Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Enjoy this chapter :)

Beta: JeanGirlMY

- Chapter Start -

Wen Qing marched along the path, dashing away her tears with angry movements. Wen Ning trotted by her side and wisely kept quiet. It wasn't until the Hanshi was out of sight that he deemed it safe enough to speak.

"Jiejie?"

Wen Qing breathed out through her nose before turning to him, still walking.

"What?"

"Didn't you like Sect Leader Jiang?"

Her lips tightened, but she didn't snap at him to mind his own business. Wen Ning knew she didn't have anyone else to confide in. Granny and the others looked up to her too much, and as for Young Master Wei... well, he was the one who had started this. Not that Wen Ning blamed him for it. Young Master Wei had finally found happiness with his HanGuang Jun, of course he would want everyone else to be happy too.

"I did." The word 'then' was unvoiced but implied.

"Why?"

Wen Qing stopped walking and turned to frown at him, mouthing 'Why'.

"Why did you like Sect Leader Jiang?"

She stared at him, still frowning.

"He was reserved and careful," she said at last. "He would think before acting. He would look at a scenario and consider all the pros and cons before making a decision."

"Just like you?"

Her startled look made him smile. Or try to.

"You scolded me when I gave your medicine to Young Master Wei when he was thrown in with Wen Chao's monster dog. You also scolded me when I brought the Jiang siblings to the Yiling Supervisory Office after Wen Chao attacked Lotus Pier."

"Of course I did!" Wen Qing snapped. "The only reason we were safe was because Wen RuoHan valued my skills as Healer. That would count for nothing if he found out we were helping the enemy!"

"I know," Wen Ning said solemnly.

She glared at him for a moment longer before shaking her head.

"If I'm more like Sect Leader Jiang then you're more like Wei WuXian."

Oops. Wrong thing to say. Now Wen Ning looked like she had paid him the highest compliment possible.

"That is not a good thing!" She hurriedly added. "He challenges everyone and everything! Do you remember how reckless and impulsive he was? How he didn't even consider his own safety if someone else was in danger?"

She stopped short and frowned as if realising she had praised Wei WuXian for listening to his heart a few minutes ago only to criticise him for doing the exact same thing now.

Wen Ning schooled his expressionless face to look even more blank, but received a glare nonetheless.

"A-Ning, what are you trying to get at?"

"Nothing."

When she raised an eyebrow at him, Wen Ning decided he had nothing to lose. It wasn't often that he knew more than her, or even dared to offer his opinion or advice. But in this matter at least, he felt he could see things clearer. Maybe because she was involved and he wasn't.

"Jiejie, Sect Leader Jiang isn't Young Master Wei. You can't expect them to react the same way."

"I don't!"

"Every situation is different and everyone reacts to it differently."

"I know that!"

"Young Master Wei has been impulsive all his life," Wen Ning continued. "Sect Leader Jiang must have tried to hold him back all his life, to keep him safe and to not cause trouble. That would be his priority. I think... that would always be his priority. Keeping his family safe."

Wen Qing exhaled, lips pursed.

"Yet he still chose to include you as a priority," Wen Ning reminded her.

Now she looked cross again.

"I never said he didn't try to protect me," she said. "I just said..."

"You said a lot of things back there and in front of everyone."

"He deserved to know!" Wen Qing's cheeks flushed with sudden colour. Then she exhaled. "But not in public."

"So... are you still angry with him?"

She gave him a sideways look.

"Are you on his side too? He tried to kill you, back when he visited the Burial Mounds."

"I know. But I'm already de-"

A trembling hand covered his mouth.

"Don't say that!"

Wen Ning gently pulled her hand away.

"Jiejie, he also saved me that night on the way to Koi Tower, remember? Even though I'm already de-"

The same hand covered his mouth again.

"I told you not to say that! Anyway," Wen Qing tossed her head, "enough chatter. We have to help Granny prepare lunch. And don't tell any of this to anyone. Especially Wei WuXian and Sect Leader Jiang."

"Of course," Wen Ning agreed and they started walking again towards the guest quarters.

It wasn't that he liked Sect Leader Jiang all that much. His love and loyalty would always, after Jiejie, be with Young Master Wei. But Wen Ning could relate to Sect Leader Jiang. He knew what it was like to be less talented and less noticed; the one always standing in the shadow of their more brilliant sibling.

Wen Ning didn't mind being compared to Jiejie and found lacking. She was talented and he was not, it was as simple as that. He was enormously proud of her, and no one had ever pinned any expectations on him anyway. But it couldn't have been easy for Sect Leader Jiang, the only son and heir of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, brought up with the expectation of becoming leader one day, yet always remaining a step behind the brilliant and charismatic Young Master Wei.

At least Jiejie hadn't said she hated him so perhaps... perhaps he still had a chance.

- o -

Jiang Cheng flew back to Lotus Pier that same day. It wasn't until he reached home that he realised he had forgotten to quiz Wei WuXian about his compromised golden core. In fact, apart from visiting Jin GuangYao, chatting with A-Jie and patting a rabbit or two, he hadn't gotten anything else accomplished except for-

His mouth tightened and he flushed, feeling hot and cold all over. When Wen Qing returned his comb just before he left the Burial Mounds, she had been distant yet polite. When their paths crossed again because of Jin GuangYao, she had been the same... more or less. He had no idea she resented him so much all this while, not just on her family's behalf, but Wei WuXian's as well.

So that was it then. He had burned his boats as far as she was concerned. He should stop mooning over her and focus on making his sect stronger instead.

But A-Jie had never stopped loving that peacock and she had ended up marrying him. Wei WuXian had never stopped pining for HanGuang Jun and he was about to marry him.

So if Jiang Cheng's stupid heart still ached for Wen Qing, did that mean he still had a chance?

Or was he, like everything else in his life, once again too late?

- o -

A few days later...

GuangYao slid open the door of the Hanshi and pulled in a deep breath of the cold morning air. Although the sun was already up, mist shrouded the distant hills surrounding Cloud Recesses. He shivered a bit, dressed only in a silk inner robe, his feet bare and his hair falling loose over his shoulders. Er-Ge had already left, but would return later.

Over the past week, they had developed a routine of sorts. Er-Ge would bring him breakfast and sip tea while GuangYao ate. Then he would take out his impressive collection of silver hair accessories, some inlaid with precious stones, to do up GuangYao's hair. He seemed to delight in trying out new hairstyles on him. Blushing, GuangYao would protest that he was troubling him with such an intimate and menial task, but Er-Ge would bestow a smile that made his insides squirm and insist it was his pleasure.

Once GuangYao was presentable, Healer Wen would drop by for a check up, raise an eyebrow at his latest hairstyle, and use her needles to numb his nerves for the day.

After that, if Er-Ge had other duties to handle and GuangYao was alone, he would spend a few hours in the Library Pavilion, voraciously going through the collection of books there, each a delight in itself. Otherwise, he would chat with whoever visited him - Han GuangJun and Young Master Wei had dropped by a few times, Young Master and Mistress jin had visited and of course, HuaiSang.

It was like being a celebrity, even more so than when he was hailed a hero after the Sunshot Campaign.

In fact, this place with its three thousand plus rules, with its beautiful and serene surroundings, already felt like home in a way the garish gold and noise of Koi Tower never had. It had been impossible to completely let down his guard there, even in the small room he slept in. Not because of the responsibilities they had heaped on him, but the judgmental eyes, malicious whispers, fake smiles and subtle insults following him everywhere he went.

Here, there was only ZeWu Jun's unfailing kindness, Wei WuXian's genuine smiles, Healer Wen's professionalism and Wen Ning's quiet presence... despite the fact that GuangYao had ordered the latter two's family to be taken to QiongQi path. He could say in his defence that he had had no idea how they would be treated there, but truth of the matter was, he did.

And yet, Healer Wen had saved his life. She may have felt obliged to repay Er-Ge for his gift of sanctuary, but she had done it without any hesitation. It was... all of it was so much more than GuangYao deserved. He was almost fully recovered by now, just the occasional twinge here and there, a small price to pay for being alive. Still, having smashed his second teacup this week when his fingers spasmed, he hoped it wouldn't be permanent.

As for the promise he had made to Da-Ge, Er-Ge assured him that he wasn't alone in this, that they would work together to find Xue Yang. The angry gleam in his eyes warmed GuangYao's heart. He appreciated the support and help, but he hoped to take down Xue Yang himself.

It wasn't all that difficult to guess where he had been hiding this past week. In fact, it was the only logical place he could be.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! I know not much happens in this chapter (except for a silver lining for JC), but I'm hard at work on the next one which will have a lot more action. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it and stay safe :)