“Don’t you ‘jiejie’ me!” Wen Qing scolded. “I haven’t gotten to the part where I ask you when you became so audacious! To think you’d dare hide people here! I was investigating this earlier—no wonder you suddenly wanted to go to Yunmeng! You really are a gutsy one. Who gave you such courage? If Wen Chao finds out what you’ve done, he’ll tear you apart! Do you think I can stop him if he’s really determined to get rid of someone?”
She spoke rapidly but articulately, her tone so strong and forceful that it brooked no argument. Wei Wuxian couldn’t find a single opportunity to cut in.
Wen Ning’s face was as pale as snow. “Jiejie, but Wei-gongzi…”
“You did it out of gratitude, which is justifiable. I won’t say a word more on that matter,” Wen Qing said sternly. “But those two can’t stay here! You went over there, then left so suddenly, and they went missing right after. Do you think Wen Chao is that stupid? Sooner or later, they’ll come looking here. This is the Overwatch Office under my jurisdiction, and this is your room. If the others discover you harbored them here, what charge do you think they’ll convict you of? Think about it!”
She listed the stakes so clearly, it was as though she’d pointed at Wei Wuxian’s nose and told him bluntly to get lost, to leave and not burden them further. If Wei Wuxian had been the one injured, or if it had been someone else who saved them, he would’ve had no qualms about bidding farewell and leaving right away. But it was Jiang Cheng who was injured; he’d lost his core and was utterly out of his mind. With Jiang Cheng like this, Wei Wuxian could not bring himself to leave.
Besides, it was the Wen Clan who’d gotten them into this mess to begin with. He couldn’t take it lying down.
And so, Wei Wuxian could only grit his teeth and keep silent.
“But, but the Wen Clan…” Wen Ning began.
“What the Wen Clan does is not representative of what we do,” Wen Qing interrupted him. “The sins of the Wen Clan are not ours to bear. Wei Ying, don’t look at me like that. Every debt has its own debtor. I’m the Chief Officer here in Yiling, but I was ordered to assume the post. I am a doctor, and I have never killed anyone—much less have the blood of your Jiang Clan on my hands!”
That was the truth. Wei Wuxian had never heard of Wen Qing killing anyone, only that people hoped she’d take over for their regions. Wen Qing was one of the rare Wens who acted and behaved normally. Her reputation had always been decent, and sometimes she could even put in a good word for others with Wen Ruohan.
Silence reigned in the room.
After a while, Wen Qing said, “Don’t pull out that needle. If he’s conscious, that boy is sure to throw another fit. I could hear all that yelling and shouting from outside. Pull it out when he recovers, then leave as soon as possible. I don’t want to deal with Wen Chao, especially that woman attached to him. The sight of her disgusts me!”
Having said that, she left the room decisively.
“She…means we can’t stay for long, but we can stay for a few days…right?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Wen Ning hurriedly nodded. “Thank you, jiejie!”
A packet of medicinal herbs was tossed in from outside the door.
“Put in some effort if you really want to thank me!” Wen Qing scolded from afar. “What the hell was that medicine you decocted earlier? Redo it!”
The packet of medicinal herbs smacked right into Wen Ning, but he still very happily said, “Any medicine my sister prepared is sure to be good. A hundred times better than mine. Superb, for certain.”
Wei Wuxian finally relaxed completely. “Thank you.”
Wei Wuxian knew the two siblings were putting themselves at great risk, one by turning a blind eye and the other by voluntarily helping them. It was just as Wen Qing had said—if Wen Chao was really determined to dispose of someone, Wen Qing might not be able to stop him and might even end up a target herself. After all, somebody else’s children could never be compared to one’s own.
With the needle securely embedded in his head, Jiang Cheng slept for three days. His broken bones repaired themselves and his superficial wounds smoothed over, but he was destined to never fully heal—the lash from the discipline whip could never be erased, and his golden core could never be recovered.
During those three days, Wei Wuxian thought things over.
After three days, he bade Wen Ning farewell. He walked for some distance with Jiang Cheng on his back and borrowed a small cabin from a forester. He closed the door and removed the silver needle from Jiang Cheng’s head.
It was a long time before Jiang Cheng finally opened his eyes.
Though awake, he remained motionless, not even flipping over and asking where they were. He wouldn’t eat or drink. It was as if he was interested only in dying.
“Do you really want to die?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“I can’t get revenge even if I live, so I might as well die. Who knows, maybe I can even turn into a malicious ghost,” Jiang Cheng said.
“You’ve gone through Soul-Tranquilization Rites since you were a kid. Even if you die, you won’t turn into a malicious ghost,” Wei Wuxian commented.
“Since I can’t seek revenge dead or alive, what difference does it make if I live or die?”
After that, Jiang Cheng didn’t speak again.
Wei Wuxian sat by the bed and looked at him for a while, then patted his legs, stood up, and began to bustle around. Evening came, and he finally finished cooking. He set the dishes on the table.