Jiang Cheng deserves a break

Chap 14: I've Never Been Good At Apologies

A/n:

Should I really be writing this when I have an assignment due literally tonight...

Anyways, warnings for this chap includes;
Mentions of characters' deaths,
Angry bouts of yelling,
Character's intense self-loathing and
The usual swearing
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Jiang Cheng's Pov:

Speaking to his Lan nephew was one of the most difficult conversations of his life. Although Jiang Cheng had made a promise to himself and to Shu Jinghua to be more emotionally vulnerable, it still wasn't easy and he always felt himself wanting to repress his pain with anger.

However, his talk with Sizhui was only the third most painful thing in the world. The second was when he apologised to Shu Jinghua for insulting her, and the first--well. The first, most painful conversation will be happening shortly.

Jiang Cheng gently rasped his knuckles against the door to his brother's bedroom, and informed the guests inside of his identity. "You both better be decent!" He threatened lightly, fully preparing himself for the worse.

His brother was the one to open the door and to let him in. Fortunately, his brother and brother-in-law weren't doing anything mentally scarring and were only lying in bed together peacefully (up until Jiang Cheng came and ruined the peace, of course). 

"What do you want?" Wei Wuxian questioned him icily. "If you're here to yell at me for using demonic cultivation, I refuse to apologise to you. I did what I had to do." He declared, clearly not in the chatting mood.

This surprised Jiang Cheng because Wei Wuxian was always in a chatting mood, no matter the situation! The shorter man's eyes were red and puffy from sobbing after experiencing his son's almost-death.

Jiang Cheng glances at Lan Wangji and sees that he, too, looked tearful. Although at the same time, Lan Wangji was glaring at him with an expression that could easily be translated to: Do not make things worse than they already are, or it will not end well for you.  

Jiang Cheng's mind recalled to early this afternoon, his fight with his brother, his harsh words, Lan Sizhui nearly dying... After all that (plus what happened a few days ago), it was highly unlikely that his brother would listen to his explanations.

Unbridled guilt wrapped itself around his heart, and he was truly at a loss of what to say.

Jiang Cheng bowed his head with his eyes shut closed and said loudly. "I'm Extremely Sorry!!"

Jiang Cheng shuddered when the air around them went cold and heavy, and when he raised himself from the bow; he was shocked to see swirls of resentful energy reacting around his brother.

This wasn't his brother in front of him now, it was the Yiling Laozu.

Wei Wuxian's eyes burned red and his black ponytail floated in the air wildly. "Like Hell I Care How Fucking Sorry You Are! MY SON COULD HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!!" He snarled when he directed the 'you' at Jiang Cheng pointedly.

"You endangered the life of the Lan Sect's only heir! Be grateful that I didn't decide to bring Lan forces down on your ass!"

Jiang Cheng was speechless by the ferocity of Wuxian's words, that all he could do was gape.

Calming down for a moment, Wei Wuxian turned to his husband. "Lan Zhan, could you give us some space please?"

"Wei Ying." Lan Wangji said worriedly, expressing his concerns.

Wei Wuxian nodded at him seriously, humour entirely free from his face. Truly a rare expression on the most shameless man in the cultivation realm. "I'll call you if I need help."

The couple held eye contact for a moment before Lan Wangji caved and grabbed his sword and outer robe, then went to stand guard outside.

"Mn."

'I trust that you can handle yourself', was what the one syllable meant, 'But I won't mind helping you bring him down.'

With Lan Wangji gone, the two men left in the room could talk without any obstructions.

Jiang Cheng opened his mouth to start explaining himself but Wei Wuxian cut him off and began screaming at him again.

"What The FUCK Were You Thinking, Letting Jiao Yang Stay!? You put the lives of my family and your own disciples in danger!"

"I thought Jiao Yang was just some wandering ghost! I hadn't expected that he would be this powerful!" Jiang Cheng explained lamely.

"Still, you shouldn't have taken the risk and now look what happened! Why didn't you exorcise him the first chance you got!?"

Jiang Cheng could feel the frustration boiling in him, even though he knew he had no right to be angry. Why couldn't Wei Wuxian just understand that this isn't easy for him? That it isn't easy for him to explain what he's feeling?

"Because I was happy to see him again!! Yes, I was shocked when I realised that Jiao Yang's soul is stuck here, but I was just so happy to see and to talk to someone from our past..." Jiang Cheng trailed off, anger dissipating quickly and being replaced with guilt.

He closes his eyes briefly and sucks in a deep breath.

'You will answer with your words rather than with your anger, even in times when you feel cornered or overwhelmed.' Shu Jinghua had said.

'Since you aren't very great with words, why don't you show Master Wei that you are sorry.'

Jiang Cheng opens his eyes again. He holds eye contact with his brother, forcing himself to not flinch away from Wei Wuxian's deathly aura. "I know nothing that I say to you will make you forgive me. Nothing I say can excuse what I did or how I treated you and your family. You are right to say that I wasn't thinking."

Show that I'm sorry? How do I do that?

"What the hell are you doing now?" Wei Wuxian asks, as Jiang Cheng unclips Sandu from his belt. He also does the same with Zidian, putting both of his spiritual weapons on the ground.
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