Chapter Text
Jiang Cheng flops down his seat right behind Nie Huaisang’s, his best friend of 10 years. “You’re early today”, Jiang Cheng comments.
“Yeah! I had to drop off Mian-Mian to her school today. Never let your date walk back alone. First rule of Dating 101, my friend”, gives back Huaisang.
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at that. “My friend, do remember to follow your advices this time. I’m warning you, I won’t listen to your relationship woes any longer.”
“Nooo! How can you betray me this way A-Cheng? Your bestie, BFF of more than a decade will die without your support”, Huaisang flails about.
“Is he being a bother again?”, Wen Ning asks sitting down adjacent to Jiang Cheng.
“Et Tu Ning-Ning!”, Huaisang dramatically gasps and hugs Wei Wuxian who just entered the classroom. Wuxian smiles conspiratorially at all three of them, “You won’t believe what this older brother of yours just saw today.”
All three turned excitedly at the mention of possible gossip material.
“I saw Wen Chao walking Wang Lingjiao to her school”, Wuxian whispers dramatically. The audience collectively rolls their eyes at this.
“Hey! What’s this reaction? Aren’t you bothered by this, Huaisang? She was after you for so long. You even went out with her.”
“Yes! But that was three weeks back. Huaisang rejected her, and now he’s dating Mian-Mian”, Wen Ning answers for them.
“Mian-Mian? The beauty of J.L. High? Since when? Where was I?”, Wuxian looks from Jiang-Cheng to Huaisang with an expression of betrayal.
“No! You don’t get to blame us. You were busy flirting with Qin Su. You didn’t even accompany us to the game centre. Don’t come running to us when she finally decides she’s done with you”, Jiang Cheng replies coolly.
“A-Cheng! Don’t be upset with me. I promise. I won’t cancel our plans last minute. I have no excuses. But do forgive this sinner", wails Wuxain, flinging himself unceremoniously at Jiang Cheng who pushes him off.
“Stop throwing yourself at everyone. May be then I’ll think about forgiving you.”
“This young blooded man swears to always place his bros before hoes", Huaisang crows at the top of his voice. The quartet collectively laugh at their own theatrics, earning a few glances and scowls from their classmates, while the rest laugh along with them.
The distant ring of the school bell signaling the start of classes make them settle down for another school day.
During recess, the quartet gather at Jiang Cheng’s table to share their home-made tiffins.
“Excuse me! Are you Jiang Cheng of standard ten?”, a dainty girl approaches them.
“Yeah! That’s me.”
“Could you meet me after class? I have something I want to talk to you about.”
Jiang Cheng nods his head absent-mindedly, “Yeah! Sure.”
“Okay then. See you later. Bye.”, she left as hurriedly as she entered.
“Oooh! Is someone getting confessed to?”, Wuxian teases Jiang Cheng. The other two jostle his shoulders and grin at him devilishly.
“Shut up! It’s not like that”, he shouts at his friends.
“Not like what?” the three minions of the devil question him.
“It’s just something I’m dealing with", he starts. The three look at him expectantly, so he continues "These past few days I’ve been getting these weird requests from random people. They come to me for relationship advice. Yeah! I know. I don’t even know how it started but they say everyone is saying I give good advices.”
“The single-since-birth Jiang Cheng. Relationship advisor?”, Huaisang and Wuxian starts guffawing at that.
Wen Ning smiles sheepishly and pats Jiang Cheng's back sympathetically who slumps down on his seat and focuses on finishing his fried rice.
When the two jokers settle down to their meals, Wen Ning says, “Well! A-Cheng might not have been in a relationship before but he’s a good listener. Most people don’t approach any stranger for dating advice, maybe they just need someone who will listen to them. And A-Cheng is good at that, he might be blunt but he’s truthful and doesn’t speak out of turn. Don’t all of us call him first when we have something on our minds?”
“At least I have one smart friend", Jiang Cheng says.
“That’s true A-Ning. You’re so smart, that’s why you top all the exams’, Huaisang joins in.
“Wow! You’ve got a good friend there Cheng-Cheng. Ning-Ning! I’m thankful to have such loyal friends,”, Wuxian adds with a smile.
“He tops the class because he is hard working Huaisang! You’d know if you tried to study”, Jiang Cheng replies to Huaisang.
“Ouch! Wuxian. Fight for me. I have only you now", Huaisang says with his hand on his chest.
Jiang Cheng swipes at Huaisang's for his theatrics and then all of them end up chasing each other around the class.
Jiang Cheng opens the door to his room and flops down on his bed. He thinks back on the conversation he had with the girl from the other class. She was a talkative one, spoke the whole way back home too. And it takes fifteen minutes to walk home; he was sure his ear would fall off if she talked any longer. But he knows that’s not what is bothering him right now. Something the girl had said stood out, it made him uncomfortable in a familiar way, like it was a pea and he was a princess.
“I like looking at her, listening to her talk to her friends, and when she laughs it’s like my heart is so full.”, was what she said. He was curious enough to ask what she would do about it, to which she answered, “I don’t know. That’s why I came to you. I know it’s not normal for a girl to like another girl. I’m not brave enough to act on my feelings but I felt like I’d burst from all these feelings in me. So I thought I should at least say this to someone who’ll be willing to listen. And I heard you’ve been hearing out the others, so I approached you", she looked at him with a little smile and added, "Now I understand why they seek you out. Thanks for hearing me out and not questioning my feelings”, saying so she had abruptly shook his hand and left him at the intersection that led to his home.
Jiang Cheng knows he likes to listen to his friends, he tolerates their foolish antics. But it has been a few months since he has started to look out for Huaisang more than his other friends, he enjoys listening to him, thinks he’s really handsome and smart. He might go around dating a lot of girls but Jiang Cheng knows his friend. His relationships never lasted for more than a month. And then he would always come to Jiang Cheng swearing off ever dating girls again until he found another girl to go out with.
Huaisang is popular, but he is also very loyal. Knowing this, Jiang Cheng chooses to remain by his side, as his friend, for a very long time, longer than any girl Huaisang has ever gone out with.
He’s still pondering on his thoughts when he gets a call from the devil himself.
“Yes, Huaisang! Has Mian-Mian already decided you’re not worth her time?”
“Haha! Very funny Cheng-Cheng! No. I called to tell you I’ll be accompanying you to school tomorrow. So wait for me, yeah?”
“Okay! No boyfriend duty to perform tomorrow?”
“Nope. She has a piano recital at her school so she told me she’ll be leaving earlier.” Jiang Cheng wanders towards his window which faced Huaisang’s old house. It’s a habit of his, whenever he talked to Huaisang, even though it has been almost 2months since their family moved houses. He looks out the window to see a very naked boy walking around what used to be Huaisang’s old room. “Why doesn’t he ever close his window?”, Jiang Cheng mutters to himself and closes his window with a bang.
“What happened Jiang Cheng?”
“Nothing! There’s just too many mosquitoes this summer, so I closed my window.”
“Ohh! By the way, do you want me to bring my mother’s cake tomorrow for tiffin? She made a lot.”, Huaisang said.
“Of course! Definitely! We love your mom’s cooking. Hey! My sister is calling me for dinner. Talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight!”
“Goodnight! Don’t forget, I’ll accompany you to school tomorrow.”