#also fuck wen ning. ''ah but you SHOULD have known!'' has been the quickest way to get me to scream at a story since early childhood

[silentstep]

a thing that really really bugs me in modern AUs is when they have Wei Wuxian still put everything on the line for the Wens, and leave his family over it/get kicked out of his support system for it, and Jiang Cheng refuses to help or support him, and it’s fraught and angsty, but there’s no equivalent given for the Jiang Clan that Jiang Cheng is protecting by doing so

Jiang Cheng isn’t refusing to help because it ~looks bad~ or because he ~hates the Wens~ or whatever, he’s refusing because they a.) murdered his entire family and b.) it would cost the lives of the family he’s built since.  If there aren’t any stakes on his side of course he’s helping Wei Wuxian.  Of course he’s helping Wen Qing.  He’s not just a bad person who does bad things for fun and profit, he too is protecting people.  He, too, is protecting the weak and innocent.  He and Wei Wuxian don’t have that disparate of moral senses, it’s just that Jiang Cheng has to keep in mind the people who are already depending on him, and Wei Wuxian doesn’t consider himself beholden to them as long as Jiang Cheng is still there doing it for him.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t, and wouldn’t, abandon Wei Wuxian for anything less than the highest calling of his duty.

and even in a modern AU where the stakes are far lower than the life-or-death ones of canon, the motivations still exist.  They should both still be protecting people that are important to them.

..........furthermore, in canon Wei Wuxian very clearly presents his case to Jiang Cheng with a heaping background of “I’m not happy in Lotus Pier, and I want to leave.  Please don’t keep me against my will” and Jiang Cheng acquiesces to that wish, because he has seen all his life what happens when you try to keep someone you love by your side against their will, and he would never.  He would never.  It’s not Wei Wuxian saying “I need your help” and Jiang Cheng saying “I’m sorry but I can’t,” it’s Jiang Cheng saying “please come home and let me help you” and Wei Wuxian saying “I don’t want you in my life, please let me go.”  Like!  Wei Wuxian is lying in order to get what he wants with a minimum of fuss!  That’s important too!  He’s saying exactly what he needs to say to get Jiang Cheng out of the line of fire!  It’s not true!  He just knows what to say that Jiang Cheng will accept and believe, no matter how much it hurts!  BUT JIANG CHENG DOESN’T KNOW THAT ok I’m good.  and also sad.  again.  fuck they love each other so much and they hurt each other so badly