Get Your Hands Off My Man (Xicheng)

Chapter 12: An Unexpected Visit

"Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu will be here any minute. Hurry and get dressed!" a breathless Wei shouted before running out the door again. Wei Wuxian looked like he had run all the way here, knowing exactly where his brother could be found this early in the morning. But there was something far more concerning going on than Wei Ying knowing what he was up to at night. For their mother and father to be in the Cloud Recesses this early in the morning, without any prior warning, it must be very serious.

Looking over at his wide-eyed lover Jiang Cheng confirmed that the Lan was just as aware of how bad of a situation they were in. Picking up his pants and robes off of the floor Lan Huan, same as Jiang Cheng hurriedly began to dress. The thing which Wei Ying had thrown at him was the purple robes laying out in the Lan's office which his brother had kindly picked up off the floor.

Having just finished tying his inner robes Jiang Cheng could hear the people approaching. This group, same as the Wei before them, didn't bother knocking and instead waltzed right in.

"Jiang Cheng? Are you here?" the worried voice calling out to him was none other than Jiang Yanli, his beloved sister. The Jiang didn't know what to do. He couldn't not answer her, after all it was his sister, but to call out to her in situation where he wasn't even properly dressed also wasn't an option.

"He's here. But could you please give us a minute?" Lan Xichen asked as he swept on his outer robes with a single movement. Jiang Cheng didn't know how he did it but despite being dressed in a hurry he looked as flawless as ever. Compared to the Lan his own clothes were in a mess, his robes were crooked and his belts had clearly been buckled in a haste. Some were too loose and others too tight. His hair being all ruffled up from just waking up needed to be brushed, but not tied up. It was the day after, after all.

"So that you can cover up your crimes!? I think not" and with that Madam Yu stormed into the Lan's bedroom finding her son in only his inner robes. Jiang Cheng felt mortified being walked in on like that but his mother shared none of his uneasiness, pulling him close to her body to shield him from the Lan.

"Don't worry baby. I'm here, you're safe." Confused Jiang Cheng didn't know what to respond. His mother had never been an affectionate woman, he wasn't even sure if she had ever hugged him before. And though what she was currently doing was more of a protective stance than an affectionate one, it felt wrong. Pushing his mother away Jiang Cheng felt better, but not for long.

Standing in between the two lovers she raised her sword. Her glare as she looked at Lan Huan being one with intent to kill. Her hatred for him even going beyond what she felt for her adoptive son.

"How about we talk things over before threatening the Lans' future heir?" sect leader Jiang calmly suggested by placing his hand atop his wife's, successfully managing to get her lower her blade. But her glare remained.

With the tension in the room somewhat broken a woman whose hands Jiang Cheng did not mind being on him began patting him down. "A-Cheng, are you okay?" from the trembling in her voice it was clear to him that she was, for whatever reason, looking for injuries.

"A-Jie, I'm fine. What's going on here?" Jiang Cheng asked as he took his sister's hands in his own to stop her frantic searching from continuing. There was nothing to find.

"W-we got your letter. I-is it really true?" Jiang Yanli was at the verge of tears. Thinking back Jiang Cheng tried to remember the contents of the last letter he wrote to his sister but none of it stood out as particularly concerning. He had even left most of Wei Ying's shenanigans untold.

"Lan Qiren, you've finally arrived." Sect leader Jiang spoke as the two white-clad cultivators arrived at the worrisome scene. The elder Lan looked very displeased with the Jiangs' unannounced visit, wearing a scowl on his face. Lan Wangji on the other hand showed little to no concern, possibly stemming from the fact that he, same as his brother, had no clue of what the confrontation was all about.

"Sect leader Jiang, for what purpose have you decided it was appropriate to show up and break into not only the Cloud Recesses but also my nephew's home?" It wasn't like they had actually broken in. It was impossible to do so, you couldn't break into the Cloud Recesses. When Jiang Cheng was younger he had once caught a glimpse of the colorful purple rock in his father's office. It was supposed to be "their little secret" as he had been told once his father had caught him playing where he wasn't supposed to.

At the time Jiang Cheng didn't know the reason why a tiny little rock needed to be kept secret but as he grew up and learned of the significance of the Lans' key stones. They were a one-way ticket in and out of the Cloud Recesses, something only ever handed out to members of the Lan clan. Jiang Cheng had struggled with the realization that his father was a thief, but that had only made him shut his mouth even tighter. Now it seemed like the secret was out.

"We entrusted you with our son and then we find out your nephew has continuously assaulted him. Not only are you responsible by letting something like this happen underneath your roof. You were the one to raise the perpetrator. Screw you, you're lucky I haven't yet decapitated him for his crimes." Madam Yu spat out, despite her visible anger she still managed to keep her voice clear enough for all to hear her accusation. A chill went down Jiang Cheng's back as his mother threatened to kill the man he loved.

"Preposterous!" Lan Qiren shouted. His nephew would never do something so vile.

"AAaaaaahh" Jiang Yanli shrieked. Jiang Cheng had pulled his scared sister in for a hug to reassure her everything was alright, but it had massively backfired as she had accidentally caught sight of her brother's colorful neck. Drawing attention to them she also revealed the marks for the rest of the observers to see as her flapping arms caused his hair to fly all around, showing off his full neck.

The Lan's who were already as white as jade somehow grew even paler. Sect leader Jiang's face was filled with surprise and madam Yu... was biting her lower lip. A seemingly innocuous action, but Jiang Cheng knew better. That was the expression she made right before punishing Wei Ying, and judging by her previous threat the one being punished this time was Lan Huan.

Not being fully dressed yet, Jiang Cheng had yet to pick up Sandu. Using his spiritual power he called for her and within seconds his blade clanged against his mother's blocking the strike which was about to be dealt to Lan Xichen. Only the sword which had responded to his call wasn't Sandu, it was Shuoyue. Considering what he was out to do last night Jiang Cheng hadn't brought his sword along, she was out of reach and even if she had somehow heard him it would've been too late by the time she got to him.

There was no second strike. Not only because the one to block her was her own son, but because the sword was glowing purple in the Jiang's hand. Jiang Cheng was the master of the Lan's sword.