▶ Requested by no one

▶ Fluff 🥺🥺

▶ Gender neutral reader - pronouns being used are they/them 

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"Sizhui-Gege catch me!" 

Lan Sizhui looked up, eyes widening as a small child jumped at him. He panicked and ended up dropping all the scrolls and books he had in his arms. The child landed safely in his arms. 

They giggled loudly and hugged his neck. 

Jingyi, Jin Ling, and Ouyang Zizhen all stared in silence. 

"Sizhui-Gege is the best!" They kissed his cheek and snuggled closer. 

Sizhui smiled softly, chuckling. "[Y/N] what have I told you about jumping on me when I have my arms full?" 

"...Not to..." 

"Yes, so please don't do it again, alright?" 

"Okay!" They nodded. 

"I never knew someone could gently scold someone..." Ouyang Zizhen whispered, leaning closer to his friends.

"Thats Sizhui for you." Jingyi sighed. 

"I didn't know he had a younger sibling??" Jin Ling squinted at the two, wondering if he was hallucinating. He hadn't been sleeping well because Jingyi and Zizhen kept sneaking into his room at an ungodly how just to play some stupid song on their flute and guqin. Oh Xie Lian, why did his uncle ever agree to let him stay in Gusu to study!? 

Sizhui turned back to them, the small child sitting on his arm. He was a Lan so of course he made that shit look easy. 

(Like that ^) 

"This is [Y/N]," he introduced. "[Y/N] these are my friends, Jin Ling, Lan Jingyi, and Ouyang Zichen." 

[Y/N] was suddenly a little shy. "It-its nice to meet you!" 

"Awww! They are so cute!" Zizhen cooed loudly. 

"Sizhui I didn't know you had a sibling?" Jingyi titled his head like a puppy and gazing confusedly at the child who just stared right back with big doe eyes. 

"O-Oh! No- We- We aren't siblings by blood." Sizhui blushed, embarrassed. He smiled at them sheepishly. "No, we found them on a Night Hunt a while back. Their family didn't make it so we decided to take them in for the time being." 

"Does that mean they are going to join the Lan Clan? Officially I mean." Jin Ling added. He thought the child was rather ugly. 

[Y/N] stuck their tongue out at him and he did the same right back. 

"I don't know," Sizhui said. "Its up to the elders. I think Clan Leader Lan is trying to convince them to at least consider it but they are rather past the age when someone should start cultivation." 

"What happens if they say no?" Zizhen asked worriedly. 

Sizhui's smile became strained. [Y/N] was turned away from him, Jin Ling distracting them, so they didn't see or feel the atmosphere shift, becoming much more tense. 

"Uh... I don't know... We couldn't keep them if the elders say no... So we would try and find a family for them to live with... They would basically be adopted." 

Jingyi frowned. "But what if we can't? That seems dumb." 

"Jingyi..." Sizhui sighed, at a loss for words. "I don't know..." 

"Well they can't just let them live on the streets!" 

"I'm sure if the elders say no then we can still try and find them a family to live with." 

"If they say no then they can live in my clan." 

All three of them blinked in surprise and turned to look at Jin Ling who had his arms crossed. A faint trace of blush dusting his cheeks. 

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" 

"I... I just didn't expect that from you young mistress."

Jin Ling opened his mouth to retort but Sizhui stopped him. 

"Jin Ling... Would you really do that?" 

"What do you mean?" Jin Ling held his chin up high. "I am Clan Leader Jin that means I can do as I please and I don't have elders that are always chiding my every move or making decisions for me. So I can simply have the brat join my clan so they won't end up on the streets." 

"Wow... Jin Ling has a heart!" 

"Shut up Zizhen!" Jin Ling barked, glaring. The other just smiled sheepishly. Once Zizhen had gotten to know Jin Ling he no longer saw him as intimidating or mean, Jin Ling was simply a dork.  

Sizhui smiled brightly. "Thank you Jin Ling, that's very kind of you." 

"I-Its nothing..." Jin Ling blushed, looking away. 

"Rich-Gege!" [Y/N] laughed, clapping her hands. 

Sizhui winced, getting deja vu. 

"Thats right! I am rich!" Jin Ling boasted, puffing his chest out like the peacock he was. 

"What about me?" 

"Yeah! What about us?" Jingyi cried, agreeing with a pouting Ouyang Zizhen. 

"Sizhui-Gege," they pointed to Sizhui. "Rich-Gege," they pointed to Jin Ling. "Zi-Gege," they pointed to Zizhen who wilted a bit. "And Shagua-Gege!" 

"Sh-Shagua-Gege?!" Jingyi sputtered. 

"[Y/N]!" Sizhui cried out in astonishment. "W-who taught you that?!" 

[Y/N] smiled innocently. "Rich-Gege!" 

"Jin Ling?!" Sizhui's jaw dropped. 

"B-but they've never met before today?!" Zizhen patted Jingyi's head. He was curled up in a ball in the corner and Zizhen was doing his best to console the Lan. 

Jin Ling whistled, scooting away. 

"[Y/N]-" Sizhui looked down at the child in his arms. "Ha-have you met Jin Ling before?" 

[Y/N] hummed, nodding enthusiastically. "Rich-Gege taught me lots of words!" 

"T-Traitor!" Jingyi sobbed on the floor, tears pooling around him. 

"I-I'm sure you can always ask them not to call you that..." Zizhen tried to cheer him up. 

"Child are so mean! They will never listen! Wahhhh!" 

"On second thought... maybe they shouldn't join the Jin Clan..." Sizhui held [Y/N] closer to him, protectively keeping them away from Jin Ling who cried out in protest. 

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▶ I spelled Zizhen's name wrong this entire time and had to go back and correct it 😭

▶ Jin Ling actually has a heart! 

▶ 子 zi – child; MC's nickname for Zizhen is so ironic I couldn't help myself 😭😭

▶ 傻瓜 shǎguā - stupid melon; I'M NOT SORRY 😭 I HAD TO HAVE MC CALL JINGYI THAT 

▶ Forgive me if there are any pronoun mistakes, I haven't written gender neutral in a while 

Completed : 6/20/2023