#changmian

[soursoppi]

echoes of the heart / 心魔

[helpmeimblorboing]

Unrequited Changmian and unrequited Chengxian parallels save me. Save me unrequited Changmian and unrequited Chengxian parallels

[perpetuallytiredandtired]

Time is a Bottle: A Little Stowaway

((Aka the au that Wei Changze and Jiang Fengmian got together and had the yunmeng sibs as their kids! Title is from this song ((bec i'm shawol trash))

“No! No!” a baby’s cries can be heard throughout Lotus Pier. The passing disciples are giggling amongst themselves as they heard the youngest master beg his much older siblings, “Stay home with A-Xiu!” His wide gray eyes are shining with tears, as it runs down his face like a river. “Diedie!” he runs to Jiang Fengmian as the child grabs the sect leader’s skirts. He hugs his father’s leg and begs tearfully, “Diedie! Tell Jiejie, Da-Ge, and Er-Ge not to leave A-Xiu!” 

Jiang Fengmian sighs as he lifts the five-year-old to carry on his hip. “A-Xiu,” he sighs as he wipes the child’s tears away. “Your siblings will have to go to Gusu to learn with other students like them.” He pressed a kiss on his youngest’s forehead, “It is not a place for babies like you.”

Jiang Wuxian coos at his youngest sibling as he pressed himself to Jiang Fengmian’s other side. He nuzzles his nose against Jiang Xiu’s, succeeding in making the child giggle after days of misery. “Aiyah A-Xiu,” He reproaches the child playfully, “Be a good bao and three months will fly by.” The eldest son leans as if to share a secret, “Diedie and Baba will need A-Xiu’s help since we are all going to Gusu. Can A-Xiu do that?” At the child’s reluctant nod, Jiang Wuxian grins wide and pats his brother’s head, “Good boy.”

When they left early in the morning, to travel by boat to Gusu. They sing, tell stories, and pass gossip like aunties in the marketplace.

Jiang Cheng suspected something was wrong when he heard kitten-like mewls from underneath their benches. He spies a quick look thinking that Chaochao had stowed away into their boat only to see a flash of lavender and small limbs. He is quick to grab the back of his runaway little brother’s robes before he could scurry away like the kitten that he is. He lifts him up like one and feels a headache coming in.

“You naughty, naughty little boy!”

Jiang Yanli scolds, her hands resting on her hips, as Jiang Xiu gives them kitten glares from where he is being held in Jiang Cheng’s arms. “Diedie must already be losing his mind.” her second brother mutters as he adjusts his hold on the child. Jiang Yanli nods in agreement while pinching A-Xiu’s cheeks in punishment.

[bnnywngs]

imagine this: jiang fengmian introduces wei changze to cangse sanren during his wedding and they both bond over being fengmian's ex, like omg we have the same ex what a coincidence!!! and they end up friends, and then lovers, and they marry and have a son (wei ying!!!) and they are very much in love with each other and very very happy, but still joke about being fengmian's exes and yu ziyuan is NOT amused at all

and their kids are like are we siblings? ok, we're siblings!!

wei ying: a-cheng, a-cheng! i'm your older twin!!

jiang cheng: ??? okay?? but i dont want a twin??

jiang yanli: i love my baby bothers (◕ᴗ◕✿)

[sincerelystranger]

not enough 3

“Will you still serve me when I become sect leader?” Jiang Fengmian asks.

Wei Changze is sat beside him under the pagoda. His back is straight and his posture is perfect as always. Jiang Fengmian allows himself a few moments to admire it.

Wei Changze doesn’t voice his answer. Instead, he nods slightly in affirmation. It’s more than enough for Jiang Fengmian.

“I’ll move you to a better room when I become sect leader,” Jiang Fengmian says eagerly. A room closer to his own. Maybe right next to his… “And I won’t make you go on all those stupid errands my father makes you go on.”

“They are my duties,” Wei Changze says quietly, and Jiang Fengmian can hear the gentle admonishment in his words. Wei Changze never lets Jiang Fengmian talk badly about his father. It’s as annoying as it is cute so Jiang Fengmian lets it go.

“Don’t you ever get tired of being so perfect?” Jiang Fengmian sighs. He slouches a little in his chair and turns to stare at the lake. Young disciples are splashing about, picking lotus pods and throwing them at each other. Jiang Fengmian has been deemed too old by his father to participate in the fun and Wei Changze is meant to be wherever Jiang Fengmian is so…

“Well, another thing you have to look forward too is that I promise not to marry someone who is as mean to you as my mother,” he says – because even if he’s in love with Wei Changze, Jiang Fengmian knows he has to marry. He’s the only son after all. He has to marry. But that doesn’t mean he’ll love his wife.

His heart will always belong to Wei Changze.

He turns to look at Wei Changze again. He admires the slope of his nose, the stern sit of his chin, the length of his eyelashes and the unmistakable kindness of his eyes.

Wei Changze has to know that Jiang Fengmian’s heart belongs to him. He’d be a fool not to know and Jiang Fengmian has never met anyone as smart as Wei Changze.

So he has to know.

Wei Changze turns then as well and meets Jiang Fengmian’s eyes.

Even after all these years, Jiang Fengmian’s heart stops in his chest. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to having Wei Changze’s full attention on him.

“It is an honor to serve your father and it will be an honor to serve you,” he says gently.

It’s times like these that Jiang Fengmian doubts.

Maybe Wei Changze doesn’t know. Because if he did, he wouldn’t say such cruel things, right? He wouldn’t treat Jiang Fengmian so coldly.

Maybe Wei Changze doesn’t know…

Wei Changze reaches out then and puts his hand over Jiang Fengmian’s. His skin burns at the touch.

“You will be a good sect leader,” Wei Changze says and he takes his hand off of Jiang Fengmian’s before Jiang Fengmian can respond.

“As long as I have you,” Jiang Fengmian replies after a few seconds, his voice weaker than he’d like.

Maybe he does know.

---

Wei Wuxian comes back to him at Langya.

He’s thinner than Jiang Fengmian can ever remember seeing him and he looks tired and worn but Jiang Fengmian is so relieved to see him that it takes everything he has not to sink to the floor.

“A-Xian!” Yanli cries, running towards Wei Wuxian. Tears are already streaming down her soft face and Wei Wuxian’s face lights up upon seeing her.

Jiang Cheng is stood next to him, his eyes wet and smiling happily as he watches his sister and his sworn-brother reunite.

“He’s the one responsible for those strange kills,” Jiang Cheng says proudly. “Wen Zhuliu was no match for us, father. Wen Chao died a coward’s death.”

“They said you were dropped into the Burial Mounds,” Jiang Fengmian says, still not quite believing his eyes.

Wei Wuxian turns and gives him a wan smile. Jiang Fengmian has never seen this sort of smile on Wei Wuxian’s face. It chills him somehow.  

“Uncle,” he bows respectfully, “I apologize it took me so long to return.”  

“You got out of the Burial Mounds?” his wife asks suspiciously. Her eyes are narrowed on Wei Wuxian and she walks around observing him slowly. Zidian crackles on her clenched fist. “You’re the one responsible for the strange deaths of those Wen dogs?”

Wei Wuxian looks to the ground, obviously uncomfortable at his wife’s suspicion.

“He has his sword now,” Jiang Cheng answers quickly in his stead. “He won’t have to use such strange methods to defeat the Wen dogs.”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t look up. Jiang Cheng’s reply seems to make him even more uncomfortable if possible.

“Let’s let A-Xian rest,” Yanli says, patting Wei Wuxian on his back comfortingly. “You’ve gotten so thin, A-Xian!” she scolds, wiping her still falling tears away. She leads him into their tent to undoubtedly feed him all the soup she can. Jiang Cheng follows quickly behind.

His wife catches his eye when Wei Wuxian leaves them.

“No one leaves the Burial Mounds,” she says.

“Perhaps the soldier lied,” Jiang Fengmian replies. If he’s honest, he’s suspicious himself, but…

For a split second, when Wei Wuxian was walking towards them, it had felt like Wei Changze had returned. That alone prevents Jiang Fengmian from voicing any concern about the suspicious nature of Wei Wuxian’s return.

“He reeks of that strange energy,” his wife sneers.

“Strange does not mean bad,” he says, and it sounds weak even to his own ears.

She just stares at him, her eyes piercing and all too knowing.

I’m your wife, she had said.

Do you know how humiliating it is to have to ask to be chosen over that boy? She had said.

He hadn’t known how to respond to her words then, but he knows now.

I’m not choosing him; he wants to say. That boy has never been chosen.

Poor boy, poor boy.

He was never given a choice.

---

With Wei Wuxian back, Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Cheng agree that they are ready to take back Yunmeng.

Surprisingly, the Lan-er states that he would like to join them.

Jiang Fengmian agrees, of course, because the Lan-er has more than proved himself in battle. Hanguang-jun they call him as of late.

Wei Wuxian does not seem particularly happy about this turn of events, but he keeps quiet.

They take back Yunmeng easily. Without a leader, the Wen soldiers fall easily on their swords, and when defeat becomes obvious, many of them run away.

His wife tears down the Wen Sect plank with a whip of her Zidian and they all step inside.

Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and his wife are stone-faced as they look around their destroyed home.

It makes Jiang Fengmian almost wish that Yanli had joined them. At least she would have cried. At least she would have shown some emotion.

Jiang Cheng walks purposefully into the main hall. Both him and his wife’s swords are displayed next to the sect leader’s chair like a trophy. Jiang Cheng grabs them and presents them to him and his wife.

He’s glad to have his sword back, but the heavy iron is a cold reminder to how close he had been to losing his life that day.

He looks over to the boy who saved him.

Wei Wuxian is seemingly locked in a heated discussion with the Lan-er.

“It will damage your spirit,” the Lan-er says heatedly.

“Who knows my temper and my spirit better than me?” Wei Wuxian responds darkly.

“Wei Wuxian!” the Lan-er snarls.

The air around them is becoming so heated that Jiang Fengmian feels the need to step in, but before he can say a word –

“Hanguang-jun,” his wife says sharply.

The Lan-er looks at her almost as if he’d forgotten she was there.

“You more than live up to your name,” she starts politely, “and we are grateful for your help today in recovering our home, but Wei Wuxian and his methods of cultivation will be handled by us. Thank you for your concern.”

Both Wei Wuxian and the Lan-er stare at his wife as if seeing her for the first time.

There is a long silence in the courtyard before the Lan-er just nods and walks off.

“Hanguang-jun’s concerns are not unfounded,” is all his wife says before walking off.

Wei Wuxian nods and just stares after her in shock.

Jiang Fengmian walks to Wei Wuxian and places a hand on his shoulder. “Do not… ruin yourself for…” he trails off, not quite sure what to say. For this sect? For this war? For this stupid old man who fell in love with your father and used you as a strange way to repent for all the ways he hurt him?

Wei Wuxian huffs a smile – too sad and too old for his face – and turns, letting Jiang Fengmian’s hand slip off his shoulder. “Doing my duty will not ruin me, uncle,” he says, and he walks off the opposite direction of the Lan-er.

His answer sends a cold shiver up Jiang Fengmian’s spine.

His duty.

What does he think his duty is? Jiang Fengmian wonders.

I want something more for my child, Wei Changze had told him, and Jiang Fengmian, young and foolish and proud had been angry at him for that.

“Please,” Jiang Fengmian whispers to the too-familiar back walking away from him, “If you must ruin yourself, please let it be for something more than this.”

Anything – anything – more than Jiang Fengmian.

[soursoppi]

MR WEI- PLS-

[soursoppi]

sometimes I think of how Jiang Fengmian widowed himself to a man he never married, and raised that man's child like he had birthed him from his own flesh and blood...

In my headcanon... the only reason why WWX went with him was because he remembered the scent of lotus blooms from when JFM visited WCZ and CSSR and gifted WCZ with a Jiang bell as a keepsake.

Having been all alone on the streets for a good while, WWX would probably have been unrecognisable even to someone who knew him- JFM was only able to recognise him because WWX had held onto the last thing he had of his father- the bell which he tied securely to himself with the red ribbon his mother had tied to his hair (which she did because she thought it would bring him luck and ensure his good fate).

He would have been so distrustful of everyone and everything- shocked and grieving but unable to process his trauma, but something about the way this man clad in fine purple robes, the scent of Lotuses stirred a memory deep within him of being safe and warm- and so he decides to trust him, to allow this stranger to help him.

[soursoppi]

its almost Feb 14... you know what time it is- P(arent).D(efense).A(ction) time!