Growing Pains from Growing Family

Chapter 6: Breaking and Entering

As the woman behind the reception desk turned around she faced the new customers with a bright smile. One which soon faded, her expression showing just how unpleased she was with their presence. "Hanguang-jun..." Putting his hand on Jiang Wanyin's back Lan Xichen pushed his companion forward to show him off.

"I'll follow the rules, please rent us a room" Lan Xichen spoke, his voice back to sounding like it belonged to the man the receptionist expected him to.

"Sect leader Jiang" The woman smiled and bowed politely once her attention shifted to the Lan's non-Wei companion. "I assume Wei Wuxian won't be joining you?" It wasn't exactly a secret that him and Wei Wuxian still wasn't on the best of terms. They weren't actively aggressive to one another but Jiang Cheng still avoided him whenever possible.

"No, he won't" At least he hoped his brother wouldn't be joining them. But since "Lan Wangji" was here it wasn't implausible that he would try and find them. Not that Jiang Cheng was about to mention that to the woman who looked even more ecstatic than he himself would be to hear that Wei Ying wasn't around.

"Good, then let me see..." scanning through the book in front of her she looked at which rooms were vacant. Flipping through the completely filled pages it didn't look very promising. "Apologies, we're pretty much all booked up. All we have left is a single bed room"

Lan Xichen glanced over at Jiang Cheng, and when there wasn't an outraged reaction he said "We'll take it" As he moved his hand to pay Lan Xichen remembered that in switching robes with Lan Wangji, they also switched the content of their sleeves. The heavy pouch, as well as the content inside of it, did not belong to him. Seeing Lan Xichen's hesitation Jiang Cheng almost felt like laughing. Stealing his brother's identity was fine but borrowing money without asking was apparently a great moral dilemma for him.

"I'll be the one paying for it" Jiang Cheng spoke as he unhooked a pouch from his belt and counted the coins as he placed the payment on the desk. Finishing things as quickly as possible they somehow made it to their room before the younger cultivators caught up to them.

"No windows" Lan Xichen commented as they entered the small room. The only way in or out was through the door they had just used to enter and with the juniors' arrival, that way was no longer viable. They had been cornered.

"Not much else either" Jiang Cheng commented as he sat down on the bed seeing that there wasn't anywhere else to sit unless you counted the wooden floor beneath them. Apart from the bed and a small nightstand beside it there was nothing but the two of them. This room was not meant for anything other than sleeping, it was a place for travelers to temporarily rest before they continued onwards.

Jiang Cheng felt the bed shift beneath him as Lan Xichen sat down next to him, the Lan's eyes were closed as he began to meditate. Since they were unable to escape all that was left to do was to wait for their pursuers to give up and stop their chase. Having locked the door behind them there was no way for the juniors to get to them, and they would surely not stand around all day waiting for a closed door to open.

"You think this is it?" a man whispered from outside their door. Jiang Cheng recognized the voice belonging to the Lan which his nephew always complained about. Perhaps Jin Ling was correct about his intelligence, was he not aware of the fact that they could still hear him through the door?

"Of course it is" Jin Ling confidently said. "What reason would she have to lie? For all she knows, our uncles are waiting for us, isn't that right Lan Yuan?"

A barely audible "Mmm" could be heard.

Knock, knock, knock

"Uncle! Open the door." Jin Ling demanded. Jiang Cheng looked over at Lan Xichen, but he didn't react at all to the trio's arrival. Following the Lan's approach Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and pretended not to have heard anything. But as they remained silent Jin Ling's knocking grew all the more frantic. Jiang Cheng was used to his nephew ignoring him whenever he was upset, but it was never the other way around. He couldn't remember the last time he had ignored Jin Ling when he wanted to talk. Instinctively he wanted call out to him, to go and lecture the Jin through the door. Currently the youngsters were creating a raucous out in the hall of an inn which was fully booked, they more than deserved a severe scolding. But clenching his fists and biting his lower lip Jiang Cheng forced himself to stay silent.

Bang, bang, bang

Jiang Cheng sighed, why was his nephew so goddamn stubborn? Just leave already! Feeling a reassuring hand being placed on his shoulder he opened his eyes to find Lan Xichen silently looking back at him. The Lan had noticed his struggle and wanted to remind him that he wasn't required to do this.

Do you want to talk to him? The Lan mouthed. Jiang Cheng shook his head, doing so would only cause the Jin to become more determined to get inside. The best way to get them to leave would be to just wait them out. The Jin's voice crying out for him to answer kept going even as there was no response.

"You tried, you failed. Step aside and let the professional handle this, your method isn't working." The Jin could be heard stumbling as the Lan forcefully pushed him out of the way. "Unlike someone else, who was too good for it I actually listened to senior Wei's lesson" Metallic scraping could be heard coming from the door. What stupidity had Wei Ying taught them now?

"You can't just break in like that!" Jin Ling exclaimed.

"Watch me" the sound of metal against metal continued. Jiang Cheng held his breath as he realized what the Lan was attempting. But for as confident as the Lan had been he was not as mischievous as Wei Ying and so his lack of practice rendered him unable to pick the lock.

"Told you. You can't just break in like that." Jin Ling said sounding awfully smug. "With a lock like that you need a third pin. Looks like you didn't listen to uncle Wei after all" This time it was Lan Jingyi's turn to be pushed away. Jin Ling sounded like he knew what he was doing, and though Jiang Cheng knew the kid to be overconfident at times he wasn't about to leave it to chance. He needed to come up with a plan, and fast. Hearing the lock click Jiang Cheng freaked out. He too had gotten bombarded by Wei Ying attempting to teach him how to break in through doors. Once you managed to get the first click the it was simply a matter of time before you got the others as well and knowing that Jiang Cheng did the only thing he could think of.

"A-Aahh, Lan Zhan you're being too rough. Mmhm"