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The journey out of Cloud Recesses was more a tactical escape from his ancestral home than the brief journey Lan Wangji had subtly hinted at. He’d left shortly following his brother’s scandalous wedding to two mates at the same time. While Lan Wangji only had his brother’s best interests at heart, their uncle and most of the other elders had nearly died from the shock of Lan Xichen’s choice. It’d taken a solid two years to plan the wedding for two ‘brides’, and his brother wasn’t even a week married when the eyes of the elders had turned to Lan Wangji instead.
So, Lan Wangji had nipped their mountain of betrothal requests in the bud, informing his brother and uncle that he would be journeying to find his own bride like Lan An had in the past. Quoting Lan An’s actions in any regard to the elders tended to let you win any argument, and less than a day later Lan Wangji was out of Gusu, content to aimlessly wander the lands and not get tied to a simpering bride who only wanted him for his family’s name or wealth.
There was always, of course, the fact that the main family carried Lan An’s blessing, a blessing from their dragon ancestry with the ability to shapeshift into a dragon at will. A simpering girl of a bride wouldn’t survive the shock. Both of his brother’s mates had been warriors of regard and had learned of his brother’s form before their marriage in battle. Lan Wangji would be hardpressed to find even one human that could tolerate the idea of marriage to a dragon, much less what it meant when a dragon’s needs were to be met.
As such, he’d decided that marriage was simply not in his future, much like his uncle, Lan Wangji was content to live life alone, helping humans where he was needed and living up to his family's edicts.
Maybe once his brother blessed the Lan Clan with some eggs, Lan Wangji would be allowed to return without fearing for his bachelor status. Though, knowing how long it took for the engagement to be announced, Lan Wangji expected he’d have to wait at least a few decades. He knew well of patience.
It was through his new brother-in-law Nie Huasiang that he found interest in the land of Yunmeng. The people and the culture there were so drastically different from both Gusu and Qinghe that Lan Wangji would find something there to amuse himself while he waited out the elders in his clan. It was also a land of many rivers and lakes, meaning that if he felt the need to stretch out his legs in his dragon form (or hide from messengers from his clan), there were many bodies of water to hide in.
Hidden as he was, a line of silver along the rivers leading through the rivers, Lan Wangji coasted along easily, taking in the sights of Yunmeng with a distant curiosity.
The Jiang Clan ruled over the lands here, their seat of Lotus Pier right along the water’s edge of a massive lake brimming with lotus flowers. They hungrily blotted out the sunlight from the deeper parts of the lake, creating a rather serene atmosphere. Fish and other small creatures hid in the darkness, sunlight piercing through gaps in the leaves like sun rays through a cloudy sky.
While it was remarkably tranquil in the depths, the shallows were full of humans, young and old, that relied on the bounties of the water for work and play. Adults harvested the lotus and fished in the lake for their meals. Children swam along the banks, squealing and laughing in delight.
Lan Wangji watched this with the distant gaze that dragons observed all other life in the world with. Even when interacting with humans, they remained distant, wary of their short, fiery lives that could ignite the fires of war for decades to come.
He continued to watch, his gaze sharpening when he noticed a small child swimming a little too hard, too frantic, their head dipping under the water and not resurfacing despite their flailing. He swam forward, a ripple of activity, but from the depths, it would take him over a minute to reach-
A bright splash of color darted into the water, snatching up the child and hauling them to the surface with inhuman speed. Lan Wangji watched as the child gasped in air, coughing out enough water to clear their lungs before they began to truly wail in fear.
The other children began to panic, a few bursting into tears as a collection of adults hurried into the shallows to catch what was causing the commotion. The child continued to wail, but Lan Wangji found himself distracted by the being that was gently cradling the child.
The creature was lovely. Silver eyes crinkled in amusement as the creature reached out to pat the crying child on the head, consoling him in soft tones. Their hair was dark and long, tangled and wet and spilling down their bare back. Golden skin, loved by the sun, ran down to a narrow waist, where obsidian scales sprang forth. Sharp, ruby spines ran along the curves of their tail, the creature wisely kept them tucked away as the children crowded him, their faces splotched with tears. Their fins carried the same carmine hue, bright splashes of color, easily grasped in the stubby fingers of the children.
The adults rushed forward and for a moment Lan Wangji thought them to attack the foreign being, however, they merely patted him on the back, before moving to pull the nearly-drowned child from his arms. The child only wailed louder, clinging to the creature until they merely shrugged, rubbing the youngster's back easily. He opened his mouth, clever lips saying something that earned a few laughs and relieved smiles from the adults.
The other children proceeded to climb all over him, tearful anxiety melting into delight with a quickness only children could manage. The creature, shifted the child in his arms onto his back, the child delightedly clinging to him as he began to eagerly swim in the swallows, easily outpacing the other squealing children, only to turn back around and splash them all with water.
Lan Wangji watched this easy interaction with a sense of disbelief. The people of Gusu treated dragons as minor deities, only showing them the utmost respect. In turn, he watched as no less than three children snagged the creature by the tail to catch him, the being doing no more than splashing them with water for their attempts. The child around his shoulder squealed with delight so loudly Lan Wangji could hear it from his distant position in the lake bed.
The libraries in the Cloud Recesses held extensive knowledge collected from his ancestors throughout the ages, it was only for this reason that Lan Wangji knew what kind of creature was merrily intermingling with humans as if they were one of them.
It was a jiaoren, a being that was part human part fish. From his readings, he knew that the jiaoren lived farther in the South, and usually in the sea. What was a jiaoren doing here in Yunmeng?
He wished to swim forward and inquire personally, immediately, but he was a strange dragon in a strange land. Showing up in anything other than his human form would result in misunderstandings, and he did not want to introduce himself to this pretty jiaoren with his white robes dripping wet from lake water.
Instead, he swam away, rising in a discreet area and shaking off the worst of the lake water, before returning to his human form. Pristine white robes, Bichen at his side. He looked like a proper cultivator and not a dragon ready to snatch away Lotus Pier's prized jiaoren, for of course such a beautiful jiaoren was cherished by the locals.
He was sighted by lookouts before he arrived at Lotus Pier, and was greeted by none other than Yu Ziyuan, the wife of the current Sect Leader. The woman was formidable, and Hanguang Jun easily returned the bow he was offered.
"We are surprised but pleased to see the venerable Hanguang Jun at Lotus Pier," Yu Ziyuan greeted. "I hope that your journey here does not bear any ill tidings for Yunmeng," she said, straight to the point. It was a politely disguised, but rather curt 'what is a Lan cultivator doing here?'
Hanguang Jun was known for wandering the lands, but Yunmeng was protected by the Jiangs, undoubtedly the most at Lotus Pier. Yu Ziyuan had the right to be suspicious. He did not voice his intentions immediately, unsure of how the Jiang Sect would respond to him attempting to steal away their jiaoren.
"I have been traveling in search of something and found myself in Yunmeng," he offered. "It is not a malicious spirit, the Jiang Sect need not worry." He added at Yu Ziyuan's furrowed brow. The cultivator regarded him with suspicion, however, she had no grounds to interrogate him on personal matters. “I merely came to pay my respects before continuing on my journey.”
The pair examined each other for a moment longer, before Yu Ziyuan exhaled slightly, glancing at one of her handmaidens. The woman bowed politely before turning and walking away without another word, clearly used to her mistress’ unspoken commands.
"Well, it will be night soon, we welcome you to spend the night in Lotus Pier, so that you may continue your journey in the morning." She offered, as was customary. The Lan and Jiang Sects were not strong allies like the Nie and Jin Sects (strengthened even more now that his brother had married into both Sects simultaneously). At most, the Jiang Sect was non-aggressive towards the Lan Sect, their disciples behaving appropriately in Gusu whenever they found themselves within their borders. Despite the easy peace, Lan Wangji would have no qualms over starting a war for his jiaoren.
Lan Wangji followed Yu Ziyuan easily through the gates of Lotus Pier, a small, brief tour to show off their Sect home’s charms. They were passing the docks when Lan Wangji catch a flash of red, his attention snapping to the docks where none other than his jiaoren was sitting contently, sunning himself easily while a female member of the Jiang Sect braided his hair.
“Yanli,” Yu Ziyuan’s sharp voice spoke up, the woman turning to walk towards the docks. She didn’t pay the jiaoren any mind. “What are you doing?” She asked curtly.
The female, whose name Lan Wangji recognized as being the eldest daughter of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, rose from where she was kneeling behind the jiaoren, bowing politely to her mother and Lan Wangji.
“A-Xian was going to go back out on a patrol of the lake bed, his hair often gets tangled in the reeds so I offered to braid his hair back for him,” she answered easily, smiling calmly at her mother. The jiaoren was not so subtly hiding from Yu Ziyuan behind Jiang Yanli’s skirts, his silver eyes watching the Sect Leader’s wife warily. “We have a guest?” She said, looking at Lan Wangji. The jiaoren’s gaze followed hers, meeting Lan Wangji’s gaze. The jiaoren looked at Lan Wangji with curiosity, as if surprised by the intensity of Lan Wangji’s attention, before his lips parted into a sweet smile.
“Hi,” he greeted, his voice chiming like a bell.
Lan Wangji felt his stomach tie itself into fitful knots, his lungs refused to work in light of such a sweet voice. The creature looked up at him from his seat on the pier, water dripping from his neatly braided hair. A red ribbon was looped through the plaits, and Lan Wangji wished it was his forehead ribbon tangling in with the dark curls. Lan Wangji wondered if this jiaoren had a form with legs so that he could crudely spread them for less than pure purposes. Or rather, fish laid eggs, much like dragons did, not accounting for size. Lan Wangji could adapt to this jiaoren’s body easily.
“Impudent!” Yu Ziyuan snapped in warning, the jiaoren flinching at her voice. “This is the esteemed Hanguang Jun of the Gusu Lan Sect, you shall greet him properly!”
Both Jiang Yanli and the jiaoren bowed deeply at this, the jiaoren struggling slightly due to his tail. Yu Ziyuan looked unimpressed, her fingers working over her ring with increasing annoyance. Lan Wangji decided to speak up before the woman did something he would make her regret.
“You are not human, but you wear a bell of the Jiang Sect,” Lan Wangji stated, gesturing to the bell looped around the jiaoren’s waist. The jiaoren’s eyes narrowed, his nose wrinkling in amusement. It was staggering how endearing Lan Wangji found it. Lan Wangji couldn’t help the quirk of his lips at the jiaoren’s playful nature.
“This one properly greets the very observant Hanguang Jun of the Lan Sect. I am Wei Ying, courtesy name ‘Wuxian’. And you’re right, I am not human,” he waved his tail lazily in the air to accent his statement. “My mother was like me, and fell in love with my father who was a member of the Jiang Sect and so I was born.” Wei Wuxian sent him a mischievous smile. “The Lan Sect has a similar story, no? Your Sect’s founder certainly saw no fault in lying with a dragon after all!”
Daring and utterly endearing. Lan Wangji didn’t manage a response before Yu Ziyuan cracked her whip in warning. Wei Wuxian darted into the water as quickly as a minnow, and Lan Wangji wanted nothing more than to shed his human skin and run the jiaoren down.
Yu Ziyuan sent him a brief nod of apology. “Despite his appearance, Wei Wuxian is younger than several of our eldest disciples. The fact that he managed to become our senior disciple is a testament to my husband’s belief that he is a skilled cultivator.”
It was a backhanded insult, to both Jiang Fengmian and Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji couldn’t care less about the former, his brow furrowing just slightly at her words.
“He must be very skilled,” was all Lan Wangji managed, already tired of mingling with humans.
"Yunmeng is a land full of lakes and water, it makes sense that a jiaoren would be skilled in hunting water ghouls."
"Humans walk on the land, yet they struggle to contain ghouls that wander the earth as they do." Lan Wangji replied curtly. Yu Ziyuan offered him a tight smile.
"You have made your point," she said, turning back towards the guest pavilion. "It wouldn't do well to spoil our disciples, the Lan Sect is also strict about these things, no?"
"We are," Lan Wangji conceded, letting Yu Ziyuan lead him through Lotus Pier, his mind fixated on Wei Wuxian's mischievous smile. He would make sure to spoil his wife plenty in the years to come.
He paused briefly when Jiang Yanli joined them in stride. She sent him a polite smile.
“A-Xian spends most of his day outside of training patrolling the lake to keep any water ghouls at bay,” she explained easily, “but he always makes it home for dinner, as is expected of him,” she said, her gaze knowing.
“I see,” Lan Wangji replied, straightening his shoulders slightly at the female’s surprisingly intimidating gaze. “Then I will be sure to do the same, as is expected.” He replied. Jiang Yanli glanced him over a moment longer before bowing her head and quickly turning down another path. Lan Wangji watched her go, making sure to keep in his future sister-in-law’s good graces.
A few hours later after meeting with Jiang Fengmian and other elders of the Jiang Sect and Lan Wangji was pleased that the elders all wished to finally go to dinner. Contrary to the Cloud Recesses, dinner time at Lotus Pier was, for lack of a better term, absolute chaos.
While Jiang Fengmian, his wife, and several elders from their Sect sat at a private table at the end of the Dining Hall, the disciples were left to their own devices. Hanguang Jun watched from his seat at the table reserved for guests of the Sect as several disciples ran around the tables to chatter with their friends or to steal choice food from large serving platters dispersed haphazardly through the hall. While none of the disciples approached either the elders' or guests' table with the same kind of wild energy. Many of them stopped to bow to their elders and in turn Hanguang Jun before starting their meals. Dinner also went on for several hours, with people coming and going to eat their fill (or seconds and thirds) before returning to their duties.
Lotus Pier was most definitely different from both the Lan and Nie Sects. Lan Wangji slowly ate and bided his time, eyes searching for one disciple, his gaze resting on Wei Wuxian as he rushed into the dinner hall, Jiang Wanyin in tow as he quickly sat down at a random table, much to the cajoling of his fellow disciples. Several disciples from other tables also popped up to scurry over to offer their greetings, before Jiang Wanyin sent them back.
Lan Wangji continued to watch him throughout dinner, standing up to leave only a few moments after Wei Wuxian did, Jiang Wanyin once again in tow. Annoying.
He followed the pair along, catching snippets of idle chatter before finally the Jiang heir turned down a different path, Wei Wuxian turning back towards the docks. Lan Wangji’s brow furrowed, surely the jiaoren had a bedroom? Or did Yu Ziyuan expect him to live out on the water?
When Wei Wuxian stopped at the edge of the docks, only then did Lan Wangji make himself known.
“Wei Wuxian,” he called out calmly, earning the jiaoren’s attention. Wei Wuxian glanced at him in surprise, before bowing politely once again.
“This one once again greets Hanguang Jun,” he chirped, straightening his back easily. “Did you enjoy dinner? The spices in Yunmeng alone are to die for!” He declared excitedly. Lan Wangji did not mention that he’s studiously avoided all of the more heavily spiced dishes at dinner.
“It was enjoyable,” Lan Wangji said, “I hope that Wei Wuxian enjoys all of his dinners as much as he did tonight’s fare.”
“So formal! Hanguang Jun, aren’t you nearly twice my age? Please, call me Wei Ying! What brings you to Lotus Pier?” He asked curiously, shifting closer to the Lan cultivator, studying him curiously.
“I am looking for my future wife,” Lan Wangji answered truthfully, staring into Wei Ying’s wide, surprised eyes. At that moment, the wind picked up, strategically flicking one of Wei Ying’s long locks into one of the said eyes.
“Ah!” Wei Ying hissed, rubbing at his eye, his fingers curling until he pulled his hand away from his face to reveal a small pearl clutched in his fingers.
“A pearl?” Lan Wangji said, taking in the sight of the jewel with surprise. He’d read of this, yes, but he didn’t think it was so easy for them to form.
“Yes, I’ve always been like this, I even have a jar in my bedroom to collect them, every month I give them to Jiang shushu as a thank you for looking after me.”
“A ‘thank you’...?” Lan Wangji repeated, an unsettling feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach.
“Oh, the Jiangs let me become their disciple despite being half-jiaoren, this is nothing," Wei Ying said easily, offering up the pearl for Lan Wangji to take and examine. It was as silver as Wei Ying's eyes, with a rosy hue much like a lotus flower.
The Jiang Clan had prospered as of late, Lan Wangji held the pearl in his palm, marveling at the way it shimmered. Was Jiang Fengmian selling these pearls, priceless treasures, for a profit? Lan Wangji felt a surge of anger at the thought, of jealousy. He wanted to track down every pearl and steal them back from their owner, whether they were worn in jewelry or stitched to clothes, or even buried in crypts. It did not matter. Wei Ying’s pearls weren’t meant for the hands of greedy humans.
No, his tears should be for Lan Wangji alone.
“Wei Ying does enough for the Jiangs,” was all he said. Wei Ying’s brow furrowed, clearly disagreeing, but not comfortable enough to voice his protests. Instead, he began to back away towards the dock edge, clearing ready to end their conversation.
"Well, it has been nice speaking with you, Hanguang Jun, but I should patrol the lake-"
"Lan Zhan," he corrected. Wei Ying looked at him in confusion. "Wei Ying has given me his personal name, so I must offer the same."
"Don't be silly!" Wei Ying laughed, shaking his head. "The amazing Hanguang Jun doesn't need to offer me anything!" He giggled. Lan Wangji wanted to offer him things, clothes spun from the finest silks. Jewelry dripping with extravagance. His cock. His seed. His life.
"I wish for Wei Ying to call me as such," he managed instead, his gaze fixed on the jiaoren. Wei Ying paused, looking at Lan Wangji for a moment before something in his expression shuttered and he squirmed uncomfortably.
"Hanguang Jun is kind, to treat this lowly servant's son as his equal, but I must insist," Wei Ying began, blinking when Lan Wangji stepped closer, the dragon reaching out to catch a stray lock of hair from his ponytail.
"If Wei Ying wishes to be seen as my equal, then he only needs to ask."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Wei Ying managed, looking up at Lan Wangji with wide eyes.
"As my wife, Wei Ying would rise to be my equal, no one would dare to call Wei Ying a servant's son ever again." Lan Wangji vowed. Wei Ying stared up at him before he burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha! Hanguang Jun, you're so funny!" Wei Ying laughed, stumbling away as his body rolled with laughter. "You had me for a moment!" He admitted, turning away from Lan Wangji, and facing the water. "Really, your jokes are too much!" He said, quickly tugging open his robes. "I do have to patrol the lake, but thank you for such an amusing thought! Me? A wife?" He giggled in amusement.
Shock melted into annoyance then into lust as Lan Wangji watched golden skin revealed to him inch by inch. Lan Wangji watched as Wei Ying continued, dropping his outer robes on the dock before tugging at the ties to his pants, the material slipping down his legs to reveal more golden skin. Wei Ying was destroying the dragon and he acted completely unaware, now dressed in the barest of inner robes, the fabric barely reaching his thighs. The sunset offered just enough light so that Lan Wangji could see the outline of Wei Ying's body, slender and petite. Streamlined for the water.
If he was human he would have given in long ago, as it was, even a dragon had their limits. His hand found Wei Ying's arm, turning him around sharply to take in his nude form.
Wei Ying gasped in shock, eyes wide as Lan Wangji kissed him hungrily, his lips crashing forward, to take and take until Wei Ying was turning his face away with a cry, the cultivator trying to shove him away.
"H-Hanguang Jun!" Wei Ying yelled in protest, gasping when sharp teeth sank into his neck. "Ow!"
"I do not joke," Lan Wangji hissed. "I wish for Wei Ying to be my wife. Instead, Wei Ying taunts me, and laughs at me while stripping down in front of a man that longs for him?"
"I'm a man! A man! I can't be a wife!" Wei Ying cried, squirming in his grip. Lan Wangji refused to let him go. "I can't be! Hanguang Jun is a liar then! I can't be married to you!"
"Why not?" Lan Wangji growled lowly, gripping Wei Ying's wrists tightly. "Look at me, Wei Ying, and tell me that you would not live well as my wife. That I would not see to your every need." He needed Wei Ying to understand that he would provide. That he was not joking. That asking for his hand was merely a formality.
Rather than continue to escape, Wei Ying stilled. The jiaoren returned his gaze boldly, his silver eyes were hard.
"Then what does the esteemed Hanguang Jun want in return? For a half-jiaoren servant's son? Why not aim for my shijie if you want a hand in Lotus Pier?"
"I do not court Wei Ying for Lotus Pier, I court Wei Ying for Wei Ying."
"This is hardly a courtship!" Wei Ying barked back, yanking at his captured wrists. "Are bruises the only gift Hanguang Jun would offer his future wife?" He asked bitterly, looking away.
"I would offer Wei Ying whatever he desired," Lan Wangji answered, calming himself. The bruises on Wei Ying's body would only be marks of their mutual desires. He released his grip on the jiaoren's wrists. "If Wei Ying would allow me, I will arrange a substantial bride price to prove my intentions."
This seemed to be the wrong thing to say, for one moment Wei Ying was looking at him with a furrowed brow, and the next the jiaoren was diving into the lake with a flash of obsidian scales.
Lan Wangji froze for a moment, shock stilling his body at the blatant rejection, before anger replaced it, sharp and cruel. A moment later he was shifting forms and diving into the lake as well, a dragon on the hunt. Anger and annoyance drove him as he twisted around, his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the lake, the near black of the water under the lotus leaves. He didn't thrash in his anger, moving instead with controlled heat.
He would search the entire lake if he had to find his jiaoren, and he would punish his wife appropriately for refusing him.
He searched and searched, keeping to Lotus Pier and the shallows, suspecting that Wei Ying would look to escape the lake as quickly as possible to report Lan Wangji to Jiang Fengmian. Letting Wei Ying leave the lake without becoming his was truly no longer an option. Lan Wangji had only one choice, his eyes resting on a flicker of red as he caught sight of the jiaoren trying to sneak his way through a dense patch of Lotus leaves.
He darted forward, Wei Ying catching sight of him and quickly descending towards the murky depths of the lake. His bride was smart, using the tangle of the lotus leaves and the muddy lake bottom to obscure his vision and slow him down. But Lan Wangji was larger and had more stamina. He chased Wei Ying around, cutting the jiaoren off from Lotus Pier, and forcing him farther out into the lake, until Lan Wangji was sure that no locals would be around for the next phase of his plan.
He pressed Wei Ying towards the shallows before he managed to lash out with his tail, hitting the jiaoren sharply enough across the chest to daze him. Wei Ying staggered, and Lan Wangji dove forward, catching him in his teeth and surfacing from the lake.
He caged Wei Ying's tail in his teeth, biting down hard enough to get a firm grip, but light enough to avoid breaking anything. He kept his fangs far away from those obsidian scales, refusing to let them scar. Wei Ying blinked hazily, the cold of the night air enough to stir him into movement.
"No!" Wei Ying yelled as the dragon roughly dragged him out of the water onto the bank, opening his mouth so that the jiaoren tumbled onto the bank in front of the dragon. His tail thrashed, spines scratching uselessly against scales as Lan Wangji pinned him underneath his bulk. "Let me go!"
Lan Wangji ignored him, pinning the jiaoren's chest in a cage of his claws, his other paw going to still his wriggling tail. Lan Wangji searched, his snout brushing against black scales until he scented the barest hint of musk. His tongue lapped over dark scales, Wei Ying crying out from underneath him.
He continued, lapping hungrily like a dog, until the small slit just under where the soft skin of Wei Ying's belly melted into scales made itself known, growing wider and fatter until Wei Ying's wriggling cock, a dark red tentacle only a few inches long, slipped free. Lan Wangji ignored it (for now, later he would spend hours on Wei Ying's cock alone) in favor of focusing on the slit it came from. His tongue dove in just under the wriggling cock, finding the hole that all jiaoren carried to hold their eggs. His tongue split open Wei Ying's hole, earning a wail of shock and pain.
He tasted a hint of blood, but that was to be expected, his tongue was rough. His cock would suit this tight, soft heat much better. He pulled his tongue free, maneuvering himself until the first of his cock lined up against that sublime hole, sinking in hungrily, thrusting his way deeper and deeper.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Wei Ying gasped, squirming in his grip. Like this though, beached on the bank, he had no room to escape. Lan Wangji held him down firmly, his back curled in a sharp arch so he could see Wei Ying's expression crack open, the jiaoren clawing up clumps of earth beneath his hands, his tail flailing in the wet, silty mud.
Satisfaction rolled through him, possessive and hot. Wei Ying was his, so thoroughly and completely. It was intoxicating, the knowledge that this pretty jiaoren was going to be his bride. Lan Wangji groaned, thrusting forward sharply, the strength of it pushing Wei Ying further up the bank.
"N-no, ah, st-ah!" Wei Ying was crying, pearls spilling from his cheeks to pool on either side of his head. They clung to his wet hair, and Lan Wangji found the sight more than appropriate. He would have his bride decorated in his beautiful tears from head to toe.
Lan Wangji couldn’t help the growl that escaped at the thought. He leaned closer, bumping his snout against Wei Ying’s cheek, the jiaoren whining at the action. Wei Ying was fighting and squirming, but there was a hunger in his actions, his back arching to meet his thrusts, his head tossed back in pleasure.
Manic delight filled him at the thought, his Wei Ying was so ready for him, so perfect, they didn’t need to wait for either of their sect’s approval, he would gladly drag Wei Ying into the depths of the lotus lake, away from humanity’s cruel eyes and mouths filled with words that might make Wei Ying try and leave him.
He would fail, but Lan Wangji would not. He would craft Wei Ying a palace of pearls in the murky depths of the lotus lake, would crush the hulls of boats and the spines of humans brave enough to swim close. Wei Ying would be his splendid mate, lounging on a nest full of their young, Lan Wangji would teach them about their perfect mother, how he needed to be protected from the cruel humans above, teach them how to maim and kill in the name of their mother at the behest of their father.
The thought made him dizzy with want, with need. Anything to keep Wei Ying. He needed his Wei Ying all to himself.
“Ah, please, gentle, gentle!” Wei Ying begged, despite moving against Lan Wangji more eagerly. If that were the case then how would Lan Wangji know whether Wei Ying's tears were ever born of sadness? How would he know to stop massacring the Jiang clan when they came for his mate? Wei Ying clearly wanted to be Lan Wangji’s as much as Lan Wangji was already his.
Maybe, just maybe, if Wei Ying was a proper mate, a loyal one, Lan Wangji would allow him his human visitors. Maybe his shijie that he seemed to adore. Not the male one with the haughty attitude, no. Maybe the children from the lake shore as well. Small, harmless humans to suit his mate’s sweet nature. Lan Wangji would allow it only if Wei Ying was good for him.
He wanted to ask now just how good Wei Ying would be for these concessions, but the language of dragons was like the roar of waterfalls and thunderstorms. He did not want to be disturbed by any wayward Jiang Sect disciples. Wei Ying would certainly protest when Lan Wangji killed them outright for disturbing them.
Wei Ying thrashed against him, a scream escaping him as his hole clamped down on Lan Wangji's cock, painfully, exquisitely tight. His mate whined pitifully between gasps, undone by Lan Wangji's cock, and the satisfaction of that was enough to drive Lan Wangji to completion, spilling inside his mate, filling him with his seed until it leaked out around his cock.
Lan Wangji crooned sweetly, nuzzling his mate gently as he pulled his cock from that sweet, tight heat. Wei Ying cringed underneath him and Lan Wangji nuzzled his apologies, before turning his attention to Wei Ying's slit. It was split open like a wound, full of his seed, but absent of any blood. He ran his tongue against the strip, lapping up the excess seed but unwilling to delve deeper. He wanted his seed to take, to fertilize the eggs hidden deep within his bride so that no one could protest their union.
Wei Ying wriggled underneath him, hands digging up the mud from the bank. It took Lan Wangji a moment to realize that Wei Ying was inching his way back toward the water, an apparent escape attempt. Lan Wangji huffed, nudging Wei Ying farther up the bank.
The jiaoren sent him a glare, a limp fish under the body of a dragon. After a few more aborted escape attempts into the water, Wei Ying, now thoroughly covered in mud, instead opted to begin pulling himself up the bank towards the marsh grasses. Lan Wangji's brow furrowed in confusion until he noticed the strange ripple in the jiaoren's tail. Scales split open, and for a panicked moment, Lan Wangji thought his bride was injured, until scale gave way to golden skin and his bride was scrambling to his feet like a drunken man, managing a step before he tumbled forward. Lan Wangji moved quickly, slinking around his mate, only for Wei Ying to push against him in protest. He snorted at a particular rough shove to his snout. Like this, he had only tooth and claw to restrain his fighting mate, and he quickly shifted back to his human form to better capture Wei Ying.
Wei Ying slid his long, golden legs out from underneath him and promptly kicked Lan Wangji in the chest. It was expected, so Lan Wangji hardly staggered, his fingers darting up to catch Wei Ying's thin ankle in hand. Wei Ying glowered at him, managing to push himself up into a sitting position with only a slight wince.
"Hanguang Jun is a brute! So shameless himself! How dare you!"
"I will take responsibility," Lan Wangji vowed, turning his head to press a gentle kiss to the arch of Wei Ying's foot. The jiaoren stuttered in protest, squirming in his grip. "Even like this, Wei Ying is beautiful," he declared, looking at his bride. Wei Ying was watching him with shock, his cheeks crimson.
"Y-you…crazy!" He managed. "I'm a servant's son! Half-jiaoren! Your family would never accept me!"
"Wei Ying is my destined partner, they will learn to accept him. I will make them." Lan Wangji said, his voice allowing no argument. Wei Ying stared at him with a new sense of wariness.
"And if my Sect says no?" He asked after a moment. Lan Wangji turned his gaze to Lotus Pier, open and vulnerable on the lake's edge. Easy prey for a swarm of dragons. "You bastard!" Wei Ying snapped angrily, yanking his foot free from Lan Wangji's grip and staggering to his feet. Lan Wangji followed him easily, taking off his outer robe to hide Wei Ying's nude body in. Wei Ying swatted him away. "You'd hurt my Sect just to get me?! You're crazy!" Even like this, Wei Ying was beautiful. Angry and used, his hair a wet tangle down his back, mud smeared across his body, Lan Wangji's seed on his thighs.
"I would bring Wei Ying's Sect into prosperity for Wei Ying," Lan Wangji clarified, snagging Wei Ying's waist and pulling him close. Wei Ying wobbled on his legs, clearly needing a moment to adjust to land. Lan Wangji took careful note of that. He caught Wei Ying's face in his hands, tilting Wei Ying's head back until he could gaze into Wei Ying's eyes. "No one would touch Yunmeng for fear of facing our Sect's wrath. Our Sect would rise to arms to aid in the simplest of matters," he brushed a thumb against Wei Ying's soft cheek. "I would personally gift Wei Ying's shijie with wedding gifts so grand that her husband's clan would be found lacking. I would do all these things and more for Wei Ying if he asked."
"So, if I refuse you hurt everyone, and if I say yes, you'll…help?" Wei Ying asked warily. Lan Wangji hummed in agreement. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" He asked sharply. Lan Wangji frowned at that. Lying was forbidden in their Sect, he said as much. Wei Ying seemed unconvinced. Instead, Lan Wangji placed a gentle hand on Wei Ying's lower belly, at the beginning of an appetizing nest of dark curls. Wei Ying shivered, trying to pull away. Lan Wangji didn't allow it.
"I swear on our firstborn," he vowed. Wei Ying blinked, before struggling harder.
"I'm not-I'm not pregnant!" He protested, though his words were more a confused panic than veracity.
"Not yet," Lan Wangji agreed, pulling his outer robe around Wei Ying again. "All Wei Ying must do is agree, and I promise that Wei Ying and all those Wei Ying cares for will be guarded and held precious."
"Precious…" Wei Ying echoed, still unsure. Lan Wangji kissed him again, unable to help himself. Wei Ying didn't fight, but he didn't reciprocate. He regarded Lan Wangji with a sense of apprehension, but that was fine. Once they spent enough time together, Wei Ying would come to love him. The same had happened to his mother.
"My Wei Ying," he crooned, soothing his stiff mate. The jiaoren's brow was furrowed in thought, his mind racing, processing all of his options.
"I don't want to be married like this," Wei Ying said. Lan Wangji didn't need to tell him that it was no longer his choice, resignation hung heavy on his jiaoren's shoulders. "My parents married for love. I…I want to marry for love," he said weakly.
A gentleness filled Lan Wangji at that. He thought maybe his sweet mate had merely been stubborn or perhaps had not wanted Lan Wangji, but if Wei Ying wished for love, it was easily fixed.
"I love Wei Ying," he said simply. Silver eyes looked at him in disbelief. "Have loved Wei Ying since I first laid eyes on him."
"I…you can't be serious," Wei Ying mumbled in confusion. "You did…all this…?" He gestured to his bruised and muddy body. "People who love each other don't chase them down and do cruel things to them!" Wei Ying said, glaring at Lan Wangji. Wei Ying stared resolutely into Lan Wangji's eyes as if searching for any hint of a lie. Lan Wangji let him search.
"A dragon does not mate with human standards in mind," Lan Wangji replied simply. "A dragon mates with their heart and soul, to offer everything to their destined mate. Wei Ying is my destined mate. I offer Wei Ying my all. Wei Ying may take from me whatever he wishes, be it my family's wealth or my own life." He stated, lifting Wei Ying's hands to his own throat. Wei Ying stared at him incredulously for a long moment, before he barked out a laugh.
"You're shameless, Lan Zhan!" He said, turning away from the dragon. "Most people would halve the bride price for a bride who's lost their maidenhood, but since you stole it away early, I'm going to make you triple it!"
"Whatever Wei Ying wishes," Lan Wangji replied, curling around his mate happily. Wei Ying seemed caught off guard, before he pouted and began to list his reparations for Lan Wangji's cruel actions moments ago, Lan Wangji nodding his head obediently to each one.
The first was to carry Wei Ying back to Lotus Pier, his legs were too sore to walk. The next was to get them both cleaned up so that Lan Wangji could go to Jiang Fengmian and take responsibility for what he had done and then negotiate the staggering bride price he was willing to pay for Wei Ying. The next was to survive Jiang Yanli's wrath when she found out that her younger brother was crudely taken advantage of by the esteemed Hanguang Jun.
"That one will be the hardest," Wei Ying told him from the cradle of Lan Wangji's arms. The jiaoren rested his cheek on Lan Wangji's shoulder. "I'm serious, Lan Zhan! Shijie is like Madame Yu when mad! She's really scary! You better be prepared!"
"Mn," he replied, all too happy that his jiaoren was content to remain in his arms. Had he known that Wei Ying would only require a declaration of love, he would have led with that much sooner. But of course, his Wei Ying would want to marry for love, not money, his bride truly was too perfect.
Lan Wangji would assure that he would remain perfect, at his side, for the rest of their immortal lives.