Chapter 42

Ten suggested to Luo Wei, "Young master, it might make our journey slower if that shadow guard was to be brought along."

Luo Wei shook his head, "If we don't bring him with us, then he won't be able to stay alive."

Ten shook his head and sighed.

"His name is Wei Lan," Luo Wei said, "Ten, you guys shouldn't look down on him so much. Everyone leads different lives in this world, Wei Lan didn't do anything wrong."

"Young master."

"Ten, not a single one of the Qi Lin Shadow Guards willingly wants to be a shadow guard. They're all kids from poor families, or orphans begging on the streets. They've all been bought or taken by force by Qi Lin Villa."

Ten was silent for a moment, then put his hand and fist together in a polite gesture, "The young master is right, we didn't think about this."

Luo Wei instructed, "You guys shouldn't keep giving him attitude, be nicer to him, don't let him feel embarrassed. Let's not bring up Wei Lan's past again, pretend we've forgotten it."

Ten answered, looking serious, "I understand."

In the cabin, Wei Lan's tears escaped his eyes. The shadow guards didn't sleep very deeply, any noise or movement could wake them. The uneasy sleep he'd drifted into just now was interrupted as soon as Luo Wei started talking with Ten.

This feeling was very curious. Wei Lan's mother had taken him begging on the streets when he was just a baby. When he turned four, his mother had died of exposure and starvation, he had no power to bury her, and was only able to watch as the soldiers patrolling the streets tossed her corpse into a river outside the city walls. At six, he'd been kidnapped by Qi Lin Villa and taken to train for five years, and then acted as a shadow guard at the villa for nine. In his twenty years, Wei Lan had never been shown kindness by anyone except his mother. No one cared if he lived or died, and he'd never seen himself as a person either. The most unnecessary trait for a beggar on the street was dignity. After he was taken by Qi Lin, he'd become an object, more worthless than a dog, and dignity was even less necessary then. He didn't think that Luo Wei would be afraid to embarrass him, and tell the emperor's Dragon Guards to be nicer to him. This person actually cared about Wei Lan's pride as a person. How strange it was that years after his mother's death, Wei Lan finally felt the sensation of being cared about by someone else. It felt so foreign, as if it was something that lingered from a past life.

Someone opened the door and slipped in. Wei Lan quickly turned his head. His movements were slow due to injury, not even having the chance to wipe his face of the tears before someone pressed a warm hand to his cheek.

Luo Wei sat at his bedside, gently dabbing at the tears on his face, "What's wrong?" He asked Wei Lan, "Does it hurt?"

"No," Wei Lan's voice was a little thick with emotion.

"It's alright," Luo Wei said quietly, "No one is unlucky forever. Wei Lan, just forget everything that happened before, okay?"

Wei Lan answered, "Okay. I'll forget it all."

"Qi Zi went to sleep already," Luo Wei's voice became even quieter, almost whispering as he spoke to Wei Lan, "Are you still pent up down there?"

Wei Lan startled. He didn't believe that Luo Wei would still be interested in his body after all this.

"It's not that," Luo Wei quickly explained, "You've got a blood clot down there, if you don't get it out, you might lose use of it."

Wei Lan's face was flushed red, "If I lose use of it, then I'll lose use of it."

"What are you going to use if you need to pee?" Luo Wei's hand was already reaching under the covers.

"Young master?!" If Wei Lan could move, he'd fall out of bed right now.

"I'm not doing this out of ill intentions," Luo Wei said quietly, "We can't use a sound right now because of your injuries. I've tried to massage it out of you the last couple of days, but you were unconscious and unable to relieve yourself. It's going to hurt a little, Wei Lan, but I want you to make an effort and try."

"I'm too filthy," Despite the pain, Wei Lan managed to grab onto Luo Wei's hand, "I'll dirty your hand."

"Those people who hurt you are the real filthy ones," Luo Wei said, "Or do you I'm the same as they are?"

Wei Lan answered quickly, "You're not the same."

"Then let go," Luo Wei flexed his hand.

"Young master!" Wei Lan's face looked red enough to explode.

"It'll be fine," With a soft voice, Luo Wei comforted Wei Lan.