Wei Ying's hand felt slightly tingly. "I'm sorry," he blurted. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to touch you there on purpose."
Lan Zhan stood up and turned away. "I know. It's time for bed." He grabbed the comb, forgotten on the floor, and placed it carefully on a table.
"Lan Zhan..." Wei Ying wasn't quite sure how to phrase his question. "Is it that you don't want to be touched there, or you don't want me to touch you there?" He scrambled to his feet, not wanting to have this conversation while lying alone on the floor. He also didn't really want to have this conversation with Lan Zhan's back. He could at least solve the first problem.
"Does it matter?" Lan Zhan's voice sounded flat.
"I would think so," Wei Ying hedged. "I wouldn't mind it if you touched me there, but I would if someone else did."
"You wouldn't mind it if I touched you." Lan Zhan repeated.
Wei Ying laughed nervously. "Well, it would be rather awkward if you just did it with no warning, but if you did it while we're kissing? Isn't that where kissing usually leads? Eventually, I mean. Like the books show? Sometimes, I mean. Not like it has to lead to anything more than kissing. I mean, if all you want to do is kiss and suck marks on my shoulders, then.... I'm fine with just that. But if you wanted something more?" Wei Ying realized he was babbling and forcibly shut his mouth.
"You might want more than just what we've been doing?" Lan Zhan's voice sounded lost and hopeful at the same time.
Wei Ying could feel his blush expanding from his face to his chest. "Lan Zhan... I like touching you through your clothes, but sometimes I think it would be nice if they weren't in the way." Lan Zhan whirled around to stare at Wei Ying. "If you don't want to, it's fine! We can... keep things the way they are."
"You...," Lan Zhan took a deep breath. "Back in Lotus Pier.... I took my shirt off...."
Wei Ying laughed in embarrassment. "And I walked straight into a post. I never did tell you how beautiful you are, did I?"
"Wei Ying... I thought you didn't want to touch me."
That observation made Wei Ying double over in laughter. "Lan Zhan!" he wheezed. "I've been trying to touch you almost since the day we met! I know you don't like it, though, so I... I was going to say I don't, but that would be lying. I touch you less than I want to."
"Want...."
The ending of the word tilted up, like it might be a question. Whether it was a question or a statement of intent was irrelevant: Wei Ying nodded 'yes' to either. To all of it. The environment was now too awkward to resume where they left off. So instead, they prepared to sleep. In the process of settling down, Wei Ying deliberately slid his hand under Lan Zhan's shirt to lightly clasp his side.
The skin on skin contact made both of their hearts beat just a bit faster. It was enough. For now.
The Nie sect leader was pontificating at their kitchen table when Wei WuXian deigned to arise the following morning. Wen Qing sat opposite, arms folded, face set in opposition. Wei WuXian knew this look very well: she was either going to say 'no' or 'absolutely not' to just about everything.
It was going to be glorious seeing this happen to someone else for a change.
Nie ZongZhu finished his oration and Wen Qing began dismantling his points. In order. Wei WuXian smothered his grin by forcing porridge into his face almost faster than he could swallow.
"I will not permit Lan WangJi to go plead our case to the GusuLan." The man in question was kneading dough for bread, and looked over his shoulder at the doctor with questioning eyes. "Lan QiRen's displeasure with how his nephew handled being punished is common gossip even here away from the great sects." This was news to Wei WuXian; he hadn't heard anything. He also rarely paid attention to gossip. "We're just lucky that the people gossiping about the great HanGuang-Jun don't realize he's the same person they're haggling with over the prices of vegetables. If I send Lan WangJi home, it might be another year before he's permitted to leave Cloud Recesses. No. Nie ZongZhu, you may talk to Lan ZongZhu yourself. Or send Nie Er'GongZi. You may ask Lan ZongZhu to meet A'Xian in a neutral location. Do not invite him here." She paused to take a sip of tea, and frowned. "A'Xian, the tea is cold. Please brew a fresh pot."
Wei WuXian found himself saying. "Yes, QingJie," without intending to. Thankfully, he did know how to make a drinkable pot of tea.
"You also may not invite Jiang ZongZhu here."
Nie MingJue's mustache bristled with indignation. "Why don't you want the other sect leaders to come here?"
"Considering that Jin GongZi's reaction was to point his sword at me and your reaction was to point your saber at A'Ning? I think Lan ZongZhu is less likely to want to kill us. I have no such faith in Jiang ZongZhu.
"As for the rest of the sects? They're either forgotten about us or they think we're dead. I'm quite happy with leaving them to their misconceptions. My family and I just want to live in peace and quiet."
Nie HuaiSang sighed loudly. "Wen Guniang, Jiang ZongZhu already knows about you and your brother."
"What?"
"Wei Xiong wasn't exactly subtle when he left Lotus Pier. None of you made any attempt to hide when you traveled here."
"How do you know this?" was yelled out by several people.
"Ge! What is the point of having a rather large budget if I don't use it. As it so happens, the disciple who followed Wei Xiong was one of my people,so it didn't cost me anything extra. And don't look at me like that, Wei WuXian; you know I run the QingheNie spy ring. Jiang ZongZhu was rather upset when he found out Wei Xiong preferred the company of Wen to staying in Lotus Pier. But since he hasn't gone after you, I think it's safe enough to invite him here for a talk."
"Not here," Wei WuXian objected. "Even if he knows where we are and who we are. It's better to go to Lotus Pier to ask for help."
Lan WangJi nodded. "Will go with Wei WuXian to Lotus Pier."
Wen Qing glared at the pair making plans without her. "And if I object?"
Wei WuXian wrangled his face into its cutest pout. "QingJie..." he whined. "We need Jiang Cheng on our side to protect ShiJie. I'm going to have to bend my knee to him eventually. I might as well do it now while there's a guarantee I'll get something worthwhile out of it."
"Who is this QingJie you keep talking to?" she bristled. "I'm not your jie."
Wei WuXian grinned, unrepentantly. He'd won this small argument. Lan WangJi looked sharply at the grin. "I can send a letter to XiongZhang asking him to meet me in Yunmeng."
Wen Qing glared at both of them. "Neither of you is going anywhere just yet. Nie HuaiSang... I assume these idiots have told you what's going on?"
Nie HuaiSang nodded. "Not the whole story. I know Wei Xiong had a prophetic vision where Jin ZiXun is going to attempt to kill him on the way to Koi Tower because of the hundred holes curse. Unfortunately, Su MinShan has not gone near Jin ZiXun, so revealing him to be the one who did the cursing hasn't happened yet."
Wei WuXian nodded slowly. "There's a bit more to it.... In the ambush, Jin ZiXuan is supposed to be killed, too, and the blame placed on me. This will then cause the sects to rise against me."
Nie HuaiSang nodded sagely. "Wei WuXian, the creator of the Stygian Tiger Amulet and protector of Wen dogs who just killed the Jin heir, must die. Obviously. Everyone who was at the trial or heard about it will be on Jin GuangShan's side."
"Except I won't allow them to have the Amulet. I'll destroy it first."
"No." Lan WangJi sounded adamant.
"Lan Zhan.... You know as well as I do that is the only option if things go wrong."
"So let's not let things go wrong," Nie MingJue interjected. "Where does the ambush in the vision take place? We can either avoid it altogether or ambush the ambushers."
"Qiongqi Path."
The Nie sect leader stroked his mustaches. "It's a good place for an ambush. Highly defensible for those on the ridges and indefensible for those down below."
"It's a good place for an oriole to hunt as well," his younger brother added.
"So Jin Xun is the mantis and I'm supposed to be the cicada in this scenario?" Wei WuXian asked.
"Since we can't expose Su MinShan yet, exposing Jin ZiXun's treachery is the next step. In the vision, you were alone?"
"No. I was with A'Ning."
"I refuse to allow him to go with you," Wen Qing insisted. "He and I will stay here and watch over Wei Yuan."
"Agreed," Nie MingJue nodded. "Lan WangJi is the better choice. Lan ZongZhu, Jiang ZongZhu, and I can have a small group of cultivators hiding behind Jin ZiXun. If he attacks like he did in the vision, we can capture his forces, and take him for trial."
"You're assuming Jiang Cheng and ZeWu-Jun are going to go along with this." Wei WuXian didn't sound assured.
"They should," Nie MingJue asserted. "They both know you're innocent of casting the hundred holes curse. Jiang WanYin has the added bonus of protecting his sister and brother-in-law."
Wei WuXian wasn't convinced. First, since he was no longer living in the Burial Mounds with the Wen remnants, how would Jin ZiXun know that he would take Qiongqi Path to Koi Tower? Second, why was Nie MingJue convinced that he knew how Jiang Cheng and Lan XiChen would respond? Third, since Jin ZiXuan assumed that Jin GuangYao was trying to kill him, why would he go to Qiongqi Path to be 'murdered'? The variables were too changed this time around. What made absolute sense the last time, no longer did even though his opponents were still making the same choices.
Nie HuaiSang was rummaging through Wei WuXian's clothing trying to decide what should be worn to the meeting in Yunmeng. "I'll ramp up the rumors in Koi Tower that you've been seen in Yiling. It makes more sense for you to take Qiongqi Path to Lanling from there than from Qinghe. I'll also get a message to Jin ZiXuan that if he's told about the ambush, he should go to 'rescue' you like he did in the vision. He doesn't necessarily have to arrive at Qiongqi Path during the ambush; maybe he can join Ge's group and be the one to arrest his cousin for attacking an innocent man?" The young man looked at the clothing deemed acceptable and sighed. "Wei Xiong.... I know you're living like a shopkeeper here, but you couldn't have brought any of your better silks with you? These are all old and wrinkled."
Wei WuXian gave his friend a look. "These were my good outfits from Lotus Pier. They've just been sitting getting dusty for over a year."
"I can get the wrinkles out," Nie HuaiSang sighed. "You really should take better care of your clothing. Too bad there isn't time to get new ones made."
Wei WuXian shut his mouth against reminding his friend that he didn't have the money to get new clothes commissioned; he was quite sure his friend would simply offer to pay.
That night, in bed, Wei Ying felt Lan Zhan lying rigidly next to him. "Lan Zhan? Are you worried about meeting our brothers?"
Lan Zhan rolled onto his side to face his love. "Worried about you."
"I promise to do everything in my power to stay alive." He nudged his head forward until their noses were touching. "I promise to not destroy the amulet without discussing it with you. Discussing with you how to safely destroy it, I mean. Not about blowing myself up with it again." Tilting his head to capture Lan Zhan's lips in a kiss to seal the promise seemed like the necessary next step. Being rolled onto his back as the kiss turned heated felt so good. But feeling his shirt ties come undone and a hand slide up his side to his chest? He couldn't stop a moan from escaping when those clever fingers lightly slid over a nipple again and again, raising it to a stiff peak.
He wanted. Oh the things he wanted! To take everything from Lan Zhan and give everything back to him. One body, one soul, one spirit.
He couldn't imagine not ever wanting that.
Happy Friday dear readers.
Regarding the oriole thing. There's a saying you may have read in some Chinese novels about the mantis hunting the cicada unaware of the oriole behind. It seemed appropriate to bring it into this story given the ambushing the ambushers idea.
Thank you for reading.
- Aitch