Growing Pains from Growing Family (Xicheng)

Chapter 36: A Lan In Violet Robes

It hadn't been just a little. Far from it Jiang Cheng had managed to push Lan Xichen all the way, which of course had been the plan from the start. He had wanted Lan Huan to help pound any fear or worry out of his system, and as usual it worked really well. Jiang Cheng was feeling so much better when he woke up in the morning than he had the night before.

Just last night he had been petrified. Terrified he had lost everything.

Not only had Lan Huan been acting distant but Jin Ling had definitively refused to attend their wedding. And if that wasn't bad enough he had done so in a way that he had fooled Lan Xichen into believing he'd come. So not only had Jiang Cheng lost his nephew, he had also thought he was loosing his lover to jealousy. All because of that one stupid mistake which would seemingly haunt him for the rest of his life.

But today things were significantly better. Warm sunlight shone in through a nearby window revealing the somewhat barebones 'honeymoon suite' they had slept in. From what Jiang Cheng could tell it was just a standard room with a slightly wider bed and some better blankets thrown onto it. Other than that there wasn't much to write home about. It wasn't special but it was good enough. There was only one thing Jiang Cheng was missing from the room.

A Lan.

Jiang Cheng had yet again woken up without his lover by his side. Though the bed had yet to go cold, indicating that Lan Huan had only recently left. But even then he'd left a small note on the nightstand which read

Dear A-Cheng.

Due to a very handsome man's rumbling stomach I have embarked on a quest to retrieve the greatest of breakfasts and I shall not return until I have secured a treasure befitting of said Jiang.

Love you always, Lan Xichen.

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at the silliness of his fiancé's message before he spotted the final line.

PS if you wake up before I return would you please do me the favor of wearing this?

The piece of paper had rested on top of Lan Xichen's neatly folded outer robe from the day before. Did he want Jiang Cheng to wear his clothes? Doing as his man had asked him Jiang Cheng let the white fabric embrace his body. It was light, warm, and best of all it smelled like Lan Xichen. And though by no means equivalent, it almost felt like getting hugged by Lan Huan.

Happy as he could be Jiang Cheng was still smiling to himself when Lan Xichen walked in with a basket in his hand. "You're back already?" he asked having thought the Lan would be back much later.

"Yeah, apparently the inn owner sells homemade bread so I didn't have to go far. It's newly made, right out of the oven" Lan Xichen said as he removed the cloth covering the steaming hot buns. The smell alone made Jiang Cheng's stomach rumble again.

But there was yet another question, a much more pressing question which needed to be asked. "Why are you wearing my robes?" The Lan was covered from head to toe in an uncharacteristic violet color. The only parts of him which still remained white was the irreplaceable Shuoyue and Liebing at his hip as well as the headband adorning his forehead.

"You don't like it? Don't you like me looking like Jiang Furen?" Lan Xichen asked as he spun around to show off the robes which were already very familiar to Jiang Cheng. But they didn't make him look like Jiang Furen at all. Jiang Furen would wear much lighter and flowier fabrics than sect leader Jiang ever would.

"I prefer you looking like sect leader Lan" Jiang Cheng admitted. He loved the pristine beauty of the Lans' robes which suited Lan Huan perfectly. If he wanted to make a claim on Lan Xichen he'd much rather leave some sort of mark by biting or sucking rather than dressing him in violet. "But I suppose since you were the one to suggest switching robes, you prefer me dressed like this?" Jiang Cheng asked as he similarly showed off the way the Lan's robes enveloped his body.

Lan Xichen didn't need to respond. His eyes, which shone with excitement, said it all.

"Then I suppose I should borrow some of your robes to use as sleepwear going forward?" As sect leader Jiang he couldn't very well walk around in the Lan sect's robes wherever he went. He might be able to wear white when attending events specifically as Lan Furen, Lan Xichen's partner, but other than that his regular robes would be required wear. Everywhere except for in the bedroom, in there no one but his partner had any right to dictate what Jiang Cheng should wear. So if Lan Huan preferred him in white, he'd be wearing white.

Giddy with joy Lan Xichen looked like he defied gravity as he sat down at the small table placed in at the center of the room and placed the bread basket on top of it. Reminded of its hunger Jiang Cheng's stomach growled again. And so to stop the incessant complaining Jiang Cheng went and sat down next to his lover who happily prepared a sandwich for him.

Three bites in Jiang Cheng reminded himself to not get himself swept away by the happiness regular life with Lan Xichen brought him. It would be so easy to just lean back and let Lan Huan distract him from everything bad, but there was no real escaping it.

"Lan Huan..." Jiang Cheng hesitantly began. This was as good of a time as ever to tell him that Jin Ling wasn't going. He should just come out and say it. But his tongue was glued shut, refusing to let the words out as though they would only become true if spoken aloud.

Sensing his lover's inability to speak Lan Xichen made the best guess he could as to what was so difficult to say. "You're regretting last night aren't you?" he said in a scolding voice. "Didn't I tell you we should take it easy!?" he said accusatorily, but the sigh which followed revealed the Lan's true feelings. Worry. "Alright then. From here on out I dub this day a rest-day. No traveling back until later this afternoon, we will find a nice place to spend the day and you will get properly rested up."

"Thank you Xichen" Jiang Cheng responded, hoping he could bring himself to speak up later that day.