#qingcheng

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Everyone in the dorms was pretty different and not everyone got along. But there sure was one thing that everyone could agree on.

Jiang Cheng was loved by everyone here.

The young man had come from Yunmeng to start his veterinary degree here in Qishan.

He immediately got everyone’s attention on him, finding him to their taste. How lucky were they that the young man was not open to a serious relationship (wanting to focus on his study), but sure didn’t mind being sex friends?

Didn’t stop anyone from falling for his charms, but they respected his boundaries, taking what was given. They could easily show their one-sided affection with other actions anyway, like helping him study or cooking him something (since he had the habit of forgetting to get food for himself).

But having some time to have fun with him was not an everyday guarantee. Jiang Cheng was a bit of a busy young man, getting really tired all by himself.

Plus, if someone else managed to have some fun with him, your own chances to do so too wouldn’t be very high, understandably so.

But then, there were days different from others.

And no day at the dorms seemed better than when there was a pretty lavender handkerchief attached to Jiang Cheng’s door handle. This handkerchief meant one thing.

He was free to use by everyone all day.

It usually happens on weekends, when He has a day off and wants to blow off some steam. When he wants to be fucked and pampered by everyone freely without having to worry about anything else.

The first ones to notice it are usually the early birds of the dorms. Without surprise, Lan Xichen is one of them, and his companion in the morning is usually Song Lan.

These two do not talk much, but they also do not mind teaming up on a sleepy Jiang Cheng who’s still slowly waking up. The young man is being woken up slowly, the two men being pretty gentle in bed with him.

They take it slowly, knowing no one is going to wake up for an hour or two still since it’s the weekend anyway. Making sure to finger him open thoroughly, knowing there’s a whole lot more to come for him today.

Plus it’s pretty fun seeing Jiang Cheng slowly growing more whining and begging for them to fuck him already.

And so they take turns fucking him, slowly and deep, strong hand keeping him in place.

He generally ends up occupying his mouth while giving a blowjob to the one not fucking him yet. Jiang Cheng always loves being woken by them, slowly being fucked awake, hands caressing him all over, patting his head and whispering pleasant things to him.

Then when they are done they clean him up, preparing him something to eat for breakfast with them.

They are joined later in the morning by Nie Mingjue and Wen Xu, the latter having a knowing smile on his lips.

Wen Xu pulls Jiang Cheng closer as he puts away his plate, hugging him from behind. “Are you joining us at the gym today?” he asked.

The three of them are gym buddies, usually going at the same time, hence how it started.

They usually go together, but on Lavender’s Day, it happens that Jiang Cheng is already too sore and tired to come along.

“Yeah, I’ll be ready in a moment” Jiang Cheng replies.

And like that, they were on their way to the gym.

Let's say on these days, they are all a bit less productive than usual. Wen Xu and Nie Mingjua sure love to help Jiang Cheng around, hands wandering more than they should, groping him a little at times when no one is looking their way.

Jiang Cheng sure wasn’t shy to tease back too, rilling them up for later.

The way back home was also pretty quick, nearly running to the shower. Jiang Cheng ends up sandwiched between the two men, being kissed all over, hands easily manhandling him.

Wen Xu and Nie Mingjue are less gentle than his early lovers, but Jiang Cheng loves it after a good workout.

They usually don’t leave the shower to fuck, being fucked against the shower wall roughly, being held up and legs wrapped around strong hips.

Moans echo off in the room, enjoying the dirty talks Wen Xu keeps spouting. Everyone walking near the bathroom probably already knows what’s up.

The positive point of screwing around in the shower is that it is easier to clean up afterwards.

Once all cleaned up and in cosy clothes Jiang Cheng is being carried back to his room, not minding some more making out once he’s back to his room.

Wen Ning usually appears in his room in the later part of the morning.

Where everyone that wakes up early usually has already had their turns, but still too early for some others.

He’s usually shyer at first, although more confident than the first time he ever approached Jiang Cheng.

After being manhandled and leaving control to others all morning, Jiang Cheng usually likes to switch a little bit with Wen Ning. Not that the young man would ever complain about simply following Jiang Cheng’s command.

He loves the way he’s so eager to follow his every word, letting him take full control. There’s something pretty cute about such a big guy being so obedient and pliant, begging Jiang Cheng to finally let him fuck him for real.

He usually likes to ride him, forcing him not to move unless he’s given permission to do so. He can still feel how his hips struggle now to fuck back into him or grind when he simply sits on him. Just an adorable man waiting for his commands.

Wen Ning usually stays around, cuddling with him if no one decided to join them. They usually just doze off a little or watch something on Jiang Cheng’s laptop. They eventually go get food when lunchtime approaches.

Early in the afternoon, Jin Guangyao will usually appear at his door, having likely taken care of all homework left from the week.

He’s tiny, smaller than Jiang Cheng, yet he has a totally different energy than Wen Ning.

He’s the one in command and will have things done the way he likes them. He likes to ride Jiang Cheng, which is a nice break for his ass after half the dorms fucked him all morning.

Clearly, Jin Guangyao likes his time with him, he’s heard of the bad experiences he’s had with people who somehow believe his being small means they can do whatever. Jiang Cheng is more than happy to just follow his demand.

When they are done, Jiang Cheng like to give some more appreciation to Jin Guangyao by leaving kisses all over his skin, helping him clean carefully and cuddling some more with him.

Then at some point, Xiao Xingchen appears in his room. He’s quite the late raiser and it’s always a pleasant surprise for him to see his friend leaving him a message that it's a lavender day.

Of all the people in the dorm, Jiang Cheng never expected Xiao Xingchen to be so dominant and rough at times. He looks so soft and nice all the time after all. Not that hell even complain.

He ends up restrained to his bed, being slowly tortured with sex toys. He gets pleasure and stimulation, but not enough to cum. Every time he gets close enough. Xiao Xingchen would just lower the power or take the thing away, leaving him whining for more.

Sometimes they play something a bit rougher, which leaves Jiang Cheng fuzzy and nicely sore all over. The man sure made him realise that he may like a bit more things than he might have thought before.

He also loves the way Xiao Xingchen takes care of his after, praising him and calling him nice things. Making sure he’s alright and relaxed when he leaves him.

Wen Chao and Xue Yang end up visiting at the same time in the late afternoon, and of course, this makes things somewhat interesting (and a bit annoying at times). They like to fight and compete against each other.

So of course when it comes to having sex, they try to compete as to who does it better. Jiang Cheng does get tired of their arguing, pushing Wen Chaos down on the bed, sinking down on his cock easily.

“If you want to fuck each other get a room, or fuck me now” he warns, to which Wen Chao can only nod, doing as told. Xue Yang snickers at him, only to be pulled close by Jiang Cheng, being kissed passionately by the young man.

There’s a positive to them competing though, they do give their all for him, trying to get the best moan out of him and pleasing him the most. How cute, they think they’re the best fuck in the dorms.

They are sloppy once they are done though, Jiang Cheng pities their other lovers if they don’t take any care of them at all. Although he knows Xue Yang is likely usually the one getting fucked, from what he can hear some nights.

Nie Huaisang usually loves to come and see him in the evening. This time he’s accompanied by Wen Qing. She’s not someone from the dorms, but was likely told by her brother about what day it was.

After hearing so much about Jiang Cheng from her brother and cousin she once decided to see for herself. Jiang Cheng is cute enough, laying under her taking her strap-on. Nie Huaisang sure doesn’t mind sharing, there’s something really pretty so seeing Jiang Cheng drown in pleasure as he’s being both fuck and rutting in someone.

The way Jiang Cheng moves so he can fuck himself back into Wen Qing’s strap-on, then go forwards to fuck into Nie Huaisang. It does get overwhelming sometimes, being whispered words of encouragement by both of them. It’s always quite the good orgasm when it hits him, not stopping himself until Nie Huaisang also comes.

Of course, Jiang Cheng doesn’t leave Wen Qing without giving her some, eating her out eagerly.

He never knew he’d like the feeling of her holding his head between her legs, giving him commands on how to do it properly. The young Nie brother sure seems to like the show he gives them like this.

Jiang Cheng is pretty tired after that thought, having fucked around all day.

They do take a nice bath with him and Nie Huaisang usually stays to sleep with him, Wen Qing stays over too if she happens to have nothing the next day. Jiang Cheng would also lie if he said it wasn’t nice having someone else in his bed when sleeping, to hug or who hugs him.

Then everything goes back to usual, everyone in the dorms waiting to various degrees of patiently, for the next lavender day.

====

(Jiang Cheng being a slut is really good🤭😏.

Also, fun extra, Nie Huaisang and Wen Qing both stole an oversized t-shirt from him. How must it be to have two beauties in his bed wearing his stuff)

What could be so important? Wondered Sect Leader Yao as he continued on his stroll. Soon, he crossed a pavilion and entered into a quaint private garden, where he found the Sect Master of Qishan Wen, Wen Qing, playing a round of weiqi with her long time friend and sworn sister, Jiang Yanli. Standing by her mother’s side was Jiang Yanli’s daughter and heiress, Jiang Rao (zi: Rudan), fifteen years old and unapologetically the number one cultivator of her generation. Her older brother Jin Ling was nowhere to be seen, quite possibly sleeping in.

Jiang Rao noticed Yao Sheng first, and quietly signaled for her mother’s attention, 

“A-niang.”

“Hm?” Jiang Yanli looked up from the weiqi board, a black piece suspended between two slim fingers. “Oh Yao-zongzhu, good morning.”  

“Wen-zongzhu, Jiang-zongzhu.” Yao Sheng greeted and approached the table.

Wen Qing, splendid in crimson and black, with accessories of obsidian and coral dangling in her hair, turned to face him with a quizzical raise of her brow. Yao Sheng swallowed down a sudden bout of nerves. It’s been nearly seventeen years, yet she still made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The hands which were adnorned with rings and hujias had once tortured hundreds of cultivators at Wen Ruohan’s behest. Though it was later proven that Wen Qing had in fact saved and released those captured Sunshot soldiers, her name remained feared. Yao Sheng, for one, never entirely believed in Wen Qing’s innocence...

...especially given her staunch support of Jiang Wanyin and his practice of the demonic arts.

“Yao-zongzhu, fine morning, isn’t it?”

“Yes, fine indeed, though not for your disciples it seems.”

At that, Wen Qing blinked in surprise. “Oh?”

“Apparently something of value was misplaced, and all of Nevernight is out searching.” Prone to exaggerations, Yao fell easily to old ways. “Have you no knowledge of it?”

Wen Qing exchanged an unreadable look with Jiang Yanli and gestured over her shoulder at the small entourage of disciples attending to her, one of whom was the chief of senior Wen disciples. “Tianchi, approach.”

Wen Tianchi leaned forward at a respectful angle and whispered into her ear, “Sandu Shengshou reported that his Modian went missing this morning. I’ve dispatched disciples to search for it. He said there was no need to trouble you, zongzhu.”

Across the table, Jiang Yanli gave an amused chortle. “Oh A-Cheng, what can we say? He’s hardly a boy anymore and yet still can’t keep an eye on his spiritual weapon. Fortunately Modian is the loyal and obedient sort. Others cannot wield it without permission.” To Yao Sheng, she placated. “Worry not Yao-zongzhu, there’s nothing to fret about.”

But Yao Sheng was not amused. Modian - once known as Zidian - was a first class demonic weapon. How could Jiang Yanli be so blaze about it going missing??!! Wen Qing too seemed entirely unbothered. Perhaps she was the one who stole it...

Sighing, Wen Qing mumbled something under her breath, something about 要命的丫头 (Note: girl who’ll be the death of me).

“Has anyone spoken with liu-yatou this morning?” Asked Wen Qing, referring to her youngest and only daughter. After nearly a decade of only producing sons with a man (men? honestly nobody was really sure, it’s just one those mysteries of the pugilist world) whose identity remained unknown, Wen Qing had finally birthed a girl, much to the delight of all of Qishan Wen. Celebrations at Nevernight City had lasted almost a week.

“No one has seen liu-guniang since last night,” replied Wen Tianchi. (Note = liu = six)

“And her brothers?”

“Nor any of the gongzis either.”

Jiang Yanli laughed. Yao Sheng was extremely confused.

Wen Qing did not appreciate her friend reaping joy from her plight, especially since she was sure that the hooligan-ism which all her of children seemed to have inherited came from the Jiang side of the family.

“Well Jiang-jiejie,” Wen Qing stood up. “This game will just have to wait. Rao-’er, come sit here in my seat and make sure your a-niang doesn’t cheat me out of my pieces.” 

“Yes jium- Yes Wen-zongzhu.”

Wen Qing patted the child fondly on the cheek and made off to find the missing Modian. Her small entourage of disciples followed suit, and Yao Sheng, because he had literally nothing else better to do, did the same.

Unlike the disciples from earlier, Wen Qing seemed to know exactly where she was going. After making many twists and turns through Nevernight’s pavilions, verandas and gardens, they came upon a secluded courtyard where distinct loud crackling could be heard echoing in the distance, Yao Sheng would’ve mistaken them for lightning and thunder were it not for the brightly sunny day.

Over the garden walls, Yao Sheng saw Wen Qing’s sixteen-year-old son and heir Wen Shuo (zi: Zhuozhen) laughing as he floated in midair upon his sword. His second brother Wen Jin (zi: Zhuojie) hovered beside him on a sword of his own and appeared to be goading someone from below, “Again! Again!”

A thunderous crack split the air as the tail end of a glowing red whip shot into the sky. Wen Shuo and Wen Jin dodged easily, but their eleven year old brother Wen Di (zi: Zhuoyan) did not share their agility. The poor dear panicked as Modian coiled around his sword, jerking it hazardously this way and that half a dozen times. Wen Di barely held on for a minute before tumbling from his spiritual weapon, arms flailing, and landing on the roof, directly on top of his nine-year-old brother Wen Heng (zi: Zhuoyun). Across the courtyard on a tall birch tree, Wen Heng’s twin Wen Lu (zi: Zhuozhao) guffawed. 

“Shut up you a-hole, she got you too!” Hollered Wen Heng from underneath Wen Di.

“Yeah I know, dumbass, why do you think I’m on this tree?” 

Jaws dropping, Yao Sheng dared to sneak a look at Wen Qing. The expression he saw made him wince, and he half wondered how many of Sect Master Wen’s children was going to get a good whooping today.

A more sensible individual would have excused himself then, but Yao Sheng was a busybody through and through. Wordless and listless with curiosity, he trailed behind Wen Qing as she made her way into the secluded courtyard...

...he just didn’t expect a first-class demonic weapon would come sailing towards his head, a hairbreadth away from taking off the skin on his face.

Cross-eyed, Yao Sheng stumbled back. He had seen Modian back in its original form, when Yu Ziyuan wielded it in her youth. It had been purple then - like its namesake implied - but now it glowed an ominous red, with wisps of dark smoke coiling along its length. At the other end of the whip, holding its leash was a little girl, no more than six years old, dressed very prettily in a pale red dress with little lotus flowers the shade of sunset embroidered along the hem. 

The little girl gave Modian a little tuck, but when she could not recall the weapon back into her palm, she stomped one tiny feet and yanked the black blindfold from her eyes. 

“How dar - dare...”

The child stuttered when she saw who was standing there.

“M-Mother!” A chorus of guilt-ridden voices cried out. One after another, the boys on swords, roofs and trees swiftly found solid land, crowding around their little sister like a murder of crows.

“都闹够了吗?” Wen Qing asked her children, the tail end of Modian caught in one hand. (Note: 都闹够了吗  = have you all been a disturbance enough?) 

Yao Sheng did not know many who could achieve such a feat. Modian was a most stubborn weapon; it did not yield easily. Feeling suddenly more uneasy than usual, he took a cautious step back.

A wise move, for it seemed that leaving would be a very good idea. Wen Qing turned to him and the ice in her eyes made it perfectly clear that he had overstayed his welcome. “Yao-zongzhu, I’d invite you to stay and watch me beat my misbehaving children, but I’m afraid that would be awkward for you.”

“Uhh...” Yao Sheng cleared his throat and bowed. “Would you look at the time, Wen-zongzhu. The conference would be starting soon. I will take my leave. Don’t ... don’t be too harsh on the children - they’re -”

“Yao-zongzhu, how Sect Master Wen disciplines her children is hardly your business.”  A commanding voice interrupted out of nowhere.

Yao Sheng flushed as Sandu Shengshou, Jiang Wanyin, the grandmaster of demonic arts, sauntered into view. 

“Still here? What are you waiting for? A palanquin to come and pick you up?” Jiang Wanyin always had a poor temper, and his method of cultivation certainly didn’t do anything to help. How he managed to not lose control, qi deviate and die after all these years of continuous practice, Yao Sheng would never know.  

And honestly, he didn’t want to know. Yao Sheng, for once in his life, took a hint and fucked off without another word. Before rounding the corner, he cast one last fleeting glance over his shoulder at Wen Qing’s strangely large family, just in time to catch the littlest Wen child dash into Jiang Wanyin’s arms.

As the girl clung to Jiang Wanyin’s legs, Yao Sheng could’ve sworn he heard her sweet songbird voice calling him diedie.

ok. got it. JC knows he’s no saint. hell, he doesn’t even qualify as a decent human being, alright. he’s that socially abominable. but things have escalated to a point where he doesn’t even know what to do. maybe become a hermit, lock his dick and call it a day. yeah, that should do the trick. because he really doesn’t know when it all started... no. that’s a lie. total bullshit. it was Nie HuaiSang.

so, SO, he may have been 16. sweet bush child with no future nor name. a great big sister, a stupid big bro, an overachieving mother, a distant father, the usual. save for fucking Nie HuaiSang and his stash of porn. and JC was straight. and he just wanted to check if the link his high school friend sent him was a jumpscare or not. he closed the tab right after the first moan echoed in his room late at night, he forgot to put the jack in and his earphones were possibly all the way back in his backpack on the kitchen table. fuck his life. and also fuck HuaiSang for being into weirdly sensual artsy porn on top of that. fuck his life. fuck the replay button too.

coincidentally, HuaiSang was his first kiss, first head, first everything only one year later and JC still talks to the jerk to an extent, but not because he wants to, okay? they were experimenting, but JC was still straight. he wanted to do good on his first actual relationship with a woman, whatever that meant for him at the time. HuaiSang was okay with that, the lying bastard. JC may or may not have grown fond of him by the time their graduation came, but they never got around to talk about it because they were stupid and young.

also, HuaiSang’s brother had caught them once and JC had known there and then why his non-boyfriend had decided to cut things loose afterwards. that jock was scary as fuck.

.

then. THEN. university came and Wen Qing was the one reminding JC he was still very much as straight and unbendable as he could get. it took him three years to not yell at her in frustration and ask her out: the sexual tension between them fueled by rivalry over good grades and the scholarship program they both wanted to have access to for their masters.

she had been the one asking him out. JC was lying about having the balls to do it, obviously. the fact that she also discovered to be a lesbian while being with him could have burned less, all things considered, but JC knew he had made love to her and that was enough for him. letting her go had been the right thing to do and they still talk everyday and she loves his nephew and everything is fine.

JC is FINE.

it only took him the two remaining years of his masters to get over her, but. FINE.

.

he’s not gonna talk about her brother. it happened only once. okay maybe once that particular night, at a bar and they were drunk and Wen Ning was nothing like his sister and the boy always had a slight crush on him and he was the one suggesting it, okay?

Wen Ning was kind and gentle and kissed way better than his sister and maybe after two years JC could get over it and move on and they could still be a family after all and that last stall in the staff toilet had been where JC’s bottom cherry was popped and oh gods that felt so good...

“actually, Jiang Cheng, you’re lovely. but I think I’m actually really straight so... I’m sorry. I hope we can still be friends?”

yeah. JC’s not gonna talk about fucking Wen Ning.

.

maybe the fact that his brother Wei Ying got married so soon was the reason why. it has to be.

JC hated, HATED Lan Zhan. he hated how much in love they were. how softly they moved around each other. how much he wanted some of that as well.

and since he was THAT petty he had to flirt with Lan Zhan’s brother (Lan Huan) because of it. the man was terrifyingly good looking and a gentleman. so much he didn’t want to give in to JC’s requests... because he already had a boyfriend.

JC knew nothing about said boyfriend aside from the fact that he was apparently a snake, whatever Wei Ying meant by that.

Lan Huan looked very intrigued, but he’s also very loyal and JC admired him for that. he didn’t want to have that conversation tho, the one where Lan Huan politely asked him to stop being so charming in his periphery, so JC decided to hide for a month or two and maybe extended that period of time and never show his face again while he’s at it.

Lan Zhan would have also had his head on a fucking plate if he dared touching his precious older brother so, there’s that as well.

.

so he dated a bunch of people after swiping them on apps left and right, got the hitch out of his system and felt miserable about it.

Nie HuaiSang came back into his life like, the day before JC started working for a new company and asked him out for a drink. HuaiSang was crushing for a man too young for HuaiSang’s comfort because he usually liked older men and this boy was fresh out of his bachelor and JC’s friend was well in his late twenties and didn’t have a job yet and...

JC shut him up with a kiss and they felt slightly less lonely afterwards, until they actually talked about their issues and decided to stop being messy and grow out of their bad habits.

JC still fells sick at the idea of being someone else’s “bad habit” though.

.

Wen Chao was a mistake.

Wen Chao’s girlfriend was a mistake.

Wen Chao’s brother was a mistake.

Their bloody uncle was a mistake.

Their father was an even more spectacular mistake.

JC has yet to find out how he survived the year of his thirtieth birthday, honestly. that shit had been wild as fuck.

.

YanLi and her husband offered JC to look after Jin Ling more often in order to make him feel some sense of safety, he knew that much. at the time, JC hated the fact that ZiXuan worried over him and that his own sister didn’t know how to help him either.

people at work had started to treat him differently as well, now that they knew how messy he was. he started getting treated for depression soon after being promoted to supervisor, his workaholic tendencies saving him from himself after years of sleeping around and drinking too much for his own good.

A-Su was YanLi’s friend from university and was kind enough to ask him out one day. she stayed with him for a year before apologizing to him, saying she wanted something more: a family, a future, something JC could have not given her anytime soon.

.

his brother and Lan Zhan adopted a boy and JC became an uncle for the second time. A-Yuan was difficult to look after, having survived stressful living conditions in his early childhood, so Wei Ying appreciated the extra hand when JC offered it to him and his husband.

looking after children forced him to be not so angry all the time and now Jin Ling had a cousin he could play with and was very glad his Jiujiu was feeling better.

.

when Lan Huan came back into his life, JC had forgotten about even attempting to win him over in his early twenties. it felt life a lifetime had passed.

they started as friends this time around, but JC felt nothing for him and he was okay with that. they were good uncles to A-Yuan and that was enough.

.

what really caught JC off guard was when Meng Yao stumbled upon him one day in midwinter, crashing on JC and sending his briefcase up in the air. the older man was apologetic and kind and gods forbid JC still needed some of that in his life. even if it was the other who had crashed into him, JC offered to buy him coffee since Meng Yao’s cup was now sadly rolling out frame on the snowy path.

to his utter astonishment, Meng Yao accepted.

JC took his time with him, willing to slow down and really get to know this new man who seemed so welcoming and easily approachable... yet so impossibly far and unreachable.

Meng Yao confessed cheating on his previous partner with his best friend five years prior and how he felt undeserving of another chance with someone as kind as JC. he revealed how therapy helped him work on his tendency of manipulating others and that this was the only reason why he wanted to be honest with JC and tell him the truth. so that the younger man could make up his mind if Meng Yao could be granted a chance with him.

this heartfelt confession startled JC in the beginning, especially bc Meng Yao seemed adamant about not sleeping with him for the foreseeable future, unless they talked it out some more.

on JC’s thirty-fourth birthday, one year after meeting Meng Yao, JC asks him to marry him during a pleasant dinner the older man has planned for him.

to his horror and absolute joy, A-Yao accepts.

JC didn’t mind not having been intimate with him until then, nor he would have minded if A-Yao never happened to change his mind on the matter. JC felt safe with him, even when he saw him reminiscing the past with grief painting his features behind his fake smile. JC knew he could give him happiness and so he asked him to meet the Jiangs for the first time to announce the good news.

all but Wei Ying and his husband have arrived the even JC brought A-Yao home, their car stuck in traffic. they start eating without them, with the couple’s permission. YanLi and ZiXuan didn’t bring A-Ling this time around, not willing to leave too soon and waste a chance to really get to know the new member of their family. JC’s father seemed pleased to meet with A-Yao, exchanging pleasantries and conversing about common interests...but JC’s mother is weirdly cold and distant that night.

once dinner came to a end, finally Wei Ying arrived, apologizing profusely for making the lot of them eat without them. however, nor he or his husband could take their eyes off of A-Yao...and neither could JC’s fiancé.

“if you still have some dignity to spare, I suggest you leave this very moment,” said Lan Zhan, the most he has ever spoken in one breath in front of JC. to which, to JC’s astonishment, A-Yao answered by giving JC one last look and the saddest smile he had ever worn...before leaving the house and never look back.

.

confused, heartbroken, humiliated...JC didn’t know what to feel when Lan Zhan explained to the lot of them what Meng Yao had done to Lan Huan after eight years together. cheating on the kindest man alive with an old acquaintance of his that to that day remained unnamed bc Meng Yao refused to reveal their identity.

JC’s mother didn’t have to tell her son that she had known all along something was off about A-Yao: JC could feel it in the way she was looking at him, sitting next to him on the couch. she had a sixth sense for venomous people.

the following year, JC is pretty sure it passed in a blur. he remembers working less hard than what he was expected to do, been consequently and rightfully demoted in his company. others gossiped about him being so proud for nothing in the end, which aggravated his mood.

to his surprise, his mother was the one suggesting him to take a break somewhere nice. to clear his head for a month or two before deciding what to do with his life. Wei Ying booked him a trip to Taiwan the following day and in less than a week JC is on a plane to take a long vacation there.

.

one night, roughly a week after his arrival at the hotel, JC was staring blankly at the skyline in deep thought. he had done the tourist-y shit, eaten all the foods in the best restaurants, brought presents for his family. and now he was bored out of his mind. the same, old questions swirling in his mind: did A-Yao lie when he said he loved him? did he lie just so he could have a fresh start and forget about the past? did he leave bc he felt guilty for his past with Lan Huan? was he serious when he had accepted JC’s proposal?

that’s when Mo XuanYu came barging into his life like a hurricane.

the younger man, seven years his junior, spotted him from an adjacent balcony and proceeded to talk to him as if...trying to de-escalate a suicide attempt from his part.

“sir, please. I’m sure there’s more to life than this. I don’t know what happened to make you feel this way but...everything will be fine in the end. I promise you. I was there. It’s okay. please don’t jump over the balcony.”

JC had no intention of jumping, just to be clear, but something in his eyes must have caught the kid’s attention and...was that a steward uniform he was wearing? did he work for the hotel? JC was none the wiser but that was the first time someone had reassured him so wholeheartedly without even knowing him and it felt...weird.

he started tearing up and the younger man panicked, promising to keep him company all night if necessary, reaching out with a hand to touch JC and reassure him from the other side. JC grasped it gingerly in his own and let himself be coaxed back to the realm of the living by such gentle soul.

JC hated himself for sleeping with him not even a week after their encounter.

but it just felt so good to let himself be guided by hand to the most hidden and wonderful places. away from the tourist crowd, eating delicious food with someone smiling prettily at him. yet he hated himself more for thinking about someone else in bed with him, at least in the beginning.

Mo XuanYu seemed to know anyway, and even encouraged him to just do whatever he felt like with him. casual hookups didn’t have to be meaningful, the younger man had said, and it wasn’t even the first time someone used him as a rebound either. still, something ugly stirred in JC at that.

so he decided to stop thinking about himself for once and shoved every bad memory away. all to pour his affection into someone else and cater to his lover for the following month and a half. borrowed time of a stolen season, during which JC doted on the younger man and learned to listen.

some of the stories Mo XuanYu told him felt slightly familiar, almost as if they had a friend in common and didn’t know who it might have been. after his shift, the younger man would ask to eat with JC and share his frustrations, repaying him in kindness with sweet kisses and even sweeter smiles that felt a little bit too brittle in the morning, when he was bound to leave.

by the end of JC’s trip it was clear to him that he had grown fond of the other man, too much for his own good. but during a vacation, away from home, surrounded by new and exciting things...anyone would have worn a mask to forget their normal life, that reality they would have eventually been forced to come back to.

by the end of his vacation, JC had figured out who their common friend was and remembered how distant Nie HuaiSang had felt falling in love with Mo XuanYu. how sad the younger man’s emotional unavailability has made him feel.

and when they parted ways at the airport, JC kissed him goodbye and never saw him again. the memory of Mo XuanYu’s brittle smile engraved forever in the back of his mind.

.

back to work. back to his bad bitch persona. it felt good to focus on his job and nothing else for a year or two, keeping others at distance while bossing them from his office as he regained his boss’s trust. being promoted a second time gave him the confidence he needed to move on with his life and by his thirty-seventh birthday he could finally see a future for himself.

therapy was helping a great deal and even his siblings seemed to notice his progress, praising him for his willingness to seek help and his hard work.

A-Yuan and A-Ling included: the kids were growing up too fast, involving their uncle in their school projects and plans for mischief any chance they got to see him.

Lan Huan caught everyone by surprise one day in autumn by confirming YanLi and Wei Ying’s suspicions about his breakup with Nie MingJue, Nie HuaiSang’s older brother.

the older man didn’t tell them why he had stepped back from his engagement with the man, aside from saying that the both of them had found out something concerning about their past and common acquaintances. the discovery making them feel so disheartened to the point of braking their engagement of mutual accord.

JC felt bad for the man, knowing how much it hurt to lose someone so dear. not that they had had been able to discuss over the matter much, not even after A-Yao had left. it would have been awkward to talk about their common ex and his penchant for secrets and hurting other people’s feelings.

but they understood each other well enough and started talking more, out of their common interest in their nephews and their well-being.

.

five years later, JC was forty-two and content with his life. A-Ling was close to thirteen and A-Yuan quickly approaching fifteen. he could see them growing up and out of his reach, but their affection for him never wavered. until one day A-Yuan called him in the middle of the night, startling him awake.

apparently, his best friend JinGyi had called him for help after being beaten up by his foster mother and A-Yuan didn’t know what to do. calling his parents would have only alerted and worried Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, who were probably still asleep and hadn’t even noticed their son had sneaked out in the middle of the night.

panicked and worried, JC called Lan Huan instead and they left for the hospital. and something hurt at the sight of such a young boy lying still on a bed too big for him. something else clicked in JC’s brain at the sight but it would have taken him several months to realize what exactly.

furious and restless, Lan Huan spend months looking for the woman who had hurt the child, eventually destroying her in court until he pried a confession out of her. social services immediately alerted as JC inquired over the possibility of giving the child a permanent home himself.

not even a year later, JC was able to welcome the kid in their new house in the quietest part of town. it took a while for the boy to adjust, worrying over JC eventually changing his mind and letting him go. “who even adopts someone close to be of age?” JinGyi had asked, frustrated and certain JC would grow bored of him.

but JC was there to reassure him every step of the way, telling him family was forever and not something easily dismissible. he repeated it until the boy seemed satisfied and called him “dad” for the first time one inconspicuous evening at dinner. if JC cried on his pizza, well, nobody has to know.

.

Lan Huan was glad to listen to JC gushing over his son, more than supportive and borderline enthusiastic to listen to every little progress and new success.

JC knew this was enough, but he would lie saying he hadn’t felt loved by the other man. yet, he didn’t dare hope he could have another chance at happiness at almost fifty years old. Lan Huan himself close to fifty-five and well settled into his career as a lawyer...too much to consider a valuable partnership with someone like JC.

his therapist had bashed him for ages over such insecurity, but JC could only smile at him and shrug. many people didn’t find their happy ending and he still had JinGyi to look after. which seemed a good way to spend the rest of his life.

so it came as a surprise when, one evening, as JC overlooked at Lan Huan building a piece of furniture with JinGyi in their living room, he started crying with love and affection.

“why are you crying Jiang Cheng?”

“I’m happy.”

he really was.

he still is to this day.

*

[they don’t marry, but they do spend the rest of their life together anyway]