Too Kind For His Own Good (Xicheng)

Chapter 5: The Final Attempt

This was the last day he was going to spend in the cloud recesses. So this was his last chance. Jiang Cheng was here to help, not to feel good. Lan Xichen needed to learn how to say no, even if just once. And so Jiang Cheng decided to make to most outrageous request he could think of. A request so disgraceful not even the saint behind him could grant it.

"Give me your headband" Jiang Cheng didn't turn around to look at him, but he might as well have. He had managed to keep a perfectly straight face even when saying such outrageous words. But this was purely due to his certainty of the response. His headband was Lan Xichen's most precious possession. It would be like someone asking him to borrow Zidian, it was an impossible request. For the Lans, their headbands were an item only to be touched by close family and lovers. The two sect leaders couldn't even be considered friends.

Over the years of being sect leaders they did establish some sort of relationship, but it was mostly out of necessity. You couldn't lead the cultivation world if you did not trust the people you lead with. But despite being an amicable one, their relationship had never ventured further than that. To celebrate his success he grabbed another piece of soft bread.

But as he did he felt a soft fabric land in his lap. His head snapped back around and he was faced with two calm honey colored eyes looking back at him. As if though nothing was out of the ordinary. But there was something very out of the ordinary. A very particular piece was missing from the Lan's attire. Despite having seen it Jiang Cheng was still in disbelief he looked down at his lap to confirm. There it was. The Lan clan's headband with the signature clouds emblem embroidered on the front.

Before he had been concerned but this... This was too much. Dropping the bread, he picked up the headband and shook it in front of the Lan's face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You can't do this! Have you forgotten the word no?" He screamed as he pushed the chest of the man sitting in front of him. Unprepared for the sudden reaction Lan Xichen fell, this back crashing into the floor.

"You can't just go along with what everyone says, you'll get hurt. The people you love will get hurt." I will get hurt. The feelings he'd been pushing down during the past days all came whirling out.

"Do you wish for the Lan sect to go under? Is that why you're sending all of your disciples off to do menial tasks?" Lan Huan was attempting to sit back up once more. But Jiang Cheng shoved his chest once again. Despite being prepared this time the Lan was not able to withstand the force of the following punches and eventually stopped attempting to get up. But despite all of this his face was as calm as ever. Did he not understand how dangerous this behavior was?

"You can't allow people to walk all over you like this" His voice broke in an unseemly way, but he couldn't stop.

"Don't worry I wont" A gentle hand was placed on Jiang Cheng's head.

"Don't lie, you've said that so many times and yet you just keep on doing it. All those people asking for your assistance. Do you know how hard Lan Qiren is working to stop you?" he pointed out.

"Perhaps I was a being bit childish" Childish? How could this be considered childish? Lan Xichen wanted to continue but Jiang Cheng cut him off. As all the words he had bottled up during the past days came out so did the other ones. The ones he had kept down for far longer, those which should never be said.

"Is this because of that Jin Guangyao. Because you loved him?" Jiang Cheng couldn't look Lan Xichen in the face, unwilling to see what reaction his name might have caused. "You did nothing wrong. That man was a snake, it's not your fault that he treated you that way."

What had originally started as a loud and angry speech quickly devolved into a tearful mess of words and slurs. That man had been the cause of Lan Huan's suffering. If Jiang Cheng had been able to predict his actions he would have long ago killed the man himself, consequences be damned. Just as he was losing himself he felt a pair of comforting arms wrap around him, grounding him. Encouraging him to calm down. But Jiang Cheng was not done. His words, now muffled by Lan Xichen's chest continued

"Please. The Lan clan is not invincible, if you send all your disciples away what would happen if someone took the opportunity to attack?" Tears flooded down his face. He was scared. Scared of Lan Huan getting hurt, scared to be left alone, scared he wasn't doing enough to stop it.

Had he just reached out to Wei Wuxian, offering to help his brother. Would he not have survived? Yes, he had returned but he had still died a horrific death. Jiang Cheng could have stopped it but had chosen not to. Seeing Lan Huan's actions, which could so easily lead to the same fate he was scared. This time he needed to stop it.

"Please, don't leave" he sobbed.

"Jiang Cheng" caught off guard by the use of his given name, returned from the spiraling depth that was his thoughts. Mind still hazy he didn't know what to expect. Was this the final nail in the coffin. He had done so much to get Lan Huan to push him away but was this how far he needed to go. Mentioning his dead beloved and the fall of his sect. How cruel he was.

But Lan Xichen's voice was not strict or angry, not even disappointed. It was filled with nothing but care and reassurance.

"I'm doing fine. There's no need for you to worry"

"You think there's nothing to worry about? Then what about this?" He got up and held the headband in front of the Lan's face. "You can't just go hand around such precious things to anyone who asks" Jiang Cheng would never give Zidian up to anyone, ever. They would need to pry it from his cold, dead hands. So why... why?

"I would never hand my headband to just anyone. Not even Jin Guangyao"

"But..." But, that's what he had done. The proof was right here, in his hand. Had he lost all sense of reality? Jiang Cheng certainly hadn't, he could very much feel the soft silken touch of the fabric in his hands.

"Zewu-jun. Is everything alright?" Wei Wuxian burst in through the door "Lan Zhan was worried since you didn't turn u..."His sentence trailed off. There were not many things which could make Wei Wuxian silent, but the scene in front of him was one of those things.

Faced with his brother Jiang Cheng's mind cleared. He also realized the position they were currently in. At some point he had ended up straddling the Lan who still laying on the floor, his arms wrapped around Jiang Cheng's lower back. Not only was the position not appropriate but he was also wearing Lan Huan's robes as well as holding his headband. Whatever Wei Wuxian was thinking, it was definitely inappropriate and it was certainly not grounded in reality.

"I'll just tell Lan Zhan, you guys are unable to make it" Wei Wuxian said to end the awkward silence. "Have fun" he added as he closed the door behind him.

Fuck.