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Ah, what a joyous day it was for Xichen. The lucky streak started in the morning when he’d received a short text from his fiancé, stating that he finally did it.
By it, he meant that he’d finally stood up for himself. Once again faced with vicious, hurtful words from his mother - demanding he push himself further, as if he weren’t already collapsing from exhaustion; and lack of any emotions, expectations or recognition of his efforts on his father’s side.
Xichen had spent countless evenings consoling his A-Cheng after particularly harsh days, when he could no longer endure their abuse and broke down in his loving arms. He had tried his best to convey what a precious, worthy-of-love person A-Cheng was - his whole world.
And today of all days, A-Cheng finally took the last step - he quit the toxic, draining job at Jiang Corp. It was both delightful and frightening for Xichen, and likely tenfold for his A-Cheng. What worried him most was how his parents had taken it, and how deeply they had wounded his precious lover in the process.
The moment he received the news, Xichen didn’t think twice. He threw open the doors of his office and announced, loud and clear, to his secretary that he would be taking today and tomorrow off.
Then he rushed out of the building, his private phone pressed to his ear by his shoulder, the business one clenched in his hand as his fingers danced over the screen, firing off messages to several places at once, already organizing a celebration for the man he loved.
When he came home, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. A-Cheng could be completely broken, overjoyed, or somewhere in between. But Xichen was ready for all of it, steel resolve settling in his chest to make this day a happy one.
His pulse raced as he softly announced his presence.
“A-Cheng? I am home!”
The sound of sock-clad feet thumping across the wooden floor told him everything. He dropped everything he held in his arms, wincing when the container with the chocolate cake hit the floor, and opened them wide just in time for A-Cheng to crash into him - face wet with tears but smile splitting his lips.
“I did it, Huan-ge! I did it!” A-Cheng shouted, voice raw from crying.
For a brief, dangerous second, Xichen felt a murderous intent flare deep within him toward Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian for making his baby cry. But he needed to remain calm, there would be time to deal with them later.
“You did it, my heart.” Xichen spun them around, laughter and joy bursting in his chest as A-Cheng squealed in delight. The dark days were over, just like the sleepless nights filled with muffled sobs cutting through their bedroom. “We will be celebrating tonight, my heart.”
A-Cheng perked up immediately. “Where?”
Xichen chuckled, taking in the way A-Cheng’s eyes sparkled, his lips forming a soft, surprised ‘o’. He leaned in to steal a kiss - then another.
“You’ll know in due time,” he murmured before claiming A-Cheng’s mouth properly, relishing in the way his lips parted under the gentle probing of his tongue.
A perfect start to the day.
Hours later, lounging on the plush couch in a karaoke bar, Xichen gave himself a mental pat on the back for doing such a good job.
Everyone - including A-Cheng - was having a wonderful time. Drinks flowed freely, laughter echoed through the room, voices clashed off-key, and food steadily disappeared as Jiang Cheng’s victory was celebrated with his loved ones.
The moment Xichen had shared the news of A-Cheng quitting, their “Jiang Cheng Protective Squad” WeChat group had gone feral. This was simply the live-action version.
Wen Qing sat to A-Cheng’s left, her usual scowl softened by unmistakable pride. Huaisang, having emptied an entire bottle of wine by himself, wept dramatically about Jiang Cheng growing up and no longer needing him, which was absurd and oddly endearing.
Jiang Yanli, heavily pregnant, held a handkerchief to her mouth, trying to muffle her heartbroken sobs. She too was both proud and devastated at her A-Cheng becoming a grown man. However, in her state it was understandable, hormones and all, which couldn't be said about A-Sang, but it was just a digression. Zixuan hovered uselessly beside his wife, alternating between patting her back and anxiously asking if the baby was alright.
Wei Wuxian, thoroughly drunk and sprawled in Wangji’s lap with his cheek pressed against A-Cheng’s, kept tormenting his brother’s cheekbones with kisses and nips, alternating between loud declarations of pride and commentary on said cheekbones, something along the lines: ‘I knew you could do it, you are my baby brother after all!’ and ‘gods, these cheekbones’.
Wangji watched it all with a soft, indulgent expression, as if there were nothing more precious than his husband’s shamelessly acting on his younger brother's complex.
Wen Ning, surprising them all, had downed one, strong drink early on and since then hadn’t left the stage, singing celebratory songs in a shockingly good voice.
Xichen’s side of the room - shared with Mingjue and Guangyao - was a lot calmer. They observed, recorded particularly good moments, and enjoyed the chaos from a safe distance.
The main star of the event, drunk on alcohol and praise, was a delight to look at. His cheeks were constantly red, lips stretched in the most beautiful, never ending smile that shot Xichen right through his already smitten heart. Laugh after laugh ripped itself out of his throat, making the most beautiful melody known to mankind, putting in shame Wen Ning’s flawless performance of ‘We are the champions’.
What put Xichen’s heart at ease though, was Jiang Cheng’s eyes - for the first time in months, they were free of any sadness.
“If you fall for him even more, your pupils will turn into hearts and he’ll become your whole personality, you know - protector number one?” Mingjue teased, invoking the nickname they’d came up with in their group chat.
Xichen didn’t bother denying it. When it came to A-Cheng, he was protective.
He’d fought hard to make him his - patiently pushing through walls of insecurity, replacing it with his love and fighting obstacles thrown in his way by his fiance’s parents. He had earned the right to bask in this moment, proudly watching A-Cheng shine.
“Every time I think it’s impossible for me to love him more, he proves me wrong,” Xichen said quietly. His gaze lingered on the man laughing at the center of the room. “Just look at him. He hasn’t been this happy in years. If only he had let me take care of this sooner.”
Mingjue snorted. “You would’ve killed them if he had. And I’m pretty sure having a fiancé in jail isn't any fun. Besides,” he added lightly, “who knows what stray dogs would’ve tried to snatch him up?”
Jealousy flared within him - sudden and unstoppable. Xichen snapped his head toward Mingjue, fingers unexpectedly clamping on the material of his shirt as he leaned in without thinking.
“Who-”
The teasing grin tugging at the corner of Mingjue’s mouth told him that his best friend was only playing with him.
“Da-ge,” Xichen warned, shooting him a meaningful look.
“I know, I know,” Mingjue said, holding up his hands in surrender, though the mischief didn’t quite leave his eyes. “This is no joking matter. I’m done.”
A pointedly cleared throat put a stop to their bickering.
“Now that you aren’t trying to kill my husband for whatever grave offence he committed,” Jin Guangyao said in a voice heavily veiled in amusement, “you might want to pay attention to the stage.”
Oh, they were about to witness something magnificent, that much he was sure of. And so, he reached for his phone to capture each and every minute of it.
Two unsteady figures were attempting to make their way toward the stage, each swaying worse than the other. A-Cheng and Wei Wuxian had their arms slung around each other’s shoulders, giggling uncontrollably as they waddled forward.
After a few stumbles and one nasty fall on the short stairs, they made it, grinning proudly at their audience.
And suddenly, the atmosphere shifted and two brothers got unexpectedly serious.
“I-um,” A-Cheng began, gripping the microphone with both hands like his life depended on it. “I’d like to dedicate this song to you, Huan-ge. To thank you for always supporting and l-loving me.”
Xichen nearly leapt from his seat, seeing A-Cheng all flushed and sincere out there, saying such an adorable things meant only for him. But he stayed put, hands clenched on his thighs instead.
“Of course, my heart,” he replied softly, letting the adoration in his gaze speak louder than words. “Thank you for letting me stay by your side.”
That was evidently too much, because A-Cheng opened his mouth to protest, but Wei Wuxian cut in.
“Lan er-gege! Hic. Lan er-gege!” he called, swaying dramatically as he searched the room. When his eyes finally landed on Wangji - who hadn't actually moved from his seat, his face lit up. “This hic song might be for hic Xichen-ge, but! I hic only love youuuu! But y’know - I gotta support my baby A-Cheng!”
The room erupted in cheers.
“Bros before hoes!” Wen Ning shouted, once again shocking them with his bravado, which he quickly regretted, faced with his sister's disapproval. She leaned in to scold him, but whatever she was about to say vanished beneath the opening notes of the song.
Xichen froze.
No.
It couldn’t be.
The unmistakable intro to Angel by Shaggy filled the room.
Mingjue choked on his drink. Guangyao laughed openly beside him, quickly joined by his husband.
Xichen exhaled slowly through his nose.
This was a test. He was certain of it.
A-Cheng stood on stage - tense and with a vulnerable expression, his attention was fixed on Xichen's face while he prepared for the task at hand.
It was crystal clear that if Xichen cracked even a faintest laugh, those beautiful, wide open azure eyes would fill with tears, and Xichen would regret it till the end of his life.
But it was hard, oh how hard it was not to laugh at the absurdity of that situation. It didn’t help that Wei Wuxian, misjudging his current state and musical skills, started rapping, slurring the incorrect words despite having lyrics in front of his eyes, and forcing his voice to sound like the original, which was a truly awful attempt.
Then, he started bouncing on bent knees in quick sessions, like the man on the video, and making weird, exaggerated gestures with his hands, followed by punched out little “wah, wah, wahs”, also like the man on the video.
The difference was, that Wei Wuxian's version was 10, if not 100 times, worse, making it really hard for Xichen to keep his composure.
A-Cheng, on the other hand, stood there with his eyes closed, feeling the rhythm and waiting for his turn, swaying gently, staying in odds with the beat, like he was about to sing a song for a school program. His forehead was marred with a frown as he concentrated and eagerly awaited his opening.
With the final “wah, wah” on Wei Wuxian’s part, A-Cheng let his lips fall open, and sang.
The words came out slurred, but at least he did the lyrics right, unlike Wei Wuxian. When he finally opened his eyes, his gaze was sharp and focused. All traces of amusement gone, replaced by steel determination to convey his sincerest feelings. With a rap song. In a duet with Wei Wuxian, who was tone deaf and tried to make choruses in a screeching voice.
The skin on Xichen’s face felt tight as he fought to school his expression into fondness or at least pleasant interest. But it was so tough. His body was sweating and mouth quivered, He wished that the amount of alcohol and dimmed lights worked in his favor and stripped A-Cheng of the ability to see the micro twitching of his features.
His stomach started to ache from the effort he was putting into not moving, because if he did, he would lose it and started laughing like a maniac.
“Girl, you’re my angel, you’re my darling angel. Closer than my peeps you are to me, baby. Shorty, you're my angel, you're my darling angel. Girl, you're my friend when I'm in need, lady.” The first verse hadn’t stopped vibrating through the air, when Wei Wuxian screamed his rapping part into the microphone, missing words and replacing them with his own invention, completely skipping the beat and finishing the lyrics in half time.
And so, the two stood on the stage as the melody played, with Wei Wuxian once again making weird gestures and movements, letting out loud wah’s, meanwhile A-Cheng, with a very serious expression still stared at Xichen, waiting for his turn and swaying gently on unsteady feet.
The whole thing repeated a few times, and it was hell for Xichen as around them chaos unfolded, started by Mingjue collapsing against the couch, roaring in laughter and slamming his open palm on the couch armrest.
Guangyao clutched his stomach, tears streaking down his cheeks. Wen Qing hid her face behind her cup, shoulders shaking, which she tried to mask as a coughing fit. But no one coughs for 3 minutes and 56 seconds.
Huaisang was rolling on the floor, cackling madly, sticking one arm up with his phone to film the whole thing.
Yanli cried, wailing over how sweet her baby brother was, and Zixuan was once again lost on what to do, so he made sure that she had enough tissues and drinks to replace the fallen tears.
Wen Ning, on the other hand, was having the time of his life, helping with choruses and swaying, as the only one of the trio, in the right rhythm.
Wangji, with dreamy expression, was hopelessly staring at his husband, who was letting out the ugliest sounds known to mankind.
By the time the song ended, Xichen felt lightheaded from the exertion he had to put into preventing his own body from snapping and giving in to the urge to laugh like Mingjue.
But the worst was about to come.
Wei Wuxian continued singing, blissfully unaware that the music had stopped, while A-Cheng carefully descended from the stage and made his way through the crowd. Straight toward Xichen.
He shyly sat down on Xichen’s lap, straddling him without hesitation, eyes bright and hopeful.
“H-how was it, Huan-ge?”
Cruel. Absolutely cruel.
“A-Cheng,” Xichen began, his voice wobbling dangerously. He cleared his throat. “A-Cheng,” he tried again, managing to keep his tone calm. “No one has ever done something like that for me.”
Which was true. No one had ever sung such a song for him while drunk, and in duet with his equally drunk brother.
At a particularly loud bark of laughter coming from Da-ge, Xichen discreetly moved his hand to pinch him meanly on the thigh, which worked, for a second, but it was enough for him to regain control over himself.
“I’m glad,” he continued, “that you still think of me as your best friend.”
He leaned in, intending to redirect A-Cheng's direction through a kiss, but he was stopped by the man in question himself.
“I wanted you to know,” he said softly, “that meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. You’re always here. You protect me. You support me. You are like my guardian angel, and-”
His gaze dropped.
Xichen wouldn’t allow that. He gently cupped A-Cheng’s chin and angled his face up until their eyes met.
“Yes,” he encouraged.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to have you in my life,” A-Cheng whispered. His bottom lip wobbled. “You’ve never made me feel unloved. Or unworthy.”
With that final say, his tears spilled over, making Xichen's heart clench. Leaning in, he kissed them away, pressing gentle kisses across flushed cheeks and damp lashes.
The room had suddenly gone silent, which went unnoticed by him being too focused on his beloved.
“Huang-ge,” A-Cheng wailed pitifully, sobs shaking his small frame, and Xichen continued to cover his face with kisses, not leaving any missing spots. “Huan-ge, marry me.”
Xichen stilled.
“Oh, A-Cheng, are we not engaged already?” But A-Cheng shook his head fiercely, his brow furrowing even further.
“No! Marry me now! Be mine, you have to become mine!” Heavens, how could Xichen ever refuse such a sweet demand?
“Am I not already yours, sweetheart?” But A-Cheng again shook his head and clumsily started searching through his pockets.
“Where is it-” A-Cheng mumbled more to himself than anyone else. Wen Ning appeared beside them, understanding dawning on his face. He placed a small box into A-Cheng’s hand.
“Huan-ge,” A-Cheng said proudly revealing what he had hidden in his palm. “Marry me.”
In front of him, in his very own lap sat, with face still wet with tears and a blinding smile stretching his lips, A-Cheng - the love of his life, holding a ring box containing two wedding rings. Wedding rings, that, just after taking one look at them, felt right in Xichen’s heart.
Feeling wetness swelling in his own eyes, Xichen enveloped the smaller hand in his own and raised it to his mouth, pressing a long kiss to its center. With his other one, he squeezed A-Cheng’s palm that held the box and rasped wetly, looking right into the azure eyes, “of course, my heart, even at this very moment I am yours to take.”
Euphoric cheers erupted in the room. Xichen didn’t know whose hand slammed his back, although he had his suspicions, didn’t know who yelled the loudest of them all, although here he also had his suspicions, but the one thing he knew, was that this was the best day of his life.