Work Text:
Jiang Cheng was having a really bad day. By really, he meant a really bad day.
Unfortunately, as it usually happens on such days, the universe kept sending disaster after disaster his way, ruining his mood further as time went by.
First, it turned out that Wei Wuxian had borrowed his favourite leather jacket without asking. Now it was wrecked beyond fixing, since his brother had stained it with dissolvent. He, on the other hand, was forced to wear the only clean shirt they owned — Wei Wuxian didn’t do such trivial things as laundry — which happened to be a pink shirt with a unicorn printed on it.
Mortifying.
Secondly, his motorbike broke, and whatever had happened required a visit to a car shop.
Lastly — his economics test. Despite all the effort he’d put into studying, he didn’t score full marks. Not that he cared about the subject — he hated economics — but his mother had forced him to take those classes anyway. Which meant that if he didn’t get a perfect score, another fight was inevitable.
And now, as he walked through the corridors, minding his own business and suffocating the air with his displeased aura, Wen Chao suddenly appeared right in front of him, refusing to let him pass.
The smirk the obstacle in his way wore meant nothing good. “Nice shirt. They didn’t have any manly colours?” Wen Chao sneered, referring to the monstrosity Jiang Cheng was wearing.
Jiang Cheng ignored him, remembering what his therapist had told him to do in moments like this.
It wasn’t enough.
Wen Chao went a step further, roughly grabbing his arm as Jiang Cheng tried to walk past him.
After a heartbeat — one he desperately needed to cool his head and not tear the offending arm off the rest of the body — Jiang Cheng forced out through clenched teeth, “let go.”
The other guy only tightened his grip, continuing to spout nonsense.
Something snapped inside him. That day was already going downhill, and this situation topped it all, making his anger overflow.
“Fine. Let our bodies do the talking then, dipshit.”
Using the grip the other man had on him to his advantage, Jiang Cheng dragged him toward an empty classroom. He didn’t even think about how inappropriate it might look — the classroom they were heading to was indeed always empty, but it was also a well-known dating and hook-up spot.
Wen Chao, most probably thinking something indecent, went along easily, mouth slightly agape. Jiang Cheng, fuming with rage and a desire to burn it off physically, didn’t even notice how little resistance there was, too busy imagining giving him a proper beating.
A long-overdue beating.
Wen Chao couldn’t believe it was happening. The most beautiful guy in their school was dragging him to a popular make-out spot. He was giddy with excitement as he followed the Jiang heir step by step.
And Jiang Cheng had said let our bodies do the talking. It could only mean one thing, right?
Finally, after all his efforts to get the other to notice him — it had finally happened. Jiang Cheng. Jiang Wanyin. His A-Cheng. Finally responding to his feelings after months of courting.
He couldn’t be happier about such a turn of events. Initially, he had planned to tease the other just enough to make him look his way and marvel at how expressive his violet eyes were. But to think he would get so much more!
It was the best day of his life.
Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian was both panicking and having the time of his life.
The former, because if Jiang Cheng beat the crap out of Wen Chao — the Wen Corporation heir — Madame Yu would be very displeased, and lately she’d been on edge for some reason.
The latter, because Wen Chao seemed to be misunderstanding A-Cheng’s intentions, just like ninety percent of the people who had witnessed that little spectacle.
And that called for action. He couldn’t let such a golden opportunity pass, right? What kind of brother would that make him?
Giggling under his breath, Wei Wuxian pulled out his phone and texted his beloved boyfriend, Lan Zhan, who was, as usual around that time, having lunch with his brother. A very handsome brother — who just happened to have a crush on A-Cheng.
His fingers danced over the screen, eyes shining with mirth as he set a fuse to the fire that was about to erupt.
“Te-hehe, and sent!” he sing-songed, satisfied with his stunt, before running toward the classroom to secure front-row seats.
Shame he’d forgotten to bring lunch money. He could’ve bought popcorn.
Well — the scene would be epic even without it.
The sound of an incoming message broke the silence accompanying their meal.
Wangji knew it wasn’t polite to use his phone while spending time with someone else, but it was the melody Wei Ying had assigned to his contact.
He struggled with himself for a moment before Xiongzhang chuckled and urged him, “Go on, didi. I know you can’t wait to see what your boyfriend came up with this time.”
With a grateful smile, Wangji did as his brother suggested. However, instead of feeling hundreds of tiny butterflies fill his stomach, he felt dread.
The message read:
“Zhan-gege! Disaster! A-Cheng was seen dragging Wen Chao to the hook-up spot we visited last week! You know what it means, right?! If Xichen-ge doesn’t do something, it’ll be a lost cause! We need to help their love bloom. I know A-Cheng would never settle for that Wen Chao pig if he knew your gege liked him. A-Zhan, quick!”
Thoughts swirled through Wangji’s head. It was a critical situation, and he knew he needed to act — but how should he phrase it? He wasn’t good at voicing his thoughts, but he had to try. It was all for Xiongzhang.
“Jiang Wanyin is about to have intercourse with Wen Chao,” he blurted, pink flooding his usually impassive features.
It was worth it.
A second later, the quiet hall filled with the sound of a bento box hitting the ground, and his brother was already on his feet. With his heart pounding, Wangji followed, only to realize he’d forgotten to specify the location.
Bracing himself, Wangji yelled like he’d never yelled before, “The north wing empty classroom!”
Dizziness overtook him as he dropped to his knees, fingers clenched tightly in his school vest, body shaking. Yelling, making rash decisions, using such shameless words with Xiongzhang — it was all so unlike him.
Oh heavens. He needed Wei Ying to calm him down.
Xichen was almost at the end of the corridor when he heard Wangji’s desperate shout.
“The north wing empty classroom!”
“Thank you, didi!” Tiny electric shocks raced through Xichen’s body as he ran in the indicated direction, his brother’s dedication lending speed to his strides.
A brief thought of shufu’s displeasure at seeing him break so many rules crossed his mind, but his love life was at stake. He couldn’t make a mistake. This might be his last chance to confess.
The thickening crowd and excited murmurs told him he was in the right place.
“Xichen-ge! Xichen-ge! Here!”
Wei Wuxian, cheeks rosy and eyes wide, waved frantically. “They’re inside,” he pointed at the closed classroom doors. “I made sure no one got closer, but it was loud. Quickly!”
Placing his hand on the door handle, Xichen threw a grateful look toward his soon-to-be brother-in-law despite his tense nerves. “Thank you,” he said, before stepping inside.
Jiang Cheng’s fist was just about to connect with Wen Chao’s stupid face when the doors burst open.
“A-Cheng, please!”
His fleeting thought of punching the man on the floor just once and dealing with the consequences later was shattered by the appearance of Xichen-ge. Damn it.
He hastily tried to make himself look presentable and come up with an excuse.
Glaring one last time at Wen Chao — trembling beneath the window — Jiang Cheng turned toward the newcomer.
To his surprise, Xichen didn’t look impeccable as always. His cheeks were tinged pink, lips parted as he gulped in air. He was clearly out of breath, his ribcage rising rapidly — and yet, he still looked beautiful, amber eyes wide with shock.
“A-Cheng?” Xichen asked uncertainly, glancing around. “Y-you aren’t about to have intercourse with Wen Chao…?”
Jiang Cheng’s body reacted before his mind caught up. A violent shudder of disgust ran down his spine, his hands twitching uncontrollably as he snapped, perhaps a bit too forcefully, “What?! Intercourse?! With him?! What the hell?”
Realization dawned, and the flush on Xichen’s face deepened, embarrassment replacing exertion.
A moment later, the empty classroom filled with cackling laughter. Wei Wuxian stumbled inside, clapping his hands.
“Perfect,” he wheezed.
Jiang Cheng had never hated a sound more.
He lunged forward, clamping his fingers into Wei Wuxian’s vest, shaking him slightly. “What the hell did you do?!”
“Aya, aya, A-Cheng. I couldn’t just watch the two of you keep circling each other,” Wei Wuxian said cheerfully. “When Xichen-ge heard you were about to hook up with Wen Chao, he rushed here immediately! Will you believe me now when I say he really likes you?”
Jiang Cheng felt mortified. His jaw clenched so hard his teeth creaked.
“You thought,” he began in a low, dangerous voice, “that telling the entire school I was about to have sex with that dipshit would help my love life?”
Wei Wuxian nodded happily, completely oblivious.
“Maybe I should thank you for that,” Jiang Cheng continued sweetly, the tone finally alerting Wei Wuxian that something was wrong.
He tried to step back, but Jiang Cheng tightened his grip.
“A-Cheng, let’s not rush, okay? I just wanted to help! Intentions matter, right?”
“I don’t hear Xichen-ge confessing, do I?” Jiang Cheng snapped. “Only you, spouting nonsense.” Overwhelmed, he roared, “Do you realize you’ve humiliated me in front of the whole school?! Do you even use your brain, or has all that chili melted it completely?!”
Earlier that day, Jiang Cheng had thought it couldn’t get worse.
It could.
Heat flooded his body as stress and anxiety tangled together. Sweat prickled on his brow. It was over. People who hated him — and there were plenty — would twist the story and turn him into a slut. Xichen would never date someone with a reputation like that.
He was spiraling when gentle hands settled on his shoulders, grounding him. A familiar, kind voice spoke softly in his ear.
“A-Cheng. If you’ll allow me, I would like to confess. It’s not the most fortunate moment, but this situation made me realize that if I don’t act now, I might lose you forever.”
Jiang Cheng’s hands loosened, Wei Wuxian forgotten as he turned to face him.
“You’d… like to confess?” he croaked, heart fluttering with hope.
Xichen smiled, warm and reassuring.
“If you’ll let me.”
“O-of course I would!”
Xichen slipped an arm around Jiang Cheng’s waist and guided him out of the classroom, ignoring the gathered crowd. His eyes never left Jiang Cheng, making him preen under the attention.
Maybe that day wouldn’t turn out so bad after all.