Chapter Text
He looked down and saw the hand pierced through his chest. White peony stained red. Then he looked back up to see Wei Wuxian's devastated face. His death would definitely be used against him and that will definitely be one of his biggest regrets...
Uttering what he thought would be his final words his eyes flutter shut and he fell to his knees and slammed to the ground.
He feels his consciousness fading
He feels light
And then suddenly he can feel a soft surface under him
He hears the sound of his mother humming a song she would sing to him as a child and pats his head. Maybe this was his last gift in his final moments. His life flashing before him. He wishes he could have seen A-Li and A-Ling as well.
His mother's hand was warm against his face and he opens his eyes and sees his mother smiling and humming with her eyes shut. He's convinced he's in heaven until the door opens and he sees Jin Guangshan walk into the room towards him and addressing his mother "My lady, I've spoken to Jiang-zongzhu about the Betrothal between our A-Xuan and their daughter Jiang Yanli and preparations are being made to make the Betrothal official"
It's at that moment two things strike him at once
-No way is it possible for his excuse of a father to be part of heaven even in the form of memories
-These aren't memories...He's back in the past. He's Travelled back in time!
He sits up abruptly and wildly looks around
It's impossible and yet here he is! Back in the past. Back to being a child. Back to the time before the world went to shit. His panic must have been evident when his mother says "Is everything alright Baobei?"
While still extremely panicked he tries to fit the pieces together. The Ghost general had definitely killed him. He had died. But somehow he was alive again. Somehow. It was mind-boggling but it was true and suddenly he remembered what Jin Guangshan said. Betrothal? Weren't they just kids when that had happened? If he remembers exactly this had been around the time they had met in Jinlintai when they were 13 years old for the first time and their mothers had thought they would be a good match.
He looks to his mother who looks at him enquiringly "A-Xuan? Baobei what's wrong?" and he decides maybe even if he doesn't understand why he's here again he'll change everything he can that was destroyed. He silently lies back down in his mother's lap and she silently pats him back to sleep. If this is a dream he wishes it never ends...
The next day he goes around his home. Nothing much was different from his last memory of it considering how his father had basically waited to see who the victor would be before joining the war. The Jin had suffered almost next to no losses in the aftermath of the War. If he really has come back in time. As ridiculous as it sounds and much as it gets him worked up it won't do him any good if all the fretting leads to others thinking he's losing his mind. They might be right if they think that because this is impossible ! and yet here he is! Back from the dead , Shiny and new.
He decides he'll do everything in his power to avoid exactly every stupid thing he ever did and try to fix some of the things that had gotten destroyed.
He walks back to his rooms and makes a list of the events that are yet to happen according to the timeline:
- This time he isn’t going to hurt A-Li like he did when he was just an arrogant kid who felt like he wasn’t given a choice.
This time he’s going to treat A-Li the right way. From the very beginning.
- He’s going to be better to Wei Wuxian.
Looking back he could have helped him a lot if only he had looked at him back then. If only he had gone to the burial mounds himself to give him the invite… No point in thinking about things he couldn’t change in his memories he’s gonna be better to him this time.
- Saving the Cloud Recesses from burning.
With this, he sees a pattern to things. Lan Xichen running away with the most irreplaceable documents from the library and then according to what he finds out A-Yao shelters him.
The thought of his brother makes him realise he might have more to change than he thought
- Save A-Yao at an early age.
His brother had to go through horrible things only because he was the son of Madam Meng. He needs to fix that too, though helping Madam meng might take a bit of time.
- Prevent the annihilation of the Jiang clan and destruction of Lotus pier.
He’ll never forget the look in the Jiang Siblings eyes when after the war they set off to go to their destroyed home.
- Stop Wei Wuxian from becoming the Yiling Laozu.
Now, this might be linked to getting thrown into the burial mounds which had happened after the massacre at the Lotus Pier. One incident might be able to trigger a change in another.
-Sunshot campaign.
He sighs and falls onto his desk...at least he’s got 3 years before young masters from around the cultivation world are invited for lessons in the Cloud Recesses. And a little over a year after that before everything goes to hell.
Till then he’ll have to make as many ties as possible to strengthen the ties during the lessons.
He’ll think about those when an opportunity presents itself. Having the memories of an adult doesn’t change the fact that right now and here he’s still a kid in the eyes of the adults.
So for now..., he’ll maybe write a letter to A-Li? Is it proper? To him, A-Li is already someone he had gotten married to and has a son with. But right now in this timeline, he’s as much of a stranger to her as she had been when he had been this age the first time around.
Maybe he should address Jiang Cheng. That would be courteous and would be the start to an actual bond between both him and his brother in law, well future brother in law if doesn’t ruin anything…
Jiang Cheng
This is Jin Zixuan, hope everyone in Lotus pier is doing well. I will be visiting Yunmeng and was wondering if you, your sister and your brother would be willing to meet up and maybe acquaint me with some of the places in your home I’ve heard and have been intending to visit myself.
If you are willing then I hope to see you all soon.
Jin Zixuan
There. Nice and simple with only intentions in getting to know the Jiang better.
He sits back and thinks maybe this time life could change for the better...Now he just has to send this letter before Mianmian catches him and teases him endlessly. A warm feeling goes through him when he remembers that right now his Shijie is still around and still his closest friend.
He gets up from his chair and puts the letter in a paper pouch and turns around to grab his talisman paper to put on a seal on the letter when he realises a presence at the entrance for his rooms.
He looks up and regrets not closing the door shut.
Leaning on the door as if summoned by thought with a devilish smile.
He’s never going to hear the end of this...