Luo Qingyang had never visited Lotus Pier before. Sure, she’d listened to Wei Wuxian’s endless ramblings about the most beautiful place on earth just like everyone else attending Gusu Lan lectures but she’d never really paid much attention to him. People tended to love the place where they grew up (unless it was something absolutely horrible like the Burial Mounds), which made Wei Wuxian’s gushing completely normal, for once. But now that she actually was there, she had to admit that it was very aesthetically pleasing.
Fuck it, fine. Lotus Pier was beautiful.
There. Happy now, Wei Wuxian?
Sect Leader Jiang had done a marvelous job in renovating the place but the signs of the Wen occupation were still showing; a burn-marks on this house frame, blood seeped on those stepping stones, lightning patterns left behind by Zidian. Luo Qingyang found them appropriate as landmarks and mementos of painful history that taught them all a valuable lesson but she understood the sentiment to try and get rid of them, to build a brand-new, pristine start for the new era.
”What do you think, Lan Zhan? Isn’t this the most beautiful place on earth?” Wei Wuxian demanded, hanging on Lan Wangji’s arm like a limpet.
”Any place with you is the most beautiful place on earth,” Lan Wangji replied serenely, rendering Wei Wuxian into a sputtering and blushing mess.
”Smooth,” A-Qing murmured.
”Can you not?” Jiang Wanyin hissed through clenched teeth. ”This is supposed to be a respectable event.”
”But Chengcheng—”
”Don’t fucking call me that—”
”Boys,” Jiang Yanli said with a small smile. (She was a miracle and Luo Qingyang was ready to worship the ground she walked on. But she didn’t because she was an actual adult.) ”Welcome to Lotus Pier, Wen Qing and Luo Qingyang,” she said and bowed as well as she could with her pregnancy. ”And Lan Wangji, of course. Lovely to see you all!”
”Thank you,” A-Qing said. ”How are you feeling?”
Jiang Yanli winked as she pressed a hand on the small of her back. ”Absolutely terrible. Completely drained of energy and feeling like a corpse. As you can see.” In other words, she was radiant.
”Shijie, you’re huge!” Wei Wuxian gasped with wide eyes because apparently, he only now realized his sister was very, very pregnant. Also, he was a moron with no manners.
”WEI WUXIAN!” Jiang Wanyin barked. ”You can’t say that!”
”Why not? I mean, have you seen her?”
Jiang Wanyin bared his teeth and pushed him into the lake.
Lan Wangji gave Jiang Yanli a perfect bow before turning to fish his idiot of a cultivation partner out of the lake.
Luo Qingyang shook her head.
Men.
The original idea had been a reluctant agreement to send out invitations to Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang’s sworn brotherhood and then nonchalantly continue to the wedding. Jiang Yanli had vetoed it the moment she heard about it, stating that people would be more inclined to arrive with gifts instead of murderous intent if they thought they were going to attend a sect meeting than a celebration involving the Yiling Patriarch. And since Jiang Yanli tended to be right about things like that, they all agreed. Luo Qingyang was still on the fence if this had been Nie Huaisang’s original plan all along.
Anyway, the new version of the event was that Yunmeng Jiang was throwing a modest celebration in the honor of the one-year anniversary of the Sunshot Campaign victory. No one needed to know that the celebration would start with the brotherhood ceremony and end with a wedding. And since things were still a bit fragile and everyone was busy rebuilding, they’d invited the least amount of sect leaders and other officials they could get away with.
”What about the Jin?” A-Qing asked with a small frown, trailing a finger along the rim of her teacup.
”What do you mean?” Jiang Yanli asked mildly. She poured more tea, brushing off Wei Wuxian’s anxious hovering.
If it was someone else, A-Qing would’ve rolled her eyes. ”Who’s going to show up and with how many disciples? How are the Lotus Pier’s defenses?”
”My husband is going to escort my mother-in-law and a small party of disciples,” Jiang Yanli said pointedly. ”Oh, Qingyang, A-Xuan asked your opinion on the candidates for the next Jin head disciple. The previous one has unfortunately been…indisposed.”
She handed Luo Qingyang a very official-looking document, complete with the Jin seal and all. Inside, written in the most formal of Jin Zixuan’s handwritings in a neat column, were the names of seven Jin disciples. All of them were people she knew and had vouched for. She didn’t even bother biting back a smile.
”What?” Wei Wuxian said. ”Wait, what happened?”
”Jin Zixun has been removed,” Jiang Yanli said.
”Who?”
Luo Qingyang rolled her eyes. ”The moron who led the stupid attack on the Burial Mounds shortly after I arrived.”
Wei Wuxian frowned a moment before he shrugged. ”Doesn’t ring a bell but good riddance.”
Nie Huaisang leaned sideways from behind his fan. ”I heard he was cursed,” he half-whispered to Wei Wuxian. ”Hundred holes, or something. I don’t know.”
”A Hundred Holes curse?” Lan Wangji said with a faint frown. ”That sounds extreme.”
Nie Huaisang hummed. ”It might just as well have been syphilis.”
Jiang Wanyin choked on his tea. ”What?” He wheezed.
”Or something, I really don’t know,” Nie Huaisang said and hid behind his fan.
Luo Qingyang shared a Look with A-Qing and Jiang Yanli.
”The curse part is correct,” Jiang Yanli said. ”A-Xuan got called to Jinlintai when the whole mess with Qin Su came to light and he hasn’t been back home since.” She sighed and took a sip of tea. ”It’s quite a mess.”
Apparently, Jin Zixun had, indeed, got slapped with a Hundred Hole curse. He’d tried to blame it on Wei Wuxian but it had gone hilariously sideways when Nie Mingjue had snorted and told the assembled audience that the only markings he’d seen on Wei Wuxian’s skin had been the badly hidden love bites left by the esteemed Hanguang-jun. The meeting had then somehow ended up debating if Wei Wuxian had Lan Wangji under his spell to do his bidding or if Wei Wuxian had somehow developed a nefarious new cultivation practice, at which point Madam Jin had slammed her hand on the table and taken control of the situation.
(”Ohhh, Lan Zhan—” ”No!” ”Chengcheng, I wasn’t talking to you—” ”I FUCKING SAID NO!” ”You’re no fun.”)
”In his letter, A-Xuan said that the whole Jinlintai is in an uproar. Jin Guangshan was found but he never resumed his position, turning it over to Madam Jin instead. Jin Guangyao is under house arrest and there seems to be a lot of incriminating paperwork to deal with. Madam Jin has never been a fan of Jin Guangyao but A-Xuan is trying to clear things out and help him.” She sighed. ”And on top of everything else, they found a hidden jail under the Carp Tower and if I understood correctly, it seems that someone had been dabbling with demonic cultivation. Does the name Xue Yang mean anything to any of you?”
The stony silence was enough of an answer as Wei Wuxian, Jiang Wanyin, and Lan Wangji went white and shared a look. ”Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?” Wei Wuxian asked slowly.
”Oh, he most definitely is now,” Jiang Yanli said, satisfied. ”A-Xuan wrote that, and I quote, ’Xue Yang made a close acquaintance with Zewu-jun’s sword, pointy end first.’ I think he was rather tired at that point of his letter.”
”That’s all well and good but that didn’t really answer my question,” A-Qing said.
Jiang Yanli inclined her head. ”In short: Lanling Jin is going through a reform and is way too busy flushing out the dirt to be concerned with a Wen branch family that has never been interested in cultivating the sword path and that had nothing to do with the war.”
”Oh,” A-Qing said, a bit faintly.
”Oh, thank fuck,” Luo Qingyang breathed out.
”Indeed,” Jiang Yanli said with a small smile.
For a moment, they all looked elsewhere as A-Qing hung her head with her eyes closed and lips pinched tightly together as she fought to keep her emotions under control. She’d let herself fall apart later in Luo Qingyang’s arms but she didn’t want to show a sign of weakness here. To give her a moment, Nie Huaisang asked Jiang Wanyin’s opinion on a book Jiang Wanyin clearly knew absolutely fuck-all about and Wei Wuxian started fussing around Jiang Yanli, supporting her back and holding her cup for her.
”Wei Wuxian, stop that!” A-Qing finally snapped. ”If you really want to help, you can rub her feet once I get her to retire to her quarters to rest.”
”I’m not tired—” Jiang Yanli started but A-Qing interrupted with a sharp move of her hand.
”Which of us is the doctor here?” She sniffed. ”You’ve been on your feet the whole day and stressing too much about everything lately. You will rest and I’ll perform a full examination on you. And then—and only then if you are fine—Wei Wuxian can make himself useful and rub your feet.”
With a small smile, Jiang Yanli agreed and didn’t mention how bright and wet A-Qing’s eyes were and how her hands shook as she helped Jiang Yanli up.
Watching the Jiang disciples work was a revelation. Okay, so, Luo Qingyang didn’t have experience in any other sects than the small branch he was born in and then the Jin and probably everything was an improvement compared to the Jin. But the Jiang disciples seemed more like a good-naturedly bickering family than a sect and despite the constant back-and-forth insults, they worked swiftly and efficiently. As far as Luo Qingyang had so far seen, the Lotus Pier was in excellent condition already but the disciples made sure everything was shining and pristine.
Jiang Wanyin prowled the grounds like a panther, giving narrow-eyed looks at his people who cowed obediently in front of him but shook their heads with fond looks behind his back. It was a novelty to watch the disciples genuinely care about their sect leader and not be afraid to show it. (Wei Wuxian didn’t count because a) he wasn’t a sect leader and b) he was a disaster who needed constant supervision, not unlike A-Yuan.) Nie Huaisang trailed after Jian Wanyin, clutching his ubiquitous fan and commenting a thing or another every now and then, touching Jiang Wanyin’s shoulder or arm. It was glaringly obvious Sect Leader Jiang was completely at sea and had no clue of what to do with the sudden attention he was showered with.
It was fucking hilarious.
Speaking of Wei Wuxian, he was being uncharacteristically jumpy. Luo Qingyang wasn’t sure if it was some kind of stress about Jiang Yanli (as if the woman was going to give birth on Wei Wuxian, for fuck’s sake!) or the fact that this would be the first time he’d meet other sect leaders. Or was he actually nervous about the sworn brotherhood ceremony? She couldn’t quite grasp why but it was possible? She almost talked to Wei Wuxian and Lan wangji about it on the third day after their arrival but when she made her way to Wei Wuxian’s old room, she saw Lan Wangji pinning Wei Wuxian against the wall and made the executive decision to get the fuck away.
”I feel like there’s something I’m missing,” she confessed A-Qing later that night as they were getting ready for bed. ”I don’t know what but…”
”He isn’t going to run, is he?” A-Qing asked, pausing where she was brushing her hair.
Luo Qingyang took the brush and gently maneuvered her to kneel on the bed. ”I don’t think so. He’s been very attentive at the rehearsals and he knows the steps through the ceremony. And there’s so much resting on this—he knows how much it means to our safety. I don’t think he’d willingly jeopardize that.”
”Hm. But you’re rarely wrong about stuff like this.”
Luo Qingyang shrugged. ”It’s something but I just don’t know what.”
”And it annoys you, poor thing,” A-Qing said mock-sympathetically over her shoulder.
”Oh, fuck you,” Luo Qingyang huffed and rolled her eyes.
A-Qing cocked her head. ”Mm…now that you mention it, I’d like you to fuck me, please.”
What was she supposed to do other than what her A-Qing requested?
So, of course she fucked her and when they were both spent and sweaty and wrung out, she held her as she let out the tears she’d been holding back for years.
The swearing ceremony went down without a hitch. It was held at the main pier for reasons Luo Qingyang didn’t understand until she saw the dozens upon dozens of boats carrying the people of Yunmeng to witness their beloved Wei Wuxian being celebrated. It was also a precaution in case anyone was stupid enough to attempt something. The carefully curated audience of sect leaders stood in polite attention, keeping their mouths shut as Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang completed the ceremony. Even Sect Leader Yao was quiet which might or might not have something to do with the fact that Nie Mingjue and Lan Wangji spent the majority of the ceremony staring daggers at him and the one time Sect Leader Yao opened his mouth, Zewu-jun’s hand twitched, just slightly. Sect Lader Yao decided to cough instead.
After, they had a party that ended with both Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang being thrown into the lake. Wei Wuxian took it all in stride, stripping his outer robes right there on the pier and then cozying up to Lan Wangji, whose eyes had gone suspiciously dark. They vanished soon after, to everyone’s relief. Nie Huaisang emerged drenched and miserable (and yet, somehow his fan was dry?) and he bemoaned his fate to a flustered Jiang Wanyin, earning them a narrow-eyed glare from Nie Mingjue.
All in all, it was a success.
The day after, however, was not.
”What do you mean ’they’re gone?’ ” Jiang Wanyin hissed with narrowed eyes. He looked like he had a migraine but then again, that might just be his resting face.
”Exactly what I said,” Luo Qingyang said back, raising a brow at Jiang Wanyin’s bared teeth. ”His room is empty, their stuff is gone, and there’s no note. In short; they’re gone.”
”Fffffffuck,” Jiang Wanyin growled under his breath.
”Ah,” Jin Zixuan cleared his throat from the door. ”Wanyin, Qingyang, if you’d come with me? Yanli says…well, they left her a note.”
Jiang Wanyin slammed his teacup on the table and stomped across the room, jerking his head at Luo Qingyang. ”They better have a good explanation for this.”
When they made their way to the small pavilion next to Jiang Yanli’s room, they clearly weren’t the only ones she’d wanted to talk to. Lan Xichen was kneeling by the table and pouring Jiang Yanli tea despite her profuse protesting while Lan Qiren stood by the railing, staring out to the lake with a thunderous scowl.
”Ah, A-Cheng, Qingyang, sit down, please,” Jiang Yanli said with a slightly tired smile and then leaned a bit toward Luo Qingyang. ”Wen Qing is checking in on A-Yuan, she’ll be back shortly.”
”Did the idiot leave you a note, A-jie?” Jiang Wanyin asked.
Jiang Yanli sighed and closed her eyes. ”Yes,” she said and handed the letter to him.
Jiang Wanyin eyed it and then spat out a frustrated, ”Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
”What?” Luo Qingyang asked.
Jiang Wanyin ignored her and turned to Lan Xichen. ”And you! You enabled them!”
”In my defense, I wasn’t aware of any other plans,” Lan Xichen said mildly. ”I’ve already apologized to Jiang Yanli but I extend the same apology to you, as well.”
”I don’t give a fuck about your apology,” Jiang Wanyin grumbled and rubbed a hand across his face. ”Why the fuck did they elope a day before their wedding?”
Lan Xichen’s smile froze. ”I—pardon me for asking but did they know they were about to get married?”
”Of course they knew!” Jiang Wanyin snapped. ”Right, a-jie?”
Jiang Yanli winced. ”Ah. That.”
”WHAT?”
”We thought A-Xian would panic if he knew about the plans—”
”No, sorry, but…did your pregnancy push out your common sense?” Jiang Wanyin asked waving his hands around wildly. ”This is WEI WUXIAN we’re talking about!”
Luo Qingyang saved Wei Wuxian’s note from Jiang Wanyin and barely bit back a groan as she read it.
Thanks for the party! Lan Zhan and I are eloping! Don’t give birth until we’re back, this shouldn’t take more than about a week! Love you!
It was written in Wei Wuxian’s familiar, messy scrawl that was nearly illegible. Underneath his name in Lan Wangji’s neat calligraphy was a simple, Thank you.
”Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she sighed.
”It’s not legitimate,” Lan Qiren forced between clenched teeth. Luo Qingyang didn’t know if it was meant as a statement or a question.
”I’m afraid it is,” Lan Xichen said, not sounding that apologetic.
”Ancestors—”
”The Cold Pond Cave,” Lan Xichen interrupted. ”And…me, unfortunately.”
”Explain,” Jiang Wanyin said coldly.
Luo Qingyang heard light steps from behind her and turned a bit to see A-Qing approach with Nie Huaisang in tow.
”Back during the Gusu lectures, Wei Wuxian and Wangji were compelled into the Cold Pond Cave. Long story short, that’s where our ancestor Lan Yi had resided, guarding her piece of Yin iron.” Lan Xichen paused and shook his head before continuing, ”Wangji used his forehead ribbon to protect Wei Wuxian from the Cave’s defensive spells and the Cave recognized it as handfasting.”
”Xichen, you don’t mean…” Qiren said, sounding slightly strangled.
Lan Xichen inclined his head. ”They were handfasted and they bowed to Lan Yi.”
Jiang Wanyin sputtered, ”But—that was years ago!”
Lan Xichen shrugged which looked strangely casual for him. ”Last night, I was having trouble sleeping and took a walk at the piers. I met Wangji and Wei Wuxian who bowed to me and then Wei Wuxian nudged Wangji and they bowed again.” He chuckled, slightly embarrassed. ”It felt oddly formal but I thought it was just due to the whole day and the ceremony.”
Lan Qiren closed his eyes, looking like he wanted to die a little. Perhaps he did. ”Ancestors and family,” he said, sounding defeated.
”Yes,” Lan Xichen said.
Lan Qiren muttered something under his breath and rubbed his temples. For some reason, Luo Qingyang felt like this was something he’d be doing a lot for the foreseeable future. Wei Wuxian tended to have that effect on people.
”But…what about the wedding?” Nie Huaisang asked, looking distraught. ”We had such nice plans! And decorations! And robes! And wine!”
”We’re going to need that wine,” Jiang Wanyin said with a sigh. ”Fucking Wei Wuxian.”
Luo Qingyang had the hysterical urge to quip, ”Yes, I believe Lan Wangji is.” She didn’t.
”What a waste,” Nie Huaisang wailed. ”If only we had someone to marry off instead of Wei-xiong and Hanguang-jun!” Then he stopped, let out a dramatic gasp—
—And turned to face Luo Qingyang.
”No,” she said flatly.
”Oh, but it would be perfect!” Nie Huaisang said, clapping his hands once. ”We have the food and wine and decorations and robes—a good thing they’re very neutral as there were going to be two grooms, so it doesn’t matter if there are two brides—Yanli-jie, you probably have some jewelry we can borrow?”
”I said no!”
Nie Huaisang stopped to give her an affronted look. ”Why not? It’s not like we have candidates to choose from! Wanyin and I aren’t there yet—” (”EXCUSE ME WHAT??”) ”—and da-ge would eviscerate me and geld Wanyin which isn’t something I’m into, and I don’t think the Jiang would be comfortable hosting any random cultivator’s wedding, right?”
”Right,” Jiang Yanli said, faintly bemused.
”Absolutely not,” Luo Qingyang said, slightly desperate, and turned to A-Qing. ”Right?”
A-Qing shrugged. ”I don’t see why not.”
”Oh thank fu—what? Really?”
A-Qing reached out for her hand. ”I know we never talked about this but I wouldn’t mind being your wife and having you as mine. I never envisioned celebrating in Wei Wuxian’s leftovers but let’s face it: considering who we are and where we live, this might be our only chance to have a proper celebration.” Her lips drew into a wry smile. ”Besides, think about it: Yunmeng Jiang arranges the wedding for the head of the last remaining Wen with the support of Gusu Lan and Qinghe Nie. Could we hope for a stronger declaration?”
Luo Qingyang stared at her for a moment, then shook her head and let out a hopeless laugh. ”Do you have any idea how attractive you are like this? Heavens, I love you!” She yanked her into her arms and kissed her soundly on the lips, ignoring Lan Qiren’s sputtering and Jiang Wanyin’s disgusted, ”Oh fuck you and yours, not again.”
The wedding went without a hitch, and then Luo Qingyang was married to the most beautiful and intelligent woman on earth.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji returned two weeks later (just in time for the next Jin heir’s birth), and were flabbergasted and affronted they’d gotten married without them. (Or, well, Wei Wuxian was all huffy, Lan Wangji smiled and offered his congratulations.)
”It was supposed to be your fucking wedding but you ran away you moron!” Jiang Wanyin yelled, frustrated, and pushed him into the lake. The moment Wei Wuxian’s sputtering face emerged, Lan Wangji shoved Jiang Wanyin into the lake as well, somehow radiating smugness while completely straight-faced. Wei Wuxian laughed so hard he nearly drowned, the idiot.
Luo Qingyang turned her back to the chaos and shot a grin at A-Qing. ”Would you like to accompany me to the market, my wife?” She asked.
A-Qing huffed and rolled her eyes with a small, gentle smile playing on her lips. ”I’d love to, my wife.”