Chapter Text
The cafe bustled with life and joy coming from the students and workers from around the area. There was the sound of muted laughter and stories from the other tables. People talked and laughed. They shared stories and worries.
Jiang Wanyin sat in the corner of the cafe after a bloody divorce battle with his husband of 10 years, Lan XiChen. Ex-husband now. It wouldn’t have been so bloody if there was no child involved but Yiyi was his precious child. Damn if he was gonna let Lan XiChen and his whore of a mistress take his baby away from him.
He looked at Yiyi who was in a high chair, enjoying his muffin and his orange juice from a sippy cup. The baby was quiet while he was focused on his food. His little hands were grimy with the muffin and so were his mouth and chubby cheeks. This boy looked just like his Daddy Chen; the scanned and tinier version of Lan XiChen.
For the first time that day, Jiang Wanyin smiled. Who needed a lying, cheating husband when he had a cute nomnomable baby who loved him like he was the one who put the sun, the stars, and the moon in the sky?
Of course, he was heartbroken about the fact that Lan XiChen–of all people–would cheat and he would do it with the partner of his best friend, Nie MingJue, too? How fucked up was that? Of course, he was aware that Jin GuangYao was on a different level of gorgeousness but couldn’t he find someone who was at least free? Did he have to break another couple? No, did he not have the balls to at least break up with Jiang Wanyin first before he decided to fuck somebody else?
He loved Lan XiChen for most of his life–from when he was as young as five years old when he still believed in gods and demigods–but apparently, the feelings were not reciprocated. No matter how perfect Lan XiChen was as a husband and a father, he was still flawed. He had a weakness for dimpled and married sons-of-bitches and Jin GuangYao is the literal embodiment of a sonovabitch considering who his father was.
He grinned when his baby looked up at him and offered him a bite of his muffin. “Is this for me, baobei?” he asked, loving how Yiyi did not even seem fazed about the changes in their lives. The boy just looked innocent and pure. At two years old, he was ready to conquer the world.
Yiyi nodded happily, his smile as bright as the sun. “Papa, eat! ‘Ffin yummy!” The chubby child happily offered his delicious food to his favorite person in the whole wide world. Everyone could leave Yiyi but Yiyi would not care as long as Papa Yin was with him.
“Ahh~” Wanyin opened his mouth and laughed a bit when Yiyi finally put the small piece of muffin into his mouth–fingers included. Of course, the muffin was delicious despite the wetness. “Thank you, baobei!”
“Weh-come, papa!”
“Wanyin,” a deep voice reverberated behind him so Wanyin turned to see Nie MingJue, the man Jin GuangYao left for Lan XiChen. He wore a black leather jacket over his bulky figure and his black pants highlighted his muscular thighs and legs.
Such a waste.
Lan XiChen was a handsome man in that boy-next-door type of handsome. Lan XiChen was the type of man who would have become an idol or an actor if he wanted to, but Nie MingJue? He could have been a god. The gods up above took extra time in carving him. They probably spent months just to perfect his face.
“Da-ge,” Wanyin got up from his chair and hugged the older man, letting Nie MingJue wrap his strong arms around his smaller body. He noticed how the other customers looked at them and he inwardly smiled. Two handsome men at one table with a cute baby? Of course, they’ll get attention.
“How was it?” Nie MingJue asked after they separated. He gently patted Wanyin’s back before walking to Yiyi and gently patted the boy’s head as he sat across from Jiang Wanyin. He had ordered his drink and was just waiting for his name to be called.
“Oh, well, they tried to go for full custody since apparently, they were moving out of the city after the divorce.” Wanyin shrugged and gently wiped Yiyi’s face with his towel. He was not sure what Lan XiChen was thinking about when he did that. Which judge would have sided with him when Jiang Wanyin had all the evidence that Lan XiChen was a cheater and that Jiang Wanyin was the primary caretaker of Yiyi?
“They really tried that, huh?” MingJue shook his head. His divorce with Jin GuangYao was pretty easy and fast since there was no baby to deal with. Besides, Nie MingJue had made sure to have a prenup before marrying Jin GuangYao which was the best thing he had ever done. Even if Jin GuangYao was one of the numerous sons of business tycoon Jin GuangShan, it did not mean that he was not after Nie MingJue’s assets either.
Wanyin chuckled and shrugged. He took a sip of his drink before sighing tiredly. “Yeah, they did. My lawyer is great. He deserves a raise.” He leaned back on his chair. Yes, he was exhausted. He needed a rest from all the bullshit that had been happening in his life this past year.
MingJue chuckled at that and offered Wanyin some tissues. “You deserve a vacation after the hell those idiots put you through. I would have kicked XiChen’s ass if I wasn’t worried about you. He deserves to have his butt kicked.”
Yiyi giggled at that. “Butt!” He repeated and then giggled some more, to the point of throwing his head back and just chortling like he had heard the best joke in the world. His whole body seemed to bounce as he laughed and laughed.
Both adults laughed at that, feeling the atmosphere lighten up because of Yiyi. Ah, the innocence of a child and its power.
—xxx—
Nie MingJue walked with Jiang Wanyin towards the younger man’s house. It was a much smaller house from the house Wanyin shared with Lan XiChen but it was still good considering that Wanyin wanted nothing out of the bigger house. It was a bungalow with purple roofs and white walls. The small garden in front was filled with colorful flowers and it had a small swing that was meant for Yiyi.
Yiyi slept in his arms with the baby’s chubby cheek squished against his shoulder. The boy’s short and chubby arms were wrapped around his neck. Why Lan XiChen would choose to leave a gorgeous and good husband and a cute son for Jin GuangYao will forever be a mystery for him.
“You really didn’t have to do this, Da-ge, you are busy too,” Wanyin said while unlocking the white gate. He had made sure that the new home he had with Yiyi was gated to add another layer of security. It was the only thing that could do to alleviate his anxiety.
“Nonsense,” MingJue answered while gently rocking Yiyi, loving how the toddler held onto him. “We’re friends who are probably trauma bonding at this point because of what those two did to us but I want you and Yiyi to have as much normalcy as possible and this is normal for both of us.”
Wanyin finally opened the gate and let the older man into the yard while he looked for the key to the main door from the bunch of keys in his hands. “Well, that’s true too. It’s not like I am in a rush to leave everything behind. I just want Yiyi to be safe and healthy.”
“And you are doing a great job at keeping this baby healthy and happy,” MingJue couldn’t help but kiss the toddler’s cheek and gently nibble on his cute little fist. This boy had become his nephew of some sort too since he and XiChen were best friends for a long, long time and he watched this boy grow. “He is so cute and fun and I bet he will ease the pain as easily as smiling.”
The younger man nodded as he opened the main door. “Yiyi is my anchor at this point, Da-ge. I wanted nothing out of that marriage except my son. He’s mine. Lan XiChen could have taken everything from me without Yiyi but that is not the case. I have Yiyi and I have all the means and assets to give my baby the kind of life he deserves.”
“How much is XiChen going to pay in child support?” MingJue asked as he toed his shoes off and walked into the living room where a playpen and a hammock was set up for Yiyi. Gently, he put the toddler into the hammock, making sure to secure Yiyi before gently swinging it.
“Considering his income, his faults, and the trouble he put me and Yiyi through, the judge told him to pay a little over a thousand dollars,” Wanyin rolled his eyes. “That’s nothing for him but your Beloved A-Yao nearly lost his mind because why did Lan XiChen have to pay that much or whatever as if he was not spending more than that for just a meal or his bags and clothes.”
MingJue shook his head at that. He knew his ex-husband. Jin GuangYao was the kind of person who would spend thousands of dollars a day simply because he could; not because he earns that much but because his current partner could afford it. “Jin GuangYao was out of line and I apologize for it.”
“Why should you?” Wanyin asked with a raised eyebrow. He put Yiyi’s bag on the couch and went to remove his son’s shoes. “He’s not your husband anymore. He’s nothing but a leech and I’m sorry for saying that to your face. He was still your husband. You still loved him. I’m sorry that we had to go through this.”
Nie MingJue shrugged and scanned the living room, taking in the baby-proofed furniture and the baby stuff scattered around, a proof that Jiang Wanyin was doing great as a parent. Lan XiChen wasted his opportunity to be with a great man. “I did love him but when I found out he was cheating on me with my best friend, something inside me just… shut down. I know it’s supposed to be impossible to fall out of love in just one day but I believe that’s what happened to me. I stopped seeing him as the most beautiful man in the world. I stopped thinking that his voice was the sweetest. Now, the only thing I could think of is that he hurt me and others because of his greed and selfishness.”
Wanyin thought about his situation and how he wished he could do the same as Nie MingJue. He wished he could just shut down the part of him that loved Lan XiChen. He wished it was as easy as that.
Before he knew it, the tears had come and Nie MingJue’s strong arms wrapped around him as he let himself break down. Finally. After months of holding it together and not letting himself cry, the dam finally opened and he was thankful for the companion he had.
He cried for the years he loved Lan XiChen. He mourned for the great memories he shared with the damn bastard who made him fall in love. He grieved for the man who loved Lan XiChen and was hurt in the process. He cried out for the complete family that he could not give to his son now.
—xxx—
Nie MingJue held Jiang Wanyin against his chest, letting the younger man cry. He could feel the trembling of Wanyin’s body and he could do nothing but be a shoulder to cry on. No words were needed. Nothing can be said at this point. He knew how broken Jiang Wanyin’s heart was.
He had watched his best friend form a puppy love with Jiang Cheng when they were very young. He helped Lan Huan make flower crowns and flower rings that he gifted Jiang Cheng. He was there when Lan XiChen fell in love with this younger man when they were teens. He helped the bastard make a move on Jiang Wanyin because XiChen claimed that his heart beat for Jiang Wanyin alone.
He watched this love story form from puppy love to a full blown love affair between the two best men he knew. While he had two lovers in a span of 10 years, Lan XiChen and Jiang Wanyin only had each other. Lan XiChen’s kind and soft attitude balanced out Jiang Wanyin’s brazen and rough one. They were the perfect couple.
But here they were. Lan XiChen betrayed Jiang Wanyin, the man he said was the only person who made him feel alive, with Jin GuangYao, the man who promised Nie MingJue the world when they were still just starting out as lovers.
Who would have known that Lan XiChen was a bad liar? Who would have known that Lan XiChen would forget the teachings of his righteous uncle in front of a dimpled pretty face? What could have driven him to cheat on the most perfect man on earth?
With a sigh, he just held Jiang Wanyin closer, letting the younger man melt into his arms. Indeed, no words were needed at this point. All they have to do is accept what has happened and pray that something good will come out of this situation.
—xxx—
Lan XiChen lay in bed with Jin GuangYao sprawled over his chest, their bodies still warm from their lovemaking made extra spicy by the fact that they were finally both free from their marriages. It was sad that he couldn’t get full custody of Lan JingYi but maybe it was for the best. He wanted to travel with A-Yao and maybe having a toddler who was very dependent on his other parent around would not be a wise move. At least with Jiang Wanyin, JingYi would be watched over. A thousand dollars a month was not so bad.
He turned to his side and pulled A-Yao closer to him and kissed the younger man’s lips gently. He smiled when A-Yao moaned and pressed his lithe and warm body even closer to XiChen as if he was a moth attracted to the warmth of the flame.
This will be a new chapter in their lives. They will make a great life together. They will be happy and they will forget about the lives that they left behind.
—xxx—
“Uncah Jue, Papa still sleep?” Yiyi asked while Nie MingJue was cooking breakfast for them. His voice was soft and as worried as a toddler could sound. He had little bits of pancake in each of his fists. He was happy that Uncle Jue was at their house. The house had become very quiet lately and sometimes, he felt a bit sad.
Nie MingJue looked at Yiyi who was in his high chair with a sippy cup full of milk and a small slice of pancake on his plate. “Yes, baobei, so you have to be quiet, okay?” He continued to cut the ingredients for the breakfast he planned for Wanyin. He wanted to help the younger man as much as he could even when he knew that Wanyin was totally capable of handling all these on his own. “Do you want anything?”
The toddler looked in the direction of his papa’s bedroom before looking at his uncle. His eyes were the only thing he got from his Papa. The rest of his face was gotten from his Daddy. Uncle Jue was nice and calm even if he was so much bigger than Papa. “No, uncah. Yiyi be quiet.” Just like that, he returned his attention to his food.
MingJue couldn’t help but smile at the boy. He was just too cute to be real. The boy’s eyes were purplish like his Papa’s and everything about him was like his Daddy’s. Yiyi always gave Nie MingJue the urge to squeeze, pinch, and just… bite the boy because he was like the miniature of the best friend he had always had. It was difficult to control himself.
He remembered Nie Huaisang just going to bite Yiyi’s cheek without warning whenever his younger brother saw the baby and of course the baby would get surprised and get scared. Yiyi would cry every time. So MingJue had to be very careful when kissing Yiyi’s cute and chubby cheeks.
“Uncah, moh cake, please,” Yiyi lifted his plastic plate, his eyes huge and pleading (as if he’d ever get denied), waiting for his uncle to give him more pancakes. Yes, he was used to getting whatever he wanted but it wouldn’t hurt to use his cuteness.
MingJue chuckled and carefully put another slice of pancake on Yiyi’s plate just as Wanyin walked into the kitchen in a pair of silky, white pajamas. He smiled at the other man. “Good morning, Wanyin.”
“Good morning, Da-ge. I’m sorry I fell asleep last night and now you have to feed my baby.” Wanyin went to kiss Yiyi’s cheek and was pleasantly surprised when his baby boy hugged him as tightly as his tiny arms could. His heart warmed at the thought that he had a small person loving him so whole-heartedly. “Awww… Did my baby miss me?”
Yiyi cupped his papa’s cheek, grimy hands and all. “Papa, no moh cry, okay? Yiyi here foh you, papa. Oweiz…” He puckered his lips and planted a wet and loud smack on his papa’s lips and chin.
And just like that, Wanyin wanted to cry again. Ah, how dare that bloody bastard Lan XiChen hurt and abandon him and this gorgeous child who happened to have the same face as his father? “And papa is always here for you, baobei,” Wanyin answered with a smile before kissing his son’s cheeks once more.
Nie MingJue smiled at the scene in front of him. Lan XiChen was dumb for leaving this beautiful family.
—xxx—
Lan XiChen’s brows furrowed when he saw the mess in the kitchen and the living room. He had told A-Yao not to leave a mess in the kitchen because they might become infested with roaches or rats. But the other man just would not listen. It felt like he was talking to a rebellious teenager instead of an adult.
He took a deep breath in and shook his head. There was no point in fighting just because of a small thing. He started to pick up the mess and clean it on his own. He will have another talk with his boyfriend about keeping the house clean.
With Jiang Wanyin, this would not have been an issue. He and Lan XiChen worked together in keeping the house clean so it was not a problem at all. They wanted a clean environment for Yiyi because they did not want him to get sick from all the mess.
Maybe he should hire help for them so the house can be clean and it will give him and A-Yao some more time to hang out together. Yeah, that sounded like a great solution to this situation. What’s a couple of hundred dollars compared to the free time that he and A-Yao will get, right? One problem solved.
—xxx—
Jin GuangYao scrolled through Nie MingJue’s social media. He expected some bitter posts or anything that would show him that Nie MingJue actually regretted losing him. He remembered that when Nie MingJue broke up with his first boyfriend, Xue Yang, the older man had posted a lot of bitter posts. Pictures were plastered all over social media almost yelling out, “LOOK AT ME! I AM BROKEN HEARTED BUT I WILL SURVIVE!” It was a bit cringey but Jin GuangYao had somehow found it cute that time.
However, he saw nothing on the older man’s social media accounts. There were no posts about the divorce or anything for that matter. Instead, there were posts of Nie MingJue, Yiyi, and Jiang Wanyin eating at different restaurants as if they were trying to find the best restaurant out there. The three of them smiled at the camera as if the two divorces did not just happen.
That irked him.
What, was Nie MingJue trying to tell him that he was moving on with his life with or without Jin GuangYao? Was Nie MingJue telling him that his break up with Xue Yang was more heartbreaking than his divorce with Jin GuangYao?
Impossible. Nie MingJue would have lost his mind by now. That jealous and possessive asshole cannot live without Jin GuangYao. He just had to tough the divorce out because he did not want to look like a pussy-whipped manchild who could not handle his husband well.
A-Yao was sure that within 6 months, Nie MingJue would come to chase him again. By then, A-Yao would be bored with Lan XiChen and he would be willing to rekindle the romance with MingJue once more. After all, MingJue had god-like talent in bed.
—xxx—
It took Nie MingJue three months before he actually admitted to himself that he was at the very least attracted to Jiang Wanyin. The younger man was just so effortlessly beautiful and good-hearted that he had no other choice but to be attracted to him.
It took him another month to finally confess. He knew it was too fast but what could he do? Was he just supposed to coop up in his house and wait for the second coming?
Who would have known that Jiang Wanyin felt the same? And who would have known that the two of them could share the same feelings?
“I am scared to love again, Da-ge, but with you, I entrust my heart,” Wanyin had said that night while they were sitting together with Yiyi on Nie MingJue’s lap, sleeping. During nights like this, he felt safe and loved. “So please… take care of it. It’s already pretty banged up. I don’t know if it can still take another beating.”
MingJue pulled Wanyin’s hand and planted a gentle kiss on his knuckles. Of course, he knew how battered Wanyin’s heart was. He was aware of the battles it had fought these past year. “I will take care of it and give you the best parts of me, Wanyin. I promise.”
“Not just the best parts, Da-ge,” Wanyin leaned his head on MingJue’s shoulder, letting himself depend on another person again. “Even the bad parts. I think we will both grow if we both know that despite the bad parts of each other, we will still be together.” Yes, with Nie MingJue, he was ready to take another chance because the world did not end when Lan XiChen cheated on him.
“That’s true.” MingJue turned his head and planted a kiss on top of Wanyin’s head, letting himself melt into the moment too. That night, he sat on the living room sofa of Wanyin’s home with Yiyi on his lap and Wanyin pressed against his side and he wouldn’t have exchanged it for anything in the world.
—xxx—
Lan XiChen arrived at the house late at night and was welcomed by the messy living room and kitchen. There were boxes of shoes, bags of clothes, and other random things strewn all over, showing him that Jin GuangYao had gone on a shopping spree and decided to play dress up in the living room again.
It was not in his system to yell and scream but at the moment, he wanted nothing but to do both of those. They had to let go of the servant they hired because they found out that she had been taking a couple of A-Yao’s expensive things and now, they were on their own again. Aside from that, the servant had complained about A-Yao’s attitude so it seemed that even if they did not fire her, she would still have left them.
At the moment, they could not afford to have any servants or helpers since their expenses had almost doubled because of A-Yao’s shopping sprees and eating out at expensive restaurants. On top of that, Lan Corporation had cut off Lan XiChen’s allowance because of the scandal he had put his family through.
There was no problem with Jin GuangYao’s shopping sprees, weekly dine out at expensive restaurants, and weekly salon appointments. Lan XiChen could work and provide for them but it was absolutely denting their monthly budgets. At this point, they won’t be able to afford the Paris trip they were planning for December; or maybe they will but they would have to fly economy and choose cheaper hotels and restaurants. On top of that, XiChen also wanted to buy Yiyi that book set he had been wanting for a while.
He missed his son and his cute songs. He missed reading stories to the toddler but what could he do? He had a different life now.
Choosing peace over quarrel, he toed off his shoes and walked into the living room without a word. Of course, no food had been prepared. He should have ordered take out or maybe he should have eaten out. He was starving but again, he did not want to fight.
He put his bags down and proceeded to go to the kitchen to clean up the mess made by his boyfriend. Boyfriend. Yes, Jin GuangYao was his boyfriend. Pretty and sweet. Sure, he spent money as often as he breathed but it was his right for being such a wonderful person. It was a small price to pay for being in a relationship with such a beautiful man.
Jiang Wanyin was a beautiful man too but he would have been careful with spending money because, “we have to save money for rainy days, my soul,” he would say with the most serene smile on his face. The rainy days never came because Jiang Wanyin was as hard working as Lan XiChen or maybe even more.
Together, they were able to provide the best for Yiyi. They managed to make sure that their child had the best things, no matter how expensive they were. After all, their baby was worth every penny. Best schools, best food, best doctor, and also best parents. No… best parent. Jiang Wanyin was the best parent for Yiyi.
Now, he cannot imagine a life with Jin GuangYao where having a child between them could be wise. A-Yao was too self-centered to take care of a child and XiChen was too busy taking care of his work and the home itself. He didn’t think that he’d have the energy to play with a baby while also doing his best to please his lover.