Chapter Text
What he remembered best about that day was the cherry blossoms.
They looked truly magnificent, there was something not only enchanting and captivating about them, but also strangely majestic, something that could attract people's gaze, that made most people smile slightly, noticing the beauty that surrounded them. It was warm, the sun warmed pleasantly, and the wind wasn't strong enough to disturb anything, it only stirred up a hum among the branches of the trees, playing with the delicate flowers.
Some of it fell to the ground, thrown there by the whimsical gusts, which only made the assembled guests delighted, though not all of them were able to react that way. He didn't even have to look in his uncle's direction to know that he was trying with all his might not to show his displeasure, his anger that could destroy everything they had just tried to create. Moreover, he was also aware that his younger brother was clenching his teeth angrily, that he was willing to attack anyone who would insult them in any way.
But they had to be careful, they had to watch where they stepped if they wanted to save their heads, if they wanted to save not only themselves but all the people they had so far cared for. And if marriage was going to help with that, Lan Xichen wasn't going to protest. Of course, he partly took it as an insult, knowing that he was caught in a trap and his family put in a bad light, but he understood perfectly well what it would mean to oppose him.
To reject the marriage proposal would be to pass a death sentence on all his loved ones, would be to send them where he never wanted to see them. Of course, he heard what the others said, how they whispered behind his back, how they almost pointed fingers at him, claiming he was a coward or overly aligned with the enemy. They themselves, however, did the same, and the man was sure that if it was their families who were offered this marriage, they would accept it without a blink of an eye.
No one could oppose Yunmeng Jiang, and this was common knowledge. Everyone was aware of how high this family was, what honors they had experienced, and what they could boast of. Therefore, it was obvious that the slightest offense would be forgiven as long as it didn't interfere with larger, more significant interests. Since, for a long time, each head of the family had followed the will of the emperors, they were in no danger.
They had a political and military position, they were a force to be reckoned with at every turn, and if they intended to swallow a minor family, there was nothing strange about it. All they had to do was to find the right way to do it, just draft a few documents, whisper this or that word at the imperial court and if this didn't bring the desired results, there was always marriage. This of course brought with it some complications, but practically every member of Yunmeng Jiang agreed to it, knowing full well what benefits they could gain.
No wonder, then, that when Lan Qiren was faced with the choice, he swallowed his pride, believing that by agreeing to the conditions set, he would nevertheless be able to save the other members of his family from tragedy. He always tried to take care of his nephews, teaching them everything they needed to know and not keeping them away from the world, knowing that one day they would have to take care of their family. They needed to know how to navigate amidst the political nuances that had recently sidelined their family somewhat.
Nevertheless, he would never have expected that he could have found himself in a no-win situation. He didn't threaten anyone in the imperial court, he didn't do anything that might bring the wrath of the supreme ruler down on him, and he didn't try to get Gusu Lan back into a high position in the social hierarchy. He was content with what he had, and he believed that the same was true of the other members of his somewhat impoverished family, who still boasted an incredibly good education and knowledge of the law.
Despite their relatively low social standing, there were still people who wanted to seek advice from them, and they even received letters asking for help in resolving various disputes. The fact that Lan Qiren paid a great deal for his nephews' education meant that it was expected that one of them would soon become one of the judges of the district which included Gusu Lan. However, ever since Jiang Fengmian appeared in the Lan Qiren household, everything had changed.
He arrived quite unexpectedly, without actually saying what he expected, without announcing himself in any way, just, one day, he appeared in town and sent a message to the old man's house asking for a meeting. Perhaps Lan Qiren was a bit naive to accept it at once, perhaps he should think seriously about what it could be about, but he also knew that he couldn't avoid this meeting indefinitely.
It was true that Jiang Fengmian had never threatened him with anything directly, had in no way let him know that he should be careful where exactly he stepped, for one never knew when tragedy would strike. Nevertheless, neither man was a fool, they both knew how to use words really well, and the head of the Yunmeng Jiang family was clearly perfectly prepared for this meeting. Lan Qiren even suspected that Jiang Fengmian had discussed everything with his wife beforehand.
There were rumors everywhere about how incompatible their marriage was, how incompatible they were, and how easy it was to see that they had no affection for each other. However, that didn't matter as long as they both did their best to maintain Yunmeng Jiang's incredibly high position while educating their only son perfectly. It had long been said that whoever married the Young Master would gain something that no one else had, but Lan Qiren disagreed.
Therefore, Jiang Fengmian's proposal froze him to the bone. He was afraid of what might happen, afraid of what might come if he demanded more time to think. He couldn't expect it, couldn't look for it, much less after the other man had suggested to him in gentle terms that if he only agreed, Lan Wangji could quickly start climbing the career ladder. Otherwise, both of his nephews could forget about sticking their noses outside their own home.
Still, that didn't change the fact that Lan Qiren had suffered watching Lan Xichen as he handed him over to the Jiang family like some sort of trophy. He also knew that his nephew wasn't quite up to it either, that he had accepted what his duty was, that he had done it to help all the other members of his family, but probably if he could, he would just run away to live somewhere away from it all, away from the problems, pain and doubts.
Lan Qiren couldn't and wasn't going to blame him for it. He himself probably wouldn't be able to bear such humiliation, wouldn't be able to bear what was happening to him in peace, not at the age Lan Huan was now. Of course, arranged marriages were actually normal, there weren't too many people who believed that love could be used for anything, but what it came down to was actually extortion.
The blackmail made it clear what two ways out of the situation there were, and one was worse than the other. Nevertheless, Lan Qiren was fully aware that he could sacrifice either the whole family or one of its members, which made the choice obvious after all. It was difficult, but there was no other way to get out of this situation. He also silently believed that Lan Xichen was wise enough to convince his husband of his own reasons, to tame the man they spoke of as an impatient and adventurous lord.
That belief faltered somewhat when he finally came to see Jiang Wanyin, when it occurred to him how proud a man he was, how confident he was that he could do anything he wanted. His mother had clearly made sure of that, not intending to be left behind somewhere, not intending to give anyone the satisfaction of calling her a lousy teacher. And now everything she had planned for herself so far seemed to be coming true, exactly the way she wanted it to.
Everyone knew that this union that had just been made could only be beneficial, a sort of glamour to what was going on around them, especially since everything indicated that Lan's family was returning the favor after all. It wasn't asked if it was happening because of the marriage, some said it was certainly related, but one knew what it could eventually lead to. It was something to be feared, even more so if Yunmeng Jiang would soon live to see another heir.
Lan Xichen was also aware of this. He knew that he couldn't just run away from it, even though it filled him with dread, just like the whole marriage. He was fully aware that from now on it was his husband's parents who had the right to decide his fate, that he didn't have much say and should keep himself somewhere on the sidelines. But at the same time this conflicted strongly with the education he had received, with the knowledge he simply had, which after all he could and should use.
Nevertheless, the man didn't believe that anyone would allow him to do so. That wasn't the reason for the marriage, he was aware of that, he was also sure that his young husband didn't need any advice, or at least that was probably his assumption. So Lan Huan didn't expect to have a bright future ahead of him, everything seemed to indicate that something much worse was in store for him, something that would cause him to soon become moody and closed off. He already felt like a stranger here, and he had undoubtedly more years of living in confinement ahead of him.
He didn't want to think about it, didn't want to think about it particularly hard, so he spent most of his time looking at the cherry blossoms, just letting that image etch itself under his eyelids. What was happening around him went by almost unnoticed, it was something that didn't really interest him at all, and he just let it happen. He sank deeper and deeper into himself, feeling as if the exhaustion of all the emotions that had been stirring him was finally letting itself out.
Probably that was why, when he was escorted to his room, he simply fell asleep. His whole body, his mind, his heart, everything refused to obey him, resisted what was about to happen, and he simply felt that he no longer had the strength to pretend, that he no longer had the strength to try and show his best side. Lan Huan didn't even care that the robes he was wearing were heavy, that they slightly irritated him, he didn't even care about the noise coming towards him, not to mention that he actually didn't react at all to the fact that someone sat down next to him.
He lifted his eyelids slightly, only realizing that someone had placed a hand on his cheek. He hadn't realized it before, but now he had the impression that his body was strangely inflamed, as if the stress and anger had caused him not only to feel tired, but also to feel feverish. Lan Huan blinked, though he tried not to wake up, having the urge to stay in this dream forever, forgetting about what was around him. If only it was that simple, he could probably escape literally everything that surrounded him this way, every problem, every pain, every uncertainty that still awaited him.
Now, however, he finally lifted his eyelids to look at his newly wedded husband in the semi-darkness of the room, who was sitting right next to him and looked at him wrinkling his eyebrows tightly. Lan Xichen was sure that the man wasn't happy, he had a feeling that there was an expression of anger painted on his face that actually didn't even surprise him, but he didn't say anything about it. He was too tired to argue with him or explain in any way.
The man didn't even realize at what point Jiang Wanyin got up and left him alone on the bed again, where he fell back into a shallow, decidedly unpleasant sleep. The next thing he remembered was that he was sitting wrapped in warm covers, and in his hands he was holding a pot of still steaming herbs. His husband sat across from him, looking at him as cloudily as before, and Lan Huan was almost certain that in a moment he would yell at him, that he would growl in exasperation, for after all this day was supposed to be different.
"Do you not want to be here that much?" asked Jiang Cheng quietly instead.
He was aware that Lan Xichen didn't want to marry him at all, that he had been forced into it, that he would rather live still in the family mansion, doing what he himself felt like doing. Earlier, when his father had discussed this marriage with him, Jiang Wanyin hadn't had any objections, he had even said that he would gladly marry the elder of the Gusu Lan heirs, after all, the man wasn't only highly educated but also stunningly handsome.
In fact, if he were to be completely honest, he would have to admit that he himself had suggested this rather than any other solution. The young man was aware that his father was looking for a way to make Gusu Lan somewhat dependent on him, that he was trying to find a way to expand his influence. It was no wonder, then, that according to his own will, Jiang Cheng had suggested to him this rather than any other solution, also adding that then the other family would undoubtedly become much more dependent on them than in any other arrangement.
"I'm tired," Lan Xichen said quietly, bowing his head.
Jiang Wanyin parried quietly. He himself was also exhausted from this day, all the preparations and traditions that only appeared to be interesting and worthy of experiencing. There was nothing about it that really interested him, and the people watching them were more tiresome than all those officials and advisors he interacted with on a daily basis. He also hadn't expected everything to turn out so hypocritical, though he had to admit that he too was definitely unnatural in what was going on.
"You have a fever," the younger man finally remarked.
"Forgive me," whispered Lan Xichen. "It was certainly too much for me."
He didn't see his husband raise his eyebrows slightly, as if to ask him what exactly he was apologizing for, and then look around the chamber they had just been in before finally rolling his eyes. He was fully aware of what should have happened, why they were spending this night together in this very room, but still he would have to be a complete fool and be heartless if he tried to force the man to do his duty. Not only would he appear then, in his eyes, as a real bully, but with this he could only worsen his health, which would be probably the worst possible option.
"Drink up. The herbs should help you, I'll ask them to bring warmer covers right away, and then I'll have your rooms taken care of, so there's nothing missing in there," Jiang Cheng stated, somewhat snarkily, not quite sure how he should act.
He wasn't as gentle as his elder sister, couldn't behave as tenderly as she, not wishing any scandals and other problems. No one dared oppose him, but he also didn't try to break the unwritten rules, expecting real anger from his parents if he did.
That was why he didn't fully cope with the situation he found himself in. He had imagined this day in a completely different way, and now he felt simply tired, he also felt sorry for Lan Xichen, who was undoubtedly going through everything much harder than him. It wasn't only his fever, the fact that an excess of emotions had brought him to such and not another state, but also his face full of pain, which he was unable to hide. He was trying to do so, of that Jiang Cheng was sure, but even so, he was unable to completely wipe away the suffering that was painted in his dark eyes.
It wasn't something one wanted to watch, especially on one's own wedding day, knowing from the very beginning that the man one had married didn't derive even a shadow of pleasure from it. Of course, Jiang Wanyin knew that Lan Huan probably wasn't entirely happy with what awaited him, but in the end, they had both been raised with the belief that they would one day enter into arranged marriages designed to elevate the family's status. However, there was a lot of coercion in what happened and a lot of lies that couldn't be hidden in any way.
Now that Jiang Cheng was looking at his husband in the semi-darkness, he saw in him everything that he didn't want to see. Lan Xichen was pale, with shadows under his eyes, and if that wasn't enough, he must have been crying. He seemed like a cornered animal, ready to do anything to save his life, and it made the younger man sick.
He had walked him to it himself, he had suggested it himself, and now he was furious. At himself, in fact, though he had to admit that the other man's attitude irritated him in some ways as well, making him feel like sending him back to his rooms and just leaving him there. As a punishment? As a sort of trophy? He wasn't even sure what it was that angered him even more, though he tried not to show it. If he felt even a shadow of regret, if he sympathized with Lan Xichen in some way, he didn't show it, not being able to do so. Not even wanting to.
"Thank you," the older man said quietly, twisting the spigot in his fingers.
"They will be furious," Jiang Cheng stated at virtually the same time.
Lan Huan lifted his gaze to him, feeling at the same time that his cheeks were covered with deep blushes. He knew exactly what his husband was talking about at the moment, but he was unable to actually move at all, unable to think properly, and knowing where he was certainly didn't improve his condition. The last thing he would be able to do now would be to complete the duties that had just fallen upon him. He felt like every part of his body was in unbearable pain, and his eyelids were drooping over his eyes.
"I'm not trying to run away from this," he whispered, clenching his fingers tightly on the dish he was holding.
His heart was beating really hard, making him almost panic. He feared that despite everything, his husband wasn't going to care about his current state, that despite everything, he wanted everything to go right, and that wasn't going to do much good for his condition. The man felt himself getting even hotter and lifted his hand to press his palm to his forehead, trying to calm himself down somehow. He twitched slightly when his husband got up from the bed and looked at him from under his closed eyelids.
"You should be seen by the medics," Jiang Wanyin stated somewhat wryly.
The older man wanted to protest at first, but came to the conclusion that it could only make matters worse. He suspected by now that his husband didn't quite believe him, and his anger was fully justified, so he merely nodded slightly, thereby allowing him to leave the room. Lan Xichen almost smiled to himself at the thought, realizing that in this place, from now on, no one would listen to his commands.
He was actually fully aware that it would be Jiang Cheng who would dictate the terms, that he would be the one who could do whatever he wanted, that he could leave him alone, locked in his rooms, without even worrying about him for a moment. It was really not much, after all, compared to what rights the young heir still had, but still Lan Huan didn't want to think about it. He had already spent enough time considering many disturbing possibilities, and now that he felt so monstrously bad, he didn't want to go back to it.
He must have fallen asleep again. When he lifted his eyelids, he realized that he was lying on a bed and several people were bending over him, while in the room there was the scent of medicines and herbs, which he was partly able to recognize. Or so it seemed to him, for his mind was completely dulled, and he couldn't quite make out what was going on around him. Conversations were but a silent hum to him, like the murmur of water on stones, and he registered other people's touch with a marked delay.
Silence came soon enough. He was aware that he wasn't alone in the room, but he wasn't sure how many people were left with him, and he didn't even have the strength to look around the room, getting the impression that his eyelids were far too heavy for him to be able to lift them at the moment. The clatter of a tray being placed somewhere nearby snapped Lan Huan momentarily out of the stupor he had fallen into, and as he raised himself up on his forearm, he caught sight of his husband sitting at a low table, apparently drinking tea.
Jiang Wanyin was no longer wearing his costumed wedding robes. He also had loose hair that fell freely on his shoulders, and all of his proud posture had disappeared somewhere, leaving behind only a young man who was apparently immersed in his own thoughts. It also took Lan Huan a moment to realize that they were still in the same room, which made him slightly uneasy, but as soon as he picked up his husband's gaze, he realized that he had no reason to worry.
"They're preparing your rooms," Jiang Cheng said quietly. "The medics didn't want to move you there right away, hoping that the drugs you were given would take effect soon enough."
"I can..."
"You can't," the younger man interrupted him rather sharply. "You must have a high fever, so you should rest. It looks like you have nothing to worry about either, as the servants have already managed to spread the word that you were too worried about what happened."
Jiang Wanyin smiled a bit ironically, as if he wanted to show how foolish this statement was, which he himself was in a way mocking. However, it didn't change the fact that such a lie was currently very convenient for them, because it didn't force them to explain anything to anyone unnecessarily. The summoned medics also didn't seem as if they intended to speak aloud about anything, and this suited the young heir, for in the end he too had to weave among the conventions and expectations set before him.
It was obvious to both of them that they had only temporarily pushed something away from each other. Theoretically, Jiang Wanyin shouldn't care about it at all, because he wasn't the one who should primarily care about keeping Gusu Lan out of trouble. Nevertheless, he also felt a kind of pressure and irritation caused by the fact that things weren't going as they should. He was aware of what the servants might start gossiping about behind their backs, and he had to prevent it as soon as possible.
No wonder, he stayed in this room together with his husband. He didn't need a story of great attachment, which he certainly didn't feel, but nevertheless he presented himself at the moment in good light, and this was what he wanted. The young man expected a displeased look from his mother and a somewhat ironic smile from his father, so he tried to limit that for now. Not to let this wedding, which was partly his idea, turn out to be an ending disaster. After all, it wasn't why he had worked for many years to be trusted and hoped for, to now, with something like this, destroy everything.
Even he had to tread carefully. He had to know what he could and couldn't do if he didn't want to lose the favor of his own family and others, and probably making himself look weak wouldn't help him in any way. Therefore, it was no wonder that despite everything, the young heir Yunmeng Jiang was angry, and he also became more and more irritated when he noticed the older man's embarrassment.
Of course, Jiang Wanyin knew what kind of family Lan Xichen had been raised in, he knew their rules, which were actually laughed at by everyone, sometimes even the people at the top of the government smiled indulgently at the mention of the wall of rules that Lan's family followed. However, although weakened, the Lan family still had a great deal of influence, and many wanted to learn the knowledge that had been instilled in all members of Gusu Lan from an early age.
This, however, led to a situation such as this, when a grown man seemed to collapse in shame at the mere thought of what awaited him in life. Jiang Cheng could see, beneath that apparent strength that Lan Huan had displayed all day, a shadow of terror. He himself would probably feel the same way if he were sent away to someone else's house, with the knowledge that he was now to listen to complete strangers, so he didn't overreact furiously, though he was clearly far from fully understanding. He tried, as he didn't want to start this marriage with an argument, but it wasn't easy at all.
"I'm not going to stop you," Lan Xichen said quietly, laying down on his side, still trying to look to his husband to lift himself out of bed if necessary. "Thank you for everything you've done for me."
Lan Huan saw the younger man frown slightly. They were in an incredibly difficult situation, and what had happened made it even more complicated. Even so, the man was aware of how Jiang Wanyin's parents might react once certain matters reached their ears, he knew that even his uncle might be unhappy, or rather feel uneasy. Lan Xichen didn't want to cause trouble, he really didn't want to destroy something that was in a position to help, but right now he was barely able to hold this conversation.
He closed his eyes to lift his eyelids as another murmur of conversation reached him, and he realized that there were more people in the room. No more lanterns were lit, allowing the room to sink into semi-darkness, nor did anyone dare raise their voices, relying only on the instructions of the young lord and the medics with whom he spoke for a moment before finally agreeing that his husband should be taken to the prepared rooms.
Lan Xichen didn't protest, though he had to admit that he would have preferred to stay here. He knew it was impossible, that he couldn't hide in this room indefinitely, that he couldn't wait here for deliverance. The fact that he would prefer to stay here forever was an unpleasant discovery, which he nevertheless put down to the illness that had rapidly developed to the point where he dreamed only of blissful unconsciousness. Before he fell asleep again, when he was already covered with warm blankets, he thought a little bitterly about how he would prefer if this didn't happen again.
When he woke up again, he realized that it was already morning. Though given the sounds of busyness and snippets of conversation coming to him, he guessed it was probably definitely later, and only the fact that the room was pleasantly twilight confused him. He moved a bit unsteadily on the bed, feeling like everything still hurt, and when some of the blankets slid off his body, he trembled quite a bit, realizing how warm he had been so far.
The man looked around the room, realizing that he was completely alone. Lan Huan smiled to himself somewhat sadly, then shook his head, calling himself to order. He couldn't expect anyone to spend time with him, not when he was in a strange house, and the previous evening he had caused additional problems that probably no one expected. He also knew that from now on, he had no reason to expect anyone to accompany him for even the slightest bit of companionship or a shadow of pleasure.
Lan Xichen sat down with some difficulty, hiding his tired face in his hands. Since he was in this room, since no one had kicked him out of here, he dared to still believe that his family was safe. He didn't care about anything else at the moment, but he didn't know how he could find out. After all, in the end, there was no one here he could ask about what had happened. Not to mention the fact that he shouldn't rather ask to call on his husband, as the latter probably had many tasks he had to face.
Therefore, when the door of the room swung open and the servants rushed rapidly towards him, passing orders to each other to summon the medics, he asked nothing. He asked for nothing, merely acquiescing in everything that was done. He didn't protest, when next medicines were given to him, he frankly answered the questions put to him and tried not to make trouble, so as not to accidentally anger anyone. In fact, this was what he feared the most, that he could lead with his behavior to something that he wouldn't be able in any way to undo.
So he agreed to stay in the room, not to go anywhere until the temperature finally dropped, and he didn't feel particularly bad when he promised to try to just sleep. Lan Huan could also see perfectly well how the medics were shaking their heads slightly, one of them even chuckled quietly that since the man was so weak now, what would happen later , but no one was going to discuss that explicitly at the moment, at least not in his presence.
Their remarks, however, caused Lan Huan, left alone, with the servants waiting at the door, to wonder if the rumors his husband had spoken about the previous evening had reached further. He didn't want to believe that the healers wouldn't know the truth, but some part of him wanted to cling to the hope that some things had been kept secret from unauthorized eyes after all. It gave hope that with time everything would somehow work out.
With that realization, Lan Xichen had actually spent quite a peaceful day, grateful for the care he had been given. He wasn't allowed to leave his room, although he had a great desire to go out into the garden, to look once more at the blooming cherry trees that gave him a sense of true peace, that allowed him to breathe truly deeply. However, the windows were uncovered, giving him the opportunity to admire the vegetation that grew around his rooms, filling him with peace and allowing him to think much more cheerfully about the coming days. In the evening, however, care was taken to keep him properly warm, and a nourishing meal was brought to him.
It wasn't just him, as he soon realized when he saw the number of trays being brought into the room. He felt himself blush slightly as the muffled chuckle of the servants who were casting him hurried, somewhat triumphant glances reached him. He hadn't expected that Jiang Cheng might want to come to him, that he might want to talk to him, and now he wondered what exactly his husband was trying to accomplish. For he couldn't care less about him, of that Lan Huan was sure, so he was probably just trying to show off his best side, proving to everyone gathered that he was indeed a good man.
Perhaps it was so, in reality, that Lan Xichen didn't know. He only knew him properly as the heir to one of the greatest families, influential, austere and quite unapproachable, though of course people said things about him. Nevertheless, Lan Huan had no idea what Jiang Wanyin was really like, what he felt, how he thought, how he acted.
There were many rumors that he had an incredibly soft heart for his elder sister, that he kept an eye on her husband, making sure that Jin Zixuan didn't make a single misstep. It was also said that in the son of his father's most trusted man, he found a friend whom he treated almost like a brother, but that already seemed like extreme madness.
"Stay there," Jiang Wanyin said as he entered the room and dismissed the servants with a flick of his wrist.
Those weren't words one wanted to hear, even if they were spoken in concern. Lan Xichen admittedly couldn't quite believe it, feeling that it wasn't what Jiang Wanyin had meant, but he didn't protest. He wasn't going to argue with him, watching as the man approached him, clearly tired from all the activities of the day. There was a distinct shadow painted under his eyes, his hair was in slight disarray, and Lan Huan could almost sense his weakness.
Still, the man seemed not to notice it at all, too focused on something else to concentrate on such trivial matters. He immediately moved his gaze over his husband's face, noticing the blush and seeing Lan Xichen's eyes sparkle slightly. He still had to be running a fever, and leaving him here alone for a whole day wasn't necessarily the best thing to do. After all, who knew what might have crossed his mind during that time.
"How do you feel?" the younger man asked rather groggily.
"Probably better than yesterday," replied Lan Huan quietly, glancing at his hands. "I'm still tired, and it's hard for me to fight this weakness."
Jiang Wanyin wrinkled his nose slightly at this, but didn't comment in any way. He didn't want to start an argument, knowing that the servants were probably at the door and listening to what was going on. He simply helped the man to eat, making sure that the man really felt well, if one could talk about it at all in the situation he was in. However, he didn't want to put any additional pressure on him, he didn't want to torment him and make him more uncomfortable than what he was already going through.
"If this goes on, you know full well what my parents will want," whispered Jiang Wanyin somewhat warningly as he got close enough to the man at some point to make sure no one could hear them.
"I believe I shall soon be fully recovered, thanks to your care," replied the other man hastily.
He felt his heart beat hard as soon as he realized what Jiang Cheng was implying and what exactly he was warning him against. He hadn't expected such a move from him, hadn't imagined that something like this could happen, that a man could somehow take his side in all this after all. Perhaps that was what caused Lan Xichen to grab the sleeve of the younger man's robe, thus keeping him at his side.
"If you really have to decide, I'm asking you for a year, no more. I'm asking you for time until the cherry blossoms bloom again," the older man added hastily, feeling perfectly fine as something squeezed his stomach with all its strength.
He could see perfectly well the other man's eyebrows crease, clearly wondering what exactly he meant, having perhaps the urge to call him a fool, perhaps having the urge to laugh right in his face. Eventually he pushed his hand away and rose to look down at him, not quite knowing apparently what he was supposed to say to him at the moment. In the end, however, Jiang Wanyin made a movement as if nodding his head affirmatively.
However, he didn't do anything else before he finally left the room, not really bothering at all with the goodbye, which seemed to him at the moment at least out of place. It was hard to tell, what exactly he felt at the thought of this ridiculous request of the older man, but definitely he didn't want to yield to it fully. What would it mean anyway? For now anyway he had to wait, what would happen when the man felt better, nothing else mattered.