A/N: For the readers who aren't aprt of my series but are loyally reading this book, sowwy for disappearing! Really sorry, too much work on my damned plate! And A BIIIIIIG THANK YOU for 1K reads already, though it's probably not even halfway through! Y'all are the best!!!!
And here's a bit of WangXian dense-dunces' fluff at the end but a loooooot of friend zoning all the way through!
And yes, that's SnakeDimples in the header image!
♥️WXLL.
________________________________________________________________
"Take care, A-Yuan!"
Zhen Yuan waved merrily as he skipped his way down the hill, away from the gates of Cloud Recesses, clad in a fresh set of white robes and a bag — packed with food and medicine and robes for his ill mother. Lan Wangji was truly a wonderful guardian.
"Right, Lan Zhan? You could be his guardian. Suits you, caring and providing."
"I'll still care and provide, guardian or not."
"Oh... true, that," Wei Wuxian winked. "Well? What now? Back to talismans?"
"I'm going to the classes, to check on the juniors."
"Okay!" Wei Wuxian crossed his hands behind his back and walked with him.
"You're coming with me?"
"Just to the doorstep of the Lectures Hall. I'm bored!"
"Feed the bunnies."
"Ah, right, I'll do that after dropping you off," Wei Wuxian nodded. "I still can't believe we actually found a blood relative through your mother's! Don't worry, nobody will know a thing. Shifu will torture the poor child into forgetting his ancestry if he knew of this. He hated Madam Lan..." Wei Wuxian sighed, feeling empathetic towards Zhen Liuhua.
"Never."
"Ah?"
"Never."
"He never hated Madam Lan?"
"Never."
"Then..."
"He simply respected the rules above brotherhood. But he was supportive as far as he could be. Shufu found the secluded house for Mother."
"Really?!"
"Mn."
"Woah... I see... Shifu's a complicated person... Still! I've got a cousin brother now!" Wei Wuxian clapped gleefully.
Lan Zhan smiled internally at the sight of a childishly happy Wei Ying. If he could keep him this happy every single day...
What would he not give?
"Oh, we're here!" Wei Wuxian pouted.
"What's wrong?" Lan Zhan asked before knocking on the door.
"Nothing... I'll miss you, bestie! See ya later!" Wei Wuxian waved and hopped away to his bunnies.
Lan Wangji cringed. Bestie. Really, Wei Ying? Tsk, whatever, Lan Zhan sulked and stomped into the Lectures Hall.
***********
Wei Wuxian went hoppity-hop on his way to the rabbits' shelter, crossing the compound in large strides with a jovial skip in his step. Ever the Angel of Humour. Ever the White Lotus.
He missed the Pink and Purple Lotuses, too, but knew they were doing great where they were and felt thrilled at the thought.
Humming some new song Lan Wangji seemed to be slowly coming up with. Slowly but surely he was writing the music on a scrapbook of his, two notes each day because he wanted it to be perfect.
Can't wait to see the final masterpiece! Wei Wuxian grinned. Maybe we could play it together!
Suddenly, he skidded to a halt. Stopping in his tracks at the feeling of something familiar approaching him, he narrowed his eyes and looked around. The something was something he knew. Something he was familiar with...
But embedded into it was something he sensed as a threat. Something deep, something... dark.
Divergence? But what's with the darkness?
He looked around him but saw nobody. When he spun back to face the front, he crashed right into a short and smiling man.
"Oh, sorry!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm really sorry!" The man smiled apologetically, dimples sinking into his round cheeks, as he inclined his head repeatedly.
"It's fine, really. Neither of us are hurt. Are you alright? Sorry if I hurt you," Wei Wuxian held him by the arms before he almost tripped over out of the shock.
"Oh yes, yes, absolutely fine, thank you," he nodded and stood upright, brushing down his robes. He looked up at Wei Wuxian and smiled brightly again. "Black robes, red hair ribbon, smiling eyes. You must be Er-Ge's brother-in-law? Wei Gongzi?"
"Why yes!" Wei Wuxian nodded. "And you are?" He wondered who would be calling Lan Xichen Er-Ge other than Nie Huaisang...
"Jin Guangyao."
Ah, so this is the infamous Meng Yao? The poor fellow who was kicked away by the whole world for being a prostitute's son? Taken into the Nie sect by Chifeng-Zun? Right. Another guy like me, afflicted because of his parents' identity.
"Delighted to meet you, Jin Gongzi."
"And me, you, Wei Gongzi."
"You know Xichen-ge?"
"Erm, he's a friend. Through A-Sang."
"Oh right, you stay with Nie-xiong, don't you? Trusted pal?"
Jin Guangyao nodded.
"I see. Jin Gongzi came to meet Xichen-ge?"
"Yes. I've met him."
"Oh, then... safe journey home!" Wei Wuxian bowed to him.
"Take care, Wei Gongzi. And I hope we meet again," Jin Guangyao smiled and walked out the gates.
I have no grudge with you, Meng Yao. But something tells me you're going to be a pain-in-the-behind for my brother... We'll see.
And that feeling...
I can sense Divergence in others, just that Lan Zhan hid himself too well. And this guy... putting aside the darkness in him for the moment... it must be because of his past... but that familiar feeling of the core...
Meng Yao... is a Divergent?
**********
"Wanyin... feel any better after this?"
"Mn, quite a bit, actually."
"Haaa, glad to hear," Lan Xichen sighed, placing his flute on the table, ending the melodious session. "Calm and cool? Not angered and rushed?"
"Hmm."
"Good. So hereafter, you can practise Zidian with your mother's help. And Madam Yu can allow you to come visit me once a week. We'll do this music-listening to calm your core, yes? Can't have Zidian's lightning making your core spit sparks too."
"Hmm," Jiang Cheng nodded along, sipping the teacup the maids had laid for him.
Lan Huan frowned. "Wanyin... are you alright? I feel like there's something wrong..."
"What makes you think so?"
"You aren't talking a lot... And barely answer me..."
"You know I'm exhausted after trying to control Zidian's rage."
"No. I feel like there's something else to it. Tell me, Wanyin. What's bothering you?"
".................."
"..."
"................................. Nothing at all." He placed the teacup on the table and swiped the tips of his mouth with the back of his palm.
"Wanyin... Wanyin, have I done something wrong? You seem mad at me half the time. I never betray my friends, I don't know where I've..."
"There. Right there."
"Right where?"
"The 'I never betray my friends' part."
"Wanyin! I really don't! Please do tell me where I went wrong, I'll never do something of the sort!"
Jiang Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose. "Could you get any denser?" He cursed under his breath. "Whatever. Apologies for freaking you out, you've never done anything wrong to this friend of yours."
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes. Should I give it a shot?
I should......
"Thank you for today. The music was soothing, calmed me down a lot, so, thank you, Er-Ge."
"Mn," Lan Xichen nodded. "Anytime– Wait, what?"
"Hm? What's wrong?" Jiang Cheng looked up at him, studying his expression.
"Er-Ge? Since when do you call me Er-Ge?" Lan Xichen doubled up laughing.
Jiang Wanyin gawked. Laughing? The brat's laughing? This isn't a JOKE! Maybe it is... to him! "Nothing funny here."
"Sorry, sorry, just that you're a close friend of mine, not a little brother like A-Sang! Hahahahahaha!"
Right...
Right! Nie Huaisang called him Er-Ge too! Not just that Jin bastard!
But.. still...
Not like Jiang Wanyin's troubled mind would accept things so easily. Nie Huaisang was Chifeng-Zun's little brother. It was understandable for Lan Xichen to call him A-Sang and for Huaisang to call him Er-Ge. But this A-Yao nonsense?
Hmph!
"So only he can call you Er-Ge, I guess. Fine, never mind then. See you next week, Xichen," Jiang Cheng grabbed Sandu and stomped out of the Hanshi.
**********
"Lan Zhan... did you know Meng Yao's a Divergent, too?"
"What?"
"MN!"
"No, I didn't."
"Aish, I wasn't asking, silly!"
"Oh."
"Such a fuddy-duddy! Anyways, so yes. That guy's one of us. But..."
"But what?"
"I sensed something else in his Divergence..."
"Something else?"
"Yep. Something... dark."
"Dark?"
"Like... like... like a demonic possession or something. But no, the guy's not possessed, can't be."
"Maybe he is?"
"Nah, I doubt it. Fellow's all smiling and shining bright, there's no way his soul's snatched or he's possessed. This is something else..."
"Should we tell xiongzhang?"
"I don't know... what do you think?"
"Xiongzhang's close to him–"
"Dammit, that's the other issue. That guy's too close to Xichen-ge."
"Mn."
"So you agree?"
"Mn."
"And what do you want to do about it?"
"Mn?"
"Like, who do you prefer to see with your brother? Meng Yao? Or A-Cheng?"
"Both sound terrible to me."
"Why you– that's my brother!"
Shrug.
"Tsk, fine! But still, tell me, if you had to choose? Just had to? Who would you choose?"
"........."
"Lan Zhan, you know my brother's not that bad!"
"..."
"Lan Zhaaaannnn......"
"Meng Yao smiles too much. Jiang Wanyin... okay."
"HA! KNEW you'd say that! Well, then we'll do this. Somehow gently push that Yao fellow away, yeah?"
"..."
"Lan Zhaaannn, please?"
"Mn."