Jiang Cheng deserves a break

Chap 6: Dearest Advisor

The following days were slow and quiet. Not peaceful, but quiet. The mornings felt like they dragged on for years, and nights became morning in a blink of an eye.

Upon waking up most mornings, Jiang Cheng would rather do nothing but curl up in his warm bed, buried under the covers and stare at the ceiling like it was a work of art.

Nothing but the loud chatter of people, the bright laughter of children and the calls of boatmen could be heard. Nothing eventful had happened since Jiao Yang made an appearance, then promised not to haunt Lotus Pier anymore. Jiang Cheng wasn't even certain if Jiao Yang had been liberated.

This abrupt peace --strangely-- unnerved Jiang Cheng.

A cultivator's life wasn't meant to be uneventful. Ironically, their livelihoods thrived on chaos. Years of fighting, gruelling training and going night hunting doesn't just go away.

Presently, Jiang Cheng wishes he could be sleeping in a field of puppies instead of dealing with this. He fidgets on the floor where he sits at a table; marking his disciples' reports--unable to decipher the ones with messy or tiny handwriting--
and approving letters about trade agreements and other political bullshit.

He groans internally at the sight of his workload, and wishes that he could be anywhere else but here.

Cooped up in his room and restarting a letter about a trade agreement to merchant outside of Yunmeng, six fucking times now because he was unimpressed with his own handwriting--he was feeling vexed.

He finds that he can't focus, he can't sit still. He yearns to stand out in the Sun, wielding Sandu and going through sword drills with his disciples. What is wrong with you, Jiang Wanyin?

With a loud sigh, he gives up on doing paperwork for the day and goes over to the large window in his bedroom. He pushes the panels open and light from the Sun caresses his face, making his tan skin look gold--he breathes in deeply.

It had been horribly awkward between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. Both of them going out of their way to avoid each other's glances and presence any way they could, from taking longer paths or staying in their respective rooms to have their meals. The servants had never seen the dining table so clean in weeks. 

You know, exactly what two mature adults would do after having a disagreement.

Jiang Cheng laments about how fragile and complicated relationships were.

With his eyes closed, Jiang Cheng again hears the shrill cries of children laughing. Their little footsteps and little bodies chasing after each other under the bright, blue sky.

He hears a child trip and fall, then began to cry. He also hears, what he assumes to be, the child's older sibling say soothingly, "Don't cry didi, it'll be okay. You're okay."----

--"Jiang Cheng, look! Look! Look at me! Look at what I can do!"

"Catch me if you can! Haha!"

"Jiang Cheng, you did it! That was amazing!"--

He blinks his eyes open and he realises that his nails had dug into the edge of the window frame. He forces himself to uncurl his hands from the frame, and he fidgets with Zidian nervously.

"Sect leader Jiang? It's Shu Mei Ling, may this one come in with your tea?" A disciple questions from the other side of the door, stopping Jiang Cheng from succumbing into another one of his spirals.

That's not right. "Tea?" He asks, "I don't remember requesting for tea."

"Master Wei was actually the one who requested it." Says Mei Ling, "He said, and I quote:

'Bring these to him. He's been stuck in his room all day doing paperwork. Knowing him, he's probably forgotten to take breaks.'

Master Wei also prepared some snacks for you." She says, not noticing the waver in Jiang Cheng's voice when she tells her to enter.

Mei Ling comes in to put down the tray of tea and biscuits. She glanced at the pile of unmarked papers and crushed up paper, as she pours jasmine tea into a cup and asks, "Having trouble, sir?"

Jiang Cheng huffs in annoyance. "Is that any of your business to know, Shu Mei Ling?" He responds with no real meaness to it.

Mei ling grins slightly, "I'll take that as a yes."

Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at her boldness to talk back. He never quite understood how, despite his reputation as a hot-headed man and his dislike for those who dared talk back to him; the Shu family weren't at all fazed by him.

Jiang Cheng returns to the table and gracefully sits down to drink his tea. He glares at the pile of papers, "Do you know when Shu Jinghua will be back?"

Shu Jinghua was a woman in her late forties--she was the head of the Shu family and was Jiang Cheng's advisor.

Back in her village in Qinghe, Jinghua had been a teacher and taught both children and adults.

Of course, she was the only female teacher in her village, but she was very good with paperwork and writing reports and what her eldest daughter describes as 'great at dealing with idiots'.

Although Jiang Cheng had doubted Jinghua's capabilities at first, he hadn't once regretted having her as his advisor. She would also sometimes act in as sect leader when Jiang Cheng didn't feel up to it. She had been of great help in those first few months after his seclusion ended.

Jinghua also usually helps with the paperwork, but she was back in Qinghe because her wife--Yan Ruyi--had broken her leg so Jinghua returned home to take care of her.

Mei Ling: "Hmm, if I'm not wrong, muqin should be back around sometime this week. She's quite preoccupied with ma and my younger siblings."

A pause, then she asks, "Do you...want me to write a letter to my mother to ask that she returns to Lotus Pier immediately?"

"No, no. It's *sigh* fine. I can deal with this." Jiang Cheng puts back his tea cup and the empty plate back on the tray and waits for Mei Ling to clear them. "Do send my regards to Madam Yan (referring to Yan Ruyi) that she gets better soon." 

Shu Mei Ling collects the tray and bows as best as she can while balancing the teapot and cup, "Of course, thank you sect leader for your concern! Will that be all?"

Jiang Cheng bites his lower lip, "Yes, uhm. Tell Wei Wuxian that I t-thank him for the refreshments."

Mei Ling smiles at seeing her sect leader's ears go red with embarassment. "I hope you and Master Wei can mend your relationship."

Jiang Cheng sighs, picking up his brush and parchment paper, "I hope so too."
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A/n: oh gosh why was this chapter so hard to write. Ugh. Anyways, here are the translations;

Ma(ma)--mother (informal)
Muqin--mother (formal)

I describe Shu jing hua in this chap like she's that important to the story but not really. I just had the sudden urge to make a forty-plus year old OC.

Next chapter is not an update, sorry. It's a bonus chapter for stuff about Shu Jing hua that i couldn't fit into the book but were great headcannons so i couldn't bear to delete them.

She's the mother the Jiang siblings should have had.