Chapter 1: White for Death
Summary:
Spanish translation by ZhanYing12!
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Chapter Text
“You will not ruin this for our family,” Madam Yu hissed into Wei Wuxian’s ear. He had turned eighteen the night before, and had been told to pack without any warning. He had only ten hours to pack all of his belongings and say goodbye to the place he had called home for over a decade. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Yes, Madam Yu.” Wei Wuxian whispered, still in shock. He had been told after his birthday dinner that he was going to live in GusuLan from now on. He was told on his birthday that he was going to marry the Second Young Master, Lan Wangji. He had never met the second young master, other than seeing him in passing at cultivation events, but now he was going to be married to him.
Married.
He was going to be married.
Into GusuLan, the sect with the three thousand rules.
Wei Wuxian was going to marry into the Lan Clan.
He didn’t know how he was going to survive this. He was going alone, the rest of his family leaving for Gusu just before the wedding ceremony itself, which wasn’t taking place for many months. Until then, Wei Wuxian was on his own, in unfamiliar territory.
He watched the servants piling his belongings onto a boat. He didn’t have all that much, so it didn’t take long at all before he couldn’t stall any longer.
“Take care of yourself.” Jiang Cheng looked like he was about to scream, but he knew he couldn’t. There was nothing any of them could do. This was Wei Wuxian’s duty - to pay the Jiang’s back for everything they had given him over the years. It was his duty to create a treaty with GusuLan, so the real Jiang children could focus on more pressing arrangements. It was his duty, because he was nothing more than a bargaining chip.
“I’ll see you soon,” He gave his brother a smile, but it was so painfully fake that Jiang Cheng flinched at the sight. “Don’t kill anyone when I’m away, okay?”
“Idiot…” Jiang Cheng turned to storm away before stopping dead. Wei Wuxian wondered what was wrong just before Jiang Cheng turned and ran back, throwing his arms around Wei Wuxian’s neck.
“It’ll be okay.” He tried to reassure Jiang Cheng as he held onto his brother tightly. He didn’t know which of them he was trying to comfort.
“A-Cheng! A-Xian needs to go,” Jiang Yanli came over and pulled her youngest brother away. “Don’t forget to write.”
“I won’t Shijie,” His eyes stung despite how hard he was trying to hold it back. “I could never.”
“Try to find happiness.” Jiang Yanli gave him a hug and pressed a kiss to his cheek before stepping away. Wei Wuxian took one last look at his childhood home before turning and boarding the boat that was waiting for him.
He waited until his siblings were out of sight before letting his tears flow.
“Welcome, Wei-gongzi,” Lan Xichen met him at the gates of Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian had been told his things would be brought up separately, and that he was to meet with the elders as soon as possible. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Zewu-Jun.” He bowed, his chest empty. He hadn’t felt anything since he ran out of tears.
“Come, have tea with me,” Zewu-Jun smiled warmly. “I wish to get to know my future brother in law before the wedding.”
“Of course.” Wei Wuxian winced at mention of the wedding, but it seemed Zewu-Jun didn’t notice. Either he didn’t notice, or he was being polite enough not to mention it. He followed the older man through Cloud Recesses, numb to everything around him. He had the feeling he should be taking in his new home, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t accept that this was his home now.
Cloud Recesses didn’t have sun warmed lakes or fragrant lotus. Cloud Recesses didn’t have the cliff to shoot kites from. Cloud Recesses didn’t have disciples to look up to him .
Cloud Recesses didn’t have anything Wei Wuxian needed.
Cloud Recesses could never truly be his home.
“Wangji is busy with a night hunt at the moment,” Zewu-Jun said, trying to make small talk. “He had wished to greet you personally, but we got a message saying they needed immediate assistance down the mountain. He should be back before breakfast, at the latest.”
“Mm.” Wei Wuxian nodded, his eyes staring into space.
“Wei-gonzgi, may I say something presumptuous?” Zewu-Jun asked. Wei Wuxian nodded after a moment, his mind lagging slightly.
“Of course, Zewu-Jun.” He murmured.
“You do not seem too happy with this arrangement.”
“This one is honored to be chosen for such an engagement.” He answered, repeating Madam Yu’s words almost exactly. Lan Xichen raised a single eyebrow.
“Feeling honored and feeling happy are two seperate things.”
“I… am not in a position to be dissatisfied, Zewu-Jun.” The back of his throat stung but he refused to cry again. He didn’t even know if he had any tears left to cry.
“Wei-gongzi, we are going to be family soon,” Zewu-Jun put his cup down gracefully. Wei Wuxian hadn’t even touched his. “I wish for you to be happy here.”
“I’m sure I will be.” Lies. Lies. Lies.
“Is something bothering you?”
“I am just missing Lotus Pier already,” He answered truthfully. “I was only given ten hours notice of this arrangement, so I am still working through processing everything.”
“What?” Zewu-Jun’s eyes widened in shock. “But… we confirmed everything with Sect Leader Jiang close to four months ago.”
“Four… months?” For the first time since sitting down, Wei Wuxian’s head shot up to look at the man across from him. “They- You- Four months? And I was never told?” His face scrunched in pain, his chest aching at the realization.
Four months. For four months, Uncle Fengmian hid this from him. For four months, they had been making plans to ship Wei Wuxian away. For four months, he had been living in blissful ignorance.
“Wei-gongzi… I’m so sorry,” Lan Xichen looked disturbed at the sudden news. “I had no idea you were not informed… your reactions make more sense now.”
“Zewu-Jun, may I see my quarters?” Wei Wuxian asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “I would like to rest. I’ve been traveling for quite some time.”
“Of course,” He stood, waiting for Wei Wuxian to join him before walking to the door. “I will show you. Dinner in the main hall is at six, but if you wish to eat in your rooms this evening I can arrange for a tray to be brought.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I’ll be up for eating tonight.” We Wuxian knew if he tried to eat, he would instantly throw it all up again.
“I do not recommend skipping meals.” Lan Xichen frowned.
“I will eat in the morning, I promise.” Wei Wuxian stared blankly at the path below their feet.
“We rise at five,” Lan Xichen stopped in front of an unassuming door, by the guest quarters. “I will have someone bring breakfast for you at half past six. Is that alright?”
“Mm.”
“Good. The disciples begin training at half past seven and practice until lunch, at one. You are not required to join, but if you feel the want to train you are more than welcome to come by.”
“Thank you Zewu-Jun.” Wei Wuxian bowed, ducking into the room before the older man could respond.
The room was clean, if not a little sparse. There was a large window that overlooked a small courtyard, which he was grateful for. At least there was one good thing to come from this whole situation. Wei Wuxian removed his shoes and threw himself onto the bed without bothering to take off his robes. The bed itself was soft, but the pillows were flatter than he was used to.
He fell asleep to the unfamiliar sound of chirping birds and soft strings playing in the distance.
“Wei-gongzi, thank you for joining me,” Zewu-Jun said, the same smile from the day before plastered on his face. “Wangji has just returned and is very eager to meet you. He went to change and will be joining us in a moment.”
Wei Wuxian just nodded, not trusting his voice. He hadn’t bothered to unpack any of his things. Leaving his belongings in their bags left a useless hope that maybe this wouldn’t happen. That maybe he could go home and forget about this whole thing.
“Ah! Wangji, come sit,” Zewu-Jun’s smile brightened as he saw someone approaching from behind Wei Wuxian. “Tea and snacks are on their way.”
“Brother.” He gave a short greeting, kneeling to the left of Wei Wuxian at the small table they were sitting at.
“Wangj, this is Wei-gongzi,” Zewu-Jun nodded to Wei Wuxian, who hadn’t looked up from the table. “He only just arrived.”
“Mm,” Lan Wangji looked at Wei Wuxian with emotionless eyes. “Welcome, Wei-gongzi. I hope your trip was not troublesome.”
“It was pleasant.” He answered, feeling hollow. Even sleeping for as long as he did, waking to a gong at five in the morning was not something he had been prepared for.
“Ah, Wangji. Wei-gongzi is… still processing this engagement,” Zewu-Jun said, almost apologetically. “He was only informed the night before he departed from Yunmeng.”
Wei Wuxian heard a slight inhale from his left side.
“I see.”
“I do hope that in time, Wei-gongzi comes to find Cloud Recesses a good home,” Zewu-Jun said, and Wei Wuxian couldn’t stop his lips from thinning. “Wangji, why don’t you show Wei-gongzi around? I’m sure he’s curious about the grounds.”
“Mm,” Lan Wangji stood and held a hand out to help Wei Wuxian to his feet, but the smaller boy was too focused on his own thoughts to notice. He stood, his eyes never breaking from the ring of condensation that had gathered on the table. Lan Wangji let his hand drop, and the movement caught Wei Wuxian’s attention. His eyes widened and he muttered an apology, staring at the wooden planks of the floor. “Shall we?”
“Yes, thank you Lan Wangji.” Wei Wuxian nodded and followed his betrothed away from the pavilion and Zewu-Jun, moving deeper into Cloud Recesses.
“Was it true?” he asked after several minutes of silence. Wei Wuxian jumped, suddenly being taken from his thoughts.
“What?”
“What Brother said,” Lan Wangji only glanced at Wei Wuxian from his peripherals as they walked. “About not knowing.”
“Oh, uh, yeah…” His stomach rolled. He barely touched his breakfast. “I was told right after my birthday dinner. Was told to prepare and that I was leaving in the morning… It was definitely a shock, that’s for sure.”
He let out a weak chuckle, letting his arms wrap loosely around his torso, as if he could hold himself together as the world around him fell apart.
“I am sorry,” Lan Wangji said, sounding a little stiff. “I was… not aware that you were… not aware.”
“It’s alright, you couldn’t have known.” He chuckled again, this time a little more genuine. He hadn’t expected the Second Jade of GusuLan, known for his grace and cold attitude, to be so… awkward.
“Would you… like to see the library?” Lan Wangji asked, his hand tucked behind his back and his other hanging at his side. Wei Wuxian saw how his fingers would occasionally clench around nothing. It was soothing in a way, knowing someone like Lan Wangji felt the same way without his weapon as Wei Wuxian did without Suibian, who was safely stored in his chambers.
“That sounds nice,” Wei Wuxian fell into step with Lan Wangji as they made their way through the twisting paths. While they were still silent, the air seemed less heavy. As much as he hated to admit it, Cloud Recesses truly was beautiful in a way Lotus Pier was not. While Yunmeng was warm tones and summer afternoons spent napping in the sun and spices floating through the lively marketplace, Gusu was a calm dawn and fresh, chilled air and a sense of peace that settled into every crease and crevice of his being. “Oh wow…”
The Library Pavilion was nothing short of breathtaking. Wei Wuxian stared at the sheer size and detailing, eyes blown wide. Yunmeng didn’t have buildings like that.
“Shall we go inside?” Lan Wangji said, a strange note to his words. Wei Wuxian didn’t notice him staring, golden eyes wide as silver soaked in the architecture of the library.
“Yes please.” Wei Wuxian breathed, his face breaking out in a real smile for the first time in almost three days. Lan Wangji nodded and undid the intimidating looking lock that held the doors firmly shut.
Wei Wuxian felt his breath being stolen once again. There were more books on one wall here than there were in the entirety of the Jiang collection, and that library was not scarce in any sense of the word.
His mind was racing as he traced the spines of the books closest to him. He didn’t even know how to pronounce half of the things they said which only made his excitement grow.
Despite his inability to focus during lessons, Wei Wuxian adored learning. Researching, reading, analyzing - as long as he wasn’t being forced to do it for a grade, it was one of his favorite things to do. The world had so much knowledge and there was an inch inside his head to try and gather all there was.
“We do not allow materials to leave the library unless under extenuating circumstances, but you are free to read anything on these shelves,” Lan Wangji said, watching Wei Wuxian dart from shelf to shelf, the smaller boy’s grin growing without even realizing it. “As long as all materials are put away properly by curfew, you are free to do as you please.”
Wei Wuxian spun around and looked at Lan Wangji with wide, shining eyes. “You mean that?”
“Mm.” He nodded faintly.
“Mark your words!” He laughed and went back to look at some books that had first caught his attention. “No takebacks, okay?”
“Of course.” Lan Wangji sounded as level as ever, but there was something about his smile that seemed softer. He thought Wei Wuxian’s laughter sounded so alive, unlike most things in Cloud Recesses.
“Wah! Look at this!” Wei Wuxian cried out, reaching for a stack of bamboo slices that had been strung together. “You’re so lucky, having all of this at your fingertips, anytime you’d like it.”
“It’s yours now too,” Lan Wangji didn’t know why it felt so weird to say. Wei Wuxian froze, his shoulders dropping a little as he held the text to his chest. “Anything you could want is yours.”
“Right… almost managed to forget about all of that.” His voice was so broken that Lan Wangji found himself wanting to reach out and do something - anything! - to comfort his betrothed.
“Would you like to eat? We can come back.”
“Um, actually, would it be okay if I just spend some time reading?” Wei Wuxian wouldn’t turn to look at the other boy. “I’m not all that hungry and… I’d like to be alone for a little bit.”
“Of course,” he didn’t like how his chest seemed to ache. “I will… be by after lunch to continue the tour, if you’d like.”
“Um, yeah, thank you.” Wei Wuxian reached for another book. Lan Wangji could see how his hand shook.
“Mm.” Lan Wangji hummed and left Wei Wuxian to read to his heart’s content.
He waited until he could no longer hear Lan Wangji’s footsteps before falling to his knees. It was going to be far harder to pretend to be happy here than he thought.
Could he ever truly be happy in Cloud Recesses? Could he ever truly be happy again?
He should have known things were going too smoothly. Lan Wangji had been an amazing host. He gave Wei Wuxian just about anything he asked for, and was extremely patient with some of the more outlandish requests. For a week, they existed in a dance of sorts, where they would get close to each other before instantly pulling back. Wei Wuxian could tell the other man was feeling about the same as he did about the engagement, so he was determined not to give his betrothed too hard of a time.
After that first week, however, reality began to settle once again. Wei Wuxian found himself being scolded left and right by elders and occasionally a younger disciple, which stung his pride more than he’d like to admit. The three thousand rules weren’t just for show, and Wei Wuxian felt a scream building in the back of his throat like a bubble that would choke him if it didn’t pop soon.
No running - he didn’t even run full out. He was just jogging to get to the library to finish something he had to put away the night before.
No talking during meals - he had been trying to connect with the other disciples by telling a story about Lotus Pier. All he received was a reprimand and unimpressed glances.
No more than three bowls - the first two or so days of being too anxious and depressed to eat had finally caught up with him. His stomach cramped from how hungry he was, but when he tried to get another helping he was scolded. Called self serving and gluttonous.
No extreme emotions - he missed his home. He didn’t want to be in Gusu anymore. He wanted his Shijie and Jiang Cheng and the comfort he only found when he was under the water, weightless and worry-free. He couldn’t even mourn the death of his old life without being berated.
His hand was cramping and there was a divot in the side of his finger from holding the brush for so long. He had been copying lines for what felt like hours, but the sun was still in the sky. Lan Wangji came by the library before dinner to collect him, but he wasn’t sure if he would make it until dinner without losing his temper.
For the last four days, he had done nothing but fulfill punishments for his misdemeanors. From copying lines to kneeling in the corner to rearranging the books, from the moment he arrived at the library from the moment Lan Wangji came for him, Wei Wuxian was being punished and he didn’t see an end. Every time he thought he was finishing up, he would do something else that somehow managed to break another rule.
Talking too quickly.
Not adhering to curfew.
Not being grateful for the things he had.
Coveting something from his past.
Being irrationally depressed.
Wandering around when he shouldn’t be wandering.
He was sure half the things he was reprimanded for weren’t even real rules! It seemed they were out to get him, especially Lan Qiren. The first time he met his soon to be Uncle in law, the man scowled at him and ordered him to copy lines twenty times for sloppy appearance. He looked no different than usual, but apparently even him just existing as himself was against Cloud Recesses rules.
Lan Wangji tried to ask about his day, ask about what he had been reading, but was always met with clipped answers. Wei Wuxian felt bad, because he could tell the other man was going out of his way to try to connect with him but he was just so worn out by the end of the day that he just wanted to sleep for a few years. He wondered if his betrothed even knew what a rule breaker he was… maybe if he did, they would end the engagement…
He didn’t let himself think about that. He couldn’t afford to be hopeful.
His bed had become the only safe place he could hide. No one came to his room other than Lan Wangji, and even then he only knocked on the door and waited for Wei Wuxian to join him. His room was his space - his home away from home. He decorated it to look like his room back in Lotus Pier, rearranging the furniture and hanging the things he brought to make his space slightly less crushing.
His eyes stung as he buried his face into his pillow. After he had unpacked, he had found his own blankets and pillows which made sleeping much easier. For a few hours a night, he could pretend he was back home. He could pretend that he would wake at eight and run drills with the younger disciples. He could pretend that he and Jiang Cheng could sneak out after dark to swim under the moon and steal lotus pods for their sister.
He could pretend that nothing was wrong. That he was still home.
Then morning came and he was reminded that no, he would never call Yunmeng home again.
Wei Wuxian opened his eyes to another morning at Cloud Recesses. He had been there for three weeks and already his body was waking just minutes before the morning gong tolls. How he managed to conform to such a ridiculous sleep schedule, he had no idea. Before leaving Yunmeng, he hadn’t gone to sleep before two in the morning in years.
As he got dressed, he knew it was going to be a shitty day. He had been trying to groom himself to Lan standards, spending extra time on his hair and robes, but it never seemed to be enough. He could still feel the stares as he walked. Gossiping was forbidden, so why did he have the sinking feeling that they were talking about him behind his back?
He habitually walked with Lan Wangji to the library. He didn’t even remember if he had any punishments to finish, and even if he didn’t there was no motivation to leisure read in him. It was like all the fight had been sucked out of him completely.
Lan Wangji bowed to him before leaving, as he did every day. Wei Wuxian still didn’t know what to say to him. What do you say to the person you’re supposed to marry when everything about the engagement makes it harder and harder to wake up in the morning?
He sighed and reached for a book on the top shelf. It was a book of folklore, and if he was going to focus on anything that morning it had to be something mindless. He reached, going on his toes to stretch the last few inches. His fingers tipped it over the edge of the shelf, but he wasn’t quick enough. The corner of the book stuck him in the temple as it fell, the sudden burst of pain breaking what little restraint he had left.
“FUCK!” He shouted, his hand instantly covering the injury. He could feel blood gathering against his fingers. Face wounds bled quickly - something he learned from the many fights with Jiang Cheng - which meant the cut probably wasn’t too bad. Just bleeding - a lot. “Shit! Fucking DICKS!”
“Wei Wuxian!” A familiar voice rang through the entrance of the library and his stomach dropped to the floor. Lan Qiren stared at him, nose flared in rage. “How dare you foul the air of our sacred texts with your-your boorish, asinine language! Courtyard! Kneel for six hours! I’m sick and tired of you treating Cloud Recesses like a playground! We graciously accepted this betrothal against my better judgement. You are going to marry into MY clan! Learn your place before it’s too late.”
He turned on his heel, not noticing even once during his rant that Wei Wuxian had been bleeding. Tears cut through the red that was staining his cheek as he stared at his hands. He just… he just wanted to go home.
Numbly, Wei Wuxian stood. He wiped the blood onto his black robes before putting the book on the study table he had been using, too dizzy to reach that far above his head.
He made his way to the courtyard, somehow not running into a single person along the way. He had only been forced to kneel once, and it had only been for an hour. He collapsed to his knees, not caring that the small white stones dug into his skin.
The moment he knelt, his mind went into itself. The outside world faded as he took comfort in his own emptiness. Time didn’t exist inside his mind. It was the only place he was safe. It was his home now.
“-me? Wei Wuxian! Can you hear me?” A familiar voice broke through his blanket of nothingness. He blinked slowly, trying to remember where he was. His legs hurt. He was kneeling. His head hurt. He had been struck with a book.
Wei Wuxian looked up, his bangs falling away from his face. Lan Wangji growled before dropping to his knees next to his betrothed. He took Wei Wuxian’s face gently in a strong, calloused hand and brushed his thumb against the long dried blood on his cheek.
“Who did this to you?” He growled, his eyes glowing in the setting sun.
“No one.” His throat was dry. Speaking hurt.
“Bullshit.” Lan Wangji spit the curse. “You were bleeding. What happened? Why are you kneeling? How… How long have you been here?”
“Don’t know,” He muttered, his eyes refusing to focus. He wanted to go back inside his head. Nothing could hurt him there. “I was in the library. A book was too high up and it fell on me. I… started cursing because… because it hurt, and your Uncle heard me. Told me to kneel for six hours.”
“Uncle…?” Lan Wangji had gone still as stone next to him.
“It’s okay. I deserved it,” his head was beginning to throb worse. “I broke the rules. I deserve to be punished.”
“What? No, you don’t.” Lan Wangji tried to get Wei Wuxian to look at him, but the smaller boy refused.
“My head hurts.” He whimpered softly, his eyes filling with tears again. They were scalding against his skin, and he realized that he was cold. So cold, in fact, that his body was covered in goosebumps. His jaw chattered as he drew his arms close to his chest. Something warm and heavy draped over his shoulders, but before he could check to see what it was, Wei Wuxian felt himself being lifted from the ground.
Lan Wangji held him close to his chest, tucking the smaller boy’s head against his neck as he took long, even strides towards the infirmary. At some point, between the courtyard and their destination, Wei Wuxian drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up, he was warm. His bed was softer than usual, and the blankets heavier. He tried to bury his face in the pillow, only to feel a sharp pain radiating from his forehead. As he cracked his eyes open, he reached up and felt his face. A bandage was taped where the book had hit him, and his face felt clear of any dried blood.
Looking out the window, he saw it was at least midday. He scrambled to sit up, not wanting to be punished for sleeping in again, only to have the world spin. He let himself lay back down, waiting for the room to settle before easing himself into a sitting position.
Next to the bed was a note, written in the neatest calligraphy he had ever seen.
Wei Wuxian, please take all the time you need to rest. I will be speaking with my Uncle about his treatment of you. What he did was unacceptable. If you are hungry, there is something prepared for you. Please wait for me to return. Lan Wangji
Wei Wuxian read the note three times before it finally clicked. Lan Wangji - the strictest upholder of the rules - was going to speak with his Uncle, the stand in sect leader, about his treatment of Wei Wuxian? He swung his legs over the side of the bed and saw a small table with a few covered plates on it.
Cautiously he walked over and checked to see what they hid. Fruits, bread, cold dishes that were still slightly chilled. Lan Wangji must have had it brought fairly recently. He tried to eat, but his stomach never cooperated well right after waking up.
The note told him to wait, but he couldn’t sit still. He needed SOMETHING familiar, or he was going to scream. He snuck from Lan Wangji’s room and found his way back to his own room. The second he collapsed onto his own bed, he pulled his blankets over his head and let himself cry.
“Wangji, are you sure about this?” Lan Xichen asked. Currently Wei Wuxian was being fitted for his own official set of GusuLan sect robes.
“Don’t want him to feel isolated anymore,” Lan Wangji schooled his expression, but his brother could easily tell how worried he was. “Uncle said his appearance was… unseemly, simply for wearing his own robes. I want him to feel like he belongs here, like he did in Yunmeng.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice what was going on with him sooner.” Lan Xichen whispered for the fifth time. He truly had no idea, so when Lan Wangji came storming into his quarters, killing intent glinting in his eyes, Xichen was a little surprised.
“You did not know.” Lan Wangji’s were glued to the door that Wei Wuxian and the tailor were behind.
“Ignorance is not an excuse.” Lan Xichen breathed, his normal smile nowhere to be found. Lan Wangji tensed when he heard voices behind the door after almost two hours of silence.
The door slid open and Wei Wuxian walked out wearing full Lan Sect robes, from the inner robes to the outermost ones. He looked…
“Beautiful.” Lan Wangji breathed, his eyes widening as Wei Wuxian moved to look at himself in the mirror.
Wei Wuxian stared at himself, his chest a mix of too many emotions to name. The robes were gorgeous, but of course they were. GusuLan would give someone marrying into the inner family nothing short of artwork to wear. The silver clouds embroidered along the hems caught in the light filtering into the room. The white fabric was soft against his skin but also heavy, both from the quality of the material but also from the charms sewn into every stitch.
He looked at himself, but he could barely recognize the boy in the mirror.
“Haha… we always… we always joked that GusuLan’s robes looked like m-mourning clothes,” His voice cracked, causing both Jades to wince. He didn’t look away from his reflection as hysterical laughter bubbled up in the back of his throat, clawing to escape. He tried to swallow, but that just gave the manic sounds a chance to escape. He laughed, then laughed harder when he realized there were tears rolling down his face, soaking into his brand new robes. “Now I’m wearing mourning robes… because my life is over. Once I marry into GusuLan, my life will be forfeited, won’t it? Everything is over…”
His mad cackles quickly dissolved into heart wrenching sobs. He fell heavily to his knees, not even acknowledging the pain that shot through his legs. He laughed and cried as he rested his head against the mirror - rested his forehead against his reflection’s.
Lan Wangji was frozen completely. Every part of him SCREAMED at him to do something, but he couldn’t move. It seemed his brother couldn’t either, because all they COULD do was watch Wei Wuxian sob so hard he couldn’t even take a breath. Lan Wangji only broke through his panic when he realized Wei Wuxian literally couldn’t breathe through his sobs. He rushed forward and placed a hand on the smaller boy’s back, trying to calm him enough to take a proper breath. What he hadn’t been expecting was for Wei Wuxian to shove him away.
“Don’t t-touch me!” He shouted, his red rimmed eyes wide and scared. Lan Wangji just stared at him for a moment before Wei Wuxian cracked and ran back to the room he had been in before. Lan Wangji sat on the floor, unable to process what just happened.
“Wangji, go get the head healer.” Lan Xichen said quietly, helping his brother stand.
“Wei Ying-”
“Will be fine,” he interrupted his brother’s panic. “But the healers will have something to calm him down quicker. The sooner he calms down, the less of a danger he is to himself.”
“Of course.” Lan Wangji rushed from the room, running to the infirmary faster than he had ever moved through Cloud Recesses before in his life.
He just prayed he could get back to Wei Ying before it was too late.
Chapter Text
“Oh, Lan Wangji,” Wei Wuxian slid open the door, exhaustion and surprise painted on his too pale face. “You’re early.”
After his breakdown, Wei Wuxian spent the night at the infirmary under close watch to make sure he was of sound mind and body before being released. Lan Wangji tried to coax him back to the jingshi, where he had woken up after the six hours of kneeling, but Wei Wuxian wanted his own bed. The day after, he requested to stay in his room. The only time he opened the door was to accept food, which was left mostly untouched outside.
“Wanted to show you something.” Lan Wangji said, trying to keep his emotions in check. Seeing Wei Wuxian act so casual after what happened… it was almost more concerning.
“Oh… yeah okay, give me a moment.” Wei Wuxian ducked back into his room. Several moments later he stepped out dressed in his GusuLan robes. Lan Wangji felt bile in the back of his throat at the sight of Wei Wuxian under so many layers, constricting his free spirit like shackles.
“Mm.” He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to ask Wei Wuxian how he was feeling, or if there was anything he could do - anything at all, no matter how impossible - to make him happy in Gusu, but nothing came out. They walked in silence.
He wanted to say something - anything. He had spent hours and hours agonizing over how to fix this, but now that he was standing next to his betrothed, he was stuck. He had never been the bet at expressing his word, but for the first time he WANTED to speak and there weren’t any words to be spoken.
“Hey, Lan Wangji?” Wei Wuxian asked, his voice too soft. Too demure.
“Mm?”
“Can we pretend the other day never happened?” He whispered, eyes looking straight ahead - eyes that should have sparkled with laughter and life but where instead dull. “I don’t want that to affect the engagement.”
“Wei Ying, I do not think it’s a good idea to pretend nothing happened,” Lan Wangji frowned. “Your health is more important than any engagement.”
“No, it’s not,” Wei Wuxian instantly disagreed. “Please, just forget it…. Wait, what did you call me?” He turned and blinked, his eyes wide for the first time in days.
“I found it… awkward to continue calling you by your courtesy name.” Lan Wangji looked away, his ears burning.
“Then… what can I call you?” Wei Ying glanced at his betrothed.
“Lan Zhan.”
“Lan Zhan…” He tried the name out, finding it tasted sweet against his tongue.
“Mm,” His blush brightened, spreading down the back of his neck. “We’re almost there. Watch your step-”
His warning came a moment too late as Wei Ying’s foot caught on the uneven ground. It was a lesser used area of Cloud Recesses, and the pathway had begun to erode where tree roots sprouted up. Lan Zhan whipped around and reached out, catching the smaller man before he could fall and stain his robes.
“You were going to warn me about the pathway, weren’t you?” Wei Ying laughed faintly, staring into Lan Zhan’s eyes. He knew they were a unique color, but seeing them so close made him realize how genuinely breathtaking they were.
“Mm,” He didn’t make any move to pull away. Wei Ying was so warm in his arms, and goosebumps erupted across his skin as he felt his betrothed’s breath against his lips.
“Should have been quicker. My apologies.”
“I forgive you,” Wei Wuxian’s mouth turned up slightly. Not a full smile, but more of one than Lan Zhan had seen in days. “We… should probably keep walking, shouldn’t we? You said we were close.”
“Mm,” Lan Zhan nodded and stepped back, his arms instantly feeling cold. “It’s just around this bend.”
“Lan Zhan, you really won’t tell me?” Wei Ying teased lightly.
“Almost there.” Lan Zhan reached over and took the smaller boy’s hand, gently tugging him up the path. There was one small set of stairs and a dirt path that led to a meadow surrounded by trees.
“Oh… Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying’s eyes opened impossibly wide as he looked at the dozens of rabbits that hopped around the open field. “They’re… Lan Zhan! Rabbits!”
He couldn’t hold back the happy laugh that bubbled out of his mouth. He turned to his betrothed, grinning from ear to ear and tugged on his sleeve.
“Can we- can I-?”
“Would you like to hold one?” Lan Zhan couldn’t stop a smile of his own.
“Yes!” Wei Ying jumped in excitement, so close to falling into Lan Zhan’s arms but catching himself at the last second.
“Come,” Lan Zhan nodded, pleased at the other boy’s reaction. They made their way towards the meadow, Wei Ying barely restraining himself as Lan Zhan undid the fence that kept the rabbits from escaping. There were easily three dozen rabbits - a good amount of them that Wei Ying hadn’t seen at first because they were hopping in and out of the small hutches that lined the edge of the field. “Sit here.”
He gestured to a patch of grass that looked pressed down from others sitting there over the years. Wei Ying sat carefully, afraid of getting green stains on his white robes. He hadn’t seen anyone since the incident, only leaving his room to use the restroom and to bathe in the dead of night when he was sure he wouldn’t be caught. He wasn’t used to actually wearing his white robes out, having lived in his under robes from home at night.
“Lan Zhan?” he called out when he realized the other had walked out of sight. A second later, he came back with something small and wriggling in his arms.
“Hands out.” He said softly. Wei Ying obeyed, gasping a little as a small rabbit was placed on his outstretched palm.
“Oh Lan Zhan…” He breathed, cupping the rabbit kit as if it was the most delicate thing he had ever seen, and in a sense it was. He had grown up with swords and bows and hand to hand combat. Small, delicate, helpless… these things were not something he knew well. He could feel its little heartbeat pittering against his hand like a moth’s wing.
“They were born a week ago,” Lan Zhan watched Wei Ying coo at the kit with a soft expression. “They’re just starting to open their eyes. They’ll be hopping around the meadow with the others within a few days.”
“How is it so little?” Wei Ying whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of the bunny’s head. Its fur was soft against his lips and he could smell hay and fur. It reminded him of the cats that lived in the stables of Lotus Pier.
“I’ll bring you to see the next litter that’s born. They’re even smaller then.” Lan Zhan could have sat there for hours, watching Wei Ying hold the animal like it was the most precious thing in the world.
“I thought… I thought pets aren't allowed?” He breathed, eyes not leaving his hands.
“First rule I broke,” Lan Zhan hummed as he scooped up a rabbit that had hopped up and began nibbling at his long sleeve. “I was nine. I found two rabbits on the mountain, in a live-trap. One was in the trap, and the other was sitting outside. They were… pressing their noses together through the cage. I opened the trap and snuck them into my room. I kept them hidden for two months before Brother saw where one chewed as hole in my robes.”
“What did you do then?” Wei Ying gasped, trying to imagine a baby Lan Zhan smuggling two wriggling rabbits into pristine Cloud Recesses.
“He helped me sneak them out of my room,” Lan Zhan didn’t chuckle, but his voice was light. Wei Ying realized it was a very Lan Zhan like way of expressing himself. “He found this meadow and we made a makeshift pen for them. Uncle only found out when the one burrowed his way out. His partner hadn’t moved but he seemed excited to get him back.”
“They were both boys?” Wei Ying asked quietly, glancing up at Lan Zhan. There was an unspoken question in his eyes that Lan Zhan could see clear as day.
“Mm, and they were very happy together,” He shifted his weight to his other hip, which just happened to lean in towards Wei Ying’s side. “Their passing was… devastating, but because of them I felt genuinely happy for several years. Before their passing, I had found some does and within the month I saw my first litter. They passed a few years ago, but I am reminded of them every day, because ones like her-” He pointed to the kit Wei Ying was holding. “Are an exact copy of the one I found in the trap.”
“Was he all black?”
“Mm, and the other was white as snow,” Lan Zhan picked up another rabbit, this one white with black patches, and placed it on his lap. “They made a handsome couple.”
“I bet,” Wei Ying looked away from the kit again, staring at Lan Zhan carefully. “A rambunctious black rabbit and a calm white one… sounds like they were the perfect pair.”
“Here,” He took the kit away, putting her back in the nearest hutch before gathering a handful of the rabbits and carrying them over. “Lay back.”
“Why?” He asked, doing as he was told anyway. Lan Zhan began placing the rabbits on his chest, his lap, his arms, even going as far as to place one on the top of Wei Ying’s head. All that was showing of Wei Ying was his eyes and nose.
“Brother used to do this with me, when I was upset,” Lan Zhan pet the rabbit on Wei Ying’s head, letting his hand trail down to gently tap the other boy on the nose. He pulled his hand back, and Wei Ying let out a little whine. If his hands hadn’t been covered in rabbit, he might have reached out to catch the hand. “After our Mother passed, I didn’t talk to anyone… for several months. Not even Brother or Uncle. It was the rabbits that found my voice again. I would talk to them, when I felt lonely, and they never judged me"
"I’m glad you had someone to confide in,” Wei Yin wiggled a little, to urge the rabbits to hop away so he could sit up. “Not being able to spill your secrets is just a bonus.”
“Mm,” He let out a huff of air, the closest Wei Ying had ever heard of a laugh from his betrothed. “If Wei Ying needs to confide in someone, you’re welcome to come here,” Lan Zhan stood, giving his hand to the other tboy to help him up as well. “The rabbits are good listeners… as I am, if you’d like.”
“Hm, I’d like,” Wei Ying smiled shyly. “Thank you for this Lan Zhan. I… feel much better.”
“I’m glad. I’ve missed your smile,” Lan Zhan took the other boy’s hand without looking at him. “You’ve only smiled in the library since arriving… I’ve wanted you to smile for me.”
“I’ll save my smiles all for you then,” His soft smile turned into a bright grin. “Just between us.”
“Mm.” He smiled, not showing his teeth but still making Wei Ying’s heart jump.
A soft sob broke through the serene quiet of Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian stopped, glancing around but not able to pinpoint where the soft sounds were coming from. He took a few steps forward, but despite his efforts to be quiet he stepped on a branch. It cracked loudly and he heard a gasp from the bushes on his right.
“Is someone there?” He asked gently, stepping towards the bush.
“No,” A voice called out. “Go away.”
“Is something wrong, Bush-xiong?” Wei Wuxian kept his tone light. He may not have had a lot of experience with young children, he was the head disciple of YunmengJiang for five years, so he was good at helping younger disciples.
“No…” The boy sniffled, rustling the branches.
“Lan-gongzi, could you step out of the foliage?” Wei Wuxian had seen the flash of the metal headband piece, so he knew it was an inner family member, which only piqued his curiosity even more.
“You’re Hanguang-Jun’s betrothed, aren’t you?” The voice asked, no longer crying but still stuffy sounding.
“Ah, I suppose my reputation has preceded me,” Wei Wuxian tried to say it lightly, but it still came out with a bit of an edge. Two weeks had passed since Lan Zhan had taken him to the rabbit meadow and things were… better. They spent more time together now, eating all three meals together and studying in the library at the same time. The few times he had felt genuinely restless, Lan Zhan would spar with him, exhilarating him in a way no spar had in many years, Lan Zhan being his equal in every way. The most comforting part was how Lan Qiren seemed nowhere to be found when he wandered Cloud Recesses. “What rumor did you hear about me?”
“There were a few times, a couple of weeks ago, where I was supposed to fulfill my punishment in the library but since you were there, Teacher Qiren had me copy lines in the classroom.”
“What could you have done that was bad enough to be punished?”
“Everything,” The boy sounded close to tears again. “Nothing I do is ever good enough… speaking ill of others is forbidden, but I still hear the way they talk about me… They say I don’t deserve my ribbon. That wearing it is dishonoring the Lan name.”
“Kid, no one is going to dishonor your ribbon more than I am, as soon as this wedding happens,” Wei Wuxian chuckled. “Still not sure what’s going to happen after those three bows either… this whole situation kind of feels like a dream, like any day now I’m going to wake back up to my brother yelling at me to get my lazy ass out of bed.”
“Do you miss home?”
“More than anything,” The confession burned his throat. “But I understand that I can’t go back. Thankfully Lan Zhan is trying his best to make Gusu home for me…”
“Hanguang-Jun is a good person.”
“Mm, he’s also very cute when he gets flustered,” Wei Wuxian wished the boy was sitting with him, because judging by the squeak, he was blushing brightly. “Come take a walk with me. I promise I don’t bite too much.”
The bush was silent for a moment before a young man stood and shuffled his way out onto the path. His face was blotchy from crying, his eyes rimmed red and his cheeks tacky. His ribbon was tilted, leaves and twigs sticking out of his hair.
“I’m sorry for bothering Senior Wei,” The boy bowed, his bangs hiding his face. “This disciple is Lan Jingyi.”
“Lan Jingyi, why don’t you tell this senior what’s on your mind?” Wei Wuxian asked as they began to walk down the path. He glanced over and noticed that the boy was limping slightly. Concern and rage flared in his chest. Did someone hurt him?
“I’m not a snitch…” Jingyi muttered, kicking a rock as he walked. Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. It was clear someone had warned him against telling anyone about what happened, probably threatening him not to ‘snitch’.
“There’s a fundamental difference between snitching and seeking help,” Wei Wuxian kept his tone soft. “Swiping an extra bun at dinner, sneaking out past curfew, things like that would be snitching, because they aren’t harming anyone. If you’re being threatened, or hurt, that is not snitching. That’s getting help, and it’s okay to need help.”
“I just…” Tears began to well in his eyes again. “Nothing I do is ever good enough. I try so hard, but I’m so… average. I can only fight decently. My archery is alright. My grades aren’t awful, but I don’t excel in anything. Plus, I keep breaking rules. I don’t mean to! I just… I naturally talk loudly. I get excited and forget to keep my voice down. I get mad when my friends are picked on and start fights… They say I’m the most un-Lan like Lan to be born into the clan in centuries.”
“I can guarantee that’s not correct,” Wei Wuxian stopped walking and turned to Jingyi. “There’s nothing wrong with being yourself. Rules are good for discipline, but if they’re crushing you, you can’t blame yourself. You can’t blame a bird for wanting to fly free, can you? You’re just doing your best, and they’re the ones that won’t meet you halfway.
They’re making you run all the way to them instead.”
“How do you do it?” Jingyi’s bottom lip wobbled.
“Do what?”
“Live here, with all these rules? We visited Lotus Pier once, a year or so ago. It was different there, it was almost scary. How did you manage to go from that to… to this?”
“To be completely honest, I’m still working on it,” Wei Wuxian didn’t want to admit weakness in front of a boy that needed strength. “Lan Zhan has been helping a lot, but it’s definitely still hard. It’s so different here that I feel my head spinning sometimes.”
“I don’t think people like us will ever really fit in here.” Jingyi sounded so despondent that the older boy wanted to wrap him in a tight hug.
“As long as we stick together, we can make our own place in Cloud Recesses where we belong,” He nudged the boy a little with his shoulder, earning a small smile. “As long as we have each other, neither of us will be alone again, okay?”
“You’d- you’d do that?” Jingyi looked at him with such wide, hopeful eyes that Wei Wuxian wanted to gut anyone who made the boy distrust the world.
“Of course,” He offered a warm smile, his chest lightening as he saw Jingyi’s mouth twitch in a smile of his own in return. “You know, if we keep finding others who don’t fit in, we can outnumber the ones who do and then they’ll be the ones that don’t belong.”
“As if.” Jingyi snorted, his laugh congested but genuine. Wei Wuxian’s grin widened. The boy had a nice laugh.
“Jingyi! There you are!” Another Lan disciple came running up to them, panting and red faced. “I’ve b-been looking everywhere for you!”
“Sizhui, you shouldn't be running… or shouting,” Jingyi’s smile instantly faded. “I don’t want you to get in even more trouble because of me.”
“Who cares about getting in trouble?” Lan Sizhui’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “Do you have any idea how scared I was when you ran off? I didn’t know where you where, or if you were okay, or if you were going to come back and I just-”
He cut himself off by throwing his arms around his friend’s neck, pulling him into a hug. Wei Wuxian watched with a soft upturn of the lips. Jingyi and Sizhui reminded him a lot of himself and Jiang Cheng, when they were younger. He would run off to do something reckless and Jiang Cheng would scold him within an inch of his life before hugging him tightly, calling him stupid for doing something so dangerous.
“Thank you for finding him,” Sizhui pulled away from his friend and bowed to Wei Wuxian properly. “He is very dear to me, and his safety is very important.”
“Of course,” He resisted the urge to ruffle the boy’s hair. “Like I told him, if he ever needs to get away from everything to come find me, and the same can go for you if you want.”
“M-me?” Sizhui looked up at him quickly.
“Senior Wei says us misfits have to stick together.” Jingyi chuckled a little, the blotchiness in his cheeks finally fading.
“Senior… Wei?” Sizhui blinked before turning back to Wei Wuxian. “Hanguang-Jun’s betrothed?”
“Unless he’s been promised to another, that would be me,” He grinned and winked cheekily, causing both boys to flush a little. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lan Sizhui.”
“Likewise, Senior Wei,” He bowed, causing Wei Wuxian to chuckle again. “Thank you again for taking care of Jingyi. I hope we cross paths again.”
“Me too.” Wei Wuxian watched the boys bow and scurry off, and for the first time since leaving Yunmeng, he thought maybe - just maybe - he could find something other than Lan Zhan and the treaty worth making a home in Gusu for.
“Uncle, this is preposterous.” Lan Xichen’s voice carried across the still air, causing Wei Wuxian to freeze. He always thought that a little background noise around Cloud Recesses could be helpful, especially to keep private conversations from being overheard.
“You don’t understand Xichen.” Lan Qiren snapped and Wei Wuxian felt his heart instantly speed up, as if his body was preparing to run.
“Enlighten me then, Uncle,” Lan Xichen’s words were so cold that it made Wei Wuxian jump a little. He had never heard the older boy sound anything but warm and pleasant. He didn’t even think Zewu-Jun could speak like that. “Because it seems to be you’re purposely villainizing him for no reason! Wangji cares greatly for him, and he’s going to marry into the clan whether you like it or not. Father approved it, and honestly if he makes Wangji happy then I’ll do anything it takes to make sure Wei Wuxian stays in Cloud Recesses.”
At the mention of his name, Wei Wuxian felt his stomach flip. He was the reason Lan Xichen was arguing with his Uncle. He didn’t want to be the source of anymore strife for Lan Zhan’s family.
“How much do you know about Wei Wuxian’s past?” Lan Qiren asked, sounding as though he fully well knew the answer.
“He was adopted by the Jiangs and raised as head disciple.”
“His mother was Cangse Sanren,” Lan Qiren said the name like a curse, like it was bitter on his tongue. Wei Wuxian felt himself bristling. “Do you know anything about her?”
“I… do not.”
“Cangse Sanren was my betrothed, when we were eighteen,” Lan Qiren sounded too calm. The sudden revelation sent ice through Wei Wuxian’s veins. “We were to be wed for the same reason Wangji and that boy are - to solidify the allegiance between YunmengJiang and GusuLan. Even though she was simply a servant, she was held in high regard by the Jiangs. The night before the wedding, she eloped with Wei Changze and ran off to be a rogue cultivator. No one heard anything from them for years, until word of their deaths reached us… we assumed their child had perished as well. Imagine our surprise to hear that Jiang Fengmian found Wei Wuxian as a street urchin three years later.”
“So… you’re taking out a grudge, aged almost two decades, on Wei Wuxian simply because… his mother didn’t want to marry you?” Lan Xichen spoke slowly, as if trying to find a fault in his logic.
“Th-there is much you don’t understand, Xichen,” Lan Qiren sounded angry. “There is more to the world than just right and wrong, just as there is more to this situation than good and bad.”
“Uncle…” Lan Xichen’s voice shook. “You… you’ve been purposely breaking Wei Wuxian down because… because you’re what? Angry? Bitter? Or are you jealous?”
“Xichen! How dare you speak to me like that!”
“No, how dare you take your anger out on my brother!”
“He is not your brother yet.”
“He will be soon enough,” Zewu-Jun’s voice was cold as ice. “And someone here should treat him like family, seeing how you won’t.”
“We cannot trust him,” Lan Qiren’s voice dropped low. “His parents ran away to elope, leaving everything behind. How can we know he won’t do the same to Wangji? You think you’re supporting him, but so am I. I won’t let Wangji be hurt by some- some flighty son of a servant!”
“Uncle, Sect Leader Jiang and his family will be arriving in four days time, and the wedding will be held in six. You have until then to put your prejudices aside, or I will find a way to keep you from the ceremony.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I would do anything for Wangji,” Lan Xichen left no room for arguments. “And if you being at his wedding ceremony would create any sort of stress, you will not be attending. After everything he’s been through, he deserves to be happy and I will not allow you to ruin this for them.”
“Lan Huan, leave my chambers. I refuse to allow this conversation to continue.”
Lan Xichen didn’t say anything else, but Wei Wuxian heard the older boy’s robes swishing as he turned and walked out. He realized at the last moment that he was in a very visible place and tried to dart off to the side but was too slow.
“Wei-gongzi,” Lan Xichen smiled at him, but it was clear it was strained. “I hope you are doing well this evening.”
“Zewu-Jun, forgive me,” he bowed slightly. “But Lan Zhan does look up to Teacher Qiren, despite what happened, and he would be upset if he wasn’t at the ceremony.”
“After everything he did, you’re still vouching for him?” Xichen asked with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “Your heart is far larger than some may think. I am glad Wangji has you.”
“I’m glad to have him too,” Wei Wuxian rubbed the side of his nose. “He’s been… making this whole situation easier.”
“I understand that the arrangement was not ideal for you, but I truly am happy that you’re here. You make Wangji happier than I’ve seen him in years. Happier than he’s ever been, if I’m being honest. He was always such a serious child, and Uncle had never treated him softly, holding both of us to unreachable standards. Then you came, and he’s been smiling. He’s been… spending more time with you and the rabbits. I can’t believe the change I’ve seen in him, and it’s all thanks to you, Wuxian.”
Wei Wuxian jumped at the use of his courtesy name. It made sense, seeing how they were to be family in under a week, but no one called him that. Even in Yunmeng, the closest thing he had was his Shijie, calling him A-Xian with a soft smile and a hug waiting.
“I’m… glad I came too,” Wei Wuxian surprised himself, and judging by the smile Lan Xichen was giving him, the surprise was clear on his face. “Getting to know Lan Zhan has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. He’s… he makes me so happy.”
“Wuxian…” He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Welcome to the family. I know this change has not been the kindest to you, but we’re all glad you are here. Even the junior disciples have been raving about you. You’ve made quite the impression on them.”
“It’s nice to be able to mentor again,” Wei Wuxian nodded. “I’ve missed being able to help others train. I know I don’t really seem like the type, but teaching was always my favorite duty as head disciple.”
“I believe you’d be a wonderful instructor,” Lan Xichen’s eye had a sparkle to it. “I must go, but please consider bringing Wangji by for dinner one night.”
“I will!” Wei Wuxian grinned and bowed as Zewu-Jun left, the older boy’s mind hatching a plan that would anger his Uncle and please his brother.
“Senior Wei! Senior Wei!” The disciples came rushing up to him like a flock of ducklings.
“Woah! Shouldn’t you be training?” Wei Wuxian laughed as the boys skidded to a halt mere feet from the older boy.
“Yes, but our teacher is away on an emergency night hunt and Zewu-Jun said you would train with us!” Jingyi beamed at him, looking nothing like the boy he first met. This Jingyi was happy and excited to train for the first time.
“Oh really? Zewu-Jun did?” Wei Wuxian’s grin widened. “Well in that case, give me a chance to grab Suibian and I’ll meet you at the training fields.”
“Yes!” Jingyi and a few of the other disciples cheered. Sizhui didn’t cheer, but he did smile wide as he and the others rushed - but didn’t run - back towards the fields.
Wei Wuxian chuckled to himself and went to get his sword.
“Elbows straight!” Wei Wuxian called, tapping a disciple’s arm with Suibian’s sheathe. They had been practicing for a few hours already, and he was thrumming with energy. The disciples were so enthusiastic to learn the YunmengJiang way of fighting.
“Senior Wei, this is tricky for us,” Lan Sizhui said politely. “We were trained to move in a completely different way. It goes against GusuLan’s fighting style.”
“Oh… huh, I guess you’re right,” Wei Wuxian furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. “Here, try this.”
And for the next hour, Wei Wuxian had the disciples running drills that combined the fighting style he had grown up with and the one he had grown to admire. A few times he had to stop and change something to make it flow smoother, but overall the disciples seemed to be enjoying themselves and that’s all that mattered.
“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan walked down the path, looking regal as ever. Wei Wuxian stopped correcting Jingyi’s wrist and bounced over to his betrothed, sweaty and glowing.
“Lan Zhan! How did you find me?” He asked, grinning wide.
“Brother told me you were training the disciples today.” He said with a small smile that he reserved for the smaller boy.
“Mm! They’re amazing Lan Zhan! I came up with new drills right off the top of my head and they all got it!”
“Show me.” Lan Zhan let Wei Ying drag him closer to the fields. He noticed how Wei Ying had removed his outer robes, and was just wearing the white inner robes, which were almost completely soaked through with sweat. His ears began to burn.
“Alright everyone! From the top! Show Hanguang-Jun how talented you all are!” Wei Wuxian clapped his hands and the boys fell into the first pattern.
They ran through the drills, making small mistakes here and there but otherwise doing remarkable for only having been working on it for a short while. The entire time, Wei
Wuxian was shouting out small corrections and praises, his whole face shining with pure joy. After a few minutes, Lan Zhan found himself watching Wei Wuxian’s smile more than the disciples and their drills. When they finished, Wei Wuxian turned to him, his eyes large and expectant.
“You invented those drills?” He asked, trying to remember why the movements seemed so familiar, yet not familiar at all.
“Yes!” Wei Wuxian ran over to him, panting lightly. “Sizhui pointed out that because they were trained very specifically, the moves I’m used to from Lotus Pier were awkward for them, so I mixed the two fighting styles… you know, it’s kind of like us, isn’t it? A combination of GusuLan and YunmengJiang, fitting perfectly together.”
Wei Wuxian’s eyes turned up as he grinned at Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan just stared at him in wonder, his mouth parting but no words coming out. Before anyone could blink, he was pulling his betrothed into a kiss, cupping the back of his head with one hand and his waist with his other.
He tiled Wei Ying’s head, the smaller boy leaning into the kiss eagerly, his lips soft and pliant. A soft moan escaped his lips when Lan Zhan’s fingers dug into his hip.
A careful clearing of a throat broke the kiss apart but the two didn’t move away. Wei Wuxian wondered if it was physically possible to have Lan Zhan’s hands on his hips for the rest of his life.
“Um… training over today,” He turned to grin at the disciples, who all glanced away awkwardly except for Jingyi who was grinning brightly, his cheeks red. “I’ll take you all out on a night hunt one day if you leave right now and don’t bother me for the rest of the evening.”
“Yes Senior Wei!” The disciples said in unison as they grabbed their swords and raced up the path, leaving Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan alone among the trees.
“So what was that all about?” Wei Wuxian purred, wrapping his arms around his betrothed’s neck.
“Did you mean it?”
“Mm?”
“Do you really think…” He trailed off and looked away, his ears bright red. “We fit perfectly together?”
“Oh…” Wei Wuxian blinked, not having expected that, before smiling brightly. “Of course I do! Lan Zhan, you’re the reason I- the reason I don’t mind staying in Gusu. When I first left Lotus Pier, I thought- I thought everything was over, and then when I was trying on the robes I just… I just snapped. I was so scared and alone and it genuinely felt like my family had sent me here to forget about me. But you made it better. You stayed by my side and helped me adjust to Cloud Recesses. You made me want to… you made me excited to live here.”
“Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan stared at him with the stars in his golden eyes.
“Can you kiss me again please?” Wei Wuxian whispered, never looking away from the molten honey staring into his soul.
Lan Zhan didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he pulled the smaller boy into another deep kiss, twisting his fingers through Wei Ying’s sweat dampened hair, tugging gently. He gasped and Lan Zhan took the opportunity to explore the inside of Wei Ying’s mouth with his tongue. His hand gripped Wei Ying’s hip tightly and the smaller boy really, really hoped there would be bruises.
“Mm, as much as I love the idea of being ravished on the training grounds,” Wei Ying gasped as his lower half was brought closer to the front of Lan Zhan’s white robes. “But wouldn’t a bed be nicer?”
“Mm.” Lan Zhan hummed and easily scooped Wei Ying into his arms, the sudden movement pulling his robes open. Lan Zhan leaned down and bit his bare shoulder before rushing towards a part of Cloud Recess that Wei Ying had never seen.
Notes:
Me: I'm gonna write a one chapter story
Me: Okay maybe two.
Me, the fool: FINE three.I have too much school work and too much writing to want to do and not enough time this it driving me insane I wanna write SO MANY THINGS
Chapter Text
“A-Xian, are they treating you well here?” Jiang Yanli asked quietly. It had taken almost two hours before they had been left alone between all the consultations and fittings and people questioning about details for the wedding. In those two hours, he had only seen his brother and sister, along with the Lans that were organizing everything.
“What do you mean Shijie?” Wei Wuxian blinked. He was exhausted, but there was something so soothing about finally being with his sister that made it better.
“I’ve been so worried about you! You didn’t write nearly enough, and your letters were so- so out of character!” She huffed, running the comb through his hair. His normal ponytail had been tugged and pinned and pulled testing headpieces and veils and combs for the ceremony. His head throbbed, but his Shijie’s thin fingers felt nice against his scalp. “I’ve been wanting to come to Gusu for weeks but Mother said I couldn’t…”
Wei Wuxian winced at the mention of Madame Yu. He had yet to see her since the Jiangs had arrived in Cloud Recesses, and honestly he wouldn't be too thrilled to see her whenever he would be unlucky enough to cross paths with her.
“I’m fine Shijie,” He smiled and closed his eyes. He missed his sister so, so much. “It was… rough at first, I guess. I don’t understand how anyone can live with all these rules! It’s so- so suffocating.”
“You’ve always been such a free spirit, A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli hummed affectionately as she skillfully braided her little brother’s hair, as she had done countless times before.
“Though you seem to be getting along quite well now.”
“That’s because of Lan Zhan,” He couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle - one that absolutely did NOT sound like a lovestruck giggle. “He’s been amazing… he’s helped me adjust and has been making me feel so-”
“Loved?” Jiang Yanli covered her mouth with her hand, giggling lightly as the sudden redness of Wei Wuxian’s ears and neck.
“Y-yeah, I guess…” He trailed off, the image of ‘Lan Zhan’ and ‘love’ in the same area of thought being too much for him to handle.
“I’m happy for you,” She sounded genuine. “You deserve someone who loves you as fiercely as you love them.”
“Thanks Shijie.” He turned and rested his cheek on her lap, like he used to as a child. He was going to miss being able to rush to her side when he needed comfort - the last few weeks only highlighting how much he missed her.
“Why don’t you take A-Cheng to the training fields?” She suggested lightly. “He’s been complaining that none of the disciples can spar with him correctly… I think he just misses you but won’t admit it.”
“It’ll be nice to fight with Jiang Cheng again,” He admitted as he stood. “I’ve been working with the disciples, teaching them a mix of the GusuLan and YunmengJiang styles of swordsmanship but it’s been too long since I’ve sparred purely Yunmeng style.”
“Has the Second Young Master not been satisfying you?” Jiang Yanli giggled as Wei Wuxian’s entire body burned.
“Shijie!” He steamed, looking anywhere but at his sister, who only just laughed harder.
“With training! What did you think I meant, A-Xian?”
“I’ll have you know he’s been treating me just fine, thank you!” He huffed, crossing his arms and pouting. “In training and… otherwise.”
“Good, you deserve it.”
“Lan Zhan is an amazing swordsman,” He dropped his arms as a soft smile crossed his face again, leaving him looking lovestruck once more. “He’s so graceful. Even when he’s sweating and covered in dust, he’s so beautiful. He pushes me to train harder, and keeps encouraging me to finally beat him in a match. So far, we always tie.”
“Sounds like Young Master Lan is quite the formidable opponent,” Her smile softened as he looked at her brother with such adoration that it made his heart swell. “Shoo, go find A-Cheng and your Second Young Master. I’m sure they’re missing you - especially A-Cheng. He might not show it, but he’s missed you quite a bit since you left.”
“I will! Thank you Shijie.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek before bounding out of the room, braid swinging behind him as he moved.
“There you are!” Jiang Cheng shouted, his face twisted in a scowl. “And here I thought you ran away before the ceremony.”
“Madame Yu would quite literally kill me if I tried to escape...” Wei Wuxian said playfully, only to trail off when he realized that indeed, Madame Yu would have unleashed the full wrath of Zidian on him if he tried to back out of this arrangement, leaving nothing more than a bloody, twitching mass on the floor where Wei Wuxian had once been. “A-anyway, Shijie suggested a spar! It’s been a while since we’ve gone at it!”
“Can’t wait to see how soft you’ve gotten these past few weeks,” Jiang Cheng grinned, punching his brother in the shoulder. “GusuLan technique is so flowy. More like dance than fighting. I could probably win in under a minute.”
“Did you forget who the head disciple is?” Wei Wuxian grinned and pushed his brother back, causing them both to laugh. Wei Wuxian stopped laughing abruptly when he realized what he said. Was. Not who the head disciple IS, but who the head disciple WAS.
“I would say race you to the training fields, but I don’t want to waste the rest of the evening copying rules.”
“It’s not that bad,” Wei Wuxian chuckled as they strolled down to the fields. “Believe it or not, I’ve spent quite a few days practicing my calligraphy.”
“I believe it, actually,” Jiang Cheng deadpanned. “I find it a little hard to believe that you’re even alive at this point. I had a running bet with some of the younger disciples on whether or not the Lans would kill you before the wedding.”
“Well, they tried, I’ll give them that,” Wei Wuxian laughed, not noticing his brother’s steps faltering slightly. “It actually got... really bad for a while, but Lan Zhan helped me out.”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Cheng’s voice wavered a little, but when Wei Wuxian glanced behind him his brother’s face was in its usual, light sneer.
“I kept getting in trouble for the smallest things,” Wei Wuxian recounted, and the pain in his chest made him realize this was the first time he ever talked about this out loud to anyone. He didn’t even speak about it with Lan Zhan, preferring the other boy’s silent comfort. “Walking too quickly, talking too loudly, eating too much… I got in trouble for just wearing my robes normally a few times too.”
“What? Why?” Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow. Wei Wuxian shrugged, trying to ignore the sting in the back of his throat.
“Yeah… it wasn’t fun,” He chuckled awkwardly. He hated how he could feel himself tearing up. “Um, I think the breaking point was when I dropped a book on my head and started cursing. Lan Qiren heard me and made me kneel for six hours. I’m… not exactly sure what happened, if I’m being honest. I went to the courtyard but it almost felt like someone else was moving me, you know? Then I kinda… blacked out until Lan Zhan found me.”
“What the fuck?” Jiang Cheng stopped walking entirely. Wei Wuxian turned and looked at his brother, confused.
“What?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jiang Cheng’s voice took on an edge that Wei Wuxian had never heard before.
“Jiang Cheng-”
“No! How dare they treat you like that!” His face began to turn red as his eyes flashed dangerously. “I’ll kill them. I’ll fucking KILL them-”
“Jiang Cheng, let’s just go spar,” Something about hearing his brother get so protective of him warmed a part of Wei Wuxian’s chest, but he knew if he let the younger boy continue, things would get loud which meant they would be punished and if he was being honest, being punished again might send him right back to where he was before. “Get some of this anger out like old times.”
“I just-” He hissed, starting to walk again. “Why didn’t you tell me? You- why would you let them do that to you? Even when Mother punished you, you tried to fight it!”
“I just… didn’t see any reason to,” The training fields were coming into view. “I didn’t really see any reason to do a lot of things when I first got here.”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Cheng’s eyebrows met in the middle. They were standing, facing each other but not making any more to draw their swords.
“I mean what I said,” He shrugged, not liking how heavy his chest felt. “My first few days here I… wasn’t really hungry. I slept a lot… couldn’t bring myself to train. The only things I really did for the first week was sleep and read, and even then I barely retained anything I read… then I started getting punished all the time, so instead of reading I was copying lines for hours every day. It honestly wasn’t until he showed me the rabbit meadow that things seemed… better.”
“You- If you’re unhappy here, just be honest about it,” Jiang Cheng scowled, drawing Sandu and facing his brother. “Just- Just say the word and I’ll find a way to break this engagement. I can figure something out.”
“Jiang Cheng…” Wei Wuxian stared at his brother, his eyes wide. They don’t always see eye to eye on a lot of things, but it was moments like this that reminded him that Jiang Cheng cared about him just as much as he cared about Jiang Cheng. He was just as loyal to Wei Wuxian as Wei Wuxian was loyal to him.
“Tell me your decision later,” Jiang Cheng huffed. “Draw Suibian and show me how slow you’ve gotten without me.”
“But of course.” Wei Wuxian grinned and began the spar.
It was if they had never parted, never paused their daily training together. They flew around one another, robes and hair free in the air as metal slashed against metal. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but let out breathless laughs as he dodged attack after attack.
He twisted to his left, flipping over Sandu and landing gracefully a few feet away. Jiang Cheng glared at him for a moment, panting, and wiped some sweat from his forehead.
“What the fuck kind of fighting style was that?” He asked, his stance relaxing. It was a clear sign that the spar was a draw, seeing how they were both panting and tired.
“Ah, I guess I kind of made it up?” Wei Wuxian shrugged, as if it were something small and meaningless. The look on his brother’s face told him differently.
“You- You created a whole new form of fighting?” His eyes bugged a little. “How- you know what? I’m not even surprised at this point. You could become a traveling cultivator and form your own damn sect by the end of the month.”
“Aw, Jiang Cheng! That means so much, coming from you,” Wei Wuxian grinned, knowing exactly how to get under his brother’s skin. “Regardless, it wasn’t good enough to win the match so I just have to work harder.”
“You created a brand new style within weeks and you’re upset it wasn’t able to beat me with what I’ve been training with my entire life?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “You really are unbelievable.”
“Well-”
“Wei Wuxian.” A voice came from the top of the path and the boy in question felt his blood freeze in his veins. He turned and gave Lan Qiren a low bow, his hands shaking slightly where they clasped in front of his body.
“T-teacher Qiren,” he said, cursing himself for stuttering. “I apologize for my appearance. I will go fix it immediately.”
“What?” Jiang Cheng stared at his brother, never having heard the older boy sound so immediately beaten down.
“That… is not necessary at this moment, though you will need to change soon,” He schooled a sneer away from his mouth as he looked his nephew’s betrothed head to toe. He could see how the boy trembled before him and remembered why he had sought him out in the first place. “I wish to speak with you… in private, if possible.” He glanced at Jiang Cheng, who was angling his body as if to stand between his brother and the older man.
“Whatever you want to say to him, you can say around me.” He held his ground, and Lan Qiren felt the vein on his forehead twitch slightly. It seemed blood wasn’t needed to form such… identical personalities.
“The wedding is to be held in two days time,” Lan Qiren said after a tense moment of silence. He noted how even though Wei Wuxian straightened from his bow, the boy wearing the Lan sect robes had yet to raise his eyes from the ground. “You will be marrying into my sect, which I have given my entire life in order to ensure it thrives and stays safe. Do you understand what sacrifices I’ve given for this family?”
“This one could not begin to imagine all you’ve done for GusuLan.” Wei Wuxian murmured, his trembling hands gripping the robes at his sides in an attempt to steady them. He could hear Jiang Cheng scoff almost silently by his side.
“I’ve given more than I thought I had to give,” Lan Qiren watched the boy carefully. “I’ve given everything, and I have made… mistakes through the years. I wish nothing more than to uphold my sect’s honor, to never stray from the path of righteousness and do good for those around me, but inevitably we all make the wrong choices in life.”
Mistake. The word echoed in his head. Wei Wuxian listened numbly, the blood rushing loudly through his ears. Lan Qiren was there to break the engagement - he knew the man considered the arrangement to be a mistake, and here he was, stopping the wedding just two days before. The completely unrealistic thought of ending this and going home to Yunmeng seemed so unobtainable a few weeks ago - seemed so childish, praying and dreaming to return to his childhood home…
But now, the thought of breaking off the engagement left a hole in Wei Wuxian’s chest that seemed to swallow him whole, leaving nothing behind. He felt unsteady on his feet.
He wondered if Lan Zhan had been the one to ask his Uncle to revoke the betrothal. Lan Zhan… did he not want to marry Wei Wuxian anymore? Did he want to send Wei Wuxian back to Yunmeng as much as Lan Qiren did?
They must have waited until his family came so they could take him back with them. Two days before his marriage, and he was going to be sent home in disgrace. Madame Yu would never let him forget how he ruined the treaty between YunmengJiang and GusuLan, just as his own mother had. She would punish him until he couldn’t walk - would forbid Jiang Cheng or Jiang Yanli from tending to his wounds. Word would spread around the cultivation world that the Great Second Jade’s engagement had been broken, because his betrothed was not fit to be his partner in any sense of the word. Rumors would spread about how incompitent and unruly Wei Wuxian was, and soon the whole world would know what a disappointment he-
“Are you listening to me?” Lan Qiren’s sharp voice broke Wei Wuxian from his frantically spiraling thoughts. He looked up for the first time since the man got his attention and the instant he made eye contact with Lan Qiren, tears began streaming down his face.
“Please,” He whispered, unsure if he could have spoken up even if he wanted to. “I’m s-sorry. Please don’t send me b-back… I’ll d-do better. Please don’t- don’t- don’t take me away from Lan Zhan. Don’t b-break the engagement. I-I- I can’t-”
“Breathe.” Jiang Cheng ordered, rubbing his back as he sobbed, pleas tumbling from chapped lips as his head became more and more muddled.
“What?” Lan Qiren barked, but Wei Wuxian could barely hear him.
“I kn-know I’m no good,” He dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the cold ground. Jiang Cheng tried to get him to stand, but he refused. “I know you disapprove of me but-but please give me one m-more chance to prove myself. I-I swear I’ll be someone worthy of marrying Lan Zhan… P-please don’t send me away from him-” He broke down again, his shoulders trembling as his tears immediately soaked into the packed dirt.
It was silent for a moment, the only sounds coming from Wei Wuxian’s weak cries and whispered begging. Lan Qiren stared at the boy with wide eyes.
“Wei Wuxian, raise your head.” He said sternly, only to realize his mistake when the boy instantly tensed and started crying harder.
He remembered meeting Wei Wuxian, the year before when they brought the younger disciples to Lotus Pier for a short visit. He thought the boy had been loud, and disrespectful, and borderline boarish…
But at the same time, he commanded the room. The younger disciples of YunmengJiang looked up to him with wide, sparkling eyes, hanging on his every word. He was kind to everyone, even the servants and the merchants. He was smart, coming up with solutions no one would have even humored, and had the gumption to speak his mind when others would have held their tongue.
The boy Lan Qiren met all those months ago was now trembling at his feet, sobbing and begging for- for what? A second chance?
“Wei Wuxian, I will not tell you again. Stand,” He waited until the boy was on his feet again before speaking. “I have not come here to break the engagement. I do not know where you would have gotten that assumption from either.”
“Teacher Qiren does not approve of me,” Wei Wuxian sniffed sadly, his chest still stuttering with dry sobs. “Not as a cultivator, and especially not as a match for Lan Zhan. I know you think this arrangement is a- a mistake.”
“I did,” Lan Qiren saw no point in lying. He watched as Jiang Cheng tensed and Wei Wuxian’s tears began flowing again. He was being honest - at first, he believed this engagement to be the biggest mistake since his own brother’s wedding - but seeing how distraught the boy became at the mere idea of being sent away… he realized he truly had been wrong. “I did believe this was a mistake, but I’ve been doing some… thinking recently. The reason I sought you out this evening was because I… because I wanted to apologize.”
“Wh-what?” Wei Wuxian blinked at him, his eyes betraying the hope shining in him.
“The way I treated you when you first came to Cloud Recesses was abhorrent, and I apologize that I allowed my own bias to affect how I treated you,” He took a calming breath before continuing. “Wangji is my precious nephew, one of the only family members I have left. I was wary of you, because I did not want him to be hurt, but if I wasn’t aware of how much you cared for each other before, this… this would have only solidified that. So once again, I apologize Wei Wuxian, for treating you the way I did. I hope… I hope that we may try to mend our relationship eventually.”
“I…” Wei Wuxian was speechless. He just stared at the man with wide, disbelieving eyes that prickled with the tell tale sign of tears. Lan Qiren seemed to lean away from them, folding his arms behind his back.
“That is all I wished to say,” He nodded, almost distractedly. “I shall inform someone to draw a bath for you. Wangji is looking forward to having dinner with you and your family tonight.”
He nodded again, a short silence falling over them before he turned on his heel, his robes swishing behind him. Wei Wuxian watched as Lan Qiren walked away, not entirely sure what had just happened.
“Hey, are you alright?” Jiang Cheng asked, putting a hand on his brother’s arm. Wei Wuxian jumped, not having expected being touched so suddenly.
“Y-yeah, I think so,” He sounded breathless. “I just… wasn’t expecting that.”
“Do you… do you really like Lan Wangji that much?” His brother asked, letting his hand fall from his shoulder.
“Huh?”
“Lan Wangji. Do you really like him so much that you wouldn’t- you wouldn’t want to come back to Lotus Pier?”
“I… You know Lotus Pier will always be my favorite place,” Wei Wuxian said carefully as they began their walk back towards the guest rooms. “But… I think Cloud Recesses is becoming special to me as well. The thought of… of being taken away from Lan Zhan makes my chest hurt so badly that I feel like I need to cough up blood…”
“You love him.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah, I think I might.” He let a soft smile grace his face as he heard a soft scoff from his side.
“God, you’re disgusting,” Jiang Cheng snapped, no real fire behind his words. “I never want to see you make that face again. That’s the same look A-Jie gives the damn Peacock.”
“Hmm I guess I get it now,” He let out a watery chuckle. “I get why Shijie still likes him so much, even though he’s made her cry. I think I would like Lan Zhan no matter what he did.”
“Disgusting,” Jiang Cheng said again, but this time it sounded even more hollow. “I swear if you start acting like some lovesick idiot around me, I’m going to smack some sense back into you.”
“You’re just jealous,” Wei Wuxian grinned, turning to his brother. Jiang Cheng fought a smile of his own before settling into his usual scowl. “Don’t worry A-Cheng, you’ll find someone soon enough.”
“I’m going to break your entire body-” Jiang Cheng growled, lunging towards his brother just as two voices cried out.
“Senior Wei!” The two disciples came rushing up to them, their faces clearly showing the admiration they had for the older boy.
“Sizhui! Jingyi!’ Wei Wuxian pulled them into a brief hug, which would have seemed awkward were they not grinning so happily. “What’re you up to? Nothing good, I hope.”
“Some of the others were talking about going into town tonight, and we need a chaperone to go with us,” Jingyi said excitedly. “And we all agreed you’d be the most fun!”
“If it were literally any other day, you know I would agree in an instant,” He gave the younger boys an apologetic smile. “But tonight we’re having dinner with Lan Zhan and my family.”
“Oh right, I remember Hanguang-Jun mentioning that.” Sizhui frowned a little.
“How old are you? Shouldn’t you be allowed into town on your own?” Jiang Cheng asked, eyeing the two disciples.
“We’re in the eldest disciple class, but rules dictate that we must have a chaperone accompany us until we become fully acknowledged cultivators,” Sizhui said, polite as ever. “I just turned sixteen, and Jingyi is only two months younger than me.”
“I see,” Jiang Cheng nodded, looking at the two closely, his eyes lingering on Jingyi’s face. “You look older.”
“That’s because I’m taller than Sizhui,” He snickered a little, his face lighting up in amusement. “I’m the tallest out of our class.”
“Hm,” Jiang Cheng raised his eyebrow for a moment before nodding. “Well, we have to get going. It was… nice meeting you two.”
“The pleasure was all ours, Senior Jiang.” Sizhui bowed formally. Wei Wuxian almost laughed out loud when he had to tug Jingyi’s sleeve to get the other boy to bow too.
“We’ll see you at training tomorrow, right Senior Wei?” Jingyi asked, his golden eyes sparkling.
“Of course,” Wei Wuxian grinned and ruffled his bangs. “Though it might be a day or two after the wedding before I can come back.”
“Huh? Why?” Jiang Cheng turned to his brother, confusion written clearly on his face.
“Hanguang-Jun is quite relentless,” Sizhui said calmly despite the small smirk tugging at his lips. “His… training can be a little tiring.”
“Poor Senior Wei,” Jingyi was trying to fight back laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes. “He’s going to be so sore-”
“Shouldn’t you be doing something?” Wei Wuxian cut him off, trying and failing to keep his face neutral. The boys bows and scurried off, bursting into laughter as soon as they were out of eyesight. Wei Wuxian didn’t miss how Jingyi kept glancing behind them as they went, his eyes glued to a certain shade of purple.
“What were they talking about?” Jiang Cheng asked as they continued their walk.
“Well, when two people love each other veeeeeery much- '' He grinned, only to get an elbow in his side.
“UGH I GET IT!” Jiang Cheng covered his reddening face. “They’re too young to be joking like that!”
“We’ve been making jokes like that for years now.” Wei Wuxian pointed out. Jiang Cheng, not liking to be corrected, just huffed and stalked off, forcing Wei Wuxian to follow behind, laughing all the way.
“You look beautiful.” Lan Zhan whispered as they knelt next to each other. After five hours of his sister and the servants fussing over him, Wei Wuxian felt exhausted but it was all worth it to see the look of wonder on Lan Zhan’s face when he saw his betrothed in the red robes for the first time.
“You look even more beautiful.” Wei Wuxian whispered back, grinning at how the other boy’s ears began to match his robes.
“No talking.” He turned away, but not before Wei Wuxian saw the small smile on his face.
They completed their bows, constantly glancing at each other and fighting back a smile. Once the wedding was complete, and their union official, Lan Zhan wasted no time scooping his husband into his arms and kissing him deeply, in front of everyone.
“Lan Zhan! Now who’s the shameless one?” He giggled, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Lan Zhan’s mouth.
He didn’t respond verbally, letting his lips against Wei Ying’s reflect all the things he was feeling inside.
“Hey! Stop sticking your tongue down his throat and come on!” Jiang Cheng snapped, breaking them from their personal little bubble. “The feast is about to start.”
The celebration seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Wei Wuxian didn’t drink, but he felt intoxicated on the knowledge that Lan Zhan was his HUSBAND. Absolutely drunk on the feeling of Lan Zhan’s fingers laced through his own. He laughed loudly as his Shijie forced her own betrothed out to dance, which opened the gates for everyone else to join them. Lan Zhan stood and helped him up before whisking him off to the beat of the music. His face hurt from how hard he was smiling.
He made a point to memorize the look of absolute shock and embarrassment on his brother’s face when Lan Jingyi asked him to dance. There wasn’t much that ruffled Jiang Cheng’s feathers, but it seemed a certain Lan disciple was one of those few things.
“Lan Zhan?” He whispered, just loud enough for his husband to hear.
“Mm?”
“I love you,” He grinned at how Lan Zhan's eyes widened. “Really, I do. You’ve done more than I think you’ll ever know. Without you, I don’t think… I really don’t think I’d be here anymore. You brought me out of a really scary place.” He pressed a chaste kiss to his husband’s lips before Lan Zhan captured his breath in a deeper one. When they parted, Wei Wuxian felt a little breathless.
“Love you more,” Lan Zhan sounded as breathless as he felt. “I would do anything for you… All I ever wanted was to make you smile… That’s why I asked Brother to suggest you for the arrangement.”
“What?” Wei Wuxian blinked.
“I remember you, from when we visited Lotus Pier,” Lan Zhan looked away, his ears and the back of his neck burning. “You smiled so brightly. You were like the sun, and you made me feel warm for the first time in years.”
“Lan Zhan…”
“I did not… I did not think Brother would get Uncle to agree,” He admitted, looking away from his husband. “I almost convinced myself that I would be fine with whoever I was assigned to marry, but when I was told it was you…” He cupped Wei Wuxian’s cheek, brushing a thumb - so impossibly gentle - over his cheekbone. “When I was told it was you, I could not stop smiling. I was so happy… Then you arrived and you seemed so dim. Like a caged bird… All I wanted to do was make you smile again, but I did not know how.”
“Thank you,” Wei Wuxian rested his head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder as they swayed together, in time with one another’s heartbeats but off time with the music. “For loving me, and making me feel at home here.”
“Anything for you.” Lan Zhan pressed a kiss to the crown of Wei Ying’s head, holding his husband a little closer.
“Lan Zhan, do you think we’ve been too obvious?” Wei Wuxian gasped as his husband bit up his inner thigh. They had bolted from the feast as soon as they were allowed and made a beeline for the Jinghshi, where Wei Wuxian had been moving his things into over the last week or two, making it the perfect blend of their personalities.
“Mm?” Lan Zhan just hummed a question rather than taking his mouth from his husband’s skin.
“Sizhui and Jingyi were teasing me and Jiang Cheng-” He threw his head back as Lan Zhan bit a particularly harsh mark into his thigh. “I th-think they know we’ve b-been-”
“We are not subtle,” Lan Zhan admitted, sitting up and running large hands over Wei Wuxian’s bare chest, which was covered in both new and healing bruises. “You do not exactly try your hardest to cover the marks.”
“Mm, they’re like a badge of honor,” Wei Wuxian grinned cheekily, reaching over and pressing his thumb into one of the marks his own teeth had made on Lan Zhan’s shoulder, making his husband - his HUSBAND - hiss and shiver. When Lan Zhan’s eyes met his, he saw the lust burning dangerously in them. “I want the whole world to see how well Hanguang-Jun treats his husband.”
“Wei Ying-” His voice sounded strangled as he surged upwards, pinning the smaller boy under him on the bed.
“Come on Lan Zhan,” He wrigged teasingly, lifting his knee to press against Lan Zhan’s bare cock. Lan Zhan sucked in a sharp breath before pinning Wei Wuxian more firmly beneath him. “Didn’t you promise to wreck me? I warned all the disciples that I wouldn’t be able to train them for at least two days. You don’t want to make a liar out of me, do you?”
“Mark your words,” Lan Zhan growled, biting his shoulder. Wei Wuxian’s eyes rolled back a little as his body arched up against his husband's chest. “You won’t be able to walk for three days. Minimum.”
“Promise?” Wei Wuxian shot him a flirtatious wink, only for his face to twist in pleasure. Lan Zhan really was dangerous.
“Come on Senior Wei, we don’t want to fall behind.” Lan Sizhui prompted gently as the older boy fought through the underbrush.
True to his word, Wei Wuxian took the eldest disciples on a night hunt in the forest right next to a nearby town. So far it had gone well, other than the consistent teasing that had started the second they were out of hearing distance from Cloud Recesses. Lan Zhan had to stay behind to deal with a problem in the curriculum, leaving Wei Wuxian the sole adviser on the trip.
“Don’t be too pushy Sizhui,” Jingyi grinned as he fell back in step with his friend and favorite senior. “He’s probably still too sore. That’s what happens when you get old, I guess-”
“Should I tell Jiang Cheng you said that?” Wei Wuxian grinned back as Jingyi’s face blossomed bright red. “I’m sure he’d be thrilled to know you think we’re OLD-”
“Senior Wei you wouldn’t-” He gasped, tugging on the older boy’s sleeve desperately. It was no secret that he had a bit of a crush on Jiang Wanyin, and even though the chances of anything coming from it were low, it didn’t stop Wei Wuxian from teasing the younger boy relentlessly.
‘It’s what an older brother does,’ He had said in his defense, noting how Jingyi instantly stopped complaining and blushed. ‘Jiang Cheng has to deal with the same thing.’
Jingyi seemed to like the idea of being treated like a little brother, even if it meant being teased within an inch of his life.
“There!” Another disciple shouted, pointing to a tree that was now shaking. Wei Wuxian could see the shadow of the monster they were hunting hidden within the leaves.
“Alright everyone, remember your training,” He called, casually twirling Suibian in its sheath as the disciples dropped into position. “Keep in mind that even though this is a low level monster, it still has claws and teeth and can injure you if you are not careful. Swords and talismans ready! Now go make me proud!”
“Welcome home.” Lan Zhan was waiting at the gates for them to return and instantly pulled his husband into a kiss.
“If this is welcome I get every time I leave, I’ll be going on more night hunts starting tomorrow.” He giggled into the second kiss.
“I’ll wait for Wei Ying, every time.”
“Ah Lan Zhan! That’s so soft!” Wei Wuxian wriggled but his husband was holding onto his hips firmly. “How am I supposed to think right if you keep making my heart flutter like that?”
“I will do the thinking for us both.” Lan Zhan smirked faintly, swooping in and cutting off any protests with a deeper kiss. The disciples were pretending not to watch, but they all loved seeing their Hanguang-Jun and Senior Wei happy - and neither were happier than when they were with the other.
“Boys, go- go have fun! Take the rest of the day off,” He pulled away just enough to shout towards the disciples, who instantly scattered in various directions. “Now, how about you show your dear husband just how much you missed him?” He gave Lan Zhan his most flirtatious smirk, which turned into a shocked squeak as familiar hands gripped his ass tightly.
“Be careful what you wish for.” Lan Zhan said before stealing off with Wei Wuxian in his arms.
If he was limping the next day, the disciples knew better than to mention it. In front of Senior Wei, at least.
And if Hanguang-Jun was the one limping? Well, the disciples owed Jingyi quite a bit of money.
Notes:
I love turning a short prompt into an entire story :D With the semester nearing its end, I'll probably be busy with finals and papers, but as soon as testing is over I'll lit rally have all the time in the world to write because I won't have any homework to bother with and I won't be able to get a job until quarantine is over!
If anyone has any prompts they want to see, let me know! I'll add them to my list with your username to make sure you have credit XD