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Chapter Text

“Kneel here and observe carefully.” Jiang Fengmian ordered.

Jiang Cheng obeyed without questioning. He knew better than to oppose his sect Leader and his father. He was confused at the situation, but this was one thing he did not have to think too hard about. With wide eyes, he observed the others gathered in the room.  

His father left his side and marched to the centre of the throne room where Jiang Cheng’s mother and his brother in all but blood were. Wei Wuxian was kneeling before her with his head lowered. His back was turned towards Jiang Cheng so the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir could not see what expression his brother had, but judging by his slumped shoulders and tightly gripped fists, it must not have been anything too pleasant.

Yu Ziyuan was towering over Wei Wuxian with fury emanating from every cell of her being and Zidian dangerously crackling where it was wrapped around her wrist. Jiang Cheng was reasonably far from the scene, but even he was sensing the tension in the air and shuddered.

This certainly did not look like a private congratulation party as Jiang Cheng had initially thought. When his father had asked him to come to the throne room, he had supposed it would to be rub into his face again how much better Wei Wuxian was and how big of an accomplishment it was to become the first disciple at such a young age.

He had been named just hours ago and all the blood was still boiling in Jiang Cheng’s veins with jealousy and feelings of inferiority. The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir always knew that his brother was better than him, but this was a tad too strong a reminder to stomach so quickly.

Do not get him wrong, he loved his brother, even if sometimes, he wished Wei Wuxian was less excellent so Jiang Cheng could get more of his parents’ attention and approval. If he was not compared to his perfect brother, he would not have to strive so hard to surpass him.

“You little…,” Jiang Cheng’s mother all but growled, her voice dripping venom, full of rage and imminent danger, “I knew we should have never taken you in. Now you go and steal the spot that should have been rightfully my son’s?”

A loud slap to Wei Wuxian’s face rang through the room. Jiang Cheng winced; it must have been done with considerable force as his brother’s head was jerked to the side from the impact. For a fleeting second, Jiang Cheng saw Wei Wuxian’s face. It seemed devoid of all emotions. There was a tickle of blood from a corner of his mouth because of the hard slap. He made no move to wipe it away.

Even though this was nothing too new, Jiang Cheng still shivered. He had heard his mother reprimand Wei Wuxian with hateful words many times before. However, never this directly and in front of her husband, and especially not while also physically hurting him. Occasional kneeling in the Ancestral Hall or additional training were normal, but this?

Jiang Cheng wondered what his father would do now. Usually, Jiang Fengmian would take Wei Wuxian’s side and praise him to balance the hatred his wife was spewing. Nevertheless, he would never outright reprimand Jiang Cheng’s mother nor make her stop. It was usually fine, Wei Wuxian would only shrug the insults off and smile like an idiot when reassuring Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli that he was fine. That was how their family worked ever since the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir could remember.

To Jiang Cheng’s shock however, his father did no such thing. When the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader reached his wife and the kneeling Wei Wuxian, he only stood there, looking down at the new first disciple he had just named.

“A-Xian, A-Xian,” Jiang Fengmian shook his head in what looked like sadness and concern. Jiang Cheng did not see it reaching his eyes though, they were as sharp as steel, so unlike his tone. “Did I not tell you not to anger My Lady? What am I supposed to do now? She has all authority over your upbringing and also over punishing disciples when they misbehave and displease her. You should have listened to me, you brought this on yourself.”

Now Jiang Cheng was even more confused, he had no idea anymore what was happening before his eyes. Especially not when his mother slapped Wei Wuxian again, possibly with even more force than before because his brother swayed in his kneeling position this time.

“Kneel properly, you worthless servant!” Yu Ziyuan barked and Wei Wuxian scrambled to obey the shouted order. “You are useless if you cannot even take this much. I expect you to be a good example for the disciples, that is the only reason I tolerate you here. Now, go fetch me a stool so we can start. I do not want to waste any more time on you than I have to.”

Wei Wuxian stood up without a word and went to the side of the throne room to retrieve one of the chairs that were lined there. To Jiang Cheng’s eyes, it looked like this was not the first time he was doing it. For that, his brother was way too used to it, and he did not ask any questions either.

“Jiang Cheng,” the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir flinched when his father addressed him. He was too invested in watching Wei Wuxian struggle with the heavy stool and he had stopped paying any attention to his parents. “Observe carefully. This is what it means to be a sect leader. Sometimes, you need to make tough decisions and be impartial even when it comes to your own family. When one deserves a punishment, it needs to be carried out no matter what. Above all, you need to always strive to maintain harmonious relationships within the clan. Any and all disagreements need to be dealt with swiftly and decisively.”

Jiang Cheng froze and his muscles tightened, he was starting to understand where this was going and he knew he would not like it. Was his mother about to punish Wei Wuxian? But for what? Was it because her husband had named him the first disciple? That could not be, could it? And more importantly, was his father not going to say anything about it?

Before Jiang Cheng could do anything, Wei Wuxian was back with the heavy chair and placed it between his adoptive parents. He kneeled back down, kowtowing this time to each of them: “Madame Yu, Sect Leader Jiang, please punish me as I deserve.”

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian kowtowed to his adoptive parents in turn: “Madame Yu, Sect Leader Jiang, please punish me as I deserve.”

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng screamed before he could think better of it. He was afraid for his brother now. He still could not fully understand what exactly was going on, however, he knew for a fact that whatever it was, it was wrong.

“Silence!”

Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader’s voice thundered in the throne room, making Jiang Cheng shocked to his bones. His father had never used such a commanding voice to address him, not ever. It was his sect Leader voice, not a voice of a father. Jiang Cheng’s mouth fell closed with a soundless clasp. He was suddenly afraid of his own father, he realized with overwhelming clarity, he was trembling all over.

“It is not your place to intervene, Jiang Cheng,” the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader continued with a little less sharp voice. “You are here to observe and learn. Do not disappoint me more than you already have.”

Jiang Cheng knew what his father meant. He had told him just yesterday, when they had been preparing for the ceremony of naming the first disciple. Jiang Fengmian had told him that he had thought he was better, that he should have been able to surpass Wei Wuxian, that Wei Wuxian was a better son, that it was only the blood that was entitling Jiang Cheng to become the next sect Leader. It stunk back then, and it still hurt now. Jiang Cheng lowered his head to hide the tears that were threatening to spill.

“You will look and learn, boy,” thundered his father again, effectively making Jiang Cheng’s head snap back up. “Do not make me angry or you will be punished as well. Like I said before, when one deserves a punishment, it needs to be carried out no matter what, do not think for a second that I will not follow through with it. It is what it means to be a sect Leader, to follow through with your words and to not be stopped by anything.”

Jiang Cheng was now trembling even worse than before. His father’s – no, his sect Leader’s – words were cold and commanding, there was no way anyone would be able to disobey them.

He had admired his father for being strong like this, but right now, he was just terrified of him. Jiang Fengmian was a sect Leader for a reason, and he wanted Jiang Cheng to learn to be just like him. That should make the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir proud, he should be happy to have his father’s attention and guidance, he should be grateful. And he would be, he knew, he could just not see it right now.

Jiang Cheng steeled himself and squared his shoulders. This was his chance to prove to his father that he was worth of the title of the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir.

It was just that he was still worried for Wei Wuxian, he hated seeing his brother grovelling on the ground like that. For Wei Wuxian was still kowtowing during the whole interaction between Jiang Cheng and his father. The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir was wondering what his brother was thinking. Surely, he was not comfortable with Jiang Cheng witnessing his punishment?

Then again, when had that shameless happy-go-lucky troublemaker ever been embarrassed? He would be fine, this is clearly something he was used to, he would jump back up from it just like he always did from any of his mother’s punishments. Just as his father had said, Jiang Cheng just needed to observe and learn if he wanted to become a good sect Leader one day. His brother would understand.

Clearly satisfied with how Jiang Cheng was now carrying himself, his father nodded courtly – Jiang Cheng should not be this happy about it, but he was – and turned his attention back to Wei Wuxian: “Let us begin then.”

Jiang Cheng watched in horror how his brother stood up and started pulling his robes off one layer after another until he was standing before his parents completely naked. The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir was now frozen in shock and he would not be able to say anything even if he somehow found one functioning and responding brain cell in his completely confused and turned-upside-down brain.

He watched as his brother shivered, and it should not be because of the temperature in the room that was warm despite the late summer evening.

Wei Wuxian stood under the scrutinizing stares of his parents for a full minute before Jiang Cheng’s mother sat down on the stool and patted her knee. Without a second of hesitation, Wei Wuxian fell to his knees again and draped his upper body over his adoptive mother’s lap, his behind naked and exposed high in the air. It looked almost ridiculous with how big and tall he was, Jiang Cheng remembered how he had been in the same position when he had been much younger.

He knew what was coming even before the first strike echoed through the throne room. Wei Wuxian was getting spanked like a disobedient toddler. Though Jiang Cheng had to wince with every new hit, they were coming in quick succession without any reprieve. He had a first-row view at the spectacle of his brother’s behind reddening angrily upon every impact, his mother must not have been holding her strength back at all.

And yet, Wei Wuxian did not make a single sound, nor did he make any attempts at escaping. He was just limply taking everything, not even flinching. Jiang Cheng was amazed, he remembered vividly how much his mother’s spanking had hurt back in the day. True, he had been much younger, but she had not used largely that much strength, it still must have hurt like hell. Jiang Cheng was flinching at the sounds and he was not the one being hit.

He knew why his father was way fonder of Wei Wuxian than of Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian was strong, he could endure the punishment stoically and bounce right back. He could take all of his adoptive mother’s harsh words and smile right afterwards as if they did nothing to him. Wei Wuxian was the first disciple, the prime example of what the Yunmeng Jiang sect motto should inspire: To attempt the impossible.

Jiang Cheng wondered if this was what his father wanted him to learn. It must have been because of the strict discipline he and his wife were providing that Wei Wuxian had grown into such an admirable Yunmeng Jiang sect disciple. They were making him stronger for the sake of the sect despite how much it must have hurt them deep down to punish their own child.

Jiang Cheng did not possess such strength, not yet. He was grateful to his father for being so kind to provide him an opportunity to understand this. He would make sure to learn well.

Chapter Text

The spanking Wei Wuxian was receiving, still without as much as a single protest or a cry of pain, lasted for what felt like hours to Jiang Cheng. The incessant sound of slaps of flesh on flesh was echoing through the throne room, building into something akin to a loud storm in the otherwise eerie silence of late-night Lotus Pier. Jiang Cheng had to fight his hardest to resist the urge to avoid his gaze and cover his ears, or outright run away. This was hard to watch.

Then, so suddenly it was scary, everything stopped. For a moment more, the echoes of the hard slaps continued dying out in the corners of the room before they too became silent. Jiang Cheng wanted to cry out of sheer relieve that it was over. He did not know about Wei Wuxian, but he personally could not take much more.

To his ever-growing horror, he had been sorely mistaken when he had thought this was the end. His mother reached into her pocket and, almost in a bored manner, took out a large wooden spoon. Jiang Cheng wondered how it had even fit in there. Or perhaps a paddle would be a more accurate description; it had a short handle and was very wide, it looked like a rice scooping spoon, only much, much bigger. Jiang Cheng had never seen anything like that in his life.

And he hoped he never would again. For the next moment, the wood made full-force contact with Wei Wuxian’s already fiery-red behind. This time, Jiang Cheng’s brother reacted to the strikes, if only by tightening his fists and tensing his muscles. It was clearly much more painful than just being spanked with a bare hand.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir had to bite his lip to remain silent. He wanted to stop his mother from beating his brother like that, whatever Wei Wuxian had done, it could have certainly not been so bad to warrant such strict punishment.

Jiang Cheng’s parents had never hit him or his sister, the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir wondered where this detached cruelty was coming from. Was it because they were the sect Leader and his wife? Was it, as his father had said, because it was his duty to make sure every punishment was delivered regardless of the culprit? Did he need to become so impartial that he would condemn any and all criminals as equal?

Was this what Jiang Cheng was supposed to learn? He was not sure he would ever be strong enough to be able to treat his own family in such a manner, even if it would be out of necessity and for the good of the Yunmeng Jiang sect.

Once again, the hits echoed in the throne room, filling it to the brim. It was deafeningly loud to Jiang Cheng’s ears, surely someone outside must have heard already? Was no one coming to rescue his brother from his predicament? Or was this something the disciples and servants were so used to that no one cared anymore? Was it because no one wanted to stand up against the sect Leader and his wife?

Jiang Cheng’s vision was getting blurry with unshed tears. He wanted to help his brother, but he too could not go against his parents if he did not want to risk angering them. He was seeing them in a new light now, way scarier than ever. There was a growing lump in his throat that was restricting his breathing and making it impossible to say a single word in defence of Wei Wuxian.

Jiang Cheng was angry at himself, he was such a weakling; his parents were right, he never learned anything and he would never be good enough. He would never be a good sect Leader at this rate, he had to get a grip.

Finally, there was another pause in the punishment. Jiang Cheng’s hand unlocked at least enough to be able to discreetly wipe at his tears with a sleeve of his robe. Luckily, his parents did not see anything as their attention was fully focused on Wei Wuxian.

More than anything, Jiang Cheng was now angry at himself for being so powerless and weak. He was a disappointment, just as he had been told so many times. He had already known it, however, it was only at this point that he saw the true extend of his weakness and cowardice.

He was too weak and scared to gather his courage and defend his brother. He was too immature to accept that this was something a truly strong sect Leader was supposed to be able to do without breaking down. He was not worthy of the title of a sect heir. He could not do anything right.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader’s voice tore him out of his thoughts. For a second, he was scared that his father noticed how distracted he was and was about to reprimand him again for not learning properly. Would he actually also punish him like Wei Wuxian as he had threatened?

To Jiang Cheng’s never-ending relief, his father was talking to his mother, not to him: “Is that enough, My Lady?”

Jiang Cheng’s mother flexed her hand and put the wooden spoon on Wei Wuxian’s back to move her fingers around, possibly to relive any tiredness. This action made the Yunmeng Jiang sect’ new first disciple flinch. Jiang Cheng wondered why, this was certainly not the worst he had to suffer this evening.

“No,” replied Yu Ziyuan to her husband’s question. “But my hand is getting tired. It is regrettable, but we will need to move to the next stage.”

Jiang Cheng’s blood froze again, all relief flooded out of his system in a single fraction of a second. They were still not done? How could that be? Seeing the state of Wei Wuxian’s bottom, he could not take any more, already now, he would not be able to sit properly for days, weeks even. And it was not just his bottom that had suffered the cruel abuse; the red coat was covering him from the small of his back all the way down to the back of his knees. There was simply no room to accept any more hits.

“I see… I have an idea,” the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader’s eyes shifted to look at his biological son. Jiang Cheng shuddered from head to toes with dread even before his father finished his sentence. “Jiang Cheng, come here, how best to learn but by trying things yourself? Come prove that you are strong enough to be worthy of being the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir.”

Chapter Text

“Jiang Cheng, come here, how best to learn but by trying things yourself? Come prove that you are strong enough to be worthy of being the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir.”

Jiang Cheng’s mind became completely empty, it was so overwhelmed in fact, that it was shutting down. If the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir still had a functioning part of his brain, he would have marvelled at the fact that he was still conscious and had not simply chosen the easy way out. As it stood, he just continued staring at his father, not understanding what he was asking.

Or, more precisely, understanding fully well what was being ordered but being unable to process what to do next. He wanted to please his father, to make him proud for once in his life. He had a feeling that if he proved himself now, their relationship may become infinitely better, perhaps his father would even acknowledge him and start spending more time teaching him personally. On the other hand, Jiang Cheng could not hurt his brother, not intentionally, not like this.

“Jiang Cheng?” This time, the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader’s voice was stricter, impatient, dangerous. It made Jiang Cheng draw into himself and cower. He wanted to be anywhere else but here right now. His conflicting feelings were trying to suffocate him and they were slowly succeeding. His need to prove himself and his worry for his brother were fighting inside of him, both equally strong and urgent.

“A-Cheng,” he heard a familiar call and Jiang Cheng’s head snapped immediately to the direction of the said brother. Wei Wuxian’s voice was weak and raspy, full of hurt and pain. He must have been on a verge of falling unconscious and yet, he was still worrying about his little brother. It brought tears to Jiang Cheng’s eyes.

“A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian tried again, more evenly this time. He even turned his head to look at the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir with a faint fake smile. Jiang Cheng could see clearly how forced it was, more of a grimace than anything else, but he was still baffled at the effort. “It is alright, come, I can take it. Everything will be fine as long as you listen to your parents.”

And that was it, that was all it took for something to break inside of Jiang Cheng. Later, he would be extremely ashamed of what he was about to do and regret it endlessly, right now though, it seemed like the only possible way to proceed.

Jiang Cheng stood up, his head swimming in a daze. All conflicting feelings were gone now; Wei Wuxian had said it was fine, he had assured him that he could take it. That must have meant his brother wanted Jiang Cheng to take this opportunity and prove himself to his parents. He had always wanted that and had encouraged Jiang Cheng endlessly to try harder to surpass him so his parents would be proud of him. He was doing the same now, right? He would keep his promise and be fine, right?

In the very back of his mind, there was still the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader’s threat of also being punished if he failed. Jiang Cheng shoved it deeper inside, refusing to examine it more closely. There was no way his parents would punish him, especially when he was obeying their orders like a good filial son. He was going to show them that he could learn the lesson well and become a good sect Leader in the future. There was nothing to fear; there never has been from the very start. This was just a good opportunity for him, nothing else.

His legs carried Jiang Cheng over to his parents and Wei Wuxian who was still draped over Yu Ziyuan’s lap with his bottom exposed. Only, he was not looking at him anymore. Jiang Cheng supposed that it was his way of making this trial easier on his little brother, that ever-caring idiot.

He stopped a few feet away from the three other people, not sure what was expected of him now. His father took hold of his hand and guided him closer to Wei Wuxian’s exposed bottom. Jiang Cheng wanted dearly not to see all the damage caused, but he willed himself to; he had to prove he was strong.

His father put his hand on the fiery-red skin. Jiang Cheng almost recoiled. There was a sharp intake of breath and the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir could not tell if he was the one who did it or if it was his brother.

Wei Wuxian’s bottom was so hot under his palm that if felt scalding. Jiang Cheng was strangely intrigued, he had never known that anyone’s skin could get this feverish from a beating, it was a completely new discovery. He was happy that his father was wiling to teach him new things.

He was in an unknown territory here. At a loss, Jiang Cheng looked up at his father, seeking guidance. The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader was there to oblige: “You feel that, son? This is how it should be if you do the punishment well. Remember it. And here,” Jiang Fengmian guided Jiang Cheng’s hand to squeeze the reddened cheeks a little and then a part of Wei Wuxian’s uninjured inner thigh. “This is another sign. Do you feel how stiff the skin is in comparison? It means that the area is correctly swollen. Remember that as well. Without those two signs, you should never end a punishment or it would not be effective.”

Jiang Cheng nodded diligently, he wanted his father to know that he would remember. He was never so eager to receive teaching from him, it was something very rare indeed that his father would spend so much time explaining, so patiently and gently too.

To prove his eagerness to study, he squeezed his brother’s bottom and red skin of his thighs again, more firmly this time, and compared it to the rest of his body. Indeed, the injured skin was tight to the touch, it was easily noticeable when he knew what to look for. Just to make sure, he repeated the process several more times under the watchful eyes of his parents. His brother stirred under his touch, but Jiang Cheng paid it no mind, he knew Wei Wuxian could take it, he had said so himself.

 “I understand, Father,” Jiang Cheng looked at the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader when he was satisfied with his examination and made sure that he would remember.

“Good,” his father praised and patted his shoulder, a gesture he had done very rarely but which positively elated Jiang Cheng. He knew he had done well. “Keep it up, boy.”

Jiang Cheng’s heart swelled with pride. To his ears, his father’s simple words sounded like the highest praise. He looked at his mother and saw pride in her eyes as well, she must have been happy with him for finally earning his father’s trust and acknowledgement.

Chapter Text

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader picked up the wooden spoon from where it laid on Wei Wuxian’s back and handed it over to Jiang Cheng. It was heavier than he had expected and he had to adjust his grip so he would not drop it. That would for sure make his father angry at him, he always hated how clumsy his biological son was and compared him to Wei Wuxian’s nimble movements trained during his days of living on the streets. Jiang Cheng had not had the luxury of learning so efficiently during his training.

“Now, Jiang Cheng,” his father’s voice interrupted the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir’s starting jealousy. He looked up expectantly, he could be jealous of and mad at his brother later, now he could not afford to waste time when his father had agreed to teach him. He would need all the knowledge he could gather when he would become the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader one day.

“Stand here, just like this, good. And then you simply hit with as much force as you can. You have to use your whole body, just like when you are swinging your sword. And make sure that the paddle lands evenly for more impact or it would not do much damage and only tire you out.”

He led himself be manoeuvred into the correct position, remembering the time before Wei Wuxian had become part of their family and his father would spend hours patiently teaching Jiang Cheng his first sword routines. His hands had been just as gentle and attentive back then, guiding him through motions and stances. Now, the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader would only teach his personal favourite like that, he was not interested in Jiang Cheng anymore. Perhaps if the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir did well tonight, he could have those times back.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader let go of his son’s hand and gave him an encouraging smile. Jiang Cheng looked down, eyeing his target. He quickly put out any doubts about how correct or incorrect it was to be hitting his brother like this. Wei Wuxian had said himself that it was fine and his father was waiting.

Jiang Cheng took a deep breath and grounded himself, just like when he was training with his sword. He exhaled slowly, took aim and let the wooden paddle fall onto the red skin of his brother’s bottom.

Unfortunately, his uncertainty made him hesitate at the last moment so the hit was not as hard as he had initially planned. Still, the resounding smack made his worries a little less pronounced, he must have done at least a decent job. Right?

Jiang Cheng looked up at his father, desperately seeking approval. He froze on the spot when instead of a prideful look and praise, he was faced with a harsh scowl. “Harder,” the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader ordered cooly, his voice smacking his son like a whip.

Jiang Cheng shuddered with dread. He had to do better, he had to make his father approve of him. He could not be this weak forever, he had to learn. He tried again with more vigour. This time, he did not stop himself in the process and the hit was definitely more pronounced.

“You are doing good, A-Cheng,” his mother praised in a loving tone. However, when Jiang Cheng looked at his father to check his reaction, he had clearly still not done a good enough job. A third hit, Jiang Fengmian groaned in frustration, Jiang Cheng panicked.

At this rate, there was no way he would prove he was good enough for the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader to acknowledge. Despite his best efforts, Jiang Cheng’s body started to tremble. He was afraid of disappointing his parents. What if this was his only opportunity. What if when he failed, he would never be given another one? The thought was too much for him, he let the paddle fall to his hip, completely disheartened.

“It is fine, Fengmian,” Jiang Cheng’s mother intervened, shielding him from his father’s rage and disparagement like always. “It is his first time, he needs to just get the hang of it. Right, A-Cheng?”

Jiang Cheng nodded as if his life depended on it. He did not dare to look up at his father anymore, he could only meet his mother’s eyes. She took his hand, the one holding the paddle, caressed it affectionately and lifted it above her son’s head: “It is not just about hitting. You need to feel it. You need to want to punish, it will be easier for you that way. Think about all the times you were mad at Wei Wuxian, take that rage and punish him. Now!”

The last word was a shouted order. Jiang Cheng reacted more on instinct than because of anything else and the paddle came down. The resulting smack was loud, way louder than any of the previous ones. He heard Wei Wuxian take a sharp breath and he knew he had done well even without looking at his parents again. His mother was right, he had to feel it, that was the secret to his success. That was what a good sect Leader needed to do, to stay strong and remain honest to his feelings.

“Better now, continue.”

Encouraged by his father’s reluctant approval, Jiang Cheng continued hitting with his full strength. He now understood why his mother had said that her hand was tired, it was hard to keep up the pace and the strength of the hits even. Jiang Cheng was controlling his breathing so he would last as long as possible, in a strange way, punishing someone was harder work than training with a sword.

He let himself be fuelled by all the frustration and rage that had been accumulating inside of his heart ever since Wei Wuxian had come to live with them. So many things had changed because of this new brother: Jiang Cheng had to give up his puppies and half of his room, he had to share his sister’s attention, he lost his father’s guidance and love, he had to always strive for his best and still be inferior to Wei Wuxian, his brother’s incessant teasing never stopped and was hurting him. There were so many things that he had been overlooking until now. It actually felt good to let his grievances out like this.

He had never had an opportunity to beat Wei Wuxian for what he had caused. Jiang Yanli would always intervene when he had tried or his brother had run away, teasing him for not being as fast as he was. He had never gotten an opportunity, until now.

Jiang Cheng did not count how many times the paddle came down. He did not keep track of Wei Wuxian’s sharp breaths or his tightly clenched fists. He had said he could take this; he deserved it.

“That is good, A-Cheng, I think you have the hang of it now.” His mother’s voice stopped him after the next hit. Jiang Cheng let the hand with the paddle fall to his side and was taking deep breaths to calm himself. He learned another new thing, punishment was taxing both physically and mentally. “We should move to the next stage now.”

Jiang Cheng was mildly curious what the next stage could be.

Chapter Text

“We should move to the next stage now.” Yu Ziyuan said with a poorly hidden glee in her tone. She was also looking forward to it, whatever it was.

With wide eyes, Jiang Cheng watched his mother take out something from her pocket and fiddle with it. He had to squint his eyes to better see what it was. It looked like two long, thin pieces of wood with some leather strings attached. For the life of him, he could not figure out what they were supposed to be used for.

His mother was only too eager to explain as she started putting the strange device onto Wei Wuxian: “There is no more skin for you to practice properly on. But with this, you will be able to see both how it looks before and after a punishment, you will be able to compare. But you have to continue hitting as you had been or it will not be effective, do you understand? Just remember how well you have done until now.”

Jiang Cheng watched his mother’s ministrations with a mix of awe and horror. She pulled Wei Wuxian’s balls to the back so they would rest smugly on top of his bottom. Just as she had said, the difference between the damaged and undamaged skin was easy to spot. Then, she put the two pieces of wood one above the balls and one under so they run parallelly across his thighs and tied them together with the leather strings. Now, it seemed like there was a shy white flower in a field of fiery red.

All throughout the process, Wei Wuxian kept moving around slightly and groaning and huffing under his breath, the position must have been painful. Every time he moved too much or hissed too loudly for Yu Ziyuan’s comfort, Jiang Cheng’s mother would hit him with her hand, carefully avoiding the exposed balls, aside for two or three strikes. Those always made Wei Wuxian go deathly still and hold his breath.

It must have only taken a couple of minutes at most for the devise to be fastened. To Jiang Cheng though, it felt much, much longer. He was now acutely aware of what next stage his mother had been referring to and he also knew what his parents would now ask of him. This must have been the ultimate test of Jiang Cheng’s strength.

All he could feel was pure unfiltered horror, all other emotions had disappeared as if by magic. If it hurt so much for Wei Wuxian to just put the device on and have his balls slapped with a bare hand several times, how excruciating it would be to be hit full-force with the paddle? Surely this was not something Wei Wuxian could just casually say he could take? Jiang Cheng could not hurt his brother like that, no amount of rage and frustration would be enough to make him. It was not worth doing even if it gained him his father’s approval.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir let the paddle fall to the ground and took a few steps back. He was shaking his head, mouthing a silent plea in his head. He could not do this, he just could not. He doubted he would be able to, even if his brother was the worst criminal in the entire world. This was beyond cruel. He knew fully well how even an accidental hit to those parts of his body hurt.

He tried to take another step back. He did not know if he just wanted to put a little space between himself and the clearly suffering Wei Wuxian or if he wanted to outright run away. However, a strong hand gripped his shoulder painfully, stopping him in his tracks.

“Now, now, Jiang Cheng, where do you think you are going?” The Yunmeng jiang sect heir trembled in fear hearing his father’s low, threatening tone. He immediately remembered the promise of punishment if he made him angry. “You were doing so good. Do not make me disappointed now.”

Jiang Cheng tried to free himself, but his father’s grip was too strong. He felt tears running down his cheeks as he shook his head vigorously: “Father, I…”

Jiang Cheng never got to finish the sentence which would have certainly brought his father’s wrath upon him. He was both saved and figuratively killed by Wei Wuxian. His brother somehow managed to half turn himself on Yu Ziyuan’s lap. The position must have been painful but he struggled against his adoptive mother so he could continue looking at Jiang Cheng.

There was pain in his eyes, of course there was, but that was not everything. His brother was worried for Jiang Cheng, he was trying to warn him in any way he could, pleading with him: “A-Cheng, Little Brother, please, you have to do it. You have to listen to your parents. You have to…”

Wei Wuxian’s voice broke into a pained groan when his adoptive mother smacked him hard on the balls and finally managed to push him down onto her lap. “Never do this again,” she hissed venomously, “I will make sure you regret it today.”

Jiang Cheng had perhaps never heard Wei Wuxian begging this sincerely and with this much urgency. He felt like there was something he was missing.

“A-Cheng,” this time, it was nothing more than breathy whispers, “please, just do it. Do not worry about me, you have to save yourself. Do not disobey your parents.”

It was at that exact moment that Jiang Cheng finally understood what Wei Wuxian had been worried about this whole time. His parents would without a doubt treat him the same way as his brother if he went against them. Even worse, he realized with blood-curding dread, it was not a question of if but of when.

The hand on his shoulder became impossibly tighter and he knew this was the tipping point, either he would beat his brother or he would be the one beaten next. Wei Wuxian was trying to protect him desperately, who was Jiang Cheng to throw away all his brother’s hard work and trample all over his goodwill?

He stopped struggling, utterly terrified. When his father pushed him towards Wei Wuxian’s bottom, he stumbled the two steps forward as if he was in a dream. No, in a nightmare, one that he could not wake up from until he fulfilled the terrible role his parents had assigned to him. When his mother picked up the paddle from the floor and handed it to him, he accepted it without a fight.

He did nothing to resist even when his father took his hand and brought it to touch and squeeze Wei Wuxian’s balls: “I hope you remembered well, you were always slow on the uptake, Jiang Cheng. This is your last chance, show me what you learnt, show me you are worthy of being my heir. If you cannot do it, well, as I said, a sect Leader has to make tough choices and punish even his own family members when necessary.”

Chapter Text

‘Do not worry about me, you have to save yourself.’

Wei Wuxian’s words echoed incessantly inside Jiang Cheng’s heart. His brother was doing this all for his sake, protecting him and sacrificing himself as per usual. Only, there was nothing usual about this; it was different when Wei Wuxian stood against a group of older disciples that bullied Jiang Cheng and chased them away, these were his parents they were talking about, he could not stand up to them and protect him in the same way.

His brother was doing the only thing he could, Jiang Cheng just had to play along. It demanded a completely different type of strength and the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir was not sure he possessed it. Wei Wuxian had always been the strong one, always the valiant, slightly overprotective older brother who took care of his stupid and naïve little brother. Now, he needed some help in protecting Jiang Cheng, and he would get it.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir could barely see where he was hitting through his tears. He was using as much of his force as he could, given how distressed he was. He was terrified of his parents and he was terrified for his brother. What worse would his parents do to Wei Wuxian if Jiang Cheng did not hit hard enough or would miss the sensitive target?

What would the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader do to Jiang Cheng if he did not live up to his expectations? It would break Wei Wuxian’s heart if he thought he had failed in protecting his little brother.

It was quite easy to differentiate between the red and white skin, that was, until everything became angry red. Then, Jiang Cheng knew when he was aiming correctly only because with every strike that hit where it should, Wei Wuxian huffed painfully, clearly restraining himself from crying out loud, most probably for Jiang Cheng’s sake.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir was striking as if his life depended on it. And perhaps it actually did. He was sure that if he was put through what Wei Wuxian was being made to suffer and was enduring, he would not survive it. His fear fuelled by adrenaline was leading his hand and lending him strength to continue.

When he hit rock bottom and he could not go on any more because his body was failing him, only then did he stop. By that point, he was wailing pitifully, mourning his brother who was laying limp over his mother’s lap and himself for what he had been forced to do. He did not outright panic only thanks to the fact that Wei Wuxian’s chest kept rising and falling laboriously, he was not dead.

His father let him wail for a little while but then, he approached and stood menacingly behind Jiang Cheng’s back. The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir stilled and stifled his sobs as much as he could. He was not out of the woods yet, he had to wait for his father’s judgement.

“Check if you are done,” the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader ordered coldly in such a detached way as if he was speaking about weather and not his adoptive son’s ravaged body.

Jiang Cheng swallowed and nodded his head. He did no longer dare to continue sobbing, he was way too terrified of his father to dare anger him with how weak he was. The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader had always hated crying, especially when it was his youngest doing it. He blinked away the rest of the tears and willed them not to fall again.

With dread, Jiang Cheng finally took a proper look at what he had done. Wei Wuxian’s balls were now the same shade of fiery red as his bottom, they seemed twice the size than before, but it could have been just Jiang Cheng’s stirred nerves playing tricks on him. He knew he could not just tell his father that the punishment was over before properly checking how he had been taught.

Reluctantly, he reached out and touched his brother’s balls while silently asking Wei Wuxian for forgiveness deep in his heart. The skin was hot on touch and Jiang Cheng minutely panicked because he could not remember if this was hot enough or not. Upon contact, his brother stirred slightly and a pained whimper escaped him. So much for him being unconscious, Wei Wuxian could still feel everything.

With an even more desperate plea for forgiveness, Jiang Cheng squeezed the tender flesh to evaluate if it was swelled enough. At least this part he remembered, he realized with a speck of relief. He let go of the injured body part, earning himself a quiet sigh from Wei Wuxian. His brother’s body, that had previously tensed when he had been inspecting it, now relaxed.

“So?” the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader demanded, his patience clearly running low.

“I… I think… it is enough.” Jiang Cheng hated himself for stammering, it was just that he was so terrified of his father that he could not even speak properly.

“You think so?” The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader asked again with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Jiang Cheng shuddered in terror.

“Yes, it is done.” He hurried to reassure. Luckily, he did not stammer this time which seemed to have pleased his father who patted his shoulder. Jiang Cheng did his best to not shrink away from the touch.

While subtly holding him in place, his father double-checked that Jiang Cheng’s statement was correct. The Yunmeng Jiang sect heir winced in sympathy when his father squeezed his brother’s balls with way more force than necessary, earning himself a pained sob. And subsequently a sharp slap onto Wei Wuxian’s already ravaged bottom from his adoptive mother.

The hand on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder squeezed him painfully – it would bruise for sure later – before letting go. His father was not scowling anymore: “You did quite well for your fist time, Jiang Cheng. But in future, you need to be more resolute. You cannot show your weakness in front of anyone or they will prey on it. You cannot cry when punishing even those closest to you. A sect Leader needs to steel their heart at times like these.”

Jiang Cheng got no satisfaction from hearing his father say he had done good. No, what he had just done had been so very, very wrong, he wanted to cry again. He had beaten his brother almost to death, he should be ashamed of himself, not praised.

Perhaps he should have taken the option of being punished himself instead of running away from pain like a coward. However, it was too late now, he could not take it back anymore. He could only hope that Wei Wuxian would forgive him with time. Even if he would have to beg, he would do anything to still have his brother, this could not kill their relationship, not when they had just managed to properly nurture it.

“You did well, but you need to learn more,” Jiang Cheng froze again at his father’s next words, his heart falling through his stomach and onto the ground, “sit with your mother and observe the rest of A-Xian’s punishment. Neither of you behaved how I have expected, you need to learn the consequences.”

Chapter Text

Jiang Cheng watched as Wei Wuxian was forcefully yanked down from his adoptive mother’s lap by his hair. He landed in a pile of red and white flesh on the cold stone ground. He was shivering all over and Jiang Cheng could not tell if it was due to the cold or because of what his father had just said. The Yunmeng jiang sect heir already understood that his brother was just as terrified of his parents as he was now.

Jiang Cheng was not left wondering what the next step of Wei Wuxian’s punishment would be for long. As soon as his mother’s lap was empty, she pulled him to sit down and hugged him from behind. Her hands were gentle, but firm, as she obliged him to keep looking at his suffering brother.

The next events happened in a complete silence safe for occasional grunts and whimpers that Wei Wuxian kept making thought his gritted teeth and then full mouth. Jiang Cheng was so terrified he could not even close his eyes so he would not have to witness the horrors his father was pushing onto his already injured and weak brother.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader dragged Wei Wuxian up by his hair, making him squirm in discomfort and pain both because of the earlier beating and due to how his balls remained restrained and pulled to their limits with the new position. With his other hand, Jiang Cheng’s father opened his robes in the front and took his manhood from his pants, shoving it right into his adoptive son’s face.

“Suck it,” he ordered. Wei Wuxian groaned weakly but opened his mouth and heeded the command.

He joined his hands behind his back and let himself be pulled up by his hair. At first, Jiang Cheng did not understand why his brother would not at least try to alleviate the pressure, however, it hit him after several seconds of observation.

Wei Wuxian’s thighs and back were incredibly strained, trembling from trying and failing to support his whole weight. This must have been just another part of the punishment. Just as Jiang Cheng has feared in the beginning, his brother must have gone through these horrors more than once for him to know what was expected from him without a single word said aloud.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader was now making loud noises, clearly enjoying shoving his manhood into Wei Wuxian’s mouth. It looked disgusting to Jiang Cheng’s eyes, and he was not even the one on his knees in front of his father. He had been taught that those most private parts of one’s body should not be touched by anyone but one’s cultivation partner. What his father was doing was just plain wrong.

Everything inside Jiang Cheng was rebelling. What kind of lesson was the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader trying to teach him? How to hurt and abuse his disciples? How to break bodies and hearts of his family members? How to defy and ruin them for their future cultivation partners? Or perhaps, how to be so cruel that his own children become terrified of him? If this was what it meant to be a sect Leader, then Jiang Cheng never wanted to be one.

His brain must have resigned due to all the horror because now, Jiang Cheng was not feeling anything anymore. He watched impassively how the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader threw Wei Wuxian back onto the ground and his brother painfully positioned himself on his knees with his bottom in the air. Without any warning, his father pushed his disgustingly standing length inside and started moving erratically.

Jiang Cheng could see clearly the expression on his brother’s face and the look of pained terror. Wei Wuxian’s lips were bloody where he must have been biting them to stop himself from crying out in pain and his cheeks were streaked with tears. When he noticed that Jiang Cheng was looking at him, his cheeks flared red and he lowered his gaze ashamed as if it was his fault that his little brother had to witness such disturbing scene.

Jiang Cheng wanted to reassure Wei Wuxian that nothing of this was his fault, that if anything, he had just saved the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir from the same fate. Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng’s body still refused to cooperate and it was impossible for him to get out even a single sound.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader was soon finished and the sickening slaps he was producing when pounding into his sect’s first disciple ceased. Wei Wuxian was once again pulled onto his knees without any regards and his adoptive father finished in his mouth. Jiang Cheng knew what he was doing only because he himself had done the same thing, just in the privacy of his own room and cleaning himself with a piece of cloth.

His father though used his brother’s mouth to catch the liquid coming from his manhood and shook Wei Wuxian to urge him to swallow and lick him clean. To which Wei Wuxian obliged with careful strokes of his tongue, his hands once again clasped tightly behind his back and his thighs trembling with the strain of keeping his body in a half kneeling position. Jiang Cheng’s stomach was turning, he thought he was going to be sick.

He could now see his brother’s backside again. There was fresh blood tickling down Wei Wuxian’s thighs and his balls were taking on a very concerning shade of purple. For the first time this evening, Jiang Cheng was afraid if his brother would even survive until tomorrow.

He dearly wanted to look away so he would not have to see more of this terrible spectacle. He wanted to get away from his mother’s hold and go find help. He wanted to scream his frustration and fear so someone would come to help him and his brother. He could do none of those things, his body decided that he was not in control any longer and rebelled.

Jiang Cheng was left sitting silently, taking his own punishment that was in a way no more lenient than Wei Wuxian’s.

Chapter Text

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader was finally satisfied with Wei Wuxian’s work and tugged his manhood back into his pants. He straightened his robes and Jiang Cheng dearly hoped that this was the end. He wanted this nightmare to be finished, he wanted his parents to stop hurting his brother.

Wei Wuxian fell to the ground, visibly exhausted and close to his breaking point. He was laying on his side, his knees drawn all the way to his chest, probably to ease the pressure on his still tied up balls. Or because he just wanted to shut the world out and protect himself from more pain. There were remnants of his adoptive father’s disgusting act smeared around his mouth, specks of white goo were glistering in the lamp light.

“On your knees,” the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader barked a new order at Jiang Cheng’s brother. Wei Wuxian tiredly uncurled from his protective position and kneeled awkwardly. He could not keep his legs straight due to the restrains and neither did he dared to rest by sitting on his heels. He waited quietly, his head lowered and his thighs trembling, for his adoptive father’s next order.

Unfortunately, it seemed like their suffering was not at the end yet, Jiang Cheng thought with rising dread. He watched as his father circled around Wei Wuxian and kicked him with enough force that he fell head first to the ground, barely catching himself on his elbows, his bottom was once again on full display. A heavy boot landed between his shoulder blades, effectively pinning him down. Wei Wuxian did not even attempt to move or to get away from the pressure.

Jiang Cheng was afraid that the beating would continue. There was no more space on his brother’s body to take more of the abuse, but he would not put it over his father to not care the slightest bit. However, something even worse happened.

Wei Wuxian could not see the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader taking out a small jar of chilli oil from one of his pockets. Even if he did, he would have probably been as confused about the item as Jiang Cheng currently was. He could not begin to imagine what his father could want to use the oil for. Soon, he was sorry he ever wondered.

“Stay like that and be quiet,” the Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader did not even need to say anything, Jiang Cheng was certain that Wei Wuxian would have stayed in the same position even if he had not been cautioned to. The boot was not pinning him down anymore as his adoptive father circled back to his backside and stood in a way that left Jiang Cheng with the best – or worst, it depends whose opinion you ask – view possible.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader opened the bottle and unceremoniously emptied it right into Wei Wuxian’s back hole. Jiang Cheng breathed in sharply, the only reaction to the shock he could give, he remained frozen otherwise as his body still refused to listen to him for whatever reason. Then, his father took out a second jar and did a quick job with it, smearing its contents all over the damaged skin, paying extra attention to rubbing it into Wei Wuxian’s abused balls.

All throughout the process – Jiang Cheng did not doubt a very painful one albeit he had no experience with something like this himself –, his brother kept whimpering quietly and flinching. Until he was left sobbing on the ground with his fingers scraping for purchase into the hard flooring. Jiang Cheng detachedly wondered, how much mental strength it must take for someone to stay nearly completely still when they clearly wanted nothing more than to writhe in pain.

His father did not let Wei Wuxian rest for long. He pulled at his hair again, urging him to rise to a kneeling position. It took several tries for Jiang Cheng’s brother to obey and be able to maintain the position as least passably well.

Wei Wuxian’s hands were now clenching and grabbing at his stomach, leaving angry red lines where his nails cut the skin. It took one stern look from the Yunmeng Jiang sect leader for him to stop and clasp his hands behind his back. His whole body was trembling terribly and it seemed like his stomach was spasming.

Or it could be just Jiang Cheng’s imagination. He did not know anymore; his mind was giving up on him and he was too tired and too unwilling to try and resist. Anything would be better than having to witness how his father was torturing his brother. Why was this happening again? Why was he here? This must have been just a terrible nightmare, he would wake up soon.

Jiang Cheng’s vision was becoming hazy, everything felt more and more like a dream, as if he was observing the situation as a third person who knew nothing about the people involved. His body was not his own anymore, and neither was his mind. He was floating, floating away, leaving only the observer present.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect Leader pushed his hand to Wei Wuxian’s mouth: “Clean it.”

The boy obeyed as well as he could, grimacing at the taste. Then the father – whose father was it again? – turned towards his wife and lectured: “See Jiang Cheng? Remember this as well. Chilli oil on bruised skin or in sensitive areas is one of the best punishments if you do not want to leave any physical traces. It burns so much that the punished person wishes to be dead, but once it is cleaned off, no one can tell anything. The best part is, even when cleaned, it still continues to burn, prolonging the punishment as needed. It serves as a nice reminder after a beating.”

The boy – was that the Jiang Cheng the adult was talking to? – finished licking the adult’s hand and fell back onto all four, sobbing and whimpering. His body continued flinching as it was trying to get away from the pain.

The adult looked at the boy on the ground with disgust and kicked his stomach, causing him to fall to his side: “Tsk, you are not giving Jiang Cheng a good example here, I said to be quiet.” The boy groaned one more time and then bit his lips so no more sounds would be able to escape. “That is better. I hope next time, you will not disappoint me like this, A-Xian. You also need to learn your lesson. You can come to me tomorrow evening, I will see about cleaning the chilli oil then, if you are good.”

The man turned his back to the child who kept writhing in pain silently. He marched over to a woman sitting on an ornate stool with another child on her lap. The child had wide open unseeing eyes and was shaking slightly.

The man addressed the woman first: “My Lady, do you wish to continue? You were the one angered first. He is all yours if you wish.”

“You took long enough, Fengmian,” the woman scoffed and pulled the dazed boy from her lap. She tried to let him stand on his feet, but the child crumbled to the ground as if there was no more strength left in his body. The woman clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed: “So weak, A-Cheng, really. And we took you here to teach you how to be a good sect Leader.”

She picked the boy up and shoved him towards the man: “Take care of him, Fengmian. Take him to bed or make him watch, I do not care. I have waited long enough, I am going to teach that street urchin his place.”

“As you wish, my Lady,” the man replied, bowing slightly. He took the child into his arms and stepped out of the room just as a purple lightning whip sprouted from the woman’s hand and fell onto the other boy’s back. “Come, Jiang Cheng, off to bed with you. I really hope you will do better next time.”

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian was carrying a tray of food through snow-covered Cloud Recesses. He shivered and fastened his pace. It has been more than half a year that he was here but he still had yet to get used to the cold. It had never been this cold back in Lotus Pier, winters there were mild and forgiving. Not like here where show covered the entire mountain already in early autumn and apparently only went away in the beginning of summer.

However, he would choose Cloud Recesses over Lotus Pier any day. At least here, punishments were fair and always reflected the severity of the offense. He was no longer being beaten black and blue for simply existing or for spending too much time with his siblings. He could see Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli any time he wanted.

Wei Wuxian shook his head to get rid of the incoming onslaught of unpleasant memories. His back and insides were still hurting whenever he remembered his last day with his adoptive parents, the evening after his succession as the first disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang sect. The title was now long forgotten; he, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli were Gusu Lan sect disciples now.

He had never been so grateful to anyone as he was to Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren. The Gusu Lan sect heir had found him unconscious on the ground of the throne room in Lotus Pier and went to alert his uncle. Things went quickly afterwards and the three siblings had been offered solace and a new home in Cloud Recesses.

Wei Wuxian hurriedly circled the last corner and knocked on an unassuming door. Jiang Yanli opened with a sweet smile that she always had just for him. There was a permanent worried line between her eyebrows, but she could still manage to greet her younger brother with a semblance of normalcy, albeit still dimmed by worries and pain.

“How is he today?” Wei Wuxian asked, shooting a quick glance toward one of the beds while he put the tray on the low table in the middle of the room. He glanced towards the shut blinds and opted not to comment on the fact that the room was only sparsely lit by small lamps.

That single look confirmed to him that nothing changed with Jiang Cheng. His brother had been unresponsive ever since that frightful day. Wei Wuxian has regretted many times asking him to partake in his punishment. Even if it had been meant to protect him, it had broken him instead. The body was here, Jiang Yanli and the Gusu Lan sect healers were doing their best to keep it healthy, but the soul was nowhere to be found.

Jiang Yanli sighed, way too deeply for her age. She had been the one who insisted she would stay by their younger brother’s side until he woke up, however, Wei Wuxian was suspecting that it was taking too much out of her. It was not easy seeing their once lively brother like this. He had tried many times to get her to take care of herself too, to have some fun outside once in a while, she never relented.

True, he was not the one to preach too much. He had needed to be pulled out of the confines of his own room by Lan Wangji. However, he had quickly gotten used to their new way of life. He had talked with Lan Xichen at lengths and he hoped that the older of the Twin Jades would be able to get throught to Jiang Yanli sooner or later. They got along pretty well if he was to judge.

“The same as usual,” she answered tiredly and went to caress Jiang Cheng’s overgrown hair, her expression clouded with worry and exhaustion. “He is not doing any worse.”

“Those are good news,” Wei Wuxian tried to cheer her up at least a little bit. He was pushing himself to always come here with a big smile and positive attitude. He had not been able to take care of his brother in the beginning, he had been too gravely injured, but he could do it now. He could help alleviate his sister’s burden as much as she would let him.

Wei Wuxian picked up one of the small dishes from the tray of food. Luckily, even in his seemingly soulless state, Jiang Cheng was still managing to swallow on his own. It would have been way worse if they had to force-feed him. According to the healers, he was actually mostly healthy, it was just his mind that had shut down after the incident and has never returned since. Wei Wuxian missed his little brother terribly.

Still, he did his best to remain cheerful and keep all their spirits up: “Oh, what do we have here? It is the famous plain vegetable stew of the Gusu Lan sect! It was prepared especially for our little sleeping princess. Jiang Cheng, hope you like it because there is nothing else here but an even plainer rice porridge.”

Wei Wuxian took the dish to the bed and handed it over to Jiang Yanli with exaggerated gestures and bows. She laughed. It was nothing like the laughs he had been used to back in Lotus Pier, but it was one of the first ones in the last half a year. Wei Wuxian cherished it immediately.

Jiang Yanli took the dish from him and started the painfully slow process of feeding their little brother. Although he was able to swallow on his own, getting food into his mouth was another story. Wei Wuxian usually left this task to his infinitely patient sister, whenever he tried, he always hurried too much and most of the food ended up all around Jiang Cheng’s mouth and on both their clothes.

“Say ahhh, Sleeping princess,” Wei Wuxian teased, just to make Jiang Yanli laugh again. “Your breakfast is served.”

The teasing achieved its purpose as Jiang Yanli smiled at him tiredly. It has also another unexpected effect that neither Wei Wuxian nor Jiang Yanli noticed at first. They only turned to their younger brother when Jiang Cheng half rasped, half groaned: “Shut up, Wei Wuxian.”