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Nie Mingjue can feel the disappointment the moment Nie Huaisang steps into the room.
“What?” he defensively asks when Nie Huaisang doesn’t say anything for the longest time.
“Da-ge.” The disappointment in his voice is almost palpable. “What is this?”
“You know what this is,” Nie Mingjue says, completely on the defence already.
“Let me put it differently, then.” Nie Huaisang pinches the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t tell me this is Jiang Cheng’s courtship gift.”
Nie Mingjue stays quiet.
“Da-ge!”
“What? You said not to tell,” Nie Mingjue mulishly says, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
He really thinks his courtship gift is a good one, and Jiang Wanyin is going to appreciate it. Or at least Nie Mingjue hopes so.
“What were you thinking?” Nie Huaisang asks and Nie Mingjue shrugs.
“You said he likes dogs. Puppies especially. And he’s all over all kinds of animals”
“I said dogs, da-ge. This is—not that.”
Nie Mingjue eyes the creature critically.
“It has a maw and fur and four legs. I don’t see the problem,” he stubbornly replies and Nie Huaisang bursts out laughing.
“Da-ge, please,” he says between his chuckles. “This is not a dog.”
Nie Mingjue deflates with a sigh. Fine. Maybe Nie Huaisang is right. The creature might have a maw but there might also be two of them. There might be fur, but only on one half. The back half is covered in dark-green scales. And while there might be four legs, there might also be at least two tentacle like extensions coming from somewhere in the middle of the creature’s body.
“It’s a puppy,” Nie Mingjue tries again, even though he knows it’s hopeless.
“It already reaches up to my hip,” Nie Huaisang shoots back immediately, though he ruins the effect by scratching the creature behind one of its ears.
Nie Mingjue gives Nie Huaisang a pointed look when the creature starts to pant and what looks to be its tail wags on the floor.
“You don’t think he’ll like it?” Nie Mingjue still asks, completely crushed. He wanted this to be the best courtship gift in existence and he thought he managed to do well.
“I think—” Nie Huaisang starts slowly but he seems to change his mind halfway through. “If he doesn’t, he’s not meant for you anyway, right?”
Nie Mingjue supposes Nie Huaisang is right. These creatures are native to Qinghe and have been their Sect’s companions for generations. If Jiang Cheng doesn’t like them—if he should even be afraid of them—then clearly he doesn’t have a place in Qinghe Nie and at Nie Mingjue’s side.
“It’s just a puppy. Surely he can’t be afraid of that, right?” Nie Mingjue asks, desperately trying to convince himself that he didn’t fuck up completely.
“It’s a very huge puppy,” Nie Huaisang reasonably says. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
It’s reasonable advice and Nie Mingjue hates it. He sits down heavily.
“I just want him to like it,” he mumbles, unable to meet Nie Huaisang’s eyes.
Nie Mingjue has been in love with Jiang Wanyin since the Sunshot Campaign and it has been years since then. If Jiang Wanyin refuses his courtship because he fucked up with the gift, Nie Mingjue will never forgive himself.
“You just want him to like you,” Nie Huaisang corrects him and Nie Mingjue can’t even say anything against that.
It’s true after all.
Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin have been friends for years at this point—and in this at least he’s reasonably confident, because Jiang Wanyin has called him as that in the past—but of course Nie Mingjue would love to be more.
He had wanted to propose a courtship several times over the last few months, but he never quite found the nerve to do it. Until now.
“He’ll like it,” Nie Mingjue mutters under his breath, more to reassure himself than Nie Huaisang.
Nie Mingjue thought long and hard about his courtship gift and he’s sure that he didn’t pick wrong. The creature is reasonably cute—even with its more monstrous features—and it can serve as a perfect companion on night hunts.
“I bet he has seen them before and isn’t even scared,” Nie Huaisang now tries to reassure Nie Mingjue as well and while it is a nice attempt it only makes Nie Mingjue feel worse.
What if by some miracle Jiang Wanyin has never seen one of these beasts before and now he gets scared? What if he runs out on Nie Mingjue and never speaks to him again?
“This was a stupid idea,” Nie Mingjue says and stands up. “I have to gift him something else,” he decides, his mind already whirring with other options.
He doesn’t have many, if he’s being honest, and he feels despair rise in him.
“Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang cautiously says but before he can finish his sentence a disciple comes into the room.
“Nie-zongzhu, Nie-gongzi, Jiang-zongzhu is here,“ he announces and true to his word Jiang Wanyin is right behind him.
Nie Mingjue forgot that he told his disciple that he is to bring Jiang Wanyin to him immediately when he arrives.
“Mingjue, Huaisang,” Jiang Wanyin greets them with a shallow bow and Nie Mingjue can see that he has his eyes already fixed on the creature at Nie Mingjue’s side.
Nie Mingjue can do nothing but stare at Jiang Wanyin with wide eyes, absolutely terrified that the rigid set of his shoulders means that he’s about to run out on him, while Nie Huaisang is pressing his lips together in a clear attempt not to laugh.
Nie Mingjue finds that a bit cruel, because if Jiang Wanyin should run out on him, his happiness would be completely destroyed.
“What—is this?” Jiang Wanyin carefully asks and Nie Mingjue looks at the puppy.
“She’s yours,” he then says, his carefully planned speech flying right out of his head.
“She is?” Jiang Wanyin breathes out and before Nie Mingjue can say anything else Jiang Wanyin has already moved forwards. “Aww, you’re the most precious baby, aren’t you?” he asks in a high, breathy voice and Nie Mingjue swallows heavily. “Who is a good girl?” Jiang Wanyin prompts as he scratches the puppy under her chin.
The puppy pants right in his face in answer.
“That’s right, you’re a good girl,” Jiang Wanyin goes on as if the puppy really answered him. “She’s gorgeous, Mingjue,” Jiang Wanyin says, clearly only now remembering that there are other people in the room.
“She is,” Nie Mingjue weakly says, his eyes on Jiang Wanyin as he says it and he could swear that Nie Huaisang is dying at his side from holding in his laughter.
“Da-ge, not to ruin the moment but wasn’t there something more you wanted to say?” Nie Huaisang prompts him, his voice coloured with amusement.
“Something more?” Jiang Wanyin asks and Nie Mingjue flushes.
“Right, yeah, there was—” he trails off, too caught up in the way Jiang Wanyin is practically snuggling the puppy to his chest, despite her current size.
“What is it, then?” Jiang Wanyin wants to know when Nie Mingjue doesn’t answer for the longest time.
“She’s yours regardless of your answer,” Nie Mingjue starts with, because he feels like that might be the most important thing right now.
Fuck his friendship with Jiang Wanyin; Nie Mingjue can survive if he should want nothing to do with him after this, but it’s already clear that Jiang Cheng would be absolutely crushed should Nie Mingjue take the puppy away from him now.
“Okay,” Jiang Wanyin slowly says. “Now you’re scaring me a bit. What is this about?”
“I love you,” Nie Mingjue blurts out, because he simply cannot take the sight in front of him.
Most of Jiang Wanyin’s attention is clearly on him, but he’s still scratching the puppy behind her ears and he leans into her snuffling nose and Nie Mingjue just wants to keep this sight forever.
It takes Nie Mingjue a moment to realize what he has just done, but Jiang Wanyin’s huge, surprised eyes finally clue him in and Nie Mingjue wants to do nothing more than die on the spot.
“What he means,” Nie Huaisang chimes in from right behind Nie Mingjue’s shoulder, “is that he would like to court you, properly. She was supposed to be the first courtship gift. But like he already said, you can keep her no matter the answer, I just want to reiterate that,” Nie Huaisang explains and for all that Nie Mingjue cursed him five minutes ago, he now wants to thank him profusely.
“I see,” Jiang Wanyin mutters, an amused curve to his lips. “Well,” he says as he gets up and Nie Mingjue braces himself for the moment he starts walking away from him. “I accept. Both the puppy and the courtship. I love you, too, you know,” he adds, much more shyly than before.
“Oh. Oh, no, I—didn’t, actually,” Nie Mingjue stutters out, still overly aware of the fact that Jiang Wanyin hasn’t taken his hand off the puppy for even a second yet.
“You’re both absolutely hopeless and you deserve each other,” Nie Huaisang mutters right before he leaves them to their devices and strangely enough it feels like Nie Mingjue just lost his emotion translator.
Hopefully he doesn’t say something stupid to Jiang Wanyin again.
“I—I would really like to court you properly,” Nie Mingjue says, feeling like he needs to reiterate that point again.
“And I would really like to let you,” Jiang Wanyin tells him with a smile and takes a step forward, the puppy immediately following along and therefor snatching Jiang Wanyin’s attention right away from Nie Mingjue.
“Look at what a clever, bright, wonderful girl you are,” he coos as he crouches down to press a kiss to the puppies head. “You’ll be so much fun to train.”
The puppy gives him her most terrifying smile but Jiang Wanyin thankfully seems completely charmed.
“I love her,” Jiang Wanyin says as he looks back at Nie Mingjue. “What’s her name?”
“You should give her one,” Nie Mingjue stutters out and wonders when he’ll receive a kiss from Jiang Wanyin.
“I’ll name her Sunshine then,” Jiang Wanyin immediately decides and Nie Mingjue wants to melt on the spot.
It’s only prevented by one of Jiang Wanyin’s disciples entering the room.
“Jiang-zongzhu, I—no,” he immediately says as soon as he sees Sunshine at Jiang Wanyin’s side. “Jiang-zongzhu, no. We talked about this. You cannot bring back more pets to Lotus Pier.”
“She’s my courtship gift,” Jiang Wanyin defends and slings an arm around Sunshine. “Do you want me to reject Mingjue’s courtship?”
Nie Mingjue cannot believe this is the first time he sees Jiang Wanyin make puppy eyes at someone, but maybe that’s for the best.
Jiang Wanyin could have asked for his Sect with those eyes and Nie Mingjue would have given him that and everything else he owned.
“She’s not even a dog, Jiang-zongzhu,” the disciple says as he pinches the bridge of his nose and Nie Mingjue has a strong sense of déjà vu.
“Maybe,” Jiang Wanyin allows. “But she’s absolutely perfect, and now mine and she’ll be best friends with Rainbow.” He pauses for a moment. “Sunshine does swim, right?”
“Rainbow?” Nie Mingjue asks.
“Absolutely not,” the disciple says.
Jiang Wanyin pouts.
“Jiang Lei,” Jiang Wanyin almost whines and Jiang Lei lets out a deep sigh.
“If they destroy anything—and I mean anything—you’ll repair it yourself,” Jiang Lei tells Jiang Wanyin who only beams at him in response.
“I knew you would understand!”
“I understand nothing,” Jiang Lei mutters and rolls his eyes. “At this rate you’ll bring back home a yao next and then I’ll put my foot down.”
“We’ll see about that,” Jiang Wanyin smugly says and turns towards Nie Mingjue, who really doesn’t understand what’s going on anymore.
“Rainbow is a Bixi I found a while back,” Jiang Wanyin finally explains and Nie Mingjue can only stare at him.
“That’s—interesting,” he finally says and belatedly wonders just how many creatures lurk around Lotus Pier. “Sunshine isn’t afraid of water. I don’t know if she swims, we don’t really have lakes here, but it’s worth a try,” he answers Jiang Wanyin’s original question.
“Perfect,” Jiang Wanyin decides and scratches Sunshine under her chin. “You’re absolutely perfect.”
Nie Mingjue has the strong urge to pout as well, because he did not yet get any real attention from Jiang Wanyin, but it seems like he realized that in the exact same moment, because Jiang Wanyin lets go of Sunshine for the first time.
“And you’re absolutely perfect, too,” Jiang Wanyin says as he steps right into Nie Mingjue’s space and leans up for a chaste kiss.
“Zongzhu!” Jiang Lei chides him immediately. “That’s not proper!”
“Turn around or close your eyes if it offends you,” Jiang Wanyin tells him and Nie Mingjue is inclined to agree with him.
He deserves this now, and Jiang Lei is not going to take this from him. Nie Mingjue puts his hands on Jiang Wanyin’s waist.
“I’m glad you like your gift,” he mutters and leans in for a second kiss.
“I love her,” Jiang Wanyin tells him. “Just like I love you. I was still agonizing over a courtship gift, so I’m glad that you had an idea, thought. And what a perfect idea it was.”
Nie Mingjue can do nothing but smile at him, absolutely smitten with him, and Sunshine seems to agree because she presses herself between them, clearly begging for more pats from Jiang Wanyin.
“Unbelievable,” Jiang Lei whispers, because clearly he didn’t turn around and Nie Mingjue flushes slightly.
“Don’t mind him, he’s just happy for us,” Jiang Wanyin says, his eyes for once still on Nie Mingjue.
“As long as you are, too,” Nie Mingjue mutters and steals his third kiss.
“More than,” Jiang Wanyin promises him and finally steps back, but not without taking Nie Mingjue’s hand in his. “And you are, too, right?”
“More than,” Nie Mingjue repeats Jiang Wanyin’s own words and is met with the most beautiful smile.
If he gets to see this every day from now on, then clearly Nie Mingjue did everything right in his life.