Den Uncle and his Cubs -LXC x JC- Xicheng fic

Never -Ending Chaos

This was one of the rare few moments when Jiang Cheng truly lamented over his position as a Sect Leader.

Not only is he forced to attend these useless conferences, but his plans of causing bodily harm to the itching barnacle of a brother are also thwarted.

"Wei Wuxian", he sneered, trying not to curse in front of a child, not that it would be his first. But he noticed how anxious she was and was worried that she might start tear up at any sign of trouble.

He is a Sect Leader, an uncle and a supposed mentor to the little disciples. He can deal with one annoying brother, not matter how demonic he is.

"Any particular reason why you're here?", he asked in a calm voice with a trace undercurrent of anger.

"Aiyah. Jiang Cheng! Can't I even greet my shidi anymore?", he asked with a bright and happy grin.

"Rather you didn't. Truly", Jiang Cheng deadpanned with a tone that screamed 'Shut up and get out of my sight'.

Wei Wuxian would have antagonized him more if not for the sudden murdering glares from Lan Qiren, with a red vein throbbing on his temple.

Not the place. He understood.

Sending a flirtatious wink towards his husband, Wei Wuxian answered with a half-chuckle.

"Well, Lan Jingyi is outside having a heart attack because he lost some child, he was supposed to baby sit. He has been running around like a headless chicken for the past hour.

Guess the search is totally unnecessary", he concluded with a flourish, grinning at the child in his brother's lap.

"Lan Jingyi?", he mused. Jiang Cheng turned his confused face onto the child, who was playing with his ribbon, resolutely avoiding his gaze.

"A-Xue? You told me Lan Zhu was babysitting you", he asked, readjusting the child to make her glance at him.

"She was. I didn't lie", she implored, turning her puppy eyes on him. Jiang Cheng has years of being manipulated by kids' puppy eyes. He knew she would speak again that he waited for her to go on.

"Zhu-jie was playing with A-Hua. Yi-gege wanted to play with me. But I wanted to play with you. So, I asked him for water and ran away when he went to get some", she finished in a soft voice.

The hall erupted into laughter and half of them were cooing at the adorable child. Taking their chuckles as remission, Lan Xue went back to her cheerful self, ignoring the shocked eyes on her.

Jiang Cheng was stunned. For a three-year old, A-Xue has been ingenious with her distracting techniques and she spun a tale smoothly without directly lying to him. Bending the rules of the Gusu Lan sect that she wasn't even taught yet.

He was dumbstruck not knowing whether to laugh at her sheer brilliance or admonish her cheek. His hold tightened a little around her as he could envision the fool-proof pranks that the child would be capable of, if only she finds a companion in the future.

The image of two boys in purple running along the piers after mixing salt with sugar in the kitchen and running before getting caught by the maids came to mind. He almost smiled at the influx of memories before he remembered his place.

"Wei Wuxian, as you can see, she is fine. I will take her to the nursery myself when the conference ends".

"Ooh, Jiang Cheng. Has someone got attached to our Lan bunny? You've grown softer, eh?", he poked a little, for old times' sake.

But, this? This was what Jiang Cheng hated.

The thought that the world would call Sandu Shengshou 'soft'. To him, 'soft' and 'vulnerable' were one and the same.