Chapter Text
It’s dark by the time that Jin Ling finally manages to leave the library with his armful of notes. He hadn’t meant to stay so long, and barely just left a few minutes before the start of curfew. So, he’s rushing, but not running, Jin Ling justifies his fast walk towards his dormitory.
Hopefully Jin Zixaun hasn’t noticed. But Jin Ling knows that is a foolish hope because there are a lot of things that Jin Ling hopes that Jin Zixaun hasn’t noticed; that Jin Ling missed dinner, that he was missing for hours—the library is a really deserted area in Cloud Recesses. Not many people go.
Jin Ling slips in through the door of his dormitory just as the bell announcing curfew rings. The room is dark. Other students huddled underneath their blankets, trying to sleep.
A talisman lights up. “Where were you?” Jin Zixaun asks. Jin Ling can tell that he’s upset. At this point, he’d better know the signs of when Jin Zixaun is upset because that’s all he’s been doing since he’s been thrown into the past. Jin Ling has been hurting Jin Zixaun’s feelings.
Jin Ling never wanted to upset him. Part of it was just Jin Ling’s bristly nature but it didn’t help that at the beginning Jin Ling had been insisting that Jin Zixaun was a liar, that Jin Zixaun has been dead for years, stop lying--
It had been a rough start. Their relationship is still a crumbly mess. Jin Zixaun missing the cousin that he had lost, trying to rebuild his relationship with his cousin who is no longer his cousin, because Jin Ling is now in Jin Zixun’s body. Jin Ling still doesn’t know whether he is possessing this poor Jin Zixun—but if he was possessing him, wouldn’t Jin Zixun be hanging out with him? Surely, he would have Jin Zixun’s memories?
“Where were you?” Jin Zixaun asks. “You missed dinner! I looked—”
“I was in the library,” Jin Ling quickly interrupts. “I lost track of time.”
Jin Zixaun sighs. “What book could be so distracting that you almost miss curfew?” He asks.
Jin Ling doesn’t want to talk about the incident in the library. He wasn’t involved. He was just an innocent bystander; he also doesn’t want to convince Jin Zixaun that the Yunmeng Jiang are too crazy to marry into.
“Well, I…” Jin Ling stumbles over his words, finally deciding to tell the truth, at least to tell part of the truth. “Well, I am struggling with the talisman theory essay.”
Maybe Jin Zixaun can help him?
Jin Zixaun sighs. “Need help with it?” He asks.
“Yes,” Jin Ling says, feeling a little raw. It’s been a long day. “I would love your help,” he tells Jin Zixaun who smiles at him.
“I saved some dinner for you,” Jin Zixaun says.
Jin Ling smiles back at him. “Thank you, Da—” Jin Ling stutters, “Jin Zixaun, thank you.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Call me Zixaun, or call me cousin?” Jin Zixaun pulls him in for a hug.
“Thank you, Zixaun,” Jin Ling says.