Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! So JGY survives and JC may not be the lonely grape for long. Enjoy the next chapter :)

Beta: JeanGirlMY (who also came up with the rest of the chapter titles :))

- Chapter Start -

For a while, everything felt fine, wonderful even, as if the past three years had never happened. Wei Ying was teasing Jiang Cheng; that never grew old because his brother never failed to rise to the bait. He was poking fun at the Peacock, ditto; and shijie was mediating with that sweet, indulgent smile of hers.

"A-Xian, A-Cheng. That's enough."

Except that she wasn't smiling now. Her cheeks were still pink, but something in her gaze and voice brought Wei Ying up short. She wasn't just their older sister anymore. She was also a married woman and the wife of a Sect Leader Heir who, by extension, also deserved their respect. At least, until he proved himself unworthy of it, which he hadn't.

"Wei Ying apologises for his poor manners," Wei Ying said in a serious tone and bowed his head to them.

Jiang Cheng, about to lit into him again, snapped his mouth shut and bowed as well.

YanLi smiled, indulgent once more, and turned to ZiXuan.

"You haven't explained why we're here and so early too," she said.

"Ah." The uneasy look on his face said he had no idea how to tell her what happened last night. Luckily for him, a discreet throat clearing saved him from having to explain.

Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng spun around to see the three Lans approaching them.

"Master Lan, ZeWu Jun, HanGuang Jun." ZiXuan and YanLi bowed in greeting.

They were greeted with equal politeness.

"Young Master Jin and Young Madam Jin, congratulations once again on your nuptials," ZeWu Jun said with a warm if tired smile. He looked a bit better with his hair tidied and his forehead ribbon straightened.

"Thank you, ZeWu Jun," ZiXuan replied and straightened up.

YanLi bowed even lower.

"Please accept my deepest gratitude for giving A-Xian and the Wen survivors a home at Cloud Recesses."

Wei Ying blushed and shot the three Lans an awkward smile, but YanLi wasn't finished.

"I saw the Burial Mounds for the first time that day. I didn't set foot on it, but even from a distance it looked... when I realised A-Xian had lived there for two years..." she shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Shijie, it's fine," Wei Ying mumbled.

"A-Xian is impulsive and reckless, but he has a heart of gold. He is very dear to me," YanLi continued, paying him no mind. "Please take good care of him."

"Shijie...!" Wei Ying protested, his blush deepening.

"No thanks necessary, Young Madam Jin. We consider it our gain," ZeWu Jun assured her.

"Wei Ying will want for nothing," Lan Zhan promised with a tender look at Wei Ying.

Master Lan nodded in agreement.

"Hey, I'm right here," Wei Ying said weakly, vexed to find himself tearing up. Must be due to the excitement of the past few hours.

"In turn, Young Madam Jin, please accept our apology," Master Lan spoke up, also paying him no mind. "We asked WuXian to stay on longer in Cloud Recesses and that was why he missed your visit."

Placing his hands together, he bowed, causing mouths to fall open all around. YanLi darted forward and arrested his bow, her arms far stronger than they looked.

"Master Lan," she said and shook her head, smiling, "anyone, anyone who cares for my A-Xian and has his best interests at heart, need never, ever bow to me. I consider them family."

Wei Ying blinked frantically, but it was too late to stop the tears running down his face. It was just like that day at Phoenix Mountain when shijie, gentle and soft spoken, yet as unmoving as a mountain, had demanded an apology from that jerk Jin ZiXun. Pressing his lips tightly together, Wei Ying gulped and willed himself not to make a sound.

What had he done to deserve a big sister like Jiang YanLi?

He had no idea, but he wished he did because he wanted to do more and more of it until he was finally worthy of her regard.

As YanLi bestowed the same smile on the twin Jades, Master Lan stared at her as if trying to equate her with the quiet, unassuming girl who had sat in the front row of his lectures three years ago. Then he blinked and rounded on ZiXuan.

"You have won yourself a priceless treasure, young man. Make sure you treat her as such!"

Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng gaped at him and then at a discomfited looking ZiXuan and then at each other.

"Rest assured, I will cherish A-Li everyday for the rest of my life, Master Lan," ZiXuan promised and bowed again.

Wei Ying palmed away his tears and sniffed.

"Yeah, mind you do that or else," he said, the threat of his words nullified by how stuffy his voice sounded.

"Right," Jiang Cheng added almost as an afterthought.

"I'm sure he will," YanLi assured them with a small laugh and turned back to ZiXuan.

"So this is why you brought me here? To meet A-Cheng and A-Xian and his new family?"

ZiXuan was spared having to think of a reply when Madam Jin emerged from the room.

"Ah. Please excuse me, I have to get back to A-Yao," ZeWu Jun said.

"A-Yao? You mean GuangYao?" YanLi asked. "Is he here too?"

Madam Jin walked up to them.

"Sit down and have your breakfast, all of you," she said. "I'll explain everything to A-Li."

- o -

A few hours later...

Most of the wedding guests left Koi Tower by noon, but the Gusu Lan, Yunmeng Jiang and Qinghe Nie guests waited for everyone to leave before gathering at the main courtyard, at the foot of the massive staircase leading to Glamour Hall.

They were relieved and a little surprised that Jin GuangShan still hadn't made an appearance, but Madam Jin assured them he usually slept in after an excess of rich food and liquor. She, ZiXuan and YanLi were there to see them off.

During breakfast, she had told A-Li that Jin GuangYao was taken ill, likely due to a combination of rich food and stress from organising the wedding. A few glances and raised eyebrows were exchanged by the others, but no one corrected her.

When ZiXuan and YanLi went to see him, GuangYao was already asleep from exhaustion and the strong anesthetic Wen Qing had administered. YanLi wanted to take care of him, but ZeWu Jun said he would bring GuangYao back to Cloud Recesses to nurse him back to health. He invited them to visit whenever they wanted, something YanLi accepted at once with a smile.

Even now after a few hours' sleep, GuangYao still looked very pale, cradled in ZeWu Jun's arms. The anesthetic was starting to wear off, leaving him half awake. Its effects would last for a couple more hours after which he could only be given milder ones while his body healed.

When Madam Jin approached them, GuangYao attempted to scramble down from ZeWu Jun's arms, startling an 'A-Yao, stop moving! from him.

"Madam Jin, I am indebted to you for your assistance and skill." GuangYao bowed his head, pink with embarrassment. "I owe you my life."

Madam Jin nodded with a pensive gaze.

"Why did you warn them about that wine? All this while, whatever you have said or done was to please Sect Leader Jin and no one else."

GuangYao's eyes went to the newlyweds who were talking to Wei WuXian and Sect Leader Jiang.

"Young Madam Jin has always treated me with the greatest kindness. She adores her brothers. I could not abide seeing her enjoy her wedding only to attend a funeral after."

Madam Jin nodded again. It was for that exact same reason that she hadn't disclosed her husband's involvement to YanLi.

"A-Li is very dear to me," she admitted. "I am grateful and I wish you a speedy recovery."

GuangYao's eyes grew shiny and he attempted to bow again, causing ZeWu Jun to tighten his grip with a murmured 'Stop moving'. When the others joined them, Madam Jin decided a change in subject was due.

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a carriage?"

"Very sure," ZeWu Jun replied. "Traveling on land will take five to six hours, but we can fly to Cloud Recesses in less than three."

"But how will you maneuver your sword while carrying him?" Madam Jin asked.

"I will manage," ZeWu Jun replied.

"Wei Ying and I will fly beside him," HanGuang Jun added.

Wei WuXian grinned at him.

"Thereby leaving Jiang Cheng free to take Wen-"

"Shut up!" Sect Leader Jiang growled as Healer Wen approached Lan QiRen to ask him for a ride.

"Looks like Wen Ning's your passenger again," Wei WuXian noted cheerfully. "Nie-xiong, are you coming with us?"

Nie HuaiSang shook his head, looking regretful.

"We're going back to Qinghe," he said, his gaze on ZeWuJun who was carefully stepping onto his sword, HanGuang Jun holding him steady. "But Da-ge and I will visit Er-ge and San-ge soon, I promise."

"Great! The three of us can have another part-" Wei WuXian broke off and rubbed his nose, seeming to feel Lan QiRen's eyes at the back of his head. "Anyway, we'll see you then."

In a few minutes, they were all rising into the air and heading for Cloud Recesses except for the Nie group. Seeing YanLi happily waving to her brothers, Madam Jin waited until their guests were out of sight before speaking.

"You two should go back to your room to rest. It's been an eventful morning and you woke up so early."

"I should look in on Father first," ZiXuan said. Madam Jin was pleased to note the reluctance in his face.

"I'll come with you," A-Li said at once.

"I checked on him earlier so you two can see him at dinner," Madam Jin said firmly. "Meanwhile, make sure you work up a big appetite!"

"Mother!" ZiXuan looked sandalised as he and YanLi went a bright pink.

Madam Jin chuckled.

"I just meant that you two hardly ate anything at last night's feast, especially A-Li."

She kept the indulgent smile on her face until they had walked off hand in hand and then she pressed her lips together. When she visited Jin GuangShan early this morning, she realised, with no small amount of shock, that something had happened during the night without any of them realising.

There wasn't anything they could do for him now, not that she would allow it even if there was.

At first, she had decided against telling A-Li the whole story, not wanting her to know what her father-in-law had attempted to do to her brother. But it wasn't fair to play down GuangYao's part either. To be honest, she didn't much care for him or Wei WuXian, but A-Li did.

"Ah, ZiYuan," she murmured with a sigh. "You were always so proud of how A-Li turned out, but she would've been just as sweet regardless of who brought her up. She's already softened me up so much."

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! We'll find out what happened to Jin GuangShan in the next chapter. Any guesses in the meantime? :)