Chapter Text
Jiang Cheng moaned as Xi Chen smashed their lips together in a searing kiss, hands roughly grabbing his hips, as he pushed the younger man against the wall. Jiang Cheng grabbed a handful of Xi Chen’s hair and tugged softly, eliciting a sexy groan out of his mouth. Rough, callous hands pulled at each other’s outer robes, adorned with an unnecessary amount of ties and belts, groans of irritation escaping once in a while, tongues battling each other for dominance. With clothes strewn across the room, the pair bounded over to the bed, lips still connected, and collapsed on it in a heap, Lan Xi Chen’s tall figure towering over Jiang Cheng.
It had been roughly two months since they had decided to court each other, and Jiang Cheng had never been happier. Having Lan Xi Chen by his side, every moment of every day with soft touches during the day and rough, man handling at night, he was floating in pure bliss. They had never gone any more further than wandering hands, but they always came so close to losing control. They both wanted more, but Jiang Cheng just wasn’t mentally ready for such a huge step. And Lan Xi Chen, being the embodiment of understanding and patience, always knew when to stop. Jiang Cheng loved Lan Xi Chen. There was no doubt about that. But for the life of him, he could not figure out why he always hesitated from taking that next step. He wanted to. Oh, he desperately wanted to. But there was something stopping him. This nagging feeling at the back of his head, that just wouldn’t stop.
Lan Xi Chen untied Jiang Cheng’s inner robe, spreading his hands over the vast span of hard muscles underneath, cold fingers grazing over the other’s hardened nipples causing Jiang Cheng to moan into his mouth. Lan Xi Chen pulled his lips away and before Jiang Cheng could complain, latched his lips to the other’s neck, sucking and biting on the sensitive skin, that he knew for sure would get him the best response. Jiang Cheng’s sweet spot.
Jiang Cheng threw his head back in pleasure, eyes rolling to the back of his head, as moans after moans of his lover’s name escaped from his lips. He didn’t bother covering his moans, knowing how much it turned Lan Xi Chen on. The Lans, epitome of self-restraint, were always helpless in the face of sexual pleasure. Now that he had a taste of what pleasure feels like, Jiang Cheng didn’t think he could go back to his old life, where it was just him and his hand.
There was a crisp knock on the door, followed by a soft, “Jiang Zongzhu.”
Jiang Cheng, too lost in the world of pleasure, pointedly ignored it.
“Jiang Zongzhu!” came a louder voice with a louder knock.
Lan Xi Chen pulled away from his lover’s neck to glare at the door and Jiang Cheng was forced to open his eyes. “WHAT?!” he growled.
“Um,” the disciple stuttered. “It’s-um- Jin Gongzi. His friends have brought him here. He’s injured.”
That did it. Jiang Cheng was immediately on his feet, roughly wrapped himself with a robe and was out of the room in mere seconds, completely forgetting about the curse that tied him to the currently speechless man on the bed. And why was Lan Xi Chen speechless? Because nothing happened. The pain that he had been fully expecting to hit him, didn’t happen. He stared at the empty spot, that had been previously occupied by Jiang Cheng and wondered what this new discovery would mean for them. Lan Xi Chen did not have to follow Jiang Cheng around. Lan Xi Chen could go back to his own Sect and resume his duties. But why was his heart feeling so heavy?
Jiang Cheng ran into the courtyard, his heart in his mouth, assuming the worst. He found his nephew limping, being supported by his other nephew, Lan Sizhui and their friend Lan Jing Yi. Ouyang Zizhen was following closely, holding onto all their weapons.
“What the hell happened?!” he growled, panting heavily. Four pairs of eyes snapped to his and they just gaped. “What?!” he asked, feeling unnerved.
“Um, JiuJiu,” Jin Ling began, uncomfortably. “There’s a little um, something on your neck,” he said, generally gesturing to his own neck with a pointer finger.
Jiang Cheng paused. And then two things struck him at once. Knowing Lan Xi Chen’s obsession with leaving marks, he probably had a hickey on his neck. And two, he had left the man responsible for the said hickey in his room.
“Oh shit!” he said worriedly, turning back to go check on his boyfriend, now that he knew his nephew was fine. But he was saved from the trouble, as Lan Xi Chen entered the courtyard, looking as much of a mess as he himself was. There was an odd glint in his eyes, that Jiang Cheng was not sure he liked. Wait a minute? Lan Xi Chen was fine? He wasn’t in any pain?
“Bofu?” Sizhui questioned, surprised to find his uncle in Lotus Pier.
“What happened?” Xi Chen asked, his concerned gaze passing over the four boys and finally landing on Jin Ling’s ankle, which was twisted at a weird angle. “Oh, Jin Gongzi! Your ankle!”
“I already gave him some herbs for the pain, Bofu,” Sizhui said calmly, his eyes roaming over his uncle’s unusual appearance. For starters, his usual indigo robes were wrinkled and he was wearing purple under robes. His hairpiece stood with a slight tilt, unnoticeable to anyone but a Lan and his mane was a mess and was that a hickey under his ear? Sizhui’s eyes widened, as he put two and two together. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one who had connected the dots. His friends were now gaping at the two Sect Leaders.
“What-,” was all Jin Ling could manage to say.
“Bobo and Shushu are together? Since when?!” Jing Yi exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Bobo and Shushu?” Jiang Cheng frowned in confusion.
“Yes, Bobo,” Jing Yi said, pointing at an amused Xi Chen, “Shushu,” he said, pointing at a bewildered Jiang Cheng.
“When the hell did Wei Wuxian adopt another kid?” Jiang Cheng all but growled. Why doesn’t anybody tell him anything?!
“Um, Shushu-,” Jing Yi began but was interrupted by Jin Ling.
“Shut up, Jing Yi. We’re straying from the important topic at hand,” he snapped. “Care to tell us what is happening? Jiu Jiu? Zewujun?”
“We should get you to the infirmary!” Xi Chen and Jiang Cheng said at the same time.
“Infirmary can wait!” Jin Ling said blankly. “I want to know when the two of you became so close!”
“Just because you’re a sect leader now, does not mean that I can’t break your legs, brat!” Jiang Cheng threatened with a weak scowl, a blush spreading across his cheeks.
Jin Ling gave his uncle an unimpressed look. “Go ahead. You can’t break it any more than it already is.”
Lan Xi Chen snorted and immediately covered his mouth with a hand, shocked at the unusual sound that had escaped him. In his defense, he had found it absolutely hilarious. Jiang Cheng just shot him a halfhearted glare.
“Fine! I will explain everything later,” Jiang Cheng said with a sigh and when Jin Ling opened his mouth to argue, he added, “I promise. Let’s get your leg treated first.”
<<< >>>
It took the pair quite a bit of time to explain their current situation and their mutual decision of courtship for the junior quartet to finally settle down. Jin Ling, now lying on the infirmary’s bed, his rearranged foot propped up on a pillow, stared at his uncle with an unrecognizable look in his eyes, causing Jiang Cheng to worry about what exactly was going on in his nephew’s mind. No matter how old he was, Jin Ling would always be his little child that loved to curl into his lap and fall asleep. And his approval would mean the world to Jiang Cheng. Because for Jiang Cheng, his nephew would always come first. So he did what he does best. Grumbling under his breath, he tucked the blankets around Jin Ling tighter and tighter, until Jin Ling let out an annoyed whine and pulled him down to take a seat on the bed, next to him.
Xi Chen snickered, watching the great Sandu Shengshou turn into a fretting mother hen. It was a sight to behold.
Sizhui could see the love in his Bofu’s eyes as he gazed at the Jiang Sect Leader. He was happy for his Bofu. Anything that made his family happy would make him happy. And his uncle deserved all the love and happiness in the world. Jing Yi and Zizhen couldn’t stop smiling and giggling, gushing over how romantic the entire situation was. Zizhen could already see the plot and cover of his next book.
“It’s getting late. We should all go to sleep,” Xi Chen suggested, the blush on his neck and ears refusing to fade.
“Yeah, we should,” Jiang Cheng agreed, tiredness seeping into his bones. “Xiao Ling will show you to your rooms,” he said to his nephew’s friends.
After Sizhui, Jing Yi and Zizhen left the room, Jiang Cheng turned to Xi Chen. “Xi Chen, why don’t you go ahead. I’ll join you in a while.”
Xi Chen caught the look that his boyfriend was throwing his way and nodded in understanding. He turned to Jin Ling with a soft smile and said, “Good night, Jin Gongzi. I hope you recover soon.”
“Oh, um, thank you Zewujun,” Jin Ling stuttered, entranced by the man’s smile. ‘Same, kiddo. Same,’ Jiang Cheng thought with a smile. “And please call me Jin Ling. Now that we’re about to become a family, it’s only right that you do.”
“Only if you stop calling me Zewujun,” he compromised.
Jin Ling thought for a while. If his Jiu Jiu had married a woman, he would have called her Jiu Ma. What was he supposed to call Xi Chen? Jiu Jiu?
“Lan Jiu Jiu?” he muttered unsurely. “Wow, that’s a lot of Jiu Jiu’s for me. Jiu Jiu will always be Jiu Jiu. Wei Wuxian is Wei Jiu Jiu. If Zewujun is Da-Lan Jiu Jiu, then Hanguangjun will be Xiao-Lan Jiu Jiu….,” he continued to mutter, the knots in his brain twisting as he tried to solve this crisis.
Jiang Cheng watched his nephew pitifully and Xi Chen, being the kind and understanding man that he was, gave the kid some space to figure it out while trying to reign in the smile of amusement blooming on his face.
“You know what?” Jin Ling said, snapping himself out of the never ending loop in his head. “I’m going to call you and Hanguangjun ShuShu. Da ShuShu and Xiao ShuShu. That way I’ll only have to worry about two Jiu Jiu’s,” he said, nodding to himself.
Xi Chen smiled softly. ShuShu. He loved the sound of that. “Jin Ling,” he whispered with acceptance and adoration. Xi Chen already had one, no, two nephews and he loved them to bits. Now along with a lover, he was also getting another nephew. He was truly blessed.
Jiang Cheng watched the two most important people in his life, warmth filling his body. And then it clicked. That tiny little nagging at the back of his head? It was his nephew. The one person that would always be his first priority, no matter what. And now that he had his approval and support, nothing could stop Jiang Cheng from loving his Xi Chen.
Eventually, Lan Xi Chen had to exit the room, to give the uncle-nephew duo some space. His exit left behind a deafening silence in its wake, with the two of them looking anywhere but at each other. Finally, Jin Ling sighed exasperatedly. “So, a new uncle, huh?” he teased, a hint of rose coating his cheeks.
“Yeeahhh,” Jiang Cheng dragged, scratching his neck.
“Da ShuShu is nice,” Jin Ling said. For the majority of his life, it had been just him and his two uncles. But now he had friends. He had uncles, so many of them. He had a huge family. Just like he had always wished. “I like him.”
“I know. I like him too,” Jiang Cheng replied, sighing dreamily which Jin Ling pointedly ignored.
“Jiu Jiu,” Jin Ling began nervously, Jiang Cheng’s eyes snapping to his. “You are happy right?”
Jiang Cheng took his time answering his nephew’s question. He finally smiled. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
“I’m glad. It’s good to see you smiling, Jiu Jiu. I’m happy for you,” Jin Ling said with a small smile. He really was happy. He was happy that his uncle had someone in his life that would take care of him and would always make sure that he doesn’t over exert himself. His uncle had a knack for over doing things as a means to prove himself, and there had been plenty of occasions where he had either passed out from pure exhaustion or they had to medically induce sleep, to put him to bed. When he had moved to Koi Tower, he had been really worried about his uncle. But now, he could be at peace, knowing that his Jiu Jiu was not alone.
“And all I want is for you to be happy too, A-Ling,” Jiang Cheng said, placing a hand on his nephew’s head. “Being a Sect Leader is not easy. And at your age, it’s definitely not. But you have me, you have your other Jiu Jiu, you even have your two Lan ShuShus,” he laughed at the absurd amount of uncles that his nephew had been graced with, “and you have your friends. Do not lose yourself in your duties, like I did all these years.”
“I won’t,” Jin Ling promised.
Jiang Cheng smiled fondly. “I am so proud of you, A-Ling. And I’m pretty sure your parents are too.”
“Thank you, JiuJiu. That means a lot to me,” Jin Ling said, with tear filled eyes. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and smiled mischievously. “So when’s the wedding?”
“I don’t know. But to be honest, I’d marry him right now!” Jiang Cheng huffed out a laugh, not the least bit embarrassed.
“Good! It’s about time!” Jin Ling said, sassily.
Jiang Cheng smacked his nephews head in retaliation. “What the hell does that mean?!”
“It means that I am really glad that you will be finally getting married. I thought you would die as a lonely, grumpy, senile, old man,” Jin Ling said with a laugh.
This time Jin Ling saw the swinging hand of his uncle and ducked in time.
<<< >>>
It was a bright day in Lotus Pier with the lotuses on full bloom and since the disciples had all begged for a day off, to enjoy the weather and play in the clear waters, Jiang Cheng had indulged them in their whim. They all deserved a break and so did he. Jin Ling and his friends had all decided to follow the other disciples and lounge on the boats, to bathe in the warm glow of the sun, a feeling that the Gusu disciples lacked. Jiang Cheng and Lan Xi Chen had opted for a lazy day and dressed in their under robes, were now basking in each other’s warm embrace in the haven of their room.
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng turned to face his boyfriend. “Can I tie your hair, please?” he asked shyly.
Lan Xi Chen was startled at the sheer vulnerability in the eyes of his lover. He stared at his boyfriend with wide eyes, suddenly remembering a letter that his brother in law had secretly slipped into his hand just before leaving to Gusu. It had just one simple sentence in it, which said, ‘You’ll know, when he brushes your hair for you.’ When Lan Xi Chen had first read it, he had so many questions. Was he supposed to know something? And why would Jiang Cheng brush his hair? But now, a brilliant smiled graced the face of the First Jade, realizing the implication behind his love’s question and his brother-in-law’s cryptic letter. He had been worried about their relationship and how the wearing off of the curse would affect it. He had been meaning to talk to his love, about their next step in this courting but he just couldn’t seem to gather the courage, fearing that he would ruin or mess up their current dynamic.
“Of course, A-Cheng. You can do anything you want,” Xi Chen said, swiftly rising from the bed and taking a seat on the floor, his back against it.
Jiang Cheng stared at the broad back of the older Lan, not expecting him to be so eager to accept his request. But still, it brought a smile to his face. Lan Xi Chen, who had absolutely no idea about his hair styling capabilities, trusted him with his hair. He brought his assortment of combs and ribbons and hair pieces and sat on the edge of the bed, Lan Xi Chen’s back between his legs. He pulled out the white ribbon that held his hair in a top knot and placed it aside, his fingers now hovering over his boyfriend’s sacred forehead ribbon.
“Uh, Xi Chen?” he called out, eliciting a low hum from the man in question. “Your forehead ribbon.”
Lan Xi Chen paused, his hand hovering over the knot of his ribbon and then, as if he had made up his mind on something, untied his forehead ribbon with a single move.
Jiang Cheng held out his hand. “Here, let me place it safely on the table.”
“I have a better and safer place,” Xi Chen said, his voice deep and thick with emotion. He was finally going to do it. He was finally handing his body and soul over to the Jiang Sect Leader. He grabbed Jiang Cheng’s already outstretched hand and wrapped the ribbon around his wrist.
“Xi Chen! You-,” Jiang Cheng stammered, with a hitch of his breath, shocked at the soft feel of the Lan’s sacred ribbon against his skin. He knew what it meant for them. It was a sign of restraint and only family members and cultivation partners were allowed to touch it. A Lan giving his forehead ribbon to someone was a big deal. It was a promise to love without restraints. And Lan Xi Chen had just given his to him.
“It’s yours now,” Xi Chen whispered, turning around to face him. He stared at the immobilized Sect Leader and smiled softly, cupping his cheeks. “When the curse wore off, I was worried that our two months of bliss would come to an end. But I don’t want it to end because I still feel the same, A-Cheng. I still feel crazily and madly in love with you.”
“You-,” Jiang Cheng stuttered. Shit, he was going to cry. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to swallow the thickening lump in his throat. “Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with me, Xi Chen? I’m moody, inconsiderate and can be really prissy, at times. This is your only chance to push me away because after this, even if you try to run away, I won’t let you go. I will tie you up in my room if I have to,” he said, with all due seriousness.
“Inconsiderate?” Xi Chen said disbelievingly. “A-Cheng, you chose to help me with the curse when you could have just turned me away! You took such good care of me. Don’t you dare call yourself inconsiderate! And I know you are moody and prissy. But that’s just half of what you are. There’s this other half of you that has so much of love and concern and I’m really lucky that it was you that I first saw when I woke up here in Lotus Pier! And I’m never going to run away A-Cheng. Because us Lans, we fall in love only once. You are it, for me,” he said with pure honesty. “But if you still want to tie me up, I would be open to that,” he teased, smiling in amusement.
Eyes wet with tears, Jiang Cheng smiled a full smile. A rare smile that Lan Xi Chen had never seen before. A smile that knocked his breath away. “Our relationship, it’s going to be difficult, you know. First, we’ll have to get through your Shufu and then we’ll have to figure out our responsibilities. You’re a Sect Leader and I’m a Sect Leader. We have two different sects to take care of.”
“Actually about that,” Lan Xi Chen began, scratching his nose, a weird habit that he had unknowingly picked up from his brother-in-law. “Now that I’m out of seclusion, Wang Ji wanted me to take back the position of Chief Cultivator and I agreed.”
“So,” Jiang Cheng drawled. “Now we have an additional problem to deal with you being Chief Cultivator and all?”
“What additional problem?” Xi Chen asked with a frown.
“Xi Chen, I am a Sect Leader and so are you. We can’t leave our sects unattended for many days at a time. And I don’t think I can go back to the days where I was sleeping alone on this bed. Being a Chief cultivator on top of that, you’ll be really busy. You won’t have any time for me,” Jiang Cheng said, worriedly.
“I won’t be Sect Leader for long,” Xi Chen said softly. “I agreed to take the Chief Cultivator position because I could do my Chief cultivator duties from anywhere. I don’t have to be in Gusu for it. And when I agreed to this, I personally requested Wang Ji to become Sect Leader and knowing about our relationship, he agreed. So I don’t have to be in Gusu always,” he said, leaning closer to his boyfriend. “Although, I will have to keep visiting frequently.”
Jiang Cheng was speechless. His boyfriend had already thought of everything and with just one decision had solved the biggest hurdle in their relationship.
“You would do that for me? You would let go of your important position in your sect for me?” he questioned, voice thick and eyes wet with tears.
“A-Cheng, my position in the sect has never been a matter of pride or respect for me. It was just something that I inherited because of my bloodline. I want what’s best for my sect and I have no doubts that Wang Ji will make a wonderful and responsible sect leader,” he said, eyes shining with adoration. “But now I have you and I can’t help but be a little selfish. I’d like to think that after all these years and the sacrifices that have come with it, I deserve to be a little selfish. And as long as it’s you, it will all be worth it.”
Jiang Cheng felt speechless. “I love you, A-Huan,” he managed to whisper, gazing lovingly into his beloved’s golden orbs.
Xi Chen smiled, pleased to hear his birth name from his boyfriend’s lips. “And I love you, A-Cheng. I will always be half a heart without you.” (I’m so sorry for the corny use of my fic’s title. I just couldn’t help it! And One Direction rocks!)
Jiang Cheng leaned closer and tilting Xi Chen’s face up with his pointer finger, smacked a loud kiss on his lips. Before he could pull away, Xi Chen held him by the back of his neck and deepened the kiss.
“Mnnn,” Jiang Cheng moaned, trying to pull away. “Wait, I need to ask you something!”
“What is it, A-Cheng?” Xi Chen asked with an impatient groan.
“After A-Xian told us about the curse, he indulged me with a little bit of an extra info,” Jiang Cheng said nervously, holding his pointer finger and thumb really close.
“Oh?” Xi Chen eyed him warily. His brother in law was generally a good human being and husband, but he was always up to no good. What had his brother in law done now?
“He said that the reason you were sent to Lotus Pier particularly was because the old lady, she saw something in your memories. Something that helped her decide that Lotus Pier ought to be your destination,” he said, carefully.
“My memories?” Xi Chen asked blankly. “I don’t know what-,” he paused, eyes finally widening in sudden realization.
“So she did see something, huh?”
Xi Chen blushed furiously under the heated gaze of his boyfriend and stared at his hands. He took a few minutes, to gather his muddled thoughts. “From the time I first saw you, as a guest disciple, I always found you very captivating. I didn’t really know what I was feeling back then, just that you were very attractive and you made me very curious. But then the war happened and I got side tracked with the recovery of my Sect and my brother,” he murmured, finally looking into the loving eyes of his boyfriend. “And then when the Guanyin temple event happened, I just couldn’t take my eyes off of you, as you fought A-Yao. But again, A-Yao’s death side tracked me. When I was in seclusion, my dreams were filled with purple lightning and lotuses,” he chuckled under his breath. “To be honest, when I came out of seclusion, Lotus Pier was on my itinerary. A-Xian always spoke at lengths about the lotuses, the ponds, lakes, markets and although, I had been here before, I never had a proper chance to explore this beautiful place. So, I wanted to see them for myself. But I also wanted to see you. So I guess, it all worked out in the end.”
Jiang Cheng smiled happily and he did the only thing that he could do to convey what he was feeling. He pulled Xi Chen into a scorching kiss and leaned back on the bed, Xi Chen following suit, their lips still connected. Moans of pleasure, escaped through their lips as they tore through each other’s inner robes, in the haze of desire. Xi Chen latched onto the bridge between Jiang Cheng’s neck and shoulder, teasing and biting and sucking on the already abused skin. Jiang Cheng let out another moan, his eyes snapping shut at the overstimulation coursing through his body, as he ran his nimble fingers through his boyfriend’s hair. He wrapped his legs around Xi Chen’s waist, causing their arousals to rub against each other, the friction eliciting a guttural groan out of both.
Xi Chen didn’t think he could hold back any longer. He searched his boyfriend’s face for any signs of hesitation or discomfort but all he could find in the silver orbs gazing back at him, was love. That was all the answer that he needed. With the smile of a temptress, he dove right in, smashing their lips together, biting and sucking on each other’s tongues, hands exploring unchartered territories.
It was everything that could be expected of their first time. They held each other tightly, wiping the few, happy tears that managed to slip from their hooded eyes as they moved to a rhythmic bliss. It was sloppy and messy and initially uncomfortable, owing to their lack of experience. But it was also a promise to learn and get better. A promise of forever. As they collapsed on their backs, receding from the highs of their love making, Jiang Cheng turned to face his love.
“I still want to tie your hair,” he whispered breathlessly, looking like a man completely wrecked.
“We have an entire lifetime ahead of us, A-Cheng,” Xi Chen whispered into his boyfriend’s ear and then smirked seductively. “How about round two for now?”
Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened at his boyfriend’s suggestion. “You shameless monster! You’re insatiable!” he exclaimed, followed by an unrestrained laugh as his boyfriend straddled his hips, making good on his promise.
EXTRA
Lan Qi Ren smoothed down his goatee, deep in thought, as he processed the information that his oldest nephew had just thrown at him. His oldest nephew wanted to marry the Jiang Sect Leader. Said nephew also wanted to hand over his Sect Leader position to his younger brother and get married into the Jiang Sect. ‘What is it with these Jiangs that both of his nephews had succumbed to the temptation?’ he thought. His unflinching gaze passed over his youngest nephew and Wei Wuxian, the bane of his existence, whose presence was probably to provide their brothers with moral support or to gang up on him. ‘Wasn’t one nephew enough? Why did you have to take the other?!’, he shot a question to the Gods. Time and again, his nephews had proved that they were his brother’s sons, through and through.
Lan Qi Ren’s gaze then landed on the three adolescents on his other side, two out of whom were squirming in their seats, under his heated gaze. No, not his Sizhui. His Sizhui was perfect.
“Sect Leader Jin. Your uncles have managed to seduce my precious nephews,” he began, blandly. His nephews and their counter parts stared at him warily. His voice then took on a threatening tone. “I’d suggest you to not have any such ideas towards my Sizhui.”
Jin Ling sputtered while Sizhui turned so red, that Wang Ji worried that his son was going to start emitting smoke from his ears. Jing Yi snorted, and then withered under the grandmaster’s narrowed eyes. Wei Wuxian laughed but immediately covered it with a cough, when Qi Ren directed a scalding glare his way. Xi Chen sighed exasperatedly while Jiang Cheng shot an accusatory look toward his fiancé and muttered under his breath, “I did not seduce you. You seduced me.”
“What?! God no!” Jin Ling exclaimed, completely horrified. “I do not like Sizhui that way!”
Sizhui actually had the nerve to look offended. “Why? What is wrong with me?” he whispered, with a frown.
Jin Ling scowled. “Do you like me?” he asked blandly. Sizhui shook his head immediately. “Then, why are you asking me that?! And you’re my cousin! So no!” he snapped.
Lan Qi Ren hummed thoughtfully, brushing his goatee with his fingers. “Sect Leader Jin. I’m glad that we are on the same page,” he nodded approvingly and then smirked, as a brilliant idea struck him. His clan had one Un-Lan Lan that seemed hell bent on destroying his Lan legacy. A Lan that would fit right in among the pretentious little Jins. This was the perfect opportunity to try and get rid of him. “But if you’d like to take Jing Yi off of my hands, I’d be happy to oblige.”
Jin Ling immediately muttered a “Hell no!” and Jing Yi sputtered at the Grandmaster’s bold suggestion.
“Actually, Shufu,” Wang Ji began somberly, sounding almost apologetic. “Jing Yi is also Jin Ling’s cousin. Wei Ying and I have officially adopted him.”
‘Come again, what?’ His younger nephew had officially and for the record, without his permission, adopted the second bane of his life? Hold on, wait a minute. Jing Yi was older than Sizhui. Oh no. Oh no. His Sect. His precious Sect was going to be run by the most un-Lan Lan to ever Lan. Everybody watched with bated breath, as the light from Lan Qi Ren’s eyes faded into nothingness and he slipped into the depths of unconsciousness.
THE END