Obviously it was a risky move to kidnap any member of a gangster family. Kidnapping the 11-year old Nie Huaisang, however, might have seemed comparatively low risk. The boy was small for his age, with features that could be called pretty more than handsome, looked down on a little for being squeamish, delicate and evidently not much of a fighter. In stark contrast, his brother - 16-year old Nie Mingjue - was known to be ruthless, decisive and capable of taking down men much older than him without breaking a sweat.
However, the youngster was also already leader of his family and was thought of as less influential in accordance with his youth and inexperience. That led people to further think that his much more vulnerable brother would make an easy target.
The boy certainly didn't put up a fight when he was taken. Instead he was clearly terrified, very compliant with his kidnappers' harsh orders and he even kept his whimpers quiet. It seemed that there was no need to be rough with him beyond the bare minimum, so they mostly just beat him a little for the right look and then they contacted Nie Mingjue.
For some reason, he kept lifting his hands to brush his hair back. Hair that was too long for a boy. They didn't notice that he didn't always use the same number of fingers to brush it back. That the fingers moved in different ways. Nie Mingjue noticed when he got to talk to his brother on the video call. All Nie Huaisang was saying was 'da-ge' and various apologies and expressions of fear. He also spelled out enough of the address to ensure he would be found not much later.
By the time they did find him, Nie Huaisang seemed much more composed. He had gotten to talking to the kidnappers a little once the call had been dealt with. Just a few questions. He was scared, after all, it was good to talk to distract himself. They thought it was funny when he asked them about their preferences in women - or men - just a little curious. Not that unusual for a young boy that age, surely. He marvelled at their experiences and wondered aloud where one would even go to have such adventures. The men got to talking and Nie Huaisang was listening. They didn't need much more than that to keep themselves entertained.
So when Nie Mingjue freed him, after breaking the faces of the men who had dared lay hand on his little brother, Nie Huaisang was glad to be in his arms, sobbing from the terrifying ordeal. Then, on the way home, still leaning against his brother, he told him who the men were, who they worked for, what whorehouse they frequented and how to get to their boss's mistress. Finally, because he wasn't feeling it any more, he passed out. It was easier that way. He could assure his brother he remembered nothing upon waking.
"Awww, does it hurt? What kind of a pussy are you, eh?"
Wen Chao kicked Wei Wuxian hard in the chest, so fed up of his smug attitude. His brother had told that if any of them mouthed off, he could use whatever force he felt was acceptable. Well, he felt it was acceptable to whip Wei Wuxian for calling him dumb. Of course, he was not master with the whip so he hit him all over the place with no real purpose or aim.
The arm, the side, his hip and a few times on the back. Wei Wuxian was his favourite target but he also enjoyed the rich peacock and the angry grape. The Nie boy was boring, he always fainted. Dull. And he just didn't want to think about the Lan heir either.
"Anyone else got something smart to say to me?!"
"Don't." Jiang Cheng said right away because he sensed that Wei Wuxian would say something smart. He always did.
"Wei-xiong, are you all right?" Nie Huaisang asked urgently, although under his breath, because Wei Wuxian hadn't said anything, smart or otherwise, for longer than he'd have thought possible and he was worried for his friend.
Of course, he shouldn't have been. Wei Wuxian flashed him a smile and explained. "He asked about 'anyone else', so he hasn't addressed me. Although, to answer your questions from before: Does it hurt? Meh. And the kind of pussy, honestly, I just don't like using that word, especially not in a derogatory way..." So he would refrain, tactfully.
"Be quiet," Jin Zixuan told Wei Wuxian, although he'd have rather told Wen Chao. He would have rather thought of something smart to say himself, honestly, but he was not a loud mouth like Wei Wuxian.
"It seems like everyone has something to say but only to this one. Pathetic. He's not worth your words." He kicked Wei Wuxian again and wound the whip back towards him, looking at these prissy assholes with annoyance. His dad was right, the other gangs were weak. They all tried to be above it, like that would somehow help them be men. Pfft.
Wen Chao personally loved getting his hands dirty. As long as the dirt was drugs, women or watching Wen Zhuliu kill people for him. He never did like killing. It was kinda gross.
"If you keep being a smart ass, I'll make you regret it." Weng Chao came and stood in front of Wei Wuxian, glaring down at him. "Beg for my forgiveness and I'll let you alone. For now."
After a tense moment, Wei Wuxian looked at Wen Chao and shrugged. Ow, bad move. Shrugging hurt now. "'kay." Perhaps that wasn't quite the right vibe but it was technically what had been asked of him. "Please." He said it politely, bowing his head a little and smiling brightly. Not unlike a child asking to get some candy and clearly overall a mockery, but he was certainly doing it.
Nie Huaisang, as so often, found himself in awe of both his friend's brazen bravery and bottomless stupidity. He looked at him, feeling exasperation coming off of Jiang Cheng in waves, intermingled with worry. He saw the tension in Jin Zixuan's shoulder, the way he ground his teeth. Wishing to speak up and knowing he shouldn't. Too much pride and no shamelessness. He watched them all, the young masters, and he saw no good end here.
So he fainted, with a rather exaggerated sigh. He hoped someone would catch him, but he was prepared to collapse to the ground instead.
Jiang Cheng caught Nie Huaisang and slowly lowered him down, looking at Wen Chao in annoyance. "Second young Nie master is delicate. You should let him go, you won't get anything from him!"
"Duh! We don't want shit from him, we want his brother." They were so dumb. He rolled his eyes and then looked at Wei Wuxian. He noticed the Lan boy staring at him with such intense fearlessness and the way the peacock was fighting to stay polite, even if he could see the hatred. "You weren't sincere, you brat."
He had one young master left. One. The others had escaped, overpowering him and humiliating him. He insisted that they were ambushed en-route and lied to his father, pretending his injuries were from being attacked fighting and not being caught trying to run. He was humiliated, defeated and miserable.
His father had yelled, his brother had punched him so hard in his arm that his fingers went numb for a while and now he had returned, tail tucked between his legs.
It wasn't over. He could still win this one. He had one young master and a Friday deadline.
When he returned, he immediately yelled at his guards to bring Nie Huaisang to the backroom, preparing to properly torture him this time.
"Good evening," Nie Huaisang said politely and composed. Two traits that seemed to be entirely foreign to Wen Chao and that might make it easier to give the appearance that he was in control. Obviously he was aware of the actual situation and it carried significant worries with it. However, he still did not consider Wen Chao such a big danger. He was confident he could handle him.
"You look hurt. I'm sorry." He showed empathy, another thing Wen Chao was likely unfamiliar with.
"Because of your idiot friends! That fucking Wei Wuxian, that little bitch. He screwed me over. He always does it. I hate him!" With his perfect hair and charming smile, the way his eyes twinkled. He hated that twinkle. He wanted to remove that twinkle forever. Stupid handsome bastard. "You all think you're better than me but you're not! You're lowly scum and you will bow to the superiority of the Wen Clan!"
Wen Chao picked up a cattle prod and held it in his hand threateningly, practically snarling at Nie Huiasang. Yes, he was in full tantrum mode. "I will make your precious da-ge suffer. I will make you suffer. The Nies will surrender by Friday!"
"Yes, yes. Of course. Before the banks close." Nie Huaisang nodded in agreement, wondering a little about just what had happened. He did not doubt that Wei Wuxian had done something. Likely something provocative and daring. He almost regretted not being there.
The cattle prod did not worry him so much yet, Wen Chao seemed to busy gesticulating angrily to use it. "It does not seem fair that you should be set up for failure like this. I wish they treated you with more fairness. Give you tasks to show that you are a good boy."
"Exactly!" Wen Chao agreed without actually realising fully what he had agreed with. "It's not fair, I told da-ge that I can't do this and he just laugh--" Then he paused mid-rant, realising what he was admitting and saying. He couldn't let this punk know that he was struggling or he'd never get anything from him.
He already embarrassed himself with him last time. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't give in. "You're doing that thing again! You're getting in my head." He flailed his stupid cattle prod in the vague direction of Nie Huiasang. "Get out of my head, you evil bitch!"
The moment he was certain he could not be overheard, Nie Huaisang dialled his brother's number. He waited for him to pick up, having to smile. He missed him. He was so sick of the terrible food, the constant state of alertness, the lack of proper bed and so many other reasons this was a less than ideal time for him. "Da-ge?"
Feeling relief just at being able to talk to him, he continued right away. "I am by myself, I had the chance to take Wen Chao's ohone."
"A-Sang? Are you okay? Are you --" He wanted to ask if he was alone but he didn't want to give it away. Nie Huaisang and he had some up with a system, in case his brother had gotten kidnapped again, and he remembered to use it. "Are you well? I miss you. Your birds do too. Especially Gengi."
He didn't have a bird called Gengi, of course. But if he corrected him on it, then he was alone and they could talk.
"Thank you for checking in on my birds, da-ge. But you know I don't have a bird called Gengi." He was so proud that their system was working, he felt his heart could sing the way his birds did. If Nie Mingjue talked like this, he must be feeling secure in his surroundings himself, so Nie Huaisang was certain they had no one to worry about. "The other hostages have escaped during a-- I don't know. A mission of sorts."
It had all been rather strange. "I assume they might be in hiding still. I'm unharmed myself."
"The Jin boy sent a message to me about the situation as we had to go and collect Lan Zhan. His leg was in a very poor state." Apparently the boys couldn't get very far because Lan Zhan could not longer walk on his leg and no one was willing to abandon him. He was proud of those boys. Even from rival gangs, they had respect for each other. "They're all safe, all in hiding. We're keeping locations to ourselves. I had hoped..."
He had hoped his A-Sang had been there. It burned him inside that he didn't have his didi and everyone else had their boys back. "Do you know where you are?"
"It is within easy driving distance to wherever Wen Chao currently resides, that's all I've been able to find out. Anyway, it does not matter. I am quite safe, da-ge, you don't have to worry. I have not been harmed." Through his own efforts, but whatever. He was feeling uncomfortable for a number of reason, such as lack of fresh clothing, opportunities to wash properly and good food, but he wasn't in danger. "The Wen clan plans on attacking Lotus Pier on Wednesday. In the afternoon, from what I gather."
Given that Wen Chao wanted to take him to his place in the evening or at night. "They want to infiltrate by using a disguised fishing boat."
This was potentially the worst day of his life. Lotus pier was still standing, a lot of their men had died and Nie Mingjue had killed his brother. He could still see the way the bullet hit his brother in the head, it kept playing on repeat in his brain. Wen Zhuliu made sure he didn't die there but he only escape through dumb luck of having a bodyguard. Without him, he would be dead.
His father had screamed at him, yelled at him, slapped him across the face and then started laughing like a complete lunatic. Then he started monologuing to Xue Yang about dark forces and betrayals. It was truly baffling and Wen Chao was both confused, scared and miserable.
How was this his father? The Wens were beyond fucked.
His father demanded that he and Xue Yang go and recover Wen Xu's body but Wen Chao didn't think he could do that. They exited the room and Wen Chao turned to Xue Yang, who looked so ridiculously chill that it bothered him. "I ain't gonna do that shit. You do it."
"'kay," Xue Yang said, then he held his hand up to signal to Wen Chao that he needed e minute. He got his phone out, opened up a chat and started a voice message. "Ayo, daozhang~! Do you miss me?"
He sounded quite sweet, with a teasing tone that was flirty more than anything. "I'll be home a bit late today, work. Such a drag, I'll tell you later. Anyway, there's food in the fridge. Those noodles you liked the other day, they are in the round tub with the smooth lid. Warm that up and eat, don't you make me worry. You better have eaten it all by the time I get there, or else."
With that sweetly ominous threat, he sent the recording off and then turned to Wen Chao again, shrugging. "Who do you think got him? Nie clan?" He glanced at his phone to check the time. "Aish, I'll miss my show."
Daozhang? And what was that tone? He was so weird sounding. Why did he have a priest at home that he was feeding noodles? He wanted to ask but last time he had asked a personal question, Xue Yang had threatened him with those cold, dark eyes and he felt his spirit leave his body. "Nie Clan, probably. Or it's strung up by Lotus pier."
Wen Xu was dead. It was so weird. He didn't love his brother but he didn't want him gone. Now he was the first son! And he had no idea what to do? "What show do you watch?"
"I'll find out," Xue Yang decided, given that Wen Chao was right, he never really knew anything anyway. He sent a message off to someone to ask about it, then looked at Wen Chao at his question. "Daozhang likes that romance crap and now I like it too. So we are watching something with a rich guy and some poor girl who is clumsy and eats weird. Just some bullshit but he loves it."
And he was learning a lot from it. "It's not so bad. You can learn about dating."
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However, the youngster was also already leader of his family and was thought of as less influential in accordance with his youth and inexperience. That led people to further think that his much more vulnerable brother would make an easy target.
The boy certainly didn't put up a fight when he was taken. Instead he was clearly terrified, very compliant with his kidnappers' harsh orders and he even kept his whimpers quiet. It seemed that there was no need to be rough with him beyond the bare minimum, so they mostly just beat him a little for the right look and then they contacted Nie Mingjue.
For some reason, he kept lifting his hands to brush his hair back. Hair that was too long for a boy. They didn't notice that he didn't always use the same number of fingers to brush it back. That the fingers moved in different ways. Nie Mingjue noticed when he got to talk to his brother on the video call. All Nie Huaisang was saying was 'da-ge' and various apologies and expressions of fear. He also spelled out enough of the address to ensure he would be found not much later.
By the time they did find him, Nie Huaisang seemed much more composed. He had gotten to talking to the kidnappers a little once the call had been dealt with. Just a few questions. He was scared, after all, it was good to talk to distract himself. They thought it was funny when he asked them about their preferences in women - or men - just a little curious. Not that unusual for a young boy that age, surely. He marvelled at their experiences and wondered aloud where one would even go to have such adventures. The men got to talking and Nie Huaisang was listening. They didn't need much more than that to keep themselves entertained.
So when Nie Mingjue freed him, after breaking the faces of the men who had dared lay hand on his little brother, Nie Huaisang was glad to be in his arms, sobbing from the terrifying ordeal. Then, on the way home, still leaning against his brother, he told him who the men were, who they worked for, what whorehouse they frequented and how to get to their boss's mistress. Finally, because he wasn't feeling it any more, he passed out. It was easier that way. He could assure his brother he remembered nothing upon waking.
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Wen Chao kicked Wei Wuxian hard in the chest, so fed up of his smug attitude. His brother had told that if any of them mouthed off, he could use whatever force he felt was acceptable. Well, he felt it was acceptable to whip Wei Wuxian for calling him dumb. Of course, he was not master with the whip so he hit him all over the place with no real purpose or aim.
The arm, the side, his hip and a few times on the back. Wei Wuxian was his favourite target but he also enjoyed the rich peacock and the angry grape. The Nie boy was boring, he always fainted. Dull. And he just didn't want to think about the Lan heir either.
"Anyone else got something smart to say to me?!"
"Don't." Jiang Cheng said right away because he sensed that Wei Wuxian would say something smart. He always did.
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Of course, he shouldn't have been. Wei Wuxian flashed him a smile and explained. "He asked about 'anyone else', so he hasn't addressed me. Although, to answer your questions from before: Does it hurt? Meh. And the kind of pussy, honestly, I just don't like using that word, especially not in a derogatory way..." So he would refrain, tactfully.
"Be quiet," Jin Zixuan told Wei Wuxian, although he'd have rather told Wen Chao. He would have rather thought of something smart to say himself, honestly, but he was not a loud mouth like Wei Wuxian.
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Wen Chao personally loved getting his hands dirty. As long as the dirt was drugs, women or watching Wen Zhuliu kill people for him. He never did like killing. It was kinda gross.
"If you keep being a smart ass, I'll make you regret it." Weng Chao came and stood in front of Wei Wuxian, glaring down at him. "Beg for my forgiveness and I'll let you alone. For now."
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Nie Huaisang, as so often, found himself in awe of both his friend's brazen bravery and bottomless stupidity. He looked at him, feeling exasperation coming off of Jiang Cheng in waves, intermingled with worry. He saw the tension in Jin Zixuan's shoulder, the way he ground his teeth. Wishing to speak up and knowing he shouldn't. Too much pride and no shamelessness. He watched them all, the young masters, and he saw no good end here.
So he fainted, with a rather exaggerated sigh. He hoped someone would catch him, but he was prepared to collapse to the ground instead.
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Jiang Cheng caught Nie Huaisang and slowly lowered him down, looking at Wen Chao in annoyance. "Second young Nie master is delicate. You should let him go, you won't get anything from him!"
"Duh! We don't want shit from him, we want his brother." They were so dumb. He rolled his eyes and then looked at Wei Wuxian. He noticed the Lan boy staring at him with such intense fearlessness and the way the peacock was fighting to stay polite, even if he could see the hatred. "You weren't sincere, you brat."
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Please respond with our selected code word.
Sincerely,
Nie Mingjue.
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The word is 'jade'.
Respectfully,
Lan Xichen
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I spoke with my brother today. He was with the second young Wen master.
He is quite idiotic.
Sincerely,
Nie Mingjue.
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I suppose now we can fret over our brothers equally...
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I personally think we should invest in grenades.
Few would expect it and it would take care of most of the Wen hideouts.
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His father had yelled, his brother had punched him so hard in his arm that his fingers went numb for a while and now he had returned, tail tucked between his legs.
It wasn't over. He could still win this one. He had one young master and a Friday deadline.
When he returned, he immediately yelled at his guards to bring Nie Huaisang to the backroom, preparing to properly torture him this time.
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"You look hurt. I'm sorry." He showed empathy, another thing Wen Chao was likely unfamiliar with.
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Wen Chao picked up a cattle prod and held it in his hand threateningly, practically snarling at Nie Huiasang. Yes, he was in full tantrum mode. "I will make your precious da-ge suffer. I will make you suffer. The Nies will surrender by Friday!"
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The cattle prod did not worry him so much yet, Wen Chao seemed to busy gesticulating angrily to use it. "It does not seem fair that you should be set up for failure like this. I wish they treated you with more fairness. Give you tasks to show that you are a good boy."
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He already embarrassed himself with him last time. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't give in. "You're doing that thing again! You're getting in my head." He flailed his stupid cattle prod in the vague direction of Nie Huiasang. "Get out of my head, you evil bitch!"
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Feeling relief just at being able to talk to him, he continued right away. "I am by myself, I had the chance to take Wen Chao's ohone."
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He didn't have a bird called Gengi, of course. But if he corrected him on it, then he was alone and they could talk.
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It had all been rather strange. "I assume they might be in hiding still. I'm unharmed myself."
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He had hoped his A-Sang had been there. It burned him inside that he didn't have his didi and everyone else had their boys back. "Do you know where you are?"
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Given that Wen Chao wanted to take him to his place in the evening or at night. "They want to infiltrate by using a disguised fishing boat."
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His father had screamed at him, yelled at him, slapped him across the face and then started laughing like a complete lunatic. Then he started monologuing to Xue Yang about dark forces and betrayals. It was truly baffling and Wen Chao was both confused, scared and miserable.
How was this his father? The Wens were beyond fucked.
His father demanded that he and Xue Yang go and recover Wen Xu's body but Wen Chao didn't think he could do that. They exited the room and Wen Chao turned to Xue Yang, who looked so ridiculously chill that it bothered him. "I ain't gonna do that shit. You do it."
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He sounded quite sweet, with a teasing tone that was flirty more than anything. "I'll be home a bit late today, work. Such a drag, I'll tell you later. Anyway, there's food in the fridge. Those noodles you liked the other day, they are in the round tub with the smooth lid. Warm that up and eat, don't you make me worry. You better have eaten it all by the time I get there, or else."
With that sweetly ominous threat, he sent the recording off and then turned to Wen Chao again, shrugging. "Who do you think got him? Nie clan?" He glanced at his phone to check the time. "Aish, I'll miss my show."
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Daozhang? And what was that tone? He was so weird sounding. Why did he have a priest at home that he was feeding noodles? He wanted to ask but last time he had asked a personal question, Xue Yang had threatened him with those cold, dark eyes and he felt his spirit leave his body. "Nie Clan, probably. Or it's strung up by Lotus pier."
Wen Xu was dead. It was so weird. He didn't love his brother but he didn't want him gone. Now he was the first son! And he had no idea what to do? "What show do you watch?"
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And he was learning a lot from it. "It's not so bad. You can learn about dating."
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