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Nie Huaisang smiles mischievously at Jiang Cheng from the other side of the table. His eyes shine with glee as he suddenly has a wonderful time.
The same can’t be said for Jiang Cheng, but in retrospect, he should never, ever have told the guy he kissed when he was drunk at the age of 15 that he was the only person he ever kissed in his life.
And it wasn’t even a real kiss! Rather, Jiang Cheng drunkenly slammed his mouth against the corner of Nie Huaisang’s lips for a fleeting instant. Later, he pretended that he didn’t remember anything about that night for a whole week, until he found out that Nie Huaisang also pretended that he didn’t remember anything.
Nie Huaisang opens his mouth, but Jiang Cheng cuts him off before he can speak, “Whatever you’re going to say, just save it. I don’t want to hear it!”
If anything, Jiang Cheng’s words only make the sly smile on Nie Huaisang’s face even wider.
It all started when Jiang Cheng arrived in the Impure Realm to meet with Chifeng-zun. He had very important matters to discuss with his fellow clan leader, mainly the restoration of trade routes now that something like peace has settled over the Cultivation World and the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng regained some stability, but Nie Mingjue had to go out to attend to an urgent matter, leaving Nie Huaisang to entertain their guest until his return.
Seemingly pleased with the idea of spending time with his old friend, Nie Huaisang had dragged Jiang Cheng into his personal quarters, asked for tea to be served for both of them, and tried his best to strike up a conversation.
“It’s so nice of you to visit,” Nie Huaisang said. He had a book in his hands and a couple of fingers between the pages, marking his progress when he was not paying attention to it. “It’s always good to have company, don’t you think? It’s more fun.”
A small smile appeared on Nie Huaisang’s face as he brought his own cup to his lips and took a sip of tea.
“I’m not here to have fun,” Jiang Cheng replied, because he didn’t travel all the way from Yunmeng to have fun.
“You can always change that,” Nie Huaisang winked and opened his book again, his eyes moving slowly up and down the pages.
Jiang Cheng focused on drinking his tea while Nie Huaisang asked about his home, his nephew, and worst of all, if the rumors about the ladies banning him for being unmarriageable were true.
“We should meet more often now that things are quieter,” Nie Huaisang continued after receiving vague answers from Jiang Cheng. “It’s nice to talk to a friend, and letters can’t come fast enough.”
“I’m still busy.”
“Come on!” Nie Huaisang whined and closed the book. “We haven’t seen each other for so long!”
“I told you, I’m busy,” Jiang Cheng replied, in a harsher tone than he had intended, judging by Nie Huaisang’s reaction, who pressed his lips together for an instant before looking back down at his book.
The silence stretched. Jiang Cheng finished his tea and glanced at Nie Huaisang out of the corner of his eye until he couldn’t stand the awkwardness any longer.
“What are you reading?” Jiang Cheng asked, in a feeble attempt to resume their conversation.
Nie Huaisang giggled and turned the book over so Jiang Cheng could see the drawing of a couple kissing. Jiang Cheng was sure that in the following pages, they would be doing more than just kissing.
“Oh, your face is all red,” Nie Huaisang remarked, which only served to make Jiang Cheng feel his face heating up even more.
“Shut up!”
“Come on, it’s just a kiss, nothing to be embarrassed about,” Nie Huaisang paused to think for a moment. “Unless you’ve never kissed anyone before?”
One thing led to another and now Jiang Cheng wonders when and how the hell Nie Huaisang became so good at getting information and making people talk, but then again, Nie Huaisang has always liked to get his own way, even when they were younger and he was tormented by the thought of failing all his tests again.
“I can’t believe that was your first and only kiss,” Nie Huaisang says, looking at Jiang Cheng over his book and not caring that Jiang Cheng would rather not have this kind of conversation. “Was it really a kiss?”
“It wasn’t!”
“How can you please your future wife if you don’t even know how to kiss her?” Nie Huaisang keeps going, unaware that Jiang Cheng is barely stopping himself from jumping on him to stop him from talking.
This is another thing that Jiang Cheng regrets mentioning: his failures with the matchmaker. Jiang Cheng should have known that casually mentioning marriage and his idealized definition of romance to someone like Nie Huaisang would end up like this.
In reality, Jiang Cheng had not bothered to think that far ahead. First, he has to find someone willing to marry him, which has proven to be pretty difficult now that the ladies have banned him and are actively avoiding him.
“I’ll figure it out when I get there.” Jiang Cheng says through clenched teeth and crosses his arms.
Nie Huaisang nods and takes a sip of his tea. For a moment, it seems like he has dropped the subject and Jiang Cheng lets his guard down, just a tiny bit. A mistake.
“What if I help you practice, you know, kissing?” Nie Huaisang suggests with a nervous chuckle. “So, you don’t disappoint your future wife.”
Jiang Cheng half expects Nie Huaisang to confirm that he is only joking, but that doesn’t happen, which means that he is serious.
“What?” In spite of himself, Jiang Cheng’s heart starts to beat faster and faster.
“I mean, I don’t have much experience in kissing either,” Nie Huaisang rambles on, opening his fan and lowering his book. “I don’t know, but maybe I can help you get some experience?… Or you can forget that this ever happened, whatever you prefer, really.”
Jiang Cheng looks at Nie Huaisang, who is fanning himself nervously, and then at the book on the table. It is still open on the page depicting the lovers kissing. A part of Jiang Cheng wonders what it would be like to kiss someone without liquor clouding his judgment.
Is kissing as good as it is portrayed in these lustful drawings? Will he ever find out?
“If we do this, you have to promise never to bring this up again,” Jiang Cheng finally answers.
Nie Huaisang’s eyes widen a bit like he was expecting an outright refusal.
“That sounds reasonable,” Nie Huaisang agrees and shyly walks around the table to get closer to Jiang Cheng.
When he sits down next to him, Jiang Cheng takes a moment to look at Nie Huaisang up close. He is not ugly, his hair has grown longer over the years and his features are more defined, and even though his lips are on the thin side, they still look smooth and probably are soft.
“How should we do this?” Nie Huaisang asks.
“You tell me,” Jiang Cheng replies. “Aren’t you the one who knows what he’s doing?”
“I’ve only kissed three people, Jiang Cheng, and that includes our very sad first kiss,” Nie Huaisang explains. “Kissing is an art and I’m clearly not an expert.”
“Three?” Jiang Cheng echoes, not sure if he was expecting a higher or lower number.
“It’s never been anything serious, just passing whims.” Nie Huaisang shrugs. “Nothing more than a few quick, hidden kisses here and there.”
“Let’s get over this.” Jiang Cheng cuts off the talk. He doesn’t want to hear another word about Nie Huaisang kissing other people in the past.
Nie Huaisang smiles awkwardly as he places his hands on Jiang Cheng’s shoulders.
“Try not to break my lip this time,” he teases and leans forward to press their mouths together.
It’s only a delicate brush of lips that lasts for a moment. Jiang Cheng can feel Nie Huaisang exhale as he pulls back, like he had held his breath for the duration of the kiss, and that’s when he realizes that he is not breathing either.
“How was it?” Nie Huaisang asks.
“I’m not sure. I didn’t expect it to feel like that.” Jiang Cheng answers because it was just a simple touch, and yet, it managed to make him feel more than he expected.
“Let me try something else.” Nie Huaisang doesn’t wait for an answer before kissing Jiang Cheng again, but Jiang Cheng doubts that he would have rejected his advances.
This time, Nie Huaisang moves his lips against Jiang Cheng’s slack mouth, so Jiang Cheng mimics him. It’s definitely a nicer kiss than the previous one, despite the bitter taste of tea that clings to Nie Huaisang’s lips.
“What do you think now?”
“Better.” Jiang Cheng chases his lips and kisses him again, closing his eyes because that’s what Nie Huaisang does every time.
He finally moves his hands and places them on Nie Huaisang’s waist, feeling the subtle warmth of his skin even through the layers he is wearing. Nie Huaisang tilts his head slightly to the side as his hand moves up to Jiang Cheng’s cheek. Each time his lips press against Jiang Cheng’s, he responds in kind, their movements becoming less clumsy as they kiss and kiss, and kiss.
In a bold and unexpected move, Nie Huaisang playfully bites Jiang Cheng lower lip, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to make him feel it. Nie Huaisang giggles when Jiang Cheng bites back and pauses for an instant, barely long enough to catch a shaky breath before his mouth is on Jiang Cheng’s again.
With renewed enthusiasm and hunger, Nie Huaisang gently coaxes Jiang Cheng to open his mouth, and shyly touches Jiang Cheng’s tongue with his own.
Jiang Cheng is the one who jumps back now.
“Was it that bad?” Nie Huaisang asks, sounding genuinely downhearted.
Jiang Cheng shakes his head, ignoring that his face feels unbearably hot: “No, it was just weird and unexpected.”
“Do you want me to try again?”
Jiang Cheng replies with a quick nod before Nie Huaisang kisses him again, obviously eager to try that trick of his once more. Jiang Cheng feels Nie Huaisang’s tongue slide across his lower lip, so he opens his mouth and then Nie Huaisang’s tongue is in his mouth, and it’s still weird, but Jiang Cheng discovers that he likes it.
He tries it too and Nie Huaisang makes a strangled sound that might as well be a moan and that prompts Jiang Cheng to try it again and again.
Jiang Cheng can feel Nie Huaisang’s fingers digging deeper into his shoulders, so he pulls him closer into his lap. Nie Huaisang does not mind the change and wraps his arms around Jiang Cheng’s neck, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.
“Not that I care,” Jiang Cheng lies, “but who else have you kissed?”
He is not sure if his sudden spark of jealousy is justified, but the idea of Nie Huaisang doing something like this with someone else fills him with anger.
“A good-looking disciple and the son of a merchant.” Nie Huaisang replies, running his thumb over Jiang Cheng’s lower lip. “But you’re better and more handsome than them.”
Jiang Cheng groans and catches Nie Huaisang’s lips again, pushing hard against his pliant mouth, trying to convey with his actions how much he liked the compliment.
Nie Huaisang places a hand on Jiang Cheng’s chest and Jiang Cheng wonders if he can feel his heart racing out of control. He most likely can, but Nie Huaisang doesn’t comment on it and instead pushes Jiang Cheng back until he is lying on the floor. He supports his weight on his arms on either side of Jiang Cheng’s head and bends down to plant a kiss on Jiang Cheng’s cheek.
Jiang Cheng closes his eyes, expecting another kiss, but he doesn’t get it, so he blinks and looks at Nie Huaisang, only to find him with his book in his hand, staring intently at the pages.
“Really? Are you looking at your book right now?” Jiang Cheng asks incredulously.
“I’m just getting some inspiration.” Nie Huaisang answers, skimming through the book as best as he can while using one of his hands as a prop. “I’ve never done this before.”
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.
“One would think that with the number of books you own, you would have already tried a thing or two out of them.”
Nie Huaisang laughs. “I love art in all its forms, but only you have the privilege of having me.”
Jiang Cheng reaches for the book, and Nie Huaisang lets him take it. The men in the painting have their hands in the folds of each other’s half-opened robes, clearly pleasuring each other.
“What do you want to do?” Jiang Cheng asks, closing the book and putting it down on the floor.
“Whatever you want to do to me.” It feels like Nie Huaisang is dodging the question, speaking with conviction even though his entire face is flushed with obvious embarrassment, so much so that it’s almost endearing.
Before Jiang Cheng can ask what he means, Nie Huaisang rolls his hips down as if to prove his previous point, and that—that feels good. A gasp escapes Jiang Cheng’s lips and he reflexively thrusts his hips up.
“That’s… good,” Nie Huaisang gasps breathlessly, rolling his hips again.
Jiang Cheng is glad to know that he is not the only one who is out of breath. Instead of filling his lungs with air, he chooses to pull Nie Huaisang into another kiss as he fumbles with his clothes, his hands traveling to Nie Huaisang’s belt.
“Is this all right?”
“More than all right,” Nie Huaisang replies, nodding enthusiastically.
Jiang Cheng barely has time to loosen up Nie Huaisang’s belt before Nie Huaisang’s hands are on his torso, tugging at his robes as well.
Nie Huaisang’s palms are soft when they finally touch Jiang Cheng’s skin, but Jiang Cheng half-heartedly slaps them away when Nie Huaisang digs his fingers into his side muscles, tickling him and making him choke back a laugh.
“Don’t,” he warns, but unlike him, Nie Huaisang has no problem tittering at this discovery.
Jiang Cheng wonders if he should help Nie Huaisang out of his robes instead of doing whatever it is they are doing half clothed, but then Nie Huaisang leans back and his robes slide down his shoulders, and Jiang Cheng discovers that he very much likes the look of the silk sliding down Nie Huaisang’s body.
In fact, it is a huge turn-on.
Jiang Cheng swallows, and unlike that shameful time when they were teens, Jiang Cheng can’t blame his actions on the rice wine now.
No, when he pulls Nie Huaisang closer to kiss him, it is because he wants to; when he sinks his teeth into the unblemished skin of Nie Huaisang’s shoulder, it is because he likes the moan that escapes Nie Huaisang’s lips; and when he slides his hand down Nie Huaisang’s torso between the folds of his robes, it is because he wants to explore Nie Huaisang’s body until there is nothing left to explore.
Nie Huaisang seems to share this idea. He places his hand on Jiang Cheng’s thigh, dangerously close to his crotch, and judging by the grin on his face, he knows exactly what he is doing. He just needs to move his hand a little to the left and…
A knock on the door, clear and sobering, ruins the moment. Jiang Cheng gasps and barely stops himself from pushing Nie Huaisang away, while Nie Huaisang looks over his shoulder in horror.
Fortunately, the door remains closed, but it is clear that they are no longer alone.
“Ye—yes?” Nie Huaisang asks.
“Young Master Nie, Chifeng-zun is back and will talk to Clan Leader Jiang now.” Someone explains.
“Right! Jiang Cheng—Clan Leader Jiang, he is…” Nie Huaisang looks at Jiang Cheng with wide eyes. “He’s finishing his tea, but he will be free in a moment. Inform my brother and don’t open the door!”
Jiang Cheng facepalms as Nie Huaisang laughs nervously.
“Couldn’t you come up with another excuse?”
“I don’t know! I didn’t have time to think.” Nie Huaisang whines and gets off Jiang Cheng.
They sit side by side on the floor for a moment, catching their breath and waiting for their heart rates to return to normal. Something that cannot be said about their relationship. Along the way, they both forgot the original goal of their deal and got lost in each other, and there is no going back to normal after that.
Jiang Cheng stares at Nie Huaisang, at his swollen lips and red face, at his half-undone robes and messy hair. It’s not hard to figure out that he must look the same. Definitely not decent enough to meet with his fellow clan leader.
In fact, the anticipation of having to stand face to face with Nie Huaisang’s older brother after what they have done, effectively eliminates the problem between Jiang Cheng’s legs.
He sighs and stands up to fix his clothes.
“This was a—uh… very productive practice,” Nie Huaisang says, moving to pick up his book. He puts distance between them as he walks to his shelves to put it back in its proper place.
“Sure,” Jiang Cheng replies, because of course they were just practicing kissing, there’s no real reason for them to continue or do it again, or for Jiang Cheng to be jealous of the people Nie Huaisang chooses to kiss.
“But,” Nie Huaisang begins before Jiang Cheng can dwell on the anger and shame simmering inside him, “if you want, we can pick up where we were left off later.”
Jiang Cheng presses his lips together, as he ties his shirt and smooths down the black and purple fabric of the outermost layer of his robes over it.
“I won’t object,” Jiang Cheng finally mumbles.
Nie Huaisang walks over to him. “Let me help you.”
His hands press down on the collar of Jiang Cheng’s robes while Jiang Cheng ties his belt back around his waist. For a moment, they stand still, staring into each other’s eyes. There really is no going back to normal for them.
“I’ll be right here when you get back,” Nie Huaisang says and presses his lips to Jiang Cheng’s one last time, standing on his tiptoes. “I look forward to it.”
Jiang Cheng nods and leaves, for once impatient to be done with his responsibilities.