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... Wei Wuxian could see things that normal people could not.No, he did not mean ghosts or spirits filled with so much resentful energy they might as well be the grim reaper themselves; any decent cultivator should be able to see them clear as day. He meant destiny. Cultivators often boast about ascending above mere mortals, possessing abilities to enhance strength, prolong life, and obtain their every desire. Yet, no matter how arrogant they may be, they still succumb to the laws of the heavens.Soulmates.Your maker and your ruin.A single spiderweb-thin thread that binds you to the one heaven dictated to be made for you, and in return you are for them. His parents were soulmates, and Wei Wuxian remembered distinctly playing with the string connecting them together with his then tiny fingers. His mother had laughed at him and asked what he was doing, playing with nothing, their curious little baby.Not everyone ends up finding their destined partners, many threads left unconnected hanging off their pinky fingers like a noose.But not him, because Wei Wuxian had found his one. It seemed that as someone who received special favouritism from the gods, he was bound to endure hardships. His parents died on a nighthunt, leaving him on the streets until he was picked up by a man dressed in fine robes, a spiritual sword around his waist, who introduced himself as Sect Leader Jiang of Yunmeng Jiang Sect and gave him a warm meal to eat—mostly because he was Wei Wuxian’s father’s old friend—before carrying the five year old Wei Wuxian to his new home—Lotus Pier.The young boy who ran up to Sect Leader Jiang was as beautiful as the dolls he recalled seeing being sold in the bustling markets while being carried on his father’s shoulders across the various towns and cities on their endless journey. Their unblinking eyes were large and round, the onyx beads gleamed in the sunlight, enchanting him with a single glance.“I want one,” he remembered bending over his father’s head to tell his mother walking alongside. To keep it for himself, as something precious.They had died before they could give one to him.The Jiang sect heir, whom Uncle Jiang told him was named Jiang Cheng, embodied the aesthetics that pleased his eyes—once again, he was enchanted.Even though he was trembling with fear from the puppies that yelped behind Jiang Cheng’s ankles, his gaze locked onto those clear blue eyes, deep like the sea he once saw in passing, carried in the arms of his father as his parents shot through the clouds on their spiritual swords.“You’re pretty! I’m going to marry you!” Wei Wuxian blurted out, his fingers a death grip around Uncle Jiang’s leg.The silence that followed was jarring but this time, Wei Wuxian had resolved himself to get what he wanted.Jiang Cheng was his fated one. Wei Wuxian found him, and he was never going to let him go.Despite the shock Uncle Jiang experienced from Wei Wuxian’s words, he recovered quickly and his vigilance uncovered Wei Wuxian’s fear of Jiang Cheng’s puppies. Keeping his expectations  as a leader, he very decidedly sent them away from Lotus Pier despite the cries of his young son as the boy could only watch in horror when the servants picked up his yapping puppies and walked away from them.Everything about Jiang Cheng was beautiful in Wei Wuxian’s eyes; even his tears were beautiful, the moonlight reflected within them, falling like pearls down his cheeks. Uncle Jiang was unfazed, pushing Wei Wuxian towards his son. “A-Cheng, this is your shīxiōng, he’s going to live with us now.”“Shīdì!” Wei Wuxian reacted, eager to approach this beautiful boy, braver now that his terrors were far, far away and out of sight. “Who is your shīdì?! I don’t want you here! Give me back my puppies!”Wei Wuxian was pushed back by a fling of his arm and Uncle Jiang immediately jumped in to berate him. “That’s no way to treat someone, I taught you better than this, Jiang Cheng!”Bottom lip quivering, Jiang Cheng took tiny steps backwards, shaking his head before hightailing out of there, carrying Wei Wuxian’s heart away with him. Wei Wuxian watched as Jiang Cheng disappeared out of sight, then twisted his head around to look at Uncle Jiang. Uncle Jiang smiled down kindly at him, erased from his expression was the irritation aimed at his own son, Wei Wuxian rubbed his nose at the observation. “Come, A-Ying, I’ll introduce you to my daughter and my wife. My daughter is sweet and gentle, she’ll be a lovely older sister for you–”Wei Wuxian followed him, his smaller hand held in Uncle Jiang’s, but his head kept turning back, in the direction where the young sect heir left. He wanted to see him. - Their second encounter was eventful. Wei Wuxian was told to sleep with Jiang Cheng to build bonds by Uncle Jiang himself but the aggrieved Jiang Cheng was unable to accept the interloper who caused his dogs to disappear from his life into his space, and tossed Wei Wuxian out of the room along with his pillow and beddings.It wasn’t until Jiang Cheng’s tofu heart brought him out of the safety of his bedroom in search of Wei Wuxian, a hole, some scrapes and bruises, and a lifelong promise, that he accepted Wei Wuxian as his new senior brother—a presence he would like to have by his side forever.A friend. However, Wei Wuxian was not satisfied with that.“Shīdì,” Wei Wuxian said later, crawling into Jiang Cheng’s bed after his sweet, gentle shījiě retreated back to her own quarters. “You promised? To keep all dogs away from me?”Jiang Cheng had rolled onto his side, and given him an adorable nose wrinkle, because Wei Wuxian was stealing his covers and bringing the cold air into his warm cocoon. “Why are you coming over here–hey! Stop that, it’s cold!” When Wei Wuxian did not listen to his demands and successfully infiltrated the other’s bed, Jiang Cheng pouted indignantly and replied, “I don’t break my promises! So you can’t either.”Wei Wuxian nodded enthusiastically, huddling closer to the smaller body. “A-Cheng, A-Cheng, shīxiōng will tell you a secret!”“...what?”“Do you know what soulmates are?”“Isn’t that just a fairy tale?”“That’s what everyone thinks, but listen, shīxiōng’s secret is that he can see the link between soulmates. And A-Cheng, do you want to know more?”Jiang Cheng jumped onto his hands and knees, the covers falling over the curve of his back as he leaned towards Wei Wuxian with curious, and excited eyes. Jiang Cheng was always a gullible child, and even back then, it seemed that Wei Wuxian knowingly took full advantage of it. Wei Wuxian looked up at the young boy’s long eyelashes, dark in the dimmed room, his shoulder length hair framing the sides of his face, making his shīdì look akin to the beautiful dressed-up dolls he craved for but his parents failed to give to him. He held his right pinky in the space between their bodies and urged Jiang Cheng to do the same. Wei Wuxian remembered the way their pinkies laid next to each other, side by side, and the sweet lies that escaped his mouth.The first across the years to come.“Here, shīdì. We are connected here. You’re my soulmate, my destiny, my future. We will never be apart. I’m going to marry you in the future.”“Marriage? Like A-Niáng and A-Diē?”“Yes, because we’re soulmates, and soulmates are lovers bestowed by the heavens. Our bond is special, just for us two. Do you trust me?”And Jiang Cheng, the sweet lovely child, so easily fooled, with his eyes full of stars, eagerly nodded– yes . - They became inseparable since, where Jiang Cheng went, Wei Wuxian would follow, and vice versa. Madam Yu called them ‘ her little rascals’ because Wei Wuxian often dragged Jiang Cheng into various pranks and enticed him to skip lessons to sunbathe on the docks and walk through the markets. They would get into trouble when they got caught sneaking back into their shared rooms by Madam Yu, her hands on her hips and Zǐdiàn buzzing on her finger, enduring their punishments together. Wei Wuxian often shamelessly called Jiang Cheng his wife, despite the way Jiang Cheng vehemently refused that he was the wife and that Wei Wuxian was the wife in this relationship, in front of all their martial siblings. No one truly believed them, thinking that it was nothing more than children and their make-believe family games, but Wei Wuxian didn’t let it faze him. They were ten years old when Wei Wuxian stole Jiang Cheng’s first kiss underneath the docks, hidden from shījiě’s line of sight in the pavilion where she drank her afternoon tea and embroidered a handkerchief, supervising them in the lake from a distance. It was only a peck on the lips, so quick that one could miss it if they blinked, but it was electrifying. “Why did you do that?” Jiang Cheng asked him quietly, pressing his fingers against his own lips. Wei Wuxian gently brushed the wet strands of hair away from Jiang Cheng’s face and said, “We’re soulmates, right?”“Oh.”Wei Wuxian bit on his bottom lip and wondered if Jiang Cheng was going to reject him—an absurd thought, because they were soulmates, right?“Once more.”Wei Wuxian was startled out of his thoughts and looked at Jiang Cheng with wide eyes. Jiang Cheng raised his chin in defiance, his cheeks a dusty red, as though issuing a challenge. “You can’t do it?”Wei Wuxian shook his head, water flying from his wet locks. Never to back down from a challenge, Wei Wuxian squeezed his eyes shut and swooped in for another kiss. The second one. Yet, still so beautiful.He never doubted that it always would be. Every night when he stole his way underneath Jiang Cheng’s blanket in their shared room, he would pluck at the two ends of their strings and hoped to wake up to find it connected as his heart desired.It never did. - Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu were not soulmates. He told Jiang Cheng otherwise. Because Jiang Cheng believed every word he said, and he knew this would make Jiang Cheng happy.He should have known that Jiang Cheng would bring it up to Madam Yu, after a fairly disastrous argument she had with Uncle Jiang. His shīdì always wanted to cheer his beloved mother up, even if they never quite worked, and he would be sentenced to an extra shichen of training that day in the words: if you have so much time to be wasting here, go and practise your sword forms more! If there was one place where one would find Jiang Cheng without his hanging ornament, Wei Wuxian, it would be in Madam Yu’s quarters. It wasn’t that Wei Wuxian was banned per say, he was allowed in every other private Jiang family area around Lotus Pier, but he felt that it would be for the better if he stayed out of Madam Yu’s private space. It just seemed intrusive . So Wei Wuxian entertained himself by playing with a blossoming lotus flower that he broke off the stem, his legs swinging over the docks, letting his toes brush against the cool surface of the water when Jiang Cheng came to a stop behind him.Wei Wuxian turned around with a smile, only to see a solemn shīdì and instantly his expression changed, face darkening as his emotions started to flare up.“Who angered you?” he asked, jumping onto his feet. Wei Wuxian threw the lotus flower into the lake, ignoring how it bobbed on the surface, creating ripples in the water, before it was dragged into the depths by a curious koi. Immediately, he reached out to hold Jiang Cheng’s hands in his own, rubbing his thumb on the back of his palms in an act of comfort.His golden core ran warm in his belly, formed not more than a few days ago, and Wei Wuxian swore that he would use this power to kill anyone who would make his precious shīdì sad.They were soulmates after all.Hurting Jiang Cheng was to hurt Wei Wuxian himself.“Wei Wuxian.”“Jiang Cheng?”The hands in his trembled minutely, almost unnoticeable but Wei Wuxian always had his eyes locked on Jiang Cheng. He noticed. He always did, always will. He squeezed them in response and waited. Wei Wuxian wasn’t a patient person, but exceptions were always made for Jiang Cheng. “You’ll never lie to me?”“Of course not!”“Then why did Niáng tell me that soulmates don’t exist?”Wei Wuxian’s breath stopped for a moment. His first thought was that he was found out. The relief that came over him when his lies were still truths in Jiang Cheng’s heart was so immense his legs quaked. He cracked a crooked smile and swayed in front of Jiang Cheng, trying to cheer him up. “Stupid-d-d, didn’t I tell you that only I can see them? How would Madam Yu know about soulmates? Adults don’t believe in them, but Jiang Cheng, shīxiōng can see the threads with his own eyes!”When Jiang Cheng failed to respond to his coaxing, he added, “Do you trust me?”And Jiang Cheng, ever since they met and bonded over lost family and friends (or deadly monsters to Wei Wuxian), looked at him with eyes filled with stars and nodded— yes . - Wei Wuxian rested his chin on the back of his palms as he sprawled half-body on the stone tabletop by the training ground. Flickers of red float by his vision. He was oddly fascinated by one particular thread that twisted and turned in the air as its owners—a strong shīxiōng-shīmèi duo on the battlefield—performed a dance with their swords. There was a tension in the middle however, where one could trace to the tip of Wei Wuxian’s fingers, a spider-web thin thread between the slender digits. The younger disciples sprawled out on the ground, with no care for the way the dirt would stick onto their uniforms to the chagrin of the cleaning ladies, took sides and cheered loudly for the ones they betted on. In the midst of the rowdy atmosphere, Wei Wuxian was an anomaly with his unusually grave expression. Méng-shīdì prodded Wei Wuxian’s leg with his shoe. “Shīxiōng, what’s got you so down? Lǐ-shījiě is winning!”Upon getting no response, Méng-shīdì kicked his feet with greater force.“What are you doing?” Huā-shīmèi asked, when Méng-shīdì’s actions caught her attention. “Why are you messing with Wei-shīgē?”“He’s not paying attention! Don’t you think he’s being weird? Is it because Jiang-shīxiōng isn’t here?”Huā-shīmèi stretched her neck to survey the surroundings. “You’re right, where is Jiang-shīgē?”“He was called away by Madam Yu,” another disciple laying spread-eagle on the ground piped up. “Lǐ-shījiě! Kick his ass!”“Shut up! Zhōu-shīxiōng will turn this around, don’t get cocky!”Wei Wuxian was unaware of his juniors’ conversations, blocking them off as nothing more than background chatter, like birds in a quiet forest. The thread between his fingers struggled against his hold, like a butterfly caught by the wings, but never hindered the movements of those connected to it. Maybe there wasn’t enough distance. Wei Wuxian stood up suddenly, nearly tripping over the outstretched leg of Méng-shīdì who exclaimed when Wei Wuxian accidentally stepped on his heel. “That’s dangerous.”“ You’re the one that wasn't paying attention!”“Whatever.” Wei Wuxian left, hand on his hip while the other appeared to be holding something gingerly. Méng-shīdì squinted at his retreating back, muttering, “What’s his problem?”Wei Wuxian walked steadily towards the other end of Lotus Pier, still dragging the spider-web thin thread between his fingers. His eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper with each step, until even the servants who usually greeted him with a smile avoided his path. He supposed he appeared terrifying but right now he had bigger issues to think about. When he reached the docks overlooking the prosperous town of Yunmeng, where the boatmen rested on their small boats during their breaks from ferrying disciples and other important guests to and fro Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian glared down at the red thread and snorted, flicking it away with a snap of his fingers. The thread zapped away like the electric energy of Zǐdiàn, disappearing from sight in an instant. “Xiǎo-Wei!” Uncle Wang, the boatman who often ferried Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng when they were younger, called out. “What have you got there?”He had a friendly face, and was easy-going in nature. The middle-aged man did not have any children of his own so he loved to play with the younger disciples at Lotus Pier, overseeing them like a proud father whenever he ferried them on his boat. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had formed a good relationship with him, though now they no longer required his services as often after learning sword flight.Wei Wuxian waved back in response. “Nothing, just some dust. Nothing of importance.”Later that day, Jiang Cheng found him in their shared bedroom, sharpening Suíbiàn with the whetstone gifted by Uncle Jiang when they were bestowed their spiritual swords. Jiang Cheng took a step in and shut the double doors behind him, his eyebrow cocked upwards at the rare scene. “Are the pigs flying today?” Jiang Cheng joked bemusedly, as he approached Wei Wuxian sitting on the floor at the edge of his bed. “Méng-shīdì was complaining to me earlier about how you were bullying him, what did you do? Put another frog in his outer robes?” A pause. “What’s with that expression?”Wei Wuxian looked away from the glint of Suíbiàn’s sharp edge and straight at the taunting thread hanging off Jiang Cheng’s finger. It was not yet connected, he still had hope, but the wait was excruciatingly painful. He raked his eyes up Jiang Cheng’s body and saw the worried look on his face. Wei Wuxian’s lips parted unconsciously and he cracked a smile. His bluff didn’t soothe Jiang Cheng at all, but rather the opposite when Jiang Cheng’s frown deepened, and his face contorted with concern.“Do you—do you want extra pork ribs? A-Jiě’s making lotus root pork ribs soup tonight. I’ll give you my share. Don’t—don’t look like that.”Wei Wuxian couldn’t help the choking laughter that escaped his throat. Ah, A-Cheng, his precious shīdì. He carefully sheathed Suíbiàn and jumped onto his feet. Slinging an arm around Jiang Cheng’s shoulders, he exclaimed, “You said so! Don’t go back on your promise!”“Wei Wuxian, you—!” Jiang Cheng struck his elbow into Wei Wuxian’s gut.“Jiang Cheng! Why are you killing your husband?!”“What husband?” Jiang Cheng scoffed.Wei Wuxian faked some crocodile tears and sniffed, hiding his eyes behind his palms, subtly trying to adjust his expressions so that he would only show the good sides of himself in front of Jiang Cheng.“I’m telling shījiě you’re bullying me,” Wei Wuxian teased, sticking out his tongue like an immature kid. “Then she’ll give me a double portion of pork ribs, including yours!”“Wei Wuxian!”“Catch me if you can!”The next morning, Wei Wuxian had Méng-shīdì in a chokehold while grinding his knuckles on the top of his head, ribbing the younger about exaggerating his words to Jiang Cheng the day before. Throughout the process, he kept an eye on the sole pair of soulmates amongst the current batch of Yunmeng Jiang disciples, waiting for an opportunity. Wei Wuxian had ensured that Suíbiàn was razor-sharp, slicing his finger upon the softest touch.Yet, when he swung Suíbiàn through the air during practice, situating himself conveniently between Lǐ-shījiě and Zhōu-shīxiōng, the thread remained intact.Wei Wuxian huffed. Well, he hadn’t tried using a fire talisman yet. - Jiang Cheng’s thread formed a connection on their first day of classes at Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian remembered as the dangling red string that had caught his heart in a vice grip swayed with the gentle morning breeze that flowed through the opened windows of the classroom—it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, a small thing like that seemingly affected by the environments around it yet no one but Wei Wuxian was able to witness it, until it slowly started to grow in length, heading towards his direction. Wei Wuxian remembered the feeling of rigid wood underneath his palms as he leant forwards in anticipation. Was the heavens finally about to grant his purest wish?Except Jiang Cheng’s string slithered past his ear, a snake’s whisper laughing at his own delusions, towards an unfortunately familiar figure clothed in white and the light shades of Gusu Lan blue. The second Jade of Gusu Lan. Lan Wangji.Wei Wuxian’s jaw dropped as he was the sole witness of a catastrophic event , as the two ends of the string met in the middle, performing a dance in mid-air before coming together seamlessly as though they were never two separate pieces before. His hand curled into fists as he shook on the spot with fury, eyes blazing with fiery resentment at the man who stole his wine, his food, and now his shīdì, his destined one. Lan Wangji faced him with a gaze so cold, both contrasting temperatures of their silent battle clashed in metaphorical steam in the middle. “—xian!”Wei Wuxian jerked back to the living at the irate hisses of his name. Jiang Cheng looked mad, glaring at him over his shoulder and Wei Wuxian guessed that he must have been trying to get his attention for a while now. “Sorry, you were saying?” He quickly tried to avert his gaze, hiding his face behind his sleeve. He mustn’t allow Jiang Cheng to see the fury and jealousy on his face. It was unbecoming. He had to control it. He mustn’t let Jiang Cheng notice anything amiss, lest he start questioning and unravelling all of Wei Wuxian’s lies.“Not important.” There was an edge to Jiang Cheng’s tone that Wei Wuxian had never heard before. “Go stare at the person you made an enemy of last night and fuck off.”It took him a few moments to process the words, the intent falling over him like a calm breeze. “Wait—Jiang Cheng, are you—“ Wei Wuxian scrambled onto his knees and leant his upper body over the surface of the table to peer up at the side of Jiang Cheng’s sullen face. “— jealous ?”“ No.” Wei Wuxian smiled widely, poking at the sides of Jiang Cheng’s waist aiming for the spot where he knew the other was ticklish. “You are !”He was glad. Glad that Jiang Cheng didn’t seem to have noticed the newfound connection between him and Lan Wangji. That the destiny given to him by the gods was a lie. On the other hand, he was aggrieved. Why did the heavens choose to spite him? Clearly he had Jiang Cheng’s heart and Jiang Cheng had his, so why were they robbed by fate?“Knock it off!” Jiang Cheng hissed at him, his eyes widening when Lan Qiren walked through the front doors. “Who dares to be so unruly…Yunmeng Jiang,” Lan Qiren’s voice boomed from the front of the classroom. Jiang Cheng cursed, spitting out a long string of vulgarities that he had to have learnt from the travelling merchants who traded at Yunmeng’s bustling port, at Wei Wuxian under his breath and stood up stiffly. Wei Wuxian followed suit at a slower pace, his narrowed eyes shooting daggers at the red connection between his Chengcheng and that stupid stone-faced Lan Wangji. “Yunmeng Jiang, Jiang Wanyin, greets Grandmaster Lan.”“Yunmeng Jiang, Wei Wuxian, greets Grandmaster Lan.”Lan Qiren assessed them critically for a time, long enough for the Lan disciple carrying a large stack of books behind him to fidget in place. Wei Wuxian felt that Gusu Lan Sect had a grudge against him personally. First, Lan Wangji. Second, Lan Wangji. Third, Lan Wangji.It all boiled down to a singular person. Fuck.He wondered if Madam Yu would hear of this, he wondered if Jiang Cheng was worried about whether Madam Yu would hear of them being disciplined on the first day. He could see the golden peacock smirking at them from the corner of his eye and he suppressed a growl. “Young master Wei, any other opinions?”“Huh?”Wei Wuxian could hear Jiang Cheng audibly groan in front of him. “No, Grandmaster Lan.”“Then why are you still standing?”Wei Wuxian clamped his mouth shut and dropped to the floor. When Lan Qiren turned his back to the class, Jiang Cheng flicked a few hand signs, their own private code they came up with, which Wei Wuxian read to be ‘you are an idiot’ . Wei Wuxian quietly used the back of his brush to tap a reply on the surface of the table: yes, yes, an idiot for you .The sky was blue, the air was still, fate was revealed and Jiang Cheng’s ears were red. - Out of propriety’s sake, Jiang Cheng behaved as though he was actually angry with him—the cold shoulder he gave him stung when Wei Wuxian tip-toed into his bed and bugged and whined at him to no avail. But when Wei Wuxian was dying from boredom in the library with the fuddy-duddy Lan Wangji overseeing him like a hawk, Jiang Cheng popped up at the window where Wei Wuxian sat with a handful of big, ripe and juicy grapes. “Jiang Cheng!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, the light in his eyes returning upon seeing the person his heart called for. “Lower your voice, for fuck’s sake. Do you want to get the attention of the entire Cloud Recesses?” Wei Wuxian saw from the corner of his eye the swishing of white robes and angled his body, positioning himself so that Jiang Cheng was hidden from sight. Even though neither of them showed any signs of mutual affection after that happened, Wei Wuxian would rather be cautious than lose it all. “What do you want?” he questioned Lan Wangji, who stood by the corner of the long library table he conquered like a spectre. “Your uncle didn’t forbid me from interacting with my friends.”“…”Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes at the silent teen and turned towards Jiang Cheng with a bright smile. “Are you here to save me from this hell?”“What did Lan Wangji want from you? I couldn’t see a thing,” Jiang Cheng said, the corners of his lips bending down into a small frown. “Grandmaster Lan gave us the day off. I bought some grapes for you at Caiyi town, it’s sweet. Here—““Ah,” Wei Wuxian opened his mouth wide, leaning closer towards the window pane. “Are you crazy? You have hands!”“But I want you to feed me!”“ Here ?” Jiang Cheng hissed, looking left and right. “Isn’t Lan Wangji right there with you?”Wei Wuxian peeked out of the corner of his eyes and saw that Lan Wangji had retreated back to his seat on the other end of the library, but a more analytical glance, and he caught the other sneaking looks at them like they were shadow puppets on a festival night’s show. “Don’t mind him. He’s not paying attention,” Wei Wuxian lied breezily. “Chengcheng, please? My hands hurt from copying.”“You’re lucky I like you,” Jiang Cheng grumbled before stretching his hand through the window and popping a grape into his mouth. Wei Wuxian caught Jiang Cheng’s wrist before he could withdraw, holding his arm still so that he could close his lips around his fingers. Jiang Cheng’s pupils dilated ever so slightly when Wei Wuxian gave it a little cheeky, and entirely unnecessary suck, before biting down, leaving faint bite marks that would vanish in seconds.Jiang Cheng quickly pulled his hand back and wiped it against his outer robes. Wei Wuxian would feel dejected if it weren’t for the faint blush on his fair face. “What are you, a dog ?”Wei Wuxian shivered at the mention of that creature, choosing to instead bite down on the grape that was resting in the sides of his mouth, letting it burst as he exclaimed, “How could you say that?”“Maybe if you stop acting like one–”“You’re mean, stop being mean to me!”“Shameless!”At the sound of a third voice, the two quickly fell into silence and Jiang Cheng ducked underneath the window. Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes and followed the thread across the table towards Lan Wangji. “What do you mean shameless? What, have we broken another one of your precious rules?” Wei Wuxian stood, spreading his arms out in front of him. “I don’t remember copying a particular rule that says one cannot have fun with their shīdì, right? Oh wait —having fun is forbidden in Cloud Recesses, I see I see—“Lan Wangji’s expression remained impassive even though it was obvious that Wei Wuxian’s words and mocking manner of speech was getting under his skin. Truly a fine piece of jade. “Wei Wuxian, what are you doing? Are you mental?” Jiang Cheng hissed furiously from outside. Wei Wuxian is almost certain that if it wasn’t for the fact that they were in another sect, his scalp would be aching from Jiang Cheng pulling on the length of his ponytail like he usually did back home whenever Wei Wuxian annoyed him to death. “Stop arguing with Lan Wangji, do you want his attention so badly?!”Wei Wuxian stalked up in front of the second Jade, enjoying the fury in those grey eyes. He purposely trampled on the bullshit thread of fate underneath the sole of his foot like it was a bug as he glared back at the Lan. “So, what are you going to do about it? Discipline me?”Lan Wangji opened his mouth. Wei Wuxian lifted an eyebrow as he waited—why the hell was this fuddy-duddy so slow at speaking his mind anyway—until a grape pelted him at the back of the head. Wei Wuxian flew forward from the momentum—honestly, a qi-infused grape? And would have surely flattened his nose on Lan Wangji’s chest if it weren’t for the quick reflexes of the other who shoved him back so hard Wei Wuxian’s waist nearly broke from the impact of slamming into the edge of the table. That goddamn famous Lan arm strength! Wei Wuxian wheezed, rubbing the back of his waist. He turned towards the window to complain but Jiang Cheng vanished without a trace. Wei Wuxian turned back to release his anger onto Lan Wangji only to find the other also gone without a sound. He looked onto the ground and saw the red thread moving underneath his feet, as its owners retreated in opposite directions. “This is all your fault, you know that?”Of course, there was nothing that could reply to him.“What an idiot I am, talking to you.” Wei Wuxian sighed. He gave the thread a couple more stomps, as though his frustration and petty actions would erode it and free him from this living hell, before it zapped through the walls of the library—to which he never did figure out the physics behind it—away from his abuse. He eventually found Jiang Cheng tucked away underneath the large, overhanging tree near their dormitory. The thread seemed to sense his presence and vibrated, moving away from him. Funny little thing. Wei Wuxian ignored it, creeping up close towards Jiang Cheng and siddling by his side. “A-Cheng! Why did you run away? Mean, you left me in the hands of that boring guy!”“Didn’t you come out? You look fine to me,” Jiang Cheng turned his head but didn’t stop Wei Wuxian from side-hugging him. “I don’t understand why you always feel the need to antagonise him.”“Me? Fine ?” Wei Wuxian moaned. “Because of your grape, Lan Wangji pushed me into the table and I hurt my waist. Look—“ he spun around and tried to peer into his robes over his shoulder, “—is my back bruised?”Jiang Cheng furrowed his eyebrows and gingerly touched Wei Wuxian’s waist. “He pushed you?” He battled Wei Wuxian’s hands away from where they were pulling on the top of his outer robes, saving them from public indecency which would be an absolute crime in Cloud Recesses, and followed through with doing what would be a kind of crime in Cloud Recesses by peering down his collar to check Wei Wuxian’s bare skin. “It doesn’t look red…but I have some salve in the room…”“Is Chengcheng going to treat me?”Jiang Cheng slapped him at the base of his neck and stepped back. “Fuck you, do it yourself.”“But it’s your fault.”“You started the fight!”“But it was your grape that caused this. Take responsibility!”“Oh boo hoo, your skull is thick enough to save you from permanent damage—oh wait, if only there’s anything to damage.”“Your shīxiōng is a genius of geniuses! Jiang Cheng take that back!” Wei Wuxian chased after his errant shīdì into their dormitory. “Stop yelling.” Jiang Cheng tossed the container of salve towards Wei Wuxian as he entered the door. Luckily he didn’t fumble with it thanks to his quick reflexes. “You’re going to summon Lan Wangji. How did you get out of the library? I thought you were supposed to be there till nightfall?”“It’ll be fine, that little bore left first.” Wei Wuxian shrugged off his outer robes whilst Jiang Cheng leaned against the small table at the side of the room, watching him with his arms crossed over his chest. Wei Wuxian gave him an eyebrow waggle when he peeled away the top of his inner robes and chuckled when Jiang Cheng turned his head to the side. “It’s not my fault if he decided to leave me unsupervised. He’s not going to snitch on me when it was his fault.”“Somehow I doubt that.”“Don’t be a downer! Mm, A-Cheng, can you help me here–yea, this part, I can’t reach it– ow! Why are you being so rough?”“Aren’t you a big boy? Suck it up.”Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes and covered himself up once they were done. “Come on, let’s not waste the rest of the day. Let’s play sword-tag? Nie Huaisang should be out there somewhere.” Wei Wuxian stopped. “…he can do sword flight right?”Jiang Cheng made a troubled face. “No matter how bad he says he is…he should be able to accomplish that.”It turned out. Nie Huaisang couldn’t, but Jin Zixuan could.Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng made sure to show that golden peacock just who the Yunmeng Shuangjie were.  - “Are you kidding me?!” Wei Wuxian jabbed a finger at Lan Wangji, who was sitting primly at his table inside the library, copying a stack of sect rules. “What is wrong with you?”“Shouting is forbidden in the library.”This. This snitch !  - Sometimes Wei Wuxian startles awake with a silent shout in the middle of the night, cold sweat  drenching over his body. In his dreams, Jiang Cheng slips through the gaps of his fingers and is seen with his hands linked with another as the world cheered them on and all Wei Wuxian could do was sink into the depths of the abyss watching the one he loved the most leave him to rot in despair.“Mm…” Jiang Cheng made a sound through closed lips. Wei Wuxien tensed, holding himself still, hoping to avoid waking him up. But Jiang Cheng was always a light-sleeper, and soon, long eyelashes fluttered open to reveal sleepy blue eyes. “Wei…Wuxian?”“Go back to sleep, A-Cheng.”“You’re sweating.” Jiang Cheng shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “Again? Is it the same one?”“…yes.”“The one you won’t tell me about?” Jiang Cheng asked, a tinge of hurt in his voice. Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around him and held him tight.“It’s nothing, it’s stupid. I—I’m ashamed.”Jiang Cheng tried to nudge him away after his reply but Wei Wuxian rolled on top of him, pinning him into the mattress. “What do you want?”“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian whispered, tracing the lines of his shīdì’s face with his eyes. “You’re heavy.”“Jiang Cheng, A-Cheng, I love you. I love you so much.” Don’t leave me. He buried his face in the crook of Jiang Cheng’s neck, breathing in the clean scent of lotus flowers, the scent clinging to the strands from the hair oil that he preferred. He felt Jiang Cheng pat him lightly on the back, comforting him. They didn’t speak, just soft breaths in the dark. After a while, Wei Wuxian lifted his head, though he mourned the momentary loss of the calming scent of home, and gazed into the stars reflected within his shīdì’s lovely eyes. They were always of the same mind, despite their vast contrast in personalities, and they came together in an instant, sharing soft kisses while wrapped in each other’s embrace, the blanket tangled between their limbs.“Jiang Cheng, can I?”They were dressed in light clothes, and with Wei Wuxian’s naturally warmer body, he was heating up their bed, his fingers hesitating at the folds of Jiang Cheng’s sleeping robes. Jiang Cheng didn’t reply verbally, instead, curled his own fingers around Wei Wuxian’s and helped him to nudge open his robes. Wei Wuxian was met with a wide span of soft, pearly skin and he dove straight for it. His palm roamed around the expanse of naked skin and he gave access for Jiang Cheng to remove his robes as well, until both of their upper bodies were bare. Wei Wuxian rubbed a thumb against a perky bud, his lips swallowing a timid moan from Jiang Cheng. Their bodies slowly heated up from their actions, and Wei Wuxian felt a rush of fiery desire in his lower region. He released Jiang Cheng’s mouth, and latched his lips against his shīdì’s nape, sucking on the flesh. They’d done this before, back home, in Lotus Pier—marked each other in areas unseen. Wei Wuxian always held pride that Jiang Cheng adorned a symbol of his possession those days after and vice versa.Soulmates, Jiang Cheng believed. Gods , how Wei Wuxian wanted it to be true. That Jiang Cheng was his and only his .He recalled his nightmare and the inevitable separation from Jiang Cheng and accidentally bit down on the skin a little too hard, earning himself a groan and a fist to the back. “Sorry,” he murmured, lapping at the blood that was seeping through the broken skin. Jiang Cheng moved underneath him and brushed against his half-hard dick with his thigh. “Are you a monster ? Are you trying to eat me?” Jiang Cheng grumbled, even in this situation. Wei Wuxian kissed the abused skin before he was yanked backwards by the roots of his hair and Jiang Cheng commenced his revenge, biting down on the base of Wei Wuxian’s neck. “Pot. Kettle.”“It’s only fair,” Jiang Cheng replied haughtily, falling back onto the mattress, admiring his work. Wei Wuxian pushed himself up to hover above his shīdì with his palms on both sides of Jiang Cheng’s head. His hips jerked forwards out of instinct to get the desired friction and they both tensed up when their sensitive areas came into contact through the thin layer of fabric.“We should sleep,” Jiang Cheng whispered, their hearts beating faster than Zǐdiàn whipping through the air. Wei Wuxian nodded stiffly. He moved to lay on his side and reached out to help Jiang Cheng fix his robes. When they were more appropriately dressed once more, they stared into each other’s eyes, their breaths mingling together as they tried to calm down.Wei Wuxian’s arm rested on the dip of Jiang Cheng’s waist, fingers splayed over the small of his back, and they tangled their legs together. He hadn’t relieved the heat in his lower regions and being in such close proximity with the one he loved did nothing to soothe it. It appeared that Jiang Cheng felt the same because there was a shy and inquiring touch on his stomach. Wei Wuxian swallowed, and gave Jiang Cheng access to slip his hand back underneath his robes, cool fingers roaming around the toned muscles of his abdomen. Wei Wuxian wondered if Jiang Cheng could feel the pounding of his heart from where he touched.“A-Cheng.”They never once broke eye contact. Even as Jiang Cheng’s hand slowly started to trace its way down towards the base of his hips, down to the throbbing heat of his cock. Wei Wuxian quickly gripped Jiang Cheng’s wrist when his fingers brushed against the tip, stopping him from moving further. They had never done this before.“A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian repeated. He searched Jiang Cheng’s face until he saw the look of determination in his eyes. Wei Wuxian bit his bottom lip and released his grip, granting Jiang Cheng freedom. His arm fell back onto the dip of Jiang Cheng’s waist and his breath hitched when Jiang Cheng curled his fingers around his shaft. The damned red thread of fate hanging from Jiang Cheng’s pinky tickled his skin, snaking out of Wei Wuxian’s robes and trailing from in between their bodies away from them. Wei Wuxian hated it. But he told himself that Jiang Cheng was here , beside him—Wei Wuxian—and not the one fate dictated. Wasn’t that enough?  No , the shadows of his nightmares taunted. Jiang Cheng gripped him firmly, and started to move his hand up and down, drawing out small groans from Wei Wuxian, who had never had anyone else but his own hand touch him like this before. “Jiang Cheng.” Wei Wuxian did not know what else to say, two sides of his mind warred until his brain decided to shut itself down and he could only react . Jiang Cheng had a determined expression, and his movements became bolder, his hand finding the base of Wei Wuxian’s dick, brushing against his balls. Wei Wuxian’s body trembled as he gripped onto Jiang Cheng. Not one to let himself take without giving back, Wei Wuxian also snuck his hand into Jiang Cheng’s robes and it wasn’t long before they were rubbing each other off, keeping to the same rhythm. Wei Wuxian shuffled closer, until there was barely any space for them to move their hands without bumping against each other. Their breaths mingled into one, still locked within each other’s gaze, and Wei Wuxian leaned in, sucking on Jiang Cheng’s bottom lip, until they were kissing once more. Jiang Cheng moaned into his mouth when Wei Wuxian twisted his hand and thumbed the leaking tip. Jiang Cheng’s hand lost rhythm and Wei Wuxian thrusted his own hips into the hollow of Jiang Cheng’s fist to match the pace of his hand on Jiang Cheng’s cock. Jiang Cheng tried to escape, his body trembling and twisting when he got close, his free hand slapping against Wei Wuxian’s chest but Wei Wuxian did not relent, his kisses growing in ferocity until they were both drowning in just feeling . Jiang Cheng came first, his body locking up as spurts of cum splattered onto his robes and into Wei Wuxian’s palm. Wei Wuxian released his lips to give him time to catch his breath and buried his nose into his hair, the scent of lotus flowers sending him back to their shared room in Lotus Pier, where all of their happiest memories existed. Jiang Cheng’s hand had become slack but Wei Wuxian didn’t care, rutting like a beast against him, until he too, reached his completion. He came with a groan of Jiang Cheng’s name, his hips jerking with every spurt, until they both lay dirty but finally sated in the quiet night. Seeing that there was no salvation for their robes—they’d need a thorough wash after this—Wei Wuxian carelessly wiped their hands against his robe and intertwined their fingers, thumbing at the base of Jiang Cheng’s red thread that slithered out of the doors of their dormitory.Towards someone undeserving of Jiang Cheng’s love.“What was that?”Jiang Cheng’s breaths had slowed down, though his fingertips were still hot from their previous actions. His voice was hoarse when he replied matter of factly, “You couldn’t sleep.”A comforting sensation enveloped Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng shut his eyes, pretending to be exhausted and that he had slipped into the realm of dreams. Wei Wuxian laughed freely, touched by Jiang Cheng’s affections, and wrapped his limbs around his duplicitous shīdì’s body. At that moment, he felt strong—strong enough to look away from the physical reminder that Jiang Cheng wasn’t his by fate.“Thank you, A-Cheng.” - Wei Wuxian sprawled over the table, across the scroll he was supposed to copy the rules of Gusu Lan on, as he waited for time to pass. The door to the library opened with only a small squeak but Wei Wuxian jumped up, his face turning towards the young man entering like a sunflower to the sun. “Jiang Cheng!” he exclaimed, only to be shushed by his shīdì who bowed at Lan Wangji in apology as he walked past towards Wei Wuxian who was sitting further inside. Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes at the way Lan Wangji stared at Jiang Cheng’s back, the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir oblivious to the gaze. Their red thread was taut, with both owners a short distance apart.Wei Wuxian clenched his jaw and grabbed Jiang Cheng by the small of his waist, pulling him into his lap. Jiang Cheng was startled by his sudden actions and failed to stop Wei Wuxian from holding him in a hug and resting his chin on his shoulder. Wei Wuxian glared at Lan Wangji, who averted his gaze and pretended as though he wasn’t looking at the Yunmeng duo. “Wei Wuxian, what is wrong with you? Let go of me!” Jiang Cheng hissed venomously into his ear. Wei Wuxian let go of his hands when he saw that Lan Wangji was no longer looking at them—no, looking at Jiang Cheng . Jiang Cheng immediately jumped out of his lap and patted at his robes, checking to see if there were any creases and removing any dishevelled signs. Wei Wuxian steered Jiang Cheng towards the other side, angling his body so that he would be a barrier between Jiang Cheng’s and Lan Wangji’s line of sight. “Jiang Cheng, are you here to accompany me? I’m about to die from boredom.”Jiang Cheng glanced at his empty scroll and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not everything is about you, I’m here to read some books. There’s an interesting topic I heard from Nie Huaisang about healing music and—“The wooden legs of a chair screeched behind them.Wei Wuxian whipped his head around to bare his fangs at whoever dared to interrupt Jiang Cheng and saw none other than Lan Wangji standing up, his back straight, eyes looking down at them in the nature typical of a Lan. “Follow me.”Wei Wuxian frowned, pointing at himself. “What, me?”He couldn’t tell if Lan Wangji was frowning as his face was as blank as his scroll. The second Jade shook his head, and pointed at Jiang Cheng. “I’ll show you. Punishment, no interruptions.”Wei Wuxian opened his mouth to argue but was silenced by Jiang Cheng who placed a hand on his shoulder and stood up. “Lead the way.”Lan Wangji nodded, his expressionless face rubbing salt into Wei Wuxian’s wound, as he despaired at his shīdì and his so-called ‘fated lover’ being alone together, in between the bookshelves where they would be hidden from prying eyes—Wei Wuxian shook his head at the thought, goosebumps rising on his skin, and also rushed to stand up. “Lan Zhan!“ he blurted the first thing that came to mind. The call of Lan Wangji’s birth name stopped all three of them in their tracks.What did he just say?Jiang Cheng looked at him strangely. Wei Wuxian recognised that face of contemplation. Wei Wuxian wondered if he had just stabbed himself in the foot with his own sword, as Jiang Cheng had been suspicious about his behaviour around Lan Wangji, even indirectly and awkwardly questioning him about his impressions of the Second Jade, but Wei Wuxian metaphorically pulled up his pants—he wasn’t called shameless for nothing—and barrelled on. “Aren’t you supposed to be supervising me? Who’s going to make sure I don’t run off while you show my A-Cheng the books?”“Wei Wuxian—“ Jiang Cheng started to object, only to be cut off.Wei Wuxian sidled up to the two of them and squeezed himself in between the gap. Jiang Cheng grabbed his wrist and used his eyes to communicate what the hell are you doing? which Wei Wuxian effectively ignored. He kept Jiang Cheng behind his back and looked at Lan Wangji, whose face was no longer the blank canvas it was before.Interesting. Wei Wuxian hid a smile. He could use this.“Why don’t we all look for A-Cheng’s books together, then I won’t be able to run away. How about that, huh, Lan Zhan?”“Shameless!” Lan Wangji said through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Wei Wuxian would be killed twice over from the glacial glare that was aimed at him. The deathgrip on his wrist tightened but Wei Wuxian continued to ignore Jiang Cheng, grinning in response to Lan Wangji’s anger, effectively enraging him further. This was the first time he saw emotions on that jade-like face and Wei Wuxian was exhilarated to have the upper hand. “I don’t understand what you mean by that,” Wei Wuxian feigned innocence, tilting his head to the side. “I’m just suggesting the best solution for our little problem. You don’t want to have to copy the rules again like the other day, do you?”Lan Wangji’s nostrils flared and he stepped back, creating distance between himself and Wei Wuxian, like he was a dirty pest that would soil the pure white of his robes. “Insolent!”There was a twinkle in Wei Wuxian’s eyes and he was about to taunt Lan Wangji further but Jiang Cheng could no longer stand his nonsense, wrenching Wei Wuxian by the arm and changing their positions. “Forgive my shīxiōng’s rudeness. I can search for the books I’m looking for myself, no need to trouble you.”Wei Wuxian stuck out his tongue at the Second Jade. Lan Wangji was silent for a while. Neither side backed down, with Jiang Cheng acting as the medium.“Third shelf at the back.”“Huh?”“Music scores and research on the applications of healing music are stored on the third shelf at the back.”Lan Wangji shot daggers at Wei Wuxian with his eyes and stalked back to his seat after nodding towards Jiang Cheng who could barely stutter a thanks in return. Wei Wuxian wanted to follow Jiang Cheng behind the bookshelves but was forced with an angry glare from his shīdì to return to his table to continue his punishments instead.Wei Wuxian slouched in his seat and grumbled under his breath. At least Lan Wangji wasn’t alone with Jiang Cheng, he comforted himself. Who knows what the Second Jade would do to Jiang Cheng. He scrunched his nose and grinded some ink to release his pent up energy.Was Lan Wangji interested in Jiang Cheng?He had never shown any interest before, and this wasn’t the first time Jiang Cheng visited Wei Wuxian in the library during his punishments.Was it the string of fate?Was it trying to pull the both of them together?No. Wei Wuxian would never allow it to happen.Jiang Cheng returned with a stack of scrolls and two thick books in his arms. Seeing the listless Wei Wuxian not working on his punishment, he picked a scroll and whacked the older boy on the back of the head with it. Wei Wuxian yelped and immediately turned to check Lan Wangji’s reaction. Contrary to his expectations, the Second Jade acted as though nothing was out of the ordinary.In their previous sessions, Wei Wuxian had personally witnessed Lan Wangji administer punishments upon some outer disciples who were fooling around with the books and surely Jiang Cheng’s use of the scroll as a weapon would count.Wei Wuxian raised his defences, feeling threatened. “A-Cheng, why don’t you go back to our dorm to study? There’s no need to stay here right?”Jiang Cheng frowned, lines forming on his forehead as he looked at Wei Wuxian as though the older had grown two heads. “What’s wrong with you today? You know I cannot take these books out of the library, and didn’t you always whine at me to accompany you? Now that I’m here you’re having second thoughts and chasing me away?” A pause. Jiang Cheng leant towards him and whispered into his ear. “Are you…close to Lan Wangji?”“What?”Jiang Cheng sat upright, the muscles in his back taut like a bowstring, and pretended to be engrossed in the pages of the books he borrowed. “I don’t understand you sometimes.”“A-Cheng…it’s not what you think—“Jiang Cheng slammed the book shut, cutting Wei Wuxian off abruptly. The noise drew the attention of Lan Wangji who looked up from his reading. Wei Wuxian bared his teeth at the white clad teenager and turned back to Jiang Cheng. However, there seemed to be a misunderstanding regarding Wei Wuxian’s diversion of attention for a few seconds and the badly hidden pain on Jiang Cheng’s face made Wei Wuxian want to crawl under a rock. “It appears I’m not welcomed here,” Jiang Cheng said curtly, gathering the scroll and books back into his arms. “I’ll leave you two… alone .”The emphasis on the last word sent chills down Wei Wuxian’s spine and he moved to stop Jiang Cheng but his shīdì was always quick when he wanted to be, avoiding his touch and disappearing behind the bookshelves again. Wei Wuxian was still standing with his hand stretched out when Jiang Cheng returned empty-handed, striding purposefully towards the front doors of the library. He didn’t give Wei Wuxian even a glance, only nodding courteously to Lan Wangji to thank the other for his assistance and left decisively. Lan Wangji’s eyes tracked his every move until Wei Wuxian called out his name, “Lan Zhan.”Gold eyes simmered with hatred and Wei Wuxian made up his mind, he would continue to pester Lan Wangji to distract him from unseemly thoughts about his Jiang Cheng. It worked swimmingly for the remainder of his detention—perhaps a little too well , one might say.During the day Wei Wuxian needled Lan Wangji publicly and shamelessly, forcing his attention onto himself. No longer was Jiang Cheng the only one questioning and inferring about his ‘relationship’ with Lan Wangji, much to Wei Wuxian’s distress.During the night he endured Jiang Cheng’s accusing deep blue eyes which spoke volumes about adultery and spent countless efforts coaxing him with sweet words and promises.Neither Lan Wangji nor Jiang Cheng demonstrated further interest towards each other, with the variable known as Wei Wuxian taking up their time.It worked, and Wei Wuxian thought he could pull it off until they returned home from their studies without a hitch.That was, until he punched the golden peacock right in the nose. - Life in Lotus Pier, despite being freed from the endless and tiring rules of Cloud Recesses, was boring without Jiang Cheng by his side. Wei Wuxian had never gone such a long period of time without his soulmate and found himself sitting at the edge of the docks staring wistfully at Yunmeng town like a wife waiting for her husband to return from a hunt. Never once would he have thought Lotus Pier could be boring. Until now.His junior brothers and sisters complained that he was no longer fun to be with. Where was the wild, carefree shīxiōng who would secretly end training practice early so that they could run off to chase pheasants, or roam the marketplace? Wei Wuxian didn’t even budge when the youngest, Xiǎo-Hóng, tugged on his sleeve and aimed puppy dog eyes at him. They eventually moved on to other interests, leaving him to wait for Jiang Cheng’s return in half a year’s time.If Wei Wuxian had known that he would be separated from Jiang Cheng this long, he wouldn’t have punched Jin Zixuan in the face. How could he possibly predict that he would be leaving Jiang Cheng behind in a viper’s nest? However, regretting wouldn’t turn back time. He could do nothing but hope that Lan Wangji stayed the hell away from Jiang Cheng or they’ll be having issues keeping Wei Wuxian out of Cloud Recesses—him being kicked out be damned. He rubbed the corners of the letters he received from Jiang Cheng tucked away in his inner pocket for safety. “Xiǎo-Wei!”Wei Wuxian glanced at the lakeside and saw Uncle Wang waving at him, one arm rowing the boat towards Lotus Pier. “Uncle Wang,” Wei Wuxian greeted. “Why are you looking so glum? Even the old man, whose lotus seeds you and Jiang-shaoye steal from, down by the lake asked me about you. Said that you were back but you haven’t stolen his lotus pods for weeks. He huffed all afternoon about how he was prepared to chase you away but you were a no-show. Don’t tell him I said this but I think he misses the both of you.”Wei Wuxian rubbed the back of his head, various emotions flickered through his grey eyes, before he jumped up to float through the air onto Uncle Wang’s boat. It rocked dangerously as he landed on his tippy-toes, causing water to splash onto the both of them. “Where’s your Yunmeng Jiang sect’s gracefulness?” Uncle Wang complained, pulling out a handkerchief from his inner pocket to wipe away the water droplets on his face. “What are you doing here? Want a ride to town?”Wei Wuxian squeezed the ends of his ponytail and laid on his side on the bottom of the boat, stealing out of the pouch of sesame seeds that Uncle Wang kept underneath the seat for his snacktime. “Didn’t you say that old geezer missed me? I’m thinking of paying him a visit.”“You– tsk , no respect for your elders. Hey! Xiǎo-Wei, stop chomping on my sesame seeds! Those are for BáiBái!”“That bird’s still alive?”“Still singing like a songbird.”“Thought it’d be dead in your hands by now.”“ Tsk ! Really no respect for your elders. Get off my boat!” Uncle Wang retorted.“At least drop me off at the old man’s field first.”“ Hurrumph! ”Wei Wuxian guffawed, slamming the surface of the water with a palm. “You’re rowing a bit too slowly, Uncle Wang. What happened to those famed muscles of yours? Even a child can row faster than you.”“Asking for a beating—! Watch this before you run your flapping mouth,” Uncle Wang said, feeling fired up from Wei Wuxian’s words, and the boat took off with great speed. Wei Wuxian broke another sesame seed shell open with his teeth and popped the seed in his mouth, enjoying the cool breeze slamming into his face. “ Ohh— still got it, Uncle Wang, not bad, not bad.”Wei Wuxian’s tone and expression accompanied by his mocking slow claps was guaranteed to make anyone fume.“Stinky little brat. Hmph!”It wasn’t long till they could see the edges of the farm, where hundreds and thousands of lotus flowers grew. The old man’s boat was easily spotted from afar, dragged along the surface of the water by a water ghost—the only one left alone by cultivators in Yunmeng at the request of the old man. “ Lǎo Ye! ” Wei Wuxian hollered, waving his hand in the air. “I’m here!”The water ghost poked its head up from beneath the rippling surface, took one glance at Wei Wuxian speeding along on Uncle Wang’s boat and immediately ducked back down. It never quite got over its fear of Wei Wuxian after he had accidentally whacked it on the head with an oar when he was nine. Wei Wuxian could still hear the ringing in his ears from the lecture he received from the old man after the accident—what about abusing his cute little helper. “Shoo shoo shoo!” the old man grunted upon seeing him. Wei Wuxian stuck out his tongue like the little brat he was known to be and plucked a couple of nicely grown lotus heads from their stalk. “You—!”“Heard from a little bird that you missed me, Lǎo Ye .”“Who—! You wish! Get off my farm, and return those lotus seeds you stole!” Contrary to all of his grumbling, Wei Wuxian could clearly see a hint of a smile on the old man’s face. “ Lǎo Wang! You brought him here, carry him away on your rotting wood of a boat before he empties my field!”“No need to attack my darling,” Uncle Wang said in response, stroking the side of his boat as though comforting it from the old man’s cruel words.Wei Wuxian grabbed more lotus heads by the handful as the boat passed and gleefully picked out the lotus seeds from within, pouring them into the bag that Uncle Wang kept his sesame seeds, mixing the two. When the pouch was sufficiently filled and bulging with treasures, he banged the side of the boat and urged Uncle Wang to row them away, waving goodbye to the old man fuming on his unmoving boat, as the poor water ghost went on a strike in Wei Wuxian’s presence. “You nearly got me in trouble, Xiǎo-Wei,” Uncle Wang said when they were out of earshot. “ Lǎo Ye only barks but has no bite.”“If you say so…”“Shīxiōng! Shīxiōng! Wei-shīxiōng!” a loud call came from the front. Wei Wuxian leaned over the side of the boat as they approached Lotus Pier to see a group of young Yunmeng Jiang disciples jumping up and down on the docks, waving at him with their arms in the air. “Madam Yu is looking for you! You missed the meeting time!”“What meeting— shit !”“Need a hand getting back, Xiǎo-Wei?”“No need, it’ll be faster this way.”He brushed the dust away from his robes, tucked the bag of lotus seeds he ‘stole’ in the gap between his arm and his body and leapt into the air, landing nimbly on water before running on the surface back towards the docks where his junior martial siblings cheered for him. He performed a stylish flip as the finisher, tugging on the collar of his favourite junior, Méng-shīdì, and tossed the younger boy into the lake as he landed. “—woah!” the boy exclaimed with a large splash. Wei Wuxian tossed his bag of ‘stolen’ goods towards the gaggle of kids. “Here, share them. Send whatever you can’t finish to the kitchens.”“ Ooh! Thanks shīxiōng!”
“Wei Wuxian! Where’s that stinky boy?”
Wei Wuxian grimaced at the angered tone of Madam Yu in the distance, notably enhanced with a voice amplification talisman. He rubbed the heads of the children in farewell and set off into a jog. As he raced through the different winding corridors, many of the servants shook their heads at his antics, thinking Wei Wuxian was finally back to normal . Some even tried to signal to him where Madam Yu was, as he frequently asked them to instruct him on how to avoid her on her patrol whenever he got into trouble but he declined this time, instead, taking the fastest route towards the stern woman. A crowd of purple stood before the lotus throne in the main hall, Madam Yu at the helm, and her most trusted servants Jinzhu and Yinzhu a step behind her. Wei Wuxian skidded to a stop at the doors and immediately heard the snap of Zǐdiàn against the wooden tiles. “Finally here?”Wei Wuxian’s body subconsciously assumed a polite and deferring posture in the face of Madam Yu’s scrutiny. Madam Yu stalked over to him with clear and steady click-clacks of her shoes with the metallic heels against the wooden tiles. “Look up.”Wei Wuxian quickly followed the orders and looked straight at Madam Yu’s furrowed brows and scorn.“Look at the people standing behind me. Look each of them in the eye and acknowledge your disrespect for them. As the team leader, you ought to know your responsibilities.”“Yes, Madam Yu, I apologise.”Madam Yu looked at him like he was nothing but dirt beneath her shoes. With a huff, she turned with a swish of her robes and gestured towards Yinzhu. “Debrief.”The group set off in a sombre mood, racing through the skies on their swords with Wei Wuxian at the helm. “Wei-shīxiōng.”Wei Wuxian glanced at the speaker from the corner of his eye. “We don’t blame you.”“I know.” Wei Wuxian faced the front again, his gaze serious. “But Madam Yu was right, it was my mistake. We’re Yunmeng Jiang cultivators, we fight to protect the people. What would happen if we were too late to solve the troubles because I was fooling around? People would suffer.”“Still…”Wei Wuxian flashed a smile over his shoulder. “Why are you guys looking all gloomy, huh? I’m fine! When have I not been scolded by Madam Yu?”His junior disciples snorted into their sleeves at his shamelessness. The atmosphere quickly lightened up after that and they continued on to their night hunting spot, chattering filling the gaps of the wind hissing past their ears. - The pungent stench of rotting and burnt flesh invaded their senses first, making many of the younger Yunmeng Jiang disciples gag. Wei Wuxian tightened his grip on Suíbiàn, entering into a protective stance before the younger disciples to buy them time to regain their balance. He gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed into dangerous dagger-like slits as he fixated on the demonic cultivator’s every movement—the twitch of his dirty, nail-torn fingers, the slide of his feet against the rocks, the burnt, frayed ends of—Wait. Wait .The demonic cultivator lunged, slamming his broken sword against the sharp edge of Suíbiàn. Wei Wuxian cursed, the tepid breath of the demonic cultivator assaulted his senses. “Send up the flare! Now! ”Jiǔ-shīdì fumbled with his qiankun pouch, but clumsily managed to release the signal to call for help. Wei Wuxian sucked in a deep breath as he braced himself, putting all of his strength into holding the demonic cultivator at bay, and instantly regretted it when he nearly choked on the stench. Madam Yu was watching over them, and it would only take a quarter of a sichen max for backup to arrive. They just had to make sure to stay alive until then. Wei Wuxian felt completely out of his depth. They had learnt about demonic cultivators, but people managing to control these dark arts were rare and few, often handled by more experienced cultivators—even the Gusu Shuangbi, despite their widespread fame, had not handled demonic cultivators on their own, especially one that seemed to be as powerful as the one crossing blades with Wei Wuxian.“Stay out of the way!” he yelled, as he got pushed backwards from the brute strength that the demonic cultivator surprisingly had, with his malnourished state. His junior brothers and sisters leapt out of his path, going towards the shelter of the trees. “Up!”They nodded in response and scattered, scampering up the trees, with their agility being like that of a monkey. Wei Wuxian channelled spiritual energy into his sword and blasted the demonic cultivator away with a heavy swipe to the gut. Dead, charred flesh stuck to the edge of Suíbiàn and Wei Wuxian grimaced. The demonic cultivator staggered, plunging his sword into the ground to regain balance. Wei Wuxian stared at the base of his pinky, right where the red thread of fate twirled around the digit. His eyes were not playing tricks on him. The dangling string hung limply from the demonic cultivator’s finger, burnt like a match and frayed at the ends—like a rope sawed with a blunt blade. “How do you—” he muttered, before having to lift Suíbiàn to block another swing. Wei Wuxian dodged to the left, his eyes staring right at the charred thread. Curious. So curious.“Watch out!”Wei Wuxian quickly parried with Suíbiàn. Shit, he got distracted. Beads of sweat started to form on his hairline as he struggled to gain the advantage. The demonic cultivator got him trapped between his sword and a tree trunk, which held a few of his junior disciples taking refuge in the branches. Wei Wuxian pushed upwards, gravity fighting against him. The demonic cultivator snarled in his face like a rabid animal, new patches of black spots forming on his face, smoke trails curled away from his flesh. The red thread swung in front of his face like a pendulum. It was a hypnotiser, and Wei Wuxian was caught in its enchantment. A stone flew past his ear and hit the demonic cultivator on the nose. “Stay away from Wei-shīxiōng, you stupid lump!”The demonic cultivator howled, bringing his palms up to his face. Resentment swirled in the air, and Wei Wuxian swore seven ways to hell. The air was heavy, thick with grievance, and Wei Wuxian kept his eyes and ears sharp, in case the resentment in the air lured any stray fierce corpses or dark creatures to them. “Don’t agitate him! Qī-shīdì! Keep a lookout!”“I—hate—hate— hate —”“Idiot, if you want to say something useful, tell me how you got the thread of fate to break,” Wei Wuxian muttered under his breath, knowing that there would be no answer. “Your fault, your fault, not my fault— haha— no, it’s his fault, your fault, I’m right— haha—“ “Insane asshole.” Wei Wuxian lunged forwards with the swiftness of the wind, the sharp blade of Suíbiàn glinting in its wake. The demonic cultivator ducked with a hair’s breadth and Wei Wuxian sailed over him, kicking his feet against the opposite tree trunk and flipping in the air before landing smoothly on the ground. Wei Wuxian felt a choking sensation, and he brought his hand up to his throat. He coughed, and blood splattered onto the ground before him.“Wei-shīxiōng!”How? Wei Wuxian frowned, wiping his lips clean with the back of his hand. The stench of burning human flesh continued to mound, and Wei Wuxian squinted at the demonic cultivator’s dāntián—there seemed to be a light, something bright, like a burning star in the sky. It wasn’t the glow of a golden core. A sense of uneasiness passed through him and he kept his distance. Hiss . A snap.Traces of flashing red fluttered to the ground, like flower petals in spring. They vanish like sparkles in the night sky. Wei Wuxian gawked in amazement and terror.The demonic cultivator’s thread now barely wrapped around his pinky, its ends unravelling in a bid to escape from being consumed. “I see Madam Yu!”No.  Wait .Wei Wuxian reached out with his hand in reckless desperation. “Wei-shīxiōng, what are you doing?” Sān-shīmèi screamed. Wei Wuxian ignored all signs of danger. This was his only chance! His salvation!What did you do?! How did you break it ?! He’s curious—so very curious, he needs the answer. He’s barely a fingertip away when the demonic cultivator lost the fight against the dark arts, bursting into flames before Wei Wuxian’s very eyes, his fingers singed from the heat.
No!
Someone jumped on him, pulling him away from the blaze. Wei Wuxian was unable to remove his gaze, the red thread was a single bright spark in the fire, and then, everything was gone. Fragments of a human skull, ribs and a convulsing right hand was all that remained of the demonic cultivator. “ Shit.” One of the disciples moaned, holding their gut as they tried to suppress the urge to throw up. The thread was completely gone, corroded and burnt to nothingness. Wei Wuxian slammed his fist against the ground, roaring with despair, before falling into eerie silence, his eyes empty.“Wei Wuxian!” Gone.“Wei Wuxian!”His only chance.Gone.A terrifying sound came out of his throat, and the shīdì that was clutching onto his shoulders slowly released him, backing away. Wei Wuxian covered his face with his hands, ignoring the sting of the burn on his fingers. Was this it?Was this what fate wanted for him?WHY!“Wei Wuxian!” A slap echoed throughout the forest. Wei Wuxian clutched his cheek, which reddened underneath his palm. He slowly turned around, to see a semi-circle of shell-shocked disciples with an irate, but concerned, Madam Yu at the forefront. “Back to the living?”“...Madam Yu.”She looked at him up and down critically, clicking her tongue. “Yunmeng Jiang’s most esteemed disciple of your age. Hmph. You’re the team leader, I received the distress signal, and what do I find when I arrive? My head disciple went nuts at the scene. You— tsk— you really don’t learn. Pull yourself together!”Wei Wuxian was unable to raise his head. He bowed in front of Madam Yu and apologised, but his eyes kept going towards the now motionless right hand of the decimated demonic cultivator. Madam Yu pursed her lips and tilted her head, signalling to Jinzhu. “Check him over for injuries.”Zǐdiàn crackled in the night, a purple streak in the dark and circled around the remains of the demonic cultivator. When nothing amiss occurred, one of the disciples Madam Yu brought along tossed a fire talisman onto it—a makeshift pyre. The flames rose towards the night sky, controlled by the disciple. Madam Yu had a disdainful expression on her face as she, and the rest of the Yunmeng Jiang disciples, witnessed the erasure of the existence of the once demonic cultivator. “Go back.”“Yes, Madam Yu!” - 
Wei Wuxian,
 
Heard from Wǔ-shīdì about your nighthunt. Are you crazy? Is your life that worthless? You really make me want to go home and smack you! You really think you’re invincible don’t you? When will you learn to spare some thought for people who care about you? 
 
Is there anything you want to tell me?
 
I’m too pissed off to answer the rest of your stupid questions right now. You don’t have to reply. I’ll respond later.
 
Jiang Cheng
 
A-Cheng,
 
Tell Wǔ-shīdì that if he rats me out one more time I’m going to stuff roaches in his inner robes when he’s sleeping.
 
Don’t be angry. Please? I’m sorry. I wasn't thinking. I wouldn’t put myself in harm’s way on purpose. I promised you I wouldn’t leave you, that means even avoiding death to do so—I will fist fight Death himself even if it means to stay by your side for one more second. 
 
Madam Yu has me banned from joining any night hunts until I learn my mistake—what do you think she means by that? Do you think kneeling in the ancestral hall for one week and skipping meals for three days is good enough? I swear I repented. 
 
On my life.
 
Please don’t be mad at me. I cannot stand it.
 
I miss you so much, Chengcheng.
 
Your Wei Ying
 
Wei Wuxian,
 
You really want to piss me off to death. You really don’t know how to repent.
 
Who told you that you can bully your juniors?
 
You’re lucky A-Niáng didn’t cut off your legs! I want to do it myself! 
  You’re an idiot if you think starving yourself and doing useless punishments will be enough. Try doing extra practice everyday for a sichen—everyone knows you’ve been slacking off as always. Maybe your enthusiasm and initiative will help you. If not, just ask Diē, he’ll definitely help you.   
Here’s to your previous letter:
 
1) Lan Wangji did not speak to me. Why do you think he’ll strike up a conversation with me, you’re not even here. Stop asking for fuck’s sake. Why are you so interested in him? In every single letter, you’ve got to mention him. Just write to him directly if you want to know so damn much!

2) I miss the fried spiced lotus roots, can you ask Jinzhu to send a pack to me?

3) Nie Huaisang is a lovely friend. Why are you telling me not to look at his books? When did you read Nie Huaisang’s books???

4) Yes I can sleep well at night. Finally no one is heating up the sheets and waking me up in the middle of the night with their stupid limbs and snores next to my ear.

5) Questions 5-16 are the exact same. In different words. Have you heard of conserving paper and ink? Short answer: no.
 
Stop writing so fucking sappily!
 
Nie Huaisang has opened my letters a few times now and he’s behaving strangely. I think you’re contagious. 
  Also, why are you such a pig?! It’s been months and I’m still pulling out dirty laundry from the nooks and crannies of our dorm. Where else did you hide your shit away, let me know so I can clear them before the Lans find them after I return home.  
Seriously, mention Lan Wangji one more time and I’m going to burn every letter that comes from hence on.
 
Jiang Cheng

P.s. Could have held back punching that peacock and stayed here but you just couldn’t, could you?
 
Dearest A-Cheng,

How about you hit that small peacock’s face a couple of times? 
 
Shījiě is upset. I don’t know why she likes him so much, there’s nothing spectacular about him. 
 
Maybe if you do so, you can come home to me sooner!
 
Your Wei Ying
 
Wei Wuxian,
 
You. Are. An. Idiot.
 
Jiang Cheng

Wei Wuxian sighed as he looked at the struggling spiderweb-thin thread he had pinned by a laundry clip to his robes. It was still as sturdy as ever. A large crow landed on his head and Wei Wuxian waved it away with a squawk. A bad omen? Perhaps.He kicked at the dirt on the floor, burying the leftover meat and bones of the pheasants he hunted earlier that day. He thought of eating them so that it wouldn’t go to waste, but the unnatural shade of grey tint and tiny black specks on the skin deterred him. Something was going as planned, but not enough. Wei Wuxian pulled out the laundry clip and the red thread zipped away, whooshing across the cemetery back to its owners. It was getting dark. He had to return to Lotus Pier before shījiě went looking for him for help in the kitchen as he had promised—not that he would be in the kitchen, but rather in the back chopping firewood for the stove. Jiang Cheng, shījiě and the cooks had issued a permanent ban on him from entering the kitchen after that one incident with the chilli peppers and the dumplings—that no one would speak of even in the face of death. He was nine. Wei Wuxian felt a bit discriminated against, he had grown up! He should be allowed to be in, even that snotty Méng-shīdì was allowed to sneak in to steal leftovers but the moment Wei Wuxian appeared in a ten metre radius, all eyes were on him. Well, Wei Wuxian stretched his back once all remains of the pheasants were covered from sight. Maybe Uncle Jiang will allow him access into the confiscated cursed artefacts vault for research some day.  
Wei-xiōng,
 
I don’t know how to put this gently but are you and Jiang-xiōng together? Don’t hurt me, I don’t know anything!
 
Huaisang
 
Huaisang,
 
Naturally. As our friend, help me keep Lan Wangji away from Jiang Cheng.
 
Thanks for the Emperor’s Smile.
 
Stop reading my letters.
 
Yunmeng Jiang, Wei Wuxian
 
Wei Wuxian,
 
Your previous letter was destroyed by the rain. The pigeon carrier fell into a puddle. I only managed to pick out a few words but I can roughly guess the content. 
 
I never knew anyone could be so loud and obnoxious in writing but you really do achieve the impossible don’t you. I guess Diē was right.
 
It’s getting colder here at night. Your stupid furnace of a body could have been useful.
 
Jiang Cheng

Wei Wuxian raised the jewel-encrusted comb that sat lightly in his hand and peeked through the gaps of the fine teeth. The cursed energy in this artefact felt strange, unlike the others locked up in Yunmeng Jiang’s vault. Wei Wuxian had proposed to Jiang Fengmian that as head disciple, it was only right for him to learn about each and every potential danger that might fall upon the sect—their highly secured cursed artefact vault being a potential ticking bomb—and was suitably granted the opportunity to enter said vault.The air reeked with demonic energy inside the vault, even with multiple curse-suppressing talismans pasted all over the inner and outer walls. Jiang Fengmian had personally escorted him and taught him about each and every piece with great care and attention—in a way only granted towards Wei Wuxian himself and never Jiang Cheng.When they had stopped in front of a small jewellery box,Wei Wuxian felt the urge to peer inside the drawer to see a fine comb benefitting a noblewoman’s wedding gift. The feeling of familiarity had struck him like a wave. The energy that it radiated was weak, an amount inconsequential to any decent cultivator, but familiar .“Why is this here?” Wei Wuxian asked, surely something so weak would have been easily eradicated by Yunmeng Jiang. “Be careful, don’t get too close.” Uncle Jiang held him at bay and took a few moments to study the artefact, as though recalling information long forgotten and discarded. “This one…Sān-Niáng was the one to discover this on a night hunt. It was a long time ago—“ the tone in his voice lingered with nostalgia and a hint of affection that Wei Wuxian had never heard from Uncle Jiang with regards to Madam Yu before, “—never mind. Hm…we don’t know what’s the matter with this. Every method we used to dispel the demonic energy from it has been thwarted. It’s weak, but it’s still a danger to mortals. It is Yunmeng Jiang’s responsibility to keep our people safe from harm.”How curious.Wei Wuxian hid his hands behind his back, feigning disinterest and urged Jiang Fengmian to the next one. The comb was secretly tucked away in his pocket by the time they both exited the vault.“Let’s see, hm?” Wei Wuxian said to the wiggling thread pinned to his robes. He was on limited time, Lǐ-shījiě and Zhōu-shīxiōng were about to go on an excursion away from Yunmeng for an extended period of time. He won’t have such opportunities to play with their fate for much longer.This had to work.He recognised it.That familiar feeling in the comb. It was the same as that on that day . Wei Wuxian scraped the teeth of the comb against the thread. It trembled. It twisted, and squirmed like a prey caught in a trap. Slowly, as Wei Wuxian’s anticipating heart was about to crumble, it started to blacken, growing outwards from the point of contact. Wei Wuxian jumped, his hands shaking from excitement.It worked!Wei Wuxian watched with keen observation as black continued to sully the pure red of the thread of fate.  Break , he waited, break . It didn’t.Wei Wuxian felt a wave of disappointment crash over him.Useless.

Dearest A-Cheng,
 
How many more winter nights do I have to go through before I can see you again? To hold you in my arms, and kiss you in the dark?
 
Every day without you is like three winters. Even a withering tree is spared from the torment sooner than the prolonged sorrow I’m facing.
 
Your Wei Ying

Wei Wuxian,
 
Wǔ-shīdì told me you have been skipping practice.
 
The innkeeper and the A-Yi at the wine store have not seen you around town. 
 
Where have you been fooling around? 
 
Do NOT put roaches in Wǔ-shīdì’s robes or bed. I’m warning you.
  I’d better not see you skipping practice when I get back home in four month’s time. Don’t make me people worry about you unnecessarily.  
Jiang Cheng

Wei Wuxian wiped the bead of sweat that fell into his eye. He stood at the edge of the burial mounds, a disturbingly eerie place—sounds of hollow and excruciating cries could be heard in the distance, but there would be no one in sight.There was a pit up ahead. Wei Wuxian had tried to check it out a couple of times each trip but never quite managed to make it close enough for a reasonable assessment each time.It was suffocating.This time, Wei Wuxian came prepared, with a bag of talismans he created in his spare time—away from the watchful eye of Madam Yu. He’d learnt the symbols from the talismans surrounding the cursed artefact vault and made some adjustments after being made aware of the difference in the energy that the comb held.Wei Wuxian had snuck the comb back into its original place, none the wiser, though a thorough investigation would reveal the fact that the resentful energy that once resided within it had disappeared after his little experiment with Lǐ-shījiě and Zhōu-shīxiōng’s thread.It was now nothing more than a simple ornament.Wei Wuxian trudged forwards, fighting against the crashing flow of resentful energy. He held a talisman in between his index and middle finger and activated it, a bright pure light shone like a beacon and made a narrow path. Tendrils of resentful energy still slipped through and hooked onto his shoulders, his ankles and wrists. Wei Wuxian tried to shake them off but they stuck to him like clingy pests. 
‘…away!’

‘Stop—‘
Wei Wuxian heard voices and they resounded like someone was playing his head like a drum. He groaned, falling to one knee. 
‘—won’t be able to protect you!’
Jiang Cheng?Wei Wuxian lifted his head and squinted through the darkness—when did it get so dark ? It was clearly the time of day when the sun was the brightest in the sky. He thought he heard Jiang Cheng’s voice. “A-Cheng?”Wei Wuxian staggered to his feet, the talisman he held crumbled into dust. He cursed and dug out a few more but each time he activated them, they disintegrated like paper snow. Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth and followed the sound of the voice, groping blindly in the dark void. “Jiang Cheng?”He knew that there was no reason for Jiang Cheng to be here with him in the burial mounds, not when Jiang Cheng sent him a letter not long ago from Gusu Lan. But the raw pain in that voice triggered Wei Wuxian’s instincts, and he was only human, controlled by emotions. 
“There’s no need to protect me. Just let go.”
Wei Wuxian stalled to a halt. That was—that was his voice?Two shadowy figures appeared on the left. Wei Wuxian turned slowly on the spot, eyes wide with terror. However, before he could get a good look, the shadows faded out of existence. They were…Jiang Cheng…and himself.Wei Wuxian rubbed his eyes. Why was he telling Jiang Cheng to let go of him? There was no way he would, ever . His greatest fear was to lose Jiang Cheng, in any way, shape or form. That was not him. That could not be him.A trick.Yes, a trick!Wei Wuxian did not realise that he was moving until he was at that exact spot where he saw the spectres. Bones crunched underneath his feet—it was disturbing . He apologised to the dead for the disrespect in his heart and tried not to grimace at every crunch with each step. A hint of red appeared like sun rays after a thunderstorm and Wei Wuxian fell forwards in his haste to grab it. His hand curled around a tassel and he yanked, revealing a slim black dízi attached to the tassel.His head pounded, as dark tendrils seeped out of the musical instrument, heading menacingly towards him. Wei Wuxian took a step back and shook his hand to drop the dízi but it remained suspended in the air despite nothing holding it in place. Haunting screams rushed into his ears. 
Why—why—why—why—
Wei Wuxian screamed as his head threatened to explode.
Why do I have to live here?
Who…whose voice was this? 
Why do I have to suffer?
It was him. Wei Wuxian…but also… not .
Why do I have to save them?
Save who?Images flashed through his mind, of debates over radishes or potatoes with a woman. Of a young child buried in the ground like a root vegetable.Wei Wuxian did not recognise any of them.
Why does he not understand me? I’m doing this all for—because of him!
Fire. Running. Scars. Soulless blue eyes.Jiang Cheng! Wei Wuxian wanted to scream. His head was on the verge of splitting into millions of shards. His eyes flickered between red and black, red and black, red and black—
Who gave him the right to hate me?
Blood dripped from his side, a familiar sword with a purple tassel on the handle pierced through him. Voices, enraged. A siege. Zǐdiàn’s light at the forefront. Jiang Cheng! I despise you! Wei Wuxian jolted violently with a strong burst of spiritual energy. He fell to the ground on all fours, his body shivering and face dripping with cold sweat. What was that?Resentment.Strong, vile, pure hatred and resentful energy. As he trembled like a leaf on the piles of bones, the dark aura wrapped itself around him, taking advantage of his weakness to enter his body. It was frostbite cold, so cold it burnt . Wei Wuxian’s mouth fell open in a silent roar, as his spiritual energy and the resentful energy battled for dominance inside of him. He did not know how long he remained kneeling prostate on the ground, tears long since dried up and his throat no longer able to release another sound. It hurt. It hurt . Wei Wuxian felt like his insides were on fire from the cold flame, scorching him from within. He recalled the way the demonic cultivator reeked of burning flesh, and the explosion. Was he going to die?Here?Alone?No. He could not! Wei Wuxian was not willing to accept this fate—just like the other, he’d be damned if he did! He staggered onto his feet, clutching his stomach as his insides raged inside his wrecked body. Blood seeped through his clenched teeth.One step, two steps. Wei Wuxian pushed himself through the pain. He tasted ashes on his tongue. He refused to die. Not here, not now. No way.

Chengcheng,
 
Don’t believe shījiě! I’m absolutely fine! I’m as healthy as an ox!
 
Take care of yourself, don’t fall ill from worry. I’ll be waiting for you at home. Always.
 
Love, Wei Ying. Yours forever till eternity.

Wei Ying,
 
Idiot.
 
Jiang Cheng

“A-Xian, are you writing a letter to A-Cheng?” Jiang Yanli asked, all smiles as she walked into his room with a tray holding a bowl of bitter black medicinal soup. Wei Wuxian smelt the bitterness from his perch on the bed and grimaced. “Shījiě…more medicine? I’m fine!” He tried to show off his muscles on his biceps, but the effect was lost hidden underneath his sleeve. “Strong as an ox!”“You’ll be let off when the doctor gives you the all clear. Until then, be good.”“Shījiě…”“None of that. I’m not soft-hearted like A-Cheng,” Jiang Yanli said firmly, pressing the bowl into Wei Wuxian’s hands. “Drink now. I’ll be watching.”The look on her face reminded him that despite her usually calm and gentle demeanour, she was Madam Yu’s daughter in more than just blood. Wei Wuxian stared down at the dark liquid and swallowed, preparing himself for the onslaught of bitterness to his taste buds. If Jiang Cheng were here, he could ask him to kiss the bitterness away. He could devour Jiang Cheng’s sweet, sweet lips with his own and erase all traces of bitterness. They would share a piece of dried plum through kisses, just like they did every time either one of them fell ill.  Sometimes if he pleaded correctly, Jiang Cheng would drink the medicine on his behalf, stomaching the nasty taste of the black liquid and lie to the doctors that he’d watch Wei Wuxian drink it. Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng was hundreds of miles away in Gusu Lan and only Jiang Yanli stood before him with her hands on her hips as witness. No crime could be performed in front of her hawk’s eyes. So Wei Wuxian drank from the bowl in big gulps—the faster he swallowed, the quicker the taste would leave his tongue. “ Blegh !” “Well done, A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli said, retrieving the bowl from his hands as he tried not to throw up at her feet. She handed him a piece of dried plum and he took it gratefully, spreading the sweetness across the insides of his mouth. “A-Diē and A-Niáng want to speak with you after breakfast.”“Ehhh…” Wei Wuxian was reluctant, well aware that they would be questioning him about his injuries which led him to fall face first at the gates of Lotus Pier, covered in blood from head to toe as his wounds still continued to bleed on. Uncle Jiang would be easier to fool, but Madam Yu could usually sniff out a lie like a bloodhound. He stealthily reached underneath his pillow, fingers trailing up the body of the dízi he found at the Burial Mounds. “Got it…”Jiang Yanli rubbed his head like he was ten years old again, before she carried the tray out, closing the doors behind her. Wei Wuxian listened to the sounds of her footsteps fading in the distance and slid the dízi out from its hiding spot. For days during his recovery, he had tried to uncover the secrets of this musical instrument, but to no avail. He recalled the strong aura of resentment that surrounded it distinctly back in the Burial Mounds, but now it appeared to be nothing more than a harmless instrument. Wei Wuxian thumbed the holes and pressed his lips against the instrument, blowing into it. A beautiful tune sounded in the bedroom, a melody Jiang Yanli sang to him and Jiang Cheng whenever they had trouble sleeping back when they were still snotty little kids. There was an uncanny feeling telling him that something more sinister was supposed to be played with this dízi, but Wei Wuxian could not put a finger onto it. When the song ended, Wei Wuxian dropped his hands and stuffed the dízi back into its—frankly awful —hiding spot underneath his pillow. Time to face the music, he thought as his brain began to spin a web of lies for the Jiang parents. Madam Yu was sitting at her spot on the round dining table sipping a cup of tea when he arrived. The table was cleared of dishes, with only a pot of tea and a couple of rice crackers on a small platter. Uncle Jiang sat awkwardly opposite her, a frown adorned on his face, reminiscent of all those times he had a disagreement with the Violet Spider. “Uncle Jiang, Madam Yu,” Wei Wuxian greeted.Madam Yu looked at him from the corner of her eye and sniffed. “Resilient as a roach. Should have known.”Uncle Jiang furrowed his eyebrows at her, wrinkles formed on his forehead, as he beckoned Wei Wuxian to join them at the table. “Sān-Niáng…”“Hmph.”Uncle Jiang sighed, giving Wei Wuxian a shrug and nudged the rice crackers towards him. “Here, you haven’t eaten, have you? Eat this to pad your stomach, I got them to boil some porridge for you.”“Mm, thank you, Uncle Jiang.”“Stop with this useless chatter,” Madam Yu said, putting her teacup onto the table with a bang ! “Wei Wuxian! You know why we called you here. Speak.”Wei Wuxian lowered his head and stuffed a rice cracker between his lips. He peeked up at her through his eyelashes and heard the zapping noises of Zǐdiàn as her fingers twitched. “Sān-Niáng, why are you so harsh on him? Can’t you speak a little gentler? He just survived a horrible incident.”“Hah! Your head disciple was bleeding to death at our doorstep and you want me to coddle him? Do you know what this means? There are people out there who are looking down on Yunmeng Jiang, and you —the Sect Leader rather play at being a father to another man’s son than find out the truth?” Madam Yu stood up, slamming her palm against the table, her glare as sharp as ever, looking down her nose at Uncle Jiang.“That’s not what I meant—”“Oh? So you’re saying I’m wrong?”Wei Wuxian kept silent, hoping his presence would be forgotten. Maybe he wouldn’t need to lie through his teeth after all. “A-Ying, why don’t you tell us what happened?” Uncle Jiang directed the conversation to him, after having given up on fighting with Madam Yu in a contest of words. Madam Yu dropped back to her seat, arms crossed over her chest as she deliberately looked away from Uncle Jiang. “Just tell us who dared to lay a hand on you.”The rice crackers melted in his mouth and Wei Wuxian gulped. “I—I don’t know.” At their obvious disbelief, he added, “Really, I was just out playing—uh—I mean, training in the woods—”“Don’t bother lying to me,” Madam Yu said with a roll of her eyes. “You were chasing pheasants again.”Wrong. But Wei Wuxian would take that, thankful for the excuse his usual truancy provided him.“Yes…sorry Madam Yu…” He pretended to be humbled. “And?”“And?”Madam Yu placed a hand on her forehead and signalled for Wei Wuxian to continue. Uncle Jiang carefully refilled their teacups. “And then I was dragging myself back home,” Wei Wuxian finished, lamely.“ Really .”Not a question. A statement. Wei Wuxian sighed in his heart, he knew Madam Yu would not believe his ‘I-don’t-know-anything-I-promise’ act—perhaps it was an act only Nie Huaisang could pull off—but it was the best he could do—there was no way he’d be able to frame another nearby Sect for it and he could not admit entering the Burial Mounds for nefarious reasons. Even if Uncle Jiang didn’t destroy his meridians and kick him out of Yunmeng Jiang for going down the less than righteous path, Madam Yu surely would.“Did you meet anyone out there, A-Ying?”Wei Wuxian chewed on his lips and shook his head. “No, I was alone.”“Hmm,” Uncle Jiang seemed to contemplate. “Maybe we have been remiss on our patrols there. I’ll send a team to check out the area.”“You really believe the stinky boy’s nonsense?!” Madam Yu exclaimed. “You are a fool if you do, Jiang Fengmian!”“It’s not about—” Uncle Jiang sighed. “I’m trying to explore all possibilities, don’t be unreasonable.”“Unreasonable? Me ?”Wei Wuxian took another rice cracker and stuffed it into his mouth, folding his limbs into himself to make himself appear much smaller. “Okay, I know,” Madam Yu raised her voice. “My name is Yu, right? I’m not a Jiang, so I’m in no position to make any demands here, correct?”“Sān-Niáng, why are you saying that? Can we just talk about this more calmly…”“I’m calm. I’m very calm,” Madam Yu smiled, all shark-teeth. “After all, what happens to the Yunmeng Jiang sect doesn’t concern me, no? I’m surnamed Yu. I belong to Meishan Yu. That’s what you think, right, Jiang Fengmian?”“Sān-Niáng, listen to me—”“ No ! You listen to me!”“Must we do this right now?”“So you’re agreeing. I’m right.”“No—please, we’re—”“Okay. Since Sect Leader Jiang wishes to be walked over. I, surnamed Yu, won’t interfere!” Madam Yu casted a dark glare at Uncle Jiang and stomped off. Uncle Jiang sighed wearily, pushing himself up from the table and dogged behind her footsteps. “Wait, Sān-Niáng—“Wei Wuxian, who had escaped a calamity, brushed away the crumbs from his lips and counted his blessings. A kitchen maid entered the dining hall with a bowl of porridge and looked slightly confused by him sitting there on his lonesome. “Thank you, sorry for the trouble,” Wei Wuxian told her, taking the bowl off her hands. Just as he made contact with the porcelain, a slither of dark smoke emerged from his fingertips. Wei Wuxian jolted, losing his grip and the bowl shattered on the ground, splattering porridge everywhere. The kitchen maid screamed as she backed away to avoid being burnt. “I’m sorry!”“No, it’s my fault,” Wei Wuxian tried to reassure her. He clenched his fists and hid his hands behind his back, faking a cheery smile. “It’s alright, I don’t need another bowl. I’m not hungry. I’ll clean this up, don’t hurt yourself on the shards.”“I’ll—I’ll get a broom!”She quickly fled and Wei Wuxian held his palms in front of his face. There was nothing unusual. “What was that?” he muttered to himself. He had to return to the Burial Mounds. That was where he would be able to find the answers to his questions.Resolved as he was, it wasn’t easy to sneak out under the watchful eyes of Madam Yu’s trusted disciples so soon. Wei Wuxian laid low and tried all ways to be the obedient head disciple Madam Yu would be, begrudgingly, proud of as time ticked away. He wasn’t idle either, sequestering himself inside his bedroom to fiddle with the dízi, turning it upside down, left and right for clues.As night fell three days before Lǐ-shījiě and Zhōu-shīxiōng would be off on their travels, Wei Wuxian wrapped a hooded robe over his body and snuck out of Lotus Pier, leaving a decoy under his blankets to mimic his presence.It was a risky move, but Wei Wuxian was out of time.He scurried down the roads, using spiritual power to boost his speed, until he reached the now familiar scent of copper and roars of resentful voices in his head. It wasn’t as strong as the first time he was there and Wei Wuxian wondered why that was the case. The bones that cracked underneath his feet were still as unnerving the second time when he ventured into the bone pit where he found the dízi. Darkness swirled around him, seeking to consume him, but they suddenly changed direction and parted, leaving him a circumference of unsullied space. “Huh,” Wei Wuxian muttered.He took a step, and the shadows moved along with him, like a shield of protection. Wei Wuxian pulled out the dízi from his robes and looked at the inanimate object. “Is this your doing?” “You’re new,” a whisper caressed his ears. Wei Wuxian dodged to the left, raising his hand to cup his ear, rubbing away the cold shiver he felt. “Who’s there?!”The response was a laugh like the sound of nails on a chalkboard.  “Over here, follow me,” a different voice from the previous whisper echoed. It sounded friendlier—as friendly as one could get in this environment—almost trustworthy. Wei Wuxian found himself stepping towards the voices’ direction. It was a female’s voice, soft and sweet, which reminded him of Jiang Yanli. It was likely why he followed it blindly, listening to its directions, leading him through the darkness. Jiang Cheng would scold him fiercely for his recklessness, but who would Wei Wuxian be if not reckless?He stopped at the entrance of what could be called to be a cave, the darkness dispersing mysteriously, much like how everything in the Burial Mounds were— mysterious .“Hello?”Wei Wuxian took cautious steps, making sure he had all sides covered by a vigilant eye, so that he would be able to make an escape if anything happened. The cave wasn’t large, just a single wide chamber without any branches of paths deeper to get lost in. “What is this…” he murmured, running his fingers against the cave walls. Thankfully, there weren’t any strange liquids—like blood—on them and his fingers remained gross-free. 
No, this won’t work! Let’s try again! Again!
Wei Wuxian whirled on the spot, pressing his back against the cave walls and surveyed the cave. “Hello?” he tried again. He recognised that voice. He had heard it before.The last time he was here. Everytime he spoke.An image flashed into existence before his eyes; a raised stone slab littered with straw and discarded papers, a figure dressed in black sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back facing Wei Wuxian. It was only for a moment, but that was all he needed.“This again? Me?” Wei Wuxian said to himself, before raising his voice, “Stop your tricks! Show yourself!”He squeezed a talisman in his left hand, his right drawing Suíbiàn out in front of him. 
Suíbiàn…
Wei Wuxian furrowed his brows and snarled. The phantom knew the name of his spiritual sword? Suddenly, the dízi tucked in his waist-band grew cold. Wei Wuxian felt the coldness seeping through his layers and cursed, pulling it out of his waist-band before it reached unbearable frostbite levels and threw it onto the cave floor. 
Chénqíng…
“Is this yours? Is this a magical weapon? What is it?”
Chénqíng…Chénqíng…Jiang Cheng…
Jiang Cheng, again?! Wei Wuxian tightened his grip on Suíbiàn, pushing spiritual energy into the blade.  “Who are you talking to?” the voice that led him here suddenly spoke. Wei Wuxian jerked, the uneven edges of the cave wall dug into his spine.The dízi rolled on the floor like someone pushed or kicked it. “Hm…interesting.” Wei Wuxian swallowed around the lump in his throat, fear rising in his body, maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew. “Who are you?” “Me? Or your…visions?” The voice did not lose her friendliness, but it lacked the sweetness of a young lady that he previously heard. Wei Wuxian felt goosebumps rise on his skin.Had he finally made a misjudgement that would cost him his life?“You.”“ Hmm…I went by many names. Back then. Now…the others call me Dà-jiě.” “The others?”“ The other ghosts of course!” Dà-jiě laughed. His arm felt a brush of chills and he wondered if she was passing by him. “Did you save me from the other…ghost?”
“Save you? Heavens, no! You were never in danger from us. TíngTíng will not hurt you. She’s just—hm. But you must be cautious nonetheless.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“Curious, aren’t you, child?”
“Answer me.” Wei Wuxian’s mouth was in a firm line. The Burial Mounds were never simple. Countless tales of cultivators perishing in these tainted lands were a warning enough.  “Impatient. I see some things are bound to be the same,” she mused, a cold breath on his face. A shimmer in the air and a confident, mature-looking lady with large bosoms hidden behind a beautiful ceremonial hanfu appeared before him. Her string of fate was pure onyx, with none of the blinding red he had grown to see on the normal spirits and living beings. “Hm? Cat got your tongue? Like what you see?”
“No.”
“Tsk, rude. They don’t teach kids about respecting their elders these days.” She stepped back at Wei Wuxian’s death glare—unafraid, no, simply to proceed to her next point. “You see this dízi? Only one who has mastered the use of resentful energy can utilise it.”“Resentment…how do I use it?”“You hail from a righteous cultivation sect,” she said with a raised eyebrow. “You wish to learn the demonic arts?”Wei Wuxian held his ground. “You already know the answer.”A cunning smile widened on her face, gone were the false pretences, Wei Wuxian nearly slapped himself for even thinking she was anything like Jiang Yanli—they couldn’t be worlds apart. “I knew I’d like you.” The tips of her ghostly fingers lifted his chin, Suíbiàn sliced through her ghostly apparition but dealt no visible damage. Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth but forced himself to swallow the pained grunts at the biting chill of her touch. “That day you were here and found this weapon—do you remember absorbing the resentful energy from it?”He frowned. “No, how could I…wait—““You recall now?““There’s no way! There are barriers to detect demonic energy all around Lo—” Wei Wuxian clamped his mouth shut, stopping himself from exposing the name of his home.“Lotus Pier, Yunmeng Jiang sect. You don’t have to hide, we already know that.”“How do you know?!” Wei Wuxian asked, alarmed. She casually pointed at his waist, where his Yunmeng Jiang clarity bell hung. “I know—hm…I guess I knew —a guy who treated that like his most precious treasure in the whole universe. Wouldn’t let go of it, even when he was ripped apart by an army of corpses. Pity, he was such a handsome young man.” She looked at him coyly. “One could say you’re a splitting image.”The man in his visions and his voice flashed through his mind. Wei Wuxian glared at her and snapped, “You’re lying.”“Am I?” she questioned him, sly as a fox. “Nevertheless, the resentful energy that was inside that weapon now resides within you. Put down your sword, boy. There is no use for that here.”Wei Wuxian lowered Suíbiàn but did not sheathe it. Dà-jiě hummed at his actions with a knowing smile and floated towards the centre of the cave—the spot where a stone slab was raised, albeit free from straw and papers in his vision. She waved her hand and Wei Wuxian complied, obedient but wary.“Pick that up on your way here, child.”Wei Wuxian paused beside the abandoned dízi, where it lay seemingly innocently. When he poked it gingerly to test its danger level, he noticed that it was no longer cold—truly a strange and mysterious instrument. “Are you going to teach me how to control it?”“I can tell you a few things, but no, only you know how to master it.”Wei Wuxian pursed his lips and dropped the dízi onto the stone slab like a hot potato. “How am I supposed to know how to control it without any teachings? You’re telling me it’s inside me, yet none of the protective spells placed by my sect’s ancestors detected it.”“Why don’t you sit here and meditate? He always meditated. Maybe it’ll open your mind to new possibilities.”Wei Wuxian rubbed at his head, ruffling up his hair. “I don’t have the time for this, I need to be back before dawn. Shit , how long have we been here?” The sky outside was not a good indicator of the passing of time, with its pitch blackness. The sun could be shining down from the brightest point and he would be none the wiser. “Don’t worry, there’s still much of the night to pass.”Wei Wuxian eyed her with scepticism and sighed, finally sheathing Suíbiàn and hanging his spiritual sword by his waist. He lifted his robes and stepped onto the stone slab, falling into a cross-legged position with the dízi in front of him. Dà-jiě grinned at him, all teeth.There was a possibility that she was doing all of this for him to let down his guard, but he had already seen evidence that Suíbiàn would do no damage to her, which meant that if she wanted, he would have been dead twice over by now. Jiang Cheng would kill him.What his shīdì didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Wei Wuxian watched as her grin grew wider before closing his eyes in an attempt to meditate.“Don’t worry, I’ll keep the others from eating you.”“Real assuring,” Wei Wuxian muttered. He had no idea what he was supposed to do, how he was supposed to meditate, what he was supposed to focus on. “Did… he ever tell you what he was focusing on?”“Who knows? Why do humans seek power? What are their desires and ambitions? Why do you seek to control this power within you?” Out of selfish desires , Wei Wuxian did not say.He let silence be his response and Dà-jiě followed suit, leaving him to his thoughts. Wei Wuxian heightened his senses, reaching deep inside of him, trying to suss out the resentful energy that was hidden within. If anything, that had to be the best place to start. His golden core was a blazing light as always, shining in the centre of his dantian, warm, comforting, full of life. He basked in awe at the power and dug deeper, heading towards the shadows created by the light. 
Jiang Cheng!
Wei Wuxian scrunched up his nose. That voice, he was back. 
How could you! How dare you! Jiang Cheng!
He struggled against a wall, his mind battering against an onslaught of cries of hatred and deep, deep sorrow. Wei Wuxian could sense the dízi vibrating in front of him. 
Anyone else but you, anyone else can wish me dead, except for you!
Wei Wuxian felt a tear drip down his cheek—or was it blood? He no longer knew. He bit on his tongue, as he continued his search for what he sought. He could not understand why there was so much resentment towards Jiang Cheng from this…other him —no, not him, never him. Wei Wuxian only knew one thing, that he could not lose Jiang Cheng and for that, he needed to unravel the mysteries of this power and master it. He wasn’t going to lose!When Wei Wuxian finally opened his eyes, they flashed ruby red, his hair came unbound from his ponytail, the dízi rested docile in his lap, and resentful energy wrapped around his golden core like a comforting blanket.“I see you found the answer. I suppose congratulations are in order,” Dà-jiě applauded from a distance, the bottom of her ghostly apparition blinking in and out of existence.Wei Wuxian raised his hands to his face, and tendrils of resentful energy dance from his fingertips. And there, as though saying one final goodbye, the voice echoed softly in the cave.
I don’t want to hate Jiang Cheng. I never wanted to be this way. Take care…me.
He had succeeded. - 
Wei Wuxian,
  Lǐ-shījiě’s condition is most worrying. Grandmaster Lan has offered to send a few of Gusu Lan’s distinguished medical practitioners over to Yunmeng to attend to her. Please do not get into a fight with them—I know your disdain for the Lans, apart from your favourite Lan Wangji.   
Stay with A-Jiě and take care of her. We do not know if it will spread. 
 
Nie Huaisang has been sending me romantic poetry and asking me to read them for reference whenever I said I’m going to draft a reply to your letters. What in the world is up with him?
 
Jiang Cheng

Wei Wuxian fiddled with the letter in between his fingers, and looked at the team of medical practitioners entering the front gates of Lotus Pier. He had miscalculated. He did not expect Lǐ-shījiě to fall into a coma after he had tried to use his newly found powers to snap her connection with Zhōu-shīxiōng. The older boy looked awfully haggard, sitting by Lǐ-shījiě’s bedside, only moving for bathroom breaks, their intended travels halted until Lǐ-shījiě recovered from her unconscious state.Their thread was still intact, though hints of tarnish could be found on the once pure blinding red. The resentful energy corroding the string subsided over time, only leaving behind faint traces, but it was unlike that night with the demonic cultivator. Wei Wuxian curled his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth. Just having control over resentful energy wasn’t enough. There was still more . He felt sorry for Lǐ-shījiě—truly, he did. But he also couldn’t find it within himself to really regret it. Not when it gave him much needed results, or the lack thereof.Wei Wuxian greeted Jiang Yanli, who approached him to look at the group of tensed medicinal practitioners, with a smile, tucking away and locking tightly up the aura of resentful energy that seeped out in his musing. Lotus Pier was in a state of unease, with one accident after another—in the eyes of the Jiangs and the disciples, what with Wei Wuxian’s previous near-death experience and now this. Madam Yu could no longer bear it, taking these incidents as a slight towards Yunmeng Jiang sect and took it upon herself to investigate the nearby rival cultivation sects, sending shockwaves of fear throughout the neighbouring lands. Sect Leader Jiang followed her in an attempt to de-escalate the situation but tensions were high, as even Jiang Fengmian, for all his calm and non-confrontational nature, had his suspicions. “Lǐ-shījiě will be fine,” he assured the worried Jiang Yanli, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.With both Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang away from Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian as head disciple was left ‘in-charge’ in name, as the elders of Yunmeng Jiang oversaw the operations. He supposed he was glad no one turned to him for instructions on how the sect should operate—that was Jiang Cheng’s field, not his. The positive aspect of the Jiang parents being away from Lotus Pier was that Wei Wuxian had more freedom to run to the Burial Mounds, where he made acquaintances with the rest of Dà-jiě’s ghostly crew. They were a small group of five, all females, and when asked, told Wei Wuxian that they teamed up and bested all the other ghosts and chased them away from the centre of the Burial Mounds, where the resentful energy was the thickest. It could be said that Dà-jiě’s little motley were the kings of the mountain—a very dark, and deadly one.The one who frightened him before, TíngTíng, real name Zhū Wéi Tíng, was someone who died in her youth. She was in the prime of her life, yet scars littered her face and her clothes were torn and tattered, which she covered with a dirty bed sheet, her fingers trembling against the edges of the fabric whenever Wei Wuxian drew near. Pieces of ripped fabric fall endlessly from her body, like snow from the sky on a winter’s night. She was generally mild in nature, but sometimes she hissed at visions only she could see in the darkness, her laughter like nails on chalkboard.The third laid curled up on Dà-jiě’s lap, a wee little girl who couldn’t be older than the age of five if she were alive, abandoned by her once-parents and thrown into this horrible graveyard, her left eye a hollow where maggots lived in swarms. The fourth was a silent swordswoman, her weapon the remains of a broken blade that once gleamed in the light, she often sat at the entrance of the cave, away from the rest, keeping watch. The fifth was dressed in red, a veil over her head and a noose of silk cloth around her neck, betrayed by the one she loved and trusted, after a promise to both be together in death when they were forced to be separated in life. All but Zhū Wéi Tíng had their strings like Dà-jiě’s—absent of the passionate red, burnt like charcoal to the base wrapped around their pinkies. Zhū Wéi Tíng, oddly, had none. Not even a short twirl at the base of her pinky. Wei Wuxian played a tune on the dízi, infusing resentment through it. He didn’t command the five female ghosts, Dà-jiě would slice him with her nails if he dared, and instead tested his abilities on his range. He could not see the movements of the corpses from inside the cave, but he felt as though he had a third eye, his senses telling him their reactions to his commands. “So your shījiě is now bedridden because of you,” Dà-jiě said, amusement in her tone. “You don’t have to put it so bluntly. I know what I did,” Wei Wuxian replied. “What are you trying to achieve? You don’t seem the type to go for world domination.”A thought came to Wei Wuxian’s mind that they would think him crazy, for he had not shared his secret to anyone other than Jiang Cheng, who believed him wholeheartedly, who would always trust him no matter what. There was also another part of him that was afraid to admit out loud that he wasn’t linked to Jiang Cheng by fate’s design. “Incoming,” the swordswoman warned, turning into a blur with the speed of her movements. Wei Wuxian felt a connection break with a fierce corpse after a few breaths. She flashed back into existence at the entrance of the cave and sat back down without a word. Dà-jiě had a knowing look in her eyes and Wei Wuxian averted his gaze. He had lost control during his indecision. “Your mastery of resentful energy did not help you with your goal. What are your plans?” she asked, brushing her fingers through the little one’s hair. “We don’t mind if you intend to keep us company in our lovely home for the rest of your life, we can even welcome you as an honorary member when you’re dead.”Zhū Wéi Tíng hissed venomously. Wei Wuxian tightened his jaw, as he stared at the floor. “Resentment. It corrodes. It stains . The living, the dead, the heavenly principles. Everything.”The dízi trembled in his hold. Zhū Wéi Tíng retracted her metaphorical claws and recoiled, her timid side manifesting itself once more and she shifted closer to the veiled bride.He took a shuddering breath. What was the worst that could happen? They were dead. Spirits filled with so much resentment they could survive the harshness of the Burial Mounds, moulding the resentful energy as a part of their being. So what if they thought Wei Wuxian as a madman? Dà-jiě certainly thought him to be an interesting specimen—why not add a little more spice into it? Wei Wuxian always loved spicy food.“What do you know of soulmates?”“A fool’s dream,” Dà-jiě immediately retorted.“You believe in…parallels but you reject this?” Wei Wuxian scoffed, referring to the other him . “You saw it too.” Dà-jiě lifted her chin, her smile smug, as though proving her point.“And I can see a person’s link to their soulmate.”Dà-jiě fell silent, and the probing eyes of the group of five pricked Wei Wuxian’s skin. He fiddled with the untethered thread hanging off his pinky. “On your right hand, there’s a thread wrapped around your pinky, that’s your thread of fate. It will connect with your soulmate’s when you meet.”Dà-jiě’s sight arrowed straight at where his fingers played with supposedly thin air. The veiled bride lifted her head, the veil moved as though a gust of wind blew past, revealing slightly parted, painted red lips underneath. “Soulmates?” she asked, the veil returning to its original position, hiding her features. “Will they…betray you?”Wei Wuxian’s fingers stilled. “Qíng'er…” Dà-jiě said with a frown. “Will they leave you to die alone after promising to go with you?” the veiled bride, Qíng'er, questioned, her voice raising in volume. This was the first time Wei Wuxian actually heard her speak louder than a whisper, ingrained by her family’s parenting style that girls should be seen and not heard, to be marketable for marriage—pretty and docile, like a doll on the shelf. Her ghostly body was shrouded in resentful energy as she rose to standing height, pushing Zhū Wéi Tíng out of the way, closer towards Wei Wuxian.The girl shuddered and shrunk into herself, her bedsheet swishing by her calves and ripped fabric gathered at her bare feet that hovered above the ground. Wei Wuxian held the dízi in front of him, which helped to block the waves of resentful energy. “Your string is unconnected. They were not your fate.”Qíng'er roared, her palms slapped over her ears. “Lies!” She vanished in a swirl of dark aura, another gust of wind blew in the cave.What happened next, Wei Wuxian swore it was an accident, out of reflex to provide aid to someone falling. He saw from the corner of his eye as Zhū Wéi Tíng appeared to be unstable on her feet, the gush of wind blowing her bedsheet like a kite and reaching out to stabilise her.Zhū Wéi Tíng’s eyes widened with horror upon seeing him, and when the tip of his fingers connected with her body, Wei Wuxian found himself in another space.Teleportation?Wei Wuxian whirled on the spot. He appeared to be in a village, not one he recognised. The mountains in the back reminded him of the landscape of Yiling city, but Yiling city had never been so…small. Where was he?“TíngTíng! Over here!”
TíngTíng?
Wei Wuxian followed the voice. His steps didn’t feel like they touched the ground, like he was floating in midair, there was something unreal about this space he was in. It felt unnerving.He wasn’t in control, and Wei Wuxian felt afraid . A well-dressed young lady appeared around the corner. Her hair was done up into an exquisite bun, simple but beautiful hairpins tucked into the bun to hold it in place. Her makeup was simple, similar to the everyday style that Jiang Yanli preferred, which gave her a pure image, like an unplucked lotus flower. She was familiar. Not in a passing strangers kind of way, but someone he could say he had a friendship with. Zhū Wéi Tíng stood in the middle of the village, joined by her friends, her red thread of fate, a bright red which was connected and linked to someone unseen, a young lively lady with no scars, no trauma, no resentment— alive .No, it was impossible.But the facts were right in front of Wei Wuxian’s face and he had to believe what his eyes saw.“Why are you here?!”Wei Wuxian whipped his head around. Zhū Wéi Tíng, with her scars and ripped fabric, materialised next to him, an aghast expression on her face. An unmanly shriek bubbled out of Wei Wuxian’s throat.“You cannot—you must leave! No!” Zhū Wéi Tíng wailed, her hands a vice grip in her hair. She looked deranged and maniacal, in a different form from her usual mad persona in the Burial Mounds. The surroundings fizzled along with Zhū Wéi Tíng’s declining sanity. Wei Wuxian watched speechless as the serene images of the alive Zhū Wéi Tíng and her friends buzzed out of reality—or a dream. The fizzling finally settled down after a long duration of time. Wei Wuxian blinked, he was in the same spot except it was now night, the roads were barely lit by the glow of the moon and he heard a soft singing in the distance.“Zhū Wéi Tíng—“ he said, millions of questions on the tip of his tongue, yet when he turned, she was gone.Wei Wuxian cursed under his breath, and against his better judgement—reckless, always so reckless—he ran towards the voice. The same feeling of wrongness persisted.A flash of light pink disappeared around the corner. Wei Wuxian chased after it, nearly bumping into the edge of the fence and prepared himself for the impact, only to phase through it.“What the fuck.”“This is— was —my hometown,” Zhū Wéi Tíng—the one he knew—remarked, standing over him atop the fence he nearly ran his shoulder into. Wei Wuxian looked up at her, her hair loose and flowing with the wind. The pieces of fabric fluttered down onto his face—one piece, two pieces, they fell endlessly. “You cannot go that way. Do not follow her.”“Why not?”“…” She pursed her lips, annoyance written on her face, clouded by deep sorrow and pain. “How do I leave?” Wei Wuxian asked instead, resigning to leave her to her secrets. “I…do not know.”“Then what are we supposed to do? Sit here and wait it out?”“…”Wei Wuxian sighed, throwing his hands up in the air. He ruffled his hair, pulling strands out of the ribbon keeping his ponytail in place when he heard a sharp cry for help. Wei Wuxian immediately went on the alert, his instincts honed from being a sect cultivator, facing the direction of the cry, his muscles tensed, ready to jump into action. The cries continued non-stop, sometimes cutting off as though someone clamped their hand over their mouth; it was obvious that someone was in dire need of help. Wei Wuxian bolted down the street, ignoring Zhū Wéi Tíng’s yell behind him to stop. In the courtyard of a modest mansion, the largest Wei Wuxian had seen in this city—its plaque over the main gates read Zhū Manor—there were a couple on the ground, right in the open. A demonic cultivator was shrouded in an aura of darkness, his eyes an unnatural red, sinking his teeth into the bare flesh of Zhū Wéi Tíng’s struggling form. She now looked more like the Zhū Wéi Tíng that Wei Wuxian was familiar with and he had a sinking feeling in his gut—there was no one to save, this was the past, a visionary memory that he fell into, and this was where she died.He was simply a bystander, an intruder, to witness these events unfold. Fabric was torn apart with unkempt fingernails, flying into the night like snow. There was no way the residents of the mansion did not hear her cries for help. Dread filled Wei Wuxian from head to toe, when he saw the lights behind closed windows light up, and flicker out, clearly indicating that there were people awake and knew what was happening but chose to avoid it. Zhū Wéi Tíng was abandoned. In the most cruel of ways.There was only one lone guard’s body bleeding out in the corner, almost hidden by the low, well-trimmed bushes of the courtyard—too insignificant in rank to have been warned not to intervene. Zhū Wéi Tíng screamed, and screamed her lungs out for her family, her servants, anyone , but no help came. A strangled choke escaped her throat when the demonic cultivator entered her ruthlessly, insanity clouded his mind, and he was done with playing. Wei Wuxian wanted to tear his eyes away, to give Zhū Wéi Tíng some sense of privacy, he knew that there was nothing he could do—he was incorporeal, his actions would not change a thing—and he almost did turn away, until he saw a—Miracle.Zhū Wéi Tíng’s red thread of fate snapped in a loud explosion, breaking her link with her fated one, when the demonic cultivator shrouded them both with the stench of resentful energy. She was being corrupted from within, and the heavens were not having it. Wei Wuxian couldn’t tear his eyes away, memorising every moment of the vile act. A pure, selfish scientific curiosity. Every push and pull was memorised by his dark, flickering red eyes, learning . The length of her red thread shortened as it corroded, as the demonic cultivator held nothing back, pouring so much resentment into her body it would have been a phenomenon if she did not turn into a resentful ghost.The demonic cultivator did not relent even after Zhū Wéi Tíng died with tear-reddened eyes that stared blankly into the distance. Resentful energy kept flowing into her from where they were joined, until there was nothing remaining of her red thread but ashes. He assaulted her dead body over and over in the screamless night—he too, no longer appeared alive, carnage desire and a ball of rage and resentment was all that was left of him. When he finally dislodged himself from her cold and rigid body, soiled and thrown in the dirt of her own family courtyard, he staggered away like a fierce corpse, until he too, died in a blazing flame a short distance away.Wei Wuxian took a step forwards, morbid satisfaction thrumming through his veins. If he could get closer, perhaps he would be able to—The surroundings faded as spontaneously as it appeared and he found himself back in the caves in the Burial Mounds, Dà-jiě silently stroking the little girl’s hair as she napped. Wei Wuxian had a maniacal grin on his face, his eyes maddened with glee.“Wait, Zhū Wéi Tíng, bring me back,” he said, reaching his hand out to grasp onto the female ghost escaping far away. His fingers gripped onto nothing, as she vanished like smoke into the distance. “Please, I just need to see it once more. Just once more!”He chased after her but his arm went through another’s body. Wei Wuxian stilled as his arm plunged into icy cold temperatures.Dà-jiě blocked his path, a frosty spectre with an ice cold expression to match.“What do you think you’re doing?”“Move.”The little one had left the shelter of Dà-jiě’s arms and seeked refuge behind the swordswoman's back by the cave entrance. Maggots wriggled on the ground in a trail.“Give TíngTíng some reprieve,” Dà-jiě said, refusing to budge. Wei Wuxian would shove her aside if she wasn’t frost bitingly cold and powerful enough to kill him with a breath. Her entire being seemed to take up the whole space inside the cave, and there was no path for Wei Wuxian to go without facing her icy doom. “You saw what happened. You should realise how much it hurts her to witness her own demise.”“I know,” Wei Wuxian admitted. He knew it pained her, and he wouldn’t have asked for it if it wasn’t for the fact that the solution to his problems were hidden within her past. He wasn’t cruel, he would never want to subject another to such torments for fun . “But I need to see it again, there’s something I have to learn. Please understand. Let me pass, let me speak to her.”“Just what can be so important—“ Dà-jiě narrowed her eyes when she figured it out, “your soulmate. This is about your goal.”“So you understand. I need her help.”“Your goals come before TingTing’s feelings?”Wei Wuxian worked his jaw, the burning desire to learn thawed the cold.“…yes.”Dà-jiě flickered in and out of existence as she looked upon him with sheer disappointment—an expression Wei Wuxian never imagined could appear on her, with her wittiness and cunning, she would have predicted the thoughts and actions of the those within the palm of her hand and never understand the feeling of being disappointed.“You…they all said he was evil. They sowed fear into his name, fell to their greed and brought forth a siege upon him,” she said slowly. The suffocating sensation of the pressure she inflicted upon Wei Wuxian shrank. Her arms hung limply by her side—powerless. If one were to glance at the cave entrance, they would realise that the swordswoman and the little girl were long gone. It was only Wei Wuxian and Dà-jiě in this desolate cave. “You…are lucky. There is no war, no pain, no suffering for you here. But your selfishness, and your greed— hah …forget it. I take my offer back. Go home. Goodbye.”And she too, disappeared like the mist. - Wei Wuxian returned to the Burial Mounds the next day.It was cold and dead.Dà-jiě and the rest were nowhere to be found. -

A-Cheng,
 
A-Xian misses you so much. Come home soon!
 
Your Xianxian
 
Wei Wuxian,
 
Gross.
 
Jiang Cheng
 
Chengcheng,
 
Your Xianxian is about to die from loneliness. Only a true love’s kiss can save me.
 
Your Xianxian
 
Wei Wuxian,
 
I bought you two crates of your favourite Emperor’s Smile.
 
Now stop being disgusting and speak properly.
 
Heard the good news about Lǐ-shījiě’s recovery. You didn’t gamble your entire allowance during the celebratory feast again like the last Mid-Autumn festival, did you? I’m sure you did, why did I even ask.
 
Is there anything else you want from Gusu? I’ll be able to make a couple of rounds around the marketplace before the appointed time for the boat to depart.
 
Jiang Cheng

- “Jiang Cheng~!”Wei Wuxian caught sight of Jiang Cheng leaving Madam Yu’s quarters. He was bummed out that he had missed Jiang Cheng’s arrival back to Lotus Pier—he had wanted to see Jiang Cheng from the distance, getting closer to him across the lake on the boat, wanted to fly into Jiang Cheng’s arms and kiss him welcome home , but no matter, as Jiang Cheng was here now.“Noisy. Shut up.”“Why are you sounding more and more like that little boring Lan? Didn’t you say you weren’t friends?”“How do you remember what he sounds like? For someone who boasts about his short term memory, you sure remember a lot about Lan Wangji.”Wei Wuxian sidled up to Jiang Cheng, laying limply on his back like a stubborn barnacle. He giggled gleefully into Jiang Cheng’s nape— ah , he’s gotten taller. As Jiang Cheng dragged him across the floor like an oversized baggage, he smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “Don’t be upset, I only have you on my mind. Lotus Pier is not the same without you.”Jiang Cheng was strangely silent at his confession and Wei Wuxian lifted his head to see his expression. His shīdì’s ears were pinkish—not from the heat of the sun. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He really, really loved him. So, so much. Jiang Cheng dragged his human baggage called Yunmeng Jiang’s head disciple, Wei Wuxian, through Lotus Pier, ignoring the muffled giggles of the disciples and servants, and into their shared bedroom. Only there did Wei Wuxian release him, his touch lingering on fair skin. Jiang Cheng grabbed his wrists and whirled around, pushing Wei Wuxian onto his bed, his face had an expression of fierce determination and suddenly, Wei Wuxian found himself being stripped. Woah !Wei Wuxian was overjoyed but stunned by Jiang Cheng’s uncharacteristic actions. “Jiang Cheng?”His shīdì’s lips were pursed, focused only on his one mission. When Wei Wuxian’s robes were shoved from his shoulders, Jiang Cheng laid his palms on slightly tanned skin, as though mapping the lines of his body.Oh.Wei Wuxian raised a hand to rest against Jiang Cheng’s cheek. “A-Cheng, I’m fine. Look at me.”“You lied to me.”“ Never. ”“You kept telling me that you’re fine, that nothing happened, that it was just a scratch, and that A-Jiě was exaggerating. I believed you.”“And it was ,” Wei Wuxian insisted, ignoring the fact that he was bedridden for a few days and stuffed full of medicinal herbs to recuperate. It was a long time ago. There were no traces remaining on his body—cultivators always recovered swiftly and rarely scarred. “Look.” He rested his hand on Jiang Cheng’s, letting the other roam around his smooth skin. “There’s nothing, right?”“A-Niáng said you almost died. What am I supposed to do if you—I was miles away from home. I couldn’t see you, couldn’t come to you, we are soulmates right? We’re supposed to share everything. What do you want me to do if I come home and you’re—you’re gone ?”Jiang Cheng hid his face behind his bangs, staring down at his lap where he was straddling Wei Wuxian. He was tense, and all Wei Wuxian could see was the movement of his Adam’s apple, yet no more words fell from his lips. “A-Cheng…”Jiang Cheng pulled his hands out of Wei Wuxian’s and moved to stand, but was held back. “Let go of me.”“No, I will never let you go.”Wei Wuxian used his strength to destabilise Jiang Cheng and pulled him against his chest into a tight, restraining hug when he fell. “Stop pretending like you care. You treated me like a fool!”“Don’t pretend to act tough, please. I’m sorry, A-Cheng. I didn’t want to worry you. I love you.”Jiang Cheng shook in his grasp and Wei Wuxian tightened his hold, refusing to let the younger man loose. “Wei Wuxian! Let me go now!” Jiang Cheng snarled. He was always so irritated and feisty whenever he was trying to mask his emotions. So difficult, so unlike himself, Uncle Jiang always commented in front of Wei Wuxian, after an argument with Madam Yu over Jiang Cheng.Wei Wuxian never found these traits to be repelling, he was so familiar with the unique way that Jiang Cheng showed his affection and care—very much like Madam Yu, like mother like son.Wei Wuxian held down the struggling cat that was Jiang Cheng and flipped their positions, knocking Jiang Cheng’s breath out of his lungs when his back thumped against the surface of the bed. Jiang Cheng’s eyes were red and dangerously narrowed into slits as he glared fiercely back at him.Wei Wuxian rested his forehead against the other’s. Their chests moved up and down in tandem, as Wei Wuxian tried to get Jiang Cheng to match his breathing. “I’m here. I’m safe, I promised you, didn’t I? Do you remember?”Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth and avoided Wei Wuxian’s gaze. “No.”“You promised me to keep all the dogs away from me, and I promised you in return that I will stay by your side forever.”“I don’t remember.”“You lie!” Wei Wuxian snapped, grabbing Jiang Cheng by the chin.“ I’m lying?! What about you?!”“I didn’t want you to worry over nothing!”“Nothing? You really—!” Jiang Cheng retorted. “You’re always like this! It’s okay if you get into an accident, it’s okay if you step into a trap for me, it’s okay if you think you’re invincible and go and do reckless stuff! You don’t fucking care about how I feel. Worried ? Of course I’ll be worried! But don’t you think it’ll hurt me more if you hide from me?”Wei Wuxian recoiled, sitting back so that he was straddling Jiang Cheng’s hips. Jiang Cheng raised his hands and rubbed the balls of his palms against his eyes. “I—” didn’t want you to fret over me when you had to focus on your studies in Gusu Lan. Wei Wuxian couldn’t get the words out. They would only rotate in an endless circle. “I—I’m sorry,” he said instead, choosing to back down. “I promise, I won’t do it again. A-Cheng, please, don’t cry.”“Who’s crying?!” Jiang Cheng snapped, lifting his hands from his eyes. If they were red before, they were even redder now, the delicate skin rubbed raw by his hands. It made Wei Wuxian’s heart pang.“Me, it’s me who’s crying,” Wei Wuxian coaxed. “Xianxian is sorry, Chengcheng, forgive me?”“You are an idiot.” Jiang Cheng blinked his eyes rapidly, still avoiding direct eye contact. “Will you forgive me?” Wei Wuxian asked, bending to press kisses all over Jiang Cheng’s face. He started with the corners of those red eyes, licking at the hint of teardrops, before making his way down his cheeks, his chin, the corners of his lips—teasing, always close, but not fully there.“Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng’s tone was growing with annoyance. Wei Wuxian took it as his cue to stop teasing and followed up with a full kiss, licking and nibbling on Jiang Cheng’s lips, until they parted and he could slip his tongue in. They kissed for a long time, savouring the taste of each other, commemorating their reunion. They kissed until their lips felt raw from friction but they were solemn to part. It wasn’t until a strand of hair tickled Jiang Cheng’s ear that they parted, lingering a millimetre apart, close enough to feel each other’s breath, far enough to feel the distance.Jiang Cheng brushed the wayward strand of hair which fell from Wei Wuxian’s ponytail and tucked it behind his ear. His pupils were enlarged, and only a small ring of blue peeked through. “Let’s do it.”Wei Wuxian almost couldn’t believe his ears. He didn’t think it would be so soon. However, Jiang Cheng never initiated anything he didn’t intend. He was always way too cautious for that. His behaviour ingrained from his training as the sect heir of Yunmeng Jiang; to thread on a thin line, all in the name of diplomacy. Wei Wuxian didn’t think his opportunity would come now but he was ready.Dà-jiě and Zhū Wéi Tíng left him behind but Wei Wuxian was a genius. He didn’t need their help.He was ready.For Jiang Cheng’s and his own sake, he had to be.They took it slow, for they had all the time in the world. Training was dismissed for Jiang Cheng, seeing that he would be tired from his journey, and Wei Wuxian’s attendance was spotty enough that no one would question his lacking presence. It was also widely expected that Wei Wuxian would be joined at the hip with Jiang Cheng.Wei Wuxian prepared Jiang Cheng thoroughly, with the oil they found under the bed for their swords. Whenever he felt as though he was going to lose his grip on the resentful energy due to his excitement, Wei Wuxian hid his face against Jiang Cheng’s neck, covering the flash of ruby red in his pupils. He had heard from some of their senior brothers when they were younger that the first time tended to be awkward, with the lack of experience, but Wei Wuxian didn’t feel so. There was never any awkwardness between him and Jiang Cheng, they pushed and pulled, they tip-toed around certain areas, the nervousness towards a new act, but never once did it feel awkward.When Wei Wuxian finally bottomed out, it felt as though the whole world had been lit aflame. He felt euphoric, and Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but lean down to capture Jiang Cheng’s lips with his, swallowing the little sounds that Jiang Cheng made as his body trembled, his inner walls clamping down tightly around Wei Wuxian as he tried to accustom himself with the size of the intrusion. Ah…Wei Wuxian loved him so much. He had always known that Jiang Cheng was destined for him. When he first laid eyes on the pretty little doll running up to the front gates of Lotus Pier, with three yipping puppies at his ankles, Wei Wuxian had known right there and then that Jiang Cheng was a gift to him from the heavens. “Jiang Cheng,” he breathed out against Jiang Cheng’s lips, “I love you. Do you trust me?”“Wha—“Wei Wuxian squeezed Jiang Cheng’s hands and slowly retracted, his fingers gently caressing the sides of Jiang Cheng’s face, and pressing butterfly kisses onto him—the tip of his nose, the corners of his eyes. When he moved, it was slow and calming like floating belly up on the surface of the Lotus Lake, sunbathing under the glare of the sun, feeling the gentle rocking of the current of the waters, Wei Wuxian distracted Jiang Cheng with every roll of his hips, with every praise on his lips, and channelled a steady stream of resentful energy through their most intimate point of connection. “I love you,” he said again, over and over because there were no amount of words that were enough to explain the feeling he had towards Jiang Cheng. Even those words paled in expressing his emotions.Wei Wuxian fixed a stare at the red string connected to Jiang Cheng’s pinky, the line leaving a long trail across the bed, down onto the tiled floors of the bedroom and out through the gap underneath the double doors blocking their naked bodies from view, as he poured all of his adoration into the writhing body underneath him. The store of resentful energy met its peak when they reached their completion, Wei Wuxian sealing their lips like a promise. Jiang Cheng had his eyes squeezed shut, face red from the intensity while Wei Wuxian kept his eyes wide open. There was an explosion in the air, silent to everyone but Wei Wuxian, and the string snapped, breaking the link and freeing Jiang Cheng from his chains. It worked!Wei Wuxian let out a maniacal grin, curling his fingers around the ends of their strings. He immediately cut off the flow of resentful energy and hid it behind the shadow cast by the bright glow of spiritual energy from his golden core, ensuring that no further corrosion affected Jiang Cheng’s red thread of fate. Finally .The ends connected within the fist of his palm with a spark, furling into an ugly knot which blackened in seconds, like charred pig left over the fire for too long.It didn’t matter to Wei Wuxian. They were finally connected. His words no longer held the bittersweetness of lies, and only the truth remained. Now they were truly destined in heart and soul.Wei Wuxian had finally won the battle with fate.“What are you looking at?” Jiang Cheng asked him, once his breath evened out.“Our thread of fate.”Truth.Jiang Cheng turned in his arms, so that they were facing each other on their sides. He lifted his pinky, placing it alongside Wei Wuxian’s, like they always did when they were younger. “What does it look like?”“Beautiful,” Wei Wuxian whispered, tracing the lines of Jiang Cheng’s face. “Like the ripest apple at the end of fall. It’s untouchable by the world, pure and bright. It’s the most enchanting thing I’ve ever seen in my life, because.”“Because?”“Because it led me to you.”Lie. - “Something feels…different,” Jiang Cheng said in the morning, sitting cross-legged at the edge of the mattress running the comb Wei Wuxian gifted him on his fourteenth birthday through his hair. Wei Wuxian played with the ends of those long black locks and raised an eyebrow at the remark.“Different? How?”Jiang Cheng placed the comb down onto his lap, and looked down at the intricate designs on the handle. “I don’t know. Just. Different.”Wei Wuxian rolled onto his side and pulled Jiang Cheng towards him, so that the other fell backwards onto his body. They look at each other for a few moments in silence.“Good different, or bad different?”“You messed up my hair,” Jiang Cheng said instead, the corners of his mouth betraying the edge of his words.Wei Wuxian pouted, puffing his cheeks like a squirrel.Jiang Cheng took hold of his fingers and played with the tips. Wei Wuxian enjoyed the sensations and listened to the sounds of nature greeting them a lovely morning through the walls of their bedchamber. “Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng mulled over his words. “It’s because of you that I believe in soulmates. I love you.”He pressed a fleeting kiss on the back of Wei Wuxian’s palm before jumping off, rolling his hair swiftly into a bun and locking it in with a ribbon. Wei Wuxian scrambled onto his knees but failed to catch his escaping lover. “Love you too, Chengcheng!”“Shut up! Get your lazy bum up and oversee the juniors’ training already!”“But A-Cheng~ can you just say it one more time? Please? Pretty please?”“I’m busy !”Wei Wuxian laughed, and laughed, and laughed . His heart felt so full of happiness, that he could burst at any moment. He gazed down at his pinky, watching the trail of deceptively pure red follow Jiang Cheng. Separated by the distance, there was no sign of the ugly, charred and tainted darkness.His lifelong dream.He had finally done it. Jiang Cheng was his , Wei Wuxian’s, and no one else’s.