okay okay ok ok ok, so, post-canon nhs is a wreck, right? ten years chasing a terrible revenge, sick with the knowledge that if he can tear down jin guangyao he can destroy anyone and anything. the triumph drains out of him. he's afraid of the man he'll become if he continues

so nhs chooses to diminish, to regress. qinghe has no heir. nhs isn't particularly inclined to make one. he's seen the rot at the center of his sect. he's avenged his da-ge. nhs could become a monster like jgy to keep the nie alive for a few extra decades, or --

or he can return to dalliance. he can make himself the most splendid of cages! sex and liquor, art and decadence. the memory of wringing a cat's neck lives under his skin. he can't forget the smell of jgy's men with their faces burnt off, putrid flesh sloughing off of bone.

much better to write poetry about the countryside. while drunk. while really, REALLY drunk. if there's an assassin coming nhs doesn't want to see it.

unfortunately, restless blade spirits don't care that nhs is /over it/ and plans to check out for the rest of his life.

by the time anyone outside of qinghe knows there's a problem it's a BIG problem. there's only so many heavy hitters left to take care of it: nhs soon gets a very unwanted visit from wwx, lwj, lxc (not pleased to be pulled from seclusion to see nhs of all people) and jiang cheng

blade spirits get suppressed. lwj and lxc want to go home asap. wwx wants to go somewhere jc isn't asap. jc wants to shout at nhs first, so he storms out to check that off of his to do list. he gets real loud, tears into nhs for being more capable than this, lazy son of a bitch

nhs is...not enjoying this. he cringes and knits his eyebrows and whines: really puts his all into the act. unfortunately jc is stubborn and trained on wwx's dissembling so he keeps shouting about integrity and duty and what nmj would have wanted, huh? is this how you honor him?

that's ENOUGH for nhs. his face does that /thing/ where it's like catching a crow's eye and remembering that corvids are always watching you back. then he's squinting up at jc, head tilted to one side in entreaty. "eeeh, jiang-xiong, it's really not so simple --

-- if i were to step back into things i'd have to consider so /much/. lan xichen, for instance, ah -- we're enemies now, aren't we? -- and if he's coming out of seclusion already" (nhs shakes his head in regret) "i need to resolve that. unfortunately...suicide is more permanent"

if nhs starts, he won't stop, is the problem. "and then, oh, you know, wei wuxian is so untamed. to protect qinghe nie it would be best if he stayed in gusu. all the time. lwj is so protective, i'm wondering what it would take to make him lock wwx away in cloud recesses forever"

"not so much, maybe. and wwx wouldn't do well in captivity, would he? jin ling is easy. ruin the boy's confidence, install the right advisor, and lanling is wiped off the board." nhs wipes his fingers like he's gotten something dirty on them. "it's just so /much/."

jiang cheng doesn't like the sound of this! at all! and he'd like to know how nhs plans to deal with him, since he's said all this unsettling stuff about everyone else. might as say it to his face. nhs goes toothy, mean. "you? oh, i don't know. jiang-zongzhu is so...

...guileless. i don't think it'd be worth the fuss and uprising in yunmeng." jc discovers that he is EXTREMELY OFFENDED that he's not even worth assassinating. he completely misses the implication that nhs feels safe around him and respects the loyalty jc's people have for him

"well!" says nhs "i didn't like saying any of that at all! i'd like to be drunk and getting a blowjob within the hour." jc has no idea what to do with THAT. but...nhs is magnanimous even when miserable and offers jc a pot of liquor. anything is better than jc's brother-in-law

[ok science machine went ding a while ago and i gotta get my ass home from lab, more of this in a bit]

[i'm back!] jc is pretty sure that taking up nhs's offer to drink with him means he won't go looking for that blowjob. he's wrong. it just means that tonight the blowjob will be coming to nhs instead. the next time nhs calls for more alcohol the man who brings it doesn't leave

the implications of this don't register with jc for a lot longer than one would expect. in his defense, he's drunk and angry and focusing on not breaking any cups. it's weird when nhs opens his outer robe but the room is a little warm, and nhs is already a little disheveled

jc wishes someone would rub his shoulders like that. nhs is clearly enjoying it. the line of his throat as he tips his head back is, uh, it's nice. the man kneels down to re-fill their cups even though they seem pretty full to jc and OH HEAVENS JC HAS CAUGHT ON OH SHIT

he ought to go. jc looks at nhs who is staring back with a challenging, evaluating look. he's smiling, warm and private and relaxed and not at all like he's got somebody unwinding his belt right here at the table in front of everyone! well, not everyone. just jc. shit.

is jc going to pussy out, or is he going to watch his - friend? fellow clan leader? what even is jc to nhs, aside from not worth assassinating? - is he going to watch /nie huaisang/ get his dick sucked right here, right now? will nhs going to let that happen?

nhs is running his fingertip around the edge of his cup in a truly obscene way. he's not even looking at the man undoing the last few ties of his inner robes. no, nhs is still focused on jc, breath coming a little audibly. jc is half-certain this is all some weird power play.

that settles it: jc isn't going to LOSE when he doesn't even know what the game is. he's strong enough not to glance down and peek at nhs's cock, but it doesn't matter - jc can see on nhs's face the exact moment the man takes him in his mouth.

"do you - mmm - want one?" nhs asks, biting his bottom lip. jc does NOT 'want one,' thank you. all he wants is to understand what nhs thinks he's playing at. so far he's worked out that nhs's mouth looks very full and soft when he's enjoying himself.

fuck, jc made a mistake, he looked down and now he knows what nhs's dick is like. it's uh - really good. nhs reaches out with a swaying finger and boops jc on the nose. jc almost jumps out of his skin in surprise and outrage. nhs laughs, the same one from when they were kids

first his mouth drops open in a pretty o of amusement, then he giggles into his sleeve. "you're so fun to play with, jiang-xiong." then the man sucking nhs's cock does something skillful that jc isn't watching and nhs's eyes roll showily back in his head.

"isn't this nicer than trading lives and ruling kingdoms?" nhs asks. he twists a lock of hair around one finger. "me watching you watching me feel good? it's as fascinating as any court intrigue, but nothing hurts and nobody gets hurt." jc takes issue: his /dick/ hurts.

huh, it hurts because it's really hard. maybe hurt is the wrong word - the right word would be /aches/. jc is not going to touch himself even if nhs is being ten times more shameless in front of him. the blowjob is getting noisier and more enthusiastic.

"i need to go," jc says. nhs pouts. "don't you want to see me finish?" jc snorts, pushes away from the low table too hard, and stands to leave. oops, made an oversight - he can see the blowjob tableau way better from up here. nhs rolls his shoulders so his robes fall farther open

now jc has more useless information he didn't ask for! like nhs has flat, brown nipples and more defined muscles than jc had expected! and the skin on his hands is a few shades darker than the pale plane of his chest! and - nhs bites his lip again, this time with visible teeth

"i can come now, since you're in a hurry," nhs offers before jc can escape. "ah - right...there --" and jc's internal monologue comes to a screeching halt because nhs just came on command so that jc would have to watch. he's very beautiful. fuck. fuckfuckfuck

right fuck this jc is getting the hell out of there!! it's awkward because his erection is not going away but he's gone! he's flying the rest of the way to his room and the door is shut and he's got a hand on his dick - just squeezing it, maybe just so he doesn't come, maybe not

jc has dignity but not a /lot/ of dignity so after a few minutes of hobbling around trying to put himself in order before he gives up and jerks off to the image of his friend's orgasm. what just happened. he's supposed to be angry with nhs for being feckless and dissolute!

instead jc is being the dissolute one! and nhs's reasons for his behavior seem dangerous and beyond sheer laziness! and worst jc wants to save nhs from whatever the hell is going on in his life that makes him okay with just having sex like!

jc gets back to lotus pier and his head is a mess. he's 80% sure was nhs's ploy all along. but that's not gonna work, nie-xiong: jc won't forget nhs's slacking off just because he has a whole bunch of new and confusing feelings! the opposite in fact, now he cares A LOT EXTRA

[okay taking a break for a bit while i figure out what happens next ]

jc makes it clear that he will be checking in frequently to make sure all the sword crypts are in good repair. nhs is like “sure, whatever” until he discovers that jc won’t just be riding around the countryside playing magic groundskeeper, but will also want to to talk to him.

nhs assumes (rightly) that jc has a poorly-hidden agenda to persuade him to be useful again. however! as luck would have it, nhs doesn’t want to be lectured into goodness by jc! jc doesn’t understand what leadership will turn nhs back into. jc thinks he knows nhs but he DOESN'T

so when jc arrives at their carefully arranged time, he’s greeted by somebody he doesn’t know and sent to where nhs will be receiving him. and of course when he opens the door nhs is very much in the middle of getting fucked by several people.

to make things as intimidating and uncomfortable for jc as possible, nhs goes all out with this particular orgy. maximum opulence. fine furs, the best booze, liberal application of various cultivation-infused aphrodisiacs.

“i see you’re running late with a prior engagement. as your guest, i will not impose” jc says, teeth very gritted! he’s doing great handling the sight of nhs propped up on bolster pillows and being taken gently from behind. “we just got started, in fact,” nhs says. “please, sit.”

jc knows nhs is yanking his chain. here they go again. and, again, jc isn't fucking backing down. he’s loyal to the bright songbird he remembers from cr and their travels together after the lecture. he’s not letting nhs go. jc has never let go of a single person in his life

a not very clothed man directs jc to a small table off to the side where he’ll have a very good view. it’s laid out with foods he likes, but when he examines the dishes more closely they’ve all been altered slightly to include ingredients that arouse the senses and enhance sex.

no eating to distract himself then. jc had a list of questions for nhs prepared to probe his lapses in governance, but he’s having a hard time remembering because now nhs is getting fucked and getting a blowie at the same time and that doesn’t seem like it ought to be allowed.

nhs is relaxed and blissed out and watching jc with wicked intensity. jc has the stupid impulse to snap “you’re aware there’s a dick in your ass” as if that’ll make nhs realize that all of this is super inappropriate and stop.

the courtesans are very gentle with huaisang. they don’t jostle him much, and nhs hasn’t taken off his clothes entirely, just hiked his layers up around his waist. if jc looks only at the shoulders and above, it’s less like he’s watching sex.

nhs calls bullshit and tells jc to ask him a question he actually wants answered. Jc’s first thought is ‘what's it like to have that dick in your ass’ which he squashes, and then the next question is ‘how can you stand anyone knowing you’re like this, let alone watching?'

the question jc actually asks surprises nhs: “jin ling needs a trade advisor. do you know anyone who merits a promotion?” nhs waves a hand behind him make the man behind him to stop fucking. he does make a decadent noise as the guy pulls out - he's still gonna be nhs about it

[slower now since i've run out of what i drafted last night] firstly, this signals that jc remembers their conversation the last time in a lot more detail than nhs was ready for. second, it's a much more political-intrigue-y question than one expects from /jiang cheng/

jc smiles a tiny bit. these days his smiles can be even subtler than lwj's, to be honest, but nhs still catches it. "who's jin ling considering?" jc gives him the name. "not him," nhs says sharply. "alright, not him," jc agrees. /don't trust so easily!/ nhs wants to shout

the fact that nhs genuinely knows the man jc and jl were considering is a snake is immaterial. it's not safe to trust the truth either. nhs is flooded with sudden, black despair. one question and nhs is back to old patterns. "get back to it, sweetie" he tells the man behind him

jc watches nhs retreat back into his louche, giggly persona and feels so frustrated he could kick something. nhs is getting fucked harder, not so gentle anymore, shoved into the pillows with his ass up. his breath hitches as he takes it.

jc remembers nhs's slight body leaning into his side to whisper gossip in his ear, fan fluttering. he closes his eyes, although he can still hear with terrible clarity. there are no more casual touches in jc's life. the servant hovering at jc's side speaks up: "jiang-zongzhu --"

"no more tea," jc says, being rude. the servant shakes his head. "would jiang-zongzhu appreciate a shoulder massage?" fuck, jc would very much appreciate a shoulder massage, he's tense as spring-steel. compared to what nhs is up to, it wouldn't even be that scandalous

"yes, fine. nothing more. leave my clothes on." jc decides. this is a mistake. jc has forgotten that he's got kind of a hair trigger and that watching nhs get railed in front of him has him pretty worked up and also possibly there was something in the tea as well as the food

yeah, jc absolutely comes in his pants with a stranger rubbing his shoulders while watching nhs lose himself in sex. it's just so - he can't - it's really happening in front of him and - oh no jc has made an audible sound and nhs is watching him with fox-like eyes and - shit.

jc doesn't even know if it was a good orgasm or not! everything is too confusing! now nhs appears to be having a /very/ good orgasm and fuck shit fuck that's it's time for jc to leave. in fact it is time for him to leave qinghe entirely, without delay.

UNFORTUNATELY whatever nhs put in that FUCKING tea is real real potent and jc has to stop four or five times to jerk off in the woods on his way back to yunmeng. he aggressively represses any nhs-centric fantasies while he touches himself as efficiently as possible

[breaking for dinner and stuff, to be continued later]

[yeeting some more of this into the world!] the next time nhs is doing sex stuff AGAIN when jc gets there for their meeting. jc was half-expecting it, at least, so he’s not so surprised. and there isn’t a second person there so surely it’ll be less shameless than the last times

nhs is lying on a sumptuous bed, wearing a very thin robe. he has jc sit at a table next to the bed, with tea and writing things to take notes. It’s very proper except for how nhs is wearing basically transparent silk and jc can /see his dick/ and it's really handsome

this is for the stability of the region and his friend who is being a little baby about his feelings and needs to stop being a layabout and get to leading his clan. it’s not like nhs isn’t capable of doing it - when he’d just been pretending to be useless everything had run fine!

so jc’s brilliant plan is to sit with him and become friends. and that means jc needs put up with nhs’s nonsense and be chill until nhs figures out that these kinds of games don't work on jc. he's going to scowl into the middle distance and make conversation. yep.

but nhs has a secret weapon: a long string of beads, increasing in size from maybe about as wide across as a finger to about the size of an apple. jc doesn't know where those are going to go, but nhs does! nhs says hello, they exchange pleasantries -

- and jc rolls his eyes as nhs opens his robe after an insultingly short attempt at normal conversation. and now he's touching himself. great. "you can go on," nhs says, drizzling oil on his palm and squeezing his dick luxuriously. "i'm listening."

jc talks for a bit, chatting stiffly about lotus pier and who is marrying who (jc a list he memorizes so that he has material for small talk and understanding gossip), and nhs slowly warms up to the conversation, especially when they get to the gossipy bits

but nhs catches himself in time because no, he can't let his fondness for this beautiful lummox bring him back to the cultivation world nhs has left behind for the benefit of everyone. he takes his string of beads and works the smallest one into his ass while jc watches bug-eyed

he fucks around with that for a while, feeling extra tingly from the way jc's struggling to hold onto a scowl without looking away from the action. then he smiles winningly, interrupting jc's painfully terse conversation-starters and says "i'm not your pity-project, jiang-xiong"

"if you don't want me to get bored of this, tell me to put the next bead in. otherwise you can leave."

jiang cheng just about chokes to death on his own tongue. he was not prepared to be asked to participate! (he probably should have been ready for it, it's the obvious next escalation) but it's not that much, just a couple of words, nhs probably would have put it in anyway...