aulteration | sangcheng zone

[The huffy sigh makes him finally glance over at Huaisang. He wants, for some masochistic reason, to keep falling down the rabbit hole of cynicism, but--

The corners of his lips twitch just slightly without rising.]

...Are you pouting?

I'm sure you'd say it would be unbecoming of a Sect Leader to pout, or something along those lines.

[Another tiny huff. Maybe he is.]

I would probably say that, [He's Jiang Cheng. He says a lot of very bitchy things, especially ones that get him blacklisted.] yes.

[There's something amusing about how casually Huaisang can find it to sigh like a bored maiden. Or maybe he has just had too much to drink already.]

But I can't exactly begrudge you for trying to think on the past fondly. Some of it, I guess.

Parts of it, I'm sure we'd all prefer to forget, but-- it wouldn't do us any good, even if we were able to.

[He tilts his cup in a little circle, letting the liquid left in it swirl slowly around and around.]

We were happier then, though, weren't we?

[His brows come together, and he looks pensively down at the boards under them.] Not always. [The response is automatic, but he does take the time to think.

What's worse, not having a family at all, or having one that's kind of broken?]

We were happier because we were ignorant.

[when will jiang cheng stop being bitter]

Maybe so. Maybe there was more we could have done then, if we'd known.

But it was still a sort of happiness, I think.

[It's something he can't help missing. Something from a time he still thought he'd have the life he wanted.]

[Jiang Cheng supposes it was... a kind of happiness, even if he balks at the idea of being ignorant. (Funny, Jiang Cheng not wanting to be ignorant when he knew the least out of anyone...)

His eyes look over Huaisang's face, confused and curious.]

You would go back to that time instead of moving forward?

When did I say that? I know well enough there'd be little point to it-- but I don't think it's a bad thing to reminisce a little, that's all.

[If a small part of him does think sometimes about going back, it's only because it'd be a chance to change what came next-

But he also knows enough of how the world works to know that would probably be a vain hope, were it possible.]

Besides-- times like this one aren't so bad, are they.

[He thinks he knows why Huaisang would probably choose to go back. Hell, he might even choose to go back for similar reasons. His family wasn't perfect, absolutely not, but they were his family.

And they would be alive.]

Thinking about what was before, and about what could have been, can make you consider terrible things.

[It doesn't exactly sound... judgmental. It sounds like he understands this better than most. He puts his cup down on the boards of the platform, and then pulls himself to stand. The way he fixes his robes gives the impression he plans to end this and leave, but he turns his face out over the water, hesitant with consideration.

He holds his hand out to Huaisang.]

...so it can.

[It's half-sighed, quiet. There's no weight to it, really; it's something he tries not to consider too often, knows better than to dwell on for the most part, and-- well.

Jiang Cheng is someone he thinks could understand, or he'd never have talked about it at all.

Huaisang fully expects it to be left there, for Jiang Cheng to leave on this neutral enough note, and he's already planning to stay by the water for an acceptable amount of time so as not to trail after him when Jiang Cheng offers his hand, instead. He blinks at it, before his expression softens just faintly and he breathes out a little laugh, reaching up to accept it and get on his feet.]

Ah, Jiang Cheng, you really do spoil me still.

[He did not think anyone was left anymore to call him "Jiang Cheng." It's always "Sect Leader Jiang," or "Jiang Wanyin," or especially "Sandu Shengshou" when he's being his usual terrifying self.]

Don't thank me yet.

[For a moment, he isn't sure if he should keep Huaisang's hand--definitely in case Huaisang tries to book it, not because holding it means anything, or because his face is flushed with alcohol. But finally, he decides to pull away when he turns for the edge of the pier.

As a Jiang man of Jiang ways, there's no falter or hesitation when he steps into the boat, and bends to take up the long quant pole notched inside. He glances back at Huaisang; a very faint smirk is somewhere under the fatigue.]

Get in.

[Maybe it's just because of the conversation, but-- he really just couldn't keep using 'Sect Leader Jiang' in the moment, and as he's not rebuffed for it... he quietly files that away to try again later. He doesn't miss that Jiang Cheng doesn't immediately let go, either, but as he steps into the boat, Huaisang assumes it was at least in part so he wouldn't immediately leave when he realized.]

It's been some time since I traveled by water, you know, my balance really may not be what it was...

[But he's not backing away, stepping forward to gingerly set one foot in the boat, then the other.]

Not ready to go in yet? I hope it's a little cooler on the water, at least.

I can swim. [He makes it sound as if he's added an "at least" on the end.] It's still humid, but it'll be cooler where we're going.

[Not wanting to grab Huaisang and throw the man more off-balance, he simply holds up an arm as Huaisang climbs into the boat; he can use it to catch Huaisang if something happens, but Huaisang is also welcome to use it as leverage. He doesn't move until Huaisang is settled.]

The movement will be better than sitting on the pier.

[Case in point, when Jiang Cheng pushes them gently off, the breeze of gliding along the water is fresh.]

[He does, in fact, carefully hold on to that arm to keep himself steady, because of course he'll use what he's offered. He has a sort of pride of his own, but not about this.

Huaisang takes a few seconds too long to let go as he settles, purely intentional. A move to see how Jiang Cheng takes it, if he even notices. What he can get away with, just out of curiosity.]

It really is unfair that we couldn't all have studied here instead... this would have been as nice after a day of classes as it is after a day of meetings.

[By which he probably means he approves.]

[The hold is... Well, he's an idiot, but also not stupid. Which means it's noticed, and then internally dismissed for a multitude of rational, logical reasons. Huaisang needed the support for the boat, clearly...]

You just didn't want to deal with the Gusu rules anymore than Wei Wuxian did.

[He dips the pole into the water to push them along--then belatedly realizes he needs to do the same to the other side, but he's had a bit more to drink than Huaisang. Hm.]

Who among us did! It was so much work just dealing with all of them...

[He rests an arm on the side of the boat as he sighs, leaning against it a bit. Huaisang absolutely does not offer to help push or steer.]

Good preparation for conferences though, I suppose.

["Who among us did," as Jiang Cheng looks very far away, he does not see it. Not that he enjoyed them, but he has always been so...

He's always had the burden of inheriting a Sect on his shoulders, and so he accepted the strict rules to not dishonor his family.]

And here I thought you might have changed. You sound like the same one sneaking answers for his exam, and trying to give us pornography.

[Huaisang doesn't help at all, but that's fine. Jiang Cheng a) would not accept the help, he can do it himself :unamused:, and b) expects as much out of Huaisang anyhow.]

I passed, didn't I, it all worked out!

[He doesn't speak to having changed,though. They both know he has, but he still wants to indulge in this a little more-- the nostalgia of all the reminders doesn't make him as sad as he thought it might, somehow.

Maybe the company is helping. Huaisang isn't positive. He decides to leave that thought, just looking at Jiang Cheng over his fan with a sly little smile.]

Besides, you say that as if you think I don't still have a fine collection.

Barely, if I remember correctly.

[He still does not sound judgmental about this. There's no use in hounding Huaisang about it anyway, on top of the fact he's now aware there's a lot more to Huaisang than the man lets on.

He plunges the pole into the water on one side of the boat, and--he's not sure if there's a dip in the floor of the lake, or not--but it stumbles, and the boat rocks just slightly. He cuts a look at Huaisang's eyes over the edge of the fan, and then quickly looks away.]

You transitioned from hiding them in your sleeves, to hiding them in a room in the Unclean Realm?

Ah--

[He holds on to the side of the boat as it rocks, relaxing as it steadies. What convenient timing for a bump on the lakebed; he says nothing about it, but seems faintly amused.]

Something of the sort. You've really still never kept any yourself-? I'd have helped if I'd only known, you know.

[He snorts very faintly under his breath.]

I'll pass. I have no use for such things.

[Well, maybe he does now that he has been blacklisted by everyone woman in the cultivational world.

It's be, uh, a personal endeavor, of course. Can't use what you learn on people who hate you.]

I don't understand why it still fascinates you. We aren't boys.

It's art, Jiang Cheng, not simply something to-- satisfy certain needs. Not to mention that some of the rarer pieces contained things I'd never heard of...

[He's leaning a little closer, almost conspiratory, fan keeping half his face hidden.]

It's a collection just the same as my fans, not some sort of crude obsession. Just what do you take me for?

[Art. While not Mingjue levels of "god, art," Jiang Cheng still doesn't have any affinity for it exactly outside of the very basics, if that. He is very much his mother's son.

It was all tradition, and politics, and combat.]

Oh? [As if he didn't think porn was anything more than eye candy and a handjob. He poles the boat through the water at an easy pace, toward a copse of trees on a tiny island out in the middle of the lake. The trees aren't tall so much as bend and willowing, a nice shrouded shade hanging over the water.] Art was more to my father's liking.

[He peers at Huaisang.] A pervert perhaps. [Is he joking???]

Of course you wouldn't have learned to appreciate art...

[He just siiiighs dramatically, but no, that's exactly what he expected of Jiang Cheng. It's not much of a surprise.

Huaisang seems content to watch as they draw closer to the trees, appreciative of their graceful hanging branches-- he'd paint this, if he had his supplies-- but his attention is pulled back by that... is it a joke? A hand flies to his chest, with a light gasp.]

You'd say such things of me so easily-! Ah, I'm hurt, Jiang Cheng, I truly am-- but then wouldn't that make you one who chose to come all the way out here, alone, with a perverted Sect Leader? Just what would anyone think?

[Huaisang isn't wrong. About the art. But he could learn to appreciate it maybe.

Pulling the pole from the water a bit, he uses the opposite end to part the hanging leaves of the tree, and the movement of the boat carries them through. Very shady and extremely questionable, just like Huaisang brings up.

But Jiang Cheng realizes suddenly that he has tipsily slipped back into casualness. His expression goes pensive, but his voice isn't hard.]

You're right. I shouldn't have said that about you. [A Sect Leader shouldn't, even in jest, be saying anything so terrible about another. He glances away at the implication he is absolutely out here in secret with Huaisang.] I misspoke, Sect Leader Nie.

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