Lotus Pier's Master of the House is not at all what you were expecting.
Well, okay. You had been told his hair was red, but that doesn't prepare you for how bright it is, aberrant against the fog of the town. It's wedding red - Wen red - and hangs completely loose down his back, long to the waist and with a squared off end that speaks of cutting. Against the outer robe he wears, dark and slightly too grey to be called plum, it's as effective as a beacon for the juniors to follow in the fog.
You had heard from the slightly more reliable source of Lan Zhan that Yan Xingqi is a match for Jiang Cheng in temperament, and there are definitely enough scowl lines on his face - so young! No one told you he was so young! - that you believe it. But the scowl softens immediately at your nephew's cry of "Shishu!" into something warm that, when you try to put it on Jiang Cheng -
... Well. Not anymore, anyway.
With one arm wrapped around Jin Ling, he takes your situation report - spotty and distracted as it is, with contributions from half the juniors and your own worries for Lan Zhan - with only a stern nod, and then immediately begins to hustle the poisoned youngsters to shelter. Jin Ling stays attached to him as though bound by a rope, which is a bit entertaining in its own way. It's natural that Jin Ling would be the shortest in the group, he's not done growing yet. Yan Xingqi, on the other hand, is old enough to be full grown, and barely any taller. You've heard that cultivation makes people grow to the maximum height they can get, and certainly cultivators are usually taller than normal people (and then the shortest cultivators you knew before were Jin Guangyao, a late start, and Nie Huaisang, who avoided doing real work), so it doesn't match with what you've heard about his skills.
But you don't say anything, because aside from a suspicious eye on you, he works very hard to keep the juniors calm and make them eat their medicine even as the Lan boys burst into outright tears at the spice. Really, it's not even that bad.
"I'm going to die," Lan Jingyi proclaims. "Why is it so hot?"
"It clears the poison from your sinuses," Yan Xingqi says, voice full of authority. "You're crying it out."
You're not sure that's actually true, but it stops them from complaining any further, especially when Yan Xingqi slides them candies that kill the remaining spice with sweet when they're finished. If he takes care of the juniors at Lotus Pier like that, you feel less bad about not being able to return. Clearly the children of the Jiang are in good hands.
He even sings to them! The song is quiet, warm, and as you are now it doesn't take much for you to recognize the energy in the song, a calming, renewing warmth. Voice cultivation? No wonder he has such a reputation in the Lan Sect in particular. They had exclusive control of musical cultivation until you and your flute.
And then he turns to you, with eyes bluegreen like the lakes in summer, and says, low enough that none of the kids can hear, "You've changed a lot, Xuanyu," and nothing can keep your face entirely under control. Fuck. Fuck. He might not know enough about Wei Wuxian to identify you, but apparently Mo Xuanyu wasn't completely friendless. You're screwed.
He watches you for a moment, like a tiger observing its prey, and then says, "The old you was never happy. I wish I could have done more to keep it from turning out like this."
Oh.
"For what it's worth," you find yourself saying, "I'm sure he appreciated any kindness you could give him."
"If only kindness was enough," Yan Xingqi answers, and you lift your cup of weak tea in response, like it's a cup of wine and you're making a toast. Yan Xingqi hesitates before performing the same gesture, and you both drain your cups.
VERY, VERY MUCH LATER
Well, okay. You had been told his hair was red, but that doesn't prepare you for how bright it is, aberrant against the fog of the town. It's wedding red - Wen red - and hangs completely loose down his back, long to the waist and with a squared off end that speaks of cutting. Against the outer robe he wears, dark and slightly too grey to be called plum, it's as effective as a beacon for the juniors to follow in the fog.
You had heard from the slightly more reliable source of Lan Zhan that Yan Xingqi is a match for Jiang Cheng in temperament, and there are definitely enough scowl lines on his face - so young! No one told you he was so young! - that you believe it. But the scowl softens immediately at your nephew's cry of "Shishu!" into something warm that, when you try to put it on Jiang Cheng -
... Well. Not anymore, anyway.
With one arm wrapped around Jin Ling, he takes your situation report - spotty and distracted as it is, with contributions from half the juniors and your own worries for Lan Zhan - with only a stern nod, and then immediately begins to hustle the poisoned youngsters to shelter. Jin Ling stays attached to him as though bound by a rope, which is a bit entertaining in its own way. It's natural that Jin Ling would be the shortest in the group, he's not done growing yet. Yan Xingqi, on the other hand, is old enough to be full grown, and barely any taller. You've heard that cultivation makes people grow to the maximum height they can get, and certainly cultivators are usually taller than normal people (and then the shortest cultivators you knew before were Jin Guangyao, a late start, and Nie Huaisang, who avoided doing real work), so it doesn't match with what you've heard about his skills.
But you don't say anything, because aside from a suspicious eye on you, he works very hard to keep the juniors calm and make them eat their medicine even as the Lan boys burst into outright tears at the spice. Really, it's not even that bad.
"I'm going to die," Lan Jingyi proclaims. "Why is it so hot?"
"It clears the poison from your sinuses," Yan Xingqi says, voice full of authority. "You're crying it out."
You're not sure that's actually true, but it stops them from complaining any further, especially when Yan Xingqi slides them candies that kill the remaining spice with sweet when they're finished. If he takes care of the juniors at Lotus Pier like that, you feel less bad about not being able to return. Clearly the children of the Jiang are in good hands.
He even sings to them! The song is quiet, warm, and as you are now it doesn't take much for you to recognize the energy in the song, a calming, renewing warmth. Voice cultivation? No wonder he has such a reputation in the Lan Sect in particular. They had exclusive control of musical cultivation until you and your flute.
And then he turns to you, with eyes bluegreen like the lakes in summer, and says, low enough that none of the kids can hear, "You've changed a lot, Xuanyu," and nothing can keep your face entirely under control. Fuck. Fuck. He might not know enough about Wei Wuxian to identify you, but apparently Mo Xuanyu wasn't completely friendless. You're screwed.
He watches you for a moment, like a tiger observing its prey, and then says, "The old you was never happy. I wish I could have done more to keep it from turning out like this."
Oh.
"For what it's worth," you find yourself saying, "I'm sure he appreciated any kindness you could give him."
"If only kindness was enough," Yan Xingqi answers, and you lift your cup of weak tea in response, like it's a cup of wine and you're making a toast. Yan Xingqi hesitates before performing the same gesture, and you both drain your cups.
So, all in all, he's not hardly a bad guy at all.