"I object!" An angry voice came from entrance.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Jiang Cheng stormed past the crowd and angrily stopped in front of Jiang Fengmian. He glared at Xiao Zhan as if he were going to murder him and yelled in outrage, "Father, how could you do this to me?!"
Jiang Fengmian remained calm. "A-Cheng, you're here."
Xiao Zhan, however, was the opposite of calm. He was tempted to pull his hair out due to the tension he was currently experiencing. "Why is he here?" He asked Lan Wangji, whispering beside his ear.
Ah, this is going to be the death of me. Another family drama
"Your Uncle sent a letter to Gusu." Lan Wangji answered, glaring icily at Jiang Cheng's direction.
"That's not fair! This is completely unfair!" Jiang Cheng shouted.
Yes, I agree. It is unfair! For me too!
Xiao Zhan certainly did not want to get involved in this drama. Should he woke up the next day, maybe he could have avoided all this screaming and family feud. He just wanted to have one peaceful day. Just one.
Jiang Cheng turned to Xiao Zhan and screamed in fury, "How could you do this! You've been plotting this behind my back, haven't you? How long has it been already?!"
Wait, what?
Xiao Zhan narrowed his eyes at Jiang Cheng and pointed at himself, "Me? Plotting against you??"
"A-Cheng, do not be disrespectful!" Jiang Fengmian reprimanded. "You will come to understand after the time passes."
Jiang Cheng started to shout until Jiang Fengmian cut him off yet again. "No! Father! This doesn't make any sense! You can't just-"
"Be quiet, Jiang Cheng!" Jiang Fengmian ordered sternly. "This is an official decision made by elders. Not mine alone."
"Mother was right! You never treated me like a son! First, you made me give my dogs away for him! Then you kicked my mother out of the clan! Now, you make him the leader?! Are you going to throw me out too? Admit it, Father. Wei Wuxian is the son you need, not me!" Jiang Cheng yelled furiously, his eyes watering from how angry he was.
Xiao Zhan laughed bitterly and muttered to himself, as he tried his best to hold on to his sanity as he mumbled to himself, "Oh Heavens, what sin did I do in the past to deserve this? I really need a break from all this."
Jian Yanli tried to intervene. "A-Cheng, you don't understand. It's not A-xian's fault. Mother was banished because..."She couldn't bring herself to say the rest of the sentence.
"Because? What?!" Jiang Cheng probed angrily.
Frustration crinkled Jiang Yanli's wet eyes, "Because she insulted us both." She said weakly.
"What!? Just because of that?" Jiang Cheng roared in rage. "She did that every day! Why is it a sin now?"He pointed at Xiao Zhan accusingly. "That idiot must be the one who riled her up! Like how he always did! Why didn't you stop it then? Did you forget who your real brother is now?" He shouted.
Jiang Yanli pressed her lips into a straight line. Tears began to run down her cheeks. "A-Cheng, you are! You are my brother. I tried, but I couldn't."
"Why can't you protect me then? Why are you so weak? Is crying the only thing you can do?" he demanded aggressively.
Seeing Jiang Yanli start sobbing, Xiao Zhan's expression hardened, seething with anger from his seat. Glaring daggers at Jiang Cheng, he warned, "Jiang Cheng! Don't talk to Shijie like that!"
"Or what? You're going to ask my father to kick me out too?" Jiang Cheng scoffed. He glared furiously at Xiao Zhan. "Wei Wuxian! Ever since you came, you've taken everything from me! Even my father and my sister love you more than me! Now you've even stolen my rightful place! How much more are you going to ruin my life?!"
Xiao Zhan rose to his feet. He was sick of hearing his ridiculous accusations and all the yelling. His last thread of patience had just snapped, and he could not take another second of this. "Oh, for God's sake, stop screaming like a child! My ears hurt." He dauntingly stepped toward Jiang Cheng, determined to teach this rascal a lesson. "You think I wanted this? I never wanted all of this either!"
The people around them whispered among themselves again while staring at Xiao Zhan, as if they were waiting to see what he would do next.
Jiang Cheng flinched when Xiao Zhan stopped just a feet away from him. He clenched his fists, and his jaw muscles were tight. "What? Do you think I am scared of you?"
"Yes, I think you're scared." Xiao Zhan smirked before speaking in a serious tone. "You should be."
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and sneered at Xiao Zhan, "Scared of you? I'm not scared of anyone, especially you!"
A A glint of red flashed briefly in Xiao Zhan's eyes as he snarled, "Jiang Cheng, you must have forgotten what I'm capable of. Don't forget that you can't afford to piss me off."
Fathoming that Xiao Zhan meant every word he just said, Jiang Cheng's smirk on his face instantly disappeared. He quivered at the reminiscence of the seven days of hellish training and how effortlessly his martial brother overwhelmed multiple people with just a few moves and how brutal he was. Just like a freaking monster. He knew he could not win against him when it came to physical altercations. He wanted to step back but his ego was too high. He rooted in place.
Xiao Zhan took a step toward Jiang Cheng and maintained eye contact with his martial brother. He spoke slowly, clearly emphasizing each word, "I never asked for this position! Never!"
Taking another step forward, Xiao Zhan stared directly into Jiang Cheng's eyes. "You can have that chair! Take it! I don't care! But don't you dare vent your dissatisfaction on innocent people! Think twice before you speak and act! You have no idea what your mother has said about you and done to Shijie!" He tapped the hilt of Suibian on Jiang Cheng's chest. "This is my only warning. If you continue to point your finger at me for things I didn't do, I will break it! Mark my words!" He warned with a serious look on his face.
The color drained from Jiang Cheng's face. A deadly silence descended on the room, except for the sounds of the howling wind outside. The air suddenly felt like it had dropped several degrees lower. It took a moment before people seemed to realize that what he had just said were not just empty threats. They could feel the chills run through their spines with his menacing aura. Even Jiang Fengmian did not dare to open his mouth as he stared at the dark side of Xiao Zhan. It was the same cold-blooded personality his nephew had shown when he faced Madam Yu.
After glaring at Jiang Cheng as if he were a grim reaper for a good couple of minutes, Xiao Zhan took a step back and folded his arms. His voice remained callous as he spoke, "Look around you, Jiang Cheng. You are embarrassing yourself! How do you expect to lead these people when you can't stop acting like a rude and temperamental child?"
Jiang Cheng wanted to retort, but he couldn't produce any words. More accurately, he couldn't open his mouth, and he was thrashing around, trying to pry his lips apart.
Xiao Zhan raised one of his eyebrows and turned to see Lan Wangji, who was getting nearer to his side. His presence was like a breath of fresh air that calmed Xiao Zhan down. "You didn't," he said, smirking slightly.
"I did," Lan Wangji replied as soon as he stood next to his partner. He then fixed his disdainful eyes on Jiang Cheng. "Jiang Wanyin, the spell will be lifted in an incense stick's time."
Lan Wangji then bowed slightly to Jiang Fengmian. "Sect Leader Jiang, I believe Wei Ying has refused this position. Please do not force him."
Jiang Fengmian finally understood why Madam Yu could not spout any more nonsense that day. It was the Gusu Lan silencing spell. He said, "Second Young Master Lan, this is a matter of Yunmeng Jiang."
Xiao Zhan furrowed his eyebrows at his uncle's statement and said firmly, "Uncle Jiang, Lan Zhan did what he did to protect me, and I want him to. He is the only person I trust, and I want you to treat him as you have treated me."
Lan Wangji barely managed to keep his expression as impassive as he could, preventing his delightfulness at Xiao Zhan's declaration from showing.
Jiang Fengmian's eyes widened at his statement. "Do you really mean that?"
Xiao Zhan chose to ignore his question. He inhaled deeply before softening his tone to reply, "Uncle Jiang, I understand that this isn't your decision alone, but I believe that I have the right to refuse."
Jiang Fengmian frowned. "A-ying, this is for the sake of the clan."
Xiao Zhan stood his ground and he was not going to give in this time. "I know it is, Uncle Jiang. However, I do not want to sit in a seat that is not mine to begin with. I can't and I won't. Please respect my decision."
Jiang Cheng had his eyes following Xiao Zhan like a hawk since he was silenced, and his whole body was trembling with fury. Xiao Zhan jerked his thumb in Jiang Cheng's direction. "He is your son, and we talked about this. I expected that you would keep your word, Uncle Jiang."
Jiang Fengmian stood there silently as he let those words sink in. He looked at his nephew and asked one last time, "Why do you not wish to sit in that chair?"
"Uncle Jiang, why not hand it over to Jiang Cheng?" Xiao Zhan's face set into a firm glare at the man who tried his best to get him to accept the role.
Jiang Cheng watched his father closely to see what he would say. A frown creased Jiang Fengmian's forehead, as though he were trying to figure out how to respond. He sighed deeply. "He is still young and immature to lead."
Xiao Zhan tapped his chest, making his point. "So am I, Uncle Jiang. I am only a few months older than he is."
"That may be true, but you have already proven yourself more dependable than the majority of your generation," insisted Jiang Fengmian.
Xiao Zhan shook his head vigorously. "No, Uncle Jiang. You are mistaken. Even if I act like a grown-up, my body is still that of a fifteen-year-old."
With 30 years of life experience. But who cares! In this world, I am a teenager! Leave me alone, please...
Jiang Fengmian was quiet again for a moment before he spoke once more. "Yes, but you have shown us the power of your strengths and skills, proving that you are capable and strong enough to lead our clan."
Xiao Zhan groaned. He never expected that displaying his skills would come back to bite him. He argued, "If you put me there just because the clan needs its sword, then you don't need me in that position. As long as I am a member of Yunmeng Jiang, I will do everything in my power to defend our clan. But I am not a leader. You can give that position to Jiang Cheng."
Seeing how adamant he was, Jiang Fengmian knew he could not change his nephew's mind for now. He looked at his son. "Jiang Cheng, do you truly wish to take on this great responsibility?"
The look on his son's face told him that he did. Jiang Fengmian said, "Alright. You will need to train hard and learn to control your anger. No one wants a leader who lets his temper cloud his judgment. Prove your worth to me and the elders within these two years. Until then, this matter will be discussed again." Jiang Fengmian then looked at Xiao Zhan. "A-Ying, I won't force you any longer. However, I need you to help Jiang Cheng grow as a leader. He needs your guidance."
Ahhhh!! Why me? I got tons of things to do! You want me to babysit that rascal? Am I his father or are you?
Xiao Zhan stopped himself from rolling his eyes at that juncture and turned to Lan Wangji. He whispered to him to lift the Silence spell on Jiang Cheng before proceeding to speak, "Uncle Jiang, I can only help with his training, but as for the rest, he needs your guidance, not mine."
Jiang Cheng realized the spell no longer stopped him from talking. "Who needs your help?!" he spat.
Xiao Zhan gave him a sharp glare, "Do you want to be silenced forever?" he snapped.
Jiang Cheng's mouth shut immediately at that. Xiao Zhan took his silence as an affirmation. With a small smirk, he continued, "Good boy. Now, stop being a brat! You need to get yourself together and start acting like a leader now."
"Whatever!" Jiang Cheng scowled at him. He knew he was right, but it still irked him.
Xian Zhan rolled his eyes as he had enough of bullshit for today. "There are two words that you need to learn to say. 'Sorry' and 'thank you'. You better start apologizing!"
Jiang Cheng huffed and turned his head away before muttering an almost inaudible, "Sorry."
At this point, Xiao Zhan didn't even bother to complain about it. He wanted nothing else but to leave the hall. Pronto! He was tired of dealing with issue after issue, day after day, that he could feel himself wanting to burst from the amount of stress he felt every second he continued to be there. He no longer gives a damn what everyone was thinking and it all boiled down to one thing. He wants to get out of this suffocating place. Ignoring the angry retorts from his bratty martial brother, he fixed his gaze at his uncle. "Uncle Jiang, I believe you need to sit with your children and have a long talk. If there's nothing else for now, can you please excuse us both?"
Jiang Fengmian nodded slightly. Nothing he could say would prevent his nephew from leaving. Xiao Zhan wasn't interested in listening to his answer anyway.
With a courteous bow, the pair turned to leave. Xiao Zhan paused momentarily at Jiang Yanli's table and gave her a hug. After a brief consoling session, he asked Xue Yang, "Xue Yang, can you please look after Shijie for me for now?"
Certain that no one was present in the vicinity, the duo stopped under an old willow tree by the lake. It was peaceful and quiet there. The tree's roots were buried inside the dirt of the shore, but its broad trunk grew sideways along the surface of the lake. The branches were bent under the weight of heavy leaves, covering them fully from any passerby's view. They set down their deadly weapons to rest against the tree bark, which was covered by the green carpet of grass. They felt heavy in their hands after that unpleasant evening at the banquet. Their clothes billowed behind them as they stood motionlessly, watching as the water rippled with the movement of the small fish that swam underneath. They did not speak for a while, just listening to the sounds of nature around them. The breeze rustled through the leaves overhead, and they could hear it whispering in their ears as well as feel it cooling their skin.
The curtain of day slowly fell. The sky was painted with a multitude of shades of purple and orange, creating a mixture of pastel hues. The clouds were like cotton candy adorning the horizon. In the distance, there were pops of pink from lotus flowers in full bloom. It was what most would describe as an artistic masterpiece. It was captivating.
After a while, the silence between them was becoming unbearable, but neither of them wanted to risk breaking the bubble they shared with each other by talking first when neither of them knew exactly what to say.
Xiao Zhan knew he would have to initiate the conversation. "Lan Zhan, the sunset is beautiful. Don't you think so?" he asked while gazing at the breathtaking scenery fully displayed before them. He heard the slight shifting and he turned to face Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji replied, "It's beautiful."
Xiao Zhan could see the corners of Lan Wangji's mouth turn upwards slightly which made him smile as well. " You said you wanted to talk."
Lan Wangji looked up at him for a moment. "You needed a break. I am giving you some space." He said softly.
Xiao Zhan shrugged and took in a deep breath. His heart beat in his chest as he watched Lan Wangji look over at the purple sky, his hands balled into tight fists and nails digging into his skin to try and quell the nervous energy inside him. "It's fine now. Speak your mind."
Lan Wangji's lips were pressed firmly together, a deep frown carved into his features as he looked out across the lake. He wanted to speak but he couldn't find the exact words.
Knowing that Lan Wangji was having a conflict in his mind, Xiao Zhan decided to ease the tense atmosphere. He felt more like a bundle of nerves if this awkwardness continued. "Did you enjoy our trip?" He asked, hoping the small talk would help Lan Wangji to open up.
Lan Wangji raised his chin and replied in his usual unimpressive tone, "Mn."
Xiao Zhan tilted his head slightly as he studied his expression. "Really? You don't sound like it."
Lan Wangji turned to face Xiao Zhan fully. "I enjoyed it immensely," he said earnestly.
"Me too." Xiao Zhan smiled and felt something warm spread throughout his body. "The night hunt with you was fun. Or the food hunt as you called it."
"It was fun." Lan Wangji smiled back at him.
Looking at the beautiful smile formed on the lips, Xiao Zhan was reminded of his erotic dream at once. He quickly turned his sight to the body of water to hide the blush that was rapidly setting on his cheeks. His mind, however, continuously tortured him with the memory of the soft lips, which led to a rewind of increasingly steamy scenes. He swallowed hard, but his saliva decided to make a detour to the wrong tract. Consequently, he choked and coughed violently.
Lan Wangji patted his back gently, "Are you alright?"
Xiao Zhan nodded while trying not to lose a bronchiole over his dirty thoughts. After a moment, he regained full control over his lungs. "Sorry," he said meekly.
Lan Wangji was perplexed. "For what?"
Xiao Zhan had a lot on his list that he wanted to apologize for, but he couldn't say it all, especially the latest one that had led to him choking on his spit. "Um, everything?"
"Why?" Lan Wangji grew more confused.
Xiao Zhan shrugged. "I just feel guilty, Lan Zhan. There were tons of things I'm sorry about."
Lan Wangji looked at him demandingly. "For instance?"
Xiao Zhan gasped. "Are you serious?"
"..." Lan Wangji simply gave him an unrelenting stare.
"Fine. Fine." Xiao Zhan clasped his hands together and spoke with sincerity, "For starters, I apologize for making you worry all the time. I never meant to. I am truly sorry."
"If you are truly sorry, then stop getting hurt," Lan Wangji admonished.
"Shi- I mean, bad things happened all the times and people get hurt some times. I never planned to get hurt." Xiao Zhan pouted at his stern tone.
"Wei Ying, someone hurt you in front of me," Lan Wangji said, his gaze softening.
Xiao Zhan gazed down at his hand and gently rubbed his index finger along the burn streak on his right palm. "This is nothing. It'll heal."
"You were unconscious for two days," Lan Wangji said, sounding a little angry this time. Not at Xiao Zhan but more at himself.
Xiao Zhan felt guilty and he stared at him with doe eyes, as he spoke, "I didn't plan for that."
Lan Wangji looked away to the darkening sky, which indicated the beginning of nightfall.
"I'm sorry," Xiao Zhan said sincerely.
"Wei Ying..." Lan Wangji lowered his head and spoke with desperation in his voice, "How can I protect you when you're like this?"
"Don't be silly, you know I can protect myself. I am not weak, Lan Zhan." Xiao Zhan said, shaking his head lightly. He continued, a smug smile plastered on his face, "Besides, the whip wasn't that strong to begin with."
Lan Wangji frowned."You are reckless. Awfully reckless. " He said as if he was complaining.
Xiao Zhan laughed and edged closer to him. "I know, I know. But thank you, Lan Zhan. For protecting me and for everything you've done for me. Thank you for staying by my side."
Lan Wangji kept his eyes on the skyline. Although the view was picturesque, it wasn't enough to calm his racing heart or the fluttering butterflies in his stomach. "No need to thank me."
Despite the fact that he had been ashamed of his gutter mind just a minute ago, Xiao Zhan still couldn't help his flirtatious nature. He leaned closer to Lan Wangji and rested his elbows on the latter's shoulders. The corners of his mouth curled upward. "What if I still want to?"
Lan Wangji closed his eyes and sighed softly. Despite trying hard to stay composed, he still found it difficult to remain calm as Xiao Zhan came uncomfortably close to him. "Wei Ying, are you always this frivolous?"
Xiao Zhan kept his coquettish tone "With you or with others?" he teased.
"..."
Lan Wangji's expression grew harder with every passing moment. "Do you really think it's easy for me to restrain myself?"
Xiao Zhan's smirk widened, he couldn't stop his inner flirty 'Wei Wuxian' from emerging and took over him as he spoke again, "Oh Lan Er Gege, what happened to the 3000 rules? Have you forgotten them all?"
"..."
Xiao Zhan continued to tease, "Lan Zhan, I can recite all of them if you want a reminder."
Lan Wangji stared at him intently before he shook his head lightly and muttered, "I can never understand why those rules exist." In the next instant, he wrapped his left arm tightly around Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan was flustered by the sudden embrace and became stiff as a board due to shock. He could not breathe properly either. "Okay, I give up. I won't tease you anymore. Can you release me?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You reap what you sow, Wei Ying," Lan Wangji replied, moving his hand to the nape of Xiao Zhan's neck.
As soon as Xiao Zhan heard those familiar words, his breathing grew heavy as blood rushed through his veins. The graphic scenes replayed in his mind, and his heartbeat quickened. His body began to burn at the closeness between the two.
Stupid gutter brain... Fuck, he's too handsome.
At the same time, Lan Wangji could sense it as well, even though Xiao Zhan was trying to mask it. His heartbeat sped up as well. He could feel himself getting nervous and excited, and that confused him. He was normally calm and collected, yet here he was feeling all of that simultaneously.
Xiao Zhan cleared his throat at how close their face were. "Let's talk, Lan Zhan. Let's talk." He requested.
Lan Wangji refused wordlessly, tightening his hold on Xiao Zhan.
"Lan Zhan, people might see..." Xiao Zhan repeated again. However, this time, there was a tone of panic in his voice. He knew full well that there was no one there except the two of them. No one.
"..." Lan Wangji remained silent as he continued staring deeply into Xiao Zhan's beautiful, silvery eyes.
Xiao Zhan squirmed, trying to escape. "What-" His word was cut off as an Wangji lowered his head, lips touching Xiao Zhan's neck softly. His hot breath tickled Xiao Zhan causing goosebumps to appear all over his skin.
As Lan Wangji heard Xiao Zhan's sharp intake of breath, the effect was instant. The feeling sent a pleasant tingle all over his body. He pressed his lips more firmly against the latter's neck.
Did he just...
Xiao Zhan felt like he was burning up from the touch, and the heat radiating from his body was spreading to his whole body. He swallowed loudly and struggled once more. Still, it was futile, since Lan Wangji had already taken full control of the situation, and his iron grip became even stronger than ever. After a while, however, he gave up. His chest heaved as he gulped down air greedily. His breathing became erratic, causing his pulse to accelerate rapidly. "Lan Zhan, please. I can't breathe."
Lan Wangji pulled away just to stare down at Xiao Zhan. He wondered how it was possible for this person to have that much of a maddening effect on him. He looked at the sparkly pair of gray irises before leaning even closer. He shifted his gaze to Xiao Zhan's lips, "Wei Ying." he murmured.
Before Xiao Zhan knew it, Lan Wangji leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against his own. In an instant, he felt his entire body freeze as his breath caught in his throat. But before he could react, Lan Wangji already pulled away and turned his head to the side. He blinked rapidly as he stared at Lan Wangji, trying to process what just happened. His cheeks reddened as he felt embarrassed by the unexpected kiss. He didn't think Lan Wangji would ever initiate an intimate moment like that. "Lan Zhan? Did you just..."
Lan Wangji averted his gaze to avoid looking at Xiao Zhan, his hand, however, never slackened. He spoke in a low tone, "You did it too. Twice."
Xiao Zhan's eyes went round. "But that night, I wasn't aware of what I was doing! That doesn't count!" he exclaimed. He froze once more when he realized what he had just said out loud.
Lan Wangji returned his gaze to stare fixedly at Xiao Zhan. His expression grew serious. "You remembered." He said.
Xiao Zhan's face became increasingly redder. "I-I did not mean to, I was dreaming... I am sorry." He stammered, embarrassed.
"You don't have to apologize," Lan Wangji replied as a slight smile crept onto his face. He grasped Xiao Zhan's chin between his thumb and forefinger. With one swift movement, he captured those temptingly soft lips once more.
Xiao Zhan let out a gasp, and the blush on his face darkened significantly. He could hear the beating of his heart increasing exponentially, making him feel lightheaded.
The kiss lasted longer this time. Lan Wangji gazed deeply into Xiao Zhan's eyes when they broke off. "Now, we're even." He murmured.
Xiao Zhan kept his eyes locked onto Lan Wangji's. He could feel his heart racing, and his cheeks burning hot. Yet, a faint smile graced his features. "Lan Zhan, are you going to keep tabs?"
"Yes." Lan Wangji replied as he pulled Xiao Zhan into another sweet kiss.
Oh fuck everything.
And Xiao Zhan didn't protest this time.
*******