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Wei Ying drags his battered body to the apartment complex, thanking the heavens he usually wears deep crimson and pitch-black clothes even on the brightest summer afternoons. He plans to book himself a luxurious hair spa for always carrying the body-swallowing,
huge
black overall in his qiankun pouch.
Sure, he gets extremely weirded-out looks as he walks across the streets of Shanghai - but it’s most likely because of his out-of-season fashion choices
,
and not the numerous cuts and heavy spillage of blood that hides beneath his robes, and
that
is a win.
Once he reaches the complex, he quickly signs himself in, limping towards his apartment. He hops on his draining feet to maintain some blood circulation to avoid ugly clotting and bruising as the elevator takes hours to reach the ground floor. Stepping inside the ornate, warm-lit elevator, he takes one look at his reflection-
“Fuck.”
He looks wrecked. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but there are splotches of blood on his neck — so, perhaps, the looks he gathered were not because of his clothes, but as Wei Ying stares at them intently… they don’t look too different than the stains from eating a spicy, red meat broth.
He still wipes them off, because god, Lan Zhan will know the difference.
Lan Zhan is his housemate. Just like Wei Ying, he is a cultivator
—
that’s a bit of an understatement. He is one of the
best
out there, with the prestigious, thousand-year-old Lan An’s blood coursing through his skin.
The Lan family is one of the few still-standing old cultivation clans - one just needs to take a look at Lan Zhan, and his elder brother, Lan Huan to know that they will continue that legacy. Truly, with such blessed looks in their genes, such grace and power, one just can’t go wrong. Even Lan Zhan’s pedantic and sour uncle can pose for Vogue and be just fine.
Back then, when Wei Ying was a fresh-faced youth, he had attended cultivation school in Gusu, to learn ethics and all their thousands of house rules, only to break most of them. That was where he had met - and successfully became the antidote that shattered the other-wise otherworldly second Jade of Lan’s countenance.
This has continued over the years. The cultivation world considers them to be each other’s ‘mortal enemies’ and ‘arch-nemeses’ only for the both of them to buy out an apartment in Shanghai - close to Gusu, but still far from the cultivation world’s schemes. In fact, it was Lan Zhan’s idea - back when Wei Ying was freshly kicked from the Jiang Sect, and was responsible for an entire minor clan’s livelihood.
Lan Zhan had asked, “Where do you intend to go, Wei Ying?”
Wei Ying had taken one hard look at the crying Wen Qing, the wailing child in his hands, and the terrified old popo, “As far away from here as I can.”
Lan Zhan hadn’t replied, or said, ‘
I’ll follow you,’
but he’d followed him. He had been there through the countless struggles of rehabilitating over fifty people, lending his support every step of the way. He’d announced to his family that he was leaving Suzhou, abandoning his six-layered robes for a pair of pants and shirt, giving up his dew-laid quiet mornings at his
jingshi
pavilion for early-morning smog and traffic to move to Shanghai.
He was close enough to visit Suzhou whenever his uncle wrote him a dramatic email threatening to retire, or when his brother said his name sorrowfully into his voicemails as he drank tea alone - the Lan siblings were
very
co-dependent.
And, it turned out to be a great decision.
Shanghai is a modern, lively city, having none of the respect for
feng shui
or ancient rituals that kept resentment at bay. In times of mass consumerism, high standards of living, tiring work schedules and stressful exams - it practically is itself a resentment breeding ground.
There aren’t any major sects stationed here, and people consider cultivators similar to face-changing clowns or fire-blowing men; just gimmicks of ancient society.
Even if they came across a ghost, they would simply think they were hallucinating.
Thus, Lan Zhan, Wei Ying and the Wen family have found a lot of work here to do, and have been paid some ridiculous amounts by traditionalists. This is the richest Wei Ying has ever been. He does like five different jobs, all out of interest, and all of them generate exceptional revenue - like his Weibo and Tiktok channels (the trick, Wei Ying thinks, is to dress Lan Zhan up in tight shirts, take him out to coffee shops, and record a video saying just anything while he sits in the background)… or like his coaching for League of Legends (of course, he plays Ahri, the nine-tailed fox), and his actual lab work in his on-going master’s degree.
So, overall, it was a great decision!
Except in times like these, he muses as the elevator finally reaches the thirteenth floor. He considers getting an electrical engineering degree after he is done with his current one, because why the fuck are the elevators so slow? He can definitely create a better one.
(Oh, right. He forgot to mention. One of the major sources of his income is his title as the Yiling Laozu. He had created a new, unorthodox cultivation path when he was going through the agonies, and as it turned out, it did not cause much harm, and was not in fact, ‘an evil path’, so he had started a website to sell the Ghost Path’s cultivation tools and now does Zoom calls and conferences on the regular to educate cultivators on how to not fuck it up. One can imagine why orthodox cultivators hate him. They just are terrible at brand marketing.)
With a ding, the elevator doors open and Wei Ying hurries to his flat. The lights are lit, and a warm aroma enters his nose. His heart sinks; Lan Zhan is home.
He rings the bell, shuffling his feet as he hears Lan Zhan’s padded footsteps - wearing his fluffy bunny slippers, isn’t he - reach the door.
“It’s me,” he calls out as Lan Zhan opens the latch.
“Wei Ying,” he greets, “You are late.”
Wei Ying smiles at him and quickly sneaks in, hoping he can run to his room before Lan Zhan notices anything off, “When have I ever been on time? Lan Zhan, if I’m ever on time, you have permission to play Cleansing for me.”
Lan Zhan huffs behind him and latches the main door shut again. Wei Ying cheers as his hand reaches his door-knob. He didn’t notice!
“Wait.”
Wei Ying’s hand pauses.
“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan says exasperatedly, as if he is reprimanding a child.
“Eh?”
Lan Zhan shakes his head, walks forward until he’s right next to him, and says in a low tone, “What did I say about hiding your injuries?”
Ah, Wei Ying thinks sullenly, so he noticed after all.
“How did you know?” Wei Ying pouts, closing his room’s door. After all, now that he has been caught, this stubborn guy will definitely not let him go.
Lan Zhan doesn’t answer, those chrysoberyl-cat eyes boring into his.
“You won’t tell? Afraid I’d know the trick next time?” Wei Ying flutters his lashes at him. It always has a particular effect, and oh! Look, it’s there again. The muscle in Lan Zhan’s jaw tenses, then relaxes. Tenses, then relaxes again. How strange.
“You should hope there is no next time,” Lan Zhan says softly, and Wei Ying feels his own muscles twitch. He hides an arm behind his back, and leans fully against his door. Lan Zhan takes a step further. Wei Ying looks down. How cute. The tips of his dirty, black leather boots are touching Lan Zhan’s bunny slippers.
Lan Zhan lets out a sigh, it tickles his eyelashes, so he closes his eyes.
A still silence settles around them. Lan Zhan’s breath is a little too fast, just like Wei Ying’s, and his face feels extremely hot.
“Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan,” he calls out softly, like a whisper, “Do I have a fever?”
He will definitely check.
Lan Zhan’s throat bobbles. Wei Ying can’t see it, but he hears the gulp, and Lan Zhan’s right-hand lifts, heat radiating from it. The thing about Lan Zhan’s hands is that they are big, and his fingers are extremely long and slender. Not a bit of fat on them. All strength. Calluses. Yeah, he has calluses from playing the guqin’s strings before he even learned how to talk. And. And . His nails. Perfectly manicured. Wei Ying knows a bit about manicures. He puts cute bunny stickers on them. Lan Zhan never removes it.
His hand lands on Wei Ying’s forehead, and then travels down to cup his cheek. Wei Ying’s entire face fits into his hand - he knows. He learnt this a year ago, when he had cried as he told Lan Zhan of the - the before-mentioned agonies. Lan Zhan had held his face, with both hands and placed a… he had pressed his lips to Wei Ying’s forehead.
This makes him feel a particular way. Hm, it’s like when his dad carried him over his shoulders, or when his mom pushed his face into her bosom. A bit like that, yeah.
“You are slightly warm,” Lan Zhan’s melodic voice says, trailing off at the end of it.
“Oh,” Wei Ying breathes.
“Mn.”
“So, I - I am sick?” Wei Ying prompts - he just really wants to hear Lan Zhan’s voice.
“Maybe.”
“So, I am not?”
A huff, “I cannot say for sure.”
Wei Ying pouts, “Lan Zhan, they say you are a distinguished cultivator. How can you not even tell if a person is sick, hm? I’m going to give you a one-star rating.”
“Rest,” Lan Zhan tells him, “And I will check your temperature again.”
Wei Ying mentally cheers, “Okay.”
“Mn.”
He doesn’t remove his hand, but he may be very close to removing it. Wei Ying says, “Lan Zhan, I fought such a big monster today. That’s why I am injured. Don’t be angry at me, hm?”
“I am not angry,” Lan Zhan says softly, “You shouldn’t try to hide your injuries from me.”
“…”
“I know,” Lan Zhan pauses, carefully selecting his words, “That you must have tried your best.” It’s not a reflection of your failing, that is what he is trying to say.
See, the thing is… Wei Ying is a little proud at heart. Of course, he’s not the type to make stupid decisions because of that, but he doesn’t like getting all chummy with his hurts. It’s just so cringe for him. And it’s a bit strange. He does reflexively hide his injuries, but he’s okay with showing them to Wen Qing, Wen Ning, or anyone else, after thinking over it.
But not Lan Zhan.
It’s not that he doesn’t trust Lan Zhan, or that Lan Zhan will patronise him. It’s just that… it’s that…
“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan says.
Wei Ying blinks, caught off-guard, “Sorry, I’m feeling a little dizzy.”
As expected, Lan Zhan’s other arm comes across his shoulder, his fingers are so long that they reach the jutting, sensitive bone of his back. If Lan Zhan moves his thumb a little upward, it will rest on his pulse point. Wei Ying tries to tilt his neck backwards, but the door is too solid behind him.
What he doesn’t expect is Lan Zhan pulling him to his chest in a single, smooth motion. Like this, his face is cradled against Lan Zhan’s chest, ears against his heart. Wei Ying’s hands come up, clutching at his shirt, feeling an unexplained vindictive pleasure at rumpling his neatly ironed clothes - it’s like he’s feeding something to his primal instincts.
Through the haze of Lan Zhan’s sandalwood scent and the rhythmic beating of his heart, Wei Ying hears the door open.
“Let’s go inside,” Lan Zhan says.
Wei Ying pretends as if he doesn’t hear him, content like a kitten, resting most of his weight against this Lan-er.
Lan Zhan’s hand comes to his face again, and Wei Ying allows himself to lean into the warmth.
“Wei Ying?”
He whines, “Asking such complicated things from me… Lan Zhan… you’re too cruel…” He intentionally flops his head into Lan Zhan’s hand. Now, Lan Zhan’s thumb falls on his nose. Does Lan Zhan know that I can lick my nose?
He suppresses the strange thought with much difficulty, dropping fully against Lan Zhan, like a marionette that’s cut from her strings. Predictably, Lan Zhan’s breathing turns rapid. He removes the hand from Wei Ying’s cheek, it’s okay, he said he will take my temperature later… and moves it under his knees, lifting him swiftly, effortlessly and carrying him to his bed.
Wei Ying opens one of his eyes for a micro-instant just to admire his toned arm muscles. Another benefit of living in Shanghai and leaving behind those six-layered robes!
Lan Zhan places a heavy, black towel on the other side, picks Wei Ying up again like he is simply a pet-kitten instead of a full-grown man and places him gently onto the towel.
Then, Lan Zhan hesitates for a moment. To spur him into action, Wei Ying lets out a light, pained groan and Lan Zhan’s hands work deftly to dispel the heavy robe he is wearing.
Wei Ying feels a frown on his face… his hands are moving a little too deftly, can Lan-er-gege possibly have experience doing this before, or is this just another example of him being born good at every existing task?
As Lan Zhan strips him of his inner layers too, Wei Ying starts actually feeling dizzy.
“Wei Ying?”
Wei Ying blinks his eyes open, and lets out the most pitiful sound he can, “Hnng?”
Lan Zhan’s eyes widen, “How… how do you feel?”
If Wei Ying answers exaggeratedly, Lan Zhan will definitely call Wen Qing over. He considers for a moment, and then, “I… ‘eepy.”
“Sleepy?”
“Hm!” He whines petulantly.
Lan Zhan doesn’t answer for a moment, then, “What did you fight today?”
Ah, why is he asking such boring questions? “Scary…”
“It was scary?”
“Very…”
Lan Zhan’s eyebrows furrow in concern, “What was it? Did you defeat it?”
“No…” Wei Ying mutters, “In a few days…”
“Where did you come across it?”
“Alley…”
“Where?”
How annoying! Was he only interested in the monster to go hunt for it himself, and not in the fact that Wei Ying must have been scared? That Wei Ying must have managed to escape with barely a life!
Sure enough, Lan Zhan is too… proper. He’s, like, so untouchable. Absolutely nothing affects him. In his youth, he could at least make him angry by showing him porn, but that’s improper to do now. Now, he’s got only a few tricks on his sleeve. The most they do is cause Lan Zhan’s muscles to twitch, eyes to widen, or breathing to become more rapid. He wants more reactions! Even lousy software gets updates once a year, so why can’t Lan Zhan’s face show more emotion?
Wei Ying considers throwing Lan Zhan out of his room and just quickly getting through first aid so that he can move on to doing more productive things, but that will take away temperature-reading time. Besides, Lan Zhan is perhaps better at first aid.
“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan calls out again, and a spark of irritation runs through Wei Ying. Look at him, endlessly calling his name, and just being there - it’s so frustrating. Lan Zhan is doing this because Wei Ying is acting like he can’t fucking stand on his feet, and Lan Zhan is a nice person who cares about every injured person.
Wei Ying has fun, playing little tricks to see his little reactions - but Lan Zhan’s boundaries are so firmly placed, and because Lan Zhan is a nice person, Wei Ying doesn’t ever play a serious trick on him.
It makes him wish Lan Zhan was a little not-nice, then it would’ve been fair game.
“Yeah?” Wei Ying says bluntly, done acting coy.
Lan Zhan appears to be taken aback, but he quickly schools his expression, “Should I put you in the bath? Then, I can disinfect the cuts.”
Wei Ying shrugs. Lan Zhan eyes him for a moment, before moving to the bathroom. Wei Ying throws an arm over his eyes. Lying there, all alone, stripped of his upper clothes, he feels extremely frustrated. Part of him wishes to go and pick a fight with Lan Zhan like they used to. Part of him wishes he could endlessly annoy him like he used to.
This… being civil roommates with this guy… it’s just so frustrating for Wei Ying. In seven years of knowing the guy, this is the first time they’re not at each other’s throats. That’s supposed to be good. It should be good. Healthy.
But healthy isn’t what he wants from Lan Zhan.
He always feels as if he is on edge. It’s not Lan Zhan’s fault - and that makes him even angrier. The way he doesn’t seem to care about anything. He’s just so cold and contained, and so nice, and warm. Even when Wei Ying swallows all his face and acts like a kitten abandoned in the rain, he just… is nice.
“Wei Ying?” Ugh, “The bath is ready.”
“I can’t walk.” Wei Ying says flippantly.
Lan Zhan stares at him.
“Oh no, my legs hurt, whatever shall I do,” he says in an even, cold tone, more frigid than even what Lan-er can manage. After all, there are a few more reasons why Yiling Laozu is feared…
Lan Zhan sighs and moves to his side, lightly cradling his head.
“What is wrong?” His voice is so soft, so tender. One can never think this is the Lan-er who is known for his frigid voice and cold eyes. When he is being like this, how can Wei Ying remain upset?
“Nothing,” he sighs.
“Was the thing you fought really scary?” Lan Zhan asks carefully.
“Mn. Very scary.”
Lan Zhan’s face is complicated as he gazes at him, “You should’ve called me.”
“I can handle it.”
“Even so.” Lan Zhan affirms, “You don’t have to feel scared.”
Something lights up in Wei Ying’s heart, and his lips tug upward, “Is that so? Will Hanguang-Jun protect me?”
Lan Zhan’s ears are delightfully red. He lowers his face abashedly, but his voice is resolute when he says, “I will.”
Wei Ying laughs. He keeps smiling as Lan Zhan dumps him into the bath in just his underwear. He keeps smiling as Lan Zhan cleans his wounds, bandages them, reacting to every little wince, and blowing on them when he whines that it hurts. He keeps smiling as Lan Zhan brings him the food he was cooking to his bed, as he hands him his favourite wine, as he combs his hair while he is eating and as he finally checks his temperature again.
Lan Zhan’s hand rests against his cheek, when he says, “Slightly warm.”
“So, I am sick?”
“Perhaps not.”
“Why so?”
“The rest of your body’s temperature is normal,” Lan Zhan says, a pained look on his face, “Perhaps because you laughed so much.”
“Oh! So, you gave me a face-limited fever, huh?” Wei Ying says happily.
“…”
Wei Ying teases him as he drinks his wine, and eats his food. When he actually starts feeling sleepy, Lan Zhan lowers him to bed and takes the dishes and the wine away. He places a blanket on top of Wei Ying, tugging the corners into the bed, as Wei Ying writhes a lot. Even in sleep, the corners of Wei Ying’s lips turn up and it brings the slightest smile to Lan Zhan’s face. He stares at him for a while, before switching the lights off and exiting the room.
But he pauses.
The lights are off.
Lan Zhan walks back into Wei Ying’s room, footsteps hurried, and heart racing wildly. He bends down by his side, cradles his face into his hand - his… small, adorable face. He presses his lips to Wei Ying’s forehead, stays like that for an instant, before forcing himself to pull back, body trembling all over slightly. Lan Zhan swiftly gets up and walks out of the room to his own. With still-shaking hands, he turns the lights on and stares into the mirror.
Eyes slightly bloodshot, lips parted, ears and neck flushed, hair out of its place, shirt crumpled and damp at the edges from bathing Wei Ying, a few locks of hair on his pants, and stains of blood - he looks frayed. Not at all the usually-composed Hanguang-jun people expect to see. Like this… he is just Lan Zhan.
And he can’t help it, but whenever Wei Ying gets like this… which is always. It’s so hard. It’s just so hard. To… to not have him. To not just smash him against the door and kiss him mindless and lift him up like that and have him splayed on his bed, shirt off and whining -
It’s just so difficult.
Even after he takes a shower, and puts his shirt into the wash, he has the strangest desire to not remove Wei Ying’s hair from his pants. It’s creepy, he tells himself. Once, twice, thrice. It’s really creepy. With much difficulty, they have reached this stage where… he has the permission to take care of Wei Ying, and coming here took, suppressing these strange, creepy feelings and just… being there.
Even so, he ends up hiding the hair behind his pillow, trying very defiantly not to think over what he has done. Tomorrow… Tomorrow he has to figure out just what had left the powerful Yiling Laozu in this condition.
Two days later, Lan Zhan is being very, very annoying again.
“Wei Ying, the beast hurt you greatly. We need to hunt it down,” he says as Wei Ying sneaks out some flavoured milk from the fridge.
“I’ll hunt it down tomorrow,” Wei Ying says, “No need for you to involve yourself.”
Lan Zhan hesitates, “But it was a dangerous creature.”
“And I am a dangerous man,” Wei Ying says wryly, before turning to Lan Zhan, hands upon his hips, “Listen. I will hunt it down tomorrow.”
Lan Zhan purses his lips, “It can hurt others in the meantime.”
“It won’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
How does he not tire out? Wei Ying, “I strongly doubt many people go near the area.”
“There can always be exceptions,” Lan Zhan points out.
“If you wish to go by probability, then in the three days of not hunting it, yet it having been there for as long as it was without any casualties-”
“Fighting you might have increased its resentment.” Lan Zhan states, “Probabilities might cost lives. You can tell me what it was, where it was, and I can clear it out.”
Wei Ying, “Well, I actually cannot.”
“Why.”
“…See, it’s a very scary curse that prevents me from stating the truth about this creature!” Wei Ying raises his milk to the ceiling, “It’s deceitful and secretive. It’s done this so I can’t share with anyone else the horrors I have seen. Lan Zhan, these horrors are meant for my eyes, and my eyes alone. This is a battle I must fight on my own. Lan Zhan, my good Lan Zhan, you understand this, don’t you?”
Lan Zhan stares at him, completely deadpan and fish-eyed.
“Lan Zhan, you understand, don’t you?” Wei Ying raises the milk carton higher.
Lan Zhan turns resolutely towards the stove, then casts a side-way glance at Wei Ying, “I do not.”
Aiyah, this child doesn’t even try. Wei Ying tsks, “Well, that’s on you. Not my fault. Anyway, tomorrow I will surely return home with victory in my hands. Do not worry.”
“No.”
Wei Ying frowns, “What ‘no’? You don’t wish for me to return safely? You don’t care?”
Lan Zhan turns back to him again, “I will go with you.”
“I just said-”
“I am going with you, tomorrow.”
“You can’t just-”
“ If not,” Lan Zhan presses on, “Then, right now, go and sit in my room. I will play the qin and eradicate the… ‘curse,’ then you can tell me.” It sounds like a threat.
Wei Ying tsks again, grumpily drinking the milk, “So cruel, you are simply so cruel. So autocratic and domineering, forcing your will over me in such a way, hmph.”
“Perhaps, this way works better on you,” Lan Zhan says in a dry voice, as he works whatever magic he does on the stove.
Wei Ying’s face heats up slightly, and he tugs at Lan Zhan’s shirt.
“What are you doing?” Lan Zhan asks, turning the stove off.
“Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying whines, “Check if I have a fever!”
The next day, Wei Ying remains quiet. It worries Lan Zhan, scared to have upset him, but he deems it necessary. Wei Ying is generally a very reasonable person, and he is extremely capable. Dauntless, fearless, proud and brilliant - like a spark that never goes out. He’s the type who completely understands the rules of a game and proceeds to bend them to his advantage. With two different styles of cultivation and numerous tricks up his sleeve, for him to have been injured that badly - tonight’s prey must be treated seriously.
But what throws Lan Zhan off about this situation is Wei Ying’s insistence on doing it alone. It’s not the first time Wei Ying has acted like this. Back then, when he’d been younger, he had thought that Wei Ying had lost his senses due to his usage of resentful energy. That he was corrupted. That the sunny smiles and bright eyes had been replaced by tendrils of dark energy, that had made him so… cruel in his pursuit of revenge, that had made him talk so arrogantly - I can, I know, my cultivation, my secrets. Who are you to interfere?
Later, he had learnt it wasn’t the resentment… well, not that the resentment helped, per se, but it was the hurt, the loss, and the coping. The pressure of being completely alone.
Wei Ying has always hidden his hurts under various exteriors. When he is upset at being ignored, he annoys him. When he is scared of being weak, he acts like he’s standing ten feet tall and infallible. When he is cornered, he laughs.
But last year, his facade fell.
And Lan Zhan saw.
He saw, and he swore that now, no matter what facade Wei Ying wears, he won’t let him walk alone. He will not be distracted by unintended jokes, petty tricks, arrogant words, or anything that Wei Ying throws at him - he will stay stable, like a rock at the banks of a raging river. After all, Wei Ying has scars on him gathered through a lifetime of pain, and it’s only been a year since he is healing.
“Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying says, as they round another alley, “You didn’t have to come.”
“Prevention,” Lan Zhan answers.
“Really, it was a one-time thing.”
“Okay.”
“You can go back.”
“Mn.” Lan Zhan doesn’t pause his steps.
“Yeah!”
“Mn.”
Wei Ying sighs, stopping in the middle of the street. He has been leading them round and round, “You are very determined, aren’t you.”
Lan Zhan turns to him and says in a serious voice, “I will help.”
Wei Ying wails, “But I didn’t ask for it!”
“Even if you do not ask.” Lan Zhan states, “Where is the prey?”
Wei Ying stops wailing, and puts his finger to his chin, “Hm. Interesting. It was right here that day.”
Lan Zhan stares at him.
“What? Don’t look at me like that! You don’t believe me?” Wei Ying’s eyes are innocently wide.
Lan Zhan solemnly shakes his head.
Wei Ying clutches his chest as if he can’t go on any longer, and his face crumples, “Lan Zhan, you wound me. We’ve been through so much together… and you don’t believe me! What a shame! How can you do that to me?”
Lan Zhan considers responding before deciding there is no need for it.
“What? You don’t care about me? You hurt me so much, Lan Zhan,” he shakes his head, “And I thought we were close. Anyways, the beast isn’t here, so let us go home. You need to make up to me for the hurt you've caused. It’s not fair to me!”
At times like this, Lan Zhan just wants to shake Wei Ying like a rattle drum until he spills all of his secrets. Always acting so mysteriously, it’s so infuriating.
“Ridiculous.” He says at last, “There isn’t a trace of resentful energy here.”
Wei Ying pauses, “Ah… is there not? That’s intriguing!”
Lan Zhan, “Don’t play games.”
Wei Ying, “Then what should I play? The guqin? I’m not that good yet. Maybe I’ll give your uncle a qi deviation with my skills.”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan pleads.
“Tsk. Let’s go home!”
“We cannot.” Lan Zhan decides, “Stop playing around.”
Wei Ying’s eyes flash, “You are the one that’s playing around! I told you I could handle it, but you’re stuck to me like glue! You said that you would trust me, didn’t you? What happened?”
Lan Zhan’s eyes lower. He parts his lips slightly but says nothing.
Wei Ying continues, but his voice falters, all fake bravado, “Yeah? You see, you just… need to-”
Before he can finish his sentence, two loud howls ring across the empty street, and padded feet thump against the ground. The air pricks and turns heavy. Lan Zhan looks up, beady golden eyes focused. His stance shifts, automatically turning defensive, but then a light frown settles on his pristine features.
“The resentment is very premature-”
His voice is cut off by a loud wail.
It is Wei Ying.
As soon as he registered the sound of the - the horrifying creatures running, he already started wailing. Now, as the movement of the terrible beasts draws close, Wei Ying abandons all of his earlier-insisted bravado and leaps onto Lan Zhan’s back, arms almost choking his neck.
“What-” Lan Zhan exclaims, as Wei Ying buries his face into his hair and cries -
“Lan Zhan! Save me!”
That’s enough of an instruction. Lan Zhan draws out his sword, eyes fixed on the entrance of the alley. The resentful energy is little, almost negligible. Lan Zhan expects a swarm of horrifying creatures.
What he doesn’t expect is a hoard of street dogs.
He blinks once. Twice.
“Wei Ying?” He asks tentatively, but the man on his back is too busy screaming murder into his ear, his arms and legs trembling around Lan Zhan’s frame. That is proof enough that these are the horrifying beasts that scarred Wei Ying. This also explains many things, such as Wei Ying’s insistence on not having Lan Zhan follow him for this ‘night-hunt.’
Lan Zhan fishes Wangji out of his qiankun pouch. The dogs watch him intently, barking and howling. They don’t approach - probably because of Wei Ying’s loud wailing. He also fishes out the dry food he keeps for Wei Ying and throws it to the dogs who pounce on it. He eyes them - uneven fur, visible ribs, a cut off-ear, a twisted paw, the slight tinge of resentment.
“The dogs must have escaped from a fighting ring,” Lan Zhan says softly, “You must have been startled by them and startled them in return, so they attacked you.”
Wei Ying sniffles on top of him, “Get rid of them.”
Lan Zhan huffs out a breath, and you wished to face them alone? But he can guess Wei Ying’s strategy. He must have intended to send a couple of his undead soldiers to play around with the dogs and distract them, while he safely played the flute two streets away atop some house, guarded by more of his undead.
Currently, Lan Zhan plays two strings on Wangji, and the resentful energy abates at once. Then, Lan Zhan clicks a picture of the dogs and sends it to the local dog adoption clinic, along with the location so that they can be picked up.
Tomorrow, he plans to inspect this area and identify the animal-fighting ring so that it can be reported to the authorities and dismantled, and he will ensure that all the dogs are successfully rehabilitated. But today, he must pamper the sniffling Wei Ying on top of him.
He considers jumping on Bichen and flying them both home, but… that will be quicker. Placing his arms underneath Wei Ying’s knees, he pulls them closer, so that his legs cross over the crook of Lan Zhan’s elbow, and he catches hold of Wei Ying’s hands, pulling them around his shoulder.
Like this, he is comfortably carrying him closely.
He turns around and starts walking home, ensuring he takes the longest path possible to feel Wei Ying’s heat a little longer. After walking idly through a couple of streets, Wei Ying raises his head -
“Lan Zhan?” His voice cracks a little, and Lan Zhan’s heart feels impossibly fond.
“Mn?”
“That - that…” he coughs, “That wasn’t the beast I fought by the way. The one I fought was, like, really big. And actually dangerous. Very heavy resentment. Okay?”
“Okay,” Lan Zhan agrees.
Wei Ying groans and buries his face into his neck, and mumbles, “You’re making fun of me.”
“I am not.”
“You are,”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Lan Zhan shakes his head, “You are stubborn.”
“Of course, I am!” Wei Ying says, straightening up a bit, “Lan Zhan, a good man should be a little stubborn.”
“Where did you learn this?”
“Well, let’s see… There was this book…” He muses.
“Did you happen to write it?” Lan Zhan asks drily.
“No, no.” Wei Ying says, “But, I am not sure. Hm…”
Lan Zhan stares at the pavement, hiding a smile.
“Aha!” Wei Ying says at last, finally having made up a bullshit story to justify the non-sensible things he says, “You see my mom said it!”
“What was the context?”
“Well, how can I remember? I was just four.” Wei Ying protests, “And you - aren’t you a curious one?”
“My mother taught me to question everything I know,” Lan Zhan says seriously.
Wei Ying blinks, caught off-guard, “Oh, really?”
“Yes.”
“Really , really?”
“Yes .”
Wei Ying clears his throat, “Then, what was the context?”
“I do not remember.” Lan Zhan says evenly, “I was just six.”
Lan Zhan walks five steps in silence, before Wei Ying explodes, “Lan Zhan, did you just lie to me?” He sounds strangely delighted, like a kid getting his holiday candy.
“I did not lie to you,” Lan Zhan lies.
“No, you totally did! Isn’t ‘do not lie’ one of the top ten rules of your GusuLan sect? What will your uncle say?” Wei Ying exclaims.
“Will you tell him?” Lan Zhan asks kindly.
“Of course! I must tell him. I will tell him how his nephew is so cruel! So stubborn! Has a good pair of arms though, Lan Zhan, being carried like this is strangely comforting, but really embarrassing too. Oh, your uncle needs to know how your face has thickened so much. And of course, of course, the grand feast of knowledge he needs to be presented with is - Lan Zhan lied!” Wei Ying punches the air. He’s bouncing on Lan Zhan’s back along with the rising and falling of his tone.
“Mn.”
“Lan Zhan, aren’t you scared he will find out?” Wei Ying asks, tugging on his ear, “I will really tell him. That you lied.”
“He won’t believe you,” Lan Zhan says assuredly.
“You-” Wei Ying slumps against his back once more, “Look at you. You’re being so cruel to me.”
“According to you, I am always cruel to you.”
“That’s right!” Wei Ying says, once again perking up. He is so endearing that Lan Zhan wants to simply keep him forever, “You are always cruel to me. Really, you should be nicer to me.”
“How?” Lan Zhan inquires.
Wei Ying hums, “Hmm. You should…” He thinks for a while, of how Lan Zhan can be nicer. Lan Zhan already cooks for him, combs his hair, takes care of him, talks to him softly, humours him and buys him gifts. Even when Wei Ying is acting stubbornly, just like this… he is there, carrying his weight. Wei Ying touches Lan Zhan’s forehead, and as expected there isn’t any sweat on him.
Strangely that is what warms his heart on this cooling night.
That Lan Zhan carries him without complaints, without visible effort. He makes it look so easy, as if Wei Ying isn’t heavy. If Wei Ying closes his eyes, he might even forget that he is being carried.
For some reason, the thought brings moisture to his eyes so he tightens his arms around Lan Zhan and hides his face into his neck, drowning in the consistent sandalwood scent. Like this, he can feel Lan Zhan’s pulse, hear his soft, stable breathing.
“Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying calls out, “You are already too nice. Thank you.”
Lan Zhan’s footsteps stop and Wei Ying jostles on his back.
“What is it?” He asks.
Lan Zhan breathes deeply once, twice, before responding with a heavy voice, “You… do not need to thank me.”
“But you are being so nice to me!” Wei Ying protests, “You really put up with me. You even carried me. Just accept my gratitude.”
“I do not want your gratitude,” Lan Zhan whispers, “And it’s not… a task to put up with you.”
Wei Ying huffs, “Is it not?”
“No.”
“Then, what is it?”
Lan Zhan stills for a second, before saying, “A pleasure.”
Wei Ying’s face warms up again and he feels off-balance for a moment, which is impossible, because Lan Zhan is holding him, “You have a strange definition of pleasure.”
“Perhaps,” Lan Zhan agrees. He starts walking again, and his voice is solemn when he says, “But it is the one I am inclined to.”
Wei Ying laughs, a little high-pitched, a little out-of-breath, “Okay, okay. I get it. You have the best fucking time of your life when you are putting up with me, hah?” His tone is sarcastic and humorous.
Lan Zhan says sincerely, “Mn.” His ears are crimson.
Wei Ying’s laughter trails off, as something rises in his chest - it feels a bit uncomfortable. A bit too warm. Like a wedge that doesn’t fit. Like a pressure on his throat. Wei Ying tries to shove it down. For the next couple of minutes, Wei Ying stays resolutely quiet, trying to dampen the heat that has ignited under his skin.
“What is wrong?” Lan Zhan asks hesitantly.
Wei Ying wants to reassure him, but he is afraid his voice will come out choked and wet, so he just clutches Lan Zhan tighter. That seems to comfort Lan Zhan somewhat, as his tense muscles relax.
“You must have been really scared,” Lan Zhan says.
The dogs, Wei Ying reminds himself, “Mn.”
“Why did you not tell me you were attacked by dogs?”
Wei Ying groans, and sways a hand around, “It’s too embarrassing.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is. The most powerful Yiling Laozu, scared of a couple of starved dogs? What a joke!” He pouts.
“And is conjuring up a mythical powerful beast any better?” Lan Zhan comments.
Wei Ying whines, slapping his limbs against Lan Zhan’s body. He thinks, Wow, Lan Zhan’s core muscles are A+ solid, “I thought you would give it up!”
Then, “But how did you even know I was injured? I really hid it well!”
Lan Zhan huffs out a breath, “Did you?”
“I did! I really did.”
“Think.”
“Eh?” Wei Ying tries to lean down, to get a look at his face, “You want me to think of how you found out.”
“Mn.” Lan Zhan confirms.
“And I’m the one playing games?” He rolls his eyes, and jabs a finger into Lan Zhan’s shoulder, “You’re the one hiding all these secrets! Look at you. You won’t let me hide any of my weaknesses, will you?” Wei Ying says sorrowfully.
“There is no need,” Lan Zhan says, “I will cover your weaknesses, and you can be as strong as you wish without fear.”
Oh.
Why is it… that these things that he says, with such a serious face, and a serious tone to go with it… why do these things make him feel like… like being caught in a rat-trap! It’s like, a choking sensation. One he can’t escape. It hurts, but it also feels good.
“But Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan starts.
“Yes?”
“I already knew you are afraid of dogs…”
Wei Ying’s entire world stops for a second. His eyes widen comically, “Wait, what? How? Then what was the point? When did you know?”
“That is what I am saying,” Lan Zhan says resolutely, “There is no point in hiding.”
Wei Ying frowns, “Why does that sound like a threat? You sound like you are going to kill me.”
“…”
“But how did you know? When did you know?”
“When you were fifteen.” Lan Zhan’s eyes are fond, “You climbed up the tree, and were screaming. I shooed the dog away.”
“But - but…” Wei Ying juts his lip out, “So you - when you were standing under the tree, you knew I was on there ?”
Lan Zhan’s eyes widen, “Ah.”
“You knew?!”
“I did,” he admits.
“So, what? You were waiting there? To drag me to punishment for breaking curfew?” Wei Ying protests, “I am taking it all back. Lan Zhan, you are cruel! You are very cruel.”
As they near the apartment complex, Wei Ying once again is subject to gathering strange looks. Well, he doesn’t blame the onlookers at all. He, a full-grown man, is currently being carried like a child by another full-grown man. But Lan Zhan seems to be immune to humiliation. He struts into the complex, walking casually as if it’s just another evening.
“Lan Zhan, how did your face become so thick?” Wei Ying inquires, desperate to know the secrets. Here, poor Wei Ying has to suffer endless tingles throughout his scalp and feel his permanently warm face. But it’s strange, Wei Ying thinks, even when Lan Zhan carried me in that empty alley, my face felt warm. And this - it doesn’t feel like shame. The pooling in his gut isn’t like shame. It’s more pleasant. It’s warmer.
It’s definitely related to how Lan Zhan feels no hesitance walking around carrying him like this. And Wei Ying knows. He knows. This… he knows.
He buries his face into Lan Zhan’s neck, breathing in the soothing sandalwood again. He knows. He has literally been living with Lan Zhan for almost a year, so he definitely knows. It’s been a year since he has had endless pressure on his back that stopped him from thinking about other things , years since he heard Jiang Cheng telling him countless versions of ‘Lan Zhan hates you.’
But knowing - knowing is like. It’s just there. Like a song at the back of his head.
Wei Ying doesn’t have to listen to it.
But when Lan Zhan does things like this, and when he says things like that, and when he acts like they’re a part of his inner fantasy, the song just grows louder. The pressure on his chest rises. He holds Lan Zhan tighter, afraid to let go, afraid to be asked to let go.
Wanting is not having, Wei Ying knows. And Lan Zhan is a very nice person. Would he have carried Wei Ying if not for how scared he was because of the dogs? He never does anything unnecessary.
But would he have held him so tenderly? Would he have spoken so softly? Would he have said that -
Wei Ying whines lightly, muffled into Lan Zhan’s damp neck.
“What is wrong?” Lan Zhan asks, as he waits for the elevator.
“This elevator takes hours to come.” Wei Ying rambles, “Do you think I can create a better elevator? I’ll do it for free if I can save myself the annoyance.”
Lan Zhan does that huff-chuckling thing again, “Two minutes,” he says.
“Count it up, Zhan-Zhan,” Wei Ying says, “If I had a lover waiting for me at home, won’t the two minutes feel like two centuries?”
Lan Zhan’s breathing pauses. He goes all still, like an ice sculpture, meanwhile, Wei Ying’s skin burns.
“A… lover?” Lan Zhan says at last.
“I mean, hypothetically. If someone were waiting for me to come home, and I was waiting to go to… them, then two minutes would be too much.” Wei Ying’s throat is too dry.
“Does it feel like too much now?” Lan Zhan asks, his voice light. His grip on Wei Ying’s arm is tight, and as Wei Ying lowers his head, he can hear his pulse. Rapid. It’s rapid. The choking sensation at once becomes too much, and he just… needs to let it out.
“No,” Wei Ying manages at last with much difficulty, “It can take as long as it wants.”
The elevator arrives. It opens with a ding.
Lan Zhan presses their floor, his actions are strangely robotic. Wei Ying feels like he is going to cry. He clutches at Lan Zhan very tightly. Their time - this night is coming to an end, and it’s scaring him because this - this vulnerability… it is so hard to conjure up. Wei Ying doesn’t think he can be like this again. The horrifying beast has been slain. The night hunt is over.
The elevator opens. Lan Zhan goes to their flat, unlocks the door, walks in, locks the door. Wei Ying doesn’t say anything. Lan Zhan walks into the living room, sidles over to the kitchen, washes his hands, fills two cups with water, hands one to Wei Ying.
Lan Zhan is nice.
He’s just so very nice.
Wei Ying hands him the cup back. Their fingers brush slightly, and Wei Ying feels guilt gnaw up in his bones. Lan Zhan is nice, he reminds himself, as the thing in his chest threatens to overpower his judgment. He doesn’t want to let go. So, he clutches onto Lan Zhan tighter.
Lan Zhan doesn’t ask him to let go.
He doesn’t walk to Wei Ying’s room.
He walks to his own, and lights up his sandalwood incense sticks in the bunny burner that Wei Ying got him customised. Finally, Lan Zhan sits on his neat bed and gently uncoils Wei Ying’s limbs from him.
Wei Ying can’t help it. He whines and grumbles.
Lan Zhan, “Have patience.”
“What are you going to do?” He asks, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.
“What do you want me to do?” Why is he always so annoying, hmph.
Wei Ying gathers his courage, and looks right into Lan Zhan’s light-coloured eyes, “What do you want to do?”
Lan Zhan’s eyes widen and his breath hitches. This, Wei Ying is familiar with. This, he already knows. He wants more. He gulps, “You can do whatever you want to me.”
Something flashes in Lan Zhan’s eyes before a veil of frost washes over his entire face, expression unreadable, yet scrutinising. Wei Ying’s heartbeats quicken, oh no, I pushed him too hard, and now he’s going to make me leave.
He is about to joke and retract his words when Lan Zhan bends to his feet and takes his boots off, despite Wei Ying’s lighthearted protests. His movements are controlled. Wei Ying doesn’t know where he is going with this, he really doesn’t know. Wei Ying is so good at reading people and their intentions, but with Lan Zhan, he just never seems to get it right.
Lan Zhan rises, and plucks his hair ribbon off, setting the long waves free. He puts his fingers in his hair, combing it backwards. Wei Ying tilts his head back, revealing his long, pale neck. Like this, he feels delicate, but he’s afraid that Lan Zhan doesn’t know. Doesn’t know the power he holds.
Wei Ying lets out a small whine, and Lan Zhan grips his hair roughly, and Wei Ying moans.
And it’s out there.
“I - Lan Zhan, I-” He stumbles over his words.
“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan’s voice is hoarse, “Whenever you’re coming home… the elevator - the two minutes. Does it… does it feel too long?”
“Too much,” Wei Ying gasps out, blinking back unsaid emotions, “Lan Zhan, it feels like two centuries, if not more.”
Wei Ying’s pounding heart is the only thing he can hear for a second before there’s a change in the air, and suddenly it’s pounding louder, and it’s only then that he realises - Lan Zhan… Lan Zhan is kissing him. His lips. Lan Zhan’s lips. On his.
The fire burns in his belly and he threads his own fingers into Lan Zhan’s hair, falling back and pulling him down with him, on top of him, kissing him messily because he doesn’t know how to. He can figure it out - he can, if his heart stops pounding for a second.
Lan Zhan grips his face. He’s not just holding it, no, he grips it. Holds it tight, like he’s going to break him, and parts. At once, Wei Ying feels too cold, too afraid, too seen.
But Lan Zhan doesn’t go away. He hovers on top of him and brings Wei Ying’s hand to his chest. The beating of his organ is rapid, just like Wei Ying’s. He looks at Lan Zhan’s face with lost, scared eyes that are only a second away from veiling his emotions.
Lan Zhan’s eyes are intense.
“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying searches.
Lan Zhan smiles. It’s a slight thing, like how a butterfly takes flight from its nimble legs. It’s a beautiful thing. He says, in a hoarse voice, “Do you understand now, Wei Ying? What I want?”
“You - you want…” His voice is breathless, all pupils in his eyes.
“You,” Lan Zhan finishes impatiently, roughly grabbing his face, “I have always wanted you.”
Wei Ying lets out a shaky breath, as the - the choking feeling resides. Instead, warmth settles into his skin. A little, then some more, then too much. He lets out a delightful laugh. It rings anew in Lan Zhan’s room.
“I didn’t know you knew about these things, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying says gleefully, “Look at how you’ve kissed me. Is this according to GusuLan Sect’s prescribed behaviour?”
“Did you not like it?”Lan Zhan asks.
“That is not what I asked.” Wei Ying points out, “I asked if-”
“But you did not answer me.”
“By virtue of truth, Lan Zhan, who asked first? Shouldn’t you answer me?”
Lan Zhan’s eyebrow twitches, and his eyes narrow like he just can’t stand how impudent Wei Ying is being. And this expression, god, he missed it. Yes, be angry. Let’s see how angry you can be.
“What?” Wei Ying probes, “Why are you looking at me like that? Hm? Are you thinking of punishing me? Will you silence me? Have me copy your rules? Send me to my room to, ah, reflect. What if I do other things? Can you really discipline me, Lan Zhan?”
Lan Zhan doesn’t reply. Well, he doesn’t reply verbally.
He presses his weight against Wei Ying’s leaner body, pushes his knee in between his legs, and kisses him deep and thoroughly. Wei Ying’s body melts, like spun sugar, and he wraps his arms around Lan Zhan’s shoulders. While Wei Ying wishes to play around Lan Zhan’s mouth, Lan Zhan wants to devour him. He sucks his bottom lip, tugs it up with his teeth before releasing it, and captures it again. He shoves his tongue deep into Wei Ying’s mouth, holding his jaw and tugging at his hair to angle him however he wants.
Wei Ying lays pliantly, basking in Lan Zhan’s heat. His trademark sandalwood scent suffuses all over Wei Ying. It makes him light-headed, and a memory from years begone pops into his mind. He squeezes Lan Zhan’s shoulder urgently, and the golden-eyed boy parts from him. His eyes are blown, and his lips are wet and swollen and beautiful.
“What.” He rasps.
“I just remembered something,” Wei Ying says.
“Now?”
“Yes, now.”
Lan Zhan studies him for a second, as if considering whether he should just continue kissing him, or hear him out. Because Lan Zhan is a good person, he painfully shuts his eyes, and says, “What did you remember.”
“Hmm~” Wei Ying hums, and he can feel Lan Zhan’s arms tense up in mild exasperation, good, good, “You see, a couple of years ago…”
“Don’t play around,” Lan Zhan mutters through gritted teeth.
Wei Ying laughs, “Who’s playing? I’m just telling a story. Wait, why are you moving up? Come down. It’s more comfortable this way.” He pulls Lan Zhan down again, purposefully causing their groins to brush. Lan Zhan’s grip on his jaw tightens.
“ Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan warns.
The boy giggles, “What? Why are you calling me? I’m right here.”
“Continue your story.” Lan Zhan urges.
“Oh, right, right. Be patient, Lan-er-gege.” He pats Lan Zhan’s head, “Patience is a good virtue to have.”
Lan Zhan’s expression goes completely still, covered by frost. The next instant he springs up, straddling Wei Ying and strips his shirt off and holy. Lan Zhan’s arms are lean and toned, with strong, visible veins. His chest is muscled, yet not too bulky - not like Nie Mingjue. No, he is simply perfect. Strong and graceful. Masculine and elegant.
Wei Ying wants to eat him up.
Lan Zhan presses himself to Wei Ying then, mouth lapping up at his throat, softly licking once, before biting down hard. Wei Ying keens, but Lan Zhan doesn’t let up.
“You - don’t be a dog, Lan Zhan… don’t bite that hard. Why are you always biting me?” Wei Ying whines pitifully.
Lan Zhan lifts his head and stares coldly at him, “You are asking for it.”
“How am I asking for it-?” One of Lan Zhan’s hands sneaks under Wei Ying’s shirt and tweaks his nipples. Stars erupt before his vision, “That - fuck.”
“Feels good?” Lan Zhan’s voice is all husk.
“Hmm~”
“Finish your story,” Lan Zhan orders.
“What story?”
“Think.” He sinks his teeth on the soft bone of Wei Ying’s collar, and pulls at his nipple harshly.
“How - how can I think like this?” Wei Ying wails, “You - slow down for one second. I can’t - can’t think.” He tries to grab Lan Zhan’s shoulders, but the boy grabs both of his hands and suspends them above his head, and the familiarity of this moment suddenly reminds him, “Ah. I remember. I remember now. At the - the - that hunt… at the mountain. I was blindfolded. Someone kissed me… that was you?”
Lan Zhan stills.
Wei Ying, “That was you, wasn’t it?”
He’s perhaps not even breathing. Wei Ying huffs, and pulls him closer to nose at his pulse. It’s faster.
“It was you, right?” Wei Ying says again, “This forceful way of kissing, this holding my hands, biting - it was you, right?”
Lan Zhan finally looks at him, his eyes hooded, “I am sorry.”
Wei Ying blinks.
“I - It was wrong of me… at the time. At the time, I - I lost control,” Wah, so Lan Zhan also loses control, he thinks giddily, because of me, “I know you didn’t consent to it. I-”
Wei Ying tugs his ear, “Alright. Alright, I get it. Don’t apologize now. It’s in the past.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t look at him, eyelashes quivering. Ah, he must’ve punished himself terribly.
Wei Ying lets out a chuckle, “But why didn’t you tell me, huh? You dub-con stole my first kiss, and didn’t even admit to it.”
Lan Zhan’s eyes shoot up, “Dub-con?” He shakes his head, and his voice falls like a whisper, “First… kiss?”
“Of course,” Wei Ying gloats, “And this is the second - uh, third.”
“Who was the second with?” Lan Zhan demands coldly.
It’s Wei Ying’s turn to feel that familiar guilt claw up his throat, “Well… guess?”
“How can I guess?” Lan Zhan says, “Just tell me.”
“Why do you want to know?” Wei Ying squeaks, “Does it matter?”
“It…” Lan Zhan wants to say, it doesn’t matter, but his voice catches, and a grave unhappiness takes root in his heart at the thought of anyone even having the opportunity to taste Wei Ying’s lips. In fact, it will be best if Wei Ying does not tell him, or he might be tempted to cut off the person’s lips with Bichen, “I wish to know.” He says, instead.
“Well… let’s say. You stole a kiss from me, so… it’s not unfair that I stole a kiss from you, right?”
Lan Zhan’s mind goes blank.
“It’s only returning the favour.” Wei Ying adds.
“But…” Lan Zhan struggles, “You did not know I kissed you at the hunt.”
Wei Ying, “What are you getting at?”
“So… when - when did you-?” Lan Zhan’s thoughts are all disorganized.
“That night you got drunk… after returning from the Wen’s house. I licked your fingers, and kissed you.” Wei Ying admits, “I knew you wouldn’t remember. Plus, you knocked yourself out.”
“I did what ?” What a night of revelations. Then, “You licked my fingers?”
“I thought you didn’t like the kiss! You knocked yourself out. Really.”
Lan Zhan breathes heavily.
“Are you mad?” Wei Ying asks softly.
“How…” he manages, before forcing some of that Lan countenance and verbal grace up, “How did you kiss me?”
Wei Ying blinks, before pulling his face lower and lightly pecking his lips, “Like that.”
“Just… that?”
Wei Ying pouts, “Er-gege, you think everyone is like you? I’m innocent, don’t involve me with the likes of you. It was a pretty big deal for me, okay?”
“You are… innocent?” Lan Zhan struggles to comprehend this. His entire life, it appeared that Wei Ying was miles ahead when it came to things like romance. Lan Zhan frankly expected him to have had four girlfriends at a time, it would even make sense; Wei Ying is just very loveable, “At the hunt, then… why did you tell me…?”
“Told you what?”
“Firstly,” Lan Zhan starts, “You didn’t resist my kiss though clearly, you didn’t know who it was. You then told me you have ‘fought countless battles.’”
“You believed me?” Wei Ying looks stunned.
Lan Zhan blinks, “Yeah?”
“Wah, Lan Zhan, just look at you. When I kept telling you my cultivation doesn’t harm me as much as you think, you didn’t believe me! But when I bragged and made up bullshit about having tons of experience, you did? Tsk. Tsk. Just what sort of opinions do you hold about me, Lan-er? I’ve never even held a girl’s hand, if not for life-death situations.” He pauses, “Which I know are plenty, but hey…”
Lan Zhan feels strangely called out. It isn’t like Wei Ying is wrong… he has often dreamt of Wei Ying residing on a black throne, all power and wicked smiles, while he sits by his feet, like an obedient concubine.
Wei Ying doesn’t need to know that though.
“I’m sorry,” he places a light kiss on Wei Ying’s forehead.
But Wei Ying isn’t having any of it, no, he’s more focused on something else, “So, Lan Zhan, say. When I ran into you cutting up trees and participating in the vile act of deforestation, you were angry about losing control, weren’t you?”
“Mn,” he hums. The shame from the incident still settles in his bones. Thousands of Lan precepts and one smile from Wei Ying had forced them all away. Perhaps more shameless was that, though he had despised himself, he kept thinking about it. Thinking over what if he had done more. Thinking over how Wei Ying’s lips felt, feeling it would be the only time he gets to taste them in his lifetime. Thinking whether Wei Ying would be enraged if he found out the one who forced themselves upon him was Lan Zhan.
He looks down at Wei Ying, whose eyes are gleaming, who keeps giggling, his face flushed. His heart softens, the guilt and the flames of his yearning settle down into a calmer, but steadier fire. He thinks to himself, he will protect that smile forever.
“Or were you actually angry because you were jealous?” Wei Ying continues, “What if someone else was kissing me like that when I was defenceless, and you ran into that sight, what would you have done? Gone and cut up trees because you lost hahahaha?”
What a stupid question.
Lan Zhan’s lips form a straight line. Just… imagining the scenario makes his stomach swirl and muscles tense. His attacking instincts flare up. If not for Wei Ying’s resounding laughter in the room, Bichen would’ve flown into his hands.
“What? Are you angry now?” Wei Ying teases, “So, you can kiss me however you wish, but others cannot?”
“I was wrong,” Lan Zhan states, “But others still cannot.”
“Why can’t they?” Wei Ying tilts his head to the side, acting all cute and small under his weight. Does he - does he even know? What a dangerous game he is playing?
Lan Zhan’s throat bobs, “Do you wish to be kissed by others?”
“Well, hmm… if given the choice-”
“ Cannot. ”
Wei Ying blinks slowly, “Huh?”
“Cannot be kissed by others,” Lan Zhan says with much difficulty, “Cannot be touched. Cannot be held.” Cannot smile at others like this. Cannot call others in the way you call me. Cannot be seen by - okay, he needs to calm down.
Wei Ying’s eyes shine, “Oh? Only you can have me?”
Lan Zhan’s eyelashes tremble, “If - If you wish.”
Wei Ying laughs, “So, what I wish for matters after all!” Then, his tone becomes a bit more serious, “And what does Lan Zhan wish for?”
“You. Only you.” Lan Zhan presses.
“It can only be me, is that right…” Wei Ying whispers, “Then, do you know? That it is only you for me too? That it can’t be anybody else. That I want to be forever by your side. Whatever the conventional titles exist for lovers, I want them all. Your lover. Your cultivation partner. Your… husband. Your every day, and your every night. Lan Zhan… am I wishing for too much?”
“Too little,” Lan Zhan says, laying down beside him, and cradling his face to neck, “You can ask for anything. I’ll give it to you.”
Wei Ying lifts himself up and places a kiss on his jaw, “All your love. Your attention. Your consideration.”
“You already have them,” Lan Zhan whispers, as Wei Ying plants butterfly-like kisses on his jaw, “Ask for more.”
Wei Ying barks out a laugh, “Tonight, I’m going to claim Hanguang-jun’s body for myself - or, well, get claimed. Then, I’d want it some more. I’d want it every day. Do you know how difficult it is to live with you, and not jump you? Do you admire my endurance? Say, not even a Lan can hold back as much as I did.”
“I know,” Lan Zhan says honestly, “It’s too difficult.”
“Oh, you really must have wanted to jump me.”
“You were asking for it.”
Wei Ying giggles, “Then you’re the idiot for holding yourself back! I felt so frustrated. No matter what I did, you’d never… do anything.”
“What did Wei Ying want me to do?” Lan Zhan asks seriously.
“Well,” Wei Ying shrugs, and points at himself, “Do me, of course.”
That is enough of an instruction, Lan Zhan muses, as he flips Wei Ying over, tearing his clothes off his body. His skin is scarred, beautiful and golden. He is still a little too thin. When Lan Zhan traces his ribs, Wei Ying lets out breathless giggles, “Tickles. It tickles.”
Lan Zhan’s ears heat up. He can easily do this for the rest of his life, just hearing those cute little sounds, watching Wei Ying’s adorable eyes scrunch up, his body wrath around as the joy is excessive. When he can’t hold it back any longer, he bites his pink nipple, almost moaning loudly at the salty, grounding taste.
Fuck.
Wei Ying lets out a high-pitched screech, like he’s getting mauled, but holds Lan Zhan closer to his chest by his hair. Lan Zhan uses his other hand to explore Wei Ying’s body - lithe, strong, curvaceous, perfect . His hand lands on Wei Ying’s trousers, undoing the buttons.
“Er-gege…” Wei Ying pants, “You sure move fast, don’t you? Acting like this, you want me so much?”
Oh, he has no idea. Lan Zhan rises to kiss him deeply. Somehow, that’s not enough, so he adds his thumb into Wei Ying’s mouth and tugs it to the side. Like this, saliva dribbles down his chin. After kissing him until he is dazed and breathless, Lan Zhan looks at the slobber trailing down coldly, “You’re making a mess.”
Wei Ying moans brokenly. Lan Zhan hears him say a wow under his breath. He hides his smile.
Lan Zhan kisses downward. Wei Ying reacts like he has never been touched before - and he hasn’t, Lan Zhan thinks hotly, biting down, marking him up. Not even the encounter with the dogs left him so coloured.
But Wei Ying comes back to his senses quicker than Lan Zhan would’ve liked, and his mouth is running again, “Tsk. What are you? Some primal animal marking up your territory? And you say I’m being messy.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t bother answering him. He gets off the bed to his feet and pulls Wei Ying’s pants down. His breath catches as the long, slender, shapely legs enter his vision. Wei Ying’s cock is hard, curving towards his stomach. It is pink and fleshy, the skin darkening towards his balls, and leading to a pair of pale cheeks.
“Lan Zhan, you didn’t even ask if you could take my pants off!” Wei Ying reclines on the bed, like a seductress straight out of a painting, his legs sensually brushing against each other, “Is that gentlemanly, say, is that-”
Lan Zhan grabs him off the bed, turns him around, and suspends both his arms behind his back, before leaning over him to mouth at his neck, and bite harshly. Red and purple bloom on his skin.
“Ah!” Wei Ying moans, “Lan-er-gege, how can you be so rough towards me? Treat your Wei Ying more delicately.”
Lan Zhan’s other hand goes over his front, brushing over his sensitive nipples, trailing below until it lands on his groin. He cups it.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. ” Wei Ying chants brokenly, “Your hand - fuck.”
“You said you licked my fingers,” Lan Zhan realises, albeit a while later.
“Of course.” Wei Ying says, “You can’t blame me. How did the heavens bless you with such pretty fingers, long, and delicious?”
“Where do you want them,” Lan Zhan mutters.
Wei Ying laughs in his hold, “Where do I want them? Put them once in my spicy broth and they’ll hurt for weeks-”
Lan Zhan puts two of them into his mouth, placing the tips firmly at the back of his tongue. Wei Ying whines out something illegible. Most probably, it’s another variation of ‘You’re too cruel, how can you do this to me? ’ Lan Zhan bites back another smile, and prematurely, it registers that he’s felt the urge to smile today more than he’s done in entire years before he met Wei Ying. That softens his movements.
Lan Zhan leans down, places his mouth to Wei Ying’s ear, “I love you.”
Wei Ying whines loudly, shaking his head, as if saying, that’s unfair, although it’s not working out for him. He stomps his feet, before finally slumping against Lan Zhan’s body. A lost cause, Lan Zhan muses.
He strokes Wei Ying’s cock, long fingers working expertly, trailing down each protruding curve, and using his bunny-stickered nail to swipe at the slit. Wei Ying shakes and mumbles more. Lan Zhan pulls his fingers slightly back, to allow some semblance of speech.
Wei Ying breathes loudly, “Why… are your pants still on?”
Lan Zhan presses the fingers back in, “Shameless.” He scolds.
His hand leaves Wei Ying’s angry, full cock and turns him around to cup his full asscheek instead. It’s soft, and it drives him insane. Wei Ying’s hands fall free, and dizzily he works at the zipper of Lan Zhan’s pants. As soon as he manages to wrench the pants and the tight boxers down, his eyes widen. Lan Zhan finally pulls his fingers out of his mouth.
Wei Ying, “Wow, Lan Zhan. You’re gifted even here.”
Lan Zhan’s ears redden, “Shameless.”
“Of course. Of course. I’m the most shameless,” he says delightfully, “But I think anyone who saw the sight I’m seeing right now would lose some propriety.”
“I won’t be walking out like this anywhere.” Lan Zhan says.
Wei Ying clicks his tongue, “Lan Zhan, do you not understand hypotheticals.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t bother to answer, playing around with Wei Ying’s supple asscheeks.
“Let’s teach you hypotheticals,” Wei Ying says, turning him around and pushing him to sit on the bed, “If I hypothetically tried to suck you, how much length would still be left out?”
Lan Zhan’s breathing picks up, “I… do not know.” He doesn’t say, a lot, because that will make Wei Ying too insistent on proving him wrong. Then, tomorrow he’d have a hoarse voice ( fuck) and feel bad all day.
“Now, let us,” Wei Ying drops to his knees, resting them on Lan Zhan’s fluffy slippers. He holds Lan Zhan’s hot cock, and Lan Zhan’s eyes almost roll to the back. Wei Ying smiles, that teasing, devilish smile that has perpetuated his dreams for years now, before putting his lips to his head, “Test it out.”
This is torture, Lan Zhan decides, as Wei Ying’s delightfully swollen lips wrap around his cockhead. He licks, like a kitten, and then sucks - and it’s already… it’s already too much. Lan Zhan can’t move. It’s like he is frozen. He can’t even let a sound out, as Wei Ying takes more of his length, his mouth opening wider, lips stretching around his phallus. He tongues the nerve, pushes his tongue into the inner folds of his sleeve.
Lan Zhan can’t fucking move.
Wei Ying cups his balls. He’s taken it a little less than halfway. He pushes a little more, and his eyebrows furrow.
“Don’t…” Lan Zhan mutters, “You don’t need to…”
Wei Ying pulls off, and air finally enters his lungs, “I ought to.”
He swallows him again. He sucks wetly, draws back, takes it again and swallows around it. The sounds are so lewd, and Wei Ying isn’t trying to be quiet, smacking his lips, whining around it, groaning, and letting out streams of breathy curses. His mouth is so hot, and so wet, and so good. He takes more and pulls back. His head moves erotically, and he looks at Lan Zhan through his eyelashes, a tilt to his eyebrow, am I doing a good job, er-gege ?
Lan Zhan lets out a broken gasp.
Wei Ying pulls back, giggles, like he has found his new favourite trick. He takes him again, sitting on the ground so that his hips jut out, like some erotica. Wei Ying visibly breathes through his nose, taking in Lan Zhan’s musk, and his eyes flutter shut. He looks so peaceful, undisturbed. In zen.
Lan Zhan lifts his hand and places it onto Wei Ying’s head. Wei Ying immediately leans into it. He brings his own hand over Lan Zhan’s, pushing it impatiently against his head.
He wants me to fuck him, the thought registers like a white-hot flame in Lan Zhan’s mind, and some amount of cognitive function just shuts in his head. He grabs Wei Ying’s head as if he’s possessed, and starts rocking him up and down his cock, gritting his teeth to restrain himself from just shoving it in and fucking into him like he -
Lan Zhan’s eyes open wide, and he pulls Wei Ying off his cock, teeth scraping painfully. Wei Ying splutters, “What the-”
“I am-” Lan Zhan gasps.
Wei Ying understands. He pouts and frowns, like an upset kitten denied milk, before pressing his lips to his cockhead again, “So, what’s the problem? Didn’t you say you’ll give it all to me?” he whispers silkily.
“Don’t…” Lan Zhan says helplessly, “Don’t need to…”
Wei Ying scoffs, “Why are you making this about you? Who’s asking you? I want it, give it to me Lan Zhan.” He chuckles, a knife-like edge to his voice, “Even if you don’t give it, I’ll take it. It’s useless to hold yourself back when it comes to me, Lan Zhan. What can you even do? Even if you try to restrain yourself, you just can’t help but give in, hmm? .”
Lan Zhan orgasms. He blanks out for a second, the pleasure hot and sizzling.
As the heat subsides, he is finally granted some working cognition, though most of it evaporates at the sight in front of him - Wei Ying, with his lips stained with Lan Zhan’s spent. When he catches Lan Zhan looking, he smiles coquettishly and swipes it off with his lips.
Lan Zhan sits very still.
Wei Ying rises, jutting his ass out, as his arms come to rest next to Lan Zhan’s thighs. He leans over him, like a predator, pecks his lips depositing his own cum on Lan Zhan’s lips. He giggles again, before serpently sliding towards his hot, red ear -
“I swallowed it,” he whispers one word at a time, as if he’s confessing to a crime, and chuckles darkly into his ears, “What can you even do, mnn ?”
Something settles in Lan Zhan, and his expression grows cold.
He pulls Wei Ying onto his lap, grabbing his throat and giving it a light squeeze, enough to make the devil moan wantonly. Lan Zhan pulls him closer still, until they are skin against skin, searing each other. He places his lips to Wei Ying’s ear -
“Remember. You asked for this.”
Wei Ying’s eyes widen, and he pulls back breathlessly, excitement thrumming under his skin, “Oh? What are you going to do to me, huh? What are you-”
Lan Zhan throws him on the bed and sinks one of his slender fingers into his hole. The movement is so smooth and quick that Wei Ying doesn’t even realise something went inside him until he puts another finger inside.
Wei Ying has fingered himself before, but it never felt like this. For one, his fingers aren’t as long as Lan Zhan’s. Secondly, he always knows how and where his fingers are moving, so there isn’t that excitement factor. Thirdly, it’s extremely tiring and boring sticking his fingers in his back-hole to try and have an orgasm when he can more easily jerk it out.
But this.
This is phenomenal.
The knowledge itself that it is Lan Zhan’s bunny-stickered fingers that are inside him makes his skin flush. Some part of him is inside me, it’s an intimate realisation. He looks up at Lan Zhan’s face, to find his gaze fixed onto his hole. Lan Zhan pumps his fingers in and out. The friction is delightful.
Wei Ying, “How does it look?”
Lan Zhan glances dismissively, takes his fingers out, and forces three of them into Wei Ying’s mouth. The taste naturally isn’t all too pleasant, but it sends a heat down his cock. Wei Ying sucks them obediently with his now sore mouth.
Once they are wet enough, Lan Zhan commands, “Stop.”
Wei Ying runs a tongue up his knuckle, just to piss him off, and Lan Zhan takes his hand away, putting the two fingers in again, and trying to insert the third.
“You have fingered yourself before,” Lan Zhan states.
Wei Ying whines in response. The earlier two fingers didn’t pose to be much of a stretch, but the third one… yeah, he can feel his ring trying to expel the foreign fingers.
“What did you think about?” Lan Zhan asks, bending down and pressing his tongue to Wei Ying’s hole. The first touch of something wet to his sensitive, quickly overheating muscle makes Wei Ying jerk violently.
“What are you…” He says weakly.
Lan Zhan looks up at him, golden eyes glinting imposingly, “Returning the favour.”
And then, he swirls his tongue around Wei Ying’s hole - which currently holds two and a half of his fingers. Wei Ying can’t see what he’s doing down there, but he can feel endless sparks of numbing pleasure, “Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan.” He calls out, feeling a little scared as his head spins.
“Mn?” Lan Zhan says, before spitting more of his saliva into the hole. He pulls his fingers out, and replaces them with his tongue - his tongue is more flexible. It’s softer. It’s such a different and awkward sensation that Wei Ying wants to close his legs, but Lan Zhan holds them open.
“It’s too… strange.” Wei Ying says at last, “Just… just.”
One of Lan Zhan’s hands come at the base of his cock, sliding up and sliding down. The touch of his big, pretty hand on his cock makes his head swim, but Lan Zhan just grazes it.
“Tight. Tight,” Wei Ying begs, “Hold it harder. Please.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t listen to him, continues that slow, fleeting torturous touch up and down his cock, while his tongue performs wonders in his hole. At this point, Wei Ying can’t differentiate the tingles. His entire lower region feels like it’s on fire. He wants more, just a bit more.
“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan.” He calls out desperately, trying to move but Lan Zhan’s other hand holds him back down, “Just… do something!”
Lan Zhan pulls back, takes one look at him - chest flushed, cock flushed, hole flushed, hair in disarray, and says, “Behave.”
“Just get on with it!” Wei Ying protests, “You already came once, right? Let me come. Er-gege, be a good boy and let me come. If you let me come, I’ll let you fuck me, how about that?”
Lan Zhan lightly pats his cheek. The other hand moves to Wei Ying’s hole and three fingers stuff him again. Wei Ying’s body jerks at the sudden movement. Fluid dribbles down his cock onto his stomach. Lan Zhan gathers it and feeds it to him.
“I’ll teach you hypotheticals,” Lan Zhan mutters, eyes glazed as he watches Wei Ying wantonly suck his fingers, and positions his phallus, “You can come on my cock, or you cannot. Whether you come or not, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll fuck you.”
As he finishes the sentence, he pushes the cockhead in through the tight muscle. Wei Ying bites down on Lan Zhan’s fingers, but the man is unbothered. Tears stream down Wei Ying’s eyes at once, and he chokes.
Lan Zhan takes a grounding breath, and pats Wei Ying’s cheeks again, “Okay?”
Wei Ying can’t reply. Lan Zhan pulls his fingers out of his mouth and kisses his eyebrow.
“It burns,” Wei Ying says at last.
“Oh.” Lan Zhan says intelligibly.
Wei Ying narrows his eyes, “What? Is this your definition of ‘fucking?’ You’re just going to stay here like this?”
Lan Zhan looks at him, hesitantly, like he has encountered a great riddle.
“Great, just me and a few percents of Lan Zhan’s huge dick, chilling in the bed! He won’t even fuck me properly. I finally discovered something you suck at.” Wei Ying sing-songs.
Lan Zhan, “You said it burns.”
“Yeah, I didn’t say to stop.” Wei Ying shoots back, “Even if I say to stop, will you just stop? What’s the fun in that?”
Lan Zhan, “Wei Ying. Don’t play around.”
Wei Ying, “Am I playing, Lan-er-gege? You say you love me, then why are you giving me so less? Look at me, I’m still perfectly sane. I thought sex was supposed to be mind-blowing. Here, I am, giving you my everything and you don’t want it, hmph-”
Perhaps, he should have toned down the teasing a little, because Lan Zhan buries his cock to the hilt in one single move. His hole burns, and he throws his head back, tears seeping from his eyes, “It hurts - it hurts! Lan Zhan! It hurts !”
Lan Zhan’s muscles clench, and his eyes are unfocused, “Sorry - I…”
Wei Ying, “It’s too big…” He feels stuffed to the brim, like he can’t breathe. His body pulses around the sudden hot thing in him, and he says with wild, glinting eyes, “You’re going to break me.”
“I… couldn’t hold myself back,” Lan Zhan swallows, “I’m sorry…”
A tear seeps down Wei Ying’s cheek, as he says pitifully, “Forcing me to take you like this, Lan-er-gege has no mercy. He just wants me to fuck me endlessly, hmm? Is this virgin tight around you, Er-gege?”
Lan Zhan’s jaw clenches, and his dick twitches inside. Wei Ying giggles, “I can feel you in me.”
“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan reprimands, “Stop - don’t speak. Don’t say things like that… I fear I may… lose control.”
Wei Ying takes a look at Lan Zhan’s forced endurance, and he wants to laugh maniacally. What a nice man he’s got for himself! Look at him, even with his cock buried into Wei Ying’s tight, tight heat, even after countless provocations and sweet, sultry words, and years and years of being tormented and played around by Wei Ying, he’s still trying to hold back, “Didn’t I tell you it’s useless to hold yourself back, Lan-er-gege? My dear Lan Zhan, I’m here, aren’t I? You can take all you want from me, do whatever you want to me. Want to know a secret?”
Lan Zhan looks like he just really can’t endure it any longer, but Wei Ying still whispers wetly -
“I love it when you lose control.”
These words would spur what Wei Ying would later call, ‘his first taste of heavenly ascension.’
Lan Zhan grabs his waist with his strong, perfect arms and pulls out, before slamming him down. Wei Ying’s world turns dizzy, as he is moved up and down. It’s such a workout and it hurts terribly, but there’s something carnal about Lan Zhan - eternally enthralling Lan Zhan, whom Wei Ying has always wanted to mess around with, using him solely for his own pleasure like this .
Then, Lan Zhan finds his pleasure spot.
Wei Ying’s eyes widen, and tears stream down endlessly, “There, there. Lan Zhan, right there. Fuck.”
Lan Zhan precisely hits the spot. Every. Fucking. Time, until Wei Ying feels high on pleasure and drugged. The pain fades into a sweet, delightful thing. The room fades into the background. Lan Zhan’s skin slams against his, and Wei Ying’s own cock swings like a pendulum. Somewhere between these two, Wei Ying flails his arms around -
“I am - Lan Zhan - I-”
Lan Zhan touches his cock, stroking it just twice and Wei Ying spurts over. Lan Zhan slows down, but doesn’t pull out. He leans over Wei Ying and kisses him deeply. Wei Ying can’t even respond.
Lan Zhan’s lips trail down to his chest, sucking his engorged nipples again. The pain brings him some clarity, “Lan Zhan, you’re an idiot.”
Lan Zhan bites his nipples, as punishment for his loose tongue, but nope, nothing can hold back this thought.
“If you liked me so much, you should have just pushed me down and just like this… taken what you wanted! What’s the need of that so-called restraint of yours? I could have been having such mind-blowing orgasms from a young age. You need to take responsibility!” Wei Ying whines, absolutely stunned that sex can be this… good. He looks down at his pitiful hole stretched around Lan Zhan and thinks, Well, few ways to go wrong when such a huge cock is fucking you.
“It was mind-blowing?” Lan Zhan says, and heavens fuck him, he looks smug about it. Then, he straightens up and says in a sombre tone, “But I’ll take responsibility.”
“Oh, you will?” Wei Ying breathes out, “How? How many years do you have to make up for?”
Lan Zhan starts rocking his hips again. He climbs fully over Wei Ying, mounting him, holding him by the throat, “Like this.”
Wei Ying thinks, great strategy! Just keep fucking me until I pass out. Maybe then some more, hahaha~
Wei Ying observes Lan Zhan’s expression - his face doesn’t flush at all, but it’s so hot to the touch. He looks almost relaxed, as if he just exited a stage of meditation. Contrary to the face, the body is all muscles and force as it drives itself deeper, and deeper into Wei Ying’s pliant and soft body.
“Er-gege,” Wei Ying strokes his cheeks, “Does it feel good inside me?”
Lan Zhan doesn’t answer verbally, of course, but his motions speak for themselves. In and out. It’s so mechanical. The way Lan Zhan is holding him down, it’s so animalistic. It sends a strange thrill down Wei Ying’s back… to have reduced Lan Zhan to this. Lan Zhan wants, and he wants so strongly.
“You can have all of me, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying mutters. The sweat eases the slide. His cock swells up again. He is almost shocked by his refractory period, “You can go as deep as you want. I’m all yours. Nobody else can fuck me, only you. All of me is yours.”
Lan Zhan bites down on his neck, hard, and Wei Ying lets out a long moan, feeling so small, so little, so owned, but so powerful.
“Ah~ don’t be mean like that,” he coaxes, “Take it slow. You can have your Wei Ying whenever you want, however you want, your every day and every night.”
Lan Zhan looks at him, and he looks wrecked and broken. He looks beautiful. Like he can’t decide whether he is going to cry, or if he wants to make Wei Ying cry. Wei Ying smiles, touching his cheek comfortingly, “You are mine too, now, hm? All mine. My Lan Zhan, I love you so much…”
His words trail off, as Lan Zhan turns him around, taking him from the back. He firmly places his thighs on the bed and fucks in with such power that Wei Ying falls onto his face. Lan Zhan doesn’t even allow him time to get back up, evilly tugging at his nipple, grabbing his throat, touching his cock. Suddenly, he’s everywhere. Those hands drive him crazy.
“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! Slow down, I just said we have each other’s forever! What are you being so impatient for?” Wei Ying says, voice muffled into Lan Zhan’s sheets, as he’s fucked senselessly.
“If you really wish for me to slow down… then stop talking,” Lan Zhan says brokenly. His powerful thrusts send forth pleasure straight to Wei Ying’s cock. It’s too hot in the room. It’s too wet, perhaps, he is wet.
“But a dick’s made to fuck, and a mouth’s made to talk,” Wei Ying protests, even as his abused throat aches, “So, how can I not talk? Just a few words can get you like this, huh, er-gege? Now that I know our hearts are the same, it’ll only get worse.”
Lan Zhan pulls out and pushes his whole length in, pressing against Wei Ying as if he wants to tear him apart. Wei Ying screams as the cock reaches some very sensitive fold. He reaches an arm towards his stomach, feeling it bulge slightly.
“Lan Zhan, look what you’ve done!” He whines, “My stomach-”
Lan Zhan pulls him up by his arms and pins them behind his back. Wei Ying’s eyes roll back, as he’s completely arched, like a bow near release. Lan Zhan uses his other hand to grip his throat, and Wei Ying feels like he’s slipping, sliding deeper into some place. But he’s not scared anymore. He is held… he is held so tightly.
Lan Zhan squeezes his throat lightly as he fucks him, and the thrusts can be felt in his stomach. He can’t move, and his body burns, but it’s so good. Like this, he’s just a toy for Lan Zhan. He’s just Lan Zhan’s.
Lan Zhan’s hand finally goes to his stomach, and his breath stutters as he feels the bulge.
“See? Do you feel it? Do you feel yourself in me, Lan Zhan? You really are in me, so deep,” slick dribbles down Wei Ying’s mouth as he speaks brazenly, “Let’s stay like this forever. You, here, in me. Let’s be like this…”
Lan Zhan holds him tightly, his breath uneven as he rocks his stuttering hips at a rapid pace. Wei Ying keeps talking, he doesn’t even know what filth he is saying anymore or if he is even making sense. He’s long gone, into some safe space, where the only thing that exists is Lan Zhan’s warm, muscled body behind him, his hands all over and on top of him, and his huge cock inside him. Methodically breaking him down. Like this, his existence depends on Lan Zhan. At some point, he’s just chanting his name again and again, and then Lan Zhan’s lips fall onto his ear -
“Wei Ying.”
He comes - body slumping, all motor functions pausing. Lan Zhan comes inside him as he clenches hard. The stream of Lan Zhan’s warm spent in him makes him more insane, and clear fluid trickles like a stream out of his hyper-sensitive cock, and he is held.
Wei Ying doesn’t know what happens next, or how it happens, but when he comes back to himself, he is lying on the bed. The bedsheets changed into comfortable silk. He is still naked, but clean, his skin a little damp. Now that the orgasmic haze has subsided, he feels extremely tired, muscles weary and limbs sore. His balls hurt a bit, and he feels drowsy and parched. Looking around the room, he finds that he is alone, and an unpleasant, irritable feeling pricks him. His eyes well up.
But the next instant, the door opens, and Lan Zhan comes in. He’s wearing a light bathrobe and carrying a tray with various items. When he sees that Wei Ying is awake, the corners of his lips tug up and Wei Ying’s heart feels more at ease.
“Drink first,” Lan Zhan hands him water and Wei Ying gulps the bottle down, feeling a bit better. Next, he is handed a pair of things, “Mouth-wash.”
Wei Ying takes it and the empty cup. Behind Lan Zhan’s long hair, he spies two red ears, which make him giggle, “I wonder why I need this!”
“Hygiene is important, regardless of…” Lan Zhan trails off.
“Regardless of a guy sucking you off?” Wei Ying laughs, “How was it?”
Lan Zhan opens his mouth. Closes it, then looks off to the side. And look at him, after brutally fucking Wei Ying for what felt like hours, now, he is being shy. Delightful.
“If you don’t reward me with compliments, how can I keep up the good work?” Wei Ying pouts.
Lan Zhan looks at him. In the dim light, he is all pale and shy and beautiful, “I highly doubt you need further encouragement.”
“Hey, that’s not nice,” Wei Ying states, “My throat really hurts! It’s good, honest work. So tell me, how was it?”
Lan Zhan hands him another strange item. Wei Ying blinks at it. This is a porcelain tea cup with a cute bunny lid, of course. He rarely drinks water from a glass, so teacups are an oddity for him. As soon as he takes the lid off, the refreshing scent of ginseng permeates the room. He takes a sip of the warm concoction and feels life return to his sore throat. Good for us, my dear throat. We will be surviving today’s assault.
“This is good,” he says instead.
“Reward for your good, honest work,” Lan Zhan quotes.
“Just good? Er-gege… I tried so hard, only to get a ‘good’. That’s too mean. Have you seen the size of you-”
“Drink your tea,” Lan Zhan says abashedly.
Wei Ying laughs. It’s only because Lan Zhan grabs the cup that it doesn’t spill. Something about that warms his heart.
“You’re being so shy now! Who was the one who said, ‘Whether you come or not doesn’t matter, I’ll fuck you.’ Bolder words have never been said!”
“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan scolds.
“I’m just repeating what you said,” he teases, “I did tell you, didn’t I? Now that we are like this, you’ll have to just put up with me. You can’t get rid of me, so don’t even try.”
Lan Zhan stares at him intently and brushes a strand of hair behind his ear. Wei Ying’s heartbeat races at the tender action.
“I also told you,” Lan Zhan says softly, “It is my pleasure.”
Wei Ying smiles, looking down, lost in some strange thought, “Yeah, you told me.”
Lan Zhan studies him, before placing one of his sleeping robes over his shoulders, “It was great. You are very talented.”
Wei Ying perks up, eyes focusing on Lan Zhan again, “What? The blowjob? The kiss? What am I talented at?”
“Everything,” Lan Zhan admits, “At riling me up.”
Wei Ying giggles, “I finally got some new reactions from you. I was so tired! No matter what I did, you’d only be just nice . What can a man do to be carnally claimed and fucked, huh?”
“Ask,” Lan Zhan starts, “That’s often the primary step.”
“A step I’m glad to skip!” Wei Ying cheers, “It’s more fun this way, at least for me. What about you?”
Lan Zhan blinks at him, before gritting his teeth and looking down shamefully, “What do you think.”
Wei Ying laughs. That’s enough of an answer that they’re on the same page even here, “How perfect!” he exclaims, “Look, our views on the world match. We share the same ideals! We work well together as a team! And now, we even have the same kinks. Lan Zhan, we’re really made for each other, don’t you think?”
Lan Zhan’s eyes soften at his obvious delight, “Perhaps, we have influenced each other greatly during our youth.”
“Well done, young Wei Ying.” He pats himself on his head, “It is due to your constantly annoying the scary Second Jade of Lan that I get fucked good. Proud of you.”
Lan Zhan shakes his head, “Ridiculous.”
Wei Ying pats his head too, so that he doesn’t feel left out, “Well done, young Lan Zhan. You’ve successfully made me addicted to acting ridiculously. You were so adorable too, but you should’ve really played with me a little. How can you always ignore me, hm?”
Lan Zhan kisses him softly, “I’ll play with you now.”
Wei Ying smiles, and pecks him back, “More like, I will play with you now, hahaha. Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan, now you have finally fallen into the Yiling Laozu’s hand. You’re never going to be free again!”
“Good,” Lan Zhan agrees, kissing him more firmly, “Accepted.”
They kiss and mess around for a while before Wei Ying remembers something, He tugs Lan Zhan’s ear.
“What.”
“I want to know something.” Wei Ying whispers.
Lan Zhan, “Ask.”
“How did you know I was injured? I sometimes do wear my black overall in the summers.” Wei Ying wonders. He’s often wore it when his outfit wasn’t perfect. Lan Zhan never noticed anything wrong.
“I also wish to ask you a question,” Lan Zhan gets up on his elbow, and turns to his side to look at Wei Ying, “Why were you so insistent on not telling me it was the dogs?”
Wei Ying groans, “You know already.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t say anything.
“What kind of guy wants to show such weakness in front of someone he likes?” Wei Ying kicks Lan Zhan’s shin, “I thought you’d just be worried and care for me and leave it at that! And then be amazed that I killed the monster that hurt me! Wow, Wei Ying is so cool, you will think. Then, cook me good food.”
“If you are hungry, I can cook right now.” Lan Zhan offers. He doesn’t comment on Wei Ying’s childish theory. It’s one of the things he finds endearing about him.
“Oh? Really?” Wei Ying pats his stomach, “Come to think of it, I’ve only eaten your-”
Lan Zhan puts his fingers to his lips and sits up, “I’ll go right now.”
Wei Ying laughs as Lan Zhan goes towards the door, before he suddenly remembers, “Wait! Wait! You didn’t answer my question. How sneaky.”
Lan Zhan pauses by the door, and stares back at him, “You really wish to know?”
“I do!” Wei Ying pleads, “But if you say ‘think’ one more time, I will get violent.”
Lan Zhan huffs, before the slightest of smiles settle on his face. He walks closer again, and cradles Wei Ying’s head before kissing his forehead, lingering there -
“Whenever Wei Ying is moving away from me, instead of coming closer… I know that he is misbehaving.”
The words make something warm pool in his stomach and his heart swell. Wei Ying says in a parched tone, “So you… knew because-”
“You were trying to hide. Back then. And that day. Going to your room, instead of chasing behind me,” Lan Zhan mutters, “Naturally, I knew something was wrong. That’s the secret.”
Wei Ying blinks, “Wow.”
“Mn,” Lan Zhan agrees, “No need to hide. There is nothing about you… that can turn me away. You can lay out your whole soul in front of me, and I’d love every bit of it.”
Wei Ying’s face rapidly reddens. He tries to smile, but it feels a bit broken.
“Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying says at last, “Is it that you want me to perish? How… how can you say such things to me? My poor heart can’t take it. At least, give a guy some warning, yeah?”
“Okay,” Lan Zhan nods, “I am warning you. I love you very much. Is there something specific you wish to eat?”
Wei Ying falls to the bed, burying his face into the pillow, “The warning doesn’t help!”
“Get used to it,” Lan Zhan suggests.
“How?” Wei Ying wails.
“Desensitization,” Lan Zhan says, a smile on his face, “Now that we are like this, I can’t hold back any longer either.”
“What will A-Yuan say?” Wei Ying thinks, his brain whirling through a massive storm of thoughts because Lan Zhan , “His two fathers are now a couple.”
“A-Yuan already thinks we are a couple,” Lan Zhan reasons.
Wei Ying sobs, “What the fuck, I became a father before marriage. What will my ancestors say?” Suddenly, a thought strikes him like lightning and he grins manically at Lan Zhan, “Well, my ancestors are at least no longer here to berate me. What will your ancestors, who are very much alive, say?”
Lan Zhan purses his lips, “Brother will pester me to tell him every detail, while weeping over how it took me a hundred years to… confess, while uncle will rebuke me equally for choosing you, as well as living with you without marrying you,” he pauses, “The latter will be more upsetting to him.”
“Oh, oh. ” Wei Ying laughs, “Are you going to tell Zewu-Jun of the things you did to me?”
“Take a guess.”
“No?” Wei Ying teases, “That’s a shame. Keeping this side of you from your brother. Oh well, I guess I’ll be the sole witness of this.”
Suddenly, he pauses, a frown on his face.
Lan Zhan worries his eyebrows, “What is wrong?”
“Lan Zhan… when Zewu-Jun asks, can you tell him I actually was injured because of a huge, mysterious monster? A very big one! With very heavy resentment! That I, Wei Ying, solved the most dangerous case all on my own!”
Lan Zhan lets out a little laugh. It’s so very sweet.
Later, when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are wed in Gusu, news spreads of how the Yiling Laozu and Hanguang-jun reconciled their differences over a most dangerous night-hunt, of how the Yiling Laozu was heavily injured and nearing his death and Hanguang-jun nursed him to health, aided him in defeating this most terrible monster (it must have been even worse than the Xuanwu they’d slaughtered together!) and though he was left with such little spiritual energy that he couldn’t even fly on his sword, he carried the subconscious Yiling Laozu over his back! And there was something about an elevator, and there were plenty of Lans who couldn’t look at Hanguang-jun in the face afterwards, but Nie Huaisang really doesn’t know.