The Last Phoenix

Chapter Two

He has felt the fear of never being able to see him again, though. That was also because of Wei Wuxian. 

Lan Wangji had more eyes land on him because of the way he reacted. They must've seen his body. Whenever he moved, the crystals glittered. That was not good. 

He was already planning to bolt.

Lan Wangji had always worn white, blue, and only occasionally, red. This crystal-covered waterfall of crimson was probably the last thing he'd expect to see wrapped around his body. The sheer fabric above the white underneath gave away the illusion of rippling water well enough. 

He noticed that when he was standing in the dark, hidden away from view, the crystals still glittered like there was no tomorrow. 

Lan Xichen had seriously put in a lot of thought about what he wanted his brother to wear. He really decided make him the spotlight. He wanted Lan Wangji to catch the attention of Wei Wuxian, and he could easily do that now. These robes made Lan Wangji want to go back home and hide away again, but he couldn't do that.

Seriously, Lan Wangji thought, where did Lan Xichen even get such a thing? 

First off: he couldn't stand being locked away in Gusu any longer. Secondly: the Prince was right in front of him, and he was staring at him. 

It was almost hard for Lan Wangji to believe he was standing in the same room as Wei Wuxian. 

Lan Wangji will admit that no words could describe the beauty of it, but actually wearing the robes made him want to run away from everyone and hide. It made him want to take it off. 

When he arrives back home, he will never wear this again.

He forced himself to calm down from his small panicky state and focus on the Prince, instead.

The Prince's laugh was quite perfect. His smile even more so. Wei Wuxian was already pretty, and his smile just made him even prettier. 

That laugh.

Lan Wangji missed that laugh. 

It was short and across the large room of the palace, but he heard it clearly throughout all the chatter.

Everyone was excited for the Prince of Yunmeng to appear tonight, and now that he finally did, the cheerful clamor of voices faltered. They subsided into whispers, and then, silence.

Lan Wangji knew that everyone else must've heard it. He was determined to not make a sound. He didn't plan on speaking to or making eye contact with anyone.

Especially with the Prince, now that he held the hand of a woman and suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist. He was smiling. They were close. Too close.

She must've been the reason. Thinking of someone else causing Wei Wuxian to laugh, more specifically someone he was obviously attracted to, made Lan Wangji's blood boil.

He hated the sight of it: the Prince's eyes lovingly looking down at her short figure, her whispering things into his ear and his smile that was brighter than the sun.

Their footsteps were perfectly in sync, as if they had done this a hundred times.

Lan Wangji loved the smile, but not when someone else caused it.

Lan Wangji took a moment to look at her appearance.

She was a butterfly, wearing a light purple and pink silk dress with small white wings sewn into the back and a white mask that was also shaped into the fluttering creature. She had sheer white gloves on. Lan Wangji didn't care.