Growing Pains from Growing Family (Xicheng)

Chapter 11: Lan Xichen's Muse

"Lan Zhan, you can't pull that one again." Jiang Cheng said sternly as he turned back to face the cold and expressionless Lan.

"I can't leave this room, I'm grounded." Rolling his eyes Jiang Cheng said nothing in response. Did Lan Xichen really want to spend the rest of his day inside this tiny room? "Besides, I'm not injured. Look!" Pulling out a slightly scorched sketchbook, which must have been saved from what remained of Hanshi. Lan Xichen drew a couple of scribbles to prove that his hand was still doing alright and that they could still spend the day together.

"What's this?" Jiang Cheng asked, looking at the drawings which had been there from before. Rough sketches of people in positions, which although looked off, felt very familiar. Looking closer at the way they stood he finally realized what it was they were doing. It was the Jiang sect's sword technique stances, only they were all wrong. Arms were too high up, chins weren't tucked in properly, and worst of all they were standing with their feet too close together. "You've drawn the Jiang novices? When did you even meet them?" Jiang Cheng could not remember a time when sect leader Lan had met the newest Jiang disciples.

"I didn't... Does it look that bad?" Lan Xichen looked defeated, had he attempted to draw the stances properly? Sect leader Lan might not have the sword skills to match Sandu Shengshou himself, but he was far from bad. Surely he knew...

"You were never taught in Yunmeng?" Thinking back Jiang Cheng came to the realization that he could not remember the older Lan visiting Lotus Pier learn their techniques back when they were young. Lan Wangji had been there, but to Wei Ying's disappointment he'd managed to finish his education months in advance leading him to travel back to Gusu far before what was originally planned.

Lan Xichen would likely have been just as an efficient of a student, but he wouldn't have been out the door so fast that Jiang Cheng wouldn't have known of him being there. He would DEFINIATELY have known if he had been there. There was no way his Xichen-crazed younger self wouldn't have found out that the handsome man he spent his days daydreaming about was in Yunmeng.

Lan Xichen shook his head. "I was made to hunt fierce water ghosts in Caiyi Town instead" It wasn't uncommon for such things to occur. Something similar had happened to Jin Ling back when he was younger. Right before he was to travel to Gusu a nearby sighting of a fierce ghost had been announced near Lanling and a night hunt was swiftly planned. Being a future sect leader meant that such activities took precedent to formal education.

"It's not too late you know. The next time you come to Yunmeng I'll take a couple of days off to teach you" Jiang Cheng offered. Being taught by Sandu Shengshou was a pleasure few were granted, yet sect leader Lan declined the offer.

"I'd prefer it if you became my model instead. Let me draw you" Rather than learning the poses himself Lan Xichen was more concerned with his drawings being accurate, something which didn't necessarily require him being able to perform the stances himself. Having someone else do them for him was just as effective.

"Sure" There wasn't much they could do locked inside of a tiny bedroom, but this was one of them. Standing up Jiang Cheng unsheathed Sandu and took the first position. His sword might as well be an extension of his own body, that's how natural it felt for sect leader Jiang to move in what for others must be a tiresome way for a person to stand. Keeping his arm and Sandu stretched out forward he kept his conversation with the artist going. "But you're not getting out of me teaching you. Next time you're in Yunmeng I will work you to the bone"

"I'll look forward to it" Lan Xichen was too preoccupied to sound enthusiastic about the idea of the hard work sect leader Jiang would put him through on his next visit. But the smile on his face warmed Jiang Cheng's heart. The Lan must really like drawing, his eyes every now and then looking up to closely inspect the way Jiang Cheng stood so that he could recreate it on the pages before him. It might not be much, but it really looked like he had forgotten all about the current state of Hanshi as he recreated the Jiang's form on the pages before him.