Strangers - LXC x JC fanfic

Attack

(A/N: hold your horses. this is not angst.) 

Lanling.

"Thank you for sending me home safely, Hanguang-jun." Jin Ling said and bowed to Lan Wangji. Then, he looked at Wei Wuxian, hesitating. "You, too." He added as he looked away.

Wei Wuxian smiled. "Okay, brat. You go now and sleep." He told Jin Ling.

Jin Ling humped and turned. However, he just took a step when he stopped and turned. "Wait." He called Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji who was about to leave.

"What is it?" Wei Wuxian asked. "You're calling me 'uncle' now - ?" he grinned.

Jin Ling just glared at him. "It's about uncle." He said.

"Hm? What about Jiang Cheng?" Wei Wuxian asked. Lan Wangji was just watching them from the side.

Jin Ling looked at him and stared for a long time before he spoke. "Uncle..." he said, hesitating. "Did you notice something strange in him earlier?" he asked.

"Hm?" Wei Wuxian said. "What kind of strangeness?" he asked.

Jin Ling's eyes narrowed, starting to get pissed. "It's about uncle's temper!" he said.

"His temper?" Wei Wuxian said as he thought.

Lan Wangji finally can't bear to see his husband's dumbness. "Jiang Wanyin is calmer." He said. Jin Ling nodded, agreeing.

Wei Wuxian's forehead furrowed. "Isn't this a good thing?" he asked.

Lan Wangji pressed his lips. Jin Ling can't bear any longer. "Uncle's supposed to erupt like a volcano!" he said. "But, he was just all calm earlier. He didn't scold us!" he told Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian, who still doesn't get it, asked again. "Then, it's better, right?" he said. "He doesn't have to have more enemies with his temper."

Jin Ling looked like he wanted to strangle Wei Wuxian. This must've what uncle felt during their days when Wei Wuxian was making trouble in the Cloud Recesses! He thought, feeling his stomach about to burst in irritation. "Uncle looked calm talking about marriage!" he almost screamed. "He didn't get mad. He even talked about it!" he said.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Wei Wuxian frowned as he looked t Jin Ling. "Shouldn't Jiang Cheng be like this?" he asked.

"That's why I'm yelling since uncle shouldn't be like this!" Jin Ling now shouted. "Uncle has a bad temper! He wouldn't act like this!" he said.

"He's a sect leader." Wei Wuxian pointed out. Sect leaders should remain calm as always.

"But uncle has a bad temper!" Jin Ling said, almost looking crazy as he glared at Wei Wuxian, the idiot. "Even if he's already a sect leader, yet his bad temper remained. But, lately, he's been calm." He said, noticed Jiang Cheng's unusual behavior. "Was this because of the marriage proposal?" he asked, then looked at Lan Wangji who's always smarter than the self-proclaimed genius Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji looked at Jin Ling. His face is calm but his words cannot make them calm. "I saw brother arrived in Lotus Pier while we're leaving." He told them.

It took a minute before Wei Wuxian and Jin Ling could react. "What?!" Wei Wuxian said as he grabbed the front of Lan Wangji's clothes. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he said. "Zewu-jun is eyeing Jiang Cheng like a tiger! Him going to Jiang Cheng this late at night – " he said, his eyes filled with alarm.

"You were talking with young master Jin. I cannot butt in with your conversation." Lan Wangji calmly answered.

Being mentioned, Jin Ling finally woke with a start. "Z-Z-Z-Z-Zewu... Zewu-jun is going to uncle?!" he said, shocked. He looked at Lan Wangji with wide eyes. "B-b-b-but... but!" he said, feeling panic in his heart. "He – he... he – " he said, stuttering because of nervousness.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji, grievance in his voice and eyes.

Lan Wangji calmly looked at him. "Jiang Wanyin can handle my brother." He said.

With these words, both Wei Wuxian and Jin Ling fell silent. He's right. They thought. Jiang Cheng is a sect leader, his cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds for the past years. Surely, he can handle Lan Xichen in case Lan Xichen attacks him.

With this thought, the two felt assured and sighed in relief. "That's right!" Wei Wuxian said, now smiling comfortably. "Jiang Cheng can protect himself in case Zewu-jun would attack him!" he said.

"Yes!" Jin Ling said, feeling proud of his uncle. "Uncle is strong!" he said.

Lan Wangji can't help but stare at the two. ... where did the misunderstanding lie? He thought. It seems like the 'attack' they are talking is different from each other. Also – "It would be a different matter if Jiang Wanyin wouldn't resist, at all." He can't help but say. This should be enough hint, right? He thought.

As expected, the two froze. They both looked at Lan Wangji with their wide eyes. "Could it be – " Wei Wuxian said and looked at Jin Ling.

"Uncle's strange behavior lately – " Jin Ling said, his mouth agape.

" – is because he's feeling guilty?!" they both said.

Lan Wangji felt strangling the two. "It must be!" Wei Wuxian said as he put his fingers on his chin, thinking. "He looked calm since he's internally debating how to punish himself for hurting Zewu-jun." he said.

Jin Ling nodded. "Yes, yes." He said. "That is why uncle looked calm earlier, since he already accepted the fact that he doesn't want to marry because he felt he is a failure after rejecting Zewu-jun – who's the most wanted partner of every cultivator!" he said.

This, Wei Wuxian paused. He looked at Jin Ling. "Where did you get that weird stuff?" he asked, talking about the cultivators' rankings to be a cultivation partner.

"From Zizhen and the other juniors." Jin Ling answered.

"Have you seen which rank am I?" Wei Wuxian curiously asked.

"At the lowest." Jin Ling answered.

Wei Wuxian's eyes went wide. "Why?!" he asked.

"Because you're together with Hanguang-jun – " Jin Ling answered and looked at Lan Wangji. Then, his voice became as quiet as a mosquito. " – who's also ranked the lowest..." he said, then his voice became quitter, almost like a whisper. "... since you're husbands." He finished.

Lan Wangji's invisible hand that's about to do a face palm turned and patted Jin Ling's head. Good boy. He knows what's right. He thought, completely forgetting what had happened just now. 

(A/N: i'm guessing i'd finish this tonight. one more chapter for the ending and one or two extra chap/s, i think.)