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There’s this rumor going around that Jiang Cheng has been hearing lately: the Gusu Lan are all a bunch of romantics.

It’s no secret that Gusu Lan is filled with unmovable beauties who are righteous and obedient, each one clad in white mourning robes and flowing dark hair. It’s also known that every member of Gusu Lan dons a white forehead ribbon that can only be touched by family and betrotheds. All of that is old news- so what exactly is new? Apparently, all of these traditionalists are especially traditional in romance, too. Something like love-at-first-sight believers who set their eyes on only one person in their entire life, heavy courting enthusiasts who woo their prey with wondrous looks and the most exceptional gifts. 

Where does this rumor come from? Jiang Cheng doesn’t know the whole truth behind it, but he assumes it comes from nothing in particular, as most rumors do. Maybe, if people were observant enough, they might’ve gotten the idea from Jiang Cheng’s idiot shixiong and the Chief Cultivator. Whilst it takes a blind fool not to notice that the two are infatuated with each other despite being married , only people with sharp eyes would be able to tell just how long Hanguang-jun had waited for Wei Wuxian, how much effort he had put in in an attempt to have Wei Wuxian return his sentiments (which were, unsurprisingly, very, very returned.) 

However, upon further examination, that’s the only valid example that can support the rumor- and what good is a rumor if it only applies to one situation? The idea of someone like Lan Qiren being a romantic makes Jiang Cheng snort. Even a more likely candidate like Zewu-jun has Jiang Cheng’s gut twisting uncomfortably at the thought of him attempting to court someone. The Lans are notorious for being rule-followers, cultivators stuck in hard mindsets, brains filled with nothing but those absurd 3000-4000 rules. In what world could all of them possibly be romantics?

And then Jiang Cheng meets Lan Sizhui.

Here’s what Jiang Cheng knows about Lan Sizhui: he’s a Wen, one of the ones that Wei Wuxian had saved 15 years ago; he’s Gusu Lan’s head disciple; he is notorious for being a splitting image of the First Jade of Lan, Sect Leader Zewu-jun; he’s kind, well-liked, and is treated like Hanguang-jun’s son. He also knows that Lan Sizhui is a close acquaintance of his jiejie’s son, Sect Leader Jin, Jin Rulan. Jin Ling hated revealing his private life to Jiang Cheng, and hates it even more now that he’s Sect Leader, but on the insistence of his Jiujiu and many tuggings of the earlobe, Jin Ling folded and now sends Jiang Cheng updates on his life every now and then. Here and there he offers snippets of life outside of being sect leader- of night hunts with other clans’ disciples near his age, of Jiang Cheng’s shixiong pestering him, of what seems to be friends , at the very least.

Jiang Cheng isn’t stupid. A boy like Jin Ling couldn’t afford to grow up particularly sheltered, what with being an orphan with a stupid amount of responsibility on his shoulders. Jiang Cheng can still see the way he holds his father’s sword close like if he lets it go for even a second it’ll disappear into thin air and rejoin his father’s spirit in the Heavens. And then Jin Guangyao died, and that responsibility doubled; the bullying from his fellow disciples turned into sneers from greedy ministers and so-called advisors eager to take advantage of this freshly-wounded Sect Leader. It’s why Jiang Cheng had yelled at him when Jin Ling refused to send him letters, why he had stomped up to his room and dragged him by the ear until Jin Ling had screamed, “Okay, okay, I’ll let you visit whenever you like!”

But above everything else, Jiang Cheng knows Jin Ling had been lonely. A parentless child lost and confused, wondering why he had to rely on his uncle to save him instead of being able to cry for his dad. And then, after that, a rebellious teen who didn’t have a childhood that gave him the ability to process feelings, who pushed away everyone near him because he was never taught not to. And now, not much older than that, a sect leader with sharks surrounding him, unsure what counts as safe ground and what doesn’t. Jiang Cheng is well aware that Jin Ling never had the time, the words to find comfort in others. Sometimes he looks at Jin Ling and sees a splitting image of Jin Zixuan- a boy with no clue how to cope with ‘embarrassing confessions’. Jin Ling would rather die than be honest about just how lonely he is, but Jiang Cheng doesn’t need the words. He can see it.

So, of course, when Jin Ling’s letters mention two Lan disciples and one Ouyang disciple far too many times, almost like he had accidentally forgotten to omit them, Jiang Cheng allows himself to hope. He hopes that his emotionally constipated nephew has somehow found himself a tight-knit group of friends. He hopes that this is a step towards the right direction, a reassurance that not everything had to rely on political gain. He hopes that somehow, in some way, Jin Ling’s stupid emotion-denying self will just admit he’s glad for their company and that he’s finally not alone. 

But, you know, as the Jiujiu he is, Jiang Cheng figured he had to see it for himself. Previously, he’d followed the group a few times during their night hunts- but that hadn’t helped much with confirming that his nephew had a supportive friend group. Instead, it only resulted in Jiang Cheng discovering the Ghost General following the group as well, which led to him drawing Zidian, which led to said group discovering the two of them, and- well. Wei Wuxian found out, and he never let it go after that, so Jiang Cheng figured it would be best not to follow them on night hunts anymore. Besides, he decided he’d had enough of watching from the sidelines. He, rather selfishly, wanted to stand by the side of Jin Ling and see if anyone dared to insult his jiejie’s son right in front of him. He knew- knows- in his heart that he wouldn’t waste a single second brandishing Zidian if someone laid even a finger on Jin Ling.

He waited until Jin Ling’s most recent letter arrived, and, sure enough, it mentioned something about him grouping up with the other three disciples. After the conference, Zewu-jun allowed the two of them to join me in Lanling, it read, Zizhen’s father isn’t happy, but Zizhen doesn’t care. They’ll be spending a few days in Lanling with me, and then we’ll set out for a night hunt together. Please don’t follow us on the night hunt again . Jiang Cheng had ignored the last line and wrote back, Stay safe . What he hadn’t written was that he planned to take a surprise trip to Lanling before they could leave for the night hunt, just to… check in . With the spontaneity, Jin Ling wouldn’t have been able to hide anything or advise his supposed friends to be on their best behavior. That way, Jiang Cheng could judge them honestly on whether or not they were good enough for his jiejie’s son.

Through that unprompted visit, Jiang Cheng had watched through narrowed eyes as Jin Ling interacted with the bout of them (after he finished yelling at Jiang Cheng with flushed cheeks that, “Just because I said you can visit whenever you please doesn’t mean you can do it without warning!”), stubborn and indignant as per usual, and felt sort of reassured. Even though Jin Ling didn’t seem to be any less stuck up about his idea that friends weren’t necessary, it was almost as if the other disciples understood. 

Despite his off-puttish behavior and quick dismissals, they almost always bounced back to tease him, in the case of the rowdy Lan disciple, rant to him, in the case of Ouyang Zizhen, or- or… stare at him with a warm smile, in the case of Lan Sizhui. A warm smile and eyes creased in happiness, softness radiating off of his body language. No matter how many times Jin Ling turned away or scoffed or dismissed himself, Lan Sizhui would always be there to look after him or laugh gently or watch his back as he retreated.

Oh, Jiang Cheng knew that look. That persisting stare. Because as much as Lan Sizhui was to be called the First Jade of Lan’s splitting image, people could never deny that he was raised by Hanguang-jun, who had yearned and yearned and yearned himself all the way to a husband after 20-something years. Hanguang-jun, who may not have smiled or laughed gently or let his posture relax like Lan Sizhui did, but whose gaze had never left Wei Wuxian since the moment they had met. Jiang Cheng might’ve taken a while to realize so, but it seemed fairly simple afterwards that it could be blamed for all the times Jiang Cheng felt slightly ticked off when standing behind Wei Wuxian as he interacted with Hanguang-jun. So maybe Lan Sizhui was softer, no doubt because of the early influence of Wei Wuxian in his days as a Wen, but he would never be able to rid himself of that stupid-in-love gaze.

Lan Sizhui is in love with Jiejie’s son, and committed to it, too. Just like a romantic would be.

More or less, Jiang Cheng has accepted such already. It’d come as a pretty fair surprise, at first, half because he truly believed no Lans could fall for another like Hanguang-jun did, and half because he would’ve never expected that his nephew could possibly attract a gaze like that. Not that Jiang Cheng meant to say his nephew was undesirable, of course, but he felt that it kind of tied into the fact that he was but a splitting image of Jin Zixuan, who was liked by his jiejie for reasons Jiang Cheng never figured out. It was probably also that Jiang Cheng knew Jin Ling couldn’t express affection for his life, which was a pretty big obstacle to work around. But after seeing the look on that Lan kid’s face, Jiang Cheng figured he loved it, just as he probably loved every other part of Jin Ling.

Jiang Cheng shudders at the thought. Maybe that rumor was onto something with the whole talk about Lans being romantics, because the last time he had had a train of thought involving someone loving all of someone else, it’d been about his shixiong and Hanguang-jun, who were frankly disgustingly public about their love. Lan Sizhui is a good kid, he’s sure, but judging by his adopted- adopted?- parents, Jiang Cheng couldn’t completely trust him to not be stupid like Hanguang-jun had been. Jin Ling deserves love after what he’s been through, something something, but the thought of letting a Lan court his nephew, much less the son of Wei Wuxian, makes Jiang Cheng want to throw up. If the rumor is true, if Lan Sizhui really loves his nephew with the heart of a romantic, then, well, Jiang Cheng’s just going to try twice as hard to ruin any attempts to sway Jin Ling. 

He can almost feel Jiang Yanli’s glare from all the way up there. “Didi, you should let him love,” she’d say, because that’s what she would do if she could. Forgive me, then, Jiang Cheng thinks bitterly. Jin Ling can love, alright- but not a Lan disciple, and certainly not one affiliated with Wei Wuxian.

And so begins Jiang Cheng’s lifelong mission: prevent his emotionally-stunted nephew from falling deeply and madly in love with a Lan. (Because he already lost his shixiong to one a long time ago, and he’s not about to let it happen again.) 

Jiang Cheng begins by reassuring himself that it’s not as hard as it actually seems. Romantic or not, Jiang Cheng knows through quick observation that Lan Sizhui is decently respectable, a stark contrast to a specific father of his. It’s written all over his face that he wants to, but no matter how close he is, Lan Sizhui never lays a hand on Jin Ling without outright permission (which, since it’s Jin Ling, is never given). That’s already a step in the right direction. If Lan Sizhui decides he’ll never do anything Jin Ling isn’t comfortable with, then he’ll practically be doing nothing! Oh, how Jiang Cheng loves how low his nephew’s EQ is. In no world would Jin Ling openly admit he enjoys someone else’s presence or touch or ask them to treat him nicely, Jiang Cheng reassures himself. So if Lan Sizhui wants to wait for permission, he can have fun waiting forever!

Jiang Cheng feels like he’s won with that statement alone, although declaring himself champion against an unsuspecting disciple several years younger than him feels slightly hypocritical. And , he reasons as he recalls his previous snooping-arounds, Lan Sizhui clearly holds respect for Jin Ling. As smitten as he is, Jiang Cheng can confirm through the way Lan Sizhui had stared longingly at Jin Ling when the other wasn’t looking that Lan Sizhui, although hoping for more, was completely and utterly satisfied being just Jin Ling’s friend. 

How long would that last? Jiang Cheng wasn’t completely sure, given that he hadn’t even known until he had bothered to check on Jin Ling’s friends himself. But unless Lan Sizhui’s obnoxious father decided to suggest taking the next step through some ridiculous means, Jiang Cheng figured that Lan Sizhui wouldn’t mind continuing to keep his feelings a secret. At least, as secret as it could get, what with him watching Jin Ling’s every movement with hearts in his eyes. Jiang Cheng gags upon recalling it. (Watching one Lan be infatuated with his shixiong was bad enough- did he really have to witness another Lan obsess over his nephew?)

But what if Wei Wuxian actually decided to encourage Lan Sizhui to confess? What if Lan Sizhui suddenly gained a stroke of boldness from his father and decided to pursue Jin Ling properly? What then? Well, of course, Jiang Cheng needs to prepare for that, too. He’s not about to take chances when he knows how unpredictable his shixiong can be. If he doesn’t come prepared, he might find himself flailing about trying to convince Jin Ling not to accept stupid Wei Wuxian-coded courting gifts. His nephew might be emotionally dense, but he’s also, well, extremely deprived of proper love and care. Jiang Cheng knows he wouldn’t hesitate to keep any gifts close, even if he didn’t express it outright. 

Jin Ling hates sharing his private life with Jiang Cheng, and therefore hates it when Jiang Cheng snoops around in his business. Last time he’d been caught almost brawling with the Ghost General, Jin Ling had admonished him furiously, even if the effect was dampened by his flaming cheeks. As Sect Leader, Jin Ling often believed his private life to be one akin to an emperor, refusing to spare even the smallest details. And when he finds Jiang Cheng snooping around for said details, he lets his thoughts be known with that peacock stance belonging to his father. So, obviously, if worst comes to worst and Lan Sizhui comes around trying to court Jin Ling, Jiang Cheng can’t just march up to his nephew and declare that he mustn't accept them. There has to be some practical reason for Jiang Cheng to convince Jin Ling not to take it. 

Courting gifts typically have to be accepted regardless of whether or not the feelings are reciprocated, simply because of respect. Especially for a sect leader like Jin Ling, saving face is the first priority, not giving an outright rejection. But Jiang Cheng can’t have him accept the gift at all, because he knows Jin Ling will fall headfirst in love once he has even a single sign that Lan Sizhui is interested in him. There comes the exception in the ‘accepting courting gifts’ rule: if the recipient is already betrothed, it’s more than acceptable to reject a courting gift. In fact, most people who dare present one to someone who’s engaged are heavily shunned (take his shixiong’s current body, for one). 

Simple, then, isn’t it? All Jiang Cheng needs to do is convince Jin Ling to get betrothed, and then Lan Sizhui will either be much too discouraged to make a move or decide to make one nonetheless and have it be rejected without a single thought! Yes, he supposes that if he proposes this plan to Jin Ling, Jin Ling will automatically decline, meaning that Jiang Cheng will have to whip up some fancy lie about the economic and political benefits towards getting engaged. And then after Lan Sizhui decides to never show his face to Jin Ling ever again (therefore eliminating any chance of wooing Jin Ling), Jiang Cheng can just spin another lie to get Jin Ling to call it off. 

That is, if Jin Ling is actually unhappy with the arrangement. If he falls in love with his wife-to-be who’s only his wife-to-be because Jiang Cheng doesn’t want Lan Sizhui to be his wife-to-be, then so be it! It’s not as if Jiang Cheng is complaining about who Jin Ling ends up falling in love with, as long as it’s not another Lan. (He just really, really can’t. When he recalls how Wei Wuxian talked about Hanguang-jun in their earlier years, he has a great urge to throw up. What if Jin Ling does the same? What if his jiejie’s son comes up to him asking for relationship advice ? For a relationship with Wei Wuxian’s son ? He saw Wei Wuxian falling in love with a Lan- if the gods are kind, they won’t have him watch his nephew fall in love with a Lan, too.)

It’s not like Jin Ling listens to him often, but Jiang Cheng is sure Jin Ling will agree  if he manages to make it seem like something that would boost Jin Ling’s economic position. All he needs to do is yank Jin Ling’s ear a few times or hit him upside the head and Jin Ling will begin to believe him. So, obviously, the next time Jin Ling comes visiting Yunmeng grumbling about Jiang Cheng being overprotective, the first thing Jiang Cheng does is say, “You should get married.”

As expected, Jin Ling stops in the middle of whatever he was saying and looks up at Jiang Cheng incredulously. His lip is pushed up in that disgusted way of his, terribly similar to his father. “What?”

“I said, you should get married.” Jiang Cheng reaches over and tugs on Jin Ling’s earlobe harshly. “Did you not hear me the first time? You’re Sect Leader and you still can’t listen properly?”

“Stop, stop, I heard you!” Jin Ling cries, attempting to bat Jiang Cheng’s hand away. “I heard you the first time, I wasn’t asking you to repeat it! Jiujiu, you can’t just hit me whenever you want!”

Jiang Cheng scowls. “If you heard it the first time, act like it. You should get married.”

Jin Ling scowls back, but a slow flush has begun to take over his face. “I- I know! I know I should.” Jiang Cheng raises an eyebrow and Jin Ling hurries to say, “Of course I’ve thought about it! Marriage is- very important for a sect! And- and if I get married, I’ll earn respect and- reassure my peers that Lanling Jin will have an heir in the near future!”

Jiang Cheng’s lip curls. “So you’ve been thinking about marriage, huh? You want to get married? You’re barely an adult- don’t go on thinking you’re ready for love!”

“Jiujiu, no!” Jin Ling yelps, face heating up even further. “I just said- I mean, I have been thinking about it, but in a political sense! I don’t- well- I’m not thinking about anyone in particular! Ah- hey, weren’t you the one suggesting it?! How come you’re all over me just because I agreed?!”

Well, that’s certainly reassuring. Jiang Cheng scoffs. “I’m making sure you’re not being distracted by frivolous manners.” If Jin Ling can spot his lie, he doesn’t show it. “So you know the importance of a marriage, then. You should have no problem with going to a matchmaker with me.”

Jin Ling splutters. “Jiujiu, haven’t you been blacklisted by almost every matchmaker in this nation?” When Jiang Cheng glares harshly at him, Jin Ling quickly amends, “I mean! I mean… yes, Jiujiu, I’ll come with you to see a matchmaker.”

“Get your list ready, then,” Jiang Cheng whirls around with a flick of his arm. “And make sure they’re realistic expectations. You’ll be blacklisted otherwise.”

“So that’s how you were blacklisted everywhere,” Jin Ling mutters under his breath, nodding frantically and scurrying away when Jiang Cheng turns his head to shoot a glance at him over his shoulder. 

Step one: complete! Fairly easily, too. Jiang Cheng should’ve known that Jin Ling had already considered marriage due to his nephew’s insistence on bringing his sect back to fame. Indeed, marriage can bring respect, almost guarantee an heir, and form alliances. Jin Ling isn’t wrong for thinking in the long run. It’s just… Jiang Cheng rubs his chin thoughtfully, waving off the servant who accompanied Jin Ling to his room. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Nevermind that. If Jin Ling thought it was a good idea to get married, it would only make Jiang Cheng’s job easier. Surely with the notion of reviving his sect in mind, Jin Ling would go along with any of the matchmaker’s whims and jump at any opportunity to get married to a decently respectable girl. Still, Jiang Cheng can’t brush off the feeling that something is wrong.

Maybe that something was just the foreboding feeling that always came before Wei Wuxian spontaneously appeared in Yunmeng.

Tensions between Jiang Cheng and his shixiong were rather high after the dealings of Jin Guangyao, especially with Lan Wangji consistently putting himself between the two of them. Yet Wei Wuxian had somehow managed to squirm his way into Jiang Cheng’s life nevertheless. Once the cultivation world had more or less settled down, Jiang Cheng could hear tales going around of the respected Hanguang-jun and the feared Yiling Patriarch. Specifically, tales of them prancing around all over the world together, traveling here and there and vanquishing a number of evil spirits. 

To Jiang Cheng, the prospect wasn’t as surprising as people made it out to be. In fact, he’d guessed that they would be doing such, if not staying in the Cloud Recesses draped over each other every day. And then the two of them showed up at Jiang Cheng’s doorstep, the foot of Yunmeng, without any warning whatsoever, and suddenly it was a lot more infuriating than Jiang Cheng thought it would be. He’d almost yelled at the two of them in front of a whole crowd of people until Lan Wangji, once again, stepped in front of Wei Wuxian with a flick of his sleeves. Only that was enough for Jiang Cheng to stop himself from brandishing Zidian.

From that moment on, it almost felt like all the tension between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian had been transferred to Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji. Whilst Jiang Cheng would still glare at Wei Wuxian with little restraint, he and Lan Wangji had a surprisingly more intense rivalry, with both of them acting passive-aggressively. 

Wei Wuxian somehow seemed to reap a lot of entertainment from it, as he would constantly tease both Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji for their barely-concealed hostility towards each other. But it’s only thanks to that tense relationship that Jiang Cheng managed to ease into a more familiar dynamic with Wei Wuxian. There were times when he felt like almost nothing had changed- until, of course, Wei Wuxian started to cling onto Lan Wangji. Now Wei Wuxian visits sparsely, if only to bother Jiang Cheng. Sometimes without his husband, sometimes with, and more often than not complaining about missing Lotus Pier. 

This visit in particular is without Lan Wangji by his side. Wei Wuxian shows up without warning, as per usual, and barges into Yunmeng, loud and boisterous. It’s Jin Ling who finds him first, though he somehow gets dragged along with Wei Wuxian to visit Jiang Cheng.

“Oh, how I missed Lotus Pier!” Wei Wuxian wails, as if he doesn’t say the same thing every time he visits. “Look- the air is fresh with the sea breeze, the town is lively and buzzing with noise, and the food, of course, the food!” He rolls onto the ground with a squeal, propping his head on his hands and kicking his feet. “Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng, did you know that Gusu is almost always humid? You’d think up there in the mountains it’d be cooler, but no! Speaking of Gusu, Lan Zhan has some sort of Chief Cultivator duty going on, so he didn’t come with me to visit you.” Wei Wuxian twirls a strand of his hair around his finger. “Didi, keep me company! Without my husband, how will I entertain myself?”

Jiang Cheng almost grabs him by the collar and forcefully throws him out before Jin Ling kicks Wei Wuxian in the side for him. “Shut up!” Jin Ling shouts, face flushed like it always is whenever Wei Wuxian mentions his marriage. “If you miss your husband so much, you should just go straight back to him!”

Wei Wuxian rubs his side where Jin Ling had kicked him. Jiang Cheng feels a sense of pride. “A-Ling, didn’t you just hear? I said, I missed Lotus Pier soo much, I just had to come visit! Besides, don’t you think your Jiujiu is lonely? Someone’s gotta keep him company, right? He doesn’t even have a cultivation partner!”

“Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng spits out through his gritted teeth. Wei Wuxian yelps and rolls away out of Jiang Cheng’s range. He resumes kicking his feet and giggling.

“See, look how worked up he is!” Wei Wuxian points at Jiang Cheng accusingly. “Your Jiujiu is lonely, Jin Ling! He needs a wife to make him happy~!”

Jin Ling scrunches up his nose. As if to double check, he glances at Jiang Cheng, who glares back. Quickly, he looks away. Wei Wuxian sniffs, disappointed at his failed attempt to gaslight Jin Ling. “Well,” he begins again, suddenly sitting up straight, “as much as I missed Lotus Pier, I also came for another reason!” He shifts his arm so that he points at Jin Ling instead. “I heard someone is trying to get married!”

Jin Ling’s face turns red immediately. He coughs and splutters until he finally gains some wits and yells back, “Who’s trying to get married! Not me! Who told you that?!”

Wei Wuxian taps his chin. “Nobody needs to tell me, A-Ling! I have special uncle reflexes.” He winks. “Have you found the lucky girl yet? Who is it, who is it? Tell me!”

“We’ve only visited two matchmakers so far,” Jiang Cheng interrupts before Jin Ling can have steam coming out of his ears. “It’s too early to decide. There’s only a few candidates to choose from anyway.”

“So it’s a political marriage, huh?” Wei Wuxian looks oddly disappointed. He sighs and tilts his head back. “A-Ling, A-Ling, hasn’t your Jiujiu taught you anything? Don’t you know that if you marry someone, you’ll be stuck with them for your whole life? You can’t just be thinking about political gain all the time!”

“I’m not!” Jin Ling cries incredulously. “It’s not just about political gain! I’m just- I know I’m gonna be with her forever, but as long as she’s a nice girl, it doesn’t matter to me whether I love her or not!”

“I see,” Wei Wuxian says, nodding his head. “So you want a girl who’ll cook for you, put you to bed, and treat you well, who’ll also help you strengthen ties with your other sects and help you gain respect. If you can find a girl like that, it doesn’t matter if you love her or not, right?”

Jin Ling flushes brightly. “Why are you saying it like that?!”

Wei Wuxian stares at him a little longer, long enough to have Jiang Cheng worrying over his intentions. After a while, he waves his hand. “Nothing! Nothing at all, A-Ling. It’s just that I suddenly feel like there’s someone I know who would do just that!”

Jin Ling perks up despite himself, but Jiang Cheng sets down his cup with a slam, eyeing Wei Wuxian suspiciously. “Wei Wuxian, Jiejie’s son’s marriage is no joking matter. Whatever you’re thinking of, you better stop.”

“Always assuming the worst!” Wei Wuxian exclaims. “Of course I want the best for Shijie’s son, Jiang Cheng! I never said I’d act on it, right?” He stands up, dusting off his robes and padding over to the door. “Well, I miss my husband after all this talk about marriage. You know what, I think you’re right, A-Ling. I think I’ll just go right back to Gusu and enjoy his company!” With that, he bounds out of the room merrily.

Jiang Cheng grumbles some swear words under his breath. “Go back to your room,” he says to Jin Ling, who squeaks out, Yes, Jiujiu! and scampers away.

Jiang Cheng has a bad feeling about Wei Wuxian’s so-called candidate, especially with the way he had quickly left afterwards as if he had an idea he wanted to share. But, then again, all of Wei Wuxian’s plans are bad, and it also wouldn’t be that surprising if he left simply to see Hanguang-jun again. After all, Jiang Cheng’s shixiong wouldn’t be able to spend a week away from his husband even if he tried. 

Whatever . Jiang Cheng rubs the bridge of his nose. No matter what Wei Wuxian managed to throw into Jin Ling’s marriage situation, it would still run its course. As long as Jin Ling had a reason to refuse any Lan courting gifts, there would be no falling in love with Lan Sizhui.

Yet Jiang Cheng still couldn’t brush off the feeling that Wei Wuxian was planning something that would do the exact opposite. 

The plan seemed to be going fairly well.

Jiang Cheng, using the matchmakers as an excuse, managed to convince Jin Ling to stay in Yunmeng until they found a proficient match. This way, he could ensure that Jin Ling wouldn’t go running off with any of his friends. On the other hand, Jin Ling seemed to go along with the whims of the matchmaker just fine. His list was fairly average for a sect leader, much to the matchmakers’ relief, meaning that candidates were flooding in each day. They’d already narrowed it down to a few, but despite insisting he didn’t care for marrying for love, Jin Ling insisted on meeting privately with each of them. When Jiang Cheng called him out on it, Jin Ling only flushed and stammered, “No, I really don’t care, I swear! It’s just- uh, I want her to be happy and willing, even if she doesn’t love me! If she’s unhappy, then the blame will be on me, and I’ll just lose respect. Jiujiu, isn’t that counterproductive?!”

Jiang Cheng had scowled at that, but in the end it was only a minor delay. Besides, it wasn’t as if Jin Ling was wrong. And he was still Jiejie’s son, so if precaution was necessary in his eyes, Jiang Cheng would just have to play along with it. Other than that, everything else was in place. All Jiang Cheng had to do now was be patient, and soon there would be absolutely no chance of Lan Sizhui ever courting-

Jiang Cheng stares on in horror as Lan Sizhui pulls Jin Ling into a tight hug.

Jiang Cheng had just been accompanying Jin Ling to where the first meeting was going to take place. He hadn’t known Lan Sizhui would be standing just a few buildings away in their direct path. And, of course, Jin Ling hadn’t hesitated to peel away from his Jiujiu and join him. Instead of a cordial nod or a polite greeting, Lan Sizhui had (of course ) chosen to instead smile warmly and open his arms.

…卧槽!

“S-Sizhui!” Jin Ling stutters, panicking in his embrace. “You- uh, how- why are you here ?!”

Lan Sizhui laughs gently and backs away, though (Jiang Cheng glowers) he doesn’t remove his hands from Jin Ling’s shoulders. “A-Ling,” he says, reverently, and Jiang Cheng almost pukes, “sorry that I didn’t warn you beforehand. Hanguang-jun and Senior Wei have some business to discuss with Yunmeng Jiang.” Lan Sizhui does his best impression of what Jiang Cheng thinks is a shrug. “I’m… not sure what it’s about,” he continues, though, by the tone of the voice, it seems like he does know what it’s about, “but they sent me up ahead first because… well, because it’s Hanguang-jun and Senior Wei. I wouldn’t have chosen to share a room with them even if they had offered.”

Jin Ling snorts, the redness of his cheeks fading away. “Wei Wuxian is shameless- what’s new? How’d you manage to get in here, then? I’ve been with Jiujiu all day, there’s no way he could’ve come to greet you while I wasn’t looking.”

“Haha, that’s actually exactly why,” Lan Sizhui says, removing a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Since Sect Leader Jiang was busy, the servants took it upon themselves to welcome me.” At the mention of Jiang Cheng, Lan Sizhui turns to him and bows in greeting. “Sect Leader Jiang. I hope I didn’t intrude on anything.”

“Lan Sizhui,” Jiang Cheng grits out, nodding in return. He should’ve blacklisted Lan Sizhui when he had the time. He’ll inform his servants later. “Of course not.”

“How long will you be staying?” Jin Ling asks, placing a hand over Lan Sizhui’s.

Lan Sizhui redirects his attention back to Jin Ling and smiles again. “I’m not sure. However long it takes for Hanguang-jun and Senior Wei to finish their business, I suppose.”

“Well, then we can’t play it safe!” Jin Ling declares, tugging Lan Sizhui’s hand off. “It’s your first time vacationing at Lotus Pier, right? I’ve been here many times before- I’ll show you just how cool it can be!”

Standing proud like this, chest puffed out, Jiang Cheng can almost see the image of a certain familiar peacock in the same position. Distracted by the thought, he fails to interrupt before Lan Sizhui says, “Ah, so you always say. Jingyi and Zizhen aren’t here, though- are you sure you want to show me first?”

“Hmph!” Jin Ling scoffs. “Who said I wanted them here?! Even so, they’re not, but you are, so what does it matter? I’ll just show them again later- hey, are you just trying to get out of coming with me?!”

“No, no, of course not!” Lan Sizhui quickly amends. “Alright, if you say it’s fine, then it’s fine, right? You lead, A-Ling.” Jin Ling beams back arrogantly, and, before Jiang Cheng can protest, loops his arm in Lan Sizhui’s and pulls him away.

Jiang Cheng stares at their retreating backs, then glances at the meeting location.

胡说八道 . Of course he’s the one who has to deal with postponing it.

As expected, Lan Sizhui’s unprompted visit brings a lot more trouble to the plan. For one, Jin Ling insists on bringing him all around Yunmeng, not just Lotus Pier, meaning he’s constantly ordering Jiang Cheng to postpone the meetings even further. When Jiang Cheng pulls on his ear in anger, Jin Ling protests, “Sizhui rarely visits, Jiujiu! Besides, you’re going to be busy, anyway, right?! Aren’t Hanguang-jun and Wei Wuxian coming to discuss something?! There’s no rush, is there?! Aren’t all these girls lining up waiting either way?!” And Jiang Cheng had nothing to say to all that, so he reluctantly let go of Jin Ling and gruffly told him to hurry it up.

Hanguang-jun and Wei Wuxian were nowhere to be found. Despite Lan Sizhui having said they had business to discuss, it seemed as if they weren’t in a rush at all. Jiang Cheng had yet to hear of any entry from the guards near the entrance to Yunmeng. Wei Wuxian has never been a big fan of politics, anyway- Jiang Cheng wouldn’t be surprised if he was single-handedly slowing Hanguang-jun down by an entire week. When he tried to discreetly ask Lan Sizhui about it, the head disciple only sheepishly admitted that he had left in a hurry and failed to ask when the two of them would be arriving.

The only thing Jiang Cheng can do now is bite his nails and follow Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui around like a second Fairy. He cannot, under any circumstances, have Lan Sizhui make his move just before Jiang Cheng’s victory. As he followed the two of them around, it seemed as if Lan Sizhui truly had no ill intention. Although he still stared at Jin Ling with hearts in his eyes, he didn’t seem intent on acting on it, simply laughing along at Jin Ling’s whims. The two of them were close, of course, but Jiang Cheng assumed they always were, and so he didn’t question it when Lan Sizhui initiated more physical contact. 

The Lans were notorious for avoiding touch, but seeing that Hanguang-jun had no problems with Wei Wuxian draped over him, Jiang Cheng could say that there were probably exceptions. At that thought, he drifted off into space imagining who could be the exception for Zewu-jun. Maybe Jin Guangyao- Jiang Cheng had seen the way Lan Xichen had interacted with him before, and it wasn’t short of close- or maybe Nie Mingjue, his other sworn brother. Or maybe it was just Lan Wangji, out of brotherly love. Lost in the idea of Lan Xichen making contact with someone frequently, Jiang Cheng almost found himself hoping-

Focus! Right, he really needed to stop drifting from his goal. As of right now, he just had to keep an eye on the two of them. He watches as Lan Sizhui reaches over and brushes a leaf off of Jin Ling’s shoulder. Jin Ling stutters in whatever he had been saying and falls strangely silent, staring at Lan Sizhui. Oh, ew. Jin Ling was probably stunned by the motion, Jiang Cheng reasoned. After all, his nephew had never grown up with someone there to consistently take care of him, so acts of care were probably fairly new. Jiang Yanli coos in Jiang Cheng’s mind, but Jiang Cheng shakes it away. Lan Sizhui could still take care of Jin Ling even if Jin Ling was married. Hopefully he’d just lose the romantic connotation and decide to be a good friend.

A slow blush spreads over Jin Ling’s cheeks. Then, he clears his throat and points to something else, talking about its state back when he was a child. Except Lan Sizhui’s gaze doesn't follow his finger, but instead stays glued onto Jin Ling’s face. From this distance, Jiang Cheng can see a warm smile plastered on his expression. He gags.

Jin Ling comes home one day with a new comb in his hair. Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes and demands to know where he got it from.

Unsurprisingly, Jin Ling startles and scowls, flushing a bright red. “W-why do you need to know?! Where I got it from doesn’t matter! I like it, so I’m keeping it!”

Jiang Cheng hits him upside the head for that, but doesn’t question any further. Jin Ling has always had a knack for spending money on whatever he wanted, so it was most likely just another impulsive purchase. He always got defensive about things he bought on a whim, too. As long as it wasn’t a courting gift from the Lan, Jiang Cheng didn’t care where the comb came from.

Jiang Cheng frowns afterwards. Theoretically, he would’ve gone to buy it with Lan Sizhui, so why hadn’t a Lan, frugal by their sect rules, stopped him?

…Jiang Cheng waves it off. It’s probably just another byproduct of being smitten.

Strangely enough, Jin Ling seems to be… warmer, these days. Ever since Lan Sizhui arrived, he protests a lot less, complains with less passion, dismisses everything happily. It’s almost as if… as if….

Well, his friend is here, after all. Jin Ling has always looked forward to the opportunity to show off, so obviously now that he has the chance to, of course he’d be pleased. Jiang Cheng can tell that Jin Ling genuinely enjoys his friends’ presence, so it’s expected that he’d be in a better mood with one of them there. The only issue is that he now spends too much time with Lan Sizhui instead of properly preparing for what will be his wedding.

Jiang Cheng sighs. Boys will be boys, right?

Finally, after a week, Hanguang-jun and Wei Wuxian show up at Jiang Cheng’s doorstep. Wei Wuxian is clinging onto his husband as per usual, grinning at Jiang Cheng from his place on Lan Wangji’s arm.

“Didi!” He exclaims, waving enthusiastically. Lan Wangji nods at Jiang Cheng.

“Hanguang-jun,” Jiang Cheng greets, nodding back. The toxicity in his tone is obvious, but Lan Wangji only hums in return.

“Oh, I love it when you guys interact with each other,” Wei Wuxian sing-songs. “My shidi and my husband fighting!”

Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji both glare at Wei Wuxian, though Lan Wangji’s gaze seems to be filled with more adoration than anger. Jiang Cheng scoffs. “Your disciple said you have business to discuss. So? Get on with it.”

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian share a look that makes Jiang Cheng vaguely scared for whatever news they brought. In the end, Wei Wuxian only gestures vaguely with his hands. “It’s important, but let’s give it some time, yeah? Get us some accommodations, first! Don’t you know how to treat your guests, Jiang Cheng?” Without waiting for Jiang Cheng to take the bait, he continues, “By the way, do you know where A-Yuan is?”

“Lan Sizhui?” Jiang Cheng frowns. “Does it look like I keep track of your kid wherever he goes? He’s probably with Jin Ling, playing around at god knows where. You find him yourself.”

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian share another look. This time, Wei Wuxian’s smile grows wider. “You’re so helpful, Jiang Cheng. We’ll find him after we get a room, okay?”

Jiang Cheng waves at a servant standing by the side. “Show them the room I prepared,” he says to him, before turning back to the duo. “You better not be causing trouble. We discuss as soon as possible, then you guys get out of here, alright?”

“Got it, Didi!” Wei Wuxian winks before he’s dragged along with Lan Wangji to follow the servant.

Why wouldn’t the sense of foreboding leave….

Jiang Cheng yawns from where he's standing behind a tree watching Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui enjoy their… night time picnic, whatever that means. As a previous guest disciple under Gusu Lan, he’s pretty sure that their ‘go to sleep at 9 pm sharp’ rule still stands, yet…. They’ve been out here for quite some time already, and although Jiang Cheng doesn’t have an exact measurement of the time, it must be 9 in the least, if not later. Still, neither of them have moved even after long have finished eating. It’s not like they’re deeply engrossed in a conversation, either- in fact, they’re just sitting together in silence, supposedly looking up into the night sky.

Jiang Cheng sniffs. Back in his day, this wouldn’t be considered fun at all. Sleepovers (it’s what he assumes this’ll become) were often accompanied by either erotic novels or illegally-obtained alcohol. He, Wei Wuxian, and Nie Huaisang would often have to plaster the doors with silencing talismans so that they wouldn’t be busted for being disruptive. Never before did the three of them have hangouts like these, sitting on the rooftop of a Yunmeng building and staring into the sky. (Or, in Lan Sizhui’s case, staring at the other person.)

Whatever. He’s about ready to go to bed himself. They’ve been silent for the past half hour anyway, and Jiang Cheng doubts Lan Sizhui is gonna make a move anytime soon. Slowly, he stretches his arms and prepares to get going. He glances at the two of them one more time and-

操 .

Lan Sizhui is- is untying his forehead ribbon. The moment he moves his hand to reach behind his head, Jin Ling’s attention snaps to him. Both Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling watch as Lan Sizhui tugs gently on one stray end, the rest of his ribbon falling into his hand. Jiang Cheng gapes- Jin Ling makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat.

“A-Ling,” Lan Sizhui says quietly. Jin Ling has half the mind to nod in acknowledgement. Lan Sizhui holds the hand holding his ribbon out in front of him, uncurling his fingers to present the white cloth tentatively. Jin Ling’s cheeks flush red. “A-Ling, I wanted to…”

Jin Ling splutters, tripping over himself. He looks at Lan Sizhui, then at the ribbon, then back at Lan Sizhui, and finally stutters out, “M-m-m-me?!” He looks back down. “This isn’t- this isn’t some funny joke, right? You’re not trying to- play a prank on me, are you? Lan Sizhui, surely you know what your own forehead ribbon means…!” Lan Sizhui only stares back at him, determined. When he says nothing else, Jin Ling scrambles to stand up, almost slipping on his robes. “This is some sort of ploy to see if I know your stupid forehead ribbon meaning, isn’t it? Lan Sizhui, you should- you should know better than to joke like that!”

Something like hurt flashes in Lan Sizhui’s eyes. He opens his mouth, then closes it, and finally says, “A-Ling….”

Jin Ling backs away, flush high on his cheeks, shaking his head vigorously. “Lan Sizhui- you- you have to save that for your wife, not… not for pranking the likes of me! You- you know I….” He drifts off, and suddenly the moonlight illuminates teary eyes. “You-! Whatever! It’s not- a funny joke, just so you know! I don’t know what possibly made you think it was, but- but…! Lan Sizhui, you mustn’t- why would you do such a thing ?!”

Lan Sizhui flinches back at Jin Ling’s words. “A-Ling, you misunderstand, I….” But before he can finish, Jin Ling has already spun on his heels and turned away, hastily retreating.

Jiang Cheng snaps his jaw shut from where it had been hanging open. When Jin Ling’s figure becomes only a dot in the distance, probably heading to his quarters, Jiang Cheng turns to look at Lan Sizhui. To his surprise, the boy isn’t crying- only staring down at his forehead ribbon with his eyebrows pinched together. The silence that fills the air is stifling. Not even a sniffle can be heard.

Jiang Cheng swallows. Well. That’s a rejection if he’s ever seen one. Regardless of whether his nephew genuinely thought it was a joke or not, the hidden message behind him fleeing is obvious. Now that he’s received a clear rejection, Lan Sizhui should stop bothering Jin Ling, right? There’s no way he’d continue to persist when Jin Ling made it clear that he didn’t return his feelings. Sure enough, Lan Sizhui’s stare is blank with defeat.

That should be a job well done, right? Lan Sizhui will never attempt to court Jin Ling, not again, and there’s no way Jin Ling will ever fall for him.

But, staring at the silhouette of Lan Sizhui with his head bowed over his ribbon, Jiang Cheng can’t help but feel that his ‘win’ doesn’t really feel like a win.

Wei Wuxian barges noisily into his room the next day. Jiang Cheng has to breathe in deeply a few times to stop himself from brandishing Zidian right then and there.

“Didi!” Wei Wuxian exclaims. “We have business to discuss!”

Instead of acknowledging his words, Jiang Cheng asks, “Where’s that husband of yours?”

Wei Wuxian winks. “Well, that’s what I mean by business, right? He’s waiting for us- let’s go!”

Jiang Cheng raises an eyebrow. What sort of business can’t be discussed without him following Wei Wuxian to god knows where? Only the image of Lan Sizhui the previous night stops Jiang Cheng from strangling Wei Wuxian on the spot. He jerks his head towards the door, signaling for Wei Wuxian to wait for him while he puts on some proper robes.

Wei Wuxian guides Jiang Cheng with words spewing out of his mouth, talking about this and that and jumping from topic to topic. He seems strangely energized today, not even pausing when Jiang Cheng hits him in the back of the head or snaps at him to shut up. Instead, he only walks on without a care in the world, skipping ahead. 

“What kind of business are we discussing?” Jiang Cheng scowls, and it’s only then that Wei Wuxian abruptly stops talking. 

Tapping his chin, Wei Wuxian shrugs and points at Jiang Cheng. “Ah ah ah, that’s a surprise. We’re almost there, anyway, can’t you wait a little longer? By the way, where’s A-Ling?”

“What’s up with you always asking where everyone is,” Jiang Cheng mutters. “You think I have him on a leash? Jin Ling goes wherever he wants to go in Yunmeng.”

“Oh, Didi, don’t be like that! I know you love your nephew! And you’re telling me you haven’t bothered to check on him at all today?” Jiang Cheng glares at Wei Wuxian until the older man starts laughing and finally says, “No problem! We don’t need him here anyway.”

Strange. Why does Jiang Cheng feel as though this ‘business’ is… not the type of delegation he expects? He brushes it off as just another one of his weird senses and continues following Wei Wuxian. They come to Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-jun’s room just a few moments after, as promised. When Wei Wuxian slides open the door, Jiang Cheng spots Lan Wangji sitting at the table, which isn’t a particularly new sight. What is new is the addition of Lan Sizhui, who is seated right next to him. The two of them clad in their white mourning robes make for a terribly hilarious image of father and son. Only when Wei Wuxian joins them does the family start looking dysfunctional.

“Why’s he here?” Jiang Cheng says, shooting an accusing glance at Lan Sizhui. Lan Sizhui bows in greeting, forehead ribbon swaying with his hair. There aren’t any signs of last night’s rejection staining him. As Jiang Cheng predicted, he seems to have taken it fairly well without a grain of salt. Reassuring . “Isn’t this supposed to be some business between sect leaders?”

“If it was, Xiongzhang would’ve come instead,” Lan Wangji says bluntly. Jiang Cheng’s heart flutters against his will (it’s just that he hasn’t seen Lan Xichen in a while, even after he emerged from seclusion, that’s all), but hearing the deadpan tone from Lan Wangji kills the mood. Jiang Cheng smiles with hostility. 

“That’s right!” Wei Wuxian says, wrapping an arm around Lan Sizhui’s shoulders. “Hey, Jiang Cheng, we never specified what kind of business it was!”

“You said it was about both sects.”

“And A-Yuan isn’t apart of Gusu Lan?” Wei Wuxian pinches one of Lan Sizhui’s cheeks. To his credit, Lan Sizhui only offers a crooked smile. 

“Sect Leader Jiang,” Lan Wangji calls. Jiang Cheng turns to him, albeit with more aggression than needed. “I would like to clarify that while this business pertains to Yunmeng Jiang and Gusu Lan, it more specifically involves Lanling Jin.”

“No, no, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says, waving him off. “You can’t be vague. Chengcheng, let me put it straight- you see, this business is specifically about Jin Ling.”

Jiang Cheng raises an eyebrow. “Well, if it involves him, why are you bringing it up around me?”

“Haha, Didi, you’re as obtuse as-”

“We are offering our son as a candidate for Sect Leader Jin’s marriage,” Lan Wangji interrupts. Jiang Cheng’s breath catches in his throat. He looks at Lan Sizhui, who looks away quickly, then at Wei Wuxian, who grins, and finally Lan Wangji, who narrows his eyes and continues, “I am right to assume that you have been dealing with the matchmaking of Sect Leader Jin. I think I am also right to assume that Lan Yuan exceeds all of Sect Leader Jin’s requirements. Sect Leader Jiang, it is only right that you consider Gusu Lan’s head disciple as a choice for your nephew’s marriage.”

“Oh! And,” Wei Wuxian exclaims, grin growing wider, “aside from strengthening the ties between Lanling Jin and Gusu Lan, there are other benefits! For example, you know that A-Ling and A-Yuan are very close, right? Marrying a friend is much better than marrying some random girl, though I’d say A-Ling and A-Yuan are a lot closer than that, too.” He leans closer. “After all, A-Yuan has already gifted the six tokens of love. And A-Ling accepted. Wouldn’t it be nice if Shijie’s son married out of love like she did?”

“He what ?!” Jiang Cheng snaps his gaze to Lan Sizhui, who shrinks in on himself sheepishly. “Jin Ling accepted ?!”

“Not the ribbon,” Lan Sizhui says quietly, and Jiang Cheng is about to drive his arm across the entire table and split it in half when a bout of barking suddenly starts up from outside. Wei Wuxian immediately yelps from where he leans on the table, scrambling over his robes and yelling, Lan Zhan, save me ! As Wei Wuxian whimpers into his husband’s back, a voice trailing behind the dog becomes distinct.

“Fairy, Fairy! Aiyah !” Jiang Cheng knows that name. And that voice. He barely has time to react and scramble out of the way before a giant spiritual dog slams through the door of the room, dragging a boy clad in yellow robes in with it. Wei Wuxian flails from behind Lan Wangji, wailing as Fairy shakes off the dust coating her fur.

Jin Ling scowls and stands up, dusting off his own robes. “Fairy! What did I tell you about barging into random people’s rooms?! We’re guests, you have to behave- hey, you weren’t even gifted by Jiujiu, why are you thinking it’s your right to tear up his…” He trails off the moment he looks up and registers who exactly is present. Jiang Cheng watches as his eyes scan across the room, going first from Jiang Cheng to Wei Wuxian, then Hanguang-jun, and finally, Lan Sizhui, where his gaze lingers. Then, almost like a peacock withdrawing its display of its feathers, he tugs at Fairy’s leash and tries to pull her away as if they hadn’t just destroyed an entire door. “Fairy, cmon, we’re intruding on something, let’s go….”

His voice is strained. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji glance at each other before Wei Wuxian says, “Wait, A-Ling! You aren’t intruding! Or, well, the d-d-dog is… aha, let her go, will you? After that, join us!”

Jin Ling looks questioningly at Wei Wuxian, then at Jiang Cheng, who is still momentarily recovering from the conversation before the intrusion of Fairy. Eyebrows furrowed, he reluctantly lets go of the leash, leaving Fairy to happily bound away. Then he takes a seat next to Jiang Cheng, right on the remains of the broken door. Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling make eye contact over the table, Jiang Cheng notices, but the two of them look away almost immediately after, both with flushed cheeks. 

“So,” Jiang Cheng snaps, suddenly unable to take it anymore. “The six tokens of love. You offering my nephew your son’s hand in marriage.”

“ What ?!” Jin Ling exclaims immediately. His head whips around to look at Jiang Cheng. “The what ?! They’re doing what ?!”

“How many times have I told you to listen ?!”

“A-Ling,” Lan Sizhui suddenly says. He looks up with determination despite Jin Ling stubbornly refusing to meet his gaze. “When I offered you my forehead ribbon last night, you thought I was joking. I need to tell you that I wasn’t.”

Jin Ling splutters, cheeks furiously red. “You- you… you’ve probably got it wrong, then, because there’s no way….”

“No,” Lan Sizhui insists. “I didn’t make any mistakes. It wasn’t supposed to be a joke. I was asking you to marry me, A-Ling. I was asking you to be my one and only forever.”

Suddenly, Jiang Cheng feels very uncomfortable sitting between the two of them. 

“You…” Jin Ling finally looks up, locking eyes with Lan Sizhui. His bottom lip trembles. “You were….”

“I was proposing.” Lan Sizhui lifts his head higher. “Seeing that you took it as a joke, you probably don’t return my sentiments. That I understand. However, even if you don’t love me, I’d like to ask for your hand in marriage. I believe that a marriage between Lanling Jin and Gusu Lan would be beneficial to both sects.”

Jin Ling stares at him, a lost look shining in his eyes. “You… you… so, yesterday night….”

Lan Sizhui stiffens, but he pushes on bravely. “If you feel uncomfortable marrying someone who harbors romantic feelings for you, I also understand.”

“Romantic… feelings?” Jin Ling stammers, flushing even harder.

“Romantic feelings.” Lan Sizhui confirms.

“But you never…” Jin Ling gestures vaguely. “You never did- all that. Before you offered me your forehead ribbon. You just-”

“I did, A-Ling.”

“So- so you m-mean… the comb, and the rings, and the jade pendants…”

“...And the hairpin, and the matching bracelets, and spice sachets.” Lan Sizhui finishes. “Yes, A-Ling. They were all courting gifts.”

“I thought they were all- like, signs of friendship, or something,” Jin Ling says pathetically. Jiang Cheng gapes at him. Signs of friendship?! Who let this boy have all the clueless genes from his father?! “I didn’t… I never….”

“I’m sure you never thought of me that way,” Lan Sizhui affirms. “I told you, A-Ling, it’s fine. Nothing between us has to change-”

“B-but what if I want it to change?!” Jin Ling cries. Lan Sizhui startles back. Flush high on his cheeks, Jin Ling places both hands on the table and pushes up until he rests on his knees. “Lan Sizhui- Sizhui- A-Yuan, you don’t get it! What I meant to say isn’t that I never thought of you that way, but that I never dared to hope ! Don’t you get it?

“It’s not that I’ve never thought of you that way, it’s that I’ve thought about it too many times! Every night I go to sleep thinking of you, every day I wake up thinking of you! A-Yuan, don’t you know what you’ve done to me?!” Jin Ling closes his eyes vehemently. “I didn’t dare hope that you meant it for real! How could I not run away when it was everything I’d ever dreamed?! Did you expect me to believe that somehow my greatest wish had come true?! A-Yuan, don’t you dare take it back now!”

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian make eye contact. Wei Wuxian winks. Jiang Cheng grimaces.

“A-Ling,” Lan Sizhui begins, voice breathless, pink tainting his fair skin. “A-Ling, A-Ling, tell me you mean it.”

“I mean it, you idiot, of course I do!” And then suddenly Jin Ling is launching himself across the table, straight into Lan Sizhui’s arms, the two of them tumbling to the floor. “I’d take your ribbon hundreds of times! I’d wear it on my neck tied in a bow if I could! Lan Sizhui, Lan Yuan, A-Yuan, marry me!”

“Yes,” Lan Sizhui cries, burying his head into the crook of Jin Ling’s neck. “Yes, yes, yes ! Jin Ling, Jin Rulan, A-Ling, I’ll marry you, I’ll marry you a thousand times over!”

Through the sobbing and crying coming from the two of them, Wei Wuxian stands up and offers a hand to Jiang Cheng. “Well,” he says, “I take it that the marriage between A-Ling and A-Yuan is going through, right?”

Jiang Cheng glances at the two, now inseparable and shamelessly indulging in Wei Wuxian-Hanguang-jun activities, then looks back at Wei Wuxian, inexplicably vexed at how his shixiong has once again managed to have his way. “Stupid Lans and their stupid romantic intentions,” Jiang Cheng mutters, taking his hand reluctantly.

Wei Wuxian laughs while he pulls him up. “Oh, Didi, you’ve got it all wrong. Don’t you know who came fessing up his feelings for A-Yuan first?”

卧槽! 胡说八道! 操! Because of course Jin Ling chooses to tell Jiang Cheng’s idiot shixiong before him. In fact, if it weren’t for their awfully public confession just then, Jiang Cheng probably would’ve never found out.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji murmurs from behind, wrapping an arm around Wei Wuxian’s waist and eliciting a giggle. At Jiang Cheng’s indignant cough, Lan Wangji nods in acknowledgement. “If Sect Leader Jiang wishes to discuss the alliance and political side of Sect Leader Jin’s marriage, he may discuss it with Xiongzhang.”

Jiang Cheng’s traitorous heart flutters again. “R-really?” He asks, mentally cursing at himself for the stutter. Wei Wuxian, who knows about a certain fleeting crush from a certain drinking game back in their teenage years, smirks knowingly at him. Jiang Cheng clears his throat. “Well. I suppose it won’t hurt to fleshen out some details. I just walk straight into the Cloud Recesses?”

Lan Wangji nods, expression tightening ever so slightly. “Xiongzhang left seclusion only a bit ago. Please be wary of your actions, Jiang Wanyin. Under no circumstances will I tolerate you hurting him in any way.”

Jiang Cheng thinks about Lan Xichen and his sworn brother’s betrayal and nods hastily. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Lan Wangji seems to make some sort of realization with Jiang Cheng’s line, narrowing his eyes. He opens his mouth to say something before a few indecent noises emerge from the pair to their side, along with what seems to be a breathy, A-Yuan . While Lan Wangji quickly shuts his mouth, Jiang Cheng snaps out of his Lan Xichen-induced stupor to hurriedly avert his eyes and turn away. “I’ll be leaving, then.”

“We’ll be out of your hair soon!” Wei Wuxian calls after Jiang Cheng. “No guarantee about A-Yuan, though! You should suggest that they go to Lanling instead, unless you’re okay with your disciples asking why there seems to be a moaning ghost haunting Lotus Pier!”

This time, Jiang Cheng forgoes cursing in his head and instead turns to the skies where he assumes his jiejie stares back down at him, giggling. “卧槽! 胡说八道! 操!”