For You - LXC x JC fanfic

Argument

One month after.

Jiang Cheng. "..."

Lan Xichen. "^_^?"

Jiang Cheng speechlessly looked at the torn 'uniforms' soaked in the tub. The 'uniforms' magically turned into rags. "... can you not still know how to estimate your strength?" he asked, exasperation in his voice.

"... no." Lan Xichen's forehead was soaked in cold sweat when he saw Jiang Cheng's silent anger.

Jiang Cheng sighed. A month before, after he pushed Lan Xichen out of his door, he thought that the other had already left. And so he continued with his work that day and stopped until it was already late at night.

Just when he opened the door, he was startled when he saw a white figure sitting on the porch. He thought it was a ghost, but then he remembered the person clad in white that had followed him today. "... Lan Xichen?" he called.

Lan Xichen slowly turned. His eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Cheng. "You finally came out!" he exclaimed.

"... you waited here?" Jiang Cheng asked. "For eight hours?" he added.

Lan Xichen nodded.

Jiang Cheng. "..." looking at Lan Xichen's innocent expression, where did his feeling of guilt come from? "Have you eaten?" he asked.

Lan Xichen shook his head. As if on cue, Lan Xichen's stomach growled.

Jiang Cheng. "..." he felt guiltier. "I'll have someone prepare us food." He told him. "Come in." he added.

Lan Xichen's eyes sparkled in mirth. He immediately went inside.

After that, Jiang Cheng felt worried about Lan Xichen's well-being. He is afraid the man would get deceived again, and so he finally taught him everything that he knows. And now it is already a month.

Today, he tried teaching Lan Xichen how to wash his clothes, yet the uniform turned to rags. Yesterday, he tried to teach him how to cook, but he almost burned the kitchen. And the day before that, he...

Jiang Cheng placed a palm on his forehead. He was about to speak when a disciple called him, reminding him of today's tasks. "I'll be right there." He said.

Lan Xichen turned and watched the disciple hastily left. "So urgent?" he asked and turned to Jiang Cheng. "Can I go with you?"

"En." Jiang Cheng answered and then left. Lan Xichen immediately fixed his clothes and followed after Jiang Cheng, but he didn't know he would regret it.

They broke out in an argument.

Gusu, one week after.

"Xichen." Lan Qiren called outside.

"Uncle. Please come in." Lan Xichen said as he sat upright.

Lan Qiren went inside and saw Lan Xichen was reading memorials. "How are you now?" he asked.

Lan Xichen parted his lips to speak, but no words came out. He lowered his gaze and looked at the memorial. "I am becoming used to being the sect leader." He answered.

"But you are the sect leader." Lan Qiren said.

Lan Xichen froze. He felt there was a hidden meaning with Lan Qiren's words. "Uncle." He called. "Was I wrong?" he asked.

Lan Qiren didn't answer. One can answer one's questions, but one shouldn't always answer one's questions, or else, how can they answer on their own? One can be tolerant towards others, but shouldn't make them be dependent on him.

Seeing his uncle didn't answer, Lan Xichen knew Lan Qiren wanted him to find the answer on his own. As he pondered, he recalled what happened last week, when he was still in Lotus Pier, and it became his last day in the Lotus Pier.

'became the last day', since he argued with Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng sat on his seat while Lan Xichen sat on the side, watching Jiang Cheng to learn from him again.

"Send him in." Jiang Cheng spoke.

"Yes." the disciples bowed and opened the door. The disciples outside came in escorting a man.

Jiang Cheng's right-hand man handed him a document and Jiang Cheng read it. "Lu Nan, a thief. You stole someone's jewels and escaped." He said.

Lan Xichen who was silently watching on the side was shocked. He looked at the criminal and he felt conflicted. The man looked like an honest person, and his eyes are clear. However, he turned out to be a thief...

Jiang Cheng ignored Lan Xichen on the side. "Why did you steal?" he asked the man.

"Sect leader, I have a sick wife and three small children." The man said as his tears fell. "That day, my wife's medicine was all used up, and my wage still hasn't been given to me since my boss' shop encountered a problem, thus our wage was delayed. My children were also very hungry. Thus, I stole." He explained.

Jiang Cheng's expression wasn't moved. It was obvious he had encountered problems similar to this. "Send him to the prison." He told his disciples.

"Yes!" his disciples answered and tied the man's hands.

"Wait!" Lan Xichen shouted.

Jiang Cheng's brows knitted and everyone turned to him.

"Sect leader Jiang. You've heard him. He stole in order to feed his family." Lan Xichen said as he looked at Jiang Cheng.

"What do you imply?" Jiang Cheng asked, though he already knows the answer.

"Release him." Lan Xichen answered, as expected.

Jiang Cheng didn't answer.

"He is a father and a husband. If he will be imprisoned, who will take care of his sick wife since his children as still small?" Lan Xichen asked. "Who will feed his children, if he will be gone?" he added.

Jiang Cheng stared at Lan Xichen and Lan Xichen stared back. "Send him to the prison." He told the disciples, although his gaze was on Lan Xichen.

Lan Xichen's eyes widened in shock. "Sect leader Jiang!" he yelled as he marched towards Jiang Cheng.

However, Jiang Cheng ignored him and indifferently watched as his disciples left with the man.

"I made three mistakes." Lan Xichen said as he stared at the tea on the table. The surface of the liquid reflecting his face. "One: I shouldn't have questioned his authority, since it was his turf. Two: I should've been discrete. I shouldn't have questioned him in front of his people. And three – " he took a deep breath. " – a crime was called a crime, since it was against the law."