Did you? Your loyalty swayed so easily. As long as he poses no threat to Xingchen, you were just about ready to fight every cultivator in Duplicity in order to defend poor, miserable Meng Yao.
He's not stupid. He's very, very clever and very, very good at manipulation. And if, or when, you see him again and if you ask him about this, he'll either manage to persuade you that I'm lying or deceived, or he'll take some new tactic to manipulate you. And it'll work as well as it did this time, leaving you convinced that he's no threat to Xingchen and that you need to protect him, because that's the good and honorable thing to do.
If you'd like, I can arrange for you to watch the two of us without his knowledge. You can see for yourself how calm and blissful he gets when I'm sweet to him, how much he enjoys and takes pride in the work that he does managing the finances of Wangji and the temple. He even has his own financial accounts which I gave him, which I don't supervise, so that he can invest and spend however he pleases.
[How fortunate that someone he genuinely cares about will be arriving in the next few days, though Huaisang doesn't yet know that.]
He genuinely cares about me, Xue Yang. It's a short list of people he genuinely cares about, but I'm in the top four at the very least. Lan Xichen, Jin Ling, Qin Su, and myself.
[Huaisang's not sure if Xue Yang knows anything about Qin Su's death or what happened in the temple. Huaisang certainly didn't mention it. Those secrets weren't relevant to Xue Yang. He doubted that Meng Yao would ever tell him what had happened.] Why would you assume differently?
[He lets out a harsh laugh - more of a bark than a chuckle.]
Yes, yes, he cared about you and Lan Xichen and Jin Ling and Qin Su so much that he killed your brother and countless others.
[It doesn't matter. For Meng Yao, that's just to be expected.]
You will be shocked to know that he and I were friends once. We worked together on project after project and he never hid his intentions from me. The only time he took me by surprise was when he had me so badly beaten.
He said he meant to send someone to find me, but Xingchen got there first.
The past tense flew right over your head, Huaisang. I told you my part in all of that a long time ago.
[The last bit takes his breath away and he shakes his head in shock.]
...so I guess I'm no use if I'm not in your bed? I can't take back what I did. I haven't done anything to hurt you here. Shit. All I did was dare to...try to be with you.
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no subject
He's stupid if he thinks otherwise.
[Grinding his teeth, he tries to keep calm, to fall back on the techniques he has been taught.]
If he is doing so well, why lie to me? I made it clear where my loyalty lies.
[It was almost like...Meng Yao missed him a bit.]
no subject
He's not stupid. He's very, very clever and very, very good at manipulation. And if, or when, you see him again and if you ask him about this, he'll either manage to persuade you that I'm lying or deceived, or he'll take some new tactic to manipulate you. And it'll work as well as it did this time, leaving you convinced that he's no threat to Xingchen and that you need to protect him, because that's the good and honorable thing to do.
If you'd like, I can arrange for you to watch the two of us without his knowledge. You can see for yourself how calm and blissful he gets when I'm sweet to him, how much he enjoys and takes pride in the work that he does managing the finances of Wangji and the temple. He even has his own financial accounts which I gave him, which I don't supervise, so that he can invest and spend however he pleases.
no subject
I also never said I would let him near Xingchen. Because I won't. What I offered him was a chance from me and only me.
[He snorts. Oh yes, pleasure and money will make anyone happy for a little while.]
What happens if he gets bored of all of that? You don't have a deeper hold on him. Find someone he genuinely cares about and do it quickly.
no subject
He genuinely cares about me, Xue Yang. It's a short list of people he genuinely cares about, but I'm in the top four at the very least. Lan Xichen, Jin Ling, Qin Su, and myself.
[Huaisang's not sure if Xue Yang knows anything about Qin Su's death or what happened in the temple. Huaisang certainly didn't mention it. Those secrets weren't relevant to Xue Yang. He doubted that Meng Yao would ever tell him what had happened.] Why would you assume differently?
no subject
Yes, yes, he cared about you and Lan Xichen and Jin Ling and Qin Su so much that he killed your brother and countless others.
[It doesn't matter. For Meng Yao, that's just to be expected.]
You will be shocked to know that he and I were friends once. We worked together on project after project and he never hid his intentions from me. The only time he took me by surprise was when he had me so badly beaten.
He said he meant to send someone to find me, but Xingchen got there first.
no subject
His friend. I see. Then I will consider you culpable for your involvement in the 'project' that led to my brother's death.
That is not something I can forgive.
Stay away from me, and stay away from Jin Guangyao.
no subject
[The last bit takes his breath away and he shakes his head in shock.]
...so I guess I'm no use if I'm not in your bed? I can't take back what I did. I haven't done anything to hurt you here. Shit. All I did was dare to...try to be with you.
Why do you keep kicking me?