Jin Zixuan

Jiang Yanli wasn't home when Jin Zixuan had returned from visiting his parents after leaving school. He expected this, however. She had already let him know that she and her family would be going over to her brother Wei Ying and his fiancé Lan Zhan's house. Wei Ying had gotten into a fight before being attacked the previous evening and needed to be taken to the hospital. They were visiting him because he and Lan Zhan were going to discuss everything that happened.

Jin Zixuan shook his head to himself as he hung his coat up. Wei Ying often seemed to be a magnet for trouble, sometimes starting it himself. Nevertheless, he didn't want to make any assumptions about whether he or the person who attacked him instigated the fight. Although he was wont to, he didn't know the facts.

He did hope that he wasn't too injured, of course, whatever else could be said. Neither he or Wei Ying got along much; they had had a few fights themselves. But that didn't mean that he would truly wish for anything bad to happen to him. He also knew that Wei Ying wouldn't want any actual harm to come to him either. Not likely, anyhow. And because he was his girlfriend's brother, he tried to be civil with him, at the very least.

It wasn't until after six o'clock when he heard Jiang Yanli's car parking in the driveway. He frowned a little; she usually told him when she was on her way home. He knew something had to be wrong if she didn't.

This fact was cemented as soon as she entered the house. Jin Zixuan became worried from the moment he laid eyes on her.

She was pale, paler than he had ever seen her before, even when she was ill. Her expression was filled with anguish, and her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

He walked over to lay his hand on her cheek. "A-Li...A-Li, darling...what is the matter?" he queried.

Jiang Yanli closed her eyes as a sob escaped her. "A-Xuan..." she whispered.

And then she burst out crying.

Alarmed, Jin Zixuan led her over to the couch and sat them down. "A-Li, please tell me what is wrong. You know that you can. What did Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji tell you when you and your family visited? You said that they were going to explain in detail what happened last night. Is your brother in any danger? Does he need help? Talk to me, darling. I'm here."

She leaned into him. "A-Xian told us that it was Wen Chao that he fought with yesterday. And he also said that..." she replied before pausing, unable to finish her statement.

"He said that what?" he asked gently as he wrapped his arms around her. "What else happened?"

In a voice that was thick with tears, Jiang Yanli then told him the one of most terrible stories he ever heard, if not the most terrible.

She said that Wei Ying had told her and her family that he had ran into Wen Chao during his trip home from school. That the latter had tried to talk to him, and began to harass Wei Ying when he told him to leave him alone.

They soon got into a fight because Wen Chao wouldn't. He eventually managed to incapacitate Wei Ying and pulled him into a nearby alleyway twice. The first time he did, Wei Ying managed to get away by stomping on his foot, causing Wen Chao to let him go. However, the latter went after him again. He bashed his head into a wall, then pulled him back into the alleyway the second time.

"After that, Xianxian told me that he slammed his head into the wall again...after that, he pushed him to the ground...and then he...he..." Jiang Yanli choked on another sob. "...he raped him at knife-point."

Jin Zixuan gaped at her in mute horror. For what seemed like years, he was speechless.

"He...he did what?" he managed to ask when he found his voice.

She shook her head. She couldn't bear to say it again.

Jin Zixuan was greatly dismayed as well as stunned. How could that vile creature do that to Wei Ying? The thought of it made him sick to his stomach. As mentioned before, no matter how much he and Wei Ying didn't get along, he wouldn't want him to be harmed.

Especially not like this. Never like this.

Jin Zixuan made her face him after another long silence. "A-Li. Did he tell the police yet? Or has he already?" he inquired urgently.

"Y-Yes. He and Lan Zhan-didi did after his exam at the hospital. A-Xian didn't want to go at first. He was so scared. But Lan Zhan-didi was able to convince him to go, and to file a report against that...that foul excuse of a man."

She told him Lan Zhan's side of the story after that, and buried her face in his neck once more after that.

"Seeing the state A-Xian was in breaks my heart, Xuanxuan. He's in so much pain, and he's so lost. I could see it. He was so afraid that we were going to hate him that he couldn't tell us anything at first. I couldn't understand how he could ever think that we would. This isn't his fault. He never deserved it. He never asked for this. All he wanted was to be left alone, and instead, he was...he was hurt..." she wept.

Jin Zixuan cradled her. "I understand, darling. I am sorry this happened to him. He doesn't deserve this at all," he whispered in a soothing voice. "I am here. And I will let him know that if he needs help for anything - anything at all - that I will give it to him. I promise. All he has to do is ask."

Jiang Yanli nodded gratefully, and he continued to hold her as she cried her heart out, even when she didn't stop until much later that evening.