Thread by @luuuunadiane

The protective wards around the Burial Mounds rippled red at the approach of foreign individuals - and Wei Wuxian looked up from his scrawls on scraps of paper at the flicker of energies.

Amid the drab brown and grey, two figures stood - brilliant purple and pure white.

Compared to the Wen remnants in tattered, bedraggled clothes, the two looked like princes in their fine clothes and silver headpieces. Wei Wuxian idly twirled his flute better his fingers as he ran over. "Jiang Cheng? Lan Zhan?! What are you two here for?"

"Pack your shit." Jiang Cheng growled, blue eyes swiping across the shabby huts and meagre plots of land, "You and everyone here are coming back to Lotus Pier."

Behind them were disciples in purple and white, Jiang and Lan disciples with surprised looks on their faces.

Wei Wuxian frowned at them - but they spread out at their leader's commands and started to help the Wen remnants gather their scarce belongings, producing qiankun pounches to store bulky items - of which few were needed. "How are you doing this?" Wei Wuxian asked his shidi,

the implication passing unspoken between them. He defected from YunMeng Jiang for a reason, they both knew.

"It is Gusu Lan's duty to uphold righteousness." Lan Wangji declared, eyes softening when A-Yuan ran over, eager to meet Rich-gege again.

So - Jiang Cheng had somehow managed to get Gusu Lan involved in this whole situation. Wei Wuxian's eyes flashed red. "And what's going to happen to me after all this?" His narrowed gaze slid over to the Second Jade of Lan. "Am I meant to be punished at the Cloud Recesses?"

A stricken look flickered over Lan Wangji for the briefest of moments. "No, asshole." Jiang Cheng scoffed, "You're coming back to Lotus Pier, didn't you hear me the first time?! Some kind of Second-in-Charge you are."

"But I already defected-"

"And now you're un-defecting." Jiang Cheng crossed his arms, "because all these people are now under the jurisdiction of YunMeng Jiang, and so are you." He raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Lan Wangji glared balefully at Jiang Cheng, which he ignored.

It couldn't be this easy, could it?

The disciples fetched the Wen remnants back to Lotus Pier on their swords, and Wei Wuxian rode with Lan Wangji - whose grip on him was tight enough to bruise, he definitely didn't want Wei Wuxian running off - and the Wens had their old robes

replaced with newer, better, nondescript clothes, their names changed, and housed within houses newly built in the reconstruction. Jiang Cheng noticed the lost look on Wei Wuxian's face, and barked at him - "Did you forget where your room was? Go take a bath, you look like shit,"

and as easily as breathing, things returned to normal.

Well, as normal as they could with a rebuilding YunMeng. After the war, some things could never be the same.

There were several Gusu Lan disciples hanging around in Lotus Pier, for some reason. Lan Wangji didn't leave,

shadowing Wei Wuxian nearly everywhere he went while Jiang Cheng was busy with Sect duties as Sect Leader.

The tips of Hanguang-jun's ears were red when he offered Wei Wuxian spicy fried lotus root at the end of training the disciples, one of the responsibilities he had as

Second-In-Charge. "Wah, Hanguang-jun, what's the occasion?" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, taking the slices from him enthusiastically. "Why are you buying me snacks?"

"Wei Ying must be hungry after teaching the disciples." Lan Wangji said evenly.

"I won't turn these down if that's what

"you think." Wei Wuxian responded cheerfully, the slices crunchy as he bit into them. "Wow, I've really missed this. Have you tried these before? They're so spicy, I didn't think you would like them-"

A low whisper pricked his ear as the disciples filed out of

the training grounds. "-never did that for Sect Leader Jiang-" "who knew Hanguang-jun would be so shameless-"

Bewildered, Wei Wuxian turned his head to catch the disdainful looks of the Jiang disciples - sent towards Lan Wangji. The man himself had a dark expression.

"Gossip is forbidden." Lan Wangji said, and Wei Wuxian caught several rolled eyes and scoffs.

"Aiyah, that's only in the Cloud Recesses, Lan Zhan, Lotus Pier is different. What are they talking about though?"

"...Nothing important."

"Why are there so many Gusu Lan disciples at Lotus Pier?" Wei Wuxian asked one of the kitchen staff, a young and new hire whom he didn't recognize, who still hadn't gotten out of the habit of bowing to him.

She looked at him oddly. "Because of Hanguang-jun," she said as if it,

was obvious, although still in a polite tone.

"Yeah, I get that, but then why is Hanguang-jun always here?"

"Because he is Sect Leader Jiang's spouse?"

Wei Wuxian's stomach dropped as a sudden jealousy flared up within him.

"He what?"

Thinking that he hadn't heard her properly, the kitchen girl spoke again. "Sect Leader Jiang and Hanguang-jun married, so YunMeng Jiang and Gusu Lan are now allied, Wei-gongzi."

---

Jiang Cheng pointedly ignored Wei Wuxian when he burst into the Sect Leader's office, but his words made him pause.

"So, you and Lan Wangji, huh? Why am I finding out about this from the kitchen staff?"

"Oh, you noticed." Jiang Cheng said with false nonchalance, re-reading

the letter he had just drafted. "Considering the Jiang Sect's current vulnerability, building alliances to consolidate political power was a priority."

"To consolida- consolidate political power?" Wei Wuxian muttered darkly, and Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" He stared at his shixiong, the scowl on his face jarring and unexpected.

"You married to strengthen the sect? You, shidi, who hides romantic novels under your bed?"

Jiang Cheng blushed immediately. "Shut the fuck up! And I'm a Sect Leader, of course I'd have to marry-

-politically!"

"Didn't you tell me you wanted to marry for love?" Wei Wuxian demanded, advancing toward him. "That you wanted a spouse that would respect you?!"

"Lan Wangji is the second most eligible cultivator in our generation," Jiang Cheng sneered, "I don't know who else

would be more respectable, save his older brother, who is a Sect Leader, and so-"

"Ha, respectable!" Wei Wuxian scoffed, pulling an opened paper package out of his sleeves and tossing it at Jiang Cheng, who watched the paper unfurl and reveal spice-drenched lotus root slices.

One of Wei Wuxian's favourites. "Is that why he is buying me snacks, and not you?! Is that considered respectable behaviour from a married man?!"

Jiang Cheng was confused and angry. "And what's the problem with that?! I thought you liked him?! So, you're offended by him now?!"

"He at least knows how to treat you properly!"

"Are you even listening to yourself, Jiang Cheng?" Wei Wuxian crossed his arms impatiently. "Your husband, the man you married, is flirting with someone else, and you're not even angry? At him, or at me, for stealing him away?!"

"For treating you this way, shidi?!" He heaved, taking in deep breaths, as his eyes flashed red. Jiang Cheng glanced at him, before rolling his eyes.

"I'm your Sect Leader, yet you address me so disrespectfully? A few days' seniority means jack shit, Wei Wuxian, my marriage has

nothing to do with you. It's a political match to strengthen the sect. We tolerate each other, and that's enough."

Wei Wuxian stilled, silent for a moment, which made Jiang Cheng immediately anxious. It was never a good sign when Wei Wuxian was quiet.

"You would marry someone who only 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 you?" Wei Wuxian 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘥, stepping forward and slamming his palms onto Jiang Cheng's desk, rattling the scrolls as he leaned into his shidi's personal space, livid. Jiang Cheng backed away slightly, but held firm,

glaring into his shixiong's red-flickering eyes and just as puzzled as before. "What's your problem?"

"That's all you want? Really-" Wei Wuxian growled, "it's that easy?"

"What the fuck are you talking about, Wei Wuxian-" Jiang Cheng snarled back, before Wei Wuxian leaned in

and kissed him.

Jiang Cheng's brain short circuited, before he was flinching from Wei Wuxian, face paling and blushing both at the same time. "What are you doing?! I'm married, you idiot!"

"Married to a man who doesn't care about you." Wei Wuxian pointed out, his gaze intense.

"It's Lan Wangji! Don't you like him?! You followed him around everywhere, back in-"

"What, did you marry him for me or something?" Wei Wuxian joked carelessly, only for Jiang Cheng to go silent momentarily. "What." Wei Wuxian snarled at the telling pause, "Did you fucking-"

"He was the only one willing to help your stupid ass!" Jiang Cheng cried out, blushing a deeper red, fumbling, trying to get away, and Wei Wuxian darted around his desk to corner him. "I knew it couldn't be that easy! I knew you couldn't take in the remnants just like that!"

"It wasn't just for you!" Jiang Cheng frantically lied, as Wei Wuxian pinned him onto the ground only to be pushed off. "Get the fuck off me!"

Arms wrapped around Jiang Cheng's waist - and a thrill of pleasure swept through Wei Wuxian at how slender it was, beneath his robes,

not letting go even as Jiang Cheng - "Let go!" tried to shove him away.

His shidi married Lan Wangji for political alliance, before marching into the Burial Mounds and bringing the Wens back to Lotus Pier - integrating them into YunMeng smoothly and completely unmolested by

the greater cultivation world - especially now that they harboured the Yiling Patriarch.

"This is for me, isn't it?" Wei Wuxian simpered, holding the frowning, pale blue gaze of his shidi. "So I can also have this," and leaned in for another kiss.

Shocked, Jiang Cheng's jaw slackened, which let Wei Wuxian sample the inside of his mouth and the sweet and spicy taste that was unique to his shidi, sucking eagerly on his tongue. Hands that Wei Wuxian was sure would have pushed him away with, rested against his chest,

Jiang Cheng crying out hoarsely once he had air - "S-Stop, we can't- I'm married for heaven's sake!"

"To a man who isn't faithful, so you don't have to, either." Wei Wuxian purred, nipping at his shidi's sculpted jawline, desire and adrenaline burning in his veins.

"I thought you - liked - Lan Wangji-?!"

"Hmm...I do? Then why am I kissing you, and not him?"

Wei Wuxian silenced him with another kiss, and the next thing Jiang Cheng could think about was how furious Lan Wangji was going to be - and how he very well might just give in to

whatever his precious Wei Ying wanted.

Lan Wangji had agreed with Jiang Wanyin before their marriage that their union was meant to be nothing but perfunctory. He knew the other did not love him, and neither did he. Their marriage was to save the man Lan Wangji loved, Jiang Wanyin's shixiong.

He wanted to respect and honour Wei Ying's heroic decisions and sacrifices, to protect him as he had protected others. He wanted to respect Wei Ying's wishes.

Jiang Wanyin made for a submissive picture pinned onto the bed with Wei Ying draped over him, digging slender fingers

into his shidi's hips, their bodies intertwined from how deeply Wei Ying was driving himself into the body of Lan Wangji's spouse, slotted in-between Jiang Wanyin's shapely thighs.

Harsh breaths, pants, and moans mixed together, occasionally swallowed by their joining mouths,

as Wei Ying stroked his shidi's hair and murmured reverent words about how much he adored him, how much he loved him and would never leave him.

There was no love between him and Jiang Wanyin, but Wei Ying had made his choice, and Lan Wangji felt cold all over.