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[consignation]

jiang wanyin

missives | encounters

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[lanclan]

No one, as of yet, but I've asked Wangji to help me open up betrothal proposals once we return and I exit my seclusion.

[ He'll pretend he didn't hear that strangled noise of surprise from Jiang Cheng, don't worry. ]

[consignation]

[ the little wheel in jiang cheng's head is spinning, but absolutely no progress is being made. this is good news, isn't it? exiting seclusion is a win. it's what he's hoped for on xichen's behalf this whole time, encouraged even. this is absolutely a good thing, so jiang cheng should react as such.

he still sounds a little bit like he's being actively strangled. ]

I hope someone both suitable and deserving finds you promptly. I've had little luck in such matters, but you deserve nothing less than an ideal match.

[lanclan]

Thank you. You also deserve an ideal match, I've always been surprised why it hasn't happened yet.

[ He understands why, from a logical perspective, but Jiang Cheng has always been perfectly reasonable with him (if grumpy about it). ]

As Wangji put it, I'll be taking a wife whether it's a woman or a man, [ is he trying not to chuckle, ] so whoever it is will have to be able to deal with that being their title from him.

[consignation]

[ at that, there's more grinding glass in the shattered halls of jiang cheng's mind in the place of coherent thought. ]

Whoever you wed will have to deal with his temperament in general, [ jiang cheng supplied reflexively, barely parsing his own words because he was still caught up on xichen so plainly stating he was on the market for all potential marriage candidates. what had wei wuxian done? was jiang cheng upset about this? he honestly didn't know and had no idea what to feel except oddly... disappointed? ]

A shame that such a title takes me out of consideration, [ he blurted with quiet, nervous laughter. ] It's unheard of for a sect leader to marry into another's family, after all.

[lanclan]

[ There's a pause as Xichen makes a Pikachu face at his device, grateful it's set to Audio considers what he's just heard. Instead of being reasonable and agreeing to help soothe that anxiety he thinks he heard in a chuckle, he hums thoughtfully instead to buy himself time. His cheeks feel hot. ]

Unheard of but not impossible to navigate.

[ He's not sure why he doesn't just say You're right, it's crazy. ]

Would ... ?

[consignation]

[ what do you mean not impossible to navigate, lan xichen!! how is jiang cheng supposed to remain resolute in the face of the cold reality that wei wuxian is hoarding the entire cultivation world's quota for unorthodox unions when you toss in your belief of the contrary just like that?? ]

Well, I'd certainly never get your brother's blessing either.

[ this, notably, is not a 'no.' ]

[lanclan]

Wangji's opinion is noted and I appreciate his input, but I only asked him to filter out the respectability of potential suitors.

[ He can't keep from smiling, a breathless chuckle taking over. ]

Wanyin is, as specified, a sect leader. [ He has to clarify for his own sanity, ] Would you send Gusu your proposal?

[consignation]

I mean... [ jiang cheng struggles with how to articulate this, but... it's hypothetical, right? they're just chatting. they're not even home yet. they might never be home, and who knows what might be waiting for them when they are. this conversation is unlikely to ever amount to anything, so he doesn't have to be so careful. just a fond what-if between friends. ]

If I felt assured it would not cause a scandal, if I thought you would be happy under Yunmeng's roof— I wouldn't hesitate. Even just to be declined in your own words would be worth my while.

[lanclan]

[ 'Even just to be declined in your own words would be worth my while.' Jiang Cheng is??? So romantic? Accidentally? Probably accidentally. Xichen is completely astonished, squashing a soft noise of surprise as he takes in the fact he's hearing such things from a man he considered utterly uninterested in him that way. It doesn't make sense, not with how often Jiang Cheng has seen him a mess, both here and back home at Guanyin Temple. ]

You would marry me?

[consignation]

[ there's a long, drawn-out pause. ]

Technically, you would have to marry me.

[lanclan]

[ ??????????????? ]

I don't understand. You don't ... Wanyin. [ Let him get his thoughts together. ] Wanyin.

[ Xichen.exe has now stopped working. All he has left is a name stuck to the roof of his mouth that tastes different to the way it did ten minutes ago. ]

Why would you marry me?

[consignation]

[ jiang cheng isn't entirely following what the problem is, only that xichen seems to have gotten stuck on a completely different point than him. for jiang cheng, he can only marry someone into his family because he can't exactly leave yunmeng jiang unhelmed. he's already well beyond given up on his own romantic prospects, considering just how many doors have shut on him and wanting to focus on jin ling's welfare besides.

for a long time, he's been making himself at peace with the thought that yunmeng jiang will end with him. that's been hard enough a thing. the one thing he can't do is abandon his post before his time.

but lan xichen is focused on an issue jiang cheng doesn't even fully see. his reply to this, full of fluster, is slightly less than articulate. ]

Why not...??

[lanclan]

[ He isn't sure whether Jiang Cheng says such things to be blunt or to get his heart racing and he hates not knowing, because he also knows the other man wouldn't play with him like that. Instead of flustering further, he tries to keep his head (and dignity) by closing his eyes and smiling in disbelief, shaking his head. He has to make a point. ]

Because if even my refusal would be enough for a-Cheng, then how could I do anything after hearing that but consider such an offer?

[ A-Cheng, warmly spoken. ]