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It was a peaceful night at the Cloud Recesses, Gusu as the full moon loomed over the silent homes of the Lan's.
However, a soft melody whispered in the calming breeze. A melody that woken a pair of soft, brown-gold eyes.
The owner of these eyes stood from his bed and strolled over to his window where he softly opened it, letting the moonlight shines on his jade-like face. The soft song echoing in his ears like a siren singing as the person put on his outer robes before making his way out of his quiet home, the Tàishi, and toward the source of the song.
Soft, white petals fluttered in the gentle breeze as the person was led by the melody to a big, Magnolia tree that stood strong in an empty field.
His eyes gazed upon a figure sitting on one of the strong branches as their petite hand holds the dízi to their mouth, blowing into the instrument.
'What a solemn song' Lan XiChen couldn't help but think as he began walking quietly toward the serene-looking person.
The closer he came to, the more he noticed the black, silky hair that flows in the light breeze as porcelain skin glow under the moonlight. A soft tinkling of a bell that hangs at their waist echoed in the melody.
The Lan Cultivator noticed the nearing end of the dízi as the figure's hands slowly finished their song.
"You know, venturing out at night is prohibited." Lan XiChen finally spoke out.
However, his voice startled the life out of the person as a high-pitched squeak erupted from the figure before they fell backward.
Eyes wide, Lan XiChen without hesitation, rushed to the falling figure. Arms reaching out and robes fluttering as a slender body fell into his arms.
Time seemingly slowed down the moment a pair of silvery-grey orbs met his soft, golden ones. But something else caught his attention as he gasped out. "Y-You're...you're a maiden?"
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𝗠𝗮𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗶
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It was early in the morning at the Cloud Recesses, the time where the Lan disciples began their morning schedule. As well as a new year for young male and female cultivators to be taught under the Lan Elders in charge. Since the male studying and resting quarters are separated from the female's side, they have two teachers. For the males, there is a righteous and prestigious elder — Lan QiRen. Everyone in the cultivation world believed that three characteristics best described him: pedantic, stubborn and a strict teacher who produced outstanding students.
However, the two points often kept a lot of people at a respective distance to him, some even to the point of secret dislike, the last one made them try everything they could to send their children to study under him. Lan QiRen has brought up quite several excellent disciples of the Lan Sect. As long as they stayed a few years in his classroom, no matter how utterly useless they were when they first enrolled, they would at least seem to be decent when they depart, especially in terms of appearance and etiquette. There were plenty of parents who were so delighted that tears flowed down their cheeks when they picked up their sons.
With the female cultivators, they taught under the watchful eyes of Lan ChunLi's, one of the female seniors in Cloud Recesses, well-known for her cold facade and strict teaching but many admired her for her beauty and skills as a cultivator. Mothers who send their daughters to be taught by her are thrilled when their daughters are accepted into one of her classes.
Young masters and maidens were all around fifteen or sixteen. Because the sects all knew the others although they weren't close, they had seen each other's faces before. So this year, there are two young masters and one young maiden from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, sent here to study. Two of them are Wei WuXian and Wei WuHui.
It was widely known that, although the Wei twins' surnames were not Jiang, they are the leading disciples of the sect leader of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect — Jiang FengMian, and also the children of his friend who had passed away. The Sect leader regarded them as his children. This, along with how youths were not as concerned with status and ancestry as the adults, were soon friends.
As it is early in the morning, two disciples, each from the Yunmeng Jiang and Qinghe Nie sects, were running down the stoned footpath. Seemingly late for their class.
"C-Can't believe we slept in, on our first day too!" Nie MingJian panted as she and Wei Wuhui slowed down upon reaching the doors of the Blossom Room.
Wei WuHui nodded sheepishly as she straightened her black and grey robes, making herself look presentable as she looked up at the building. Admiring the exquisite designs. "At least we got here on time." She stated.
Nie MingJian huffed in agreement. Wei WuHui and Nie MingJian are sworn sisters, met during their childhood after a Sect discussion conference in Yunmeng. Almost everyone always sees the two of them together, along with the third member of their close friendship.
"A-Qiao, A-Yang, you've made it." A new voice appeared behind the two as the pair turned around and their eyes brightened upon seeing the newcomer.
"Dàjiě!" Heading toward them, was the only daughter of the Main Lan family and twin sister to the famous Second Young Master Lan, Lan ChunTao. She joined the sisterhood with Nie MingJian and Wei WuHui when the trio was at a night-hunt.
Lan ChunTao smiled gently at the younger maidens as Wei WuHui couldn't help but admire the gracious movements of the older female's, almost like a swan, which people often called her: YuTian'é. Jade Swan, how fitting.
"How have you been, Dàjiě?" Nie MingJian grinned once Lan ChunTao reaches the girls.
"I've been well, A-Qiao. How about you two?" Lan ChunTao asked as they began walking into the Blossom Room with the female Lan in the middle of the other two.
"Good, Dàgē has been pushing me to train more," Nie MingJian sighed as she shrugged her shoulders. "I can't even deal with him anymore. I feel like all he's thinking of is A-Sang and Sabre training."
Lan ChunTao chuckled before turning to their youngest sister. "How about you, A-Yang?"
Wei WuHui also sighed tiredly. "I feel like every single day went by, Gege grows more difficult to babysit. I can't believe he is supposed to be the oldest out of the two of us." She huffed in annoyance.
The three sworn sisters went to be seated as Nie MingJian sat beside another Nie female disciple while both Lan ChunTao and Wei WuHui sat beside each other.
Not soon after, Lan ChunLi walked in with her serious cold expression on her face as the disciples stood up and bowed respectfully to the teacher before sitting down once she dismissed them.
Lan ChunLi pulled out a scroll and opened it, letting the rest fall onto the floor and roll out as she began to read out the rules.
"No unsanctioned fighting,
No promiscuity,
No killing on-premises,
No wandering past curfews,
No rowdiness,
No running..."
Wei WuHui couldn't help but fought the urge to yawn. The feeling of not getting enough sleep began to kick in as she drowsily closed her eyes.
—FLASHBACK—
"Y-You're a maiden?"
That was what she heard after falling off the tree as her eyes opened, silvery-grey meeting soft gold.
Wei WuHui felt her heart speeding up as she takes in the majestic jade-like face that stared down at her with concern on his face. In her mind, all she could think is: why is this beautiful man holding her?
That thought finally processed in her mind as Wei WuHui let out a high-pitched squeal before trying to wiggle out of the boy's arms.
"W-Wait! You're going to fall!" The male yelped as he tried to steady the girl in his arms and himself.
Then, Wei WuHui felt a sudden squeeze on her buttock as a flustered blush began growing on her cheeks. "Y-You...!"
Meanwhile, Lan XiChen titled his head in slight confusion as he hears the girl beginning to talk. "Miss?"
The grey-eyed girl snapped up with a glare as a bright-red blush covered her cheeks. "You creep!" And without hesitation, she raised a hand and delivered a hard slap to Lan XiChen's cheek.
Startled by the slap, the Lan stumbled back as Wei WuHui managed to get out of his arms and landed softly on her feet as she turned back to him with glaring eyes before giving a huff and began stomping away. Leaving behind a bewildered Lan, who stared after her with a hand on his reddened cheek.
—FLASHBACK—
SMACK
A sudden loud smack on her table woke her up as Wei WuHui's head snapped up from her hand and saw that she was caught snoozing by Lan ChunLi as the female Lan glared down at her.
"Is my class that boring for you, Wei WuHui?" Lan ChunLi asked, disappointment and annoyance displayed in her eyes.
Wei WuHui stiffened as her head lowered in embarrassment, feeling her sworn sisters' and everyone else's eyes on her.
"Write the rules 3 times as punishment."
'Crap'
TRANSLATION NOTE:
— 泰室 Tàishi: peaceful room (since at that time, Lan XiChen isn't the Sect Leader yet I thought I just give him a room since it was never touched on in the novel)
— dízi: it is a major Chinese musical instrument that is widely used in many genres of Chinese folk music, Chinese opera, as well as the modern Chinese orchestra
— Mao Shi: 5-7 am
— A: 阿 prefix used before monosyllabic names, kinship terms
— Blossom Room: my take on the female disciples' lesson room like the Orchid Room
— Dàjiě: a term used to address a woman older than you
— Dàgē: a term used for older brother in a friendly or family way
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EDIT: I did a small edit on Wei WuHui's choice of instrument, although I loves the sound of the erhu however thinking this through, I personally don't think it would be a suitable instrument for her. Therefore, I changed it from erhu to dizi and there WILL be a meaning behind that!
(Please correct my translation if I'm wrong and the GIFs and pictures used in this chapter does not belong to me, but their rightful owners)