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They are walking through the streets of Baling, hand in hand, enjoying the sights and smells of the different shops and stalls. The wedding date having been agreed on, they still have about six months to finish up the details of the venue. The cultivation world had been surprised at Sect Leader Jin’s desire for a small wedding, considering the importance of his sect, but the hundred guests or so had been carefully selected by both young men. Besides, Sect Leader Jiang having agreed to let them have their wedding at Lotus Pier, they needed to respect the peace of their smaller venue. However, that did not mean they would disrespect their guests, and they wanted to treat them first with the best dishes they could offer.
It was Jin Ling who insisted they should have as many delicacies from Baling as they could, to show everyone how important ZiZhen’s home was to him. The thought makes ZiZhen blush, remembering how he thanked his soon to be husband for such a caring touch. He holds Jin Ling’s hand tighter, who squeezed back before entwining their fingers together.
A little girl, no more than eight, gets closer to them as they stopped in front of the flower shop, Jin Ling in an intense discussion with the owner, whom he knows by name now. ZiZhen notices her and smiles. When he bends down to her level, she elevates a plate of small meat rolls towards him. “From my mother,'' she says. ZiZhen looks up behind her, and bows his head towards the woman waiting a few metres away, who promptly bows herself.
"I shall give her my thanks, ZiZhen says, standing back up and eating one of the rolls."
His eyes grow wide, and he grabs Jin Ling arm, yanking him away from the stall.
"A-Ling! You have to taste this!"
He takes another roll from the plate and offers it to Jin Ling. The other man leans forward, lips grazing ZiZhen’s fingers as he bites into the piece.
"It’s good, isn’t it?"
ZiZhen has a large smile on his face. Jin Ling nods his head, and smiles back at him.
"It is! Is it a Baling specialty?"
ZiZhen shrugs.
"Kind of, I used to make something like this with my mom and --"
Before ZiZhen can finish, Jin Ling turns to the flower shop owner and excuses himself, then runs in the direction of the woman who made these. The little girl is shocked into place, holding her tray, from which ZiZhen takes another roll for himself as he walks towards his boyfriend. He gets closer in time to catch the woman’s answer to Jin Ling’s demand.
"Of course, Sect Leader Jin, it would be my honour to cook more of these for your wedding!"
"Good! Come to Lotus Pier before the end of August, we’ll make sure you have a place to stay and all you need to make the food."
When the woman leaves, ZiZhen takes Jin Ling hands back in his own.
"You didn’t have to do that."
Jin Ling turns towards him, presses a hand on ZiZhen’s cheek and kisses him on the lips. The pressure lingers on ZiZhen’s lips even after Jin Ling pulls back, a tender smile on his face.
"I want you to feel at home with me, and I’ll do anything for it."
He kisses him again.
When he leaves, going back to the florist’s shop, ZiZhen cannot help but stare, distracted, skin heated up from the rapid beating of his heart. Then he smiles. In the years they have been together, Jin Ling became much more comfortable and confident showing his affection towards him in public, but he never thought he would ever be so open as to kiss
him like that in the middle of the marketplace.
There was a time in their relationship when ZiZhen believed Jin Ling was embarrassed of being seen in public with him. Oh, they could walk beside each other and talk to each other just fine, and their private life was very sweet and tender, but every time ZiZhen tried to hold his hand, hug him, or worse, kiss him in public, he was met with a gesture, and sometimes words, of rejection. “Not here”, “Not now”, “Please stop, someone could see”. What he first thought was timidity rapidly increased ZiZhen’s insecurity, to the point where he thought Jin Ling was ashamed of him. Just like his father once was. The day after ZiZhen broke down, heart in pieces over his inability to ever be worthy of his love, Jin Ling surprised him by standing up for him and their relationship, first in front of their friends and the elders of his sect, then to anyone who asked about them. Jiang Cheng was angry for a few months to be the last to know, but given he was always angry at something or someone, it barely ruffled Jin Ling’s feathers, even if it did leave ZiZhen with a knot in his stomach whenever he had to meet with him at Lotus Pier.
Then, at Carp Tower, during that same week, ZiZhen was strolling around, enjoying the night air. He startled when he felt arms wrap gently around him from behind. Recognizing Jin Ling’s sleeves, he hesitantly put his hands on top of his and squeezed.
"Are you sure?"
Jin Ling replied with a nod, a tightening of his arms around ZiZhen’s waist, and the smallest kiss at the nape of his neck. ZiZhen felt the heat of Jin Ling’s face against his skin, and when he tried to turn around, Jin Ling held him in place.
"Please. Let me do this… at my own pace."
ZiZhen smiled and reached a hand towards Jin Ling’s face, barely pressing the tip of his fingers against his cheek.
"Okay."
Later, during a night hunt with Lan SiZhui, Lan JingYi, and some others from their respective clans, they separated in small groups, both for competition and to cover more grounds. JingYi’s comments when they left together with Fairy got both of them blushing, but Jin Ling grabbed ZiZhen’s hand and did not let go until they were out of sight of everyone. They were still, however, close enough to be within hearing range, so they knew where the other hunters were talking and sometimes screaming at each other. That was when Jin Ling pulled on ZiZhen’s arm, forcing him to crouch on the ground behind a few bushes.
"Wh --"
"Shh! I heard something!"
ZiZhen kept quiet, looking through the leaves in the direction Jin Ling was staring at, but seeing nothing, he turned his head towards Jin Ling and whispered:
"Perhaps it was just the ot --"
The feeling of Jin Ling’s lips on his silenced him. The kiss was tender, not brief but not lasting either. It still left them both scrambling for their breath a little. ZiZhen looked around.
"Someone could see us."
Jin Ling nodded.
"I know."
Before ZiZhen could smile, heart beating loud, Jin Ling stole another kiss from him, putting a hand behind his neck. They didn’t have the chance to deepen the kiss when Fairy barreled into them, jumping around and licking both of their faces.
A year later, they were in Baling, celebrating ZiZhen’s birthday and official ascension to his role as Sect Leader. Every important member of the cultivation world was present.
Words already got around that OuYang ZiZhen was into the favours of both Jin and Jiang Sect Leaders, and as a result, many came to him offering toasts in his honor. Most were surprised when, at some point, Jin Ling interfered, arguing that ZiZhen wouldn’t be able to carry himself if he kept drinking. However, as the festivities concluded, both of them were equally drunk and they left the main hall of the OuYang Clan holding onto each other. All who were left witnessed Sect Leader Jin leaving lazy kisses on ZiZhen’s cheek and neck on their way out.
Many saw the two men kissing against the side of a building, giggling and groping at each other while clumsily making their way to ZiZhen’s quarters, which were the closest.
Wei Wuxian spent the next day jabbing at his nephew whenever he could over what he saw. Despite his mortification, Jin Ling still held onto ZiZhen’s hand wherever they went.
The week after their engagement had been announced, as they were travelling between Gusu and YunMeng, the tenant of the inn they stopped at, upon hearing their conversation, kindly told them about this new flower shop they should visit. Jin Ling had been eager to go and ZiZhen happily followed. As the Jin Sect Leader discussed flowers with the shopkeeper, ZiZhen had wandered off towards a display of beautifully crafted vases and bowls, created by the shopkeeper’s son. Bending over one, painted with delicate green and gold patterns, he saw someone bow to him from the corner of his eye.
"I hope my work is pleasing to your eyes, young master."
ZiZhen straightened up, smiling at the man, who looked a few years older than him.
"It is! Who is your master?"
The man offered a prideful smile.
"I am self-taught! Although I did have the chance to receive the patronage of a few cultivators… Would you like to offer yours?"
Oblivious to the glint of interest in the man’s eyes and his sultry voice, ZiZhen shook his head.
"I apologize, I don’t --"
"Perhaps if I show you the other pieces I am working on. Please, follow me in the backroom."
The man was about to reach for ZiZhen’s shoulder when Jin Ling appeared by his side, grabbed him by the waist and pressed his lips against ZiZhen’s. Eyes wide, ZiZhen barely registered what had happened, until he felt Jin Ling’s lips move against his. He closed his eyes with a soft sigh, bringing his arms around his neck. That’s when Jin Ling broke the kiss. In a daze, ZiZhen whispered:
"What was that for?"
Putting his hands on Jin Ling’s shoulders, ZiZhen felt the tension in them, and when he focused on his face, the red on his cheeks did nothing to hide the traces of anger in his eyes. Jin Ling was staring in the direction the man had taken, leaving shortly during their display of affection, and once certain he was far enough away, he answered:
"He was flirting with you."
"What?! No he wasn’t!"
Jin Ling sighed, relaxing his shoulders at the same time.
"Your heart is too pure for this world."
ZiZhen smiled and let out a small laugh, before asking coyly:
"Isn’t this why you love me?"
Jin Ling stared at him, half convincing himself to contradict him, but he pulled ZiZhen back for a kiss instead.
The week after, in YunMeng, Jin Ling offered him the traditional Jiang clarity bell in the colours of the Jin Clan.
"So everyone will know your heart is not for the taking."
Hearing the soft bell hanging from his belt now, ZiZhen focuses on his future husband, who is showing him the new hairpiece he found, a design typical of the men in Baling.
"What do you think?"
ZiZhen lifts an eyebrow, amused.
"Don’t you have enough hair pieces already?"
Jin Ling pouts with a frown but quickly trades it for a tender smile.
"I want to wear it at the wedding."
This time, ZiZhen is the one who bends his head and kisses him.