Chapter Text
A pair of hazy brown eyes fluttered open.
The eyelids squeezed together a few more times, before the pupils glow in focus.
It was Maoshi.
The owner of the eyes, Lan Xichen, slightly stretched the muscles around his body to get rid of the sleepiness. There were no numb feelings on either his arm or chest. Someone who should be leaning on them every night unexpectedly didn't smother him at all. Shifting his body, he turned to his side and noticed Wei Wuxian was still sleeping.
His posture was sprawled open all over the bed. One of his arms was lifted to his head, while the other one slipped from the gap of his robes, resting on his ribcage. His legs were folded in a weird shape, leaving Lan Xichen unable to comprehend why he could still sleep so soundly. The blanket had been kicked out to his feet, letting his body simply be covered by the thin inner robe. An inner robe that was parted quite largely around the front collar.
Lan Xichen reached out his hand, carefully gathering the parted front to cover more skin. He sat up, pulled back the kicked blanket, and draped it upon the young man. Not entirely to his shoulder, but stopped around his waist.
It was summer, and the weather was indeed humid outside. Unlike the Cloud Recesses where it was surrounded by mists all year round, but here Wei Wuxian didn't feel cold at all to find a body pillow in his sleep. Feeling a little bit regretful, Lan Xichen thought he should probably change his meditation practice these days. Regulating the spiritual energy in his body, changing its flow to reduce the heat, and cooling down the body's temperature. After being a warm pillow, Lan Xichen would prove himself to be a real cold jade pillar for chilling.
His gaze started to admire the visage of the other man. Examining the crescent shape of his eye socket as the eyelids were shut downward. Tracing the mold of his nose, the shape of his jawline. And of course, his favorite crimson candy.
He shifted his body closer and encircled his arm around Wei Wuxian's waist.
Lan Xichen leaned down and placed a soft kiss on those slightly parted lips. Once was not enough, and he pecked them several times in succession. Just because he wanted to do it and just because he was privileged to do so.
'Ah, it is really over...' He closed his eyes, and habitually followed the words Wei Wuxian often said to bemoan.
Let alone being Cut-sleeve, currently, his sleeve was no longer just cut but torn off completely!
When he was about to lean down to press some more kisses, the pair of eyes below him suddenly snapped open. Lan Xichen felt his heart almost miss a beat from the sharp stare. However, next, his heart turned into mush directly when those eyes bent in a smile following the lips that were curled upwards.
Lan Xichen softly greeted him, "Wei-Gongzi. Did I wake you up?"
Wei Wuxian didn't answer but raised his arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling Lan Xichen down and kissing his forehead. "What's the matter? Zewu-Jun is actually stealing kisses in the morning from a vulnerable weak young man. What will others do if they know, hmm?"
Resting his head on the crook of Wei Wuxian's neck, Lan Xichen merely huffed a light laugh upon such an accusation.
"You've gone on a trip, back and forth from Qinghe to Gusu in just one day. You must have been tired. Why don't you sleep some more? It's not in the Cloud Recesses, it is fine to indulge more in bed." Wei Wuxian kissed his temple once more before lifting his leg to fully entangle him in a hug.
Lan Xichen obediently followed his movement and let himself lie down once again. "Alright." He compromised with a smile.
The previous conviction to restrain himself from the desire he promised to do yesterday's evening, was hurled out of the window.
After delaying for half a Shichen, Lan Xichen reluctantly parted away from the temptation in his arms. Wei Wuxian had fallen asleep once again. So Lan Xichen tidied the bed a little bit, stood up, and finally started his morning meditation.
A while later, around daybreak, he opened his eyes and looked toward the door.
Similarly at this time, a knock was heard from outside.
It should be a new team from GusuLan coming under his request.
When Lan Xichen arrived in the village last night, after learning the explanation for the River God case, he had sent a report to the Sect, requesting for a team to solve the rest. If it were just simple case solving there was no need to report to the Sect. The investigating Cultivators would take care of the simple aftermath themselves.
However, yesterday's case was related to a quite prominent family from a mortal world. There would be another group of cultivators from GusuLan Sect who would need to come and take care of the aftermath. The Clan's Leader or Young Master couldn't bother themselves to deal with the miscellaneous procedure.
In a Sect, there weren't just disciples and elders. For an organization to run smoothly for hundreds of years, it needed complete departments. The members in the sect weren't just Cultivators who went to nighthunting all day long, but there would also be other civil staff who were responsible for handling various administrative tasks to support the Sect so that the organization could continue to run.
Lan Xichen stood up and opened the door slightly.
He looked up in surprise.
In front of him was Lan Wangji.
"Xiongzhang." He greeted shortly.
Lan Xichen's surprise was momentary. He soon smiled and greeted him back, "Wangji."
Lan Wangji should be the one leading the team from GusuLan. The other Cultivators should be outside, while Lan Wangji came to report to him here.
He opened the door wider and motioned him to come in. "Did you just come back from your nighthunt?"
Lan Wangji hesitated for a while. From the door, he could directly see the entirety of the inn room. This was a small town near the Village where the case happened. The inn room was simple here. There was only one bed, one small desk, and a corner reserved for bathing. The screen was only put around the bathtub, and nothing was left to enclose the bed area.
Noticing that Lan Wangji hadn't followed him inside, Lan Xichen turned his head to look back, asking, "Why are you still standing there? Come inside."
The hands placed on each side of his body curled slightly on his palm. Lan Wangji averted his eyes from the direction of the bed and calmly entered the room.
He replied to the previous question, "I came back around noon, yesterday."
"Is that so." Lan Xichen said. "Did they ask you to come immediately after you've just finished your nighthunt?"
"The request said it needs one Cultivator proficient in Inquiry." Lan Wangji explained.
The two brothers sat facing each other on the low table. Lan Xichen took the initiative to brew the tea first. He nodded in understanding. "Ah, no wonder they sent you here."
Afterward, Lan Xichen started to narrate the case of the River God. From the causes, effects, resolution, perpetrators, the difficulty in settling the aftermath, etc. In front of him, Lan Wangji had taken out a small blank scroll and the brush set. He diligently wrote down every piece of important information. It was to be handed to the team for re-inspection later, as well as their foundation for wrapping up the case.
Their voices were lower than usual. Even the movements of their hands when brewing the tea or placing back the teacup were almost negligible. There's no spoken agreement but both of them tacitly reduced the noise to avoid waking up the person left sleeping on the bed.
Lan Xichen spoke after finished explaining the business matter, "That's right. Now that you have finished your own nighthunt, you can continue accompanying Wei-Gongzi to supervise the younger disciples."
The hands that were in the midst of cleaning up the writing tools, paused slightly. Lan Wangji asked back, "Xiongzhang? Aren't you here to accompany him?"
Lan Xichen shook his head. "There are still some discussions left in Qinghe. Last night, I just came here to check for a while."
"...I see." Lan Wangji's gaze fell on his half-drunk tea. He agreed with a soft voice later. "I will stay with him then."
The room was enveloped in silence. Nothing left of the official matter to be recounted. In the first place, the two Lan brothers rarely had any long or chatty conversation talking about everything but nothing. Now that they finally jumped to the Elephant in the room, neither of the two brothers knew to say anything even more.
Despite the silence, the two of them understood what they meant exactly. However, it was because they knew that it became difficult to say it in words. Because when they truly said it outright, neither of them was ready or able to think of the consequences.
Lan Xichen circled his fingertips on the rim of his teacup. The corner of his eyes caught the scene of Wei Wuxian stirring slightly in his sleep as he changed his posture. While doing so, his gaze also inevitably captured the sight of the younger brother sitting in front of him. His mind uncontrollably wandered back to a few weeks ago in the Gentian House.
At that time, after kneeling in silence for a few hours, Lan Xichen finally uttered the conclusion he reached. He had been contemplating the matter since the night of his wedding day after his mind sobered up.
He said, "Wangji, I have no right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. Considering what I have done myself, it is not my place to dictate your feelings."
Lan Wangji spoke in a low voice, "But you and Wei Ying are...toward him you too... Wangji knows he is in the wrong." He bit his lips harshly to stop them from trembling as he said, "In the future, I will try to-,"
Lan Xichen suddenly interrupted him, "What will you try? Attempt to forget him? To stop yearning for him?"
He sighed. Not giving Lan Wangji a chance to retort, he spoke again, "What is in your heart, only you will know it. Just because you will say later you have no more knots in your heart, does that mean there really is nothing?"
Lan Wangji fell silent.
Lan Xichen shook his head.
He knew it was impossible.
He laughed wryly. After all, who made them a Lan descendant with a stubborn devotion for life?
Eventually, he stood up and said, "Wangji, the marriage between me and Wei-Gongzi, you know it best how it began. Wei-Gongzi is...he doesn't marry me because of love. Just like I am not in the position to dictate your intention, Xiongzhang too, I have no right to control his heart. If someday...if in the future, his heart leans to someone else, I..."
Lan Wangji abruptly turned his head to look at him. His eyes had been downcast the whole time, yet all of a sudden they glowered fiercely. As if he was angry and indignant.
He had questioned Lan Xichen in a hurried breath at that time, "Do you mean to say you are going to leave him?"
It was painful for him to have his beloved taken by someone else. But if that person actually wanted to abandon Wei Wuxian, then he would be extremely angry instead. How dare they? Toward someone whom Lan Wangji put on his palm yet fear of falling, guarded in his mouth but fear of melting, how dare they not take care of Wei Wuxian properly?
Lan Xichen closed his eyes. "It is not that I am going to leave. If Wei-Gongzi doesn't tell me to leave, then I will stay. As for you, so long as Wei-Gongzi himself doesn't tell you to quit, I won't tell you to stop."
He flicked his sleeve and turned around. Leaving Lan Wangji who sat frozen on the small cottage's entrance. His eyes were dazed, looking blankly at the direction where his older brother had gone to, trying to decipher what his words meant.
The sound of pedestrians walking and chatting, as well as hawkers shouting as they pushed their carts around the street, was especially clear from inside the inn room.
It had been quite a long time since Wei Wuxian woke up from such noise.
He sat up from the bed. His eyes caught the sun rays pouring into the room from the open windows. He knew it was early Chenshi.
He spun his legs from the bed, walking groggily with eyes half open to the other side of the room. It seemed like Lan Xichen was speaking with someone else. Looking at the profile, it should be Lan Wangji. Besides, he wouldn't let others come to his private space aside from his close family.
Wei Wuxian plopped on the floor, beside Lan Xichen, hugged his arm, and rubbed his head on his shoulder. "Zewu-Jun, why didn't you wake me up when Lan Zhan came?"
Lan Xichen used his other arm to gently pat his head, almost like caressing.
He replied, "Wei-Gongzi is still asleep before. This is not the Cloud Recesses, so you are free to sleep however you like and I won't wake you up."
Lan Wangji on the other side subconsciously tightened his grip on the teacup. His breath hitched audibly as he witnessed Wei Wuxian attempting such physical affection toward his older brother.
Wei Wuxian had never initiated this kind of thing before, yet after their marriage...
But it was just a few weeks!
The cheap teacup from the cheap inn shattered unable to bear any more force.
"Huh..." Wei Wuxian rubbed his eyes, looking at the person on the opposite as he heard the clatter. "Lan Zhan, what happened?"
Lan Wangji, "..."
Lan Xichen, "..."
Lan Wangji ultimately replied in a muffled voice, "...Nothing."
He silently picked up the fallen porcelain pieces and wrapped them in a handkerchief. He made sure not to leave any shards on the floor mats. Another note was also added in his mind to give an extra payment to the inn for the broken utensil.
Wei Wuxian had raised his head and stood up, moving to the other side from when he heard the cup falling.
After helping Lan Wangji gather the shattered cup, he reached out, "Give me your hand."
Lan Wangji looked up in puzzlement. "My hand?"
"Let me see, are your hands hurt from the shards?"
"Oh..." Lan Wangji responded dazedly.
He offered his hands for Wei Wuxian to flip over and examine.
"Alright, there's no injury." He concluded finally and put down Lan Wangji's hands.
Somehow, Lan Wangji wanted to have an impulse to grab Wei Wuxian's hand back. Yet, in the end, he just curled his fingers on his palm and pulled them to his lap.
Wei Wuxian didn't go back to Lan Xichen's side and continued to sit beside Lan Wangji instead.
As usual, his knees were unceremoniously nudging Lan Wangji's.
Lan Xichen lifted his teacup and drank the tea calmly.
Wei Wuxian was talking on the other side, "Okay, you, Lan Zhan! You went to nighthunt in a hurry. Hanguang-Jun, you dropped your duty in the Library Pavilion and left all responsibility to me. Can you imagine how busy I was these past few weeks?"
Lan Wangji was about to speak, but after hearing Wei Wuxian's complaints he suddenly didn't know what to say.
It was Lan Xichen who spoke, "If Wei-Gongzi wants to play around for a while, you can continue to go nighthunting with the disciples for a few more weeks."
Wei Wuxian looked up at him. "Are there quite a lot of unresolved cases piled up in GusuLan?"
"There are indeed a lot of reports. But other Seniors have taken them." Lan Xichen smiled. "But it doesn't have to be cases from our Sect. Don't you like hunting mountain monsters the most before? I've heard a lot about Wei-Gongzi from Yunmeng when you are still 14 or 15. If you don't mind, I will trouble you to bring the disciples to have similar hunts. They can learn a lot from you."
"Oh..."
Wei Wuxian recalled back his younger days when he was still a cheeky boy who couldn't wait to show off his might. If there was someone with an inferiority complex around him back then, they would have hated him to death! Looking at how unabashedly he was to plaster a statement "Yes, I am such a prodigy!".
Even Lan Qiren in Gusu had heard of his feat and used it to deprecate and deflate his ego, "Just because you have hunted some mountain monster, don't be too complacent."
Thinking about those bygone days, Wei Wuxian felt like he wanted to laugh at his sass, but a wave of sadness fleeted past as he remembered his departed martial siblings.
The martial siblings he used to go to nighthunt with were no more. The dazzling swordsmanship he used to show off his ability in the hunts was similarly no more.
Wei Wuxian raised his head to look at Lan Xichen opposite and smiled softly. "Thank you, Zewu-Jun. You're always so kind to me..."
There were no martial siblings, but instead a group of fresh Cabbages who hugged him when they were scared, trotted behind.
His swordsmanship was no more, but there was Lan Wangji who went to accompany him.
From the first time he met Lan Wangji in his 15, he had always wanted to bring him to play and go to night hunts. So much so that back then he said to Jiang Cheng, that if Lan Wangji agreed to his invitation to come to Lotus Pier, he didn't only want him to stay for a month but he even wanted him to sleep in his room!
Lan Xichen understood him. Just like he arranged a work for him in the Library Pavilion before, he thoughtfully arranged this hunt for him.
Wei Wuxian couldn't stop himself from jumping out from his seat, came to Lan Xichen's side, and gave him a loud smooch on his cheek.
"Huan-Ge is the best!" He laughed heartily before leaving the two brothers who were both frozen for different reasons, to wash his face and change into new clothes.
When they went back to the Village later, handling the case afterward was easy.
The case was revealed to the Villagers and also the Xiao Family, with the infamous Hanguang-Jun being present to prove the confession from the ghost of Lady Song, the Village was thrown into an uproar. The Xiao Family was even more so.
However, no matter what their reaction later, Wei Wuxian and the others would not be bothered to care anymore.
After handing over the case to the new team consisting of other GusuLan Cultivators-cum-administrative staff, they left the Village and continued to go somewhere else.
Lan Xichen had left since early morning after having their breakfast. He had gone racing back to Qinghe to continue the discussion.
The young disciples were left behind headed by Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji.
They were walking on the dry muddy road with rice fields sandwiching from left and right. Their focus was dazedly attracted to the yellowish dust from the soil, rising slightly as their boots scrapped over the mud surface. The disciples all appeared to be in a low spirit.
Even though they had heard Lady Song's confession last night, but when they saw Grandma Xiao who trembled and screamed hysterically, looking both frightened and guilty as she saw Lady Song's ghost, the disciples felt even more unreal. Who would know that such a kind-looking grandma was someone who could stay silent as she saw 50 innocent maidens being killed unjustly for 5 decades?
The more heartbreaking was the scene of the previous lunatic man, the father of DaYa. The man had been mentally disturbed and manic for a year. Yet when he finally knew the truth he stood blankly instead.
If DaYa truly died because of a ferocious Demon, then when the Demon was slain he could finally put his heart at ease. But now, even if Grandma Xiao Mei died, his heart would no longer feel at peace no matter what. After all, his beloved daughter, the only remembrance left of his beloved wife, was killed at 12 years old just to be the foundation of a pair of Scumbags' sadomasochistic love story.
Knowing this, how was he supposed to feel at peace?
"Huhhh....." The disciples heaved a heavy sigh again.
At this time, their attention finally diverted to Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-Jun who were walking in the front.
Wei Wuxian turned his head in their direction, smiling leisurely as always, and greeted them, "Alright, children! Let's go to our next nighthunt!"
This time, whether they had been used to it after one day, or if it was because there was Hanguang-Jun they didn't retort with "Who are your children!".
They just habitually looked up to Wei Wuxian and asked him, "Wei-Gongzi, where are we going next?"
"Hmmm...your Zewu-Jun told me to bring you to hunt some mountain monsters." Wei Wuxian caressed his chin.
Suddenly he glanced at Lan Wangji beside him and grinned. "But it is not limited to mountain monsters, right, Hanguang-Jun? It should be alright if we go and hunt Sea Monsters instead, no? The sea is only a dozen miles from here, so, why don't we go to have Sea Voyage?"
The disciples immediately cast away their previous gloom. They became energetic and filled with passion once again. The Sea Voyage absolutely hooked their interest!
They looked at Lan Wangji with hopeful eyes.
Lan Wangji, "..."
The combination of the big one and small ones staring at him with such a look was simply fatal.
He nodded his head rigidly and agreed, "Mn. We can hunt to the Sea area."
The disciples cheered happily.
Wei Wuxian also hugged his arm happily.
Lan Wangji similarly screamed in his heart happily.
Wei Wuxian walked in the front, his lips were chewing a grass stem he picked from the roadside.
"Lan Zhan, so you were left here by Zewu-Jun to supervise me, huh."
Lan Wangji looked confused. "What to supervise?"
Wei Wuxian looked back at him. "Supervising if I will give a bad influence to your pure Lan disciples?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows, maybe I will teach them something forbidden, hahaha."
He kept walking forward, but he didn't hear Lan Wangji following him behind. Looking back again at the man, it turned out Lan Wangji had stopped rooted in his earlier position.
Wei Wuxian was surprised. "Lan Zhan?"
He turned around and walked back approaching Lan Wangji. The other man clearly didn't seem like he was in the right state. "What's wrong with you?" He asked seriously.
Lan Wangji lifted his gaze to lock his eyes with him. His expression looked like he was in deep frustration.
Wei Wuxian was taken aback and hurriedly said, "I was joking! Don't think too much, Lan Zhan. I know Zewu-Jun cared about me and left you here to accompany me in his stead."
Lan Wangji, "..."
He looked even more exasperated instead
He was deeply frustrated in truth. These past few weeks, or ever since the past few months, Lan Wangji kept contemplating in his mind. Just what had gone wrong? Why did he fail so miserably? After mulling about it over and over, there was one thing he realized, his failure stemmed out because his intentions weren't conveyed properly to Wei Wuxian.
For one reason and another, Wei Wuxian had apparently mistaken his intention for something else. Neither Lan Wangji nor Wei Wuxian were aware that they had completely different understandings. But most importantly, Lan Wangji felt he was actually so cowardly when it came to expressing his affection. He was so preoccupied with gain and loss.
However, these past months, when he saw how his older brother boldly and brazenly expressed his fondness or attempted physical contact even before marriage, Lan Wangji felt like his views were overturned.
'It turned out I could have just proceeded like this!'
Wei Wuxian, the guy who said "Don't worry, I don't like men." in Xuanwu Cave to pacify him back then, actually doesn't look averse to such intimacy at all.
If only he could be as brave and direct as his older brother, Wei Ying would have known of his feelings long ago. If only he could convey his words better, Wei Ying would never have misunderstood his intention. And if back then Wei Ying had known his intention clearly, the person who stood beside him in a red robe that day would have been him...
In the end, his sadness and failure started because what he felt in his heart was not delivered properly.
Therefore, today, he wanted Wei Ying to know.
What he truly felt in his heart.
That's why he started, "Wei Ying. I am not here to supervise you."
"Hm?" Wei Wuxian raised his brows.
Lan Wangji continued, "——Neither have I ever thought of you as a bad influence."
Wei Wuxian blinked. "Oh, okay then...?"
"You've taught the disciples well." Lan Wangji praised him in a solemn tone that it almost didn't sound like praise at all.
Wei Wuxian, "Did I?"
Lan Wangji nodded. "You have guided them properly. Searching for cause and effect."
"That is to be expected." Wei Wuxian shook his head.
Lan Wangji, "You made the nighthunt worthwhile. You didn't just take them to solve the case, but taught them how to be more familiar with handling a case. You're helping them to develop not just to learn."
Wei Wuxian grinned. "Lan Zhan, that is quite a compliment coming from you."
Lan Wangji still continued to speak seriously, "You taught them how to analyze more than just a case and the people. Teaching them to consider more aspects such as geographical location and even climate changes."
Wei Wuxian just laughed it off. "Any experienced Cultivator would have been able to see that."
Lan Wangji shook his head. "Not everyone would. Everyone is a Cultivator and everyone learns Talisman yet how many people mastered them? Most people are already struggling just to understand Cultivation practices. Few Cultivators excelled in the Six Arts of gentlemen And even less Cultivators have wisdom aside from Cultivation theories."
Wei Wuxian huffed lightly, no longer retorting.
However, Lan Wangji didn't seem to look like he had finished speaking.
After struggling for a while, he took a deep breath and finally looked at Wei Wuxian properly once again. "Wei Ying, you have always been gifted and proficient."
Wei Wuxian perked up. "Uh-huh?"
Lan Wangji was still staring at him calmly. He said, "I trust your ability."
The smile on the corner of Wei Wuxian's lip gradually widened as he nodded in approval upon the series of acknowledgments. "I see, Lan Zhan. It is really rare for you to talk this much."
Wei Wuxian's gaze softened. "...And it's just to praise me. Thank you."
The tail of the grass stem on his mouth wagging around as if in consonance with his pleasant mood.
Lan Wangji shook his head. "There is no need to say thank you, between you and me."
Wei Wuxian felt his voice sounded strangely tender in his ears.
But Lan Wangji's voice became even softer as he finally said, "...Wei Ying, you are really good. In my heart, I have always admired you."
"Oh..."
The grass bitten on Wei Wuxian's lips fell off.