#24daysofmingcheng22

[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 6 - Gifts

Jiang Cheng is absolutely flabbergasted when Nie Mingjue stops him briefly before they go into the conference room and presses something into his hands.

“For you,” Nie Mingjue says as he closes Jiang Cheng’s fingers around the small parcel and then he goes on as if nothing happened at all, instantly engrossed in a conversation with Nie Zonghui.

Jiang Cheng is left staring after him with no goddamn clue just what exactly happened right now and so it takes him a moment to regain his sense.

He refuses to admit that he only manages it because his second in command discreetly clears his throat behind him.

Jiang Cheng stashes the little parcel into his robes, unwilling to open it in front of everyone else and by the time the conference is done he has almost forgotten about it. Jin Guangshan and Sect Leader Yao certainly made sure of that by enraging him like no one else ever could and so it’s yet again his second in command who saves him.

“Do remember the gift,” he quietly says when they part for the evening and Jiang Cheng wonders how he could ever forget about it at all because all of a sudden it feels as if Nie Mingjue’s gift is burning a hole into his robes.

“Sure,” Jiang Cheng mutters back, suddenly desperate to get it open and see what Nie Mingjue got him and so he’s quick to go into his own room.

It’s only when the door is safely closed behind him that he pulls out the gift.

It really is small; small enough to entirely fit into his hand and even allow him to close his fingers around it and Jiang Cheng wonders what it could be.

He doesn’t wonder for too long though, because now he’s impatient and he rips open the wrapping. A small charm falls into his hand and Jiang Cheng is left blinking at it.

It’s delicately crafted and beautifully made and Jiang Cheng is pretty certain the he doesn’t deserve this at all.

It doesn’t help that it’s a small lotus flower that would fit perfectly on Jiang Cheng’s belt.

“What the hell is he doing?” Jiang Cheng mutters even as he clasps the charm onto his belt.

He can already imagine just how self-satisfied Nie Mingjue is going to look the next day when he sees it there and Jiang Cheng has to admit that he can’t wait for the small smile that it will surely bring out on the other man’s face.

~*~*~

It seems now that Nie Mingjue has started once he’s not going to stop with the gifts.

The next time they meet with Nie Mingjue being on an official visit to Lotus Pier, he has something else to give to Jiang Cheng.

“Here,” he says putting something that looks like a dagger on the table, though it is kind of hard to tell with how it’s all wrapped up.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Cheng says after a long moment of staring at the gift and by then Nie Mingjue has long gone back to reading the report in his hand.

It seems as if he doesn’t deem his own actions important at all.

“I’m reading,” Nie Mingjue instantly shoots back though Jiang Cheng can tell by the small twitch of his mouth that he wants to laugh at Jiang Cheng and certainly knows what he’s talking about.

Jiang Cheng huffs but doesn’t say anything else because by now he knows Nie Mingjue well enough to know that if he doesn’t want to explain something he simply won’t.

He can be stubborn like that.

Jiang Cheng gingerly picks the gift up and when he removes the cloth it’s indeed a dagger that gets revealed.

It’s beautiful and the intricate crafting on the handle is breath-taking and it’s exactly the right length to fit into Jiang Cheng’s boot, too.

Where there’s a dagger shaped space right now because he lost his own during the last night hunt he went to.

“How did you know?” Jiang Cheng asks and Nie Mingjue shrugs, even while he still pretends to read his report.

“A little birdy told me,” he easily gives back and Jiang Cheng frowns at the implication that Nie Huaisang was somehow involved.

Or maybe he’s reading too much into this at all and it was one of his own people who told Nie Mingjue about this. Which doesn’t actually make this any better. He’ll have to talk to his second as soon as Nie Mingjue is gone.

“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng whispers and Nie Mingjue only smiles at him in answer, his face soft.

Jiang Cheng wonders what this all means.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng is still debating what he wants to get to eat on the market in Qinghe Nie when Nie Mingjue materialises at his side, a steaming hot bun in his hands.

“You’ll like this,” he says and presses it into Jiang Cheng’s hands, walking off without another word.

Yet again Jiang Cheng is caught completely off guard and all he can do is stare after Nie Mingjue until the delicious smell of the bun hits him.

It must be filled with something because no way could it smell like that otherwise and Jiang Cheng can’t quite supress the soft moan he lets out when he bites into it.

The filling is absolutely delicious and Jiang Cheng wonders just how many of these he can eat before he makes himself sick. But for that to do he first has to find out where Nie Mingjue got them from.

“Hey, wait,” he calls out, running after Nie Mingjue but despite the height of the other man, he can’t find him anymore.

The market is filled with people and despite his own height and status Jiang Cheng has a hard time making his way through the crowd with absolutely no chance of ever catching up to Nie Mingjue.

He guesses he’ll have to walk around the market on his own then, though that prospect doesn’t quite make him happy.

Jiang Cheng decides not to think any more about that, though.

~*~*~

When Jiang Cheng receives a letter from Nie Mingjue with a little package attached he’s not even that surprised anymore.

Just quietly resigned because it doesn’t look like Nie Mingjue is going to stop any time soon with the gifts, though Jiang Cheng still doesn’t understand why he’s doing it.

He didn’t get a chance to really talk to Nie Mingjue since this whole gift giving started, because even during his visit to Qinghe Nie they were so busy with Sect matters that they didn’t even have time to chat.

But it still doesn’t seem as if Nie Mingjue is deterred in his ways.

“What the hell is this then,” Jiang Cheng grumbles even as he opens the parcel.

He should probably read the letter first but his curiosity is piqued and he can’t be bothered to read first. It’s not as if anyone is present who could tell him off for it anyway.

What falls into his hand once he gets the wrapping removed is a new ink stone.

“What the fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters, ignoring the fact that he wanted to go out tomorrow to buy a new one for himself and rips open the letter.

He skims over the niceties and the Sect business until he finds the part about the gift.

During my last visit I noticed that you grind your ink too harshly. By now you are probably due a new ink stone. Do try to relax a bit, it’s not the inks’ fault after all, the letter says and Jiang Cheng has to snort at it.

It’s true, it’s not the inks’ fault but he does find grinding it strangely soothing. Even at the expense of his inkstone.

“Why do you even notice these things,” Jiang Cheng mutters, even as he replaces his old, worn-down inkstone and he can’t deny that it makes him happy to see the new one and be reminded that it’s there because Nie Mingjue noticed something about him.

Still, it doesn’t give him an answer to his question, so he vows to ask Nie Mingjue the next time he sees him.

~*~*~

The next time turns out to be just a week later when Nie Mingjue drops by for a surprise visit and just like Jiang Cheng promised himself he refuses the gift Nie Mingjue absentmindedly tries to push into his hands and instead he puts his hands to his hips and levels Nie Mingjue with a look.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jiang Cheng demands to know and Nie Mingjue blinks at him, clearly surprised.

“Trying to give you something?” he then asks, the gift still in his own hands, hovering kind of awkwardly between them.

“No, yeah, that’s kind of obvious.” Jiang Cheng curses himself for his fumble there. “I just mean—why?”

“Because I want to see you happy?” Nie Mingjue asks right back and it brings Jiang Cheng up short.

“What?” he breathes out because this doesn’t even make sense! “You never even wait to see my reaction!” he almost yells out then and Nie Mingjue shrugs.

“Maybe, but I do get to see that you are enjoying my gifts,” he then says with a small nod to the lotus charm that is hanging off Jiang Cheng’s belt.

It makes Jiang Cheng blush and he tries to hide the charm with his hand but of course it’s a totally useless move because clearly Nie Mingjue has already seen it.

Jiang Cheng is convinced he even knows about the knife in his boot. It already saved Jiang Cheng more than once, too.

“I just don’t understand,” Jiang Cheng goes on eventually. “How can you find all these things for me?” he asks because he truly doesn’t understand how Nie Mingjue always has something ready for him, no matter what.

Jiang Cheng was prepared for a lot of things but seeing Nie Mingjue blush slightly certainly wasn’t one of them.

“I just—” he shrugs, clearly unwilling to speak up before he seems to come to a decision because he straightens up. “I just buy the things that make me think of you. It’s nothing more than little trinkets anyway,” he tries to play it down.

“Well, you must think of me an awful lot then,” Jiang Cheng bites out, unsure what to do with this admission and whenever he feels lost in a conversation he tends to fall back on sarcasm and biting remarks.

But for once, it doesn’t work.

“I do. I think about you all the time,” Nie Mingjue honestly gives back and it leaves Jiang Cheng speechless.

And whenever he is met with an emotion he doesn’t know how to deal with, Jiang Cheng has one trusted method to handle it: he flees.

So he turns around on his heels and walks away from Nie Mingjue, into the private part of Lotus Pier where not even Nie Mingjue is allowed in.

He paces on his favourite pier, turning the words in his mind over and over again, looking for the hidden meaning behind them and always coming up short. He thinks he might have to admit that Nie Mingjue simply said what he meant, but Jiang Cheng isn’t convinced.

He doubts that Nie Mingjue even meant it in such a positive way; it’s much more likely that Jiang Cheng annoys the other man to death and that is the reason why Nie Mingjue can’t stop thinking about him.

It doesn’t quiet add up with the gifts though and Jiang Cheng Is this close to tearing his hair out when his second finds him.

“Zongzhu, Nie-zongzhu is about to leave,” he informs him. “If you do want to talk to him, you should do so quickly.”

Jiang Cheng would admonish him for the small smile that plays around his mouth as he says it, indicating that he already knows something Jiang Cheng doesn’t, but the thought that Nie Mingjue could simply leave sends Jiang Cheng into a panic.

He runs off without saying even a word of thanks to his second.

Nie Mingjue is apparently about to step onto Baxia when Jiang Cheng comes running and Jiang Cheng can’t let him leave without getting a proper answer.

“Wait,” he yells out and gets treated to the sight of Nie Mingjue stumbling over his own feet.

“You scared me,” he grumbles once he found his footing again but he doesn’t quite manage to meet Jiang Cheng’s eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jiang Cheng mutters out once he’s certain that Nie Mingjue won’t simply fly off on him.

“Leaving? It didn’t seem as if I was very welcome here, with you running away from me,” Nie Mingjue immediately shoots back and Jiang Cheng winces.

“I’m sorry about that,” he says. “It’s just—you don’t make sense to me,” he then admits. “Your actions don’t make sense to me.”

“What is giving you trouble?” Nie Mingjue asks and Jiang Cheng would bristle at the teasing tone he uses but he finds that with Nie Mingjue it might be okay.

“You said—I just don’t understand,” he mutters as he stares at the ground and notices from the corner of his eyes how Nie Mingjue smiles at him.

“I’m trying to court you. Does that make more sense now?” Nie Mingjue asks and Jiang Cheng’s head snaps up so fast he fears he hurt himself.

“No! That doesn’t make sense at all!”

“Wanyin, seriously,” Nie Mingjue huffs out and steps close, taking Jiang Cheng’s hand in his. “I just admitted I think about you all the time. I have been giving you gifts for months now; gifts that you didn’t reject and even use. I thought my intentions were perfectly clear.”

“Yeah, well, they are not,” Jiang Cheng grumbles, but he can’t quite bring himself to take his hand back. “You should have said.”

“Alright,” Nie Mingjue says with a nod and takes Jiang Cheng’s other hand in his as well. “I’m gonna say it then. Are you going to run off on me again?” he asks and Jiang Cheng glares at him.

“Just say the damn sentence,” he hisses, causing Nie Mingjue to chuckle and Jiang Cheng finds himself thinking that he wants to do that more often.

“Okay then. I’m not letting you go again anyway,” he says and to emphasise his words he squeezes Jiang Cheng’s hands. “I want to court you. I have been trying to court you.”

The words hang awkwardly between them because even though now Jiang Cheng knew they were coming he can’t find his voice to say something to that.

And he stays quiet for long enough that apparently Nie Mingjue feels the need to ask a follow up question.

“Will you let me? Am I allowed to court you? Is it—wanted?”

He almost sounds unsure and that is something Jiang Cheng can’t have.

“I don’t know,” he snaps out. “Depends on your gift, I guess.”

He gives Nie Mingjue a challenging stare who relaxes again after he tensed at Jiang Cheng’s first words.

“Do not run off again, though,” he says, carefully taking his hands back and eying Jiang Cheng as if he is a flight risk.

It’s probably not entirely unwarranted, Jiang Cheng thinks, because he does feel as if fleeing might be the better option still. He forces himself to stay right where he is though and when Nie Mingjue presses the same gift from before into his hands he even takes it.

“There,” Nie Mingjue says and pats Jiang Cheng’s hands once. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

“I don’t know yet,” Jiang Cheng grumbles even as he tears the wrapping apart and then he is left speechless when he unwraps the most beautiful guan he has even seen.

It’s almost simple in it’s design, and Jiang Cheng thinks that might make it even more beautiful but what really gets to him is the fact that Nie Mingjue somehow managed to combine Yunmeng Jiang symbols with those of Qinghe Nie.

He would have to be a blind fool not to understand Nie Mingjue’s intentions behind this.

“There is no way you simply found this,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and Nie Mingjue chuckles nervously.

“No,” he then admits. “It’s custom made. I know it’s presumptuous, especially with your lack of a reaction to any of the other gifts so far, but I just hoped—”

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng cuts him off, tearing his eyes away from the guan to finally look at Nie Mingjue. “You can court me.”

Jiang Cheng did expect to get another smile for it but what he gets instead is Nie Mingjue distrustfully narrowing his eyes at him.

“If it’s just for the craftsmanship I can refer you to the expert,” he says and Jiang Cheng fights the urge to stomp his foot on the ground.

“You ridiculous fool,” he hisses out. “You give me the most thoughtful gifts, admitting to the fact that each and every one of them made you think of me and then you make this—” he shakes his hand with the guan “—combining our symbols and still expect me to say no?”

“Well, you did run from me not even half an hour ago,” Nie Mingjue says but there’s a hint of teasing back in his voice and that is truly all Jiang Cheng wanted.

“But then I came back. And now I ask you to stay.”

“Is that so?” Nie Mingjue asks and takes a step forward.

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng nods but he narrows his eyes when Nie Mingjue’s eyes sparkle with mirth.

“I didn’t hear a question, though,” he teases and Jiang Cheng slaps his chest.

“You’re horrible,” he complaints, though in all honesty, he doesn’t mind. He hopes Nie Mingjue knows that.

“I hear that from Huaisang all the time,” Nie Mingjue nods. “Still, I did not hear a question. And I’m afraid without that I’ll have to—”

He makes to move towards Baxia again and Jiang Cheng’s hand snaps forward, snatching his robes.

“Will you stay?” he asks and immediately Nie Mingjue pulls him into a hug.

“I thought you would never ask,” he whispers with a laugh and even knowing that he got played, Jiang Cheng can’t find it in him to mind it.

Not when Nie Mingjue thinks about him all the time and even freely admits to it.

Though it seems as if Jiang Cheng will have to step up his game if he wants this to be a real courtship and his mind starts to whir with all the possible gifts he could give Nie Mingjue.

At least right until he feels Nie Mingjue’s lips against the crown of his head and then he doesn’t think much about anything for a while.

He’ll have to come back to the gift later. 

Link to my ko-fi

#bt writes #mingcheng #24daysofmingcheng22 #nie mingjue #jiang cheng #canon compliant #courtship #gifts #humor #fluff #getting together

[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 5 - Honeymoon

Jiang Cheng is laughing at something Nie Huaisang said when he notices Wei Wuxian coming his way and just like that his laughter dies down.

“Here we go,” he mutters, just loud enough for Nie Huaisang to hear, who immediately snaps his fan open.

“I’m right here,” he reassures him and Jiang Cheng briefly leans into his side, because he knows that.

Nie Huaisang has his back, no matter what and it’s not only at the threat of having his legs broken by Nie Mingjue.

Nie Huaisang does genuinely care about him and he wouldn’t let Wei Wuxian—or anyone for that matter—hurt Jiang Cheng.

“Chengcheng,” Wei Wuxian calls out as soon as he is close enough to not have to yell through the entire room and Jiang Cheng supposes he has to be grateful for that. “I didn’t know you would be here!”

“I’m accompanying Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng stiffly says, keeping an eye out for either of his parents to join this absolute disaster but he can’t spot them. Small mercies.

“I see, I see,” Wei Wuxian mutters and then leans in close. “And when are you going to introduce him formally to the family?” he then asks and Jiang Cheng frowns at him.

Nie Huaisang—curse him—doesn’t say anything and simply watches everything with hawk eyes.

“Formally? As what?” Jiang Cheng wants to know because this doesn’t make sense.

He doesn’t have to formally introduce his friends.

“As your boyfriend, of course,” Wei Wuxian immediately shoots back and Jiang Cheng reels back as if he’s been hit.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” he tells Wei Wuxian who gives him something akin to a pitying look. It certainly makes Jiang Cheng’s hackles rise.

“Chengcheng, we all know you don’t want to be here, so for you to show up can only mean that you’re here out of love.”

“Well, yeah,” Jiang Cheng admits and doesn’t like the way Wei Wuxian’s eyes sparkle at the admission. “I’m here for Mingjue.”

That seems to bring Wei Wuxian up short.

“What now?”

“Da-ge asked A-Cheng to accompany me to this function because he himself couldn’t make it. A-Cheng hates it here but he loves my brother enough to accompany me anyway,” Nie Huaisang finally chimes in and Jiang Cheng relaxes slightly.

So Nie Huaisang is not going to let him be eaten alive by Wei Wuxian, that’s good to know.

“Right,” Wei Wuxian snorts out. “You’re dating Nie Mingjue, CEO of Nie Security and one of the top five bachelors of this country.”

Jiang Cheng definitely doesn’t like the tone Wei Wuxian is taking with him and he scowls at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he demands, crossing his arms in front of his chest and even Nie Huaisang’s eyes narrow at him, so he doesn’t seem to like where this is going at all either.

“It just means that no one is going to believe that. Why would Nie Mingjue ever date you when he can have his pick out of everyone. That’s more than unlikely, isn’t it? You and Huaisang here on the other hand—”

“I would be very careful with your next words now,” Nie Huaisang interrupts him. “Because either it’s going to be insulting to me or A-Cheng, and at worst both, and I am not going to let that slide.”

His voice is ice-cold and even though he’s speaking in defence of Jiang Cheng a cold shudder still runs down his back.

He wouldn’t want that tone of voice to be directed at him but it seems as if Wei Wuxian does not have the same survival instincts because he soldiers right on.

“I was just going to say that you two fit well together,” Wei Wuxian defensively says and Nie Huaisang narrows his eyes at him.

“Sure. So you don’t think A-Cheng is brilliant enough to capture my brother’s eyes and you think my standards are shit at the same time. Noted.”

Wei Wuxian opens his mouth at that but then closes it without saying another word. Maybe the cutting edge to Nie Huaisang’s voice finally got through to him.

“I think I have to—Lan Zhan, you know,” he babbles.

“Of course,” Nie Huaisang says with a sharp smile, accompanied by the snap of his fan as he closes it. “Do leave. And please make sure to not come back this evening.”

Wei Wuxian turns around on his heels and is gone in an blink.

“Well, that was awful,” Jiang Cheng mutters and Nie Huaisang pats his arm.

“You want to go home?” he asks. “Da-ge is probably missing you like crazy right now.”

“You damn well know that he’s going to have both our heads if we should leave before we hit the two hour mark,” Jiang Cheng shoots back because Nie Mingjue was adamant about that.

They are here to represent the company and as such they have responsibilities.

“I guess he’ll forgive us if we tell him what happened,” Nie Huaisang says and then gives Jiang Cheng a sweet smile. “How about you leave. It’s just another half hour and I promise to be good.”

Jiang Cheng would love to say yes to that but half an hour is plenty of time for Nie Huaisang to ruin lives and overthrow companies. And Nie Mingjue would have his head if he left Nie Huaisang unsupervised.

“I can manage another half hour,” Jiang Cheng says and doesn’t miss the disappointed look on Nie Huaisang’s face. “Especially when it means it’s going to stop you from a hostile take-over or two.”

“You like my take-overs,” he snappishly says, flicking his fan back open.

“Not when it means more work for Mingjue, I don’t. He’s already busy enough as it is and he has scheduled a break next month. You pestered him about that. If you upset the entire delicate balance of these companies he won’t be able to take that break.”

“That’s just mean,” Nie Huaisang whines but he deflates with a sigh. “But I guess you win.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng nods and bumps their shoulders together. “I learned from the best.”

It earns him a radiant smile from Nie Huaisang and in face of that Jiang Cheng completely misses the way a pair of eyes bore into their backs.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng has barely sat down at the table when Jiang Yanli speaks up.

“I didn’t expect you to show up alone,” she says as she pours him tea and Jiang Cheng shrugs.

“Yeah, I know, but there was a last minute issue that Mingjue had to deal with. He sends his regards and apologises. He will definitely be here next time.”

It takes him a moment to notice that Jiang Yanli has fallen silent and even stopped moving and when he looks at her he’s surprised to see a sad look on her face.

“A-jie? What’s wrong?”

“A-Cheng, why can’t you tell the truth?” she wants to know and Jiang Cheng frowns.

“About what?”

“A-Xian saw you and Huaisang at the function last week, remember?”

“Yeah, so?” he asks but he’s starting to get a bad feeling about this.

“We know it’s you and Huaisang. Why do you insist on lying about that? Don’t you ever think about how Huaisang must feel about this, if you keep denying your relationship?”

“Not really, because there is nothing to deny,” Jiang Cheng starts but he already knows that it’s futile.

She is not going to believe him, much like Wei Wuxian hadn’t believed him and this time he doesn’t have Nie Huaisang with him to come to his aid.

“A-Cheng,” she says in that sad tone she gets and the one that Jiang Cheng hates the most.

“A-jie, I keep telling you, Huaisang and I are not together. I am with Mingjue and I have been for a while.”

“Then how come we have never seen you two together? How come you only ever show up with Huaisang? A-Cheng, what is the point in lying about this?”

“There is no point because I’m not lying! Mingjue is busy, it just never worked out that we show up anywhere together. And whenever I invite you over to meet him you decline.”

“Because we don’t want to support whatever kind of game you are playing with all of us,” she shoots back and it’s so close to snapping that Jiang Cheng rears back.

He has never heard his sister like that.

“A-jie, I am not playing any kind of game. Mingjue and I are together.”

“A-Cheng, he’s so—successful. And rich. He’s one—”

“—of the top five bachelors of this country, yes I know, goddamit. But he didn’t make the list this year, did he now? And you know why that is? Because he’s no longer a bachelor. Even the press acknowledges that, so why can’t you?”

“They just don’t know you like I do,” Jiang Yanli whispers and Jiang Cheng stands up.

“Clearly they know me better than you if you still believe I am lying to you all about this.” He turns around and walks back into the hallway, already half in his shoes before his sister speaks up again.

“It’s just not very believable, that’s all,” she tries and he doesn’t turn around to her but he can imagine how she’s wringing her hands in front of her chest. “Surely you understand that.”

“And what is not believable? That Mingjue should find anything loveable about me?”

“How would you two even have met?”

“A-jie, I have been going over to the Nies regularly since school. Whenever dad forgot to pick me up or when mom told me not to come home because of a grade that didn’t please her I went over to them. I have known Mingjue for years!”

“Then it makes even less sense,” Jiang Yanli starts before she seems to catch herself but Jiang Cheng already has had enough about this.

“Because how could he fall in love with me if he knows me that well? Is that what you wanted to ask? Thanks, a-jie, it’s really nice to know that you deem me to be worthy of love. Just great. I will be leaving now.”

“A-Cheng, wait,” she calls after him but he doesn’t stop.

Jiang Cheng is gone from her house without looking back and he doesn’t think that he wants to be coming back any time soon.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng is leaning into Nie Mingjue’s side, completely content to simply watch the engagement party around them for a short while but of course his happiness is short lived.

“Here comes your family,” Nie Mingjue mutters and Jiang Cheng briefly thinks about straightening up just a little bit, just to give them the illusion that he cares but in the end he decides against it.

What does he care about his family anyway.

“Mingjue, my boy,” Jiang Fengmian greets Nie Mingjue who immediately stiffens.

Jiang Cheng presses more into his side, hoping to diffuse his tension and he allows himself a small smile when it works.

At least until his mother tugs him away to the side.

Nie Mingjue looks as if he wants to reach out for him to pull him right back, but Jiang Fengmian very expertly distracts him with one question or another and Jiang Cheng barely refrains from rolling his eyes when he realizes that this is a coordinated attack.

And he sure as hell is not going to like where this is going.

“Wanyin, I expected better of you,” Yu Ziyuan tells him and now, Jiang Cheng really does roll his eyes.

“You always do,” he tells her. “If you want me to know what you are talking about then you need to be more specific.”

“Do not take that tone with me,” she snaps. “Your boyfriend is right there, so please do tell, what do you think you are doing?”

“I—don’t get it,” Jiang Cheng says, even though he can guess where this is going.

He’s just really very tired of trying to convince his family of his relationship with Nie Mingjue especially seeing as they are her to celebrate their engagement. They really should have taken the hint when they agreed to come.

“Nie Huaisang is right over there. What business do you have to be this close with his brother? Aren’t you ashamed? Do you not even think about what this scandal could mean for the family?”

“No, not really, because there is no scandal. I am here with my fiancé Mingjue, and Huaisang is here with his boyfriend to celebrate his brother’s and mine engagement. There is nothing more to it.”

“Please,” Yu Ziyuan scoffs and looks back at Nie Mingjue. “You really want us to believe that you are dating him?”

“I am really fucking tired of all of you telling me that he is too good for me.” He briefly pauses. “And I am honestly offended on Huaisang’s behalf because you are all implying that he is not.”

“He’s a good for nothing, we all know that.”

“So we two would fit perfectly together, wouldn’t we, seeing as I can’t ever do anything right,” Jiang Cheng mildly says, because he is long over this.

His family doesn’t care, they don’t think him capable and there is nothing he can do about it. It took him way too many therapy sessions to finally come to that conclusion but at least he got there in the end.

“My heart, I think it’s time we leave,” Nie Mingjue suddenly says and when Jiang Cheng looks over to him and his father he has to suppress a laugh.

Nie Mingjue must have said something incredibly rude to Jiang Fengmian because he’s still standing where Nie Mingjue left him, his mouth slightly open.

It’s a picture Jiang Cheng rather enjoys.

“Do you never think about the consequences your actions could have? You could ruin his entire life with this farce,” Yu Ziyuan says from the side, whispering in his hear like a snake tempting him to end the only good thing in his life, but Jiang Cheng is no longer listening to her or her poisonous words.

“I thought we established that I am just a stupid idiot,” Jiang Cheng tells her even as he reaches for Nie Mingjue’s hand. “So the answer to that should be pretty obvious. And yes, I think it’s time we leave, my soul,” he then says to Nie Mingjue and doesn’t waste another moment to walk away from his parents.

It’s easy to do with Nie Mingjue’s hand in his.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng is still snuggled up in bed, his husband’s arms around him when his phone rings.

“Make it stop,” Nie Mingjue grumbles as he presses a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s shoulder.

Jiang Cheng isn’t inclined to move because he truly is comfortable but the ringing is insistent and annoying on top of that so he finally reaches out.

“It’s Wei Wuxian,” he sighs out, having half a mind of simply declining the call but then he would have to shut off his phone permanently and he doesn’t actually want to do that.

Nie Huaisang is on his own not-quite-yet-honeymoon and Jiang Cheng does enjoy the pictures he’s getting from him and Mo Xuanyu.

“One day of peace and quiet,” Nie Mingjue sighs out and Jiang Cheng drops a kiss to his forehead before he accepts the call and puts it on speaker.

If he has to be annoyed, then Nie Mingjue has to be as well. Married couples share everything after all.

“What?” Jiang Cheng asks, not bothering with any niceties.

“Chengcheng, what have you done?” Wei Wuxian asks, his voice slightly terrified and Jiang Cheng snuggles deeper into Nie Mingjue’s arms.

“I don’t know. You’d have to be more specific.”

“The paper says you and Mingjue married?!”

Jiang Cheng sighs.

“We did. So what?”

“Chengcheng! How? When? Why? I don’t understand!”

“What’s there to understand, Wei Wuxian? When two people love each other very much they get married. You should know that. You and Lan Wangji did it, didn’t you?”

“But Mingjue? What happened to Huaisang?”

“Nothing,” he sighs out. “Because it was never me and Huaisang but you wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Come on, you know how ridiculous it is that you and Mingjue—”

“We are married. How ridiculous can it really be?”

“You didn’t invite anyone to the wedding. Is it even real?”

“If you learned about this from the press you should know that it was a very big thing. Lan Qiren was there, as was Lan Xichen. Maybe you should ask them about it, last I heard was that they enjoyed themselves very much. And their gifts were more than generous.”

“You invited them but not us?” Wei Wuxian asks and suddenly his voice is very small. “We are your family!”

Jiang Cheng is just about to open his mouth to say something to that when Nie Mingjue takes the phone right out of his hand.

“Only people who believed us were invited. Sorry, but you had years to convince us that you could be polite guests at our wedding and yet somehow you didn’t manage it. Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian even accused him of a farce at our own engagement party. Excuse us if we don’t want that kind of behaviour at our wedding.”

“Mingjue?” Wei Wuxian unsurely asks and for the first time in years it sounds as if he might doubt himself. “What are you doing there with Chengcheng?”

“Enjoying our honeymoon, as you do when you are freshly married,” Nie Mingjue shoots back. “And I think we’ve had enough interruption now. Don’t call again.”

And with that he simply hangs up.

“Wow,” Jiang Cheng breathes out as he takes the phone out of Nie Mingjue’ hand. “That was entirely stupid of Wei Wuxian and very sexy of you.”

“Mh, do I get a reward for being sexy then?” Nie Mingjue asks even as he rolls Jiang Cheng over to hover above him.

“I think you just might,” Jiang Cheng says with a laugh that can barely be smothered even when Nie Mingjue leans down to kiss him.

By the time they finally emerge from the bed, the call and Jiang Cheng’s family have been long forgotten, completely smothered by the happiness both of them feel.

And honestly, that is just how Jiang Cheng likes it.

Link to my ko-fi

#bt writes #mingcheng #24daysofmingcheng22 #the untamed #mdzs #jiang cheng #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #modern au #established relationship #marriage #dysfunctional family

[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 14 - Jealousy

Jiang Cheng is pouring tea for Nie Mingjue and himself, just waiting for the other man to speak. Jiang Cheng is not the best with silences–always finding them too oppressing or too judging and at worst both–but he figured out a while ago that Nie Mingjue likes to sort through his words before he actually speaks.

Jiang Cheng could probably stand to do the same, if only to not always immediately snap at everyone who upset him but he figures it’s a little bit too late with his reputation now. People would probably think he’s gravely ill, should he consider his words before he speaks.

But Nie Mingjue always carefully thinks about what he’s going to say–if only so that Nie Huaisang can’t yell at him later for being an insensitive ass. It has happened before.

It’s kind of funny to Jiang Cheng that that still works on Nie Mingjue.

“How was your trip to Gusu?” Nie Mingjue finally asks after he almost finished his cup and Jiang Cheng frowns.

A question like that hardly warrants such a long time thinking about it and so he is instantly on his guard.

Maybe there has been an incident he hasn’t heard of yet.

“It was fine,” he easily gives back, because it had been. Perfectly pleasant even, like his meetings with Lan Qiren always are.

“Why?” Jiang Cheng asks, unwilling to give any more details when he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to look out for.

And that there is something to look out for is made abundantly clear when Nie Mingjue honest to the gods shuffles around for a little bit. It’s a nervous gesture if Jiang Cheng has ever seen one and Nie Mingjue doesn’t do nervous gestures.

At least not when he’s with Jiang Cheng.

“How’s—Xichen?” he then asks and now that makes Jiang Cheng frown for real.

Lan Xichen is Nie Mingjue’s best friend. If any of them should know how he is doing then it should be Nie Mingjue. Maybe they had a fight? But if Nie Mingjue is going about this in such a secretive manner then surely he wouldn’t appreciate being asked outright.

“He seemed—fine?” Jiang Cheng tells him, hiding a little smile when he remembers how stressed he had seemed about his courtship proposal.

Usually, Lan Qiren is very adamant to not be disturbed when Jiang Cheng visits him, but Lan Xichen had barged in, his hair a complete mess, brandishing several courtship drafts at them and then simply slumped over at their table.

Neither Lan Qiren nor Jiang Cheng had the heart so send him away, so they spend an entire afternoon with that.

Jiang Cheng wonders if Lan Xichen already sent his courtship proposal off to Meng Yao or if he’s still too chicken to do it. Maybe Lan Qiren has to take it out of his hands, like he already threatened to do.

“I see,” Nie Mingjue mutters, an unhappy twist to his mouth and now Jiang Cheng is getting worried.

Just how bad must their fight have been for Nie Mingjue to act like that?

“Is—everything okay?” Jiang Cheng asks, the most he can do without actually asking if Nie Mingjue fought with Lan Xichen and he gets a nod for his troubles.

“Yeah, sure, why wouldn’t it be?” he asks and Jiang Cheng huffs out a breath.

“Because you’re acting strangely,” he gives back and then flicks Nie Mingjue’s forehead. “What is up with you today?”

“Nothing,” Nie Mingjue says, weakly swatting Jiang Cheng’s hand away and even that seems so lacklustre that it worries Jiang Cheng. “You’ve been spending a lot of time at the Cloud Recesses lately.”

Nie Mingjue doesn’t meet Jing Cheng’s eyes as he says it and great, now Jiang Cheng feels as if he might have done something wrong, when he absolutely hasn’t.

“I enjoy spending my time there,” he diplomatically gives back and very tactfully doesn’t mention the fact that once you get Lan Qiren behind closed doors, with a good tea in his hands and managed to talk him out of wearing his forehead ribbon, he’s a fucking worse gossip than even Nie Huaisang is.

Mostly because everyone seems to think that Lan Qiren is not paying attention to anything that even comes close to being gossip but the man hears more than all of them together.

Jiang Cheng is not ashamed to admit that he enjoys gossip as well but he would never betray Lan Qiren’s secret, and so he travels there under the guise of guidance.

Luckily no one has asked yet what kind of guidance the great Sandu Shengshou and leader of one of the Five Great Sects could possibly need that he needs to travel to the Cloud Recesses once a month.

“Clearly,” Nie Mingjue mutters, drowning his next words in his tea and jolting Jiang Cheng out of his thoughts.

Something is strange about Nie Mingjue today but Jiang Cheng can’t put his finger on what exactly it is.

“Are you sure you’re alright? Is something bothering you? Has something happened at Qinghe?” Jiang Cheng asks, because if Nie Mingjue is this distracted by whatever it is that bothers him then it must be a bigger problem.

Maybe Jiang Cheng can help.

“No, everything is fine, I keep telling you,” Nie Mingjue almost snaps at Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng does not flinch back, thank you very much.

“What the hell is wrong with you today?” Jiang Cheng hisses at Nie Mingjue who immediately lowers his gaze.

“Sorry, that was uncalled for,” he whispers and Jiang Cheng angrily knocks his tea back, desperately wishing it to be something stronger right about now.

“It sure as fuck was,” he angrily mutters and then takes a deep breath.

He does not want to fight with Nie Mingjue; Jiang Cheng hasn’t seen him in almost two weeks and in his opinion that has already been way too long, not that he’s going to say that out loud.

But he’s not going to let whatever pissy mood Nie Mingjue is in ruin the little time they do have together.

He takes another deep breath.

“Do you want to come out on the lake with me today?” he then asks, hoping to hell that Nie Mingjue will just get along with this if he doesn’t want to tell him what’s wrong and he lets out a relieved breath when Nie Mingjue nods, clearly trying to reign his own temper in.

“I would love to,” Nie Mingjue mutters and then even manages to give Jiang Cheng a small smile. “If you really want to take me.”

“If you manage to not be a fucking ass,” Jiang Cheng shoots right back and just like he hoped it startles a laugh out of Nie Mingjue who holds his hand up as if he wants to swear.

“I promise to not be a fucking ass,” he solemnly says and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at him, even as he does pour him some more tea.

Things are just going back to normal when Jiang Cheng’s second in command steps up to them.

“Zongzhu,” he says with a deep bow and then gives Jiang Cheng a look that spells trouble.

Either for him or Jiang Cheng, it’s always a surprise with his second but Jiang Cheng is instantly on guard.

“What?” he demands to know and then freezes when his second holds out a letter to him.

It’s a white envelope and it’s just fancy enough to make it clear with just one look what it is.

It’s a fucking courtship proposal.

“What the fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters and then glares at his second because he knows better than to bring these to Jiang Cheng.

There is a long standing order that any and every courtship proposals are to be politely declined until one from Qinghe Nie arrives. More precisely, until one from Nie Mingjue arrives.

“Here, zongzhu,” his second says and hands Jiang Cheng the letter before he winks at him and then turns around on his heels and leaves, not even giving Jiang Cheng a chance to refuse it.

Jiang Cheng is left staring after him in outrage and when he gets his composure back, he notices that Nie Mingjue’s eyes are fixed on the letter still in Jiang Cheng’s hand.

“Is this—” he starts even though it is painfully obvious what it is and Jiang Cheng rips the envelope open.

Who dares to propose a courtship to him?

He stares blankly at the page, reading the words over again and again and in the end he can’t help the smile that breaks out.

Maybe this will spur him on to finally do something, the proposal says in Lan Qiren’s elegant handwriting. If it does, you owe me tea. You know which one.

It’s signed with just Lan Qiren’s name and Jiang Cheng quickly folds the letter back up before he stashes it into his sleeve.

It makes more sense now, why his second would give this to him; knowing Lan Qiren he addressed the original letter to Jiang Cheng’s second and added the courtship proposal that way. And of course his second would go along with Lan Qiren’s mischief.

Jiang Cheng looks back at Nie Mingjue, the smile sliding right off his face when he notices how dark his face has gotten.

“You’re going to accept, I take it?” he asks, his voice rough and Jiang Cheng frowns at him.

“I’m going to deal with this later,” he tells him and then startles when Nie Mingjue gets up.

“Don’t let my presence stop you,” Nie Mingjue says, not meeting his eyes and instead giving him a shallow bow. “My presence is required back in Qinghe, anyway. Goodbye.”

And with that he turns around on his heels and leaves.

“Mingjue!” Jiang Cheng calls after him but Nie Mingjue pretends as if he can’t hear him and simply walks away.

“What the hell?” Jiang Cheng mutters, getting the letter out again.

He understands why Lan Qiren did it—Jiang Cheng certainly lamented his ill-advised crush on Nie Mingjue for more than an hour during his last visit—but it seems as if Lan Qiren was wrong in his assessment.

Lan Qiren swore up and down that Nie Mingjue is in love with Jiang Cheng as well, even though Jiang Cheng has never noticed any hints in that regard and so of course Lan Qiren would come up with his own little scheme.

He has been teaching the younger generations for longer than Jiang Cheng cares to think about; of course he would pick up a thing or two.

But it seems as if it backfired spectacularly, Jiang Cheng thinks as he watches Nie Mingjue fly away from Lotus Pier and he wonders if it has anything to do with Nie Mingjue’s mood from before.

There seemed to be an issue with Lan Xichen and if he thinks this proposal is from him—maybe that would explain things.

Well, Jiang Cheng will give him a week or two to cool off and maybe get things straightened out with Lan Xichen and by then he’s sure that Nie Mingjue will be back.

It’s harvest season after all and Nie Mingjue has not been shy about the fact that he loves the work. He will be by to help and then Jiang Cheng can find out what has him this angry.

~*~*~

Nie Mingjue does not come by again.

One week passes and then a second, and still no word from Nie Mingjue. Jiang Cheng worries that maybe something happened in Qinghe, so he sends a letter but that goes unanswered as well.

When even Nie Huaisang doesn’t answer him after three letters, Jiang Cheng decides that his people will have to harvest for one day alone because he needs to go and find out what the hell is wrong with Nie Mingjue.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t like to admit it but there’s a tight knot of worry in his belly; they have gotten the qi-deviation issue under control and even relatively stable with Nie Mingjue’s own clarity bell—Jiang Cheng resolutely does not think about the implications of that, thank you very much—but there is always a chance that something went wrong.

Maybe Nie Mingjue is suffering right this moment—or worse, he’s dead—and it spurs Jiang Cheng on to fly even faster than he normally does.

He arrives in Qinghe in record time and it seems as if no one really expected him to drop by unannounced, even though he’s done it before and he will do it again.

“Jiang-zongzhu,” the disciple at the main gate says as she bows deeply. “I am afraid zongzhu is indisposed.”

Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes at her and he sees how she squirms under his gaze.

“Do you want to maybe try that again?” he then asks, because clearly she is lying to him and her face crumbles.

“Please don’t tell him I said anything,” she rushes out and Jiang Cheng nods.

If he gets to see Nie Mingjue then he can at least promise that.

“He’s in the main hall.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng says with a last nod and strides past her, right into the heart of Qinghe.

Every disciple he comes across looks at him with huge eyes but Jiang Cheng doesn’t pay them any mind; he’s here for Nie Mingjue and him only.

Jiang Cheng finds him in the main hall, just like the disciple told him, and even before he notices Jiang Cheng he seems angry.

Furious even, and Jiang Cheng thought they were long past that stage.

“What is going on with you?” Jiang Cheng asks as he steps into the hall, not even properly greeting Nie Mingjue, whose face immediately closes off when he sees Jiang Cheng. “Are you dying? Is there an imminent thread to Qinghe?”

“Why would there be?” Nie Mingjue gives back, clearly puzzled enough by Jiang Cheng’s questions that he answers and Jiang Cheng stares him down.

“Because those two are the only possible excuses I would accept for your continued absence at Lotus Pier and your ignorance to me reaching out to you,” Jiang Cheng snaps at him and Nie Mingjue scoffs at him.

“I wouldn’t want to impose any further, now that you are busy.” He says the last word with a sneer and Jiang Cheng frowns at him.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he demands to know and Nie Mingjue crosses his arms in front of his chest even as he continues to avoid eye-contact with him.

“There have to be a lot of preparations to be made, now,” Nie Mingjue says and his words still don’t make any kind of sense to Jiang Cheng.

“Preparations? For what? You know we have the harvest season handled, and besides. That never stopped you before.”

“Don’t be so ignorant,” Nie Mingjue hisses at him.

“Then don’t be so cryptic,” Jiang Cheng shoots right back because what the hell is even going on.

“You accepted the courtship proposal by now, I assume. Surely you have other things to worry about than me.”

Nie Mingjue’s words leave Jiang Cheng completely frozen because that is his problem? It takes Jiang Cheng a moment to understand what is happening but when he finally does, he can’t help but to laugh out loud.

Clearly Lan Qiren had been on to something.

“You know if you are this upset by someone proposing a courtship to me, maybe you should have sent in your own proposal,” he tells Nie Mingjue who immediately goes bright red in the face.

“Who says I would even want that?” he whispers out but Jiang Cheng knows him well enough to see how embarrassed he is.

“Well, it’s either me or Lan Xichen, who you seem to think of as the sender of the letter.”

At that Nie Mingjue deflates.

“He’s not?”

“No, he’s not. I would guess he’s busy preparing his own courtship with Meng Yao if he ever managed to send off that cursed letter,” Jiang Cheng gives back clearly to Nie Mingjue’s surprise as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Lan Qiren sent the letter.”

“Oh. So you like them older,” Nie Mingjue breathes out and Jiang Cheng hates to see the crestfallen look on his face.

Though it does tell him one thing.

“So you’re not upset that it was Xichen who sent the proposal. You are upset because it’s me who received it.”

“I’m not—” Nie Mingjue starts but Jiang Cheng is not going to let this go on for longer than it has to.

He’s in love with Nie Mingjue, Nie Mingjue apparently is in love with him as well and it’s time that one of them does something about it.

“You idiot,” he sighs out, his voice as fond as it can ever be. “Really, you should have just sent your own proposal instead of sulking here like a moody teen.”

“And if I did—what would you do?” Nie Mingjue asks him, but he already seems much more relaxed and he even smiles back when Jiang Cheng smiles at him.

“This,” he declares and steps forward, right into Nie Mingjue’s space, before he pulls him in for a kiss. “I would do this, then.”

“Mh, I see,” Nie Mingjue whispers and leans in for another kiss. “I think I like that approach.”

They trade kisses for a while but when Jiang Cheng finally pulls back he frowns at Nie Mingjue.

“But seriously? Jealousy?” It’s certainly something he wouldn’t have expected from Nie Mingjue.

“I can’t help it,” Nie Mingjue gives back with a sheepish shrug. “I’ll try to reign it in.”

Jiang Cheng thinks that over for a moment before he gives Nie Mingjue a wicked smile.

“I think it might be hot if you glare at other people for me,” he then decides and doesn’t miss the way Nie Mingjue tries to hide a moan at that.

It seems they both might be into that idea and it’s certainly worth exploring later but for now—

“You better send me that courtship proposal,” Jiang Cheng sternly tells him. “My people are despairing over the fact that I haven’t gotten one from you yet. They have to decline all the others, after all.”

“They have to?” Nie Mingjue asks though there’s a smile on his face.

“It’s a long standing order. All proposals have to be declined.”

“Except mine.”

“Except yours.”

“How long standing exactly?” Nie Mingjue wants to know but Jiang Cheng only glares at him.

“Send one in and maybe you’ll find out,” he dares him and Nie Mingjue laughs.

“Let me get up and I can get it right now. It’s written and sealed.”

Jiang Cheng is outraged by the fact that Nie Mingjue got that far and then still didn’t sent it off but Nie Mingjue kisses the anger right out of him and Jiang Cheng supposes that is one way to deal with that.

“It can wait a while longer,” Jiang Cheng decides and steals another kiss.

Jiang Cheng takes the proposal with him the next morning when he leaves and he pretends he does not notice his disciples cry happy tears when he hands it to them.

Just like they pretend they don’t see the huge smile on his face.

Link to my ko-fi

#bt writes #mingcheng #24daysofmingcheng22 #the untamed #mdzs #canon divergence #courtship proposal #fluff #pining #jealousy #mischief #getting together

[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Beetober 2022 Day 19 - God of Lightning Part I

Nie Mingjue thinks that while some kind of caution should be exercised here, it hardly justifies the way they are all just standing around the shielded room.

They had all been baffled to find it in the carnage of Lotus Pier, standing proud and strong and with not a single scratch on it but this level of fear is hardly warranted.

“Someone should go in,” Nie Huaisang says, fluttering his fan in front of his face and he doesn’t react when Nie Mingjue glares at him.

“Yes, someone should,” Jin Guangshan immediately agrees but they all know he’s not going to be the one to do it.

The Lans are clearly not keen on stepping into something that is clearly a prison—not even to mention that Lan Xichen is not with them because he’s too busy taking care of Meng Yao—and Jiang Fengmian or his wife are no longer alive to tell them about this room.

“I will do it,” Nie Mingjue says with a sigh because someone has to and of course his suggestion is met with enthusiasm from all side.

“Fucking hypocrites,” he mutters under his breath because he just knows that depending on what he will find inside the other Sects are going to fight over the right to get something out of it as well.

Despite the way he is disgusted with is fellow Sect Leaders Nie Mingjue doesn’t let it distract him from his mission. He has absolutely no clue what he’s going to find inside of the room; it could be a well-guarded treasury, it could contain cursed items or it could indeed be a prison for someone or something.

It’s best to stay on his guard until he has a better understanding of what’s going on, and so he reaches out with Baxia first when he arrives at the door. For all the protective magic around this room it doesn’t seem as if there are any wards that are supposed to keep him out.

Great. That probably means this room is supposed to keep something inside.

Nie Mingjue motions for the others to stay on their guard even as he pushes the door open. Nothing immediately jumps towards him, so he carefully ventures inside. It takes his eyes a moment to adjust to the dimmer light inside of the room but he notices right away the figure in the middle of the room.

Nie Mingjue raises Baxia in warning but he is only met with a low laugh.

“That’s not going to do anything,” the person says and Nie Mingjue isn’t sure if the voice simply has that much depth to it or if the wards are distorting it.

“Who are you?” he demands to know and is met with a mockingly raised eyebrow for his trouble.

Now that Nie Mingjue’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, he notices the wards all around the person, effectively caging them in and Nie Mingjue amends his question.

“What are you?”

“Better,” the person decides and steps up close to the barrier, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at Nie Mingjue. “You’re not Jiang.”

“I am Nie,” Nie Mingjue gives back, a frown on his face. “Nie Mingjue.”

“A Sect Leader,” the guy nods. “I remember. She thought you too young and bull-headed to lead.”

“What are you?” Nie Mingjue asks again, though he can already tell from the amount of wards in this room that he is speaking to something much more powerful than he could imagine.

“My name is Jiang Wanyin,” is the answer he gets and it seems as if Jiang Wanyin wants to say something more but Nie Mingjue immediately falls into a deep bow.

“It is an honour,” Nie Mingjue says and is met with a confused chuckle.

“You know who I am?”

“You’re the God of Lightning. We Nies have not forgotten the old ways,” Nie Mingjue says in explanation and he is appalled when the sheer audacity of the Jiang Clan hits him. “They have trapped you here?”

“They have,” Jiang Wanyin sighs out. “They have taken my power and used it for their own.”

“Zidian,” Nie Mingjue breathes out as he comes up out of his bow. “Everyone thought it was a spiritual weapon blessed by the God of Lightning.”

“Not quite,” Jiang Wanyin drily says and Nie Mingjue shakes his head.

“They took your own powers from you.”

“They did. And then they imprisoned me here to make better use of me. Where are my captors now, though?”

“Dead,” Nie Mingjue tells him and he doesn’t feel quite as sorry about that anymore as he did before.

“I see,” Jiang Wanyin says and turns his back to Nie Mingjue. “So I guess you are to be my new captor?”

“No!” Nie Mingjue is appalled at the mere suggestion. You do not trap a God, no matter how desperate you are for power. “We came across this room in the carnage of Lotus Pier. We didn’t know what was inside. We will set you free as soon as you tell us how to.”

“Right,” Jiang Wanyin says, clearly not believing a thing Nie Mingjue has just said. “I take it there was a war? I did hear screaming.”

“There was. The Wen Sect declared war on the cultivational world.”

“Mh. And Zidian saved you all?” Jiang Wanyin then assumes and Nie Mingjue winces.

“Not—quite,” he admits. “Yu Ziyuan died before the war really started. The Wens sent some of their forces here to burn Lotus Pier down and she and Jiang Fengmian died defending it.”

“Trying to defend it, I take it,” Jiang Wanyin muses. “So what now?”

“How do I free you?” Nie Mingjue asks and Jiang Wanyin seems honestly surprised by that question.

“Why would you?”

“Because you’ve been trapped here against your will, I take it? Why wouldn’t I free you?”

“You are aware of the power I give to those who hold Zidian?”

“What good did that power do to Yu Ziyuan and her Clan?” Nie Mingjue wants to know and he shakes his head. “I have all the power I need right here,” he then says and raises Baxia. “I do not wish to control you or keep you captive for any longer. So tell me, how do I free you?”

“You say nice words,” Jiang Wanyin tells him, his gaze unwavering on Nie Mingjue and he notices for the first time how bottomless his eyes seem. It’s almost as if Nie Mingjue is gazing into the night sky itself. “But everyone has changed their answer yet, when they came into contact with my power.”

“So Zidian is the way?” Nie Mingjue asks, not trying to refute Jiang Wanyin’s words. He guesses there is nothing he can say to convince him that he doesn’t mean him any harm. He will simply have to show him.

“Zidian is the way. My power has to be returned to me to set me free. It’s the only thing that can break these wards.”

“Alright, that might be a problem,” Nie Mingjue admits. “Yu Ziyuan died and we don’t know where or if she had Zidian with her.”

Jiang Wanyin stares into nothing, and his voice sounds detached when he speaks again.

“It’s in the water, sunken deep into the lake.”

“You can feel it?”

“I can get faint impressions from it,” Jiang Wanyin says with a shrug, seemingly coming back to himself. “Impressions about the surroundings and from the wearer themselves.”

“That’s how you know what Yu Ziyuan thought of me,” Nie Mingjue says with a nod. “Alright. But if it’s in the lake—we Nie are no water people. I can swim well enough to not drown but diving that deep—”

“Ah, yes, the Jiang were quite good with that.”

“And they are all dead,” Nie Mingjue says with a wince. They had just burned the last batch of disciples and even if some of them survived they haven’t come forward yet.

“The young daughter, too?” Jiang Wanyin asks and Nie Mingjue curses his own stupidity.

“Jiang Yanli is alive and well.”

“She’s a good diver,” is all Jiang Wanyin says and Nie Mingjue nods.

“Understood. Give me a moment.”

Nie Mingjue turns around and leaves Jiang Wanyin behind in his prison, even though it pains him to do so. But if he wants to get him out of there he has to convince Jin Guangshan to allow him to ask Jiang Yanli for help.

And there is only one way Jin Guangshan is going to agree.

“That took quite some time,” Jin Guangshan immediately drawls out when Nie Mingjue is close enough. “We all thought you’re conspiring against us by taking whatever is inside for yourself.”

Nie Mingjue doesn’t need to look at Lan Qiren to know that he is spouting absolute bullshit but he still bows deep. He wants something, after all, so he tries his best to keep his temper in check.

“The Jiangs have imprisoned a God,” he tells them outright and stuns everyone into silence. “We need Zidian to free him. It’s the source of his power. But according to the God it has sunken deep into the lake. I would ask you to allow Jiang-guniang to dive for it.”

Nie Mingjue is keeping his words deliberately vague; he needs Jin Guangshan to think that he can simply take Zidian for himself and take the power of the God with it as well. But Nie Mingjue has met Jiang-guniang before and he trusts her to do the right thing.

“A God, you say,” Jin Guangshan muses and Nie Mingjue can already see the greedy glint in his eyes. “It would only be right if we return his power to him, of course,” he goes on and Nie Mingjue only barely manages to not scoff.

If Jin Guangshan were to decide this freely, then he wouldn’t return shit to Jiang Wanyin.

“Yanli, my dear,” he calls out sweetly, and Nie Mingjue clenches his teeth together when he realizes he brought her here to witness the destruction of her own Sect.

Jin Guangshan truly is a despicable human being.

Nie Mingjue locks eyes with Nie Huaisang for a moment, and he can tell that he is burning with questions, but there will be time for those later. Right now it’s more important that they get started on finding Zidian.

“Yes?” Jiang Yanli says when she steps forward and Nie Mingjue has give it to her, she’s trying her hardest to not let it show how this must hurt her.

“There’s something I would like you to do,” Jin Guangshan says and it seems he only doesn’t reach out for Jiang Yanli because she’s very wisely not standing close enough for that. “Go with Mingjue now and bring me Zidian, alright?” he says, a threatening undertone to his voice and Jiang Yanli raises her chin just a little bit, just enough to read as defiance for anyone who cares to look.

“Of course.”

Clearly, Jin Guangshan is not looking because he smiles indulgingly at her as he motions for her to go to Nie Mingjue.

“Follow me,” he gruffly says and leads her back into the prison.

Jiang Yanli clearly recognises the room.

“I was never allowed in here,” she tells Nie Mingjue in a hushed voice. “Mother was very adamant.”

“You’re allowed in here, now. Because I do need your help.”

Nie Mingjue only intends to explain the situation once they are inside the room but as soon as he steps into it, he’s met with a furious Jiang Wanyin.

“You’re no better than that bitch,” he hisses and Nie Mingjue thinks that there should be sparks around him right now, if only Yu Ziyuan hadn’t taken his power for herself. “Do you really think he’ll set me free?”

“Of course not,” Nie Mingjue gives back and he tries to sound as even as possible. “But he wouldn’t allows Jiang Yanli to help otherwise. And since she married out to Jin Zixuan she needs her Sect Leader’s permission to help another Sect Leader. It’s politics, as much as it sucks,” Nie Mingjue says because since his father died he learned quite a bit about that.

And it’s not always nice, and Nie Mingjue doesn’t always want to do it but he certainly learned to play by the rules by now.

“If you used to get impressions both from Zidian and Yu Ziyuan then you have to know that Jin Guangshan is a slimy bastard who can only be motivated to do things that are for his own gain. Of course he intends to keep Zidian to himself but we’re not going to give it to him, are we, Jiang-guniang?” Nie Mingjue asks, turning to Jiang Yanli now.

She is still staring at the cell, horror clear as day on her face.

“Are you—have you been in here for all this time?” she asks and Jiang Wanyin scoffs.

“And for long before that,” he bitterly mutters. “Zidian is an heirloom, is it not?” he mocks and Jiang Yanli’s eyes fill with tears.

“If we give it back to you, will that free you?”

“Yes.”

“Alright,” she nods once and Nie Mingjue is surprised to see some of Yu Ziyuan’s steel in her. “What do I have to do?”

“Zidian fell into the lake. We need you to get it out. And then preferably not give it to Jin Guangshan but to me instead,” Nie Mingjue tells her.

“Do we know roughly where it is? The lake is big.”

Nie Mingjue turns questioning eyes on Jiang Wanyin, who closes his eyes for a brief moment and then points towards their left side.

“Over there. It’s not in the deepest part of the lake and there are some—lotuses around, I think,” he thoughtfully says and Nie Mingjue wonders how it must feel to connect to Zidian—no matter how faintly—and only meet the cold, silent nature of water.

“I might know a place that fits,” Jiang Yanli says and bows deep to Jiang Wanyin. “I know it probably means nothing to you but I do apologize for my family’s atrocities. I will do my utmost to set it right,” she declares and then turns to Nie Mingjue. “I will try to find it. If I do, I’ll give it to you. Please do not betray him as well.”

“It’s not my intention to,” Nie Mingjue replies and watches her go.

“Her demeanour is all Jiang but her spine is all Yu,” Jiang Wanyin casually remarks and Nie Mingjue turns back to him.

“Are you going to make her pay for her family’s crimes?” he asks because for all that Jian Wanyin seems calm right now, Nie Mingjue knows about the vengeful side of the Gods.

If he should wish to destroy her or all the Sects it would not only be in his right, but also in his power.

“As far as I am concerned, my captors have died. If she and you keep true to your word, there is no need for me to strike against you.”

It’s much more reasonable than Nie Mingjue really expected from the God of Lightning but he’s not going to argue against it.

“Thank you.”

“Do not thank me yet, you have still to prove yourself,” Jiang Wanyin says, his piercing gaze boring into Nie Mingjue’s soul it feels like and when he turns around it’s a clear dismissal.

And Nie Mingjue is not going to overstay his welcome, so he flees.

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24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 2 - Smile

Entirely inspired by this set of photos because that smile is just unfair 

Jiang Cheng fights the urge to throw his phone into the next wall. It’s not going to help with the feelings inside of his chest and it’s certainly not going to help his bank account if he has to get a new phone.

So instead of giving in to his impulses he takes a deep breath and darkens the screen of his phone again.

He needs a moment.

He was just innocently scrolling through his social media, not expecting to be attacked like this. He was just trying to stave off his boredom and now he pays the price for it.

When Jiang Cheng feels marginally calmer he takes his phone back in hand and unlocks it once more.

His heart skips a beat in his chest and his stomach does something funny when his eyes fall onto the same devastating pictures that caused his outburst in the first place.

It’s innocent enough; just two pictures of Nie Mingjue, smiling. It’s really nothing to write home about.

Except for how they are a devastating blow to Jiang Cheng’s fragile feelings.

He’s been in love with Nie Mingjue for a long while now and seeing him like this–it hurts like Jiang Cheng never expected it to.

He has always been sure that he could be happy for Nie Mingjue when he inevitably finds someone he loves but it’s clear as day now that that is not the case.

Jiang Cheng is the opposite of happy.

The pictures are titled Out for a coffee and half of his face is even cut off but the half that is visible is so beautiful that Jiang Cheng has a hard time looking at it.

Nie Mingjue is smiling at whoever snapped the picture–and there must be someone else there, there’s no way he took these by himself–and Jiang Cheng has never seen him look so soft, with his dimples on full display.

He looks as if he’s head over heels for whoever is on the other side of the phone and suddenly Jiang Cheng feels like crying.

It’s not him, he reminds himself even if the pictures make it look like it is. It’s not him and it’s never going to be him, because what could he possibly offer someone like Nie Mingjue when people way better than Jiang Cheng are out there.

Jiang Cheng takes another peak at the photo, hoping that maybe with enough exposure the pain will subside, but it blooms just as bright and sharp in his chest as before.

So he does the only thing he can think of doing: he blocks Nie Mingjue on his account.

At least like that he won’t be assaulted by anymore pictures of this beautiful man, smiling at someone else as if they are his entire world.

It has to be enough, even though Jiang Cheng will probably never forget that look on Nie Mingjue’s face.

He just has to practice not to care until he meets him in person the next time.

Mind made up, Jiang Cheng slumps down on his bed and promptly tries to sleep.

Surely a nap will help.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng had hyped himself up before going over to the Nies, trying his best to lock all those stupid feelings and his hurt deep away, but he’s not sure how successful he is.

He will just have to find out because there is no way he can skip out on their weekly movie night. Nie Huaisang would have his head, should he not show up, and Jiang Cheng is not going to risk angering his only friend. He’ll just have to get through this evening somehow.

“Hi,” he weakly says when Nie Mingjue opens the door for him but he barely gets back a nod before Nie Mingjue turns around and walks away without even saying anything to him.

Jiang Cheng frowns at that behaviour, and the traitorous pang of hurt is back in his chest, throbbing with every breath he takes.

It seems like he already fucked up somehow without even knowing what he did.

“Okay,” he breathes out as he steps fully into the hallway and he’s not sure if he should take off his shoes or if he’s that unwelcome that he should leave right away again.

“What are you doing there, get in here,” Nie Huaisang yells over from the living-room and with the decision taken out of his hands like that Jiang Cheng finally takes off his shoes.

“Hey,” he says as he makes his way over to the couch and he’s not really surprised when he notices Nie Mingjue’s absence.

“Da-ge says he has something else to do today,” Nie Huaisang tells him, clearly noticing his look and Jiang Cheng nods, defeated.

He wonders if there’s a way he can make it up to Nie Mingjue without even knowing what he did wrong but the chances are slim.

“Should I–leave?” he asks and is met with the full force of Nie Huaisang’s frown.

“Why the hell would you do that?” he demands to know and then narrows his eyes at Jiang Cheng. “Did you do something?”

“I don’t know?” Jiang Cheng tries but of course it’s not convincing Nie Huaisang. “I mean–he didn’t even say hello. Clearly I did something, so I was wondering–”

“I’m going out,” Nie Mingjue suddenly says, appearing in the doorway, boots and jacket already on, and Jiang Cheng thinks that it’s not just his imagination that Nie Mingjue is very deliberately not looking at him.

Nie Huaisang must notice it too because his eyes are darting rapidly between Jiang Cheng and Nie Mingjue right until Nie Mingjue nods once and then turns around to leave.

“What the fuck,” Nie Huaisang breathes out, staring after his brother. “What the fuck was that?”

He stares after Nie Mingjue until they hear the door and then he turns probing eyes on Jiang Cheng.

“What did you do?” Nie Huaisang demands to know and Jiang Cheng shrugs helplessly.

“I don’t know,” he gives back, and truthfully so.

The only thing he can think of is that he blocked Nie Mingjue on that one social media site but he doubts that is the explanation. He doesn’t think Nie Mingjue even noticed that he has been blocked or that Jiang Cheng is following him at all.

“But something definitely happened,” Nie Huaisang states and Jiang Cheng can only nod miserably.

Clearly something happened and he can already feel how this new home, how these new people he found for himself are slipping through his fingers.

This will probably be the last time Nie Mingjue allows him into this house if he can’t even look at him.

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Cheng says, even though he’s not even sure what he’s apologizing for and Nie Huaisang immediately shakes his head.

“Don’t be stupid now, and come here,” he demands, patting the space next to him on the couch. “Just because da-ge is a grouch doesn’t mean we can’t have a nice evening. I say we order an extra-large pizza on his name. If he is being stupid he can damn well feed us at least.”

Nie Huaisang nods, clearly more than happy with his decision and the knot of worry untangles just the slightest bit in Jiang Cheng’s stomach. It seems as if Nie Huaisang is not going to let whatever problem Nie Mingjue has with him affect their friendship and Jiang Cheng is grateful enough for that that he simply plops down on the couch.

“Alright,” he agrees and then settles in for a nice evening with good company and delicious food.

Nie Mingjue’s absence continues to sting the entire evening though.

~*~*~

It’s three days later when Nie Huaisang almost knocks Jiang Cheng’s door down.

“Alright, what the fuck, calm down,” he grumbles when he finally wrenches it open only to reveal a flustered Nie Huaisang, his hand still raised as if he’s going to knock again. “What?” Jiang Cheng snaps out because he had just found the perfect position on the couch and now he would never achieve that level of comfort again.

“It’s your fault,” Nie Huaisang breathes out and Jiang Cheng’s stomach instinctively drops with those words before he manages to bring a scowl to his face.

“What is?” he demands to know and Nie Huaisang pushes past him into the apartment without waiting to be invited.

“That da-ge is behaving like he is,” Nie Huaisang tells him, toeing off his shoes and draping himself over the couch, completely unaware of the reaction his words spark in Jiang Cheng.

He knew he fucked up. He knew it and yet to hear it confirmed like that still hurts.

“What did I do? Is there something I can do to fix?” he asks, his voice small and he’s certain that if he would hold out his hands they would be shaking.

This is important and not only because he’s hopelessly in love with Nie Mingjue. He needs to know if he can be friends with him again.

“Depends,” Nie Huaisang muses, cocking his head at Jiang Cheng. “Why did you block him?”

“What?” Jiang Cheng breathes out because surely that can’t be it.

“Da-ge continued to be in a bad mood these past few days, so I sat him down and forced him to talk,” Nie Huaisang explains and Jiang Cheng feels bad for Nie Mingjue.

Nie Huaisang can be relentless when he wants to know something.

“And he told me that you blocked him without any reason. He’s been in a bad mood ever since.”

“Is that why he just left last time?”

Nie Huaisang nods. “He thinks he makes you uncomfortable so he thought it would be better if he’s not there. Now,” Nie Huaisang says and the change of tone in his voice makes a shudder go down Jiang Cheng’s back. “I know very well that he doesn’t make you uncomfortable so why don’t you tell me what the hell possessed you to block him.”

“I’m not—how would you know if I hate him or not?” Jiang Cheng blurts out and then shrinks under the almost pitying look Nie Huaisang gives him.

“A-Cheng, I love you, but you are a little bit stupid sometimes and a lot unsubtle. I’m pretty sure even Wei Wuxian knows that you’re in love with my da-ge by now.”

It feels as if Jiang Cheng is losing ground under his feet.

“And Mingjue—” he trails off, feeling sick with the thought that Nie Mingjue had known all along and just pitied him enough to not say anything.

“Oh no, my brother is just as dense as you are, if not more so. He has no clue until someone spells it out for him,” Nie Huaisang immediately says, clearly picking up on Jiang Cheng’s panic.

“Why does it even matter to him why I blocked him?” Jiang Cheng desperately wants to know and Nie Huaisang sends him such a withering look that Jiang Cheng shrinks back.

“Even if he doesn’t know you’re in love with him he considers you a friend. And then you suddenly block him, unprovoked? Of course that would raise questions. Well, with me. He clearly favours the avoidance route.”

“Why would he even notice if I block him?” Jiang Cheng amends his question, his voice barely above a whisper and now Nie Huaisang rolls his eyes.

“Okay, I’m going to let you in on a little secret if you promise me to tell the truth,” he says and raises both eyebrows expectantly at Jiang Cheng.

“Fine,” he gets out, even though nothing is fine at all.

But he knows when he lost.

“Da-ge joined that specific social media site for you.”

Jiang Cheng blinks.

And then blinks again.

“And clearly that piece of information broke you,” Nie Huaisang sighs out and takes Jiang Cheng’s hand in his as if that would help. “Listen to me. Da-ge joined just for you. I wouldn’t say he’s been stalking you on that site but it’s close,” he tells him with a grimace. “So of course he would notice it immediately when you blocked him. Now the only question is why.”

“You’re right, that is the only question!” Jiang Cheng almost yells out. “Why the hell would he join that site to follow me?”

“Oh, A-Cheng,” Nie Huaisang breathes out. “Please. Use that brain of yours. I know you’re not stupid. Come on, turn those grey cells around. Why could he possibly want to stalk you on that site?”

“Because he hates me and wants to keep taps on me?” Jiang Cheng blurts out, too afraid to even entertain the only other possible option.

“Close. Hate and love do usually go hand in hand together,” Nie Huaisang says and Jiang Cheng is glad that he’s already sitting.

“But he’s not—with me—I’m just a nobody!”

“Do not let my da-ge hear that, you know how he can rant,” Nie Huaisang says. “So, he follows you on that site because he’s stupidly in love with you. Now tell me why you blocked him.”

“Because of those photos!”

“Those photos?” Nie Huaisang doesn’t seem to understand if his frown is anything to go by so Jiang Cheng holds out his hand for his phone.

He’d have to unblock Nie Mingjue to show Nie Huaisang on his own phone and he’s not sure if he’s ready for that. If he believes Nie Huaisang yet.

Nie Huaisang hands his phone over and Jiang Cheng quickly pulls the pictures up. They are just as devastating to look at as the first time.

“Oh, those,” Nie Huaisang says. “I see.”

“He’s clearly—someone must have taken these,” Jiang Cheng explains, keeping his eyes on the couch. “And he looks so—look at him. He’s in love. And it’s not—” Jiang Cheng cuts himself off but Nie Huaisang nods as if he finally understands.

“I was there with him that day,” Nie Huaisang says. “I was the one who took those pictures. And we were talking about you.”

Jiang Cheng shakes his head with disbelieve.

“That morning you posted pictures from your walk with the dogs from the shelter,” Nie Huaisang explained. “And I was just showing those to him because he had been busy and I was certain he hadn’t seen them yet. He was looking at your pictures when I snapped those.” He shakes the phone slightly and then pockets it again. “You were the one who put that look on his face.”

Suddenly, Jiang Cheng feels as if he’s burning with need.

“Are you certain?” he asks Nie Huaisang, his voice imploring and he believes him when he nods.

“I promise.”

“Where is he?” Jiang Cheng then demands to know and Nie Huaisang grins at him.

“Home, moping. Much like you.”

“Rude,” Jiang Cheng huffs out as he gets up from the couch. “Don’t come home today,” he tells him even as he pats Nie Huaisang’s head in thanks.

“That’s rude!” Nie Huaisang yells after him when Jiang Cheng rushes to the door but if he has any more complaints, Jiang Cheng doesn’t hear them anymore.

He has to find out if he can make Nie Mingjue look at him like that in real life.

Jiang Cheng makes it to the Nie house in record time and then he’s stuck knocking on the door, not unlike Nie Huaisang just a short while ago.

It does take Nie Mingjue significantly longer to open though and by the time he finally hears him on the other side Jiang Cheng feels as if he’s going to burst with nerves.

“What?” Nie Mingjue snaps out as he yanks the door open and then he freezes when he sees Jiang Cheng on the other side.

“I love you,” Jiang Cheng blurts out and then fights the urge to slap his hand over his mouth.

He’s not here to be a coward like he usually is, so instead he squares his shoulders and looks straight at Nie Mingjue.

“I’m in love with you. I blocked you because you posted those photos last weekend and I thought you were looking at someone you love. Someone who isn’t me.”

He’s not sure if his explanation makes any kind of sense but when Nie Mingjue’s face softens, he knows that he understood.

“I was looking at pictures of you,” he says, reaching out to cup Jiang Cheng’s cheek in his hand.

“I know that now,” Jiang Cheng admits. “Huaisang told me.”

“So he did meddle.”

“Doesn’t he always?”

“Usually, yes,” Nie Mingjue agrees. “Though this time, I suppose, I have to be thankful.”

“Yeah?” Jiang Cheng asks and takes a step closer. “Why’s that?”

“Because I’m in love with you, too,” Nie Mingjue says and he gives Jiang Cheng the same smile that Nie Huaisang captured in those photos and in all honesty, it makes Jiang Cheng’s knees go weak.

“And this is why I blocked you,” he mutters, even as he leans his face further into Nie Mingjue’s hand. “Because that is bad for my health.”

“Mh, maybe I should stop then,” Nie Mingjue teases and tries for a frown but it seems as if he can barely hold it.

“Please don’t,” Jiang Cheng says and tries to smooth the pretend-frown out with his fingers. “I like it better the other way.”

“Alright then,” Nie Mingjue says, instantly smiling that devastating smile at him again and this time when Jiang Cheng’s knees wobble he takes the opportunity to take a step forward, even further into Nie Mingjue’s space.

“Hi,” Nie Mingjue breathes out, clearly not at all displeased with Jiang Cheng’s actions.

“Hi,” Jiang Cheng gives back sounding just as breathless as Nie Mingjue and he doesn’t get a chance to catch his breath either because then Nie Mingjue’s lips meet his own and breathing is really the farthest thing on his mind at the moment.

Not that he’s going to complain about that, he thinks, even as Nie Mingjue pulls him inside the house without letting go of him at all.

There are worse ways to die than this, after all.

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24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 20 - God of Lightning Part II

“What the hell is going on?” Nie Huaisang as soon as Nie Mingjue steps into his tent. “What is this about a God? Please tell me you’re not really going to hand Zidian over to Jin Guangshan.”

“Didi, you should really know me better than that,” Nie Mingjue says with a sigh and then explains exactly what has been happening.

“They imprisoned a God?!” he exclaims afterword and Nie Mingjue rubs his forehead.

“They did. I mean there have been several different assumptions about Zidian, right?”

“But not that it was made by the power of a God!”

“It’s not made by it, it is the power of the God. I think without it he’s practically helpless. I can’t imagine that he would have stayed in his prison if he had a different choice.”

At that Nie Huaisang suddenly goes still, his eyes narrowing and Nie Mingjue sighs in anticipation of the shouting that will happen in just a few moments.

“And you let Jin Guangshan take Zidian for himself?” Nie Huaisang very predictably yells and Nie Mingjue is just glad that he had the foresight to throw up some silencing talismans when he stepped into the tent.

“What do you even take me for?” Nie Mingjue asks, honestly a bit upset that Nie Huaisang thinks him capable of that. “Of course I won’t let him take it.”

“But isn’t Jiang Yanli going to get Zidian for him?”

“No, she’s getting it for the God. Which means she’ll hand it over to me when she finds it.”

“Do you trust her?” Nie Huaisang wants to know and Nie Mingjue sighs.

“I trust the fact that she feels horrified by what her parents have done and that she wants to set it right. I doubt she’s doing it for me, or even truly for Jiang Wanyin.”

“Jiang Wanyin, huh?” Nie Huaisang says with a sly smile and Nie Mingjue groans.

“It’s what he introduced himself as, so stop it with that,” he chides Nie Huaisang because it feels almost disrespectful to talk about Jiang Wanyin like this, even if it’s just with an undertone.

“Alright, calm done,” Nie Huaisang says. “But seriously, da-ge, are you going to set him free when you get Zidian?”

“Huaisang!” Nie Mingjue bellows out at that, because how dare he even insinuate that Nie Mingjue should keep Zidian for himself, using that power just like Yu Ziyuan did.

“It’s just a question,” Nie Huaisang defensively says. “Jin Guangshan is going to try and take all the power he can get for himself. It would be nice if we had something to counter him with when that happens.”

“We are powerful enough, no matter the losses we sustained. We are not going to rely on a power that wasn’t freely given, especially not when someone has to suffer for it.”

“You’ve always been way too good for this world,” Nie Huaisang sighs out but he doesn’t say anything else on the matter, so he must have accepted what Nie Mingjue told him even though he doesn’t seem the last bit happy about it.

“Huaisang, just think about how long he has been imprisoned,” Nie Mingjue tries to explain. “Do you really want to add to the misery of a God?”

“Alright, alright, I get it, stop guilt-trapping me,” Nie Huaisang huffs out. “It’s fine, we’re going to set him free and then Jin Guangshan will crush us when he realizes what we have done but at least we can say we have done the right thing for the God.”

Nie Mingjue can feel a headache coming on and even though he has to admit that Nie Huaisang is probably not entirely wrong by saying that Jin Guangshan is going to try and crush them he couldn’t possibly use Jiang Wanyin’s power like that.

If Jiang Wanyin were to offer, that would be different but it’s highly unlikely and Nie Mingjue wouldn’t even fault him for disappearing the moment his prison gets broken.

“We will not abuse the God further and we will not yield to Jin Guangshan,” Nie Mingjue says. “So stop your whining, it will be fine.”

Nie Mingjue is not at all sure about that but they will figure it out when they get to it. First of all they have to find Zidian and manage to set Jiang Wanyin free, and then Nie Mingjue will be free to worry about everything else.

~*~*~

Jiang Yanli catches Nie Mingjue’s eyes when she comes up for air on the third day of their search.

She found it then.

“Still nothing?” Jin Guangshan calls out and Jiang Yanli shakes her head.

“It’s just a small ring and the lake is big,” she calls back. “I might have to ask him again for a more precise location if this continues like this.”

“What utter bullshit,” Jin Guangshan mutters under his breath but Nie Mingjue knows that he will do whatever it takes to find the ring.

He’s a power hungry bastard if Nie Mingjue has ever seen one, and the only thing that doesn’t make him quite as dangerous as Wen Ruohan is that he lacks both the cunningness and the insanity to go with it.

Nie Mingjue leaves the lake, trusting Jiang Yanli to either set Jiang Wanyin free herself or come find him at night and he’s not disappointed because she shows up just as the moon starts to rise.

“Here,” she says and hands Nie Mingjue the ring. “If I have to leave Jinlingtai once he figures out what I did, I trust you’ll take me and my husband in.”

Nie Mingjue has to give it to her, but she has bite because that wasn’t a question.

“Of course I will,” he gives back, and honestly too because for what she did she deserves praise and protection. “You will always be welcome at Qinghe and you’ll be safe there, too.”

“Thank you. And please—tell him again how sorry I am.”

“Do you not want to come along when I free him?” Nie Mingjue asks, because he almost expected her to.

“No, I don’t think—it was my family who did this after all. I did what I could for him now, but I doubt he’ll want to see me when he finally gains his freedom back.”

It sounds sensible, Nie Mingjue has to admit that and so he nods.

“Alright.”

“When will you do it?” she asks, a certain note of worry in her tone now and Nie Mingjue gives her an apologetic smile.

“This night. If you think you are in immediate danger, I would pack now.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Yanli breathes out and leaves immediately, probably to warn Jin Zixuan and get all the things they need.

Nie Mingjue hopes that there will be no retaliation from Jin Guangshan—not when setting Jiang Wanyin free is the only right thing to do—but he’s not counting on it.

“This is it then,” he mutters and makes to leave but he is stopped by Nie Huaisang.

“Da-ge, think very carefully about this,” he cautions him and Nie Mingjue sighs.

“Huaisang, we can’t do this. We can’t keep him for longer. It’s not right. He is a God, he’s not supposed to be imprisoned.”

“Maybe he is. You’re right, it’s been so long and what does it matter to a God if he stays imprisoned for a human life-time longer? I am sure it barely matters to him.”

“Well, but it matters to me,” Nie Mingjue snaps out, appalled at how heartless Nie Huaisang is being right now.

“I hope you know I’m just saying that because we could have a new war if you release him.”

“And what good did his power do to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan? They died anyway, didn’t they? So no, Huaisang, we are not going to rely on stolen power like that. We already have enough to worry about with our sabres, do you really want to add the fury of a slighted God to that?”

Nie Mingjue’s outburst leaves Nie Huaisang stunned and Nie Mingjue takes that moment to leave the tent.

He has a God to free and he will not allow Nie Huaisang to stop him.

It doesn’t seem as if Nie Huaisang is the only one who is going to try and stop him, because Nie Mingjue runs into Jin Guangshan and a handful of his cultivators on the way to the prison room. It’s clearly an ambush and Nie Mingjue tightens his grip on Baxia and making sure that Zidian is safely on his finger.

It’s the only place Nie Mingjue can be sure it’s safe, because like this he can’t accidentally lose it and anyone who will try to take it from him has to come real close to do so.

“What are you doing?” Nie Mingjue demands to know and Jin Guangshan gives him a smarmy smile.

“I think you have something that belongs to me,” he tells him and Nie Mingjue scoffs.

“I doubt anything in this place should belong to you,” Nie Mingjue gives back, shaming Jin Guangshan for all the spoils he has taken for himself as well, despite the fact that he has barely contributed anything to this war.

“You insolent bastard,” Jin Guangshan hisses out and motions for his disciples to attack Nie Mingjue.

He doubts that any of Jin Guangshan’s disciple can hold themselves against Nie Mingjue but the sheer number of them might overwhelm him if he isn’t careful.

Nie Mingjue lets Baxia sing, careful to not critically injure any of the disciples but just like he feared, the sheer number of them makes it hard for him. Hard enough that Nie Mingjue can feel a spark of worry in his mind.

It all goes wrong when the disciples seem to notice the same thing because the coordinate their next attack so well that Nie Mingjue knows he’s going to lose against them.

So he does the only thing he can think of: he unleashes Zidian and swipes it across the battlefield.

It hits true because it’s much easier to wield than Nie Mingjue expected it to be and the sheer power that emanates from it makes Nie Mingjue feel lightheaded.

Still, he takes the opening it gives him to rush forward, leaving the disciples behind him. He makes it to Jiang Wanyin’s prison with a bit of a head start but the structure of the room gives him an advantage.

He throws up some talismans and wards, intended to keep anyone outside from going in and only when he’s sure that it will hold for at least a little while does he turn around to Jiang Wanyin.

Who is staring at him with a hard look on his face.

“You used it,” he bites out because of course he must have felt that.

“I had to,” Nie Mingjue says with an apologetic bow of his head. “They would have overwhelmed me otherwise.”

“Of course,” Jiang Wanyin says, his voice full of hate. “And now you’re here to tell me that you can’t possibly free me, right?”

It makes Nie Mingjue blink in confusion.

“What? Why would you think that?”

“No need to play innocent now. It happened before. Your intentions might be good but as soon as you get a taste of that power all the oh so good intentions fly out the window. You would be the first to betray me that way, so no need to apologize.”

Nie Mingjue takes a deep breath instead of simply exploding into Jiang Wanyin’s face and he struggles to keep a calm tone.

“How do I free you?” he asks, grinding his teeth together when Jiang Wanyin scoffs in his face. “Just tell me, my wards are not going to hold forever!”

Nie Mingjue can feel the cultivators outside knock on his wards, trying to take them down and they won’t be able to withstand this onslaught for long.

“You would have to use Zidian to break it,” Jiang Wanyin finally does say when a crack in Nie Mingjue’s wards appears. “It’s the only thing capable of releasing me.”

“Thank you,” Nie Mingjue can’t help but to sarcastically say and he wastes no time to unleash Zidian and crack it across Jiang Wanyin’s prison walls.

There is an incredibly loud bang, which leaves Nie Mingjue almost deaf and definitely disorientated, and the ominous light in the room disappears when Jiang Wanyin’s prison is being broken.

It just so happens that at the same time the Jin cultivators break through Nie Mingjue’s wards.

“Fuck,” Nie Mingjue mutters, even as he whirls around, readying himself for a fight he most definitely can’t win, but before anyone can reach him, lightning erupts in the room.

Nie Mingjue flinches when it crackles past him but it doesn’t so much as touch him and between one blink and the next all the cultivators are on the ground, cleanly taken out. Nie Mingjue has just enough time to catch a glimpse of Jiang Wanyin flying past him towards Jin Guangshan and then the other man is on the ground as well, Jiang Wanyin standing over him with one of the most satisfying smiles on his face Nie Mingjue has ever seen.

“I am free,” Jiang Wanyin breathes out and tilts his head towards the sky, his eyes closed as he enjoys the air on his face and there is only one thought in Nie Mingjue’s head.

He really is incredibly beautiful.

Nie Mingjue startles when Jiang Wanyin turns his incredible eyes on him again and Nie Mingjue scrambles to bow like it is proper.

“There is no need for you to act like this,” Jiang Wanyin tells him and even his voice sounds different in his freedom. “I owe you my life.”

“I doubt it,” Nie Mingjue gives back. “Your life outspans mine by a long time.”

“Fine,” Jiang Wanyin huffs out. “I owe you my freedom then.”

“I am glad I was able to return it to you,” Nie Mingjue gives back and then offers Zidian to him. “And this as well.”

Jiang Wanyin is silent for so long that Nie Mingjue dares to peek up at him and he’s surprised to find a small smile on Jiang Wanyin’s face.

“What?” Nie Mingjue blurts out, and he hates to admit it but now that Jiang Wanyin is no longer a prisoner and there is nothing Nie Mingjue needs to do for him anymore he is finally fully hit with Jiang Wanyin’s beauty.

And it’s making him a little bit stupid.

“You know I can get impressions from you through Zidian, right?” Jiang Wanyin asks him and Nie Mingjue immediately flushes bright red.

“Please just take it off my hands then,” he almost begs Jiang Wanyin who smirks at him.

“If I do that, I will immediately be restored to my full Godhood which means I have to leave the mortal plane behind.”

“You must yearn for that, my Lord,” Nie Mingjue gives back and doesn’t know what to do when Jiang Wanyin comes close enough to whisper in his ear.

“Or maybe I will stay.”

Nie Mingjue jerks back at that, staring at Jiang Wanyin.

“Why would you choose to stay here if it brought you nothing but pain?”

“I find myself intrigued by you,” Jiang Wanyin says and reaches out to close Nie Mingjue’s fingers around Zidian. “And I think I would like to learn more about you. So keep it.”

“I have no wish to imprison you again,” Nie Mingjue somehow manages to get out, even though he is hyper-aware of Jiang Wanyin’s hand on his.

“If you simply keep Zidian then you aren’t imprisoning me, since I can take it back any time I like.”

As if to make his point he drags a finger along the edge of Zidian but makes no actual move to take it back.

“And at the moment I don’t like,” Jiang Wanyin says, his voice dropped low and Nie Mingjue shivers a little bit.

“It would be my honour,” Nie Mingjue finally says, hoping to hell that he didn’t yet upset Jiang Wanyin but the smile he gets barely puts his mind at ease.

“Oh, it will be more than that,” Jiang Wanyin promises him and Nie Mingjue believes him completely.

He doesn’t yet know how he’s going to explain the presence of a literal God at his side to anyone but when Jiang Wanyin slides Zidian on his finger every rational thought leaves his mind.

He will have a bit of time to figure this out later, he guesses, and then his stomach swoops when Jiang Wanyin laughs at him.

It’s a very nice sound and Nie Mingjue wonders how he can hear it again.

“It will probably be enough for you to be yourself,” Jiang Wanyin tells him and Nie Mingjue flushes again when he realizes that Jiang Wanyin seems to get a bit more than simple impressions from Zidian.

He doesn’t know yet how he’s going to deal with that either but when Jiang Wanyin smiles at him he decides it can wait for later.

For now it’s enough that Jiang Wanyin wants to stay with him out of his own free will.

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#bt writes #mingcheng #24daysofmingcheng22 #the untamed #mdzs #canon divergence #gods and goddesses #hurt/comfort #fights #pre-relationship

[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 15 - Photo

This was yet again inspired by @felinesomnambulist with this tweet, which you should really check out if only for the photos 👀

Jiang Cheng knows he walked into a trap the moment he steps into the Nie house.

Nie Huaisang is waiting for him, clearly vibrating out of his skin in his excitement, and Jiang Cheng closes his eyes to take a deep breath.

“There is no emergency,” he then says, careful to keep his voice even and when he opens his eyes, Nie Huaisang at least has the decency to look sheepish.

“Depends on your definition of emergency,” Nie Huaisang says and before Jiang Cheng can start to snap at him, Nie Mingjue steps into the hallway.

“Hello, Wanyin,” he says and then levels Nie Huaisang with a look. “What did we learn about using the word emergency?” he asks, his voice in that tone you use with very small kids and Nie Huaisang deflates.

“To never use it for non-critical situations because people will stop believing me when I use it so liberally.”

“And is this a critical situation?” Nie Mingjue asks him next and Jiang Cheng can tell that Nie Huaisang wants to say yes, but he clearly knows better than to do that.

“Not really,” he finally admits and Nie Mingjue nods.

“So now you’re going to do what?” he prompts and winks at Jiang Cheng when Nie Huaisang turns back around to him.

“I’m going to apologize to A-Cheng for scaring him. I’m sorry,” he dutifully says and Jiang Cheng simply can’t help it, he has to laugh at his crestfallen look.

“Apology accepted,” Jiang Cheng says, finally taking his shoes off. “Thank you, Mingjue.” He gives Nie Mingjue a bright smile and watches in confusion how he looks at everything but Jiang Cheng.

“Sure,” he mumbles out and then immediately flees the hallway.

“Did I do something?” Jiang Cheng asks, forever concerned that he’s annoying the Nie brother’s beyond belief but Nie Huaisang shakes his head at him.

“No, he’s just like that, don’t mind him,” he waves off even though Jiang Cheng knows that Nie Mingjue is not like that with everyone and then blinks his most innocent eyes at Jiang Cheng.

“So, it’s not an emergency but you clearly want something. What is it?” Jiang Cheng asks with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his forehead because he can guess what it is.

If Nie Huaisang thought he could only get him to come here under a pretence, Jiang Cheng can very much guess why he’s here.

“I need to post some more pic to my Instagram,” Nie Huaisang very predictably says and Jiang Cheng turns around on his heels.

“Absolutely not,” he says, putting his shoes back on.

Nie Huaisang runs a semi-successful photography account and Jiang Cheng has to admit that the pictures he takes are gorgeous. But Jiang Cheng is not a fan of having his photos taken and he likes it even less when they are posted online anywhere.

So the answer is very much clear.

“A-Cheng,” Nie Huaisang whines, immediately rushing forward to hang off Jiang Cheng’s arm. “Please. Please please please please,” he chants out, but Jiang Cheng is not deterred.

“No. Huaisang, you know how I feel about having my photos taken.”

“And you know how I’m going to make you look amazing. Breathtaking. Heartstopping even.”

Jiang Cheng groans but the worst part is that Nie Huaisang is not even wrong about that.

Jiang Cheng modelled for him once before and the pictures were absolutely perfect and he had been looking really good in them. Hot enough even that it also prompted Nie Mingjue to do a double take on them and if that hadn’t been quite the ego boost.

Nie Huaisang notices him waver the moment it happens and he pounces without hesitation.

“Come on, it will be a dark colour scheme and you can look like a very hot mafia boss, alright? I’ll need you to glare at the camera and let’s be honest, who is better suited to that than you?”

Jiang Cheng hates to admit it but Nie Huaisang certainly knows how to cater to him enough that he is actually nodding his head.

“Fine,” he bites out and then shoves a finger in Nie Huaisang’s face. “But you owe me. Big time!”

“I know,” Nie Huaisang nods. “And last time I made good on my promise to spoil you, right? So this time will be the same.”

Jiang Cheng hates to admit it but it’s true. Nie Huaisang had treated him to dinner and a movie–one that Jiang Cheng knows for a fact Nie Huaisang hated. So it’s hardly as if he can refute this.

“Fine, fine,” he says again, this time softer. “You can treat me like a damn mannequin again, whatever,” he grumbles but Nie Huaisang only smiles at him.

“You are the best friend anyone could wish for,” Nie Huaisang tells him and it’s honest enough that Jiang Cheng believes him.

“Whatever,” he mutters, uncomfortable with Nie Huaisang’s sincere gratitude. “Where do you want me?”

“My studio, of course,” Nie Huaisang says and starts to push him to the room.

Jiang Cheng allows it because fighting now would no longer make sense. 

Studio is a very generous name for the spare room the Nie brothers have in their apartment, but Jiang Cheng knows better than to say that to Nie Huaisang directly. And he does have to admit that he set it up nicely by now, even though there is still a desk shoved in the corner for the rare days Nie Mingjue can work from home.

And seeing the desk makes Jiang Cheng freeze in a panic.

“Mingjue, he’s not–we’ll be doing this alone, right?”

“A-Cheng, you know my brother doesn’t care for this, and I know better than to put you under that kind of scrutiny.”

“Well, you don’t care enough to not put me on your account.”

“But I do care enough to keep your crush away from you while you already feel vulnerable, that surely has to count for something?” Nie Huaisang blinks his eyes at him innocently again and Jiang Cheng goes bright red in the face.

“I don’t have a crush,” he then hisses out and it makes Nie Huaisang laugh out loud.

“True. You’re in love, my mistake.”

“Huaisang!” Jiang Cheng almost shouts at him, embarrassed enough that he wishes the ground would just open up and swallow him whole.

He never told Nie Huaisang that he’s in love with Nie Mingjue, but clearly it wasn’t necessary anyway because of course Nie Huaisang would notice something like that.

“Relax, I approve, no need to faint now,” Nie Huaisang says when Jiang Cheng continues to clearly be embarrassed and his words somehow make it even worse.

“There is nothing to approve of though,” Jiang Cheng whispers, because he knows that Nie Mingjue would never look at him like that. Jiang Cheng is his little brother’s best friend–of course he would never look with something like love at Jiang Cheng.

“Mh, if you say so,” Nie Huaisang cryptically says and then steers Jiang Cheng towards the outfit he clearly wants him to wear.

“This?” Jiang Cheng asks, because that is just ridiculous. The shirt seems a tad bit too big for him and knowing Nie Huaisang he’ll want him to wear it half unbuttoned and Jiang Cheng is not going to do that, no matter what.

“This,” Nie Huaisang nods. “And I’ll do your make-up and hair.”

“I fucking hate this,” Jiang Cheng sighs out but he dutifully takes the rest of the clothes Nie Huaisang has picked out for him.

“But you love me, which is why you’ll do as I ask of you.”

And again with the flutter of his eyelashes.

Sometimes Jiang Cheng wants to blindfold him just so he can no longer use them as a weapon against everyone.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t comment on Nie Huaisang’s last words—even though he’s right and damn well knows it too—and instead turns towards the little changing area Nie Huaisang has set up in one corner.

“Turn around,” Jiang Cheng hisses at him when Nie Huaisang makes no move to do that and Jiang Cheng is met with an eyeroll that Nie Huaisang clearly picked up from him.

“You have nothing I haven’t seen already,” he sighs out but after one last glare he dutifully turns around. “Fine, fine, gods, you and your modesty, one could think you’re prudish.”

“I just value my personal space,” Jiang Cheng snaps at him and they both very tactfully don’t mention that Wei Wuxian is the reason for that.

He has a habit of barging in unannounced at all times of the day and he has never given a single thought to Jiang Cheng’s personal space—apartment or otherwise. But that means he has caught Jiang Cheng in all kinds of situations—some more embarrassing than others—and since he doesn’t know how a decent person behaves he has ribbed Jiang Cheng  about all of these instances mercilessly, clearly not noticing that Jiang Cheng has never laughed along with him.

Jiang Cheng knows that it’s futile to try and tell Wei Wuxian about his personal boundaries but that is the reason he enforces them all even more with everyone else.

“Done yet?” Nie Huaisang asks after not even a minute and Jiang Cheng tries to stay calm.

This is how Nie Huaisang gets shortly before a photoshoot—impatient and bossy. It’s nothing new and Jiang Cheng knows that it won’t last, so he doesn’t comment on it.

“Done,” Jiang Cheng says, buttoning the shirt up as high as he can, if only so that maybe Nie Huaisang won’t unbutton it completely.

“This will do nicely,” Nie Huaisang says with a critical once over and then points at Jiang Cheng to sit so that he can do his make-up.

This part Jiang Cheng actually likes; Nie Huaisang has a talent for make-up and no matter what he decides to do it ends up looking amazing. Plus, Jiang Cheng doesn’t mind wearing it even if he can’t be bothered to put it on himself and so he sits still for Nie Huaisang and his many brushes.

“Now the hair,” Nie Huaisang says after a while of working on Jiang Cheng who sighs inwardly.

He doesn’t bother with his hair most days because he simply doesn’t care enough but he knows that Nie Huaisang wants every strand to fall perfectly and so he endures even that.

It takes longer than everything else together.

“Perfect,” Nie Huaisang finally exclaims, stepping back to take in Jiang Cheng as a whole. “Mh, maybe not,” he then mutters and steps in close again, reaching for the buttons of the shirt.

Jiang Cheng catches his wrist in his hand in warning.

“Come on, A-Cheng, I promise you’ll still be modest,” Nie Huaisang says, wriggling his fingers in anticipation and Jiang Cheng lets go of him after a long moment.

Nie Huaisang quickly unbuttons the two top buttons and puts a necklace around Jiang Cheng before he clasps his hands together.

“Now you’re perfect.”

Jiang Cheng dreads looking in the mirror but he does get up to take a look at himself and he has to admit that Nie Huaisang is right. He looks amazing.

“So?” Nie Huaisang asks, clearly fishing for compliments of his work and Jiang Cheng can at least admit that.

“It looks good.”

“I know, but thank you,” Nie Huaisang—the insufferable brat—gives back and then directs Jiang Cheng to stand in front of a photo wall.

“How do you want me?” Jiang Cheng asks, now nervous all over again because he never knows how to act in these kind of situations.

He feels stiff and robotic and surely Nie Huaisang is going to yell at him for ruining his perfect vision.

Nie Huaisang doesn’t answer him, though, too busy setting up the lights and checking everything through his camera every once in a while but finally he seems done.

“I want you like this,” he says and gently tilts Jiang Cheng’s head back a little bit, just enough to put his throat and his exposed collarbones on display.

Jiang Cheng holds the position for all of five seconds before he slumps.

“Huaisang, I feel ridiculous,” he complaints and fights the urge to step out of the light entirely.

“Nonsense, A-Cheng, you look amazing. Come on, just pretend—mh, just pretend you caught Wei Wuxian stealing your stuff and you’re about to break his legs for it. I need that glare.”

Jiang Cheng takes a deep breath, trying to center himself and then he glares at Nie Huaisang. He’s not so much imagining Wei Wuxian stealing his stuff, but more that Nie Huaisang is because he thinks that might come across better.

“Perfect!”

It seems as if he’s right.

Jiang Cheng continues imagining how he yells at Nie Huaisang in various situations and allows him to manoeuvre him around as much as he likes and it seems to do the trick.

It almost feels as if no time at all has passed before Nie Huaisang declares “Done!”

“Already?”

“A-Cheng, we’ve been here an hour,” Nie Huaisang tells him and Jiang Cheng blinks at that.

“Oh, I didn’t notice.”

“Did you have fun, maybe?”

“Don’t push it now,” Jiang Cheng snaps at him and leans over Nie Huaisang’s shoulder to look at the pictures.

He does have to admit that they look good already, without any tempering.

“I’ll post those two to my Instagram, alright?” Nie Huaisang asks and shows Jiang Cheng the pictures in question.

“Yeah, fine,” Jiang Cheng says and finds that he really means it.

He looks good in them, less like himself and more like someone fierce and reassured, someone comfortable in his own skin. He likes how he looks.

Nie Huaisang has barely posted the pictures when Jiang Cheng hears Nie Mingjue walk up on the other side of the door.

“Huaisang!” he yells out, banging on the door and Jiang Cheng turns towards Nie Huaisang, his eyes wide.

“What is going on?”

“He is following my Insta account,” Nie Huaisang tells him, still busy with saving and organizing the pictures. “Also? He has a huge crush on you. And another also? That is his shirt you’re wearing. And while we’re at it, I just remembered that Xichen is waiting for me, goodbye.”

With that Nie Huaisang walks over to the only window in the room, pulls it open and simply climbs out.

They are on ground level so it’s not that much of a feat but Jiang Cheng stares after him as if he just started to fly.

“What the fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters over Nie Mingjue’s continuous banging on the door and he allows himself a moment to really understand what Nie Huaisang told him.

He’s wearing Nie Mingjue’s clothes, Nie Mingjue has a crush on him and Nie Huaisang just posted pictures of Jiang Cheng posing in these clothes on his Instagram account, which Nie Mingjue is apparently following.

It only allows one possible conclusion and Jiang Cheng prays to the gods that he’s right about it as he opens the door.

Nie Mingjue freezes almost immediately, before he lowers his hand, raking his eyes up and down Jiang Cheng’s form.

“I—see,” he then finally gets out and Jiang Cheng presses his lips together so he doesn’t snort at that.

Though he doubts he would fare any better should Nie Mingjue ever wear Jiang Cheng’s clothes.

“Huaisang said this is yours,” Jiang Cheng says and pulls the hem of the shirt in a way that reveals even more of his collarbone.

Nie Mingjue tracks the motion avidly and Jiang Cheng goes just a little bit hot.

“It is,” he finally admits and when he meets Jiang Cheng’s eyes there can no longer be doubt about the fact that he’s just as gone over Jiang Cheng as he is over Nie Mingjue.

“It’s comfortable. I might keep it.”

“I have a much more comfortable sweatshirt you can have,” Nie Mingjue blurts out. “It’s made out of boyfriend material.”

Jiang Cheng stares at him for a moment before he bursts out laughing and Nie Mingjue groans.

“Oh, fuck me, that was horrible,” he mutters out and it just makes Jiang Cheng laugh harder. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he grumbles when it doesn’t seem as if Jiang Cheng is going to stop any time soon and he tries his best to get himself back under control.

“No, that was—not that bad actually,” he then tells Nie Mingjue and takes a step closer to him. “I would like to try it on, if that’s alright with you.”

“Fuck, yes,” Nie Mingjue says and pulls him even closer with a hand on his waist. “Please,” he then adds, much softer and Jiang Cheng leans in to kiss the corner of his mouth.

“Alright,” he agrees and then kisses Nie Mingjue for real.

It’s not ideal, with how they’ll have to thank Nie Huaisang for this eventually, but right now Jiang Cheng wouldn’t have it any other way.

Especially not when he gets to go home with not only the shirt and the sweatshirt but also a new boyfriend.

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#bt writes #mingcheng #24daysofmingcheng22 #the untamed #mdzs #modern au #fluff #humor #pining #love confessions #getting together #photo shoots #nhs meddling as if his life depends on it

[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 16 - Dinner

Today's fic is being sponsored by Roal on Twitter and the prompt was: Mingcheng at the beginning of their relationship and when JC goes to introduce NMJ to the family he receives the shovel talk from the Jiang. JFM wakes up and for some time refuses to accept that his youngest son is being taken by what he considers: the brute Nie. 

Jiang Cheng cannot believe how incredibly sappy Nie Mingjue looks when he opens the door for him.

“What has you all smiling like that?” is what Jiang Cheng greets him with, which is not very nice or polite, but Nie Mingjue doesn’t seem to mind because his smile gets incredibly bigger.

Those dimples have always been Jiang Cheng’s undoing.

“Hi,” he finally says, much softer and Nie Mingjue matches him immediately, dialling back down on the dimples at least a little bit.

“Hello,” he greets Jiang Cheng before he leans in for a lingering kiss. “It’s good to see you.”

“You saw me not even two hours ago,” Jiang Cheng huffs out though he can’t help but to dart in for one more kiss and when Nie Mingjue laughs against his lips he feels it in his entire body.

“But that was two hours too long,” Nie Mingjue declares when he finally straightens up and Jiang Cheng steps aside to let him inside.

It’s technically a bit too cold for them to be staying outside like that.

“I’ll be done in a moment,” Jiang Cheng tells him and hurries back inside instead of admitting that he felt the same, getting his phone and his wallet before he comes back to Nie Mingjue, who is still smiling as if he’s high.

“No, seriously, what in all the gods’ names has you smiling like this? You’re about to meet my parents, you should be terrified. You’re scaring me.”

“I’m just happy,” Nie Mingjue tells him and reaches for his hand, entangling their fingers when Jiang Cheng readily offers it up. “Aren’t I allowed to smile when I’m happy?”

“Of course you are allowed to smile,” Jiang Cheng huffs out because that is so not the point. “I just want to understand what exactly has made you this incredibly happy. You weren’t like this just two hours ago.”

“Maybe not but two hours ago I didn’t realize just how incredibly lucky I am,” Nie Mingjue tells him and it makes Jiang Cheng blush despite how hard he tries to keep a frown on his face.

“You make absolutely no sense,” he finally tells Nie Mingjue who laughs at that.

Jiang Cheng is never going to admit it but that sound alone makes butterflies erupt in his belly.

“Huaisang said something earlier, about how we’ll be four people this Christmas.”

“So?” Jiang Cheng asks with a frown because he still doesn’t see how that would turn Nie Mingjue into an unbelievable sap.

“And it’s just something I always wanted,” Nie Mingjue admits. “I barely remember Christmas with my parents, and then with Huaisang we tried so hard to make it nice for him when his mother died. And then a-die died and it was just me and him and I only celebrated Christmas for him. For me it was only stress but I wanted him to have the best possible Christmas he could have. And then he grew up and when he went to college he barely even spent Christmas with me and I didn’t see a point.”

Nie Mingjue sounds solemn and Jiang Cheng steps close to hug Nie Mingjue, hiding his face in Nie Mingjue’s neck.

“But now everything is different,” Nie Mingjue whispers and slings an arm around Jiang Cheng’s middle. “He’s back, full time, and our relationship is better than ever. Plus he has Xuanyu now, who will be joining us for Christmas. I have him back and I also have you.” Here Nie Mingjue presses a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s head. “I always wondered what it would be like to spend Christmas with someone I love, with someone who loves me back and wants to spend that holiday with me, you know.”

“I love you so much,” Jiang Cheng whispers out, squeezing Nie Mingjue tightly. “But never let Huaisang hear you say that, he’s going to have your head.”

It makes Nie Mingjue laugh, just like Jiang Cheng wanted and feeling it all along his body is just something Jiang Cheng will never tire of.

He really needs to make Nie Mingjue laugh more often.

“You know what I mean, my heart. I meant that in a romantic sense. Huaisang is hardly fitting for that.”

“I know,” Jiang Cheng says with a sigh and finally untangles himself from Nie Mingjue. “I’m—kind of the same, actually,” he then admits, even though his face burns with the admission. “Christmas at home was always—bad,” he finally settles on even though that is wholly inadequate. He trusts Nie Mingjue to understand though. “I always dreamed of a harmonious Christmas, with someone who was there for me and not because they had to. I just—wanted someone by my side who was glad to be there.”

“And now you have me,” Nie Mingjue says, kissing Jiang Cheng softly with a hand under his chin.

“And you have me now,” Jiang Cheng says because this clearly goes both ways.

It might have taken them a while to actually get to this part but now that they are here, Jiang Cheng believes they are both committed enough to make it work. And so far it had been frighteningly easy to make it work, to integrate Nie Mingjue into his daily routine and his life in general.

Jiang Cheng would just be waiting for the other shoe to drop if he wasn’t so sure that no matter what happens, Nie Mingjue is going to be there, right by his side where he belongs.

“Which is exactly the reason why I’m a goddamn sap today,” Nie Mingjue says, nipping at Jiang Cheng’s lower lip. “And not even the threat of meeting your parents can ruin this for me. Because no matter what happens today, or what they say, you’ll still be there with me.”

“No matter what?” Jiang Cheng asks because he knows his parents. They are going to say some pretty wild and hurtful stuff. Maybe they’ll just limit themselves to Jiang Cheng but it’s much more likely that they’ll swing at Nie Mingjue too.

“No matter what,” Nie Mingjue promises him and just a few months ago Jiang Cheng wouldn’t have believed him, wouldn’t have believed anyone if they said something like this, but now he does.

He knows Nie Mingjue means it, and he knows that he is truly and firmly on his side. Jiang Cheng doesn’t think there is anything except Jiang Cheng himself that could turn Nie Mingjue away from him.

“Alright,” Jiang Cheng says, smiling at Nie Mingjue. “Are you ready to face them then?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” Nie Mingjue gives back, because he clearly understands that there is simply no way anyone could ever hope to prepare for Jiang Cheng’s parents.

“Then let’s go, so we can be home early and cuddle on the couch,” Jiang Cheng urges him on, almost pushing him out of the door because he wants this to be over as quickly as possible.

Especially now that he thought about cuddling with Nie Mingjue. Jiang Cheng is always weak to that.

The drive to Jiang Cheng’s parent’s house is quiet even though they hold hands during the entire drive. Jiang Cheng is wondering what bullshit his parents will throw at him today and Nie Mingjue is probably trying to imagine how tonight will go over even though it’s futile.

Jiang Cheng’s parents are unpredictable.

“Here we go,” Jiang Cheng mutters when Nie Mingjue stops the car in the driveway and quickly presses a kiss to the back of Nie Mingjue’s hand.

“We can do this,” Nie Mingjue tells him with a smile and Jiang Cheng is almost inclined to believe it when it’s Nie Mingjue who says it.

They get out of the car and walk up to the door but before Jiang Cheng can even knock his mother yanks it open.

“You’re late,” she simply says even though they are most definitely not, looking Jiang Cheng up and down. “At least you’re dressed properly,” she then decides and turns her gaze towards Nie Mingjue.

“Who are you?” she demands to know and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.

She has known Nie Mingjue’s dad. She damn well knows who he is.

“This is Nie Mingjue, mother. My boyfriend. I told you I would bring him today?”

She makes a noise that could be an acknowledgement or a curse and then turns around, clearly expecting them to follow her when she walks deeper into the house.

“That was—something,” Nie Mingjue mutters and Jiang Cheng snorts.

“It will only get better, I promise you that,” he says and kisses the corner of Nie Mingjue’s mouth.

“Oh, fun,” he deadpans and then takes Jiang Cheng’s hand as they follow Yu Ziyuan into the dining room.

Everyone is still seated at the table and Jiang Cheng throws a betrayed look at Wei Wuxian, because how dare he be on time for once in his life.

“Chengcheng,” Wei Wuxian yells out, even though he immediately gets reprimanded by Yu Ziyuan for it.

“A-Cheng,” Jiang Yanli greets him much calmer and Jiang Cheng manages a smile for her.

He then nods at his father, who only has eyes for Nie Mingjue, it seems.

“Father, this is Nie Mingjue, my boyfriend,” Jiang Cheng introduces him and definitely doesn’t squirm because his father’s gaze isn’t even on him.

“Jiang Fengmian,” Nie Mingjue greets him before he takes a seat next to Jiang Cheng.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Jiang Fengmian asks, his eyes never leaving Nie Mingjue and Jiang Cheng sighs.

Here they go.

“No, it’s not, father. I told you I would bring my boyfriend, and I did.”

“Absolutely not,” Jiang Fengmian decides and finally turns towards Jiang Cheng.

He expects to tell him just how far out of his league Nie Mingjue is, that he really shouldn’t be dragging him down with him—it’s what Jiang Cheng prepared for.

What he did not prepare for was for his father to say: “He’s not good enough for you.”

Jiang Cheng blinks once, twice before he turns a questioning look towards his mother, who is staring at Jiang Fengmian.

Clearly she didn’t expect that either.

“I’m sorry—what?” Wei Wuxian asks now as well and it seems as if confusion is all around the table.

“The Nies have a reputation,” Jiang Fengmian says, his voice as hard as Jiang Cheng has ever heard it. “And he is not fit for my sweet A-Cheng.”

At that Jiang Cheng does a double take.

He sees Jiang Yanli mouth ‘sweet A-Cheng’ to herself and Wei Wuxian looks as if his head is going to explode. Yu Ziyuan is completely frozen.

“Father?” Jiang Cheng carefully asks because what if his father is having an episode right now, or maybe a stroke. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I am perfectly fine, I am more worried about you,” he says, adopting the same sweet tone he always uses when he speaks to Wei Wuxian.

Jiang Cheng has never heard it directed at him and he is unsure how to handle this.

“Surely being in a relationship with a—brute like that must be hard. Are you unharmed?”

Jiang Cheng notices how Nie Mingjue shakes at his side and concern for him sets in only to almost immediately evaporate when he notices that Nie Mingjue is trying not to laugh out loud.

“Father, Mingjue hasn’t hurt me. He wouldn’t. We are very happy,” Jiang Cheng carefully says, because he really has no clue how to deal with this at all.

In all the things he imagined for tonight, this didn’t even cross his mind in passing.

“I doubt that,” Jiang Fengmian sneers and now that is more like Jiang Cheng knows him, even though it still isn’t directed at Jiang Cheng. “Someone like him is hardly made for softness, and that is what you deserve.”

Now it feels as if Jiang Cheng is having a stroke and he throws a glance at Wei Wuxian, begging him for help.

“Dad, we have known the Nies for a long time,” Jiang Yanli jumps in when Wei Wuxian is just as speechless as Jiang Cheng himself is. “Surely you know that Nie Mingjue is a very sweet young man?”

She sounds as if she’s forty, but Jiang Cheng doesn’t care. He nods at her words.

“Seriously father, you have seen him with Huaisang and even with A-Yuan.”

“A-Cheng, you should call me dad, like your sister too,” Jiang Fengmian says and it feels like a punch to the gut.

The last time Jiang Cheng had tried to call him that Jiang Fengmian had sneered at him before he ordered him to never call him that again.

Nothing makes sense anymore.

“Fengmian, what has gotten into you?” Yu Ziyuan now chimes in as well, tapping her perfectly manicured nail on the table.

“My lady, clearly you must see how A-Cheng could only suffer under someone as brute and wild as Nie Mingjue,” Jiang Fengmian says and Jiang Cheng briefly wonders if there was something in the whiskey.

Maybe his father has been poisoned.

“They seem perfectly happy to me,” Yu Ziyuan says with a side-glance at them and Jiang Cheng allows himself a small smile because he knows that is as much approval as he will ever get from her.

It’s enough for him, though.

“We are,” he says, elbowing Nie Mingjue into the side when he continues to stay silent but Nie Mingjue presses his lips together and briefly shakes his head.

So he fears he’s still going to burst out in laughter should he open his mouth.

“A-Cheng, I know you have to say that because you’re sitting right next to him but you don’t have to be afraid anymore. We’re here and we will support you no matter what, I can promise you that.”

It’s a promise that rings bitter between them because they sure as hell haven’t supported him when Jiang Cheng actually needed it before.

“Right,” he slowly says with a frown. “Because you think Nie Mingjue is what? Violent and too angry? I thought those were things I am.”

Jiang Fengmian blinks at him as if he never uttered those words before and now don’t know where they are coming from. It’s a level of hypocrisy Jiang Cheng didn’t know could be achieved.

“You are nothing like that,” Jiang Fengmian says and doesn’t seem to notice how surprised everyone at the table is at hearing his words. “He on the other hand is dangerous and you really should move away from him now. Come over here, A-Xian will swap places with you.”

“Mother, I think we should call an ambulance now, it almost sounds as if father is having a stroke,” Jiang Cheng tonelessly says to his mother who seems to be near a stroke herself.

“What is happening?” Wei Wuxian asks, his voice in a whisper but of course it’s still loud enough that everyone can hear it.

“I’m not sure,” Jiang Yanli whispers right back and Jiang Fengmian looks between them as if they are the ones out of their minds.

“What do you mean what is happening? Can’t you see that your brother is being abused? Clearly he was forced into that relationship, how else would a brute like Nie Mingjue manage to get someone as sweet and helpless as A-Cheng?”

“Wanyin, I think it would be best if you leave for now,” Yu Ziyuan says and Jiang Cheng is quick to nod.

This whole situation is freaking him out and he doesn’t actually want to spend a second longer in his father’s company.

“I think that would be for the best,” Nie Mingjue agrees, keeping himself in control for just long enough to not burst out laughing it seems and he immediately gets up.

“No, my lady, don’t let our A-Cheng leave with him, who knows what will happen to him!” Jiang Fengmian calls out but he is quickly intercepted by Wei Wuxian.

“Uncle Fengmian, you wanted to tell me about that lunch you had with Old Man Yao, right?” he asks and Jiang Cheng will forever be grateful for that when Jiang Fengmian turns his attention towards Wei Wuxian.

It’s the first time that evening and even that realisation feels wrong. Jiang Cheng sends a quick prayer for Wei Wuxian, because no one wants to hear about Old Man Yao, ever, and then he drags Nie Mingjue away from the table, followed by his mother.

“I have no clue what’s gotten into him,” she mutters. “Though I do suppose it’s kind of nice, isn’t it?” she then wryly asks with an apologetic smile at Nie Mingjue. “Except for you. Please note that his opinion doesn’t reflect the family’s opinion.”

Of course Yu Ziyuan would never say that she likes or even approves of Nie Mingjue but this is an admission in itself and Jiang Cheng beams at her.

“I am really happy with him,” he tells her, clearly making her uncomfortable and even that is something Jiang Cheng is going to cherish.

“And I am with him,” Nie Mingjue adds, pressing a sweet kiss to Jiang Cheng’s cheek, much to his mother’s despair it seems.

“Get out of here now. The next time you come for dinner he will behave himself.”

Jiang Cheng glows with the fact that his mother wants to see Nie Mingjue at dinner again as well, because that is high praise indeed. Lan Wangji is barely allowed to come because his mother hates the display he and Wei Wuxian put on and even Jin Zixuan is only allowed to be there every once in a while.

“Have a good evening, mother,” Jiang Cheng says when they are ready to leave and then he drags Nie Mingjue out of the house.

“You were certainly right about one thing,” Nie Mingjue says thoughtfully on the way to the car.

“And what is that?” Jiang Cheng wants to know because nothing about this evening has gone like he expected it to.

“I am really looking forward to cuddling you on the couch right now,” Nie Mingjue then says with a smile and Jiang Cheng laughs. “Not gonna lie, that was pretty strange as far as things go, though.”

“It was the weirdest thing,” Jiang Cheng agrees, leaning up for a kiss before he walks around the car to get in. “I don’t know what has gotten into him.”

“Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit,” Nie Mingjue muses and Jiang Cheng snorts.

“Right, because that changed his opinion before. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. And you know that you are none of the things he said, right?”

“Well, I do get kind of angry a lot,” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng slaps his arm.

“Stop that, we are both working on that, so he doesn’t get to say anything about that at all. I love you.”

“And I love you,” Nie Mingjue immediately gives back, the same sappy smile on his face he had before this dinner and Jiang Cheng melts in his seat.

There really is no way he could be happier, not when Nie Mingjue is right by his side.

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[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 18 - Breakfast

Jiang Cheng wakes up warm and comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that it takes him a moment too long to notice that this is not his bed and that he is not alone.

His surprise at these revelations then lasts long enough for the other person to nuzzle his head and Jiang Cheng freezes before it all comes back.

This is not his bed and he is not alone because he went home with Nie Mingjue last night and clearly didn’t manage to sneak out before the new day starts, he realizes when he peeks over Nie Mingjue’s shoulder.

The sun is already up high in the sky.

“Fuck,” he mutters, even as he tries to untangle himself from Nie Mingjue.

Jiang Cheng had promised himself he would leave in the dead of the night, so that he could avoid this awkward morning and at least pretend as if his heart was still fine and intact, and to find himself now in this position make him almost panic.

He tried his best to get out of Nie Mingjue’s arms but he holds him firmly and even pulls him closer to his chest, despite the fact that he is still asleep. And no matter how carefully Jiang Cheng squirms and wriggles, he can’t get free.

And he clearly isn’t as subtle as he likes to think he is.

“What are you doing?” Nie Mingjue mumbles, clearly still half asleep and he takes the opportunity to roll over a little bit, just enough to land half on Jiang Cheng, effectively pinning him in place and putting a stop to his movements.

Jiang Cheng closes his eyes in despair at that.

“Nothing,” he tries and Nie Mingjue lets out an amused huff.

“Mh, right,” he mutters, nuzzling again against Jiang Cheng’s head. “Stay. It’s too early for breakfast.”

The easy way with which Nie Mingjue says that makes Jiang Cheng’s heart beat faster because it almost sounds as if he would want that. As if he wants to have breakfast with Jiang Cheng after they spent the night together.

“I should—” Jiang Cheng tries but Nie Mingjue doesn’t even let him finish.

“Stay right where you are.”

“It’s late, Mingjue,” Jiang Cheng tries again and now finally does Nie Mingjue blink open an eye.

“Not late enough,” he then judges from a look outside and burrows deeper into the bedding and therefore Jiang Cheng. “Why the rush. Let’s just enjoy the morning.”

There are a dozen different answers at the tip of Jiang Cheng’s tongue but in the end they all boil down to the fact that he doesn’t want to get his heart broken and the longer he stays the more likely it is.

Jiang Cheng isn’t sure exactly why Nie Mingjue had made advances on him yesterday but of course he wouldn’t turn him down, not even for just a night. He was just masochistic enough to take everything Nie Mingjue was willing to give him, even if it meant he gets his heart broken in a dozen different ways afterwards.

“Stop thinking,” Nie Mingjue groans out. “Why are you thinking so hard this early in the morning?”

“I’m not! It’s just—it’s late.”

“It’s before breakfast, so it’s early,” Nie Mingjue immediately gives back and despite Jiang Cheng’s worry it makes him laugh. “There, that’s better,” Nie Mingjue decides, as if he only said it to get that sound out of Jiang Cheng and then he kisses the top of Jiang Cheng’s head.

It does a whole lot of things to Jiang Cheng’s poor heart and it only makes him redouble his efforts of extracting himself.

“Seriously, Wanyin, what are you doing? Stop.”

“No, I have to—” Jiang Cheng says, though he trails off when he realizes that there is no way he can explain his sudden urge to get away without telling the truth.

“If you have to be somewhere, at least eat breakfast with us.”

“Us?” Jiang Cheng asks, blinking very fast in his panic. “What do you mean, us?”

“Huaisang should be home,” Nie Mingjue tells him, tilting his head in a way that tells Jiang Cheng he is trying to listen if he can hear him and he goes cold with his panic.

If Nie Huaisang catches him in his brother’s bed he will no longer be his friend, Jiang Cheng is sure of that. Nie Huaisang is very protective of Nie Mingjue and he has ranted more than once how none of the people who approach Nie Mingjue are actually worthy of doing so.

He never outright stated it but Jiang Cheng knows that the same goes for him.

“Fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters and pushes away from Nie Mingjue, finally breaking his hold on him as he sits up in bed.

“Wanyin, what’s wrong?” Nie Mingjue asks, resting one of his big, warm hands on Jiang Cheng’s exposed back and when Jiang Cheng dares to look over his shoulder at him there is nothing but concern on his face.

“I’m just—I should have been long gone, I don’t know how you can be this calm,” Jiang Cheng mutters, fisting his hands in the blanket. “You must be annoyed with me.”

“Annoyed?” Nie Mingjue repeats and sits up as well, the blanket only barely protecting his modesty but he doesn’t even seem to notice because his gaze is fixed on Jiang Cheng. “Why would I be annoyed with you?”

“Because I’m still here? I know that these things normally go differently and I should never have fallen asleep,” Jiang Cheng mutters, unable to keep looking at Nie Mingjue.

“What the hell are you on about?” Nie Mingjue demands to know. “What do you mean ‘these things’?”

“Is this—I mean—one-night-stands?” Jiang Cheng whispers out and now he very deliberately doesn’t look at Nie Mingjue.

He must be really fed up with him; everyone knows that there are certain, unspoken rules about one-night-stands, and Jiang Cheng is pretty sure that waking up together the next morning does not belong in there.

“You—think this is a one-night-stand?” Nie Mingjue haltingly asks and he sounds hurt.

Hurt enough that Jiang Cheng turns back around to him.

“I mean—what else would it be?”

Nie Mingjue’s mouth twitches at that before he takes a deep breath.

“Wanyin, do you know me to sleep around?” he asks him and Jiang Cheng has to admit that he has never heard anything like that about Nie Mingjue but he guesses that is Nie Huaisang’s doing.

No completely sane person would try to get Nie Mingjue into bed with them when Nie Huaisang is always right there, watching his every step and scaring every potential candidate away.

“And I can’t remember to hear that you have a reputation like that, either,” Nie Mingjue goes on, clearly reading the answer straight off Jiang Cheng’s face.

“I don’t,” Jiang Cheng bristles because he’s not happy to admit it but it’s not as if he’s sleeping around like crazy. “But—I still know what people say about me, what they assume.”

“And what is that?” Nie Mingjue wants to know.

“I look very fuckable,” Jiang Cheng says, keeping his voice as flat as he possibly can. “But that’s it. I’m not good to date.”

“Bullshit,” Nie Mingjue spits out. “Whoever said such fucking bullshit clearly doesn’t know you.”

Nie Mingjue’s vehemence makes something warm unfurl in Jiang Cheng’s chest, before he remembers the situation they find themselves in.

Because by now Jiang Cheng is more confused than anything.

“Wanyin, seriously, did you think this was just a one-time thing?” Nie Mingjue asks, much more calmer but he also seems more guarded and Jiang Cheng no longer knows what the right answer to this is.

Before he can fumble for one, it knocks at the door. Jiang Cheng is not proud to admit that he flinches.

“Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang whines. “What is up with you? Come on get up, breakfast is ready!”

“We’ll be right there, Huaisang,” Nie Mingjue calls back and stares Jiang Cheng down when he turns big, panicked eyes at him.

“Why would you do that?” he hisses out. “Now he’ll know—”

“He’ll know anyway,” Nie Mingjue cuts him off. “Because I do not intend to hide this.”

“Alright, da-ge—wait!” Huaisang screeches on the other side of the door. “Did you just say we?”

“I did, Huaisang,” Nie Mingjue gives back.

“I can’t believe you got laid! Finally,” Nie Huaisang laughs out at that but then he falls silent rather abruptly and Jiang Cheng tenses. “That better be A-Cheng in there. Da-ge, is that A-Cheng in there? Because if not, don’t you dare show your face here!”

“What?” Jiang Cheng mutters, because this makes absolutely no sense.

Why the hell would Nie Huaisang want him to be in there.

“It is Wanyin, of course it is, who do you even take me for?” Nie Mingjue calls out, not taking his eyes off Jiang Cheng.

“Would have surprised me if it was anyone else, you’re almost as bad as any good Lan. Xichen must have rubbed of on you in that regard,” Nie Huaisang mutters, but he’s still clearly audible through the door. “Alright, get presentable then, breakfast is not going to eat itself alone,” he then cheerfully says and Jiang Cheng hears him walk off.

“What just happened?” Jiang Cheng wants to know .

Nie Mingjue doesn’t answer him directly, because he shuffles around in bed until he sits facing Jiang Cheng and then takes his hands in his.

“What about that was unclear to you?” he then asks, looking very much as if he’s expecting a serious answer from Jiang Cheng who can barely think straight at the moment.

“I—” he starts before he cuts himself off. “That was—it sounded as if—everything?” he finally settles on and Nie Mingjue sighs.

“Wanyin, I do not simply take people home with me for a fun night. If I bring them here, then I usually want them to stay. And I use usually very liberally because you’re the first one in years I have brought home.”

“But I’m—”

“Be very careful with what you say right now because I will not allow anyone to insult you and that includes yourself.”

Jiang Cheng opens and closes his mouth several times, searching for the right words and Nie Mingjue waits him out patiently.

“If we—when we go out there, what do we tell him?” Jiang Cheng finally settles on, hoping that this does meet Nie Mingjue’s approval.

“It’s not as if he’s going to let us say a whole lot but we tell him the truth. He already knows we fucked this night, so what else is there to wonder about?”

“No, I mean—” Jiang Cheng hates how he can feel himself blush but Nie Mingjue smirks at him, so it can’t be too bad. “I mean what are we going to say what we are?”

“I would call it like it is,” Nie Mingjue says, giving a decidedly vague answer and Jiang Cheng frowns at him.

“Which would be what, exactly?” he demands to know, his voice more cutting than before and Nie Mingjue chuckles.

“There you are,” he then says and leans in to kiss the corner of Jiang Cheng’s mouth. “I would call us boyfriends,” Nie Mingjue then finally says and smiles softly at Jiang Cheng. “If you are amenable to that, of course.”

It blows Jiang Cheng’s mind just a little bit, that Nie Mingjue should want this, would want to be boyfriends with him of all people but he also can’t deny that he feels almost giddy with happiness at hearing him say that.

Nie Mingjue clearly knows what his words do to Jiang Cheng because he’s waiting him out with more patience than Jiang Cheng probably deserves and in the end he can’t even find his words, so he simply leans in for a real kiss, morning breath and all be damned.

“I am going to take that as a positive answer,” Nie Mingjue decides when they part, reaching out for his hand and threading their fingers together. “You’re my boyfriend now. No take-backs.”

“No take-backs”, Jiang Cheng agrees with a laugh, though his mood plummets when Nie Mingjue turns serious again.

“My heart, why did you agree to sleep with me if you thought it would only be for a night? You’re in love with me, right? Why would you do that to yourself?” Nie Mingjue asks and Jiang Cheng groans.

“Am I truly that obvious?”

“You’re not that subtle when you love and especially not if someone cares to look. I cared, a whole lot, and so it was easy to see that you reciprocate my feelings.”

“This is the worst,” Jiang Cheng mutters, and looks out of the window rather than at Nie Mingjue when he finally answers his previous question. “I thought it would be better than nothing. At least I would have this one night with you and maybe I could use it to convince myself that you’re not actually that good and that my feelings for you are completely unfounded.”

“And? Did I perform satisfactorily?” Nie Mingjue asks him with a huge smirk and Jiang Cheng hides behind his hand.

“Fuck off,” he mutters, because he’s pretty sure Nie Mingjue knows the answer to that.

“Do not get up to more shenanigans, A-Cheng’s coffee is going cold and you know how he hates cold coffee,” Nie Huaisang suddenly calls through the door again and Jiang Cheng still can’t help himself, he jumps as if he caught them doing something improper.

Well, more improper.

“We’ll be out in a sec,” Nie Mingjue calls over his shoulder and then gets off the bed, dragging Jiang Cheng along with him, who has the choice to either get up or faceplant into the ground.

“I’m up, I’m up,” he grumbles, dutifully putting on the clothes Nie Mingjue throws at him.

It takes him way too long to register that these are not actually the clothes he had been wearing yesterday evening; instead those are clearly Nie Mingjue’s sweatpants and shirt and Jiang Cheng is pretty sure that Nie Mingjue can read it right off his face what that does to Jiang Cheng.

“You’re mine now,” Nie Mingjue smugly says, leaning in for a lingering kiss, as his hand slides under the shirt Jiang Cheng just put on and he leans into the warm contact.

“Just like you are mine,” he says when they part, because it’s important to Jiang Cheng that this goes both ways.

“Of course I am,” Nie Mingjue says without hesitation and then finally opens the door.

Nie Huaisang is clearly just about to knock again and he critically looks them over.

“Di-di, meet my boyfriend,” Nie Mingjue says, tugging Jiang Cheng into his side and there is no hesitation and he seems proud as hell about it too.

“About damn time,” Nie Huaisang hisses at Nie Mingjue and then turns his sweetest smile on Jiang Cheng. “I prepared coffee for you,” he tells him and then leaves for the kitchen, clearly expecting them to follow him, which they do.

Jiang Cheng might go a little bit misty-eyed when he sits down at the table and Nie Mingjue presses a kiss to his head just as Nie Huaisang puts his perfectly prepared coffee in front of him and he decides that he’s going to keep this, no matter what.

And he’s pretty sure Nie Mingjue thinks the same when he threads their fingers together again, despite Nie Huaisang’s good-natured complaining.

It already feels a lot like family and Jiang Cheng can’t wait for the future.

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