Work Text:
"Bǎo bǎo can you grind up some ink for me?" Jiang Cheng casually asked his lover. It was a thing of habit really, whenever he got too caught up with his work and did not want to break his groove, he would often get Xichen to grind up the ink and hand it over to him.
At the lack of a reply or the sound of ink being ground, Jiang Cheng looked up at his lover only to be met with the shocked faces of all the other sect leaders.
Too consumed in jotting down the notes of the meeting, Jiang Cheng completely forgot that instead of being in the comforts of his study he was actually at a sect leaders conference with the leaders from both major and minor sects.
Across the room, he could Lan Xichen's face lit up with vague amusement and a light blush. Beside his husband, was his best friend brother-in-law who, to the common eye might look stoic as always but after prolonged interaction with him, Jiang Cheng knew that Lan Wang Ji's face was one of shock, amusement and exasperation that Jiang Cheng was a dumbass (To be fair, they were normally took turns to be dumbasses. It just so happened to be Jiang Cheng's turn this round).
Jiang Cheng had expected someone to start yelling about how shameless he was or for somebody to make a joke about the situation so that they could all move on but it would appear that everyone was as shell shocked as he was at what just happened and the silence that followed only served to make Jiang Cheng feel even more embarrassed.
Seeing how everyone was too shocked to say a thing, Lan Xichen being the great husband that he is decided to take some of the attention off of his poor husband who was reeling in embarrassment. He simply replied "Sure thing, Baobei" while getting up and walking over to his husband to leave the pot of grinded up ink on his table. Before returning to his own seat though, Lan Xichen made sure to leave a quick peck on his husband's forehead. In part to reassure the man that everything would be okay but for all his propriety, Lan Xichen was also a cheeky bastard that loved to tease. He figured that since things have already gotten this shamelessly awkward, why not take it further with a little peck. It wasn't explicitly scandalous by any means but when done by the very appropriate Zewu-Jun, it perfectly toed the line of scandalous and shamelessness while making things so much more fun.
At his actions, Jiang Cheng could only blush even further and look up at his lover shocked, shy and confused. Even after being married to Lan Xichen for the past year these public displays of affected still left him like a blushing bride. He didn't know if he should thank his husband for sharing the attention with him, scold his husband for being so shameless, ask for a reassuring hug along with said kiss (and also maybe more kisses because who wouldn't want that) or all three.
Before he could say anything, however, his father did. It appears, that the peck was the straw that broke the camel's back for Jiang Feng Mian though, because right after Lan Xichen's peck, said man began insulting and scolding Jiang Cheng in front of everyone.
"Jiang Cheng! What is the meaning of this. How shameless you must be to behave this way. You have just dishonoured and disgraced the sect. I can't believe you would act this way!"
At his words, Jiang Cheng immediately cowered and closed in on himself looking painfully ashamed, refusing to look at anyone but the floor.
Now Lan Xichen was normally a man of immense patience and was typically known for his benevolent nature. But if there was one thing he could not stand, was an attack towards his loved ones. Especially when it came to Jiang Cheng.
Hearing his father-in-law's words, a switch in Lan Xichen seemed to flipped. While there was still a serene smile on his face, the teasing tilt of it was gone and an immense threatening aura suddenly seemed to surround him.
"Now Yuè-Fù, that's not a very nice thing to say. Especially not about your son, my husband. If you must chide someone for shamelessness then it should be me...but we haven't done anything wrong have we?" Lan Xichen asked daring Jiang Feng Mian to respond. "All we are doing is sharing a part of our love, there's nothing disgraceful about that is there? For you, an esteemed sect leader to so blatantly admonish your son instead of protecting him or celebrating that he has found himself happiness in his marriage...that's the true shame here isn't it..." Lan Xichen said while getting between his husband and his father-in-law.
"Lan Xichen! How dare you speak to me this way! That's absu..."
Before Sect Leader Jiang could finish his sentence however Lan Wangji cut in, "Jiang Wanyin has married into the Lan Sect and that makes him a Lan. Any insult toward him is an insult towards the Lan sect and will not be taken lightly." Lan Wangji said with finality.
"You have said some hurtful words to my husband today Sect Leader Jiang and normally, I won't take that lightly but today by the good graces of my husband I will spare you. Careful with that tongue of yours though...be careful someone doesn't cut it off and make you eat it." Lan Xichen said with a threatening lilt to his voice before picking his husband up.
"Let's end the conference here today and pick things up tomorrow. I believe we are all tired and it is almost time for dinner. The chaperones will bring you back to your assigned quarters to wash up before showing you to the dining hall. I hope the food will be to your liking and we will see you all tomorrrow." Lan Xichen says conclusively. Before anyone else could get a word in he carted off with Jiang Wanyin in his arms and a petrified Jiang Feng Mian in his wake.
If Jiang Feng Mian found a bloodied envelop filled with a severed tongue at his door step the next morning, that little threat was kept between him and his son-in-law.