curiosity (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
curiosity) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly2022-01-03 04:35 am
curiosity) wrote in fandomweekly2022-01-03 04:35 am
Entry tags:
[#96] Enough is Enough Pt. 1 (MDZS)
Theme Prompt: #96 - Center of Attention
Title: Enough is Enough, Part 1
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: Gen / Violence / Angst
Bonus: No.
Word Count: 1k
Summary: Jiang Cheng is pushed too far at a corporate event and makes a drastic change.
This was exactly where he didn’t want to be; all eyes on him. Silence rippling out from where he stood like a stone striking smooth water. He wanted to run, to cry.
But he was Jiang Cheng. Running wasn’t an option.
Wei Wuxian stared up at him, shocked, sprawled on the floor. His wine glass lay in shards amidst a spreading scarlet puddle on the marble floor. Jiang Cheng’s blow was already a darkening bruise on his jaw.
“You’ve said a lot of despicable shit to me over the years,” he hissed, enraged. “But how dare you bring my partner and children in to it? Your husband has always treated me like trash and I have never once maligned him. I have never once denied your child’s rightful place in our family.”
Jiang Cheng set his champagne flute on the nearest server’s tray and turned back to Wei Wuxian, taking a deep breath.
“I’m no longer your brother. Jiang Holdings is yours and A-Jie’s. The paperwork will be finalized by close of business tomorrow.”
He strode away. A path cleared for him as if by magic. Showing him Nie Mingjue with A-Zhen on one hip and A-Yi on the other, talking to Jiang Yanli, who held a fussy A-Ling. His sister and his husband looked up as he approached.
“My heart,” Nie Mingjue said, putting the babies on their feet. “What happened?”
Jiang Cheng took his hand but spoke to his sister. “I am formally leaving the family. I will have paperwork drawn up to give you and Wei Wuxian Jiang Holdings. I hope you’ll still let us see A-Ling, but I understand if you don’t.”
“A-Cheng, what are you talking about?” Jiang Yanli’s eyes went wide. “What happened?”
“Wei Wuxian said my husband is only tolerating me for access to company secrets.”
“Wanyin,” Nie Mingjue studied him carefully, knowing how fiercely Jiang Cheng loved him and their children. “Did you hit him?”
“I knocked him on his ass,” Jiang Cheng replied. “And now we’re leaving.”
“Don’t do anything drastic, A-Cheng,” his sister urged, handing Nie Mingjue the babies’ diaper bag. “I’ll talk to him.”
“After everything we’ve done for the Wens at his insistence. After all the aid we gave to the Lans after the Jins’ coup attempt. For years I’ve been making every stupid idea he’s ever had work. Then he disparages my husband and children? Fuck that. I’m done.”
He picked up a bewildered A-Zhen and took A-Yi’s hand. “I love you, A-Jie. Contact me if you decide you still want me as a brother. I won’t be reaching out, but I will always welcome you.”
“Come on, boys,” Nie Mingjue said cheerfully, “Who wants ice cream?”
* * *
Nie Mingjue waited until the boys were in their car seats and he had texted Huaisang, warning that they were on their way home before he spoke.
“Lotus, please speak to me?”
Jiang Cheng kept his attention on the road, knuckles white where he gripped the steering wheel. “There isn’t much else to say, Mingjue-ge.”
“What did Wei Wuxian say, exactly?” Nie Mingjue asked the question and instantly regretted it when his husband glanced in the rearview mirror to check on the kids, the line of his jaw sharp enough, rigid enough to shatter steel.
“He said,” Jiang Cheng took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He said it was disgusting that I was so obsessed with you when it was obvious you were only tolerating my horrible personality to gain access to Jiang Holdings secrets. And that he felt bad for our kids who had to tolerate two angry hot-heads for parents. And then he laughed, like it was the funniest thing in the world,” Jiang Cheng said, checking the rearview mirror again.
Nie Mingjue twisted around to look in the backseat. Both babies were fast asleep in their car seats, the hypnotic rhythm of the highway and the late hour knocking them right out. He faced forward again, mind spinning.
“I’m so sorry,” he said at last. “Thank you for sticking up for us.”
“You’re my family,” Jiang Cheng replied, his voice low and fierce. “You’re mine.”
“Yes,” Nie Mingjue agreed, reaching across the center console to put a hand on Jiang Cheng’s knee. “Always.”
“Why would he say that?” Jiang Cheng asked through clenched teeth.
“I don’t know,” Nie Mingjue admitted, mind racing. “I’ve never understood his sense of humor.”
“We should move to Qinghe,” Jiang Cheng said. “You’ve been wanting to go back to your family’s estate. Huaisang has been dropping hints that he and Mo Xuanyu are ready to go back, too.”
“My love, that’s a big decision.”
“Well.” Jiang Cheng was silent for a long minute. “You’ve been by my side this whole way, since college. You. Huaisang and Mo Xuanyu. Now we’re married and we have these two to take care of. It isn’t about my company or my family any more. Not when it’s been rubbed in my face exactly how little I matter.”
“Your sister loves you.” Nie Mingjue pointed this out, hoping that was still true once she was done coddling and cajoling Wei Wuxian’s side of the story from him.
“She’s moving to Lanling with the Peacock after New Year,” Jiang Cheng said, grim. “They decided this week.”
“That’s less than a month away! How was she going to break it to the kids?”
“I don’t know.”
“You aren’t going to reconcile with Wei Wuxian?”
“If he shows up and apologizes and vows to never say anything that fucking stupid ever again, I’d think about it.”
Nie Mingjue grimaced. Wei Wuxian never apologized for anything. Even when he did, it was so performative and barbed that it was rendered moot.
“I’ll be honest,” Jiang Cheng said. “Something broke in me tonight. I don’t think I can love him the same way anymore. He finally pushed too far.”
“All right. We go to Qinghe.” Nie Mingjue agreed.
Title: Enough is Enough, Part 1
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: Gen / Violence / Angst
Bonus: No.
Word Count: 1k
Summary: Jiang Cheng is pushed too far at a corporate event and makes a drastic change.
This was exactly where he didn’t want to be; all eyes on him. Silence rippling out from where he stood like a stone striking smooth water. He wanted to run, to cry.
But he was Jiang Cheng. Running wasn’t an option.
Wei Wuxian stared up at him, shocked, sprawled on the floor. His wine glass lay in shards amidst a spreading scarlet puddle on the marble floor. Jiang Cheng’s blow was already a darkening bruise on his jaw.
“You’ve said a lot of despicable shit to me over the years,” he hissed, enraged. “But how dare you bring my partner and children in to it? Your husband has always treated me like trash and I have never once maligned him. I have never once denied your child’s rightful place in our family.”
Jiang Cheng set his champagne flute on the nearest server’s tray and turned back to Wei Wuxian, taking a deep breath.
“I’m no longer your brother. Jiang Holdings is yours and A-Jie’s. The paperwork will be finalized by close of business tomorrow.”
He strode away. A path cleared for him as if by magic. Showing him Nie Mingjue with A-Zhen on one hip and A-Yi on the other, talking to Jiang Yanli, who held a fussy A-Ling. His sister and his husband looked up as he approached.
“My heart,” Nie Mingjue said, putting the babies on their feet. “What happened?”
Jiang Cheng took his hand but spoke to his sister. “I am formally leaving the family. I will have paperwork drawn up to give you and Wei Wuxian Jiang Holdings. I hope you’ll still let us see A-Ling, but I understand if you don’t.”
“A-Cheng, what are you talking about?” Jiang Yanli’s eyes went wide. “What happened?”
“Wei Wuxian said my husband is only tolerating me for access to company secrets.”
“Wanyin,” Nie Mingjue studied him carefully, knowing how fiercely Jiang Cheng loved him and their children. “Did you hit him?”
“I knocked him on his ass,” Jiang Cheng replied. “And now we’re leaving.”
“Don’t do anything drastic, A-Cheng,” his sister urged, handing Nie Mingjue the babies’ diaper bag. “I’ll talk to him.”
“After everything we’ve done for the Wens at his insistence. After all the aid we gave to the Lans after the Jins’ coup attempt. For years I’ve been making every stupid idea he’s ever had work. Then he disparages my husband and children? Fuck that. I’m done.”
He picked up a bewildered A-Zhen and took A-Yi’s hand. “I love you, A-Jie. Contact me if you decide you still want me as a brother. I won’t be reaching out, but I will always welcome you.”
“Come on, boys,” Nie Mingjue said cheerfully, “Who wants ice cream?”
Nie Mingjue waited until the boys were in their car seats and he had texted Huaisang, warning that they were on their way home before he spoke.
“Lotus, please speak to me?”
Jiang Cheng kept his attention on the road, knuckles white where he gripped the steering wheel. “There isn’t much else to say, Mingjue-ge.”
“What did Wei Wuxian say, exactly?” Nie Mingjue asked the question and instantly regretted it when his husband glanced in the rearview mirror to check on the kids, the line of his jaw sharp enough, rigid enough to shatter steel.
“He said,” Jiang Cheng took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He said it was disgusting that I was so obsessed with you when it was obvious you were only tolerating my horrible personality to gain access to Jiang Holdings secrets. And that he felt bad for our kids who had to tolerate two angry hot-heads for parents. And then he laughed, like it was the funniest thing in the world,” Jiang Cheng said, checking the rearview mirror again.
Nie Mingjue twisted around to look in the backseat. Both babies were fast asleep in their car seats, the hypnotic rhythm of the highway and the late hour knocking them right out. He faced forward again, mind spinning.
“I’m so sorry,” he said at last. “Thank you for sticking up for us.”
“You’re my family,” Jiang Cheng replied, his voice low and fierce. “You’re mine.”
“Yes,” Nie Mingjue agreed, reaching across the center console to put a hand on Jiang Cheng’s knee. “Always.”
“Why would he say that?” Jiang Cheng asked through clenched teeth.
“I don’t know,” Nie Mingjue admitted, mind racing. “I’ve never understood his sense of humor.”
“We should move to Qinghe,” Jiang Cheng said. “You’ve been wanting to go back to your family’s estate. Huaisang has been dropping hints that he and Mo Xuanyu are ready to go back, too.”
“My love, that’s a big decision.”
“Well.” Jiang Cheng was silent for a long minute. “You’ve been by my side this whole way, since college. You. Huaisang and Mo Xuanyu. Now we’re married and we have these two to take care of. It isn’t about my company or my family any more. Not when it’s been rubbed in my face exactly how little I matter.”
“Your sister loves you.” Nie Mingjue pointed this out, hoping that was still true once she was done coddling and cajoling Wei Wuxian’s side of the story from him.
“She’s moving to Lanling with the Peacock after New Year,” Jiang Cheng said, grim. “They decided this week.”
“That’s less than a month away! How was she going to break it to the kids?”
“I don’t know.”
“You aren’t going to reconcile with Wei Wuxian?”
“If he shows up and apologizes and vows to never say anything that fucking stupid ever again, I’d think about it.”
Nie Mingjue grimaced. Wei Wuxian never apologized for anything. Even when he did, it was so performative and barbed that it was rendered moot.
“I’ll be honest,” Jiang Cheng said. “Something broke in me tonight. I don’t think I can love him the same way anymore. He finally pushed too far.”
“All right. We go to Qinghe.” Nie Mingjue agreed.