Chapter Text
Zhuzhi-lang had glimpsed Wen Ning’s friends from afar and deemed them nice enough, but being the center of their attention was…a lot. The little group of humans were gathered in front of an inn; the very instant they spotted the Ghost General and his guest arrive, they practically flew to surround the duo like an excitable brood of ducklings. And once the initial pleasantries were out of the way–
“What are your intentions with our Wen Ning?" Lan Jingyi crossed his arms. The playful gleam in his eyes undercut his faux strictness.
“Um, good?” Zhuzhi-lang quirked a brow. “I like him.”
“Have you planned your wedding yet?” asked a sweet boy who had excitedly introduced himself as Ouyang Zizhen. “Can I be invited?”
“Uh, we – n…no,” Wen Ning floundered.
“No wedding or we’re not invited?” Jin Ling glared from where he’d crouched down to give his dog a good scratch behind the ears. The fluffy creature had originally made Zhuzhi-lang nervous. Not because he felt one way or the other about dogs, but because he had no less than twenty extremely venomous pit vipers wriggling beneath his robes. He made certain to tell his snakes to stay completely hidden while in range of Fairy. It would be so embarrassing if any accidents were to occur.
“Why wouldn’t we be invited?” Ouyang Zizhen gasped, looking nothing less than heartbroken.
Zhuzhi-lang and Wen Ning shared a wide-eyed glance but were thankfully saved from the interrogation by Lan Sizhui’s gentle chiding, “How about we give them a little space? We should all be preparing, anyhow.”
Wen Ning sent his cousin a grateful smile – or the closest approximation his inflexible skin could achieve in the moments before Lan Sizhui carefully guided the group back inside the inn.
"Oh!" Lan Sizhui turned back to cup his hands respectfully towards Zhuzhi-lang. "It was nice to finally meet you."
“Likewise.” A heady sort of warmth spread through Zhuzhi-lang's chest as he bowed in return. He waited until the last of the humans were out of view before he met Wen Ning’s expectant gaze with a carefully neutral one. “Why do they think we’re getting married?”
Wen Ning let out a hoarse sigh. “Because they spend too much time with Wei-gongzi and his husband.”
“...”
“And I…talk about you. A lot.”
“Why?” Zhuzhi-lang tilted his head, playfully serious. “Does A-Ning like me?”
“Of course I–” Wen Ning cut himself off. “You’re teasing me.”
“I am. But don’t worry. I talk about you too.”
“All good things…” Wen Ning faltered. “I hope.”
Zhuzhi-lang didn’t have the heart to tell him that Junshang only ever wanted to hear about their sex life. Also, it was quite possible Tianlang-jun was writing fiction about them…and he was probably sharing it with Immortal Master Shen and that silly little An Ding Peak Lord. It was mortifying to acknowledge. How was Zhuzhi-lang supposed to look them in the eye ever again?!
“Of course,” Zhuzhi-lang managed to get out as he fought to push aside those embarrassing thoughts. “Um, shouldn’t we…” He motioned to the nearby forest the night hunt was set to take place in.
Wen Ning nodded enthusiastically and the two of them set off to find a spot that was appropriately out of the way.
“But you like them…right?” Wen Ning asked in that stilted way he was prone to. He’d lowered his voice to avoid the possibility of detection; the young cultivators must have started their hunt by now.
“I do.” Zhuzhi-lang matched his quiet tone. “Lan Sizhui is kind. The rest of them are quite loud. But that’s not a criticism, just an observation.” He leaned back against a nearby tree, feigning a casual air. The movement closed the gap between him and Wen Ning significantly, causing their shoulders to brush together. “I can see why you enjoy their company.”
“I…I’m just grateful that they tolerate mine.” Wen Ning shifted slightly, pressing closer. Zhuzhi-lang was unsure if he did it purposefully or not but it was welcome all the same.
“More than tolerate. It’s clear they admire you greatly.”
“You really think so?”
Zhuzhi-lang nodded. He hadn’t spent much time with them but it was obvious that they all carried an immense fondness for the Ghost General. It was evident in the way Lan Jingyi turned to Wen Ning after cracking a joke, how Ouyang Zizhen felt comfortable inquiring about their love life, how suspicious Jin Ling appeared on his behalf, the ease at which Lan Sizhui steered the conversation away once he'd noticed Wen Ning growing shy…
“We should definitely invite them to the wedding,” Zhuzhi-lang deadpanned.
Wen Ning made a low noise in his throat, like a scratchy almost-laugh. The corners of Zhuzhi-lang’s lips lifted in an easy smile, matching his mirth. A-Ning was so cute. If they weren’t in a situation where a curious young cultivator could stumble by then – ah, he might not be able to stop himself from taking advantage of their close proximity.
And it was with that thought that Zhuzhi-lang became overly aware of Wen Ning's solid shoulder pressed against his, the coarse ends of his long black hair tickling the the scaled skin of Zhuzhi-lang’s neck, cheeks only a finger’s width apart.
Surely a kiss or two wouldn’t be terribly inappropriate. They were in the dark, after all. What would be the odds of someone seeing? But no, no…he shouldn’t attempt to distract Wen Ning from–
A familiar cold finger brushed the curtain of Zhuzhi-lang’s hair aside. Wen Ning’s deep black eyes met Zhuzhi-lang’s. His dry lips parted, just slightly, as he leaned in. Their lips touched for only a brief moment before the unmistakable sound of many young feet attempting to stealthily move through the underbrush reached their ears.
Wen Ning pulled Zhuzhi-lang further into the darkness until they were hidden chest to chest against the other side of the tree.
“Can your dog even smell?” Lan Jingyi complained. “We’ve been walking in circles!”
“You don’t know the first thing about Fairy, so you just shut your–”
Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi seemed to be in the middle of an argument, their voices carried over before they entered Zhuzhi-lang’s field of vision. His eyeline was partially blocked from his spot behind Wen Ning but he could still see a sliver of the clearing, just enough to see Jin Ling grasp the front of Lan Jingyi’s robes before Lan Sizhui put a calming hand on both of their shoulders.
“Can you two please try and get along for a little bit?” Lan Sizhui sighed.
“Or at least flirt a little quieter,” Ouyang Zizhen chimed in. “I understand it must be difficult to tamp down on the raging inferno of your amorous feelings but–”
“Shut up!” Even in the dim light, the bright red hue Jin Ling’s face turned was more than visible. He released Lan Jingyi as if he’d been burned. “That’s not – we’re not!”
“Yeah, as if… Can we just get back to the hunt?” Lan Jingyi pouted, adjusting his robes. Fairy had taken a seat beneath him and happily wagged her tail. He shot her a glance. “Are you sure she can sniff them out?”
“Better than you can,” Jin Ling grumbled.
Lan Sizhui frowned, “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”
Zhuzhi-lang raised a brow. That was a strange thing to say. Wouldn’t the dog normally be used to help during night hunts?
“Ah but Sizhui...” Lan Jingyi threw an arm around his friend's shoulders. “...aren’t you curious about Zhuzhi-lang? He and Wen Ning could be doing anything out here.”
The hand Wen Ning had on Zhuzhi-lang’s waist stiffened. Zhuzhi-lang rolled his lips between his teeth and prayed that nothing else would stiffen…considering the compromising position they found themselves in.
“I bet they’re kissing with the utmost tenderness. Did you see the way they were looking at each other?” Ouyang Zizhen made a happy little noise. “So romantic.”
Zhuzhi-lang could feel the tips of his ears flush. Were his feelings truly that obvious?
“Hey, wait.” Jin Ling tilted his head at Fairy, “I think she stopped because they’re nearby.”
“Or she’s just bad at hunting,” Lan Jingyi suggested pleasantly.
“You–!”
Wen Ning tilted his neck to rest his forehead against Zhuzhi-lang’s. He didn’t show much outward emotion but Zhuzhi-lang would swear that he was embarrassed. So that made two of them…
Wen Ning’s young friends must have decided to search the area. They split up in different directions. With great effort, Zhuzhi-lang slowed his breathing. He was certain that Wen Ning was still able to hear his breath and sense the minute rise and fall of his chest, considering how closely they were pressed together, but there was no way the humans would be able to sense his presence.
“Sorry,” Wen Ning mouthed silently.
Zhuzhi-lang wanted to say it was fine, that Junshang was far more embarrassing, but it was too much to try and express without words. Instead of attempting to, he licked his lips and bridged the tiny gap between them. His eyes fluttered closed, focused on putting all of his feelings into the kiss.
As Wen Ning reciprocated, Zhuzhi-lang realized with a rush that the danger of being discovered almost made it more exciting.
And then the near imperceptible sound of someone else’s inhale hit his ears. He and Wen Ning looked up at the same time, accidentally smacking their foreheads together. Wen Ning obviously couldn’t feel the ache though he rubbed awkwardly at Zhuzhi-lang’s forehead, presumably in an attempt to ease the pain.
“Sorry,” Lan Sizhui whispered. He’d covered his eyes with both hands.
Ah, Zhuzhi-lang thought, he and A-Ning really are related.
“It’s fine,” Zhuzhi-lang whispered back. His cheeks were red and his head smarted but this honestly could have been worse! The one who found them could have been Jin-gongzi…
“A-Yuan.” Wen Ning’s hoarse voice was woeful. “I–”
“What was that?” Lan Jingyi shouted from a little ways off.
“Nothing!” Lan Sizhui responded immediately. “Just me. I don’t think they’re here." His smile was bashful as he turned away. "We should probably just get back to the actual hunt."
Zhuzhi-lang cupped his hands in thanks but the young man had already left. It wasn't until all four of the humans had wandered off that Zhuzhi-lang let out the breathy laughter he'd been holding in.
"I don't think you should take me on any more night hunts," he mused. "I seem to be a distraction."
"I think you keep things interesting," Wen Ning said quietly. "Sorry I hurt your head."
Zhuzhi-lang blinked. He was half heavenly demon, anything less than a sword through the gut was a non-issue. But–
"Ah, it does hurt," Zhuzhi-lang lied. "If only someone would kiss it better…"
The wobbly smile Zhuzhi-lang loved so much spread across Wen Ning's face as the fierce corpse leaned over to do just that.