Together

2. Cloud Recess

"Young Masters, we have arrived." The carriage driver said and stopped in front of the gates of Cloud Recess. "Thank you." Wei Wuxian said as he lightly bowed to the driver to show his gratitude. The driver seemed startled and quickly returned the bow. Jiang Cheng elbowed Wei Wuxian making the latter roll his eyes in annoyance. Prior to coming to Lotus Pier and live the Jiangs, Wei Wuxian used to live a poor but comfortable life with his parents and did everything for himself and his utmost to help his parents. After coming to Lotus Pier, he was treated as the clan leader's son and given utmost respect. However, having been poor for most of his life, Wei Wuxian is able to understand the servants' pain, remains grateful for any help he gets and does his utmost to repay them back or at least show his gratitude. As his mother once said: 'Remember the things others do for you, not the things you do for others. Only when people don't hold so much in their hearts would they finally feel free.' Her words inspire him to this day as he barely remembers any of the things he ever did for anyone but remembers everything to the smallest detail of someone doing something for him. However, Jiang Cheng's case was different. Having grown up in a noble family, one of the 5 great clans no less, he was very particular about upholding his reputation and simply cares a pin for servants, treating them as nothing more than garbage.

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng pulled out their jade tokens and passed through the gates of Cloud Recess. "Wei Ying?" Jiang Cheng said making Wei Wuxian turn around and look at him with a puzzled expression. "You know we can't let our reputation as one of the five great clans be spoiled right?" He continued, making Wei Wuxian almost roll his eyes at him. 'That is something I should tell you, shameless idiot.' However, he nodded. "Then, why do you have to bow down to someone as low as a cart driver?" Jiang Cheng asked. Hearing this, Wei Wuxian scowled. "No reason. Just showing my gratitude." Wei Wuxian replied. "Aren't you afraid your reputation will be spoiled if you do that?" Jiang Cheng asked. "You know I never cared for such things right?" Wei Wuxian countered and walked up the stairs of Cloud Recess. Jiang Cheng sighed and shook his head before following him.

As Wei Wuxian made his way to the top of the stairs, to the gate, he saw a boy around the same age as him in pristine white robes. Wei Wuxian couldn't help but smile softly at the boy. He always loved the colours white and black, for they were the colours his parents mostly wore. He remembered his father mostly wore black while his mother mostly wore white. After coming to Lotus Pier, he even begged Uncle Jiang and Aunt Yu to let him wear either black or white robes, avoiding the colour of the Yunmeng Jiang sect, which was purple. Out of the two colours, Wei Wuxian preferred black more as it was easier to manage.

Jiang Cheng noticed Wei Wuxian looking at the boy in white with a smile on his face and fought down a pang of jealousy. His fiancée was looking at someone else instead of him and even smiling softly at them! It was almost as his Wei Wuxian fell in love with another guy at first sight without even knowing how the person looked, for Jiang Cheng had never seen Wei Wuxian smile this intimately to anyone except his sister Jiang Yanli.

The boy seemed to have felt someone staring at him from the back and turned around, stealing Wei Wuxian's breath away. He was the most handsome person Wei Wuxian had ever laid eyes on. His hair was long and black, flowing all the way down to his waist. A lovely white ribbon with cloud motifs was tied around his forehead. His eyes were light golden and beautiful with long eyelashes and his skin was extremely fair. His lips were soft pink. His body was lean but strong and tall with lovely muscular arms having long and nimble fingers. It was almost as if a god descended from the heavens.

Realizing that he had been staring, Wei Wuxian quickly schooled his expression and bowed respectfully to the boy. The boy returned his greeting before turning back to the guard. Wei Wuxian was suddenly jerked forward, his head aching slightly and took a while to realize what happened. Jiang Cheng hit his head, making him tear his attention away from the boy and look at him. "What the hell was that for?!" Wei Wuxian asked angrily as he rubbed the back of his head while glaring at Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng didn't say a word and angrily glared back at him, starting a staring contest.

Jiang Cheng was already quite annoyed when his Wei Wuxian smiled at someone other than him. However, when he saw how Wei Wuxian was looking at someone with 'that' look on his face to someone else instead of him and even bow to them, Jiang Cheng lost his cool and smacked Wei Wuxian's head out of anger and jealousy. How could Wei Wuxian not see his love for him? Jiang Cheng took such good care of Wei Wuxian for the past 6 years, making sure he always got what he wanted. Forget Wei Wuxian not returning his feelings for him, he was even staring at someone else like a lovesick fool! He didn't know who the boy was, but he had to keep Wei Wuxian and the boy as far away as possible. Just as he was about scold Wei Wuxian, he shouted at Jiang Cheng, making him startled and angry at the same time. Again, as he was about to say something to Wei Wuxian, he felt someone approach them and calmed down before looking at them. Almost as if a nightmare had come true, he saw the boy in white approach them.