Work Text:
“Jiang-xiong!” the smaller boy yelled, dragging out the last vowel as he did so. Clutching a paper fan to his chest, Huaisang sent a scowling look Jiang Wanyin’s way. They were both currently at one of Lotus Pier’s more hidden docks. Wanyin was, as these hangouts usually go, swimming in the lake, while Huaisang happily sat fanning himself as he watched the other boy swim. That is, until Yunmeng Jiang’s very own sect heir decided his friend wasn’t looking quite fresh enough.
Naturally, Nie Huaisang (resident water virgin), upon realising that his childhood friend just splashed a wave of water at him, started beating him for being the cause of his newly soaked robes. And Jiang Wanyin, being the demon that he is, only laughed harder at the poor boy. He didn’t even try to block off Huaisang’s flurry of attacks, seemingly unaffected with his paper fan’s hits.
“No need to act so dramatic. You still have like what,” Jiang Wanyin counted off his fingers, “twenty-or-so other robes?” Nie Huaisang only glared harder.
Worst thing was that this wasn’t even the first time such an occurrence had happened to the Nie sect’s young master. Every visit he paid the Yunmeng-Jiang sect always somehow ended with him getting wet, whether it be from the Jiang duo’s antics, or a result of his own clumsiness. There was even one occasion where Wei Wuxian had pushed him to the lake, despite knowing about Huaisang’s inability to swim. That day ended with Wanyin practically berating Wei Wuxian for his actions while Huaisang gorged himself on a bowl of Yanli’s lotus root soup, wearing one of the Jiang sect disciple's robes in replace of his soaked one.
So, yeah, Huaisang really should’ve seen it coming.
“But these were my favourite robes! I can’t walk around with my robes soaking wet like this!” Huaisang had stopped his attacks on Wanyin, and was currently sprawled on the wooden dock.
Jiang Wanyin pulled himself out of the water and eyed his friend on the ground. “Come on, I’ll lend you one of my robes,” he offered; his hand out to pull Huaisang to his feet.
If Wanyin noticed how Huaisang had brightened up at that, he didn't mention it. Gods know how long Huaisang has been pining for the younger of Jiang siblings. Wearing said boy’s robes after getting his own soaked? He silently thanked the gods for this little gift they'd granted him as the two boys quickly made their way to Wanyin’s quarters.
And if Huaisang got clumsier on his next visits to Lotus Pier? No one needed to know why.