Chapter Twenty-Four

Wei Wuxian was coming back from the river with buckets of water on both arms, he was almost to the cottage when he heard Jiang Yanli yelling, "A-Xian! A-Xian comes quickly! A-Cheng is awake!"

Dropping both buckets of water not caring that they fell over Wei Wuxian runs the rest of the way into the cottage into the shared room between the Jiang siblings to find Jiang Cheng being helped sitting up by Lan Wangji. Jiang Cheng looks up to meet Wei Wuxian's eyes. Sitting on the edge of the hay bed Wei Wuxian takes Jiang Cheng's wrist to feel his heart was stronger.

"It's not there if you're looking for it." Jiang Cheng looks defeated.

"I know Cheng-shidi." Wei Wuxian sighs. "Let's not worry about it for now."

"Not worry about it?" Jiang Cheng hisses, ripping his hand out of Wei Wuxian's hands, taking him by the collar to pull him closer to his face, "I LOST MY CORE AND YOU'RE TELLING ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT? MY MOTHER AND MY FATHER ARE DEAD!!! MY DISCIPLES ARE DEAD! I LOST LOTUS PIER AND NOW MY SISTER AND I ARE HOMELESS AND YOU TELL ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT?!?!"

"Jiang Cheng that's now what I meant." Wei Wuxian tried to calm him down.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! I WISH I NEVER MET YOU! I WISH I NEVER BROUGHT YOU TO LOTUS PIER! I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN SO I NEVER HAD TO KNOW YOU EXCITED!!!!" Jiang Cheng kept going.

His words stung everyone in the room, even Jiang Yanli who didn't say anything to offend Wei Wuxian which meant in a way she blamed all of these bad things against her family was his fault too. Nodding Wei Wuxian didn't fight back, "I'm sorry for your loss Jiang Cheng."

"GET OUT!!!!" Jiang Cheng continued to scream at him, "GET OUT AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

Not wanting to upset Jiang Cheng anymore Wei Wuxian got up and left the cottage with no one following him. Even though he knows Jiang Cheng is hurting, he couldn't but help but feel betrayed by the man he once saw as a friend and hopefully a brother he never had. Now though, just because Wei Wuxian woke up at an untiring event that is beyond his control, and being blamed for their world problems. In times like this, he wishes he could just go home.

Going to the village he comes across a food cart filled with steamed buns and rice, felt like he could do with a snack but stopped once he heard something being dropped to the ground. He turns around to see a woman very pregnant trying to bend down to retrieve the items she dropped. Running to her aid Wei Wuxian helped her stand up straight before bending down himself and picking up the fallen fruits she had.

"Oh why to thank you, young man," she says gratefully for the acceptance.

"It's no problem, madam, but you must be careful for your holding a very important package right there." Wei Wuxian points to her stomach.

She laughs and rubs her swollen baby bump, "Yes, Granny would say the same. However, she and all my Uncles are too busy to be taking care of me, besides I'm not completely helpless."

"Babies are quite tough." he agrees, "And the mothers are always tougher."

She smirks and raises her fists as if ready for a fistfight. "Count on it."

Wei Wuxian laughs, "May I ask where the father is?"

Her mood dropped considerably, "Sect. Leader Wen, ordered all the young healthy men to be at the front line from our village." she whispers. "I haven't received a letter for A-Yuan in months."

"I am so sorry for your loss."

"She nods and wipes away from her cheek, "Besides knowing that bastard of a Sect. Leader, he would have burned our village to the ground if one of our young men said no. A-Yuan would never let that happen."

"Brave man."

"He was."

Silence wavered between them, but Wei Wuxian wasn't going to let this woman go home in a depressed mood, "I was about to get some steam buns from that cart, would you like to join me?"

She waves her hands in front of her, "I wouldn't want to impose!"

��Not imposing." Wei Wuxian assures her, "I would enjoy the company after the day I've had thus far."

"Ah oh, romance problems?" she asks.

"NO!" he laughs, "More like losing good friend problems."

She laughs as well, before taking his offer and let him lead her to the stall and he buys two steam buns and two bowls of rice for each of him, but she seemed to be more hungry then she leads him on to be so she ended up eating everything that he bought which he gladly gave all to her.

"I'm not sure if I ever asked your name," he tells her.

"You never asked," she confirmed.

He leans in closer to her and asks, "May I know your name madam?"

"Wen Ah-Cy."

Wei Wuxian smiles, "That's a lovely name Lady Wen."