-At Lan Wangji's residence-
"This is definitely my first time in Gusu, it for sure precedes it's reputation."
"Sit down both of you." Lan Wangji called out. Hua Cheng was still hesitant about leaving Xie Lian alone.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Hua if you're going to make the face of a damsel in distress then we can't have fun for shit."
"Shut the fuck up."
"Why are you worried?" Lan Wangji asked.
"I'm not."
"You've never left his side have you? It's alright Wei Wuxian looks untrustworthy and notorious but he's quite wise and so is QingXuan, they'll be fine."
"Would you both like some alcohol?"
"Sure why the hell not?" He Xuan responded while Hua Cheng still looked distressed.
"This is my first time seeing separation anxiety, it's quite the sight." Lan Wangji was busy pouring the wine. Hua Cheng gulped down the alcohol in one go.
"He Xuan if you speak one more word, I'm going to murder you. And don't you dare forget what you said before gege. I'll dig your grave so shut your trap." Lan Wangji poured himself some water and sat down next to the two other males.
"That's right, it took me a lot of convincing, I had to tell Wei Ying the entire account of our conversation otherwise he wouldn't have believed me."
"That's the deal gentlemen, it was a trust test...luckily your partners passed it and so did mine, though it took some convincing." He Xuan replied as he gulped down the entire jar of Emperor's Smile.
"Some convincing? Yeah sure." Hua Cheng commented.
"Oh you shut your trap damsel in distress."
"Can you both not quarrel at any given chance?"
"Okay fAtHeR."
"Look Hua Cheng clearly looks distressed and uncomfortable, as his friends we should help him out."
"And how do you propose we do that Hanguang-Jun?"
"We'll just let him see if Your Highness is perfectly alright or not, I mean of course he is but let him feel satisfied alright?"
"That's fine by me but this asshole...what's the guarantee he'll come back? His separation anxiety will get the better of him."
"Hua Cheng what do you think?"
"Just one glimpse, I'll come back." He Xuan looked unconvinced but he agreed nonetheless.
"Uh how the fuck do we know where they are?"
"Leave that to me, let's go." Hua Cheng replied.
"Hanguang-jun my best friend isn't a stalker is he?"
"He Xuan I'm going to leave you behind." Within seconds the three males found themselves outside the wine house in YueYang. Lan Wangji's eyes slightly widened as he had recognized the wine house.
"Wine house?" He Xuan's eyes glued to the sight in front of him, he gestured to the other males. The three men saw their lovers drinking wine while indulging in hearty conversations.
To Hua Cheng this sight comforted him, he felt content seeing Xie Lian smiling, he dare not enter the wine house and ruin the fun.
"Let's go back."
"Fuck off, I want to hear what they are talking about." He Xuan was going to pace forward but Lan Wangji held his arm.
"Stop, don't disturb them."
"Oh you shut up, don't you want to hear what your lovers are talking about? Do you know in such situations when best friends especially when people like Wei Wuxian and Shi QingXuan are involved they are bound to begin conversations about us, don't you want to hear what they think about us?" This proposition appealed to Hua Cheng but he controlled himself.
"No way, let's go back."
"Hua Cheng hear me out, what if Your Highness is spilling some secrets or shenanigans from the past that he's too embarrassed to tell you?" Hua Cheng wasted no time and held the arms of both Lan Wangji and He Xuan.
"Cover your faces we're going inside." The three males didn't change their appearances but wore capes and covered their heads, after He Xuan persuaded the owner ,potentially bribed him, they sat in the table right in front of their lovers and ensured not to make much noise and hear out their lovers.
Even though Lan Wangji was initially hesitant, he was now very much interested in the conversations involving his lover.
Hua Cheng intently heard every single word of the conversation, though the conversations began on a hearty note, soon they heard words coming out of of their lover's mouths that would torment them even in their sleep.
"Look they are simply conversing, we should leave." Lan Wangji insisted.
"Oh shut up."
"Both of you shut up." Hua Cheng replied. The three would have left their lovers alone if it wasn't for this one question that they heard.
"Tell me both of you, how many past relationships have you been in?"
"What the fuck is your stupid lover asking Wangji?"
"Shut up."
"Both of shut up, before I slit your throats."
"S-seriously? You're beginning the conversation on that note? Wei Wuxian you're unbelievably shameless."
"My lover's right, what a shameless question."
"Didn't you feel shameless when you lied to our lovers that we had been in past relationships?" Lan Wangji replied.
"Okay alright then... Ahem since it's you both i'll be brutally honest, I haven't even told He Xuan ...I've been in numerous relationships but they didn't last very long."
Hua Cheng broke into a slight giggle and so did Lan Wangji, but He Xuan's face darkened like that of the sky in the moonless night, he couldn't believe the words coming out of his lover's mouth, it was unbelievable.
"So much for being shameless."
"Hua Cheng stop it."
"Oh really is that so? Tell me about them in great detail QingXuan."
Hua Cheng's eye slightly widened, was that his lover's voice? he had never heard Xie Lian speak like this, he was so glad he could hear this side of his lover but he was also disappointed that Xie Lian had shared this side with someone else.
"Hua what the fuck is your lover doing? WHY IS HE PROVOKING HIM?!!"
"Shut your trap. Stop blaming my lover when it's your lover who's hiding such shameful secrets."
"Okay before you answer Lian's question, tell me have you ever been with men before? Or was He Xuan was your first?"
"Uh Oh." Hua Cheng commented.
"SHUT UP!! LET ME LISTEN!!!"
"Hah? Are you kidding me? Of course I've been with men before."
Hua Cheng and Lan Wangji's eyes slightly widened, now things might be getting a bit serious, He Xuan fell completely silent. He trusted his lover but he couldn't differentiate the lies from the truth.
"He lied to me." He Xuan spoke.
"QINGXUAN!! QINGXUAN!!! YOU SLY FOX!!! MAN HE XUAN WOULD BE DEVASTATED TO HEAR THAT!!!!"
"That wei wuxian is right about that."
"Hua Cheng can you stop it?"
"Alright alright."
"Would he be? I don't think so, he's been in so many relationships as well, what's there to be shocked about?"
Now He Xuan was infuriated, how dare Shi QingXuan think that? How could he think that he doesn't care, has he made him feel so unloved?
"You think I don't care?" Hua Cheng and Lan Wangji just listened to He Xuan, perhaps this was a misunderstanding.
"He Xuan don't think too much, perhaps he's drunk."
"QingXuan has a high alcohol tolerance, he can't get drunk so easily."
"Enough about me, Yiling Patriarch what about you? You seem like you have quite the experience why don't you enlighten us?"
Now Hua Cheng and He Xuan's eyes diverted to Lan Wangji who's expressions made it quite evident that he was nervous, he trusted his lover but despite that he was nervous.
"This is not going to end well." Hua Cheng commented while gulping down wine.
"You bet." He Xuan replied.
"Hm me? I can't remember since I don't count my relationships."
Hua Cheng and He Xuan almost spat out their drinks.
"This sly demonic cultivator...So fucking shameless."
"Stop it." Lan Wangji said, who looked visibly tormented.
"He was a player."
"So you've been with men and women both?"
"The question of a lifetime."
"Do or die Wei Wuxian."
"Hm? I don't remember, maybe, maybe not."
He Xuan spat out his drink hearing his response and Hua Cheng began to laugh.
"How fucking shameless."
"He's worse than I presumed."
"Now Now...Xie Lian don't you dare pretend to be an innocent little bunny...you have to be the worst of the lot."
Now Hua Cheng spat out his drink, he trusted his lover he was confident he knew everything about Xie Lian. There's no way his lover would hide something like this from him.
"Third time's the charm."
"Shut the fuck up He Xuan."
"You seriously think your lover's so innocent? first listen and then judge."
"I trust him and I'm confident he won't hide something like this from me."
"Let's see."
"Well u-um...my parents had fixed for my marriage when I was sixteen."
Lan Wangji and He Xuan spat out their drinks in unison, Hua Cheng was speechless, he couldn't utter a single word, He Xuan began to laugh loudly.
"The party has just begun." Hua Cheng didn't hear anything that He Xuan said, he just wanted to hear what Xie Lian was saying.
"Hold up, Hold up...what did you just say? Your marriage was fixed? My god."
"Uh yeah...every crown prince's marriage would be arranged the moment they would turn sixteen at least that's what my parents did."
"Wait who was the girl with whom your marriage was fixed with?"
"Lan Wangji just wait, we're going to witness a spectacle."
"Stop it He Xuan."
"What? So much for being dedicated lovers."
"Okay forget about that, did you ever feel attracted towards her?"
"Oh my god, here we go...this answer might just dictate life or death." Hua Cheng was awaiting the answer as if it was the only sentence he ever wanted to hear, he was tormenting inside.
"Well I don't recall being attracted towards her but I recall she was pristine and held a pure demeanor. She would have been someone who would be a great life partner."
"Holy shit."
"Did he just say that?" Hua Cheng slammed the table and paced outside and was followed by the other males.
"HUA WAIT!!!!"
"Don't you dare follow me."
"Hua Cheng wait, getting angry over this isn't going to sort anything out. It's better if we talk this through. It's not as if you're the only one who's shocked by this, all of us are. Why resort to being alone? Let's figure this out." Lan Wangji spoke up.
"Whatever." The three males returned He Xuan's manor and drank profusely, Lan Wangji fell unconscious after just one drink at the table but He Xuan and Hua Cheng continued to drink.
"How could he think that? HOW!!! I WOULDN'T CARE!!!!???? HE WAS WITH OTHER MEN???!!! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT!!!! HOW DARE THOSE FUCKERS TOUCH HIM!!!! I'M GOING TO FIND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AND BURN THEIR FUCKING DICKS!!!!!! BLOODY ASSHOLES!!!!" He Xuan kept screaming and venting while gulping down jars of alcohol one after the other, while Hua Cheng leaned backwards gulping down the wine, he was potentially drunk he had downed at least ten jars. He could only hear Xie Lian's words in his mind. Why didn't Xie Lian tell him about his arranged marriage? Perhaps Hua Cheng could have digested that but what he couldn't accept was that his lover found a woman a potential life partner. He felt so inferior.
"Since when did a woman make me feel so inferior? I'm pathetic." Hua Cheng kept on gulping down the wine, when he heard his lover's voice through spiritual communication.
"San Lang where are you?" Hua Cheng felt so relieved when he heard his lover's voice, he felt tears forming in his eye, and his sadness was quite evident in his voice.
"He Xuan's manor."
"San Lang what's wrong with your voice? Are you okay?" Hua Cheng was so intoxicated that he couldn't hear his lover's voice anymore. He slightly closed his eye. He fell unconscious for quite some time.
.
.
.
"It's been quite some time, should we check up on them?...I'm quite worried." Shi QingXuan asked who was slightly drunk himself.
"I want to see Lan Zhan."
"And I want to see San Lang." Though the other two males weren't much drunk, they missed their lovers.
"Should we head back then?"
"Uh Huh...Let's go back."
"Let me ask where they are, I'll contact San Lang through spiritual communication." The two males nodded in response.
"San Lang where are you?"
"He Xuan's manor."
"San Lang what's wrong with your voice? Are you okay? San Lang?"
"What happened?"
"He didn't sound too good, we should leave. They are at He Xuan's manor." The three males left for He Xuan's manor, they entered the manor and began to search different halls only to find their lovers in a drunken state in He Xuan and Shi QingXuan's bedroom.
"What the.." Wei Wuxian commented when he saw his lover with his head down on the table.
"This fucking idiot." Shi QingXuan found He Xuan in a bizarre posture on the floor mumbling something to himself.
"San Lang!!" Xie Lian ran towards his lover's side who was leaning backwards taking support of the wall, half unconscious. This was the first time, Xie Lian had seen Hua Cheng drunk. It was a sight to behold.
"Okay here's the deal you three, they are very drunk. Don't go back, it'll be a lot of trouble, just take them to the other bedrooms, You can stay here for the night."
"Then I'll take you up on that offer." Wei Wuxian managed to get a hold of Lan Wangji and took him to the nearest bedroom.
Xie Lian gently caressed Hua Cheng's face trying to wake him up.
"San Lang can you try getting up?"
"Hm." Xie Lian gently tried getting Hua Cheng to stand up straight and grabbed his arms and walked him over to the bedroom, luckily the guest bedrooms were quite close to the master bedroom.
Meanwhile Shi QingXuan dragged He Xuan to the bed.
"YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!! HOW MUCH DID YOU DRINK!!???" Shi QingXuan managed to place He Xuan on the bed, he tried to pace towards the bedroom door to shut it close but before he could do so, He Xuan grabbed his arm and with such strength dragged him on the bed. He Xuan got on top of Shi QingXuan and gripped his arms.
"HE-!"
"HOW DARE YOU THINK THAT I WON'T BE SHOCKED!!! THAT I WON'T CARE!!!"
"HA??? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!"
"DON'T PRETEND!!! I HEARD WHAT YOU TOLD XIE LIAN AND WEI WUXIAN, YOU'VE BEEN IN MULTIPLE RELATIONSHIPS AND EVEN WITH MEN!!!! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO FEEL?? DO YOU THINK I WOULD FEEL ELATED HEARING MY HUSBAND BEING WITH OTHER PEOPLE!!!!" Shi QingXuan found this sight to be so lovely, he rarely would ever see He Xuan being so jealous.
"You idiot...you seriously think I spoke the truth?"
"Huh? DON'T LIE TO ME I HEARD EVERYTHING!!!"
"You dumbass, all of us were lying, we saw you three sitting in front of us, we were just having fun with you. I'm sorry darling but didn't you prank me earlier as well?"
"I hate you." Tears began to fall from He Xuan's eyes. Shi QingXuan gently wiped the tears from He Xuan's face and cupped his face.
"How can I ever love anyone else?" He Xuan tightly embraced Shi QingXuan.
"I'm not letting you go."
"Okay Okay, you don't have to, just let me breathe because I can't right now."
"No!!"
"He Xuan do you want to kill me?"
"NO!!!"
"Then loosen your embrace a bit."
"Whatever."
"Why don't you get drunk more often? It's so lovely seeing you like this." He Xuan immediately connected his lips with Shi QingXuan's, but eventually fell asleep.
"Wow!!! Did you just fall asleep? So adorable. Sleep well."
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.
.
"Lan Zhan...I think I'll die trying to take you to the bedroom."
"NO!! DON'T DIE!!"
"Okay Okay, let's just walk slowly to the bedroom okay?"
"Mn." The two males soon reached the bedroom, Wei Wuxian managed to place Lan Wangji on the couch and sat next to him caressing his face.
"How much did you drink?"
"Not much." Lan Wangji slowly opened his eyes and embraced his lover.
"It doesn't matter to me who you've been with, of course it does hurt because I thought that I had known you well but turns out I don't and I would have appreciated if you would have been honest with me but what matters is that now you're with me. And I don't want you to leave me ever again."
"Lan Zhan look at me.." Lan Wangji shook his head refusing to do so. After Wei Wuxian's constant pleads he finally managed to do so.
"One of the reasons why I love you so much is because of your unwavering trust and today might be the first time when I've seen you like this, perhaps I should pull these kind of pranks more often on you despite that I'm perplexed why someone as intuitive and astute as you couldn't figure out the lies?" Lan Wangji's eyes widened and as he began to register Wei Wuxian's words, his ears began to resemble blood with how flushed they had become due to his embarrassment.
"S-so you were lying?"
"Of course I was lying, all of us were, I had noticed the three of you entering the wine house and conspired the prank with the others. Though I might have gone overboard, I apologize." Lan Wangji instantly embraced Wei Wuxian burying his face in the other male's chest.
"Shameless."
"I know, I know...I'm sorry alright."
"Let's sleep."
"Wha-" Lan Wangji stretched his arms around Wei Wuxian's waist and pulled him closer into a tight embrace unwilling to let go eventually lying on the couch.
"Sleep."
"Okay Okay Hanguang-Jun." Wei Wuxian returned the embrace and shut his eyes close.
"I love you."
"Mn."
"AT LEAST SAY IT BACK!!!!!"
"Your punishment."
"Oh come on!!!"
"Sleep."
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Despite Hua Cheng's drunken state he was conscious enough to not let himself weigh down his lover, he tried maintaining his composure and tried to walk straight while being guided by Xie Lian.
"San Lang we're almost there." Hua Cheng focused all of his energy into walking that he didn't waste the energy on replying and that slightly worried Xie Lian. The males managed to enter the bedroom, Xie Lian guided Hua Cheng to the bed and ensured that Hua Cheng lied down.
"San Lang I'll be back just a moment." Hua Cheng slightly closed his eye, he was in a drunken state yet he could only hear Xie Lian's words repeating in his mind. He couldn't remain sane. Xie Lian closed the door and brought water for Hua Cheng. He gently lifted Hua Cheng and offered him some water.
"Do you feel okay?"
"Yes I am alright."
"Then you should lie down and try resting for a bit. I'm sure you'll be fine after you rest for a bit. let's talk when you feel better. I'll just check upon the others and be right back." Before Xie Lian could go any further, Hua Cheng embraced Xie Lian from behind.
"Don't leave."
"San Lang...I'll be back in just a moment."
"NO!!!" Xie Lian was taken aback with Hua Cheng's reply. Xie Lian undid Hua Cheng's grip and faced towards him.
"What's wrong?" Xie Lian sat next to Hua Cheng and gently caressed Hua Cheng's face.
"You'll leave me."
"Huh? Why do you think so?"
"You'll go to her..."
"Huh? Who? What are you talking about San Lang?" Hua Cheng grabbed Xie Lian's hand, intently looking at him with desperation.
"The one with whom your marriage was fixed with..."
"What are you-" Then it hit Xie Lian, Hua Cheng was talking about the nonsense he had spouted for fun. Xie Lian broke into a soft giggle and cupped Hua Cheng's face.
"San Lang don't you know everything about me? How could you believe something so evidently stupid?"
"You're lying, I thought I knew everything but turns out I don't...you even said you found her as a potential life partner."
"San Lang I was just lying, all of us were lying and joking with you all, A-Xian had recognized you three and we just decided to prank you. Don't you think a little prank is fair when you choose to leave me multiple times and hurt my feelings?" Hua Cheng immediately pulled Xie Lian into a embrace.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too but do you seriously believe I was fated to be with anyone but you? I don't see anyone but you San Lang."
"I love you gege."
"So do I...I love you."
"I want us to get married."
"So do I...perhaps even more than you."
"Would you be willing to marry me?"
"When have I ever said no? My answer will always be yes."
"We should get married quickly."
"We should but didn't we decided to get married as soon as paradise manor would be done rebuilding? I'd love to get married there." Xie Lian words sounded quite hazy to Hua Cheng who fell slowly unconscious.
"San Lang?" Xie Lian slowly undid Hua Cheng's grip only to find him asleep, he gently placed his lover on the bed and pulled the blankets over him. And got in bed himself and embraced his lover to sleep.
We should definitely get married soon.