a different version of xicheng fixit thread where xichen and jiang cheng marry without being in love with each other since xichen is willing to do anything to help his little brother and keeping the wen remnants is also a noble venture - so the xicheng builds slowly over time

remember how it started with chengxian that became platonic over time? so jiang cheng thinks that xichen doesn't love her when she starts falling for him and xichen eventually starts to love his wife and still thinks she's in love with wei wuxian like the idiot he is

tears come to her eyes when jiang cheng realizes that she's become her mother, again, marrying a man she loves that doesn't love her back, but lan xichen is nothing but polite and respectful and she swears never to torment him with her anger

in the background, something odious lurks - the yiling patriarch and wen remnants stay in the rebuilding yunmeng jiang because of gusu lan's political backing, and on his father's command, jin guangyao plots to steal the stygian tiger seal from wei wuxian.

jin guangyao has nothing against jiang wanyin. her determination to rebuild her sect is admirable, and she is starkly different from her gentler sister jiang yanli, but the two sisters have never been anything but respectful to him. it just so happens that she is the lynchpin

of the alliance between gusu lan and yunmeng jiang that protects wei wuxian. jin guangyao will never touch his sworn brother, for he is a pure and gentle soul who has never done him wrong. he whispers a silent apology to jiang wanyin, but what must be done must be done.

from the respectful distance jiang wanyin and er-ge maintain between each other, guangyao easily surmises that this marriage is loveless, even though there's every possibility that jiang wanyin married for love - the love of another man, wei wuxian whom she loved in their youth.

if that is true - even with lan wangji hovering around wei wuxian everywhere he goes - then it could be easy to destabilize er-ge's marriage. at an opportune moment when sect leader jiang is spending time with wei wuxian, pay a servant to slip aphrodisiacs into their wine.

jin guangyao feigns scandalized concern when he hears about the debacle the next day - jiang wanyin spotted fleeing from wei wuxian's quarters with her robes loose and undone - unlike her usual poised and proper self, so gossip circulated: had she been caught?

It was suspicious enough to suggest she was cavorting with her shixiong - guangyao waits for the servant to elaborate further, who tells him that the two had drunkenly teased each other like siblings, but as they became more aroused, their jokes had become more salacious,

wei wuxian unfastening his robes and complaining about how warm it was becoming, whining at jiang wanyin about how come she didn't feel the same - stumbling toward her and his inebriated hand tugging at her sash, which undid her clothes - but she had abruptly stood and fled.

"so, nothing actually happened." jin guangyao concluded, but that was enough from the way lan xichen could hardly look at a miserable jiang wanyin, who pleaded innocence, an incensed lan wangji and somber and silent wei wuxian, keeping out of jiang wanyin's way.

"xichen, please-" jiang cheng begged in the privacy of their rooms. "nothing happened, I swear, I've told you my side of the story, it was just an accident!"

"this alliance was made to bring your shixiong home, jiang wanyin." lan xichen said, composure just barely maintained.

nothing even happened on their wedding night. "I understand." he said numbly.

"no-! It's not like that!" jiang cheng protested, invading his personal space. "i have no feelings for wei wuxian, i would never cheat on you, please believe me-!"

seeing how frantic his wife got, xichen's heart couldn't help but soften as he sighed and smiled sadly at her. "alright, wanyin, i believe you.

her pale eyes were beautiful as they sparked with hope and relief, before her cheeks suddenly blushed pink. "ah - i was thinking-"

"it's not f-fair for people to think that your bed is empty in this marriage, and people will think you're being cuckolded, which is the farthest from the truth. so, if you want-" unable to look at him, she pulled at her collar to loosen it and let a hint of skin peek out,

"we could, you know." she murmured, and his ears flared red. "we haven't consummated our marriage yet - but only if you want it!" she flustered to say. "I understand if you don't- I know this marriage is hard for you-"

xichen stared at her, his entire face going red.

jiang wanyin was considered a harsh, short-tempered woman, but living with her, he knew her to be respectful and considerate - especially now that she was being so, so alluring.

"i-it's not." he found himself saying. "it isn't hard with you at all."

she stared at him with a rare show of vulnerability, and he felt his throat dry. "the last thing i would wish would be to force you into anything." he murmured. his eyes drifted to the creamy skin revealed at her collar - before quickly averting them before more unbidden thoughts

crept into his mind. the last thing he wanted was for her to assume she had to compensate for anything, that was not an arrangement he wanted with her - "you don't have to force yourself into anything." he smiled.

he'd said something wrong at the disappointment in her eyes.

jiang cheng looked away as she frantically smoothed down her collar to cover her skin. he was a gentleman at heart, after all. the gallant way he let her down seemed to make it worse. of course he wouldn't be interested. she already knew there was no love in this marriage.

"i'm sorry - for being so forward." she apologized. "i don't want to make you do anything you don't want to, either."

unable to bear the mortification any longer, she bowed her head and turned to leave, xichen speechless and watching her go.

the next morning, jin guangyao watched the residents of lotus pier like he would watch the ripples of a pond after dropping a stone into it. jiang wanyin wore her heart on her sleeve, so her frowning could mean all sorts of things before she spoke, yet she seemed more subdued

than usual. wei wuxian was watching his shimei and er-ge sharply, lan wangji was inscrutable as ever, beside him, and er-ge maintained his usual respectful distance next to jiang wanyin, smile in place but with a distinct crease to his brow. tense civility, the barest of ripples.

guangyao saw the way er-ge picked up a crunchy piece of lotus root and placed it in jiang wanyin's bowl during the meal, and her light flush, softening eyes and murmured thanks at her husband's gesture. wei wuxian's countenance relaxed slightly, and guangyao kept smiling.

he admired er-ge's endless patience and forgiveness, but at the same time, it made things more difficult.

seeing his wife's unhappiness was that day displeased xichen greatly, and he resolved to show her more kindness. she smiled so sweetly in return that he wanted to see more.

but, more than anyone, guangyao understood the masks people wore in the presence of others. he finished his meal, set his utensils down, bid his thanks and left, lingering outside of the dining hall with his ears trained and sight pointed absently at the lotus-filled lakes.

"meimei," wei wuxian spoke, "why so sad today?"

"sad? who's sad?" jiang wanyin,"i'm fine, what are you talking about?"

"you were pouting this whole morning-" "i was NOT!" "liar, liar, like i didn't grow up with you!"

pause. "lan xichen, what did you say to her?" accusatory.

"xichen didn't say anything to me!" jiang wanyin spoke up. "maybe i'm just annoyed with you like i always am!"

another pause. "nothing, huh?" a calculating sneer, "not even to what happened yesterday?"

"wei wuxian!" she yelled in embarrassment and outrage,

"wei ying-" lan wangji, unreadable, troubled,

until xichen abruptly cut in- "wei wuxian, are you challenging me for jiang wanyin?"

zewu-jun's famed composure cracked into an ice-cold, barely concealed hostility.

"jiang cheng is only my shimei." wei wuxian declared.

"i believe it is highly improper for a shixiong to start pulling his shimei's clothes off." xichen continues, as politely chilly as a blizzard.

a squawk from wei wuxian - "it was an accident! we were drunk!" echoed by jiang wanyin's fury - "WHY DID YOU BRING THAT UP?!"

"WEI WUXIAN!" she raged, "DON'T JUST SIT THERE WITH THAT SMUG LOOK ON YOUR FACE!"

"no, no, jiang cheng," said confidently, "I was just looking out for you-"

"YOU JUST DID THE OPPOSITE-"

"at least now I know lan xichen actually sees you."

jiang wanyin spluttered wordlessly. guangyao blinked. as expected of wei wuxian, yet fascinating each time he witnessed it. the yiling patriarch had honed his own shamelessness into a tool for sharp observation and misdirection.

"anyway, take your time to eat. I'm full!"

guangyao moved even before wei wuxian finished his sentence. it would not do to be found lingering so closely to the dining hall even if it had been illuminating. wei wuxian and jiang wanyin did not seem to be in love - but more pertinent was er-ge's sudden possessiveness.

this complicated things. there was no relationship between jiang wanyin and her shixiong for him to manipulate, but er-ge and her still acted like teenagers, shy and hesitating and pining, so their feelings were still unconsolidated. that could be useful.

guangyao sighed. his father did not make things easy. er-ge would be returning to the cloud recesses soon for he was still lan sect leader, but that would be after guangyao's own civil visit was over. there were only so many excuses to visit lotus pier before seeming suspicious.

jiang cheng didn't know what to think as wei wuxian flounced out of the dining hall, swiftly followed by lan wangji, whose bowl was not yet empty.

she had always known xichen to be patient, pleasant, and gentle, so to hear his anger had been a shock.

if she had to admit it, she did like his sudden possessiveness. as wei wuxian said, it meant she had been seen - as a wife, a woman who could be desirable. she snuck at glance at xichen - the anger on his expression had been leeched out and replaced with wide-eyed surprise.

yet her rational mind quickly worked to build defenses and reasoning. no man wanted to be cuckolded or have his position as husband threatened. "that wei wuxian." she said automatically, "he's being ridiculous again."

"I-" xichen said, pausing. the anger that seized him had left just as abruptly as it arrived, and it shook him. he'd never felt like that before, never given himself to excessive emotion. "-I apologize for that outburst." he murmured, recalling the shock on jiang wanyin's face.

"it must have been upsetting." he said remorsefully.

"it's fine." jiang cheng replied as xichen returned to his usual self, shoving another mouthful of food into her mouth, which she hardly tasted. "wei wuxian was being incredibly disrespectful to you, xichen."

but he was right, xichen thought, staring at the dishes in front of them with no intention to eat, even though it was a rule never to waste food in the cloud recesses - he'd gotten so angry at wei wuxian, because for a moment, he'd thought that he'd lost his wife to him.

wife. Wife. to xichen, that term had been a title, a formality given to jiang wanyin as both of them entered an arrangement for the happiness and safety of their siblings. she had so intelligently discerned his concern for wangji and proposed a marriage alliance that would both

solve the issue of the wen remnants, reign in wei wuxian's demonic cultivation, and appeal to both of them. the beginning of their relationship started with mutual respect and aid for each other's obligations. now that he saw her daily - during the three months he was to spend at

lotus pier, and the three months she would spend, a quarter of a year later, at the cloud recesses, he had come to know her soft expressions, her down-to-earth, efficient nature, her good-natured concern hidden behind a grumpy exterior. while she shouted at her disciples and at

wei wuxian, she made a continuous effort not to snap at him as much as possible, and to treat him kindly, more affectionately. he hoped that he had not treated her without similar consideration - but they had still been distant, hadn't they, treating each other like housemates,

rather than companions, spouses? he resolved to change that.

"why don't we go for a walk?" he said, setting his chopsticks down. she looked at him, food halfway to her mouth. "ah, i don't mean to rush you in eating, but once you are done-"

her bowl hit the table with a clack. "no, no, i've finished. the servants can clear this up-" her chair rattled as it dragged against the floor and she stood up, gathering her sleeves to herself. "we can - let's go." she said, a hint of red on her cheeks as she walked past him.

wasting food was forbidden in the cloud recesses, but they were not in the cloud recesses. he smiled.

jin guangyao saw jiang wanyin and lan xichen strolling along the docks of lotus pier, footsteps in sync, and saw his window of opportunity closing.

it takes him a few moments to come up with an excuse - some sect-related matter - and he briskly strides toward the pair, bowing and saluting- "good day to you, er-ge-"

jiang wanyin conceals her irritated look, and er-ge's brow creases more than usual. guangyao lowers his eyes.

"ah, did I intrude upon both of you? i'm truly sorry. i only thought i might speak to er-ge about something now that lunch is over-"

momentarily, guangyao wonders if er-ge will ask him to leave, after that show of anger earlier. however, given that he isn't wei wuxian,

er-ge only frowns slightly with a tight smile, once again his pleasant, polite self. "no, a-yao, it's fine."

"thank you, er-ge." guangyao continues. "there isn't much time until i have to return to lanling, so i hoped to speak to you before then."

he glimpses jiang wanyin's expression falling into disappointment, soothed by er-ge lightly touching her arm and murmuring "I'll find you later," as his careful prefaces and apologies work as intended.

thankfully, there were jin sect matters that gusu lan had a hand in which he could talk about. strolling next to er-ge, he noticed jiang wanyin sitting at a nearby guest room, occupied with documents but clearly waiting for her husband like a dutiful wife.

"er-ge, you seem to be getting along well with jiang wanyin." guangyao said.

er-ge smiled, his gaze drifting to the lotuses bobbing in the waters. "i certainly hope so."

his expression was wistful. lans did not lie.

"i'm very glad your marriage is a happy one," guangyao smiled, "considering the circumstances."

lans only love once, but lan xichen had entered an arranged marriage willingly.

"do...situations like those which have transpired earlier...happen often?"

guangyao quickly ducked his head the moment he finished saying it, a perfect picture of regret. "ah - i hope i am not overstepping. it was just that the resulting commotion - i worry about how you must feel about it-"

er-ge smiled with a touch of sadness. "it's alright, a-yao,"

"i know that you are only concerned for me. it was just a misunderstanding." er-ge sighed, and from slackened shoulders guangyao saw resignation.

"i find it a bit - odd how much time young master wei spends with sect leader jiang." he murmured.

"they know each other from childhood, and see each other as siblings. young master wei is the jiang head disciple, after all." er-ge said, tiredly, and possibly a bit - irritably?

"they seem very close." guangyao murmured. er-ge exhaled.

"jiang wanyin is loyal, especially to her family. she worked extremely hard to bring wei wuxian back under the protection of yunmeng jiang, despite its diminished power."

admiration, bitterness, and...love. guangyao eyed er-ge, slowly picking apart the implications in his mind.

perhaps driving a wedge between er-ge and jiang wanyin was the incorrect strategy. er-ge's ire was clearly more directed toward wei wuxian himself, and guangyao would only be helping er-ge (and furthering his own ends) if they could get rid of wei wuxian.

"sect leader jiang truly is devoted to young master wei. it's quite admirable." jin guangyao said, nodding low it was almost a bow.

"ah, but i've taken up too much of your time already. go on, be with your wife." he smiled, and noticed how er-ge visibly relaxed with relief.

an antagonistic relationship went both ways. er-ge had motivations to be suspicious of wei wuxian, wei wuxian might have his own reservations as well, especially when it came to his shimei. guangyao mulled it over as he watched er-ge nearly run to jiang wanyin.

"wei wuxian and I-" jiang cheng began to her husband, before correcting herself, "i mean, my siblings and I-"

xichen smiled. "it's alright."

"well," she mumbled, "we would drink wine together during the night, at the moon-viewing pavilions. do you want to accompany me?"

"I can ask the servants to bring tea." she said, and he nodded, glad that she was letting him know more about her habits and her life.

the full moon was particularly large and bright, silver light illuminating the pink beds of lotuses.

a cup of tea in hand, he watched jiang wanyin down several cups of chilled fruit wine meant for the summer and stretch her neck upward, back arching, the tension leaving her shoulders. yet she was still perfectly lucid when she opened her pale eyes at him again.

"when did you first start drinking alcohol?" he asked conversationally, and her smile was mischievous. "I was eleven, and wei wuxian had gotten a cup of wine from a dinner banquet. he dared me to drink it."

xichen frowned. "was it wise for him to give that to his shimei?"

"ah," she waved it away, "it was fine. i was a tomboy, already wearing the disciple uniform - i basically did and wanted to do all the things young boys would do. besides-" her eyes glinted. "jiejie would drink with us sometimes."

"what happened, the first time you drank?"

"oh, i hated it at first. i didn't know why adults liked something that tasted like that. i spat it out and wei wuxian laughed at me, so i drank another cup."

"did you...get drunk?"

"not then, i don't think." she mused. "we did end up falling into the lakes, but that was for

an unrelated reason that night, i think. how about you, zewu-jun?" jiang wanyin smirked at him, sipping her wine. "ever broke the rules before and tried alcohol?"

he felt his inexperience with alcohol keenly, then. "ah - no, I never did."

she raised an eyebrow. "never?"

"never." he nodded, drinking his tea.

"why not try it? i mean-" she halted, "this one's quite mild since it's warm during the summer, but only if you want. i don't judge."

"perhaps." he said, feeling playful. "we are outside of the cloud recesses, after all."

being low-lying and surrounded by lakes, the winds of yunmeng were cool and enjoyable, unlike gusu higher up north which were cold and biting. the fragrance of lotuses picked up in the breeze as well. xichen saw the appeal of drinking under the stars, surrounded by blooms.

eventually, xichen said, "i think i will try a sip."

her eyes widened. "really?!" excited, she reached for a fresh cup and filled it with wine. "is it finally time for a bit of teenage rebellion?" she teased.

"we are both no longer teenagers." he reminded her with a smile.

"and this is not the cloud recesses."

"I see now." she drawled. "the peerless zewu-jun, pure and upright, secretly getting up to shenanigans outside of the home of the lans. you're just like the rest of us."

xichen brought the cup to his lips and inhaled. "it smells sweet."

"it is sweet, too." he murmured, sampling the wine on his tongue, before he felt a sudden boldness and drank the entire cup.

jiang cheng stared as his eyelids fluttered, xichen coughing at the unexpected burn of his throat. "didn't you say you were only going to try a sip-?"

his pupils dilated, "it tasted like juice, even if it wasn't really, in the end."

xichen's voice lilted upward in a singsong, and jiang cheng didn't like the dopey grin slowly spreading over his face.

-

"it's strange, isn't it??? we're surrounded by lotuses in lotus pier, and songs about the beauty of flowers, but i've never seen you wear lotus flowers in your hair, dear wife! i should go get you one right now-"

"wait, what?!"

after rambling happily about a whole bunch of random nonsense, xichen had drunk another cup and suddenly jumped onto the topic of lotus flowers, and she was dumbfounded enough to be slow to react as he suddenly jumped up and headed for the edge of the pavilion, stooping down to

reach into the water. when he couldn't reach a lotus flower from his spot, lan xichen, the first jade of lan, esteemed zewu-jun, honestly pouted before pulling out shuoyue to try and pull one closer to him. jiang cheng wandered closer, half stunned and half curious at the antics

of a drunk lan xichen. he unsheathed his sword and sent a spiritual slice toward the nearest bloom - beheading a whole crowd of them, the flowers splashing into the water beyond his reach, and he stared in confusion.

"xichen, it's okay, i've got one-" jiang cheng said, having

moved to another part of the pavilion with lotuses she could reach, before hearing- "it's okay, dear wife! i'll get you a flower!"

a splash, and she turned in shock "lan xichen, can you swim-" he flailed and thrashed in the water before going under "LAN XICHEN, YOU CAN'T SWIM!"

he surfaced, barely, huge grin on his face despite the spluttering and coughing, "yes I-" - went under - resurfaced, "can!" - sank again-

"NO YOU CAN'T!" jiang cheng yelled, trying to grab him from her spot, but he was too far away. muttering curses, she jumped in after him,

swimming closer to him before grabbing him around the middle to keep him afloat - "stop flailing! i've got you!"

"but a-cheng, i haven't gotten you the flowers yet!" he said with a wide grin, his wet hair sticking to his face.

"i've already got one!"

"but i want to get it for you!" he insisted, and broke free of her grasp, sinking into the water again, and she groaned, diving down to pull him back up.

eventually, she held him afloat so he could pick several lotus flowers while she grumbled - "you're a childish drunk."

holding onto him with one arm, the other grabbed the edge of the docks and pulled them up with a burst of spiritual energy to her limbs.

"a-cheng is so strong and skilled." xichen cooed adoringly, and jiang cheng blushed nevertheless.

"i've got to save your dumb ass, don't i?"

"swearing is not allowed in the cloud recesses." xichen gasped, scandalized, "but it's okay. you're cute when you do that, a-cheng."

her blush deepened. "s-shameless-! no wonder you lans aren't allowed to drink alcohol! that was two cups, xichen!"

deep down, she didn't mean it, and he was her husband, anyway - but she never expected lan xichen's composure to shatter so readily like that with just a drop of alcohol. undeterred, he came closer to her and slid the stalk of a lotus flower into her hair, smiling widely.

"beautiful." he declared. "just like you."

she blushed, turning away. "you're drunk, lan xichen."

he came closer and she leaned back instinctively until she couldn't anymore, their faces nearly touching and his breath caressing her cheeks.

she felt like a young, teenaged maiden again, even though they were already husband and wife - but they weren't proper spouses, were they, they hadn't gone through the proper process, hadn't even had their first embrace, first kiss, wedding night-

no time like the present.

she swallowed, and leaned forward

but his eyes suddenly dropped lower, widened, and then he was scrambling back, flushing red. "ah, a-cheng- your clothes-"

she couldn't hide the hurt on her face, but she looked down and realized that her drenched summer robes clung to her,

revealing the shape of her breasts and the curve of her body, and that lan xichen was resolutely not looking at her.

"why, what's wrong?" she said bravely. they were mostly alone anyway- "you're my husband, aren't you?"

his blush intensified.

now their positions were flipped, when she took a step foward, he retreated, and she smirked. "the peerless zewu-jun, so pure and righteous that he blushes and can't even look at his own wedded wife."

the alcohol was probably getting to her head, but she caught up to him and

grabbed his hands, boldly pressing them to her body. "lan xichen, why - does this not interest you?" she purred in mock indignation. "am i not attractive enough for you, zewu-jun?"

his hands froze against her - "Jiang Cheng is very beautiful-" he murmured, still looking away,

"and intelligent, and strong, loyal, determined, elegant-" he rambled, and she felt her face heating again-

"it's not proper." he finally blurted out, and she couldn't resist rolling her eyes.

"we're married, lan xichen!" she shouted,

and he peered huge eyes at her "are you -" xichen began, and his pink tongue swiped over his lips - "a-cheng, are you saying-"

his eyes darted around them, frantically, taking in the lakes and the pier and the docks-

"-that you want to do it here?" he whispered.

all the blood rushed to her head so fast she nearly passed out from embarrassment. "what the fuck are you talking about?!" she hissed back in outrage. "here?! where everyone could see?!"

"if that is what a-cheng wants," xichen said, licking his lips, "I will endeavour."

jiang cheng would be lying if she said she hadn't been anticipating her wedding night, but - as his arms encircled her waist and pulled her closer to him - this was ridiculous. "Lan Xichen!" she cried out, as he buried his face into her neck. "I didn't say - how are you so

shameless!" she attempted to shove his hands away from her waist, but his grip was unshakable, breath hot against her skin as he began to press kisses.

"I don't want us to have our wedding night here!" she said frantically, head whipping around to see if anyone was nearby

"why not?" he looked at her innocently, uncomprehendingly. with both his hands holding her, his teeth found her collar and attempted to drag it off her shoulders but accidentally tore the fabric, and she shuddered. "under the full moon and a blanket of stars, surrounded by

blooming lotuses - it's a perfect place for someone as beautiful as you, a-cheng." he cooed, and she really could do without the poetry right now - "we're outside! everyone could see! does that mean nothing to you?!"

"shh, shh-" and he shut her up with a kiss.

she squeaked and tried to pull away from him - their first kiss, in such a ridiculous situation - but he chased her mouth, both hands letting go to cup her face, and she backed away. "a-cheng..." he whined, grabbing her by the wrists, and no matter how hard she pulled, she

couldn't pull out of his grasp, being pulled down as he sat on the floorboards like a child and gathered her into his lap, one arm coming back up to bind her by the waist as the other hand worked on getting her clothes off - and jiang cheng stilled when she realized that

her struggling was merely making him rip through her wet clothes like they were paper, eyes widening as she pushed fruitlessly against his arms and shoulders - "xichen, stop ruining my clothes!" she said frantically.

"ahh, sorry, i'm not good at laundry-"

"what are you talking about?!!" jiang cheng cried out, but he only smiled drunkenly and pushed her to the floor, pinning her down with the weight of his body.

zidian was ready on her hand and sandu by her hip, but he gazed warm brown eyes into hers - "i've wanted to do this

for a long time, a-cheng." he murmured, full of sincerity and sweetness and l̶o̶v̶e̶ affection, and she knew she could not raise a weapon against him. she only came back to herself when xichen pulled her sash undone and pushed the tatters of her clothes off her,

her arms immediately wrapping around herself as she was exposed to the world, but he merely grabbed her wrists and shackled them next to her head, a predatory look creeping into his doting expression. "it's not like i don't want this," she pleaded, "i just don't want-

to do it here! xichen-!" he buried his face into her skin, and her eyes scrunched shut as he found her sensitive breasts and she fought back a moan.

was this how it was going to happen, then? at the docks, in full view of servants, attendants, guests - anyone who might pass by-

she tried to look around her from where she was lying on the ground, to see if anyone was present - "xichen! lan xichen!" jiang cheng squirmed against his hold, "wait, stop! just wait, nnh, no-"

the thrum of spiritual energy, and a talisman slapped itself onto xichen.

he slumped over, instantly unconscious from the immobilization talisman, and jiang cheng twisted as his entire weight fell on her - he was heavy - seeing the upside-down form of her shixiong stride toward her with dark tendrils dancing around him and a murderous expression.

behind, lan wangji, actually frowning in what seemed like an expression of shock, and jin guangyao looking scandalized. "good call, jin-gongzi." wei wuxian drawled, as jiang cheng pushed lan xichen off her and tried to gather the scraps of her clothing to cover herself-

"seeing something like that happen right out in the docks, i had to alert someone - i really didn't think er-ge would do something like this." jin guangyao admitted, looking embarrassed. wei wuxian immediately pulled his outer robe off to cover jiang cheng with it, glaring at his

brother-in-law now lying unconscious on the floor.

"oh, thank god you came in time." she heaved a sigh in relief. "otherwise-"

"otherwise he would have raped you." wei wuxian finished darkly. "unfathomable, isn't it? the gusu lan sect leader, the esteemed zewu-jun."

"wei ying," lan wangji began, "there must have been a misunderstanding-"

"really, lan zhan?" wei wuxian's red eyes shifted sharply. "my shimei held down, clothes torn to shreds, begging him to stop?"

jiang cheng stared. "w-wait, what?"

"jiang cheng may be his wife, but that doesn't mean zewu-jun can just do whatever he wants to her." he sighed harshly. "I thought it was bad enough that the marriage might be loveless, but to go in the complete opposite direction?!"

"wei wuxian, that's not what happened!"

she protested. "it's not like i didn't want it, it was just that we were outside, and he wanted to do it there, plus he was drunk-"

"as if that makes it any better?!" wei wuxian argued. "did you actually want him to fuck you right in full view of everyone?!"

"no, but he was DRUNK, like i said! he wasn't being himself-"

"you're telling me lan xichen, gusu lan sect leader, got drunk." he said dryly. jiang cheng hesitated, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. "it's true! he asked me for it!"

jin guangyao stepped forward, flipping the unconscious lan xichen over and opening his mouth. "I don't...smell any liquor." he murmured, and jiang cheng said, "what?" scrambling over to check herself, but he'd only had, what? two cups? then jumped into the lake, and his golden

core could have long processed the small amount of alcohol by now - so why had he been so inebriated?

"but - but he didn't-" she muttered, frowning as she tried to sort through the situation, "i just didn't want it here-"

jin guangyao looked at her pityingly. "in the end, you

still didn't want it for a reason - that counts. when i was young, there were plenty of times-" everyone winced, and he decided not to speak of the matter anymore, apologizing quietly.

"anyway, time to clean up the mess," wei wuxian said with a savage, too-wide grin, bending down to pick up lan xichen - or so she thought, until he grabbed zewu-jun's collar and dragged him across the floor. jin guangyao winced. "what the fuck are you doing?" jiang cheng snapped,

lan wangji's expression turning back into stone. fumbling, jiang cheng closed wei wuxian's outer robe around her and hurriedly wound the remains of her belt around it, slapping wei wuxian's hands off her unconscious husband. "can't you just carry him like a normal person?

or are you too weak?" she taunted. her shixiong's eyes darkened briefly. "why should i respect him after what i saw him nearly do?"

"how many times do i have to tell you, i wanted it, just not here!"

"that's the same as not wanting it and being forced!"

"perhaps i could-?" jin guangyao offered, but lan wangji interrupted instead, "I will carry xiongzhang to a guest room and we will wait for the spell to wear off." he announced, stepping forward and hands weaving between jiang cheng's and wei wuxian's to heft lan xichen up

like he was nothing and put him over his shoulder. the display of his arm strength was impressive - xichen clearly didn't lack in that department, which was why it had been so hard to get away from him. "you can bring him to his quarters." jiang cheng said, while wei wuxian shook

his head. "zewu-jun's lucky i don't throw him in the stables."

"excuse me? who's throwing my husband in the stables?"

"jiang cheng, you can't be serious-"

"of course i fucking can! this is between me and him, and if I say put him in his quarters then that is it!"

lan wangji briefly turned around to regard them both. "I suggested a guest room for a reason. it is neutral ground between both your opinions." his tone was calm, but there was an edge of irritation in it - which for the second jade of lan, spoke volumes. jiang cheng rolled her

eyes as wei wuxian looked ready to argue - "fine." she said, just to shut up her idiot shixiong. "put him there, then."

after xichen had been settled in a guest room and jiang cheng had changed into a fresh set of clothes, she returned to find wei wuxian attempting to put

sealing and barrier talismans around the entire room while lan wangji tried rather fruitlessly to stop him - because he was following wei wuxian around and trying to talk sense to him rather than hit him, or something useful. she scowled. "knock that shit off. what the FUCK do

you think you're doing?!" she demanded, tearing off the ones she could reach, red, resentful energy pulsing off them, and seizing her shixiong's shoulder.

"wei ying, this is unnecessary." lan wangji said, oddly plaintive.

"i think sealing a criminal is very necessary."

wei wuxian drawled, to lan wangji's outraged "wei ying!" and jiang cheng's own "no it's NOT!", then jin guangyao said, "hanguang-jun, perhaps it would be ideal if you would do the sealing?"

lan wangji shot jin guangyao an angry, betrayed look as jiang cheng loudly snapped-

"there will be NO sealing! I AM THE LEADER OF YUNMENG JIANG AND OWNER OF LOTUS PIER!"

jin guangyao bowed his head placatingly. "my apologies, sect leader jiang. I merely attempted to emulate er-ge and mediate between all parties here-young master wei seems to be very upset-"

"oh, you think?" wei wuxian said.

jiang cheng took a deep breath, "i appreciate what you're doing, jin-gongzi," she willed down her anger, "but xichen doesn't deserve this. it's just a misunderstanding."

"lan zhan can seal the room," wei wuxian continued, "or i will."

"wei ying." lan wangji said, cold and reproachful in a way she hadn't seen directed at her shixiong since they were in the cloud recesses, "brother would never do such a thing."

"are your eyes not working? we clearly saw-"

"can you all SHUT UP?!" jiang cheng roared.

"I'm supposed to be the victim in this entire situation, so why are you all not listening to me?!" she scoffed, the three men staring at her. "I already told you - IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING!"

she wanted to move xichen back to his quarters, but it would be a huge hassle with

wei wuxian's stupidity. and this evening had started to promisingly as well - she looked up at the ceiling and kneaded the temples.

"I'll stay in the guest room and keep xichen company until he wakes up." she declared. wei wuxian's eyes immediately narrowed. "I'll stay as well."

of course, lan wangji said, "as will I," because his idiotic wei ying was there. jin guangyao looked helpless. "then I suppose I have no choice but to comply-"

"oh, no, no, we've-" she shot a sideways glare at wei wuxian- "enough trouble for you this night, jin-gongzi."

jiang cheng said apologetically. "please, you're a guest in lotus pier, you should not be involved in these matters."

"well- if you're sure." jin guangyao said, and at her nod, he saluted and left. she sighed and called an attendant to fetch her paperwork, might as well get some

work done while she was forced to babysit wei wuxian yet again.

she resolutely ignored wei wuxian and lan wangji as she focused on paperwork, yet the atmosphere was awkward, like the weirdest sleepover in the cloud recesses during their student days - glancing at her shixiong,

he was glaring at the still-unconscious xichen, while lan wangji was watching him, and jiang cheng rolled her eyes again.

"yiling patriarch, you can't set people on fire with your eyes, even if you're a demonic cultivator." she snarked. "just leave xichen alone! he's asleep!"

"huh, incinerating people on sight, good idea for an invention."

he was just being annoying, now. she resisted the urge to snap, miraculously, and refocused on her work.

"perhaps jiang wanyin might want to explain what happened." lan wangji suddenly said.

jiang cheng and wei wuxian both glanced at him, "aren't we going to do a trial for lan xichen?" wei wuxian said, crossing his arms.

"no we're not." she snapped, and lan wangji sent wei wuxian a narrowed look.

"xiongzhang will be unconscious for a while.

the time would be efficiently used like this." lan wangji said monotonously.

finally a good idea, jiang cheng thought, before realizing just what that would entail, and her face went pink.

"um, well." she began, "xichen and I were at the moon-viewing pavilion outside,"

"and I was drinking alcohol, while he had tea."

"aww, without me?"

"shut up, wei wuxian! yes, without you. what's wrong with spending time with my husband?" she challenged, and he pouted. "anyway, xichen asked to try some alcohol."

"really? he did?" wei wuxian said incredulously. lan wangji's brows pinched slightly.

"yes, he did. i saw it and heard it." she declared. "he said he wanted a sip, but ended up drinking a whole cup, and well-" she shot a deadpan look at lan wangji. "lans just shouldn't drink."

"what did lan xichen do?" wei wuxian said, eyes gleaming in interest.

jiang cheng glanced her unconscious husband, wondering if she should spill all the embarrassing and shameless things he did- "he got - very childish and cheerful. he tried to pick me lotus flowers."

"he couldn't reach them, so he jumped into the water."

"xiongzhang cannot swim." lan wangji said, voice tinged with concern.

"he absolutely cannot." she said with a groan. "I had to dive in and pull him out. and then he-" her face flamed red.

"he what?" wei wuxian urged, clearly taking her flush in the worst possible way. "what did he do to you, meimei?"

she wasn't about to tell her shixiong, and lan wangji, of all people, about their intimate affection. "get your mind out of the gutter, wei wuxian!" she snarled,

"it wasn't anything i didn't enjoy! we're married!" the words tumbled out of her mouth instinctively, as her face flushed hotter - "but the point is - he was getting - aroused," she admitted, staring at the wood grain on the floor, "and he somehow thought i wanted to- you know-"

"-there at the pavilion, which I didn't want- I mean," she corrected herself quickly, seeing wei wuxian narrow his eyes, "I'm not that shameless to do something like that right where people can see! but xichen was-"

as she spoke, she was realizing just how bad this all sounded,

and how much it would affirm wei wuxian's perspective of the entire situation. xichen had her in a death grip, wasn't letting her go, and in his eagerness to get her clothes off had ripped them with his ridiculous arm strength.

wei wuxian's expression darkened. "and then what?"

"well-" her face on fire- "he wanted to do it there, and I didn't, and then - and then you all showed up."

wei wuxian raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "really." he drawled. "so, from what i saw, he did rip your clothes, pin you to the floor, and refuse to let go even though you

told him to stop? correct me if i'm wrong."

jiang cheng glanced hesitantly at him, before hardening her eyes into a glare, anger coming to her the easiest.

"well- yes, but-"

wei wuxian breathed in deeply, mocking smile in place as dark tendrils started to inch up his limbs.

"xiongzhang truly did that?" lan wangji asked, expression troubled.

"wei wuxian, you fucking STOP that." jiang cheng said, rising from her position at the desk and moving protectively into the space between him and xichen's bed. "i won't let you hurt him."

"and I'm not going to let him hurt you, either!" he proclaimed, eyes wide enough for her to see the whites around his irises. "a-cheng, I really don't think you realize what almost happened to you!" his smile twisted into a snarl, and jiang cheng's hands curled into fists,

"I told you to STOP!" she shouted urgently, shielding xichen's unconscious form, zidian automatically sparking in response to her distress, and the resentful energy that was starting to build around him. lan wangji shifted, eyes trained on wei wuxian. "this is just supposed to be

an explanation, right?! we are NOT FUCKING FIGHTING IN THIS ROOM!" her voice bounced off the four walls of the room, and she instinctively threw her hand out, zidian in its whip form released from the ring and curling around wei wuxian. he jolted, purple sparks throttling the

darkness that surrounded him and binding his limbs to his sides before he could raise chenqing to his lips to summon any infernal corpses.

"jiang wanyin-!" lan wangji began, but the blood was pounding in her ears and she'd did the first thing that occurred to her.

wei wuxian struggled briefly against zidian, but it was bound to her will, merely holding him immobilized without the pain of electrocution. "jiang cheng-" wei wuxian began lowly, but she only bared her teeth.

"I've had enough!" she barked, "stop trying to harm my husband!"

"i thought we were talking?" wei wuxian said haughtily.

"you're blinded, a-cheng." he growled. "you excuse things because you're married, but a husband isn't supposed to treat you like this. If he nearly forced you, it shouldn't be taken lightly - i won't take it lightly."

"you think i'm-" jiang cheng blurted out, outraged, red climbing on her cheeks, "-blinded?!"

"you keep your worries to yourself, you present a strong front - if you don't tell me, what am i supposed to think other than you're too scared or too shaken to speak the truth?"

wei wuxian had a point, but she was really fine, and to say such things in front of everyone-

"i-" she was blushing like a maiden, "i'm not scared!"

"are you?" wei wuxian goaded,

"i'm NOT!" her urge to prove herself rose again, and she clutched her hands into fists,

"did it ever occur to your thick skull that maybe- maybe i - i liked it?!"

wei wuxian frowned. "liked what?"

"w-what he was doing to me?!" she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. her shixiong's suspicious gaze never let up, and she braced herself.

"h-holding me down, un-undressing me - you FUCKING idiot-!" She screamed, the embarrassment too much to bear, and she lunged forward to punch him.

lan wangji twitched - "wei ying!" and she noticed his ears were red.

"why did you force me to say it, huh?!" she raged.

wei wuxian stared at her with wide grey eyes, as she yelled in his face, "i'm not as shameless as you!"

"but i heard you." he said, stunned. "you were telling him to stop-"

"i wanted him to wait! who wants to be - bedded right outside?!"

at wei wuxian's considering expression, she scoffed in disgust. "oh my god, i don't want to know."

"so you're saying that you'd actually let zewu-jun fuck you on the docks?!"

she could feel the heat of her face buried into her hands. "YES! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!"

wei wuxian made a weird noise, and she shot him a poisonous glare, instantly regretting having to witness the stupid, goggling look on his face. "w-well, meimei-"

"shut. the fuck. up." she ground out, raising her hand instinctively, and he flinched just as lan wangji moved.

"we should leave." lan wangji said, finally. it was the best thing she'd heard this entire couple of hours, having to be stuck here with them.

"aren't we waiting for zewu-jun to wake up-"

"no, i am. as his goddamn wife." she snarled. "get out. hanguang-jun, take this asshole."

without a word, lan wangji picked wei wuxian up like a sack of radishes as her idiot shixiong, still bound by zidian, spluttered and flailed. "you're not even going to let me go?!"

"no. you're too much of a menace unbound." she scoffed.

with the room blissfully silent, empty save for her and xichen, jiang cheng finally sighed and kneaded her temples, the energy and rage draining out of her as she sat next to her husband, silently observing his handsome, sleeping face.

xichen woke up in unfamiliar surroundings - still in lotus pier, as the purple draperies hung from the light brown bedframe suggested. he sat up from the bed he was lying on and immediately winced as a sharp pain laced through his head, hand flying to his temples as a rustle of

cloth signaled jiang cheng moving to his side.

"xichen, you're awake - are you alright? what happened?!" she near barked in worry at his crumpled expression, and he shook his head, but his head throbbed worse, the world trembling and his wife's face fading in and out of focus

when he painfully opened his eyes. "I-" he began, collecting himself, "headache-" he offered a single word, it was jiang cheng and he didn't have to be so concerned with appearance with her.

"a headache?" she said, "the immobilization talisman shouldn't have such effects,"

what? xichen thought, immobilization talisman?

"unless if - wait." she narrowed her eyes. "lan xichen, are you having a hangover?"

"is this what it is?" he murmured, this was awful, why would anyone drink alcohol if this happened next?

"this is your first time drinking wine,

isn't it?" she said, and he nodded, to her response of a sigh. "xichen....you had two cups. Two. Cups." jiang cheng said, extremely unimpressed voice fading as she moved about the room.

"i don't really have your experience or tolerance with alcohol, a-cheng," he bit out,

tone much more curt than he'd intended to, the pain truly affecting him.

he heard her giggle when she returned to him and pushed a cup into his hands, wrapping his fingers securely around it. "isn't gaining entertainment from my suffering rather cruel?" he said without thought,

and her giggle turned into a laugh. "it's cute seeing you like this, zewu-jun. now drink this water, it'll make you feel better."

he did as he was told, his surprisingly parched throat welcoming the cool water. "i'd have called for hangover tea if i'd known your tolerance was

this low." she said wryly. "but i should have known, you Are a lan..."

he looked at her, and jiang cheng had to laugh at the image of a hungover zewu-jun squinting displeased at her. his eyes soon refocused at the sight of her clothes, a different set from the one she had been

wearing earlier, "you changed your clothes," he remarked, before remembering precisely why-

-silk between his teeth, ripping, her belt tearing apart with the layers it held together from his grip-

jiang cheng watched his eyes widen and his cheeks flush red as realization struck

"oh heavens-" he choked out, "when i was drunk, i-"

she winced, sucking in air through her teeth in a hiss, "i take it you remember everything, then?"

forget how he'd jumped into the lake despite being unable to swim, he'd pinned her down, ripped her clothes, and

tried to ravish her right on the docks, outside in plain view of anyone who passed by. "I - I am so sorry." he stammered, staring into the pool of water in his cup, then looking away when he saw his own embarrassed face reflected in it. "truly, I deeply apologize, what I almost

did is unforgivable, there is nothing that can excuse this-"

his face flushed hot with shame. was this why gusu lan forbid alcohol, did they know what inebriation drove them to do, or was it just he who turned into such a degenerate once under the influence, disregarding his

wife's wishes and attempting to dishonour her in such a public manner?

jiang cheng sighed, and he couldn't bear to look at her, couldn't bear the loathing and disgust she must have on her expression, she had been so kind to him upon his awakening and restraining her reactions,

so far, but surely she must hate him now, for what he nearly did-

"not you too," she muttered, and he looked at her in surprise. she only looked exasperated. "do you know why you passed out?" she asked, "it's not because you were drunk, you know."

it hadn't occurred to him

until now. "why did i pass out?" he asked.

"wei wuxian saw you." she scoffed in irritation, "actually, your brother and jin guangyao did, too," and his eyes widened as red tinged her cheeks, "and my shixiong knocked you out with a talisman."

"i am so sorry," he blurted out again, for all of them to have seen her in that state of undress at his hands-! "b-but that was fortunate that they stopped me before - before I forced myself on you." xichen admitted to his almost-crime, disgusted at himself.

"no." jiang cheng snapped, and he looked at her in shock. "while i didn't want to be - bedded in public, i did not yell at wei wuxian for nearly an hour while trying to protect your unconscious self for you to think the same way!" she said firmly.

"protect?" he murmured.

"he basically wanted you to undergo a hearing." she said angrily. "nearly attacked you, while you couldn't even defend yourself."

"but he would have been within his rights to demand a court hearing," xichen murmured in shock, "after all, i nearly defiled you in the open-"

"No!" she said, louder and more insistently. "you were drunk, and wei wuxian jumped to conclusions,"

"drunkenness is no excuse," xichen continued to argue,

"we are not doing this again!" she declared,

"but i nearly violated you!"

"all those terms imply a lack of consent on one of the parties' behalf!" she retorted, "and that isn't what happened!"

he paused as the implication set in, before his blush deepened together with hers, his wife realizing what he now knew. "you mean-" xichen murmured, "you-"

"you were willing, back then? but i remember you telling me to stop-"

"i would have preferred somewhere more private," jiang cheng pushed on despite her fierce blush, "but if we hadn't been interrupted, y-yes."

if lan xichen, top of the list of bachelors for their generation,

who had married her, was willing to rip her clothes off and ravish her - even if everyone saw - would she really complain?

well, she absolutely would.

but, given that he was taken enough with her, of all people, to do that, would she be so against it?

Absolutely fucking not.

"i did offer, back then, didn't i?" she continued, fighting past her embarrassment at the captivated expression on her husband's face, and he straightened imperceptibly at it, brown eyes darting in interest to where her finger tugged against her collar, "and it hasn't changed."

there was a bed right here in this secluded guest room, and their faces were so close. xichen's gaze was on her and only her, and her eyes fluttered close as she leaned forward-

-only to be interrupted by an alarm.

"GOD DAMN IT!" she screamed. "WHAT THE FUCK IS IT NOW?!"

xichen jolted - at what, he didn't know, the sudden loud wailing from outside, or his wife's enraged shriek right into his ear.

the air was charged with an abrupt spike of spiritual energy and jiang cheng leapt to her feet, hand at Sandu's hilt. "if it's Wei Wuxian fault,"

she hissed, "I WILL kill him."

worry immediately started to eat at the edges of her fury as she stalked out of the room, because she recognized this energy signature as that of her own, from where she had channeled her own spiritual energy into binding and security talismans

to protect a specific extremely powerful artifact hidden a secret place of lotus pier. wei wuxian himself had promised never to try and touch it again, xichen was following behind her, and lan wangji had no reason to want it. the alarm would only activate if someone tried to

dispel the security measures around it, and the only person unaccounted for was-

it couldn't be, could it? she reserved her judgment until seeing it with her own eyes, now racing through the halls, anyone who wanted to get to the artifact would have to be extremely brazen and

extremely uncouth, for the chamber preyed on common propriety to be respectful of the dead, having been located next to the ancestral hall where the tablets of her parents stood.

wei wuxian and lan wangji were already there when she arrived, and her suspicions were confirmed.

"jin guangyao." she snarled, seeing her gold-robed brother-in-law trapped behind a spiritual shield of yunmeng jiang purple, shimmering at intervals to signal the binding spells working as intended. the metal receptacle holding the stygian tiger seal similarly shone the same

glowing purple, as the talismans were designed to lock it shut if anyone else but the designated people tried to open it.

"sect leader jiang," jin guangyao began with a confused smile, "forgive me, for i seem to have accidentally stumbled upon a-"

wei wuxian glared and lan wangji was a human block of ice. all the colour had drained out of xichen's face, and he was pale and stiff. jiang cheng bared her teeth. jin guangyao had the audacity to lie straight to their faces.

"the shields only activate when someone tries to

dispel the spiritual seals." she sneered, and wei wuxian wordlessly slid zidian back onto her finger, which began to spark. "so, jin guangyao, tell me again, what were you trying to do?"

he smiled helplessly. "please, you must understand, i was put up to this by my father-"