens on their shoulders, until finally, they are crushed by them.

Jiang Cheng chuckled and said, "It's fine if you don't carry a sword, it doesn't matter. But you should avoid provoking Jin Zixuan in the future. After all, he is Jin Guangshan's only son, and he will be the future head of the Lanling Jin Clan. If you fight him, what am I, the head of the clan, supposed to do? Join you in fighting him? Or punish you?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Now there's another Jin Guangyao, isn't there? Jin Guangyao is much more pleasing to the eye than him."

Jiang Cheng finished wiping the sword, examined it for a while, and then sheathed the Sandu sword, saying, "What's the use of being pleasing to the eye? No matter how pleasing to the eye or how clever he is, he can only be a servant who greets and sees people off. His life will end there. He can't compare to Jin Zixuan."

Judging from his tone, Jiang Cheng seemed to have a high opinion of Jin Zixuan. Wei Wuxian said, "Jiang Cheng, answer me honestly, what do you mean? Last time you specially brought Shijie along, you wouldn't really want Shijie to be with him...?"

Jiang Cheng said, "It's not impossible."

Wei Wuxian said, "Why not? Have you forgotten what he did in Langya? You're telling me it's not impossible?"

Jiang Cheng said, "He probably regrets it."

Wei Wuxian said, "Who cares if he regrets it? Just because he knows he was wrong doesn't mean we should forgive him. Look at his father's character; who knows, he'll probably be the same way in the future, running around all over the country chasing after women. Shijie with him? Can you tolerate that?"

Jiang Cheng said coldly, "He dares!"

Jiang Cheng paused, glanced at him, and then said, "However, whether or not you forgive him isn't up to you. It's just that my sister likes him."

Wei Wuxian was speechless for a moment. After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out, "Why do I have to like this...?"

Putting aside the two brothers' judgment of Jin Guangyao, seeing two young men, who could still be considered quite young, so conflicted about their sister's marriage, the women present couldn't help but cast envious glances at Jiang Yanli.

Most women have brothers in their families, but as women, even those with amazing talents like Lan Yi, Yu Ziyuan, and Cangse Sanren are just average. Most of them are married off to a man of equal social standing chosen by their parents, and those from more prestigious families are also married off for some financial reasons.

As the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, it would be common for Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to form marriage alliances with other families to consolidate their power. However, setting aside their childhood sibling bond, and considering their more important role as the current heads of the Jiang clan, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's primary concern was still Jiang Yanli's feelings.

They are willing to try anything she likes and is willing to do, no matter how difficult or unsuitable it may be.

How can such a rare and precious relationship not be envied?

"Brother Jin, it seems getting past your brother-in-law is going to be tough," Nie Huaisang said, shaking his fan and teasing Jin Zixuan again.

Jin Zixuan ignored him and turned to pull Jiang Yanli closer to his chest.

Jiang Yanli couldn't help but chuckle at his slightly aggrieved expression and patted his leg comfortingly.

He threw down the pear and asked, "Where is Senior Sister?"

Jiang Cheng said, "I don't know. It's probably one of those few places. If she's not in the kitchen, she's in the bedroom, or she's in the ancestral hall. Where else could she be?"

Wei Wuxian left the Sword Testing Hall and went to the kitchen first. A half-filled pot of hot soup was simmering on the fire, but Jiang Yanli wasn't there. He then went to Jiang Yanli's room, but she wasn't there either. Finally, he went to the ancestral hall, and sure enough, she was there.

Jiang Yanli knelt in the ancestral hall, wiping her parents' memorial tablets while speaking softly. Wei Wuxian poked his head in and asked, "Shijie? Are you chatting with Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu again?"

Jiang Yanli said softly, "Since none of you are coming, I have no choice but to come myself."

Wei Wuxian walked in, sat down beside her, and joined her in wiping the memorial tablet.

Looking at the figures in the Heavenly Shadow, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but recall that since the reconstruction of Lotus Pier, scenes like those in the Heavenly Shadow had frequently occurred.

Whenever I can't find my elder sister, I can always see her back in the ancestral hall and hear her softly talking to the memorial tablet.

Sister always says that he and Wei Wuxian don't go to the ancestral hall very often.

It wasn't that they didn't want to go, but they hadn't avenged their family feud and were too ashamed to face their father, mother, and Jiang's fellow disciples.

As for her older sister, she always gently comforted them, but they fully understood her heart full of guilt and self-blame, regretting why she was unable to see her parents one last time in Meishan, and why she couldn't even help her two younger brothers escape for days.

Therefore, if talking to the memorial tablet can alleviate her pain, that would be good.

Jiang Yanli glanced at him and said, "A-Xian, why are you looking at me like that? Do you want to tell me something?"

Wei Wuxian laughed and said, "Nothing's wrong. I just came in to roll around for a bit."

As she spoke, she actually rolled on the ground and asked, "Xianxian, how old are you?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Three years old."

Seeing that he had amused Jiang Yanli, he sat up, thought for a moment, and then said, "Senior Sister, I want to ask you something."

Jiang Yanli said, "Ask away."

Wei Wuxian said, "Why would someone like another person? I mean that kind of liking."

Everyone: ...To think we'd ever see the Yiling Patriarch act cute in our lifetime?!

Listen to two more sentences.

Everyone: ...You like it?!

Lan Xichen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and turn to look at his younger brother.

Lan Wangji's calm eyes suddenly lit up slightly.

Like me? Wei Ying, did you already have feelings for me back then?

Although they had been Daoist partners for two or three years, coming to the Heavenly Realm now felt like starting a new life.

Those fantasies and expectations from my youth that I had long forgotten but dared not express now seem to surge back into my heart.

Jiang Yanli was slightly taken aback and asked curiously, "Why are you asking me this? Who do you like? What kind of girl is she?"

Wei Wuxian said, "No. I won't like anyone. At least not too much. Wouldn't that be like putting a plow around my own neck?"

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but snort coldly.

They're still firmly under Lan Er's control, so they should learn from this sect leader and take it upon themselves to carry forward the Jiang clan, instead of talking about personal feelings!

Jiang Yanli said, "Three years old is a bit too old, let's say one year old."

Wei Wuxian exclaimed, "No, I'm three years old! Three-year-old Wei Wuxian is hungry! What should we do!"

Jiang Yanli smiled and said, "There's soup in the kitchen, go and have some. I wonder if Xianxian can reach the stove?"

"If you can't reach your senior sister, just pick me up and you'll be able to reach her..." Wei Wuxian was talking nonsense when Jiang Cheng happened to step into the ancestral hall. Hearing this, he spat and said, "Stop talking nonsense! I've already served you some soup and put it outside. Hurry up and get down here to thank me and then get out to drink your soup."

Wei Wuxian went outside to take a look, then came back and said, "Jiang Cheng, what do you mean? Where are the ribs?"

Jiang Cheng said, "We're done eating. Only lotus root is left. Take it or leave it."

Wei Wuxian elbowed him, yelling, "Spit out the ribs!"

Jiang Cheng said, "Go ahead and vomit! If you're so capable, I'll vomit it up and you can eat it!"

Hearing them start again, Jiang Yanli quickly said, "Alright, alright, how old are you fighting over a few pieces of ribs? I'll just make another pot..."

As everyone watched the two playful and bickering boys, it was as if they were seeing a glimpse of the early days when they were still studying at the Lan Clan, catching birds and fishing.

In just over a year, the boy who once stood up for his sister when she was bullied has become an adult who now has to consider the big picture and uphold the honor and disgrace of his family.

This is good for everyone, but it's unfair to them.

Because for them, this is the cruelest reality.

The few remaining warm moments in the shadows of the sky are a past they long to return to but can never do so.