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“I am not going to avoid him. He defected and now he has to live with the consequences From the Cloud of Recesses to…” Lan Jingyi trailed off seeing a corner of golden hued robes but then the silk was gone. The confident smile faltered into a frown.
“You should just apologize.” Lan Sizhui stated, sighing softly. It been two weeks since the ill-fated incident happened at the training grounds. Jin Ling had been sparing to demonstrate the moves that’d been taught to him. In doing so he’d been put on the ground as Lan Jingyi walked in to observe what had everyone gathered around for. Things had been said and the result had been Jin Ling giving Lan Jingyi the silent treatment and avoiding him.
“I was worried.” Lan Jingyi bit out feeling that prick of jealousy just from remembering the moment he’d walked in seeing Jin Ling tackled to the ground then seeing his mate wrap his body around the other packmate to flip him.
“You were jealous.”
“No I wasn’t.” He denied.
“Lan Jingyi.” Lan Sizhui responded, giving him a look. There was a sudden small sour tang in the air from the lie.
Lan Jingyi swallowed and felt the heat rise to his cheeks. He was the head of the Gusu Lan pack and should know better. However, he didn’t because his best friend and second in command had hit the nail on the head. Hell yes he was jealous. After their wedding night his husband had decided not to have the same room then would barely talk to him unless it was about his duties. That warmth prior to their wedding day had evaporated.
“I just want him back.” Lan Jingyi sighed, feeling also defeated. Yes, their marriage had started out as being arranged between his mother and Jin Ling’s before they’d both had passed. They had been friends in their youths.
“He’s here. He hasn’t gone home or asked to go to Lotus Pier. Just talk to him. I am sure that the two of you can work this out. If you were able to work out your differences on paper, surely doing it face to face would be easy.” Lan Sizhui responded, remaining firm. Communication was key to making a relationship work.
“But is he really?” Lan Jingyi sighed, looking at the walkway that led to his library.
“Stop that. He just married you and agreed to stand by you to help run this pack. He isn’t going anywhere. Maybe he wants you too? He might not know the words to say.” Lan Sizhui responded, poking his best friend’s arm and was about to escort him to the library himself when Ouyang Zizhen approached.
“Ouyang Zizhen.” Lan Jingyi greeted him before Lan Sizhui had. With the barely there pout from Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi know that he wasn’t the only with a crush. Ouyang Zizhen was Jin Ling’s best friend and had acclimated well. Lan Jingyi liked to consider him a friend too.
“ Lan Jingyi. Lan Sizhui.” Ouyang Zizhen smiled at them. “If you are looking for A-Ling he is in the library but you didn’t hear it from me.”
“No we didn’t.” Lan Sizhui stated, nudging Lan Jingyi to go to Jin Ling. “But it was a book on husbandry that has Lan Jingyi going. How about you show me your garden? I am sure I heard that your peonies are in bloom.”
“They are!” Ouyang Zizhen brightened.
“Enjoy your book hunting.” Lan Sizhui said to Lan Jingyi before looping his arm through Ouyang Zizhen’s arm to join him in heading for the courtyard between Ouyang Zizhen’s and Jin Ling’s. rooms. The man had been working hard in to give Jin Ling and himself a piece of their home.
Lan Jingyi sighed watching them go then instead of running away from the situation he headed for the library to fix his marriage before it was too late.
Inside of the library Jin Ling huffed. Of course his best friend would want to look for a list of books then could only remember half. Jin Ling rolled his eyes but felt the sting of sadness. The hunt for the books allowed for him to duck into the library before Lan Jingyi could have spotted him. The alpha had gone from attentive to shutting him out then humiliating him when he was just trying to help his packmates. He rubbed his chest above his heart.
The memory was still sore in his heart of how Lan Jingyi had told him his place wasn’t on the battlefield anymore. Like now that he was married that he was no longer the trained warrior and pride of Yunmeng Jiang. His dad and uncle had raised him well. He was a damn good fighter.
He pushes those thoughts away as he hears the door slide open. “Good it took you long enou…what are you doing here?” Jin Ling snapped, quickly turning around the moment he smelt Lan Jingyi’s earthy scent. Smelling it makes him sad now when all the happiness had come before.
“This is the communal library, Rulan.” Lan Jingyi responded, inwardly sighing at how that Jin Ling was still so upset that he is snapping at him. He doesn’t miss how Jin Ling flinches at him calling him by his courtesy name that’d been chosen based off Lan Jingyi’s name.
“You have a meeting with the second in command for Alpha Peng.” Jin Ling stated, knowing Lan Jingyi’s itinerary. He turned back around to look for the book he knew that Ouyang Zizhen had mentioned on the way here before going back for the list.
“It came to an abrupt end.” Lan Jingyi said, softening his voice and sliding the door shut behind him. The temptation to lock them in was strong but he didn’t want to be that kind of husband or alpha who refused their partner the ability to leave. “And not the way I want our marriage to be like. We need to talk about what happened.”
“What’s there to talk about? You made it crystal clear what you think I should be doing.” Jin Ling spun around, glaring at Lan Jingyi. Gaze flicked to the door and that made Lan Jingyi’s heart sink. “What else is there discuss? I was mistaken to think we were equals in this marriage and I am clearly to be seen but not heard.” Jin Ling’s heart pounded as the anger about being humiliated made his blood boil. It was also clear to him that he wasn’t ready to be around Lan Jingyi. So he made his way to the doors. Ouyang Zizhen could find his own damn books.
“Wait! That’s what…not what I want, Rulan.” Lan Jingyi responded, reaching for Jin Ling’s wrist to keep him from leaving. When Jin Ling tried to free his wrist. He held tight and pulled the man closer.
“What makes you think I care what you want?” Jin Ling hissed, trying to wiggle free.
“Because you love me and I love you.” Lan Jingyi answered, raising his voice to match Jin Ling’s. He didn’t understand how Jin Ling could make him break his own pack rules but the omega did. It was a surprise that brought him happiness and annoyance. He loosened his grip but kept hold of Jin Ling though if he truly wanted to leave he knew that Jin Ling would flatten him on the ground. “And you are my equal.”
“Yeah, well you have a funny way of showing it! What makes you think that you can humiliate someone and everything just be alright? What if I did that to you? How alpha-like would you feel?” Jin Ling huffed, realizing the other wasn’t going to let go of him. He stopped squirming. His heart ached because Lan Jingyi telling him that he loved him was true. That’s why it hurt so much.
“I’m sorry. I was jealous, alright! You let others freely touch you but then you avoid mine since our wedding night.”
“Well what else was I supposed to do! You booted me from our..your hanshi. I now live in my own hanshi!” Jin Ling fussed at him,, “how am I supposed to think you want me when you don’t even visit my hanshi?”
“I…thought you’d want your own space? You talked about it all the time in your letters.” Lan Jingyi sputtered.
“Yes because my dad and uncle’s pier is adjacent to mine. I wanted to have my own space with you stupid .” Jin Ling said, anger slipping away as he realized that it was a misunderstanding. His tone taking a teasing shift. “And you were jealous? Of a spar?”
“Of you smelling like others and you don’t spar with me.” Lan Jingyi confessed, flushing.
“You’ve never asked and you wouldn’t be so jealous if you’d just talk to me.” Jin Ling poked his cheek.
“Yeah well you could have talked to me too. Maybe we would have resolved this sooner.” Lan Jingyi pulled Jin Ling into a hug that he was glad that Jin Ling didn’t try to wiggle free from him as he ducked his own head to nuzzle Jin Ling’s neck.
“Yeah maybe and don’t think I’ve completely forgiven you for humiliating me in front of our pack mates. No excuses.” Jin Ling lightly swatted Lan Jingyi’s shoulder. His scent sweetened at having his mate back.
“I will apologize properly but for now may I make it up to you?” Lan Jingyi asked, lifting his head to rub his nose against Jin Ling’s. The intent clear as Lan Jingyi’s eyes began to glow a bright blue with desire. It’d been almost a month since the last time he’d been able to kiss Jin Ling and he felt the burn of wanting one right now.
“Will you? Or are you just gonna talk about it?” Jin Ling asked with that little smirk that Lan Jingyi couldn’t resist to kiss. He poured his heart into the heady kiss and hoped that Jin Ling felt it too. Because he wasn’t going to let a misunderstanding like this happen again. He wanted his mate and he’d spend the rest of his life making it up to him.