'Master Wei ...' Wen Ning stopped dead when he recognised the little boy before smiling at Wei Ying. 'You found ... another?'

'Of course, nothing but the best for the Jiang Sect.'

'He ... he ... he's a....' Xue Yang went to hide behind Wei Ying even as he tried not to squash the sweets in his hand from fear.

'Oh no, you really do not need to be scared of me A-Yang. I am alive and I eat, I drink, I mnmmm....' He stopped when Wei Ying placed a hand over his mouth.

As tempted as Wei Ying was to use Silence on him, he knew he was not meant to know how to do it ... or that it could even be done.

'Stop right there, he does not need to know every aspect that declares you to be alive except that you eat, drink, breathe and your heart beats.' Wei Ying grinned as he removed his hand. 'You don't need to hear about his bathroom ...'

'Shhh ... I would never say anything about that. You will make him terrified to be near me. I want to make friends, not scare people off.'

Xue Yang laughed and walked over to Wen Ning. 'H... hello.'

'Hello A-Yang, my name is Wen Ning and I hope to be your friend.' He blinked as Xue Yang held out his hand and offered him a single lolly. 'Is that for me?'

'Yes, you share with your friends.'

Wei Ying needed to bite the inside of his lip to stop himself from tearing up. To see both of these boys make friends so easily warmed his heart ... and his eyes.

Xue Yang turned out to be a very happy, outgoing person who, in only a year, joined in the training without any trouble. He had not been twisted by circumstances yet, so the timing was perfect. To Wei Ying's surprise, both Wen Ning and Xue Yang became best friends and any time they were not on duty and one of them was seen, the other was close by, and that pair were always followed by others of their age. Since they were both kind, happy, outgoing and very talented they were always asked by other trainees about things.

One day Wei Ying tried to do the one thing he had regretted not trying the last time. He found Madame Yu sitting on the gazebo at the end of a long winding wooden path.

'Madame Yu ... would you mind if we talk for a short time?'

'About.' She tried to keep the cold hard voice she used only for this boy since he arrived, but now and then recently it wavered. She had been watching him and his actions and found him to have enriched the Jiang Sect with the people he brought in, always helped the juniors if asked and never spoke badly about anyone ... even her.

'It's about YanLi and her fiancé ... do you ...' he said as he sat beside her.

'I swear if you dare try telling me who to marry my daughter too ...'

'Oh no, I would never try to do something like that. If fact, I think it will be a wonderful marriage for the pair of them .... But ....'

'Speak.'

'Madame .... No. Auntie Yu, would you consider all of us travelling over to the Jin sect so they may talk in person. I have heard there is a small misunderstanding between the couple and the only real way of straightening it out is if they talk without others around to tell them what to say.'

'Auntie? Who told you to ever call me that?' she almost let her mouth fall open when he giggled happily.

'No one, it's something I have always wanted to call you and so I will.' He smiled happily even as he didn't look at her but at the water filled with lotus plants that for some reason were not yet flowering. 'I can tell why you love this spot so much. It really is filled with a sense of peace. It almost gathers Yang energy.'

'It's why I had it built.'

'Really? You had this built ... I thought it had always been here ... wow, you really have knowledge of this kind of thing.' He smiled again.

'Wei WuXian, a marriage is a marriage. Nothing need be done ...'

'Don't you wish .... Forgive me Auntie Yu but .... I do understand why you dislike me being here and your misunderstanding that has lived in your heart since you learnt one small thing. You have lived with that long enough so I will enlighten you with one truth. Uncle FengMian did, long before he met you, have a crush on my mother .....'

'Shut up ....'

'No, I will not keep the truth to myself any longer while you sit here in such pain auntie.' When he saw the purple sparks on her hand he smiled. 'That thing holds not threat to me any more as I am sure you are aware. Now. Just because my uncle looked at a woman before he met you, does not mean that he only married you out of obligation. No man who marries out of obligation could bring himself to tell his daughter that her smile reminds him of his wife's smile when they first met. I know Uncle FengMian loved you from the moment he met you ... as you love him.'

'I do not love him.'

He chuckled happily. 'Auntie, you do not need to cover in front of me. If you did not love him so much, the thought of him having a long forgotten crush when he was nothing but a teenager, would not cause you all this pain, all these years later. You see, the misunderstanding in your marriage is a little like the misunderstanding that has happened to your daughters fiancé. However, he thinks he will look stronger if he pretends that he is being forced into an unwanted marriage. If I can get him to see, it will show people more strength if he admits to loving YanLi, rather than pretending to be forced into it ... her marriage will be a very happy one. I know she loves him and will willingly marry him but ... if his mind set is not changed now; it will only cause your much beloved daughter pain. I know you well enough to understand that everything you do, is for your children's sake, to protect them from certain things ... not everything can be protected from but this can be.'

'And you think that you will be able to talk him into loving my daughter?'

'Oh no ... I can not do such a thing. No one can make someone love anyone. I can only open his eyes to the fact that not only does your daughter love him, but he is already in love with her.' He stood up and gave her a deep respectful bow. 'As you are in love with your husband ... if only you were willing to admit that long before you met uncle, you must have walked passed some man in the street and thought .... He's kind of cute ... he has nice eyes .... He has a beautiful smile. If you can do that, you can look past your husbands past which faded the day he met you, and open your heart to him ... for his has always been open to you ... Besides ... these days a sect leadership is needed to be whole to be strong enough to deter attacks. If the enemy sees a fractured union at the head of any sect, they may use it as a way to destroy them ... or so I have read in some of the books in the library. I personally think that a united front of any sect is something more like a shield that protects the people ... that is why I asked Uncle FengMian to bring the Wen off shoot here. The stronger the sect ... the calmer the world can be.' He left without waiting for her to say anything, just hoping that his aunt would not ask what he was talking about ... let alone which book he was meant to have read .... And when? Thankfully, she didn't even raise her voice as he walked away.

Madame Yu sat there watching Wei Ying walk down the long pathway, with every step he took; she wanted to scream at him to tell her who he really was. No thirteen year old has such insights to people ..... She turned to the water and let her mind turn things over. A united front to the enemy ... how can this sect have such a barrier against the enemy if she and her husband were so divided ........... did he still have feelings for that boys mother? She sat there for a long time turning things over in her mind before standing up and going in search of her husband for an honest talk ... the first in many years.

That evening at dinner, Madame Yu informed the family they would all be travelling over to the Jin sect to greet YanLi's fiancé and family.

'Really mother? I'm glad. You have always told me that there is no need to meet my fiancé before the wedding as we can get to know each other better after the ceremony.'

To Madame Yu's surprise Wei WuXian didn't say anything just smiled happily at YanLi before returning to his meal. He didn't utter a single word to claim his deed. 'Well, say it Wei WuXian.'

Wei Ying wiped his mouth on the napkin and placed it by the plate before saying anything. 'Auntie Yu ... say what?'

'That this is because of you of course.'

'It is not by my doing, it is your doing auntie. If I said we should all go visit .... Wen RuoHan, you would not agree in the least. Saying such simple words as I do, they are not orders ...' he had noted a beautiful green jade hair pin in Auntie Yu's hair and remembered it well. Just how long had Uncle FengMian been keeping that hidden waiting to give it to her? 'Auntie Yu ... that green jade hair pin ... it really does suit you well.'

'Wei WuXian .... When did you start calling mother, Auntie?' Cheng almost stuttered because he worried what his mother would do.

'This afternoon.'

'M....Mother?' Jiang Cheng looked at his mother worried in case she attacked him.

Madame Yu refused the blush that wanted to rise at his words about her hairpin. Did he know how she got it ... and why she wore it? 'So what, I have no control over that boy.' Again Wei WuXian stayed quiet before picking up his chopsticks and proceeding to eat. Was he really not going to claim credit for this trip? Madame Yu looked to her husband with a frown. Things were getting stranger and stranger by the day where this boy was concerned but .... At the same time .... Everything just stayed the same on other things ... He could still aggravate her but now it was for different reasons. She sighed.