Work Text:
Sigh.
Jin Zixuan walked down the corridor of the Carp tower. His mind was swarming with different thoughts. There were multiple things he had to think of, the disaster that was the Phoenix mountain hunt, his father's weird obsession with Wei Wuxian, and most importantly, his relationship with Jiang Yanli.
After he ran away from her on the mountain, things were a bit... awkward to say the least. He couldn’t find the right words to say to her any time they bumped into each other, which was quite often due to his mother’s interference. They would just… stare at each other in silence until he couldn’t handle it anymore and ran off again. Another sigh escaped his lips. God, Yanli must think she repels him when it couldn't be any more opposite.
He was intimidated by her beauty.
Sure, he’d said some choice things when they were students in Gusu, but that seemed like a lifetime ago, he was a child!
He knew that was no excuse, however. He had forever tarnished his relationship with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. Even Jiang Yanli was hesitant around him, though she still allowed him to make a fool of himself.
A small smile graced his lips as he swiftly walked down the hall and took a sharp turn into someone. He furrowed his brows and grunted as they collided and fell to the floor. Jin ZiXuan wasn’t used to such a thing happening and he was about to raise his voice at whomever bumped into him when he heard a soft gasp.
Looking across from him, he saw the very woman of his thoughts. Jiang Yanli looked radiant as her mouth formed an “Oh” as she too realized whom she’d bumped into. ZiXuan immediately lost his voice as he tried to form words, “Ah. I-I’m, uh, please… Please forgive me, Miss Jiang.”
Realizing he was just staring, he extended his hand to help her up. She hadn’t said a word, but rested her hand in his as he gently pulled her from the floor. She started dusting herself off and ZiXuan felt his face heating up.
“I-I’m sorry. I should have been watching where I was going.” He tried to fill the silence with his words, but he felt them hanging in the air. It wasn’t an awkward situation per say, but he hated the silence.
Letting out a breath, Yanli gave him a smile. He felt his breath catch and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her face. His eyes darted about her profile, taking in everything he could. Her eyes were bright, her skin smooth with a dusting of powder. Her lips were tinted with a gloss that made them pop out even more to him.
“...uan? ZiXuan? Are you in there?” He heard her voice and snapped out of his senses. His eyes met hers momentarily before he flushed and averted his gaze. Her smooth voice drifted through his ears. “Are you okay?”
“A-Ah, I’m sorry. I was… distracted.” He rubbed the back of his head as he watched the smile drop from her face.
“Oh.. Am I bothering you? I apologize, Lord Jin.” He could see that she was backpedaling and he hated it. He didn’t want her to pull away and so he took a deep breath, steeling his nerves.
“No!” He reached his hand out and grasped hers. He reveled in how soft and small her hand was until he realized he was just staring again. His eyes traveled up from her hand and met with her pale yellow eyes.
“Gods you’re beautiful.” His voice was shaking but he didn’t let go.
“My lady, I… You have not offended me. I was just… revelling in your beauty. You amaze me. You’ve dealt with me for so long despite how utterly rude I’ve been to you. You can tolerate my mother. The fact that you can even stand to be around me after… after my father supported Wen Ruohan.” He knew he was blabbering but he could feel his face getting hotter by the minute.
Just as he was about to cnotinue rambling, Yanli brought her other hand and wrapper her small hands around his one hand.
“...ZiXuan.” His heart stopped. She’d never addressed him this way before and he almost couldn’t handle it.
“Can we take a walk together?” Her voice was soft but her gaze was strong. He’d never met women like the Jiang’s before. He couldn’t get his words out so he just nodded.
He turned to the side and adjusted their hands so their fingers entwined. He was honestly afraid his palm was sweaty, but he squeezed her hand gently as they headed towards the gardens.
They spent the next few hours conversing and the best part? They never stopped holding hands.
Fin