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At the bottom of a beautifully carved chest, lined to the brim, sat a pair of mandarin ducks. It was the middle of winter, so the only difference between them was the color of their beaks, although there was no doubt that with the coming of spring, the male would once again have rusty feathers. The ducks were sitting close to each other, looking somewhat distrustfully at the people around them, although it was obvious that they were used to their presence and didn’t see them as a threat. The male even moved, spreading his wings for a moment, but immediately settled comfortably back in the chest.
Their feathers seemed to shine slightly in the light of the first lit lanterns, in the glare of the setting sun that was seeping into the main hall of the Lotus Pier. However, it was hard to tell whether it was the mandarin ducks that drew the gazes of everyone gathered, or whether it was the man who had offered them to Sect Leader Jiang. After all, his presence here was extremely shocking, especially since no one had heard of Lan Xichen deciding to leave the seclusion.
However, there was no doubt that it was Sect Leader Lan who was kneeling behind the open chest, folding his hands on his thighs. He sat upright with his head proudly raised, gazing intently at Jiang Wanyin. His white robes were heavily ornate, extremely elegant, and seemed as if they had been crafted with the utmost care to match this solemn moment. No one knew that Lan Qiren himself had seen to his elder nephew's appearance, admonishing him that he always, no matter what, had to represent Gusu Lan with dignity.
Nor did anyone have any idea that Grandamster Lan had smiled under his breath with great satisfaction when Zewu-Jun announced his intentions to him. Although the older man had sensed them for a long time, suspecting, moreover, that Jiang Wanyin might turn out to be closer to Lan Xichen than they both thought, he had never once mentioned it aloud. His requests and suggestions were never pushy, never orders or loudly expressed expectations. For a long time, however, Lan Qiren had believed that what he himself saw in Sect Leader Jiang would become equally clear to his nephew.
Now, it was clear to everyone in the Lotus Pier. To everyone who had heard about the fact that Gusu Lan's messenger had come to the residence, with Zewu-Jun himself in the lead. In turn, those who had the opportunity to see the gift the man offered to Jiang Wanyin hadn't the slightest doubt about the elder leader's intentions. They were written in that gift, hiding among the feathers of the mandarin ducks, amidst their constancy and steadfast loyalty to their partner.
Jiang Wanyin looked at the birds with some uncertainty, wrinkling his brows quite a bit, giving the impression that he was trying to understand what was actually going on around him. When he had responded to Grandmaster Lan's request, who had hoped that Sect Leader Jiang would be able to show his nephew some light in the life he had left, he had never expected this whole crazy adventure to end like this.
All those conversations they were having more and more intensely, those arguments, reproaches, and letters they were sharing, revealing more and more of their thoughts. Words that made his petrified heart tremble more and more, showing him that there was someone in this world who appreciated his dedication, his devotion to Yunmeng Jiang, who was even able to understand his controversial decisions, though at the same time never judging them as something good. At every turn, they were more and more honest with each other, more and more confident that they didn't need to hide their true thoughts at all.
Arguably, this made Jiang Wanyin begin to see Lan Xichen as a friend. He dreaded it, knowing full well what his previous attachment had led to, what his feelings had led him to, but at the same time he didn't want to break the bond they had built. He knew that this one might have seemed artificial, built in far too short a time to be seen as anything great, but he hoped that this tentative friendship would manage to last over time, that it would carry them somewhere further, providing them with a safe haven in their old age.
Now, on the other hand, he was staring at the mandarin ducks, feeling his heart rumbling perfectly. Jiang Wanyin was sure that it had long since ripped out of his chest and lodged somewhere in his throat. It probably happened the moment he caught sight of Lan Xichen, the moment he shifted his gaze over his festive robes, the moment he realized that the man had brought a gift with him. This alone made Sect Leader Jiang tremble slightly, though he didn't really know where it came from.
Finally, he waved his hand impatiently at the people gathered in the room, letting them know unequivocally that he wanted to be left alone with Sect Leader Lan, before whom he eventually knelt, sitting down somewhat uncertainly, somewhat heavily. A steady whirring grew in his ears, and a soft flush crawled across his cheeks, which he could see from such proximity to Lan Xichen as well. As did the determination that shone in his dark eyes.
"Xichen..." he began quietly. "Do you really know what you're doing? Do you know what this means? What this will bring in the future?"
"Can't say how the days will unfold, but I want you in it."
Jiang Cheng held his breath, not taking his gaze away from the older man's dark eyes, feeling that the noise in his ears had become unbearable. He could hear the thudding of his own heart, the rush of blood that didn't stop but only intensified, and he felt his hands tremble slightly, although nothing like this should be happening after all. Not when he was a grown man, when he had been through so much, and yet never until now had he heard words as simple yet sincere as those spoken by Lan Xichen.
"I could see it," he answered quietly at last. "I've seen it happen for a while, but I didn't want to talk about it. After all, I've never done anyone any good."
"You would be my light in the dark. You already are. For a long time. You give me no choice, Wanyin."
"Choice?"
"You gave me no other choice, but to love you."
Jiang Cheng felt his heart hit harder again, returning to its place, and he smiled involuntarily, the very corner of his mouth as if he intended to laugh at the older man. Instead, he reached out in front of him to place his hand on Lan Xichen's palm, casually wrinkling his eyebrows and nose slightly, as if trying to once again hide behind the image he had long shown to the world around him.
"You didn't give me a choice either. I just had to fall in love with you."