Xichengclipse 2021 Day 2

Xichengclipse 2021 Day 2

Rivals

Jiang Cheng tries not to be a self-centred person and usually he’s doing pretty well with that. He knows that if people look his way, they are mostly just looking for Wei Wuxian or actually watching whatever shenanigans he’s coming up with and very rarely at Jiang Cheng himself.

But lately, people have been staring at him a lot, even when Wei Wuxian isn’t there. Especially now that Wei Wuxian isn’t there anymore.

Jiang Cheng’s neck is itching with every step he takes through the Cloud Recesses and he can’t explain it. It had been fine for the first two or three weeks; right until Wei Wuxian had been sent home and after that the stares had intensified.

Was everyone waiting for Jiang Cheng to lose it without Wei Wuxian at his side? Are they waiting for him to be sent home as well? To bring disgrace to his Sect?

Jiang Cheng hates thinking about it, but it seems like he has to and there is really one person he can talk to about things like this.

“Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng hisses as he ducks into his room, glad to get out of the ever present stares these day.

“Oh, Jiang-xiong, what brings you here?” Nie Huaisang asks, fluttering his fan and not even pretending to look surprised that Jiang Cheng would just barge into his room.

“Is there something wrong with me?” Jiang Cheng asks, going straight to the point, and at least that catches Nie Huaisang’s attention.

“Why would there be?” he wants to know. “Are you not feeling well? Is something going on?”

Jiang Cheng can’t help but be a little pleased at hearing the clear concern in Nie Huaisang’s voice, because it’s nice to know that he isn’t just friends with Jiang Cheng because of Wei Wuxian, but clearly cares for Jiang Cheng himself.

“I’m doing fine, it’s just—” Jiang Cheng helplessly shrugs. “People keep staring at me. People don’t stare at me when Wei Wuxian is not there,” he explains, not that it seems to help Nie Huaisang much because he frowns at him.

“So you’re worried because people are staring at you?” he clarifies and Jiang Cheng nods, before he sinks down on the edge of Nie Huaisang’s bed.

“It doesn’t happen. I’m not interesting enough to get that much attention. There’s a reason I’m only ranked fifth on that damn list.”

Jiang Cheng tries to not let that bother him that even Jin Zixuan is ranked higher than he is, but sometimes, in the dead of night, it still stings. He doesn’t have any argument against Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji—they clearly deserve to be at the very top of the list, especially Lan Xichen with his beautiful face and his gentle manners and his perfect personality.

He even gets Wei Wuxian; he’s brilliant and fun and charismatic, so of course he would rank very high.

Now, Jin Zixuan on the other hand—Jiang Cheng doesn’t see the appeal at all.

He’s fairly certain that he’s stronger than the peacock and at least Jiang Cheng wouldn’t treat any fiancé of his like shit, but it seems that simply having Jin Guangshan as his father is enough to rank fairly high on that list.

“Oh,” Nie Huaisang breathes out and jolts Jiang Cheng out of his thoughts with that.

“What?” he snaps and Nie Huaisang fans himself again.

Читать дальше