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Chapter Text

~Part 1~

The arrival of Wei Wuxian meant only one thing to Lan Xichen.

Finally getting to play matchmaker again for his brother who clearly was too shy to actually confess his feelings.

In Lan Wangji’s defence, it had been almost fifteen years since the Siege of the Burial Mounds and for three of those years, he'd been in seclusion due to back injuries, and despite his younger brother’s best attempts to convey his feelings - even going so far to almost plead with Wei Wuxian to go back to Gusu with him which was scornfully rejected and he even went so far as to defend the man, who was on the verge of ending his life, from thirty-three elders and suffering a harsh punishment due to his actions. Despite his brother's efforts, Wei Wuxian never reciprocated or even acknowledged Lan Wangji’s feelings and at one point even tried to avoid him all those years ago, so it wasn't exactly his fault that his feelings were up in the air..

However, after all these years, after patiently dealing with his poor brother's angst and sorrowful pining, Lan Xichen was finally graced with the greatest news possible: 

The Yiling Laozu, Wei Wuxian, was in Gusu. 

Or to be more precise, he was near the city of Gusu from what the report he received from an attendant said.

Nevertheless, Lan Xichen wanted to cheer loudly and rejoice at the news. 

But he didn't.

Instead, upon receiving the monumental news of the century, Lan Xichen had quickly made up his mind and a plan formed in his brain: he was going to make sure his brother's love was finally reciprocated. 

Somehow.

For this plan to work, all he needed to do was convince Wei Wuxian to stay in the Cloud Recesses longer than the initial planned visit and to let his brother know the object of all his secret earthly desires was here for him to confess to - without room for misunderstandings or interruptions.

Shouldn't be too difficult. 

It was like solving a problem. And Lan Xichen liked a good puzzle.

When he had initially heard of Wei Wuxian being near Gusu, Lan Xichen immediately did not hesitate to send word to the clan leader and invite him to visit the Cloud Recesses for a friendly discussion.

And through a single letter that had been sent to him the next day, he found out that Wei Wuxian had been on a joint night hunt with his martial brother, and they had been in Caiyi Town for the past few days since finishing their hunt, recuperating their resources and getting a much needed break from any clan duties.

Lan Xichen, excitedly, wrote back over the last day to invite both Wei Wuxian and his martial brother to the Cloud Recesses so that they could have a casual catchup and to allow their disciples to rest. 

But when he read over Wei Wuxian’s letter, Lan Xichen noticed that there was a name for this martial brother he had mentioned and it was a name he did not expect yet his made his heart quake with a flurry of passionate emotions:

‘ChengCheng and I were on a joint night-hunt together and have been recuperating in Caiyi Town for the past few days. Our disciples worked hard to subdue and capture any violent spirits and we even got a few games in to keep the juniors accompanying us more entertained.’

He knew who that affectionate nickname belonged to and his heart hammered in his chest as he bit his lip and let out a muffled giggle, his cheeks turning pink. He signed off his letter with a flourish and had summoned a messenger to deliver the letter to Wei Wuxian.

The invitation was gladly accepted.

Lan Xichen waited at the gate to the Cloud Recesses, on the lookout for his two esteemed guests to arrive. The day of their visit was here and Lan Xichen was giddy with excitement.

His brother was not by his side, which was a shame, since Lan Xichen really wanted Lan Wangji to see his crush again in the flesh. But alas, his little brother was summoned away to lead a class for some of the juniors in the morning so it was just Lan Xichen and his most trusted attendant, Lan Hanyu.

“What do you think the Yiling Laozu looks like these days, Hanyu?” Lan Xichen asked, turning to his attendant. The attendant, who usually mimicked Lan Xichen’s polite and sunny spirit, briefly gave his superior a wisp of a smile.

“Handsome. I've heard talk that he's still fourth ranked in the listings of the most eligible suitors of the cultivation world and has a very dedicated following of fans.”

“Is that so?” Lan Xichen murmured, intrigued. In all honesty he had heard talk of the so-called “fanclub” Wei Wuxian had somehow managed to garner over the years and he had also heard rumours of these fanclub members knowing everything about the Yiling Laozu - from where and when he takes his annual camping trip with his adopted son, to his favourite restaurants, to the market stalls he most visits during market days in Yiling, to how much chilli he likes to eat with his food, to even his favoured and most frequented locations when he goes on clan night hunts with his disciples. 

In all honesty, the thought of even having such dedicated fans who knew that much about a person scared Lan Xichen. It seemed like such a breach in privacy and personal space and he wasn't even sure if Wei Wuxian was even aware of the existence of this fanclub. However, he did know that Wei Wuxian was the quite the fashionable man and many of of Yiling's fashion trends all started with him - the longest and ongoing fashion trend was the nobles within the Wei clan's territories donning long red ribbons in their hair and men opting to wear black leather over their intricate fancy robes. Even the common people wear red tassels in support of their clan leader. 

Something similar happened in Lanling, Yunmeng and even in Qinghe when people would start to copy the current head families of the territories that fell under the ruling provinces and cultivation clans. People in Qinghe would often carry fans around with them enscrawled in dark ink paintings and writings as that was what the second master of the Nie Clan was famous for doing, the wealthy nobles from Lanling would often fluctuate their fashion between the current Madam Jin and the young Lady of the clan, with some even daring to wear lilacs and purple instead of the usual faint golds and bright yellow since Madam Jin was originally from Yunmeng Jiang before her marriage. Other nobles would wear gold hairpins encrusted with rubies or amethysts, copying both women, which somehow fascinated the Young Lady’s two older half-brothers and they encouraged the fashion trend to boost the womens’ popularity. In Yunmeng, it was a well-known fact that the Yunmeng clan leader was just like Wei Wuxian and owned a very large wardrobe of robes and outfits that suited him well and he was the no.1 trend-setter within his province, having sparked a huge phase where lotus blooms were worn in peoples’ hair all because the clan leader’s young nephew had put a large lotus into his uncle’s hair “to make him look pretty like mother.” 

But he couldn't complain that much about these fanclubs, he had no real control over the fans of these people, and even he had noticed his dedicated following growing bigger as he got older. His admirers were always sending him love letters and gifts to try and court him - alas he was not swayed in the slightest by honeyed words sugarcoated in sickly sweet tones of affection and lust.

“Very much,” Lan Hanyu’s voice brought Lan Xichen back to reality, “Your sworn brother, the Chief Cultivator of Lanling replaced his older half-brother in the rankings and is now 3rd most eligible.” Lan Hanyu softly remarked. “He would make for an excellent husband or partner.” 

Lan Xichen showed visible confusion, his eyebrows furrowing just slightly, “A-Yao? As whose husband?” he asked. Lan Hanyu stifled a laugh. “Yours.” he simply muttered softly, a gentle smile upon his lips.

Lan Xichen’s cheeks flushed pink. “Oh no, I'm not into him like that…we're just very close friends.”

“Really?” Lan Hanyu sounded skeptical. “From the way you talk about him and look at him whenever he visits makes me think otherwise Zewu-Jun.” The corner of Lan Hanyu's mouth curled upwards, forming a lopsided smirk. Lan Xichen turned redder.

“N-no….why would you think that???” He stuttered nervously. He really didn't want his attendant to believe he was in love with Jin Guangyao - Meng Yao - all because of the way he talks to him and looks at him. Sure, he was soft and loving towards his dearest friend since Meng Yao was always kind and knowledgeable. Lan Xichen was his elder sword brother, and Meng Yao had helped him numerous times so it was only fair to return the favour and assist him. It wasn't just Meng Yao he was kind to though, he was always kind towards others. That's just how the First Jade was. He treated his friends, acquaintances, allies, family and even strangers all the same, regardless of power and status. It was just in his nature. 

His philosophy was that if he treated others with kindness, empathy and respect, then others would do the same. He was raised as a pacifist, a diplomat….he had his martial arts and music skills, but Lan Xichen at his core, was a gentle soul.

And besides, there's already someone else that had captured his heart….

Someone who dresses in vivid violets and dark black robes that hug every defined muscle sculpted on that toned body.

Someone who wields whip-cracks of lighting so effortlessly it's blindingly beautiful.

Someone who carefully weighs the responsibility of his duties on his shoulders and is loved by his people.

The one who single-handedly restored his broken clan with his own hands and accumulated over 1000 disciples in the months following the Burning of Lotus Pier.

The one who inspires and protects his people and his loved ones to do great and admirable deeds - not for status or fame but for one’s self worth and admiration.

The one who was opposite to his pacifist nature and was bluntly honest in every way, who was a stone-cold warrior who didn't care what others thought of him, yet was dignified and respectful all the same.

Lan Xichen sighed audibly, overtaken by the vision of that violet-shrouded beauty that had formed in his mind. Lan Hanyu glanced over at him curious.

“Is something bothering you?” He asked. He didn't like the sound of his master sighing so loudly like that. Was there something - or someone - on his mind?

“Mmm?” Lan Xichen caught sight of Lan Hanyu glancing at him and he cocked his head in confusion.

“What's wrong? Is there something on my face?” He questioned, slightly panicked. Lan Hanyu shook his head.

“No. Nothing's amiss.”

When Wei Wuxian was finally in view of the clan leader, he internally whistled. The Yiling Laozu was, as Lan Hanyu predicted, a very handsome man.

As a matter of fact, he was more than handsome.

Now, in his mid 30s, Wei Wuxian seemed to have slowed down the ageing process just enough to stay as youthful as many other cultivators, but now had that twinge of wild ruggedness from living in Yiling for over a decade. His choice of robes was that of a gorgeous long black satin jianxui robe with long wide sleeves, with leather wrist cuffs providing protection, a black leather outer robe with wide shoulders covering his upper torso like armour, a scarlet red under-skirt that covered his legs and a enticing slither of skin peeking through that deep v-neck. His belt practically snatched his waist and Lan Xichen could hear the clack of leather boots as Wei Wuxian strode forward, head held high and mighty, chest puffed out with pride and confidence, back straight as an arrow.

There was also his hair which caught Lan Xichen’s eyes. His hair was that same long, shining ebony-black and Lan Xichen caught sight of that eponymous red ribbon that tied his hair up, flying behind him as he walked- no - strode purposely over to Lan Xichen. 

“You were right about him being handsome.” Lan Xichen whispered as Wei Wuxian finally closed the distance between them.

As he was finally close enough for Lan Xichen to see his face, the Lan Clan sect leader was flabbergasted over how beautiful Wei Wuxian’s face was.

He had loveliest stormy greyish-brown eyes framed with dark lashes, a sharp nose, the soft curve of his jawline and cheekbones made his ever-so lightly sun-tanned face far more defined and adult-like and his pale pink lips curled upwards into his usual cheeky smirk.

Lan Xichen had noticed his hair was in a style similar to what his older sworn brother liked to wear- a thick ponytail tied with that bright crimson ribbon with the rest of deep black hair cascading down his back with several strands falling over his shoulders, and he sported twin neat side bangs falling over the side of his more matured face. 

In that precise moment, a single thought passed through the First Jade’s mind, having now soaked up Wei Wuxian’s physical appearance:

‘Oh…A-Zhan, my dearest little brother, if only you were stood by my side to see this heavenly sight. You would sweep him off his feet immediately and take him to the sanctuary of the Jingshi to confess your heartfelt desires and devotion….today is the most auspicious day.’

"Zewu-Jun." Wei Wuxian clasped his hand into his palm and bowed in respect. Wei Wuxian’s voice was deeper than what Lan Xichen was expecting and his honest opinion, his voice sounded quite….sexy? He wasn't too sure. He really needed his brother to give a verdict on how Wei Wuxian's voice sounded.

Lan Xichen bowed as well, copying Wei Wuxian, before straightening up. His eyes subtly scanned the area for a certain man usually dressed in purple, but saw no signs of his presence. Which was odd since they meant to arrive together. Oh well. He was sure that the other man that Wei Wuxian was with was on his way.

"Yiling Laozu,” he spoke in his usually polite and courteous manner, “How was the night hunt?" Lan Xichen decided to keep the conversation light for the time being. That wonderfully lopsided smirk he was familiar with lessened. 

"It was....fruitful I suppose. My disciples are resting up. We were in Caiyi Town a day or so ago and they are on their way. I had departed first and allowed them to make their way here at their own pace. The night-hunt was quite exhausting for many, myself included, which is why we all ended resting in one of the inns for a few days prior to your invitation.”

"That's good here, I’m glad everything is going well. Are your disciples in good health? Hopefully Master Xue isn't running loose stabbing things and people inconsequentially?”

He commented with a chuckle, which was earned with Wei Wuxian laughing too. 

“Everyone in my sect is all in good health, Wen Qing wouldn't have it any other way. Thankfully, Xue Yang is in good spirits. I’ve managed to finally wrangle that little murderous crow into a gentleman, he's still a little rough around the edges but then again, who isn't these days?” He jokingly replied, hands on his hips in a relaxed manner. Lan Xichen was well aware of who Xue Yang was - currently the longest serving disciple of the Wei sect (not counting the Ghost General and his resurrected sister), who Jin Guangyao tried to recruit as part of his “rogue demonic cultivation correction training” program, but the young lad was taken in by the Laozu instead and thrived on the demonic resentment spiralling in and around the area in the Burial Mounds that was used as a training ground for the recruits and disciples.

“Mmh. I must say though, it was strange receiving a letter from you, with you inviting us here. I wonder what the rest of the cultivation world would think if they found out that the fearsome Yiling Laozu was in the Cloud Recesses and colluding with the saintly and pure Gusu Lan leader Zewu-Jun?” he wondered aloud in a teasing manner, his customary smirk still on that handsome face of his. Lan Xichen burst out laughing but managed to hide it behind his sleeve. He didn't want Lan Hanyu to reprimand him for losing face in front of an esteemed guest.

“Goodness, you're a riot aren't you Wei Wuxian. You haven't changed one bit since I last saw you.”

“True. I have been stuck in Yiling for most of the time, tending to my farms and orchards, looking after my clan, making peace with my brother…..y'know the usual. I haven't had much time to see other clan leaders and the last time I was here, it was  for the Gusu Clan Discussion conference which happened after Su She tried to besiege Yiling and take over the Burial Mounds….yikes that ended badly for him….” 

Lan Xichen couldn't help but scowl inwardly upon hearing that name.

Su She was currently (still) the clan leader of Moling after defecting from Gusu Lan in retaliation to having his heart crushed via rejection and emotional manipulation. Lan Xichen was aware of Su She’s defection and had been confused over the reasons until Madam Zi from Yengfao filled him in on all the details from her perspective.

According to both her and strangely Nie Huaisang, who had been keeping tabs on his best friend’s rivals and enemies, it turned out that Su She had been devastatingly besotted with Lan Wangji to the point of seeing Wei Wuxian as a threat and had once tried to injure or worse: kill him in order to “protect” Lan Wangji from “evil and cursed influences.” which, to Lan Xichen, was a ridiculous excuse to attempt a siege on Yiling, as the last time Yiling was the centre of conflict, the Yiling Laozu was at the centre of said conflict. Mainly the Siege of the Burial Mounds.

Su She was one of the many cultivators who had partaken in the Siege of the Burial Mounds, which ended on a very sour note: the Yiling Laozu emerging victorious against any backstabber and performing a cleansing ritual on all whose minds were swayed into battle by former clan leader Jin Guangshan. His successors were unwilling witnesses in this hateful propaganda and defied their father’s wishes to fight against evil to join in the cleansing ritual along with all of the Yiling Laozu's allies to wipe the slate clean and start anew. 

Lan Xichen remembered many who angrily had opposed the Laozu and as punishment for blindly following the propaganda had their spiritual energy dissipated and their golden cores crushed from within, rendering them incapable of using their cultivation. It served as a bleak reminder during those dark times that Wei Wuxian was not a man to be trifled with and showed just just how powerful and merciless an individual like him could be when faced with misery and danger from all sides. Those who escaped their punishments came forth thereafter to seek atonement and some even joined Wei Wuxian’s ranks, having seen the error of their ways.

Lan Xichen was one of those who had stood by the Laozu’s side in defense, having realised Jin Guangshan’s fatal mistake. Others such as his brother and Jin Guangyao, in opposition to his foolish father, had stood by the Yiling Laozu’s side as well, defending him from accusations of murder and ill-fated dark magic.

Those who did practice demonic cultivation roguishly, besmirching and even abusing Wei Wuxian's gift and recklessly causing damage to pin the blame on the Laozu were either taken in by the Jins, or more accurately, taken in by the (back then new) Chief Cultivator for correction training, unlucky enough to have been captured by Clan Leader Jiang in a fit of rage over his sister’s near-death and his brother’s attempted suicide before a mysterious cultivator dressed in deep black had rescued him, or Wei Wuxian found them and took them in as his disciples to help them properly harness their new power - an benevolent act which would increase his alliance numbers. It had been a tumultuous period for all involved  - a cycle of chaos and tense suspicions - that finally died down many months after the Siege when Wei Wuxian announced that he would be taking leave from public duties to care for his people and allowed the new Chief Cultivator to deal with any rogues as he saw fit and to issue a truce between the Yiling Laozu and the rest of the Cultivation world.

And then Su She decided to ruin that peace.

Lan Xichen internally face palmed himself at the memory.

It hadn't even been a full year since the Siege of the Burial Mounds and the making of that Ghost Cultivator Peace Treaty which granted the Yiling Wei clan full protection through the other Major Clans and Su She had gotten too cocky, over reliant on his close friendship with Jin Guangyao and been won over through a false rumour that had circulated within JIn Guangyao's own inner circle, which caused Su She's inferiority complex and his still obsessive infatuation with Lan Wangji to flare up, which allowed the Moling clan leader to rally his allies and through this obvious physiological manipulation, stormed Yiling in an attempt to “finish the job” as he believed he would finally win Lan Wangji’s heart. His hatred and obsessive affection warped his mind and he believed that if he got rid of Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji would quickly go to him instead, declare his undying love for Su She and then Su She would provide the necessary tools for Jin Guangyao to enhance his own agenda and alliances. 

And according to the information that Madam Zi’s spies had provided and based on the reports Lan Xichen had received at the time, Su She had been met with an entire city filled with very fed up and angry people who had heard that Su She was on his way to besiege the entire Wei clan province, the capital being Yiling, and with the clan’s help had rallied together with Wei Wuxian at the front with his disciples to form a defensive army and drove the Moling Su clan away. The Moling clan’s siege had lasted only a day but the city was left untouched. And even worse for Su She - every place he went to in order to target the Wei clan, he was met with fury and defensive violence, townsfolk and rogue cultivators who were allies with the Wei clan banded together to drive the Moling clan and their own allies away.

That whole situation was a full decade and a half ago, and Lan Xichen suppressed a shudder at the thought of those events. He was glad that there were no more crazy conflicts and there had been peace for many. 

He heard a light cough from beside him and he glanced over to see Lan Hanyu’s eyes darting between him and Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen immediately knew and cleared his throat. “Perhaps you would be interested in staying at the Cloud Recesses for a while longer? I know I only invited you here for a casual meet up, but you are welcome to stay longer and use our facilities as you see fit." Lan Xichen suggested lightly. Wei Wuxian smiled, but his eyebrows furrowed a little.

“I would love to, it would help us all out if we weren't travelling to and from places so often and my disciples would all cheer in euphoria at the sound of your idea. I would like to wait for Jiang Cheng to arrive however before we enter. He is still on his way with mine and his disciples since I left before him.”

Lan Xichen’s heart started hammering in his chest as soon as Wei Wuxian spoke of that name - a name that was etched across the very essence of his soul, tattooed into his heart to forever keep dearly. That single name made his whole being ache.

“Oh? Really? I can wait longer if you want?” He suggested, masking his lovestruck reaction behind his sunny smile and radiant aura. Wei Wuxian nodded, “That's wonderful, I appreciate that.”

It was just then a tall man approached with a hefty following of individuals, most dressed in dark cyan blue, blacks and purples and others dressed in thick cotton red and black, all walking behind. The man's strides were not as purposeful as Wei Wuxian’s was when he had approached, the light tapping of leather clacking on the cobblestoned pathway leading up to the main entrance gate, yet there was a distinct rhythm of respectful pacing in footsteps. Wei Wuxian’s stride was confident and heart-stopping, rendering those in his vicinity to back away and give him space as he approached. This man’s gait was more dignified and restrained, yet there was still an air of confidence - even if it was more subdued, more subtle.

Lan Xichen recognised this man instantly and his heart leapt into his throat, rendering him breathless and motionless.

It was Sect Leader Jiang of Yunmeng, the feared, admired and striking Sandu Sengshou - Jiang Cheng, courtesy name Jiang Wanyin. 

Lan Xichen watched with shimmering eyes as the imposing Sect leader approached and came to a halt next to his brother's side, them both exchanging polite words between each other.

“Hey, you made it.” He heard Wei Wuxian speak, his voice filled with brotherly affection. He noticed Jiang Wanyin's tilted head as he brushed his side bang out of his face, lightly conversing with his senior martial brother.

Lan Xichen saw how angular and rigid Wanyin's jawline was and was completely taken by the shape of his almond eyes, entranced by the way his irises of stormy violet sparkling subtly as Wei Wuxian spoke, enchanted by how smooth his lightly sun-kissed skin was, mesmerised by the way the sunlight reflected on the ebony stands of his long hair to make it look like it was completely made out of silk, captivated by the glossy sheen of Jiang Wanyin’s lips and how they curled into the softest smile when Wei Wuxian was talking and found himself desiring to touch him and take him in his arms, to caress his body covered by the purple robes and folds. He could feel his mouth filling up with saliva as he continued to stare and a voice gnawed him to calm down. 

Swallowing thickly, Lan Xichen repositioned himself and readjusted his collar as he could feel his body pricking with heat. 

“Sect leader, greetings.” he cordially spoke, catching Jiang Wanyin’s attention. He turned his head to see the regal First Jade standing close by, his face filled with hospitable serenity. Jiang Wanyin’s breath was utterly stolen in an instant.

“Zewu-Jun….greetings..” he cleared his throat, having become mesmerised by Lan Xichen, in his stunning pure-white robes and with his silver hair decorations and white guan just standing there with a dazzling yet courteous smile, topaz eyes glimmering faintly and his entire aura radiant. “Apologies, I did not notice you…” he fussily readjusted his own collar, much to Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian’s gentle amusement, and Jiang Wanyin bowed.

“Thank you for extending this invitation, we’re honoured to be here.” he answered politely and courteously, and Wei Wuxian mimicked his brother, repeating his gratitude and bowing once again. Lan Xichen’s cheeks coloured, “there's no need for such formalities. We are of the same rank. All three of us are esteemed clan leaders. In all honesty, it should be me who is showing respect and gratitude instead.” 

Jiang Wanyin shook his head, those silk strands whispering against his robes and Lan Xichen found his mouth heavy with saliva again. 

“We do appreciate the gesture, this is your home and you have every right to be shown gratitude from those you have invited. You were the one who extended the invitation, so it's only natural for us to be grateful for your kindness and hospitality.”

“He's right. We may be your guests, but shouldn't the host have more importance?” Wei Wuxian spoke. Lan Xichen’s heart swelled.

“On the contrary, being able to host the Yunmeng *Shaungjie here in the Cloud Recesses is the highest honour for a humble man such as myself.” 

Lan Xichen’s honest words made both brothers turn pink, and they became almost shy, overwhelmed by the First Jade’s honesty and kindness. Jiang Wanyin stuttered uncharacteristically, having been thrown awry and his heart thundered in his chest, aching with compassion. 

“W-well…I guess that makes s-sense I suppose….” Jinag Wanyin stuttered, his face bright pink. He turned his head to the side to mask his flushed face and thanked his ancestors that his disciples were behind him and not in front of him. A gentle breeze blew in their direction and Jiang Wanyin coughed lightly the hopes his blush would dissipate. Wei Wuxian bit his lip to stifle his own squeal and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. 

“Perhaps we should head on up to the main estate, we don't want you to stand out here for longer than you have already.” Wei Wuxian suggested, to which Lan Xichen agreed with a curt nod of his head.

"Very well. Follow me." 

Lan Xichen guided his esteemed guests to the private lodgings he had set up for them, with Lan Hanyu in tow, giving them a quick tour of the Cloud Recesses as they went. Disciples dressed in pure white with their headbands straight as a fiddle across their foreheads bowed in respect to their seniors as Lan Xichen walked them through to the Gentian House, and the clan leader was all smiles as he rambled on about his home - much to the quiet delight of the two martial brothers, as it showed that Zewu-Jun really did love his clan and his home as much as anyone else who resided there.

The Cloud Recesses was pretty much the same from the duo’s youth, despite having been almost burnt down completely during the Qishan Wen clan’s reign of terror and the place had been rebuilt pretty much exactly as it had been always with the assistance of many clans. The students and residents of this tranquil place were amongst the most virtuous and level-headed amongst most of the cultivators, old and young, which was a testament to the life-long ideals and teachings these young masters undergo on a daily basis to preserve the traditions and culture of one of the longest-surviving clans to this day. 

Wei Wuxian chuckled at the memories he and Jiang Wanyin shared when they were studying here - even if Wei Wuxian’s time here was short-lived (he hated being in the Cloud Recesses due to all those rules and restrictions), but now as an adult, he could finally appreciate the beauty this place exuded, the cool atmosphere allowing him to breath in crisp mountain air and letting it wash over him, calming him. His golden core thrummed with life and power as the ancient spiritual energy seeped into his very being, subding any lingering traces of resentment and dark energy that had been slowly eating away at him for years.

“I forgot how peaceful this place was.” Wei Wuxian spoke wistfully, his voice quiet with nostalgia. Jiang Wanyin made a soft noise of agreement, crossing his arms over his chest. “Shame you were only here for three months before taking off at the first chance you got.” he remarked. Wei Wuxian sighed. “It was a shame. If only I stayed here with you and Huaisang….I could of finished my studies and become a better man….and then none of the - “

Jiang Wanyin stopped his brother by placing a comforting hand on his upper arm, able to feel the toned bicep muscle underneath the layers he wore. He knew what Wei Wuxian was referring to and he didn't want his brother to dwell on the past too much, lest he became sad and angry with himself.

“What happened over a decade ago cannot be undone, however the most important thing - especially to me - is that you are here. Alive and healthy and thriving. You are here, and that's all that matters to those who care and love you.”

Wei Wuxian felt tears prick the corner of his eyes and he sniffed, trying hard not to cry. “Thanks. I needed that actually.”

Jiang Wanyin closed the gap between them and embraced him, wrapping his arm around Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, gently jostling him in his sideways hug.

“Anytime. That's what brothers are for.”

Lan Xichen stopped walking to look around for his guests and saw they were not behind him anymore, which confused him. Lan Hanyu helpfully pointed ahead of him and Lan Xichen let out a quiet laugh, embarrassed at himself. He had walked too far and the other two had stopped suddenly, standing still. They both seemed to be quietly chatting between each other and admiring the scenery around them. Lan Xichen walked back over with a faint, sheepish grin. “My apologies, I hadn't realised I was walking too fast. Did something catch your eye?”

They turned to face Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin shook his head. “No, we were just reminiscing. We got lost in the sense of nostalgia.” he replied. Lan Xichen, despite the thudding ache that had stirred up again in his chest, he retained his sunny aura. 

“Oh, I see. Well that does happen from time to time. Perhaps we should get going? I have already prepared your rooms for you and your disciples.” Lan Xichen suggested, to which the other all nodded.

After a while, the large gathering of disciples from both clans, plus their leaders and the host along with his aide, had arrived at the guest dormitory located just far away enough from the main estate and cultivation school to allow visitors peace. Lan Hanyu set himself to work by guiding the Wei and Jiang disciples to their shared holdings, counting each member of the two groups and dividing them into groups of two or three, the maximum number being four, before allocating them a room to share between them for easier allocation. Lan Xichen couldn't but beam at Lan Hanyu’s quick initiative and his joyful beaming smile made Jiang Wanyin’s mouth drop open slightly in awe, mesmerised by the beauty he exuded.

“The building behind me is where you two will be rooming. I hope that's okay with the both of you?” Lan Xichen addressed them, gesturing to the building made of white stone behind him. Jiang Wanyin nodded vigorously. “Sure, we don't mind.” he nudged Wei Wuxian and he too nodded. 

“It's a nice building.” the Laozu commented wistfully, which earned another laugh from the venerated clan leader. Jiang Wanyin felt his body grow hot at the sound of such a melodious laugh.

“Why, thank you Wei Wuxian. I must admit, the guest dormitories are quite nice on the outside, but I believe they look better on the inside.”

Lan Xichen led them both up to the front door and slid the doors open,  and all three were greeted with the sight of a spacious open-plan foyer with the interior a light cloudy blue. The flooring was a dark mahogany and the foyer was split off into two opposite directions - most likely the separate bedrooms. Situated at the end of the foyer was a dining area with a tapestry of the Gusu Lan Cloud symbol embroidered in white against the blue tapestry backdrop.

“This room is really spacious.” Wei Wuxian commented with a wonderful smile. Lan Xichen beamed.

“I'm glad you think so. There's plenty of room for the both of you. On the left is one room and on the right is the other. Each comes with a private bath suite and adjoining sitting area. You may choose which one you want for the next few days.”  

Wei Wuxian immediately made a beeline for the room on the right, charging straight down the small corridor and characteristically yelling “I CALL DIBS!!” 

Jiang Wanyin laughed heartily, racing down the opposite corridor to claim his side of the private quarters. 

“GUESS I'M TAKING THE LEFT SIDE THEN!!!!” He yelled back, his voice echoing.

“WELL, YOU'RE ALWAYS ON THE LEFT AND I'M ALWAYS ON THE RIGHT!!” Wei Wuxian's loud voice was heard from the right side, the sound reverberating off of the walls.

“MOST OF THE TIME!!” Jiang Wanyin yelled back.

“YEAH, THAT'S TRUE!!!” came the echoey reply.

Lan Xichen chuckled at the brotherly love these two shared so freely, honest and freely expressing themselves. At this point, housed within these four walls, they had automatically shed their high, thick walls of proprietary and mild mannered etiquette and replaced it with loud, childlike innocence and wild actions. 

Lan Xichen felt a pang of jealousy twist in his gut, that feeling of freedom and unrestrained honesty was something he could not obtain. The younger generation of the clan were raised differently from his generation - much thanks to Lan Wangji's effort in order to not deprive the next generation of virtuous Lan cultivators of their freedom and the ability to express themselves - as long as they still upheld the clan's traditions, they did not need focus all their energy into pleasing people all the time. It was a luxury that unfortunately Lan Xichen was not afforded.

He wished he could be as forward and honest as the Yunmeng twins, communicating effortlessly as freely with his own brother as they did so often. Lan Xichen was well aware that Lan Wangji found difficulty in speaking in longer sentences for longer periods of time, that he usually shied away from physical contact more often than others. Lan Xichen loved his brother dearly yet wished that their brotherly relationship was….different.  

Something akin to what the Twin Prides share with each other.

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before becoming his usual self once more. It was then he heard a light cough behind him and he turned to see Lan Hanyu standing in the open doorway. “Master, you have a meeting with the elders soon, I believe it is best if we get going.”

“What about the other sect leaders?” He queried, slightly panicked about leaving the Twin Prides to their own devices without a single word.

Lan Hanyu smiled and pointed to two disciples approaching the guest rooms, carrying a large trunk each - one in black and red, the other in purple and cyan. Lan Xichen knew what Lan Hanyu was referring to.

“I'll let them know.” 

The two disciples met Lan Xichen when he stepped outside and they bowed, yet they still held onto those trunks.

“I do apologise but I must leave for a meeting, is it possible to let your sect leaders know?” The First Jade asked. The disciples nodded.

“Of course.” They chorused and Lan Xichen was led away by his dutiful attendant, whilst he heard the faint voices of his guests as they were greeted with the sight of their arriving luggage.

Several hours had passed by and Lan Xichen was finally free from that tedious meeting. He had already met with some of the students who had been freed from their classes and he smiled fondly as he remembered the way those young masters gushed about Hanguang-Jun and his incredible teaching methods. Lan Xichen had briefly spoken with his ward and cousin, Lan Jingyi, about his lessons, who had been attending the morning classes instead of the afternoon ones, and had been on the verge of falling alseep. Despite Lan Jingyi's status as a senior disciple, he was not like many of the other students and in fact, his outward and carefree personality reminded Lan Xichen greatly of Wei Wuxian.

After that, Lan Xichen made his way through the estate, making his rounds.

Wei Wuxian was found in the disciple training grounds, hacking and slashing a training dummy with precise and quick sword work with his beloved Suibian, the cool steel of the sharp blade creating dents and deep gashes in the wood and was surrounded by a group of junior disciples who were too busy gushing over the Yiling Laozu and his crimson flurry of blade slashes to notice Lan Xichen’s sudden presence. 

He chuckled quietly as he watched his studious students chatter and gasp at every expertly swift movement Wei Wuxian made with his spiritual blade, the red tassel attached at the ball-shaped end of the sturdy hilt flapping in the air as he wielded his weapon. The training dummy was becoming more morbidly mutilated as Wei Wuxian continued his one-sided attack, which delighted and excited the students further, with them crying out words of joy and encouragement, using their abundant imaginations to imprint a picture onto the dummy and believing it be a Fierce Corpse reanimated by a rogue cultivator who was jealous of the Laozu’s power and techniques. They chanted Wei Wuxian’s name and title in jubilation as Wei Wuxian kept his pace, twirling Suibian and cutting the wooden dummy up into smithereens. He spun on his heel to avoid an “incoming attack” and hurried behind the dummy to unleash a surprise attack on the “unsuspecting enemy”, much to the delight of the onlookers.

With one final blow which decapitated the dummy’s head clean off the fake shoulders, the crowd of students cheered, celebrating the “Fierce Corpse’s” death and obliteration. Wei Wuxian, to make a show of it, summoned a soul-sealing talisman and stuck it on the dummy to represent its soul being “sealed”. 

“Yeah! You did it Yiling Laozu!” one of the crowd of students cried out, clapping their hands. It seemed that the students had forgotten the “loud noise is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses” rule, yet Lan Xichen let them off. It wasn't good to overly restrain growing children in an already stifling environment and Lan Wangji was quite fond of the junior disciples as it was. These young masters were not disturbing anyone’s peace, they were just showing their enthusiasm since a more experienced cultivator was putting on a show to entertain them. 

The students all clapped and cheered as loud as they could muster without breaking the rules and Wei Wuxian, being the fun and entertaining man he was, sheathed Suibian and dramatically bowed with a flourish to show his appreciation.

“Did you guys enjoy - oh Lan Xichen, hi.” Wei Wuxian suddenly noticed Lan Xichen standing near the crowd with his radiant smile and an amused expression on his perfect face. The students all suddenly turned to see their leader/other teacher looking calm and serene and they suddenly started nervously muttering and squeaking. Lan Xichen started chuckling and he pinched one of the students' cheeks affectionately, calming them down.

“It's alright young ones, there will be no reprimanding, you're only excited over Wei Wuxian’s skill as a swordsman.” His voice was like a lazy river flowing through a sturdy mountain pass and the students ceased their nervous squeaking, opting instead to politely greet him as they had been taught. Wei Wuxian also chuckled at the sight, smiling jovially.

“You scared them for a moment.” he commented, crossing his arms over his chest and cracked a smile. Lan Xichen laughed behind his sleeve mischievously. “I like to keep people on their toes sometimes.” 

The junior disciples were all chatting quietly behind their leader, still whispering their praise of Wei Wuxian and some were pushing through the small crowd to get a better look at him now that he wasn't a flurry of quick movements, gasping in wonder.

“He's so tall!” 

“Not as tall as Zewu-Jun.”

“Awww, I didn't get to see the sword he was using.”

“You didn't see it?”

“That was so cool with the way he was slashing and cutting that dummy.”

“That wasn't a dummy, that was a Fierce Corpse. You saw the seal he put on it?”

“Pretty sure that was just a training dummy.”

“Well, it's lost its head now. It's a headless dummy.”

Lan Xichen felt his heart swelled with warmth whilst listening to the young juniors chatter and whisper, his eyes sparkling.

“They seem to have really enjoyed your display.” He smiled brightly. Wei Wuxian snorted.

“They were very enthusiastic about watching me. They even pretended that the dummy I was slashing at was a Fierce Corpse that had gotten reanimated. They have quite big imaginations. Reminds me of my little radish who isn't so little anymore.” Wei Wuxian got all quiet, his voice faltering. He thought about his sweet and gentle son, the child he had adopted officially after the Siege of the Burial Mounds.

He had gotten quite attached to the little boy from the downtrodden branch of the Wen Clan that had been the target of torture and manual labour at the hands of the Jin Clan and that little boy was always so bright and clingy. 

Wei Wuxian huffed softly, lost in nostalgia.

“Anyway….” Wei Wuxian broke out of his reverie and addressed his gracious host. “I think I'll head back to my room and prepare a bath to cool off. I feel sweaty and gross and I'm sure you have some more meetings to get to so I'll make myself scarce.”

“If you need some place to cool off, you can go to the Cold Springs and splash around in the water. If anyone asks, then you can tell them that I told you could.” Lan Xichen suggested.

The next piece of his puzzle was forming into place and he wasn't going to miss this opportunity. If his hunch was correct, then a certain someone had already arrived at the Cold Springs and was most likely bathing there. 

Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrows. “Really?” He was imperious and innocent to Lan Xichen’s plan.

“Yes, you are more than welcome to go to the Cold Springs.”

“The Cold Springs are that way.” One of the juniors chirped, pointing in the direction behind Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian smiled gratefully, bowed to show his gratitude over Lan Xichen’s kindness and without another word, turned on his heel to set off for the Cold Springs to cool off, the clamour of the students all trying to follow him were behind him and growing fainter as he got further away and closer to his destination.

Wei Wuxian arrived at the Cold Springs after a while and when he arrived, he took a moment to admire the tranquil beauty of the springs, breathing in the cool air.

A large and deep pool nestled amongst the mountain caves and a slim waterfall with crashing water filled the pool. The disciples of Gusu Lan used the pool to mediate their cultivation.

Some would come here to meditate or heal their wounds, others would bathe here to cool off after intense workout and training. Which was what Wei Wuxian had in mind

Wei Wuxian remembered coming here to heal his wounds in the ice-cold waters many years ago, when he was a spirited and mischievous teenager - a promising young master of the Six Arts and a skilled cultivator - and smiled fondly at the memory of splashing around and causing a certain second master some major emotional panic. He had even gone so far as to steal his clothes because he kept rebuffing Wei Wuxian’s attempts to befriend him and his desire for any kind of attention from him  - positive or negative. Wei Wuxian’s teen self would have a fit if he saw what the adult version of himself grew into.

But that was many years ago. He recalled it was around a decade now, perhaps even more.

And he wasn't the same man now.

He had grown up. Simple as.

Wei Wuxian clicked his tongue in thought and after looking around for peepers and satisfied he wasn't being watched, he began to undo his belt and let it fall to the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief as his waist and hips were delightfully released from their bonds due to how tight he had made his belt be and worked to free his body from the rest of his clothing.

He took off his leather outer robe and folded it up as neatly as he could before he dropped it onto the ground. He did the same with his black inner robe, pulling it off his body and shoulders swiftly and folding it up as well. He took off his boots and put them near the pile of clothes.

With a single flourish, Wei Wuxian lifted the final layer of clothing over his head, which exposed his abdomen and hips to the cool air around him and he sighed, shivering just a tad.

To say his body was toned would be an understatement.

If anyone else saw how toned and muscled his abdomen was, with those chiseled abs sculpted by years of rigorous training and a balance diet of fatty meats, fresh fish caught from the rivers and lakes, glutinous rice, chilli, fruits and vegetables that were all grown and caught in Yiling, a slim yet oh-so grabbable waist with the slightest of dipped curves whenever he moved, that sun-scorched shaped burn mark that was an eyesore on his lightly tanned skin, faint scars that littered his body like scratches from a cat and pale, delicate nipples now hardening from the cool air, they would be unable to handle themselves. They would not be able to keep their composure and would itch like crazy to touch him.

Pair his body with his cheeky, carefree smile, those silvery-brown eyes that glimmered with mischief and joy, the way his cheekbones reached his eyes whenever he grinned, long lithe fingers that danced along the length of Chenqing whenever he played beautifully haunting melodies or caressing and twirling the decorative, sturdy hilt of Suibian sheathed or not, the way his hands were both soft like a baby’s and cracked and worn out from years spent in fields and in training grounds, his strong thighs that allowed his to propel himself during battles or swimming and help him launch powerful kicks or high-jumps when engaging in fights, the way his voice would carry for miles, loud and filled with joy, the shiver people would feel when a sheen of crimson would appear in those silver eyes when he was using Ghost Cultivation....

In a word, the Yiling Laozu was gorgeous.

In every way, shape and form.

People would not admit it out loud - especially other high bred cultivators - especially the ones who sought to kill him on false pretences and rumours - but they desired him, lusted after him, yearned for him. They wanted to experience the sensual, exhilarating, passionate feeling that Wei Wuxian exuberated on a daily basis and clutch it tightly in their grasp. They wanted a piece of that powerful and mysterious ability he had created and acquired, craving to be gifted with it and to wield it the way he did. Ghost Cultivation - or as most people called it as they couldn't be bothered to learn its proper name, Demonic Cultivation - was like a cheat-code to gaining more power without the need for long-term training and mediation. If one could be able to withstand the resentment that ghosts and corpses exuded after death and wield it with startling proficiency, then they could potentially catch the Yiling Laozu’s attention. Most failed to even grasp it or control it due to the strength of their own cultivation and even their golden core - or lack thereof - and those who did ended up as Yiling Wei disciples.

Alas, many did not own up to their lust and their yearning, instead they were driven by fear and hate to force such a bright-eyed and innocent prodigy to the very brink of self-destruction. Jin Guangshan was deathly afraid of this power, yet he lusted after it all the same. He had figured it would allow him to be more powerful than Wen Rouhan even was in his lifetime and the insatiable, gold-robed man believed that that Ghost Cultivation could help him achieve such a lofty goal in sealing that weeping power vacuum, if he were to steal such a ability from the one who had created it.

Whether Wei Wuxian was dead or alive when his power was taken.

This plan of Jin Guangshan’s had unfortunately backfired on him greatly. He made the mistake of celebrating Wei Wuxians “death” too early and suffered the consequences. He was the first to lose his golden core - in the exact same way Wen Zhuliu, Wen Chao’s obedient bodyguard, lost his several years prior in retaliation for the lives lost at the hands of the Wens and then the Jins.

Time can only heal so many wounds and the internal wounds Wei Wuxian carried was a secret that no one would be able to pry from him. He hoped to take his suffering to the grave for real.

“Brrr….cold.” Wei Wuxian muttered. He had left his breeches on since he wasn't eager to freeze his…..uh….”flute” clean off in the icy waters. He padded over to the edge of the pool before gingerly dipping his toes into the water to test the temperature.

‘Ah shit! Cold! It's very cold.’ Wei Wuxian cursed inwardly, shaking his foot in the air, hopping around. He really didn't want to get in, but he was feeling a little cramped and his skin was musty and sweaty. Resigning himself to his fate, he climbed in and wadded through the freezing waters, cursing aloud.

“Cold. Cold. Cold. Very cold. Very cold!” He continued to carefully wade through the waters, shivering almost violently as he did so. 

“Why does the water have to be freezing? Why can't it just be cold like its name?” He asked out loud, jumping on the balls of his feet to try and warm up. The spiritual energy that thrummed in his body coursed through his veins, producing more body heat. He moved around into the ice-cold waters that rested just below his hips, the waters freezing his legs and feet through the material of his breeches. He silently thanked the celestials for that trunk of spare robes he had asked his disciple to bring after the night-hunt. When he received Lan Xichen’s invitation, he had a hunch that this visit would last several days and had sent a few disciples back home to prepare a trunk for him whilst he was in Caiyi Town. The disciples in question flew back on their spirit sabers and not even a day later, they had returned. The inn-keeper was kind enough to send along the message that Wei Wuxian had already departed for the Cloud Recesses - which was a full day's travel from Caiyi Town so they made haste to catch up.

As he waded through the waters, he concentrated on his breathing and movement to regulate his internal body temperature in order to stop his body from freezing over inside and out. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled as he slowly moved around, partaking in a solo waltz of some kind. The water around him, somehow, was suddenly getting warmer and Wei Wuxian breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah, that's better. I will be taking a hot bath in the evening after dinner but this is quite nice.”

As he continued, he threaded his finger though any loose strands of his hair, still in his half-ponytail updo, the long red ribbon trailing into the water along with his extra long hair. He moved closer to the waterfall and quickly shoved his whole arm under the gushing water and whipped his arm back with a cry.

“Nope! Shouldn't have done that! But I need to loosen these muscles….oh well here goes nothing….”

Braving the cold, he plunged himself into the waterfall, the water crashing onto his bare skin and he cried out, jumping backwards and almost falling into the water.

“Bad idea!” He cursed inwardly and started shivering again, yet his muscles felt much more looser now. He concentrated on his breathing as he hunched over, shoulders tense. “Ah damn.” 

He heard some quiet movement from behind him and he froze, eyes wide. 

‘Wait…is someone here?’

He straightened up, ignoring the cold and the feeling of those wet droplets cascading down his torso, and slowly turned around to see who was in the area. He could hear the sound of water gently parting through movement and he saw a figure just out of sight, standing with their back to him. Wei Wuxian slowly crept closer, curious as to who was with him in the Cold Springs.

As he got closer, he was able to get a much better view of the mysterious figure that was bathing. 

The figure was quite muscular, with defined shoulders and biceps that must have been formed through extensive training. Long ebony hair trailed over the figure's back, hiding milky skin from Wei Wuxian's eyes, yet he spied white marks peeking out from beneath those long locks of hair and across the broad span of the figure's shoulder blades and there was even some scarring on the upper biceps. 

Wei Wuxian recognised those marks and made a slight noise under his breath.

‘Those are whip scars. There's no one else that would bathe in the Cold Springs except Gusu Lan disciples. Wonder what this guy did to piss off Old Man Lan to receive those.’

He noticed that tied in the figure's long black hair was a bright white ribbon- possibly made of silk - like a trail of moonlight against a deep midnight sky of ink. The white ribbon was something that Wei Wuxian was also familiar with, yet he could not put a finger on where he'd seen it. In all honesty, he'd seen quite a lot of people in his life that wear white ribbons in their hair so it was understandable that he wouldn't be able to fully recognise where he'd seen this ribbon before.

Curiosity welled up inside of him as he sneaked forward as much as he could without startling the figure and he reached out to touch those long strands of hair, droplets of water running down and making the already milky pale skin and black hair seem more smooth. Wei Wuxian's fingertips just ever so lightly brushed up against the flowing white ribbon but the figure moved, jerking suddenly and Wei Wuxian stumbled backwards in a panic, tripping and falling into the freezing water with a loud splash. The figure, startled, whipped their head around to see who had been behind them and Wei Wuxian suddenly resurfaced, coughing and spluttering. His hair was all tangled and hanging in front of his face like he was some sort of cursed ghost or sentient zombie.

“Fuck!” He swore loudly. The figure's eyes narrowed and a grim expression appeared on their face.

“Vulgar language is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses.” A deep voice rumbled, sounding annoyed. Wei Wuxian, with sopping wet hair in his face and still coughing up some of that water, ringed his hair out, moving away from his face so he could see again and started to angrily vent, spewing out words.

“No shit!!!! You think I didn't know!!!??? I'm allowed to swear, I'm an adult! I studied here when I was 15! That damned dead-panned twink-ass fuddy-duddy who was always scowling at me would make me copy those damned rules over and over again! I think he secretly enjoyed making me suffer hand cramps I swear! Not my fault you moved and I tripped over and now I'm fully soaking wet, freezing my tits off and you have the audacity to tell ME, the Yiling Laozu, the most feared and admired ghost cultivator in all of cultivation society, to not…swear……”

Wei Wuxian trailed off from his rant, having gone silent and now he was face to face with the person who had their back to him. Now that his hair was no longer in his face, obscuring his sight, he finally got to see who was facing him and was met with the most gorgeous man he had laid his eyes on. His body was well defined and looked like it had been sculpted by the gods themselves, with wide shoulders enhanced his already tall stature, a beautifully slender face - pale like moonlight and smooth like jade - framed with long twin side bangs of ebony black that trailed down his broad and large chest, which sported a familiar looking sun-flame crest - yet it was paler than the mark Wei Wuxian had on his chest - as matter of fact that sun-flame crest was in the exact same place on the man’s body as it was on Wei Wuxian’s, which he found weird. Even the man’s abdomen was defined and muscled, rivalling the famous abs of Nie Mingjue who was considered by many a living war god. Wei Wuxian was frozen in place, absentmindedly staring at how simply gorgeous this individual was and his lips parted open in his shock, eyes widening with each second he stared. The man in question also looked a little startled and Wei Wuxian heard his breath hitch, also frozen in place.

A pair of molten gold eyes locked eyes with Wei Wuxian and a single cloud-patterned white ribbon ran across his forehead and Wei Wuxian’s blood ran cold before it heated up like lava had been injected straight into his veins. He knew who was standing in front of him.

He knew.

Wei Wuxian recognised that face and that cloud-patterned white ribbon anywhere.

He was one of the family. 

The family that ruled this province.

It scared him how he was able to just know.

‘Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.’

Memories of a past youth resurfaced, scattering across the vast plain of his mind like flower petals. All those memories containing the image and the voice and the sight of this one person, who single handed had etched his entire presence and existence into Wei Wuxian's mind, was now swarming him and the voices began to speak up  drowning him. He knew who this was, it terrified him yet he found himself at the precipice of exhilaration.

He had to get away somehow. 

He told himself he would never come to Gusu yet here he was. He only accepted Lan Xichen's invitation on two personal conditions:

1. That Jiang Cheng would be allowed to visit.
2. That he, the Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian, would never be able to bump into him.

Clearly, Lan Xichen knew his brother like the back of his own hand and was the one responsible for this situation. But Wei Wuxian figured he could rectify it by basically running away like a coward then hiding out with Jiang Cheng until their visit had concluded and they leave for home.

“H-H-H-Han…” Wei Wuxian stuttered, pointing directly at the man who was in equal shock. Those molten gold irises quivered and his breathing was shallow yet quick. He also began to stammer, unable to speak clearly.

“W-W-Wei…” 

Before the other man could speak another word, Wei Wuxian turned tail to run away, panic coursing through his veins and his heart racing.

‘Nononononononono…..I can't be seen by him! He'll lock me away!”

A cold hand quickly grabbed Wei Wuxian by his wrist and the Laozu froze in horror, forcing himself to turn back around.

He had grabbed his wrist and was now incredibly close - far too close. His face stopped just mere centimetres from Wei Wuxian and the poor guy had to stifle a shriek.

“Wei Ying?” That deep voice asked, almost a whisper. Wei Wuxian’s face went beet-red.

“Hahaha…hi….it's me….suuuupppp.” he awkwardly greeted, trying to wriggle his wrist out of that grasp. 

His hand was like ice around his wrist yet his touch felt almost searing, boiling his blood the longer those long, slender fingers were wrapped around the width of his wrist. Wei Wuxian was no longer focused on the temperature of the water that surrounded him, but instead was more focused on that pair of golden eyes staring straight at him, his whole body tingling with an electric buzz.

‘Lan Zhan. It's really him. After all these years. He's no longer a skinny boy. He's a freaking man. And those abs….no! Don't stare at him, don't give him the satisfaction.’

“Wei Ying? Is that really you?” that man in front of him, the one named Lan Zhan, whispered in disbelief, eyes scanning for familiarity. He spotted the red burn mark on Wei Wuxian’s chest and his own eyes widened, breath hitching. He saw the red ribbon, those silvery eyes, those pale pink lips….everything.

“It's you. It really is you. After all these years.” 

‘Fuuuuuuck! His voice is hot!!!!!!!’ Wei Wuxian’s mind blabbered, the sight of this man and the incredibly close proximity they shared boggled him. Wei Wuxian, despite the urge in his mind to act upon supposedly long buried desires that were just resurfacing, he realised he had overstayed his welcome.

If Hanguang-Jun was here in the Cold Springs, it's time to leave.

“I'm sorry….I need to go….” Wei Wuxian stuttered, trying to find his words. Lan Wangji - Hanguang-Jun - narrowed his eyes, those golden irises glinting.

“Why?” he asked, not liking the sound of Wei Wuxian leaving. The Laozu struggled to release himself.

“I overstayed my visit here, I need to go and leave you in peace.” Wei Wuxian answered, a little desperate. Lan Wangji had tightened his grip.

“Ow. Please let go, I'm not staying here with you.” Wei Wuxian could hear his voice rising, in an almost pleading way, but there was no way he was begging. He was not a man that begs, he's the one that scares people so much that they end up begging.

“Why not?” Lan Wangji’s voice rumbled, he sounded displeased. Why was he displeased? He was the one grabbing onto Wei Wuxian.

“Because my brother is waiting.” Wei Wuxian bit back.

“Why are you here? How did you get into the Cloud Recesses without a jade travel token?” Lan Wangji asked his question in a soft, demanding manner, getting even closer. This did not bode well for Wei Wuxian at all and he really wished that throat would allow him to screech for help. Lan Wangji’s breath fanned over Wei Wuxian’s lips and he could smell the scent of fragrant tea. Pu’er tea to be specific.

‘Well, I'm about to die.’ Wei Wuxian pessimistically concluded. ‘Sorry Jiang Cheng, you may have to plan my funeral. Tell A-Yuan that he’s my precious radish and that I will miss you all.’

“Your brother invited me and my brother to stay here for a few days after being on a six-day night hunt.” 

Lan Wangji froze a little, surprised. His grip around Wei Wuxian’s wrist did not lax. 

“Then….why are you here in the Cold Springs?” Lan Wangji asked, confused.

“Also your brother. He told me I could. I was in the training grounds and he told me I could bathe he- wait why am I telling you this? Did you put some sort of honesty charm on me? Seriously, I thought you were above such tricks?”

Lan Wangji went still, his grip laxing, eyes wide in shock. His face was unreadable as he processed this information but Wei Wuxian wasn't interested in the slightest. As soon as he felt Lan Wangji’s hand slacken, he made the immediate decision to take the plunge - metaphorically - and bolt right out of there, awkwardly paddle-wading through the freezing cold waters to dry land. He thanked his strong thighs and legs for allowing him to travel such a distance in a short amount of time as clambered up to the rocks grabbing his folded clothes and boots, ignoring Lan Wangji’s pleas as he cried out behind him.

“Wei Ying, wait, please, stay, talk to me, Wei Ying.”

With one final glance over his shoulder to gauge Lan Wangji’s usually unreadable facial expressions, Wei Wuxian fled the Cold Springs and away to his guest room, hastily dressing himself so he wouldn't cause a disciple or elder a qi deviation.

~Part 1 complete~

Chapter Text

~Part 2~

Lan Wangji had finally finished teaching the morning class and he had opted to stay to answer any queries his young students had for him, gladly answering their questions with proficiency and tenderness. He was surprised and overall pleased to hear the students were eager to learn and he got the sense they greatly admired him and valued his opinions, which is why many of them came to him with issues, reports and news.

With the final few students filing out of the Orchid Room, Lan Wangji finally had the classroom to himself and he went about doing some cleaning, ready for the afternoon lessons. His uncle had decided to take the afternoon lessons for himself to free up Lan Wangji's schedule, yet they still have their family tea session to look forward to. 

He always enjoyed those precious afternoons with his family - although they were a small family - it was the perfect time and occasion to enjoy each others’ presence and speak of any news that they had heard. 

Currently his brother was attending to his duties as clan leader and his uncle was also busy, so Lan Wangji was here alone in the Orchid Room, dusting the tables and the walls so everything was free of dust and dirt. Cleaning was quite meditative to him and he hummed softly to himself as he worked and he went over to the head desk where his uncle would usually be during class to rearrange and sort through documents, reports and lesson material. He wanted everything to be neat and tidy.

“Wangji?” a familiar voice, laced with silken warmth like the sun, alerted Lan Wangji and he turned to see his brother walk into the Orchid Room, his robes tailing behind him as he lighty waltzed over. His expression was calm and serene - as it usually was.

“Xiongzhang.” Lan Wangji greeted with a bow extending his hands outward, his palms facing inward. Lan Xichen dismissed the gesture with a tender smile and a laugh. “There's no need for that Wangji. I believe that you have finished the morning lessons then?” He queried, glancing around the clean and empty Orchid Room. Lan Wangji nodded.

“Mn.” 

“That’s wonderful. I did speak with some of the students, including Jingyi, and they all spoke highly of you and your teachings.” 

Lan Wangji turned his head sideways to hide the faint pink that was now adorning his cheeks and the tips of his ears, his bangs shielding his face just partially. Lan Xichen laughed heartily, his voice melodious.

“Oh Wangji, there's no need to get all shy. I speak the truth and the Lans cannot lie.” 

Lan Wangji cleared his throat awkwardly and readjusted himself. He couldn't let his emotions run wild. He needed to remain calm and composed, as a Lan should always be.

“Of course. I take great pride in my teachings. The next generation of cultivators within our clan deserve to be taught such important knowledge to aid them in their growth.” Lan Wangji answered assuredly and honestly. Lan Xichen ended up surprised. 

“You're quite talkative this morning. I haven't heard you speak so much in one go in quite a long time.” he mused. This made Lan Wangji once again go pink in the face.

“Xiongzhang…please don't tease me.” He quietly pleaded. Lan Xichen waved his hand nonchalantly.

“I jest dearest brother, I know that communicating for long periods of time tires you out, but I'm merely expressing my surprise audibly. There's no need to feel shy about this. It just shows that you have grown more confident over the years and you're longer avoiding things. Shufu and I are both proud of how far you've come as a person.” Lan Xichen gave his brother the sunniest grin, his whole lighting up with warmth and affection which made Lan Wangji go quiet.

“T-thank you….” he softly trailed off his own sentence, unable to get another word out. 

He had been so used to receiving praise and compliments for so many years that he had simply ignored most of them as they didn't seem “sincere” to him. But his own brother, the man he looked up to hoped to become one day, praising him like this - gentle, honest and kind - was too much for his heart, to hear that honest sincerity and kindness flow out of Lan Xichen’s mouth as he spoke his words made Lan Wangji’s heart thump wildly.

He let loose a wisp of a smile, mirroring his brother as he relaxed again. “Thank you.” he repeated, bowing. Lan Xichen sighed.

“You really don't need to bow to me. You're my brother.”

“I'm sorry…family obligations….force me.” Lan Wangji replied quietly. Lan Xichen knew what that meant.

Lan Wangji, although the third highest ranked member of the main Lan family (fifth if he counted both his still living maternal aunt who trained the female cultivators on the other side of the mountain and his elderly great-uncle from his deceased father and uncle's side), but he was still only the Second Master meaning that those younger than the elder of the clan had to show their respect. It was simply the way that society had conditioned those to show respect and to also maintain the gap in social propriety.

Lan Wangji let out a sigh under his breath and satisfied with his work, walked off out of the Orchid Room, his brother's light footsteps following him.

“I have some free time on my hands at the moment so why don't we take a walk down to the training grounds together?” he suggested lightly. Lan Wangji was hoping to decline, since he had his duties to attend to, yet his older brother’s serene smile made him rethink his plans. And in all honesty, it had been a while since he did some training other than physical workouts.

“I don't mind.” he answered vaguely, closing his eyes and his expression neutral. He held his head high and walked forward in the direction of the training grounds, and Lan Xichen trailed behind, quietly chatting to him.

They reached the training grounds and all was peaceful - as it should be - with some of the disciples diligently training whilst others were on patrol, keeping the peace between the groups of teenagers and young adults that were present. Lan Wangji let slip a faint smile of pride as he watched the Lan juniors and seniors working hard and growing as individuals. It had taken quite a lot of effort from both brothers to ensure that the next generation of Gusu cultivators did not live their lives restrained and trapped as they did when they grew up. Lan Wangji had been the most affected by the the abundant rules that the clan had added over the centuries and unfortunately, coupled with his frosty exterior and social avoidance which made it difficult to resonate with others, Lan Wangji - high on his pedestal of superior social status - had experienced the difficulties and restrictions that came and affected his life. All throughout his teens, he had been trained to become the most outstanding cultivator of his generation, to overcome all manner of sin and chaos to achieve true enlightenment and he had even planned to become a hermit and live in mediative seclusion like his ancestors did to escape the mediocrity of society.

All of his carefully laid out plans came crashing down when he met him.

Someone who was bright-eyed, inquisitive, reliable, cheerful and chaotic who threw all of the rules out the proverbial window and caused Lan Wangji a lot of emotional panic.

It was through this single interaction, that Lan Wangji had become inexplicably drawn to this young man, whom he had first laid his eyes upon as he was on top of the roof, illuminated by moonlight as he guzzled down liquor like a thirsty animal. In that single moment, Lan Wangji had come to the conclusion that this young master dressed in red and black, his hair tied high in a flowing, cascading ponytail drenched in silver light amidst those long strands of ebony, skin tanned and face filled with youthful vigour, would be the death of him. Every day, for those short three months he had known this young master, he would be teased relentlessly, that jovial laughter ringing in his pink-tipped ears and causing his heart to wobble and quake with each passing beat.

They met again a year and a half later, for the Qishan Wen archery contest, where Lan Wangji experienced the most embarrassing moment of his young life which involved his scared forehead ribbon. He was far too embarrassed to speak about such a event and even through a series of hilariously unfortunate events (which included a big wet cave with an very big angry creature), Lan Wangji could never admit out loud how much this crazy teenager had changed him.

His brother probably saw through him. But that was his brother. 

Through a long five years of turmoil that plagued many clans and once chaos had finally subsided to make way for peace and prosperity, Lan Wangji was the one who had decided to finally break the long-standing generational cycle that had been the forefront of every Lan that came before him. It had been difficult to even convince the elders, much less his own uncle, to lessen the emotional burden the juniors would face, yet Lan Wangji had a goal to achieve and much like his father, he was very stubborn about achieving said goal.

He was afraid that the younger generation would be forced to pay for the mistakes the elders and his generation had created through hate and misunderstandings, through greed and through bloodshed. Although punished for his mistakes, Lan Wangji vowed to never allow the children to suffer.

And as he lay bedridden, isolated and in solitude for three long, lonely years, he silently hoped that his heart’s desire - the very essence of revolution and rebellion who stirred up so many unspoken emotions inside his icy heart - would finally be able to see him again, so that they could talk through this invisible barrier that had been erected out of fear and for self-preservation.

But three years turned to five, then turned to seven and then ten and by the time the thirteenth year passed, Lan Wanji had resigned himself to just.....silently hoping that his beloved was still around....physically or spiritually.

The Twin Jades passed by a trio of juniors all conversing quietly between each other but as soon as they spotted the flowing white robes patterned with the signature blue clouds, those long ebony strands of silken hair, the gleam of silver and those white ribbons, the trio stopped in their tracks and bowed, gushing their greetings.

“Hanguang-Jun. Hanguang-Jun. Hanguang-Jun.” They parroted each other, all eagerly jumping on the balls of their boots, starry eyed in the presence of their most admired person, much to the amusement of the older Jade who had been hilariously ignored, making him smirk with amusement and mock offence. 

“Hello.” Lan Wangji's voice rumbled quietly, like a rainstorm. His voice was quite deep and had a regal baritone, commanding yet gentle all the same. His voice would be lovingly likened to a snow-capped mountain or even a glacier with its deep tone, which certainly, in some odd way, soothed the hearts of those in fear. Lan Xichen supposed it was a quality that all of the beautiful, polished gentlemen of Gusu Lan all possessed. 

The young white robed cultivators all began chatting to their esteemed Second Jade, revelling in his presence and regaling him with their talk of swordsmanship and brilliant deeds all woven expertly together to create a fascinating tale, fir only for the ears of Hanguang-Jun. Lan Wangji nodded and hummed along with each detailed description given, his golden eyes faintly glimmering with a fatherly affection as he listened intently. The junior disciples had just finished their story of revelry and bravery in the face of danger (the Drill Master who was in charge of the daily training schedules of the disciples), when Lan Wangji felt a familiar presence flit about behind him and he turned his head to look over his shoulder to find his older brother peeking over his shoulder, grinning.

“Sounds like fun. Perhaps you would like to show me what you have learnt today?” the Clan Leader asked, his smile a little menacing in the eyes of the young students who all let out a quiet yelp in shock. Lan Wangji poked his brother’s nose in admonishment. “Xiongzhang? Why did you scare them?” He questioned, his voice low. Lan Xichen chuckled.

“I’m only kidding Wangji.”

Lan Wangji sighed and poked his brother's nose again, feeling a little light in his heart. The juniors that he had been conversing with had stilled their fright and scarpered over to Lan Xichen, their eyes filled with stars of awe as they greeted their clan leader and First Jade.

“Zewu-Jun. Zewu-Jun. Zewu-Jun.” they chorused joyfully, their voices ringing out like bells, their faces lit up like stars. Lan Wangji smiled inwardly, warmth spreading across his chest. This was what he had envisioned. These children had only known peace throughout their lives and Lan Wangji was intending to keep it that way. The only way for these disciples to know of the past is through their history lessons. 

To think that three major conflicts that resulted in numerous casualties and deaths happened a mere two decades ago was a frightening thought. Some of these young cultivators had barely known the outside world or had just taken their first steps. Many of the current generation - cultivators within his age range - had been so young at the time, some even younger. They had been bright eyed and filled with hope, dreams and wishes of a grand and fulfilling future yet naive to the bloodshed that would eventually leave a scar upon both the land and on the people that had witnessed and experienced such tragedy.

Lan Wangji couldn't help but sigh. There was no point dwelling on the past. 

“Wangji.” He heard his brother speak and he turned fully to face him.

“Mn?” He hummed in question. Lan Xichen was still surrounded by the trio and several others had spotted them and had stopped their activities to rush over in excitement.

“Why don't you go on ahead and do some training? Practise some sword techniques and play some music? I am now surrounded.” Lan Xichen chuckled as he was being pulled away by his excited students.

“He's here!” One of them cried out. 

“Mmm? Who?” Lan Wangji was curious. The students all looked at him, blinking.

Lan Xichen peeled one of the student’s hands off his sleeve and brushed himself down.

“I will see to whatever it is that disciples are excited about. You can go and do your own thing if you want.”

Lan Wangji nodded and bowed before trudging off, his robes trailing behind. 

He figured he would go and train with Bichen for a while, then head to the Cold Springs to do his spiritual meditation before he meets up with his uncle in the afternoon.

Spotting an untouched, unmarred training dummy, Lan Wangji wandered over and unsheathed Bichen. The icy-cool blade of the saber was razor sharp and reflected the rays of sunlight making the silvery blue steel shine like northern glacial ice, the light creating a sky-blue sheen across the length of the sharp weapon. He twirled the saber in between his fingers and with a single, perfect slash, the dummy was cleanly in half, the top half of the dummy sliding off the bottom and hitting the ground with a thud. Lan Wangji grunted in annoyance, huffing a little. 

An overestimation of his strength he concluded. 

He sported another unmarred training dummy and in the blink of an eye, Lan Wangji had surged forward in a haze of blue energy, twirling Bichen as he slashed the dummy. This one, like the previous one, also succumbed to the almighty Lan strength and shattered, wooden shards falling to the ground. Several other dummies - some already sporting sword marks - had now become Hanguang-Jun’s targets.

An hour had passed by and Lan Wangji breathed a little, his stamina a little spent. He had just about enough training and decided to take another stroll. Though his mind wondered back to the conversation the juniors were having with his brother.

‘I wonder who the youngsters were getting excited about? Most likely Nie Mingjue or Jin Guangyao since they frequently visit Xiongzhang - Jin Guangyao visits more often then Nie Mingjue due their different roles and Xiongzhang really likes Jin Guangyao. Not to think that Xiongzhang and Nie Mingjue don't like each other in some way that's not plaronic - they're childhood friends - but Xiongzhang seems more at ease with the Chief Cultivator. Though, I still don't like the idea of them courting. And I don't like the way Jin Guangyao always looks at Xiongzhang with the most puppy-whipped lovestruck look I have ever seen. It's worse than the lovestruck expressions Jin Zixuan gives to his own wife…..wow I sound like Jiang Cheng…. Oh no I must not think about that anymore. Perhaps I should go to the Cold Springs now for a spot of meditation.’

After sheathing Bichen, Lan Wangji trudged off in the direction of the Cold Springs, muttering under his breath as he went and in need of a detox from his training.

Lan Wangji had arrived at the Cold Springs, the pool a tranquil, iridescent blue sheen that glimmered under the sunlight that peeked through the gaping hole in the roof of the cavern.

Lan Wangji would never admit it out loud, but he loved the Cold Springs. Much like the rest of the Cloud Recesses, it was a peaceful area that allowed him to regulate his spiritual energy and speed up the healing process. The Lans were not just expert martial artists and musicians, they also specialised in spiritual healing and the healers within their clan were some of the best in their craft. Doctors and physicians were usually sought after by the common folk due to their knowledge and practical methods in healing a sick or injured body, but cultivators and taoist priests rather preferred the spiritual healers - shamans, apothecaries and divine blessings from shrine keepers. 

He was once the type of person who preferred solitude and peace over rowdy crowds and chaos, always staying behind behind classes to assist his uncle or brother, studying for hours to hone his skills so that he could make his family proud. 

He was a cold person, icy and frosty on the exterior, yet there was a hidden warmth to him that only showed itself when alone. 

He was never really the best at showing his emotions or communicating with other people - he was better at communicating with spirits through Inquiry. Because of his exterior personality, he was simply seen as an ice prince, a lord of light that sought out chaos to eradicate its source, all without complaint and emotions. He was simply more used to keeping quiet, only talking in short bursts. He found it simply easier. People respected him either way, whether he was loud and foreboding or silent and deadly.

Yet deep down, he was really just shy. And these communication problems were the result of misinterpretations made by others whilst they placed him on a high pedestal. 

He would be lying if he didn't admit it to himself that he just wanted a friend. 

He had felt lonely, the feeling of loneliness was a piercing ache that froze him in place, imprisoning him in an unbreakable shell.

Lan Wangji was used to this empty feeling as it had followed him around like a shadow, clutching at his heart and squeezing every last drop of hope and any other positive emotion he could feel out of him until he was just a husk of a human.

He surmised this loneliness would only continue to haunt him for many days or even years to come.

And he was perfectly fine with that.

Without even looking around since he was positive there was no one else here, Lan Wangji proceeded to strip naked, peeling off his many layers of white and blue robes and folding them neatly onto a nearby rock. He even took off his white boots and breeches and placed them on the pile. He kept his ribbons in his hair and the silver guan hairpiece he wore as he found it unnecessary to remove and without a second thought, plunged right into the icy waters.

Lan Wangji was used to the Cold Springs, as he found the pool to be relaxing. He didn't even flinch as he waded through the freezing water, his fingertips caressing the ripples gently. He hummed a slow melody, his throat vibrating and thrumming with the notes of the song. It was a song he had composed and it was etched into his very soul, much like the person that had inspired the song. 

His humming was abruptly halted as he caught sight of a flash of black out of the corner of his field of vision and with curiosity welling up inside his chest, he turned to see who had entered the Cold Springs and was awestruck by the sight before him.

In a single moment, a moment where the wheels of time slowed down just for him, he saw the most breathtaking sight he had ever laid his eyes on, a vision of pure beauty that none could compare to. It was a sight that poets could spend their whole lifetime trying in vain to capture through words or artists slaving away over easels to replicate to no avail. It was something only Gods could be able to recreate but even then, in Lan Wangji’s eyes, it wouldn't be the same.

Standing on the rocky edge of the pool was a singular person who was in the process of taking off one of their robes over their head and revealed they possessed the most gorgeous abdomen Lan Wangji had ever seen in his life. He once had the opportunity to see the godly upper body of the very famous human war god, Chifang-Zun (Nie Mingjue) when he once visited the Nie clan holdings, even Chifang-Zun’s sculpted torso and thick tree-trunk sized biceps paled in comparison to what was before Lan Wangji.

Their skin was lightly tanned as if the sun itself had passionately, yet every-so-gently kissed every inch, tightly sculpted muscles and round, sturdy pectorals that gleamed with sweat that was begging to be traced with his fingers, a narrow waist curved with the barest of dips whilst simultaneously holding up the figure's black breeches, there was the faintest line of hair that trailed downward into “the forbidden zone” to which Lan Wangji’s cheeks reddened at the thought. He trailed his golden gaze to those thick upper biceps that stretched and bulged with every arm movement and it made Lan Wangji swallow thickly, his brain foggy and conjuring images of those arms lifting his weight up so effortlessly, wrapping him in a tight and warm embrace. He couldn't tear his eyes away from this tantalising sight, his breath quickened, trapping itself in his throat. He froze in terror as the owner of that godly body finally took off their robe and Lan Wangji quickly rushed away, averting his lovestruck gaze to focus on himself. He didn't want the owner of such a perfect body to see him stare so blatantly at them. 

Once he was safely out of sight, he turned his back and stood still, breathing in the crisp air. He could feel the waters cleansing him, that cold, cool touch of water flowing into his body and the spirit energy coursing through his meridians and spiritual channels. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes to meditate, focusing on allowing his body to breathe in the spiritual energy to rejuvenate him. He hasn't really been aware of how much he needed this moment until he could feel both his body and his golden core strengthen and thrum to life with power, his fingertips letting off a faint blue glow as he gently rippled the waters.

He was lost in the feeling of this new surge of energy, closing his eyes to soak it all up and letting out a breath of cold air, exhaling softly and calmly. He suddenly felt the waters around his bare waist slosh and waver, as if there was someone else here within the Cold Springs, but Lan Wangji shrugged it off. It could have been an unsuspecting disciple who had decided to bathe here for a while. He continued his quiet meditation, focusing on channeling his meridians when he heard another splash of water. He grunted in slight annoyance, yet paid them no heed. There was no point in paying attention to someone not worth his time or effort.

That was when he felt something lightly brush against his hair. It felt like a hand or a finger and he could literally feel the faint whispering of silk. That was the low-hanging ribbons of his head band being touched and suddenly he became more alert, jerking to move away. His sudden actions caused someone to yelp and he heard whoever it was swear very loudly and they fell into the freezing waters, splashing him. Droplets of water cascaded down his front torso, back and his hair and he scowled.

“Vulgar language is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses.” He grunted loudly enough for the intruder to hear, to which he was greeted with sight of a sopping wet man with his long black hair all in his face, coughing, spluttering and swearing.

“No shit!!!! You think I didn't know!!!??? I'm allowed to swear, I'm an adult! I studied here when I was fifteen! That damned dead-panned twink-ass fuddy-duddy who was always scowling at me would make me copy those damned rules over and over again! I think he secretly enjoyed making me suffer hand cramps I swear! Not my fault you moved and I tripped over and now I'm fully soaking wet, freezing my tits off and you have the audacity to tell ME, the Yiling Laozu, the most feared and admired ghost cultivator in all of cultivation society, to not…swear……”

Lan Wangji felt his entire throat squeeze tightly around his vocal chords, rendering his breath trapped. His eyes widened fully, glimmering with faint hope and the sudden realisation of who that voice - and body as he could clearly see more up close - belonged and his heart was not ready.

In front of him, a pair of beautiful silver eyes were wide open at the sight of Lan Wangji and the man was stunned to silence, his pink lips opening to form an ‘o’ shape. The man in front of Lan Wangji was in complete astonishment and even they both stared at each other, silver meeting gold. His breathing was shallow and Lan Wangji could feel his darting gaze track across the whole length of his upper body, thankful that he wasn't glancing anymore downward past his hips.

Lan Wangji also took that incredibly long silent moment to secretly check out the man in front of him and noted the gorgeous muscles, toned abs, sun-kissed skin, the way those black breeches clung onto the man’s slender hips and he even spotted a very familiar-looking sun-flamed shaped mark on the left side of the man’s chest, above where his heart was. Lan Wangji remembered clearly where this mark came from and he too sported the exact same burn in the exact same place on his own body - but they had each received this scar for completely different reasons - Lan Wangji’s reason was a little more embarrassing than the other man’s.

'It's him. It's really him. After all these years…..it's him. My love, you finally came back to Gusu.’

Those same silver eyes suddenly spotted the ribbon tied around Lan Wangji’s head and he stammered, pointing upwards.

“H-H-H-Han…” the man looked incredibly panicky, his voice rising in pitch. Lan Wangji had finally managed to gain the ability to speak some words but he too stammered, still at a loss and tongue-tied.

W-W-Wei….” he began to speak, hoping for confirmation. His heart was thundering in his chest, repeating that one name over and over again like a mantra or a chant, that one name fit so snuggly into each heartbeat ‘ as if his heart was speaking that name aloud in Lan Wangji’s stead.

The man, his beloved, the one he yearned for, didn't allow him to speak for another second as he was hastily retreating, stumbling to get away. Lan Wangji panicked in an instant, his breath quickening. He couldn't let him slip through his fingers again. Not this time. It had already been thirteen years since they last spoke or even saw each other and Lan Wangji craved to touch him, to hear his voice, to see his smile. He knew what he had to do to stop this beautiful human from getting away.

Lan Wangji shot forward and grabbed the man's wrist, his skin cold beneath Lan Wangji's equally cold hands. The man froze suddenly, not expecting to be grabbed like like and Lan Wangji watched with bated breath as the man slowly turned back to face him, an expression of flabbergasted questioning written clear as day on his face. He had to suppress some sort of loud noise when Lan Wangji surged forward and was now merely centimetres away from the man's face, his golden eyes narrowed and boring into the man's skull. 

“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji asked in his usually deep, crisp voice, hope wedged deeply in his heart and soul. Wei Ying looked very different to what he was used to seeing. He once knew Wei Ying as a spritely, cheeky, chaotic loudmouth, an inquisitive genius who would play pranks on him in class and bold enough to show him erotic drawings in the library. The man before him shared his face and hair and the same silvery-brown eyes that he adored, yet there was something different about him. Something older. Something more mature. If this was the same Wei Ying from his youth - when he was a shy, disciplined and righteous teenager who hated loud noises, large crowds and disruption, then why did this Wei Ying have a panicked expression on his face? Why was he reacting like this in front of him? Was there something that he did to offend Wei Ying? 

Hahaha…hi….it's me….suuuupppp.” The man awkwardly greeted, trying to wriggle his wrist out of Lan Wangji’s admittedly tight grip. Lan Wangji squinted hard at the man, his eyes glowing a golden hue before he came to the realisation that this was Wei Ying. His Wei Ying. The Wei Ying he was in love with. the Wei Ying people feared. The Yiling Laozu. The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. The Yiling Wei clan leader. Wei Ying may look different to Lan Wangji now because Wei Ying had only grown up. He had matured and grown in height and he was more beautiful than anything else in this world. He had missed him greatly and he had spent countless hours and years yearning for him. 

Lan Wangji’s heart cried out in joy and he let out a surprised gasp. Lan Wangji found himself swooning at how deep Wei Ying's voice was and he found it very sexy. That deep lilt was causing his heart to quake and his shoulders shivered ever so slightly.

“Wei Ying? That's really you?” Lan Wangji knew deep down it was Wei Ying, but he just wanted Wei Ying to confirm his identity. Wei Ying looked very panicky still but nodded a fraction, his face getting redder by the second. He had opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out. Was Wei Ying okay? Did something happen to his voice? Why was his face red? He wasn't getting sick was he? He thought that the cold waters were the reason why Wei Ying’s face had bloomed red so brightly like spicy chilli peppers, but he was worried nonetheless. He didn't want Wei Ying to catch a cold since he wasn't so used to the freezing waters.

“It's you. It really is you. After all these years.” he gasped, on the verge of tears. He couldn't have been any more euphoric than what he was in that moment. Wei Ying was really here. He was not an illusion or hallucination. He was real. He was flesh and blood and bone and muscles. He was here. Right in front of Lan Wangji and his soul soared above the clouds.

“I'm sorry….I need to go….” Wei Ying murmured, still trying to break free from Lan Wangji's grip. Wei Ying's voice snatched Lan Wangji from his stupor and gravity pushed him, causing him plummet back down to reality.

Wei Ying…..needed to leave?

That didn't sound good. 

“Why?” Lan Wangji was confused. Why did he need to leave? Had he done something?

“I overstayed my visit here, I need to go and leave you in peace.” Wei Ying answered, still struggling to break free, wriggling and trying to avoid eye contact.

‘No. No. No. No. Don't leave. Wei Ying don't leave. Please stay a little longer.’

Lan Wangji, without even realising it, had wrapped his fingers tighter around Wei Ying's wrist, which caused him to wince in pain.

“Ow. Please let go, I'm not staying here with you.” he retorted. Lan Wangji's heart cracked even more, pained shards of agony bleeding into his body.

“Why not?” Lan Wangji’s voice rumbled, he was displeased over the idea of Wei Ying leaving so soon after they had reunited. He was struggling to understand why Wei Ying would be so desperate to leave.

“Because my brother is waiting.” Wei Wuxian bit back quite forcefully, the echo of harshness cracking Lan Wangji's heart even more. Wei Ying is here with his brother? Wait….wasn't he and Sect Leader Jiang still not on good terms with each other? Lan Wangji had a funny thought and wondered why Wei Ying was even making an effort with that grumpy sourpuss of a human. He surmised that something was going on between the two and guessed that perhaps they were patching up their strained relationship. It had been thirteen-odd years since the Siege of the Burial Mounds so something must have happened. Wei Ying had publicly defected from Yunmneg Jiang over clashing views and his brotherhood with Jiang Wanyin had continued to sour and friction only increased.  

So why on earth was Wei Ying; curious, sunny, beautiful, inquisitive Wei Ying interacting and possibly even talking to and being around Sect Leader Jiang after all these years? Sect Leader Jiang was an unstable, emotionally exhausting, sour faced douchebag and Lan Wangji couldn’t fathom the reason why Wei Ying would waste his efforts on that guy.

It didn't seem plausible yet Lan Wangji kept his thoughts to himself.

Despite the joyous exhilaration Lan Wangji was feeling from finally seeing Wei Ying in the flesh, there was one very glaringly obvious detail he had missed and that now needed to be addressed. He needed to know how Wei Ying managed to even enter the Cloud Recesses.

“Why are you here? How did you get into the Cloud Recesses without a jade travel token?” Lan Wangji asked his question in a soft, demanding manner, getting even closer. Wei Ying’s face grew even redder and he bit his lower lip quite hard to suppress any odd noises.

“Your brother invited me and my brother to stay here for a few days after being on a six-day night hunt.” he answered. 

Lan Wangji froze a little, surprised. His grip around Wei Wuxian’s wrist did not lax. 

‘A-Huan? Xiongzhang invited them both here? For what? And even if he did invite them here, that still doesn't explain much about how Wei Ying is here in the Cold Springs.’

“Then….why are you here in the Cold Springs?” Lan Wangji asked, confused. He really needed to know.

“Also your brother. He told me I could. I was in the training grounds and he told me I could bathe he- wait why am I telling you this? Did you put some sort of honesty charm on me? Seriously, I thought you were above such tricks?”

‘I did not put an honesty spell on you Wei Ying why would you think that?’

Lan Wangji went still, his grip laxing, eyes wide in shock. His face was unreadable as he processed this information - Lan Xichen had been the mastermind behind all of this and he was confused. On the one hand, he wanted to hug his brother for allowing him and Wei Ying to see each other again, on the other hand he wanted to scream.

But Wei Ying didn't seem interested in the slightest. As soon as he felt Lan Wangji’s hand slacken, he bolted right out of there, awkwardly paddle-wading through the freezing cold waters to dry land, ignoring Lan Wangji’s pleas as he cried out behind him.

“Wei Ying, wait, please, stay, talk to me, Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji chased after him, trying so desperately to catch up and make him stay, but it looked like Wei Ying was faster and he could only watch on helplessly as Wei Ying hastily grabbed his belongings, throwing on his robes haphazardly as he scurried away, briefly looking back over his shoulder before rushing off.

Lan Wangji slapped himself across the face, punishing himself for his lackluster stupidity. He shouldn't have been so slow. He had done it again. He had let his soulmate slip through his fingers once more and forced himself to watch him leave, powerless to stop him and keep him by his side. Now alone again in the Cold Springs, Lan Wangji couldn't help but let a quiet sob seep past his lips and a few tear drops fell down his cheeks, sliding off his jawline and plopping into the freezing waters below.

Why did he let Wei Ying leave him again?

Why couldn't he have stayed?

~Part 2 complete~

Chapter Text

~Part 3~

A few incense times later, Lan Xichen heard a knock on the door of the Frost Room as he was coming inside from tending his garden round the back of the house. He had previously returned from the training grounds and had received word from Lan Hanyu that Jiang Wanyin was resting in the shared guest room the clan leader had provided for the martial brothers. According to Lan Hanyu's report, the Yunmeng Jiang disciples had taken the opportunity to explore the Cloud Recesses, whilst some had opted to stay within the assigned guest houses. Within the same report received, the Yiling Wei disciples had not been spotted roaming around in the open air so it was likely they were either resting or they had gone to the Library Pavilion or were in another part of the training grounds - away from the Lan disciples. Lan Hanyu had suspected that some were simply exploring and making use of their free time. 

When he heard that knocking sound, his heart leapt in his throat and he found himself rushing to open his door, stumbling embarrassingly as he went. He hoped it was Jiang Wanyin at the door and he had come to visit after his nap in quietude.

‘Oh. My Wanyin is here. My darling Wanyin has come to my door!’

He grabbed the door and in his excitement, opened it with such force it almost broke, causing a gust of wind to flap his robes and hair. 

Lan Xichen looked up and saw not Jiang Wanyin in all his stunning violets, but Lan Wangji instead, with red puffy eyes and hiccuping in small, stuttering breaths.

“A-Zhan? What are you doing here?” Lan Xichen swallowed his disappointment immediately, replacing it with the utmost concern and worry, forgoing his usual use of his brother's courtesy name and replacing it with his birth name (which he rarely did). He touched his brother lightly to grab his attention. His brother hated physical contact but Lan Xichen was one of the very few people Lan Wangji allowed physical touch from, and Lan Xichen was worried for his brother.

“A-Zhan?” he called softly. Lan Wangji breathed heavily, trying to find his words, however no words came out of his mouth, so instead he pointed with a shaky finger toward the interior of the room and Lan Xichen understood immediately, gently pulling him inside and closing the door with less force than he used to open it. He cupped Lan Wangji’s face gently and wiped a few stray tears away with his thumb. 

“What happened?” he asked, quietly. Why was his brother crying? What the heck happened?

Lan Wangji managed to breathe a little, sensing there was a safety bubble now around him and all he could manage to say was “Wei…Ying….he's here.” he breathed heavily, attempting not to cry even further. Lan Xichen feigned ignorance and smiled. “Really? He's here? Here in the Cloud Recesses?” he asked softly, face bright and wanting “clarification” to which Lan Wangji nodded, hiding his pained expression behind his sleeve.

“Huh, how strange. Where did you see him?”

“Cold…Springs….” Lan Wangji answered after a moment. He sniffled and wiped away more tears that were spilling from his glistening golden eyes. Lan Xichen, on the one hand, was incredibly happy to hear that his brother finally saw his crush again and his plan was going smoothly. On the other hand, his brother was upset and now he was automatically in “protection mode”.

Lan Xichen drew his brother in a hug and cradled him like he was a giant rabbit.

“Well…Did you talk to him by chance?” He now wanted details. This was Wei Wuxian they were talking about. This was the gossip of the century. He needed to know everything that happened between them. He's waited long enough. He was always a patient man but he was excited to hear the gossip.

Lan Wangji managed to muster a nod, his face buried into Lan Xichen’s robes. He had images of Wei Wuxian floating around in his head and he couldn't contain his moan. Every moment his mind lingered in the memory of Wei Wuxian - the sound of his voice, the colour of his hair and eyes, the shape of his lips, the furrow of his brows, the enticing sight of his half naked wet body - it was all too much for the poor man.

Lan Xichen rubbed circles into Lan Wangji’s back, hoping to sooth him.

“That's great news! Did you tell him that you have feelings for him?” The older brother asked, hopeful. Lan Wangji was brought back to reality.

“Huh?” His voice was awfully quiet and filled with confusion. What on earth was his brother talking about?

“Did you tell the Yiling Laozu that you're in love with him?” Lan Xichen asked again, clarifying his previous question. 

“I'm…not in love with him.” Lan Wangji immediately denied, hiccuping to catch his breath.

‘Yes you are. You have vivid wet dreams about him pinning you against the side of a mountain and letting him have his way with you until you see stars because you found his Yiling Laozu phase extremely hot and now that phase is permanent which means you now have a Yiling Laozu kink.’

Lan Xichen was unconvinced. “Really? Denying your feelings? A-Zhan I can read your facial expressions which means I can essentially read your mind. I know how you feel about him.” He gently chided, still rubbing soothing circles into the fabric of Lan Wangji’s robes. He had to be very careful when touching Lan Wangji’s back since he bore deep scars in the skin where he had been severely injured. It took a whole three years for those wounds to heal into white marks and Lan Wangji was still hypersensitive and very self-conscious about those scars to this day so Lan Xichen was being incredibly careful.

Lan Wangji let out a small huff, snorting. He had been caught red-handed by his brother and he surmised there was no point in denying it. 

‘Ah well, that's to be expected. Just because I have feelings for Wei Ying, doesn't mean I'm going to be stupid and blurt them out loud. Nice try Xiongzhang.’ Lan Wangji thought. He knew his brother knew of his feelings, but he still wasn't going to act upon these feelings. Especially not after what had happened earlier.

“What happened between you two?” Lan Xichen asked, switching conversational subjects. He really needed to know what made Lan Wangji cry. He hated seeing his brother upset and for him to be actually crying and act like this, something must have occurred to have broken Lan Wangji, since the Second Jade was usually composed and cold, never showing much or very little emotion and even keeping much of his internal thoughts to himself, only speaking when necessary. Lan Xichen hadn't seen his brother cry tears since Wei Wuxian’s “death” and the time before was when their father died of grievous injuries and the time before that……

It was their mother had died. 

Lan Xichen was six years old when that happened. Lan Wangji was barely three. He loved visiting their mother every month and they both looked forward to being with her. Lan Wangji, although he wouldn't admit it, was the most affected by their mother’s death. Lan Xichen could always tell that his brother greived silently every day, despite being so young when the death happened. They never saw their father since he had secluded himself from the world upon his marriage so it was their uncle who had raised them and bless his heart, his uncle only had the best intentions but unlike Lan Xichen who was considered the easiest child to communicate with, Lan Wangji was more difficult. He had always been shy and quiet, avoidant of people unlike the older Jade of Gusu and people’s continued avoidance of Lan Wangji and the pedestals they were placed on at a young age was a detriment to their overall viewpoint on the world. They were affected by their status and upbringing in opposite ways, yet they were both felt so trapped.

Lan Wangji was quiet for a few moments, drying his tears and taking deep breaths in order to talk before he lifted himself off his brother.

“I saw him at the Cold Springs….he looked shocked to see me. I tried to get him to stay….so I could talk to him. He wanted to leave though. I was too forward….grabbing onto his wrist to make him stay yet he fought against me…..countering every question I asked him with avoidance…No matter what I do, I can't get him to stay. I want him to know how I feel about him, but he always slips from his grasp, slips through my fingers and I'm too cowardly to stop him.” Lan Wangji broke into a sob, his heart aching and shattering. Lan Xichen’s own heart squeezed tightly with the same ache, his empathy running wild. He hated seeing his brother’s spirit crushed like this and it pained him to witness Lan Wangji experiencing the lonely emptiness that came with pining after his soulmate, who was so close yet so far away.

“I-I don't know what to do….it's been thirteen years… I just want to talk to him….I want him to annoy me again with his smile and his laughter…I want him to tell me stories and play the flute with me…..I want him to break the rules and drink alcohol, I want to chase him across rooftops, spar with him….I just want him to talk to me….. to acknowledge me, to say my name over and over again……I want to hear him laugh for jovially it makes my heart quiver… brother….please, can you help me?” Lan Wangji’s voice was heartbreakingly soft, his tears streaming down his face as he cried, slumping on to the floor, back against the wall, curling into a ball, trying to make himself small and invisible. Lan Xichen immediately knelt down and embraced him, hiding him in his arms. 

“Shh….my brother….it's going to be okay. I have formed a plan to help you, though I should have told you earlier that Wei Wuxian was here.”

“Why didn't you?” Lan Wangji asked under his breath, his body shaking, shoulders trembling. 

Lan Xichen sighed, exhaling softly. “I wanted to surprise you. In all honesty, I wanted you to stand by my side as I greeted him as it would have been wonderful for you and Wei Wuxian to speak cordially, but I instead decided to try and surprise you. That's why I told Wei Wuxian he could use the Cold Springs. I only wanted the both of you to reunite and talk to each other and clear up any misunderstandings. I hadn't predicted this predicament to even happen. I'm sorry A-Zhan, I really had good intentions and I just wanted to see you happy again.”

Lan Wangji raised his head from his lap, eyes red and puffy. His cheeks were wet and his golden eyes exhibited a faint light. He sniffed and wiped his tears away with his hands.

“You tried, and I appreciate it, but I think I screwed up my chance to talk to Wei Ying after the Cold Springs incident.” He whispered hoarsely. Lan Xichen shook his head.

“No you haven't. I invited the Laozu to stay longer than initially suggested and he agreed so Wei Wuxian will be staying here for a whole week so you have time to patch things up between you two. Oh, and I'm hosting a banquet at the end of the week in the Yunmeng Shaungjie's honour. I have a more personal reason for hosting it but I'm sure you and Wei Wuxian can let loose and have some fun together.”

Lan Wangji could only nod, his quiet hiccups the only thing preventing him from speaking. He tried to focus on his breathing and soon enough, his hiccups had receded.

“Do you think….I still have a chance to speak with him?” He asked, shyly yet full of hope. His older brother gave him a sunny smile, one filled with optimism.

“Of course. I am positive that you - Second Master Lan, the esteemed polished Second Jade, the incomparable Hanguang-Jun - and the powerful Yiling Laozu; Wei Wuxian will be able to speak to one another freely without restraint. Now Wangji,” Lan Xichen had slipped back into his usual use of Lan Wangji’s courtesy name rather than his birth name, “Let us seek him out and I can let you two have a moment to redo your reunion on better terms.”

Lan Wangji nodded more enthusiastically, his face breaking into a teary-eyed smile, as his golden irises glimmered with some form of light. “I hope so.”

~Interlude scene~

The two brothers had exited the Frost Room, now that Lan Wangji was not filled with heart wrenching sorrow that made Lan Xichen want to punch someone in the face as retribution for his brother's pain and were now taking a walk. 

Their destination:

The Elegant Room. 

The reason:

Afternoon tea with their uncle, the Grandmaster of Gusu Lan. 

For the Twin Jades, it was a special ritual that they performed with their uncle every afternoon and they had been meeting their uncle for afternoon tea and cakes since they were children. It was one of the very few times they could be less than perfect and poised and just an ordinary human being, conversing and laughing with their guardian and keeping the aging man company. The Cloud Recesses, although a beautiful and serene place, was also a lonely place to visit. And even more lonely for those who lived there. With the amount of rules and principles clan members had to memorise and follow without a beat, it would quickly become exhausting to uphold and loneliness weighed upon many young shoulders as they tried to follow in their seniors’ examples.

Yet, despite the calm silence that the elders cherished, the younger generation preferred something akin to a not-so-hushed whispering  - loud noises were usually prohibited but the youngsters always found a way to bypass some of the rules through their loving caretakers: the Twin Jades. 

The Elegant Room had a back area where the Grandmaster liked to have tea with his nephews and he would use this peaceful time to check in on his beloved children and to make sure they were overworking themselves to the bone. The Grandmaster had started this little family tradition when Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji were children - a little while after their mother had passed away. He told them it was to help them grieve without judgment and keep them company during a very vulnerable time in their early lives. So, every afternoon, in between their studies and the clan leader’s duties, the Grandmaster invited his nephews to the back room for playtime and to bond with them - especially with little 5 year old Lan Wangji who had struggled with his emotions since birth - but as the two adorable children grew into fine young men and eventually well adjusted adults, the Grandmaster’s afternoon family playtime turned into family tea time and neither the Grandmaster nor his nephews missed a single afternoon tea session.

Even when Lan Wangji was in seclusion, the Grandmaster and Lan Xichen would bring tea and cakes to him to keep him company and catch up on the affairs of the clan. 

A family tradition that would, and should, never will die.

On the path to the Elegant Room near the front of the estate, the brothers passed the guest houses and Lan Xichen slowed to a stop at the gates, his gaze filled with some sort of longing. He knew what lied beyond those doors and his heart attempted to steer him towards the house and to open those doors, to make him call out for the one both his heart and soul desired to see. Lan Wangji had noticed his brother falter and he turned back around to walk over.

“Xiongzhang? Is everything okay?” he asked with concern in his quiet voice.

Lan Xichen snapped out of his reverie and turned to his brother.

“Everything is fine. But I have been struck with an idea.” 

This somewhat intrigued the younger Jade as he slightly quirked his eyebrow upwards. To most people, it looked like a face twitch, to Lan Xichen, it was a different reaction.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Why don't you head over to see uncle first and I'll bring Wei Wuxian to you instead. That'll give you some time to emotionally prepare and if Shufu asks whether or not we've spoken to each other, then you can tell him that I've been too busy.” Lan Xichen suggested.

Lan Wangji remained skeptical. “Are you sure? What if Shufu gets suspicious or he doesn't want Wei Ying around?” he asked.

His brother nodded, smiling brightly. “Yes. Trust me. All will go according to my plan. Don't worry.”

~ early afternoon: around the same time Lan Wangji arrived at the Hanshi after the Cold Springs incident~

Wei Wuxian flew through the doors of the guest house in a hurry, partially dressed, his robes almost slipping off his shoulders, his belt haphazardly around his waist, his soaked breeches clinging onto his frigid legs, with his hair damp and his skin cold to touch. He shut the front doors and summoned a locking array to jam the doors shut so no one could get in. He leant against the doors, breathing heavily and he could feel himself slump down. 

“Oh shit. Oh shit. What the hell??” He swore under breath, tired out from practically zooming across the whole of the estate of the Gusu Clan to get to the guest house. Thankfully he had not been seen by anyone (or at least he thought he had gone undetected) so he wasn't worried about being scolded.

What he was worried about was whether he had followed him. He was sure that he didn't, but his racing heart wasn't being very helpful with his current neuro-functionality. That and the searing image of that ungodly beautiful torso with those rippling muscles, large yet toned pectorals, delicate pink nipples that were slightly hard due to the cold, that sun-flame burn mark that was seared into the very flesh, that pale milky skin that reflected the light from the freezing-cold water, droplets cascading down every crevice and curve of that body, was just too much. Wei Wuxian bit his lip to stop himself from moaning.

‘Oh lord. Oh geez. He was so hot. A man like that shouldn't be that sexy. There's no way in all the world that's Lan Zhan. The Lan Zhan I knew was a shy, avoidant, cute fuddy-duddy who hated chaos (and me). That's not Lan Zhan….definitely not. That's someone who looks like Lan Zhan…..that man is far too sexy to exist. Lan Zhan is not sexy……noooooo that has to be him…..no its not…..Lan Zhan cannot be that muscular and built like a thick tree trunk….. he's a sour-faced fuddy-duddy…….WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!’

Jiang Cheng had heard the commotion and rushed to see who it was, Zidian crackling to life with violet sparks, ready to spring into action to defend the guest house, still fully dressed but had both strands of black hair framing his face and sharp jawline and was utterly surprised to see Wei Wuxian in such a stupor.

“Hey, woah. Are you okay? Why are you dressed so scruffy and why are you wet?” Jiang Cheng jogged over, Zidian no longer hissing with lightning and he knelt down beside Wei Wuxian who was now slumped on the floor, feeling dizzy.

“Chengcheng…..I've just experienced something I don't think I should have….” Wei Wuxian was feeling lightheaded and weak in the knees, his chest contracting and heart hammering wildly. 

Jiang Cheng looked incredibly concerned. “What? What do you mean? What happened? Did you go swimming or something?” He needed to know everything that happened. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Wei Wuxian so stupefied before. Curiosity was getting a hold of him with every passing second and Jiang Cheng felt that feline urge to paw at his martial brother for answers.

“I…I saw him…” Wei Wuxian whispered, dumbfounded. Jiang Cheng looked bewildered. “Huh? Who?” 

“ Him ….Lan Wangji.” Wei Wuxian whispered that name hoarsely, his throat squeezing shut. Jiang Cheng's mouth unhinged in astonishment, becoming baffled over this extraordinary piece of news.

“Seriously? You did not ? How? Where?”

Wei Wuxian swallowed thickly. “In the Cold Springs…” he shivered. Jiang Cheng stared at him, violet eyes wide and his mouth unhinging open again.

“Wha-what were you doing in the Cold Springs?” he asked in disbelief. The Cold Springs were usually prohibited from being used by outsiders, as the only ones permitted to bathe in the pool of freezing cold water were either students attending the cultivation school or the clan’s disciples and family members. Wei Wuxian using the Cold Springs was practically unheard of.

“Lan Xichen told me I could go there to relax and shake off any exhaustion I had in my bones. I was at the training grounds showing a crowd of excited junior disciples a bit of swordwork and Lan Xichen appeared  curious as to what was making the juniors so excited, we talked for a bit and when I was about to head back here for a bath, he said I was welcome to go to the Cold Springs to meditate and loosen my muscles.” Wei Wuxian cleared his throat, pushing his nerves down into his gut as he readjusted his sitting position. Jiang Cheng sat down next to him.

“Oh?” He was intrigued by this new development. Wei Wuxian looked flustered suddenly, catching Jiang Cheng’s new tone. “Why do you sound intrigued by this?” his voice pitched with panic. Jiang Cheng couldn't help but smirk. “What did you do afterwards?”

“Why? Were you assuming I was up to no good whilst at the Cold Springs?” Wei Wuxian pouted. 

“Other than having contact with Lan Wangji unexpectedly, yes, I assumed something else had happened as well.”

“You are unbelievable sometimes, you know that. I'm not the same person anymore. I am an adult, I am a mature man. I do not get up to mischief anymore.” Wei Wuxian countered smoothly. This didn't sit right with Jiang Cheng however as he remained unconvinced.

“I highly doubt that you didn't take the opportunity to play a prank on the cultivation world's most famous fuddy-duddy.” Jiang Cheng answered. 

“Nope.” Wei Wuxian replied.

“Huh? What happened to my chaotic, mischievous shixiong? What did you do to him? Where's my Wei Ying?” Jiang Cheng was mystified. There was no way Wei Wuxian wouldn't resort to one of his old tricks.

“Your ‘Wei Ying’ survived Lotus Pier burning down, went through torture and stabbing from the Wens, had to survive on eating corpses in the Burial Mounds for three months, built a whole-ass sect from scratch with the remaining Wen Remnants that were under my protection, founded Ghost Cultivation, fought in two major wars all in the span of five years and was forced to attempt suicide because Jin Guangshan was a hateful, spineless, power- hungry bitch. Unfortunately, that Wei Ying had to grow up into this,” Wei Wuxian gestured to himself, “Like you did.” Wei Wuxian spoke, his voice dull and monotonous. 

Jiang Cheng silently agreed. Of course. Adolescent innocence couldn't last forever, no matter how hard Jiang Cheng prayed. He didn't wish to be reminded of the events that eventually broke their brotherhood in pieces. Time may have scattered those pieces, but Jiang Cheng had been determined to reach out again and fix what was broken, mending it with love and care - something that he had been deprived of. He was forever grateful that Wei Wuxian felt the same way and forgave him for his anger and the grief that tore him up inside and out. 

During that one year in the aftermath of the Siege, Wei Wuxian had been busy building a sanctuary for his new disciples and followers and recovering from his injuries which meant that he was in no shape to be making public appearances unless it was for discussions with some of the other clan leaders who had come to see him. Yet Jiang Cheng regretted not supporting his brother during the months leading up to the Siege. He was blinded by anger and stress and the mounting pressure from many different sides to take responsibility for his shixiong's actions and believing in the horrible rumours that had been circulating around different social spaces. If he had seen the kindness Wei Wuxian showed in protecting the Wen remnants, looked past the prejudices that had clouded his judgement and stood by his shixiong’s side…..well he wouldn't have to have witness his own martial brother flinging himself from Lan Wangji's grasp to fall into a fiery death chasm far below them. Wei Wuxian had unfortunately mistaken Jiang Cheng’s drawn saber as him aiming to kill him and flung himself to his supposed death. 

…..

The truth was, Jiang Cheng had fought tooth and violet-edged blade to reach his shixiong, to pull him away from the cliff edge and to bring him back down to safety. Lan Wangji had reached him first, injured yet desperately filled with hope and Jiang Cheng sprinted to the edge, after seeing his beloved martial brother fall. Lan Wangji had caught him, tears falling down his face as he begged Wei Wuxian to hold onto him, struggling to pull him up. 

But bloodstained Sandu had caused Wei Wuxian to mistake the situation and - 

Jiang Cheng’s breath shuddered as his mind served him a painful memory. 

He truly believed Wei Wuxian had died and all those who partook in the Siege hailed him as a hero - much to his hatred and disgust. In those three days, Jiang Cheng believed he wasn't a hero, but instead a cruel monster who had killed an innocent man. And it was during those three days before Wei Wuxian had emerged still alive and very much bitter and filled with righteous fury, that Jiang Cheng saw the light and the ugly lies Jin Guangshan had been spreading - the rumour mill that had been causing damage to spur others on. And the truth filled him with that all-too-familiar unmistakable, blinding rage that threatened to consume him wholly. He didn't eat nor sleep. He just stood in his tent, frozen in horror and worry. The only good piece of news he received was that his sister hadn't died during that fateful bloodbath in Nightless City and had been whisked away for immediate care and it made his rage and guilt and grief even worse. 

He had been spurred on by grief and betrayal of his sister’s supposed death during the Massacre of Nightless City to lead to Siege against his own shixiong and it had taken him that long to realise how wrong he was. 

After all that happened, they had needed space and it seemed after several months that slowly turned into a year, Jiang Cheng had come to realisation that Wei Wuxian had been leaving tiny open spaces for Jiang Cheng to take - small tokens of his affection that were still there in his heart even after people had tried to drive them apart.

‘A-Xian….I'm sorry it took me that long to figure out you were innocent….that you tried so hard to stay true to who you were…..despite everything….I'm so glad we reconciled. You are my brother and I am so happy that you're alive today.’

“I know that. At least tell me something good happened between the two of you then? Did you two talk about your feelings? Clear up any misunderstandings? Bond over shared memories?” Jiang Cheng ripped himself from his reminiscence to get back on track, desiring for more gossip.

“Nope. Nothing significant happened between us.” Wei Wuxian replied bluntly.

Had he noticed Jiang Cheng’s shuddery breathing a few moments ago? He can't have done?

“What do you mean “nothing significant happened”?” Jiang Cheng cried out in disbelief. Wei Wuxian looked unfazed.

“I'm telling you. Nothing significant happened between us. What's the big deal?”

“It's been thirteen years or so since you last spoke to Lan Wangji properly within a decent conversation and the last time you saw him before you flung yourself from his grasp as he was begging to save your life, was when he tried to help you after you lost your mind and was going mad from the resentment that was still lingering inside of your despite having your Golden Core and you told him to “get lost”. I have been waiting for almost two decades for you two to talk to each other - even if it's just for a brief few minutes. I'm not missing out on some juicy gossip. And besides, you had the almightiest crush on him back when we were younger -”

“No I did not!” Wei Wuxian interjected, gasping in offence. 

“ - Yes you did, don't deny it Yingying, I saw right through you when we were fifteen. You had the biggest crush on him and you were always trying to get his attention by playing around, making gadgets and talismans that would get him to spare you a glance, you were always teasing him and makign jokes d then…..maybe before the Sunshot Campaign….after you suddenly came back from temporary death and the two of you just stopped being around each other all the time and I assumed that you had accepted the fact that he wouldn't like you back so you ended up distancing yourself whilst he was doing to opposite and trying to befriend you and then you two got into that argument about your new cultivation and then you two were really sour with each other and….”

“Is that why you were grumpy about me and him being around each other when we were younger?” Wei Wuxian smirked a little, interrupting.

“Yeah, because I was jealous that my own shixiong was gallivanting around the place with the human equivalent of a shrivelled prune wearing funeral clothes whilst I was left behind and also I wanted to go on crazy adventures with you too but I couldn't.” Jiang Cheng retorted.

“Awww….Jiang Cheng. That's probably the first time you've admitted you were jealous.” Wei Wuxian cooed, pinching Jiang Cheng's cheek.

“You could have come with us on our crazy adventures, I mean you did for some. Like when we captured Xue Yang after the Chang clan massacre, you were with us when we met uncle Xiao, you got to meet the Chifang-Zun and he praised you and…..oh you joined us on that night hunt to Caiyi Town when we tracked down the Waterborne Abyss and you got injured so Wen Qing had to patch you up and from what I was told, you were stupidly nervous about her being around you.”

“She was gorgeous. And a doctor. And I was a hormonal teenager who developed a small crush on her. Leave me alone.” Jiang Cheng pouted. Wei Wuxian laughed heartily at how adorable his shidi was.

“I mean I guess I was with you for some of those crazy adventures, but back then, you were always trying to go after Lan Wangji and I guess I was afraid that I would be replaced or I would lose you. Before it was just us two and we were joined to the hip and then the Second Jade came along and you fell for him - I don't really blame you - and suddenly I felt even more inferior than before…..” Jiang Cheng trailed off becoming quiet.

“You were never going to lose me to some stuffy second master Chengcheng. Shidi comes first.” Wei Wuxian hugged him closer, his brotherly aura radiating off of him and soothing the other sect leader.

“Also back on the topic of Wen Qing for a hot minute, I'm still mad that you never got to marry her. She was the whole package. Medical practitioner and all. She's Wen Rouhan’s niece and Madam Yu could've had the Wen Clan under her thumb and i could tell you had a thing for her back when we were teenagers. ” Wei Wuxian scoffed lightly.

 Jiang Cheng huffed. “Even if I did end up marrying her, it only would've been a political marriage, one of convenience. One that mother would have controlled.”

“That woman….” Wei Wuxian scoffed under his breath.

“How did we get to this topic of conversation? You still haven't told me the whole story about you and Lan Wangji in the Cold Springs, so chop-chop, spill the beans shixiong.” 

Jiang Cheng, eager for some gossip, steered the conversation back to his original inquiry. 

Wei Wuxian to his credit, was a little taken aback by Jiang Cheng's eagerness since he never really engaged in any sort of gossip that involved Lan Wangji as he was always opposed to Wei Wuxian even affiliating him or he would show dismissive or jealous behavior whenever Wei Wuxian would even speak to the stuffy second master.

Which was why he was confused.

He didn't mind gossiping with Jiang Cheng about other topics but he learnt to not speak about Lan Wangji around his shidi lest he received the infamous: Totally-Done-With-Wei-Wuxian's-BS-Eyeroll™️

He wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to ask Jiang Cheng why he was so suddenly invested and wanting to know if he had spoken to Lan Wangji.

‘Nah. It's best if I don't ask at the moment.’

“In all honesty, we did talk, but it wasn't much of a conversation. It was more of an interrogation. And he grabbed my wrist and leaned in a bit too close for comfort.”

“What did he ask you?”

“He wanted to know why I was here in the Cloud Recesses and moreover the Cold Springs. I told him that Lan Xichen suggested the idea of me going to the Cold Springs and I even said to him that his own brother had invited you and me here to stay for a few days. He looked really shocked and I just bolted. He was way too close….I could smell Pu’er tea on his breath and he looked so different…..I-I couldn’t handle being in such close proximity to him with him looking like….that…..” Wei Wuxian questioned vaguely in the air, hands and arms stretched out to convey his turbulent emotions. Jiang Cheng stared in wonderous confusion.

“Different how? What did he look like?” he asked. Wei Wuxian cheeks flared pink instantly and he began his tirade of ticking off everything about Lan Wangji’s appearance.

“For starters, he had the body of a celestial being or a god that made him look like he had been carved out of marble that shone like literal   moonlight. His abs were glorious and very toned as if he had spent the last decade or so doing one too many press-ups and handstands, his arms were like thick tree-trunks and if he wanted to put me in a chokehold I would let him and I would thank him. His pectorals were really well defined but not too big, and I actually had to stop myself from wanting to bury my face in his chest. He was majestic. He was gorgeous. He was stunning . His hair was silky, smooth, very shiny, and really long and I wanted to card my fingers through those long strands of ebony silk. It didn't help the fact that he had water dripping down his torso and his face may had been unreadable but his cheekbones were all arranged in the right places, his eyes were of the most breathtaking shade of molten-gold I ever seen, his lips were full and pale and kissable, his neck was thick yet slender at the same time (somehow) and those shoulders? Man! He was so beautiful, attractive even and his waist was slim and snatched…..I kinda wanted to grab his waist to be honest. I didn't see what his legs looked like but I'm pretty sure they were toned and long and very strong and if he wanted to put my head in between his thighs into a thigh lock, I would let him and thank him for that as well. This man made me feral and the way he grabbed my wrist almost caused me psychic damage! His hands were cold and strong, but his touch made my body go all hot like he had injected molten fire straight into my veins and my legs felt wobbly and I thought I was going to fall over and he was inches away from my face and his breath smelt so good and I was this close to kissing him! I wanted to kiss him so badly, Chengcheng! I was almost ready to give into my long-buried desires and make out with him in the Cold Springs but I didn't and ran away like a fucking coward and now I hate myself!”

Jiang Cheng was silent, processing all this information before immediately replying.

“You should've kissed him.”

“Yeah I should've.”

“You should've pounced on him and locked lips with him hard.”

“I know. And I wanted to.”

“You should've taken his forehead ribbon off his head, looped it around his neck like a loose scarf and yanked him forward so his mouth crashed into yours then allowed your hands to wander. ”

Wei Wuxian blushed deeply at that purr Jiang Cheng mustered as he uttered the word “wander”, his skin burning with a delicious heat he hadn't felt in a long time. He really should've cleared the air when he had the chance, but now he's here, wallowing in self pity over his cowardice. He surmised he had blown his chances with Lan Wangji immediately and he would never have the opportunity to even muster up a conversation with the Second Jade ever again.

How pathetic.

“Wait…I didn't tell you he was wearing his forehead ribbon…..” Wei Wuxian spoke in a flabbergasted tone. Jiang Cheng shrugged. “I figured that he never took it off unless he was sleeping.”

“Let's change the subject now. Let's focus less on my disaster of a non-existent love life and more on your love life with Lan Xichen. ” Wei Wuxian closed the gap between them with a swing of his arm around Jiang Cheng's shoulder. It was now Jiang Cheng’s turn to blush deeply, a pure crimson hue of red that covered his cheeks, nose, ears and even the nape of his neck, the hue peeking out from beneath his black hair. Wei Wuxian found it quite adorable.

“What about it?” he asked, bashful, cutely avoiding eye contact. Wei Wuxian waggled his eyebrows and smirked. “Any progress in the….”sexy times department” as I'm calling it? Any passionate action between the two of you in the last couple of months or maybe the last couple of years?” 

Jiang Cheng shyly brushed his bangs out of the way and he bit his lip. “Not really. We haven't really done anything beyond chaste kisses out of view of other people when we're at the same events.”

“Okay. Shame that hasn't happened yet, I was hoping for some juicy gossip. Uh….at least tell me there's been some….body roaming right? Searing touches and perhaps skin-to-skin contact?” Wei Wuxian pressed on, hopeful. Jiang Cheng bit his lip harder, his blush deepening. 

“There had been some….neck kissing….”

“Oh? Really? He's left marks?” 

“Yes….but they’re usually concealed.”

“What? Really? That's amazing. He must be a really good kisser then?” Wei Wuxian asked, waggling his eyebrows in a flirtatious way, which made Jiang Cheng laugh.

“Uh….well, yeah he is. The kisses he gives me are always so soft like the velvet wings of butterflies and everytime we kiss and caress each other, I would get so light and airy whenever his lips touched my skin….I'm getting all dizzy thinking about it actually.” 

Wei Wuxian was stunned, mouth hung open and eyes bulging. He knew what type of man Lan Xichen was but he never imagined that he would worship Jiang Cheng like this. It was probably what all of Lan Xichen’s admirers dreamt about. He liked the sound of his shidi being worshipped and cherished like this - soft languid kisses leaving a trail of warmth in their wake, the smoothness of hands caressing every inch of skin, the sound of heavy breathing as lips locked together in passionate waltz - to think Jiang Cheng was lucky to experience this type of romance….

He deserved it.

Truly he did.

Wei Wuxian would be lying if he said Jiang Cheng didn't deserve to be loved and cared for like this, by someone as warm and sincere as Lan Xichen. It was what his beloved shidi needed, what Jiang Cheng had secretly craved for so many years.

Gods, he was so glad Jiang Cheng had accidentally allowed a courtship letter he had written to be sent to the Cloud Recesses. That was almost five years ago to the day. Wei Wuxian chuckled inwardly at the memory of his darling shidi screeching at the top of his lungs as he bolted through the farming estate that belonged to Wei Wuxian to get to him. It had been around late spring, early summertime and Wei Wuxian was out in his fields, watering his vegetables ready for the autumn harvest festival later that year when he heard an almighty screech. He shot upwards in a flash, thinking it was a ghost terrorising the villagers, but instead it had been a very red-faced, extremely panicky Jiang Cheng who had come charging through his fields, stomping in hurry.

He remembered fondly of the memory of his purple-robed shidi rambling on about a courtship letter he wrote on a whim when they were younger and he had accidentally gave the wrong letter to a disciple whilst he was half asleep and he told Wei Wuxian about how Lan Xichen suddenly appeared at Lotus Pier, looking gorgeous and regal as usual, holding a puppy. Wei Wuxian smiled brightly and nudged Jiang Cheng.

“I can't believe it's been almost five years since you accepted Lan Xichen's courtship. Remember when you charged through my farm, face bright red like you had eaten extra spicy rice, steam practically rolling off your head and you were screaming? I thought something bad had happened. You gave me a fright back then. I still fondly remember the faraway gaze you had when you told me about your date you had and how Lan Xichen was such a perfect gentleman to you as you sailed through the waters of Lotus Lake, eating lotus seeds and chatting casually. Then you both took a stroll along the embankment of the lake and you came across a really beautiful wisteria tree with violet and white hanging leaves and then we were sadly interrupted as you were getting to the juicy parts of the story and you never got around to telling me the rest.” Wei Wuxian reminisced, with Jiang Cheng blushing pink at the memory of him being a panicky human grape whilst retelling the events that led him to that predicament. 

“In all honesty, I thought it would be improper for me to press you for more information so I never did, but now that we are coming up to the five anniversary of your beautiful, healthy relationship with the most regal, elegant, intelligent, emotionally available man in the world, I believe it's time to continue this conversation.” Wei Wuxian suggested.

Jiang Cheng had a funny feeling he knew what Wei Wuxian was referring to and he got all shy again, averting his gaze to look down at his lap.

“I didn't tell you because I thought you wouldn't be interested in what I did, since you know….romance isn't really up your alley.” Jiang Cheng admitted which made Wei Wuxian gasp.

“Hey, woah! What makes you think I wouldn't be interested in what you and the First Jade of Gusu did on your little date?”

“Probably because you're kind of get overly protective of others that you care about when it comes to the subject of romance. I've the way you acted when Jin Zixuan was remotely anywhere near A-Li back then. You do get pretty defensive, even now.” Jiang Cheng replied. Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes affectionately.

“That's mainly because Jin Peacock was once a spoiled, prideful, prissy brat that needed a good knock on the head and the well-timed punch to his face to push his brain cells back into their rightful places inside that big noggin’ of his, and I have these protective instincts that just activate every time someone shows any sort of interest in my friends, I don't know how to explain it. And you get protective of her too, you know. That's our sister.”  Wei Wuxian sassily replied much to Jiang Cheng’s slightly annoyed amusement, which made him roll his eyes. 

“True.” He muttered.

“Chengcheng, let me tell you something, and this is coming from the heart, not the mind. I am heavily invested in your love life, okay? I may not look like it, but I am. You've been secretly in love with Zewu-Jun since you were fifteen. Your crush on Wen Qing? I get that. She was the whole package and I would have been a-okay with you two getting married because I know that she is a capable and intelligent woman and she has guts. But…..I’ve seen the way you have looked at Lan Xichen in the past, even if those glances were brief, they were filled with a sort of longing. I know you've liked him since you were fifteen and every time he was near you, your heart probably did little somersaults and you get sweaty palms you end up seeing him through a rose-pink lens filled with flowers and sunlight. I know that, deep down you've always wanted to feel love and to be loved the same way Shijie does and that's completely okay - nothing to be ashamed about - I would and will one hundred percent support you and guide you through your emotions and probably smack you around the head if you do dumb shit the same way you would smack me if I did some dumb shit. I know that you've been on blind dates to find a match because you buried your feelings for Lan Xichen and they have all rejected you for some stupid reason or they didn't like you or whatever and its frustrated you and then you got blacklisted and despite being an ineligible suitor you’re still pretty high on the rankings list as it is but because of all those rejections, you almost gave up on romance or a possible marriage altogether and you even believed you weren't good enough for Lan Xichen because of a multitude of reasons and with his friendship with Jin Guangyao, it made you even more insecure on top of the emotional baggage you were carrying -” 

Wei Wuxian sighed suddenly, taking a breath from speaking so much in one go, “The point I'm trying to make here without going on a long attention-deficit rambling spree, is that I will always stand by your side and guide you. I will happily give you advice on how to proceed through life and despite my lack of romantic experiences, I am thoroughly invested in your love life and I, as your Da-Shixiong, your closest ally, your twin and confidant, would like to know what happened between you two at the wisteria tree. So go on. Spill the tea Chengcheng, tell me what happened, I am all ears.”

Jiang Cheng steeled himself before he committed to his answer and his cheeks were adorned with a lovely shade of brother pink as he described to Wei Wuxian what happened on that fateful day.

“We….shared our first proper kiss under that tree. He cupped my face with one of his hands, and gently nudged me against the trunk and he pressed his lips against mine as he kissed me….he kept whispering how much he loved me, how long he had waited for me to notice his advances - which I had no idea about until he started pointing it out and then I ended up connecting the dots and then I realised that he liked me…no…. loved me. He wanted me. He desired me. He was enchanted by me in every way…..I had never felt so….what's word I'm looking for?”

“Appreciated? Loved? Accepted? Desired? Adored? Treasured? Prized? Respected? Cherished? Revered? Worshipped? Venerated? Adulated? I can go on and name more synonyms for you if you can't find the right word to use.” Wei Wuxian offered with a small smile.

‘Let's gooooooo!!!!!!!! My shidi had his first kiss!!!!!! I cannot believe that was five years ago!! Oh my God I'm so proud of you Chengcheng!’

Jiang Cheng nodded eagerly. 

“Yes! All of the above. Every word you spoke of was what I felt like at that precise moment. He was so gentle and slow with his kiss, and he started touching me on my neck with his fingers and his hands went lower onto my chest and he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in closer so that our clothed bodies were touching and in such close proximity to each other….it felt so amazing. And….uh….he told me he loved the way I smiled and that I was beautiful and that I was his everything - his heart, his soul - how much he longed for me…..Lan Huan makes me feel things I've never felt before in my life and I feel loved truly and deeply. I love him and I want to be with him and through some miracle, I am with him. He chose me of all people, he chose me . Can you believe it?” 

He was breathless after speaking so much, his heart thundering. Wei Wuxian let out a laugh and hugged Jiang Cheng.

“Of course I can. This is reality, not a fantasy or a sweet dream. This is your life and I won't let anyone ruin your happiness.” he made his vow and Jiang Cheng could only smile brightly, hugging his brother.

“Really?”

“Of course. It's what brothers do, blood related or not. We've got each other’s back.”

“Always?” Jiang Cheng quietly asked, holding a clasped fist up.

“Always.” Wei Wuxian replied back resolutely, returning the fist bump.

They both sat there in front of the sealed door, arm around each other's shoulders, for some time, basking in the calm silence that followed the end of their conversation. Jiang Cheng found it quite soothing and comforting to be with his shixiong, and leaned in to rest his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes for a while, feeling safe. Wei Wuxian didn't seem to mind and let Jiang Cheng snooze, leaning his head to the side to rest as well with a small, content smile on his face as he closed his eyes to doze off.

After a while of peaceful silence between them, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian had woken up from their joint nap, their necks aching. “Ugh….shouldn't have slept in that position.” Wei Wuxian grumbled as he staggered to his feet. Jiang Cheng opted to lie on the floor instead.

“Ugh….that hurt. Never taking a nap like that again.” he groaned. He did feel a lot better now he had rested and admitted to himself that was the best nap he had ever taken in the last twenty years. But, his neck was now in pain and he swore his whole arm felt tingly from it being around Wei Wuxian’s shoulder.

“I have not had a nap that wonderful since I was younger. Man that felt good but that was a poor decision to sleep like that.” Jiang Cheng was wistful as he spoke whilst massaging his sore neck and shoulders. Wei Wuxian grunted.

“Yeah. I mean we all make poor decisions in our lives, it happens. Next time we take a nap, we’re doing it on a bed or a chaise sofa. There are better options than on the floor in front of a door.”

Both became silent after that as they awkwardly stumbled to stand upright, massaging their aching joints and grumbling to themselves about their poor life choices and stupid sleeping positions. Wei Wuxian shivered, his shoulders jolting. “Oo! Ah jeez I need a bath. I forgot that I went to the Cold Springs earlier. I'm now cold, and I don't want to catch a fever.”

He sped off back to his room to run a bath which left Jiang Cheng to contemplate his current feelings and thoughts. He decided to pace around a little, stretching his legs and flexing his arms.

He looked down at his hand to marvel at the violet ring around his ring finger, with a silver chain attached to a brass, snake-shaped bracelet around his wrist. It was his family's spiritual weapon: Zidian. 

Zidian was a powerful weapon that could only be commanded by Jiang Cheng himself. When not in use, it was a lovely heirloom ring attached to a silver chain and bracelet and was worn as an accessory or some sort, yet it liked to mimic Jiang Cheng’s emotional side, sparking when he showed anger or excitement. If summoned in battle, Zidian would form into a long whip that cracked and hissed with forked lightning, whizzing at high speeds and able to coil and curl with grace and ease. The current sect leader of Yunmeng Jiang was an exceptional martial artist and he was absolutely terrifying when striking Zidian at his foes. Many knew of the lightning whip’s name and a mere mention of it would send shivers down a person’s spine.

Except, Jiang Cheng hadn't always been Zidian’s owner and master. In fact, it had a different master long before it had been bequeathed to him.

Zidian's previous owner was his mother and Jiang Cheng's stomach churned uncomfortably at the memory. His mother was the famous Yu Purple Spider and would wield Zidian in a terrifying manner, preferring to use it as a disciplinary weapon however she saw fit - mainly using it on Wei Wuxian simply because she wanted to. Jiang Cheng didn't have very many good memories of his family or his sect except his brother and sister and the disciples, since his parents were never really there for support. His father was too timid and avoidant, preferring to let his wife rule the clan and he spent many a-day showering his affections onto a child that wasn't even his own flesh and blood which would lead to many arguments between the clan leader and his madam, and his mother was too harsh and had many expectations, yet under her guidance, Yunmeng Jiang thrived. 

Until it was no longer the Yunmeng Jiang he knew from his childhood.

Jiang Cheng continued to stare at Zidian, readjusting the ring around his finger as he paced slowly, memories of the past resurfacing. As much as it hurt to admit, he missed those innocent days between him and Wei Wuxian. He missed the days he would joke about and run across the pier to dive into the lakes, laughter filling the air. He missed his sister’s homemade cooking and Wei Wuxian’s harmless pranks, training with the disciples until his lungs burned and his fingers bruised and bled from some much hard-won effort. He missed those languid days when his parents weren't bickering aimlessly. Yet….despite his wishes, those innocent days were a bygone memory. 

Nowadays, his sister was happily married with a wonderful son, living a fulfilling and lavish life, Wei Wuxian was the leader of his own family and clan, experiencing fatherhood and enjoying the peaceful cottagecore life as he once dreamed of, and Jiang Cheng? He had his responsibilities towards Yunmeng Jiang. As the leader of one of the now *Six Great Clans (yes six, not four since Yiling Wei exists), he had to maintain a respectable image and reputation. He did not wish for his efforts to go to waste after all that hard work rebuilding his clan from the ground up after Wen Chao had ordered a massacre.

The soft padding of approaching footsteps had pulled Jiang Cheng away from his thoughts and he looked up and saw that Wei Wuxian had re-appeared, drying his long, luscious hair with a white towel, now dressed in some looser robes. His outer robe was made from a gorgeous black velvet material with petal and leaf patterns with a red inner lining sewn onto the outer material. Wei Wuxian was walking barefoot on the carpeted flooring and he let out a satisfied sigh. Jiang Cheng had caught sight of tanned skin, the robe loose around Wei Wuxian’s shoulders, which opened to show off his chest and abdomen muscles - toned and tight. The sun-shaped burn mark was clear as day on Wei Wuxian’s pectoral, just above where his heart was, which was a heavy reminder of one of the many sacrifices he performed to protect those he held dear. 

Jiang Cheng felt a twang of jealousy spike through his veins. His shixiong was incredibly attractive - fourth ranked on the list of eligible suitors - and paired with his intelligence, empathy and his skills in martial arts and cultivation, he was what many people looked for in a partner…. It was no wonder why Jiang Cheng was pushed to succeed Wei Wuxian in every way possible. Not just because he was once the Sect heir, but in order to one up Wei Wuxian in every aspect of life … yet it never came as easily to Jiang Cheng as it did to Wei Wuxian…. He was always second. Second best at everything….and his shixiong was always in front, two steps ahead and leaving Jiang Cheng behind…

Jiang Cheng stared in awe, taken by his kind shixiong’s appearance. He could never overtake him…..yet he could never hate him either. 

He…..wished Wei Wuxian hated him though. He wanted his shixiong to hate him. That much he deserved after all the pain Wei Wuxian went though. Yet, Wei Wuxian never hated him. He forgave him for his ignorance, his cruelty, his sharp words and harsh actions. 

Wei Wuxian's ability to be kind and warm to others was both irritating and awe-inspiring. And it made Jiang Cheng jealous. 

Which he also hated.

On top of that, Wei Wuxian didn't care about his ranking or his martial arts skills unless they mattered in the moment. And Jiang Cheng felt even more jealous over that aspect.

He could still feel the guilt and jealousy twist him open like a knife, wounding him, torturing him painfully and slowly, never granting him peace no matter how hard he screamed to repent for his mistakes. 

‘….he's your Da-Shixiong, your brother, the Twin to your Pride…. a beloved leader, a skilled cultivator, a genius, a father….and everything you are not…’ Those whispers fed into his anxiety further as he watched his shixiong dry his hair before placing the towel on a rack near the entryway of the hallway that led to his bedroom. A disciple must have placed the rack there whilst either Wei Wuxian was out or Jiang Cheng had been originally napping in his room before Wei Wuxian's return.

“That bath was nice and warm. I needed that so badly.” he approached the Yunmeng sect leader with a dazzling smile and a skip in his step.

“New robe?” Jiang Cheng asked out of the blue, trying to ignore the heavy cloud of negative thoughts: jealousy, anxiety, sadness, guilt, grief, self-doubt; that were piling up. Wei Wuxian looked down and played with the collar. “No, it's an older robe, but it's one of my favourites. I call this one: “the sexy lounging-around robe”. It's a good name for it actually.” 

Jiang Cheng had to admit his shixiong looked stunning in that particular robe and it unfortunately made that twang of jealousy grow further.

‘He’s simply beautiful, charming, kind and powerful…..why can't I be like him? Why can't I be charming and charismatic and desired as much as him? Why am I always in his shadow? Why am I the coward that gets left behind…. Why must I still suffer with this guilt? Why can't he hate me for what I did? Why….why….why….why….why -’

“Chengcheng? You good? What's wro- oh. Hold on….”

Jiang Cheng felt his mind buzz softly and heard a familiar voice inside his brain, vibrating calmly. 

There was a special trick that Wei Wuxian had been gifted with when he formed his golden core, a trick that only he and Jiang Cheng shared as their golden cores had formed at the same time and the same day of the same year. As they were basically twins in their own right, they both had the ability to telepathically communicate with each other. Sometimes communication between them was easier to do in the mind rather than using words spoken aloud.

It was also super funny to gauge other people’s reactions when they did telepathically communicate since they both had a habit of speaking with their eyes and facial expressions. Some would display confusion whilst others were dismissive. Some even were intrigued by this form of communication between the Shaungjie and would attempt to learn and translate their facial expressions into actual words for easier understanding- to no avail.

The only person who had come close to truly understanding the martial brothers’ telepathic gossip sessions was their beloved sister. And the only person who actually knows what the Yunmeng Shaungjie are saying to each other is the one with Telepathy and she won't be named right now.

“What's this horrible cloud doing here again?”

Jiang Cheng could feel the formation of a shadowy creature lurking in his head, glowing red eyes trained and poised on the growing bundle of hurtful thoughts and feelings that were clogging his mind. This shadowy creature possessed four long legs and several fluffy appendages that formed some fan-shape, each appendage extending outward from the creature's lower back. Pointed ears flicked and twitched with each sound the gurgle of hurtful thoughts spewed and the creature doused in shadow conjured up a long polearm weapon in its mouth, held in between its sharp jaws. The creature swung the weapon at the negative thought bubble and…

BOINK.

Jiang Cheng let out a bemused sigh.

“Why is Shadow FoxXian bonking my negative thoughts?” Jiang Cheng asked, now fully understanding what the shadowy shape currently occupying his head was - it was a fox with multiple tails inside his mind, attacking those nasty feelings and squishing them like bugs.

To Wei Wuxian and in extension, the fox spirit that was inside his head, those hurtful self-deprecating thoughts were a threat that needed to be eliminated.

“We both know what you're like when those types of thoughts take over your mind. And as your shixiong, it is my duty to ensure that you don't spiral into an emotional breakdown.”

Jiang Cheng pouted before bursting into laughter. “A-Xian!” He giggled heartily leaning onto Wei Wuxian and allowing himself to be hugged.

“You have no idea how much that means to me…” He whispered, trying hard not to cry at that moment. Wei Wuxian returned his hug and soothed him.

“Hey, if you want to, you can take a bath and get dressed into some more comfortable clothes. And then afterwards we can meditate for a bit and have tea and cake if you fancy?” Wei Wuxian suggested. Jiang Cheng mulled over this and pulled away from the hug to breathe normally again and nodded, his lips curling into a pleasant smile, all previous negative thoughts that were consuming him now flung out of the proverbial window.

“Yeah, I'll go do that.”

~❤️💜~

Jiang Cheng had re-emerged from his temporary room, now dressed in a more loose-fitting robe made from a deep bluish-purple satin that swished around his (thankfully) covered legs as he walked, as he too wanted to feel less restricted. His hair was also loose and free, long locks of shiny ebony cascading down his back so wonderfully and he sported his twin bangs that framed his sharp, defined jawline and slender face quite beautifully. He had tied some of his hair into a bun adorned with a ribbon that matched the colour and silky sheen of his chosen robe and the colour complimented his skin tone rather well.

Wei Wuxian had taken that time to build a makeshift altar for prayer and meditation so that they could focus on clearing out any leftover ghost residue that had clung to them. The calming aura and atmosphere of the Cloud Recesses may had gotten a head start on the spiritual cleansing, but Wei Wuxian wanted to be thorough.

Wei Wuxian was already by the makeshift altar as Jiang Cheng walked into the main foyer of the guest house and Wei Wuxian whistled as soon as his eyes fell upon Jiang Cheng.

“Oh, why hello there, handsome.” He teased, seeing Jiang Cheng's new outfit. Jiang Cheng flushed red immediately.

“Stop.” He affectionately smacked Wei Wuxian on his arm. The deep blue silk robe was open, showing off a sculpted tanned chest with several deep scars that looked jagged compared to the smoothness of the surrounding skin. Jiang Cheng was usually incredibly self-conscious about his body, especially his scars so he would always make an effort to cover up normally. But since it was just him and his shixiong, he figured he could show off a bit more skin. 

His body was still quite pale in comparison to Wei Wuxian's complexion, most likely because Jiang Cheng doesn't spend all of his time outdoors and is instead stuck indoors with his sect duties, but he does manage to get a tan every now and again in the summer months and thankfully, he had spent enough time outdoors recently to finally have less pale skin.

“My gods, you look incredible.” Wei Wuxian praised, eyeing up the tanned, sculpted chest. His pink lips curled into an awe-struck smile as he held up his hands and placed them in the centre of Jiang Cheng’s abdomen, feeling the taut muscles beneath the smooth skin. Jiang Cheng’s breath hitched a little, surprised by this but he didnt smack Wei Wuxian's hands away. Insead he let him splay his fingers out and caress his upper torso,  feeling quite proud of himself in that moment. 

Wei Wuxian’s hands had wandered up from the centre of Jiang Cheng’s abdomen to his broad shoulders to play with his robe.

“Someone’s been keeping to their workout regime. You must divulge your secrets to me, darling shidi.” Wei Wuxian chuckled lightly. 

Jiang Cheng couldn't resist rolling his eyes once again.

“A magician never reveals his secrets.” He playfully teased back, which made Wei Wuxian laugh.

“True. Very true. I'm being serious though, you look incredible. You look like a god carved from marble. And your skin looks so smooth and healthy….damn you have been taking care of yourself. Such a vision. You know if Lan Xichen saw this work of art he would not be able to keep his hands to himself. That man would be all over you in a matter of seconds.” 

Jiang Cheng blushed hard, his skin prickling with heat. “I’m sure he has more restraint than what you’ve described, Yingying, he’s a Lan afterall.”

“True. however, as we have previously established, he's not afraid to worship you in your entirety. I'm surprised he's managed to not take your virginity though in these past five years.”

“Yeah….In all honesty, I kinda…uhh…...would like for that to happen ….maybe we’ll get a chance to take things further in our relationship whilst we’re here on our little week long visit?” Jiang Cheng playfully, even shyly suggested, pursing his lips.

Wei Wuxian started making excitable gremlin noises. “Can you imagine? Oh you would not be able to walk for the rest of the week if Zewu-Jun himself made love to you.”

The both of them dissolved into fits of giggles and Wei Wuxian silently and discreetly disabled the locking array on that door as he hoped Lan Xichen would find the time to visit and he and Jiang Cheng could get down to business.

“Let's meditate for a bit. I think I'm still a bit groggy.” Wei Wuxian suggested and he took his shidi's hand and led Jiang Cheng to his little altar for meditation.

The altar had a plain, round brass incense burner that was currently letting off some smoke from the fragrant incense sticks, with the burner surrounded by magnolia petals. Jiang Cheng breathed in the incense smoke, allowing it to cleanse his body. He immediately felt lighter and more at ease thanks to the incense smoke and he tuned out the world, lost in his own little bubble. 

He acutely felt the light brush of fingers against his thigh and he hummed, knowing who that was. His mind buzzed suddenly, another telepathic connection had been created.

“A-Xian? What's wrong?”

“Nothing. Just double checking you’re still here. I wasn't 100% sure about the strength of the incense from the sticks but I'm glad you're still breathing normally.”

“Is this a new type of incense you're using?”

“Kinda. Madam Zi gifted a full box of them to me a few years back and I barely used them because of how rare they are.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep. They're made by Zhu clan in the Xiangtao region near Yengfao Valley. They're incredibly expensive and the materials used to make the burner and the sticks can only be found in the region itself. The Zhu clan are quite well off because of this business. Many cultivators seek their incense out because  of their special cleansing properties.”

“Damn I've got to get my hands on a set. These incense sticks are working wonders for my meridians.”

“I have got quite a lot back home. They last for a very long time. I'll bring a box of them next time I visit Lotus Pier.”

“I would love that.”

“Wanyin? Are you busy?” that soft, beautiful voice - so clear and radiant - called out and started Jiang Cheng, which made his shoulders quake.

He opened his eyes as the telepathic connection broke between the martial brothers and he swivelled around to see Lan Xichen approach, with an apologetic smile gracing his heavenly features. 

‘Oh he is so handsome.’

“Zewu-Jun, hello.” he greeted and stood up, brushing down the robe he wore and making himself more presentable in front of his host. Wei Wuxian had also noticed the new presence and he proceeded to stand up.

“Lan Xichen, you're back.” he lightly commented.

“That I am. Forgive me for disappearing so suddenly this morning, I'm sure your disciples mentioned it?”

“They did. We don't mind though, you're a busy person. It also gave us some time to settle in.”

Lan Xichen stepped forward, his lovely smile still on his face and he got close enough to Jiang Cheng to take hold of his hand. Wei Wuxian, sensing what was about to happen, scurried off with a gleeful giggle to give the lovebirds their privacy.

“I'm sorry I haven't been able to personally attend to you Wanyin, I hope you've been comfortable thus far?”

“I have. I really don't mind though, I know you're a busy man with a lot of responsibilities. Though….it's good to finally be able to speak with you informally, Huan. ” Jiang Cheng purred, the single syllable of Lan Xichen’s birth name rolling off his tongue so effortlessly. It made Lan Xichen go bright pink.

“Wanyin….must you be so tantalising?”

Lan Xichen chided gently, affection dripping so thick in his voice which made Jiang Cheng shiver.

“I'm tantalising? Shouldn't that make me feel out of reach to you?” 

He asked, his voice still that seductive purr. He drew closer into Lan Xichen’s embrace and he bought his face closer, his violet eyes a shimmering silver hue. In Lan Xichen's eyes, such violet eyes were more beautiful than diamonds. 

Jiang Cheng was like a divine being. So warm to touch and so wonderful to behold.

“So close yet so far from me, my love….” Lan Xichen purred in response, his breath fanning over Jiang Cheng as he allowed the gravitational pull between them to move them closer. Their lips were barely touching before an excited squeal freaked Jiang Cheng out and he pushed Lan Xichen away, panic rushing into his veins. He brushed himself down just as Wei Wuxian came bounding in like an excited puppy and he leapt towards his shidi, embracing him.

“Shidi!!! Did anything spicy happen whilst I was gone?? Did you finally kiss him!?” He started pressing Jiang Cheng for answers, pelting him with excitable questions with a gleaming grin and sparkly eyes. Jiang Cheng huffed and put a hand over Wei Wuxian’s mouth to literally make him stop talking.

“I would have if you didn't suddenly interrupt us.” 

“What?” came the muffled question.

Wei Wuxian was stunned and removed Jiang Cheng's hand from his mouth so he could speak. “You mean I accidentally interrupted the long awaited Xicheng spicy times!?” Jiang Cheng simply rolled his eyes and nodded. 

“I'M SORRY SHIDI!!!” Wei Wuxian wailed as he clung onto Jiang Cheng, crying apologetically, with Jiang Cheng trying to pry his shixiong off of him.

“Wei Wuxian!” He spat with playful mirth as he spun around, wrestling with Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen couldn't help but laugh behind his sleeve as he watched in affectionate amusement over the Shaungjie's antics.

Oh how he wished he could have a similar bond with his own darling younger brother. How he wished he could freely joke and play with Wangji the same way the Yunmeng Shaungjie did with each other.

Perhaps….in another life they could….

“Hello Er-ge, good to see you again.” 

All three of them froze, startled by the newcomer. That voice was awfully familiar and Jiang Cheng felt a surge of mixed emotions well up his chest, heart constricting painfully. He knew who that was and he felt almost smaller in comparison. 

Wei Wuxian untangled himself from being on Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng peeked over Lan Xichen’s shoulder as the older man turned around to step forward in order to block their view and he spied the fluttering of tell-tale gold and white robes of a very high ranked member of Lanling Jin as that person entered the guest house, flanked by several dead-panned faced disciples all sporting that familar vermilion mark on their foreheads. Jiang Cheng saw the familiar dark brown ceremonial crown headgear that sat atop those long luscious brown locks that tumbled down his back, two strands framed a fair-skinned face, with the same vermillion mark painted in the middle of his forehead and that knowing smirk that irked Jiang Cheng. 

The crest of the Sparks-Amidst-Snow peony that was synonymous with the wealthiest clan in cultivation society was on display on the gold fabric of his robe proudly. Jiang Cheng groaned slightly, annoyed at the sight. He couldn't believe his luck. He really couldn't. 

It was the Chief Cultivator, Jin Gaungyao.

Lan Xichen’s junior sworn brother and his brother-in-law through his sister’s marriage to Jin Peacock.

Jiang Cheng sucked in a breath, viscerally hiding those pained emotions away. The mere sight or even mention of this man would send Jiang Cheng in an anxious mess.

Which he found a huge hindrance.

He did get on well with Jin Guangyao and found him a well-informed, talented individual who was incredibly well respected within society. But what made the Sect leader shiver with apprehension or made his gut coil unnervingly with twisted feelings was the way the gold robed hobbit with that pleasing smile plastered to his porcelain visage looked at Lan Xichen.

He knew what that look Jin Guangyao would give Lan Xichen meant: for he would give the esteemed and untouchable First Jade that very same expression of wanton longing and pure, innocent admiration whenever anyone wasn't paying attention to him. Jiang Cheng felt ashamed to admit this out loud but he internally admitted the truth in which Wei Wuxian had constantly preaching every other day for years:

Jiang Cheng had always loved Lan Xichen. And even if Lan Xichen didn't truly love him back, his heart would ache with that all-encompassing, all consuming weight of love for all of his lives. 

He knew he shouldn't get jealous of Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen’ relationship since it was purely platonic. But he couldn't never shake that nagging feeling that there was something more being between them, whether Lan Xichen was aware of this or not.

Absentmindedly, he heard the accompanying disciples under Jin Guangyao's lead muttering and their hushed gossip-filled whispers but he wasn't sure if that gossip was about him or Wei Wuxian who stood by, his eyes darting between the newcomer, Jiang Cheng who was desperate to stay out of sight and Lan Xichen who was still processing Jin Guangyao’s sudden arrival.

He could feel Wei Wuxian’s concerned glances washing over him and Wei Wuxian moved closer to place a hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze.

“Chengcheng, don't freak out. It's going to be okay.” he whispered assuredly. Jiang Cheng didn't feel assured whatsoever, but he appreciated the effort his shixiong was putting in to comfort him.

He saw the way Lan Xichen’ shoulders tensed and rolled slightly, also possibly in shock over the sudden arrival. 

“A-Yao? What brings you here?” Lan Xichen's voice strained. Jiang Cheng shied away, taking Wei Wuxian with him. He did not wish to be seen by that hobbit in gold.

“Wha-what are you doing?” Jiang Cheng heard his shixiong ask quietly, confusion in his voice.

“I-I'm a little intimidated by Jin Gaungyao….though it's probably more to do with his influence rather than anything else.” Jiang Cheng whispered back, his shoulders visible tense, back straight and his breathing shallow. Wei Wuxian placed his hand in the middle of Jiang Cheng’s back and started rubbing soft circles, soothing him. It was something their sister used to do when they were little, especially with Jiang Cheng as he had always been an anxious child. Jiang Cheng could feel his worries melt away from Wei Wuxian gentle rubbing and he began to relax.

“I'm here to see you, Er-ge. Am I not permitted to see my sworn brother? The one who has wholeheartedly stood by my side for many years?” Jin Guangyao stepped further forward, his hands clasped together. Jiang Cheng had to suppress the urge to step backwards. Lan Xichen coughed a little, feeling a little uneasy, yet expertly hid this emotion behind a facade of coolness.

“Not at all A-Yao, it's just that….you have arrived at a bad time.”

Jin Guangyao displayed confusion over this. It seemed he hadn't actually noticed the Yunmeng Shaungjie and had been solely focused on Lan Xichen the whole time.

“Really? How come? What happened?” there was concern in his voice. He hoped nothing was amiss.

“Nothing has happened, do not fret. It's just that I have two esteemed guests here this week and I would like to be able to accommodate them as much as possible.” Lan Xichen replied smoothly, hiding his unease even more. As much as he appreciated the effort Jin Guangyao put in whenever he visited and he adored their time together, now was not the best time.

Not only because Wei Wuxian was here, but also Jiang Wanyin was also present, standing right behind him.

Jin Guangyao had finally noticed Jiang Cheng after spotting deep blue robes and his smile faltered a little, taken aback.

“Sect Leader Jiang? What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you here.” He spoke. It was clear he was hiding his discontent by being kind and Jiang Cheng practically hated it. He hated people who hide their true intentions behind a mask of falsehood and lies - it truly ground his gears. 

“Chief Cultivator, hi.” He replied, gritting his teeth just so slightly. Jin Guangyao, to his credit, didn't notice and decided to take the initiative.

“I hear you have been on a long night hunt in the recent week, how did that go?” He asked.

‘Of course he would know about the night hunt. The little messy bitch probably has eyes everywhere.’ 

Jiang Cheng was unsure whether the Chief Cultivator was being genuine or being nosy. He couldn't tell right off the bat, but seeing that Jin Guangyao had asked him, and Lan Xichen was still present, Jiang Cheng internally groaned, swallowed his negativity harshly and proceeded to flash a smile.

He didn't see the way Lan Xichen bit his lip or hear the way he audibly yet quietly moaned under his breath.

“Yes, it went well. I am very proud of my disciples and their efforts.” He crossed his arms over his chest. And he was being sincere. He was very proud of his disciples and their efforts on the night hunt and the way they all worked in tandem with each other to accomplish their objectives. He couldn't be more proud. Jin Guangyao smiled, the corners of his lips stretching upwards.

“That's good to hear. It shows you have impressive leadership skills.”

Jiang Cheng was caught off guard by that but didn't show it.

“Uh….thanks.” he responded, hoping he didn't sound too awkward. Jin Guangyao suddenly heard the rustle of velvet fabric and noticed subtle movement out of the corner of his eyes. Curious, he looked to his left and when he saw a familiar black-clad man standing near Jiang Cheng, his whole face lit up with joy.

“Wei-xiong!” He exclaimed and scurried over to Wei Wuxian, his long gold robes and brown locks flying behind him. Jiang Cheng gave his shixiong a silent prayer of thanks to taking Jin Guangyao’s attention off of him and he exhaled, letting out all of his built up emotions in one go. He watched them converse in a casual, friendly manner and saw the way Wei Wuxian started laughing. That laugh, an infectious, joyous noise, made Jiang Cheng feel more at ease. 

Lan Xichen stepped closer and once again took Jiang Cheng’s hand into his, lacing their fingers together.

“Don't worry about him Wanyin, Wei Wuxian can take care of the situation.” He whispered, subtly breathing in whatever scent was lingering on Jiang Cheng.

‘Gods he smells so good.’ 

It was at that precise moment that Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao had started walking away whilst still talking as Lan Xichen was gazing adoringly at Jiang Cheng when Wei Wuxian piped up as he was about to exit the house.

“I'm going to take this one to one of the other guest houses so he can take a load off from travelling. Are you okay with that?” Wei Wuxian asked to which Lan Xichen nodded his head, looking between the two cultivators with a mild expression. He lightly squeezed Jiang Cheng's hand again to soothe him.

“Please be my guest. Hanyu is outside so he can assist if need be.” 

Wei Wuxian led his friend away and the gold-robed, haughty faced disciples all bowed and turned away, closing the door as they departed for their assigned guest rooms, which left Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng finally alone as the doors closed with a soft thud.

Lan Xichen, overcome with the the enticing scent that permeated off of Jiang Cheng, turned on his heel and swept Jiang Cheng into an embrace, crashing his lips onto his beloved's with passionate hunger. Jiang Cheng let out a soft moan as they stumbled backwards onto the makeshift altar, knocking the incense burner onto its side with the sticks falling out, ash now on the table. They paid no heed to the little mess they had made and were more focused on each other, their mouths moving in tandem and Lan Xichen's free hand wandered downwards, his fingers caressing and stroking Jiang Cheng's bare chest.

“Huan….” Jiang Cheng could only moan his lover's name before he succumbed once more to the delicious ecstasy that burned in his veins. Lan Xichen stopped kissing Jiang Cheng just briefly before diving to latch his mouth onto the crook of Jiang Cheng’s neck, suckling and kissing the tanned skin with reverence.

“So soft….” Lan Xichen mumbled. Jiang Cheng pushed his body upwards, pressing into Lan Xichen’s, silently wanting more of his lover's searing touch.

Lan Xichen trailed his long finger down the length of Jiang Cheng’s body, caressing every curve, muscle and that twin-cross jagged scar on his chest, his lips moving in sync with his fingers to kiss and suck on his beloved’s body.

“You're so beautiful my love.” He mumbled as he kissed around Jiang Cheng’s pectorals and gave that erect little nipple a quick lick, which sent shivers down Jiang Cheng’s spine.

“Huan…keep going….” he softly begged, urging the older man to continue lavishing him with his touch. He could feel the lace of his breeches being slowly untied by nimble fingers and his heartbeat quickened. He had an inkling of what Lan Xichen desired.

‘Am I finally going to lose my virginity? A-Xian must have predicted this somehow. Is that why he left?’

Just as Lan Xichen was painstakingly lowering himself down Jiang Cheng’s body, whilst removing his robe to get a better look at the divine sight of Sandu Shengshou, a loud, tired voice interrupted.

“Sect Leader, as much as I understand the appeal of Sect Leader Jiang, you have an unmissable appointment with your uncle and brother this afternoon so I believe it is best for you to get going.”

Lan Xichen launched himself backwards, almost screeching and leaving Jiang Cheng to grumble under his breath, cursing the intruder for the interruption. 

“Hanyu….apologies….that slipped my mind. I will leave immediately to see Shufu and Wangji.” He brushed himself down as he walked away, laughing awkwardly. 

Lan Hanyu, the intruder, gave his superior a stern glare and muttered something about proper behaviour around esteemed guests but before they left the guest house completely, Wei Wuxian had returned and passed through the threshold with the grin of a madman.

“Don't be so hard on Lan Xichen, Chengcheng is very enticing and sexy. He's the pride of the Jiang Clan and the most desired man in all of Yunmeng. Who wouldn't want to get a little frisky with Sandu Shengshou? To feel that spark of passion?” 

Jiang Cheng’s face went bright red and even the First Jade’s own face bloomed pink, with him fussily adjusting his robes and muttering under his breath. Lan Hanyu frowned.

“That may be the case, yet Zewu-Jun’s heart already belongs to someone else: the Chief Cultivator.” 

As soon as those words left Lan Hanyu’s mouth, there was silence. A deafening silence. It was so quiet that all their heartbeats were heard, pulsating in different periods and tones. None spoke for a tense few minutes, breaths still.

Wei Wuxian suddenly and abruptly shattered that silence, and he started to wheeze with laughter, mocking such absurdity. Lan Xichen whipped his head so fast to glower menacingly at his attendant, stunned at such a revelation. Jiang Cheng felt his heart break ever so slowly, his mind darkening.

“I'm sorry….what?” Wei Wuxian wiped his eye of any tears that had formed through him laughing and he turned to glare at Lan Hanyu.

“Is that a joke?” His voice, rigid and icy. Jiang Cheng's breath hitched, holding back his utter surprise to see Wei Wuxian’s chipper personality peel away to reveal something more darker.

Lan Hanyu could feel the pressure of such an intense glare fold him in half, his entire body screaming at him to leave.

Incurring the wrath of the Yiling Laozu was inherently an abysmal idea and those who invoked his righteous anger didn't usually live to tell the tale. But Wei Wuxian's protective fury was something to admire and fear all the same.

He didn't play around when it came to his family.

“Do enlighten me on this.” Wei Wuxian's voice was dangerously soft, his usual silver eyes now glowing a haunted crimson and black tendrils of resentment had started to steam off his body.

Lan Xichen, fearing for his attendant's safety despite the previous comment, rushed forward to plant himself in the middle of the both of them.

“Laozu please. My attendant means no harm. What he said previously isn't true.” He pleaded. He turned his head over his shoulder to speak to Lan Hanyu. 

“Don't ever joke about such things. I'm not in love with Meng Yao.” He hissed. Lan Hanyu shivered and bowed apologetically.

“My deepest apologies, honoured guests. Please forgive the humble servant's words.”

Wei Wuxian had calmed down and hummed as he stealthy glided over to Jiang Cheng and started to fix his appearance with gentle hands, his voice quietly hushing and soothing any fears that had surfaced. 

“It's alright….” Lan Xichen heard Wei Wuxian coo affectionately at Jiang Cheng who held a wobbly smile and was apologising for the “mess”. Wei Wuxian had brushed his shidi down and smoothed his robes to make him more presentable yet the sight of that wobbly smile, the sign that Jiang Cheng was clearly hiding his emotions again, made Lan Xichen’s heart lurch.

Lan Hanyu, sensing that his presence was no longer needed, walked away in a flourish and Lan Xichen stood idly by the door, watching the Yunmeng Shaungjie converse.

‘I….will wait for them to finish before I ask them to join me for afternoon tea with Shufu and Wangji. I'm sure Wei Wuxian and Wangji will be able to talk and probably clear up any lingering feelings that they may still have.’

~Part 3 complete~

Chapter Text

~part 4~

Within that same afternoon, Lan Wangji entered the Elegant Room where he had been previously told that his uncle was there and was greeted with an attendant.

“Ah, second master. Your uncle is in the tea room.” The attendant bowed before him and Lan Wangji nodded and hummed.

The attendant moved to allow Lan Wangji access and he entered the tea room - a spacious yet lightly furnished room at the back of the Elegant Room with a wide polished table in the middle on a raised platform. Seated on one end of the table was the strict, bearded and wise Grandmaster Lan Qiren, with his eyes closed as if he was in the middle of meditating.

Lan Wangji stood by in complete silence, his breathing slow and steady. He waited for his uncle to finish contemplation before addressing him. The same attendant had entered with a tray of white and blue porcelain tea cups and was placing them on the table, the soft chinking of porcelain making contact with the polished wood of the table stirring Lan Qiren from his meditation.

“Ah, my tea is here.” he rumbled quietly. He looked up to see Lan Wangji standing still as ice, his expression neutral.

“Oh, and my nephew is also here. For how long have you been standing there, Wangji?” 

“Long enough.” the younger nephew spoke quietly yet cordially. A small affectionate huff escaped Lan Qiren’s lips.

“Why didn't you tell me you had arrived?” He asked. Lan Wangji looked as guilty as he could muster without breaking his icy facade.

“I didn't want to disturb you.” He answered, his voice rumbling quietly. 

“You don't need to worry about that. You can disturb me whenever you wish.” Lan Qiren answered with a wave of his hand and gestured for Lan Wangji to take a seat opposite him. Lan Wangji silently accepted and elegantly knelt on the cushion, readjusting his robes accordingly. With his back perfectly straight and eyes looking ahead, the Second Jade was as polished and poised as ever. The same attendant poured Lan Wangji some tea before slipping away to give them privacy.

“I have been informed that Xichen will not be able to join us this afternoon, which is quite the shame, however since you're here, my afternoon isn't going to be so dull. How were the students this morning? I was teaching the afternoon classes a while ago and some of them mentioned you. Thought I would check in.” Lan Qiren queried innocently. Lan Wangji slowly took a sip of his steaming tea before answering.

“The students were attentive as usual and some had stayed behind to ask me questions. They were all very well behaved. I had no issues.”

“That's good to hear. The juniors harbour quite the admiration for you as it is. Have you spoken with Jingyi at all since class finished? I was hoping to know if he’s doing well.” 

Lan Qiren seemed keen for some insight and information - it wasn't because he was being nosy, in fact it was quite the opposite, he was only looking out for his family. Lan Jingyi was Lan Qiren’s grandnephew as his own uncle had a brother who sired a son who then grew up, then got married to a lovely woman from a branch sect of Gusu Lan before they had a child of their own - that child was Lan Jingyi. Lan Jingyi greatly admired Lan Wangji and practically idolised the Second Jade, aspiring to grow up to become someone like Wangji and he was an outspoken, loud, sassy and honest young man who didn't quite fit into the image of the “demure and saintly” cultivator that the Gusu Lan elders had been trying to convey for over seven hundred years. But, despite Lan Jingyi’s brashness and loud personality, he was no doubt a righteous Lan in his own right and Lan Xichen practically showered the boy in love and affection in the absence of his parents were were currently away.

Lan Qiren, despite his strict outward nature and the devotion he has to his clan's rules, was a soft and humble man who adored his family and unflappably allowed Lan Jingyi’s personality to shine - he did not wish for his own grandnephew to receive the same treatment his nephews had been subjected to as children and cause the child to lose his spark. 

“No, not since I finished the morning lessons. Xiongzhang might have but I didn't ask when we took a stroll together.” Lan Wangji answered in his usual monotonous voice, yet still held a high degree of respect. He didn't want to be caught being rude to his uncle.

“I’m certain you experienced no issues on your end either Shufu. The senior disciples are more like us rather than harbouring the innocence of the younger generation.” Lan Wangji initiated more of the conversation, having taken an interest. Lan Qiren sipped more of his tea, savouring the mellow flavour.

“Yes, the seniors who attended were all as dutiful as you and Xichen. I had no issues whatsoever. Though, speaking of your brother, I have heard that he has invited two esteemed guests to the Cloud Recesses.” Lan Qiren quipped, sipping another mouthful of his tea.

“Really? I was not made aware of this Shufu.” Lan Wangji spoke again.

“He did not tell you?” Lan Qiren was surprised by this piece of information. Lan Xichen always told his younger brother of the many things that went on in the Cloud Recesses  - they practically ran the clan sect together. It seemed so out of character for Lan Xichen to deprive Lan Wangji of any sort of news. It was a main source of conversation for both brothers since Lan Wangji was not the most confidently outward speaker.

“Not exactly.” Lan Wangji answered vaguely. Lan Xichen had actually told him earlier but on the way to the pavilion for afternoon tea, Lan Xichen had come up with a plan. He told Lan Wangji to tell their uncle that “he hadn't heard about the esteemed guests since Xiongzhang had been busy.” Essentially, Lan Wangji was to tell a white lie to make it look like he hadn't had an unfortunate and unexpected encounter with the Yiling Laozu (in the Cold Springs). Lying may be forbidden for the Lans, but telling a white lie or a vague truth was hardly a punishable offence. Lan Xichen explained on the way that he would bring his guests to the Elegant Room’s tea area so that Lan Wangji would be able to redo his reunion on a much more cordial term.

“Oh I see. Well perhaps he had meant to yet he did not get a chance to speak with you about it.”

“Xiongzhang is very busy with sect matters most days, so I don't blame him.”

It was as if Lan Xichen had heard these words being spoken by his brother that he had suddenly appeared, robes fluttering as he walked gracefully into the room. “Shufu.” he greeted with a radiant smile and a twinkle in his eye. Lan Qiren let out a chuckle.

“Ah, it seems speaking of him summons him to our side. We were just talking about you.” 

“Oh really?” Lan Xichen played along, laughing. The plan was going smoothly it seemed.   

Lan Wangji dipped his head in greeting. “Xiongzhang.” 

Lan Xichen touched the top of Lan Wangji’s head and stroked his hair gently - similar to how their mother used to many, many moons ago.

“There's no need for such uptight formalities, especially between family.” Lan Xichen gently chided, eyes still twinkling. Even Lan Qiren chuckled a little. 

“But our teachings…” Lan Wangji protested a little.

“Your brother is right, Wangji, when we're all together in this tea room, formalities are not needed. In this room, we are not upstanding Gusu cultivators of righteousness, we are just the Lans. Family. There's no need to treat us or address us differently because we have a higher status. And besides, if we are speaking of ranks within the family, you hold the second highest -”

“Fifth.” Lan Wangji muttered in a breath, his forlorn expression even more downcast. Lan Qiren tutted.

“Second.” He corrected glumly. “Forget about your aunt and your granduncle, in this immediate family, you are your father's youngest son and you outrank even myself. I just want to have tea with both of my nephews without the formalities dragging you down.”

Lan Wangji nodded and a faint smile appeared on his pristine and handsome features.

“Alright.” He murmured.

Lan Qiren, satisfied, turned his attention to his eldest nephew.

“I'm glad you were able to join us. It's not exactly the same without you.”

“Hopefully I haven't kept you waiting long Shufu.” 

“No you haven't Xichen. Though I thought you weren't going to be able to join us this afternoon, which would have been a massive shame if that became the case.” 

Lan Xichen chuckled. “Well, I had some time on my hands so I've put aside my work to join my family. Besides, I wouldn't miss our afternoon tea session for the world.” Lan Xichen patted his uncle's arm.

An attendant was summoned once more - to be precise it was the same one that had served tea to Lan Qiren earlier - and they bought another plate of cakes and an empty white and blue porcelain tea cup for Lan Xichen to use. 

As Lan Xichen settled, the attendant disappeared just as swiftly as they arrived and Lan Qiren prepared the tea for his eldest nephew.

“We were speaking about Jingyi just now. Did you see him at all after his classes?” Lan Qiren asked. Lan Xichen smiled serenely and nodded. “Of course. It was a brief conversation but it was after the morning classes. I went to the Orchid Room to see Wangji and Jingyi was leaving so I spoke to him and he was his usual self.” 

“That's good to hear. Wangji told me the students were all exemplary in their behaviour as a disciple of Gusu Lan should. Now, I wish to speak about another matter.”

Lan Xichen looked confused. “Another matter? What's on your mind?”

Lan Qiren made stern eye contact with his eldest nephew 

“It's about those so-called esteemed guests you invited here. You didn't tell your brother about them?” Lan Qiren asked with a chastising tone in his voice. “Shufu-” Lan Wangji was about to speak a full sentence when Lan Xichen silently signalled for him to halt, speaking only with his eyes.

‘A-Zhan, don't worry. I have it handled. Let me do the talking.’

Lan Wangji gave another slight nod and remained quiet, sipping on his tea and tuning out his brother's words only just.

“No, I didn't tell him. It was a surprise.”

“Surprise? Who on earth did you invite?” Lan Qiren questioned.

At that precise moment, two well-dressed men in their mid-to-late thirties, one dressed in a shimmering deep blue silk two-layered robe, the other was dressed in a black and red patterned satin two-layered robe, entered the tea room, their long sleeves trailing behind in the air. Lan Qiren was speechless at the sight.

“The Yunmeng Shaungjie themselves, Shufu. That's who I've invited. I extended an invitation to them for a casual visit and they gladly accepted.”

Lan Wangji was rendered speechless himself, taking in the sight of the black-robed man, ever so familiar and dressed in a different outfit than earlier and his breath became trapped in his throat. To be honest, Wei Ying looked stunning in that black and red satin robe and his hair was silky and long. There was the barest hint of tanned skin peeking out from the v-neck of the robe where it was crossed over his chest and the belt around his hips made his waist look snatched to a degree. In Lan Wangji’s eyes, the man in black and red was a vision of beauty only the heavens could create and even with his clothes on, he was still so stunning. The lan in red and black held an aura of authority, yet that authority was almost subdued in some way. 

The events from earlier played in Lan Wangji’s mind, each memory more vivid than the last and Lan Wangji had to force himself to remain calm.

Remembering what his brother had told him earlier, Lan Wangji knew that this was his chance to make the best impression, and disregard the earlier incident and start anew. 

Lan Xichen was also stunned, despite seeing the man in his midnight-blue robes of silk earlier, but now seeing him once again, all done up in a respectable fashion, it was creating light pitter-patter rhythms in his chest, a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed thickly, never taking his eyes off of the man in blue, in complete awe. The man in blue was truly beautiful, a regal and powerful figure of pure stormy power, his figure was tall and proud, his aura alight.

Lan Qiren was also rendered practically speechless, his mouth hung open in surprise. He hadn't expected to see both martial brothers together, standing side by side in the same room as him and it made him utterly confused. 

On one side was Jiang Wanyin in his midnight blue robes of silk, dressed impeccably and, in his eyes, was a perfect gentleman. With a steady and respectable gait, neutral facade and dressed to impress the elder, Lan Qiren internally remarked the sect leader's good looks and esteem. Half of his hair was in a small bun pinned with a lotus guan and the rest of his hair was a ebony black cascade that swayed slightly with every subtle movement, the strands of hair whispering against the silk of his robes. 

What he wasn't expecting was to see him after all these years.

Twenty years….the boy…no man….was alive and well, healthy and standing tall.

Lan Qiren never agreed with the fables fed to his disciples by the elders who hoped to never speak of his name again, it never sounded right to lie to his nephew about the Yiling Laozu’s fate and he should have known much sooner how his nephew felt about Wei Wuxian and indulged in his youngest more. He should have done better in the past to ensure that his youngest boy hadn't gone through all that pain… to ensure his nephew hadn't become so withdrawn and silent in the years after the Siege…

He swallowed that bitter taste that had crawled its way up his throat as he looked upon the regal man in black. Instead of a wild child with a big heart running amok, in his place was a subdued and quiet adult, standing by the entryway, watching Sect Leader Jiang with tense silver eyes that dimmed in their preciously youthful lustre.

Lan Qiren knew that at some point, either he or Lan Wangji would have to approach the man in black to speak to him.

For now, Lan Qiren chose to focus his attention on Sect Leader Jiang.

“Greetings Sect Leader Jiang, how are you faring?” Lan Qiren spoke cordially, dipping his head in greeting, ignoring the lump in his throat. He needed to focus on his nephew's more “illustrious” guest for the time being. Out of the corner of Lan Xichen’s eye, he spotted Wei Wuxian, dressed in his satin robes, inching backwards, almost out of the room. Which the older Jade found very strange.

“I am faring well Grandmaster. I hope I'm not intruding upon you?” Jiang Cheng spoke politely, hands behind his back as he mimicked his father's stance - poised and respectful, yet a little tense. 

“No, you're not intruding, Sect leader. You're my nephew’s esteemed guest. I’m glad that you’re doing well these days.” Lan Qiren replied with a gentle, fatherly smile. 

Wei Wuxian, from where he now stood, out of the way, spied the way Jiang Cheng's shoulders were square and even, straight as a plank of wood. His back was also stiff, as if he was trying to appear more mighty and tall.

“There's no need to copy your formerly deadbeat dad, Chengcheng. The old goose likes you anyway. Compared to me, the man would certainly accept you as a nephew-in-law.”

Jiang Cheng felt that familiar tug in his mind and he fought to suppress a smile as he heard Wei Wuxian speak inside his head. His voice thrummed inside his head with a reply, yet his heart weighed heavy in his chest upon hearing those words spoken to him. 

“Don't say that. I'm sure the Grandmaster has loosened up on his opinions of you.”

“I highly doubt that. You forget that I still quote-on-quote “dabble and solicit with dark magic” Clearly compared to you and your reputation, you're far more worthy of his respect and kindness than I am in his eyes.”

Wei Wuxian's response bristled with condescension, frightfully mocking in its tone and quite self-deprecating.  

There was a pause that permeated between them before Jiang Cheng asked the main question:

“You're still bitter about your old punishments, aren't you?”

“AS I SHOULD BE!!! THOSE LAN ELDERS ARE GLUTTONS FOR PUNISHMENT!!! I CAN STILL FEEL THE 300 WHACKS I GOT FOR DRINKING ALCOHOL!!! 300!!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW PAINFUL THAT WAS!!!! THESE PHANTOM PAINS ARE NO JOKE!!!! AND ON THE SUBJECT OF PUNISHMENT -”

“Yingying! Please don't yell, I've now got a headache.” Jiang Cheng internally winced, his shoulders rolling just ever so slightly and his posture changed to make him seem more upright as he fought that sting in his brain from his martial brother's yelling.

“Shit sorry.” came the apologetic reply and a soothing silence remained, washing over his mind.

“It's truly an honour to be able to visit the Cloud Recesses during such a peaceful period in our lives. I’ve been able to bear witness to the fruits of the Twin Jades’ hard work.” Jiang Cheng continued his polite conversation, biting down his nerves. He heard the faint humming of a lullaby in his mind, washing away his anxieties like the wind blowing away leaves. That faint humming turned into a quiet flute whistle and he realised it was Wei Wuxian playing a song using their telepathic connection. The lullaby was actually helping to keep that shadowy bundle of horrible, self-deprecating thoughts at bay so the dark cloud wouldn't plague Jiang Cheng’s mind.

To which the Yunmeng Jiang sect leader was truly grateful. 

“I'm sure that the working alliance between our sects has been fortuitous throughout these last fifteen or so years, and I'm positive that your own merit and hard work has allowed Yunmeng to flourish much like our home.” Lan Qiren answered, and Jiang Cheng spied a proud twinkle in the old man's eyes.

Lan Wangji, who had been very silent during this polite exchange, coughed a little, drawing Jiang Cheng’s attention.

"Oh? Hello, Hanguang-Jun. I hope you're not bothered by my presence?" His tone had shifted slightly, from courteous to something edged. Lan Wangji eyed the sect leader with mirth in his eyes.

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter. My brother invited you here as I have been previously informed." He responded with a low drawl. His eyes narrowed as he took in Jiang Cheng' appearance and he huffed before turning to his brother.

"Out of all the people you could have invited?" He gestured to Jiang Cheng, earning him a scowl. "Oh, so I am bothering you. Too bad I'm here for a whole week." Jiang Cheng sneered a little, baring his canines. Lan Wangji grunted and Jiang Cheng snorted.

"How undignified. And you call yourself a gentleman." Jiang Cheng's voice dipped into a low, reading lilt, his whole demeanour changing.

“How rich coming from a man with filial anxiety so huge it swamps Wen Chao’s non-existent ego, daddy issues that will make Jin Guangyao reconsider his life choices and the explosive anger issues that can rival a volcanic eruption. So enlighten me on who is the gentleman in the room.” Lan Wangji smirked a little, enjoying the way Jiang Cheng’s jaw clenched.

“Your brother.” Jinag Cheng quipped back without a thought.

“That’s obvious.”

“Now gentlemen let's not fight. Especially in front of Shufu.” Lan Xichen tried to play peacemaker but his words were drowned out as the two continued their spat.

“You are so stuck up, you know that. You think you're better than me.” Jiang Cheng seethed, his features contorting dangerously. Lan Wangji hummed noncommittal.

“So what if I am? Does it bother you?” His voice dipped lower than his usual octave. Jiang Cheng growled and Lan Wangji smirked.

“Oh? How undignified.” He casually threw Jiang Cheng’s previous insult right back at him with no remorse. “Jiang Wanyin, you're my territory now thanks to my brother's courteous invitation, so you have to put up with me for a whole week.” Lan Wangji tucked his laced hands under his chin and gazed at the sect leader, eyes glinting.

“Mmph, easy enough. I'll just hole myself up in the guest house for a whole week. That'll make you feel better.” Jiang Cheng flipped his hair over his shoulder. Lan Wangji huffed.

“With Wei Ying? I feel sorry for him.”

“How come? Because you're not with him?”

“No, because he has to put up with you and your volatile personality.” Lan Wangji snarked in an uncharacteristic way. Jiang Cheng’s nostrils flared but he dared not to retort back, biting down his incoming scathing insult.

“I’m just glad he’s not with you. I heard about the little incident you two had earlier.” Jiang Cheng looked away, acting coy and innocent, riling up Lan Wangji. This was news to Lan Qiren as he frantically glanced between the sect leader and his nephew.

“What? What does he mean by that? What incident? I'm assuming it's between you and Wei Wuxian, right? What did he do?”

Jiang Cheng eyed the elder with a suspicious glare. “It's not what A-Xian did, it's what your usually cold nephew tried to do.” 

Lan Wangji balked. It seemed that the Yunmeng Shaungjie had spoken about the Cold Springs Incident™️ and Jiang Cheng appeared as if he was not happy about it.

“He told you?” Lan Wangji’s voice got quieter, as if he was afraid. He wasn't afraid at all.

“Yes, we had a deep and meaningful conversation about it actually.” the sect leader replied in a monotonous tone. Lan Xichen sighed, resigning himself to palpable silence.

“Why on earth would Wei Ying talk to you?” Lan Wangji almost raised his voice but controlled himself.

“You don't know? Mmmh, guess that's what happens when you live on a mountain away from social interactions and act like scandalised hermits.” He retorted with snark. Lan Qiren almost balked white from that statement. “Sect Leader Jiang, we have our reasons….”

“Yes, I know. I am aware that these “reasons” are deep-rooted into your culture, but that's not the point of this conversation.” Jiang Cheng stepped closer to Lan Wangji's side of the table.

“Wuxian and I are far closer than before due to past tragedies. And after the siege had concluded and the Ghost Cultivator Peace Treaty was signed, I have become more protective of my shixiong. He's been through a whirlwind of emotions and pain through his whole life and now that general peace exists, I really do not wish for A-Xian's efforts in moving forward in his life to go to waste. He told me about what happened and unfortunately he is not in the best state of mind to converse with you. I am aware that you tried to communicate with him - I am - however he doesn't want to talk to either you or about anything else at the moment and you must respect that. Until he's ready, he won't approach. Let him come to you.”

Lan Wangji's jade-like face saddened at Jiang Cheng's words, though not spoken with mirth. He didn't mean to hurt Wei Wuxian, or make him feel uncomfortable but now he feared he had actually left a mark and had scared Wei Wuxian away.

Presently, Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji didn't have the closest relationship, compared to what they had with their respective friends. It wasn't that bad as they had worked together on a few occasions and even saw each other on a few nights hunts - one of them being when Jiang Cheng took his nephew, Jin Ling, out on his very first night hunt - but despite the cordialities, the two never truly got on well enough to refer to each other as “friends”. In hindsight, they saw each other as “reluctant friends”.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Lan Wangji's exterior frostiness and avoidant nature that bordered on (in She Su's own words): arrogance and haughtiness, and Jiang Cheng's awkward hostility, tempestuous personality and jealousy spikes made it somewhat difficult for the two to even speak to each other with warmth and they were constantly at odds, bickering like in-laws despite there being no marital status between their brothers or other family members. It was also true that both were extremely protective of their older siblings- the very same siblings that exuded an aura of calm, diplomatic authority and a soothing, gentle warmth that many were drawn to. 

Jiang Cheng had two older siblings, making him both didi and shidi and as the youngest sibling to both his brother and sister, he was extremely protective of them both (including his own sect and family members) and even petty towards those who insult or hurt them. He loved both his older siblings, with his sister being a kind, caring and angelic woman, good-natured and pure of heart and good intentions who gave him love and warmth where his own parents failed to provide and his older brother was a chaotic, vivacious gentleman who could steal hearts and souls with his dazzling smile or his haunting ghost melodies and gave Jiang Cheng strength, joy and wisdom in the darkest hour.

Lan Wangji, being the didi in his relationship with his brother, was also incredibly protective to the point where his cold death glares would scare off anyone who tried to only befriend his beloved dada (Xiongzhang) to hide ulterior motives. Lan Xichen was simply sunshine incarnate and a bit of a himbo at best so he saw the good in everything, which meant that sometimes he would be naive to others’ schemes until it smacked him in the face.

These protective instincts and their cold, harsh outward appearances were the very few similarities they shared, yet they wouldn't dare to admit that out loud.

Lan Qiren coughed and began to speak in an attempt to bring the conversation back to its previous topic, but he stumbled with his not-so-minced words and accidentally made a comment that made Jiang Cheng glare at him.

“Even if Wei Wuxian was in sight of Wangji's reverent attempts of communication, what exactly did Wei Wuxian do first to entice this? We all know what that man is like-” 

“You don't.” Jiang Cheng cut the elder off curtly. Lan Qiren spluttered a little, taken aback by such a sharp tone. 

“You don't know Wei Wuxian - Wei Ying - as much as you think you do. You don't know my brother aside from those wicked, baseless rumours made about him, or the gossip and fear spread about the true nature of his deeds or his chaotic student days where he only spent only three months here. You don't know my brother as well as I do. I have grown up with him, I have seen every side of him from his joy, to his mischief, to his anger, his protection, his sadness, his depression….I have seen it all. A-Xian is a multi-faceted individual with emotions and morals and intelligence and wit and charm. He's not a seductive creature or a feral beast, nor is he a mutated monster. He is human. And he has been through far too much. You don’t get to talk about him like that when you have no idea who he really is….” 

Jiang Cheng turned away, tears pricking his eyes and eventually falling down his cheeks. Lan Xichen, in an alarmed panic, abruptly stood and rushed over to Jiang Cheng, gently pulling him into an embrace, soothing him. Lan Wangji was taken aback by such a soft display of concern and felt the bite of jealousy wash over him as he continued to observe this display. Even Lan Qiren watched in shock, his body trembling, his meridians quaking in guilt.

He started wordlessly mouthing sentences, questions that needed no answers. 

“Wanyin.” Lan Xichen whispered, rubbing Jiang Cheng’s back to help him breathe. “I'm sorry about that.” He quietly apologised. 

Lan Qiren was even more confused as his eyes darted between his eldest nephew and the sect leader whose brother he backhandedly insulted.

“What is this? Xichen? What is going on?”

“Shufu…do not speak.” Lan Xichen softly commanded, his tone icy. Lan Qiren, knowing he was no longer in charge of the clan, lapsed into silence. This family afternoon tea was going splendidly (sarcasm).

“Wanyin….it’s okay…Shufu didn't mean his words, he can be blunt with his speech. He is like my brother in that regard. Please come sit with me and have something to drink…” Lan Xichen offered, rubbing Jiang Cheng’s arm gently.

During the entire exchange, Wei Wuxian had been lurking near the threshold of the tea room, and had disabled the telepathic connection after finishing that mind-soothing lullaby to help ease Jiang Cheng;s headache. Silently, he had watched Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji bicker and tried so hard not to burst out laughing. He knew that Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng never really liked each other, and their fast-paced insults towards each other were a treat to behold. 

Wei Wuxian had noticed Lan Wangji when he had walked into the room, having recognised the robes he was wearing and the extra large rabbit shaped hair guan that he had conveniently decided to wear. ('Does he wear that guan all the time? Does he have different ones to choose from?') but he had chosen not to make his presence known. In his opinion, it wasn't his place to just saunter into the tea room and announce his existence.

But when Jiang Cheng had begun to cry after speaking about him, Wei Wuxian's heart began to weigh heavy like lead.

He couldn't bear to see his shidi cry like that, pretty tears like droplets of diamonds falling down his chiseled, yet still youthfully handsome face.

‘Damn it! This is the last thing I need.’

“Well, for your information, I really don't care for anyone's opinion about me. I've grown numb to the insults. But now my shidi is crying.” Wei Wuxian slowly waltzed into the tea room, his hips swaying slightly in a mildly tempting manner. Lan Qiren balked chalk white and his mouth hung open. Lan Xichen squeaked, startled by Wei Wuxian’s sudden entrance.

“I'm sorry this has happened.” He mumbled loud enough for the others to hear. Though this apology was not directed at anyone in particular, Lan Xichen was aiming for the Yunmeng Shaungjie. He was still holding Jiang Cheng in his arms and was cautiously watching Wei Wuxian's gait and mannerisms. The leader of Yiling Wei had already shown his dangerously protective side earlier that morning and Lan Xichen was not going to allow another member of his clan chisel at Wei Wuxian's patience. Wei Wuxian spied the way Lan Xichen tenderly held Jiang Cheng as he softly cried and a tiny, genuine smile lapsed over his face. 

“It's fine Lan Xichen, the prejudice and hatred that exists within the hearts and minds of the older generation cannot be simply erased or changed. It exists because they fear me. They fear the power I wield and they fear me because I'm not complacent with their ways and their silence. Unlike them, I do speak out against those who commit literal war crimes and other such criminal activity. I've taken in refugees, runaways, outcasts and rogues and built a powerful sect on the foundations of a destroyed village once inhabited by victims and remnants of war. I am different from quite a lot of elders and because of this new cultivation method, they fear me and the damage that I could cause. Though, I am glad that Jiang Cheng defended me like that. Makes me feel a bit better knowing that his own fears and prejudices have been….somewhat put to rest.”

Lan Xichen hugged Jiang Cheng, helping him dry his eyes before he turned to Lan Xichen with a wobbly smile. “This is the second time I’ve cried today….I'm not that attuned to my emotions still after so long….”

“Apologies Lan Xichen, I know that you invited us both to join you for afternoon tea, but after the conversation that's occurred, I don't think it’ll be a good idea for the both of us to be in the same room as these other Lans. I hope you are able to understand my stance on the matter?” Wei Wuxian interjected.

Lan Xichen stared bug-eyed, stunned by Wei Wuxian’s words. “I mean I understand what you're saying, but-”

“I know. You had good intentions. You always do. But these good intentions always end up backfiring. This is your family tea time, not ours and we have no right to be here even if you invited us to speak with your family members. And after witnessing the interactions you've all had, it seems that we aren't as welcome as you have made us feel. Please do excuse us, we will go back to the guest house and have tea there so we are not intruding upon your important family time.” 

Wei Wuxian turned away and Jiang Cheng gave Lan Xichen an apologetic glance, his eyes watery and glistening. His half-smile was genuine yet his lower lip wobbled as he attempted to remain composed despite becoming overwhelmed by his emotions. He gave Lan Xichen a quick nod before he turned to follow Wei Wuxian out the room.

“Wei Ying wait!” Lan Wangji, fearful that Wei Wuxian would once again slip away from him and fearful he would never see his soulmate ever again, shot up from the table and dashed forward, grabbing Wei Wuxian's wrist to stop him from leaving.

Wei Wuxian tensed up, gasping and looking up at a very panicked Lan Wangji, his wrist in Lan Wangji’s grasp. The prior incident between them replayed frantically in his mind and his heart rate spiked.

‘Oh crap not again!!’

Everyone in the room gasped, astonished by Lan Wangji’s unexpected action

Jiang Cheng made a garbled noise of confusion and rushed over to wedge himself between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, using his body as a shield. Lan Wangji's hand slipped from Wei Wuxian's wrist yet he did not step back. Instead, he stood where he was, glaring just a bit at Jiang Cheng.

“Uh? Jiang Cheng? What's wrong?” Wei Wuxian asked in a hushed voice. Jiang Cheng looked Lan Wangji dead in his eyes, though his own were red from his previous tears and he scowled deeply, puffing out his chest. “Why on earth are you touching him? We were leaving. He doesn't want to talk to you.” Jiang Cheng slid himself even further in front of shixiong, using his own body as a shield.

“Jiang Cheng, it's okay, I'm fine.” Wei Wuxian quietly replied, sensing his shidi’s protective aura that simmered hotly. Jiang Cheng still wore his scowl as he pressed his back up against Wei Wuxian's torso.

“Jiang Cheng breathe, I won't let him touch me. It's okay, you can back down.”

“You don't know that. What if he takes you away?” Jiang Cheng asked, his voice increased in pitch to showcase his anxiety. He wasn't going to let a stuffy second master lock his brother away. Not on his watch.

Lan Xichen had sensed the tension from where he stood and tiptoed over, a taut smile spread across his face, eyes half closed.

“Sect Leader Jiang, Wangji won't take your brother away. He just wants to talk. Even if Sect Leader Wei says nothing back, all Wangji wants is to talk to Wei Wuxian. He's been denied that for thirteen years.”

Wei Wuxian peeked over Jiang Cheng's shoulder, with him being a little shorter since he was crouching down to let Hiang Cheng make himself look taller and he saw Lan Wangji standing close enough, his visage the picture of lonely elegance.

“Hello.” Wei Wuxian managed to reply, despite the turmoil that brewed inside of him. He really wanted to run away and hide, to cower in a dark corner and wish not to be seen….

And yet….

The man he was trying to avoid was now - once again - standing in front of him (thankfully fully clothed this time). 

The entire room was silent. Tense. Waiting with bated breath to see what events would unfold. Despite the small number of people, all eyes were on Wei Wuxian and he felt himself shrink.

“Please don't leave. Please don't mind Shufu’s words, he means no harm. 

Lan Wangji whispered, his voice slightly hoarse with emotion. Wei Wuxian was bewildered by that statement.

“What? That's nonsense. Of course he meant every word, lying is forbidden in your sect is it not?” Wei Wuxian retorted, his words vitriol. Lan Wangji turned to his uncle with a vague yet pleading look.

“Shufu, tell him you were wrong. Tell him your words meant nothing. That you misspoke, that he…..” he trailed off, not daring to speak no more.

‘Tell him he can stay.’ was what Lan Xichen interpreted as he gazed at his brother’s forlorn expression.

Wei Wuxian scoffed from behind Jiang Cheng. “He's not going to say anything. Just don't bother trying to convince me that things have changed. That you've changed your opinions of me. I only agreed to come here so that Chengcheng could spend some time with Lan Xichen since they admire and respect each other a lot.” 

Lan Wangji’s lower lip wobbled and his eyes rimmed red, which caught Jiang Cheng off guard as he stared at his so-called rival. Seeing the powerful Hanguang-Jun look so upset punctured his heart. Even Wei Wuxian had noticed and his chest began to ache strangely.

“Wei Wuxian.” he heard his name being called and he turned to see Lan Qiren rise from his seat. The elder gracefully walked over, a single hand behind his back and with a wistful expression on his face. Jiang Cheng still shielded his shixiong as the elder approached, not daring to move - half out of protective instinct, half out of defiance. Wei Wuxian had to stop himself from crumbling to the floor when Lan Qiren was close enough. He thought he was going to get thrown out for upsetting Lan Wangji but instead, Lan Qiren regarded Wei Wuxian with a bittersweet smile.

“Hello child, have you been okay?” he asked, his voice incredibly soft and affectionate. Almost too affectionate for Wei Wuxian’s liking. This was odd. Even Jiang Cheng displayed his honest bewilderment through half wide eyes and a slightly unhinged open mouth. 

Wei Wuxian blinked, unsure of what to say at that precise moment. He was not used to this atmosphere.

“I-I’m doing okay…? Sorry, this has come out of nowhere…..did somethi-?”

He trailed off, not even finishing his sentence. Lan Wangji looked back at his uncle.

“Shufu….”

Lan Qiren nodded. “It's alright. You can take him.”

‘Take me? Take me where?!’ Wei Wuxian frantically thought. 

“N-no….no way….you're not locking-”

Before Wei Wuxian could continue to protest, Lan Wangji had stepped towards Jiang Cheng and reached behind him, gently taking Wei Wuxian by his wrist and led him over to the table, making him quite flustered in the process.

“What? What are you doing?” Wei Wuxian asked, still very confused. Lan Wangji did not say a word but instead gestured for Wei Wuxian to kneel on the cushion he had previously sat on. 

Whilst kneeling on the soft cushion, Wei Wuxian (and everyone else in the room) watched Lan Wangji perform a light hearted tea ceremony, pouring some of the tea into Lan Xichen’s untouched and empty cup before sliding the cup gingerly over to Wei Wuxian with a faint smile and a light glimmer in his golden eyes.

“Have some tea.” His voice was deep, dripping with courteous sweetness and made Wei Wuxian shiver. Why was he being nice? 

“Why are you giving that to me?” Wei Wuxian asked, mind still trying to play catch up. He racked his brain for any memories or instances of tea ceremonies in the Lan sect precepts but no memory served him.

“You are our esteemed guest, Wei Ying. It would be rude of me not to serve you the finest tea our family has to offer.” Lan Wangji spoke quietly. He sat still, waiting for Wei Wuxian to drink the tea.

Slowly, Wei Wuxian took the cup and tentatively brought it to his lips, the fragrant aroma of the tea filling his nose. 

The liquid languidly seeped into his mouth, the mellow flavour dancing on his tongue. The water wasn't actually too hot, just hot enough to allow warmth to spread across his chest as he swallowed.

“Oh. This tea…” He murmured, surprised. He hadn't expected it to taste this good.

“Do you like it?” Lan Wangji asked, his smile still soft. Wei Wuxian looked over and noted how that same smile reminded him of freshly fallen snow amidst the morning sun. 

Not too bright, but pretty to look at.

“Yeah…I do actually.” Wei Wuxian spoke in a slow, surprised manner, carefully blowing on the tea to cool it down more.

“That's good to hear. This specific tea was imported from a specialist tea maker in Gusu and they're blends are of high quality and in high demand. Xiongzhang and Shufu also like this blend of tea.” Lan Wangji heard himself speak more than usual as he told Wei Wuxian about the tea and its method on creating such a lovely blend. He noticed Wei Wuxian nodding along, sipping on the tea and humming in response to Lan Wangji's explanations. 

Jiang Cheng smiled at such a wholesome sight, finally able to breathe a little now that his shixiong was at least more relaxed. He saw the way Wei Wuxian’s shoulders were sagged a little, but his back was straight like a pole, maintaining a good and respectful posture.

He suddenly hurried to the table just as Lan Xichen was getting up and grabbed his hand, causing the First Jade to blush.

‘Oh how forward of you Wanyin.’ He internally purred. Jiang Cheng tugged Lan Xichen with him out of the tea room and whispered as he did so.

“Let's leave them be for a while. They don't need an audience eavesdropping on their conversation.”

Lan Xichen understood and stretched his arm out to signal Lan Qiren.

“Shufu. Shufu, come on.” Lan Xichen loudly whispered, catching Lan Qiren's attention and he hurried to follow his nephew. 

“Xichen, what are you doing?” he whispered in an urgent tone, displaying his confusion. Lan Xichen gestured to Jiang cheng who had a neutral look on his face. “We should let them be alone for a while. I don’t think A-Xian would appreciate having an unwanted audience peeping on his conversation with Lan Wangji all that much.” Jiang Cheng repeated his words to the elder in a hushed voice. Lan Xichen tried his best not to squeal in happiness but he let out a tiny, miniscule mouse-like squeak to emphasise his excitement. Jiang Cheng bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

Lan Qiren mulled over these words before nodding in agreement. The three of them walked back into the main hall of the Elegant Room to converse whilst Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were left alone to talk over tea.

Whatever it was that they were talking about, it was none of the trio's business.

Wei Wuxian was still seated at the low-rise table, quietly sipping on the tea that had been served to him. 

The atmosphere was inherently peaceful and surprisingly, he quite liked it. Much like the home of the Lans, the tea room held an air of serenity and calm that Yiling didn't usually have. Despite growing up in Yunmeng after spending months living on the cold wintery streets of Yiling, starving and injured, Wei Wuxian had never truly known peace and quiet until he stepped foot back into the Cloud Recesses after a full two decades.

To him, this peace, this serene atmosphere seemed to be a blessing. He used to hate how quiet the Cloud Recesses were. He used to mourn the freedom he used to enjoy back home, always finding ways to break the rules and cause chaos wherever he went. He was once a restless, ever consuming storm of hormones, noise and joy - uprooting the calming atmosphere and creating headaches for all. Now, he was a responsible, subdued man - not exactly prone to mischief like he had been in his youth.

He couldn't afford to be childish when he had a large family of society’s outcasts and runaways to look after. The Yiling Wei sect was his responsibility after all.

And he had noticed that those incessant whispers that would crop up in his mind to tear him down had dissipated, as if there had been some spell cast upon him to make him feel better. 

“Wei - Wei Ying?” That deep voice, now soft, called out to him. Wei Wuxian turned his head and made eye contact with Lan Wangji, who was looking at him with a gaze he couldn't pinpoint.

“Yeah?” He asked, curious. It seemed that all formalities had been thrown away since Lan Wangji wasn't addressing Wei Wuxian by either of his titles. Lan Wangji looked at Wei Wuxian with his golden eyes, a shadow of concern washing over his stoic, jaded face  “Are you okay? You’re not talking like you usually do.”

“Of course I’m okay. I'm just taking in the quiet and getting lost in my thoughts. Though, how strange is it of you to not refer to me by my titles Hanguang-Jun. I thought you put etiquette, morals and your teachings above yourself?” Wei Wuxian eyed the cultivator with a disapproving glance before he turned his attention back to his tea. Lan Wangji made a sad noise and Wei Wuxian glanced back to see Lan Wangji puffing his cheeks out like a rabbit, his eyes dimmed in their lustre and the tips of his ears pink with…

Shame?

Embarrassment?

Wei Wuxian didn't know. He didn't have Lan Xichen’s ability to read Lan Wangji like an open book.

Though, he did find it quite adorable how Lan Wangji was puffing his cheeks out like that. He really did look like a rabbit, all huffy and pouty.

“Hahaha.” Wei Wuxian suddenly started to laugh, his voice filled with a familiar joyous sound - one that he used to hear so many times when they were just spirited youths -  that stopped Lan Wangji from further pouting and huffing. 

The sound of such a laughter caused Lan Wangji's heart to quiver and jolt in his chest, bringing an ache that he swore he hadn't felt in years. He had been told by the elders time and time again that Wei Wuxian had perished or his soul had been shattered and scattered across the realms. That Wei Wuxian would never return. That they were glad that he was dead so that he would no longer corrupt their Second Jade. They spouted and preached daily that Wei Wuxian had corrupted the soil, the purity of every righteous cultivator with his luridity, spat lies his sordid temptations, cursed his dark magic….and Lan Wangji had foolishly believed them. In his turmoiled mind, a mind so bereaved and filled with pain and sacrilegious thoughts - he simply did not have the strength to fight back these words, he used to have nodded silently, in pain and unable to fight back, and in privacy; he wailed and prayed that the elders’ words were not true. Silently begged the heavens and the ancestors to give him sign that his beloved, the beloved he could not save in the midst of him being consumed by resentment and death, was alive somewhere in this world. Perhaps he was alive in another country under a new name, living a peaceful life far, far away.

And for thirteen long, lonely years, Lan Wangji had blamed himself for Wei Wuxian's death, believing that it was his fault for Wei Wuxian falling into the depths of the chasm below to his demise. He used to tell himself that Wei Wuxian was dead because of him, that Wei Wuxian had died because of him. 

But that couldn't be further from the truth. Wei Ying was here. Flesh and blood and bones and muscle. Alive. Here. Next to Lan Wangji. 

Those thirteen years were now just a memory.

“I missed that laugh.” Lan Wangji suddenly spoke again, eyes glimmering. Wei Wuxian halted, caught off guard.

“Huh?” 

“Your laugh. I missed hearing it. It seems so long ago now.” Lan Wangji whispered, becoming nostalgic. Wei Wuxian's cheeks bloomed a light pink. “O-oh, really? That's unexpected….ummm….thank you Hanguang-Jun.”

“Lan Zhan.” 

“What?” Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji with bewilderment. Lan Wangji looked back at him and spoke again, with more conviction, his voice louder than it was usually.

“Lan. Zhan. Call me by that name.” He sounded resolute. Wei Wuxian laughed again, a little nervous.

“Sorry? You want me, the Yiling Laozu, to call you by your birth name? Aren't we practically strangers?” 

“You used to call me Lan Zhan. When we were-”

“Yes, when we were younger. When you used to call me boring, shameless and avoid me like I was infected with some incurable, contagious disease. Now you're acting all polite and nice to me and honestly….I'm weirded out by it. Where is your usual cold, aloof, prickly self huh? What happened to that?” Wei Wuxian's words dug into Lan Wangji's skin, sinking into his flesh as if he was being stabbed with a thousand needles. These words…made his chest heavy all over again. Yes….he was like that….but he let Wei Wuxian call him by his birth name….without complaint.

All he wanted was him to say his name. 

“But….I've changed….” His reply was quiet, subdued, as he held back a shuddery breath. His fists balled at the cloth of his robes, frustration seeping into his body. 

“Have you? I would've thought you were the same fuddy-duddy you always were. You never liked me Lan Wangji, and we are now two different worlds. You walk the path of righteousness; the broad field bathed in light shared by everyone, and I walk the single planked road through the darkness. We aren't compatible with each other and we are opposites. You,” He pointed at Lan Wangji with a stern finger, “are a being of light. It's in your title: “the Light-Bearing Immortal” your entire presence brings people hope and peace. I am….” Wei Wuxian paused, agony creeping into his heart, his stomach churning with nausea as he spoke his next words.

“I am a being of darkness and sin. Of temptation and damnation. I raise the dead and bathe in the blood of my enemies. I'm nothing like you. And I never will be. So I don't know why, someone of your standing in society, would ever think about being nice to the literal incarnation of darkness and evil in the eyes of all that is righteous and good.” 

Wei Wuxian downed his tea, ignoring the burn as the tea slid down his throat. He stood back up and bowed. “I shall take my leave. Thank you for the tea, but in order to not bring misfortune to you and to make sure your uncle does not hunt me down for soliciting with his favourite nephew, it's best if we don't see each other. Goodbye.” 

Wei Wuxian, now quiet once more, turned away to walk out of the tea room when he felt a hand grab his wrist. Stunned and slightly annoyed, with flashes of the earlier incident still fresh in his mind, he looked over his shoulder and saw a panicked Lan Wangji holding onto him, stopping him. He had this pleading look in his eyes.

“Stay.” He said. That one singular word made Wei Wuxian grimace. “I can't.” He responded monotonously, his usual sass no longer there, and he freed himself from Lan Wangji's grasp and walked away - not ran like last time - and once again, like a coward, Lan Wangji watched him go, sadness and frustration bubbling in his veins, tears welling up in his eyes and before long he let those tears fall freely, as there was no one to see him cry.