Chapter Text
Lotus Pier in the summer is an experience.
The hot golden sun ,the bright vibrant fabric that everyone is clothed in as far as the eye can see, the bustling markets filled with haggling merchants and shouting women eager to sell their goods, the exotic smell of spices so strong in the breeze that it feels as though the very air itself is made of the thing. It's invigorating and alive with all the things that AREN'T in Qinghe.
It seems impossible to believe that this place had burned to the ground less than a decade ago.
There's truly only one thing missing. The image of deep purple robes and dark grey eyes flitter through his mind. Huaisang lays strewn against a tree, peacefully basking in golden warrmth of the late afternoon sun, robes fanned out around his still and tranquill body.
"Where's Zongzhu?" He asks, cracking an eye open and holding his hand over his face to block the sun as he tries to see the Disciple's face.
"You know where." The young man sighs and nods his head in the direction of the Sect leader's chambers.
"Again?" Huaisang squints at him under the glare of the sun, even under the shade of his sleeve hanging loosely off his wrist
"You know how he is." The disciple says instead of agreeing, he doesn't bring his eyes to look at Huaisang, avoiding looking at the man, instead choosing to stare into the distance
"I've come all this way to see him and he can't even be bothered to host his guest properly!" Huaisang abruptly sits up with a start to complain this loudly to the disciple. "I'm forcing him to have some fun with me! I'll make sure that he will not work into the night again! He will stop!" He proclaims "Get the wine!"
"Yes, Young Master Nie." The disciple bows quickly and dashes off to get the wine, but not quick enough that Huaisang cannot see the faint curling of his lips into smile on his face.
Huaisang heaves himself up off the floor and arranges his robes for a few second before flouncing off in direction of Jiang Zongzhu. He strides quickly through the labyrinth that is the many, many paths, walkways and docks of Lotus Pier, his light green robes catch the light breeze and fan out loosely behind him like wings.
Huaisang throws open the door to the office (though not without straining under their sheer weight-but alas, that was the price one pays for dramatics). He finds the man bent over his desk with; a thick stack of paperwork, an ink pot and a spare quill-his tabletop companions in his beaurocratic endeavours. His hair is tied neatly with his ornamental hairpin, a symbol of his status as sect leader and deep purpled robes clothe his body.
He doesn't even glance up at Huaisang's arrival, simply continues to work. Huaisang feels rather disappointed at this mediocre welcome by Jiang Zongzhu, he stops up to the sect leader as loudly as possible, thudding like an elephant with shoes hitting the ground with as much force as Huaisang could manage. He stomps right up until he's standing beside the other man and peers over him.
"Honestly," Huaisang sighs, forgoing a greeting-if Wanyin didn't greet him then he'd do the same (Yes Huaisang was petty, what of it?) "Stop overworking yourself."
"I'm not." Jiang Wanyin says, he doesn't look up from his paperwork. He's still writing even now, wrists curving fluidly as they form the characters, ink appearing after his hand like an echo of his thoughts onto paper.
"When does harvest season begin?" Huaisang inquires politely, bringing his fan up to hold over his face
"Next week." Wanyin reaches out for a new scroll
"Will you be working then?" Huaisang inquires again, with a innocent flutter of his fan, concealing a knowing smile
"Will I be working, will I be work-OF COURSE I WILL!" Jiang Wanyin outbursts, face contorts for a few seconds at the sheer ridiculousness of what he's hearing, he whips round, hair sent flying to the side, to stare at Huaisang "Do you know how important harvest season is for us?!? Especially now?!?! It's our mid year economic boost that ensures we have enough funds to make it through the year!"
Huaisang takes the oppurtunity of Wanyin's movement to quickly spring up and install himself on the man's desk in a moment of surprising agility. He sits atop the wooden surface, right leg folded over the left, well-mannered even as causing a disruption to the sect leader. A rather polite looking nuisance.
"Well then," Huaisang says, a sly smile upon his face as he taps the fan against his chin "You MUST spend this evening with me."
Wanyin does not even deign him a reply"..." Unfortunately, his stony expression does nothing to deter Huaisang in the slightest.
"This evening and tomorrow then will also be spent with this one." He folds his arm across his chest and pouts petulantly (rather like a child)
"No." Wanyin crosses his arms too and leans back against his chair, his expression unyielding
"Oh come on Jiang-Xiong-" Huaisang says "If you overwork yourself to death then who's gonna lead your sect?"
Wanyin furrows his brows, him now looking like the child, he leans forwards to speak to Huaisang "I won't."
Nie Huaisang's glare says otherwise. "It wouldn't kill you to take a day off." Wanyin scoffs at that. Huaisang's face becomes less hard as he continues to ask "To spend with me, for old time's sake?"
"We're not that old Huaisang." Wanyin rolls his eyes, but his face softens anyway, brows relaxing and the tension disappearing with the crinkles in his forehead
Huaisang leans forwards so he's only a breath away from Jiang Wanyin. "Please?" he whispers, pleading
He can see him faltering, eyes glancing up at Huaisang before he says "...Okay, fine." Agreeing at last to this particular demand of Huaisang's.
"Wonderful!" Huaisang claps his hands together in glee "I've already arranged for Wine to be brought to your chambers!"
"Of course you did." Jiang Wanyin sighs, rolling his eyes again. "Just give me a moment to tidy my things and I'll meet you outside my chambers."
"You're no fun." Nie Huaisang huffs again
"I'm not starting a rumour about the Young master Nie and Jiang-Zongzhu having an illicit affair." Jiang Wanyin states in absolute deadpan
"Oh what's the harm in a little rumour?" Huaisang says flipantly "Never did anyone any damage."
Wanyin's eyes steel a moment at that before he reiterates "Not. In. My. Chambers."
"My Chambers then." Huaisang shrugs, accepting the boundry before adding "And anyways, who would tell? These disciples of yours would keep your secrets, wouldn't they?"
"They would." Jiang Wanyin says slowly, mulling that fact over in his mind, pondering the fact his disciples were loyal (strange man he is)
"Then what's the issue?" Huaisang waves his fan flippantly, sending a light gust of air that shifts a lock of Wanyin's hair ever so slightly "Eh, it doesn't matter. See you at my rooms this evening."
He springs off the desk with surprising ease for all his complaining about his weakness and merrily makes his way out of the office, robes swishing around him. But the very moment before he steps outside, he turns back on his heel to look the sect leader in the eye and say-
"THIS evening." Huaisang reminds
"Fine, yes, we established that it would be this evening, Nie gongzi" Jiang Wanyin's eyes flash with mild annoyance "I'll keep my word."
"Good!" Huaisang exclaims cheerfully "See you soon!"
⊹˚. ♡🕊️♡˚.⊹
The time passes steadily and Huaisang busies himself with a series of simple tasks; picking out new robes to wear and then changing into them, writing his Da-ge a letter (Just to clarify he is very much still alive and well despite not being in Qinghe), calling for the servants to ask that the wine be brought to his own chambers this evening, and reading some rather explicit material that he'd snuck into Lotus Pier.
It's only a mere 3 hours before Huaisang hears a knock on the door to his guest chambers and he rushes to hide his spring book back amongst his belongings. He shoves it under a set of jade bracelets he'd bought from a vendor down at the Lotus Pier markets yesterday, and sends up a quick prayer that no one will find it (lest he traumatise some poor Jiang disciple).
"You're rather early." Huaisang notes when he opens the door
Jiang Wanyin stands before him, arms crossed, impatient and petulant, his eyes itching to roll in annoyance.
The golden sun light of the sun looks absolutely splendid on him, he seems to glow out on the docks of Lotus Pier with the sunshine and the spiced breeze.
"What happened to a greeting?" Wanyin asks, sulkily "Perhaps even a 'thank you for drinking with me Jiang-Xiong?
"The sun is still high in the sky." Huaisang ignores his words
"I will not have any rumours emerging about me calling on you at night." Jiang Wanyin declares firmly
Huaisang is not impressed in the slightest with this excuse. He sighs and looks Jiang Wanyin in the eye.
Wanyin frowns as he admits "...And perhaps my disciples have barred my entry to my office." He huffs, disgruntled
Huaisang openly laughs at that and opens the door fully for him "Come on in Jiang-Xiong. I'm afraid I can't offer you some wine as it has not yet been brought."
"I call bullshit." Wanyin says rather forthright and bluntly "I know you've brought your own."
Huaisang snorts, before protesting "It's only a small jar Zongzhu!"
"Yet I have no doubt it will rather strong. Else you would not have bothered to bring it." He says dryly with another tilt of the brow "Am I correct?"
"You wound me Jiang-Xiong!" Huaisang exclaims, waving his fan around his face "But yes, you are correct."
The man pauses a moment before demanding "Well, get it out then."
"As you wish Jiang-Zongzhu." Huaisang hums happily to himself as he strides over to his pile of belongings.
He kneels down next to the bed and rifles through his things, taking care to avoid a certain set of books- lest he wants to be adomished by Jiang Wanyin for bringing such things into Lotus Pier (the man was like Lan Qiren when it came to these things)- before he pulls out two small black jars. He neatly opens the top and the heavy scent of Jasmine fills the room.
"I got this one from a trip to one of the smaller sects near Qinghe." Huaisang says to soothe Jiang Wanyin's doubtful look "It's perfectly safe to consume-I've had it many times before, they import it to the Impure realm."
"I see, and is this trade deal organised on your behalf?" Jiang Wanyin asks, voice droll. His eyes scan over the two jars in Huaisang's possession and he can practically hear the 'That's more than one jar' float into Wanyin's head
"Such wit!" Huaisang grins cheekily at him "But you are right again Jiang Xiong!"
He grabs a little pouch in which he keeps the cups and sits down, gesturing for Wanyin to sit down near him. He pours himself a cup and sets the open jar down infront of him, the second sits neatly sealed at his right- easy reach for later. He waits a few moments while Wanyin sits down opposite him before he pours a second cup. Then he lifts his own cup as though to drink it.
"Tell me about yourself Sect Leader." Huaisang smiles sweetly over his cup at Jiang Wanyin.
"And what would you have me say?" He returns "All there is to know about me, is public news already."
"Not that boring stuff!" Huaisang exclaims "The interesting stuff! Like the secrets you tell nobody?" He waves his arms again frivolously
"And why would I tell you that?" He furrows his forehead and looks intently at Huaisang, serious "If they're secrets then why should I entrust them to you?"
Huaisang pauses a moment, purses his lips then a second later he's pouting "Gosh you're no fun Jiang-Xiong! Always so serious!"
"If I'm so boring then I can leave," Wanyin tilts his head to the side, and mirth seeps into his tone "There's no reason you have to drink with this one."
"Nope!" Huaisang reaches across to wave a finger in his face "You are not escaping me that easily!"
Wanyin rolls his eyes fondly and takes a sip from his own cup. Huaisang watches as his face morphs into surprise then mild pleasure at the taste, before he takes another larger, more indulgent sip. Huaisang feels a strange sort of pride and warmth fill him as he watches the man enjoy a wine he picked out.
"I know!" Huaisang grins "A drinking game. I ask you a question and then you ask me one."
"Why should I agree to that? Either I tell you my secrets or you get me drunk enough to spill them anyway." Jiang Wanyin raises an eyebrow "Was that not your plan?"
Huaisang is a surprised, a little shocked even that he has been found out so easily. Guessing the alcohol was a safe bet- Huaisang had made sure it was no secret that Young Master Nie was a fan of good wine, and Jiang Wanyin had been present for a good many nights spent consuming Huaisang's stash back at Cloud Recess. But to correctly predict his tactics to weedle information out of someone? He had spread no rumours about such thing. Only his brother (and sworn brothers) could read him that well, and even then they all let slip sometimes.
Huaisang quite frankly feels rather exposed at being called out so bluntly, he lets out a nervous chuckle, disguised as normal joking laughter, his heart thudding faster in his chest at the idea of being known by Jiang Wanyin. He brings his cup to his lips and quietly sips, the wine goes down smoothly like silk against his throat and he feels himself relax again at the familiar mellow and sweet taste.
"You forget, that I knew you back at Cloud Recess." Wanyin has slightest hint of a sly smile pulling at the corners of his lips as he looks down into his cup "And my memory is not so bad as though I would have forgotten."
What else do you remember about me? -Huaisang wants to ask, instead he simply hums in reply to that, leans his back against the bed behind him and lifts his cup to the sky, letting the last drops of liquer slowly trickle out and into his mouth as he tries to calm the restless beating of his heart.
"Cloud Recess," Huaisang muses aloud "It feels so long ago. Doesn't it?"
He remembers it well; him, Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying, even Lan Wangji in those few moments when Wei Ying dragged him along somehow. The world had been so simple back then, they were merely teens (Albeit teens with titles but that had felt like it mattered very little back then). There was secreted alcohol and sneaking out and whispering across rows in lessons.
There had been no war (despite it growing in the background) and the worst threat that could befall them was getting caught breaking the rules by Lan Qiren.
"That might be the most honest thing you've said this whole time." Jiang Cheng replies, a tone of amusement laced in his voice
They both sit there a few moments, reminiscing in silence over their shared memory. The memory of happier times hang over them both.
"Alright then." Jiang Cheng looks at Huaisang and there's a genuine smile on his face now. He's smiling at Huaisang "Ask your question A-Sang." And Huaisang just melts.
"A-Sang?" Jiang Cheng repeats, "You chickened out or something?" And just for a moment, Huaisang can see the mild concern flash across his face
"No-no!" Huaisang hurries to reassure him that he very much has not "Of course not A-Cheng."
"Well then." A-Cheng reaches over to fill Huaisang's own cup, then sits back and watches Huaisang with those dark grey eyes, and a fresh smirk that he wears so very well "Ask away, old friend."