Jiang Cheng had waited until breakfast to approach ZeWu Jun. A disciple had informed him that the man was on a stroll around Lotus Pier. Early hours of the morning had brought him a message from Master Lan of a missing ZeWu Jun. He replied back immediately assuring ZeWu Jun's whereabouts, safety and earlier return. He had to calm himself and prepare for the parting.
Yesterday at been special and would be itched in his memory no matter where it went between them. He also knew that would never again be able to think about liking another with the way he felt around the Lan Sect Leader.
He found him after a single circle around the area. He was standing by Jiang Cheng's room, staring at the lake that had terrible memories of his drowning much to his embarrassment. He chose not to address the painful subject and calls, "Did you have a good sleep Sect Leader Lan?"
Jiang Cheng did not expect a full smile in return, "Yes. Very pleasant. And please, when it just the two of us, I really prefer Lan Huan over Sect Leader Lan."
Jiang Cheng did not respond, he Could Not. He had already broken the barrier and called him Lan Huan a few times, there was no point in saying he could not. He just looked into the lake and thought talking about drowning sounded so much better right now. After what seemed like a long time of silence where Jiang Cheng barely held himself, shifting from foot to foot, he came to remember why he was looking for Lan Xichen.
"Your uncle sent a message that you have been missing. We need to go back. I have told him that we are returning at the earliest."
"Do you want me to leave so soon?" Jiang Cheng almost gritted his teeth, what was with him and his sweet talk all of a sudden?
"It.. is the responsible thing to do." He looked at the man, frowning.
"But do you want me to do the responsible thing?" Jiang Cheng saw the storm, dipped lower to his lips and felt the need to quiver. What was he implying? Jiang Cheng felt his resolve to make some distance with this man crumble but he couldn't say what he wanted to.
"Let's just go. Master Lan is worried." he stormed off and heard the footsteps behind him. Without waiting, he climbed his sword and started away, not looking to see if Shuoyue followed. Only when he reached Cloud Recess nested within the mountain did he look behind him. As if ZeWu Jun was waiting for him to turn, the man took a sharp right and Jiang Cheng could do nothing but follow.
They were in the residential part of Cloud Recess. The trees were taller, older here and a single small pond sat in the corner. He didn't know lotuses grew here, in such a harsh environment. He didn't say anything, as the broad shoulders in front of him strode ahead after dismounting and opened a particular door. The inside was a cosy, two-story establishment. They had entered a sitting area where everything apart from the wood was in shades of white and light blue.
He understood where they were and backed out immediately. As if on cue, the person before him turned around,
"Wanyin, come in," the way Lan Xichen said his name, made him halt.
"Umm..." he hesitated. He didn't want to see the memories of Meng Yao or its effect on Lan Huan.
"I insist." Jiang Cheng could do nothing but step in. The room was bare. There was no sign of a living person but a self full of some books, a simple xiao, a jade carving and nothing else. The room seemed to have been bared down to basic furniture, sheets and rugs. Was it always like this? He knew ZeWu Jun particularly liked painting, many of his creations hung in Koi Tower and Unclean Sect throne room. Where were all the jade offerings Meng Yao had openly offered Sect Leader Lan at every other conference?
He didn't dare ask what he wanted to instead asked, "Why are we here?"
"I have been to your living space, with our closeness, it is only fair you know where I live. Besides, I wanted to show you that I have removed every piece of his memories from the room."
Jiang Cheng went from feeling embarrassed to being uncomfortable to unsure. What should he feel about this? He looked into the hopeful eyes of Lan Xichen and wanted to ask why was he showing this to him. Did he mean to show that he was moving on? Or what did he mean by 'our closeness'? Jiang Cheng was close to pulling his hair out. A bit frustrated, he thought it was best he submit this large man to his uncle as soon as possible and go back to the peace and quiet of his own home, to think.
Jiang Cheng nodded, turned around but did not miss the look of disappointment or the fallen smile. As he walked all the way to the little pond.
"I got it here for you. It's been growing well." To say Jiang Cheng was shocked was an understatement. The question slipped from his lips before he could swallow it.
"When?"
"Uh! Forget it. Let's just go and see Grandmaster Lan," he hurried away only to be pulled back suddenly by a pair of large hands on his shoulders. Now, Jiang Cheng had never felt small but having his shoulders enveloped in a pair of large hands will make you feel so. If not, being pulled back into an envelope of the large frame will do it. That's how Jiang Cheng felt. Small in comparison to Lan Huan.
"About..." He knew Lan Huan was going to answer his question, so he shook his head, "Don't. Don't answer it. I don't want to know."
Jiang Cheng could hear his own voice filled with insecurity, hurt, being unsteady. The feeling of being a replacement crept up to him as his eyes landed on the open door and the bare room past it. He hated it. Hated feeling like this. The worst feeling in the world was feeling weak. And he felt weak, letting his emotions control him, instead of his head.
He reached out and harshly pried the fingers away from his shoulders, pulling himself together not to marvel at the nimble fingers that are used to coaxing Liebing. He jerked the hand away and moved to the other hand and felt it fall away. He could feel the hurt in the action but he gritted his teeth and started walking away. He had to keep it together and to do that he needed another person in the room.
He entered the Elder Hall and knew by the glare from Lan Qiren that the old man had been waiting for him, for them. The man looked past Jiang Cheng for his nephew and his eyes burnt fire to let Jiang Cheng know that Lan Huan had entered.
He really wanted to destroy something at what he was about to do. He didn't want to show Lan Huan any favours but he couldn't let him be treated like a child either. He would hate it if someone treated him like a fragile child so choosing the other it was.
"I sincerely apologise to Grandmaster Lan. ZeWu Jun wanted to see if he was ready to end his seclusion and decided to take a trip, you and I both were unaware of."
He dared not look to the side as he kneeled in respect and apology. When neither the uncle, nor the nephew said a word, he looked up to see Master Lan's hopeful and eager eyes on his Sect Leader.
"What have you decided Xichen?" The old man asked tentatively, waving his hand to dismiss Jiang Cheng's apology.
"I think I am ready but I want to take it very slowly until the seclusion officially ends."
At this, Master Lan turned and purely beamed at Jiang Cheng and he couldn't help but smile back. This was the first time he had seen the old man smile. All he had ever seen the old man do is glare or stroke his beard. He wanted to laugh at how eager he was at his nephew's return to duties that he didn't even enquire about the truth of Jiang Cheng's statement.
The rest of their time was spent in discussing the details of the Sect duties and Jiang Cheng excused himself, only staying back on Master Lan's insistence on joining them for lunch so that he could be thanked properly. He would never admit that he agreed just to see the Lan Huan a little longer. Lunch passed without event and in a lot of awkwardness as Master Lan tried keeping up a conversation out of either courtesy or gratitude. The activity of eating itself was quiet and later, the nephew took up the mantle of conversation, sparing everyone the pain.
Now, it was time to leave and he really couldn't stay back anymore. As they made their way to the courtyard, past the disciples, none of them seemed ready to part. Jiang Cheng knew that ZeWu Jun's actions had presented that he wanted to cling on to Jiang Cheng and his actions clearly spoke that he was not ready to part, despite telling himself countless times that it is what he should do. Finally, as they reached the Sect gates, Jiang Cheng forced himself to halt and turn. It was a goodbye.
A heavy breath fell on his neck, his side vision full of the Lan Xichen and the words whispered made him hold his breath, "Wanyin?"
He felt a pair of soft lips press into his cheek.
"First so bold, then being coy. What are you playing at?" He grumbled. Before Lan Huan could answer, he climbed his sword and was in the sky, red to the roots of his hair.
-----
Lan Xichen can feel the eagerness and nervousness running like Yin and Yang in his veins as he descends into the courtyard full of people. Yes. He was here for dinner. After two weeks of Cheng's absence, he had begun to worry that either his leg was too injured than he had seen or that he was being avoided.
Now, here he was, earlier than the last time, after inviting himself to dinner.
"Sect Leader Lan." people greeted him from all directions as they prepared to set tables and begin the fire.
"Welcome. Sect Leader."
"It is good to see you again." Miss Zhou bowed and started picking some fruits herself.
"May I help?" he walked forward to ask. She looked up surprised and shook her head, "Sect Leader Jiang will have my head on a poll if he sees me making Sect Leader Lan work."
"Good that you know. ZeWu Jun, you don't have to do that." Lan Xichen did not turn to meet Wanyin immediately.
"What do you like to eat, Sect Leader Jiang? Let me pick it out for you," he spoke softly so the words would not reach past the company of three. Much to his satisfaction, he saw the woman bowing out with a flush of embarrassment and retreat as Jiang Cheng joined beside him. He was in loose flowing robes of light purple. It softened his sharp handsomeness. All that was missing was a smile. But Wanyin neither turned to smile nor greet him, instead grumbled, "I'll do it myself."
"Then help me pick. What do you think will suit me best?" he kept his mild smile fixed despite being pointedly ignored.
A small smile, no, a smirk appeared in the tilt of his lips and he began to pick out food. Lan Xichen was frozen for a few moments because that smirk looked very familiar. It was the eager and playful smirk he had only seen around Master Wei, something that meant trouble. Lan Xichen knew he should have been prepared but he didn't know for what until it was time for dinner.
Jiang Cheng passed instructions of a very specific dish to Lady Zhou who looked utterly surprised and confused, with glances at Lan Xichen. He didn't make much of it since Wanyin led him back to the courtroom and settled them on two tables. Wanyin wasn't sitting at the head of the room, instead, sat to his right. Lan Xichen saw this as a perfect opportunity and pulled the table to line up with his own.
"It's just the two of us. This is more convenient for a conversation." Wanyin was irritated, he could tell. It was directed at him. Nevertheless, he was determined to calm him and prove that he was not doing this out of desperation or loneliness. He had two weeks to think of any possible reason Wanyin might have, said or unsaid of. Sensing the mood, he retrieved to his reserved smiled and asked Wanyin about his day, his sect duties, about how the last night hunt was and Jin Ling.
Eventually, he loosened, from curt replies to long descriptions. Lan Xichen had an inkling that the scowl would come back if he tried to be any more forthcoming. But the realization came too late, the dinner had been brought over. Everything looked good, except when he put it in his mouth and it burned him from the tip of his tongue to the base of his stomach, threatening to spill fire from his nose and ears. With tears brimming in his eyes, he grabbed the cup of water offered to him by Wanyin quite leisurely. There was that smirk again and he knew why it there now.
"Why?"
"I thought you had too many sweets, I just wanted to balance your taste." Jiang Cheng had finally flirted back, in the meanest way possible but at least he knew what Lan Xichen was doing.
Lan Xichen really had a taste of what was to come for him if he went out of line over Wanyin in the future. He didn't regret it for a single moment.