Brothel meme continued

[lastjinstanding]

Continued from here

Jin Ling had really hoped he'd have A-Yuan at his side for this, but he didn't blame the sweet man for being ill one bit. In fact, he really enjoyed holding him as they finished traveling up to Lotus Pier. He sends servants off the boat to arrange a discreet delivery of his ill and subdued guest to private chambers following Ling's disembark. He instructed only Fu Geming to carry A-Yuan with Liling.

Sadly, after that, he had to leave his pets in his servants care. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped onto the pier. He bowed humbly to all of his relatives and gave them each a proper greeting- or in Wei Wuxian's case, a cheeky one.

He was brought into the main hall and given the seat next to Jiang Cheng's throne. Wei Wuxian was seated beside him with Lan Wangji at the next seat. And yes, Wangji had been offered the throne but had chosen to stay at Wuxian's side. It was Jiang Cheng's wedding, after all.

Jin Ling is happy sitting to a nice cup of tea and some wine after a long day of travel with promise of dinner coming.

~~~

"Jin-Guniang, is the young master Zheng in this room?" A young, unfamiliar male voice asks. "I have some medicine I wish to offer if you'd announce me."

"Of course. Let me ask for you," Liling says in a warm tone. She knocks on Yuan's door and peeks in. She smiles when she sees him awake. She comes in and shuts the door behind her. "Zheng-gongzi? How are you feeling? A friend of Jin-zongzhu from the Lan Clan is here to offer you some medicine. Would you feel up to seeing him?"

Comments

[unlanylikebehavior]

"Yeah, thanks.." he answers in that same quiet tone. His eyes drop to Zizhen's lips and then back up to meet his gaze. He's so torn on how to do this. Is he supposed to ask first or is there an etiquette he doesn't know? If he does this and Zizhen doesn't feel the same way is he going to hate him for it or be furious at him?

He starts to lose his nerve when he mutters 'hell with it' and leans in to press his lips against Zizhen's. Only it's a little too hard and awkward to be a 'good' kiss.

[notaturnip]

It is hard, and awkward, but it's what Zizhen's been wanting for a while now so he can't bring himself to care, and after he gets over his immediate shock he tilts his head to fit their mouths together better, trying to show Jingyi by example how it ought to be.

One of the hands wrapped around him comes up to cup his cheek, brushing his thumb across it gently.

This is actually happening, he is kissing Jingyi!

[unlanylikebehavior]

Oh. Oh!

The kiss had started off strange but when Zizhen adjusts it, suddenly the Lan junior is seeing hearts in his eyes! The world disappears around them and there is only Zizhen and his amazingly soft, plush lips. Jingyi swears he's never felt anything so luscious and tender in all his life. Zizhen's mouth tastes sweet and there's a scent to him that the Lan disciple has always liked about him, but he didn't realize just how much until now.

Tilting his head into the caress, he sighs happily, not wanting the kiss to ever end. He is so breathless though. Where did his air go? How can he be breathing so heavily and he feels lightheaded. As he draws back from the kind, romantic man who has been so supportive in everything they've gone through in the last few years. His heart swells with joy from the kiss and the love and the..

Jingyi swoons. Literally. On the ground. Zizhen, your kiss made your crush faint. Congratulations.

[notaturnip]

Zizhen smiles softly at the joy on Jingyi's face, feeling it reflected back in his own eyes.

He opens his mouth to say something and then suddenly Jingyi is... fainting. He's fainting. Oh god he has a concussion and he's been crying and then kissing him and he's probably done something wrong because now Jingyi is on the floor (and at least Zizhen managed to half catch him to lower him a bit more gently) and he's panicking.

He picks him up as best he can manage so he can try and get him back inside at least, calling for Yuan to help. The other boy comes rushing to open the door, staring in shock at the unconscious Jingyi before helping Zizhen get him inside. They put him on the bed, because that seems the most obvious place.

"You stay with him?" Yuan suggests, seeing how stricken Zizhen looks, how he can't even manage to explain what happened, "I'll go get help."

He doesn't know where he's going to go, exactly, but he'll find someone sooner or later, right?

[unlanylikebehavior]

It wasn't nine yet, but the evening was drawing near. When Yuan leaves the small hut, there's a confusing number of paths and directions he can go to either go further up the mountain or down. Disciples are more scarce this time of day, preferring to be either in the common room at the dormitory, helping in the kitchens, or cleaning up in either the libraries or classrooms (as if those really needed it).

Unfortunately, it's just as easy to get turned around and end up in the cold springs only to discover a very wrinkly butt attached to a very unhappy old man.

Not five minutes after Yuan left, Jingyi groans and opens his eyes. Dazed, he looks around unsure where he was and if what he thinks just happened did or if he dreamed it.

[notaturnip]

Yuan is running (in his defense, he doesn't actually know this is against the rules) but he's having trouble keeping track of where they even came when they arrived and he just can't seem to find anybody. He rushes down some steps in the side of a hill and skids to a halt when he realises he's reached some kind of spring or bath - and it's occupied.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologised with a rushed bow "I needed to find someone and I got so turned around..."

"A-Yi?" Zizhen gasps, grasping his friend's hand "How are you feeling? Are you okay? I'm so sorry! Just lie here, Yuan's gone to look for somebody!"

[unlanylikebehavior]

"You!" Lan Qiren cried, turning around and flushing with rage. "How dare you come spy on me! You're just like that no good father of yours who's ruined my nephew! Disgusting! Get out! Get out! Help! Somebody!"

He hurries toward his clothes, but he doesn't dare actually move that quickly for fear of falling. "I'll have you forbidden from coming down here again!"

Jingyi blinks at him confused. He snorts a laugh and puts a hand quickly to cover his face. "I'm fine! Really, I'm just.. I'm a little lightheaded. It's okay. What happened? I remember.. Oh no! Please tell me that didn't just happen! Did we..? Did I just.. Zizhen.. Tell me I didn't just faint after we.."

He covers his face with his sleeves and continues to giggle.

[notaturnip]

Yuan turns his back quickly to give the old man some privacy - and to hide how flustered the vitriol was making him. Disgusting. If the old man reacted like this just because he was the son of Wei Wuxian, just because he accidentally came across him bathing, he could only imagine what he would say about him if he found out the truth.

"Please forgive me, shifu," he apologises in a rush "I didn't mean to intrude upon you."

He gives the old man a hasty bow without looking, blinks back his tears and flees back up the steps, nearly stumbling in his haste.

Zizhen giggles as well, leaning in to kiss his forehead just above his ribbon.

"I took your breath away, that's what happened." he says with a cheeky grin.

[unlanylikebehavior]

Lan Zhan seems to step out of no where at the top of the stairs and catches Yuan. He wraps the young man in his arms protectively.

"What has happened, my érzi?"

Jingyi slowly draws his hands down and peeks over them. His cheeks are rosy, but there's a smile too. "So.. that really did happen? We really just kissed?" He bites his lip. "You're not mad or upset or anything that I did that?"

[notaturnip]

"I-I didn't mean to! I just got lost! I'm sorry!" Yuan says desperately, unable to keep himself from leaning into that steady embrace. It felt safe, protective, and he needs that right now - however much it makes his stomach twist with guilt to want it so badly.

"I shouldn't have come here. It's only going to cause trouble, ruin your reputations. I don't belong here."

Zizhen smiles back.

"It did, we did, and I'm definitely not mad." he promises "I'm a little bit worried about you, please don't faint on me again?"

[unlanylikebehavior]

Jingyi's blush darkens and he wants to hide behind his hands again, but he it's so not like him to get bashful. He's just so giddy and Zizhen was so cute and sweet! He could show this other side of himself that wasn't hard and sarcastic to him. However, the man also had a great sense of humor and surprisingly tough skin so he didn't mind a little playful ribbing either. It made Jingyi fall all that much harder for him and his silly romantic views.

"I can't promise that. It was a pretty amazing kiss." His smile widened. "But, I can promise to try to remember to breathe next time!" Pause. "When will next time be?" He looks so hopeful!

Wangji frowns and looks toward the cold springs. He's not sure who upset his son, but he knows a couple who might have overreacted. It was unfortunate that back when everyone thought Wei Wuxian was Mo Xuanya he'd made an ass of himself publicly stating he'd been gawking at Lan Zhan bathing. Those memories for some fools around here were hard to live down.

He gently takes Yuan's face between his hands and very tenderly kisses his forehead. "You belong wherever I am. My reputation is only valuable so long as it protects you."

[notaturnip]

Zizhen's just so grateful that Jingyi has woken up and seems to be fine that he can't resist.

"Right now," he says happily, leaning in to kiss him - gently, though, and he doesn't let it linger as long, the last thing he wants is for him to pass out again.

"If he finds out the truth he's going to hate me," Yuan whispers "he'll kick me out."

He appreciates the solid reassurance and the gentle affection, he does, his heart aches for it, but it's going to take him a long time to really, truly believe he can belong here, that this isn't something that's going to be snatched away from him.

[graceandguqin]

And then the boys keep exchanging soft, brief kisses until they're interrupted.

~~~

"Who?" Lan Zhan asks, his frown deepens with growing anger. "No one has that authority. No one but me and I've given you my word that you are safe and welcome here. Whoever-"

That's when he spots the person coming up the stairs and sees why this is more complicated than he thought. He looks back at Yuan. "Still true."

He straightens and glares at his uncle. "It is forbidden to make assumptions about others and to bully the week, shufu. Your behavior toward Wei Wuxian is one thing because he.. is in a different position. I will not tolerate you mistreating my son."

"You dare speak to me this way, nephew? After I've raised you?" The old man asks, appalled. "He spied on me! Just like your-"

"My husband spied on his lover. My child just got lost on his first day here. Speak like this about him again and you'll retire in the countryside."

[notaturnip]

Yuan bites his lip, shrinking in on himself as the two men argue - he appreciates Hanguang Jun standing up for him so staunchly, he does, but they're family and they're arguing over him. The tears had stopped, but they were threatening to start again.

"Please," he says wretchedly "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble, I was just-"

His head jerks up and his eyes widen.

"Jingyi! Oh how could I have forgotten! Hanguang Jun, Jingyi collapsed again, I promised Zizhen I would find some help I- Shifu I'm so very sorry but this is urgent, Lan Jingyi suffered a head injury only yesterday." He's definitely panicking now - he wants to make sure everything is fine, doesn't want to cause any more arguments, but he also needs to make sure Jingyi is seen to right away.

[graceandguqin]

Qiren sputters indignantly at Wangji speaking so plainly about some promiscuity! The nerve! And with that- that horrible man! He's all ready to fire back some other nonsense when Yuan interrupts- another sin against him on the old man's scorecard.

Wangji, on the other hand, immediately is shifting his attention from the frivolous fight to the much more important concern. He snatches Yuan's hand, turns on his heels, and moves swiftly (not running) back to the Jingshi. In his head, he's running through every medical issue he knows around head trauma. There were so many ways a mind injury could go wrong.

He is up the stairs and through the front, just in time to see.. two young men getting carried away again kissing on his bed. "Jingyi!"

[notaturnip]

Yuan calls another apology as he's pulled away, still feeling terrible about causing such problems.

Then they make it back to the Jingshi and he feels bad all over again because now his new friends have been interrupted (he's a little pleased though, he's seen the way they look at each other)

Zizhen springs away, nearly falling over backwards.

"Hanguang Jun!" He gasps "I was just...uh...I'm sorry, he woke up!"

Yuan bites his lip, this time to keep from laughing at the absurdity of it all.

[graceandguqin]

"Hanguang Jun!" Jingyi is also visibly mortified to get caught like this. His cheeks were a rosy pink. This is a sin of epic proportions! Yuan, you don't even understand! He was *gasp* kissing! (And on the Chief Cultivator's bed!) Okay that might have been way worse than the kissing part. He tries to get up so he can drop to a bow, but fortunately the older Lan blocks him holding a hand out.

"Are you alright? What happened? Yuan says you passed out." He's not saying that wasn't true, but he's a little confused.

Jingyi's blush somehow darkens and, like he's confessing some horrible crime, he works on summoning up his courage to answer. "I was um.. I got emotional and um.. Zizhen kiss- er- I kissed Zizhen. And.. uh.. I.. fainted."

"What had you so emotional?" He asks, though less confused now and more concerned. He steps further into the room and kneels near the bed.

Jingyi glances guiltily at Yuan and then unsure at Zizhen before taking another breath. "I was thinking about how easy it would've been for Jin Ling to not have done this really weird plan of his and then we all would've missed out on knowing Yuan and getting him out of that awful-" His voice cracks and he has to look down at his hands. "-life he was living. And some other stuff like that."

[notaturnip]

Zizhen reaches to take his hand, squeezing it encouragingly - whatever happens, he's trying to say, I'm on your side, it's okay.

When he does explain what got him so upset, Yuan gasps - that had been about him?

"Oh, Jingyi...." he says softly "I'm sorry, I should never have told you that story. I didn't mean to upset you."

[graceandguqin]

"No," Wangji corrects kindly but firmly. "Were you hurt in that story?"

Jingyi nods for Yuan even if he doesn't answer.

"Then as difficult as it is to hear, the correct response to injustice is to be repulsed and angered or upset by it. Most of the disciples have learned to contain their reactions but Jingyi is one of our most passionate students." Sometimes that love couldn't and shouldn't be contained, as Wangji has learned from Wei Ying.

"Yeah and I wouldn't want you to feel like you couldn't share things with me. It's just important and.. it reminded me of A-Qing." He sniffles. Was anything more tragic than the story of A-Qing and the two cultivators, Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen. He is never going to get over that particular night-hunt. "We met her ghost during a night-hunt and it was really sad. We got her killer though.. still didn't seem like enough."

[notaturnip]

Zizhen has never admired Hanguang Jun more than in that moment - both reassuring Yuan that it was okay to share his story, and doing so in a way that told Jingyi he wasn't wrong too. He squeezes Jingyi's hand and turns to him with a nod when he mentions A-Qing, his expression grave.

"That poor maiden," he agrees softly "such a sad end and so undeserved. I am glad we saw Xue Yang brought to justice but you're right, it doesn't feel like enough..." after everything Xue Yang did, death was almost too good for him.

Yuan bites his lip and nods, indicating his understanding - he still feels bad for upsetting Jingyi, though, and bringing up such bad memories for him.

[graceandguqin]

Hanguang Jun is in his element. He loves teaching the juniors like this. It feels to him like the heart of cultivation. There's the practical side and the rules, but there is also the philosophy and righteousness that carries their spirit through the dark hours.

"Mmm-hmm, sometime we'll share that story with you, Yuan," Jingyi promises.

As there's a lull in the conversation, some bells chime in the distance. Jingyi looks happy about it but Hanguang Jun doesn't.

"Time for dinner! You want to come with Zizhen and I, Yuan, or...?"

"No, we'll stay here. Please tell the servants to bring a meal for Yuan. Go on to the dormitory afterward," Lan Zhan instructs.

[notaturnip]

Yuan feels a flood of relief - he doesn't want to turn Jingyi down, but the idea of eating with the whole of the rest of Cloud Recesses - particularly Lan Qiren - is incredibly daunting. He gives the two boys a small smile as Zizhen helps Jingyi to sit up slowly.

"Thank you, Hanguang Jun," Zizhen says politely "We'll makes sure somebody brings some food up."

He feels a little bad for snooping, now.

Not that bad, but a little.

"Lean on me if you need to, A-Yi," he tells the Lan boy softly.

[graceandguqin]

Jingyi doesn't. That was so interesting! He is going to talk about what was in that secret compartment all night once they get away from everyone else.

"Thank you. Good night, Hanguang Jun. Good night Yuan!" He smiles at the sweet boy helping him. "Okay, thanks, A-Zhen!"

While it's a sin to lie, Jingyi has to wonder as they leave if leaning on Zizhen a little more than he really needs to falls under that same category. Once they've made it to the archway, he asks, "We're going to ignore that he just asked for food for Yuan, right?"

Inside the small house, Lan Zhan quietly picks up the used tea cups and sets out a fresh one for himself. He refills Yuan's glass. He takes a sip before setting his cup down. And.. silence.

[notaturnip]

Zizhen doesn't think it counts. Or rather, if it does, he doesn't care, because he's pleased that Jingyi is leaning on him.

"Oh, of course, we're making sure there's enough for two." he grins - Hanguang Jun would be too polite to not eat if the food was brought for him.

Yuan moves back to the table, thanking him quietly for refilling his tea and taking a sip. He lets the silence settle over them for a moment, actually finding it quite restful. He isn't sure exactly what to say, in truth, he's still worried about causing too much trouble to really justify being here. Eventually, though, he decides on a different subject.

"Why didn't Wei-Qianbei come back with us?" he asks softly, realising that was never actually explained.

[graceandguqin]

Wangji remains quiet as he thinks over how best to answer the question. He believes in telling the truth but he also doesn't believe in emotionally torturing people. There is nothing Yuan can do but worry about Jin Ling just as there's little Lan Zhan can do but worry about Wei Wuxian. In the end, though, the truth was the most important.

Therefore, he goes classic Lan Zhan. "He was helping someone."