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Wei Wuxian sees him and shrinks away. "Ah, Jiang Cheng." he laughs awkwardly, scratches his nose, "I'll just be going now."
"You--!" Jiang Cheng shouts. He doesn't have time to finish the sentence before a blur of white, blue, and steel is blocking his view of the reincarnated man. "Father!" a tiny Lan (Sizhui, he thinks he recalls) is also between him and his brother. He hears more voices.
"Jiujiu! Stop!" A-Ling yells. Another Lan (Jing... Yi??) and the Ouyang boy help Jin Ling grip onto Jiang Cheng, physically holding him a distance from the demonic cultivator.
"What." he growls out, "Do you think you're doing?"
"Protecting him!" the Lan boy declares.
"Jiujiu! It's okay." Jin Ling is using the voice he always uses when he tries to get out of trouble, "He's leaving, please just--"
"Protect him? From me?" Jiang Cheng spits.
"You have a history of torturing demonic cultivators. And you did kind of kill Teacher Wei in hi last life." Jingyi shrugs as best he's able with his arms locked around Jiang Cheng. "Just making sure that doesn't happen again."
"THE ONE PERSON!!!" Jiang Cheng roars then remembers himself, lowers his voice, "The One person he never needs to be protected from is me." He shrugs off Lan Jingyi and the Ouyang boy effortlessly, gently releases Jin Ling's grip on his arm and pushes past them. "Lan Wangji." he spits.
"Jiang Wanyin." Lan Wangji says, not removing himself or Bichen from blocking the sect leader's path.
"Father? " Lan Sizhui asks, looking between the two men who had claimed and raised him.
It takes a minute, but Wei Wuxian hums, moves forward, "Lan Zhan." he says even as Lan Wangji's arm unmovingly shields him.
"Wei Ying." Hanguang Jun murmers and after a moment, lowers his arms and allows Wei Wuxian to pass. Jiang Cheng notes that the man has yet to sheath Bichen and does his best not to let Zidian flare with his agitation; the distance he's crossed too precious to risk on the emotional outbursts he's so prone to.
"Jiang Cheng?" Wei Wuxian calls at an arms length. He's the only one who still calls him that. A name that died seventeen years ago.
"Wei Wuxian." he returns. Then, much softer whispers, "Come home" so only they can hear.
The smile that breaks his brother's face cracks something open in him that he thought was buried with the name. He reaches out, tugs Wei Wuxian into himself, misses the yelling from their bystanders as his brother returns the hug, clings to him. He will have snot and tear stains in his robes. He will pretend like he has not soaked the same facial fluids into his brother's own Lan-comissioned fabric as he schools himself and let's the hug happen.
He assumes Lan Wangji has decided not to skewer him (if only to avoid hitting his husband) because whatever this is feels like it goes on for at least an hour (probably only five minutes) before Wei Wuxian is pulling away with a shaky smile, gripping Jiang Cheng's arm in his too-small grip. He begins to pull Jiang Cheng with him and his crowd of non-demonic bodygaurds moves to follow. Wei Wuxian turns, waves his hand and tell them, "Shoo, all of you. Go find something to do, you gossipy old maids. I'd like a moment to catch up with my brother."
"Wei Ying." his brother's husband says.
"Lan Zhan." his brother replies.
Lan Wangji looks more subdued than anyone has ever seen him. Lan Sizhui --Jiang Cheng's nephew? --pats his father's arm and leads him back to the hut they were investigating.
The pair of brothers carve their path around the lake, tracing old memories of distant years at their fingertips. Wei Wuxian has let go of his arm by now. Jing Cheng's shaky fingers sew themselves into the length of his brother's loose sleves as if afraid to let go and risk Wei Wuxian vanishing. He allows himself the comfort. It wouldn't be the first time he lost Wei Wuxian.
They talk about Jin Ling. Jiang Cheng weaves his memories into a patch, twists it to his brother's missing years careful to avoid the still gaping wounds between them. There are things he's allowed to fester without his siblings to balance him. Things he's finally trying to cut out and cleanse so the skin can be stitched back around it. He lets them be for today.
(There will be time for cleaning and bandaging old injuries together. If Jiang Cheng can allow himself to be honest rather than hiding behind his anger. If Wei Wuxian can face them without running away... Maybe Jin Ling has some other unknown uncles who can hold them at sword-point until they work it out the rest of the way?)
For now, he learns that the Jade Statue cooks. Can't handle spices himself but buys any vial of chili oil Wei Wuxian prefers and keeps jars of Emperor's Smile in the floorboards. He learns about his other nephew, sits with the knowledge that his brother abandoned him to raise a Wen child but does not comment on it. He does tell his brother, "That first disciple is so well behaved. He clearly doesn't take after you." which makes Wei Wuxian's eyes grow wide and his jaw come unhinged.
"I gave birth to that boy!" he crows, "My Lan Zhan did such a wonderful job raising him! "
Jiang Cheng grunts and lets his brother ramble. Tactfully, he manages to hold back his disdain (jealousy?) over Lan Wangji and resolves to send Yunmeng spices and lotus seeds to Cloud Recesses soon. He wonders if he should send something for Lan Sizhui so the boy knows he's welcome in lotus peer.
Jiang Cheng look down and catches sight of Wei Wuxian's old Jiang bell hanging from his belt beside a jade pass token. He wonders if Jin Ling found it in his collection or if it was smuggled out the last time Wei Wuxian was in Lotus Pier.
He decides to start with lotus seeds and a bell.