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It was blowing. It was getting stronger with each passing moment, as if it wasn't going to stop, and Jiang Cheng was sure that the smell of rain was being carried along with the strong gusts. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if there was a storm about to start, for the clouds were billowing in the sky like furious waves, rising and falling, forming a veritable swirl. He couldn't see the moon, not a single star, so the surrounding darkness seemed almost impenetrable, as if they fell straight into a deep bottomless pit.
In the distance, across the lake, the warm lights of the lanterns lit on the dock trembled, illuminating a small patch of lake, bringing out the flashes and leaves of giant lotuses. There were calls across the water, even laughter could be heard as more groups returned to the mansion after a night of hunting specially organized for the ongoing Discussion Conference. Everyone seemed to be enjoying what was going on around them, and Jiang Wanyin was sure that from time to time the sounds of music would also reach him.
Heir of Yunmeng Jiang was also convinced that once he and Wei Wuxian finally returned to the Lotus Pier, his mother wouldn't give him a warm reception. Their people were actually the first to be sent back to the mansion, they had the victory in this little competition in their hands, but unexpectedly his friend thought that they could venture a little further into the field, see if there was any water ghoul somewhere nearby that would prevent them from celebrating.
Then, without actually thinking too much about what he was doing, Wei Ying jumped into the water, disappearing under the lotus leaves, apparently intending to have fun according to his own fantasy. They weren't children anymore, after all, they should be representing their sect with dignity since the Chief Cultivator was hosting them, but apparently his friend had Wen Ruohan's slightly amused, slightly threatening glances for nothing. It had been like this since the competition in Qishan Wen's lands a few years ago, when they proved that the other sects were definitely worth more than one might have suspected.
After those events, Wen Ruohan's actions changed directions somewhat, and he concentrated on gaining allies, apparently trying to secure the position of Chief Cultivator for his elder son. It was whispered that the man dreamed of making this dignity hereditary, but no one really took it seriously, clearly showing that other sects also had a lot of says in the matter. It was no different with Yunmeng Jiang, which was now allied with Lanling Jin through the marriage of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan.
The woman's younger brother breathed more deeply, feeling himself blush slightly at the thought that perhaps the same alliance would soon unite them with Gusu Lan as well. He shook his head, knowing full well that he shouldn't think so much about all the letters and conversations he'd had with Lan Xichen, especially since he needed to find Wei Wuxian and get him out of the water before he joined the water ghouls forever. He approached the shore, realizing that the lake was covered in blackness as thick as the twilight surrounding them, and hissed in exasperation.
"Wei Wuxian!" he exclaimed, wrinkling his nose.
He disliked his friend's idiotic game, not only because of the displeasure that probably awaited them as soon as they returned to the mansion, but also because of the weather. It was getting worse with each passing moment, the water grasses were laying low, almost touching the surface of the lake, and the calls of scurried ducks that were apparently looking for a place of shelter for themselves reached his ears. Jiang Cheng wasn't sure whether the area would turn out to be overrun with ghosts and demons in a moment, so he hastily added that they should return after all.
He twitched as soon as his friend emerged almost at the shore, spitting water at him and smiling broadly on this occasion, reproaching him for getting more serious the older he got. Immediately, too, Wei Wuxian brushed his wet hair away from his forehead and pulled himself up on the shore, casually branding a move that was apparently meant to suggest that he was going to throw the heir of Yunmeng Jiang into the lake. Perhaps he would have done so had it not been for a thick, heavy raindrop hitting his face, causing him to laugh again.
"See, A-Cheng, now we'll both be completely soaked. Aye, your Zewu-Jun will definitely be horrified by this and will wrap you up in a few blankets on the spot, so you definitely won't get sick."
Jiang Wanyin squirmed at the remark, aware that his cheeks were covered in a deep, treacherous blush, and for a brief moment he was glad that total darkness surrounded them. Even so, he didn't want his friend to see how similar words pummeled him, how they made him feel like a silly underling rather than a grown man who had turned twenty some time ago and wasn't treated like a child. However, such words, such remarks, such taunts, made his heart beat definitely faster than it should.
Especially since everything indicated that, unlike him, Lan Xichen had no soulmate symbol. This bothered him a bit, causing him to hide his own as well, not wanting anyone to know that somewhere in the universe there was a person who was destined for him according to the will of the heavens. He didn't believe in such nonsense, he didn't agree that some thread of destiny, which he didn't even see, would bind him to a man about whom he knew nothing. This wasn't something that was close to his heart, so he simply went against the stream, doing what he dreamed of.
"Stop talking nonsense, Wei Ying," he growled eventually, and then chased his friend away, hoping that they would be able to return to the Lotus Pier in a while.
But life apparently had a different plan, or maybe it looked different in Wei Wuxian's mind, because the man, walking backwards, still telling some unbelievable story, slipped and fell on his back, sliding towards the lake. Jiang Cheng gripped him tightly, realizing that a moment more and through the muddy ground they would both be in the water. His friend jerked rather idiotically, getting dirty in the process with the mud he had splashed on everything in the vicinity, and snorted with amusement, remarking wryly that he had probably broken himself all over. However, immediately he raised himself nimbly, even jumping up in place.
However, laughter froze on his lips when a decidedly unpleasant call reached them, indicating that there were probably ghosts in the area again. Jiang Wanyin snorted in exasperation, as that was all they needed, and then allowed the older man to pull him along. It was already raining so hard that nothing could actually be seen, while the Lotus Pier had completely disappeared from their sight. They had no choice but to go there on foot, without using any of their abilities this time.
Hiking under such conditions, however, proved to be strenuous to say the least, and soon Wei Ying clapped his hands, remembering that there was a small cave nearby where they used to hide when they were children. Despite Jiang Cheng's protests, he set out to find it, thus forcing his friend to follow him. After all, if they separated at this moment, they might lead to even less predictable and appropriate consequences of their madness. Heir of Yunmeng Jiang was certain that they should have returned to the mansion right away, he also knew that punishment awaited them now.
"Look, I told you it was somewhere close! Hurry up, A-Cheng, because in a moment, we won't be able to see anything anymore! At least now we're not being chased by any overgrown lizards or other angry turtles," Wei Ying stated, speeding up to immediately slip into the cave, constantly reminiscing about old times.
"We shouldn't stay here too long," the younger man stated, joining him.
A shiver ran through him as soon as he was in the rocky alcove, realizing how rapidly it had cooled and how monstrously cold his clothes were, now almost completely encasing his body. It felt like the water-soaked robes weighed as much as he did, and the chill pinching his skin was downright unbearable at the moment. Jiang Wanyin twitched slightly as Wei Wuxian reached for the talisman to light up the cave, and a moment later, he set about lighting the fire, having a great time doing so.
"Do you think it will be quicker for your uncle to find us here, or for a pack of hungry ghouls to find us after all?" he asked as the fire crackled pleasantly behind their backs, and he jumped to his friend, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
"Let's hope none of them," muttered Jiang Cheng only, pushing back the wet strands of hair from his face.
The older man, clearly amused by such an attitude, laughed and then patted him on the shoulder, remarking at once that they should take off their soaked robes before they found themselves freezing in them. He was undoubtedly right about that, so Jiang Wanyin went deeper into the cave to actually take off some of his outer clothing, hoping that it would allow him to breathe a little deeper. Even so, he was irritated by Wei Wuxian's behavior, who was still acting like a child despite turning twenty-five years old.
This was probably why he was still stuck spending his time in the training ground or in the city, playing with the younger members of Yunmeng Jiang and charming all the surrounding girls. There was nothing wrong with that, if he wanted his life to be like that, then Jiang Cheng, although clenching his teeth slightly, would just go along with it. What he couldn't understand, however, was what was currently tempting his friend to take this crazy walk, jumping into the water and having fun when presumably others were starting to worry about them.
Heir of Yunmeng Jiang even had to admit that he wondered if he should accidentally send up a signal flare, letting the other night hunting participants know where they were at the moment. It obviously wasn't the best solution, after all, he could worry his own parents that way, but he suspected they were just as nervous at the moment. He muttered something vaguely at his companion's remarks, only to immediately look at him in surprise as he tugged at his clothes.
"You didn't say!" shouted Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng furrowed his brows, trying to understand what exactly he might have meant, and in that moment, he realized that through his soaked robe, the beautifully engraved text running down his chest, right next to his heart, must have been clearly visible. Until now, he had taken care not to let anyone know about it, not paying too much attention to the symbol himself either, not wanting it to become a burden to him for some reason. However, now that Wei Ying was talking some foolishness, Jiang Wanyin realized that perhaps he should have told him about it earlier.
He tried to silence him, to get rid of it, not having the slightest desire to get into a pointless discussion, but everything indicated that Wei Wuxian didn't know when he should keep quiet. His friend tried his best not to listen to his chatter, but everything seemed to indicate that the elderly man had no intention of stopping his stories. Especially since after a while, without the slightest embarrassment, he took off some of his clothes, remaining in just his pants, to demonstrate to Jiang Wanyin the symbol that was also on his chest.
Heir of Yunmeng Jiang groaned in embarrassment as he threw his top robe at his friend, growling at him to stop acting like a child. He had no desire for similar taunts, for the remarks between them, and he certainly had no desire for Wei Ying to throw an arm over his shoulder and continue speaking, suggesting that maybe he should rethink whether he really wanted to get involved with Lan Xichen. No wonder then that Jiang Cheng growled warningly at him, trying to push him away.
"Aye, A-Cheng! See for yourself, they are identical after all!" Wei Wuxian stated, stepping back and laughing loudly.
His friend furrowed his eyebrows tightly as something like this was beyond his comprehension, but he finally glanced at the soulmate symbol on Wei Ying's body, not really having any idea why he was actually doing this. His heart froze in his chest for a moment as he realized that his friend wasn't lying, which seemed like some absurd, not very funny joke to him. Ever since that symbol had appeared on his chest, ever since he had known those few simple words by heart, he had been convinced that something like that couldn't happen.
He knew that this simple text was an excerpt from Lan Xichen's favorite poem, which the man had referred to many times during their conversations, which he had mentioned in his letters, thinking, by the way, that the piece itself suited Jiang Cheng. For this reason, there was no way that Wei Wuxian could have been endowed by the heavens with something similar, that he would carry the exact same mark on him, for it to make any sense at all. Especially since he was now laughing uncontrollably, raising his eyebrows in amusement, suggesting that they clearly hadn't realized what they had until now.
Jiang Wanyin knew that it was his fooling around, that he was saying it on purpose to annoy him, but he still felt that it shouldn't be like this. He was teasing him, expecting some unknown thing, probably trying to force him to say something that shouldn't really come between them. He only rolled his eyes at Wei Ying's taunts, knowing full well that there was no way that fate could have made such a cruel mockery of them, and even suggested to Wei Wuxian that he had better wash off that inscription before they returned to the Lotus Pier.
"Aye, A-Cheng!" shouted his friend mournfully at this, guffawing again.
Before the heir of Yunmeng Jiang pulled away from him, the man threw his arms around his neck, almost hovering over him, and then began to lament aloud, only irritating the younger man more. He was beginning to violate the boundaries of good taste, starting to really anger Jiang Cheng, who tried to push him away. But they both froze when a rustling sound reached their ears, and when they turned toward the cave entrance, they spotted Lan Wangji there. And Lan Xichen, who had bowed his head slightly, had just backed away, as if he was aware that he shouldn't be here.
"Get down," growled Jiang Wanyin towards Wei Ying.
His friend let him go without a word, apparently realizing how difficult a situation he had put him in, and actually immediately jumped to Lan Zhan, intending with all his might to stop him in his tracks. He saw perfectly well how Hanguang-Jun looked at Jiang Wanyin, saw how he clenched his teeth with all his might as he passed him, intending to catch up with Lan Xichen and talk to him. Wei Wuxian, though he loved to sow confusion and break the rules, was aware that at this very moment he might have brought about something he didn't want, something he feared in his own way.
If only he had learned that Lan Huan had retracted his earlier assurances, he would have gone to him himself to speak with him, to make things right. Still, he hoped that his jokes wouldn't prove to be so disastrous in their consequences, hoped that it didn't mean much, though seeing the shadow of pain on Zewu-Jun's face, he suspected that explaining everything wouldn't be too easy. For the members of Gusu Lan were ultimately incredibly righteous, always following the rules, and probably now Lan Xichen would be willing to yield to what the heavens expected of him.
Jiang Cheng was also of the same opinion and tried to catch up with the older man. However, amidst the rain and the prevailing darkness, it wasn't that easy, especially since Lan Huan clearly had no intention of stopping, even when called out. He was running away, which nevertheless irritated the Yunmeng Jiang heir, making his dissatisfaction and the pain that spread across his chest grow greater and greater. Therefore, it was no wonder that Jiang Wanyin quickened his step.
"Are you just going to run away like that?"
"I shouldn't have to fight destiny."
Jiang Cheng snorted quietly, slightly offended yet amused by his perspective on the matter. He hadn't expected anything different from Lan Xichen, after all, Lan Xichen had always followed the principles he had instilled in him, and the deception he would probably commit by taking away someone's soulmate had to be unthinkable to him. Nevertheless, Jiang Wanyin wasn't going to let him go and grabbed his wrist, clamping his fingers tightly on it, forcing the man to finally look at him.
"Even if I have this symbol on me, it has no meaning to me. I don't believe the heavens, the universe, anyone, can tell who belongs to whom," he stated, looking intently at the older man. "It's up to us to decide that for ourselves by making choices, no one else, Xichen."
"Everyone knows that Master Wei..." Lan Huan began, but fell silent.
"That he’s an annoying donkey? He has no intention of getting serious? That he’s a brother to me? I don't know what you were trying to say, but it doesn't actually matter. Don't you trust me?"
"I trust."
Lan Xichen's voice faltered slightly, clearly showing that this whole thing was proving more painful for him than he had suspected. He didn't quite know what he should do, how he should act, and he was flitting about, feeling pressure from every possible direction. He didn't want to interfere, but at the same time he didn't want to leave Jiang Wanyin, he didn't want to let anything bad happen to him, and most of all he didn't want to break the bond between them, something that made him feel wonderful, as if he were wandering a little above the ground, somewhere among the clouds, without any worries, problems or doubts.
"Then trust me when I say I love you ."
Those were probably not words that Zewu-Jun would have expected, though he would be lying if he said that he hadn't been waiting for them. That he didn't look for them, believing that his feelings were indeed reciprocated, knowing at the same time that Jiang Cheng wasn't one of those people who would so easily admit his, as he sometimes referred to it, weaknesses. Feelings weren't something he was able to discuss, they caused him problems on many occasions, and although Lan Xichen was aware that he had become very important to him, he also knew that he still lacked that simple yet meaningful reassurance.
Nevertheless, he was now almost out of breath, feeling his heart crashing in his chest as he parted his lips and stared at the deadly serious heir of Yunmeng Jiang. There could be no mistake, there could be no deception, and the determination that seemed to shine in Jiang Cheng's eyes was almost indescribable. It was as if the young man nevertheless feared that his confession was out of place, that it wasn't what he should do, that he shouldn't say it. And seeing Lan Xichen's lack of reaction, he clenched his teeth tightly.
Before the older man could do anything, express his own thoughts properly - though he was already parting his lips, clearly intending to give him an answer - Jiang Wanyin grabbed him by the front of his soaked robes to pull him close. He didn't really think about what he was doing, didn't care that he was probably breaking some rules, that he should keep in check not only his own feelings, but also the anger that was now bubbling in his veins. He pressed forward, fearing that if he stopped even for a moment, everything he had so far would crumble into dust.
He kissed him just as violently, almost hitting his teeth with his teeth, expecting Lan Huan to pull away from him. Instead, the man encircled him virtually at once with his arms, pulling him close until Jiang Cheng didn't feel the chills that went through him as soon as he felt the drenched, cold robes draped over his body. It didn't bother him one bit, and neither did the rain that was constantly falling, albeit much weaker than just a few moments before. He concentrated on the warmth beaming from Lan Xichen, on his closeness and the strength he was putting into holding him despite everything.
The elderly man only retreated when he let out a quiet hiss, raising his hand to his chest. The spark of pain that swept through his body unexpectedly surprised him immeasurably, he couldn't even tell where exactly it came from, yet he was almost certain what it meant. Without even waiting for Jiang Wanyin to make a move, without waiting for his words or questions, he pushed aside his robe, and looking down at his chest, he saw the sentences that he knew well carved there.
They were a continuation of the poem that adorned Jiang Cheng's body, they complemented the story that had found its beginning with the other man, and thus they were an inseparable whole. However, even if that wasn't the case, Zewu-Jun wasn't going to let Yunmeng Jiang's heir disappear somewhere, to withdraw, not after his words, not after his confession, not after kissing him so fervently. No wonder, then, that he drew him to himself again, breaking through his own limitations, confessing quietly that he had loved him for a long time, that he was only afraid to say out loud, not wanting to destroy anything.
Jiang Cheng quietly snorted, only to immediately wince barely perceptibly as he too felt a sudden spark of pain. He knew that soulmate symbols were changing, that life was adding to them, turning the bodies of specific people into a book of their collective achievements. He guessed that he, too, had just been gifted with another piece of their shared story, but instead of mentioning it aloud, he muttered his confession once more, returning to the interrupted kiss, no longer caring in the slightest that anyone from Lotus Pier might be looking for them.
For he was exactly where he wanted to be.