It's All My Fault

Chapter Text

Wei Ying answered it immediately. "Hello?" he said.

"A-Xian!" Jiang Yanli's frantic voice greeted him. "A-Cheng and A-Ning...!"

"I know, I know! Nei-xiong just came to our house and told us!" he interrupted. "What about Shushu and Madam Yu and Wen Qing? Do they know?"

"Yes. They told me about what happened before they left with Qingqing to bail them out. A-Cheng and A-Ning called them. Plus, Qingqing sent me a video of them confronting Wen Chao. I couldn't believe what I saw; I don't remember ever seeing A-Ning so angry in my life. In fact, I never saw or heard of him even being frustrated!"

"Nie-xiong showed it to us, too. I couldn't believe it either."

Lan Zhan frowned a little. "Who is that, Wei Ying? Is it Shijie?" he inquired.

He turned to him. "Yeah," he replied before telling him and Nie Huaisang what was going on.

"Mmm. May I speak to her for a moment, please?"

Wei Ying nodded and gave the phone to him.

"Shijie, it's me. Do your parents or Wen Qing need help with anything? I can loan them some money if they need it," he stated urgently.

"No, Zhanzhan-didi, but thank you. They have it under control," Wei Ying heard Jiang Yanli respond.

"Are you sure? You know that it would be no trouble for me to help."

"I know, didi, but it will be fine. I will let you and A-Xian know what happens."

Lan Zhan sighed. "Very well. Please do."

Wei Ying gently took the phone from him. "What about you, Shijie? Do you need anything? Do you want me to come back over?"

"No, Xianxian. Zixuan is here. I'll be all right."

"Oh. Okay." He made his way over to the coat closet. "I should go down there, too. I need to talk to them. I never asked either of them to do that..."

"No!" Lan Zhan, Jiang Yanli, and Nie Huaisang exclaimed at the same time.

"Don't, Xianxian, please!" Jiang Yanli went on. "A-Niang and A-Die are already furious as it is. They wouldn't want you there. It might not be safe for you to be either. You don't know how many people may have seen the video; it's even on social media. If anyone from Wen Chao's gang sees it - and they might have already - there could be trouble. And there's no telling what will happen when his father and girlfriend finds out. You know how they are. Please, A-Xian, just stay where you are. Don't go to the police department until you have to."

"But...!"

"No. Stay home. I really mean it, A-Xian. I understand how you're feeling. You know I do. But please...just stay there. As I told Lan Zhan-didi a minute ago, I will let you know what happens."

Wei Ying pouted. "Fine, fine. I will."

"Thank you. I'll call you soon, all right?"

"Okay. Good-bye, Shijie."

"Good-bye."

And with that, she hung up.

Wei Ying sighed heavily as he scrubbed a hand over his face. Everything was going from terrible to worse.

It was his fault. It was all his fault that this had happened. He should have told Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning not to seek out Wen Chao like he had wanted to. It would have been so much better if Wen Chao himself had been found and arrested instead. They wouldn't be in jail otherwise.

Deep down inside, he couldn't blame them for beating him up. He understood that they only did it because they cared about him. But now, they might get hurt for it...or worse. The last thing he wished was for them to get into even more trouble on his account.

In addition to that, but he knew that he himself could also end up in danger. Wen Ruohan, Wang Lingjiao, and Wen Chao's gang would not care if he asked them to beat Wen Chao up or not. They could decide to try to hurt him - not to mention his family, Lan Zhan, or even his family - simply because they believed he did. Besides that, Wen Chao was likely plotting revenge on him anyway, simply because he was arrested for what he did to him.

He heard movement then, which brought him back to the present. He opened his eyes to see Nie Huaisang shifting from one foot to the other.

"Sorry, Nie-xiong. I didn't mean to make you feel ignored. I'm just really stressed out right now," Wei Ying muttered, handing his phone back to him. "Thanks for coming over to tell us what happened. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Are...are you going to be all right? Do you need anything?" he offered.

Wei Ying shook his head. "No, not right now. But thank you for asking. I'll be fine."

"Okay. I have to get going now, but let me know if you change your mind, and when they are home. I'm not sure if A-Cheng will want to be bailed out, though. Madam Yu will make him want to stay in jail when she's through with him. The police and the inmates there wouldn't be as rough with him as she's going to be."

Neither Wei Ying or Lan Zhan could disagree with him on that. He was right.

"Yeah...that's true. And I will."

Nie Huaisang inclined his head before embracing him. "I'll see you soon, Wei-xiong. And remember what I said; I have your back. I mean it. Da-ge says that you can ask him for anything too, if you need it. He was pissed when I told him what happened!" he whispered.

There wasn't any doubt that Nie Mingjue - his older brother - had been. Knowing him, he likely spent a good deal of time shouting at the top of his lungs about it. Not only that, he probably threatened to do Wen Chao harm and arrest him himself as well. He worked at the police department.

Wei Ying hugged him back. "Okay. And I know. Thank you, and thank Da-ge for me, too."

"I will."

After letting him go, Nie Huaisang said good-bye to them and left. Wei Ying wanted to follow him, but he knew that Lan Zhan would stop him. Furthermore, he all but promised Jiang Yanli that he would remain at home.

He sighed again as he headed back upstairs. Lan Zhan trailed after him.

"Baobei?" the latter murmured when they had returned to the study.

"Hmm?" Wei Ying grunted, putting his books away before turning off his laptop. He definitely wouldn't be able to concentrate on his schoolwork after what just happened. His nerves were shot.

Lan Zhan took his hand and led him over to the couch to sit down. "Do not blame yourself for your brother's and Wen Qionglin's actions. It is not your fault, even if you think it is."

He knew that he was feeling responsible for them getting arrested.

"Why not, sweetheart?" Wei Ying demanded in a soft voice. "They told me that they were going to look for Wen Chao. I should have asked them not to; I never wanted them to do that. I didn't want them to get in trouble. I don't want A-Cheng or A-Ning to get hurt for that either. What if...what if worse happens to them? If it did, I would never ever forgive myself. And what if Madam Yu thinks I put them up to it? She'll blame me, and she'll hate me even more if something happens to A-Cheng because he was just trying to stick up for me."

"I understand, baobao. I cannot blame you for fearing for them. I do not wish for harm to come to them either. But I believe that even if you had asked them not to confront him, they would have done so regardless. After all, Madam Yu told Jiang Cheng not to do anything, and he did not listen to her. And if he refused to listen to her, I doubt he would have listened to you.

"As far as Madam Yu blaming or hating you for this goes, she has no right to, and your brother will not let her blame you for this if he can help it. He will have told her the truth. Wen Qionglin will do the same with Wen Qing, though she more than likely knows that you never asked him to do anything," Lan Zhan pointed out.

Wei Ying knew that this was true. Still, he regretted that he didn't try to talk him or Wen Ning out of looking for Wen Chao.

Lan Zhan reached out to stroke his cheek. "It will be all right. Jiang-shushu, Madam Yu, and Wen Qing will find a way to have them protected if they need it. You know they will."

"I do, but I don't know how that will work. The police would have wanted to protect Wen Chao from them if they weren't already planning to arrest him too. They were the ones who beat him up, after all. Protection won't matter to Wen Chao's gang, either, or his father and girlfriend. It never stopped them before, even when they ended up in jail for violating it."

"Mn. That is true, and you have a point. But everything will be fine once everything settles down."

"I hope so. I'm scared, Lan Zhan."

"I know, baobei, and I do not blame you."

Wei Ying kissed the palm of his hand then before standing up. "I'm going to wait in our room. I'll let you know when A-Jie calls me."

Lan Zhan did as well. "I will wait with you, but I also need to put away my things first."

"All right."

When he entered the room shortly after, Wei Ying was flipping through channels on the TV. He sat next to him and held him close. The latter sighed and attempted to relax.

However, it became more and more impossible to as the minutes passed. He tried to watch the show that he had put on, but he was too distracted. He spent more time checking his phone and wringing his hands than anything else. His stomach ached from anxiety.

Lan Zhan called his brother and uncle to inform them of what had happened. Lan Xichen already knew about it since Meng Yao had showed the video to him, but Lan Qiren didn't since he was still at work. Plus, he did not use social media often. After that, he waited quietly while rubbing Wei Ying's back to keep him calm.

Jiang Yanli didn't call for over three and a half hours. Wei Ying was almost a nervous wreck by then. He tried to think as positively as he could under the circumstances, but he couldn't help but fear that something had gone wrong, or that something terrible may have happened. It was taking so long. Had Lan Zhan not been there, he believed that he would have had a panic attack already.

He all but cried in relief when he finally saw her name on his phone's screen. It barely rang once before he answered it and put it on speaker.

"Hello? A-Jie? Did A-Cheng and A-Ning make it home safe? Is everyone okay?" he queried as soon as he did.

"Is everything all right?" Lan Zhan asked next.

Jiang Yanli gave a tired sigh on her end. "Yes, they made it home safe. Everything is fine for now. But from what Qingqing told me, it wasn't earlier. Not for A-Cheng, at least," she responded.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Wei Ying demanded.

"Well, you already know from what I told you earlier that A-Niang was very angry. She practically argued at the man in charge of the bail and demanded to know how much it was, and how long it would take to process. She told him to - quote on quote - get working on it now after he told her, that jail is too tame for A-Cheng compared to what she had in store for him, and again, to hurry up. She wouldn't even let Qingqing pay A-Ning's bail; she insisted on doing it herself."

Rubbing his forehead, Wei Ying exhaled deeply. He could definitely see Madam Yu doing that. In the corner of his eye, he saw Lan Zhan pursing his lips.

"Ohhhh, gods. How long did it take for everything to go through?" he inquired.

"A couple of hours. Qingqing told me that A-Niang started to yell at A-Cheng as soon as she saw him and A-Ning. She smacked him around the head and told him that he had brought shame, embarrassment, and dishonor to our family. That she had raised him better, and how dare he not obey her orders to not interfere. Then she told A-Ning that she couldn't believe him because it isn't like him to get involved in any form of trouble at all. I know that she's disappointed in him. Qingqing didn't say that she said it, but I know. We all know how much A-Niang dotes on him, even though she tries not to make it obvious."

This was indeed true. Whenever Wen Ning came over to her and Uncle Jiang's house for Saturday dinner with Wen Qing, she always seemed to be fussing over him in what appeared to be irritation. She would complain that he looked too pale or too thin, even when he repeatedly tried to insist that he was fine. Everyone pretended not to notice when she snuck extra food onto his plate or bowl, but they did.

Wei Ying often teased Wen Ning that he didn't know who fussed over and looked after him more: her or Wen Qing. Jiang Cheng would too, although his mother's doting on him made him somewhat envious. Nevertheless, he didn't hold it against him.

"Yeah," Wei Ying agreed. "Then what happened?"

"After she calmed down a little, there was paperwork that needed to be signed. Their court date still needs to be determined. They might have to face more jail time, or pay a fine. I don't know what will happen for them at school once they learn about all of this, but we'll see. A-Niang and A-Die also filed for protection for A-Cheng and A-Ning, just in case. Then they took care of a few more things before leaving the police department.

"Qingqing took A-Ning to Granny Wen's house after that. A-Cheng didn't come home right away, though. He told her A-Niang took him over to her and A-Die's house to yell at him again and whipped him. And after screaming at him some more, she brought him to their place and told him stay there. She helped A-Die find and bring A-Cheng's car to their place, too, even though she said he deserved to do it himself. They went back home after that," Jiang Yanli said.

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan exchanged troubled glances.

"A-Cheng and A-Ning already know that you will want to call them, but they told Qingqing to ask you not to tonight," she continued. "Neither of them are in the mood to talk. They said that they will call you tomorrow at some point, though, or you can call them in the afternoon."

Sighing yet again, Wei Ying mumbled, "Fine. Okay."

Jiang Yanli hummed. "Well, that's it, Xianxian. I just called to let you know everything. I'm tired, though, so I'm going to go to bed. But I will see you tomorrow. You're still coming, right?"

"Yeah."

"All right. I love you, A-Xian, Zhanzhan-didi. Good night."

"We love you too, Jiejie."

"Mn. Good night," Lan Zhan added.

She hung up.

Wei Ying put his phone on his side-table drawer after letting Nie Huaisang know that Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning were home. Then he laid his head on his hand. It wasn't as if everything that Jiang Yanli told him was unexpected, but it still caused him to feel even more miserable.

Lan Zhan rubbed his back and hair. "It is going to be okay, baobao. They will be all right," he whispered.

Again, Wei Ying hoped so.

"Come on. Let me help you with your injuries so that we can also turn in. I know that you must be exhausted too."

He nodded, taking his hand and allowing him to lead him into the bathroom. They changed into their nightclothes once they were finished and went to bed.

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying kissed each other when they had laid down and made themselves comfortable. "Good night, baobei. Try to sleep. I love you," the former whispered, holding him close.

The latter nodded a second time. "I love you too, Airen. Good night."

Lan Zhan fell asleep several minutes later, but Wei Ying was unable to. His mind just wouldn't stop racing. All he could think about was the video and what Jiang Yanli had told him. He kept imagining Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning getting attacked as well, which didn't help. If only he had been able to get in touch with them before they had beaten Wen Chao up. If only he had told Jiang Cheng not to look for him when he threatened to the previous evening.

These thoughts kept him awake for a long time. It was hours before he eventually drifted off into a restless slumber.

xXXXXXXx

The tension in the atmosphere was thick the next morning. So much so that it could be cut with a knife. Even though Wei Ying hadn't gotten enough sleep, he felt alert and restless.

It was quiet as he and Lan Zhan got ready for the day and had breakfast. Neither of them had much to talk about, and didn't want to talk about the few things they did.

Wei Ying became even more anxious as Lan Zhan took him to Jiang Yanli's house. He wished that they could have stayed home, just for their own safety if for no other reason. A part of him still feared that something terrible might happen. That the other shoe was going to drop.

When Lan Zhan knocked on the door not long after, Jin Zixuan answered it this time. Wei Ying was taken aback; he thought that he had already left for the college.

"Oh. Good morning, Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji," Jin Zixuan greeted somewhat stiffly.

"Hi," Wei Ying muttered as Lan Zhan nodded to him. "Where's Shijie?"

"I'm right here," Jiang Yanli announced, appearing by his side. She looked as if she had barely slept herself. "Hello. How are you two?"

Wei Ying just shrugged as she hugged him, then Lan Zhan.

"Good morning, A-Jie. I am fine," the latter responded.

She nodded. "That's good."

"Are you and Jin Zixuan all right? Do either of you need anything?"

Jin Zixuan shook his head. "Thank you for asking, but no. Everything is all right here for now."

"Mn. Very well."

Lan Zhan kissed and bid Wei Ying good-bye after that, and Jin Zixuan did the same with Jiang Yanli.

"I love you, baobei. You know to call me if you need anything, or if something happens," Lan Zhan murmured.

Wei Ying nodded. "I love you, too. And please...be safe too, sweetheart. Don't forget to call me either, for the same reasons. I'm...I'm still afraid," he whispered so that his sister and her boyfriend wouldn't hear.

He pecked his forehead. "I understand, and I will. But I should be all right. Try not to worry too much."

"Okay, but I won't make any promises."

Lan Zhan hummed and kissed him one more time. After saying good-bye to him and the others, he left.

Wei Ying was about to go inside when Jin Zixuan placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to him with a frown of bewilderment. What did he want? He hoped that he wasn't planning to say anything rude to him. He would tell him off if he did, and he didn't care whether or not Jiang Yanli was here this time.

"Yes?" he demanded in a terse voice.

Jin Zixuan opened his mouth, then closed it before trying again. "Are...are you sure you're all right?" he queried with sincere concern. "Is there anything that you need?"

He blinked, not expecting these questions. He was surprised that he cared enough to ask them. He didn't know how to feel about that.

"No...not right now. And I'll be fine. Thanks," he replied after a moment.

Jin Zixuan inclined his head. "Well...you know that I will do what I can to help...if you do."

"Thanks," he repeated.

He looked as if he wanted to say something else after that, but changed his mind. He awkwardly patted his shoulder instead. Then he said good-bye to him and Jiang Yanli before leaving as well.

"Come on in, A-Xian. You must be getting cold. It's freezing out here," she remarked then, stepping aside.

Wei Ying entered the house and took off his coat. He hung it up on a peg near the door. "Yeah, a little. How are you, Shijie?" he inquired.

She sighed. "I'm rather tired, but I will be fine after I have another cup of tea."

"Mmm. Have you heard from A-Cheng or Wen Qing this morning?"

"Not yet. Did you?"

He shook his head. "No."

Jiang Yanli rubbed his arm. "Well, it's still pretty early. I'm sure that one of them, or A-Ning, will call later. They would have already if something was wrong. You know that."

"Yeah."

Wei Ying made his way to the living room after that and took out his books and laptop. He still had a lot of catching up to do regarding his schoolwork. Hopefully, it would distract him from how nervous he was.

He felt only slightly better when Lan Zhan sent him a text informing him that he had arrived at the college safely a few minutes later. He also reminded him that he would pick him up when his last class was over, and again, to call him if necessary. Wei Ying let him know that he would before returning to his studies.

Jiang Yanli kept an eye on him during her morning lectures. Even though he appeared to be reading his notes, she noticed that his eyes would occasionally become unfocused. He also looked as worried as he had the day before. She knew why, of course, and couldn't blame him.

However, she had a feeling that something else was bothering him. Other than what she already knew was bothering him, that is. As to what it was, she could only hope to find out soon. She didn't like it when he kept things to himself, especially if they hurt or troubled him. It upset her.

The rest of the morning passed by without incident. Lan Zhan had sent them a few more text messages, but they didn't hear from anyone else. This only caused Wei Ying to feel even more nervous. He wondered if everybody was okay.

They eventually headed to the kitchen around noon to have lunch. Even though the former still didn't have an appetite, he accepted the food she offered him. He didn't have the heart not to. They ate in silence.

It was halfway through the meal when Jiang Yanli noticed that he had stopped eating altogether. He was staring dejectedly at the table as he picked at his food, laying his head on his hand.

"A-Xian?" she murmured.

Wei Ying didn't answer or make any indication that he heard her.

"Xianxian," she repeated a bit louder. "A-Xian, what is it? What's the matter? You know that you can tell me. Come on. Talk to me."

A tear suddenly ran down his face. "It's my fault, Shijie. It's all my fault," he whispered.

She quickly moved her chair next to his and stroked his hair. "What do you mean? What is your fault?"

"It's all my fault A-Cheng and A-Ning were arrested," he blurted out with a sob.

Jiang Yanli's heart sank at this statement. She didn't understand how he could think that. "No, Xianxian. That's not true. This was never your fault..."

"But it is! They told me that they were going to look for Wen Chao. A-Cheng told me that he was going to teach him a lesson. He even threatened to kill him in front of all of us. You heard him. Even A-Ning said he would. I should have told them not to. I should have asked them to leave him alone. The only reason why I didn't was because I was hoping that they would change their minds. And now, they might get hurt - or one of us will - all because of me! If they do, or we do, that will also be my fault! Please forgive me. I should have told one of you what they planned to do sooner. I'm sorry I didn't. Please forgive me. Please don't hate me. I'm sorry," he wept.

"Shhh, A-Xian. Shhh, shhh. I understand what you are saying, and where you are coming from. I understand that you feel guilty too. But as I said before, this isn't your fault, so don't place the blame on yourself. I cannot say what will happen now, but we are all going to be fine in the end. And no matter what, we will never hate you either. Don't apologize anymore. It's not your fault," she reassured him in a low, gentle voice.

Wei Ying desperately wanted to believe this. Truly, he did. However, his thoughts took him back to that horrible night. To when Wen Chao had threatened him after the assault.

"...You would know better than to tell anyone. You know I have connections. You know they would do much worse than what I did if something happens to me because you opened your fat mouth."

He could feel the cold, sharp tip of that knife on his throat again. He could smell the nauseating stench of the liquor on his breath. See the hatred and satisfaction in his expression...

"Xianxian! Xianxian!" Jiang Yanli called out to him then. Wei Ying's eyes had abruptly glazed over, and his breathing had quickened.

Hearing her, he came back to his senses, blinking hard a few times.

"A-Xian, are you okay? What's the matter? Do you need me to call Lan Zhan-didi?" she inquired urgently when he finally turned to her.

Wei Ying shook his head. He didn't want her to worry over him any more than she already was. "N-No. You don't have to. It's...It's nothing. I'll be all right."

"...Are you sure?" It was obvious that she didn't believe him; he could tell she knew he was hiding something from her. Nevertheless, she still chose to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Yeah."

Jiang Yanli nodded with a heavy sigh. After that, she embraced him and kissed his forehead. She didn't say anything else, just held him close. Wei Ying buried his face in her shoulder as he took deep, shuddering breaths.

When she eventually let him go a few minutes later, she rubbed the tip of his nose with a small smile. "Why don't you head back to the living room now? I know that you want to finish catching up with your classes. I'll be there as soon as I finish taking care of everything in here."

He managed a grin as he nodded and wiped his face. "Okay."

After he left the kitchen, Jiang Yanli threw the remainder of their food away before washing the dishes. She did it more slowly than usual; her mind kept replaying their conversation over and over again.

Her own eyes welled with tears as she thought of how brokenly he had cried, and the fact that he blamed himself for Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning being thrown in jail. She understood the reasons why he did, but it was still in no way his fault.

Her poor didi was already going through a lot of unimaginable pain because of what Wen Chao had done to him. Why was he being made to suffer more? Why was he being made to feel guilty when he didn't deserve to? He never asked for any of this.

Jiang Yanli could not say that she didn't feel some satisfaction when she saw her brother and Wen Ning beating him up in that video. She secretly felt that he had it coming to him. She, too, wished that she had been there. To rage at him, give him a piece of her mind. To tell him what a vile, non-human being he was. Anyone who could do what Wen Chao had done to her didi - or anyone else - without shame would not even classify as a mammal.

Still, even she knew that Jiang Cheng's and Wen Ning's actions could still hold dire consequences for them, as well as everyone else in their family. She couldn't blame Wei Ying for being terrified and on edge. She was too.

Jiang Yanli sighed again as she dried her hands. Then she put the dishes where they belonged and put the chairs back under the table.

She must have taken longer than she thought because Wei Ying was asleep when she returned to the living room. He was still sitting up as he held one of his notebooks, a sign that he must have tried to study before he dozed off.

Being careful not to wake him up, she eased the book out of his hand. She covered him with a blanket after that.

Once she had finished tucking him in, she rubbed his shoulder gently. "It's going to be okay, A-Xian. I know that you don't believe that right now, but it will. After you heal and everything is set right again, it will. You'll see," she murmured.

She kissed him one more time, then logged onto her computer to resume her online classes.