So many books, so little time.Beware of spoilers for honestly whatever book I’m drowning in [Side note: I don't read enough fics to help find them, so no fic findings sorry]
Alrighty so being as this is my favourite ship, I thought I would take this chance to compile a list of the favs!!
[UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, ALL OF THE FICS BELOW ARE COMPLETED]
Ok I will start this list off with a imo a great introduction to the the character dynamics and relationships to each other and it's an aspect of why I really love the Xicheng ship!
The Beginner's Guide to Moving On - messenger18 (Teen and up) 189K - post canon: https://t.co/XtJYqR93l1?amp=1 (thank you to @panmoo for sharing the link).
All Time Favourites (READDD IT PLS)
Upon Our Silver Bridges - TheWanderingHeart // Mature (443K)
THIS. SHIT. WAS. AMAZING. THE PLOT. THE CHARACTERIZATION. MY EMOTIONS. THE ARTS INSPIRED FROM THIS FIC. ALL CHEF KISSES.
Ok, now that I’m done gushing, this is a post-canon fic and it deals with a lot of Chinese mythology and is a slow burn (but it hurts so good). That’s all I’m going to say about it because I think finding out what’s happening is part of the fun (yes, it’s plot heavy but it’s good plot :))
Lan Xichen's sorrows have caught the attention of something. Unlike the adventures and foes they have faced before, there is no obvious enemy here to defeat. If this is the same thing they thought had taken Nie Mingjue's life, then he believes it is fated for him to die as well. Nothing can stop the black fire when it wants to burn.
Jiang Cheng is sure his part in this is over. Wei Wuxian is back, his grand adventure concluded, and he'd never been at the centre of it anyway. So what does it matter what happens to him in the end?
Slowly, he will come to realise that there will always be a battle to fight, a story to tell, a choice to make, and there is no such thing as an end to anything.
A Small Measure of Peace - Sandstone112 // Mature (122K)
Canon-divergent au. This takes place in the period after Wei Wuxian died and Lan Wangji is in seclusion from the whippings (the in between years yanno). Anyways my heart is filled with love for this fic. It's wholesome family loving that my boys deserve and ARGH I JUST LOVE HEALING FAMILY FICS OK.
With his brother in seclusion, Lan Xichen finds himself in temporary custody of his nephew with little to no expertise in the child-raising department. Uncertain and alone, Zewu-Jun is willing to do everything to be the person Yuan needs—even if it means inviting Sandu Shengshou to a playdate.
Running Our Hands Through Embers - MarvelousMar // Explicit (136K)
Reincarnation au. This is a bit different from the rest. It’s more Jiang Cheng centric (more of a character study) and it’s not as Xicheng heavy in the beginning as the rest BUT I implore you to read this! I think it gives a great character and healing arc for JC and we all need some healing ok? (plus you get JC telling JFM like it is.)
If asked, Jiang Cheng would compare falling in love with Lan Xichen to a moth inevitably drawn to a flame. It burned.
*** In which Jiang Cheng discovers that even death can't help him escape from his trauma, so he embarks on a quest to save the people he loves, fix what he can, make the love of his life fall for him, and maybe, somewhere along the way, do a little bit of healing.
Audience of One - WinterDreams // Teen and Up (16/16 - 181K) **EDITED: HAS BEEN COMPLETED
Modern au. OK I’LL ADMIT. THIS IS INCOMPLETE BUT THERE’S ONLY ONE CHAPTER LEFT. AND FINE I’LL ALSO ADMIT THAT I HAVEN’T READ CHAPTER 15 YET (bc ya girl tryna wait till it’s all out to read it). So I can only speak of this fic up till chapter 14. ButTTTTTT I LOVE IT OK? This deals with a celebrity LXC and a grumpy CEO JC and best of all: FAKE PRETEND RELATIONSHIP TROPE. Mhmmmmmm give me that fake to real shit. I love it.
“Then let an established star go first,” Lan Xichen interrupts again before Lan Wangji can give a stubborn reply. Both men twist toward Lan Xichen, and he smiles at Wei Wuxian’s tilted head. “If I publicly date a man for awhile first, your engagement shouldn’t receive as much backlash.”
Or, that AU where everyone is famous in some way or another, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have been dating in private for years, and Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng pretend to date publicly for their brothers' sake.
Modern Universe: Ok modern aus, expect at least a little bit of OOC and a lil bit of crack with it ok? bUT I enjoy reading them from time to time because they’re usually more lighthearted and everyone isn’t dead :)
Emergency Help Wanted - Piyo13 // Teens and Up (76K)
Lan Xichen lied about having a family to leave work early so now he needs to Craiglist his way for a fake one. This one was fun and fluff!
EMERGENCY HELP WANTED
I lied when I got my job. I told them I had a kid so I could leave early from work to pick him up from daycare, take him to doctor's appointments, and occasionally miss a day when he's sick. Long story short, I'm in too deep. I didn't think it through. Looking to rent a kid for bring your child to work day. Must be a boy ages four to six, longish dark hair, likes soccer. Must also be artistic as the macaroni noodle paintings I made seem a little advanced for his age. Also, I will pay extra for someone willing to play the role of husband when dropping him off. He's a prosecuting attorney who often brings his work home. Message me for further details. Serious inquiries only.
Just Two Lost Souls - rivlee // Teen and up (46K)
We have here CEO au! Just some good ‘ole fun.
Even if it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife, husband, or companion, all Jiang Cheng really wants is to run his company, take care of his pets, and maybe get some sleep. Unfortunately the new job promotion to CEO comes with a loaded social calendar and a need for some sort of companion.
So clearly the most sensible answer is to start dating the man he's had a crush on since he was a teenager.
Because nothing could go wrong there.
Never Had I Ever - Kicchin // General (56K)
Ok ‘tis might be a lil crack but honestly, it’s kinda sweet so I enjoyed reading it! But basically you see the crew trying to set them up and some misunderstandings would obviously have to occur with a lil bit of tears.
Nie Mingjue is almost certain that Jin Guangyao has an ulterior motive for dating his best friend, Lan Xichen. However despite voicing his concerns, his best friend seems unconvinced and Lan Xichen continues to date the said man. Unable to give up just yet, Nie Mingjue tries a different tactic--convincing his best friend the man is not the right person for him by setting him up. Fortunately for him, Wei Wuxian's youngest brother is very much single and seems to be just the kind of person his best friend needs. Can Jiang Cheng truly change Lan Xichen's mind, or will Nie Mingjue's plan is a disaster from the beginning?
One Shot
you're for me (and i for you) - RennieOnIceCream (Hitsugi_Zirkus) // General (2K)
It’s cute and fluffy!
One early morning, Lan Xichen does Jiang Cheng's hair.
green color corrector - yeasting_laozu // General (1K)
It’s implied xicheng so you only see lan xichen and wei wuxian but it’s cute.
To help his brother-in-law hide some lovebites, Wei Wuxian gives Lan Xichen a quick crash course on color theory in return for some juicy gossip. He gets more than he bargained for.
I'll Always Find You - Arashii // Mature (9K)
(I really like this author so you’re probably gonna see more of them) This is reincarnation au and its floofly? Yea? Yea.
Jiang Cheng spent his whole life thinking he was crazy. Dreams of flying swords, an electric whip and a handsome man in white clothes plagued him every night. Visions took him every day. Until the day he met a man with the same face of the stranger in his dreams.
Or, how Jiang Cheng and Lan Huan got together in the past, and how they found each other again in another life.
Let Me Show You My Sincerity - Bgtea // Teen and Up (5K)
Modern au. This is a floofly fluff. It’s some good ‘ole Twin Pride shenanigans (Wei Wuxian instigated of course).
Three gin and tonics, half a bottle of red wine, and four pints of beer in, Jiang Cheng comes to a couple of realizations in quick successions. They part the fuzziness of his mind like a beam of golden sunlight shining through a break between churning grey storm clouds. A veritable lightbulb going off in his foggy, groggy mind.
“You,” Jiang Cheng squints at his equally drunk brother sprawling upside down on the couch beside him, “are pining!”
Two Sides of the Same Coin - JiangChengLotus // Teen and Up (4K)
Post-canon. THis is just pure crack. Yup. It’s actually part of a multiwork fic that focuses on LWJ and JC being best bros (it’s really cute actually so you should keep reading them). But out of all of them, this was the one that I got the most kick out of (laughter and tears).
“Lan Zhan, you slept in! Did I wear you out last night?” Jiang Cheng’s hand stilled. Wei Wuxian- his brother, his very shirtless brother- smiled up at him and leaned in for a kiss.
Jiang Cheng shrieked and flung himself from the bed.
“Lan Zhan?!” Wei Wuxian rushed over, wearing a worried expression on his face.
~
(Basically, Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji swap bodies on the same day as an important Discussion Conference. Chaos ensues.)
Injured/Illness/Curses List: (no deaths cuz I don’t fuk with unhappy ends).
Flight - Bloodcoral // General (11K)
Post-canon. You have LXC in seclusion and yet somehow JC just worms his way into his heart (like he did mine) and bAM. Love :)
In which Lan Xichen finds himself being coaxed from seclusion by Jiang Cheng of all people.
And Rain Will Make the Flowers Grow - brokenbutstillstanding // Mature (12K)
Hanahaki disease au. Ok so yup. It’s for Jiang Cheng obviously because him and pain might as well be a thing right? I will say though, if you can read while listening to music I recommend listening to the playlist that the author put there! Also!!!! Read the sequel as well Lotus Bloom, because it makes the whole work feel complete and it’s good!
He coughed a bit harder, a bit of phlegm seeming to be caught as he beat at his chest to try to dislodge it. It took a moment but Jiang Cheng could feel it working its way up, coughing into his hand.
It wasn’t phlegm. It wasn’t a cold either. In his hand lay a single bright yellow winter jasmine petal.
Well, yellow had always been his favorite color.
It's easier to let go (let me hold you) - Iamthedarkoverlord // Mature (24K)
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME TEARS?! Ok but I will say *Trigger warning: suicidal thoughts/attempt* But it's a happy ending alright guys. I, too, do not like unhappy ends so we good there. This is a 5 times + 1 -esque fic and takes place post-canon.
Five times someone noticed something was wrong and the one time someone did something about it.
Don't let me go - 2009190801 // Teen and Up (8K)
A little bit of some misunderstandings that gets resolved yea? (canon universe)
Jiang Cheng wasn't suicidal.
He had an explanation for this madness, though, admittedly, it was a very, very stupid one.
Yeah okay, he fucked up.
I am cursed to love you (to the grave) - Iamthedarkoverlord // Mature (39K)
Post-canon. This is definitely an interesting fic that makes you continually ask yourself -- What the hell is going? But that’s what makes it fun though, right ;) This is also not sUPER Xicheng heavy (dw it’s still there), but it’s just really different from what I’ve read before.
Jiang Cheng can’t sleep.
Mythology
The Form of Boneless Ice - TheWanderingHeart // Teen and Up (76K)
Ok so I LOVE THE ART that’s part of the story in this! It’s I believe by @baiwuzhi on twitter, and the art style just makes this story better! But yup, alternate world where the Jiang fam are MERPEOPLES. It’s a different read and the heart makes your heart just go /uwu/
Mythical beasts have long ago been driven to extinction by the gentry — hunted for sport, but more importantly for their magical cores. Since then, there remains only one creature that has never been caught. The Jiang’s retreated a long time ago. Abandoning land altogether, they sought safety where the humans could not reach.
It all comes to a head though, purely by chance. (Or is it by fate that a spontaneous decision allows for them to meet? If fate were a rock!) Jiang Cheng suddenly finds his whole life balanced on the head of a pin — on the flimsy promise of a human boy. In his opinion, things cannot possibly get worse!
(But then they do when the Wens decide it’s finally time to search for the elusive merpeople, and suddenly nowhere is safe.)
WIP List: Ok so these are the ones that I started, greatly enjoyed so far, but they’re not completed (YET- I HOPE). **EDITED TO SHOW WHICH HAS BEEN COMPLETED
Royalty au. Enemies to Lovers. What more is there to say? (But honestly though, the writing is really good so far and I love their dynamic and interactions with each other in this setting.)
Five great kingdoms have been fighting for years and when the kingdom of Yunmeng is destroyed, the Crown Prince Jiang Cheng vanishes.
In Gusu, Lan Xichen makes an offer impossible for Jiang Cheng to refuse. His life or revenge? There’s only one option and Jiang Cheng swears loyalty to the man he hated the most his whole life, the Crown Prince of Gusu, Lan Xichen himself.
The Fate of Us - Arashii // Explicit (5/5 chapters - 67K) *COMPLETED
A/B/O au. Ok I’ll admit, this fic is perhaps more on the um… self-indulgent side alright?! (*/ω＼*). But basically the story is: Jiang Cheng is a beta… until he isn’t :)
Jiang Cheng grew up thinking he was a beta. He was fine being a beta, he even liked it despite his parents disappointment. No crazy hormones, no heats, no ruts, never smelling the air like some dog… But why, why now every smell and every alpha close to him was giving him an urge to fight or flight?
In a banquet to celebrate the end of the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Xichen scents a delicious alluring smell and it seems to be coming from the young Sect Leader – Jiang Wanyin – who everyone thought was a beta, even him.
[SIDE NOTE: You should check this author’s other works out! They actually have this other fic that I’ve been eyeing (No Paths are Bound), but I decided to wait until it’s completed before I touch it because I am a binge reader at heart]
A Kind Word and a Gun (Will Take You Far) - actually_its_lem // Mature (7/? - 56K)
Mafia au. I LOVE GOOD MAFIA AUS!! Ok so Lan family be the big bad here and JC and WWX had a secret past? ANyways I just remember the beginning chapters to be super fun to read!
Jiang Cheng stared blearly at the unfamiliar smiling man across from him. His temples were throbbing much worse now than they had been before…before...
Before he had lost consciousness.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, disbelief dripping from every fiber of his being.
“You kidnapped me. You kidnapped me off the goddamn street.”
How to Escape Your Problems and Live Your Life in Denial – the Jiang Cheng Edition - Bgtea // Explicit (24/24 - 160K) *COMPLETED
Modern au. Cat. Barista. Cat Cafe. Yup, that’s the plot. (But ok for real I’m waiting for this to update so plsplspls. It’s cute and fun between JC and LXC and tbh I love modern fics where JC decides to branch off from his parents and learn to live his own life yano?).
So, this may not be the life Jiang Cheng's imagined for himself - he’s living in an apartment slightly bigger than a closet above a café filled with sassy, judgmental cats, penny-pinching and coupon-cutting his way to stave off starvation and scurvy.
And of course, just to make his life more complicated, there's the Lan Xichen Problem.
undeniably, you - HamsterQinghua // Teen and Up (15/15 - 28K) *COMPLETED
Post-canon. Ok I’ll admit that at the time there was only 5 chapters and I had read it and then subscribed to it to wait until it’s complete. But from what I saw in those 5 chapters was that this was going to be fun! So check it out!
Jiang Cheng can tell something is wrong when he sees Jin Ling's face ---or, Jiang Cheng gets cursed on a night-hunt, and turns into a 5-year-old
Fandoms: Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, The Untamed
Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji
Chapter Summary: Wangji learns how just a few meetings can severely shatter his restraint and jeopardize the secret he shares with Wanyin. This is not the kind of knowledge he ever wished to possess.
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#OMG HE IS PERFECT????????????#ALSO 10/10 WWX WOULD PULL ON THAT PONYTAIL#HE CAN’T HELP IT#IT IS AUTOMATIC#HE SEES PRIME ‘ANNOY MY DIDI’ TARGET AND JUST [YANKS]#i can’t get over how beautiful the designs on this game is#instead of sleeping i screencapped jc’s face#i have priorities#I LOVE HIM YOUR HONOR (via op)
anyway the thing about fanfic is that it's not essentially bad or good; it's essentially amateur. some people are absolutely out there writing award-worthy prose (some fic writers ARE award-winning writers IRL!), but that's not the point. the point is that we're all telling campfire stories. it's a community, and it's a way to spend some more time in the worlds and stories that we love.
jiang cheng is like “i would die for my brother” and then sixteen years later rolls up like, “just learned that my brother would die for me? shocked and upset”
