#Wei Wuxian just makes me wince

[gardensofthemoon]

OMG 7 FROM THE KISS PROMPT FOR CHENGXIAN IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!!!?!?!?! 🫶🫶

7 - to shut them up. prompt list here

Spring arrives in Yunmeng. Mornings are marked by the call of magpies; the hatchlings cry their hunger, cry when their parents are away, ask for their mother with sorrow tinged in the almost metallic rasp of their song. And as the wind breezes through the branches, it sometimes carries the tentative sound of a dizi joining in the melody. Jiang Cheng listens with a hook in his heart, and when the flute notes turn faint he closes the door.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t make his appearance for the rest of the day. It’s become a habit. Probably lazing around in some back-alley tavern drinking until he drops—Jiang Cheng swallows back the river of hurt. Who has the time for self-indulgent misery anyway.

Building back the sect takes up all his energy these days. Unlike the war when he’d been high-strung and brimming with adrenaline, sleeping lightly and always prepared for another attack, barely eating unless sweet-talked into it by jiejie, his days are cluttered with mundane tasks from daybreak till nightfall. Overseeing training, solving petty disputes with the neighbouring sects, negotiating trade contracts, worrying where he’d produce the funds to repair the eastern docks collapsed after a flood. Without the golden core singing-spinning inside him—and what a wonder, to have it restored by Baoshan Sanren even stronger than before—he doesn’t know how he’d manage.

His back aches after spending the afternoon responding to Sect Leader Yao’s countless letters. He thinks the sun is setting soon, drowning slowly in the lotus lake.

He comes—bursts in the office as the golden light limns his eyes in red. “Jiang Cheng!”

Wei Wuxian assails him with cold fingers grazing his cheeks. “Ah, Jiang Cheng, you’re fine, thank fuck.”

He tries to push Wei Wuxian’s hands away. “Now you deign to come home?”

He’s ignored. Wei Wuxian charts his face with frantic hands. “I dreamt you were dead, I was so afraid.” His eyes are deep wells of shivering darkness.

“Dreamt?” Jiang Cheng feels a sudden spike of bitter anger. Wei Wuxian doesn’t seem to notice it.

“Fell asleep on a rooftop, you know, the wine Auntie Liu sells is some of the best stuff around.”

It’s Jiang Cheng’s fault for holding out hope that Wei Wuxian will honour his promise. Sometimes he wonders if Wei Wuxian even remembers, then chides himself for being so needy he clings to words that had no meaning behind them but a momentary comfort, when clearly Wei Wuxian can’t be bothered to be by his side and would rather be running around and away. And who wouldn’t.

“Shidi, don’t be mad,” Wei Wuxian drawls, rubbing the furrow between Jiang Cheng’s brows, “next time I’ll bring you a jar. Two, even! How does that sound?”

Like hell, that’s how. Wei Wuxian’s promises sink into him like stones at the bottom of a lake, gathering heavy in his pit.

“The fuck’s wrong with you,” he grumbles. Winces at the harshness in his voice—he doesn’t mean it, not like this, not when Wei Wuxian acts so different and he doesn’t know what’s wrong or how to help him—

Wei Wuxian stills. His smile is watery. Carefully, he releases Jiang Cheng; the absence of his touch feels like ghostly fingers caressing his face. “Nothing’s wrong, Jiang Cheng,” he says tiredly. “Just—bored. Of this. Of everything.”

“That’s not—” Jiang Cheng grabs his wrist before Wei Wuxian can retreat—run. “Do you know how you make me look, skipping your duties to fuck off somewhere else? Bored?”

Wei Wuxian’s gaze trembles, mists, then he rolls his eyes. “Not this again. Gonna go if you’re in a mood.”

“Wei Wuxian!” With each attempt to get closer, Wei Wuxian slips through his fingers, a silvery eel sliding through clear waters. “Just tell me—you’re not yourself,” he tries, “and I need to know, you have to tell me—”

Whatever else he wants to say is swallowed up by Wei Wuxian’s mouth. Warm, desperate, still tasting of cheap alcohol. Wei Wuxian cups a hand on his nape, thumb stroking his cheek, and he makes a—sound, like a whimper. “Aw, shidi,” Wei Wuxian says, and his breath brushes against Jiang Cheng’s lips, now swollen with want, “you talk too much.”

Jiang Cheng closes his eyes.

[winepresswrath]

Its the jiao jiao anon again .

You keep giving me great pairings. Tell me everything how su she (Shang Qinghua) transmigrate and how will fuck jiang cheng. Is he still an author ? What was his intention with this kinda book?

I think he is still a writer but not the actual author of mdzs. He's a relatively casual fan who admires the vision and winces in sympathy every time drama gets kicked off. This is why you don't try, mdzs author! You give the people what they want and take their money. He's originally planning on keeping his head down and learning just enough cultivation from the Lan to make his life easier than it otherwise would be, then getting an urgent letter from his sick mother right before the Wen are scheduled to attack, but alas, his wandering not-cultivator dumpling sabbatical puts him directly in Jiang Cheng's path while he's frantically running for help after leaving Wei Wuxian in the Xuanwu cave. And the thing is he's still kind of reflexively haughty when he needs something? So pathetic and vulnerable. So cute. What could possibly be the harm in giving him a ride? The Wen aren't scheduled to attack Lotus Pier for ages. He can be on a ship to Dongyin by that time!

Anyway no good deed goes unpunished because Jiang Fengmian does as a general rule believe in giving credit and naming names. He should have fucking known. Now Wen Chao has a grudge against him and he's running around under a fake name wracking up credit for things he did (while trying to run away) and things he did not do (sometimes even when you have a massive army and the most powerful cultivator in the world on your side, things go wrong! He's not responsible for every problem with Wen supply lines. He's responsible for exactly one cart blowing up, and he was just trying for a distraction so he could sneak onto a ship. It didn't work and the harbour is kind of a no-go zone for him now). He comes up with a new plan: find Huaisang and use his shitty unwanted heroic reputation and talent for creative pornography to worm his way into the young master's guard, where he can get some writing done far from the front lines. Unfortunately, he once again stumbles across Jiang Cheng, who is tragically trying to rebuild his sect and searching for a missing shixiong. Shang Qinghua is still a logistics guy, because he was doing grunt work for the Lan and also I feel like that's the shape any transmigration setting is going to bend into around him. Jiang Cheng is so grateful to see a familiar face. He knows the value of a good spreadsheet. His eyes are so pretty when he's trying not to cry. The Jiang aren't in a great place during the war, but Shang Qinghua knows the sect makes it through and he doesn't remember any Jiang disciples being asked to heroically sacrifice themselves after Lotus Pier falls. Plus the food is better and there's plenty of room at the top! A veritable power vacuum. To say nothing of all the empty space in Jiang Cheng's personal life when almost everyone he loves dies and leaves him alone! Anyway this is the story of how Shang Qinghua accidentally paints a series of targets on his back, unnecessarily involves himself in the plot, and overcomplicates his life because being a sucker for a pretty face and a bad personality is even more integral to his character than underappreciated grunt work. Probably he manages to save Yanli, at least. He's not interested in being a stepfather! That's a lot of work. Wei Wuxian barely notices he exists until either he saves everyone or the second life roles around, depending on how ambitious and/or motivated Shang Qinghua is feeling. Then he hates him passionately, but it's too late. They probably eventually reach some kind of begrudging peace.

[sasukimimochi]

🏴‍☠️🎶🌕 - tiny-fox-queen (pirate flag, music notes, full moon)

Travelerji/Merxian AU See the first three prompts here.

Warnings: implied violence, implied kidnapping, injury/blood mention.

-

Full Moon Shanty

Wei Wuxian felt too heavy, it was hard to even lift his head.

“So you refuse to cry, huh? Don't you want to show your true self?” The pirate donned in golds and dark browns lifted the merman’s chin; the urge to rip his head away and bite the fucker’s hand was an immediate response but the merman was so tired after being treated so roughly that he just leveled him with a glare instead.

Refusing to say anything to the detestable pirate, he turned his head away with as much force as he could muster. The pirate tsked and let him, standing up and brushing his hands off as if having touched something quite disgusting. “Alright. Think about it a bit longer then.” He adjusted his hat and left him there in the brig, bruised and bleeding.

He heard the pirate crew cheer once more and break out into a sea shanty soon after, deceivingly joyous. Wei Wuxian had once enjoyed the far-off sound of a sea shanty; now he wasn’t sure he’d ever see it the same way again.

🎵 Here's a health to the dear lass, that I love so well,

For her style and her beauty, sure none can excel,

There's a smile on her countenance, as she sits on my knee,

There's no man in this wide world, as happy as me 🎵

He lifted his head, staring at the nearest crack in the boards to the sky. Seeing the moon shine so brightly into the darkness of the brig, he felt a renewed desire to move- to escape.

🎵 Here's a health to the company, and one to my lass

Let us drink and be merry, all out of one glass 

Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain

For we may or might never, all meet here again 🎵

The merman took a deep breath and grimaced as his arms changed, shifting into ethereal, shimmering blues and slipping through the chains that had once held him up against the wall and nearly falling to the floor once he had. He winced and rubbed his wrists, panting quietly as he listened to the sailors cheer and sing, eventually getting up to check the brig and see if there was some way he could get out.

🎵 Our ship lies at anchor, she's ready to dock 

I wish her safe landing, without any shock 🎵

Finding a small crack in the hull, he glanced back and around one more time to make sure no one was there before his body shifted, spilling like water through the cracks and back into the sea. 

🎵 If ever I should meet you, by land or by sea

I will always remember, your kindness to me 🎵

He swam and swam and swam, the sound of their voices disappearing past the waves of water. All he could think about was to return to his traveler’s shadows. to rest.

Here's a health to the company, and one to my lass

Let us drink and be merry, all out of one glass 

Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain

For we may or might never, 

all meet here again 🎵

Lan Wangji lifted his head and shielded his eyes from the sun, staring out over the glistening waters with a frown.

He hadn’t been finding nearly as much lately. Usually, he found shells, stones, pearls, and all sorts of fantastic things. He always hoped it was his faceless savior, and…well, now he was hoping it wasn’t.

He folded his arms over his knees and watched the sea foam over the shore, worry heavy in his chest.

Check out other MDZS Projects on my masterpost! ❤

Merji/Travelerji WIP Wangxian Prompt 1 WIP Merxian sketch / Merxian 1 (nudity & wips included) Merxian 2 (sfw) Merxian 3 (B&W) Wangxian Prompt 1 cont. sketch

-

I created these two mermay au's for mermay prompts i'm writing. (check back to the prompt list for updates)

[weiying-lanzhan-fics]

When the Lights Come Up by brooklinegirl

Can I just say… there isn’t a story written by this author that I haven’t loved. (I am still waiting for the right moment to read a few… hoarding them for consumption later!)

This story is sweet, cute, and human. Loved it! ❤️

Quotes:

He barrels into someone, hard enough that all the breath gets knocked out of him. The other person goes flying, knocked over flat, skidding down the sidewalk and coming to a halt with a painful-sounding thump against the concrete.

"Ow," the person says, a crumpled pile on the sidewalk.

Lan Zhan is on his knees beside the person in a moment, absolutely appalled. "I am so sorry, I truly apologize. Are you all right? Please, allow me to—"

He has one hand hovering over the person's shoulder as they push themselves up, wincing as their hand touches the sidewalk. "Oh, hey," the person says, blinking up at Lan Zhan. "It's you!"

Wei Wuxian. Of course it's Wei Wuxian. Why wouldn't it be Wei Wuxian? Lan Zhan is having a cursed day. "I—" he says, staring down at him. "Your face," he finishes inanely, gesturing at his own face, staring at where Wei Wuxian had clearly collided with the sidewalk with his cheekbone, the scrape there already becoming dotted with blood.

————

The doorbell ringing startles him beyond the telling of it, the unexpected screech of it—they really do need to change it out to something less grating—nearly making his soul leave his body. He makes his way to the door, irritated in advance at whoever it is. He opens it, and Wei Ying is standing on his stoop.

He slams the door shut immediately, then stares at it, wondering what just happened. He's—did he—was that—

Oh dear.

He opens the door again. "Apologies, I—"

Wei Ying is bent over laughing, his hands propped on his knees, wheezing with giggles. His whole body shakes with it, and even with his hair in his face, he's just as beautiful as Lan Zhan remembers. "Oh my god." Wei Ying stands up, wiping at his eyes, still snorting out giggles. "That was the best reception I've ever gotten. I swear to you, Lan Zhan." He props three fingers against his temple, like he's taking an oath. "Ten out of ten, no notes."

E, 50k

Summary:

(Note: you definitely do not have to have seen Notting Hill to read this fic.)

Lan Zhan's brother draws to a halt next to him, staring at the man on the other side of the counter. "Oh, it is you, isn't it?"

The man, still propped against the counter on his elbow, gives Lan Huan a grin, then directs it at Lan Zhan again. "I don't know," he says. "Is it? Am I?"

"You are." Lan Huan is hurrying around to the other side of the counter, a wide smile on his face, while Lan Zhan looks on, feeling more and more perplexed, like he's stepped into some alternate universe where absolutely nobody is making any sense at all. "Wei Wuxian! Lan Zhan, do you know who this is? It's Wei Wuxian!" Lan Huan is reaching for the man's hand, and he pushes himself lazily to standing, shaking Lan Huan's hand warmly.

"In the flesh," he says. "You caught me."

"My goodness." Lan Huan is staring at him like he's never seen a human being before in his life. "What on earth are you doing here, of all places?

[rosethornewrites]

NR, E, & M reading since 3/9

Finished

Not Rated:

Jiang sect turn into birds, by nirejseki

Prompt: Along with forming a golden core most cultivators gain the ability to shapeshift. What they shift into depends on the cultivator, but there are certain tendencies in bloodlines. Jiang Cheng has shifted exactly once in absolute privacy. He didn't stay shifted after finding scales and claws instead of feathers and wings, some sort of reptile from the Yu bloodline. He's since been pretending not to be able to shift at all, but you can only deny your nature for so long.

A-Ying, by MissCellophane

Baby Wei Wuxian finds something in an alleyway

A Nephew's Forgiveness, by KarenF (2nd in a series)

Jin Ling gets the opportunity to mend his relationship with his Uncle Wei. There are tears of regret and pain, but there are tears of happiness too!

Explicit:

Impermanence, Transience, Permanence, by Best Bepsy (BepsyGray) (9 chapters)

Unwilling to leave any possible advantage on the table, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji dual cultivate before fighting the Xuanwu of Slaughter, accidentally creating something in the process.

Beset by violence, misfortune, and tragedy in the months that follow, Wei Wuxian quietly bears the consequences.

That "Wangji" guy's profile pic was obviously fake, but Wei Ying admired his art skills, by KizuKatana 🔒, 2 chapters)

Wei Ying put on his best smile, which had never failed him in the past, and rapidly tried to make the mental pivot from ‘meeting an awesome if slightly dishonest graphic artist’ to ‘trying to hook up with the hottest man ever to have existed’.

Never let it be said that Wei Ying’s mind was not a thing of infinite agility, when given the right incentive.

- - -

Wei Ying had just finished an intense, two-month project and was looking forward to going back home. After a cancelled flight, he decided to try to find some companionship to take his mind off spending yet another day in his empty hotel room. He didn't know anyone in town, so he used a hookup app and came across a profile picture that is OBVIOUSLY fake, but the art was amazing. Wei Ying decided to messege the guy and meet up, planning to call him out for the fake pic but mostly he just wanted to talk to the guy about what program he used to make the image.

It turns out, the image wasn't a fake.

Mature:

Away from Trouble, by Ilona22 (🔒, reread)

An overheard conversation changes the way Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian part before he ascends Baoshan Sangren's mountain.

From that point onwards, things go differently.

Jilted By A Jade, by Liebing (5 chapters)

The woman behind the bar squinted at him as she dried the inside of a cup, then her eyes widened in realisation. “Are you…you can’t be who I think you are!”

Wei Ying winced and waited for the accusations to roll off her tongue…‘You’re the Yiling Patriarch who eats babies’ or ‘You’re the Yiling Patriarch who makes crops wither and die just by looking at them’ or…

“You’re that Yiling Patriarch that was jilted by the high and mighty Hanguang Jun!”

Contingency Plan, by krispy_kream

“You’ll still love me when we’re old and ugly, right?” Wei Wuxian asks. “We’ll have each other while everyone else is busy with their kids and their dogs and annoying in-laws.”

And Lan Wangji asks, "Why Wait?”

Unfinished

Not Rated:

Pin the tail on the fox, by RMoonberry

Three years after his death, Wei Wuxian is reincarnated as an ordinary fox.

The life as a fox is simple, but after losing his papa Fox, he somehow ends up in the deep forests of Cloud Recess.

between shield and sword, by shuofthewind (🔒)

Jiang Yanli has settled into her role as the eldest and most useless child of the Jiang when her mother's sister arrives at Lotus Pier with a proposal: accompany her on her final journey around the cultivation world, make connections with current sect leaders and their heirs, and maybe make a friend or two.

Their first stop on the journey? Yunping.

---

In which Jiang Yanli has a chance encounter with Meng Yao and his mother before he leaves Yunping for Lanling, and the consequences reach far beyond what anyone anticipated.

Explicit:

Heart of the Beast, by WaitForTheSnitch

“Wei Ying?” Nie Mingjue prompted him gently. “Where are your parents?”

“They went on a night hunt,” Wei Ying said, a bit evasively.

“Your parents are cultivators?” Da-ge asked in surprise. “Did they leave you here while they hunted? When did they go on their night hunt?”

“Four summers ago,” Wei Ying said a bit uncomfortable.

“Four summers ago,” Nie Mingjue repeated. “What are your parents’ names?”

“My mama is Cangse Sanren and my baba is Wei Changze,” Wei Ying told him, and recognition registered in Nie Mingjue’s eyes.

“Wei Ying,” Nie Mingjue said, sounding a bit regretful, “Your parents aren’t coming back.”

Or, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang run into Wei Ying while in Yiling and decide to bring him home. And it changes everything.

Temptation, by Karmiya

When his brother's sudden death in the waning hours of the Sunshot Campaign leaves Lan Wangji sect leader, he has to adapt rapidly to his new role. Getting through the war itself was the easy part, however; for Lan Wangji, navigating the world of politics is far harder. When, at the flower banquet, Wei Wuxian approaches him and offers advice, Lan Wangji sets aside their old argument over his cultivation, and the two of them are finally able to grow closer.

Lan Wangji starts to wonder if Wei Wuxian ever was in jest with his 'flirtations' as a boy, and hopes that he can now approach the man he loves more openly, since he is sect leader and no one can now gainsay his choice of cultivation partner. But the very thing which permits him to court Wei Wuxian also holds him back: after all, can even the seemingly irrepressible Wei Wuxian really refuse a sect leader?

Though he is determined to resist temptation and court Wei Wuxian slowly and subtly, Lan Wangji feels doubt as time goes on. Something is very wrong at Lotus Pier, and it isn't only Lan Wangji who begins to feel that perhaps the safest option is to tempt Wei Wuxian away from Yunmeng Jiang as quickly as possible.

Mature:

i have built a future in my mind, by LoopyLiesey (🔒)

While sleeping, Cangse Sanren receives a visit from Baoshan Sanren, and a vision of the future that will befall her son if she does nothing.

What Cangse Sanren sees cannot be allowed to happen. She will protect her son, from those she once called called friends, and even from himself if she needs to.

Dreams of Paradise, by Hauntcats

This on begins during the siege of the Burial Mound. Wei Ying is trying to destroy or nullify the tiger seal before anyone else can get it. The results don’t work out quite how he thought they would. His essence is trapped in between time where he witnesses different scenes of the lives of those he cares about. (The 13? 16? Years when he was dead.)

Then he wakes up in a place he didn't expect.

Once again, not Jiang friendly. If you don't like that, please, don't read.

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 22

Wei WuXian hadn't slept at all that night. Partly because he wasn't sure exactly what had happened. And partly because he wasn't sure what was going to happen after Lan Zhan woke up. He absentmindedly caressed the ribbon twisting around his wrist. I think this means we're engaged. He snorted, amused. Especially after the things we did last night? Isn't that supposed to be reserved for married people? He wasn't a complete prude, or ignorant about sex between men and women; he knew what went on in pleasure houses even before he found himself hiding in one. (He just hadn't ever been a participant with anything other than his hand.) Or ensconced in one of their rooms and face to face with detailed images of men pleasuring each other. Now that was an interesting lesson to learn. It made sense, given the anatomy, but it looked painful.

Sex, in general, seemed like it must be painful for the one being penetrated.... Fingers must be okay, he mused looking at his pointer and middle finger and mentally comparing their circumference to what he had been exposed to the previous evening. Anything larger? He glanced down into his lap. Regardless of his state, he wasn't as well endowed as Lan Zhan. Or the men on the wall. But even with lubrication to ease the way, how could it not hurt?

"Wei Ying... why am I naked?"

"You're the one who stripped down right in front of me because your robes were wet from spilled wine," Wei Ying replied. "I tried to get you to put sleeping robes on. Don't you remember?"

Lan Zhan clutched his head. "It aches. Why do you drink? I remember pretending to drink. I remember one of your women saying something really baudy. I think I took a sip by accident. I don't remember anything else."

Really? Wei Ying wanted to scoff, but Lan Zhan wasn't a liar.... So.... "You should never drink again, then." He paused to scratch his nose. "You really don't remember reading the spring book to me and refusing to let me see the pictures in case I fell in love with one of the men portrayed in it?"

Lan Zhan's gaze zeroed in on the ribbon wrapped around Wei Ying's wrist. "Did I do that?" His ears turned from pale white to a rosy pink to a deep red in the space of a breath.

Wei Ying held up the arm. "This? Yes, you fiend. You tackled me down to the ground, sat on my waist with my right arm pinned under your leg while you tied this on, and told me that I can never look at another person ever again. And not just a look to notice if someone is pretty or interesting. No. You didn't want me looking at another person for any reason! So unreasonable, Lan Zhan. How am I supposed to talk to people if I have to keep my eyes closed? How am I supposed to buy things?"

"I'm sorry," Lan Zhan whispered.

"Sorry? You should be," Wei Ying hmmphed. "In case you're wondering... we're still virgins. But only because I managed to convince you that certain acts were only for married couples! I had to do a lot of fast talking for a while there."

Lan Zhan winced. "I'm sorry. Very sorry." He took a shaking breath. "Is there anything else I should apologize for?"

Wei Ying cocked his head. "You told me lots of things last night.... I suppose there are things you said that you wouldn't have said sober.... Things you, we, did together that I don't know if you are ready to do sober?"

"What did we do?"

"We kissed. And touched. Everywhere. You told me about those rabbits I gave you.... How they're living in some meadow, and your uncle pretends they're wild animals. You told me how happy you are that I know what your ribbons mean. And that you want me to be the only one who will ever touch your ribbon again."

"What did you say to that?" Lan Zhan's face was buried in between his bare knees.

"I said... I want to be the only one to touch your ribbon. That I want to be the only one you look at, too.... That I love the way your hands feel on my skin. That I love the way your body feels in my hands. I love seeing the faces you make when you can't control yourself anymore."

"What did I say to that?"

"You said you love me." Lan Zhan's head whipped up, face shocked. "I said I love you, too." Wei Ying leaned over to press a light kiss against his love's mouth. "I love you, Lan Zhan."

[ao3feed-xicheng]

laugh away the sadness in the summertime

by Jafndaegur “Perhaps, though I can't say I'm any less angry than I usually am. Just better at not unleashing it wantonly.” Jiang Cheng kicked an offensive clump of grass. “I've learned though, on matters that were purposefully kept from my knowledge that I can't blame myself for not knowing, y’know?” Lan Xichen regarded him quietly without answering. Could it really be that simple? “At least that's what I think. But perhaps I'm not making much sense.” Jiang Cheng winced. “Not at all,” Lan Xichen smiled gently. “If anything, you’ve given me something to ponder. Something that makes my previous involvements less…bleak.” Jiang Cheng smiled. “I’m happy I could help, Zewu-jun.�� Lan Xichen found himself taken aback. Jiang Cheng's smile wasn't something sardonic or sneering like he'd seen in the past. But once again, it was a hint at a youth he'd seen long ago. It was hesitant and boyish, a refreshing sight after so many memories of fox-curled lips plastered to the sparks against snow. Words: 5139, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: 魔道祖�� - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon), 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Jin Ling | Jin Rulan, Lan Yuan | Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Ouyang Zizhen, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Meng Yao | Jin Guangyao, Nie Mingjue Relationships: Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen & Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Light Angst with Happy Ending, Moving On, grieving together, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, soft romance, Introspection, Mutual Pining, slow burn?, Implied Xiyao, the Juniors got to live their parent trap dreams, Jin Ling | Jin Rulan Has a Lot of Uncles, Jin Ling’s Uncles via https://ift.tt/DxZdBrt

[gravitywonagain]

so i took this post and made it... worse, probably.

(also now in lwj's pov)

[M, 3.6k, 1/1, Wangxian]

Tags: Major Character Death, suicide, suicide by zhiji (but, like, softly?), time travel, hurt/comfort but mostly hurt, I’m not going to lie this is all angst, not a happy ending (i've added a tiny consolation ending but it's not really enough here)

--

It is dark when Wei Wuxian opens his eyes. Cold. The stone is rough, jagged against the soft, tender bruise that is his body. Something is dripping, pooling, rippling. It echoes in the spaces between breaths and heartbeats. The awful silence of fear and worry. 

He doesn’t know where they are. The same place Lan Zhan always takes him, probably. A cave. Near enough to be possible but secluded enough to hide them. Him. For a little while anyway. 

At least this time he’s lucid. Mostly. And this time-- 

He laughs. A wretched sound that burbles against the blood in his lungs, the death in his veins. 

"Did you see them, Lan Zhan? Did you see?"

His voice ricochets off the stone walls and he winces with the sound of it. Rough, scraping, like the rock he’s lying on. 

"Wei Ying--"

Lan Zhan’s voice is softer. Smoother. Like the pool and the ripples. Wet, too. Not with a mouthful of blood, but with sadness. Regret, maybe. Apology, definitely. Wei Wuxian can’t stand to hear him apologize again. He can’t. He cuts him off. Continues his rambling. 

"United in their hate,” he says. Bitter still. Even after so long, after so many fights. 

"Let me--"

"But they were united." He sighs at that. Allows his relief to color it something other than red. 

He feels Lan Zhan’s confusion even before he asks, "Wei Ying?"

It’s easy to smile with Lan Zhan. 

His eyes are still adjusting to the dim, but Lan Zhan has a light all his own and Wei Wuxian finds him close. He’s always close. Traces the tiny dip in his brow, the wrinkle where his lips press together in the smallest pout. 

Even here, even like this -- bloody and desperate -- he’s beautiful. 

"It doesn't work if there's no villain, Lan Zhan.” He keeps his voice softer now. Almost a whisper. As clear as he can make it. “This world doesn't work if there's no one to hate."

"I don't understand."

"You should go. Leave me. They'll only hurt you if they find you here."

"I won't leave you."

Such conviction in him. In his Lan Zhan. He should probably be used to that by now, but it steals his breath every time. He wants to reach out. He did before. He’s not sure if he should again. He closes his eyes instead. 

"So stubborn, Lan Zhan. So good. Always so good." 

"Wei Ying, I--"

"At least Shijie is alive this time."

It just slips out. He doesn’t mean to say it, any of it. But he can’t take what Lan Zhan might say to him in that voice of his. That serious choosing-words-on-purpose voice. An apology, a negation, a confession. He’s not ready for that yet. He’s never ready for it. 

He really didn’t mean to say--

"This time?"

But he did. He did say it. He’s never said it before, never explained. And now Lan Zhan is looking at him even more confused. He deserves something. An explanation, probably, but Wei Wuxian really doesn’t have the energy for that now. 

Not the whole thing. 

Maybe just a piece.

"Yes,” he says, and anxiety begins to claw a path up his rib cage. It shakes something loose inside him: another laugh, an apathy of sorts, “Aiyou, Lan Zhan, I've done this so many times.” He shakes his head, rolling his skull against stone. “I'm so tired." 

He is. So tired. 

His body is torn, shredded, broken. The seal ripped him apart when he destroyed it. It sucked the resentment from his bones like marrow and left him with nothing to stitch closed his wounds. 

Still, earlier was better. He’d been right about that. 

Jiang Yanli lives. And Jin Guangshan’s face was glorious as the metal shards rained down upon him and his gathered clans. 

It didn’t stop them from attacking. He’d been right about that, too. 

"Rest,” says Lan Zhan. “I will be here."

He sounds unsure. Not of his own words; of course he will still be here. Wei Wuxian has long since learned to not doubt Lan Zhan or his devotion. It’s the getting him to leave that is always the hard part. 

No. He is unsure of Wei Wuxian’s. Not, Wei Wuxian thinks, that he believes them false, so much as mad ravings. Hallucinations or lies told by the demons in his head. 

There are no more demons, he wants to say. They’re gone from me and that’s why I’m dying. 

But he doesn’t say that. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if Lan Zhan believes him, or if he thinks him driven insane by resentment. None of it matters because he’s here. 

He’s here. And Wei Wuxian has lived this night over and over, changing and fixing, trying and trying… But no matter what, as long as he survives Nightless City, Lan Zhan is with him in its aftermath. Lan Zhan is here. By his side. 

In danger. 

"They're coming,” Wei Wuxian says, slurred a little in his weariness. He does not say who. He knows he doesn’t need to. “They'll be here soon. They'll take you. You should let them take you."

"I will not le--"

"A'Yuan needs you, Lan Zhan. Let them take you." 

He doesn’t plead; he doesn’t have enough breath left to plead. But this worked, once. 

"Wei Ying?"

It’s still dark when he opens his eyes, but this time he’s adjusted enough to see Lan Zhan frowning at him. He aches with what he’s asking of this man. The years of quiet mourning, the shock of early fatherhood. It hurts more than his twice-broken bones. But it never-- 

"It's okay. I-- Like I said,” he smiles, small but sincere, “it doesn't work if there's no villain."

"Why you?"

This man. 

"If not me, then who?"

"Not you."

This amazing, stubborn man.

Lan Zhan bites his teeth, clenching his jaw tight like he’s holding a snake inside of it. His knuckles are white with his anger, his frustration. 

He deserves so much more than what Wei Wuxian has twisted his life into, but maybe he can give him something to hold onto. Something to ease the emptiness in his heart, in his soul. 

"It's okay, Lan Zhan. I know.” 

Lan Zhan’s eyes snap wide and frightened, meeting his with urgency and concern, contrition so clearly building on the tip of his tongue. So Wei Wuxian softens his own as much as he can. Holds his smile, a warm curl like a petal in sunlight. 

“I know,” he says again, reassuring, he hopes. “You've stayed with me before."

This time Lan Zhan latches onto it. 

"Before?" 

"Yes. You're always so good. Too good. They hurt you when you fight. Don't-- Don't let them hurt you. A'Yuan needs you."

"A'Yuan?" 

There’s a brightness in the way he says the name. A fondness. Even before he has taken the boy home, brought him into his clan, claimed him as his own. He is always such a good father. Wei Wuxian wishes he could be there to see it. 

"He needs you to raise him. I know you'll take such good care of him, Lan Zhan. You always do."

Lan Zhan flinches at the last sentence, the light of him dulling with it. 

"Wei Ying, I don't understand." 

He’s frustrated. Wei Wuxian is being cryptic and weird, which, honestly, Lan Zhan should probably be used to at this point. But Wei Wuxian has also lost a sense of scale for what anyone should or shouldn’t be used to, so maybe not. He still doesn’t have the energy to explain. 

"I know. It's okay."

It’s nothing, empty, but the honesty of it soothes some of the lines from Lan Zhan’s brow anyway. It’s good. Nice. To see him settle so easily for Wei Wuxian. 

Determination knits itself into the line of his lips and Wei Wuxian recognizes it in an instant. 

"Please, Wei Ying, I--"

"Don't say it. Don't say it, Lan Zhan. It only hurts more if you say it. If I-- Don't say it."

It does hurt. It hurts so fucking much. Even if Wei Wuxian knows -- and he does, he knows -- it is so much worse every time he hears Lan Zhan’s confession of it. Different each time, but heartrending to leave him after. 

He doesn’t know if it’s better or worse for Lan Zhan. Maybe, if he wakes up in Mo Manor this time, he’ll ask. 

This Lan Zhan takes it in stride. It’s a rejection to him, but one he was expecting.

He says, "Okay. Okay, Wei Ying."

He masks the sadness of it well. But Wei Wuxian can still see it, can always see it. It’s no less than what he deserves for putting it there. 

"Let them take you. When they come, just go with them. Don't fight." 

Obstinance returns, a welcome distraction. 

"They will kill you."

"Yes."

"I won't--"

"You must. They need a villain,” he says again. “They don't need two. But if you stay with me, if you fight them for me, that is what you become. A'Yuan needs you."

It’s A’Yuan that makes him back down again. The sadness, the rejection, weighing on his shoulders, in the black hollows of his eyes. 

"Okay. Okay, Wei Ying."

He’s seen it before. He’s seen it over and over again. He should be -- should be. Fuck should be. 

He reaches out. 

"Hold my hand?"

"But--"

"I only said not to say it. Not that it's unwelcome." 

Lan Zhan’s hand is big and warm. It envelopes his own. The calluses scratch against his tender skin and it hurts but only in the best possible way. He thinks he might gasp with it, if his lungs were still capable of something so dramatic. 

"Wei Ying--"

"Shh. Hush now, Lan Zhan. Just hold me. They'll be here soon."

They stay there together, breathing in the quiet, the cold. The dripping sound keeps time for them. 

Lan Zhan laces their fingers together and traces the lines of Wei Wuxian’s veins with his other hand. It is soothing in a way that brings tears to Wei Wuxian’s eyes. So full of love. So perfectly, wonderfully, Lan Zhan. 

Strangely, it is Lan Zhan who breaks the silence. 

"If you've done this before, why not fix it? Why not live?" he asks. 

Wei Wuxian sighs. They’re fair questions, but, "It doesn't work. It all falls apart. The clans fall to each other if not to Wen Ruohan. They need--"

"A villain. So you've said."

"Ah, Lan Zhan!” He laughs and it’s wet enough that he coughs around it. “Interrupting me, so bold!" 

"I am trying to understand."

"I know. I know. There's not enough time. Which will be very funny to you later. Nothing but time. Maybe I will see you again, Lan Zhan."

"They will kill you."

He sounds almost petulant, which is… absurdly endearing. Wei Wuxian can help but smile, despite the topic. 

"Yes. Yes, and you should let them. So you can save A'Yuan.” He turns his gaze to the ceiling, too dark to pick much of anything out. A few sharp lines of stone. “Maybe, maybe you can make them all see. Make them open their eyes in the Burial Mounds. Make them see who it is they're running through."

Lan Zhan brings their joined hands to his lips. Not a kiss. But his questions ghost over skin, warm and gentle. "Why can't we show them together, Wei Ying? Why?" 

"It doesn't work. It's too late for me. You saw what I did to them. You saw the monster I've become."

The seal’s destruction didn’t only hurt him. In its panic, it ripped pain and anger and guilt from the souls of everyone gathered before the Palace of Sun and Flames. Everyone who didn’t have high enough cultivation to protect themselves from it, anyway. Cultivators from all clans dropped to the ground, dead or wounded, as the resentment tore itself from their bodies. 

And when the seal finally shattered, the shockwave of its death throes liquefied flesh and pulverized bones of those nearest to it. 

It was horrific. 

It was necessary. 

"Wei Ying--"

"I asked you to kill me once. If I was too far gone. Do you remember that?"

Rain and mud, horses and a parasol. The kind of honesty that nobody wants. 

"I do."

"Would you do it now?"

"Wei Ying?!" Lan Zhan startles, stands, dropping Wei Wuxian’s hand, like his body cannot contain his reaction, like he cannot allow the idea of it to touch his skin. 

Wei Wuxian chuckles. "I know. You're too good, Lan Zhan. You never agree to that." 

"Wei Ying, please."

There’s a whine in his voice, hidden under the admonition. 

It’s cruel, this conversation. No matter how it starts or how it ends, it is always cruel to Lan Zhan. Cruel to let him sit here with hope, crueler to make him believe there never was any. It is this conversation that shows Wei Wuxian his own monstrosity. 

A thought occurs. 

"I could make you."

Lan Zhan freezes. "Wei Ying?"

"I could make you kill me.” He can feel the ice settle into his voice. “I haven't tried that before. You would be the hero, then maybe you could stop the slaughter." 

"You are not a villain, Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan is terrified. He’s masking it with anger, but there’s a tremor in it, like the whine, a note out of alignment, out of tune. It peaks around the corner, clinging to the hope of reason, of insanity. 

It’s interesting… new. Curious. Wei Wuxian wonders where it might lead. 

"I am,” he presses. “I'm a monster, haven't you heard?” That ice, that cold curiosity frosts each syllable. “A demon.” He watches Lan Zhan shiver with it. “You would be venerated for putting me down."

It’s a good idea. It’s, at least, not a terrible one. 

He rises as much as he can, elbows jammed against the uneven stone with the weight of him. 

It would take a lot of energy, more than he has, possibly, to force Lan Zhan to kill him. And Lan Zhan, good and stubborn as he is, would probably allow himself to be killed rather than kill Wei Wuxian himself. He will have to lose himself to madness, first. Invite more resentment in. A lot more. Is there even enough nearby to--

"Please..."

Lan Zhan is on his knees before Wei Wuxian’s seat. His head is bowed, and he’s on his knees like he’s serving a punishment: back straight, hands at his sides, perfect posture. 

Wei Wuxian hadn’t even heard him move, so caught up in his thoughts. 

But he had. He had moved. And now his shoulders are shaking. It’s a fine motion, small. Less even than a shiver, less jarring than a sob, but tears -- bright, even in this lightless cave -- fall to the dirt or to the neat bloom of his silk skirts. 

“Please, Wei Ying…” 

He’s kneeling and crying and begging, and Wei Wuxian feels every bit the monster they say he is. 

Because he doesn’t let it go. 

He relents a little. Warms, lightens. 

"It would crush you to do it, I know.” 

Lan Zhan looks up at him with hope shining in the unshed tears. And Wei Wuxian is a monster because as soon as their eyes meet, that hope flickers out, and it is Wei Wuxian who is doing this to him. It is Wei Wuxian who is crushing him. 

“We could do it together,” he offers, “you and I. Draw your sword, Lan Zhan."

"No."

His fists clench and he stares Wei Wuxian down. 

"Lan Zhan, they'll kill me either way. Let me die like this: in your arms, with you by my side."

"I can't--"

"A quick slide, right through my ribs. It will be almost peaceful this way."

"No!"

The more he talks it through, the better it sounds. It is the best idea he has ever had. The best way he can die. He can choose it. He can make it easy, nice, kind. He can do this, if only Lan Zhan will let him. 

"You can hold me.” 

He watches Lan Zhan flinch, but it’s okay, he knows why. He understands. But he also knows-- He needs to make Lan Zhan understand how good this can be. How this can work for everyone. 

“They'll praise you for it.” He says it like the concession it is. “You'll hate that, but then the spoils will be yours. You can claim them. It could work, Lan Zhan."

And Lan Zhan does understand. He does, because he lowers his eyes again. His posture weakens. And he doesn’t say “no” anymore. Instead, he begs, "Wei Ying, please do not ask this of me,” and Wei Wuxian knows he’s won. 

"It's too much. I know. I know, Zhiji."

It is cold comfort to offer it now, manipulative even. But he does mean it. Lan Zhan is the one person who understands him most in the world. The answer to his very being. And Lan Zhan grasps at the word with both hands. He clutches them into Wei Wuxian’s bloody robes. 

"Zhiji. Zhiyin. Wei Ying." 

Tears are falling in earnest. Another drip-drip-drip in the cave. Syncopated. 

"You would do it if I asked you to. I know you would.” They both do. It is the reason Lan Zhan is begging him now. It is the reason that terror is so violent in his eyes. 

Wei Wuxian bites his lip. He stalls. 

Lan Zhan is kneeling. 

Lan Zhan is shaking. 

Lan Zhan is crying. 

Wei Wuxian has seen it before but not like this. Never like this. 

He speaks his thoughts aloud. “But is this something I can let myself ask of you? Is it too cruel? To make you bear this with me? To make you take some of the weight." 

"Please, don't... Please, Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan begs again. But the fire has gone out of it. It is still a broken and wretched thing, but there is no longer any hope. Because he knows. He understands. This is the best way, this time. 

So when Wei Wuxian says, "Draw your sword, Lan Zhan,” Lan Zhan lets go of his robes. 

He sits back on his heels, drops his head, and with a quick motion Bichen appears in his hands. 

With Bichen there, solid and real, Lan Zhan pulls himself straight, a cultivator of proud heritage and discipline, like he cannot be anything less with steel in his grip. He is so beautiful. Hanguang-jun, standing tall, blood and dirt falling away from him as he shines brighter than the moon. 

"Wei Ying." His voice is steady, though the pain in it still rings clear. 

"Good,” says Wei Wuxian. “Good. It'll be quick. So quick.” 

He sits himself up and reaches for Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan catches his hand, helping him sit. He slides behind him, bracing against the cave wall, and pulls Wei Wuxian close against his chest. 

He’s so warm, so solid, yet soft with care and layers of silk. His breath is warm against the side of Wei Wuxian’s face, against his neck and collarbones. One hand spreads wide over Wei Wuxian’s waist. 

It is the most comfortable Wei Wuxian has ever been in this life. 

It is impossible to not lean back into Lan Zhan. To not soak up all the love and tenderness that he can feel washing over him with each shared breath, each synchronized heartbeat. 

He folds one hand over Lan Zhan’s on his waist and wraps the other around Bichen’s sheath. 

“Don't worry,” he says, trying to keep them on task, “they'll be here soon. They'll see. They'll help you. Your brother will help you.” 

When Lan Zhan swallows, Wei Wuxian’s head bobs with it. When he steels himself with a breath, Wei Wuxian’s whole body moves in time. And when he draws Bichen, they gasp in unison. 

The blade glows an icy blue in the blackness of the cave and Wei Wuxian blinks rapidly against the light. He watches, rapt, as Lan Zhan smoothly moves the point, never letting go of Wei Wuxian’s waist, until the bloody, black fabric of Wei Wuxian’s robe is splitting, fiber by fiber, just above the doubled line of their fingers. He angles the hilt down, slowly, achingly slowly, until it’s right. Until the slide will be perfect, easy, deadly. 

“Yes, right there,” says Wei Wuxian, and hears himself stutter with it. He thinks he feels steel when he takes a full breath. “It's okay, Lan Zhan. It's okay. It's okay if it's you."

"This is not--"

"I know. I know. Just hold me."

This is not what they meant when they said this in the rain. Either of them. This is not what they wanted when they came to this cave. Either of them. 

But it is good. It is right. It will work. Wei Wuxian has to believe it will work. 

"Wei Ying?"

"Yes, Lan Zhan?"

"May I say it."

"Ha. Yes, Lan Zhan. I think. I think I'd like to hear it."

"I love you, Wei Ying."

"I know. I love you, too, Lan Zhan."

"I know."

Lan Zhan sounds like he’s crying again. Wei Wuxian might be crying, too. He’s not sure if he can anymore. His cheeks are too numb for him to tell. 

"It's okay, Lan Zhan. Deep breath. That's it. It's okay. It will be okay."

There’s a sound, far away, toward the entrance of the cave, and they both startle with it. 

"What's that?" Lan Zhan asks. 

But he knows. They both know. 

"Footsteps. They're almost here.” 

Wei Wuxian’s heartbeat picks up, a sluggish attempt at anxiety. But he needs Lan Zhan to do it. To do it now before he overthinks it, before his family can stop him. 

And, anyway, it’s his turn to beg. 

“Lan Zhan, please. You can do it. Please. Lan Zh--"

A short slide. 

"Wei Ying."

Then nothing. 

--

"Wei Ying."

.

"I love you."

.

"I'm here." 

.

.

.

"Wangji?"

"Xiongzhang. He's gone."

"Oh, Wangji."

--

(And then the first thing WWX does when he sees LWJ at Mo Manor is kiss him full on the lips in front of all the baby Lan disciples.

And then the first thing he does when he gets to Cloud Recesses is get slapped by Wen Qing who he definitely didn't let run off and die for him this go around.

And maybe it's even his last time loop? Who knows!)

[robininthelabyrinth]

Another one for the AU mini fill: JC is Nie heir, and NHS is the Jiang heir

“Why was I cursed to have such useless children?!” Yu Ziyuan howled as she stormed off, and Nie Cheng winced.

Jiang Huaisang seemed unmoved, though. “Don’t mind her,” he said dismissively when he saw Nie Cheng looking at him. “She’s always like that.”

Nie Cheng couldn’t even imagine it. His own big brother yelled at him sometimes, sure, but it was a mutual sort of yelling – they just got angry at each other when they were worried about each other, and even in the middle of their biggest fights, they always knew that there was love behind it. That love was Nie Cheng’s greatest foundation, and the reason why he had excelled as much as he had, making him one of the most powerful cultivators in his generation, behind only his brother and Lan Xichen, ahead even of Lan Wangji, who he’d practically grown up with side-by-side, writing to each other when they were separated and sparring partners whenever he was sent to the Cloud Recesses to visit. Which was sadly often, given the constant threat of war from the Wen sect…

“Are you sure?” he asked, wringing his hands a little. “I don’t want to make trouble.”

“You’re no trouble at all,” Jiang Huaisang promised, smiling. “She’ll complain, as always, but my father won’t take heed of her – he doesn’t take heed of anything I do, really. One of the advantages of having someone as eye-catching as Wei-xiong as a shixiong, really!”

Nie Cheng rolled his eyes, but smiled. Jiang Huaisang was always so casual about everything – perhaps it was his Jiang sect inheritance, letting him be free and easy, going with the flow…though maybe not so much on achieving the impossible.

“Don’t talk to me about Wei Wuxian,” he sniffed. “He stole my best friend.”

Jiang Huaisang cackled. “I can’t believe that you really think Lan-er-gongzi of all people has a crush on him. I mean – really? It seems so improbable.”

“You don’t know him like I do.”

“I’ll take your word on it, but still…” He shook his head. “Anyway, what did your brother come here to talk to my parents about, do you think?”

“Not sure,” Nie Cheng admitted. “The only thing I heard was that it involves a madman from years and years ago – you know, the one who kept stealing kids?”

“The one who ended up returning the wrong kid to the wrong family with the Yao and Ouyang sects? Yeah, I heard about that. Whole big scandal. What’s the relevance to us, though?”

“No idea. Maybe there’s been a recurrence? Some sort of copycat?”

“Maybe they found more swapped children,” Jiang Huaisang said gleefully. “Wouldn’t that be just awful?”

[sizhuyu]

Sorry my request wasn't that specific. Wangxian x male reader one day reader comes home to them really beat up and doesn't want to talk about it, but then they soon realise that it was reader's parents that did it to him. Thank you.

This will be one of the requests that somehow made me cry since I was abused emotionally and physically so be warned I guess. Here's your request, ft. Wen Qing as a bonus :

Warnings : Physical and emotional abuse and some phrases that were said to me most that I think fit here.

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆ Please Stop and Help Me.. ☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆

"What do you think you're doing?!" "Mom please!" A loud shatter was heard echoing through the house. Blood on your head, dripping down your face, swollen eyes from crying, blood-stained clothes covering up your fresh wounds. "You're so worthless, why did I even give birth to a mistake like you?" Your mom said as she glared at you "You can't get a good grade, you don't do enough, you can't earn money for shit!" She grabs an empty wine bottle and hits you with it. "You're always so lazy." A hit to the head "You're not doing anything to help." A hit on the face "You can't do anything right." A hit on the stomach "WHY DID I EVEN GIVE BIRTH TO SOMETHING LIKE YOU?!?!" She then repeatedly hit your legs. Despite your screams of pain and telling her to stop, your dad doesn't do anything. "Dad! Please-" You tried to beg for help "Your mother is right."

Huh?..

How is this right? Why aren't you doing anything to help me? Is it because I'm useless to you?? was all the affection you showed me before all a lie?... Was I never good enough for you both? Thoughts run through your mind as your mother continued to insult you and your father does nothing to help. Half an hour has passed and they finally decide to leave you alone. This is my chance!

You try to stand up but it hurts so much. Despite the pain, you run through the backdoor and run. Run despite the bad weather. Cold and wet, you reach the house of the people who first came to mind. You rang the doorbell and suddenly, everything went black. The last thing you heard was your name being called by a familiar voice. "Y/N! Lan Zhan! help me out here!" Wei Wuxian calls out for his lover while he brings you inside. "Wei Ying is there anything wrong?" He stops in his tracks when he sees you, drenched in blood and cold water, a lot of bruises as well as he sees Wei Wuxian's look of worry on his face. "Call Wen Qing or whoever can treat Y/N right now!"

He sets you down on the wide couch and Lan Wangji quickly runs next door to call Wen Qing. "You'll be fine, You'll be fine, You'll be fine, Y/N.. Please don't die.." Tears start to form on Wei Wuxian's face and Lan Wangji comes back with Wen Qing. "What happened?!" She hurriedly rushes to you and Wei Wuxian and starts to treat you. After a long while Wen Qing calls the two men in. "Do you have any idea what happened to Y/N??" Despite knowing a possibility, she decides to question the both of them just to make sure. "We don't know, I just heard the doorbell ring and Y/N was there on the ground.." Wei Wuxian says and Wen Qing looks at Lan Wangji if he knew something but he also shakes his head. Wen Qing thinks It's better if you tell them rather than her so she just tells them to look after you for the time being.

After some time, you finally wake up. "Where is this?" You ask and you see Wei Wuxian. "Y/N!" He hugs you gently. "Why and where and how did you get so beat up?!" He basically shouts at you questions while you kept silent until he finally stopped. "I don't want to talk about it, please." Seeing your reply and the way you reacted towards his questions, he figured you really don't want to remember it and stopped. He knows his limits and he will not pester you for answers. Lan Wangji is currently cooking for the 3 of you so he wasn't there to help you in anything currently. "Y/N, are you okay?" He places his hand on your shoulder but you wince in pain. "AH- I'M SORRY.." He then panics apologizes to you profusely. Wei Wuxian has been through one to many lifetimes and now he's trying his best for you not to hate him and mess up. Lan Wangji as well. "it's fine, really." No it isn't.

"Are you sure?" No I'm not.

"You don't look like you are." Yeah no shit Wei Ying.

he can't help it, he has to ask..

"Please tell me what happened." No can do, I'd rather not.

"Wei Ying, don't ask if Y/N doesn't want to." Lan Wangji steps in the room with your favorite food, chili congee, and his salad. "Alright, thanks." All three of you were silent. Until Lan Wangji decided to break the said silence, "Y/N, we were both worried about you. Please tell us if there is anything wrong if you are ready to tell us." The weather was gloomy, dark, pouring rain and cold wind moves the leaves of the trees. You look at both of them as their eyes are focused on you. "I don't want to remember it, but thank you for your concern."

Since you didn't tell, they asked Wen Qing. She explained your situation at home and possible reasons why you were in your current state.

"I can't believe you didn't aim at the top."

I tried my best..

"What's the use of you going to school if you aren't the best?"

I tried..

"Why are you even overreacting about your score?"

Because.. I-

"Why don't you ever do anything right."

...

"Why can't-"

"PLEASE JUST LISTEN ATLEAST.."

"We are here to listen Y/N, we always are." You jolt up in a panic and saw the 2 men beside you in the couch.

"Are you ready to tell us?"

( Leaving it here so you could think about venting to them about your problems and all )

[winepresswrath]

I have a question about novel!JC, if that's ok. I'm aware CQL changed things, but is JC in the novel trully such a selfish, abusive, irredeemable asshole some people paint him as? I will read the novel anyways now with the official EN translation, but I admit I'm afraid JC being anywehre near a one dimensional monster some insist he is may sour my experience a little.

I'd say no, but your mileage may vary! He's definitely softened for CQL. The drama writers included a bunch of scenes that make his feelings about Wei Wuxian very clear and also made him look directly into the camera and promise never to let any harm come to his clan just in case anyone was confused about his motivations, but I honestly think most of that stuff is also present in the novel, albeit less obviously. I would say the biggest difference is that because of the timeline hopping the question of whether Jiang Cheng really hates Wei Wuxian and wants him dead is strung out for longer, and there are a few deliberately misleading moments, like Wei Wuxian thinking about how Jiang Cheng was beaten by a discipline whip and then tried to erase the scars without clarifying that he was being tortured by Wen Chao at the time. I'd say there's also a broader range of plausible reads on his character in the novel- he's a less prominent character than he is in CQL, and the book leaves a lot more space than the drama for ambiguity. He is a dude who plausibly beat some demonic cultivators to death. The cultivation world is generally homophobic and he participates in that, (Wei Wuxian is also working through some stuff on that front, which is something I really wish I'd been warned about before starting the novel- we're mostly inside his head, so there are front row tickets to his internalized homophobia that I personally really did not enjoy, though I know a lot of people found it relatable or funny). For what it's worth, I know some people think CQL villainized him or made him less sympathetic! Personally I went in thinking that he'd be a terrible monster and then spent the whole time going "wait what? That is the opposite of what you said was going to happen, internet."

[guqin-and-flute]

I wish you would write a fic where Xue Yang went to the Burial Mounds to learn from the Yiling Laozu when he was young and he grew up decent and with a baby brother (Lan Sizhui) but then everything happens and he and Sizhui end up with Lan Wangji anyway. And he doesn't usually go for help when he's in trouble, but Lan Wangji manages to gain his trust enough that he starts to go after him for help, in a shy and maybe even petulant way and Lan Wangji starts to smile like the snow is melting to him and Yue Yang it's kinda thrown off by that smile because the only other person who would smile like that to him was Wei Wuxian and he misses his gege so much. And they start to really really bond, and when he's like 18 he's glued to Lan Wangji and whenever Lan Wangji has to go out, he goes with him, unless he has classes because then Lan Wangji is not that cool to let him skip classes.

[OoOoO. This made a little scene pop into my head, so here's part of the first meeting. No promises to continue but this has intrigued me as an idea, so who's to say! I've obviously played with the ages since in either canon, Xue Yang is at the very least a late teenager when Wei Wuxian is known as the Yiling Patriarch. You know me, I look canon in the eye and backflip out the window, that’s just how it is. Xue Yang doesn’t know exactly how old he is and he looks younger because he’s all malnourished and stuff, so he’s anywhere from 8 to 13, here.]

"Gongzi. There's someone watching us."

Wei Wuxian cracked an eye, wincing at the stab of sunlight that had apparently peaked above the roof behind them since he had closed his eyes. Raising his arm against it, he rolled his head to follow Wen Ning's gaze.

Down the street, a boy stood at the mouth of an alley, feet planted, openly staring. He looked somewhere around...ugh, Wuxian was horrible with kids ages. 9? 11? He was skinny and short, as many street kids were--which he unquestionably was. His clothes were several inches too short and of that indeterminate color that meant years of dirt and grime that would never completely wash out. His hair was unkempt and half balled up on the top of his head in a ratty topknot. And it was something in the eyes. Too old and too sharp for such a young face. You could always tell by the eyes.

"Hey. What?" Wuxian called without sitting up.

The boy said nothing, unmoving.

"I see you just standing over there like a weird little goblin. Are you trying to hide? You're doing a terrible job, you're literally out in the open. What? Do you want a radish? We're selling them. Do you have money?"

The boy was still silent.

"Do you...we have lots of them, do you want one?" Wen Ning called hesitantly, holding out the vegetable he had been waggling hopefully at passerby's.

Wei Wuxian tapped Wen Ning's wrist with the ChenQing. "Don't give him the huge one, he'll make himself sick trying to eat it all at once. Give him a smaller one." As Wen Ning turned and fumbled in their sack, Wuxian sat up. "Hey. Come here, you can have a radish, if you want. Just don't tell your friends, we're trying to make a living, here."

The strange kid tilted his head, eyes narrowing, focused on Wuxian.

"You're a creepy little thing, aren't you? Fine. No radishes for you. If you learn some manners and come over here to talk properly, then you'll get one." With that, he turned so most of his back faced the kid and bellowed, “RADISHES! FRESH, AMAZING RADISHES!”

When he glanced back over his shoulder, the mouth of the alleyway was empty.

-

“You know, if we grew potatoes, we would have sold so much more. Why does your sister undermine my economic prowess? Why--what?” He stopped, catching ChenQing mid-spin between his fingers as he felt Wen Ning stop behind him, the squeaky wagon wheel going silent.

“I think he’s back, gongzi.”

“Who?”

“That boy. I think he’s followed us.”

Wuxian turned and peered around, but couldn’t see anyone in the gloom under the trees. “Why?”

“I keep--I keep hearing footsteps behind us, but...but they’re very light.”

Shrugging, Wuxian leaned down and scooped up an apple off of the pile of offerings people kept leaving on the giant stone that marked the beginning of the wards to the Burial Mounds. “He’s probably just seeing if he can catch us alone to rob us or something. Whatever. He’ll probably just take the food here and leave,” he raised his voice so it echoed off the trees. “‘Cause he won’t be able to get past the wards and I don’t suggest he try. Though it would be hilarious, so what do I care.” Crunching into the apple definitively, he set off again, trusting that Wen Ning would follow him up.

-

“What the fuck,” Wuxian growled groggily, swaying upright.

The scroll he had fallen asleep reading slid down his chest and clattered to the floor beside his nest of blankets. It was dark, the candle he’d lit on his bedside rock burned down to a cold stub. And someone was trying to mess with the wards on the mountain. They weren’t very good at it and they were absolutely nowhere near successful. But it was like a mosquito buzzing in his ear, a little zing in his spiritual awareness that had him scratching at his scalp like a louse-ridden mutt. It was probably that damn waif from town.

Wei Wuxian had sympathy for him, as a former street rat from that city himself. It was a fucking horrible and hard life he wouldn’t wish on anyone, let alone a kid. But he was definitely less sympathetic at--he squinted out the little sky light for a clue, but it was cloudy, obscuring the moon and stars. He grumbled again, scrubbing his face--at stupid-middle-of-the-night-o’clock. He was the fucking Yiling Laozu, dammit, and that should at least gain him enough terror-induced respect to not have to deal with rude little punks in the wee hours of the morning.

If he was still there in the morning, Wuxian would go down and give him what for. But right now, he could fuck right off. Turning over, he yanked the blanket over his head and grumpily clawed after sleep.

-

“Whoever he is, I’m going to drop kick him back down the mountain,” Wei Wuxian groused over breakfast, pinching A-Yuan’s cheeks as he sat in his lap and clumsily fed them both congee.

Both Wen siblings traded an annoyingly knowing look with each other and ignored him, Wen Ning turning away with the empty congee bowls and Wen Qing sipping her water.

“What?”

Wen Qing pulled an innocent face and shook her head. “Nothing.”

“You think I won’t? That little asshole was there all night--”

“What asshole?” A-Yuan repeated curiously in his lap.

“Hey, never you mind, potty mouth, don’t say that, who do you think you are?” Wuxian demanded, as if appalled, covering the whole of the child’s face with his hand.

A-Yuan squirmed and pawed at it, giggling. Wen Qing rolled her eyes and sighed. When A-Yuan managed to peel his palm away, Wei Wuxian curled his lip at the boy as if disgusted until he offered up another spoonful of congee, which he faux-reluctantly stooped down to eat. “I’m ‘onna ‘o ‘own vere an’ deach ‘im a resson,” he warned Wen Qing around his mouthful.

“Then go,” she put her chin in her hand, watching him with bored eyes. “Tell me how it goes.”

“I will!”

“Mmhmm.”

-

“Hey!”

There was no one, his voice echoing impotently off the spindly, bare trees. Except there fucking wasn’t, the little pest, and they both knew it. “Hey, get out here.”

Nothing.

Wei Wuxian crossed his arms and glared down at the pile of offering food--it was definitely about half gone, the buns and fruit and even some of the spices gone. “You little twerp, I know you’re out there. You either come here right now, get lost, or get cursed. I have powers beyond your mortal comprehension and I’ll turn every one of your bloodline into a newt.”

Nothing but the wind whistling through the trees. Until, “Yeah?”

The tone wasn’t scared or pitiably thin or even cowed. It was one of interest and it came from above his head. Wuxian left his arms crossed and looked up to see the boy squatting on a thick tree branch, peering down at him with bird-bright eyes and the ghost of an insolent smirk. Stepping back so he didn’t have to crane his neck, Wuxian scowled up at him. “Yeah. What do you want?”

“Can you really?”

“Can I what, you impertinent little shit--I asked you a question! Respect your elders!”

“Turn people into things.”

“I can turn them into corpses just fine, so don’t test me. What is your deal?”

“So. You’re the Yiling Laozu.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Are you?”

Wuxian snorted. “You don’t get an answer until I do, little man, I don’t just give away information.”

Those eyes slowly scanned down the length of him, that smirk widening. “You don’t look like much. But I guess you must be.”

“And why is that?”

He raised the hand that wasn’t steadying himself on the trunk and pointed to Wuxian’s waist. “Flute.”

Despite himself, he automatically gripped ChenQing, then snorted, twirling the end of her tassel. “Lots of people have flutes. Ever seen a Lan? They’re practically bristling with instruments.”

“No.”

“No what?”

“I’ve never seen a Lan. What’s a Lan?”

“It’s a cultivation sect. Don’t you know anything? Who raised you?”

Slowly, the kid tilted his head. “No one.”

Aha. They were getting somewhere. Wuxian kept up his aggrieved frown. “Well then you’ve never heard of Hanguang-jun, which is a shame, because he’d probably have a lot more patience for a little delinquent like you. Why are you looking for the Yiling Laozu?”

He blinked slowly, like a lizard, that little smirk still on his lips. “To teach me.”

“You really don’t know anything--everyone knows he doesn’t take disciples.”

The kid rested his chin on the heel of his palm, his elbow on his knee, hooding his eyes as if bored. “If you’re really half as dumb as you’re pretending to be, maybe I don’t want you to be. There’s a banner people put here, all fancy and black and red. Offerings everywhere. Wards on the mountain he lives on. Who else would you be?”

“Maybe I just live here, you punk. You can’t even read.”

He shrugged. “Don’t have to. Pretty obvious. Teach me.”

“Teach you what?”

“Demonic Cultivation.”

Wuxian threw back his head and laughed derisively for far too long. When he petered off, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes, the brazen smugness was gone from the kid’s smile, leaving it cold and more of a sneer. But his eyes were narrowed and burning. Aha. A little shit with pride and spice. “Like I said, little brat--I don’t take disciples. And you have a lot of audacity to think that you could handle it.”

At this, his eyes lit, the sullen danger bleeding from his face into intent and he leaned so far forward on the branch, Wei Wuxian’s arms immediately unfolded and began to raise to catch him before he stopped himself. “I knew it! It is you! Teach me. I’ll do anything you ask--I’ll dig up corpses, I’ll kill your enemies--”

“Good gods, you just jump straight to murder! Do you think that’s all I do? You saw me selling radishes on the side of the road and think that my top priority is hiring a 5 year old assassin? What do you want to learn this for, anyway?”

The boy eagerly swung down, dropping to the ground before him with a thunk that made Wei Wuxian wince in sympathy for his ankles. “Destroy my enemies. Make them wish they had never met me--like you.”

“That’s hilarious. What kind of enemies would a toddler even have, anyway?”

That flash of anger came into the kids eyes again and he bared his teeth. “I’m not a toddler.”

“How old are you, then?”

He shrugged--and Wei Wuxian could see he was missing the pinky finger on his left hand, leaving a gnarled scar. In fact, all the fingers on his left hand were slightly misshapen, some joints overlarge, some digits crooked at the end. Wuxian’s stomach twisted slightly. It was old. It happened when he was a much younger child. “Dunno. Does it matter?”

Kneading his temple, Wei Wuxian let out an annoyed sigh. “What is your name, twerp?”

This time, his face split into a wide grin, eyes burning and intent. “Does that mean you will?”

Wuxian glared down at him, hands on his hips. “It means I want to know who the hell kept me up all last night so I can spell your name correctly in my curses.”

Not looking in the least bit worried, the kid mirrored him, hands on his hips. “Xue Yang.”

“Xue Yang, you are nosey and obnoxious.”

With a grin, Xue Yang came forward and grabbed the cuff of Wuxian’s sleeve, tugging. “Yiling Laozu, shifu, gongzi, teach me to make them die screaming. I’ll do all your dirty work. I’ll never complain. Teach me, make me your disciple.”

Wuxian pursed his lips down at him, wrinkling his nose. “No.”

That smile widened, sharpened, and he tugged hard, once. Then, his hand darted out and before Wei Wuxian could stop him, Xue Yang yelped and reeled back a few steps, cradling it to his gut, his sharp little face hard and set.

Snatching ChenQing from his belt, Wuxian brandished it at the kid and bellowed, “You little idiot! What did you think was going to happen?! ChenQing is a first class spiritual tool, of course she’s going to fucking bite you if you try to steal her! Why would I take on a thief who doesn’t know the first thing about cultivation in the first place?!”

Xue Yang’s nostrils flared and he stayed where he was, still holding his chastened hand. “I’ll learn. Teach me.”

“No!”

“I’ll do anything you ask.”

Wei Wuxian threw his hands in the air and turned his back on him. “Anything like steal my flute? Get lost.”

He hadn’t taken 2 steps when the kid yelled at the top of his lungs, “Teach me! I’ll do anything! Anything at all!” His voice was raw and strained with the edge of a crazed laugh. “I’m not leaving! I’ll test your wards all night, every night! I’ll spoil all the food offerings! I’ll--I’ll shoot anyone who leaves this mountain! You’ll have to kill me!”

Geez, this kid was obnoxious! Scowling, Wei Wuxian whirled around. “You think I won’t?”

Breathing hard, his eyes alight, Xue Yang grinned with all his teeth. “Then do it. You’ll never get rid of me, otherwise. I’ll make your life a nightmare. I’ll find a way to get in and steal your secrets and kill you.”

Wuxian rolled his eyes. “Wow, that’s a super compelling argument to make me want to live with you. I’m sure you have many friends.”

Xue Yang’s jaw worked as he panted, his hands both fists. Then, he said in a tightly controlled, trembling voice, “I’ll do anything. I’ll listen to your every order. I’ll follow every rule. I’ll never question you.”

Coolly, Wuxian raised an eyebrow. “Anything? Dig latrine holes and grind my ink for hours? Stoke the kitchen fires and launder clothes? Babysit A-Yuan and sell radishes with Wen Ning?” he demanded dryly. “You have a really specific and grandiose view of my life, kid. I live in a cave on a mountain of corpses with 50 disgraced cultivators the world wants dead. It’s not a luxurious castle of malevolence. It’s all chores, up there. I don’t have work for you to do because I work alone. You’ll be my servant.”

“I don’t care,” he said, immediately. “I’ll do it. I’ll prove it to you.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Wuxian tilted his head back, fist on his hip. It was silent for a long while, just the moan of the wind up the mountain and Xue Yang’s harsh, slowing breath. There was a scuff and Wuxian tensed, ready for this kid to try stabbing him or something equally as “convincing” but he had simply dropped to his knees, looking up at him with a falsely beatific smile, all teeth and shining youth. “Please. Shifu. Gongzi.” He thought a second, then his smile widened and he tilted his head, all cutesy. “Gege.”

Wei Wuxian snorted, twirling ChenQing expertly between his fingers. “You’re way too old for that to work properly. You have to be A-Yuan’s age.” There was something when all that cunning and watchful tension was gone from his face, though, however insincerely. He really wasn’t very old. He was just a kid with nowhere to go, if his desperation was to be believed.

Ugh.

“Ugh. Get over here.”

Xue Yang scrambled to his feet, face eager. Wei Wuxian pulled out a talisman, bit his thumb to bleeding, sketched out a rough entry pass and shoved it into the kid’s dirty lapel. “You’re on probation. You step out of line, you’re out. You do something to endanger us, you’re out. You annoy me too much, you’re out. If I’m in a really bad mood, I’ll plant you in ground so you can feed our radishes. I’m not teaching you.” He added, forcefully as Xue Yang’s grin came back in full, triumphant force. “A kid your age has no business learning things like that. But you can have a roof over your head at night.”

“Sure, gege,” he answered, slyly. “Whatever you say.”

With a noise of aggravated disgust, Wei Wuxian spun on his heel and stalked back up the mountain, trusting him to follow. This little shit was going to try to steal his notes and spy on him for sure. What a hassle.

[antebunny]

Parent Trap AU

...with a side of on-the-run hacker!wwx AU, and celebrity!lwj AU. Full series here.

-

In the end, all the chaos starts because Lan Jingyi gets offended.

“What do you mean you haven’t heard of my uncle?” Lan Jingyi demands. 

He glares down at Wei Sizhui from the top bunk. Lan Jingyi and the other two boys in Wei Sizhui’s cabin got into a fight over who would get the top bunks, and after several heated rounds of rock-paper-scissors, they went to Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen.

“Stop shouting!” Jin Rulan yells from the other side of the room. He yanks his headphones off and directs his own glare at Lan Jingyi, who scowls back.

“He said he hasn’t heard of Hanguang-jun!” Lan Jingyi yells right back.

Jin Rulan frowns. “The singer? So?”

“I’m sorry,” Wei Sizhui interrupts, before they can get into a fight. “My dad and I travel a lot, so I’ve never stuck around in one place long enough…”

Lan Jingyi frowns, this time with suspicion. “What does your dad do?”

“Uh.”

He’s a genius-level hacker wanted for a felony he didn’t commit and he’s been on the run from at least two organizations for the past nine years.

“…He’s a computer engineer.”

“Really?” Ouyang Zizhen perks up from his top bunk. Wei Sizhui knows vaguely that he likes graphic design. “That’s so cool.”

Wei Sizhui smiles weakly. “Yeah. Um.” He tries not to panic thinking about what to say if anyone asks him any more questions about his dad’s job.

Lan Jingyi flounders for only a second. “Still,” he insists. “You guys have heard of him, right?” When Jin Rulan and Ouyang Zizhen both nod, he points his iPhone victoriously at Wei Sizhui. “See?! He’s famous!”

Wei Sizhui shrugs helplessly. He doesn’t know why he hasn’t heard of Hanguang-jun. He suspects that it’s because he moves around so much, he’s never really had the chance to make friends, so all the music he knows is the music his dad listens to. Wei Sizhui knows his dad is doing his best, but sometimes it’s unbearably lonely.

Which is why he’s at this summer camp in the first place. His dad pulled a lot of strings (read: committed a lot of forgery) so that he could make friends. And now it seems he’s already made a mistake in not knowing Lan Jingyi’s (“Well, he’s not really my uncle, but we’re related…somehow”) uncle. 

“But you’ve at least heard his songs,” Lan Jingyi insists. “Like, uh.” He clears his throat, then shoots a look at Jin Rulan, cheeks flushing. “Our Vow? Water Under The Bridge? I Promise? Someone Like You? At First Sight?” He shakes his head in disappointment when Wei Sizhui just continues staring at him blankly. 

“Wait, I’m pulling it up on Spotify,” Ouyang Zizhen chimes in. He rolls over onto his stomach and fishes his phone out of his pocket.

“I can’t believe this,” Lan Jingyi says, still shaking his head. “You’ve at least heard the chorus of Under Moonlight. There’s no way you haven’t.” He clears his throat again, and then clearly chickens out again.

“Go ahead, sing it,” Jin Rulan says, smirking.

Lan Jingyi glares at him, then a thought brightens his face. “Maybe you’ll recognize him!” He whips out his phone and starts typing furiously.

Wei Sizhui opens his mouth to protest, seeing no reason why he would recognize the singer’s face but not their voice, but he’s too late. Lan Jingyi is already clambering down the ladder, and proudly presenting the Google Image results for “Hanguang-jun.” Then Wei Sizhui’s mouth, despite not being closed, really falls open.

“I know him,” he blurts.

“So you do recognize him,” Lan Jingyi says, pleased.

“No, I…” Wei Sizhui stutters. 

Now it’s his turn to fumble for his phone. He opens Photos and taps on Albums, then opens Favorites. At the top, timestapped April 5, 2010, is one of the only photos Wei Sizhui has of his dad. His dad hates being caught on camera, for obvious reasons. Still, Wei Sizhui doesn’t hesitate to open the photo and show it to Lan Jingyi.

Lan Jingyi cranes his neck to peer over Wei Sizhui’s shoulder, and his mouth falls open too.

The photo is a still image of two people. On the left is Wei Wuxian, Wei Sizhui’s adopted dad. He’s dressed in a sharp black suit, a red flower tucked into the right breast pocket. He’s throwing up peace signs for the camera. His arms are draped around the other person from behind, and his smile is blinding. 

The other person is clearly Lan Jingyi’s uncle, Hanguang-jun. The man has the same striking face, the same light brown eyes. He’s dressed in an all-white suit, save for the light blue flower tucked similarly into a pocket. He has the same ribbon wrapped around his wrist. The main difference between the Google Images that Lan Jingyi pulled up and the photo that Wei Sizhui has is that in Sizhui’s, Hanguang-jun is smiling softly.

It’s a wedding photo.

“No way,” Lan Jingyi breathes. “I recognize that guy! My uncle carries around a picture of him in his wallet!”

“Wait, really?” Jin Rulan perks up at this bit of drama, taking his headphones off completely. 

Ouyang Zizhen also perks up, abandoning his quest to find Hanguang-jun’s music. He slides down his ladder, colliding with Jin Rulan’s attempts to get out of his bed. After minimal cursing, both boys make their way to Wei Sizhui’s bed, where Lan Jingyi is still gaping at the photo.

“Wait, that really is Hanguang-jun,” Ouyang Zizhen says. “I guess your dad met him, Sizhui?”

“Oh my god,” Jin Rulan says at the same time. “That’s my uncle.”

This time Jin Rulan is the one to pull out his phone. He scrolls through his videos until he gets to the very beginning, narrating as he goes. “It’s the only video I have of my uncle,” he explains. “My uncle–I mean, my mom’s other brother–doesn’t like to talk about him, because he went to jail like a decade ago–”

At this, Wei Sizhui winces, suddenly remembering why he’s not supposed to talk about his dad with other people. 

“–But my mom does, and she sent this to me,” Jin Rulan finishes.

Finally, he finds the right video, and opens it.

The video was filmed on a 2010’s iPhone, so the video quality is poor. Still, the audio is clear enough when the camera is turned around to view the filmer. The man taking the video has a half-fond, half-exasperated scowl on his face. He’s wearing a violently purple sweater, under which the collar of a black shirt peeks out.

“He’s going to break his legs before I have a chance to break them for him,” the man says, rolling his eyes. “Look.” 

The camera is flipped around, showcasing a staircase and Wei Wuxian, leaning over the railing. Wei Wuxian looks back and grins at the camera. 

“It’s going to work, just you wait,” Wei Wuxian says. 

“I’m going to watch you break your legs,” the man says again.

“Aw, Jiang Cheng, have a little faith,” Wei Wuxian retorts. He leans over the railing again. “Wait, shh! He’s coming!”

Jiang Cheng dutifully falls silent, as Wei Wuxian leans further and further over the railing. 

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian shouts, and then he jumps over the railing.

Jiang Cheng starts running to the stairs, and any and all sounds are drowned out by the background wind noise of the man running. When he stops, he points the camera over the stairs. 

There’s a scattering of books across the hardwood floor, and a man in white, whose face is obscured by Wei Wuxian, held in his arms. Wei Wuxian wraps his arms around the man's neck and twists to look up at the camera. 

“I told you he’d catch me!” Wei Wuxian shouts victoriously.

“You made him drop all his books!” Jiang Cheng shouts back, from behind the camera. 

The camera is flipped back to Jiang Cheng, who’s still rolling his eyes. “Somehow this is my dumbest brother-in-law,” he says. 

“Jiang Cheng, don’t be jealous!” Wei Wuxian shouts from the other floor. “We’ll find you someone one day!”

Jiang Cheng’s face colors purple, and the video ends.

The four boys are silent for a moment.

“So that was Hanguang-jun?” Ouyang Zizhen says, after their moment of silence is over.

“I guess so,” Jin Rulan says. 

“You’re telling me my uncle and your dad were married?” Lan Jingyi demands.

“And he went to jail?” Ouyang Zizhen adds. “Sizhui, what happened there?”

Jin Rulan wrinkles his nose. “Why does your uncle still carry around a photo of him if they split up?”

“Why did they split up?” Lan Jingyi asks. “Was it the jail thing?”

“Seriously, what did he go to jail for?” Ouyang Zizhen asks.

In eerie unison, all three boys put down their phones and look at Wei Sizhui expectantly.

Two weeks into summer camp, and Wei Sizhui has already made his first three friends, and blown his dad’s cover. He’ll be wanted by the FBI after this, for identity forgery, if they aren’t already–Wei Sizhui isn’t entirely clear, and his dad doesn’t clarify.

Wei Sizhui smiles nervously.

“Who did you say your dad was again?” Lan Jingyi asks.

[vrishchikawrites]

Hello :) Here's another prompt if you're still taking them? WWX & LWJ met as children and declared that they would marry upon their first meeting. Their guardians just thought that it was cute, and that they will forget about it over time. (They don't)

(SOFT. SO SOFT. AU without SSC and GC transfer)

They first meet when Cansge Sanren and Wei Changze are still alive. The wandering cultivators find themselves in Caiyi town and Lan Qiren is reluctantly dragged from his duties to have lunch with a cheerful Cangse Sanren.

He brings little a-Zhan along.

His nephew has just recovered from a fever and is feeling a little clingy. Lan Qiren will never admit it, but something is in his chest softens when his little nephew clings to him with a pout, refusing to let go.

Cangse Sanren's son is exactly when Lan Qiren expected him to be; excitable, curious, restless, and frustratingly intelligent. Bright silver eyes track everything, fascinated and eager to know more.

Lan Qiren reluctantly nudges a-Zhan forward at Cangse Sanren's pointed stare. She's a protective mother and if he so much as implies her son is unworthy of making acquaintance with his nephew, she will cheerfully gut him.

a-Zhan is reluctant at first. He has never been the most social child, rarely interacting with anyone but his immediate family.

But Wei Ying, also a bit shy and reluctant, peeks from behind his father's robes and smiles.

Lan Qiren has to admit it is a pretty sight. The child is plump and healthy with bright eyes and a wide, sincere smile.

a-Zhan is enamored at first sight.

Lan Qiren is astonished when a-Zhan steps forward and grabs Wei Ying's hand, pulling him from behind Wei Changze and towards Lan Qiren.

Wei Ying comes willingly, curious and entertained by the unusual situation. Lan Qiren doesn't doubt he has had even fewer interactions with children his age than a-Zhan, being the son of traveling cultivators.

"Shufu," He pulls Wei Ying's arm up as though presenting him to Lan Qiren, "a-Ying."

"Indeed," He says, secretly amused but refusing to show it, "I am Lan Qiren, Wei Ying."

Apparently, the child doesn't lack manners because he attempts to bow even with his hand still firmly held in a-Zhan's grasp.

Lan Qiren is somewhat charmed.

He is less charmed when their lunch comes to an end and a-Zhan reaches for a-Ying's hand once again, refusing to let go.

"a-Zhan, it's time to go home. Don't you want to see a-Huan?"

"Show a-Ying to a-Huan." a-Zhan insists, "a-Huan sees too!"

"a-Huan can meet a-Ying later." Lan Qiren says patiently but he feels his eyebrow twitch at a-Zhan's stubborn pout, "a-Ying is staying in Caiyi for a few weeks, a-Zhan, I'm sure we can bring a-Huan next time."

"a-Huan see pretty now."

Lan Qiren winces when Cangse Sanren muffles a laugh in her husband's shoulder and the man looks at the sky, amused but too dignified to react.

a-Ying tugs at his hand, trying to free it only to pout when he can't escape.

The scene is too adorable for Lan Qiren's poor heart. He sighs.

"Alright, let's show a-Huan the 'pretty'."

---

The little wandering cultivator family stays in Caiyi for three weeks to rest, replenish their supplies, and give their child some time to play with others.

a-Huan, of course, is just as enamored by a-Ying as his little brother. Lan Qiren is getting accustomed to the sight of a little white-clad Wei child lead around Cloud Recesses by one nephew in the morning and another in the evening.

a-Huan is at least gracious enough to let Wei Ying walk on his own. a-Zhan is stubborn. If he's in a-Ying's company, he's holding the child's hand.

Wei Ying is a free spirit and being dragged around annoys the child at first. He tugs and pouts but eventually starts reaching for a-Zhan's hand on his own accord.

There's not a single person in Cloud Recesses that doesn't adore the sight.

---

"a-Zhan," Lan Qiren sighs, "a-Ying must leave with his parents. He belongs to them."

a-Zhan is red-faced and angry, his eyes wet with frustrated tears, "a-Ying stay. a-Ying stay, stay, stay!"

Oh goodness, a tantrum.

It is, unfortunately, a drama with three actors.

a-Huan is weeping with a tragic appearance of a love-scorned maiden; eyes wide and imploring, lips trembling, and face wet with silent tears.

a-Ying is burying sobs into his father's shoulder, his little body trembling with acute distress. "a-Ying not leave," He wails, "a-Ying wants stay with a-Zhan!"

"a-Ying," Wei Changze is compassionate instead of amused, his expression soft with sympathy. He rubs his son's back in gentle motions, rocking the child soothingly, "Baba promises we'll return. We'll be back before you even have a chance to miss your friends."

"Aiya! What a mess," Cangse Sanren says, amused, "a-Ying, do you want to leave us and stay with a-Zhan? We must go so you need to choose."

"Xingan," Wei Changze chides as Wei Ying looks up with wide eyes and shakes his head, looking heartbreakingly distressed, "Be gentle with our child."

Lan Qiren huffs in disapproval, glaring at her as she smiles sheepishly and presses a kiss to Wei Ying's head, "Aiya, baobao, you'll break your mother's heart. It's alright, little treasure," She plucks him from Wei Changze's arms, her face incandescent with love, "We'll bring you to your a-Zhan every two months, I promise! We would never keep you from your friends!"

Perhaps she knows something about raising children, after all. The definite timeline goes a long way to soothe all three children.

There are still many tears at their parting. a-Zhan and a-Huan sulk for days. Sometimes Lan Qiren catches a-Zhan looking at his hand with a forlorn expression.

"a-Zhan," He sighs one day, when his nephew spends an entire evening pouting and staring at his hand, "He'll be back soon."

a-Zhan doesn't say anything, just nodding gently and tucking his hand away.

The expression on his face melts Lan Qiren's heart, "I'll convince Cangse Sanren to stay a bit longer." He thinks about asking her to just let the child attend Cloud Recesses for his education. He's very bright, possessing a native intelligence that must be nurtured.

"Mn."

"Missing a friend is natural," He says softly, "But you must understand that everyone has their own life and obligations. a-Ying belongs to his parents. He must live with them."

"Mn. Will marry a-Ying so he belongs to me."

Lan Qiren chokes on his tea, "What...?"

"a-Ying promised he'll be my wife," a-Zhan nods solemnly, like he isn't nudging his uncle towards qi deviation, "a-Huan saw."

Lan Qiren turns to his older nephew, who nods with a cheerful smile, "They bowed to me and each other. I told them bowing to ancestors can wait until they're older!"

... what?

---

Tragedy strikes and Lan Qiren sees his nephew's heart break. Once. Twice. Three times.

Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren are killed. a-Ying is nowhere to be found.

Madam Lan perishes, and his little nephew deals with the weight of grief again, silent and solemn at her doorstep.

His brother retreats entirely and his nephews are left without a father.

They don't see Wei Ying again for well over a decade.

---

Wei Wuxian arrives at Cloud Recesses like an unstoppable storm.

Lan Qiren takes one look at him, sees the jaded edge in his eyes, watches his appeasing smile, and feels nothing but wrath.

This isn't the boy he remembers, raised under the boundless love of his parents. This one has faced injustice and doesn't trust the world.

The first time the boy challenges him in class, silver eyes sharp and assessing, he throws a book at him and assigns punishment with Wangji.

Let his nephew handle his cherished friend. He needs to look at the situation at the Lotus Pier.

He keeps assigning him lines, even for offenses that warrant the cane. Wei Ying doesn't remember much of his childhood but it is clear that the connection is still there.

The three children fall into their old friendship quickly. Xichen being amused and indulgent. Wei Ying being annoying and lively. Wangji never letting go.

Lan Qiren investigates.

What he finds doesn't please him.

He pens a scathing letter.

'She entrusted you with her treasure. You've made a hash of it. What do you mean by sending that child here in such a state? Did you think I would ignore it? Will you tell me the scars on his back are warranted?

Your audacity appalls me. You swore on your honor that you would raise him as your own son. I offered to take him in when you found him but you swore he was happy with you and his martial siblings.

My nephews love him. Your son only berates him.

You have deceived me.

I swear on my honor that I will find a way to wrest him from your sect, Fengmian.

You do not deserve him.'

---

Wei Ying is a naturally good-humored child. It takes just a month of being in Wangji and Xichen's company to soften all of his edges. His mischief no longer has a jaded edge to it.

He's still far too unruly for Lan Qiren's liking but he supposes that is a symptom of his youth.

"Jiang Yanli is betrothed," Xichen says as he serves them tea. He has a solemn expression but his eyes are sharp. He's almost as fond of Wei Ying as Wangji, after all, "I see no reason why Wangji and a-Xian can't be too."

Lan Qiren stills, staring at his nephew, "Betrothal." He repeats flatly.

Xichen dares to shrug, discarding his habitual poise in his anger, "Wangji has never loved another. It's unlikely he ever will." He looks up to meet Lan Qiren's gaze, "We wouldn't be able to separate them now, Shufu, not after Wangji saw-" He grimaces.

Lan Qiren looks away with a scowl, combing his beard furiously. His youngest nephew had discovered Wei Ying's scars, after all.

"We have letters from Wei Changze," Lan Qiren says, "Discussing a-Ying and a-Zhan's formal marriage arrangements." It had all been in jest, of course. When they found out the children had 'wed' with Xichen as a witness, their amusement had known no bounds.

Lan Qiren had quite enjoyed carrying out mock betrothal negotiations.

He clears his throat, "Very well."

---

Wangji and Wei Ying are officially betrothed before the lectures at Cloud Recesses come to an end.

Yu-furen's wrath knows no bounds. Soon enough, Jiang Fengmian sends Wei Ying back to Cloud Recesses with a letter full of excuses.

Wangji takes one look at his beloved's ashen expression and turns to Lan Qiren, "No more."

Lan Qiren nods.

It is difficult to negotiate but they pull it off. It helps that Wei Changze's letters speak of the marriage as an inevitable fact rather than a joke between parents.

The Jiangs lose their Head Disciple by the time the boy is seventeen. Lan Qiren arranges their marriage by the time they're twenty.

Wei Ying never leaves Wangji's side again.

[rosethornewrites]

12/10-12/24 T & G reading

The usual

Finished

Teen:

you are my chosen family, by jinyinhua

“Wait!” Lan Jingyi blurts out. “If me and Sizhui were cursed by her and we can’t remember you, does that really mean—does that really mean you’re our parents?”

Lan Sizhui winces at Lan Jingyi’s bluntness but he doesn’t correct him.

(or: 5 times sizhui and jingyi accidentally call wei wuxian and lan wangji dad, and the 1 time they do it on purpose.)

Rescue, by snowberryrose

In which Jiang Cheng finds Wen Qing in the Unclean Realm

Or: Wen Qing heals

Walking Back To You, by vesna (mrsronweasley) (reread)

They bring him in just before dawn. Wei Wuxian does not remember it, not really. He remembers nothing but pain.

Glitz & Glam, by edenguard (2 chapters)

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are invited to the annual Jin Appropriated-Christmas Party, which happens to be a masquerade. General shenanigans and fluff follow.

and all the air a solemn stillness holds, by stiltonbasket

On the day Lan Wangji bid goodbye to Wei Ying in the woods beneath Dusk Creek Mountain, he never dreamed that it would be the last time they saw one another alive.

But when Luo Qingyang is kidnapped from the Jinlintai on her wedding day, Lan Wangji finds himself in pursuit of a demon who might be no demon at all.

Wherein all roads lead to Yiling, and death is no obstacle or object to the bereaved Light-bearing Lord.

Cursed Sword, by Nika_Raven_Celeste (4th in a series)

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are not the only one who collects something on hunt to discover the mystery behind chopped up fierce corpse.

Nie Huaisang hides more than scheming mind behind his fan.

These two facts, are related.

Rumor Has It, by Ulan

"They say,” says the woman from the other table, her voice low, “that Hanguang-jun and Wei Wuxian are already cultivation partners.”

Wei Wuxian chokes on his tea.

Making Different Choices (For A More Hopeful Future), by Preludian_Staves (10 chapters, locked to ao3 accounts only)

Through a bout of unexpected time traveling, they decide to usurp Fate's plans and do their best to make different choices to create a more hopeful future.

The Path Less Traveled, by Moonanstars

Wei Wuxian hadn’t been back to Lotus Pier since…well since a lot of things…

Even though there was this tentative peace between himself and Jiang Cheng neither one of them was good at reaching out to try to fix things so both sides had somehow managed to avoid anything other than the most business-like of meetings if they happened to cross paths.

That might be why on the way to Lotus Pier for a meeting and he saw the tiny, overgrown path full of brambles and the merest hint of a worn path in the grass heading into the vegetation, Wei Wuxian paused and looked at it thoughtfully.

Or - in order to distract himself and be late for a meeting Wei Wuxian goes off the beaten path and finds mystery.

General:

Talking to Strangers, by thetrickisnotminding (7 chapters)

It's just a little curse...

Well, actually, he's still big for his age.

Cabbages, by dreaming of your qin (sherleigh) (9 chapters)

In which Lan Qiren gains a son-in-law.

a second set of footsteps, on the lonely road, by stiltonbasket

Wei Ying looks up as he enters the courtyard. To his dismay, Lan Wangji can see that he has dark bruises under his eyes, as he did in the three days he lay unconscious after the battle at Buyetian.

“Lan Zhan!” he calls, rising from the battered stool he was sitting on. “Lan Zhan, what are you doing here? Did you come back to see our A-Yuan?”

“I came to see you,” Lan Wangji tells him. “I want to bring you with me as a guest to Maiden Jiang's wedding.”

Or, the one where Wei Wuxian attends his sister's wedding in disguise, and that makes all the difference.

don't the stars look very different today?, by enbysaurus_rex

Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan are both musicians! Their next piece-- an arrangement of a piece that leaves Lan Zhan emotional and Wei Wuxian a little confused

Post Hunting Thought, by Preludian_Staves (locked to ao3 accounts only)

Lan Wangji thinks about where his contentment used to lay and where it laid now.

A place to rest, by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)

Lan Wangji needs a break and Wei Wuxian helps him take one.

The Warm Paths We Follow, by Preludian_Staves (locked to ao3 accounts only)

His path diverges with the blessing of the one who loves him and knows when to let go.

rfb: Where Are They Now, by sami (16th in a series)

Life goes on, even after a brush with immortals who like to get involved.

Unfinished

Teen:

Muted, by Akabara_13

Jiang FengMian thought the boy would talk again once the storm passed, but Madam Yu praised his silence. The boy would not talk to anyone, but his brother and sister.

Talking is Better than Silence, by KuroiWrites (blackcatkuroi)

"This path harms the body. Harms the nature of one's heart even more." Lan WangJi spoke those words upon first seeing Wei Wuxian alive after the Burial Mounds, unknowing of the truth.

Wei Wuxian, though, didn't need to be told, and he accepted that he'd lost whatever he might have once had with Lan WangJi. Several nights later, in a moment of drunken weakness under the melancholic light of a full moon, he tells Lan WangJi the Truth. He'd never needed Lan WangJi to spell out his fate for him - he'd known since he walked out of the Burial Mounds alive.

But one small bit of honesty can go a long way, and Talking is far better than Silence.

Instead, by apathyinreverie

Wei Ying is found by someone other than Wen Chao after the Core transfer.

Or, the one where Wei Ying is never thrown into the Burial Mounds, never invents demonic cultivation. He still manages to become the lynchpin of the Sunshot Campaign anyway.

In Walls of Glass, by Comfect

Lán Qǐrén thinks about different Lan rules when Wei Wuxian brings up resentful cultivation in class.

Everything goes better from there.

Seriously, everything.

Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent, by Preludian_Staves (locked to ao3 accounts only)

The fight between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian after the Fall of Lotus Pier goes differently, changing the course of events that should follow, but now don't.

Lan Wangji goes looking for the boy that captured his heart. (Also known as Wei Wuxian goes to the Gusu Lan earlier than in canon)

Deleted Scenes, Outtakes and Castoffs, by Sami

Sometimes you realise that something doesn't really fit anywhere or that the way you just wrote it isn't actually quite right, but maybe it's still entertaining.

Additional sections to be added on an irregular schedule.

A drop in the ocean, by ibuttermybagel

“How can you still stand on your legs after all you’ve done?” the voice had his head whip up. Eyes interlocking with those of the man he called his younger brother not too long ago. Angry eyes meeting those filled with nothing but sorry. “How can you still ask to be excused after bringing pain to so many?”

(Or: The ambush on Wei Wuxian is stopped by Jin Zixuan and instead he takes all Wens and WWX back home. Wen Ning has enough and lets everyone know what he learned in drunken talks with Wei Wuxian.)

To Repeat, Repay, and Repair, by adrian_kres (locked to ao3 accounts only)

Wei Wuxian has died again and his family grieves. Lan Sizhui, now married and with children of his own, grieves the loss of both fathers, as Lan Wangji has entered seclusion. But somehow, he unknowingly sends himself back to the time he spent in the Burial Mounds at three years old. Will his family take his confused, nonsensical warnings seriously? Are they doomed to repeat the same fate?

Told from alternating points of view.

Serendipity, by midnight_soul (locked to ao3 accounts only)

Lan Wangji is tired of his family’s passive-aggressive persistence in his love life. He will not go on another blind date; the first two times were disastrous enough.

Wei Wuxian has had enough of his family telling him no one would want to stick with him, no one decent at least.

One trying to live his life peacefully and another wanting to prove his family wrong, how can their plan fail? They’re practically meant for each other.

Grand Master of Rogue Cultivation, by waterphoenix21

A Wei Wuxian raises A-Yuan fic!

After Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli die a mysterious death, Wen Qing and the rest of the Wen Clan are found guilty and Wei Wuxian speaks in their defense. This naturally leads to a rift between him and Jiang Cheng.

Then one night, the last surviving member of the Wen Clan is found asleep on top of Jiang Yanli's grave. Nobody knows how or why. But feeling as if he no longer belongs to any clan, Wei Wuxian decides to raise little Wen Yuan on his own, as he sets on a path to becoming a rogue cultivator, following in his mother's footsteps and seeking to find the mystical mountain of the legendary immortal, Baoshan Sanren.

General:

Pulled Against the Grain, by youleeyeah

“We found him walking injured just outside the Jingshi. He said-” Sizhui paused for a moment and then lowered his voice before continuing, “he said it was Young Master Jin who did this.” The boy couldn't look into Lan Wangji’s eyes as he spoke and turned his head to the side.

“You know,” Wei Wuxian started again after the pain subsided a tiny amount, “if I had my old body, I could've had intestines falling out of my gut and I’d still be able to fight for a few more hours.”

Lan Wangji furrowed his brows.

He has heard this before.

-----

Wei Wuxian wakes up in Gusu with a fresh stab wound he claimed was caused by Jin Ling. Lan Wangji is confused because the last time that happened was three years ago. Something is wrong with Wei Wuxian.

Lies and Truth, by parodismal

What happen if Lan Wangji decided to actually check Qiongqi Path after Wei Wuxian leave?

....

It leads to a domino effect towards a new Chief Cultivator

Is it a better?

Or worse?

The Trouble With Politics: a Treatise on Jiang Sect Deputies Gone Rogue by Sect Leader Wei Wuxian, by stiltonbasket

Jin Zixuan dies. A siege is called at the Nightless City. A bodyguard flees from the Jinlintai, and journeys to the Burial Mounds to fulfill a life debt to the Ghost General.

Lan Wangji just wants to woo Wei Wuxian in peace, and figure out if Jiang-zongzhu's ex-deputy will ever stop trying to chaperone them.

(Or, the one where Yu Zhenhong stands by his da-shixiong, and becomes the head disciple of the rising Yiling Wei sect.)

[weiying-lanzhan-fics]

Pigtail Pulling by protos_metazu_ison

Arghhhh! Soo cute 🥰

Quotes:

This is not at all the time and place Lan Wangji has planned to indulge in Wei Wuxian’s antics. He scribbles a note and with a small burst of spiritual energy, sends it over to Wei Wuxian, who accepts it with surprised giddiness. He opens the note and falls backwards onto another student’s desk. The student yelps, class is disrupted. Lan Wangji closes his eyes and prays for patience.

“Wei Wuxian, what is wrong with you?” Jiang Wanyin demands irritably. “What did he write?” He snatches up the note and winces so hard he drops it.

The note flutters onto the floor; Lan Wangji’s neat calligraphy clear to all those close enough to read it: Can this wait until after class? I will pay attention to you then.

————

One afternoon, Wei Wuxian tells him about his idea for a compass to detect resentful energy but shrugs when Lan Wangji recommends a few texts from the collection he can consult. Lan Wangji says, “You are smart. Why do you not put in the effort?”

“Ah, I’m just crafty. It’s not the same.”

Lan Wangji recalls the way Wei Wuxian interrogates their assigned reading materials and debates solutions for nighthunting problems and shakes his head. “No, you are smart.” To his surprise, a flush rises in Wei Wuxian’s cheeks and he is silent for the rest of their time in the library. From then on, Lan Wangji makes a startling new discovery: it is very easy to make Wei Wuxian blush.

G, 3800

Summary:

“Tell me I’m beautiful, Lan er-gege!”

“You are well aware you are beautiful,” Lan Wangji says.

Wei Wuxian trips over Jiang Wanyin and sends both of them to the ground in a tangle of limbs and bruises.