Chapter Text
Wei Ying looked up from where he was tending his little horde of rabbits. The soft giggles of his 4, soon to be 5, year old son playing not to far from him the only comfort the Omega had these days. After Sunshot campaign that was won by one man while the rest of them hand been scrambling around trying to gather their strength and rescue loved ones, things had gone rather pear shaped for him.
He remembers Wen Chao about to take advantage of his forced heat with the aid of Wen Zhuliu and then waking up in the recovery hall of the slowly rebuilding Yunmeng Jiang's Lotus Pier with Jiang Ch- Sect Leader Jiang glaring at him. He was then accused of being Wen Chao's whore and carrying his bastard. Wei Ying, as an Omega, knew that no matter what happened his reputation was beyond saving and that he would be ridiculed for the rest of his life. When Sect Leader Jiang ordered him to terminate his pregnancy; he refused. He would not punish the child for the sins of the father, if Wen Chao was truly the sire of his baby. Needless to say, everyone minus perhaps Jiang Yanli, Nie Huaisong, his recently discovered Uncle Xiao Xingcheng, and oddly enough Lan Xichen and the Lan Sect seemed to be on his side. He was no longer allowed to go on Night Hunts or any kind of hunt. He wasn't really allowed to train or train others. He spend his days inventing new talismens and tools to aid others while raising his child.
Wei Yuan gave a shriek and Wei Ying looked up just as he saw Jin Guangshan, Jiang Wanyin and Elder Lan Queen marching toward him. He quickly grabs his son close, a son who looked nothing like a Wen. He looked almost like Lan Xhichen, but that was impossible and the one Alpha he wanted had vanished when the Cloud Recess burned at the start of the Sunshot campaign. Whatever was going on, he felt like his world was going to til again on its axis and he is not sure of he will be able to land on his feet or if someone will catch him this time...
The weight of the world felt as though it were bearing down on Wei Ying, and yet in the face of all the uncertainty and hostility, his child, his son, was the one light in the darkness. Wei Yuan, with his innocent laughter and mischievous grin, was everything to him. But as the footsteps drew closer, so did the cold reality of his situation. Wei Ying’s grip tightened around his son, his protective instincts kicking in. He could feel the tension in the air as Jin Guangshan, Jiang Wanyin, and Elder Lan Queen approached. The power dynamics had shifted in ways that still didn’t make sense to him. What were they here for? What could they want from him now?
Jiang Wanyin’s gaze was sharp, calculating, but there was an underlying concern there that Wei Ying couldn’t ignore. His brother, the one who had once treated him with such hostility, had slowly begun to show a flicker of the care they’d once shared. Yet, it didn’t change the fact that they were still on opposite sides of a larger conflict, and his association with the Wen family—no matter how tenuous—made him an outsider in their eyes. Wei Ying’s heart pounded in his chest, and he held his son even closer, not just out of love, but out of fear. Fear that the fragile peace he’d managed to carve out for himself was about to shatter, that his past would come crashing down on him in the worst way.
“Stay calm,” he whispered to Wei Yuan, though his own voice betrayed the uncertainty he felt. He couldn’t allow his son to feel the weight of his anxiety. He would protect him with everything he had, but even he didn’t know if that would be enough. The world had already proven time and again how fragile their lives were. As they reached him, the tension between the four figures was palpable, but for a moment, the only thing Wei Ying could focus on was the soft breath of his son, the way his little hands gripped at his robes, unaware of the danger looming. The future was a mystery, but at that moment, Wei Ying had one certainty: he would never let anyone hurt Wei Yuan.
“What’s this about?” Wei Ying’s voice, though soft, was steady, a challenge in his tone. He had already lost so much, but he wasn’t about to lose everything without a fight.
The three figures came to a halt in front of him. Jin Guangshan’s face was unreadable, but there was a calculating gleam in his eyes, as though weighing the situation carefully. Jiang Wanyin’s gaze flickered between Wei Ying and the child in his arms, his expression unreadable, but there was something dangerous behind his eyes—like he was bracing for a storm. Elder Lan Queen, ever the stoic figure, stood with a calm but stern presence, though her eyes lingered on Wei Ying with something akin to pity, or perhaps disdain.
Wei Ying’s grip on his son tightened, his mind racing. The fact that they had come here together meant something serious was afoot. He had never been a stranger to conflict, but this was different. It wasn’t just about him anymore; it was about Wei Yuan, about the life he was trying to build for them both in the aftermath of the chaos. Jin Guangshan was the first to speak, his voice smooth but laced with authority. “Wei Ying,” he began, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, “there are… rumors. Dangerous ones. It seems you’ve been keeping secrets. Your child, for one.”
Wei Ying’s heart skipped a beat. “What rumors?” he asked, forcing his voice to remain calm despite the rising dread in his chest. His son was not some pawn in their political games. Jin Guangshan glanced at Jiang Wanyin and then back to Wei Ying. “It’s been whispered that your son is not a Wen. That he bears a strong resemblance to someone else. Someone from the Lan Sect.” His words hit like a cold gust of wind.
Wei Ying’s breath caught. He had expected questions about his son, but not like this. He knew the rumors, the whispers about Wei Yuan’s appearance—the way his features mirrored Lan Xichen’s so closely. But to have it thrown in his face like this, as if his son’s very existence was a scandal… it was too much. “You’re wrong,” Wei Ying said, his voice barely above a whisper, but the conviction was there. “He’s my son. No one else’s.” His protective instincts flared, and he refused to back down, despite the suffocating tension around him.
Jiang Wanyin stepped forward, his gaze hardening, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “You’ve made your position clear,” he said, his tone a little softer but still filled with authority. “But the truth won’t remain hidden forever, Wei Ying. We need to know what’s really going on. We need to know who the child’s father is.”
Wei Ying clenched his jaw. “I told you,” he said, more forcefully now. “I refuse to let you turn my child into a pawn in your power struggle. He is mine to protect, not a weapon for you to use.”
Elder Lan Queen’s eyes narrowed as she observed the scene. She spoke then, her voice low and steady, cutting through the tension. “You’re mistaken if you think this is just about the child’s parentage. There’s more at play here than your personal struggles, Wei Ying. We’ve been following the movements of certain factions, and there are those who would use your son’s existence against you. If you are truly innocent in this matter, you need to understand the danger that surrounds you both.”
Wei Ying’s mind raced as he absorbed her words. The danger wasn’t just from the people around him—it was everywhere. People had always underestimated him, and now they were using his son as leverage in their games. He had no choice but to stand firm. “I don’t care who tries to use him. I will protect Wei Yuan with my life.” His eyes flicked to Jiang Wanyin. “And I won’t let anyone use me either.”
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words. Jiang Wanyin looked at him for a long moment, as though weighing his sincerity. Finally, he sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know what you’re hiding, Wei Ying. But I won’t let this go. Not yet. You’ll have to explain yourself eventually.”
Wei Ying held his ground. “I’ll explain when the time comes, Jiang Wanyin. But not to you. Not to anyone who only sees me as a tool in their schemes.”
Jin Guangshan gave a curt nod, signaling the end of the confrontation—for now. “Very well,” he said, his voice cold. “But remember, Wei Ying. The truth has a way of coming to light. And when it does, we will all have to face it.”
As they turned and walked away, Wei Ying stood there, holding his son close, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t know what the future held, but he knew one thing: he would fight for his son, for their peace, no matter the cost.