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Jiang Cheng built his first nest when he was one year, and one month old.
He built it on Jiang Fengmian's lap.
Jiang Fengmian sat cross-legged at the Lotus Throne for three whole days, tearing up every time Jiang Cheng came for a nap, and commissioned three painters to immortalize the event; until finally, Jiang Cheng packed up his nesting materials to make his second-ever nest—now in Madam Yu’s closet, purposely left open with fragrant colorful robes dangling in full view to lure the toddler omega in.
Yes, Madam Yu was quite jealous that her lap wasn’t chosen to be A-Cheng's first nesting place—her thighs were no less thick than her husband’s!
Yes, Jiang Fengmian was quite bummed that A-Cheng stripped down his first nest—he had wanted to keep it as a memento, to display it next to A-Li's first fallen milk teeth!
No, for once, this is not a sad, dysfunctional family story.
Oh, and no one died. There wouldn’t be a non-sad, functional family story otherwise, right?
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One day, little Jiang Cheng wobbled-toddled his way to the Lotus Throne Room.
It was not unusual. After all, Jiang- zongzhu was known to be a (too) indulgent of a father. So, although it was in the middle of a sect meeting, the council and the elites paid little to no mind to their little chubby young master as he walked in and out of the room, wobbling his way between the snack tables at the center, narrowly missing a teapot here or a plate of pastry there.
Jiang Fengmian, too, simply patted Jiang Cheng’s head or pinched his adorable pink baozi cheeks whenever the boy climbed up his lap, all the while keeping his attention to the current topic of discussion (it was taxation. A tough subject, especially because Jiang Fengmian was never fond of Math).
It was Wei Changze, his second-in-command, who noticed first.
"Fengmian, are those ... Sashes?"
Jiang Fengmian followed Wei Changze’s gaze to his crotch. Indeed, on his lap were sashes and shawls, with a couple of ...napkins? Strewn about.
As Jiang Fengmian wondered where the hell did Jiang Cheng manage to find these sashes and shawls and napkins, the boy in question toddled in again, carrying a bunch of garments, so much that he couldn't see where he was going and almost tripped on a snack table.
As if on cue, everyone on the front row pulled the tables to the side, giving their little gongzi a clear way.
They watched with bated breaths as Jiang Cheng climbed to Jiang Fengmian's lap and started to arrange the garments, folding and unfolding things, chirruping unhappily as the garments kept sliding down the throne.
" Zongzhu , your legs! Cross your legs!" Elder Zhu whispered urgently, gesturing at Jiang Fengmian.
Immediately, Jiang Fengmian followed the suggestion, creating a sturdy frame around Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng made one high-pitched happy yip and began to cover the legs with colorful fabrics.
"Oh, my goodness," Councilman Ming whispered, voice trembling with a sudden flood of emotions, "I think ... I think our xiao gongzi is nesting!"
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At the training field, Yu Ziyuan was training the disciples with iron fists.
"Keep your stance, plant your feet to the ground, keep it steady! You! Arm straight when you parry!"
Suddenly, from the side building, a young disciple barreled towards her, almost ran face-first to her glorious hip in his haste if not for spider Yinzhu's sword stopping him.
" Shiniang !" The young disciple wheezed, as the lady’s spiders gave him a stink eye. “ Shiniang , something—something big is happening at the Lotus Throne Room!”
"What is it?" Yu Ziyuan snapped, Zidian sparkled on her index finger. “If they find out they’ve undervalued the tax again, I swear I’ll--”
Any other day, the boy would’ve chickened out when Zidian showed its infamous purple spark like that. But today was not like any other day. It was not the time to fear a high-caliber spiritual weapon that could cleave him in two! "It's...It's Xiao-gongzi . Xiao-gongzi is nesting!" He shouted at the top of his lungs,
The training field went silent.
A disciple wobbled from his stance and fell face-first to the dusty ground right next to Yu Ziyuan’s foot, but Yu Ziyuan paid her no heed.
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Yu Ziyuan walked briskly (read: running elegantly) towards the Lotus Throne Room.
Halfway through the long, dwindling corridor, she met Jiang Yanli, who ran with her aproned robes cinched up her knees and carrying a ladle still drenched in lard; and Cangse Sanren, who carried Wei Ying, both drenched in mud (the squirmy frog in Wei Ying's clutch explained their state).
"A-Niang, Is it true?"
“My lady, is it really happening?”
“Why is A-Cheng making a nest, is he a bird?”
All three of them assaulted Yu Ziyuan with questions, as well as the lovely smell of pork lard, sweat, and muck mixture, all intermingled with their distinctive secondary gender scents.
They were lucky Yu Ziyuan had more pressing matters than castigating body odor.
She nodded. "Let's see and find out."
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To say the Lotus Throne Room was crowded was an understatement.
The council and the elites, lucky bastards who had been there since the beginning, were hogging the best spots around the Throne.
The hastily summoned three painters, due to their profession, were seated at the VIP spot right in front of the throne, their inks and papers and other painting paraphernalia scattered about on the floor as they worked the magic of transpiring this historical moment into art.
Disciples, long abandoned their duties, were filling the upper rows of the room, some of them climbed the pillars, and maybe even on the roof. The servants, decidedly less agile, were peeking from behind the door and windows.
Jiang Fengmian sat cross-legged, frozen, afraid that the slightest shift would interfere with Jiang Cheng's creative moment. Wei Changze was tasked to wipe his sweat and gave him drinks (and Jiang Fengmian sweated a lot. It was that nerve-wracking).
And at the center of it all was Jiang Cheng, the precious Young Master and Heir of Yunmeng Jiang, fretting about his nest. Checking the softness of a garment to his cheek, matching the colors and sizes, sniffing the lingering scent, before carefully placing it all around Jiang Fengmian’s thighs.
All the while humming a small happy made-up song.
Spider Jinzhu discreetly slipped her madam a silken handkerchief, before she, too, turned around and wiped her eyes.
Ah, how unbelievable. Their young master, their A-Cheng gongzi ! It felt only yesterday that spider Jinzhu and Yinzhu helped the madam breastfeed him for the first time, and look at him now! Nesting and making up his own songs already!
How time flies, how time flies!
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The thick cloud moved to cover the feeble winter sun, the windchime chimed, the lotus flowers bobbed. Yunmeng Jiang remained still.
They watched, enraptured, as Jiang Cheng continued with his greatest artwork yet. Even the frog that Wei Ying had been chasing all morning stayed silent, now sitting on top of the boy's head for a better view.
And then, too soon, Jiang Cheng straightened up. Hands on his tiny hips, huffing a small, satisfied huff, wiping a metaphorical sweat off his temple, and then—
—and then began nuzzling into his new nest, rolling around like a kitty cat on a comfy pillow.
He yawned a small yawn, and then curled up, closing his eyes.
Soon enough, without seemingly any care for his entire audience, he fell asleep. Nest-making is hard work, and he deserved this well-deserved nap!
He purred loudly as he slept.
Jiang Fengmian almost lost it. He heaved huge sobs, clenching Wei Changze’s hand for support, "Changze, he's purring, he's purring! Wh—I—!”
Wei Changze had to stuff his sect leader's mouth with an unused napkin nearby (the one Jiang Cheng discarded with an unimpressed scoff because it was too pastel for his liking) before the man bawled and startled Jiang Cheng awake.
(Wei Changze bit his own hand to stop sobbing himself).
Everyone evacuated the room to bawl outside (some disciples needed to stomp the ground screaming "fuck too cute too cute tOO CUTE!" and punched walls to get their bearings).
Madam Yu went to her private garden and zapped everything with Zidian while screaming about the minutiae details of Jiang Cheng’s cuteness.
Jiang Yanli went back to the kitchen and cooked three giant cauldrons of soup, enough to feed half of Yunmeng Jiang’s disciples, to let out all the energies she got from the event.
Wei Ying and the frog became best friends. After listening to Cangse Sanren’s explanation that Jiang Cheng was not, in fact, changing into a bird, and the meaning of nesting for an omega, Wei Ying and the frog lying on one of Lotus Pier’s docks, discussing Wei Ying's future plan to be Jiang Cheng's alpha.
“I’m going to be the strongest alpha for A-Cheng, and I’ll get him the best silks to make the most colorful nests!”
“Ribbit!”
It was a momentously historic day for Lotus Pier.
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EPILOGUE
The celebration of Jiang-gongzi's first nesting was held the very next day.
It was a festive occasion, with all the sects great and small attending, bringing gifts and their alpha children to show off.
Jiang Cheng preened under all the attention, sitting shyly on his father's lap as everyone sang praises over his first nest.
Jiang Fengmian thanked all the gods that his baby nested on his lap. That way, he could glare ice daggers at the alpha brats who had the balls to stare at his baby a little too long.
Well, of course his baby is the cutest, even more so donned in the beatific robes with a huge yellow bow they commissioned last-minute, but great goodness! Do these brats not have manners?? Is this how children from the great and prestigious sects behaved? Hmph! Jiang Fengmian would die before he let these undeserving insects touched his A-Cheng!
At the corner of the room, little Wei Ying was busy snarling and snapping at other young alphas, most of them bigger and older than him, but he was not afraid! Go-way! Chengcheng is Wei Ying's only!! Grrr!!
The Lan alpha boy #1 smiled intimidatingly.
The Lan alpha boy #2 poker faced intimidatingly.
The Nie alpha boy #1 glared challengingly.
The Wen alpha girl rolled her eyes insultingly.
The tiny Jin alpha boy smiled threateningly.
Wei Ying was not afraid! Come and get a taste of these newly formed baby fangs!
Away from the foolish alphas, the Wen and Nie beta boys huddled together, seemingly scheming to get close to Jiang Cheng using their innocent façade and advantageous beta status.
“Jiang-zongzhu only wary of the alphas, so it’s our chance!” the little Nie boy whispered, eyes gleamed with well-hidden intelligence.
Madam Yu was speaking to the fortune-tellers and matchmakers. With this many potential suitors, which one should be her son's mate, hm? Oh, are you saying my son can take more than two mates? Interesting …. tell me more!
At the pavilion outside the main party hall, a certain little Jin omega heir sat shyly at the pavilion, while a certain female alpha Jiejie slipped a purple lotus flower in his hair.
“Purple lotus suits A-Xuan very much,” Jiang Yanli gushed, “would you like to stay at Lotus Pier and be my lotus?”
The boy was too flustered to answer. But no matter. They still had plenty of time ahead of them.
It was a festive day at Lotus Pier, and everyone—well, (camera panned to the constipated-faced Jiang Fengmian and the growling Wei Ying, currently losing a scuffle with the Nie boy)—almost everyone had fun.
This is a happy story.
And it has come to an end.
(for now).