#jiang xichen

Gusu_dayz.png 

Jiang Wangji: I WILL NOT believe that this is my xiongzhang. My xiongzhang is not shameless nor is he... clingy. He is a dignified gentleman who is a master of the six arts— the first ranked bachelor, the Jiang Sect Heir. That is NOT my brother ಠ_ಠ

Lan Yanli:  Oh?ヽ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノA-Cheng is making a new friend! 

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He and Jiang Xichen agreed to meet up in Yunping to have a joint nighthunt. Ever since the year at Gusu has finished and by Jiang Xichen’s relentless persistence, they have been exchanging letters every week. 

And by the gods, he has forgotten how bright and contagious Jiang Xichen’s smiles are. He HATES it. 

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Enjoying the newly picked persimmons with a friend. 

This is sometime after the Sunshot campaign and the whole Yiliing Laozu debacle. 

If you noticed, LWY’s forehead ribbon’s ends aren’t shown in the earlier drawings. That’s because LWY made sure to wrap it neatly in this bun so no one could touch and grab it. If he lets down the ribbon tails, it means that he implicitly trusts you. 

“But I didn’t mean you have to do the work immediately,” Jiang Xichen sighs, but he stays where is, with his arms around Lan Wanyin’s waist and his head hooked over his shoulder.

“I’d rather get it out of the way,” Lan Wanyin says, patting Jiang Xichen’s hand on his stomach.

“You’re all work and no fun, lately,” Jiang Xichen complaints and Lan Wanyin’s mouth twists with his words.

He knows that he hasn’t been the most fun to be around lately, but one of them has to take the task of leading a Sect seriously and it certainly isn’t going to be Jiang Xichen, no matter how effortlessly he still seems to fall into the role as Sect Leader.

Lan Wanyin puts it down to his rigorous training and Lan Wanyin did not receive the same training. He was never meant to be Sect Leader, so he has a lot to catch up to, he knows that. Especially since the wedding is still a few months away.

He just doesn’t want to embarrass Jiang Xichen with his ignorance before they are even tied together.

“If you keep this up, I’ll give you something to complain about,” Lan Wanyin says with less bite than he intended to, but then again he never can be really mad at Jiang Xichen.

To underline his threat he reaches out for Sect Leader Yao’s letter and waves it in front of Jiang Xichen’s face, who makes a grimace at that, but then hides his smile in Lan Wanyin’s neck.

“Feisty. I like it,” he mutters, and Lan Wanyin doesn’t mean to, but he freezes up completely.

With how Jiang Xichen is still pressed close to him, he notices it immediately of course and Lan Wanyin can almost hear him frown.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice low and soothing, and Lan Wanyin hates that he is still like this—that the doubt is still a niggling bud in his mind—but he also can’t help it.

“If you like feisty so much, you should probably go look for my counterpart again,” Lan Wanyin says, and this comes out much more bitter than he thought it would.

It’s too telling, he knows that immediately, and Jiang Xichen pulls away for long enough to make Lan Wanyin panic before Jiang Xichen simply turns him around and pulls him into a hug.

“I don’t want your counterpart,” Jiang Xichen tells him, his voice controlled and even, and despite the way Lan Wanyin clings to Jiang Xichen he lets out a bitter laugh.

“Yeah, right,” he mutters. “You wouldn’t even have noticed me if it wasn’t for him catching your eye,” he goes on, hiding his face much more firmly in Jiang Xichen’s chest, because he doesn’t want to know what kind of face he makes at that.

But Jiang Xichen is not letting him hide; he pushes Lan Wanyin away, so that he can look him in the eye when he next speaks.

“He might have managed to catch my eye, but it’s you who kept it for years now,” Jiang Xichen tells him and Lan Wanyin blushes at his words.

Jiang Xichen has never made a secret out of the fact that he fell head over heels in love with him, but his actions speak very loudly too.

Like the fact that he not only allows Lan Wanyin into his home and family, but that he also trusts him to lead the Sect together with him. Lan Wanyin knows how much Yunmeng Jiang means to Jiang Xichen and it regularly warms his heart to know that Jiang Xichen wants to share this with Lan Wanyin.

“Shut up,” Lan Wanyin grumbles slightly, but he’s very pleased by Jiang Xichen’s answer.

“Only when you stop being stupid,” Jiang Xichen gives back and brushes a kiss over Lan Wanyin’s cheek.

“I’m not stupid,” Lan Wanyin protests more out of reflex than anything else and then he sighs. “I know you love me and it’s stupid of me to still be jealous of my counterpart,” Lan Wanyin admits.

But knowing that he is unreasonably jealous and not being jealous are two completely different things and Lan Wanyin is not doing well with the latter part.

Jiang Xichen hums at his words and manhandles him around again, until Lan Wanyin sits with his back to Jiang Xichen’s chest and Jiang Xichen hugs him close.

“You never did tell me what happened in that other world,” Jiang Xichen lowly says and Lan Wanyin shrugs.

He doesn’t think anything that happened to him in that world is worth mentioning, but he guesses that Jiang Xichen has burned to ask this question for a long while now.

“Fine,” he sighs and pulls down Jiang Xichen so he sits pressed up to his back and he puts his hands over the arms around his middle. “I’ll tell you.”

~*~*~

Lan Wanyin wakes up to someone frantically calling his name.

“Jiang Cheng? Jiang Cheng, wake up right this instant! Jiang Wanyin! Don’t make your poor brother fret like this, come on. A-Cheng? Chengcheng?”

Okay, someone calling a semblance of his name, anyway.

Lan Wanyin groans slightly, before he blinks his eyes open, and his vision is immediately filled with a mop of unruly hair and a worried face of a person Lan Wanyin has never seen before in his entire life.

“Jiang Cheng?” the person asks him and Lan Wanyin pushes him away as politely as he can.

“No,” he says, immediately startled by how deep his voice is.

He looks down at himself, to figure out if there is a visible clue as to why he was unconscious, but when he sees dark purple robes he frowns. His frown only deepens when it feels like something vital is missing.

“What is going on?” he asks the other person, who is clearly not at all reassured now that he’s awake.

“Jiang Cheng?” he is asked again and Lan Wanyin shakes his head.

“My name is Lan Wanyin,” he gives back and watches as the person goes pale at his side.

“Lan Wanyin,” he mutters and then he scrambles up to frantically gather a few papers.

Lan Wanyin watches him study them, seemingly more desperate the more he reads and when the guy looks at him Lan Wanyin can see something close to panic on his face.

“Oh fuck,” the guy mutters and then plasters a smile on his face so quickly it gives Lan Wanyin whiplash.

“I’m Wei Wuxian, nice to meet you,” he says, adopting a cheery tone that’s so obviously fake that Lan Wanyin cringes on his behalf.

“Where am I?” he asks, but when he looks around he can tell that this is the Jingshi, so he changes his question. “Why are you in my home?” he asks instead and watches as the smile on Wei Wuxian’s face falters dangerously.

“Your home, of course,” he mutters. “You’re Lan Wanyin and this is your home,” he goes on and Lan Wanyin bristles at his words.

“Yes, I am and yes it is. And I demand an explanation from you now!” he says, trying for a stern tone, but he knows it comes out much more wavering than he’d like.

“I’m sorry, this must be really stressful for you,” Wei Wuxian says, and he sounds so sympathetic that Lan Wanyin immediately has to bite back some tears.

“Just explain to me what’s going on,” he tries again and Wei Wuxian sighs, clearly about to give in, but before he can do that, someone slides open the door.

“Jiang Cheng? Wei Wuxian?” the newcomer asks and Wei Wuxian gives a fleeting smile to Lan Wanyin before he gets up and turns around to the new man that stepped into Lan Wanyin’s home uninvited.

He’s wearing the customary Lan white—he even has a forehead ribbon—but Lan Wanyin has never seen him in his life and he frowns at him. All that does though, is making it startling clear that he’s missing his own forehead ribbon, and suddenly Lan Wanyin feels entirely too naked.

“Lan Xichen,” Wei Wuxian says with a nod of his head. “Meet Lan Wanyin,” he then goes on with a nod towards Lan Wanyin, who is still on the ground, and Lan Wanyin scrambles to get up.

It’s a little bit strange, this new body; he seems to be taller and broader than he’s used to being and he fumbles around for a second before he falls into an appropriate bow.

“What is going on?” Lan Xichen wants to know, his expression bordering on outright pained and sad, and Lan Wanyin turns expectant eyes on Wei Wuxian because he is still expecting an answer to that very same question as well.

“It seems that my spell did not work as intended,” Wei Wuxian says with a wince and Lan Wanyin watches as Lan Xichen’s eyebrows rise on his forehead.

“What spell?” he asks with the voice of a man who is too used to dealing with mishaps and problems and keeping his own feelings on the matter very far removed, and Lan Wanyin frowns.

“Are you the Sect Leader?” he asks, because he has seen his brother make a very similar face when he’s faced with one of the junior disciple’s shenanigans.

“Technically I’m—it’s complicated,” Lan Xichen finally settles on, but when Lan Wanyin keeps his baffled expression he goes on. “I used to be,” he finally admits.

“Xichen-ge,” Wei Wuxian whispers, clearly a lot of history behind that one sentence, but Lan Wanyin is too stuck on the informal way with which Wei Wuxian refers to him.

“Where’s my brother? And how dare you refer to your elder as disrespectfully as that?” Lan Wanyin suddenly asks, filled with the desperate need to see someone familiar, to have his brother look out for him like he always does, and he doesn’t even care that his tone is very close to whining but he also has their Sect’s rules ingrained in his bones and he cannot let disrespectful behaviour like that stand without even trying to correct it.

“Lan Wangji?” Lan Xichen asks, clearly only guessing and Lan Wanyin nods frantically. “He’s out on a night hunt. It should still be a day or so before he comes back. He’s accompanying the juniors.”

“I want to see him,” Lan Wanyin says, knowing that he shouldn’t be making demands of people he doesn’t even know, but he needs to see a familiar face.

“We can’t call him back,” Wei Wuxian gently says. “We’ll have to wait until Lan Zhan returns on his own.”

Lan Wanyin freezes when he hears that name, because even he doesn’t dare to call his brother that and he can feel his temper spike again, before he takes a deep and calming breath.

“Could you please not refer to my brother like this? You have no rights to do so,” Lan Wanyin says in what he thinks is an appropriately calm voice.

“What should I call him then?” Wei Wuxian asks, a mischievous smile on his face. “Lan-er-gege?” he asks and Lan Wanyin goes hot under the collar.

“How dare you call me that?” he hisses out and watches as Wei Wuxian’s eyes go big and how Lan Xichen presses his lips together.

Lan Wanyin is not sure if it’s in an attempt to hide a smile or because to keep some words in.

“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen reprimands him and Wei Wuxian does seem appropriately chastised, if only for a second.

“You’re the younger brother?” Wei Wuxian asks, clearly embarrassed for a moment and Lan Wanyin nods.

“I’m sixteen,” he answers and now both of them pale.

“Oh fuck,” Wei Wuxian answers and even though Lan Xichen doesn’t look like he would ever utter such crude words he nods with emphasis.

“Lan Wanyin, Wei Wuxian is Wangji’s husband,” Lan Xichen gently tells him and Lan Wanyin goes still.

His brother is way too young to marry but he guess that’s not the case in this world.

“How old is he?” Lan Wanyin carefully asks and Wei Wuxian shrugs.

“Over thirty. You are too, in the body you’re currently in,” he explains and Lan Wanyin needs to sit down for a moment.

This is not what he expected.

“I want to go home,” Lan Wanyin whispers, suddenly feeling small and young despite the body he is in, and he watches as Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian share a look.

“I’ll work on reversing the spell, but I don’t know how long it will take,” Wei Wuxian finally says and Lan Wanyin deflates.

“It’s probably best if we leave him to it,” Lan Xichen chimes in, giving Lan Wanyin a reassuring smile. “How do you feel about staying with me for the time being?”

Lan Wanyin is not feeling anything about that despite the aching urge to go home, so he simply nods.

“I’m sorry about imposing,” he says with a small bow and Wei Wuxian makes a startled noise at his side.

“If anyone’s imposing, it’s us, since we dragged you here against your will,” he says and Lan Wanyin wants to snap at him that he’s damn right about that, but he only nods.

Snapping would be rude, after all.

“Wei Wuxian will get you back home,” Lan Xichen promises and Lan Wanyin pretends that he doesn’t see how Wei Wuxian winces at that.

It doesn’t spark confidence in Lan Wanyin, but then again Wei Wuxian did drag him here, so he should be capable of sending him back too.

Neither of them comment on Wei Wuxian’s slip of face though, and when Lan Xichen motions for Lan Wanyin to follow him, he does so without another word.

The trek to Lan Xichen’s home is silent, but it’s not long before Lan Wanyin recognizes the path they are taking and unease grows in his gut.

Logically it makes sense that Lan Xichen would live in the Hanshi if he is the older brother, but Lan Wangji is very protective of his space—always has been—and so Lan Wanyin hasn’t set foot into the Hanshi more than a couple of times in his life.

The thought that he’s going to live there for the time being makes him feel slightly sick and he tries to subtly reach out for the trailing ends of his forehead ribbon, but of course his hands come back empty.

“It’s not much, but I hope you can relax here a bit,” Lan Xichen says as he invites him into the Hanshi, and Lan Wanyin hesitates a moment before he follows him inside.

“This is not where you usually stay,” Lan Xichen mildly observes and Lan Wanyin shakes his head. 

“My brother lives in the Hanshi,” he explains and Lan Xichen nods.

“I suppose that would make sense, if he is the older one this time,” Lan Xichen says with a shrug and then busies himself with getting some tea ready.

Lan Wanyin observes him, and he takes note of the slightly shaking hands and the way Lan Xichen avoids looking directly at him.

“I’m—I shouldn’t be here,” Lan Wanyin finally whispers, and Lan Xichen jerks with his words.

“Wei Wuxian will work very hard to get you back to your world,” he promises. “You’re occupying his brother’s body, he’s personally invested. It’s a good motivator,” Lan Xichen whispers and Lan Wanyin frowns at his tone.

“His brother,” he mutters and then walks over to the mirror in Lan Xichen’s home.

Lan Wanyin takes a long moment to simply look himself over and he’s not sure he likes what he sees. Jiang Cheng’s body is older—of course it is—but it’s also a lot broader than Lan Wanyin is used to. It seems battle hardened. 

His face at least is much the same—even though it looks empty without the forehead ribbon—though of course he seems more mature.

“Jiang Cheng doesn’t usually smile like you do,” Lan Xichen suddenly says from behind him and Lan Wanyin thinks that over for a moment before he schools his expression into a frown.

“That’s more like it,” Lan Xichen says with a wistful chuckle and Lan Wanyin keeps the expression for a while longer.

Jiang Cheng is still handsome, even with a frown, but it also makes him look fierce and unapproachable and Lan Wanyin doesn’t like that at all. He quickly drops the frown, watching as his features smooth out into his much softer ones.

“Do you want a forehead ribbon?” Lan Xichen suddenly asks him and Lan Wanyin whips around.

“What?” he asks, though he can’t deny that the answer would be a very resounding yes.

“I noticed you keep reaching out for it,” Lan Xichen explains and Lan Wanyin flushes when he realizes that he must have done it unconsciously. 

“I can’t take your forehead ribbon,” Lan Wanyin says, appalled at just the idea of it, but Lan Xichen shakes his head.

“I have some spare ones,” he says and walks away to retrieve one of those. “I used to look after this one rowdy kid,” Lan Xichen says with a smile when he sees Lan Wanyin’s confused look. “He needed a few new ones every day and I didn’t have the heart to throw them out once he grew up.”

“I see,” Lan Wanyin whispers and takes the offered ribbon with shaking hands.

He does quick work with tying it around his forehead and he has to admit that he does feel better once it’s tied snugly.

“Thank you,” he says sincerely to Lan Xichen and after one last look into the mirror—now much more familiar than before—he turns away from it.

“If Wei Wuxian is my brother in this world, then where is he in my world?” Lan Wanyin asks Lan Xichen, mostly to have something to talk about.

“I don’t know,” Lan Xichen answers with a shrug. “If Wangji is your brother in your world, then where am I?”

“I don’t know,” Lan Wanyin whispers. “I don’t even know Wei Wuxian.”

“You’re sixteen?” Lan Xichen wants to know and he hums when Lan Wanyin nods. “Did you participate in the classes already?”

“No,” Lan Wanyin mumbles. “They are about to start in less than two weeks. I’m going to miss them, aren’t I?” Lan Wanyin asks, and he feels strangely despondent at that thought.

He’s going to miss out on so much.

“Wei Wuxian will do his hardest to send you back. The classes last the whole summer, right? You’ll probably have some time to get to know the other students,” Lan Xichen tries to reassure him, but Lan Wanyin is not convinced. 

Wei Wuxian hasn’t looked all that confident before; he’ll probably be here for longer than either of them cares about.

“Jiang Cheng,” Lan Xichen suddenly says and Lan Wanyin tenses before he realizes that Lan Xichen doesn’t mean him. “Do you think he’ll be alright in your world?”

“I think so,” Lan Wanyin says without hesitation. “My brother will look after him.”

“That’s good then,” Lan Xichen says with a small smile and then he busies himself with the tea again.

They spend the rest of the afternoon with soft conversation, comparing notes on the different worlds, but it becomes clear to Lan Wanyin pretty quickly that Lan Xichen is skirting around a lot of topics.

Lan Wanyin is honestly too scared to ask and so he allows the topics to be shallow and safe.

Night has already fallen by the time footsteps approach the Hanshi and both Lan Xichen and Lan Wanyin perk up. 

There’s a polite knock on the door before it slides open and Lan Wanyin has to fight the rush of relief to see his brother.

“Xiongzhan,” Lan Wangji greets, and the word sounds exceedingly strange on Lan Wangji’s lips.

Lan Wanyin doesn’t even have time to process the fact that Lan Wangji is looking at Lan Xichen instead of himself, when he’s already bowing.

“Xiongzhan,” he says, too, and then he shrinks back when Lan Wangji gives him a bone-chilling glare.

“Wangji, this is Lan Wanyin,” Lan Xichen explains but Lan Wangji’s look only gets darker at that.

“If you have to marry anyone, why does it have to be him?” Lan Wangji asks and Lan Wanyin reels back as if he has been hit.

“Wangji,” Lan Xichen snaps, stepping closer to Lan Wanyin. “Do not forget your manners. This is Lan Wanyin from another world. One of your husband’s experiments went very wrong, and you would do well to be polite to our guest. To any guest.”

Lan Wangji doesn’t lose his hostile look, but he at least bows to Lan Wanyin, even if he doesn’t apologize.

“I’ll be checking on my husband then,” Lan Wangji says, immediately leaving the Hanshi and Lan Wanyin can do nothing but stare after him.

This is not how he imagined meeting his brother would go over and he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself now.

“I am so sorry,” Lan Xichen says. “There’s some history between Jiang Cheng and Wangji.” Lan Xichen winces at his own words and then goes on. “It’s still no excuse. He should at least remember his manners.”

Lan Wanyin can’t even nod at that, because he is still too shocked. He has never heard his brother sound that cold, not even when dealing with people he doesn’t like. To have it directed at himself is certainly an experience Lan Wanyin could have done without.

“I think I would like to sleep now,” Lan Wanyin eventually whispers and Lan Xichen’s face falls. 

“Should I send for some dinner first?” he asks, already half up, but Lan Wanyin shakes his head.

“I just want to sleep,” he mumbles and Lan Xichen sighs.

“Alright,” he thankfully agrees and setting up a second bed is short work, so soon enough Lan Wanyin is laying down.

He doesn’t fight the urge to pull the blanket over his head and he also can’t help the few tears that escape, but he’s proud that he doesn’t outright sob, even though he absolutely feels like it.

He tries to convince himself that tomorrow will be better and that he will be back home soon, and Lan Wanyin falls asleep clinging to that hope.

~*~*~

Breakfast is a quiet affair. Lan Wanyin understands that it’s not quite acceptable for him to go to the communal breakfast, even though he would like that. But outsiders are not allowed and for all that Lan Wanyin is very much a Lan, Jiang Cheng—whose body he’s currently inhabiting—is most definitely not and so Lan Wanyin can’t go there.

Lan Xichen stays with him though and breakfast passes quickly like that.

Lan Wanyin is still thinking about his meeting with Lan Wangji—more like fretting over it—when they hear another set of footsteps approaching the Hanshi.

“Oh no,” Lan Xichen whispers, before he gets up, clearly recognizing the steps, but before he can reach the door someone knocks on it. Very insistently and loudly.

“Lan Xichen!” that person yells and Lan Xichen is quick to slide the door open, but he tries his best to block the person from looking inside.

“How dare you?” the person hisses and Lan Wanyin sees Lan Xichen wince.

“Jin Ling—” he starts, but Jin Ling doesn’t let him talk.

“You call my jiujiu away on urgent business and now you refuse to let him leave again? How dare you? Let me see him at once!” he demands and Lan Wanyin gets up, because he figures it’s kind of inevitable that he’ll have to introduce himself.

“Listen, Jin Ling, there’s been an accident,” Lan Xichen starts and Lan Wanyin thinks this might not be the best way to break the news to Jin Ling about his uncle.

“If he got hurt on your watch I will make you regret it,” Jin Ling says, and Lan Wanyin is surprised at the confidence with which he says it.

Lan Xichen shakes his head, but before he can figure out how to explain this to Jin Ling, he pushes his way into the Hanshi.

“Jiujiu!” Jin Ling calls out but when his gaze falls on Lan Wanyin he freezes.

“If you married Lan Xichen without telling me I will never speak to you again,” he then says, voice deceptively calm and Lan Wanyin rushes to clear the situation up.

“We didn’t marry,” he says and he’s proud that he only flushes a little bit.

A side-glance at Lan Xichen reveals that he’s doing much worse, because his face is bright red.

“Then what the hell is going on?” Jin Ling demands to know.

“Language,” Lan Wanyin says out of reflex and he is surprised at the pained look on Lan Xichen’s face at that.

“I’ll watch my language if you explain to me what you’re doing here, in Lan Xichen’s personal quarters, with what seems to be his forehead ribbon.”

“It’s a spare one,” Lan Xichen chimes in. “And he’s not actually Jiang Cheng,” he then belatedly says and Lan Wanyin thinks that maybe he should have led with that.

“What do you mean? It’s clearly my jiujiu,” Jin Ling says, already puffing himself up as if he’s gearing up for a fight.

“My name is Lan Wanyin. I’m from another world,” he rushes to explain but the frown on Jin Ling’s face only gets more pronounced.

“That doesn’t make sense,” he decides then and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

“One of Wei Wuxian’s experiments went wrong,” Lan Xichen says and it seems like that makes much more sense to Jin Ling because his face falls.

“What?” he whispers and now Lan Wanyin can finally see that he’s just a teenager.

“I’m really sorry,” Lan Wanyin says but Jin Ling shakes his head.

“I want my jiujiu back,” he says and Lan Wanyin can understand that feeling—he wants his brother back, too—but there’s not much he can do about that right now.

“I wish I could just swap us back,” Lan Wanyin says. “But we have to wait until Wei Wuxian figures out how to switch us back.”

“How is my jiujiu? Is he alright?” Jin Ling wants to know, but it’s again something Lan Wanyin can’t tell him for sure.

“He should be. I was at home when it happened, so he should have woken up safe and sound. And there’s not much that can happen to him in the Cloud Recesses.”

“Does he have someone to look out for him?” Jin Ling asks, and his voice is small.

“Of course he does,” Lan Wanyin tells him, frowning when he sees Lan Xichen shaking his head at him. “My brother will make sure that he’s alright.”

“Your brother? Lan Xichen?”

“No. Lan Wangji,” Lan Wanyin says, smiling slightly when he remembers just how protective his brother can be and so he nearly misses the way Jin Ling’s face falls again.

“What?” he hisses and then whirls around to Lan Xichen. “He’s alone with him?”

“As far as I understand it, there is no Jiang Cheng in his world. Wangji has no reason to hold a grudge against him.”

“But you don’t know it,” Jin Ling bitterly says and then turns back around to Lan Wanyin.

“How can you be this calm? My jiujiu is missing and you’re not even doing anything” he asks them, but Lan Wanyin shrugs.

“There’s nothing much we can do,” he says, even though he wishes it were different too. “We just have to wait for Wei Wuxian to reverse the spell.”

“And you’re just okay with that?” Jin Ling asks, now turned towards Lan Xichen again.

“Like he says, there’s not much we can do,” Lan Xichen apologetically says but it seems to have been the wrong thing, because Jin Ling huffs.

“I hate you,” he hisses. “I hate you both and I want you gone,” he then adds towards Lan Wanyin and promptly storms out of the Hanshi.

His words sting, even though Lan Wanyin understands that his emotions are most likely running rampant right now.

“He doesn’t mean it,” Lan Xichen tells him after a long moment of silence. “He just loves Jiang Cheng more than anyone else in this world and he’s clearly not doing well with his absence.”

“I see,” Lan Wanyin whispers and he gets it.

He isn’t doing well without Lan Wangji either, but at least his manners prevent him from breaking down or lashing out like Jin Ling just did.

“He’ll probably be back soon to apologize,” Lan Xichen prophesises but Lan Wanyin doubts it. “His parents died and Jiang Cheng raised him. I know he taught him more manners than this, but Jin Ling is a very emotional boy.”

“You seem to know them very well,” Lan Wanyin says with a small frown and watches as Lan Xichen’s cheeks go slightly red.

“We are—were fellow Sect Leaders. It’s only natural that we got to know each other.”

Lan Wanyin doesn’t want to ask about his correction there, though he can’t deny that he is curious what could have possibly made Lan Xichen step down from that position. But Lan Wanyin is too polite to ask about something that so very clearly still brings pain to Lan Xichen, and so they fall into silence again.

It’s not uncomfortable—at least not entirely—but Lan Wanyin finds himself fiddling with the ring around his finger more than he probably should.

He didn’t yet have a chance to look at it clearly, but he figures there’s nothing else to do for now, and so he raises his hand closer to his face, so he can take a better look.

The motion gets Lan Xichen’s attention immediately of course, but he stays silent for now.

Lan Wanyin inspects the ring with the utmost care, and he realizes soon enough that it’s a spiritual tool, but he’s not sure how to use it or if he even wants to.

“It turns into a whip,” Lan Xichen eventually chimes in and Lan Wanyin startles slightly, he was that engrossed in the intricate details on the ring. “It’s the Yu family heirloom. Jiang Cheng got it from his mother. It’s called Zidian.”

“What form does the whip take?”

“Purple lightning.” Lan Xichen hesitates briefly. “Would you like to try it out?”

“I—" Lan Wanyin starts, but then he doesn’t know how to finish that. 

It’s likely that he will have more than enough time on his hands here, since he doesn’t have his usual classes or chores to attend to, but right now Lan Wanyin doesn’t feel like doing anything. 

“I would like to meditate,” he finally says, allowing himself one day off in all this madness.

Lan Xichen doesn’t seem like he minds that much, because he very earnestly offers to accompany him to the cold springs, and Lan Wanyin would love to tell him no, but he knows that he’s in the body of an outsider, so seeing him at the cold springs without proper supervision would probably upset other Sect members.

There is nothing for Lan Wanyin to do but to agree.

It’s not so bad, in the end, because Lan Xichen has a very reserved nature it seems—not unlike Lan Wanyin’s own—and meditating next to him is easy.

Easy enough that the day goes by quickly and before Lan Wanyin knows it, he’s back in the Hanshi, with only Lan Xichen as his company during dinner.

Lan Wanyin finds himself wishing that he could see more of his brother, but then he remembers the tense atmosphere and Lan Wangji’s cold stare and Lan Wanyin figures it’s better that Lan Wangji doesn’t come around more often.

He kind of wonders over Wei Wuxian’s absence—since he’s apparently inhabiting Wei Wuxian’s brother’s body—but when Lan Wanyin brings it up to Lan Xichen he simply shrugs.

“Wei Wuxian is most likely doing his level best to send you back,” he explains and Lan Wanyin can’t quite hide the bitter twist of his mouth.

It has nothing to do with returning him to where he came from; it has everything to do with getting Jiang Cheng back.

“He would do the same for you if Jiang Cheng was still here,” Lan Xichen says, clearly reading the thought right off Lan Wanyin’s face and not for the first time does Lan Wanyin wonder if he is just that easy to read or if Lan Xichen is that familiar with Jiang Cheng.

“He made a mistake and he’s rushing to fix it. Not to mention that it’s probably driving him insane that he can’t figure out why his original spell went so wrong,” Lan Xichen says but the exasperation in his voice tells Lan Wanyin that this isn’t the first instance of Wei Wuxian going mad over something he caused himself.

Lan Wanyin wonders how Wei Wuxian can possibly fit into the Lan Sect, but if he and Lan Wangji are married, then at least Lan Xichen must have approved of it.

That thought spirals into imagining if Lan Wanyin’s own brother would approve of him marrying someone like Wei Wuxian—not that Lan Wanyin can imagine himself doing so—and he gets hit with a wave of homesickness.

It ruins his appetite rather thoroughly.

“I’m tired,” Lan Wanyin says as he puts his bowl down, trying not to notice Lan Xichen’s worried gaze on him.

Lan Wanyin doesn’t wait for a dismissal, and simply gets up to retire to bed. He hears Lan Xichen rummage around, but the noises are quiet and unobtrusive and Lan Wanyin quickly drifts off, even plagued by worries as he is.

~*~*~

The days don’t pass quickly enough for Lan Wanyin’s taste and soon enough he feels trapped inside the Hanshi. He’s not used to being so idle; in his world he has duties to fulfil and classes to attend but here there is nothing for him to do but sit and wait, and he has never been good at either of those things.

“I think I want to practice with Zidian,” Lan Wanyin says apropos of nothing one morning and Lan Xichen doesn’t seem as startled by that as Lan Wanyin expected him to be.

“Of course,” he quickly agrees and Lan Wanyin narrows his eyes at him, watching as Lan Xichen smiles slightly.

“You’re not as different to Jiang Cheng as you might think,” he says with a shrug. “Both of you don’t deal well with just sitting around; I was just waiting for you to get bored enough to say something.”

Lan Wanyin blinks at that.

“I had duties in my world,” is what he finally says.

“And I’m sorry you can’t carry them out here. You can help me with some of the paperwork later, if you want. It’s nothing important, but it would give you something to do.”

Lan Wanyin doesn’t comment on the nothing important part, but he can’t deny that he’s curious. Lan Wanyin is absolutely sure that Lan Xichen used to be Sect Leader and to hear that his paperwork is nothing serious just feels wrong. Even if he no longer is Sect Leader, if he stepped down for whatever reasons, people should still seek him out for his expertise and knowledge.

Lan Wanyin is on the cusp of asking, when Lan Xichen abruptly turns away from him, walking out of the Hanshi and clearly expecting Lan Wanyin to follow him.

Lan Wanyin swallows his questions down and trails after Lan Xichen to the training grounds.

“Do you have a spiritual tool?” Lan Xichen asks him and Lan Wanyin nods.

“I play the xiao,” he says and Lan Xichen looks startled.

“You—of course you do,” he finally says and Lan Wanyin frowns at him until he explains. “I do, too. It truly does seem like you have my place in your world. Maybe I do have your place, then, in Yunmeng Jiang,” he muses and Lan Wanyin promises himself to find out about Lan Xichen’s whereabouts, once he’s back in his own world.

“How does this help me with Zidian?” Lan Wanyin wants to know, and shakes himself out of these useless thoughts.

He can do nothing as long as he’s here, in this world, so there’s no point in making plans for now.

“If you already know how to use a spiritual tool, channelling energy into Zidian will be easier,” Lan Xichen explains and Lan Wanyin flushes, because he should have realized that himself.

Lan Wanyin takes a deep breath and pushes his embarrassment far away, because it’s never helpful while practicing and instead he concentrates on channelling energy into Zidian, just like he usually would with his xiao.

It doesn’t take long at all for Zidian to spark purple and then suddenly it’s no longer a ring, but a whip in Lan Wanyin’s hand.

“Very good,” Lan Xichen says with a smile and then steps away from Lan Wanyin, clearly giving him space. “Try it out,” he encourages him and Lan Wanyin does just that.

Controlling the whip is much harder than he imagined it to be, though. He can feel some confused resistance from Zidian, and Lan Wanyin is surprised to find that the tool notices that he’s not its usual master.

Jiang Cheng really has quite the priceless weapon at his disposal.

During the course of the next hour Lan Wanyin whips himself on accident more often than he really cares to admit, but it only plays into his stubborn streak; he is going to master this tool, and if he comes out of it bloody, then so be it.

“I think you need to arch it further over your head,” Lan Xichen suddenly says from the side and Lan Wanyin startles so badly he nearly whips himself in the face.

He completely forgot that Lan Xichen was there.

“Sorry,” Lan Xichen says with a grimace.

“How would you know how to use Zidian?” Lan Wanyin asks him, frustrated by his lack of progress so far, so his voice comes out more biting than it should. He takes a deep breath to calm himself before he goes on. “Have you used it before?”

“No,” Lan Xichen rushes out, blushing at the suggestion. “But Wanyin and I fought in the same war; we have been on some night-hunts together as well. It’s hard to miss how he uses Zidian,” Lan Xichen explains and Lan Wanyin frowns at him.

He still tries to do what Lan Xichen told him to and to his surprise it works out quite well. Lan Wanyin is aware that his posture is not perfect, but he’s getting there and he thinks with a bit more practice he could master Zidian, especially now that it seems to have accepted him.

Lan Xichen continues to give him a few more valuable tips and while Lan Wanyin does try each and every single one of them out, he can’t help the nagging thought in his head when Lan Xichen keeps talking.

“You’re in love with him,” Lan Wanyin says out of the blue after yet another successful manoeuvre and Lan Xichen freezes on the spot.

“You are,” Lan Wanyin says, taking Lan Xichen’s reaction as confirmation and then he watches as Lan Xichen goes red, before all colour drains from his face.

“I am not,” he tries to deny, but it’s a little bit too late for that. “Why would you think that?”

“You don’t learn these kind of tricks by picking up on a few things during night-hunts,” Lan Wanyin says, calling Zidian back and returning it to its ring form. “To notice the things you notice you’d have to watch him pretty closely.”

Lan Xichen opens his mouth as if to argue, but he can’t seem to find his words and so in the end he simply closes his mouth again.

“Have you ever told him?” Lan Wanyin wants to know and is surprised by the bitter laugh Lan Xichen lets out.

“Of course not,” he whispers and then looks away from Lan Wanyin. “I’ve been in love with him for so long, but I never dared to say anything. And now it’s just—” he trails off with a shrug and Lan Wanyin wonders just what the hell happened for Lan Xichen to think like that but before he can ask anything else, Jin Ling approaches them.

“You can wield Zidian,” he says, and it sounds so accusatory that Lan Wanyin flinches.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes and has half a mind just offering the tool to Jin Ling for safekeeping when Jin Ling lets out a rough breath.

“I’m here to apologize,” he says, not looking at Lan Wanyin directly, but he seems very determined.

“There’s no need for that,” Lan Wanyin says, because he can understand why Jin Ling freaked out when he realized that it wasn’t his jiujiu he was talking to.

“There is. It’s not your fault you’re here and I don’t hate you. I’m sorry I said it,” Jin Ling says, clearly uncomfortable with the apology, but he’s still doing it and Lan Wanyin thinks that Jiang Cheng really did a great job, raising him.

“It’s alright. Thank you,” Lan Wanyin says and once that is out, Jin Ling looks at him.

“I just miss my jiujiu,” he says, voice small, and Lan Wanyin notices yet again that Jin Ling barely looks older than Lan Wanyin is.

“I miss my xiongzhan too,” Lan Wanyin admits and Jin Ling nods.

“I’m sorry I can’t be around too much, but I have a Sect to lead, too,” Jin Ling says, and Lan Wanyin aches for him because no one that young should ever have to shoulder that kind of responsibility.

Lan Wanyin knows he couldn’t.

“It’s alright,” he says, because he guesses it’s only partly that, and mostly the fact that Jin Ling can’t bear to look at him and know that it’s not actually Jiang Cheng, and he’s not holding it against him.

Jin Ling nods brusquely at that, and then turns to Lan Xichen.

“I expect a proper courtship afterwards and you damn well better ask me for permission,” he hisses at Lan Xichen and then he simply stalks off again.

“Everyone seems to know you’re in love with Jiang Cheng,” Lan Wanyin mildly observes, thinking back to what Lan Wangji had said too and he watches as Lan Xichen blushes slightly again.

“It doesn’t matter. Jiang Cheng doesn’t know and he doesn’t feel the same way, and there’s no chance that will change now,” he gives back and he sounds more composed than Lan Wanyin expected him to.

“How would you know if you never confessed?”

“You’re not wrong. I have watched him a great deal. So trust me when I say that he doesn’t. Jiang Cheng is never subtle with his feelings and especially not when he loves.”

“Is he in love with someone else?”

“I don’t think so,” Lan Xichen admits.

“Then there’s hope for you,” Lan Wanyin shrugs, even though he can’t be sure of that at all.

He doesn’t know Jiang Cheng after all, but if he came here on Lan Xichen’s request—in a rush nonetheless, too, if he didn’t properly explain things to Jin Ling—then he must at least treasure their friendship.

“Thank you for saying that,” Lan Xichen whispers though he doesn’t sound convinced at all and Lan Wanyin turns away from him.

He doesn’t feel like practicing with Zidian anymore and the encounter with Jin Ling just reminded him who he is missing as well.

“I wonder how xiongzhang and shufu are doing,” Lan Wanyin mutters and startles when Lan Xichen puts a hand to his shoulder.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to go see Wangji, but we can go visit shufu,” Lan Xichen says and Lan Wanyin turns towards him, his eyes wide.

He hadn’t dare to ask after Lan Qiren, too scared that he wouldn’t like the answer, and since no one had brought him up either, Lan Wanyin had half convinced himself that Lan Qiren didn’t exist in this world at best or was dead at worst.

He never dared to contemplate this.

“Can we?” he asks and Lan Xichen nods with a smile.

“Of course,” he agrees and then leads Lan Wanyin away from the training grounds.

Lan Xichen doesn’t act like Lan Wanyin has to pretend with Lan Qiren, so Lan Wanyin guesses he must have been told about what happened.

His suspicions are confirmed when Lan Qiren greets them.

“Xichen, Lan Wanyin,” he says with a nod and they both bow to him.

“Shufu,” they say in unison and despite the tight feeling in his chest Lan Wanyin has to hide a smile.

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Lan Xichen says and promptly leaves Lan Wanyin alone with Lan Qiren who motions for him to sit.

“How are you doing?” Lan Qiren asks him and Lan Wanyin has to fight against the tears.

His uncle is exactly the same here in this world and Lan Wanyin feels so homesick, it threatens to overwhelm him.

“Good,” he somehow gets out, even though his voice is all choked up.

“I see you got a forehead ribbon,” Lan Qiren says, and while he doesn’t say it with any form of judgement Lan Wanyin rushes to explain.

“It’s not Lan Xichen’s! It’s a spare one! Nothing inappropriate happened.”

“A shame,” Lan Qiren mutters. “And here I thought the only nephew with taste would also finally be man enough to do something about it.”

Lan Wanyin presses his lips together, because apparently really everyone knows about Lan Xichen’s feelings for Jiang Cheng but when he sees the twinkle in Lan Qiren’s eyes he allows himself to smile.

“Maybe they will figure it out eventually,” he says and Lan Qiren sighs.

“Maybe,” he agrees, though it seems like he long ago gave up hope for that.

“Do you like Jiang Cheng? Would you approve of him?” Lan Wanyin asks, even though the answer seems pretty clear.

“Yes,” Lan Qiren easily admits and he doesn’t explain anything, so he really must hold Jiang Cheng in very high regards if he thinks it should be that obvious.

“He will come back to you all, soon,” Lan Wanyin whispers, hoping that he is missed in his own world just as dearly as Jiang Cheng is being missed here.

“He no doubt will,” Lan Qiren agrees but then he reaches out and cups Lan Wanyin’s cheek in his hand, stunning Lan Wanyin into stillness.

“But until then we’re all very happy to have you,” Lan Qiren says and Lan Wanyin swallows against his emotions. “Now,” Lan Qiren says and clears his throat. “How do you feel about a lesson?”

“I feel very good about that, shufu,” Lan Wanyin admits and when Lan Qiren falls right into explaining something Lan Wanyin feels settled.

It feels a lot more like home this way.

~*~*~

Lan Wanyin continues to spend his days training with Zidian before he goes to Lan Qiren for a lesson. Like this it doesn’t feel like he’s missing out on so much back in his own world, and the Lan Qiren of this world is just like the Lan Qiren of Lan Wanyin’s world.

Strict, but loving and Lan Wanyin wonders if he ever thought to appreciate that before.

He doesn’t see much of Lan Xichen for a few days, because he leaves Lan Wanyin to his own devices more often than not, but when he returns to the Hanshi in the evenings Lan Xichen seems troubled and stressed but he won’t talk about it, no matter how often Lan Wanyin asks.

Jin Ling seems to be staying in the Cloud Recesses, too, because he sees flashes of his golden robes more than once, but Lan Wanyin is in no rush to bother him again.

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian continue to be evasive, but it’s not like Lan Wanyin saw much of them before so their absence doesn’t seem all that strange.

Until he walks back into the Hanshi, almost three weeks into his stay in this world, and everyone is there waiting for him.

So this must be what had Lan Xichen so stressed over the past few days, Lan Wanyin thinks as he settles down at the table, expectantly waiting for someone to say something.

“So,” Wei Wuxian starts, nervously fiddling with Lan Wangji’s fingers. “Here’s the thing. We decided to tell you a few things, since it seems like they might still happen in your world and we don’t actually want you to have to go through them,” he says and Lan Wanyin frowns.

“Does this have to do with all the topics you keep glossing over? Like why Lan Xichen is no longer Sect Leader and the history between Wangji and Jiang Cheng?” he asks and everyone nods at him.

So this is not going to be fun then, Lan Wanyin thinks and he is right.

It’s a nightmare, if he’s being honest, and his mind is reeling when everyone finally falls silent again.

“We’re sorry about simply dropping this on you, but we think it’s better if you know these things,” Wei Wuxian says with a wince and Lan Wanyin cannot believe that he was dead for sixteen years.

“I—” Lan Wanyin starts, but he doesn’t actually know what to say to any of that and so he falls silent again.

He compares the things they talked about to the political landscape of his own world, and he realizes that they are probably steering towards the same war. The Wens are trying to reach for power; Sect Leader Nie’s father already died and no one believed Nie Mingjue when he said that Wen Ruohan had a hand in that.

There will be a lot to do for him, once he gets back to his own world, Lan Wanyin realizes and he grows cold with horror at the thought that maybe he cannot prevent any of it.

“I need to talk to him alone,” Jin Ling suddenly says and glares at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, before his gaze goes a little bit warmer when he looks at Lan Xichen. “Would you allow us to talk here, for a moment?” Jin Ling asks, suddenly all polite, and Lan Xichen is quick to nod.

“Of course,” he says, as he gets up, doing his hardest not to meet Lan Wanyin’s eyes but before Lan Wanyin can say anything he, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have left the Hanshi.

Jin Ling walks after them, making sure they really leave, before he puts up a silencing ward on the Hanshi.

“What else?” Lan Wanyin asks, rubbing his head, because this cannot be good.

If Jin Ling send everyone else away, this cannot be good at all and Lan Wanyin is not sure if he wants to hear it. His mind is already reeling and he still feels faintly sick from all the things he just heard, but Jin Ling fixes him with a hard glare.

“Jiujiu did not go back to Lotus Pier to retrieve his parent’s bodies,” he starts with, simply diving right in as it seems and Lan Wanyin frowns.

“But that’s what Wei Wuxian said.”

“Because he doesn’t know better. He thinks that’s what happened. But it’s not true. My jiujiu got captured because the Wen soldiers were about to capture Wei Wuxian and jiujiu distracted them,” Jin Ling says and Lan Wanyin is glad he’s already sitting down.

Jiang Cheng sacrificed himself to keep Wei Wuxian safe, only to have it all ruined when Wei Wuxian gave him his core.

“They don’t know?” he asks, even though the answer is obvious.

“No. Jiujiu never wants Wei Wuxian to know that and so you’re not going to tell him either.” There’s an underlying threat in his voice and Lan Wanyin is quick to nod.

“Of course not,” he agrees. “But why are you telling me this?”

“Because I don’t want the same to happen again,” Jin Ling says. “I don’t know about your relationship with your brother and I don’t know if there’s a Wei Wuxian in your world and if he has a brother, but maybe you should keep an eye out. They seem to think things are going to be the same in your world, and this is something you need to know as well.”

Lan Wanyin nods, his mind still spinning, and this new information does nothing to calm him down at all.

“Did he know he would lose his core?” Lan Wanyin asks and he watches in horror as pain flashes over Jin Ling’s face.

“He expected to lose his life,” he whispers and Lan Wanyin can’t even imagine how much Jiang Cheng must love Wei Wuxian to do something like that, expecting it to cost his life.

“I see,” Lan Wanyin whispers and wonders if he would be strong enough to do the same for Lan Wangji.

He hopes the answer is yes, but he also hopes he never has to find out.

“Thank you for telling me,” Lan Wanyin mutters and Jin Ling nods, before he destroys the talisman.

“I’ll get going then,” Jin Ling says, suddenly back to his awkward teenager self and Lan Wanyin musters up a smile for him.

“Have a safe trip,” he says, praying to all the gods he knows that the next time Jin Ling will see his jiujiu again.

“You too,” Jin Ling says, clearly not doubting for a second that Wei Wuxian will figure out how to send Lan Wanyin back and then he’s out of the door.

It’s not long before Lan Xichen comes back, but he’s still avoiding Lan Wanyin’s gaze and Lan Wanyin frowns.

“What is wrong?” he wants to know and watches as Lan Xichen flinches even as he plasters a smile to his face.

“You can request to be housed somewhere else until Wei Wuxian figures out how to send you back,” Lan Xichen says, his voice stiff and formal and Lan Wanyin’s frown only deepens.

“Why would I do that?” he demands to know and Lan Xichen shrugs.

“You heard what happened. I gave A—him the tool to murder my sworn brother and I never noticed a thing,” Lan Xichen says and Lan Wanyin pretends he doesn’t hear how his voice breaks over the almost uttered name.

“As did no one else,” Lan Wanyin hotly gives back. “So everyone else is at fault, too. And besides. He was your sworn brother, too, was he not? You should have been able to trust him.”

“I should have noticed,” Lan Xichen insists again, but Lan Wanyin shakes his head.

“He shouldn’t have done it,” he counters, but now it finally all comes together.

If Lan Xichen thinks he is guilty—an accomplice, almost—then of course he would step down as Sect Leader. Of course he would think Jiang Cheng could never fall in love with him.

“You said Jiang Cheng and I are quite similar, right?” he demands to know and Lan Xichen jerks his head in a nod.

“Then he must feel the same about this. It’s not your fault. You were all deceived. I doubt he thinks of you like you seem to fear.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Lan Xichen says and it rankles Lan Wanyin to be spoken to like that. “It’s more personal for him. He lost so much because of what happened, because of what I allowed to happen.”

“Everyone allowed that to happen. Everyone who didn’t say a thing and simply followed. Do you think he’s angry at the whole world?” Lan Wanyin wants to know and he is almost relieved to see a small smile on Lan Xichen’s face.

“He’s angry a lot,” he whispers but then he grows serious again. “Our relationship changed quite a bit once the truth came out.”

“Could that maybe be because you went into seclusion and withdrew?” Lan Wanyin wants to know and Lan Xichen looks startled by that suggestion.

“I don’t—” he starts but Lan Wanyin shakes his head.

“He came here when you wrote him, right? Didn’t he visit you before, too? I certainly wouldn’t do that with someone I hold responsible for a crime of any kind,” Lan Wanyin says, because he does feel pretty confident about that.

Lan Xichen swallows heavily before he nods once.

“Thank you for saying that. I will give it some thought,” he whispers and while it’s not exactly what Lan Wanyin wants to hear, it’s better than nothing.

Small steps.

~*~*~

Lan Xichen and Lan Wanyin have just settled down for a relaxing breakfast when Wei Wuxian barges into the Hanshi without properly announcing himself.

“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen says, not as biting as Lan Wanyin would have expected, but then again Wei Wuxian seems too excited to properly remember his manners.

“I figured it out!” Wei Wuxian yells, disregarding yet another one of their rules and with every time that happens Lan Wanyin understands the pinched lines on Lan Qiren’s face more and more.

“You figured out what?” Lan Xichen asks, clearly practiced in wheedling out the necessary explanations of an excited Wei Wuxian.

“How to send you back, of course,” Wei Wuxian says with a maniac grin as he looks at Lan Wanyin. “Come, come, we gotta get started right now,” he rushes out and darts forward to take Lan Wanyin’s hand and drag him out of the Hanshi.

“Xichen-ge, you better wait here for now,” Wei Wuxian calls back when it becomes clear that Lan Xichen intents to follow them and when Lan Wanyin looks over his shoulder he sees the lost look on Lan Xichen’s face.

“Don’t worry,” he calls back, trying to sound more confident than he really feels, but Wei Wuxian’s manic energy doesn’t inspire trust at all.

Lan Xichen nods at him and doesn’t make a move to come after them and Lan Wanyin finds himself wishing that he could have said a proper goodbye to him.

Provided that whatever Wei Wuxian figured out actually works.

“Are you sure about this?” Lan Wanyin asks as he’s being dragged after Wei Wuxian, who nods so frantically that his hair goes flying.

“Of course I am! I never make mistakes,” he cries out and Lan Wanyin raises a very judging eyebrow at him. “Okay, maybe I do make mistakes, sometimes, rarely, but I promise you this will work out just fine. Don’t worry.”

Lan Wanyin of course still worries—how could he ever do anything else—but he also follows Wei Wuxian more freely.

He’s not surprised to be brought back to the Jingshi, but he is surprised to see that Lan Wangji is obviously missing.

“Can’t have any other qi mess up my careful planning,” Wei Wuxian cheerfully explains when he sees Lan Wanyin’s searching look and then he simply pushes him into the centre of the room.

There are papers strewn all over the Jingshi and Lan Wanyin’s fingers twitch with the need to tidy up in here, but then Wei Wuxian whirls around to him.

“Now, channel your energy into Zidian,” he demands just as some dark mist starts to swirl around Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wanyin has never seen demonic cultivation in person and it takes him a moment to shake off his instinctual horror but then he does as Wei Wuxian asked of him.

When Wei Wuxian’s and his energy come together the papers around him start to glow and Wei Wuxian lets out an excited yell.

“Yessss,” he hisses and then gently guides Lan Wanyin to lay down. “Tell your Lan Zhan hi from me,” Wei Wuxian says with a wink and it’s the last thing Lan Wanyin sees and hears before everything goes dark.

~*~*~

“You know the rest,” Lan Wanyin says, and sinks deeper into Jiang Xichen’s embrace, content to feel his heartbeat through his back, as he tightens Jiang Xichen’s arms around his middle.

Lan Wanyin can’t help but to appreciate his own forehead ribbon wrapped around Jiang Xichen’s forearm, but when he reaches out, Lan Wanyin fingers stray towards Zidian.

“That’s why we did so well in the war,” Jiang Xichen mutters and presses a kiss to Lan Wanyin’s head. “Because you knew what was going to happen.”

“Enough things were different that we still struggled,” Lan Wanyin says, feeling yet again like he failed everyone who died in the war.

He always gets upset over that, and his fiddling with Zidian gets stronger.

“Can you still wield it?” Jiang Xichen asks and swiftly slides the ring off his finger, before he puts it on Lan Wanyin’s.

“Xichen!” Lan Wanyin yells out in surprise, because it’s a family heirloom, and he really shouldn’t be holding it.

“Don’t you know that you can use it?” Jiang Xichen mutters in his ear and when Lan Wanyin tries to direct some energy into the ring, it promptly responds to him.

“Xichen,” he says, much more softly this time and Jiang Xichen noses at his cheek.

“What belongs to me also belongs to you,” he whispers and presses a kiss to the corner of Lan Wanyin’s mouth. “You should know that.”

“You should know that as well,” Lan Wanyin says and puts his hand over his forehead ribbon on Jiang Xichen’s arm.

“Oh, believe me, I do,” Jiang Xichen suggestively says and Lan Wanyin lightly slaps his arms, even as Jiang Xichen pulls him closer.

“But you know, I’m actually kind of upset now,” Jiang Xichen finally says after a while and drags Lan Wanyin out of his comfortable doze the soft murmuring of the lake lulled him in to.

“About what?” he whispers and turns his head so he can kiss the underside of Jiang Xichen’s chin.

“It’s clearly not me who caught your eye. You didn’t even know me. But from the way you talked about him it seems like Lan Xichen caught your eye.”

“Well, just like Jiang Cheng caught yours, right?” Lan Wanyin says and untangles himself from Jiang Xichen, just so that he can turn around and straddle his lap instead of sitting with his back to him.

“But it was me who managed to keep your eye, remember?” Lan Wanyin whispers into the space between them and he cannot believe how lucky he is when Jiang Xichen looks up at him with nothing but love on his face.

“Yes,” he whispers but when he strains up to get a kiss from Lan Wanyin he slightly leans back, just enough to stay out of reach.

“And you are the one who managed to keep my eye,” he tells Jiang Xichen and only when he sees the possessive happiness on his face does Lan Wanyin lean down and meet him in a kiss.

They get lost in it for a while, and when they finally part, Lan Wanyin moves around so he sits sideways on Jiang Xichen’s lap and can tuck his face into his neck more comfortably.

“I just hope that Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng figured it out on their end as well.”

“Well, Jiang Cheng seemed pretty flustered with me. I’d say chances for them are good,” Jiang Xichen says with a small laugh and Lan Wanyin hopes he is right.

Lan Xichen deserves to be just as happy as Lan Wanyin is right now.

~*~*~

Lan Xichen stares out over the water, thoroughly enjoying the silence at his favourite pier, even though the cold is slowly creeping in.

It’s been years since he came to call Lotus Pier his home, but there are days where he can barely believe that he got this lucky at all.

That Jiang Cheng came to love him back, even though Lan Xichen doesn’t deserve it. And he’s pretty sure that Jiang Cheng’s stay in the other world has something to do with it, even though Jiang Cheng never really told him exactly what happened there, always blushing furiously before changing the subject.

Lan Xichen wonders if they would be here like this, today, if that experiment hadn’t gone wrong and then he wonders if Lan Wanyin also managed to get this lucky in his own world.

He definitely deserves it.

“My light, what are you doing?” Jiang Cheng suddenly asks from behind him and Lan Xichen cranes his neck to look up at him. “It’s too cold still for you to sit like this,” he berates Lan Xichen, but Lan Xichen can see the blanket in his hands and he knows that Jiang Cheng is simply worried.

“Maybe you should keep me warm then,” he gives back and he feels entirely too indulged when Jiang Cheng immediately settles down behind him, putting the blanket over his front and pulling him into his chest.

“You’re going to get sick like this,” Jiang Cheng grumbles but he presses a kiss to Lan Xichen’s hair as he says it. “What are you doing here, though?”

“I was wondering about Lan Wanyin,” Lan Xichen admits and snuggles into his husband’s chest. “Do you think things on his end turned out okay?”

“You told him what to look out for, right?” Jiang Cheng asks and strokes his hand up and down Lan Xichen’s stomach in a soothing motion. “And I doubt he was stupid enough to disregard everything you said to him. It should be fine.”

Lan Xichen hums at that, because he hopes Jiang Cheng is right.

“Do you think he got as lucky in love as we did?” Lan Xichen asks after a while and he doesn’t even have to look at Jiang Cheng to know that he’s blushing again.

“No one is as lucky as we are,” Jiang Cheng says but then he sighs. “I would think so,” he then finally admits. “I might have been a bit careless with his forehead ribbon,” Jiang Cheng finally admits and it’s surprising enough that Lan Xichen turns around to him.

“You what?” he wants to know but he’s smiling giddily when he sees how embarrassed Jiang Cheng is about this.

“I met your counterpart,” Jiang Cheng admits. “Jiang Xichen.”

“Ah, so that’s where I went,” Lan Xichen nods, finally being able to put that nagging thought to rest.

“Yeah. You had your hair in Yunmeng braids and you were wearing purple,” Jiang Cheng admits and he reaches up to tug on Lan Xichen’s braided hair and then he smoothes his hand over Lan Xichen’s side, clearly appreciating the deep purple that his robes are.

There is still some blue mixed in, but it’s subtle enough that one might miss it on first glance, and Lan Xichen doesn’t mind it as much as he once might have thought.

His heart belongs to Jiang Cheng and that means his everything belongs to Yunmeng as well. It’s only fair that his look reflects that.

“And?” Lan Xichen probes when Jiang Cheng falls silent and then he can’t help himself because he simply has to kiss the blush on Jiang Cheng’s face.

“I was in a sixteen-year-old body,” Jiang Cheng says as if he needs to defend himself and his actions upfront. “There were a lot of hormones I wasn’t used to anymore.”

“And?” Lan Xichen asks again, a smile curling around his mouth because he might see where this is going.

“And Jiang Xichen was smuggling in alcohol past curfew and he was being a little shit and he looked so strange without his forehead ribbon. And I wasn’t used to mine,” Jiang Cheng mutters, clearly embarrassed beyond words and Lan Xichen laughs.

“So you gave him yours?” he snickers and Jiang Cheng pinches his side, before he chases away the sting of pain with a kiss.

“Maybe,” Jiang Cheng whispers against his lips and Lan Xichen hums.

“I thought you were different when you came back,” he admits and a tiny part of Lan Xichen can’t help but to wonder if they would be here at all if Jiang Cheng wasn’t forced into that other world.

If he ever would have come to love Lan Xichen on his own.

“Stop it,” Jiang Cheng chastises him and cups Lan Xichen’s face in his hand. “I love you,” he firmly states. “And I would have come to love you without those three weeks as well. I was already falling for you,” Jiang Cheng promises him and Lan Xichen has to blink back his tears.

Jiang Cheng does know him too well.

“And besides, you don’t have room to judge,” Jiang Cheng finally huffs out. “You gave me your ribbon as well, after all,” he says and tangles his hand in the trailing ends of the slightly purple ribbon Lan Xichen is wearing.

It’s not his Lan ribbon, that one is braided into Jiang Cheng’s hair like it should be, but it still sends a shiver down Lan Xichen’s back when Jiang Cheng lightly pulls on it.

“And you accepted it,” Lan Xichen gives back, because he still can’t believe that some days, but when Jiang Cheng smiles at him, all thoughts flee his mind.

“I love you,” Jiang Cheng whispers, straining up to kiss Lan Xichen, who happily leans into the contact.

He’s too busy kissing Jiang Cheng back to say the words as well, but Lan Xichen figures since he’s wearing purple, proudly displaying Jiang Cheng’s braids in his hair and with his forehead ribbon forever in Jiang Cheng’s possession, it should be more than clear.

He wholeheartedly belongs to Jiang Cheng. 

“Wangji is out on a night hunt with the juniors. I don’t know how long until he comes back, but I suspect that Wei Wuxian specifically waited until he was gone before he started with his experiment.”

“I’m not a marriage counsellor,” Jiang Cheng reminds Lan Xichen, who huffs out a laugh at that.

“No one is when it comes to those two,” he gives back and then turns a pleading look at Jiang Cheng. “Won’t you go and look what he’s doing?” Lan Xichen then asks and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.

“No need to act like that,” he snaps out and feels slightly bad when Lan Xichen flinches under his harsh words. “Of course I’ll go and see what my idiot brother is up to now,” Jiang Cheng is quick to reassure him and the smile that overtakes Lan Xichen’s face catches him off guard.

“Thank you,” he breathes out and Jiang Cheng wonders just how bad that experiment is going for Lan Xichen to be this worried about it.

The answer is very bad, Jiang Cheng realizes when Lan Xichen guides him to the Jingshi. There has been a barrier erected around it, keeping the swirling resentful energy inside, and no matter how much Jiang Cheng strains his ears, he can’t hear Wei Wuxian.

“Will you let me in?” Jiang Cheng lightly asks and taps the barrier, jolting Lan Xichen into action.

“Of course,” he immediately replies and lifts the barrier just enough that Jiang Cheng can step into it.

Dread settles in Jiang Cheng’s gut when it closes back down behind him.

“You’re going to let me out again, right?” Jiang Cheng asks, only half joking, but Lan Xichen nods. “Fine,” Jiang Cheng sighs and turns his back to Lan Xichen.

He walks up to the Jingshi, but the door won’t budge when he tries to slide it open.

“Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng hollers, banging his fist against the door, and it’s not long before he hears Wei Wuxian from the inside.

“Jiang Cheng, is that you?” he asks, just before the door opens and Jiang Cheng’s first thought is that he was fine with never seeing a walking corpse again.

“You look like shit,” is the first thing out of Jiang Cheng’s mouth as Wei Wuxian stares with sunken, bloodshot eyes at him.

“That’s because it won’t work,” Wei Wuxian whines after a beat and walks back into the Jingshi.

Jiang Cheng follows him, careful not to step onto any of the wayward papers on the ground, but he gives that up after about two steps. The floor is littered with discarded attempts of talismans, and Jiang Cheng is not about to dance through the Jingshi to protect Wei Wuxian’s work.

“What the fuck are you even working on?” Jiang Cheng wants to know and when Wei Wuxian turns around to him with a manic glint in his eyes, he knows he doesn’t really want to know the answer.

“Time travel,” Wei Wuxian excitedly tells Jiang Cheng, who simply stares at him.

“Time travel,” Jiang Cheng tonelessly repeats and Wei Wuxian’s hair flies when he nods.

“I thought, with everything that went wrong, why not go back and fix a few things? But I can’t seem to make it work, I don’t know where it’s wrong, my calculations should be right, but nothing is happening, why is nothing happening, Jiang Cheng?” Wei Wuxian whines and Jiang Cheng can only let the ramble wash over him.

“Maybe because it’s better that nothing is happening?” he snaps out when Wei Wuxian finally falls silent. “You really want to fuck up another time-line?” he demands to know and Wei Wuxian’s gaze turns pained.

“I don’t want to fuck it up,” Wei Wuxian complaints. “I want to make it right!”

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng shouts and Zidian sparks on his finger, picking up on his mood. “Why would you even think that meddling with this would be a good idea?”

“It could all be better!” Wei Wuxian shouts right back, his resentful energy swirling around him, and when it comes into contact with Zidian, the papers on the floor start to glow.

“Oh fuck,” Wei Wuxian whispers and every last hair on the back of Jiang Cheng’s neck stands up.

“What now?”

“It’s working,” Wei Wuxian breathes out and then laughs. “It’s working! Oh, of course it needs two energy sources, I’m so stupid!”

While Wei Wuxian is turning around the Jingshi with glee, clearly delighted with the fact that his invention works, a whirlwind has started to appear around Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Cheng is not liking this at all.

“Wei Wuxian, make it stop,” he orders, effectively bringing Wei Wuxian to turn around to him and Jiang Cheng knows he’s fucked when Wei Wuxian’s eyes go wide.

“Oh no,” is the last thing Jiang Cheng hears, before everything goes dark.

~*~*~

When Jiang Cheng opens his eyes, he’s still in the Jingshi. But everything is orderly, no talismans laying around anywhere, and Wei Wuxian is nowhere to be seen.

This cannot be good, Jiang Cheng thinks and carefully sits up. It’s only when he’s about to push himself off the ground that he realizes the familiar weight of Zidian is missing from his finger and panic rushes through Jiang Cheng.

He scrambles to get off the floor, ready to search the whole Cloud Recesses until he gets Zidian back, but something tangles in his hand and when he tries to stand up, his head gets yanked back.

“What the fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters under his breath and he freezes when he looks down only to find the trailing ends of a forehead ribbon tangled around his hand.

He knows about the forehead ribbon and their significance. Wei Wuxian has told him often enough about that.

“Holy shit,” Jiang Cheng says, because if he just accidentally married anyone he’s going to lose it.

Upon closer inspection he realizes that the forehead ribbon is tied around his own head and Jiang Cheng has to blink a few times at that revelation.

When he finally does manage to get off the ground, he immediately goes in search of a mirror, only to freeze again when he lays eyes on his reflection.

“What. The actual. Fuck,” Jiang Cheng says loudly because the person in the mirror cannot possibly be him.

He looks young, possibly around sixteen, and he’s wearing the white robes of Gusu Lan, forehead ribbon and jade pendant and all.

Jiang Cheng realizes that he’s shaking, and a very small part of his brain is aware that he’s panicking, but the most prominent thoughts in his head are that he looks deadly pale in white and that the forehead ribbon looks incredibly strange on his head.

Jiang Cheng is still trying to make sense of this all, when a voice suddenly calls out for him.

“Wanyin?”

“No,” Jiang Cheng reflexively says, but then stops to frown at the door, because how dare someone use his name in a familiar manner like that.

“I’m coming in,” the voice says and now that Jiang Cheng thinks about it, it sounds familiar.

“Lan Wangji,” Jiang Cheng breathes out when the door slides open, because he will hopefully have an explanation for this.

“Wanyin, you missed the first class,” Lan Wangji says, and there’s real worry audible in his voice and Jiang Cheng frowns at him.

“What the hell is going on here?” he demands to know and if he wasn’t so high strung he would probably laugh at the shocked expression on Lan Wangji’s face.

“Wanyin?” Lan Wangji asks and Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

“Stop with that, how dare you even call me that?”

“You’re my younger brother, of course I can call you that,” Lan Wangji gives back, clearly stunned and his words effectively freeze Jiang Cheng on the spot.

“Your what?” he breathes out and then simply sits down where he stands, because this cannot be real.

“Fucking time-travel, my ass,” Jiang Cheng grumbles under his breath and presses his hands to his eyes.

“Brother, are you not feeling well?” Lan Wangji wants to know and Jiang Cheng lets out a sharp laugh.

“No, I am not feeling well, brother,” he bites out and then scolds himself, because there is no reason to be rude to Lan Wangji when they both don’t know what exactly is happening.

“Wanyin,” Lan Wangji starts again, and Jiang Cheng lifts his head so fast, he fears he might have sprained something.

“My name is Jiang Cheng,” he tells him and he sees the confusion on Lan Wangji’s face.

“You’re Lan Wanyin,” Lan Wangji carefully corrects him and Jiang Cheng takes a deep breath.

“Fuck,” he mutters and then motions for Lan Wangji to sit down.

Lan Wangji does, but hesitantly. Jiang Cheng suspects he would rather run for one of the healers.

“I’m not your—your brother,” Jiang Cheng starts with, and even just the thought that Lan Wangji is his big brother in this world, or time-line, is enough to make Jiang Cheng doubt his very own existence.

But in the end he powers through it and manages to explain to Lan Wangji as best as he can what happened. He sticks to the most basic story-line but even then Lan Wangji goes progressively paler as Jiang Cheng talks.

Jiang Cheng still thinks he gets his point across quite beautifully—he’s a thirty-something year old Jiang Sect Leader and not Lan Wangji’s younger brother.

“Where’s Wanyin?” Lan Wangji asks when Jiang Cheng falls silent, his voice carefully controlled and Jiang Cheng shrugs.

“My best guess is that he’s in my body right now, so probably safe and sound. Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen won’t let anything happen to him.”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji agrees, but Jiang Cheng sees how he worries the hem of his robe and wonders if anyone has ever seen Lan Wangji this nervous.

Wei Wuxian probably, but Jiang Cheng pushes that thought away.

“We have to reverse this,” Jiang Cheng says and Lan Wangji nods immediately, clearly as desperate to get his brother back as Jiang Cheng is to return to his own world.

It’s only then that Jiang Cheng realizes how fucked up this isn’t just for him, but Lan Wangji as well. He just lost his brother to another person, has no clue if his brother is even fine or still alive, and yet his body is still running around like it used to.

Jiang Cheng wouldn’t be surprised if this whole experience leaves Lan Wangji a little fucked up and a lot over-protective.

“I will look into it,” Lan Wangji promises and Jiang Cheng realizes that if he’s the younger brother, then Lan Wangji must be the heir.

What a strange thought.

“Do we tell people?” Jiang Cheng carefully asks, even though he doesn’t think it would go over well if they announced that Lan Wanyin—and isn’t that a strange combination of names—is gone.

“We shouldn’t,” Lan Wangji says and Jiang Cheng nods. “But you have to behave differently,” he then tacks on, and Jiang Cheng sees the frown on his face when Lan Wangji looks at him.

“What, I’m not acting like your brother enough?” he bites out and Lan Wangji flinches before he shakes his head.

“You’re not. Brother is shy and mild-mannered,” he then says and Jiang Cheng groans as he puts his face in his hands.

Of fucking course Lan Wanyin would be the complete opposite of Jiang Cheng.

“He smiles a lot,” Lan Wangji tacks on and Jiang Cheng shoots him a glare.

“Fine,” he grumbles and forces a smile on his face. “Better?” he wants to know and Lan Wangji opens his mouth as if to protest but then falls silent.

The pain on his face is so clear that Jiang Cheng loses his bite and he gentles the smile into something he only barely remembers from when he was younger.

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Cheng sighs and lowers his gaze. “But I’m sure your brother is fine, Wei Wuxian will make sure of that, as will the others,” he tries to reassure Lan Wangji, but he’s not sure how successful he really is.

“I’m going to tell uncle that you’re sick,” Lan Wangji decides and Jiang Cheng raises an eyebrow at him.

“Breaking your rules?” he wants to know but Lan Wangji shakes his head.

“You’re not yourself. It’s not a complete lie,” he says and Jiang Cheng can’t help the smirk.

Who knew Lan Wangji had it in him.

“Fine,” he agrees. “We’ll spend the day or two it will give us practicing. You’ll have to tell me exactly how Lan Wanyin behaves.”

Lan Wangji nods at that and when Jiang Cheng frowns, he’s yet again reminded of the forehead ribbon.

“I doubt there’s a way I could get away with not wearing the ribbon?” Jiang Cheng asks, though he doesn’t have much hope about that.

“No,” Lan Wangji says, sounding as affronted as Jiang Cheng has ever heard him and Jiang Cheng sighs.

“I thought so,” he mutters and then allows Lan Wangji to explain just how his younger brother normally behaves.

It is not a fun day, for neither of them.

~*~*~

Lan Wangji manages to get Jiang Cheng two days without anyone barging in on him. Lan Wangji all but moved into the Jingshi, doing nothing but talking about Lan Wanyin and telling Jiang Cheng how he is supposed to act.

Jiang Cheng wants to tear his hair out before the second day is over, but he dutifully listens and tries his best to behave like Lan Wangji describes.

He might hate this, but he doesn’t want to fuck Lan Wanyin’s life up more than he already has. He shouldn’t have to deal with some fallout when he comes back just because Jiang Cheng isn’t able to properly play his part.

On the third day, Lan Wangji decides that it’s time Jiang Cheng gets out there.

Jiang Cheng isn’t so sure this is the right course of action, but there isn’t much he can say so in the end he attends class like Lan Wanyin would have.

It’s the single most strange experience Jiang Cheng has ever made and given his life, that means a lot.

Everyone is nice to him; he other students clearly like Lan Wanyin a lot and Jiang Cheng finds himself being swept up in his act.

It’s easy to pretend to be someone different if everyone acts like they truly like him. Jiang Cheng decides not to think too much about that.

The first real test comes when Jiang Cheng runs across Lan Qiren. Jiang Cheng fears his act is up before he even opens his mouth but then Lan Qiren smiles slightly at him and something in Jiang Cheng goes all warm and pleased.

“Wanyin,” Lan Qiren greets him.

“Shufu,” Jiang Cheng gives back, the word strange and foreign from his mouth, and he falls into the appropriate bow to hide it.

“How are you feeling? Wangji sounded concerned when he said you were ill.”

“I’m feeling better now, shufu, thank you for your worry,” Jiang Cheng gives back, selling his words with a small smile and it seems to be enough to appease Lan Qiren.

“That is good to hear,” Lan Qiren says and he briefly puts his hand on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder.

Jiang Cheng didn’t know that Lan Qiren could be this soft but he guesses it’s only reserved for family. It would make sense.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, shufu,” Jiang Cheng says, bowing his head and when Lan Qiren lets out a relieved breath, he knows he made the right move.

“As long as you’re feeling better now,” Lan Qiren says, and then tugs on his beard once, clearly falling back into his usual, stern role. “Now off you go, don’t miss any more classes.”

“Yes, shufu,” Jiang Cheng mutters, and quickly bows again, before he swiftly walks away.

He makes sure not to run, breaking a rule would mess up his whole act—and he didn’t not spend every free minute of the past two days reading over the rules only to break one immediately—but he only relaxes when he turns a corner and he can be sure that Lan Qiren’s eyes are no longer on him.

Jiang Cheng wonders how he will ever look at Lan Qiren again, knowing that his face can go this soft, but he pushes that thought away for now. He can worry about that once Wei Wuxian manages to undo whatever it is he did in the first place and gets Jiang Cheng back into his own body.

Jiang Cheng manages to sit through classes and not fuck up Lan Wanyin’s grades—much to the clear astonishment of Lan Wangji—but he can’t say that he enjoys his days.

He fears he’s always one step away from being called out on his bullshit and Jiang Cheng cannot for the life of him get used to the feeling of the forehead ribbon around his head. It’s the first thing he always takes off when he goes back to the Jingshi and Lan Wangji stumbled over his bare forehead more than once already.

Jiang Cheng couldn’t care less.

On the fourth day of Jiang Cheng’s new, temporary life, Lan Qiren doesn’t open the class with his usual lecture but an announcement instead.

“Listen up,” he calls out, even though everyone is already silent and listening.

Jiang Cheng suspects he does it for the dramatics.

“Summer is upon us, and so the classes for the other young masters will start soon. They will arrive soon, and I expect all of you to be on your best behaviour. Every Sect will send a few students and you are going to act as a model example to all of them!”

There’s an excited murmur in the classroom that Lan Qiren allows for a few moments, while Jiang Cheng’s stomach drops with dread. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to see Wei Wuxian, to find out how life at Lotus Pier is without him present, but he guesses he doesn’t have a choice.

Jiang Cheng just hopes that Wei Wuxian manages to find a way back for Jiang Cheng before the other students arrive at the Cloud Recesses.

~*~*~

Wei Wuxian does not manage to get Jiang Cheng back to his own world before the other students arrive and Jiang Cheng has to take an hour in the cold springs to meditate on that before he feels ready to come into contact with any of them.

It has been a week since the announcement Lan Qiren made in class and with every passing day that Wei Wuxian didn’t manage to  get him back and that Jiang Cheng had to continue playing his act he got more and more stressed out.

By now Jiang Cheng is nothing more than a nervous wreck and he truly doesn’t know if he can come into contact with any of the students from different Sect without losing it.

Jiang Cheng is half afraid he’ll break down crying if he comes to face with Wei Wuxian, and he cannot do that.

The young masters arrived today, but thankfully Lan Wangji managed to find a reason keep Jiang Cheng far away from then for now. Jiang Cheng knows it can’t hold forever, but he’s thankful for the respite he got from this. If he only has to see them in class and not greet them personally, maybe Jiang Cheng will even make it through this whole mess.

Jiang Cheng takes one last deep breath, submerging himself in the ice-cold water of the springs, before he finally steps out of them. It’s almost dark by now, and Jiang Cheng is aware that their curfew is coming up rather quickly, but he still takes his time to dry himself and make himself presentable.

If he hurries back to the Jingshi shortly before curfew, he’s bound to run into fewer people, after all.

Jiang Cheng makes his way back up the hill swiftly and with his head lowered so that no one will talk to him, and he’s already cheering inwardly when he runs into another person.

Quite literally, since that person simply dropped from the sky and Jiang Cheng ran straight into their chest.

“What the hell,” Jiang Cheng grumbles, careful to keep his voice low, but when he raises his gaze—how can Lan Wanyin be this goddamn short—he can’t help the curse that leave his lips.

“Fuck,” he says with feeling and then immediately turns red when the other person smiles at him.

“And here I thought the Lan’s were not allowed to curse,” he says, his voice as smooth as a river and it takes Jiang Cheng a moment to place it.

“Lan Xichen,” Jiang Cheng says and realizes his mistake as soon as the frown appears on Lan Xichen’s face.

“You’re the Lan here,” Lan Xichen gives back and Jiang Cheng knows what’s coming before Lan Xichen even says it.

The purple robes are a dead give-away after all.

“My name is Jiang Xichen.”

“Of course it is,” Jiang Cheng bitterly mutters and Lan Xichen—no, Jiang Xichen—continues to frown at him.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asks, reaching out as if to stabilize Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Cheng slaps his hand away without thinking.

He regrets his action when Jiang Xichen smirks at him, but he holds his head high.

Jiang Cheng takes a moment to look Jiang Xichen over and he’s surprised to find how young he looks. It must have something to do with how empty his face looks without the forehead ribbon that normally adorns it, Jiang Cheng muses, and he can’t say that he likes it.

Jiang Cheng’s eyes then catch on the typical Jiang braids in Jiang Xichen’s hair and Jiang Cheng can’t help but think that this style really suits him. It certainly looks better than the open style of the Lan Sect, Jiang Cheng thinks and then shakes his head at his own foolish thoughts.

“Cat got your tongue?” Jiang Xichen asks, that infuriating smirk still on his lips, and Jiang Cheng didn’t know Jiang Xichen’s face could even move like that.

“There’s a curfew,” Jiang Cheng snaps at him and now Jiang Xichen’s smirk slides into a real grin.

“That is still a few minutes away,” he smoothly gives back. “And anyway, shouldn’t you be getting ready for bed? I heard the Lan’s all like to stick to a strict sleeping schedule.”

“My schedule is none of your business,” Jiang Cheng haughtily tells him but that only seems to amuse Jiang Xichen further.

“I see,” he says and scratches his chin. “What a pity,” he then adds with a very pointed look up and down Jiang Cheng’s body, and Jiang Cheng cannot believe that he actually flushes at that.

At least, until his gaze falls onto the ring on Jiang Xichen’s finger.

It’s Zidian, clear and unmistakably, and Jiang Cheng’s head spins with that revelation. In his world, Madam Yu only parted with it when it was clear she wouldn’t make it, and Jiang Cheng was not prepared to see it on Jiang Xichen’s finger.

“How dare you,” he hisses without thinking, instinct taking over because Zidian is his, but Jiang Xichen only stares in confusion at him.

“What,” he starts to ask but Jiang Cheng grabs for his hand and pulls it closer to himself, trying to slide the ring off in the process.

“Zidian is not yours,” Jiang Cheng tells him and now a spark of anger appears in Jiang Xichen’s eyes.

“It is!” he tells Jiang Cheng. “Mother gave it to me, it belongs to the Jiang-Yu-bloodline!”

“How did you even get this?” Jiang Cheng asks the blood rushing in his veins and Jiang Xichen wrenches his hand out of Jiang Cheng’s grip, Zidian sparking in the familiar purple light.

“Mother gave it to me as a reward when I beat Wei Wuxian in a competition,” Jiang Xichen tells him and all the fight leaves Jiang Cheng.

Of course. Of fucking course. Of course Jiang Xichen would be better than Wei Wuxian; of course his mother would be proud enough of him to give him Zidian early. Of course Lan Xichen still excels in everything he does, no matter what Sect he belongs to and who his brother is.

“Are you alright?” Jiang Xichen asks again when Jiang Cheng stays silent for too long. “I still don’t know your name.”

“It’s Ji—Lan Wanyin,” Jiang Cheng presses out, unable to meet Jiang Xichen’s eyes for now but a shudder runs down Jiang Cheng’s back when Jiang Xichen acknowledges him with a hum.

“Ah, the second young master,” Jiang Xichen says and falls into a bow.

Jiang Cheng works his jaw when he notices the sloppy form and the lax execution and anger sparks within him again.

“Mind your form,” he snaps out and is yet again confused when Jiang Xichen looks at him because the sight is just too strange without his forehead ribbon.

Just on cue a gust of wind picks up, making the ends of Jiang Cheng’s forehead ribbon flutter in the wind, and Jiang Cheng is yet again reminded of the restricting, itching feeling the ribbon always causes him.

Jiang Xichen is still smirking at him, Zidian still on his finger, and something in Jiang Cheng’s brain simply short-circuits.

He reaches up to undo the knot at the back of his head, before he throws the forehead ribbon at Jiang Xichen who catches it seemingly on reflex.

“Why would you give me this?” Jiang Xichen asks, his face a few shades paler than before and Jiang Cheng is so angry he feels like he’s going to explode.

“Because it belongs to you!” he yells right into his face and he has half a mind to forcefully fasten the ribbon around Jiang Xichen’s forehead.

Jiang Cheng cannot stand how strange he looks without it.

“This belongs to you and Zidian is mine,” Jiang Cheng goes on and he almost misses the calculating look in Jiang Xichen’s eyes.

“Is that so?” he asks, a sweet smile playing around his mouth and Jiang Cheng simply loses it.

“How dare you? How dare you be better than me, how dare you still smile like that even with Madam Yu as your mother and how dare you wear what is mine! And don’t be so damn suggestive about things!”

Jiang Cheng realizes that he’s being more than unreasonable, but he can’t help himself. Just the thought that life at Lotus Pier is harmonious and good simply because Jiang Cheng isn’t there opens up wounds in his soul he long thought healed over, insecurities he long thought dealt with rearing its head again, and Jiang Cheng has to bite back tears when he imagines how peaceful it must be without the constant fights between his parents.

Jiang Xichen probably got picked up more than five times by Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Cheng bitterly thinks and then forces his thoughts into another direction.

It’s not fair to blame Jiang Xichen for Jiang Cheng’s own shortcomings, after all, and he wills himself to calm down a bit.

At least until Jiang Xichen opens his mouth again.

“Which of these two do you mean now?” Jiang Xichen asks, raising his hand with Zidian but also the other one that is still holding Jiang Cheng’s forehead ribbon. “Because I might not be inclined to give either to you, now,” he says, a clearly suggestive tone to his voice and Jiang Cheng flushes bright red.

He reaches out to snatch his forehead ribbon from Jiang Xichen’s hand, but then he can’t seem to find his words when Jiang Xichen simply stares at him.

“Do not touch it,” Jiang Cheng eventually forces out and Jiang Xichen laughs, bright and happy and Jiang Cheng thinks that he could get lost in that sound.

He jerks his head, trying to get rid of that ridiculous thought, and by the time Jiang Cheng gets himself back under control Jiang Xichen has calmed down.

“You gave it to me,” he whispers to Jiang Cheng, and as he leans forward there’s a slight tingling sound, like two bowls clinking together.

Jiang Cheng frowns when he hears it.

“Did you bring alcohol into the Cloud Recesses?” he demands to know, and Jiang Xichen proudly lifts the two bottles.

“Of course I did!” Jiang Xichen says with a huge smile and Jiang Cheng distantly wonders if this is how Lan Wangji had felt when Wei Wuxian barged into the Cloud Recesses with alcohol in his own time-line.

“Do you want to join me for a drink?” Jiang Xichen cheekily asks and Jiang Cheng sees red.

“Alcohol is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses,” he hisses at Jiang Xichen and snatches the bottles from his hand, before smashing them into the ground. “And there is a goddamn curfew in place!” he then adds for good measure and promptly storms off.

Jiang Cheng cannot believe that his mood got the better of him, and he clenches his hand that is still holding on to the forehead ribbon.

Jiang Cheng still remembers how Lan Wangji reiterated again and again in calm serious tones just what the forehead ribbon means to their Sect and Jiang Cheng flushes bright red at the memory.

He can just hope that Jiang Xichen doesn’t know what it means, or else Jiang Cheng truly fucked Lan Wanyin over right now.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng doesn’t know if Lan Wanyin’s face is just more expressive or if Lan Wangji simply knows how to read him better, but he knew that something was wrong the moment he came to collect Jiang Cheng for the first class with the other young masters.

Jiang Cheng couldn’t bring himself to explain in detail what happened during the night, but Lan Wangji seemed to understand that he was distressed anyway. Jiang Cheng doesn’t know how he did it, but when Lan Wangji comes to collect him halfway through the class, telling him that he is supposed to make a copy of a book in the library, Jiang Cheng lets out a long breath.

He quickly gets up, firmly ignoring Jiang Xichen’s eyes on him and follows Lan Wangji to safety.

Distantly, Jiang Cheng wonders if Wei Wuxian—who has been strangely quiet so far—will manage to get thrown out of the class as well, meaning Jiang Cheng would get to oversee his punishment, but all of those thoughts leave his head when Jiang Xichen steps into the library.

“What are you doing here?” Jiang Cheng asks, desperately trying to keep his voice calm and even but he knows there’s no chance of that when Jiang Xichen smiles at him.

“I got thrown out of class,” he says with a shrug and settles down opposite of Jiang Cheng. “I’m supposed to come here for punishment. Copying the rules.”

“Then get to copying,” Jiang Cheng shortly tells him, intent on ignoring him, but when Jiang Xichen reaches out to play with the edge of Jiang Cheng’s scroll Jiang Cheng knows it won’t be that easy.

“But I want to spend more time with you,” Jiang Xichen pouts at Jiang Cheng, who tries his best not to blush.

“There’s no reason for that,” Jiang Cheng snaps at him but Jiang Xichen only gives him a blinding smile.

“But we’re engaged now, are we not?” Jiang Xichen innocently asks and blinks at Jiang Cheng. “We should take time to get to know each other.”

Jiang Cheng’s breath leaves him in a rush and he fights the urge to slam his head onto the table. So Jiang Xichen knows what the ribbons means.

Jiang Cheng can just hope that Lan Wanyin will forgive him for this.

“You’re mistaken,” Jiang Cheng tells him, but he can tell immediately that Jiang Xichen doesn’t believe him.

“But you gave me your ribbon,” he gives back, just as he reaches out to catch the ends of Jiang Cheng’s forehead ribbon. “That’s a marriage proposal, right?”

“It’s not,” Jiang Cheng lies straight through his teeth, but Jiang Xichen only seems to be delighted by that.

“But I got so used to calling you my fiancé in my head already,” he whines and Jiang Cheng can feel the flush creep up his face.

“It’s been a night,” Jiang Cheng hisses, “how used to it can you be?”

“Very,” Jiang Xichen immediately gives back. “Wei Wuxian will be planning our wedding. Did you know he’s really good at that? I wouldn’t have guessed but then he planned one for my father’s right hand and it was glorious,” Jiang Xichen muses and Jiang Cheng can barely believe his ears.

Wei Wuxian has never been good at planning anything, and he certainly won’t get to plan Jiang Cheng’s wedding.

“If anyone plans our wedding it will be Jiang Yanli,” Jiang Cheng informs Jiang Xichen, who instantly smiles at him.

“That is acceptable, too,” he agrees, and Jiang Cheng regrets his words almost immediately.

“But we’re not getting married!” Jiang Cheng rushes out, hopes to derail Jiang Xichen, but he doesn’t have much hope anymore.

“Not yet,” Jiang Xichen agrees. “We should wait until after the classes. You should definitely come to Lotus Pier first, too, meet my parents.”

“Absolutely not,” Jiang Cheng chokes out and gets up, scroll forgotten on the table. “Get out!” he then snaps at Jiang Xichen, who gets up as well but takes too long for Jiang Cheng’s liking until he starts to move.

“Until later then,” he calls over his shoulder, still a small smile on his face and he blows Jiang Cheng a kiss, before he vanishes from the library.

“Fuck,” Jiang Cheng whispers as he sinks back down.

He really fucked this one up, didn’t he.

~*~*~

No matter how much Jiang Cheng tries, he cannot escape Jiang Xichen. It doesn’t seem to matter where Jiang Cheng hides, Jiang Xichen always, always finds him and Jiang Cheng truly wonders how he manages that.

He doesn’t dare to ask though, tries to keep their interactions to the absolute minimum and despite knowing that Lan Wanyin will walk into a true mess when he comes back, Jiang Cheng cannot help the relieved sigh when his view suddenly goes all black during dinner.

Jiang Cheng quickly puts his bowl down, and takes the time to lay down for good measure too, because he doesn’t want Lan Wanyin to wake up with some kind of injury as well, and when he blinks his eyes back open, Wei Wuxian is staring down at him.

“Jiang Cheng?” Wei Wuxian asks carefully and Jiang Cheng bares his teeth at him.

“What the fuck took you so long?” he demands to know, because it’s been almost three weeks now, and Wei Wuxian starts to laugh.

“Oh, it’s you,” he gets out between his laughter and Jiang Cheng fights the urge to strangle him.

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng bellows and scrambles to his feet, but Wei Wuxian doesn’t seem to care; he’s still rolling on the ground, holding his stomach as he laughs and laughs and laughs.

“I’m so glad to have you back,” Wei Wuxian eventually whispers, wiping some tears away, and Jiang Cheng can’t hold on to his anger any longer, because he, too, is glad to be back.

“I’m glad to be back,” Jiang Cheng gives back lowly and then helps Wei Wuxian up when he holds out a hand. “What happened?”

“I made a slight mistake,” Wei Wuxian admits and Jiang Cheng levels him with a look.

That might be the understatement of the year.

“Okay, a big mistake,” Wei Wuxian corrects with raised hands. “But it’s alright now. Lan Wanyin is back where he belongs and you’re back here, so it’s all good.”

“Did something happen while I was away?” Jiang Cheng wants to know and he’s unprepared for the soft smile that flits over Wei Wuxian’s face.

“No. Lan Wanyin is incredibly mild-mannered, it was a whole lot to take,” Wei Wuxian says and he sounds sadder than he probably means to, before he shakes his head and looks at Jiang Cheng. “Did something happen on your end?”

The memory of Jiang Cheng throwing his forehead ribbon at Jiang Xichen crosses Jiang Cheng’s mind, and he can feel himself go bright red in the face.

“No,” he still lies straight through his teeth and Wei Wuxian hones in on that immediately.

“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian says and Jiang Cheng turns his back towards him.

“Nothing happened,” he snaps and then marches right out of the Jingshi, only to run straight into Lan Xichen.

“Ah, Wanyin,” Lan Xichen says, but then he takes a good look at Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng is unprepared for the relieved smile that flits over Lan Xichen’s smile. “Jiang Cheng. You’re back.”

“I am,” Jiang Cheng awkwardly says and he can’t help that his eyes are glued to the forehead ribbon that is rightly back on Lan Xichen’s head.

It looks so much more right to see Lan Xichen’s face with the forehead ribbon that Jiang Cheng has a hard time tearing his eyes away from the sight. He only manages when Lan Xichen speaks again.

“Are you alright?” Lan Xichen wants to know and Jiang Cheng curses himself when he flushes.

He still remembers the baffled look on Jiang Xichen’s face when Jiang Cheng threw the forehead ribbon at him and it makes Jiang Cheng’s stomach swoop dangerously.

“I am,” he curtly declares, and finally—finally—drags his eyes away from the white band around Lan Xichen’s head, only to let them fall on Lan Xichen’s hair.

Jiang Cheng is immediately flooded with the thought that Jiang Xichen looked so much better with his braided hair and Jiang Cheng doesn’t know where all these thoughts are coming from.

“Are you truly?” Lan Xichen asks, reaching out to lightly grab Jiang Cheng’s elbow, and the concern is more than clear on his face. “You look pale.”

Jiang Cheng feels like his face is on fire, but he’s glad it doesn’t show.

“Changing bodies—or time-lines—is not a comfortable thing,” Jiang Cheng says instead of explaining the real reason and he’s glad when that seems to appease Lan Xichen.

“I can only imagine,” Lan Xichen says and Jiang Cheng finds that his thoughts have turned into very dangerous directions.

“You should come visit Lotus Pier one of these days,” Jiang Cheng finds himself thinking, hearing Jiang Xichen’s voice offering him the same back in the Cloud Recesses, and Jiang Cheng is unable to do anything but imagine Lan Xichen in purple.

It truly was a look on him.

“I should,” Lan Xichen says, clearly caught off guard but without hesitation and Jiang Cheng tries not to think too hard on the warm feeling that spreads out in his stomach.

“Good,” he bites out and then pushes past Lan Xichen before he can say something else.

“Aiyo, Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian calls after him and Jiang Cheng reluctantly turns around, trying his best to avoid looking at Lan Xichen, who seems almost as flustered as Jiang Cheng feels.

“What?” Jiang Cheng snaps out when Wei Wuxian doesn’t say anything, and he’s entirely unprepared for when Wei Wuxian crashes into his side.

“Why don’t you ever invite me back to Lotus Pier?” he then wants to know and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.

“Because you do whatever the hell you want. Lan Xichen is way too polite to come uninvited, unlike you.”

There’s a slight chuckle and Jiang Cheng is startled to find that it comes from Lan Xichen himself.

Jiang Cheng remembers the clear sound that rang out when Jiang Xichen laughed, loud and unrestrained, and Jiang Cheng finds himself thinking that he wants to hear it again.

And maybe he has good chances, he mentally adds when Lan Xichen hides his smile behind his sleeve.

“Ugh, you’re playing favourites,” Wei Wuxian complaints, and Jiang Cheng shoves him off with a hand to his face.

“And you’re not one of them,” he curtly says—though everyone present knows it’s a damn lie—and then finally turns around to flee.

Jiang Cheng needs some time to sort through his thoughts—and some time to push all of his feelings away—and he won’t get that here, with Wei Wuxian sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Lan Xichen’s voice suddenly rings out behind him, and Jiang Cheng has half a mind to remind him that yelling is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses, but he manages to swallow the words down.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t quite manage to bite back the smile, though.

~*~*~

“What has gotten into you lately?” Wei Wuxian wants to know when Jiang Xichen continues to smile down at Zidian.

“What do you mean?” Jiang Xichen gives back innocently but Wei Wuxian only rolls his eyes at him.

“Please, you’re behaving really strangely lately,” Wei Wuxian says and taps Zidian. “Is something wrong with it?” he asks but Jiang Xichen only smiles at him.

He can’t help but to fondly remember the way Lan Wanyin was yelling at him that first night and he goes a little bit hot all over when Jiang Xichen remembers just how magnificently Lan Wanyin had looked, all furious and flustered.

Jiang Xichen taps Zidian again and he can’t get out of his head how Lan Wanyin had said that Zidian was his, just like the forehead ribbon belonged to Jiang Xichen. Jiang Xichen finds himself imagining it more often than he would like to admit; Zidian, purple and dangerous on Lan Wanyin’s finger, while Lan Wanyin’s pristine white forehead ribbon was wrapped around Jiang Xichen’s armguard.

Jiang Xichen liked that image more than he probably should.

“No, but seriously, what the hell are you thinking about?” Wei Wuxian asks again, poking Jiang Xichen into the side and Jiang Xichen can’t help but tease Wei Wuxian a little bit.

“My fiancé,” he cheekily gives back and thoroughly enjoys the stunned look on Wei Wuxian’s face.

“Your what?” he squeaks out and Jiang Xichen laughs.

“Madam Yu is going to kill you,” Wei Wuxian prophesises when it becomes clear that Jiang Xichen won’t explain but Jiang Xichen shakes his head.

“She’s going to congratulate me,” he confidently gives back, certain that his mother will be very pleased with this match and then Jiang Xichen gets up. “I have to go now,” Jiang Xichen says, sure that by now Lan Wanyin must already be in the library again and Wei Wuxian turns puppy eyes on him.

“You’re always leaving me alone these days,” he complaints. “I’m bored.”

“Why don’t you find someone else to pester?” Jiang Xichen says, but his voice is not unkind.

Wei Wuxian thinks that over for a few moments and then his face lights up.

“Oh, I know,” he says and Jiang Xichen has a quick moment to pity whoever Wei Wuxian picked as his victim. “Lan Wangji seems like he would be fun to rile up.”

Jiang Xichen presses his lips together, briefly indulges himself in a scenario where he’s married to Lan Wanyin, while Wei Wuxian is married to Lan Wangji, and then he shakes his head.

“Just don’t get yourself killed,” he advises Wei Wuxian before he finally leaves, itching to get back to the library, to get back to his fiancé, and he leaves Wei Wuxian to his own devices.

Jiang Xichen can’t help the smile on his face when he finds Lan Wanyin in the library like he predicted and he’s quick to settle down opposite of him.

“What are you doing here?” Lan Wanyin asks, and Jiang Xichen frowns.

There’s a certain bite missing from his voice but Jiang Xichen shrugs it off.

“I’m here to see my wonderful fiancé,” Jiang Xichen easily gives back, delighting in the way that word feels on his lips and he stares in wonder as Lan Wanyin turns a bright red.

“Your what?” he squeaks out and Jiang Xichen tilts his head in consideration.

“My fiancé,” he repeats. “You,” he adds when Lan Wanyin stares in confusion at him.

“Me?” Lan Wanyin says, voice high with panic and then he grumbles under his breath, something that sounds suspiciously like “Why the hell did no one tell me about this?”

“I tell you all the time,” Jiang Xichen says and seems to startle Lan Wanyin, who meets his eyes for barely a second before he ducks his head.

“I don’t understand,” Lan Wanyin admits softly and Jiang Xichen finds that more endearing than he probably should.

“You gave me your forehead ribbon,” Jiang Xichen says and reaches out for the ends again.

His fingertips barely grazed them when Lan Wanyin snatches them up and presses them to his chest.

“What are you doing?” he asks, voice strangled and Jiang Xichen gives him his most winning smile.

“Touching what is mine,” Jiang Xichen gives back and watches as Lan Wanyin’s face goes slack.

There’s something off with him today—gone is the fiery, rude boy Jiang Xichen fell in love with—but Jiang Xichen can’t deny that Lan Wanyin still manages to make his heart beat quicker.

“Are you feeling alright?” Jiang Xichen can’t help but to ask and Lan Wanyin’s eyes focus on him again.

“Are you feeling alright?” he shoots back, only to get all flustered again when Jiang Xichen leans in close.

“I am more than fine, being in the presence of my wonderful fiancé,” Jiang Xichen whispers and then daringly brushes his lips over Lan Wanyin’s soft skin.

“Jiang Xichen,” Lan Wanyin says in outrage and Jiang Xichen smiles when he hears the bite to his voice.

“My dear fiancé,” Jiang Xichen gives back, and he can’t help but to reach out and trail his fingertips over the fetching flush on Lan Wanyin’s cheeks.

“You,” Lan Wanyin stammers, but he doesn’t move away and Jiang Xichen takes it as the victory it so clearly is.

He will enjoy getting Lan Wanyin used to all kinds of his touches, Jiang Xichen has no doubt about that.

And he’s looking forward to each and every single outraged yell of his name, as well.

On the other side - Part 2