THE GAME

Chapter 8

The gang met at the lotus's mansion when their parents left Gusu to prepare for another meeting. "What?... That's not fair at all!", Huaisang pulled his hair in anguish. "Huaisang, chill...there's not much they can do to stop it.", Wen Qing took the bottle of beer to her lips. YanLi stirred her cocktail with the straw as she watched her brother's downcast look. 

Wen Qing, "Cheer up Wei Ying, being with Lan Wangji is not entirely a bad thing."

YanLi, "A'Qing, brother is not only hurt because of Wangji...In an attempt to stop the union he tried something stupid." The Wens and Huaisang became curious and paid rapt attention. YanLi looked at Jiang Cheng, hoping he would complete her statement.

"This idiot tried to seduce Xue Chengmei and got rejected.", Jiang Cheng said. Everyone else went silent for a while, including Wei Ying who poured another shot for himself and gulped it down. 

"He...He did that? Wei Xiong, what were you thinking?", Huaisang asked with a more confused look. "Why try that when you got into this mess because of it in the first place".

Jiang Cheng, "Apparently our idiot thought getting a temporal marking from another alpha could solve the problem. As if he does not know who our mother is and what she could do to him for that." 

 Wen Qing, "Wei Ying, everyone knows you can only succeed with that plan if you get knotted and bond with your mate. Were you really planning to seal your fate with Xue Yang...Do you have feelings for him?"

"I don't know okay!... I just wanted to be with him because I...But that doesn't matter now, he made it clear he didn't want me that way. He got close to me because I remind him of himself. What does that freaking mean?", Wei Ying got up and kicked the next chair.

"Anyway, we met the two Jades two days ago to make a deal. If we're going to be tied to them now, we need to make sure they don't have the upper hand.", Jiang Cheng massaged his temple. 

Wen Qing crossed her arms and leaned into her chair, "And how did it go?"

Jiang Cheng, "Well..."

(Flashback to the Meeting with the two Jades...)

"Just say what you have to.", Wangji spoke. "It's about the wedding...", Jiang Cheng replied. He gave Wei Ying a soft smile and then turned back to the Jades with a frown, "We want to make a deal...".

The Jades exchanged a look before giving them the go-ahead. Jiang Cheng darkened his face just to make them know how serious he was, "I'll go straight to the point. We hate your guts and don't want to have anything to do with you. If we're going to let this charade happen, we need to set some ground rules...We don't want a grand wedding...We are not going to be your baby factories and don't want to be a part of the 'Real Housewives of Sect Leaders'. We want separate houses and different rooms when we have to be in the same building...." 

Lan Xichen pursed his lips, not sure of how all those demands would be possible. "Zewu-Jun, I get to take any decision I want with my sect and you don't dare use the 'I'm the alpha' tone with me. You can fuck around, just not in our house or in public; honestly, I don't give a rat's ass what you do with your thing as long as you keep it away from me...And you, Ice Jade, yours is simple...You'll terminate the marriage with my brother after two years. Make up a flimsy excuse and do it or I swear I'll put poison in your food and kill you myself..." 

Lan Xichen, "Sect Leader Jiang, I understand if you're upset with my brother but why am I included in your plan."

"Because you're both the same...You protected him even when you knew the things he did. Does that not make you his accomplice? So that's it...If you agree to this, we will do our best not to make your lives miserable.", Jiang Cheng scoffed.