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Jiang Wanyin had never liked birthdays. To him, they were loud, inconvenient, and fundamentally unnecessary. It wasn't the dramatic existential dread of getting older that bothered him; he simply detested the fuss. Birthdays meant unwanted phone calls, intrusive visits, and a spotlight he spent the other 364 days of the year trying to avoid. If it were up to him, the day would pass with the quiet anonymity of any other day.
Unfortunately, the world rarely cared about Jiang Wanyin’s preferences. This year, however, he had planned something different. Something private. Something no one—not his prying family nor his boisterous friends—knew about.
The first moment of his birthday began in the heavy, velvet darkness of a shared room. As the soft glow of the digital bedside clock shifted to 12:00, the silence was broken by the rustle of sheets, an soft nudge in his shoulder. And a whisper against his ear “Happy birthday, A-Cheng.”
Before Wanyin could even blink his eyes open to greet the day, a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped firmly around his waist from behind, pulling him back against a broad chest.
“Wishing you the Happiest birthday, My heart. I love you."
Lan Huan’s voice was a low, honeyed vibration against his ear, followed immediately by a lingering, tender kiss planted right on the sensitive curve of his jaw. Wanyin huffed, the sound muffled by sleep, though the stubborn corners of his mouth betrayed him by curling upward. “You actually stayed awake just for that?” he murmured.
“Of course I did,” Lan Huan replied with a smile that Wanyin could feel against his skin.
Before Wanyin could protest further, the lights flickered on, casting a warm amber glow over the room. In one fluid movement, Lan Huan scooped him up from the bed. Wanyin let out a startled yelp, his hands instinctively clutching his boyfriend’s shoulders for balance as he was carried out of the bedroom and into the spacious living room his boyfriend penthouse. He gasped softly as he took in the sight: the apartment was transformed, draped in delicate fairy lights that twinkled like fallen stars. A beautiful cake sat centered on the table, surrounded by an array of gift boxes and a scattered trail of photographs capturing their quietest, happiest moments together.
Wanyin stared, his face flushing a deep crimson. “You’re ridiculous,” he managed to choke out.
“Only for you,” Lan Huan answered, his eyes shining with an affection that made Wanyin’s heart ache.
“This... Lan Huan, I...” Wanyin trailed off, overwhelmed. Lan Huan only smiled, refusing to set him down. Instead, he sat on the couch with Wanyin tucked firmly into his lap, urging him to cut the cake. As Wanyin’s trembling hand guided the knife, Lan Huan began to sing Happy Birthday softly into his ear. In that moment, the noise of the outside world felt a lifetime away. For three years, they had kept this—their love, their life, their rhythm—hidden from everyone. Not a single soul among their family or coworkers knew, and the secrecy had become a sanctuary.
“These are small gifts you baby, You want anything else A-Cheng?” Lan Huan murmured, his breath warm against Wanyin’s neck as he show his boyfriend the carefully warped 23 gift boxes scattered around living room.
“You,” Wanyin answered, his voice dropping into a heated, breathless register.
The shift in the air was instantaneous.
Lan Huan rose, carrying Wanyin back into the sanctuary of the bedroom. The celebration shifted from sweet sentiment to raw, desperate need.
Soon, the only sounds were the rustle of fabric and Wanyin’s voice, broken and lewd as he cried out his boyfriend's name. "A-Huan... please... ahh..."
There was something about the way Wanyin used his personal name that set Xichen’s blood on fire every damn time. He spread Wanyin’s legs wider, lifting his thighs high to bring him closer, his movements becoming more urgent.
"Please, Huan-ge," Wanyin begged, his head tossing back against the pillows.
Lan Xichen let out a deep moan as he sank into the heat of him. With one hand braced beside Wanyin’s head and the other gripping his leg, Xichen took him deeply, the sheer intensity of the connection making him feel dizzy. He had intended to be slow, to be the gentle lover Wanyin deserved on his birthday, but the passion was too great to contain.
"Wanyin," he whispered, "my beautiful, beautiful Wanyin., Happy birthday," his voice was thick with an honesty that brought a mist of tears to Wanyin’s eyes.
"I am so glad you were born. Thank you for being here with me."he mummers into his boyfriend.
As the rhythm of their bodies intensified, Xichen felt the last of his control slipping away. Wanyin was a frantic weight beneath him, arching and calling for him so prettily that Xichen felt his heart might burst.
"A-Cheng, my heart," Xichen groaned, his forehead resting against Wanyin's. "I want to spend your every birthday like this. Please... don't ever leave me, baby."
“Never, A-Huan, never,” Wanyin cried out, his fingers digging into Xichen’s back as they both chased the final, shattering thread of their pleasure. “I always want to be by your side. Always you... on me, inside me, beside me.”
In the quiet aftermath, as the clock ticked past the first hour of his birth, Jiang Wanyin decided that perhaps he didn't hate birthdays after all—as long as the world remained locked outside the door.
🧁🧁🧁🧁
The quiet, intimate world Jiang Wanyin had occupied at midnight felt like a fever dream by the time the sun rose.
Unfortunately, his life did not pause simply because it was his birthday; his Master’s degree waited for no one, not even the heir of Jiang Enterprises. By seven in the morning, the heavy scent of Lan Huan’s tea was replaced by the sharp reality of a deadline. Wanyin stood by the door, bag slung over his shoulder and exhaustion already tugging at his eyes.
Lan Huan leaned against the doorframe, looking unfairly handsome in a soft baby blue shirt and dress pants, his expression a mix of adoration and mock disappointment. “You’re leaving your birthday celebration halfway,” he noted, his voice still husky from sleep.
“I have an exam, Lan Huan,” Wanyin muttered irritably, though there was no heat in it. “Do you actually want me to fail?”
“I’d still love you even if you did,” Huan replied instantly, a playful glint in his eyes.
“That’s not the point,” Wanyin huffed, adjusting his collar. Despite his rush, he stepped forward and caught Lan Huan’s face in his hands, kissing him with a sudden, fierce naturalness that spoke of years of practice.
“This evening,” Lan Huan reminded him as they broke apart. “Don’t make any other plans.”
Wanyin offered a rare, genuine grin that reached his eyes. “Never.”
-
The day quickly devolved into chaotic pieces. It began with the traditional morning call from his parents, a ritual that always felt more like a performance review than a celebration.
The phone rang just as Wanyin stepped into the car, and he answered it with a quiet sigh.
“Good morning, Mother.” Yu Ziyuan did not return the greeting. “So,” she began sharply, “you’re still alive.” Wanyin leaned back against the seat. “…I assume that’s a compliment.”
She scoffed softly. “You should be grateful I called before your father dragged me into another meeting. Honestly, Wanyin, you’re getting older every year and yet somehow your temper is still that of a five-year-old. I hope you’re at least pretending to behave like the future head of Jiang Enterprises today.”
“I behave perfectly fine,” he replied.
“Mm. I doubt that. Also try not to scare anyone today. And if someone brings you cake, at least look grateful instead of like you’re planning their funeral.”
Wanyin pinched the bridge of his nose. “I do not look like that.” “You absolutely do.”
There was a brief pause, and when she spoke again her voice softened—just barely.
“…Happy birthday, Wanyin.”
“Thank you, Mother,” he replied dryly. His father’s warm laughter echoed in the background before Jiang Fengmian’s voice joined the call. “Happy birthday, A-Cheng.”
Wanyin murmured his thanks, and the call ended soon after, but it had served its purpose
-
At the university, the exam went smoothly—far too smoothly. In Wanyin’s experience, when things went this well, the universe was usually winding up for a punch to the gut. That punch arrived the moment he stepped out of the exam hall and was immediately ambushed.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
Confetti exploded in a cloud of metallic purple and gold. Before he could retreat, someone shoved a crinkled party hat onto his head. Nie Huaisang nearly tackled him, laughing loudly enough to echo through the corridors. Wen Ning wishes him a quite happy birthday.
““Three cheers for our grumpy birthday boy!” he shouted, completely ignoring Wanyin’s angry glare. Wanyin got through the lunch party as best he could, just waiting for the moment he could finally get away.
-
Evening brought a different kind of intensity: dinner with his siblings.
Jiang Yanli had curated everything perfectly, bringing a homemade cake that smelled of lotus root and childhood.The moment the lid lifted from the cake box, the familiar scent tugged at something warm and nostalgic in Wanyin’s chest.
Wei Wuxian, predictably, insisted on ordering half the menu, loudly declaring that birthdays were legally required to involve excessive food. He kept nudging dishes toward Wanyin, stealing bites from his plate the next second, and launching into ridiculous stories about their childhood that had Yanli laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from the corner of her eyes. At one point he even dragged Wanyin into a reluctant toast, raising his glass dramatically and announcing, “To my grumpy little brother surviving another year without murdering anyone!”
“Speak for yourself,” Wanyin muttered, but there was no real heat behind it.
Somewhere between the teasing, the familiar warmth of Yanli’s gentle attention, and Wei Wuxian’s endless chatter, the tight knot in Wanyin’s shoulders slowly loosened. He found himself eating more than he expected, even allowing Wei Wuxian to sling an arm around him for a ridiculous birthday photo Yanli insisted on taking. The picture captured Wanyin mid-eye-roll, Wei Wuxian grinning like a menace, and Yanli smiling between them like she had captured a rare miracle.
It was a good celebration—the kind people expected of him—but as he hugged Yanli goodbye, he felt something quieter beneath the warmth of the moment: anticipation. Because the night wasn’t over yet. His mind was already miles away in a quiet apartment filled with fairy lights.
-
However, the final hurdle took an unexpected shape. A last-minute meeting at Jiang Enterprises dragged on with agonizing slowness. Wanyin sat at the mahogany conference table, tapping his foot rhythmically and checking the time every three minutes. The clock was a taunt; his birthday was slipping away, and Lan Huan was waiting.
Finally, unable to stomach another minute of projected revenue charts, he slammed his pen down with a decisive thud that silenced the room. “I have to leave,” he announced, his voice tight. “My university professor requires a physical signature on a research document tonight, and the deadline is firm.”
The excuse was thin, but delivered with enough "Jiang authority" that no one dared question it. They let him go, and the moment the elevator doors closed, Wanyin let out a breath he felt he’d been holding since seven that morning. He was finally free for the only person he actually wanted to see.
🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁
The transition from the stiff formality of Jiang Enterprises to the interior of Lan Huan’s car felt like stepping into a different dimension.
The moment the door clicked shut, the heavy mantle of the Jiang heir slipped from Wanyin’s shoulders. All day, the world had celebrated the idea of him—the student, the heir, the son—but Lan Huan was the only one who made the day feel personal, intimate, and real.
Lan Huan insisted on taking him to an outrageously expensive restaurant, a place of hushed whispers and silver service. Wanyin spent the walk to the table complaining about the decadence and the unnecessary expense, but he couldn't stop the small, stubborn smile from tugging at his lips. Across the candlelit table, the way Lan Huan looked at him made his chest ache with a strange, dizzying mixture of warmth and possessiveness. He felt seen, not as a legacy, but as a man who was deeply loved.
By the time the final course was cleared, Wanyin’s patience had evaporated. "Let’s go home," he commanded, his voice low and suggestive.
Lan Huan raised an elegant brow, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. "Mine or yours?" he asked.
Wanyin groaned dramatically when Lan Huan mentioned that Wangji was in town and might stop by his apartment.
"Fine. My place," Wanyin decided. It seemed like the ultimate safe haven;His friends had already celebrated. His family had called. His siblings had seen him earlier. The coast was completely clear.
The car ride back to his apartment was a distraction. Wanyin found he couldn't keep his hands to himself, leaning over at every red light to steal kisses that tasted of wine and longing.
Lan Huan laughed softly against his lips, murmuring, "You’re impatient tonight, A-Cheng."
It’s my birthday.”
“That’s your excuse?”
“Yes.”
Lan Huan didn't even try to argue.
When they finally parked under Wanyin’s building, the tension snapped. Lan Huan grabbed Wanyin’s wrist, pulling him across the center console and pinning him tightly against the seat. Before Wanyin could react, there were lips on his lips.
The kiss that followed was slow, deep, and thoroughly devastating, leaving Wanyin breathless and flustered. "Come on," Wanyin muttered, his face flushed a brilliant red as he fumbled for the door handle.
They barely made it into the elevator before the heat flared up again. Lan Huan pushed him against the mirrored wall,
“Lan Huan—”
And any protest Wanyin tried to form died in his throat as Lan Huan began to trail hot kisses down his neck.
The elevator ride felt too short.
By the time they reached Wanyin’s floor, his hair was messy and his breathing uneven. They stumbled toward the apartment door, a tangle of limbs and desperate friction.
Lan Huan fumbled with the lock twice, and failed because Wanyin kept clinging to him and kissing his jaw.
"Stop moving," Lan Huan whispered.
"You're the one distracting me," Wanyin shot back.
Finally the door opened. They burst inside, the room swathed in the dark shadows of moonlit shimmering through the closed floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lan Huan didn’t bother with the lights. He shut the door with his heel and hoisted Wanyin up, his hands firm under Wanyin’s thighs as he pressed him against the door, kissing him breathless. Wanyin buried his face in Lan Huan’s neck, clinging to his shoulders as if the entire day had finally caught up with him.
Lan Huan kissed him urgently, bit and sucked his neck enthusiastically drawing small lewd sounds from his boyfriend. On a particularly hard bite Wanyin let out a loud, unrestrained moan.
The sound echoed through the silent apartment—or what they thought was a silent apartment.
Suddenly, a figure launched across the room, the lights snapped on with a blinding flash, and the world exploded into color and noise.
"—WHAT THE HELL—"
The two men froze in a tableau of absolute scandal.
Wanyin lifted his head from Lan Huan’s shoulder and felt his soul promptly leave his body.
And he immediately screamed.
“AHHH—!”
The living room wasn't empty; it was packed. Everyone holding their breath.
Standing directly in front of them were Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, their expressions an uninterpretable mix of shock and dawning realization. In his father’s arms sat little Jin Ling, holding a crooked, hand-painted sign that read:
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIUJIU."
To the side, Jiang Yanli stood with a red face, clutching a cake, while Jin Zixuan looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
On the other side stood Wei Wuxian, a party popper and birthday hat in his hands, other hand covering his mouth, wearing a look of shocked betrayal, as he moved his hand from mouth that was rapidly morphing into a wicked smirk.
Beside him, Lan Wangji was staring directly at his older brother. He chanced a glance at his boyfriend, the brothers are definitely telepathically communicating.
The silence lasted an eternity before
Inside Wanyin’s head, pure chaos erupted.
Oh
Oh. No.
No, no, no.
His brain refused to process the scene properly. His family. His friends. His sister holding a cake. His nephew proudly displaying a birthday sign. His mother staring at him like she had just discovered a scandal worthy of destroying the Jiang family reputation.
And him—
Still flushed, hair a mess, clothes rumpled, standing far too close to Lan Huan.
A horrifying replay of the last thirty seconds flashed through his mind: the elevator, the kissing, being lifted, that very loud and very incriminating moan.
If the earth had opened beneath his feet right then, Jiang Wanyin would have dived in willingly.
His entire body went rigid with mortification. His ears burned, his face felt like it was on fire, and somewhere deep inside his soul something ancient and dignified—the proud heir of Jiang Enterprises—quietly collapsed and died.
Three years. Three years of secrecy.
Three years of carefully separating his life from Lan Huan’s, of dodging questions, inventing excuses, making sure no one noticed the way his eyes lingered too long or how easily Lan Huan’s presence softened his temper. And now?
Now his entire family had witnessed him practically climbing his boyfriend like a tree.
His mother was going to kill him.
No—worse.
She was going to be disappointed first. Slowly, painfully, Wanyin realized one more thing. He was still gripping Lan Huan’s sleeve.
He did not let go.
Beside him, Lan Huan stood just as still, though his turmoil ran quieter and deeper beneath his composed exterior.
For perhaps the first time in years, the famously unshakable Lan Xichen looked genuinely stunned.
His gaze swept across the room once—taking in Lan Wangji’s silent stare, Wei Wuxian’s growing grin, Jiang Yanli’s crimson face, the utterly unreadable expressions of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan.
Lan Huan felt a rare, sharp spike of panic.
Not for himself. For Wanyin.
This was not how he had ever intended for their relationship to be revealed. Not like this, not in front of everyone, not with Wanyin cornered and overwhelmed.
But when his eyes slid sideways to look at the man beside him, he saw the rigid posture, the burning embarrassment, the stubborn way Wanyin still refused to step away from him.
And something inside Lan Huan settled. If this storm had finally arrived… then he would face it properly. Together.
Across the room, Lan Wangji’s gaze sharpened slightly.
Yes.
The brothers were absolutely communicating.
Explain.
Lan Huan could practically hear the silent demand.
Lan Huan did not answer.
Because at that exact moment, Wanyin very faintly, very desperately muttered under his breath—
“…I want to die.”
And Lan Huan almost laughed.
POP!—
Wei Wuxian fired the poppers. Confetti rained down on the frozen couple. Everyone jumped.
Jin Ling shrieked in surprise.
Silence broke instantly. Jiang Yanli stepped forward gently.
"Happy birthday, A-Cheng,"
Jin Ling lifted his sign and shouted proudly.
“Happy birthday, Jiujiu!”
The tension dissolved into a surreal, chaotic celebration. Music was turned on, and Wanyin, still half-traumatized, was ushered toward the center of the room. Wei Wuxian shoved a birthday hat onto Wanyin’s head.
He didn't let go of Lan Huan’s hand once, defiant even in his embarrassment. When it came time to cut the cake, he pointedly gave the first slice to Lan Huan before turning to his family.
To his shock, his parents weren't scolding him; they were smiling warmly, as if the secret he’d guarded so fiercely was something they were simply glad to finally see.
Eventually everyone settled around the living room.
Couches.
Chairs.
The floor.
Wei Wuxian leaned forward mischievously.
“Soooo—”
“Not. A. Word Wei Ying.” Wanyin snapped immediately.
Wei Wuxian burst out laughing. One by one the others started smiling too. Even Lan Wangji looked faintly amused. Wanyin buried his face in his hands, groaning at the sheer absurdity of it all.
The secret was out, the hidden years were over, and while tomorrow would bring a dozen difficult conversations with his parents, tonight was different. He leaned back against Lan Huan, surrounded by the loud, inconvenient, and beautiful chaos of the people who loved him, realizing birthdays are not that bad.