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Nie Mingjue isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do with the letter in his hands. He read it three times already but it still says the same: Jiang Cheng is going to come by on an official visit.
It shouldn’t even be that noteworthy—all the Sects visit each other regularly—but this is Jiang Cheng. Not only did he refuse Nie Mingjue’s courtship two years ago, but Qinghe Nie is also the first Great Sect he’s paying a visit to since the war and Nie Mingjue probably shouldn’t read into that but he does.
Jiang Cheng should be visiting Lanling Jin first, seeing as this is where his nephew is staying half of the year. It would even make sense for him to visit Gusu Lan first because Nie Mingjue knows that Lan Qiren has taken on somewhat of a mentor role for Jiang Cheng.
It simply doesn’t make sense for him to come to Qinghe Nie first and it’s a problem.
“What is this supposed to tell me?” Nie Mingjue asks, shaking the letter in his hand and Nie Huaisang is giving him a pitying look.
“It means that he’s going to come visit us,” he patiently explains even though he’s fanning his fan faster than he normally does.
He’s already fed up with Nie Mingjue and he can’t even blame him.
It’s not the first time Nie Mingjue has asked this question.
“But why?”
“Because that is what Sect Leader do,” Nie Huaisang snaps at him and Nie Mingjue presses his lips together.
He knows that this is what Sect Leaders do, but it makes no sense for Jiang Cheng to come to him first.
“It makes no sense,” Nie Mingjue mutters and he can’t deny that a tiny part of his heart is hoping for a different reason for this.
No one would suspect it, but he’s a romantic at heart; the fact that Jiang Cheng is going to come visit him first of all people makes him hope for things he probably has no business hoping for.
Jiang Cheng already rejected him and with the amount of time that has passed since then Nie Mingjue doubts that his answer has changed, especially since they barely had contact in the past two years.
“Da-ge, do not act like a love-sick fool,” Nie Huaisang sternly tells him. “He rejected you, that’s it. This is not going to be a wonderful romantic story, so you might as well wipe that look of your face.”
“That’s so rude,” Nie Mingjue says and frowns at Nie Huaisang. “Aren’t you the one who reads all the romance novels? Shouldn’t you at least give me some hope?”
“I am reading these novels because something like that is never going to happen in real life. You have to stay realistic here, da-ge. He’s not coming to belatedly accept your courtship. He’s coming because it’s required of him and nothing more.”
“You can’t know that,” Nie Mingjue stubbornly says even though his rational side is with Nie Huaisang on this one. “You’ve only known him during your studies at Cloud Recesses.”
“And you’ve only known him during war,” Nie Huaisang shoots back. “And to be honest, we both don’t know what kind of person he grew into,” Nie Huaisang then amends. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up for nothing. You’re going to get your heart crushed that way.”
Nie Huaisang is likely not even wrong but still—Nie Mingjue can’t help but to wonder.
“We will see then, when he arrives,” he finally says and Nie Huaisang gives him an unhappy look, clearly knowing Nie Mingjue too well to believe that this talk is over.
“We will,” he still agrees and takes the letter out of Nie Mingjue’s hand. “And now stop searching for a hidden meaning that isn’t there.”
Nie Mingjue sighs at that but he can’t deny that Nie Huaisang might be right about at least that. He has read the letters so many times, looking for hidden clues or some kind of indication that this visit might be more than it seems to be but of course he didn’t find anything.
Nie Huaisang scrutinises him for a moment.
“You’re going to be a mess until he arrives, I can already tell,” he sighs out and Nie Mingjue shrugs.
Jiang Cheng is the first and only person Nie Mingjue ever thought about courting so he thinks he gets to be a little bit messy about this. Jiang Cheng’s rejection wasn’t cruel but it still broke Nie Mingjue’s heart after all.
“You’re not going to embarrass us when he arrives, right?” Nie Huaisang asks him but it’s not like Nie Mingjue has an answer to that.
“I guess we’ll just have to see.”
~*~*~
Jiang Cheng is even more radiant than Nie Mingjue remembers him to be. He’s clearly exhausted in a way that comes with caring for a toddler but he has grown into himself and it’s a good look on him. He carries himself with confidence, shoulders straight and head held high, and Nie Mingjue wants to do things to him.
Nie Huaisang elbows him hard into the side and Nie Mingjue glares at him.
“We welcome you to the Unclean Realm,” Nie Mingjue greets Jiang Cheng with a bow and Jiang Cheng matches him.
“It’s an honour to be here.”
“Let me show you your rooms, you must be exhausted from the flight,” Nie Huaisang says, pointing the way deeper into the castle but Nie Mingjue catches Jiang Cheng’s elbow when he walks past.
“Actually, I would like to speak to you about something first,” he says, seemingly to both Jiang Cheng’s and Nie Huaisang’s surprise.
“Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang hisses but Nie Mingjue doesn’t take his eyes off Jiang Cheng.
He thought long and hard about how he wants to deal with this visit and in the end he knows there’s only one solution.
Nie Mingjue truly is a romantic at heart and if he doesn’t clear this up immediately he will put a hope into this visit that is probably neither wanted nor warranted.
“Sure,” Jiang Cheng says, clearly confused but he follows Nie Mingjue to one of the many studies.
That leaves Nie Huaisang to show his delegation their rooms and Nie Mingjue is sure he’s going to hear shit for it later, but at the moment he can’t care.
He needs to know what this is about and even his little brother’s wrath can’t deter him from that.
Jiang Cheng sits down when Nie Mingjue indicates for him to do so and Nie Mingjue briefly feels self-conscious about the lack of tea at the table but he reminds himself that his is only supposed to be a quick talk.
“What is this about?” Jiang Cheng asks when Nie Mingjue takes too long to sort through his thoughts and Nie Mingjue decides to simply say it.
“That’s what I would like to ask you,” he starts with. “I would like to know why you’re here, when it would make more sense for you to visit Gusu or Lanling first. And before you say something, yes I know you rejected my courtship proposal and several years have passed since then but I—I need to know or otherwise I’m going to interpret something into this visit that is not there. So please, don’t give me any false hope and just tell me why you’re here.”
Jiang Cheng blinks at him for a moment and just when Nie Mingjue is about to spot a blush on his cheeks he looks down at the table.
“I wanted to test the waters first,” Jiang Cheng says and nervously plays with the bell at his side. “I don’t think I made myself very clear when I rejected you back then.”
“And there was no need for it, you’re entitled to your feelings,” Nie Mingjue interjects quickly because he never expected Jiang Cheng to justify or explain his reasons for rejecting the courtship.
“But I think I should,” Jiang Cheng says and takes a deep breath. “Your proposal came at a bad time. I hadn’t even properly started to rebuild Lotus Pier, I had just lost most of my family and then there was Jin Ling. There was just a lot do to and my standing wasn’t very stable.”
“I understand,” Nie Mingjue nods but Jiang Cheng shakes his head.
“That’s not what I—listen, I should have trusted you back then but when I received your letter there was a spark of doubt.”
“Doubt about what?” Nie Mingjue wants to know because he has always been honest and upright about his feelings, even during the war.
“About your sincerity,” Jiang Cheng admits. “I know you, and I should have known better but with how things were at the time—there was this moment of doubt where I thought you were just offering this to take over Yunmeng Jiang without a fight. My standing was precarious and it wasn’t as if I had a lot to offer.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Nie Mingjue mutters and Jiang Cheng gives him a pained smile.
“I know that. I should have known it back then as well but I was paranoid. And that moment of doubt was enough for me to simply deny your proposal.”
“I see,” Nie Mingjue says and it does make sense. “Why are you here now, then?”
At that Jiang Cheng straightens up.
“I didn’t refuse your proposal because I didn’t have feelings for you,” he explains and it’s a good thing that Nie Mingjue is already sitting down. “I still do, to be honest. And I came here to see if there was still a chance for us. I know I rejected you once and I understand if you want nothing to do with me anymore but I had to be sure.”
“Oh,” Nie Mingjue breathes out and smiles brightly at Jiang Cheng. “Oh, Huaisang is going to hate this. He does hate it so much when I’m right.”
“Right about what?” Jiang Cheng asks, a frown now on his face.
“I thought—hoped, really—that this was the reason for you visit because it simply didn’t make sense to come here first if it isn’t for that. But Huaisang kept telling me that I’m stupid and that I’m seeing things that are not there.”
“So—you wouldn’t be against a courtship now?” Jiang Cheng wants to know, clearly puzzling out the deeper meaning of what Nie Mingjue just said.
“I would be delighted and it would be my honor to enter a courtship with you,” he earnestly tells Jiang Cheng and he’s pleased to see the blush make a return.
“I—didn’t expect this to go over so well,” Jiang Cheng mutters. “I had a whole plan and wanted to talk to you about this at the end of my visit.”
“We can still do that, of course,” Nie Mingjue nods. “But I would much prefer it if we could talk about this now and then treat your visit as a part of the official courtship.”
“You would—my standing as a Sect Leader is still not great, and I am aware of the rumors going around about me. We don’t have to make it official just yet if you just want to test the waters,” Jiang Cheng tells him but Nie Mingjue immediately shakes his head.
“I would have stood by you two years ago and I will stand by you now as well, no questions asked. The rumors about you mean nothing to me and I don’t want you for your status. If anything, I would be happy to help you with mine, if you should want that.”
“That’s not the reason I’m here,” Jiang Cheng huffs out and he seems honestly offended. “Yes, a union between us would mostly benefit me, but that’s not why I’m here. I wouldn’t accept a courtship just for that.”
“So you’re here because you want to be,” Nie Mingjue softly says and offers Jiang Cheng his hand.
“I’m here because I have feelings for you and I would like a second chance,” Jiang Cheng rushes out, clearly embarrassed but he takes Nie Mingjue’s hand and allows him to thread their fingers together.
“How lucky we are then, because I feel the same way,” Nie Mingjue gives back and then gives Jiang Cheng a cheeky smile. “And we also get to tell Huaisang ‘I told you so’ and that doesn’t happen very often.”
“If he’s anything like back in the Cloud Recesses he’s going to hate it,” Jiang Cheng huffs out and Nie Mingjue nods.
“He’s going to hate it so much.” Nie Mingjue falls silent for a moment before a thought occurs to him. “But I’m not agreeing to this only to be able to do that!”
At that Jiang Cheng laughs and it’s one of the most wonderful sounds Nie Mingjue has ever heard.
“It would be a very short-sighted goal of yours. I’m not sure if it’s worth to enter a courtship with me just to get that one moment of glee out of it.”
“I’m going to get one moment of glee and a million moments of happiness out of it and I’d say that’s pretty worth it,” Nie Mingjue gives back and is treated to a new blush on Jiang Cheng’s face.
“You’re a goddamn romantic, aren’t you?” he groans out and Nie Mingjue smiles at him.
“Yes, I am,” he simply admits and he already knows he’s going to spoil Jiang Cheng rotten.
A million moments don’t even seem to be enough but Nie Mingjue is hoping for many, many more. And when Jiang Cheng squeezes his hand, he knows the same goes for him.