Jiang Cheng deserves a break

Chap 2: Jiangs And Their Constipated Feelings

A/n: again, not my art. It's totally not related to the story but look at this grumpy little cutie!
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Narrator's Pov:

Ghost Boy was still here. Damn it.

Ghost Boy should have been dealt with by now, with Jiang Cheng's level of expertise and two decades worth of experience. And yet he hasn't.

Was it because he was getting old? Some mornings when he got up in bed, his back would strain with the movement. But that can't be it, can it? He's 35! That's not old, right?

(Then again, maybe he was, with the number of grey hairs he swears he's going to get everytime Jin Ling puts himelf in danger.

Wait, wasn't he proud of his nephew a moment ago? Right, he was--until his evening got ruined.)

Jiang Cheng scowled at the messy desk in his room. The desk had been piled up with every book on ghosts and ghouls the servants could find in the library. He never thought he'd ever had to touch these books again, ever since his lessons at Cloud Recesses had been a thing of the past.

Cloud Recesses.

Jiang Cheng shivers involuntarily and it was not because of the cold. The thought of that place; of the memories he'd made and of the fun he had had, still makes his heart yearn for all that had been torn from him so soon.

He shakes his head, grabbing a book from the pile and flipping it open. Now was not the time to dwell on something that no longer existed.

A Jiang disciple knocks on the door and says their name. Jiang Cheng makes a guttural sound to let them know that they had the permission to slide the door open.

In came a young woman--Jiang Cheng recalls that her name was Shu Mei Ling-- carrying sheets of paper that had been tied together with twine. On top of the papers was a simple envelope addressed to Jiang Wanyin.

Jiang Cheng couldn't care less to guess who that letter might have come from. "Just put them on my desk." He says and thanks Shu Mei Ling when she leaves.

When the door slid close behind him, he stares at the things he's accidentally hoarded that morning on his desk. He frowns deeper, the lines etching his face, and he decides to clean up his mess.

He had servants to do it for him but he didn't always like just anyone entering his room when he wasn't around. There were things that he'd rather not have his servants find.
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"Sect Leader Jiang," a disciple starts, after Jiang Cheng had spent a good few hours in his room doing whatever it was he was doing, before finally leaving his room and now sat in the throne room, "Would you prefer that we sent out a letter to His Excellency and his hus--"

"NO!" Jiang Cheng snaps, going rigid in his throne. He would rather not deal with his brother or his least favourite (and only) brother-in-law today of all days. Not when Ghost Boy was still here.

What would those two think of him if they found out that the oh great and valiant Sandu Shengshou was unable to get rid of a measly and low-level spirit?

Wei Wuxian would definitely laugh at him and tease him. And his stupid husband would look at him with his usual stoic face, but Jiang Cheng knew that Lan Wangji would be laughing at him too.

Also, them coming here would lead to small talk. They would be forced to converse with each other--no matter how awkward or how much Jiang Cheng just didn't want to--because if he didn't, it would be a sign of disrespect to the Chief Cultivator and his spouse.

Ugh.

And no doubt would their conversations go down hill. Conversations that inadvertedly would lead to them talking about their childhood and their feelings and whatever.

Jiang Wanyin is a grown-arse man and grown-arse men don't talk about their feelings!

(*cough cough* coward *cough cough* winchester *cough cough*)

Jiang Cheng was much too tired-- emotionally--to deal with this shitty can of worms he will never open; and it will remain closed until his dying breath.
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Three days later...

"Jiang Chennnnnnnggggg!!!!!!!!!!! *Didi!!!"

Jiang Cheng felt like he had lost a decade worth of his life upon hearing someone yell out his name. What is that idiot doing here?

Footsteps thundered through Lotus Pier, drawing closer and closer to the throne room. "What are they doing here?" Jiang Cheng hissed at the servant beside him.

The servant raised his brows, confusion etched on his young face, "Um......was Sect Leader Jiang not informed? A letter from the Chief Cultivator had been addressed to you three days prior of his and his spouse's arrival to Lotus Pier."

Jiang Cheng registered how close Wei Wuxian and his over-attached (and overall an asshole) husband were getting to the throne room. That asshole. Has he no basic sense of respect? How dare he just march up to Jiang Cheng's throne room like this?

Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth, "What letter?"

"Um...the one that Shu Mei Ling had delivered to your study?"

Shu Mei Ling? Right, the young woman that delivered the papers to his study three days ago, along with that letter...

The letter. The one that Jiang Cheng had stuffed into a drawer filled with the rest of the letters from his brother, that he was too afraid to open up and read; in fear that once he did he'd lose all courage of leaving his room ever again.

At that moment, Jiang Cheng had run out of time to continue his musings, and the doors to the throne room flew open with a loud bam! In came Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, their Wen-son and the Ghost General.

Wei Wuxian grinned widely and waved his arms like an ecstatic cheerleader, "Jiang Cheng!! Hi!!!"

Said man blinked. Once. Twice.

"Fuck."

"Woah, Sect Leader Jiang! Watch your language!" Wei WuXian gasped loudly and dramatically cupped his adopted son's ears with his hands. "There is a small child here! Tsk. Tsk."

Sizhui, being the good boy that he was, sighed softly and waited until his dad decided to uncover his ears.

Jiang Cheng forcefully rolled his eyes, "Last I remembered, Lan Sizhui recently turned twenty. He is neither small nor a child."

Wuxian took back his hands in favour of putting them on his hips, like a mother about to reprimand her child. The image is promptly ruined when he juts his lower lip out in a pout. "Doesn't mean that you shouldn't be more polite with your words. What would others think about that uncouth mouth of yours? You'll never find a wife this way! You're going to be lonely forever!"

The servant beside him had already left the room by then, which was lucky for him as he didn't have to bare witness to Jiang Cheng almost popping a vein on his neck as he yells, "YOU--WEI WUXIAN!"
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*Didi--younger brother / little brother