Chapter Text
Lan Xichen had to kneel in the Ancestral Hall for the entire night.
As a Sect Leader, he was someone with the highest authority in the Sect. All of his conduct should be set as an example to the disciples. It would be inappropriate to let him continue kneeling and lose his dignity in front of the other Sect members.
When morning came, one of the elders, on behalf of Lan Qiren, instructed him to return to his residence.
Whatever needed to be discussed would be addressed on a more appropriate occasion later.
Lan Xichen understood that matters could not be resolved in a day or two. He needed time to persuade his clan. His uncle needed time to calm his outrage. They all needed time to consider the most appropriate course of action. Thus, he obediently returned to Hanshi.
Upon arriving at his private courtyard, he immediately headed to the inner room. The last time he had checked on Wei Wuxian was right before he went to kneel in the Ancestral Hall. At that time, the young man had not yet regained consciousness. Lan Xichen had simply given him a quick bath and a change of clothes. He had also instructed a disciple to keep watch over Hanshi, so that if Wei Wuxian woke, he could be informed immediately.
To his surprise, Wei Wuxian still lay exactly in the same position he had put him in yesterday. His eyes were closed tightly. Even his face was still as red as boiled crabs...
...Hmm? Wait a moment?
Lan Xichen strode to the bedside and reached out to touch the young man’s face. Goodness—the skin was scalding hot!
What happened? The blanket hasn’t slipped off him, so it shouldn’t be from exposure to cold air. Is this a side effect of the drug?
Panicking, Lan Xichen took Wei Wuxian’s hand and pressed two fingers against his wrist, checking his pulse.
He examined for a long time, but the more he inspected, the more puzzled his expression became. Feeling unsure, he switched to the other hand and repeated the same motion.
The more thoroughly he checked, the deeper he scanned, the more his expression turned serious.
In the end, he stood up and rushed outside.
Not long after, Lan Xichen returned to the Hanshi, this time accompanied by the Head Healer.
The serious-faced old man couldn't help but murmur not-so-serious remarks along the way, "Good grief...what is it this time? Did someone suffer another Qi Deviation?"
"Elder Jing, please," Lan Xichen said, inviting him inside. "I am afraid my medical knowledge is insufficient. Xichen truly has to trouble you to take a look at Wei-Gongzi."
Lan Wangji had grown up in the Lan Clan under his uncle’s instruction and the care of the Clan Elders. Half of his knowledge could be attributed to their teachings. Likewise, Lan Xichen, who focused on medical cultivation, shared the closest relationship with the Head Healer, Elder Jing, who had guided him for years.
That was why he could honestly confide in Elder Jing. Aside from seeking medical advice, he regarded the old man as a mentor. When something seemed amiss, he instinctively went to ask for his help.
Elder Jing pardoned himself and entered the Sect Leader's private chamber. He looked at the young man lying on the bed, then took his hand and checked the pulse at his wrist.
The old man furrowed his brows and glanced back at Lan Xichen in surprise. But he still retained his judgment. As if confirming his conjecture, he switched to the other wrist and checked again.
As if it wasn't enough, he inspected the other spots,
"Excuse me," he said, before extending his index finger to trace an invisible line along Wei Wuxian’s arm, up to his neck and head, then down along his spine, across his chest over the heart, and finally to the center of a cultivator’s body—their Dantian.
Lan Xichen tentatively inquired, "Elder Jing...how is it?"
The Head Healer shook his head. "You must have noticed it earlier, did you not? You were right, there is no Golden Core in his body."
Lan Xichen's expression was contrite, filled with concern. "Does Elder Jing know the cause?"
"Hmmm..." Elder Jing dragged his words, thinking about how to explain.
"Well, first of all, when most people learn the absence of a Golden Core, the first assumption would be Golden Core Melting Technique. But that is not the case here. People who ended up in Wen Zhuliu's hands despaired, since they had already lost their qualification as Cultivators. But in Wei-Gongzi's case," Elder Jing paused, looking at the unconscious youth he had just encountered today.
"I have never met him before, therefore, Sect Leader, as someone who has interacted with him, you must figure it out better. During this period, has anyone suspected that Wei-Gongzi owns no Golden Core?"
Lan Xichen, "...I suppose not."
From the moment Wei Wuxian joined the Sunshot Campaign until today, no one had ever inferred that he was coreless. Even Lan Wangji, who had always observed him closely and was an experienced cultivator himself, believed that Wei Wuxian’s spiritual energy was merely impaired. Hanguang-jun, with his boundless wisdom, could not discern Wei Wuxian’s true condition.
"That is to be expected." Elder Jing nodded, glancing at the person lying on the bed. "That is because he is still able to exhibit the characteristics of a cultivator—using spiritual energy—something those whose Golden Cores were melted cannot do."
Lan Xichen realized this was indeed true. There was a huge gap in physical capability between cultivators and ordinary mortals. Wei Wuxian never used his sword, yet no one connected that to the absence of a Golden Core. It was because Wei Wuxian could still stand toe-to-toe with skilled cultivators.
Lan Wangji was the best example. Who didn't know how powerful Hanguang-Jun was as a Cultivator? And who didn't know that Wei Wuxian's ChenQing has clashed with Lan Wangji's Bichen, not just once but countless times?
Another example… Lan Xichen recalled the argument between Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan at the Flower Banquet the day before. At that time, Wei Wuxian had mentioned the reason behind his displeasure. During the war, Wei Wuxian had fought Jin Zixuan at Langya, inflicting injuries severe enough to leave him bedridden for at least a year—if not for Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng, and Jin Guangshan intervening.
How could someone without a Golden Core accomplish that? Jin Zixuan was also one of the outstanding cultivators of their generation. If anyone could challenge powerful cultivators without having a Golden Core, then what would be the point of cultivating at all? One might as well remain a mortal!
Now that he considered it more carefully, the reason Wei Wuxian never used his sword was likely not because he could not use it, but because he could not sustain it for long. Without a Golden Core, there was no stable supply of spiritual energy. If he drew his sword, others would quickly notice something amiss in his cultivation.
Lan Xichen lowered his gaze to the still-unconscious figure.
The young man used to have a bright and lively nature. His every facial feature mirrored the owner's dazzling smile. But the Wei Wuxian he had seen these past few years bore no resemblance to that youth. He was pale-faced, shrouded in a gloomy aura. The joyful spirit had been replaced by cold arrogance.
If Lan Xichen had not witnessed his playful, teasing side last night, he might have believed the young man's temperament had truly changed.
But perhaps, it's not because he had changed, but because he just had no opportunity or somebody to show his real nature once more.
'Ahhhhh....so that's it...That is why he never brought his sword...'
His hand moved almost unconsciously, his knuckles faintly grazing the side of Wei Wuxian’s face.
The more he realized, the more Lan Xichen understood the reason behind the young man's outlandish behavior.
'....Because with his past reputation as a refined Cultivator, coupled with his fame during the war...People would inevitably challenge him to spar, whether out of admiration or hostility…'
——Yet no matter how splendid his swordsmanship was, he wouldn't be able to show its grace.
Elder Jing saw Lan Xichen make an intimate gesture to the other party dazedly and refrained from commenting.
But he still slandered the younger generation in his heart, 'Hey, I thought that night was just an accident, and you had no prior intention? But what do we have here, good grief...'
Keeping a straight face, Elder Jing continued to tell his inference, "Now, judging from the condition of his battered meridians, this did not happen recently, but must have been quite some time ago. Perhaps during the war? Have you heard something about him being heavily injured?"
Lan Xichen withdrew his hand and shifted his attention back to Elder Jing.
He shook his head. "I have not heard of it."
From what he knew—both from official battle reports and the rumors he had overheard—since Wei Wuxian joined the Sunshot Campaign, not a single one of his battles had ended in defeat. There was even a popular saying: ‘Demon comes, kill demon; deity comes, kill deity,’ meaning he emerged victorious every time.
Moreover, since Lan Wangji often went to support the areas where Wei Wuxian was stationed, Lan Xichen had never once heard his younger brother mention Wei Wuxian being noticeably injured.
Elder Jing nodded. "Golden Cores are extremely sensitive matters for cultivators. It’s no wonder Wei-Gongzi hid it so deeply. You may speak with him properly later. For now, let us discuss his physical condition. The good news is that there are no lingering side effects from the drug. But the bad news—"
At this point, Elder Jing suddenly felt his tooth aching from exasperation.
He stood up suddenly and snorted. "——The bad news is that you did not clean him up properly! Of course he developed a fever!"
Lan Xichen blinked. "...Huh?"
Elder Jing ignored his dumbfounded reaction and simply walked out, muttering under his breath, "Honestly, this is why I hate being a healer. Why do I have to know these kind of things?"
Lan Xichen, "..."
Well, at least, things weren't as serious as he had feared.
Returning his attention to Wei Wuxian, Lan Xichen recalled his fright earlier when he found out about the absence of his Golden Core.
For a moment, I thought I might have... fucked his golden core out that night...
If it were the case, then even jumping into the Yellow River would not be able to wash off his guilt!
Wei Wuxian woke up with a jolt.
His breathing accelerated the moment he regained consciousness, his heartbeat following the same erratic rhythm. He was currently lying on a bed. His gaze was fixed directly at the ceiling.
After a while, his breathing and heart rate gradually slowed down. His chest rose and fell steadily. His gaze remained unfocused, still fixed on the bed canopy, and the white gauze parted to the side. Both of them were decorated or embroidered with the curling moires of the GusuLan Clan. Why, of course, no doubt about it,
'Here I come, Cloud Recesses!'
Remembering all those days he fought with Lan Wangji back and forth to avoid being dragged to Gusu, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but feel melancholy in his heart. What must come will still come, or so the Ancestors said.
As for who had brought him here, there was no need to guess. It must have been Lan Xichen.
And as for why he had been brought here—there was even less need to guess!
Wei Wuxian sighed mournfully at the fickleness of fate.
Earlier that evening, he had a slight argument with Lan Wangji. His resistance couldn’t have been more obvious when the other mentioned taking him back to Gusu. Yet in the end, here he was—carried all the way to Gusu regardless. Heaven really was making a joke of him!
'If I had known this would happen, why bother taking the long way around? I should have just gone with Lan Zhan for a few days! At least then I wouldn’t have arrived in Gusu under these circumstances…'
Regret was regret, but there was no point in dwelling on a path already taken.
Wei Wuxian shifted, trying to sit up. But the moment he moved, every muscle in his body protested, as if being pulled apart one by one. Even his joints creaked with the slightest motion. He could even hear the creaking of his joints, even with this slight movement.
'Damn. I really must be getting old.'
Just then, hearing movement from the bed, someone stepped in from behind the partition.
"Wei-Gongzi?"
It was Lan Xichen.
He strode to the bed with a light step, smoothly holding Wei Wuxian's arm and supporting his back. "You have finally awakened. I am relieved." He said.
Afterward, he put a soft pillow behind Wei Wuxian, allowing him to lean comfortably against the headrest. "Be careful, do not move around too much."
"...Oh, Um."
Lan Xichen smiled. "Wait a moment, I will bring you a drink."
He went back around the partition and soon returned, carrying a tray, which he set on the small table beside the bed. Pouring clear water into a cup, he handed it over. “Drink some warm water first to moisten your throat.”
If he hadn’t said it, Wei Wuxian wouldn’t have realized how dry his throat felt. Even the small sound he had made earlier had come out hoarse. He peered at the plain water inside and drank it in a few gulps.
Lan Xichen sat on the side of the bed, waiting for him patiently. Before him, since he had come in, for some reason, Wei Wuxian found himself unable to meet his eyes directly.
Wei Wuxian sighed inwardly again, thinking that age truly did make a difference.
Look at Lan Xichen, the man was only 3 years older than him at most, but look at how calm and collected he was. On the contrary, look at him now, acting like a bashful little wife after the first night of marriage - Wei Wuxian felt rather aggrieved.
But it wouldn’t be Wei Wuxian if he couldn’t quickly adjust his mood.
Since Lan Xichen didn't look embarrassed, Wei Wuxian, whose face was as thick as the City Wall, would act nonchalant as well.
Handing back the empty cup, Wei Wuxian said, "Thank you, Zewu-Jun." He coughed lightly to relieve his throat.
Lan Xichen just smiled slightly. He poured more liquid from the other jug and handed him the filled cup once again.
Wei Wuxian looked at the cup in surprise, "This is?"
"A sweet tonic. You have just woken up, it is meant to whet your appetite."
Wei Wuxian accepted the cup and thought, 'There’s no need to go to so much trouble, is there? Just send me a bowl of pork rib soup, and I’ll feel like eating right away.'
But on second thought, the sweet liquid tasted exceptionally delicious. It made him realize that his mouth cavity somehow felt bitter and uncanny, probably from having slept for a long time. The warm water earlier and this sweet drink loosened the stiffness in his mouth and washed away the unpleasant taste.
Wei Wuxian smacked his lip in a good mood after finishing the second cup. He felt especially comfortable that when Lan Xichen offered him the third cup; he took it without hesitation and drank it in one gulp.
Immediately afterward, his face turned blanched, and he looked like he was about to spit it out.
Lan Xichen hurriedly clasped his mouth and stopped him, "Do not spit it out!"
Looking at Wei Wuxian's still bulging cheeks, he coaxed gently, "Come, Wei-Gongzi, just swallow it quickly. Don't worry, it is a nourishment. It is good for your body."
Wei Wuxian wanted to retort, 'What a cliché, suspicious Doctor catchphrase!'
Still, despite the clear unwillingness on his face, he swallowed the liquid. The look he shot Lan Xichen afterward was full of betrayal.
He said, shoulder slumped, "...Zewu-Jun, your family must have been very good at tricking sick children to drink medicine, right?"
The liquid had no bitter smell he could detect. Coupled with the previous delicacy, he had no wariness at all. Even the 20-year-old toddler Wei had been thoroughly deceived into drinking the bitter concoction.
Lan Xichen smiled modestly as he tidied up the used cups on the tray. "How come? Everyone in the Lan Clan drinks health concoctions regularly and consumes medicinal foods on ordinary days. There is no need to deceive anyone."
After successfully helping the newly awakened patient to adapt to his physic, Lan Xichen finally locked his gaze on Wei Wuxian, staring at him seriously.
Extending one hand, he gently asked, "Now that you are awake, let me check on your pulse for reassurance."
Wei Wuxian instinctively pulled his arm to his side.
His mouth opened up midway, about to utter his refusal as his automatic reaction. But halfway through, he remembered that he had been unconscious the whole time, and even his robes were changed all over. Let alone checking his pulse during that time, even if the other person had done more things to him, Wei Wuxian wouldn't have known.
For a second, his chest tightened. There's an unpleasant feeling of being seen through completely. There was also a vague fury at having his protective cover stripped away without permission.
However, when he looked at Lan Xichen, who was still staring at him serenely with a smile, the surging irritation he felt strangely subsided.
The tensed muscle on his shoulder slackened, and Wei Wuxian smiled back, extending his own hand.
"Go ahead." He said, acting as casually as he could.
Lan Xichen made no comment on his momentary resistance, and simply rested Wei Wuxian’s wrist on his palm and checked his pulse with two fingers.
"Hmm." He nodded slightly. "It is indeed improving."
Later, as if emphasizing, he said, "Just a little bit better than before. Slightly."
Lan Xichen didn't say anything about the Golden Core, but simply did a general examination. His tactfulness was much appreciated. Wei Wuxian would have been annoyed if someone had not only uncovered his secret without permission but also tried to pry into his private matters.
He felt amused at Lan Xichen's emphasizing the minuscule recovery, and asked him in passing, "Just how badly I was before, for you to say this? It's not like I got thrown off a cliff and broke hundreds of bones. Rather than descending, Zewu-Jun, I think saying I've almost ascended in bliss would be more appropriate!"
He felt more relaxed, and his mood had improved. His eyes also glinted in mischief once again. He couldn't help teasing the other party.
To his disappointment, Lan Xichen didn't look as horrified as he had predicted he would be. While the man did look embarrassed for a moment, but the emotion was fleeting. Soon, the Lan Sect Leader returned to his calm and collected demeanor.
'Tsk,'
Wei Wuxian felt somewhat annoyed.
It's as if he's the only one who was brooding and fretting on his own, while the other party did not consider it significant at all.
Then again, it made sense. They were both men. So what if an accident like that happened? Just treat it like it's a trivial affair between gentlemen. It's not like Wei Wuxian was a woman. In this era, unlike the Women's chastity arc, the more experienced a man was, the more it was glorified.
After mentally cheering himself, Wei Wuxian finally swung his feet over the side of the bed and hopped down.
Lan Xichen was startled and immediately warned him, "Do not move around yet." He stood up and pressed a hand to Wei Wuxian's shoulder, guiding him to back down.
"How are you feeling? What do you want to do? Tell me. If you want something, let me get it."
Wei Wuxian, "No...Zewu-Jun, there's no need to trouble you. It's just, now that I'm awake, I shall go."
Lan Xichen's hand remained hovering over his shoulder.
"Where do you want to go?" He asked lightly.
"Where to...? Of course, I'm going back to Lotus Pier." Wei Wuxian raised his brows. "You couldn't possibly think to continue keeping me on hold in the Cloud Recesses, do you?"
"...No, of course, you are free to go wherever you want, Wei-Gongzi, it is just..." Lan Xichen hesitated, looking like he was about to say something, but didn't know how to start it.
“—How about waiting until after the wedding ceremony later?”
Wei Wuxian, "??"
!!!
What wedding ceremony?!
Whose wedding ceremony?!
Wei Wuxian felt he knew whose wedding it was. But,
"...Marriage?"
Lan Xichen nodded. "You have only just regained your consciousness. We will wait until next week or until you are fully recovered, but rest assured, the ceremony has already been properly arranged."
Wei Wuxian hurriedly interjected, "Wait, wait, wait a minute, Zewu-Jun! Are you sure there's no excess medicine left in your system? Could it be that you've only just regained consciousness? I think there are several steps you might have missed before suddenly dropping this kind of offer!"
Surely, Wei Wuxian didn’t want that one night of passion to be treated as if it meant nothing. But that was all. He had no expectation of being tied into some sort of relationship. In fact, he would have been perfectly happy if Lan Xichen had acted like a shy maiden, so that Wei Wuxian could feel so complacent in return.
Even if it turned out Lan Xichen felt no shyness at all, that's fine.
All he wanted was for the other party to tacitly acknowledge the experience.
Shouldn't the right step at this time be, like, bashfully trying to gauge the other person's opinion about the accident?
Even if there were to be further development, shouldn’t it begin with both sides quietly appreciating the experience and cautiously asking whether they should part like strangers or grow closer?
So how did this suddenly turn into a wedding ceremony?!
First of all, too many steps had been skipped.
And more importantly, shouldn’t this sort of thing require deep contemplation, lengthy discussion, and at least a bit of fierce debate?
Where's the elders' objection?
Where's the Clan's members' opposition??
Where's the drama?!
Wei Wuxian allowed the hand on his shoulder to push him back down onto the bed.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Zewu-Jun, please, please tell me once again, from the start, properly, in words that I can understand."
Lan Xichen also sat beside him, placing his hands neatly on his lap like an obedient child.
His expression turned serious, and the tone of his voice had also inevitably become deeper. "Wei-Gongzi, I must apologize to you for my action that night. I succumbed to my carnal desire and implicated you as a result."
Wei Wuxian waved his hand, "There's no need to mention it. What happened back then, I'm also responsible for telling...such provocative words to you." He bowed slightly, solemnly offering Lan Xichen a salute with both his hands. "I apologize for my lack of courtesy. I shouldn't speak in that regard to you."
"You were not clear-headed at that time. I know it was not your intention." Lan Xichen quickly pressed his arm and helped him straighten up.
"But Wei-Gongzi, no matter what, it is natural for me to take responsibility. You deserve a proper explanation, and a wedding ceremony is the most basic form of it."
"Right, wedding,"
They finally returned to the topic. Wei Wuxian said, "I understand that taking responsibility is in your nature, but Zewu-Jun, this really doesn’t have to be taken so seriously."
Lan Xichen was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Wei Wuxian tried to explain, "First, I'm a man, there's no need to care so much about chastity. But more importantly, things like marriage, it can only be done once in a lifetime. Especially you, Zewu-Jun, don't hastily decide on a matter of lifelong importance just because you feel guilty. If you were to marry, you should marry someone you really like!"
Lan Xichen, "...Do you mean to say, if it were you, you would only agree to marry someone you like?"
"That's not the point! What I mean to say is that, don't be blinded by self-reproach and ruin your future in momentary guilt. Look at you, you're a Sect Leader. What does it look like for you to marry a man? Who are you going to transfer the responsibility of having heirs to? Don't tell me it is Lan Zhan. You know what kind of person your younger brother is—an ascetic. He probably doesn't even understand what it means to like someone. Even in the next life, with how unromantic he is, he still won't be able to marry a wife. Who else? Is it Old Man, cough, is it Lan-Xiansheng? Only when you can persuade him to shave his beard, that the possibility may come."
Lan Xichen suddenly smiled brightly. "So that is what you are worried about. Rest assured, in the matter of descendants, I can still adopt a child from the Clan under my name. There are quite a lot of little children from the direct members in this generation."
Wei Wuxian was dumbfounded.
"...Alright. But still, don't you think you need to think it through? Let's not mention the Seniors from your Clan, but I'm sure Old Man, cough, Lan-Xiansheng, must not agree with your decision!"
"Who said I have not thought this through?" Lan Xichen looked at him in surprise.
A moment after, as if realizing something, he suddenly said, "...Ah! Wei-Gongzi...you, is it possible, did you think you had only been unconscious for a day?"
Wei Wuxian, "Isn't it? Wait, don't tell me I was in a coma for a few days?"
The last time he fell unconscious after killing the Xuanwu of Slaughter, he had been out for three days.
It was true that halfway through the midnight marathon, Wei Wuxian had lost consciousness first, passing out after his essence had been depleted. But was Lan Xichen really that formidable?? Could it be he had been exhausted enough to sleep for another three days?
Lan Xichen, "...How many days do you think have passed since the Jin Clan’s banquet?"
"How long?"
Lan Xichen, "It was last month."
Wei Wuxian fell silent.
His first response afterward was,
"Ahhh...no wonder you didn't look like a bashful daughter-in-law. You've been fretting for a month after all."
Lan Xichen, "?? Daughter...in law?"