Chapter Text
In a world of cultivators and common folk, Wei Wuxian was used to maneuvering and switching to best fit the expectations of those around him.
Along the decks and streets of Lotus Pier he allowed himself to be cheerful and childish. When teaching his fellow sect brothers and sisters as the head disciple, he was firm and attentive in his role. An impish smile and a well-timed prank hinting at his mischievousness.
Yet the close Jiang family was more complicated to navigate for Wei Wuxian. When with his Shijie, there was no hesitation in his relaxed behavior and unabashed adoration for the Caregiver.
With his Shidi, Wei Wuxian felt joy in pushing his younger brother's buttons— as well as pushing him in their training and getting into any adventure the young Alpha was dragged into.
When it came to the two adults, Wei Wuxian often felt the burden of their fighting and the tension that lined the family halls. He couldn’t help trying to appease the both of them ever since Jiang Fengman brought him in from the cold streets.
When he came of age for his first official classification testing at ten, he was pleased to fall under the Beta classification. Average, baseline, and overall general population within their society. A classification that would aid him in his future role as Jiang Cheng’s secondhand and keep him focused on his training and cultivation.
If Wei Wuxian can be useful and maintain his spot next to his Shijie and Shidi, he knows the world will continue turning and all will be right. There couldn’t be anything else he could ask for.
——————
“Shidi~, you should have mercy on you Shixiong and carry him the rest of the way to the inn,” Wei Wuxian whined jokingly as they made their way towards the entrance of Caiyi Town.
The rest of their small group of Yunmeng Jiang disciples chuckled as Wei Wuxian leaned on the alpha’s shoulder. Jiang Cheng huffed and elbowed the other boy, who shrieked in exaggerated outrage.
“Yeah right, Wei Wuxian,” he rolled his eyes as he adjusted his qiankun bag, “Save your bitching and moaning for when we climb the fucking mountain,” he growled as he gestured at the mountain that held the Cloud Recesses.
They had traveled by sword of course through the Gusu Lan territory and neighboring cities, the travel relatively untaxing. They had made it just in time to book an inn for the night before the disciples were expected to be trickling in for the Guest Lectures.
Crossing under the town entrance, Wei Wuxian let out a theatrical gulp before he dropped his childish act and gave Jiang Cheng a wide grin.
“Good thing we have a night to drink ourselves stupid and to rest before then, eh A-Cheng,” he giggled as he threw his arm around the other boy’s shoulders in a cheerful manner.
Jiang Cheng merely grumbled in agreement and allowed himself to be jostled by his Shixiong. He had been pleased that Wei Wuxian had been allowed to attend despite the…. Disastrous combination that everyone assumed would result from Wei Wuxian being in such a regulated and strict environment.
“Yeah yeah, now get your hands off me,” he snapped with very little heat, the two of them crossing the threshold into the first inn that their group spotted.
Though the inn was large and their group of 12 should have been easily accommodated, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were surprised when they found out that every inn in the town had been sold to the LanLing Jin sect.
“What an asshole,” Wei Wuxian grumbled as the Twin Prides of Lotus Pier led their disciples to a local restaurant after their confrontation with Jin Zixuan.
They entered the bustling restaurant, leisurely eating their fill while softly grumbling about the situation, and recouped their energy before leading their group up the mountainside.
“I wish Shijie would just let me, Wha-pow!” Wei Wuxian punched the air in front of himself, his energy replenished after their break. Jiang Cheng nodded his head in agreement, his eyes warily catching on the beginnings of the Wall of Discipline.
“It’d be nice to take him down a peg,” Jiang Cheng sniffed dismissively while his brows furrowed at the thought of the arrogant Alpha. It was hard for the teen to imagine the other Sect Heir treating Jiang Yanli and any Little that she took under her care with any respect.
While it made their dynamic a little un-traditional, an Alpha and a Caregiver could be quite a strong duo given the two classifications’ strong desire to protect what was theirs.
More so, Jin-Furen and his mother’s desire to betroth the two from birth made them hopeful that such a pairing would uphold in the end. The male sect leaders could care less to an extent, unwilling to band together against the unstoppable forces of their wives.
Wei Wuxian hummed in happy agreement as they came upon the Lan guards in front of the entrance to the Cloud Recesses. Any smart remarks were hidden behind a polite smile as he bowed in greeting with the rest of the disciples.
“Greetings,” the older Lan disciples replied and bowed in return, their dark eyes watching Jiang Cheng as he stepped forward and introduced their group.
Wei Wuxian stepped forward when he was introduced, his hands going to his qiankun bag as he went to pull out their invitations. Only to blink in bewilderment and look into the bag in alarm as he couldn’t find the paper.
“You may not enter if you do not have an invitation,” the guards repeated strictly, their faces impassive as Wei Wuxian began to pout and Jiang Cheng flushed. Their chatter and rising argument only broke when Lan Wangji and his entourage happened to pass by them.
Wei Wuxian was instantly intrigued by the tall boy and thus increased his pout to its highest setting as he went to enter the grounds without addressing the guest disciples. “Ouch, so cold to our plights, Lan Wangji,” he complained in his politest tone, his arms crossing in front of his chest as he raised his brow at the other teenager.
He instantly captured the other teen's intense golden stare with his whining, Wei Wuxian’s eyes briefly widening as he found himself pinned by the other’s blank gaze. Something in his chest fluttered at having his undivided attention before Lan Wangji opened his mouth, of course.
“No invitation, no admission,” he repeated in a firm voice, his expression unmoved to Wei Wuxian’s words. And with that, he turned and continued walking past the guards.
———
“But Lan-gongzi~,” one of the Jiang disciples, Feng Zixin, cooed as he fluttered his eyelashes, the fire and the dimming light shading his innocent expression. The wavering flames highlighting a simpering pout and the boy’s upturned chin.
Everyone chuckled as he teased Wei Wuxian, who flushed slightly and grumbled around his field rations. Ultimately shoving Jiang Cheng when his brother started teasing him as well. Wei Wuxian stood up as he frowned at his shidis.
“I’d like to see you ungrateful lot come begging for my mercy when I go and get those invitations,” he wagged his finger at them and tutted disapprovingly.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes as he stabbed into his rice, “Aiyah, don’t go running off Wei Wuxian,” he scolded him, “A night out under the stars isn’t going to set us back for tomorrow.”
Wei Wuxian put his hands on his hips and frowned as a few other disciples made sounds of agreement around their food.
“Yeah, but I think we’ve been downright bullied and pushed around today,” he sniffed into the air with a faux-haughtiness in his voice. “The Lans and the Jins! Scheming against us, can you believe that?!”
Jiang Cheng sighed in exasperation as laughter sounded around the campgrounds. The Alpha pinched his nose before he decided to wave Wei Wuxian off, “Whatever, go make yourself useful I guess, and give us some peace and quiet for once,” he said before he turned his attention back onto his meal.
Always a bit too eager to please, Wei Wuxian gladly hopped onto his sword and rode back down the mountain into Caiyi Town. And when he came back to a dead fire pit and No Yunmeng Jiang disciples, he huffed and groaned as he clumsily walked through the forest towards the gate.
Coming to the high wall, Wei Wuxian felt the tickling prickle of the Cloud Recesses wards before he was able to bypass them as easily as stepping into a slow stream. Curious by the easy admittance by the ward, Wei Wuxian cataloged that detail and shrugged before he downed the first jar of Emperor’s Smile and held the second in his mouth.
Scaling the wall was easy enough for him given his mischievous ventures in Lotus Pier, but the night was so pleasant that he allowed himself to rest atop the roof.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” Wei Wuxian jumped in surprise as he looked over at the Lan disciple who harshly spoke to him.
His eyes widened as he found Lan Wangji standing a few meters from him, his hand on his sword hilt as he regarded him with those cold, gold eyes. Wei Wuxian scrambled up, true guilt and admonishment piercing his stomach for a moment as he stared at the older teen with wide eyes. Gold eyes noticed the alcohol in his hands, the stoic boy's lips thinning even more.
“Alcohol is forbidden, trespassing is forbidden, and entering after curfew is forbidden,” Lan Wangji listed as he stepped towards the startled teen. “Please leave and return in the morning.”
Wei Wuxian finally found himself able to reply to the other boy, his uncharacteristic silence breaking away by an unsure chuckle.
“This one was unaware of these rules Lan-gongzi, may Wei Ying be allowed to rest somewhere— I was quite startled to find my fellow sect disciples disappeared on me when I came back with these!” He flustered as he juggled the alcohol around to pull the official invitation out of his sleeve.
Lan Wangji stared at him for a few moments, his silence weighing on Wei Wuxian’s nerves. The teen was tempted to uncork the alcohol and drink it right then and there, but something had him standing a bit straighter in the Jade's presence.
It was a peculiar feeling for the troublemaker— a shyness and need to behave that he was so unaccustomed to feeling. It reminded him of when he met Jiang Yanli all of those years ago.
A little boy peeking past Jiang Fengmian’s legs, his dirty hands clutching those deep purple robes as he looked up at the older girl with wide eyes. A sweet smile and a comforting scent reached his nose and he shyly held his hand out to her. Hoping for acceptance.
“—xian,” Wei Wuxian blinked as he looked up at the other boy, his attention had wandered. His cheeks flushed as he found the other teen to be standing on the same rooftop as him. His blank face scrunched into an almost undetectable frown as he dropped his slightly outstretched hand to his side.
“Huh? What?” Wei Wuxian jolted in shock, his right hand clutching the invitation as his left spasmed. His fingers slacked just enough for the jar of wine to clatter down the rooftop.
“Aw man~, I just bought that with my allowance,” he cried out in disappointment as he stared at the broken porcelain from the rooftop. He frowned at the realization that the unusual emotions and sensations had made his reaction time and dexterity dull.
Lan Wangji cleared his throat, “It is for the best,” he said in a soft voice that caught Wei Wuxian’s mind from where it was beating himself up. “Wei Wuxian would have needed to turn it over before he let Lan Wangji lead him to the Yunmeng Jiang disciple quarters.”
Wei Wuxian opened and closed his mouth a few times, almost tempted to scrub his eyes in bewilderment at the completely different manner in which the boy was talking to him.
Unbidden, a yawn rolled through Wei Wuxian and he couldn’t help but actually rub his eye with his robe sleeve in exhaustion. “Hmm, I guess yeah,” he agreed with a pout, his arms crossing in front of his chest as he still gave a huff.
“The wine was really good though— the best actually,” he grumbled as he jumped down from the rooftop, a giggle falling from him easily as he noticed the muffled outrage on the other boy's face.
“Wei Wuxian must not consume alcohol,” Lan Wangji scolded, his pace slow and his eyes following Wei Wuxian as if he was about to run off at a moment's notice.
Wei Wuxian giggled and began to skip a bit, “Oh come on Lan Zhan, I can drink just about anyone under the table. Don’t be such a Fuddy-Duddy,” he snickered, his glee rising as he watched further outrage spread across the boy's fair complexion.
Lan Wangji tightly pursed his lips at this, his hands tightening behind his back as he stopped at one of the rooms designated for the Yunmeng Jiang disciples.
“Oh, are we here?” Wei Wuxian asked with a quirk of his head, disappointment and an unwarranted sadness crawling into his gut as he stopped at the sliding door.
“Mn,” Lan Wangji nodded, “Jiang Wanyin is already inside,” he told him with a truly expressionless tone and face. The difference in tone was a bit more distinct to Wei Wuxian after the softness from earlier.
“Have a good night Lan Wangji,” Wei Wuxian whispered as he found himself rooted to the floorboards after a few beats of silence. His silver eyes flickered away from the other boy in total shyness as he went to grab the sliding door handle.
“Mn, Wei Ying as well,” Lan Wangji replied quietly, still standing there as Wei Wuxian looked at him with a startled expression. The Jade then nodded to himself as though satisfied and walked away as Wei Wuxian clumsily scrabbled for the door handle and practically jumped inside.
Slightly embarrassed yet exceedingly tired from all of the flying and running around, Wei Ying clumsily untied his outer robes before falling into his bed across from Jiang Cheng and passing out.