lastjinstanding | Brothel meme continued

Just because Wanyin believes Huaisang is cute and silly doesn't mean he's also one of his fools. He witnessed what happened at the temple. He had Wei Wuxian explain what the hell happened (three times) and what exactly the shrewd sect leader from Nie had allegedly done. Okay, it was possible by the third time he was just intrigued and hadn't legitimately needed it explained again but his brother didn't need to know that.

His mouth goes dry at the pretty way the other man bats his eyes. It is a bit embarrassing to admit how much lovelier Huaisang is than the woman he was just jilted by. He'd wanted an uncomplicated heir and had assumed a woman would be easiest, but as he watched Huaisang he couldn't help wonder...

No. It is the wine muddling his thoughts. He is just lonely. He has just been jilted in a very public way (even if he made it seem as though he did the jilting).

"Huaisang," he repeats with a small smile. "And what do you wish to call me?" He asks, not quite meaning his tone to sound as suggestive as it does.

Huaisang really is just here to be a friend, he is, he picked up the intricacies of the situation in a way he isn't sure that anybody else did, and he thinks Jiang Cheng deserves somebody around who knows what he sacrificed to save his ex-fiancee's face, as well as his nephew's, since it's probably going to be a while before people stop making snarky comments about his rudeness and bad temper.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't find the other man attractive, and it doesn't mean that slightly suggestive tone doesn't do funny things to his insides. Oh, Jiang Cheng, if only you knew, he has a list.

But he long ago resigned himself to the fact that his best friend's brother would never consider him in that way. He can look, but that's all.

"How about Wanyin?" he suggests - far more familiar than Jiang-zongzhu, but not so familiar as to call him Cheng, that feels like an appropriate level.

(Hearing his name from Jiang Cheng's lips is, of course, just as lovely as he expected).

Edited 2021-08-20 23:41 (UTC)

No one else noticed. The only ones who might have noticed because of how well they knew him and their observation skills were extremely distracted with their own things. In this instance, Wanyin didn't fault them for it. He wasn't sure if Wuxian had figured it out or if he had just been annoyingly sympathetic regardless of the reasons involved, ugh. Wangji was the other one and he just didn't give a fuck. The man was a total bitch.

It seems like it has always and will always be this way too. Any time he makes a move to protect, it's lost behind other people's bouts of glory or some other distraction. Does anyone remember that he charged the temple alone, leaving a trail of bloody bodies in his wake, for his family? No. The stories speak of Wei Wuxian, Wangji, and the two who actually deserve mentions, Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen. He sympathized with that particular Jade. The man was handsome, kind, and had been played a fool. Sound familiar?

He sighs as his attention returns to the present to another man who idolized his idiot brother. The amount of shameless fawning Huaisang has done over the years has been embarrassing, or perhaps it's Wanyin's reaction to that fawning that's the real disgrace. Fortunately that is one humiliation no one ever has to be aware of. Just like now, he can pretend hearing his name doesn't bring butterflies to his stomach and he's drunk enough not to notice the smile that blossoms on his face. If only it had been Cheng..

He's prevented, at least temporarily, from saying anything stupid as his servants come forward to deliver their meal. He tries not to notice it's some of the expensive beef that was to be prepared the next day. He was going to have to find a way to thank his chef for the wise and subtle decision to use it before it went bad without forcing Wanyin to have a discussion about it first.

"Please, Huaisang eat your fill. There's plenty." It's.. a whole cow after all and no guests. No guests or a family or children.. just like his life. The people of Yunmeng would be enjoying the rest of this food tomorrow, he decides.

Huaisang can see the melancholy mood creeping over him again - he's hardly surprised, all things considered - and decides he needs to do something about it.

So he talks. While they eat, he fulfills Jiang Cheng's request and tells him all about the latest goings on in Qinghe, and a few other tidbits of gossip he's picked up here and there - he focuses on lighthearted things, or dramatic stories of nighthunts, avoiding any talk of marriage or courting or even family drama. He talks, and he eats, and he keeps Jiang Cheng's cup filled with wine (and maybe his own too).

When he's eventually run out of stories, and eaten enough that he's officially stuffed, he leans back a little to regard Jiang Cheng thoughtfully, fanning himself lazily as he contemplates the other man and tries to judge where his mood is, and what he might do to keep it light.

Unfortunately, the ratio of food to wine the sect leader of this realm consumes is greatly imbalanced. It isn't necessarily because he doesn't eat- he does- he just drinks.. a lot. The fact that he's still not completely drunk off his gourd is likely a bad, quiet sign of how often this might actually happen when he's alone. He didn't have this much tolerance once upon a time, after all. He was no Wei Wuxian at Cloud Recesses!

Regardless of Huaisang's desire to keep things light, Wanyin is quiet for a spell and his expression turns darker instead. "After everything I've done for him- raised him, given to him, set him up in his tower, he brings.." He shakes his head like he can barely even say the word. "He brings a paid whore to my wedding. A prostitute."

Huaisang thinks about this for a long moment - if Jiang Cheng wants to talk about this, he's probably the safest person to do it with, nothing he says is going to leave Huaisang horribly offended, after all, and as much as he enjoys having information he can use against people, he has absolutely no intention of using any of this against Jiang Cheng, and he is very good at keeping secrets.

Better that he gets it out now rather than says it in front of Jin Ling - or, arguably worse, Wei Wuxian, given who the aforementioned whore turned out to be.

He takes another sip of his own wine before he speaks.

"It is one of his dumber ideas," he agrees

It is true, his brother wouldn't be able to separate the word Wanyin is using and the person he's talking about from the point he's actually complaining about. To his benefit, Huaisang sees through the language to the frustration. Jiang Cheng values his reputation greatly, which only further compounds the sacrifice he's currently enduring for his ex-fiancé. For Jin Ling to have treated his uncle's reputation so carelessly, Wanyin can't even begin to process how betrayed he feels by the stupid boy.

"I can't fathom what he was thinking. Who would do that to someone? The boy is such a fool. I'm sure you overheard the rest. You seem to have ears like a wolf." Judging by that gossip of his.

"I overhear a lot of things," Huaisang agrees "which is why I know what he was thinking."

He's actually quite glad he caught this little tidbit, because as much as he wants to be supportive and agree with Jiang Cheng in this moment, he doesn't actually want his relationship with his nephew to be totally ruined - it's going to be a bit dented for a while, but he can help shed a little light on the situation if nothing else.

"He was trying to avoid the inevitable questions about his own marriage prospects, and he thought, however stupidly, that hiring somebody would be the most efficient way to do that."

If there was anyone who could understand how irritating those questions could get, it was the two men at this table. He's not saying Jin Ling isn't an idiot, but at least it wasn't malicious.

His frown turns into an angry scowl. He wants to tell Huaisang to shut up and not to try and make excuses for the little fool, but he waits just long enough for his brain to start processing what he was told instead. His own marriage prospects? Ooooh!

He growls under his breathe and pinches the bridge of his nose in irritation. "The Jin elders are relentless! I've heard the Nie clan can be that way too, as mine can, though not as bad. Yours and his are worse. We've talked about it a couple of times in the few letters he's sent since he took over. Did you know he's had people falling over themselves trying to trick him into bed since he came back from the temple? He was fifteen!"

That wasn't exactly a problem Jiang Cheng has run into. He could find bed partners if he wanted them, sure, but they weren't sneaking into his chamber and trying to seduce him into making a bastard. He wasn't sure if it was his looks, his reputation of being ill tempered, or what exactly prevented that but he was almost glad he didn't suffer from this headache. Almost.

Huaisang pulls a face at that - trying to trick a teenager like that, when he was already vulnerable thanks to the sudden pressure of leadership and the discovery that one of his beloved uncles was a slimy, murdering traitor (okay maybe he still hasn't worked through all his feelings about Jin Guangyao), was just all kinds of despicable - and that's coming from him, he did some pretty questionable things in his quest for revenge.

His own experience had been a little different - the elders were relentless, yes, but his reputation usually kept most of the suitors at bay. The main type he had to deal with were the overly ambitious fathers looking to further their own agendas by using their child to manipulate him.

He usually just feigned ignorance until they went away.

"Mmm, the Nie elders never shut up," he grumbles, topping up both their drinks "but Nie-zongzhu, you don't have an heeeeeir" he mock-whines "when are you going to get maaarriiiied. "

Right? Leave that kind of whoring to people who could appreciate getting laid, like lonely sect leaders to the southeast! Wait, he didn't say that. Also Huaisang missed a few adjustives like manipulative bastard who kills babies and threatens children! He'll jump on board that hateful bandwagon with you.

He chuckles at his friend's whining, propping his head on his elbow. "Do they say it in that voice? I believe I've met that Nie-lao before." He picks up his cup again with a thanks and took a sip. "Besides, don't they know you're the wife yet?"

Huaisang nearly chokes on his drink.

"Wanyin!" He gasps, looking scandalised, flicking open his fan to wave it- more for theatrics than any real offense taken, of course, because it's absolutely true.

"Aiya," he laments, scandalised face shifting to a pout "not that I can find anybody who wants to make me his wife, either."

Maybe he's had a little too much to drink if he's being this blunt with Jiang Cheng, but since the other sect leader doesn't seem to mind, he's happy to play it up a little just to make him laugh.

After how many bottles of wine, bowls of good food, and hours of great conversation, Huaisang successfully earns, not a chuckle, but a real uncharacteristically hearty laugh out of Wanyin. He knew it! He knew this man who was as pretty as cherry blossoms and as sweet as fresh summer plums was a cut sleeve! Wait till he tells.. well, no one. He doesn't have anyone who would care, but he's pleased to death to know he's right at least.

His laugh dies down after a moment and he shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Huaisang," he says, genuinely, reaching out and giving his free hand a light pat. "He's busy being a wife to someone else. I do hope you find someone else who you admire even half as much."

Remind him to push Wuxian in the river next time he sees him.. just because.

~~~

Whenever Yuan wakes it would be to the steady sound of hoof beats and the rock of the large, modest carriage. One of the older disciples had taken over the reigns, giving Lan Zhan the chance to move back to check on the boys.

Now he sits quietly with them while all the lads sleeping as he'd encouraged Zizhen to rest. He's watching over them technically, but at the moment, he's staring out the gap in the curtain in the back of the carriage at the sky with a pensive look.

Edited 2021-08-21 05:36 (UTC)

Oh, isn't Jiang Cheng's laugh a wonderful sound - sorely needed, today, but mostly Huaisang wonders what he has to do to hear that laugh all the time. What he wouldn't give to sit sharing gossip over dinner and trying to find the most amusing stories to draw that sound from him again and again and- wait what did he just say?

Huaisang blinks at him for a long, confused moment. He's busy being a wife to someone else? Who is? What is he talking about?

"Ah, I'm sorry Wanyin, but who are you talking about?" The only person he's had particular interest in for a while is sitting opposite him, and is definitely not playing wife or husband, that's why they're here.

~~~

When Yuan stirs to the movement of the carriage, for a brief moment he thinks, hopes, that perhaps Jin Ling changed his mind and had taken him home anyway. It hurts his heart when he opens his eyes and realises that's not the case.

Some part of him knows there's so many benefits to this, and he is glad to get a chance at family, but he yearns for Jin Ling's presence.

"Hanguang Jun?" He asks softly, groggily, as he sits up a little. At least all the sleep has eased the pain in his throat- the bruising is still there, but it no longer hurts to talk.

He scoffs at the audacity of Huaisang. What was this act now? They'd been enjoying being so open with one another and now all of a sudden the silly man was getting shy? He rolls his eyes and almost wants to ruffle the pretty one's hair (he won't, that would be terribly inappropriate) but the urge is there.

"Now Huaisang, there's no reason to be coy. You said we were friends. Have I not shared enough embarrassing things with you that you can admit something like this to me? I give you my word, I'm not asking to go tell him. Don't you know me better than that?" Besides, if he ever made the slightest attempt to cause trouble in that marriage, he'd be run through with a thin, icy blade guaranteed.

~~~

Lan Zhan startles, a very rare incident Yuan would eventually learn, and looks around at the three boys before figuring out which one was calling him. When he spots the one needing his attention, he is quick to move to his side. "A-Yuan. How are you feeling?" He asks. He picks up from one of the edges of the carriage a water skin and passes it to him. "If it's too painful you can just nod or shake your head."

The look of bafflement Huaisang gives him is pure and genuine, although it is hard to tell the difference since he perfected the act so much.

"No, no, Wanyin I trust you absolutely, I simply really don't understand who you're- ah! You're- you're talking about Wei-xiong?" Realisation suddenly dawns and his eyes widen for a moment before he bursts out laughing.

"I- no- Wanyin-" he tries several times to explain through his giggles, but it's taking him some time to get control of himself. Eventually he manages to get them to die down enough to shake his head "Aah, Wanyin, I promise I have no such admiration for your brother. That is, I do admire him a lot, but not in that way, Wei-xiong is not my type at all."

~~~

"I am feeling better," Yuan says politely, it's not really true in any way except physical, and he gratefully accepts the water skin, sipping carefully. The cool water is soothing, and well needed, and he has to force himself not to gulp it down.

"We're... you're taking me to Cloud Recesses, aren't you?" He asks quietly.

The lightest blush touches Wanyin's cheeks at the utter embarrassment of getting laughed at! How dare he! (Relax Cheng, it's really not that big of a deal). Just before he can actually get angry about it though, the emotion is waylaid by the revelation that Huaisang isn't in love with his brother like he thought. Not only that, but it is really difficult to stay mad at someone who looks that cute giggling. It is far too pretty a sound.

"What? Are you sure?" He asks, surprised. "You've always followed him around whenever I'm there. I could've sworn you were infatuated with him. I thought everyone was." The last words were much quieter and almost covered by another gulp of wine, but not quite.

~~~

Lan Zhan makes sure not to stare at Yuan after he's asked his question. He knows there will be emotions and the answer might not be completely true. His son deserves some privacy, after all, and from the sounds of it, he's had very little in his life. The guilt of what the boy went through will never go away, but he can at least do this much. "If you need more medicine, ask."

The question about Cloud Recesses gets his gaze to lift again and meet Yuan's. His tiny, ghost of a smile returning. "Yes, I'm taking you home."

"Oh, I'm sure," Huaisang says firmly. Lan Zhan is actually marginally more his type, though he does prefer his men more expressive, but he decides not to share that little tidbit.

There's sympathy in his gaze at that last muttered comment, but only a little, and he decides not to make a big deal of it, instead he just shrugs casually.

"I thought he was great, I'm impressed by his skill, I respect him as a friend and ally... but I'm not attracted to him." He explains easily - he doesn't intend to sing Wei Wuxian's praises in front of his brother, but he also knows Wanyin will be far more likely to believe him if he's honest about how he feels. "I was never attracted to him."

~~~

Home.

There's a tiny spring of hope, somewhere deep in his chest, a longing ache - home and family, it's what he's always wanted. But can it really be home without Jin Ling? He rubs his fingers idly over the ring he's wearing, a calming reminder that Jin Ling was always going to love him, would always be with him in a way - just not the way he really wants.

He's nervous, too, because it's Cloud Recesses. He knows the Lan clan from what people say about them - upstanding, honourable, kind of prudish...

"But I'm..." he says softly, looking down "I'm not... could I really be welcome in such a place?"

Jiang Cheng is with Huaisang on the expressive part. Lan Zhan is dull and way too arrogant for his tastes. They briefly bonded during the Sunshot Campaign where he saw the man's true might- it was petrifying to put it mildly- but that respect was shattered when he kept defending Wei Wuxian who was masquerading as Mo Xuanyu and then defended those wretched Wens. Of course, now all this time later, he discovered how wrong he was to support the death of those people. How could he have known? How had Lan Wangji known?

Fortunately that's completely ancient history and those morons are happily married to each other leaving the rest of society alone.

"What sort of man is your type then or are you going to be coy with that as well?" He smirks. "Who is it that makes the sect leader of Nie flap his fan faster and get weak in the knees, hmm?"

~~~

It warms Lan Zhan's heart to see the light, however tiny in Yuan's eyes at the word. He knows it's hard to imagine now, but he can nurture that spark. He will help it grow like so many other young, scared juniors coming to Cloud Recesses for the first time. Sure, they're usually much younger but were they so different? No matter how old someone gets one fears the unknown, being alone, and being rejected all the same.

"You're everything you need to be and more. You're.." How to put this into words? He is so bad at this. He wishes his husband was here. "You're our érzi."

Huaisang has half a mind to just say you and watch Jiang Cheng's head explode, but he's not quite drunk enough for that. Yet.

Instead he flicks his fan closed and taps it thoughtfully against his chin as he considers the question - he has no intention of being coy, he is drunk enough for that.

"I like my men to be men," he says first "Fierce, protective, strong... but caring, too, I like to be spoiled, to be looked after. Of course it has to be someone who's able to strike the right balance between taking control and understanding I am a sect leader and I am not as helpless as I seem, he would have to appreciate the skills I do have..." he pauses for a moment then laughs ruefully.

"Alright, I suppose it is a long list. If you want to know what really makes me weak at the knees, it's a big strong man who would happily pin me against a wall." he sighs happily at the thought.

~~~

Our érzi. Our. Not just Wei Wuxian's, but both of them. Hanguang Jun himself, his excellency, the chief cultivator, has already accepted him as a son without question, despite knowing his past, despite not having seen him since he was a child.

"You really..." he starts, then looks down, not able to put it into words. After a long moment he says "Thank you."

Jiang Cheng, for the life of him, doesn't know how this happened. He has been jilted today and yet here he is in the Sword's Hall, laughing his ass off over the unexpected shamelessness of someone he hadn't even realized was a friend. His blush was a little darker but he could blame that on the wine easily enough or just the wonderful audacity of Huaisang's comment. If he'd been completely sober, the remark might have made him angry for anyone to be so vulgar but a drank Wanyin is highly amused.

"That is a delightfully lewd experience!" He agrees, not knowing what possesses him to say that. He remembers the sadly few times he's gotten the chance.. but his ex-fiancé just might be one of them. *Ahem*. There might be a reason he'd agreed to marry her. Unfortunately a spirited night didn't really make up for some of her other faults.. (like not being able to deal with his stupid family's drama).

As he's remembering her though, he can't help but imagine someone much more beautiful and present up against the wall in her place. His eyes slip down a slender body that he bets under all those robes would easily be lifted. If only Huaisang could be convinced to forgo wearing trousers the next few days.

~~~

Lan Zhan frowns a little, unsure exactly what kind of reaction he was getting. He reaches out and gently puts his hand over one of Yuan's. "Only if you want it too. Allow us some time to get to know us?"

Huaisang grins delightedly at being able to make Jiang Cheng laugh like that, flicking his fan open and fanning himself shamelessly as he gives a wistful sigh.

"Ah, it is," he says, amusement sparkling in his eyes "but it's been such a long time since there's been anyone willing to pin me to anything."

Huaisang could very much be convinced to forego wearing trousers beneath his robes. Huaisang could be convinced to forego wearing just about anything Jiang Cheng wanted him to, all the other man had to do was ask.

Not that Huaisang would ever expect him to ask.

~~~

Yuan bites his lip nervously and then looks up.

"I'm... sad, about leaving Jin Ling, and I wish I didn't have to be away from him... but I've wished for family for such a long time, it would be foolish of me to reject what I'm being offered. I'm... I'm scared, though, that I won't turn out to be what you hope... that my past will be a problem, that... that it will have been too long..."

"There had had been a while for me as well," he admits with a touch of sympathy, though his grin doesn't fade too much. He is still much too amused by what they've been talking about to let it fall away too fast. He gives Huaisang a furtive smirk and leans in a little, like there was someone to hide a secret from in a room full of.. no one? Whatever, he's drunk. "Is it not one of the whole reason to put up with the headache of a wedding after all? If you're lucky they'll give it a little early too."

What was that about protecting his ex-fiancé's honor?

He sits back and laughs. "A-Sang, do not worry, my dear. You're far too pretty to have to wait for long before someone will be happy to sit you on their rod in whatever fashion you wish." He could picture a few ways that would be particularly nice, like having the other man riding him. He shakes his head, trying to get the dastard thoughts from his mind.

~~~

Lan Zhan listens as Yuan speaks. There's some mild satisfaction in knowing he'd predicted the problem. "Being sad about one thing doesn't mean you can't be happy about another. You can be both without being disloyal to either. There's pain and fear in the new. You don't know us. We haven't built your trust yet. The only thing you know is that we both left you, for whatever reason, to this life you've led. I cannot say anything yet that will guarantee something I've yet to earn."

He turns and picks up the basket and hands it to Yuan. "Take some comfort in knowing the person who you do trust, trusts us or he never would've let you come with us."

It is frankly unfair for Jiang Cheng to sit there so innocently while talking absolute filth and calling him A-Sang, it's doing funny things to his insides and he thinks he's going to have to have some personal time before he can get to sleep tonight.

He snickers slightly at the comment about giving it a little early, quietly filing away that knowledge - of course he doesn't intend to use it, not against Jiang Cheng, but it's still nice to know.

"Such language, A-Cheng," he scolds playfully, fanning himself as though scandalised by those words (rather than incredibly turned on by them) - and of course, if Jiang Cheng was going to start being so familiar, he can return the favour.

"...do you really think I'm pretty?" he asks archly, peering over his fan.

~~~

Yuan frowns a little - it seems strange, to him, the idea that they might have to earn his trust, that they might expect for him to be anything other than grateful for all they're offering him.

Before he can decide how to respond, Hanguang Jun is passing him a familiar basket. He frowns slightly, looking through the things inside. His things - the things that Jin Ling gave him. He brushes his hand over the expensive silk robes and feels the tears well.

They don't start falling, however, until his fingers close around the comb - the comb he wanted to take with him, back to the Golden Hare, something he could use to remember Jin Ling by. He was right, it seems, but wrong about where he'd be taking it.

If Wanyin was in his right mind at all he'd be horrified at his forwardness. However, right now, it's a ton of fun, especially seeing the cute way Huaisang reacts to it. It was absolutely terrible, but it encourages him in a way it really shouldn't.

At the question, he winks. "If you doubt my word, toss your trousers and climb in my lap to find out just how pretty I find you." He even has the nerve to push back a bit from the table, though even in this state he never expects to be taken up on the offer. That would be absurd! "Otherwise, you might just have to take my word for it, A-Sang."

~~~

Lan Zhan moves to sit on the bedroll beside him and offers, though doesn't push, if he wants an embrace. He's quiet for a long time, just letting Yuan feel his emotions however he needs to. Eventually though, he decides it's time to redirect the boy's focus.

"You have an uncle, my brother, Lan Xichen, and a great uncle, Lan Qiren. My brother is the sect leader of the Lan Clan though I've been serving in his place for he last couple years. He's been in seclusion having lost someone he loved. Besides those two, myself, and my husband, you may have one other relative alive though I don't know for certain. He's a Wen. Wen Ning. Wei Wuxian will be able to tell you more about him." With luck, he might be able to call the wandering Ghost General back to Cloud Recesses to meet their lost boy.

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