Jiang Cheng deserves a break

Chap 11: Terrible Ways To Say Goodbye

A/n: warnings include;
Angry bouts of yelling,
Swearing--so many f-words,
Character's intense self-loathing and
An anxiety attack

.
.
.
Jiang Cheng's Pov:

A week later and Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's stay had come to an end. Jiang Cheng still hasn't summed up the courage to go up to them and apologise to Wei Wuxian for being a dick during their last dinner yet*.

Jiang Cheng had thought of just staying in his room that morning and wallow instead of sending off his brother, but Shu Jinghua had personally fetched him from his room and reminded him that he's a sect leader and his parents did not raise him that way.

Jiao Yang was still absent, although thankfully he had kept to his promise and had stopped bothering Lotus Pier residents.

Jiang Cheng half-expected to suddenly see Jiao Yang when he wakes up in his room in the mornings, or when he takes aimless walks around his residence but there's no sign of Jiao Yang. Jiang Cheng honestly thinks that everything that happened that drunken night might have been a weird-ass fever dream.

Jiang Cheng ultimately felt guilty for creating the unnecessary tension in his already strained relationship with his brother.

Wei Wuxian often forgave too easily, among the other major (kind of life- threatening) flaws he possessed. Even when he's been on the worser side of the receiving end, he always asks: "Are you/they hurt?" first before asking that question to himself.

It was because of this that Jiang Cheng couldn't just settle for some half-assed apology, Jiang Cheng had to go all out to prove to Wei Wuxian that he was making an effort to change. He has changed and he will show that by being the best younger brother to Wuxian that he can be.

However, he's not so sure how. He considered thinking about what Wei Wuxian might do: buying an entire casket of cheap wine to share with him so that they could get drunk together, forget all about their problems and never speak of what happened between them ever again.

It might seem like the best way to go; but wasn't a lack of proper communication the driving cause of the deep wedge in their relationship as brothers?

Jiang Cheng continues to have this debate now as they stand at the docks, both brothers awkwardly glancing off at different directions instead of looking at each other.

At his side, Shu Jinghua gives him an encouraging smile, "Go on, sect leader. You haven't have much time left." He's eternally grateful that it was Madam Shu that stood by his side now and not Madam Yan.

Yan Ruyi would have mostly likely scoffed at Jiang Cheng's corwardice and then force the two brothers to talk face-to-face. She was straightforward like that, and it would have utterly mortified Jiang Cheng.

When Jiang Cheng still hadn't said a single word--either to Jinghua or his brother-- she sighed softly, "I hope that you'll say at least something to him." She leaves with a bow.

In the background, Wen Ning hands their luggage to Lan Wangji, who places them neatly in the boat. Wuxian tapped Wen Ning's shoulder before the fierce corpse could leave, "Ah, Wen Ning, could you fetch me my journals?"

"Um, how do they look like?"

Wuxian scratched his cheek with his finger, trying to remember. "You know, the ones with my name scribbled on and block characters that say 'JINGYI DO NOT TOUCH' on them." He explained while gesturing wildly with his hands.

"I don't want to accidentally leave them here again lest someone finds them and decides to test out my hare-brained theories..." Wuxian trailed off with a chuckle and his eyes glancing to the side.