Xian TaoQi's eyes opened and he turned to the room, knowing instinctively that the spot next to him on the bed was empty. He looked around and saw Jiang Cheng standing in the back garden, getting drenched in the rain. He got up and walked closer. "Sweet rabbit... come back to bed."
"Don't call me that!" Jiang Cheng said tightly. He whirled around, ready to confront Xian TaoQi, but the words died on his lips. Xian TaoQi was standing behind him, naked. Jiang Cheng couldn't stop his eyes travelling down that gorgeous body, which had nearly drowned him in pleasure the night before.
"Why are you so angry? You seemed to enjoy it last night?"
"You...!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed. "I was tired from the battle, and you.... It won't happen again. I'm not a cut-sleeve like my brother." Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up, and he missed the look on Xian TaoQi's face. "Wei WuXian! Of course! Wei WuXian gave me his golden core... That's why! It isn't me, it's him! It's just his core that's making me—" For a moment it all made sense. How Jiang Cheng had taken to Xian TaoQi so quickly, how he had fallen on his back so shamelessly and begged, begged!, for Xian TaoQi for more.
"Do you really think it's all just because of that core? Would you let just any man kiss you, then?" Xian TaoQi's voice didn't have its usual playful tone.
Jiang Cheng spluttered.
"Do you watch all naked men like you are watching me right now?"
Jiang Cheng yanked his eyes back up to Xian TaoQi's face. "I didn't—"
"Do you think it's Wei WuXian's golden core that makes your heart beat faster when you're with me? Is it the core that made you fall in love with me?"
"What makes you think I love you?" Jiang Cheng scoffed, and a small smile appeared on Xian TaoQi lips. He knew how to read Jiang Cheng by now.
"I've been calling you Jiang Cheng since I first kissed you. And you haven't said anything to stop me," Xian TaoQi said, smiling a little more widely.
Jiang Cheng's breath caught. It was true. Xian TaoQi had never even called him Jiang WanYin, his formal common name. He searched for a retort, but couldn't come up with anything better than, "It's better than you calling me sweet rabbit."
Xian TaoQi laughed. "You like it, admit it." He pulled the feebly resisting Jiang Cheng to him and kissed him. "And even if it is the core? What then? Would that mean you don't want me anymore? Would you let me walk out that door and leave you?"
Jiang Cheng felt dizzy, and he could hardly think. Xian TaoQi leave? No more early morning sparring sessions. No more talks over dinner, Xian TaoQi's loving eyes watching him across the table. No more kisses, or caresses, or nights such as last night. He would be alone. Jiang Cheng fought for a breath. Alone. Like he had been before Xian TaoQi came to his life.
"Do you really want me to go?" Xian TaoQi asked, his eyes suddenly full of worry.
Jiang Cheng's thoughts whirled in his head and he couldn't answer.
A few months later, Jiang Cheng waited nervously for his brother and his annoying husband to join him for dinner. They had arrived in Lotus Pier that afternoon and had only greeted Jiang Cheng briefly before they had gone to settle in their guest quarters.
They came in and Jiang Cheng could immediately see why they were late. They were glowing, even Lan WangJi, despite his usual haughty demeanour. Jiang Cheng was immediately annoyed. Must they do that here, in Lotus Pier?
"Sit. Please," Jiang Cheng amended belatedly.
Amused, Lan WangJi sat down and Wei WuXian sat in his lap like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Wei WuXian! Must you be so—"
"Shameless? Yes I know. You've told me." Wei WuXian was utterly unconcerned, and snuggled into Lan WangJi's comfortably, like he had done it a hundred times before. "Now what was it you wanted to tell us?"
"I—"
"What did I miss?" Came a deep voice and a man Wei WuXian had never seen before walked in. He looked at Wei WuXian sitting in Lan WangJi's lap and his eyes widened, then he looked at Jiang Cheng and his face cracked into a playful smile. He bowed deep to their guests and walked over to Jiang Cheng.
"Xian Feng, don't you dare...!"
Paying Jiang Cheng's hasty warning no heed, Xian TaoQi sat down, and pulled Jiang Cheng into his lap. If Jiang Cheng really meant it, he would have called him Xian TaoQi, not his birth name Xian Feng. Xian TaoQi smiled at the incensed man in his arms.
Jiang Cheng hissed at him and tried to squirm out of his lap. "Not now, Xian Feng! I haven't told them yet. Let me go!"
Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi sat opposite them, both with their mouths hanging open, still bowing over their arms. Just as Jiang Cheng looked over, Lan WangJi closed his mouth, putting on his usual cold face and straightened his back.
Xian TaoQi brushed his hand across Jiang Cheng's face. "You're so adorable, my sweet rabbit," he murmured and kissed Jiang Cheng tenderly, and like every time when Xian TaoQi kissed him, Jiang Cheng melted.
Wei WuXian choked on his tongue. When Xian TaoQi finally let his lips go, Jiang Cheng turned to look. Wei WuXian was still coughing, and Lan WangJi was patting him gently on his back. Jiang Cheng sat fidgeting, waiting for his brother's reaction, knowing deep down that he would deserve it, whatever it was.
"What? When? Who? What? How? What?" Wei WuXian finally managed.
Xian TaoQi chuckled. "I'm Xian TaoQi, youngest son of Xian TingBa of Xian. I met Jiang Cheng a long time ago, after you died. And we met again three months ago. And, well, you see how it is?"
"Mn," Lan WangJi said, and snuggled his chin on Wei WuXian's shoulder.
Wei WuXian still had trouble processing it. Then he remembered and his eyes flared up. "Jiang Cheng! You called us 'shameless' when you saw us hugging! In Cloud Pier, remember? We weren't even together then, it was an accident! I was climbing and I fell into Lan Zhan's arms." Wei WuXian turned to look at Lan WangJi, his eyes softening. "You caught me, remember?"
"Mn." Lan WangJi's arms around Wei WuXian tightened and he placed a small kiss on Wei WuXian's shoulder.
"You threw us out of Lotus Pier for just that! And called it a 'thing', our—" Wei WuXian flapped his hand at Lan WangJi. "And now look at you!"
"So? Are you saying you won't approve, just because I may have been... shocked at your behaviour in the past?"
"It wasn't just that time, Jiang Cheng! You kept trying to disappear into the draperies during our wedding, too. You've never said you approved of me and Lan Zhan."
"I didn't know you needed my approval. Or anything else from me. You always managed quite well without me," Jiang Cheng muttered.
"You're my brother, Jiang Cheng. Of course I want your approval."
"Well, then, you have it," Jiang Cheng said stiffly, but it was enough. Wei WuXian lit up with happiness.
"And...?" Suddenly Jiang Cheng couldn't say the words, and he looked down, plucking at Xian TaoQi's robes.
Wei WuXian smiled his gentlest smile. "Jiang Cheng. If you love him, of course I approve. I've only ever wanted you to be happy."
It was Jiang Cheng's turn to choke. Actual goosebumps rose on his arms at Wei WuXian's soft voice. "I never said anything about love," Jiang Cheng muttered, his face burning red.
Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi exchanged a look and had to look down to hide their smiles.
"Wei WuXian, I am happy to hear that. As things stand, I would like to ask you for Jiang Cheng's hand, as his older relative," Xian TaoQi said, seizing the moment.
"What?!" Jiang Cheng raged in response. "I'm not a woman! I don't need anyone's permission to marry you!"
"Is that a 'yes', then?" Xian TaoQi purred, and Jiang Cheng thumped his fist into his shoulder.
"Xian Feng! What I meant was I don't need Wei WuXian's permission to marry anyone! I didn't say I was going to marry you!"
"Sweet rabbit doesn't seem to approve," Wei WuXian said cheekily.
"Wei WuXian!" Jiang Cheng shouted, and Wei WuXian burst into laughter, holding his stomach, rolling halfway off his perch on Lan WangJi.
"Only I get to call him that," Xian TaoQi warned, but Wei WuXian just laughed harder. "And he does, he just doesn't like to give in too quickly," Xian TaoQi said, with a faint smile on his lips. Jiang Cheng cursed at him, his face still red about the 'sweet rabbit'.
"And your parents, Xian TaoQi"? Lan WangJi asked. Truth be told, he wasn't at all unhappy about the news. Wei WuXian had always been too close to Jiang Cheng, in his opinion. Now Jiang Cheng's husband would keep him busy. Lan WangJi pulled Wei WuXian fully back into his lap. Wei WuXian was still giggling softly, and Lan WangJi patted his head gently.
"My mother passed away six months ago and my father already approves. He has known I love Jiang Cheng since before my first visit to Lotus Pier."
"What?!" Jiang Cheng gasped, turning to look at Xian TaoQi.
"You didn't think that 'full satisfaction' was completely innocent, did you?" Xian smirked at Jiang Cheng's expression. "We will have the ceremony here, of course. As soon as possible."
"Wh-what?" Jiang Cheng pushed him away. "But then everyone will know!"
The room went dead quiet. Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian exchanged a look.
"Yes. They will know," Xian TaoQi said softly.
"They will know..." Jiang Cheng took a breath. "They will know... that we are in love. And that... that... we are together. Yes. We are together. They should know. Everyone should know. We should be together. We must be together. Xian Feng... yes. Yes!"
Jiang Cheng's face broke into a smile that Wei WuXian hadn't seen since they were young, when their parents and their sweet sister Jiang YanLi were still alive. He felt tears in his eyes and instinctively turned his face to Lan WangJi. "Lan Zhan... my brother is happy!"
"Mn," Lan WangJi confirmed and wiped the wetness from under Wei WuXian's eyes. The new couple across the table didn't even notice when Lan WangJi kissed his husband or how Wei WuXian wrapped his arms around his neck.
Xian TaoQi was holding Jiang Cheng like he was rare and precious. "Yes, my sweet rabbit. Together. I promise." Their lips met and Jiang Cheng wound his arms around Xian TaoQi's neck, mirroring Wei WuXian without knowing it, for once not caring who might see, or what they might think.
Lan Sizhui and Lan JingYi froze at the door, their hands laden with many covered dishes on big trays. Their eyes widened identically, and they looked at each other, then backed away wordlessly.
"Is everybody we know a cut-sleeve?" Lan JingYi whispered to Lan Sizhui as they settled to wait for a safe moment to re-enter the elegant rooms.
Lan Sizhui blushed. "Everybody you know, yes."
"Isn't that what I just said?" Lan JingYi grumbled. Lan Sizhui sighed.
--
A/N:
No one calls Jiang Cheng by his common name Jiang WanYin, so I completely forgot Jiang Cheng is his birth name and shouldn't be used by people he's not close to. Interestingly, in the novel, the narration also refers to him as Jiang Cheng, while the others are referred to by their common name, like Wei WuXian instead of Wei Ying. I don't know why.
The gif of waking Xian TaoQi is again from the het show 'Dr. Cutie' and that gorgeous man is Huang Junjie. Since it's a het show, the Chinese censorship allows for bare skin and moments like this (disclaimer: I don't know what happened before or after this moment on the show). Us Chinese BL show lovers have to be satisfied with eye banging. The gif of Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi is from a BTS moment, I think.
Oh, Lan JingYi, you sweet innocent boy. In this fanfic, yes, yes they are. And so are you. ;)
This completes this short side plot. Hope you enjoyed it!