Brothel meme continued

[lastjinstanding]

Continued from here

Jin Ling had really hoped he'd have A-Yuan at his side for this, but he didn't blame the sweet man for being ill one bit. In fact, he really enjoyed holding him as they finished traveling up to Lotus Pier. He sends servants off the boat to arrange a discreet delivery of his ill and subdued guest to private chambers following Ling's disembark. He instructed only Fu Geming to carry A-Yuan with Liling.

Sadly, after that, he had to leave his pets in his servants care. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped onto the pier. He bowed humbly to all of his relatives and gave them each a proper greeting- or in Wei Wuxian's case, a cheeky one.

He was brought into the main hall and given the seat next to Jiang Cheng's throne. Wei Wuxian was seated beside him with Lan Wangji at the next seat. And yes, Wangji had been offered the throne but had chosen to stay at Wuxian's side. It was Jiang Cheng's wedding, after all.

Jin Ling is happy sitting to a nice cup of tea and some wine after a long day of travel with promise of dinner coming.

~~~

"Jin-Guniang, is the young master Zheng in this room?" A young, unfamiliar male voice asks. "I have some medicine I wish to offer if you'd announce me."

"Of course. Let me ask for you," Liling says in a warm tone. She knocks on Yuan's door and peeks in. She smiles when she sees him awake. She comes in and shuts the door behind her. "Zheng-gongzi? How are you feeling? A friend of Jin-zongzhu from the Lan Clan is here to offer you some medicine. Would you feel up to seeing him?"

Comments

[lastjinstanding]

"So again we learn you were in danger without telling anyone. You turned to using a ward from Jin Guangyao's books rather than ask for our help? That's not bravery, that's stupidity. That's like when you ran out to fight those puppets in the Burial Mounds after I offered you Zidian and you refused to take it!" Wanyin scolds, slamming his fist against the arm of his chair.

Jin Ling jumps to his feet. "What if something had happened and those puppets had gotten through our rank and reached you? What would you have used?"

"I was out of spiritual energy, you fool! I couldn't have used it anyway!" Wanyin shoots back, rising as well. "Stop trying to protect your elders! We don't need it. We need you to live!"

"I need you to live more!"

[notaturnip]

"Jin Ling..." Zizhen speaks up hesitantly "You're trying to protect everybody else, right? But don't you see that we all want to protect you, too? And when you're the one in danger... there's nothing wrong with telling people."

"I like that one," Wei Wuxian tells his husband, pointing at Zizhen, then turning his attention back to his nephew.

"Rulan, remember what I said to you yesterday about power from the right corners?" he asked "That doesn't just apply to the situation we were discussing, that applies to things like this too. We are your corners. You're right that you can't turn to us for every little thing, but the big things? Especially the big things when your life is in danger? There's no shame or dishonour in asking for help, not from family."

Yuan smiles softly, he can't help it - it's so clear that everybody in the room loves and supports Jin Ling, that they want to help him, even if they're mad at him for keeping secrets and putting himself in danger - it warms his heart even as it makes it ache for the family he barely remembers, the family he lost.

[lastjinstanding]

Jin Ling looks down at Zizhen and seems like he wants to argue but how does he combat that? Then Wuxian adds to it and he realizes what his uncle had meant yesterday that he'd misunderstood. Slowly he sinks back to his mat. The fight just goes out of him. This is completely humiliating but it's also the only point in his life he's felt so surrounded in love like this. It's overwhelming and he hates that old familiar feeling of tears in his eyes.

"It's constant.." He finally breathes out. His voice much lower and just.. plain exhausted. "I can tell I'm always been watched. Things that I know I've done right get screwed up somehow. My men are always questioning me and making me second guess myself or what I remember. I know at least one of the guards is involved but I don't know how far it goes. I've been trying to catch them. My servant Liling is the only one I really trust. I had another, Daiyu, but there was poison on a robe recently and somehow it got on his skin first.."

He shakes his head and makes a vague gesture to the cloak. "I've spent the last two days making those but I was asleep in the carriage and half the guard took them off. I had intercepted word that an attack was going to happen on the way here and I wanted to protect them, but.. they still got hurt. Between this and Uncle Yao, I don't feel like I can trust anyone. I find myself doubting if I can trust even you all."

[notaturnip]

Yuan's heart just breaks for him as he explains the situation and he reaches out to take Jin Ling's hand. It makes him feel even more overwhelmed that Jin Ling has chosen to trust him, chosen to accept the truth of his identity when he could have so, so easily just pushed him away and nobody would have blamed him even without knowing all of this.

"I know you can't trust Xiaowen." he says finally - he has to, he can't wait a single second longer and risk anything more happening, he just can't. Jin Ling needs to know the truth "I haven't... I haven't had the chance to talk to you about this, and I'm sorry, I just... I didn't know the situation was so awful."

He takes a breath, considering for a moment how to phrase the next part without giving anything away, but so that Jin Ling understood. Eventually he decides to be vague, he can clarify if Jin Ling needs him to, but he thinks he'll get it.

"I've met him before. He bragged about the ways he undermined his boss. It wasn't until I saw him yesterday that I realised he meant you."

[lastjinstanding]

"What?" Ling asks, surprised. Of all people to speak after that, he hadn't expect it to be Yuan. In all honesty, he sort of wanted his sweet pet to just stay there and hold his hand and not say anything. The less people noticed him the better- one issue at a time, right? However, to hear him speak and for him to actually have something to say that was prevalent.. it really throws him off-guard.

"How.." He begins before it hits him. He glances away, which unfortunately has his face turning toward Zizhen as the pain just explodes behind ribs and skull. Oh god no! Yuan knows Xiaowen because of that?! He really might be sick. As if this wasn't mortifying enough now he finds out his captain of the guard was mocking him and undermining him while sleeping with his new lover?

He feels a hand on his shoulder and a cooling effect. As he opens his eyes, he sees Jingyi's face with his eyes closed. His spiritual energy radiating through Jin Ling's body to prevent him from at least hurling. Sparing at least one embarrassment? (Especially since he was the one sitting next to him and might be in the splash zone- ew).

[notaturnip]

Zizhen frowns a little at the sudden horror on Jin Ling's face. He's pleased to see Jingyi immediately backing up all their talk of help by offering him the support of his spiritual energy, but he still wonders at what caused that reaction - was it just the betrayal or knowing his guard captain was working against him, or was there more to it?

"Forgive me," he says after a moment, watching Yuan's stricken expression as he sees the effect his words had on the young sect leader "but how do we know he can trust you? All the rest of us here have known Jin Ling for years, but you've only been around a few days, we don't know anything about you."

Yuan looks startled by the accusation, but he tries to tell himself it's understandable - these people don't know him, and he's just accused somebody who should have total loyalty to Jin Ling.

"You might not know anything about me," he says softly "but A-Ling does. I have no secrets from him. I know it has only been a short time, but I love him, I would do anything for him."

[lastjinstanding]

"No! Stop it!" Jin Ling shoves Jingyi back and quickly moves in front of Yuan, hand on his sword's hilt, as though he is ready to physically protect the other young man. "You don't need to question his loyalty."

"So you question your family, you question me, but you don't question or allow us to question him?" Jiang Cheng asks darkly. "Why?"

"Because.." Jin Ling begins and then starts to flounder. His cheeks turn red and he stammers a second before, he does what Ling always does and that is boldly pushes forward with a fearless that is just too big for his smallish size. "I love him too!"

Yep, Wuxian, your nephew is a complete idiot who fell in love with a prostitute.

[notaturnip]

"A-Ling..." Yuan says, surprised, as the young sect leader moves in front of him. He can't believe he's willing to challenge his family, to declare his love so boldly, for him.

"It's okay..." he says softly, cheeks turning a little pink "it's understandable they'd worry, my love, they're only asking because they care. "

Wei Wuxian stares a little in disbelief - it's sweet, yes, but a little foolish too, that he didn't feel like he could trust any of them but he'd throw himself in front of Yuan like that.

"Rulan, are you really sure about this?" He asks, though he can already see he is "I meant what I said, if you're sure, we have your back."

[lastjinstanding]

Jiang Cheng rubbed his face. Why did all of his relatives end up acting like a bunch of fucking idiots when they fell in love? There was a reason he'd agreed to a nice practical marriage. Although the fact he'd gained a strong affection for the woman since starting to court her had been a lovely surprise. Was it true love? No, probably not. Was he satisfied with it? Yes. It made him not act like these people.

Jin Ling nods at the only uncle who can look at him. He's afraid of what that means. "Yes. I'm sure. And I know you all are just looking out for me and.." Oh god, did his voice just crack there? Please no one notice that. "I want you to get to know Yuan. I get that you don't know him and you have questions but.. it's complicated and.. just.." He wasn't the one good at talking.. he frowns as he tries to come up with what he's attempting to say here.

[notaturnip]

Wei Wuxian looks thoughtful. His nephew is so certain - not in his words, obviously, but the conviction behind them, and he seems like he's being sensible - about this at least.

Well, as sensible as one can be under the circumstances.

"You have faith in him." He says quietly. His gaze drifts to Lan Zhan. He can understand that. He really, really hopes it doesn't bite Jin Ling in the ass, but if it does he'll still be there to support his nephew no matter what.

"Rulan, if this is what you want we've got your back, and we'll help you get to the bottom of who's trying to kill you, but please just start telling us what's going on rather than trying to take on this burden all by yourself," he shakes his head despairingly, but his expression is a little fond "we thought you were mad at Jiang Cheng about something and that was why you weren't talking to him and coming to me for advice and bringing a prostitute to his wedding!"

...wait.

Yuan's eyes widen in horror.

[lastjinstanding]

It feels like a sucker punch to the stomach that threatens to bring Jin Ling to his knees. His eyes sting and he stares aghast at his uncle for what could only be a betrayal of trust. He braces for the storm his stupid uncle has just unleashed on him.

The anger coming off of Jiang Cheng is nearly palpable. He raises his head and glares at between his brother, his nephew, and his nephew's whore with a fierceness that might've killed lesser beings.

"You. Did. What?! That boy is a whore?!"

"Jiujiu! Please! It's not what-"

"Shut up! Yes or no! Is that boy a whore?"

Jin Ling looks desperately at Wuxian and then his friends but.. like what were they going to do against Jiang Cheng?

"I'm going to free him! It's my clan's fault, not his! We killed his family! He had to survive!"

[notaturnip]

Yuan is just frozen, uncertain how to react, wondering how this could have all gone so wrong so quickly and not knowing what he could do to help.

Wei Wuxian winces at the look his nephew sends his way - yes, he's an idiot, it runs in the family, this is hardly the first time he's said something unforgiveably stupid, but he still feels bad, especially when it sets Jiang Cheng off yelling again.

(Zizhen wishes he had peanuts, this is better than theatre)

Then Jin Ling starts on his defence and what.

"What did you say? Jiang Cheng shut up, shut up, everybody shut up. Jin Ling, what clan? What clan?" He's kneeling up, desperate gaze on Jin Ling because he hardly dares look at Yuan. Yuan. Is it really possible? A-Yuan is dead... isn't he...?

[lastjinstanding]

Jin Ling is wondering just how to fight them if he has to make a break for it. Could he stab Wuxian one more time just a little and get away with it..

There's the briefest crackling of electricity in the air as his uncle's rage peaks, Zidian always coming alive even if Wanyin never intends to use it. At that exact moment, Wuxian is cutting in and diverting attention.

It takes Ling a moment to realize what's being asked and how he's just screwed up even further. Yuan is never going to trust him again for being such an idiot! He would've taken the secret of Yuan's clan to his grave, but there is something in his uncle's eyes that has him answering before he can stop himself. "Wen," he answers, turning and taking Yuan's hand. "Please, Jiujiu.. Uncle Wuxian.. he's so much more than that."

[notaturnip]

Wuxian almost falls backwards, he looks over at his husband with wide eyes and then finally, finally looks over at Jin Ling's companion.

Wen Yuan.

"A-Yuan...?" he asks, his voice breaking a little.

Yuan hadn't known what to think when Wei Wuxian asked - he would have thought the Yiling Patriarch, of all people, wouldn't have had a problem with him being a Wen, but there's a desperation in his voice that Yuan doesn't understand. He clings to Jin Ling's hand when he answers the question and prays, prays that he isn't about to die.

Then Wei Wuxian responds in that broken tone and his head jerks up to stare at the older man.

"Have... do I... have we met?" he asks slowly, hope creeping into his voice.

"Were you... what do you remember, from when you were small?" Wei Wuxian asks.

"I..." Yuan shakes his head "I had a fever, I don't remember anything before that, I was found by a family in Yiling-"

"In Yiling?" Wei Wuxian sits up again, his eyes intense, and Yuan nods.

"I just remember... little things, before that... paper butterflies, being..." he blushes "being buried in a radish patch.... I remember I was loved..."

"You were, you were so loved, my A-Yuan..." he turns to look at Lan Zhan "Lan Zhan it's... it's him, it's really him..."

[lastjinstanding]

What is happening? Jin Ling would've been grateful for the spotlight to be off of him so long as it had gone anywhere other than on Yuan. He stares baffled at his (clearly) lunatic uncle, only glancing back at Yuan when he hears that tiny bit of hope. As it slowly dawns on him what he's witnessing, he takes a step out of the way- but just a single step and he doesn't let go of Yuan's hand.

Lan Zhan rises and steps forward. His usual stoic calm is tinted in amazement. He moves closer and ignores Jin Ling completely. As he looks at Yuan's features though, he could see the boy he and his husband once loved so dearly and he looks back at Wei Wuxian with a nod. Turning back to the boy, he says, "I was told you had died."

[notaturnip]

"I don't understand..." Yuan admits, holding tight onto Jin Ling's hand as Lan Zhan comes to study him.

Wei Wuxian stands as well, stepping forward and staring at the boy he'd once called his son. He almost wants to reach out to him, but he holds himself back - instead he reminds himself that A-Yuan doesn't remember, he needs to explain.

"You've heard about the Yiling Patriarch and the Wens who lived in the burial mounds, yes?" he asks, Yuan nods "Among those Wens was a little boy, an orphan that I was... I was raising as a son. My little boy. Wen Yuan. You."

Yuan stares at him for a long moment, desperately seeking something, anything in his memory that will confirm what he's being told. Somewhere in the murky fog of his mind, a name comes to him..

"Xian-gege" he whispers.

That's too much for Wei Wuxian, he can't hold back anymore, he grabs hold of Yuan and drags him into a tight hug.

[lastjinstanding]

"Holy shit!" Jingyi cries when Yuan recognizes Wei Wuxian. He claps a hand over his mouth and scoots to hide a bit behind Zizhen when Jiang Cheng glares in his direction. Whoops!

Jin Ling moves back further, allowing Yuan to let go of his hand if he wants to. What is he supposed to do or feel right now watching this? He is so incredibly happy for Yuan to have found his family as bizarre as that is to have ended up being his own family but he's worried too. Suddenly their relationship seems a whole lot less important in comparison.

And Jiang Cheng? He gets up.. and leaves.

[notaturnip]

Wei Wuxian should probably notice his brother leaving, but he's a little preoccupied hugging his son - who looks more than a little dazed by this revelation. He has family.

Yuan doesn't let go of Jin Ling's hand though, even as his other arm comes up to hug Wei Wuxian in return, he stays clinging tightly, almost using the other boy like an anchor. When Wei Wuxian - his father? - finally lets go of him and steps back, he smiles hesitantly.

"I can't believe we've found you again after all this time." Wei Wuxian says, amazed. "We have to talk. Later. We'll - after dinner? We can tell you everything, you can tell us everything, we'll talk properly. A-Yuan, my little radish, it's really you."

Yuan blushes, ducking his head in a nod as he agrees to talk later - he's glad of the time, he'll need it to process what's happening.

"Right now, we have to figure out what we're going to do about- Wait, wait, where did Jiang Cheng go?"

Yuan edges closer to Jin Ling again, seeking out the comfort of his presence.

[lastjinstanding]

Once Ling realizes Yuan needs him to hold on, his grip tightens reassuringly. After hating Wei Wuxian for so many years, it took a while for him to get over it. They still have their moments but he knows his uncle loves him and he loves his uncle. Right now, he's really happy to see the joy that he knows was missing for so many years in his life. However long Yuan has been separated from him, probably.

Lan Zhan has said very little but he's been watching Yuan intently. There's more emotion on his face, though it would be so hard to tell for someone who doesn't know him- so Jin Ling misses it completely. If Jiang Cheng was still in here, he probably would've too. However for Wuxian, his husband's heart was in his eyes glowing brightly.

It's so intimate really, that Jingyi is having to look away from his master. However, he does try to be helpful when the question arises about Jiang Cheng. "He left." So helpful.

Jin Ling puts an arm around Yuan and draws him close to his side. He doesn't want to think about what this means if his uncle doesn't want to see him anymore. "He still has a house full of guests to feed. Maybe if he doesn't want to see me right now, Yuan and I could just go back to our room and stay out of his way for a while?"

[notaturnip]

Yuan leans against him gratefully, not entirely sure he trusts his own legs right now.

Wei Wuxian frowns slightly, shaking his head despairingly at Jiang Cheng running away. He isn't so sure just letting him escape is a good thing.

"It might be a better idea for you to find him. You should talk to him about all of this instead of letting him stew." It would probably be volatile, yes, but if nobody pushed them to talk about it they probably never would.

"Maybe you should," Yuan says softly "I'll be okay, you can go and sort this out with him, you should clear the air before the wedding."

[lastjinstanding]

Jin Ling's automatic reaction to the advice, any advice, is to reject it but after this whole experience and with the added encouragement from Yuan, he reluctantly nods to his uncle's advice. "Okay. I'll go find him." He gives his love a grateful smile and starts toward the door. He pauses and looks back. "Zizhen, he's marrying your cousin so he can't kill us both!"

Jingyi covers a laugh and gives his buddy a light shove. "Good luck," he says under his breath. However, he hops up and goes over to Yuan. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room and keep you company. I have a pocket full of lotus seeds we can snack on while we wait for lunch." At this rate, it'd just be a big long dinner!

Lan Zhan turned to Wei Wuxian as the room cleared. "Are you alright?"

[notaturnip]

Yuan squeezes his hand reassuringly before letting him go, hoping that this will all work out - for Jin Ling and for his uncle.

Zizhen gives his friend a terrified look, but he sighs and shoves himself to his feet - he's spent this whole time talking about how they're all there to support Jin Ling, he has to put his money where his mouth is, so he follows the young sect leader out of the room.

Yuan gives Jingyi a grateful smile, falling into step beside him as they head out. He asks him again about being a Lan, mostly with the intention of getting him talking so he can just let the chatter wash over him as they walk, allow him to half-listen without the effort of joining in the conversation while he's still processing everything that just happened.

They arrive back at Yuan's room in a few minutes and he enters first - he doesn't realise, immediately, that anything is wrong, until he hears a thump behind him and turns to see Jingyi's surprised face as he slumps to the ground, unconscious by the time he hits the floor.

He gasps, stepping back with wide eyes.

~~~

Wei Wuxian turns to his husband and basically throws himself into Lan Zhan's arms.

"He's alive!" he says giddily, grinning "He's alive and he's here and-"

He's here because he's a prostitute. Because Jin Ling hired him to be here. Jin Ling might be intending on freeing him now, but how long has he been living this life? How long has he been alone and scared and missing the family he barely remembered?

His smile fades, his arms around Lan Zhan tightening as he finally starts to consider the life that Yuan has had to live without him.

[lastjinstanding]

Jingyi is happy to fill the space with friendly chatter. He's a bit nervous so it comes easily enough, especially given the great topic Yuan picks. He hopes once in the room he could maybe answer some more questions about Yuan's fathers or Cloud Recesses where they live. He's mentally making a list of everything he needs to show him when he sees stars.

"Hmm, not the one I expected you with but.. whatever," Xiaowen began, tapping a long, narrow candlestick in his hand. It was a little bloody on one side where he'd struck Jingyi in the back of the head. "'You can't trust Xiaowen'. You thought, of all things to say, that was the smartest. In case you get any other genius plans, that talisman on the wall there.. that's a silencing spell. It's what you should've used last night while your new boyfriend was sticking his little prick in you and making you squeal like a slutty pig."

~~~

Lan Zhan drew his husband closer as he too began thinking about what all of this must've meant for the boy. The sweet child that he'd tried so hard to find and had thought had died. The wave of guilt that flooded his senses was unbearable and rivaled only one other time he'd felt such remorse.

"I'm so sorry, Wei Ying. I thought.. they told me he'd died. I never would've stopped looking..."

[notaturnip]

Yuan wants to check on Jingyi, desperately wants to make sure he's okay, but he's frozen in fear and he daren't step any closer. When Xiaowen starts tapping the candlestick, he backs off, not stopping until he bumps into a low table and almost falls over it.

He'd heard... he'd heard Yuan accuse him and now Yuan is stuck here, alone, in a silenced room with no way of defending himself and he's an idiot. Xiaowen's words made him feel sick - the whole situation makes him feel sick.

"Wh-what do you want?" he asks - is he just here for revenge? Or does he have some other twisted scheme in mind?

~~~

"It's not your fault," Wei Wuxian murmurs, head buried against his husband's chest "You looked for him, you thought... it's not your fault. I'm grateful you looked for him at all. My poor little radish...."

He looks up suddenly, desperate.

"But we'll make it up to him. We have him back now. He's never going to have to... we'll keep him safe."

[lastjinstanding]

Xiaowen slowly saunters forward. There's a smirk on his face with nothing but cruelty in it. "First, I'm going to remind you exactly what you are, since you seem to have forgotten. You're just a toy for men like me to play with and throw away. Next, once I've taken everything you swore to Jin-Xiao. You're going to help me take it from him."

He now stands directly in front of Yuan. He holds up the large, decorative, knobby (not in a pleasant looking way) candlestick. "Or would you like to see what kinds of fun we can have with this?"

~~~

"Where the hell is he?" Jin Ling groans with frustration. He looks up at Zizhen. "What am I going to do if he really does hate me for this? Zizhen.. I can't.. I can't lose him too."

They were back toward the training grounds and so far there hadn't been any sign of his uncle. Wherever the man went, he hadn't seemed like he wanted to be found. Instead, they'd been met with a lot of annoying and hungry guests. So far Ling had been fairly polite to them if a little brisk with his answers. However, now it was clear he was starting to really lose it.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Yuan. His background was just so messed up.. and I.. I didn't know how to.. you know, to tell you and Jingyi. With everything going on.. I just I thought hiring someone would be one less worry since I knew they wouldn't be pressuring me to marry them or trying to trick me into a child." He gives a weak laugh, that was on the verge of tears again. "It was supposed to keep it simple." Irony.

~~~

He kisses his husband's forehead, hoping to calm some of his worries. They were both in full agreement here.

"Would you allow me to give him my name?" He wasn't going to say it directly but Lan held a lot more protection than Wei or Wen did. Even though the boy had been Wuxian's first and more of his heart belonged to the boy, Wangji knew he could do this. It... also meant, he was saying- again indirectly- that they were in fact adopting him immediately.