Work Text:
From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.
–From Blossoms, by Li-Young Lee
🍑 I. Their First Meeting, and a Baby
She was used to dark, seemingly non-welcoming places, so she didn’t feel uneasy being in the Unclean Realm. Nie Mingjue would think, many years later, that in a sense this was solely the reason why Wen Qing was her closest female friend when they were children. For her part, she appreciated Mingjue’s straightforwardness that most of the other cultivators that were around her lacked, never wanting to show their true thoughts in a direct way.
Their friendship started the summer when Mingjue was seven and Wen Qing was almost five. She was already an orphan, adopted by her uncle and Sect Leader Wen Ruohan, who greatly appreciated her intelligence even if she was only a child. Compared to her cousins, she showed great precision with the practice swords, as if they were big scalpels, and she was already a better speaker than most of the adults of the sect. Thus, Sect Leader Wen liked having her around and sometimes brought her to conferences when they were to be hosted close to Qishan. It was in one of them, held in Qinghe, that she first crossed some words with the heir of the Nie clan. A stressed Nie Mingjue, then still Nie Yu, was trying to calm down his crying brother, and she told him that it sounded as if the baby was hungry.
“How do you know that? You are too little to be a mother yet, and everybody knows they are the ones knowing this,” he defied her.
Wen Qing rolled her eyes at his untrusting stance before answering, “I’m not a mother but I am a sister and he sounds like a-Ning when he is demanding to be fed.”
She was, of course, right. They didn’t see each other until the next day, when Nie Yu immediately thanked her. Wen Qing was surprised–most of the sect heirs and other cultivator boys she knew were bratty and self-centered and there was no way they would utter those words under any circumstance, lest they were considered fragile. However, Nie Yu was already tall for his age, hovering over her like the peach trees in Dafan did, now cicatrised wounds in her knees and a distant memory in her mind. It was weird to her that he didn’t mind seeming weak in front of others.
Due to the closeness of Qinghe and Qishan, for a couple of years they increasingly met in conferences and other events, where they were sometimes joined by Lan Huan, the heir to the Lan Sect. He was kind like Nie Yu, with a different smile for every person he talked to, and Wen Qing had a tiny crush on him since the first day she heard his warm laugh–she was pretty sure that Nie Yu also crushed on him, or maybe he simply didn't know how to cope with the fact that somebody younger than him was taller. Lan Huan’s father, the leader from the Lan sect, was in seclusion, which meant that he always accompanied his uncle, a stern man that took upon him the arduous job of maintaining their sect afloat. Her own uncle seemed to enjoy his company a lot, and it wasn’t until much later that Wen Qing discovered that they were trying to break the curse of the Nie clan.
But they were unfortunately too late to see their efforts come to fruition, and Nie Yu was now called Nie Mingjue, ten years too soon for him to be considered an adult but already a Sect Leader and with a small child to take care of.
🍑 II. (Not) Leading a Sect on High Fever
Nie Mingjue was now sixteen and, as a Sect Leader and according to the tradition, he was supposed to attend the ceremony in which Lan Huan was to formally take his new name: Lan Xichen. However, he was running a high fever, and not even the fact he was a cultivator seemed to help him in any way. His brother decided on sending a message to the Wen Sect, who were quite close–in other circumstances, maybe his first choice would have been to reach Gusu, but that would have hindered the celebration planning. Wen Qing was already studying to be a doctor, and because she wasn't the Wen heiress she didn't have to go to Cloud Recesses. Moreover, there weren't many people Mingjue showed his weaknesses to, and Nie Lin knew she was already aware of the general idea behind the curse of their family. It made sense to him to contact her just in case the fever was related to that.
"I'm still learning so I can't really say if there's anything more to it, but my verdict is simple: the fever comes from overexertion and not from any curse," she said. "I always tell him that he should learn to delegate tasks and he doesn't want to hear me, so it serves him right."
"But Qing-jie, he doesn't really like to rest, and you know that."
"Don't 'Qing-jie' me, you brat, had I been born in a different sect I should have also taken a courtesy name for my birthday," Wen Qing answered back, while reaching Nie Lin's head and ruffling his hair, soon to be adorned with the distinct Nie braids. She actually liked to be called like that, and she knew he knew–his smile showed it.
Nie Lin reminded a bit of her own brother, if only more mischievous and outspoken. In truth, she felt as if he was indeed a blood brother, not that she was to state that aloud. Maybe she didn't have to–there was no denying that, likewise, both Nie brothers thought of her as a close sister.
Her diagnosis was corroborated by a Nie doctor. They were mostly specialised in fight wounds, and had taught Wen Qing the basics ever since she started going to the Unclean Realm more frequently. It had been a different kind of training to the one she was currently receiving in Nightless City, the latter more focused on cultivation-related wounds. She hoped to be able to go to other major sects so as to learn from them as well, maybe with a-Ning in tow so he could make some friends there. Wen Qing especially liked Jiang Yanli's company, so she was looking forward to the possibility of spending some weeks in Lotus Pier. It was most likely that she was going to be sent first to the Lan sect, but with their strict separation of genders, she wouldn't be able to meet Huan-ge nor a-Zhan. She would learn a lot there, though.
In any case, she was now in the Unclean Realm, where Mingjue proved to be the worst patient ever. He complained a lot, delirious as it was usually the case with such high fevers, but it was strange coming from him. He was, after all, a boy–some would say a ‘man’–that in order to train his body carried Wen Qing on one arm and Nie Lin on the other. While it had been months since he did it for the last time, he had grown even bigger since then: he was, to sum up, very strong, and maybe that's why he was very fussy with any minor physical illness–he was simply not used to being weak.
But it was even worse when he started to recover: he wouldn’t stay still and tried to sneak past Wen Qing to train again or to check sect matters. She would have none of it, and each time she threw him a murderous look that made him silently retreat, defeated. That also meant that Wen Qing had to stay in his room most of the time to frustrate Mingjue’s escape plans.
“If word gets around that we are both in the same room unsupervised when you are recovered enough to try to run away from me, they are going to veto me of any marriage, so please do me a favor and stop trying to escape,” she requested him after his latest, failed attempt.
“You never said you wanted to get married,” replied a surprised Mingjue.
“And I don’t want to, but you know how politics are, I should be prepared for that just in case my uncle wants to control yet another sect.”
Mingjue looked at her with a serious face, a furrowed brow as if he was trying to find the right words, and then he closed his eyes. Wen Qing was used to that, so she let him be. Meanwhile, she checked whether he had taken his medicines–he did–, and then she looked at him again, only to find that Mingjue had already fallen asleep.
“You are such a baby, Yu-ge, what would you do without me?”
What would I do without you?
🍑 III. Alcohol Is Not Forbidden in Lotus Pier
Lan Xichen looked at Wen Qing with a bemused face. A genuine smile had been slowly but steadily creeping in watching the antics of his friend, whom he had not seen drunk before in his more than fifteen years since they had met for the first time. Nie Mingjue said that he did, once, but had refused to go into details.
"And then I said, 'If you were old enough to climb that tree, you are old enough to get the bone back to its place without anesthesia', and then I put it back."
"Did he cry?" asked Jiang Yanli, who was definitely not drunk at all. She looked equally amused at Wen Qing, but at the same time, she didn’t seem surprised to see her friend trying to get on top of their table, nor was she trying to stop her like Mingjue had attempted earlier without much success. Xichen thought that maybe those two girls had shared more than one bottle of liquor in the past few years.
Wen Qing's brother had been appointed heir to the Wen Sect after both of the legitimate heirs of the main branch had died. Xichen thought that maybe Wen Ruohan had made a mistake out of grief, because a-Ning was clearly very shy, but when both Mingjue and him said so, Wen Qing made them notice how her brother had a courtesy name since a long time ago while she had not, even though she was older.
"The Wen Sect only has heiresses when there are no available, blood-related boys to the main branch," she explained. "And actually I think that he is better suited at leading a sect than me. He likes people better and I’m too short-tempered."
She still accompanied him to important events, where she and Yanli were often seen together. It made sense: both were older sisters of the heirs of their respective sects. On the surface they seemed to be very different, with Yanli being the kindest person Xichen had ever met, and Wen Qing being more on the rough side, but they actually had a lot in common. For starters, they were fierce protectors of the people they loved.
"Of course he cried! All the boys in my life have cried at least once in front of me!" she proudly declared, already on top of the table and with a new bottle of liquor in her hand.
Xichen grimaced–his only time crying before her was when his father had died, and while he wasn’t ashamed of having done it, it was something he didn't want to think about and even less on this joyful occasion. Yanli was finally engaged to Jin Zixuan, after Luo-guniang and Wen Qing had enough of their sappy but passive respective friends and took the matter in their own hands. He made a mental note to remember to thank the two of them for ending the suffering and the headaches they all had to go through to reach that moment. Hopefully he wasn't going to be needed by any other pair of fools in love anytime in the future, but he was a bit suspicious of the true relationship of his own brother and Yanli's shidi...
"And you, Lan Huan-ge!"
He was startled from his thoughts by Wen Qing, who was now menacingly pointing at him. Xichen quickly tried to think of any past action that might have upsetted her and found none, but he did start to sweat just in case he had forgotten something.
“...yes?”
“When is a-Zhan going to let me adopt him as a baby brother like I did with a-Lin and a-Ying and a-Cheng and…” she stumbled for a moment, pausing her speech for a few seconds. “Anyway, all the little brothers of my friends are my little brothers as well! It's the law!”
“I don’t think there’s actually any law as long as we’re not sworn brother and sister…” Xichen tried to reason with her.
“I don’t care! In any case, I’m yet to collect a Lan as a little brother, why don’t you let me adopt a-Zhan? Are you envious? Is that what it is? Do you want me to adopt you, Huan-ge?”
“I’m older than you, I can’t be your little brother…”
“Not true! You can and you will!” she stopped facing him and she searched for somebody among the small crow of guests. That ‘somebody’ turned out to be Nie Mingjue, who had been enjoying the faceoff of his friends up until now. “Yu-ge! Isn’t Huan-ge your little brother?”
“Yes, he is, but I am older than all of you so-”
“So let’s get married and then Huan-ge will have to call me older sister,” smiled Wen Qing, pretty satisfied with that solution.
Nobody had expected that, but Mingjue didn’t skip a beat before answering her.
“Well, a-Qing, I’m not opposed to that but let’s wait for marriage proposals until you’re sober.”
🍑 IV. Not-Blood-Related Uncle Seeks Love Advice
Mingjue was trying hard not to think about marriages, but it was proving to be difficult when everybody he knew was getting married here and there. What was even worse, though, was that some of them also had become parents, and while he was in no rush to find himself a spouse, he was surprised to realise that he did want some Nie kids running around him as soon as possible, messing up with his sleeping patterns and the braids in his hair. Maybe that’s why he was frequently going to Carp Tower and Cloud Recesses–they weren’t surnamed Nie, but he loved holding little a-Yuan and baby a-Ling in his arms. Maybe it was the size difference when compared to himself, but he wasn’t as nervous with them like he was with his brother. Then again, when his brother was little he himself was a kid too.
A-Yuan was a quiet toddler, who looked at his surroundings with big and curious eyes. While not a Lan by blood, he somehow resembled a-Zhan, who had officially adopted him after getting married to Wei Wuxian. A-Huan’s brother was often seen with his husband in night hunts all around the country, but they always tried to return to Gusu as soon as they had finished their businesses–which, being both more than capable cultivators, usually didn't take long. While they were away, a-Yuan was being spoiled by their uncle and grand-uncle, and also by Mingjue when he came over. Apparently, he hugged the legs of the people he liked, so knowing that, Mingjue was almost to the point of tears the first time it had happened to him–he was now responsible of making sure that nothing bad came to this tiny being that was trusting him, similarly to the way that babies also grabbed the pinky finger of others and made you feel like nothing nor nobody else mattered.
Mingjue also enjoyed being in Carp Tower, now that they had a new Sect Leader. Jin Guangshao had been a mediocre leader at best, but his worst faults were being also a coward and a creep. Mingjue hated how he looked at the female disciples that came with his entourage, and they were clearly uncomfortable with him, so he decided not to take them to Lanling for their safety–and because he didn’t want to kill Sect Leader Jin, if only for all the mess that would lead to. However, now that Jin Zixuan was in charge of the Jin sect, Mingjue didn’t need to worry about it. Lanling was as prosperous as ever, but the atmosphere was less tense and a bit calmer, except when a-Ling started crying out of nowhere. Both Jin Zixuan and his half-brother and seneschal, Jin Guangyao, were always trying to soothe him, but only Yanli knew how to calm the baby–Yanli, and Mingjue. He had, after all, learned to handle babies at the same time that his peers were enjoying a carefree childhood.
While Mingjue was currently in Carp Tower on official Sect business, he hoped he would be able to talk to Yanli. Wen Qing had been distant ever since Yanli’s engagement party. He thought that she might have been avoiding him due to her sudden marriage proposal, although she quickly dismissed it–in a response to a letter Mingjue had sent her, she cited ‘schedule problems’ and ‘sect-related issues’ that made it 'absolutely impossible' for her to leave Nightless City. Rumors said that his brother was in precarious health, but those same rumors had said only a couple of months ago that a-Yuan was actually Lan Qiren’s son, so they weren’t to be taken seriously.
(His brother had advised him to listen to the gossip even if most of the stories that reached him were silly, because some truths seemed to travel faster that way. "And who knows how a-Yuan will look like if he grows a beard like his great-uncle, don't you think it will be very funny if he does resemble him?")
Yanli was still recovering from giving birth. She had never been known as a strong cultivator, so Jin Zixuan didn't want to risk her getting ill. He had asked her to refrain from returning to work for now. She agreed not to resume physical, strenuous activities, more for the sake of his husband than hers, but at the same time she was to continue with her other tasks. However, as Jin Guangyao was very good at his job, she was also frequently seen in her idle moments in the lotus garden that her husband had built for her.
That's where Mingjue went to meet her. He found Yanli next to the lotus pond, with her hand making ripples in the water and a distant look on her face, as if she was recalling other lotuses from a larger and more familiar lake.
"Yanli…" he adventured, almost a whisper in case she wasn't up for small talk, so she could ignore him and he could disappear as if not having been there.
"Oh, Yu-ge, I didn't hear you coming, sorry," she answered, removing her hand from the water and welcoming him with a warm smile. "How are the meetings going? How are you liking the rooms?"
"The rooms are perfect, as they always are, while Sect Leader Yao is as infuriating as ever."
"What did he do this time?"
Mingjue grimaced. "Existing. And asking for sanctions against Qishan Wen because, and I quote his words, 'They are not here and that's a bit suspicious'."
"Wasn't Wen Qionglin there? I recall having seen him about a couple of days ago and we did set up rooms for him and the other Wens," commented a pensive Yanli, while she stood up and went to a close bench to sit in.
"Yes, he was actually next to Xichen. But anyway, I haven't come here this time to talk to you about that moron," Mingjue said, sitting next to Yanli. "I need you to discuss… personal matters. If you don't mind it, of course."
"I wouldn't refuse a friend seeking me for advice," answered her, "especially if it's also related to another dear friend of mine. Don’t look at me with that expression,” she continued after seeing the surprised face that Mingjue was wearing now, “it’s pretty obvious."
“I… don’t know why she would say those words and then not contact me, but most important, I didn’t know I wanted to marry her.”
🍑 V. Little Brothers Have Had Enough Stupidity
The thing was, both Nie Huaisang and Wen Qionglin probably wouldn’t have been friends if not for their older brother and sister. They did have common interests–both liked to be surrounded by nature, but while Huaisang preferred birds accompanying him in the Unclean Realm, Qionglin knew the names of all plants and flowers and how to use them.
Qionglin had grown up to be a quiet boy, heir to the Wen sect after both his cousins had died, and had to stay for long periods in Nightless City. Rumors said that he was very ill, but rather than having weak health, most of the time it was due to self-poisoning–he wanted to try new medicines he had created, but he didn’t want others to suffer because of untested drugs, so he tried them himself. Wen Qing was furious with him each time, only to be preoccupied whenever he showed he was suffering and relieved when he was finally fine.
On the other hand, Huaisang was very loud, both in voice and personality. Sheltered from the ugly side of the world thanks to Mingjue’s protectiveness, he liked painting fans and scrolls with the continuous tweets in the background of whichever bird he was taking care of at that moment. He also liked wearing his clothes in very non-Nie colours when they didn’t have guests over, and while he wasn’t as good with a saber like his brother was, he was very capable with it–in fact, in terms of strength alone, he was probably the strongest cultivator from his generation. If only he could care more about night hunting! He could have given Lan Wangji or Jiang Wanyin a run for their money.
It was a bit surprising, then, when Huaisang asked his brother permission to go to Qishan. Mingjue thought it was a bit suspicious, but he could not refuse it–his little brother showed him an official letter from Qionglin asking for Huaisang’s presence there, and it would have been a bit weird to decline such a request from another sect.
Huaisang was supposed to be in Nightless City only for about a couple of days, but it was almost a week since he had departed and Mingjue hadn't received any letter from him. None from Huaisang, but also none from any of the Wens, which probably meant that Huaisang forgot to write home. He pinched his nose, trying hard not to get angry at his brother's antics.
In the end, he decided to send Nie Zonghui to Qishan. He was someone Mingjue trusted, both in sending a letter back but especially when it came to Huaisang.
A letter was indeed received some days later. Apparently, Huaisang had been on a night hunt with Wen Qionglin and some Wen disciples, fighting against a ghoul that was able to disguise itself as a bird. None of the Wens were able to distinguish it without getting too close to it, so Huaisang was there to help them–unfortunately, they didn’t know that the ghoul had a mate, which attacked Huaisang when the others were closer to the first ghoul and thus, he was both unprotected and distracted.
Huaisang was flown back to Qishan, where Wen Qing was treating him. His life hadn’t been in danger because Qionglin had been quick in starting the treatment, but Huaisang had his back scarred. He hadn’t wanted the Wens to inform Mingjue about his wounds, but he didn’t remember that he hadn’t sent the first letter either, forgotten in his desk.
Zonghui ended his letter saying that Huaisang didn’t want him to come, but of course Mingjue had to see his little brother. If he had to speak to his doctor, that is, Wen Qing, that was only a plus. It wasn’t an excuse, like, at all. He could even go to Linfen while he was at it and give Sect Leader Cheng his blessings for the birth of his first child.
(But both Huaisang and Qionglin perfectly knew that, sometimes, you had to create the opportunity.)
🍑 VI. Hide-and-Seek in Nightless City
It was pretty clear that Wen Qing was avoiding him, because when Mingjue entered the infirmary where his brother was still resting, she dashed from the room as if he had been a fierce corpse and she wasn't a cultivator perfectly able to defend herself. Huaisang was sleeping, and he seemed as fine as Zonghui had reported, so Mingjue decided to run after her just in case she pretended to hide forever.
She was shorter than him, but her slender legs made her surprisingly fast. Hadn't he known Nightless City as well as he did, he would have lost her soon in the maze of corridors. But he caught her right in front of her bedroom, before she had managed to open its door and barricade herself inside.
"Wait, a-Qing, can't we talk?"
"Huaisang is fine, sorry about the night hunt, thank you for not being angry at a-Ning, bye," she replied, panting and trying to pass Mingjue so she could enter her room. But he was firm on having this conversation, and Yanli's words of encouragement were ringing in his ears.
"I know, he was in the best hands he could be. I would trust you with him without any shadow of doubt."
"I would also trust you to care for a-Ning as if he were your brother," she said, not making eye contact at all.
"Then why are you running from me?"
Mingjue wished he was a better speaker, but he was no Lan Xichen, and probably Wen Qing wasn't expecting him to be one. So instead of trying to be subtler, or keep talking, he opened the door and let her in, going inside as well. Qishan was loyal to her as well as to her brother, but this conversation wasn't meant to be held in the open, and they both knew it. The door was closed with almost no noise, a quiet thud almost silent compared to their pounding hearts. While Mingjue remained on his feet, Wen Qing decided to sit on her bed.
After a few seconds (or were they hours?), Wen Qing answered him. "I'm not running from you. I… I simply don't know how to face you, which isn't the same thing. Because… you know. That night. I messed up." After that, she sighed, and then she looked up at Mingjue's face. Her brown eyes were on the verge of tears, and she was blushing. But so was him, and he was fairly sure it wasn’t because of that short run.
"Is it truly because of the proposal? Do you believe I think less of you because of it?"
"Don't you? That's why I only drink with a-Li now, she never judges me." Now she was crying. "And I can't really get married, I have to stay here and protect a-Ning, that Wen Zuan cousin of ours wants to take him down and I can't let him do that bec…"
Mingjue decided to cut her ramblings short. "A-Qing, you will always be the best doctor, the best sister for a-Ning, the best leader for Qishan people, my best friend. I know you, and my opinion won't be swayed because you got drunk at a party with friends. I won't stop loving you even if you hate yourself for that, but please don't hide anymore from me". He sat next to her, and hugged her from the side, like he did when trying to comfort her since many years ago. She hugged him back, resting her head in his chest, and they remained like this for several minutes.
"This was very out of character from me, right?"
"A bit."
They laughed, as if nothing had happened and they were younger, enjoying those peaches that reminded them of shared summers.
🍑 VII. The Peaches We Will Share
Wen Zuan wasn't a very good fighter, and he seemed even worse when battling Nie Mingjue. He was also a bad xiao player, nothing to do with the skill that Lan Xichen showed with Liebing. But skills didn't really matter if you wanted to use dirty tricks against your opponent.
Mingjue wanted the battle to be over as soon as possible, but they had asked him not to kill Wen Zuan unless a life was in danger, so he was being careful with Baxia. Meanwhile, Wen Zuan was playing a horrible melody that didn't seem to do anything.
Until it did.
The smirk in Wen Zuan's face appeared at the same time as Mingjue felt all his qi fade into nothingness, his vision tinted in bloody red and his mouth filled with an iron taste. It was the first time this was happening to him, but he knew perfectly what it meant.
He was qi-deviating. Like all Nies did before dying.
He didn't want to die.
Fortunately, even without qi, Baxia was sharp, and because of the success of his song, Wen Zuan wasn't expecting an angry, almost desperate Mingjue brandishing his saber. Wen Zuan's death was too painless for such a scum like him.
But the song, still fluttering inside his head, was taking a toll on him. He was feeling weaker at an alarming rate, and he knew that some of the blood staining the floor was his. He had to try slowing the effects of the song before he went mad. What was the first exercise that a-Sang had put together for that? Was it finding five things he could see? Was it trying to breathe in, breathe out?
The thought of his brother being sad because of his death made him tremble with regrets. A-Sang would be a good sect leader, because he was sympathetic and also cunningly intelligent, but he would hate the job. He was better suited to a life devoted to the fine arts, or even as a househusband playing with his children while waiting for his partner to come back home. Children that Mingjue would never meet unless he did something.
He truly didn't want to die.
His qi was now like boiling water. Never still and overflowing. Or maybe it was closer to fire, wild and untamed, flames engulfing everything.
One, Baxia. Two, Wen Zuan's body. Three… Three…
Three, a kind hand at the end of a sleeve adorned with flames. And a voice calling his name. And somebody hugging him. And a needle quickly disappearing behind his neck.
Four, a lamp next to the bed he was currently laying on.
Wait, what?
Had he been sleeping? Or was this the afterlife? Was it the reason that the air smelled like summer fruits instead of ashes and blood?
His eyes scanned the room, his room at Uncleam Realm, noting the differences since the last time he remembered being there. For once, there was a small bed and a cabinet full of things that had appeared almost next to his own bed. The bed sheets of that new bed were undone, linen tangled with an outer robe in metal green colors. Maybe a-Sang had been nursing him.
He wasn't sleepy, but he felt very tired, thinking how his brother had had his life turned upside down only because Mingjue had decided to help the Wen sect. Would a-Sang be happy that he had woken up? Well, of course he would, it was tough being a Sect leader… But how long had it passed since he fought Wen Zuan? Did the Wen sect had a new leader now?
Suddenly, he heard some noise. It seemed that somebody had stopped taking a bath, but the folding screen didn't let him see who that person was. It wasn't far-fetched to think it was a-Sang if he was also sleeping in Mingjue's room instead of in his own quarters. He decided to wait for his brother to show up, because he was quite tired and he didn't want to startle him.
And then, just right after Wen Qing appeared behind the screen wearing only her inner robes and combing her wet hair, Mingjue realised it was going to be her instead of his brother–peaches were her smell, not a-Sang's.
She started to cry when she noticed he was looking at her, already awake. On the other hand, Mingjue smiled at her.
Wen Qing left the comb and approached his bed. "You know, you shouldn't try to do this kind of good deeds alone. I might not be at your side in time to patch you."
"I wish you were by my side at all times."
"...I know," answered her, sitting in his bed. With her right hand she caressed Mingjue's face, who closed his eyes. The smell of peaches was overwhelming, and after some seconds, Mingjue opened his eyes and decided to take her left hand to intertwine her fingers with his.
"Then, would you marry me?"