Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! I've been toying with the idea of bringing Jiang WanYin, Nie HuaiSang and Lan XiChen together post-CQL, seeing as they're still alive, lonely and single. Not sure if they'll agree with me though :p

Since I also owe an explanation of how the junior disciples, HuaiSang and Jiang Cheng found out about the WangXian wedding in the previous story, I thought I'd combined the two. This story disregards the CQL ending scene where Wei Ying reminded HuaiSang about the Do Not Befriend the Devil rule. Enjoy :)

Summary: HuaiSang finds out that Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian are getting married and decides it's a good opportunity to help two lonely friends. One to reconcile with his brother and the other with his past mistakes. He didn't realise he'd also be helping himself.

Setting: Post-CQL/The Untamed.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: The Untamed series is based on the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation novel which belongs to Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.

- Story Start -

Cloud Recesses was still a startlingly beautiful place. It was hard to believe it had once been burned down to the ground by the Wens. It had been rebuilt and looked the same as before, thanks to the monetary and manpower assistance of... well, that person.

Pushing that thought away, Nie HuaiSang allowed the serenity of the place to wash over him. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, mist still shrouded the mountains and clung to the tops of the surrounding trees. Standing on the small bridge that overlooked the Cold Pool, he took a deep breath of the cool, clean air.

When was the last time he had been here?

And how many minutes of peace would he have before those four junior disciples cornered him again?

They had known about the wedding because HanGuang Jun had informed his adopted son Lan SiZhui, and they wanted to know if he had told HuaiSang as well. The answer was, he had... and he hadn't.

HuaiSang had simply put two and two together. It wasn't that difficult.

Wei WuXian had visited QingHe a couple of times during his travels and most of his conversations always centered on HanGuang Jun.

"Lan Zhan sent me more money, I haven't finished spending the amount he gave me before! Does he think the Yiling Patriarch can't earn a living and will have to sleep under a tree?"

"Lan Zhan said the rabbits are multiplying like crazy in Cloud Recesses. In that case, they'll be overrun within a year, haha!"

And so on and so forth. Lan Zhan this and Lan Zhan that.

Really, everyone in the Cultivation World had to know by now how the Chief Cultivator and the Yiling Patriarch felt about each other. Everyone but the Yiling Patriarch, of course.

So when he turned up again two weeks ago and said he had accepted HanGuang Jun's request to return to Cloud Recesses, HuaiSang had lost no time in contacting a distant relative living in Caiyi Town who made a living sewing elaborate ceremonial robes.

Sure enough, she just received a commission for a pair of wedding robes (both male) from Cloud Recesses, to be ready in three weeks' time.

HuaiSang had chuckled at the news and replied with an order of a new set of robes for himself (no hurry, whenever is fine) as thanks. Then he had written to HanGuang Jun to request an invitation and promised to bring a gift that was sure to make Wei WuXian happy.

HanGuang Jun had written back with the date of the ceremony and said that his son and friends would also attend, something else that would make his Wei Ying happy.

Only HuaiSang's gift had dug in his heels in so hard it was a miracle he managed to persuade him to attend. It was also the reason why they were barely in time for the actual ceremony this morning.

Honestly! Shouldn't it be one of the grooms getting cold feet instead of the groom's own brother?

A secretive smile curved HuaiSang's lips. Well, the persuasion itself wasn't that tedious since he had brought two jars of Emperor Smile with him to Lotus Pier and that had led to some unexpected-

The sound of footsteps coming down the white stone steps cut into the hillside caught his attention and he looked up, automatically reaching for the fan inside his sleeve and flicking it open. Jiang WanYin made his way to the foot of the tiny bridge and looked up at him in annoyance.

"So this is where you've been hiding," he grumbled.

HuaiSang smiled and waved his fan to indicate his surroundings.

"Is standing in plain sight hiding? Besides, you wanted a moment with Wei-xiong, didn't you?"

Jiang WanYin strode onto the bridge and stood before him, crossing his arms over his chest. HuaiSang wondered if he should teach him a thing or two about body language... and how to hide it.

"We didn't kill each other if that's what you mean," Jiang WanYin said.

"Well, that's great," HuaiSang told him with a grin. Before he left the Main Hall, he had seen Wei WuXian approach Jiang WanYin and, instead of words, just flung his arms around him while a pleased HanGuang Jun looked on.

"Great? He sobbed all over my robes!" With his chin, Jiang WanYin indicated the darker patch of purple at his shoulder, scowl turning into a glare when HuaiSang giggled behind his fan.

"Ah, you're so cute when you're flustered, Sect Leader Jiang."

"I'm not cute! And don't call me that!"

HuaiSang lowered his fan a little.

"Jiang-xiong?"

"No."

HuaiSang lowered his fan a little more.

"... A-Cheng?"

Jiang WanYing flushed and glanced around.

"Not in public."

"We're alone now."

"This isn't Lotus Pier, you know." Jiang WanYin's eyes darted around again before he exhaled and forced his arms down to his sides. With a rather obvious attempt to look casual, he placed his hands on the railing of the bridge and stared straight ahead.

"So, did you manage to catch ZeWu Jun?" He changed the subject.

HuaiSang took a step closer and leaned against a strong and muscled arm, smiling when said arm didn't move away. He quite liked the fact that his head barely reached Jiang WanYin's broad shoulder.

"No, he slipped away before I could catch him. It's fine, I think I know where the Hanshi is and we're only leaving tomorrow."

"I witnessed the ceremony like I agreed so I should return today."

HuaiSang looked up at him, one eyebrow raised.

"You're just as worried about XiChen-ge as I am. And you said we'd talk to him together."

Jiang WanYin kept quiet.

"You also promised we'd have lunch with HanGuang Jun and Wei-xiong tomorrow before leaving."

Jiang WanYin frowned down at him.

"I don't remember making that promise."

"I made it on your behalf." HuaiSang gave him a sunny smile.

Jiang WanYin sputtered and looked even cuter than before. HuaiSang had to bite his lip hard to stop himself from saying that aloud.

"Besides, you promised to be on your best behaviour while you're here."

"I... don't remember that either." Jiang WanYin's eyes skittered away.

HuaiSang's eyelids drooped just a little.

"Oh? Do you remember kissing me before making that promise?"'

Jiang WanYin stiffened at once, uttering a sound that wasn't a squawk but certainly something he wouldn't want anyone to hear. He also turned red in the face.

"So you remember the kiss but not the promise? For shame, Sect Leader Jiang!"

"Not so loud and don't call me that!" Jiang WanYin hissed with a swift glance around. "That-that was just..."

Snapping his fan shut, HuaiSang took a step back and narrowed his eyes, gratified when Jiang WanYin started at the sound and looked uneasy. HuaiSang decided he wouldn't teach him how to mask his emotions after all. Getting anything out of him was worse than pulling teeth!

"If you tell me," he said slowly and clearly, "that that was just the Emperor Smile talking, I'll..."

"You'll what?" Jiang WanYin folded his arms across his chest again, his eyes wary.

HuaiSang didn't even blink.

"I'll throw myself over this bridge and drown in the Cold Pool."

Jiang WanYin scoffed, looking a bit relieved.

"It's too shallow. You're more likely to break your arm or get a concussion."

HuaiSang kept quiet.

Giving another swift look around, Jiang WanYin exhaled and came closer. He grabbed HuaiSang's chin and tipped his head up, pressing their lips together in a brief, hard kiss.

"It wasn't the Emperor Smile," he admitted. "And I would never forget my first kiss."

HuaiSang smiled, more relieved than he wanted to admit. He reached up to steal another kiss.

"It was mine too, remember?"

"Yeah. We're both pathetic," Jiang WanYin said curtly.

"I prefer the term 'discerning'." HuaiSang moved closer and then they both froze at the sound of excited voices.

"Look, they're down there on the bridge!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I have perfect eyesight!"

"Zizhen is right. Only jiujiu wears those flashy purple robes."

HuaiSang sighed as Jiang WanYin rested his forehead on his shoulder with a groan before straightening up. The four youngsters had caught up with them.

- o -

"Since there're no lessons today, we're supposed to bring you two around," Lan JingYi announced with zero attempt at diplomacy.

"It would be our pleasure, Sect Leader Jiang and Sect Leader Nie," Lan SiZhui quickly added with a smile.

"Jiujiu, I know some hidden places here that I'm sure you don't!"

"I doubt that," Jiang WanYin told his nephew. "When I studied here with Wei WuXian and Sect Leader Nie, we discovered a few places on our own."

Ouyang Zizhen didn't say anything, but his eyes darted between Jiang WanYin and HuaiSang, making HuaiSang wonder if he had seen more than the others.

- o -

Over the next few hours, the four young cultivators marched them all over Cloud Recesses and ignored Jiang WanYin's protests that they already knew of the Back Mountains, the stream beside it that was stocked with fish and the meadow with the rabbits. They also ignored HuaiSang's protests that it was too warm an afternoon to be traipsing around anywhere in their heavy robes.

It wasn't until they returned to the Cold Pool two hours later that HuaiSang finally had a chance to sit down, much to his relief. By then, they were comfortable enough with the youngsters to strip down to their inner wear and wade into the freezing water together.

HuaiSang had to admit it was fun to be around the four especially when Lan JingYi flicked some water into Sect Leader Jin's face and started another round of bickering which Lan SiZhui mediated with the ease of long practice.

Ouyang Zizhen joined in the teasing, but he also glanced at HuaiSang and Jiang WanYin a few times and seemed to be the only one who noticed how closely they were sitting.

When they got out of the Cold Pool an hour later, HuaiSang could no longer feel his fingers and toes. He was relieved that his grey inner robe and trousers turned darker when wet. Unfortunately for Jiang WanYin - and fortunately for HuaiSang - the Jiang Sect inner wear was a very light blue colour which was now temptingly transparent.

Oh, Jiang WanYin had a very nice body indeed!

HuaiSang swallowed a snicker when Jiang WanYin saw him staring and glared at him, cheeks flaring red as he turned away. Of course, that just presented HuaiSang with another, equally nice view.

They all put on their outer wear and sat in the late afternoon sunshine while Lan SiZhui took out tea and cakes from a basket he had filled when they stopped by the kitchens earlier.

"If this is how you treat all your guests, I'm impressed," HuaiSang told him.

Lan SiZhui smiled back, looking pleased.

"Thank you. HanGuang Jun and Wei-qianbei are grateful you two attended their wedding ceremony," he replied.

"Even though Jin Ling was sure Sect Leader Jiang wouldn't turn up," Lan JingYi interjected, getting a scowl and a shove from the other boy.

HuaiSang decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"ZeWu Jun attended the ceremony too even though he's still in seclusion," he commented.

The four youngsters exchanged rather secretive looks.

"Isn't he?" HuaiSang pressed.

"Well, it's already been a year since the Guanyin Temple incident," Lan JingYi said.

"So?" Jiang WanYin spoke up. "What does that have to do with it?"

Lan SiZhui bit his lip.

"We overheard Zewu Jun telling Grandmaster Lan after the lunch that he would come out of seclusion soon."

"I'm glad to hear that," HuaiSang said, glancing at Jiang WanYin. "By the way, I know we're expected to have dinner with Master Lan tonight-"

"But you'd rather dine with ZeWu Jun instead?" Ouyang Zizhen cut in eagerly.

"How did you know that?" Jiang WanYin demanded.

"Because I have perfect eyesight," Ouyang Zizhen told him, tapping a finger beside one eye. "And I see everything."

HuaiSang sighed and patted Jiang WanYin on the back when he choked on his tea.

"What do you mean by everything?" Sect Leader Jin asked.

Ouyang Zizhen looked at him in surprise.

"You know," he said and gestured to HuaiSang and Jiang WanYin. "Like how they were-"

"Nothing that concerns you, Jin Ling," Jiang WanYin interrupted as HuaiSang hid his blush behind his fan.

"You never tell me anything!"

"I think it should be fine, Sect Leader Nie," Lan SiZhui said, but his smile didn't reach his eyes this time. "Grandmaster Lan will be meeting the other elders tonight."

"To beat some sense into them?" Jiang WanYin demanded. "About time!"

Lan SiZhui gave a diplomatic smile.

"I will have dinner sent to the Hanshi and I will escort you two there myself."

"Thank you, we appreciate it," HuaiSang told him. HanGuang Jun and Wei-xiong had raised a wonderful son!

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it :)