Thread by @abira_og

#jiujiuandaLing & bg #Xicheng

A/N: You don’t need to read the previous part, but it’s recommended.

The first time Jin Ling sees his jiujiu with that blank expression on his face, he’s five. His jiujiu is standing with a faraway expression on his face, his face devoid of any +

https://twitter.com/abira_og/status/1582352475939827712

smile. Jin Ling doesn’t know why he does it, but he feels the urge to go and shake jiujiu. And so, he does exactly that. He goes and grabs onto jiujiu’s silky robes.

And when jiujiu turns to him, it’s with a small smile and a soft, “a-Ling, you shouldn’t be out here without warm clothes.”

But Jin Ling clutches onto jiujiu until he’s sure that jiujiu won’t have the same sad expression on his face. And jiujiu holds him close, reassuring him that he will always be there.

Once he notices it, Jin Ling sees that expression many times after.

And every time, Jin Ling goes to his jiujiu. Because the expression on jiujiu’s face scares Jin Ling. His jiujiu looks as if he’s about to take flight and soar the skies. As if he’s ready to leave Jin Ling behind. And Jin Ling doesn’t want to be left alone.

So, he always goes to jiujiu.

The expression on jiujiu’s face comes on the most unexpected times. Sometimes, it’s when jiujiu watches lotuses bloom and sometimes it’s when the disciples play in the lake, their boats gently swaying due to the slight breeze.

During times like these, even if jiujiu’s second-in-command tries to keep Jin Ling away, attempting to distract him with toys and plays, Jin Ling doesn’t relent. Jin Ling got his stubbornness from his mother’s side. So, he shakes them off and goes to his jiujiu.

As always, his jiujiu turns to him with a soft smile and scoops him up with one arm. And as always, Jin Ling clutches onto his jiujiu’s robes, demanding that he pay attention to Jin Ling.

Much later, when Jin Ling grows a few years older, he realizes why jiujiu’s second-in-command stopped him from approaching jiujiu during one of those moments. It’s because jiujiu grieves during them. And so, after realizing that, when Jin Ling finds his jiujiu during those +

moments, he doesn’t always demand his jiujiu’s attention. Sometimes, he stands beside his jiujiu, clutching onto those robes without saying anything and hoping that his jiujiu knows that he’s not alone.

Years pass and Jin Ling sees that look of utter despair on jiujiu’s face less and less frequency. Of course, that could also be simply that Jin Ling is able to visit Lotus Pier less frequency as he grows up. But his jiujiu smiles more and his jiujiu’s second-in-command frowns +

less so Jin Ling feels safe in the knowledge that his jiujiu is doing better.

Then, Jin Ling turns fifteen and his world topples upside down. It’s agony finding that a lot of what you know is based on lies and deception.

That people who you thought loved you were only there to use you as leverage. Jin Ling’s heart hurts. So, he turns to the only constant in his life, his jiujiu. But this time, jiujiu doesn’t turn towards him with a soft smile a soft “a-Ling.”

This time, there’s only silence. And then a labored sigh. Jin Ling almost turns away, wanting to give his jiujiu some privacy but jiujiu’s soft ‘a-Ling’ stops him. Then jiujiu comes around and ushers him towards the lotus pond that Jin Ling usually finds him nearby.

“Have you eaten?” he asks.

But Jin Ling doesn’t need more encouragement as he goes and clutches onto his jiujiu’s robes again, tears springing from his eyes as he recalls how one of the elders sneered at him for being a child at one of the meetings. He hates being a sect leader.

He’s not ready.

Jiujiu doesn’t ask. Instead, he just massages Jin Ling’s back in a manner that Jin Ling has always found soothing.

“Come, let’s eat something before we address what’s brought you here.”

And just like that, Jin Ling feels his worries dissipate.

It’s not the first time this happens, and it won’t be the last. But Jin Ling feels safe in the knowledge that jiujiu will always be there, holding him close if the world is ever too much for Jin Ling. And that’s enough.

Or so Jin Ling thinks.

Because months later, almost a year after Jin Ling starts to feel comfortable in his position as a sect leader, jiujiu starts to smile as he stands beside the same lotus pond. He starts to laugh when he would only crack a smile before. He starts to be busy.

And Jin Ling doesn’t begrudge his jiujiu some free time of his own, but does it have to be when Jin Ling visits?! So, Jin Ling pouts a little and his jiujiu – instead of giving him that exasperated but fond expression – chuckles fondly instead.

He ruffles Jin Ling’s hair and pinks slightly when Jin Ling inquires after his whereabouts.

But Jin Ling is not a child, alright? So, he notices when his jiujiu gives sneaky side glances to Sect Leader Lan and Sect Leader Lan gives equally as bashful smile in return.

It’s not a secret to anyone that Sect Leader Lan has come out of seclusion, completely in love with his jiujiu. But no one dares question it. It’s a fragile thing between the two and Jin Ling’s heart fills with fondness every time he looks at them.

So, it’s only second nature for Jin Ling to put his body between a yao’s attack and his jiujiu when they are at a hunt. It’s not even something he needs to think about. His jiujiu has barely started to live for himself. He has barely gotten the happiness that he was owed.

How dare a low-level yao think to take that away from his jiujiu. As his world is going dark, Jin Ling doesn’t feel afraid at all. After all, he’s in his jiujiu’s arms. As long as jiujiu’s safe, nothing can touch Jin Ling.

When Jin Ling opens his eyes, he has to blink several times. It only feels like a few moments have passed between the time he countered the yao’s attack away from jiujiu and the time he woke up.

He looks around at everyone’s faces but frowns. Jiujiu’s missing.

In his distress, Jin Ling fails to notice the dampness of their eyes and he comes to regret it later. Because later, he finds out that it has been two weeks since he last opened his eyes. He finds out that his jiujiu had, in fact, taken some of the attack.

He finds out that they found the curse festering inside of his jiujiu’s body too late. He finds out that his jiujiu is gone.

Jin Ling’s mind is storm catching wind. At first, he feels a sense of disbelief. How could that be? His jiujiu was just there.

He was sure that he had heard jiujiu’s voice before he had woken up. Then, he feels anger, loud and blinding. Despite barely reaching 18, Jin Ling can feel his steps shaking the earth as he demands to know what really came of his jiujiu.

No one says anything that they have already told him. But Jin Ling does not believe them. His heart tells him differently. His jiujiu is the most stubborn person he knows. How could he just leave without saying goodbye? How could he just leave Jin Ling all by himself?

That’s when the second-in-command offers him a scroll. When he opens it, a rolled parchment paper along with jiujiu’s ring comes clattering out. That’s when Jin Ling’s heart constricts. That’s when he knows that he’s being lied to.

“Where’s jiujiu?!” he demands. “Tell me where he is!”

So, they take him to the preserved body of his jiujiu. His jiujiu looks as if he’s sleeping peacefully except there’s no movement in his chest and he remains completely stationary.

Jin Ling’s knees hit the ground before he even registers, his hands shaking as he reaches out to caress jiujiu’s cheeks. They are cool to the touch, his skin still feeling alive.

“He was being preserved until you woke up. We thought you would like the opportunity to say your goodbyes.”

Jin Ling doesn’t know how long he sits but he does know that there are three more people that stay with him: Zewu-jun, Wei Wuxian, and the new sect leader.

Whereas Jin Ling rages and demands his jiujiu wake up, Zewu-jun’s tears are silent. His hands wrap around the bell at his waist as his head bows beside jiujiu’s body. Wei Wuxian just sits silently, his eyes somewhere far away and it reminds Jin Ling too much of jiujiu so he +

turns away and closes his eyes. That’s when he decides that this cannot be it. His jiujiu cannot really leave him like this surely.

So, he asks the new sect leader for some time, begs him for a few more days, a week.

And the new sect leader, who has known Jin Ling from the time he has been all but a toddler, relents. Lanling Jin closes its gate in mourning and Jin Ling looks through every text to see if he could somehow bring his jiujiu back. There’s nothing that helps. Nothing.

Except for Wei Wuxian. But Wei Wuxian refuses his request. And Jin Ling, who never thought he would utter such words, looks at Wei Wuxian with a sneer.

“You murdered my father and took my mother from me. The least you can offer in return is my jiujiu. +

If you ever wanted to make amends, Wei Wuxian, this would be it.”

Jin Ling knows he’s being unfair when he utters those words, but he pays his thoughts no mind. Wei Wuxian’s expression crumbles, his lips quiver, his jaw sets and his lips thin.

Jin Ling can see Hanguang-jun not taking kindly to Jin Ling’s words as he makes a slight advance beforeWei Wuxian hands stop him. But Jin Ling feels no fear. He will do whatever it takes to bring back jiujiu.

Except Wei Wuxian doesn’t relent. He only looks at Jin Ling sadly.

“I can’t. He made me promise. Jiang Cheng asked me this as his last wish. I have done him many wrongs, but I refuse to have this be one of them. So, if you want me to make amends, then ask me anything else but this.”

And Jin Ling crumbles. He shakes.

Because that’s what keeps happening. His jiujiu is gone and he made sure that there’s no way for Jin Ling to bring him back. He made sure that the new sect leader lied to Jin Ling. And he made sure that Wei Wuxian can’t help Jin Ling.

And he’s pretty sure that he probably asked Zewu-jun to not cooperate either.

But Jin Ling is stubborn, so he goes to Zewu-jun.

“Tell me the truth,” he pleads, momentarily foregoing the fact that he’s a sect leader who should not show any sign of weakness in front of others.

But this is Zewu-jun, jiujiu’s cultivation partner, one who always gave Jin Ling soft smiles and gentle pats.

Zewu-jun asks him to sit, serves him tea and drinks with him.

“I cannot give you what you seek, Jin Ling. +

Your jiujiu did die of a curse, the current sect leader Jiang didn’t lie to you about that. It is time to accept that.”

Jin Ling fists his robes. “You-you’re lying!”

Zewu-jun looks to his tea. “Lans do not lie. I promised your jiujiu that I will not lie to you.”

Perhaps it’s this that breaks Jin Ling. Perhaps it’s this that makes him sob. Perhaps it’s this that makes him realize that jiujiu is truly gone.

“Live well, Jin Ling. Live well and be happy. Your jiujiu will want to see your smile when you see him in another life.”

Jin Ling wants to call him a hypocrite. He’s seen how Zewu-jun still looks towards the lotus pond, how he still lingers at the gate of Cloud Recesses. But he keeps his mouth shut.

Lanling Jin remains in mourning for more time than is appropriate, but Jin Ling is a sect leader +

now and he can make his own rules.

Times is a strange thing that ticks by both more slowly and quickly than Jin Ling expects. In a blink of an eyes, only a second passes, but in another blink, many decades have passed.

Lanling Jin still flourishes. So do the other sects. Jin Ling has grown but he still visits the lake by jiujiu’s quarters. The current sect leader refuses to move into his jiujiu’s rooms. It is now a place for Jin Ling to visit whenever he misses home.

With time, however, new leaders come and Jin Ling – who should be getting old – does not. Despite looking in his prime at 60, he grows wary. His wife has passed away few years ago and his children have grown up well. And Zewu-jun’s words still echo in his mind.

“…Live well and be happy. Your jiujiu will want to see your smile when you see him in another life.”

So, Jin Ling packs a small satchel and does his goodbyes. To his son, he leaves his bell.

“This bell has always brought me home. But it’s time that I pass this on to you. +

If you ever feel confused or wary of the world, hold this close to you and it will make you feel better. Ring it and I will be there.”

To his daughter, he gifts zidian. “This was given to me by my jiujiu. It holds great power. But it is not just protection. It’s a reminder that I will always be there should you need it. Use it wisely, my child.”

With that, he takes his satchel and turns towards Cloud Recesses. When he gets there, Zewu-jun is waiting for him by the gate.

“My apologies! I should have probably asked you if you had wanted to rest but I could not wait.”

Jin Ling can’t help but crack a smile. “Come, Zewu-jun. It’s time to roam the jianghu and search for my jiujiu. Surely, he wouldn’t want to leave his only nephew alone for so long?”

Zewu-jun chuckles, his laugh carrying the same happiness he once witnessed with jiujiu.

With time, Zewu-jun had learned to smile again years after jiujiu's passing. So had Jin Ling. But Jin Ling had seen the cracks and sadness that leaked through Zewu-jun's facade. Now, however, Zewu-jun laughs carelessly and walks more freely.

And Jin Ling’s heart eases.

It takes them centuries. Centuries of them roaming the entire world. They live through wars, through devastation, through the worst of humanity. In that time, they help in whatever way they can. They take on different roles, different identities.

They learn to live among those with no cultivation.

But they also grow wary. Surely, Jin Ling would have found his jiujiu by now?

But neither Jin Ling nor Zewu-jun utter a single word of discouragement. They can’t. Not after all this time.

“There’s a soothsayer,” whispers Zewu-jun one morning out of the blue.

Zewu-jun goes by Lan Huan these days. He’s a lecturer for topics related to folklore and mythical stories of Asia.

Jin Ling himself has a job as a personal trainer. It’s a great way to still keep in shape in case he has to use his cultivation for something. Even if yaos are less likely to be chanced upon these days.

“What about the soothsayer?” Jin Ling question as he sips his morning tea.

Zewu-jun takes a deep breath. “I have heard that he has the ability to find reincarnated souls.”

Jin Ling’s eyebrow touch his hairline. “Are you sure he’s legit?” he asks.

Zewu-jun looks out of the window, his expression melancholic.

Ever since they have started to roam the world in search of jiujiu, Zewu-jun’s expression rarely ever gets so sad. He only ever shares his happy memories with jiujiu, even of the times when jiujiu and him were not close yet.

Jin Ling can tell that something is different.

“My cultivation,” Zewu-jun begins. “I think it’s weakening. The world has changed too much, and I can feel my cultivation weakening. Once that happens, we will start to age normally. +

And I have already lost so much time with a-Cheng. I don’t wish to wait a moment more.”

Jin Ling knows what he means. He has also noticed that lately. The last time he got stabbed while attempting to help an old lady catch a robber, his wound had taken longer to heal.

“Alright, let’s go see this soothsayer.”

Jin Ling never finds out whether the soothsayer is legit or not because right next to the small shop is another.

“Lotus Pier,” the name reads.

And Jin Ling’s breath leaves him in a sharp exhale.

“Uncle Xichen!” he shakes the other in urgency before pointing to the sign.

Zewu-jun’s expression is the same wide-eyed disbelief when he looks at the name of the shop. They are both scrambling out of the car before either have a chance to blink.

When they both rush in through the front door of the shop, there’s a commotion inside.

The man behind the counter has his back towards the front door. Jin Ling can tell he’s startled because he jumps before slamming the metal pot down.

“I swear, Wei Wuxian, if that’s you right now then—”

The man’s words trail off as he looks at both Jin Ling and Zewu-jun, his eyes widening slightly in alarm.

“Uhm,” the man says after a brief pause when neither Jin Ling nor Zewu-jun feel inclined to utter a single word, “we are not open yet.”

Jin Ling can’t help but let out a wet chuckle. He’s finally found his jiujiu.

So, this is my third attempt to post this. The first two were eaten by twitters. My thread got deleted and I have no idea what I wrote in them. So, this is my third, very frustrated, attempt. No idea how this turned out. It's a lot different than I imagined and I am not happy+

with it completely but you know what? It is what it is. I am attempting to post this when I should be working on other things but here we are lol

Anyway, there might be JC's perspective so let me know if you're interested in that.

Disclaimer: this is totally self-indulgent and please don't try to find logic in it. Because my brain is completely fried from a very stress-induced week/month and this is me de-stressing.

Bonus: [modern times]

WWX: did you just get a harem of men when i wasn't looking?

JC: can you stop your nonsense for one second?

WWX: not if there are good looking men staring at you every time they come in

JC sighs. It's true. He's acquired ducklings without knowing.

WWX: does the one wearing the white pants have a brother though because he's kind of hot?

JC, elbowing WWX: hands off

WWX: oh, so you did acquire a side piece when I wasn't looking

JC scoffs. LXC & JL can hear it all. LXC blushes. JL is both disgusted and offended by it all.