Chapter Text
In the blink of an eye and before anyone had time to really process it, over a year had passed since the Jianghu had freed itself from the scheming white piece and their allies. Nothing had really returned to normal, but the world moved on just as it always had; the seasons came and went, trees withered and flourished, and the rivers flowed without rest.
Many things had happened since. To the surprise of many, Sect Master Wenren and Demonic Sect Master Ye announced their engagement at the beginning of the new year, shortly after the earth-shattering events that had reshaped the Jianghu a few months prior. Of course, those who had been present for that whole affair were not surprised in the least after seeing how Sect Master Wenren treated his Junior Brother, but for those who hadn’t witnessed it the news were like a bolt out of the blue.
In addition, whispers that Qin Yuemian and Lady Tao were also planning an engagement began circulating at the same time, so those gossipmongers who only knew bits and pieces of the actual story began letting their imaginations run wild. The way they told it, in the beginning it was Sect Master Ye who had left Lady Tao for Xie Junming and she, heartbroken, found love again with Manor Lord Qin Yuemian as they worked together to save the Jianghu the year prior. Even worse, after the news that Ye You was both the famous Sir Xiao and the infamous Sect Master Ye became widespread, the rumours turned into a sordid love affair in which Ye You was some sort of demonic, fickle vixen who bewitched Lady Tao, then abandoned her when he fell for a musician called Fuping, then was won over by Temple Master Xie while he grieved for the missing musician, and finally left him as well after he rekindled his childhood relationship with Sect Master Wenren, and now it was just a matter of time before Sect Master Ye found some other unfortunate soul to turn his attentions towards.
Of course, no one who had been there and had personally seen Ye You and Wenren Heng working together even dared to give any credence to those baseless rumours, but that didn’t stop them from spreading unchecked, turning more and more outrageous with every person who recounted them until they reached the protagonists of these tales themselves in their current scandalous form.
When they overheard those tall tales one day while eating out, Ye You had to practically drag Wenren Heng out of the establishment before he began confronting the loudmouths dining on the table next to them for spreading such ridiculous rumours. It took a long time of coaxing on Ye You’s part for the other to calm down.
“You don’t seem bothered by this at all.” Wenren Heng couldn’t keep the displeasure out of his voice.
“Why would I be?” Ye You smiled a little mischievously, “There’s always been many rumours about me, I’ve simply gotten used to it.” He obviously neglected to mention that many of the rumours had either been started or fueled by himself, so of course he wouldn’t be bothered by them.
“Well, I am.” He frowned slightly and grabbed Ye You by the waist, pulling him ever closer, “I don’t want these kinds of rumours to be going around about you.”
Ye You’s smile couldn’t help but soften as a funny, somewhat warm feeling spread in his chest, “Then I guess you just have to marry me faster, I’m sure the rumours will stop once we’ve drank the wedding wine.”
And so the two picked the nearest auspicious date and, just as quick as their engagement was announced, the news of their upcoming wedding followed very soon after.
The wedding planning occurred it what felt like a blur, not just because of how fast it happened, but also because of all those involved. Ye You had been expecting to hold a simple and small ceremony due to the short timeframe they’d given themselves for getting everything together, but he hadn’t expected that so many people would step up voluntarily and end up turning the whole thing into a grand affair.
“Sect Master!” The Demonic Sect Elders were the first to come to him, “Why didn’t you tell us you were getting married?!”
Ye You laughed, “I told you to treat Wenren Heng as my wife, right? Isn’t that the same as telling you I was going to marry him?”
“It’s not the same at all!” Elder Mei piped up, “You didn’t tell us when you were going to marry him, now we barely have any time to prepare your wedding!!”
The other Elders nodded in anxious agreement.
“You want to… prepare my wedding?” Ye You raised an eyebrow, half in scepticism and half in genuine surprise.
The Elders nodded again.
But before Ye You had a chance to say anything else, Elder Baili spoke up, “We need to hurry to prepare the bride price for Sect Master Wenren, there’s no time!”
Ye You closed his mouth with an almost audible snap to stop himself from bursting out into laughter. He took a second to collect himself, then responded with a devilish smile, “Very well, see to it that everything is taken care of.”
He couldn’t wait to see his Senior Brother’s face when the bride price arrived at his door.
The next people who came to him were his brothers, who travelled together all the way from Sir Yang’s residence to the Demonic Sect’s grounds as soon as they heard the news.
“Ah-You!” Ren Shaotian practically barged into the room, “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married?”
Ye You laughed somewhat helplessly, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu, “I did tell you we were going to get married soon, didn’t I?”
“You said ‘soon’, but I thought you’d at least give your brothers a heads up.” His face was still covered in bandages from the treatment he was doing with Miracle Doctor Ji, but the frown on his brows was clear as day.
“It was a spur of the moment decision.” Ye You tried deflecting.
“But how could we be the last to know?” Ren Shaotian sighed, “If it weren’t for Xiao-Mei mentioning it earlier, I wouldn’t even have known the Demonic Sect was organising your wedding! Was I just supposed to sit by and wait until the day of to find out what was going on?”
Ye You opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. In all honestly, he was still not quite used to having a family again, and both he and Wenren Heng had been so busy sorting their respective Sect’s affairs that, when it came to the wedding, all but the most pressing matters had slipped their minds. After all, getting married to his Senior Brother was mostly just a formality, they had already done everything that had to be done between a married couple.
Noticing the bind he was in, Sir Yang spoke up, “If it’s alright with you, brother, we’d love to help give you and Sect Master Wenren a wonderful wedding day.”
“I…” A few years ago, he would never have imagined that he would have the chance to make things right with his Senior Brother, much less have the chance to marry him. Now, not only was he doing both those things, he also had his brothers back in his life, who were approving of his marriage and even eager to help him prepare it. Fate could really take some unexpected turns, it seemed.
“I would appreciate your help.” He smiled warmly, “Thank you.”
The last person to come to him, much to his surprise, was Xie Junming.
“So,” He asked curiously, “You’re really getting married?”
“Yes.” Ye You smiled, “Are you here to offer help with wedding preparations as well?”
“What? No, I was just curious.” Xie Junming looked almost offended by the question, but after a pause, he continued probing, “And you really won’t reconsider?”
This time, Ye You couldn’t help but laugh, “Reconsider what, marrying you instead?”
Xie Junming shrugged nonchalantly, “Why not? It would be a great boost to our Sects, and those righteous bastards would hate it so much they would probably burst into flames.”
If this had been the past, Ye You might have considered it— he had to admit that the reactions to those news would really have been a sight to behold —but as things stood now he didn’t even give it a second thought.
“Not going to happen.” Came the simple answer.
“Suit yourself.” Xie Junming reacted like what had been turned down was an offer for a drink and not a marriage proposal. “Oh, right, where’s Wei Jin?”
Much to the dismay of all those around them, the two of them had been thick as thieves ever since Wei Jin had joined the Demonic Sect, and chaos reigned whenever both of them got together.
“Helping the others with wedding preparations.” Ye You gave a sly smile, “What do you think, interested?”
Xie Junming narrowed his eyes, simply humming in response as he turned around to look for the planning party.
And thus the wedding preparations became a whole new battle all on their own.
Wenren Heng had tried to get involved as well, but could not gain a foothold when faced with the combined might of Ye You’s… peculiar group of family and friends.
“I thought you wanted a small wedding?” Wenren Heng finally couldn’t help but bring up one evening when they were both laying in bed, exhausted from a full day of dealing with wedding planning.
“I did.” Ye You smiled innocently.
Wenren Heng raised his brows in a silent question, which caused Ye You’s smile to spread even wider across his cheeks.
“Was I supposed to deny my brothers the chance to help me with the wedding?” If Wenren Heng hadn’t known any better, he might have believed that Ye You was genuinely torn about this issue.
“Your brothers, I can understand,” He sighed, “But what about the entire Demonic Sect?”
“Isn’t that what they should do for their beloved Sect Master?” Ye You answered as though it was all completely natural.
“And the Wuwang Temple?” Wenren Heng asked incredulously, “Why are they helping?”
“Everyone knows that Temple Master Xie and I have been close friends for a very long time.” It was clear he was having a delightful time.
This answer clearly displeased Wenren Heng, who prevented Ye You from saying any more infuriating things by sealing his mouth with a deep kiss and sneaking a hand into the fold of his clothes.
The day of the wedding seemed to both take forever to arrive and like it sneaked upon all of them in the blink of an eye.
Sir Yang had insisted that they hold the event at the Yang Family residence, so the place had been beautifully decorated with red and gold banners and lanterns spread over every surface. When Ye You had first seen it, he could hardly believe it was the childhood home he once thought lost forever.
Since they wouldn’t have time to do so they day of the wedding, Ye You and Wenren Heng had travelled to Heji Mountain to pay respects to their Master the day before, and visited both the Yang Family grave and the valley outside the city when they got back. It was a somewhat bittersweet occasion, Wenren Heng had been worried about how Ye You’s mood would be affected right before the wedding but, as they exchanged their private bows between themselves and those dearly departed, all he could see on Ye You’s face was a serene smile, like nothing in the world could trouble him anymore.
When the wedding day finally arrived, the Yang Family residence was bustling with excitement. The guests who had arrived early milled about the place in merry anticipation, and servants ran hither and thither making last-minute preparations.
Though the ceremony and banquet would be held later in the day, the wedding had already started, evident by the happy couple making their way through the residence with their hands clasped together, headed towards an elegantly decorated side hall.
Since Wenren Heng didn’t have any living family to speak of, they had decided to hold a small tea ceremony before the wedding in a side hall at the Yang residence, inviting both of Ye You’s brothers and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Wenren Heng’s friend Qin Yuemian. It seemed like he had been completely forgiven for his secret— if rather unwitting —participation in Ye You’s schemes.
As Ye You and Wenren Heng entered the room, they saw that Qin Yuemian was already seated at the small table alongside Sir Yang, though the latter seemed occupied with giving instructions to the servants who occasionally came to his side.
When he saw them coming in, he stood up and greeted, “Ah-You, Brother Heng.”
“Where’s older brother?” Ye You asked as he glanced around the place, surprised to find that Ren Shaotian was nowhere in sight.
“He’ll be here soon.” Sir Yang answered with a smile, and perhaps a knowing glint in his eyes.
At that point, Qin Yuemian stood up to greet them as well, “Congratulations, you two.”
“Thank you.” Wenren Heng laughed, “I hope you don’t forget to invite us to your wedding when the time comes.”
“Of course not, it’s all thanks to you.” Qin Yuemian smiled for a moment, then his expression turned a bit more serious, “These past few years have been hard, but seeing you two now… Everyone would be proud of all you have accomplished. So many things have changed thanks to you, it’s only right that you finally get to have this.”
“Ah-Mian…” Wenren Heng was a little surprised by Qin Yuemian’s earnestness, so he put a hand on his shoulder and spoke with a soft smile, “Thank you, it truly means a lot.”
Not even a second later, a voice called out from behind them, “He’s right, this is all thanks to you. Congratulations.”
Ye You turned with a smile, recognising the voice immediately, but froze the second he met eyes with the man who had just spoken.
Eyes so much like his father's.
Not just the eyes, his whole face was the spitting image of his father, so much so Ye You had to stop for a second and make sure he wasn't hallucinating. There was no trace left of that large scar that had hidden his features for so many years— that reminder of the tragedy that had befallen their family —it was just his straight brows, gleaming eyes, an angular jawline, and a thin mouth curved into a gentle smile in much the same way his father used to smile at him, full of love and warmth.
"Brother...?" His voice almost trembled. Almost.
Ren Shaotian's smile got even wider, spilling into the corners of his eyes, "What do you think? Am I as handsome as father?"
Ye You tried to mask his shock with a laugh, “You wish.”
“Tsk.” Ren Shaotian frowned slightly, but his smile never left his lips.
“I thought your face wouldn't be healed until after a few months…”
“I wanted to surprise you.” Ren Shaotian stepped forward and took him by the hand, “Ah-You, even though our parents couldn't be here for this, I want to thank you on their behalf. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it all must have been for you, but they would be so proud. I'm so proud. Of all you've done, of who you've become.”
“Our parents would be thrilled to hear you found someone who loves you so much. I'm sure they would be eager to bless your marriage, so allow me to do it in their stead.” As he spoke, he turned to look at Wenren Heng, “As for you, you better keep treasuring him, you hear?”
Wenren Heng smiled solemnly, “Of course I will.”
“Brother…” Ye You blinked away the tears that began prickling at the corners of his eyes. It had been so long since he had wept for his family— he had pushed down the sadness and rage inside of himself a long time ago, instead turning his feelings into single-minded determination, but now he couldn’t help but be touched by the scene in front of him as waves of once-distant emotion bubbled underneath the surface. In the end, all he could say was, “I'm glad you're here.”
“Thank you for bringing me back.” With those words, the two brothers pulled each other into an embrace, no longer the awkward clasping of shoulders of people trying to find their footing with one another, but the enveloping warmth of a family finally brought together again.
"Let me pour the tea for you," Ye You took a step back, the usual carefree smile back on his face, and turned to look at Sir Yang, "You too, brother, thank you for today."
The short tea ceremony was more like a chance for them to gather themselves before the wedding began in earnest rather than an official affair, so they drank tea and exchanged a few more words of encouragement before each returned to their respective stations.
When Ye You and Wenren Heng emerged again, they were wearing beautiful red and gold clothes embroidered with delicate patterns. Both grooms looked exceptionally handsome, Ye You’s magnificent beauty left most onlookers stunned— especially those who hadn’t had the opportunity to see his face beforehand —and Wenren Heng’s chivalric bearing seemed straight out of a legend. As much as the initial announcement of the two’s union had shocked people, now they couldn’t help but thing that they made for a strikingly suitable couple indeed.
Considering how many people had been involved in the planning of the ceremony, it was both a great surprise and great relief when everything proceeded without flaw, though this was without a doubt in large part due to Sir Yang’s organising efforts. The guests had been carefully arranged so that people who might conflict had a wide enough berth between them since both members of the so-called demonic sects and the righteous sects had been invited, but everyone seemed able to reign in their varying animosities for the sake of the ceremony. Sir Yang also took the time to walk from table to table, exchanging a few words with everyone and making sure everything was going smoothly. In the end, most people’s attentions were focused on the main couple seated at the head table, watching them with rapt attention all throughout the evening.
During the banquet, people went up to Wenren Heng and Ye You one after the other, congratulating the couple and complimenting them on the wonderful event, and both men exchanged polite pleasantries and thanked the guests for their presence. Even the Demonic Sect’s Elders were able to walk up to their table, recite a couple of congratulations, and shuffle back to their table without much incident and only a few wary glances from those around them. Xie Junming, for his part, refrained from getting up and simply toasted loudly in the couple’s direction, though no one was too surprised by his lack of respect.
Of course, just as all things come to an end, this harmonious scene, too, was woefully short-lived.
A few hours into the banquet, as the sky began to darken, an argument seemed to break out on the table with the Demonic Sect’s people— though when recounting the story of that evening much later the one common thread would be that no one quite knew how it had started. As far as everyone was concerned, the banquet hall had been filled with merry chatter in one moment, and in the next, the sound of angry yelling and the slamming of fists on tables had shattered the lively atmosphere.
“You think you can talk to me like that?” Wei Jin’s loud voice boomed in the startled silence.
“I can talk however I want.” Xie Junming responded, defiant and coolly unconcerned all at once.
At those words, Wei Jin stood up so fast he overturned the table, causing the Demonic Sect’s Elders to scramble away to avoid getting food on their clothes.
“My dress!” Elder Mei cried out, “Look what you’ve done!”
As everyone’s attentions were turned to the commotion, Ye You turned to look at Wenren Heng and gave him a sly grin. It only took a moment for Wenren Heng to understand what he meant, and he eagerly stood up and followed Ye You as they sneaked away from the banquet, unnoticed thanks to that “serendipitous” distraction.
After that evening, no one saw Ye You and Wenren Heng again for months, though everyone tacitly understood that they had most likely deliberately hidden away somewhere to enjoy some well-earned conjugal bliss.