MDZS - In Cinemas Now! Starring WWX and LWJ

Chapter 18 - Refinement

A/N: This chapter is an extra long one, and it's also the last chapter of the Cloud Recesses arc flashback - enjoy!! 💗💗

Wei WuXian bought a bunch of quirky gadgets in Caiyi Town and took them back to the Cloud Recesses. After he arrived, everything was shared between the disciples from other sects. Because Lan QiRen had gone to Qinghe and there were no classes for a few days, all of the boys played around in complete chaos, rushing into Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng's room to sleep there. All through the nights, they ate, drank, wrestled, gambled, and looked at picture books.

Lan Xichen winced at the choking noises his uncle was making, and sent a panicked glance at Wangji. If Uncle Qiren passed out here, in this room where everyone was glued to their seats, how would they be able to treat him? Unfortunately, Wangji didn't seem to notice, as he was too engrossed in the past life of his beloved Wei Wuxian. Neither did any of the Lan disciples, who looked much too rapt with their Senior Wei's exciting lifestyle to be considered appropriate. Even Sizhui was mildly envious that he hadn't grown up with Senior Wei to have such awesome parties.

Jin Ling stared at the board in amazement. Was that his uncle laughing in the background there, eating peanuts and playing dice?? With Wei Wuxian?? It looked so wrong, but also at the same time... it made them seem more like human beings.

During one of the nights, Wei WuXian lost in a game of dice, and was sent to sneak down the mountain and buy jars of Emperor's Smile. This time, everyone finally had the chance to satisfy their taste buds.

"Huh, that's weird!" Wei Wuxian commented. "Why didn't it show..."

"Show what?" Jin Ling asked.

"Hahaha... nevermind." Wei Wuxian hastily replied. There were few memories from his days studying in the Cloud Recesses that had stuck with him across his two lives, but the events that led to the horrifying punishment with the sandalwood sticks was one of those few. He wasn't sure which deity was picking and choosing which events to show on the board, but he hoped they would skip over that painful event.

However, on the second day, before daylight even appeared, someone opened the door of the room, revealing the disciples who spread out on the floor in a tangle, sleeping as if they were a group of corpses. The noise from opening the door startled a few people. As they saw the stone-faced Lan WangJi at the door through their sleepy eyes, they were instantly waken up.

There were low 'oooh's and stifled chuckles from the adult cultivators. Wei Wuxian was so in for it now!

Nie HuaiSang furiously pushed Wei WuXian, who ended up in a position with his legs at the top and head at the bottom, "Wei-xiong! Wei-xiong!" Having been shoved for a few times, Wei WuXian spoke drowsily, "Who? Is anyone else up for it?! Jiang Cheng? The fight is on—like I'm scared of you!"

Some people cringed at the situation. If this had happened to them they'd die on the spot in mortification watching it again, but Wei Wuxian seemed completely unperturbed.

"Your first instinct after you wake up is to fight Jiang Cheng, that's so funny!" giggled a junior disciple.

"Even when he's upside down and half-asleep," added his friend.

Jiang Cheng drank too much last night, and his head still ached as he lay on the ground with his eyes closed. He randomly grabbed something and hurled it at where Wei WuXian's voice came from, "Shut up!"

Unlike Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng didn't have a face of concrete, and he could feel his face heating up as the whole cultivation world watched his grouchy hungover self sprawled on the floor with his hair mussed up and his clothes rumpled.