Revised 02/06/23
I am really so sorry for the atrocious update! My asthma has been horrible recently (probably due to hay fever smh) so I've been feeling a bit under the weather.
But hey, at least I updated. I'm going to a polo match this weekend and I have lots of revision to do for exams, so I did this chapter knowing it's the last day I'll have the time! Thank you for taking the time to read this story! :)
***
As Wei Wuxian stepped back, the corpse only followed. This pattern continued as they drew further and further into the forest, until Wei Wuxian abruptly fell into a hard surface. His wrist was grasped.
He slowly hesitantly turned his head, only to lock eyes with brilliant gold. 'Lan Wangji!'
The girls were unusually silent.
"Hey, Hanguang-Jun," said Lan Jingyi good-naturedly. "You said this was where you recognised Senior Wei... I still don't understand. Is the back of his head so recognisable? Is his abysmal flute playing really how atrocious Wei Wuxian was behind closed doors?"
"Don't be silly, Jingyi," said Lan Sizhui. "Though I must confess, I am also curious..."
"It was obviously the fact he's controlling Wen Ning," said Jin Ling, his nose slightly raised. "Who else has heard of someone controlling that?" He suddenly thought of a certain uncle.
"Well..." Wei Wuxian shared a glance with Lan Wangji, who merely flashed him a small upturn of the lips. "I guess you'll have to find out with the rest of us, haha!"
"Senior Wei!"
Wei Wuxian's breath suddenly stuttered. 'Oh no. Back then, Lan Wangji had seen with his own eyes how I use the flute to control corpses.'
"Oh no? Really, Wei Wuxian?" said Jiang Wanyin sarcastically. "You're so afraid of Lan Wangji that you shamelessly hang off his arm, professing your adoration for him right then and there? Oh no? Oh no, what? Oh no, Lan Wangji is just as shameless as you and will protect you, not allowing even a finger to touch you? Or oh no, I can no longer act proper and must embarrass myself to every degree? Oh no, Wei Wuxian, I agree. I really agree!"
"He..." murmured Lan Jingyi unsurely, glancing between Jiang Wanyin and Jin Ling. "Is your Uncle okay?"
Jin Ling huffed and rolled his eyes. "Who's okay when Wei Wuxian's involved? But honestly, Uncle, you're being a bit embarrassing, yourself."
"He has a point, though," said Sizhui softly with a small smile. He gazed at the two cultivators dressed in red and white in front of him with no small amount of love and adoration. "Hanguang-Jun... he'll really protect Xian-gege no matter the cost."
Lan Wangji's gaze shifted until he locked eyes with Wei Wuxian, his piercing gold eyes both intimidating and enrapturing as they peeled through Wei Wuxian's many constructed barriers that separated him from the world and opened the windows to his soul, staring through as a most welcomed intruder.
"Wow," said Lan Jingyi, at a loss for words. "Wow, Hanguang-Jun. I really admire the way you speak without words." Many younger Lan disciples who were huddled behind him enthusiastically nodded in tandem.
"Really admirable..."
"Hanguang-Jun is certainly an esteemed cultivator."
"Hey. Wait. Everyone dissociate from life for a moment," said Ouyang Zizhen smartly, stroking his non-existent goatee like a well-accomplished cultivator. "Do you see the unabridged recognition? The concern seeping from Lan Wangji's very soul as he stares upon Senior Wei? This certainly marks the beginning of a new era–"
"Zizhen. Words."
"Yes, yes, er," said Ouyang Zizhen eloquently. "Well, what I mean to say is... Hanguang-Jun doesn't look cold! Look, he doesn't look very happy—never does, mind you—but my point is he isn't looking at Senior Wei coldly like he would to normal commoners such as us!"
Many nodded understandingly at his words, whereas others, such as Jingyi and Jin Ling, wished to refute that last cheeky statement.
"You're right, they're... twinkling with stars! No wonder Wei Wuxian was so infatuated by his gaze!"
"Is," Wei Wuxian corrected off-handedly.
"No, no, no, little miss, they're shining with hearts!"
"Do you need your eyes fixed? I see no hearts! His eyes are yellow! It's definitely stars!"
"Gold!" Nie Huaisang felt the need to add.
"Hey, I've heard a rumour of sorts," said Lan Jingyi smartly, beckoning some to gather around. "I'm an insider at Cloud Recess, everyone's favourite, you know?" (A cough. "Jingyi.") "Anyway, I get all the gossip. I've heard from a very credible source that Hanguang-Jun liked Senior Wei when they were still young disciples like us."
As the others 'ahh'ed in awe and admiration, Lan Jingyi nodded appreciatively. "Yes, yes, and this must mean Hanguang-Jun still likes him. Therefore, upon seeing Wei Wuxian, he was really happy."
"Isn't that sad?" said Nie Huaisang solemnly. "Wangji-xiong was really doing his best... And Wei-xiong just thinks he wants to hurt him."
Nie Mingjue was smart in that he did not even ask what was wrong with Huaisang.
"Sect Leader, the Ghost General went over there!" said a voice, quickly severing the connection.
"Quick, lead the way!"
"Where is he?!"
Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes. 'They've come up. I need to tell Wen Ning to hurry.'
"Come now, must you all be so delusional?" said Sect Leader Yao, his cheeks an angry red. "He is protecting a fierce corpse! One who is attempting to slaughter countless, at that! I really don't know how you all manage to justify his evil actions when he clearly doesn't deserve any chance at redemption nor your pity—"
And then he abruptly stopped, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Many eyes nonchalantly drifted to the Lans — no, to Lan Qiren, to see if he was okay. And then they gathered he was fine, though coughing an unhealthy amount of blood while unconscious. Healthy, then. — then their eyes snapped to Lan Wangji, who looked smug?! But, of course, despite this being the first time they managed to read the famous Second Young Master Lan's facial expression, they revelled more in the fact the old Yao Sect Leader had finally shut up! Really, though some agreed with what he was trying to say, the way in which he expressed it made them want to sympathise with the Yiling Patriarch. (Which was certainly a problem.)
With his wrist still caught in Lan Wangji's tight grip, Wei Wuxian placed his fingers on the flute and one again began to play.
'Whatever. Tens of thousands of people know how to play the flute, and the sheer number of those who imitate me in controlling corpses with the flute could form an entire sect. If nothing works, I'll just refuse to confess no matter what!'
Jiang Wanyin looked like he wanted to jump into Yunmeng Lake, climb back out, shake the life out of Wei Wuxian until he was disorientated and jump back in again. Many shared the sentiment.
"I just... I don't understand," said Jin Zixuan, flabbergasted. "I used to think you were really smart, Wei Wuxian—" ("What? Really?!") "—especially when you had those one-sided arguments with me. But... I am really so lost as to how..."
"How can someone be so dense? Are you okay over there, Yiling Patriarch?"
"He's always had a bad memory," said Jiang Wanyin much too calmly. "I suppose he must have forgotten his wits too. And perhaps the appropriate decorum."
"I just pity him at this point. Honestly..."
'Wen Ning, go quickly, hide as soon as possible!'
As Lan Wangji watched him play, his eyes narrowed and his fingers tightened around Wei Wuxian's wrist.
Lan Xichen watched the scene with an unfamiliar feeling in his chest.
Around this point in time, when Wei Wuxian was dead, the only emotion he ever saw on Wangji's face was pure despair. And since Wei Wuxian returned, he began to see it less and less. He never thought he'd see that expression of pure anguish ever again, but this...
He had never witnessed how Wangji reacted when he first saw Wei Wuxian again. He had seen the years of mourning, wallowing in despair, and then the crumbs of the aftermath, where they grew closer and travelled together.
But this...
Wangji was, in simplest terms, elated; it was like Wei Wuxian had just given him the stars. Lan Xichen had seen Wangji in many states; closed off, mourning, longing, upset, angry, happy, but...
That expression certainly wasn't something Lan Xichen had ever seen on his little brother's face.
He often blames himself for it, now, instead of Wei Wuxian. How could he call Wei Wuxian Wangji's only mistake? In reality, it was really him who was the only mistake in Wangji's life — he wasn't a good enough brother. (Perhaps he should have tried harder. Perhaps he should have listened to Wangji when he begged and pleaded for them to save the Wen remnants in the burial mounds.)
The pain from Lan Wangji's fierce grasp caused Wei Wuxian to yelp in pain and he lost his grip on the bamboo flute, his fingers slipping off the smooth material and allowing it to fall to the floor. Fearing that Lan Wangji would chase after the fierce corpse, Wei Wuxian hurriedly grabbed the man's wrist that had caught hold of his own. "Don't chase after him!"
Lan Wangji remained silent, standing in a sort of stupor where he was unmoving, staring into Wei Wuxian's eyes as if entranced. There was a flash of purple and all of a sudden, Jiang Cheng marched into the scene, his expression positively murderous.
"And... cue the entrance of the side character, Sect Leader Jiang!"
"Hahaha, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have certainly grabbed hold of the scene, haven't they? Sect Leader Jiang, who's that?"
"He has to bear witness to this dog food while having no wife of his own!" Lan Jingyi shook his head sadly with an exaggerated sniffle. "What a truly pitiful man!"
"I think a fair number of us here require your great pity as well, Great Master Lan."
"Sect Leader, he's the one who summoned him!" stated a Jiang disciple, pointing to Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Wanyin's lips pulled into a snarl as he idly fiddled with the deadly spiritual weapon that lay innocently in his hand in the form of a ring. "Well, well.. You're back? Wei Wuxian!" Zidian subsequently transformed into a long purple whip that emitted violent shocks of purple lightning, illuminating the trees within the dark forest.
Yu Ziyuan leaned back in her seat with an extremely pleased expression. "Very good, A-Cheng. Very good. Teach that arrogant fool a lesson. A dog should know its rightful place!"
Jiang Fengmian sighed into the air, not replying in favour of preventing yet another unwarranted argument.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lan Wangji waved his hand and summoned his guqin, stepping in front of Wei Wuxian protectively as if daring Jiang Wanyin to attack.
And attack he did. The pair exchanged many sophisticated blows and parries, each showcasing an outstanding display of strength. The disciples watching had their eyes wide in awe, not daring to blink even once lest they miss an important moment.
"Wow! The Zidian Whip is going up against the Wangji Guqin!"
"A fight between the most prominent cultivators is truly magnificent!"
"Come on Lan Wangji, beat up that great grape and profess your love to Wei Wuxian already!"
"A showcase of strength! Lan Wangji knows the secret to every maiden's heart!" To prove her point, the girl who had spoken made a show of dramatically swooning and falling into a friend's arms.
Wei Wuxian blinked. "Maiden?"
Jiang Wanyin muttered bitterly, "Well they aren't very far off, considering the way you seem to act around 'your' Lan Wangji every second of the day."
With the two cultivators distracted, Wei Wuxian immediately saw the situation as a chance. He flashed a sheepish smile to Jiang Wanyin, whose eyebrows were furrowed in fury, and then turned away, intending to escape through the darkness of the forest.
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes. "You want to run? Hmph!" Zidian spat out of his hand and collided into Wei Wuxian's small frame, sending him crashing into Lil' Apple's back.
"A-Xian!" Jiang Yanli cried in surprise.
"Senior Wei!" The juniors called.
Lan Wangji unconsciously pulled Wei Wuxian closer, wanting to hide him in his arms and away from the world, where no one can hurt him.
(He would be lying if he said he didn't send a few glares in Jiang Wanyin's direction.)
Wei Wuxian hissed in pain as he gently massaged his back. "Ow... Ow..."
Jiang Wanyin and Lan Wangji both stared in equal amounts of surprise. 'Not Possession?!'
"What? Why are they surprised?"
"Zidian is a spiritual weapon that separates the soul and physical form of someone whose body has been seized by a spirit," explained a Jiang disciple. "It should have removed Wei Wuxian from Mo Xuanyu's body, who had possessed it through demonic cultivation, so to speak. But it didn't... How strange."
"How strange, indeed."
Wei Wuxian hid behind Lil' Apple as he began to rant furiously, "How amazing! You really can do anything when you're from a powerful sect, can't you?! You can even beat up anyone you want to! Tsk tsk tsk!"
Jiang Wanyin's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Just who in the hell are you?!"
"Senior Wei."
"Senior Wei."
"Senior Wei."
"Senior Wei."
"..." Jiang Wanyin speechlessly watched as all of the juniors replied in tandem, their eyes twinkling. "Just who are you calling Senior, huh?" he chastised as he roughly pulled on the lobe of Jin Ling's ear. "Hey! I'm just as much your Uncle as him, so how come you seem to respect him more?"
Just as much Jin Ling's Uncle as him... Wei Wuxian repeated the words in his mind over and over again, a large smile pulling at his lips. It was small comments like this from Jiang Cheng that never failed to make Wei Wuxian's heart buzz with warmth.
Wei Wuxian suppressed the desperate urge to snort. 'Of course Zidian can't whip my soul out. I never possessed anyone's body. It's a sacrifice, a forced sacrifice!'
Jiang Wanyin rolled his eyes, muttering something Jin Ling heard as "I know that now..."
"Oh! I get it!"
"That makes so much sense now!"
"Now isn't that just the most useful thing ever?" Nie Huaisang nodded at his own words, snapping his fan shut in a palm. "A shame he made Lan-xiong falter there, though, re-considering his identity."
Nie Mingjue blinked in confusion. Just what happened to my sheepish little brother while I was gone, huh?
"How useful... It couldn't even be detected by a spiritual weapon such as that," said Wen Ruohan, leaning forward in interest. "I'll have to find this array and study it myself."
One of the disciples nervously laughed. "Sect Leader Jiang, you might not know, but Mo Xuanyu is one of the LanlingJin sect's... Ahem."
"-Because he had low spiritual powers and didn't work hard in cultivation, and had that sort of... He was thrown out of the LanlingJin Sect."
"-In my opinion, he probably ventured onto the wrong path since the right path didn't work for him. It doesn't have to be... That the Yiling Patriarch possessed him."
"That sort of? Which sort of?" Jiang Wanyin inquired.
"Get the hint, you idiot."
"Do you really have to get the poor kid to spell it out for you?"
"Uh... His head has some... Issues."
The Jin disciples who knew of Mo Xuanyu's infamy all nodded in agreement.
"He dared to assault his own brother."
"He truly was a lunatic."
"A lunatic indeed."
"I'm glad he's gone!"
"Hey, that's going a bit too far."
The Jiang Sect Leader glanced at Wei Wuxian, who was now fully hiding behind the donkey as a shield. 'According to his taste, he definitely wouldn't choose to possess such a madman's body..'
"Hey, it wasn't my choice," Wei Wuxian murmured disgruntledly, blowing away a stray lock of hair.
"You think I don't know that now?" Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, and then added more sarcastically, "You know, I always thought you did have a thing for those lunatics, since you seemed to relate so much to them. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that the most favourable body for you was that." Wei Wuxian half-heartedly glowered at him.
Wei Wuxian internally sighed in relief. 'I can't believe that Mo Xuanyu being an idiot has saved me.'
Jiang Wanyin's gaze never moved from where it lay on Wei Wuxian's pitiful form. "Indeed. Then... Take him back!"
"Yes!"
Sect Leader Yao raised his head arrogantly, the silence spell now broken. "Well done, Sect Leader Jiang."
Wei Wuxian paled. 'But I still can't get rid of his doubts!' He quickly ran behind Lan Wangji and clutched onto his white robes desperately. "What are you gonna do to me?!"
The girls hastily nodded their heads in approval, glancing at one another as they exchanged excited commentaries.
"Well done, Wei Wuxian!"
"Seeking help from Hanguang-Jun's noble self in a time of need!"
"How smart!"
"Truly admirable!"
"Hey, hold on, hold on," said Lan Jingyi. "He preferred to go with Lan Wangji, who he thinks hates him, rather than to leave with Sect Leader Jiang... does that mean he held some fondness for Hanguang-Jun back then?"
Nie Huaisang murmured under his breath, "I think I'd do the same if my brother was out for my head, mind you."
"What was that, Huaisang?"
"Nothing, Da-Ge!" came the swift response.
Lan Wangji simply refused to move an inch, and instead manoeuvred himself to block Wei Wuxian protectively.
Jiang Wanyin's lips curled into a snarl. "Second Young Master Lan, are you making this difficult on purpose?"
"Sect Leader Jiang, the evidence is right before your eyes," said Lan Wangji, his emotionless expression not once wavering. "Mo Xuanyu hasn't been possessed, so why should you want to trouble such an unimportant person?"
Lan Wangji determinedly avoided the many glowers he suddenly received from a certain part of the room. Most of all, he needed to focus on the pout Wei Ying was sending in his direction.
"Not you," he said softly. "I said that to protect Wei Ying. You are important. Very important."
"And?" Wei Wuxian blinked innocently.
"You are my everything," said Lan Wangji, gently kissing the crown of his head. "My love. My partner. My soulmate. Everything."
Satisfied, the Yiling Patriarch settled back into the circle of his husband's arms.
'I need to find a way to get rid of both sides..' Wei Wuxian thought pensively. And then his expression positively lit up as he finally strung together an idea. 'Aha!'
Wen Qing narrowed her eyes, "I know that look... Very, very well, in fact. Wei Wuxian is going to cause trouble. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid and embarrass himself further."
Wen Ruohan leaned over in interest, his eyes carrying a hint of mischief. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"
Wen Qing sent him a look that she hoped he interpreted to be of disgust. "Not you too..."
Wei Wuxian hid his smile behind a hand, "Sect Leader Jiang, um, you bothering me like this is making me feel really troubled."
"What's this?"
"Even if you don't like me, I won't just follow anyone who waves his hand at me."
"Okay, okay."
"We understand, that is reasonable."
"People like you, for example, I have no interest in." He pointed to Jiang Cheng to further emphasise his point.
The girls nodded, "That's right. Second Young Master Lan is the only one for him."
Jiang Wanyin crossed his arms curiously. "Oh? Then, may I ask, which type of person do you like?"
"Which type?" Wei Wuxian grinned as he slung his hands over Lan Wangji's shoulders, his head snuggled into the soft fabric of the cultivator's neck. "Well, people like Hanguang-Jun, I do like very much."
The room was rendered silent.
And then after a few moments passed, the girls screamed. Really loud.
Jiang Wanyin was once again questioning why he was even there. He would like a break, thank you very much. And so it was out of annoyance, certainly not a little bit of irritation that Wei Wuxian's shamelessness was being encouraged, that he practically yelled. "Shut up!"
Wei Wuxian laughed unabashedly. "Jiang Cheng, is my fan group too much for you? Get yourself one and maybe I'll consider asking them to be quiet."
The girls' screaming died down because they eventually started to realise that it was probably more potent than any song from the Collection of Spirit Turmoil. Instead, they had (un)fortunately taken to yelling instead.
"Second Young Master Lan! Get him! Marry him! Go, go!"
"Who cares about self restraint?! Do the three bows! Quick, quick, or he'll slip away again!"
Jiang Wanyin and Lan Wangji shared an alarmed look.
'Annoying two people at once—killing two birds with one stone! They'll definitely feel disgusted and keep their distance from me and draw a line between me and them!'
"Hm?" To Wei Wuxian's surprise, Lan Wangji took his words at face value and grasped his wrist once again. "Mark your words."
"Yes! Mark your words, Wei Wuxian!"
Lan Qiren blinked.
"..."
"!!!"
His nephew! What happened?! Why was his nephew holding Wei Wuxian so intimately? In front of everyone, no less! No, when did this even happen?! Why was Wangji acting so strangely?! Wasn't this before they got... got... Married?! Someone stop them!
"Uncle, calm down," said Lan Xichen slowly. "Uncle? Uncle!"
"This person, I will be taking them back to the Lan Sect."
And then Lan Wangji began to pull Wei Wuxian along, out of the forest, and away from the dumbfounded Jiangs.
Wei Wuxian blankly stared at the white figure in confusion, "...Huh?"
"Ohh! You're doomed, Wei Wuxian!"
"He brought this upon himself!" Wen Ruohan laughed. "Wei Wuxian, even I'm not finding your situation pitiful anymore!"
The gathering of girls (and a few boys now, so it seems) glanced at the former Sect Leader with equally sparkling eyes, 'He ships it too?!'
Cloud Recess was widely known to be one of the most beautiful places in the entire world: The buildings were large, waterfalls were elegant, and surrounding hills towered over the appealing structure. The entire premises was enveloped in a soft mist that made the scene appear picturesque.
"It's so pretty!"
"I wish I could study there one day!"
"I've 'studied' there plenty of times..." Nie Huisang looked slightly nauseous. Wei Wuxian thought he was referring to the countless times his brother had sent him there to improve his abysmal grades, to no avail. He sort of pitied the man.
Within the sect, a loud, resounding bell could be heard. The serene atmosphere was suddenly disturbed by a loud shriek that was followed by a series of wails, startling the young Lans who were attentively listening to a lecture.
"No..! Let me go..!" Wei Wuxian howled, desperately clutching onto Lil' Apple as Lan Jingyi attempted to drag him through the large gates.
"Why are you crying?! You yourself said that you like Hanguang-Jun, so what are you wailing about, now that he has taken you back?!"
"He's right! Why are you complaining?" Jiang Wanyin murmured. "You got what you wanted and was taken back to Gusu, you little troublemaker. What's there to complain about?"
Wei Wuxian idly fiddled with his hair, "I may or may not have been afraid Lan Zhan would try to exorcise me..."
The fangroup were, shall we say, scandalised.
"You thought he was gonna hurt you?!"
"What?!"
"How on earth did you come to that conclusion?!"
"Have the rules on your wall of discipline increased in number...?" said Wei Wuxian through sniffles. "When I came here in the past, there were only three thousand.."
Jingyi raised his eyebrow curiously. "Just how long ago did you come here? It has been four thousand since a long time ago."
Wei Wuxian froze. And then moments later, he was pulling Lil' Apple by the reins in the opposite direction. "See you later!"
The crowd erupted into laughter at the comedic scene.
Wen Ruohan shook his head fondly. "This kid.. He's funny," he said to Wen Qing. "Can I adopt him?" (He ignored the glare shot at him by a certain Jiang Fengmian).
"I'm sure he wouldn't want to be siblings with Wen Chao," said Wen Qing as matter-of-fact.
"Who wants that disgrace as their son? Besides, I can always get rid of him," Wen Ruohan paused thoughtfully. "Speaking of... Where is that failure?"
"Wow," Wen Qing shook her head in exasperation. "We've been here for a while and you didn't know your sons were missing? Some father you are."
"Stop him!"
Wei Wuxian now let his crocodile tears flow freely. "Gahhhh! I'm not going up there, I'm not going up there! If I go I won't be able to ever leave again! Gahhh!"
Jingyi stared at Wei Wuxian, who was now sprawled over the floor, clinging onto Lil' Apple's leg and making a scene. "Alright! Stop being so noisy. Making noise is prohibited in Cloud Recess."
The older Lan disciples chuckled as if the statement were a sort of inside joke amongst them.
"It's a little Lan-er-gongzi!"
"He's a mix of Wei Wuxian and Lan-er-gongzi! How sweet!"
"I'm only being noisy because I don't want to go in there," Wei Wuxian continued desperately. "Please give up on me!"
"Let him cry," said a cold voice. All of the disciples simultaneously turned around, only to be met with Lan Wangji's retreating back. "When he becomes tired, carry him inside."
"How lively," said another, albeit more cheerful, voice.
"Yes, how lively," Nie Mingjue added, sending a smile to Lan Xichen, who dutifully sent one back. They both shared the same fond exasperation for their younger brothers, and so it was rare moments like this that they were just allowed to sit and appreciate what little troublemakers they have been blessed with.
"Sect Leader!" called the Lan disciples respectfully at Lan Xichen's sudden appearance.
"Xiongzhang," said Lan Wangji coolly. "Are you visiting Lianfang-Zun again?"
The atmosphere immediately darkened at the mention of Jin Guangyao.
"Yes, to talk over the next discussion conference at Koi Tower," said Lan Xichen softly. "It's not often that you bring somebody home, especially in such good spirits. You must treat your guest with way more courtesy than this."
"Good spirits?!" Jiang Cheng scoffed, "How is he in good spirits?"
"Look in his eyes! Can you not see the fondness? Sect Leader Jiang, I am quite disappointed, that I am."
"Good spirits?" Wei Wuxian practically wailed as Lan Xichen walked away. "Where did he see the good spirits? How can you call this being in good spirits?"
Lan Wangji glanced at Wei Wuxian and then seemed to make a decision as he looked back to the disciples. "Drag him inside."
"Yes!"
"Hanguang-Jun, where should we take him?" said Lan Jingyi.
"The Jingshi," Lan Wangji replied without a moment's hesitation.
"The Jingshi?!"
Wei Wuxian stared in bewilderment. "What's the Jingshi?"
"Yeah, what is it?!"
"I can see him concocting some sort of torture room in his mind right about now..." murmured a Lan disciple. "Look how he's shaking... he probably thinks it's where we put our prisoners."
"It's Hanguang-Jun's bedroom," the boy elaborated at the many confused looks he received.
"Oh."
"Hanguang-Jun's bedroom... I see..."
"Wait, what?!"
The scene suddenly changed to where Wei Wuxian was sitting idly by himself in the Jingshi, his head resting on a hand. The air was thick with the calming scent of sandalwood, the incense burner on one of the tables producing the aroma as it burned.
With nothing to do, Wei Wuxian's hands started curiously wandering places. He felt around the floor, only to find something quite unusual about a specific area. Wei Wuxian knocked on the spot a few times as confirmation and nodded determinedly. 'The sound that this piece of wood makes is clearly different from those of the others.'
He curiously placed his hands on it and then pulled it off in one fell swoop. But what he saw left him speechless: There were seven or eight jars of emperor's smile snuggled together underneath, hidden under the very floorboard beside Hanguang-Jun's bed!
"WANGJI!" Lan Qiren gasped, clutching the fabric of his chest.
Lan Wangji merely coughed into a fist, attempting to escape the piercing eyes of his uncle. No, in fact, basically half of the room was staring at him. And not for the right reasons.
"I thought... I thought Lan Wangji didn't drink!"
"To think he sneaks in liquor! It's a scandal!"
"No way!"
"Who would have guessed?!"
"Lan Wangji, he really has changed, hasn't he? He even began to hide liquor!" murmured Wei Wuxian. He didn't seem too disappointed, however, for he happily proceeded to pull each jar out and began to drink to his heart's content.
Wei Wuxian suddenly reached a moment of epiphany after consuming a second of the jars. "That's right! I know where to find the token of passage!"
"Exactly!" Wen Ruohan nodded in total agreement. "You and I are really so similar! To think Wei Wuxian also understands how one is only at his peak with a bottle of liquor in his hand, hahaha!"
Jiang Cheng pursed his lips. "You can't just find a token of passage. I think you meant steal."
Behind Cloud Recess, near the back hills, was a source of water named 'The Cold Springs'. It is used by the sect's male disciples and is capable of calming one's heart and quenching one's life.
As he hid behind a rock, Wei Wuxian glanced at the shadowy figure in the pond, briefly concealed by cold, frigid smoke. 'When the male disciples go into the cold spring, they'll have to take off their clothes, and the token of passage has to be inside of those clothes!'
"Found it!" He glanced at the pile of neatly-folded robes on the floor. "...Damn, it's so neatly folded that I almost don't have the heart to go through it!"
Wei Wuxian began to hastily rummage through the clothes in search for the token of passage. 'Where is it.. huh?'
"Nooo! Don't look, Wei Wuxian!"
"It's over!"
"Lan Wangji, why did you leave him alone? He's bound to get into some sort of mischief or the other!"
"This is!" he glanced at the figure standing in the pond, who appeared much more clearly as the large cloud of smoke cleared. 'Lan Wangji?!'
Jin Zixuan's hands, that had previously been wrapped around his wife, smoothly slipped upwards until his palms were pressing to Jiang Yanli's eyes, concealing her view of the screen. "A-Li, you don't need to look."
At his explanation, Jiang Yanli chuckled but acquiesced to his words. "Of course, A-Xuan."
"I mean, it's not really shameless to watch since Second Young Master Lan's body is hidden by mist... so I suppose it's fine."
"Hey! What we see doesn't matter," said Ouyang Zizhen boldly. "The fact alone that Second Young Master Lan is there, dressed indecently, should be enough for all of you to turn away! So shameless, all of you! Are you really going to disrespect him like that?"
The juniors nodded in tandem, their respect for the romantic boy skyrocketing.
"Exactly! How shameless!"
"How dare you disrespect Hanguang-Jun!"
"Look away or I'll see to it myself that I gouge your eyes out!"
"...Hey, you four, what about Wei Wuxian? He's the one being shameless by peeking, not us!"
"Senior Wei is different!" All four exclaimed. Wei Wuxian determinedly nodded in agreement.
At the four junior disciples' words, Lan Wangji felt a warm feeling erupt in his heart.
Wei Wuxian noticed a small mark on Lan Wangji's chest, just below his collarbones: it was a bright red sun that stood out amongst the pale skin, undeniably the motif of the infamous Wen Clan. 'That brand mark!'
"Isn't that my Clan's branding mark?" murmured Wen Ruohan curiously. "I don't recall ever branding Lan Wangji... How could he have it on his chest? How curious... How very curious..."
Wei Wuxian was broken out of his trance by a sudden exclamation of outrage, "Who?!"
Lan Wangji grabbed his robe from the side of the pond and draped it over his body. With Bichen in hand, he sent forth a large blast of energy in Wei Wuxian's direction.
Wei Wuxian hid behind a rock and paled, sucking in a deep breath. 'Oh no..!' Thinking it best to run away as soon as possible, he began to sneak away but just as he turned, he crashed into a chest robed in white.
"Ow!" Jingyi yelped. "Who is it?!"
"What are you running for?! Walking too quickly is prohibited in Cloud Recess!"
"One moment he's loud, and the next he's a proper disciple who recites the rules loyally! Which one is it?"
Wei Wuxian smirked to himself, another shameless idea coming to fruition. 'Here's a chance! Now I can be kicked out of the mountain!'
Jiang Wanyin was suffering from second hand embarrassment and currently had his face in his hands. "Stop... Please stop.."
Many could only watch him in pity, shaking their heads as they held the very same thoughts deep at heart.
'Wei Wuxian, you are really so unbelievable!'
Wei Wuxian's demeanour faltered and he frantically waved his hands in denial. "I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything at all! I definitely wasn't here to peep at Hanguang-Jun bathe!"
"What?! Watching Hanguang-Jun bathe?!"
Lan Jingyi glowered as he roughly trapped Wei Wuxian by the collar. "You lunatic! I-I-Is this something you can peep at?!"
Wei Wuxian tried to stop himself from laughing and forced himself to turn red. "I didn't see at all how Hanguang-Jun looked without his clothes on!"
The Lans paled, "..."
The viewers paled, "..."
Lan Jingyi began to yell rather loudly, and Wei Wuxian squeaked in fright, quickly covering his face with his hands. "That is too specific for you to be innocent! Still saying that you did not, then what are you doing, sneaking around here?! Look at you! You should be ashamed of yourself and no longer dare not show your face to others!"
Lan Jingyi lowered his head with shame. "Sorry Senior Wei... I was really rude to you."
"It's all right," said Wei Wuxian with a warm smile. "You were only protecting Lan Zhan's modesty. In fact, I'm glad you reacted like that. You're a really good kid, Jingyi."
Lan Jingyi's cheeks lightly dusted with pink, a reaction only further noticed by other disciples when Jin Ling doubled over in laughter, cackling as he pointed it out to all.
Throughout the commotion, Lan Xichen lightly patted his Uncle on the back. "Uncle, you have tried your best..."
Wei Wuxian groaned a sound of annoyance. "Don't be so loud, won't you? Noise is prohibited in Cloud Recess."
Lan Jingyi glanced up to where Lan Wangji was approaching them, now properly dressed with his many sophisticated blue and white layers. "Ah, Hanguang-Jun!"
Not once did his gaze wander from Wei Wuxian.
Lan Jingyi once again turned his attention to Wei Wuxian. "Hanguang-Jun, Mo Xuanyu is really outrageous. You originally took him back in consideration of his help at Mo Village, yet he... he..."
Wei Wuxian peeked at Lan Wangji through his fingers, chanting in his head. 'Kick me out! Kick me out!'
Lan Wangji suddenly emitted an atmosphere of solemnity. Upon noticing it, Wei Wuxian shifted so he faced his husband and gently took his cheeks in his hands. "Lan Zhan, look at me."
"Mn."
"I'm so sorry for everything back then. I- I didn't know, and I... I wasn't thinking!" he quickly rambled. "But I just want you to know that if I had known, I promise I-"
Lan Wangji gently shushed him and took both of his hands in his own, gently pulling them down and locking their fingers together. "Wei Ying doesn't need to explain himself," he said softly. "I understand."
"But Lan Zhan, you just... you seemed really upset, I just want to apologise... I never realised how that must have been to you. I kept trying to leave without considering-"
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji interjected. "Stop. I know. I won't deny that it hurt," ("I really am sorry—") "but I want you to know that I understand. You were scared. All that matters now is the present."
"Well said, Lan Wangji," said Wen Ruohan approvingly. "A-Qing, you really befriended some good lads."
"I did," Wen Qing murmured fondly.
Lan Wangji put Bichen back into its sheath and played a hand on Wei Wuxian's shoulder. "Leave," he said. He then grabbed Wei Wuxian by the collar and pulled him away from the group of bewildered Lans.
When they reached the Jingshi, Lan Wangji pushed open the doors and threw Wei Wuxian onto the bed in the side room.
"Lan Wangji!" Jiang Wanyin exclaimed, his hands already covering his eyes.
"Stop being so dramatic," Jin Zixuan murmured. "He's just being courteous and giving Wei Wuxian some place to sleep."
Wei Wuxian sat up slightly and leaned his head on one hand. 'Since when has the Lan Sect been so lenient towards something as shameless as peeking at one of its most distinguished cultivators bathe?! How could they tolerate this?!'
And then Lan Wangji began to strip off his outer robes, preparing himself for the night.
Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes curiously. 'What if I strike while the iron is hot and disgust him some more..'
He quickly sat up with a flirtatious smile. "Lan- Ouch!" But just as he spoke, he collided into a hard chest.
Lan Wangji towered over him, looking totally undone as he was dressed in only his inner robes. His hair was loose, and the thin white material exposed some of the pale skin on his chest. The scene was strangely intimate in a way that sent flutters to Wei Wuxian's chest.
'The brand mark, I also had one before I became the Yiling Patriarch... No matter the position or the shape, this one is exactly the same as the one I used to have... But why?'
"The exact same place and the exact same brand," Jiang Wanyin murmured thoughtfully. "Isn't that ironic?"
Nie Huaisang idly fanned himself, his expression unreadable. "Really ironic..."
Wei Ying raised his head slightly. 'Lan Wangji made his name at a young age and people have been speaking very highly of him. Just what an unforgivable mistake did he make for him to be punished so harshly?'
Lan Wangji silently turned away, his face not visibly portraying his thoughts. "You will be sleeping here." And then he walked through the Jingshi's doors, once again leaving Wei Wuxian alone to his devices.
'But now, no matter what I did, Lan Wangji can tolerate everything, how strange. In the past, no matter what I did, Lan Wangji couldn't tolerate anything.'
"Ah!" Wei Wuxian fell back onto the bed with a satisfied exhale. He stared at the ceiling thoughtfully while contemplating. "Would he be asleep already?"
'The lights inside Lan Wangji's inner bedchamber are still on.'
"Oh no, what's he going to do this time?"
Wei Wuxian pried himself off of the bed and snuck into the room where Lan Wangji resided. 'The token of passage is on him. Maybe I'll be able to find it?'
He crept up the bed and past Lan Wangji's sleeping figure, his hands raised to search the man's robes—
Lan Wangji's eyes blinked open.
"...oh dear."
"The second hand embarrassment though..."
Wei Wuxian immediately retracted his hand. 'He's not asleep!'
'...Oh well, I'll just go through with it.'
He gently lifted the blanket off of Lan Wangji's body, 'I remember him hating physical contact. Back then, if I touched him, I could be thrown into the air.'
Wei Wuxian placed his hands on either side of Lan Wangji's head, now seated atop him. 'Now he'll definitely kick me out, won't he?!'
Jin Ling turned away. "I really don't need to see this shameless display."
"I agree," said Jin Zixuan calmly. "A-Ling, you really don't need to see this."
Lan Wangji indifferently stared at him. "Get down."
"No." Wei Wuxian smirked as he brought his face closer to Lan Wangji's. They were so close that he could feel the man's warm breath against his lips. "If you let me sleep here, you should've known that something like this would happen."
Lan Wangji murmured, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Wei Wuxian paused. 'For some reason, I feel like I should think twice before I answer this question.'
Before he could reply, Lan Wangji abruptly wrapped an arm around Wei Wuxian's waist and pressed a pressure point. In a matter of moments, Wei Wuxian had slumped onto Lan Wangji, now as still as the man beneath him. 'I can't control my body..'
"Then stay like this for the rest of the night," said Lan Wangji calmly.
Wei Wuxian paled, 'Just what's happened to Lan Zhan during these years? How did he become like this? Is this still the Lan Zhan from back then?! He's the one who's had his body possessed, isn't he?!'
Lan Wangji suddenly sat up slightly and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but smirk at the action. 'He finally can't stand it any longer?!'
With a wave of his hands, the lights went out.
"Sleep," He sat back down and pulled the covers over both him and Wei Wuxian. After a while, they both shut their eyes, fatigue finally overtaking, and slept.
The screen gradually faded into a great heap of black.
Wei Wuxian's self-proclaimed fan group were busy gushing about that and the other, while others discussed what they had just witnessed with much bitterness.
"Why, exactly, do we need to see this?"
"It's just Wei Wuxian acting all chummy with his husband!"
"Exactly! What's the point? What about us single people?!"
"Of course!" said Wei Wuxian brightly. "Lan Zhan is just the best, isn't he? I love you so much, husband."
"No. Wei Ying is the best," murmured Lan Wangji, slinging an arm around his lover's waist. "Love you too."
There were many sighs made by the people watching the sweet interaction.
"They're clearly pouring salt on our wounds!"
"What blatant dog food!"
"My Mum still cooks my food..."
"I haven't even held hands with anyone yet..."
"They're really too much!"