Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Enjoy the final chapter :)
- Chapter Start -
By the time they reached the guestrooms, the two papermen had had ample time to get up to mischief again. They exchanged gleeful looks (unseen on their featureless little faces) as XiChen-ge knocked on the Yunmeng brothers' room door.
Jiang WanYin answered almost at once, his expressive face showing worry which changed into relief and then - as his eyes traveled even higher - into open mouthed shock. The sight of two papermen standing on the Twin Jades' heads, each wrapped in a Gusu forehead ribbon, while said Twin Jades' foreheads were bare, was probably the last thing he expected or wanted to see.
Looking like he desperately wanted to face palm himself, Jiang WanYin placed his hands together and bowed.
"ZeWu Jun, HanGuang Jun," he greeted before scowling up at the two papermen waving at him with one hand each, their other holding onto a silver hair accessory.
"You two are absolutely shameless," he hissed. "Wei WuXian, you've corrupted Nie-xiong. Give those ribbons back at once, they're not yours!"
The two papermen's heads drooped and they began unwinding the ribbons.
"Young Master Jiang, our apologies for keeping you waiting," XiChen-ge said, paying no mind to the feel of his hair being tugged. Paperman!HuaiSang had wedged a foot against the elaborate hair clasp to keep his balance while trying to shimmy out from the ribbon folds.
Seeing a similar show happening on HanGuang Jun's head, Jiang WanYing face actually palmed when both papermen lost their balance and toppled off, landing safely in the palms of their respective Jades while still tangled up in the ribbons.
"HuaiSang, this is getting to be quite the habit."
"Wei Ying, please be more careful."
The gentle, indulgent tones were probably the last straw for Jiang WanYin - Paperman!HuaiSang could hear his teeth squeaking as he ground them together.
"I swear you two will be the death of me!"
Stomping forward, Jiang WanYin pushed down the folds of ribbon from Paperman!WeiYing's body and picked him up with thumb and forefinger, leaving the ribbon in HanGuang Jun's palm. He then did the same to Paperman!HuaiSang.
Ignoring the stunned Jades standing there with hands still outstretched, he strode over to Wei WuXian's bed where Wei WuXian and HuaiSang's unconscious bodies lay, and transferred their souls back. Then he folded his arms across his chest as they bolted to sit upright.
"Oi, Jiang Cheng!" Wei WuXian exclaimed. "Do you realise what you just did?"
"Put an end to your shamelessness, that's what," Jiang WanYin retorted. "I've been sitting here all this while, praying that A-Jie wouldn't come looking for us since we're not at the Library Pavilion."
"Jiang-xiong." HuaiSang fluttered his fan. "What Wei-xiong meant was that you touched both XiChen-ge and HanGuang Jun's forehead ribbons when you picked us up."
"I... what?!" Jiang WanYin gaped at them. The speed at which his expression turned from impatience to realisation to shock and then to open mouthed horror was rather amusing. "I-I have to marry them as well?"
A light chuckle made all three of them swing around to see the Twin Jades with their hair smooth and their ribbons tied around their foreheads once more.
"Please excuse my lack of manners, ZeWu Jun, HanGuang Jun." Jiang WanYin brought his hands together and bowed low, but a pair of hands stopped him.
"It was only for a second so no harm done, Young Master Jiang," XiChen-ge said, eyes twinkling. "Perhaps Young Master Wei's impulsive nature has affected you as well."
Jiang WanYin's even more horrified look had HuaiSang and Wei WuXian snickering as they got down from the bed.
The five of them settled around the low table with Wei WuXian sharing HanGuang Jun's cushion and HuaiSang following his example with XiChen-ge. Jiang WanYin's eye twitched, but he didn't say anything.
It didn't take long for him to be updated on what happened earlier.
"Good to know Master Lan isn't as stubborn as we thought," Jiang WanYin remarked and hastily added, "No offense."
"None taken," Xichen-ge assured him with a smile. "WangJi and I are relieved as well."
"Mn."
"So, what's going to happen for the next two years?" Jiang WanYin asked. "I'm sure your uncle hasn't given up hope."
"Well, HuaiSang needs to improve his cultivation," XiChen-ge said, making HuaiSang pout.
"Do I need to do that, Lan Zhan?" Wei WuXian asked with a grin.
"Wei Ying needs to obey more rules," HanGuang said, making Wei Ying pout.
"And the five of us need to be at the Library Pavilion until lunchtime," XiChen-ge added in a voice which brooked no argument.
Once they had stood up however, he rested his hands on HuaiSang's shoulders and bent his head to touch their foreheads together. HanGuang Jun immediately did the same thing to Wei WuXian and got back a beaming smile.
Wrinkling his nose, Jiang WanYin turned to the door.
"I'll go ahead in case A-Jie comes looking for us."
The door closed behind him, leaving behind a slightly embarrassed silence. Then Wei WuXian laughed and grabbed HanGuang Jun's hand.
"See you two at the library," he said brightly.
"Mn."
After the door closed behind them, XiChen-ge gave a soft sigh and reached for HuaiSang's hand, holding it securely in his larger one.
"HuaiSang, even before uncle started this betrothal business, I was already thinking of entering into a two year courtship with you," he confessed.
HuaiSang dropped his fan in shock.
"What?" He squeaked and tried to pick it up, but XiChen-ge captured his other hand, smiling.
"That's why I flew to QingHe that day. I wanted to inform Da-ge of my intentions first, but he was preoccupied with visiting your ancestors' burial place so I decided it wasn't the right time."
"You could've stayed there another day," HuaiSang said, smiling.
"I could, but I missed you."
"You did? Since when?"
"Since the night of the cave in. You smacked right into my chest in your paperman form and stole my heart."
HuaiSang giggled and tugged a hand free so he could pick up his fan.
"You never said a word," he said and flicked open his fan to hide behind.
"You're only fifteen."
HuaiSang flicked his fan closed.
"I don't care about that."
"But I do."
Feeling his eyes sting, HuaiSang quickly blinked them a few times.
"So, do you agree to two hours of meditation and two hours of sword practice every single day?"
"XiChen-ge, that's half a day gone," HuaiSang protested at once although he couldn't stop smiling. "I won't have time for anything else."
When XiChen-ge just raised an eyebrow, he pouted.
"Fine."
"I still haven't punished you for spying on me at the Cold Pool," XiChen-ge continued.
"Oh." HuaiSang dropped his gaze and squirmed, immediately reminded of how perfect XiChen-ge looked. He could feel his entire body blushing. Peeping up, he saw XiChen-ge looking rather pink in the face as well.
"But I will consider your practice an adequate punishment for that," XiChen-ge conceded.
"For two whole years?" HuaiSang complained.
"It's for your own improvement and I'll make it worth your while."
Warm lips pressed a soft kiss to HuaiSang's forehead.
"I... I'll need more incentive than that," he said at once, sounding a bit breathless.
"You're fifteen. We will take our time."
"XiChen-ge...!"
"Let's go," XiChen-ge said, pitching his voice just a bit louder. "We've given WangJi and Young Master Wei enough time on the other side of the door."
The sound of startled laughter from outside made both of them chuckle. When they opened the door, Wei WuXian and HanGuang Jun were still standing there, faces suspiciously flushed.
With no need for words, the four of them left the guestrooms and headed for the Library Pavilion. Wei WuXian soon lagged behind a little, allowing the Twin Jades to take the lead, before flinging an arm around HuaiSang's shoulders.
"So, Nie-xiong."
"Yes, Wei-xiong?" HuaiSang flicked open his fan and smiled at him.
"Aren't you glad you tried out my paperman talisman?"
HuaiSang laughed and nodded.
"Very glad," he said and he meant it.
- Story End -
A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed this story. Please leave a review if you did and take care :)