Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! I wasn't sure where to start my fix-it fic at first. So many possible starting points, so many angles, so many characters who could do just one tiny, different action and shift the trajectory of the rest of the story. In the end, I settled on a character I disliked lol. But if Li LianHua can give YBQ a chance and even save his life, I guess I can also give someone else a chance... as long as the end result is one Lotus Flower all healed and happy. Enjoy :)

Beta: jeangirlmy

Warning: Spoilers for the entire series

Disclaimer: The Mysterious Lotus Casebook doesn't belong to me.

- Story Start -

Xiao ZiJin stands at the edge of the cliff, stunned to his very core. The anger and resentment - and jealous insecurity, if he's truly honest with himself - that's plagued him ever since Li XiangYi came back from the dead is gone. Vanished, leaving behind an empty sort of shock that robs him of speech.

Breaking one's sword, not in a fight, not by an enemy, but deliberately and callously like that…

Unbelievable. Unthinkable. Unimaginable!

Xiao ZiJin can't fathom doing this to his own sword, not in ten lifetimes. For that sword to be Shaoshi, the shining and world renowned weapon of Li XiangYi is bad enough.

But for that person who destroyed said sword to be Li XiangYi himself?

Xiao ZiJin has no words to express just how wrong that feels.

It's only after the small boat disappears around the bend of the river that he turns around, limbs as stiff as a puppet's. The sunlight glints off the polished pieces of metal lying on the ground; the floral carved hilt of Shaoshi and the shattered blade.

Xiao ZiJin stumbles over and drops to his knees. The first touch of his fingers to the sun warmed hilt feels like a knife to the heart as Li XiangYi's latest reprimand echoes in his mind.

"As for A-Mian, it's your suspicion and lack of trust that disappointed her. There's nothing I can do. Don't do things like this in the future."

There's nothing Li XiangYi can do?

There's nothing Li XiangYi can't do is more like it.

Xiao ZiJin's lips twist. He should be happy now. Ecstatic even. There's no more Li XiangYi in this world at last, no peerless Sigu Sect Leader, no spectre in red standing between him and Qiao WanMian.

Except that Xiao ZiJin has already driven her away and is no longer Sect Leader so what is there left to celebrate?

Xiao ZiJin bows his head as tears sting his eyes and roll down his cheeks. He had devoted the past ten years to winning Qiao WanMian's heart and making her forget Li XiangYi. He thought he finally succeeded when she agreed to marry him.

Well, no more. The cold scorn in her eyes and the icy disdain in her voice when she snatched back the leader badge and stripped him of his title, the decisive way she shoved his jade bangle back in his hand said it all. He's lost her for good. He accused her of not being able to let go of the past when it's him who couldn't let go of his petty insecurities all this time.

With jerky motions, he removes his outer robe and lays it on the ground. He places the broken sword pieces on the silk with shaking hands, paying no mind to the tears dripping down his chin. Then he folds his robe tightly and gets to his feet.

He should keep this incident a secret, out of shame for his own actions, or respect for Li XiangYi, if nothing else.

But Xiao ZiJin's actions have always been contrary so why stop now?

He uses qinggong to get back, relying on muscle memory to direct his steps. In his distracted, shell shocked state, it's a miracle he doesn't crash into anything. He marches past the gates of Sigu Sect, ignoring the raised eyebrows directed at his missing outer robe.

Qiao WanMian, Shi Shui, Bai JiangChun, Ji HanFu and Yun BiQiu are sitting around the table in one of the meeting rooms. Foregoing both greeting and apology, Xiao ZiJin marches up to them and sets the bundle down on the table.

"Xiao ZiJin, this is a private meeting," Shi Shui rebukes, her eyebrows going up. "Why are you not properly dressed?"

"You shouldn't be…" Qiao WanMian trails off when Xiao ZiJin unwraps his robe.

There are exclamations of shock as they lean forward, five pairs of wide eyes staring at the broken sword before turning as one to him.

"Is… is that another fake?" Compared to her earlier tone, Shi Shui sounds uncertain. Subdued.

"It's the real Shaoshi sword," Xiao ZiJin confirms.

"But how?" Yun BiQiu looks bewildered. "Who could've done such-"

"Where is he? Where is Li XiangYi?" Qiao WanMian interrupts him, her eyes sharp and her voice even sharper.

Xiao ZiJin gulps, his gaze falling before hers.

"W-Wangjiang Pavilion."

"How do you know he's there?"

Squaring his shoulders, Xiao ZiJin forces himself to meet her gaze.

"Because I followed him. I went to challenge him. Again."

He had already challenged Li XiangYi once before, at the latter's empty tomb. He even told him to jump off the cliffs there.

Who knew Li XiangYi would actually do that this time?

"What?!" When the others jump to their feet, it takes all Xiao ZiJin has to stand his ground.

"He refused! He refused, alright? He said he doesn't have the strength for a fight. So he – he broke his sword and then he dove off the cliff onto a boat. I couldn't stop him."

"Boat?" Shi Shui asks.

"Doesn't have the strength?" Qiao WanMian repeats, face white and lips trembling.

"I shouldn't have, I know that now." The words spill past Xiao ZiJin's lips, unstoppable. "He's right, I've always been jealous of him. These past ten years, I tried so, so hard to win… A-Mian, you're right. It was all my fault. I know that now, I'm sorry!"

The resultant silence makes him want to cringe.

"No. It's my fault," Yun BiQiu says. His face is whiter than when he had stood trial just days ago. "When I asked Li-mengzhu why he cured me, he told me not to worry. He said he had a way to cure the Bicha poison in him. I don't know why I believed him. There's no known cure for Bicha. He shouldn't have used his Yangzhouman to heal me from the Xueronghua poison."

"Now now, BiQiu, you didn't know," Bai JingChun begins.

Yun BiQiu just shakes his head, hands clenching into fists by his sides.

"We need to find him."

"But we don't know where he is," Ji HanFu protests.

"Fang DuoBing is his good friend. He would know."

Before the others can say anything, Yun BiQiu grabs the broken sword pieces and Xiao ZiJin's robe and rushes off, ignoring the shouts from the others.

- o –

At Tianji Hall…

Fang DuoBing looks as stunned as how Yun BiQiu felt when he sees Shaoshi.

"Li LianHua did this?" He chokes out.

Yun BiQiu nods.

"Aiya, how could he do such a thing?" He XiaoFeng laments, wringing her hands. Zhan YunFei places a comforting hand on her arm.

"More importantly, why would he do such a thing?" Madam He bustles over, nudging her sister aside with her hips.

"Because he's not coming back, niang," Fang DuoBing replies. "He's not going to show up at the East sea next week."

"Well, who saw him break his sword?" Madam He demands, pinning Yun BiQiu with her glare.

"Xiao ZiJin. He said Li XiangYi – Li LianHua dove off the cliff at Wangjiang Pavilion and landed on a boat."

"A boat? Wait – that means he could still be alive!" Fang DuoBing's eyes light up. "I'm going to look for him!"

"I'll come with you," Zhan YunFei says at once.

"No need." Fang DuoBing forces a smile that's nothing more than a twist of his lips. "I'm sure A-Fei will come with me. I just need to look for him first."

Spinning on his heel, he bounces off a solid chest and stumbles back in shock.

"No need with you shouting fit to raise the dead," Di FeiSheng says. His face is tight like a mask, eyes glittering with suppressed anger.

"I'm not shouting!" Fang DuoBing shouts and then he blinks. "Wait, where did you come from?"

"Oh, Di-mengzhu dropped by yesterday," Madam He says with a rather frosty smile. "He said he's Li LianHua's best friend so I let him stay the night. In the woodshed."

Out of the corner of his eye, Fang DuoBing sees Zhan YunFei stepping in front of He XiaoFeng as if to shield her.

"But since my ill-mannered son calls Di-mengzhu 'A-Fei' I think I will too," Madam He continues.

"I… of course." Di FeiSheng's right eye twitches, but he manages a small, close lipped smile.

"Niang, why didn't you tell me he's here?" Fang DuoBing asks.

"I'm not obliged to tell you everything I do," Madam He tosses her head, annoyed.

"Besides, he's not Li LianHua's best friend, I am."

"Haven't you been insisting all this while that you're his disciple?" Di FeiSheng reminds him without batting an eye.

Fang DuoBing glares at him.

"I am Li XiangYi's disciple as well as Li LianHua's best friend. And I'm going to find him and drag him back if it's the last thing I do!"

Rolling his eyes, Di FeiSheng goes to the table. For a long moment, he stares down at the broken sword as if it's his cleaver that's broken in pieces. Then he shakes his head and wraps them up in a square of dark blue silk before pushing Xiao ZiJin's robe off the table in a decidedly petulant manner.

"Let's go."

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading :)