#at least I tried >wQ)b!!!

[mizaruwu]

This was so fun to draw, I wanna do the others too so feel free to suggest which link is next ^^)/

[crossdressingdeath]

I saw an argument questioning why WQ and the Wen remnants didn’t do more to change their circumstances like moving far away or changing their name and not only did this take just scream of victim blaming, but also...I feel like it’s almost the fault of sections of this fandom as well for making it seem like it would have been really easy for them all to live happy lives if they’d just done A and B, when in reality it would never be that simple? Like it’s never going to just be “oh the Wens 1/4

changed their family name, so we no longer want to kill them. And I genuinely have seen that take before in fics - not criticising any of them, and honestly, I sometimes over simplify things in fics too, even though I kind of know deep down that it would never be that easy in reality. But the issue is more when other people look at these takes and then start acting like the victims are at fault for not doing more to achieve these unrealistic goals. The Wens and WWX were living in poverty 2/4

barely surviving in the place they did have - where were they supposed to go? The BM, while not ideal, at least provided a place for shelter. If they left, they wouldn’t have anything. There was no specific place for them to go to. The land was controlled by different sects, all of whom wanted them dead. WWX took them to the BM because that was literally all they had left, and it offered them a form of protection as well alongside his presence. This isn’t just them being complacent - they 3/4

have the means to go anywhere else. If they changed their names and left without anyone knowing, they’d still be in the same boat. They don’t have any other options, and it really is the other sects who are a deciding factor here. The Wens try to do the best with what they have, but there is very little that they can do. 4/4

Yes. There were things they could have tried, like running as far as possible, but there would be massive risks associated with that! What, would the sects just ignore them leaving? Fifty people, including the elderly and at least one child? Do people think they could sneak away without anyone noticing? They wouldn’t have stayed in the Burial Mounds if they could see any way out! They had nowhere to go, facing all four great sects and all the minor ones with exactly two combatants to defend them. Any attempt to leave would inevitably end with most of them dead. WWX could maybe have protected them, but the way things stood their safest bet was to stay where they were, where the sects didn’t dare risk attacking them... until it was too late.

[ceescedasticity]

outline: jin guangyao’s hoarding problem, part 1

I am STILL NOT WRITING THIS.

Cast:

Jin Guangyao, schemer extraordinaire. He’s got a lot on his plate right now, scheming for the Jin Sect’s advancement, scheming for his personal advancement within the Jin Sect, trying to get Qin Cangye to let him marry his daughter, trying to juggle his sworn brothers, wrangling weird 13-year-old Mo Xuanyu who his father dropped on him as some sort of power play, wrangling Xue Yang insofar as it is possible to do so, promoting research into demonic cultivation, and on and on and on. Jin Guangyao, as no one will ever let him forget, was not born rich; he understands that you can’t just go throwing things out when you might want them again later; and in this universe he’s let that reluctance to discard outweigh his caution.

Wen Ning, conscious fierce corpse. Keeping Wen Ning was always the plan, even when plans to control him didn’t quite work out. Because he’s a really good conscious fierce corpse. Maybe they’ll work out controlling him someday. Maybe he’ll be good as an example. They went to a fair amount of trouble faking his destruction, so no sense wasting that. (Wen Ning, for his part, is… not happy. Even when they’re not trying to control him, he is not happy. But he is not making trouble if he can avoid it, because…)

Wen Qing, really outstanding doctor. Jin Guangyao cannot understand why his father was planning to execute her – she’s such a good doctor! Groundbreaking! Sure, she has some inconvenient morals, but she’s simple enough to leverage, just grab some family members – Wen Ruohan kept her in line for years. Why would Jin Guangshan not try to obtain such a valuable resource? It’s probably because when he looks at a woman he stops after the boobs. Anyway, now Jin Guangyao has the opportunity, and it’s easier to fake her death than Wen Ning’s (just have to kill a heavily bruised woman in Wen robes, rather than something that passes for a fierce corpse). She can be kept in line just by threatening Wen Ning’s non-life as the stick, and for a carrot, taking the nails out of his head when they’re not actively experimenting. (Wen Qing is sick to her stomach. Although not everything she’s been required to do is bad–)

(Off stage, but alive, is Jiang Yanli. Jin Guangyao likes her more than he likes most of the Jin Sect, he didn’t want her dead – and whisking her away to a mystery doctor who saved her life means Jiang Wanyin owes him. Big. —He doesn't want her angling for any kind of power/regency after Jin Guangshan dies, so he's been making sure there are plenty of rumors that she's physically and mentally fragile, and his leverage over Yunmeng Jiang is better with her in Jinlintai so he's angling to maintain that, too, but unlike that other idea he's not blackmailing her. This is probably a mistake.)

Wei Wuxian, Yiling Laozu. Smuggled back to Jinlintai at least half dead, and really wanted to get all the way there. Didn’t really change his mind on that until after he got conscious enough to process that (a) Wen Qing and Wen Ning were alive(ish), and might be punished if Wen Qing couldn’t save him; (b) Jiang Yanli is alive, but in Jinlintai, which means not safe. Even after he’s trying, though, he’s in for a long convalescence – especially without a core. (Which Jin Guangyao has figured out and, worse, figured out the reason for.) Wei Wuxian is claiming he couldn’t possibly recreate the Stygian Tiger Seal outside the Burial Grounds and/or without all the pieces and/or while he’s still so weak. The last one is true, the others are… not completely false? He certainly couldn't make it like it was before.

Mo Xuanyu, weird 13-year-old. Inexplicably if usefully devoted to Jin Guangyao. Jin Guangyao doesn’t trust him to do more than some very basic reading on demonic cultivation, but when the secret prison acquired the gravely wounded Wei Wuxian it became important to have someone other than Xue Yang checking on things, refreshing supplies, and getting Jin Guangyao immediately if necessary. Mo Xuanyu also likes Wei Wuxian, and Wen Qing, and Wen Ning, and (for some reason) Xue Yang. Not enough to impact his devotion to Jin Guangyao, though.

Xue Yang, spite elemental. (This Xue Yang has never worked for Wen Ruohan – I may keep the Yin Iron in this universe mashup, it just had no particular connection to Xue Yang.) Half feral (at least). Demonic cultivation natural talent. Delighted to have the opportunity to independently recreate the Stygian Tiger Seal, not that it stops him badgering Wei Wuxian for tips. Big fan of “better to ask forgiveness than permission”. No, that’s not it. Big fan of “better to say ‘yeah, I did it, what are you gonna do about it?’ than ask permission.”

WQ, WN, and WWX are full-time imprisoned in some sort of secret dungeon/basement/hidden complex in Carp Tower. MXY and XY are in and out a lot. JGY less so because he has a busy schedule.

So, moving forward:

Wen Qing is trying to keep WWX alive. WWX is cooperating halfheartedly.

Xue Yang is trying to recreate the Stygian Tiger Seal. WWX is cooperating hundredthheartedly.

JGY picks up that WWX is not being entirely sincere in his cooperation. He decides to show that his threats have teeth, in a very mild way. He plays some 'healing music' for JYL.

JYL has a bad week.

WWX becomes somewhat more cooperative.

(JYL is aware enough of her own body and mind and has enough of an ear for music to say — extremely politely, and not implying (or suspecting!) any malice — that she thinks JGY may need a little more practice.)

(JGY decides he needs to be a little more conservative with his use of the Collection of Turmoil, and maybe, say, not teach any bits of it to people who are not definitely on his side, no matter how innocent and gullible he thinks they are.)

(Nie Sect's trip to the Sword Hall can't be said to go well by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not an almost-TPK either. No one unwittingly kills or spiritually poisons anyone they love. It doesn't make much difference in the timetable of NMJ's decline, really. It doesn't make as much of a difference as you might expect in the timetable of NHS Figuring Shit Out, later on. It does make a difference in the experience level and cohesiveness of Nie Sect's inner-ring disciples. It does make a difference in NHS's emotional health and support structure. It may in fact make a difference in whether JGY is going to get out of all this alive. But that's later.)

When the reconstructed Seal is mostly complete, Xue Yang takes off to Yueyang to "test" it. He may or may not have informed JGY first. Let's go with 'not' (not out of any concern that he'd disapprove, Xue Yang just doesn't want to bother).

So here's the thing. The Seal is not a loyal tool. Insofar as it has a consciousness and feelings it's kind of pissed off at WWX anyway. But he is still its original creator, and this time he's alive, and this time he was extorted into helping reconstruct it, and this time — unlike when he was forging it the first time — revenge doesn't even really make the motivation list, so it's not quite the same reconstructed Seal. It's not a benevolent tool. It doesn't like people. It doesn't want to help people. It doesn't have principles. If Xue Yang just stood outside and ordered fierce corpses to slaughter everyone in the Chang compound, the Seal would have cooperated eagerly.

But obviously Xue Yang isn't about to just stand outside, he goes in and gets his hands dirty, and when he tries to use the Seal to directly, personally attack a child, something goes… sideways. There's an explosion which blows a large hole in the side of the house. Some of the corpses attack Xue Yang. The Seal levitates six meters up into the air and won't come down until grabbed. It's very annoying. Xue Yang makes sure there's no one with a golden core left and sets the building on fire and leaves in a very bad mood.

There are only like a dozen survivors total, no adult cultivators, and the one surviving kid who saw him is too young to give any kind of useful witness statement, but still.

He goes back to the basement and blames WWX for the unsatisfactory performance of the Seal. WWX's response of "Good" didn't deescalate things any, but he probably would have gotten the shit kicked out of him regardless.

Someone interrupts before he can actually beat WWX to death (which had better not have been WWX's plan, says WQ). Right. No core, already seriously injured. Xue Yang gets Wen Qing, who has to do surgery for flail chest. Xue Yang makes a surprisingly good surgical assistant.

JGY gets back from wherever he was (Qinghe playing fake!Clarity? Laoling trying to get a date?) and is like. I was gone for two days.

Xue Yang does not deny almost accidentally killing the only available Yiling Laozu, but blames it on WWX being too fragile due to being coreless and injured.

Maybe if we gave him someone else's core he would be sturdier?

Jin Guangyao doesn't immediately shoot it down. Wen Qing tries to — WWX would never survive the procedure in his current condition, and the donor has to be willing, does JGY really want to sacrifice someone loyal for this questionable gamble?

No, he doesn't. At least not right now.

Xue Yang says he's taking time off. JGY tells him not to get caught.

He gets caught.

Trial, commutation, official imprisonment, and now Xue Yang is stuck in the basement with the others basically full-time. He's seriously trying to convince Wen Qing to teach him surgery. She's appalled, but on the other hand would surgical skills make him any more dangerous than he already is? And it keeps him from sticking nails in Wen Ning's head.

While she's distracted Wei Wuxian is trying and failing to convince Wen Ning and/or Mo Xuanyu that he is recovered enough from the flail chest to walk around. He is failing.

Jin Guangyao is spending a lot of time in Qinghe…

[eyeslikefoxglove]

Episode 20 - ChenQing Syndrome & Tangents everywhere

Hello cupcakes, and welcome to episode 20. How’s everyone doing? I hope y’all are as safe and can be. I’m pretty sure I need to sleep for at least 24h because I am exhausted so forgive me if I’m suuuuuper low energy.

On another news I am officially mosquito bait. Yay.

I don’t know if I said so in the previous commentary but I Do Not Vibe with eyeballs so yeah.

Speaking of eyeballs, here is what happened the last time my mum and me consumed a medical drama in public. We decided to go to the cinema to watch The Physician, and in the intro credits there is a tray with a pair of eyeballs by a scalpel and my mum, who’s a GP goes (without lowering her voice of course):

“Those are not human eyeballs, too big, they’re probably cow’s”

I swear the whole row just turned around to give us A Look and I haven’t felt more like a serial killer since I started giggling (again in the cinema) watching Death Proof. So there you have it, I lose my shit when tv doctors do bad medicine and she makes ominous comments that make me want to explain to everyone that no, we don’t dismember people for fun.

Listen, necromancy is whatever, but “Imperio-Ing” people into harming themselves and making them hallucinate by playing the flute is what would freak me the fuck out about WWX ngl. I mean, I know he’s a good egg, but he’s Havana Syndrome-ing this bitch and that gives me chills.

Oh I love this shot of one WWX’s eyes cast in light. Cinematography on point as always.

Ok ok ok I am going to go on a terrible tangent in here. I know that in the book shit was even worse, with the cannibalism and JiaoJiao shoving a whole chair leg down her throat but there’s something that’s always caught my attention. If I’m not mistaken she bit off WC’s dick. Now call it a coincidence that WWX took advantage of, but, because I’m The Worst ™️ it made me think. If I’ve learnt something about Criminal Minds is that you don’t go after someone’s bits unless:

a) you’re a sexual sadist and can’t get off any other way (which WWX is not nor is he killing for sexual gratification)

b) those bits have gone near you when you didn’t want them to and it is revenge.

I mean, same way I didn’t want to make you wonder what WWX ate trapped in a mass grave for three months I don’t want to make you think about this but I need to get if off my chest.

Oh hey, now that I think about it the cannibalism could also be personal because again, they yeeted him into a palace full of corpses where “nothing grows”. God I hate my own brain sometimes.

Did these two just walk up to the front door of the Supervisory Office? I mean, the guards are all dead so it is fine, but that’s one shit strategy.

... that’s one ineffective way of tying a hangman’s noose.

JC IS BEING SOFT WITH WQ OMG!

YOU ARE BREAKING MY HEART. STOP. (Watch me go read ChengQing fics after this is done)

JC: is there anyone more wicked that the Wen Clan?

Me: *takes a deep breath* how much time do you have?

Gotta give it to WWX, the boy knows how to set the mood.

Yup yup I’m cackling.

Go my creepy necromancer son!

(Once again, I cheer when someone gets shanked)

(Once again, assume I’m screaming about the cinematography)

Bless LWJ’s brain cell, I remember when I first watched this being super worried about these two also getting ChenQing Syndrome.

So is the Red Woman an actual entity or is she an anthropomorphization of what he’s doing to them? Am I assigning too much Poe to this scene?

JC and LWJ straight up jumped through the ceiling to save WWX I love them. (But think, if they’ve been slightly slower and WZL had realised there wasn’t a core to melt, oh the delicious delicious canon divergences we could have)

Now that’s an effective noose.

THAT HUG WAS TOO SHORT! AND WWX WAS GOING TO RECIPROCATE BUT JC STOPED NOOOOOO. (Again JC looks like he gives the best hugs)

Misdirecting WWX is misdirecting.

Aaaaaand you can see the PTSD start to rear its ugly heard the second they want to know where he was the last three months.

WWX: *starts spinning bullshit*

JC: *relaxes his frown and eyerolls*

Aw bb he was really worried. I mean, it is still misdirection but I can see how JC inexperienced as he is with trauma (and dealing with his own) could interpret that as his baby brother just being himself.

Aw they’re falling back into being their soft yet prickly selves I die.

Nope LWJ! I know that you’re worried and shit but the last thing you want to do to someone with WWX’s trauma is trigger their fight or flight response by asking questions and making them sound like accusations.

(Also, interlude to say, WWX seems super reluctant to admit he fucked with the talismans, which fair enough, I’m thinking his trauma conga line is probably making him think he’ll get in trouble if he admits it or they’ll start distrusting him. But really looks like simple curiosity to me)

I’m just gonna scream incoherently at my screen because they are doing it fucking wrong.

Me with other fandoms: KISS GODDAMNIT

Me with this one: COMMUNICATE

DRAG HIM (ok GusuLan) WWX. I know LWJ only wants to make sure WWX is safe and healthy and loved but listen, he doesn’t have the full picture, he is still somewhat naive about you know, the amount his idols can disappoint him. Yes, it is exacerbated by WWX raising his hackles and his overall paranoia but; GusuLan is where the Sect Leader and the second in command (I know Netflix calls LQR “grandmaster” but I also know the translation is incorrect) decided that lashing their own family was an appropriate corrective. I’m not even going to go into the genocide victims or the reasons for the punishment but yeah, lashing. It hasn’t happened yet, but the potential is there, and as much of a self-sacrificing idiot as WWX is he must have some survival instincts if he lived in the streets for years, I’m not saying they don’t get negated when someone he loves is in danger, but you know, they have to be there. I think his brain has been *Kill Bill sirens* about GusuLan for a long time and now the guy who lives and breathes by their rules wants him to go back? Yeah I absolutely think it is valid that he thought the “help” he was gonna get would be horrifying punishment to “put him in the right path”. Do I see a fuck ton of parallels btw GusuLan and abusive Bible-thumping religious fanatical groups? Ok yeah, my b probably, but I Can’t Unsee.

And again, I know LWJ just wants to keep him safe and I know he’s an awkward potato but this one is on him. WWX is in no emotional place to play “guess WangJi” and it might make his soul shrivel up and die inside but a Long Conversation should be had.

Ok, allow me to go on another fucking tangent, there aren’t enough already. I’ve seen posts saying that western people misinterpret LWJ’s short and blunt speech (is short speech something you say in English?) as him being awkward/clamming up/not liking to talk when it actually is considered a very elegant thing to be able to get your point across with as few words as possible, because our culture values eloquence. First of all, I’ve seen that point made with the English language, and I’m Spanish, I don’t know if it affects my point of view but we also have the same idea of getting to the point ASAP here, it isn’t like the height of elegance but it is very common. That’s not my reasoning to say LWJ is an introverted/awkward potato, although it influences it. Because I’ve seen the show a few times, and because YiBo is the patron saint of micro-expressions, I’ve caught several instances in which, after pleasantries are done, a stranger tries to talk to LWJ and he get the tiniest “oh shit people want to have a conversation someone save me” look on his face. The most notable one is when YunmengJiang is trying to get into Cloud Recesses.

Just because someone can be a good conversationalist doesn’t mean they actually like to talk to people or be around them.

Bless JC to the rescue.

Btw regardless of me going off about LWJ’s lack of communication it doesn’t mean I’m not side eyeing WWX for unleashing on people who are not at fault for his trauma.

LET MY YUNMENG SIBS BE HAPPY GODDAMNIT

So that’s all for this episode. I’m so sorry for my tangents, I can’t contain myself. Thanks for reading!

[more-gremlin-than-fae]

Yet another AU I’m never going to write: Untamed Supernatural AU

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are hunters (maybe Jiang Yanli, too, but I feel like she’s more of a homebody so let’s say she’s their research person) like Sam and Dean. Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen are their #1 rival team, although they did all attend the same high school (for a brief period when they were all in the same area).

The Wen here are either a vampire clan or something OR rival hunters who start trying to control hunting, getting everyone to sign on with them as a hunting organization and carving out territories and spending as much time stopping people from hunting in their areas as actually hunting. Taking payment from people for helping or not helping if they can’t afford the fees and generally just being the worst.

There is a low-key war over it when the Wen kill the Jiang parents and burn down the compound because they refused to cooperate. JC blames WWX because he mouthed off at Wen Chao when they crossed paths on a hunt or w/ever and that was the tissue-thin excuse for the Wen attack. Attacking the Jiangs is the last straw, though, and the Wen get taken down by a coalition of other hunting families but JC and WWX break up for real when WWX wants to recruit Wen Qing and Wen Ning after freeing them from Wen Ruohan’s dungeon. JYL tries to mediate and it helps but they don’t actually reconcile.

WWX moves out to Yiling with WQ and WN and their family and opens a medical halfway house, they struggle for a few years because very few people are willing to trust a Wen with their health and safety. There are several sabotage attempts and eventually they get attacked and it looks like they all died but there are no bodies. (Nobody actually dies, they move to Canada or Alaska or something to get away from the inter-clan bullshit and have a fresh start, we’re doing this in the US since this is an SPN AU, to set it in China I’d have to know even a little about the geography of China and I barely know the geography of places I’ve actually been).

A few years later, WWX gets an anonymous email that he has WN trace back and it leads to Mo Manor. Things are stable with his Wen family so he packs up to head back to wherever the interclan bullshit has continued. Teen Sizhui and WN team up to secretly follow him.

WWX ends up teaming up with LWJ to investigate Mo Manor and beyond. Sizhui gets assigned to hang out with/assist the teen brigade, WN mostly stays in the van doing computer stuff but comes out to rescue WWX occasionally. 

This whole setup is mostly to get to Jiang Cheng showing up and having FEELINGS about WWX (a) faking his own death and not telling his family at least that he was alive (nevermind that JC disowned him a couple of years before) and (b) coming back only to then team up with the Lans of all people instead of coming back to Lotus Pier for help with the investigation.

[dimpled-gummy-smiles]

ok, so i finally got around to the delinquent/student council au.

so imagine this.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

if wwx was a student council president;

- he probably run for president as a joke, not knowing he would win. and then he’ll laugh about it. “this presidency thing is not a joke.” “what are the chances I would win?” 

- almost everyone retreats the council election the moment they heard wwx was running. and then he gets a bit lost because he won and he doesn’t know what to do. he didn’t expect himself to win. “its a joke.” yeah. a joke gone wrong.

- wwx ask jc to be the vice pres because at least he knows what to do and i live for yunmeng jiang duo moments. wen ning becomes the secretary. he is as lost as wwx. but since he decides to be wwx’s right-hand man, he tries to do his job properly. and he’s scared of jc if he doesn’t do things correctly. lsz becomes the treasurer because wwx trust him to take care of the finances.

- jc will be the one that takes care of the administrative stuffs with the school and wwx would be taking care of the students. wwx is great with students and are friends with almost everyone.

- the teachers are surprised that the school hasnt collapse with wwx as president.

- (i can’t seem to fit lwj as a delinquent type) he’s the kind of student that just ignores the whole world. its between school, home and probably a part-time job as a librarian (because he doesn’t really need to communicate with people except scanning books).

- lwj always waits for lsz to end his council meeting before going back together. wwx always sees lwj sitting in a library, studying. and then promptly packing up his bag when lsz reaches. and lsz and lwj will have dinner together. lwj always waits for lsz to have dinner.

- sometimes wwx would invite lwj over for their “council meeting break” because they would sometimes end late and this means lwj would have a late dinner. and wwx doesnt let anybody starve. so they’ll have dinner (usually yl would cook pork rib lotus soup or maybe wq some herbal soup because they’ve been working late these days and shes worried for her younger brother).

- so they’ll have dinner outside the council room resting area and chat something more leisure. lwj knows more about wwx.

- wwx tells lwj to just rest here for a while more while they finish up their meeting. so lwj just studies as he waits for lsz to end the meeting.

- wwx always invites lwj to “council events” even though jc objects to it but wwx doesnt care because lwj is part family.

- lsz went out with his friends today leaving lwj alone. lwj decides to go home when he notices the auditorium lights on. did someone forget to turn off the lights?

- he walks past the room to see wwx hanging banners for the upcoming school festival. he sees wen ning hanging streamers at the other end of the room. it looked like it was too much for a two men job.

- lwj decides to help them instead. wwx thanks him.

- “lanzhan, can you hand me that white balloon?” wwx falls from the ladder because he couldn’t reach. lwj to the rescue as he catches the falling wwx. “haha thanks lanzhan.”

- wwx was about to climb up the ladder again but lwj stops him. lwj takes the decoration from wwx hands and climbs up the ladder.

- lwj doesn’t allow wwx to climb ladders throughout the day. wen ning finds it cute.

- wen ning walks their direction home, leaving lwj and wwx together. the both of them walk home together.

- wwx hears lwj’s stomach grumble and realised lwj probably hasnt had dinner. so wwx walks the other way (away from his house) and brings lwj to eat. “its cheap and good.”

- wwx orders assorted dishes. he likes spicy food but he isn’t sure about lwj. lwj is thankful that there was something he could eat. although he wouldnt say it.

- wwx walks home with lwj. lwj finds out wwx is afraid of dogs. because cue nervous laughter and faster pace walking everytime a dog barks. “i live here.” “mhm” “have a safe walk home” “mhm” “bye lanzhan” “mhm” “see you in school tomorrow.” “mhm.”

- it becomes a routine for lwj to wait for wwx as well. (a) to protect wwx from dogs (b) because he likes spending time with wwx.

- (cue awkward confession some time later)

- nothing much has changed. except now wwx sometimes wait for lwj to end his library work shift, so he waits for him at a corner. usually he falls asleep. but hes usually within eye view of his lwj. they’ll have lunch together before lwj needs to go back to work again. and wwx goes back to his seat and continues his work. doodling rated r things maybe? 

if lwj was a student council president;

- he’s probably a legacy student kind of thing. like lxc was probably a council president before. lwj was the vice pres and when lxc graduated, lwj steps up as the president.

- school probably feels more at ease when lan family runs for presidency. like lwj hears things like “your uncle is an alumni” “your family are part of the alumnus.” and so lwj continues his family legacy. lsz is the next in line as the vice president as he follows lwj’s footsteps.

- ljy is the secretary and the whole school board is at ease because it’s basically ran by the lans and they are happy. the school board trusts him a lot with the school affairs.

- lwj would be with the school disciplinary master every morning at the school gates, catching students who are late and have messy attire. and every morning, wwx would be one of these students.

- wwx is the smart delinquent student who comes to school with uncombed hair, his school shirt has creases or some times unbuttoned. and every morning he would smile at him and shout “morning lanzhan!”

- wwx would sit at the back of the class, and not listen to the teacher. he would some times stare out of the window or daydream, some times he would just fall asleep in class. the teachers are just thankful he doesn’t cause a ruckus.

- wwx is a smart student that always aces his exams. even the teacher questions how the hell he does it. teachers suspects he cheats because there was no way he could score this well despite not even listening to the teachers.

- “he didn’t cheat.” “i know wwx. wwx would do anything but cheat.” because even though wwx has a bad rep with the teachers, he has a good rep with the students. because he usually gets in trouble by helping student out a lot.

- but the teachers still doesnt believe them. “one more word and whoever defends wwx has to redo the exam.” wwx smiles and tells them not to worry about him so the students all kept quiet. so the teachers makes wwx redo the exam in front of them, alone in a separate room. lwj to stand in and invigilate as well. because two pairs of eyes were better than one.

- wwx complains it was more difficult than the one he took earlier but he still scores well in the exams. the teachers eyes widened as he marks the paper right in front of wwx. it was nearly full marks. except for some horrible handwriting and scribbles which was difficult to decipher what he was writing.

- lwj notices wwx’s maths scores are always higher than the rest of the subjects. he decides to approach him to be the student council treasurer to look after the finances. and also he needed someone that was good with the students as well. ljy and lsz could do the junior section of the school. but lwj isn’t good with the seniors.

- “what do i get?” wwx asked. it was a joke. he would say yes in the end. he couldn’t refuse because (a) it was lan zhan (b) he’s goodlooking. damn the lans and their gene pool.

- wwx becomes the school’s treasurer, and in charge of the finances. but it wasn’t like he was needed anyway because the lans always thought of the best solution using the least finances.

- but lwj tells him that he needed somebody that was good with the students as well and wwx was the best person he thought of.

- the school first objected to wwx being on the school council. but lwj told them that what better idea to look after wwx?

- lwj finally understands why wwx was always running late for classes every morning. (insert cliche reasons why smart student is late for class every morning). so lwj always sends signals to wwx when he sees him entering the school gates. button your shirt properly. your hair is in a mess. your school tie. run, wwx youre still safe if you pass the gates within the next 30 seconds.

- lsz feels that it is more bright with wwx during the meetings. it was always so uptight.

- council member after-parties are usually held in the lan residences. wwx asking lwj if he had tried alcohol. so he pours a glass to lwj and have him taste alcohol for the first time.

- (cue drunk lwj) lsz and lly sees a drunk lwj for the first time. because their party dont have alcohol and this is the first time. “mine” lwj claims, hugging wwx. “mine no touchy.” lwj drunk glares his juniors. lxc is amused with his drunk brother. because he knows his brother. wwx is just comforting a very drunk lwj and hopes he doesn’t remember what happened the next morning. lqr doesnt interfere for the night because hes too old for this. and also he doesnt like interacting with wwx.

- “you have a really weak alcohol tolerance, lan zhan.” wwx mumbles as he looks as the clingy lwj for the first time. lwj only drank a glass and he’s down. wwx looks at the two lan juniors and tell them to not mentioned what happened.

- (cue graduation party and the student council members hold another party at the lan residences) lxc tells his brother that he better confess now if not you’re probably never going to see that cute ass again. lwj looks at his brother and lxc just shrugs his shoulders. siblings knows best.

- so cue awkward one to one confession. lwj confessing to wwx. thanking him for coming into his life and so on.

- lwj decides to go to a university or whatever place wwx is going to, no matter his results. wwx doesnt allow his boyfriend to do so. lwj follows his brother and studies masters in a prestigious school while working.

- wwx is thankful that his result is good enough. he surprises lwj by applying to the same school lwj was at, and getting in.

- (cue happy ending music for wangxian)

[crossdressingdeath]

Someone on twitter actually posted something really interesting, where in Chapter 73 JC actually does say that he owes WQ and WN gratitude for what happened in the Sunshot Campaign, but no one (especially NMJ) really cares. While it doesn't excuse everything else he did and not saving the Wen's beyond that, it's really clear no sect wanted to give WWX his due or gave a shit about the Wens. (The section starts with "Jiang Cheng's brows were knitted." if you're interested.)

(To add to the Chapter 73 ask) I know you think the Nie's and Lan's were reserve troops and didn't know the truth about the Wen's, but reading that section makes me think that they did, or if they didn't, wouldn't have cared if they actually did. LWJ and JC (until JGS starts talking) are the only one's trying to defend the Wen's and WWX in this section, no one cares that JC states he owes them gratitude (though he should have said why). I just don't really see anyone caring about them, but WWX.

The reserve troop thing is based on the fact that a) neither sect is mentioned as really being part of the siege beyond... being there when JC led it, b) the Jiangs and (presumably) Jins felt the need to hide the bodies in the blood pool despite the dangers of that in a world where people who aren’t buried properly can come back and cause problems even without the massive injustice of their deaths and c) LXC doesn’t mention any civilian murder when WWX is recovering in the Cloud Recesses after being stabbed which I’m pretty fucking sure would’ve. y’know. come up at some point. Just putting that reasoning out there.

I would disagree with the assessment that JC’s offhand mention that he and WWX owe the Wens a solid means the other sects knew that the Wens were civilians, just because... he says nothing of the sort. His exact line is “We owe [WN] and his sister Wen Qing gratitude for what happened during the Sunshot Campaign”; he says nothing about how “Oh, and by the way, WN saved me and WWX from the fall of Lotus Pier at great personal risk and retrieved my parents’ bodies and his sister hid us and protected us and helped us rest and recover right under WRH’s nose and the Wens in that labour camp were largely civilians and medical personnel and a fucking child being tortured and murdered by Jin guards”. So no, I don’t think JC casually putting it out there that he owes WN and WQ and then refusing to say another word even when NMJ specifically brings up the fall of Lotus Pier, y’know, the thing WN and WQ saved JC from and in fact getting angry about the whole thing counts as him actually trying to accomplish something. Also note that in that same scene it’s LXC who points out that they have no evidence that WQ participated in WRH’s crimes and when NMJ says they have no evidence she tried to stop them (literally saying “If she responded with only silence and not opposition when the Wen Sect was causing mayhem, it’s the same as indifference”) JC, who has proof that she tried to help in at least small ways and on at least one occasion did oppose WRH’s actions, doesn’t say a single fucking word. And the fact that LXC speaks up (and actually puts more effort into it than JC does, mind, given he actually argues against NMJ’s point that WQ did nothing, if only briefly; JC, despite having more information, does nothing of the sort) suggests that actually if JC had given proof or even just his word that the Wens were innocent and were opposed to WRH’s actions... people would have defended them. Even NMJ’s argument is based on an assumption that WQ and her people approved of WRH’s actions, which JC could prove they didn’t. So no, him saying “Oh we do owe them a favour” and then refusing to defend them or explain the situation in any way beyond that even though he has enough information to refute NMJ’s reason for opposing the Wen remnants (and, as I feel may have been forgotten, later outright lying if only by omission to let the sects think that the Wen remnants were an army WWX was raising while knowing full well that that wasn’t even close to the truth) doesn’t count as him telling the sects that the Wens were in fact innocent people who had tried to help, nor does it mean the other sects knew what was going on and just didn’t care. One line followed by an outright refusal to defend these people he owes his life to even though he has the information to do so and later outright lies to make their situation worse does not a serious attempt to defend them that failed due to lack of caring on the part of the others involved make. 

Look, here’s the thing. At this point the Wens are being backed by the most reputable cultivator of their generation, with LXC clearly ready and willing to side with them if he’s given any reason to do so and NMJ’s argument against defending them being the understandable assumption that they were on WRH’s side and did nothing to prevent anything he did or aid his victims. WWX has, at this point, only killed the Jin guards who were torturing civilians. JC has information that would give LXC reason to help them and refute NMJ’s assumption. If he’d done that, really thrown his weight behind defending the Wens, it would’ve been three great sect leaders backing the Wens against just JGS, who being at least somewhat politically savvy would almost certainly fold under that pressure (and probably pass it off as a misunderstanding or something done without his knowledge, which frankly would be allowed because they just finished a damn war). JC chose to say nothing. This is not a case of him doing his best and the other sect leaders not caring or thinking the Wens deserved it. This is JC actively hiding evidence that everything in the text suggests would have changed their position. I don’t think JC having one line where he half-heartedly suggests that WWX did owe WN this much counts as a solid attempt to defend the Wens when he had far more ammunition he could use in this debate and chose not to. It’s hardly fair to say that this is proof of the other sects not caring or not wanting to save civilians when in this very chapter, the chapter wherein JC makes his one attempt to defend the Wens, it’s LXC who actually argues in their favour beyond one line (not JC) and NMJ’s argument likely comes at least in part from the fact that JC shut up after he brought up the fall of Lotus Pier as a thing that makes it weird that he owed the Wens (suggesting that whatever the debt was it was not enough to absolve them of responsibility there even though the gratitude he owes them is for making sure he survived the fall) and the rest is an understandable assumption based on the fact that WQ was high-ranking.