#'suddenly showed up' you mean wwx asked if they could come and jc let them???

[grewlikefancyflowers]

oh my god are jc kinnies just incapable of not being homophobic along with your shitty fave?? do you really think it's normal and okay to compare wwx taking lwj to pay respects to the people who raised him to fucking on their graves??? what is wrong with you???

jc walked in there and found them next to each other, bowing, after seeing them hug earlier, in a different location. that's all he saw. and now you're pretending like wangxian were doing something disgusting to justify his homophobia, or is it you who sees gay men simply existing in public as something abhorrent???

look, all i'm saying is that if your parents fostered this kid for a while and you became best friends, and then the kid got into drugs or something and joined a gang and killed your brother-in-law, and the police got involved and your newly widowed sister, who had a one-month-old baby, ran into the middle of the gunfight to protect your almost-brother and got killed and then he blew himself up with a grenade, and then over a decade later he suddenly showed up at your house reincarnated into the body of a teenager with his boyfriend who is in his 30s and also hates you and got mad at you for not kicking your orphaned teenage nephew's emotional support dog out of the house as soon as you realized your almost-brother was there without an invitation, and you went to the private family cemetery and he and his boyfriend had jumped the fence and were doing something that looked an awful lot like getting ready to have sex on top of your parents' grave, and you held yourself back from doing anything but saying "you piece of shit, stop fucking on top of mom and dad's grave and get out of here" and the boyfriend went "oh good i've been looking for an excuse to punch you" and punched you in the face, you would hit him back too

[plan-d-to-i]

They can't even understand that JC didn't even try. WWX gave him an easy way out and he took it. WWX was getting himself sick trying to find a way to recover JC's core, he tried the impossible and made it possible (Jiang's motto, right?). But WWX just said once that JC didn't need to be on his side and he ACCEPTED it. He ran with it and said to everybody that WWX was everybody's enemy now. WWX could see a possibility of failure, he knew it would be difficult and he still tried. He tried and that means a lot. JC didn't even try to be on the side of the person they say is so important to him. He didn't try. He let WWX to die. He doesn't have the right to ask for reconciliation, fuck him.

oh absolutely. He left Wei Wuxian with no recourse but to defect if he didn't want to let the Wens die.

Jiang Cheng, “You burn this corpse right now and return to them all these leftovers of the Wen Sect. That’s the only way to make the subject die!” As he spoke, he raised his sword again, preparing to attack."

I mean don't get me wrong, in jiang cheng's ideal world he would come to the Burial Mounds, yell at WWX, julienne Wen Ning, convince WWX to turn in all the other Wens to die ("Why do you care what kind of end they meet? A dead end it is, then—what does it have to do with you"), and have a chastened WWX drag his tail back to Lotus Pier where he could be jc's obedient dog I mean weapon,I mean emotional punching bag, I mean servant until he died. I think people gloss over this part a lot too -jc only failed to destroy Wen Ning because Wei Wuxian's reflexes were BETTER (even without a core):

Wei WuXian laughed, “That’s right. I’ve realized as well that it’s too fucking hard. But I’ve already boasted about it a couple of times in front of his sister. Now all of them believe that I can do it. I’ll have to succeed, or else what’ll I do with my face…”

Before he even finished, Jiang Cheng unsheathed Sandu and went straight for Wen Ning’s neck. He seemed as if he wanted to cut his head off in one go. Wei WuXian’s reaction was quicker than most. He struck his arm to move the direction of the sword, shouting, “What are you doing?!”

jc's does not offer to aid WWX in any way which he is fully capable of doing. jc also tries to exert control over Wei Wuxian cycling through all the abuser favs: He starts out fairly neutral, indulges Wei Wuxian in the tour, replicates their usual sardonic back and forth, inquires about Wen Ning and has Wei Wuxian walk him to where he is, giving no indication of what his intentions are- then suddenly he tries to destroy Wen Ning in an outburst of violence. jc "reasons", he straight up lies to Wei Wuxian about nobody else speaking up for him, he threatens him, he berates him and casts aspersions on his intentions to help the Wens- "Is it that you’ll die if you don’t stand up for someone and stir up some trouble", and he tries to guilt him. Finally when he realizes he's not going to get his way he throws his mother's venomous words back at WWX and shows zero empathy.

“…” Jiang Cheng murmured, “My mom said that you do nothing but bring our sect trouble. It’s true indeed.” He laughed coldly, talking to himself, “‘To attempt the impossible’? Fine. You understand the YunmengJiang Sect’s motto. Better than I do. Better than all of us do.”

He sheathed Sandu. The sword returned to its sheath with a clang. Jiang Cheng’s tone was indifferent, “Then let’s arrange for a duel.”

Wei Wuxian made it perfectly clear that his offer to defect is in the interest of taking the burden of doing the right thing and repaying jc's own debt to the Wens entirely on his own shoulders, and protecting YunmengJiang from any possible repercussions:

Wei WuXian stayed quiet. A while later, he answered, “So that’s why we should cut ties right now, in case anything I do affects the YunmengJiang Sect in the future.”

There is no misunderstanding on jc's part or confusion about WWX needing his help. jc just didn't get exactly what he wanted: full control over Wei Wuxian and his actions.

another note because people really like to romanticize this line :

A while later, Jiang Cheng spoke, “Wei WuXian, have you still not realized what the situation at hand is like? Do you really need me to say it out loud? If you insist on protecting them, then I won’t be able to protect you.”

All this means is that if WWX insists on protecting the Wens jc won't legitimize those actions with the YunmengJiang name. WWX interprets this correctly- the only recourse left to help the Wens is outside of YunmengJiang- meaning he needs to defect- or jc will withdraw his support/kick him out but "do you really need to me to say it out loud" is too much of a coward to say it first and hopes Wei Wuxian will be subdued by the threat alone. jc does not contradict WWX's conclusion/offer of defection- because it's correct.

[ouyangzizhensdad]

Do you think LWJ took the advantage of being a Young Master of a prominent clan to publicly display the people he hates? (We know who that is) I saw someone claim about it and It's haunting my head.

Hi anon,

I’ll start first by saying that I think the novel does, to a degree, understand that there are people who have, to use Bourdieu’s terms, forms of ‘capitals’ that others do not and integrate that into the narrative and character dynamics. LWJ has not only capital due to his position as a gongzi and the son of a Leader (then later, as heir-in-line) to one of the prominent clans, but also due to his stellar reputation and fighting abilities (and to a degree, the fact he is a man). All this allows him to have a wider range of actions that are considered ‘acceptable/legitimate’ versus another person with different or lesser forms of capital--think for instance of the reaction and consequences when LWJ challenges what powerful men are saying (making up) about WWX versus when daughter-of-a-servant MianMian does the same. However, I find it weird to frame that as LWJ “getting away” with something--with his character, it’s more like he is able to have an opinion or stand up against injustices with less chances of getting punished and ridiculed for it.

Now, if it is about Jiang Cheng, it is kind of a myopic argument to be saying that LWJ “gets away” with “publicly hating JC”. First because by that point JC is technically even higher in the social hierarchy, being a literal Sect Leader. But it’s also weird to phrase this as “publicly hating JC”: LWJ is not running around badmouthing JC or the Jiang sect--the pettiest we see him is when he doesn’t silence LJY when he engages in gossip about JC. Instead we see LWJ standing up against JC when the situation calls for it, which is not the same. Of course, as JC does, it can be considered as an inherent ‘insult’ since it makes JC ‘lose face��� but I think there is a difference. And it’s not like JC does not get away with being impolite towards LWJ and the Lan sect, something we see at Dafan Mountain.

We know with the MXY altercation that JC was ready to kill him on sight for using modao (”Do you have any last words?”/“Break his legs? Haven’t I told you? If you see this sort of evil and crooked practice, kill the cultivator and feed him to your dogs!”). After LWJ intercepts, we have this exchange showing JC being impolite to a degree that prompts LJY to call him out for it, only bringing more disrespect for the Lans from JC:

He raised one brow and spoke, “Hanguang-Jun, you sure live up to your reputation of ‘being wherever the chaos is’. So, you had time to come to this remote area today?” [..] Right now, Jiang Cheng really didn’t seem too polite as he said the words in such a tone. Even the juniors who came following Lan Wangji did not seem comfortable hearing it.

Lan Jingyi spoke straightforwardly, “Isn’t Jiang-zongzhu here as well?”

Jiang Cheng replied grimly, “Tsk, do you really think that you should butt in when your seniors are conversing? The GusuLan Sect has always been known for its respectful conduct. Is this really how it teaches its disciples?”

It is imo more true to say that, due to LWJ’s higher and respected position in society, JC is not able to use his usual means of responding to someone challenging his decisions and thus making him lose face.This is again something we see during this altercation.

LWJ silences JL after he dismisses his mistreatment of other cultivators with the deity-binding nets. LWJ destroys the entirety of the diety-binding nets JC and JL were using to give JL an advantage over the other cultivators competing, something they were only able to do because of the Jiang and Jin sects considerable power and wealth. Is it daring of LWJ? Sure. Would he be able to do so without consequences if he was someone else? Probably unlikely, especially when we’re talking about JC. But is that ‘getting away’ with something? It’s literally the opposite scenario: LWJ is using his own status and capital to make it so that JL (and JC) are not getting away with what they are doing (although there are, in actuality, no consequences for their behaviours; they are just forced to give up on JL’s unfair advantages. Hell, LWJ even offers to pay for the nets he destroys, which I guess can also be taken as a baller move). What’s more, the novel even takes the time to point out that, if LWJ were not such a strong cultivator, JC might have pushed aside the risks of offending LXC and physically confronted him (let’s appreciate how this also serves as well-integrated exposition for their weapons).

Jin Ling’s grim expression was exactly the same as his uncle’s, “What can I do? It was their own fault for stepping into the traps. I’ll solve everything after I finish capturing the prey.”

Lan Wangji frowned. Jin Ling was about to speak again, but he suddenly realized that, shockingly, he could neither open his mouth nor make any sounds.

[...]

The man spoke in a low voice, “Not long ago, a blue sword flew over and destroyed the deity-binding nets that you had set up.”

Jiang Cheng glanced at Lan Wangji harshly, his displease plastered all over his face, “How many were broken?”

[...]

Although four hundred deity-binding nets were a whopping price, it wasn’t too much for the YunmengJiang Sect. Nonetheless, losing the nets were a small matter, but losing face was not. With Lan Wangji’s actions, Jiang Cheng felt a whirlpool of anger at the bottom of his heart, rising higher by every second. He narrowed his eyes, his left hand casually stroking the ring on his right hand’s index finger.

[...]

However, after stroking it for a while, Jiang Cheng compelled himself to restrain his hostility.

Although he was displeased, as the leader of a sect, he needed to take more things into consideration, which meant that he couldn’t be as impulsive as Jin Ling. After the fall of the QingheNie Sect, among the Three Great Sects, the LanlingJin Sect and the GusuLan Sect were quite close due to the personal relationship between the two leaders. By leading the YunmengJiang Sect alone, he was already in an isolated situation among the three. Hanguang-Jun, or Lan Wangji, was quite a prestigious cultivator, while his elder brother Zewu-Jun, or Lan Xichen, was the leader of the GusuLan Sect. The two brothers had always been on good terms with each other. It was best to not openly dispute with Lan Wangji.

Also, Jiang Cheng’s sword, “Sandu (三毒, Sāndú),” had never made actual contact with Lan Wangji’s sword, “Bichen,” and it was not yet decidable whose hands would the deer die on. Although he owned the powerful ring, “Zidian (紫电 Zǐdiàn),” a family heirloom of his, Lan Wangji’s guqin, “Wangji”, was also known for its abilities. The thing that Jiang Cheng hated the most was to be disadvantageous during a fight. Without complete confidence in his success, he would not consider fighting with Lan Wangji.

Now if it is about Su She, again what does LWJ truly do?

He silences him in the Demon-slaughtering cave? Although we’d be hard-pressed to believe LWJ respects Su She after what he’s seen him do in the Xuanwu Cave, the guy is literally trying to get everyone there killed and being a smartass to WWX while at it. And if it had been extremely disrespectful of him, LQR could have lifted the spell--something once again that the novel points out. When it dissolves into a game of calling out between the MolingSu sect and the GusuLan sect, LWJ does not say anything, even if, as LJY points out, Su She was imitating him. It’s only when WWX starts going that LWJ takes part by acquiescing to the truths WWX lays out (which are, yes, damning for the Su She and the MolingSu sect). But again, there are layers to what WWX is doing: he’s not only trying to expose what is going on, but anger Su She into revealing he still has his spiritual powers as proof of what he has worked out. So while WWX and LWJ are being by some measures disrespectful, there is a point to how they are going at it.

Touching his chin, he grinned, “Well I was worried that you’d get mad if I asked him too many things in front of you, wasn’t I? But since you’ve told me to ask him already, I’ll go ahead and ask. Lan Zhan?”

Lan Wangji, “Mn.”

Wei Wuxian, “The MolingSu Sect was a sect that branched off from the GusuLan Sect, right?”

Lan Wangji, “Mn.”

Wei Wuxian, “Although it branched off, the MolingSu Sect’s techniques still used the GusuLan Sect’s techniques ‘as reference’, right?”

Lan Wangji, “Yes.”

Wei Wuxian, “One of the GusuLan Sect’s techniques, the Sound of Vanquish, has the effect of exorcising evil. Amongst them, the seven-stringed guqin was the most powerful, and so there is the greatest number of people who cultivate through the guqin. The MolingSu Sect did the same, and the guqin is the most common in their sect as well, is that correct?”

Lan Wangji, “That is correct.”

Wei Wuxian, “Although the MolingSu Sect’s leader left the GusuLan Sect with knowledge of its techniques when he founded his own sect, is own guqin skills weren’t anything special, and the disciples he taught often make many mistakes too, right?”

Lan Wangji answered with honesty, “Yes.”

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji went on back and forth, speaking as though nobody was around. More and more people realized that they weren’t only mocking Su She, but rather taking something apart. Thus, they began to listen more carefully.

Next, Wei Wuxian slowed down, “… And that means, even when a section of the battle melodies that the MolingSu Sect played when killing corpses on Mass Grave Hill was wrong, the GusuLan Sect wouldn’t find it unusual, and only think that they made a mistake because of their inferior techniques and remembered the sheet music wrong, not taking the time to notice whether it was an accidental mistake or a mistake on purpose. Is this the case?”

Hearing the last question, Su She’s pupils shrunk. The hand he placed on the hilt of his sword was suddenly lined with veins. The blade of the sword was already half-an-inch unsheathed. On the other hand, Lan Wangji lifted his eyes at the same time. Both Wei Wuxian and he saw the sense of understanding in each other’s eyes.

He stated one word at a time, “This is the case.”

Su She unsheathed his sword with a clang. Wei Wuxian moved the blade of the sword to the side with two fingers and smiled, “What are you doing? Don’t forget. You’ve lost all your spiritual powers. Would threatening me like this do anything?”

Sword raised in his hand, Su She could neither attack nor put it down. He clenched his teeth, “Aiming at me for so long—just what are you trying to imply?”

As much as we love to talk about LWJ’s hidden sass and pettiness, he does not seem to ever be disrespectful without a reason, and it’s usually in the process of standing up for others. Reading his character as an illustration of a man in a position of privilege and power getting away with things is a little bit of a reach--particularly when JC is literally right there. 

[westiec]

June 17: Chengxian 💜🖤💕

childhood friends to lovers/QPPs, ace Jiang Cheng, bi & aro Wei Wuxian, modern AU

(A/N: If you're wondering about a certain other someone, he will have a wonderful, full life of his own in Suzhou in this AU but is not in this story. 💙 There are some brief mentions of offscreen ace-antagonism, not by anyone we know.)

Read on ao3

Jiang Cheng had been Wei Ying's best friend in the whole world for his entire life.

Okay. Well, not quite his entire life, but certainly since Wei Ying’s parents moved to California when he was little little, which was about as far back as Wei Ying could remember anyway. Wei Ying’s baba and Jiang Cheng’s baba had grown up in Wuhan together and been best friends when they were kids, so naturally, when Wei Ying’s family moved into the same neighborhood as the Jiangs, it made perfect sense for Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng to become best friends too.

It was Jiang Cheng who had taught Wei Ying that he didn't have to be afraid of dogs, by introducing him to Princess, Jasmine, and Lil' Love. Lil' Love lived up to her name, coming and quietly sitting in all her fluffy glory on Wei Ying’s lap every time he went over to play.

It was also Jiang Cheng who Wei Ying got drunk with for the first time. They snuck booze from the cabinet where Wei Ying’s parents kept it and laughed at the faces each other made with every shot until they stopped tasting the harsh burn, and then laughing more just because.

(Wei Ying’s mom had not laughed, not at the time, when the two teens had been sick as anything the next morning, but instead made them a gloriously greasy late breakfast and gave them lots of advice about proper hydration.

Then she told Jiang Cheng’s mom and let her scold them.)

It was Jiang Cheng who came out first, their first semester in college, when he told Wei Ying he didn't think he wanted to have sex with anyone, ever, and asked if Wei Ying thought that meant no one would ever want to date him. Wei Ying hugged him tight and told him he didn't know about everyone out there, but he knew Jiang Cheng was the best guy in the world and would be an awesome boyfriend, and he'd fight anyone who said differently.

Jiang Cheng found a group on campus for third culture LBGT kids, and Wei Ying went with him, as a supportive ally.

Which was how Wei Ying figured out that he was not just a supportive ally.

In listening to the others talk about orientation and identity and attraction and cultural expectations, Wei Ying realized that what he'd always assumed was normal—finding all kinds of people physically attractive, regardless of their gender—was actually his bisexuality. So that was kind of cool.

"So yeah, now we can be queer together!" Wei Ying said, when he excitedly shared his newfound realization with Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng snorted. "Yeah, 'all' and 'nothing,'" he joked.

It was Jiang Cheng who'd helped him practice what to say to his parents when he wanted to change his major at the end of sophomore year, and Jiang Cheng who reminded him to eat and sleep and "take a fucking break, Wei Ying," those next couple semesters when he took way too many hours so he wouldn't have to rack up a whole extra year's worth of student loans to finish his new degree plan.

It was Jiang Cheng who graduated first, on a gorgeous blue-skyed sunny day in May, and Jiang Cheng who suggested Wei Ying keep living with him at his new apartment, so he wouldn't have to try to find a one-semester lease until he finished in December.

(They renewed the lease together every time.)

Jiang Cheng ribbed him playfully each time Wei Ying met someone new, but he was always there each times things fizzled out after a few months for reasons that never quite made sense to Wei Ying.

Jiang Cheng occasionally dated too, and Wei Ying was glad he never did have to fight anybody—though he did drive Jiang Cheng to the emergency room the time he came home with split knuckles from punching a guy who, "seemed to think I didn't know my own mind about certain things."

But dating sucked for everybody, right? It wasn't like Wei Ying or Jiang Cheng were in any hurry to settle down and do the whole spouse and kids thing or whatever. Wei Ying tried to imagine it and just... couldn't, though the image of Jiang Cheng with a baby was admittedly pretty cute.

~

It was not Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Yanli, a few months after she proposed to her girlfriend and they started planning their wedding, who Wei Ying finally asked, "Yanli-jie, how does a person decide someone else is their person?"

Jiang Yanli looked across the room to where Jiang Cheng was showing her soon-to-be-wife how to put side spin on a billiards ball and smiled. "I think you just know," she said. "You meet someone and you get to know them, spend time together, then one day you realize you love them and want to build the rest of your life with them."

Wei Ying wrinkled his nose. "I dunno if it works that way for me. Just some random person? I've never met anyone I can imagine wanting to live with all the time. Well, besides—huh..." he cut off suddenly and darted a look over at Jiang Yanli, who just calmly sipped her drink.

"Have you ever told him that?" she asked, after a moment where Wei Ying reassessed his entire life and dating history. "I think he might appreciate hearing it."

"I... huh. Yanli-jie, you're kinda blowing my mind here," he complained.

"I gathered," she said wryly, before fixing him with a smile that made all the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "Of course, I trust," she told him, "that I do not need to explain to you of all people how very dearly I hold my didi's happiness and well-being."

He swallowed and raised three fingers in the salute he'd used ever since the summer that—hah—he and Jiang Cheng had decided as kids that they would make their own oath of brotherhood like the heroes of their favorite show. "I, Wei Ying, swear to you that I would kick my own ass before I did anything to hurt him."

Jiang Yanli leaned over to knock her shoulder against his and nodded. "That's what I thought."

~

Turned out, dating Jiang Cheng didn't suck at all.

It felt easy in a way Wei Ying’s past dates never had, less like trying to keep up with a game whose rules everybody knew except him, more like... well, like spending time with his best friend in the whole world, but on purpose. There was also a tension in the back of Wei Ying’s mind that seemed to have lifted, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that had gone.

It was Jiang Cheng who helped him figure it out.

"I think it's that now I'm able to count on this. On us," he said, when Wei Ying brought it up. "Before, whenever you went out with someone new, I wondered if this would be the time you'd find someone to fall in love with and leave me behind."

"Aww, Chengcheng! I would never!"

Jiang Cheng huffed and rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were pink. "Well, I know that now," he said, a pleased little smile breaking through his attempts at a scowl.

"As long as you're sure—" Wei Ying began, still getting used to thinking about himself with the word "aromantic." Still a so very sure that Jiang Cheng deserved to be fallen in love with.

"Hey!" Jiang Cheng cut him off. "None of that. I know you. And I know you don't see it this way, but I personally think it's pretty damn romantic that you choose to love me, on purpose."

"I simply have exquisite taste in life partners," Wei Ying sniffed, embarassed the way he always got when Jiang Cheng declared something he'd done "romantic."

"You do," Jiang Cheng agreed. "Someone told me a long time ago I was the best guy in the world and would make an awesome boyfriend, and that he would fight anyone who said differently."

Wei Ying laughed. "That's you and your sister I've promised to kick my own ass if I ever break your heart, then. Guess I'll just have to keep you forever."

"Damn right, you will," Jiang Cheng agreed, grinning smug and happy and breathtakingly beautiful. Wei Ying leaned across the couch to give him a sweet, closed-mouth kiss—the kind Jiang Cheng had shyly admitted he actually did like, a lot—and smiled too, at how lucky he'd gotten to be with his best friend in the whole world for his entire life.

🖤💜

Today's (extremely long!) thread was inspired by this WONDERFUL art of ace Jiang Cheng and bi & aro Wei Ying! Go give Midori some love on Twitter!

I spent a nonzero amount of time googling to double check when various terms and flags came into vogue, so if you're wondering, WWX & JC were in college in the early 2000s, before the ace and aro flags were designed. By the time they get themselves figured out, they can get their cute wristbands.

...which, yes, means these dingdongs spent about a solid decade living together before realizing that was what they wanted to do forever. 😉

This also means Jiang Yanli and her unnamed wife here are getting married between when California started recognizing same-sex marriages in 2008 and the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in 2015! THIS SHIT'S RECENT!!!

Happy Pride, thank you for reading, check out more LGBTQIA+ sweetness on my #PrideMonthSnippets Masterpost!

[red-talisman]

An unbetaed snippet of post-CQL canon Yunmeng reconciliation, which is mostly extremely morbid and blunt conversation after beating each other hard enough that they’re too tired for their usual conflicting modes of emotional avoidance.

EDIT: now edited and posted on AO3. :D

CW for past suicidal ideation. Part of my “let WWX express some of his cynical humor and creepiness more often” and “let WWX find out about JC’s own sacrifice goddamnit” agendas.

___________________

Jiang Cheng stares blankly into the trees, their trunks slowly disappearing in the deepening darkness of twilight. Wei Wuxian’s back is warm against his and heaving for breath just as heavily. He thinks his ankle might be broken, but Wei Wuxian is probably worse off.

“You’re an asshole,” Wei Wuxian says thickly.

“Hypocrite,” Jiang Cheng mutters without heat, and Wei Wuxian manages a snort between his gasps.

“Yeah.” After a moment, he adds, with an echo of the old Yiling Laozu in his voice, “You know that if you ever do something like that again, I’ll probably find a way to do something worse than I did before.”

“If I do what, save your life by pulling the same fucking sacrificial shit that you do?”

“I swear to every god out there that I will bring you back as a fierce corpse and kill you myself,” Wei Wuxian says in a pleasant, albeit still somewhat breathless, tone. “I will dismember your carcass and make Jin Guangyao look like a fucking amateur.”

“Good thing Mo Xuanyu’s core isn’t worth shit, then,” Jiang Cheng replies. All of his attention is focused on the feeling of his brother’s bones and muscles moving against his own spine.

“You’re an asshole.”

“Yeah.”

There’s a pause. Somewhere distant Jiang Cheng hears the panicked yells of what’s probably the juniors they left behind a few li back. Then Wei Wuxian sighs. “We’re really fucked up.”

Jiang Cheng takes his time considering and discarding several possible responses. His ankle hurts like a bitch; Mo Xuanyu’s core may not be worth shit, but damn if his asshole genius brother hasn’t figured out how to make the most of it anyway. He finally settles on a tired, “Yeah.”

The silence stretches on long enough that Wei Wuxian goes on, more quietly, “You and Shijie are the only reason I didn’t die in the Burial Mounds. The Wens grabbed me before I knew whether or not you’d even survived the core transfer.”

Jiang Cheng tilts his head just enough to glance briefly over his shoulder. “How did you survive the Burial Mounds?”

“Nope, no, I’m not putting that on you. Not even Lan Zhan knows. I can’t...I can’t do that.”

“Fine. Then tell me, is any of it going to come back and bite us in the ass at the worst possible moment?” he asks dryly.

Wei Wuxian snorts, humorless. “Nah. It’s all mine.”

“Would you tell me if it wasn’t?”

When Wei Wuxian hesitates for a few telling seconds, Jiang Cheng mutters, “You fucking asshole.”

“Yeah.” Wei Wuxian sighs again.

“You left me.”

“You didn’t need me.”

“Who the fuck said that?”

The knobs of Wei Wuxian’s spine are starting to press painfully into Jiang Cheng’s. Wei Wuxian snorts. “I was practically a fierce corpse myself when I dragged myself out of the Burial Mounds. Your position as sect leader was too precarious,” he says bluntly. “You were seventeen years old with no real family, a sister who was getting married off anyway, and an adopted brother who’d been controversial years before the war even happened and who was clearly half-mad and getting worse. And I...my mind never really left the Mounds, honestly.” He coughs, makes a wet sound, and spits. “If I stayed much longer I was going to end up dragging you back into Hell with me. I was a risk you couldn’t afford and I wasn’t going to destroy Yunmeng Jiang a second time.”

"Don’t pull that bullshit, Wei Wuxian.” Jiang Cheng is so, so tired. “Mother was wrong. You know Wen Chao was looking for any excuse. You’re as responsible for that as our shidi was for using a round kite.”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t respond. Jiang Cheng makes a mental note to beat that nonsense out of him in the future, when he can lift his arms again and his ankle isn’t most likely broken.

But Jiang Cheng remembers what it was like to try turning weapons, human and sword alike, into tools of peace. There are still whole weeks of the Sunshot Campaign that are just smears of sense-memory: the cacophony of screams and curses; the reek of mass funeral pyres and the soft ash drifting through the air like black, silent snow; the startling warmth of being suddenly drenched in blood after Sandu sliced open another living human. Half the time he’d come back to himself laughing hysterically, unable to see anything through the tears on his face, and as the war dragged on, the tears eventually dried up. It had taken months afterwards to settle into the mindset of rebuilding for Lotus Pier. (If he’s honest with himself, he never really did settle there. There's always a part of him still dragging itself through mud made by blood spilled on battlefields and churned up by soldiers' boots.)

“Jin Ling’s the only reason I never actually killed myself after you died,” Jiang Cheng says. “...Don’t you ever tell him that.”

“Wait, what?” Wei Wuxian snaps.

“You saying I would’ve died without a core - it was never about not having a core, you idiot, not really.” Not to say that hadn’t hurt, and Jiang Cheng really doesn’t know how he would’ve managed life as a commoner. But there were still worse things to lose than a core, which had also just lost and was about to lose yet again. “I had a few ideas on how to do it, depending on where I was and what was available when I decided I might as well get it over with.” He huffs a brief laugh and idly rubs his thumb over Sandu’s hilt. “I thought poison might be a good option, if a little heavy-handed on the metaphor.”

“I’d be laughing,” Wei Wuxian says flatly, “if you weren’t talking about killing my little brother.”

“Am I?”

“You never stopped.”

The silhouettes of the trees start to blur in Jiang Cheng’s eyes. “You left. You left, and everyone died, and somehow I was responsible for keeping our sister’s baby alive while the wolves tried to eat what remained of our sect from every direction. You left.”

“I never wanted to.”

“But you did.”

“Because I didn’t see any other way to keep you safe.”

“Because you chose strangers over family.”

“Because I didn’t see any other way to keep you safe,” Wei Wuxian hisses. Apparently they’re not so exhausted that they can’t get pissed after all. “I was hardly human anymore, Jiang Cheng. If I was going to die, then at least I’d die actually managing to save innocent people this time around and you would be safe from me.”

“I never wanted you to do that for me!”

“And I never wanted you to do that for me!”

The tension that had them both struggling to sit up straight suddenly breaks, and their backs collide again. Jiang Cheng grits his teeth against the urge to groan over the pain that ricochets through his chest and down his limbs. He hears a muffled yelp from behind him.

“You’re a damned fucking asshole and you’re my fucking brother and I hate you and don’t you ever assume you know what I need again, do you understand me,” snarls Jiang Cheng.

“You’re the damned fucking asshole and if you ever do that again then I will brand a reminder into your flesh right over the scar from the discipline whip,” Wei Wuxian snaps back, because he's never held back from fighting dirty if he thought it necessary.

“Fine!”

“Fine.”

They both stare into the dark forest, in opposite directions. It sounds like the juniors have finally picked up their tracks. Useless, the whole lot - Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian hadn't exactly been subtle in stepping aside for a private conversation that inevitably escalated, how could it take the kids this long?

"Those dumbasses had better not forget that we're on a night-hunt," he says.

"Like we did?" Wei Wuxian replies.

"You started it."

"Did not."

"No, I'm not doing this with you."

"Hey, you started this one."

"Shut the fuck up."

They fall silent again. A cold breeze picks up and Jiang Cheng feels Wei Wuxian shiver, pressing back just a little more firmly against Jiang Cheng for warmth, and he...leans back too. Just a little.

"I'm still fucking pissed at you," says Wei Wuxian.

"And I've got years' worth to pay you back for," says Jiang Cheng.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Sect Leader Jiang!" they hear. "Senior Wei!"

"If you don't show up for the mid-autumn festival," Jiang Cheng suddenly says, "I'll come drag you out of the Cloud Recesses by the heels."

"But the dogs - "

"Don't be an idiot. Jin Ling's dog is the only one allowed in Lotus Pier, you know that."

Well, come to think of it, Wei Wuxian probably doesn't know that, but whatever, now he does. Wei Wuxian is terrifyingly silent, but before Jiang Cheng can say something that will inevitably bring them back to throwing fists, he hears a quiet, "Yeah, okay."

"Do you think they killed each other?" they hear Lan Jingyi asking loudly. "I mean, Sandu Shengshou versus the Yiling Patriarch - who would win?"

"Don't be an idiot," retorts Jin Ling, and Wei Wuxian's body briefly shakes with a laugh. "My uncle, obviously."

"They're both your uncle, idiot!"

Jiang Cheng just sighs and lets his head fall back against Wei Wuxian’s shoulder.

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 19, part two

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff) (Previous Post)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

The Man Comes Around

Over at the Wen Indoctrination Tower, which seems to exist just to torture Lan Wangji with stair climbing, Lan Wangji is climbing the stairs. Too bad his cultivation level is too low to be able to just jump up. At least this time his leg isn't broken.

This is the first vengeful stair-climb in the show, but not the last. (Parallel gifset here).

The Wen guards are stationed all the way at the pinnacle of this tower to guard...what? Why are they not at the bottom of the stairs? What is this location for, actually? This is further up the stairs than the scenes with the indoctrination lectures. Anyway, it's been three months since Wen Chao threw Wei Wuxian into the burial mounds, so naturally these guards are talking about that exact thing as Lan Wangji approaches.

Lan Wangji knocks them all down with a blast from his guqin. Did you know his guqin is named Wangji, by the way? It is. A guy who is that lazy about naming his quqin maybe shouldn't feel so superior to a guy who named his sword "whatever." 

(I'm suddenly remembering a plush lamb I had as a child, whose eyes were orange, that I named "orange eyes.") (I, however, was three. And I had a lot of plush lambs. Little ones. Grown-ups found it hilarious to give them to me.) (Native speakers of English can probably guess what OP's real name is. Hint: it rhymes with Canary.) (Everybody else: there is a kid's rhyming song called Mary Had A Little Lamb. OP's name is Mary.)

Anyhoo, after Lan Wangji is finally finished with his dramatic entrance, Jiang Cheng comes flying in from wherever he's been hovering for the past 20 minutes of stair time. A bunch of Lan sidekicks also flood into the frame from wherever they were hiding during the wide shots of LWJ on the staircase.

In case you hope that CQL Lan Wangji is as much of a top (offscreen) as MZDS Lan Wangji is (on the page), here's a gif for you.

(more after the cut)

He uses the patented Lan string attack to choke this guard.  Lan Wangji doesn't have to hold a guqin string in his hands to choke someone with it. He doesn't even have to tighten it, judging by how absurdly not-tight this string is.

Or maybe this guy is choking on the chin strap of his helmet. This is exactly how OP's son reacts when OP sticks a bike helmet on him. (Note: it's GOOD that they are following choking safety protocols on set. Very good. However, they could have just left the string out and pretended, and it would look better, in this instance)

The Wen guard tells Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng about the whole "thrown into the burial mounds" thing.  Team Let's Find Wei Wuxian is not happy to hear this.

A Vengeful Ghost

Meanwhile, in some Wen office somewhere? Where the hell is this? Yiling, we get an ominous shot of the rooftops where Wei Wuxian is lurking and then we see Wang Lingjiao trying to sleep and having a nightmare.

Wang Lingjiao has gone to sleep with a full face of makeup on instead of washing her face before bed. She has forgotten the important maxim, Go To Sleep Pretty, Wake Up Zitty.

She leaps out of bed to go cling to Wen Chao and freak out about Wei Wuxian's ghost. Wen Chao is trying to read the sports section and has clearly had enough of this crap. This has presumably been going on for a little while now.

Wang Lingjiao is in a new outfit, which is...pajamas? It has the feel of a 1930's French peignoir set, and it's much more softly colored than her usual bright red-purple combo. If this is her pajamas is it weird that her day clothes are a lot more aggressively sexy-looking than her nightgown? A freak in the streets but a lady in the sheets.

Wen Chao rants about the Sunshot Campaign and talks some smack about Wen Qing, and then leaves to go to the bar and watch the game with Wen Zhuliu. After he leaves Wang Lingjiao freaks out for a bit and then looks at the notice he was reading.

The notice basically says that the Sunshot Campaign is kicking their ass. She should be proud for inspiring the name of the campaign with that kite-shooting bullshit she made up at Lotus Pier. Before slaughtering everyone.

No Matter What You Do, I Only Want To Be With You

Back at the Indoctrination Tower, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng are having feelings about Wei Wuxian. Jiang Chang does all the talking but Lan Wangji's thoughts are louder because a sad violin is playing Wangxian while they talk.

Jiang Cheng tells Lan Wangji about their meetup plan and says he thought WWX had dumped him to go find Lan Wangji in Lanling. Lan Wangji telepathically indicates that this didn’t happen. This means two things: 1. Lan Wangji has been hanging out in Lanling, where Jiang Yanli has been hanging out, so maybe they have bonded over the past 3 months and 2. This is the first time Jiang Cheng has talked to Lan Wangji since Wei Wuxian disappeared. 

Much as my fic-loving heart would like to believe these two spent three months on the road together looking for Wei Wuxian, in fact they are both important high-level fighters in an active military campaign, and Lan Wangji was busy taking back the Cloud Recesses while Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were having elective surgery. They probably both were assigned to the "Indoctrination Bureau" mission and this is the first chance they've had to talk about Wei Wuxian.

Is it heartbreaking that, while Wei Wuxian was helplessly getting his ass beat because he'd sacrificed his golden core for Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng believed Wei Wuxian had abandoned him for Lan Wangji? Yes. Yes it is.

For some reason Jiang Cheng is hesitant to believe that Wei Wuxian really was thrown into the Burial Mounds. I mean, I understand not wanting to believe Wei Wuxian is dead, but given that Wen Chao is the dude who oversaw the massacre of all of the people at Lotus Pier, including kids, why would Jiang Cheng think his guards are wrong? Maybe he just feels like Wei Wuxian is invincible, since so far he kinda has been. 

The Sword is Mightier Than Not Having a Sword

While they've been chatting, the Lan disciples have found their swords. One disciple is holding Bichen (LWJ's sword), Sandu (JC's sword), and OP consults wiki Suihua (Jin Zixuan's sword). Another disciple is holding Subian (WWX's sword).  

Jiang Cheng grabs Sandu while the Lan disciples, who apparently know their gongzi’s heart, offer Wei Wuxian's sword to Lan Wangji. 

Lan Wangji takes Subian (Bichen: What am I, chopped watercress?) and immediately tries to draw it. Like you don't do. It's sealed itself, which apparently means that it's upset. It's unclear if it's upset because Wei Wuxian is dead or if it just misses him, however.  

Lan Wangji definitely misses him, and wonders, out loud inside his own head, where Wei Wuxian is. Um, he's in the Burial Mounds, dude, they just told you. Well, I guess he's actually in Yiling proper at this point, haunting Wang Lingjiao as he promised her he would.

Twa Corbies

The scene shifts to Qinghe, where there are about 12 dead bodies lying around, which in this show means that there are really a few hundred. In fact, per Jiang Yanli's statement "nothing can be seen but corpses covering the plains." The camera can't see most of them, is all.

Wen Xu's head is hanging in the doorway, and the Jins talk about how Nie Mingjue killed him, cutting his head off with just one swing. Is this foreshadowing anything, like perhaps someone else's head being cut off by Baxia in just one swing? Nope, definitely not.

A couple of crows are perched on a body, totally not eating it, but Jin Zixuan gallantly zaps them with a talisman to make them fly away anyway.  It might be noteworthy that nobody used to use talismans but gradually more and more people are using them - particularly people who have spent time with Wei Wuxian.

With mony a lock of his golden hair-o, we’ll theek our nest when it grows bare-o

Asshole cousin Jin Zixun says “scavenger rights,” so Jin Zixuan puts him in charge of collecting all the bodies. 

Since OP just finished watching fur-collar-happy Nirvana in Fire, these crows look to me like they are wearing luxurious fur collars. Where OP lives, crows are not this fancy. 

A Romantic Corpse-Filled Interlude

Disaster het Jin Zixuan goes to help Jiang Yanli get out of the carriage but she rejects his hand just like he rejected hers back in Gusu.

Jiang Yanli is extremely shocked when she sees Wen Xu's severed head, and turns away in horror, preferring to calmly rest her eyes on dozens of crow-pecked corpses.

Jin Zixuan tries to comfort her and she tells him she'll be going now, thanks for the hospitality. He tries to say that he has to personally deliver her to a representative of the patriarchy one of her brothers, but then one of her brothers shows up.

Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng arrive, having presumably flown there from Qishan. They show that they are flying by blowing a fan on the ground and then jumping off of a box, which is better than the effects we were subjected to earlier in the episode.

Jiang Cheng rushes over to have an emotional reunion with Jiang Yanli, while Lan Wangji rushes over to have an emotional reunion with Wen Xu’s severed head. Jin Zixuan kind of spoils it for him by talking about Wei Wuxian's absence while Lan Wangji is trying to have a moment.

The whole time Jin Zixuan is talking to him, Lan Wangji appears to be gazing into the middle distance but in fact he is staring at Wen Xu's severed head. This is the guy who led the burning of Cloud Recesses, killed a bunch of disciples, and personally broke Lan Wangji's leg. Lan Wangji stares at his head for more than a full minute before glancing away.

Jiang Yanli hasn't seen Jiang Cheng since they were in Wen Qing's clinic, and she is happy he's recovered. When she asks about Wei Wuxian he gives her the bad news in the classic Jiang fashion, which is to say nothing, but look stricken until your interlocutor figures out that something is horribly wrong, but not precisely what.

Four Angry Men

Inside the fortress, Nie Mingjue is slapping the table and saying, this bad boy can hold so much resentment and vengeance. They're having a mini war council and we're getting a better sense of Nie Mingjue's anger management problem. Note for those who don't get the gif reference: this is a The Godfather joke, not a sex joke, but it can be both, if you like.

We're also getting a little more info about Baxia, who seems to be eager to go fight even without anyone wielding it. (Her? Him? Them? do swords have gender? I don't know). Well done, person below the camera frame whose job is to rattle Baxia in a menacing manner.

They've got a giant model of the battle targets, which looks like it was carved out of real rock (I mean, as much as any of the rocks on this show look like real rocks) and has its own table and everything, decorated in Nie colors. Where was this before they took Qinghe back? Has Nie Mingjue been traveling with it? 

Anyway, I'm assuming Nie Huaisang made it, because it's pretty nice. Hopefully they will keep it around for tabletop gaming after the war is over.

Jiang Cheng is upset but is using his anger management mantra to help control his temper while Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji talk with Nie Mingjue. 

Lan Wangji talks by leaning forward meaningfully, mostly not by using any words, but he asks for a battle assignment and Jiang Cheng immediately joins in. They both want to go find Wei Wuxian. 

Nie Mingjue says Yiling is too difficult of a target, but Lan Wangji puts on his determined face, which is apparently very persuasive.  

After Team Find Wei Wuxian leaves, Nie Mingjue asks Jin Zixuan to hang back so he can ask him how Meng Yao is doing. This is the first time he finds out that his ex didn't go to Lanling. Jin Zixuan tries to delicately remind him that Dad's got, like, SO many bastard children, they really don't have space for all of them. Nie Mingjue dismisses him immediately and abruptly. 

Nie Mingjue might invite the straights to his party but he isn't interested in actually socializing with them.

Unconditional Soup is Only for A-Xian

Jiang Cheng can't sleep, and takes some time, now, to be sad about Wei Wuxian. Presumably he spent the prior 3 months being mad, not sad, because he really thought he just buggered off without saying anything for all that time. Which is sort of fair, but sort of not. One thing about these two bros is that for as close as they have been and as much as they love each other, their mutual understanding has some big, messy gaps.

Fortunately while he is feeling sad, Jiang Cheng does not try to draw Subian from its sheath, because wouldn't THAT be awkward.

Jiang Yanli can't sleep either, and comes to sit with him. Jiang Cheng feels bad that she's wearing herself out with worry and she says "As your sister, I have nothing to do but to worry about you." Jiang Yanli isn't one to complain but she doesn't like being inactive or helpless. In Lanling she was far from the war, but now that she's in Qinghe she'll make herself useful by tending the wounded, and later she'll help Jiang Cheng shoulder his responsibilities as he takes over the Jiang clan.

At the moment, however, all she can do is fret and make soup. As she gives Jiang Cheng a bowlful she reminds him that he absolutely has to rescue their brother who has, according to his captors, been reduced to bone dust.

With all the impossible shit that Jiang Cheng is expected to achieve - and in many instances, does achieve - he is absolutely the embodiment of the Jiang Clan's motto. Fuck his father for disrespecting him because he hadn't figured out how to do everything by the age of 16.

Definitely Not Chilling in Yiling

Back in Yiling, Wen Chao is hearing the news that the Qishan Indoctrination Bureau has fallen and that he's being called back to Nightless City. Wen Chao says he shouldn't need to go back because his dad has a new right-hand man. That new right-hand man, we will eventually learn, is Meng Yao. Wang Lingjiao, meanwhile, is hiding under the bed covers and deciding it's time to dump Wen Chao.

She locks the door and goes to pull out her jewelry box, which is locked and hidden under the bed. Maybe this is Wen Chao's jewelry box, because she acts kind of squirrely about opening it. Upon opening the jewelry box, she doesn't find jewelry but a pair of bloody fake eyeballs staring at her.  She screams and freaks out and then the wind picks up and we hear the sound of a flute, playing the "I'm here to fuck your shit up" tune that Wei Wuxian likes.

Wang Lingjiao runs to the door and pulls down the protection talisman that's pasted above it, and pastes it directly to her chest instead, which is, we will learn in the next episode, the worst idea she could possibly have at this point.

Then she uses a poking stick to go flip the jewelry box open and finds it's full of ugly-ass jewelry again, plus an improbable number of weird round paper-mache biscuits that have been painted gold. None of this jewelry looks anything like the exquisite accessories people wear in this show, which means this stash was put together by the practical effects department, not by the costume department.

Anyway, Wang Lingjiao apparently thinks she can sell this fakeass stuff for a good price, so more power to her. But then we get a short glimpse of the menacing eyeballs again, this time on the floor, having moved out of the box and brought their little blood pool with them. Screeching ensues.

Next episode: Lady in Red!

Soundtrack: Twa Corbies, by Steeleye Span

[robininthelabyrinth]

What would happen if Jiang Cheng found A-Yuan hiding in the tree stump at the Siege of the Burial Mounds and decided he's going to take in this toddler Wei Wuxian's was raising and raise him, in the memory of what WWX promised to be for JC?

sequel to this aka Delight in Misery (ao3)

--

“Sizhui?!” Jiang Cheng roared as he stormed into Lan Wangji’s room. “You named him Sizhui?”

Lan Wangji had already long ago become inured to Jiang Cheng’s huffing and puffing. Anyway, Jiang Cheng had medicine in his hands when he stormed in, which meant that he wasn’t bothered enough by it to come yell at him outside the usual time - and that meant that whatever it was, it was no big deal.

Accordingly, Lan Wangji didn’t give the yelling any more thought than it required, opting instead to turn onto his stomach in silent invitation.

Sure enough, Jiang Cheng came over to sit on the bed, grumbling the entire time he undid the bandages on Lan Wangji’s back and starting to spread the soothing balm onto the slowly healing wounds.

“I can’t believe you picked ‘Sizhui’ as a courtesy name for A-Yuan,” Jiang Cheng said, sounding thoroughly disgusted and more than a little disgruntled as well. His hands, however, were as gentle as his voice was harsh. “Sizhui. Was carving ‘Lan Wangji loves Wei Wuxian’ into the woodwork too subtle for you?”

Being face down made it easier for Lan Wangji to hide the way his lips twitched.

At first, he had been disturbed at the notion that his grief for Wei Wuxian’s loss – an endless well of despair, an injury that would never heal – might in some ways be balanced with instances of joy, and yet, in time, he had slowly come to accept it. After all, Wei Wuxian himself had never remembered pain for more than a moment; he would not have wanted Lan Wangji to deny himself the pleasures of A-Yuan’s cheerful presence, the peace of being surrounded by Wei Wuxian’s belongings, the amusement of Jiang Cheng’s sarcastic commentary that was so thoroughly ungracious it could only be laughed at.  

The adjustment had not been easy. Lan Wangji was broken in both body and heart, lingering too longer in regrets of the past, while Jiang Cheng had walked a fine line on the verge of true madness, periods of calm interrupted suddenly by grief so intense it manifested as hysterical anger and furious lashing out, his own servants trembling to see it - it was only when Jin Ling had ended up with them, a safe haven for him in his younger years while Lanling Jin sorted out its own internal issues, that Jiang Cheng had started to calm down. His nights were still full of nightmares, brutal soul-shattering screaming ones that Lan Wangji suspected matched his own, but there were now entire days in which the man who kept him company (because apparently “seclusion” wasn’t considered a real word in Yunmeng Jiang, and “alone” was translated to mean “with me”) was a serious, earnest sect leader with a penchant for snide quips rather than the  devastated wreckage of a human being he had met upon the Burial Mounds.

They had not been particularly close, before, and their personalities weren’t exactly compatible. And yet, to his surprise, Lan Wangji found that he didn’t miss the serenity of the Cloud Recesses as much as he thought he would, but rather appreciated the noise and clamor that Jiang Cheng brought into his life.

“ – like two drops of water, both of you,” Jiang Cheng was saying. “Sizhui and Rulan! These are people’s names! They’ll have to bear them their entire lives! Do you think when they’re adults they’re going to enjoy telling people, ‘oh, yes, well, you see, the people who named us had absolutely no sense of dignity or proportion, so –’”

“How is A-Ling?” Lan Wangji asked, feeling his ears go red. He had known about Jin Ling’s courtesy name since long ago, but he hadn’t known until Jiang Cheng had told him that the name had been bestowed by Wei Wuxian, or that Wei Wuxian had praised his sect and maybe even him in the naming – it sometimes made him wonder if his feelings, which he’d long believed to be unrequited, might not have been so hopeless after all.

That didn’t mean he wanted to talk about said feelings with Jiang Cheng, though.

Luckily, Jiang Cheng’s attention was very easy to divert when it came to his precious nephew. “Good! His teeth are finally coming out properly, so we won’t have to deal with all that wailing and gnawing anymore – I thought we’d have to lose A-Yuan’s fingers to all that biting before it ever happened –”

“I thought you told him to stop.”

“Of course I did. Did he listen? No. He just looked sad and obedient whenever I looked at him, and snuck his fingers into the crib whenever I didn’t – I should’ve gotten you to give him the order. He actually listens to you.”

Lan Wangji hummed in response, listening as Jiang Cheng continued in his usual manner to update him about the development of the children they were raising – teething for Jin Ling, Lan Yuan’s rapidly swelling waistline (he was almost recognizable as a child again instead of the pile of bones he’d been after he’d recovered from his fever) and the need to start him on physical conditioning soon, the investment of time and effort that all three of them were putting into trying to convince Jin Ling that his first word should be ‘jiujiu’ – and then, from there, about developments at the Lotus Pier more generally.

At first, Lan Wangji had thought there was a purpose to these updates, that he was meant to give some sort of advice as payment for taking up food and resources, but after a while he realized that Jiang Cheng just wanted someone to listen to him.

He didn’t seem to have anyone else that would.

“��� finally finished the full set of docks, so maybe the fishermen will stop beating my ears in about it,” Jiang Cheng was saying. “And yes, damn you, your idea about opening up hotels was both very popular and very profitable – just goes to show that your Lan sect’s reputation for being above it all isn’t in any way justified, you lot make money better than the Jin sect…your brother came by again.”

Lan Wangji tensed.  

“Stop that! Your back’s bad enough without adding knots to it.” Jiang Cheng pressed down on one of them purposefully: it hurt for a moment, and then released, and Lan Wangji involuntarily relaxed as the relief spread through him. Jiang Cheng either had a very good teacher in massage or a natural-born talent for it; Lan Wangji hadn’t yet figured out how to ask which it was. “He’s still looking for you, that’s all, and it’s starting to take a bit of a toll on him; he looks like he hasn’t slept in a while. I’m starting to almost feel bad about it.”

It was very classic Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji had found, to orchestrate a punishment for someone and feel bad about it almost immediately thereafter. It was no wonder A-Yuan had him so thoroughly wrapped around his little finger.

“You can tell him, if you want,” Lan Wangji said reluctantly. Telling would mean seeing, and while he missed his brother very much, he was still very angry over everything that had happened. “I do not want the Lotus Pier to suffer for having harbored me.”

“Stop being so damned self-sacrificing,” Jiang Cheng said, and Lan Wangji wasn’t looking but he could hear him rolling his eyes. “I don’t care how much you enjoy it; I for one can’t stand it. Anyway, if my Jiang Sect can’t hold our heads up against another sect’s anger, we don’t deserve to be called a Great Sect. It’s like I told you: the moment he actually admits that you’re missing, rather than being all ambiguous and vague about it, I’ll tell him.”

Lan Wangji was secretly glad, even though he knew it was petty of him.

The thought of how frantic Lan Xichen must be after all these months, the idea of him not sleeping, of him travelling to all the sects to ask again and again if they’d seen him…the thought of it hurt, he didn’t deny it. But it didn’t hurt as much as finding out that Wei Wuxian had died with no one by his side – as finding out that his brother, who knew what Wei Wuxian meant to him, had known and deliberately omitted to tell him.

Just as Jiang Cheng was deliberately omitting to tell Lan Xichen the truth now.

“The sect would lose face,” he finally said, offering up an explanation for his brother’s actions, both then and now.

“Yeah, well, fuck your sect,” Jiang Cheng said. “I picked my sect over my family, too, and where did that leave me? Now it’s all I have left.”

His hands stilled for a moment.

“…except you and kids, I guess,” he said, sounding especially bitter about it in the sort of way that Lan Wangji had learned indicated that Jiang Cheng was having an attack of feelings and not particularly enjoying the experience. “You’re not that annoying.”

That was practically stating that Jiang Cheng would die without them.

“Mn,” Lan Wangji said, and after a moment Jiang Cheng continued rubbing in the salve. There was even a brief moment of silence, probably Jiang Cheng being thankful that Lan Wangji didn’t call him out on those feelings. Normally, Lan Wangji would just enjoy it, but… “You could have children of your own.”

Jiang Cheng choked, his hand slipping as he nearly fell over. “What?”

“Children,” Lan Wangji said. “You could marry.”

Not that marriage was a requirement for children, as Jin Guangshan continuously seemed to demonstrate – according to some of the gossip Jiang Cheng had recently reported, he’d recently brought another bastard son home.

“I’m trying, aren’t I?” Jiang Cheng asked, indignant. “I’ve gone on three matchmaking dates –”

Lan Wangji was well aware. He had been the one to whom Jiang Cheng had exaggeratedly complained after each one of those disastrous dates.

“Deliberate sabotage,” he said, because even without having left the four walls around him in months he could figure that much out. “Why?”

Jiang Cheng hesitated, then snorted. “Well, let’s hope not everyone’s as perceptive as you. It’s the agreement I made with the Jin sect to allow me to raise Jin Ling – no other children.”

Somehow, Lan Wangji hadn’t expected that. 

He swallowed, his throat suddenly tight. He knew, of course, that there was nothing Jiang Cheng wouldn’t do for his last living blood relative, even risk having his Jiang sect turned into nothing more than an inheritance to be gobbled up by the Jin sect, but he hadn’t realized – that the Jin sect would take advantage of the grief and trauma that Jiang Cheng suffered, the same grief and trauma that he himself suffered from every day…

It made him taste bile.

“Though you’ve nearly screwed that up, you know,” Jiang Cheng said, sounding suddenly amused. “Back’s done, by the way.”

Lan Wangji sat up and turned his head to look at Jiang Cheng. “How?”

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. “Well, given your injuries, I’m the one out there teaching Lan Yuan all the basics, aren’t I? The Jiang sect hasn’t started accepting disciples that young yet, so he stands out. Everyone’s starting to say that he’s mine.”

“His surname is Lan.”

“And Wei Wuxian’s was Wei; that never stopped people from talking, did it?” Jiang Cheng scowled a little at the reminder he’d just given himself; as Lan Wangji had found out these past few months, Jiang Cheng was a master of the self-inflicted injury. “The latest I’ve heard is that I fell in love with some lady from the Lan sect who left her child with me when she died – honestly, it’s a bit sad that they can’t think of anything more interesting. Why would I be stupid enough to make the same mistakes as my father?”

Lan Wangji frowned. Jiang Cheng’s voice was shading near to actual pain, rather than his usual bark without a bite – he had let slip enough about his childhood for Lan Wangji to have figured out that the old jokes about the Jiang sect leader’s favoritism for Wei Wuxian were not jokes at all.

More like an old wound ripped open so many times that it would never heal.

It was no surprise, then, that it hurt him to be cast in the same role.

“You could always tell them that the lady still lives,” he said mildly, pretending his words weren’t hurting himself this time. Maybe Jiang Cheng had a point when he said that Lan Wangji enjoyed self-sacrifice. “Only that she’s ill, or in confinement, and cannot be seen.”

“Not a chance! Like I’d ever do something like that,” Jiang Cheng said, and Lan Wangji very briefly loved him for his immediate rejection of the idea. “Besides, if I say that, what do I do when you do come out of here and claim him? Everyone will think we’ve been sleeping together.”

Lan Wangji politely didn’t mention the occasional night that Jiang Cheng spent huddling by his side, wild-eyed, until the nightmares went away, or the way Jiang Cheng would occasionally lend a hand with certain physiological reactions that Lan Wangji could not bear to deal with himself, turning what might have been a trigger for self-hatred and near suicidal despair into a process as mundane as the baths he still needed help taking; neither of those were what was meant.

“No one would fear that you would have children if they thought you cut your sleeve,” he pointed out, not sure why he was pushing the issue. Even if people did say that, it was only rumors, after all, and temporary ones: when Lan Wangji could walk again, even the most pointed would swiftly fade in favor of ones that slandered Lan Wangji’s reputation instead.

“I’m still hoping to get married eventually,” Jiang Cheng said. “Just – after Jin Ling is an adult. Once he’s sect leader, he can release me from the promise I made. No harm done, assuming I don’t die first.”

Lan Wangji nodded. It made sense, though for some reason he felt some dissatisfaction.

“Though,” Jiang Cheng continued, looking thoughtful, “it might not be that bad an idea to spread some rumors. If I never commented on it, people would never know for sure if it was true or just slander by some dissatisfied female cultivator after one of my horrible matchmaking meetings.”

“It would still affect your reputation.”

“Like I care,” Jiang Cheng scoffed. “Let them talk! If anyone is stupid enough to think that the contents of my bed have any impact on my abilities, I still have Zidian to show them the error of their ways. And I will, too; don’t think I won’t!”

Lan Wangji abruptly felt lighter inside. Of course Jiang Cheng wouldn’t care; he hardly ever cared about anything other than his sect and the children – and anyway, just because Lan Wangji had never told Jiang Cheng directly how he felt about Wei Wuxian didn’t mean that he hadn’t guessed. He had given Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian’s bedroom, after all. “I would never be so foolish.”

Jiang Cheng huffed and tossed his head, then turned to say something that he promptly forgot in favor of gaping at him. “Hanguang-jun, what are you doing with your mouth?”

Lan Wangji allowed his smile to widen. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Stop it! It’s creepy! Go back to being humorless and dull this instant!”

“No.”

“This is my sect and you’re my guest; you have to do what I say.”

“No.”

“You’re worse than A-Yuan,” Jiang Cheng complained. “At least he pretends to listen. I’ll have to raise Jin Ling to be properly obedient.”

For some reason, Lan Wangji didn’t think he would have much luck with that.

[bloody-bee-tea]

JC Love Month 2020 Day 2

Power and Pride

Day 2 of JC Love Month brings some fluff where the kids (mostly JL) tell JC that they admire him a whole lot, and even WWX is not exempt from that. Thankfully, that admiration goes both way. 

Jiang Cheng isn’t quite sure how he came to feel like an outsider in his own home, but it’s happening, and his otherwise empty table is probably playing a big part in it.

Especially compared to the cramped one, where Wei Wuxian and his gaggle of ducklings are seated.

It’s not often that Wei Wuxian brings them around after a night hunt, but they were close to Lotus Pier and Wei Wuxian at least knows that Jiang Cheng would skin him alive if he did a job in Jiang Cheng’s territory and then didn’t even have the good grace to drop by.

It’s just a bonus that he brought the kids with him, because Jiang Cheng would never admit it, but he missed Jin Ling. It’s not often that he gets to see him anymore, not with how he’s now Sect Leader himself, and it’s good to see that Jin Ling still takes the time to do something educational but at the same time gets to spend an night with his friends.

And it only stings the tiniest bit that Jin Ling didn’t come to visit Lotus Pier before, but Jiang Cheng pushes that thought far, far away. It’s important for Jin Ling to spend some time with people his age, and not just his family.

There’s an especially loud laugh from Wei Wuxian to something Lan Jingyi said and Jiang Cheng almost feels the urge to go over there and sit with them instead of a few tables further away, but he guesses he would ruin the mood.

He’s not pleasant company, he knows it, and he would hate to ruin the good mood of the kids. They deserve some time to celebrate after their successful night hunt.

So Jiang Cheng sits alone with his tea, and keeps half an ear on the rambunctious group. It has to be enough.

“So, let’s say,” Wei Wuxian’s voice carries over and Jiang Cheng might listen in a bit more closely at that, because he still remembers that tone of voice and it promises mischief.

“Let’s say what, Senior Wei?” Ouyang Zizhen asks, leaning expectantly over the table.

“Let’s say you’d have to choose the most powerful cultivator,” Wei Wuxian says, a laugh playing around his mouth. “Who would you choose?”

“Easy,” Lan Jingyi immediately says and Jiang Cheng has to hide his snort in his tea.

He would always bet his entire fortune on the loudmouthed Lan to be the first to answer a question.

“Zewu-Jun,” Lan Jingyi then says, full of conviction, though he only gets surprised glances at that.

“Why him?” Wei Wuxian wants to know, and Jiang Cheng is unsure if he has a higher goal in mind with this question or if he is just playing around with them.

“Because he’s ranked first, of course,” Lan Jingyi confidently says, and Jiang Cheng has to admit it’s solid reasoning.

Zewu-Jun is still ranked first, despite the fact that he went into seclusion, and the list is not only about looks. It’s also about the level of cultivation after all, so Lan Jingyi made the easy, obvious choice.

“But I don’t think he’s the most powerful,” Lan Sizhui carefully says, clearly trying to not offend his friend and while Jiang Cheng admires the effort, he thinks it’s entirely impossible to offend Lan Jingyi.

“Then who do you think, huh?” Lan Jingyi wants to know, clearly more curious than offended and Lan Sizhui shrugs.

“Hanguang-Jun,” he says, very predictably if you ask Jiang Cheng.

Not that anyone seems to be even thinking of Jiang Cheng.

“How come?” Wei Wuxian questions and then he gets that dreamy look on his face that Jiang Cheng learned to abhor so much. “I mean, you’re right of course, there is no one with more power in this world than my Lan Zhan, but explain it?”

“No one with more power over your already limited awareness, maybe,” Jin Ling mutters under his breath and Jiang Cheng almost chokes on his tea when Wei Wuxian lets out an enraged yell.

There’s chaos for a while at the other table, because it seems like the kids are entirely too comfortable to roast Wei Wuxian over his sickeningly sweet feelings for Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng is very content to stay out of that train wreck.

They do settle down eventually, and they even get back on track with the question.

“It should be kind of obvious,” Lan Sizhui says finally. “He is the Chief Cultivator after all, and that means he holds the most powerful position.”

It’s just as solid reasoning as Lan Jingyi’s pick had been but Ouyang Zizhen shakes his head.

“You all got it wrong,” he says and leans a little bit closer to them as if he’s going to tell them a secret. “The most powerful cultivator is of course the Ghost General!”

“He doesn’t even count!” Lan Jingyi cries out. “He’s a ferocious corpse, and not a cultivator anymore!”

“But you have to admit that he is more powerful than both of your picks,” Ouyang Zizhen says and Jiang Cheng forces to unclench his hand.

He is still repairing his relationship with Wei Wuxian, he gave up entirely on every reaching anything but polite distance with Lan Wangji, but he will probably forever have some animosity for Wen Ning.

In the very darkest hours of the night Jiang Cheng can admit that it’s unfair to hate Wen Ning like that, that he wasn’t wrong about what he said to Jiang Cheng during that cursed reveal of just whose golden core is inside of Jiang Cheng, but that is only in the dead of the night.

During the day, Jiang Cheng reserves the right to still be fucking mad at Wen Ning for accusing him like that when it was him, Wen Qing and Wei Wuxian who decided to go along with the medical procedure without even so much as asking Jiang Cheng about it.

It doesn’t change the fact that Wen Ning is a rather powerful being and Jiang Cheng would hate to have to go up against him if he’s really furious. Jiang Cheng is aware enough of his own strength to know that it would be a damn difficult fight; and he couldn’t even confidently say that he’d win.

“You all don’t know anything,” Jin Ling suddenly speaks up, and Jiang Cheng is moderately curious, he’s not going to lie about that.

Jin Ling doesn’t like Lan Wangji—Jiang Cheng is more than aware that it’s his fault—but he admires Zewu-Jun and he is starting to build something of a friendship with Wen Ning, so Jiang Cheng is honestly curious to hear who Jin Ling thinks of as the most powerful cultivator.

Not to mention that Wei Wuxian is sitting right there, and for all that Jiang Cheng wishes it would be different, he doubts that there is anyone who could match Wei Wuxian at his Yiling Patriarch high.

“Who is it then?” Lan Jingyi asks, chin stubbornly set and Jin Ling glares at him.

“The most powerful cultivator is of course my jiu-jiu,” Jin Ling says, absolute certainty in his voice and everyone goes very quiet as they dart glances at Jiang Cheng.

“Why do you think so?” Wei Wuxian asks yet again, but his voice is soft in a way that Jiang Cheng can hardly stand and he has half a mind just getting up and fleeing.

But then Jin Ling turns around to him and pins him with his look and Jiang Cheng stays right where he is.

He didn’t know his nephew had already perfected that glare.

“Because he survived,” Jin Ling says. “Because he lost his parents and his home, and then his siblings. He had a destroyed Sect and a tiny baby to look after and he did it,” Jin Ling says and Jiang Cheng can’t hold his gaze any longer, but Jin Ling mercilessly goes on.

“He rebuild his Sect; and not only that, but he made it the most powerful of the Great Four. He raised the kid, that wasn’t even his own, and all the while he still managed to get the respect of the people he leads.”

“Jin Ling, you are my pride and joy, but would you please shut the fuck up?” Jiang Cheng bites out, feeling just a little bit choked up, but no one is listening to him.

“And he did it all without his own golden core,” Wei Wuxian chimes in, voice still so horribly soft, “because he even survived losing it.”

“He did a decent job at raising the little mistress, too,” Lan Jingyi says and even though Jin Ling turns to glare at him, it’s clearly meant as very high praise.

“He doesn’t just have the respect of his people,” Lan Sizhui suddenly says and shrinks in on himself, just a little bit when Jiang Cheng starts to glare at him.

It’s still not enough to shut them all up, but Jiang Cheng has to try at least.

“They adore him; they love him so much, all of them, and it’s so easy to see, too.”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t think it’s easy to see at all, but Ouyang Zizhen speaks before Jiang Cheng can get a word in otherwise.

“Oh, yeah, did you see how they all practically light up when he walks through the market? And they all give him samples of their stuff for free, too, and not because they are afraid of him or they want to show off. They just genuinely want to show him their appreciation!”

“Ah, but that’s not a new thing,” Wei Wuxian says and smiles slightly. “People always fell over themselves to make Jiang Cheng smile.”

“That’s not true,” Jiang Cheng says, because he remembers the times he and Wei Wuxian went to the market.

The people fell all over themselves to please Wei Wuxian, not him.

“Don’t be stupid,” Jin Ling bites out, and Jiang Cheng is taken aback at how mad he suddenly seems. “Do you even know how often people ask me where you are when I go to the market alone? No one cares about me, they only want to see you. I bet it was the same with Wei Wuxian.”

“He’s right,” Wei Wuxian nods immediately. “I couldn’t take two steps without people crowding me in, asking where their favourite was.”

“Shut up!” Jiang Cheng gets out, though he’s aware that he’s blushing bright red.

He knows he has the respect of his people, but their love? He never dared to hope for that.

“So, yes. My jiu-jiu is the most powerful, because he survived all kinds of tragedies and still came out on top.”

“You’re right,” Lan Jingyi nods and then everyone is suddenly agreeing with Jin Ling.

Much to Jiang Cheng’s embarrassment.

“Shut up, all of you,” he snaps out, “you’re all wrong.”

“Get over here then, and tell us why,” Wei Wuxian very eagerly says and winks him over.

The kids make space for him immediately, and they are all looking expectantly at Jiang Cheng, too, so really. What else can he do but go over there and join them.

He refuses to think about the warm, fluttering feeling in his chest at the thought that he gets included in this.

“Tell us who you think is the most powerful,” Wei Wuxian says, excited like a little kid, and when he leans forward, Jiang Cheng pushes him away with a hand to his face.

“Hey,” Wei Wuxian protest, but the kids all laugh and even Jiang Cheng has to bite back a smile.

“If you think I’m going to name you, you’re mistaken,” he tells Wei Wuxian who gives him an almost devastating pout.

“But I was so powerful back in the day,” Wei Wuxian whines and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.

“And then you died, so really, how powerful can you be?” he wants to know. “And don’t even get me started on the fact that you made it back, because you had nothing to do with that! That was all Mo Xuanyu.”

Jiang Cheng is aware that the kids are staring at him and Wei Wuxian and it occurs to Jiang Cheng that they have never seen them banter like this.

Like they used to do before everything went to shit, and it gives Jiang Cheng hope that they can repair their relationship.

“But who else could it be?” Wei Wuxian whines as he slumps over the table and Jiang Cheng flips his forehead.

“Sect Leader Yao, of course,” Jiang Cheng says, smug as anything when he sees dropped jaws all around the table and then he laughs.

“No, no, you have to explain,” Jin Ling suddenly says and Jiang Cheng calms down just long enough to do so.

“Think about it. He’s mediocre at best but he’s still around. It’s been almost twenty years and he still aggravates everyone at the Cultivation Conferences. No one killed him yet and he still didn’t die. Clearly, he is more powerful than any of us.”

“That’s right,” Wei Wuxian gasps. “He survived the Sunshot Campaign, and I remember he was amongst those who called for my blood, too.”

“And then he survived all of Jin Guangyao’s scheming, and every fight that happened since,” Jiang Cheng adds and it’s only then that Jin Ling smacks his arm.

“Stop this, you hate Sect Leader Yao, you would never vote for him,” Jin Ling says and Jiang Cheng has half a mind to ruffle his hair.

“But I mean it!” Jiang Cheng says but now Wei Wuxian also caught on to the fact that he was just fucking with them, and he narrows his eyes at Jiang Cheng.

“No. Tell us the truth.”

“Fine,” Jiang Cheng says and rolls his eyes at him, mostly so that he doesn’t have to look when he says his next words. “I always thought that my brother was the most powerful,” he mutters and this time the silence that falls over the table is a very expectant one.

When Jiang Cheng finally does lift his gaze again, he sees that all of the kids are looking at Wei Wuxian instead of him, and so Jiang Cheng does the same.

“A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian says and Jiang Cheng is startled to see tears in his eyes. “I love you, too,” Wei Wuxian cries out and then throws himself over the table to hug Jiang Cheng.

“Let go of me, you gremlin,” Jiang Cheng complaints, but he doesn’t push Wei Wuxian away as hard as he maybe could.

“I always thought my brother was the strongest, too,” Wei Wuxian then mutters and Jiang Cheng has to close his eyes against the sting of tears.

“Ah, fuck,” Jiang Cheng whispers.

“No swear words at the table,” Jin Ling says, clearly out of habit but also way too late, and Jiang Cheng is thankful for it, because it breaks the weird tension.

“There,” Ouyang Zizhen says with great satisfaction. “He did a very good job raising the little mistress.”

It sets off a new round of roughhousing, this time between the kids, mostly, and Jiang Cheng takes the break to compose himself again.

But when he catches Wei Wuxian’s still somewhat misty eyes over the table, he figures it’s not entirely necessary to be his usually grumpy self.

He can let loose a little bit, with his family around.

Link to my ko-fi on the sidebar!

[xiyao-feels]

yanli, mian mian and wen qing 🤩

I did Wen Qing here; as to JYL and LQY, let's see...

Jiang Yanli

-At Langya, before Zixuan accused her of soup fraud, not many people had even realized she was a daughter of the Jiang.

-She used to paint JC and WWX's kites for when they played kite-shooting.

-When she and JC sneak to meet WWX with her dressed up in her wedding robes, she says it doesn't count if WWX and JC tell her she looks good in them, she can't take them seriously.

-When she finally speaks with WWX at the Nightless City Pledge Conference, she finds she cannot tell him that it's fine or that she doesn't hate him or that everything is fine or that she doesn't blame him for killing Zixuan—yet equally she cannot say their opposites. In the end she tells him he should stop first.

Mianmian (the elder):

-Her perfume satchets are very impressive; they repel bugs and smell nice, and contain medicinal herbs that can be useful in various ways—as indeed WWX uses them to help LWJ's leg, when they're injured in the cave.

-When everyone is dismissing her defense of WWX after he rescues the Wen, they say she has a crush on him, and after she leaves they say she'll definitely be back in a few days.

-She's apparently the daughter of a servant, but she became a disciple.

-Wang//xian meet her again (with her daughter and husband) not on the way to the second siege, but around three months after Guanyin Temple.

Jiang Yanli:

People not realizing her background: Exiled Rebels, ch. 69:

And so, right then and right there, he ‘exposed’ Jiang YanLi’s ‘lie’. Jiang YanLi hadn’t expected something like this to happen at all. She had never been the type of person to show off; not even many people knew that she was a daughter of the YunmengJiang Sect.

Painting kites: Taming Wangxian, ch. 32:

Back then, Wei Wuxian had frequently played a game of kite and archery with the Jiang Family disciples in Lotus Pier and had won countless times. Jiang Cheng was always second. His kite would either fly so far that it couldn’t be shot at, or if he managed to shoot accurately, his kite couldn’t fly as far as Wei Wuxian’s. Their kites were vibrantly coloured, and were much larger than other kites. Shaped like a flying beast, they had gaping wide jaws and numerous pointed tails that fluttered in the breeze. These kites were lifelike yet they were not frightening. They even looked somewhat childlike. Jiang Fengmian would personally construct the kite’s frame, then Jiang Yanli would paint them. Hence, whenever they brought these kites out to compete, they would do so with a sense of pride.

Yanli on her wedding robes:

He walked a few times around Jiang YanLi, praising, “It looks good!”

Jiang Cheng, “Sis, I told you so. It really does look good.”

Jiang YanLi had always known her own limitations. She answered earnestly, “It doesn’t count if you two say so. I can’t take it seriously.”

Jiang Cheng sighed, “You don’t believe me and you don’t believe him. Is it that you’ll only believe it when a certain somebody says so?”

Hearing this, Jiang YanLi’s face grew even redder, all the way until her snowy white earlobes. Even the pink of her blush couldn’t hide it. She quickly switched the subject, “A-Xian… Give a courtesy name.”

Her final words to WWX: Exiled Rebels, ch. 78:

Jiang YanLi, “I’m… I’m here to tell you…”

To tell him what?

That it’s fine?

That I don’t hate you?

That everything is fine?

That I don’t blame you for have killed Jin ZiXuan?

It was impossible.

But she couldn’t say anything that was the opposite either. And so, she didn’t know what else she could say to Wei Wei WuXian, under such circumstances. It was just that she felt like she had to see this brother of hers once more.

Jiang YanLi sighed, “A-Xian, you… you should stop first. Don’t, don’t…”

Mianmian:

Remarkable perfume sachets:

Exiled Rebels, ch. 52:

One of the girls laughed, “MianMian, your perfume sachet truly is something special. After I wore it, bugs really did stop coming over. The scent is nice too. I seem to feel much more awake after I smell it.”

The voice of the girl called MianMian was indeed soft and sweet, “Inside of the sachet is filled with minced medicinal plants. It can be useful in quite a lot of ways. I’ve still got a few here. Do any of you want one?”

Exiled Rebels, ch. 54:

Lan WangJi leaned back, either too tired to sit up or simply angered speechless by his words. Suddenly, Wei WuXian caught a faint, herbal scent. Reaching into his lapel, he fished out a small sachet of perfume.

The wet sachet hung from its tassels, delicate yet somewhat pitiful. Recalling how MianMian said that it was filled with medicinal plants, he opened it up at once and found that there were indeed herbs, along with a few small flowers, half-dried and quite chopped up. He urged, “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, stop sleeping. Sit up for one second. There’s a perfume sachet here. See if there are any herbs that we can use.”

Dragging and tugging and refusing to give up, he eventually made Lan WangJi sit up, however exhausted he was. After looking through the herbs, they really did find a few that could stop blood or remove poison.

Wei WuXian spoke as he picked them out, “I can’t believe that the girl’s perfume sachet ended up so useful. I’ll have to thank her properly when we go back.”

People being enormous dickheads after she defends WWX: Exiled Rebels, ch. 73:

Suddenly, someone sneered, “You can stop arguing. We don’t want to hear the comments of someone who has other motives.”

The woman’s face flushed. She raised her voice, “Explain things. What do you mean I have other motives?”

The person replied, “There’s no need for me to say anything. You know, deep down, and we know too. You fell for him back in the cave of the Xuanwu just because he flirted with you? You’re still arguing for him, calling white black no matter how irrational it is. Ha, women will always be women.”

[...]

Saying nothing, MianMian turned around and left. A while later, someone laughed, “If you’re taking it off, then don’t put it on again, if you’re so capable!”

“Who does she think she is… leaving as she pleases? Who cares? What’s she doing this to prove?”

Soon, some began to agree, “Women will always be women. They quit just after you say a few harsh words. She’ll definitely come back on her own, a couple of days later.”

“There’s no doubt. After all, she finally managed to turn from the daughter of a servant to a disciple, haha…”

Daughter of a servant: in addition to the last above, Exiled Rebels, ch. 56:

Wei WuXian, “Was I playing the hero?! I had no other choice either, I was moving faster than I could think! Stop running, I’ll let you off this once. I need to ask you something! … I had a perfume sachet somewhere around my waist. It was empty. Did you see it?”

Jiang Cheng, “The one that MianMian gave you? I didn’t.”

Wei WuXian exclaimed his regret, “I’ll find her for another one later.”

Jiang Cheng frowned, “You’re at it again. You don’t really like her, do you? The girl does look fine, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t have much background. Maybe she isn’t even a disciple. She seems like the daughter of a servant.”

Wang//xian meet her again in ch 112; you can see the family they meet instead at the end of ch 66 and the beginning of ch 67.

[watch-grok-brainrot]

For the character and letter prompts: how about D. Subtle kindnesses, with the yunmeng trio?

Here you go! Sorry it took me so long! I got overwhelmed making gifs and then doing some other stuff. I really enjoyed this prompt. It wouldn’t have been something I explored on my own. I don’t know if the kindnesses were all SUBTLE, but this is what came out of it. 

Assumptions: 1) WWX and JC are on speaking terms. 2) Post canon. 3) CQL JC who is softer and kinder than MDZS JC. 4) WWX lives in CR and doesn’t really go to Lotus Pier much. 5) WWX and LWJ are married. 

Thanks again for being patient! <3 

Visit Often in the Future

Word count:  ~1540

Characters: Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji (brief appearance), Lil Apple

Rated G

Warnings: Not much really... canonically dead characters. 

-------------

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along?” Lan Wangji asked his husband as Wei Wuxian packed a qiankun pouch. 

“I’ll be fine. You need to preside over Qingming events in your family. And I owe it to Jiang Cheng to show my face in Lotus Pier.”

“If he lays one fin-” Lan Wangji began, but Wei Wuxian shushed him with a finger. 

“He won’t. He’s always more angry and louder than he actually means. I need to go see Shijie and let her know everything that’s happened and show her that Jiang Cheng and I will be ok.”

“Fine. You know I cannot deny you anything.”

“You’re so good to me Lan-er-gege. When I come back I’ll thank you properly,” Wei Wuxian said as he bid his husband goodbye with a kiss and went to fetch Lil Apple for this trip to Yunmeng. 

~~~

The familiarity of Yunmeng never failed to surprise Wei Wuxian. After nearly two decades and across two lifetimes, the place seemed unchanged: the same smells of food and rain, mostly similar shops and stalls, and even many familiar people. 

He guided Lil Apple through the crowds, stopping to look at trinkets in stalls. He picked out something Jiang Cheng and Shijie would like from their childhood. For Jiang Cheng, he got a little glass dog, clear bodied with purple floppy ears -- he blamed his residual guilt from when Uncle Jiang got rid of Jiang Cheng’s pets when he was first taken in. He then purchased a simple sandalwood hair stick with one end intricately carved into a blooming lotus flower for Shijie. Her style had always been elegant but not ostentatious. Maybe he could burn it as an offering to Shijie this year. Maybe the peacock would enjoy seeing her wear it in the afterlife. 

Wei Wuxian settled Lil Apple in the stables and went to watch Jiang Sect sword practice. Before he even got close to the Sword Testing Hall and main courtyard, he could hear Jiang Cheng barking out instructions. 

“Lift up your arm! Squat lower for a better horse stance! How can you call your base stable with that form?!” 

Wei Wuxian smiled and lept onto a banister, perching and watching. 

Jiang Cheng seemed to have matured in the last two years since their altercation in the Jiang Sect ancestral hall. He held himself with less tension and his instructions were more precise. Instead of hitting the disciples as Wei Wuxian remembered him doing in the past, Jiang Cheng guided their arms and adjusted their legs in place. He could see some of Uncle Jiang’s kindness in the current sect leader. 

Wei Wuxian reached into his qiankun pouch and held the dog in his hand, rubbing his thumb over the coarse ears and smooth body. The little figure really seemed appropriate for Jiang Cheng -- hard as rock, cute (at least for such a wretched creature), and full of various textures. 

“Jiang Cheng! Mind if I join in?” Wei Wuxian called from where he perched. 

“Wei Wuxian! I didn’t think you’d show your face! Do you even remember any of our forms? Can your weak body handle it?”

“Well, we won’t know until we try!” Wei Wuxian hopped down from his perch and set his stuff onto the ground. He grabbed a practice sword and joined the students in their forms. 

“Let’s see if the former head disciple remembers Jiang Sect teachings,” Jiang Cheng huffed as he continued drilling his sect. 

Wei Wuxian felt himself falling into the familiar pacing and movements of the Jiang Sect sword forms. Each thrust, jab, and extension of his arms brought him a sense of ease. He quietly thanked himself for picking up cultivation shortly after the Guanyin Temple events. It took him a few months to get accustomed to Mo Xuanyu’s body proportions but afterwards the movements and his qi started flowing in unison -- something he had not felt since the fall of Lotus Pier years ago. 

By the time sword practice finished, Jiang Cheng approached his former shixiong. “I see you picked up cultivation again.”

“Yup! Since i have a new body, I figured I might as well see if I can make use of it.”

Jiang Cheng hesitated before clenching his jaw and asking, ”Do you want to spar with me?” He paused and then added, “Wooden swords. No spiritual energy.”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes lit up, “Just like old times. I”ll do my best to kick your ass! Loser buys lunch!”

Much to Jiang Cheng’s chagrin, he was forced to buy Wei Wuxian lunch. But he did get a cute purple glass dog as thanks. Why Wei Wuxian even had a dog figurine was beyond Jiang Cheng’s comprehension. 

~~~

The next day sword practice was canceled for Qingming preparations. 

“Wei Wuxian! How dare you think you can visit Lotus Pier for Qingming without helping out?” Jiang Cheng’s voice bellowed across Lotus Pier, trying to track down the elusive Yiling Laozu. 

“Jiang Cheng, I am helping! I’m supervising, can’t you tell?” Wei Wuxian leaned against a pillar of the Sword Testing Hall, held up a small bottle of Lotus Breeze Wine, and gestured in the general direction of the bustling Jiang Sect disciples.

“You need to clean too!” Jiang Cheng said as he plucked the bottle of alcohol from Wei Wuxian’s hand and replaced it with a broom and a few rags. “Go to the Ancestral Hall. Sweep the floors, polish the tablets, set out the offerings. Get it done in two shichen. There are many more Qingming preparations to finish!”

“Alright alright,” Wei Wuxian said as he sauntered towards the Ancestral Hall.

“And pick up the pace. Don’t set a bad example for the juniors!”

“Alright! Alright!” Wei Wuxian called back and headed to do his task. He stepped into the Ancestral Hall and stopped. There was an extra table set up with two memorial tablets. Did someone else die? But wouldn’t he know about it? 

He shook his head and started cleaning the floor. He’ll have to clean them anyway. He’ll find out then. After the floor was swept, mopped, and polished,  he pulled out a new rag and started cleaning the memorial tablets. He remembered Shijie sitting by the lotus-shaped altar and crying over Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang’s tablets. He remembered himself and Jiang Cheng as children being forced to kneel before the spirits of the dead after they got into trouble. He remembered learning the names of all the Jiang Sect ancestors from the last few hundred years. From the oldest to the most recent, he carefully wiped the dust from their names. 

He got to Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang and held them a bit longer. Closing his eyes, Wei Wuxian muttered, “I hope you’re proud of Jiang Cheng. He’s done well for the sect. Under his care, Lotus Pier has gotten stronger and become well respected. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help him more. I hope you forgive me for that.” He opened his eyes and returned Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang to their rightful spots. 

He then reached for Jiang Yanli’s tablet. He wiped it down and spoke to her, told her about A-yuan and Wen Ning and Lan Zhan. He spoke of the rabbits his Lan Zhan kept for him and of all the new Gusu rules. He described the way the pine trees bent under the snow in Cloud Recesses winters and the food Lan Zhan cooked just for him during that time. He told stories about night hunting adventures with Jin Ling and the Lan Juniors, about how Jin Ling was growing up to be a respected sect leader. After a quarter of a shichen, his voice started to crack and he finally returned his Shijie to rest beside her parents. He then pulled out the hair stick he bought for her. “I hope you like this Shijie. I miss you so much.”

The last two tablets were not with the others on the lotus altar but set aside on an offering table in a prominent location. Wei Wuxian almost dropped them when he saw the names: Zangse-Sanren and Wei Changze. What? Why? His fingers brushed over his parents’ names. Was this why Jiang Cheng told him to come here? Did Jiang Cheng plan this all along? 

He fingers tightened as he slowly lowered himself onto the floor. Even when Uncle Jiang was alive, memorial tablets of his parents were never in the Ancestral Hall. He had never gotten a chance to speak to them or tell them about his life. Suddenly faced with two lives worth of memories, Wei Wuxian found himself speechless. He opened and closed his mouth a few times and finally returned the tablets to the table. 

Pulling over a pouffe, Wei Wuxian knelt before his parents’ names. He lit three sticks of incense and bowed solemnly thrice. “This unfilial son, Wei Wuxian, pays his respects to his parents, Wei Changze and Zangse-Sanren. Forgive me for my years of transgression.” 

Outside the Ancestral Hall, Jiang Cheng leaned against a sliding door, hidden from view. “Uncle Wei, Aunt Zangse, A-Jie. I hope you’re enjoying your time with A-Xian today. I promise he will visit you often in the future.”

[aliasblack73]

Plot bunny for an Untamed AU (canon era? modern?) adapted from an episode of a tv show I was watching. Please feel free to use all or part of the idea for a story, as long as you let me know so I can read it!  

WWX is an indentured servant that has been promised by Wen Chao he’ll be set free of his contract (which has many years left on it) if he obtains the yin iron from LWJ (doesn’t have to be yin iron, could be anything, it’s a macguffin).  WWX tries seduction at first, but that goes over as expected. He continues to pester LWJ and eventually gets him to soften towards him enough for them to spend time together.  WWX falls in love with LWJ, and doesn’t want to betray him, but doing so would ensure his freedom and allow him to go back to the Jiangs, who he hasn’t seen for years since he’d become indentured.  

WWX drags it out for so long that Wen Chao ups the stakes by threatening to invade Lotus Pier. Reluctantly WWX goes through with the plan and triggers a talisman that will lull LWJ into a deep sleep.  He finds the yin iron and then arranges to meet Wen Chao to hand it over. At the last minute, he can’t bring himself to turn it over - it’s dangerous, and LWJ’s rep will be ruined if it gets out that he couldn’t keep it safe and it fell into the wrong hands. He runs away and the Wen sibs agree to hide him.

LWJ wakes up and is confused by WWX’s disappearance. Wen Chao appears at his doorstep and tells him that WWX has been lying to him to get the yin iron, and has now run away with it. He shows LWJ the indenture contract and says that WWX betrayed him as well by skipping out, and suggests they work together to find him.

LWJ pretends to agree, but quickly ditches him to go find someone who can help him find WWX.  His brother and Nie Mingjue agree to help. They ask around, and Su She (a rat in every universe) buckles under the sheer threatening bulk of NMJ and coughs up where the Wen sibs live. They head off to the location, but unbeknownst to them Wen Chao had stuck a talisman on LWJ that worked as a listening device and dispatched Wen Zhuliu to get to WWX first.

Now that Wen Chao has both WWX and the yin iron, they have to bring out the big guns: Meng Yao.  He arranges a meeting with Wen Chao to discuss business.  JGY uses clever words to manipulate the idiot into giving up WWX’s location.  LWJ, listening nearby, takes off to rescue him.  Having secured the yin iron once again and made sure that WWX is safe, LWJ is all set to ask him to come back to Gusu with him.

EXCEPT! There’s the issue of WWX’s contract. Wen Chao kicks up a fuss at the rescue and the matter is brought before Jin Guangshan, the Chief Cultivator, who everyone knows is in Wen Ruohan’s pocket. He determines that the contract is still binding. Wen Chao hasn’t been proven to have done anything wrong. The stealing of the yin iron was done by WWX, not him, and no one is going to believe a servant saying it was done on Wen Chao’s orders. And Wen Chao forcefully taking WWX back after he ran off was well within his rights.  

Meng Yao quickly spins some more of his crafty words to get Wen Chao to agree to sell his contract to someone else if the money is good, convincing him that WWX is more trouble than he’s worth. Wen Chao gleefully adds a condition that whoever buys the contract can’t render it null and void. WWX has to serve them for the full term.  

LWJ badly wants to buy the contract, but he hesitates for too long, stricken by the memory of his mother being bound to the Lans against her will.  Before he can overcome his reservations, Xiao Xingchen speaks up on behalf of Baoshan Sanren and offers to buy the contract. He believes that WWX has the potential to become a great cultivator, with a bright kernel of a golden core that has not been allowed to develop as a servant of the Wens. It will require going to her hidden sanctuary and staying there for the remainder of the contract. He can’t have any visitors during that time.

LWJ knows that this is a wonderful opportunity for WWX, even as his heart breaks over the prospect of not seeing WWX again for many years.  He forces himself to stay calm as WWX comes to say goodbye. WWX interprets his stoic façade as residual anger over WWX’s deception and theft from him. 

Many years later, WWX comes back from the sanctuary a highly skilled cultivator.  He goes to visit the Jiangs and the reunion is fraught. Jiang Cheng is still angry at the fact that WWX indentured himself in the first place (Madame Yu guilted him into it) and ‘abandoned’ the family. WWX works hard to mend fences with him and Yanli.  

After they’ve had time to heal and grow closer, WWX mentions that he wants to go visit the Wen sibs and A-Yuan, but JC says they’ve gone to ground. No one knows what happened to them. They either ran afoul of Wen Chao or they’re hiding from him.  WWX plots to find them, but JC gets him to agree to at least attend the Phoenix Hunt before he hares off to parts unknown.

At the Phoenix Hunt, WWX encounters LWJ with some Lan juniors. He starts to run the other way, thinking that LWJ still hates him, but the junior who was standing next him suddenly calls out, “Xian-gege?”  WWX is frozen in amazement as the young man tells him that he’s A-Yuan, now Lan Sizhui.  LWJ explains that after WWX left, Wen Chao vowed to take the loss of his servant out on the Wen Sibs and their young cousin.  The 3Zun made a plan to protect them, but it involved splitting them up to more easily hide them.  

A-Yuan has been raised by LWJ in Cloud Recesses. Wen Qing has been in the Unclean Realm helping NMJ avoid qi deviation. Wen Ning has been in the Mo clan banding together with MXY against his awful family, both under the watchful eye of Meng Yao. (you may think it’s mean to put Wen Ning with the horrible Mos, but it was discovered that his meek attitude suddenly disappears when he sees others being bullied, and he turns into a scary fighting machine. It’s really the Mos you should feel sorry for. Except we don’t)

Eventually Wen Chao does land his ass in jail, and mysteriously gets eaten by a giant dog or something, I don’t know. The Wen remnants are able to reunite. LWJ and WWX confess their feelings and go off to fight ghosties and demons together. JGS chokes on a grape that was being fed to him by one of his prostitutes (or it was poisoned, who can say) and kicks the bucket. The Chief Cultivator position goes to someone deserving, who knows who that is. 

[biwenqing]

Congrats on the milestone 🎉🎉🎉 if you're talking prompts, could you write either 6 or 27 as a post sunshot fic jc wants wwx safe so he arranges a political marriage, for him and whoever it is (lwj) would have to marry into the jiang sect.

Thank you so so much for sending this! I really adore this idea for an AU and I hope I did it justice. Sorry for the delay in getting it up, I hope you enjoy it! Prompt: “No one’s going to hurt you.”

Jiang Cheng kept his eyes focused on Lan Xichen. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle Lan Wangji's reaction to what he had to say. "He'll agree to the match because he believes he is taking our sister's place."

"He is very selfless." Lan Wangji was the one who spoke, and Jiang Cheng had to look at him. He liked to think they are friends, of a sort, having spent those three months together searching for Wei Wuxian together. "But you want this for his safety?"

"Yes," Jiang Cheng said. "I don't like what I have heard the other sect leaders say about him. Besides you, of course." And here he nodded to Lan Xichen, who gave him a pleasant smile. "I believe if he is married to someone well thought of, it will not only bring our sects closer but bring to ease some of the other's minds."

"I know many songs that may help him, and I can learn additional ones." Lan Wangji leaned forward a bit, almost seeming eager to prove himself. To prove that he could keep Wei Wuxian safe.

Lan Xichen lifted his hand to signal they both should stop for a moment. "You’re asking my brother to move to Lotus Pier, are you not?"

Jiang Cheng opened his mouth to say, yes of course but saw something in Lan Xichen's eyes that caused him to pause. He swallowed some shame for not thinking of it sooner. Here Jiang Cheng was trying to save his brother and rebuild while asking Lan Xichen to give up his brother when the Cloud Recesses were in just as much need as Lotus Pier.

He took a deep breath, and straightened, giving his words the proper attention they were due. "Yes, I am."

Lan Xichen nodded, eyes already strangely sad, before looking towards Lan Wangji. "Lan Zhan, would this be acceptable to you?"

"Yes." Lan Wangji didn't take the same time to think this over.

Ah. Lan Xichen knew that his brother would agree, no matter what was asked of him. "Would it be acceptable for Lan Wangji to travel to Lotus Pier in three months' time?" Lan Xichen asked next.

Jiang Cheng nodded. "More time can be taken, if needed for both sects to rebuild and prepare."

"Three months," Lan Wangji said, rather forcefully.

"I will need to talk to Wei Wuxian as well," Jiang Cheng said.

Lan Wangji frowned ever so slightly, "You had not already?"

"In a general concept, yes," Jiang Cheng sighed. It had been an easy conversation when he had framed it as either Jiang Yanli would need to marry or Wei Wuxian would. 

Lan Wangji was always hard to read, and now it seemed he had purposefully closed himself off. He cleared his throat though, and Lan Xichen was watching his brother in a way to signal Lan Wangji wanted to speak. Jiang Cheng wouldn't interrupt him. 

"May I be the one to tell Wei Ying?"

Jiang Cheng blinked. He was personally not looking forward to that conversation, not with how distant and strange his brother had been since his return. "Yes, that is fine with me."

Lan Wangji nodded and stood, bowed to Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng, before slipping out of the rooms.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Lan Xichen said softly once his brother was gone.

"He's in love with Wei Wuxian," Jiang Cheng stated, fiddling with his teacup.

"Yes." Lan Xichen brushed his hand against the table, just as absent. "I don't want to see my brother hurt any more than you do yours."

Jiang Cheng sighed. "I believe his feelings are returned. Or at least they were. Wei Wuxian wouldn't shut up when we were studying in Gusu. Everything was "Lan Zhan this, Lan Zhan that"." Jiang Cheng had a small laugh at a memory.

Lan Xichen gave a laugh as well. "It was the same from this side. Maybe they are rather well matched. I guess now only time will tell."

(...)

Since Wei Wuxian had woken up, he had a lot to deal with. There was a darkness lurking in this victory that it didn't have anything to do with his cultivation. He watched as the Jin seemed to pick up from where the Wen left off, stepping in like cruelly was a set of robes that fit them nicely.

He had no interest in pandering to them the way that Jiang Cheng was. Removing himself from affairs was probably the best course of action. Wei Wuxian would need to find an excuse to do the same once they returned to Lotus Pier.

There was no room for him to be the first disciple. His family was safe for now. Wei Wuxian had done what he needed to do, best to fade into the background. Too bad his mouth hadn't seemed to catch on to this logic. He couldn’t stand by what was wrong.

And then Jiang Cheng had come and presented Wei Wuxian with an issue. In their weakened state, the Jiang sect needed allies. The best way to achieve this was to marry off one of his siblings. What that now meant for Wei Wuxian, it seemed best not to think about it until he had to.

Lurking in the shadows outside of the main paths, trying to mind his own business, Wei Wuxian was surprised when he heard his name being called.

"Lan Zhan, how'd you find me?" Wei Wuxian offered the smile that felt like a mask at this point. He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled for real.

"Wei Ying is predictable." The answer was flat, but Wei Wuxian thought he might still know Lan Wangji enough to say he was joking with him.

"Ha, so mean to me, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian rested his hands casually on chenqing. Lan Wangji didn't seem to fear it, or him, the ways the other did.

"I come with information," Lan Wangji said instead of acknowledging Wei Wuxian's teasing.

Wei Wuxian straightened. "What is it?"

Lan Wangji seemed to weigh his next words with extra caution. "Your brother approached mine to discuss building stronger alliances."

Wei Wuxian felt as if those words didn't make sense, even if the meaning was perfectly clear. But that would mean...

Lan Wangji shifted nervously, a tick he would normally be able to hide. "You and I are to be betrothed," he clarified to Wei Wuxian’s silence

"Oh," Wei Wuxian managed. He had thought he had forgotten what it was to feel, but suddenly he had a lot of emotions to shift through. "Oh." He took a step towards Lan Wangji, taking his wrist. Lan Wangji was watching him closely, almost leaning into his space. "Lan Zhan, they can't force you to do that."

Lan Wangji showed more expression in the next moment than Wei Wuxian had ever been able to get out of him before, even in their student days. "Want to."

Wei Wuxian let out a breath. "What?"

"Not forcing me, I want to," Lan Wangji’s stare was so heavy, Wei Wuxian thought he could feel it brushing against him.

"W-what?" Wei Wuxian couldn't have heard him right. Maybe once it could have been possible, but now...

Lan Wangji turned the arm that Wei Wuxian was holding onto his wrist loosely, turning it until his hand was holding Wei Wuxian. "Want to."

"Once I thought of you as my soulmate in this life..." Wei Wuxian admitted, knowing his cheeks were hot but feeling he had to say something into the silence that followed. Even if he was a coward and couldn't meet Lan Wangji's eyes.

Lan Wangji reached out, resting a hand on Wei Wuxian's chin to tilt it back up. "I still am," Lan Wangji said the words so surely that Wei Wuxian almost believed him. But Lan Wangji didn't know what Wei Wuxian now was...

"When are we to be married?" Wei Wuxian asked as Lan Wangji took his hand away. He wouldn’t hold Wei Wuxian in place even as Wei Wuxian longed for that warmth but didn't chase it. He kept his eyes on Lan Wangji's now.

"Unsure, but I will move to Lotus Pier in three months' time."

"Aiyah.” Too soon. “We can extend that if you want."

Lan Wangji's frown grew deeper. "No. Three months. Wei Ying... Does this make you unhappy?"

"Lan Zhan, I'm not good enough for you," Wei Wuxian stepped away. "I don't want you to make this mistake."

"It is not a mistake unless it will not make Wei Ying happy."

"Lan Zhan, you are too good," Wei Wuxian turned back for a moment.

"It is Wei Ying who is this," Lan Wangji said, before bowing slightly. "I will leave you to talk to your brother. But I hope you will decide..."

The words ‘to be with me’ hung in the air between them as they parted.

[...]

It was Jiang Yanli who Wei Wuxian sought first. He didn't know what he would do if he tried to talk to Jiang Cheng right now. She listened to him as he explained all that had just happened, nodding here and there. There was a little smile that came to her face towards the end as Wei Wuxian found he had run out of words. He didn't know what else to say and didn't like the feeling. 

Jiang Yanli reached out and patted his head as if he were still little. "A-Xien, how long have you been in love with Lan Wangji?" she said, her tone almost teasing.

Wei Wuxian felt his eyes go wide.

"I know you," Jiang Yanli murmured. "Why are you so scared, a-Xien?"

"I don't want to hurt him," Wei Wuxian admitted. "Or you. Or Jiang Cheng."

"We don't want you to be hurt." Jiang Yanli took his hands in her own. She always looked so small compared to him now, and it was jarring from when they were kids. He felt like he would always be looking up to his shijie. "I believe Lan Wangji wants to help you."

"He wants to fix me," Wei Wuxian huffed. That hurt more than he wanted to say.

"No, I think he wants to help you," Jiang Yanli said as if she were coaxing him to eat the food he didn't want to as a kid. "He just doesn't have a very obvious way of showing it."

"Like Jiang Cheng."

Jiang Yanli laughed at that. "Yes, though a-Cheng likes to... express his feelings loudly."

Wei Wuxian managed a single laugh at that. “He does. I think he’s doing what’s best.”

“I think he’s certainly trying,” Jiang Yanli said. “Let people help you, a-Xien.”

[...]

Rebuilding was hard work that ate up day after day.

Before Wei Wuxian knew it, the time came to expect Lan Wangji at Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian had spent his days doing what he could to help, often going in the fields where no one would ask him to cultivate. He spent a lot less of his free time drinking than he had originally planned.

He needed to make sure everything was set up for Lan Wangji. The private rooms he had been granted were bigger than the ones he used to have. Jiang Cheng was insistent of Wei Wuxian's place on Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian should be made happy by this, but all he could feel was a hole and the ache of inadequacy.

And yet Lan Wangji wanted to marry him anyway. He had received several letters from his betrothed. The most recent one he carried with him since it had arrived:

[Wei Ying,

In five days I will follow this message to you. I bring with me some of my possessions but also a gladness in my heart to see you once again. I know you still might not believe it or even feel the same way, but I do wish to remind you.

I look forward to observing the lotuses and to spending more time with you and your family. But mostly I look forward to seeing you and I hold hope you feel the same.

Your soulmate,

Lan Zhan]

That was how he always signed.

Wei Wuxian read the words in spare moments, trying to believe them. Because there was a part of him that was excited to see Lan Wangji, that longed to see him. But the other part, the one that never wanted others to be hurt, told him to hide.

To which Jiang Yanli had told him, "You'll hurt him for sure if you hide your feelings." She was his true conscience, the only person he still felt he knew where he stood.

Wei Wuxian knew there wasn't much else he could do. If Lan Wangji was going to be taken from his home, to be stuck here with Wei Wuxian, then he needed to make sure everything was as perfect as possible. He made sure the rooms they were to share were well organized, a mix of pale purples and whites. There was a nice writing desk, open windows onto the lotuses. He wanted it to feel enough like home that Lan Wangji wouldn't resent it.

Wouldn’t grow to resent him.

[...]

"It is beautiful, Wei Ying," Lan Wangji said, as they sat across from each other. "Thank you for showing me around."

Wei Wuxian offered a smile that was almost real. It hadn't taken long for him to relax around Lan Wangji, to fall into familiar patterns of teasing and talking. "I'm glad you like it."

"Mn," Lan Wangji looked out the window. The sun was setting, making the water around the lotuses look the color of fire.

"It's my favorite time of day," Wei Wuxian murmured, looking at the way Lan Wangji's face glowed with warmth in the light. 

"Maybe there is a song to be written," Lan Wangji mused.

"I’ve never thought of that," Wei Wuxian glanced over at where chenqing rested. He knew it was more than just a weapon, but he wasn't sure anyone else did.

He was startled from his thoughts by Lan Wangji's hand on his own. It brushed against his skin, not just the clothing around his wrist. “No one’s going to hurt you.”

Wei Wuxian knew there was a change here, a change in who they were to each other. So much had changed already that it was frightening, even if it was something he expected. Yet he had always expected it would be a fracturing, going down two different paths. As he looked from their hands to Lan Wangji's eyes, he knew that he felt that change too.

He didn't pull away, didn’t listen to the part of him that begged him to. It knew that if he let Lan Wangji in, being rejected by him for the cultivation Wei Wuxian had to use, for his coreless body, would hurt that much more. But maybe... maybe... 

If Lan Wangji said he wasn't going to hurt him, he was telling the truth.

"I trust you," Wei Wuxian whispered. "But I need you to trust me."

Lan Wangji's hand tightened slightly. "I trust and will help Wei Ying."

"But I get to say when I need help," Wei Wuxian said, holding up a finger.

"Indeed," and then Lan Wangji smiled ever so slightly, and Wei Wuxian knew he had never seen anything more beautiful. "Unless your sister tells me otherwise."

"Ah!" Wei Wuxian pointed with his free hand. "Lan Zhan! You’re laughing at me!"

"No," Lan Wangji said, his eyes twinkling way too much for that to be the case. "Just finding the logical conclusion."

Wei Wuxian huffed but nodded. "Fine. But only shijie gets to overrule me! Don't listen to a thing Jiang Cheng says."

"Mn. Never have."

Wei Wuxian found himself doubling over with laughter. It was the kind of laughter that filled him where he had only felt empty for so long. A warmth pushing back the cold.

[bettydice]

I didn’t expect you to be lonely (too)

Xicheng, Modern AU, JC&WWX reconciliation, E-Rated

[Read on AO3]

Chapter 5

Jiang Cheng I need your help Nie Huaisang this should be good

Jiang Cheng I’m already regretting this

Nie Huaisang awww Cheng-Cheng! I’ll be good :3c

Jiang Cheng … Do you know a nice coffee shop? something quiet and cozy but not like empty not too fancy but not cheap

Nie Huaisang why?

Jiang Cheng because I want to drink coffee what do you think

Nie Huaisang hahahahahahahaha

Jiang Cheng Maybe I just want a quiet place to study!?!?!

Nie Huaisang lololololololol

Jiang Cheng forget I asked

Nie Huaisang there’s a cute place next to the park the one I carried you to cozy interior, lots of plants

Jiang Cheng thank you

Nie Huaisang do you need help picking out an outfit for the date?

Jiang Cheng shut up Who said it was a date? I can dress myself

Nie Huaisang you have that dark purple v-neck it looks so good on you paired with some tight jeans nobody could resist you

Jiang Cheng I didn’t ask! but thanks

Nie Huaisang say hi to Xichen-ge call me after

Jiang Cheng fuck off

Nie Huaisang :-*

Jiang Cheng messages Lan Xichen with the details, and they agree to meet directly at the coffee shop. Since they’re meeting at 4:30 p.m. and Jiang Cheng woke up at 6 a.m., he has many hours to obsess over it. What should he wear, what should he talk about. What should he not talk about, under any circumstances? (Anything involving Wei Wuxian, probably.) Is it really a good idea to meet at a place Nie Huaisang suggested? Should he have offered to pick Lan Xichen up? But he doesn’t have a car. He could have asked his sister to borrow her car, but then he’d have to explain why and… He’s not ready for that conversation.

He somehow makes it through the day without panicking and cancelling on Lan Xichen. When it’s finally time to get dressed, Jiang Cheng does eventually settle on the purple sweater. Not because of Nie Huaisang, but because it’s the best choice.

Jiang Cheng arrives too early, so he waits in front of the coffee shop. Above him, the sky is dark, clouds foreboding. Of course he forgot his umbrella, again. He frowns at the sky when the first rain drop lands on his nose. He doesn’t really want to wait inside. At least this way he can pretend he just arrived and Lan Xichen will be able to spot him immediately. Luckily he doesn’t have to wait much longer until he sees Lan Xichen approaching in the distance. Jiang Cheng sighs, relieved. Apparently a part of him thought Lan Xichen would not show up? When Lan Xichen sees him waiting, smiles and waves, Jiang Cheng tenses up again, heartbeat speeding up.

Fuck. Why is he on a date? There’s no way this will go well. Lan Xichen will end up disappointed and/or offended. He doesn’t know what Lan Xichen is looking for in a … whatever… but Jiang Cheng can’t be it.

But it’s too late to back out now. Because Lan Xichen is standing in front of him, looking wonderful. His cheeks are flushed from the cold and he’s wearing a light grey scarf and a coat and looks so much better suited for this autumn day. Jiang Cheng would like to know what it feels like to have these arms wrapped around him. Fuck.

“Jiang Wanyin. Hello.”

“Hey.”

They simply stare at each other for a few seconds because already they have nothing to say to each other because Jiang Cheng can’t do small talk or big talk or anything. Before he can develop a full blown panic that ends with him pretending to have a stomach bug and needing to leave, a raindrop lands on Lan Xichen’s nose. Not wanting that Lan Xichen gets rained on is a very simple want Jiang Cheng can follow easily, so he says: “Shall we go in?” and opens the door. He gestures to Lan Xichen to go in first, but Lan Xichen makes the same gesture at the same time.

Jiang Cheng gestures again, more intently. Lan Xichen looks a little surprised, then laughs and finally steps through the door.

Inside, it is… cozy. Jiang Cheng thinks that describes it well. Wooden floor, colourful mix and match furniture, and - Jiang Cheng is relieved to see - quite a few plants. Lan Xichen will probably like it here, so Nie Huaisang hasn’t led him astray. (Not that he would.)

As they approach the counter, Jiang Cheng hopes Lan Xichen will order first, so Jiang Cheng can adjust his own order accordingly. He doesn’t want to be weird because he orders too much or too little. However, Lan Xichen seems to be waiting for him to go first. The person behind the counter gives them an unimpressed stare.

“Why don’t you-” Jiang Cheng starts, but he’s not quick enough.

“Please, go ahead.” Lan Xichen steps aside, so Jiang Cheng is the only one directly in front of the counter.

Fuck. Alright. What’s a normal thing to order in a coffee shop? Black coffee is too boring, right? Shit - and food too? They sell cakes and muffins but also soup and sandwiches. What is the right choice here? Obviously he’s overthinking it, but… Lan Xichen deserves as much consideration on Jiang Cheng’s part as possible!

“Ready to make your order? Would you like me to recommend something?” The person behind the counter asks, and Jiang Cheng randomly picks the Autumn Latte that’s advertised on a little chalkboard next to the cash register and a piece of chocolate cake. He pays for it and only belatedly realises he should’ve said that he’d pay for both their orders. Oh well. To his relief, Lan Xichen orders something of the same magnitude (a hot chocolate and an apple-cinnamon muffin) and they move to the left to wait for their drinks. Lan Xichen doesn’t say anything, only smiles whenever their eyes meet and Jiang Cheng can’t think of a single thing to say. They haven’t even sat down, why is he already out of conversation topics? They haven’t even had a conversation yet! Fuck.

Lan Xichen turns to him, mug and plate with muffin in hand, cocks his head a little, raises his eyebrows and smiles. Today, he seems to be quietly insisting Jiang Cheng should take the lead, which is a horrible idea, because Jiang Cheng is a certified Dating Disaster. But they should really stop hanging out at the counter, so Jiang Cheng moves purposefully towards a table in a corner, as though he’s confident in his choices. A large plant, vaguely looking like a palm tree, is standing next to the table, so he hopes Lan Xichen will approve.

Once they’ve sat down and taken off their coats, things do not get any easier. Lan Xichen is wearing a very soft looking, teal sweater. He looks… as though he gives really great hugs, which is not a thought that helps him relax.

Right, he needs to stop staring and start talking.

“I hope you found the place well.” This is not a line of conversation that will get them very far, but at least it’s a start.

“Oh, yes, I could walk here from home! It’s a lovely place.” Lan Xichen looks around the room once, then looks back at Jiang Cheng, smiling. “Do you come here often?”

“I’ve… never been actually. A friend recommended it to me.”

“It was a good suggestion.”

Jiang Cheng nods his agreement, then they both fall silent again. He takes a sip of his drink, but it’s still too hot and he almost burns the roof of his mouth. Fuck.

“Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?” Lan Xichen suddenly says. He seems to realise it was a bit out of the blue and laughs, a bit embarrassed. “I’m sorry, there was no lead up to that at all. I just realised that I don’t know too much about you other than who you’re related to.”

This is what Jiang Cheng was worried about. There’s nothing good or interesting to know about him, which Lan Xichen will realise very soon and lose all of his attraction to Jiang Cheng. Well, better get it over with then.

“I’m a student. Business degree.”

“Oh.” Lan Xichen clearly didn’t expect this answer. “Do you enjoy it?”

“Do I…” Jiang Cheng didn’t expect this question. Is it even possible to enjoy a fucking business degree? He laughs and can’t keep the bitterness out of it. “No, I hate it.”

“Then why do you study it?” It’s a reasonable question, but Jiang Cheng doesn’t have a reasonable answer. If he had one, maybe he’d hate it less.

“Because… I started it.” He never wanted to. He did it, because he told himself he should follow in his father’s footsteps, do what his mother expected of him to honour her memory. But his father never meant for those footsteps to be filled by him, and his mother… There aren’t many good memories worth honouring.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Lan Xichen is clearly thrown by how bitter Jiang Cheng sounds. His smile looks a little strained now, and there’s a crease forming between his eyebrows. “Let me ask more casual questions! What… what are your hobbies? What do you like to do?”

Another reasonable question Jiang Cheng has no reasonable answer for. “I… I like to…” He’s stopped doing things. He’s stopped liking things. He can’t think of anything he does for fun these days. Is there truly nothing? “Well… I like… playing with my nephew. And… uhm… I like animals.”

“I noticed.” Lan Xichen leans forward, probably happy he found a topic they can discuss without running the danger of Jiang Cheng having another one of his emotional outbursts. Why is he like this? Lan Xichen deserves better. As is evidenced by his beautiful smile when he says: “I think animals like you too.”

Nobody likes me, is his first thought and why can’t his brain ever shut up? He decides to ignore it this time, Lan Xichen’s voice is lovelier to listen to, anyway. “Though Cloud did pee on me.”

Lan Xichen laughs, his brows smooth again. Jiang Cheng is glad. “She did. But as I said, I’m sure it was a sign of… proprietary affection.”

Jiang Cheng laughs too. “I’ll take you by your word, you’re the bunny expert. I actually used to volunteer at an animal shelter, but they didn’t often have bunnies there. Mostly cats and dogs.”

“That’s such a wonderful idea!” Lan Xichen’s eyes light up and he looks at Jiang Cheng with such warmth, it could start snowing right now and he wouldn’t be cold. “But you don’t go there anymore?”

“Ah, no… I suppose I… got busy.” That’s a lame excuse and Jiang Cheng is sure Lan Xichen knows it too.

Lan Xichen, because he is wonderful and lovely and nice, only nods and says: “I used to go to the botanical garden every week, but these days… Once you stop, it’s easier to leave it instead of picking it up again, isn’t it?”

“We should go together. The botanical garden. Or the shelter, whatever you want.”

Before Jiang Cheng can regret his words, because maybe Lan Xichen will not want to meet with him again after today, Lan Xichen smiles. “I’d like that. I’d like to visit both with you.”

“Oh.. oh, okay. Yes. Great!” Jiang Cheng’s face feels hot for some reason. Maybe the thought that Lan Xichen wants to keep seeing him fills him with such warmth it has spread to his face. Maybe it’s because one part of his brain keeps yelling ‘I want to kiss him.’

“Would you like to tell me more about your time at the shelter? What exactly did you do there? Were you allowed to play with the animals?”

Jiang Cheng finds out that he can talk for a surprisingly long time when it’s a topic that doesn’t fill him with existential dread. He even ends up telling Lan Xichen all about his favourite animals - their names, their habits, whether they found a new home. Lan Xichen listens intently, sometimes asks a question, always smiling.

It isn’t until Jiang Cheng takes a sip from his drink, only to find out his latte is empty, that he notices Lan Xichen’s tea and muffin are both still untouched.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to monopolize the conversation.” How long has he talked about random animals Lan Xichen doesn’t even know? If Nie Huaisang could see him now, he’d probably sadly shake his head, telling him he’s a lost cause.

“Oh, no, not at all! It’s lovely to see you so passionate.”

Lan Xichen smiles at him, but… he looks a little pale, doesn’t he? Or is it just the light playing tricks?

“Lan-laoshi… are you alright?”

Lan Xichen’s smile falters. “Mhm… why… why do you ask?”

“You haven’t eaten anything. Your tea must be getting cold, too.”

“Oh, you’re right! Ha…” Lan Xichen looks down at his tea. Then he raises his hands from his lap, wraps them around the mug. He tries to lift the mug, but his hands are shaking so badly, the tea almost spills over. He quickly puts the mug down again, then sends an embarrassed smile towards Jiang Cheng. “Sorry. It’s… Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

As soon as Lan Xichen says the word ‘fine’, the door opens and a group of laughing teenagers enters the coffee shop. Lan Xichen twitches, his hands gripping the edge of the table. Jiang Cheng can see sweat beading on his forehead. Fine is definitely not what he is.

“Lan Xichen… are you not feeling well? Should I get you some water? Do you want to leave?”

Lan Xichen closes his eyes for a second, wipes his forehead with one shaking hand, then lets out a frustrated sigh. “I’m really sorry. I just get overwhelmed sometimes… in public spaces…”

Alright. This is a problem with an easy solution. Jiang Cheng stands up and puts on his jacket. “Then we’ll leave. Come on. The park is on the other side of the road. Let’s get some fresh air.”

Lan Xichen just stares up at him, lips slightly parted. Jiang Cheng smiles gently, hoping it will reassure him. “Put on your coat. I’ll get a bag for your muffin. Would be a pity not to eat it.”

He rushes to get a paper bag from the counter. When he returns, Lan Xichen has stood up, his coat in one hand, but is simply looking down at it, as though he isn’t sure what to do. Jiang Cheng puts the muffin into the bag and stuffs it in the pocket of his jacket. Then he helps Lan Xichen into his coat and slings the leather shoulder bag over his own shoulder. He takes Lan Xichen’s hand in his and smiles up at him. “Let’s get out of here.”

Lan Xichen looks down at him, a little helpless, and it hurts Jiang Cheng to see him like this. But when Jiang Cheng starts walking, he follows him out of the coffee shop. Into the pouring rain. Of course Jiang Cheng doesn’t have an umbrella with him, because he’s terrible at dating and at life. He wanted to take care of Lan Xichen and all he’ll accomplish is that they’ll get soaked.

“Fuck!”

[ouyangzizhensdad]

Perhaps you'd like a an ask that's not discourse related? If so, then I wanted to ask you if you know what jin zixuan thought of jin guangyao?

Hi anon,

I appreciate your non-discourse-related ask 😉. Your question made me realise that the novel seems to explicitly avoid giving us any real sense of what Jin Zixuan thought of Jin Guangyao, or how he reacted to the ways other people treated JGY. It seems that JZX remained unaware at the time that Meng Yao came on his birthday--and literally got kicked out. At Phoenix Mountain, JZX stops being mentioned after JGY appears and while his mother mistreats him--he’s only brought back into the narration at the very end to scream at JYL. JZX is also absent the night that WWX goes to Jinlintai to confront the Jins about Qiongqi path and in the direct aftermath. But let’s dig for crumbs and make sense of gaps, and let’s see what we can infer from them.

We know that, originally, Jin Zixuan was the epitome of the proud Jin: “The ways of the Jin Sect were proud, and Jin Zixuan inherited every single drop of this. With his high standards, he had been unsatisfied with this engagement since a long time ago.“ We could wonder if the circumstances of JGY’s birth would have been something JZX would have judged him for. We know that he took offense to WWX’s persona, although it is not spelled out exactly what offended him specifically: “Because of this engagement, Jin Zixuan had no positive impressions of the YunmengJiang Sect, and had frowned upon Wei Wuxian’s behavior since some time ago.“ However, it’s unclear whether the circumstances of WWX’s birth influenced how he perceived his behaviour. All we know for sure is that two other Jin family members--his father and Jin Zixun--never forgot about it and brought it up. We also know that in the past, JZX felt comfortable ignoring people’s good will towards him if he felt he was motivated in his view of them, as he did with JYL in the past:

Jin-furen had brought him to Lotus Pier a couple of times. Neither Wei Wuxian nor Jiang Cheng liked to play with him; only Jiang Yanli wanted to feed him the food that she made. Jin Zixuan, however, didn’t really like to pay her any attention.

At the same time, we do know that JZX had a sense of righteousness, what with him standing up against Wen Chao at Dusk-Creek Mountain. Likewise, we see with the soup incident that at least when it comes to a low-level cultivator who is a servant, a good deed done towards him without trying to gain his gratitude is enough to earn his respect, and for JZX to take action to raise the standing of that person:

Cleverly, the woman never acknowledged anything, but instead denied it ambiguously, her cheeks flushed, making it sound as though she was the one who did it, but didn’t want Jin Zixuan to know how much trouble she went through. And thus, Jin Zixuan didn’t force her to admit it any longer. However, in action, he had began to respect the cultivator. He began to pay attention to her, even raising her from a servant to a guest cultivator.

JZX even tells JYL: “Don’t think that just because you come from a powerful sect that you can steal and trample other people’s feelings. Some people, even if they come from poor backgrounds, their character are much better than the former’s. Please watch your conduct.” This underlines that, regardless of his upbringing, and perhaps even views that he might have held at some point in his life, at this point JZX seemed to want to judge others based on their character rather than their background. Of course, we can wonder if that reserve of good will would have extended to his half-brother, especially one that could try to take his place as the heir. However, considering the circumstances, from JGY’s birth to JGS’s decision to give him a name that did not align him with the same generation as JZX, we can wonder if anyone ever perceived then JGY as someone who could potentially become the next sect leader, as seen in this exchange between WWX and JC:

Jiang Cheng smirked, “Don’t carry your sword, then. It doesn’t matter. But don’t provoke Jin Zixuan from now on. He’s Jin Guangshan’s only son, after all. The future leader of the LanlingJin Sect will be him. If you beat him up, what should I, the sect leader, do? Beat him up with you? Or punish you?”

Wei Wuxian, “Isn’t Jin Guangyao here now? Jin Guangyao seems so much better than him.”

Jiang Cheng finished wiping his sword. After he scrutinized it for a while, he finally put Sandu back into its sheath, “So what, if he’s better? No matter how much better he is, no matter how clever, he could only be a servant who greets the guests. That’s all there is to his life. He can’t compare with Jin Zixuan.”

At Phoenix Mountain, while we do not see JZX say anything out of line to JGY, he is present while his mother and Jin Zixun disrespect him: and we get no reaction written for him while that takes place--he’s mostly licking his wounded pride. We also know that this disrespect by his family towards JGY was the norm, so we have to assume that JZX would have been a witness to it in other situations. In the context of that specific scene, it’s difficult to to infer something concrete from that silence: is it agreement? complicity? a certain indifference to JGY’s situation? an unwillingness of rock the boat or to seem to publicly challenge his mother? or simply him just being too self-absorbed by his romantic woes?

The next scene that would have made for an interesting case study is the night WWX comes to confront the Jins about the camp at Qiongqi Path. However, JZX is absent that night. Conveniently, or as a means to maintain a sense of ambiguity between him and WWX, we thereby do not know how JZX feels about what happened. He is also absent during the aftermath:  “At midnight, in the Golden Pavilion on JinlinTai sat over fifty sect leaders from sects of all sizes. Jin Guangshan sat in the foremost seat. Jin Zixuan was away [...].” (interesting that CQL added JZX to that scene). Which means he is not there to react to the mistreatment of JGY by others or to react to the way JGY is clearly lying for the purposes of manipulating the general opinion on WWX and save the Jin’s reputation.

We also do not get to witness the conversation that leads JZX to come to Qiongqi Path to try to stop Jin Zixun. All we get is a sentence of dialogue from JZX explaining that he thought JGY looked strange which prompted JZX tp questioned him questions (we of course know that JGY was purposefully acting that way to get JZX to go to Qionqqi Path, so it’s hard to take that as a sign of clear familiarity between them that would have allowed JZX to read hidden emotions from him). Did JZX ask out of specific concern for or suspicions of JGY? We don’t know! It is interesting to note though that, in this scene, Jin Zixun refers to JGY as “A-Yao”, which the narration contextualises by telling us that Jin Zixun started calling him in a more intimate manner despite the original contemps he had held for him. However, when JZX mentions JGY to Jin Zixun, he calls him “Jin Guangyao” (for reference, Jin Zixun calls JZX “Zixuan”).

All in all, we get very little from looking at JZX. However, there is something to be said in the absence of any specific grievances expressed by JGY towards him in terms of framing how JZX may have acted towards him when they were both at Jinlintai. Indeed, when Jin Ling asks JGY why he arranged for his father to go to Qiongqi path, meeting his death, JGY mentions the unfairness of the situation of both sons, but never brings up anything JZX did specifically to him. And we know that JGY has a great memory which allows him to hold grudges.

Suddenly, Jin Ling screamed, “Why?!” He stood up from beside Jiang Cheng. Eyes red, he rushed toward Jin Guangyao as he shouted, “Why did you have to do this?!”

Nie Huaisang hurried to pull back Jin Ling, who seemed as though he wanted to fight with Jin Guangyao. Jin Guangyao returned the question, “Why?” He turned to Jin Ling, “A-Ling, then could you tell me why? Why is it that even if I face everyone with a smile, I might not even receive the lowest form of respect, while even though your father was extremely arrogant, people flocked to him? Could you tell me why we were born from the same person but your father could relax at home with the love of his life playing with his child, while I never even dared be alone for long with my wife, shivering out of fright at first glance of my son? And I was ordered to do such a thing by my father as if it was natural—to kill an extremely dangerous figure who could flip out and conjure up a bloody massacre with his corpses anytime!

“Why is it that even though we were born on the same day, Jin Guangshan could host a grand banquet for one son, and watch with his own eyes how his subordinate kicked his other son down Jinlintai, from the first stair to the last!”

He finally revealed the hatred hidden deep within him. It wasn’t directed at neither Jin Zixuan nor Wei Wuxian, but rather his own father.

As a result, we might infer that, at the very least, JZX never directly acted towards JGY in a way that reflected how JGS or Jin Zixun (at some point) treated him. At the same time, it’s difficult to suggest that he stood up for him when other people disrespected him, and we know that JZX’s mother disrespected JGY in lieu of directing her anger toward the real culprit, her awful husband. Little seems to suggest that they grew intimate after JGY came to Jinlintai. It’s really hard to divine, as a result, what JZX might have thought of JGY.

The most interesting thing to take away from this is that it seems absolutely deliberate on MXTX’s part to show us as little as possible in terms of interactions between JZX and JGY. We can speculate as to why that is: to separate JZX from the machinations of this sect? to avoid giving us more ammunition to guess that JGY was behind JZX’s death? to ensure that WWX remains ambiguous towards JZX? or just as a means to avoid having to figure out how to work this dynamic into already complicated scenes and character relationships? etc.

[moonblovegood]

(please feel free to correct me any time, specially since my native language isn't english and my memory sucks)

JC and LWJ were an interesting duo at some point! I wish we had seen more of them together, while they were still in that awkward energy of lowkey being jealous of each other because of WWX's attention, but working towards common goals to destroy the Wen. LWJ is a respectful Lan, JC has to admire that, but he's also the guy that WWX disappeared with for 1 day and 1 night and showed up tied to each other in the middle of the woods. JC tells WWX to just stay at Cloud Recesses since he's so interested in spending time with LWJ. JC is jealous of suddenly sharing his attention: WWX is always all over the place, but now he keeps insisting on disturbing that same guy for some reason. and he lowkey knows what's the reason as soon as LXC does too, but they have different reactions to it.

On the other hand, LWJ is still falling for WWX. WWX is skilled, he has a similar sense of justice, LWJ "hates" being disturbed by him but is always gravitating around him, very much intrigued by what he sees and feels. LWJ knows WWX's "family" means everything to him. YL calmed WWX down when not even LWJ could. WWX said he'd never move to Cloud Recesses because he'd rather have fun back at home with JC. LWJ doesn't quite knows what he feels yet, but he knows he wants to be around him too. he wants to try some lotus seeds too. the more he rejects WWX, the more WWX will have fun teasing him and he knows that. but WWX would rather go back home, and he swears he'd never live in Cloud Recesses, he'd never fit into LWJ's life.

when WWX disappeared for 3 months, JC and LWJ were both driven not only by a huge sense of responsibility of revenging the Lan and Jiang that were murdered, but also the worry of finding someone they cared too much about. none of them could express that really well back then. somehow, you can still tell that LWJ knew it was WWX killing the Wen and torturing Wen Chao, although he still had to see it for himself to believe it, while JC was still clueless and wondering "who could've used amulets to summon spirits like that". JC was closer to WWX, but LWJ read his feelings and knew his beliefs much better.

WWX finally appears, JC still gets a hug from him, while LWJ is told to mind his business and leaves heartbroken. JC doesn't want to overthink it: WWX is back and he'll be helpful towards their common goals to get revenge. but not LWJ, no matter how worried he had been for three months and no matter how much he anticipated finding him alive, his beliefs were stronger than his fresh feelings for WWX. what was wrong was wrong, simple as that. he did something wrong and he had to change his mind about using demonic cultivation. he HAD to. or else how could LWJ allow himself to keep liking him and linking his beliefs to WWX's, or even stay around him? Hanguang Jun would never tolerate that. so he starts ignoring WWX for a couple days.

JC, for some reason, doesn't hate the idea of LWJ being around anymore and, in fact, asks WWX why they're not talking. he wasn't only an ally anymore, but also the guy who fought everyone by his side to find WWX. JC is now aware that WWX means a lot to LWJ. deep down inside, he knew they were something special. he has no hard feelings for LWJ yet and he can project his parents' death on Wen Chao, at least for that moment, so his side that cares about WangXian's relationship peeks out. I'd dare to say he absolutely knew their feelings were romantic at that point and, after seeing WWX coming back so different and cold, he'd support their relationship. quietly, sometimes saying otherwise, maybe never even admitting it, but he would.

after hell breaks loose and you know exactly what happens, JC's perspective on their relationship completely shifts. he blames WWX, he blames LWJ too, he has no scapegoat anymore to relieve his resentment for them both. that subtle acceptance of their relationship is overshadowed by hatred and jealousy. He had to rebuild Lotus Pier by himself and mourn his entire family, while WWX had a chance to come back to life and walk around with his boyfriend like nothing ever happened. if being together wasn't enough, LWJ protects WWX at all times, including from JC himself. so JC and LWJ were done for good. I'd say somewhere in his heart, somewhere DEEP down in his heart, JC was happy for them having each other. he couldn't forgive, he couldn't let go, but that sparkle he had seen years ago between them two really turned into something precious. JC is one of my favorite characters.

[trensu]

Episode 48: The One where JGY and SS Host a Pity Party and Everyone Wishes They Hadn't

The show just dunks us right into yunmeng bro feelings again

jc's all should i get on my knees and thank you?

and wwx is like i never wanted your thanks

and now jc is just spilling his insecurities all over the place

Blah wwx was always better than him blah blah everyone liked wwx more blah blah DADDY ISSUES blah blah blah

and wwx just looks more and more hurt as all this bitterness is pouring out of his little brother 😞

i mean even jl was like hey uncle, maybe don't do that???

lwj is glaring at jc the whole time ofc

and jc gets so mad he tries to start a physical fight EVEN THO HE HAS A GAPING STAB WOUND IN THE CHEST

which is actually quite hilarious if you ignore how utterly heartbreaking the yunmeng bros relationship is

thankfully jl and lxc hold him back (not that he could've gone very far bc again GAPING STAB WOUND)

and ofc lwj has to throw in his two cents

lwj: clan leader jiang. Discretion

oh lwj, a man of few words

Oh no, ohno, oh nooooo, jc’s starting on their oath oh god

“YOU SAID THAT I WOULD BE THE CLAN LEADER AND YOU WOULD BE MY SUBORDINATE. YOU WOULD ASSIST ME FOR LIFE”

“SO WHAT IF THE TWIN JADES OF GUSU ARE THERE. WE WERE THE TWIN HEROES OF YUNMENG”

*GROSS SOBBING*

CAN I TOO GET A GAPING STAB WOUND IN THE CHEST BC I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WOULD HURT LESS

OH GOD WWX'S EYES ARE ALL RED

"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING. YOU TREAT ME LIKE A LITTLE FOOL."

OH THIS HURTS SO MUCH

that last bit, tho. i can't even hold that against him bc wwx DID lie to him. he DID neglect to trust him and his judgement. 

he took jc's choice away and made it for him, and that's not cool. 

and, like, i get it, I do bc i would probably want to do the same thing wwx did if i were in a similar situation with my own siblings

BUT STILL

jc: shouldn't i hate you? can't i hate you?

WHICH REALLY JUST TELLS ME THAT HE DOESN'T HATE WWX

HE WOULD NOT BE THIS TORN UP, THIS TEARFUL MESS, IF HE DIDN'T STILL LOVE HIS BROTHER AND WANT HIM BACK

this whole time jc is inching towards wwx, getting closer and closer until he's close enough to punch him if he wanted

Jc does make a sudden sharp movement towards wwx 

Which obvs has lwj jolting forward to protect wwx

But wwx IMMEDIATELY puts a hand on lwj's knee

jin ling darts forward to hold his uncle and is like, hanguang jun, my uncle's hurt!!

BC JC IS THE ONLY NOT EVIL AND/OR DEAD FAMILY HE HAS LEFT 

AND EVEN JL KNOWS THAT LWJ IS SO VERY WILLING TO HURT ANYONE WHO HURTS WWX

I AM HAVING TOO MANY EMOTIONS

jc's angry and hurting and is like i'm not afraid of lwj, come at me bro

lwj GLARES at him, brow furrowed and mouth pinched

jc: why? why wwx? why didn't you tell me?

oh god, he's not even yelling anymore, he's just fucking crying and i'm crying and there's just wet icky tears everywhere

wwx takes a shuddery breath and tells him it's bc he didn't want to see him like this

JC: you said i would be clan leader and you would be my subordinate. you would assist me for life. you'd never betray the jiang clan. you said it yourself

HE'S NOT YELLING. HE'S NOT EVEN ANGRY

his voice is weak, and shaky, and weepy and he's just so, so hurt

AND I'M A SOBBING MESS

and wwx swallows passed the lump in his throat but his voice still sounds a bit raw when he speaks

wwx: i'm sorry. i broke my promise.

FUCK 

FUCKING HELL

MY YUNMENG BROS

jc: we've reached this point. i don't need your apology now. i'm not that delicate

STFU JC, YOU BALD-FACED LIAR, "NOT THAT DELICATE" 

YOU'RE AS MUCH OF A SOBBING WRECK RN AS I AM

GET A THERAPIST JC

"NOT THAT DELICATE" I'M GONNA PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE IS WHAT I'M GONNA DO. GOD. NOT THAT DELICATE

JC: i'm sorry

*sobsobsobsob* MY YUNMENG BROS

wwx: don't apologize to me. that's what i owed the jiang clan.

here wwx closes the distance between them to place a hand on his brother's arm

HUG HIM GOD DAMN IT, LET MY YUNMENG BROS HAVE A PROPER HUG

wwx: as for this matter, please don't keep it in your heart.

and he goes on to say smth like i know you probably won't let go, but it's water under the bridge, that was all stuff that happened in my past life

AND THEN HE REACHES UP AND GENTLY WIPES AWAY JC'S TEARS WITH HIS THUMB

AND GIVES HIM A SWEET LITTLE SMILE

AND I'M DYING. MY HEART HURTS SO MUCH I'M DYING

I SHOULD'VE KEPT A BOX OF TISSUES NEAR ME, MY SLEEVES ARE ALL SNOTTY AND DISGUSTING NOW, DAMN IT ALL

AND THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST 10 MIN OF THE EPISODE WTF

I’VE BEEN REDUCED TO A SNIFFLING WEEPING MESS IN 10MIN FLAT WTF 

yunmeng bro moment ends (thank god) and we cut to the next scene where nhs is oh so conveniently regaining consciousness

now all the diggers are screaming to remind us that oh yeah, there's like Plot Stuff here, it's not just about the yunmeng bros

ss gives jgy some meds bc he's hurt or smth, who gives a damn

our boys follow jgy back to the dig site for Plot Reasons

and SURPRISE!! we have nmj's no-longer-headless dead body!!

lwj and wwx look at each other like WTF??

oooooh boy, nhs gave jgy the dirtiest look

wwx is being Clever again and pointing out Plot Relevant Things 

ss gets all offended and holds wwx at sword point 

but there's lwj with bichen in its scabbard, one step in front of him and ready to block anything ss sends their way bc lwj is not gonna let wwx get hurt if he can help it

ss is all like wwx you set him up! And wwx’s face is like, i aint even bovvered

wwx: i'm saying this with all modesty, but if i were the one who set him up, i'm afraid he wouldn't have just gotten one arm hurt

HOT DAMN

LOVE MY SUNSHINE BOY

and here my sunshine boy is being all Clever again and laying out all the facts and explaining how there's a 3rd party involved in all this

LOLOLOL HE'S REALLY PLAYING THIS UP FOR JGY TOO

he's like, there might be a predator behind you, the guy who's been spying on you this whole time...HE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE HUMAN

oh wwx, so Dramatic™

but hey it's working bc jgy looks spooked as hell

LOLOLOL

HE SEES JGY START FREAKING OUT AND HE LOOKS OVER TO LWJ AND GRINS AT HIM LIKE, HEY LAN ZHAN, SEE WHAT I DID, LOL, I SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS LOSER, DID YOU SEE? 

oh, now wwx and jc are bound by the wrists but not lwj, for some reason? 

Which, rude, why deny lwj the chance to be tied up? Let him try new experiences! What if he likes to be tied up? 

NOW HE’LL NEVER KNOW BC YOU DIDN’T LET HIM TRY IT

jgy and ss have a moment that i don't care about but i have to mention it

bc RIGHT AFTER we see our precious beautiful sunshine boy lean WAY into lwj's space to talk shit about them

like, seriously, just a couple inches more, and wwx would be resting his cheek on lwj's shoulder 

IT'S WONDERFUL AND I WISH HE'D GET EVEN CLOSER

shockingly, lwj is NOT as distracted as i would be having wwx that close 

bc he's studying ss and SUDDENLY SEES HE'S GOT THE HUNDRED-HOLES CURSE ON HIM 

which btw, EWW?? THAT'S THE GROSSEST THING EVER 

I REALLY WISH THEY'D STOP SHOWING IT SO MUCH BC IT MAKES MY SKIN CRAWL

he tells ss to turn around to get a better look and wwx sees it too!! he's like, IT WAS YOU!!!

and for the audience's benefit, nhs goes to lxc and is all what's going on???

lxc and jc gives some exposition about blah blah blah stuff we know about already

amidst all this we keep getting shots of wwx looking stunned and hurt (but still oh-so-beautiful)

wwx: jgy, i didn't do anything against you back then. we were not even that familiar. you wanted to kill jzx. why did you push that on me?

HE LOOKS SO HURT AND ANGRY AND CONFUSED BC WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HIM? WHY DID JGY HAVE TO USE HIM??

and lwj is watching wwx while he shouts this and god how can he stand watching his soulmate be hurt over and over and over again?? HOW DOES HE COPE?

jgy does a mini Rant of Evil Explanation and ss does a rant about classism

which, if said by literally anybody else, i'd say hm, yes, you have a point 

but bc it's said by ss, a spineless coward who never takes responsibility for his own actions, i'm like STFU SS

omg lolololol

ss: would i have been swept out of lan clan like a pile of leaves [if I were highborn]??

AND ICE PRINCE LWJ ANSWERS ALMOST BEFORE SS COULD FINISH ASKING

lwj: Yes.

AND THEN HE LOOKS SS DEAD IN THE EYE

lwj: betrayers won't be tolerated by the lan clan

HELL FUCKING YEAH

YOU WEREN'T KICKED OUT BC YOU WERE LOW-BORN, SS

YOU WERE KICKED OUT BC YOU'RE A TRAITOROUS COWARD

and like, i need to point out that lwj is sitting cross legged on the ground right now (along with wwx, ofc) and ss is standing over him while ranting

and YET, the way lwj holds himself and the way he speaks, does in no way indicate that he's at a disadvantage here

dude's unflappable. JADE OF LAN, INDEED

ss is like i am so sick of your condescending attitude

then he's like just bc i made that one little mistake you could never forgive me!!

FUCKING EXCUSE ME??? 

LITTLE? LITTLE MISTAKE??? 

HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED BC OF YOU SS?

HOW MANY DIED BC YOU BETRAYED THEM??

ss continues to rant and starts to go off his rocker

and then wwx starts to laugh but it's not a happy laugh

it is, in fact, a laugh very similar to the laugh we heard in The One where the Moonlit Rooftop Betrays Us

ss is like, what's so funny???

wwx: nothing. i just didn't expect...

AND HE'S GETTING TEARY HERE EVEN AS HE LAUGHS

WWX: i didn't expect you to get so many people killed just for...just for this

HE LOOKS SO DISILLUSIONED

MY POOR PRECIOUS SUNSHINE BOY

THE WORLD KEEPS DISAPPOINTING HIM

omg i want to RING JGY'S NECK WITH ZIDIAN

HE'S GETTING ALL UP IN WWX'S FACE

TELLING HIM THAT NO MATTER HOW KIND OR CHIVALROUS HE IS, HE WILL ALWAYS BE BLAMED FOR ANY BAD THING THAT HAPPENS, THAT NO ONE WILL EVER BELIEVE OR TRUST HIM

FUCK YOU JGY I HATE YOU SO MUCH

MY POOR SUNSHINE BOY IS TREMBLING WITH RAGE

bc he knows it's true. ppl really ARE always going to suspect the yiling patriarch.

oooh, jc just defended his brother! sort of.

But it has the unfortunate side effect of drawing jgy’s attention

so now jgy is cutting into jc

god jgy talks a lot. stfu jgy.

wwx has been teary eyed on and off this entire episode so far but hasn't actually cried

but jgy is now belittling all of jc's work, all the effort he put in to rebuilding lotus pier, implying that he wouldn't have been able to do if not for wwx

and that's the breaking point, that's what makes wwx finally shed a tear.

lwj is watching wwx, as always, and sees wwx cry

he must feel utterly helpless

ooooh, MY CLEVER SUNSHINE BOY

EVEN AMIDST ALL THIS TERRIBLE EMOTIONAL PAIN, HE PICKED UP ON JGY'S TRIGGER WORD(S)

wwx: just a "son of a whore" made you talk so much

oooh jgy tries to leave but wwx stops him in his tracks by asking him how he killed nmj

and then he's like "aren't you afraid?"

CHILLS, MAN, I'M GETTING CHILLS AT HOW HE DELIVERS THIS

SO CALM, COOL AND COLLECTED YET TINGED WITH A THREAT

jgy: afraid of what? (lol he whirls around angrily like the Drama queen he is)

wwx leans forward and looks him dead in the eye

wwx: afraid of him coming back to you

AND THE SMIRK HE WEARS

THAT'S THE SMIRK OF THE YILING PATRIARCH 

He smirks and leans back against the pillar, all easy and relaxed while jgy looks freaked the fuck out

and then

THEN

WWX STARTS TO WHISTLE

RESENTFUL ENERGY COMES IN TO STROKE AT JGY'S ARM ALL MENACINGLY

I'M GETTING CHILLS ALL OVER 

THIS IS SUCH A BADASS MOVE ON WWX'S PART

and also, holy shit do i enjoy those close up shots of wwx's eyes and his beautiful beautiful lips

the sound team did a great job making those whistles sound super eerie, btw

i can't get over how cool and confident wwx looks here

he's not worried or bothered AT ALL, this is him doing what he does best

Wait, do i have a competency kink…?

LOL JGY JUST GOT BITCHSLAPPED BY RESENTFUL ENERGY, LOVE IT

wwx has stopped whistling now, which is unfortunate bc that means no more extreme close-ups on wwx's gorgeous features

jgy: yiling patriarch, you're worthy of your title, aren't you?

YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT HE IS!

Okay yeah, i guess i have a competency kink now, THANKS A LOT WWX

FUCKING SU SHE JUST TRIED STABBING WWX

LWJ TO THE RESCUE, HELL YEAH

OUR MAN HANGUANG JUN LEAPS TO HIS FEET AND NOT ONLY BLOCKS THE STRIKE

HE FREAKING SLICES SU SHE'S WEAK ASS SWORD IN TWO 

THEN FOLLOWS UP WITH A SLICE AT SU SHE'S WRIST

I LOVE YOU HANGUANG JUN

Lwj calmly goes over to wwx and slices off the ropes that were keeping his wrists tied and does the same to jc

wwx goes up to jgy (who's held at sword point by lxc) and calmly takes his weapons

wwx: jgy, hand it over. it's not of much use in your hands.

with a deceivingly dainty clink, Plot Device 3 rolls out of jgy's sleeve and into his hand

then he lets it fall to the ground bc he's a petty bitch that way

we get to see wwx being all Smart Detective and revealing just how long jgy has been planning all this 

jgy’s all like even between me and xy we could only create Plot Device 3 half as powerful as Plot Device 2

LOLOL THAT'S BC THE TWO OF YOU ARE WORTHLESS HACKS.

WWX HAS MORE SKILL AND TALENT IN HIS PINKY FINGER THAN THE BOTH OF YOU COMBINED

man there's a lot of Plot Exposition happening and lxc is having Feelings about it.

DON'T FUCKING LOWER YOUR SWORD LXC WHAT ARE YOU DOING

look lxc, i don't mean to sound cruel or heartless or whatever, but omg i do NOT CARE about your complicated Emotions right now

NOT WHEN IT'S GIVING JGY THE OPENING TO MANIPULATE AN ESCAPE

jgy is now being like "oh, i was wrong" and acting all pitiful and TOTALLY PLAYING LXC FOR A FOOL (AGAIN)

wwx: hey, jgy, can't we stop talking? let's just fight? can we just start killing each other?

LOLOLOLOLOL 

HE TOTALLY SAW THAT JGY WAS MANIPULATING THE SITUATION AGAIN AND IS LIKE, NOPE, NOT DOING THAT AGAIN

LESS WORDS MORE SWORDS PLZ

LIKE, MY BOY IS JUST DONE. HE IS DONE WITH THIS. LET'S GET TO THE FIGHT NOW THX.

jgy ignores this and keeps talking to lxc AND OMG WWX'S FAAAAACE IS CRACKING ME UP 

GOD WORDS ARE NOT GONNA DO IT JUSTICE

HE JUST LOOKS AT JGY FOR A SECOND LIKE, SRSLY BRO? BEFORE ROLLING HIS EYES AND SCRUNCHING UP HIS EYEBROWS LIKE "CAN YOU FUCKING BELIEVE THIS GUY, JFC"

IT'S SO FREAKING FUNNY OMG

meanwhile jgy continues to throw a pity party that no one likes and the episode ends

There really wasn’t much wangxian time in this episode, fucking jgy and ss decided to HOG ALL THE SCREEN TIME, THOSE PATHETIC WHINY ASSHOLES

but we got a lot of Yungmeng Bros which was painful but waaaay better than anything jgy or ss has to offer

Return to Masterpost