They were both sitting on the different edges of the bed, waiting for the housekeeper to leave. All had been arranged for tonight – the bed was decorated, as it should be, with flowers and red silk; the fire was burning pleasantly in the fireplace, as the nights in the mountain were still cold, and Jiang Wanyin was constantly shivering slightly, used to a milder climate. The room was basking in romantic candlelight, and all of his belongings were already accommodated, put together with his husband's.
She bowed and left, wishing them a lot of happiness and marital bliss, which made them both frown.
For some time they were silent, not facing each other, until Lan Xichen finally sighed and said:
- Help me get rid of this nonsense.
Jiang Wanyin turned and saw his stern face. He was scared and sad – he had never imagined his wedding night to be like this. But he bit his lip and helped Zewu-Jun remove all the decorations and flowers, and throw them in the trash. Then they just went to sleep at the different ends of the bed, careful not to touch at all.
***
Lan Xichen was thinking that his life was now ruined. He had been in love with another, deeply, and his heart was already aching, as he knew that his chances of being with Meng Yao had been close to none; and now – now, they were an absolute zero. He was fully aware of his responsibilities to his Clan, to his people, but his uncle's decision finalized his despair, and left the taste of ashes in his mouth.
He was lulled between anger and helplessness, hating the fact that someone else was deciding his fate for him. He envied his brother so much – the Gusu Clan officials disproved of Wei Wuxian, but he saw them together, saw the pure happiness and joy they shared every moment they were together. Yes, Wangji gave up the leadership position fully, and was now just the father to their 3 children, but Lan Huan had never seen him laughing so much, being so radiant and healthy, truly happy.
He was glowing, blooming in his middle years.
Jiang Cheng fell asleep crying. He was so lonely, and felt so abandoned that his heart was breaking. He knew that it was coming; he had tried to prepare for this, but now that it was real – it was so hard, almost impossible to deal with. He feared that the man, sleeping next to him right now, would never even look at him, let alone want him... love him. Despite the warm and cozy room, he was shivering, and when he finally fell asleep – it was because of the anguish and exhaustion.
