Chapter Text
Lan Qiren
A rustle came from his left, but he ignored it.
Then another from his right.
It rolled back to the other side of the room behind him, and then doubled back with more sounds of paper crinkling.
He felt his eye twitch, but he steadfastly ignored the obvious distraction and focused on the scroll he had in his hands, willing himself to stay strong.
Then, something bumped the low table he had in front of him, and crawled into his lap.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly looked down and locked eyes with the cause of all the noise.
"Meow," Xiao Jie greeted him.
Lan Qiren felt his eye twitch again, and made a mental note to have it checked over at the healing ward later. "Animals are not allowed here," he responded stiffly.
She answered with a wide-open yawn, showing her little fangs and tongue.
Immediately, Lan Qiren could feel his blood pressure rise at the blatant display of rebellion. "You-!" He stopped and forced himself to take in a deep breath. "...You are as infuriating as your mother," he muttered.
She purred, taking it as a compliment.
Shaking his head, he decided to ignore her once more and returned to his scroll. He picked up his brush, dipped it into the ink, and began his progress of copying down a new book of rules. It took intense focus and dedication, but he had provided countless copies to the Pavilion, and one more would not make a difference despite the addition of five hundred new rules.
Despite his focus, he could still hear the telltale pitter-patter of animal paws running all over his room. From his lap, to the bed, to his bookcase, and everywhere around him. He absentmindedly noted that she was pausing every so often, surveying his quarters like a normal animal, even though her nature was one that was more special than the average feline.
Minutes passed by in blissful silence, until a meow was directed at him.
Pausing his writing, Lan Qiren heaved a sigh and turned to look at the young feline. "Do you not have better things to do?" He asked tiredly. "I do not have food or entertainment for you, young one. I am very busy right now."
Xiao Jie paused, before pressing one paw on his thigh. "Meow?" She asked, moving closer to sniff at the still-wet ink on the scroll.
Surprised, the seasoned cultivator looked down at her with raised brows. "...Your interest has been piqued, I see. Has Wei Wuxian taught you much of our ways? Or have you been blessed with prior knowledge?"
Tail waving curiously, Xiao Jie wiggled her rump, and then pounced into his lap. Spinning around a few times, she finally settled into a seat to get a better look at the scroll. "Mew," she requested respectfully, one paw touching the thin paper.
"Well!" Pleased, Lan Qiren cleared his throat. "Since you show an active interest in our studies, unlike your mother, I will recite to you our four thousand rules. You see, when Wei Wuxian attended our lessons, we only had three thousand carved onto the Wall, but as the years have passed by-" His face darkened. "-And the amount of troublemakers have increased after hearing of Wei Wuxian's infamous pranks here, we have added an additional one thousand rules."
The kitten stared up at her granduncle with large golden orbs painted with disbelief. "...Mrow?" Why?
"Young cultivators need to be disciplined," he answered with a lecturing tone. "They are at the age where inexperience plays a large part in every part of their lives, and through that inexperience, they will commit countless mistakes and carry those bad habits with them as they grow older. By reminding them of what to do and what they should not do, they can hone their budding golden cores to become a skilled and refined cultivator."
Xiao Jie scrunched her muzzle. "...Mew." I guess.
"Now..." Lan Qiren straightened his back. "Let me recite to you all four thousand rules. You are still young enough to be taught, and I can at least direct you to be less rowdy than your mother. Rule one: One should not kill. Rule two: One should not fight. Rule three: One should not argue. Rule four: One should not be too loud. Rule five: One should not be too quiet. Rule six: One should not sprint in a hurry. Rule seven: One should not meander. Rule eight: One should not stay out too late. Rule nine: One should not skip class. Rule ten: One should not leave too early..."
Time passed, until the sun began to set outside, casting an orange glow into the room.
"Rule two-thousand forty-six: One should not purchase more than two dangling charms. Rule two-thousand forty-seven: One should wear their hair up. Rule two-thousand forty-eight: One should not wear too many hair accessories. Rule two-thousand forty-nine-"
"Uncle!" Wei Wuxian popped in from a side door. "Have you seen my little baby? I asked Jingyi and he said she was wandering around here-"
He stopped when he saw the most adorable sight he had ever seen.
While Lan Qiren was not a looker due to his ancient physique and dry personality, his form was greatly improved by the addition of a ball of grey fur, curled up in the alcove of his lap. Xiao Jie had fallen asleep long ago, and had made quite the home for herself in the signature white and blue robes of the Lan sect.
Biting his lip to hold in his grin, Wei Wuxian cupped his face and let out a long and teasing, "Awwww! Uncle! I knew you'd end up liking her!"
Face flushing red, Lan Qiren huffed and held up rule book #5. "Rule three thousand eighty-one: One should not let out embarrassing noises, Wei Wuxian."
"Pshh." Wei Wuxian waved a long-sleeved hand dismissively. "Rules, schmules. By the time Xiao Jie here is ten years old, I'm sure you'll be up to five thousand rules. Anyway..." He pointed at the slumbering kitten. "I'm just here to collect her." He grinned. "We'll get out of your hair."
The elder sighed but acquiesced. Putting the book down to free his hands, he scooped the kitten in his lap with a gentleness that opposed his dislike for animals, and held her out for his nephew-in-law to take. "Make sure to tell her my room is not a playground," he said sternly.
"Yeah yeah! Good night, uncle!" With a flippant smile and wave, the chaotic entity skipped away with his daughter in his arms, leaving the old Lan head alone in his room.
Lan Qiren rolled his eyes at the blatant disrespect, but couldn't find it in his heart to drudge up any strong feeling of dislike for either the former Patriarch, or the young feline that had taken up a third of his day. In fact, if he did not take into account her curious nature, he might even compare her to when Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen had been but mere boys, just barely out of infancy.
Lan Wangji used to sit in his lap as well...
Shaking his head, Lan Qiren went back to his desk and began copying the rest of the rules. "I must be getting old if I am so lax with the rules..." he muttered.
He still found cat hairs around his room and his clothes weeks later.
Jiang Wangyin
Jiang Wangyin, however, had no problem showing his contempt for the feline that had, once again, decided to occupy his throne. "Get. Off."
Xiao Jie looked up at him with half-lidded golden eyes, showing indifference in the face of an angry sect leader. "Mew."
He could feel his temple begin to pulse. "Why are you even here?!" He yelled, straining the muscles in his neck. "As if it's not bad enough that the disciples decided today of all days would be when they would all simultaneously suffer from brain damage and completely botch their training. Now I have to deal with an animal with the mentality of a five year old with the strength of a heavenly beast?!"
She yawned in his face.
Flabbergasted, the Jiang leader threw his hands up in the air. "You're just like your human," he spat. "Disrespectful without a care in the world about anyone but yourself."
At the insult, Xiao Jie immediately got up on all fours and hunched her back. "Hss!" She bared her teeth, her fur standing straight up.
"Hey, hey!" Speak of the devil himself. Getting between the two, Wei Wuxian held out his hands. "Everyone, calm down, okay?" He turned to his daughter with mock disapproval. "Xiao Jie, this is your uncle. Don't sit in his chair, okay?"
Jiang Wangyin began to settle.
"He's probably farted there for years," Wei Wuxian continued.
The feline immediately let out a noise of disgust and darted down from the chair to climb up her mother's robes, sitting on her shoulder. "Mew." Much better and cleaner.
Jaw-dropped at the audacity of his sworn brother, Jiang Wangyin groaned and shook his head. "No, I'm done. Get out, both of you," he commanded, pointing to the entrance.
Wei Wuxian frowned. "Jiang Cheng, don't be so mean to me," he whined. "I haven't even gotten my hands on some of Yunmeng's signature wine. You know it's my favorite!" He smiled softly, eyes glazed over with nostalgia. "Shijie had always let me buy two bottles."
At the mention of Shijie, Jiang Wangyin visibly flinched and turned away. "...Well, Yanli is not here anymore to tolerate your foolishness," he said in a hoarse whisper. "So go. I'm not in the mood to entertain you and your ilk."
With that, he walked away deeper into the compound.
Scenting the faint smell of salt, Xiao Jie looked up at her mother and meowed quietly, concerned at the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.
Biting his lip, Wei Wuxian used a sleeve to wipe his face. "Ah, sorry..." He chuckled weakly, the sound distorted by his barely held back sorrow. "Just, memories. It's been a long time since we talked about her."
"Meow?" Her?
Sniffling, the former Patriarch walked over to a nearby pond, filled with blooming lotuses. He took in the familiar scent of the flowers he had grown up with, letting it wash over him.
"...Jiang Yanli," he began quietly, "is your aunt. She was my shijie, and Jiang Cheng's older sister. She was like a mom to me; always taking care of me, and making me my favorite lotus pork soup." He smiled slightly. "Even to this day, I still don't think anyone can make a more delicious lotus pork soup than her."
Chirping, Xiao Jie leaned in and nuzzled his cheek, using her tongue to clean off a stray tear that had escaped.
"She...She was our glue." He stared forward with distant eyes. "Without her here, Jiang Cheng and I aren't as close as we used to be. Especially since I..."
He looked down at his palms, and shuddered. "Especially since it was my fault she died."
Alarmed, the kitten looked at him with wide eyes.
Sighing, Wei Wuxian smiled softly and rubbed her head, smiling wider when she purred at his touch. "You're a little too young to tell this story to, but maybe someday, I'll tell you everything. Right now, the wound is a little too fresh."
She nodded. Raising her two thick whiskers, she glowed gold for a second, enveloping her mother in a soothing aura that chased away his nightmares and anxiety.
Wei Wuxian exhaled, content. "You're the best, baby."
Purring, she nuzzled him once more before jumping off his shoulder and padding off. She followed the scent of barely repressed anger and despair, all the way to a building that was a little a ways from the rest of the compound. Already, her sensitive nose stung from the intense smell of burning incense, as well as the salty aftertaste of the air.
She peeked inside.
The recognizable silhouette draped in refined purples was the first thing she saw, as well as his bent back and his low murmurs. His hands were held together in a prayer, one that did not falter even after minutes of observing him.
The second thing she noticed was the large elaborate shrine he was kneeling in front of. It was intricately carved, with dozens of names, all holding the Jiang name. Candles and incense were lit all around it, creating a somber and sacred atmosphere.
"Mother, father, sister..." She heard her uncle whisper. "I don't know what to do. Even now, I still don't think I'm ready or fit to lead the Jiangs. So many of them are new. They don't know our history; they don't know what we went through. The humiliation, the complete and utter massacre of our people..." His hands shook. "I can't...I still get so easily angered. I'm not a good leader. I can't even hold my temper at a simple cat, or him."
He let out a shuddering sigh.
"Why did he have to mention you, A-jie? I know now that he...that he wasn't the one who...but I can't just forget that his actions had created this. I..." He clenched his jaw. "I still love him as my brother, but I can't trust him so easily anymore. Everywhere he goes, chaos follows. I know I can't blame him, though." He sighed, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion. "I know that if you were still here, you'd be pushing us to be brothers again. A-jie, you were always the best of us..."
He buried his face in his arms, unable to keep up his prayers. "I wish you were here..."
Xiao Jie's ears drooped. With a small bow at the intrusion, she slowly padded inside the memorial, stopping beside her uncle. "Meow," she greeted him quietly.
He stiffened. Slowly lifting his head, he looked at her with accusing eyes. "What are you doing here?" He lashed out. "Don't you know this place is sacred?!"
Sitting upright, Xiao Jie locked gazes with him.
Jiang Wangyin paused. Unlike the rebellious dismissal she had shown him before, she was now a solemn being that conveyed to him a deeper understanding than he had ever thought her to have. "What are you..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
Glowing gold once more, Xiao Jie lifted her whiskers up, letting the energy inside her seep into the very air itself. It felt like electricity; shocking and a brightness to the senses, almost like being awoken.
Jiang Wangyin opened his mouth, ready to yell, but found that he couldn't. Or rather, he didn't want to.
All the rage he had balled up inside him, from being compared to Wei Wuxian, from needing to be a strict leader, from wanting to destroy those that had ruined his family.
All the resentment he held, from being too weak, too slow, too useless.
All he sorrow he clung to, from losing his father, mother, and sister.
They were all washed away with every pulse of holy energy, emanating from the little feline in front of him.
All that was left was peace.
Taking in a deep breath, he even found it was easier to breathe, as if a pressure that had been present for who knew how long had finally dissipated. The wounds that he carried with him had stopped aching, just like when his mother used to bandage his cuts. When his father told him he was proud. When his sister told him she loved him.
Opening his eyes that he didn't even notice had closed, he gazed down at the kitten, who had stopped projecting her power, and now was regarding him with a calm and understanding stare.
He knelt down and reached out...and gently petted her head. "...I suppose I should thank you," he murmured, face soft with a hint of a smile.
Xiao Jie purred, butting her head against his palm. "Mew."
Watching from the doorway, Wei Wuxian smiled warmly at the sight, and looked up at the memorial. "...It'll all be okay, Shijie," he whispered.
A breeze rustled his hair, bringing with it the scent of lotuses.
Lan Wangji
Xiao Jie maintained a hyper focus on the being in front of her. There were several around, all of them strolling through the secluded garden with nary a care in the world. Swathed in pure white, they were all oblivious to the apex predator among them.
With a wiggle of her rump in anticipation, Xiao Jie waited, waited, and...pounced!
Leaping forward, she surprised her prey with a happy chirp, but of course, they weren't as happy with being scared half to death, and quickly scurried away with a hop.
The rest of the rabbits all gathered together in a group, staring down the predator with wide, unblinking red eyes.
Eyes lit up with the excitement of chasing prey, Xiao Jie prepared once more to leap, but a large hand stopped her. A human hand.
"No," Lan Wangji said, gazing down at his 'daughter' with an apathetic expression. "They are fragile."
Xiao Jie would have pouted if she could. "Meow!" She yowled in protest. She only wanted to have fun, and the rabbits were supposed to be her siblings, weren't they? He was her mother's husband, and these rabbits were like his children. Ergo, they should be allowed to play together.
Lan Wangji shook his head, keeping his hand extended to stop her from further pursuits.
With a sigh, Xiao Jie reluctantly padded away from the rabbits. She wasn't going to admit she really was pouting, or that she was being childish. Was it really so bad to play with the bunnies? It wasn't like she was going to hurt them.
Amused eyes followed her trek, and he accompanied her near the large tree. Gathering his robes, he elegantly took a seat, and waited.
Golden orbs darted to him, followed by a snarky, "meow."
Lan Wangji hummed a noncommittal sound.
Letting out another sigh, Xiao Jie stretched as a way to stem the boredom she felt.
Glancing at her once more, he reached into his sleeve, and pulled out a rather fluffy plant that was aptly named a 'cattail.' Without a word, he waved it in front of her enticingly.
Immediately, she jerked up and followed its movements with intense focus, her head moving in the same directions as the teasing plant.
Huffing quietly, Lan Wangji dangled it higher, and watched as she jumped up, trying to catch it between her paws, but it slipped away at the very last moment.
"Meow!" Xiao Jie cried out in excitement. This was fun!
The two played for a while, and after some time, even the rabbits began to gather nearby, peacefully munching on some of the vegetables that their master had brought with him. Even the weather was peaceful, though that was a given since it was Cloud Recesses.
Deciding there was enough enthusiasm for the day, Lan Wangji let the cattail fall, and the kitten immediately snatched it up between her paws, gnawing on it with a little fang. She rolled over, trying to defeat her wily foe that had eluded her every attempt.
"Xiao Jie," Lan Wangji called out to her quietly. She paused and looked up at him, cattail still between her fangs. He patted to a spot in front of him.
Curious, the kitten reluctantly let go of her earned prey and padded up to him, taking a seat with her back straight just like him. "Mrow?" She asked, tilting her head in an adorable manner.
His lips twitched. "How is life here for you?"
She blinked at the question. "...Mew. Meow." It's been good. Great, really.
He closed his eyes, serene. "Is that so..."
They sat in silence for a moment, before she placed a paw on his leg. He looked down at her, questioning.
"Mrow?" she tentatively asked. Do you like me?
Lan Wangji contemplated the question. "...Why do you ask?"
"Mew...Meow." You don't spend as much time with me as mother. When you met me, you were scared.
"For him, yes," he gently corrected. "Wei Ying does not consider his own safety as often as I would like. When I saw you in our room, I knew you were not an ordinary animal, though it seemed he was under the assumption."
Xiao Jie snorted. Mother was reckless.
He nodded in agreement. "Indeed." A small graced his face. "But, he would not be Wei Ying if he was not."
She purred.
He regarded her for a moment. "...While I did not envision a being such as you joining our little family, you bring much joy to Wei Ying, and he you. It would be remiss of me to try to separate you two, especially now when your bond has strengthened. Therefore, if you are serious in staying, then I will endeavor to be your other parental figure."
Placing his hands together in front of him, he bowed. "I formally welcome you to the Lan family."
The kitten straightened, ears stood up in surprise. "Mew..." she said, astonished.
Once she was able to fully process his words, she too bowed back. "Meow." Father.
Lan Wangji was amused. "I do not think you received those manners from your mother." He reached out and gently petted her. "Perhaps you will take after me more."
Xiao Jie puffed up her chest.
WangXian
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian barely gave his husband any warning before throwing his arms around his broad shoulders. "I missed you!"
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji greeted him with a fond look and a barely-there smile. Though he didn't say any more, he leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around his husband's smaller frame and burying his nose in his rich obsidian locks.
Wei Wuxian sighed happily at the contact and rested his head in the crook between the taller man's neck and shoulder. "How was your day?"
"Fine," Lan Wangji murmured. "The disciples are now learning how to use music with their golden cores."
"Lessons, hm?" The former Patriarch hummed, nostalgic. "I remember when we had lessons together, though I never learned music here."
Nodding indulgently, Lan Wangji maneuvered them both over to their bed so they wouldn't have to strain themselves standing up. It was late, almost bedtime, and he had washed up before entering their bedroom. Looking over his husband, he noted that he was also dressed in his sleeping robes; a charcoal black and red to contrast his white and blue.
"Perhaps you could teach," Lan Wangji suggested quietly. "You have become quite proficient with your flute."
Wei Wuxian snorted. "Me? Teach? You can't make me go within a hundred feet of the classroom ever again. Besides, these are all Lan disciples, and they're at that age where they think they have to be all stiff and void of fun. Plus, I'm the Yiling Patriarch. I doubt any of them would want to learn from me, else they'll get labeled evil and dark too. Besides..." A lascivious grin appeared. "I would rather play your flute," he said while wiggling his eyebrows.
Lan Wangji tensed, eyes narrowed with a heated intensity that always made his heart skip a beat. "Shameless," he murmured in a breath. "My Wei Ying..."
"Yes..." Wei Wuxian sighed contently when his husband leaned in closer, placing his lips on his pulse point. "Your shameless Wei Ying..."
Sucking at the skin, Lan Wangji bit down, enjoying the moan he heard. He moved back, placing his hands on either side of his husband's face, and leaned down to connect their lips. He then gently pushed him onto the bed so he was splayed out underneath him, and leaned away to admire the view as he always did.
"Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian pouted yearningly, his robes falling off his shoulders to show pale skin and elegant collarbones. "Come closer. This shameless one needs you to fulfill your husbandly duties."
Amused, Lan Wangji let out a huff before acquiescing, intent on molding their bodies together--
"Meow."
The two stilled, and slowly moved their heads to look at their interruption.
Xiao Jie sat the floor in front of the bed, large eyes blinking curiously at their activities. "Mrow?" What are you two doing, father? Mother?
Lan Wangji did not answer, but Wei Wuxian reddened and hurried to close his robes. "Ah-! Xiao Jie! Uh..." With the mood ruined, he let out a defeated sigh and slumped back onto the bed. "It's bedtime, huh?"
She bobbed her head, and with the invitation, jumped onto the bed, landing on the blanket.
Sighing, Lan Wangji moved and laid down on the bed as well beside his husband.
As he watched their daughter climb up over the blanket as if it was a mountainous region, Wei Wuxian pouted. "So this is what having kids is like..." he muttered under his breath.
Finally arriving at the head of the bed, Xiao Jie kneaded her spot before curling up into a ball between their two pillows.
Smiling fondly at the sight, Wei Wuxian reached out under the blanket and found his husband's hand, who then intertwined their fingers. "Good night, Lan Zhan, love you."
"Good night, Wei Ying," Lan Wangji replied quietly but warmly. "I love you as well."
"Mrow!"
"Love you as well, Xiao Jie," they both intoned together, exasperated but with a smile on their faces.
As they closed their eyes and surrendered to sleep, the three slowly moved closer until they were all cuddling together, as a family.