#interactions : river & wei wuxian

[papcrrings-arch]

Closed Starter : River & Wei Wuxian ( @mvsicinthedvrk​ ) - Song 27: Problem by Ariana Grande ft Iggy Azalea

“You can look at me like that all you like, I got no weight on my shoulders,” River replied. That was not true. She had a lot of guilt on her shoulders and had been sort of going off the rails as a result of what she had done to her husband. Still, she was a good actor and would hide it and act the same way she did about any decision she made.

[mxtxfanatic]

Wei Wuxian the Girls Girl

Usually in a danmei, I am used to seeing the main male characters only really interact with male characters. Even nameless background characters are more likely to be boys and men than girls and women (funnily enough, it's the opposite gender ratio in baihe). In mdzs, though, Wei Wuxian interacts with girls and women, and he interacts with them often! He knows how to put them at ease:

They wore bamboo baskets on their backs, linen shirts, and straw shoes; they had the rustic, earthy appearance of rural villagers from head to toe . Among them was an almost delicate and pretty young woman with a round face, who had perhaps walked under the harsh sun for too long and wanted to sit in the shade and drink some water. But when she saw the donkey tied to the tree, braying and stomping discontently, and the wild-haired lunatic with red and white pigment smeared all over his face sitting next to it, she became frightened and wouldn’t approach. Wei Wuxian had always considered himself protective and caring of women, so seeing her state, he moved to create space for her and went to bother the donkey. Only once the travellers saw he was harmless did they relax and come near. ... The cultivators had now rested enough and were preparing to take off. Before they left, the round-faced young woman took a half- green, half-red apple from the basket on her back and passed it to Wei Wuxian. “This is for you.”

—Chapt. 6: Pride I, fanyiyi

Some of the women were old and some were young, but all grew nervous when they saw an unfamiliar young man approaching and looked as though they wanted to toss aside their baskets and flee inside. Only after Wei Wuxian said a few smiling words did they gradually calm down and shyly reply to him. When he pointed at the slab of rock and asked a question, all of their faces turned uniformly pale, and only after a great deal of hesitation did they begin to answer him, stammering and gesticulating. All the while, they refused to look at Lan Wangji, who was standing near the stone, any more than necessary. Wei Wuxian listened attentively, one corner of his mouth uplifted the entire time. Once they were finished and the subject changed, the women returned to their original color, gradually relaxed, and smiled at him artlessly.

—Chapt. 33: Flora I, fanyiyi

He knows how to harmlessly charm (or annoy lol) them to get something out of them, but also repays the kindness:

As though he hadn’t just fought water ghosts and fled from the mouth of a watery abyss, he calmly and confidently shot flirtatious smiles at the river’s two shores. “Sisters, how much for half a kilo of loquats?” He was very young, and had a bright, dashing appearance that glowed with vitality and spirit: veritably a frolicking peach blossom chasing after the flow of the river. A smile bloomed on the face of a woman nearby, and she pulled up her bamboo hat. “Oh, you little charmer, how about I give you one free of charge?” The notes of Wu in her voice were pure, sweet and soft like sticky rice. From her lips sprang touching melodies, filling the ears of those who listened with fragrance. Wei Wuxian cupped his hands and said, “Naturally, anything Sister wishes to give to me, I want!” The woman reached into her basket and felt for a round golden loquat, which she tossed toward him. “No need to be polite. It’s for your good looks!” Swiftly, the boats sailed toward each other, the hulls brushing by as they passed. Wei Wuxian turned, caught the loquat head on and grinned. “You’re even more pretty!”

—Chapt. 17: Elegance VII, fanyiyi

When Lan Wangji lifted his head again, he even saw Wei Wuxian pull out something from his robes and give it to the woman who had spoken the most. ... “If you ask someone a lot of questions, you have to give them a gift to thank them for their trouble. Originally, I was going to give them some silver, but they got scared and didn’t want to take it. I found that they liked the smell of the rouge. They didn’t seem as though they’ve used that type of thing before, so I gave it to them.”

—Chapt. 33: Flora I, fanyiyi

Lan Jingyi waved his hand. “Quiet! What happened to Wei Wuxian? What did that devil do? Did he kidnap her?” he said urgently. “No, not that,” Lan Sizhui replied. “He specifically set off for Tanzhou from Yunmeng to see the Lady of Ephemerals. He came to the garden to recite poetry. But every time he did, he would intentionally make a mistake and provoke her into hitting him with a flower and throwing him out. When he woke up, he would crawl back in again and continue his loud and incorrect poetry recitation. After repeating this twenty or so times, he finally saw the lady’s face clearly. He then left and ran around singing praises to her beauty. But he had also angered her so much that she refused to come out for a long, long time. Every time she saw him, she pelted him with a blizzard of flowers��a truly stunning sight...”

—Chapt. 45: Beauty III, fanyiyi

Wei WuXian grinned, “I heard all of them call you MianMian, so I thought that it’s your name. What, it’s not?” ... MianMian’s cheeks flushed, “You can’t call me that!” Wei WuXian, “Why not? How about this: if you tell me your name, I won’t call you MianMian anymore. What do you think?” MianMian, “Why do I have to tell you just because you asked? Before you ask for somebody else’s name, you should tell them your name first, shouldn’t you?” Wei WuXian, “Sure, if you want my name. Remember, my name is ‘YuanDao’.” MianMian silently pronounced the name ‘YuanDao’ a few times. She couldn’t remember if the young master of any sect had such a name. But, judging from the boy’s air and appearance, she didn’t think he was the average disciple. Looking at the teasing smile at the corners of Wei WuXian’s lips, she didn’t know what was going on. Suddenly, Lan WangJi’s low voice came from beside them, “A play on words.” She realized at once that it had been taken from the poetry line ‘its ceaseless bounds yearn for miles and miles on’ and he was making fun of her. She stomped her feet in spite, “Who’s yearning for you? You have no face!” The girls collapsed into a laughing mess, chirping, “Wei WuXian, you really have no face!” “I’ve never seen someone as annoying as you!” “Let me tell you, she’s called...” MianMian dragged them away and turned to leave, “Let’s go, let’s go! You can’t tell it to him.” Wei WuXian shouted from behind, “You can go, but give me a sachet, won’t you?! You’re ignoring me? You don’t want to? If you don’t, I’ll find other people and ask for your name. There must be someone out there who’s willing to tell me...” Before he finished, a perfume sachet flew over from in front of him. It landed right in the middle of his chest.

—Chapt. 52: Courage, exr

The boys responded in the same way, before all nudging at Wei WuXian, “Shixiong, they’re calling you! They’re calling you!” Wei WuXian looked carefully. Indeed, the women had encountered them before while he was leading the group. His mood immediately lifted and he stood up to wave, grinning, “What’s up!?” The boat drifted alongside the water’s currents. The women followed it on the shore, chatting, You boys went to steal lotus seed pods again, didn’t you!?” ... As the two argued, another one of the women called out, “Was it good?” Wei WuXian managed to reply, “What?” The woman, “The watermelon we gave you. Was it good?” Wei WuXian realized, “So you were the ones who gave us the watermelon. It was delicious! Why didn’t you come in and sit? We could’ve poured you some tea!” The woman smiled, “You lot weren’t there when we visited, so we left without going in. I’m glad to hear it tasted good!” Wei WuXian, “Thank you!” He fished out a couple of big seed pods from the bottom of the boat, “Here are some lotus seed pods. Next time you visit, come me and watch me train!”

—Chapt. 125: Lotus Seed Pod Extra, exr

He even hangs out with them unprompted, specifically choosing their company in some cases:

Back in Yunmeng, many girls from the Jiang Clan had envied him because he was going to go study with Lan Wangji. They had said that the Gusu Lan Clan produced generation after generation of beautiful men, and that among his generation, the Twin Jades were uncommonly beautiful.

—Chapt. 14: Elegance IV, fanyiyi

Wei WuXian, “It’s me! Someone who does such a ridiculous thing has to be me. Where did you find the time to come to Yunmeng? If you’re not busy, come up here and have a drink?” A few girls encircled him, all cramped onto the divan, laughing at those down below, “Yeah, Young Master, come up here and have a drink!” The girls were the ones who tossed flowers at him earlier on. There was no need to say who was the person that told them to do such a thing.

—Chapt. 71: Departure, exr

Wei WuXian urged, “Then throw some! If you throw some this time, next time you can ask them if the seed pods tasted good, and you’ll be able to make conversation again!” The shidi were in awe, “So that’s why! What a lesson. You have so much experience with these things, Shixiong!” “You can tell he does this on a regular basis!”

—Chapt. 125: Lotus Seed Pod Extra, exr

And lest we forget his track record of protecting all of the good named female characters at some point or other during the course of the novel: Mianmian against Wang Lingjiao, Jiang Yanli against Jin Zixuan, and Wen Qing against the whole of the cultivation world. Truly a girls girl if ever I've seen one!

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

Apr 7th

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1. Would have been Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian.

After the Sunshoot campaign and for some reason Wei Wuxian is in Cloud Recess and Lan Qiren discovers that they don’t have a core. But the lan clan had a technique to fix a lost core for others that had been attacked by others that could melt their core. @nikkiwhitecraft

I was the requester for #1.

I am sure that part of the story that Wei Wuxian and Lan Q had to travel, and that was when it was discovered that Wei Wuxian had no core, and Lan Q was annoyed he never said anything and the Lan Clan had a technique to restore a core that was lost/melted as the core melting clan was known.

Thats all I remeber

NOT FOUND Righteous at a Cost by thunderwear (G, 21k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, no one dies, LQR finds out about WWX’s core, WWX and LQR are friends??, In My Fic?, its more likely than you think, LWJ in the bg like whats happening?, Fluff, WWX goes to Gusu, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal) Might be this? LQR discovers WWX lost his core, brings him back to CR & finds a way to restore it

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2. Hey! Im looking for a fic where the jins got the tiger tally, and that they wanted to 'flood the world with vermillion light'. I remember that it was post-the first siege of the burial mounds, and WY was maybe dead? After which the other sects had to fight the Jins, and there was also something about the people wishing that WY was alive. Please help me find it! Thank you so much!

FOUND! I'm pretty sure this is the deleted "When the World Comes Crumbling Down, you Will Call my Name" by pft_a_Frog22. The archive link was https://archiveofourown.org/works/35867848.

the deleted fic for #2 can be found at the wayback machine here

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3. Hi! I’m searching for a fiction on AO3 where Wei Wuxian is a Rogue cultivator, he founds Lan Wangji floating in a river/lake and saves him. Wangji don’t remember anything due to the trauma he has suffered and his core is damaged altogether. He had a severe injury on his back but when he recovers he starts to travel with Wei Wuxian, not knowing his brother is searching for him. Because of his poor health issues he breakdown with a fever in the middle of a hunt, far from everything, during this time Lan Wangji loses consciousness, Wei Ying is visited by a strange fox spirit, really creepy whom he made a pact with to save Lan Wangji life's. In the history, Wei Ying has an uncle that reach both of them to advise something, Lan Wangji discorver to be a really powerfull fox spirit, i think they call him Huxia or something like this, Wei Ying "dies" by the venom of a fierce corpse (most like become one of them) and is ressurected by the Jade Emperor himself, the Demon subdue palace is actually a palace and Wangji's mother was the previous Huxia.

I’m going crazy cuz I remember ALL the history, but not the name of the fiction.

I appreciate the help with all my little heart. ❤️ @myukisora

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4. Hi, could you please help me find a wangxian fic? I apologize for the inconvenience, especially because i don’t remember much of the plot except select few parts of it and i dont remember if it was a thread on twitter or on ao3.

The scenes i do remember are as followed: Prior to this scene, wangxian might have had an argument or were avoiding each other because i dont think they had spoken to each other in a while. The scene i remember is WWX going to JYL’s place where everyone is gathered for a get together, wwx dotes over JL, going on about how he’s the favorite uncle. When he enters the living room, he sees LWJ on the couch, and sitting next to him is JZX half brother MXY talking to him. He thinks they are sitting a little too close and he gets a bit jealous but doesn’t say anything. I’m not sure if I remember it right, but i think people or mainly nhs kept saying how MXY resembles WWX, worsening the situation. Wangxian and their whole eye contact happens and everyone in the room is tense because of their interaction or lack their of. WWX suddenly goes to the bathroom, leaning into the sink…waiting and LWJ follows him in. They end up reconciling.

Thats all I remember, I know its not much, and i have been struggling as well because of it going through my bookmarks on ao3 and twitter. I’m hoping someone remembers this part as well and can mention the fic. Thank you!

Hi, the fic you mentioned is not the one :/ i am so sorry for the inconvenience. I can try adding more context. It’s the fic about WWX entering JYL’s party at her place and finding LWJ sitting on a couch with MXY. The scene is towards the very end so MXY’s presence is more of a cameo, he wasn’t present for the fic. WX might have a fwb situation that went wrong or it might be a lwj fucks fic. Lwj follows wwx to the br, its tense as wwx stares at him through the mirror but they both make up

NOT FOUND Talk Hard by DeviyudeThoolika (E, 161k, wangxian, LXC/JYL, JZX/WQ, JC/MM, Modern, College/University, Roommates/Housemates, rare pairs galore, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Separations, Getting Back Together, BAMF WWX, Drunk LWJ, Protective WWX, Good Parent YZY, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Cultivation Sect Politics, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Angst with a Happy Ending)

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5. Hi,

I’m trying to find a fanfic where instead of Jin Zixuan dying to Wen Ning at the pass it was Wei wuxian who pushed him out of the way and died instead? I’ve been trying for ages and still can find it. Thank you!

neither of these are exactly what you described, but it might be

NOT FOUND! A Butterfly Flaps, A Sword Stabs by RadAceFriend (T, 37k, JZX/JYL, JZX & WWX, JZX & LWJ, JZX & JGY, JZX & JL, Major Characted Death, JZX Lives, WWX does not, background wangxian, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Sect Leader JZX, POV JZX, Canon Divergence, the horrifying experience of killing someone you didn't like much, and finding out that you're one of the only people you know upset about it, Wen Remnants Live, LSZ is a Wen, WangXian Get a Happy Ending)

NOT FOUND! in this place where we don’t have a prayer by Cerusee, Mikkeneko (T, 42k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, WWX dies at Qiongqi path, Demonic Cultivation)

FOUND! finding you always, all ways by BlueFrogs (T, 31k, WangXian, ChengQing, Reincarnation, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Romance, Memory Loss, technically there is character death, but he comes back lol, Age Difference, due to reincarnation)

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6. Hi, hope you are having a great day! Could you, please, help find a fic, which, I think, had a wangxian arranged marriage due to growing Wen threat, but honestly cannot remember the exact premise. But there was a scene where wrh manages to get wq married to lwj as a second wife, and wwx felt like he failed the Jiang-Lan alliance. And there was a big confrontation between wq and wwx, where she tells him the reason for the marriage was to save her family. And lwj might have been ill or cursed and wearing a mask (not sure).

FOUND? The deleted "A Price to Pay" by wangxianist.

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7. Looking for help finding the name of this fic on ao3 I’m have trouble hunting it back down. Burial mounds settlement days canon divergence.

Essentially the premise is that the people living in Yiling often see Wei Ying taking care of and teaching A-Yuan by the river and a woman one day who was also there to wash her clothes asked him to look after her son while she was busy. This snowballed into Wei Ying basically running a little informal school out of Yiling where he teaches and just looks after any child that is brought there, including orphans and prostitute’s children which is kinda illegal. Lan Zhan knows and regularly visits. If the children show aptitude for cultivation they usually get sent to the Lan or (later in the story) the Jiang. The rest of the Wens kinda accidentally become a part of the Yiling community so much so that they all move out of the burial mounds and into the town proper. Because they’ve all left the mounds and disconnected pretty hard from the cultivation community they don’t even realize that the Jin’s sent people to attack the mounds. They found no one and declared to the world that they had slayed the rest of the wen dogs alongside Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng only finds out his brother is alive because he’s been informed that a small school in the Jiang territory hasn’t been paying taxes and when he goes to investigate finds Wei Ying safe and sound. @coffeehousefanfics

FOUND? Just as the Snow Melts by draechaeli (T, 66k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, SL/XXC, Everybody Lives AU, Canon Divergence)

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8. Hello, could you please help me find a fic where Lan Zhan finds a number to call Wei Ying which Help? to people at night and calls himself patriarch yilin afterwards They (wei Ying and lan Zhan) meet in the university library

FOUND? Maybe You’re the Reason by Clearpearls (E, 67k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Phone Sex, slight D/s, Secret Identity, Praise Kink, Phone Sex Operator WWX, he’s part-time though, slight internalized sexual repression, Fluff, Light Angst, Dirty Talk Orgasm Delay/Denial, Slow Burn, Sub LWJ, Bottom LWJ, Vibrators, Aftercare, Introspection)

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9. There's an au where Wangxian are like murder husbands and it has very dark themes. It's a series but I remember one of the fics in it had a scene where a woman tries to get their attention so the other cuts off her body parts or something like that? Would you be able to help me find it?

FOUND? So Full Of Love (Wouldn't Know Where to Start) by witchupbitch (M, 63k, wangxian, Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ, Blood and Violence, Killing, Idiots in Love, Humor, Mafia AU, Modern, Flirting, shameless WWX, Confident WWX, Explicit Language, Swearing, Mutual Sexual Tension, dark LWJ, Dark WWX, They're both twisted, Exhibitionism, Sex, Possessive Behavior, Unhealthy Relationships, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings)

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10. Hey!!! Love your work!

Do you know of a fic where jiang cheng's younger self sort of takes over his future self for some while before going back and this repeats for some time? I remember a young jiang cheng talking to older wwx. Older wwx doesn't believe that it's really the younger jc so he asks him to ask about why wwx dislikes dogs (i think). Young jc asks young wwx and it's because www had a pet dog named 'doggie' who had turned on him during the winter. Sorry that's all I can remember

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11. Hi, I dunno if my ask got lost in the mail but i was looking for a fic that had a line "lan wangji was a musician, he know how to make his hands do different things" in reference to one hand jackin wwx off and the other up his ass. if this sounds familiar lemme know please

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12. Hi! I really am looking for this story in AO3 and still can't find it. It was about Wei Wuxian who got married to Wen Chao but Lan Zhan couldn't take it so he plans to take Wei Wuxian back by claiming Wei Wuxian each time he got (even in the wedding night of WWX and WC) and destroying the company of the Wens. As they (LWJ & WWX) continued the deed, WWX ended up pregnant and LWJ is more than determined to take WWX back. I do hope you can help me find this story. Thank you in advance!😘

FOUND? 姻緣 | this marriage was always predestined by saccharinings (E, 43k, wangxian, Cheating, Infidelity, not between wangxian, WWX is married and LWJ persuades him to cheat on his husband with him, Dark LWJ, A/B/O, Feminizing Language, Exhibitionism, Size Difference, WagnXian Have a Breeding Kink, Stomach Bulge, Possessive LWJ, Manipulation, WWX Wears Lingerie, Rape/Non-con Elements, for one part, Hair-pulling Kink, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Mirror Sex, Vibrators, Phone Sex, Rimming, Edgeplay, slight choking kink, Light Bondage, Inappropriate Use of Gūsū Lán Forehead Ribbon, LJY's Big Fat Crush on Milfxian, Pregnant WWX, WangXian Endgame, Spanish Translation)

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13. Hello! I've been trying to find a fic I lost on AO3 for a few days now so hopefully you can help 💚💚

It was canon-verse but an AU where lwj and wwx hadn't met and wwx was still the Yiling Patriarch. Someone has an idea to give wwx a "bride" and wwx picks lwj and he goes to live at the burial grounds with wwx and the wens. At some point lwj gets stabbed and almost dies and wwx reveals he picked lwj because he assumed lwj would be in on some kind of plan to spy on/hurt wwx and the wens but lwj wasnt a part of that at all. It had a happy ending but i cant remember exactly what it was. Pls help 🥺 i want it in my bookmarks soooo bad

FOUND? 💖🔒 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it's gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn't begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27)

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14. For the next fox finder

Pls help me find this fic where wwx and lwj are night hunting and wwx gets hurt badly lwj makes a deal with a spirit/god but in exchange to save wwx he will lose his love/ emotions (he only acts on what’s needed not on the things he like or is want)

Wwx ofc suffers because of this but is able to re awake lwj love after 3 years while he’s playing wangxian (( he has already lost hope lwj would recover his emotions))

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15. hi! im looking for a post canon fic where jc sends a letter to cloud recesses saying that gusu lan owes him a debt since wwx married into the lan. lwj responds very angrily. it wasnt jc friendly and at the end of the fic, wwx finds a bitter letter from jc who dies alone. wwx and lwj live longer and happier lives. id love it if you could find it, thank you!

FOUND! The Price of a Golden Core by AshayaTReldai (M, 9k, wangxian, LXC & WWX, WWX & JC, Major Character Death, Angst, Tension, Aggression, JC pays the price for his choices, demanding letters, JC is a Brat, Supportive Lan Brothers, WWX deserves the best, Life Debt, Sad Ending, Sad Ending for JC)

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16. Hi! So, I’m looking for an AO3 fic, Lán Zhan/Wei Ying, that I read what feels like years ago and I can’t find it again. I remember it is a bit of a dark lan zhan or dark cloud recess fic, with Wei Ying being brought to this ‘hunt’ type thing with a group of people. I believe all the people brought are given Lán Zhans scent, so that he may track them. I also believe that it’s not expected that the participants will survive, and they’re being offered a reward if they do. Please help me find it! @diabolic17

FOUND? 🔒 Five Fifteen by 3neetee (M, 11k, wangxian, rape/non-con, modern, ABO, alpha LWJ, omega WWX, mating runs, graphic depictions of violence, dom/sub undertones, light bondage, rape/non-con elements, dark LWJ, betrayal)

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17. Hey mods! 💜

I’m pretty sure I found this fic on here but now I can’t seem to find it. I’m not sure if it was on a itmf or fic finder. But it’s the one where wwx takes a curse from some ghost in order for her to move on. It’s a curse where he can’t see or feel anyone that feels “strongly” about him. He assumes the juniors all either hate or fear him and I forgot what he assumed lwj. They say to break the curse he has to accept the others’ feelings. So he tried to accept the fact that jin ling hated him although jin ling did not mean what he said and was confused at how wwx reacted. I think lan jinyi was the one who figured out wwx couldn’t see them because he launched at him as if he was going to attack him and wwx didn’t flinch. In the end he starts seeing and feeling impressions of them until he can see them in full again. Please help? I’ve been through my history and bookmarks and all open tabs of ao3. No such luck.

Thanks for all that you do! @jikcf

FOUND! See Me, Feel Me (Listening to You) by Ghost_Honey (T, 29k, WangXian, POV WWX, WWX Needs a Hug, WWX’s Abyssmal Self-Esteem, Emotional Healing, Angst, The Juniors love their Senior Wei, Curses, WWX is an Unreliable Narrator, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling)

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18. Hi! I’m searching for a fic that I’m pretty sure was a threadfic on twitter... It was foxian and dragonji, and LWJ came across WWX while he was in heat in a cave and they mated. WWX went back to Lotus Pier not knowing who he’d been with only to find himself pregnant. He has hybrid babies and LWJ eventually tracks him down and he turns out to be a prince or something? WWX goes to visit Cloud Recesses, still unsure about LWJ. There was also a scene when one of the babies gets snatched by an eagle or some other bird and LWJ saves them? I think that’s as far as I got, as it was a WIP at the time and I lost track of it. Thank you!

FOUND? Twitter thread by cerbykerby (wangxian, cw: dubcon, mpreg, memory loss)

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19. Hello! Hope you're well! I've been looking for a fic like crazy and have not been able to find it, so hopefully you know it? It's a fic where instead of nie mingjue dying, nie huisang dies as a result of jgy and nmj attacks the cloud recesses because he blames Lan xichen in part due to him defending jgy. Please help me find this if you can. Thank you in advance!!! 🫶🙏🏼 @cherryblossom8

FOUND! Digging Graves by nirejseki (Not rated, 13k, NHS & NMJ, WWX & XY, wangxian, Revenge, Broken Moral System, Non-Graphic Violence, the masterless sabers)

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20. Pls there was this one fic in ao3 , I was so looking forward to it but I lost it 😭😭😭I don’t know much about it but the summary was smth like Wwx getting pregnant and being in an island?? Shizui grows up and smth please 😭

FOUND? The Winner Takes It All by YilingSani (M, 46k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single Parent WWX, Old Friends, One Night Stands, No Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Forgiveness, Second Chances, Inspired by Mamma Mia! (Movies) Teen Pregnancy, Mpreg, mention of miscarriage, Birth Trauma, amniotic fluid embolism)

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[rosethornewrites]

NR, E, & M reading since 8/13

Finished

Not Rated:

There was a boy, by caesteves

"And the boy, who never stopped smiling despite every reason he had to cry, saw himself forgetting the voices of his loved ones. Their faces, the happy moments. Perhaps he was supposed to live a life of broken memories."

(Or, after a strange night-hunt, Wei Wuxian wakes without his memories.)

A different road, by ARavenIsBlack (2 chapters)

What if Lan Wangji never went back to find Wen Yuan, or couldn't find him?

Grown up a beggar and thief, Wen Yuan struggles to survive after a long winter. Then, two people come by that seem much richer than any other that stop by their lonely village. But trying to steal from them backfires horribly and Wen Yuan is left desperate.

Explicit:

A Matter of Time, by mrcformoso (8 chapters)

When Lan Wangji went back in time to the first time he met Wei Wuxian, he thought it would be on their spar on the rooftops. He thought of how much he would have to change their interactions through the Cloud Recesses, how he would have to find a way to split Wei Wuxian from the Jiangs…

But when he came to his body, he found himself holding out a toy drum to a little child, a little A-Ying, in the streets of Yilling.

'Huh.' Lan Wangji thought as the little boy smiled up at him. 'This will be easier than I thought.'

Or: After Wei Wuxian’s death, something broke in Lan Wangji. He would do anything to get the love of his life back, safely in his arms. Even rewrite history.

A Matter of Choice, by mrcformoso (2nd in a series)

Things have been moving so fast and in so many different directions that Wei Ying never got a chance to sit down and settle, to think. It was only now, now that the war had ended, and they have returned home that Wei Ying felt the weight on his shoulders, the gravity of the situation.

Wei Ying’s mind was clashing, fighting and tripping over itself. Two vastly different childhoods wrestled in his soul, experiences and traumas he never thought of in years reared its ugly head. Not only that, but he knows what – or who – was behind it all. He knows the end goal. He knows the role he plays.

He has one year before his marriage. One year before he makes his choice.

Or: After the Sunshot Campaign, during the one year before his marriage to Lan Zhan, the barriers in Wei Ying’s mind fell and he must reconcile the aftereffects of regaining his memories, alongside the knowledge that his choice will decide the fate of the cultivation world.

Wei Laoshi, Poonslayer, by FeelsForBreakfast

Lan Wangji comes to two conclusions, almost simultaneously. The first, is that Nie Huaisang is messing with Wei Ying. The second, is that Wei Ying has never had sex in his life.

Or: Lan Wangji goes to Yunmeng, realizes that Wei Ying is a virgin, and takes decisive action.

Mature:

Back To The River (So Learn To Swim), by kalany (18 chapters)

Yu Ziyuan has been dead for over a hundred years, so it's a bit of a surprise when she dies.

One minute she's watching the youngest Lan daughter bow to her ancestors—it still baffles her that Wei Wuxian counts her as an ancestor, and that he's filial enough to have had a plaque made for her, but here they are—and the next she's choking on blood, her eyesight dimming. Wei Wuxian, she thinks furiously, what have you done now?

Then she wakes up.

Because her bladder is full.

Yu Ziyuan finds herself back in Lotus Pier, before any of her children have been born, and decides that things would go better if Jiang Yanli is the heir, not Jiang Cheng. One change leads to another, and another, and another.

And is Cangse Sanren flirting with her?

Things do not always go smoothly, but sometimes the family you find is the one you should have had all along.

lay down what's impeding you, by Karillith (2nd in a series)

"Just because I do not post them myself does not mean I cannot appreciate and acknowledge a thirst trap when it is in front of me."

Wei Wuxian's brain short-circuits for the millionth time in the last 24 hours. He's not sure what freaks him out more--that Lan Wangji agrees that it is, in fact, a thirst trap (a good one? please say it's a good one), or that he doesn't post them... but that he could have them.

Or,

5 times Lan Wangji makes thirsty comments at Wei Wuxian, and 1 time Wei Wuxian manages to do it back on purpose. Picks up where worst case scenario ends, but can be read as a standalone.

Unfinished

Not Rated:

Beiming: To Lament- 33 Reasons to Change the Past, by ravenhg (🔒)

It had been one week since Wei Wuxian’s life ended.

One week since his love, his life, his everything, had been ambushed by remnants of Jin Guangyao and Su She’s followers.

Wei Wuxian really should have known better.

“What will you do, gongzi?” Wen Ning asked quietly.

Wei Wuxian smiled, his eyes burning like coals.

_____________________

Or:

After the death of the most important person in their lives, Wei Wuxian and Lan Qiren choose to return to the past to prevent everything. This changes things.

In the End, by Sciatic_Nerd

What if, when Jiang Cheng felt he was forced to choose between protecting his beloved older sister or his loyal brother he remembered that Wei Wuxian always found the worst trouble and he never, ever remembered to guard his back.

Or, what if Jin Guangshan never managed to tear the Twin Heroes of Yunmeng apart.

Explicit:

The "Patriarch" Was Supposed to be Ironic (or, Wei Wuxian, Chief Cultivator), by groignequi

Wei Wuxian makes a wish he didn't intend; Lan Wangji creates a path forward.

___

The form flickers, letting curls of smoke form something like a smile, and responds, “What is it you want, patriarch?”

And Wei Wuxian, incautious at the wrong (the right) moment, says “A way to fix all of it.”

He hears the reply: “As you wish.”

He knows he’s made a mistake the second the form disperses, moving too fast and in too many directions to be called back and subdued.

___

Only a few hours later, in Koi Tower, a visiting handmaid finds her madam crying over rumors about her daughter’s marriage.

The Threads of Fate, by WaitForTheSnitch

“What would you do if you could have him back?” Nie Huaisang asked him, a bit too seriously as he leaned forward.

“There is no way for a dead cultivator to return,” Jiang Cheng scoffed, not even willing to entertain the thought.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Nie Huaisang shrugged, “Even if he came back, that wouldn’t do much to help, would it? Your sister is still gone. His reputation still damaged.”

“Stop speaking in riddles,” Jiang Wanyin growled, “What did you come here for, Nie Huaisang?”

“I asked you what you would do for your brother back,” Nie Huaisang started, “I would do anything to have mine back, Jiang Wanyin. And I’m here to offer you that same choice. Because our brothers’ deaths never should have happened. They happened because of schemes and plots. They happened because of lies and deception. Your brother was made to be a villain and was led to his death because he was too powerful. Mine was murdered because he stood in the way of Jin Guangshan.”

There's nothing Jiang Cheng wouldn't do to have his siblings back. And when Nie Huaisang comes to him with a proposal to save them by changing everything, he doesn't even hesitate to agree.

Only with Time, by adrian_kres

Thirteen years ago, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were arranged to be married as is tradition. Throughout their thirteen-year-long "courtship," things were not always as they seemed. Now, newly married, old secrets have ripped open wounds they thought were closed, and they must work together to rebuild a trust they never had and a love they always did but couldn't see.

Told from alternating points of view between LWJ and WWX with frequent flashbacks to memories of their "courtship".

The Second Hand Unwinds, by trulywicked (🔒)

Sent back in time without his husband after a night hunt gone wrong, Lan Wangji is determined to ensure that Wei Wuxian’s safety and in the process hopefully mitigate, if not prevent, the war.

Through marriage among other things.

Mature:

Army Dreamers, by Forever_Marie

Lan Wangji finds Wei Wuxian in the field with strangle marks and other horrible injuries after Lotus Pier falls.

He takes him back to Gusu.

(一日三秋) One day (seems like) three autumns, by SpicyRamen_10969

13 Years ago, Wei Ying disappeared.

13 years later, two teenage boys find a man collapsed and bleeding on the side of the road.

This is the story of how Wei Ying finds himself going from homeless to living with his childhood best friend, Lan Wangji, and finally getting the help and love he needs and deserves.

(Un)Hidden truth, by Sarah_R

After watching his husband; his son; nephew; brother and little radishes dying in front of him one by one because of a source of resentful energy; Wei WuXian dies too as he destroys it.

But instead of darkness; he finds himself back in the past when he had just gotten kicked out of the cloud recess and everything looks so peaceful he can’t stand it. No…no no no he really can’t go through this hell again. Not again. Not after everything was supposed to be over.

Not knowing that Lan WangJi has been thrown back in time as well; he tries; and fails at taking his own life by slitting his throat open in the middle of lotus pier and so; he decides to show everyone the future.

If he’s going to live this hell again; he’s going to change it and if these people are suddenly so determined to keep him alive; then he’s not going to let them die either.

It doesn’t matter if they end up hating him just as much as he hates himself.

(Or; another time travel fix-it which happens to be a watching the show fic as well! With our favorite baby boy and his husband; all their ducklings and their very much alive family and friends from the past.)

[ao3feed-xicheng]

If Lost Pray That The Missing Lotuses Shall Float Down The River For You

by Shy_Fanfic_Writer Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan's marriage was not a loving one, no matter how much they tried to make it appear amicable. In fact, if you saw the two interact, you would swear they were mortal enemies. Despite their differences however, Yu Ziyuan had hoped that her husband would, at the very least, try to put some effort into loving their children as his own, even if he didn't love her. That hope was unfortunately squashed when her husband brought home a dirt covered brat, who he held with a care that he had never shown to his own son or daughter. Outraged at her husband's boldness to treat someone else's son better than his own children, within his own home to boot, Yu Ziyuan takes a page from her husband's book, and goes out on her own to bring home the son of someone else. As a result, their already deteriorating marriage becomes even worse. Their anger and hatred towards each other becomes so strong that it begins to affect not only the people within Lotus Pier, but also their relationship with their two biological children.... [The entire summary is in notes. I couldn't fit the whole thing in here but please still check it out :')] Words: 16231, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Family (Modao Zushi), Yunmeng Jiang Disciples (Modao Zushi), Yu Ziyuan, Yu Ziyuan's Mother | Sect Leader Yu, Meishan Yu Disciples (Modao Zushi), Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Original Characters, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Lan Qiren, Sect Leader Nie (Modao Zushi), Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang, Wen Ruohan, Wen Zhuliu, Jin Guangshan, Madam Jin (Modao Zushi), Baoshan Sanren Relationships: Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Jiang Yanli & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Yanli & Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Jiang Fengmian & Jiang Yanli & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian & Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Fengmian/Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan, Jiang Yanli & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Wen Ruohan, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Jiang Fengmian, Baoshan Sanren & Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Jiang Yanli, baoshan sanren & jiang yanli, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Wen Ruohan Additional Tags: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Bad Parent Yu Ziyuan, Bad Parent Jiang Fengmian, Bad Parents Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Fengmian Bashing, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin-centric, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Jiang Yanli, Good Sibling Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, BAMF Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, BAMF Jiang Yanli, Jiang Yanli-centric, Yu Ziyuan-centric, Abusive Yu Ziyuan, Abusive Jiang Fengmian, Torture, Warning: Wen Ruohan, Pre-War, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Wishes, Fate, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pre-Relationship, romance doesnt show up for a long ass time, this starts off Yu Ziyuan centric but will be jc and jy centric later on, shithead jfm gets no chapter long POV, Child Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Codependency, Separation Anxiety, Unhealthy Relationships, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Soft Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin via https://ift.tt/TQGI9VU

[miixz]

I was rereading some scenes from the novel to check something for my fics and here's something cute I noticed. Wei Wuxian uses the concept of "girls" flirting with Lan Wangji multiple to justify his thoughts on him. Whenever he's negative towards him, Wei Wuxian's thoughts will go to "a girl flirting with you wouldn't like this behaviour" not once thinking that the situation would be different for Lan Wangji then, meaning the girl in question fits into the same place as Wei Wuxian is right now and these interactions are equal.

When he was still in Yunmeng, there were a lot of girls who envied that he could come and study with Lan WangJi. They said that each generation was full of nice-looking men, especially the brothers part of the Two Jades in the current generation. Before this, Wei WuXian never had the chance to carefully examine the front of his face. Now that he had a look at it, he started to think random thoughts, He looks quite nice indeed. Yet, if only those girls could come and see him with their own eyes. Looking as bitter as if everyone had offended him or his parents died, it wouldn’t matter no matter how nice his face looks.

Ah yes, girls would be very upset that Lan Wangji isn't smiling at them, this is obviously not a feeling Wei Wuxian is having right now.

As he showed off and flirted on the side, Lan WangJi was staring straight ahead, appearing quite virtuous. Wei WuXian smugly tossed the toquat in his hand, and suddenly pointed at him, “Sisters, do you think that he looks handsome?” Lan WangJi didn’t expect Wei WuXian to suddenly talk about him at all. Just as he was unsure of how to respond, the women on the river spoke in harmony, “Even more handsome!” Amid this, there seemed to be the laughter of a few men.

Even while flirting with girls himself Wei Wuxian has to stop and point out how handsome Lan Wangji is.

Lan WangJi, “No.” Wei WuXian, “Don’t answer everything with negative words. You sound so uncaring; girls won’t like it."

He was talking about how they could meet pretty girls in this scene, but it's clear that he's the one displeased that Lan Wangji is rejecting him.

It's such a small thing, I don't think he's aware of it, but it's pretty cute how obvious his crush is to the reader. The cloud recesses study arc is so adorable to read.

[wangxianslillotus]

Au where Wei WuXian doesn't go to Nightless city after Wen Qing, Wen Ning and the remaining Wens. Instead he runs away with A-Yuan and the granny. They stay hidden for years in a humble house in between a forest and a river at the border of Qinghe Nie and LanLing, away from Yiling.

Wei Ying tries to stay away from the towns after hearing about the burial mounds being attacked, of course that there would be those who search for the stigean seal, "That Yiling laozu, he disappeared in the night! Who knows when he's going to appear again to cause more trouble!!" He hears, "He's preparing to take revenge, he hasn't learned from the last time!!" . But he doesn't want revenge, he just wants to raise A-Yuan. After that, he knows that he has to hide, and ends up avoiding all contact and interactions with the world, but he remains doing his research in demonic cultivation, enough to train and develope new things that they will need for protection, but never enough for it to attract any attention.

Granny passes away after taking care of her boys, and when they find themselves in the winter out of provisions such as food and others, Wei WuXian makes his trip to the market for the first time in almost seven years. He wears a disguise, but he can never be completely sure that they are safe. Of course, he takes his son along, because he can't leave him alone. He's never sure.

A-Yuan has come with granny before, he knows the people in town, and they pretty much adore him just as the people loved Wei WuXian at the old pier market. Wei WuXian watches him and lets him lead the little trip to town with a bright smile. They buy the necessary things for a couple of cold months, and go back home at night. But as they are leaving, they catch a glimpse of gold robes in one of the streets. Wei WuXian drags A-Yuan to a dark alley to hide, until the cultivators of LanLing pass by without noticing them. After that, they don't go to the town anymore for a while.

A-Yuan doesn't ask, he never does, he respects that his father has a very mysterious past that he wants to hide, to forget if possible, and that if something happens, he will have to run away with the stigean seal. He knows that, but being aware of the pain that crosses his father's eyes is hard. But he doesn't ask even when Wei WuXian starts to train him to be a cultivator, not just for fun anymore.

He developed a golden core very young, but never used it for anything more than some night hunts at the near forest and protection. Now, they are preparing just in case those golden robed people got closer, he knows that much.

He practices archery, calligraphy too ("A-Yuan, even if dad can't write like he draws, you should do it properly. Maybe I can't make it look good, but I know how it should look.") and his father lends him his sword from time to time, for him to learn how to transfer energy on the blade, how to fly, and how to retrieve it if he sent it flying for attack. Suibian accepts him, almost knowing that he's his owner's son. Wei WuXian teaches him everything he knows about cultivation, that is not little knowledge, on the contrary, Wei Yuan ends up learning so many things, even about different sects. His father teaches him about the Lan Sect and Jiang Sect more than any others, he hears about a big library where he used to copy 3000 rules from the Lan Sect, watched closely by the most gracious man that his father has ever seen. Wei Yuan learns that his father often thinks about this Lan man, when the moon rises fully in the night sky, drinking some alcohol if they can allow it.

He learns enough demonic cultivation too, enough to prevent accidents from happening, enough not to panic, and enough to suppress the stigean seal if needed. Of course, he can't do that alone, it's only to help his father. "Never use it, A-Yuan, you know how if feels now, so you can identify it, but never use it. You can think of better ways."

He learns about talismans, more than any other Sect may even know that exist, his father is proud of that. And he is too. His father knows so many things that A-Yuan is enchanted with everything he learns. He is a good boy.

......

When A-yuan is close to become 13, Wei WuXian goes back to the town and orders a sword for him, one similar to suibian in terms of speed and weight, but black. It was going to be ready in a month and a half, the shopkeeper said. And it was going to be expensive. But it was worth it, Wei Ying knew, anything for his little boy. Besides, winter didn't had many hunting opportunities, it was a good timing.

When the time passed, Wei WuXian took A-Yuan with him to the town. They sold some talismans during the day, bought food and some warmer clothes that would be useful since there was starting to snow already in the forest, and then, they stopped by the smithy. Wei WuXian gave his son an excited smile.

When A-Yuan received the sword, he was more than happy. He was jumping like he was five again, hugging his father like he would never let go, so happy that he cried a little. Wei WuXian laughed at him for that, but he was equally happy just by watching his son. He knew it was worth it.

On the following days, Wei WuXian trained him with his sword. He couldn't use Suibian properly since he couldn't transfer it any energy, and using resentful energy didn't work at all on the blade (he had tried, it didn't went well.) But he could use it as a normal sword, and he was good at it. Better than the good ones. They sparred until his father said it was good enough to go for a nighthunt in the following days.

Little did they know that they would split, running from a Yao that had really long claws, just as large as Suibian, and creept at fast speed. It was a dangerous one, climbing the trees and jumping at them from above. The beast followed A-Yuan at first, be could hear it growling right behind him. The boy ran away at his father's order, and the beast got distracted after a while thanks to his father's music. A-Yuan ran until stopping at the entrance of a cave, listening attentively to the dizi in the distance, just in case he heard another order from Wei WuXian.

The snow was freezing his feets, and he was already wet to the knee, some of his back too because he had rolled over avoiding the Yao's claws. The dizi went silent abruptly, but it wasn't always a bad thing. It probably meant his father had killed the beast using resentful energy. He waited for about ten minutes before deciding he would go back, but as he was about to go the way he came from, he heard steps behind.

Too close to avoid to be seen, too close to run away successfully. A-Yuan turned around, ready for a fight when he saw a boy his age, dressed in white, with a headband matching the could embroidery of his robes. A Lan. It was a Lan. They couldn't find his father.

Turns out, it was a friendly Lan, that gave him a look and then proceeded to explain that he was lost. "We were nighthunting, but I got lost following the tracks of a Yao." He had said. "Honestly, I fell into a pit when I was running away, and when I got out, it was gone. Have you seen it, perhaps?" But A-Yuan lied, said that he hadn't. That he was fighting a ghost. The ones that didn't let traces behind. At this, the Lan shivered, murmuring something about hating ghosts, and A-Yuan couldn't help it, he laughed hard. He was absolutely stressed from running, ten minutes more would probably help his limbs, he thought.

The Lan got flustered at his laugh, not used to such displays of emotions from others, but he ended up laughing too. They talked for an hour or so, until A-Yuan realized that his father must have been searching him like a madman. He apologized to the Lan boy, grabbed his sword, and run away in a hurry, leaving a very confused cultivator behind. When he arrived his home, it was almost sunrise already. Wei WuXian was waiting for him in front of the door. When he saw him appear, he run towards him and hugged him hard.

Again, A-Yuan didn't ask. He knew his father's pain without need of explanation. He hugged back, letting the bad feelings go at once. They slept side by side that night, like when A-Yuan was a toddler, holding all their memories together. Keeping them warm.

.......

A couple of months later, the spring came back, and A-Yuan was more than happy to help his father with the orchard. They played in the river too, hunted some pheasants and rabbits that started to reappear from their hibernation, and Wei WuXian allowed A-Yuan to go alone to the town. He knew it was a big thing, because his father thought of his petition for about a week before answering. He had to be careful, "there are really bad people out there, my radish." But if he could nighthunt, he could take some walks around the market and enjoy tasteful food once in a while, he thought.

In one of his expeditions to the town, he met that Lan boy again. "This one is called Lan JingYi, since you ran away last time I couldn't tell you that, but we spoke about good food, and you mentioned this inn." He said. And A-Yuan smiled. He didn't say his name, but it was enough that the owner of the inn saw him, invited them both to take a seat and eat, calling him "A-Yuan". He had to be aware from his last name.

Nonetheless, he shared with Lan JingYi a good meal, happy when his new friend complimented his good taste with food.

It was not the last time they met. Lan JingYi usually appeared at the town from time to time after sending him a letter to that inn, that the owner gave him when he arrived the town. He was happy to have a friend, so Wei WuXian allowed it. It was good that his son had a dependable friend. Even if it was dangerous, he thought that some meals and sporadic letters couldn't do any harm to anyone. As long as A-Yuan was happy, he would comply. He wanted his son to have everything.

Time passed by quickly, they knew. They sold more talismans at the market, nighthunted anything and everything that they could, shared stories about their days when they were apart, ate delicious foods at the inn sometimes, and trained. They trained a lot.

In was when they turned 15 that Lan JingYi gave A-Yuan an invitation to study at Cloud recesses.

And Wei WuXian had to decide new plans.

[plan-d-to-i]

LMAO, is still funny to me how stans (either of JC or Victim damsel in distress! WWX) always want to paint LWJ as an abusive or toxic guy for how he and WWX were kind on each other throats, as if WWX didn't purposely want to get on LWJ for the simple fun of it, or simply for being jealous as it was a sin, LWJ never tried to sabotage WWX's relationship either.

Wakie wakie! Is time for school, LWJ was literally what can he a bit of a tsundere on his youth, not a maniac stalker that people like so much to despict on him.

I don't know how people can misrepresent their relationship so badly. Their interactions in the Cloud Recesses arc are hilarious yet people try to portray one or the other as a bully (눈_눈). No one is a victim there. Except maybe LQR unwittingly matchmaking his nephew to his mortal enemy- JUST KIDDING! Bust seriously when WWX traps LWJ w his body so they both fall off the CR wall and break curfew and LWJ's brain short circuits? - pure comedy. WWX lives to needle LWJ.

He laughed so hard he risked toppling head first into the river. “Lan Zhan, you’re amazing! In all my time clearing out water ghosts, this is the first I’ve seen someone pull off a ghost’s clothes.”

Lan Wangji was busy checking Bichen’s blade for any changes, apparently having already decided to ignore all of Wei Wuxian’s attempts at conversation.

Jiang Cheng spoke. “You should shut your mouth. The thing that swam past us wasn’t a water ghost. It was nothing more than a set of clothes!”

Of course, Wei Wuxian had seen all this perfectly clearly. Only, if he didn’t needle Lan Wangji, his entire body would start feeling out of sorts. 

And in his second life LWJ acts to protect WWX from jiang cheng. Which WWX himself recognizes! Straight from WWX's head:

At first, he did those shameful, theatrical things in order to make Lan WangJi feel disgust and throw him out of the Cloud Recesses so that they wouldn’t meet each other again, going their separate ways. Lan WangJi wouldn’t have failed to see what his real attitude was. But even when this was the case… he still chose to keep him by his side, refusing to give Jiang Cheng the chance to approach and make things difficult for him. He answered all questions, granted all requests, indulged him and forgave him again and again. Even when faced with Wei WuXian’s myriad of almost cruel teasing, he was still able to hold himself from crossing the line.

[robininthelabyrinth]

I'm just picturing dragon!NHS in Gusu excited to be outside the Unclean Realm for the first time and curious about everything! And wondering how others react to meeting this extremely un-Nie-like Nie who is spoiled rotten by his family apparently but has never been allowed to go out before?

1

“How did you even manage to fail a class like that?” Nie Mingjue asked, honestly bemused. “You listen, you nod, you smile, you parrot back whatever you’re told – it’s practically your best skillset.”

Nie Huaisang giggled behind his fan. “Well, there were pop quizzes. You know how I get when there’s pressure, da-ge; my brain goes totally blank.”

“Your brain,” Nie Mingjue said, aiming for severe, “has never once gone so blank that you lose your ability to scam people.”

“Da-ge! I don’t scam people. I help them realize that our interests are more aligned than they previously suspected, that’s all.”

“We can fertilize three fields with the amount of bullshit that just came out of your mouth,” Nie Mingjue said. “Do I want to know?”

“Teacher Lan said that he’s extended invitations to all the other sect heirs for next year! I want to go again!”

“You could have just asked,” Nie Mingjue groaned “You didn’t have to deliberately fail!”

2

It took Nie Huaisang nearly a week to notice, and even then it was only because Wei Wuxian said it casually, as if it was nothing, his arm looped over Nie Huaisang’s shoulders.

“Why’d you stop moving?” he asked, blinking at him.

“You just said we’re friends,” Nie Huaisang said.

“…are we not?”

“No, no, I’m definitely friends with you, Wei-xiong,” Nie Huaisang said hastily. “But I wasn’t aware that you were friends with me. This is awesome.”

“We spend all our free time with you, whenever Wei Wuxian isn’t stuck copying lines in the Library Pavilion,” Jiang Cheng said with a huff, though his face was a little pink in what was probably second-hand embarrassment for Nie Huaisang. “What do you think we are if not friends?”

Nie Huaisang might not have the best grasp of social niceties, but he was still pretty sure that I thought you were just humoring me was definitely the wrong answer here.

“Moreover, as friends, there are certain things expected of you,” Wei Wuxian announced, breezing by the awkwardness in a way Nie Huaisang appreciated. “Sharing, for one. Tonight, my place – I bring the wine, Jiang Cheng brings the snacks, and you, Nie-xiong, bring the porn.”

“I can definitely do that!”

3

“I think that’s all the business we have today, Sect Leader,” Nie Mingjue’s uncle, and head of his advisory council, said. “Unless there’s something else you want to mention that we haven’t covered?”

“Nothing on your part,” Nie Mingjue said. “I did get a letter from Gusu regarding Huaisang.”

He pretended to ignore the way that some of the people on the council tensed.

“He appears to have gotten into a little bit of trouble,” he continued. “Apparently, one of his new friends shoved him into a river –”

Visions of an awkward adolescent dragon, still a touch rotund with baby fat, dripping both water and tears all over the place were very clearly dancing in everyone’s head.

“– and afterwards they all got drunk on wine that had been smuggled in from the outside.”

Judging by their expressions, the visions had shifted over into what a drunk dragon might be like.

“Teacher Lan has informed me that he has imposed the appropriate punishment –”

Full-on expressions of horror.

“– but also reports that Nie Huaisang accepted it without argument, so the matter is considered as entirely resolved.”

“You,” his uncle said pointedly, “are doing this on purpose.”

Nie Mingjue smirked.

4

“So let me make sure I understand this right,” Nie Mingjue said. His lips were pressed tightly together, an expression he was aware made him look as if he were fuming – but then, most of his expression resembled anger in some way, shape, or form. “You’re concerned that Huaisang is being bullied?”

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian both nodded.

“You believe this to be happening based on certain interactions that you believe you have observed since coming to visit my sect.”

Another nod.

“And instead of bringing this up to me, his older brother, guardian, and sect leader, you decided to take matters into your own hands.”

There were birds that did nothing but nod their heads, and Nie Mingjue was definitely seeing a distinct resemblance here.

“I see.”

“We’re just saying, it was a fully justified fight!” Wei Wuxian finally burst out, even though Jiang Cheng was still stepping on his foot, and he shook off the elbow that Jiang Cheng drove into his side, too. “They always had these looks on their faces, like they disapproved of us running around or wrestling or rough-housing, doing anything, and it’s not fair, you know, just because he likes books and painting and stuff doesn’t mean he’s any less worthy of your sect –”

“They like his painting,” Nie Mingjue interjected.

Wei Wuxian, who had been building up a full head of hot air, abruptly deflated. “What?”

“Everyone likes his paintings,” Nie Mingjue said. “There’s a sect party every quarter in which one of the main attractions is a riveting debate as to which ones are the best, and who was lucky enough to win them off of him. Most of his pocket money comes from the fans he sells –”

“Really? Not the – uh, never mind.”

“Nie Huaisang is still paying back the initial loans on his erotic art business, so no.” It was doing pretty decent things for the sect’s budget, though. “The expression I believe you’re detecting is surprise.”

“…surprise?”

“I’m not sure if you noticed, but Huaisang isn’t much given to things like running around, wrestling, or rough-housing,” Nie Mingjue said dryly. “Thus the surprise.”

Well, there was also a side order of ‘I can’t believe they’re doing that with a dragon’ involved, but that wasn’t their business.

“I appreciate your concern,” he added. “And your friendship with Huaisang. But next time, please just challenge them to a fight on the training floor instead of starting something in the hallway. It’ll avoid people tripping over you.”

Now they were both staring at him.

He raised his eyebrows at them in return.

“Your only complaint is that we were fighting in the wrong place?” Jiang Cheng squawked.

“Was there something else I should be complaining about?”

“Nope!” Wei Wuxian said, grabbing Jiang Cheng by the arm. “Thank you, sect leader! Bye, sect leader!”

5

“So there was a Xuanwu,” Nie Huaisang said. “A corrupted one.”

“I heard,” Nie Mingjue said. “I also heard that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji killed it.”

“Oh? Is that what you heard? I’m glad. Wouldn’t want those Wens getting all the credit, you know!”

“Mm.” Nie Mingjue waited until Nie Huaisang was breathing a sigh of relief to add, “I don’t believe it.”

Nie Huaisang wilted.

“I assume both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have now been read in on your portion of the sect’s secrets?”

Nie Huaisang nodded miserably. “I couldn’t help it. They were going with the Chord Assassination, but it wasn’t working – its skin was really thick – they might’ve gotten hurt, and you know Wei-xiong is one of my only friends –”

“Huaisang. It’s fine. We’ll deal with it, and anyway Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are both capable of being discreet when they need to be. I’m more curious as to what exactly did you do?”

“…ate it.”

“Huaisang! How many times do I have to tell you, you can’t keep putting dirty things in your mouth!”

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed - Episode 02

Warning: Spoilers for all 50 episodes!

(Masterpost ) (Previous Episode) (Next Episode)

Donkey Riding

way ho and away we go, donkey riding donkey riding way ho and away we go, riding on a donkey

Wei Wuxian and Apple are doing their best for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 

Xiao Zhan had trouble riding the donkey sitting side-saddle, so the Department of Questionable Practical Effects made him a fake leg to wear while riding regular style. 

Can you spot it? It’s very hard to spot. It is very convincing.

Simple Pleasures

Wei Wuxian takes his time wandering up the nearest mountain, and half of the cultivators in the land also wander up this mountain because...Night Hunting! The cultivators are hot and thirsty from walking because they forgot that they all know how to fly. 

Wei Wuxian relaxes by a well and listens to people stanning him. 

Also

I’m going to say it: Wei Wuxian never met a drinking vessel he couldn’t blow.

Everything is Beautiful at the Ballet

The actress who plays A-Yan is named Zhang Linran. She probably has studied dance since she was 4 and now she gets her big break which turns out to be feeding an apple to a donkey. So let’s pause for a second to look at how beautifully she moves.  

Reunions are Awkward, Part 1

Wei Wuxian meets up with one of his family members and it goes super well. 

I...like Jin Ling? He’s much less of a douchebag than his dad, his uncles Jin, Jiang, and Mo (the three stooges), and every damn one of his Jin cousins. He’s genuinely brave (his Dad’s primary good quality) and his hair is on fleek. He’s still a whiny diaper baby, but I like him. 

(much more after the cut!)

Then Jiang Cheng shows up, looking fine as hell and radiating peak arrogant-prick energy.

When he discovers that ‘Mo Xuanyu” stuck a piece of paper to Jin Ling, he tells the child to literally murder him. Excellent uncleing! A+++++ would recommend.  

“In fact, literally murder anyone who uses Yiling Laozu’s tools, like talismans, lure flags, or spirit compasses - basically murder everyone in the Lan Clan plus those other fanboys we saw coming up the hill. Then get out there and make some friends, goddamn it!”

These nets full of cultivators on this daytime night hunt are the only time we ever see anything in a net during a night hunt.  In fact dudes constantly go night hunting and the only prey we ever see is rock lady, murder turtle, and a couple of rag mops in the lake. 

You Are Not Qualified to Speak to Me

Also radiating arrogant-prick energy on this occasion is Lan Wangji. He has been using pettiness as a weapon since long before he met this Jiang Cheng turkey, and he *brings it* when Jiang Cheng tries to have a conversation with him.

Letting your eyes wander everywhere except to his punchable face while you ignore his passive-aggressive questions? Quality work. 

Dropping a silence spell on his child and then letting your own child explain it to him? Golden. 

Lan Wangji is never ever going to forgive Jiang Cheng for what he did on cliff day, and his silence here is as pointed as an ice pick. I suspect the last words Lan Wangji actually spoke to him were “Jiang Wanyin, stop it,” sixteen years ago. 

Jiang Cheng is actually the bigger person in this particular interaction, visibly mastering his temper and telling Jin Ling to take his medicine. 

Reflecting

Wei Wuxian hangs out by a beautiful river and hallucinates for a while. River Jiang Yanli is nurturing and River Jiang Cheng is pissed off, so there are no surprises there.  River Jiang Cheng thinks that Wei Wuxian is a promise-breaking douchebag. He’s not exactly wrong. 

Courtesy of convenient gossiping cultivators, Wei Wuxian discovers that the 16 year old arrogant kid from the Jin clan who his brother from the Jiang clan has custody of is actually and quite obviously Jin Rulan.

Well fuck I guess now I care about something, that’s inconvenient. 

Needing to help parent the child of the sister who parented him is what draws Wei Wuxian fully into his new life. 

As soon as he has this realization, Apple comes back from roaming around, and never gives him any trouble after this for the rest of the story. Which...probably doesn’t mean anything. 

Wen Gravesite

Does Wen Ning hang out here because it’s where he and his (dead) people came from? Oh great, now I am sad. 

Judging by all the leaves on this grave thingy I’m going to say that this grave tender dude is, ah, not very good at his job. 

Get him, Jingyi!

I feel like maybe we all focus too much on how Lan Jingyi is so hilarious and sardonic and not enough on how he is a such a biscuit. 

Soul Grass

As mentioned in the previous post, Chinese spiritual concepts don’t always translate well into English. Soul grass? Sure, why not. 

This is where Wei Wuxian’s Sherlock Holmes brain starts to work, although he still doesn’t remember really basic stuff about Dafan Mountain. Dying and changing bodies is rough on the old neurochemistry. This creates more opportunities for flashbacks, however, and if there’s one thing The Untamed deffo needs more of, it’s kissing flashbacks.

Temple Statue

Presumably grave-tender dude is also in charge of clearing away spiderwebs at the temple, because it’s not getting done. 

Jin Ling walks into the temple blaspheming at full volume. 

Since this isn’t a Greek story, he isn’t immediately struck blind for this. Then when he wishes for the statue to come alive, it obligingly does.  Everything’s coming up Rulan!

Wei Wuxian shows up to rescue all the kids by throwing talismans at the monster which does not tip anyone off to who he is. 

Baby Cultivator Babysitting

Lan Wangji chills out in the cultivators’ pavilion with Jiang Cheng and their mutual hate boners.

Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian forgets all about his nephew and turns into cool professor guy, explaining the basics of soul-eating to the baby cultivators and gleefully encouraging their fear of Hanguang-Jun’s punishments. 

Because the Lan babies are good filial children they are super respectful and engaged with this random adult who is lecturing them. They also - like their own Hanguang-Jun at their age - see and admire Wei Wuxian’s intellect. It’s easy to forget how extremely smart Wei Wuxian is, because of how extremely dumb Wei Wuxian is.

Lan Jingyi suddenly figures out Wei Wuxian is not crazy. 

Bis. Kit. 

Then Rock Lady shows up and Jin Ling sticks 6 arrows into her while Lans Jingyi and Sizhui stand around not bothering to draw their swords.

I see a lot of comments about the bad effects in the statue sequences but I think Rock Lady is all right. The figure animation is decent and the lighting is no worse on her than on everything else in the scene. Her hair is nice, for a rock person.

Admittedly I just finished watching Guardian which has CGI monsters so bad they may have injured my retinas and possibly also my DNA, so the bar, for me, is pretty low. Rock lady clears it with room to spare.   

Note: Wei Wuxian’s flute playing does zippity towards controlling the statue. Not sure what his plan was here.

Wen Ning Kicks Ass

Now we get to meet Wen Ning, who appears to be a stone-cold badass. Later we will discover how hilariously inaccurate that assessment is. 

While all versions of Wen Ning are delightful, this version of Wen Ning is also...strangely attractive? He’s got a Patti-Smith-Horses-Era vibe here, instead of his more usual lost-baby-dork vibe. And his dreamy “I have nails in my head” expression is intriguing. 

I mean, he’s not a total snack like zombie Song Lan or pre-zombie Song Lan or blind Song Lan or post-zombie Song Lan, but this look is a good one for Wen Ning, is what I’m saying.

Reunions are Awkward, Part 2

Lan Wangji, who has 99% already recognized Wei Wuxian because of the haunted sword and the fierce jawline and beautiful neck and tiny tiny waist, is summoned by his flute playing as inexorably as the Ghost General was. 

Jiang Cheng also recognizes Wei Wuxian and goes into full beatdown mode, thwarted (silently) by Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian attempts to preserve his incognito by sassing Jiang Cheng in as sibling-like a manner as possible. 

Hanguang-Jun’s Pro-Ghost Agenda Has Been Clear for Some Time

This Jiang/Lan fight is hilarious when you consider the implications.

Macroexpression vs. Microexpression

Mo Xuanyu brought Wei Wuxian back using sacrifice summons, a dark ritual invented by Wei Wuxian that he, most likely, did NOT show to Lan Wangji back in the day. So it’s a pretty safe bet that Lan Wangji doesn’t know that Wei Wuxian was gifted a body, rather than stealing one.

when your brother turns around, you must whip him you will never live it down unless you whip him

When Jiang Cheng lets loose with Zidian, it’s not just because he’s angry. He’s using purple power to force Wei Wuxian’s ghost out of the body he’s apparently possessed. And Lan Wangji instantly STOPS him from doing that.

Clan Leader Jiang: this person has been possessed, against their will, by an evil ghost

Future Chief Cultivator Lan: Counterpoint: I am banging the ghost

Flashback Time

Welcome to your 30-episode flashback!

Once I used to join in Every boy and girl was my friend Now there's revolution, but they don't know What they're fighting

Let us close our eyes Outside their lives go on much faster Oh, we won't give in We'll keep living in the past

Road Tripping to Summer School

Gosh I’m looking forward to younger, kinder, more relatable Jiang Cheng.

...prick. 

Incidentally, until now this episode didn’t know that Jiang Cheng has smile muscles, and neither did the person who glued his wig on for him.

I Like Rabbits

Here we have our first rabbit in a large collection of rabbit iconography that appears in The Untamed. 

Instead of sending everyone to the Wikipedia page for Tu'er Shen I’m going to take this opportunity to rec the short film Kiss of the Rabbit God by Andrew Thomas Huang (tw: blood, tw:body-mod cutting) which you can read about and watch over at  Nowness.com 

Particularly if you are a queer person of Chinese heritage, check it out. 

So. What the fuck are these? Are they food? 

Are they made from wax? Or corn starch? or pig intestines? 

Wei Wuxian runs off to get laid drunk and Jiang Cheng grumps about it. Jiang Yanli reminds him that being free is a Jiang Clan Rule, so really Wei Wuxian is following the rules by not following the rules. Does that mean he’s not free? My head hurts. 

Jiang Cheng: yes but grump grump grump

Jiang Yanli: Nothing bad will ever happen because of A-Xian’s choices, trust me

Outro

Wei Wuxian faint tally: one  Caught by: the cold hard ground

Soundtrack: 1. Donkey Riding by Great Big Sea 2. Living in the Past by Jethro Tull 3. Whip It by Devo

Fic prompt:  Lan Wangji’s internal monologue while he sits in the pavilion with Jiang Cheng 

If you write a fic from this prompt and want to share, please post a link in comments!

Bonus: Wang Zuocheng, macro-expression king

Episode 03 Restless Rewatch coming soon!

[giftwrappingpaper]

jiang yanli and lan wangji friendship agenda

summary: lan wangji visits lotus pier and drinks tea with jiang yanli.

jyl and lwj would've been good friends and it's a crime they barely interact w each other in canon. here's my application to the let jyl and lwj be friends club. takes place in a canon divergence of cql ep 24 where lwj visits yunmeng instead of lxc

written for the mxtx remix

-----

Jiang Yanli finds Lan Wangji at the entrance of Lotus Pier, shoulders straight and fist resting rigidly at the small of his back. A thin sheen of sweat coats his stoic face; it is the height of summer, and even Jiang Yanli, daughter of Yunmeng’s lotus rivers and humid breeze, shifts uncomfortably under the sun’s unforgiving heat.

“Lady Jiang,” he says, punctuating his greeting with a bow. “I apologize for arriving unannounced.”

Jiang Yanli remembers herself. They are not in Qishan anymore, war-weary and conversing over her comatose brother — they are in Yunmeng, and she is the lady of Lotus Pier. “There is no need for apologies, Hanguang-jun,” she says, bowing in return. “You are always welcome here. Please, come in.”

He follows her through the gates and into the central training field, where a group of recently recruited YunmengJiang disciples practice sword forms under Jiang Cheng’s critical sneer. He slaps at a disciple’s weak wrist and locked knees as Jiang Yanli and Lan Wangji traverse the bordering walkway to Lotus Pier’s main hall.

A servant brings them a pot of tea and makes to fill their cups, but Jiang Yanli shoos him off. A rather cruel drink to serve in this weather, but Lan Wangji doesn’t complain when it’s offered to him, so Jiang Yanli lets it be. “Sword Hall was one of the first rooms we rebuilt,” she tells him after they’re settled in their seats. “We deemed it forthcoming to prioritize the rooms used to entertain our esteemed guests.”

Lan Wangji’s eye’s flicker at the newly lacquered wood, the newly minted metalwork. “A show of hospitality to your patrons?” he assumes.

More like a show of strength. Most of the YunmengJiang Sect’s wealth was charred to insignificance, and the reparations they’d plundered after the Sunshot Campaign could only go so far. They could not afford to rebuild on their own, nor could they afford to reveal this weakness to visiting clans. Their status as a Great Sect hinges on their reputation as a sect that can overcome the destruction of their home and the massacre of their people. The first step in doing so: coddling powerful, prying, paying visitors with amenable lodgings and entertainment.

Jiang Cheng had wanted to rebuild their ancestral shrine first, to honor the newly coveted remains of their mother and father. Jiang Yanli had been the one to convince him otherwise.

“Hospitality,” she echoes, serving Lan Wangji a cup. “Hm. I suppose you can call it that.”

They drink their tea. As the minutes pass in silence she marvels at Lan Wangji’s patience, for she is no fool — Lan Wangji hadn’t made the journey to Yunmeng to drink tea with her.

“I believe A-Xian left this morning,” she informs him. Lan Wangji’s already prim posture stiffens at the mention of Wei Wuxian, and she smiles.

He stares at his cup. After a beat he glances up and says, “I did not come bearing ill intentions.”

“I didn’t think you did. You came to play for him again, yes?” She can still hear the echoing twang of his guqin, perfectly measured chords plucked by slender fingers. It had calmed her heartbeat and brought color to Wei Wuxian’s pale pallor. It had been sweet. It had been lovely.

It had helped. Maybe it will help again. Wei Wuxian more often than not returns home haunted-eyed and smelling of liquor.

“I did, yes. Where may I find him?”

“In town, most likely.” She hesitates, then recalls the tenderness in Lan Wangji’s music and face as he played Wei Wuxian a song of cleansing. “Beyond his usual duties, A-Xian hasn’t been spending much time in Lotus Pier.”

Concern pinches Lan Wangji’s brow. “Why is that?”

They had been steadfast in recreating the Lotus Pier they grew up in — an exact replica of the halls Jiang Yanli spent her childhood walking through. In that they succeeded, down to the lotus flowers listing across the courtyard ponds. But the wood is too new, the metalwork too untarnished. Only recently did Jiang Yanli realize what was missing from her usual nightly routine: it was the wayward splinter she’d pluck from her robes before going to bed, pricked from the scuffed flooring worn down by generations of footsteps.

No attempt at rebuilding can truly hide the scorched earth the QishanWen Sect left behind. No freshly dug up lotus pond can make Jiang Yanli forget that the room she and Lan Wangji are drinking tea in is strides away from the spot her parents were killed.

Jiang Yanli traces the rim of her cup with her thumb. “Lotus Pier has been rebuilt, but it is not the same,” she says, her eyes focused on Lan Wangji’s shoulder. “A-Xian is not used to it.” None of them are.

“I see,” Lan Wangji says. He rests his hands together. “Moving forward is no easy task.”

Moving forward. They share a look, and she is reminded that the Cloud Recesses had been burned to the ground, too.

“We all have our hardships. But it has been especially hard for A-Xian. He hasn’t told me, but I think he may feel…” she struggles to find the words. “He may feel a sense of responsibility for what had happened. Like it was his fault. Which is — “

“Ridiculous,” they say in tandem. A beat of silence before comprehension sets. Jiang Yanli giggles into her sleeve, and the corners of Lan Wangji’s lips twitch in what can almost be taken as the beginning of a grin.

“Yes, ridiculous.” She lifts her hand down, still smiling. “And while I trust him when he says he has it under control, the demonic cultivation he’s been so fond of as of late is a concern. So I’m glad you’re here.”

His eyes soften at her approval. Who was it that spread the rumors of this man’s aloofness? Lan Wangji was as open a book as Jiang Yanli’s brothers. “I have learned several new pieces of music since Qishan. They may help with lifting spirits and facilitating a clean mind.”

“That’s good to hear.” Her smile turns teasing. “Though I’m sure seeing you is more than enough to help lift A-Xian’s spirits. But perhaps not with the clean mind.”

Lan Wangji’s ears heat into a dusty pink. Jiang Yanli laughs again, not bothering this time to hide behind her sleeve. Oh, these boys.

How long has it been since she had the time to sit down like this? It had to have been before the Sunshot Campaign. Enough time to render this scene unfamiliar: an afternoon enjoying the company of another. Jiang Yanli is the daughter of the YunmengJiang Sect, the older sister of Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, and content with the life she’s chosen. Yet even before the loss and the war and the terrible, unyielding hope, she had long forgotten what it was like stealing an hour for herself.

But enough selfishness; she has already taken enough of his time. “We may go to him now, if you’d like,” she offers, and the way Lan Wangji perks up at the prospect of seeing Wei Wuxian makes her lighten with fondness. “I’m unsure of his exact location, but I do know some of his favorite haunts intown.”

He opens his mouth. Stops. “When will he return?” he asks instead of the eager affirmation Jiang Yanli had expected.

“It shouldn’t be long. Contrary to what he wants us to believe, our A-Xian is a responsible shixiong.”

Lan Wangji nods. “Then I shall wait for him here.”

Jiang Cheng’s barked orders leak through the walls. Had she misheard? But Lan Wangji doesn’t elaborate, and all Jiang Yanli can do is blink and ask, “Are you sure?”

He gestures to their tea pot, still half full. “If you would allow it,” he offers, and there is a trepidation in his voice that makes her realize that ah, this is new for him, too, “I would like to continue enjoying our tea.”

The porcelain of Jiang Yanli’s cup soothes the tea’s residual heat against her curved palms. Warmth of a different sort sails through her veins and nestles near the space in her heart that harbors the love she holds for her brothers. Not there exactly. Not yet. But perhaps one day it can be.

“Yes,” Jiang Yanli says, and reaches forward to pour them both another drink. “I would like that, too.”

----

also posted on ao3

promo post on twitter

fic commissions

[hunxi-guilai]

Hello! I love your cql meta! I don't know if you've talked about this before but could you break down the scene from Cloud Recesses when wwx angers Lan Qiren to the point of throwing stuff? I think that was a cool foreshadowing about wwx's later cultivation but you know how tragic the translations are, I can barely understand what they are saying!

hi there! I’ve referenced this moment in a few metas, but I haven’t talked about it in particular!

it is absolutely foreshadowing for Wei Wuxian’s, ah, unique cultivation; this scene delivers a lot of worldbuilding at a breakneck pace in terms of what cultivation is for and how it works (I remember replaying this scene line by line the first time through just trying to read the Chinese subs fast enough). Lan Wangji’s recitation of liberation (release the spirit from the mortal realm by helping it fulfill its dying wish), suppression (containing the spirit), and elimination (destroying the spirit) gives us an idea of properly sanctioned ways cultivators usually utilize in order to deal with resentful ghosts and spirits, and lays the groundwork for why Wei Wuxian’s alternative cultivation is so reviled in later episodes. 

There are better posts circulating out there about exactly why Wei Wuxian’s demonic/monstrous/deceptive/heretical cultivation is so taboo, but the tl;dr of it is 1) resentful energy is a volatile substance, and can accelerate corruption of own’s humanity, 2) anything violating the sanctity and peaceful rest of the dead is like, mega yikes in the context of Han Chinese culture. So when Wei Wuxian suggests digging up the graves of the hundred victims of the executioner and collecting their skulls? It’s many levels of holy shit that’s not okay my dude, especially considering the social mores around intact bodies and filiality. The idea that you would disturb the rest of the dead to stir up resentment and channel their resentful energy for your convenience? Immoral, heretical, blasphemous, despicable -- it’s honestly not surprising that Lan Qiren chucks a scroll at him.

although I gotta say... just looking at Lan Qiren’s face in this moment, he is DEFINITELY having flashbacks to when Cangse-sanren was in school. like mother, like son indeed

That being said, Wei Wuxian makes an excellent argument for why it might be worth studying the possible use and utilization of resentful energy, which I talk about a bit more in this post. I’ve always been intrigued at his bold analogy of 大禹治水 Da Yu taming the floods -- Yu is one of the sage-emperors of pre-historic China, and often one of the names you might see in context with Yao, Shun, and other vaguely mythical figures of upright moral standing and supernatural accomplishment. Da Yu is the primary figure involved with ancient China’s counterpart of the flood myth; his father, Gun, tried and failed to solve the problem of flooding by damming up the waters (the 塞 se Wei Wuxian references in the line 塞为下策 seweixiace，疏为上策 shuweishangce / damming is the lesser strategy; dispersing the better strategy). Da Yu is credited, essentially, with inventing irrigation that helped mitigate the yearly damage caused by the regular flooding of the Yellow River.

For Wei Wuxian to call on Da Yu in his argument here showcases his ability to think critically outside the textbook, and this whole interaction handily foreshadows his single-handed innovation of his alternative cultivation path -- he borrows easily from past exemplars (Da Yu taming the floods, Gusu Lan’s musical cultivation) in training himself, and is quite willing to challenge authority (whether it’s Lan Qiren in the classroom, or the Jin Sect at the Hundred Flowers Banquet). Wei Wuxian, time and time again, declares that he’ll be the precedent, which is often taken as an announcement of arrogance, of overweening confidence, but in reality is just who Wei Wuxian is as a person -- someone who asks the questions that push against the boundaries of taboo, who braves the risks in the name of progress and discovery.

Which makes Lan Wangji’s role in this scene all the more interesting, because while this scene sets up Wei Wuxian’s character and foreshadows his arc, it’s also one of the earliest substantial scenes we see with Lan Wangji (and definitely his longest set of lines during Cloud Recesses summer school, if not his entire show). 

Lan Wangji is given the role as the voice of orthodoxy -- he delivers the textbook-perfect answer that Lan Qiren is looking for, and is duly praised for it. Lan Qiren then kind of 落井下石 goes after Wei Wuxian a little more than the moment is really calling for, and when Wei Wuxian brings up his doubts, questioning the effectiveness of ‘liberation,’ it’s not Lan Qiren who responds, but Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji, at this point in the scene, could have absolutely sat back down, opted out of further engagement, folded his hands neatly in his lap, and watched the scene play out, but no. Instead, Lan Wangji remains standing, such that the three major players in this scene are still Lan Qiren, Lan Wangji, and Wei Wuxian.

This three-way dynamic of power and approval, orthodoxy and acceptability, is one that will come to define Lan Wangji’s character development in the future.

But since this is early in the show, Lan Wangji sides with orthodoxy and Lan Qiren -- Lan Wangji sides so strongly, in fact, that he beats Lan Qiren, the presiding teacher, when it comes to speed in responding to Wei Wuxian (one gets the feeling that their moonlit sword fight is an unfinished argument Lan Wangji is willing to continue in an alternate medium).

I... can’t quite parse Lan Wangji’s emotions as he listens to the rest of the argument between Wei Wuxian and Lan Qiren unfold -- is he silent, genuinely considering the possible merits of Wei Wuxian’s unusual thoughts? Or is he shocked and appalled that anyone would dare to speak back to his uncle in this manner? Is he haughty and dismissive, looking down at this challenger for his usual position as the primary interlocutor for Lan Qiren? Is he quietly stunned, having never considered the possibility of questioning authority and tradition?

A little bit of all of them?

(listen. this entire scene. the way Lan Qiren calls upon Lan Wangji to answer and heaps lavish praise upon him and his character before the entire class. is giving me. a lot of feelings. about how lonely and isolated Lan Wangji must have been. if this is how Lan Qiren normally acts. you don’t make friends with other kids your age. if you’ve been elevated so far beyond their level. because the teacher is your uncle and favors you so blatantly. and it’s not Lan Wangji’s fault. that he isn’t given a chance. to be a human before being an image of perfection. okay I’m getting distracted)

Well, we know the story from here -- Lan Wangji goes to retrieve Wei Wuxian, who’s larked off to the waterfall on the back mountain instead of the library, where he’s supposed to be copying lines. They fight -- they argue -- they kiss and make up spend a lot of bonding time in the library, and innocent volumes of pornography are harmed in the making of this relationship -- but this scene is one of wangxian’s many beginnings. It functions as worldbuilding for cultivation, foreshadows for Wei Wuxian’s future path, and forms the starting point for Lan Wangji’s journey in questioning the rules and principles that have been carved into him from childhood, a journey that will eventually land him on his knees before his uncle, siding with the boy who spoke back that bygone summer afternoon instead of against him.

[i-put-the-bi-in-suibian]

I only entered the fanfom in April and I spent a lot of time working on my original novel so I published less fics than I’d like to, but I’m sure there’s more in the future.

Big thanks to everyone who read and shared my fics and who interacted with me this year. I still feel new in this fandom but I really like it here  ❤️

Close to the Truth 

Fandoms:陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)

,魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù

Language: English Words: 14,565 Rating: Mature

Summary:  Wei Wuxian expected to get some response to his ad around Christmas. He didn't expect the one who wants him to be their fake boyfriend to be someone like Lan Wangji. Beautiful and kind, even though a little cold, Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji with his wonderful family. Lan Wangji, who turns out to be exactly the kind of partner Wei Wuxian never dared to wish for. There are ugly sweaters, ice skating, hot chocolate and Christmas presents. There are lies so close to the truth they almost feel true. There's also heartbreak. And then Wei Wuxian needs Lan Wangji to return the favor.

Same River, New Me

Fandoms:陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù  

Language: English Words: 7,631 Rating: Mature

Summary:  Wei Ying was at the top. He hit the rock bottom losing his family on the way. He fought hard to get his life together. Now he's getting a chance to get his son back. He'll have to face his past (and his ex-husband) to get a chance in a new future. Aka ex-rockstar Wei Ying taking care of 5yo A-Yuan and hopelessly pining after Lan Zhan

Restraint and Realization

Fandoms:魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)  TagsSummary

Language: English Words: 12,461 Rating: Explicit

Summary:  As an omega from a prominent clan, Wei Wuxian expected his marriage to be arranged for him, but he naively hoped his family would choose for him an alpha he could learn to love. When he hears he's promised to Lan Wangji, he's sure the straight-laced alpha could never tolerate such a disobedient omega as him. Maybe the arrangement is a punishment for both of them. Fortunately, Wei Wuxian has a plan to get out of it. He's going to break every single rule of Gusu Lan clan. It comes as a huge surprise when Lan Wangji doesn't immediately send him back home. The alpha is an enigma. If only Wei Wuxian could read his smell.

The Painter of Past Lives 

Fandoms:陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù  

Language: English Words: 6,386 Rating: Teen and up

Summary: Wei Wuxian has been painting the pictures of another world for years. He doesn't know where the ideas come from, doesn't know the story they tell. What he knows is that the character of Hanguang-Jun that he keeps painting is important, not just for the world, but for him personally.

His life is about to change when he opens his door and meets a man with the face he painted so many times.

[isabilightwood]

The Problem With Authority - Chapter 7

Or, Sacrifice Summon! Jiang Yanli is here to make things right, be the ultimate big sister (step 1: bring back her dead brother), and maybe steal the Peacock throne in the process

[AO3][1][2][3][4][5][6]

Awareness rushed in with a crack like lightning. With it came pain, but not as much as Wei Wuxian would have expected from exploding into a pulp of blood and guts.

The ground beneath him felt solid. Cool and rough like poorly sanded wood, nothing like the smooth, burning volcanic stone that should have bordered the river of lava, should he have been unlucky enough to neither fall in nor die on impact.

Wei Wuxian was still, it seemed, in possession of arms. Because those were what hurt — and only those. That, and a bit of a crick in his neck from lying face down on a hard surface, and a possible splinter in his cheek.

He inhaled the scent of dried blood with every breath, and still, only his forearms burned.

Dust from the floor made his nose itch.

Fuck. He was alive. And definitely not at the bottom of a cliff.

He could only conclude that he had been resurrected. A few feet away he would find the names of whoever someone had decided to give up their very soul to destroy.

What if he just… didn’t? Wei Wuxian hadn’t agreed to this. He hadn’t wanted to be brought back. He’d only wanted the two people left in the world he cared about to live, without him around to get in the way.

He lay there longer than necessary, contemplating it. But in his heart, he always knew he would get up. Besides, he felt… not great, honestly. But more alive than he’d felt in a while. Like his soul had taken a nice sabbatical.

Like he’d come out of an extended, impossibly peaceful meditation. Similar to that used to cultivate to immortality, but for the dead. And landed in a body only slightly less full of resentful energy than the one he’d vacated.

Wei Wuxian pushed against the floor, raising his head. Someone gasped.

As he raised himself into a seating position, he swept the curtain of hair away from his eyes, and laid eyes on a stranger. A short young woman, draped in Jin gold and muted pink, both hands pressed over her mouth. A sword lay on the ground next to her, almost like she’d dropped it.

But cultivators never dropped their swords.

“A-Xian!” The woman breathed.

That couldn’t be good. Only Shijie had ever called him that. Did the Yiling Patriarch still have obsessive followers even after he so publicly self-destructed? Or worse, had the Jin decided to use him for their own purposes.

Wei Wuxian had only just been resurrected, and he was already in trouble.

Unfortunately, wherever he’d been must have been peaceful, because Wei Wuxian was feeling a lot less self-destructive, compared to the last thing he remembered:

Lan Zhan, still trying to save him, though he was already dead long before destroying the Stygian Tiger Amulet sealed the deal. Jiang Cheng, finally done with him, but missing his swing, and nearly killing Lan Zhan as well. Wei Wuxian had been happy to fall.

Yet now he felt more alive than he had in years.

Which meant that whatever this was, he had to deal with it. Ugh.  “Who are you?”

“Oh, right. You won’t recognize me like this.” She hurried to the wall behind her, and picked up a tureen. Wei Wuxian maneuvered himself into a sitting position as she did so, readying himself to run, once his legs felt strong enough.

And once he figured out who this woman and who the poor sap had killed himself for revenge expected the great and terrible Yiling Patriarch to kill.

She set it down on the edge of the array, and lifted the lid.

Only one thing in the world smelled like that. Just the smell was enough to bring tears to his eyes. His world shifted on its axis. “Shijie?”

She nodded, blinking rapidly.

He launched himself forward out of the array, and into her arms. “I’m sorry.” He sobbed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Xianxian, no. I’m here.” She said, but she was crying too.

They fell to the ground together, and, because neither Wei Wuxian nor Jiang Yanli had ever been ashamed of crying, stayed that way for a long time. He stroked her hair and clung like he was nine years old again, and she was the first person he could remember tucking him in at night. The one he ran to when he didn’t understand why Madame Yu hated him so much. But now, she clung back just as fiercely.

He couldn’t believe she was here. Who would ever have summoned sweet, caring Jiang Yanli to take revenge? Few people knew how strong she was in spirit. And the body she was wearing remained entirely unfamiliar. Smaller, but more solid in his arms than Shijie had ever been.

Eventually, she pulled away, just far enough to ladle out a bowl of soup and press it into his hands. She watched him like a hawk until he’d eaten half the bowl, though he was still more than a little choked up.

When she was satisfied he wasn’t going to wither and starve to death in the next five minutes, she said, “There’s something else you should know. Your Lan Wangji —”

“He’s not mine.” No matter how much he wished it. Wei Wuxian had only ever cast his shadow on Lan Zhan’s light. He couldn’t let himself do that to him again.

“You should let him decide that for himself, but that wasn’t the point.” Shijie rolled her eyes as she patted his hand. She even took away his bowl and set it on the ground, which went to show that this was serious. Shijie would never take away soup without good reason. “He saved your A-Yuan. Lan Yuan, courtesy Sizhui now. ”

“Sizhui? Lan Zhan — me?” Lan Zhan couldn’t really have named his A-Yuan Sizhui, could he? That was — Wei Wuxian had been the one yearning, longing for someone out of reach. After Wei Wuxian’s first stint in the Burial Mounds, he never could have been worthy of Lan Zhan, of what they could have meant to each other. Lan Zhan, well meaning, had persisted in trying to help him. But he hadn’t thought Lan Zhan would still — not after all he’d done.

“A-Xian.” Shijie wiped her thumbs under his eyes, and he realized he’d begun crying again. “Those of us who know you for who you are, and not the masks you show the world, cannot help but love you.”

Lan Zhan was — Lan Zhan —

Wei Wuxian could not drag him into this, whatever revenge he was expected take. But maybe, someday —

“Anything else I should know while I’m out of tears?” He asked, when his eyes were swollen and puffy and finally dry.

She told him about the Wen siblings, and he wasn’t out of tears after all. At least Shijie had always been a sympathetic crier, so at least he wasn’t alone in his weeping.

After their tears finally died away, and Shijie had plucked a pair of his drying talismans from her sleeve, she refilled his soup. Wei Wuxian really was out of tears this time, or he might have started off again.

Only then did he remember to clarify what, exactly, was going on. Now that Shijie had told him all the important things. That he hadn’t gotten everyone he ever loved killed or condemned to a life of misery, after all.

“How did you manage this?” He asked around a mouthful off heavenly pork. “Whose body is this, I mean? And yours?”

Wei Wuxian listened with increasing horror as Jiang Yanli told the story of waking up in the body of the new Madame Jin, all the way through to the array he’d woken up in. His curiosity was sparked by the implications of what Qin Su had done — closer to what he’d been trying to accomplish with the arrays than anything he’d been able to achieve.

And she’d done it entirely by accident, with consequences they had yet to fully understand. All of which seemed to rest on Qin Su’s shoulders, with no signs that Shijie was anything but firmly anchored in her body. It bore further investigation anyways.

Though for the moment, another concern was more pressing.

“Xue Yang?” Shijie had gone near Xue Yang to bring him back? That twisted, murdering bastard without even a sense of scale to temper his depravity. And she’d done it for him. He wasn’t worth the risk. He should have killed Xue Yang years ago, when he had the chance — There was a wrenching feeling in his gut as his fear and anger spiked, irrationally, over a matter already settled. “Oh, ow. What the fuck.”

No, not his gut. His lower dantian.  That sure was a tainted golden core, so it really must have been Xue Yang. The state of his golden core would certainly explain why Wei Wuxian felt so off.

Xue Yang’s golden core, which was now his. A golden core, something he’d long believed lost to him forever, resting inside him, an unwilling gift from his enemy.

Wei Wuxian was simultaneously disgusted and euphoric.

He’d never had to deal with the risk of qi deviation before, because the resentful energy hadn’t interacted nearly so badly with the sluggish flow in his meridians after its driving force was removed.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yanli put one hand over his forehead, and held his wrist in the other. He felt her, prodding around for what was wrong with spiritual energy. Something she never could have managed before.

Only Wen Qing knew how to treat this, though.

“Well, when a cultivator with a golden core uses demonic cultivation, it taints it with resentful energy. A little is fine and gets burned off, but a lot like Xue Yang — I’m surprised at how well he was holding off from a qi deviation, honestly.” “That’s why when I —” He broke off in a laugh.

Shit.

It was too much to hope that Shijie hadn’t caught his slip. “A-Xian. What happened to your golden core?”

“Um.” He really should have said Wen Zhuliu, but he couldn’t lie directly to Shijie. Not when she was staring at him, wide-eyed and concerned. Even if those eyes weren’t the ones he knew.

Wei Wuxian dared anyone to resist that.

When his confession was complete, she said nothing. Only sniffled.

Finally, she hugged him tight again, and ladled out more soup, though Wei Wuxian had yet to finish the second bowl. He dug in, shoveling each bite in, but chewing slowly, savoring the flavor like he’d never known he should before.

Tainted or not, the golden core inside him was fully formed and strong. An impossibility and a blessing.

“Are you all finished with the emotional reunion?” Nie Huaisang of all people swanned through the door. “Great! Hi, Wei-xiong!”

Gaping, he looked from Nie Huaisang to Shijie.

Shijie’s expression said oh right, him.

Ok, then. This was happening. “Hi, Nie-xiong. How have you been.”

Nie Huaisang plopped down in a heap across the soup tureen from him. “I’ve been better! Jin Guangyao killed my Dage, so we’re getting revenge.”

“Right, Shijie told me. Is he the only one I have to kill?”

Shijie shook her head, confirming his suspicions. “Him, another sect leader, and a few of Jin Guangyao’s guards. I’ll write the names down for you.”

Wei Wuxian really wanted to be done killing people. He wanted to — well, he wanted an impossibility. Traveling with Lan Zhan and A-Yuan, visiting Shijie and Jiang Cheng often in Lotus Pier, helping Wen Ning grow new varieties of vegetables in his garden, and arguing cultivation theory with Wen Qing. Even if Lan Zhan still wanted him, if they saved both the Wens, Jiang Cheng would never want to see him.

Shijie turned to Nie Huaisang. “We need to get him in to see Wen Qing.”

“Well, I can certainly provide a distraction, but he can’t just walk into Koi Tower like that.” Nie Huaisang hummed, tapping his closed fan against his lips. “You need a disguise.”

“A mask?” That would be the easiest thing to get a hold of.

But Nie Huaisang was shaking his head. “No, no, that won’t work. That’s just suspicious. You need something no one will see through.”

“I’ll think about it.” He wasn’t entirely sure that a mask wasn’t the solution — just not the sort of mask anyone else had ever come up with.

“You do that. In the meantime,” Nie Huaisang clapped his hands together. “Questions.”

“How did you get Xue Yang to give up his body to me?” Shijie hadn’t mentioned the details, but Wei Wuxian assumed the trickery had been at Nie Huaisang’s hands.

But Nie Huaisang tsked and shook his head. “I didn’t do it. Your sister did.”

“Shijie?”

“I lied.” She said, a slight flush rising to her cheeks. By the time she finished explaining what she’d done, he was looking at her in an entirely new light. “I wanted you back. I could save you, so I did.”

“Shijie. I — but. Your husband.” Wei Wuxian had been so caught up in having her back, that he hadn’t even apologized yet. What kind of useless brother was he?

Nie Huaisang got to his feet and practically ran for the door at the first sign of emotion.

“It wasn’t on purpose.” Shijie tried to put her hand on his shoulder, but Wei Wuxian flinched away.

“How did you know?” After all the time he’d spent antagonizing Jin Zixuan, calling him the Peacock and even attacking him in public, no one should have been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Shijie did not deign to answer, simply looked at him as though the question was ridiculous. As though she still trusted him, after everything.

“Well, you’re right. I didn’t mean to, but it was my fault.” No matter how he thought of it, if it were not for Wei Wuxian — if he’d taken a less obvious route, if he’d taken Wen Qing with him instead or gone alone, if he’d imposed on Lan Zhan enough to ask for an escort, if he’d simply remembered how easily the power given by the Yin Iron could be stolen away — . “I stole Wen Ruohan’s control, and I forgot someone could do the same to me.”

“It is not your fault. You were ambushed, and scared, and trying to defend yourself.” Shijie hugged him, and again, he melted into her arms.

“It is, though. It is.” Wei Wuxian choked down a sob. He really couldn’t start that back up again. “I just wanted to meet your son.”

“You will.” She assured him, petting his hair soothingly, the way she had as long as he’d known her. Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe his luck.

When they emerged from the warehouse, Nie Huaisang was waiting.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Shijie asked Nie Huaisang.

“If it’s here, Xue Yang hid it well.” He sighed heavily, and didn’t even flourish his fan. So clearly whatever he’d been searching for was important.

Something in this little town full of coffins and burial goods, complete with paper mannequins peering out the windows. It was scarcely dusk, but the streets were already empty. He could feel — but not see, not like the mysterious resident of Shijie’s head — the mostly inert resentful energy everywhere. He could see what would have attracted Xue Yang to the town, but not why he wouldn’t have simply made it more of a living hell, and moved along.

The slippery little bastard had done nothing but complain of boredom on the way to what should have been his execution, after all. “What was he doing here anyway? It’s an eerie little town, but you said he’d been here a while?”

“Well, he was kicked out by Jin Guangyao, and it seems he set up a domestic little arrangement with Xiao Xingchen.” Nie Huaisang made an effort to sound flighty but his mind was clearly still elsewhere.

How the — no, actually, he didn’t want to know. Everything Wei Wuxian learned of the events following his death was stranger and more unsettling. “And my shishu won’t wonder what happened when he never comes back?”

Peering into the darkness of an alley, Nie Huaisang flapped a hand dismissively. “I’m having Song Lan tracked down. He’ll forget all about him soon enough.”

Good for his shishu. He deserved his second chance at love. Wei Wuxian hadn’t had time to be devastated over their separation, the failure of what he’d wanted his life to be because he’d been too busy throwing it away.

But maybe, just maybe. If he completed Xue Yang’s revenge and was here to stay, if Shijie and A-Ling and the Wen siblings were all safe and secure. Maybe he could earn a second chance with Lan Zhan someday.

It would take years to make up for his mistakes, Wei Wuxian imagined, a slow courting of hundreds of handmade gifts and tracking down the most challenging hauntings across the cultivation world. He’d remind Lan Zhan that he was good with children, and be there to help him raise A-Yuan the rest of the way. Show him he would never miss another moment.

There went his imagination, wanting things that were distant possibilities as best. Who was to say Lan Zhan hadn’t moved on? All Shijie had to go on was guesses, gossip, and a glimpse.

They passed a row of coffins, just waiting to be filled with some unlucky sap. Wei Wuxian drew up short. “Why do I sense some really strong resentful energy?”

“Xue Yang was turning people into puppets for fun.” Nie Huaisang said, causing both him and Shijie to glare at him. It seemed he’d failed to mention that to both of them.

Though, honestly, Wei Wuxian should have guessed. He pinpointed the coffin that felt like a mass grave, and whistled with no force behind it. Even so, a shifting spiderweb of resentful energy briefly became visible. That was a ward. One that would take him about an hour to unravel, using demonic cultivation.

Or, conveniently, application of Xue Yang’s own spiritual energy.

“No, this is more static. Almost like — “ He shoved hard at the lid of the coffin, and it slid forward a few inches, letting out a cloud of black smoke. “Shit, Xue Yang’s piece of Yin Iron.”

“Excellent! Exactly what I was looking for.” Nie Huaisang perked up, his usual good humor restored. “Do you think you can —” Shijie, uncharacteristically, pinched his arm sharply. “Jiang-guniang, why? I was going to say destroy it.”

“Sure,” He said absently. “Same way I did the Tiger Seal.”

“Can you destroy it without hurting yourself?” Shijie asked gently, reminding him exactly how that had gone.

“I can’t, but didn’t Lan Xichen manage it somehow?” He kept shoving at the lid, to no avail. Right, Xue Yang must have a sword somewhere. He reached into his sleeve and found a hilt, as well as a pair of qiankun bags.

“He said that, but Dage told me in confidence that the pair of them sealed them away again in secret. I don’t know if Erge told him where. I certainly don’t know.” Nie Huaisang paused. “And yes, I do mean that.”

The sword felt worse than the core, like it was used to Xue Yang’s cultivation. Jiangzai, it was called. That felt suiting. But though it resisted him, when Wei Wuxian sent a bolt of energy through it, the lid went flying into a wall thirty feet away.

Oh, so it was either nothing or too much with Jiangzai. He saw how it was.

Wei Wuxian stared down at the contents nestled inside. The Yin Iron was there, shaped into what looked like another Tiger Seal, but less powerful by far. Stacked right on top of two items that were undoubtedly just soaking in that resentful energy. Fuck. “Um. Nie-xiong? I think Xue Yang has your brother’s body. Also Baxia.”

It was agreed that Nie Mingjue’s body would have to be retrieved the next day, as Wei Wuxian had only just been resurrected and neither Nie Huaisang nor Shijie could fly. Shijie didn’t say, but he assumed she either hadn’t had time to learn, or temperamental swords were a side effect of resurrection.

In case it was the latter, he should probably bring that up at some point.

Shijie handed him some talisman paper, so he could construct a ward over the coffin, and they went down the foothills to an inn where Jin Ling was waiting.

His baby nephew had already been put to bed by the time they arrived. Which was all for the better because that meant Wei Wuxian actually got to see him.

Jin Ling was so big already, grown bigger than A-Yuan had been in what seemed to him the blink of an eye. Six years old, when he should have been all of a hundred days. Wei Wuxian reached out and hesitated, looking up at his shijie.

She nodded, watching them both with her heart in her eyes.

He hesitated several more times on the way to touching A-Ling’s hair, afraid that touch would shatter the illusion. But A-Ling didn’t disappear when Wei Wuxian touched him. A-Ling’s skin had the downy texture of childhood and his hair was silky under his fingertips, a sign of how healthy and loved he was. Jiang Cheng had taken such good care of him, though that never should have been his job, if not for Wei Wuxian.

A-Ling stirred under his touch, and he snatched his hand back, but the boy only shifted onto his side, and stuck his thumb into his mouth.

Wei Wuxian loved him so much, just as he’d known he would.

Because Wei Wuxian couldn’t bear to give up his scant moments with his darling nephew, he, Shijie, and Nie Huaisang sat on the floor to discuss how they would break Wei Wuxian into Koi Tower unnoticed.

Not something he ever expected to want. But he did want to see Wen Qing for himself — they needed to yell at each other for self-sacrifice, without her paralyzing him again. And Shijie would worry if she didn’t know he was alright. So Wei Wuxian supposed he would let Wen Qing poke around in Xue Yang’s core.

As Shije and Nie Huaisang heatedly (for them) debated their methods, Wei Wuxian occupied himself by unpacking Xue Yang’s bags item by item.

The current Nie First Disciple, a woman he’d fought alongside on occasion during the Sunshot Campaign, stood guard outside the door. Neither she, nor the younger disciples accompanying her, had seen remotely surprised to see him. So Wei Wuxian assumed resurrecting notorious traitors was just par for the course in things their sect leader did.

He reached in and grabbed something with an odd, elastic texture. Pulling it out, he flinched. And flung it on the floor.

It was a mask of someone’s face. He’d seen them before, when a possessed woman in Yunmeng had started carving the faces off her neighbors and wearing them as masks. This, though, was melded together to form a face disturbingly similar to Song Lan’s. And according to Nie Huaisang, Song Lan was still alive.

Had he written about that night hunt? Xue Yang could easily have modified the method. He would bet Jin Guangyao had focused on the profitable ideas among his inventions, and let Xue Yang make the most grotesque techniques of his demonic cultivation worse. The techniques that could do good had almost certainly been left to languish.

Even if Jin Guangyao wanted to leave reform as his legacy, he couldn’t openly use techniques that showed demonic cultivation was not all sacrificing virgins and creating puppets from amalgamated rotting meat. Better for him that the Yiling Laozu remained a monster under the bed, even if it meant leaving people to starve, their fields and forests tainted with resentful energy.

Well, if Xue Yang could twist his techniques, Wei Wuxian could twist them back.

“You, Wei-xiong, look like you’re having an idea.” Nie Huaisang fluttered his fan. Wei Wuxian’s eyes narrowed as he looked back and forth between it, and the creepy skin mask on the ground.

He thought back to the brightest period of his childhood, flashes of a masked figured twirling and kicking on a stage, flourishing a fan in sharp movements, creating an illusion of transformation. “Nie-xiong. You’re a cultural connoisseur.”

“I make an effort.”

“That dance where the performer changes masks behind a fan — do you know how it works?” The dance, from Meishan, involved face changes, using greasepaint or changing the color of a beard. Or, more importantly, masks. Madame Yu had enjoyed it, often hiring troops from her natal sect’s territory to perform for guests and during festivals. Wei Wuxian didn’t know the trick to it, but Nie Huaisang might.

“The Bian Lian? That is a particular favorite of mine.”

“No, really? I would never have guessed.” He never would have expected Nie Huaisang of all people to enjoy a dance that involved fans! Or masks!

Nie Huaisang rapped him on the shin with his fan, and “Ow, fuck, is that thing made of steel?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Nie Huaisang said primly, which Wei Wuxian took as a yes.

“Huaisang.” Shijie gave him a disappointed look.

It wasn’t quite as stern as in her own face, Qin Su’s heart shaped face rendering it somehow even more gently chiding, but it was just as effective. Nie Huaisang sighed. “Yes, I know how it works. Would you like me to sketch a diagram?”

“Please.”

Wei Wuxian interpreted Nie Huaisang’s caving to Shijie as his having been officially taken under her wing. He wondered if that meant they were brothers now.

It was a little-known secret that Wei Wuxian was not the only child raised by Jiang Fengmian to collect family wherever he went. He had, in fact, picked up that trait from his sister. Around the time she’d decided he was her didi, no matter that Wei Wuxian was never officially adopted into the clan.

“What are you thinking, A-Xian?” Shijie asked, while Nie Huaisang was busy being unnecessarily artistic with his diagram. Wei Wuxian would have so many extraneous swirls to work around.

“Well, I’m not wearing that thing. I’m pretty sure it is human skin, just not the person’s face it’s copying.” Wei Wuxian might control corpses on occasion, but he wasn’t wearing one on his face. That was just gross, in a uniquely Xue Yang fashion. Just remembering the moment he’d touched it made him want to spend the next week becoming a prune in an excessively soapy bath. “But I can’t just run around like this.”

Neither Wei Wuxian’s own face nor Xue Yang’s was exactly ideal. But Xue Yang had committed each and every crime he was accused of, with more undoubtedly yet to come. Wei Wuxian had only committed some of crimes he was given credit for. He was grateful Shijie had ensured he was given his own back.

Besides, Wei Wuxian was clearly better looking than Xue Yang, whether they were being judged on a scale of handsomeness or prettiness.

That didn’t stop either face from being a problem. “So I thought, why not make a mask where I can pretend to be Xue Yang? But where I can also quickly change to a harmless face, and avoid any future angry mobs.”

Wei Wuxian would strongly prefer not to be the target of future angry mobs. The once had been more than enough.

“Impersonate Xue Yang? But A-Xian —” Shijie frowned, an expression he never wanted to put on her face. “Don’t get more involved in this than you need to be for my sake. I brought you back for selfish reasons, and I can ensure those marks disappear and leave you free.”

Obviously, Wei Wuxian would never do that. “Shijie, you brought me back because you care. And I love you too, so don’t tell me not to help you.”

She reached out to pet his hair, and he leaned into it. “You’ve sacrificed enough.”

Shijie might think so, but he would never agree. Wei Wuxian would always want to help. Not because he owed her for what he’d done — which he did — but because he loved her. On top of that, she was trying to overthrow a child murderer, and improve the lives of ordinary people in an unprecedented way. Of course he would do anything he could to help.

And he didn't want her to have to learn how to kill.

He pulled away, and grasped her too-slim shoulders instead to meet those bizarre, smaller eyes that still, somehow, felt like her. “It’s not about sacrifice. I can be a distraction for you. If Jin Guangyao’s as clever as you say — and I remember that was  my impression of him — he won’t stay ignorant of what you’re doing forever.”

“A-Xian—”

Wei Wuxian cut off her protest. This was the best way for him to help. Any protest she had could only be an attempt to protect him. “But if Xue Yang’s a ghost he can’t catch? Maybe you can pull it off.”

[watch-grok-brainrot]

The Scent of Lotus Pier

Untamed Spring Fest Day 2: Blossom

Notes: Post canon. Canon compliant. Brief mention of death/dying. Nostalgia. Wangxian being soft. Domesticity. Very short: ~550 words. 

-------

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! What are you drinking?” Wei Wuxian asked as he leaned over Lan Wangji’s teacup. They had finished a night hunt in Hunan and were settling down for the night in a local inn.

When Lan Wangji did not respond, Wei Wuxian picked up the cup and breathed in the enticing steam.  “So fragrant yet earthy.” Wei Wuxian sighed and exhaled. “Lan Zhan, I didn’t think you would like floral teas.” 

“Lotus Scented Fuzhuan, local treasure, benefits the heart and slows aging.”

“Oh, so my husband wants to cultivate even further with the help of tea. Do you ever worry, with my lack of cultivation, that I’ll grow old before you and die? Then you’ll be all alone?” Wei Wuxian asked, eyes sparkling from suppressed laughter.

Lan Wangji’s head snapped up at the thought of Wei Ying dying again. He locked eyes with Wei Wuxian. “You must drink too.” He reached out and guided the teacup in Wei Wuxian’s hand towards Wei Wuxian’s face.

Taken aback by his husband’s sudden intensity, Wei Wuxian smiled awkwardly and downed the cup of tea. As the tea hit his palate, Wei Wuxian was transported back to his sunshine filled youth. The tea tasted like the baskets full of pure white lotus roots covered in residual mud, like the lotus pods and lotus blossoms of early summer, like sunlight dancing on the river by Lotus Pier. He breathed out and the residual warmth from the tea filled his sinuses with a scent reminiscent of Jiang Yanli’s perfume and his Lotus Breeze wine. Staring at the cup in his hand, Wei Wuxian froze. What is this tea? What was it doing to him? How could something so simple transport him so far?

“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji asked, concerned after Wei Wuxian remained frozen for a few minutes.

Lan Wangji’s voice shook Wei Wuxian back to reality. He glanced over at his husband and admitted while staring at the cup in his hand, “This tea reminds me of Lotus Pier. It’s… spectacular.”

Lan Wangji watched his Wei Ying reach over to the teapot and pour himself another cup. That night Wei Wuxian ordered 5 pots of Lotus Scented Fuzhuan and not a single serving of wine. Lan Wangji studied the tea as Wei Wuxian savored the warm drink. While Wei Wuxian chattered about growing up in Lotus Pier, Lan Wangji memorized every aspect of that tea. He memorized the scent of lotus blossoms and river water. He memorized how it felt against the roof of his mouth and as it slid down his throat. He memorized the way it hit his stomach and interacted with his golden core. By the time they went to bed, Lan Wangji was certain he knew every nuance the tea had to offer.

While Wei Wuxian retrieved breakfast the next morning, Lan Wangji purchased 10 bricks of tea and 10 jugs of water and placed them into his qiankun pouch. From his own tea experience, it required the right water and extraction conditions to duplicate a tea experience. Once they get home, he would practice brewing that tea so that his Wei Ying could return to the Lotus Pier of his youth at will.

[hannigramislife]

The Untamed commentary part #6

(When I saw Lan Xichen speak with Wen Chao)

There's these two other characters

And they interacted for a moment in a WAY

YOU KNOW

For a second i was like

New ship??? Do i ship???? Am i smelling the ocean???

And then realized "oh no fuck, he's a dick, and not the good kind"

*Cries*

....

AOSJSNAIAKNSNEOWA STAAAPPP

Tfff

I DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO HURT LIKE THISSSSS

😭😭😭😭😭😭

He's so good hearted, why should HE become corrupted by evil???

You guys wany a punching bag? Take Jiang Cheng

Literally who gives a flying fuck

JUST LEAVE WUXIAN ALONE, HE JUST WANTS TO SWIM IN RIVERS AND DRINK ALCOHOL AND PET BUNNIES WITH LAN WANGJI

....

(When they went to recover their swords)

OHHHH

THEY'RE BADMOUTHING WEI WUXIAN AND LAN WANGJI IS SLOWLY WALKING UP TO THEM LIKE A BAMF

HE GONNA KICK ASS

YOU THINK YOU CAN DISRESPECT HIS BABY AND GET. AWAY. WITH. IT??!?!?!?!?

IN THIS ECONOMY??? NOT A CHANCE BROTHER

...

I'm dying

Like, literally Im not ok rn

They think Wuxian has died and Lan Wangji is carrying around his sword CAN THESE TWO NOT KILL ME FOR ONE FUCKING EPISODE

...

(When Wei Wuxian came back)

DEAR GOD

THE FUCK IS THIS

WHEN DID HE BECOME A BADASS MOTHERFUCKER

AKSNANSJKWAKLALSLAA

THE EXCITEMENT

I CAAAAAAAN'T

MAN

HOW TF

WTF

I AM SO NOT OKAY

Wait wait wait a fucking second

Too fast

I was NOT ready

How will Lan Wangji survive him this way, i-

Mf taking lives like they're insta likes on his insta pic