I listened to Song Chang and Wei Wuxian talk about Wangji's injuries. So he had disobeyed and stood up against the authority of his uncle and clan! He seemed to have more character than my brother. I wondered, when he was awake, if we would get along? His life seemed to have been much more difficult than ours, despite their peaceful world! My brother had never received a lash of discipline!

MingJue and Meng Yao came to join me. I still had not had time to have an explanation with the latter. I had to do something about it quickly. Meng Yao didn't look me in the face anymore!

"Xichen, the clan leaders would like to have some new information about our 'guests' Have you been able to learn more?"

"From what I just learned from Song Lan, the Lan Wangji of their world seems to have a much stronger character than my brother!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"He stood up to the authority of our clan! From a conversation I had this morning with Wei Wuxian, he is stubborn and persistent! I didn't learn much else!"

"Alright, keep listening, and since he seems to like you, stay close to him and let me know if you find out anything that might be useful to us. I'll leave you to it, I'll report to the clan leaders!

I watched MingJue walk away. Meng Yao had not followed him. He stayed close to me and stared at me intently. His piercing gaze pierced me and seemed to read me!

"Xichen, what did you hide from him? You didn't tell the whole truth, did you?

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I turned back to the car where our "guests" were. Wei Wuxian was back inside with his companion.

Meng Yao also turned his head and stared at me again. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me. What did he see? He was more than good at deciphering involuntary gestures, expressions ...

"I see!" He smiled.

"You're right, it's safer not to talk about it!

"What are you talking about?" I turned to him.

"About their relationship! I had a doubt this morning when young Master Lan moaned. MingJue told me how Wei Wuxian eliminated the QingDao garrison. Such a powerful being worrying so much about a fellow soldier? There must have been something else! If they are lovers, everything can be explained, especially the gentleness he shows towards her.

"They are not lovers, they are spouses.

Meng Yao looked at me, surprised. He too must have found it strange, a world where such a relationship could be lived in the open and formalized!

"Did he reveal anything else to you?"

I stifled a nervous laugh. If I lied to him, he would know and sooner or later his deductions would allow him to know the truth!

"He told me that the Yin Iron was composed of 5 pieces and not 4!

" 5 ??? So it is the 5th piece that Wen Ruohan is looking for! And that's why he had to kidnap the young Master Lan! Since your brother is dead!"

I remembered what Wei Wuxian had said at the meeting the night we arrived.

"Wei Wuxian told us that in his world, he and Wangji had found a piece of the Yin Iron, I deduced at the time that Wen Ruohan's 4th piece was the one he must have found in YunShen Buzhi!"

"Except that if that was the case .... " Meng Yao began.

"He wouldn't have gone looking for my brother in another world! If he didn't find him, Wen Ruohan must have thought Wangji had run away with him!"

"That means the fifth piece is still in YunShen Buzhi! Brother, we are one step ahead. Even if young Master Lan is not conscious, Wei Wuxian must know where the 5th part of the amulet is! Brother you must make him talk and tell where it is!".

"And betray his trust? I would rather ask him directly".

"He won't answer you!".

"What do you know? You're basing this on the knowledge you had of the Wei Wuxian of our world, he's different! He didn't hesitate to go into the unknown to save Wangji!" Meng Yao looked at me with a sad frown.

"Brother, the Lan Wangji lying in that car is not your brother!!! Wangji died three years ago!"

"You think I don't know that he has been dead for 3 years! I have been living with this wound since that day because I could not stop him from rushing to his end when I had seen his despair!!! and I did nothing!!!" .

I had raised my voice against Meng Yao. This was the first time this had happened to me. Several heads had turned towards us, questioning me with their eyes about this sudden anger. I just wanted to be left alone!

I was feeling down. I leaned against a nearby tree and let myself fall along the trunk. My heart could not take it anymore! Until now I had managed to keep up with this double of my beloved brother. But Meng Yao had pushed me to the limit. I closed my eyes. I had to pull myself together. I couldn't afford to show any weakness! Not in the unstable situation I was in!

Meng Yao came and knelt down beside me.

"Brother, forgive me, but you know I'm right!"

"I know he's not him! But they look so much alike!

"When he wakes up, things will surely be easier. You said it yourself, apparently they don't have the same character!

"So what you're saying is that I should wait?

"Isn't that what we all do? Waiting?

I had the strange feeling that he was trying to tell me something unrelated to Wangji! He gave me a soft, sad smile. As always, he was trying to comfort me! I looked into his eyes. I still had something to tell him!

"A-Yao, I... this morning in my tent, I was just worried about you! I was mad at myself for not seeing what you were doing to get us the information we needed! I was outraged that you let men... touch you so intimately. Those marks on your body suggested that what he was doing to you was violent and perhaps... forced?"

"It happened...".

"Now that your cover is blown, promise me you will never let a man touch you like that again! Promise me that!

He looked at me sadly. I couldn't understand what his eyes were trying to tell me. He smiled.

"I promise you.

Why wasn't I satisfied? He had promised me that he would not let himself be touched intimately by a man again. I should be happy about that .... so why wasn't he?

Had I hoped in my heart that he would have added ... "except by you"?

The sound of a flute rose in the night, which surprised everyone.

Wei Wuxian was sitting across the entrance of the car where his soul mate was lying. He was playing a melody, a sweet melody, in which one could read countless feelings, love, hope, fear, joy... it seemed vaguely familiar...

This music warmed my wounded heart.

Meng Yao's smile seemed more honest too. All the people in the camp had stopped what they were doing to be lulled by the flute's chords. MingJue and the clan leaders had come out of the command tent and were also listening to the musician.

Thinking back, he had used music in QingDao to fight. He had said that he had not mastered healing music, but tonight it gave us courage and soothed our hearts.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)