5Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Enjoy this next chapter :)
- Chapter Start -
The sun was starting to set when Lan SiZhui brought HuaiSang and Jiang WanYin to the Hanshi. To the two sect leaders' amusement, the other three juniors insisted on tagging along. Lan SiZhui, Lan JingYi and Ouyang Zizhen carried three trays of food while Sect Leader Jin strutted beside JingYi, obviously considering himself above such menial tasks.
HuaiSang and Jiang WanYin were content to lag behind as they traversed an unfamiliar path that led away from the main buildings of Cloud Recesses, catching glimpses of the setting sun through groves of plum trees and bamboo thickets.
"Are you sure ZeWu Jun won't just kick us out?"
The muttered question made HuaiSang blink at his companion.
"Of course he won't. He was watching us during lunch, you know."
"He was?" Jiang WanYin looked startled.
HuaiSang hid his smile with his fan.
"You didn't notice?"
Jiang WanYin frowned.
"I was trying not to die of embarrassment because you were sitting on my robes."
HuaiSang's smile turned into a grin which made the outer corners of his eyes crinkle above his fan. Jiang WanYin's frown turned into a scowl.
"Not to mention you almost poked my eyes out with your chopsticks. Twice."
HuaiSang hastily swallowed a laugh.
"I thought one of them was going to go right up my nose!"
That was it - HuaiSang laughed out loud. Rare humour glinted in Jiang WanYin's eyes, but vanished when the four disciples turned to stare at them in surprise.
"Jiujiu? Is everything alright?" Sect Leader Jin asked, starting to trot over.
Jiang WanYin waved him back.
"Everything's fine," he told him before rounding on HuaiSang to hiss, "Stop laughing."
"Then stop saying funny things."
"It wasn't funny!"
"I beg to differ."
"We're lucky Master Lan didn't throw us out."
With an effort, HuaiSang reined in his giggles.
"He wouldn't throw two sect leaders out."
Jiang WanYin just snorted.
"I wouldn't bet on that."
"In fact, he was quite... accommodating," HuaiSang admitted. There were a number of rules broken during the meal yet Lan QiRen had just sat there, eating quietly as if he hadn't seen or heard anything.
Perhaps he had enjoyed having mildly spiced vegetables for a change.
Perhaps he had realised there was no point in being grumpy when everyone else was so pleased to be there (present company included).
Perhaps he just wanted to gloat to those recalcitrant elders that they had all enjoyed the ceremony and lunch without their presence, thank you very much.
"Sect Leader Jiang, Sect Leader Nie? This is the Hanshi."
The two of them looked up to see the four juniors standing before a small gate. A straight path cut across a field of grass and led to a beautiful building, the surrounding plum trees giving it a feeling of privacy. They walked up to the building where the juniors had placed the trays on a small bench beside the door.
"We're going to have our own dinner now," Lan JingYi told them, giving a little cough when his stomach growled.
"Thank you," HuaiSang replied. "Sect Leader Jiang and I will find our way back to the guestrooms later."
"Enjoy your dinner and goodnight, Sect Leader Nie, Sect Leader Jiang," Lan SiZhui wished them.
"Goodnight, jiujiu, Sect Leader Nie!"
After the juniors bowed and left, HuaiSang and Jiang WanYin exchanged looks.
"Think he's in there?" Jiang WanYin muttered, tipping his head towards the door.
"Of course he is," HuaiSang replied and knocked on the door before he could change his mind. It opened almost at once.
"XiChen-ge, forgive us for intruding on your seclusion," HuaiSang said and bowed, Jiang WanYin copying him. "May we dine with you?"
Giving a tiny shake of his head, XiChen-ge returned their bows and smiled.
"Seeing as you two have already brought dinner here, please come in."
Jiang WanYin passed HuaiSang one of the trays and picked up the other two. They entered the Hanshi and set the trays down on the low table.
"Please sit," XiChen-ge invited as he settled himself at the low table.
Jiang WanYin took the seat opposite him which pleased HuaiSang since he wanted to sit closer to XiChen-ge. There was an awkward moment once they sat down and traded looks, knowing they should say something, but not quite sure what.
"Let's eat first before the food gets cold," XiChen-ge suggested and they agreed.
Dinner was steamed rice, stir fried vegetables, and a tomato and egg soup. Not as bland as HuaiSang had feared, but definitely not as tasty as lunch had been. Still, he was grateful for the chance to organise his thoughts since it looked like he would have to carry the bulk of the conversation.
Jiang WanYin looked ill at ease which meant he wasn't planning to talk much, or at all. He was also staring at XiChen-ge as he ate, a frown pulling his eyebrows together.
HuaiSang wasn't surprised as he stole several glances at XiChen-ge himself, taking note of the shadows under those beautiful eyes and the faint lines of worry on that pale skin, the way the corners of those supple lips drooped.
HuaiSang hadn't expected to see him looking so haggard and thin. He had written to him every month, but received no reply. He had also tried to visit him, but was rebuffed by Master Lan each time since XiChen-ge was in seclusion and only allowed brief visits from his uncle and brother.
Perhaps HuaiSang should have been more persistent, but he wasn't sure how he would be received. For over a decade, he had pretended to be ignorant and useless as he slowly and carefully closed the net around Da-ge's murderer, keeping his identity unknown only for a dying Jin GuangYao to reveal his hand.
Even though he had finally gotten justice for Da-ge, would XiChen-ge blame him for tricking him into stabbing Jin GuangYao?
There was no way of knowing for sure unless he asked.
That was one of the reasons why he had invited himself to the wedding, knowing that XiChen-ge would attend it for the sake of his younger brother. Seeing him in the Main Hall was a relief. Catching the fleeting but genuine smiles on his face at how happy the bridal couple were was an even bigger one. It meant that XiChen-ge was finally taking an interest in something other than the past and his own guilt. He even noticed how closely HuaiSang and Jiang Cheng sat during lunch.
That was a deliberate move on HuaiSang's part as he didn't want Jiang WanYin to bolt halfway through the meal. He had also clicked their chopsticks together a couple of times - a horrible breach in etiquette which he had half expected to be thrown out on his ear for - and ignored his exasperated looks.
Oh, teasing Jiang WanYin was fun, but HuaiSang still thought HanGuang Jun more shameless than him, blithely feeding his new husband in front of so many people. Not that Wei WuXian appeared to mind at all.
- o -
After the dinner in which HuaiSang and Jiang WanYin cleared their bowls while XiChen-ge only managed half of his, they set the trays aside. In the same silence, XiChen-ge put the small kettle on the stove to boil water, his movements calm and deliberate.
HuaiSang found himself biting his lip behind his fan as he watched, wondering who should speak first. When those tired eyes finally moved to him, he gripped his fan tighter.
"Xichen-ge, I'm sorry-"
"No, HuaiSang," Xichen-ge interrupted, the sheer unexpectedness of it making HuaiSang drop his fan in shock. "It is I who should apologise. I received each of your letters and was informed of each of your visits, but I was too cowardly to respond to any of them. Please forgive me."
Placing thin hands together, he bowed, low enough that the ends of his hair rested on the thankfully cleared table.
"XiChen-ge!" Alarmed, HuaiSang shuffled over on his knees and grabbed his hands, almost losing his balance in the process. "Please don't bow to me! You shouldn't ever bow to me!"
Slowly, XiChen-ge raised his head, eyes glittering with unshed tears.
"Why not? I put my trust in the wrong person for so many years when I should have been helping you find out the truth behind Da-ge's murder."
"You didn't know. I couldn't believe it either at first. Get up, please." HuaiSang tugged at his hands until XiChen-ge straightened up, embarrassment colouring his face when he glanced at Jiang WanYin.
"Sect Leader Jiang-"
"Don't bother apologising, ZeWu Jun," Jiang WanYin said in a tight voice. "You didn't do anything wrong to me."
"That's true, but-"
"If you want to apologise for all the wrongs that person did to Wei WuXian, then I suggest you apologise directly to him."
XiChen-ge stared at Jiang WanYin for a long moment before he nodded, a faint smile touching his lips.
"I will. Thank you for your understanding."
Turning to the table, HuaiSang poured the tea and picked up one of the much too hot teacups, handing it to XiChen-ge.
"Thank you."
"Please take better care of yourself, XiChen-ge," HuaiSang told him.
"HuaiSang's right. Sitting around and moping all day isn't doing you or anyone any good," Jiang WanYin added in a tone that might charitably be called 'scolding'.
Pursing his lips in disapproval, HuaiSang grabbed his fan and tapped him on the arm.
"Ah. My apologies," Jiang WanYin muttered with a bow of his head, voice as stiff as his back.
XiChen-ge smiled.
"Please don't, Sect Leader Jiang. You didn't say anything wrong to me."
"Yes, well..." Jiang WanYin trailed off and shot HuaiSang a look that plainly said 'Help'.
"But as for..." XiChen-ge looked uncertain as he turned from one to the other. "Pardon my curiosity, but is there something going on between you two?"
Flicking open his fan, HuaiSang jerked his chin at Jiang WanYin who shook his head at once and glared at him. Sighing, HuaiSang turned to XiChen-ge.
"It's still very new, XiChen-ge," he demurred.
"How new?" XiChen-ge asked, a hint of interest in his tired eyes.
"Less than a week. Right, A-Cheng?" HuaiSang batted his eyelashes at Jiang WanYin who predictably turned red.
"Don't call me that - ah, yes. Just a few days, actually."
"We're taking it very slow so we've only exchanged a few kisses so far," HuaiSang added and flinched when his fan was snatched from his grasp, snapped shut and made sharp contact with his arm. "Ouch! Give that back!"
He grabbed his precious fan back and glared at Jiang WanYin.
XiChen-ge blinked at both of them.
"Well, uh... I'm pleased for you two," he said after a moment. "I hope it goes well."
"Thank you, XiChen-ge. We're hoping for that too," HuaiSang replied and turned to wink at Jiang WanYin who ignored him. Pouting, he turned back to XiChen-ge.
"XiChen-ge, I heard you are ending your seclusion?"
XiChen-ge nodded.
"WangJi has taken over my duties for the past year in addition to being Chief Cultivator. Now that he's married, it would be unfair to burden him so. I will take back the role of sect leader."
"When?" HuaiSang wanted to know.
XiChen-ge took a deep breath and let it out.
"Tomorrow will be the last day of my seclusion. I will take up sect leader duties next week."
With a pleased smile, HuaiSang reached over and squeezed his hand.
"I'm proud of you, Xichen-ge," he said.
XiChen-ge covered his hand with his and smiled back.
"Thank you, HuaiSang."
Despite feeling Jiang WanYin's pointed gaze on their hands, HuaiSang bit back a smile and deliberately did not pull away.
- Chapter End -
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it and take care :)
