The Lan's Charity Gala. 

The biggest fucking event of the year, and Wei Wuxian would be the star performer. 

He had to get in no matter what, to see him. Unfortunately it would cost him ten thousand dollars to secure an invitation, and he did not have that kind of money to burn on the charity. Hell he was barely scraping by with the leftover of Wei Wuxian's allowance–an allowance that was not going to continue if he didn't take a quick action–so he asked Nie Huaisang to secure him a seat. He told him that he had to meet his brother at any cost, and Nie Huaisang–like always–gave him what he wanted. An invitation. Although it was for Nie Huaisang and his plus one, which meant that it would cost twenty thousand dollars.

"It's for a good cause, so my brother allows me to have these." He waved the two invitations in front of Jiang Cheng's face, which he grabbed rather hastily.

"Thanks babe. I appreciate the help." He was now thinking of what he should wear, since he didn't have any suitable formal suit for this kind of gala. And it turned out he didn't have to look far.

"Now, shall we go shopping?" Nie Huaisang hooked his smaller arm to Jiang Cheng's more bulky one. "I want to buy you something nice for the gala. After all, this is our first appearance together in public." He practically purred his satisfaction, while Jiang Cheng swore inwardly. He definitely forgot about that. 

There were reasons why he didn't like to be seen with Nie Huaisang in public. First, he didn't want to be perceived as a gay, because he wasn't. He was straight. Or so he thought. Partly because he found sex with men was repulsive. And he had to do it because Wei Wuxian did not give him what he owed them. Secondly, just by being seen with Nie Huaisang was equal to shouting it out to the world that he was Nie Huaisang's little bitch, and that he lowered himself like that because he didn't have any more money, because the only way that anyone would have wanted to be Nie Huaisang's bitch was if they're desperate for money. That's why his big brother was limiting the fund for his… expense.

And he couldn't have that.

He still wanted to find a good bitch from a rich family who would treat him like a king without having to work a day in his life. If there was even a rumor about his sex preference, he was as good as dead.

But first, he should go shopping first. Then he would dodge Nie Huaisang when they were at the gala. He just had to fuck him afterwards to earn his forgiveness, and everything would be well again.

If only it was that easy with Wei Wuxian–no, if only Wei Wuxian did not have Lan Wangji to protect him, it would be much easier to just beat him into subservience. Too bad Lan Wangji was a kind of a wild man who would not hesitate to hit back, and he was also someone who could not be messed with without repercussions.

Anyway, shopping first. He could think about everything else later. A good retail therapy was the best thing to soothe his wounded pride.