A Blooming Lotus

Jiang Cheng turned his head to look at the construction a ways off. "It is not enough," he murmured.

"Jiang Cheng," Wei Wuxian admonished, cupping Jiang Cheng's cheek and turning his head so he was forced to look at him. "How can this not be enough? You're working so hard; I have to drag you to bed every evening. Do I have to tell Shi-Jie to scold you again?"

"Don't threaten me with JieJie," he shot back.

"Then stop being such an idiot," Wei Wuxian answered. "You're rebuilding Lotus Pier. You're rebuilding the Jiang Sect. You're already doing more than anybody would have expected from you." He suddenly grinned again. "Except for me, of course," he said. "Because I know how amazing my ChengCheng is."

Jiang Cheng pushed him away, then realised they were on a pier and quickly grabbed Wei Wuxian again before he could fall into the water.

"Shut up," he still said.

"No," Wei Wuxian answered, sticking out his tongue.

"You're a menace."

"I'm your menace."

"Sadly enough."

"You love me."

"Shut. Up," he protested again. The blush he could feel heating up his face betrayed him though. "We can't even house JieJie," he added.

Wei Wuxian sighed and joined Jiang Cheng in gazing at the ongoing construction. "She knew that when she decided to stay."

It was a sore topic for them both. They had asked and pleaded with Jiang Yanli to return to Koi Tower and stay with the Jin Sect until they could offer her a comfortable place to stay. Not much had been left standing when the Wens had been driven out. A lot had been burned or had been damaged.

She'd insisted on staying, saying that she'd lived in war-camps often enough while tending to the injured so she could deal with a drafty room.

It had hurt both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian that, despite the war being over, they still couldn't properly take care of Jiang Yanli. Eventually, a compromise had been found when one of the wealthier families in town had offered Jiang Yanli a place to stay. She had tried to politely decline but had been overruled by Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. The head of the family had refused any compensation but both men were determined to return his generosity one way or another.

"Soon though," Wei Wuxian said after a moment of silence. "Soon, we can give her the room she deserves. The roof is almost finished."

Jiang Cheng merely hummed. There was still so much to do, so much to think of. Not to mention that had to mend the relations with the lower Sects and attract more disciples to replace the ones lost. Some cultivators had followed them to Lotus Pier after the war, but there were still only a few.

He easily lifted his arms as Wei Wuxian moved to snuggle against his side again. It seemed the only time Wei Wuxian wasn't fidgeting was when Jiang CHeng wrapped his arms around him. That, too, was a topic Wei Wuxian tended to evade, how he never sat still anymore, how he seemed to see things that weren't there, how sometimes he disappeared for a day only to come back looking ragged but claiming there was nothing wrong.

It was another conversation to be had later. They all had their demons and their nightmares. Jiang Cheng wasn't sure if he could deal with Wei Wuxian's when his own were still so fresh. It probably meant he was too weak. Didn't Wei Wuxian help carry his burdens? Despite having his own?

Wei Wuxian turned in his arms and Jiang Cheng looked at him to find him gazing at the lotus flower again.

"There's still time," he mumbled.

"Time for what?"

"Maybe-" Wei Wuxian bit his lip, distracting Jiang Cheng. "We could ask Shi-Jie to make her soup, then offer some of it to Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu? Ah, it's a silly idea. Don't listen to me, A-Cheng, just spouting nonsense, as usual."

Jiang Cheng held fast as Wei Wuxian tried to dart out of his grip. It felt right, somehow, to honour that first lotus flower by honouring his parents.

"We should honour the others too," he said, only just above a whisper. "Everybody who defended Lotus Pier while we-"

He halted, a lump in his throat. He hadn't been there. His mother had sent them away to be safe and he'd still ended up tortured and without a core. To save Wei Wuxian. To save Jiang Yanli. What did his mother think of that? No doubt she was disappointed.

"A-Cheng," Wei Wuxian suddenly exclaimed, as if he'd discovered some great secret. "I haven't even told you what I came to find you for yet. Come on." He grabbed Jiang Cheng's hand and dragged him along. "I can tell you while we find Shi-Jie. You'll never believe what Xiao-Zhang did. You know? The littlest of the new group? He's so cute."

Jiang Cheng allowed Wei Wuxian to drag him through Lotus Pier in search of Jiang Yanli. There was still a lot to do and a lot to discuss, but Wei Wuxian and him were the two Prides of Yunmeng and they would get through it. They had to. For the promise he made to his parents. For those they'd lost. They would rebuild Yunmeng Jiang and they would make it flourish.