Chapter Text
The wedding had been a quiet affair. A private affair. The mood for celebration hadn’t been optimal, and both of them had understood that. Wei Wuxian had absolutely no issue with how things had gone, as all that mattered to him was being married to Lan Wangji, after all.
What did bother him some was not being congratulated by Jiang Cheng. Sure, he’d been open to the idea that they steer clear of one another to not reopen old wounds, but to not even send him a note? He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, though. Jiang Cheng had spent years hating him and was only now aware of the truth behind his restored core. Though he missed his brother, Wei Wuxian didn’t miss the bitter words and resentment that permeated their every meeting.
Had they moved on now? Were things alright? Wei Wuxian was grateful he was still able to see Jin Ling, at least, but whenever Jiang Cheng came looking for him, he’d walk out of view without a word. It didn’t sit right with him.
“This is troubling me way too much, don’t you think?“
"Mn."
After a long day, Wei Wuxian liked to give his hair a thorough brush, so that’s what he was doing right now. Usually he got Lan Wangji to do it for him, but he seemed to be busy making the bed. Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure why, as it was just going to get all messed up again…
"I told myself I was fine with it, that we could part ways with no regrets,” Wei Wuxian elaborated, “but now I’m realizing that no, actually, there are some regrets.”
Lan Wangji fluffed out the pillow and turned to look at his husband with a raised brow, as if urging him to continue.
“I’m not talking about all the bad blood,” Wei Wuxian waved his brush around and gave a heavy sigh. “I’m thinking about… The fact we never got to talk about shijie after she died. For good reason, I know, but."
Lan Wangji came up behind Wei Wuxian and gave him a soft embrace. He let his head rest on top of Wei Wuxian’s and waited for him to stop moving before he spoke.
"Talk to him."
Wei Wuxian tilted his head back to look up at Lan Wangji. "Do you think he’ll let me?"
"Try,” Lan Wangji answered softly, his eyes twinkling with a gentle smile.
Jiang Cheng looked tired as he stood at the foot of the path. He didn’t look angry, though, which was a plus. Wei Wuxian had heard through the grapevine that he’d been blacklisted by every female cultivator in their age group due to, as one of them put it eloquently, “being a little shit”. It seemed like this had forced him to humble his character, and since he was no longer dedicating time to torturing anyone he suspected of being Wei Wuxian, he’d had plenty of opportunities for self reflection.
“White robes,” he called out to Wei Wuxian as he saw him walk down the stone steps. “Not your color.”
“You say that now, but give it a few hours and you’ll change your mind,” Wei Wuxian replied with a wide smile.
“I doubt that,” Jiang Cheng shook his head and smirked.
“No, you will. You’ll think they suit me even less.”
“Ha.”
The two stood in front of each other, keeping eye contact yet not making any effort to touch. Wei Wuxian kept expecting Jiang Cheng to ask why he’d been sent for, but perhaps he already knew. Perhaps he’d been thinking of coming to see him, too. Whatever the case, his eyes held no malice.
And yet Wei Wuxian hadn’t really thought this far. In all honesty he hadn’t even expected Jiang Cheng to show up.
“So,” Jiang Cheng broke the silence by straightening out his robes and speaking up. “You did it. Marriage."
"Yeah,” Wei Wuxian beamed, relieved he wouldn’t have to be the one to make the first move. “Marriage and children!"
"Alright,” Jiang Cheng’s eye twitched as he took a deep breath. “Don’t exaggerate.”
“Sizhui is my child~” Wei Wuxian insisted, paying Jiang Cheng’s discomfort no mind.
“Whatever, anyways. Yet another thing you’ve accomplished before me,” Jiang Cheng sighed. He managed to hold his small smile, though.
“You could have it too,” Wei Wuxian bowed his head slightly, “you just need to stop wishing for impossible women."
In the past, Jiang Cheng would’ve punched Wei Wuxian in the arm and told him to shut up, but curiously, all he did now was laugh softly.
"You’re right,” he nodded. “I do. Or I’ll die alone, right?"
Wei Wuxian was surprised to hear Jiang Cheng speak like this. His words carried some of the bitter edge they had whenever he pitied himself, a trait he shared with his mother. And yet, it seemed like he meant what he said- that he wanted to change. For his sake, he really hoped he would.
"We all die alone,” Wei Wuxian closed his eyes. “It’s living alone that’s the real shame."
Jiang Cheng snorted and turned around. "Endless wisdom. I’m sure you’re getting to share a lot of that here."
"If Lan Zhan weren’t around to protect me, my lips would never be unsealed,” Wei Wuxian followed Jiang Cheng as the two began to walk through the Cloud Recesses.
Though they walked in silence, it wasn’t uncomfortable. There seemed to be an understanding between them that they were taking their time, respecting each other’s space, getting ready to speak again. When the two of them came to rest under the shade of a very familiar tree, Wei Wuxian took a deep breath and pressed his hand to the bark.
“Jin Ling climbed this and nearly got stuck on a branch,” he grinned.
“Why didn’t he just fly up?” Jiang Cheng inquired with a shake of his head.
“He was competing against Lan Jingyi to see who could reach the top faster,” Wei Wuxian explained.
“… And?” Jiang Cheng tilted his head forward.
“And what?” Wei Wuxian turned to look at him, confused.
“Did he win?"
Wei Wuxian burst out laughing then, shaking his head in disbelief. After all those years of being rigid to Jin Ling, he hoped Jiang Cheng would ease up on him now that he was his only true surviving relative.
"It doesn’t matter, what matters is that he didn’t make a fuss out of being embarrassed. He actually took it really well,” Wei Wuxian looked up at the tree’s leaves. “He’s grown a lot."
"You’re telling me,” Jiang Cheng followed Wei Wuxian’s line of sight. “He won’t need me for anything soon enough.”
“He’ll always need you, Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian shook his head slowly, not looking away from the branches.
Jiang Cheng remained silent for a long while, merely watching the light breeze rustle the leaves and allow sunlight to pass through, down onto his face. Wei Wuxian wondered if he was imagining Jin Ling clinging to the highest branch.
“He looks like her,” Jiang Cheng finally spoke up in a voice so quiet the breeze could’ve carried it off. “Doesn’t he?"
"I think about that every time I look at him,” Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and hoped the burning urge to cry would subside. “I see so much of her in him, it’s like…"
"It’s like she never left."