Once upon a lifetime

Revelations - Part one

(And strangely, the next time he sat down at the qin and composed a song for Wei Ying, it sounded different. It finally resembled his mothers in its own, unique way.)

Until everything went crumbling down all at once. The Wens started a war with the cultivation world, tearing down the sects one by one, even getting so bold as to leave all of the young masters and heirs of their generation trapped inside a cave with a mythical beast.

But with the recent downfall of Cloud Recess, Lan Wangji was occupied by the rebuild and trying to glue the Sect back together piece by piece. (He hadn't thought of Wei Ying then. Of course, he wondered how he was and hoped he was safe, but news from Yunmeng to Gusu was scarce due to the war).

And what a mistake that had been.

Wei Ying went missing for three agonising months, before finally returning, although he was a changed man.

From the sarcastic comments, to the cheerful attitude, to the very shine in his eyes... it was different, somehow. He wasn't the Wei Ying Lan Wangji had fallen in love with. He wasn't the Wei Ying who had laid in his lap, barely conscious, as Lan Wangji hummed him a song.

He was clearly being manipulated by the resentful energy. And that was the very thing Lan Wangji had grown up to fight against, so if only Wei Ying wasn't so stubborn and would just let him help—

"Xiongzhang," he had confided in his brother, for the very first time in a few years. He loved Lan Xichen dearly, but most of the things he kept inside were discovered by his brother before he even had the chance to say anything. This time, it was different; he actively sought Lan Xichen out, intending to ask for his older brother's advice. "I want to bring someone back to Cloud Recess."

Lan Xichen had looked up in surprise, not expecting that in the slightest. "Bring someone back to Cloud Recess?"

Lan Wangji nodded. "This person... I want to take them back," he said, and he sounded pensive. "And hide them."

"Hide them?"

Lan Wangji frowned. "But... they are not willing."

(Sometimes, he is more similar to his father than he likes to think).

And then everything quickly escalated.

***

"Wei Ying... come back," said Lan Wangji, raising his arm slowly as if worried of scaring a frightened animal.

His eyes were stinging. His chest was constricting so tightly it was like he couldn't breathe. His stomach was twisted into a permanent knot because should Wei Wuxian stumble back, he'll be undoubtedly—

"Wei Ying!"

—dead.

Lan Wangji hadn't known where the strength came from. His arm had been cleanly sliced through by one of the other cultivators — he had been too busy watching and fighting his way to Wei Ying to notice the sword speeding towards him — and yet he still managed to grasp Wei Wuxian's arm just in time before he fell.

Lan Wangji wanted to cry. He wanted to scream at Wei Wuxian, to hit him, to shout "Why?!" but, of course, he didn't know how to do that, for Lan Wangji didn't cry, he didn't scream, he didn't shout.

But when Wei Ying opened his mouth — the mouth that once uttered sweet, sweet words and soft teases — and spoke, Lan Wangji's blood ran cold and he felt like he could do all three at once right now.

"Lan Zhan... Let me go."

He looked so, so tired. As did Lan Wangji. Therefore, not wanting to exhaust his breath, he instead vehemently shook his head and focused on trying to pull Wei Wuxian up.