Swapped! - LXC x JC fanfic

Face-off

(A/N: sorry for taking so long to update! Enjoy this chapter! ^_^) 

Cloud Recesses, Gusu. 

"Sect... sect leader, g-good morning!" the GusuLan sect juniors greeted when they saw 'Lan Xichen' was walking towards their direction. They immediately bowed in ninety degrees, not daring to meet 'Lan Xichen's eyes which seemed to be darker and sharp today.

Jiang Cheng, who is currently 'Lan Xichen', felt the corner of his lips twitched and he smiled stiffly. "... good morning." He greeted back and nodded before he immediately walked past them. ... did I smile right? He thought as his brows immediately knitted in confusion.

He remembered what happened that day, when Lan Wangji arrived in Cloud Recesses, 'fetched' him and both of them went to Lotus Pier, where Wei Wuxian is, as well as Lan Xichen, who is currently in his body.

Lotus Pier, Yunmeng.

"So, you mean to say, that board game was cursed, and it possesses the people who will play the game?" Lan Xichen said after he and Jiang Cheng heard Wei Wuxian's and Lan Wangji's explanation. "However, since we didn't 'directly' made contact with the game's board, we weren't directly possessed?" he added.

"Yes!" Wei Wuxian answered. "Aren't I smart? Only I can think of using paper talismans in playing games!" he said with a wide grin.

"Wasn't it because everything you pick up are shady?" Jiang Cheng sneered as he sharply glared at Wei Wuxian. "It's just right to be cautious! What would have happened if you weren't cautious?!" he asked, can't help but raise his voice again because of anger.

Wei Wuxian shut up and scooted closer to Lan Wangji when he saw 'Lan Xichen' was scolding him. He turned to Lan Wangji. Lan Zhan, everything's just becoming more and more wrong! Zewu-jun's image will collapse because of Jiang Cheng! We can't have Jiang Cheng destroy Zewu-jun's long hard-earned image!

Lan Wangji who understood his beloved's stare. "..." I really feel more worried...

Lan Xichen whose smile is stiff, clearly understood what his younger brother and Wei Wuxian are thinking. "..." should I also worry or not? I don't care that much about my image... he thought and turned to look at Jiang Cheng who's standing beside him, glaring at Wei Wuxian. "..." to see your usually amiable face show a murderous expression for the first time... mn. I really have to start to worry.

"Well?!" Jiang Cheng spoke when he saw the three of them remained silent after his outburst.

Wei Wuxian, who's the main culprit, started to smoothen the tense atmosphere. "J-Jiang Cheng – " he called, but immediately closed his lips when he saw Lan Xichen's face. "..." good god! This is really awkward! He thought, his brow twitched as he endured the awkwardness. "C-calm down first... that's why we're here to discuss how will we fare from hereon – " he told him.

"'we'?" Jiang Cheng sneered as he looked at Wei Wuxian, his gaze full of ridicule as if he's looking at an idiot. "It's only me!" he said.

Wei Wuxian. "..." oh, my god...! Zewu-jun is so fierce! Ehem, I mean, Jiang Cheng...he thought as he calmed himself not to panic. "W-what do you mean, only you?" he asked.

Jiang Cheng pointed at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. "You two weren't even cursed!" he answered.

Wei Wuxian blinked. "Maybe because we're the ones who picked up the board game, so it treated us as its owners?" he gave a guess.

Jiang Cheng felt stifled. His anger on his chest just burned more. "And him!" he said as he pointed and turned to Lan Xichen, only to freeze when he saw his face staring at him with an innocent gaze. "..." damn it! He thought as he looked away. "He may have been cursed, too, but he's in a better situation." He said.

The three were puzzled. They were about to ask Jiang Cheng what does he mean by 'in a better situation', when Jiang Cheng spoke again.

"The YunmengJiang Sect doesn't have three thousand stifling rules!" Jiang Cheng almost screamed, being driven to madness.

Wei Wuxian. "... oh." You have a point, brother.

Lan Wangji. "..." why do I suddenly feel guilty for the first time because our sect has such rules?

Lan Xichen. "... ^_^" have you forgotten, I'm the sect leader of that sect that has three thousand stifling rules?

Jiang Cheng, finally finished venting his anger and voicing out his misgivings, calmed down. Only then did he notice the strange silence. "?" did I say something wrong? But, the GusuLan sect really is too much with those rules!

Lan Xichen's brow twitched, suppressing the sudden irritation he felt. "I also have to act like sect leader Jiang." He said.

Wei Wuxian. "..." what is this sudden tension? Why do I smell the smoke of gunpowder in the air?

Lan Wangji. "..." bro, do you have to be so blunt? You're older than him. Can't you not be so childish? Why make things more tense than it already is?

Jiang Cheng isn't dumb. He clearly noticed the underlying meaning in Lan Xichen's words. He turned to the man as his eyes narrowed. "Do you have a problem with me?" he asked, no polite address in his words as he glared at Lan Xichen. Fortunately, he had already gotten used to seeing his face, and treated it like he is looking in a mirror right now so it doesn't feel that awkward anymore as he faced Lan Xichen.

Also, he had found out the difference right now: their eyes. Lan Xichen's eyes remained gentle even if the man is wearing his face right now.

Lan Xichen also can't hold back anymore as he slowly stood and faced Jiang Cheng with a fake smile. Even if both have a height difference, but Lan Xichen, who's in Jiang Cheng's body that is half a head shorter than his own body, isn't any less imposing than Jiang Cheng right now. "Sect leader Jiang shouldn't be so selfish. We're on the same boat. My situation isn't any better than yours." He told him.

Jiang Cheng frowned. "My sect exercise freedom, compared to your sect which is filled with so many rules even breathing loudly is disallowed! How can our situation be the same?!" he asked.

Lan Xichen, even though has a good temperament, but he also has his own misgivings. "I have to conscientiously act like sect leader Jiang to not let others find out our current situation. Sect leader Jiang – " he called as he stared at his own eyes. But, since Jiang Cheng is currently using his body, his gaze turned sharp, thus he can accurately distinguish Jiang Cheng.

That sharp, ridiculing gaze is Jiang Cheng's trademark.

" – you're not the only one who has difficulties." He told him.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji can't bear it anymore seeing their brothers fight against each other. However, right as they were about to move, they froze. Which brother should they pull? Their answer -

Lan Wangji pulled Jiang Cheng, who is in Lan Xichen's body. That left Wei Wuxian pull Lan Xichen, who is in Jiang Cheng's body. Even if the soul has changed, but it'd be even more awkward to suddenly touch another person that isn't their brother.

However, even if Lan Wangji was already used to seeing Wei Wuxian standing beside Jiang Cheng, but it was his elder brother who is currently in Jiang Cheng's body! Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are brothers, but Lan Xichen is just Wei Wuxian's brother-in-law. His jealousy is bubbling in his chest, but he suppressed it. Since this all is his wife's fault, he has to bear this jealousy.

"Let's do this way, then – " he spoke as he raised his head and looked at them all with a calm gaze.