#I'm hoping to continue that one at some point with lxc being a good brother figure to nhs for the nearly four years he's about to spend

[ibijau]

Time for some sad Nies that nobody really asked for :) But I got thinking about little nhs and how his father’s degrading state might affect him and... welp

warning for mentions of child abuse and victim blaming (by the victim himself)

Huaisang has to be pushed into the throne room by his brother, and half-dragged before their father. A-die said he was sorry, and got him a pretty fan for his trouble, but Huaisang still can't help feeling a little scared.

Thankfully, a-die is in a good mood today, and smiles when he sees his sons.

"Come closer," he demands, his eyes avoiding Huaisang's arm. "Come meet our guests." 

The presence of those two severe men in white comforts Huaisang, enough for him to walk closer to his father. A-die is always calmer when there are people around. Still, Huaisang is grateful that da-ge makes sure to stand between him and a-die. 

If a-die notices, he doesn't remark on it. 

"Huaisang, Mingjue, these men are Lan zongzhu and his brother Lan Qiren," a-die announces. 

On cue, Huaisang and his brother bow to the visitors. Huaisang’s bow is a little clumsy, but hopefully he'll be forgiven, on account of the sling. 

"It is a pleasure to meet Nie gongzi and Nie er-gonzi," Lan zongzhu says with a calm and gentle voice, his eyes falling in Huaisang's arm. "May I ask what happened to Nie er-gonzi?" 

It is, of course, the wrong thing to ask. Da-ge takes Huaisang’s hand, the one that isn't hanging out of the sling for his arm, and squeezes tight. Too tight, really, but not enough to break. 

Huaisang knows now just how much pressure needs to be exercised for a bone to break. 

He doesn't answer Lan zongzhu's question, of course. Neither does da-ge. They also, very deliberately, do not look at their father. It has to be a secret, a-die said, but he forgot to give them a story to tell people. Everyone in Qinghe Nie knows already, even if they won't speak about it, and Huaisang has kept mostly to his room since that day. It's not like he can train, not with his arm like that, and there's few visitors who need to see him.

"This is why I asked you to come urgently," a-die explains. "Ever since that incident, I've been… losing control." 

Both his sons are startled to hear him admit such a thing in front of outsiders. Da-ge squeezes Huaisang’s hand tighter, still not enough to break anything, but getting closer to that. Huaisang wants to pull his hand away, but dares not. He's already made a-die angry the other day, he can't afford to upset da-ge as well. 

The two men in white look at Huaisang with puzzled expressions that turn to shock when they realise what a-die is saying. 

"This is…" Lan zongzhu starts, only to be interrupted by a-die. 

"I was thinking of sending Huaisang to Gusu," a-die says. "He could study with you. He doesn't need his arm for that." 

Huaisang gasps, and molds himself against his brother's side, terrified of being sent away. He wants to say that he didn't meant to make a-die so angry the other day, but da-ge has ordered him to be quiet around a-die from now on, and da-ge always knows best. 

"He's too young," Lan Qiren snaps after a quick glance at Huaisang. "How old is he? Ten?" 

"Eleven, but he's very mature. Qiren, this is…" 

"Too young," Lan Qiren insists. "We can't throw him into lectures with boys of fifteen or more."

Lan Qiren turns to his brother, clearly expecting him to agree. Lan zongzhu ignores him, carefully watching Huaisang and his da-ge, as if trying to see something hidden inside them. 

"How did it happen?" Lan zongzhu asks, his eyes on the sling. 

"I lost control," a-die replies. "I'd rather not say more." 

Huaisang is grateful to his father for not saying more. It was his own fault, after all. He's the one who acted bratty, even when a-die had been getting angry so easily since his sabre broke. If Huaisang had been better, if he had been quieter, if he had obeyed, than this wouldn't have happened. 

But he wasn't good, not at all. So now his arm is broken, and a-die wants to get rid of him so he won't have to get angry like that again. 

"If you send one of your sons away, why not the other as well?" Lan zongzhu asks, glancing at da-ge before turning his attention to a-die. 

"I'd rather keep both of them," a-die says. "But Zonghui insisted, for Huaisang." 

Lan zongzhu nods, as does Lan Qiren, as if this means more to them than it does to Huaisang. 

There is something about Zonghui that is special, Huaisang knows. He hasn't figured out the details yet, but Zonghui is allowed to make comments about Huaisang’s education for some reason. No other disciple, no other cousin would dare to do that. But Zonghui can. Maybe because a-die and him are such good friends. They even slept in the same room, before things started going bad. Huaisang has some vague understanding of this being linked to dual cultivation, which only grown ups do. He thinks it involves kissing and being naked, but he's never dared to ask his father for more details, and da-ge says his too young to be told. 

It doesn't really matter. Zonghui and a-die have stopped sleeping together after Huaisang’s arm got broken. 

"If you want, we might have songs that could help," Lan zongzhu hesitantly offers. "How bad is it?" 

"Not as bad as you think," a-die states in a tone that allows no questions. "I'm only doing this to appease Zonghui. It was an isolated incident, nothing more. It wouldn't happen again even if Huaisang stayed and behaved himself, but Zonghui is a bother right now and that's not helping my temper. If I can get some peace, I'll be fine!"

Something in a-die's tone makes Huaisang flinch. His father never used to raise his voice like that, but it keeps happening since his sabre broke. It happened on that day, too. 

Huaisang would be scared if he were alone with his father. Thankfully, da-ge is there, holding his hand, rubbing circles against his skin with his thumb to comfort him. And those two Lan men are smarter than Huaisang, because they notice a-die's change of tone right away. 

"Then we'll take your son to the Cloud Recesses," Lan zongzhu says calmly. "He's the same age as Wangji and Xichen, I'm sure they'll all get along. Do you want us to take him away today?" 

"The sooner the better," a-die grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if his head were starting to hurt.

Just like that day, again. 

The two Lan men seem to notice that, as well. They exchange a quick glance, just like Huaisang does with da-ge when there's trouble. 

"If Nie zongzhu allows it, I'll go help Nie er-gongzi pack for his stay with us," Lan Qiren offers. "Perhaps Nie gongzi will help as well?"

A-die grunts, and waves his hand to dismiss them. Lan Qiren doesn't lose a moment and escorts the boys out of the throne room, leaving his brother alone with a-die. It'll be fine though. Lan zongzhu seems like a reasonable man, so he won't make a-die angry. 

Lan Qiren is very quiet as they walk to Huaisang’s room. Once there, he orders a servant to fetch Nie Zonghui and sets to work, ordering Huaisang and da-ge to grab this and that to be put in a qiankun pouch. 

As they work, Lan Qiren asks da-ge all sorts of questions. Sometimes about their father, and da-ge doesn't answer. Sometimes about Huaisang’s cultivation and education, for which da-ge is more willing to give details. From the way Lan Qiren watches da-ge, Huaisang gets the sensation it's not just the answers that interest him, but also the manner in which they're given.

Then Nie Zonghui joins them at last, and gets asked the same questions. Zonghui doesn't say how Huaisang’s arm got broken, but Huaisang, again, feels that the way he doesn't say certain things is almost more important than the things he does say. 

Not that Huaisang can listen too closely. There are a lot of things to pack, and he keeps having to add things that Lan Qiren didn't think about, like the fan a-die got him, or those books he likes. Huaisang hesitates about taking his training sabre too. Lan Qiren didn't say anything about that, and he can't use it until his arm gets better. Hopefully he'll come home even before his arm is healed, so that won't be a problem… but since he's already not very proficient with a blade, if he stays too long without training, it'll show for sure. 

Sabre in hand, Huaisang walks up to Lan Qiren who is urgently whispering about something with Zonghui and da-ge. They stop when they spot him, but Huaisang still caught a few words such as 'take care of him' and 'hide from the Wens'. 

It turns his blood to ice, but he pretends he didn't hear, or anyway didn't understand. It's easier for everyone like that. Da-ge is so worried about Huaisang understanding too much, he never wants to answer his questions lately, says that it's better if he doesn't know certain things. Huaisang, with his broken arm and broken trust, understands too much already but he doesn't want to add to da-ge's burden by letting him know that. 

A-die too was just very, very worried at first, when his sabre broke. Huaisang got his father to hate him by not behaving well enough, he's not going to risk it with da-ge. 

"Leave the sabre here," Lan Qiren orders. "There's no one in Gusu who can teach you how to use that weapon, our sect uses sword. You'll start learning again when you come home. I'm sure it won't take too long for your father to call you back." 

Huaisang nods, and puts away the sabre. Lan Qiren is right, it's only for a short while. A-die is going to get better, without Huaisang to pester him. And without Huaisang to worry about, Zonghui and a-die will reconcile, and they're always happy when they're together. 

Of course, a little dark voice in his head tells him that maybe a-die won't want him back when he's better, that he'll be blamed for causing all of a-die's anger, but… No. Da-ge won't let that happen, da-ge will ask for his return when things are better, and since da-ge is the heir, when he asks for something hard enough, he always gets it. 

It's just a little time away, and then they'll all be a happy family again. 

#nie huaisang #nie mingjue #lan qiren #qingheng-jun #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #jau writes #I'm hoping to continue that one at some point with lxc being a good brother figure to nhs for the nearly four years he's about to spend #in gusu but we'll see how it goes #inspiration is a fickle bitch #I shouldn't be writing this but it really wouldn't leave me alone #nhs in gusu au