"Alright, let's see how good you all had become after five days. Let's get the battle arena started!" Xiao Zhan announced enthusiastically with his hands clasped behind his back, grinning at the disciples in from of the two of them. Without any delay, he activated the circle formation array and gestured for them to move into their respective positions.
His eyes scanned the teams' structures, and he could already see some changes in the role's assignment. His favorite part of the whole process was to see how much their trainees improved. On one team, the strategist was no other than Nie Huaisang and on the opposing team stood Jiang Cheng, who decided to take the role himself. He declared with excitement on his lips as a bright glow appeared around him. "I hope you all don't disappoint me this time!"
"Get ready to lose." Nie Huaisang sneered while walking beside Jiang Cheng and nudged his shoulder with his arm. "It has been so long since I felt like playing a competitive game. This will be fun."
Jiang Cheng scoffed and rolled his eyes at his friend's remark. "We'll see about that."
The battle began right after that, the clash between the two teams started off fast.
Xiao Zhan was in a good mood today. He looked at the red tassel that now adorned his black flute and the musical instrument looked complete now. He glanced sideways at the handsome man that gave it to him earlier. A slight smile crept onto his face when he recalled how adorable Lan Wangji was. The sweet expression on his face as he apologized and gifted him the red decorative piece as the token, which made him look very cute. Like a puppy. His little puppy. He couldn't help but stare at him, feeling giddy. As a result, his eyes trailed on Lan Wangji's handsome features.
Lan Wangji turned and caught his gaze, his eyes softened considerably. He called gently, "Wei Ying."
"Hm?" Xia Zhan snapped out of his reverie and turned to his beloved. "What is it?"
"You need to focus." Lan Wangji reminded.
"Right. Sorry." Xiao Zhan smiled guiltily and quickly averted his eyes away before he got distracted again.
These youths needed to grow stronger and improve their skills faster for the war ahead. They were all still young, but he knew that they would emerge victorious, nonetheless. They just had to work hard enough and then everyone would be able to enjoy life freely. It would be worth it. He smiled to himself. Yes, life was indeed precious, and he looked forward to spending a lifetime with Lan Wangji. He was going to enjoy every second of it, even if they have to face danger and hardship together.
Xiao Zhan, snap out of it! You already dreaming of lifetime with the guy when you're just few months into a relationship?? And stop smiling like idiot. You should be monitoring the kids not dreaming of having kids! As if you can have one!
He blinked a few times and then shook his head, forcing himself to refocus at the battle that was going on with high intensity, putting all his attention back to their trainees. He carefully observed the field and Lan Wangji as usual was always ready to step in at his signals or as necessary.
Nie Huaisang once again showed his brilliance in planning and his affinity for tactics and strategizing truly came in handy during battles. He was an exceptional tactician. He could already see that the boy would surely lead his group to victory. He approved of his abilities even though Nie Huaisang did tend to exaggerate a lot with his talks. With the right guidance, Xiao Zhan believed that Nie Huaisang would make a great advisor behind the scenes. He was a smart lad, after all. Perhaps Nie Mingjue would see how truly capable his younger brother was in this area, even if he was not great at cultivation. He had merits and talent in this particular field.
Well, everyone has different aptitudes and styles of thinking. That doesn't mean one is lacking just because it doesn't fit in another's own way of thinking. It merely means that there's always more than meets the eye. If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
As for Jiang Cheng, he was doing alright but he was a little too impatient and reckless especially against a meticulous planner like the cunning mastermind, the result was predictable. He was quick and agile when it came to moving about in combat, but he lacked precision and control when it came to handling people. His strategy seemed to be off, and his tactical decisions were unthoughtful, a little careless and uncoordinated in brief. He was a ruthless fighter and a stubborn one and it did not translate well in giving his commands. Even though he did use some tactics, most of his strategies relied heavily on brute strength. There was no doubt that he was talented in fighting, but he was prone to rely on instinctive force more than his own wits. It was because his fighting style relied heavily on being quick and aggressive, he did not hesitate to sacrifice the lives of his teammates in order to achieve his goal. If he wanted to attack, he attacked, which was why he ended up losing. Jiang Cheng was also an opportunist, which made him easy to be manipulated.
Nie Huaisang, being a fan of mischief, loved to pull Jiang Cheng's leg whenever possible when he saw an opportunity to do so. In fact, it seemed that he enjoyed seeing Jiang Cheng in disarray and frustrated.
Xiao Zhan found the scene quite amusing to watch, although he managed to keep himself from laughing out loud. He watched carefully as Nie Huaisang played around with Jiang Cheng like a cat with a mouse. He found it rather entertaining to watch Jiang Cheng struggled to redirect his commands of attack and attempted dodge all the sneaky ambush and ganking on his team members. He could see the annoyance flash through Jiang Cheng's eyes.
This is hilarious to watch. The poor, oblivious fool. He underestimated his opponent. Brainiac mixed with slyness is a dangerous one.
Unfortunately for Jiang Cheng, it did not very long for Nie Huaisang's team to overpower his team and he was getting his butt handed to him by Nie Huaisang at the end of the game. Jiang Cheng's face flushed and grumbled bitterly in the background as soon as he realized that he had lost while Nie Huaisang looked absolutely delighted, giggling triumphantly.
While looking over at the disciples at the middle of the arena, Lan Wangji stole a glance at his lover and asked inquisitively, "Are you satisfied with their performance today, Wei Ying?"
Xiao Zhan nodded and uttered, "They did better than I expected."
"You are still unsatisfied." Lan Wangji stated as he turned his gaze back onto Xiao Zhan, studying the other intently.
Xiao Zhan replied breezily, "You know me, Lan Zhan. I admit I'm a little bit of a perfectionist."
"A little?" Lan Wangji questioned with a quirked brow.
"Yes! A little!" Xiao Zhan bellowed as he playfully swatted Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji corrected him without much change in his expression, "Wei Ying, you are full blown perfectionist."
Xiao Zhan gasped and covered his mouth in mock surprise. He scolded playfully, batting his eyelashes at him, "How dare you judge me?"
Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes slightly at his antics, and replied sincerely, "I'm not. And I like that about you."
"Oh, Lan Zhan," Xiao Zhan teased with a smirk, "You're such a flirt."
"I did n-" Lan Wangji didn't finish. He gave up right away because he knew he wouldn't win against his beloved in this matter anyway. "Never mind."
"Are you letting me win easily?" Xiao Zhan asked as he smirked at him.
Lan Wangji nodded, "Mn."
"Ah, too bad then. I kind of expected another gift as a token of apology." Xiao Zhan said in between giggles.
Lan Wangji looked at him interestedly before asking, "Do you want more gifts?"
"I'm kidding! Of course not! You will spoil me too much!" Xiao Zhan chirped, smiling brightly at him. "Now stop distracting me, I have nagging to do."
"Of course, you do." Lan Wangji nodded obediently as he followed Xiao Zhan to the center of the arena.
Xiao Zhan started with a praise, "Young Master Nie, good job once again!"
Nie Huaisang laughed cheerily at him, "Of course, Wei-xiong. I'm just delivering what I promised, after all. It was definitely fun. You should stick to this training method from now. I've got a couple more tricks up my sleeves to show."
Xiao Zhan shook his head with a grin at his enthusiasm. "You have talent for scheming, I give you that."
"No need to flatter me." Nie Huaisang fanned himself. "Besides, what else can I do in this boring world?"
"I'm glad you find it fun enough to commit then." Xiao Zhan expressed as he observed the rest of the disciples, addressing them, "Was it fun for you guys as well?"
The winning team nodded while the losing team shook their head in resignation, clearly not enjoying their experience.
Xiao Zhan shook his head while wearing a grin on his face, "Well, that was anticlimactic."
"What do you mean? Did you expect all of us to be good in this in just five days?" Jiang Cheng snorted as he rolled his eyes. He was in sour mood after losing to a weaker cultivator than himself.
"Young Master Nie did it good nonetheless." Lan Wangji reminded him, looking directly at Jiang Cheng. He gave his appraisal stoically, "If he hadn't, your team might not lose this miserably, Jiang Wanyin."
Xiao Zhan winced at the laser sharp comment from Lan Wangji. He wasn't sure whether to be impressed by his boyfriend's eloquence or to be shocked at his blatant sarcasm toward Jiang Cheng. He settled on admiration.
Ouch! Pretty sharp tongue there, Lan Zhan. Well, it's understandable. That brat could barely keep himself together throughout the entire battle.
Jiang Cheng had no choice but to admit it, "That happened, I suppose."
"Five days were long enough to strategize." Xiao Zhan then added his own point with a shrug, "It's way too long by my standard."
"Yeah, sure, okay." Jiang Cheng retorted sarcastically. "Your standard is unachievable by human means."
"Is it now?" Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow. "And your standard is?"
"Just shut up." Jiang Cheng snapped annoyedly.
"Jiang Wanyin, I will remind you. Wei Ying is a trainer here. Be respectful." Lan Wangji admonished him in a calm tone of voice.
"Yeah, whatever." Jiang Cheng huffed in reply. What a pain, he thought sarcastically. He glanced sideways at Xiao Zhan who seemed rather pleased with Lan Wangji's reprimand and scowled with displeasure even more.
Xiao Zhan ignored Jiang Cheng's glare and turned toward Lan Wangji, smiling charmingly at his lover before focusing on the task in hand. He proceeded with his commentaries on each area that could be done better, as well as the mistakes that they made in certain places. He was very thorough in explaining why the areas where they made a blunder, pointing out which areas could have been avoided. As usual, his words flowed without much filtering, leaving everyone clear with their flaws and shortcomings. He continued to explain each part in a meticulous manner that ensured the same improvement in the future. He went through each section of the battlefield meticulously, emphasizing on the problems and solutions he found there. He concluded with a final statement, "So, I expect everyone here to work hard in their next training session, understand?"
There was a resounding chorus of affirmative answers from the trainees.
"Excellent. Now, go. Training is done for today." Xiao Zhan instructed.
As the disciples began to disperse one by one, Xiao Zhan noticed Jiang Cheng who stayed put, watching him silently.
Folding his arms, Xiao Zhan inquired, "What do you want now, Jiang Cheng?"
"Explanation." Jiang Cheng answered gruffly.
"For what?" Xiao Zhan frowned.
"You know very well!" Jiang Cheng growled. He stared into Xiao Zhan's eyes before voicing out, "Your eyes turned red the other day."
Yep, I know. I don't think I have to explain it to you though.
Xiao Zhan chose to pretend like he didn't know what Jiang Cheng was talking about, he responded casually, "Huh? What are you talking about? Did you hallucinate or something?"
Jiang Cheng stared at Xiao Zhan doubtfully and gritted his teeth, "I'm not blind, you idiot. I saw it that morning."
"Then, you must be nuts! Don't let your imagination run wild." Xiao Zhan replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Jiang Cheng sneered, "You're the crazy one!"
"I am." Xiao Zhan acknowledged coolly. He added, "But I am not unreasonable like you. Plus, you had an energy depletion the day before you screamed your head off at me."
"I didn't scream my head off! "Jiang Cheng shouted. He paused for a second and frowned in thought before replying, "That might be true. But I wasn't hallucinating!"
"I still don't get it. Is this supposed to make me feel guilty? " Xiao Zhan argued. He gave Jiang Cheng a look of indifference. "Because if so, forget it. This is ridiculous."
"What? Ridiculous you say?" Jiang Cheng cried out furiously.
"You shouldn't shout in someone's face when they are trying to have a nice discussion with you." Xiao Zhan stated as a matter of factly. "I'm not interested in having a shouting match with you."
"I don't care!" Jiang Cheng snapped and sighed angrily, "Look, it doesn't matter. I only yelled was because you kept giving me your smartass answers!"
Don't ask me stupid questions then.
Xiao Zhan shook his head and patted him on the shoulder, he smirked, "Stay off alcohol, Jiang Cheng. It makes you see things sometimes."
"What are you saying??" Jiang Cheng shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "When the hell did I drink?"
"You think I did not notice the smell of alcohol coming from you that day?" Xiao Zhan pointed out as he folded his arms, "You know I can smell wine from miles away so don't even try to deny it. You reeked of it."
Hearing that, Lan Wangji decided to step in at that moment, "Alcohol is prohibited in Cloud Recesses, Jiang Wanyin."
Good job, Lan Zhan.
Jiang Cheng huffed, "Wei Wuxian, are you selling me out now?"
"Well, I can't help it if you keep saying nonsense." Xiao Zhan stated unflappably while shrugging his shoulders. He questioned innocently and looked at Lan Wangji for his support. "I didn't say anything wrong, right?"
"You did not." Lan Wangji informed him.
"Oh, thank goodness." Xiao Zhan breathed a sigh of relief in a dramatic manner. "I would've been pretty pissed if I was accused wrongly too."
"Shut up!" Jiang Cheng groaned loudly as he realized he set himself on a trap. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down his frustration. Xiao Zhan had really been playing mind games with him. He glanced up briefly when he heard footsteps approaching behind him, noticing the familiar figure of Nie Huaisang. He glowered at the boy.
"Right timing, Huaisang!" Xiao Zhan called out in a cheerful tone. "Come here and tell me the truth. Did you or did you not smuggle some Emperor Smiles in and had a few rounds of drinks with this grumpy fellow over here five nights ago?"
"Why would I do something like that?" Nie Huaisang replied innocently, a mischievous grin on his face. He then winked playfully at Jiang Cheng, ignoring the irritated look on the Young Master Jiang's face.
"I can lighten your punishment if you admit your wrongdoings." Xiao Zhan said with a smug look on his face. "I mean, my partner here will. Am I right, Lan Zhan?" Xiao Zhan asked Lan Wangji in a sweet voice.
"Mn." Lan Wangji answered.
Nie Huaisang chuckled, "Okay. Okay. You two lovebirds need to calm down."
Jiang Cheng glared at him menacingly. "You better shut your mouth and don't answer the question, Huaisang."
"Sorry dude, I have to save my own ass too." Huaisang yelled back, wiggling his fingers playfully in front of him.
Xiao Zhan urged him to continue, grinning mischievously in response, "Spill it."
"Okay, alright! Here goes nothing! Let's see how the hell this goes!" Nie Huaisang replied in a theatrical fashion, holding his palms up with both thumbs facing towards each other.
"First of all," Huaisang said solemnly. "I did not smuggle any Emperor Smiles."
Xiao Zhan squinted his eyes, "Are you sure?"
Huaisang laughed again, hiding his face behind his favorite fan, "No, actually you know what? Maybe I did. But don't worry! It was all innocent fun! We didn't do anything else except eating some snacks we stole from the kitchen."
"You little..." Jiang Cheng mumbled under his breath, clenching his jaw tightly in irritation. "Just shut your mouth, you traitor. You're making it worse!"
Xiao Zhan smiled triumphantly, "I'm still waiting for your answer, Huaisang. Did he drink or not on that night?"
Nie Huaisang took a deep breath as if he was preparing himself the big reveal then he looked up at Jiang Cheng and declared, "Yep."
Jiang Cheng glared at Nie Huaisang in disbelief and "You're such a snitch!"
"Each man for himself, Jiang Cheng." Nie Huaisang smirked deviously. "Don't blame me. I'm just telling the truth. Also, you still owe me for those three jars."
"Fuck you, Huaisang." Jiang Cheng scowled.
"You're welcome, Jiang Cheng." Huaisang grinned victoriously, clearly amused by the predicament he caused Jiang Cheng, which was not helping Jiang Cheng's anger situation.
"I am so done with you two." Jiang Cheng groaned. His eyes caught a chilly gaze from Lan Wangji, he muttered under his breath, "And you."
"So, Wei-xiong, can I go now?" Nie Huaisang turned around to look at Xiao Zhan. "Remember to give me lighter punishment."
"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead now." Xiao Zhan said with a roll of his eyes. "I'll make sure you are under my protective custody too."
"Great! Then, I'm off now, Wei-xiong," he said. He turned to give a small salute to Lan Wangji who returned it, "See you around, Second Young Master Lan."
After Nie Huaisang left, Xiao Zhan fixed his eyes on Jiang Cheng once more, "Now we're going to talk about this."
Jiang Cheng raised his eyebrows incredulously and retorted, "About? "
Xiao Zhan replied calmly, "About your bullshit attitude toward me."
"What bullshit attitude?" Jiang Cheng shot back defensively.
"The one you're currently sporting!" Xiao Zhan asked in a sarcastic manner. "What do you take me for, Jiang Cheng? Your subordinate?"
"No!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed. "You are a nuisance. That's exactly what you are!"
"A nuisance? Me? What about you? Don't you think you're sticking your nose up in my private matters too much?" Xiao Zhan shot back. "Why do you have to shout every single time?"
Jiang Cheng scoffed, "Your private matter is pretty much out there already, you fool!"
"I believe I warned you before that language was unacceptable." Lan Wangji spoke up in a dangerous tone as he stood in front of Xiao Zhan in protective manner. He would've silenced the brat if it wasn't for Xiao Zhan who held him off from coming forward earlier.
"Fine. Fine. Whatever!" Jiang Cheng backed off. He grumbled, "You two can go and get married right now for all I care."
Xiao Zhan grinned, "Is that all?"
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes as an answer.
Xiao Zhan said with a smile, "Okay then, it looks like we have to end our discussion here,"
"Jiang Wanyin, rules are rules," Lan Wangji said in a stern voice and read out the rules that Jiang Cheng had broken and gave him an appropriate punishment accordingly.
Jiang Cheng glared defiantly at Lan Wangji before turning to glance at Xiao Zhan, "I swear you two are a match made in hell."
"Thanks for your approval, Jiang Cheng." Xiao Zhan said sarcastically.
"I'll remember this, Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng shouted as he marched out of the hall, leaving the two alone and staring at each other for a bit.
"Wow, he is a handful!" Xiao Zhan sighed, shaking his head in resignation. "What a drama queen! Does he not get tired of hearing himself scream? Ah, my ears are ringing. So loud!"
Lan Wangji stared silently at Xiao Zhan while he was complaining as he thought about the words Jiang Cheng just said to him. The corners of his lips twitching slightly upward. He knew it was not a good time, but he couldn't contain his smile.
Xiao Zhan stopped his whining and asked while tilting his head slightly, "Lan Zhan, what are you smiling about?"
Lan Wangji blinked rapidly, forcing his mouth closed, but it was no use. A grin was still tugging at his lips. Xiao Zhan could easily see through his poker face.
"Oh, I get it, Lan Zhan. You must be happy to hear that we're a match, huh? Or is it because he recognized our relationship?" Xiao Zhan teased.
Lan Wangji chose not to reply to that question since it was obvious on his face. Xiao Zhan chuckled at Lan Wangji's response which just made him even cuter as usual. He leaned closer to where Lan Wangji and spoke with a playful smirk on his face, "Don't forget, Lan Zhan. If we are going to get married one day, you will have to deal with that cranky guy too."
Lan Wangji was even happier to hear that remark from his beloved and it took him all his might to answer to his teasing calmly, "I guess it's fair, Wei Ying since you have my brother to put up with."
"Ah, you're right!" Xiao Zhan exclaimed as it dawned to him. He then muttered petulantly, "I don't know which one of them is more annoying! Your brother or that idiot."
"They are both equally troublesome." Lan Wangji added with a soft sigh.
Xiao Zhan chuckled lightly and reached out his hand towards Lan Wangji's arm, tugging him towards the exit, "Lan Zhan, let's go. I need lots of cuddles. A lot of it."
"Me too." Lan Wangji whispered as he followed along.
The days passed like usual after that. It was early evening after the training ended for the day and the sun was high up in the sky, casting a warm glow in the Cloud Recesses. most disciples had already retired to their dormitories. The few remaining were scattered across the premise, taking a brief respite. It was rather a rare free period at this hour.
Jiang Cheng had plotted for a 'revenge' since he got punished for drinking the other day which he had to several copies of Virtue tediously along with Nie Huaisang, who received a lighter sentence as promised, only had to do half of what he had to do.
That was what he was aiming for when he entered the training ground where he knew Xiao Zhan would be that day. However, his method seemed to fall short when Xiao Zhan came towards his direction instead, squealing with delight as he hopped around, skipping towards his martial brother's direction. He was stupefied as he saw Xiao Zhan grabbed the puppy he brought and played with it as it barked joyously, tail wagging happily. The puppy was barking loudly and jumping up and down excitedly at Xiao Zhan, as though it wanted to greet its master. Lan Wangji looked fondly at his lover who was laughing happily as he was interacting with the little animal.
"What the fuck?" Jiang Cheng exclaimed, completely shocked. His gaze moved between Xiao Zhan, and the puppy. His jaw almost dropped at the sight of his martial brother with the small brown puppy curled up in his lap and playing with it. He could not believe that the man was currently petting a puppy. The Wei Wuxian he knew had always been terrified of dogs. It made no sense, Jing Cheng thought. "Why are you touching the dog? What's wrong with you?"
Xiao Zhan looked up and shrugged his shoulders as if he did not see a problem with it and continued to pet the small dog. He glanced over at Jing Cheng and grinned cheekily, "Ah, thanks for bringing this cute boy here. "
Jiang Cheng asked, confusion evident in his voice, "Who are you and what did you do to Wei Wuxian?"
"What?" Xiao Zhan shrugged his shoulders in response, chuckling as he petted the dog's head. He happily rubbed the furry fur between its ear and nose. "Are you hoping to scare me with this cutie pie?"
"Cutie pie??"Jiang Cheng repeated dubiously as he looked at the furry canine again with a bewildered look on his face. He rubbed his eyes to confirm that it was a dog instead of a cat.
"He's cute! What else should I call him?" Xiao Zhan argued, holding the puppy in his arms. He talked to the puppy cutely, "Don't you agree that you're cute?"
"It's a dog!" Jiang Cheng replied, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "You used to be terrified by dogs!"
"Yeah, I think I know what a dog looks like, Jiang Cheng." Xiao Zhan smirked at him and asked with sarcasms, "So, tell me. Were you planning to use my deep trauma towards dogs to get back at me? That's dirty, Jiang Cheng. Even for you!"
Jiang Cheng snapped in annoyance, feeling defeated once again, "Give me the dog back!"
"You're so childish, Jiang Cheng." Xiao Zhan muttered as he refused to hand over the cute furball in his hands.
"Wei Ying, let's go." Lan Wangji said as he glanced down at the puppy, who was now sitting on its feet with its paws placed firmly in front of it and tail wagging excitedly. He called out again, gesturing for Xiao Zhan to join him.
"Can't I just stay here and play with this puppy?" Xiao Zhan asked, tilting his head up towards him with pleading eyes.
Lan Wangji sighed heavily. This lover of his would be the death of him, and the little dog too. He shook his head slightly. "Father is waiting."
Xiao Zhan pouted his lips before nodding his head reluctantly. "Fine. Let's get this over with. "
He gently nudged the still wagging puppy closer to him so he could stroke its soft fur once more. He smiled when it licked his hand happily and handed it over reluctantly to Jiang Cheng, giving one last lingering glance before leaving.
Jiang Cheng still stood there looking dumbstruck, he stared after them blankly before looking back down at the puppy in his arms who was wiggling and licking his hand in glee. It crossed his mind that his martial brother might be possessed by some kind of powerful spirit or king of hell himself, considering the changes he had witnessed in the past months. It would explain the red eyes that he saw the other day. However, considering how Lan Wangji did not seem to be alarmed by the strange aura and the change of the eye color the other day, he couldn't say for certain that he wasn't hallucinating since he did have some drinks the night before. He was not sure how to feel about this odd situation. Eventually, he just came up to a conclusion that his martial brother might had overcome his trauma after hanging out with the second Young Master Lan.