Chapter Text
“Do I have to, Jiejie?” he’s letting himself emulate Wei Ying’s habit of whining about having to do things in an attempt to earn pity or get out of them. “I want to go home.”
Jiang Yanli stifled a giggle – looking at him bemused.
Of her three little brothers she knew that this one was going to find Cloud Recesses most difficult – even more so than Wei Wuxian. Not that either of the other boys would enjoy their time with the strict lessons.
She pinched his cheeks. “I would never make you stay – but think what Mother would say?”
That sent a cold flash of fear down his spine.
Madam Yu was…fearsome.
Sure, she liked him better than Wei Ying and he liked her better than he did their adopted father, really, at least she made sense. He still hadn’t figured out what Jiang Fengmian’s game was. Madam Yu had deemed them useful to the Jiang Sect. As long as they minded their places.
And Madam Yu was the one who decreed that he needed to be sent with the other disciples to study with the Gusu Lan.
Returning to Lotus Pier would not be good for his health.
Because his sister was there he didn’t swear. Not aloud anyways. He hated disappointing her.
And, besides, his fussing up had finally gotten her to stop worrying about that over-grown Jin peacock she was betrothed to. Jiang Cheng’s grip on his arm had been the only thing that had stopped him from breaking that pretty boy’s face after what happened at the inn.
“Are you still whining?” Jiang Cheng scowled. “We’re nearly there.”
Xue Yang couldn’t hold back the low groan this time. Flashing a glare at his brother, but any argument was cut short as Wei Wuxian’s arms dropped around both their shoulders.
Dropping his voice to a whisper so that their sister couldn’t hear, “Tonight I’m going to go back for some Emperor’s Smile.”
The invitation was obvious.
As was their brother’s utter annoyance. “Wei Wuxian! Do not cause trouble!”
Any further bickering had to be held off – they’d reached the entrance guarded by the Gusu Lan sect. None of them wanted to make the Yunmeng Jiang sect seem uncouth. Especially after the lectures they’d received about minding their manners and tempers.
Xue Yang stayed back. He was just as good a cultivator as Jiang Cheng but even Wei Wuxian’s parentage was better. His father might have been a servant but his mother was a disciple of Baoshan Sanren. He didn’t even have any memories of family.
And he knew that his temper was just likely to get them into trouble. Better to see if Wei Ying’s sugared tongue could get them through the gates.
Besides he was the youngest. The baby shouldn’t have to deal with a mess his elders got them into, right?
His attention flicked away from the way that his brother’s charm was proving utterly ineffectual against the strictures of the Gusu Lan when a new figure approached.
Icy arrogance spoiled any chance of that face being pretty and the way those golden eyes didn’t even move to acknowledge the presence of the Jiang clan irked him enough to smile the way he did with sharp canine teeth showing – he wanted to punch this new arrival already.
“Second Young Master, welcome back.”
Ah. That explained it.
Most Young Masters were not half as fun as Jiang Cheng. Though he had his annoying points at least his brother wasn’t enough of a prick to forget that birth didn’t mean anything about what really mattered. He wouldn’t work so hard to compete with Wei Ying and him if he did.
And the only other one he’d ever met that seemed tolerable was the fan-waving buffoon from the Nie clan. And that was just because it was fun to see how long it took to flake away the idiot act.
Still he really only focused when Wei Ying’s words cut off, becoming muffled complaints.
“Second Young Master has put the Silence spell on you. No one can remove it except the Lan and it dispels automatically after a stick of incense’s time.”
Watching Wei Wuxian turn with even louder muffled complaints he had to break into laughter. He couldn’t help himself – and he dodged his brother’s retaliatory swipe with ease. Only after he’d circled around Jiang Cheng a few times – using him as a shield while Wei Ying tried to catch him did he dodge behind their sister.
From Jiang Yanli’s back he stuck his tongue out at Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng. But neither would try to catch him while he was hiding behind their sister.
She laughed lightly, “Behave – all of you.”
Their smiles faded as they looked back to the gate and remembered their problem.
Using his sword he scratched a few words into the dirt informing them that he’d go back for the invitations. And, as was typical of his brother, he was gone before any of them had a chance to stop him from going by himself.
Jiang Cheng grimaced, a hand weighted on Xue Yang’s shoulder to keep his younger impulsive brother from running off too.
“We’ll need to build a fire,” he said. His eyes rested on Jiang Yanli. While their golden cores would be enough to keep them warm even in these chilly mountains, hers wasn’t very strong. And neither were those of some of the other disciples that had come with.
Not the most auspicious start to the year of study that they were looking forward to.
At least a year was plenty of time to find a way to get back at Jin ZiXuan and Lan Wangji for being the spoiled, arrogant, annoying assholes that had made it so they were even having to worry about how to keep Jiang Yanli warm in these stupid fucking mountains.
Just as he’d properly started to plot his vengeance one of the subjects thereof returned to bring them into Cloud Recesses.
….it was even more irritating when people removed the point of his wanting revenge! Sulkily Xue Yang decided he would not be grateful but maybe let Lan Wangji off the hook…just a little. His Jiejie would be upset if he got back at the man after everything had been fixed.
Well. Except for Wei Ying.
He was still not back from Cayi town. But since he’d lost the invitations in the first place (and who else could it have been to be stupid enough to forget them, really?) he did deserve to have to wait for the Lan sect to permit his entry in the morning without the exception being granted to them now.