#past chengyao

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

2022 AO3 Stats Breakdown

(evidence of a mental breakdown as well??? who’s to say lol)

Total Wordcount (approximate*): 265,182 across 37 fics in 3 fandoms

Most popular (by hits): The Sculptor (9,391)

Most popular (by kudos): Professor Lan, Babysitter Extraordinaire (1,244)

Least popular (by hits): Life Is Short, Do Art (186 - this is also probably my actual least popular by kudos at 41, Far From an Imposition is so new it’s not surprising it’s still at the bottom)

Least popular (by kudos): Far From An Imposition (30)

Highest word count: Soldier, Poet, King (78,690 words and still going)

Lowest word count: Lan Xichen’s Romance Novel Brainrot (1,141 words)

*For all of these figures I won’t be including ‘Plans To Make’ or ‘You Are Of Their Ilk’, as they’re both from 2021 originally and they skew the numbers a lot since I’ve added chapters to them in 2022. But I’m too lazy to figure out how many words I dumped into both of them, and there’s no telling when all the kudos and hits and stuff are from, so I won’t bother, all of these fics were completely posted in 2022 (though some new ones are now going to bleed into 2023).

Fic Breakdown

NON-CQL/MDZS - 3 fics in total:

A Flower Most Rare and Don’t Let Him Go Alone (both Wenzhou, for Word of Honor) together make up 7,875 words of my total count.

Home Was a Dream for Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty is 1,413 words of the total.

CQL/MDZS - 34 fics in total:

3Zun (and the various twosomes within it) account for 14 / 34 fics, 140,501 words, over half the total wordcount by 7,910 words (~53% of the total).

They are, in descending order of hits:

Soldier, Poet, King (3zun)

Sworn Protections (Nieyao)

The Last Piece of a Really Shitty Puzzle (3zun but Nieyao don’t like each other)

War Manners (Nieyao)

Pull No Punches (3zun)

Awkward and Uptight (3zun but focus is on Nieyao reconciling)

Looking For My Family (3zun)

Jaegers Are Not Meant For That (3zun)

Hope Is Home and the Heart Is Free (3zun)

Sticky Summer Kisses (Nielan)

Honey-Sweet and Heavy (3zun)

Starlight Within Will Guide (3zun at the end, mostly LXC-centric)

Restraint (Xiyao)

Far From An Imposition (Nieyao)

Wangxian fics account for 8 / 34 fics, 51,763 words, which is just shy of 20% of the total wordcount (roughly 19.5%, so not quite a fifth).

They are, in descending order of hits:

The Sculptor (Modern AU - 1970′s)

Professor Lan, Babysitter Extraordinaire (Modern AU)

Together, Or Not At All (Post-canon)

Hot House Husband Speedrun (Modern AU)

Yiling Laozu’s Moving Castle (Howl’s Moving Castle AU)

Feel You Feeling Me Feeling You Etc. Etc. (Post-canon)

Down the Gutter Here I Go (13 year gap)

Other Delights (Modern AU - late 1990′s or early 2000′s)

I had a surprising number of fics featuring various ships with Jiang Cheng in them, they account for 7 / 34 fics, 25,936 words, just shy of 10% (9.7%) of the total wordcount.

They are, in descending order of hits:

Lan Xichen’s Romance Novel Brainrot (Xicheng from LXC’s POV)

Thank You, and I’m Sorry (SangCheng from both POV’s, though the focus is Nie brother bonding/reconciliation after an argument and SangCheng have already been married for quite some time)

Indigo (ChengQing from both POV’s, but mostly WQ)

How Vicious You Are (ChengYao - lovers to enemies trope so it’s in the past)

Grannies Are To Be Feared (ChengQing from JC’s POV)

‘In-Law’ is a Two-Word Horror Story (SangCheng from both POV’s)

Research Is a Love Language (SangCheng from both POV’s but mostly JC’s)

There are a few fics that I wrote this year that aren’t very shippy at all, are a rarepair, or focus on the ensemble and various ships equally so they’re a bit harder to classify. Together they all account for the last 5 / 34 fics, 37,694 words, roughly 14% of the total wordcount.

They are, in descending order of hits:

Tales From Jianghu Shopping Center (Ensemble - Wangxian, Sangcheng, and Nielan are all hinted at but not established within the fic)

Technically a Cutsleeve? (Mo Xuanyu/Lan Jingyi set in my fix-it universe, specifically)

Objective Complete - Now What? (Ensemble - Wangxian, 3zun, and Chengqing are all present, as well as Lan Jingyi’s and Jin Guangshan’s POV’s)

Why Not Me? (Lan Qiren raising a young Lan Jingyi during the 13-year gap, so it focuses on family dynamics)

Life Is Short, Do Art (Lan Xichen-centric, very brief character study)

With all that said - what did I actually write?

Unconnected oneshots: 23*

Connected Oneshots: 9**

Chaptered fics: 5

* - ‘Looking For My Family’ is technically a standalone oneshot, but could very easily fit into the universe of my Modern 3zun Sunshot AU ‘All Dreams Were Worth Keeping’ as my characterizations/headcanons for how their relationship and family dynamics work doesn’t really differ from one to the other.

** - ‘Tales from Jianghu Shopping Center’ is technically a connected oneshot because it’s a oneshot that is the central work of my strip mall universe, but that makes it feel more like a chaptered fic to me because it’s the main work that all the rest of the shopping mall extras spoke out from like any of my other universes of extras born from my chaptered fics.

So -- big year for one-shots! I did a few different writing challenges/events this year, which was a lot of fun and something I’ve never done before. 18 / 23 of the unconnected one-shots were written for MXTX Reverse Trope Fest (10), Polyshipping Week 2022 (5), Fandom Trumps Hate (2), and the MDZS Mixtape Exchange (1). I think that might be why I feel like I didn’t write nearly as much as I did -- I did fairly quick little bite-sized fics for my own sake (except for where there were minimum wordcounts set for FTH) and they really add up all together but they didn’t feel like much as I was writing them, especially since most of what I did last year in comparison was so focused on my 3zun fix-it universe and the Modern Sunshot AU, both of which are nearly 200k word universes apiece.

This year I had really wanted to finish both Plans To Make and You Are Of Their Ilk, so I’m a bit sad that I didn’t manage to get them done before the end of the year. Both because they’re stories I definitely want to tell, but also because they’re my two most popular fics and I feel bad that they just also happen to be the two ongoing wips that I have that I update the least frequently lol. People are always so nice in the comments and stuff though and say that they’ll subscribe and wait patiently for whenever the inspiration hits me, which is lovely and reassuring. But still - over a thousand people are subscribed to both of them. The pressure is on 😂

Last, but not least:

What did I enjoy writing the most this year?

It’s a tie between two of them!

I really really loved the process of speed-writing The Sculptor in a hazy, frantic three days of pure inspiration, and then posting it daily over the course of a week and a half. I loved having something already completely finished to post on such a quick, dedicated schedul. Everyone was also super lovely in the comments both during and after posting, I got so much good community connection with people for whom the story really resonated, especially Queer people, which I absolutely adored. Particularly people who were thrilled to see representation for both lavender marriages and closeted lesbians in heterosexual marriages, which we tend to think of as outdated these days but there are absolutely still so many people in both types of relationships, whether by their own choice or for their own safety or what have you. So that one felt really special, plus I’m still just as in love with Ceru’s artwork that sparked the whole thing as I was when I started writing the fic. (Everyone say thank you @ceru-draws for the STUNNING artwork that inspired the fic, go reblog it and love on it if you haven’t already. Actually go love on all of their art, it’s all wonderful and they deserve it.)

And finally -- Tales From Jianghu Shopping Center, my beloved. It’s such a low-stakes, easygoing kind of universe to write that it genuinely relaxes me, and it makes me really happy when I get a new idea for an extra or something to add to it. I love using it as an excuse to wax poetic and romanticize about the mundane American nearly-rural suburbia I grew up with in the Deep South, and it’s been really fun to see how many other people resonate with it despite it being weirdly niche. It’s also been a fun exercise in building believable atmosphere/settings, since that’s mostly the goal and the (very minimal) plotline is very much secondary to the Vibes. I love me some Vibes (now everyone say thank you @lansplaining for the god-tier post that inspired that whole universe)

Thank you everybody for a really fun year of writing fic, here’s to even more in 2023 (I hope) ♥♥

[mostlikelytofangirl]

Concept: Post-canon SangCheng with past ChengYao (more or less a secret due to politics but NHS knows, simply because I do not wish another public humiliation on my boy JC)

Oooh, nice!

I'm totally pro avoid humiliation for angry grape man, not just bc poor guy has had enough, but also bc it could be very politically detrimental, not to mention dangerous if the mob was to to ever discover Sandu Shengshou was involved with the now disgraced Lianfang-zun. It could easily turn him into the scapegoat for whatever problem happens next. And NHS would know that perfectly.

As much vitriol as NHS would forever feel for JGY, once canon happens I think he would keep mostly quiet about him, not just in this scenario. But specifically here mostly out of respect for JC. I'm assuming chengyao lasted until Guanyin temple, where all the *waves at canon* happened, so it would all be very painful, full of conflictive emotions.

Sangcheng would have to happen after a decent time for JC to first come to terms with the man he thought he knew, him questioning everything they shared, processing the sense of betrayal but also the genuine feelings that were there. Lots of disappointment and guilt.

Maybe NHS being there for him would be what starts sangcheng once JC eventually starts to move on, but it would be very tentative and slow. JC has lost too much and it would seem like he really can't keep anyone he loves. Not to mention that he lost his person bc of NHS. It was never proved but JC would know. Could he blame him tho? Wouldn't he have done the same? It's not like NHS made any of those crimes up, those happened. JGY did it all. But would JC have cared if JGY ever told him?

So NHS would be there, quite and reassuring, in a way hating JGY all over for causing JC all this new pain, but at the same time feeling the slightest twinge of regret for being the reason JC lost his family again. He can only try to be a new one for him.

[jinyaomei]

re: jin guangyao fits jiang cheng's wife criteria

first post about it: so this is just a crack idea what could happen if jiang cheng becomes self aware about jin guangyao fitting all his criteria lmao

 jiang cheng freaks out when someone made him realize that (most likely huaisang) and becomes conscious of jin guangyao's actions, even jin guangyao's tendency to compliment people over the smallest things that gives you second hand embarrassment doesn’t help because it is also an extra to jiang cheng's type, jiang cheng then tries to distance himself from jin guangyao before the feelings catch on but in jin guangyao's pov he thinks SOMETHING IS WRONG and jiang cheng dislikes him for some reason, worst case scenario he found out something about his secret crimes and he must resolve it right away. going for the soft methods first, jin guangyao does his best to get closer to jiang cheng and appease to him: sending him a lot of gifts, becoming more attentive to him much to jiang cheng’s dismay because he just wants to be left alone. one time he almost lost it when jin guangyao gave him a dog. jiang cheng then develops a reluctant crush to jin guangyao, becoming even colder to deny it while jin guangyao realizing his efforts don’t seem to be making any progress and the misunderstanding continues, ponders if he should eliminate jiang cheng before he exposes what he knows about him whoops

[necromcom]

okay so every one of my meager brain cells has been devoted to @halforchalfdryad 's mutually-antagonistic-business-partners-plus-feelings / chengyao-but-not-exactly wedding planner extravaganza for the past i have no idea how long. my whole life possibly

[perchingowl]

Masterpost

So I’ve finished febuwhump though I kept pretty mum about it on Tumblr. Mainly because posting on both Tumblr and ao3 is exhausting especially during this time of year because of work - so I’ve posted everything on ao3 in a nice, little collection. And this is the second try on doing a masterpost. Because I accidentally deleted the first one.

It’s entirely The Untamed/CQL with a variety of my favourite pairings.

Below the cut you find the individual fics listed - most of them are teen and ‘choose not to warn’ (mainly because I never know when to choose graphic violence or not), so please check the fics for individual tags :)

⭐ = personal faves (though I limited myself to 3)

DAY 1: head wound - Just animals still learning to behave - SongXueXiao - 2.420 words

DAY 2: failed rescue attempt ALT: blindfolded - If we don’t stand and fight - ChengZuan - 1.145 words

DAY 3: blood loss - We're death defying - WangChengXian - 1.612 words

DAY 4: nightmares - As Gods we shaped the world around - 3zun - 1.477 words 

DAY 5: "let me see” - The only easy day was yesterday - NieYao - 2.053 words

DAY 6: hypothermia - Wenn die Kälte kommt mit eisiger Hand - WangChengXian - 2.150 words

DAY 7: used as an experiment ALT "i dreamt you were alive"  - Everyone else can watch as their dreams untie - 3zun - 1.261 words

DAY 8: no anesthesia ALT: black eye - Counting your tales both the hunter and the prey - SongXueXiao - 1.580 words

DAY 9: kidnapped - cold, cruel, harsh reality - Juniors - 1.737 words

DAY 10: “how long has it been?” - Been counted out - 3zun - 2.094 words

⭐ DAY 11: chronic pain - Reaching for a hand that you can’t see - ChengYao - 1.980 words 

DAY 12: spiked drink - pour me some more - WangChengXian - 1.850 words

DAY 13: won’t regain consciousness - Caught in this wicked game - 1.978 words

DAY 14: can’t go home - Leave behind your heart and cast away - XiYao - 1.093 words

DAY 15: hidden scars - our scars remind us that the past is real - XiCheng - 2.752 words

DAY 16: "does that hurt?” - Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me - SangYao - 1.722 words

⭐ DAY 17: self-inflicted wound - Don't cling to me, I swear I can't fix you - Jiāng Chéng & Lán Wàngjī - 1.269 words

DAY 18: forced to watch - I feel like I might fade into the dawn - Jiāng Chéng & Wèi Wúxiàn - 1.904 words

DAY 19: delirium - guard dog of all your fever dreams - MingCheng - 1.929 words

DAY 20: caged - Too far to turn around - 3zun - 1.834 words

DAY 21: "help them” - If you wanna get out alive - Jiāng Chéng & Lán Xīchén - 1.233 words

⭐ DAY 22: restrained ALT natural disaster - running out of road - 3zun - 2.279 words 

DAY 23: “don’t leave!” - when you're beside me - WangCheng - 1.656 words 

DAY 24: too weak to move - Too weak to move - 3zun - 2.494 words

DAY 25: muffled screams - your name to call the reasons why I fought - MingCheng - 1.704 words

DAY 26: “please don’t do this” - Wounds so deep they never show - WangChengXian - 1.145words

DAY 27: shower breakdown - Going Under - 3zun - 1.813 words

DAY 28: presumed dead ALT shrapnel - got our backs against the wall - SongXueXiao - 1.357 words

[khazadspoon]

ok so @bifca this is half your fault and idk what i am doing so just take this. touch starved chengyao. kind of a lead up to the other chengyao I have written so far because I decided that’s what I wanted to do~

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Since the destruction of Lotus Pier and the resulting chaos, the bloodbath of the Sunshot Campaign and the dwindling number of people he could trust and call family, Jiang Cheng had been nearly completely alone. There were people around him almost all the time but none of them were truly present. They all had tasks to do and places to be, people to speak to, families to go home to…

Jiang Cheng spent his days with only himself to confide in. 

He ached with the loneliness of it at times. With Yanli happy with her husband and child in Lanling, and Wei Wuxian doing heavens knew what in his makeshift family in Yilling, Jiang Cheng stayed in Yunmeng and did what he could to survive his own loneliness.

Even when his sister came to visit there was distance - she stayed in rooms with her new family, an entourage of Jin disciples around her. They all seemed so happy. The only one who stood out seemed to actively avoid doing so - Jin Guangyao. He stayed to the side, eyes kept down and his face a mask of serene calm, speaking only when spoken to and rarely above a gentle conversational level. 

It came as a shock, then, when long fingered hands found his arm and led him aside when the evening became night. 

“Your sister has asked me to sit with you,” Jin Guangyao said softly, his hands warm through the sleeve of Jiang Cheng’s robes. “Is that amenable to you?”

He nodded, struck dumb by the simple contact. Through quiet and familiar halls they walked, not touching but close, something uncertain fluttering in Jiang Cheng’s chest. He opened the screen door to a room he used mainly for writing missives and watched in silence as Jin Guangyao sat on a cushion, his back straight and the mask on his face one of simple neutrality. 

“Please, Sect Leader Jiang, sit with me a while,” he smiled and gestured to the cushion next to him.

Jiang Cheng did, their knees brushing as he settled. It sparked something in his throat, his breath catching and burning. They had no tea, only wine, and Jiang Cheng thought for a moment it would be unwise to drink. 

But he did anyway.

Alcohol sat warm and heavy in his stomach as they talked about anything and nothing all at once. Jin Guangyao told him about his nephew’s progression, how he had begun to crawl everywhere, how he was teething and biting everything in sight. He told Jin Guangyao about the lotus harvest and the river spirits they had been dealing with in the past season. Cup after cup was shared, warmth rising in Jiang Cheng’s cheeks and under his skin each time their fingers brushed.

He listed, telling some ridiculous story from his childhood, and let out a shaking breath as their shoulders pressed together. 

It ached. 

He ached. 

How long had it been since someone had been so close to him for so long? Too long. He let himself lean into the contact and ignored the part of his mind telling him to sit up straight, to act like his position demanded, to be a Sect Leader and not a boy desperate for love-

His hand found Jin Guangyao’s on the table and he felt the sharp intake of breath from his side. Fingers laced with his own and he closed his eyes. 

“I’ve had too much to drink,” he heard in Jin Guangyao say in a soft voice. “You have too. We should go to bed.”

For a moment his heart pounded, mind racing with images he couldn’t quite separate; skin, parted lips, hands grasping at sheets and shoulders and thighs. His breath caught again and he squeezed the hand in his own. Jin Guangyao sucked in a breath as well, his body turning as he leaned into Jiang Cheng’s side. 

They were closer than he thought. The wine in his veins thrummed, urged him to do something he might regret. 

His lips touched soft skin, the scent of sweet perfume in his nose as he traced the curve of Jin Guangyao’s cheek with his mouth. 

“I don’t want to be alone,” he heard himself say. 

Jin Guangyao turned, his lips parted. “Neither do I. Not anymore.”

He gathered the smaller man into his arms and held him, their lips finding one another and locking in a kiss that threatened to take his sanity from him. He moaned, felt the shudder of Jin Guangyao’s breath in the uneven shaking of his ribcage, let their bodies sit flush together as he positioned Jin Guangyao in his lap. 

They sat like that, pressed together almost impossibly close, for some indeterminable amount of time. Jiang Cheng pressed his mouth to the soft juncture of Jin Guangyao’s neck and shoulder, tasted salt-sweet sweat and breathed in the comfort of another person. Jin Guangyao whispered his name and grasped at his robes with greedy hands. 

Kiss after kiss pressed to heated skin, to necks and cheeks and wrists and throats. Jiang Cheng shuddered as something inside him softened and opened. He whimpered as the heart he had once thought empty began to fill again. 

And quietly, barely a whisper of breath against his lips, he heard Jin Guangyao say “thank you”. 

They parted, flushed and weary but smiling, and Jiang Cheng let his partner leave in a daze without a word. 

When he went to sleep he found rest quickly. He dreamed of golden sunshine, fond memories and bright laughter instead of fire and blood. He woke with a smile instead of a frown. 

The ache in his chest was still there, but it was lighter.

[xiyao-feels]

heyyy please help. are there any fix-it fics that have the following: primarily xiyao fix-it featuring platonic chengyao raising jin ling in the past and post-canon, yunmeng sibling reconciliation and maybe extremely bg wangxian? lol. thank you!

Anon, you're right that I'd help if I could, but unfortunately I don't have a clue! I don't actually read that much xiyao fic, because I am extremely particular, but I consulted with a friend of mine who reads rather more widely and they couldn't think of anything either.

The only thing we could think of is a fic in Chinese they read via Google Translate: 再世为尸（魔道祖师曦瑶同人）by 铁锅月, here. I don't think it has any Chengyao, and I'm not sure how background the Wangxian is, but it is primarily xiyao post-canon fixit with at least some yunmeng bros reconciliation?? I've been told the yunmeng bros part is noncentral, but at least it's there at all.

It's also very very long, and I was advised that reading it through Google Translate takes some patience. But maybe that's up your alley! Good luck!!

[f-f-friend]

Why are you awake right now? ChengYao

12: “Why are you awake right now?” 

SEND ME A SHIP + NUMBER 

ALSO this ficlet has been posted to ao3 as well! 

Jiang Cheng cannot sleep. 

“Why are you awake?” Jin Ling asks, and he looks and sounds so much like his uncle. Jiang Cheng won’t tell him that, he doesn’t want to bring up that man, not in front of Jin Ling. 

“Why are you awake?” Jin Guangyao had asked him, so many years ago, when Lotus Pier had freshly emerged from the rubble and Jin Ling was still small. 

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Jiang Cheng was the only person that remembered the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng – the one from before. He was the only one left of that clan anyway, the only face left among the thousands of people that used to have lives and families there. 

He worked hard and did his best to rebuild: The buildings of the new Lotus Pier stood steady, he dared say even steadier than the old buildings. There were new walls too – being too open and vulnerable to the world had not led them anywhere good, the first time. There were new people, fresh-faced and eager to be in one of the most powerful Sects of the cultivation world. These were his people, but not the ones he used to know. Still, the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng stood. (He would not let it fall again.)

Jiang Cheng was the only person left who remembered his clan’s traditions, the one who taught everyone what it meant to be in the Jiang Clan clan; He was the only one left, the son left behind, inheriting the rubble of Lotus Pier and corpses of the Jiang Clan. Some days, it hurt worse than others. 

Like that day. 

Jiang Cheng had a new tradition, one he didn’t mean to create. 

It had been more than half a decade since the destruction of Lotus Pier, a few years since the death of his sister, a few years since the death of Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng remembered each day like it was still happening, like he was coming home to see the fresh corpses of his parents and his fellow disciples, like he was watching the life go out of Yanli’s eyes, like he was hearing Wei Wuxian’s screams as the Stygian Tiger Amulet tore him apart. 

Jin Ling, his tiny little nephew, the only family he had left, called these days scary jiujiu days and tried his best to avoid him. His subordinates called them don’t piss off the Clan Leader days. There are three days, three longest days of the year; They were what Jiang Cheng thought of as grief. 

Grief started at night, when the day’s work was done and he slipped off his outer robe and sat on the bed. It did not matter which day of grief it was, he mourned for them all. 

He imagined how Father would feel to see him now, how he would feel to see the new Lotus Pier. Possibly, it wouldn’t be to his taste. But some part of him, the childish part of him that didn’t burn down with his home, asked, won’t he be proud? 

He pulled the blanket around himself and remembered the warmth of that last hug, when Mother pulled him into her chest and hugged him so tight he felt like a toddler again, right before she sent him away, right before he fought his way back only to greet her cold corpse. He didn’t want her to let go of him then, she was so warm, and she loved him so much, and he loved her, and can’t we get through this together? The empty room answered his younger self’s desperate question. 

When Jiang Cheng was a child and he couldn’t sleep, he would go knock on his sister’s door. It could be midnight, or close to the crack of dawn, but she would always open it, and let him sleep in her bed. That night, he could not sleep, and there was no big sister to comfort him into sweet drowsiness, no warm bed to crawl into. 

He lay back on the bed, and found that if he closes his eyes, he could pretend that he was back in his childhood bedroom. The same birds chirped at the same wild hours, the same breeze blew past the windows, the same lonely boy lay in a big bed. With his eyes closed, he could imagine that there was another bed across the room, messier than his, empty until Wei Wuxian came sneaking in late at night, then noisy with the sounds of Wei Wuxian getting ready for bed until Jiang Cheng would sit up and snap, will you just go to sleep already? He opened his eyes to the same empty room; The only thing across the room was his table, laden with work for tomorrow. 

Grief continued like this: Jiang Cheng let the blanket drop, and pulled his outer robes back on. He walked out of the room, not bothering to shush his footfalls or look back carefully – there was no one to accidentally wake with the noise of him leaving. He walked past the old buildings that still stand from when he was a child, but he did not enter them. The people slumbering inside were not the same people as those he was longing for. 

Those people were all in one room, and that was where he was heading when he met Jin Guangyao. 

“Sect Leader Jiang,” he greeted. Oh, right. He was staying the night after bringing Jin Ling over. Jin Guangyao’s face always has the same smile on it – Jiang Cheng could not tell whether he was really happy to see him, or he was incapable of not smiling. “Why are you awake?” 

Jiang Cheng was not used to being interrupted during grief. Normally, everyone else knew to avoid him during these times, for fear of stirring up his temper. But he had always known that Jin Guangyao was not like everyone else. 

For one, he was completely unaffected by Jiang Cheng’s bad temper. (Probably because he was used to angry people, having Chifeng-zun for a sworn brother.) Also, he was so patient with Jin Ling, never once being harsh to him despite their nephew’s bratty tendencies. 

“I just… couldn’t sleep,” he told him. There was no need to tell him he was heading for his family’s ancestral shrine, or go into the specifics of grief with someone who was not family– actually, someone who was not himself. 

Jin Guangyao stepped closer, and Jiang Cheng fought the sudden inexplicable urge to step back. 

“Really?” Jin Guangyao said. It was just a casual question, but Jiang Cheng felt like he was being scrutinised, with those big eyes solely focused on him. “I couldn’t sleep either. Should we take a walk?” 

Somehow, Jiang Cheng found himself agreeing. 

Jin Guangyao smiled wider, and led him away from the old buildings, talking about this and that. 

Grief was like a song that played all hours of his life, and got louder on these days, and grief suddenly changed its tune to incorporate the sound of Jin Guangyao’s voice as he discussed small matters with him like they had the utmost importance, and the sound of Jin Guangyao’s footsteps as they synchronised with Jiang Cheng’s own. They were walking in step, heading in the same direction but with no clear idea of where they are headed. 

But he looked again, and Jin Guangyao had led him to the shrine after all. 

“It is the anniversary of your parents’ passing, is it not?” He asked. Jiang Cheng nodded. Jin Guangyao did not look pitying, or awkward, just straightforward. “People say grief hits at unexpected times, but I find it is sometimes quite predictable.” 

Jiang Cheng did not know what to say, so he just looked at him. Jin Guangyao blinked once, twice. 

“I know that I’m not in a position to understand your grief,” he told him. “But from experience, mourning can be very lonely. I just wanted to keep you company for a while.” 

Jiang Cheng wondered when Jin Guangyao, ever-smiling and peaceful, would have experienced grief like he has, but he did not ask. 

“I will leave you to pay your respects, if this is where you were headed.” 

Jiang Cheng nodded again, and let his legs walk him to the room. He swallowed a strange urge to invite him in – he’s not family! 

“Thank you for walking with me, Sect Leader Jiang,” Jin Guangyao said. “Good night.” 

Jin Guangyao had walked quite a far distance before Jiang Cheng echoed quietly, “Good night.” 

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“Why are you awake?” Jin Ling asks him, when he finds him standing outside the shrine. “Are you going in?” 

Jiang Cheng is not going in. Hestands where he did that night, and looks at where Jin Guangyao had been standing, just a few steps from him, close enough to feel his warmth. That spot is cold now, perhaps always will be. 

It is not one of the three days of grief (two? now that Wei Wuxian has come back to life), but it is a day of grief. Jin Ling has been Sect Leader of the Jin Clan for just little under a year. A year ago, Jiang Cheng watched as Jin Guangyao’s neck was snapped before his eyes, and now he remembers that too like it is still happening. 

It is grief, but he doesn’t know why. 

It’s not like Jin Guangyao had been family to him.

[bifca]

For the character headcanon meme: Meng Yao

Ooooh man you’ve opened the floodgates XD

Sexuality Headcanon: bisexual i guess?

Gender Headcanon: i could see him as cis or a trans man easily

i don’t really have set gender or sexuality headcanons usually (although i do have some). i’m pretty open to any for most characters

A ship I have with said character: *cracks knuckles* xiyao, chengyao, nieyao, 3zun

A BROTP I have with said character: wei ying & meng yao. give me the gremlin team up

A NOTP I have with said character: any of his siblings

A random headcanon: he’s completely touch starved. since he did have to deal with physical abuse a lot, it’s likely made him wary about people touching him, and in the novel it’s established that people avoided touching him because he’s the son of a prostitute, so he is definitely starved of kind touch

General Opinion over said character: no, he couldn’t have done it a “better” way. all of our flashbacks into his past show us that his attempts to do things by working hard and honestly just got him more abuse, and it wasn’t until he started scheming and murdering to get a higher position that he got some kind of break from the abuse. he was not “power hungry.” what people showed him over and over again is that as long as they had the power to abuse him, they would, and so he tried to reach a position where he was too high up the food chain to be mistreated. while he is definitely not a good guy, he is not inherently evil, and he’s a very clear case of society creating a villain through mistreatment. nie mingjue is not an accurate judge of his character, because he was too blinded by his privilege to see his own hypocrisy and what meng yao actually had to deal with

[veliseraptor]

chengyao/chengsu anon: I see you and I’m going to answer you I just keep getting distracted and your ask requires thought that has not been consistently present the past several days. but I promise! I see you and I’ll get there

[khazadspoon]

Guard - chengyao

For some reason I decided to come up with a bodyguard AU? Jin Guangyao has agreed to testify against his father, supported by Jin Zixuan, Qin Su and Mo Xuanyu. As his lawyer and friend, Lan Xichen set up a security guard to protect him from the moment he agreed to the moment JGS is convicted.  Guess who is the guard. Yes I came up with this on a whim while trying to nap. No this isnt five paragraphs but I had to get it out \o/

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“You must be Meng Yao,” a deep voice said from his left. He turned, saw a tall and imposing figure step out from behind the desk, and felt his stomach tighten. 

Jin Guangyao, for a moment, feared that he was about to be shot. In his mind he saw, actually saw, the gun. He saw the silencer and felt his heart stop. 

But, of course, none of that happened. 

Cold eyes swept over him and a hand came out, long fingers and a single elegant silver ring with a purple stone. “I'm Jiang Cheng, your new personal guard. Xichen said you should be expecting me, but by the looks of you that isn't true.

Jin Guangyao nodded once and pasted the polite smile on his lips, well practiced and as familiar to him as the silence of his lonely flat. “He must have forgotten to inform me..." He struggled to find anything to say, anything to ask beyond is this really necessary, but knowing his father he knew it was. Any indication that he would testify would result in Jin Guangyao ending up in a terrible “accident”. It had happened before, after all. 

Jiang Cheng checked his watch, an ornate piece worth more than Jin Guangyao could guess at, and ushered him to the door. “You are to stay in a hotel room for the duration of the trial. Someone will be bringing food and necessities for you, so if there is anything you need from your place you can tell me and I'll arrange for it to be brought here. Any phone calls will have to be monitored, any guests vetted, but you will still be able to be in secure rooms alone.”

He nodded along and followed behind as Jiang Cheng strode towards the front door. The suit he wore was well tailored, the trousers almost fitting like a second skin, and a part of him wondered if Lan Xichen had done this on purpose - if he had chosen someone to distract him from the situation as well as to protect him. 

He was ushered into a black car with tinted windows and the fear came back. But Jiang Cheng got in beside him and clicked his seat belt in place. The car drove off, air conditioning blowing cool air across his face, and he felt a sudden shock as his companion held out something. 

“Here,” Jiang Cheng said, a frown on his lips, “it will help with the shock.”

Chocolate. Jin Guangyao took the square from out of it's wrapper and put it in his mouth, let it melt on his tongue and sank back into the seat. 

“It's really happening,” he murmured to himself. “I'm finally doing the right thing and it might kill me.”

Jiang Cheng snorted beside him and popped a chocolate into his mouth. “The right thing is never easy. But in the end it is worth it. Trust me on that.”

He glanced over and caught the man's eye. They stared at one another for a long moment, neither sure as to what to make of their situation, but both feeling a tug that could only spell trouble. 

[khazadspoon]

if you're still taking prompts, 13 or 46 for chengyao?

I am always taking prompts hohoooo. Hope this is something you will enjoy!

13 - “Look, I know you’re a hardass, but can you play with my hair? It would really help.”

46 - “As long as I get to hold your hand.”

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Happiness was no longer a fleeting thing in Jin Guangyao's world. If pressed, he couldn't define when it had become ever present, or when it had really taken root, but he could pinpoint the most constant source with ease. 

There, sat on a wide and sparsely decorated cushion, the often stern leader of the Jiang Sect held the happiness of Jin Guangyao's life in his hands. Or to be more precise, was the source of Jin Guangyao's happiness. The past year had been far from blissful as they navigated what it meant to be partners beyond their politics and family allegiances, but Jin Guangyao had seen first hand how they had benefited one another. 

Jiang Cheng barely moved as he opened the panel door and shut it behind him. His brows, stern and straight and ever so slightly furrowed, lifted even as his eyes stayed closed. The only other change was a slight drop in his shoulders as Jin Guangyao's feet padded across the floor. 

The hat came off of his head with a single motion and Jin Guangyao retired for the day. Meng Yao sat beside his partner and lay down, his head in Jiang Cheng's lap, watching in quiet delight as Jiang Cheng's lips lifted up into a smile.

“I know you are supposed to be a hardass,” he started and plucked Jiang Cheng's hand from his side, “but could you play with my hair? It would really help.”

“As long as I can hold your hand,” Jiang Cheng responded with a smirk. Meng Yao nodded and lifted his own hand, letting their fingers intertwine with one hand as the other fell to his head.

Jiang Cheng's fingers began their work, nimble and warm as they carded through his hair. Knots and braids unwound, the tension that had dogged him all afternoon slowly easing away with each pass of Jiang Cheng's fingers. 

“Bad day?” Jiang Cheng asked quietly. Meng Yao nodded and closed his eyes. “Need me to do anything about it?”

He shook his head and smiled at the implication. “It was nothing really, just a rude little man who forgot himself for a moment.”

Jiang Cheng hummed before leaning down, the warmth of his breath announcing the kiss before it came. “Then I'll let it go.” 

The fingers in his hair stilled for a moment before resuming, and Meng Yao let the smile on his lips broaden.Yes… Happiness had become a part of his life as surely as the man stroking his hair had. 

Their joined hands eventually parted and Meng Yao sighed as the newly freed hand rubbed at his temples. 

“I was trying to meditate,” Jiang Cheng said softly. “Though I suppose this is more enjoyable.”

Meng Yao hummed in agreement and felt very much like a cat sitting in the lap of his master. He blinked up at Jiang Cheng and watched the smile curve his lips. “Much more enjoyable.”

Jiang Cheng leaned down and kissed his lips, the tip of his nose bumping Meng Yao's chin and making him laugh into the movement of their mouths. He lifted his arms and draped them as best he could over Jiang Cheng's shoulders, the freedom to do so a thrill in his gut. 

It wasn't love yet, though Jiang Cheng had made it clear he felt that emotion keenly, but he thought it might become loved in time.

[khazadspoon]

23 + chengyao?

I accidentally wrote xiyao instead so it took longer since I had to write basically two fics but I did it!! Enjoy!

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23: a kiss in relief

———-

The retinue from Lanling was late. It was almost unheard of for Jin Guangyao to be late to anything, but as the sun sank lower the tension in Jiang Cheng’s body increased. He paced, snapped at his attendants, tried to take deep breaths as he waited hour after hour for any sign of gold on the horizon.

When they arrived he was almost beside himself. He rushed to the gateway and saw guards with their swords half unsheathed, saw the telltale marks of damage on the main carriage and minor injuries on some of the men, and felt fury rise in his veins. It was only the sight of Jin Guangyao emerging from the carriage that set him at ease. The man stepped down, his expression pale and drawn even as he obviously tried to make it less so for Jiang Cheng’s sake.

“My apologies, Sect Leader Jiang, we were... delayed on the road,” he said in a polite tone that shook ever so slightly at the edges. If it wasn’t for the time they had spent together in the past few years, Jiang Cheng wouldn’t have noticed. If it wasn’t for the way Jin Guangyao had opened up in front of him when they were together, he would have thought everything was fine.

He barked orders at the retinue and bundled Jin Guangyao to somewhere quieter, somewhere out of earshot and away from prying eyes. As soon as he was sure they wouldn’t be disturbed he crushed their lips together in a fierce kiss, holding Jin Guangyao tightly to his chest.

He poured his worry into the kiss, poured the steadily forming love into every movement of his lips, let his relief show in every swipe of his tongue and bite of his teeth. He swallowed the broken moan that rose from Jin Guangyao’s throat and let the man swallow his answering moan. The thrum off nervous energy made his hands shake as he held on tighter, grappling with his own swirling emotions as Jin Guangyao tried to soothe him and calm him.

“You were late,” he growled, “you’re never late and when I saw the guards I... I thought...”

Jin Guangyao hushed him gently and shivered, pressed closer until his face was half buried in Jiang Cheng’s throat. “It was only bandits.”

“Are they dead?” He asked in a cold voice.

Jin Guangyao nodded and kissed the rapid flutter of his pulse just beneath his jaw. He shivered and grasped tighter at the back of Jin Guangyao’s robes.

“Good. If they had hurt you, if a-Ling had been with you-”

Jin Guangyao kissed him, small hands either side of Jiang Cheng’s face. The warmth of him, alive and safe in his arms, calmed Jiang Cheng more than any incense or tea ever could. “I’m not hurt. I am well protected by my guards. And besides, I am never defenceless, you know that.”

He took a deep breath and let the taste of Jin Guangyao’s lips sink into him. “I know; really, I do.”

They kissed again, the desperation gone, and Jiang Cheng sighed into it.

“Come to me tonight?” He asked quietly, hands roaming from the dip of Jin Guangyao’s spine to the trim curve of his waist.

The older man nodded as he drew away. “Of course. You couldn’t keep me away if you tried.”

He wouldn’t try - he was in far too deep for that now.

[khazadspoon]

oooh, for the kiss meme how about 19 or 37 for chengyao or 21 for xiyao! dealer's choice XD

okay so I did the chengyao ones because I couldn’t think of anything for the xiyao im sorry TT^TT  the first one takes place in my xichen week universe and the second is just like, soft canon au stuff~

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19 - A kiss for luck

“And you’re sure you want to do this?” Jiang Cheng asked him, his body tense and a sharpness to his voice Meng Yao knew was entirely anxiety and not at all anger. There were subtle differences to the sharp edges Jiang Cheng wore like armor. Meng Yao was learning them more and more each day. 

But, standing outside of the impressive building his father had taken residence in, he couldn’t help himself from needing a little tender care instead. He nodded and let the air rush from his lungs, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I’m sure. If I don’t, I will never be free of him.”

Jiang Cheng frowned and nodded once. “Alright. Just- don’t take any shit from him, okay? He isn’t worth it.”

The statement was ridiculous, almost laughable, but it made Meng Yao smile. He looked up at Jiang Cheng and tilted his head to the side. The man looked almost ready to fight the first person who stepped out of the building. When he had offered to drive Meng Yao to his father’s apartment suite it had been a surprise - they had spoken little, only coming into contact through Lan Xichen and their now wedded family, so it had been a shock when Jiang Cheng had decided to offer his car, his time, and what little protection his presence might give. It had touched Meng Yao in a way he hadn’t expected. 

“Give me a kiss for good luck?” He asked jokingly.

Jiang Cheng kissed him. 

It was brief, a crush of lips that were inexperienced and uncertain, all heat and fear wrapped in a rush of action that was Jiang Cheng in a nutshell. He held onto Meng Yao’s arms with tight fists. His lips tasted of osmanthus cake. 

Jiang Cheng pulled away with a huff of breath and looked down at the ground. “I’ll be across the street when you come out. I… find me after.”

He rushed across the road and Meng Yao could see the hot flush on his cheeks as he turned to check the road was clear. Meng Yao touched his lips and blinked.

Jiang Cheng had kissed him. 

He had liked it. 

 37 - A kiss without a motive.

Meng Yao kissed in many different ways. Each kiss held its own meaning, its own power and motive that spoke of his intentions. Some kisses were slow and asked for patience, some kisses were hard and unyielding as Meng Yao demanded submission and respect. Some kisses simply asked for a moment of quiet in the midst of a bad day. 

When he leaned across the half-written letter and pressed their lips together, mouth soft and breath a warm sigh against Jiang Cheng’s, it felt different. Something had changed. 

Jiang Cheng tilted his chin and leaned into the kiss. He let nimble fingers tangle gently in the hair at the nape of his neck, shivered as they tugged lightly and moaned quietly at the sensation. He gasped at the sting of teeth on his lip, deepened the kiss as Meng Yao dropped the brush in his other hand and put ink stained fingers on his neck. 

Unlike the other kisses they had shared, Meng Yao did not fight when Jiang Cheng took control. He sighed and bent, curved into Jiang Cheng’s arms as he drew the man closer. A soft sigh and a gentle shiver, the two of them falling into the moment without reservation. 

“What was that for?” Jiang Cheng asked when they parted. He felt warm, almost as though he had drunk a little too much wine as Meng Yao trailed fingers down the rumpled collar of his robes. 

“It wasn’t for anything,” Meng Yao said under his breath, “I just… wanted to kiss you.”

Jiang Cheng stopped the smile before it could curve his lips, chose instead to reach out and brush a stray lock of hair from Meng Yao’s cheek. “I see.”

“Was it too forward of me?”

The sudden uncertainty in Meng Yao’s tone made him frown. “You’ve bedded me, seen me on my knees and made me scream your name - I think we are past the point of ‘too forward’.”

Meng Yao flushed and stifled a laugh. “I suppose we are.”

“Will you come to bed?” He asked, the smile coming to his lips again. He let it.

“When I’ve finished this letter…”