After his threat, Jin Ling cooperated with the Lans. He wasn't at all happy about having to leave Fairy, especially just for the sake of Wei Wuxian.
It wasn't for the sake wanting to see the terror on Wei Wuxian's face when seeing Fairy, though that would be enjoyable. It was the fact, that Fairy would have made it feel somewhat like home.
Jin Ling walked a few steps behind the two, who spoke a few words occasionally that only they were able to hear.
It definitely felt like it took multiple hours of walking, though it was probably only an hour and a half, before they arrived at a huge stone wall with all the Gusu sect rules engraved on it.
Jin Ling couldn't help but stop and look up at it. Despite the pointless writing on it, he still found the entire thing quite beautiful to look at.
"This way." A voice came, and Jin Ling continued walking.
He tried so hard to keep his gaze focused on the ground, scowling as he had absolutely no interest in anything around him. Unfortunately, that only lasted a few short minutes before he was looking around at all the bright green trees, and the temples and all the neatly structured building that were placed all around.
There were birds chirping in the distance, as the suns rays and beams came through the scattered clouds that painted the sky, offering both warmth and shade.
The grass green as the trees, both dirt and concrete roads and paths, wild and planted flowers all over, the fragrance of freshly cut grass, and wet forest hitting his nose, making him feel a bit calmer.
Sizhui, who'd been looking back occasionally to check up on the new found golden finch, had regained his small smile watching how his lips parted and eyes would widen as he saw something new.
They walked a little longer, before they arrived at a huge building, where hundreds of others in white and blue robes, were walking around, chatting, and noticing.
Both Jingyi and Sizhui stopped and turned to him. "Stay here." Jingyi said. "We'll be right back."
Jin Ling rolled his eyes and 'Tch'd' before they walked into the building leaving him, much to his dismay.
By now, most of the blue robed Lan's had noticed him. He stuck out, with his yellow and white robes, which he wore with no shame.
"Isn't that Jin Ling of Lanling Jin clan?" He started hearing whisperings.
"Yeah, but what's he doing here?"
"Isn't he like .. an orphan?"
"Isn't he supposed to be running his sect?"
"No way, he's like twelve."
At that, Jin Ling turned around scowling at a specific pair of Lan disciples.
"I'm not twelve!" He raged.
They both halted momentarily, realizing they'd been caught. The one with a particularly shorter ponytail, crossed his arms smirking.
"My bad, I meant eight." He taunted, gaining laughs and snickers from a small crowed that had formed.
Jin Ling's face heated. "I'm probably older than you, you damn twit."
That caused an eruption of laughter.
Jin Ling was beyond enraged and completely at a loss. He'd never even met these people and they disliked him. For what?
"Let me guess, you're here to try to grow up that childish act of yours, since you'll never be able to run your sect, right?" One spoke up.
"Oh, or maybe Jiang Cheng sent you here so he could prevent the disaster you'd make of your sect." Another came.
"No no, Jiang Cheng probably had to send him away before he killed him himself!"
Insult after insult came, as Jin Ling continued to shout curses and threats, that had no substance.
He wasn't going to cry. Jin Ling doesn't cry. Even when he felt tears prickling the edges of his eyes he didn't dare let them slip out.
Instead, he did the next best thing.
Jin Ling lunged forward at the Lan disciple with the short ponytail, knuckles colliding with his decently structured jaw.
There were gasps and a few screams and shouts that came from the crowd.
"SHUT UP, PRIVILEGED BASTARD!" Jin Ling shouted, finally cutting through all the other voices. It was now quiet, the punched Lan on the ground holding his jaw.
"I DIDNT ASK FOR MY PARENTS TO BE KILLED. IM ALSO NOT THE ONE HARBORING THE PERSON WHO DID AND TREATING HIM LIKE SOME ALL MIGHTY FUCKING GOD." He roared, all eyes now on him.
"I DIDNT ASK TO COME HERE, HELL I DIDNT EVEN ASK TO BE BORN. I AM A FUTURE SECT LEADER UNLIKE ALL OF YOU, YOURE ALL JUST A BUNCH OF CUT SLEEVED, GOOD FOR NOTHING PRI-"
"ENOUGH!" A voice boomed over Jin Ling's yelling, causing all attention now to be focused on a man behind him.
Jin Ling however, didn't budge.
Lan Qiren, stood on the steps of the temple, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian on one side and Jingyi and Sizhui on the other side.
"Young master Ling." His voice came again. "You look at your Senior when they are speaking to you."
Jin Ling turned slowly, desperately trying to keep tears back that threatening to spill over his cheeks.
He first noticed how Sizhui and Jingyi, wore the same expression. Eyes wide, mouths pressed into thin lines, confusion in one set of eyes and concern in the other.
His gaze then shifted to Lan Qiren who wore a cold expression, eyebrows knitted as his eyes stared straight into Jin Ling.
It was when he saw Lan Wangji glued to the side of Mo Xaunyu and vise versa, that the tears he fought to desperately to keep in finally spilled out.
"Y-you have no right! NO FUCKING RIGHT!" He shouted, hating how he stuttered.
"I KNOW EVERYONE SEES ME AS A USELESS CHILDISH BRAT, AND WHAT, JUST BECAUSE YOUR CLAN SUPPORTS MEN WHO KILL OTHERS FAMILIES?!" He seethed, thrusting his finger to point at Lan Wangji causing Mo Xaunyu to visibly flinch beside him.
It didn't matter how hard he tried, the tears kept coming. He choked on his cries and tried to muffle the whimpers that followed.
He'd started crying so hard that he hadn't even noticed that Mo Xaunyu had slowly made his way over to him.
It was only when a strong pair of arms wrapped around him that he noticed and immediately stiffened.
His eyes widened, and he was quiet for a moment, before he started thrashing and screaming in the hold. Out of all people, it was this weirdo cut sleeve who clung to Lan Wangji everytime he'd see them.
He probably did look pretty childish, crying like that, but, it was not childish to cry.
"LET GO! LET ME GO!" He choked and screeched as more tears came.
If anything, Mo Xaunyu 's grip tightened and he felt a hand press against the back of his head.
"I'm sorry, I've made you suffer." his normally playful and cocky voice, came low and soothing.
Jin Ling stopped thrashing around and just stood there letting himself be hugged, more than a bit confused by what he had just said, assuming he was only taking credit for trying to follow in Wei Wuxians footsteps by practicing dark arts.
They stayed like that for a while, Jin Ling being hugged, while the tears never let up.
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
"You should eat." Sizhui said softly, watching as Jin Ling picked at his rice.
"You should shut up." Jin Ling replied, but he lacked his usual aggression, instead it came out quiet and short.
Sizhui sighed.
After Jin Ling's breakdown, he was scolded by Lan Qiren for shouting and punching the disciple. He wasn't believed when he told how the disciples were in-fact the ones to start the whole issue, and got punished for lying. His punishment being, he had to copy the Lan Sect rules twice, along with Jingyi and Sizhui who had to copy it three times for being late.
Jin Ling, Sizhui and Jingyi currently sat in Jin Ling's sleeping quarters, on babysitting duty.
After a while of silence, Jin Ling spoke up, "This food tastes like shit."
"Then don't eat it." Jingyi scoffed, eating another spoonful of his own rice.
"Isn't wasting food prohibited, dimwit?"
The corners of Sizhui's lips twitched, at the fact he remembered and used it against Jingyi.
It didn't go unnoticed by Jingyi, who rolled his eyes and pouted momentarily.
"Talking is also prohibited when eating, so shut up." Jin Ling stated matter of factly, reluctantly trying finishing his rice.
"You started talking first!" Jingyi facepalmed.
"Actually I started talking first, my apologies, future Sect Leader Jin."
At that, both Jingyi and Jin Ling froze as they stared at Sizhui who was finishing his rice as if nothing had happened.
"It's fine." Jin Ling muttered as he finished the rest of his food.
It was quiet from then on out, but Jin Ling couldn't help but steal glances at the blue dove sat across from him.
He was so stiff, yet so calm and relaxed. His ponytail grazed the floor, and the two strands on either side of his face, lay neatly down his front. His bangs, lay over his forehead, sometimes being brushed away by his swift hands, his Lan Clan forehead ribbon securely stuck to his forehead, bringing color to his pale forehead.
Jin Ling almost choked on his spit, when his golden gaze was met with an amethyst one. He almost choked again, when those thin lips turned upwards slightly, giving him a small smile.
Noticing his flustered expression, Sizhui tilted his head, smile fading, "Are you okay?"
Jin Ling scolded himself for his actions and quickly regained his composure. "You can leave now, I'm tired. Goodnight."
He stood up, stacking up the bowls of each of the boys, setting them on another counter. He quickly went over to the oversized bed in the room and flopped backwards on it, groaning as his back hit a harder surface than he was expecting.
Jingyi, quickly got up, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. "Are you out of your damn mind?!" he whisper shouted over Jin Ling, looking slightly to the side, as if uncomfortable. Jin Ling glared up at him, eyebrows raised.
"What? Is there a problem with me trying to sleep?" he replied bluntly.
Jingyi, "Lying down in front of us like that. And I'm shameless?!" he rolled his eyes, "Goodnight, we'll see you at babysitting duty tomorrow." he finished with a huff and left.
Jin Ling's eyebrows knit together as he questioned Jingyi's sudden outrage. Why was Gusu and all its disciples so .. why'd they all have sticks up their asses.
"If you tuck a blanket underneath you before you sleep, it will make it a little more tolerable to sleep on." A soft voice came.
Jin Ling sat up, forgetting that Sizhui hadn't left yet, and stared up at him. "What?"
Sizhui took a few steps closer, and bent down searching under the bed for something. Jin Ling, sat on his knees now, as he looked at the top of Sizhui's head, confused by the what he was doing.
As he looked down on him, he saw just how dark his hair truly was, and he noticed how at the end of the ponytail, it curled. He also noticed, how long Sizhui's eyelashes were, he watched as they flitted around, as he searched.
As if he knew he was watching, Sizhui suddenly bolted upright, meeting Jin Ling's gaze. Looking up at the male perched on the bed, staring at him, eyebrows drawn, vermillion mark now lower on his forehead, lips pressed together, hands gripping onto the bed, and eyes slightly narrowed, he noticed just how young he truly was.
He couldn't be much younger than him, not that he knew. It hadn't even been a whole day that he'd known him, but from what he knew so far was, he was a short tempered hot head, who was clearly misjudged.
Eyes still locked with golden ones, Sizhui stood up, a white quilt with cloud markings stitched onto it in hand. He held it out to Jin Ling.
"If you put this under you when sleeping, it will make the bed feel a little softer." he spoke softly.
To him, the beds in Gusu was all he'd ever known. Yes, they were a bit hard, but one got used to them, and it made it easier to maintain their sleeping position. However, he'd noticed Jin Ling's groan as he'd hit the bed.
Jin Ling carefully took the quilt, examining it. He looked as if he was about to say something, but kept his mouth shut and nodded.
"Sleep well, Young Master Jin."