A Means to an End (WangXian)

Qi Alteration

"Did something happen between you and Wei-gongzi?" Lan Xichen asked.

Lan Wangji remained silent and turned his gaze away from his brother.

"The two of you were acting quite strange this morning. I also know you spent the evening looking for him yesterday," he said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Confused," Lan Wangji replied, his eyes darted from one spot in the Hanshi to the next.

"What is confusing you?"

"A rumor about us is spreading."

Lan Xichen frowned. Gossip is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses, but with so many guest disciples, it's hard to regulate them all. There's a reason the GusuLan Sect chose to make that one of their rules. Rumors taint the mind. They are built on little information and pure fictionalization. Nothing ever comes from rumors or from gossiping. It seeps into the human mind like a plague, planting insecurities and hatred.

"Wangji, I trust you do not allow yourself to be worried about these rumors. We both know they are not true," he stated clearly.

Lan Wangji pursed his lips. "Wei Ying got confronted. I think he is worried about me."

Lan Xichen took a deep breath. He knew that whatever this rumor was, it has really set off the dynamic between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. He wanted to fix it.

"What is this rumor about?"

Lan Xichen observed how his brother's ears went red. Lan Wangji promptly picked up his tea cup and took a sip.

"Wangji?" he called.

Lan Wangji set his cup back down slowly. "People are saying we are courting each other," he said while clearing his throat.

Lan Xichen's eyes became wide and his jaw dropped slightly. Although Lan Xichen had an inkling in his mind that something like this might happen, he didn't expect it for quite some time. "Is it true?" he asked.

Lan Wangji hesitantly shook his head.

He observed his younger brother for a moment. He took in how his ears continued to glow a bright red. His fingers messed with the hem of his sleeves.

"Do you want it to be true?"

Lan Wangji paused. His mind felt chaotic. He had so many conflicting thoughts that he couldn't string one thing together with another. "I do not know," he said honestly.

It was strange for Lan Wangji. He knew he didn't hate or dislike Wei Wuxian's company. He wants to be beside him all the time, and the more he gets to know him, the stronger that urge becomes. Yet, Lan Wangji doesn't understand why his stomach twists when he sees him. He's never really cared much for people other than his brother and his uncle. People were too complicated and too wrapped up in their own selfish desires. Lan Wangji has never wanted anything to do with that, but Wei Wuxian is different. He's not selfish, he's selfless, even to the point where he has injured himself. Sure, he might be complicated, but Lan Wangji recognizes that everyone is complicated, even himself. It's just part of being human.

"Wangji, how do you feel when you're around him?"

Lan Wangji stared at his brother for a moment. "Conflicted, good and bad."

Lan Xichen tapped his finger on the table in thought. "Alright. What are the good things you feel?"

"Happy, content, challenged. It feels right," he replied.

"And the bad?"

"He is different from me," he says and looks down. "Feels like I am doing something wrong."