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monsiuerneuvillette · 11 months

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𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄? ; 𝐉𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐔𝐀𝐍

a rendezvous with the Jing Yuan in a bamboo forest.

contents: gender neutral, sfw, super fluffy, reader works at the divination commission, the general got some rizz

In a corner of the Xianzhou Luofu, well-hidden away from the rest of the world is a jade paradise where bamboo trees graze the heavens. Like the majority of the population, you had no idea such a place existed. Funnily enough, it was revealed to you by the General himself in a drunken stupor.

After finding out his mistake, one would expect that the man would try his best to beg for you to keep its location a secret. Instead, he’s turned you into his courier for whenever he doesn’t want to leave his hideout.

Stupidly enough, each time Jing Yuan sends for you, you’ll inevitably find yourself there, delivering what he asks of you. A box of Songlotus cakes, scrolls of documents, missing chess pieces. This time, there’s nothing written on the bamboo leaf that lands on your desk.

You twist it between your fingers while you look at Qingque’s chicken-scratch handwriting which you’ve been trying to decode for the last half an hour. It makes you rise to your feet and head straight for the bamboo forest.

On other occasions, you wouldn’t abandon your station that easily. But rarely does the General send for you with no message. You suspect that whatever it was for, it must be urgent. And you treated it as your top priority.

Admittedly though, one reason behind your decisiveness was to indulge the flutter in your chest. The thought of him is enough to make your heart race. Seeing him is another matter of its own. These occasions are usually brief in interaction but everlasting in your mind. A sunny smile, a beauty mark under fluttering eyelashes, a casual wave. He’s the silly little crush that you can’t get over.

You arrive at the forest, immediately engulfed by the earthy scent of nature. You weave your way along a narrow path, feeling the breeze play with your hair. There’s a distant tuneful chirping echoing through the forest, adding to the charm of this little hideaway.

The General is truly too mean to be keeping all this to himself.

You scoff aloud at the thought.

“Thinking ill of your General, aren’t you?”

The voice came from ahead. You know that deep and sonorous voice. It resonates in the air, fading right as its owner made his presence known.

You nearly suffered a heart attack when you finally noticed him leaning against a bamboo tree, a little sparrow perched on his fingers.

You straighten yourself up, clearing your voice. “Did you call for me, General?”

Jing Yuan remains perfectly still with his profile to you, his platinum mane swaying gently along with a crisp gust of wind. “I think I don’t need to tell you the answer to that.”

“What do you mean, sir?” you ask, your voice a little too shaky and your breathing a little too shallow for comfort.

“You’re a diviner.” Jing Yuan’s honey eyes flicker to you. You hold your breath. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d wager that you were eager to see me.”

There’s no General Jing Yuan without his biting wit. But the one that so regularly circles your mind could never live up to the real thing — at least not when it comes to how infuriating he is.

The lovely reminder knocks you right back to reality, in which you find it completely natural to return the favor.

You release the breath from before as subtly as you could manage. “Please, don’t get ahead of yourself, sir. I don’t use the jade abacus on nonsense matters.”

“Nonsense?” Jing Yuan chuckles, sending the sparrow on its merry way as he turns to face you, his head slightly dipped. “How would you know it was nonsense if you didn’t look?”

“Lucky guess.”

“You have an attitude today, I see.” He hums, nodding to himself. “I like it.”

You refuse his piercing gaze, befriending the thin branch that’s been poking at your sleeve. You twirl the pliable thing around your finger. Here’s to hoping he’s not on the scent of your secret crush on him.

“Come on, walk with me. I have something to show you.”

With his hands laced together behind his back, Jing Yuan’s figure disappears as he turns the corner. You barely had any time to regain your senses. Your legs even start to move on their own, following him through the winding path.

You’ve never been this far before. The scenery just continues forever, unraveling infinitely before your eyes. Bamboos grow close together, knitting an intricate crisscross pattern. But you don’t feel suffocated. Instead, it gives off a mysteriously tranquil air.

At some point, even though you lost sight of Jing Yuan, you didn’t feel scared. You just patiently continue along until you reach a clearing, the only one you’ve seen so far. There’s a quaint pavilion sitting neatly in the center, a pebble path leading up to it. As expected, Jing Yuan is already sitting with one knee up on the floor, pouring out some tea.

You slowly make your way over, placing your hand on the wooden column, admiring the intricate beams that are supporting the roof.

“You built this, sir?”

He smiles. “If I said yes, would you have tea with me?”

“Do I have a choice?”

The general laughs. “As surprising as it may seem, you do. I won’t be offended if you decline.” He pushes the tea cup towards you, looking up at you with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. “Though I can’t promise I won’t feel hurt.”

Neither of you expected that you would sit down and take the porcelain tea cup. The delicate fragrance of gardenia fills your senses as you bring it to your lips for a sip. The warm liquid trickles down your throat, leaving a bitter aftertaste along with a hint of floral sweetness.

Jing Yuan is certainly no stranger to your shifting moods. But even he is baffled by the contradiction between the choices you’re making today.

"So you do care about my feelings. Is that it?”

“I just really need my job.”

You look at him over your cup of tea, pretending like you’re actually counting the bamboo trees behind him. But from this angle, you can still see Jing Yuan perfectly well. He swats his knee and then leans back on the palms of his hands, head thrown back with a chuckle.

Your eyes are glued on his neck, the way his Adam’s apple bobs up and down, his silver hair cascading down his shoulder to his elbow.

You imagine this sight but instead of being seated across from each other, he’s on top of you. A moment later, his hair would graze your cheeks, his strong arms would cage you between them. He would lean down until your lips touch—

You forgot to close your mouth and choked, coughing violently into the back of your hand. Tea goes up into your nostril and though it still smells nice, you feel like your sinuses are on fire.

While you’re busy coughing your lungs out, Jing Yuan rushes to your side, placing a comforting hand on your back. When the coughs cease, you catch a curtain of silver in your peripheral view.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

“‘M fine,” you croak, wiping the tears from your eyes.

“That’s good.” His hand finally leaves you, its warmth still lingering for a moment longer before disappearing altogether. “Here.”

A soft cloth is brought to your cheek. You stare at him with wide-open eyes while he’s looking at your lips. He carefully dabs the handkerchief on the corners of your mouth, then, your chin. While his hand is there, he accidentally meets your gaze. You’ve already been looking at him, unknowingly drawing his attention.

Your chin is between his thumb and forefinger; your lower lip falls open, soft and tempting. Jing Yuan feels your breath on the back of his hand. It’s ragged and shaky.

In a moment of distraction, Jing Yuan lets the handkerchief slip and fall to the floor, leaving nothing but skin between you two.

“Can I kiss you?” he says, his eyes peering down into yours.

You give him a nod.

Jing Yuan leans in. You feel his hair brush your forehead, his breath fanning down your cheek and finally, you feel his lips pressed softly to yours.

You can hear everything—the wind rustling through the trees, the droplet falling from the tea sprout, the soft smack of his lips against yours after each kiss.

Jing Yuan molds his lips to yours carefully, never too overbearing with you. He’s as heavenly as you pictured him to be. Precise, gentle and patient. Right after his tongue traces along your bottom lip, Jing Yuan pulls away.

You open your eyes to see him catching his breath, smiling fondly back at you. Your hand moves on its own, tucking his hair back.

You aren’t sure what you were trying to accomplish. Perhaps you were just wondering what it would be like to see him without his bangs. Whatever the reason must have been, you didn’t intend on doing it at all.

When you notice it, you immediately let go. There’s just one small thing. You can’t. Jing Yuan’s hand is right around your wrist.

“Oh—”

His grip is not too strong, yet still firm enough that you can’t think about anything but the fact that it’s there.

“Would it be too much if I ask you something right now?”

You shake your already spinning head. You’ve barely had any time to savor anything. It’s just been one thing after another. You figure since you’re already here, what can a little question change?

Jing Yuan brings his face closer to your hand, loosening his grip until he can easily slide his palm along your inner wrist to your palm. Then, he presses a tender kiss on the back of your hand.

“My dearest, will you have me?”

The way he phrased it, each word so poetic, each syllable sounded with his warm cadence. He asked it with certainty, not in knowing what your answer might be, but rather in his feelings.

You’ve always admired that conviction of his. You wish you had it.

“Sir, I—”

Jing Yuan frowns. “Back to formalities, already? Am I a bad kisser?”

You look away. “It’s not that.”

“Oh, then, what is it?”

You want to scream and let go of the weight that’s been pressing down on your chest the moment Jing Yuan’s lips left yours. He’s given you something that you don’t want to let go of. He’s given your silly little crush hope and now it wants to grow into something more.

You end up just exhaling instead. “We can’t be together. You’re—you! And I’m—” I’m someone whose job entails translating Qingque’s handwriting. But you couldn’t finish the rest of it.

Jing Yuan’s hand moves to hold yours. He still hasn’t let go, you notice.

“And you’re you. Who else could we be but ourselves?” He pauses, leaving you with a brief but much appreciated break from your own thoughts. “Tell me what it is your heart’s telling you to say.”

“I want to say yes, sir—”

Jing Yuan breaks into a chuckle, pulling you into his arms. Your chin is in the crook of his neck as you blink at the gently swaying rows of bamboo trees. You feel his laugh as it vibrates through your body.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Sir.”

“Jing Yuan. My name’s Jing Yuan. Call me Yuan Yuan.”

You let yourself smile. “Yuan Yuan?”

He leans back to look at your face, his hands resting on your arms. “Don’t laugh. There’s only a handful of people who get to call me that.”

Jing Yuan looks like he might just burst out in tears if you laughed. As hard as you try to keep a straight face, you still let a giggle slip. “Alright, Yuan Yuan. I’m yours. Don’t tell me you’re thinking about backing out now?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

#:’)#so beautifully written 💗#*sighs wistfully* if only this were real #fic recs

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