The Yunmang Jiang Sect shimmered with an almost unreal beauty today. The bright red lanterns, strung like fireflies across the courtyard, cast a warm glow on everything. The air hummed with the buzz of excited whispers and the clinking of teacups. It was Jiang Yanli's wedding day, a day that should have been filled with joy, but a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest.
The weight of her crimson silk dress felt heavy, almost suffocating. Her fingers, slick with nervous sweat, clutched the edge of the embroidered veil. As she stood before the altar, her reflection in the polished jade mirror mocked her. She was beautiful, yes, but her eyes, hidden beneath the veil, betrayed her. They held a silent terror.
The ceremony ended in a blur of bows and greetings. As they journeyed back to the Lan clan, the cheerful chatter around her felt distant, like an echo in a cavern. She was trapped in a gilded cage of her own making, her heart pounding with each step.
The meticulously decorated wedding chamber, Jingshi, felt cold and empty. The scent of sandalwood incense, meant to be comforting, only heightened the tension. A lone tear escaped her eye and traced a shimmering trail down her cheek. She was not afraid of the marriage itself she loved Lan Wangji - but of the secret she carried, the truth that threatened to shatter this carefully constructed facade. She wanted to tell him, to tell everyone, but she wasn't ready. Not like this.
The distinctive click of his footsteps echoed in the chamber, sending her pulse racing. She closed her eyes, trying to quell the storm of emotions churning within her. She had faced worse, she told herself, repeating the mantra like a lifeline. Whatever was to come, she would face it. She had no choice.
The door creaked open, and the sound of approaching footsteps sent a jolt of icy fear through Wei Wuxian. The fear was so intense, it felt like his heart was trying to burst out of his chest. He was paralyzed, unable to even breathe as the figure loomed over him.
The veil was lifted, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. His eyes met Lan Wangji's, and the gentle warmth he usually held was gone, replaced by a chilling, icy gaze. There was a tremor in his husband's eyes, a flicker of something dark and dangerous.
Wei Wuxian knew in that moment that he had been discovered. The facade, the elaborate charade, had crumbled. He was not the person Lan Wangji thought he was. The truth was a blade held against his throat.
Lan Wangji's mind was a whirlwind. His entire world had been turned upside down. This wasn't Jiang Yanli. This was Wei Wuxian, his sister-in-law, in his bride's clothes. The betrayal struck him like a physical blow, a wave of nausea washing over him. He couldn't process it, couldn't understand.
The only word that escaped his lips was a raw, choked "Why?" His voice, usually smooth and melodic, was sharp and edged with pain. The question hung in the air, a silent accusation.
Wei Wuxian wanted to explain, to tell him everything, but the words wouldn't come. He couldn't even articulate the simple truth: He wasn't supposed to be there. This wasn't his place. He was a fraud, an imposter, a shadow playing the role of the real person.
He lowered his head, trying to avoid Lan Wangji's gaze, but it only fueled the fire of anger burning within his husband. "Why are you here?" Lan Wangji demanded, his voice rising in a fury he had never shown before. "Where is your sister, Jiang Yanli? Where is Lady Jiang?"
Wei Wuxian's body trembled. He knew Lan Wangji's temper was legendary, his composure almost unbreakable. To see him like this, his voice harsh and his face contorted with anger, was terrifying. He was like a caged beast, ready to unleash his fury.
The relentless questioning continued, fueled by confusion and betrayal. "Where is she?" "Did the Jiangs betray us?" "Why are you here?" The questions echoed through his mind, and his already shattered heart.
Unable to bear the weight of their accusations, Lan Wangji, driven by a raw, primal rage, grabbed Wei Wuxian's hair and dragged him across the floor.
Weiying's head hung low, his heart pounding against his ribs like a frantic bird trapped in a cage. "What do I say? What if I reveal where she is? My sister, Jiang Yanli, everyone will be in danger!" He saw the accusing stares of the crowd, their whispers filling the hall like a suffocating fog.
Lan Qiran, his elder brother, stepped forward, his voice cutting through the hushed murmurs. "Wei Wuxian! Where is Lady Jiang?!"
Weiying's fists clenched. "Master Lan, I... I can't... It's too dangerous." His words were barely a whisper, swallowed by the heavy silence that had descended on the hall.
Suddenly, Weiying blurted out, "Master Lan, I... I am more suited than... than my Shijia. I... I can give her to you. I am the perfect... the perfect partner for... for Lan Wangji." His voice cracked. He couldn't believe he was even saying these words. "It's my fault, I caused all this trouble, if I had stayed quiet, nothing would have happened!"
A cold rage surged through Lan Wangji, making his teeth clench. Seeing Weiying's desperation, he felt a flicker of doubt. "What's the truth? What happened?" He wanted to scream, to demand answers, but the words choked in his throat.
Lan Xichen, with his keen eyes, saw the turmoil in Lan Wangji. He had met Wei Ying years ago, a bright and spirited youth, a far cry from the broken figure before him. "There's something more to this story," he thought, a shadow of suspicion creeping into his heart...
Lan Wangji's anger, though unspoken, vibrated in the air. It was a silent storm brewing in his eyes, a storm that threatened to engulf everything in its path. The hall hung heavy with tension, every breath seemed to amplify the silence. The air grew thick, laced with the scent of fear and betrayal. Lan Xichen could feel the shock ripple through his brother, a silent tremor that resonated throughout the hall.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This is not the Wei Ying I met," he thought, his heart aching. His brother was a force of nature, a blazing spirit, always fighting for what was right. But the person standing before him, broken and defeated, seems like a stranger. How could he betray his friend? How could this storm of darkness have swallowed him whole? A pang of disbelief shot through him, causing his hand to clench into a fist. Could this be the same Wei Ying who had once shared a laugh with him, who had fought alongside him, who had stood by him through thick and thin? He had seen the young man's fiery spirit, his unwavering loyalty, and now he struggled to reconcile those memories with the broken man before him.
"Prison," Lan Qiren's voice cut through the air, sharp and unforgiving, "Until Jiang arrives." Weiying's body went numb. The weight of the iron bars on his wrists felt like a suffocating embrace, crushing the last vestiges of his defiance. His heart pounded a frantic rhythm against his ribs, a desperate attempt to keep himself alive. He looked at the cold, stone walls of the prison, their rough surface a stark contrast to the vibrant life he had known. How could this be his fate? His mind, once filled with wild ideas and boundless energy, felt empty, adrift in an endless sea of despair.
The iron bars on his wrists felt heavy, a stark contrast to the lightness of freedom he once knew. His body, drained of its strength, felt boneless and lifeless. The prison air felt thick and heavy, suffocating him. The walls were cold and rough, pressing in on him from all sides. The stale air was a constant reminder of his isolation, and the gnawing emptiness in his stomach was a relentless, sharp pain, a separate entity consuming him from the inside.