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Each time Jiang Cheng set foot on campus, there seemed to be a brand new rumor floating around about Lan Wangji. It was baffling, really.
Somehow, to be deemed the University’s resident bad boy, warranted such…attention.
Funnily enough, the story of how Wangji had been dubbed his title was a complete mystery to Jiang Cheng, and if memory serves him right–the Wangji he once knew, had never had a penchant for bad behavior. Granted, that had been years ago, and things changed.
During their sophomore year of school, Jiang Cheng vaguely recalls hearing about Wangji’s father’s passing–sometimes, he regrets not reaching out…but Wangji had never really been his friend. Soon after that is when all the rumors started going around.
Jiang Cheng kind of hated that, really. He’d not known much about the guy, but from what he did know, his relationship with his dad was kind of a non-existent rough one. Still, Jiang Cheng was sure Wangji was mourning in his own way, which is what gave opening to it all.
Wangji had gone missing from school for better half a semester. People then started coming up with crazy theories as to why the guy had suddenly dropped out. Jiang Cheng blamed it on the fact that their University wasn’t the biggest, or the most entertaining ever…still, it was a bit maddening, and the cause for many of Jiang Cheng’s daily eyerolls.
Some claimed Wangji had joined a famous entertainment company and was now in the process of becoming an idol. Others, to Jiang Cheng’s chagrin, had a bit of darker theories like Wangji becoming a secret Mafia Drug Overlord.
Those theories ceased when Wangji showed up a few weeks into the school term. He now had a sudden drastic change of wardrobe, accompanied by a new shiny black motorbike. Long gone were his light blues, whites and pastel colored outfits, replaced by black dark monochromatic colors. Leather, and heavy black combat boots resonated along the halls of their University with every step Wangji took.
No one had bothered with finding out the real reasons behind Wangji’s changes, and so they all carried on making the most outrageous assumptions about his person without a care in the world, as if he weren’t a proper human who could easily come across all these ridiculous assumptions being made about him.
Jiang Cheng doubts the dude cares, anyways, but it was still kind of annoying and ridiculous how more than half the school’s population was obsessed with passing down—and believing , mind you, rumors about Lan Wangji.
Like the one time everyone swore they had seen Wangji punch Nie Mingjue in the mouth for speaking ill of his mother. Jiang Cheng never believed that one, just for the mere fact that to this day, Mingjue remained Wangji’s older brother’s best friend. Not to mention, Huaisang, Mingjue’s younger brother, was Jiang Cheng’s own best friend and had clarified that it had been in fact an accident.
Just last Friday, everyone had been raving about how Wangji had smashed the head of one of the janitors into a supply closet because he’d accidentally scuffed his boots as he’d made his way to throw out some garbage.
Ridiculous.
The point was that Jiang Cheng was no stranger to hearing rumors about one Lan Wangji at least once a day. Which is why he isn’t surprised to find Su She and Meng Yao talking about Wangji when he walks into Spanish class that morning.
“Did you hear?” Su she exclaims, “Lan Wangji crashed his bike into Master Lan’s brand new car this morning cause’ he threatened to kick him out of the school and send him abroad”
Jiang Cheng widened his eyes in mock shock, and pretended to believe the garbage the boy sitting next to him was spewing out of his mouth.
“No way, that’s totally sick” Jiang Cheng said in a bored tone, which flew right above the boy’s heads. He rolled his eyes and tried getting through the day’s lecture. Truthfully, most of the stories passed around the university had never really been proven to be real, so Jiang Cheng knew better than to pay attention to any of them.
Yet the current look of shock on Jiang Cheng’s face is comical. He’s running late for his Astronomy class, but he really needed to pee. In his haste to leave the men’s room, he runs right into Lan Wangji.
The guy’s face is bleeding while he carefully dabs it with a wet paper towel.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Jiang Cheng all but screeches. A flashback to this morning rattles in his brain, and Jiang Cheng gasps. It startles Wangji a bit, making him take a miniscule step back. “Oh god, they weren’t lying, were they? I mean I thought they were, they always do–but god, they didn’t–you ran your bike into your uncle’s brand new car?” he squeaks in disbelief. “Are you okay? You’re freaking bleeding , do you have a concussion? Say something! What am I saying, you hardly ever spoke to me anyways. Jesus, should I get a nurse? No–hold on, I have a first aid kit”
Jiang Cheng doesn't know why he’s freaking out so much, but he still pulls Wangji by the wrist right back into the men’s restroom. He pushes him against the sink and unceremoniously drops his bag on the counter.
Wangji chuckles, leaning against the sink, a small smirk playing at his lips.
“You carry a first aid kit?” he asks.
“Okay, first of all, don’t laugh. You know Huaisang is a klutzy mess”
“You’re not any better” Wangji adds, and okay, rude. He was not lying, however.
“Do you want me to clean that up for you, or not?” Jiang Cheng sasses, placing the kit on the counter and crossing his arms.
“Cute” Wangji mumbles, and Jiang Cheng bristles slightly, “that would be nice, please.” Jiang Cheng grumbles under his breath and rolls his eyes but opens his kit nonetheless.
“Come here” he demands, and Wangji gladly complies, stepping right into Jiang Cheng’s space. Jiang Cheng gently grabs his chin and turns Wangji’s face to the side to inspect the damage. It isn’t too bad, it just looks like it is because of the dried up clotted blood. Grabbing an antiseptic wipe, Jiang Cheng tears it open and dabs the cut on Wangji’s forehead without a warning. “Sorry, sorry” he whispers when Wangji hisses, blowing cool air on the small wound.
Jiang Cheng adds a bit of cream to the cut, then slaps a Hello Kitty bandaid on it giving Wangji a crooked smile.
“Much better?”
“Yeah, actually” Wangji laughs lightly. “So you just go around patching up everyone that needs help?”
“No, only idiots I grew up with,” Jiang Cheng says with a shrug, blushing slightly. He busies himself with putting away his first aid kit and looks away from Wangji’s heavy gaze. “Anyways–”
“Thank you” Wangji interrupts. “I appreciate it”
“Don’t mention it” Jiang Cheng makes a move to leave and Wangji stands up straight, hesitating before squaring his shoulders.
“Wanyin” he calls out, and Jiang Cheng shudders. It’s been years since he’s been called by that name.
“Wangji”
“I uh–would you–let’s grab some lunch…later”
“You buying?” Jiang Cheng asks skeptically. Wangji nods, making Jiang Cheng sigh. “Fine, I guess”
“I’ll see you later then?”
The small smile Wangji gives Jiang Cheng is enough to make him trip over his own feet as he tries to flee the bathroom. He nods hastily and dashes out quickly before he does anything more embarrassing.