Hold on to me

Untitled Part 3

Jiang Cheng fiddled with his robe, making sure that there were no creases left to be seen. His grip on Sandu tightened and as he took a deep breath facing the docks of Lotus Pier. Huaisang was nowhere to be found, but he promised to be there when the guest arrived. Jiang Cheng didn't know how long he was going to wait until the boat carrying Meihu Ling would arrive, he felt uneasy yet firm. He can't let his nerves get to him now, he was the feared Sandu Sengshou for crying out loud, if anyone should be afraid or nervous it should be the maiden and not him.

"Wanyin?" a soft and recognizable voice called out from behind him. He turned and felt his breath get stuck in his throat. Huaisang looked ethereal, he held back a gasp at the realization that his husband was not wearing Qinghe Nie's color, rather he was clad in the soft hues of purples and violets of Yunmeng Jiang with accents of gold and green adorning the bottom half of his robes. A jade pendant, a clarity bell and his signature fan was attached to his belt that hugged his frame rather well. His hair was different too, with two side braids that met in the middle and his top half bun adorned with a purple ribbon.

Jiang Cheng had to mentally slap himself out of the daze, he had to admit Huaisang looked. Beautiful.
To be fair, even as teenagers Huaisang always had this air of beauty around him, he had considered Huaisang as pretty before. His boyish look only somehow enhanced how his features looked, his smooth hands unmarred by scars and the effects of war and instead stained with ink from years of painting and writing poetry, his hair framed his face delicately as his youthful energy was only enhanced with Wei Wuxian dragging him along with his antics. Now though, everything about him changed yet somehow he stayed the same. He was still Nie Huaisang, his childhood friend and confidant, now his husband. But at the same time he is Nie Huaisang, Chief Head cultivator and the Qinghe Nie sect leader who hid more wit and brains than anyone had ever expected. Nevertheless, he felt proud and somehow happy that he had agreed to marry this man.

Nie Huaisang saw it. It was brief but he saw Jiang Cheng's lingering gaze at him. He felt thrilled at eliciting such a reaction from his husband, it wasn't a coincidence that he wore the colors of Yunmeng Jiang Clan, Wanyin may be taking in a new wife but that doesn't mean Huaisang was any less of a husband. He knew that, and he wasn't going to let anyone make him feel as if he didn't belong, because he had been there from the start. Lotus Pier became his second home the moment they had bowed three times in front of the whole cultivation world and he was going to defend it.

"Huaisang" Jiang Cheng greeted, Huaisang smiled widely and stood next to him. His fan snapped open and fluttered about. "Are you excited?" he asked. It was a simple question a 'yes or no' question. Yet Jiang Cheng felt as if any of those answers aren't enough.

"Having qualms" he reasoned.

Huaisang nodded, it was a normal reaction he figured, it wasn't everyday the great Sandu Sengshou had to show his courting skills. The only time he had ever heard of his husband ever doing that was towards the late Miss Wen Qing (Courtesy of Wei Wuxian when they talked over two jars of emperor's smile just days after the wedding in Qinghe) needless to say, the affection had not been reciprocated. But the effort was there, Huaisang is interested to see what the great Sandu Sengshou would do this time. Though it pricked his heart to know that it will never be directed at him he hoped that it goes well for his husband.

Sure enough when the sun was at it's highest the people of Yunmeng Jiang
gathered forth upon seeing three boats heading for the docks. Jiang Cheng stiffened yet straightened his posture, Nie Huaisang found it amusing, he reached to smooth out a crease on his husband's robe and moved the hair from his face.

"Look sharp now Wanyin" Huaisang teased. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes playfully and nudged his husbands shoulder.

The breeze rolled in as the boats landed the docks, Jiang Cheng craned his head to see better as people in cream colored robes filed out of the boats and greeted the people around. The last to appear was a fine young lady, clad in yellow and gold. Her hair was done in a neat bun adorned with gold flecks and a flower pin that secured it. Her eyes were a light shade of brown and her face was small and petite. She was a head smaller than Jiang Cheng almost reaching Huaisang's height. She was accompanied by two attendants who trailed behind her. Jiang Cheng was surprised to see that her father was not present to escort her as well.