Thread by @KD_wanyin

Braids
#JiangCheng and #JinLing fluff

Jin Ling loves spending time with Jiujiu. He likes going out with Jiujiu, but he loves spending time in the privacy of the inner residences of Lotus Pier with Jiujiu the most. Here he can see Jiujiu with his hair down.

Jin Ling wonders how Jiujiu can keep his hair tied up in a bun. Jiujiu’s hair is long and he can see the waves on his hair as his uncle releases it from his braid. Jiujiu’s hair looks so soft, Jin Ling wants to touch it.

But he sits and stares as Jiujiu unravels his braids. He watches as the candles light up Jiujiu’s shiny hair. He wants to touch, would it feel soft like his own hair? But Jiujiu’s hair has curls and his own does not. Jiujiu’s hair has waves that remind Jin Ling of the lakes.

He wonders if it smells like the lotuses. Would it feel soft like the furs on Fairy? Can Jin Ling fall asleep on Jiujiu’s hair like he does when he takes naps with Fairy?

He hears Jiujiu laugh.
“That would be uncomfortable for the both of us A-Ling, and you’d end up with my hair in your mouth,”
Jin Ling did not mean to say that out loud. He wonders if he can braid Jiujiu’s hair and he asks him that.

“Tomorrow A-Ling, tonight you need to sleep and my hair needs rest,”
So Jin Ling sleeps, happy that tomorrow he could make braids with Jiujiu.
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In the morning Jin Ling wakes up and gets dressed with help and then he goes to Jiujiu’s room.
Jiujiu has his hair down, a comb in his hand and a smile on his face. Jiujiu looks relaxed like this.

Jin Ling is taught to make a braid, Jiujiu says it’s simple. But why are there so many twists and turns? Jin Ling just wants braids in his hair.

Jiujiu takes his hand and shows him how to do it on his hair. It took some time and Jiujiu’s reminders but he did it.

He made his first braid (with help).

Then Jiujiu turned his head and gave him another lock of hair, Jiujiu made the first few stitches and now Jin Ling has to complete it. Jiujiu’s hair feels so soft in his hand and Jiujiu lets him play with it.

Jin Ling tries to complete the braid.
Attempt the impossible. Jin Ling thinks it’s impossible to make the braids like Jiujiu does. So neat and clean with not a hair misplaced. He makes a wrong twist and now the braid doesn’t look like Jiujiu’s. He wants to cry and so he does.

He feels Jiujiu holding him.
“What’s wrong A-ling?”
Jin Ling doesn’t feel he can speak, so he shows the braid to Jiujiu and sniffles.
Jiujiu laughs- how can Jiujiu laugh? It’s not funny, the hair looks wonky and uneven now and he says so.

Jiujiu tells him he can fix it and does so. He unravels the wrong stitches and continues braiding again. His jiujiu fixed his mistake and gave him the strands to continue braiding. This time Jin Ling finishes without a mistake. Jiujiu thanks him and continues his updo.

Jin Ling watches.
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After morning practice, Jin Ling decides to practice braiding again.

He sits with Fairy in his room and starts separating the hair into three parts. He tries to braid and then stops. Fairy’s hair is too short! He can’t braid with this. He stares at Fairy. What can he use to braid?

He looks at his own hair and starts taking off his ponytail.Jin Ling starts braiding again using his jiujiu’s lesson to help him. He made some mistakes and the hair looks uneven but he can’t fix it like his uncle so he tries again. And again. And again.

He hopes he can make a braid soon, he wants to look like Jiujiu. He tries for so long he forgets about lunch.

When he has finally completed one braid, he ties it. He tries with the other side now, maybe he can look like jiujiu now. It takes him faster now to complete the braid.

As he finishes tying it up, his uncle steps into the room and sees him with two braids.
“Look jiujiu, I have two braids like you now!”
His jiujiu hugs him tightly, but Jin Ling can feel his uncle shaking. Is Jiujiu laughing again? Jin Ling feels angry and he pushes jiujiu.

“You look good A-Ling,” Jiujiu lets go of him “but you’re missing lunch.”
And so they had lunch together. Jin Ling wore his braids the whole day and got complimented by everyone they met. Jin Ling feels proud. Braiding hair is not easy

That night, Jiang Cheng teaches Jin Ling how his father (Jin Zixuan) does his hair. The next day, Jin Ling wears his hair like his father.

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Thank you for reading until the end!
I hope you like it!

Also I'm sorry for the angst... I can't help it.