Chapter Text
After both freshened up and got dressed into proper outfits, the sun outside had almost climbed to the peak.
"Wait a minute. I will bring our breakfast here."
Lan Xichen tidied the girdle on Wei Wuxian's waist and habitually straightened up his collars. His hand brushed Wei Wuxian's hair gently, releasing some knots along the way from the wetness after the bath. The soft glow of spiritual energy dried the hair threads from the base to its end. The long hair draped on his back. Without the tall ponytail, it reached the young man's hips, slightly pooled on the bed mattress when he sat.
"It's late already, why don't we have it as lunch as well?" Wei Wuxian suggested.
His hand took the forehead ribbon from where it was placed before they took a bath. He smoothed out the long silky ribbon and brought it up to Lan Xichen. Just when Lan Xichen was about to take it from his hand, he evaded to the side.
Grinning, Wei Wuxian suddenly stood up, reached Lan Xichen's temple, and placed the ribbon on his smooth forehead. Lan Xichen looked up in surprise.
"Wei-Gongzi...?"
"Ssh," Wei Wuxian shushed him. "Let me help you wear it."
His face looked extremely serious, as if what he held right now was the most important mission. He put the ribbon slowly and lightly, carefully measuring the placement and length. When he finally tied the knot in the back of Lan Xichen's head, he did it even more gently, as if afraid the tie would be too uncomfortable and might leave a mark on the flawless skin.
When the meticulous work was done, Wei Wuxian completed it by planting a kiss on his forehead. "Now it looks good!"
Lan Xichen was dazed for a moment.
Last night, he got inexplicably worked out, recalling the scene at the Qishan Conference where Wei Wuxian pulled off his younger brother's forehead ribbon. Back then, he had pacified Lan Wangji that it was just an accident and no need to think much. However, after knowing that apparently, Lan Wangji had liked Wei Wuxian for who knew how long, it became Lan Xichen who thought too much of the implications.
GusuLan's forehead ribbon, perhaps only those direct descendants of the Lan Clan would understand how deep its meaning was to them.
And consequently, only they would understand how much turmoil this one piece of rope might cause to their mind.
The rabbits were given to Wangji. The loquat was offered to Wangji. Even the most significant forehead ribbon, it was Wangji's which Wei Wuxian touched first before his. One could imagine how aggrieved Lan Xichen had felt last night.
Some people said, as long as I have the person, so what if the heart is not mine?
Some others said, as long as I have the heart, so what if the person belongs to others?
Both were lies. One would only feel content if both the person and the heart belonged to you. It's a deception to say they felt alright otherwise.
However, today, feeling the smooth fabric plastered on his forehead, his mouth was uncontrollably parted in a smile. The corner of his lip even couldn't help but jerk upward, a step away from forming joyous laughter.
"...Why, I bet it tied better than if I did it on my own." He smiled tenderly and praised Wei Wuxian's awesome job.
Even if it was Wangji's who got pulled off first, it was his, Lan Xichen's ribbon, whose Wei Wuxian ended up tying first!
Wei Wuxian didn't bother to pretend to be reserved. He smiled smugly in satisfaction instead.
It was easy to start this kind of affectionate gesture to Lan Xichen because the man himself was rather open to it. The past month he got along day and night with him, Wei Wuxian had tried to prod into his bottom lines, trying to attempt some actions, to see if the other person would accept it or feel averse to it.
After all, they're about to get married. Just like what Jiang Yanli said, Wei Wuxian was an affectionate person. If he was destined to be husband and wife with Lan Xichen anyway, he didn't want the marriage to be stale. It was no fun. And Wei Wuxian wasn't the kind of person who would endure this kind of uncomfortable relationship silently. He's the type of person who would bravely express his likes and dislikes and take the initiative.
If Lan Xichen ended up feeling averse to it, then Wei Wuxian would respect his wish and live like an old husband and wife who respect and trust each other without any desire.
Unexpectedly, he discovered Lan Xichen to feel no aversion. From sleeping in the same bed. Sitting closely to each other. Slight physical contact with each other. Even when Wei Wuxian acted wilful and tried to see his reaction, Lan Xichen ended up indulging him instead. It's not just having no rejection, the other man even openly responded in kind. His tiny affectionate gesture every now and then didn't seem like he was just being polite.
'Aiyoo!!?'
The antique wood that couldn't be carved for thousands of years surnamed Wei, finally had his worldview completely opened up.
When it came to his charm and appearance, he had always been undoubtedly confident about it. He was well aware that he possessed a good look and he knew how to use it. But he had never been so narcissistic to think that he could even charm a man!
Knowing that apparently, he was able to charm Lan Xichen, that day after he found this conclusion, Wei Wuxian had been so giddy and complacent that he ended up eating one more bowl of rice.
"Alright then, I will ask for the lunch set instead. What do you want to eat?" Lan Xichen asked him.
Wei Wuxian was surprised. "Just what is currently available? What, can I even make a request? Is this a privilege of a newlywed?"
Lan Xichen laughed upon hearing that. "Who said you can't make a request for meals in the Cloud Recesses? We just have whatever set prepared because it is more convenient this way. But if we want to especially have something, of course, we can make a request occasionally."
Back then in their teen, when Lan Wangji told him that Wei Wuxian said melon rinds could be stir-fried and eaten, Lan Xichen had asked him if he wanted to try. If the younger brother really wanted to taste it, he said he would tell the Cooks to have it in their next meal. Lan Wangji had refused, and Lan Xichen didn't have a particular interest in trying it either. So they let it slide.
Though, thinking about it now, Lan Xichen almost had an impulse to really try the so-called stir-fried melon rinds.
Wei Wuxian hummed in thought. "Then...I think I want to eat wonton soup, fish braised in spicy stew, wheat noodles in sesame paste, and boiled egg braised in soy sauce?" He proposed meals both half suitable for breakfast and half for heavy meals at lunch. He looked at Lan Xichen and raised his brows. "What do you think?"
The person in front of him just smiled and agreed. "Very well. I will tell them."
After having their breakfast, Lan Xichen came out with the excuse of sending back the used utensils.
The moment he stepped out from the door, however, the smile on the corner of his lip started to disappear.
His steps brought him to the direction of the Jingshi.
Knocking on the closed door, he calmly called,
"Wangji? Are you there?"
No response.
After waiting for a while, and there was still no response, Lan Xichen knew no one was inside. The sun was high in the sky already, it was impossible for Lan Wangjj to still be asleep. Even if he did, a Cultivator of their caliber with acute sense would instantly awake upon a slight disturbance in their surrounding.
Lan Xichen thought, 'Not here...then?'
Looking at the other side of the mountain nearby where the Songshi was, he assumed Lan Wangji shouldn't be there either. After all, Lan Xichen himself had just come out from another visit to apologize to his Uncle after his first visit in the morning.
Lan Qiren had given him another long earful.
He had admonished him from South to North, with the same repetition about you have to control yourself, don't be too promiscuous, etc, Lan Xichen didn't really pay attention, but he simply smiled obediently and said, "Xichen will pay attention to it next time."
In the end, the Uncle still had to relent and they agreed to reschedule the tea offering for the next morning instead of tonight. Anyway, it's still the same morning tea offering.
Lan Xichen walked to the Ancestral Hall, and fortunately, he didn't find a certain er-Gongzi foolishly asking for punishment himself there. Otherwise, what would he do if their Uncle heard of it and questioned Lan Wangji, "How did you drink the wine? Is this Wei Ying influencing you to act improperly again?"
If Lan Qiren's impression of Wei Wuxian that Lan Xichen had painstakingly tried to reform got sent back to the starting point again, Lan Xichen would really flip out and beat this younger brother back to the furnace!
That's right, it'd be better to get sent back to the furnace, be remolded, and stop copying his older brother and be so similar to him.
Not in the Jingshi.
Not in the Ancestral Hall.
Not reporting his mistake to their Uncle.
Lan Xichen turned his heels around, and started walking to another corner of the mountain.
After some time, he finally arrived at a secluded courtyard.
The Cloud Recesses was surrounded by either Pine Trees or bamboo. However, that didn't mean there was no flower being planted at all. It's just that the type of flowers decorating the Cloud Recesses were also the elegant type, such as Magnolia, Gardenia, or White Chrysanthemum.
The only exception would be this courtyard, where the bold-colored flower, purple Gentian was being planted around the small abode.
As expected.
Lan Wangji was here.
He was kneeling on the same spot as he knelt a dozen years ago.
Still in front of the closed door.
Lan Xichen's pace slowed down for a few moments, as the not-so-beautiful memory from his childhood was being replayed in his mind.
Lan Wangji heard someone was coming and knew it was his older brother.
He didn't look behind and kept kneeling, as if waiting for whatever his older brother had finally decided to deal with him.
The next moment, however, he heard someone dropping his knees to the wooden floor, kneeling in parallel, facing the same closed door.
The person, Lan Xichen said quietly,
"Wangji. I am sorry."
Lan Wangji whipped his head to the side.
His eyes enlarged, staring at Lan Xichen, unable to understand why his older brother apologized to him instead.
Obviously, it should be him...
It was him who had done such an outrageous action.
When he got drunk, it wasn't like Lan Wangji forgot completely what he did. He still remembered some bits of pieces of scenes, but the memory was fuzzy. He knew it seemed like he had trespassed on the Hanshi last night. He didn't remember exactly what he did or what he said after, but the next morning when he woke up, he was hugging Wei Wuxian's red wedding robe tightly in his arms.
The crimson robes that Lan Wangji saw during the wedding ceremony in the day.
The robes that complemented Wei Wuxian so much.
A pity, the one standing beside him was someone else...
Lan Xichen suddenly put forth a question, "Do you like Wei-Gongzi?"
Lan Wangji's body froze all over.
But he didn't answer.
It was futile.
So what if he liked Wei Ying, or what if he didn't?
Just because he liked Wei Ying, could that excuse him from the unpardonable thing he had done? Could that justify him from openly coveting the spouse his older brother had just married?
Lan Xichen didn't expect him to answer either.
Everything had been so transparent, there was nothing to explain.
He asked instead, "Since when do you like him?"
No answer.
"Was that why you looked so remorseful when you knew you were partly responsible for letting Wei-Gongzi back to the Guest Quarter in Jinlintai?"
No answer.
Lan Xichen continued to utter question after question, seemingly speaking to himself rather than questioning Lan Wangji.
"Was that why you looked both infuriated and aggrieved when I told you about our accident?"
"No, was that why you keep asking him to come to Gusu with you?"
"The reason why you were so worried about his situation?"
"The reason why you keep paying attention to him?"
"Did you get attracted to him after spending 1 week in a life-and-death situation with him in the Xuanwu Cave?"
"Did you start thinking about him because he pulled off your forehead ribbon during the competition in Qishan?"
Still no answer.
As if suddenly realizing something, Lan Xichen suddenly sucked a deep breath.
"...It couldn't possibly be from way back then, could it?"
He mumbled afterward, "No wonder...no wonder...back then you were so adamant to keep the rabbits he gave you...giving them names...remembering all miscellaneous information that he said to you in passing...going so far to pick lotus pods just listening to his words..."
Lan Xichen laughed.
He shook his head.
"No...it wasn't just that. Long before that, even when we went to resolve things in Biling Lake, the way you kept glancing at him...how you wanted the loquat but were too shy to receive the one he offered to you...Haha... hahahahaha..."
Lan Xichen covered his face with both of his hands.
His already low laughter was muffled.
His back was shaking, unknown, whether it was from laughter or something else.
The next moment when he lifted his hands from his face, his expression looked extremely contrite.
Pain, remorse, guilt, everything mixed within.
He said with a trembling voice, "That day, after the Flower Banquet, when you knew that I and him...to you, you must have been in extreme pain..."
Knowing that Lan Wangji had been loving Wei Wuxian for so many years,
And it was actually Lan Xichen who first defiled and stole the person he cherished in his heart,
Lan Xichen understood, how much pain Lan Wangji must have felt not only back then after the accident, but also in the past months, and finally yesterday, looking at the beloved he dreamed of had been married off to someone else.
The ancients said, you won't know how much it hurts unless the pain happens to you.
Last night, Lan Xichen was similarly in extreme pain.
Knowing that the person who should belong to you, and only you, his heart might actually belong to someone else,
How could he not be indignant?
However,
"But Wangji...I...I also..."
What?
I also love him?
I also like him very much?
Lan Xichen suddenly didn't know how to say it.
He did develop some feelings for Wei Wuxian. Especially after getting along day and night for 1 month, the feelings deepened even more. However, it was just 1 month.
Saying that the fondness he felt in his heart due to getting along for 1 or 2 months was "love", wouldn't that be an insult to Lan Wangji's years of yearning?
His lips trembled.
He could only say,
"...But I am also...fond of him."
Lan Xichen could only classify the feelings in his heart as "fondness".
"...I, what should Xiongzhang do...?"
Could someone tell him how was he, Lan Xichen supposed to deal with this case?
The next morning, Lan Xichen dragged Wei Wuxian to wake up early at Maoshi.
Even if Wei Wuxian acted squeamish and tried to bargain more minutes to sleep, Lan Xichen just smiled and laughed lightly, dragging the young man mercilessly to start the day.
Well, he was after all the person who dared to trick Wei Wuxian into drinking bitter concoctions and clasped his mouth while smiling kindly, preventing him from spitting out the liquid.
Finally, just before the time for breakfast, Wei Wuxian was similarly pulled outside, still with his eyelid half-closed, to come and offer the belated tea ceremony for Lan Qiren.
The Cloud Recesses was true to its name. The Sect Ground was shrouded in white mist all year round, giving the appearance as if it was a Fairy Mountain floating in the clouds. Perhaps the cold mist had startled Wei Wuxian awake, but shortly before they met Lan Qiren, the young man had discarded his sleepy posture and his eyes had become clear and sharp as usual.
Facing Lan Qiren, Wei Wuxian curled his lips faintly. The old man looked like he was suffocated, refusing to look at Wei Wuxian in the eye, and seemed about to faint at any moment. He must have been still unwilling to accept the reality that his precious nephew had been defiled thoroughly. The fact that the morning tea offering was postponed to the next day made the implication that his nephew's purity had long gone even heftier.
Having said that, Wei Wuxian was surprised when Lan Qiren suddenly spoke up,
"Wei Ying, now that you are a member of...my Lan Family," the words were spoken through the clenched teeth. "——Then you have to follow the rules of the Clan. Act properly. Pay attention to your status. Mind your position as Xichen...Xichen's spouse," The old man uttered with difficulty again.
Wei Wuxian made a solemn expression and obediently replied, "Wei Ying understands."
Well, just make the old man happy.
Lan Qiren snorted in response.
He said afterward, "In addition, you, your Cultivation,"
Wei Wuxian's body tensed up at the mention of his GuiDao.
Perhaps it was somewhat conspicuous, but his hand suddenly was held by someone. He glanced to the side in surprise. Lan Xichen smiled at him reassuringly.
Lan Qiren caught sight of this small interaction and blew his beard angrily. "Listen properly to when your elder is speaking!"
Lan Xichen hurriedly admitted, "It is Xichen who is at fault. Uncle, don't be angry."
Lan Qiren huffed even more angrily seeing his nephew defending the brat in front of him.
"——I said, you, Wei Ying, you can cultivate the path you chose. However, do not associate yourself with Evil Spirits anymore. Do not try to dig any graves or arouse resentment to raise fierce corpses anymore."
Wei Wuxian looked up at the old man in astonishment.
The fact that Lan Qiren actually acquiesced to his GuiDao was truly a surprise considering how conservative he was.
He blinked his eyes several times.
Glancing once again to Lan Xichen beside him.
He finally understood.
The old man must have been informed about his state of Cultivation by Lan Xichen. Otherwise, there would be a lot of disputes in the future about asking "Where is your sword!". A lot of critics would also appear if they see Wei Wuxian continue to use his GuiDao even after marrying into the Lan Clan.
But the fact that Lan Qiren didn't insist on abolishing his Cultivation regardless, was still a pleasant surprise.
Being prevented from raising any fierce corpses was not something Wei Wuxian thought was problematic.
The graves he used to flip out were QishanWen's. The corpses he raised as fierce corpses were also QishanWen's fallen cultivators on the battlefield. Now that QishanWen was no more, he was not someone with a bloodthirsty nature in the first place. He wouldn't kill a random Clan just to raise fierce corpses. Or dug out random Sect's graves just to see if their ancestors had handsome skeletons or not.
There had always been a clear reason for him to do what he did. Be it in the past, or later in the future.
So Wei Wuxian smiled genuinely and replied sincerely this time, "Xiansheng, do not worry. Wei Ying did what he did back then due to the war. It is not because Wei Ying enjoys bloodshed himself."
As for him preventing Wei Wuxian from associating with Evils, that wasn't hard to obey. In the first place, Wei Wuxian would only bring female ghosts to accompany him because he had no human to bother drinking with. But now, he had a Beauty on his side to pour him tea. And his best buddy Hanguang-Jun to tease and go play with.
Thinking about this, Wei Wuxian beamed complacently once again.
When they walked back to the Hanshi, Wei Wuxian hummed a random tune in a good mood, while pulling Lan Xichen's forehead ribbon to play.
"Zewu-Jun, tell me, how long have you spent yourself trying to convince your Uncle?"
The ribbon that had been tied so carefully before going out became crooked all over again. Lan Xichen smiled helplessly and simply fixed his ribbon back and quickly apprehended the naughty paws from committing any more crimes.
He replied, "It was not a persuasion attempt. I was simply showing to Uncle that your mastery in GuiDao is not limited to what people outside heard about."
Wei Wuxian was pulled closer to the other man. He diverted his attention from harassing the innocent ribbon into inspecting the fair hand clasped into his. He responded afterward, with a smile. "That still must have been quite a trouble for you."
Lan Xichen immediately denied, "No trouble at all."
Wei Wuxian laughed.
"Oh, by the way, why didn't I see Lan Zhan back there? Shouldn't a tea offering also include the other direct family members? The elders give a gift to the younger generation, and the seniors give the gifts to the juniors?"
Lan Qiren had also bestowed him a gift, of course, it was a pack of handwritten books that Wei Wuxian really didn't feel intrigued to read just from the titles.
"——I thought, I would give Lan Zhan a gift as his senior, and you can imagine how his face would look like knowing that now I am his senior, hahaha! What a pity, he wasn't there." Wei Wuxian sighed in regret.
Lan Xichen slowed his pace at the mention of Lan Wangji.
His eyelids cast downward, he said quietly, "Wangji...he...he has gone to a nighthunt."
Wei Wuxian turned his head in wonderment. "So soon!? As expected, our Hanguang-Jun is really wherever the chaos is! There is no holiday." he exclaimed in admiration without hesitation.
Lan Xichen's mouth twitched slightly.
"That actually reminds me," Suddenly he stopped his walk, his other hand on the opposite rummaged through his sleeve.
"This is, Wangji asked me to give this to you." He put something on Wei Wuxian's palm. "...It is a gift from him." His voice was soft as he told him in the end.
On Wei Wuxian's palm was a white jade pendant with a bluish hue. It was carved extremely exquisite and the jade used as material itself was comparable to the Lan high-level jade token.
"This is..." Wei Wuxian opened his eyes in amazement.
What made him amazed was not the appearance or the quality of the jade, but because when he touched the pendant he could feel this was actually an artifact. A precious artifact that seemed to connect to someone else's.
Lan Xichen explained calmly, "This pendant mimics a defensive treasure from our Sect's treasure pavilion. It connects directly to Wangji's cultivation. If someday, if you were in a bind, this pendant can receive a blow with the same level of Wangji's cultivation..."
Afterward, he closed his eyes for a moment.
This was what he had chosen himself.
No matter how unwilling he was, but he was even more unwilling to see the beloved younger brother suffer.
At least, at the very least, Wei Wuxian should know and understand how much Lan Wangji cherished him in his heart.
Whatever happens in the future as the consequence of today's choice, let it be up to destiny.
He opened his eyes, and began to explain once again,
"...I, it is not my intention to spread your private matter everywhere, Wei-Gongzi. However, to avoid any unnecessary conflict in the future regarding your Cultivation, I have to tell your condition to Uncle and Wangji. Since we will be family from then on. Over the past month, ever since you were in a coma, Wangji has devoted himself to making this. So that you...so that you can have another assurance to better protect yourself in the future."
"Oh..." Wei Wuxian knew he couldn't complain over the fact that Lan Xichen had told his most important secret to others. He had a very convincing reason to do so.
But even then,
"...The same level as Lan Zhan's, huh...And it's still connected to his cultivation base directly..." Wei Wuxian murmured.
"Then, doesn't that mean the stronger Lan Zhan is the stronger the defense would be...isn't this mean..."
As long as Lan Wangji is alive, it will be as if Wei Wuxian will have Lan Wangji protecting him by his side wherever and whenever...?