#Everything about Lan Sizhui says: 'No. You can be kind and there will be positive change in the world. The sacrifices you made mattered.'

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Behold, a Bunny!

(for @alliechickfic on twitter)

[idlebeks]

New Bundle of Multi Fandom Fic Recs

Fics from various fandoms that have made it into my favorites pile in the last few months. I’ve included the first fics in some unfinished series in this bunch, so if that bothers you be sure to check the series pages before you start to read. Here you will find recs for The Untamed/MDZS, SVSSS, Word of Honor, and Star Wars. One of these days I will create master lists for each fandom.These are a mix of gen and slash with a range of ratings, so read at your own risk. Don’t forget to leave some love for the authors.

The Untamed/MDZS

Stray Dog's Parable by natcat5

Innocence isn't the only thing to die in war. Propriety is the last thing on the minds of the teenaged generals, the orphan clan leaders of the Sunshot campaign.

Jin Guangshan is the only leader who ascended as an adult, who didn't have his parents murdered by the Wen, who didn't come of age during a war. The last adult standing, the only one with experience and age. He assumes this will put him in the most advantageous position, once the war ends. That the infant leaders of the other clans will gladly fall into step within his shadow.

He is wrong.

Your Heart and Mine by natcat5

Wangji and his swan have never met a daemon so terrible and improper as Wei Wuxian's wretched, shameless raven.

Fierce Rabbits by FaiaSakura 

Lan Yuan didn’t mean to start a collection of undead rabbits.

Inquiry by incendir

Sizhui cannot fall asleep for a long, long time that night. He hears the ever-familiar melody again. He thinks perhaps he has memorized it by now.

the anger remains by Gaez (bell_flowers) 

The ghost, when it comes to Lotus Pier, is not entirely unexpected. That it is the enraged shade of his elder sister, does give Jiang Wanyin pause.

just as the stories say by TheDameJudiWench

When a young girl tries to kill the Yiling Laozu, she learns that revenge may not be what she seeks. As Wei Wuxian fights for his life in Cloud Recesses, she begin to carve out an existence she never imagined. Suddenly, she has far more to lose than she ever believed she could gain.

The more she learns about Wei Wuxian and the people who love him, the more she understands about grief and atonement.

This is a story about forgiveness.

Whatever you do [Podfic] by gndmlvr01

Podfic of Whatever you do, by apathyinreverie

Read by gndmlvr01, and posted with blanket permission Please note: I did adjust tags that I find helpful to locate works like this (ex: Genius WWX)

Original story summary:

During the attack on Cloud Recesses, both Jades of Lan are captured. It changes everything. Not so much by way of their capture. But rather by way of who ends up coming to their rescue.

(Or, a Wei-Ying-is-appreciated fic. ‘Cause, there can never be enough of those.)

To a fault by apathyinreverie 

The one where Jiang Cheng wakes during the Golden Core transfer procedure, wakes to the sound of his brother’s agony, to the sight of Wei Wuxian letting his Golden Core be torn from his own chest.

SVSSS

anachronism of the moment by plutoisgay 

daemon au that follows Shen Yuan through his transmigration and life in PIDW

We Are Not Wise by Boomchick, Suzoomie

When Shen Qingqiu drew Shen Yuan’s soul sword, it felt like being burned from the inside out. The fire wasn’t cruel, but it was still fire—hot and destructive, searing the softest pieces of him.

When Binghe’s fingers touch the hilt, he is ready for pain.

Transmigrated into a version of Proud Immortal Demon Way where cultivators manifest their own souls into spiritual weapons, Shen Yuan finds himself sort of kind of…accidentally blackmailing Shen Qingqiu into taking him on as a disciple before Luo Binghe joins the sect.

That should give Shen Yuan plenty of opportunities to make sure nothing goes wrong for his favorite protagonist, right? RIGHT!?

Protagonist Rehabilitation Programme by cinnamonsnaps

(oh my god they were roommates)

"Thank you, valued user, for accepting the Protagonist Rehabilitation Programme. Your task: Ensure the protagonist's happiness."

Shen Yuan is convinced that his favouri... least favourite novel's main protagonist isn't really happy. He has babes, money and power, but does he have any friends? Cue the system handily dropping Demon King Luo Binghe into his bedroom. Can Shen Yuan make him happy before the timer runs out?

(90% light-hearted comedy, 10% existential horror and fear because this is the OG PIDW Binghe we're talking about)

Can't we just skip to the end? by chaoticgoodlawyer

When it was all said and done, Shen Qingqiu comforted himself that the end of the plot meant that, surely, all major events were out of the way. They were firmly in HEA territory and he could relax a little. Right? Right.

A year and a half into his marriage to the protagonist, he cursed himself for a fool when he woke next to a Luo Binghe from ten years in the past.

Meanwhile, a recently transmigrated Shen Yuan struggled to retain what little face he had when confronted with an overgrown, disturbingly gorgeous demon lord claiming to be his husband. Which is impossible, because he’s straight, the most hetero heterosexual to exist. System? A little help here??

Sit With Your Soul by Tossawary 

The original Shen Qingqiu suffers a severe deviation that unsettles his daemon, transforming them into a childish and inconstant creature, too curious and without any memories of the life that has made him so bitter. His soul is now unrecognizable to him and everyone can see his humiliation.

Shen Yuan isn't exactly happy to have transmigrated into Proud Immortal Demon Way at all, much less as this doomed scum villain's daemon.

A His Dark Materials Fusion AU. Knowledge of HDM not required.

Celestial Afterglow by elanor_pam

Shang Qinghua, also known as Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, stared flatly at what had once been a field boasting near sect-level Feng Shui alignment, and the drowned, bloated remains of the Sun and Moon Dew Flower cuttings that had sprouted within it. Their plan was now quite literally a wash.

If only he could consult Cucumber Bro on how to save Cucumber Bro! But in the absence of Cucumber Bro, he could but rely on the one plot coupon the infamous Peerless Cucumber had ever applauded.

Tongfang by The Feels Whale (miscellea)

Shen Yuan is reincarnated as a cannon fodder character and eventual murder victim in one of the whodunnit arcs in Proud Immortal Demon Way. Things escalate quickly.

Or: that one where young Luo Binghe’s career goal is ‘Bride’.

---

Shen Yuan shut his eyes as a young man waiting to die in a hospital and opened them again as a wrinkly infant covered in substances best left unimagined.

[Welcome to the System! The System is based on the concept ‘YOU CAN YOU UP. NO CAN NO BB.’ We hope to provide you with a rewarding experience. It is our sincere hope that during the course of your adventure, you can achieve your desire to transform a ‘Stupid Novel’ into a high-end and impressive classic. We pray for your happiness,] a mechanical and inflectionless voice announced over the general hubbub of the group of women handling him. Then it added, somewhat more worryingly, [Error.]

In Service by x_los

Emperor Luo Binghe goes looking for a Shen Yuan of his own. The one he finds has yet to fully ripen, but Luo Binghe is used to turning adversity into advantage.

Go Down With You by SpiritOfFox

Your experience when transmigrating largely depends on what role you assume. For example: - you might become the protagonist, the favored golden child of the world... ୧(ಠ⌣ಠ)୨ - you could be the scum villain, the most hated character in the novel... (งಠ_ಠ)ง - you could also end up as the protagonist's wife, one of the many many members of the harem... ❤(ಠ_ಠ)❤

Let's say that Shen Yuan would like to lodge a complaint against the Transmigration System.

AKA the fic where Shen Yuan transmigrates into the role of a certain wife.

Word of Honor

I tend to sleep with my boots on by etymologyplayground

"I just mean… What if Xiao Shu is really Shifu? Shifu left and didn't tell us anything, and then this cat shows up out of nowhere, and it hangs out with us and hisses and scolds me with a single look!!"

"How old are you?" Wen Kexing wonders with a laugh. "Maybe you're just easily bullied, you ever think of that? No, men don't turn into cats. That doesn't happen in real life, you little dummy."

-

It's true that Wen Kexing doesn't know everything.

[Podfic] The Will of Heaven by elrohir podfic (elrohir) 

Zishu straightened up as someone knocked gently on the door. “Da-ren, a refill while you wait?”

About to dismiss the staff, Zishu hesitated as he poured out the last of the tea from the small black pot into his cup. “Fine.”

The man who walked in was handsome, bordering on pretty, an elegant beauty who wouldn’t look out of place among the brothel’s most valuable courtesans. His clothes were too finely made, though, in shades of pale jade and snowy white, and his red mouth wore a smile that was too sharp. He glided across the floor with a poise and gait that was far too considered for anyone untrained in martial arts.

Star Wars

canis by peradi

Rather than obliterating Alderaan, Anakin makes a different choice. How the universe changes; how the Force sings.

(The Jedi and the Sith should have known: Anakin Skywalker will do anything for his family.)

the tiger is out by elumish

Wolffe looks like he’s regretting having a second Jedi with them. 

Smash the Walls of the Clock and Run by Drag0nst0rm 

Cody's memory of Order 66 was strained at best.

But he was pretty sure it hadn't happened like this.

Memo: Jedi Maintenance (The Care and Feeding of Your Jetii) by RainofLittleFishes

The Care and Maintenance of Your Jedi: A Clone Trooper's Guide

Let's be real, a document with the above title totally existed during the Clone Wars. Write an excerpt from that document. That's it, that's the prompt.

* Ding!

You have a memo (Level: Non-Urgent, Confidential, Ongoing Maintenance, Internally Generated).

Memo: Jedi Maintenance

To: You. Yes, you. Presuming you don’t want to get shot up or be responsible for getting your unit shot up because you were too lazy to prep properly in a moment of downtime.

From Orbit by astolat

“You’ve got to quit doing this,” Han said.

Luke glanced at him. “What?”

Han made a wide impatient sweep of his arm. “This. Standing in the bay staring out into the void. It’s creepy, kid. Come on, it’s dinnertime. The fleet can make it into hyperspace without your personal supervision.”

If Blood Be The Price by cadesama

Anakin promised to free all the slaves and it is a promise he intends to keep. Struck by visions of a slave uprising on Tatooine, he runs away to join the fight. Five years later, it his new alliance of former slave worlds that the Republic fears, rather than a Separatist threat. Enlisted to negotiate a peace treaty, Senator Amidala is dispatched to find Anakin, alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi, who only wishes to bring his former Padawan home. AOTC timeframe

[fatalism-and-villainy]

I am always on some level thinking about Lan Sizhui’s trauma, and this was only compounded for me on this rewatch, because I’d forgotten just how absolutely abysmal Wei Wuxian’s mental health is during the burial mounds farming commune stretch of the show. Just extraordinary emotionally volatile, prone to angry outbursts, and with the capacity to drop from soaring enthusiasm to plunging despair at the drop of a hat. And they’re all living in such close quarters that his erratic moods and unacknowledged trauma that he’s stewing in just kind of spills over into the overall environment.

And certainly Wei Wuxian is great with a-Yuan, and is a positive influence for him in many ways! But none of them are living in an optimal environment - they’re struggling to get by, and frequently short on food - and Wei Wuxian in particular has an entire festering host of Issues that the current situation is only exacerbating. He’s living in a place that traumatized him, and to some extent he feels trapped there - he chose to help the Wens, but now that he’s made that decision, there’s no going back, and he explicitly knows he has no other options at this point. He misses his family and Lan Zhan. He’s practicing a brand of magic that is wreaking havoc on his temperament and eating him from the inside, and he’s gone through a voluntary but nonetheless pretty traumatizing kind of body modification. He can’t be expected to function at his best, or do as right by the people in his life as he could if he were in a healthier place.

So of course a-Yuan is affected by this! He can tell that one of his favourite people is frequently stressed, that his moods are easily ruined by little interferences, and that he’s sad for reasons that are hard for a little kid to comprehend. a-Yuan gets yelled at for uprooting a lotus plant by accident - and sees Wei Wuxian, rather than try to replant it, declare the venture hopeless (you have to be careful what you do, all the time, because he’s always hovering over a pit of despair and any little thing could flip the switch!). a-Yuan witnesses Wei Wuxian become physically violent towards Wen Ning after the JZX stabbing fiasco. For most of that outburst, a-Yuan is crying in the background after getting a truly terrifying glare from Wei Wuxian. 

Sharing an environment with someone who does not have access to the kind of coping mechanisms they need - and compounded with the fact that a-Yuan has already gone through a considerable amount of trauma due to being a war crime survivor at an incredibly young age - is it really any wonder that teen Sizhui has so many people pleasing impulses? Is so accommodating and acquiescent and pacifying, so inclined to mediate and de-escalate? I see people saying that it’s a wonder that Sizhui turned out so well compared to everyone else, but imo the way he turned out makes complete sense, and I don’t think that his interpersonal behaviour is entirely healthy either.

For me, what exemplifies it the most is this little exchange when they’re at the restaurant with Lan Wangji:

Wei Wuxian gets upset when the topic of Jin Zixuan comes up and slams his jug on the table in a sudden burst of anger; a-Yuan reaches out and gently puts his hand on his arm. It’s a very sweet gesture, but in in the context of everything else, there’s also something unnerving about it to me, in the sense that this toddler really seems to have internalized that it’s his responsibility to manage the emotions of his caregiver.

Aaaand what do we seem him do, in episode 2, as a teenager? Once again feeling responsible for managing the emotions of people older than he is; jumping in to bail Lan Wangji out of his extremely petty vow of silence by engaging in diplomacy for him and defusing a conflict based on a grudge that he doesn’t have the context for. 

And I think that his relationship with Lan Wangji also compounded these same issues for him. When Lan Wangji comes out of seclusion and starts being a major figure in Sizhui’s life, he’s still pretty freshly grieving. Sizhui is likely one of the few bright spots in his life, and I’m betting Sizhui picked up on that, if perhaps only subconsciously, and developed a deeply protective impulse towards Hanguang-jun. Once again, feeling responsible for managing an adult caregiver’s mood. And again, of course Lan Wangji had plenty of positive impacts on Sizhui, and was overall a force for good in his life. But both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have their own baggage that they’re not super great at coping with, and that has an unavoidable impact on Sizhui’s development as well. 

[pack-the-pack]

My (likely) unpopular opnions on Mo Dao Zu Shi.

So I finished the novel, and I'll be only talking about the novel and the novel alone, not taking into consideration any of the other iterations, simply because I didn't finish any of them. This is also just my opinion and because I can't keep my thoughts to myself, so try to not take it too seriously.

!ALSO HAS SPOILERS!

1- Jin Guangyao is my favourite and I love him, I don't care what anyone has to say. I believe almost everything he said in the Guanyin temple, maybe aside from whether his child was conceived before or after he married Qin Su. But I'm inclined to believe him on that too rather than to doubt, because he really didn't seem like he liked causing harm unless he saw it as strictly necessary.

2- That said, that's mostly just going by the book. Idk how canon we're supposed to take the extras to be, but if they're indeed meant to be canon, the extra by the name of "Villainous Friend" kind of makes my love for him waver a bit. But I understand his position, he was ordered by his dad, so refusing or leaving the job half done would probably be bad for him. But dude... He could have spared some mercy for the children (but maybe that'd be a bad idea, having living proof that a grudge fuels insanity and bloodlust sitting right beside him in the form of Xue Yang. So he probably did it as insurance).

3- I still love him tho. And I still love XiYao and want a lot of fix-it fics now :((

4- Jin Guanshan died the death he deserved and A-Yao was 100% right to do it. Everyone that was like "but he was your father" in the novel can go suck a dick cause it's easy judging when you're not in his position. That goes for everything he does actually.

5- I was a bit confused about Xue Yang's end? Like did he die or not? Cause it seemed like he just lost his arm and was a bit hurt and then was swept away. If he didn't die what happened to him? We never get a follow up on that. Did I read it wrong or did he really just got yeeted out of the story never to be seen again? Idk seemed a bit weird.

5.5- I also love Yi City arc, but it makes me a bit confused on what was the point of it? It seems like it could have been skipped entirely and not much would have changed.

6- I'm not entirely sure that Wei Wuxian was actually gay or even bi for LWJ in his first life. You can boo me all you want, but I don't think there's enough information to draw a conclusion here. He could have just been really determined to bother Lan Wangji and make friends with him just because he posed a challenge, given he got rejected all the time. It wasn't really too different from his behaviour with MianMian. Just saying, reincarnation could have very well made him sort of gay, or well gayER.

7- Zizhen didn't have enough scenes, he should have appeared more and have been on those night hunts in the extras.

8- Talking about the juniors, I know a lot of people ship Jin Ling with Sizhui, and a lot of people ship Sizhui and Jinyi, and then Jinyi with Jin Ling. I say we forgo that and just throw my boy Zizhen in the mix and make them all date together. A couple of four. This way everyone gets 3 cute boyfriends. No need to choose.

9- Some of y'all be acting like the incense burner chapters killed your dog and shot your parents. Chill out. They're intense and not everyone's cup of tea, but in their essence there's nothing really wrong with them. It's clearly just two married people who trust each other pushing the bounds of their fantasies and kinks IN THEIR FUCKING DREAMS! And it isn't like they aren't both into what they're doing. Wei Wuxian is more than enthusiastic. There is like one little mishap that happens at the end of the last chapter, a matter of miscommunication and kink-negotiation mishandling, but it's solved right after it happens! Calling it true non-con is a stretch and a bit unforgiving don't you think?

10- I still don't get why Yanli was at Nightless City. She had abstained from pretty much being part of anything like that the whole book. Why all of a sudden go to Nightless City? What could she have done there? Seems a bit convenient.

11- Talking about convenient, what was that throw away line on the explanation of how Wei Wuxian started cultivating the demonic path? He just found a book???? Conveniently like that? No further explanation needed? What?

12- Nie Minjue was a self-righteous hypocritical asshole.

13- Nie Huaisang is not that much better than Jin Guangyao. He used people and did terrible things, even willing to sacrifice teenagers, just to achieve his goal.

14- There is no justice in this book. Not really. Everyone does selfish things (maybe aside from Lan Xichen, the saint) to achieve their own goals and always think themselves to be justified in their actions. To only see Jin Guangyao's crimes as bad is to ignore that everyone did bad, selfish, detrimental things. The people that got a happy ending or a bad ending didn't get them because they deserved it or due to justice. They just got it. Like Xue Yang says "there's no why, sometimes things just happen".

15- Chengmei is far too cute of a name for Xue Yang.

16- Everyone shits on Jin Guangyao, but he was legitimately a good chief cultivator. While the sects generally saw themselves as above helping on insignificant matters, he went and made projects to help the common people. He also worked hard to maintain his sect in line with an ideal of nobleness and discipline as shown by how Jin Ling says in the extras that when he was sect leader no one would be so quick to take a bribe.

17- A-Yao was ambitious, clever, hard working and yes he did love people too. He's not just bad. He had all the odds stacked against him, and even so, at least momentarily, he overcame all of it. Whether his means were justified or not is another story entirely.

18- Wei Wuxian wasn't really a great caretaker of A-Yuan. He was kind of mean and careless. He obviously didn't do it with ill intention, but he's just not the best baby sitter.

19- I don't hate Jiang Cheng for his mean remarks and hatred for Wei Wuxian and his relationship with Lan Wangji. He's just kind of stupid and emotionally constipated. He's not bad, he's just a bit ignorant. And you have to remember that these are their society's norms. He's acting in line with what he was taught.

20- Wen Qing had such a minor role in the story overall. She should have been used more.

21- Wei Wuxian is many times kind of mean to Wen Ning even tho he's so selfless and doing everything he can to protect and respect him. I don't mean it all the time, but he could be kinder to him. Wen Ning in general always gets the short end of the stick and the worse treatment undeservedly.

22- Gusu Lan could have held a little secret cerimony to officially marry wangxian and officially accepted them as cultivation partners. It would have been specially meaningful because Lan Qiren would have sort of being communicating that his Nephew's happiness holds more value to him than his hatred for Wei Wuxian and the upkeeping of sect rules and appearances. I know it's unrealistic but man it would've been nice to see.

That's it. And yea I know this is mostly me just trying to defend my A-Yao, but I regret nothing. Y'all can throw stones and boo, be my guest. This is just my opinion anyway, so you don't have to take it seriously or give a crap about it.

[tangledinmdzs]

I love you and your writing lot lot lot lot and lot,

Could you make juniors proposing reader infront of elders/parents?

aww thank you so so so so much!

i lob you too, i always see you around! thank you for reading!

and this is so cute, i’m picturing this in canon au!

it would be my pleasure to write for you~

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Lan Sizhui

it is a very homely, cozy dinner

in the quiet ambiance of the Jingshi, Wei Wuxian’s laughter, Lan Wangji’s quiet smile and Sizhui’s gentle hand holding yours under the table

all fit together

you feel grateful that you were so easily accepted into his family

and honestly, you had only dreamed that being friends with Sizhui would be enough for you

but it wasn’t 

luckily both you and SIzhui came to know that it would never be enough to be just friends

and you feel so happy, so blessed, that his parents had helped you two to come together despite all the odds 

orphaned and growing up sect-less, you were not the ideal candidate for Sizhui, son of Hanguang-Jun & Yiling Patriarch

but if there was anything that his family showed you, it was that love mattered first before pride, before everything 

“Wei-qianbei, Hanguang-Jun,” Sizhui’s voice snaps you out of your daydream, makes you realize that dinner has finished,

Sizhui’s eyes turn to meet yours and you smile at him as his dad coos

“y/n,” he says your name like a funny question

and you hum at him, tilting your head

“i love you, a lot, y/n” 

you blink, a blush rising to your face as your eyes flicker over to his parents and then back at him, 

you nod to him as well, squeezing his hand with yours, 

“with my parents as witness, i’d like to give you something,” Sizhui tells you

and you blink rapidly, eyes welling up with tears at the thought, the idea

Sizhui lets go of you hand, moves it up to begin untying his forehead ribbon 

you watch as he uncurls your hand,

slowly brings the forehead ribbon down from his head and placing it into your palm

“Sizhui,” you breathe out, because you can hardly believe it 

but his parents watchful eyes on the sideline, have never seen a better couple

Lan Jingyi

when you were summoned to the Hanshi you truly wondered if Jingyi had gotten in trouble again

 you walk into the the hall, catching sigh of Jingyi kneeled, head bowed in front of Zewu-Jun and Lan Qiren, 

and you believe you must be right 

you make deep bow when you approach, taking the same kneeled position as you companion on the floor

because really, no matter what it was that Jingyi did, you always knew that he had a sense of justice and righteousness within him

you don’t doubt him, even with his faults

you stand by him

but you are going to give him a smack later on for always wrapping himself up in some kind of trouble-

“Zewu-Jun, Lan Qiren, please let me marry y/n,”

you snap you head up to the side immediately at his words,

but Jingyi doesn’t even look at you,

his eyes are staring at the two present adults, a different kind of defiance in them

you were the sole heir of a small but growing sect, a highly admired cultivator

he was a senior disciple, his only family the teachers and mentors that raised him

your statuses were different, so different

but from the way that Jingyi’s eyes stared, unflinching from Lan Qiren’s cold stare and Zewu-Jun’s surprised eye

you know that

Jingyi won’t be taking no for an answer 

“is that not, y/n-guniang’s decision?” Zewu-Jun speaks 

you’re a bit surprised when all the eyes are directed upon you, 

you meet JIngyi’s eyes, face just as surprised with that answer

“my parents...”

“what do you want, y/n-guniang?” Zewu-Jun asks you, and you realize you have to be honest about what you love, who you love

because you can’t imagine a life without Jingyi,

“i can’t live without, y/n” Jingyi tells you, kneeled before you 

and you smile at him, teary eyed

you hope that the adults in the room understand,

how much you are meant for one another

Jin Ling

this was the most formal family dinner that you had ever been to

granted it was the first time Jin Ling’s family and yours were meeting 

but still 

the air was so tense you could literally feel it on your back 

all the eyes that were staring at you,

judging you,

couldn’t everyone just chill a little bit

you hear Jin Ling cough into a closed fist across from you, watch him quietly get up from his seat and go into the middle of the banquet hall at Lotus Pier

his Uncle was kind enough to host 

but that just made you all the more worried when Jin Ling stepped up to the highest chair,

whispered into his Uncle’s ear

you stare a little wide eyed when his Uncle’s eyes flicker over to you 

and then watch as the whole hall quiets down at his Uncle’s hand

“I have an announcement to make,” Jin Ling speaks up into the quiet of the room,

everyone stares at him, watches his eyes as he scans the room and then meeting yours

“i will be marrying y/n in the coming spring,” 

there’s an uproar of noise from the room, hoots, hollers, shouts of surprises, gasps

in between all the talking and everything going on 

you only see two things

firstly, a strong hand resting on Jin Ling’s shoulder, one that you realize is from his Uncle

secondly, lastly 

you see Jin Ling’s eyes, shining but brave at the same time

he stares straight at you,

marry me, Jin Ling mouthes to you across the din

a tear falls out of your eyes, 

you nod

Ouyang Zizhen

you’re happy that Zizhen has come to know your family quite well

because your relationship with him had never been hidden,

never been stopped

always supported 

and you fall in love with Zizhen as much as he adores your family 

he had felt much the same way 

which is why when he is eating with your family on a normal meal

sitting around the table with your siblings screaming and your parents piling food on his plate

a few words here and there get around,

namely,

“jie-jie, when is Zizhen-ge going to live with us?” you little brother asks and Zizhen beside you nearly chokes on his rice

“well, Zizhen has to marry jie-jie first before that happens,” your teenage brother smart mouths before you can begin explaining anything 

he’s only 12, you have no idea how he already knows that

“Zizhen-ge, you should get married to jie-jie soon so you can stay here with us and not have to ride your horse back home all the time!” your baby brother persuades Zizhen 

and your boyfriend can only laugh, patting the young child on the head as the family breaks into happy but awkward laughs

on one hand you are happy that he doesn’t bring it up again, not in this setting at least

but at the same time, why didn’t he bring it up again, didn’t he want to marry you?

the ebbing thought that perhaps, Zizhen didn’t want to marry you (wasn’t in it for the long run) bothers you the rest of dinner

and it ends up being really late into the night, when you finally get some time alone with one another

that being, when you’re about to see him off

“i’ll come visit you, soon,” Zizhen promises, and you nod, distractedly fixing his robes for the night wind on his ride home,

Zizhen watches you for a moment before he overlaps his hands with yours, stealing all of your attention,

“you little brothers may have heard my conversation with your father a few days ago,” Zizhen says 

and you look up at him, 

“Zizhen?” “i’ve always wanted to marry you, y/n. it’s been on my mind the moment i met you,” Zizhen confesses to you then

you smile up at him, feeling warmed from his words and the hand that wraps tightly around yours,

“will you be mine forever?”

“of course-”

“JIE! SAY YES!” 

and you both whip around to see your brothers (and a few embarrassed, but happy servants) hiding by the awning of the main entrance

“I DID!” you shout back, happily turning back to Zizhen

his smile looks beautiful in the moonlight

[gloriousmonsters]

character ask game 💚🤍🖤 - so uh, talk to us about Lan Sizhui? 😁😏

one aspect about them i love

Honestly I did not spend that much brainspace on LSZ before writing trust me as though I were your enemy, which is a very *cough* specific and premise-based take on his character, so... speaking from my brief newfound interest in the character, I love the untapped potential of his character? Most of what we see is very surface level--not to say his kindness and proactive Good-Boy-ness isn't genuine if it's not backed by the correct impulses, I think on one hand he genuinely values being considerate and careful and kind (and him being the only Lan junior who tries speaking gently to 'Mo Xuanyu' when he's just acting deliberately 'crazy' still gives me feelings. i, like wwx, have the 'such a nice kid! how tf did the Lan sect spit HIM out?' reaction 😂)

...but on the other hand, 'Lan' Sizhui has no real choice but to be a Good Kid. He's kind of adopted into the Lan family, but his main point of adoption is Lan Wangji, and it happened during the years LWJ was thoroughly destroying all of his Good Boy rep within (parts of, at least) the sect--something I thought about but didn't manage to work thoroughly into the fic was that LSZ probably deals with a lot of spillover dislike by, say, the 33 elders that were severely wounded by LWJ. And then there's all the shit he'd just barely remember... In conclusion, LSZ pretty probably grew up with the impression that Something Bad happened when he was a kid but nobody will talk about it, and dealt with feeling like he was on Thin Fucking Ice with a significant portion of the Lan elders without knowing why. Perfect recipe for a kid to repress any 'bad' feeling or behavior he might ever have!

So... what's under that surface? Especially when he starts learning about the truth of everything that happened at the end of canon, and learns where he actually came from?

Fun to think about.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

I am not familiar enough w how people usually characterize him to really speak on this...

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

something that I did decide on during writing is that while he's not disliked by many people in the younger generations, he really doesn't have any friends except for Lan Jingyi. He doesn't get close to people easily, so it takes someone as enthusiastic and bad at reading subtlety as Jingyi to hang in there and earn the position :P

one character i love seeing them interact with

Tbh I'm not immune, his interactions with WWX and LWJ when he's a little kid hit me right in the heart. It's especially adorable in CQL, when he's sitting in LWJ's lap and you can see LWJ getting baby fever in realtime. They may not be the best guardian-ish figures, but his connection to both of them is still obviously important to him, and seeing the beginnings of it is still painfully sweet.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Honestly there's a lot I wish here! I'd like to see something of him traveling with Wen Ning (I've heard there's a movie, but also that it sucks, and based on Fatal Journey i believe it); I'd like to have seen more one-on-one interaction with LWJ when he's older, instead of always just being part of the Group of Juniors. After writing this fic, I'm also wishing that he'd ever really interacted with SMS, lol.

one headcanon i have that involves them and one other character

Separate from any fics i may or may not be writing < <.... I think he had a good, if not at all close, relationship with Jin Guangyao, and looked up to him a little bit (lsz: wow you're repressing EVERYTHING and you're doing it so well i wanna be you when i grow up). He felt a little guilty about it because while LWJ never said anything specific, he didn't seem to like Lianfang-zun much, but whenever LSZ saw him (at conferences and meetings in Jinlintai, or during JGY's frequent visits to the Lan sect) JGY was always super nice and friendly, and jokes aside was modeling a type of poised strength that was very different from LWJ's uncaring-of-social-consequences conduct that LSZ, to say the least, did not feel like he was capable of.

(jgy, on his end, is having a 'wow what a nice kid how tf is he someone adopted by that rude boy lwj' moment)

[veliseraptor]

Hi! Can you give a brief spoilery summary of the Untamed? I just read [the pretties from your posts] died? Oh no. I tried getting information through google but it’s confusing for someone who doesn’t know the characters.

oh lord. there are all kinds of ‘brief summaries of the Untamed’ out there but I’ve always found them vaguely irritating so...I guess that means it’s time for my comeuppance in the form of having to do it myself? I’ll do my best.

I didn’t know how detailed you wanted me to get so I decided to get pretty detailed, since you did ask for spoilery. so this is like. entirely spoilers. spoilers for everything.

also, you can use, if it’s helpful, my brief character overview (‘brief’) which includes some plot information, and could be useful as cross reference also. I’m playing pretty fast and loose with a lot of terminology for the sake of intelligibility, because otherwise this would get even longer and have a lot more links.

also, because you asked me specifically for this, it’s going to have some bias. I tried to keep my interpretive commentary to a relative minimum? but. uh. yeah.

the briefest basic plot overview is (going off The Untamed canon, which you will also see abbreviated as CQL from the pinyin transliteration of the Chinese title (Chen Qing Ling)):

Wei Wuxian, a cultivation (think, loosely, magic) prodigy and creator of his own particular style of cultivation, dies reviled by most of the known world. Sixteen years later he’s raised from the dead by Mo Xuanyu, an outcast and the bastard son of one of the leaders of the main sects of the cultivation world, in order to take revenge on Mo Xuanyu’s enemies (specifically his abusive family and ~an unknown person~).

And here is where we get into the details.

Pretty much immediately upon Wei Wuxian’s resurrection, people start dying at Mo Manor, before Wei Wuxian has even done anything, because of (it turns out) a very angry spirit of a semi-sentient weapon. Wei Wuxian books it out of town after his old best friend/crush Lan Wangji shows up to help the Lan ducklings he’s shepherding (including most notably Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi, the only named characters of that bunch), only to wind up running into him again on the road - and not only him, but his orphaned nephew (shorthand, go with it) Jin Ling (Wei Wuxian was responsible for his parents’ deaths) and Jiang Cheng, his martial brother who (at least according to rumor) killed him sixteen years ago and still bears a hell of a grudge. In order to save Jin Ling, Wei Wuxian summons the “Ghost General” Wen Ning, who was supposed to be destroyed and whose presence confirms his identity to a very pissed off Jiang Cheng. Lan Wangji recognizes Wei Wuxian as well. Wei Wuxian passes out.

followed any of that? no? that’s fine, because now we’re heading into a thirty episode flashback that’ll clarify some things. (but not before you forget a whole bunch of things from the first two episodes.)

I’m going to split this into arcs. I’m also going to put this under a read more, because...yeah, this came out to just a little over 10,500 words. I’m...sorry.

have fun?

Cloud Recesses Summer School Arc

The time card says “sixteen years earlier” but it isn’t sixteen years earlier because that would make no sense, but it’s better to give up on timeline now or you’ll just drive yourself nuts.

This is the part of the show where you meet the main characters, some of whom you saw earlier (notably Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian’s younger sort-of brother), and some of whom you only know from reference (Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian’s older sort-of sister) and some of whom are significantly important (Lan Wangji). You also meet Jin Zixuan, the snotty heir to the Jin Sect, who will be important later. Jiang Yanli is clearly into him and he seems to very much not return the feelings.

At this point, there are five main sects that the characters belong to. They are (with the characters you’ve met from them so far: the Jiang Sect (Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Yanli), the Nie Sect (Nie Huaisang, a flighty and sort of feckless fellow), the Jin Sect (Jin Zixuan, his social skills translator Mianmian), the Lan Sect (Lan Wangji, his brother Lan Xichen) as well as the Wen Sect (more on them in a moment). Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian meet and immediately...something. Wei Wuxian wants to make friends, and Lan Wangji seems to emphatically Not.

You also meet Meng Yao, who is Nie Huaisang’s brother Nie Mingjue’s right hand man, and also the bastard son of Jin Guangshan (the leader of Jin Sect). He is also the son of (using the words of literally everyone) a prostitute, which people remind him of at every possible moment, in case he was in danger of forgetting, or something. He and Lan Xichen have kind of a moment. 

Later on, members of the Wen Sect, led by Wen Chao storm in, posturing disrespectfully, and drop off Wen Qing to “learn” (but secretly she has a mission looking for the Yin Iron/Metal). The Wen are ascendant in power and seem to be flexing their muscle looking for trouble. 

Wen Qing comes as a set with her brother Wen Ning - the pair of them are from sort of...a secondary branch of the main Wen family, and she’s being coerced into supporting Wen Ruohan despite being not thrilled about it. Wei Wuxian bonds with Wen Qing’s younger brother Wen Ning, who has a weird situation that makes him vulnerable to possession (this is important later).

At one point Wei Wuxian proposes - in response to a question! He’s just being innovative! - to put it simply, necromancy, which is, to say the least, not a hit. Remember that for later!

Eventually, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian end up falling by accident into some ice caves, where they learn from one of Lan Wangji’s ancestors (Lan Yi, she’s cool) about the Yin Iron, of which she has a piece. It is an spiritually corrupted metal that can’t be destroyed so it was broken into pieces and hidden in different places. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji resolve jointly to find the other pieces.

Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli, and Jiang Cheng (henceforth “the Yunmeng siblings”) are picked up early by Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng’s dad (Jiang Fengmian) because Wei Wuxian causes problems both on purpose and not. Wei Wuxian, however, puts together that Lan Wangji is going off on his own chasing the Yin Iron, and ditches the rest of his family to go help.

Yin Iron Hunt Arc

Wei Wuxian meets up with Lan Wangji, who is not thrilled to see him (at least, apparently). They run into Nie Huaisang, who joins them. They come to a town where everyone seems to have vanished and there is nothing fishy going on in the cave with the statue that looks like a dancing lady at all. Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng leaves home to go track down Wei Wuxian and bring him back.

The statue comes to life, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fight together to defeat it, and then a bunch of...undead villagers (sort of, they get better) attack them, only to be lured away by Wen Qing playing a flute (this ability will never be brought up again). Jiang Cheng reveals himself as having been hanging out watching this go down. Ultimately, by killing the Stygian Pigeon that belongs to Wen Chao, the villagers are freed and they move on.

After a brief stopover in a village, they hear some rumors about a haunted house and take off to go check it out. When they get there, everyone is dead and Xue Yang is on the roof just kind of vibing. Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan manage to get him pinned down and taken captive. This is important and not just because I said so.

Nie Huaisang, who Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Lan Wangji ditched in town, arrives here with Meng Yao, who proposes bringing Xue Yang to Nie Mingjue for justice purposes (which when I write it like that sounds...um. moving right along), which is where everyone heads next, less Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan who have their own things to do. Wei Wuxian realizes that Xiao Xingchen had the same master as his mother, and gets really excited about it; it’s adorable.

They go to Nie Mingjue, who is talked out of executing Xue Yang because they’re trying to find out where he put the Yin Iron (which they figure he has, because reasons. there are reasons, I just don’t feel like going into it.) Lan Wangji leaves in the night without saying goodbye, and then Wen Chao arrives. He is accompanied by Wen Zhuliu, who is called the Core-Melting Hand for reasons that will be important later. There’s a fight, Xue Yang gets loose, and Nie Mingjue finds Meng Yao in a very compromising position (killing a captain of the guard and among a bunch of other dead bodies). He kicks Meng Yao out of the Nie Sect.

Meanwhile, the Wens attack Cloud Recesses. Lan Xichen’s uncle makes him leave to preserve himself and the most important texts. Everyone retreats to a cave that’s hidden and walled off; Su She (who was introduced briefly earlier) caves to threats to his life and tells the Wens how to get into the Lan’s cave sanctuary. Lan Wangji returns with Lan Yi’s Yin Iron and gives it and himself up to Wen Chao’s older brother Wen Xu to spare everyone else.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian leave for home (Lotus Pier). We witness family dynamics, which are terrible. The Wens want everyone to send their kids, specifically their heirs, to be reeducated in Wen territory, but they’re not hostages, we swear. No, really.

Reeducation Camp Arc

To reeducation camp with the Wens we go! Where Lan Wangji is not looking so hot, and Wei Wuxian rapidly causes problems on purpose to try to get to talk to him, but mostly just ends up getting himself tossed in a dungeon where he gets attacked by a very bad puppet of a dog. Wen Qing has told Wen Ning not to associate with Wei Wuxian because they’re on thin ice with their boss (Wen Ruohan), but Wen Ning sneaks him some medicine against Wen Qing’s orders anyway.

They go on a hunt, with the non-Wens featuring as bait. Here is where you meet Wen Chao’s main squeeze Wang Lingjiao, who was formerly a servant. Everyone ends up in a cave that contains a creature whose name is unfortunately translated as “Tortoise of Slaughter.” we’ll go with “Xuanwu of Slaughter” instead, it feels better. Wen Chao and his accompanying entourage make a run for it and ditch everyone else in the cave; they manage to sneak out but Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji end up trapped with no way out. They team up and kill the Xuanwu, partially because Wei Wuxian acquires a very cursed sword. Afterward, he is feverish and asks Lan Wangji to sing - enter Wuji! their theme. You see Lan Wangji mouth that it is called “Wangxian” before Wei Wuxian passes out. (Yes, he did name his composition after their ship name. Aww.)

I’ve skated through that very fast but it is important because it’s like...the point where they seriously bond in a major way and it’s all very...like, there was only one bed only they’re trapped in a cave and injured and forced to rely on each other. So not actually really like that.

Wei Wuxian comes around outside of the cave with Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan, who brought help to rescue him and Lan Wangji; Lan Wangji, however, is gone.

Oh Shit Things Went Downhill Fast Arc

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian go back to Lotus Pier, where Wei Wuxian is in big trouble with Jiang Cheng’s mother (Yu Ziyuan, seen later emotionally terrorizing all her children), who already doesn’t like him and accuses him of bringing trouble down on them by defying the Wens. Jiang Cheng’s dad is terrible, Wei Wuxian reaffirms that he and Jiang Cheng will be Together Forever, you, the viewer, know that is absolutely not how that’s going to go.

Word comes that the Wen have attacked one of the smaller sects, and Jiang Cheng’s dad (Jiang Fengmian) goes with Jiang Yanli to talk to Jin Guangshan about how to deal with the Wens.

Then Wang Lingjiao arrives with word that they’re gonna be in big trouble if they don’t punish Wei Wuxian right now. Yu Ziyuan uses her lightning whip to beat the shit out of Wei Wuxian, but Wang Lingjiao wants her to cut off his hand. Then she makes the mistake of saying that they’ll be making Lotus Pier a supervisory office of the Wens, thank you.

Yu Ziyuan reacts...poorly, Wang Lingjiao calls on her backup Wen Zhuliu (and everyone else); seeing the writing on the wall Yu Ziyuan grabs Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, puts them on a boat, and sends them away, bequeathing her sick-ass lightning whip (Zidian) to Jiang Cheng. They run into Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Yanli; Jiang Fengmian adds Jiang Yanli to the boat full of crying children and goes to sail back to Lotus Pier.

Lotus Pier falls, everybody dies, Jiang Cheng goes semi-catatonic and then disappears, having been captured by the Wens after going back for his parents’ bodies. (Which is more important than it probably sounds, from a Western perspective.) Wei Wuxian follows him and finds Wen Ning, who smuggles Jiang Cheng out and takes him, Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Yanli to Wen Qing for safekeeping.

Jiang Cheng wakes up; his golden core (the...thing that lets him do superpowered things, let’s go with that) was destroyed by Wen Zhuliu. Melted, if you will. And it’s not the kind of thing you can just, you know, fix. He descends into absolute despair as Wei Wuxian looks frantically for a way to fix it - and finds one! Though Wen Qing is not happy about it, she still agrees.

at this point we see the return of an old friend! Song Lan, who has a bloody bandage over his eyes, but has eyes that work, despite the fact that he was blinded by Xue Yang who also killed his entire temple. He explains that Xiao Xingchen said that he was taking Song Lan to his master Baoshan Sanren, the immortal who can cure anything, and doesn’t remember anything else.

Wei Wuxian takes Jiang Cheng to Baoshan Sanren to get his core back. Psych! It’s a lie that he totally made up to explain the fact that he’s actually getting his own core transplanted into Jiang Cheng in a highly experimental procedure. Importantly, Wei Wuxian does not tell Jiang Cheng this.

Post-surgery, rather battered Wei Wuxian gets caught by Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao, who torture him and then throw him into a place called the Burial Mounds, which is more or less what it sounds like, is Very Cursed, and from which no one has emerged alive. Then this happens:

(I want you to appreciate how hard I’ve tried to not put any screencaps in here. but I had to do this one. I just had to.)

and you go oh shit and also well that’s sexy.

Jiang Cheng, delighted to have his core back, descends the mountain only to find that Wei Wuxian is...not there.

Cool! That seems fine.

Sunshot Campaign Arc

Timeskip to three months later! The rest of the sects have allied together to take down the Wen Sect (this is what ‘Sunshot Campaign’ refers to, because the symbol of the Wens is a sun). Things aren’t looking good for the Wens, including Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao. Wang Lingjiao hallucinates to the sound of a flute and ends up killing herself. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng have teamed up to look for Wei Wuxian. On their way, they start finding piles of Wen bodies killed in a mysterious and grotesque manner involving an unfamiliar method of cultivation.

(Side note: around now is where Jiang Cheng frees Wen Qing from where she was imprisoned by the Wens for being a dirty traitor during the war and gives her the comb of pining he bought way back in the Cloud Recesses arc, telling her that he will help her if she asks. This isn’t...exactly important, except I wanted to note it.)

Eventually, they find a house where Wen Chao has holed up with Wen Zhuliu, and watch as it’s revealed that he has gone through some nasty shit, is terrified and traumatized and badly injured. Ominous signs: begin to happen! Flames going out: happen! Shots of someone climbing slowly and menacingly up stairs: happen! 

Yeah, it’s Wei Wuxian. New and improved, darker and meaner and very sexy about it, and with a new sick-ass flute. He starts attacking Wen Chao, and when Wen Zhuliu moves to attack Wei Wuxian Jiang Cheng jumps down and hangs Wen Zhuliu with Zidian. Lan Wangji confronts Wei Wuxian about this darker and meaner version and Wei Wuxian breaks up with him; Lan Wangji leaves Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to kill Wen Chao because the family that murders together stays together!

(They won’t, but.)

The war goes on, but the tides have turned, and the Wens are losing. Both of Wen Ruohan’s sons are dead. Soup drama happens here, which I don’t need to explain fully but it is clear that Wei Wuxian is extremely emotionally unstable, and also will no longer carry his sword despite everyone telling him he needs to carry his sword. All is not well with the Wei Wuxian! But nobody knows why. Lan Wangji’s repeated “LET ME FIX YOU” overtures are not well received. Lan Wangji also has a nice conversation about how the Lan rules did not prepare him for moral complexity.

Eventually Nie Mingjue proposes going to attack Wen Ruohan on his own while the others move on the Wen stronghold at Nightless City (at this point, they have received a map of Wen defenses from a ~mysterious spy~). Nie Mingjue is captured, and it is revealed that Meng Yao decided that after getting kicked out of Qinghe he could find a better boss somewhere else. Outside, an undead army shows up to kick everyone else’s ass. Things don’t look good for our heroes!

Wei Wuxian brings out his secret weapon the Yin Tiger Seal and...takes over the undead army. This is very troubling to everyone involved, but it does bring Wen Ruohan out to see what the deal is. Wei Wuxian delivers one of the sickest lines in the entire show:

(i’m restraining myself! trust me! i am!)

so yeah, that’s a normal and reassuring thing to say.

And then Meng Yao stabs Wen Ruohan in the back. And that’s it for Wen Ruohan! Our major antagonist is dead! Surely everything will be fine now.

Well We Won the War, Now What Arc

[cracks knuckles] and here’s where the politics starts.

Ready and totally psyched to step into the power vacuum left by the fall of the Wens is Jin Guangshan! Leader of the Jin Sect, least impacted by the war by vitue of joining up late. He recognizes Meng Yao as his son now that he’s, like, someone that is valuable to him politically, and Meng Yao gets a commensurate name change > Jin Guangyao. Pretty much immediately Jin Guangshan starts manuevering to consolidate power - pushing to marry Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, pushing to get access to Wei Wuxian’s Yin Tiger Seal, subtly undermining everyone else...the works.

Jin Guangshan is the worst, is what I’m saying here.

Meanwhile, Nie Mingjue is very unhappy about the whole “Meng Yao helping the Wens and fucking with him when he’s captured” thing, but then Lan Xichen (remember, Lan Wangji’s older brother) steps in and reveals that Jin Guangyao was a spy delivering information, actually, and also saved his life when he was on the run from the Wens, so don’t hurt him please. Nie Mingjue is still very suspicious, but he backs off. Subsequently, after agreeing to place the Wen (civilian) captives in a holding camp, Jin Guangyao has them killed (impliedly at the order of his father).

We are given cues that Jin Guangyao is bad news. Like, heavy cues. If you are me this makes you love him.

This is also where Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Jin Guangyao become sworn brothers, which is a big deal.

Meanwhile, back in Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian is...not doing so hot! He’s drinking heavily, shirking his responsibilities in a way that is making Jiang Cheng particularly very upset with him, generally being weird and traumatized but nobody knows how to deal with that, or him. Then Jin Zixuan arrives to invite everyone to a special hunt being hosted by his father including Jiang Yanli because he, he means his mom, really wants her to be there.

The hunt goes great! By that I mean Jin Zixuan is a spectacular failure at expressing his feelings to Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian almost starts a fight with Jin Zixuan, Jin Zixuan’s enormous asshole cousin gets nasty until Jiang Yanli makes him apologize, in a seriously badass moment. The whole thing comes off with Wei Wuxian really not looking good, including his decision to ditch the celebratory banquet. But also Jiang Yanli getting a liiiiittle closer to something she wants (i.e. Jin Zixuan). Jiang Cheng is like “dude what the fuck” at Wei Wuxian and gets zero percent explanation. Meanwhile everyone in the vicinity pokes at his massive insecurities, because the cultivation world’s favorite activity is actually gossip.

Things only get worse at the very bad after party. This is where we meet Su She again, who has gone and founded his own sect! Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji are sort of bitchy about it. But the real issue comes when Zixun peer pressures Lan Xichen into drinking despite the fact that it’s pretty solidly against the rules of the Lan Sect. Lan Xichen does it with a very “fuck you” smile, despite Jin Guangyao’s attempts to forestall the situation.

(I feel like I have not expressed the relationship between Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen? It’s a whole thing. Let’s just say that it’s a fairly popular ship for a reason.)

Lan Wangji, however, is not as diplomatic as his brother.

And then Wei Wuxian arrives! To ruin another party. Because he found Wen Qing wandering around in the streets and turns out that Wen Ning was taken prisoner by Jin Zixun and friends and removed to whereabouts unknown. Wei Wuxian proceeds to give the sexiest countdown ever to annihilating Jin Zixun if he doesn’t tell him where Wen Ning is.

Wen Ning, unfortunately, is in a pile of bodies. Because the Jin have been...well, experimenting on Wen prisoners, basically. Wen Ning is...not dead in this universe because censorship, but everything makes more sense if you just say “he’s basically dead and Wei Wuxian resurrects him to fuck up everyone in the vicinity who was responsible for his death, which is...everyone other than the other Wens. Eventually Wei Wuxian stops him by yelling his second (courtesy) name that no one else has used for him in speech up to this point (Wen Qionglin), because love is stored in the name. Wei Wuxian gathers up the survivors and takes off only to run into Lan Wangji standing in his way.

They have a point of no return moment. Wei Wuxian basically says “let me go or you have to kill me” only it’s better than that because what he actually says is like “if I’m going to be killed I should be killed by you, then I would know it was right” and it’s a whole fucking thing and anyway Lan Wangji steps aside and lets them all go and it is quite literally “I’m not crying, it’s just raining on my face” except he is also crying.

So...fuck.

Burial Mounds Arc

Wei Wuxian takes the Wens to the one place nobody’s probably going to follow them: namely, the Burial Mounds. Home sweet home!

Outside in the main world, rumors are flying about the army Wei Wuxian is building and the sect he’s planning to found and how ambitious he is and how he’s disrespecting Jiang Cheng and actually Jiang Cheng he probably never loved you anyway and is better and stronger and what are you good for, but I’m saying this out of concern and to be helpful (paraphrased from Jin Guangshan).

Accordingly, Jiang Cheng agrees to go and check things out and see what’s going on in Chez Burial Mounds. What is going on is basically a bunch of civilians eking out a very depressing living. There is also a child, a-Yuan, who is adorable. This will also be important later.

(are you keeping track of all this?)

Jiang Cheng also goes to see Wen Ning, who is...recovering from being dead/undead and Wei Wuxian is working on fixing him. Jiang Cheng says he has to die, and Wei Wuxian has to come home, and things are really bad, man, so stop worrying about these losers and avoid the entire cultivation world being really pissed with you, maybe?

Wei Wuxian isn’t going for it, and tells Jiang Cheng to cut him out of Jiang Sect in order to protect Jiang Sect’s reputation. It’s upsetting. They stage a very dramatic duel and Jiang Cheng announces that friendship ended with Wei Wuxian, he has no new friend actually.

This is also where Wen Qing significantly returns the comb of pining that Jiang Cheng gave her way back (remember that?) and is like. so you wouldn’t’ve helped me and Wen Ning actually, would you. And that is the end of Chengqing as a sidebar ship that never really sailed. Well done, you two.

Meanwhile, Jin Zixuan gets his shit together and proposes to Jiang Yanli by way of making her a lotus pond at Jinlintai. So that’s nice!

A bit later Lan Wangji comes to visit! Only it’s totally coincidental, he was just passing through, that’s all. He and Wei Wuxian hang out for a little while, pretending things are sort of normal, but they have to rush back to the Burial Mounds because the Wen Ning is out. They manage to get him under control and awaken him to proper consciousness again, though! Great! Things are looking up. :)

Lan Wangji does not stay for dinner, though. :(

In my notes I have written “meanwhile...political shitshow” and that is basically a summation of what’s up in places that aren’t the Burial Mounds. Specifically, Jin Guangshan, who seems to have deputized Jin Guangyao to do his dirty work generally, is making noises about how something needs to be done about that Wei Wuxian, and what about that Yin Tiger Seal anyway, doesn’t it seem Yin Iron-like, shouldn’t something like that not be in the hands of a random person? Probably it should be in someone else’s hands instead. Someone responsible with no ulterior motives. You know.

Also in here...somewhere, Mianmian tries to stand up for Wei Wuxian being maybe right about some things, gets shouted down, and decides to leave the Jin Sect entirely. Like...just walks out. Several people look at her like ‘you can do that?’, Lan Wangji is jealous, it is a total boss move. Mianmian hasn’t been a major character but this is important enough and cool enough that I had to mention it.

Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng come to Yiling (by the Burial Mounds) for a very secret rendezvous where Wei Wuxian gets to see Jiang Yanli’s beautiful wedding dress and eat some of her famous soup and it is very sweet and nice and Jiang Cheng is like “so do you have a plan for if everyone attacks you” and Wei Wuxian is like “absolutely. I will kill everyone is my plan.”

also possibly Jiang Yanli is already pregnant at this point??? she and Jiang Cheng are certainly exchanging a lot of conspiratorial smiles when she tells Wei Wuxian to give her future son a courtesy name.

She is for sure pregnant later, because there is a baby named Jin Ling who shows up! (Remember that name? No? He was the bratty teenager from episode 2.)  Jin Guangshan does not allow Jin Guangyao to hold the baby, for which he deserves what he gets. For Jin Ling’s 100 day/three month (again! timelines, fuck em) celebration, Jiang Cheng, Jin Zixuan, and Lan Wangji tag team to get Wei Wuxian invited, where he will come and it will be nice and everyone will discuss this Yin Tiger Seal issue like civilized people.

An invitation is sent for Wei Wuxian to come to the celebration! Wonderful! This is in no way going to go horribly wrong.

Oh Shit, Things Went Downhill Fast (Take Two) Arc

It goes horribly wrong.

On the way to Jinlintai to greet his new baby nephew, accompanied by Wen Ning, Wei Wuxian is confronted by - surprise! - Jin Zixun, accusing Wei Wuxian of putting a curse on him. Wei Wuxian denies it, naturally, since he didn’t. Jin Zixun decides the best way to deal with this situation is to kill Wei Wuxian, which will definitely break the curse that Wei Wuxian definitely cast on him.

He attacks, and Wen Ning goes Ghost General on everyone’s ass, and Wei Wuxian brings out his flute. Things are looking pretty hairy when Jin Zixuan shows up to call off the fight, trying to get Wei Wuxian to back down; he does not back down, because that would just mean getting shot full of arrows.

Wen Ning, who seems to have completely lost his mind, fists Jin Zixuan. Through the chest. This does, in fact, kill him.

His dying words are to say that Jiang Yanli is still waiting for Wei Wuxian to show up, just to make everything worse. Wen Ning kills Jin Zixun as well. This is not actually what Wei Wuxian wanted to happen.

Back at the Burial Mounds! In the wake of Jin Zixuan’s death, an ultimatum has been issued to give up the Wen siblings or else. This is pretty clearly (in my opinion) a pretext that doesn’t mean anything, but Wen Qing and Wen Ning have already decided to sacrifice themselves. Maybe they’re hoping it’ll work? Or at least that it’ll give Wei Wuxian some time? Wen Qing knocks Wei Wuxian out so he can’t stop them. The whole thing is really fucking heartbreaking.

Wei Wuxian comes around and goes to Jinlintai, where he sees Jiang Yanli, who is mourning her dead husband who got killed by her baby brother! Cool! She sees Wei Wuxian but he runs before she can say anything, partly because guards have been sicced on him. He is pretty clearly having a mental breakdown, hallucinations and all!

Cut to a gathering of...pretty much everyone important and all their followers at Nightless City, for a combination commemorating the dead/affirming the deaths of Wen Ning and Wen Qing/gearing up to kill Wei Wuxian.

Who spares them the effort of coming to find him by showing up on the roof! He proceeds to sic dark magic on everyone there except, conspicuously, for the Jiang Sect. Lan Wangji arrives to defuse the situation and fails to defuse the situation until Wei Wuxian hears Jiang Yanli calling for him.

Because she’s arrived on an active battlefield! Not her best idea but it’s not like I can actually blame her considering the week she’s having.

Wei Wuxian goes to look for her, as does Jiang Cheng who also heard her, and...suddenly loses control of his dark magic. Cool! One of the...undead? people there wounds Jiang Yanli. Even better! Jiang Cheng pleads with Wei Wuxian to get things under control, which he can’t! They have a moment while a lot of people around them are dying but you know what, they deserve it.

because like literally a second later Jiang Yanli pushes Wei Wuxian out of the way of a sword meant to stab him in the back and instead takes it herself. And dies.

So. Yeah.

Wei Wuxian loses the last threads of his sanity and destroys the Yin Tiger Seal. While everybody is fighting over it, he goes over to the edge of a cliff, and now we’re back here where we started! With Lan Wangji clinging to Wei Wuxian’s hand as he dangles over the edge of a cliff and tells him to let go.

Jiang Cheng arrives to defuse the situation, by which I mean “he tells Wei Wuxian to go die and stabs down.” He only hits rock; Wei Wuxian breaks himself loose of Lan Wangji’s grip and falls. You are left on the image of Lan Wangji’s absolutely devastated face.

nice! great. well, that brings us up to speed for the flashforward to the future, where you have probably completely forgotten what happened in the first two episodes.

For instance: remember how we saw Wen Ning despite the fact that he’s supposed to be ashes? Yeah.

And We’re Back in the Present Now Arc (Good Times in Qinghe Arc)

For some reason this is the part of the show where I remember the least and it all kind of blurs together with the exception of one scene? so I had to go look at Wikipedia episode summaries to make sure I was putting things in the right order.

Back in the present at the Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji discover that the very angry sword spirit last seen killing people at Mo Manor (remember that?) is pointing them in the direction of Qinghe (the Nie Sect territory). They leave to go there and run into Jin Ling, who semi-accidentally terrorizes Wei Wuxian by way of dog. 

By asking around, they also learn that there are rumors of a man-eating fortress in the woods, and that it hasn’t been dealt with because the leader of the Nie Sect is absolutely useless. The leader of the Nie Sect who is now - hey, been a while! - Nie Huaisang, since his older brother disappeared under mysterious circumstances after losing his mind years ago.

The dynamic duo go off to investigate the man-eating fortress, naturally, and what they find is a tomb full of swords and a wall full of skeletons, and also Jin Ling. 

They remove Jin Ling from the wall, Lan Wangji goes chasing a mysterious attacker, and Wei Wuxian takes Jin Ling to safety only to end up running into - oh boy! - Jiang Cheng. 

They have a calm talk about their feelings and address their dysfunction in a reasonable manner. 

Nope! Jiang Cheng corners Wei Wuxian with Jin Ling’s dog, throws a cup of tea at a wall, and yells at Wei Wuxian about how he both didn’t come home right away and also how he should die ten million times (no, like, actually). Fortunately, Jin Ling arrives, lies out his ass about how he saw Wen Ning to get Jiang Cheng to leave, and lets Wei Wuxian go. 

Back to that mysterious figure Lan Wangji went running after! Turns out it was none other than Nie Huaisang, who confesses - reluctantly - that the man-eating fortress belongs to his family and is a safe home for bloodthirsty swords after their owners die, which is a normal thing to get as a family heirloom. This is also where it becomes increasingly clear that (a) the sword spirit is Baxia, Nie Mingjue’s sword, and (b) Nie Mingjue is most likely hella dead, specifically murdered. 

With this new information, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian move on, tracking the directions of the angry sword spirit. They overhear some very depressing story about Song Lan, Xiao Xingchen, and Xue Yang, specifically how things turned out horribly for them (though without details), which drives Lan Wangji to drink.

Lan Wangji cannot hold his liquor, at all. Wei Wuxian takes his unconsciousness as an opportunity to flute Wen Ning to him again, and removes a massive metal needle from his skull, which fixes the whole “unconscious zombie” issue. Unfortunately, Wen Ning remembers nothing about what happened to him between going to Jinlintai with Wen Qing and when he heard Wei Wuxian calling by way of flute.

And now we have Drunkji, who is the most adorable, hilarious thing ever. He gives Wei Wuxian chickens, with utmost sincerity. They are wedding chickens. It is very important that Wei Wuxian have these chickens.

This interlude is not important to the plot but it is hilarious. There is also a not hilarious interlude of Lan Wangji being very sad about how he didn’t help Wei Wuxian before, and also admitting that he likes rabbits. Again: not plot important. It is adorable. 

Wei Wuxian herds Drunkji back to the inn, where a mysterious masked man attempts to steal the pouch holding the angry sword spirit, but is driven off and teleports away. Remember this guy! He’s important.

The next morning, they set off and hit the road for a place called Yi City, which if you’ve spent any time on this blog you know is deeply important in my heart if not, like, in terms of show space.

Yi City Arc Yi City Arc Yi City Arc

yes this is three episodes but this is my summary post so I get to give it its own section if I want to.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrive at Yi City, which is empty, and very spooky. They run into the pack of juniors (Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, sassmaster Lan Jingyi and consummate romantic Ouyang Zizhen are the named ones), and shortly thereafter into a whole bunch of undead. They also run into a ghost (???) girl who is blind and has no tongue. They also also run into Xiao Xingchen, severely wounded.

Psych! It’s Xue Yang in disguise and he has an undead Song Lan under his control. what a fun twist this is! and he wants one thing specifically: for Wei Wuxian to help him bring someone back to life. Problem is that their soul is in need of some serious super glue and super glue doesn’t work on souls.

Xue Yang informs Wei Wuxian that his consent is optional and he will be participating in Xue Yang’s necromancy experiment fantasies whether he likes it or not. Lan Wangji objects strenuously to this idea. While Lan Wangji is fighting Xue Yang and Wen Ning is fighting Song Lan (corpse fight! corpse fight!) Wei Wuxian herds the juniors into a safe courtyard where the corpses won’t go, led by the aforementioned ghost girl, who shows them a coffin.

the coffin has Xiao Xingchen in it. The actual real one. There’s a bandage over his eyes, because he doesn’t have any.

Wei Wuxian goes into the ghost girl’s memories in order to find out what happened using a technique called Empathy, and the next chunk of things I’m just going to tell in full chronologically even though there’s a break where you don’t see all of it until an episode later.

The ghost girl, a-Qing, is a con artist who pretends to be blind; she runs into Xiao Xingchen (who is actually blind) when she steals his money, and he just gives it to her after stopping someone else whose money she stole from beating him up. A-Qing decides they’re friends now. They’ve been traveling together for...some amount of time when they stumble on a badly injured man on the side of the road. Xiao Xingchen picks him up and takes him home with him (to an abandoned coffin house in Yi City). You get one guess who he’s rescued and who is totally psyched to discover that his life has been saved by Xiao Xingchen, who doesn’t know who he is, because he’s blind.

So you know, everything is coming up Xue Yang.

What follows is three years of domestic bliss, including hits like “entire villages dying by Xiao Xingchen under sort of suspicious circumstances” and “threatening grocers.” And then who should show up but Song Lan! Looking for Xiao Xingchen and he’s so happy to have finally found him.

Only he notices Xue Yang first.

A fight ensues, in which Xue Yang...sort of talks Song Lan to death by digging into the fact that Xiao Xingchen is blind because he gave his eyes to Song Lan, actually, and Song Lan hurt him so bad when they broke up, and because Xiao Xingchen is blind Xue Yang has been able to trick him into killing living people when he thinks he’s killing undead ones, and oooh do you feel bad now, well, guess what, you’re gonna feel worse when I poison you into becoming undead and cut out your tongue. :D

And even worse when this means that Xiao Xingchen stabs him because, you know, undead monster.

Cool! Things are going great.

Or they would be only a-Qing saw everything, reveals it to Xiao Xingchen, who puts it together and greets XueYang coming back from grocery shopping with a sword (rude). They break up, and by “break up” I mean “Xue Yang reveals his tragic backstory, Xiao Xingchen is not convinced that his tragic backstory means all the murder was justified, Xue Yang decides it’s time to make this all go nuclear.” So tells Xiao Xingchen about how he’s been killing people actually! And guess what, bonus, one of those people was your BFF/life partner/whatever, Song Lan. isn’t that amazing, Xiao Xingchen, isn’t that so cool--

Xiao Xingchen kills himself and this is, it turns out, Not What Xue Yang Wanted. So guess who’s in the pouch Xue Yang was hoping to resurrect? Yeah.

Back in the present, with help from a-Qing directing Lan Wangji, Xue Yang gets...hella stabbed, but not before he kills a-Qing. Song Lan, freed from Xue Yang’s control, kills Xue Yang.

Oh yeah, and then we see Xiao Xingchen tenderly laying pieces of candy on a bed, which is symbolically important, and also Xue Yang dies looking at the last piece of candy Xiao Xingchen gave him, and now I’m going to cry. anyway Yi City Arc, you’re welcome. Where the only person who survives did not, in fact, survive!

Oh, yeah, I guess it’s also important that there’s a headless body buried here and it gets...pretty conclusively identified as Nie Mingjue because the sword spirit (remember that?) takes the shape of his very distinctive large sword (Baxia). Also Xue Yang recreated the Yin Tiger Seal but it gets snatched away by the masked man from earlier. There’s also a bunch of stuff about the Yin Iron plot but you can ignore it, it doesn’t actually really matter that much.

Honestly at that point I was crying too much to pay a whole lot of attention to the whole point of them being in Yi City to begin with. So sue me.

The Plot Thickens, and Secrets Are Revealed Arc

Exeunt Yi City, rendezvous with Lan Xichen to discuss, obliquely, who could be responsible for Nie Mingjue’s death. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji delicately imply that maybe it was Jin Guangyao; Lan Xichen is unconvinced and informs us that there are no curse marks indicating that he’d teleported on Jin Guangyao’s body, he would know, and also they’ve been together every night so he wouldn’t have time to get up to shenanigans anyway.

Hm.

Still, they go ahead together to ruin another party/investigate at Jinlintai, with Wei Wuxian safely in disguise (barely), unfortunately as Mo Xuanyu, who is not exactly welcome in the Jin Sect because he got kicked out of it earlier. Mo Xuanyu is a whole...thing that I’m not really going into here because the show doesn’t really get into it either.

Wei Wuxian ducks out to investigate, and in the form of an animated paper man, to the tune of music we have never heard before in this show and will never hear again (look, it’s just weird to me), goes sneaking into Jin Guangyao’s rooms to do some poking around. His investigations are interrupted when Jin Guangyao’s wife Qin Su, in a state of severe distress, returns, followed shortly by Jin Guangyao. They argue about an unknown revelation in a letter Qin Su received that has resulted in her being disgusted by...something, we don’t know what, and angry with Jin Guangyao. She accuses him of killing their kid.

Eventually he paralyzes her and removes her to a secret room through a mirror, which is a thing everyone has, especially one with a bunch of torture instruments and a body sized table with dried blood on it. Normal!

Remember how the body in Yi City was headless? Yeah, we found the head now.

And it’s time for another Empathy flashback! 

Empathy Flashback feat. Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao’s Bad Relationship Mini Arc

This time with Nie Mingjue (and Jin Guangyao). We see Jin Guangyao very quickly elevated from a servant who is spat upon by the other Nie cultivators to Nie Mingjue’s right hand man, like, literally in two seconds. Flash forward to episode 10 - remember that? - where Jin Guangyao has just been caught in a compromising murder position. Nie Mingjue accuses Jin Guangyao plotting all along and is a conniving little snake who was in league with Xue Yang (which is a thing that does not make sense, actually), and kicks him out.

We next see Nie Mingjue in Nightless City, having been captured and currently being taunted by a very sexy Meng Yao, who kills some other Nie cultivators and threatens to fuck up Nie Mingjue by shattering his sword (which would be catastrophic and is, we are informed, how Nie Mingjue’s dad died). Nie Mingjue is understandably rather displeased by this to the point of probable murder, though Lan Xichen reminds him (as he did in the previous scene) that Meng Yao was acting as a spy and Meng Yao argues that he needed to play his part.

The relationship between the two of them continues to deteriorate as Nie Mingjue becomes more unstable (something that just happens to the Nies by virtue of their cultivation style). That deterioration is being delayed by healing music from Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen teaches Jin Guangyao the healing music. Jin Guangyao seems to be possibly doing something not healing with the healing music.

This all escalates into a confrontation at the top of the stairs of Jinlintai, where Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao argue about class politics and justifiable violence (no, really) until Nie Mingjue explodes and kicks Jin Guangyao down the stairs. 

And then proceeds to, as Jin Guangyao looks on, have a qi deviation, which is...well, let’s just call it both a physical and a mental breakdown. Nie Huaisang arrives to see this happening, and while we saw this before and it looked like Nie Mingjue was threatening Nie Huaisang because he didn’t recognize him, this time it is more apparent that he’s directing it at Jin Guangyao.

Next we see, Nie Mingjue is chained to that body sized table in the secret room. Xue Yang is there, and uses Nie Mingjue’s sword to behead Nie Mingjue. He’s psyched as hell about it. If you’re me this is adorable.

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming Arc

Flashback ends! And we are back in Jinlintai. Wei Wuxian goes to get Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen to storm Jin Guangyao’s bedroom, to which Su She objects, but Jin Guangyao eventually allows. They all file together into the secret room and look around, but there is no longer any severed head where Wei Wuxian left it. Whoops. 

Then Qin Su kills herself, Jiang Cheng arrives to defuse the situation while Jin Guangyao pleads innocent, and Wei Wuxian, by way of drawing his sword that nobody else could draw before now, reveals that he is, in fact, Wei Wuxian. Everyone in this room actually already knew this information except for Jin Ling, who is not thrilled to discover that his cool uncle is the guy who murdered his parents. Nobody else does a very good job of faking surprise.

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian make a run for it only to be cornered on the stairs. Extreme romance ensues where Lan Wangji announces his intent to stand by Wei Wuxian forever against the world. 

This is where the “I was like, SCREAMS” meme kicks in.

Anyway, after that love confession (look, they can’t say ‘I love you’ but basically) in front of everyone, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian fight their way out together and are well on the way to freedom when Jin Ling stabs Wei Wuxian. 

Nobody is happy about this, including Jin Ling.

Wei Wuxian is okay overall, though he does faint and have to get swept off to the Cloud Recesses and undressed and redressed in Lan Wangji’s underwear. Don’t worry about it. And now it’s time to talk to Lan Xichen, who is currently feeling very “what the hell is going on, you have no proof and are accusing a person I trust completely of something horrible without any proof.” 

They still don’t have any proof, but Wei Wuxian reveals that in the flashback he heard Jin Guangyao playing the soothing music but different, and it comes out that there is evil Japanese music that can kill people and be used to poison someone slowly over time. It’s literally this post:

Lan Xichen is not entirely convinced but agrees to investigate; Jin Guangyao comes to Cloud Recesses and has an absolutely heartbreaking conversation with Lan Xichen about how is our friendship over, Zewu--jun :( while Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji eavesdrop.

That conversation isn’t plot important either, I just personally find it very upsetting.

The Burial Mounds, Take Two Arc

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji leave the Cloud Recesses, heading toward the Burial Mounds because Jin Guangyao mentioned something being up there. But they end up meeting - surprise! - Mianmian, who is living her best life. This is mostly important because she is literally the only female character who makes it out of this show alive. 

She mentions that there’s been some trouble around the Burial Mounds, so they head in that direction, running into Wen Ning along the way, who has been following them around because he loves Wei Wuxian. The Burial Mounds are indeed full of active undead and they fight their way up to the old farming commune location, which is less empty than expected because there are a bunch of kids tied up in Wei Wuxian’s old lair/cave/house. Like, all of them. Including Jin Ling, who really is having a terrible time lately, and I just feel the need to note that sometimes.

As they free the children and start to leave, everyone else arrives with the plan of killing Wei Wuxian again, because once wasn’t enough and obviously he’s Up To No Good, where else would these corpses be coming from, huh? 

Speaking of corpses. 

A small army of them shows up! All the cultivators who aren’t children lose their powers! Everyone has to retreat back into the lair/cave/house where they’ll be safe! So this is all...going well.

Fortunately, everyone being stuck in one place gives Wei Wuxian the opportunity to get his Hercule Poirot on and walk everyone through a series of deductions to get them to a place of realizing that (a) they were poisoned by evil music, (b) the evil music came from Su She, (c) Su She is working for Jin Guangyao who (d) planned all of this whole ‘everyone is going to the Burial Mounds to get killed’ thing.

Su She panics, inadvertently reveals that he alone still has his powers, and teleports out. Wei Wuxian decides that a reasonable solution to all these problems is to make himself bait for all the undead so everyone else can make a run for it, because Wei Wuxian is kind of like that. 

It’s okay, though, he and Lan Wangji make a spectacular battle couple.

(Oh, yeah. Throughout here it is becoming increasingly clear that Lan Sizhui’s identity is Significant and actually we Might Have Seen Him Before.)

Back to Lotus Pier Arc, or Jin Ling Has a Very Bad Day, Continued Arc

Safely out of the Burial Mounds thanks to Wei Wuxian, everybody goes ahead and invites themselves back to Jiang Cheng’s house. To be fair, it is closest. 

My notes here say “Wen Ning figures out that Lan Sizhui is a-Yuan, Jin Ling has an emotional breakdown” which is a more or less accurate summation of the situation. Honestly, though, I feel so bad for Jin Ling at this point, he’s had an absolute nightmare of a month and then today happened and like. I feel for him.

But Wen Ning reuniting with the last remaining member of his family! Though he doesn’t...actally tell Lan Sizhui this, and Lan Sizhui doesn’t have any memories of his early years. 

Jiang Cheng reluctantly allows Wei Wuxian inside. Wen Ning has to stay on the porch, but Lan Sizhui stays with him to keep him company, because he is a good boy.

This next part...hoo boy. It’s a lot of exposition featuring two ladies who appear to relate their stories about Jin Guangyao, featuring the part where he murdered his father by using a bunch of sex workers (who then were murdered in turn, except for one), also involving necrophilia, and the one where Qin Su was Jin Guangyao’s sister, actually, and he knew it and still married her. Sect Leader Bad Takes says that’s probably why Jin Guangyao killed their kid, because children of incest inevitably have developmental problems? Yeah, sure, buddy.

Anyway, everyone starts shouting for Jin Guangyao’s head, which is very familiar to Wei Wuxian, who leaves in some disgust. While wandering with Lan Wangji, they wind up going to the family shrine (which is, to be clear, a pretty sacred place). Which is where Jiang Cheng finds them! And once again they have a reasonable and emotionally steady conversation.

Nope. Jiang Cheng talks shit trying to provoke a fight that Wei Wuxian won’t have. As he and Lan Wangji attempt to leave, Jiang Cheng pursues because he’s not done yelling dammit, lashing out with Zidian. Wei Wuxian faints, and Wen Ning arrives to stand in between him and Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng, holding Wei Wuxian’s sheathed sword (remember, the one nobody other than Wei Wuxian can draw). Wen Ning proceeds to initiate one of the single best devastating beatdowns of the show without laying a hand on Jiang Cheng, specifically by shoving the sword at Jiang Cheng and telling him to draw it, because hey you can do that now! Wonder why that is? Wouldn’t you like to know what’s going on there, Jiang Wanyin?

Remember way back when Jiang Cheng lost his core and got it back because Wei Wuxian gave him his core? Yeah, this is when he finds out about that. Psych! Your brother loves you and also the only reason you got to be as strong as you are is because he sacrificed himself for you! Which is also the reason why he took up demonic cultivation in the first place! 

Seriously, it’s so good, I love this scene. Probably one of my favorites in the whole show.

Jiang Cheng runs away; Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have a moment on a lake where Lan Wangji indulges Wei Wuxian by eating stolen lotuses with him. It’s sweeter than it sounds when I put it like that.

Guanyin Temple Arc

oh god, how do I. how do I describe Guanyin Temple. partially this is hard because by virtue of censorship about dead bodies, among probably other things, there are huge gaps that make portions of it make no sense so I’m gonna go ahead and...fill in some of those that are intelligible pretty much only with some knowledge of book plot, imo.

Wen Ning, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian go to a place called Yunping because Jin Guangyao bought some land there for some reason. There they find a slightly suspicious temple (Guanyin Temple). They come back at night, leaving Wen Ning to stand guard, and spy on the courtyard, where a bunch of conspicuously armed monks are there, along with Lan Xichen aaaaand...Jin Guangyao. 

Jin Ling arrives! And decides it’s a good idea to climb over the wall. Wei Wuxian blocks someone from shooting him by using the bamboo flute he’s been using this whole time, so he now functionally has no weapon, and also he and Lan Wangji have been exposed, so now the two of them and also Jin Ling are in the courtyard. Lan Xichen admits he was tricked and doesn’t have any of his powers. Jin Guangyao threatens Lan Wangji into sealing his by threatening Wei Wuxian with a wire. It’s sexy.

Everybody goes inside the temple, where several monks are digging up something ??? under the floor. This is never explained and that is because it is supposed to be Jin Guangyao’s mother’s body, and there are very strict rules I understand about what can be done with dead bodies in dramas like this one. Anyway, Jin Guangyao loved his mom very much and built a temple where she was buried where the statue has her face. He is exhuming her so he can take her body with him when he flees the country, which is what he was planning here. Of course, now he has a bunch of unwanted hostages (and one wanted hostage), which was not actually part of the plan.

The next person to join the party is an unconscious Nie Huaisang, brought in by Su She, who basically says “I have no idea what he was doing here but...here he is” and Jin Guangyao is like. Well, guess he’s here now. 

Next to show up is Jiang Cheng! Making an excellent and extremely dramatic entrance. Unfortunately, he still gets injured and taken down as Jin Guangyao starts poking at his very obvious emotional weak spots, including revealing that Jiang Cheng knows about the golden core thing. Wei Wuxian, who did not know that secret came out because he was unconscious at the time, goes “wait, what?” and thus ensues the epic emotional catharsis crying and yelling conversation I was waiting for for 47 episodes. Seriously, it’s really good. They end up in a place where all is not solved but things are...maybe a little better? 

Of course, they’re still hostages. 

Meanwhile, back at the dig site, something gets unearthed that is not Jin Guangyao’s mother’s body but is in fact a coffin with Nie Mingjue’s body, now complete with head, in it. The reveal also drops here that Su She has the marks that indicate he cast the curse on Jin Zixun that Jin Zixun accused Wei Wuxian of casting.

A very ugly argument ensues where everyone is poking at everyone else’s things that they’re sensitive about, until finally Lan Xichen recovers his powers and turns the tables on Jin Guangyao by putting a sword to his neck. 

The next part is basically...explaining how all the bad things that happened were Jin Guangyao’s fault? Or at least that’s the explanation given. I find it personally very frustrating as a narrative choice and sort of unnecessary, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, Jin Guangyao is pleading for mercy from Lan Xichen, saying he’ll leave and never return, the whole thing is very emotional. 

We also find out that Jin Guangshan kicked Jin Guangyao down the stairs. People really need to stop doing that.

And now Wen Ning arrives! Punting Lan Sizhui in ahead of him. He is possessed by a very angry sword spirit (namely, Baxia). Lan Wangji cuts off Jin Guangyao’s right arm, because Lan Wangji likes doing that, apparently. Baxia-possessed Wen Ning then targets Jin Ling because Jin Ling has Jin Guangyao’s blood on him - only for Wen Ning to stop the blade with his bare hand and save Jin Ling’s life, because Wen Ning is both a badass and very good. 

Jiang Cheng throws Wei Wuxian his old flute, which he apparently has just been keeping under his bed or something for sixteen years, which is a thing that I will always never be over, and Wei Wuxian flutes the very angry sword into the Nie Mingjue-holding coffin.

Which would be fine, only then Nie Huaisang starts yelling about how Su She totally stabbed him, no, really, look, he’s bleeding. Baxia kills Su She. Then Wei Wuxian manages to put the sword back in the coffin, as well as the Yin Tiger Seal, and locks both away.

Whew.

Everybody’s sitting down and recovering a little as Lan Xichen tends Jin Guangyao’s wounds. He turns around to get medicine from Nie Huaisang, who tells him to look out because Jin Guangyao is attacking you!!! 

Lan Xichen runs Jin Guangyao through. 

Oh boy.

Jin Guangyao is a little impressed about Nie Huaisang having been plotting this all along. Because he was. He absolutely was. He’s absolutely been planning this for years. Everybody needs a hobby.

But it’s Lan Xichen who he really addresses here, telling him that he’d never hurt him. The actual line really hurts but I’m trying to not reproduce lines here, except I am going to say that he drags Lan Xichen - still with a sword through him! - deeper into the temple and says “stay and die with me” as the temple starts to collapse. Lan Xichen, who was about to strike and presumably push himself away, lowers his hand, and Jin Guangyao abruptly pushes him away and out of the collapsing building.

Romance!

(No, but seriously, it’s a lot.)

Thus ends Jin Guangyao. 

Outside in the courtyard, everyone’s taking a breather. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian stare longingly at each other across the room and say nothing. Jiang Cheng walks away and we learn that - surprise! - the reason Jiang Cheng was caught by the Wens way back when is because he was keeping the Wens from catching Wei Wuxian instead.

Everybody in this family in just a big circle of self sacrifice. In the words of Wen Qing:

(Who misses Wen Qing? I do!)

Anyway, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian leave with each other, only to be caught on the road by Lan Sizhui and Wen Ning - Lan Sizhui, who has remembered that he was a-Yuan and finally someone tells Wei Wuxian this, and ahhhh, okay, I know what I said about limiting screencaps but I can’t not:

Now that’s what I call a hug!

They part ways again, Lan Sizhui leaving with Wen Ning for some family time and for Wen Ning to find his own way. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian...seem like they’re going in different directions, but then they’re at Cloud Recesses together, playing music, hanging out, vibing. They talk to Nie Huaisang, but don’t directly confront him about his scheming. Mostly just making sure he’s not, you know, gonna do anything else.

Then Wei Wuxian leaves to go on a roadtrip to find himself. People really do not like this, but I personally really do like this, especially because the last shots of the show are Wei Wuxian playing his and Lan Wangji’s theme song (the one that Lan Wangji wrote, remember, from the cave? It’s come up a lot, I just haven’t mentioned it here), and when he finishes Lan Wangji’s voice says “Wei Ying” and he turns around and just like. Smiles. It’s scrunchy and happy and perfect.

Like this:

aaaaaaand scene! fifty episodes later your life has been ruined and you will never be the same.

and the thing is that this is leaving out, like. a lot, and probably is biased because I focus on different things than another person would, &c &c, but at least it might be a starting point for...the entire plot.

and also congratulations if you made it this far, I am impressed. have a screenshot of wei wuxian as a reward, whose mental breakdown does make him look sexy

you’re welcome.

[merakilyy]

Lan Qiren is Not a Completely Terrible Parent + Bonus Headcanon

Some disorganized thoughts on Lan Qiren!

A lot of my thoughts on Lan Qiren come from a bilibili article breaking down what it means be be righteous (雅正) in accordance to the Lan Sect’s motto. The article is in Chinese so I’ll just sum up some of the major ideas first:

***

~It fundamentally refutes the idea of Lan Wangji as the “black sheep” in the Lan Sect 

~It assumes Cloud Recesses has a highly collective intrasect environment. Children are raised not just by the parents, but by the entire Sect. 

~The Elders raised Wangji and saw him grew up and didn’t have the heart to hurt Wangji, even after he escaped with Wei Wuxian into the cave. Western fandom especially tends to see the elders as strict, conservative disciplinarians who are rigid in their beliefs to the point of hypocrisy. This meta refutes that. It’s unreasonable that Wangji, no matter how strong his cultivation, would be able to stand on his own against 33 seasoned cultivators. So, contrary to popular belief, the elders allowed Wangji to injure them so they would not have to harm a child of the Sect.

~Lan Sect rules are not about what is literally written, but the spirit of the rules. This also makes sense given that when you have 4000+ rules, some rules are bound to contradict one another. And, many rules are quite vague. Eg. “sneering for no reason is prohibited.” Where is the line that justifies sneering? There is none because the idea is not “don’t sneer for no reason,” the idea is “don’t be unnecessarily rude.” In many of the rules, there is room for interpretation and it is this process of interpretation that is valued over the literal inscription of the rules. 

~Basically, they are not good people because of the rules. They are good people because they are good people. The rules guide them to make good judgement, but good judgement does not comes from following the rules to a T.

~So the function of 雅正 (to be righteous) is internal, not performative.

~It is this internal clarity that makes Gusu Lan “innocent” (the word used is 纯真; 纯/chun = pure, clarity, genuine, practised and 真/zhen = true, real, genuine, clear)

~There is also a long history of Lans being deviant and rebellious. In CQL, there is Lan Yi who invents guqin battle techniques. They are also the only Clan to have been led by a female cultivator. Qingheng-jun clearly went against orthodoxy by marrying a murderer, but still remained in Cloud Recesses. We’re going to set aside consent here because is a total other separate conversation, but his punishment is self-imposed, not enforced by the Sect. So there are a lot of rules, but they aren’t pedantic. There is leeway, as seen in Lan Yi, but only within reason, as demonstrated by Qingheng-jun.

~Like his ancestors, Wangji also deviated from the straightforward path but his sect accepted his unrepentant love for Wei Wuxian in the end.

~In the end, Wangji gets what he wants: to live with Wei Wuxian in Cloud Recess. But he only gets this because the elders and Lan Qiren allow him to.

~To allow Wei Wuxian to exist in Cloud Recesses, the Lan Sect has to be more inclusive than we typically see them as.

~Despite everything, Lan Wangji still wants to return to Cloud Recesses because it is home to him.

~This is also my favourite explanation of Jingyi’s Jingyi-ness. Rather than Wangji (and possibly Xichen) singlehandedly creating a space for Jingyi, that space already existed. Jingyi isn’t as much of a black sheep as people portray him as because you don’t grow into a Jingyi if everyone is constantly yelling at you to follow rules. CQL Jingyi is plenty sassy, even in front of Lan Qiren, and Jingyi isn’t stupid! He was born and raised in Cloud Recesses, he knows when he is pushing several of the rules and he knows that he has the leeway to do so, and that Lan Qiren will not stop him (within reason).

~”Be righteous” is how the Lan motto is translated in English, but it’s….not exactly what it is in Chinese.

~In modern Chinese, it’s  雅正.  雅/ya = elegance, graceful and 正/zheng = positive, correct, straight, just. 

~Notice how the two parts of the motto contrast one another. Ya is outward, something that dictates how you act. Zheng is internal, determined by your actions and attitudes. Zheng is the foundation of Ya.

~As a related aside, the literary meaning of 雅正 is slightly different; it means to be correct and honest, and to welcome corrections to one’s shortcomings. The literary 雅 is to be proper。

~The meta ends with this beautiful line: 所谓的“雅正”，家族交出来，体雅是表象，心正才是更本。Now to ruin it in translation: “Each configuration of “righteousness,” as taught by the Sect, is outward physical elegance built on the foundation of a moral heart.”

~TLDR: Rebelliousness is a function of Gusu Lan, not an anomaly.

***

Onto some fun headcanons!

~Lan Qiren has personal issues with Wei Wuxian because of his mother, but he is more horrified by Wei Wuxian because Wei Wuxian has all this potential and then uses it to go down the heretial path?? Blaphemous. All that ability, all that work, only to throw it all away? Wei Wuxian is incredibly competent and Lan Qiren begrudgingly respects that competence. What he can’t stand is Wei Wuxian’s lackadaisical attitude towards his cultivation.

~In novel canon, Lan Qiren accepts Wangji and Wei Wuxian’s marriage. He definitely still has issues with Wei Wuxian for being a mass murderer, a demonic cultivator, for desecrating the dead, etc. Also for his general Wei Wuxian-ness. But Wei Wuxian is nothing is not incredibly competent and Lan Qiren eventually softens towards Wei Wuxian because of that competence. Once Wei Wuxian starts using that competence to be useful to the Sect and not just to be as annoying as possible, he gets Lan Qiren’s approval. 

~Secretly, of course. Lan Qiren would qi deviate before saying nice about Wei Wuxian to his face.

~I totally wrote a fic on Lan Qiren publicly defending Wei Wuxian heheh

~Cloud Recesses is only so big and Lan Qiren can’t avoid Wei Wuxian, even if he is never trying to seek him out. Plus, Wei Wuxian has this way of being in the most inconvenient place at the most inconvenient time.

~We all agree Wei Wuxian is a terrible cook. But, is he a bad cook because he adds too much spice, or he is a bad cook because he’s a bad cook? He did manage to cook congee for the ducklings in Yi Cheng without any fatalities. so I’m inclined to believe the former.

~Lan Qiren definitely thinks Wei Wuxian is a terrible cook, especially after hearing about how Wei Wuxian burned a hole in a pot.

~But Wei Wuxian is Wei Wuxian and even if he can’t be trusted with spices (or anything remotely resembling seasoning), he can make plain congee just fine....after some practice 

~Lan Qiren eats this congee and it’s a perfectly good congee. Ideal thickness, light taste, no spices, slides down the throat smoothly and pairs perfectly with his dried zhacai (pickled mustard; a super common Chinese side dish). He asks who made the congee, expecting it to be Sizhui. He chokes when he is told Wei Wuxian is the cook.

~Lan Qiren knows how to be a good parent in theory. He’s just terrible at putting it to practice.

~Jingyi’s parents, when he was still a terrible toddler wreaking havoc everywhere, went to Lan Qiren for desperate advice like “why is our child such a terrible Lan???”

~But Jingyi isn’t actually Lan Qiren’s kid so he actually gives good advice. “Give him a toy, he’ll tire himself out for his nap,” “Let him crawl around, just cover sharp objects and table corners,” and “give him a crushed peach as a reward for walking across the room”

~But he doesn’t know how to talk to Xichen or Wangji as family. He loves them both dearly – obviously he raised them, but they’re also good nephews!! Questionable taste in men aside, they are excellent nephews! He just doesn’t know how to talk to them outside of official sect business.

~Especially with Wangji, He kind of did declare Wangji’s husband a heretic, a traitor, was extra hard on Wei Wuxian as a student, Wangji for visiting Wei Wuxian. And there’s that whole discipline whip thing.

~Which, to be fair, did end up saving Wangji’s life. Raising his sword against Sect Elders and one’s own family is an act of treason punishable by execution. But Lan Qiren can’t just execute his own nephew….he has a heart, even if no one believes it

~33 discipline lashes from the discipline whip is very harsh and Lan Qiren won’t pretend otherwise. But he could gamble that Wangji’s core is strong enough to pull him through. Because the odds of a living, resentful Wangji is better than a dead Wangji.

~They never talk about this. There are a lot of things they don’t talk about.

~Even before, Lan Qiren isn’t a bad parent. He just has no idea how to put his ideas of parenting into practice. He knows what a good parent looks like, he just doesn’t know how to be one.

~So he hides behind the rules because the rules can’t go that wrong, right? Right???

~Lan Qiren is lowkey jealous of Wei Wuxian for knowing how to be affectionate. He definitely thinks Wei Wuxian is too open with his emotions, but he is envious that Wei Wuxian and Wangji are open to each other in a way that Lan Qiren never established with either nephew. They are loyal in the filial manner of juniors to their elders, but Lan Qiren isn’t exactly close to his nephews. 

~In his ongoing attempt to be a better uncle, he ends up getting advice from Wei Wuxian about emotions.

~It’s not like he can go to anyone else. And, well. That congee was really good.

~Turns out Wei Wuxian can brew the perfect pot of tea, too.

~Offensive. That Wei Wuxian is so competent and the least emotionally repressed person in all of Cloud Recesses.

~Eventually, Lan Qiren begins to understand why Wangji is so attached to Wei Wuxian, even if he still can’t stand to be in the same room as Wei Wuxian for longer than 15 minutes. 

~No matter how much he might no longer hate Wei Wuxian, he prefers their interactions in small doses and spaced out.

~But he does learn to bond with Wei Wuxian over cultivation theory. Annoyingly, Wei Wuxian is just too useful to continue to despise. 

[useless-slytherclaw]

Relationships: Lán Jǐngyí/Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī Characters: Lan Jingyi, Lan Yuan | Lan Sizhui, Lan Qiren Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Light Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, All of the angst is in Jingyi's head, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Light-Hearted, Getting Together, Gay Panic, Disaster Gay Lan Jingyi, Friends to Lovers

Fresh spring air drifts through the windows and open doors of the Orchid Room, making the students even more restless than usual.  Lan Jingyi sits in the second row at the second table from the center aisle right next to Sizhui.  It’s their usual place and a compromise found over the years between Sizhui’s desire to be up front and Jingyi’s desire to be as far away from Lan-Laoshi’s sharp eyes as possible.  

Their seats are directly in a pool of golden sunlight filling the room.  The warmth combined with the fresh air, a smell that’s a tiny bit floral and a tiny bit pine but entirely indescribable, mixes to make it almost impossible for Jingyi to focus.  It doesn’t help that they’re reviewing material that Jingyi already knows.  If it was something interesting, he might be able to sit still.

“Lan Jingyi!” Lan-Laoshi’s voice is sharp, and Jingyi jerks into a more upright position, turning his gaze back to the front.  “This is your last warning to pay attention.”

“Yes, Lan-Laoshi,” Jingyi says, ducking his head low in a show of apology.  

He catches Sizhui’s tiny- probably disappointed- headshake out of the corner of his eye.  It’s not Jingyi’s fault that he’s easily distracted or that Sizhui is as unfairly good at modeling proper Lan behavior as he is at everything.

Jingyi picks up his calligraphy brush and starts taking down notes rather unenthusiastically.  He already knows these things, and they weren’t particularly interesting the first time.  Beside him, Sizhui sits with perfect posture, dutifully taking meticulously neat notes.  There’s even the faintest hint of a smile in his serene expression.  

Jingyi watches Sizhui’s paper, copying down what he’s writing, but his gaze drifts to Sizhui’s hands: elegant musician’s hands, with slender fingers that are deceptive in their strength.  Even his hands are nice: holding an artist's brush, playing the guqin, gripping his sword… Jingyi blinks and drags his gaze back to his own paper.  

He manages another few lines of characters before his gaze is drifting back to Sizhui, as it so often does.  The warmth of the sunlight suits him, bringing out the warm highlights in the deep black of his hair and kissing the curve of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose with a note of bronze.  Jingyi has a perfect view of his profile from his seat, and though it’s more familiar to him than his own face, he finds his gaze drawn back, again and again, lecture after lecture.  

He’s the picture of refinement and masculine beauty from his perfectly neat ponytail, to his upright but never stiff posture, to his somehow lovely hands, to the soft curve of his lips.  Some part of Jingyi longs to touch him, to see if his hair is as soft under his hands as it looks and to see what his smile tastes like-

“Lan Jingyi!”  Lan-Laoshi’s voice snaps Jingyi back into the present, and he turns towards the front, spine straightening so fast his back cracks.  Mentally, he braces himself for the next words.  Punishment is coming, handstands probably, the question is really how many.  He is not at all prepared for the next words out of Lan-Laoshi’s mouth.  “Stop admiring Lan Sizhui and pay attention.  You can daydream after class.”

For a moment, Jingyi is absolutely frozen as his brain processes the words, not quite able to believe that he’d heard what he’d just heard.  His whole body goes hot and then cold as the mortification sets in.  A murmur spreads through the class, but Jingyi can’t hear it over the ringing in his ears.

He catches a movement from Sizhui out of the corner of his eye, but he doesn’t dare to look at him.  If he had, he might have seen the slight widening of Sizhui’s warm brown eyes or the way his lips part ever so softly in surprise.  He might have seen the blush, pale as cherry blossoms, that spread across his cheeks or the expression in his eyes that looked a little bit like hope.

Jingyi opens his mouth to say that he hadn’t been staring at Sizhui, but he had, and lying will only get him in more trouble.  He shuts his mouth.  Then again, the punishment for lying might be better than Sizhui knowing the truth.  Before he can untangle his tongue to come up with some kind of response, Lan-Laoshi has resumed teaching.  

Jingyi can feel the heat on his face and knows it must be nearly crimson.  Part of him wants to glance at Sizhui, to try and gauge his best friend’s reaction, but he doesn’t dare.  Not only is he afraid of what Lan-Laoshi might do, but he’s also not ready to face Sizhui’s reaction.  Sizhui is his best friend, the closest person to him in the world, and he’s not ready to lose that.  

Of all the insane scenarios that Jingyi’s brain had come up with, Sizhui finding out about Jingyi’s feelings from Lan-Laoshi was not on the list.  His feelings.  Feelings he doesn’t have words for if Sizhui asks.  Feelings he has very been ignoring, very studiously if not very successfully, until now.  He’s screwed.

Jingyi wants nothing more than to vanish into the floor; well, perhaps dying might do it.  He keeps himself perfectly upright with his gaze on the front of the class, terrified that if he looks away Lan-Laoshi will somehow make this worse.  He doesn’t know how, but he doesn’t want to test it.

His brain scrambles desperately for a solution to this mess.  He momentarily considers lying to Sizhui about it and instantly discards the idea; he’s never been able to lie to Sizhui.  Sizhui would know he was lying, which would defeat the point of lying, and Sizhui would be upset that Jingyi lied to him, which would make things worse.  

Time seems to warp around Jingyi for the last two hours of class.  Every moment seems to drag on as he tries to manage the absolute panic growing larger with each second, but time also seems to race forward to the end of class no matter how much he wants it to stop.  Sizhui looks at him several times, and each time, Jingyi wants to fall into the floor a little more.  

His heart starts to race faster at the last few minutes of the class.  Two hours and he has heard not a single word out of Lan-Laoshi’s mouth, and he has gotten no closer to knowing how to handle the situation with Sizhui.  As soon as the bell is rung, Jingyi grabs his bag.  

“Jingyi-” Sizhui says, voice quiet and with an inflection that Jingyi is too panicked to read.

Jingyi turns towards Sizhui, unable to resist answering to the sound of his name on Sizhui’s lips.  He looks at Sizhui for maybe a whole second, taking in the tiniest crease between his brows and the lack of serenity in his expression before his courage fails him, and he runs for it, leaving his notes, brush, and ink block on the table.

“Jingyi!” Sizhui calls after him, half-rising from his seat as he does so, hand outstretched a moment too late.  Jingyi turned away too fast to see the blush on Sizhui’s cheek or to see past the confusion in his eyes.

All the other disciples turn to stare at the pair of them.  Jingyi can feel their eyes on him, but he doesn’t care right now.  It’s Sizhui’s expression that’s burned into his mind.  There’s a rush of voices behind him as whispers spread from disciple to disciple and then Lan Qiren’s sharp voice: “Gossiping is forbidden!”

Jingyi isn’t sure where he’s heading other than away as fast as possible as he takes the shortest route out of the Cloud Recesses.  He doesn’t slow down as he races past several older cultivators.  Their admonishments about running and disturbing the peace fall on deaf ears.  He skids to a stop past the last building and presses himself against the back of it, breathing hard in a way that has less to do with the run and more to do with anxiety.  

He scrubs his hands over his face, trying desperately to gather himself.  He can’t run from Sizhui forever, and he doesn’t really want to, but he also can’t face him yet.  Probably, he should be embarrassed for running away, but he’s never had delusions about his own bravery.  He might be scared of being killed by ghosts, but losing Sizhui’s friendship forever sounds worse.

Except he knows that Sizhui wouldn’t do that.  Sizhui’s too good to just stop being his friend.  He’ll be polite and calm- nice even- when he rejects Jingyi.  Jingyi can picture the exact expression, gentle and consoling.  He’s so… so… Sizhui that Jingyi won’t even be able to be upset with him when he breaks his heart.  What he’s really scared of is things changing between them.  He’s not sure he can handle Sizhui treating him with the same warm but distant politeness that he uses with most people.  

Jingyi presses the palms of his hands into his eyes.  He has to figure out how to make this mess right again, and he has to do it soon, but first, he has to figure out where to go.  He can’t go back to his and Sizhui’s dorm room, not yet.  Every place he can think of to hide is also a place that Sizhui would think to look for him.  Their lives are so entwined that he can’t seem to untangle them even for a few hours.  

Eventually, he starts off around the edge of the Cloud Recesses for the Cold Springs.  It’s one of the last places he’d thought of, which hopefully means it’s one of the last places someone would look for him.  He has never been one for silent meditation and has never gone to the Cold Springs entirely of his own volition before.

It’s empty, blessedly, but not surprisingly, since dinner is soon.  As Jingyi strips off his outer layers and folds them to set on the bank, he realizes this may not have been the smartest idea.  He really hopes Sizhui doesn’t come here- either to find him or to meditate- because this is a conversation he really, really doesn’t want to have half-naked.

Jingyi hisses as his feet hit the icy water, and he starts to wade in, but he keeps walking.  He lets out a shaky breath and focuses on the flow of his spiritual energy through his meridians until he feels, if not warm, at least not freezing.  

He sighs, breath turning to white vapor in the chilled air, and resists the urge to cross his arms for warmth.  The waters are supposed to have soothing and calming powers, and ancestors know he could use both right now.  

Jingyi stays in the water until the sky starts to purple with evening, turning the problem over and over in his head.  He’s no closer to knowing what to say to Sizhui, he has a dozen half-formed speeches in his head, but none of them seems quite right.  He has however realized two things.  One, he is hopelessly in love with Sizhui: a realization he has been shying away from for longer than he wants to admit.  Two, he can’t stay here all night because he will either freeze to death if he’s lucky or be buried under more punishments than he wants to think about if he’s not.

Slowly, grudgingly, he climbs out of the Cold Springs and dresses himself.  His feet are practically numb and the gravel feels strange underneath them.  Once dressed, he pauses again, staring up the path into the rest of Cloud Recess, but he really can’t put this off any longer, and so, he starts slowly walking up the path and back to his dorm.

There’s candlelight in the window of their dorm, which means Sizhui is there; not that Jingyi expected him to be anywhere else.  Despite the number of junior disciples housed here, the building is quiet when he enters, as all buildings in the Cloud Recesses are, and his footsteps sound loud in his own ears.  He can hear, faintly, the sound of Sizhui’s guqin close by, and the soft melody of a flute from further away.

He hesitates for just a moment outside the door, but he knows that Sizhui would have heard his footsteps, and he doesn’t need to look more like a coward than he already does.  He pushes the door open.  The room is lit by the dying daylight and a lantern on Sizhui’s table next to a music score, and Sizhui is exactly where Jingyi expected him to be, sitting at his desk with his guqin before him.

“Welcome back,” Sizhui says softly, fingers continuing to move over the strings without any interruption.  

“I-” Jingyi says and stalls.  All the words he’d thought of earlier fail him as he looks at Sizhui.  

Jingyi steps into the room and softly closes the door behind him.  He hovers by the door, anticipating something more from Sizhui but nothing comes.

“I’m sorry,” Jingyi says, looking at the ground.

“For what?” Sizhui says.  The tune of the guqin under his hands changes.  Jingyi hadn’t been paying attention to what he’d been playing before, but his trained ear picks up the shift.  “For running away when I tried to talk to you?  For leaving me to eat dinner by myself? For making me cover for you when you didn’t show up to feed the rabbits?”

Sizhui’s voice is calm and not at all accusatory, but Jingyi winces.  He’d forgotten that they’d been assigned to the rabbit meadow tonight.

“For embarrassing you in front of everyone,” Jingyi says.  “Mostly myself, really, but you got caught in it.  I know you don’t like to be the center of attention.”

“Ah, that,” Sizhui says.  His tone is closed off, and it’s hard for Jingyi to read.  Sizhui is usually reticent about his feelings, but Jingyi can generally tell them anyway, not right now; he’s shut himself down too far.  “I accept your apology.”

Jingyi steps further into the room, not looking away from Sizhui.  The silence between them stretches with the soft melody of the guqin the only sound.

“You aren’t going to ask about… earlier?” Jingyi asks tentatively, feeling unsure and wrong-footed.  He hates it.  This is exactly why he didn’t want this to happen.

“You clearly don’t want to talk about it,” Sizhui says without looking up at Jingyi.  There’s something in his voice under the forced calm: disappointment, maybe.  Jingyi isn’t used to having to work so hard to understand his best friend.  Something about Sizhui’s tone urges Jingyi forward until he’s standing in front of Sizhui to better see his face.  His bangs cast shadows on his face, partially obscuring it from view.  Though he’s not sure why it’s obvious to Jingyi that Sizhui wants to talk about this.

“I didn’t know what to say,” Jingyi says, “still don’t know what to say.”

It’s not much of a statement, he knows, but it’s an offering, an attempt to bridge the odd gap between them, a way of letting Sizhui know that it’s okay to ask questions.  For a moment, Jingyi thinks that Sizhui will remain quiet, rejecting Jingyi’s attempt, and that hurts more than he wants to admit.

“Were you?” Sizhui asks.  He doesn’t look up from the instrument in front of him, but the motions of his hands are exact, deliberate, not at all his usual easy motion.  “Was I?” Jingyi asks.

“Were you looking at me?” Sizhui asks.  His voice is as careful as his motions.  The answer to this question matters to him.

“Yes,” Jingyi says.  “I was.”

“Why?” Sizhui asks, and the note from the guqin is ever so slightly off, slightly out of tune, and too sharp.

“Because you’re beautiful,”  Jingyi answers his question without thinking, still trying to put together Sizhui’s reactions.  He realizes what he’s said the moment after it’s left his mouth.  

Sizhui lays his hands over the strings, stopping the music, and finally looks up at Jingyi.  His eyes are intense, searching Jingyi’s face for something, but Jingyi doesn’t know what.

“Is that all that you think?” Sizhui asks.  

Something in his tone, in his expression, in the way he’s leaning towards Jingyi now, emboldens Jingyi.  

“No,” Jingyi says, watching Sizhui’s reaction as closely as Sizhui is watching his.  “I think you are clever.  I think you are talented.  I think you are good, kind, and generous.  I think you are the most important person in my life.  I think that you are my best friend.”  Sizhui’s expression flickers ever so slightly, but Jingyi pushes on because if he doesn’t say it now, he’s not going to.  “I also think that,” he hesitates, “that I’m in love with you.”

The words hang between them in absolute silence without even the sound of the guqin to soften it.  Jingyi’s heart hammers against his ribs, and some part of him thinks he’s going to faint.  

Then, a smile spreads across Sizhui’s face like the rising sun, and all the air goes out of Jingyi’s lungs for an entirely different reason.  It’s not a polite smile or a consoling one, it’s a genuine grin: the kind where his eyes crinkle at the corner and his cheeks dimple.  If Sizhui is beautiful normally, when he smiles like this, Jingyi doesn’t have the words.  

“Sizhui,” Jingyi says, voice sounding ever so slightly panicked, “please say something.”

Sizhui grins even wider, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Jingyi, I love you.”

There’s no ‘I think’, no qualifiers, no doubt whatsoever in his voice.  

“What?” Jingyi says, faintly.  Not quite sure that he’s heard this properly.

Sizhui gets to his feet in a single graceful movement.  He steps out from behind his desk so that the two of them are standing together.

“I love you,” Sizhui says, slowly, deliberately.

“You do?” Jingyi asks, a grin spreading across his face.

“Yes,” Sizhui says, and there is laughter in his voice.  

He steps closer to Jingyi, and Jingyi mirrors him, moving so they are nearly touching.  This close, Jingyi has to look down at him.  He can smell the cinnamon and smoke smell of incense clinging to his robes and the hint of almond from his hair.  His eyes are bright, and his lips are curved into a smile.  

His lips.

“Sizhui,” Jingyi says, dragging his gaze up from Sizhui’s lips to back to his eyes.

“Yes?” The undercurrent of excitement in his voice is obvious to Jingyi now.

“Do you know what I was dreaming about in class today?”

Sizhui tilts his head slightly, curious, and blinks.  “No?”

Not quite breathing, Jingyi reaches out and cups Sizhui’s face in his hand before leaning in to kiss him.  His heartbeat is loud in his ears.  Part of him still expects Sizhui to pull away, but he leans in closer, eyes falling closed.

Their lips brush together, hardly more than the touch of a butterfly's wings, but Jingyi’s heart is still trying to pound its way out of his chest.

“This,” Jingyi whispers and kisses him again.

The kiss is more solid this time but no less gentle.  Sizhui sighs ever so slightly, leaning into Jingyi’s hand, and Jingyi’s brain whites out for a moment when his soft lips part.  

Jingyi knows, from their friends, that kissing can be more than just this tender press of lips, but he doesn’t dare push further even though he wants to.  The most he dares is to allow his own lips to part and perhaps to hope that Sizhui will dare to be bolder than him.  Sizhui’s breath catches much the way Jingyi’s had, and Jingyi can feel it.  They linger there for another moment, neither daring to take that next step before pulling away.

Jingyi is relieved to see he’s not the only one who’s breathing a little fast.  He lets his hand fall away from Sizhui’s cheek and down to his side.  Sizhui takes a step back and takes a breath, composing himself.

“I think you owe me dinner,” Sizhui says. 

Jingyi blinks.

“If you saved me dinner-”

“Mn.”

“Gods, I love you!” 

Sizhui just laughs and moves back to his desk, putting away his guqin.  Jingyi settles on the opposite side of the desk.  The movent is familiar and comforting in its familiarity.  It feels just like always, just like them, just like it should be.

Sizhui sets a neatly wrapped fabric bundle on the table and starts to untie it.  The smell of food almost immediately makes Jingyi’s stomach rumble.

“Sizhui, I could marry you,” he says as he snags the chopsticks that Sizhui sets down.  He doesn’t think about the words.  He’s made the joke a hundred times before.

“Careful what you say, Jingyi,” Sizhui says, lips turning up into a smile that isn’t entirely joking, “or I might take you up on that.”

[alice-in-wonderart]

Hi! Could I request some affection/cuddling hc’s for the junior quartet? The fluffier the better 😍. Thanks in advance!

Hello, dearie! Here is your requested dose of #Xtra fluffy hcs about THE BEST dumb dumbs of ancient China. ❤️✌️ They seem to get a lot of love on here, so affection hcs are right about the most suitable. 🙌 (cuddling included ofc)

Lan Sizhui

Growing up in Gusu for most of his life, Lan Sizhui is pretty touch starved, so affection is something fairly new to him. In fact he's never gotten much further than the occasional pat on the head from Lan Wangji. So when you came around, at least at first, he was unsure of what to do.

But don't confuse his hesitation with disdain. He is 100% loving each and every touch. He secretly longs for closure, he just prefers not to outwardly show it.

Cuddle sessions with Lan Sizhui are the dictionary definition of Heaven. He always emits a soothing aura, which engulfs you completely whenever the two of you snuggle. He loves to just hold you close, play with your hair, or gently stroke your sides. While his touch always holds a hint of sensuality, MOST of the time his intentions are completely pure.

He loves it when you just lie in each other's embrace, turned to one another. He gets to see your beautiful face and bury his face in your soft hair. It's his ideally spent afternoon.

Out in public, any kind of affection is left at a bare minimum, after all he is a Lan. That often leads to Sizhui throwing you longing stares, or intentionally brushing against you. In all honesty, he just isn't sure how to go about asking for affection.

The moment you two are left alone, he becomes much more relaxed, playing with your hands, hugging you and leaving sweet kisses on your forehead.

Speaking of kisses, out of the Juniors, his kisses are the absolute best. They are always sweet and meaningful, always true. And he loves kisses, too. Most often, he leaves longing kisses on the back of your hands, your palms or knuckles. It's a small gesture of love he shows you. Kisses on the cheek aren't uncommon as well.

But nothing beats the sweet kisses he leaves on your lips after being away for a while, or perhaps after a long day full of chores.

He isn't overly affectionate, his love is shown through small touches and the time spent with you. To him, simply being with you is more than enough.

Lan Jingyi

Lan Jingyi is a powerhouse of enthusiasm and energy, so cuddling with him is NEVER calm. You expected to lie down with your lover, snuggle into him and slowly drift off? wrONG. He won't let you relax, ever.

First of all, the boy is fidgety as hell. He would be nearly constantly moving around, trying to get comfortable. (much similar to how he sleeps) Good luck staying in one position for more than 5 minutes. And once he does find a comfortable enough position, joking ensues. It's always light-hearted and sweet, after all - his goal is to put a smile on your face, but you should be prepared to kiss resting goodbye.

Tickle fights aren't a novelty either. It's just so tempting for him to wrap his arms around your waist and bring you to tears from tickling. And sometimes, tickle fights go a whole other direction.

Most of his affection is the equivalent of a storm. One moment he's pulling on your hair, saying you gotta brush it once in a while, the next he's tenderly holding you in a big bear hug, whispering in your ear how much he absolutely adores you. And you never know what to expect. The perfect definition of everything a gentlemanly Lan must not be.

If Lan Sizhui holds the title for best kisses, Lan Jingyi holds it for best hugs. Whenever you feel down, or you're tired, or perhaps you just need a little love, he'd come up to you, wrap his surprisingly strong arms around you and pull you in for the most loving, most comfortable and most sincere hug.

He loves giving you back hugs, it makes him feel manlier. You'd be cooking, or perhaps talking to somebody when he'd sneak up to you and hug you from behind, burying his face in your hair.

Truly, he's a little awkward with love. He is a child at heart, so openly showing affection is a tad too new for him. PDA isn't a crime in his eyes and he'd gladly hold your hand (or rather drape an arm over your shoulders, but oh well - semantics) but showing you off, or kissing you in public would be left only for moments when he'd feel a little jealous. Otherwise, longing kisses, gentle caresses and jumbled sweet nothings would be reserved for the comfort of your home.

He isn't exactly the most gentle cuddler, but he has no problem expressing his love for you in any and every way he sees fits. Survive his tickle attacks and you'd get the cuddles and loving of a lifetime.

Ouyang Zizhen

Out of all the Juniors, affection comes the most naturally to Ouyang Zizhen. In fact, he is the biggest, most devoted fan of anything involving cuddling, holding hands, or generally being close to one another. He has no problem showing off your love, even in public.

His favourite hobby is cuddling you. It's his own personal little heaven. He tries to act tough and manly for you, but in reality he is one big teddy bear. His obsession with cuddles has become so bad, that he cannot fall asleep without snuggling next to you. There is nothing that relaxes him more, than hearing your calm heartbeat and feeling the warmth of your body next to his.

Speaking of cuddling, Ouyang Zizhen is ALWAYS the big spoon, no questions asked. It's not about manliness, but about his inner desire to be your protection. Knowing you're safe in his embrace allows him to let loose. Although, if you ask him, he'll only deny it, stating it's his 'job' to be the big spoon, or some other half-assed excuse you wouldn't quite make sense of.

Now, Ouyang Zizhen LOVES PDA. Kissing you in public is no problem. In fact, whenever you're outside, he loves to just touch you all the time. From holding hands, to playing with your hair, he wants the world to know, thst only he's allowed to do it. Respond to his little advances and he'd be on cloud nine. You're his lover, so why not show it.

The best way, in which he shows affection is massages. This fluffball of a man is a warrior through and through, and he uses his strength to massage your stress away after a long day of being away from one another. With a personal collection of essential oils and herbal mixes, he'd occasionally indulge you in a personal spa evening. It's his way of telling you he cares. He'd run you a nice bath, massage you, while leaving sweet kisses along your spine, he'd even brush your hair for you. Afterwards, whether you two would leave it at that and snuggle up to fall asleep, or decide to indulge in one another in other ways, would almost always be your decision.

Likewise, give him a nice, relaxing massage after working all day, and he'd be absolute putty in your hands. He'd be willing to give you everything.....after you finish fighting with those difficult, aching spots on his body.

Ouyang Zizhen doesn't understand the taboo of showing affection in public and it shows. After all, he's a modern day man in Ancient China™️

Jin Ling

Tsundere.

Oh Tsundere.

Jin Ling? Showing affection? Being sweet? Blasphemy. He is a man, he doesn't need love, he's not a child. Wait where are you going? You shouldn't run away like that. Here. Grab his hand, so that you don't get lost.

Truthfully, Jin Ling absolutely loves affection, he just hates the idea of it. To him, cuddling and kissing are a sign of weakness. Such loving gestures are much too intimate to be seen by the public or him and must be kept in private. He is a sect leader, what if somebody decides to target you??

Public display of affection is death. The moment you two so much as brush your hands, his face would turn 50 shades of red and he'd forget how to function. And god forbid you hug him, or kiss him, he might explode. In the later stages of the relationship, he'd open up a little more to the idea of physical touch. He'd kiss you on the head for hello and and on the lips for goodbye, (oddly specific much?) but he'd never stop blushing everytime he does it.

Hugs are pretty intimate with him too. They mean he trusts you enough to drop his guard and let you into his personal space. He usually hugs you when he's afraid, upset or he hasn't seen you in a long time.

Cuddling is strange to him. He grew up with his strict uncle, who didn't dote on him too much. So, having you stay so close to him, on your shared bed, is still so ...new. He is lowkey the little spoon, but don't mention it, or he'll outright refuse to cuddle you for the next two weeks. He secretly adores to lie on your chest or thighs, to have your scent engulf him completely. You are his safe space, after all.

Play with his hair and he's a goner. Something he inherited from his father is the hidden love for a gentle touch. Brush his hair, play with it all you want. At first he might complain, but worry not, he actually enjoys it profusely. It makes him feel loved.

Simply, cuddling is his religion, though he'd also deny that. Everyday, he awaits that moment, where you get to lie in each other's embrace, enjoying the comfortable silence.

Mostly, he shows his love and affection through constant nagging.

"Be careful. You'll trip." "The soup is too hot."

Even in cuddling, his overprotective nature shines through. "Your arm will fall asleep."

"You can't breathe." "Yes I can." "No, you can'T."

Give him time. The more you let him ease into the idea of affection, the more he'd open up to you. He has lacked physical love all his life, he is harsh because he doesn't know how to act differently, so be patient with him. Sooner or later, he'd find his own way to show you how incredibly much he actually loves you.

Thank you for reading~

[wangxiandecoded]

Episode 1

Next Episode →  

(Spoilers for basically the whole show ahead!)

Me : I like watching The Untamed for the fantasy period drama plot of the show!!! 

The Plot™️ of the Show :

First Sight of Wangxian

What a tragic and iconic introduction of the main couple : Tbh this is when I knew this show was ride or die for me, I couldn't get myself to care about the over-the-top stunts or graphics that might bother some people. It made me gasp like, "a guy just went over the cliff and another guy came flying to catch him. MAGNIFIQUE! Never done before! I need MORE of this content!!!!" 

And the first word Wei Ying says on the show : Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying Remembers

The poetic cinema that is Wei Ying recognizing the Lan clan's crest in Sizhui's robes, the flood of memories starring Lan Zhan coming back to him as he falls to the ground with the sad version of WuJi playing over a flashback of the first time he ever saw him... it really be like that sometimes. (And he doesn't even know who this sweet, kind boy is yet! Add this to Lan Zhan naming Sizhui thus with his name literally meaning “to recollect and to long for”, so his existence is like a token of remembrance bringing Wangxian’s story full circle. All of this in the first few moments of the show. AAAAH!) Hang in there, Wei Ying. 

Sizhui Recognizes The Melody™️

Sizhui recognizes the tune of WuJi (ok obviously he's their son, if his dads played it while missing each other, he's going to remember it!) and we can guess Lan Zhan probably played it in the 16 years Wei Ying was gone or Wei Ying played it in his time away from Lan Zhan when A-Yuan was still a baby. In a lot of ways, this song represents the whole show and their relationship, and it makes me weep every time I hear it. 

Chén Qíng Lìng

I thought it's pretty amazing the show in Chinese is titled after the flute that belongs to the "mad defector, Yiling Patriarch", but how fucking beautifully and gloriously ironic is it that the melody Wei Ying played most often on his flute is not one that drove people mad with dark magic but the love song founded on his relationship with Lan Zhan, and composed by Lan Zhan? I think that's a great metaphor for those who romanticize the idea of “the grandmaster of demonic cultivation” and are too blind to see the heart of this story.

Wei Ying Gay Panicking and Lan Zhan Still Waiting & Hoping

That feeling when you’re gay panicking about potentially meeting the love of your life who doesn't know you’re back from the dead after 16 years because you need several eons of preparation to see him again. My heart aches for Wei Ying, and more still for Lan Zhan who never stopped looking for him or hoping he could be alive. Never seen two bigger idiots who are so meant for each other.

Wei Ying’s First Glance of Lan Zhan In 16 Years

I absolutely positively cannot stand to look at Wei Ying here. Nope. The amount of fondness radiating from his face can fuel a billion stars and invent love. I'm pretty sure it did. Also - that's what you think after seeing him for the first time since resurrection? Wei Ying, you are truly a hopeless fool in love. But you’re not wrong, he’s been mourning you.

The Arrival of The Most Romantic Hero Ever

I also love the epic Hero Entry and build-up they gave for Lan Zhan’s official introduction. Give me that cheesy trope in historical gay context! Heck yeah! Our beloved hero has arrived with pomp and ceremony to sweep the other hero off his feet, even if Wei Ying practically flees. It’s ok Lan Zhan, fate will lead you to him soon. 

Wangxian’s Immortal Abode

Have you noticed the one scene that is never missing from the opening and especially end credits? As if to foreshadow a happy ending for them. You can't convince me this isn't what awaits you at the gates of heaven. Just Wangxian enjoying eternal domestic bliss, always atop the waterfalls at the Cloud Recesses, the sound of guqin and flute always echoing together, two husbands upholding justice and staying by the other's side forever. Like they always have, will be and should be.

The One Who Knew Nothing

The first time I watched this show, the plot went over my head and I paid no attention to Nie Huaisang except to think he was funny. (Hey come on, Wangxian is the only plot we all know.) And to think he is the mastermind who orchestrated everything.. mad respect for you my dude.. I’ve never been so blindsided by a character before.

To summarise, Episode 1 introduces (in a time jump) the two heroes who will go on to share an epic journey and fall in love. We see hints of their past and how much they’ve missed each other. We’re shown just enough to be left wondering what happened between them and what went wrong. 

[onceinabluehanguangjun]

moon in my window

Summary: for the @mdzsnet Lan Wangji birthday celebration, have some chronically depressed Lan Zhan and how his family (main focus on his husband) helps support him

Word Count: ~4k

Tags: depression, post-canon

ao3

“Ah, Er-gege, you’re too kind.”

Lan Wangji sat on the edge of the bed, a cup of tea in his hand which he held out to Wei Wuxian. He smiled in thanks, but couldn’t hide the wince. Mo Xuanyu’s body was admittedly very good at putting up with Wei Wuxian’s spirit, but it was still much less accustomed to him than Wei Wuxian’s previous body and therefore was much more susceptible to silly things. Like runny noses and never-ending headaches. Apparently Mo Xuanyu didn’t overwork his brain in the same way Wei Wuxian did. Who would’ve guessed?

With the wave of Lan Wangji’s hand, the little bit of light that shined through the paper windows was gone and they were engulfed in darkness. It lessened the pressure on his temples just enough to be thankful even more.

“Is this medicinal?” Wei Wuxian asked softly. Lan Wangji hummed his confirmation. “Ah, we should talk to Wen Ning and see if he remembered the tea Wen Qing would make me whenever I wouldn’t let her stick me with needles. It always worked for whatever was messing with me.”

“I will,” Lan Wangji said softly, voice low and careful as to not make it worse.

Wei Wuxian drank the tea as fast as his body would allow before he put the cup back in Lan Wangji’s hands and tipped forward. His head rested against the soft, expensive fabric that all the Lans wore and it just made him want to pull him into bed and trap him there for hours. Well, most things about him made him want to do that.

“Can Er-gege stay in today? Sleep sounds so nice.”

“I cannot,” Lan Wangji said softly, his arm wrapping around him and his warm hand pressing to his lower back. Wei Wuxian whined quietly, as much as his headache would allow.

“You’re Chief Cultivator, no one can tell you what to do,” Wei Wuxian said. Lan Zhan hummed, holding him carefully and closely.

“Senior Wei is the one who has a class to teach,” he said. Wei Wuxian blinked a few times as his thoughts shifted back into focus. Sometimes it was too easy to forget how good things had become. He had a husband, he had a garden, he got to teach cute little Lans about using their heads instead of just reciting rules.

All of which he loved, but a whine still found its way out into the world as he thought about having to teach when even the shielded sun of the Cloud Recesses hurt him.

“Lan Zhan, who let me have responsibilities?”

Lan Wangji breathed in slowly, head bowing to rest against Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. He sat there for a moment and, truthfully, for a moment he thought he might’ve convinced him to spend all day in bed.

“Er-gege,” Wei Wuxian breathed, sliding his hand beneath his hair to touch the nape of his neck. Lan Wangji seemed to rest a little more weight on Wei Wuxian which was admittedly out of character. He turned his head a bit to look at him, squinting in the darkness to get a better look at his face, headache be damned. He looked fine, if only just laying against Wei Wuxian. “Ah, Lan Zhan, I see. You do want to stay in bed.”

There was a long stretch of silence before a low grunt of agreement. Wei Wuxian smiled and scratched at where his hair met his neck.

“I can’t, you see,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Lan Wangji’s clothed shoulder, “This humble one has a class to teach.”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji said. He slowly pulled himself into a sitting position and Wei Wuxian felt warmed at how much he’d been able to wear him down even if they did have to get up.

Still, they sat long enough for Lan Wangji to pass him some spiritual energy to help him power through his headache and then he was pulled to his feet.

-

“Ready, Wei-qianbei?”

“As ever. Give it a try.”

Wei Wuxian leaned back on his palms as he watched Lan Jingyi focus very hard to activate the talisman he’d invented. Their assignment for the week was to create a new spell or talisman of some sort inspired by the word ‘alarm’. He shouldn’t have been surprised when a piercing noise wailed through the room in one short burst before the talisman disintegrated. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but laugh at the hoard of Lans all covering their ears with wide, annoyed eyes turned to Jingyi who sat with red cheeks as if that wasn’t what he intended. They all knew it was.

“Perfect! That’ll startle anything,” Wei Wuxian praised, leaning forward to scribble notes for grading later. Jingyi smiled, any embarrassment gone away to make room for pride as he went to sit back beside Sizhui.

It’d taken awhile to get Lan Qiren to let him teach for real. Weeks of having him shadow every single thing Wei Wuxian did around the littlest juniors, constant grunts of disapproval, a whole separate sheet for grading Wei Wuxian that he would bring to his attention over tea every evening. But, honestly, he didn’t mind it too much. After everything, it felt somewhat normal. Besides, he was sure Lan Qiren liked him a bit more by the time he willingly handed over a few classes.

Convincing him of this class specifically, though, was a bit tougher and had to be discussed with all of the Lan Elders in a very formal meeting that required Wei Wuxian to break out his single set of white robes. They’d waited until Lan Wangji was off on a night hunt, getting rid of his unrelentingly protective gaze before bringing Wei Wuxian in to discuss giving the older disciples lessons on creating new things so they’d be better equipped to come up with something if they ever got stuck‒or at least that’s how he sold it. The minimum age they’d agreed on was the group that were done with all other sit-down classes and tended to be the main ones going on night hunts which was fair enough. It meant he got to spend more time with Lan Sizhui and he’d never complain about that.

“Alright, who’s next?”

Before anyone could even respond, the doors to the lanshi burst open. Lan Wangji stood in the doorway, tall and regal and intimidating and every bit Hanguang-Jun. Wei Wuxian felt his heart flutter childishly in his chest as if that wasn’t his husband. Husband. Ah, wasn’t that incredible?

The juniors’ eyes followed Lan Wangji as he basically glided down the walkway. Wei Wuxian smiled as he came near despite the rigid set to his features. He knew he had some important‒which typically translated to annoying‒business today. 

“Have you come to learn on your break, Hanguang-Jun?” Wei Wuxian teased. Somehow, though, the crease between his eyebrows deepened and worry pricked at Wei Wuxian. Was he angry with him for some reason?

Lan Wangji walked up to the teacher’s platform and to the side of his desk before kneeling on the ground. Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened as Lan Wangji bowed his head into his lap before adjusting himself. And there he was, the great Hanguang-Jun, laying on the floor with his face buried in his husband’s stomach and his arms wrapped around his torso. Wei Wuxian wondered if Lan Wangji could feel how hard his heart was beating.

Considering this was rather unprecedented, Wei Wuxian dumbly looked up at the juniors to guard their reactions. All of them with one exception were looking anywhere in the room other than the scene on the platform. Wei Wuxian locked eyes with Lan Sizhui‒who, for once, didn’t seem too flustered by such a bold display‒and watched as he gave a curt little nod. He wasn’t sure what he was nodding about, but he assumed it was a subtle way of saying to just let it happen. As if he needed approval to do that.

“Ah, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian said softly, resting his hand on his husband’s cheek. He used his thumb to smooth out his already perfect eyebrows and couldn’t help his smile as Lan Wangji visibly relaxed a little. His eyes stayed closed and he looked every bit like the jade everyone said he was. “Alright. Sleep well.”

Wei Wuxian looked back up, his hands sliding to cradle the back of Lan Wangji’s head against his stomach. 

“Anyone got a quieter one to try next?”

-

Lan Wangji stayed put for the entire length of his break before silently getting up and walking back out.

His class was nearly over at this point, but it was clear everyone had questions that he couldn’t answer. Their Hanguang-Jun had definitely changed and gotten more bold since Wei Wuxian came to live in the Cloud Recesses, but not like that. That was… Well, there was something wrong, to say the least. Even if it was sweet to just have him lay there for at least four incense sticks worth of time. He would have to ask him once they got back to the jingshi.

“You all did great today. For next week, how about something inspired by the word ‘heat’,” Wei Wuxian said. 

“Wei-qianbei, don’t we already have at least a few different existing talismans for that?” Lan Huizhong asked. He grinned as he pushed himself to his feet.

“Looks like you’ll have to think quite hard to come up with something, hm?” he said. Lan Huizhong smiled just a little bit‒no excessive smiling and all‒and bowed.

Wei Wuxian gathered his things and started to walk out of the lanshi. He was going to drop these off at the jingshi and then he planned to slip in on one of Lan Xichen’s sword forms classes. He did that relatively often and could feel the way that was slowly but surely helping to build Mo Xuanyu’s core. If he played it off like he was just there because he was bored, no one needed to call him out on it.

“Wei-qianbei, may this disciple speak with you for a moment?” Lan Sizhui called. Wei Wuxian grinned as he spun to see him, though stopped himself from teasing him about the formal way he called him when he saw the serious set of his features. It seemed everyone was very serious today.

“You don’t even need to ask,” he said. Lan Sizhui looked around to make sure they were alone and still took a step closer. He was breaking some rule, Wei Wuxian thought‒impropriety, personal space, secrecy, something. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s Hanguang-Jun,” he said softly. Wei Wuxian was very interested at this point and stepped even closer. “He is… melancholy.”

Wei Wuxian searched his face as he slowly repeated, “Melancholy?”

That didn’t sound right. Lan Wangji had made him tea this morning and shared his spiritual energy. Lan Wangji had smiled when Wei Wuxian had braided his hair the night before and had smiled before he bedded him. Lan Wangji had shared a bath with him, had washed his hair, had done many, many things for him as he did every day. That didn’t seem melancholy.

“Forgive this disciple’s forwardness,” Sizhui said, though he didn’t sound like he was sorry. He sounded, Wei Wuxian thought with untimely fondness, like the man who raised him. “This humble one does not mean to insinuate that Wei-qianbei does not know his husband well. Wei-qianbei is attentive and thoughtful, that is obvious. But… Xian-gege, for all that you may know him and see him and spend time with him, I know him better than anyone.”

Wei Wuxian couldn’t even be hurt by that statement. It was the truth that Lan Sizhui had probably spent more time with Lan Wangji than anyone else in the world, perhaps even rivalling Zewu-Jun at this point. Lan Wangji had admitted in the dark of one night that he’d spent many years paranoid that people would find out his A-Yuan was a Wen and that they’d go after him, so he kept him out of the dormitories until he was nearly fourteen and even then made a point to watch over him as often as he could just in case. Of course he knew him well.

“He’s always been… sad, I suppose, but some days are worse than others. Sometimes he can seem happy and other days it’s…” Lan Sizhui trailed off, looking to the side and swallowing. Wei Wuxian’s stomach twisted in his gut. “He’s been very well since you got back, but today is one of those… other days. Zewu-Jun and I handled it in the past, but now it’s sort of your duty as his husband, isn’t it?”

“Yes, A-Yuan, I think it is,” Wei Wuxian agreed. Sizhui’s shoulders relaxed a bit and that familiar smile found his lips.

“If you need help, just ask. It isn’t something you can fix completely, it’s more of making sure he doesn’t feel worse and alone. I think he’d appreciate your company. He did come to you,” Lan Sizhui said. Wei Wuxian nodded and tried to smile through the guilt in his stomach. How blind he’d been to his husband’s feelings.

“He did. I’ll do my best, thank you,” Wei Wuxian said.

“Xian-gege,” Sizhui said before he could walk too far away, reaching out to grab his arm, “It really isn’t your fault, it’s no one’s fault. It just… is.”

“It is a bit my fault,” Wei Wuxian suggested, laughing softly to try to make the guilt sound less, well, guilty, “I didn’t see it before.”

“How could you see something you weren’t looking for, though?” Lan Sizhui said, “And, really, he has been much happier since you came back.”

“Thank you,” Wei Wuxian said, trying his best to get rid of the guilt. There was no place for that when he needed to just take care of his husband in the way he took care of him. “We’ll have tea tomorrow, all three of us.”

Lan Sizhui smiled and nodded, “I’d like that.”

-

Wei Wuxian had to convince himself to not skip Zewu-Jun’s sword forms class. Lan Wangji still had meetings and Wei Wuxian would be helping no one by pacing around the jingshi for hours. Besides, he would still need his strength, wouldn’t he?

His mind, however, wasn’t all there as he thought about Lan Wangji and started dissecting every moment to see what he’d missed. This morning when it took him longer than usual to get out of bed, was that a sign and something he would need to look for? That distraction, however, led to a small, eight year old Lan accidentally nicking Wei Wuxian’s cheek with his sword. It wasn’t even enough to bleed, but Young Lans crying in guilt was not a part of the agenda and class ended early.

That left Wei Wuxian to go back to the jingshi and wait for Lan Wangji to be done for the day so he could do his best to make up for all the times he’d had Lan Wangji coddle him when he was the one who needed to be coddled. He prepared a bath, talismans on it to keep it warm, and stripped to nothing but his underrobe. After letting his hair down entirely, Wei Wuxian decided to meditate. He hated it, but it passed the time while also helping his core, so he settled in.

It was easy to slip out of it the moment Lan Wangji walked in, eyes visibly tired and shoulders rigid. Wei Wuxian rose to his feet and met him near the door, conjuring an easy grin.

“Ah, Lan Zhan,” he said softly, reaching up to hold his face in his hands. Wei Wuxian didn’t even need to pull him down, Lan Wangji’s body moved towards him as he wrapped him up into a hug. He had to stand on his toes, but he didn’t mind. “Your husband already drew you a bath. Come, let me bathe you, hm?”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji hummed. Wei Wuxian smiled and left a kiss on his shoulder before beginning to tug him behind the privacy screen.

Wei Wuxian reached up to remove his forehead ribbon first and folded it neatly to get it out of the way. His hands worked to strip him of his layers and it was hard not to see how much he was putting in to seem like he wasn’t struggling. That crease between his brow, the way his entire body was full of tension, the way he looked exhausted. How hadn’t he noticed before?

“My Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian breathed, leaving a soft kiss to his chest as he rid him of his last layer, “My love.”

He got rid of his own last layer and got in the bath first before ushering him in. Lan Wangji got in without even one playful look and laid against Wei Wuxian’s chest without any convincing. He sunk into the water up to his chin, his knees poking above the surface in response. Wei Wuxian didn’t know what else to do other than wrap his arms around him and bathe him slowly.

He thought of Sizhui’s words, how there wasn’t anything to actually do. Just make sure he didn’t feel worse or alone. Though Wei Wuxian could remember‒albeit faintly‒times when he’d felt very lonely despite being surrounded by people. He wasn’t sure his presence alone would be helpful.

“Let me hold you tonight,” Wei Wuxian told him, rubbing his hands over his chest, “Is that something you would like?”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji hummed. Not even a ‘whatever Wei Ying likes’. Wei Wuxian raked his fingers through his hair. 

Wei Wuxian worked at his body slowly. He didn’t have much spiritual energy to give him, but he tried his best to make up for it in rubbing at all the tense spots and paying extra attention to places Wei Wuxian knew he liked to be touched. The back of his neck, his arms, his hands, things that felt present.

They eventually decided to get out of the bath and move to bed. Lan Wangji seemed to be moving in slow motion as he got out of the bath. Wei Wuxian didn’t bother with drying him off with a cloth, instead making a talisman to dry them both.

“Did you eat anything, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asked as they both got dressed in night robes. Lan Wangji made a noise that translated to no. “Should I go get something from the kitchens?” Another ‘no’ noise. “Lan Wangji, you have to eat something.”

Then there were no noises.

Wei Wuxian looked over to his husband to see him staring at him, all that tension he’d tried to get out of his body filling him right back up like it’d never left. It seemed he’d done something wrong. Or, perhaps he’d always been doing something wrong if simply being an attentive husband set off alarm bells in Lan Wangji’s mind.

“Ah, Lan Zhan, what are you staring at?” Wei Wuxian asked, hoping to play it off as he sat in bed, “Am I not allowed to be responsible for once?”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said and maybe Wei Wuxian was being a little bit more obvious than he thought.

With a sigh, Wei Wuxian patted the bed and Lan Wangji climbed in beside him. Wei Wuxian led his head to his chest and held him there for a moment while he thought of a way to say what he was thinking and not be insulting.

“Sizhui and I had a talk today,” Wei Wuxian told him, running his fingers through his hair slowly, “And he said that you were sad. He said that you were always sad. What kind of husband have I been if I haven’t noticed, ah?”

Lan Wangji had gone tense again, but he didn’t try to pull away. His fingers slipped over Wei Wuxian’s collarbone, careful as silk.

“Does it bother you?” Lan Wangji asked carefully. Wei Wuxian made a hurt noise, trying to keep the situation as light as he could.

“Aiya, Hanguang-Jun, how could you accuse me of such a thing? As if anything about you could bother me!” Wei Wuxian said, reaching out with his other arm to grab his thigh. He pulled Lan Wangji until he was all but cradled in his lap like a baby, regardless of how much bigger than Wei Wuxian he actually was.

“Wei Ying…”

“No,” Wei Wuxian said, sighing as he allowed himself to be a little serious. He rubbed his thumb in small circles against his husband’s thigh, still keeping him in his arms, “No, it doesn’t bother me. I… Obviously it isn’t the same, but I do understand the constant of it, I guess. Shijie was, for as long as I can remember, nearly always ill, some days worse than others. The way Sizhui explained it made it seem like that’s how it is for you, only… melancholy.”

“There is nothing left to mourn that is more powerful than Wei Ying breathing,” Lan Wangji said slowly, hesitantly, “And yet I still… It seems I forgot it was this way since the beginning.”

“Ah, Lan Zhan, don’t let that make you worse, alright? I understand, I do! There is nothing worse than feeling bad when you have every reason to be happy, I understand,” Wei Ying said, trying his damnedest not to crawl out of his skin while saying that aloud. But Lan Zhan needed it. He was meant to make him feel less lonely, wasn’t he? “I do apologize for being so needy this morning. I didn’t realize.”

Lan Wangji shook his head. “No apologies.”

“Yes, but‒”

“Wei Ying will have whatever he desires.”

 “Ah, Lan Zhan, don’t say things like that, I might take advantage,” Wei Wuxian said warmly, nuzzling his nose into the top of his head, “But, truly, it’s alright. I’m here and I plan to annoy you for the rest of this life and probably a few more, so of course it doesn’t bother me. You may have to tell me sometimes if I don’t notice right away, but I will never mind it. I get to cuddle you during class and everything. Do you know what I would’ve done in my first life if you cuddled me in class? I would’ve fainted!”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji hummed. But his eyes had closed and he let his body relax a bit more in Wei Wuxian’s grip. 

Wei Wuxian smiled and traced his jaw with his thumb, pulling his legs a bit closer so he could cover him up with a blanket. If this is how bad days ended for the rest of their life, he wouldn’t mind.

“My cute little Hanguang-Jun, so small,” Wei Wuxian cooed, kissing the side of his face as he tucked the blanket around him. A smile pulled at Lan Wangji’s lips and although it didn’t stay, it still was worth everything. “Ah, you like that? Should I baby you more, my love? My A-Zhan, hm?”

It was easy to just hold him and cover him in kisses and cuddles without any expectation for him to say anything back or even smle if he didn’t want to. Wei Wuxian held him until he fell asleep and then held him a bit longer before he eventually had to slowly get up and find something to eat. There were some loquats in a bowl that were there for any late night snacking on Wei Wuxian’s part or just if he forgot to eat in the first place, so he sat and ate a few while staring where Lan Wangji laid the entire time. It wasn’t until he crawled back into bed that Wei Wuxian realized he no longer felt guilty.

It simply was and would be and Wei Wuxian was more than willing to take it in stride.

[bloody-bee-tea]

Rainbow - Untamed Spring Fest 2020 Day 10

Jin Ling is acting cagey around Jiang Cheng and he doesn’t like it. Not one bit.

It makes him think the boy is up to something, and Jiang Cheng honestly thought they were past his mischievous phase. Not by long, mind you, but ever since Jin Ling had taken over the position as Sect Leader he has grown more serious.

Jiang Cheng is proud to see it, though he does miss the more carefree Jin Ling. The boy had to grow up too fast and Jiang Cheng was unable to shield him from everything.

It isn’t until well after dinner, when Jiang Cheng is sitting in his study, trying to answer at least a few more letters, when Jin Ling finally comes to find him.

“Jiu-jiu,” he starts, and he sounds nervous, which is enough reason for Jiang Cheng to put his letters aside and give him his entire attention.

“What’s wrong, A-Ling?” he asks and watches as Jin Ling sits down opposite him, nervously playing with the Yunmeng Jiang bell that’s hanging from his belt.

“I have to tell you something,” Jin Ling says, and he squares his shoulders as if he’s marching off into war.

Jiang Cheng frowns.

“Okay?” he carefully asks, because he doesn’t like this one bit.

“And I want you to not hate me afterwards,” Jin Ling tacks on, his voice suddenly wavering and small, and real worry grows in Jiang Cheng’s stomach.

“I could never hate you,” he reassures Jin Ling, but he only presses his lips together and shakes his head.

“You hate Uncle Wei and Hanguang-Jun,” Jin Ling says.

“I don’t,” Jiang Cheng gives back, because for all that passed between Wei Wuxian and himself, they have reached some kind of understanding.

It will never be like before, Jiang Cheng knows that, but the hate he harboured so long for Wei Wuxian is long gone. And okay, he doesn’t like Lan Wangji much, but that at least, is mutual.

“But you do,” Jin Ling argues. “You always get so angry when you see them together, and you hate that they are married. You hate that they are cut-sleeves,” Jin Ling quietly adds and Jiang Cheng sighs.

“I don’t hate that they are cut-sleeves,” he says and pinches the bridge of his nose.

He knew this would come back to bite him in the ass eventually.

“Then what?” Jin Ling wants to know and Jiang Cheng huffs out a humourless laugh.

“I hate how shameless they are about it,” he finally tells Jin Ling. “I couldn’t care less if they are both men, but it would do both of them good to remember about common decency. Neither of them have any shame, and that’s what’s bothering me. I would react the same way, if one of them was a woman, or if they both were,” Jiang Cheng promises, because really.

What kind of hypocrite would he be if he hated cut-sleeves.

“So, you really don’t have a problem with that?” Jin Ling asks, and he seems more relaxed all of a sudden.

“I don’t,” Jiang Cheng promises him. “The only problem I have with them is how often I already walked in on them, despite the fact that I am barely even in the Cloud Recesses,” he goes on, though those visits are growing larger in number with every week that passes and then Jiang Cheng decides to fuck it all.

Lan Xichen will forgive him for this. It’s to reassure Jin Ling after all.

“Actually, there’s something I haven’t told you yet,” Jiang Cheng starts and watches as Jin Ling’s eyes grow big with the promise of being told a secret. “But you have to keep quiet about it,” Jiang Cheng warns him with a raised finger and Jin Ling nods eagerly.

“Lan Xichen and I—we’re seeing each other,” Jiang Cheng then admits and he would laugh at the way Jin Ling gapes at him at that, if he wasn’t so nervous about it.

They haven’t told anyone yet, are still trying to figure out where they stand, how they fit together after everything that happened to both of them. And they are still enjoying their time with each other too much to want other people to barge in on it, but surely Lan Xichen will understand why he had to tell Jin Ling now.

“You are?” Jin Ling breathes out and his smile is so bright that Jiang Cheng has to smile with him.

“Yes, we are,” he agrees and Jin Ling bounds over to him, throwing his arms around Jiang Cheng’s neck.

“I’m very happy for you,” Jin Ling mutters and Jiang Cheng awkwardly pats his back.

“Thank you, A-Ling,” he whispers but then pushes him away. “Why did you want to know in the first place? You didn’t actually tell me anything yet,” he then asks and watches with a raised eyebrow as Jin Ling goes red in the face.

“I might be seeing someone, too?” Jin Ling haltingly says and Jiang Cheng snorts out a laugh at that.

Of course he is.

“Which of your friends is it then? One of the Lan boys? Or the Ouyang heir?” Jiang Cheng asks and delights in the way Jin Ling goes even redder.

“Sizhui and Jingyi are together,” he admits and then slaps a hand over his mouth. “But you didn’t hear that from me!”

“Of course not,” Jiang Cheng agrees. “So, the Ouyang heir, huh?”

“Zizhen confessed to me a few weeks back,” Jin Ling admits and gets a very faraway look in his eyes. “We’ve been taking it slow, but yeah. That happened.”

“Did you really think I would hate you for that?” Jiang Cheng can’t help but quietly ask, because he hoped he was a more stable and secure pillar for Jin Ling than that.

“I didn’t think you would hate me,” Jin Ling says, though he’s scooting around restlessly. “I was more afraid you’d be disappointed.”

“Oh, brat,” Jiang Cheng sighs. “I can never be disappointed in you. I am so proud of you,” he tells him and Jin Ling leans into his side.

“So it’s all good?” Jin Ling asks and Jiang Cheng nods.

“Does he make you happy?” he asks him and Jin Ling beams at him.

“So happy,” he agrees. “He’s the best and—and—,”

“And you think the sun shines out of his ass and he pukes rainbows. Understood,” Jiang Cheng tells him and laughs when Jin Ling cries out in mock-outrage at that.

“Does Lan Xichen make you happy?” Jin Ling wants to know once he calmed down again, and Jiang Cheng smiles softly at that.

“Very happy,” he agrees, but then he leans to the side to press a kiss to Jin Ling’s hair. “Though not even half as happy as you make me,” he tells him and watches Jin Ling squirm under the affection.

“Jiu-jiu, stop!” he calls out, but Jiang Cheng only laughs.

“Oh, you’re gonna have to get used to that. What will you do when your boyfriend does something sappy for you?”

“That’s between me and Zizhen!” Jin Ling tells him and Jiang Cheng nods.

“See, and that’s why I don’t like Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji,” he says and now, finally, Jin Ling nods in understanding.

“It does get a bit much,” he agrees.

“Yes, it does. So see to it that you take a better example than them,” Jiang Cheng advises and is surprised when Jin Ling leans into him again.

“I have you as my example. I don’t need anyone else,” he lowly says and Jiang Cheng’s heart flows over at hearing that.

“Ah, brat,” he whispers and puts his arm around Jin Ling’s shoulder.

He has missed this, and apparently he wasn’t the only one.

“It’s good to have you here,” Jiang Cheng tells him and Jin Ling nods.

“It’s good to be here,” he agrees, but then he peers up at Jiang Cheng. “Will you introduce Lan Xichen as your boyfriend to me?”

“Only if you introduce Zizhen as yours to me,” Jiang Cheng shoots back and even though Jin Ling flushes faintly again, he nods.

“Okay,” he agrees and Jiang Cheng echoes him.

They spend the rest of the evening like this, talking and teasing each other, and they both feel lighter when they finally go to bed.

[trilliastra]

Five times people didn’t know Sizhui is Lan Zhan’s son and one time they did

[POV outsider. Wangxian. Lan Sizhui & Lan Zhan feelings.]

-

1.

Lan Xichen watched his brother collapse in front of him, unable to do anything but hold onto the feverish boy Wangji placed in his arms.

He doesn't deserve his position as Sect leader, Lan Xichen thinks. He doesn't deserve to be an older brother either.

How couldn't he see what was happening right in front of him? How couldn't he notice Lan Wangji's pain and confusion? His brother used to be so sure of his righteous path, following the rules, helping the weak, protecting the light, but now – Lan Xichen turns to look at the child, restless even in his sleep, so weak the doctors aren't sure he is going to make it through the night.

Who is he? Lan Xichen wants to shake his brother awake, question him, make him promise this isn't going to cause him even more pain. Who is he, Wangji? He wonders, trying not to resent his brother for keeping yet another secret. It is against the rules as a Lan and it is against his own feelings as a brother – but, how can he protect his family like this? How can he help Wangji when he keeps running away from him, hiding, going against everything they've been taught?

“A-Yuan.” Wangji groans and Lan Xichen startles, rushing to his brother's side.

“Wangji –” he tries, but Wangji's eyes are on the boy, concerned even through the pain he's obviously feeling.

“A-Yuan.” He repeats, reaching out for the boy, growing restless when he can't touch him. “A-Yuan.”

Oh. Lan Xichen closes his eyes as the tears start to fall. Oh, Wangji.

Carefully, Lan Xichen takes the boy and lays him next to his brother on the bed, Wangji holds him protectively against his chest and A-Yuan stops his little cries immediately.

“Wangji,” Lan Xichen tries again, running a hand through his brother's hair softly, “who is he?”

“He's my son.” Wangji closes his eyes again, voice small and vulnerable as if he's afraid to face him.

More tears fall as Lan Xichen kneels in front of his brother's bed, reaching out for Wangji's hand. He failed him many times, added to his distrust, his need to act alone that ultimately ended up with him like this, on this bed, looking nothing like the brave, strong man, Lan Xichen knows he is. But he won't, no, he refuses – as a brother and as a Sect Leader – to cause him more pain.

“And so he is.” He says, unsure if Wangji is conscious enough to understand him, but that does not matter now, he will say it again when his brother wakes up, will write it down, carve it in stone if needed. A-Yuan shall be Lan Yuan, Lan Wangji's son, his nephew, and no one will dare say otherwise.

–

2.

Lan Qiren understood the need to protect the boy, no child should suffer for the actions of their parents, Wen or not, the boy is a disciple now. He will eat their food, learn their rules, practice sword fighting and become part of their Clan. No one will question his background or cause him harm, not while Lan Qiren is alive.

But this – this is preposterous. “No.” He does not turn his back to his Sect Leader, but he glares at his nephew for the idea of Lan Wangji – a direct heir – taking care of a child, an outsider, is ridiculous. “He will go into seclusion, meditate on his mistakes and the child will be watched by the maids. It is final!”

Lan Xichen does not move. “Wangji will go into seclusion and A-Yuan will live with him.” He counters and Lan Qiren feels his head throb.

“Xichen,” he takes a deep breath, struggling to keep his voice down. Shouting is against the rules. “this is not a good idea.”

“Wangji will adopt him.” Lan Xichen interrupts. “A-Yuan is his son.”

Lan Qiren feels his eyes widen as Lan Xichen rushes to help him take a seat.

Brother, he thinks, your sons are going to kill me.

–

Lan Qiren only saw the boy once, when he visited Wangji at the infirmary months ago. He looked pale, too small for a child his age, as he tossed and turned on his bed.

He still looks small, but his eyes are shining and his smile is bright. The color is back on his cheeks as he runs after a butterfly. Wangji does not look up when Lan Qiren sits next to him, only keeps watching the boy laugh as his attention turns from the butterfly to a cricket.

His nephew is still in pain, he notices, as Wangji frowns, almost imperceptibly. His back is still healing, his heart and mind too, and this is absolutely, irrevocably, a bad idea.

“Wangji –” Lan Qiren starts, but a childish shriek interrupts him.

“Father!” The boy screams, pointing at something near the lake. “A frog!”

“Leave it be.” Wangji warns, gesturing for the boy to come closer. When the boy is in front of them, he turns to Lan Qiren with curious eyes, and performs an awkward bow. It is a start, he notices. “This is my uncle, Master Lan Qiren.” Wangji says. “You shall call him Master Lan.”

“Hello, Master Lan.” The boy greets, his smile is unsure now and he keeps a safe distance from Lan Qiren.

Lan Qiren inclines his head in acknowledgment and watches, surprised, as Wangji reaches out to run a hand through the boy's hair. “Remember what I told you about keeping your voice down?”

“Yelling might disturb the others.” He recites in answer and Wangji nods. “Sorry, father.”

“Try not to do it again.”

“Mnn!” He says, sitting by Wangji's legs and reaching out for the papers laid out for him. He starts drawing, humming something under his breath, and Lan Qiren notices the pride in Wangji's eyes.

He sighs, this is all he needed to see. “You are still in seclusion.” Lan Qiren says, standing up. Wangji looks at him, but keeps one protective hand on the boy's shoulder. “And your son will start attending classes with the other disciples his age as soon as possible.”

Wangji nods. “Thank you, uncle.”

“Mnn.” Lan Qiren answers, turning around and leaving father and son to enjoy their evening together.

–

“Make sure to give A-Yuan double portions.” Lan Qiren orders the cooks the next week. The boy is still small and will surely get tired once he starts attending classes.

Lan Xichen smiles at him, knowingly. Lan Qiren pretends not to see it.

–

3.

Jingyi is six when he meets Lan Yuan and decides they are going to be best friends. A-Yuan is smart, funny and he helps Jingyi when he can't understand their lessons. Jingyi's mom says she hopes A-Yuan will be a good enough influence on him that he will finally stop questioning everything their teacher says.

When Jingyi tells A-Yuan that, his friend blushes, and confesses he hides all his questions from their teacher to ask his father later. “And your father answers them all?” Jingyi asks, surprised.

“Mnn!” A-Yuan nods, smiling.

“Your father must be really smart!” He says and A-Yuan nods again.

“He's the smartest!”

–

Jingyi knows everything about A-Yuan. He knows his friend is scared of the dark and hates being alone, he likes to read books and he practices his handwriting every night. Jingyi also knows A-Yuan loves butterflies and bunnies, really all kinds of animals, and that sometimes he will just keep eating until someone tells him to stop.

Some nights his friend will have nightmares and when that happens he won't come to classes the next day. Their teacher shakes his head in disappointment when that happens, muttering about excuses and spoiled child but A-Yuan confessed, once, that his father always helps him with the lessons he missed.

What Jingyi does not know, however, is A-Yuan's family. One time he asked about his mother, but when his friend replied, sadly, that she's dead, he stopped talking about it. A-Yuan lives with his father, that much he is sure, but he's not allowed to visit them, so they always say goodbye after class and A-Yuan goes home alone. It is extremely sad, according to Jingyi's mother, but A-Yuan is always smiling, so Jingyi doesn't understand what she means.

–

Jingyi is nine when he sees the man for the first time. He got distracted playing with his little sister and now he's late to class. He walks quickly – but does not run – and stumbles upon a man. For a moment he thinks it's Sect Leader and he is ready to bow and apologize when the man leaves quietly, face serious, and Jingyi takes a deep breath, relieved.

He forgets about the encounter as soon as his teacher orders him to write 'always be on time' five hundred times. A-Yuan shakes his head in disappointment, but his smile is fond when he looks at Jingyi.

Jingyi meets the man again later that same day, after classes are over, and he squeaks, rushing to hide behind A-Yuan. “What?” His friend asks, confused.

“Him.” He gestures towards the man – but does not point as it is forbidden – who's looking at them with the same cold expression. He's probably here to scold Jingyi for running – yes, he admits, he was running – and Jingyi shudders, wondering what horrible punishment awaits him. “He's scary!”

A-Yuan laughs softly. “Not really.” He says, taking Jingyi's hand. “Come.”

“What?” Jingyi cries out. “No, no.”

“Hanguang-jun.” A-Yuan greets. “This is my friend, Lan Jingyi.”

Oh, Jingyi blinks. This is Zewu-jun's brother. His father always talked about him with admiration.

Hanguang-jun nods and Jingyi bows deeply, equal parts confused and in awe.

A-Yuan glances up at Hanguang-jun, then looks around and, lowering his voice, tells Jingyi, “he is my father.”

Jingyi blinks, whisper a low, “woah”, and then bows again. “Nice to meet you!” When he looks up, Hanguang-jun's expression is less intimidating.

Hanguang-jun nods again, touching A-Yuan's shoulder. “We have to go.” He says, raising his hand. Curiously, Jingyi eyes the basket he's holding.

A-Yuan nods, eyes shining. “Can Jingyi come with us someday?”

“Some day.” Hanguang-jun promises and with one last wave A-Yuan takes his father's hand as they leave.

–

They take him to see the rabbits weeks later. While A-Yuan and Jingyi feed them, Hanguang-jun plays his guqin, stopping once in a while to pet a couple of bunnies.

“Your father is soft.” Jingyi says, amazed.

A-Yuan laughs loudly.

–

4.

Oh, he's adorable, Ming Ming smiles at the Lan boy. He's looking at the bread with a serious expression, occasionally he gives her a polite smile, before looking down again.

“Do you need some help?” She asks, eventually, amused.

“Oh,” he says, “I am sorry to bother you, but – how much can I buy with this?” He shows a couple silver pieces and her eyes widen immediately. She knows the Lan Clan do not have to worry about money and this innocent boy probably never had to deal with this kind of business before.

“My dear boy,” she waves her hands, “you could buy all the bread I have for at least half of that!”

“I will take it, then.” He says, offering the money.

Ming Ming startles, shaking her head furiously. “No, no. I can't.” She starts packing the bread for him. “Here, six for a silver piece.” She says, smiling nervously.

“No, no.” The boy insists. “Take it all.” They stay at it for some time, the boy trying to give her all the pieces he has and Ming Ming refusing. Her mother taught her to be honest and just, she could use the money, actually, but she'd rather work for it and not take it from an innocent, good, boy.

“Please,” she lets out, frustrated. A crowd has started to gather around them, watching the discussion curiously. They must make a rather interesting pair, one trying to offer money and the other refusing to take it. Her husband would be laughing, if he was still alive, “I can't.”

“Six breads,” a man says, touching the boy's shoulder. Ming Ming immediately bows, blushing furiously as Hanguang-jun looks at her, “four silver pieces.”

He's trying to negotiate, she realizes, but still – it's too much. “That is four times the price, Hanguang-jun.” She argues.

“I believe it is a fair amount.” He says. “Don't you, Sizhui?”

“Yes, Hanguang-jun!” The boy – Lan Sizhui – nods immediately. He counts four silver pieces and offers them to her, expectantly.

Finally, she sighs, admitting defeat. They could argue all day, Ming Ming is sure she would, but they must go home, and well – so does she. Her mother has agreed to take care of Ming Ming's daughter while she works at the street market, but it's getting late and her mother's health isn't the same as it was years back, she needs to rest and Ming Ming, more than anyone, knows how much trouble her daughter is.

“Thank you, Hanguang-jun,” she says, exchanging the money for the bread, “and Lan Sizhui.” She adds, smiling at the child.

She watches them go, the older man holding most of the bags as Lan Sizhui reaches out for his free hand.

–

Later, as she's walking home, she finds them giving the bread to a small family who's been living in the streets of Gusu for a while now. The mother looks on the verge of tears while the kids start eating immediately.

Ming Ming wipes tears of her own, observing Lan Sizhui smile kindly at them.

“Can we do this again next week, father?” She hears the boy ask as they walk back to the Cloud Recesses. Hanguang-jun nods in response.

Such a sweet child could only have a great father, Ming Ming smiles, noticing how Hanguang-jun looks down at the boy like he's the most important thing in the world.

She looks forward to seeing them again.

–

5.

Ouyang Zhen* isn't worried. His son is of age to join Night Hunts and he's being accompanied by none other than Sect Leader Lan, really there's no one more qualified to take care of his boy.

So he isn't worried. He is just – keeping an eye out for trouble. Yes, just that.

His wife smiles knowingly at him before she retreats to their room with a soft whisper of goodnight. She is expecting their fourth child – he is sure it will be another girl, she thinks it's going to be a boy and Zizhen just wants them to stop giving him siblings – so she should rest, even though he doubts she will be able to fall asleep tonight.

He paces around the garden, ignoring the urge to go looking for his son. Zizhen would never forgive him for showing up unannounced on his first Night Hunt away from his father, and oh, Ouyang Zhen could never stand his son being angry at him.

He's trying to convince himself to at least try to fall asleep when he notices the flare. Alarmed, he takes his sword, hands shaking, and gathers his men, rushing to his son's aid.

–

He's not surprised to find Hanguang-jun already there, Ouyang Zhen is surprised, though, to find him covered in blood, eyes shining with anger. He startles, scared, when the man looks at him, but chooses to ignore it for now in favor of taking his son in his arms.

“What happened?”

Zizhen is shaking, but he's not scared, Ouyang Zhen realizes, he's angry. “Sizhui was trying to help!” He says, glaring at the man whimpering on the ground as Hanguang-jun stands in front of him, sword in hand, like a wolf ready to attack.

Another Lan boy is crying, he notices, kneeling in front of his friend who's being taken care of by Sect Leader Lan. Behind them, a woman is being held by a disciple from the Jin Clan, her clothes' ripped apart and Ouyang Zhen feels sick when he realizes what exactly the men was trying to do with her**.

He's glad Hanguang-jun killed them.

Sect Leader Jiang arrives not long after, stalking towards his nephew and shielding his eyes from the bloodshed. Ouyang Zhen tries to do the same with his own son, but Zizhen pushes him away, running towards the Lan boy who's lying, unconscious, on the ground.

“Please.” That dreadful man whimpers, raising his hands. “I didn't do anything. They did.” He points at the bodies around him.

“Liar!” The crying Lan boy yells.

“You stabbed Sizhui!” Zizhen shouts.

Hanguang-jun raises Bichen, lets the tip of the sword prickle the man's neck. “Wangji!” Sect Leader Lan calls just as the man starts begging for his life. “He's awake, come!”

Ouyang Zhen has seen Hanguang-jun fight, knows what he's capable of, with or without his sword. However, he has never seen him move so fast. “A-Yuan.” He hears the man whisper, one hand on the boy's face.

“Father.” The boy answers weakly. “Is the woman safe?”

“Yes.” Hanguang-jun nods. “Yes, you saved her.”

“Good.” He says, smiling softly as the other Lan boy cries harder.

Ouyang Zhen exchanges a look of understanding with Sect Leader Jiang and then turns to the man still whimpering, surrounded by the dead bodies of his accomplices. They would have done the same, their own boys being hurt or not. Maybe worse.

“I will take him back to Cloud Recesses.” Sect Leader Lan says, looking at the man with contempt. “He will pay for his actions.” Then he adds, “we will care for the woman as well.”

He nods. “Hanguang-jun's son will be fine?” Ouyang Zhen notices Sect Leader Jiang rolls his eyes, but decides to ignore him. He knows the man dislikes Hanguang-jun, fuck, he probably dislikes every Sect Leader, but it is not his problem. They've all learned to ignore his moods at this point.

“Yes, thank you.” Sect Leader Lan answers, with a kind smile, and Ouyang Zhen sighs in relief. He gestures for his son to come closer, throws his arm over his shoulders.

“Let's go home.” He says and with one last look towards his friend, Zizhen nods.

Ouyang Zhen also looks at the Lan boy, leaning against his father's chest. He hopes he will never have to see his own son like that.

–

+1.

Wei Wuxian sees Lan Zhan lead Sizhui outside while the rest of the junior disciples eat  their food enthusiastically, Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi bickering over who gets the last chicken wing.

He leans against the door of the tavern, watches as father and son walk together, talking quietly. Sizhui looks at Lan Zhan with admiration and his smile widens when his father touches his hair softly.

Wei Wuxian knows Lan Zhan very well, even after thirteen years. He's an adult now, obviously, with responsibilities, and he carries himself with more certainty, but his heart and mind are the same. He does not hide his thoughts nor does he hide his feelings from the people he loves.

And it's obvious how much he loves Sizhui. From his subtle touches to his lingering glances when they were at Yi City and in danger. Wei Wuxian didn't even need to ask to have his answer, he only had to really look.

He feels sad when he thinks about A-Yuan. The boy would be Sizhui's age now, probably a strong cultivator, smart and gentle. Wei Wuxian would have taught him to fight with his sword, would have given him hugs and kisses every day until he grew old enough to start escaping his hold.

Would A-Yuan come to call him father as well?

“Thank you, father.” He hears Sizhui say, blushing, as Lan Zhan fixes his ribbon.

Wei Wuxian feels himself smiling when Lan Zhan looks at him. He isn't ready to ask about Sizhui's mother or how Lan Zhan became the father of such a special boy, but he knows he will have to face his feelings eventually, he's been in love with his friend for far too long to simply keep ignoring it.

He's got a second chance at life, he will make sure not to waste it.

–

“Lan Sizhui. Lan Yuan. Lan Yuan.” Wei Wuxian keeps repeating until he finally understands what his heart has been trying to tell him all along. “A-Yuan.”

“Senior Wei.” Sizhui says. “I am A-Yuan.”

Wei Wuxian cries.

–

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian whines as they get ready to bed. Nine is far too early for him, but he's learned to enjoy watching his husband sleep. “Your son wants to go on another Night Hunt tomorrow. He's becoming too much like you.”

“Our son.” Lan Zhan corrects, resting his head on Wei Wuxian's chest and closing his eyes.

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian laughs, happy, so happy, he feels his heart is about to explode. “You're right,” he takes Lan Zhan's hand, kisses his palm, “our son.”

---

Notes:

*I don’t think we were told Ouyang Zizhen’s father’s name so I made one up for this story.

**I tagged the TW as attempted rape, but if you guys think I should tag it with another term, or maybe write it on top of the post, please let me now.

[ibijau]

If Deage!lxc meet lwj after talk to nhs. Will lxc tease lwj being married?

the de-aged fic in question

It’s kind of funny to see Lan Wangji all grown up. He is taller than last time Lan Xichen by at least a full head, making him feel small. His shoulders are broader too, his face more angular. His brother grew into a fine man.

But there’s a lingering sadness in his eyes that makes Lan Xichen uncomfortable. His brother has suffered a lot, he can guess as much. He wonders if he caused some of that pain, if that’s why his uncle didn’t want him to see Lan Wangji when his brother returned to the Cloud Recesses.

His uncle avoids all of his questions about what happened to him, and lan Xichen has started to become fearful of the sort of man he’s meant to become.

It doesn’t help that Lan Wangji is so quiet as Lan Xichen pours tea for both of them. His little brother has never been the chattiest of people, but every time they’ve been apart for a while, Lan Wangji would tell him about his cultivation progress, the new song he’s started to learn, how many rabbits he’s spotted in the forest this time.

Lan Xichen doesn’t know what to make of this silent man before him.

“So, I hear you’re married now?” he asks with a grin, hoping this bold opening will get a reaction. 

It does.

Lan Wangji startles and avoids his eyes, his hands clenching on his knees. He looks guilty. He looks worried. As if perhaps he thinks that Lan Xichen will be angry at his happiness.

What has happened to them?

“It’s that Wei Wuxian boy, right?” Lan Xichen continues, pretending not to notice the tension. “I knew you liked him! You’re always looking at him. And he’s so bold with you... It all makes sense. How long have you been married?”

“...Two months.”

It’s Lan Xichen’s turn to startle. His uncle told him that nearly two decades have passed since his last memories.  Lan Wangji had been just fifteen then, much too young to marry, and a union between two men always creates a bit more trouble to organise, especially for someone in such a high position as Lan Wangji. Still, by the time he reached twenty, all of this should have been solved, so why the long wait? Lan Wangji can be a little awkward, did he somehow mess this up by being too cold? Or was there something else?

Those twenty years have not been peaceful, Lan Xichen has already guessed this much. His uncle might refuse to answer his questions, but he cannot hide how new some of the buildings look, including Lan Xichen’s own house. Lan Qiren has taken away his correspondence and books and many things, but couldn’t hide everything. Lan Xichen found some of his guan, and they are those of a sect leader, hinting his father has died and he is now in power. After Nie Huaisang’s visit, he also found some very old letters, hidden under a loose plank on the floor. They are short and evasive, written in code as if they might be intercepted, yet speak quite plainly of a war.

“Wait, two months?” Lan Xichen gasps, realisation hitting him. “But that’s as long as I’ve been like this. Wangji you… you married without inviting me?”

“Brother would not have approved,” Lan Wangji replies, still refusing to look at him.

Lan Xichen gapes at him, unsure what hurts more. He doesn’t like that he becomes a man who will not support his brother’s happiness. But it’s also unpleasant that Lan Wangji would do something so important while knowing full well that his brother disapproves. It’s not that they’ve never had their disagreements, what siblings don’t? But this feels more serious than a passing squabble about who borrowed who’s robe.

“Wangji, have I grown into a cruel man?”

“Brother is a good man,” Lan Wangji quickly replies with a touch of desperation to his voice, much like Nie Huaisang did when Lan Xichen asked him a similar question. “Brother tried to help and support me when no one else did, but this was something you never understood. Brother thought I should not love Wei Ying.”

“Why not? He seems nice. A little wild maybe, but…”

At hearing Wei Wuxian called ‘wild’, Lan Wangji flinches.

Twenty years is such a long time.

“Did Wei Wuxian grow into a cruel man?” Lan Xichen hesitantly asks, horrified that his brother might have tied himself to a bad person.

Lan Wangji closes his eyes for a moment, as if the conversation were growing painful to him, and takes a deep breath.

“Wei Ying made choices that have caused pain around him,” he says at last. “But he made most of those choices because he believes in helping those in need.”

“Most. Not all.”

At last, Lan Wangji looks his brother in the eye, a weary expression on his face. Lan Xichen is again reminded of Nie Huaisang’s visit, of the way he too ended up looking at him like this. It speaks of repeated arguments, of disagreements that have never found a solution.

He wonders if Nie Mingjue too will look at him that way, should he visit.

“Wei Wuxian was attacked again and again,” Lan Wangji states in a tired voice. “His methods were extreme, but he had to defend himself.”

Lan Xichen pinches his lips, ready to ask for details. He doesn’t. The way Lan Wangji tenses, the determination in his eyes… if Lan Xichen’s adult self, with his full knowledge of the situation, has never managed to change his brother’s mind, what can he hope to do?

“So you will support him if he does extreme things again?” Lan Xichen asks.

“I will protect him so he never has to,” Lan Wangji replies with unexpected fierceness. “I failed Wei Ying in the past. If I had stood by him then, things might have been different. I will stand by him now.”

It’s not the most reassuring of answers, but Lan Xichen will take it.

“And you’re happy with him at your side?”

A rare smile breaks onto Lan Wangji’s face as he nods, his eyes softening as if just the thought of Wei Wuxian was enough to melt some of the sadness that clings to him.

Even in Lan Xichen’s own times, his brother has never been one to smile often. Whatever else Wei Wuxian has done, at least he brings joy to Lan Wangji. It’s a comfort and in this changed world where everything hints at horror and pain and betrayal, Lan Xichen will take any comfort he can find.

“If you’re happy, I’m happy,” Lan Xichen announces with a smile that’s almost entirely sincere. “I realise it might be early, but are you two planning on having children?”

“We have a grown son. Lan Sizhui. You say he is the pride of Gusu Lan.”

That’s not a very cheerful name, but Lan Xichen willingly refuses to ask about that. Twenty years, but only married for two months and yet with an adult son. Lan Xichen desperately wants to be given the story of those missing two decades, while also fearing that knowledge.

The man he becomes is a coward who chose to return to the past rather than face the present. For a while Lan Xichen resented this future self, but the more glimpses he gets, the more he understands that choice.

It’s not that he becomes a coward, he realises, it’s that he must have always been one.

“Tell me about your son,” Lan Xichen asks, still trying to smile. “How good is his cultivation? Does he have many friends?”

Even on this subject, he can quickly tell that Lan Wangji is too careful, that there are details he will not be given. It doesn’t matter. He’ll live with the secrets until someone finds a way to return him to what he should be, or until someone finally breaks and tells him the truth.

Until then he takes joy where he can, and there is much joy to be found in the pride Lan Wangji finds in his son, in the happiness that radiates from him as he speaks of his family.

Whatever other divides have appeared between them, Lan Xichen hopes that the man he grew into still found the strength to rejoice in Lan Wangji’s happiness.

[tangledinmdzs]

Hi there! could you please do how the juniors reacted if you woke up from a nightmare? Thank you and I love your blog it always makes my day better :)

ah yes, my favorite trope, hehe; i’ve been wanting to write something like this myself hehe. thank you so much for your sweet compliment, you’re much too kind. i hope you and everyone else enjoys!

here’s to your request~

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Lan Sizhui ✫・゜・。.

Sizhui peels his eyes open at the feeling in his arms

he had fall asleep holding you

which was why it was easy for him to realize that you are shaking

sleep leaves him at the notion of you cold or hurt

and Sizhui sits up with you, a hand already rubbing up and down your shoulders to try and give you warmth

but when you both are sat, he realizes you’re not just shaking

you’re mumbling something

“please...no...no...no” 

Sizhui is pained at how you sound, and tries to wake you immediately

he taps your face, squeezes your shoulder

only when he shakes you particularly hard that you wake up with a scream

it pierces through the night, but its quickly muffled when Sizhui drags you into his chest, holding you there as you violently cry

it had been a terrifying sight you had seen behind your eyelids

Sizhui hushes you, even goes so far as rocking his body with you in his arms, like a child

but it works, and your tears subside the longer you’re held in his arms

you look at him when your emotions have run their course, and Sizhui looks down to meet eyes with you

“y/n-”

“it was so scary without you...” you tell him, the tears already building up in your eyes as you recall your dream for the second time

Sizhui hushes, a hand coming up to hold your face

“you have me here with you now...”

“you always have me,” Sizhui promises you, in the face of a night terror or life

the words hold true

Sizhui watches as you blink up to him, letting his words chase away all the fears that had ever lived in your mind

Lan Jingyi ✫・゜・。.

it’s the elbow to the face that does it for him

the pain that he wakes up with was like a bucket of cold water

and you had always been quiet the active sleeper

but you’d never hurt him before 

Jingyi turns around at you, only to have mere seconds to sleepily dodge a fist thrown near his head

that gets him awake

he sits up immediately, noticing the tight way your hands are balled into fists

and the shaking of your hands as you try to hit something, bigger than you, it seems like

“y/n,” Jingyi calls your name, but you begin kicking and Jingyi grabs your arms and sits on your legs before you can do anymore damage

“y/n” Jingyi tries again, loudly

and perhaps he had underestimated the volume of his voice, because your eyes fly open

and you scare him as much as his position scares you

so within that second of his loosen grip

and you waking between your dream

you punch whatever is on top of you

the groan that soon follows helps you orient back to the world better and you sit up as Jingyi sits back, holding his cheek in his hand

“Jingyi?” you question and your boyfriend can only groan in response

you really knuckled him on the cheekbone

“oh my goodness, are you okay?” you ask, as if you hadn’t noticed the pained way he was holding his head

Jingyi sucks in a deep breath, looks up at you in the moonlight from the open window

there’s a nice angry red mark right underneath his eyes, in the undeniable shape of your knuckles and it looks painful

you wince, reaching your hand to take care of it when he grabs your hand outstretched before him

“are you okay?” Jingyi asks you, seriously

at the sight of Jingyi in pain, you had forgotten what had scarred you so much in your dream

“i’m okay, i need to worry about you instead,” you say

and its the closest of a reassurance that he can get from you, his tough cookie

but its enough

Jin Ling ✫・゜・。.

Jin Ling arrives in the bedchambers late tonight, sect leader duties keeping him long pass the time the candles are blown out

as expected the bedchamber is dark when he enters

but what he doesn’t expect is the sight that you are in 

the moment that Jin Ling sits down besides you, he catches the tears from your face, 

how tightly you’re holding the blanket

Jin Ling’s eyes widen, scared, worried, and everything else mixing with one another at the sight of you in any sort of discomfort

he holds your face in silent anxiety as you let out a whimper along with your tears

Jin Ling’s eyes flicker about and his other hand comes up to squeeze your shoulder, hoping that that is enough to wake you

luckily, it is

you come to slowly, blinking your eyes open to look up at the figure hovered over you 

when a gentle thumb brushes away your tears, you recognize that you’re no longer dreaming

“Jin Ling,”

and his heart absolutely breaks at how close you sound to bursting into tears again

and you let him help you up, and the moment that you’re sitting up

you wrap your arms around his torso, digging your face into his chest

Jin Ling hugs you even closer, resting his head on yours

you cry and say something muffled in his chest 

“hm?” Jin Ling asks you, gentle as he ever will be

“don’t leave me,” you say softly, in between the truthfulness of a nightmare and the sleepiness in your mind

JIn Ling takes in a deep breath, holds you even tight

“i could never leave you...” 

he hopes those words, you remember even in sleep

Ouyang Zizhen ✫・゜・。.

“hey, hey” Zizhen calls as he shakes you

but you don’t respond

your eyes are closed shut, sweat forming in droplets on your brow

your hands are clutching tightly, at the fabric of his inner robe, the very edges of his night shirt where he’s sitting over you

“y/n,” Zizhen worriedly says the longer you shake and clutch onto him

“y/n!!” he shouts, when your breathing gets too rapid and you jolt awake, eyes flying open but still seeing the dark shadows that had chased you in your sleep

“let me go, please, let me go!” you cry out, tears streaming down your face with your sweat until Zizhen’s face comes into focus

when you see his face, its easier to hear his voice

you hadn’t realized he had been talking to you until now, 

“it’s me, it’s just me,” Zizhen comforts, and the rest of the tears that fall from your face are out of relief

Zizhen helps you sit up, leaning you gently against the headrest of your shared bed

he sits quietly down in front of you, balling up his sleeve to dab at tears on your face, then moving to the sweat on your brow

his small action gives you a bit more time to catch your breath, chasing away the demons that had shown themselves tonight

reminding yourself that they weren’t real

“let me go get you some water,” Zizhen begins but you find your reflexes act faster than you can think

you clutch his arm, painfully tight

Zizhen is pulled back immediately, he stares at you, resting his hand on your tight grip instead of wincing like he normally would

“you don’t want me to go?” Zizhen asks, a painfully obvious question

you turn to look at him, the fear stealing most of your words

so you just shake your head

Zizhen nods at your answer, removing your grip around his wrist

you’re scared he’s going to try to leave, but he proves you wrong, when he leans against the headboard beside you, 

wraps his arms around you, letting your head rest against his chest

you let out an easier breath in his arms, letting his scent intermingle with your mind to create a different reality from the one you had woken from

“don’t worry, i’m here” Zizhen promises

and you can trust the sleep that you find in his arms