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“What if I just did a little—“ Wei Ying wiggles his fingers and winks at Jiang Cheng.
“No. Never. Not if you were the last cultivator on earth and I was being gnawed on by a zombie,” Jiang Cheng says, emphatically flipping the pages of the novel on his lap without actually taking anything in.
“Okay, wow.” Wei Ying sits back against the wall and further messes up the blankets on Jiang Cheng’s bed. “That is hurtful and oddly specific.” He taps his nose thoughtfully. “What if I call Wen Qing? She’s nearly done with her regular EMT training, and I know she’s been working with a cultivator doctor over in Qishan for the last year or so.”
Jiang Cheng sighs and sets his book down. “Look, I know you mean well,” he says, “but the regular doctor said this will heal in a few more weeks, and you know what Mom said.”
Wei Ying crosses his arms across his stomach and scowls. “It’s so stupid!”
“So was falling out of that tree,” Jiang Cheng says with a shrug. He desperately wants Wei Ying to just drop it, to stop talking about his arm. His mother was very clear — if Jiang Cheng was going to make careless mistakes, he could deal with the consequences. In this case, that meant letting his fractured left ulna heal naturally, without an infusion of qi to speed the process. He feels lucky she lets him have aspirin. And that he broke his left arm so he can at least practice sword forms, even if his parents are insisting he can’t go to Gusu for this year’s summer camp and training.
“I could have Lan Zhan talk to his uncle,” Wei Ying says. “It’s not fair that you’ll have to miss out on—“
“No!”
Jiang Cheng winces when Wei Ying jerks with a startled yelp.
“No, please, Wei Ying. Do not get another family involved! Mother will lose her mind if you make her lose face in front of Lan Qiren!”
“It’s not right, A-Cheng! It’s my fault anyway.”
“Wei Ying.” Jiang Cheng sighs again. He’s tired. His arm aches constantly, enough to keep him awake at night. He doesn’t have the energy to manage Wei Ying’s feelings as well.
“Isn’t there something you need?” Wei Ying’s voice wavers, and Jiang Cheng gives in.
“Would you bring me a ginger ale?” he asks. He’s certain there isn’t any in the house, so Wei Ying will have to drive to town, which his father allows because he is just so proud of Wei Ying’s selfless devotion to his brother, giving up his own summer free time to look after his younger brother, you know. Whatever. It’ll give Wei Ying something to do and give him some peace.
Wei Ying grins brightly and bounces off Jiang Cheng’s bed. Jiang Cheng sucks in a breath when Wei Ying jostles the pillow on which he’s resting his broken arm, but Wei Ying is too eager to complete his quest to notice.
Jiang Cheng has to breathe slowly, in and out, for a full minute, before the pain subsides enough for him to shift and get comfortable again. He scoots down so he can recline on the bed, pillow propping his arm up at his side and another cradling his head. If he can just get some rest, surely he’ll be able to manage.
He has barely closed his eyes when he hears his bedroom door open.
“You better have my ginger ale,” he says, refusing to open his eyes.
A weight settles alongside him and a slim arm snakes around his waist.
“I didn’t, but I could get some?”
Jiang Cheng’s eyes fly open and he startles badly, barely managing to not hit Nie Huaisang with his cast.
“Owww, holy shit, motherfu—“ Jiang Cheng’s curses are pained, and Huaisang sits up, panic in his eyes.
“Jiang-xiong, I’m so sorry!” He helps Jiang Cheng sit, carefully avoiding touching his broken arm. “I wanted to surprise you!”
“I’m surprised!” he gasps. He grits his teeth and forces breath in and out of his nose. Huaisang clings to his right hand and waits for him to tamp down the swell of nausea brought on by the pain.
“Why are you here?” Jiang Cheng manages after a moment. To his credit, Huaisang recognizes that the brusqueness stems from Jiang Cheng’s pain, and he smiles a small, hopeful smile.
“Surprise? School’s done in Qinghe, and I came down with my dad.” He squeezes Jiang Cheng’s hand. “And guess what!” He grins again and doesn’t make Jiang Cheng wait. “You’re coming to Qinghe with me! For the whole summer!”
Jiang Cheng gapes at Huaisang, pain forgotten. “What? Why? What do you mean? You aren’t going to Gusu?”
Huaisang’s grin deepens. “So okay, here’s the thing. Baba’s got a big project going on and he needs someone to help out with sect things, but Da-ge is supposed to get some ‘special lessons’ with Grandmaster Lan.” He rolls his eyes, and Jiang Cheng can’t help but smile. Everyone knows it’s only a matter of time before Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen officially announce their betrothal. ‘Special lessons’ is likely code for wedding preparations.
“Right?” Huaisang says, catching Jiang Cheng’s smile. “Xichen-ge is coming to Qinghe for winter break and probably the spring semester if he can get an independent study course load approved. Anyway, Da-ge’s going to Gusu, so I’m helping Baba. It’ll be fun, I think. I get to boss around some of the babies that aren’t going to Gusu this year, and shadow Auntie Yue a few afternoons a week. But the best part is that you are coming with me!”
“But why?”
“Jiang-xiong,” Huaisang says, gently poking Jiang Cheng in the side, “don’t you want to come with me?”
“Of course I do! It’ll be so much better than staying here so Mother can yell at me, but I still don’t understand why.”
“Oh, that’s simple. I told Baba about everything,” he says, gesturing to Jiang Cheng’s cast, “and being a super genius, Baba devised a scheme.” Huaisang leans into Jiang Cheng’s side, mindful of jostling him. “He called up your dad and said something about an exchange for future sect leaders, blah blah blah, internship, hard work, saber practice — sorry about that in advance, but I think that’s most of your summer schedule — and voy-la!” He gives a little bow, rubbing against Jiang Cheng’s arm. “Your summer is saved! And,” he says, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “we’re gonna have one of the sect doctors fix your arm. Your mother will never know because it would have been healed by the time you go home anyway.”
“She’ll find out somehow,” Jiang Cheng says darkly.
“Well, we’ll just tell her you manfully pushed through the pain because you wanted to prove yourself with a new weapon.”
“Hah! She’d never believe that. I’m the laziest student in every discipline, according to her.” Jiang Cheng tries to keep his voice light, but Huaisang knows him too well.
“Baba will vouch for you.” Huaisang hesitates for a moment. “You know, you could also take a week to rest. Baba always says it’s important to find a balance.” He laughs. “I’m far too relaxed, according to him and Da-ge.”
“You’re perfect,” Jiang Cheng says before he’s really aware of the words leaving his mouth. His face flames, but luckily Huaisang just laughs and pokes him again.
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Jiang-xiong.” He scoots over so he can properly look at Jiang Cheng. “But seriously, you’ll come to Qinghe, right?” He looks down at Jiang Cheng’s cast, then quickly away. He looks worried.
“If Mother says yes, of course I will,” Jiang Cheng says, relieved when a bright smile lights Huaisang’s face.
“Oh yay! We’ll take good care of you, Jiang-xiong, you’ll see!”
Jiang Cheng knows better than to get his hopes up, but if Sect Leader Nie really is here, if he really is offering this opportunity to study some new techniques, to try out a saber, to — he hardly dares wish it — to get away from his mother’s constant scrutiny?
“I bet she’ll assign homework,” Jiang Cheng says in a desperate bid to temper his optimism. “I’ll probably have to write, like, a fifteen page essay on how Nie saber techniques compare to Jiang sword forms.”
“Psssh,” Huaisang scoffs, “that’s easy peasy. Zonghui’s going with Da-ge, but his sister Yifang will be staying up at the manor. She’s supposed to be my mentor. I guess she’s been studying public relations at university. Anyway, she’s super smart and good at school.” Huaisang cuddles up against Jiang Cheng again. “I’m glad you’re coming.”
“Nothing’s official yet, Huaisang. My mother will be hard to convince.”
“That’s why Baba is talking to your father first. If your father shows an interest in you, then your mother will want to encourage that.”
Oh.
Someday, Jiang Cheng will remember how perceptive Huaisang is. He sighs, but his heart feels lighter than it has in weeks.
“Has Uncle Huang got any new spiritual dog puppies?” Jiang Cheng asks, trying to sound casual.
“Omigod yessss!” Huaisang bounces beside Jiang Cheng and takes out his phone. He scrolls through the camera roll and shows Jiang Cheng picture after picture of tiny fluff balls, no bigger than an orange. “By the time you get there, they’ll be romping around!” He chatters away, showing Jiang Cheng more pictures and making tangential plans for their summer, and as he talks, the tightness in Jiang Cheng’s shoulders loosens, and he feels lighter than he has in weeks.
For the first time in a very long time, Jiang Cheng looks forward to the summer break.