Right, so, I’ve always really loved this scene in the donghua, and we’re just going to pretend that Huaisang was there, offscreen, even though we don’t see him when we focus on NMJ’s table.

Anyway, JC makes his super dramatic entrance, whipping off his cloak

And NHS almost falls over from shock, because he had resigned himself to the idea that both JC and WWX had been killed, and now here he is. Alive. Apparently healthy.

NHS thinks he’s never been happier.

And Jiang Cheng looks… it’s not happy, obviously. But he looks… excited. And he’s speaking passionately about uniting against the Wen clan, and then JGS and the other old sect leaders that just want to pretend nothing is wrong try to shoot him down,

and now he’s angry and he’s so obviously thirsting for revenge, and there’s just so much passion and Huaisang can only stare.

And then the clans that LWJ arrive, and NMJ stands up and successfully extols everyone into commiting to the Sunshot Campaign.

Among the shouting and cheering, Huaisang just sits quietly, staring at Jiang Cheng. He doesn’t know if he wants to break into laughter or sobs.

So many people are staying at the burned remains of the Cloud Recesses that night. Camping out, really, there’s not enough intact buildings for anything else. Huaisang and his brother are sharing a… well, it used to be a guest room, but one wall is gone.

It’s cold, and Huaisang is already wrapped in his ownblankets, but Mingjue’s are empty. There’s a war to be planned and he’s at the heart of it, Huaisang thinks it might last till dawn. He sighs and snuggles into the blankets, trying to stay warm.

And then he thinks, Jiang Cheng will be at the war meeting too. He’s Jiang-zongzhu now, he’s importantly, and he has a personal stake in this that Huaisang knows he can’t really hope to understand. He closes his eyes, and in his mind’s eye he sees the scene from earlier again.

That cloaked figure, dramatically removing his cloak, and it’s Jiang Cheng, alive and tall and somehow powerful, and Huaisang bites his lip and slips his hand inside his robe, inside his pants, and he jerks himself off as he lays in that cold room, thinking of Jiang Cheng. 💜💚

NMJ indeed doesn’t come to the room they’re sharing until just before dawn. JC had actually asked about NHS, he’d wanted to talk to NHS but been too busy with everything. NMJ told him he can talk to Huaisang tomorrow (today?), there’s still time before all their plans are set

He looks at his sleeping little brother. He seems considerably younger than JC now, even though he’s half a year older. NMJ thinks it’d probably be good if Huaisang actively pursues this friendship with JC. Might help him grow up (oh, he has NO clue, I don’t think 🤣)