Unfortunately, Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen were right. The situation did not calm down or improve. While a few things remained the same, just about everything else took a turn for the worse after that Monday.
Wei Ying and Lan Zhan continued to be escorted to school or work. Lan Xichen was insistent on that. He even had his schedule adjusted so that he could leave with his brother and make sure he arrived home safely on Tuesdays and Fridays. But since he was unable to do this on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, he told them to be extremely careful when they left the college.
Although the former two appreciated this, they continued to wish that it didn't have to be so. Nothing may have happened thus far, but that didn't mean that something wouldn't eventually. They still didn't want him to be harmed for trying to protect them. Lan Zhan also told his brother that it was unnecessary for him to cut his hours, even if it was only for two days out of the week.
"I understand how you feel, didi, but your and Wei Ying's safety is more important to me than being short on money," Lan Xichen remarked when he did. "You do not have to worry about me in that regard. I will be fine."
Lan Zhan exhaled deeply and chose not to protest further. He honestly didn't have to room to when he was doing the same for Wei Ying at school. After the incident with Xue Yang, he no longer wanted him to go to any of his classes by himself. Of course, he didn't want him to be alone elsewhere either.
He especially felt this way as the animosity towards Wei Ying increased over the next four days. Xue Yang was not joking that Wang Lingjiao had a big mouth (and anyone who ever dared to say otherwise was out of their mind). He heard people whispering about the incident even at his job. He gained some satisfaction in having them written up for discussing matters that were not work-related. However, he knew that he would be unable to catch everyone who was doing it.
Wei Ying knew that almost everyone in town were gossiping about him too. If he happened to go to the store or anywhere else with Lan Zhan, he would catch people looking at him. Once or twice, he even heard his name being mentioned in low voices. The only thing that relieved him was that he wasn't directly approached by anyone. At least, not yet. That was the last thing he needed.
It was worse at the college, however, due to the fact that he spent most of his time there. Not only did the stares and glares towards him intensify, many of the students obviously felt the same way Xue Yang and To Shitai did about the situation.
He heard quite a good number talking about him in between and during classes. Saying that he was making up stories just to cause a sensation for attention. Or that even if the fight had occurred, the assault was fabricated. He was either hallucinating due to being hit on the head too hard or blowing things out of proportion to get him in more trouble as revenge.
Some of the people who declared that he was telling stories believed that he was doing so because he cheated on Lan Zhan. They knew how much he flirted with women. It would be no surprise if he had gone a step further and told his fiancé that he was assaulted by Wen Chao out of shame to cover it up. He could even have had his injuries faked to pretend he was. There was no doubt that Lan Zhan would believe him, since he wouldn't expect Wei Ying to lie about that. And it was unfortunate that he did.
That rumor was terrible enough, but the worst one were from two students who agreed with the latter group. However, they thought that he had affair with Wen Chao himself, not another woman. He was only claiming that he assaulted him out of guilt.
Wei Ying threw up in his mouth at the idea of it, and he wasn't the only one! Everyone else discounted it as well, thank the gods. Like him, even they thought that was insane. Wen Chao was atrocious and certainly not attractive at all. There was no way in hell Wei Ying would ever be involved with him in that way on purpose, even if he was drunk.
Then there were several people who did believe that he was assaulted, but mocked him for it. He knew how to fight, so why didn't he attempt to while Wen Chao did what he did? This would never have happened to him if he had, whether he had been threatened or not.
Others wondered if it was really Lan Zhan who did it. From what they could see, he and Wei Ying loved each other very much. Still, Lan Zhan was reserved and quiet; there was no telling what he was truly like behind closed doors. He could be abusive for all they knew; he could have forced Wei Ying to pin the assault on Wen Chao, and the latter did so out of fear. But that remained to be seen until the evidence became known.
It was a good thing the people who were thinking this only did so in secret. It would have horrified both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan if they were aware of it, especially since the latter would never intentionally hurt him. Moreover, the idea of assaulting Wei Ying would have made him ill.
While most of the people who gossiped about him did so in low voices, others were not as quiet. A few outright told him exactly what they thought of them. That he was a liar, and that he ought to be ashamed of himself. That Lan Zhan deserved better than someone who would go around telling stories. Either that, or he was weak and clearly not as much of a man as he pretended to be. Wei Ying was sure that if he were alone - or if his teachers weren't nearby - some of them would have been bold enough to say this to his face.
Even though the gossip and ridicule hurt and upset him deep down inside, he tried not to pay it any mind. He knew the truth - as did everyone who mattered - so in the end, their opinions meant nothing.
The reason why he was unable to ignore everything completely was because Lan Zhan, his siblings, and his friends were also targeted for harassment. Several students criticized them for encouraging his lies by not putting a stop to them. It was obvious that there was something wrong with them too if they weren't, or they were allowing Wei Ying to pull the wool over their eyes. Jiang Yanli even received private messages about what a terrible person her brother was.
Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning, especially, were told that they had wasted their energy on beating up Wen Chao. Wei Ying had obviously lied to them, so they had gotten arrested for nothing. If anything, they should have kicked his ass for being untruthful.
Of course, the both of them just ignored that. Neither of them would listen to someone who didn't truly know all the facts. Furthermore, if they had any real sense, they would know that Wei Ying wouldn't even think of lying about what happened.
"They need to be reported for this, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan told him once. He had done just that more than a few times himself. "It's harassment. It should not be allowed to continue."
"I know, but what's the point? Even if I do, that won't stop other people from bothering me next. I won't be able to get all of them," he muttered.
"While that may be true, nothing will improve if you do not say anything. You know that the dean will punish them appropriately. They need to face the consequences for what they are doing."
It was worse on Thursday, when a small crowd ambushed and surrounded Lan Zhan on his way to his third class. They told him that he was a fool for not leaving his fiancé on the spot, that he must be entirely too love-struck for not realizing that he was a deceitful asshole. And if it wasn't that, he was clearly stupid as hell.
Thankfully, a few security guards were already coming over to disband them. However, Lan Zhan just stood there as they berated him, looking utterly unaffected.
"Are you all done?" he inquired in a monotone voice once he was able to get a word in edgewise. "I need to get to class. And I want to be there on time if that is reasonable for all of you."
One of them had just opened his mouth to give a snappy retort when the guards reached them.
"Excuse me, but you all know that harassment and bullying is not accepted or tolerated here. Names. Now. Except for you, Mr. Lan. You will be contacted about this situation later. Officer Xiong, please make sure that he gets to where he needs to be safely," the middle-aged one, Officer Bi, told his heavy-set coworker.
Lan Zhan was then escorted to his third class as Officer Bi took out his notepad. He thanked Officer Xiong when they made it there - thankfully on time - but told him that it wasn't necessary. He was unharmed.
"Nonsense. Someone else could have bothered you next. That would be the last thing you needed," Officer Xiong pointed out.
"Mn," Lan Zhan agreed.
"Are you sure you are all right?"
"Mn."
Officer Xiong nodded. "Good. You should head in now before you are late. Please give my regards to Mr. Wei. Tell him to try to keep his head up."
"Thank you again. And I will."
Wei Ying was enraged when he found out about this at lunch. He wanted to confront each and every person in that group. He didn't care about what they said about him, but they really could have hurt Lan Zhan.
"It's a good thing that I wasn't with you, and that I'm on Disciplinary Probation. I would have gotten in trouble for defending you, and I wouldn't have cared either," the former muttered to himself.
"You know that I would not have wanted you to do that, baobei. And in any case, you may have been harmed as well," the latter remarked.
Wei Ying shrugged. "Maybe. But I would rather it was me than you, Airen."
Lan Zhan eyed him pointedly. "Well, I do not." You have been hurt enough, he wanted to add, but chose not to. It would have only upset him.
He had to speak with Mr. Yan once his classes were over for the day. The latter mostly wished to make sure that no one in the group had put their hands on him. He also informed him that Officer Bi had written their names down as well before sending them to his office.
"I have taken disciplinary action, and have instructed them not to bother you - or Wei Wuxian - any longer. But let me know immediately if they do again," he added.
"Yes, sir. I will," Lan Zhan said.
It was not all bad for Wei Ying, though. For every person that didn't believe what happened to him, there were others who did. Some of his classmates wished him a good recovery, or asked him how he was every day to make sure he wasn't feeling too down.
One of them was Mo Xuanyu, a sophomore who attended Dai Laoshi's Literature course with him. He was genuinely horrified and disturbed about what Wen Chao did. More than Wei Ying would have expected him to be, in all honesty. He gave him his number and asked him to call if he ever wanted to talk or let off steam. That is, if wanted to; he would understand if he didn't.
Wei Ying wasn't sure if he ever would, as he and Mo Xuanyu barely spoke to each other most of the time. Nevertheless, he appreciated the gesture all the same and thanked him.
Jin Zixuan's friend Luo Qingyang - who preferred to be called by her nickname Mianmian - went straight up to Wei Ying in between classes and hugged him on Tuesday. She knew that he was telling the truth as soon as she heard Wang Lingjiao's rotten mouth say that he was lying about the incident.
"I would have talked to you yesterday if I hadn't had to work. I'm so sorry, Wei Wuxian. That fucker needs to be castrated for what he did to you! The next time I hear that bitch go off about that bastard being falsely accused, I will punch her in the face for you. Just wait!" she whispered to him fiercely. She was so upset that she was almost crying.
"You don't have to do that, Mianmian," Wei Ying said quietly as he returned the embrace. "She's isn't worth you getting in trouble."
"Probably not, but I don't care. I think it would be worth it to knock her lights out. I just wish that your brother and Wen Ning had knocked that fucker's out when they kicked his ass. It's too bad they were arrested. I'm glad you went to the police and told them what happened, though. It was very courageous of you."
Mianmian was not the only one who felt that way. Other students who praised him for reporting Wen Chao too. They knew that that must have been nerve-wracking for him. He deserved to be in jail. Who knows who he would have hurt or targeted next?
This was not a question that Wei Ying desired to even imagine an answer to. The idea of it anyone else going through what he did at Wen Chao's hands was beyond terrifying.
There was another classmate of his from Dynamics who embraced Wei Ying on Friday. It startled him since he didn't expect it, particularly after she genuinely broke down in tears in his arms. He rubbed her back gently, trying to help her feel calmer.
"Hey, hey. You don't need to cry. I'm...I'm going to be okay after a while," he murmured.
She didn't respond to this, just hugged him tighter before letting him go. Wei Ying frowned after her as she walked away, quite confused about what just happened.
On a more pleasant note, he learned that Xue Yang had been suspended for throwing that rock at him. A-Qing told him, Jiang Cheng, and their friends about it in the student lounge during their morning break that same Tuesday. He would be at home until the beginning of January.
"Good," Wei Qing huffed. "Remind me again to send you that thank-you note."
"Why are you even his friend anyway?" Wen Ning wanted to know after they all settled down from laughing.
A-Qing rolled her eyes. "I can't really say that I am. We're frenemies, if anything. I just stay around him to try and keep him out of trouble. Not that that works half of the time."
Jiang Cheng snorted. "You need to ditch him."
"Hmph. I know. That asshole has gone too far. I should have went to the hospital and punched him again like I wanted to for his audacity."
"I agree."
What was even less pleasant, however, was To Shitai's apology to Wei Ying in Dai Laoshi's class later that afternoon. The professor had made him stand in front of everyone like a child and read it.
Wei Ying didn't bother to even appear as if he were listening to him. He knew that he wasn't truly sorry "for his disrespectful behavior" in yesterday's class. Nor did he accept the note it was written on when To Shitai put it on his desk. He calmly ripped it to scraps instead and threw it in the trash where it belonged.
He usually wouldn't have done this, but he was annoyed, and wanted him to know just what he thought of his "apology".
Most of his classmates watched him with shock, To Shitai with fury, and Dai Laoshi with disapproval. But other than receiving a stern look from over his glasses, Wei Ying was thankfully not punished or reported to Mr. Yan.
What he did not know was that Dai Laoshi secretly didn't want to do either. He felt that he already had more than his share of trouble. And that only partly included him being on Disciplinary Probation.
Lan Zhan asked Wei Ying about what happened between him and To Shitai a couple days later. He didn't receive any answers, though. Nor was he told about the apology. However, he eventually learned of both on Wednesday through gossip.
He chose not to mention it until they were at home. It was only then did Wei Ying give him the full story. Lan Zhan was as angry as he was when he heard of it earlier that day. He couldn't blame him for tearing up the note the apology was written on.
"Why did you not tell me this sooner, baobao?" he queried after everything was explained to him. "It was clear that it was upsetting you."
"Because the whole situation is dumb, sweetheart. I know I'm not a liar, so I didn't see any point in discussing it," Wei Ying grumbled.
"I understand that you feel that way. Believe me. Still, it upset you."
Wei Ying opened a bottle of Emperor's Smile and knocked it back. "His pettiness pissed me off more than anything. I don't care that he called me a liar. We both know the truth, so it doesn't matter."
Lan Zhan sighed heavily and let the subject drop. From his fiancé's expression, he could tell that he no longer wished to continue it.
Meanwhile, it was hard to tell if things were any better or worse at home.
There were some things that remained that same, of course. They woke up at their usual times. After washing up, they had breakfast and went to school or - in Lan Zhan's case on Tuesdays and Fridays - work. When they came back, they did whatever assignments they were given.
Lan Zhan would make tea beforehand, or fix dinner after changing his clothes, depending on if he was at his job that day. He made sure that Wei Ying had at least two full meals a day since he barely ate at the college.
However, none of this could erase the fact that things had changed. That something wasn't right. Even the atmosphere in the house was different.
This eventually took its toll on Wei Ying as it made itself felt. He grew more depressed and uneasy, and he soon became tired. So tired of everything.
He was tired of having to think of Wen Chao more than he wished to; the insults he received from his classmates only made things worse. The fact Lan Zhan, his siblings, and his friends were also being targeted for harassment did too.
He was tired of him and Lan Zhan needing to be escorted to school and work.
He was tired looking over his shoulders whenever he was outside. Tired of having to make sure that Wang Lingjiao, Wen Ruohan, or Wen Chao's friends weren't nearby.
And he was tired of that overwhelming sense of danger, as if the other shoe was going to drop at any minute. He felt it even at home.
Wei Ying was scared as well. He was afraid of his thoughts whenever they centered on Wen Chao or the incident. They often became dark, enough that it nearly drove him insane. Hearing his voice in his thoughts, telling him that he was repulsive, ugly, homeless street trash, and a lying, attention-seeking whore didn't make it better either.
He was afraid that he, Lan Zhan, or one of the members of their families would get hurt...or worse. That one of them might get into trouble, with no way to stop it.
He was afraid that the investigation wouldn't end the way it should.
He was afraid his life would never go back to normal again. Nothing was the same anymore.
And he was afraid that he would never heal or recover from what happened to him.
On top of all this was a feeling of betrayal. He felt betrayed by Wen Chao, though he had no idea why. It wasn't as if they had been friends at any point in their lives. He didn't know a time when they hadn't despised each other.
But there was a sense that a major line had been crossed. That even though Wen Chao often bullied or harassed him, he was never expected to take it further than that. And yet he did that by raping him.
Wei Ying knew that he should call the therapist Doctor Tang recommended and make an appointment. Or even go the crisis center at school like Gu Laoshi suggested. Lan Zhan also brought up a support group that his uncle had mentioned. However, he wasn't comfortable with the idea of speaking to people he didn't know or barely familiar with. He couldn't even begin to imagine how he would either.
Besides, what if they judged him or refused to take him seriously? What if they weren't understanding? What if they didn't want to help him because of that?
He decided not to do it for now. There was more than enough on his plate as it was.
Lan Zhan was the first person besides Jiang Yanli who Wei Ying would talk to. He understood what he was going through, his fears, and how he was feeling. However - as mentioned before - he couldn't think of how he would, or where to start.
It didn't help that he couldn't bear to look at him at times. He didn't want Lan Zhan to have an inkling of how everything was affecting him. He wanted to be strong and push through this. He was also unable to was because of shame. He felt used and disgusting because of what happened; he didn't think that he deserved to even glance in his direction. What if he did one day to find out that Lan Zhan hated him or was sickened by him, in spite of being assured that he didn't repulse him at all and still loved him? He wouldn't know what to do.
Wei Ying wouldn't bring any of this up to Lan Zhan, however. He knew that what Wen Chao did to him had deeply saddened, upset, and hurt him. He didn't show it often, but Wei Ying knew. Mentioning how he exhausted, scared, and hurt he himself was would only cause him more pain. That was the last thing he wanted.
Another thing he wouldn't tell Lan Zhan - until much later - was that whenever he was comforting him, he was quietly doing the same for him. Quietly letting him know that understood that he was angry about what happened to him. That he was also hurting and miserable because of it. And that in spite of that, he still found him strong, and he would always be his rock.
Jiang Yanli would have understood this. She, too, could see how traumatizing his ordeal with Wen Chao was. And even though he never told her about the harassment he dealt at the college, he was sure that she was aware of it. Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan would have brought it up. But as with Lan Zhan, he didn't want to make her feel any worse than she already did. The stress he knew it would give her would lead to her becoming ill.
And Jiang Cheng? Wei Ying knew that he loved and cared about him as much as they did, even though he was a mean hard-ass and rarely expressed it. Nevertheless, his troubles - especially these troubles - were not something he felt he could discuss with him. Jiang Cheng wouldn't be able to comprehend them as well as they could. Plus, they would only anger him more.
Then there was Uncle Jiang. Like Jiang Yanli, he would be more than ready to offer him comfort and guidance if he needed it. Still, Wei Ying didn't want to bother him with this either. It would make him upset, which would flare up his rheumatism.
He wouldn't even think of going to Madam Yu. While she was clearly had his best interests in mind - After all, she did know that he would be more comfortable with talking to his brother, sister, and uncle than a therapist - why would he do the same with her? She never gave any other indications that she cared about him. Besides, he never personally discussed anything with her in his life.
With Lan Xichen, Meng Yao, and Wen Ning, the same concept could be applied with Lan Zhan, Jiang Yanli, and Uncle Jiang. Not including the health conditions, of course. And even though Wei Ying often got on Wen Qing's nerves, she was still just as understanding, even if she was curt and matter-of-fact.
He doubted that Lan Qiren would really want to talk to him, though he would have been more somewhat likely to help him. This could be said about Jin Zixuan as well. Nie Huaisang would definitely try to, as well as attempt to understand his what he was feeling. But as with Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying couldn't see himself bringing any of that up to him.
Lan Zhan himself was not faring much better. The current situation was also causing him a great deal of stress. Yet, none of it amounted to how worried he was for Wei Ying.
The situation at school was becoming so out of hand that he feared more for his safety than ever. A good number of the students were spewing so much hatred towards Wei Ying that it only seemed like a matter of time before one of them tried to harm him physically. The gossip from the people in town didn't help either.
He didn't need any of this. It was bad enough that they had to worry about Wen Ruohan, Wang Lingjiao, or Wen Chao's friends as it was. The animosity towards him was undeserved and unjust as well. How could anyone believe that he, of all people, would lie about being assaulted?
Yes, Wei Ying often liked to joke about certain things, and sometimes told white lies (but never did the latter with him). But being untruthful about that wouldn't even cross his mind.
Lan Zhan could see that he tried to ignore it. However, it was obvious that it upset him very much, no matter how much he attempted to hide it.
Between everything he was dealing with at school, and how things were changing - even at home - he grew increasingly more withdrawn as the week progressed. He hardly did anything that he liked to do. Instead, he practically lived in their study, surrounding himself in his schoolwork and Emperor's Smile.
He wouldn't have minded this if he wasn't going to bed later than usual as a result. One night, he didn't until after well two o'clock. He kindly suggested for him to cut down on his studying by a few hours; shadows had begun form under his eyes.
He continued to pick at his food during breakfast and dinner as well. It was clear that his appetite was still barely existent, but for all that, his drinking had accelerated. He was beginning to have three or four bottles of Emperor's Smile in the evenings now. His smoking had also picked up a bit, but not quite as much. He only had a cigarette or two when he was particular stressed out.
Another thing that concerned Lan Zhan was that Wei Ying wouldn't practice music on his flute or draw. Those were his favorite hobbies. And if he joined him in watching the television shows they usually watched together, he didn't pay any attention to them. He would either be lost in his thoughts, studying the homework he brought with him, or playing games on his phone.
Furthermore, he often caught Wei Ying staring into space for extended periods of time. He would also look anxious or tense for reasons unrelated to what he was doing, though Lan Zhan had his ideas of why.
However, the worse was when Wei Ying occasionally refused to meet his eye. It also pained Lan Zhan when he was uneasy about being looked at too.
This mostly happened when he was getting dressed or undressed before or after his shower. Or when he was changing into his pajamas. Not every time, of course, but half of it. However, Lan Zhan understood that. He knew that Wei Ying was subconscious about his bruises, which had faded little by little during the week, but were still there. He was also aware that Wei Ying knew that it enraged him to see them. He would simply turn away or leave the room so that he would feel comfortable. He didn't want to put him in a position where he feared being around him.
Still, Wei Ying avoided his gaze at other moments too. From the way he would tense up or look away, Lan Zhan could see that he was ashamed and afraid. He didn't want him to feel that way; he didn't want him to believe that he ever had to for any reason.
"I just wish that he would talk to me, Xiongzhang," the latter told Lan Xichen on Thursday night, when he felt particularly overwhelmed. "I want to help him, but I cannot if he doesn't let me. And when I asked him again to make an attempt to contact the therapist, he refused.
"I know I cannot force him to do it. And I will not. But I cannot bear to watch him continue to try to numb his pain. Or distract himself from it. I do understand why he is doing this; I understand that he doesn't know how confront or cope with his pain right now. But hiding will not do him any good in the end."
"No," his brother sighed dejectedly. Even though he didn't mention it, he knew from Lan Zhan's tone that he was crying, but was trying not to sound like it. He wished that he could hug him. "Nor will it allow him to process everything and heal. But keep trying to encourage Wei Ying, didi. Keep reminding him that is all right to receive help. He will come around eventually. To be honest, I believe that he doesn't want to ask for it due to fear."
Lan Zhan nodded. "Mn. I believe that too. He was afraid to at the hospital that night. He thought that because he is a man, no one would take him seriously. Or that he would be ignored or laughed at."
"That is understandable. And unfortunately, all three have happened to many men in this circumstance. This will not change until more people become empathetic, which is unlikely to be anytime soon. But as I said before, Wangji, continue to encourage him. Keep letting him know that you and we are all here for him."
And that was what Lan Zhan did. (Of course, he was already). He would hold Wei Ying in his arms once or twice everyday, reminding him of this. That he wasn't alone. That he understood how he felt. That everything would eventually get better. He would tell him that he loved him so, so much. He knew that he needed to hear that most of all.
Wei Ying appreciated this. His words always made him feel a little better. They reminded him, too, that everything was not so horrible either.
Because, indeed, it wasn't. Like with school, they had pockets of good moments at home as well. Moments when they briefly forgot their troubles and everything was the same.
For instance, Lan Zhan was able to convince Wei Ying to take a break from his homework on Friday after dinner. They spent the evening watching the shows they loved on television instead. Wei Ying actually paid attention to them and enjoyed himself. He even laughed twice! Lan Zhan was delighted about this, as he barely had at all that week.
Seeing him smile every now and then also filled him with happiness. Like the time when he read online that interested him. Or the night he relaxed on the couch as he played music on his guqin. He also did when Lan Zhan accidentally tickled him while embracing him once, leading to more laughter after he started to on purpose.
At times, Wei Ying would smile at him randomly, conveying to Lan Zhan that he was glad he was there. That he loved him, and that it warmed his heart to know he loved him in return.
He was grateful to Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng, and his friends as well. They made sure that he was safe and - in his sister's and Lan Xichen's case - called him everyday. So did Uncle Jiang. Nie Huaisang spent Tuesday and Friday afternoon with him as promised. He still didn't want him to be by himself while Lan Zhan was at work.
It made Wei Ying feel less alone knowing that they were there for him too (and there were moments he felt very much so). Even if he couldn't figure out how to talk them them about everything that trouble him, their presence alone helped in small ways. He really didn't know what he would have done without them or Lan Zhan at this time in his life. And he didn't want to either.
Author's note: Hello, everyone! I know this was an emotional and infuriating chapter, but I hope that you still like it. There is more to come, so please stay tuned. Also, thank you so much for reading. I appreciate all of your support!