Chapter Text
Harvest season is marked by a flurry of activity, disciples all running round in a chaos of activity. He catches sight of Liu Jia dashing past his door with a towering pile of baskets, balanced precariously high in her arms. There's no disciples to accompany him now, all caught up in the bustle of the Lotus Harvest, new boats docked at the pier signal workers from Yunmeng here to help. It's all a new sensation for him, Huaisang the lone spectator to the pinnacle of the Jiang Sect's trade.
There's nothing like this at Qinghe. Nothing that even comes close.
That's something unique to the Jiangs. They're a key part of the community. Not in the we-protect-you-if-you-listen-to-us way that most sects had with their people, but we are the same as you, we are apart of one whole thing.
Huaisang had noticed it before in little bits and pieces; the disciples running home often, the aunties at the marketplace teasing Jiang Xiong, the fact that they did not sit in a private table at the inn, the children freely running up the steps of Lotus to watch the disciples train.
The Jiangs were Yunmeng, and Yunmeng was the Jiangs. The two were intrixably linked, one could not be separated from the other. And the Harvest season is a prime display of conmmunity, a celebration of the bond between the Jiangs and their people.
⊹˚. ♡🕊️♡˚.⊹
Huaisang decided to sit on the edge of a small shaded pathway that abruptly stops, leading nowhere, it's likely not been finished yet, too small for more than 2 people to stand shoulder to shoulder on. This makes it the perfect spot for Huaisang to sit without disturbing the chaos of the harvest. He'd stepped out looking for a way to cool down and this little pathway had provided the perfect spot to do so, he currently sits in just his inner robes, feet dangling in the lake and his shoes neatly next to him.
It's far too hot for him to care about propriety.
It's also the perfect spot to ogle a certain handsome sect leader.
Just like everyone else at Lotus Pier (bar Huaisang), Jiang Wanyin is helping out with the Lotus harvest. He stands there waist deep in the lake; sun shinning on his bronzed skin, the curve of his muscle defined as he works, the little rivulets of water running across his skin from the splash of people in the water. all set against the backdrop of bloomed Lotus flowers. Huaisang finds this to perhaps be, no definitely the most attractive sight he has ever seen.
He is so focused on Jiang Xiong's body that he doesn't realise that the man himself has caught on.
"Are you gonna just sit there all pretty and just stare at me all day?" Jiang Cheng asks, amused.
Huaisang startles, and scrambles to find and excuse "No, I'm going to- wait did you just call me pretty?"
Jiang Wanyin simply smiles at him, smugly.
"Jiang Xiong!" Huaisang exclaims with glee, taking out his fan to cover up his faint blush and far too happy a smile "How scandalous!"
Jiang Wanyin opens his mouth to quip back when a small energetic prescence brushes past Huaisang, knocking him to the side and forcing him to clutch the edge of the small wooden pier lest he fall, and Jiang Cheng's suddenly grabbing a child out of thin air.
"No Xiang." He tells the boy, waving a disapproving finger "Not today."
"Aww." The kid frowns, head drooping forwards so dark bangs cover his face "Everyone else gets to help!"
"Everyone else... isn't sick because they decided to go to jump in the lake in the middle of the night then go to bed with wet hair."
"Hmnph." Xiang pouts.
"You're sick, and sitting in the lake all day is only going to make that worse." Jiang Cheng tells him. "Get back inside with the little ones and rest, you can help when you're better."
"Promise?" Xiang asks, holding out his pinkie finger.
Jiang Cheng sighs, linking his pinkie with the boy's "Yes I promise."
"Okay," Xiang says "Place me back on the platform please."
"Remember to appologise to A-sang for pushing him aside." Jiang Cheng chides as he walks towards Nie Huaisang.
Jiang Cheng's arm brushes against Huaisang's bare ankle and he feels a shiver up his spine from the mere unexpected contact. Wanyin doesn't seem to realise he's even touched Nie Huaisang, calmly depositing the child next to him. A faint sense of embarrassment fills Huaisang, God, a shiver?!?! He was too sensative.
"Sorry A-sang." The child says, and Jiang Xiong lightly bops him on the head with his fist
"Who are you calling 'A-sang'? That's Nie-Gongzi for you." Jiang Wanyin lectures
"Sorry Nie Gongzi." Xiang repeats,
"That's quite alright," Huaisang reassures him with a smile "This one does not mind."
"Remember, " Jiang Cheng tells the boy. "The faster you get back the faster you get better."
Xiang's eyes suddenly light up and he nods firmly "Mhm!" And he turns and sprints all the down the path back to the main building.
As Jiang Cheng watches the child run as fast as his legs can carry him Huaisang comes to the startling realisation of exactly how close Jiang Xiong is. He stands near the end of the little dock and Huaisang thinks that if he wanted to, he could reach out and touch that golden brown chest. He doesn't, of course- but it takes more self-restraint than should be necessary. His mind begins to drift as he stares at a single bead of water on his shoulder, it runs down in a little trickle, across his chest and down, down, down towards-
"Are you alright, A-Sang?" Jiang Xiong asks him, after a moment of observing him. Nie Huaisang startles and he can feel his cheeks heat "You seem quite hot, has the heat gotten to you?"
Ah yes- THE HEAT! Definitely why Huaisang was flushing. "Ah, yes, this one does find Yunmeng to be hotter than Qinghe." He replies
"Perhaps you would like to cool down." Jiang Cheng quirks an eyebrow, he wraps both his hands around Huaisang's ankles again. He covers his face further, holding the fan closer to his face to hide his reaction to the touch. It's only at the very last moment that Huaisang realises the intent behind it.
"JIANG CHE-!" Huaisang yelps as he's unceremoniously yanked forwards by his ankles to be doused in lakewater.
Nie Huaisang flails a few moments in the water before he managed to latch his feet onto the groun and push up to standing. He stands there sputtering in the lake, soaked thorough and glaring furiously at the man in front of him. He finds it very hard to maintain this fury (unfortunately) while looking up at the man, because once again, Jiang Xiong is unfairly handsome.
Still, he deserved to be a little mad after practically getting thrown in the lake, and he will make sure Jiang Cheng knows it!
"Jiang Xiong I can't swim!" He childishly throws his fan at the offensive man. It bounces off his shoulder cleanly and Jiang Cheng does not even flinch at the impact.
"Yes you can," Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at the statement. "I saw you at Cloud Recess."
"That's different!" Huaisang protests
"How so?"
"It was shallow!"
"It's not that deep," Jiang Cheng counters, "It's not even to your neck."
"We can't all be as tall as Jiang-Xiong." Nie Huaisang huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Just stand still then Huaisang." Jiang Xiong advises in exasperation, "You can't drown if you're not moving."
"No." Huaisang huffs, displeased at this response "Carry me."
Jiang Xiong pauses for a moment of sheer increduality, before he sputters out a disdainful "I'm not going to-"
"Carry me!" Huaisang says as he unceremoniously throws himself into Jiang Wanyin's arms
"Huaisang!" Jiang Cheng shrieks at him as he swiftly scoops him into his arms, "Why the hell would you do that? What if I dropped you?" He lectures. Nie Huaisang makes to ignore him, "Then I'd be responsible for injuring Qinghe Nie-"
His lecture is cut off by a series of cheers and whoops and applause from the audience, aka the lake chock-ful of people who both of them had convieniently forgotten about (who had been watching their entire interaction).
"Jiang Zongzhu is that your wife!!?" A man who Huaisang thinks sells Tanghulu calls out
They both flush red hotfrom their hairline's to their necks "No!" they exclaim in unison.
"Don't worry Zongzhu!" A woman calls cheerfully from where she sits on the dock with the baskets "We support you and your preferences!"
Jiang Cheng groans as he drops his head to hang down. "Now look what you've done."
Huaisang just laughs at him and pats at his head sympathetically. "There, there, Zongzhu."
"I should just drop you." Jiang Wanyin lifts his head to look at him
"No!" Huaisang hooks his arms around his neck with surprising speed. "Being dropped in the lake once is enough for me!"
"Hmm, this one is still tempted." JIang Cheng smirks, before dropping his head down closer to Nie Huaisang "Convince me."
Nie Huaisang leans his head against Jiang Xiong's (very attractive) chest and whispers, lips by his ear "This one would be most disraught and saddened as a guest if he were to be thrown into the lake."
"I'm still considering ..." He whispers back to him
"Well I think the whole of your sect AND Yunmeng would berrate you if you did so, considering I am both your guest and according to them- wife." Huaisang's voice is honey-sweet. "Would they not?"
"...Yes." Jiang Cheng sighs, throwing his head back "Yes, you are right."
"I knew it." Huaisang grins cheerfully "Now are you going to carry me back inside so I can get a change of clothes?"
"...Fine, yes." Wanyin rolls his eyes "This one will carry you back."
Huaisang happily pats his (well-established as lean but muscular) arm "Splendid!"
"Let's just hope this doesn't get back to your brother." Jiang Cheng tells him, "Else I fear the Jiang sect will no longer have a head."
"Take me back to my chambers A-Cheng!"
"Oh hush A-sang!"
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Nie Huaisang is not afraid to say that he spent the next two weeks reliving the memory of being in Jiang Wanyin's arms and continuing to watch him work in the harvest. He spends it in a variety of different spots, slyly observing the man. It's not lost on him that all the townspeople and disciple's whisper anytime they see him but assume he's not close enough to hear, but the gossip is amusing enough that he doesn't make to stop it, even if it does give him a little pang of wistfulness anytime he hears it.
"Jiang Zongzhu must be secretly courting Nie Gongzi!" A disciple whispers to her friend.
Pfsh, I wish! I'd love to be courted by A-Cheng!
"Jiang Zongzhu and Nie Gongzi must be secret lovers." An old man loudly tells his equally elderly female companion
"And why would they be secret? Idiot." The woman scoffs at him "He's sect leader! Why would he keep his lover secret?"
"Because Nie Zongzhu would slice his head off!" The Man exclaims, "Don't you know he's very protective of his didi?"
That actually does make a little bit of sense. Da-ge probably would fight Jiang Xiong is he asked, probably throw him off our local peak.
"Do you think Jiang Zongzhu is going to propose?" A small girl asks her mother "Should I ask Jiang Zongzhu?"
"Oh shush!" He mother scolds her "We'll find out by the end of Nie Gongzi's visit."
Wanyin proposing to him on this visit, ah that would be great. Huaisang wouldn't be opposed in the slightest to being his Jiang Furren. He'd rather enjoy being his wife. Huaisang would definitely give him lots of heirs; imagine 5 little ones running round Lotus Pier. Would they look more like Huaisang or Wanyin? Perhaps a mix? Nie Huaisang's eyes and Jiang Cheng's hair. Jiang Cheng's eyes and Nie Huaisang's smile. Yes, that would be amazing! They'd be the most adorable children in the world!
A shame it'd never happen, Huaisang sighs, It was just a fantasy.