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Jiang Cheng is just about to get dressed for his date with Nie Mingjue when it knocks on his door. He freezes for a moment, desperately hoping that it’s neither of his siblings but his hope dies quietly when the knocking continues.
It’s probably Wei Wuxian then.
Jiang Cheng sighs before he makes his way over to the door, knowing damn well that Wei Wuxian won’t leave until he has seen Jiang Cheng.
“What do you want?” Jiang Cheng snaps out the moment he opens the door only to immediately regret his tone when he comes face to face with Nie Huaisang.
“You’re in a good mood,” Nie Huaisang observes before he visibly shrugs Jiang Cheng’s rudeness off and pushes inside the apartment. “I’m here to help.”
“Help with what?” Jiang Cheng asks, rubbing his forehead.
He had hoped to meet Nie Mingjue without a headache for once but clearly Nie Huaisang has other plans.
“Dressing yourself.”
“I don’t need help dressing myself,” Jiang Cheng immediately gives back.
“But you want to impress da-ge, don’t you?” Nie Huaisang asks, making his way over to Jiang Cheng’s bedroom without waiting to be invited.
Jiang Cheng simply trails after him because he knows better than to try and stop Nie Huaisang when he sets his mind on something.
“Huaisang, this is not the first date we’re going on. I think I have Mingjue impressed enough after four months.”
“So you think you can simply slack off? Imagine he sees someone else who dresses better than you and then leaves you for that person.”
Jiang Cheng blinks at Nie Huaisang because what even is he on about.
“Right, because your brother is fickle like that,” he replies as he rolls his eyes but Nie Huaisang is clearly unimpressed.
“A-Cheng, come on, let me dress you, alright,” Nie Huaisang sweetly says and now it finally clicks for Jiang Cheng.
“You dressed Mingjue and you want to make sure we match,” he sighs out because of course.
He should have thought about that earlier. Nie Huaisang is spouting some excuses but Jiang Cheng is too busy fishing for his phone to pay him any real attention.
You could have at least warned me, he sends to Nie Mingjue who replies almost immediately, as if he just waited by his phone.
Sorry, not sorry. You’re going to look amazing and I can’t wait to see you.
I would have looked amazing with the clothes I chose as well, Jiang Cheng writes back.
True, is Nie Mingjue’s simple reply and Jiang Cheng sighs yet again.
“Fine, stop it, you can dress me. Happy now?”
“Elated,” Nie Huaisang deadpans, and doesn’t hesitate to throw some clothes at Jiang Cheng. “Put those on. Da-ge loves your tiny waist and this is perfect. The colours match.”
“Whatever.” By now Jiang Cheng is resigned to his fate and he simply turns around to put the clothes on that Nie Huaisang chose for him.
“Da-ge is going to love this,” Nie Huaisang says with a nod once Jiang Cheng is dressed.
“Mingjue loves me regardless of what I wear,” Jiang Cheng gives back, absolutely convinced of that and Nie Huaisang nods.
“I know, but this doesn’t hurt.”
Jiang Cheng gives himself a critical once over in the mirror. He does have to admit that he looks amazing in the things Nie Huaisang chose for him and Nie Mingjue is sure to appreciate it as well.
“Fine, fine, thank you,” Jiang Cheng dutifully says, like the good friend he is and Nie Huaisang beams at him.
“I’m so glad you’re dating my da-ge.”
“Yeah, because we’re good friends, so you don’t feel bad just barging in and using me as a dress-up doll,” Jiang Cheng deadpans and laughs when Nie Huaisang pouts at him. “Come on, you can admit to it.”
“Fine,” Nie Huaisang haughtily says but then he steps forward and hugs Jiang Cheng who doesn’t quite know what to do with the armful of Nie Huaisang he suddenly got. “But the point still stands apart from that.”
“I know,” Jiang Cheng whispers and pats Nie Huaisang’s back. “Now, let go of me or I’ll be late and all of your hard work will have gone to waste.”
Nie Huaisang jumps away from him as if he burned himself and then immediately pushes Jiang Cheng out of the door.
“Go, go, go,” he urges him on and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes even as he puts on his shoes.
“Do not invite anyone over here, I don’t want to come home and find my apartment trashed,” Jiang Cheng warns him, damn well knowing that Nie Huaisang is not going to leave even once Jiang Cheng does.
He hopes Nie Huaisang understands what kind of honour it is that Jiang Cheng does not demand of him to leave.
“You really should know me better, I’m not Wei Wuxian after all,” Nie Huaisang tells him. “I’m honestly just looking forward to watch a movie.”
“As if you don’t have a TV in your own apartment.”
“But maybe you and da-ge want some privacy,” Nie Huaisang says as he waggles his eyebrows at Jiang Cheng who waggles his right back.
“Maybe we could have had this in my apartment,” he shoots back and laughs when Nie Huaisang wrinkles his nose.
“Boring,” he then decides, even though it doesn’t make any kind of sense and then he shoos Jiang Cheng out of his own apartment.
“Go get that dick,” he says right before he closes the door in Jiang Cheng’s face, sadly missing Jiang Cheng’s disgusted face.
“That’s still your brother’s dick you’re talking about,” he can’t help but to call out, not caring about his neighbours for a moment and he lets out a self-satisfied little laugh when he hears a disgusted sound from inside.
Serves Nie Huaisang right.
~*~*~
Nie Mingjue is already waiting for Jiang Cheng when he arrives at the restaurant and his eyes light up as soon as he sees him.
It’s incredibly gratifying, Jiang Cheng is not going to lie about that.
“My heart,” Nie Mingjue greets him and pulls him in for a kiss as soon as Jiang Cheng is close enough.
“My soul,” Jiang Cheng gives right back, still a little bit flustered by the nickname Nie Mingjue calls him but when Nie Mingjue blushes slightly at Jiang Cheng’s own nickname he thinks it’s okay.
At least they are both completely stupid over the other.
“Have you been waiting long?” Jiang Cheng asks when he notices just how cold Nie Mingjue’s cheeks are despite the fact that Jiang Cheng is slightly early still.
“Yeah, but that’s my own fault,” Nie Mingjue easily admits. “I couldn’t wait to see you so I’ve been here for a while.”
“It’s too cold to do that! What if you get sick?” Jiang Cheng immediately fusses over him, taking his ice-cold hands in his own to try and warm him up.
“Then I would hope you’re going to take care of me,” Nie Mingjue breathes out, leaning in to nuzzle against Jiang Cheng’s temple.
“Stupidity doesn’t get rewarded,” Jiang Cheng hisses out but Nie Mingjue clearly doesn’t take his words to heart.
They both know that if Nie Mingjue should fall sick—no matter because of what—Jiang Cheng will be right there to fuss over him.
“Let’s go in, quickly. You can order some tea to warm up,” Jiang Cheng decides finally and pushes Nie Mingjue towards the restaurant.
It’s their go-to restaurant for all of their dates and the server clearly recognises them because he gives them a huge smile.
“Back again, I see,” he greets them and then points towards their favourite table.
Jiang Cheng wonders how it’s always available when they come for lunch or dinner but he knows better than to ask about it.
“Thank you,” Nie Mingjue honestly says and doesn’t let go of Jiang Cheng’s hand even when they sat down.
“Feeling clingy today, huh?” Jiang Cheng asks even though he doesn’t mind it at all and Nie Mingjue only shrugs.
“My hands are still cold,” is the only explanation he gets and Jiang Cheng huffs out a laugh.
It’s one of the flimsiest excuses he has ever heard and he has known Wei Wuxian for almost all of his life. It’s especially ridiculous because Nie Mingjue doesn’t even need an excuse to hold Jiang Cheng’s hand.
“How have you been doing, my heart?” Nie Mingjue asks as if they don’t write daily and have seen each other just yesterday.
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” Jiang Cheng shoots back because Nie Mingjue knows very well how happy Jiang Cheng has been lately.
“Mh, I think you have been doing exceptionally well lately,” Nie Mingjue says with a nod and Jiang Cheng laughs because Nie Mingjue is absolutely right about that.
Jiang Cheng has never thought it possible to be this happy and yet here he is, almost feeling as if he’s going to burst with all of these happy, lovey-dovey feelings inside of him. He would feel ridiculous about it, if he didn’t know that Nie Mingjue feels much the same.
“Did you survive Huaisang’s nagging alright?” Nie Mingjue asks once they ordered their drinks and Jiang Cheng sighs.
“He means well, but he acts as if I haven’t dressed myself for the majority of my life. I snagged you with my own clothes choices, did I not?”
“You snagged me for a variety of reasons, and your clothes barely factored into that,” Nie Mingjue gives back before he drags his eyes over Jiang Cheng’s form, clearly appreciative of what he sees. “Though you do look dashing in what Huaisang chose for you.”
“Mh, and we even match,” Jiang Cheng says, noticing how well his own colour choices compliments Nie Mingjue’s. “So I really should ask if you survived Huaisang’s nagging alright.”
“I’m used to it already. I think he’s going to nag until I’m old and grey.”
“Probably,” Jiang Cheng agrees though he can tell that Nie Mingjue doesn’t really mind it.
It’s just Nie Huaisang’s way of showing that he cares, that he loves Nie Mingjue and Jiang Cheng as well. It’s precisely why Jiang Cheng doesn’t protest his nagging as hard as he could.
“I’m really glad to be here with you,” Nie Mingjue sighs out after a short silence and sometimes Jiang Cheng has a hard time believing just how unbelievably sappy Nie Mingjue can be. Not that he minds it much though.
He’s just about to say something equally sappy when he gets interrupted.
“Wanyin?” a voice says and Jiang Cheng immediately freezes.
“And Nie Mingjue!” Jiang Fengmian continues when he sees who else is sitting with Jiang Cheng and immediately there’s a frown on his face.
“What are you doing, Fengmian, don’t just stand in the middle of the restaurant,” Yu Ziyuan snaps at her husband before she notices what made Jiang Fengmian stop. “Oh,” she says and Jiang Cheng feels how his gut sinks to the floor.
This is going to be an absolute disaster.
“Jiang Fengmian, Yu Ziyuan,” Nie Mingjue greets Jiang Cheng’s parents, clearly picking up on Jiang Cheng’s distress because he briefly squeezes his hand. “What a coincident.”
It almost makes Jiang Cheng snort how unamused he sounds but his father clearly doesn’t pick up on that.
“What are you doing here? Is this a business dinner?” He narrows his eyes at Jiang Cheng. “Are you trying to cut a deal without our notice?”
Jiang Cheng winces at that because for all that he no longer really cares about his parent’s opinion of him, he hasn’t yet bothered to come out to them. Which starts to seem like a huge mistake on his part.
“Answer your father,” his mother orders him when Jiang Cheng stays silent for too long and he flinches at her tone.
“What are you discussing? Mingjue, my boy, please don’t take anything Wanyin says to heart. He’s not cut out to secure business deals, and you really should have come to someone who knows what they are doing.”
Nie Mingjue frowns at his words, even as Jiang Cheng tightens the grip on his hand almost painfully but right now it feels as if that is the only life line he has and he’s going to cling to it.
Nie Mingjue gives him a puzzled look, clearly asking what he is supposed to do now, but Jiang Cheng can only shrug helplessly. He doesn’t know either. He wasn’t prepared for this.
“Sirs?” the waiter says from the side all of a sudden, carrying their dishes in his hands. “Here is your food.”
“Ziyuan, this is more dire than we thought, they have already ordered their food, who knows that Wanyin ruined for us already,” Jiang Fengmian says to Yu Ziyuan.
“We need two more chairs here,” Yu Ziyuan orders and it’s not a question.
Jiang Cheng wants to say something, wants to tell her off but one look from his mother makes the words die on his tongue.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Nie Mingjue says, coming to Jiang Cheng’s rescue. “We’re just having dinner after all.”
“Business dinner, surely,” Jiang Fengmian says, waving Nie Mingjue off. “Which shouldn’t happen with someone qualified enough to talk to a fellow CEO.”
“A-die, this is really not why we’re here,” Jiang Cheng says, finally finding his voice again but it’s already too late.
His parents are already seated at the table and Jiang Cheng shares a despairing look with Nie Mingjue.
“Wanyin, you should know better than this,” Yu Ziyuan reprimands him as she snaps her fingers at the waiter. “You’re not allowed to make business decisions on your own.”
“This is not business related,” Jiang Cheng gets out, close to getting fed up with his parents behaviour and he desperately clings to the spark of anger inside of him.
He’s going to need it if he wants to come out of this unscathed.
It does help that Nie Mingjue is still holding his hand, though it makes Jiang Cheng wonder just how far his parents have their heads up their asses that they don’t even seem to notice that little detail.
“No need to lie to us, now,” Jiang Fengmian says and his voice makes Jiang Cheng want to throw up it’s so condescending. “We caught you already, after all, so let us just deal with this. Maybe you should leave, actually, I bet Mingjue will be more relaxed then.”
“No, I won’t,” Nie Mingjue immediately says and Yu Ziyuan narrows her eyes at him.
“Did Wanyin already promise you some sweet deals? You should know that he has no authority to make those.”
“That’s fine with me, because we’re not here for business,” Nie Mingjue tries to explain to them but of course no one listens to him.
This was supposed to be a nice dinner date; now their food is getting cold, Nie Mingjue seems clearly uncomfortable—and who can blame him, really—and Jiang Cheng is quickly getting fed up with his parents behaviour.
“We’re here on a date,” Jiang Cheng declares, raising his and Nie Mingjue’s still entangled hands. “A romantic date,” he then clarifies when Jiang Fengmian opens his mouth again and watches in satisfaction how his father’s mouth drops open.
“Wanyin, this is an exceedingly bad joke,” Yu Ziyuan hisses out before she gives her best business smile to Nie Mingjue. “Please don’t take his words to heart, he likes to joke.”
“No, I think I will take him to heart,” Nie Mingjue replies and winks at Jiang Cheng. “Seeing as he is my heart.” He underlines his words with a kiss to the back of Jiang Cheng’s hand and now it’s Yu Ziyuan’s turn to stare in shock at them.
“What are you playing at?” she then asks. “You’re not gay. Neither of you are.”
“And what would make you say that?” Nie Mingjue sweetly asks but Jiang Cheng hears the bite in his tone.
“You simply don’t seem gay, that’s all, my boy,” Jiang Fengmian chimes in with a sweet smile and Jiang Cheng feels sick to his stomach, it’s so slimy.
“Right,” Nie Mingjue thoughtfully says. “Because gay people seem like a certain way.”
It seems like his tone finally clued at least Yu Ziyuan in that something is wrong because she puts a hand to Jiang Fengmian’s arm to stop him from going on.
“Well, our Wanyin here is certainly not gay, so he must have lured you here under false pretences,” she says, glaring at Jiang Cheng.
Nie Mingjue locks eyes with Jiang Cheng, raising one eyebrow slightly and Jiang Cheng nods. Nie Mingjue is clearly asking for permission to do something and Jiang Cheng can guess what it is. Nie Huaisang is not the only mischief maker in the family after all, and he learned from the best.
“He seemed pretty gay to me last night,” Nie Mingjue says precisely when Jiang Fengmian is taking a sip of his water. It’s incredibly funny to see him choke on it. “And this morning, for that matter,” he then adds over Jiang Fengmian’s coughing and Jiang Cheng presses his lips together as he sees all the colour drain from his mother’s face.
“And I’m going to be pretty gay when we get home as well,” Jiang Cheng says. “Which will be right about now,” he then decides and waves the waiter over. “Could you please pack this up for us? Our dinner was cut short, but my parents will be happy to pay the bill for this table.”
“Sure thing,” the waiter says, suppressing his own grin so clearly he heard most of what was going on. “Just one moment.”
He leaves with their food and Jiang Cheng smiles at his parents as he stands up.
“Now if you would excuse me, I need to go be gay with Mingjue here,” he tells them, trying his hardest to keep his own laugh in.
“This is inappropriate,” Jiang Fengmian hisses at him, seemingly finding his footing again and Jiang Cheng shrugs.
“It’s inappropriate when I do it but so sweet when Wei Wuxian basically humps Lan Wangji at the table? Good to know,” he says with a nod and now it’s his time to ask Nie Mingjue for permission with his eyes.
Nie Mingjue’s eyes are sparkling with mirth and Jiang Cheng doesn’t even have to wait for an answer before Nie Mingjue reels him in for a filthy kiss.
It’s normally a bit more PDA than Jiang Cheng enjoys but the looks on his parents faces when they part makes it worth it.
“Now, we have other things to do,” Nie Mingjue says once they part and Jiang Cheng might be a tiny bit distracted by the way his lips shine. “Do not bother us again.”
As if he just waited for a sign, the waiter shows up again, handing them their dinner before he gives them a huge smile.
“Do have a good evening,” he tells them and ushers them out winking at them before he goes back to his work.
“He gave us dessert on the house,” Nie Mingjue says with a look into the bag and Jiang Cheng shakes his head.
“He’s too sweet on us.”
“I think he simply enjoys the drama we brought to him this evening,” Nie Mingjue gives back before he kisses Jiang Cheng again.
“Now, do you want to be gay with me?” he then asks and Jiang Cheng laughs.
“I’m too hungry to be gay right now,” Jiang Cheng decides, taking the bag out of Nie Mingjue’s hand. “So I guess you have to feed me first.”
“Lucky then, that my apartment is empty, right?” Nie Mingjue says, catching up to Jiang Cheng and taking his hand again.
“Lucky indeed,” Jiang Cheng agrees and smiles at Nie Mingjue.
He’ll probably hear from his parents again before the week is over but right now he couldn’t care less and Nie Mingjue is doing his best to distract him as well.
So Jiang Cheng would still say this is a very successful date.