jin ling was probably a very sticky kid, the type to attach himself to your back or keep tugging on your hand until you pick him up. jiang cheng would be scolding his disciples for slacking off and have to stop midsentence because jin ling is looking up at him with pleading eyes.

jc: and i TOLD YOU, if you have a sword you SHOULD USE—
jl: jiujiuuuu
jc: [sighs, turns] what is it brat?
jl: up [grabby hands]
jc: ...
jc: [picks him up] oi, don't think i'll keep spoiling you!
jl: [curling up against him]
jc: oi— [glares] what are y'all looking at? SCRAM!

if you saw sect leader jiang walking around with a toddler sitting on his shoulders and pinching his cheeks... no, you didn't. look away. you also didn't see sect leader jiang letting his hair down so his nephew could braid it as he looked through his mail. it was an illusion.

i think jin ling wasn't only like that to jiang cheng though. he probably stuck like glue to jin guangyao, madam jin and qin su. he can't be blamed, though it's cute and something kids do, it's also a self-defense mechanism. he wants to make sure he won't lose anybody else.

i mean, think about it: his parents left home and never came back. he doesn't remember their moments, he was too young to retain these memories but he blames himself for not being careful enough. if was older, he wouldn't let his parents out of his sight and they'd still be here.

so he wants to be as close as possible to his loved ones, doing things such as climbing into jiujiu's bed when he's at lotus pier or going into town with auntie su, even demanding uncle yao carries him around as he takes care of his sect leader duties. he's protecting them

anyways, he eventually grows out of it. he stops crying when jiang cheng goes on night hunts or when jin guangyao has to often leave koi tower to advertise the observation towers. he learns he doesn't need to keep watch all the time because they won't leave him so prematurely.

(until madam jin, qin su and jin guangyao do)