#beetober2022

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 16 - Foundling

Jiang Cheng know his fate has been decided when Jiang Fengmian calls him into his study.

“We have an answer from Qinghe Nie,” he tells him and Jiang Cheng sits down. “They agreed to the marriage.”

“But why them,” Jiang Cheng whispers out.

He doesn’t care about himself—being married off has always been his future and he made his peace with that long ago—but to the Nies—that is a cruelty Jiang Cheng didn’t think Jiang Fengmian to be capable of.

“You will go where I send you,” Jiang Fengmian says and Jiang Cheng is quick to nod.

“Of course I will, but they will find out. And they won’t be too happy.”

“You are a foundling, and that is all you’re ever going to be,” Jiang Fengmian sneers out and Jiang Cheng flinches. “Qinghe Nie believes in the occult; they think someone like you is a lucky sign. They are more than happy to take you and you will do your utmost to get this marriage over with. I do not have to remind you what should happen to you if the marriage falls through.”

“Understood,” Jiang Cheng mumbles but he can still barely understand Jiang Fengmian’s hate for him.

Yes, he is not his son, but Wei Wuxian is; Yu Ziyuan and he must have cheated on each other at roughly the same time after all. The story of Jiang Cheng being a foundling is just that—a story, carefully distributed throughout the world to not arise suspicion when Jiang Cheng doesn’t end up looking anything like his father.

Which happened, of course, because Jiang Cheng is the spitting image of his mother, but that in turn made new problems rise up.

Jiang Cheng is aware of the rumors going around that the foundling story is just a cover-up to hide Yu Ziyuan’s betrayal and they are not even wrong.

And Nie Mingjue is going to have his head when he finds out who Jiang Cheng’s real father is.

Jiang Cheng had hoped to be married off to one of the other Sects—even a lesser one would have been fine—because Jiang Fengmian never made it a secret that this was going to be his future.

He is not the heir and he has never been regarded as such, especially not since Wei Wuxian came to live with them. Jiang Fengmian was quick to appoint him heir and he didn’t hide the fact that Wei Wuxian was his actual son.

To this day Jiang Cheng will never understand how it’s okay that Jiang Fengmian has a bastard but should word ever get out that Jiang Cheng is a bastard as well his mother will likely be killed.

It simply makes no sense but of course he knows better than to argue against this.

Jiang Fengmian waited until the last possible moment to tell him about the marriage because not even a day later Jiang Cheng is being sent away, with the required minimum of people to follow him to not offend Qinghe Nie.

He didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to his mother or sister and Jiang Cheng knows that it’s a very deliberate move from Jiang Fengmian.

His mother probably has a thing or two to say about his marriage to Nie Mingjue after all.

By the time he arrives in front of the gates to the Unclean Realm, Jiang Cheng has his mind made up. He has met Nie Mingjue before on several occasions and he likes the other man; he is not going to lead him on about his heritage, no matter what it should mean for himself.

So when Nie Mingjue leads him to the rooms where he’ll be staying in for now, Jiang Cheng stops him with a hand to his elbow.

“I would like to talk to you about something,” Jiang Cheng says and then sends a pointed look at the people around them. “In private, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“That’s highly inappropriate,” Nie Huaisang chimes in but Nie Mingjue only rolls his eyes at him.

“And who here is going to care or breathe a word of this?” Nie Mingjue shoots back, glaring at everyone. “I thought so,” he then smugly says and points at a door just up ahead. “We can talk there.”

Jiang Cheng nods and leads the way, and he doesn’t even care that his behaviour is almost offending. His life is forfeit anyway, this should hardly make a dent in Nie Mingjue’s regard for him.

The room is a simple office, furnished with nothing more than two tables for paperwork and one to take their tea and Jiang Cheng thinks it’s perfect.

This will be over quick anyway.

“What is it you want to talk about?” Nie Mingjue asks as he closes the door behind them and Jiang Cheng sits down.

He didn’t give much thought on how he’s going to break the news to Nie Mingjue but he knows one thing.

“Before I start, there’s a condition,” he says and meets Nie Mingjue’s eyes without wavering.

“Okay,” Nie Mingjue unsurely says, clearly at a total loss as to what is happening right now.

“After I said what I want to say, you’ll no longer want to marry me. And that is fine, but you can’t send me back to Lotus Pier. So I need you to promise me that you’ll either kill me after, or you’ll help me get away.”

“Kill you,” Nie Mingjue mutters. “What the hell is going on here, Wanyin? Are you here to spy on us? To kill me to take over Qinghe?”

It’s not a bad guess all things considered but Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

“Promise me,” he insists instead of explaining and watches as Nie Mingjue presses his lips together.

“Fine, I’ll promise. I’ll either kill you or help you vanish.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and slumps over a little bit. This was the most important part, at least to him. “I am not a foundling,” he starts with and immediately Nie Mingjue frowns.

“You’re not—does that mean the rumors are true? The Violet Spider is your mother, then?”

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng nods and watches as Nie Mingjue puzzles out the rest.

“But Jiang Fengmian is not your father, then, clearly. And you think this knowledge will make me want to kill you—” he trails off there but when a surge of killing intent goes through the room Jiang Cheng knows that he figured it out so he nods.

“Wen Ruohan is my father.”

It seems as if Nie Mingjue has a hard time to calm himself down at those words, but Jiang Cheng isn’t worried. His death has always been on the table after all.

“He killed my father,” Nie Mingjue finally presses out and Jiang Cheng nods.

“I know. That’s why I had to tell you. Jiang Fengmian insisted on marrying me off and he can’t marry me off to Qishan Wen for obvious reasons. He already has alliances secured with Lanling Jin and Gusu Lan, though, so that only left you, despite my protests. He doesn’t care.”

“You are the son of that monster,” Nie Mingjue hisses and even though Jiang Cheng flinches at that, he still nods.

Wen Ruohan is a monster and Jiang Cheng is his son. Jiang Cheng didn’t chose him as a father and he has no contact to him at all but of course Nie Mingjue would not be able to see past that. Jiang Cheng knew that from the very beginning and yet it still hurts somehow.

“You are the son of the Violet Spider,” Nie Mingjue breathes out next and suddenly all the killing intent is gone.

“What?” Jiang Cheng asks because that shouldn’t even factor in here. “Listen, it doesn’t matter who my mother is. If you send me back then something worse than death is waiting for me, Jiang Fengmian will make sure of it. So either you kill me—as would be your right—or you help me get away from all of this.”

“This is why Popo Yu has always been so fond of you,” Nie Mingjue goes on as if he hasn’t heard Jiang Cheng at all.

“Mingjue, listen to me!” Jiang Cheng yells out. “Jiang Fengmian thinks you’re just a bunch of savages who believe in the occult and so you wouldn’t look more closely into this matter, but I am telling you, I am not a foundling, I do not bring luck and my father is your sworn enemy!”

“But we do believe in the occult,” Nie Mingjue says as if Jiang Cheng’s other words mean nothing. “And you are the son of the Violet Spider. Spiders do not have sons. They only birth daughters.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jiang Cheng asks, completely puzzled by this turn of events.

“It means that you’re a miracle,” Nie Mingjue tells him. “Popo Yu dotes on you because you’re the first male Spider in centuries. We Nies do believe in the occult and a foundling has nothing against a male Spider.”

“But I am not—I haven’t received proper training,” Jiang Cheng stammers, unsure what exactly is happening right now.

“I am sure Yu Ziyuan would love to join us here under the guise of advising you through this courtship,” Nie Mingjue gives back and Jiang Cheng blinks at him.

“Mingjue, I am telling you that I am Wen Ruohan’s son and you plan to do what? Marry me?”

“Yes,” Nie Mingjue easily gives back and Jiang Cheng rears back as if Nie Mingjue has hit him.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?”

“I felt the killing intent coming from you just a moment ago! How can you even ask me that, I have felt exactly how you feel about this.”

“No. You felt how I feel about Wen Ruohan,” Nie Mingjue corrects him. “You have no clue how I feel about you. And before you start again—it doesn’t matter that he is your father. It wasn’t you who killed my father and it wasn’t you who made him kill my father either. You’re just a kid who got settled with a monster for a father, but that isn’t your fault. And you do not have contact to him, as far as I know, right?”

“Right,” Jiang Cheng slowly says. “I haven’t even met him once in my life.”

“Then I don’t see how I would make you responsible for my father’s death.”

“What if I don’t want to be a Spider?” Jiang Cheng tries again, because he thought his only two options were death or banishment.

He never considered that marriage might still be on the table and now that it is, he doesn’t know how to handle it.

“Then you won’t be,” Nie Mingjue gives back with a shrug. “I just thought you’d want to learn something about your heritage. You don’t have to, though, I will marry you regardless.”

“Why though?” Jiang Cheng breathes out and Nie Mingjue smiles at him.

“Because I like you. Because I can see myself falling in love with you. Isn’t that enough reason?”

It is enough reason, of course it is, it’s just not what Jiang Cheng expected so he has a hard time wrapping his head around this.

At Jiang Cheng’s continued silence, Nie Mingjue’s smile dims.

“Of course I understand that you are an unwilling participant in all of this, so if you’d rather vanish and leave all of this behind, I will help you however I can,” he finally awkwardly says and Jiang Cheng is quick to shake his head.

“I am not entirely unwilling to marry you,” Jiang Cheng tells him immediately. “I just thought—I didn’t think that was a possibility still.”

“Well, then it’s a day full of surprises for both of us,” Nie Mingjue says, his smile making a return. “But I still need to hear if you want to marry me.”

“Yes, I want to,” Jiang Cheng rushes out, afraid to miss this one chance to maybe get some happiness in his life.

“Then we’ll proceed with everything as was planned,” Nie Mingjue decides and offers Jiang Cheng his hand to take, which of course Jiang Cheng immediately does.

This day certainly ended better than he ever dared to hope for.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #the untamed #beetober2022 #mdzs #canon divergence #arrange marriage #foundling #dysfunctional family #threat of violence and death #hurt/comfort #getting together

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 31 - They’re coming

And this is a wrap-up for Beetober 2022! I am incredibly proud that I managed to write a fic for every single day, despite some real life stress and I am beyond grateful to all of your wonderful support and comments! Thank you all so much <3<3

Jiang Cheng feels a little bit panick-y when he puts the phone down and Nie Mingjue must notice it immediately because he steps close.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, slinging an arm around Jiang Cheng’s middle and pulling him close.

Jiang Cheng can’t deny that it’s working because he relaxes into Nie Mingjue’s arm.

“That was my sister,” he says and holds up his phone.

“And? Is something wrong with Jin Ling?”

“No, it’s—they’re coming. My parents are coming to the house-warming party,” Jiang Cheng whispers out and now even Nie Mingjue’s arm can’t keep the panic-y feeling in his chest away.

His parents are coming to his new home, to a party that was only for Jiang Cheng’s and Nie Mingjue’s closest friends and that was supposed to be a nice, relaxing evening.

And now his family is going to show up.

“What? Why? How did they even learn about this?” Nie Mingjue asks, clearly just as displeased about this as Jiang Cheng is.

“It’s my fault, I guess,” Jiang Cheng admits and can’t quite manage to look Nie Mingjue in the face. “I mentioned the party to Yanli, and I think she told Wei Wuxian and he told dad.”

“So it’s not your fault,” Nie Mingjue says and drops a reassuring kiss on Jiang Cheng’s head. “It would be your fault if you actively invited them, but clearly you didn’t. You didn’t even talk to them. Is Wei Wuxian coming as well?”

“Yanli didn’t say, but I guess so. I mean, he clearly must have told our parents that the party was for family, so it would be strange if he didn’t show up, so he’ll probably be late, like always. What are we going to do, Mingjue?”

“You’re going to calm down first of all,” Nie Mingjue tells him. “And then we’re going to call our friends and move the house-warming party back a week.”

“What?” Jiang Cheng incredulously asks. “We can’t do that!”

“It’s our party, of course we can. And out of everyone invited, who do you think will be mad that they don’t have to meet your parents?”

“Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng immediately shoots back. “Xue Yang, too. You just know he wants to freak them out.”

“Okay, fair I guess,” Nie Mingjue amends. “But seriously, not a single one of them wants to deal with your family, your father especially, and so they are not going to mind.”

“But then we have to deal with my family,” Jiang Cheng laments because he also does not want to deal with them.

“Ah, but we don’t really have to. They show up here, we tell them they must have heard wrong since we decided not to do a house-warming party and then we tell them to leave. No harm done and we don’t have to suffer through an evening with them.”

“I admire your optimism,” Jiang Cheng grumbles because even though Nie Mingjue’s plan seems sound, he just knows that something is going to go wrong.

If Wei Wuxian accompanies his parents, then they won’t simply leave because Wei Wuxian will make a scene. If he isn’t with them then Jiang Fengmian will have even less reason to pretend to like Jiang Cheng and that will just make it ugly.

“You’ll see. What are they going to do when we don’t let them in? Call the police on us in our own home? And may I remind you—if they force their way in despite us telling them no we are allowed to remove them from the premises. Or have them removed. How do you feel about calling the police on your own parents?”

“I would feel good about that, actually,” Jiang Cheng gives back and he has to admit that he does breathe a little bit easier, knowing that this is an option. “Alright, let’s inform everyone then,” he says with a nod and gets his phone out again.

“I love you,” Nie Mingjue says and steals a little kiss before he let’s Jiang Cheng go back to drafting the message.

“I ask you to remember that when my parents yell at you,” Jiang Cheng grumbles as he types away and Nie Mingjue chuckles.

“I love you especially much in those moments, I have you know. Makes me appreciate you all the more because you could have turned out so crazy.”

“Xue Yang levels of crazy? You like him anyway.”

“Wen Xu and Wen Chao levels of crazy,” Nie Mingjue corrects him and okay, that is a different matter entirely.

“Well, lucky you then, huh?”

“The luckiest indeed,” Nie Mingjue decides and pulls Jiang Cheng in for a deep kiss.

Jiang Cheng thinks there is no nicer way to get distracted than this.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng is pacing in their living-room and Nie Mingjue is rolling his eyes at him, which doesn’t help with the situation at all.

“Take this seriously,” Jiang Cheng snaps at him, even though he does feel bad about it just a second later.

“I am. I am taking it very seriously when I laugh at you,” Nie Mingjue replies making Jiang Cheng stop in his pacing with his outrage.

“How dare you,” Jiang Cheng hisses at him but he has to admit that it’s working.

He’s no longer panicked because now he’s kind of mad at Nie Mingjue.

“You think this is funny,” he accuses him. “My parents are going to be here in less than ten minutes and you’re laughing.”

“My heart, what did I tell you?” Nie Mingjue asks as he comes over to take Jiang Cheng’s hands in his. “We will tell them to leave and if they don’t we’re going to call the police on them. That’s a perfect plan right there, so I don’t understand what has you this worried.”

“These are my parents. You know them. You know why I’m worried.”

“Yes, I am,” Nie Mingjue finally relents. “But honestly, my heart, there is nothing they can do to us. And there is nothing at all they can do to you because you’re with me now, right?”

“Of course I’m with you, it’s just—” Jiang Cheng wrings his hands in front of his body. “You know them. They are going to hit where it hurts me the most.”

“I know,” Nie Mingjue sighs out. “But I’ll be right there to mitigate the hurt, alright? I’m right here.”

“I couldn’t do this without you,” Jiang Cheng admits with a sigh, leaning up for a kiss but he jumps when their doorbell goes off. “Fuck, they are here!”

“And we are prepared. We will be polite but firm in our request that they leave. We’ve got this,” Nie Mingjue tells him yet again, rubbing his hands up and down Jiang Cheng’s arms before he leans in to get the kiss they were so rudely interrupted from.

“Now let’s face the music,” he then says and leads the way to the door.

Jiang Cheng wishes they could just leave his parents outside, keep the door closed and pretend that they are not there at all but just in that moment they ring the doorbell again, and Jiang Cheng just knows that they would terrorize them until they opened up.

He’s still glad that it’s Nie Mingjue who opens the door and not he himself.

“What an unpleasant surprise,” Nie Mingjue says when he sees them and that makes Jiang Cheng snort.

“What happened to being polite?” he mutters as he steps up next to him and even though he felt kind of okay a second ago he shrinks in on himself when Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan stare at him.

“We were informed that there would be a house-warming party today,” Jiang Fengmian says.

“And we assumed seeing as we are your parents that we are invited,” Yu Ziyuan adds. “Clearly you remember your manners, right?”

“Ah, I’m terribly sorry, but someone must have lied to you. There is no party here,” Nie Mingjue tells them, leaning a little bit to the side so he can press their shoulders together and just that bit of contact helps to ground Jiang Cheng.

“I don’t know where you heard this, but we’re not having a party,” Jiang Cheng now adds as well and even though Jiang Cheng doesn’t want his parents to know the inside of his home with Nie Mingjue at all, he is grateful when he opens the door just a little bit wider to allow them a brief look inside just to prove that nothing is going on inside..

“See? I’m terribly sorry that you came here for nothing. Have a good evening,” Nie Mingjue says and starts to shut the door in their faces which is almost enough to make Jiang Cheng laugh out loud.

His mother’s face is simply priceless.

“Hold on,” Jiang Fengmian says, putting his hand on the door and honestly, Jiang Cheng wouldn’t have guessed that he has the balls for this. “If there’s no party, surely you won’t mind showing us around. We are quite curious to see how Wanyin lives.”

“Yeah, right,” Nie Mingjue says, not opening the door even a centimetre. “Now you care, after you threw him out of your home without a second thought at all.”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t like to think back to that time, because he almost slept on the street that first night, hadn’t it been for Nie Mingjue driving past and spotting him. And then taking him as well.

“A parent can be concerned,” Jiang Fengmian stiffly says and Jiang Cheng snorts.

“A parent, maybe. You? Unlikely,” he says.

“Watch your tone with us,” Yu Ziyuan hisses at him and Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

He used to be so scared of her—of both of them really—but not anymore. He has Nie Mingjue and he has his new life and there is nothing his parents can do to him anymore. They made sure of that when they took everything he used to own away from him.

“I don’t think I will,” he firmly gives back. “You are not welcome here and I want you to leave right now.”

“Oh come on, Wanyin, just give us a little tour around the house and then we’ll leave. A-Xian invited us eagerly inside.”

Jiang Cheng sneers at the way his father tries to use Wei Wuxian against him even now but he’s over the need to prove himself to him.

“That’s very nice of Wei Wuxian, but as you kept reminding me for most of my life, I am not him. So I think you will understand if I don’t invite you in.”

“Jiang Wanyin!” his mother yells out at him but Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

“Watch your tone, mother,” he gently reminds her. “This is our property and you are disturbing the neighbours. You wouldn’t want anyone to call the police on you, now, would you?” he sweetly asks and he feels how Nie Mingjue’s shoulder shakes with supressed laughter.

“You heard him. I think it’s time for you to leave now,” Nie Mingjue says. “Please don’t return here, ever,” he adds just as he is about to close the door, but a foot stops him.

“What the fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters out as Nie Mingjue pulls the door back and he didn’t think his father had it in him but he straightened up to his full height.

“You will let us in. It’s only polite.”

“We don’t want you here. Get off our property or we are forced to call the police,” Jiang Cheng sternly tells him, already reaching for the phone, because he is over this entire visit.

“As if you would ever dare,” Jiang Fengmian sneers at him and takes a step forward as if he’s about to shoulder past Nie Mingjue and Jiang Cheng into their own home.

He doesn’t make it much further than that one step though; Nie Mingjue moves backwards a little bit and a moment later his fist connects with Jiang Fengmian’s face, sending him to the ground.

“That is called breaking and entering and I think we are going to call the police now,” he tells a clearly shell-shocked Yu Ziyuan and then takes the phone out of Jiang Cheng’s hand, clearly intending to go through with his threat.

“I—I don’t think that will be necessary,” Yu Ziyuan weakly says, and Jiang Cheng smiles brightly at her.

She is always so scared of ruining her public image and a police report about her and Jiang Fengmian trying to force their way into Jiang Cheng’s home would certainly achieve that.

“Great,” Jiang Cheng cheerfully says. “Why don’t you take—this,” he slightly nudges his father with his foot “—and get the fuck off our property.”

It takes Yu Ziyuan a moment to react but then she bends down to help Jiang Fengmian up. He still seems kind of out of it, but he follows along where she guides him and they hurry away from the house.

Jiang Cheng doubts that they are going to come back any time soon.

“That wasn’t actually that bad,” Jiang Cheng says as he watches them drive away and Nie Mingjue laughs at his side even as he shakes out his hand.

“What do you mean ‘not that bad’? That was glorious. I’ve been waiting to punch him in his smarmy fucking face for ages!”

“Really?” Jiang Cheng asks and isn’t surprised at all when Nie Mingjue pulls him into a bruising kiss.

“Always hated how he treated you,” he mutters against Jiang Cheng’s lips and Jiang Cheng slings his arms over Nie Mingjue’s shoulders for another kiss.

“You treat me way better,” he agrees and Nie Mingjue huffs in mock outrage.

“I should hope so.”

It makes Jiang Cheng laugh again and he truly didn’t think that the evening would turn out alright like this.

He expected much more screaming and yelling.

“Now, let’s get back to what we were doing before,” Nie Mingjue decides and Jiang Cheng raises an eyebrow at him.

“Me panicking and you trying to calm me down?”

“Planning the real party,” Nie Mingjue corrects him. “We might have to re-enact this, you know how Huaisang will get when he hears that he missed this.”

“Mh, true,” Jiang Cheng hums and then nibbles at Nie Mingjue’s chin. “But I was honestly hoping we could do something else.”

“Oh? So me resorting to violence is doing it for you?”

“You hitting my father to protect our home is doing it for me,” Jiang Cheng corrects him and then takes off in the direction of their bedroom.

It takes Nie Mingjue a second but then he’s hot on Jiang Cheng’s heels and honestly, there couldn’t be a better finish to this evening.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #beetober2022 #the untamed #mdzs #established relationship #modern au #punching jfm in his fucking face #like he deserves #fluff

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 30 - Oh Oh

Jiang Cheng knows he’s in trouble when Nie Huaisang turns towards him as soon as Nie Mingjue has closed the front door behind him.

“Oh no, what now?” Jiang Cheng asks with a groan and Nie Huaisang gives him his best, most terrifying smile.

“Sooooo—” Nie Huaisang drawls the word out for long enough that Jiang Cheng can feel himself starting to sweat a little.

“This is not gonna be good,” he mutters under his breath and tenses when Nie Huaisang sits down next to him on the couch, clearly content to let Jiang Cheng suffer a bit more.

Jiang Cheng wonders if he did something wrong.

“I am speaking to you on behalf of my da-ge, though it’s without his knowledge,” Nie Huaisang finally says but it only makes Jiang Cheng more nervous.

What if Nie Mingjue is displeased with him? Jiang Cheng has been living with them for almost a year now after his own family kicked him out and in all that time Nie Mingjue hasn’t said anything to him. But there clearly must be something that bothers Nie Mingjue otherwise Nie Huaisang wouldn’t feel the need to speak on behalf of his brother.

“I did something wrong, didn’t I?” Jiang Cheng whispers, curling in on himself and Nie Huaisang gets a panicked expression on his face.

“No, no you didn’t, of course not! A-Cheng, we talked about this,” he then gently reminds him and Jiang Cheng forces himself to nod even though it’s still hard for him.

The Nie brothers sat him down shortly after he came to live with them and told him that there is no need for him to always be guarded and to expect the worst, not in their home.

If there was something wrong they would talk openly about it, all of them. Jiang Cheng still finds open communication hard though and it definitely shows in moments like these.

“What is it then?” he dares to ask, relaxing a bit now that Nie Huaisang promised him that it’s nothing bad.

“Da-ge is agonizing over an anniversary gift for you and I am getting sick and tired of him whining to me about it. So I’m asking you outright now: what would you like for your anniversary? Or better yet, what have you planned for da-ge? Maybe we can coordinate.”

Jiang Cheng blinks at Nie Huaisang in confusion because his words don’t make sense.

“What anniversary?” he finally asks. “I’ve been living here for over a year now.”

Nie Huaisang looks at him as if he’s stupid and Jiang Cheng lowers his eyes. He still can’t take that look; it’s reminding him too much of his own family.

“A-Cheng, don’t play dumb now,” Nie Huaisang says and even though it lacks his father’s mild tone Jiang Cheng still flinches. Nie Huaisang must see it because he scoots closer and leans against Jiang Cheng’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me,” he mutters in apology and then sighs. “I was asking for your relationship anniversary. It’s been six months soon since you started dating, right? Da-ge wants to make something special for you but he has no clue.”

Jiang Cheng does not understand at all what Nie Huaisang is talking about.

“What relationship?” he asks, a frown firmly on his face.

“Yours and da-ge’s of course, silly,” Nie Huaisang lightly says but he falls silent when he turns to look at Jiang Cheng. “A-Cheng?”

“Mingjue and I are not in a relationship, though?” Jiang Cheng asks, unsure what the hell is going on right now.

“Oh oh,” Nie Huaisang whispers and puts a small distance between them so he can look at Jiang Cheng better. “What do you mean you are not in a relationship?”

“I mean that I would have noticed? I think, at least, if we were in a relationship. And it’s not—I—” Jiang Cheng trails off, unsure what to say to this.

The thought of being together with Nie Mingjue has honestly never crossed his mind; Jiang Cheng was too busy picking up the pieces of his own life for the longest time and by the time Jiang Cheng felt even remotely steady and composed he had lived with the Nie’s for long enough that surely Nie Mingjue saw nothing but another brother in him.

Not even to mention the fact that Nie Mingjue is so far out of Jiang Cheng’s league that Jiang Cheng didn’t even dare to imagine such things.

“Oh boy,” Nie Huaisang mutters and reaches for his phone, speed-dialling Nie Mingjue. “Da-ge, you need to come back right now. We have a bit of a situation here,” he says without any of the usual niceties and then promptly hangs up on Nie Mingjue.

It stillngave Jiang Cheng enough time to fall into a panic.

“Breathe, A-Cheng,” Nie Huaisang instructs him and takes several exaggerated breaths until Jiang Cheng can match him.

“I don’t understand,” Jiang Cheng whispers and Nie Huaisang nods.

“Clearly,” he agrees. “But da-ge is coming back and you can talk about it, okay? There’s no need to panic.”

“There is!” Jiang Cheng frantically says. “I don’t know how he could think this but he’s going to be so mad!”

“Seriously, A-Cheng, have you known my da-ge to get mad at you or me? He gets frustrated, yes, but never truly mad. You have seen him going full berserk mode on your dad, you know what I’m talking about.”

Jiang Cheng blinks at Nie Huaisang but of course he’s right. Yes, Nie Mingjue gets frustrated with them sometimes but never enough to get truly angry and certainly never enough to yell at them.

“See, you know that. I’m sure it will be alright,” Nie Huaisang reassuringly says but Jiang Cheng’s stomach churns with his panic.

“But—he’s going to be hurt when I tell him we’re not in a relationship!” Jiang Cheng says next and this might even be worse.

He hates to hurt anyone but it’s especially bad when it’s Nie Huaisang or Nie Mingjue. It’s on par with disappointing them and Jiang Cheng feels sick just thinking about it.

And it doesn’t help that Nie Huaisang winces at his words.

“Okay, yes, granted, he’s going to be hurt, probably.” He thinks something over for a moment. “Would you want to be in a relationship with him, though?” he then asks and Jiang Cheng stands up to frantically pace around.

“I don’t know,” he admits, wringing his hands in front of his chest. “I never thought about it, I never even dared to hope that this was a possibility. Fuck, he’s going to hate me,” he whispers and just in that moment he hears the key in the door.

Jiang Cheng turns towards Nie Huaisang but of course he is no help.

“Living-room, da-ge!” Nie Huaisang yells out and Nie Mingjue appears a moment later, a worried frown on his face.

“What’s going on?” he asks and the frown only deepens when he sees Jiang Cheng standing in the middle of the living-room, his hands unsurely moving in front of his chest. “What happened?” Nie Mingjue asks, his voice much softer now as he carefully steps closer to Jiang Cheng.

He reaches out to untangle Jiang Cheng’s hand and then simply hold them in his.

“Are you doing okay?” he then asks and Jiang Cheng can’t find his voice so he simply shakes his head.

“Do you need to sit down?” Nie Mingjue wants to know next and again, Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

He feels as if electricity is running through him and the fact that Nie Mingjue is touching him right now is really not helping at all.

Nie Mingjue seems to understand that Jiang Cheng will not be able to properly tell him what’s going on so he turns towards Nie Huaisang.

“What happened? I only left for ten minutes.”

“Yeah, so about that,” Nie Huaisang slowly starts and it seems he’s not too eager to shed light on the whole situation. “A recent inquire of me has brought it to light that A-Cheng here doesn’t know anything about being in a relationship?” he then rushes out and as soon as the words leave his mouth he shoots up from the couch. “And that is as far as I am willing to meddle in this, you have to figure out the rest on your own,” he tells them and promptly leaves the room.

Jiang Cheng is pretty sure that he’s going to barricade himself in his room, and won’t come out until either of them is going to get him but that’s the least of his worries now.

Jiang Cheng can’t bring himself to look away from Nie Mingjue and so he sees the exact moment he finally understands what Nie Huaisang has said to him because his face falls and he almost yanks his hands back before taking a step back for good measure too.

“I’m sorry, what?” he then asks and it’s not as if Jiang Cheng has an answer for him so he shrugs helplessly.

“I just—I didn’t know,” Jiang Cheng finally gets out and resumes his pacing. “He asked me what I would like for our anniversary and I’m just—I have no idea what’s happening anymore.”

“Clearly,” Nie Mingjue bitterly mutters and takes even more steps away from Jiang Cheng. “Wanyin, I asked you if you wanted to be more than what we are now and you said yes. We held hands afterwards,” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng feels his entire life tilt on him.

“Oh,” he breathes out and Nie Mingjue pinches the bridge of his nose.

“What did you think that meant?”

“I thought you wanted us to be like family,” he rushes out. “And you’re not very—I mean we hold hands sometimes and you’re very touchy but I just thought you’re like this with Huaisang too! I’ve seen you drop a kiss on his forehead so I thought that is just what you do!”

“I see,” Nie Mingjue mutters.

“And I mean like—we never even kissed! That should have—didn’t you ever wonder?” Jiang Cheng wants to know because he can’t understand.

“Not really,” Nie Mingjue admits. “I just thought you weren’t ready yet.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Of course. I told you we would go at your pace, didn’t I?”

“But that was for integrating me into your family!”

“I didn’t think so. I thought we were talking about our relationship,” Nie Mingjue reminds him.

Jiang Cheng opens and closes his mouth several times in a row because he has no clue what to say to any of this.

“Wanyin, do you want to be in a relationship with me?” Nie Mingjue finally asks him even though it clearly pains him to do so.

“I never thought about it,” Jiang Cheng admits and then rushes on when Nie Mingjue flinches. “Not because—I just—I never dared to think of that as a possibility. You took me in when you didn’t have to and you made me family; you’re giving me everything my family never did and I just never dared to think about this because surely you’re not interested, right. I mean, I thought I was like Huaisang to you, so—” he trails off and Nie Mingjue shrugs.

“I never saw you as another little brother,” he tells him and now finally does Jiang Cheng feel the need to sit down.

“I didn’t know,” he breathes out and Nie Mingjue nods.

“That’s alright.”

“It’s not,” Jiang Cheng almost yells out. “I led you on for months!”

“You didn’t lead me on,” Nie Mingjue says. “We just had a little bit of a communication error.”

“A little bit? A little bit?!” Jiang Cheng incredulously asks because if Nie Mingjue is to be trusted this has been going on for close to six months now.

“Wanyin, calm down, it’s alright.”

“It’s not alright,” Jiang Cheng shoots back. “Gods, you must be so hurt right now,” he mutters because in all of this confusion he hasn’t thought about Nie Mingjue yet.

“It’s—not what I expected,” Nie Mingjue admits but now Jiang Cheng is outraged on his behalf.

“I have led you on this entire time!”

“You didn’t,” Nie Mingjue says again. “You didn’t do it on purpose, did you? I should have been clearer.” He falls silent for a moment. “Do you—well, we can hardly call it breaking up if you didn’t know we were in a relationship, can we?” he whispers, more to himself than anything and Jiang Cheng panics even harder.

He finally really understands that this is on the table, that Nie Mingjue is interested in him like that and that for once in his life he can have something he secretly wished for.

“No!” he yells out and feels bad when Nie Mingjue flinches once more.

“No, what?” he asks for clarification and Jiang Cheng goes back to wringing his hands in front of his chest.

He has always been bad at expressing his feelings but he knows that he has to right now. They cannot live through another misunderstanding like this.

“I do not want to break up. If I had known you were talking about being boyfriends I would have said yes back then as well. I would like to be in a relationship with you.”

“Wanyin, until five minutes ago the thought hadn’t even crossed your mind,” Nie Mingjue reminds him. “You don’t have to agree now just out of fear what’s going to happen. Nothing will change for you.”

“But I want it to!” Jiang Cheng decisively says. “The thought hadn’t crossed my mind because I never thought it possible that you would be interested. But now that I know you are—I want that, Mingjue.”

Nie Mingjue silently regards him for a while.

“Are you sure about that?” he then asks and Jiang Cheng is quick to nod.

“Yes, I really am sure about it. Please,” he adds with a whisper and holds his breath until Nie Mingjue nods.

“But just to make it clear, you’re agreeing to a romantic relationship with me right now. You’re agreeing to be boyfriends.”

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng nods.

“Alright then,” Nie Mingjue agrees. “But I guess we’re not celebrating our six-month-anniversary then.”

“We should probably start over,” Jiang Cheng says, daring to give Nie Mingjue a small smile.

His heart flutters in his chest and now he feels sick with excitement and that doesn’t change when Nie Mingjue motions at him to come closer and sit down.

“Hi,” Nie Mingjue whispers when Jiang Cheng does.

“Hi,” he gives back.

“Okay, just to make sure there are no more misunderstandings, I’m going to kiss you now, alright?” Nie Mingjue asks even as he cups Jiang Cheng’s cheek in his hand.

“Okay,” Jiang Cheng nods and leans in even before Nie Mingjue can.

Jiang Cheng is a little bit mad that he could have been doing this for six months already but he guesses better late than never.

“I am so ready for kisses,” Jiang Cheng decides when they part again and Nie Mingjue chuckles.

“Good to know,” he says and immediately steals another kiss even though Jiang Cheng would very willingly give him all the kisses he wants.

And he can’t wait for them to reach their first real anniversary milestone.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #beetober2022 #the untamed #mdzs #modern au #miscommunication #established relationship #getting together #hurt/comfort

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 4 - Fae

This was inspired by a comment left on the fic Never what you expect and you should probably read that one first

Jiang Cheng just sat down for breakfast when Nie Mingjue steps into the room. Jiang Cheng is still nervous around him even though they have grown so close lately.

“Good morning,” Nie Mingjue greets him and throws him a smirk. He knows exactly that Jiang Cheng is still nervous. Jiang Cheng wouldn’t put it past him to be able to smell it.

“Morning,” Jiang Cheng mumbles and then straightens up. Yes, he still gets nervous but he also knows that Nie Mingjue likes him. He didn’t make a secret out of that after all and so really, what is there for Jiang Cheng to be nervous around.

They are on the same page after all.

“How was your night?” Jiang Cheng asks and Nie Mingjue’s smirk only gets bigger.

“Would have been better with you there,” he shoots back and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.

They are not allowed to spend the night together alone before the courtship is through and even though Jiang Cheng doesn’t particularly like that rule he vowed to honour the traditions of the Nie Clan.

“Mh, I was pretty lonely myself,” Jiang Cheng gives back and he does so enjoy the way Nie Mingjue goes a little bit red in the face.

Two can play this game and just to drive the point home, Jiang Cheng moves his right hand in a suggestive way. It could still be an innocent gesture but when Nie Mingjue goes even redder in the face Jiang Cheng knows that Nie Mingjue understands.

Jiang Cheng never thought he would be shameless like this, or feel safe enough to be this daring, but living with the Nie’s has changed a lot of him.

He knows that he doesn’t have to fear them—no matter their non-human nature—and he knows that they are not going to kick him out or force him to do something he doesn’t want.

Because the Nie’s are his family now and they will stand by him.

“Seeing you two flirt before breakfast is actually disgusting,” Nie Huaisang complaints as he joins them at the table.

Jiang Cheng briefly bows his head because even though Nie Huaisang insisted that he doesn’t have to he feels like he should show the due respect to the kind of the fae. It’s the least Nie Huaisang deserves.

“Stop with that,” Nie Huaisang waves him off even though they all know that Jiang Cheng is probably never going to stop.

“I’ll be off then, keep him good company, alright?” Nie Mingjue says, his food suddenly devoured and he gets up to drop a kiss to the top of both Nie Huaisang’s and Jiang Cheng’s head.

These casual affections still make Jiang Cheng freeze up even though Nie Mingjue makes sure to give them to him often and regularly. And it works too, because by now Jiang Cheng only freezes up for a second before he gets his wits back but today that’s already too late.

By the time he can move again, Nie Mingjue has already left.

“Who did he mean?” Jiang Cheng asks Nie Huaisang who is filling his plate with a huge pile of food.

“Mh?”

“He said ‘keep him company’. Who is supposed to keep whom company?” Jiang Cheng wants to know and Nie Huaisang shrugs, completely unbothered by this.

“Who knows. If we stay together we can make sure to keep each other company, right? Easy solution right there.”

Jiang Cheng snorts at that because nothing with Nie Huaisang has ever been easy. Jiang Cheng still sometimes reads more into his words than he probably should and he blames that one more on his own family than on the fact that Nie Huaisang is literally the king of fae.

Jiang Cheng has found the Nies to be more straightforward and honest than his own family and given that rumors about the deceiving and lying Nies are still prevalent all throughout their world, that’s quite the achievement.

“’Say, a question, if you will,” Nie Huaisang suddenly says and his piercing gaze is fixed on Jiang Cheng leaving him pinned.

Jiang Cheng knows that despite everything he could still say no and Nie Huaisang would accept it, but now Jiang Cheng is curious.

“Sure,” he easily agrees because he trusts Nie Huaisang and he knows he can still say no even once the question is asked.

“Just out of curiosity, why did you kiss my brother and not me?”

“Huh?” Jiang Cheng asks because he does not actually want to kiss Nie Huaisang and they are both in agreement over that.

Or at least Jiang Cheng thought they were.

“Back in the woods, when we first found you. You kissed da-ge to get us to take you along. Why not me?”

“I didn’t think a kiss would shock you,” Jiang Cheng says with a shrug. “Plus, Mingjue was closer. It was simple logistics.”

“Logistics,” Nie Huaisang scoffs and forcefully puts his cutlery down. “Bullshit. I’m so pretty, you should have gone for me.”

“You’re also terrifying as hell,” Jiang Cheng shoots back, “and I recognized that even back then. But if you really want to know: yes, you are damn pretty. But your brother—he’s sexy, and handsome and tall and gorgeous,” Jiang Cheng sighs out, letting a dreamy look settle over his face, if only to weird Nie Huaisang out.

“Bah,” he very predictably says. “You two are so disgusting,” he then says and Jiang Cheng shrugs shamelessly.

“I don’t think we are.”

“Another question,” Nie Huaisang says and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.

“Just ask away, for all that is holy, stop this bullshit,” he complaints and Nie Huaisang grins at him.

“You know you can say no, right?”

“To what?” Jiang Cheng asks, now thoroughly confused.

“Da-ge, the courtship, us in general. You know that you can express yourself freely here, right, and you don’t just have to go along with things simply because we tell you to or we decide them. You can make your own decisions and if you want my da-ge to fuck off then you can say that.”

“And it would be okay?” Jiang Cheng asks even though he knows that it would be.

He knows that he can tell them no.

“I mean da-ge would be heartbroken, I’m not going to lie about that, and I would be sad as well because I want neither of you to be heart-broken and I do actually want you to be a real part of the family, but yes. Of course it would be okay. Are you going to say no to him?”

“No,” Jiang Cheng decidedly says. “I  know that I can say no but I don’t want to. I’ve only been living with you for a short while now but I already feel so much better than with my own family and I know you care about me. Unlike them. And may I remind you, I already ran from one marriage that was forced upon me. I can do it again.”

That makes Nie Huaisang laugh out loud.

“True. Okay, I was just making sure. So, now that we are all on the same page and you trust us implicitly and shit, here’s the deal,” Nie Huaisang says and Jiang Cheng’s heart immediately drops.

“That doesn’t sound like I’m going to like it.”

“We’ll see about that. So the food,” Nie Huaisang points at Jiang Cheng’s table and the leftovers of breakfast.

“What about it?” Jiang Cheng cautiously asks, slightly pushing the plate away suddenly feeling sick.

“You know food is a big thing for us, right? We had to take you because you consumed something from us.”

“Yes?”

“You’re still consuming things that are fae-made.”

“So?”

By now Jiang Cheng is mostly confused by what is going on and he would just like Nie Huaisang to clear it all up.

“So—” Nie Huaisang draws his answer out and Jiang Cheng wants to lunge over the table and strangle him.

He’s clearly taking enjoyment from leaving Jiang Cheng hanging.

“Just spit it out already,” Jiang Cheng snaps when Nie Huaisang takes too long to answer.

“You’re turning into one of us now.”

That makes Jiang Cheng still.

“Excuse me, what?”

“The food you still consume turns you into one of us. You will never be like a pure-blood fae, but you will get to enjoy some perks. Our food is making you inhuman.”

“Huh,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and looks at his plate. “Fine by me,” he then decides and pulls his plate closer to finish his breakfast.

Nie Huaisang blinks at him.

“That was easy,” he finally says and Jiang Cheng shrugs at him.

“What did you expect? That I would freak out?”

“Yes, actually. I just told you we’re turning you into something non-human and without consulting you first. I thought you would be more upset.”

“About what? You’re feeding me, you want me in your family, and to be honest, you seem more humans than some of the humans I have met, my family included,” Jiang Cheng explains and then stops for a brief moment. “Is this a thing too? I don’t—my emotions are all—”

“Muted? At least when it comes to your human family?”

“Yes.” Jiang Cheng frowns. Now that he thinks about it their betrayal doesn’t feel so bad anymore but only because he simply doesn’t care anymore.

He thought it was because the Nies were such a good family to him, but maybe that wasn’t all of it.

“So what if I tell you that da-ge leaves daily to plan the downfall of your family?” Nie Huaisang says, sweetly blinking his eyes at Jiang Cheng.

“What the hell,” Jiang Cheng breathes out but it’s mostly out of reflex. “He’s going to kill them?”

“He’s going to ruin them,” Nie Huaisang corrects him. “If some of them die in the process; I’m sure he won’t care.”

“Why?” Jiang Cheng wants to know, completely puzzled by this.

“Because he loves you,” Nie Huaisang simply says. “And they hurt you.”

“Oh. I see.”

To be quite honest Jiang Cheng thought that this feeling would now be muted as well but when he thinks about the fact that Nie Mingjue apparently loves him, he feels warm and giddy and he’s filled with so much love that it’s actually ridiculous.

“Is that a good oh?”

“Hell yes,” Jiang Cheng nods. “Is that part of the courtship? Ruining my family?”

“No,” Nie Mingjue suddenly says from the door. “That’s just because they hurt you and I find that unacceptable.”

“Hi,” Jiang Cheng says with a completely smitten smile on his face but now that he knows that Nie Mingjue really loves him, he doubts he’ll be able to wipe that off his face ever again.

“Hi,” Nie Mingjue gives back.

Nie Huaisang’s chair screeches when he gets up.

“I’ll just be somewhere else now.”

“Good,” Nie Mingjue says with a glower and then comes over to sit next to Jiang Cheng. “He wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

“That’s Huaisang for you,” Jiang Cheng shrugs and then leans closer to Nie Mingjue. “Hi again,” he whispers and Nie Mingjue beams at him.

Jiang Cheng is not entirely sure on the rules of the courtship regarding kisses but those thoughts flee his head when Nie Mingjue leans in close and bridges the distance himself.

It’s their first kiss since the one Jiang Cheng stole from Nie Mingjue and now that it’s not filled with desperation—at least on Jiang Cheng’s part—it’s actually so much better.

“Hi,” Jiang Cheng breathlessly says when they part and Nie Mingjue chuckles.

“Hi,” he gives back and then kisses Jiang Cheng’s cheek again and again until they are both a giggling mess.

Jiang Cheng is going to get used to this quickly and he can’t actually wait for that. It’s a good future he sees for himself now.

Link to my ko-fi

#bt writes #beetober2022 #mingcheng #fae #the untamed #mdzs #courtship #humor

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 26 - Stick

This fic is inspired by Remember, Don’t You Hide and @felinesomnambulist‘s wonderful agenda of getting JFM punched in his smarmy face.

The Yunmeng Jiang Corporation building has never looked this tall or daunting to Jiang Cheng than it does right now.

“Are you sure you’re okay going in there?” Nie Mingjue asks him, putting a comforting hand to Jiang Cheng’s back. “You don’t have to. You don’t owe your father anything.”

“I just–” Jiang Cheng lets out a harsh breath. “I just want to hear what he has to say.”

A small part of himself hopes that his father realized his mistake and is calling Jiang Cheng here to ask him to come back but in truth Jiang Cheng knows that it’s unlikely.

His father probably found another fault with him and his work even though he hasn’t been working for Yunmeng Jiang for almost four months now.

“Alright,” Nie Mingjue gives back, even though Jiang Cheng knows he hates this.

He’s even more grateful that Nie Mingjue is supporting him through this despite his own feelings on the matter. And he made his feelings regarding Jiang Fengmian and his treatment of Jiang Cheng abundantly clear when Jiang Cheng showed up on his doorstep with nothing but a bag and proceeded to have a complete break-down.

Jiang Cheng will forever be grateful for the way Nie Mingjue took him in without question and then proceeded to more or less quietly fume about Jiang Fengmian’s treatment of him.

So yes, Jiang Cheng knows exactly just how much Nie Mingjue would like to keep his father away from him and so it means even more to him that Nie Mingjue is by his side, offering a safe space and comfort.

They finally make their way in; Jiang Cheng is trying to keep his head down and doesn’t make eye contact with anyone. The shame of being yelled at by his father in front of everyone and then being thrown out of the company that should be his birth right is still sitting too deep. He’s aware that Nie Mingjue is making this more difficult for him though, even inadvertently, because of course he draws eyes as the CEO of a rivalling company.

A company that recently has ceased all their cooperation with Yunmeng Jiang, creating more than a bit of chaos.

Jiang Cheng had tried to stop him from doing so, but Nie Mingjue had been adamant once he learned how Jiang Fengmian treated him–and most of the other employees to boot, especially when they had to work with Wei Wuxian.

Apparently Nie Mingjue makes it a point to not work with companies who mistreat their employees; it’s the main reason he doesn’t work with Wen Corp. and once he learned about Yunmeng Jiang it was an easy step for him. 

Jiang Cheng had been on the fence about that for a while, right until he learned that Nie Mingjue offered a job to everyone who quit at Yunmeng Jiang or was thrown out along with or right after Jiang Cheng.

At heart, Nie Mingjue is a huge softie Jiang Cheng has discovered.

Jiang Fengmian’s secretary is giving him a rueful look when Jiang Cheng steps out of the elevator and he manages a smile for her in return.

She has always been nice to him and Jiang Cheng finds it hard to blame other people for his father’s misgivings.

“It’s good to see you, A-Cheng,” she says despite how she shakes her head at Nie Mingjue. “I’m afraid he won’t be allowed to go in as well.”

“I know,” Jiang Cheng reassures her and briefly leans into Nie Mingjue’s side. “He’s just here for moral support. Can he wait here?”

“Sure, sweetie,” she gives back and then points at the door. “Your father is waiting for you.”

“Great,” Jiang Cheng mutters even as he straightens up. “Time to face the music then.”

“I’m right here and if you want me in there I don’t care what your father wants. Just say my name and I’ll be there,” Nie Mingjue quietly tells him and Jiang Cheng manages a small smile for him.

Just knowing that Nie Mingjue will be there no matter what is giving Jiang Cheng enough strength to face his father.

He takes one last deep breath before he enters his father’s office.

Jiang Fengmian is standing with his back to Jiang Cheng, his hands clasped behind his back as he looks out of the window and Jiang Cheng can’t shake the thought that he looks like every generic movie villain.

It makes him almost laugh out loud and he tries to hold on to that thought. Maybe it will make this conversation easier.

“You’re late,” Jiang Fengmian says, even though Jiang Cheng damn well knows that he’s not.

He made sure to arrive on the dot but he doesn’t have the energy to argue with his father over something as inconsequential as this.

But he’s not going to apologize either.

“You wanted to see me?” Jiang Cheng asks and flinches when his father turns around to glare at him.

“Yes. I’m sure you can imagine why.”

“I can’t actually,” Jiang Cheng says, even though he wants to cower like he always used to when his father narrows his eyes at him in that particular way.

“That’s very disappointing,” Jiang Fengmian tells him and Jiang Cheng tries his best to hold back a huff.

He has always been a disappointment to his father so this really shouldn’t come as a surprise to Jiang Fengmian.

“Clearly,” Jiang Cheng can’t help but to say, his voice a little more cutting than usual and Jiang Fengmian slams his hand on the desk.

“Do not take that tone with me,” he says, his voice raised and Jiang Cheng fights the instinct to take a step back.

He shouldn’t have to be afraid of his dad, and he’s not going to be anymore.

“Why am I here?” Jiang Cheng wants to know and his father sneers at him.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question for twenty-two years already,” he mutters under his breath but Jiang Cheng hears him loud and clear. 

He hates that his father can still hurt him like this.

“You’re here,” he then says, louder this time, “to explain your poor conduct.”

“My poor conduct,” Jiang Cheng repeats, at a loss. “Regarding what?”

“This.” Jiang Fengmian throws a stack of papers onto the desk in front of Jiang Cheng, who bends down to read them over, flipping through the sheets.

They are all reports about Wei Wuxian’s work in the past four months and honestly, the results are what Jiang Cheng would expect.

Every idea and project Wei Wuxian worked on since Jiang Cheng was forced to leave the company crashed and burned, costing the company thousands of dollars.

“This seems to be something you should discuss with Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng says, turning his attention back to his father. “I don’t see how I am involved with this.”

“Of course you don’t,” Jiang Fengmian sneers. “This is all your fault!”

“How can this be my fault if I haven’t even been working here?” Jiang Cheng demands to know and the last piece of hope he had for this conversation shrivels in his chest.

It’s clear his father is only going to find more fault with Jiang Cheng.

“You must have said something to the team Wei Wuxian is working with. Clearly they are sabotaging him to make you look better.”

At that Jiang Cheng scoffs.

He worked his ass off to make Wei Wuxian’s ideas work; he handled everything starting from wrangling Wei Wuxian into his lab so he would actually come up with ideas all the way to advertising Wei Wuxian’s products to the board and then the entire production.

He doesn’t need anyone to make him look better; he was already looking damn good on his own, as the many job offers he got once news hit the streets that he was available prove. Jiang Fengmian might not have noticed it but Jiang Cheng’s name is listed under almost every contract, on every product that ever left this building.

“I have no need for that,” Jiang Cheng says, meeting his father’s glare head on. “Maybe you should look elsewhere for the fault here. I have nothing to do with Wei Wuxian’s inability to make his projects work.”

He only had to do with making them work but he’s not going to explain that to Jiang Fengmian. All the records are there. If his father really wanted to find a solution to this problem then he should have just checked those.

But of course his father only sees Wei Wuxian fail and he comes running to accuse Jiang Cheng.

It’s almost pathetic now that Jiang Cheng thinks about it, the constant need to undermine Jiang Cheng to make sure that Wei Wuxian can shine.

“Don’t you dare slander the work your brother does. He has always been the most hard-working out of the two of you.”

“Oh, really? Where is he then? Maybe you should call him up so he can explain the problems he ran into to us.”

Jiang Cheng allows himself a vindictive smile when his father freezes at his words.

“He’s not here yet, right? Has he even been here once this week?”

“What would you know about the work of a genius? Your brother needs his rest, he probably stayed up all night.”

“Drinking, yeah,” Jiang Cheng gives back, picking up one of the reports and shaking it at Jiang Fengmian. “This one right here, that idea comes from a drunk night,” Jiang Cheng says. “He pitched it to me several times in the past but it simply doesn’t work and there is no way to make it work either.”

“You pathetic, jealous bastard,” Jiang Fengmian hisses at him and Jiang Cheng rears back as if he has been hit. “Just because of your inability to make even the easiest things work you have no right to slander your brother like that.”

“I made all of these work in the past,” Jiang Cheng gives back once he found his footing again. “I am the only reason anything Wei Wuxian ever came up with works. And you have the proof right there,” he says as he shakes the damned papers at his father.

Jiang Fengmian’s face darkens with anger and then it’s as if time itself slows down. Jiang Cheng sees how his father’s hand moves, he sees the arch it’s making and then it hits his own hand. Jiang Cheng lets go of the papers as the sound of a stick breaking fills the room.

Jiang Cheng has a second to wonder where that came from before searing pain from his hand hits him.

“Fuck,” Jiang Cheng hisses, cradling his hand to his chest. He’s reasonably sure it’s broken, throbbing in time with his pulse right now and Jiang Cheng turns huge eyes on his father.

“You broke my hand,” he whispers, voice tight with pain and Jiang Fengmian scoffs.

“I always knew you were weak if something like that can break you,” he says and Jiang Cheng blinks at him.

He feels as if he’s having an out of body experience and he can’t stand the look of his father one moment longer.

“Mingjue,” he calls out, his voice a tad louder than normally and with a desperate edge to it and just like Nie Mingjue promised, he’s there in a second.

“What happened here?” he immediately asks when he sees Jiang Cheng cradling his hand and Jiang Cheng can’t help himself, he moves closer towards Nie Mingjue who gently takes Jiang Cheng’s hand in his.

“I think it’s broken,” Jiang Cheng whispers and sees Nie Mingjue glaring at Jiang Fengmian who makes the most innocent face he can muster.

“An accident,” Jiang Fengmian smoothly says and Nie Mingjue’s jaw works.

“Surely,” he sarcastically gives back and turns back to Jiang Cheng.

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to press charges, I think,” Jiang Cheng says, not allowing his guilty conscience to stop him.

This is not his father; this is just some CEO who physically assaulted Jiang Cheng.

“We will do that then,” Nie Mingjue promises him and it seems as if only now does Jiang Fengmian realize who stepped into his office.

“Mingjue, my dear boy, what are you doing here?” he asks, his voice sugary sweet and Jiang Cheng feels sick to his stomach.

“That’s Nie Mingjue to you,” Nie Mingjue coldly says. “And I’m here for Wanyin.”

“Wanyin, huh,” Jiang Fengmian repeats, his face darkening again. “Is this why you stopped all business between our companies? Because my son is whoring himself out to you? Tainting your mind with his outlandish talk, just like he did with the employees here?”

Jiang Cheng sucks in a surprised breath because this is not what is happening at all. He is not sleeping with Nie Mingjue and he is not actually enough of a bitch to ask Nie Mingjue to cease all work relationships with his family.

“You will take that back,” Nie Mingjue growls out, clenching his teeth together and Jiang Cheng is afraid of what will happen if he should lose his temper, so he steps between them.

“Mingjue, don’t,” he implores him.

He only belatedly realizes that he should have talked to his father.

“You are clearly your mother’s son. Getting into bed with the first good guy you meet and then thoroughly ruining him,” Jiang Fengmian sneers and it’s so outlandish that Jiang Cheng freezes before he slowly turns around.

“Did you just call yourself a good guy? Did you just compare yourself to Mingjue? You’re not even half the man he is!” Jiang Cheng shouts out.

He sees his father’s hand coming this time as well but he’s too slow to move out of the way so Jiang Fengmian’s hand meets him squarely in the face.

Jiang Cheng’s head snaps to the side, pain blooming up in his cheek but before Jiang Cheng even raises his own–still throbbing–hand to his face, Nie Mingjue steps past him.

There’s a meaty thud and then Jiang Fengmian crumbles to the floor.

Jiang Cheng can only stare.

“Fucking bastard,” Nie Mingjue mutters as he shakes out his hand, turning back to Jiang Cheng with a concerned look on his face.  “Let me see,” he softly  says, reaching out for Jiang Cheng’s face to turn it around.

“You hit my father,” Jiang Cheng mutters, letting Nie Mingjue inspect his cheek.

“I did,” Nie Mingjue grimy says. “It doesn’t look too bad, but we should cool it.”

“You hit my father. For me,” Jiang Cheng says, still not believing what just happened and Nie Mingjue winces.

“I should have hit him faster, too,” he still admits and sends a scathing glance at the still unconscious heap on the floor. “It’s the least he deserves for what he said and did to you. And not just today.”

Jiang Cheng is pretty sure that his mouth drops open as he continues to stare at Nie Mingjue who seems to grow increasingly uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

“You can yell at me if you want, I know I shouldn’t have lost my temper. Well, I still maintain that he deserved it but—”

“I think I would like to kiss you actually,” Jiang Cheng gets out and effectively shuts Nie Mingjue up.

“Oh,” he breathes out. “Let’s wait with that for a less emotionally charged moment, alright,” Nie Mingjue then softly says even as he cups Jiang Cheng’s face in his hand. “But I’m not against that, just making that clear right now. I would welcome it, actually.”

Jiang Cheng can only nod at that even as he sighs. Nie Mingjue is probably right; it’s not smart to do this right now.

“Let’s call the police and an ambulance, alright?” Nie Mingjue jolts him out of his thoughts and Jiang Cheng flinches.

“We can’t! He’ll press charges against you!”

“Rightfully so,” Nie Mingjue says with a shrug. “But you get to press charges as well and that is really all that matters. Plus, I want to have that hand of yours checked-out as soon as possible,” Nie Mingjue then adds, carefully taking Jiang Cheng’s arm to inspect the hand again.

It’s swollen a bit already and the pain is still throbbing in time with Jiang Cheng’s cheek.

“I don’t want to get you into trouble,” Jiang Cheng still mutters because he doesn’t want Nie Mingjue to have to face consequences for what he did but he only smiles at him.

“I got myself into trouble, so that’s alright. And seriously. I want you to press charges against him, it’s the only thing I deserves for hurting you.”

“If you’re sure,” Jiang Cheng mutters and he only moves for the phone when Nie Mingjue nods. “Fine then.”

He can’t deny that pressing charges against Jiang Fengmian for physical assault is going to feel very good but he still worries for Nie Mingjue.

“Maybe they will let me off easy if they think I did it in defence of you. You already had your hand broken after all,” Nie Mingjue tries to reassure him, clearly picking up on Jiang Cheng’s worries.

“Hopefully,” he mutters, briefly leaning into Nie Mingjue before he finally calls the police and an ambulance.

“But even if not, I’m still right here,” Nie Mingjue promises him, pulling Jiang Cheng closer to himself again and pressing a kiss to his head. “And I’m not going to leave.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and hides his face in Nie Mingjue’s chest. It took a while but now everything is hitting him all at once and Jiang Cheng starts to shake not even a moment later.

“It’s alright, I’ve got you,” Nie Mingjue whispers, hugging him close and Jiang Cheng dares to believe him, unconscious father on the floor and broken hand be damned.

If Nie Mingjue says it will be alright then it will be. Jiang Cheng trusts him enough to believe that. And no matter what, as long as Nie Mingjue is by his side he will be able to face these upcoming things.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #beetober2022 #the untamed #mdzs #punch jfm in the face #he deserves it #modern au #hurt/comfort #abuse #injury #getting together

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 1 - Bees

Jiang Cheng has his mind made up by the time he gets out of the doctor’s office. Today is the day his casts came off and Jiang Cheng will use his newly found freedom of hand-usage to find an apartment for himself.

He’s sick and tired of living with his parents and their overbearing-ness and he’ll move out as quickly as possible.

Jiang Cheng shoulders his bag higher, his hands shaking a little bit from disuse, and he makes his way over to the Nie house.

He doesn’t think looking for an apartment right under his parents noses is going to go over well—especially not with his bad luck—and he’ll need to make a list of all the things he’ll have to do.

Changing bank accounts—he’s going to set up his own account—and buying furniture. He’ll need electricity and an internet connection and he doesn’t have anything for a kitchen. That will all have to be bought.

Jiang Cheng feels a little bit giddy with his new plan and he actually can’t wait to get started on it. In his eagerness he slips two times along the way to the Nie house, but he somehow manages to catch himself each time. He just got rid of his casts, he’s in no rush to get new ones and so he’s quite happy with the scraps he has on his hands.

“Hello!” Jiang Cheng yells into the house when he finally gets there, but he doesn’t get a reply so it’s safe to assume that Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue are out.

That’s all good as well, he thinks, because that means he can set up camp at the kitchen table and immediately get started on apartment hunting.

He’s deeply engrossed in it by the time the brother’s come home but everything he found so far doesn’t meet his standards. Even though he significantly lowered them already.

“Hello,” Nie Huaisang greets him, and going by the way he slams his bag down on the table it wasn’t the first time.

“Hi,” Jiang Cheng gives back, startled out of his thoughts. “Welcome back.”

“Better,” Nie Huaisang nods and then makes way when Nie Mingjue comes into the kitchen.

“Your casts came off,” he immediately observes. “Let me see.”

Jiang Cheng sighs but dutifully holds out his hands so that Nie Mingjue can inspect his wrists.

They healed up nicely, even the doctors said so and Jiang Cheng beams at Nie Mingjue even as a shudder runs down his back from the way Nie Mingjue moves his thumbs over his wrists.

“It’s all good now,” Jiang Cheng tells him but he sees the exact moment Nie Mingjue’s gaze falls onto the scrapes on  the base of his hands.

“What happened?” Nie Mingjue asks with a sigh and Jiang Cheng shrugs.

“Nothing much. I fell on the way here. Twice,” he sheepishly adds and Nie Mingjue sighs again.

“Any worse injuries?”

“Nope, just this,” Jiang Cheng promises and for once it’s true too.

“You need to be more careful,” Nie Mingjue tells him and Jiang Cheng nods, even though they all know it’s out of his hands.

It’s not like Jiang Cheng can change the fact that he has exceptionally bad luck.

“Stay for dinner, alright?” Nie Mingjue then asks, but he leaves before Jiang Cheng can even give him an answer and Jiang Cheng tucks his hands close, already missing Nie Mingjue’s warm hands on his skin.

But he shakes that thought off and turns back to his laptop, completely forgetting that Nie Huaisang is still there in the kitchen with him.

“You’re as busy as a bee. As busy as an entire hive of bees, actually, so what’s up? What are you doing?” Nie Huaisang asks as he peers over Jiang Cheng’s shoulder at the screen.

Jiang Cheng feels him tense as soon as he understands what he’s doing.

“What are you doing?” he asks again, this time with more emphasis.

“I’m looking for an apartment. I’m going to move out of my parent’s house.”

Nie Huaisang blinks at him.

“Da-ge!” he then yells through the entire house and it takes Nie Mingjue barely a minute to come back.

“What?”

“Our dear Wanyin thinks about moving out of his parent’s house. Into an apartment of his own,” Nie Huaisang explains and Jiang Cheng looks down at his laptop.

He knows that it might not be the best idea, not with how likely he is to have an accident on the very first day, but he does not want to see if Nie Mingjue is going to be disappointed in him.

“No,” Nie Mingjue immediately says and Jiang Cheng flinches at that.

“But—“

“Absolutely not, Wanyin. You’re going to die the very first day you’re staying alone somewhere and I will not allow it.”

Jiang Cheng works his jaw at that because Nie Mingjue might not be entirely wrong but Jiang Cheng does not want to stay another night in his parent’s house either. He’s sick of them fussing over him and telling him just what he can’t do all the time.

“Move in here,” Nie Mingjue says and jolts Jiang Cheng out of his thoughts.

“What?”

“Move in here,” Nie Mingjue repeats. “We have the space and like that you’re not alone and can’t bleed out from some freak accident. And you’re away from your parents.”

“I can’t possibly ask you to let me move in,” Jiang Cheng gives back, even though the idea doesn’t sound half bad.

He likes being at the Nie brothers’ house and if he’s being honest he likes it even more that he didn’t have a serious accident here yet as well. Sometimes it feels as if his bad luck can’t follow him into this house.

“Good thing that I offered then,” Nie Mingjue shoots back. “We’ll get your stuff this week. Are you fine going furniture shopping with Huaisang?”

“But the guest room is furnished.”

“But not with things you’d like,” Nie Mingjue knowingly says. “We’ll make it your room, so you get to choose the furniture.”

“Oh, please take me with you,” Nie Huaisang immediately whines and really, what is Jiang Cheng going to say to that?

“Okay, yeah,” he agrees. “I think—I would like that. Thank you.” He gives Nie Mingjue a small smile who positively beams at him in return.

“Welcome home then, Wanyin,” he warmly says and Jiang Cheng feels as if he’s glowing.

Moving in is a quicker process than Jiang Cheng anticipated. His new furniture gets delivered almost as soon as he bought it and even though his parents don’t seem to be too happy about the fact that he’s moving out, they relent once they find out he won’t be alone.

It seems like everyone is worried about him slipping and breaking his neck in his own apartment should he live alone.

But like this at least someone will immediately notice if he dies, and to be honest it’s kind of reassuring for Jiang Cheng as well. Plus living with Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue is actually really great and Jiang Cheng wonders how he ever thought he could live alone.

The fact that Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang are always just somehow there when Jiang Cheng is about to have an accident is just a bonus.

At first Jiang Cheng barely noticed it. Yes, he fell down the stairs once but Nie Mingjue was walking right past and only had to hold out a hand to stabilize him. Another time Jiang Cheng was about to reach into the dishwasher for a spoon and didn’t see the knife sticking out but before something serious could happen, Nie Huaisang had asked him a question and Jiang Cheng forgot about the spoon completely, avoiding any bad injuries.

Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang would never tell Jiang Cheng not to do anything but he knows they don’t like it if he does anything in the kitchen or the bathroom when they are not home to keep an eye or ear on him at all times and in all honesty, it’s not so bad to accommodate their wishes.

Especially not when they turn out to be right.

Jiang Cheng is just about to get out of the shower when his foot slips and he can already tell that this fall is not going to go over without any serious injuries, so he closes in eyes in pure self-defence.

Except he doesn’t hit the floor.

Instead, Nie Huaisang’s hands come to rest on his shoulders, keeping him upright and prevent him from falling.

“Huaisang!” Jiang Cheng says, completely scandalised, because he is butt naked but Nie Huaisang only rolls his eyes at him.

“There’s nothing down there that I haven’t seen. Just be happy it was me and not my brother who found you.”

“He would have seen something like this as well, wouldn’t he?” Jiang Cheng snappishly asks and Nie Huaisang rolls his eyes at him.

“Of course he has seen this as well, but I guess you would be even more embarrassed given your little crush on my brother.”

Jiang Cheng knows he’s beet red in the face so he doesn’t even try to refute Nie Huaisang’s claim

“What did you even want here?” he instead asks, hoping to redirect his attention.

“Oh,” Nie Huaisang brightly says. “I came here to steal your shampoo. It simply smells heavenly and I wanted to use it for myself.”

“You can just buy a bottle of it,” Jiang Cheng says with a sigh, finally reaching for a towel to protect whatever little of his modesty is left.

“I could,” Nie Huaisang agrees. “But then you would have died, so I think I’m going to steal from you for a while longer.”

And just as he says it, he reaches past Jiang Cheng for the bottle and then leaves, happily humming a song under his breath.

Jiang Cheng sighs but he guesses Nie Huaisang is not wrong. He’ll just have to remember to buy new shampoo more frequently from now on.

A few accident free days later, Jiang Cheng is in the kitchen, preparing dinner for all of them. He’s bustling about, making sure that everything is going to be ready on time, and he feels as happy as he hasn’t in quite a while.

At least until he takes a step back from the oven and his foot gets caught in something. Jiang Cheng falls backwards without a way to catch himself anywhere and he knows the outlay of the kitchen well.

He knows that the table is right behind him and he knows, he just knows that he’s falling in a way that means the back of his neck will collide with the edge of the table.

‘This is it then’ he thinks, because with his luck, he’ll break his skull or his neck—probably even both—and Nie Mingjue will come into the kitchen only to find his body.

It’s not a pleasant thought but there’s nothing for Jiang Cheng to do. He can only fall.

“Uff,” he says when he collides with something warm and sturdy instead of the cold, blunt edge of the table and before he can stumble further, Nie Mingjue’s arms come up around him.

“Got you,” he whispers into Jiang Cheng’s hair, holding him close.

“Hi,” Jiang Cheng shakily says as he peers up at Nie Mingjue, his life still flashing before his eyes. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Nie Mingjue says, but he doesn’t quite manage to let go of Jiang Cheng.

“How—” Jiang Cheng swallows heavily as he carefully leans more into Nie Mingjue’s arms “—how do you always know? Why is one of you always there when I’m about to have an accident?”

“When you’re about to seriously injure yourself,” Nie Mingjue corrects him. “You had plenty of accidents before.”

That’s true, but none of the accidents ever ended in an injury. The really dangerous ones always get prevented by either Nie Mingjue or Nie Huaisang.

“But how are you doing it?” Jiang Cheng insists on asking and he feels how Nie Mingjue shrugs.

“I guess we’re just lucky that way. Maybe our good luck cancels your bad luck out. I’m just glad I was here right now, because that could have ended badly.”

“So badly,” Jiang Cheng whispers and then decides to simply fuck it.

Nie Mingjue’s arms are still around him even though he’s safe and sound by now, and surely that has to mean something, right?

So he turns around in Nie Mingjue’s arms and looks up at him.

“Thank you,” he whispers and leans up to press a fleeting kiss to the corner of Nie Mingjue’s mouth.

Jiang Cheng might be daring but he can’t quite bring himself to kiss Nie Mingjue just like that.

Nie Mingjue doesn’t seem to be having the same problems, because when he leans in it’s to claim Jiang Cheng’s mouth with his.

“Hi,” Nie Mingjue breathes out when they part and Jiang Cheng has never seen such a soft, happy smile on his face.

It’s a good look on Nie Mingjue.

“Hi,” he gives back and steals another kiss which turns into two and then five.

“I think your dinner is burning,” Nie Mingjue eventually regretfully says and Jiang Cheng whirls around.

“Oh no!” he rushes to the oven, stumbling in his haste but Nie Mingjue’s hand is on the back of his shirt, keeping him upright and preventing him from faceplanting into the hot pot.

“Careful,” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng smiles wryly at him even as he tends to dinner.

It’s not as if he isn’t careful. It just never works.

“I think you’ll have to stay close by if you don’t want me to hurt myself,” he daringly says with a side-look at Nie Mingjue, who is leaning against the counter.

“What an incredible hardship.” Nie Mingjue rolls his eyes as he says it and then casually reaches out to take a knife out of Jiang Cheng’s way.

He was just about to reach into it, too.

“I don’t understand how you’re doing this,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and Nie Mingjue smiles before he leans in for a kiss.

“I have a build in ‘my heart is in danger’-sense and I’m just working accordingly to it,” he explains and his words make it sound like the kiss is not a one-off thing like Jiang Cheng secretly feared.

“I see,” he nods, and briefly leans into Nie Mingjue. “Thank you for listening to it.”

“Always,” Nie Mingjue promises and hands Jiang Cheng the knife, clearly trusting him with. At least for now.

Jiang Cheng beams at him and then gets back to working on dinner.

(Nie Mingjue’s sense works perfectly; it can’t prevent the less severe accidents but Jiang Cheng would be dead ten times over without him and they both know it. Nie Mingjue never gets tired of swooping in and saving his heart at all times of the day but he gets to retire from that when they marry. It seems like their luck mixes that day and it comes out pretty neutral for both of them. Jiang Cheng is glad to no longer almost die at least twice a day but Nie Mingjue thinks fondly back to the days where he got to catch Jiang Cheng in his arms. To make up for it, he swoops his heart up at least twice a day, not that Jiang Cheng is complaining much about that particular habit.)

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #beetober2022 #mingcheng #the untamed #mdzs #hurt/comfort #modern au #humor #fluff #getting together

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 19 - Protected

Nie Mingjue is just going through his forms when Nie Zonghui comes running up to him. He seems rattled enough that Nie Mingjue doesn’t hesitate for a second; he simply abandons his stance and meets him halfway.

“What is it?”

“Jiang Wanyin,” Nie Zonghui breathes out and points towards the gate.

That’s enough to spur Nie Mingjue into action immediately. He runs towards the gate, throwing Baxia out to jump on her without stopping and then he’s off.

It doesn’t take him long to see what Nie Zonghui saw: a figure flying towards the Unclean Realm. A surge of relieve goes through Nie Mingjue at seeing Jiang Cheng’s figure but a moment later that is replaced with worry.

Jiang Cheng is flying lower than is recommended and his sword wobbles dangerously in the air. It spurs Nie Mingjue on to go even faster, pushing Baxia to her limits but a few seconds before he reaches Jiang Cheng he slumps over and falls off his sword.

Nie Mingjue pushes himself forward, off Baxia and he manages to catch Jiang Cheng a moment before he hits the ground. Nie Mingjue manages to turn just in time for his own body to break the fall, Jiang Cheng safely cradled in his arms, but by then he’s already unresponsive.

“Wanyin,” Nie Mingjue whispers, carefully smoothing his hair out of his face and dread settles in his stomach.

Jiang Cheng is hurt, and seriously so. There’s a lot of blood in his robes and there’s a still sluggishly bleeding wound on his face. When Nie Mingjue reaches out for his qi, he only finds a small, trickling stream of it and it only makes him worry more.

“Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang yells, running towards him and Nie Mingjue manages to get up without letting go of Jiang Cheng.

“He needs a healer, right now!” he belts out and Nie Zonghui turns around on his heel to run back towards the Unclean Realm.

“What’s wrong?” Nie Huaisang whispers, his hands hovering over Jiang Cheng clearly too afraid to touch him and Nie Mingjue shakes his head.

“I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter for now. We just have to make sure he stays alive and heals,” he decides and starts to walk towards the Unclean Realm, making sure his gate is even so he doesn’t jostle Jiang Cheng too much.

“What do you think happened to him?” Nie Huaisang whispers, clearly shook by Jiang Cheng’s state and Nie Mingjue presses his lips together.

“The Wens, probably,” he guesses because it would make the most sense.

They had walked into Lotus Pier and burned it down; reports of survivors had been sparse and up until five minutes ago Nie Mingjue had been convinced that Jiang Cheng was dead as well.

Nie Huaisang doesn’t say anything else but when Nie Mingjue looks over to him he sees how determined he is. As soon as they are certain that Jiang Cheng is going to survive they are going to plan the Wens demise, that much Nie Mingjue is certain of.

And he himself will take great pleasure in cutting off the head of whoever did this to Jiang Cheng.

Nie Zonghui is waiting with a healer when they enter the city and Jiang Cheng is taken away from Nie Mingjue despite his protests. It takes the healer a while to stabilise Jiang Cheng’s condition and only once that is achieved is Nie Mingjue allowed to get back into the room.

“I will spare you an extensive list of the injuries but you should know that he probably won’t heal completely. I don’t know what kind of weapon did most of these injuries but they almost look like burns. He will keep scars. We can only hope his movement will not be affected by them,” the healer tiredly tells him and Nie Mingjue frowns at him.

“So it’s not a weapon of the Wens?”

“I have never seen them use weapons like this, but I wouldn’t put it past them either,” the healer replies and then bows to excuse himself.

Nie Mingjue turns towards Jiang Cheng and his heart painfully constricts when he sees him all bandaged up. There’s almost no patch of skin left uncovered and Nie Mingjue carefully takes his hand in his as he sits down next to the bed.

Jiang Cheng whimpers in his sleep and Nie Mingjue reaches out to move his hair out of his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Wanyin. You’re well protected here, you can sleep. I’m here, I won’t let any harm come to you.”

Jiang Cheng settles back down again but Nie Mingjue still has no intention of leaving Jiang Cheng’s side until he wakes up, so he makes himself comfortable at his bedside.

It takes Jiang Cheng almost an entire day to wake up and Nie Mingjue is besides himself with worry, despite the reassurances of his healer that this is completely normal and to be expected with these extensive injuries.

Still, Nie Mingjue only feels as if he can breathe easier when Jiang Cheng’s eyelids start to flutter.

Jiang Cheng lets out a distressed whimpering sound before he even fully wakes and Nie Mingjue is quick to tighten the grip on his hand.

“It’s alright, Wanyin, you’ve made it to the Unclean Realm, and you’re safe here. Nothing can happen to you here.”

Jiang Cheng turns towards his voice and sluggishly blinks his eyes open. It takes him a few seconds to recognize Nie Mingjue but as soon as he does he bursts into tears.

“Mingjue,” he sobs out and curls towards Nie Mingjue, which can’t be good for his injuries at all, but if this is what Jiang Cheng wants then Nie Mingjue won’t deny him. He scoots closer and takes Jiang Cheng into his arms, allowing him to cry until he feels better.

“What happened?” Nie Mingjue asks once the tears have died down a bit and Jiang Cheng burrows further into his arms.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t speak, doesn’t explain and so Nie Mingjue has to venture out a guess.

“The Wens?” he carefully asks and is not at all surprised when Jiang Cheng freezes in his arms.

What does come as a surprise though is when he shakes his head.

“No,” Jiang Cheng rasps out, not moving away from Nie Mingjue at all.

“Who then? What happened to you?” Nie Mingjue asks again, because he’s at a loss now.

If it wasn’t the Wens who hurt Jiang Cheng like this then Nie Mingjue has no clue what could have happened to him.

It prompts new sobs from Jiang Cheng and Nie Mingjue curses himself for pushing this soon, but he needs to know who hurt Jiang Cheng like this. He needs to know what he can do to make it all better.

“Mingjue, promise me,” Jiang Cheng finally gets out, “promise me that you won’t send me back. You have to—I have to stay here.”

“Of course,” Nie Mingjue immediately agrees because he already thought he lost Jiang Cheng once and he will certainly not allow for that to happen again. “You’re my heart and we are courting. You’re going to stay right here. And even if none of that were true, I would still not send you back to whoever hurt you like this.”

“You can’t let me go back. If they—they will come ask for me back, demand that you hand me over but you can’t,  please Mingjue, you can’t give me back to them.”

The words make a chill go down Nie Mingjue’s back because it doesn’t sound as if the Wens are to blame here, but of course he’s quick to nod.

“We can marry as soon as you feel up for it,” he promise Jiang Cheng. “And you will marry in, so that you are always safely at my side, alright, so no one can take you away without inviting the anger of Qinghe, okay?”

“Okay,” Jiang Cheng whispers and rests more easily against Nie Mingjue. At least until Nie Mingjue speaks again.

“Wanyin, what happened, though? Who did this to you?”

At the question, Jiang Cheng shudders in his arms.

“It’s my fault Lotus Pier burned,” Jiang Cheng whispers and Nie Mingjue frowns.

As far as he heard Lotus Pier burned because the Wen’s came to destroy it.

“But the Wens—" he trails off when Jiang Cheng lets out a bitter laugh.

“My fault,” he presses out and moves away from Nie Mingjue to curl in on himself. “All my fault, according to my parents. I provoked them, I was disrespectful, I tried to protect Wei Wuxian and now it’s all my fault, so it’s also my duty to fix it.”

“Wanyin, what does that mean?” Nie Mingjue asks for clarification though he can guess what it means and it makes him sick to his stomach.

“I’m to be the sacrifice that appeases the Wens and lets us take Lotus Pier back.”

“Those burn marks—” Nie Mingjue whispers out. “They are from Zidian.”

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng sobs out, making himself as small as he can. “They tried to drag me back to Lotus Pier so they could offer me up but I fought them until I could escape. I didn’t know where else to go—” he trails off, his breath coming fast and hard and Nie Mingjue carefully sits down on the bed next to him, putting an arm around Jiang Cheng but ready to take it back at the slightest sign of discomfort.

“I won’t allow it. I won’t allow it,” Nie Mingjue promises him and presses a kiss to the top of Jiang Cheng’s head. “You’re my husband-to-be. The courtship has been made official and I will not let them do that to you.”

“I hoped you would protect me,” Jiang Cheng whispers, new tears streaming down his face again. “It’s why I came here. Mingjue, please, I—” Jiang Cheng chokes on his own words but Nie Mingjue nods anyway.

“You’re safe here, I promise you that. I will not allow them to touch you ever again, you don’t have to worry about that. All you have to focus on is healing right now, and the rest will come with time.”

“You won’t give me back?” Jiang Cheng asks for clarification and it hurts Nie Mingjue to hear him this unsure.

“I will never give you back. You’re my heart, have been since the first time we met, and I will not allow for these people to hurt you like that.”

It sparks new tears yet again but this time they seem more out of relief than despair or pain and it might not be much but Nie Mingjue will take it for now.

He will need to talk to Nie Huaisang and Nie Zonghui about the threat that probably hangs over Qinghe Nie now and he will have to prepare a wedding as well but for now, all he really has to do is hold his heart in his arms and be there for him.

If Jiang Cheng’s family won’t cherish and protect him then Nie Mingjue will make Jiang Cheng his family and do it in their stead.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #the untamed #beetober2022 #mdzs #hurt/comfort #courtship #canon divergence #injury #abuse

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 28 - Static

Jiang Cheng checks his watch for the second time just to be sure, but the fact remains the same: Nie Mingjue is late.

And Nie Mingjue is never late.

“He’ll be stuck in traffic,” Wei Wuxian says from this place on the couch, waving a hand at Jiang Cheng’s apparent worry. 

“No, something is wrong,” Jiang Cheng mutters, checking his phone again. The time is still telling him that Nie Mingjue is late and he also hasn’t heard from him yet. “Even if that was the case, he would have informed me.”

“His phone is out of battery, then. It happens.”

“Not to him,” Jiang Cheng confidently gives back because he knows Nie Mingjue.

This is not like him and the pit in his stomach tells Jiang Cheng that something is wrong.

“I’m going to call Huaisang,” he decides, ignoring Wei Wuxian’s groan as best as he can.

“Because he’s really going to appreciate you worrying everyone for no goddamn reason,” Wei Wuxian mutters but Jiang Cheng doesn’t pay him any mind.

“Something is wrong, I tell you,” Jiang Cheng snaps at him but Wei Wuxian only rolls his eyes.

“Your paranoia is not cute, A-Cheng.”

“My paranoia saved your ass more times than you can count,” Jiang Cheng shoots back as he calls Nie Huaisang.

“A-Cheng, shouldn’t you be busy with my brother? Why are you calling me?” Nie Huaisang greets him and the uneasy feeling in Jiang Cheng’s stomach intensifies.

“He’s not here. When did he leave your place?” Jiang Cheng shortly asks and there’s a brief silence on the other end.

“Half an hour ago. He should have arrived already.”

“Something is wrong. Be ready,” Jiang Cheng simply tells him and hangs up again.

“He’s not still home?” Wei Wuxian asks, now peering over the back of the couch.

“Not everyone arrives late for everything,” Jiang Cheng snaps out and decides to check Nie Mingjue’s GPS. Before he can click into the tracking app though his phone lights up with Nie Mingjue’s picture.

“It’s him,” Jiang Cheng says but he still doesn’t feel the surge of relief. They are not out of the woods yet. “Hi,” Jiang Cheng greets him when Nie Mingjue picks up and the beat of silence that follows worries him even more.

“Hey, A-Cheng ,” Nie Mingjue says in return and Jiang Cheng is immediately on high alert.

“Where are you?”

“Listen, I won’t make it today, alright. Just wanted to let you know, you know how it is sometimes,” Nie Mingjue says, his voice cheerful and Jiang Cheng works his jaw.

“I know, I completely understand. I will see you next week then?”

“Make it the weekend, maybe?” Nie Mingjue gives back and Jiang Cheng's heart stutters slightly in his chest.

So it’s urgent.

“Fine, we can do that, too. I’ll write you, alright?”

“Sure,” Nie Mingjue replies and then hangs up on Jiang Cheng without properly saying goodbye.

All Jiang Cheng can hear on the other end of the line is static–or maybe that’s in his ear–but after a moment he shakes himself out of it.

“The Wens have him,” Jiang Cheng tells Wei Wuxian who gives him an incredulous look.

“What the hell are you talking about? That sounded like a perfectly normal conversation to me. He just can’t make it today, you don’t always have to paint the gloomiest picture, you know.”

“You’re an idiot,” Jiang Cheng hisses out. “We have code words. And he used like all of them.” Jiang Cheng is furiously typing away at his phone, informing Nie Huaisang of the situation and trying to locate Nie Mingjue’s phone before the Wens completely destroy it.

“Like what?” Wei Wuxian wants to know but at least he’s getting up now. Good. He has to be ready to leave in ten minutes, Jiang Cheng thinks.

“He doesn’t call me A-Cheng, ever. That means he’s in trouble. ‘You know how it is sometimes’ is what Wen Ruohan said to Mingjue when he accused him of killing his and Huaisang’s dad, so it’s clear the Wen’s are involved.”

“And the weekend?” Wei Wuxian asks, clearly picking up on their code words.

“Means it’s urgent. So they are most likely heavily armed and instructed to either kill Mingjue or bring him to Wen Rouhan. And we’re not going to let that happen.”

“A-Cheng, you’re retired. What are you going to do?”

“You think I’m going to simply stand by as they threaten my soul?” Jiang Cheng demands to know. “I could be dead and I would still get him out of the clutches of the Wens.”

“When did that happen?” Wei Wuxian mutters. “My soul?”

“Maybe when you weren’t paying attention because of Lan Wangji,” Jiang Cheng distractedly gives back, saving the last known location of Nie Mingjue’s phone. “Wouldn’t you do the same for him?”

“I would burn the world for him,” Wei Wuxian immediately says and Jiang Cheng looks at him.

“Exactly,” Jiang Cheng says with a grim smile and Wei Wuxian lights up like a Christmas tree.

“Let’s kill some Wens then,” he excitedly says and claps his hands together.

“No. We’re going to kill Wen Ruohan,” Jiang Cheng decides. “He already killed one Nie. I’m not going to let him kill another.”

“Oh boy,” Wei Wuxian breathes out. “That’s a little bit of a different situation. How are we going to do that?”

“Huaisang is calling in a favour with Wen Zhuliu, for a start. Zonghui and Xichen are on board as well and Jin Guangyao will keep his dad preoccupied so he doesn’t stab us in the back. And I am going to meet Wen Ruohan.” He reads the information off his phone; Nie Huaisang is fast, so everyone is already informed.

Wei Wuxian whistles at that. 

“I’m surprised you managed to get everyone back from retirement.”

“Not me. We’re all in it for Mingjue,” Jiang Cheng informs him as he slides Zidian on his finger.

He hasn’t been wearing it much since he stepped back but it’s of course always right there. Just like Sandu is.

“Oh, so you really mean it. You’re going to kill him,” Wei Wuxian mutters, eying Zidian and Jiang Cheng glares at him.

“I already told you I’m going to. Now, are you coming or are you going to stay here?” Jiang Cheng demands to know and Wei Wuxian gives him a wolfish grin.

“Of course I’m going to come. I can’t wait to slaughter a few Wens.” Wei Wuxian gleefully rubs his hands together as he says it and even though Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at his antics, he’s glad that his brother is coming.

Things are always a little bit more unpredictable with him around but they are also much more fun.

“Let’s go then,” Jiang Cheng says, taking up Sandu just as Wei Wuxian twirls Chengqing in his hand.

“This is going to be so much fun.”

~*~*~

The mission is a bloody mess and Jiang Cheng can’t deny that he enjoys every second of it. Since Wei Wuxian is present as well around half of the things they had planned go wrong, but Jiang Cheng accounted for that so it’s not too bad.

It does help that they have Nie Huaisang in the background, keeping a close eye on everything.

Jiang Cheng has lost count how many Wens he has killed on his way to Nie Mingjue but he does remember when he finally cut off Wen Ruohan’s head.

It had been very satisfactory to do that.

“That’s one bloody entrance,” Nie Mingjue  says, even as he’s wincing in pain from something that Jiang Cheng suspects is a broken rib.

“My soul,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and doesn’t hesitate to hug Nie Mingjue despite the blood all over his clothes.

“My heart,” Nie Mingjue whispers, hugging him close. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to our meeting. I know how you hate it when you get stood up.”

“It was hardly your decision. Are you badly hurt?” Jiang Cheng asks and pats him down.

“Just the rib. Wen Xu forgot himself for a little bit there. You should have seen Wen Ruohan’s face when he delivered me with an injury.”

The memory is enough to make Nie Mingjue smile but Jiang Cheng scoffs.

“Should have made it more painful for Wen Xu then,” he mutters and Nie Mingjue raises an eyebrow at him.

“My heart, how many people did you kill?” he then carefully asks and Jiang Cheng flicks his finger with Zidian.

“As many as needed,” he gives back with a smile that’s more teeth than anything.

“So all of them,” Nie Mingjue sighs out and drops a kiss on Jiang Cheng’s forehead. “You shouldn’t strain yourself so much.”

At that Jiang Cheng scoffs.

“Please, you think I did this alone? Everyone came when they heard Wen Ruohan had you. Even Wen Zhuliu helped without the favour he still owes Huaisang.”

At that Nie Mingjue stares at him.

“Jiang Wanyin, who did you all bring?” he then very seriously asks and now Jiang Cheng smiles brightly at him.

“Everyone who was necessary. Huaisang, Wen Zhuliu, Zonghui, Xichen, Wei Wuxian. Jin Guangyao is managing his dad so we have some peace.”

Nie Mingjue pinches the bridge of his nose.

“There was no need to bring everyone out of retirement. Just you would have sufficed.”

“You think I’d risk your safety like that, by coming alone? I’m honestly affronted you think me capable of that.”

“I think you’re very capable and wouldn’t have needed the help,” Nie Mingjue reassures him.

“But then some of the Wens would have gotten away. No, this is better. Now they are all gone and we’re all going to sleep much easier at night, right?”

He hesitates briefly.

“Though I am really sorry I took your kill from you.”

“Ah, but my heart, it was quite the sight to watch you behead him. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, especially knowing that you did it for me.”

At those words his expression turns sly.

“You know, this would be the perfect proposal gift,” Nie Mingjue then says, waggling his eyebrows at Jiang Cheng who looks down at himself, completely incredulous.

“I am covered in blood and you’re thinking about a marriage proposal?”

“You’re hot as fuck and I’m always thinking about a marriage proposal,” Nie Mingjue gives back, following Jiang Cheng’s own eyes down his body. “And to be honest, this is kind of doing it for me.”

“Wow,” Jiang Cheng mutters but he gets up on his tip-toes to kiss Nie Mingjue. “You’re hurt, though. No proposals while you’re hurt. Sear this look into your memory and then I’ll do it once you’re healed. Deal?”

“Mh,” Nie Mingjue hums, clearly thinking about something. “Or, we could finally kill Jin Guangshan after this, you recreate this look and I don’t get kidnapped and then you can propose. How about that?”

Jiang Cheng pretends to think it over for a moment but of course his answer is an enthusiastic “Perfect!”

It’s what Jin Guangshan deserves anyway, and now that the Wens are gone it’s not as if anyone has to worry about Wen Ruohan’s revenge should they take out his ally.

“Soon, then,” Nie Mingjue nods and pulls Jiang Cheng in for a deep kiss, clearly uncaring that he’s getting even more blood all over his clothes.

Jiang Cheng hums his assent into the kiss and this is how Wei Wuxian finally finds them five minutes later.

Giving his brother ‘a scare for his life’ as he so nicely puts it really is the cherry on top of this entire day, at least in Jiang Cheng’s opinion.

And now that he has a nice motivator he can’t wait to finally get rid of Jin Guangshan as well, though hopefully that time with Nie Mingjue right at this side.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #beetober2022 #the untamed #mdzs #mafia au #modern au #murder #blood #fluff #marriage proposal #established relationship

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 7 - Quiver

Jiang Cheng is looking forward to having Nie Mingjue visit. He knows that he should be nervous—Nie Mingjue is visiting him on official business after all and in his capacity as a fellow Sect Leader—but Jiang Cheng can’t find it in him.

He and Nie Mingjue have been friends since the Sunshot Campaign and so to Jiang Cheng it feels more like receiving a friend than a fellow Sect Leader.

Jiang Cheng just hopes that Nie Mingjue doesn’t mind the less formal reception but when he comes into view and Jiang Cheng spots only four other people with him he guesses the answer is no.

Apparently Nie Mingjue is not treating this as an official visit himself.

“Wanyin!” Nie Mingjue greets him almost as soon as he doesn’t have to yell it anymore and Jiang Cheng finds himself smiling at him.

“Mingjue, it’s so good to have you. Welcome to Lotus Pier.”

There’s still a lot to do in Lotus Pier; the traces of destruction that the Wens left behind are still visible and reconstructing everything has been slow going. Normally Jiang Cheng would feel defensive over his progress or lack thereof but with Nie Mingjue he doesn’t mind so much.

“You’ve made so much progress,” Nie Mingjue praises him the moment they step into Lotus Pier and Jiang Cheng knows that he really means it.

“There’s still much to do though,” he replies and Nie Mingjue nods.

“Yeah, the work never ends, I can tell you that,” he says with a wink and Jiang Cheng finds himself smiling at Nie Mingjue.

Being with Nie Mingjue has always felt easy and comfortable and Jiang Cheng is glad for it.

“I feared as much,” Jiang Cheng sighs out, and Nie Mingjue bumps their shoulders together.

“You’ll manage it, no doubt about it,” he confidently says and with encouragement like that Jiang Cheng feels as if he really will manage it. “So what’s on the plan for today?” Nie Mingjue wants to know once Jiang Cheng has shown him to his rooms and it seems as if he’s brimming with energy.

“I thought a small hunt,” Jiang Cheng offers. “Just us. There are no dangerous being around Lotus Pier anymore, we made sure to clean those out, but there are of course a lot of water ghouls and such around. I thought it would be a good idea.”

“That sounds amazing,” Nie Mingjue says and it almost seems as if Baxia is vibrating on his back.

“Alright, let’s change and then we’ll meet at the front gate?”

“You have a deal.”

Jiang Cheng smiles at Nie Mingjue before he hurries off to get himself into more hunt appropriate clothes but it’s not long before he’s back at the front gate, Sandu in his hand, Zidian on his finger and his bow and quiver on his back.

Nie Mingjue is already waiting for him but when Jiang Cheng comes closer he starts to frown.

“What?” Nie Mingjue asks, clearly picking up on Jiang Cheng’s mood.

“Where’s your bow and quiver?” Jiang Cheng demands to know and Nie Mingjue blinks at him.

“I have Baxia.”

“That’s fine and all but you’ll need a bow as well,” Jiang Cheng tells him and he’s not prepared for the way Nie Mingjue suddenly nervously shuffles on his feet.

“What?” Jiang Cheng asks him.

“We don’t normally hunt with a bow,” Nie Mingjue admits. “I didn’t bring it.”

Something about the way he says it makes Jiang Cheng suspicious so he frowns even harder at Nie Mingjue, unwilling to let this go.

“I can lend you one, then. Come on, follow me to the armoury.”

Jiang Cheng has barely made a step when Nie Mingjue’s hand shoots out to wrap around his upper arm.

“Wait,” Nie Mingjue breathes out and now he’s a little bit red in the face.

It’s completely endearing, if Jiang Cheng is being honest.

“Yes?” Jiang Cheng asks when Nie Mingjue stays silent for too long.

“It’s just—you know—” he stammers and Jiang Cheng raises an eyebrow at him.

“Mingjue, do you know how to use a bow?” he asks, finally being merciful enough to put Nie Mingjue out of his misery.

“No,” Nie Mingjue whispers and even though Jiang Cheng expected that answer now it still floors him.

To him it sometimes feels as if he learned how to walk, swim and shoot a bow all in one go and it seems kind of inconceivable that another cultivator doesn’t know how to use one.

“We don’t hunt with bows in Qinghe,” Nie Mingjue rushes to explain himself. “The game there is too big for it and what a bow can do our sabers can do as well. There was just never any reason to learn.”

Nie Mingjue sounds completely defensive and Jiang Cheng almost feels bad when he bursts out laughing at his face.

“Sorry, sorry,” he wheezes out when Nie Mingjue crosses his arms in front of his chest. “It’s just—we can practice, if you want to,” he then offers, hoping to make up for his laps right now.

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” Nie Mingjue says but Jiang Cheng waves him off.

“You wouldn’t. I offered. So, what about it?”

“I—think I would like that,” Nie Mingjue agrees and Jiang Cheng smiles at him.

“Alright, to the armoury it is then, we have to see if we have a bow for you.”

He leads them to the armoury where they do in fact find a bow for Nie Mingjue and barely half an hour later Jiang Cheng leads them to the usual practice field. He made sure to inform his people about it, so that they would stay clear; it’s nice to see that Nie Mingjue is not against learning something new but Jiang Cheng does not want to test him by inviting any spectators for it as well.

“You have shot a bow before?” Jiang Cheng asks when they find a good spot to shoot from.

“It’s been years, though,” Nie Mingjue confirms with a nod and Jiang Cheng motions for him to take position.

Nie Mingjue does and it looks just as clumsy as Jiang Cheng expected it to be.

“You want me to shoot?” Nie Mingjue asks, he arrow poised and ready and he lets it fly when Jiang Cheng nods.

They did put up a target, because it’s easier to shoot at something specific from the start but the arrow flies wide.

“Sorry,” Nie Mingjue sheepishly says and lowers the bow.

“No, no,” Jiang Cheng interjects and steps close to push his arm back up. “Here,” he then says and slightly pushes at Nie Mingjue’s shoulder while lightly tapping his foot against Nie Mingjue’s to make him widen his stance. “A bit more back,” he then instructs and pulls on Nie Mingjue’s other shoulder to make him open his chest.

“Stand straight, chin up. Look along the length of your arm,” he tells him and watches Nie Mingjue follow his instructions. “Good. Now knock your arrow and pull but don’t release it yet.”

Nie Mingjue does that as well and Jiang Cheng tries his best not to think about the play of muscles in Nie Mingjue’s back as he does it.

“Good,” he praises even as he adjusts the raised arm. “A little bit more back, and make sure your elbow doesn’t drop.”

Nie Mingjue adjusts his stance according to Jiang Cheng’s words.

“Now twist your bow arm slightly, like this,” Jiang Cheng demonstrates with his own arm and once Nie Mingjue has done that Jiang Cheng steps back.

“Now shoot.”

Nie Mingjue lets the arrow fly and while it still doesn’t hit the target, it gets much, much closer to it.

“See, that’s better,” Jiang Cheng says with a satisfied nod and startles badly when Nie Mingjue spins around to him.

“Let me court you,” he rushes out and for the first time Jiang Cheng notices how red Nie Mingjue is.

“What?”

“You can’t just do all of that,” Nie Mingjue vaguely gestures at the bow before he points at Jiang Cheng, “and look like that and be like that and then think I wouldn’t want to court you.”

“Is that—a spur of the moment thing?” Jiang Cheng wants to know because he wouldn’t be opposed to a courtship with Nie Mingjue but if it’s a spontaneous thing then Jiang Cheng doesn’t know how he feels about that.

“No. Fuck no, I wouldn’t do that. I have an official proposal and a first courtship gift with me. It’s the reason for my visit, actually,” Nie Mingjue admits. “It’s just—you were pressed up to me and with your hands all over me—I lost my head,” he sheepishly says and it makes Jiang Cheng laugh.

He’s completely flattered that someone like Nie Mingjue would even consider courting him and this whole thing is just so endearing that Jiang Cheng doubts anyone could say no to him. Not that Jiang Cheng even wants to.

“Yes.”

“Yes what?” Nie Mingjue asks for clarification.

“Yes, you may court me,” Jiang Cheng tells him and is not prepared for the huge smile Nie Mingjue gives him.

“Lucky me,” Nie Mingjue breathes out and leans in to press a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s temple.

“Lucky me,” Jiang Cheng shoots back, because with everything that happened to him and his Sect recently he didn’t think anyone would want to court him.

“Lucky us,” Nie Mingjue decides and then assumes position one more time. “You want to show me again how it’s done?” he asks over his shoulder and Jiang Cheng laughs once more.

“Sure,” he agrees but this time he steps up closer than before, so that his chest touches Nie Mingjue’s back. “I can’t guarantee you’ll get better like this though.”

“Who even cares,” Nie Mingjue decides and briefly leans into Jiang Cheng’s chest before he nocks another arrow.

By the time night rolls around Nie Mingjue manages to hit the target once but only because Jiang Cheng promised him a kiss for it.

Link to my ko-fi

#bt writes #mingcheng #beetober2022 #the untamed #mdzs #canon compliant #fluff #courtship #getting together

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 22 - Forgetfulness

Jiang Cheng is checking his phone for the third time in five minutes when Nie Mingjue takes it out of his hands.

“Stop it,” he chides him and Jiang Cheng’s shoulders drop.

“He hasn’t called yet,” Jiang Cheng gives back and even though Nie Mingjue wisefully stays silent Jiang Cheng knows what he wants to say. 

If Wei Wuxian hasn’t called until now then he will not do so at all.

“If you do not want to be late for your own birthday dinner then we have to leave now,” Nie Mingjue simply says and Jiang Cheng heaves out a sigh.

He knows that Nie Mingjue is right and yet Jiang Cheng is still hesitating. If they wait just a moment longer, maybe Wei Wuxian will call or even show up. And then they can go together just like they had agreed a few weeks ago.

“He said he’ll be here,” Jiang Cheng whispers, forlornly staring at his phone in Nie Mingjue’s hand even though he knows it’s stupid.

“I’m sorry, my heart,” Nie Mingjue says and steps close to pull Jiang Cheng into a hug.

“But,” Jiang Cheng starts because he knows Nie Mingjue too well and he just knows that he has more to say.

“But we knew this was a possibility,” Nie Mingjue carefully finishes for him. “You know how he is with agreements. I would be more surprised if he showed up on time.” Nie Mingjue hesitates. “I bet he will show up at the restaurant.”

At that Jiang Cheng snorts.

“You’re only saying that because you love me and you hate to see me hurt,” he mutters and leans up to press a kiss to Nie Mingjue’s cheek.

Nie Mingjue only shrugs but of course Jiang Cheng is right. Nie Mingjue is careful to not rant too much about Wei Wuxian but Jiang Cheng knows what he thinks of him. To say that he dislikes Wei Wuxian is an understatement and only the fact that Jiang Cheng still cares so goddamn much about his brother causes Nie Mingjue to swallow his anger most days.

They both startle when Nie Mingjue’s phone chimes in his pocket at Nie Mingjue winces when he pulls it out.

“Huaisang?” Jiang Cheng guesses because Nie Mingjue is not the only one who can read the other.

“Yeah. He’s already yelling at us to not be late.”

Because he knows too that Jiang Cheng would stall if Wei Wuxian didn’t show up on time.

Jiang Cheng sighs.

“Fine, let’s go then. I do not want to face Huaisang’s ire.”

“Oh when he says it’s time to go you go, huh,” Nie Mingjue mutters but he softens his words with a kiss. “I see how it is.”

“He’s simply that much more terrifying,” Jiang Cheng says with a teasing smile and opens the door, only to come face to face with Wei Wuxian.

“You’re here,” he breathes out once he overcame his shock and Wei Wuxian frowns at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Listen, I need to pick something up, you can drive me, right?”

And just like that Jiang Cheng’s stomach drops to his feet and he feels like crying. 

“I don’t think–” he starts but Wei Wuxian interrupts him.

“Ah, come on, Chengcheng, don’t be like that, you know I have no driver’s license,” Wei Wuxian whines out but Jiang Cheng feels too numb to answer him.

Luckily, Nie Mingjue does not have the same problem.

“Because you lost it after one too many accidents,” Nie Mingjue says and pushes Jiang Cheng behind him. “I’m gonna have a quick talk with him, alright? You wait right here and then we’ll leave, okay?”

Jiang Cheng manages a nod for Nie Mingjue before he closes the door right after him. They just stepped outside into the hallway, so Jiang Cheng can still hear them through the door if he leans in close but it helps that he doesn’t have to put up a mask for Wei Wuxian anymore.

Jiang Cheng hates to appear too weak and caring in front of Wei Wuxian, mostly because it only ever leads to mockery but he can’t help the tears that gather in his eyes.

Wei Wuxian has forgotten his birthday. Again.

“Mingjue-ge, what is this supposed to mean? We do not have the time for this, the shop closes soon,” Wei Wuxian says and Jiang Cheng hears a brief scuffle on the other side of the door as if Wei Wuxian tried to go past Nie Mingjue who stopped him.

“You will listen to me now,” Nie Mingjue tells him and his voice has lost all its warmth. 

Jiang Cheng is not at all accustomed to hearing Nie Mingjue like this and it sends a chill down his back.

“Your careless forgetfulness is going to cost you your brother one of these days,” he says and Jiang Cheng closes his eyes.

“What is that supposed to mean? Chengcheng knows that I’m not the best at remembering things.”

“Do you even have an idea what day today is?” Nie Mingjue asks him and Wei Wuxian’s silence is very telling. “It’s his birthday. And you were supposed to go to dinner with us, but you don’t remember, do you?”

“Haha, who can remember all these dates and appointments,” Wei Wuxian laughs out and Jiang Cheng sinks down at the door until he’s sitting on the floor.

He knows that this is Wei Wuxian’s stance on these things but it still hurts like hell to hear it.

“You do, whenever it’s not about Wanyin,” Nie Mingjue evenly replies but Jiang Cheng can tell that he’s burning with rage. 

It’s comforting in a way.

“You remember every single important date for Yanli or Wangji. You have been to every school thing that Jin Ling has. Do you even know that Wanyin graduated yet? Where were you on that day?”

“He graduated?” Wei Wuxian breathes out and of course. Of course he wouldn’t remember that even though Jiang Cheng sent him an official invite to that.

“You really need to think about what you’re doing,” Nie Mingjue goes on, not answering Wei Wuxian’s question.

“Ah, but it’s alright. He’ll yell at me about it and then it will be fine again. That’s how it always goes,” Wei Wuxian laughs out but now it’s awkward in a way Jiang Cheng has rarely heard his brother.

“For now,” Nie Mingjue agrees. “But one of these days that’s going to change. One of these days he won’t care to yell at you anymore. Everyone has their breaking point and his is coming closer with every little thing that you forget. One day he will think of you forgetting about something as a given and that’s the day you will lose him.”

Jiang Cheng lets out a harsh breath at that because Nie Mingjue might not be wrong. It already doesn’t hurt as much as it used to when Wei Wuxian forgets about something that is important to Jiang Cheng or if he simply skips out on dates they set up and Jiang Cheng can see it.

One day he’ll simply not care anymore and on that day every connection he had with his brother will be lost.

“Don’t say that,” Wei Wuxian says and Jiang Cheng can imagine how he simply waves Nie Mingjue off. “I’ll just write him more often and then he can’t even pretend I don’t care.”

“Like you write him right now? When was the last time you reached out for Wanyin? It’s always him who starts a conversation and even that has dwindled down hasn’t it?”

Jiang Cheng stares at the phone in his hand because he truly can’t remember the last time Wei Wuxian answered one of his questions or wrote him first with anything other than Do you have time for me or I need something.

“That’s—I mean—” Wei Wuxian trails off, clearly not knowing what to say in face of all these rightful accusations and Jiang Cheng gets up again.

He opens the door and he comes face to face with a teary-eyed Wei Wuxian and Nie Mingjue’s broad back.

“He’s right you know,” Jiang Cheng tells Wei Wuxian. “One of these days. And it might be closer than we all think right now,” Jiang Cheng whispers even though it’s hard to admit to himself.

But he treated today as kind of a last chance kind of situation and Wei Wuxian missed it yet again. Like he always does.

“My soul, we have to go. Huaisang is going to kill us if we’re late,” he then says to Nie Mingjue and puts a hand in the middle of his back. “Let’s go.”

“Sure,” Nie Mingjue easily says and turns around to catch Jiang Cheng’s hand in his.

“Can I—come?” Wei Wuxian asks, clearly unsure if he should even ask it and Jiang Cheng gives him a tired look.

“No. I do not want you there today. And besides. You were busy right? Something that needed picking up?”

“But if you can’t drive me—” Wei Wuxian trails off with a shrug but Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

“I need a bit of time,” he tells Wei Wuxian. “You forgot my birthday. Again. I just—I need time,” Jiang Cheng weakly finishes and then turns his attention back to Nie Mingjue, who locked the door in the meantime. “You think Huaisang will be mad?”

“I think we can explain this perfectly and then it will be alright,” Nie Mingjue gives back and moves past Wei Wuxian without looking at him even once. He said his piece and that is all the interaction he can stand with Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng knows that very well.

“I hope so,” Jiang Cheng breathes out, his heart beating just a little bit faster in anticipation of what Wei Wuxian will do when they walk past him, but he simply lets them go. Jiang Cheng isn’t sure if he likes that or not.

“You weren’t supposed to hear all of that,” Nie Mingjue says once they are finally in the car and on the road and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes even as he reaches out for Nie Mingjue’s hand.

“But I’m glad I did. Because you’re right. I think—you were just right, about all of it.”

“I’m sorry that I am, though. I know you wish for things to be differently.”

At that Jiang Cheng gives him a tired smile.

“I should wish for that,” Jiang Cheng thoughtfully say. “But I’m not sure if I do anymore. It’s just how it is. I know that he’s never going to remember, not when it comes to me.”

Nie Mingjue gives him a knowing smile at that.

“I’m sorry. I thought you two had more time to fix things before you stop caring.”

“It’s his fault, really,” Jiang Cheng gives back and closes his eyes. “I can’t uphold our relationship all on my own. If he doesn’t want it to work then it won’t. I have to accept that. I’m simply tired.”

“I understand, my heart. Do you want me to call Huaisang to cancel for today?” Nie Mingjue immediately asks and even though that is not at all what Jiang Cheng meant, he feels overcome with love for Nie Mingjue.

“I love you,” he breathes out and Nie Mingjue gives him a quick smile.

“That’s nice and all, but not an answer.”

“You’re rude,” Jiang Cheng laughs out. “But no, it’s fine. I’m tired of this—” he waves his hand in the direction of their home. “I’m not tired of meeting our family.”

“Okay, then,” Nie Mingjue says, this time with a much warmer smile and Jiang Cheng smiles at him in return. “And I love you, too.”

Things with Jiang Cheng’s family might not be okay, and he’s honestly not holding his breath for Wei Wuxian to change but at least he still has Nie Mingjue and their own little family to fall back upon. And that is really all Jiang Cheng needs.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #the untamed #beetober2022 #mdzs #modern au #established relationship #dysfunctional family #not wwx friendly

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 25 - Playful

Nie Huaisang is taking his tea, watching Wei Wuxian squirm in his place.

“What do you want again?” Nie Huaisang finally asks once his cup is empty and he guesses he has to applaud Wei Wuxian for staying quiet all this time.

It does help that he is afraid of Nie Huaisang now.

“I’m here to check on Mingjue-ge,” Wei Wuxian says and Nie Huaisang narrows his eyes at him.

“That’s Nie-gongzi to you,” Nie Huaisang calmly reminds him and watches with pleasure how Wei Wuxian pales. “And he’s not here.”

“What do you mean he’s not here? He needs constant supervision!” Wei Wuxian yells out and Nie Huaisang calmly pours himself another cup.

“He’s neither a baby nor a dangerous animal. Wasn’t it you who assured me that there is no danger coming from da-ge now?” Nie Huaisang sweetly wants to know and Wei Wuxian swallows heavily.

“It’s just a precaution,” he amends, letting out a nervous chuckle. “You know, just in case.”

“Just in case you fucked up once more and my da-ge has to suffer again?” Nie Huaisang asks and it effectively shuts Wei Wuxian up.

Nie Huaisang is glad that Lan Wangji opted to let his husband travel alone today because he would not have liked to deal with those glares today.

“And he is not alone. He is with his husband,” Nie Huaisang tells Wei Wuxian and watches with satisfaction how Wei Wuxian freezes in surprise.

“Husband?” Wei Wuxian repeats, more to himself than Nie Huaisang. “What do you mean, husband?”

“I mean the man he is married to,” Nie Huaisang explains with more patience than he really feels. “You should know what that is, seeing as you have a husband yourself. Or did you never really get the approval of Lan Wangji’s family?” Nie Huaisang curiously asks because he damn well knows that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian eloped because Lan Qiren would never approve of them.

“Hey,” Wei Wuxian complaints. “We are married!”

“Good for you,” Nie Huaisang replies. “Then you understand that da-ge is currently pre-occupied. And he’s also in good hands.”

“Uhm, Nie-zongzhu, no offense but I doubt that an ordinary person could subdue your brother should he lose control. Which of course is not going to happen because his state is stable, I promised you that, it’s just—just in case, you know.” He trails off with an awkward laugh and Nie Huaisang does so enjoy to watch him squirm.

“There is no need to worry. Da-ge is in very good hands. Capable hands. I wouldn’t worry if I were you.”

Or maybe that’s exactly the reason Wei Wuxian should worry but Nie Huaisang is not about to say that.

“Who is the husband then?” Wei Wuxian asks, his curiosity now clearly piqued. “Do I know him?”

“I think so,” Nie Huaisang says, pretending as if he has to think about it.

He does actually, because he’s no longer sure if Wei Wuxian truly does know Jiang Cheng at all. But he guesses they are about to find out.

“And it has to be someone who is strong enough to subdue him,” Wei Wuxian mutters. “Or maybe the person is just keeping him calm. Mh, yeah, probably that then,” he goes on and Nie Huaisang watches him with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re not going to tell me who it is, huh?” Wei Wuxian finally asks him and Nie Huaisang gives him his sweetest smile, which is clearly making Wei Wuxian uncomfortable.

“I am not. I think I want you to try and guess who it is,” Nie Huaisang says.

He doesn’t like how Wei Wuxian has treated Jiang Cheng in his time back, especially considering that for Wei Wuxian it has been a few seconds since he last saw Jiang Cheng. It has been years for Jiang Cheng on the other hand and still he seems more invested in this relationship than Wei Wuxian.

Nie Huaisang doesn’t like it.

Jiang Cheng has become family to him when he married Nie Mingjue and he stayed that way even when Nie Mingjue was dead.

And Nie Huaisang takes care of his family.

“Are you going to give me some more hints then?” Wei Wuxian asks, clearly already intrigued. “Because so far I have very little to go off on.”

“Fine,” Nie Huaisang heaves out. “Where to start,” he then muses. “I guess you could say da-ge married the biggest softie in the world,” Nie Huaisang finally says and Wei Wuxian frowns.

“A softie, huh? But someone who might be strong? Or maybe not? Mh, that doesn’t narrow it down at all. One more please?”

Wei Wuxian gives Nie Huaisang his most winning smile, which of course does absolutely nothing to Nie Huaisang.

“He’s playful. He likes to play pranks on da-ge and doesn’t allow him to be too serious,” Nie Huaisang says next and is surprised when understanding washes over Wei Wuxian’s face.

“Oh, so it’s Xichen-ge, right? Of course, it would make sense with their history,” he nods, not even waiting for Nie Huaisang to confirm or deny it and Nie Huaisang is kinda confused how he connected pranks to Lan Xichen.

But Nie Huaisang is happy to let him believe this if he really wants to, because he is quite protective of Jiang Cheng these days, especially after Wei Wuxian told him to leave it all in the past.

“He’s also very good with children,” Nie Huaisang goes on as if he hasn’t heard Wei Wuxian who nods along, clearly only getting his original idea confirmed.

“Let me guess, he’s also musical,” Wei Wuxian says and Nie Huaisang has to chuckle at that, because surprisingly enough Jiang Cheng is.

Nie Huaisang thinks he’s never heard anyone play the xun as beautifully as Jiang Cheng.

“He is indeed,” Nie Huaisang confirms. “Not that it matters much since da-ge has a deaf ear. He doesn’t even know to appreciate it.”

“Oh, that must be rough in a musical Sect as Gusu Lan then,” Wei Wuxian sighs out.

“I would suspect so,” Nie Huaisang says, still keeping it vague on purpose. “He’s athletic,” Nie Huaisang goes on, because there are actually so many more things he can list off about Jiang Cheng.

“Mh, all the arm strength,” Wei Wuxian says with a love-sick look on his face.

“Ew,” Nie Huaisang says, disgust making him shudder. “I don’t need to know that.”

“Aw, come on, Huaisang, you were the one handing out spring books back when we studied in the Cloud Recesses.”

“I did,” Nie Huaisang nods. “But those were of people I didn’t know. And it’s not as if I am interested in your sex life so I would appreciate it if you could stop.”

“Fine,” Wei Wuxian huffs out, clearly miffed that not everyone wants to hear about his sexual endeavours.

“Da-ge’s husband is also the most caring person I have ever met,” Nie Huaisang continues, thinking back to when Jiang Cheng couldn’t walk past any person in need, least at all children that were living on the streets.

There were definitely points in time when Nie Huaisang thought Lotus Pier was an orphanage and not a Great Sect.

“Yeah, Xichen-ge is a really warm-hearted man,” Wei Wuxian nods along with him and at this point now Nie Huaisang frowns.

“Er-ge? No one is talking about him,” he finally says and watches how Wei Wuxian’s mouth drops open.

“It’s not Xichen-ge? But who else could it be? Are you sure I know that person? With everything you have said I don’t think there’s someone fitting out there. And someone I know as well? Are you trolling me?”

“I am most definitely not,” Nie Huaisang says with vehemence and just in that moment his second in command comes in.

“Zongzhu, your brother and his husband are back. Should I tell them to wait for you?” he asks with a side-eye at Wei Wuxian.

But Nie Huaisang thinks this could be the best opportunity to show how much Wei Wuxian doesn’t know about Jiang Cheng.

“Tell them who my guest is and let them decide if they want to come here,” he still decides because he remembers how crushed Jiang Cheng was when Wei Wuxian simply fucked off with Lan Wangji without a look back.

And his da-ge has only recently managed to make Jiang Cheng smile again.

His second bows and leaves, leaving Nie Huaisang with a bouncing Wei Wuxian.

“Oh, I’m going to meet the mystery man,” he whispers, clearly beyond excited about this.

“Maybe,” Nie Huaisang corrects him. “Maybe he’ll decide he doesn’t want to see you.”

“But why should he?” Wei Wuxian asks with a frown and then perks up like the dogs he hates so much when the sound of voices reaches them.

They are still muffled through the door so Nie Huaisang guesses it can be excused that Wei Wuxian doesn’t immediately recognize Jiang Cheng’s voice but he can’t help but to tighten his grip on his cup.

Wei Wuxian is staring at the door even before it’s opened and Nie Huaisang keeps his eyes trained on him. He definitely doesn’t want to miss the moment he realizes.

And it truly is a sight to behold when Wei Wuxian’s face goes slack with surprise and his eyes go big. Nie Huaisang is tempted to lean over and close his mouth with his fan but it’s honestly more fun to see Wei Wuxian frozen with his surprise.

“A-Cheng?” he breathes out and Nie Huaisang stands up, smiling at his brother and Jiang Cheng before he turns around to Wei Wuxian.

“That’s Jiang-zongzhu to you,” he coldly says and then he finally leans down to close Wei Wuxian’s mouth for him. “And it seems as if you don’t know him at all.”

And with that Nie Huaisang turns away from Wei Wuxian, completely content to forget that he even exists.

“You left me alone for so long,” he whines out, immediately going to hang off Nie Mingjue’s shoulder, who of course indulges him.

Nie Huaisang has missed him so.

“What have you been up to?” Jiang Cheng asks as he pinches the bridge of his nose, watching Wei Wuxian from the corner of his eyes.

“Nothing, nothing, really nothing,” Nie Huaisang is quick to breathe out, before he bursts into laughter.

“I just reminded him that his perspective is not the only one in the world.”

“Mhm, sure,” Jiang Cheng says and then steadies Nie Huaisang with a hand when he stumbles as Nie Mingjue starts to walk away from Wei Wuxian. “Careful, Huaisang. My soul, don’t drag your brother along like this.”

“His fault if he won’t let go,” Nie Mingjue grumbles but he does slow down a bit.

It’s not prompting Nie Huaisang to let go though.

“Rude, da-ge. I bet you let Wanyin hang off you all the time.”

“That’s because I love him a whole lot,” Nie Mingjue immediately replies and Nie Huaisang watches with satisfaction how Jiang Cheng’s face goes all soft and Wei Wuxian seems to be even more surprised.

“Don’t even pretend, you big softie. You love your brother just as much,” Jiang Cheng chides him but there’s laughter in his voice and Nie Huaisang thinks he’s positively radiant with his happiness.

It’s good to see him like this after all these years.

“I’m so glad you’re back, da-ge,” Nie Huaisang says, completely serious and meaning it in more than one sense and Nie Mingjue ruffles his head for his troubles.

“I’m glad I’m back, too. I left my heart alone for way too long.”

Nie Huaisang sucks in a pained breath, clasping his hands over his chest.

“The pain! Betrayed by my own flesh and blood.”

“Still the same theatrics I see,” Jiang Cheng says and pokes him in the side. “He meant you.”

“Did not,” Nie Mingjue grumbles and pulls Jiang Cheng in for a soft kiss.

Normally Nie Huaisang would complain but he’s too busy gleefully looking back at Wei Wuxian who sees as if his whole world is recalibrating at the moment.

It’s what he deserves, Nie Huaisang thinks. Just like Nie Mingjue and Jiang Cheng deserve their happiness.

Link to my kofi

#bt writes #mingcheng #beetober2022 #the untamed #mdzs #outsider pov #established relationship #post canon #nhs is fed up with wwx #pettiness

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 6 - Song

Jiang Cheng wakes up with another preppy pop-song stuck in his head and he sighs as he buries his head back into his pillow.

It’s of course nice to have a soulmate, but sometimes Jiang Cheng wishes his would be a late sleeper and be into different music genres. Maybe even mix it up sometimes. If Jiang Cheng has to listen to one more pop-song for an entire day he’s going to lose his mind.

He doesn’t even know how his soulmate can stand it.

“Make it stoooooop,” Jiang Cheng groans into his pillow when his soulmate repeats the refrain over and over again.

“What’s going on?” Nie Huaisang asks, barging into Jiang Cheng’s room without any regard for his personal space and by now Jiang Cheng is so used to it that he doesn’t even blink an eye.

“It’s too early,” Jiang Cheng mumbles but of course that doesn’t deter Nie Huaisang from flopping on top of Jiang Cheng who lets out a groan at the suddenly added weight.

“For what?” Nie Huaisang wants to know and somehow Jiang Cheng manages to turn his head enough to glare at him.

“You, this,” Jiang Cheng gets out, flapping his hand in an undignified manner.

The song is still on a loop in his head.

“I’m going to go insane,” he whines out and Nie Huaisang laughs.

“Your soulmate again?”

“How can they listen to these catchy songs this early in the morning?”

Nie Huaisang only laughs at his plight and Jiang Cheng manages to wrestle him off himself for that. Nie Huaisang’s yelp is a sweet, sweet reward.

“That was so rude,” he complaints but Jiang Cheng only buries his face in his pillow, not that it does much to tune out the song inside his head.

“My soulmate is rude,” Jiang Cheng mutters and then lets out a surprised yell when Nie Huaisang steals his blanket from him. “What the fuck, Huaisang!”

“It’s time to get up,” Ne Huaisang decides. “You cannot mope around here all day, that won’t make the music situation better. What is your soulmate even listening to?”

“Nothing anymore,” Jiang Cheng grumbles but gets out of bed. “They are repeating the same refrain over and over again. I’m stuck in a loop,” Jiang Cheng sighs out as he gets dressed.

“Maybe it’s time to pester them with a song of your own?” Nie Huaisang suggests. “Just to get back at them.”

Jiang Cheng thought about that a lot as well, but the fact is: he doesn’t like music, he doesn’t have an ear for it and he certainly doesn’t have any musical understanding.

Never has and probably never will. Sure, he listens to the radio sometimes but no song has ever caught his attention enough to remember any words to it. He just doesn’t have an ear for music and he’s perfectly fine with that.

But that means that he has nothing he can annoy his soulmate in return with and when the same stupid refrain starts over in his head he wishes that were different.

If only to make his soulmate understand his own pain.

“I wish,” Jiang Cheng mutters and follows Nie Huaisang down the stairs.

Going by the smell that greets them Nie Mingjue has been up and about for a while and used the time to prepare breakfast for them.

“It smells divine,” Nie Huaisang say, sniffing the air and Jiang Cheng has to agree.

“Still too early for breakfast, though,” he complaints, mostly to be contrary and going by the look Nie Huaisang throws him, he knows it as well.

“Da-ge, A-Cheng says it’s too early for breakfast, I can have his share, right?” He blinks his eyes innocently at Nie Mingjue when they step into the kitchen but Nie Mingjue is not impressed.

“Absolutely not. Wanyin needs to eat breakfast himself. Also good morning,” he then greets them and both Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng are quick to say the same.

“You will eat,” Nie Mingjue reiterates once again when he puts a plate down in front of Jiang Cheng who dutifully nods and digs in not even a second later because Nie Mingjue’s cooking is simply too good to pass up. “How come you’re up this early?” Nie Mingjue wants to know and Jiang Cheng fights the blush that threatens to overcome him.

He still has to get used to the fact that while Nie Mingjue does pay attention to what he does he doesn’t do it in a malicious way, and he’s not going to use it against him like his family did. He’s not asking because he is accusing Jiang Cheng of being lazy normally, he just noticed that Jiang Cheng likes to sleep in on his days off.

That’s all, and Jiang Cheng has to consciously unclench.

“His soulmate,” Nie Huaisang helpfully chimes in when Jiang Cheng stays quiet for too long. “Apparently they’ve been listening to the same song over and over again.”

“Just the refrain,” Jiang Cheng corrects and frowns when Nie Mingjue freezes.

“Ah, I see,” he says then, turning away from them abruptly and Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng share a confused look.

“Everything okay?” Nie Huaisang wants to know but Nie Mingjue pretends as if he hasn’t heard him.

It only worries them further.

“Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang starts again but when Nie Mingjue pulls his shoulders up Jiang Cheng intercepts.

“Thank you for breakfast,” he says, giving Nie Huaisang a look that tells him to shut the hell up and then they have an entire conversation only with their eyebrows.

“Stop that,” Nie Mingjue says mildly, still with his back to them and both Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng freeze like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

“Sorry,” Jiang Cheng says and then digs into his breakfast, lightly kicking Nie Huaisang to do the same.

Breakfast is a quiet affair after that even when Nie Mingjue joins them and once the are all done Jiang Cheng motions for Nie Huaisang to leave.

He’s going to talk with Nie Mingjue about his strange mood, because he knows he tries to keep as much away from Nie Huaisang as he can and if something is troubling him then he’s more likely to open up to Jiang Cheng.

At least he hopes so.

Nie Huaisang hesitates for a few seconds before he finally gets up. “Thanks for breakfast, da-ge, A-Cheng will help you with this, I’m sure, I’m busy, so bye.”

It’s one of his stranger exits and Nie Mingjue notices as well, going by the thoughtful frown on his face.

“He thinks he did something wrong,” Jiang Cheng explains as he gathers the plates. “Did he?” he asks when Nie Mingjue stays quiet and he’s not prepared to see him look down at his clasped hands, misery written all over his face when Jiang Cheng turns back around to him. “Mingjue, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” Nie Mingjue says, which just doesn’t make sense at all and Jiang Cheng sits down opposite of Nie Mingjue again.

“About what?”

“The music,” Nie Mingjue mutters and hides his hands under the table. “I’ll try to tone it done.”

“What music?” Jiang Cheng asks because he can’t remember if Nie Mingjue ever listened to music when they were in the same room and so Jiang Cheng has never been annoyed by it.

“You’re—the music,” Nie Mingjue say again and taps his temple. “I know I’m your soulmate but I never considered how it might be annoying for you to have to listen to my songs all day.”

The answer leaves Jiang Cheng completely flabbergasted.

“Excuse me, you’re my what,” he whispers eventually and Nie Mingjue shrugs. “Why did you never say something?”

“Because you’re not mine,” Nie Mingjue whispers and gives Jiang Cheng a small, sad smile. “I can’t hear your music. I thought it would be better to not say anything at all, but I failed to consider how it might annoy you. I’m sorry.”

“Wait, wait, wait, hold on,” Jiang Cheng rambles. “You’re my soulmate? You’re into catchy pop-songs?”

“So what?” Nie Mingjue asks, clearly defensive about this preferred music but Jiang Cheng is still stuck on the fact that it’s been Nie Mingjue all along.

“You’re my soulmate,” he whispers, completely delighted by that fact but then he remembers how Nie Mingjue is convinced that Jiang Cheng isn’t his.

“Wait, why am I not your soulmate again?” he asks even though he’s reasonably sure that Nie Mingjue just told him but he can’t remember.

Nie Mingjue is his soulmate!

“I can’t hear your music. I can’t hear anyone’s music, to be honest, so I guess I don’t have a soulmate.”

“Bullshit,” Jiang Cheng immediately says. “You’re so amazing, there’s no way the universe would not give you anyone.”

“Then how do you explain the absence of songs in my head?” Nie Mingjue wants to know and at that Jiang Cheng has to laugh.

“No offense, but you listen to enough music for both of us. And let’s just—I’m in love with you, okay?” Jiang Cheng softly tells him. “I’m just not a fan of music. I don’t listen to music, not really. I have not a single song memorized. I could still be your soulmate, though,” he says, because he hopes that he is Nie Mingjue’s soulmate as well.

“Here, let’s try this,” Jiang Cheng decides and tries to remember the song Happy birthday.

He knows that it shouldn’t be this hard, but he has no ear or interest for music and so even that takes him a few tries but in the end he thinks he manages it.

“Happy birthday, really?” Nie Mingjue grumbles but then starts to beam at Jiang Cheng. “That was you, right?”

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng nods. “Don’t ask me to do it again, though,” he then begs because even that leaves him with a headache.

“You’re my soulmate,” Nie Mingjue whispers, clearly still in wonder about that fact and Jiang Cheng smiles warmly at him.

“And you’re mine,” he says and offers Nie Mingjue his hand over the table. “Hello, soulmate. I’ve been dying to meet you.”

“Hi,” Nie Mingjue gives back as he takes Jiang Cheng’s hand in his. “Likewise.”

(Sometimes Nie Mingjue needs a little reminder that Jiang Cheng really, truly is his soulmate and Jiang Cheng memorises a song just for that occasion. Nie Mingjue still listens to his preppy songs but now that Jiang Cheng knows it’s him, it’s much less annoying than before.)

Link to my ko-fi

#bt writes #mingcheng #the untamed #mdzs #beetober2022 #modern au #soulmates #getting together #hurt/comfort #fluff

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 3 - Paper-thin

Nie Mingjue dreads going to dinner with Jiang Cheng to his sisters. Jiang Yanli is a perfectly likeable person, but dinner at her place means Wei Wuxian is going to be there as well and as soon as that constellation comes together, Jiang Yanli forgets that Jiang Cheng is her brother as well.

Not to mention all the stupid shit Wei Wuxian spouts all day long.

So no, Nie Mingjue is not a big fan of meeting those two, but Jiang Cheng likes going to sibling dinner—for whatever reason—and so Nie Mingjue will happily trail along with him.

Because he loves spending time with Jiang Cheng and there’s never too much of that, no matter the circumstances.

“Thank you for always accompanying me,” Jiang Cheng says on the car drive there and Nie Mingjue reaches over to take his hand.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” he wants to know but when Jiang Cheng levels him with a look, Nie Mingjue grins sheepishly at him.

Of course Jiang Cheng would notice his feelings about siblings dinner.

“Okay, point taken,” Nie Mingjue sighs.

“And that’s why I’m saying thank you,” Jiang Cheng says and raises their hands to press a kiss to the back of Nie Mingjue’s. “I know you kind of hate it, but you come with me every time anyway, and I can’t be thankful enough for it.”

“It’s siblings dinner. I should be honoured to even be invited.”

“What the hell, Mingjue. You’re my soul, of course you’re invited. As if I’m going there without you.”

Nie Mingjue wants to argue about that, because of course Jiang Cheng would still go to see his siblings even without Nie Mingjue but he understands what Jiang Cheng means.

Sometimes it’s hard for Jiang Cheng as well, especially if Wei Wuxian is in one of his moods. Jiang Cheng never learned how to handle those and Nie Mingjue has proven himself to be a good buffer between them.

“As if I would let you go in there alone, anyway,” Nie Mingjue gives back with a smile and they spend the rest of the drive in silence.

A silence with Jiang Cheng has never been uncomfortable and Nie Mingjue is beyond grateful for that.

Nothing is ever as easy as spending time with his heart.

“Here we go,” Jiang Cheng whispers when Nie Mingjue brings the car to a stop in front of Jiang Yanli’s house and gets out of the car, Nie Mingjue following close behind him.

Jiang Cheng uses the key his sister gave him a while back but he hesitates when he hears Wei Wuxian all the way through the house from the backyard.

“Sounds like he’s having fun,” Nie Mingjue mildly says, putting a reassuring hand to Jiang Cheng’s lower back. “You wanna see what he’s up to?”

“Not particularly,” Jiang Cheng sighs out but he does make his way to the backyard.

“Chengcheng!” Wei Wuxian yells out when Jiang Cheng steps out of the house. “You’re finally here.”

Nie Mingjue does wonder how Wei Wuxian has arrived before them because he’s not known to be someone who arrives on time. Ever.

“You’re here early,” Jiang Cheng remarks as well and Wei Wuxian immediately pouts.

“What is that supposed to mean? I’m always on time!”

Jiang Cheng’s only answer to that is to snort out a laugh because Wei Wuxian has never been on time before.

“Where’s a-jie?” Jiang Cheng asks instead of encouraging this topic any further and Nie Mingjue looks around as well.

Neither Jiang Yanli nor Jin Zixuan seem to be at home.

“The peacock’s father wanted something so they all had to leave. Shijie said we should make ourselves at home and start with dinner if they are not back in half an hour.”

“I see,” Jiang Cheng mutters and shares a gaze with Nie Mingjue, who can only shrug. 

He hasn’t heard anything from Nie Huaisang so this must be a family matter. If it were business related Nie Huaisang would have heard about it beforehand.

“Did you check what’s for dinner?” Jiang Cheng asks but he loses Wei Wuxian’s attention when Lan Wangji steps up behind him.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian yells out and immediately throws his hands around Lan Wangji’s neck, shamelessly snuggling in and it’s not long before they lose themselves to their heated kiss.

It’s kind of nauseating to watch.

“Ugh,” Jiang Cheng also says and turns away from them. “Would it kill you to keep the PDA to a minimum for one evening?” he demands to know and Wei Wuxian flips him the bird without taking his tongue out of Lan Wangji’s mouth.

Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at that and steps closer to Nie Mingjue as if he can protect him from the sight. If Nie Mingjue could do that, he would and gladly so, because he’s also not a big fan of seeing them make-out right in front of them.

“It would actually,” Wei Wuxian says once he finally parts from Lan Wangji.

“How can you have such a thick face?” Jiang Cheng wants to know but Nie Mingjue knows the answer. 

Wei Wuxian is simply completely shameless and on top of that lacks the ability to understand social cues. Nie Mingjue really is not at all surprised that Wei Wuxian doesn’t realize his behaviour is upsetting people but he would have thought Lan Wangji would speak up eventually and not simply go along with Wei Wuxian’s every whim.

“How can yours be so paper-thin?” Wei Wuxian shoots back and Nie Mingjue immediately narrows his eyes at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jiang Cheng asks but Nie Mingjue already doesn’t like where this is going to go.

“I mean that you could stand to be a bit more affectionate with Mingjue-ge over here otherwise he’ll think you don’t care about him at all.”

Jiang Cheng can only stare at Wei Wuxian, his mouth widely open and Nie Mingjue steps closer, to let him know that he’s there, that he has support.

“I know how much Wanyin cares about me, I don’t need his tongue in my mouth for that,” Nie Mingjue mildly says and then smiles slightly at Lan Wangji when he narrows his eyes at him.

He saw Lan Wangji in diapers. He can’t scare Nie Mingjue.

“Ah, but come on Mingjue-ge, you can admit to it,” Wei Wuxian needles him as he slides up next to Nie Mingjue. “You’d love to take Jiang Cheng and simply kiss him stupid, right?” His eyebrows waggle in a way that shouldn’t be possible and Nie Mingjue is more weirded out than anything.

He still feels Jiang Cheng tense at his side.

“But Wanyin wouldn’t want that,” Nie Mingjue gives back, a slight furrow in his brow now and that only gets more pronounced when Wei Wuxian doesn’t seem to get his point at all.

“So? I bet he’ll be okay with it once you get started.”

That makes Nie Mingjue freeze.

“Excuse me?”

Jiang Cheng is crossing his arms in front of his chest in a way that lets Nie Mingjue know that he’s deeply uncomfortable with this topic, but Nie Mingjue can’t let it go now.

“What the hell, Wei Wuxian?”

“Oh, come on, you wouldn’t be forcing him, if that’s what you’re thinking right now. You are in a relationship, right? Affectionate gestures are to be expected there.”

Wei Wuxian says it with a small nod as if it’s the most normal thing in the world and Nie Mingjue can only stare in horror at him.

“It would be forcing him, though,” he finally gets out. “And I would never do that to him. He doesn’t like PDA, so we don’t do it. It’s not actually that hard.”

“But how can you be sure that he really loves you if he doesn’t even want you to kiss him?” Wei Wuxian asks and Jiang Cheng flinches at Nie Mingjue’s side.

“I have to–” Jiang Cheng points at the house and takes off without waiting for anyone to reply.

Nie Mingjue stares after him until he vanishes in the house and then he turns his glare towards Wei Wuxian.

“I know Wanyin loves me because he tells me so. The amount of time his tongue spends in my mouth has absolutely no bearing on that fact and I don’t appreciate you implying something like this. I’m sorry if you can only believe that Wangji loves you when you’re sucking face but not all of us are like that. I would even believe him if he never touched me again but still insisted he loves me. Because I trust him and I would never–and I truly mean never–force him to do something he doesn’t want, since that would be non-consensual and our relationship is not like that. Now, if you would excuse me, I think Wanyin and I are going to find dinner somewhere else.”

Nie Mingjue turns around on his heels and walks off before Wei Wuxian can find his voice.

Just like he expected he finds Jiang Cheng at the front door, his shoes already put on and clearly only waiting for him.

“I’m coming, my heart,” Nie Mingjue promises and briefly touches their hands together before he hurries to get himself dressed again.

They are out of the house in under five minutes but it isn’t before they are in the car that Jiang Cheng speaks.

“Is he right?” Jiang Cheng whispers and Nie Mingjue immediately reaches for his hand.

“No, he’s not.”

“You don’t even know what I mean,” Jiang Cheng huffs out but there’s already the beginning of a smile on his face and Nie Mingjue counts it as a win.

“Doesn’t matter, Wei Wuxian is never right, and especially not when it comes to you or our relationship.”

“So you don’t mind that we don’t do–that in public?”

“I’m sorry to inform you but you’re not the only one against that level of PDA. Sure, I wouldn’t mind a kiss here and there, but that? Hell no. I wouldn’t want to do that either.”

“And the fact that you don’t even get a kiss from me when we’re out?”

“Is perfectly alright, my heart,” Nie Mingjue reassures him. “I know you love me, those actions don’t have any bearing on that and I know how uncomfortable it makes you. I would rather never get a kiss from you again than make you uncomfortable in any way.”

Jiang Cheng slowly lets out a breath.

“I love you,” he then says and turns towards Nie Mingjue with a smile.

“See, that is better than any kiss anyway,” Nie Mingjue says, the same big smile on his face. “And I love you, too. Now let’s get something to eat, alright?”

“Please,” Jiang Cheng agrees and squeezes Nie Mingjue’s hand.

And really, that is everything Nie Mingjue needs.

Link to my kofi  

#bt writes #beetober2022 #mingcheng #the untamed #mdzs #modern au #hurt/comfort #background wangxian #pda

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 Day 5 - Prickly

When Yu Ziyuan tells Jiang Cheng that he’s going to accompany them to Qinghe Nie, he’s honestly too surprised to even say anything.

He hasn’t been allowed to go to any official meetings lately, mostly because his father insists that he’s not fit to be out in public.

Just thinking about it hurts as much as the very first time his father has said it and so the fact that he’s supposed to come to Qinghe Nie now is actually quite baffling.

“Why?” he gets out, just a few moments before his mother walks away and she gives him a scathing glance.

“It’s time you prove yourself in public. I don’t expect you to make me proud, but at least try not to embarrass us too much. We need this alliance with Qinghe Nie and if you’re—” she vaguely points at Jiang Cheng’s face “—ruins this for us then you can imagine what will happen.”

On reflex Jiang Cheng presses his lips closed and simply nods.

Yeah, he can imagine very well what’s going to happen should he fuck up and he’s not keen on doing it.

So that means he’ll try his best to be present but not talk and he will need to remember to keep his head down when he eats. If someone should see his pointed canines—fangs, as Wei Wuxian so lovingly dubbed them—and talk about them his parents will be furious.

Jiang Cheng isn’t entirely too sure why his canines being this pointed are such a bad thing, but his father insists that they are and it’s not as if Jiang Cheng is allowed out much, so he didn’t actually have a chance to ask anyone else. He doesn’t have friends; he doesn’t even have anyone he trusts apart from his family.

This trip is actually going to be pretty exciting, because Jiang Cheng will finally get to meet other people but it’s also going to be so nerve-wrecking because he’ll have to remember to keep his mouth closed at all times.

He just hopes no one will ask him any questions.

As soon as he thinks it, he scoffs because he’s a sheltered heir and it’s not as if his father has been spreading any good things about him. So why should anyone even talk to him?

Still, nerves keep Jiang Cheng up most nights leading up to the conference and he’s so jittery that he even fumbles most of his training for the last week right before the conference.

His mother is furious with him even before they leave for Qinghe and Jiang Cheng vows to keep his head down and blend into the background.

No one will notice him.

~*~*~

“Remember,” Jiang Fengmian sternly tells him, Yu Ziyuan glowering at Jiang Cheng from behind his back. “No unnecessary talking.”

“I know,” Jiang Cheng whispers, keeping his head down and his lips as closed as possible.

He’s determined to not fuck this up.

So he follows behind his parents, nods his head when it’s appropriate and otherwise continues to be a quiet shadow in the back.

And it’s all going well, right until Nie Huaisang slides up to him.

“You must be Jiang Wanyin,” he cheerfully says. “I’m Nie Huaisang. It’s nice to finally meet you! It’s so dreadful being the only heir at these kind of events.”

“Hello,” Jiang Cheng mutters, darting a look over at his parents and immediately shrinking back when his mother glares at him.

Just keep them hidden, Jiang Cheng reminds himself and presses his lips together.

“You haven’t been here before, right?” Nie Huaisang goes on, clearly not noticing anything wrong with Jiang Cheng so far.

He hopes to keep it that way.

“No,” Jiang Cheng answers, keeping his head low, making sure that his lips cover his teeth at all times. “It’s my first time.”

“Ah, then I’ll have to show you around, Qinghe is beautiful and your parents certainly won’t take you to the fun places.”

“That’s alright, no need,” Jiang Cheng mumbles and hopes he comes off as polite but distant. He doesn’t need Nie Huaisang to pester him until he forgets himself.

Even though Jiang Cheng would love to get to know Nie Huaisang better. Maybe he could even be a friend.

“No, no, every need!” Nie Huaisang goes on but just a second later he frowns. “Is there a reason you’re this prickly?” he then asks, tilting his head curiously at Jiang Cheng.

“Wanyin,” Jiang Fengmian says just in that moment and Jiang Cheng is actually thankful for the interruption.

He wouldn’t have known how to answer that question anyway.

“Yes, father,” Jiang Cheng replies and immediately gets up and leaves Nie Huaisang behind even though he doesn’t want to.

But this is safer for him, after all.

“What did you do?” Jiang Fengmian asks him on their way to their rooms and Jiang Cheng ducks his head.

“Nothing. I barely even talked to him.”

“Mh,” his father hums out, clearly not believing him but Jiang Cheng doesn’t know what else to say. It’s not as if he’s ever going to believe him no matter what he says.

“Today was just a day of greetings,” his father tells him. “Negotiations start tomorrow, so I expect you to be on your best behaviour.

What he means is that he wants Jiang Cheng quiet and obedient and so Jiang Cheng simply nods. He’ll try his best, even though it’s usually not good enough anyway.

The next day brings Nie Huaisang back to his side. Jiang Cheng tries to appear as unapproachable as possible but it doesn’t seem like Nie Huaisang is being deterred by that if the way he sticks to Jiang Cheng’s side.

Jiang Cheng can barely make a step without Nie Huaisang accompanying him. Jiang Cheng mostly answers him with grunts and hums, because there’s no way in hell that he can talk the entire day without slipping up.

Nie Huaisang doesn’t seem to mind that much because he keeps chattering away and he doesn’t seem unhappy as well. Maybe he’s just that easy-going, Jiang Cheng thinks with envy.

He wishes he could be this care-free as well.

Jiang Cheng unbend a bit by the end of the day, mostly worn down by Nie Huaisang’s happy chatter and his acceptance of Jiang Cheng’s apparent taciturn nature but when Jiang Cheng gets back to their assigned rooms that night, he knows that things are not going well for them right now.

“What did you do?” Jiang Fengmian hisses at him and Jiang Cheng shrinks back.

“Nothing,” he promises. “I barely even talked all day.”

“That better be true,” Jiang Fengmian tells him. “If you scared them away with your—” yet again another vague gesture at his face “—then you won’t be happy when we get home.”

Jiang Cheng bites back that he hasn’t been happy in quite a while already but he knows that him talking back is not going to help at all.

“I’ll keep my head down,” Jiang Cheng promises because what else is he going to say to that.

“See that you do,” Jiang Fengmian says before he dismisses Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng vows to himself that he’s not going to talk at all tomorrow.

He didn’t fuck up yet but who knows; better not tempt the fates.

So the next day has him even more quiet than before and it seems that this time even Nie Huaisang notices it.

“Is everything okay?” he asks around midday and Jiang Cheng is too scared to look around but he swears he can feel his father’s stare on his back.

“Sure,” Jiang Cheng quickly says, ducking his head but it seems like this time something caught Nie Huaisang’s attention.

“Say, can you talk again?” he asks, completely unbothered by his slightly rude question.

“No,” Jiang Cheng presses out, desperately trying to keep his teeth covered.

But it seems like Nie Huaisang smelled blood now because he ducks down, trying to get a good look at Jiang Cheng.

“I think you should say something again,” he needles him and Jiang Cheng desperately looks around for help.

His father is still talking to Nie Mingjue, and their discussion seems uncharacteristically heated. Jiang Cheng has never seen his father gesture this much.

“Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang suddenly yells and immediately gets Nie Mingjue’s attention. Together with everyone elses. “Come here for a second,” he then says, waving his hand at Nie Mingjue and Jiang Cheng’s stomach drops when his father slowly turns around to him.

“What did you do?” he demands to know and Jiang Cheng shrinks back.

“If you would excuse me,” Nie Mingjue says with a hard glare at Jiang Fengmian. “What is it, Huaisang?” he asks when he joined them and his gaze lingers now on Jiang Cheng.

“Listen here,” Nie Huaisang says and motions for him to bend down. “Look,” he then says and points at Jiang Cheng.

“What?” Nie Mingjue asks, clearly not seeing what he’s supposed to see and Jiang Cheng fights the instinct to flee.

Being pinned by Nie Mingjue’s gaze like that makes him flush all over and he’s not about to add another incident to this apparent fiasco of a meeting.

“Ouch,” he yells when Nie Huaisang pinches his side. “What the hell,” he grumbles and only realizes his fuck up when both Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue stare incredulously at him.

“Fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters and slams a hand over his face.

“Everyone out,” Nie Mingjue orders, directing a scathing glare at Jiang Fengmian.

Jiang Cheng is about to get up as well, when a warm heavy hand comes to rest on his shoulder.

“You’re going to stay,” Nie Mingjue says, his voice much softer now and Jiang Cheng can do nothing but sink back into his seat even though his father seems to be fuming.

“I did something wrong, didn’t I?” Jiang Cheng carefully asks, raising his hand to cover his mouth but Nie Mingjue gently pushes it down.

“No, you haven’t. Is this what they’ve been telling you? That something about you is wrong?”

Jiang Cheng can’t bring himself to answer that honestly but going by the look Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang share the answer is more than clear.

“They told you to keep quiet and not show your canines, right?” Nie Huaisang asks and he seems angry.

“Didi, if you can’t control yourself get out,” Nie Mingjue tells him, rather unkindly and Nie Huaisang turns around on his heel and storms off.

“And people say I have a temper problem,” Nie Mingjue mutters and then turns back to Jiang Cheng. “Now, the thing is, our perception of the world is a little bit differently than that of other Sects.”

“How so?” Jiang Cheng asks, still trying to hide his teeth out of habit.

“It’s alright, Wanyin, you can relax,” Nie Mingjue reassures him. “I don’t know what your parents told you, but for us, pointed and sharp canines are a sign that you are a descendant from heavenly beings. Of those very beings that we still worship here,” Nie Mingjue tells him and Jiang Cheng blinks in confusion.

“I don’t understand,” Jiang Cheng admits and Nie Mingjue smiles warmly at him, immediately putting Jiang Cheng at ease.

“It means that it’s a sign of the divine for us. Something to be proud of, something to worship.”

“My canines,” Jiang Cheng tonelessly says and Nie Mingjue nods.

“Yes.”

“My parents don’t think the same,” he then offers and Nie Mingjue snorts.

Jiang Cheng immediately crushes the thought that that was incredibly cute. He doesn’t need complications of that kind, not after this revelation.

“I noticed,” Nie Mingjue drily says. “And I think Huaisang noticed, too, so we might have a little problem. He can be vengeful.”

“A problem?”

“He’s not going to be nice to your parents.”

“Oh, I see,” Jiang Cheng says but can’t really say that he minds.

“So, I don’t know if you know why you are here but your parents want to negotiate a deal with us and I don’t particularly want to deal with your parents.”

“You’ve been very stand-offish, I have heard.”

“Yes. I hope you don’t mind this but I very much dislike your parents and that was before I knew about this.”

“You’re not the first to dislike them,” Jiang Cheng admits and Nie Mingjue gives him an understanding glance.

“Well, even though we can somewhat pretend, I bet Huaisang won’t from now on. He’s going to be so goddamn annoying to them now.”

The thought makes Jiang Cheng laugh and he only remembers himself when Nie Mingjue’s gaze stays on his face the entire time.

Jiang Cheng is sure that he’s reading the heat behind his gaze wrong but then Nie Mingjue reaches out for his hand.

“Listen,” Nie Mingjue carefully starts and Jiang Cheng can feel himself flush.

“I’m sorry about that,” he interrupts Nie Mingjue but Nie Mingjue shakes his head.

“I thought it was rather cute, actually,” Nie Mingjue shamelessly says and it makes Jiang Cheng speechless. “I have a proposition for you.”

He gives him a questioning look and when Jiang Cheng can’t find his voice fast enough he simply nods.

“I’m going to agree to your parent’s deal,” Nie Mingjue starts and Jiang Cheng braces himself for the but that surely is about to come. “But I’ll be asking for you to marry into my Sect.”

Jiang Cheng blinks.

“Wanyin, did I lose you somewhere?”

“At the part where you said you want me,” Jiang Cheng honestly gives back and Nie Mingjue smiles at him.

It’s the first time that Jiang Cheng notices that his canines are slightly pointier than normal as well.

“I do, though. I want you to marry in. I want you out of that family and to be honest, I do think you’re cute. I think a courtship between us will show if we’re compatible but at the very least we can be friends. And you get to call a place your home where people appreciate you.”

“Deal,” Jiang Cheng blurts out, because everything Nie Mingjue has just said sounded amazing. “I’d like to try a courtship.”

“Then we’ll try that,” Nie Mingjue nods. “Let me inform your parents.”

He’s about to leave and take his hand back from Jiang Cheng but Jiang Cheng tightens his grip on him.

“Wait,” he rushes out, unable to meet Nie Mingjue’s eyes. “What if they don’t agree?”

“They will. They are kind of desperate for this deal, to be honest. And with what I have seen—I mean no offence but it doesn’t seem like they are particularly keen on keeping you around.”

“What an understatement,” Jiang Cheng mutters.

“Well, I already know I want to keep you around, so you’re much better off with me anyway,” Nie Mingjue assuredly says and Jiang Cheng can do nothing but believe him.

“Okay, then,” he agrees and flushes yet again when Nie Mingjue presses a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s knuckles.

“Let’s get this started then,” he decides and turns around to call Jiang Cheng’s parents back in.

Jiang Cheng’s heart beats fast and heavy in his chest but for once in his life it’s in joyful anticipation.

(Jiang Cheng’s parents of course agree, and with much less fuss than even Nie Mingjue would have thought. It only enrages Nie Huaisang further. Jiang Cheng and Nie Mingjue are compatible and live a very happy life as a married couple. No one mentions Jiang Cheng’s canines in a negative way ever again and Jiang Cheng never tires of the way Nie Mingjue moans when he uses them for more sexy reasons.)

Link to my ko-fi

#bt writes #mingcheng #the untamed #beetober2022 #mdzs #canon au #superstitions #worship #hurt/comfort #getting together #jc's family sucks #like always

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2022 is officially a go fellas!! Everyone is very welcome to use these as well if you're so inclined!

Under the cut is a little TMI about my life at the moment, and it's not so happy so read at your own risk.

Please do not expect to see a complete Beetober from me this year, even though I'll try my best. But my dad got diagnosed with cancer back in February and his health is declining so much and so fast and writing is just very hard these days.

I'll try to finish it mostly because I like the challenge and it gives me such a victory rush to complete Beetober but with how it's looking I will have other things to do in October. But maybe it'll be a nice distraction from everything, so who knows🤷🏻‍♀️

#bt talks #beetober2022