13 years later
Jiang Cheng feels himself sweating all over, It had been years, he had made sure to stay away, never meet in a private setting. So much time had passed, Jiang Cheng looked sideways at his nephew as he tried to dispel his own nervousness at being a Gusu disciple. They were some of his best days before his life fell apart.
The jade token was inside his lapels, he had gotten used to carrying it around ever since that day but he dare not cross the barrier with it. Instead he waited for Jin Ling to produce the invitation and produced his own for Jiang disciples before the guards let them pass with his own token pressed against the protection surrounding Gusu.
The air was cold. He had not been here in such a long time and yet nothing had changed. He had plucked his courage after the last failed blind date.
"Fix your temperament. The problem is not with me, Sect Leader Jiang, the problem is with you. You already have someone in your life and trying to find her in me is not the solution."
He had liked her honesty but her temperament would never match with his own. He had stopped trying after that. Now he was here, he wanted to turn back around, as their last private encounter was too shameful for him to face. The only solace was that it meant nothing to Sect Leader Lan and could only hope that his composure and mild manner was enough to let that slide. He had kept himself away from the man at any social gathering, seeing him with Chief Yao had helped in that resolve.
Thinking for that face, wide eyed smile of Jin Guangyao had him scowling again. They were in front of the Elder Hall again. He let the image go in order to meet the man with some composure.
The doors opened and he walked in with everyone.
"Master Lan. Sect Leader Lan." he gave his courtesy one by one.
"You look good, Sect Leader Jiang. Jing Ling had grown well." He bowed again, "you falter me."
Soon, the disciples and Jin Ling were lead away and he had to sit down face to face with Sect Leader Lan. After a few exchanges of pleasantries, sect trade, new trades and night hunts discussions, another disciple came in to ask for Master Lan's presence among other elders. Now, Jiang Cheng was truly at a loss.
The memory of their last encounter jumped back at him. It was such a dark phase in his life. He would forever be thankful to his saviour. He was perfectly content to sit in uncomfortable awkward silence instead of finding an awkward conversation that gave rise to more tension in his body. But Sect Leader Lan was not.
He broke the silence first, "How have you been Wanyin?"
That name again. Jiang Cheng realised it was reserved for the privacies when it was just the two of them.
"I didn't kill myself, did I?" He wanted to say he had been well, but he couldn't. Another silence ensued.
"It is not enough." Jiang Cheng finally looked at the man who was looking back at him, ever steady gaze. His heart did skip a little but he was better now, he could hold a conversation surely. Did this man really consider me a friend? He had saved me time and time again, even if he didn't feel the same, this was good for Jiang Cheng. He could strive to be cordial with ZeWu Jun.
"I have been well. Having Jin Ling helped a lot. I never got to thank you properly for saving my life."
"It is what I must do." he was smiling now. For the first time, Jiang Cheng felt like returning the gesture. Truthfully, it was that radiant smile like a morning sun over the clouds that made him smile in response.
"I am glad to see you are doing better Wanyin. I did think you were doing better whenever we saw each other at Koi tower. I am glad to be able to be of use to you as a friend." Jiang Cheng felt good to be able to hold a conversation without any pain. Well, a little bit but completely bearable. He could really begin to see this man as a friend. It seemed reasonable.
"You too look good. You smile more. Well... more real now." he smirked at his own statement, "I remember, you'd smile at anything and everything instead of answer and thought it'd solve any problem."
"I realised it does not always work. One has to speak up."
"That seems like a lifetime ago. People change. Things change."
A disciple announced the arrival of the Nie disciples and Jiang Cheng took his leave. Maybe, there can be some civility after all these years.
-------
Lan Xichen sat meditating. Not really. His mind was full of all the small bit of relationship complication between Jiang Cheng and Master Wei. As for Master Wei and his brother, it was all clear as as a clear sky and blazing sun.
He was a bit afraid as to how would Jiang Cheng would respond to the fact the Master Wei was hidden in Cloud Recess. He was weary of Master Wei to begin with. But with each passing day and each incident report, he was increasingly suspicious that not all was as it seemed. But a corner of his mind, reserved all the worry for Wanyin.
Their last conversation, played in his mind. There was nothing extraordinary about it but it was extraordinary to Lan Xichen. He had not let go of hope that Jiang Cheng seemed to notice him. His mind would replay the desperate kiss that was unforgettable to him. A shard of hope was all he had in that non-consequential conversation. It was the first sign of normalcy between them. Now, here was Master Wei, a sign of turbulence after a long peace.
It would make or break them.
-------
Already upheaval, from the events of the previous night and the gossip of his maddened state abandoned in the sect quarters, Jiang Cheng just wants to escape. He wasn't that bothered by them, what bothered him was the sword at his hand and the flute in his sleeves. He could use its pretext to talk to Wei Wuxian. If he needed more, he was here for Jin Ling.
He nodded to himself, pouring the first cup of wine when he heard a familiar bark. He waited a few moments for Jin Ling's voice to follow but when no sound came, he frowned. He stood and walked over to the window to see an empty night street and Fairy barking up at him, straight. Something was up.
He went straight out the window, onto his sword and followed Fairy with a paper umbrella over his head. Somewhere along the way, it started to rain. By the time Fairy was barking up the gates of the famous city temple established by Chief cultivator Yao, it was pelting. He quickly descended to the gates and knocked. The outside looked like the place was locked but something was terribly wrong, he could feel it. Zidian began to sizzle in his hand, as emotionally upturned he was and the anxiousness adding to it.
Then he heard it, Su She. What was that traitor doing here. He let Zidian roll out, mind completely on attack now, swinging it at the door which shot opened and the purple light cracked right at the man's chest, throwing him off. With satisfaction, he swung it again and the monk, armed with swords were thrown back with the sheer force of the spiritual tool.
"Uncle." Jin Ling called in surprise and Jiang Cheng scowled at his nephew. For now, none seem to be hurt
-------
Lan Xichen did not expect the scene before him. The warrior that entered through the rain and the storm like a saviour swinging lightning in his hand took his breath away. But Lan Xichen could not hold this view close to his heart right now, for his heart was a jumble because of the man behind the temple.
Despite the commotion, his eyes were fixed on Jin GuangYao who seemed agitated at the new arrival, he retrieved his guqin and he had to call out. "Sect Leader Jiang, be careful of the guqin."
He had barely spoken when a storm of spiritual energy travelled from the strings, as if immediately after, the sharp unbreakable scratch of metal against metal made him cringe and cover his ear. Lan Xichen looked to see how dark the man before him could look as he kept clanking again and against to subdue the guqin sound.
Lan Xichen pressed harder onto his ears ot it felt like they'd bleed. It was only when Jin GuangYao had started talking again did worry for Wanyin fill his head again.
"Do not answer him!" he called out in alarm when A'Yao kept directing the conversation to Master Wei.
No matter how happy he was for his brother and master Wei, the tension in Jiang Cheng was evident in his effort not to look as Master Wei. Lan Xichen realised, he had found out, not only that, as Meng yao kept talking, the tension in the room kept increasing.
Unseathe Suibian? Waster Wei's sword? How? Golden core? What was happening? How did Jiang Cheng have Master Wei's golden core? That's impossible. But Master Wei's reaction.
He was so lost in his own head, that he did not notice the moment when Jiang Cheng swung Zidan to protect Master Wei and left himself exposed. Hsi eyes widened, knowing what was to happen. Helplessly, he watched as Hensheng thrust through Jiang Cheng's chest and Meng Yao swiftly trapped his spiritual energy of the injured.
He reached out to steady the man with a heavy heart. It wasn't a serious injury, his Zidan shrank back timidly but his emotions raged as he screamed and aggravated his injury in the process.
The more the sibling spoke, the clearer it became as to what was going on but soon, the room srank to one person and distress, and loss took over him as A'Yao began to speak of his doings. The image of forbearance was now strikingly maddening as the eyes that always showed bright with a smile now shined with utter joy in his madness. Can I trust this person? Was I always a tool to be used for his schemes? Was I the one that had aided in his schemes? Was any brotherhood between them real? The agitation, the trust chipping away and the agony was all that remained.
More than anything he thought that A'Yao cared for him more than a brother, even if he never returned the sentiment, was it all a ruse to take advantage of him?
------
Jiang Cheng feels at a loss as he sees the quietly retreating back of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, trying to slip away inconspicuously. How much more of a hypocrite can he be? He looks back at the broken state of the man he one loved deeply and felt himself break all over again.
He keep looking from afar as his dejected steps drag through the ground, his eyes seem lost as they stare at the ground before him and his heart is dead. There is nothing gracefully about him now. It looks like a broken shell of a man, just like himself all those years ago, much like how he still felt on some days, swallowed in the loneliness and hurt.
Jiang Cheng knew how it felt. All he wanted to do was go to him and engulf him in a hug. That is what this man needed but no one understood and he was bound. The distance between them was too much for him to do what he wanted to do, for him to bring any comfort to the other. He could only watch in sadness as the Lan passed by them silently and ZeWu Jun dragged himself in a state of loss and grief.
To feel betrayed and to kill the one you loved from your own hands, Jiang Cheng knew what it felt like first hand. He was determined to find a way as he too left with his disciples.