Chapter Text
Jiang Cheng was having an awful time. He had heard the truth from Wei Wuxian, and he wanted to shake him while also wanting to hold him close. He had felt the rot in Wei Wuxian’s meridians, and the horror of the gift he had given Jiang Cheng curdled his stomach. He remembered that feeling.
Wei Wuxian could get sick and die. Wei Wuxian could get injured worse than he was now and die. Some unknown effect of what the Wen did to him could rear its ugly head and cause him to die.
Wei Wuxian would die young.
All because he gave his core to Jiang Cheng who had sacrificed himself to save Wei Wuxian.
How poetic.
He had been worried before that revelation as his smiling happy brother was suddenly skittish and crying.
He had never seen him cry before, and now he seemed to be fighting back tears at every turn. His eyes glistened with the tears he did not shed.
What was scarier was seeing Lan Wangji cry. That unnerved him. The revelation that those two were in love was a relief and a shock. Lan Wangji could at least get him to listen and care about him.
Jie was upset with everyone and breathing in her vicinity was the wrong thing to do right now. She was the epitome of disappointment, geared towards both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian.
He had questioned Wen Qing extensively as she pretended, she was not afraid, he had been given Zidian back, as the ring sparked on. She described that even if he survived the transfer a second time, Wei Wuxian would certainly die given the state of his body.
There might have been an obliterated tree outside the camp. Not that anyone could prove that he did it.
He did not know what to do so his only thought was to find the real Baoshan Sanren and if he had to torture that disciple of hers for info, he would.
This was the only recourse he had now, so he sent a disciple to go find Xiao Xingchen. He then proceeded to scout for more recruits, leaving a comatose Wei Wuxian with Lan Wangji. At least he could stone-face the other sect leaders away in a way that he could not.
Lan Wangji was a strange one as well, he could accept that he cared about Wei Wuxian once he put two and two together. Really, how stupid could he have been not to realize what was going on there?
Now, he was back at their camp, trying to find a secluded place near where they grabbed water that Lan Wangji would apparently spirit Wei Wuxian off to if the people were being jerks.
He does find them. Lan Wangji is practicing his sword forms while Wei Wuxian sits on a blanket watching him. He can see a small smile on his face and Jiang Cheng wonders if he would ruin that smile if he interrupted.
He lets a deep sigh out before calling out to them.
Wei Wuxian gives him a hesitant smile and pats the space next to him. Lan Wangji bows in greeting before continuing his training.
Jiang Cheng takes a seat next to him.
“You’re back!” Wei Wuxian started.
“Yeah.” He stares across the water.
“Did you finish what you were doing?”
“Have a few new recruits.”
Wei Wuxian hums.
Jiang Cheng decides that the brilliant idea for him to do is to reach for him, and he leans back immediately.
“Ah...”
“Come here”
Wei Wuxian leans towards and Jiang Cheng hugs him tightly as if he hadn't just seen him a few days before. Wei Wuxian raises his arms shakily to hug back.
“Are you alight, Jiang Cheng?”
“Are you? You're shaking like a leaf.”
“Ah, well.” He dropped his head on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder.
“Is it the...Burial Mounds?”
“......Yeah.”
"Did....things come after you?" He meant the corpses and what a dumb question that was. Of course, they did. And all Jiang Cheng had done since he had been back was slap him and be a threatening presence.
Wei Wuxian sighed, holding him tighter.
“It’s alright, I’m not going anywhere, Jiang Cheng.”
Jiang Cheng choked before pulling away.
“I am still searching for your uncle”
“Ah, Jiang Cheng, if that doesn’t work out....”
“Let me do this, I have to try”
Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened.
“All right, all right.”
Wei Wuxian eventually dozed off beside him.
“He fell asleep?” Lan Wangji asked.
“Yeah....is he?”
"Lady Wen expressed that he appears fine considering the circumstances, just exhausted as he heals."
“Have the others been trying to interrogate him?”
“The lower sects. Brother will not, and Sect Leader Nie will follow him.”
“Are you done? This id...this one looks like he might freeze.” He caught himself just in time before calling him an idiot.
Lan Wangji seemingly ignored his mishap and gathered Wei Wuxian into his arms with nothing more than a few sniffles.
"Wait....have you been carrying him this entire time? Has no one noticed that?"
“Spell”
That was the only answer he received as they walked back to Lan Wangji’s tent who gently deposited Wei Wuxian back on a cot.
“That’s...frightening."
“Mn, I am worried. He does not have restful sleep.”
“Have you asked that Wen more about it?” He doesn't mean to come off as much of an ass though the anger still bubbles under his skin about her involvement.
“She....attributes it to the medicines she has given him, his thorough exhaustion and survival from that place.”
“Right....”
“He had been providing some basic talismans to the alliance.”
“I see.”
“Would you stay with him? I need to speak to my brother.”
“Of course.”
Lan Wangji left him alone.
Jiang Cheng walked up to Wei Wuxian and placed a hand on his chest, to convince himself that he was still breathing. A hand came to encircle his own.
“Jiang Cheng” Wei Wuxian’s sleepy voice came through. He doesn't remove his hand.
“I.....you need to get better.” Jiang Cheng rushes out.
“Noted.” Wei Wuxian groaned. “Is it nighttime?
“No…Lan Wangji had to speak to his brother.”
“Ah, he’s been avoiding him for a few days.”
True to form, Lan Wangji stomped in the way only he could minutes later.
“Tomorrow”
“Tomorrow?”
“Brother requests to speak to you and Wei Ying.”
“I see....”
“Let’s get it over with.” Wei Wuxian sighs.
“Can you even walk there?” Jiang Cheng, doubtful.
“Of course, I'll be fine.” Wei Wuxian promises.
“Time to eat.” Lan Wangji proclaimed, ignoring what Jiang Cheng had to be a rule to allow Wei Wuxian to eat in bed.
To his surprise, Lan Wangji had brought food for all of them. Jiang Cheng could not tell what feeling that was.
The next day, they met in Lan Xichen’s tent. Nie Mingjue seemed to be watching as Lan Wangji led Wei Wuxian into sitting down. Jiang Cheng just watches.
"Right, well," Lan Xichen falters.
"Brother" The iciness of Lan Wangji's voice filtered in the spaces between them.
“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian whispered.
“Enough of this.” Nie Mingjue’s voice boomed. “Wei Wuxian, what did you do?”
“You’ll have to be a little more specific than that.”
Nie Mingjue frowned, hard lines cracking his face.
“Ahhh.....Wei-gongzi. A Lan cultivator was executed for harming you.”
“Ok? He wanted to stab both me and your brother.”
“Yes, I am aware. It is just before that instance, your.... powers.”
“His powers are not a concern.” Jiang Cheng finds himself saying.
“Jiang-zongzhu.” Lan Xichen’s expression is appalled.
“It saved our allies in that fight and killed the Wens. You are aware that he was tortured by the Wens and thrown into hell. Whatever strangeness about him is helping our efforts. He is not a threat to anyone here.”
“That sort of cultivation is harmful” Lan Xichen insists.
“Brother, the effects are being mitigated.”
Wei Wuxian is awfully silent though when Jiang Cheng looks over, he can see Lan Wangji gripping his hand. Lan Wangji had not worn his ribbon since he tied it to Wei Wuxian. That could be causing the tension between the Lan brothers.
“Wangji, you need to come back.”
“I will not.”
“Sect leaders, what is this about? Is it about my disciple or Lan Wangji? Wei Wuxian has come back from an ordeal; he will help win this war and then there will be no need for what he does here or are you forgetting that all of our homes were razed? Besides the Jin. As for Hanguang-jun, he loves my brother. I am not going to chase him away so you should settle whatever is going on between you.”
“Brother, I am helping Wei Ying. I do not want to be separated.”
“Wangji....you are not wearing your ribbon”
“It is where it needs to be”
Wei Wuxian simply blinked.
Nie Mingjue definitely wanted to get back on topic.
“Wei Wuxian, can you control this?”
“Yes. I can make more talismans as well.”
“Great. Those talismans you used to lure ghosts have helped.”
“I have ideas for more things that will perhaps counteract what the Wen is doing, I just have to experiment and run it by Jiang Cheng first.”
“Very well.” Nie Mingjue sighed.
“Wangji.”
“Brother.”
“Lan Zhan...” Soft and pleading.
They stare at each other longer than what would be appropriate before Lan Wangji sighs.
“We could have a meeting, will that work, Brother?”
“Yes," Lan Xichen closed his eyes.
“Very well.” Lan Wangji stood, taking Wei Wuxian with him, dragging him out of the tent without bowing.
“Er....” Jiang Wanyin starts.
“Xichen, what happened that your brother is so upset? I’ve never seen him so rude.”
“He...refuses to come back to Gusu or see Uncle.”
“Is it because of how your uncle treats Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Wanyin ventured.
Lan Xichen’s eyes shot open.
“I do not wish to war with the Lan, though you have to admit he doesn't treat him fairly and never did even at the lectures.”
Lan Xichen sighed.
“While that is certainly a truth, my brother has changed since finding Wei Wuxian. He is defiant and angry. Has he not acted strange as well?”
He could not say that his brother was a weepy mess right now.
“Given he crawled out of hell, I’d expect him to be a little strange. Perhaps, Lan Wangji realized that he would have missed his chance if had not found him. That doesn't excuse what he is doing and I can’t speak for him. The entire time, he has just cared for him. Wei Wuxian cares about him too even if it just seems to be teasing.”
"Ah...and how have your efforts in rebuilding your sect gone?"
“Well," Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes. “’I will be going now” He stood just as quickly and bowed before leaving, grinding his teeth the whole way out.
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were easy to find, they seemed to have waited.
“I’m sorry, Jiang Cheng” Wei Wuxian starts.
“You have not done anything” Jiang Cheng ground out.
“I am sorry for problems caused by myself” Lan Wangji apologized.
“It’s fine” Jiang Cheng sighed. “How did you keep him from talking?”
“Hey!” Wei Wuxian protested.
“Promised Wei Ying to behave.”
“I don’t want to know” Jiang Cheng decides.
“Hahahahha, don’t be like that. All he did was make me promise to not speak unless needed.
Jiang Cheng glared.
“Are you...alright?”
“I am well as I can be.” Wei Ying saluted.
“Are you....going back to his tent.”
“Well, yes. I do kinda live there” Wei Ying mused.
“Will you.... both of you.... come to mine? Jie is bringing soup."
He can see the hesitation. Lan Wangji had mentioned that he had nightmares and that whatever he saw had to have involved Jie in some way otherwise he would be all over the idea of spending time with her.
“Of course. We’ll come with you.”
Later as they all sit at his table; he wonders what his parents would think about him. He already knows his mother would be ashamed of him for caring about Wei Wuxian. His father, he isn't sure. Probably the same for not bringing the sect up quickly. Wei Wuxian is laughing, telling an outrageous story as Jie laughs with him and Lan Wangji looks fondly at Wei Wuxian. He hoped that his parents had already drunk Meng Po's soup and crossed the bridge. He would not give up this image even if it made him a terrible son.