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Chapter Text

Once upon a time, in an Empire far, far away (it’s actually China, but don’t worry about it), there ruled a powerful Emperor. The Emperor was a very strong ruler, commanding massive armies and garnering the respect and fear of all across the land.

But the Emperor was a very arrogant man. He embellished his palace with motifs of the Sun as though he had plucked it out of the sky himself. He was selfish and prideful, likening himself to a god, and ruled with an iron fist.

As Emperor, he held only the finest things in all the land. And he loved to gloat about his riches at grand parties held in his palace.

One night, late into a raucous ball of wine and song, an old, haggard woman knocked at the palace doors.

Her hand boomed against the massive doors. But none noticed; all were deep in their drunken delight.

The guards tried to turn the woman away. But she stayed and called the Emperor by name.

They tried to threaten her. But she stayed and demanded the Emperor’s presence.

Curious about the old woman, the Emperor came out to meet her.

The old woman claimed that she was a sickly pilgrim. All the Inns were full of accommodating the nobles that came far and wide to enjoy the festivities. So she asked to rest for the night in the palace.

In a withered and gnarled hand, the crone held out a single, beautiful rose to pay with.

The Emperor was enraged by the old woman’s impertinence. He insulted the crone and swiped the rose out of her hand to crush beneath his heel.

He slammed the doors in the old woman’s face, and all seemed to return to normal.

But then the palace was plunged into darkness.

The old woman appeared in front of the Emperor and all of his guests. In a dazzling burst of light, the crone shed her disguise as an ugly old woman and showed her true form as a beautiful immortal. She cursed the Emperor and everyone who worked and lived in the palace.

The Emperor was transformed into a massive beast. All his servants died instantly, and their spirits were bound to the palace walls. The sight of the horrible curse ran all the nobles out of the city.

The guests returned to their homes and have since planned many sieges against the palace to kill the beast. Yet it stood tall and proud through it all, its occupants unharmed.

Over the years, the Empire fell into ruins from infighting and the lack of an Emperor.

A forest grew around the palace, hiding it deep within its shadows.

The beast had never been seen since that fateful night long ago. And he and all who served him faded into history.

A beautiful morning greeted Jiang Fengmian as he left home.

The small town he lived in with his children was waking up with a clamor.

Villagers greeted each other with cheery “Hellos”, as they began their morning routine, the same as every morning before.

The butcher, Nie Mingjue, was carrying a tray of his freshest cuts to display in his store window.

“Good morning, Master Jiang. Going back to the library again already?” Nie Mingjue asked in passing.

“Yes.” Jiang Fengmian replied. “I’m surprised myself, but this book completely captivated me.”

“That’s good.” Nie Mingjue replied out of basic courtesy. “Huaisang! Hurry up!” He shouted into the butchery. Clamoring pans echoed out from inside the butchery as the younger brother snapped to attention.

Jiang Fengmian walked away, not quite willing to stay around for the incoming argument.

Jiang Fengmian wandered past the town’s usual antics with a cursory smile.

There was little Lan Jingyi, chasing after his family’s chickens with a stick.

Young scholar boy Ouyang Zizhen passed a line of flirtation with young maiden A-Qing as she walked with her father and brother.

Jiang Fengmian passed by them all and stepped into the small-town library.

The small bell above the door jingled as he entered the bookshop.

“Hello, Master Jiang.” Lan Qiren greeted her. His eyes focused on a stack of paperwork on the front desk.

“Hello, Master Qiren.” Jiang Fengmian said, “Have you received any new books?”

“Not since last week.” Lan Qiren replied without looking up.

He was used to the Jiang father visiting his library for both fantasy and educational books to read with his children. As familiar with each other as a store owner and a regular customer could be.

Jiang Fengmian climbed up the store ladder to place the book he came to return.

“That’s alright.” Jiang Fengmian said: His long fingers traced the book spines, knowing the titles by heart. He picked out an old, worn book. “I’d like to borrow this one for a while.”

“That one?” Lan Qiren looked up and raised a brow at the thin, tattered thing. “You’d check that one out nearly every month.”

“I can’t help myself.” Jiang Fengmian explains, stepping off the ladder and holding the book close. “It was their favorite. It means quite a bit to me.”

Lan Qiren listened, nodding at Fengmian’s words.

“Well, since it means so much, it’s yours.” Lan Qiren said: His words were nonchalant but sincere, as he understood the special affection one can have for a familiar story.

“Are you sure?” Fengmian was surprised that the normally frugal Lan Qiren would let anyone keep one of his library’s books.

Lan Qiren nodded. “Your sons are leaving for the Inventors’ Festival in Yiling soon, right? I’m sure you wanted some form of a gift for them.”

Jiang Fengmian blushed a bit at being so easily read, but he smiled as he remembered the hard work and long hours his sons spent on their newest invention.

“Thank you, Lan Qiren.” He bowed. After his offer of money to pay for the book was waved off, Fengmian left, shutting the door behind him.

“Uncle?” Lan Xichen walked out of the back room. “That was Master Fengmian, wasn’t it?”

Lan Qiren scoffed lightly; his attention focused back on his papers. “Why bother asking that? I know you heard everything in this little library.”

Lan Xichen chuckled at being exposed.

“I’m sorry, Uncle. But it’s just so rare that you let anyone keep one of the books. I’m sure Master Jiang will take good care of it.” Lan Xichen said, bolstering his words as his younger brother, Lan Wangji, came out from the back of the shop as well.

Lan Wangji stopped by his brother’s side; his eyes lit up in interest. Not so much in the Jiang father taking one of his Uncle’s books home but more in who might read the book. Lan Xichen noticed the spark in his younger brother’s amber eyes and made a mental note with a smile for them to visit the Jiang house soon.

Back out into the town, after a few more polite greetings and catching up with the friendly locals, Jiang Fengmian set off on the track back home.

Above, a flock of geese was flying overhead. The elegant formation sent the birds scattering in panic as a whistling arrow pierced one of them.

Jin Zixun scuttled to catch it as it fell and stuffed it into a sack.

“Nice shot, Uncle GuangShan. You’re the best hunter in the whole town.” Jin Zixun praised his uncle as he hurried back to his side.

A person with common sense would point out that Jin Guangshan was the only hunter in the town, and a rather lazy one at that.

The Jin family head would only ever take aim at the easiest of prey. The struck fowl, having been sickly, was lagging behind at the tail end of the flock.

“No animal stands a chance against you. No woman either.” Jin Zixun continued his praise, sneaking a glance at the woman flitting by, giggling coyly behind their fans.

“I know, A-Xun. But I've got my sights set on a lovelier prize.” Jin Guangshan said:

Jin Guangshan swept his bow to point at Jiang Fengmian, the man weaving through the morning traffic with his nose buried in the old book.

“T-the Jiang family father?!” Jin Zixun stuttered.

Jiang Fengmian was indeed a very handsome man, with a delicate sort of beauty like the Lotus flowers that crest his family name.

“That’s right, Zixun. He’s the one, the lucky man I’m going to marry.” Jin Guangshan said:

“Jiang Fengmian? But he’s-” Jin Zixun tried to dissuade his uncle.

“Utterly gorgeous.” Jin Guangshan continued.

“But his-”

“And that makes him the best. And don’t I deserve the best?” Jin Guangshan’s voice turned venomous, glaring at Jin Zixun.

“Of course! But Uncle, please reconsider!” Jin Zixun pleaded, but his uncle ignored him in favor of fretting over his hair. “Remember that no matter how briefly it was, he was married to, and the mother of his kids is, Yu Ziyuan. The woman who Jin Zixun trailed off.

You eloped with your own wife and ran out of town together.” Was left unsaid, fearful of whatever reaction it might spark from the Jin head.

“Yu Ziyuan can continue being tortured by that beastly woman!” Jin Guangshan boasted to the heavens. “She left her husband behind, open for the kill!” He laughed.

The laughter died as the streets started to crowd completely, flushing Jiang Fengmian out of sight.

Jin Guangshan grabbed Jin Zixun’s collar to follow him as he gave chase.

Jiang Fengmian was reading the book as he walked, nostalgia making his eyes rove over the words. Not really registering the story, but the memories of his children, young and jumping in bed, wanting a story to delay their sleep time just a little longer.

A-Xian and A-Cheng tucked in, the bedside lamp casting a soft glow. Yanli was sitting on his knee, happily turning the pages for him as he read the bedtime story night after night.

His reminiscing stopped abruptly as Jin Guangshan suddenly appeared next to him.

“Master Jin.” Jiang Fengmian closed the book and held it against his chest. “How are you doing today?”

Jin Guangshan flashed a charming smile that sent the women still lingering around blushing. But it just set Jiang Fengmian’s heart into a grimace.

“Simply enjoy the weather, Fengmian-xiong.” Jin Guangshan purred. “Hunted for a fair few. Maybe you would like to stop by my abode and see the trophies I’ve collected?”

Jiang Fengmian chuckled awkwardly, wanting to dispel whatever pressure Jin Guangshan was trying to exert.

“That’s very kind, Shan-shidi, but I must be heading home.” Jiang Fengmian carelessly gestured with a hand, lowering the guard he had set around the book in his arms.

Jin Guangshan plucked it from his grasp, smiling innocently like a mischevious child.

He quickly thumbed through the pages, whining, “How can you read this? It’s so bland without pictures!”

He reached the book back towards Fengmian, letting it slip from his fingers. Jiang Fengmian just managed to catch the book before it fell onto the muddy road.

“A-Shan, please be more careful.” Fengmian scolded the younger man.

Jin Guangshan shrank back, abashed by the man’s tone. But he quickly regained his flattering countenance.

“The books in my home are much more Pleasing to the eye.” He tried to coax Fengmian like a shy maiden.

Fengmian sighed and held back from rolling his eyes at the insinuation.

“I’m sorry, A-Shan, but I have to get home to help my sons.” Jiang Fengmian tried to excuse himself again.

“Ha! Those two nuts need all the help they can get.” Jin Zixun piped up from his uncle’s shadow.

The jab made the two Jins laugh.

“Last I saw you, young Zixun, you were greatly enjoying the fruits of those ‘two nuts’ labor.” Jiang Fengmian retorted.

Jin Zixun paled at the man’s riposte and turned red with anger as he remembered that he did in fact drink beer distilled by the two Jiang brothers' fermentation mill. Despite how much the town may ridicule the Jiang family’s odd behavior, it’d be difficult to find a single complaint against the useful machines the sons made.

And Jiang Fengmian knew quite well how much the town’s daily workload had eased thanks to his children.

Jin Guangshan tried to save face by cuffing Jin Zixun on the head. Yes, A-Xun, don’t talk about his sons that way.”

But then a plume of smoke exploded from the Jiang house on a hill, the boom echoing all the way to the town, and it sent the two into another fit of laughter.

Jiang Fengmian gasped in fear and ran back home as fast as he could. The two’s laughter faded out behind him.

As he reached the house, Jiang Fengmian instantly went to enter the cellar, his sons’ lair of inventions.

Jiang Fengmian rushed to open the cellar doors, releasing a puff of black smoke straight into his face.

“A-Cheng! A-Xian!” He coughed in between his words, holding up a hand against the smoke as he rushed down the steps.

Waving away the smoke, Jiang Fengmian choked at the sight of his sons.

Jiang Cheng was lying on his back, his entire face covered in soot except for around his eyes, protected by his goggles. Otherwise unharmed, he just stared up at the ceiling.

Wei Wuxian was struggling and kicking wildly about. His entire upper half was stuck in a barrel, and he punched it from the inside as he yelled for help, muffled by the wooden prison.

Leave it to his sons to reduce Jiang Fengmian to tears of laughter.

Jiang Yanli came down into the cellar, carrying dinner on a tray. She was very used to the house spontaneously shaking and exploding from whatever her younger brothers were working on.

“A-Xian, A-Cheng, Father.” She greeted each of them with a warm smile. “I made some lotus pork soup. I’m sorry I can’t make much more; I’ve been so busy preparing myself.”

Wei Wuxian punched at the inside of the barrel, breaking it apart.

“It’s fine, Shijie!" He exclaimed, Free! smiling wide.

Jiang Cheng pushed himself up with a groan. Jiang Fengmian managed to calm down from his amusement enough to pull a clean rag from the worktable and help his son clean the soot from his face.

“Thank you for understanding, A-Xian.” She giggles behind a sleeve.

“And you, A-Cheng?” She worked hard to earn acceptance to the city college. Her brothers would never dream of discouraging their sister from capitalizing on such an amazing chance, but she didn’t want to set off with one of her dear brothers opposed.

Jiang Cheng thought of how his sister would be gone for weeks in a faraway city, with that rude Jin Zixuan no less, and pouted.

Jiang Fengmian patted his son’s back, making him speak up.

“It’s fine, Jie Jie." Jiang Cheng muttered, blushing deeply. “I’m happy for you.”

Jiang Cheng may have his grievances, but he is genuinely happy for his sister.

“Thank you, A-Cheng.” Jiang Yanli helped her brother get back on his feet.

“I would ask how your work is coming along,” Jiang Fengmian teased softly, “but I fear I already have an answer.”

Wei Ying laughed at the jab. Jiang Cheng sighed, disgruntled and defeated, kicking at the mountain of steel.

“It’s impossible, Dad! This thing will never work!” Jiang Cheng huffed.

Jiang Fengmian sat to listen to his sons’ plight with a patient ear. Yanli grabbed a bucket of cleaning materials to start cleaning up the little cellar.

Oh, come on, Jiang Cheng.” Wei Ying slaps a hand on his shoulder. “It was just a minor shakeup. We’re close to getting it working smoothly; I know it.”

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes but relaxed a bit under his adopted brother’s reassuring words.

“What is this supposed to be anyway?” Yanli asked as she swept. Her brothers have been keeping their little project a secret for a while.

Wei Ying smiled wide and said with grandeur, “Da dada duuun! May I present the motorized wood chopper? Save hours building up your wood stock for the winter!”

Indeed, Jiang Fengmian noticed the ax blade fixed to a mechanical arm.

Jiang Cheng groaned again, embarrassed by Wei Ying’s theatrics.

“Even if we got it working, who would want to buy it? It seems so lazy to let a machine replace doing such a simple chore.” He said.

“Lots of people will want it.” Wei Ying shrugged. “Lazy people, disabled people, old people Heck, even Uncle Jiang is getting on in his years.”

That last part was completely off-topic, as Wei Ying tends to do. And Jiang Cheng happily yelled at him for it.

But Jiang Fengmian couldn’t really argue. All his children were close to twenty, and it’s been years since Ziyuan left.

Ah, his former wife. Despite how the villagers may gossip and distort the true story beyond recognition, he holds no bitterness or anger towards her. In fact, they parted on generally good terms.

It took a while for his children to understand—countless nights of crying and consoling—but Yanli and A-Cheng knew their mother loved them. Even Wei Ying realized that she didn’t resent him as much as it seemed, but that it was simply an unfortunate twist in her life that was already giving her grief and confusion.

Yu Ziyuan may have been the one who proposed to him, but Fengmian always had an inkling that she held feelings for someone else. His love for her was genuine, and though rocky at times, their marriage was mostly a loving and smooth affair. It was only after she asked if they could move to the small town on the outskirts, the same town that the Jin family moved to for land expansion, that he realized the truth.

Both Yu Ziyuan and Madam Jin, the ex-wife of Jin Guangshan, were noble ladies. Who grew up their whole lives being told to marry rich and refined noblemen. The two women, childhood friends, always held a special place in each other's hearts, swearing to unite their families should their future children be compatible.

But due to their strict upbringing under the cruel and judgmental eyes of their elders and peers, they never truly realized the depth of their affections for each other until they got far from the capital.

It sent Yu Ziyuan into a spiral. Confused and angry at the confusion, she closed herself off. Afraid of confronting all she let slip by her and what her current family would think.

Fengmian was upset at the thought of their family breaking apart. But as he saw his wife fall deeper into despair, he knew he had to let her go and encourage her to pursue her own happiness. So after a long talk filled with screaming, tears, hugs, and comfort, Yu Ziyuan accepted who her heart yearned for.

Madam Jin, having gone through her own conundrum herself, divorced Jin Guangshan and proposed to Yu Ziyuan.

The Jiang parents' divorce was a lot quieter and peaceful in comparison to the Jin’s. One day the two were walking through the market side by side; the next, the wives were running off together.

They had to run. For all that Fengmian understood and that Jin Guangshan could care less about his ex-wife, the locals were still scandalized by it all and threw judgments left and right. The two women could never live together in peace there.

Their children cried—both Ziyuan’s and Madam Jin’s single son. The mothers held them close, pressing kisses to their hair and muttering how much they loved them all.

Neither could take their children with them. Maybe once they settled in a different town, married, and had stable jobs, they could come back to see them again. But they could never bear dragging them along this way and that without assurance of an education and a roof.

At least with their former husbands, they had those guarantees. Madam Jin never loved Jin Guangshan, but she trusted that the man would be good to his one legitimate heir. And Ziyuan knew that Fengmian would do anything for their children.

After the two left, hand in hand and with bags full of everything they needed, the town settled down.

Jin Guangshan carried on flirting and giving Jin Zixuan whatever he wanted without a single glance back. It took a while longer for the Jiang family, but it turned out the best it could. It’s been years since then, and every night Fengmian prayed for the best of the two.

“Easy, A-Cheng.” Fengmian placated his son. “Have you an idea about what went wrong?” He asked.

Wei Ying crossed his arms and hummed, thinking for a moment before his eyes lit up. He whispered back and forth with Jiang Cheng, perking up and diving back under the machine.

Clink!  Clank! Ting! Jiang Cheng crawled back out, rubbing his hands in anticipation. He planted a line of wood logs under the ax.

“Okay, let’s start it up.” He said.

At his cue, Wei Ying pulled a lever by the driver’s seat.

The contraption guggled and whistled, then the ax arm came down and up, down and up again. Getting faster until it was a near blur. It cut through the logs like a hot knife through butter.

“You did it!” Jiang Yanli clapped. “You really did it!”

“Well done.” Fengmian congratulated his sons.

The brothers laughed, high fiving.

“Prep the horse, Uncle Jiang; we’re off to the fair!” Wei Ying boasted:

Clang!

Yanli managed to lift the dustpan just in time to save her adopted brother from a wild log.

Jiang Fengmian soothed the mare as they hitched the cart carrying the machine to it.

The boys cut it close, but if they set off that day, they’ll be able to just make it to the fair in Yiling. Thankfully, they prepared everything they needed when they first planned to go. Fengmian worried about his sons traveling by themselves but trusted they’d be able to take care of themselves. And that they were convinced to turn back if anything too out of their element happened, fair be damned.

Their preparation was delayed by a surprise visit from Lan Qiren’s nephews. The famous jade beauties, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji The older one happily greeted everyone. The younger brother, with a more reclusive personality, set his sights on Wei Wuxian instantly. Walking up to Wei Ying, Lan Zhan nodded in time as his crush chatted about anything and everything.

Jiang Fengmian watched the two’s interaction with amusement, noting the familiar gentle smiles and touches exchanged between the two.

Maybe with his sons’ success at the fair, Lan Qiren would be impressed enough to have a more tolerating disposition towards Wei Wuxian. It will certainly make Lan Wangji’s attempt at courting him easier.

Lan Xichen even spared a few words for Jiang Cheng. Fengmian wasn’t sure what he said, but it made Jiang Cheng blush up to his ears as Lan Xichen kept his smile.

“A-Cheng, A-Xian.” Fengmian interrupted, holding the book from the Cloud Library.

The two huddled up with their father.

“This is for you.” He said this, presenting the familiar old storybook. “I know you two are no longer children. But I hope this will be some comfort to you on the road.”

Jiang Cheng was the one to take the book, not saying anything but keeping his eyes soft and happy. Wei Ying gasped at seeing the familiar worn cover, babbling about the nights he remembered Uncle Jiang reading it to them all.

Yanli finished handing them more long-lasting snacks and gave them both a tight hug.

Fengmian gave some last words of encouragement. As the two mounted up onto Loquat’s back, the Lan brothers said their words of farewell and good luck. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji did not break eye contact until Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and kicked Loquat to a trot.

They stopped waving at each other once his sons were out of sight. The Lan brothers said goodbye to the Jiang father and daughter and left.

Jiang Fengmian and Yanli walked back into their small but comfortable house.

“Father, are you sure it’s alright?” Yanli asked. “I’ll be leaving for the college today as well.”

“It’s fine, A-Li.” Fengmian assured his daughter. “This is an incredible opportunity for you. Besides, it’s too late to turn back now.”

“You’ve been studying for years to earn this. I know you’ll do wonderful. I also hope that Jin Zixuan will keep a helping hand out for you.” He said.

Jin Zixuan is a sore spot for the whole Jiang family.

The son of Jin Guangshan, the man’s only legitimate child. The boy acted like a knight in shining armor to the fair and lovely maidens, treating them all as purely innocent girls to be protected.

Yet there used to be not a single day where he wouldn’t spit at Jiang Yanli’s feet and call her plain and ugly, spoiled and selfish.

He would insult Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng whenever they defended their sister. And then run off crying for his father when he loses the resulting fight.

Truly like a peacock. Boasting obnoxiously and then fleeing to prim at his damaged feathers.

Fengmian couldn’t deny the Jin son his anger at the family he thought had torn apart his own. So young and small, sobbing and pleading for his mother to stay with him as she eloped with Yanli’s mother. But enough was enough.

Fengmian confronted the boy and his father, staring the cowering boy down.

“Never come near my daughter again.” He warned once. And once was enough.

Jiang Fengmian, a naturally generous soul, is terrifying when angered. Being at the end of his steely glare, one feels like a twig he’s about to break in half with his foot.

Jin Guangshan promised to properly punish his son. If you can count no allowance and extra paperwork as proper punishment for harassing a young girl,

If it was him or, God forbid, Yu Ziyuan, the boy would have been passed out in the yard after running himself ragged with laborious work and his fingers on the verge of bleeding after writing a thousand apologies to Yanli.

But the Jin family is an accessory to the townsfolk, bringing them a wealth of commerce and delicious gossip from the capital. There wasn’t anything more Jiang Fengmian could do without bringing even more stress on his family.

He could only comfort his daughter and entrust her safety to her brothers when he couldn’t be there.

For a while, Jin Zixuan stayed far from Jiang Yanli, as promised. But dirty looks, sneers, and insults circulated throughout the town because of his attitude toward the Jiang daughter. Jealous girls tortured Yanli at school, and the Jin lackeys of farm boys and servants would jump the brothers as they were out in the town.

Jiang Fengmian seriously considered moving back to the capital to get his daughter away from it all. He still has a range of friends back in the city, and their home there is still theirs, saved and kept clean for his children to inherit one day.

The papers were ready, and the bags were packed. Wei Ying was actually excited at the prospect of moving to the capital city. Jiang Cheng was more withdrawn at the thought of moving from their familiar home but had no complaints if it meant getting his sister away from the sniveling townsfolk and Jin Zixuan.

Yanli was the hardest to convince. She tried to defend Jin Zixuan, citing their difficult family history together. She didn’t want her brothers to be moved so far away from the home they knew their whole lives and felt very guilty about it.

But Fengmian remained firm. He saw the dark circles and puffiness in Yanli’s eyes from a restless night of staying up crying from the newest bout of bullying.

But it seemed like the town didn’t want the Jiang family to go. Just a week before they were set to leave, a typhoon blew through their little town.

Many of the townsfolk were displaced as their homes were razed to the ground.

The Jin mansion and Jiang house survived intact, thanks to their backgrounds as capital nobles. Their country homes are built to last, whatever may come.

But the rest were less fortunate. To help repair the town, the Jin family provided the money, and the Jiang family helped design and plan how to rebuild the town, making it sturdier and more up-to-date with the capital’s architecture as well.

The homes that survived the disaster opened up as temporary kitchens to feed everyone and shelters for those left homeless.

Yanli worked hard in the kitchens to cook for everyone, even staying longer than any others to make extras for her brothers.

And for Jin Zixuan as well.

Jin Zixuan didn’t know it was Yanli who left the extra bowl of soup for him in his room. But the food was always delicious and warm, lifting his depressed spirits.

Yanli simply wanted to provide the boy with some comfort to make up for all that had happened to him, however little she could. But she kept quiet about the fact that it was her so as not to incite his anger and worry her family.

Yet no other maiden in the town was as kind as her. A noble lord’s spoiled daughter saw Yanli come in and out of Jin Zixuan’s room to deliver the bowl of soup. When she overheard Jin Zixuan talking about the good food to his lackeys, she immediately took the opportunity to claim all the glory for herself.

Conned into believing that the rich girl was the cook, Jin Zixuan caught Yanli sneaking out of his room after delivering an extra meal. His words were vicious. He ridiculed Yanli, claiming that she was the one stealing credit for the noble girl’s hard work.

The words were so awful that Yanli was reduced to tears right on the spot. crash to the floor, shaken with fear, trying to stifle her crying in vain.

Her brothers and father were enraged. They tore Jin Zixuan apart at the seams with their words, humiliating the Jin heir in front of everyone. During the boy’s blubbering self-defense of his actions, Fengmian called for the noble lord’s daughter to come forth.

It took next to nothing to expose the girl’s lie. The girl was unable to name what the soup even was, let alone how to make it.

The revelation of just how grievously deceived he was opened Jin Zixuan’s eyes to what he'd done.

The tears in Yanli’s eyes, the despair that made her hide behind her hair, the flinching whenever someone looked at or spoke to her—all because of him

The guilt made him tremble. He went into seclusion until the town's repairs were finished.

After the bulk of the drama died down and the noble family fled from the shame brought upon them, Jin Zixuan was like a zombie as he exited the house.

He trudged to the Jiang family's home. At the door, Jiang Fengmian was talking to a coachman about how they were going to move their furnishings back into the capital.

Jin Zixuan stiffened at the overheard plans and crumpled to the ground, prostrating himself as he begged to speak to Jiang Yanli one last time before they moved.

Fengmian was perturbed by Jin Zixuan’s behavior and was tempted to deny his pleas and send him back down the hill. But Yanli came out, curious about the loud voice outside her home.

She stood, shocked, as Jin Zixuan stuttered and gasped through apology after apology, trying and failing to hold his ashamed tears back.

Even Jiang Fengmian was stunned. One moment he was about to throw the boy down the hill; the next he was sitting at the dinner table, listening as the boy and Yanli talked over tea.

As he slowly came to, listening to the two make amends, Fengmian had to relent. For his daughter’s sake, he canceled their plans to move and tentatively gave Jin Zixuan one last chance.

It was still fairly difficult to hold his sons back from throttling the boy the second they saw him in their home, though.

Months later, Jin Zixuan would stop by every day to speak with Yanli and spar with her brothers, taking every opportunity he could to make a good impression on Jiang Fengmian.

The bitterness of his daughter’s mistreatment still makes the boy’s name leave a sour taste in his mouth, but the relationships healed slowly but surely.

Now, with both him and his daughter going to the capital college together, Jin Zixuan was the only one there he could trust the most to look after Jiang Yanli.

“He will, Father. I promise.” Yanli assured him.

They hugged each other tight, Fengmian squeezing his daughter with the strength of a father.

“Father.” Yanli giggled at her father’s grip, hugging back as tight as she could as well. “I better go check on my luggage. The carriage to the city will be here in a bit.”

Fengmian let his daughter go, and Yanli skipped upstairs to double-check everything.

Fengmian sighed as he sat in a chair, a strange woefulness in his chest. He chuckled, laughing at himself.

“So this is that famous feeling of an empty nest.” He says this, holding a hand over his heart.

His pondering was interrupted by the doorbell.

He got up and peeked through the peephole to see who it was.

Fengmian held back from groaning as Jin Guangshan stood outside their house in his finest clothes.

He shouldn’t be rude to the man. Gathering his strength, Fengmian opened the door for Guangshan to come in.

“Shan-shidi, what a surprise!" Fengmian said.

Jin Guangshan stepped in with a smile, quickly shutting the door behind him.

“Fengmian-xiong~.” Jin Guangshan purred as he slinked forward to get closer to him. “Today is a special day.”

“Yes, it certainly is.” Fengmian smoothly backed away, hitting the dinner table. “Both of our eldest are leaving for the capital today. They worked hard for this opportunity.”

Jin Guangshan nodded along.

“Yes, of course, A-Xuan had great pride upon receiving an acceptance letter. Of course, if the boy wasn’t so stubborn about earning it himself, I could have just bought a spot for him.” Guangshan mused.

And at that, Fengmian wanted to cringe. He’s not overly doting on his children himself, but he still praises and pushes them to do their best.

“But both of our homes will be so empty now." Jin Guangshan continued. “And they’ll be gone for some time. So much peace and quiet left to us would be maddening eventually; we should find some way to fill in the space.”

Jin Guangshan slinked forward, making Fengmian turn around to get further away.

“There’s plenty that could be done.” Fengmian was left off. “Reading, working, visiting old friends...

Guangshan pursued Fengmian, his eyes coquettish.

“I can think of much more entertaining pastimes.” Guangshan was pushing Fengmian between a rock and a hard place. “Come, Fengmian-xiong, give it a chance.”

“Master Jin, I’m flattered.” Jiang Fengmian pressed his back against the front door. “But such a relationship between the two of us..." His hand fumbled for the doorknob. Guangshan pinned himself up against him.

“Is inappropriate.” Fengmian flung the door open.

Jin Guangshan slipped from his place and flew out into a mud puddle, right in front of the waiting carriage with his son and other students.

Jin Zixuan sighed, pressing a hand to his face. Humiliated by his shameless father The other passengers stifled giggles at the sight.

“Father?” Yanli came down the stairs, carrying her bags. “What happened? Oh! Master Jin?”

Jin Guangshan trudged out of the mud, patting fruitlessly at his dirty pants. He gave Jiang Yanli a stiff smile.

“Hello, little miss.” He gritted his teeth. "Congratulations, but I must be going now.”

And he stumbled off back to town, grumbling about getting a drink.

Fengmian waved off Yanli’s concerns, helping her load her bags into the second cart carrying the other students’ belongings.

“Stay safe, A-Li.” He says this as his daughter climbs up into the carriage and sits next to Jin Zixuan.

“I will, Father,” Yanli replied.

“We’ll write, Master Jiang,” Zixuan answered as well.

Fengmian nodded and saw them all off with a wave.

Once the carriage was gone, silence set in. Another sigh, and Fengmian finished feeding the donkey and various animals his sons collected before walking a bit out behind the house and sitting down amongst the dandelions that grew on their hill.

He simply sat there, enjoying the calmness, until a shrill neigh snapped him back to awareness.

Loquat was galloping towards him, riderless, but the cart with the machine still attached was panicking.

Fengmian scrambled to get up and calm the mare.

“Where’s A-Cheng? A-Xian? You have to take me to them!” He spoke frantically, worrying and scared for his sons.

Jiang Fengmian untied the cart from Loquat and rode off into the forest.

Chapter Text

“I’m telling you! We’re lost!” Jiang Cheng cursed.

They weren’t on the path through the forest for more than an hour and they were already deep within a thicket with no sense of north and south. A thin mist coated the ground, making it difficult to discern the way ahead of them.

Jiang Cheng tried to turn around and snatch the map out of his brother’s hands, but Wei Ying just slapped him away. Complained about keeping his eyes on the road.

“What road?! There stopped being any semblance of a road five minutes ago!” Jiang Cheng exploded.

Wei Ying stared more intensely at the map, trying to ignore Jiang Cheng.

“Maybe we should have taken a left at that last fork.” Wei Ying muttered out, chagrin.

Jiang Cheng growled and pulled on the reins to make Loquat stop. 

He slumps over, pressing his face against the mare’s neck.

“I hate you, Wei Wuxian.” Jiang Cheng moaned.

“Why yes, Jiang Cheng, I will marry you.” Wei Ying sassed. 

He officially gives up on the map, rolling it up and stuffing it into his sleeve.

“Let’s just keep going, we’ll get out of the forest either way.” He said, reaching around Jiang Cheng to grab the reins.

“Out the wrong way!” Jiang Cheng snapped back up, trying to wrestle him back. 

“Ow! Jiang Cheng! Ow!” Wei Ying yelped.

The two squabbled in the saddle, trying to push the other off.

But an eerie forest is home to equally eerie creatures. A haunting howl swept through the trees and up the two’s spines.

They paused and stared back into the shadows uneasily.

Loquat started shuffling, huffing out puffs of air in the suddenly chilly night. 

“Jiang Cheng…” Wei Ying whispered.

“Right.” Jiang Cheng grabbed the reins, ready to snap the mare into running.

The spooked horse, already on edge, bucked at the sudden tug and sprinted off in a gallop.

At the forest’s prey running off, the packs of wolves lunged and gave chase.

“Jiang Cheng!” Wei Ying screamed.

“Hold on.” Jiang Cheng yelled back, urging their horse to go faster and faster. 

The cart threatened to turn them over at every little bump as they fled.

The wolves snipped at the mare’s legs no matter how fast they ran. Eventually, the danger of the beasts and unfamiliar forest overcame the two. Loquat reared up so sharply from a wolf, the brothers got thrown off like ragdolls.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying hit the ground hard. Quick to scramble back to their feet, they held onto each other as they continued running. 

Soon, the forest became disturbingly quiet again. The brothers slowed down to a halt. And gasped nearly dry heaving on the ground, for breath. 

“J…Jiang Cheng.” Wei Ying gasped, collapsed to the ground. 

“We’re fine.” Jiang Cheng said. “We’re fine now.”

They were shivering, thanks to the cool air, but the fright eventually ebbed away. 

Wei Ying leaned back to look upwards, frowning at the pitch-black sky overhead.

“It’s night.” Wei Ying said. 

“What?” Jiang Cheng’s head felt light.

“We left home nearly four hours ago. It should be at least late afternoon by now. Not night.” Wei Ying lowered his head back down and looked left and right, confused. 

His arms, weak, nearly went out from under him. His hands scraping against the dirt.

“Huh?” Wei Ying wiped away the layer of dirt and earth to uncover smooth stone underneath. “A road?”  

Jiang Cheng finally managed to steady himself and took in everything Wei Ying noticed. 

He kicked away dirt to reveal more of the stone path. A manmade road abandoned to time didn’t inspire much hope.

But Jiang Cheng knew they couldn’t stay out in the open.

They had run off in such a panic, he seriously doubted they could find the way back on their own.

“Where there’s a road, there’s a building.” Jiang Cheng reasoned, pulling Wei Ying up to his feet to drag him along.

There wasn’t any likely chance of people being in any buildings along such a creepy path. But when they find shelter, they could at least make a fire, and signal for help. 

“Jiang Cheng, what is this place?” Wei Ying asked, sticking close.

“Like hell I would know.” Jiang Cheng snapped back. “Let’s just find someplace safe.”

The two kept quiet the rest of the way. Jiang Cheng focused on listening out for danger. Keeping an eye out for signs of shelter.

Eventually, the road came to an end, and the mist dissipated at the foot of a pair of giant gates.

Looking up to there was a pair of gargoyles looming over them, looking over the way back threateningly.

Jiang Cheng debated turning back around and risk getting even more lost trying to head back home but Wei Ying was always more daring.

“It’s a giant gate.” Wei Ying said, gripping the bars and trying to shove it open.      

Jiang Cheng wanted desperately to drag Wei Ying away. But like a warning, another howl echoed through the night. 

It sent the boys pushing the gate open together. The wrought iron screeching against the stone as it gave way.

The two hesitated for a moment, scared by a dark silhouette they could see pressing towards them. But the howls came again and the two ran.

Jiang Cheng felt something slip from his robes as they ran for the doors and heard it softly fall to the ground. He wanted to reach back for it but Wei Ying grabbed his arm and kept them going.

The shadow was of a massive palace. Ivy growing up the walls and gargoyles littered throughout the roofs. Decrepit and ancient.

The brothers pushed through the front doors, tumbling inside.

They slammed the doors shut behind them. And sagged against the metal and wood in relief. 

Inside, the palace was surprisingly clean. Yet, somehow even more gloomy. 

“What is this place?” Wei Ying gasped, astonished at the disheartening interior. 

“No place good.” Jiang Cheng responded, reacting to his gut.

They dared not move from the door lest some other evil creature lunged out at them.

But the cold gnawed at them, digging deeper into their souls, and they couldn’t ignore it. 

“A place this huge got to have a fireplace.” Wei Ying pushed off from the door. “Let’s go, Jiang Cheng.”

Jiang Cheng followed after his brother, keeping his guard up.

Unbeknownst to the two, there was plenty of spirits lurking in the dark, watching their every move. 

“Guests?!” Wen Xu gasps, excited by the sight of two living, breathing human beings after so many years.

“No.” Wen Chao hissed back at his older brother. “No guests. What a pair of idiots, wandering into the palace like it’s a market square. They’re practically begging for death.”

Wen Chao glared at the boys gawking at the high ceiling.

“Oh, come on Chao-er, they’re harmless. Look at them,” Wen Xu waved an arm at the intruders, “they’re just two young boys. And look at how they’re shaking, they must be sick from the cold.”

Thanks to the light he cast, he could easily see them.

Unfortunately, a lit candle could also draw them nearby.

Wei Ying swiped the candelabra from the table.

“Jiang Cheng, look at this,” he swept it around to show his brother, “it’s lit. Think someone’s here?” 

Wen Chao nearly screeched as Wen Xu was swiped from his side.

“It can’t be anyone good. Let’s get out of here.” Jiang Cheng tried to coerce his brother. Tugging Wei Ying back to the doors.

“Now, now, that’s quite rude.” Wen Xu said, still in Wei Ying’s hand. “Barging into someone’s home and then calling them ‘no good`.''

“Who’s there?!” Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng snapped back-to-back, looking for whoever spoke. “Who said that?!”

Wen Chao was wound up to the breaking point. His stupid brother!

Wen Xu kept playing with their guests. He poked the top of Wei Ying’s head with a candle arm. The boy instantly whipping his head to look at the candelabra in his hand. Coming face to face with- Well, another face! Molded out of the candle wax, staring back at him, smiling!

“Hello.” It spoke.

“AAAAH!” Wei Ying yelled, throwing the candlestick to the floor. Jiang Cheng quickly joined him in the panic. 

Wen Xu huffed as he was ungracefully thrown to the floor, lights blinking out at the force. 

“Well, now you’ve done it, dumbass.” Wen Chao’s temper broke through, and he hopped off the table. “Splendid. Just peachy!”

The brothers’ screaming stopped, developing into silent shock as the clock moved and spoke as well.

The clock crossed its arms (it had arms?!!) and continued insulting the candlestick. 

Wei Ying was the first to grow curious.

“Incredible.” He murmured, watching the living clock scold the candelabra. 

“Wei Ying.” Jiang Cheng hissed at him, not liking that his meddlesome brother was so quick to get cozy with the animated furnishings.

“Waxy-eared, slack-jawed– Hey!” Wen Chao’s ranting stopped short as Wei Ying lifted him. Turning him this way and that to see what could have been making it move and speak.

Wen Xu laughed at his younger brother’s indignant squawk. Flicking his arms, he relit his wicks.

“Put me down! At once!” Wen Chao yelped. Fussing and struggling to get away. 

“How is this possible?” Wei Ying shook the clock, rattling gears inside. He even opened the compartment to poke at the pendulum.

“That’s enough!” Wen Chao said, slapping the cavity shut on Wei Ying’s finger. “Do you mind?!”

“Ouch, sheesh, sorry.” Wei Ying shook his stinging finger.

Jiang Cheng relaxed as he watched. 

“What are you?” He asked as he crouched down to look at Wen Xu.

“Why, young master, we’re the residents of this fine palace.” Wen Xu said, sweeping an arm to gesture the castle’s grandeur. “I am Wen Xu, and my jolly companion there is my younger brother, Wen Chao.” 

“You’re bro-hu-HU-Achoo!” Wei Ying tried to ask but the chill tickled his nose, and he sneezed right into Wen Chao’s clock face.

“Disgusting!” Wen Chao barked, the clock hands swiping away the snot.

“Oh, you’re soaked to the bones, young masters.” Wen Xu gestured to an open door off to the side. The glow of a lit fireplace welcoming the Jiang brothers. “You best warm yourselves by the fire.”

“Thanks.” Wei Ying sniffed, dropping Wen Chao to follow the hopping candle.

“What?!” Wen Chao pushed himself up from where he fell onto his face. “No! No fire!”

“You’re brothers?” Jiang Cheng asked the question Wei Ying failed to. “Were you once human?”

Inside was a large couch set in front of the fireplace and the boys happily let themselves sink into the cushions.

“Not father’s couch.” Wen Chao bemoaned.

Wen Xu ignored him. The Jiang brothers unable to hear him.

“Why yes, we were. A long time ago. You see there are many like us here, bound to the castle by way of a wicked curse.” Wen Xu explained. “You see, I was charming a lovely girl by candlelight. Thus, when the curse was cast, my soul was bound to this candlestick. And my charming brother here was glaring at a clock waiting for the festivities to end and justly became a ticking clock.”

“And many of those here were servants. And, as such, were bound to their tools. Maids to their dusters, the chief to his stove, and poor Grandma to her tea pot.”

“Grandma?” The brothers echoed.

Like the summon of a bell, a cart suddenly zipped into the room. Nearly running over Wen Chao and screeching to a halt by the couch.

“Hello dears, how would you like some tea?” A homely round teapot said, dipping its spout to pour the aforementioned tea into a little cracked teacup.

“No tea!” Wen Chao screamed, gears squeaking with rage. “You know what will happen if fa-”

The candelabra smacked the clock’s face, muffling the rest of his words. 

Jiang Cheng was a bit too perturbed to drink a tea that came from inside the talking teapot, but Wei Ying never held such reservations.

“Yes, thank you.” Wei Ying took the warm cup and sucked down the tea.

“Hahaha!” Childish laughter giggled. “Stop! It tickles!” 

Wei Ying yelped and threw the teacup to the floor.

The tiny teacup spun like a top. Once it stopped, a little face beamed up at the two brothers.

“I’m Wen Yuan! Hello!” The spirit said, cheerily, face bright with a friendly smile.

“Um… Hello.” Wei Ying greeted back. Jiang Cheng offering an awkward wave.

“Now, that wasn’t very nice, young man. Throwing a child like that.” The teapot scolded Wei Ying. The parental tone so strong that Jiang Cheng snickered at Wei Ying being berated by a teapot.

Wei Ying blushed, giving Granny an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

Wen Yuan happily hopped back into Wei Ying’s hands and chatter about meeting new people. 

Wen Chao and Wen Xu somehow devolved into smacking each other like squabbling toddlers.  

Wen Xu pushed Wen Chao off him and turned bright eyes to the Jiang brothers.

“By the by, might I ask, do you know of any lovely young maidens searching for their first love?” Wen Xu asked, eyes sparkling with eagerness for an answer.

“Why?” Jiang Cheng glared at the candlestick, suspicious. 

“Well, it has much to do with the nature of the curse we’re under.” Wen Xu said. 

But the sound of yowling sent Wei Ying screaming, cutting him off.

A footrest bounded into the room, bouncing up and down on its wooden feet, the sounds of excited yapping barking out from it.

“A dog?” Jiang Cheng petted the thing as it propped up to look at them. Tassels shaking in place of a tail. 

“Why is there a dog?!” Wei Wuxian climbed on top of the couch, holding on for dear life. “Aaaaaaaaaah! Jiang Cheeeeeng! Make it go awaaaaaaayyyy!!!”

Jiang Cheng ignored his desperate pleading, taking some sick joy from his brother’s panicking. He used to have three puppies as a child but when Wei Ying was adopted, he had to give them away because of his fear of dogs.

The dog/footrest snuggled under Jiang Cheng’s feet to prop it up on its back. 

Wei Ying whimpered, surrendering to the fact that the dog/footrest was there to stay.

“Hey, you were saying something before?” Wei Ying said to Wen Xu, hoping that the candelabra would send the dog away.

“Ah yes.” It didn’t. “You see due to the nature of the curse we’re under, the only way to break it is for a pure virgin heart to-” 

A vicious growl curled up their backs and Wen Xu took a moment to mourn the frequent interruptions. The Jiang brothers’ hair stood on edge as the fire quivered and went out like it was doused. A coldness like never before returned ten times the force and a shadow darkened the whole room.

The Jiang brothers gasped and huddled close, each trying to act as a shield for the other.

The footrest whimpered and ran, Wen Xu and Wen Chao paled and went silent, even the teapot fell quiet with a shiver.

“Uh oh.” Wei Ying heard Wen Yuan whisper as he jumped back onto the cart.

“Who are they?” A deep rumbling voice suffocated any words that the Jiang brothers wanted to say,

“Master, please understand.” The Granny pot tried to speak up for the boys. “These young masters lost their way and were freezing. They’d be near death without help.”

“Then let’s make sure they’re comfortable for the night.” The voice growled back.

A massive, clawed hand grabbed both of their collars and dragged them from the couch.

“Let us go!” They found their voices again. Kicking and screaming as much as they could.

But the beast held no warmth in his heart and locked the boys in to suffer the ice-cold stone he’s been imprisoned in, forever. 

The forest floor was sludgy with the incoming onset of winter. Fengmian pushed the mare to follow her tracks back the way his sons took through the forest. Loquat was faster without the cart weighing her down. It wasn’t long before Loquat halt where the brothers were flung off her. 

Fengmian scanned the ground. The second he found the tracks of running feet, Fengmian kicked Loquat back into a gallop.

Eventually, the trial was cut off as the path turned to stone. But Fengmian didn’t stop, continuing to follow the stone path. He knows he taught his sons well. They would have searched for shelter along such an obvious manmade road. He kept going until the road ends and slid to a stop at massive iron gates.

Fengmian couldn’t waste time on fear at such a sight.  

“A-Cheng! A-Xian!” He shouted. 

He jumped down from Loquat and tried to push the gates opened but the iron rattled and wouldn’t budge.

Fengmian contemplated going back down the road to see if he passed anything else his sons could have been huddled in. But as the wind blew, the flutter of turning pages sent a shiver down his back.

On the stone of a massive courtyard, just beyond the gates, a tattered storybook laid open, pages victim to the night.

“Jiang Cheng! Wei Ying!” Fengmian shouted again. 

Fengmian ran up the stone walls, vaulting over the top to land in the courtyard. Practiced from helping Wei Ying out of trees when he got too high and was scared to come down himself.

Fengmian scooped the book from the ground, pressing it against his chest as he looked up at the massive palace towering over the world. 

“Jiang Cheng…”

“You two know what happens when you act against me.” The beast spoke. Standing in front of the fire, staring into the flames. The words weren’t angry, just tinged with a deep-seated exhaustion. The man hardly ever got angry, and since cursed it was like he lost all prideful arrogance to begin with. 

“Father,” Wen Xu placated, trying to be the voice of reason, “it’s been nearly a hundred years. This curse has been a burden to us all. We may be immortal but we’ll never be able to regain the glory we once knew like this.” He gestured to his candlestick body.

“We want to be human again.” Wen Chao whined, having gotten use to his complaining being overlooked the past dozens of years.  

“Yeah, that too.” Wen Xu sighed. 

“Then you’re welcome to leave the palace.” The beast lifted a hand towards the door. The words unfeeling but true. Even though there was no physical barrier entrapping them all within, the shame and danger of leaving was more than enough. 

“The time of emperors wasted away to mean nothing.” He continued. “Xu-er, Chao-er, even if we regain human form, the riches will mean nothing. Simply entitled heritance.” 

The two fell quiet. Yes, spoiled as they were by their royal lives, they found it difficult to imagine returning to humanity only moderately greater than the average noble.

They’re certain that the servants have plenty of words to the contrary but unfortunately for them all, the curse was not dependent on them.

“This curse…” The beast rubbed his cold fingers together, claws nicking each other, “How humiliating.”

“And those two boys might just be the key to lifting it.” Wen Xu tried to persuade. 

“What?! You want Father to fall in love with some brat?!” Wen Chao howled, offended on his father’s behalf. 

“No, you chattering wall clock.” Wen Xu retort. “They could lead us to the one we’ve been waiting for. The heart destined to break the spell.”

“Xu-er.” The beast rejoined, “I’m not a man anymore. None would be awed by the riches collecting dust, by the thrones broken and abandoned.”

“And even if they were,” Wen Ruohan smiled, almost self-deprecating, “Who could ever love a beast?”

Wen Xu and Wen Chao left their father’s library after the berating. Sunken in their spirits. Wen Chao would have happily given up hope if he already hadn’t years ago. But Wen Xu had brightened up at the arrival of the two boys. Not quite hopeful per se but already cunning a plan to use the two to their advantage. 

Maybe they could use them to lure a maiden to the castle. 

His planning was cut short by the unmistakable sound of the entrance doors opening again. After all, it only happened twice now after nearly a hundred years. 

“Oh great, another one.” Wen Chao moaned, feeling a headache growing at the prospect of another scolding from his father.

They huddled closer to peer around the corner. In time to see a handsome man, not too young to be naive but not old enough to earn his gray hairs either. 

Wen Chao saw nothing in the newest intruder, just someone else to throw into the decrepit dungeons. 

But Wen Xu was staring at him with a curious look. 

“There’s something different about him…” Wen Xu whispered before bouncing off after the man.

“What? Xu-xiong!” Wen Chao hissed, hurrying after his older brother. 

Jiang Fengmian hadn’t hesitated to enter the palace. Nor feared running into anyone unsavory inside. His concern for his sons overpowering such emotions.

“A-Cheng, A-Xian.” The man called out. His voice echoing against the marble. The fact that his sons didn’t immediately jump out to him made him cautious. The palace was already huge outside, it was only more massive inside. Packed with dozens of rooms and halls. He will take all night and more if he must check every corner for his sons.    

The creak of a door stopped Fengmian from walking too far.

“Who’s there?” He said. 

Behind him, a door was opened just a tad. Enough to see inside, an ascending spiral staircase.

Fengmian peered through the gap. A glow of light reflected off the stone as someone slowly moved up the stairs.

“Wait!” He demanded, flinging the door open. “Who are you?! What have you done with my sons?!”

He tried to chase after whoever it must have been but found no one around the curve of the staircase.

“What…”

Fengmian came up into a tower of cells. Wood doors with small, barred windows.

“Is anyone there?” He asked again.

“Dad?” A weak voice nearly drove Fengmian to his knees.

Pale hands reached through the barred slot of a door.

“A-Cheng!” Fengmian threw himself to the door, grabbing the handle to try and force it open. But it was sturdy, unyielding.

“Dad!” Jiang Cheng’s voice perked up. 

“Uncle Jiang!” Wei Ying hollered after. “You found us?!” 

Both boys yelled for their father, coughs rattling their voices.

“Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying.” Fengmian kneeled down to see the two. The brothers reaching through the bars as much as they could.

He clasped his sons’ fingers and gasped at how cold they were. “You’re freezing. Both of you.”

This dusty, molded tower will be the death of them if he doesn’t get them out.

“Who’s done this to you?” Fengmian tried to get information.

“Uncle Jiang, you need to get out of here!” Wei Ying said as Jiang Cheng curled over, coughing heavily.

“I won’t leave you!” Fengmian promised.

But as the words left his lips, something sharp scrabbed his shoulder and threw him against the wall.

“Who’s there?!” Fengmian clutched his shoulder, burning from the pain. Staring steadfast into the dark.

He could make out an inky blot standing in the shadows and hear whoever was there breathe. Like an animal, deep and reverberating. 

“Who are you? What do you want?” Fengmian questioned the shadow looming over them. 

Whoever it was, loomed over him silently. Fengmian shivered, feeling a sharp gaze sizing him up and down. Like a prey to the slaughter.  

His fingers itched, wanting some sort of weapon to defend himself with but the dungeon room was empty of anything useful.

“I am the master of this castle.” The shadow finally said. The voice gruff and unsettling. “It’s admirable that you came all this way yourself for them but your sons intruded here. I am the offended party here.”

The voice didn’t sound angry. More like the whole affair was an ordeal that the figure loathed dealing with.

“I see…” Fengmian thought about what he could do, what he could say. He knows nothing about who this stranger was or where they were. His sons’ abductor had the advantage. 

“I’m sorry.” Fengmian could only bow his head. Trying to persuade the stranger to let them go will only work with a show of sincerity.

“Oh?” The shadow hummed, intrigued. 

“My sons’ got lost on their way through the forest. They lost their horse and needed shelter. There was none aside from your palace. I can’t say I’ll punish them for protecting themselves but if their presence insulted you so, then I’ll apologize.”

“Dad!?” Jiang Cheng couldn’t believe his ears. His father kneeling and apologizing to a monster.

“Shush, Jiang Cheng.” Fengmian hushed him. The last thing they needed was to incense the stranger into a fight. He has no clue to the stranger’s temperament. He had to keep a level head. 

“Well, now.” The shadow said softly, a note of amazement in his voice. “Such words are a surprise. But don’t bother. Even if I accept it, I can’t let them go.”

“Can’t let you go.” The beast growled, reaching a hand around to grab the father as well.

“Whatever you must keep secret-” Fengmian’s declarement made the hand stop, “my sons are no threat.” 

“A small town of backwater folk won’t believe two young boys crying wolf.” Fengmian said.

“And what of you?” The beast asked.   

“I’ll take their place.” Fengmian stood, resolute, and stepped forward, meeting the stranger half-way.

“What?!” Wei Ying yelped.

“Dad don’t!” Jiang Cheng tried to clutch his father’s robes through the bars.

“And when they claim that their father’s been imprisoned by a beast?” The shadow asked, amused.

“They won’t believe them.” Fengmian kept his stare steady. With his family’s recent history of running off, the villagers will more likely believe that their father abandoned them like their mother did. It hurt Fengmian to know that. 

“If I stay, will you let them go?” Fengmian bargained one last time.

“… Very well. But you must remain here forever.” The stranger said as they stepped forward into the moonlight that cast through the tower windows.

Jiang Fengmian barely managed to hold back his horrified gasp. 

How do you describe a monster?

Is it enough that it hid? That it kept itself locked away, letting no one see it, for years, is that enough?

Is it that it possesses a conscious, able to learn and speak and grow as humans do? That it holds the potential to learn right from wrong, that makes it a monster? Or are the mindless, those driven by animalistic instincts more so? 

The line between beast and monster gets blurred easily between definitions.

Jiang Fengmian saw it more clearly than most.

A beast towered over him. Black scales and black fur shrouded any recognizable shape of a man. 

Red eyes burned as hot as the sun.

Jiang Fengmian kept his back straight and breathed. 

“You have my word.” He swore. 

“Father!”-“Uncle Jiang!”-“Don’t do this!” The boys cried as they scrambled against the door.

The cell door flew open suddenly and his sons came tumbling out, stumbling right into his arms.

“Dad, don’t do this.” Jiang Cheng begged, holding on tight to his father’s robes. 

“Jiang Cheng,” Fengmian spoke softly, running a hand through his son’s hair, “you have to go. You’ll be fine.”

“But Uncle Jiang if anything happens to you, we won’t be fine.” Wei Ying pleaded. 

“Wei Ying.” Fengmian gently pushed his sons off from him.

Wei Ying stood at attention at his stern voice.

“You have to look after him now,” Fengmian said.

That was all he was granted to say before the room convulsed and his sons fell through the floor. The whole palace was alive.

Fengmian’s fear broke through his facade, and he scowled at the beast, thinking that the beast tricked him. 

But the beast merely waved a hand towards a tower window and Fengmian went to look out. 

Outside the entrance gates, his sons suddenly fell out of thin air.

In the dead silence, he could hear them screaming as they rattled the gates to get back in. Wei Ying tried to climb over the walls as he did.

But the gargoyles that stood watch groaned to life. They grabbed each boy by their shoulders and flew off in the direction of the village. Loquat, reins tied to the gate, bucked and panicked at the surprise.

“Dad!” Jiang Cheng screamed at the tower, wind carrying his voice away.  

“Let me go you monster!” Jiang Cheng tried to kick wildly at the gargoyle, but it was useless.

His sons were carried away, far from their father’s sight, to be dropped at the edge of their town. And the stone beasts promptly flew back to their master.

Chapter Text

Jin Guangshan was nursing his wounded ego in the tavern. Many of his cronies were accompanying him, downing jug after jug.

Jin Zixun buzzed around his uncle, trying to get him back on his feet.

“Rejected, dismissed, and publicly humiliated.” Jin Guangshan ranted. “That man must have brain damage to spurn the likes of me.”

“That’s right, Uncle.” Jin Zixun agreed to everything he said. “Do you want more beer?”

“Forget it!” Jin Guangshan whined, “What's the point?”

“What?! Uncle, you've got to pull yourself together.” Jin Zixun tried to cheer him up. It was disturbing to see his usually philandering Uncle staring down at the bottom of a flagon. He wasn’t like this, even when his own wife left him.

Jin Zixun fluttered around, trying to gratify his peerless uncle. Wheedling the other bar patrons into a cheer for Jin Guangshan

A group of women happily took it upon themselves to massage him, slurring flirtations in his ears. Jin Guangshan gladly soaked in the praises.

The pub door suddenly burst open. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng fell inside, tumbling over each other.

The tavern fell silent as everyone stared at the two.

“Dad! He’s been taken!” Jiang Cheng pleaded, eyes wide. “It’s got him locked in the tower!”

Jiang Cheng’s pupils were shrunk down to pinholes, and Wei Ying didn’t look much better.

The shouting set the townsfolk on edge. Wondering if the eccentric inventors finally snapped.

“Calm down.” Jin Guangshan slinked away from the two boys as far as he could and asked, “Who has Fengmian-Xiong locked in a tower?”

“The beast.” Wei Ying answered. “There’s a monster in the forest, and it kidnapped us. Then Uncle Jiang came for us, and he took our place! We've got to do something!”

The patrons shared glances with each other more than the brothers. From the brothers back to each other again. Jin Zixun was the first to break the tension by boisterously laughing out loud. The rest of the tavern eagerly joined in the guffaw.

Jin Guangshan laughed as he waved a hand.

Two cronies grappled with the Jiang brothers, laughing as they threw them back outside into the cold night.

The boys locked themselves outside, and the patrons gleefully went back to their drinks.

“Honestly, what crazy young freaks!" Jin Zixun sniffed.

Jin Guangshan didn’t believe the boys’ ramblings at all, but what Jin Zixun said got him thinking.

“Crazy young freaks.” Jin Guangshan hummed.

He curled a finger to coax his cousin to his side.

“Dear A-Xun, there’s something I need you to do.” He whispers in his ear.

~~~~~

Out in the cold, the brothers were thrown to the ground.

Jiang Cheng sobbed.

Wei Ying looked up into the sky like it held his last vestige of hope.

Snow slowly started drifting down.

“What do we do?” He asks.

The beast didn’t throw Fengmian into a cell but rather offered him a room.

“Am I not your prisoner?” Fengmian questioned himself as he followed the beast.

“Would you rather stay in the tower?” The beast retorted. A note of dry humor in his gruff voice.

Fengmian fell quiet. He didn’t know what to make of the turn of events. It was certain that the beast of fur and dragon scales in front of him was once human, so what happened to him?

They stopped in front of a door. The door opened by itself to let the palace’s guests in. Inside was dark, but the candles lit up as soon as Fengmian stepped in, lighting up a neat and comfortable room.

“If there’s anything you need, the servants will see to it. The palace is yours to explore. But you must stay out of the West Wing.” The beast said this, turning to leave.

“Why the west wing?” Fengmian dared to ask.

“There’s no need to be there.” The beast wrote him off. The door slammed closed as he left.

Left alone, everything suddenly caught up to Fengmian. The exhaustion slammed into him. He stumbled and collapsed onto the bed, finally letting his horror set him free. He gasped silently into the bedsheets.

When the tears dried up, he lifted his head as the door opened again. A food cartwheeled in, carrying a round teapot, a medicine box, and a wooden spool of red thread.

It wasn’t hard to deduce that the palace was haunted or cursed. Especially after his sons were basically regurgitated out of the castle. So it was oddly easy to keep calm as the teapot spoke to him.

“Hello dear.” The pot said “I’m Granny Pots. I’m sorry for everything you and your sons went through today. Please don’t hesitate to let us know what you need.”

The teapot dipped to pour some tea into a cracked little teacup that hopped down from the cart and over to Fengmian’s lap.

“Hello!” A chipper young voice said A small face smiled up at him.

“How is this possible?” Fengmian asked, breathless from how tired he was.

“It’s a long story, dear,” The teapot fretted. “Have some tea first. It’ll warm you right up.”

The medical box awoke with a clamor, knocking the spool of thread into action as well.

“Let me see your shoulder." It spoke, not wasting a word. The lid was flipping open and closed with little ‘thunks’.  

Fengmian politely waved away the offered tea, a bit perturbed to drink from a living cup. He shouldn’t raise a fuss. He opened his robes to show the shoulder the beast had grabbed before. There were red imprints from the beast’s claws, but the skin wasn’t scratched.

The medical box finished its inspection with a once-over and nodded, content with the lack of any serious harm.

“I’m Wen Qing.” The box introduced herself. It nudged the wooden spool that huddled back to hide away behind her. “And this is my younger brother, Wen Ning.”

“H-hello.” Wen Ning stuttered.

Fengmian nodded back to them.

“Jiang Fengmian.” He introduced himself again. “I’m sorry, but I’m so Confused.” He actually laughed, baffled. Every minute of the night brought a hundred different questions.

“Like I said, dear, it’s a long story.” Granny Pots sighed.

“Please explain,” Fengmian begged.

“You already went through enough today; are you sure you don’t want to sleep and eat first?” Wen Qing asked him.

“I’m sure.” He implored. He was truly starting to get vexed by his situation. “The sooner I know everything, the easier I can stay out of further trouble.”

Wen Qing and Granny Pots exchanged looks. “You’re right.” Granny Pots relented. “You deserve to know.”

He listened patiently as the spirits explained everything they knew about what happened: The night of the party, the beggar truly being an immortal in disguise, and the curse. And all the seige attempts after. Attempting to shatter everyone inside.

“So it was the emperor’s arrogance that damned you all.” Fengmian pondered.

“Yes.” Granny Pots sighed, unable to defend the most glaring fault of the master.

“I know the master can be harsh.” The spool of thread, Wen Ning said. The curse was a shock that crumpled the Wen empire, leaving them all cursed, immortal, and destitute.

After hiding in the palace for nearly a hundred years, their names faded from history. The backwash was a tumultuous wave of anger, rage, despair, and defeat for all of them.

Yet, as far as Wen Ning could remember, Wen Ruohan was the first and fastest to adjust. He remembers the master’s roars of rage and nights of cursing the immortal woman. But after the seizures ended, the anger gradually faded away.

Wen Ruohan became quieter. He stood tall. But if one catches a glimpse of the beast alone, he seems unimaginably small, trying to shoulder the weight of a forgotten empire without giving way to even a stray thought.

“But he’s not all that bad. He’s actually gotten a lot better since the curse.” Wen Ning tried to defend the king.

The medicinal box scoffed and said, “Oh please, both then and now he has an ego that can’t fit through the door.”

Wen Ning flinched at his sister’s scolding.

Wen Qing gave Wen Ning a little side glare for trying to soften up how their master truly was. But her brother’s words held some merit.

“He’s just more... Malleable now than anything else. Humble if you want to stretch it.” She mutters.

Jiang Fengmian turned thoughtful. He contemplated how he should best address everything he learned.

As far as he’s seen, the beast wasn’t unreasonable. Despite how harsh the imprisonment of his sons was, it was better than outright killing them, as he surely had the strength to do. And he didn’t even question who Jiang Fengmian was. It was clear that he expected someone to search for the boys.

The beast sounded intimidating and remorseless, but with the circumstances, Jiang Fengmian couldn’t find it uncalled for.

Fengmian doubted the beast would deign to let him go. But it was clear he earned some respect from the man.

Wen Qing said farewell and wobbled out of the room to attend to other duties. Wen Ning followed her but stopped at the door to look back at Fengmian.

“Are… Are you coming to dinner?” He asked. 

Fengmian hesitated. He didn’t want to let down his guard. His cautious nature was calling for him to just run. But he can’t. But he couldn’t face that beast yet, either.

“I’m not hungry.” He answered, giving a small smile to mollify the anxious Wen Ning.

Wen Ning gulped, bowed, and bounced out of the room.

A coat stand stood outside. Perfectly still. But as Wen Ning hopped out into the hall, it bent down and picked him up in its arms. Wen Ning nuzzled himself against the stand, giving a smile.

Wen Zhuliu doesn’t have an explosive temper, but anyone would have bitter days as a coat rack. Wen Ning was well attuned to the man’s character.

Wen Ning slowly shook his head. Coercing the master and the beautiful guest into a romance was going to be impossible.

~~~~~~

Wen Ruohan watched the guest through a hand mirror. Another gift from the witch that was as enchanted as the rose glowing faintly in the darkroom.

He was grimly amused at Fengmian’s variety of reactions. Shock, pity, and thoughtfulness as he was told how the curse came about. Yet, no disgust.

He couldn’t ponder over it for long as Wen Chao suddenly scuttled into the room. A strange sort of nervous giddiness around him.

The poor little fool Did he think the curse was going to be broken tonight?

“Father, dinner is ready.” Wen Chao’s face twitched. Tempted to smirk as he once did when he set his sights on a pretty young maiden.

“I’m not hungry.” Wen Ruohan answered dryly.

“But our guest-” Wen Chao was startled that his father was just ignoring their ‘guest’. The perfect opportunity was in their hands!

“Isn’t coming,” Ruohan said. He gave Wen Chao a look as if insulted on behalf of the prisoner. “It’s not like I was going to be so bold as to invite him anyway. After all,” a complacent smile creeped out. “He’s trapped under the beast.”

“Then what’s the point of him being here?” Wen Chao huffed, crossing his arms.

“It was a spur of the moment.” Wen Ruohan shrugged, mocking nonchalance.

At the moment, it truly is. But as Ruohan thought more about those modest words and the calm voice, he found himself intrigued by the lionhearted father.

“He’s beautiful.” Wen Xu piped in as he hopped into the room as well. “Amazingly, that witch never specified which gender had to fall in love with you.” He said it with a wink. Thinking about how best to puppeteer the prisoner into breaking the curse.

The beast chuckled at his oldest son’s conniving heart. Oh, his poor, foolish sons.

“Yes, yet you’re forgetting something vital, Xu-er.” Wen Ruohan rejoined. “I must love them as well.”

~~~~~~~

Granny Pots and Teacup, who introduced themselves as young Wen Yuan, stayed in the room with Fengmian. They wanted to give the man some pleasant company.

“Hey! Want to see something cool?” Wen Yuan said it suddenly, breaking the somber atmosphere.

Wen Yuan gasped in a breath and held it, bubbling up the tea inside.

“A-Yuan!” Grandmother Wen chastised the boy's spirit. “That’s very rude to do in front of guests.”

But Wen Yuan’s little trick did its job. Fengmian couldn’t help chuckling at the boy’s antics.

Wen Yuan gave an adorable smile in return as he giggled.

Jiang Fengmian was charmed instantly by the cup and reminded of his own sons when they were young.

“Do you truly not know how to break the curse?” Fengmian asked. His heart felt heavy. Sorry for the kind spirits trapped in the castle’s walls.

Granny Pots shook her head. “No, young master, I’m afraid I do not. Maybe the master? And those closest to him. But neither I nor any of the other servants know.”

“You could leave,” Fengmian suggested. Though he was certain that doing so in the forms that they were cursed in would be a death sentence.

“Yes, some tried. But most either came back ashamed or shattered in the forest.”

“I’m sorry for your losses.” Fengmian consoled.  

Grandmother Wen let out a depressed sigh. She remembers her old peers and friends marching out of the palace grounds. So few returned, battered and broken, telling how all the rest were destroyed by the wild.

They stayed since, despondent and resigned to their fates as the master.

“Now, never mind all that! No more distressing talk.” The Granny Pot gave a strong hop onto the food cart. “You look haggard, young sir. A spot of warm food and drink will brighten you right up.”

Fengmian was about to reject her offer, but the teapot told the little teacup, “Come along, A-Yuan. Old Uncle Seven will need help lighting himself up.”

“Okay!” Wen Yuan chirped, and the two left the room.

Fengmian had no choice but to tentatively step out of the room and follow them.

The palace’s main kitchen was quite a sight. Long, expansive cupboards and boxes of exotic spices and ingredients.

“How is it possible for you to have such fresh ingredients?” Fengmian mused. 

“If there’s one thing these louts are good for, it’s keeping my food in the box.” A loud voice boomed.

The great stove had roared to life with fire. And the whole kitchen came alive with it so suddenly that Fengmian jumped.

“Uncle Seven!” Wen Yuan shouted at the stove, “We have a guest! Can we cook something for him?”

“What would you like, young master?” The Granny Pot asked him.

The whole kitchen—the stove, the ingredient boxes, knives, and various other utensils—stared at him expectantly.

Fengmian smiled, conceding. “I guess I am a little hungry.”

“Hear that; he’s hungry! Stoke the fire. Bring out the silverware with the porcelain.” Granny ordered, and everything descended into a clamorous cheer.

Wen Chao came into the kitchen to see all the mayhem. Uncle Seven was sending the prisoner into near tears with jokes as said prisoner cooked some delicious-smelling stew on him. Wen Yuan is happily hopping and chirping about like a bird.

“Ah, Master Chao.” Grandmother Wen greeted him with a huge smile on her face. “The guest is a bit famished, so we decided to prep him some proper dinner.”

“No! There is going to be no dinner. Father won’t be happy about this.” Wen Chao gritted his teeth at the teapot.

“Oh, shush, I’m not going to let the poor man starve.” The Granny Pot ignored him as she turned her attention back to the plates lining up for their respective delicacies.

My, oh my, what’s going on here?” Wen Xu purred as he came in. Listening to Wen Chao’s angry recount of the dinner plan, Wen Xu thoroughly joined in with glee.

“Oh perfect! The first step to getting the curse broken would be to make our ‘guest’ comfortable.” Wen Xu clapped.

“Okay. fine! A cup of water and a crust of bread—that’s it.” Wen Chao huffed, trying to stop the servants from processing to the dining hall.

Wen Xu wanted to weep at how asinine his younger brother was.

“Chao-er,” He side-armed him, “the man isn’t our prisoner; he’s our guest.”

At his older brother’s imploring, Wen Chao had to give in.

“Okay, but keep it down.” He hissed as Wen Xu followed their guest to the dining hall.

“Of course, but what is dinner without some Entertainment?” Wen Xu purred.

The door swung shut on Wen Chao’s face, sending him flying into a pot of dough.

“Entertainment!?” He screeched as he flew.

~~~~~~~

As Fengmian sat at the long table, the servant spirits didn’t spare a moment to dim the room to dramatic lighting to give their best performance to the meal.

“Young master,” Wen Xu bowed to Fengmian, taking the chance to finally introduce himself to the man. “I, Wen Xu, and the rest of our staff proudly present a culinary masterpiece of dishes. Accompanied by wonderful performances by only the swiftest and most talented of artists. So let us pull you up a chair, sit back, relax, and Enjoy. Being. Our. Guest.”

Fengmian watched, amazed, as the plates, silverware, and cups danced and performed as they served him a delicious meal after a delicious meal. It was impossible to finish all of them, but Fengmian did make sure to get a taste of each one.

As the cutlery bowed and ended their play, Fengmian clapped, praising their hard work.

Even Wen Chao was caught up in the festivities and enjoyed his fair share of the euphoria.

He yawned, noticing just how late his clock hands were pointing.

“Well, that’s enough of that.” He snapped back to his grouchy attitude. It's off to bed.”

Fengmian would never be able to take an order for bedtime seriously, let alone from a ticking, talking clock.

“I’m not certain I can sleep,” Fengmian admitted as Wen Yuan hopped up to him with Wen Ning.

“Then how about a tour around the palace?” Wen Xu offered.

“Me and A-Yuan can show you around.” Wen Ning stuttered.

Fengmian hummed, thinking about it for a bit. But agreed and left the dining hall to follow the two boys.

Fengmian took note of every corner, every hall, and every room Wen Yuan and Wen Ning told him about. And especially the placement of the live suits of armor aligning the halls.

As they passed through the front hall, he paused at the steps of the stairs that diverted to the west and east wings.

‘I’m not here for nothing. What else are they holding from me?’ Fengmian got up three steps before Wen Ning and Wen Yuan zipped in front of him.

“W-wait!” Wen Ning stammered. “You can’t go up there!”

“Why?” Fengmian asked, her voice soft. But he was intent on finding the truth of the matter. The real reason why his sons were allowed to be let go in exchange for him

“It’s really dusty and dirty up there.” Wen Yuan stuttered as well. He didn’t want the nice man, father to his new friends, to get hurt. “No one uses the West Wing anymore anyway.”

Wen Ning nearly cursed as Wen Yuan unintentionally let out something about the West Wing. But his worry was appeased as Fengmian stepped back down, seemingly not caring anymore about the floors above.

“Very well.” He said this, giving a kind smile to reassure them. “Then what’s next?”

“How about the barracks? Or the ballroom? O-Or the library?” Wen Ning offered, eager to drive Fengmian farther away from the stairs.

“The library?” Fengmian asked.

Wen Ning babbled happily about how grand the palace library apparently was. He and Wen Yuan were prancing ahead to guide Fengmian there.

Fengmian waited until they were some distance away before he turned back around and continued going up.

Wen Yuan certainly wasn’t lying. Jiang Fengmian went down a hall of crumbling walls. There are no signs of life anywhere in the West Wing. There was only one door to one room at the end of the West Wing. Inside, it looked like a storm had passed through. Furniture was smashed flat to the ground, cobwebs and dust covered in thick blankets, completely enveloped in a depressing darkness.

Fengmian tread carefully, watching his steps as he went inside. There were shattered glass and shredded clothes and bedsheets all across the floor.

He doubted he could find anything intact in such a mess. The room was flimsily divided by a single moth-eaten quilt hung to hide the rest of the room from sight.

He was tempted to turn back. Surely Wen Ning and Wen Yuan realized that he had tricked them by now.

But as he turned around to leave, something caught his eye. A battered old painting on a gray wall.

The portrait was shredded, with a large patch of canvas hanging out of the frame. Claw marks were slashed through it.

But there was still enough intact to see that the man in the painting had dark hair and a handsome face.

The rosewood eyes mesmerized Jiang Fengmian. Curious, he pinched the patch hanging down to lift it and reconnect the painting.

But as he leaned forward, a pale light dazzled his attention away. Something was glowing a soft pink behind the ratty curtain.

He gave a quick glance at the open door to ensure that no one was coming. And he lifted the blanket.

A single beautiful rose bloomed proudly in a glass case. Glass doors were left wide open to an empty balcony.

The rose was giving off a faint pink light. Drawing him closer. At the edge of his hearing, he could hear a melody of bells. Despite the grim surroundings, somehow the rose made him feel calmer and safer. Clearly, like the castle and all those within it, the rose was enchanted. yet different from the curse.

Fengmian lifted the glass cloche. The rose petals quivered for a moment as they would fall at the slightest breeze. The stem was wilted, and the bloom was bending down from the weight of its petals. But the red color still remained vibrant and rich.

He felt magic dance across the air around him. His fingers reached out to touch the soft petals.

Then the beast lunged from out of sight, startling Fengmian back into a wall. He stared, frightened, at the fire burning in those red eyes. Threatening to melt him away.

“I told you never to come here.” Wen Ruohan growled low.

“I didn’t mean any harm.” Fengmian shakily explained. The rose was picking at his mind, trying to fish something out of his memories. Something about it—the palace, the beast—was starting to put a name on the tip of his tongue that refused to grace his lips.

A decrepit palace, a beast who used to be a king, and an empire fell apart.

'Once upon a time, there was an evil emperor named Wen Ruohan in the empire of Qishan Wen... Cangse SanRen oohed with her best friends around a campfire.

“I told you not to come here.” The beast stressed again. His anger at having his orders denied snapped his thread of patience.

Fengmian’s mind was in chaos. The echoes of Cangse’s stories that her mother used to tell her And that she would later tell him to laugh about.

Of vain women cursed to be hideous, potions concocted to obtain immortality, beggars’ wishes to be rich being granted, and arrogant men cursed to be alone.

“Baoshan SanRen.“ The name flew out of the depths of his memories.

Fengmian struggled as the beast grabbed him. The beast was sneering, and the grip was painful as it squeezed him.

“How do you know that name?” He growled.

“Please, calm down.” Fengmian tried to dissuade Ruohan from his anger.

“I ask one thing of you. And you can’t even respect that.” Ruohan snarled, shaking Fengmian like a rag doll. “How do you know that name?”

Fengmian saw that the beast’s temper wasn’t going to let him listen to reason. He turned and wrenched himself away, ignoring his sleeve being torn off.

He sprinted out of the room.

As he raced back down the stairs, Wen Qing was there with a pacing Wen Ning and a worried Wen Yuan.

“What happened? Where are you going?" Wen Qing shouted after him.

Fengmian slammed against the door, focusing solely on getting away. The burn in the beast’s eyes was vivid; it was pure killing intent.

“He’s cursed by Baoshan SanRen. There’s nothing that can be done.” He said this as he pushed the doors open against the raging winds and left.

He snatched poor Loquat free from the gates she was left tied to. As he rode back into the forest, the beast’s roar haunted his getaway.

~~~~~~~~

The forest was no easier to navigate than the first time. Snow started falling in a thin blanket, just enough to cover the tracks they had followed there before.

And in the first frost of winter, animals were busy getting in their last big meal before it was all frozen over.

The wolves learned from their last mistake and waited for the right moment to lunge at Loquat and knock Fengmian out of the saddle.

Fengmian rolled from his fall back onto his feet, quickly leaping away from a wolf’s bite.

Wolves are deadly in numbers. Fengmian made sure to stay steady on his feet. Simply standing tall and not cowering made some of the wolves stay back.

He tried to grab Loquat to pull the panicking mare away. But the move left him open.

Fengmian managed to kick away a lunging maw that clamped onto the hem of his robe. He quickly shed his outer robe, and the wolf took it. Mauling the robe, shaking it like it was holding Fengmian’s throat instead,

There were so many. The pack pushed in, not leaving any opening for escape.

As another jumped to bring Fengmian down, the beast grabbed it by the scruff.

Fengmian stared wide-eyed as the beast threw the wolves around, slamming them into trees. Wolves pounced on him, gnawing through the beast’s tough pelt and tearing apart whatever they could reach.

One got a nasty gash through the beast’s neck before the pack finally turned tail and ran back into the shadows.

Fengmian watched as the beast stumbled and fell.

With it collapsing, it was Fengmian’s chance to get away, but...

It took some effort. But Fengmian was able to lift the beast onto Loquat’s back and pull her back to the palace.

~~~~~~~

Wen Xu, Wen Chao, Wen Ning, Wen Qing, Grandmother Wen, and little Wen Yuan were all quiet as they watched the master.

The palace was nearly sent into cardiac arrest from the shock of seeing the prisoner return with an unconscious Wen Ruohan on the horse’s back.

Wen Qing helped guide Jiang Fengmian in laying Wen Ruohan on the couch and tending to his wounds.

Most were merely skin deep, but the most grievous was the deep bite into the beast’s neck. Thick red blood soaking through dark fur.

Ruohan awoke soon as Fengmian gently cleaned the blood away with a soaked cloth.

The beast groaned and tried to slap away Fengmian’s hands, but the man was relentless.

“Hold still.” Fengmian scolded. Like Wen Ruohan was a child.

The beast was about to retort but instead, let out a pained hiss as Fengmian brushed over the neck wound.

“That hurts.” Wen Ruohan complained, far more used to Wen Qing’s flawless and painless techniques.

But the woman was currently ignoring him. Taking some petty revenge for letting Jiang Fengmian tend to him. Wen Ruohan ordered them all away. The servants were quick to leave the room, even as his eldest son looked back with a meaningful glance. Ruohan ignored it. He tried to wrest himself away to take care of the wounds himself, but his body was so stiff from the pain that he couldn’t.

“If you hold still, it won’t hurt so much.” Fengmian didn’t raise his voice at him, but the scolding tone still remained.

“Will you cease with that tone?” Ruohan moaned, his throbbing headache growing stronger.

“Quit acting like a child, then I’ll stop treating you like one.” Fengmian did not let up the chastising at all.

Ruohan had enough. He grabbed the back of Fengmian’s neck and pulled him close. A chilling distance to razor rows of teeth and cold scales as black as night.

Fengmian stared back, unperturbed and determined to bear through the intimidation.

“Let go of me.” He said it calmly.

“You know of the immortal witch?” Ruohan’s words sounded measured on the surface. But Fengmian could see the impatience and anger boiling up in his eyes.

Wen Ruohan wasn’t going to let go until the man told him how he knew the name of the mountain immortal that cursed him.

Jiang Fengmian took a moment to respond. Preparing himself mentally.

“I’ll tell you how I know about Baoshan SanRen. So let me go.” He said.

Ruohan slowly released his neck. Sitting back, waiting.

“The older of my sons, Wei Wuxian, isn’t my son by blood. I adopted him after his parents died in a hunting accident.” Fengmian explained. “His mother was Cangse SanRen. Baoshan SanRen’s adopted daughter.”

He thinks back to her, one of his best friends. Cangse’s quirky, bold self All the adventures and messes she would drag him into. The small private wedding between her and his childhood best friend, Wei Changze, with only him as a witness He remembers the ghost stories and fairytales she would share with them around a campfire.

Did she know that one of them was true?

Wen Ruohan was silent as he listened. emotional until he let out a grim chuckle.

“I'm glad to know the witch moved on after ruining me.” Ruohan darkly jests.

The dark humor unsettled Fengmian. Unable to know what was going through Ruohan’s mind.

For a long, agonizing minute, they didn’t say anything else.

“You can leave,” Ruohan said without looking at him. “You know everything; there’s no need for you to stay.”

“That’s it?” Fengmain was surprised.

He could leave? Right there and then? Just as swiftly as before. But, just as he couldn’t leave the beast injured in the forest, he can’t leave the palace. Not when those who waited for them to return looked so hopeful when they did. He can't just turn his back and leave them doomed to such a fate.

He needs to know. He needs to understand.

“Do you want me here?” He asked.

Ruohan looked astonished. And intrigued. For once in a long time, he was speechless. Fengmian took his silence as not an objection, at least.

Decision made, Fengmian prepared to settle for the long night. Though he does desperately want some fresh air,

“I’m going out. I’ll be back in a bit.” Fengmian said.

Ruohan was silently amazed by the man beside him. How can someone so mature be so foolish?

“… All right.” He says. The man was there for a single night and had already shaken the foundation of his three worldviews.

'Dangerous.’ Ruohan’s thoughts whispered to him. ‘Beautiful and dangerous.’

~~~~~~~~

Fengmian walked down the stone path, with Loquat walking alongside him. He came to a halt at the edge of the crumbling stone path. Loquat nuzzled her nose against his shoulder, pushing him a step further.

He could just take another step, then another, until he was back. Back home with his children.

Fengmian looked back at the castle.

‘To be so close to escaping, yet so far.’ 

“Come on, old girl.” Fengmian soothed the mare. “Let’s head back.”

Fengmian tugged on the rein to turn her around. His shadow stretched far ahead of him.

Fengmian stopped and turned around. Dazzled at the sight of the amber glow of the sunrise

He stood there, watching, as the sun rose.

Chapter Text

Two months passed. Winter settled in with a fury before calming down to a masterpiece of pure white snow across the whole landscape.

Fengmian caught the footrest as it leaped into his arms. Smiling and laughing as it wiggled, trying to wag the tail it no longer possessed, and the tassels tickled his chin in a mockery of dog kisses.

He settled in nicely in the niche the palace gave him. He was free to roam as he pleased, even to the West Wing. But Fengmian made a conscientious effort not to be tempted back there. It was a boundary that irked the beast, and Fengmian managed a surprisingly easy relationship with the palace master. He didn’t want to repeat the night he tried to run away.

He tried to learn the secret about the enchanted rose, but the only one who clearly knew, the master himself, kept mum. He would scoff at his inquiry, noting that it was simply ‘useless’. And something he was bound to keep due to the curse.

He was tended to hand and foot by the servants. Grandmother Wen and little A-Yuan give him the most company.

Wen Xu had a lazy composure but was quiet schemeful. Fengmian noted how the candelabra would suggest a little change in routine to place Fengmian closer to Wen Ruohan.

These “chance” meetings would stretch from trying to figure each other out like a puzzle to comfortable silence as the two did their own things.

As of now, Fengmian followed a determined Grandmother Wen as she went to the master’s study to scold the man into eating a proper civilized dinner with their guest.

Wen Ruohan nearly rolled his eyes at the old dear’s badgering. There were several reasons why he didn’t do many ‘courteous’ things with their ‘guest’.

Fengmian watched, silently observing. The emperor was cursed into a truly monstrous form. A massive body of black fur and blacker scales, a maw of wolf teeth, and a pair of sturdy horns crowning his head.

As he observed, he came to the realization that such a form can impede many regular chores. Such as eating with a spoon or fork.

“I’m not all that hungry for a big dinner. A bowl of warm porridge will be fine.” He interrupts, bending down to speak to Grandmother Wen.

Granny Pot's lips pursed in a circle as she realized what he was intending.

Later, Grandmother Pots wheeled in a cart of simple but delicious porridge, perfect for the cold weather.

Fengmian made himself comfortable in a chair as he lifted the bowl to his lips and chugged the porridge straight from the bowl.

Wen Ruohan watched, greatly amused at the man’s compromise. Eventually joining in.

~~~~

Ruohan listened as Fengmian explained his life story of living in the provincial town. How his wife left with the woman she truly loved. How he met and grew with Cangse SanRen; they were best friends until the day she and Wei Changze died, and he adopted their son as his own.

“You loved her,” Ruohan said.

Fengmian raised a brow.

“Your former wife.” He clarified.

“Of course, I do,” Fengmian answered. His voice was gentle with love as he reminisced.

Wen Ruohan let the conversation dry out, and the two men wasted the rest of the day in peace.

~~~~~

Towers of colorful book spines tower over the two. Reaching towards the skylight, letting in the golden sunlight.

“This…” Fengmian gasped, amazed by the massive shelves of books.

Novels, encyclopedias, atlases, and stories from every corner of the world.

“It is all yours.” Wen Ruohan said.

The library is a staple of the palace, but Ruohan managed to read through every page of every book throughout his life. Lesser men would have gone to war for less than half of the secrets and scientific formulas on the bookshelves.

Fengmian is the only one he has ever shared such treasures with willingly.

“Thank you,” Fengmian said. He took a massive hand into his own. Ignoring the soft redness growing on his cheeks

When was the last time anyone thanked the beast? Sincerely? Did it ever even happen before?

Wen Ruohan caged Fengmian’s softer hand in his.

~~~~~~~~

Fengmian chopped the pork into small pieces to scrape into the pot.

The familiar scent of lotus root and pork rib soup both sated his homesickness and hunger.

Wen Ruohan walked by, humming as he swiped a taste.

The content purr that resounded from the beast’s chest made a blush of heat rise up Fengmian’s neck.

Wen Ruohan let the purr linger, giving Fengmian a smug, knowing look.

~~~~~

“You don’t fear me,” Ruohan said one day.

Fengmian paused from his reading, reasoning, “No. I have no right to.”

“My grievances with you begin and end with your treatment of my sons. Since then, you’ve been nothing but courteous to me. You only confronted me in anger when I deliberately disobeyed your one rule.” Fengmian put down the book to explain.

“Do you want me to fear you?” He asked.

“I’ll leave that up to you.” Ruohan said. 

“He’s been here for two months now.” Wen Xu implored. “The sky’s to be clear tonight; there will be music and romantic candlelight, provided by yours truly. It’s the perfect time to make the final move.”

Wen Ruohan did not save his son any face as he rolled his eyes upward.

“Xu-er.” He chided. 

“Father!” Wen Xu snapped back. Cocky little brat, Ruohan truly spoiled him. “The way things are heading between you two, we won’t have much time to break the curse. Once you fall in love, you have to confess to each other before the last petal of the magic rose falls.”

Ruohan let out a strained sigh, irritated beyond measure.

“Xu-er, enough with your guile.” Wen Ruohan tried to walk away.

Wen Qing, Grandmother Wen, and even Wen Zhuliu stood in his path.

“You’re dancing.” Wen Xu pushed.

“Xu-er.” Ruohan gritted his teeth, annoyed.

“Dancing.” Wen Qing finalized.

~~~

“You mean to treat me to a dance?” Fengmian asked. 

“No,they intend to treat you to a dance.” Ruohan huffed, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to point at the not-so-inconspicuous eavesdropping servants.

Fengmian glances out the window, smiling at the legions of servants prancing throughout the yards to spruce up the scenery for the night. From the scampering he could hear out in the hall, it was no less hectic inside the palace either.

“The ballroom is beautiful,” Fengmian admitted. “I would love to see it put to use.” He didn’t necessarily mean by him. But imagining how it must have been when the palace was alive with nobles and royalty.

“…” Ruohan sighed. He was baffled by how difficult it was to deny the man anything. Especially when he rarely asks for anything at all. “Very well. Though, be warned, I have been well informed that I have two left feet.” Ruohan groused. Well remembering his dance teacher spitting fire as a young Ruohan stumbled through yet another three-step waltz.

Fengmian blushed up to his ears. He tried to hide his smile behind a hand.

“That’s fine.” Fengmian says. He remembers fondly when his children were small enough to stand on his feet as he guided them through their own made-up dances.

Wen Ruohan smiled. Truly, the man’s smile made the beast want to spoil him terribly.

~~~~~

The Wens ruled the castle with an iron fist. Ordering servants from east to west, north, and south. Cleaning away every mote of dirt and bringing the castle back to life. All for their guest and master to share a single dance in the golden ballroom.

And a lovely dance it was. Simple, slow, and enchanting. Spins and turns, savoring the feel of it.

There is not much one can do to make a creature of fur and scales look dashing, but Ruohan’s noble posture more than made up for it.

And Fengmian matched her splendor beautifully.

Fengmian noticed the smooth ease with which the beast waltzed. He felt how lax the beast’s paw was around his hand.

‘Two left feet indeed.’ He thought. His lips quirked.

The beast's red eyes were drawn down softly as he kept pace.

At some point, Fengmian rested his head against Ruohan’s chest. The steady beat of his heart soothed him.

The music died down gently. They came to a stop, and Fengmian caressed his fingers against the beast’s face. The sweetness of his touch lingers.

“Come on,” Ruohan muttered, holding Fengmian’s hand to guide him out of the ballroom.

“This is my favorite place in the whole palace.” Wen Ruohan explained as they sat under the overhang overlooking the maze of gardens. “The sunrise is beautiful here.”

Fengmian hummed appreciatively, imagining the warm rays of sunlight brightening the rows of flowers and reflecting off sparkling koi ponds.

“The night looks beautiful too.” He muses, looking up at the blanket of star clusters and the streak of the Milky Way.

He and his children would lay out on a blanket outside during clear nights, pointing fingers to connect the stars.

'Two months.’ His mind reminds him. And it felt like an eternity.

“Ruohan,” Fengmian whispers softly. Would the beast be angered that he wished to see them again after choosing to stay for so long? It would be understandable, but his heart has been aching. Just the minutest reassurance would do. “My sons…”

Wen Ruohan stiffened for a moment. Was the man seriously going to leave now? After he swore to stay? After everything? If Ruohan were a lesser man, he would’ve been furious. But looking into Fengmian’s eyes, seeing the man worry so dearly for his sons, It was easy to understand his desperation.

“Very well.” Wen Ruohan said, taking Fengmian’s hand again to lead him away. “Come, I’ll show you a way to see them again.”

Amazingly, the brigades of servants cleaned up every corner and inch of the West Wing as well. Sleek wooden furniture and a four-post bed replaced the rumble. The only things that remained from the previous wreckage were the shredded portrait and the rose.

The flower glow seemed to glow bolder that night, with the beat of a pulse. The stem regained some green color, and the bulb rose as proudly as the full moon above.

Ruohan stepped towards a bedside cupboard and pulled out a simple, elegant hand mirror. He laid it gently in Fengmian’s hands.

“This mirror serves as a window to the outside world,” Ruohan explained. “You can use it to see your sons.”

Fengmian breathed in sharply. He knows his sons are worried; he knows they are stubborn, but he hopes that they weren’t so prideful as to leave the village. They were sick, and it's stormy weather in the winter.

He begs silently that they are safe at home. That they trusted him enough to stay safe.

The mirror felt heavy in his hands. As Ruohan drew his hands away, Fengmian latched back on. Wanting the warmth to stay. The beast was a source of strength for him.

“Thank you, Ruohan.” He said.

Ruohan’s red eyes watched softly as Fengmian looked down at the mirror’s surface.

“I’d like to see my sons, please,” Fengmian said.

A flash of green light blinded him for a moment before the foggy surface cleared away and showed a vision of the two boys.

Jiang Cheng supported Wei Wuxian as they kept forcing themselves against the blizzard. Both huddled together for warmth deep in the forest. Dead trees surround them like encroaching hands.

Their mouths were open, screaming, but he couldn’t hear them.

Fengmian choked, horrified. He clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle the cry.

“They’re hurt.” Fengmian blurted it out. “And sick. Yanli is still at the college. If I don’t go get them, they’ll die.” Each word sank into his trembling voice.

He had to leave. Against his word and against his promise, but for his sons, he has to leave. Wen Ruohan has to let him go.

Rouhan, silent, curled over the glass case like it was going to shatter itself apart.

He could send out soldiers, the gargoyles, to grab the boys and drag them back to the castle. He could keep them in the castle to placate the man’s worries. With the power he has, he could keep Fengmian from ever stepping a foot outside the palace again.

But Fengmian stood, eyes wide. And Ruohan knew if he wanted Fengmian to stay, he had to let him go first.

“Then you need to go back,” Ruohan said.

“Back?” Fengmian repeated, unbelieving.

“Yes, go.” He reaffirms. 

Fengmian’s shoulders slackened in relief. He tries to hand the magic mirror back to Ruohan, but the beast waves it off.

“Keep it.” Ruohan huffed. “So you may look back.”

Fengmian didn’t have time to argue; he just slipped it into his belt strap to remain secure.

He reaches out and cradles the beast’s jaw, looking back into the Beast’s eyes.

“I’ll come back,” Fengmian promised. And he left as swiftly as his spirit could carry him.

He passed Wen Chao as the clock walked into the room. Ignorant of what happened, Wen Chao smiled wide at his father.

“Well, I guess we can consider this night a resounding success.” He chuckled. “No need to play hard to get, Father. Let’s finish-”

“I let him go.” Ruohan interrupted, unable to stomach his younger son’s smug voice.

“W-wh-what! Why?!” Wen Chao sputtered, the clock hands going wild from the shock.

“I had to,” Ruohan answered.

“But why would you let him go?" Wen Chao nearly shrieked. Clock hands shrieking as they twisted around with stress.

“You wouldn’t understand, Chao-er.” Ruohan said, looking out to see Fengmian riding back into the forest.

Wen Chao left, tittering and nearly fainting.

When the beast could no longer see the horse sprinting away, he turned back to the familiarity of the dark room.

The bright glow of the enchanted flower mocked him, calling out to the beast like a Siren.

And Ruohan watched, speechless, as the first petal fell. And then another. One with every loving heartbeat.

The roar of the beast shook the forest apart for Fengmian.

The forest deigned to let Fengmian reach his sons without trouble.

When he found them collapsed to their knees on the verge of passing out, he threw himself from Loquat and caught them in his arms.

“A-Cheng, A-Xian.” Fengmian gasped. His hand felt like it was sticking to an icicle as he touched their foreheads. Their skin was near gray, and they had worryingly pale lips.

He huddled them close and got them up on Loquat’s back. He held them still as he took them home.

~~~

Jiang Cheng’s skin was pallid, and Wei Ying was murmuring in short, violent bursts in his sleep as he piled blankets on them. Both of them were as cold as the dead.

Rotating through what little he could do himself—hot towels, blankets, lifting them up to help them drink some water—gradually, his sons started looking better. Their skin is looking healthier and gaining color.

Jiang Cheng’s lungs rattled as he woke up, his sight hazy and he teared up at the light.

“A-Cheng.” Fengmian smoothed away strands of hair that stuck to his son’s forehead.

“Da…” Jiang Cheng croaked, leaning heavily into his father’s touch. He flapped his arms to wrap around Fengmian’s broad shoulders, snuggling closer to his father’s warmth.

Wei Ying snapped awake soon after, staring at Jiang Fengmian for a few moments, like he couldn’t believe that he was there.

Then he jumped forward and threw his arms around Fengmian, crushing Jiang Cheng between them and crying into his adoptive father’s chest.

“Dad!” Jiang Cheng sobbed, too relieved from seeing his father safe to groan at Wei Ying's smothering him.

“Uncle Jiang!” Wei Ying asked, breathless. “How did you escape? You found us?”

“Easy, my sons.” Fengmian soothed them, pushing them to lean back against the pillows. “Tell me everything that happened. Why did you venture back into the woods?”

Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng exchanged a guilty glance, cowering under Fengmian’s worry.

“We were staying with the Lans for a bit.” Wei Ying explained. “They were worried about us. They didn’t believe us when we told them about the monster. Lan Qiren tried to convince us that we might have experienced a lucid dream because of our colds. And that you must have gone off for something business-related, convinced it’ll be fine since we and Yanli were away.”

Jiang Cheng picked up, “It took a while for us to get better, but once we did, we set out to find the castle and save you from the monster. Somehow, we got turned around and ended up lost.”

“Boys…” Fengmian sighed, exhausted from the pure fright his sons gave him. But he was just glad they were safe now.

“Dad, how did you escape that monster?” Jiang Cheng asked, nervous about what must have happened.

“I didn’t escape, A-Cheng.” Fengmian said, “He let me go.”

“What!” The boys yelled. The confession was a shock to their cores.

“Uncle Jiang, how?” Wei Ying was cut off as someone pounded on the door.

“Wait here.” Jiang Fengmian told them as he stood to answer.

Outside, in the dark and drifting snow, which looked like something straight out of a nightmare, a crowd of villagers surrounded his home, holding torches to light up their grim faces.

And Jin Guangshan stood at the front of it all.

“Fengmain-xiong, you’re back finally!” Jin Guangshan thrilled cheerfully. Skipping up the steps to try and hug him. Fengmian stepped out of the way, looking confused at the crowd.

“What’s going on?” Fengmian asked through his twisting stomach.

“Fengmian-xiong, I’m sorry.” Jin Guangshan lamented with a piteous whimper. “Your sons went mad when they returned early from their trip. They were raving about some kind of monster kidnapping you!”

Fengmian nearly choked with sheer anger.

“From what I heard,” Fengmian gritted out, “my sons were sick with rather severe colds. So much that the Lan family took them in to watch over them.” 

He shot a glare at the small family, imploring them to speak up for him. Yet they remained silent. Lan Qiren was too impartial to throw himself in the middle of a confrontation, and his nephews followed his lead.

Lan Xichen bowed his head to avoid Fengmian’s eyes, and Lan Wangji looked nauseous with guilt.

“It’s true!” Jin Zixun jeered with his uncle. “We all heard it!”

The villagers muttered agreements, the contempt rising with every whisper.

“They were sick.” Fengmian hissed, enraged by the town herding in on his sons like they were spectating rabid animals. “There’s no need for you to crowd around them.”

“On the contrary,” An old man stepped forward. A disgusting smile on his wrinkled, bearded face. “We of Huan Hua Asylum have strong reasons for concern. We’re here to pick up the two young men.”

The satisfied glint in Jin Guangshan’s eyes said everything.

Jiang Fengmian went cold. The old man tried to climb the steps and casually walk past him to get inside his home.

He grabbed the old man’s shoulder and threw him like a doll back into the mud.

“Leave. And don’t come near my sons.” Fengmian stared down the pathetic townsfolk.

“Dad?” Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying poked their heads out around him. The ruckus was drawing them out into the open.

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji gasped. He tried to step away from the crowd, but his brother held him back with a somber shake of his head.

“Wei Ying, Jiang Cheng, go back inside.” Fengmian tried to guard them, but the town wanted their show.

“Tell us more about this monster you maniacs harass us about!” Jin Zixun taunted the brothers.

“Not like you would ever believe us.” Wei Ying snarled at them.

“It’s all true!” Jiang Cheng barked at the mob.

“Then how did dear Fengmian-xiong escape?” Jin Guangshan asked, trying to share a look of dejection with Fengmian.

Fengmian stepped away from the man, tempted to spit in his face.

“Enough!” He demanded. “All of you, leave!”

He tried to get his sons back into the house, but Jin Guangshan’s lackeys rushed forward and wrestled the boys away from him.

“A-Cheng, A-Xian!” Fengmian tried to grab them back, but Nie Mingjue held him back.

“Nie Mingjue.” Jiang Fengmian bit out his anger word by word. “Let me go now.”

“Everyone, calm down!” The butcher ignored the threat, hollering at everyone gathered. “Don’t let this get dirty.”

“Nie Mingjue, don’t be a brute.” Lan Qiren shouted back, finally having enough of the fracas. “Let Fengmian go. Jin Guangshan, call off your dogs as well. We should discuss this whole matter responsibly.”

But his reasoning was being drowned out by the townsfolk's jeers and cajoling to throw Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng into the back of the Huan Hua carriage.

“Master Lan, with the current circumstances, I think a mature talk is out of our reach for the moment.” The old man stood in the mud, sneering at the Jiang father.

“Dad!” “Uncle Jiang!” The boys yelled.

It wasn’t fair; they just got back together! Jiang Cheng reached back for his father as he and his brother were wrestled into the carriage.

“A-Cheng!” Fengmian twisted in Nie Mingjue’s grasp. “I warned you.” He said. He hooked a foot behind the buffer man’s ankle, snatching Nie Mingjue off-balance.

Jiang Fengmian tried to lunge for his sons, but the incensed villagers formed a wall to keep him away. Fengmian was long out of mercy as he threw and punched people out of his way. But it was over forty to one, and Fengmian was forced back.

The slam of the carriage door was deafening.

In his panic, Fengmian reached for the one thing that could save his family. He snatched the mirror from his belt sash.

“Show me the beast!” He pleaded with the mirror.

The crowd silenced and gawked under the glow of the enchanted mirror. The cheer changed to terror as they all looked upon the silver surface to see an image of a beast, ferocious and howling.

“What is that thing?" The mob shouted out. “Is it dangerous?”

“No! Listen!” Fengmian tried to control the panic, pushing through the shocked townsfolk to reach his sons. “My sons were not lying. But this isn’t a beast either. He’s a man; he’s of reason.”

Jin Guangshan was quick to snatch the mirror out of Fengmian’s grasp to gape closer at the magic.

‘It was all true? Jin Guangshan’s mind was in a knot.

No one around him seemed to know what to make of this. Everyone was shocked. The asylum master was so terrified by the mirror that he fainted right back into the mud.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian managed to kick the carriage door open and tumble back into Fengmian’s arms.

“Told you!” Wei Ying crowed, taking a spiteful moment of victory.

“Jin Guangshan, give that back,” Fengmian ordered the man. But Jin Guangshan pulled it further away as his mind raced to figure out how to turn this all back to his advantage.

Everything was completely out of control.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you cared about this monster.” Jin Guangshan Goad

He tried to caress Fengmian’s cheek, but Fengmian swiped the offending hand away.

“He’s no monster, Guangshan; you are!” Jiang Fengmian seethed.

The insult jabbed at Jin Guangshan’s invaluable pride.

“This thing is clearly no more than a beast!” He shouted, waving the magic mirror closer to the crowd. The villagers jumped back in fear as he bellowed. “He’ll take away our children! He’ll come after them in the night!”

“No!” Fengmian tried to speak through Guangshan’s incitement, but the town folks' fear was irrepressible.

Several of the village men gathered around Jin Guangshan. The frightened people eagerly joined in the tumult.

“We won’t be safe until its head is mounted on my wall!” Jin Guangshan boasted to the heavens. “I say we kill the beast!”

“Jin Guangshan, that’s enough!” Fengmian grabbed Guangshan, only to be pulled back by several men.

“If you’re not with us, you’re against us!” Jin Guangshan ordered. “Lock them in!”

Fengmian was thrown into the cellar, his sons shouting cusses as they were tossed in as well. The family was locked inside with a ‘bang!’.

“Let us out!” Fengmian slammed his shoulder against the cellar doors, but they wouldn’t give.

Inside the house, Jiang Fengmian’s cloak rustled as Wen Yuan hopped out. He snuck inside it to follow Fengmian and try to convince him to come back to the palace. But as the town surrounded the house, he stayed back, hiding in the coat. Now that they were all marching away, he took the chance to come out.

He heard the Jiang father and sons get locked inside the cellar and looked around for anything that could help.

“Oooh!” Wen Yuan was awed as he spotted a massive, shiny machine nearby.

~~~~~

“Damn it!” Fengmian cussed, still trying to shoulder the cellar doors open. Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying are trying to help. Their efforts proved fruitless, but they perked up upon hearing someone run up to the cellar doors.

“Father! A-Cheng! A-Xian!” Jiang Yanli’s voice broke through.

“Shijie!” Wei Wuxian shouted, his natural smile shining wide at the sound of his sister’s voice.

The brothers crowded up to the cellar doors to try to see her through the cracks.

“Yanli, you have to let us out!” Fengmian shouted.

“I can’t! The lock is smashed! I can’t open it!” Yanli panicked as she tried to wrench the cellar open.

She had come back early from the capital college when she got a letter from the Lans about her brothers being severely sick. Jin Zixuan chose to accompany her back.

They rode on Jin Zixuan’s horse back home, and as they rode to the Jiang house, they passed the mob of townsfolk, bearing torches and anything they could use as weapons, marching into the forest.

Jiang Yanli was horrified at all the confusion.

Jin Zixuan was barely in any better shape. As he saw his father leading the mob, he knew instantly that whatever was happening was surely all Jin Guangshan’s doing.

Finding Yanli’s family locked inside their own cellar only made it worse.

At the sound of whining metal, he spun around only to see a massive, speeding machine with a moving axe coming straight towards them!

“Yanli, look out!” Jin Zixuan yelled, tackling her far out of the way.

At the panicked shout from Jin Zixuan, the three instinctively dived for cover as well. Fengmian threw himself over his sons to shield them.

The cellar doors exploded into splinters, and the machine crashed right into the cellar, sputtering and exploding before dying. The family peaked up to see Wen Yuan stuck on a spring, turning by the handle.

“That was cool.” The little cup said.

“A-Yuan?” Fengmian breathed.

‘Did… Did the teacup do that? The brothers internally panicked.

As the smoke cleared, alongside Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, a worried and dirty-looking Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen stared down at them as well.

‘Oh.’

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying cried as he scrambled out of the cellar to throw himself into the jade’s arms.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji muttered back, relieved, nuzzling his face into Wei Ying’s hair.

“Xichen?” Jiang Cheng took the hand. Lan Xichen reached down to help him out.

“A-Cheng, I’m so sorry.” Lan Xichen apologized, his silver eyes tearing up.

Jiang Fengmian couldn’t waste any time. He jumped out of the cellar, making sure to grab poor Wen Yuan from the spring and throwing the cup at his children to catch.

He got on Loquat and kicked her, sending her sprinting after the mob.

“Wait! Dad!” The boys yelled after their father.

Yanli had no idea what was going on! But she wasn’t going to leave her father to do whatever he was going to do alone.

“Get on!” She said this to her brothers as she hopped up on Jin Zixuan’s horse. “I’m sorry, A-Xuan. I’ll return it later!”

“A-Xuan?!” Wei Ying shouted, offended, as Yanli kicked the horse after their father.

“A-Li!” Jin Zixuan reached after his fiance, riding off on his horse with her brothers after her father. He looked down at the teacup he had caught. The teacup looked back at him.

“Hello,” it said.

He shared a look with the Lan brothers.

'This family.’ They thought as they started racing after them.

~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Nie Huaisang did nothing more than find a corner and cry with his hands over his head.

A teapot and a brigade of teacups poured boiling hot water on people below.

A massive dresser had jumped from the second floor to crush three men under it.

A medicine box guarding a spool of thread ordered knives and forks to fly around to stab mercilessly into everyone’s eyes.

The oven laughed maniacally as it exploded intruders out of its kitchen.

A candelabra was running around, lighting everyone on fire, with the biggest smile. A clock cheered everyone on as it swung a sword, cutting off fingers and stabbing anyone it reached.

Oh god, that coat rack just punched a hole through that man’s chest!

The mob had dragged meek Huaisang along like a piece of driftwood in a fierce river. They were guided by the magic mirror Jin Guangshan stole from Jiang Fengmian and busted the palace doors in with a chopped-down tree trunk.

Every single spirit in the castle was lying in wait to ambush the invaders in a bloody war.

So when everyone started fleeing from the palace of bloodthirsty furniture, Huaisang was clinging to his older brother as they escaped from the cheering inhabitants.

The only one remaining inside after that was Jin Guangshan, having slinked past the fight up the flight of stairs. He kicked in door after door to aim inside with his bow.

Eventually, he finally reached his target. The beast inside turned to glare at the man who'd led one last useless siege against his home.

The glint of the metal arrowhead reflected in the beast’s eyes. Despite the anger the beast faced him with, it didn’t move from its spot. Just looking out over the balcony.

No one in such a forlorn state can stop screaming in pain as an arrow embeds in their shoulder.

As the beast roared, Jin Guangshan threw himself at it, lunging them both through the glass doors.

Wen Ruohan threw Jin Guangshan off him, over the balcony railing. And the man tumbled down the slope of the roof. Wen Ruohan jumped down after him, snarling as he stalked Jin Guangshan.

Jin Guanshan’s bow fell over the edge of the roof and down to the abyss below. Reaching for an old statue of a horned imp, he ripped off the horn and wielded it like a club.

A storm had rolled over the castle like it was called forth by the beast’s rage. Thunder and lightning shake the palace down to its foundation. Wen Ruohan took advantage of the near blindness caused by the freezing rain that showered down on them.

Jin Guangshan swung wildly, smashing everything in sight in the hope that it was the beast’s head.

“Come out and fight!” Jin Guangshan yelled. He walked across a catwalk connecting the roofs, trying to draw out the beast. “Were you in love with him?” He taunted, “Did you think Fengmian would choose you when he has someone like me?”

Wen Ruohan felt his blood boiling. Crawling out from the shadows, he loomed over Jin Guangshan’s back.

Feeling that the massive beast was behind him, Jin Guangshan turned and swung. Wen Ruohan swiped away the attacks with his claws easily. He kicked out and tried to stomp Guangshan flat to the ground. Jin Guangshan rolled away, turning around the beast and forcing them closer to the edge.

“What’s the matter?” Guangshan yelled as he swung. “Is it too kind and gentle to fight back?”

Ruohan stumbled for a moment as his foot nearly went right off the roof. Jin Guangshan raised the club above his head, ready to take advantage of the stumble.

“Guangshan!” Fengmian’s voice broke through the thunder, throwing Jin Guangshan off course.

“Fengmian…” The beast peered down at the distant bridge, seeing Jiang Fengmian staring up at them horrified.

“Jin Guangshan, don’t!” Fengmian yelled up to them.

Jin Guangshan ignored the begging and swung down to crack the beast’s skull.

Wen Ruohan grabbed Jin Guangshan’s wrist and snapped it into pieces with his massive paw. Jin Guangshan screamed from the pain and started kicking wildly as Ruohan grabbed him by the shirt to dangle over the edge.

“No! Please! Let me go! I’ll do anything! Please!” Guangshan begged for his life, eyes wide, as he clawed at the beast’s arm to try and free himself, but in vain.

Wen Ruohan glared into the bastard’s wide eyes, which were tearing up with fear.

Who was this man to lay claim to his palace? To Fengmian? What’s his and his alone?

‘An arrogant beast.’ His mind whispered to him.

Ruohan didn’t let the snarl down. But he pulled Jin Guangshan back to safety, pulling the man close to growl, “Get out.”

During their fight, Fengmian had run through the palace to get to the balcony they tumbled over.

“Ruohan!” He shouted down the man.

Wen Ruohan looked up at him, his chest heaving from the fight. He climbed up, almost unbelieving that Fengmian was truly there, until the man reached out a hand to help him up the rest of the way.

“You came back,” Ruohan said. He ran a paw through the hair that fell loosely from the rain and wind.

Fengmian smiled, relieved. He leaned into the warmth of Ruohan’s large paw, calming down from the soothing touch.

But the warmth was snatched away as Ruohan screamed. Jin Guangshan smiled wide like a maniac as he plunged a knife into Ruohan’s hide. The insane glee was quickly replaced by scrambling terror as the beast threw his shoulder back and pushed the man off him.

Jin Guangshan screamed as he fell down the roof, rolling straight off without any hope of rescue. The scream echoed as Jin Guangshan fell out of sight, down to the bottom of the chasm.

“Ruohan!” Fengmian grabbed Ruohan and pulled him up to safety on the balcony. Laying the man flat on his back, Fengmian panicked as he tried to stop the bleeding. But the knife had gone so deep that it punctured right through vital arteries.

“You… You’re…” Ruohan’s words fumbled through pain, slurring together before ultimately going silent.

“Ssshhh.” Fengmian tried to keep the man silent to concentrate, but his chest was burning, knowing that the severity of the injury was too far beyond his capabilities.

Ruohan sniffed, was amused, and raised a paw shakily, cupping Fengmian’s face, his thumb rubbing soothingly back and forth to rub away the tears on his cheeks.

“No one has ever looked at me with such clear eyes before.” He said it, his voice rumbling as the sense of numbness grew. Marveling at how the stars shone in Fengmian’s gray eyes. “Fengmian, I…” 

The beast’s red eyes grew hazy before rolling back in death. The hand fell away, limp. Leaving Fengmian unbearably cold.

“No.” Fengmian gasped out “No. Ruohan! Don’t go! Please!”

He buried his face against the man’s chest, gasping and heaving through his sobs.

The servants and the children arrived too late to save him, yet just in time to see the magic rose quiver and drop its final petal. They all stared at the two, dejected and in mourning.

Fengmian cried into Ruohan’s still chest, digging his fingers into the fur, like the beast would vanish if he dared let go.

“I love you.” He whispered out

Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng, and Wei Ying gaped at the sight of their father crying over the body of the beast.

They didn’t know what to do. Wei Ying tried to step forward to comfort the man he'd never seen cry before. But something bright suddenly landed in front of him, making Wei Ying jump back in shock.

In a shower of light, stars seem to crash through the clouds, blowing away the storm and showering the palace with the sound of wind chimes.

Fengmian only noticed when Ruohan’s body suddenly lurched and started lifting into the air.

The shower of starlight enveloped the beast in a blinding glow, guiding the rising sun to wrap around him like a mother’s embrace.

As everyone stared on, gawking, the light faded away, the beast falling gently back down to the balcony, its form obscured by its robes.

Fengmian held his breath as he reached out, jumping away as the body suddenly breathed in and forced itself back on its feet.

The robe fell away to reveal a strong, human back and long black hair. The revealed figure lifted its hands, turning them over in disbelief, before snapping around to face Jiang Fengmian.

A handsome man stared at him, strong and powerful, and reached out to eagerly hold Fengmian close.

“Fengmian, it’s me.” The man said it, his deep voice rumbling warmly.

Fengmian stared back, speechless, trying to process what happened.

The man’s rosewood eyes drew Fengmian in. Fengmian grabbed back at Wen Ruohan to hold him just as tightly.

“It is you!” He gasped.

He only caught Ruohan’s lips twitch into a smile before the king pulled Fengmian against him for a long-awaited kiss.

Wen Xu and Wen Chao cheered as they were enchanted back into their human forms. The curse-breaking wave crashed all throughout the palace. Every trapped spirit and servant returns to life in their beloved human bodies.

“It worked!” Wen Xu cheered, jumped around, and pulled Wen Chao into a headlock to ruffle his younger brother’s hair.

“Holy shit, it worked!” Wen Chao squawked.

Grandmother Wen clapped and huddled Wen Qing and Wen Ning into a hug.

Jin Zixuan and the Lan brothers burst into the room to see the unforgettable sight of Jiang Fengmian locking lips with an incredibly handsome, shirtless man and a gaggle of strangers jumping and whooping as the Jiang siblings looked like they were on the verge of fainting.

“A-Li?” Jin Zixuan was too spiritually exhausted to absorb anything as the teacup he was carrying suddenly shook violently before hopping out of his hands as a fully formed human boy.

“Grandma!” Wen Yuan chirped, lunging into the old woman’s arms to join the jubilation.

Jiang Yanli smiled back at Zixuan, just as lost as him.

“I think…” She spoke hesitantly, taking in the obvious celebrations going on. “My family just got a bit weirder.”

The palace was alive again with guests from all across the country as they celebrated the return and subsequent wedding of the Wen royal family.

Every friend and acquaintance of the involved families watched, smiling, as the happy couple danced across the ballroom floor.

Ruohan chuckled, hugging Fengmian close as they danced.

“What are you laughing about?” Fengmian asked, leaning contently into the hold.

“My life,” Ruohan stated simply.

Fengmian quickly understood. He laughed along, sympathizing with his poor husband.

“It was certainly too fantastical, even for my tastes,” Fengmian said.

“Then is this our happy ending?” Ruohan purred as he leaned in for a kiss.

Fengmian hummed against his lips. He looks at his children, each paired off with their own princes.

Wen Xu and Wen Chao were entertaining some young maidens back-to-back. Wen Qing was nursing many glasses of wine with Grandmother Wen, watching Wen Ning and Wen Zhuliu waltz together with hawk eyes.

And just as Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were about to share a kiss that was very inappropriate for public, Wen Yuan laughed gleefully as he rode a large husky dog towards them.

Wei Ying squealed in fear, running away. Wen Yuan is on the dog, and Lan Zhan is chasing after him. Jiang Yanli and, reluctantly, Jiang Cheng got dragged into the chase as well with their partners to try to help. The whole thing was like a conga line, pulling in person after person: an enraged Lan Qiren and Nie Mingjue, a stuttering Nie Huaisang crying for his brother, and devolving the whole ball into a mess.

He smiles, resting his head against Ruohan’s chest.

“I’m not quite ready to shut the book here.” Jiang Fengmian admitted

“Me neither.” Wen Ruohan agreed, watching the ruckus overturn tables and scare nobles, feeling more alive than he ever had before.

As certain as the sun rises and the lotus blooms to welcome its warmth, they lived happily ever after.