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Jiang Cheng probably overreacted, though he would never admit that out loud.
Jin Ling had never been a good liar. His voice got higher and he looked antsy whenever he tried. So Jiang Cheng had known he was hiding something when he asked to go on a night hunt with the other juniors near the border. However, Jin Ling was already sixteen, and a sect leader in his own right. Technically he had no authority to deny the boy anything. He had been sixteen once, and he most definitely did things his parents wouldn’t have approved of. He assumed Jin Ling and his friends were perhaps planning to drink away from their elders’ prying eyes, and Jiang Cheng wasn’t so strict as to deny him that. So he had agreed, not missing how the tension did not quite leave his nephew’s shoulders as he thanked him.
He didn’t figure it out until he passed by his room later that night, hearing the sound of scratching at the door. When he unsealed the door and opened it, Fairy tumbled into the corridor. She looked up at him and whined, as if waiting for permission to follow after her owner. Jin Ling never went anywhere without her. Jiang Cheng had wanted to laugh, a bitter ugly sound. Of course. Of course Wei Wuxian would be there. He had already taken everything else from him. Why not steal his nephew out from under his nose as well? He would not stand for this. Sandu was under his feet before he could even think about it, racing towards the border between Yunmeng and Yiling.
He found them in no time. A procession of four teenagers, led by Wei Wuxian who casually yapped on about some monster he slew years ago. Jiang Cheng’s blood boiled. He leapt off his sword and cut them off. Wei Wuxian flinched as his feet hit the ground, but that annoying smile didn’t leave his face.
“Ah, Jiang Cheng,” he stammered, “I didn’t know you were going to tag along.”
“You have five minutes to get the hell out of my sect,” Jiang Cheng snapped. Zidian transformed and crackled in warning.
Wei Wuxian stepped forward, smiling sheepishly. “Jiang Cheng, please. We meant no offence. We just heard about a yao nearby and thought to check it out.”
He said it so casually, as if he wasn’t striding into his sect like he owned the place.
Jiang Cheng’s jaw clenched. He stepped closer to Wei Wuxian. “You have a lot of nerve coming here after that stunt you pulled last time,” he said, his voice cold, “This is your last warning, Wei Wuxian. Get. Out. You can be a disgrace all you want in Gusu, but not in my home.”
Wei Wuxian’s smile faded.
Jin Ling was white as a sheet. He took a few hesitant steps forward. “Jiujiu, please don’t be mad. I asked him to help.”
Jiang Cheng turned to him, furious. He had asked Wei Wuxian for help before asking him, with a problem in his own sect. Did his nephew believe Jiang Cheng to be incompetent? Or was he truly that terrible an uncle that he’d rather ask a man he barely knew, who was responsible for his parents’ deaths? Did Jin Ling think he couldn’t rely on him? Was Wei Wuxian already a better father figure in his life than he ever was?
They were all looking at him. They were bearing witness to his shame, to his own blood declaring Wei Wuxian superior to Jiang Cheng yet again. Their eyes felt like condemnation, like humiliation. White hot shame coursed through his veins. “You invited him?” he asked slowly. Jin Ling looked at him wide eyed, as the weight of his own words dawned on him. “Do tell me, Jin Ling, what gives you the right to give people permission to enter my sect?”
Jin Ling shrank into himself. “I just wanted—”
“Enough!” Jiang Cheng barked. “If you don’t have any loyalty to this sect I suggest you leave. Go home and pack your things. You’re going back to Lanling first thing in the morning.”
Tears sprang into his nephew’s eyes. “What?” He sounded devastated. “Jiujiu, please don’t make me.”
Jiang Cheng felt a pang of guilt. Jin Ling had stayed with him ever since the incident at Guanyin temple. After Jin Guangyao’s crimes had come to light, Jin Ling no longer felt comfortable staying at Golden Carp Tower. Everything there reminded him of his xiao-shu, and he felt as though he wasn’t allowed to mourn the man. Jiang Cheng knew that feeling all too well, and had allowed him to stay at Lotus Pier for as long as he wanted. It had been a comfort for him too, after Wei Wuxian had torn their old wounds clean open. It had felt good to know he at least still had his nephew by his side. Now he was driving him away too. Jiang Cheng wanted to take the words back as soon as they left his mouth, but his pride wouldn’t let him back down, especially not in front of Wei Wuxian. He could have hit himself right then and there. He felt trapped: whatever he did next would only further his status as the spiteful angry villain, and Wei Wuxian’s as the good, righteous hero. The thought only made him angrier.
Wei Wuxian put a hand on Jin Ling shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be okay. We can find another day to—”
Zidian coiled around his wrist. “Wei Wuxian, you stay out of this,” Jiang Cheng snarled. “Haven’t you ruined our lives enough?” He was not taking his nephew from him.
“Okay, now. I think we all want to calm down a little. Remember we’re on—”
His words died in his throat as a root shot out of the ground, straight towards them. Jiang Cheng reacted immediately. Zidian was wrapped around the root before it could touch them, reducing it to cinders. More roots shot up around them.
“Fall back!” Wei Wuxian shouted towards the juniors. He retrieved a stack of talismans and sent them towards the yao roots. They jerked and writhed beneath the spell. Jiang Cheng unsheathed Sandu and cut several more down. From the corner of his eye he saw the juniors back away and run away. He felt relief knowing they wouldn’t get hurt over his, no, Wei Wuxian’s stupidity.
“What the fuck is this thing?” he yelled at Wei Wuxian.
“This place is unstable,” Wei Wuxian said, “We need to move.”
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Jiang Cheng snapped, but he followed anyway.
More roots chased them down, intertwining with one another and aiming for their legs.
“Wei Wuxian, you better have a plan on how to deal with this,” Jiang Cheng said, dodging the yao as Zidian slashed and burned a path for them.
“We drew an array further ahead,” Wei Wuxian replied. A knotted root emerged before his feet. He stumbled, falling forward. Jang Cheng grabbed him by the arm, keeping him upright.
“Watch where you’re going,” he snapped.
As the roots merged with one another they grew in size. Soon they were as wide as both of them combined, and twice as long. Jiang Cheng slashed at one. It made a gash, but it barely slowed the yao’s trajectory.
“Wei Wuxian,” he said, his voice taking on a nervous edge.
“Almost there!” Wei Wuxian yelled back.
He skirted to a halt in front of a flag. Chenqing was in his hands in seconds. As he brought the instrument to his lips, the ground illuminated in glowing red patterns. The roots that had crossed the threshold fell to the ground, twisting in vain as the glow intensified. Then, one by one, they withered to a dried husk. After a small eternity, the light faded, and quiet settled back upon the woods.
Wei Wuxian flashed him a cocky grin. “Told you I had it under control.”
Jiang Cheng scowled. He sheathed his blade and grabbed him by his wrist. “Good. Now I’m escorting you out of my fucking sect.”
He began to walk, yanking Wei Wuxian along with him. Wei Wuxian stumbled after him. “Jiang Cheng, wait! There’s—”
They had taken only a few steps when the ground gave out beneath their feet. They plummeted down for what felt like half a minute. Jiang Cheng hit the ground on his front. All the air left his body upon impact, leaving him wheezing as his lungs tried to take in air while his muscles remained stunned.
He heard something snap when Wei Wuxian landed next to him. For a few seconds he made no sound, laying unmoving. Jiang Cheng’s heart sank. Not like this. Please not like--
Wei Wuxian let out a long low groan, and turned on his side. His hands ghosted over his leg. “Fuck, that hurts,” he whimpered.
Jiang Cheng released a breath of relief. He glanced around at the steep walls around them, then at the hole in the ceiling. Great. Just great. As if his night wasn’t already going terribly. At the very least the kids didn’t get hurt.
He tried channelling his spiritual energy, but Sandu remained unresponsive in his grip. “Wei Wuxian, what the fuck did you do?” he hissed.
Wei Wuxian still lay on the ground, cradling his leg. “I tried to tell you, the yao’s roots hollowed out the ground. The whole place is full of sinkholes waiting to open up. Spiritual energy doesn’t work down here,” he groaned.
Jiang Cheng cursed. He peered up at the hole above them. He placed a foot against the wall. The soil crumbled the moment he exerted a hint of pressure. He craned his neck to look at Wei Wuxian. “I don’t suppose you’re able to climb?”
Wei Wuxian looked at his leg sadly. “I’m pretty sure I broke something.” His face was pale, and sweat beaded at his temples. Mo Xuanyu’s core was pretty weak on a good day. Without it, his body appeared even more fragile. Jiang Cheng resited the urge to reach out. Why should he feel bad? It was Wei Wuxian’s own damn fault, and he said as much.
“Wei Wuxian, this is all your fault.”
Wei Wuxian gawked at him and sputtered indignantly. “My fault? How the fuck is any of this my fault? I had the situation under control until you showed up and started swinging Zidian around!”
“You should not have been here in the first place!” Jiang Cheng snapped. “What? You thought you could just leave me in the past and then go frolicking in my territory unannounced?”
“Would you have let me? You kicked me out and insulted my husband last I was here.”
“Because you were being obscene in front of my parents’ ashes!” Jiang Cheng screamed. “With a guy you proclaimed to hate last I checked, mind you. But I guess rules never did apply to you, did they? The great Wei Wuxian can do whatever the fuck he wants and leave everyone else to clean up his mess! Who cares if everyone he claims to love suffers for it as long as he gets to ride off into the sunset with his cutsleeve husband.”
Wei Wuxian’s face hardened. “Oh fuck you, Jiang Cheng! You know I never meant to hurt anyone. I stood up for what I thought was right. All I wanted was to protect innocent people.”
“And the people of Yunmeng weren’t innocent to you? How many people need to die for your moral compass, Wei Wuxian?”
Wei Wuxian said nothing, but the glare Jiang Cheng received told him enough. Jiang Cheng bit his lip. He’d gone too far again. He turned and walked to the other side of the hole, and sat down facing the wall. “We’ll just have to wait until the juniors find us. When they do, I never want to see you in these woods again.”
Wei Wuxian was silent. For a moment Jiang Cheng wondered if perhaps he hadn’t heard him. “Yeah, alright,” came the reply a beat later.
Jiang Cheng let out a breath, trying to calm his nerves, that still itched to smash something to pieces. He was glad to be facing away from Wei Wuxian when the anger faded, replaced by roiling shame that followed every outburst. It washed over him in nauseating waves that left him wanting to disappear. Either that or violently kill everyone who saw him make a fool of himself. He’d heard the hushed voices of his fellow sect leaders plenty of times, comparing him to his mother. When he was still a youth, he had foolishly believed it to be a good thing. They might not like him, but at least they might respect them the way they did the Violet Spider. As he got older, though, he came to realise they had never respected her. They may have feared her, but after her death they only spoke of her as an angry woman who threw fits when she didn’t get her way. They didn’t respect him either. Anytime he lost his temper, he still felt like that shaky seventeen-year old screaming at his elders to be taken seriously, being reprimanded for throwing a tantrum. And was that not what he did? When did he last hold a civil conversation with anyone outside of his sect? Would Wei Wuxian have had an easier time as a sect leader? He clutched the robes covering his knees. This was unbearable.
Eventually the sun rose, and light began to creep into the hole.
“They’re sure taking their sweet time looking for us,” Wei Wuxian eventually said, breaking the heavy silence.
Jiang Cheng hummed. He felt tired. Being awake for longer than a day definitely didn’t help. “Why isn’t Lan Wangji with you?” he asked.
Wei Wuxian snorted. “Since when do you care about Lan Zhan?”
“I don’t,” Jiang Cheng grumbled. “You’re usually glued to him though. Ever since you came back it’s been nothing but ‘Lan Zhan this’ and ‘Lan Zhan that’. I’m just surprised he didn’t join you, is all.”
Wei Wuxian sucked his teeth. “I’m not always talking about him. But for your information, he’s visiting his brother.”
“Oh,” was all Jiang Cheng had to say to that. “How is he?”
“Bad,” Wei Wuxian replied. “Ever since the funeral he’s been in seclusion. He won’t see anyone other than Lan Zhan and Lan Qiren. Lan Zhan says he barely eats. They’re worried about him.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
The silence returned once more. For all of two minutes.
“Why do you hate Lan Zhan so much, anyway?”
Jiang Cheng turned around to glare. “Oh, I don’t know. Because he’s a judgemental self-righteous prick?”
Wei Wuxian sputtered in offence again. “No he’s not! He’s a good man.”
“Sure,” Jiang Cheng shrugged. “And also a judgemental self-righteous prick.”
“Oh, because you’re not judgemental in the slightest?”
“No, I am. But at least I’m not a hypocrite about it. I mean, what does he do that’s so much better than everyone else? At least I make an effort to change the way things are run. He doesn’t even attend conferences most of the time. And when Zewu-Jun manages to drag him along all he does is glare and hum.”
Wei Wuxian sulked. “We can’t all be politicians.”
Jiang Cheng scoffed. “Clearly.”
Wei Wuxian laid down into the dirt, staring up into the sky. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ve done a good job as sect leader.”
Jiang Cheng’s frown lifted ever so slightly. He felt a twinge of something he couldn’t quite place. “You do?”
“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian replied. “Lotus Pier looks great. Granted, I didn’t have much time to see it last I was there, but the new buildings look nice. It’s not like I remember, but it’s close enough to feel like home, you know? The people seem happy too. They really seem to like you.”
Jiang Cheng needed a moment to process the words. “Hold on, you still consider Lotus Pier home?”
Wei Wuxian’s face fell. He looked away. “I know, I know. You don’t want me around anymore. Just forget I said anything.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
Wei Wuxian frowned. “Because you attacked me anytime you saw me? Doesn’t exactly feel like a warm welcome to me.”
Jiang Cheng sighed. “I was angry with you.” In a way, he still was. Because that was just his problem, wasn’t it? Jiang Cheng was angry. He was always angry. Could he really blame Wei Wuxian for wanting nothing to do with him? “You were hiding from me.”
“To be fair, I was hiding from literally everyone,” Wei Wuxian replied. “Nothing personal. Maybe a little personal. I guess I felt bad. I thought you hated me.”
Jiang Cheng sighed, laying down next to him. “I did, for a while. Or tried to. Hating you was easier than grieving.”
Wei Wuxian hummed in acknowledgment. “So… does that mean there’s still a chance I could visit Lotus Pier sometime?”
Jiang Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose. “Shut up.”
As the sun climbed higher into the sky, Wei Wuxian's stomach began to make a loud gurgling sound. He whined. “Seriously? I used to be able to go days without food if I needed to. It has barely been a day and my stomach is already being annoying about it.”
Jiang Cheng shoved his hand into his robes and retrieved a bag of sweets. “Here.”
Wei Wuxian stared at the little bag like he couldn't believe it was real. He looked between the Jiang Cheng and the bag, a little incredulous. “Are you sure?”
“Your whining is pissing me off. Just eat it.”
Wei Wuxian didn't need to be told twice. He ripped open the bag so fast Jiang Cheng could have sworn he heard one of the stitches snap. Wei Wuxian sighed in relief as he popped a sweet in his mouth. "Oh wow, I haven't had this flavour in ages," he said. He grinned, and Jiang Cheng was quickly regretting his act of generosity.
"Who knew the fearsome Sandu Shengshou carried around sweets in his pockets?" He playfully jabbed Jiang Cheng in the ribs, and was rewarded with a light shove. "What would the other cultivators say if they knew, hm?"
"They would know better than to poke fun at someone who could whip them to death," Jiang Cheng swiftly replied. He watched as Wei Wuxian ate two more sweets. His eyes drifted towards his leg. “How’s your leg?” he asked.
Wei Wuxian made a doubtful noise and swallowed. “Could be better.”
“Have you actually looked at it?”
Wei Wuxian’s silence was enough of a reply. Jiang Cheng sighed and muttered some complaints under his breath as he grabbed the fabric of his trousers and pulled it up. Wei Wuxian hissed in pain. “A little warning would have been nice,” he squeaked.
His leg had swollen overnight, and the skin below his knee had turned an alarming shade of purple. “Oh. That does not look good,” Wei Wuxian commented.
“Yeah,” Jiang Cheng added unhelpfully.
“Lan Zhan is going to lose his mind when he sees this,” Wei Wuxian sighed. “Probably won’t let me leave Gusu for ages.”
“Yeah, no shit, Wei Wuxian. You broke a limb. You can’t be reckless like you were in your old body. You can’t recover like you used to,” Jiang Cheng said. “You’re coming back to Lotus Pier so I can have my physicians look at your leg. You are not travelling like this.” That familiar sharpness had crept back into his tone, but this time Wei Wuxian didn’t seem on edge.
“I thought you said I wasn’t allowed at Lotus Pier anymore,” he said.
Jiang Cheng froze. “Yeah, well… I mean you’re injured,” he stammered. “What kind of sect leader would I be if I withheld aid from an injured man on my grounds?”
A smug expression slid across Wei Wuxian’s face, the kid that definitely meant he was about to say something insufferable. “You can say you’re worried about me, Jiang Cheng. It’s okay.”
“Fuck off,” Jiang Cheng grumbled. His face grew warm with embarrassment, which he attempted to hide behind a scowl. “As if I’d ever be worried about you. You’re like a weed, nothing can kill you for good.”
Wei Wuxian chuckled. He looked up towards the edge of the hole. “This reminds me of when we met. Do you remember? We had a fight, and then I ran away and climbed a tree. You fell in a hole then, too.”
A hint of warmth crept into Jiang Cheng’s chest, a fragile, vulnerable warmth that left him feeling exposed. “I remember,” he said. “I sprained my ankle. Mother was pissed.”
Wei Wuxian sighed, a dreamy, nostalgic sigh. “I hadn’t even started my troublemaking yet and she was already blaming me for ruining her life. That woman really hated me.”
“She hated everyone,” Jiang Cheng retorted. “She was just a deeply unpleasant person.” ‘Like me,’ he bitterly thought.
“She was nice enough to shijie, I guess.” Wei Wuxian said. “At least your dad was nice.”
‘To you,’ Jiang Cheng thought. That ugly feeling returned. Old memories of cloying jealousy that spoiled his every interaction with Wei Wuxian. He had always hated himself for feeling this way. It hadn’t been Wei Wuxian’s fault. Jiang Cheng was just too unremarkable for his father to see him.
It must have shown on his face, because Wei Wuxian extended a hands towards him, patting him on the shoulder. “Come on, you know he loved you too,” he said.
“He had a funny way of showing it,” Jiang Cheng retorted.
“Not that easy with madam Yu yelling at him anytime he came near us,” Wei Wuxian replied.
Jiang Cheng turned his head and met his brother’s eyes. “You don’t get it, do you?” he said slowly. “Let me ask you this. Do you know how many times he held you?”
Wei Wuxian blinked, confusion creeping into his expression. His eyebrows knitted together and formed a tiny line on his forehead. “I mean, I didn’t exactly keep count,” he laughed.
“Four times.”
“What?”
“He held me four times,” Jiang Cheng said. “Four times in seventeen years. But you? He picked you up every time he saw you. And every time, he didn’t even look at me.”
Wei Wuxian shifted uncomfortably. “Well, he was just harder on you because you were his son. He wanted you to achieve great things.”
Annoyance crept up along Jiang Cheng’s spine like needles. “Oh yeah, that really helps,” he spat. “I just needed to excel at something? Well, tough shit. You were already the best at everything, so you got all his attention. And don’t even deny it. I know you were the best at everything I ever set my sights on, because mother never let me forget it. I tried so hard, but you were always better. Nothing I achieved was ever worthy enough to make him notice me, to make him take his eyes of you. That hurt.”
Wei Wuxian’s frown deepened. “Jiang Cheng—”
Jiang Cheng kept talking. The words fell out before he could stop himself. “Everyone was always looking at you. Even when I was mentioned it was always in relation to you. You have no idea what that feels like. My whole life I’ve been compared to you, told how much better you are at everything.”
Wei Wuxian’s jaw clenched. “It’s not like people had good things to say about me,” he said. “I don’t know if you noticed, Jiang Cheng but I was pretty universally hated for the last two decades.”
“Because you drive people up the wall!” Jiang Cheng shouted. “You challenge people all the time. It’s like you can’t help yourself. You never know when to shut up and take the high road, and when things go sideways, I’m always left to clean up the mess.”
“I never asked you to!” Wei Wuxian yelled back. “I know I wasn’t the perfect obedient servant to you, but don’t blame me for things you chose to do.”
Jiang Cheng laughed incredulously. “A servant?! Now you’re a servant? When have you ever behaved like my servant? When have I ever treated you like one?”
“You expected me to be at your beck and call for the rest of your life,” Wei Wuxian shot back. “What would you call someone who stands by another person to support them?”
“A brother, Wei Wuxian.” Jiang Cheng snapped. “Do you think masters are running around carrying their servants back to their bed after they’ve been whipped? That they spend months searching for their servants when everyone around them is saying they’re probably dead? I chose to clean up after you because I cared about you, you asshole. Is it really that crazy to think you matter to me?”
Wei Wuxian was silent. Jiang Cheng had never known him to be that quiet, not since the first night after he returned from the burial mounds. A wretched thought occurred to him.
“Please tell me you didn’t give me your core because you felt like you had to as my servant,” he said. “Wei Wuxian, I would have never asked that of you.”
Wei Wuxian looked numb. Jiang Cheng’s heart sank. He grabbed Wei Wuxian by the shoulders. “Wei Wuxian, tell me you didn’t.”
“You looked so lifeless,” he muttered. “I couldn’t take seeing you like that.”
Jiang Cheng couldn’t refute that. Wei Wuxian was right, when he lost his core he had wanted to die. The loss of his core had been excruciating. The emptiness that followed was so profound it had scared him. It had felt as though his will to live had melted right alongside his core. He had been prepared to die at Wen Chao’s hands. But it had been worth it. He would have died content knowing he had at least managed to save Wei Wuxian. And then the fucker had to come in and save him. If he were truthful with himself, Jiang Cheng wasn’t sure if he would have been willing to live on without a core.
“I was okay with being second best,” he said slowly. “I could live with losing to you, because even if I was nothing but a disappointment to my parents, you still liked me. You, me and A-jie. We had each other. And I thought that maybe that was enough. But then the Sunshot Campaign happened, and you went missing. When you came back, you were... different. I knew you were hiding something from me. I knew something was wrong, but you wouldn't tell me anything. And right when I thought things were going back to normal, you abandoned me. For the Wens.” He laughed bitterly. “And I know why you did it, and I know you meant well, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. And then…” His voice broke. He was going to cry in front of Wei Wuxian. Again.
“And then you died. And you left me to raise A-jie's child all by myself. I lost everything. Do you have any idea what that was like? People were celebrating my brother's death and I had to pretend it was a good thing. And now you're back, and you won't even look at me.”
Wei Wuxian was silent for a long time.
“I was ashamed,” he finally said. “I blamed myself for Jin Zixuan’s and Shijie’s deaths, and I thought you hated me. I think I hated myself too.”
Jiang Cheng sighed. “I know a thing or two about hating oneself.”
He took a breath and rubbed at his eyes. This was the second time in recent memory he started crying in front of Wei Wuxian. Why couldn’t he ever have a normal conversation with him without emotions running high? It was humiliating. He didn’t want to see Wei Wuxian’s face. He didn’t know what would be worse, if his expression would be one of contempt, or one of pity. Hated at best, pathetic at worst. The thought left a sour taste in his mouth.
Wei Wuxian sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Out of all the things he could have said, ‘I’m sorry’ was the last thing Jiang Cheng had expected to come out of his mouth.
“Why are you apologising?” he muttered. “Your name was cleared. Everyone knows you were innocent.”
“I still hurt you,” Wei Wuxian replied. “Maybe if I talked to you back then… If it weren’t for me, you never would have had to raise Jin Ling alone, and for that I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” Jiang Cheng said. “For everything.”
“Oh, A-Cheng.” Wei Wuxian reached up and wiped a stray tear off Jiang Cheng’s cheek. “I already forgave you at Guanyin Temple.”
Before he could let himself think about it too hard, Jiang Cheng grabbed Wei Wuxian and pulled him into a hug. He let himself feel the warmth of Wei Wuxian’s body against his, and all at once everything came rushing back to him. Every ounce of grief and love and hope he repressed over more than a decade washed over him. Wei Wuxian hugged him back, burying his face into his shoulder. “I missed you,” he whispered into his shoulder.
“I missed you too,” Jiang Cheng whispered back.
Wei Wuxian pulled back. “Ugh, look at us being all emotional.”
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes at him. “Don’t ruin the moment.”
Wei Wuxian chuckled wetly. “I can’t help it.” He cleared his throat, blinking away whatever tears had gathered in his eyes. “Speaking of Jin Ling, why are you so against him hanging out with me?”
Jiang Cheng’s burned with embarrassment. “I just… I don’t want you to take him away from me. He’s all I have left. They can attribute all my other achievements to you for all I care, but I raised him. He’s my boy. He means more to me than you’ll ever know, and I am, frankly, a poor excuse for a parent. He’s already going behind my back to go see you. If he sees you and how you treat the kids, he’s going to realise what a miserable sack of shit I am. Everyone else may hate me for all I care, but not him. I can’t lose him too.”
Wei Wuxian stared at him. “What? Jiang Cheng, who said anything about losing? He’s not gonna stop talking to you just because he has a new fun uncle. You raised him. It’s not like I can top that.”
“You gave him confidence and a group of friends. All I ever gave him were insecurities and resentment,” Jiang Cheng shot back. “You know, I always felt like I had to walk on eggshells around mother. The tiniest things would set her off, and she never failed to remind me of how worthless I was in her eyes. Her expectations for me were so high I could never hope to achieve them. And I told myself I would never make any child of mine feel like that. I thought I’d be different, but I’ve become just like her. You’ve seen me, every conversation I have ends in a screaming match. For fuck’s sake, you were a better father to that Wen boy than I ever was to A-Ling and you disappeared for a decade and a half, for crying out loud. If he has you…” he trailed off. “If he has you, then what does he need me for?”
Wei Wuxian snorted incredulously. “Jiang Cheng, what are you talking about? That boy adores you!”
Jiang Cheng summoned a handkerchief from his robes and wiped his nose. “He really shouldn’t.”
Wei Wuxian sighed. “Madam Yu really did a number on you, huh? Tell me this, did you ever hit him?”
Jiang Cheng frowned. “Of course not.”
“Exactly. Now, do you think Jin Ling is afraid of you?”
Jiang Cheng blanched as he remembered his nephew’s desperate expression. “Oh fuck, is he?”
Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes. “No, you idiot. I’ve seen him mouth off to you while you were actively brandishing Zidian. The kid knows you’re all bark and no bite. When you spend enough time around you, you kinda learn how to speak Jiang Cheng. Usually, your anger hides something else. I should know, I grew up with you.”
Jiang Cheng sighed. “I just want what’s best for him, but I don’t know how to tell him that.”
“I mean,” Wei Wuxian trailed off. “I just tell A-Yuan I love him.”
Jiang Cheng peered at the ground. He felt calmer, if a little embarrassed. “I suppose…”
Wei Wuxian put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. He smiled warmly. “Hey, you’ve got this.”
Jiang Cheng groaned. “You should stop moving around so much. It’s bad for your leg.”
“Alright, in that case you need to come to me. You look like you need another hug.”
Jiang Cheng shuffled closer. “Why are you so unbearable,” he muttered.
Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around him. “I care about you too, Cheng-Cheng.”
Jiang Cheng did not immediately pull away. “Idiot,” he sniffled.
A few hours later Jiang Cheng heard the sound of voices. Wei Wuxian was asleep beside him. He shook his shoulder. “Wei Wuxian, there are people nearby. I can hear them.”
He got to his feet and shouted. “Hello! Is anyone there? We need assistance!”
The voices got louder and more frantic.
Wei Wuxian blearily opened his eyes. They widened when he heard them. “They’re here?”
Lan Sizhui’s face peeked over the hole. “Baba, Jiang-zongzhu. We finally found you!”
“Don’t come down!” Wei Wuxian warned. “You can’t fly down here.”
“We know, baba. We went back to Lotus Pier to get a ladder,” Sizhui replied.
As if on cue, Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling tossed the end of a rope ladder down.
“Jiujiu, are you okay?” he shouted.
Jiang Cheng’s heart clenched at Jin Ling’s guilt-stricken expression. “We’ll be fine,” he shouted back. “Wei Wuxian needs medical attention.”
He turned back to Wei Wuxian, who eyed the ladder apprehensively. “There’s no way you’re climbing that ladder by yourself,” he said, matter-of-factly. Before Wei Wuxian could protest, he hauled him upright and hoisted him on his back.
Wei Wuxian chuckled as Jiang Cheng started the climb. “Who knew you’d ever give me a piggyback ride again?”
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you weigh anything. What are they feeding you in Gusu? I’m pretty sure Nie Huaisang owns fans heavier than you.”
“The most boring food imaginable,” Wei Wuxian whined. “I’m telling you, you’d lose weight too if you had to force that bland stuff down your throat every day. I also get plenty of exercise if you know what I mean. Lan Zhan is a very attentive lover.”
Jiang Cheng glared over his shoulder. “That’s disgusting, I don’t need to know about that.”
Wei Wuxian snickered, tousling his hair.
One they reached the top, the Lan disciples carefully took Wei Wuxian from him. “Get him to Lotus Pier and call for a physician for his leg,” Jiang Cheng told him.
The two exchanged confused glances. Jiang Cheng mounted his sword. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
Jin Ling’s fingers ghosted over Suihua’s hilt. “Are you sure? I thought you said—”
“Yes,” he let out an exasperated sigh. “I say stupid shit sometimes. Now get moving.”
Wei Wuxian made a scene the whole way to Lotus Pier, and his dramatics only increased when the physician showed up. It made Jiang Cheng wonder how the children respected him when he deliberately made a fool out of himself like this. He wouldn’t be caught dead behaving like that in front of Jin Ling. Jin Ling, who still nervously shuffled around, looking anywhere but at him. Jiang Cheng sighed. Time for the second uncomfortable conversation of the day.
“A-Ling.”
The boy’s head snapped up. He looked apprehensive. Jiang Cheng nodded towards the family quarters. “Let’s talk in private.”
Jin Ling’s eyes remained glued to the floor and they walked back.
“Jiujiu, I’m really sorry,” he said as soon as Jiang Cheng closed the door to his study. “I shouldn’t have lied to you. I just wanted to see my friends. I swear I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” Tears beaded at the corners of his eyes. “I’ll start packing my things as soon as I can.”
Jiang Cheng wanted to hit himself. “Jin Ling, calm down, you’re not going anywhere.”
Jin Ling looked up through teary eyes. “But… I brought Wei Wuxian here.”
“Yes,” Jiang Cheng said. “And I did not appreciate you deliberately disobeying my rules under my own roof. But I’m not going to kick you out tonight.”
A little hesitantly, he laid a hand on Jin Ling’s shoulder.
“Listen, I… I care about you a lot, and I want you to know that. Even when I’m angry with you, even when I’m reaching the end of my patience, I’m never going to stop loving you, and I definitely don’t want you to feel scared to tell me things.”
Jin Ling looked at his shoes. “It’s just… I know Wei Wuxian is a sensitive topic. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“Hurt my feelings?” Jiang Cheng scoffed. “Jin Ling, I am a grown man and you are my nephew. You don’t need to worry about hurting my feelings. It’s my job to take care of you, not the other way around. Wei Wuxian and I… Our relationship is complicated, but that’s not something for you to be concerned about.”
Jin Ling nodded slowly. “I hope you two can be friends again,” he said in a small voice. “I know you miss him.”
“I don’t miss him,” Jiang Cheng said. “He’s right here, pissing me off.”
Jin Ling raised his head and glared. “You know what I meant.”
Jiang Cheng reached out and tousled his hair. “Brat. Didn’t I just tell you to mind your business?”
Jin Ling ducked out from under his hand. “I’m a sect leader, you can’t tell me what to do.”
A small smile formed on Jiang Cheng’s lips. “Sure I can, I’m still your uncle.”
Jin Ling smiled back. “Jiujiu,” he said, “Is it okay if Jingyi and Sizhui stay in my room tonight?”
Jiang Cheng smirked. “What happened to ‘I’m a sect leader’, huh? Alright, but don’t let Fairy out for as long as Wei Wuxian is here. She stays in your courtyard.”
Jin Ling’s smile grew wider. Before Jiang Cheng could react, Jin Ling pulled him into a hug. “Thanks, Jiujiu,” he said softly. Then he pulled back and ran back towards the infirmary.
Jiang Cheng watched him go with fondness. He opened a cabinet behind his desk and took out a bottle of lotus wine, before walking towards the kitchen.
Wei Wuxian was alone when he returned. His leg was wrapped in bandages and propped up with several pillows. His face brightened as soon as he spotted the bottle in Jiang Cheng’s hands. “Please tell me that’s for me,” he said.
Jiang Cheng dragged a table to the side of the bed and poured two cups. Then he took a seat on the edge of the bed.
Wei Wuxian didn’t hesitate. He sat up with lightning speed and downed his own cup in one swoop. “Another, please,” he grinned, and held up his cup.
“Don’t finish the whole thing before your food gets here,” Jiang Cheng chided, but he still poured him a second cup.
“Great,” Wei Wuxian sighed contently. “I hope you told them to make an extra-large portion. I’m so hungry I could eat a mountain.”
“I should hope so. I don’t allow food waste, so you better finish every plate.” He took a sip from his own cup and carefully placed it back on the table.
“Hey, about what you said earlier, when we were stuck down there,” he took a breath, steadying himself. “What happened to A-jie wasn’t your fault.”
Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened. “Jiang Cheng, you don’t need to placate me, I know what—”
“Wei Wuxian, it wasn’t. I know you never would have hurt her on purpose. She never should have been present at that battle in the first place. She sacrificed herself because she loved you." After all, he had too. And so had Wei Wuxian. They all sacrificed things to protect each other. How could he resent him for his sister making the same choice? "So stop blaming yourself.”
Wei Wuxian’s eyes glistened. “Okay,” he whispered, voice thick with emotion. Jiang Cheng let him pull him into another hug.
“I just wish you would have talked to me,” Jiang Cheng said as he pulled back. “Maybe if I had known… I wanted to help you, I just didn’t know how.”
“I thought I was protecting you by keeping you in the dark,” Wei Wuxian whispered. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle the truth.”
“I didn’t need you to protect me,” Jiang Cheng said. “I just wanted you to stay with us, with me and A-jie. We already lost everyone else. I didn’t want to lose you too. For fuck’s sake, Wei Wuxian, you could have died! You did die!”
“You parents last orders to me were to protect you,” Wei Wuxian retorted. “It was the least I could do to repay them.”
“Idiot,” Jiang Cheng said softly. “Why would I want your protection if it meant destroying yourself? You’re my brother, Wei Wuxian. We were supposed to take care of each other.”
“I’m sorry,” Wei Wuxian said wetly. “I guess I’m pretty stupid, huh?”
“Dense as a brick,” Jiang Cheng replied. “But so am I, I guess.” His gaze panned over to his leg. “So, what’s the verdict on your leg?”
Wei Wuxian groaned, flopping back onto the bed. “Two months at least. I have to drink some disgusting medicinal tea to promote healing and I’m not allowed to do anything fun. It’s gonna be so boring.”
Jiang Cheng laughed. “I’m sure you’ll live. It’s not like you have any obligations you need to fulfil.”
Wei Wuxian grinned. “True. You are obligated to be a good host, though.”
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. “What do you need?”
“The strongest booze you’ve got, pretty please. Oh! And lotus seeds. Maybe some good books.”
“I’m a grown man, I don’t have those kind of books anymore.”
Wei Wuxian huffed. “Fine. Some games then. And visits from Lan Zhan.”
Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow. “You want to stay here for your recovery?”
Wei Wuxian hesitated. “If you’ll let me.”
Jiang Cheng sighed, but there was a warmth in his chest at the thought of Wei Wuxian staying, wanting to stay. “I’ll have your room prepared. I’ll even let Lan Wangji in sometimes. But please keep it in your pants as long as you’re here.”
Wei Wuxian winked at him. “No promises.”
Jiang Cheng shot him a warning look. “Wei Wuxian.”
“Fine! Fine... Only hand stuff.”
“Wei Wuxian, I will castrate you.”
“Alright, fine. We’ll keep our clothes on, because you asked so very nicely.”
Jiang Cheng glared at him, but there was no anger behind it for once. “You are absolutely shameless, do you know that?”
Wei Wuxian flashed him a smile. “Always have been and always will be.”
Jiang Cheng shook his head, but smiled back. For the first time in over thirteen years, they both did.