Thread by @bnunylaozu

#MoXuanyuWeek2023 | Day 1: Found Family & Collars | Yiling Wei Sect & XiYu (LXC/MXY) | @LovingMXYWeek

"Are you absolutely sure Xian-gege asked for these items?" MXY questions the little four-year-old in his arms who clutches scrolls close to his chest.

"Mhm!" A-Yuan replies.

"Xian-gege said Yu-gege would know where to find thingies."

MXY is slightly confused. He was sure he had prepared everything for WWX ahead of the discussion conference and WWX doesn't want to put him under any limelight.

But Wen Ning had told him that WWX requested for them.

It may only have been a year since MXY had joined them, but he's very sure that all the documents A-Yuan is clutching in his hands isn't necessarily needed.

"Are you sure this is not just an excuse to carry you, A-Yuan?"

A-Yuan giggles and presses his face into the scrolls.

"Nu-uh! Xian-gege asked!"

MXY laughs and shifts A-Yuan carefully in his arms so that he can pinch his nose lightly. The child squeals a little, and that draws the attention of Wen Qing, who is standing by the doors to the main hall.

"Qing-jiejie!" MXY greets with a tight smile.

Despite how grim her expression is, at the sight of MXY and A-Yuan approaching, it softens.

"A-Yuan, are you troubling Xuanyu again?"

"No trouble at all!" MXY immediately retorts while A-Yuan pouts.

"Yu-gege has Xian-gege's thingies!" A-Yuan declares.

Despite his tiny little figure, A-Yuan's voice is loud enough that whatever discussion was going on inside the main hall comes to a quiet halt.

Both Wen Qing and MXY glances into the opened doors and Wen Qing sighs. "Well, that's your cue to go in, Xuanyu."

He places A-Yuan on the ground, attempting to pry the scrolls out of the child's hands, but A-Yuan does not relent.

"I go in with gege!" A-Yuan insists, scrunching his face up adorably.

MXY throws Wen Qing a desperate glance, but Wen Qing only shakes her head.

"A-Yuan, Xian-gege is busy with other adults, he cannot play with you, okay?"

A-Yuan bops his head. "Yu-gege is here!"

MXY thoughtfully chews on his lower lip as A-Yuan eagerly asks to be carried again.

"A-Yuan, gege can't carry you, but will you follow closly with me?"

A-Yuan juts out his lower lip just a little bit before he nods eagerly, taking MXY's hand.

"Okay, but gege will have to carry me afterwards! Piggybacks!"

MXY hopes his smile is warm as he squeezes A-Yuan's tiny hand.

"I'll play with you until Xian-gege is free, okay?"

"Okay!"

Despite being a bastard child from the Jins and joining the Yiling Wei Sect, MXY hasn't been exposed much to the cultivation world.

It's not that WWX doesn't want to intentionally hide MXY away, but the poor boy has already gone through so much with his maternal family.

They're all aware that Mo Village has been gossiping about the missing Mo son and they have reached out to the nearest cultivation sect for help.

The nearest sect, of course, is Gusu Lan.

They're a major sect and they always help those in need.

They returned empty handed, but had sent posters to major sects, promising to the Mo family that they'll keep an eye out if they see MXY.

WWX makes sure no one will find him after MXY tells him the story of his mother passing due to a weak heart and his family's treatment.

He carefully kept MXY out of the cultivation world's eyes because there's enough scrutiny from WWX being Yiling Laozu and housing defected Wens.

He doesn't want to stress the poor boy out and have the cultivation world banging on his doors, demanding MXY to return to Mo manor.

Now, while his actions confuse MXY, he doesn't want to be ungrateful. WWX has sheltered MXY for a long time, and he only needs to make a small favour.

Besides, the last year has done wonders; MXY is no longer that thin, frail boy WWX had found lying in the dirt of Burial Mounds.

Maybe he won't be recognized.

Holding A-Yuan in his arms, MXY takes in a deep, steady breath and steps into the main hall.

If MXY thought the silence earlier was already scary, the pin-drop silence is terrifying.

The weight of every sect leader's stare is heavy as they cross the main hall, and with every step, A-Yuan clings closer.

"Shizun," MXY greets as he reaches WWX.

WWX looks mildly puzzled and amused at MXY's little company.

Immediately, everyone breaks out into loud whispers.

/"Shizun?"/

/"Wei Wuxian has disciples?"/

/"Such a pretty disciple too."/

/"Say, doesn't he look familiar?"/

/"That disciple has a child with him?"/

A-Yuan decides that he doesn't like being in that room at all and clings tightly onto MXY's leg, burrowing his face.

With a small tsk, WWX sighs.

"A-Yuan, why didn't you stay with Wen Qing?"

Carefully, MXY pries A-Yuan away from his leg and he bends down to take the scrolls from the child's hands and rubs his cheek with his thumb affectionately.

"A-Yuan wants to stay close to him..."

/"He's the father of the child?"/

/"With Wen Qing?!"/

/"That can't be, he looks too young for Wen Qing."/

/"That means he's not taken, right? Do you think maybe... Marriage...?/"

The humiliation /burns/ through MXY as he straightens up to hand WWX the scrolls.

WWX is livid as he takes the scrolls from MXY's faintly trembling hands. With a scowl, he opens his mouth, but it's Wen Qing's voice that echoes through the main hall first.

"Do sect leaders have nothing better to do than to gossip and daydream about the impossible?"

With another deep breath, MXY raises his head and he meets the steady gaze of a young sect leader, a few years older than WWX, who wears a look of dark fury in his eyes that's concealed behind a tight smile.

That's Sect Leader Lan Xichen.

He quickly tears his gaze away from LXC as Wen Qing continues, "He's our little brother. If you have nothing nice to say about him, it's best you shut your trap about it."

Most of the sect leaders have the decency to look embarrassed.

At Wen Qing's words, warmth blooms in his chest.

It is, however, short-lived.

Sect Leader Luo asks, "If he's not taken, he seems like a wonderful husband to my daughter."

He knows he shouldn't be terrified, but MXY still can't help but spin on his heels to look at WWX.

With a set jaw, WWX answers, "My disciple is young. He is free to make any choices he wants. I will not make any decisions for him. If Sect Leader Luo wants him to pursue your daughter, whom I've heard /many/ good things about, perhaps you should request as such /privately/."

Sect Leader Luo scoffs.

"He's just a little dirty Wei disciple. What kind of private request needs to be made? Besides, he quite resembles that missing Mo boy, doesn't he?"

/"Now that Sect Leader Luo says so.. He does."/

/"The bastard Jin child?"/

/"Who would want a bastard child as a son-in-law?"/

The room soon darkens with resentment energy and ghostly giggles echo through the main hall, startling A-Yuan.

He squeaks and clings tightly onto MXY's thigh, squeezes his eyes close and buries his face.

"Xian-gege," MXY murmurs pleadingly as he covers A-Yuan's ears with both ears. "It's okay, don't--"

"It's not okay," WWX snaps, glaring with red eyes at the sect leaders that disrespected MXY. "How /dare/ you come into my house and disrespect /my/ people?"

"Y-Yiling Laozu, you are seated in a hall full of s-sect leaders!"

It's slightly horrifying to watch WWX's red eyes stare coldly at the man who spoke.

"Do /not/ talk to me about respect when you openly talked about Xuanyu with no afterthought."

"Wouldn't it be better? For a bastard child to be married into a reputable family than to stay in a--"

There is a shriek from a ghost lady that sharply interrupts another sect leader, and he sputters indignantly.

"How dare you, Wei Wuxian--"

LXC clears his throat, throwing a dirty look towards the sect leaders and says gently, "Sect Leader Wei, perhaps we should call for a intermission."

MXY knows that WWX has a good relationship with Sect Leader Lan.

After all, everyone in Wei-Wen manor knows that Second Young Master Lan has been trying to woo WWX.

True to MXY's belief, WWX eases off the resentment and sends the ghosts away.

"An intermission. We'll come back in half a shichen." WWX snaps, getting up to his feet.

MXY lifts a still scared A-Yuan into his arms and follows WWX out of the main hall, joining Wen Qing at the entrance.

Wen Qing immediately takes A-Yuan from him, soothing the little boy, and quickly takes him away from the main hall before he bursts into tears.

Behind them, MXY can hear the faint uproar from the sect leaders.

They walk further into the manor, until they can no longer hear them before WWX turns to MXY.

"I'm sorry," WWX immediately apologizes. "I should have gotten everything. It was unnecessary to put you through--"

MXY shakes his head and smiles faintly. "I'm okay, Xian-gege."

WWX frowns, glancing down at MXY's shaky hands. "It's okay to not be okay, Xuanyu."

His faint smile turns feeble and he reassures WWX. "I promise I'm okay."

He has heard worse things from his own flesh and blood.

It doesn't matter.

WWX looks frustrated as he glances back towards the main hall before he looks to MXY. "I... Ugh, I hate this. I am here, if you need to talk to someone."

"I appreciate that, gege. You already have so much on your plate. I do not want to be a bother."

"You're not--"

"Sect Leader Wei," a sect leader from a smaller sect interrupts WWX, much to his annoyance. "I apologize for interrupting, but do you have a... Moment, please?"

WWX exhales sharply. "Please give me a moment, I have something to discuss with Xuanyu."

"Of course, I will wait."

MXY watches the sect leader put a good distance between them before WWX continues, "You're not a hassle, Xuanyu. You're family and if there is anything that bothers you, we are here. Here to listen, here to help, here to kick anyone's ass."

"But.. You're sect leader. You can't do that!"

WWX rolls his eyes and flicks MXY's nose. "You know that I am only sect leader in name because Wen Qing doesn't want to take it. Besides, what good of a sect leader am I if I can't protect my own?"

MXY sucks in a breath and feels a sting in his eyes. He has lived in the Wei-Wen manor for a year now and he has never felt like he never belonged.

But hearing the words come out of WWX so openly like that brings a hope that spreads like a wildfire in his chest.

"I..."

WWX clicks his tongue and pats MXY on the head.

"We cannot choose the blood we are related to, but we can choose the people we want to spend the rest of our lives with."

When MXY doesn't respond, WWX grins and ruffles his hair.

"I have to leave for... Discussions," WWX rolls his eyes again. "But I'll come by your room after the conference with wine."

MXY can't help the grin that spreads across his face as he matches WWX's.

"Qing-jiejie won't like it."

WWX laughs. "I'll make sure Wen Qing joins us."

MXY can't wait to see how WWX attempts that.

Not wanting to hold WWX back any longer, MXY takes one step back to bow to him, and watches as WWX hesitantly looks back over his shoulder one more time to make sure MXY is okay before he leaves with the sect leader.

He doesn't even get to take a turn away from the main hall when he hears a few men talking amongst themselves.

/"That Mo boy should go back to Mo Manor. What is he doing /here/?"/

/"Does Sect Leader Lan not recognise the boy? They're the ones who issued the missing poster in the first place."/

/"Did you hear Sect Leader Luo? How stupid is the man to try and forge an alliance with the Weis through a marriage with a bastard child?"/

His lower lip hurts from where his teeth sinks down hard as he hides behind a pillar, not wanting to draw any attention to himself.

But it is futile because he's quickly approached by a man in white robes.

The last person MXY wants to see right now.

But LXC is faster, and he catches MXY by the wrist before he can escape.

"Xuanyu,"

"Zewu-jun." He replies without looking at LXC in the eye.

"Won't you look at me, Xuanyu?"

MXY's resolve has always been weak, but in front of LXC, it is even more so.

But this time round, he knows he can't give in. The humiliation still burns bright in his veins.

"Zewu-jun has many things to do. This one should not take up his time."

"Xuanyu," LXC says his name as if he's just stabbed him in the heart.

MXY is well aware that he's a stain to anyone's name. He is a bastard child, a person so unloved by his own blood, a person who can't even cultivate his own golden core properly.

That is the reason why the only person who knows anything about what he has with LXC is WWX.

Maybe Wen Ning is aware, but he chooses to not say a thing.

After all, the person who would perhaps understand him a little better is Wen Ning.

A thumb and finger catches MXY's chin and LXC tilts his head gently backwards, a huge contrast to his fury from earlier.

MXY meets LXC's warm, brown eyes that's filled with a tenderness that makes his stomach twist and his heart sink.

The few times LXC has accompanied the Second Young Master Lan to Wei-Wen manor has been spent with MXY.

Everyone in the manor knows that.

LWJ, too, is aware.

Everyone thinks that MXY is showing LXC around while their sect leader is busy. And it was true, for the first two visits.

And then LXC made it very clear to MXY that he wants to be his suitor, much to MXY's bewilderment.

His immediate reaction was to reject that, but LXC is, like all sect leaders, persistent.

Every time he visits with LWJ, he brings something small for MXY; a hairpin, new fashioned inner robes, rouge, and snacks.

It doesn't take long for MXY to fall in love and he knows it's dangerous.

LXC is a highly reputable sect leader and he will eventually have to marry someone of similar status. So MXY pleads to not tell anyone about them, even if LXC does not agree with MXY's thoughts.

It's only a matter of time before LXC gets tired of MXY, just like how his father did with his mother.

Except, it's been eight months since they started this little secret of theirs.

"It's just me," LXC says quietly. "I'm right here."

MXY takes a slow breath, trying to calm the shakiness in his hands. LXC notices them trembling and releases his grip on MXY's chin to take both hands into his own.

His hands are bigger than MXY's, and it's so much warmer.

When MXY shows no signs of resistance, LXC rubs his thumbs over MXY's knuckles.

"You're safe here." LXC soothes. "In the manor, with me."

That's what scares MXY. The blanket of security LXC's presence brings is terrifying.

It feels like it can be ripped away from him any time, and he won't know what to do.

"I... I can't take up your time like this, Zewu-jun. You have so much to do and I-- I'm just a bas--"

"No," LXC interrupts him firmly. "You're Mo Xuanyu, a disciple from Yiling Wei."

"I--"

"You're Mo Xuanyu, sweet, charming, and funny. You're kind and studious, you're so well loved. It doesn't matter what other people have to say about you. You're simply you, and that's all that matters."

MXY's heart swells at that and he has to duck his head down to hide the tears that well up in his eyes.

"Why did you think I fell in love with you?" LXC asks, fingers capturing MXY's chin again to tilt his head back up.

MXY sees his affection clear as day in his expression.

It's in his eyes, in his smile, in his words, and it scares MXY so much.

Because he loves LXC so much. Has been since the first day they met.

"I... I don't know..."

LXC leans close to MXY and answers, "I love you, because you're you."

MXY's exhale is shaky and his heart explodes in his chest.

He has heard LXC's confessions of his affections so many times, but it feels so scrubbed raw now.

As LXC's thumbs brush away the tears from MXY's eyes, MXY's eyelids flutter close and he murmurs, "I love you."

LXC's hands stop moving and MXY's eyes fly open to meet LXC's wide-eyed gaze. Before MXY can say another word, though, LXC almost closes the distance between them, hands around MXY's waist.

"Can I kiss you?" LXC asks, voice rough. MXY chuckles.

"Yes, you can."

LXC kisses him deeply, warmly, full of tenderness and love and although MXY is hesitant, he reciprocates it, wrists locking behind LXC's neck.

LXC makes him feels like he's sitting in front of fire, keeping him warm and safe, as if nothing bad can come close to him.

"Say it again," LXC murmurs against MXY, unable to stop leaving soft kisses against the now swollen lips.

"I love you," MXY says shyly, drawing a groan from LXC.

"Do you realise what you've done?" LXC demands, pulling back to look at MXY with a dark look in his eyes.

"I..." MXY startles at the intensity in his gaze. "Should... I...?"

LXC looks like he wants to devour MXY as he says, "Mine. You're mine now, Xuanyu."

The heat that rushes to MXY's cheeks feels like molten lava as he processes LXC's words.

And then he simply responds, "I'm yours."

LXC swoops in for another kiss; this time much longer, much deeper. It leaves MXY breathless and throbbing between the legs and he feels LXC pressing against his stomach.

The small whimper that escapes MXY has LXC's fingers curl deep into his waist.

LXC breaks their kiss to trail down his neck and /sucks/ on a prominent and sensitive spot that has MXY releasing a small noise as he clings tighter onto him.

MXY's heart is thunderous in his chest and he wonders if LXC can hear it.

If he does, he doesn't say anything. After he is thoroughly marked, LXC laps the same spot with his tongue, drawing out a quiet moan from MXY.

"Heavens, you will drive me insane," LXC groans, pressing their foreheads together.

MXY's entire body is on fire from just /that/. They stay in their position a while longer, shaded by the huge trees in the manor that provides them a privacy.

However, the tranquility is soon broken by the bell, declaring that intermission is over.

"Are you going back to the main hall?"

MXY shakes his head. "Xian-gege told me to go back to my room and rest if I want."

As he pulls away from MXY, LXC thoughtfully studies him.

"Zewu-jun?"

LXC smiles with his kiss-swollen lips and asks, "Would you like to join me for the rest of the conference? Although the sect leaders are... Awful, the topics might be of your interest."

MXY blankly stares at him.

"You... I... I'm just a.... lowly cultivator. I can't... No, I can't sit by Zewu-jun's side--"

"Xichen," LXC corrects him.

MXY blinks at him dumbly and then feels another rush of embarrassment.

"X-Xichen," He tries his name once, finding it odd and unfamiliar with the way it rolls of his tongue.

But LXC seems to like it.

"Join me, please?"

"But... If they start making those awful comments again, I don't want to put Xian-gege through that again."

LXC ponders on that briefly before his gaze flits down to MXY's throat where the mark he has left is bright and high.

MXY gasps as LXC loosens his forehead ribbon, and begins to wrap it around MXY's neck.

"Zewu-jun? What are you doing--"

The ribbon around his throat is snug and warm, but it is not restrictive or choking.

In fact, it blanks MXY's mind out, tossing away whatever thought he was about to have.

LXC tucks the ends nicely underneath the ribbon, fingers accidentally brushing against the sensitive spots of MXY's throat, and looks pleased with himself.

"Beautiful," LXC breathes, cupping MXY's face with one hand. "The sect leaders won't have anything to say now."

MXY leans into his touch, a quizzical look growing on his expression.

"This is your family forehead ribbon... This is..."

"Only my fated person can touch it."

MXY's mouth snaps shut and he bops his head a few times.

When he swallows, he can feel the way the ribbon moves with it.

It feels like a collar. A declaration.

And he likes it.

He likes it so much.

He likes it too much.

"Maybe we should have something fashioned just for you..." LXC murmurs, drawing MXY in for another kiss.

MXY's lips lift into a smile against LXC's lips. "I'd like that."

———

WWX's jaw momentarily drops as LXC enters the main hall without his forehead ribbon and is quickly joined by his little disciple by his side, looking both bold and hesitant.

The silence that falls upon the main hall is deafening as everyone stares at MXY wearing LXC's forehead ribbon around his throat.

A silent declaration and a threat.

If anyone tries to say anything about MXY again, then they will also have to face the wrath of Sect Leader Lan.

WWX doesn't even hide the shit-eating grin. Wen Qing almost smacks him across the head, and WWX has to compose himself by clearing his throat.

"Well, since /everyone/ is here, let's begin."

END — 🍃

this thread is now available on ao3!

the future we hold is clear; 4.2k words.
📚 wei disciple mxy
📚 sect leader wei wuxian
📚 lan xichen/mo xuanyu
📚 lan xichen uses his forehead ribbon as a collar
📚 #MoXuanyuWeek2023

archiveofourown.org/works/46530559