#hey! hey jiang cheng i saved you a seat!

[tangledinmdzs]

jc, nhs, and ww with that one person who says, "well, if it isn't the idiot trio" towards them but still hangs out with them and joins in with their antics

aw, this is cute

if you guys have idiotic friends you know 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“well if it isn’t the idiot trio,”

in the bustling and shouting business of the inn, 

three people still hear your comment just fine

you walk up to the low table just as Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang turn around to greet you in the various different ways that they do

that being:

an eye roll from Jiang Cheng (as he turns to the side to quickly down a cup of fragrant wine)

a teetering laugh, behind Nie Huaisang’s long grey sleeves as he flicks his fan out 

and a loud, “hey you!” from Wei Wuxian, as he quickly scoots to the side to make room for you as you sit down beside them,

“couldn’t it have taken you any longer to get here?” Jiang Cheng is quick to nag, 

you’ve barely settled yourself into the seat

but since you’ve been friends with these gentleman for a while now, you know they’re anything but polite 

“oh please, like it didn’t take you an hour to meet me at that one village... care to remind me where that was again?” you sass back 

beside you, Huaisang actually snorts his wine and Wei Wuxian laughs boisterously to accompany your words

“it was ONE TIME” Jiang Cheng (easily) explodes 

and it’s really pure luck that no one else in the inn says anything about the noise coming from your table 

you ignore Jiang Cheng of course, sipping your wine cooly as Nie Huaisang calms his friend down,

“alright alright, save the bickering for later. we can’t do this without y/n anyways,” Huaisang says and you can’t help but raise an question eyebrow at him

“my help? when did i say i was helping you three?” you ask, and Wei Wuxian leans onto you as much as Nie Huaisang leans into you, puppy dog eyes and pleading voices galore 

“please please please, c’mon it’s always been us four during night hunts,”

“no one can work the pipa like you, really no one!”

and you’re tempted to roll your eyes but you don’t want to set Jiang Cheng off for stealing his thing, so you simply let out a huffy sigh,

“you both are crazy, and add in Jiang Cheng’s natural moody it isn’t a good combo for whatever it is that you two got planned,” you note and you have to jolt a little as Huaisang throws himself onto your shoulder and clings to your arm,

“please y/n... to be honest,  i really want to explore this haunted town by the outskirts of my sect, but i don’t think i’ll have enough protection with just these two over here. i need you too”

you let out a loud laugh just as the Yunmeng bros let out their unanimous ‘hey!’ at Huaisang’s honesty 

“well, out of the kindness of my heart and because i don’t want you to come back and haunt me if you die, i’ll come along,” you concede, as you eventually do with these men

it gets a hoot and a holler out of Wei Wuxian and Huaisang

and even though Jiang Cheng doesn’t vocally say much

you share a knowing smirk with him all the same 

#mdzs #mdzs headcanons #mdzs character headcanons #mdzs request #mdzs anon asks #mdzs anon requests #mdzs scenario request #mdzs reaction request #mdzs imagine request #mdzs yunmeng bros #mdzs nie huaisang #mdzs jiang cheng #mdzs wei wuxian #yunmeng duo #mdzs wei wuxian x reader #jiang cheng x reader #mdzs nie huaisang x reader #tangledwriting #mdzs canon au #mdzs au

[biwenqing]

Lwj getting married into the jiang sect is just a lot of him having to get used to his husband and brother in law acting like children. They WILL throw each other into the water at least once a day, no they often don't have a reason. Prank wars, lwj learnt to stay out of it when his robes turned hot pink an hour before an important meeting. Food wars to de stress. He hears various versions of I WILL BREAK YOUR FUCKING LEGS at least 7 times a day. Jiang yanli is his only saving grace.

I can't tell you how much I love all of this! I ran to open a document and um, this happened. The title of this could probably be "three times Sect Leader Jiang was (righteously) dunked in the waters off Lotus Pier". Also included some of our favorite Wens because I need them to be safe and happy :D

Lan Wangji had finished his morning meditation and was brewing some tea so it would be ready when his husband awoke. Wei Wuxian was sleeping deeply, the sounds of the river coming in their window like a lullaby. Lan Wangji found he enjoyed the sounds as much as Wei Wuxian seemed to, and was getting used to his new home. There were many lovely things about living on Lotus Pier.

There were a few things that Lan Wangji was... not so fond of, however. One of these let himself in with barely a knock on the door as Lan Wangji carefully added the tea leaves to the hot water.

Jiang Cheng barely glanced Lan Wangji's way, giving a grunt of maybe acknowledgment before going into the bedroom. He returned with Wei Wuxian tossed over his shoulder. Wei Wuxian was protesting loudly at such interruption to his sleep as Jiang Cheng left through the still open front door.

Lan Wangji would have been alarmed if this was the first occurrence of his husband being abducted. Now he just continued to make the tea and listened to the distant splash and swearing the followed. A second splash soon came and he thought he caught a shout of, "I'll break your legs for this!"

Lan Wangji had figured out several things since joining the Jiang family. The most important was that Wei Wuxian and his brother expressed their affection... differently than he was used to. Maybe it was the fact that they had all grown up a little too fast with the war. The fact was that Jiang Cheng, while a sect leader, was still a young man who wanted to goof off with his older brother. Wei Wuxian was more than happy to indulge him in this.

Wei Wuxian appeared, dripping wet but smiling as he shut the door. Lan Wangji had set the table for their breakfast in the time it took him to get out of the water. He went and dried off, returning with a smile still in place. He held one hand behind his back as he leaned down to kiss Lan Wangji's cheek.

"Good morning love. I have something for you," he murmured with another kiss, settling close to Lan Wangji's side.

"Good morning," Lan Wangji said back, feeling a smile tug on his lips. It grew as Wei Wuxian presented him with a beautiful lotus flower, a lovely light purple like a summer sunset. "It is beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," Wei Wuxian said back, completely earnest as he always was in his complements and Lan Wangji felt his ears warm. Wei Wuxian reached out a hand to tuck his hair back, exposing an ear and kissing it before turning his focus to breakfast.

They ate in contented silence as if Jiang Cheng's interruption never happened.

[...]

When the Wen's joined Lotus Pier, things in this area didn't get better, nor did they get worse. Lan Wangji quite liked both Wen Qing and Wen Ning; they were pleasant, intelligent people and both clearly cared a great deal for Wei Wuxian. But what this did add was poor Wen Ning was often dragged into whatever current prank war Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were engaged in.

That day, Lan Wangji was settled in quiet study, accompanied by Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing. He had borrowed some books from the Cloud Recesses library the last time he had visited his brother. In addition to the texts he needed to continue his study of musical cultivation, he had brought back some tomes on politics (for Jiang Yanli) and medicine (for Wen Qing). Both women were ideal companions for study. They would sometimes engage in soft debate with each other on matters of sect politics and law, welcoming any input Lan Wangji might have, but not expecting it.

That was the current state of things when the high pitched laughing shriek of little Wen Yuan echoed their way before the boy burst through the door. He went straight for Lan Wangji, crawling onto his lap. Though the boy was wet and muddy, Lan Wangji wrapped his arms around him as Yuan buried his face into Lan Wangji's chest. The boy was giggling, so he wasn't in any type of true distress.

Wei Wuxian was the next one through the door and went to "hide" behind Lan Wangji, looking around his shoulder at the door. His husband as equally muddy. "Lan Zhan, you must protect us!"

Wen Ning appeared third, glancing awkwardly around before carefully taking off his shoes and going to sit beside (and slightly behind) his sister.

"What seems to be the matter?" Lan Wangji asked, raising a brow as he tried to look behind himself. He caught Jiang Yanli's eyes as she hid her laughter behind a sleeve.

"Well, Wen Ning and a-Yuan were helping me in my project to draw all the different kinds of frogs that live with the lotuses," Wei Wuxian explained.

"I catched three frogs!" Yuan reported, holding up three fingers.

"You did! You're so good at counting and frog catching." Wei Wuxian reached around Lan Wangji so he could ruffle Yuan's hair. The boy beamed, and Lan Wangji felt his heart squeeze in a way that was becoming more and more common when he was around both his husband and the little boy. "Anyway, Jiang Cheng showed up and he scared all the frogs away."

Speaking of Jiang Cheng, he was the final one to burst through the door. Jiang Yanli was laughing out right now, as Wen Qing sighed in annoyance. "If you scare my brother, I will end you," she said flatly before Jiang Cheng could come in any further.

"He's not so innocent in this!" Jiang Cheng protested, even as the flush on his face turned into more of a blush. Wei Wuxian stifled a laugh against Lan Wangji's shoulder.

"Excuse me, do I need to remind you of the time he saved your life?" Wen Qing asked, standing. Wen Ning stayed seated and peaked around her legs.

"I repaid that debt!"

"No, your siblings did." Wen Qing stepped forward. Not even bothering to slip on her shoes, she grabbed Jiang Cheng by the ear and dragged him out of the room.

The yelp and splash that came next weren't followed by the usual curses and threats. Or maybe it was, but Lan Wangji couldn't hear over the sound of Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli's laugher. Wei Wuxian fell over in his mirth, and Yuan took that as a cue to leave the safety of Lan Wangji's lap to crawl all over Wei Wuxian.

"You both need a bath," Lan Wangji said, closing his books and rerolling scrolls. Standing, he scooped up Yuan and offered a hand to Wei Wuxian. 

His husband took it, springing to his feet and pressing a kiss to Lan Wangji's cheek. "Come on, a-Yuan! Bath time. Then we can have lunch!"

"Yay!" Yuan cheered, loud in Lan Wangji's ear. Much louder than would be permitted in the Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji found he was glad that he didn't need to ask the little boy to quiet his joy.

[...]

The Lotus Pier was hosting a meeting between the sects and Lan Wangji found himself feeling almost jealous of Wen Qing and Wen Ning, who were to hide during the entirety of the event. This was certainly unfair of him to think because the reason that the Wen siblings had to hide was due to the great injustice inflicted upon their people. However, Lan Wangji couldn't help the petty thought.

Instead, he was on his way to change into his finest white robe. As he approached the rooms he shared with Wei Wuxian, he could hear the sounds of an argument from within. The front door was open, so Lan Wangji entered his home to find Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian in debate.

"I didn't mean to!" Jiang Cheng was protesting.

"You tell Lan Zhan that!" Wei Wuxian said back.

"Tell me what?" Lan Wangji said, using his most intimidating voice.

"I washed our robes!" Wei Wuxian said, turning with a smile. "Well, I tried to. Someone-" Wei Wuxian shoved Jiang Cheng's shoulder. "-tried to prank me."

"I didn't know Lan Wangji's clothes would be there!" Jiang Cheng said though he wouldn't look Lan Wangji in the eye, glaring instead at the floor.

Lan Wangji had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "What happened to my robes?"

Wei Wuxian vanished into the bedroom, to come out carrying two pairs of Lan Wangji's best robes. The robes that were supposed to be white as the snow in Gusu and were now as pink as a lotus bud. Lan Wangji took a moment to process this, then to mourn the fact that it was far too late to get a message to his brother and ask him to bring replacements. 

Lan Wangji turned to Wei Wuxian and asked, "How long until the guests arrive?" 

"We probably still have until afternoon," Wei Wuxian said, his expression turning from amused to curious.

"Good." Plenty of time to get ready still. Lan Wangji crossed the room and grabbed Jiang Cheng's arm. Jiang Cheng was already dressed in his elaborate robes and Lan Wangji didn't even try not to wrinkle them.

"Hey, wait!" Jiang Cheng said as Lan Wangji tugged the man out of his house. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Be quiet," Lan Wangji ordered, using the tone he used to when he caught other disciples breaking the rules. He marched them to a suitable location, Jiang Cheng still protesting, threatening him, and halfheartedly apologizing. Letting Jiang Cheng go, Lan Wangji gave him a cold look and then pushed.

The shock on Jiang Cheng's face when he realized a second too late what was happening was more than worth whatever trouble he might get in for pushing a sect leader into the water. As was Wei Wuxian's full-body laugh that had him leaning against Lan Wangji in order to stay standing.

#wangxian #lan wangji #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #wen qing #wen ning #lan yuan #i made a tag for this au now: #lwj on lotus pier #my fic #a talks #a answers #yunmeng-shuangjie #jiang sibs #wen sibs #wuxian's sibling collection #wen sibs and wei wuxian

[besanii]

Does Smugji sometimes wear that prize, either on his sword or on his person, to special occasions where he feels Wei Wuxian could use a reminder of that moment? Or does he keep it stashed away in his very neat, very Lan, and yet still dragony hoard? I like the thought of him displaying it like a knight at a joust displays his beloved's token of favor. To the blissfully in denial, it looks like a taunt. To the poor Jiang Chengs, it is a horny boast.

Extra 14: Matchmaking | previous parts here

[from Extra 12]

Wei Wuxian forces himself to sit and smile politely as the next suitor takes the seat opposite him at the table. He’s been here almost four hours now and the line doesn’t show any signs of shortening—in fact, he swears it’s growing. Beside him, Yu Ziyuan drums her fingers on the table to get his attention, before fixing him with a warning glare. He sighs.

“Hi, uh…” he squints. “Sorry, what’s your name again?”

“Su She,” his suitor replies with a smarmy little smile that sets Wei Wuxian’s teeth on edge. 

Ah. The Snake Tribe. That explains a lot. 

He cocks his head to the side and props his chin on one hand.

“How did you manage to get in here?” he asks, only half-curious to know. “I thought the Snake Tribe was cast from the Nine Heavens and not allowed back without summons.”

He bites back a yelp when Yu Ziyuan digs her nails into his thigh in warning. Across the table, Su She’s expression has darkened, but he remains committed to the smile on his face, even though it’s starting to look physically painful at this point. He’s got to hand it to him though—most people would have flipped out by now.

“I heard Xiao-dianxia likes music,” Su She says, changing the topic. “I have brought a copy of the rarest score in Moling’s collection as a gift to commemorate our first meeting.”

He lays a thin book on the table and pushes it towards Wei Wuxian, who barely spares it a glance before he sniffs.

“Moling’s collection?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “You mean the ones you were cast out of the Nine Heavens for stealing?”

“Wei Wuxian!” Yu Ziyuan snaps. 

Su She’s face sours, his mouth twisted as though he’s eaten something particularly foul, but he remains seated. He must be really desperate for this to work if he’s still sitting here after Wei Wuxian’s insulted his tribe to his face twice. Unluckily for him, his very face makes Wei Wuxian’s teeth hurt and he’s not feeling very nice right now.

“Oh, did I hear incorrectly then?” he asks with feigned innocence, not even bothering to raise his chin from its perch on his hand. “That can’t be right. It was such a huge scandal not even a hundred years ago, even the common folk in Qing Qiu heard about it.”

Which is true. Everyone had been talking about it when it happened. How Su She of the Snake Tribe had stolen away copies of ancient texts from the Library Pavilion while he had been a guest and then took them back to his lair at Moling. Lan Qiren had flown into a rage that shook the Nine Heavens, and the entire Snake Tribe had subsequently been barred from entering their realm ever again. As for why it had happened in the first place, well…from the way Su She dressed all in white, to the way he styled his hair with a silver guan, it really wasn’t that hard to tell who he was trying to emulate.

Wei Wuxian wrinkles his nose at the thought. As if this lowly snake could ever hope to measure up to Lan Wangji’s magnificence!

Su She’s entire face has gone an ugly shade of puce and his shoulders are shaking in anger. Still, he stays put and plasters the smile to his face once again. 

“A misunderstanding, Xiao-dianxia,” he says through clenched teeth. It’s a wonder how they haven’t fallen out yet with how hard he’s grinding them together. “The volume I present to you today is one of my own personal collection. In fact, I could play—”

He chokes in mid-sentence, eyes bulging and hands scrabbling at his throat. Behind him, the long line of suitors still waiting for their chance to meet Wei Wuxian break out into surprised gasps as one-by-one they sink into low bows. 

"Er-dianxia,” they chorus.

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian says, confused. “Lan Zhan?”

Turning around in his seat, he’s met with the sight of Lan Wangji walking up behind him with a frosty expression on his handsome face, his amber eyes boring holes into Su She over Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. Yu Ziyuan snorts derisively, pulling Wei Wuxian to his feet so they can greet Lan Wangji.

“What brings you here, Lan-er-dianxia?” she asks. “Surely not to join the line of suitors?”

Lan Wangji returns greeting with clipped politeness.

“Yu Ziyuan-shangshen,” he says. “I am here to see if Wei Ying is ready to leave.”

“Leave?” Yu Ziyuan repeats, glaring at Wei Wuxian. “Where? He still has suitors to meet and events to attend. He will not be available for the next few days.”

Days?! Wei Wuxian wails internally. Lan Zhan, save me!

“Begging your pardon, Shangshen,” Lan Wangji says with another short bow. “I had previously promised to take Wei Ying to see Fan Yin Valley the next time it reopened its borders. Today just so happens to be the only day for the next one hundred years.”

Wei Wuxian perks up. Fan Yin Valley? Oh, he’s always wanted to go there! Lan Wangji is so terribly clever to think of it as an excuse.

Yu Ziyuan looks unimpressed at his sudden enthusiasm, and irritable at Lan Wangji’s interruption.

“He will need to wait until this appointment is over,” she says, gesturing at Su She, who is starting to go purple from trying to break free of Lan Wangji’s silencing charm.

Lan Wangji inclines his head.

“Of course,” he replies calmly. He walks around to Wei Wuxian’s other side and takes the remaining seat at the table. “I am happy to wait.”

Yu Ziyuan stares at him wordlessly for a moment, struggling to find a reason to get him to leave. Wei Wuxian rejoices when she eventually folds her arms and sits back with a huff, glaring at out at the empty air over Su She’s head. Lan Wangji pours himself a cup of tea nonchalantly, supremely unconcerned by the daggers being bored through the side of his head through Su She’s eyes. As he raises the cup to his lips, a flash of colour at his wrist catches Wei Wuxian’s attention.

“Hey, isn’t that—” he starts to say, reaching out to make a grab for it. Lan Wangji grabs his wrist in mid-air before he can make contact though. “Lan Zhan! What is that?”

Lan Wangji hums and presses Wei Wuxian’s hand on the table, curling his own fingers around his to hold them still.

“A trinket,” he says, and tightens his grip when he feels Wei Wuxian’s fingers twitch. “Be good.”

Wei Wuxian pouts. But he wants to see! 

He walks the fingers on his other hand slowly across his lap, inching towards Lan Wangji’s sleeve in tiny increments to avoid detection. His other hand is still pinned on the table while Lan Wangji casually sips his tea, but that’s okay. It’s not important. He just needs to get close enough to—

”Aha!” he shouts, pinching the edge of Lan Wangji’s sleeve and flipping it back over his wrist victoriously. “…Oh.”

There, wound neatly around Lan Wangji’s wrist and stretching down his forearm, is a very familiar red ribbon. It stands out against the plain white of Lan Wangji’s robes, a bright splash of colour that draws all eyes towards it; Wei Wuxian unconsciously reaches up to finger the matching ribbon in his own hair. 

Why is Lan Wangji wearing his ribbon around his wrist? And in public!

Yu Ziyuan’s eyes are closed, her brows pinched together as if to ward off a headache. For once, Wei Wuxian doesn’t blame her. He wants to know what’s happening too! Lan Wangji calmly sets his cup back on the table, turning to Wei Wuxian expectantly.

“Wei Ying, are you ready to go?” he asks, completely ignoring the way Wei Wuxian’s face is starting to resemble the ribbon on his wrist. “The borders will not remain open for long, so we must not delay.”

He gets to his feet without waiting for a reply, pulling Wei Wuxian up with him by their still-joined hands, and bows to Yu Ziyuan.

“Shangshen, I apologise for the disruption,” he says. “We will take our leave now.”

Yu Ziyuan nods stiffly, her lips pressed together in a thin line.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of this, Wei Wuxian,” she warns. “I am letting you go today out of respect for Lan-er-dianxia. But you will meet with every single one of your suitors when you return, do you hear me?”

Wei Wuxian bows his head.

“Yes, Yu-furen,” he mumbles reluctantly. Maybe he could convince Lan Wangji to let him stay in Fan Yin Valley for the next one, two hundred years until they all get tired of waiting for him and leave of their own accord. “Come on, Lan Zhan, let’s go!”

But Lan Wangji has turned instead to Su She, who looks about a second away from passing out, his mouth still sealed by the silencing charm.

“The Snake Tribe has been banished from the Nine Heavens,” he says, voice chilly. “Leave here at once. If you dare show your face here again, it will be taken as a declaration of war and treated accordingly.”

With that, he sweeps right past him with a wide-eyed Wei Wuxian in tow, the ribbon on his wrist on full display for the suitors still mingling around in the courtyard. They stare at the two of them with open-mouthed shock; Wei Wuxian gives them a cheeky little wave as they leave, and presses a little closer to Lan Wangji.

“Hey, Lan Zhan,” he whispers, tugging on his sleeve. “Are we really going to Fan Yin Valley? You’re not just saying that to get me out of this matchmaking thing right?”

“We’re going,” Lan Wangji assures him, smiling when Wei Wuxian hums happily and starts bouncing on his feet as they walk along the wide pathway. 

“Hey, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian says as a sudden thought occurs to him. “Where did you get the ribbon from?”

Lan Wangji pauses in mid-step and turns. “You don’t remember?”

“Hmm…not really,” Wei Wuxian confesses, scratching his head. “Did I drop it somewhere? Why are you wearing it?”

One elegant eyebrow twitches.

“Think about it,” Lan Wangji tells him abruptly, and keeps walking.

“Hey!” Wei Wuxian protests, stumbling a couple of steps as he tries to keep up with the brisk pace. 

What the hell? Why’s he suddenly getting all annoyed? If he could remember, would he even bother asking?

But Lan Wangji just keeps walking without elaborating, though the tips of his ears look a little pink. Or maybe it’s just a trick of the light. Wei Wuxian puffs out his cheeks and tugs on his sleeve again, sidling closer to his side.

“Lan Zhan.“ No response. “Lan-er-dianxia. Lan-er-gege…look at me?” 

He beams when Lan Wangji finally spares him a glance out of the corner of his eye.

“Let’s take our time in Fan Yin Valley, okay?” he says. “You have to show me all the sights, and buy me all the food and souvenirs, okay? I don’t want to miss a single thing!”

He puts on his cutest expression, head tilted to the side, eyes wide and smile bright. It’s always worked on his parents and on Jiang Yanli, and from the way Lan Wangji’s expression softens, it works on him too. The hand still holding onto his tightens briefly as Lan Wangji hums, and Wei Wuxian’s heart skips a beat at the fondness in his voice.

“Whatever you want,” Lan Wangji says.

// buy me a ko-fi //

#silverstark #mdzs #wangxian #double happiness verse #雙喜臨門 #my writing #fox prince!wwx #dragon!lwj #obligatory warning for Su She #this is set before 01 #so YZY has only just started dragging WWX to matchmaking events #and LWJ has not gone Full Smugji yet #WWX soon earns himself a reputation for being really mean to his potential suitors #so people are reluctant to put themselves forward #they stay in Fan Yin Valley for the whole day and late into the night #and WWX gets spoiled rotten #but he still thinks it's just a regular friends-hanging-out thing #meanwhile LWJ is just like #as long as Wei Ying is here he's not there with his suitors #so let's just stay here #forever #asks

[gusu-emilu]

The Flowers That Grew From Our Ruins: The Summer Lotus

(post-canon Jiang Cheng & Jin Ling, G, 1.5k, no warnings apply, AO3)

The boat rocked as Jin Ling reached out over the sunny lake and grabbed a lotus pod. He pulled it out by its long green stem, droplets falling to create deep blue ripples in the water, and slid the lotus plant into a wicker basket with the rest of the pods he had collected.

More pods than the last few Lotus Festivals, too. Jin Ling was especially productive this year.

“I think I’ll take a break now,” he said as he lowered himself onto the wooden floor of the boat and lounged back with his elbows on the rear seat, a foot propped up on the boat’s side.

Jiujiu narrowed his eyes. “Don’t sit like that. You look like a crab.”

Jin Ling immediately drew his limbs in. “There’s no one else on the lake though!”

“And who do you think all of them are?” Jiujiu said as he nodded toward the shore.

Crowds of disciples and their families walked along the pier, admiring the lake, burning sweet incense, and crafting colorful lotus-shaped lanterns to hang from buildings and float on the water at nightfall.

“They’re far away!” Jin Ling said, more timidly than he intended.

“Well, I’m not, and I’m tired of reminding you how to conduct yourself.”

Jin Ling looked away and scrunched his body tighter, grumbling to himself under his breath.

In past years of the Lotus Festival when they rowed out on the lake, their boat had been tilted toward Jiujiu, who used to be much bigger than Jin Ling. Now the boat was level, and yet Jiujiu still scolded him like he was small.

A second basket of lotus pods slid toward Jin Ling with a scraping sound.

“Are you eating them or not?” Jiujiu said irritably.

And Jiujiu also still gave Jin Ling all of the lotus pods he picked.

He’d be angry if Jin Ling didn’t accept them, so he pulled out a stem and popped a few seeds to eat right away. “Wei-shishu told me,” he said between chews, “that there’s a story about the lotus flower.”

Jiujiu rolled his eyes. “Tch. Of course he did.”

"...Do you know it?”

“Why me? Let Wei Wuxian tell you. He’s always making up some story.”

Jin Ling scuffed his feet on the bottom of the wooden boat, setting his lips into a small, frustrated pout.

Fortunately, he’d learned a few ways to get Jiujiu to do what he wanted.

“Fine.” He crossed his arms. “Wei-shishu did say that you wouldn’t be able to tell the story anyway, and he’d have to do it himself.”

“Can’t tell a story about a flower?” Jiujiu’s jaw tightened. “I’ll tell you right now.”

Jin Ling bit back his eager smile and set his gaze upon the pink lotus blossoms in the lake.

"It's called 'The Lotus Flower and the Dragon King,'" he said with his usual stentorian tone. But his voice soon softened. “There was a daughter of a blind beggar, who gave herself in marriage to the Dragon King in exchange for saving her father. The Dragon King took her under the sea, and she could no longer see her only family.”

Jin Ling stopped eating, and set down the lotus pod.

“The blind man was not saved in the end, for he missed her too greatly.” Jiujiu rested his hands on his knees and gently dug his fingertips into them. “And she missed him too. So the Dragon King let her come back to the water’s surface as a lotus flower.”

The sun shined a bit brighter on the lotus flowers in the lake, their pink petals reaching to the sky as if waving.

“Did she ever see her father?” Jin Ling asked.

“Yes,” Jiujiu said slowly. “An emperor picked the lotus flower. She turned human again and became his wife. At their wedding, she invited all the blind men in the nation, and there she was able to find her father.”

Jin Ling eyed the lotus blossoms that were mixed with the seed pods in the baskets, half-expecting one of them to grow into a maiden. “That’s a happy story,” he said.

Jiujiu stared at him.

Jin Ling shrank a little.

“The ending is happy,” Jiujiu finally said. He turned his face toward the lake. “The middle is not.”

“Oh.”

Water sloshed against their boat. Voices from the pier carried across the lake, distant and hollow, but cheerful.

After a while, Jiujiu reached across the center of the boat and hesitantly picked a lotus flower from one of the baskets at Jin Ling’s feet. “Um. You—you see, uh. The lotus is one of the purest flowers.” He held the blossom in the air between them.

He dipped his other hand into the lake, drew it up and flicked water onto the flower. The droplets beaded—almost hovered—on the petals, rolling across the smooth surface, as if the flower could not be wetted. “See, it can even clean itself.”

Jin Ling leaned forward. “Wow, no wonder they can grow so well.”

Something bright and peculiar appeared in Jiujiu’s eyes as he looked at Jin Ling. The corners of his mouth twitched.

He placed the flower in the lake and raised himself back into his seat. “They grow from the dirtiest mud, but they are unstained. Even their roots are white.”

Jin Ling rubbed his thumb along the edge of the basket. “Well, what’s so special about that?” He sat up straighter. “If all of them are pure, then I want to find a dirty one. That would be more special.”

“I’ll throw you in the lake, and then you’ll have a dirty one,” Jiujiu spat.

Jin Ling clenched his eyes shut and braced himself, gripping the sides of the boat, but Jiujiu never came to throw him. He remained as motionless as the dark water.

“Well, let’s see if you can find a dirty one, then,” Jiujiu said after a while, and began rowing the boat across the lake. “Teach you a lesson about wasting your time like an imbecile, since you don’t seem to have learned yet.”

“Jiujiu!”

“Be quiet! I don’t see you rowing!”

Jin Ling wrinkled his nose and picked up an oar.

They rowed to a part of the lake that Jin Ling had never visited before. Jiujiu glanced around at the scenery more than usual, as if even he had not explored this area. They let the boat come to rest in a marshy patch near a small island. A tangle of weeds, grasses, and lotus plants stretched out of the water, their stems green and yellow in the hazy sunlight.

“Look!” Jin Ling pointed into the mess of plants.

Jiujiu furrowed his brow and leaned over. “You actually found one? Don’t play games.”

“No, I found something else!”

Hidden within the weeds was a lotus with two flowers on the same stem.

“A bingdi lotus,” Jiujiu said, a hint of awe in his voice. “A good luck symbol. I’ve never seen one in the lake.”

They rowed closer.

Jin Ling reached out to—

“A-Ling!”

He snapped his hand back into his chest. “What?”

“Don’t pick it.” Jiujiu said, his eyes never leaving the bingdi lotus.

"Why?"

“They…ah…” Jiujiu’s hands clasped the side of the boat, then relaxed. “They symbolize love. The…lasting union of a couple.”

“Then why shouldn’t we pick it?”

Jiujiu was silent for a long time.

Jin Ling trailed a finger in the water, sending ripples toward the lotus.

“They’re only visiting us,” Jiujiu said at last.

“Visiting…”

They both gazed at the lotus.

The two blossoms appeared to both face each other and lie back-to-back at the same time, swaying together as if dancing to a song that had long since ended. Their petals curved upward on each side of the stem like a smile.

Two blossoms of love and union.

A maiden rising from the water’s depths to see them again, and her partner who would stay by her side always. Rocking back and forth with a breeze that had already left this side of the lake.

“I want them to come home with me,” Jin Ling said quietly.

A shaky sigh left Jiujiu’s lips. “They need to be left with their roots in the mud.”

Jin Ling ran his hand through the water with larger strokes, now flicking tiny splashes toward the plants. “That wasn’t a very good story after all.”

“I did say the ending was happy.”

“How?”

When no answer came, Jin Ling turned his head to find Jiujiu looking at him, that same unusual bright shimmer in his eyes.

“They left behind a lotus so dirty, it finds mud to stick its feet in no matter where you take it.”

“H-Hey!”

Jiujiu smirked and picked up an oar. He took one last, long glance at the bingdi flower and rowed them to the pier.

He let Jin Ling rest and face the back of the boat.

Jin Ling sat on the floor, his elbows propped on the seat with his chin in his hands.

He watched the two lotus blossoms fade in the distance as Jiujiu carried him forward.

* * *

Part 2 of “The Flowers That Grew From Our Ruins.” This short story and two others (fourth one is still coming) about different characters can be found on AO3. You know, if you’re into that.

< Part 1: The Spring Orchid (Songxiao)

#mdzs fanfiction #the untamed fanfiction #mdzsnet #jiang cheng #jin ling #mdzs fanfic #the untamed fanfic #mdzs #the untamed #cql #cql fanfic #emilu fics #emilu creations

[uzunofu]

I looked through the chapters with the incidents you mentioned in this post, @crossdressingdeath. Brace yourself, it will be a long post.

First, "the one time [JYL] claims WWX as family (something which as far as I recall she does at no point before or after, certainly not where other people might hear) is also the one time where not doing so might negatively affect her".

She says it three times during that scene. The first two are in relation to her demand for Jin Zixun to apologize.

"A-Xian is a disciple of the YunmengJiang Sect. He grew up with my brother and I, and so he’s as close as a brother is to me. Calling him the ‘son of a servant’—I’m sorry, but I won’t accept this."

...

Jiang YanLi’s voice was soft, “Madam, A-Xian is my younger brother. Him being humiliated by others, to me, isn’t just a small matter.”

The third time:

Madam Jin raised her brows, looking Wei WuXian up and down. Her gaze was somewhat cautious, as if she was feeling displeased, “A young man and a young woman—you two can’t stick together all the time if nobody else is present.”

Jiang YanLi, “A-Xian is my younger brother.”

— ch. 70

To me, this last one sounds like a politely incredulous, "I just told you he's my brother and you're still insisting on this?" It's not a "no-no-no, it's not like that!", it's a "are you being serious right now?"

You are right in that she never does it before or after, but in this particular scene it's not about saving face.

You are also right in that she drops her demand for an apology, but JZxun literally stormed away, and then there was the Epic Confession from JZX and things got derailed. Did it seem like sweeping things under the rug at WWX's expense? Well, yes. But also, would it have done him any favors if she kept at it? I really don't know. It could've made things better, it could've made them worse.

Then, "stealing food from a guy who grew up STARVING ON THE STREETS even though JC had almost certainly already eaten".

“Fooling around again! Your sect leader, I, has already poured you a bowl and put it outside. Kneel for me to express your gratitude and go drink your soup outside.”

Wei WuXian skipped outside before he turned around and came back, “What do you mean by this, Jiang Cheng? Where’s the meat?”

Jiang Cheng, “Finished it. There’s only lotus roots left. Don’t eat them if you don’t want to.”

Wei WuXian attacked with his elbow, “Spit out the meat!”

Jiang Cheng, “No objections. I’ll spit them out and let’s see if you’ll eat them!”

Seeing that they started to argue again, Jiang YanLi quickly interrupted, “Okay, okay. How old are you two, fighting over some meat? I’ll just make another jar…”

— ch. 71

WWX doesn't generally seem food-conscious. This is reiterated later on in this chapter when the narrative mentions that when he first came to Lotus Pier, he was careful not to take too much or draw too much attention because he was afraid to be judged a burden. It's possible to read it as a confirmation: see, the soup incident several paragraphs earlier was serious for WWX even though neither JC nor JYL realized it. But I'm reading this in the opposite way: WWX used to be like that but not anymore. I also can't help but remember Xie Lian eating a steamed bun he picked up from the ground and saying that it's edible, it's still good, why waste food? We never see stuff like that from WWX.

JYL here doesn't take JC's side. In fact, she doesn't take anyone's side, she just wants them to stop bickering. Again, it's possible to say that JC is in the wrong here and WWX is in the right, so her not taking a side means silent agreement with JC. But really, I just don't think it's that serious.

A few chapters later, during LWJ's visit to the Burial Mounds, Wen Qing carelessly sweeps away WWX's things to clear a seat for LWJ. WWX goes, "Hey!", and Wen Qing also doesn't take him seriously. But no one tries to point at her and go, "See, she doesn't respect WWX, and she never apologizes for that." It's banter. Later on, it stops being banter between WWX and JC, but at this point, it's just shenanigans.

Then, the incident with the dogs and the tree:

Seeing how worried he seemed, Wei WuXian took the initiative, “Relax. I won’t tell Uncle Jiang. I only hurt myself because I suddenly wanted to climb a tree last night.”

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng sighed in relief. He swore, “You can relax as well. Anytime I see a dog, I’ll chase it away for you!”

Seeing how the two finally made up with each other, Jiang YanLi cheered, “That’s the spirit.”

— ch. 71

She is happy because they made up and because this exchange seems like a tentative start to a friendship: "I'll cover for you" returned with "I'll protect you from your fears". Yes, JC used that fear against him in the first place — but he apologized and promised to make up for it. WWX falling from a tree wasn't directly JC's fault anyway; he didn't chase him up that tree and then push him down so that he'd get injured, he only told him to stay out of their room. It was a childish tantrum that led to unfortunate consequences. Not many children would willingly admit to a wrongdoing.

I also want to note that we don't actually learn WWX's leg was broken in this chapter. JYL says it isn't broken, it's probably not even fractured, and later on it's mentioned that the doctor cleaned and bandaged their injuries, but her assumption of his leg not being broken isn't refuted. We only get confirmation that it really was broken in chapter 87 when he shares this story with LWJ.

Finally, "JYL gets upset at WWX for breaking [JC's] arm".

Jiang YanLi, however, noticed [Wen Ning's] awkwardness. She asked him a couple of things and began to chat with Wen Ning outside. Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng stood in the yard.

[...]

After he drank a mouthful, Jiang Cheng spoke, “How’s your wound from last time?”

Wei WuXian, “It healed a long time ago.”

Jiang Cheng, “Mn.” With a pause, he continued, “How many days?”

Wei WuXian, “Less than seven. I told you before. With Wen Qing, it was nothing difficult. But you really did fucking stab me.”

Jiang Cheng ate a piece of lotus root, “You were the one who smashed my arm first. You took seven days, while I had to hang my arm up for an entire month.”

Wei WuXian grinned, “How could it seem realistic if it wasn’t hard enough? It was your left hand anyways. It didn’t hinder you from writing. It takes a hundred days to heal a wound to the bone. It wouldn’t be too much even if you hung it up for three months.”

— ch. 75

So: she wasn't even present during that conversation. After this, they part ways.

JYL doesn't really seem to have much of a role in WWX's life apart from comforting him and being placed on a pedestal. She mostly comes off as lacking because of the obvious comparison to Wen Ning. Even though he is just as gentle, he also stands up for WWX during the golden core reveal and does it spectacularly. JYL wields her social position, Wen Ning wields his physically indestructible nature (JC lashes him with Zidian, but since Wen Ning is a corpse, he can just keep talking). The circumstances, however, are different. Wen Ning has years of resentment built up, both for himself and for WWX, but to JYL Jin Zixun is a non-entity. The golden core reveal takes place in private and whether Wen Ning keeps going or stops, it can't make things any worse, but the Phoenix Mountain scene is a public almost-scandal and had she insisted, it could've gone two ways: either people back down because WWX has someone in his corner (unlikely, because JYL is a woman and JC, his sect leader, isn't in his corner) and admit that he didn't break any hard rules, or they use this as further ammunition against him.

I think WWX was right in the falling-from-a-tree-into-LWJ's-arms scene: JYL wasn't strong enough, so could she have caught him?

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #jiang yanli #jiang cheng

[somuchnonsense]

October Drabbles

Previous drabbles

26. Garden          (post-canon Wangxian featuring bunnies)

Wei Wuxian doesn’t have a farm yet, but he does have a garden on the back hill in Cloud Recesses. “Why here?” Lan Wangji asked him when he started planting. “The rabbits will eat everything.”

“I don’t mind if my hard work goes to feeding the rabbits,” Wei Wuxian responded, grinning. “Besides, I’m not here consistently enough to tend to it and harvest things when they’re ready. At least this way, someone will enjoy the fruits—or vegetables, I suppose—of my labor. And maybe then they’ll love me like they love you.”

Lan Wangji smiled, petting one of the rabbits as they both curiously watched Wei Wuxian work. “I’m sure they will.”

It’s debatable, a few months later, whether the rabbits love Wei Wuxian any more than before, but they do love Wei Wuxian’s garden, and Lan Wangji loves watching him kneeling in the dirt, celebrating the first shoots of a new plant or complaining when the rabbits ate one before it even had a chance to grow. He looks so happy, so comfortable, so relaxed, not the fearsome Yiling Laozu or the brilliant cultivator Wei Wuxian with his ever-active mind, but just an ordinary young man, content with his simple life, with no fears and no painful memories weighing on him.

“What’s that look for?” Wei Wuxian asks, eyeing Lan Wangji with a freshly pulled carrot in his hand. There’s dirt on his cheek and a sparkle in his eyes.

Lan Wangji says nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself, but Wei Wuxian smiles like perhaps he knows anyway, and cheerfully turns back to his garden.

27. Serendipity          (Wei Wuxian canon gen/character study)

It would be easy to think that Wei Wuxian has bad luck. He lost his parents young, and then the people who took him in when he was alone. He lost his adopted sister, and the people who lived with him like family for a year. He lost his golden core and the trust and respect of his peers, and the love of his adopted brother. He lost his home, and the one he found to replace it. And after all of that, he lost his life too soon.

But if you ask Wei Wuxian, he’ll tell you he’s lucky. He lost his parents, but then he was taken in by a new family. Sure, they weren’t perfect, but they saved him from a lonely life on the streets and they loved him, mostly. He lost them too, though not all at once, but then he had the Wens to care about him. That didn’t last, but he got Wen Ning and Sizhui back, at least, and he has the other junior disciples who are ready to fight for him, and Lan Wangji, of course. As much as he’s lost, he’s also been loved by many people, and isn’t that lucky?

As for the rest, well, the loss of his golden core was a fair trade for Jiang Cheng’s life, and it led him to abilities that helped avenge the Jiang Sect and defeat Wen Ruohan and later Jin Guangyao. He’s not the strong cultivator he was as a teenager, but he’s found new ways to be strong and fight the battles he needs to fight. He’s also blazed a new path and invented new things and made a name for himself, in his own way. Isn’t that lucky?

And yes, he died once, painfully, but that’s over and done with and he got a second chance at life. In his second life, he’s fallen in love, made new friends, done some good in the world, and at least done a little to make up for his past mistakes. So few people get a chance like that, including many who are much more deserving than him, so in the final sum, isn’t he lucky?

28. Drunk Confessions          (junior quartet gen)

It started with a few bottles of wine and Zizhen declaring that true friends share their secrets with each other, but nobody could have imagined that it would end like this.

"You're what?" Jin Ling asks, his voice low and strained.

"You're what?!" Jingyi echoes in a loud squawk.

"I'm a Wen," Sizhui repeats, his nervous expression belying his calm voice.

"You never told me!" Jingyi's voice is still far too loud, his expression almost comically betrayed. "How could I not know that?"

"You knew Hanguang-Jun took me in," Sizhui points out.

"Yes, but I thought your parents were Lan cultivators who died back then, or at least non-cultivators from Gusu. Not...Wens." Jingyi grimaces, but wipes the expression of his face when he sees Sizhui's face fall.

“Sizhui is still the same person, right?" Zizhen puts in. "And we know Wen Ning's a nice guy. It's not like all Wens are bad."

"Right," Jingyi firmly agrees. "But I can't believe you didn’t tell me sooner!”

"I didn't know until recently. After meeting Wei-qianbei and Wen Ning, some memories came back." Sizhui finishes the drink in front of him, getting some liquid courage before he looks at the conspicuously silent Jin Ling. "I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I hope this doesn't change anything between us."

Jin Ling clenches his fist on the table, brow furrowed, and for a long, tense moment, the whole group is silent. Finally, he sighs exasperatedly and says, "Well, it's far from the worst secret I've heard about someone I knew. Do you two at least not have any dark secrets?" He waves his cup and Jingyi and Zizhen.

"None, I promise," Zizhen declares.

"If I do, I don't know them myself," Jingyi says.

"I've met his parents," Sizhui interjects. "They're nice, normal Lan cultivators for several generations back."

"Good," Jin Ling says. To Sizhui, he adds, "For this, you can at least buy us another bottle or two of wine."

Sizhui smiles brightly, getting to his feet. "Right away."

29. Cars          (modern AU Wangxian featuring the Jiang sibs)

Jiang Cheng says Wei Ying drives like a maniac. Wei Ying says Jiang Cheng is a wimp and also boring and besides, he doesn’t go any faster than he can safely drive, but he does always slow down when he sees Jiang Cheng’s knuckles turning white.

“You’d better drive more carefully on your date with Lan Zhan,” Jiang Cheng tells him. “He probably drives perfectly the speed limit and obeys every traffic law to the letter. He won’t be able to deal with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Wei Ying insists. “And it’s not a date!”

“Just don’t rush,” Yanli says. “You’ll have more time with Lan Zhan that way. And I’m pretty sure it is a date.”

“Not you too,” Wei Ying whines.

Later, though, when he picks Lan Zhan up and sees him looking very dashing even though he’s in what passes for casual clothes with him, Wei Ying has to admit that okay, yes, he wants it to be a date, and sure, okay, he wants to impress Lan Zhan, or at least not scare him away by driving too wildly. He forces himself to go only a little above the speed limit as he drives to the cafe where they’re going to study together, and Lan Zhan doesn’t complain or grab the panic handle like Jiang Cheng does.

On the way home, though, after endless hours of Lan Zhan sitting across from him looking casually hot but looking at his textbook or talking about economics instead of kissing Wei Ying, he forgets himself and drives as usual. Lan Zhan doesn’t say anything, so Wei Ying doesn’t realize what he’s doing until he stops in front of Lan Zhan’s building and sees him looking suspiciously paler than usual, his hand still gripping the door handle. “Oh, uh, Lan Zhan…you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lan Zhan says tightly.

“Say, um…” Wei Ying feels bad and all, but he’s spent hours not kissing Lan Zhan and wishing this was a date and he just has to know if maybe it was, or at least could be. He unbuckles his seatbelt, turns in his seat and presses his lips to Lan Zhan’s. He’s not expecting to promptly get pulled into Lan Zhan’s lap, but he’s definitely not complaining, especially when it’s followed up with a whole lot more kissing.

They only stop when someone honks and Wei Ying realizes he didn’t pick the best parking spot for making out. “So,” he says, grinning shamelessly as he moves back into the driver’s seat, “let’s go out on another date some time soon?”

“All right,” Lan Zhan agrees without hesitation. He’s not smiling, but he is eyeing Wei Ying in a way that he really likes. “But next time, I’ll drive.”

30. Dessert          (modern AU Wangxian, just a tiny bit NSFW)

The first time Wei Ying sees Lan Zhan in a cafe daintily eating whipped cream off the top of a parfait, he can’t believe his eyes. There’s something so unexpected about strong, serious, stoic, ever-responsible Lan Zhan enjoying any kind of dessert, let alone the same kind Wei Ying’s sister and her friends love—unexpected and adorable.

“Wow, Lan Zhan! I had you pegged for the health food 24/7 type,” Wei Ying says, sneaking up on him from behind. He’s obviously trying to surprise Lan Zhan, but he doesn’t expect it to actually work, so he’s thrilled when it makes Lan Zhan jump and then turn a glare on him. “Hey, no judgment. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying something sweet.” The temptation to stick his finger in the whipped cream and dab some onto Lan Zhan’s nose is so strong, but Wei Ying doesn’t want to die today, so he restrains himself.

It takes nearly a year after that encounter for them to start dating, though Wei Ying does manage to put whipped cream on Lan Zhan’s face twice before that. (Maybe he should have guessed that Lan Zhan liked him, despite never mentioning it, by how he didn’t murder Wei Ying for doing that.) It takes another five months after they get together for Wei Ying to convince Lan Zhan that whipped cream will also be delicious when licked off his body, but oh, is it worth it.

31. Trick or Treat          (modern cultivation AU, A-Yuan and Wangxian)

    “I want to go as Uncle Wen!” A-Yuan declares.     Wei Wuxian blinks at him, turns and blinks at Lan Wangji, and then starts to laugh. “I mean, I think a ghost or a vampire or a cat or something is more typical, but sure, you can go as a fierce corpse.”     “Not a fierce corpse!” A-Yuan protests. “Uncle Wen!”     Lan Wangji gives Wei Wuxian his patented You are not treating this child as he should be treated look. “Yes, of course,” Wei Wuxian amends. “We’ll find you the best Wen Ning costume anyone has ever had.”    “Can Uncle Wen come with me?” A-Yuan asks.    Wen Ning won’t do well with crowds or a sugar high A-Yuan, but on the other hand, he’ll blend in on Halloween in a way he usually can’t. “We’ll all come with you,” Lan Wangji tells him.    “Yay!” A-Yuan jumps up and down in excitement. “What will you be? Ooh, I know! You should be a bunny.” He gestures at Lan Wangji, and then to Wei Wuxian, “And you should be a carrot.”    “A carrot?” Wei Wuxian grimaces. “Come on, between the two of us, don’t I look more like a bunny?”    “At least he didn’t say a donkey.” Lan Wangji keeps his voice low, and before A-Yuan can demand that he repeat it, says, “Those are excellent choices.”    “You’re so mean to me,” Wei Wuxian whines, but that doesn’t stop him from going out on Halloween evening in a big carrot costume, hand in hand with rabbit Lan Wangji, with mini Wen Ning skipping on ahead of them and actual Wen Ning looking fondly on.

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs #cql #the untamed #mdzs fic #cql fanfic #the untamed fic #wangxian #wangxian fic #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan sizhui #jin ling #lan jingyi #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #mine #fic #flufftober

[eldritch-elrics]

the untamed: in which things get WORSE and the show gets BETTER

i’m fucking losing it

alright let’s start from the beginning and be thorough about it

this is gonna be long sorry but SO MANY THOUGHTS HEAD FULL

1. wei wuxian keeps doing this thing where he enters an Important Meeting extremely late, says something either cryptic or disruptive, and then fucking leaves. he’s done this at LEAST five times. he needs to stop. please bro

ALSO the number of people who have gone “wei wuxian please use your sword and not evil magic” and he’s just like “no <3” and leaves. this man thinks a dramatic exit solves everything. god

i am just LOVING the rising tension. even when it feels like everything’s okay, even when there’s a lull in the action, there’s still shit that’s bad and you can feel it

the way you can feel the characters changing. wwx doubling down and getting more stubborn and irritating but often for all the right reasons. lwj beginning to question his clan’s rigid good/evil dichotomy. fucking brilliant

wwx: hey yanli why do people like each other? no i don’t have a crush why do you ask

sibling moments. they’re good.

very excited to see the archery competition! i was wondering where that went

wwx fucking flexing his archery this man gives zero shits ever

he’s also a fucking CHEATER

not to agree with jin zixun on something but this is an archery competition he needs to stop cheating with dark magic

(he also needs to stop wandering off and getting drunk like i love you bro but please. please you’re stressing your brother out so much already)

“i once thought of you as my lifelong confidant” “i still am” gay people.

okay listen jin zixuan isn’t even that bad. he’s just super awkward and really bad at saying what he means!! the scene where he’s squirming over telling yanli that he invited her was really cute tbh

that scene was so fucking intense bro like

YANLI SAVAGE MOMENTS...

she really went OFF

the drama of it all!!!!!! god it’s like embarrassing to watch

poor jiang cheng. holy shit

the scene where wwx and wen qing meet in the middle of the street? PURE cinema. i’m sorry for insulting this show’s editing that had me screaming

lwj wants to take “someone” back to cloud recesses and hide him there huh??

okay legit this whole sequence is the reason why the plot and pacing of the untamed is so much better than the donghua. like you actually SEE how wwx got where he is. the progression. the rising tension. it’s fucking beautiful

“do you know a person called wen ning” i gasped

the banquet? wwx’s dramatic entrance? he was about to fucking murder jin zixun? i was on the edge of my seat this ENTIRE episode

the tension is so well done all of these scenes are VISCERALLY uncomfortable and you can feel the peace wearing thin.....

i swear i’m not just saying this because wen ning is my favorite character but that episode was absolutely one of the best ones yet. top fucking tier

the transition from the super fancy clean banquet to the mucky rainy camp...

searching for wen ning!! questioning the guards!! they really milked this scene for all it’s worth... the pacing was so good ughhhh

when wen ning crashes in. oh man

LWJ AND HIS UMBRELLA

the emotions.

“you don’t see them as people”

when wen ning screams and the rain stops...

the donghua scene was nice and dramatic and all that but here is an example of a scene that is MUCH better in the drama

saving wen ning is the point of no return for wei wuxian and i love that so much

we can see how everything’s been wearing him down and finally he snaps and he’s like fuck the rules. fuck “orthodoxy” if it’s gonna be like THIS

the way this show just.... calls out how the true evil is those who hurt innocent people

wwx is like hell yeah i’ll be the bad guy if it means i can save the people i care about

i love him and i love his character arc

i’m so excited to see more

#the untamed #mdzs #my post #long post #i have so many emotions. i will not apologize for the extremely long post #finn watches the gay flute necromancy shows

[this-solaris-life]

😍 88. “I know how this goes. First you buy me a drink, then you tell me how pretty I look, and then, at the end of the night, you ask for my number.” for SangYu or maybe SangCheng?

Oh! This one is so much fun to write! This is set in my Walking into Your Heart AU; Huaisang is the co-owner of The Butchers homestyle farmhouse restaurant and Mo Xuanyu is a former professional designer turned artist. I hope you enjoy it!

Tonight was supposed to be about hanging out together and getting a bite to eat. The three of them finally able to spend some time together without their families or work getting in the way. However, Huaisang had lost focus the moment the beautiful man had stepped into the restaurant taking a seat at the bar. His long black hair braided to the side on his shoulder. The man had taken off a leather moto jacket to reveal a black chiffon long sleeved shirt with an orange and yellow peony print tucked into black pants that showed off his legs. The chunky high heeled booties that he knew would make him even more taller than him.

Once in his seat he’d pulled a tablet with a stylus out of his messenger bag. He was wondering what the man was going to order when he heard some snickering followed by Wei Wuxian speaking up.

“You should just put yourself out of your misery, Nie-xiong and go over there and say hi.” Wei Wuxian grinned as he reached over the table to grab one of Jiang Cheng’s spicy loaded kettle chips.

“Why would I do that?” Huaisang asked, willing his face not to blush that splotchy mess he’s known for. Judging from the smiles and knowing looks from his three best friends, he had failed.

“You have been staring, A-Sang.’ Wing Ning stated sheepishly.

“I don’t think you should.” Jiang Cheng said noticing that his blush had deepened more.

“Only because you wouldn’t.” Wei Wuxian teased reaching to steal another chip but his hand got smacked by his brother.

“Guys, don’t fight.” Wen Ning asked.

“We aren’t fighting. We are encouraging our beloved A-Sang to step out and ask that pretty boy over there out or better yet…” Wei Wuxian chuckled, waving his hand in dismissal of Wen Ning’s request.

He could not believe he was doing this. Huaisang swallowed as he approached the bar. His hands shaking from nerves. Approaching someone isn’t something that he did. Between his brother and him being so focused on the business he’d never tried to date. So, this was bnew territory for him. He came to a stop beside the man waving for the bartender. His eyes noting the peach margarita the man was sipping on as he worked on what looked like a wedding hall for a graphic novel.

Mo Xuanyu inwardly sighed when he saw the man that had been staring at him approach out of the corner of his eye. Despite the man being good looking and a few inches shorter than him when he’s not wearing these heels, Xuanyu wasn’t interested in hooking up. Been there. Done that and he was over it. He’d been burned one too many times.

Judging by the look on the other’s face that’s probably what he was after. People usually only saw him at face value and wasn’t that a shame? Plus, He knew that he shouldn’t have worn this outfit out of the studio, but Mianmian had made him stay later taking more shots for her portfolio. Now, he was hungry and hoped to have been left in peace.

He carefully sat down his stylus as he turned to the man. A thin forced smile spreading across his face. “Look, before you even start. I already know how this is going to go. First you buy me another drink, then you tell me how pretty I look, might ask my name, and then, at the end of whatever pointless conversation you start, you ask for my number. I’m going to save you the time and energy and let you know I’m not going to give either to you.” Xuanyu stated firmly wanting the guy to understand his stance.

The guy had the audacity to look stunned for a moment before his face broke out in a uneven blush that would be cute at another time. Those hazel eyes narrowing at him. His chin lifting slightly in defiance of the accusation. “Well, actually this is how it was going to go. My name is Nie Huaisang.” He stated keeping his voice even and kind, then turned to the wide eyed bartender that had witnessed Xuanyu’s greeting “I would like a strawberry daiquiri.” The bartender nodded going to make his drink. His earthly colored eyes turning to meet Xuanyu’s again, “And I was going to try and get to know you a little bit about before I gave you my number. But I see now that was a mistake too. I will leave you alone.” He leaned into the bar talking to the bartender, “Please, send that to the table that ordered the emperor’s smile on the rocks.”

This time it was Xuanyu who was stunned speechless. He hadn’t expected that. His eyes trailed after him watching him join his friends. One of them making a dramatic show of being disappointed but Huaisang had waved it off. Then the dramatic one had turned his focus on the one across from with the long hair in a ponytail braid. Xuanyu turned back around in his seat.

“Hey, make my order to go.” He told the other bartender reaching into his back to grab sticky note.

“One strawberry daiquiri!” the waitress said approaching the table.

“That’d be me.” Huaisang stated without looking as he lifted his hand.

“What’s that?” Wei Wuxian asked pointing to the half folded piece of paper speared on the decorative toothpick in the strawberry chunk in his drink. Huaisang quickly got it before Wei Wuxian. He unfolded it , feeling himself start to smile stuffing the note in his pocket. Despite the teasing from the other’s to tell them what it said. He could only shake his head. Xuanyu’s number was his secret he’d keep to himself.

#sangyu #walking right into your heart au #i hope you like it!

[uweiy]

They were roommates part. 11

"Oh god I'm never drinking again" Jiang Cheng groaned. His head was throbbing, as if someone had been using it as a drum the whole night long. The single lightray that managed to pierce through the curtain was killing him.

Once the ache had faded into more of a dull pain, his memories from the previous day came flooding back.

"Oh god" Jiāng Cheng repeated.

The problem was, Xichen still didn't actually KNOW. What Jiang Cheng had almost blurted out under the helpful influence of alcohol was now increasingly terrifying him.

He was beginning to panic, not knowing how he was supposed to face Xichen anymore. Thankfully the other had gone home for the weekend for "Pressing family matters" he had said.

Jiang Cheng did the only rational thing he could think of.

His feet automatically took him to his brother's door. He knocked, softly for once.

The door opened with a creak, revealing... to call it chaos would have been an understatement. The room looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages, piles of leftovers, socks and clothes all over the floor. Dust flakes were visible where a few stray sunlights managed to penetrate the room. It also smelled strongly like caged wild animals. Two literal corpses were visible on their respective beds, feet sticking out at weird angles.

Jiang Cheng closed the door. He went back to his room and sat on the bed for a solid five minutes. Then he took out his phone and texted Wei Wuxian.

To : Wei Wuxian

Hey

Tell me when you're awake.

Idk what to do

Then he threw his phone on his pillow and slumped face down on the mattress.

About three hours later, his phone buzzed.

Wwx : ???

Wwx : I'm coming

That's how Jiāng Cheng found himself seated in front of Wei Wuxian, who was sitting backwards on HIS chair and scrutinizing his face in detail.

Now that he was there, Jiang Cheng didn't know what to say. Somehow "I'm in love with my roommate who I have to share a close space with for the rest of the year and I don't fucking know if my heart can take it" didn't sound like something one could admit.

A hand waved before his eyes "Jiang Cheng. Staring makes me uncomfortable. Especially with a towering gaze like that. Give your big bro something to work with instead !"

"Nothing happened ! I just ... yesterday uh I...might.."

"Like Lan Xichen ? Very much ?" Wei Wuxian smirked, putting an end to Jiāng Cheng's suffering.

Jiang Cheng glared at him. But he couldn't beat around the bush forever. "...yeah"

"I hecking called it !"

Both their heads snapped up towards the door, where that muffled but clearly audible sentence had come from.

"GO AWAY HUAISANG" they shouted at the door in unison.

"okay okay"Then they heard steps, and a more distant "I. Friggin called it !!"

Wei Wuxian shook his head "tsk tsk. So where were we. Ah right you have feelin-"

Jiang Cheng groaned

"For Lan Xich-"

"UGH"

Wei Wuxian sighed. "Lord help me. Okay, why don't you just tell me what your problem is."

"I don't know what to do ! Am I supposed to bring him fucking croissants every morning ? Paint hearts on the windows ? Become this amazing selfless main character-type person ? Because I don't know if I can do this kind of ... Stuff. But he deserves someone who does that for him, he deserves-"

"Hey." Wei Wuxian put an arm around Jiāng Cheng shoulders."you worry too much. If Xichen likes you, he likes you for who you are."

Wouldn't that be a first, Jiāng Cheng thougt.

Wei Wuxian continued "I think you're skipping steps though. How about you just tell him first ?"

Jiang Cheng frowned "Why would I do that." Ignoring it forever seemed like a perfectly reasonable solution.

"Why would I –??" Wei Wuxian incredulously air quoted him

"Listen. It's not like I have a ton of experience but... I was so sure Lan Zhan couldn't like me back that I didn't even try. Turns out, he actually thought the same and we could've saved a lot of time... if either of us had just said anything."

Jiang Cheng looked down, pressing his thumb between his knuckles "what if he doesn't ... ?"

"Feel the same ?" Wei Wuxian completed."

I don't know. But if it helps... I've seen the way he looks at you too."

After Wei Wuxian left, Jiāng Cheng tossed and turned on his bed, replaying their conversation in his head.

He fumbled for his phone.

To : Wei Wuxian

Clean your fucking room

Satisfied, he went back to work.

___

Monday came soon enough. Jiāng Cheng was even surprised to find Xichen in the room when he came back from his morning shower. However he was just... standing motionless in front of his desk.

"Did your books offend you or something ?" Jiang Cheng frowned.

"My family wants me to go back home"

"What ?"

"I must return to my duties". His words sounded hollow, as if he was repeating what somebody else had told him.

Jiang Cheng's flace must have displayed a puzzled expression, seeing how Xichen clarified "The family elders want me me to resume my philosophy studies. I pleaded with them to allow me to learn music but... they changed their minds, it seems"

Jiāng Cheng swallowed the forming lump in his throat "But... You still have to go to school right ?

"I shall recieve private instruction from the most eminent experts in the country" Xichen recited in that hollow tone again.

He looked at Jiang Cheng like he expected an answer.

Don't go. Jiang Cheng thought. Don't go, don't go, don't–"if it's what your family wants. You should go."

Xichen lowered his eyes. After a while, he let out a strangled, almost inaudible "Okay."

Jiāng Cheng felt sick.

When he came back in the evening, Jiang Cheng opened the door and his stomach twisted painfully. Xichen was packing his bags.

Jiāng Cheng resolutely ignored it and went straight to his desk.

Xichen came back once to take his instruments, then he was gone.

First part//previous/next

Author's note : there's the dramaaaaaaa ! don't hate me please ? :)

I probably won't be ready for Thursday so I'mma say Saturday or smth

#the untamed #xicheng #jiang cheng #lan xichen #roommate AU #omg they were roommates #part. 11 #smh #i'm very late today ugh

[lithalwrites]

Sometimes, Life is a Romcom

Chapter 2

As five o’clock approached, Wei Ying grabbed his backpack and headed to the library. Thanks to another email from Lan Zhan, he knew what his partner was wearing, so he wouldn’t be completely clueless about who he was looking for.

He got there a few minutes after five, and it didn’t take long for him to spot the cream-coloured turtleneck and black jeans that had been described for him in the email. As he approached, Wei Ying felt himself start to grin. It was the guy from that morning’s lecture: one row ahead, two seats to the right. He had already pulled out a sleek laptop, a notebook, and a pen.

“Hey!” Wei Ying greeted enthusiastically, dropping his bag on the floor and himself on the chair across from Lan Zhan.

“Hello,” Lan Zhan replied. Wei Ying took a good look at his history project partner. Lan Zhan was, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen. He had an aura of elegance around him, which seemed made it feel like he would fit right in in a period drama, dressed in flowing robes, sword in hand. His face was quite expressionless; he had not smiled in response to Wei Ying’s own grin.

“I’m Wei Ying. Nice to meet you,” Wei Ying said, grinning even more widely. He had a feeling he would have a lot of fun with Lan Zhan.

“Likewise,” Lan Zhan replied, face still neutral.

“Alright,” Wei Ying said. “I have to admit I didn’t actually read the instructions, but I figured you’d fill me in.”

That finally prompted a reaction from Lan Zhan: a rather forceful glare that made Wei Ying blink, words dying on his tongue. “Or, I’ll just read it right now. Give me a minute,” he said, pulling out his laptop. He skimmed through them, tapping his finger on the table as he read. The feeling of being watched made him look up at Lan Zhan, whose gaze slid once to his tapping finger, and then back. “Er,” Wei Ying said, forcing himself to stop tapping. He finished reading, and then whistled. “These instructions are somehow very detailed, and very vague at the same time. What the fuck? First thing we have to do is pick a topic, I guess. You got anything in mind?” he asked.

Lan Zhan slid his notebook over to him, and Wei Ying looked at a list of topics, complete with pros and cons of doing each topic. There were fifteen items on the list. “Damn. You’ve put a lot of thought into this already. It’s been less than twelve hours, dude.” Lan Zhan said nothing. Wei Ying scanned the list, drawn to some of them more than others. He hummed. “Do you have any strong preference, or do you want me to pick?”

“The list is numbered,” Lan Zhan replied.

Wei Ying laughed. “Of course. How silly of me. The top five all seem really interesting, but I think I’m leaning towards music and musical instruments in ancient China. That work?”

“Yes.”

Wei Ying honestly couldn’t tell if Lan Zhan had any strong feelings about the topic, either from his face or from his voice. The only reaction he had gotten so far out of him was anger. At least Lan Zhan hadn’t glared at him again. Yet.

“Alright, great. We have a topic. That’s enough work for today, don’t you think?” Ah, that elicited a glare fierce enough to rival the first one. “C’mon, it’s only the first day. I bet we’re way ahead of everyone else in class already. I promise we’ll work on it later this week, yeah?” That did nothing to reduce the intensity of the glare, but Wei Ying refused to give in. He had other schoolwork to do, and despite how not serious Jiang Cheng thought he was about school, he did get things done on time. “I have other assignments I need to finish.”

“Fine,” Lan Zhan finally said, and returned his notebook to his bag. Even his bag was way too elegant for a junior in university.

“Great!” Wei Ying held out his phone, and Lan Zhan stared at it blankly. “Your phone number? So we can text instead of emailing all the time.”

“Email should be sufficient,” Lan Zhan said with a slight frown.

Wei Ying laughed, and then looked at Lan Zhan’s serious face. “Wait, you’re being serious. My dude, nobody has time to check their email all the time. At least, I don’t. I’m sure you answer all your emails within thirty minutes of receiving them. Just give me your number so we can text. Trust me, it’ll be a lot more efficient.”

Perhaps it was the word ‘efficient’ that sealed the deal, because Lan Zhan took his phone, albeit reluctantly, and typed his number into it. “I’ll text you so you can save my number,” Wei Ying said, quickly shooting ‘Young Master Lan’ a text from his phone. It seemed like a fitting contact name for him. Wei Ying was proud that he had thought of it. “Alright. I’ll see you later, then. Or maybe I’ll sit with you in lecture, now that we’re friends.”

At that, Lan Zhan looked almost offended. “We are no such thing.”

Wei Ying laughed, delighted. This was going to be great.

Chapter: One, Two

#mdzs #wangxian #lwj #wwx

[lanzhanhoe]

Wangxian week

Day 2: Fantasy AU

He was caugh, and had no idea what the hell he has done.

Wei Wuxian was an orphan since a really young age, and came from a really poor family, or that’s what he has been told. He couldn't really remember his parents, but he knew they had awesome powers, or he hoped so.

In the kingdom, orphans weren’t really taken care of, and Wei Wuxian, from a family of no ones, was most likely abandoned and had to take care of himself, all alone. This situation led him to not have a proper home, meals or an education.

Because orphan kids were useless, or dangerous, it depends. No one wanted an orphan kid.

But he was a little brave boy, so he steals his food, runs away from mad sellers and hungry dogs, oh he really hates dogs, and never loses his characteristic bright smile and positiveness. And that was how his childhood went on a daily basis.

Until he grew up, and transformed into a troublemaker but handsome young man, charming and cheerful, a thief for necessity, who tried to gain money with the beautiful music of his Chenquing, a black flute he made with his own hands.

No one really paid attention to him, and if he was caught stealing food, he always run from Jiang Cheng and the rest of the knights, and Jiang Cheng never really tried to catch him, understood Wei Wuxian's situation.

Because he was an orphan, people usually avoided him.

The people in this kingdom were special. Each one had a power, unique and special, wich was mixed with the power of their partner, and became a new power for a new born child.

It sounded really cool, wonderful even, but sometimes the combination of powers could result in something impossible to control, an abomination. So that's why orphans were feared or ignored. No one really knew the powers they inherited, not even themselves, and that uncertainty was scary.

Wei Wuxian was used to this, he really had no friends, always alone walking in the streets of the kingdom, with Chenqing by his side.

So when Jiang Cheng one day, out of nothing, dragged him with the other knights at his command, towards The Castle, he was stunned. He was unfairly treated as a criminal, and even if he was careless and a thief, he really didn't remember what could have he possibly done to be treated like this.

"Jiang Che- Ouch! Don't grip me that hard, idiot!" he complained to a knight, then sighed "Jiang Cheng, please just tell me what is happening, I don't understand..."

"Shut up, idiot, you just heve to wait and nothing will happen to you."

"But I don't understand, why am I being treated like a criminal? Tell me!"

"Shut up!"

And he would have kept insisting, if it weren't for the majestic Castle in front of him. He actually almost forgot why he was here in the first place, but a hard pull on his arm brought him back to reality. "Hey! I already told you to be careful! Jiang Cheng~ save meee."

"Wei Wuxian, just do as you are told and nothing wrong will happen, stop being a cry baby!"

Wei Wuxian decided to do as he was told, because the expression on Jiang Cheng's face was really serious, almost worried. He wondered what was really happening here.

So he walked, surrounded by knights, on the luxurious hallways of The Castle.

The Royal Family was a really strict one. The Lan's were beautiful, serious, powerful, and boring. They had so many rules, and Wei Wuxian usually broke most of them, fortunately no one really said something to him either, he was an orphan after all.

But they weren't bad rulers, they were fair and punished the ones that deserved it, so he had no complaints at all.

He was brought to an unexpectedly normal room, with a pretty red carpet in the middle of it. In it, there was a table with two chairs, and a paper in the table with a pen by it's side. Around it, there were chairs and sofas, where all the knights seated in.

Jiang Cheng made him sit in the chair which was in front of the paper. Wei Wuxian could tell there was something written in it, but had no idea what it said. He was illiterate, after all.

When Jiang Cheng went to sit with his subordinates, the door was opened to reveal Jin Guangyao, who was knew to be the General of all the orders of knights in the kingdom. He was handsome and had a kind smile in his face, Wei Wuxian felt nervous, he knew something bad was going to happen.

"So... Wei Wuxian, right?" Jin Guangyao asked, and continued after he'd seen Wei Wuxian nod. "Well, I'll be straight forward... so, you have been accused to be planning a really terrible crime." He told, as if talking about the weather.

We Wuxian could not hide the attonishment in his face. What the fuck?

Jin Guangyao continued, ignoring the expression of his face. "If you confess your crime, nothing really bad will happen to you. You just need to write down in that paper in front of you the crime you were going to commit, and you will be free in no time, pro~mise!"

He was talking as if Wei Wuxian was an idiot. The orphan knew what would happen to him, he would be imprisoned for the rest of his life, and treated as a servant. It amazed him how indiferent this man was. Everyone knew the Lan family did not pardon any crime, and their punishments were as severe as the crime.

And apparently his supposed crime was really severe.

"Um, could you please tell me what have I been accused of?"

"Oh! You don't know?! Well that's not what I was expecting..., hmm, interesting..." he murmured, amused.

Wei Wuxian looked around and made eye contact with Jiang Cheng. He looked irritated, but mostly worried.

'Do as you are told!' His eyes said. Wei Wuxian almost chuckled.

"Well," Jin Guangyao continued "you have been accused to be planning the assassination of the second heir of the throne, Lan Wangji."

He was surprised, why would he, a nobody, plan the assassination of THE Lan Wangji? Who dared to cruelly incriminate him, knowing the lack of credibility his words would have? He felt frustrated, there was no way out of this.

Unable to defend himself, Wei Wuxian thought of a possible way out of this. All of his life, he has been able to take care of himself, get out of trouble all alone, usually from little problems. But this was a situation without comparition, he was completely screwed.

The best option was to just confess. Incriminate himself of something he never planned. At least he would be alive, so...

'Aaah, do I really have to do this?'

"Be honest with me, what will happen to me if I confess?" He asked, serious.

"Hm, you would be imprisoned for some years and at the disposition of the Royal Family." Jin Guangyao said, as if he didn't care. Well, he didn't. "In other words, you would be like a servant and a prisoner, always loyal and willing to please. Not too bad for a criminal, right?" He asked, still smiling.

He sighed, it was the best option he had. He knew Jin Guangyao realised he was innocent, but decided not to say anything about it. How unfair.

"Okay, I'll do it. But I don't know how to read and write, so could you please tell me what to do?" Wei Wuxian lightly smiled, resigned.

"Oh, of course, let me show you what to write."

And Jin Guangyao casually wrote in a paper what he had to copy. This man was cruel, Wei Wuxian thought with a bitter smile, he cornered him until he had no other option to just incriminate himself. It made him wonder what was he hiding, how manipulative he could be.

In the paper was something written with a really beautiful and neat calligraphy:

I'm going to kill the king.

He slowly copied with an almost illegible and trembling calligraphy. Wei Wuxian sighed, mentally preparing himself for those long years of imprisonment.

When he finished writing, the paper started to shine. All of the knights in the room stood up, hands in their swords, but Wei Wuxian was shocked. Who would've known he was going to discover his power in this way?

Because no one knew that the orphan's mother had the gift of predicting the future, and his father had the gift to only be able to write the truth. So, Wei Wuxian's gift was that, anything he writes, becomes true.

And now he was fated to commit the crime he was unfairly accused- the assassination of Lan Wangji.

---

For the @wangxianweek :)

It's not really romantic, sorry about that. Idk maybe i will continue this, cant promise it tho :p

Hope y'all liked it ^♡^

#wangxianweek2019 #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #jiang cheng #jin guangyao

[mihanada]

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

(back to masterpost)

This chapter was almost the end of me, ok. We have established that I need to get Wei Wuxian to turn me into a fierce corpse to survive the rest of the story.

Chapter 57: Poisons (Part 2)

“All of a sudden, Lan WangJi’s tear-streaked face, reflecting the firelight, flashed within his mind.”

;-;

that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

“We’ve got so many sects. Can’t we join together and…”

Just you wait! It’ll happen! Man, all this foreshadowing...A nice move, actually, because this would be foreshadowing if we had a linear narrative. Too much foreshadowing as you go along the story has a tendency to make the plot look too forced and everything contrived, but in this case it it’s not really foreshadowing since we have known the outcome for ages already.

“Shixiong!!! You’re alive now!!!”

“Wei WuXian, “What do you mean I’m alive now? I’ve never died to begin with!”

This reminds me of that one meme. That “Stop talking about me like I’m dead!” one.

ah, kids. it’s like ‘lol don’t go killing me off!’

The shooting kites day in and day out part gives off a ‘trapped in limbo’ feeling really well I have to say.

“If I went out, Madam Yu’s gonna whip a whole layer of skin off me.”

You’re too good at foreshadowing, Wei Wuxian. Too good.

On the other hand, we can totally see yet again that everyone in this world exaggerates corporeal punishment but you can never be too sure of when they’re actually serious!! how nice.

Ah, more martial problems...please get these two some marriage counseling. and family therapy for the whole group.

“What a shame that our swords don’t have that much spiritual energy yet. If they could sheath themselves, then nobody would be able to use them.”

“Jiang Cheng, “If you cultivate for another eighty years, then maybe it’d be possible.”

UH. THIS IS INTERESTING.

Suibian apparently does this after Wei Wuxian dies which is how Jin Guangyao outs him to everyone. According to Jiang Cheng, this shouldn’t be possible unless you cultivate to a very high level, so it must not be very common.

Wei Wuxian’s sword actually manages to do this though!

“Don’t let them hear anything we say that could be used to hold against us.”

Funny to hear these words coming from you, Wei Wuxian. See, he can be serious! When he was younger, he was especially more impulsive and carefree with his words.

“Wang LingJiao, “Of course. I didn’t have the time to come have a seat inside the last time I came to give out orders. Please.”

I kind of want to know what becomes of this woman. But I also want the satisfaction of reading her death for the first time, if the story tells us outright. Hey, at least we know who survives this conflict or not right?

I don’t know if I could survive a straight through narrative not knowing which of the secondary characters would live and which would die horrible deaths (and which villains made it out or not).

“last time I came to give out orders” though. like, damn. ultra level of disrespect.

“Sure, then, why don’t you go inside?”

I love Madam Yu’s responses. We may not have many ladies in this story, but at least we have badass ones like Madam Yu to make up for it!

“JinZhu and YinZhu stood behind her, both wearing light smirks on their faces.

YinZhu replied, “There is no tea. Get it yourself if you want any.”

And her maids! Awesome battle maids who apparently always wear armor.

I guess there really are no servants in the Jiang clan’s immediate household to serve tea lol. Jinzhu and Yinzhu sure as hell aren’t going to do it, and neither is Wei Wuxian xD that’s all they’ve got. (i’m sure they have others we don’t see. I wonder if this is a thing or they’re just saying this to spite Wang Lingjiao)

“As the person saying this, you’re a servant as well, aren’t you?”

I’m glad we get Wei Wuxian’s commentary still even though he isn’t running his mouth.

“Madam Yu, however, seemed to deeply understand the phrase ‘servants should be what servants ought to be’. Glancing at Wei WuXian, she happened to concur, responding loftily, “That’s right.”

She really does not like him. xD

“Shooting down such a kite is actually implying ‘shooting down the sun’! He wants to shoot down the sun!”

Youngest shidi, you will be immortalized and your sacrifice will not be forgotten!

remember! The war against the Wen sect is called the ‘campaign to shoot down the sun’ aka “Sunshot Campaign”. And the game that the kids in normal villages play is the same shooting down the kite game with the symbol of the sun on the kite, imitating the Sunshot Campaign.

on a more serious note, I know people who draw these wild, conspiracy-theory level conclusions from something very innocuous and it’s actually quite scary. They can’t be reasoned with, either. Just gotta roll with it unfortunately.

“Seeing that such a woman dared to make up stories of Jiang FengMian right in front of them, flames bursted from within Wei WuXian, “You…”

I actually don’t have many reactions to this part because I was just screaming silently at this part and it continues throughout to the end lol.

Ahhh, Wei Wuxian was going to defend him, but then he gets hit.

“Zidian had turned into its whip form, sizzling between her hands of cold jade.”

Remember how just using Zidian around Wei Wuxian’s leg caused a burn in the early chapters? Apparently this damn whip is nothing to scoff at and a really powerful weapon, and he gets hit so many times with it, too!

you understand why she’s doing it. At the same time, you can feel that she’s not 100% reluctant to do it either and it’s kinda scary.

then you also really feel the kids’ panic. Jiang Cheng who can’t do anything to stop it, but also of course really really wants his mom to stop whipping Wei Wuxian! and Wei Wuxian who urges him to get away and not get involved so nothing happens to him, too.

it’s just a really messed up scene and ARGH

“In the past, although Madam Yu had always come at him with harsh words, she had never truly been cruel to him. The most that he’d been through were two or three strikes and being grounded.”

This little bit is important!

But it also doesn’t give a clear answer, which really gives these characters some realism.

Madam Yu, for all her yelling at him, never hurt him badly (this is exactly where Jiang Cheng gets his parenting skills from I’m dead bye). But Wei Wuxian doesn’t have negative or resentful feelings towards her even though she has never accepted him for as long as he has been there, so he is an unreliable narrator.

Then we get this scene where it seems like she has no hesitation in whipping the skin off his back with a really powerful weapon ok. What you can’t tell (since this is from Wei Wuxian’s pov) is the degree to which she means it. She could be a good actress, at the same time she could have been lenient before because of Jiang Fengmian (who always came to let Wei Wuxian out of punishment early). Or she could have been like Jiang Cheng to Jin Ling later and scream about beating him without ever actually meaning it (lol though Jiang Cheng has never hit Jin Ling, still, can you not threaten to break his leg).

We do know that she isn’t cruel enough to enjoy it, though, and there is a limit to what she deems acceptable (cutting off hands is obviously not acceptable)

“Young Master Wen is kind. He wouldn’t do something as cruel as chop off both of his legs. If only his right hand is chopped off, then he wouldn’t ever care about this again.”

see, like, this is why I’m glad we already know the outcome of these events broadly. xD

if you think about it from the characters’ perspectives, this is really fucking scary!

What! Cut off his hand? And if you don’t...? they’ll probably try to wipe out the whole sect or burn it to the ground like the Cloud Recesses!

“Jiang Cheng fought out of the arms of JinZhu and YinZhu. He crashed to his knees, hovering over Wei WuXian, “Mom, Mom, please don’t…”

oh, Jiang Cheng...I have feelings about this guy omg. no wonder he gains an inferiority complex and then as sect leader becomes a ball of Extra and anger issues who won’t stop until he catches Wei Wuxian!

He’s always second best, feels like his father doesn’t love him because of Wei Wuxian yet it’s not like he hates Wei Wuxian either. Then, through neither of their faults, Wei Wuxian is the brave one and Jiang Cheng gets to do the leg work. And when things turn serious, there is nothing he can do at all to save Wei Wuxian who he does obviously care about. for all the ‘you’re going to be the next sect leader, act like one!’ stuff, when it comes down to it there wasn’t anything he could do.

“Fabricking? What’s fabricking? And he suddenly realized, It’s abricating!”

this was nice to lighten the mood a little. only a little though.

“JinZhu, YinZhu, quick, go close the doors. Don’t let the others see the blood.”

see what I mean by ‘you can’t tell if she really means it?’ and the glory of a limited third person narrative done right: based off the description of her actions, it’s difficult to tell.

If it means saving the sect, I think she would absolutely cut off his hand, but only with a greater threat hanging over their heads. Well, this is because she sees him as a servant, of course she would never so readily, no hesitation or lack of composure, do the same to her son.

“Wei WuXian felt fear arise, Don’t tell me that she really is gonna chop off one my my hands?”

One of the times he does show fear!

However, this is where his sacrificial side which is really damn worrying comes in.

“Let it be, then! If it’s in exchange for the peace of the sect… a hand is just a hand. Fuck, if worst comes to worst I’ll just practice the left-handed sword from now on!!!”

It’s probably part of his personality somewhat to be self-sacrificing, or at least be willing to put himself in harm’s way to do good or the right thing. But it’s also highly tied to his upbringing/view of himself. As he states in the last chapter, he doesn’t see himself as Jiang Cheng’s equal. On this, he agrees with Madam Yu: he sees himself as their servant. A servant who is very close to them, yes, and super casual borderline rude, but he doesn’t see himself as Jiang Cheng’s brother.

On a subconscious level, this can really mess with you. He values his life and wellbeing, of course, as most people do. But it also allows his sacrificial nature to rear its head and for him to rationalize that it’s okay to allow himself to get hurt but not others.

Of the things that seem to get Madam Yu to stop/snap, mentioning Jiang Fengmian is one (It was all fine until he had mentioned Jiang FengMian.)

The supervision office is another.

And this is the final straw: “But seeing how obediently you followed my orders and how your personality suits my taste, I’ve still decided to give this great honor to…”

Madam Yu is a lady with a lot of pride. She endured it up to this point, kept swallowing her words, but finally she just snaps. It’s an accumulation of all the stuff that happened, not one thing in particular.

“You look at its owner before you hit a dog! You barged into my sect, and you want to punish my person in front of my face?”

Here’s the last part reveals something more about her true feelings here.

So, here we see her pride, which extends to her servants and not just the two that have been with her since she was young. She doesn’t like Wei Wuxian, she always thinks he should be disciplined more (or at least she says she does), but in the end of the day he is her servant and what right do others (especially another servant) have to punish people of her sect?

“Then let me teach you what superiority and inferiority means! I am the superior, you are the inferior!”

but, man, at the end of the day 57 chapters was worth the wait to finally get such a strong female character like Madam Yu.

This damn chapter was such an emotional rollercoaster omg.

(quotes from ExR’s translations)

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