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@Wei Wuxian The numbing sensation soon took over Lan Wangji's body, his gaze clouded and vision hazy. In his youth, slamming his head against the table from losing his control after consuming alcohol was good enough to make Lan Wangji never want to do it again. Currently, as his consciousness was sifting to and fro, he sat with his lips jutted out, not enough to be a pout, but enough to tell that he wasn't in total control of himself anymore.

Lan Wangji did not verbally accept nor deny Wei Wuxian's offer to bathe, his mind focusing on the specific words, "I'll prepare the bath for you." Oddly, those words made him complacent and he raised his eyes just slightly, making sure that every time Wei Wuxian went out the door, he would return moments later. Soon, the room was warming up from the hot water vapor coming out of the tub. Lan Wangji blinked a few times as the other came over to him, his lulling voice made Lan Wangji lean his face forward, obediently allowing Wei Wuxian to rub the wet cloth over his skin. His eyes would only close momentarily before opening again, concerned that if he didn't, Wei Wuxian would somehow disappear into thin air.

"Now you have to take off your clothes." Wei Wuxian had gently prodded him. It didn't take him much though, as Lan Wangji stood autonomously, removing his robes per the other's instructions. Two layers of white were strewn across the mat he had just been sitting on. He reached behind his head, undoing his hairband and forehead ribbon, also setting those ontop of his stack of clothing.

"I'm not going to help you bathe, okay? I'm sure you can do that on your own."

Lan Wangji paused in his tracks as Wei Wuxian took his hand, guiding him to the bathtub. "Not bathing anymore." he murmured under his breath, the displeasure of the last two sentences slowly etching itself on his face in the form of downcast eyes and a sulking frown. It took Wei Wuxian some coaxing (more like offering to help Lan Wangji bathe) before he finally took another step forward. As he swung a leg over and climbed into the tub, the hot water sent a shock up his body. Lan Wangji lowered himself into the water, pressing himself to one edge before reaching over, tugging at the black and red sash that adorned Wei Wuxian's waist, letting the piece of cloth fall to the ground.

In his mind, Lan Wangji was somewhat convinced that Wei Wuxian would be bathing with him, but much to his dismay, Wei Wuxian seemed to be turning away from him again. Reaching the same hand that had unceremoniously ripped the sash off, Lan Wangji gripped onto the smaller male's wrist, "Help me wash..." he finally requested, not wanting Wei Wuxian to go outside or leave him alone. His deep-set eyes couldn't remove themselves from the younger male on the other side of the tub. Compared to earlier, now Lan Wangji did not even want to blink, his eyes trained on the other male with an intensity he didn't know he was capable of in this drunken state. Some water ran down his face as Wei Wuxian attempted to help him wash his hair, but even then, Lan Wangji's gaze did not waver. He didn't want Wei Wuxian to cover his eyes either, his subconscious knowing that the smaller male was capable to many tricks. When the other's hand reached out to cover his eyes, Lan Wangji sunk his body lower, such that his face was halfway in the water, but his eyes evaded Wei Wuxian's hand barrier.

Sulky and drunk, Lan Wangji wanted Wei Wuxian to coax him, to talk to him. But usually, he never said what he wanted aloud, always leaving the other to figure it out for himself. It was indeed one of his shortcomings. He blew a few bubbles in the water, probably the best thing that he could do to express himself at the moment. It was only when Wei Wuxian started to , the room filling with his lively laughter again that Lan Wangji didn't glower anymore, sitting up properly so that the other could wash him.

"Do not touch me." he suddenly said when Wei Wuxian's hand had dipped a little too close to his chest. It was where the brand mark on his chest was, which made Lan Wangji instinctively reach out in case the other touched it. Maybe Wei Wuxian wasn't intending to touch there, and Lan Wangji was never one to stop the other from doing what he wanted anyway. However, this brand mark on his chest was something that he didn't want anyone to come into contact with. It was the only thing in the world he shared in common with Wei Wuxian's original body.

Seeing how the younger was suddenly about to leave again (probably because Lan Wangji didn't let him touch him), he gripped tighter onto the smaller's wrist, very little thought put into controlling his power. "Do not go." he ordered. So his directions may have been contradictory, but Lan Wangji was insistent on what he wanted.

@Lan Wangji Wen Ning's joy when Lan Wangji did not only treat him without hostility, but with kindness, warmed Wei Wuxian greatly. The tiniest of smiles tugged on the corners of his lips. Lan Wangji was such a generous, caring man. He big Wen Ning a good rest, and resumed his lunch, making sure to swirl everything he ate in either the spicy red soup or scarle-looking sauces.

Whenever Wei Wuxian looked up from his bowl in the middle of his meal, he found Lan Wangji seemingly glaring at his face. 'What did I do this time,' Wei Wuxian wanted to ask. He'd been silent, sitting upright, and full of manners the entire time. Just as he was about to ask Lan Wangji if he had something on his face, the latter actually reached across the table for a jar of wine and downed a cupful before Wei Wuxian could react. "Lan Zhan!" he startled, a hand reached halfway between them, as if to stop the other. "Ah... Lan Zhan... you know you're such a hassle to take care of when you're drunk," he finished with a huff, relaxed now that he knew the alcohol was beginning to take its effect and Lan Wangji would not remember a thing when he sobered up. He could already see the light in Lan Wangji's eyes dulling, but the older man still looked as handsome as ever (even though he looked catatonic) in Wei Wuxian's mind.

Still, he waited for just a bit more before speaking again. "Lan Zhan," he whispered, waving his free hand in front of Lan Wangji's face. Once he had confirmed Lan Wangji was lost in his own little world again, Wei Wuxian giggled. He /giggled/, and he'd never done that in his life. "Lan Er, look at you. I think you need to go lie down again." Truly, Wei Wuxian had no ulterior motives this time around. Even though there was a deep desire to spend the rest of the afternoon kissing Lan Wangji senseless since the other would not remember it anyway, Wei Wuxian felt that he couldn't take advantage of such a pure and good man. At least, he would pretend he could be a decent person. His gaze fell on Lan Wangji's robes, however, and noticed how blood and dirt stained the white material had become. "Lan Zhan, why don't you take a bath before you rest? You will feel better when you wake up, I promise. Stay here, I'll prepare the bath for you."

Although there were maidens to do this sort of work for him, Wei Wuxian took it upon himself to painstakingly boil each bucket of water, bring it up to their room, and repeat until the bathtub was filled nearly to the brim. He checked the temperature carefully before returning to Lan Wangji with a wet washcloth. "Lan Zhan, let me wipe your face first," he crooned softly, as if he were coaxing a child. Softly, he rubbed the cloth all over Lan Wangji's face, taking care not to pull on his delicate skin so hard. Between his thumb and forefinger, he carefully pinched the forehead ribbon and lifted it up so he could wipe the skin beneath, careful to rest the ribbon wear it sat before. "Now you have to take off your clothes. I'm not going to help you bathe, okay? I'm sure you can do that on your own."

Wei Wuxian tried not to look when Lan Wangji did as he asked. He /really/ tried, except he failed miserably and took a peek as he guided Lan Wangji towards the bathtub (honest to the gods, Wei Wuxian just didn't want Lan Wangji to fall into the tub and drown without his supervision. How Wangji got inebriated to the point of barely functioning after a sip, Wei Ying would never find out.) Wei Wuxian swallowed hard when his eyes grazed over Lan Wangji's well defined chest and abdomen. Just as his gaze was beginning to glaze over Lan Wangji's hips and lower, he forced himself to look away, coughing hard. "Careful when you climb in, Lan Zhan. I- I don't know what I would do if you fell."

Lying down or standing up, Lan Wangji could nevertheless meditate. Unwilling to get up, fearing that it would arouse Wei Wuxian, he had laid flat the entire time, meditation in his somewhat compromised position. His ears were burning red and his heart was racing, so Lan Wangji started to recite the rules of the Gusu Lan Sect in his head, trying to rein his emotions back in. He didn't know how long he had been laying there, but it must not have been that long. The position of the sun had not really shifted, but he suddenly heard a small chortle coming from Wei Wuxian. Turning his head, Lan Wangji realized that the other had woken up.

Proceeding to slow sit up after the other, Lan Wangji turned around and got up off the bed, straightening his robes as the door knocked. Lan Wangji thought he had heard another sniffle coming from the other, but remembering what he had done earlier, was too ashamed to open his mouth, instead reaching down to put on his shoes. "En." he said in response to Wei Wuxian's question, eyeing the innkeeper as she came in and arranged a hearty selection of dishes on the table in the middle of the room. Lan Wangji reached into his pocket, pulling out a small piece of silver and handing it to her - more as a gratuity than the service fee. This was a lesson he had learned from Wei Wuxian. With money, service, attention, and information could be purchased. It wasn't that they needed any information from the innkeeper now, but it was good to be prepared.

Lan Wangji sat down first, placing a small jar of wine in front of Wei Wuxian's seat and a set of chopsticks on top of the other's bowl. "Wei Ying." he called, "Come eat." His eyes glanced up as Wei Wuxian took his seat and suddenly began to arrange the dishes, placing the milder ones in front of Lan Wangji. It was such a thoughtful action, and Lan Wangji really wondered if there really was a chance that Wei Wuxian returned his feelings. But it was a minute action, and Lan Wangji didn't dare to dwell on that thought. Maybe Wei Wuxian was just sick of all the plain food he'd see at the Cloud Recesses. Stoically, he picked up his chopsticks and held his bowl in his hand, eating in his very upright posture. And for once, Lan Wangji experienced eating in silence while being Wei Wuxian's presence. He found himself rather unfamiliar with how to react in this kind of situation. He had become accustomed to looking up at Wei Wuxian's face as the other enjoyed his meal and chugged his wine, all under the excuse that Lan Wangji was paying attention to what the other had to say. But now, there was no reason for him to look up, and the bigger male ended up with his eyes glued to the rim of his bowl. And for some reason, his appetite wasn't all that great suddenly.

He stifled a gasp when Wei Wuxian suddenly choked on the wine, more concerned with the other than the fact that Wen Ning had just shown up unannounced. Though also startled by Wen Ning's sudden entrance into their room (and also wondering how the man knew precisely which one was theirs), Lan Wangji did not exhibit as great of a reaction as the younger did. He glanced up in acknowledgement as The Ghost General greeted him, nodding his head in return.

"Lan Zhan, Let's go as soon as the sun is down."

"En." he agreed, also finding the information about the land deed and temple's closing uncanny. There had to be something happening that night. Since Jin Guangyao had been exposed, there was no way the sect leader would idly wait for the rest of the cultivation world to convict him. Lan Wangji reached into his pouch again, pulling out another piece of silver, holding it out to Wen Ning. "For the innkeeper. Get a room and rest well." he said, to which the Ghost General could not do anything but express his gratitude. Wen Ning had been out the entire time, finding information for them. Lan Wangji only saw it fair that the other was given a break too, not to mention he had also been the one who rowed the boat the entire night. However, Lan Wangji did not want to share the room, as he still wanted Wei Wuxian to rest more, thus offering Wen Ning to get his own.

They had the rest of the afternoon to do whatever it was they had to do, but Lan Wangji's mind was still lingering on his deed from earlier. Even worse, when looked up at Wei Wuxian's face, his lips in particular, he noticed a small red bruising at the corner of the other's lower lips. He stared intently at that red mark, once again blaming himself for losing his control. Lan Wangji felt like the guilt was eating him away again, and whenever he felt that, he always made reckless decisions.

Thus, he proceeded to do something else that would make him feel guilty later - drinking. It was better to have this guilt over that guilt. Reaching for the second jar that had been to a side, he opened it and poured a cup into the empty teacup by his side. Without warning, he downed the substance, probably much to Wei Wuxian's surprise. It really didn't take long at all for the effects to take their course of action, making his limbs and senses go numb again. Maybe Wei Wuxian had protested in surprise, but Lan Wangji was really that bad at consuming alcohol - because he didn't notice.

@Lan Wangji "Wei Ying, you sleep first." Lan Wangji said, his voice naturally so commanding Wei Wuxian stalled on his way towards the seat cushions that were placed by the table. Lan Wangji obviously meant for Wei Wuxian to have the bed, and the other man's stare made it clear to Wei Wuxian he was not taking 'no' for an answer. "I will wake you up," Lan Wangji reassured him, so Wei Wuxian reluctantly returned to the bed, slipping his shoes off slowly. It was just that Wei Wuxian felt a little bad for Lan Wangji, who probably spent a lot of time meditating through nights rather than sleeping properly. Even in the Xuanwu Cave, Lan Wangji refused to sprawl out across a bunch of rocks like Wei Wuxian did and sat upright for the entire week if he wasn't standing.

Wei Wuxian laid himself down, curling comfortably on his side immediately. It was just a theory, but sleeping on his back gave him nightmares, so he wasn't sure how Lan Wangji did it. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he watched Lan Wangji take a seat at the edge of the bed, beginning to remove his shoes too. Wei Wuxian jerked, propping himself half-up as he eyed Lan Wangji, his lips parting in disbelief. Again, it wasn't their first time doing so and Wei Wuxian was never shy about clinging to the other in his sleep, but... Wei Wuxian sighed. There was no excuse he could give for Lan Wangji to not sleep beside him.

He lowered himself again, his eyes lidding from weariness as he watched Lan Wangji fold himself into the typical Gusu Lan sleeping pose (the fact that they had one always awed Wei Wuxian). His heart suddenly threatened to leap out of his chest again. As Wei Wuxian stared, he conjured up all sorts of thoughts, a few that brought a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks. One of his last thoughts was: 'if Lan Zhan gave me a sign he liked me, I could be hugging him to sleep now.' Then his cheeks burned a bright red and he turned to face the wall so Lan Wangji wouldn't see them.

As Wei Wuxian drifted off to sleep, he heard Lan Wangji's threats that were quite a sweet attempt to lull him to sleep, and with the normalcy Lan Wangji was trying to maintain, Wei Wuxian felt a little better. His heart no longer felt like it was about to explode. It took no longer than a minute for him to fall asleep.

Wei Wuxian had the best dream. He was clinging off Lan Wangji the entire time. They had semi-retired with their own little cottage, a small plot of land filled with radishes and rabbits running between them, and two fat chickens. 'Lan Er gege,' he'd coo in his dream, which translated into murmurs whilst he slept. The best part was when dream-Lan Zhan kissed him without a word or a warning, and dream-Wei Ying swooned. It felt so warm and soft and /real/ dream-Wei Ying started crying from joy.

Of course, embarrassing enough, Wei Wuxian suddenly woke with actual tears filling his eyes and already streaming down his cheeks. Even worse, Lan Wangji was already awake. Wei Wuxian shifted as far back as he could, bolting upright and hastily wiping at his eyes and cheeks with the back of his wrist. "Is it time?" he croaked, twisting to look out the window. Right on cue, there was a knock on the door. Wei Wuxian called for the owner to come in, and lunch was set up quietly.

If Lan Wangji could pretend they didn't kiss (and i front of Wen Ning, at that) on the boat, Wei Wuxian could, too. "Lan Zhan, let's eat," he said with as much cheer as he could muster. Wei Wuxian picked out the more mild dishes for Lan Wangji, knowing his (probably) intolerance or dislike for spice, and arranged them neatly in front of Lan Wangji. For once, though, Wei Wuxian ate without speaking, just as Lan Wangji would probably prefer. Wei Ying thought he was doing well, until Wen Ning suddenly crawled into their room through the open window, shocking Wei Wuxian to the point of choking on his mouthful of wine.

"Lan Er Gongzi, Wei Gongzi," Wen Ning greeted respectfully, taking a seat between the two. "There is a large temple in town. It's full of... energy."

"Guanyin Hall," Wei Wuxian recalled once he'd recovered. "That was one of the addresses on the deed in Jin Guangyao's hidden chamber. But why would he buy it? What's so special about it?"

"Gongzi, I'm still not sure yet, but there's something being suppressed in there. The circle cannot be broken easily. I think you will have to wait until night when there's no one to try and break it. I overheard a monk telling a granny the temple will be closed for three days starting tomorrow for renovation..."

Wei Wuxian tapped the end of his chopsticks against his chin in deep thought. "That makes sense. There is no reason for Jin Guangyao to put this address in his secret chamber for no reason. Lan Zhan," he said, meeting Lan Wangji's eyes (and trying to avoid his lips) with a determined expression. "Let's go as soon as the sun is down."

@Wei Wuxian Since they didn't have a clear idea of what was going to occur in Yunping yet, it was best to be rested before they headed out again. Wei Wuxian had spent what little energy there was coming from the golden core of Mo Xuanyu's frail body, therefore it made sense that the the male was looking haggard. Lan Wangji had been vigilant throughout the night, himself not familiar with this territory in Yunmeng. Though he did not admit to it, he needed rest too. As they docked at the shore, and Wei Wuxian had managed to verify their location with a few young maidens nearby (much to Lan Wangji's distaste), the two separating from Wen Ning for the time being.

As they entered the city, an inn came into view. Lan Wangji nodded his head, following behind Wei Wuxian as the other bounded in that direction. The two were welcomed upon their entrance, being asked, " "Young masters, how many rooms would you like?" Lan Wangji's eyes rolled to the side, glancing at Wei Wuxian's figure as he sensed the smaller male suddenly tensing up at the question, almost as though he were hesitant to answer.

"One room is fine."

Lan Wangji proceeded to look forward again, his eyes betraying his relief at hearing the other's answer. After being led to their room by the innkeeper and requesting for a meal to be brought up later, Lan Wangji nodded his head slightly at the older woman as she stepped out, closing the door behind her. Setting Bichen carefully down against the edge of the small wooden table in the middle of the room, Lan Wangji turned to face Wei Wuxian.

"Hanguang Jun," the other called him. Lan Wangji's lips twitched, wondering why the younger male was suddenly being courteous in private. While it was not unusual for Wei Wuxian to refer to him by his title, Lan Wangji had noted that it was mainly when the other was around others or when he was talking about a serious matter that the title would come out. "You should rest. Take the bed. You know, I am used to sleeping anywhere," the other continued, the shy demeanor contrasting with just a few days ago, when Lan Wangji had been knocked out cold and Wei Wuxian had invited himself into bed beside him. " "Just make sure you wake me up for dinner, haha..."

"Wei Ying." he called, his deep voice somewhat commanding without it being his intention, "You sleep first." he said. After so long, Lan Wangji was very aware of the smaller male's sleeping habits. He was a messy sleeper, one who would toss and turn in all directions. If he slept on anywhere else but the bed, Lan Wangji was concerned for his hygiene, as the male would most likely end up rolling up the debris and dirt on the floor. Though there was a chair in the room that he would normally use for meditation, Lan Wangji had also been a firsthand witness to Wei Wuxian's attempt at resting through meditation, the other falling over as he nodded off to sleep, the previous time even landed his cheek against Lan Wangji's shoulder.

Seeing how the other seemed reluctant, Lan Wangji took a few steps closer to the younger male. He continued to keep one arm behind his back, the other hanging limply beside him, making no obvious move to come in contact with Wei Wuxian. "I will wake you up." he assured the other, finally approaching the bed as well. Lan Wangji hovered over the bed frame, his eyes casted downwards towards the other’s direction, refusing to remove himself until Wei Wuxian had removed his shoes and lied down on the bed.

Once Wei Wuxian shifted slightly, making enough space by laying on the further side of the bed, Lan Wangji turned around and sat down on the surface, removing his shoes and lying down beside the other. As usual, he was lying flat on his back, his body straight, his hands folded neatly over his abdomen and his neck just slightly propped up on the pillow. It seemed like this sudden decision to lie down besides Wei Wuxian had startled the younger, but without batting a lash, Lan Wangji reminded him, “You said it yourself. You can sleep anywhere.” In his head, he added, “/So you can sleep next to me./” He didn't want to hear the protests, so he threatened under his breath, "Sleep. If not, Silencing Spell." Of course that was not going to happen. Lan Wangji's silencing spell had once been his potent weapon to punish Wei Wuxian and his nonstop talking, but now it was the last thing he would want to do.

Despite the Gusu Lan Sect’s rules of sleeping strictly at midnight and waking strictly at dawn, Lan Wangji’s fatigue overruled his sect’s years of diligent upbringing. As soon as Wei Wuxian had calmed down, probably from realizing that he was stuck beside Lan Wangji whether he liked it or not, the male had easily fallen asleep. Having noticed that the other was settled in and sleeping soundly, Lan Wangji closed his eyes, also losing himself to sleep.

The sunlight was bright in the room a few hours later. Of course, that meant it was almost noon. Lan Wangji’s body, though fatigued, operated like clockwork, and after getting exact 6 hours of sleep that he needed, he woke up. This time, he was prepared to wake up to Wei Wuxian’s body being strewn over his own, the other’s posture somewhere between that of a victory pose and a child who was hugging his favorite toy. Lan Wangji slowly blinked his eyes open, then peering down carefully, so as to not disturb Wei Wuxian. The male was exactly as he had imagined, but still obviously knocked out and nowhere near waking up. With such a perfect opportunity right in front of him, Lan Wangji indulged himself, staring longingly at Wei Wuxian’s face. His eyes lingered on the other’s dark pink lips, unable to move away from them as the image of Wei Wuxian’s face up close to his and the feeling of their connected lips making his heart race.

It was such a perfect opportunity, right there in front of him. Lan Wangji couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. In fact, the kiss Wei Wuxian had given to him – though he didn’t know what made the male suddenly initiate it – was not actually the first kiss they shared. Lan Wangji still reprimanded himself to this day for being so unscrupulous in his youth. Back when Wei Wuxian had blindfolded his eyes…and he felt a maiden press him up against a tree and kiss him. That was their first kiss. Yet Lan Wangji had never mentioned this to anyone. Right now, the urge to act immorally was eating away at him again. Though he knew it was wrong, to take advantage of Wei Wuxian’s helplessness, to satisfy his own desires, Lan Wangji did it anyways. He shifted himself just barely, such that it was a vertical shift just so his face was within closer proximity to the other’s. Gently, he pressed his lips against the other’s, giving the bottom lip a small nip when he pulled away. How would he face the world when he, the upright and virtuous Hanguang Jun, was also a thief twice over?

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@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian wanted to roll off the boat in his misery. Even drowning would not hurt as much as the blank stare Lan Wangji was giving him after they /kissed/. Or, more like Wei Wuxian kissed him like a daring maiden and then pretended to be shy and wanton to attract the young master of her dreams. The only difference was that though Lan Wangji might just be the young master of Wei Wuxian's dreams, he didn't know how to /act/ like one. Sometimes, Wei Wuxian thought he could somewhat tell what was going on in that brain of Hanguang Jun's. Wei Wuxian wanted to know if his affection was returned. He wanted to know whether Lan Wangji was disgusted now or not. He wanted to know /something/, anything. With Wen Ning's interruption, Wei Wuxian didn't get to try again. Instead, he shrunk away from Lan Wangji, trying not to let his upset show.

He hated that he was acting like a fussy madam all of a sudden.

Tensing when Lan Wangji called for him again, Wei Wuxian refused to look the older man in the eyes, figuring he could take this time to brood. His hand lay limp in Lan Wangji's grasp. The other man was probably trying to resolve the obvious tension that hung in the air. For a second, Wei Wuxian considered throwing a little tantrum like Jin Ling would, but he resigned to keeping to himself to exchanging light conversation with Wen Ning on their way to Yunping.

By the time they seemed to be never, aring the city, dawn had broken, and Wei Wuxian was dead tired. At any rate, they would need to rest before investigating the town. As their boat floated towards the docks, more and more boats seemed to materialize from out of nowhere. Wei Wuxian sat up a little straighter, managing a charming smile through his exhaustion at the ladies washing their clothes by the river. "Young maidens," he called out, waggling his fingers in greeting. "If I may ask, is this Yunping city?"

The girls giggled and blushed. "Yes, it is."

Wei Wuxian's smile brightened. "We're here. Let's go." They docked their boat and set off for the heart of the city, all in unanimous agreement that they would need to recover their energy for the time being. Wei Wuxian figured he and Lan Wangji should probably eat, sleep for the day, and see if there was anything suspicious happening during the night. Besides, Wei Wuxian still never fully recovered his spiritual power ever since the events at Burial Mound. If he forced himself any more, he just might cripple himself for life. However reckless Wei Wuxian was, he knew his limits. "There," he said, pointing towards a comfortably sized inn. "Wen Ning, we will meet you back here at sundown. You go ahead." It would be unwise to bring Wen Ning into the inn.

Upon their entrance to the inn, the innkeepers' eyes lit up at the sight of two young masters. Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji, wondering if they'd be treated differently if his blood on Wangji's sleeve was so visible, but he found nothing. Gusu Lan magic, he concluded. The owner rushed forward enthusiastically, gesturing for them to check out the rooms upstairs. "Young masters, how many rooms would you like?"

Wei Wuxian's answer faltered. In the past couple months, it wouldn't have mattered. He and Lan Wangji slept on the same bed with no problems before, but now... Wei Wuxian felt his ears blush. He glanced at Lan Wangji, who seemed as if he wasn't planning on answering. Damn that man. On one hand, being stuck in the same room as Lan Wangji, who'd just as good as rejected him, was going to be awkward. On the other, it might /not/ be if Wei Wuxian slept through the day, but if he asked for two rooms that would just draw attention to how he was trying to avoid Wangji right now. "One room is fine," he finally said meekly.

With no refusal or protest from Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian felt that his heart wasn't about to jump out anymore. "Would you two like a meal? We have some of the best cooks in Yunping, and can have them delivered hot to your room." The owner said as she ushered them into a grand, vacant room. The bed was spacious enough for two. Wei Wuxian sighed a breath of relief. "Yes, please, ma'am, but not right now. Bring them up later in the evening with some wine. The stronger the better."

Once she had gone, shuttling the door behind her, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were finally left alone. He fiddled with his robes, paced the room, and finally sat on the bed. "Hanguang Jun," he said, his gaze meeting Lan Wangji's eyes at last. "You should rest. Take the bed. You know, I am used to sleeping anywhere," he said, beginning to ramble in his nerves. "Just make sure you wake me up for dinner, haha..."

@Wei Wuxian "Lan-er Gongzi...could you please do me a favor?" Wen Ning requested hurriedly, "Please don't tell Wei Gongzi that I told Sect Leader Jiang about his golden core...he told me to never tell anyone about it."

Lan Wangji looked at the Ghost General's pale face, dimly lit in the moonlight, but also flashing with concern. He nodded his head, "En." he nodded.

"Thank you..." Wen Ning said, bowing his head, "Also...for Ah Yuan." So it appeared Wen Ning had recognized Lan Sizhui to be Wen Yuan, the only Wen clan survivor who had escaped the wrath of the rest of the cultivation world. Wen Ning had always cared for the young boy in the past, and to know that he was alive brought him great pleasure, though he held all those words he wanted to say to Ah Yuan to himself.

"You won't tell him?" Lan Wangji asked, wondering if Wen Ning would want Ah Yuan to remember his past. To his surprise, the male across from him shook his head.

"Ah Yuan is very happy the way he is right now. Sometimes, knowing will not help him. It will be painful." he said, smiling softly. Lan Wangji knew Wen Ning was doing exactly as Wei Wuxian had been trying to do, protect the ones he cared about from pain.

He sighed softly, "He'll have to find out sooner or later." The same went for Wei Wuxian. He blamed himself for not having trusted Wei Wuxian earlier, to gain the other's trust back. Maybe if Wei Wuxian had told him in the past, Lan Wangji could have helped him through the ordeal, or find an alternative.

After noting this, their conversation paused, both of them shrouded by silence as they lost themselves to their thoughts. Lan Wangji stared into dark distance, genuinely questioning the impermanence of life as he had come to understand it. After a while, Lan Wangji had peered down at Wei Wuxian, realizing that the other was awake. He didn't know when the other had regained consciousness, therefore he wasn't sure what Wei Wuxian had heard. Still, he didn't bring up any of the topics that he had just discussed with the Ghost General, just eyes widening as he expressed concern for the smaller male, "Wei Ying." he called the other, pupils shaking as the other's trembling hand reached up and gently cupped his cheeks.

"There was a fight." he said, referring to Wen Ning's verbal argument with Jiang Cheng, but not directly alluding to it. He didn't know where they were, at least by name, so he didn't have answer for the male. Taken aback when Wei Wuxian suddenly shot up from his lap despite his weakened condition, Lan Wangji pressed a hand against the other's back, supporting him as he sat up.

"Lan Zhan, what Jiang Cheng said... you mustn't take it seriously. He has been like this since he was young. When he was mad, he would forget all his manners and say really stupid things. Even after so many years, he still makes no progress on that...So...Please don't keep those words in your heart."

"En. I won't." Lan Wangji promised the male. Wei Wuxian had thought about his feelings first thing after waking up, and Lan Wangji couldn't control the aching of his heart again. His lips parted slightly as if he had something to say to the smaller male, but nothing would come out. Instead, Lan Wangji kept his eyes trained on Wei Wuxian's face, taking it every feature and admiring every aspect. This was truly a man born with a smiling face. Even when he wasn't trying, his face was glowing, radiating purity and innocence. It was a face that did not pair well with suffering, especially not for Lan Wangji, for whenever he saw it, he would feel his heart tear in regret for ever letting harm come unto the other.

It was too quick, that slight pressure on his lips. Lan Wangji didn't even see it coming, despite his very fast reflexes. His eyes widened, his shoulders tensed, and his knuckles balled up when he felt Wei Wuxian's lips against his. Pink creeped onto his ears in an instant, there to stay for a period of time. Lan Wangji had yet to process what happened before that sensation was gone. His eyes continued to stare directly at the daring male, genuinely at a loss for how to react. Lan Wangji swallowed hard, fighting down the sudden urge to collect Wei Wuxian in his arms and repeat the moment once again - just so he would relish in it properly this time round.

However, as Wei Wuxian began to explain himself, Wen Ning broke the tension in the air, which Lan Wangji was not sure if he was relieved or frustrated about. Wei Wuxian was a floundering mess as he realized the awkward situation he had set himself up for, but it had somehow come off endearing to Lan Wangji, whose expression could only get softer by the minute as he lost himself to he radiance that Wei Wuxian's presence emitted. Wei Wuxian had suddenly put a small distance between them, seemingly embarrassed. This was the first time Lan Wangji had ever seen the male so timid, but he honestly didn't think there was a need to be. Closing the distance between them, he returned his hand back on Wei Wuxian's back, giving the other some support, "En. Let's go." he said, turning to Wen Ning and signalling the other to begin whenever he was ready.

"Wei Ying." Lan Wangji called the other, taking him by the wrist, this time strong enough such that the other wouldn't be able to pull away. Since he was conscious now, Lan Wangji wanted to transfer some more spiritual energy to him. When passed out, he had done so, but was not sure to what extent it had helped. Wordlessly, he closed his eyes, aiming two fingers at Wei Wuxian's wrist, right where the pulse was located, and began to transfer some more to him. "Don't move." he calmly said, refusing to let Wei Wuxian pull away.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian was on the verge of wake and unconsciousness the entire time. His eyes would open the slightest sometimes but he'd never make out where they were. His chest hurt, like something was pressing against it or he was pressing against something, but he never did find out what. Then he was being laid on his back, his face toward the sky as the back of his head pressed against something soft. There was a soft murmuring conversation. He managed to pick up the noise, but not the context. That was alright, he thought. The voice was so warm and comforting.

When Wei Wuxian finally regained his consciousness, the twinkling lights of Lotus Cove seemed light years away, only a dot in the distance. The only source of light was a lantern hung up on the boat they sat on, and the moon in the sky, which seemed a lot rounder than usual. Or was that just Wei Wuxian's mind playing tricks on him? The next thing Wei Wuxian noticed was that he was cradled so kindly he didn't want to get up, even when he realized he was sprawled across Lan Wangji's lap. Wei Wuxian said nothing as he watched Lan Wangji look at who knows what in the distance, admiring his sharp jaw and pretty face from below. It was only from Wei Wuxian's angle he noticed the tiniest of pink that coloured Lan Wangji's ears and tinted the tip of his nose.

Had Lan Wangji been crying? It was the first time Wei Wuxian saw such a sad expression on the older since they were both trapped in the Xuanwu Cave, when Lan Wangji revealed to him that his father had passed away. Wei Wuxian, of course, never saw Qingheng Jun as he had secluded himself long before Wei Wuxian was even born, and he doubted Lan Wangji did see his father much either, but family was still family. At that time, Wei Wuxian wasn't sure how to comfort the other. If Lan Wangji were a pretty maiden instead, it would be so easy to coo and coddle at him, but Wei Wuxian just left him alone.

This time would be different. Wei Wuxian lifted a hand, cupping Lan Wangji's jade-like face to draw his attention. He made no move to get up, fluttering his lashes like he was too dainty and still needed to lie in Hanguang Jun's embrace. "Lan Zhan," he whispered, his voice still hoarse. "How did we get out... where are we...?" Finally, Wei Wuxian sat up slowly, wincing when the throbbing in his head intensified from his action. "Lotus Pond," he realized, just as the events that unfolded at Lotus Cove all rushed back to him. Jiang Cheng's accusations, his murderous glare as he shot them when he banished the two of them, as if they were a /stain/ on Lotus Cove-

"Lan Zhan!" he exclaimed a bit too loudly, sitting up straight, a hand still pressed to the side of his head. "Lan Zhan, what Jiang Cheng said... you mustn't take it seriously. He has been like this since he was young. When he was mad, he would forget all his manners and say really stupid things. Even after so many years, he still makes no progress on that." Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together, peering at Lan Wangji's unreadable expression through his lashes. After all these years, he was still embarrassed for Jiang Cheng. Even if Wei Wuxian was bold and brash, he never forgot his etiquette. "So," he began, resting his hand over Lan Wangji's, managing a smile even if his head felt like it was about to split. "Please don't keep those words in your heart."

The longer Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji under the soft orange of the lantern glow and the white light of the moon, the more invasive thoughts he began to have of how pretty Hanguang Jun was from one angle, and then how handsome he could be from another. His gaze landed on Lan Wangji's mouth. It was a delicate pink, and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but think of how nice it would look red, and how Lan Wangji's smile was so attractive.

Since Wei Wuxian hadn't decided what he would do if Lan Wangji caught him out of that tree earlier, he made up his mind on the spot. Leaning forward onto his hands, Wei Wuxian pressed his (at the moment, shamefully chapped) lips against Lan Wangji's much softer ones, feeling very much like a maiden-in-distress who had just been rescued by her handsome young master. Wei Wuxian, however, lost his nerve much quicker than he expected, parting from Lan Wangji to sit back on his heels, his hands immediately moving to play with the hem of his robes. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest, Wei Wuxian was sure he was about to throw it up any moment and he'd perish and maybe that would be better than having Hanguang Jun slap him upside the head with that arm strength of his. "I-" he began, unsure of what he wanted to say even though he was talking already. "Lan Zhan-"

"Wei Gongzi," Wen Ning suddenly said, sounding rather nervous towards Wei Wuxian for the first time since he'd come back. "I've rested enough, I think I will start rowing again."

"Wen Ning! When did you get here?!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, and his cheeks immediately flushed a bright red. His back had been towards Wen Ning the whole time, and he had been so focused on Lan Wangji - no wonder he failed to notice. If he knew Wen Ning was here, he might not have...

"Gongzi, I've been here this whole time..."

"Then why didn't you say anything?!" Wei Wuxian squawked.

“I saw that you were talking to Hanguang Jun, so I didn’t…”

Wei Wuxian waved a hand for Wen Ning to stop, trying to hide that he was beyond mortified. Without a second glance at Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian folded his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. "We have to go to Yunping. I saw Jin Guangyao's deed for the land there. Even if I don't do this for the other cultivators... I owe my... my sister, I owe Jiang Cheng."

As the boat gently flowed on the waters, they had taken a break at the nearby lotus ponds, since Wen Ning needed some time to recover from those attacks. Strong as he was, the Ghost General was also made of flesh and blood. Lan Wangji did not wish to exhaust him.

"Did it hurt?" he asked out of the blue. Wen Ning gave him a tilted head and questioning look. "Removing his golden core...did it hurt?" he repeated.

"Well, I'm sure if I told you it didn't, Lan-er Gongzi you wouldn't believe me anyways." Wen Ning replied honestly, albeit meekly.

"I thought Wen Qing would have a method." he lamented, unable to remove his gaze from Wei Wuxian's face.

"My sister did prepare antiseptics...but she realized that none of the numbing medicine would work. In order for the process to be successful, the owner of the golden core has to maintain consciousness and keep his spirit and mind tranquil. That way, the golden core won't be damaged during the process."

"He was awake the entire time?"

"Two days and one night. No rest." Wen Ning affirmed.

Lan Wangji went silent again, gritting his teeth as he fought the urge to shed another tear for Wei Wuxian.

“Who’s the one insulting my parents in front of their spirits?! Could you two please understand whose sect you’re in? I don’t care if you act so shamelessly outside, but don’t you dare fool around inside our ancestral hall, before my parents’ spirits! After all, they were the ones who brought you up—even I feel ashamed for you!” At this point, speaking in a normal volume had become impossible Jiang Cheng, whose dirty glare directed at Lan Wangji made the white-robed male meet his gaze with a icy stare in return. The following statement made it very clear what Jiang Cheng was fussing about, as he ordered without hesitation, “Mess around outside however you want, whether under a tree or on a boat, hugging or otherwise! Get out of my sect, get out of anywhere my eyes can see!” Lan Wangji knew clearly that the male was referring to the contact he had just made with Wei Wuxian a while ago.

When Wei Wuxian had suddenly decided to climb a tree on impulse, Lan Wangji had given him a questioning look, as though he was at a loss for words, with his mouth slightly agape while his eyes shifted upwards, following Wei Wuxian's slim figure. "Wei Ying," he had called, "Don't play around." he chided. He had intended for Wei Wuxian to climb back down, but luckily for Lan Wangji, his reflexes were very reliable. Once he saw the other slide off the thick tree branch he had been resting against, Lan Wangji reached out his arms, securing the smaller male in his arms. He sighed softly, tilting his head as he looked down at the other, "Reckless." he murmured, feeling the blood creeping up his ears again when their eyes met. As he tried to set Wei Wuxian down, the male had latched his arms around Lan Wangji's neck, making the action rather difficult.

"Thank you." the other suddenly said to him. Lan Wangji didn't necessarily have a reply for him, instead nodding his head as he held Wei Wuxian in his arms. With his widened eyes and that innocent phrase, Lan Wangji's ears had turned fully pink, though undetectable simply under the dim light offered by the moon. He seemed to have lost control of himself, only straightening his posture when Wei Wuxian cleared his throat and helped himself down. Swallowing whatever words he may have had for the other, Lan Wangji returned his free hand behind his back, taking a breath to control his emotions.

This was what Jiang Wanyin had probably witnessed, and it was this instant that ignited inexplicable rage and animosity towards his former Shixiong. Lan Wangji felt no shame, regardless of what Jiang Cheng was saying. The world could regard them as deviant, as shameless, but Lan Wangji himself never considered those for a moment when it came to Wei Wuxian. As the founder of the Gusu Lan Sect, Lan An, had instituted, "One could only remove his forehead ribbon and lower their formalities when they found their destined partner." One, Lan Wangji had long ago removed his forehead ribbon in front of Wei Wuxian, and two, Lan Wangji was not a deviant. He was not a cut-sleeve because to him, it genuinely did not matter what gender or appearance Wei Wuxian assumed. He just wanted Wei Weixian as his destined partner alone, and ii just so happened that his destined partner was male.

Although Wei Wuxian had wanted them to leave before a brawl could ensure between any of them, the male eventually lost control of himself, shoving Jiang Cheng in the shoulder when the other refused to apologize to Lan Wangji. Standing behind the black-robed male, Lan Wangji shot Jiang Cheng another glare. He didn't feel like he needed an apology, but Jiang Wanyin most definitely owed one to Wei Wuxian. Despite this, Lan Wangji did not articulate that thought, simply nodding at Wei Wuxian, "Okay." when the other turned and expressed his wish to leave.

Jiang Cheng had gripped onto Wei Wuxian's collar, demanding, "Stand still!" he ordered, then blocking their paths, "You wanted to fight right? Hit me then!" he demanded. In his hand, there was a spark emerging. Jiang Cheng must have been summoning his Purple Electricity.

Seeing this, Lan Wangji finally intervened, gripping onto Jiang Wanyin's sleeve, "Let. Go." he demanded through gritted teeth. As the other wouldn't relent, Lan Wangji performed an undercut, making the sect leader's hands swing backwards and releasing Wei Wuxian. Just as they took a few steps outside of the ancestral hall into one of the bridges that connected the different pavilions, Lan Wangji noticed that Wei Wuxian's nose was bleeding, a thick line running out from the other's nostril. He frantically stated, "Wei Ying, what's wrong?" he asked, following to unceremoniously throw his arms out to catch a fallen Wei Wuxian. His eyes widened when he noticed how Wei Wuxian's eyes rolled back and the other fainted into his arms without a word.

Seeing the sight in front of him, there was a moment of concern that flashed through Jiang Wanyin's eyes, but that feeling was washed away when the male replaced it with his resentment, brandishing his Purple Electricity. Not sure whether the sight in front of him was yet another play the two put on, he swung the whip towards them, "Stand still-"

"Piss off!" Lan Wangji roared, swinging Bichen to block the attack. He turned his back to Jiang Wanyin, turning back to Wei Wuxian, "Wei Ying." he called again, concern deeply embedded in those two words. Lan Wangji removed the other's hand, which was wiping at the blood. He collected the cloth of his own robe into his hand, using that to clean the blood stains instead. He had knelt on the floor, one leg propped up to support Wei Wuxian's body. With his left hand, he drove Bichen against the ground, applying pressure to keep them both upright, while his other hand held on to Wei Wuxian's body.

Offended by this, Jiang Cheng swung the Purple Electricity again. Though the distance was quite far between them, and he had not intentionally meant to hurt them, the spiritual weapon still found its target - Wen NIng, who had flew in and taken a hit that might have been directed at his benefactor. The Ghost General was sent flying backwards, landing flat on his back right beside Lan Wangji and the unconscious Wei Wuxian.

Coughing and clutching his chest in absolute pain, Wen Ning struggled to stand back up, approaching Jiang Cheng again. This time, the Sect Leader was genuinely infuriated at the sight of the Ghost General - who he blamed the most for Jin Ling's pitiful childhood. "You dare show up in my home? If you don't want to get whipped by the Purple Electricity again, you better piss of now." he warned, not wasting a moment before swinging the whip in Wen Ning's direction again. The Ghost General did not retaliate, simply taking the attack and repeating the same motions to stand back up.

Wen Ning took slow steps towards Jiang Cheng, holding out a familiar Suibian with a shaking hand. With his equally shaking voice, he told the sect leader, "Pull." Thinking the Ghost General was up to no good, Jiang Cheng responded with another whip. As much as this was to get rid of his anger, he found that Wen Ning was resilient, insisting the same thing the second time.

"So I'll pull it, what does it-" he stopped mid-sentence as the sword came clean out of its sheathe. Even from the ground, Lan Wangji could see and hear everything. He twitched as he watched the shining metal of the unused spiritual sword reveal itself. It couldn't be...

"The sword undid it's seal?" Jiang Cheng asked, the surprise spelled out across his face.

"The sword is still sealed." Wen Ning responded, his face masking the pain and wounds on his chest, "It has only ever claimed one owner."

"But then...how could I-" Jiang Cheng's face was beginning to pale.

"Because this sword...recognizes you as Wei Gongzi."

"Nonsense! Why would it recognize me as Wei Wuxian!?"

"Because the golden core that's inside of you right now...is his."

Lan Wangji felt like the world had collapsed on him for a second time. A huge wave of shame, self-blame, regret, and heartache washed over him as he realized that this was the missing piece that was the essence of the entire puzzle he had been pondering over for the past sixteen plus years. As Wen Ning recounted the story of how Wei Wuxian tricked Jiang Cheng into the mountain and asked Wen Ning to transfer his golden core to him, Lan Wangji felt his chest tightening when he looked down at Wei Wuxian's sleeping face.

Sixteen years ago, Lan Wangji had demanded to know why Wei Wuxian deviated from the sword path, choosing to cultivate in demonic arts. He had chastised him for being reckless, for taking risks that came with dire consequences. Lan Wangji did not give Wei Wuxian the trust that he was asking for, that's why he failed to help him. He couldn't be there when Wei Wuxian was undergoing the process of losing his Golden Core - more like he couldn't prevent it. The Golden Core was the essence and pride of every cultivator - without it, one was useless in the cultivation world. To have lost his without telling anyone, Wei Wuxian's pain was unimaginable to Lan Wangji. As these thoughts ran through his mind, a tear involuntarily rolled down his cheek, staining the other's cheek.

The tight he had on Bichen tightened as he slammed his sword against the ground. He had nothing more to say, nor did he want to stay here for another moment. Standing up with the fainted male in his arms, Lan Wangji walked off, carrying Wei Wuxian back to the boat that they had arrived on. Wen Ning had made the situation very clear to Jiang Cheng, even leaving Suibian with the leader and telling him to verify the truth himself. Once that was over, he had followed along to the boat, preparing the oars and heading out for Gusu.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian wasn't sure what he wanted to do, either. On one hand, he didn't like the idea of becoming the other cultivators' tool to bring own Jin Guangyao, but on the other, Jin Guangyao and his dog, Su She, were more to blame behind the death of his shijie than he was. Wei Wuxian accepted blame where he saw fit, but now when it wasn't warranted. Jin Guangyao was the reason why Jin Zixuan was dead, why Jin Ling was a bitter orphan.

"I climbed that tree before," Wei Wuxian said absentmindedly as they walked. "Oh, and that one. That one, too! This one, this is my favourite tree I've climbed. It's the first one I went up when I arrived in Yunmeng. I broke my leg falling out of it, because shijie wasn't strong enough to catch me. For old time's sake, I think I should climb it again." Without waiting or watching for Lan Wangji's reaction, Wei Wuxian tucked his bamboo flute against his waist and leapt for the thick bark, shimmying up easily, as if he were a monkey. When he sat atop this tree it was usually sun up or sundown, but this was the first time since he was a child that he climbed it at night. The stars peeked and twinkled at him through the canopy of leaves. It was quite pretty. Wei Wuxian felt his eyes warming and blurring. If only Lan Wangji wasn't so old fashioned and prim, he would invite him up.

Lan WangJi was standing right beneath the tree, looking at him with his chin raised. He didn’t hold a lantern, but moonlight glided down his white robes, almost enveloping him in a soft halo, making him seem so bright. He seemed to be looking up at the top of the tree with what Wei Wuxian interpreted as a dedicated expression. An abnormally strong impulse surged through Wei Wuxian. He wanted to fall down the tree again, just like when he was 5.

/If he catches me, I'll.../

Before Wei Wuxian could decide on what comes after that, he let go, black robes enveloping him as he fell.

So the rumours of the GusuLan's arm strength was not groundless. Wei Wuxian did not even feel Lan Wangji shake or tremble catching him in his hundred-thirty-or-so pounds. Even when he felt Lan Wangji try to set him down, Wei Wuxian kept his arms locked around the other's neck, pupils blown in surprise. "Thank you," he said, his voice oddly hearse. They stood like that, frozen for what seemed to be a long while.

Wei Wuxian wasn't scared of falling. He'd fallen many times. But falling still hurt, and if someone were there to catch him, Wei Wuxian felt that he wouldn't mind.

Clearing his throat, Wei Wuxian withdrew his arms, dusting his robes off. He spoke as if nothing happened: "Let's go back!" He decided to take Lan Wangji through the back route wanting him to see everything before the left Lotus Cove, most probably for good. They came along an impressive building, a palace with eight corners. Wei Wuxian knew it was there - of course it'd still be there, even after Lotus Cove was rebuilt.

"It's the ancestral hall of Jiang clan." Wei Wuxian didn't think he had any rights left to allow him to enter. "But it's okay," he said quietly after a beat of silence, turning away to leave. "Let's go." His feet stopped him, refusing to move. He was here, but what would be more disrespectful to his aunt and uncle who had raised him since before he could remember? Leaving without a word or entering their resting place?

"Go pay your respects," Lan Wangji encouraged softly, and that was all Wei Wuxian needed to carry himself over.

Together, they kneeled in front of Wei Wuxian's adoptive parents, lighting three sticks on incense and prostrating three times. When Wei Wuxian finished, still kneeling, he grinned at Lan Wangji. "I used to spend a lot of time here as punishment. Madam Yu always made me kneel." A hint of sadness tinged his words. Madam Yu spoke cruelly towards him, but kneeling was the worst thing she'd ever done to him. She never harmed him otherwise. Wei Wuxian put together and closed his eyes, uttering in his heart: 'Uncle Jiang, Madam Yu, it's me, here to disturb you two again, but I just want to bring him here and show him to you-"

"Will you ever ask him /Jiang Cheng for forgiveness/?" Lan Wangji suddenly spoke, and Wei Wuxian's eyes opened. "I don't know," he admitted, his gaze cast toword the ground. "But I don't think I deserve his forgiveness. I've wronged him, and I own up to it. I-"

"How great you are, Wei Wuxian! You really have taken great liberties to feel at home!" Jiang Cheng's sudden arrival was accompanied by his signature condescending smirk. He seemed confident, but Wei Wuxian notice his balled up fists. First you let that dog of yours pace around in front of my Lotus Cove. Then you bring Lan Wangji into the ancestral hall to pay respect to /my/ parents? Do you remember who the owner of this place is? Indeed...you should kneel and prostrate before them. All the things you've done and now you come back. You must be an eyesore to them."

Jiang Cheng's words hit Wei Wuxian hard not because they were simply designed to be hurtful, but because they were /true/, besides the Wen dogs part. Ever since the day Lotus Cove burned down, Wei Wuxian had been plagued with 'what if's'. What if he hadn't defended Lan Wangji and Cloud Recesses? What if he had just /behaved/ while Wen Chao was looking for the Xuanwu cave-

His turbulent thoughts were interrupted when Lan Wangji took a step forward, as if he were about to settle their dispute with Bichen. Wei Wuxian's hand shot out and he gripped Lan Wangji by his elbow, holding him still. "Lan Zhan, forget it," he said lowly, the tiniest of tremor in his voice. "Let's just go."

"If you're going to leave, then you best go far away. Don't ever let me see such messed up people like you appearing in front of my deceased family. And you, Lan-er Gongzi, one of the two Jades of Lan, how could someone with your reputation be caught meddling with the corrupted likes of the Yiling Patriarch Wei Wuxian? You've really brought pride to your Uncle and your brother!""

Wei Wuxian stopped mid-step out of the ancestral hall, his brows drawing together in his an immediate, blinding red anger. "Jiang Cheng. You can insult me, curse me, hate me, but don't insult other renowned cultivators in from of Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu. You are a sect leader. Where is your discipline?"

Originally, he had intended to remind Jiang Cheng to at least pretend to have some respect for Lan Wangji. It was a low blow, and not appropriate at all, but Jiang Cheng was sensitive. From the way Jiang Cheng's expression darkened, similar to how Madam Yu looked when she was angry, Wei Wuxian knew the younger had interpreted his words wrong. His voice was harsh, “Who’s the one insulting my parents in front of their spirits?! Could you two please understand whose sect you’re in? I don’t care if you act so shamelessly outside, but don’t you dare fool around inside our ancestral hall, before my parents’ spirits! After all, they were the ones who brought you up—even I feel ashamed for you!”

"Jiang Wanyin!" Wei Wuxian thundered. "Enough!"

Jiang Cheng pointed outside, nearly stabbing Wei Wuxian in the face with his extended finger. “Mess around outside however you want, whether under a tree or on a boat, hugging or otherwise! Get out of my sect, get out of anywhere my eyes can see!” His face was flushed pink, his breaths heavy, and he looked as though he were about to bring out his sword and run Wei Wuxian through with it thrice, at least.

Wei Wuxian was shocked. Hugging - Jiang Cheng had seen them? But he swore it was only for a second, was it? Whatever Jiang Cheng saw, it certainly didn't warrant a comment accompanied with such a disgusted look like that. "Apologize," Wei Wuxian forced out through gritted teeth, the tone of his reminiscent to when he had reached the end of his patience with stubborn fools like Jiang Cheng. "To Hanguang Jun."

Jiang Cheng mocked, “Apologize? For what? For exposing your thing for each other?”

His shidi was so /infuriating/. Wei Wuxian saw white before he shoved Jiang Cheng in the shoulder, channeling what spiritual power he had. He hit his younger brother hard enough for the other to stumble back, nearly falling into the urns behind him. Regret immediately pulled over Wei Wuxian like a blanket. Just minutes ago, he was kneeling, asking for the Jiang couple's blessings, and the next he was striking their son in front of them. Shame followed quickly, and he grabbed Lan Wangji's elbow. "Let's go." As soon as he took a step, however, blood rushed to his head and he stumbled. He felt something run down his lip and upon touching his fingers to his nose, his hand drew away scarlet. He must have exerted all his powers into shoving Jiang Cheng. Wordlessly, his legs gave out from beneath him, and he grabbed for Lan Wangji's arm, staining the white robes red again. Even on the verge of passing out, Wei Wuxian wiped uselessly at the blood, wondering if Lan Wangji just scrubbed his blood and dirt stained robes clean again or bought new ones.

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji would never call people out for their stupidity, but he did entertain the idea of upbraiding these cultivators. The need for a common enemy was infuriating, especially since they had villainzed Wei Wuxian sixteen years ago. It was pathetic now, that once the tides had turned, Wei Wuxian became their last hope. One of the sect leaders, whose name Lan Wangji did not bother to remember because of his insignificance, had requested that Wei Wuxian help capture Jin Guangyao, their newfound common enemy. Lan Wangji looked away, eyes betraying his disgust as he turned around and left the hall.

"Lan Zhan, what's your opinion?" Wei Wuxian asked him when they were away from the main hall.

"Up to you." Lan Wangji replied curtly, not having an opinion on what would come next. No matter Wei Wuxian chose, Lan Wangji would follow through on his decision with him. The other may have some reckless ideas sometimes, but he was genuinely smart, and Lan Wangji just wanted to make sure Wei Wuxian didn't let his smarts hurt himself while he was exercising them. He sighed softly and gripped onto Bichen, following Wei Wuxian down one of the corridors. He wasn't sure where they were going, but by the looks of it, they were on their way deeper into the Lotus House, not on the way out.

When they passed by the ancestral hall, Lan Wangji noted the lotus shaped waterfall in the middle of the room. It was a structure that had candles illuminating the water at the bottom while the plaques of the Jiang Sect's ancestors were placed at the top. He noticed Wei Wuxian's sudden change in demeanor, almost as though the other was overwhelmed by the amount of sentiments here. Wei Wuxian mentioned how he was very familiar with this place, always having to kneel inside for punishment when the previous Madame Yu used to punish him. Lan Wangji also knew that Wei Wuxian could never forget the previous Jiang Sect leader, loving him like a father. He flicked his chin, "Go pay your respects." he urged softly, following the other in.

Lan Wangji never had much interaction with the previous Jiang Sect leader during his youth, as it was his elder brother's duty as sect leader to initiate the formalities and attend the gatherings. He had seen the elder quite a few times though, when he did accompany his brother, and also when Jiang Fengmian had personally come to the Cloud Recesses to bring Wei Wuxian home during their schooling days. With the utmost respect, Lan Wangji offered three bows to the memorial structure.

As they finished up, he turned to Wei Wuxian, "Will you ever ask him /Jiang Cheng for forgiveness/?" By the longing look in Wei Wuxian's eyes, Lan Wangji could easily see how he yearned to come home, to live in the past again, to bring back the memories of his youth. However, their conversation was cut short when there were loud foosteps behind them, entering the hall.

"How great you are, Wei Wuxian!" came Jiang Cheng's sneering, sarcastic remark, "Did you really begin to take this place as your home again?" he asked, his lips curved up in disgust as he eyed the dark-robed male up and down. "You really have taken great liberties to feel at home!" the sect leader exclaimed, "First you let that dog of yours pace around in front of my Lotus Cove. Then you bring Lan Wangji into the ancestral hall to pay respect to /my/ parents?"

Jiang Cheng was furious, but beneath that visciousness, there was also a layer of pain that the male was trying to mask. He had offered a side-eyed glare at Lan Wangji, then continued, "Do you remember who the owner of this place is? Indeed...you should kneel and prostrate before them. All the things you've done and now you come back. You must be an eyesore to them."

Lan Wangji raised his eyes at this statement, and in his low tone, said, "Sect Leader Jiang, please watch your words."

"Watch my words?" Jiang Cheng scoffed, "I think its more like someone needs to pay more attention to their actions. You've been kicked out of our sect a long time ago. How do you still have the dignity to come back and face my parents? My sister?"

"Jiang Wanyin." Lan Wangji warned, his brows furrowed again. He took a step forward, just slightly to make himself clear.

It seemed Wei Wuxian had nothing to say to him, instead stopping Lan Wangji from advancing to the sect leader, telling him to leave. As they turned their backs and took a step out, Jiang Cheng taunted, "If you're going to leave, then you best go far away. Don't ever let me see such messed up people like you appearing in front of my deceased family."

To this, Wei Wuxian seemed to be slightly offended, turning around and telling Jiang Cheng that if he wanted to badmouth someone, then badmouth him alone, not to bring other people into this. All three of them knew Jiang Cheng was alluding to Lan Wangji. In the male's heart, Lan Wangji was one of the key persons who contributed to his family's demise.

"Do I need to be courteous to him?" Jiang Cheng retorted, "If it wasn't for you trying to play hero and saving this Lan-er Gongzi beside you, then Lotus Cove and my family wouldn't have been your burial accessories! As if that's not enough, you even had to save the Wen Sect. And for that, my sister had to pay the price."

Once he had finished with Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng turned to Lan Wangji, "And you, Lan-er Gongzi, one of the two Jades of Lan, how could someone with your reputation be caught meddling with the corrupted likes of the Yiling Patriarch Wei Wuxian? You've really brought pride to your Uncle and your brother!"

@Lan Wangji Lan Wangji's sudden stiffness at the question made Wei Wuxian think their relationship would probably never recover to what it was before. After all, Lan Wangji had been a star pupil, probably the best and most obedient Lan Qiren ever had. The disappointed expression Wei Wuxian always caught on the elder Lan's face was probably only surface level. He thought of the whip scars adorning Lan Wangji's back and suppressed a shudder. The subject changed quickly, and Wei Wuxian didn't care bring it back up again so quickly. It was evident Lan Wangji was probably unhappy about it, even a little. "I'm fine, see?" Wei Wuxian said, waving away Lan Wangji's concern with a grin. He stood up to demonstrate, spreading his arms to show that he was alright, but the sudden pulling of his abdominal wound had Wei Wuxian wincing as he sank down to sit again. "Ow," he complained lightly, pressing his fingers over the spot. His smile didn't waver, though. "I guess I'm still recovering."

The feeling of returning to Lotus Cove was incomparable to anything. Though Wei Wuxian had long been banished (not officially, but he defected himself), Lotus Cove was the only home he knew. Burial Mounds didn't count. Here in Yunmeng was where he grew up, loved by Jiang Cheng and his shijie and Uncle Jiang.

Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji in a futile attempt to gauge his reaction to Lotus Cove. For a countless number of times, Wei Wuxian had told Lan Wangji stories of how he'd play with the other Jiang disciples and what they could do together when the latter visited. Of course, Lan Wangji was probably too busy for Wei Wuxian's nonsense, so it never happened. Despite that, Wei Wuxian liked to talk about it with Lan Wangji - it helped his homesickness when he was away. "Lan Zhan, look," he said lightly, not wanting the mood to be so sombre. "This path goes down to the training fields. I always make kites with the little ones for them to practice archery on."

Wen Ning was forbidden entrance to Lotus Cove with a single glare from Jiang Cheng. He didn't say anything when Wei Wuxian led Lan Wangji to keep walking further towards the main hall used for receiving guests. Wei Wuxian looked behind him in concern as he walked, his steps dragging as he slowed to watch Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui interact. There was no reason for him to be worried, he tried to reason with himself. It was good for Wen Ning to socialize with anyone that wasn't him.

"Walk around for a bit," Lan Wangji said before they reached the main hall. The suggestion filled Wei Wuxian with immense relief. He took Lan Wangji through the winding paths of Lotus Cove that sat atop water. Flowering lotus plants covered most of the surface of the cloudy blue-green water. Fondly, Wei Wuxian reminisced picking lotus seeds with his juniors, but he kept his hands clasped behind his back to stop himself from plucking one at the present. Jiang Cheng's wrath over a lotus pod would be unmatched. Once in a while, Wei Wuxian would gesture to a building and indicate what it was for Lan Wangji, but he was so lost in his memories he didn't bother sharing those. They walked around the main portion of Lotus Cove before returning to the main hall, where the last of the cultivators were beginning to settle in to begin the meeting.

Wei Wuxian was filled with a combination dread and anxiety. Now they they had all realized Su She and Jin Guangyao were a bigger problem than he was, he wasn't sure if drawing attention to himself again was going to be a good idea. Was there a point to trying to argue his innocence - would anyone listen? On top of it all, Jiang Cheng had to stop at the entrance of the hall to give Wei Wuxian a look, like he was daring him to step inside.

Wei Wuxian, in fact, did not dare.

He laughed breathily, waving his hand as if Jiang Cheng was foolish for even worrying that Wei Wuxian would join them. Turning slowly on the spot, Wei Wuxian took a seat on the hall's steps, patting the space beside him. "Have a seat, Lan Zhan. It might take a while." Of course, Lan Wangji preferred to stand rather than compromise his dignity and ruin his still pristine white robes by rolling all over the floor with Wei Wuxian, who was now sprawled over the stairs. They conversed lightly, nothing of importance, until Jiang Cheng suddenly hurried out again. Awkwardly, Wei Wuxian smiled at him, but he was met with an obviously disapproving glare before his shidi hurried away. Wei Wuxian's smile faded, and he turned back to Lan Zhan. "Well, that's that," he said in place of a disappointed sigh.

He missed Jiang Cheng.

When Jiang Cheng returned, he was flanked by two ladies, one with her face covered with a pretty silk veil. He stopped again at the entrance to stare at Wei Wuxian, who knew to look remorseful and pitiful this time. "Come in," Jiang Cheng ordered, turning away swiftly on his heels, his purple robes waving behind him as he returned to the hall. Wei Wuxian's expression brightened considerably, and he leapt to his feet, almost running in before remembering to wait for Lan Wangji (who he'd only seen move quickly when he /absolutely/ had to).

The revelations from the two maidens, Sisi and Bicao had the entire hall reeling in shock. Even Wei Wuxian was surprised. Sure, Jin Guangyao killing his father was not that big of a shocker, but Qin Su being Jin Guangyao's sister. The scandal rocked the hall. So that was why she had become so distressed that night of the banquet at Jinlintai, and accused Jin Guangyao of being a monster all of a sudden.

Wei Wuxian was suspicious and skeptical, still, whilst all the cultivators shouted their support of Sisi, Bicao, and the mysterious person who had sent them here to reveal Jin Guangyao's secrets. How did Sisi survive after Jin Guangyao commanded the death of all the es involved with Jin Guangshan's final moments? He voiced his concern, but was met with ignorance and his idea waved away. The cultivators were much more concerned with the way Jin Guangyao fought his way to the top. Wei Wuxian snorted, but otherwise quieted. In the end, they decided on one thing: "Capture Jin Guangyao!" they all chanted. But how?

One of the cultivators seemed to realize that, too. "Wei Wuxian will capture him!" he shouted. "Since Jin Guangyao controls the Amulet, you are the perfect person for the job."

"Right!" Someone else agreed. "As for evil tricks, no one is better at them than the Yiling Patriarch. Jin Guangyao will meet his doom!"

"Yes!" "Agreed!"

So now they needed him. Wei Wuxian stared back at the cultivators eagerly awaiting his answer. He turned to Lan Wangji, locking gazes with the taller man before turning the rest of the way to leave the hall. "Lan Zhan, what's your opinion?" he asked when they were a considerable distance away from the main hall.

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji felt like a gigantic rock had just been lifted up off his chest when he saw Wei Wuxian's eyelids fluttering open. He kept silent for a while, letting the other orient himself and open his eyes all the way. "Wei Ying." he called, just enough so Wei Wuxian could hear it. There was only a small frown on his face, nothing else otherwise that would expose how he actually felt. He leaned back as the male in his lap sprang up, hurting himself in the process. Lan Wangji sighed softly, putting the fan to a side and looking at the other male weakly, "Still at the river." he answered.

One storm had just passed before another one took his place, this time the loud voice of Jin Ling ringing from the far end of the dock had Wei Wuxian stumbling out of the boat to resolve the situation. Soundlessly, Lan Wangji stood up and walked out behind the other. He was much too concerned about Wei Wuxian's energy to let the other run off alone, especially knowing that when it came to Jin Ling, the male would get particularly reckless. His half-lidded eyes observed the situation austerely, sighing when he realized what the situation was about. Jin Ling was crying, holding the sword that once belonged to Jin Zixuan tightly in his arms. Lan Wangji felt a tinge of pity for the youth, resulting in him turning away. This was not something he should be witnessing.

Once Jiang Cheng had come out to call Jin Ling back, the crowd seemed to disperse, but Lan Wangji knew Wei Wuxian was going to be victimized out of context again. With arm around his back, he walked up to the other, "Let's go." he said, waiting for Wei Wuxian to get into the boat first. Wen Ning had given him a bow, turning and dashing off to prepare the oars already. Peculiar, Lan Wangji thought, why did the Ghost General seem so afraid of him? Lan Wangji didn't remember being particularly hostile to him either. Though he didn't agree with Wei Wuxian trying to restore Wen Ning's spirit at sixteen years ago, the other had proven his loyalty to Wei Wuxian, something that Lan Wangji should have done before. Wen Ning had accidentally killed Jin Zixuan, but that really wasn't a reason for Lan Wangji to dislike the other personally. Curious, he took his place in the boat beside the black-robed male.

"The last day or so has been so chaotic, I haven't even had time to ask- are you doing well? Are you and your uncle...?" On good terms?" Wei Wuxian suddenly asked as their boat set off.

Lan Wangji turned to look at the other again, seeing how Wei Wuxian seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him. "En." he replied as usual. While it wasn't the absolute truth, it was at least a partial truth. His Uncle had gotten better recently, but their relationship had been complicated ever since. As much as he wanted to elaborate on an answer, Lan Wangji found himself incapable of doing so. His Uncle had been displaying disappointment across his face for a while now, devastated that his greatest and most upright disciple would side with an outsider, breaking the most important rule: Do not covet those who practice deviated paths. Deciding that it was too complicated to explain himself, and that Wei Wuxian shouldn't have to be concerned with his issues, Lan Wangji changed the subject, "Your wounds.../(how are they)/" he asked, referring to the stab wound and also from the energy he used up at the Burial Mounds.

The boat ride to Lotus Cove was about an incense stick's worth of time, such that by the time they arrived, the sun had began to set already. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian's boat had been one of the last ones to set off, meaning that as they docked, everyone else had arrived already. Lotus Cove was a new place to Lan Wangji. He had never been here before, only remembering the promising things Wei Wuxian had told him before in his stories. Once stepping onto the wooden boards along the dock, Lan Wangji looked around, noting that this was indeed different. This was the type of place that Wei Wuxian had grown up in. There was so much open space, the smell of Lotus flowers in the lakes and rivers beside them filling the air. There was plenty of room to run around, to chase the mountain chickens that lived here, to catch the fish that swam around. Everything in the stories had come to life.

The docks were dimly lit, but as they headed to Lotus Cove, Lan Wangji stopped before entering the main gate. They had come face to face with Jiang Cheng, who was glaring at Wen Ning, almost as though he wanted holes burning through the Ghost General's body. Taking the sign that he was unwelcomed, Wen Ning did not dare enter, informing Wei Wuxian that he would be at the front gate. To his surprise, Sizhui joined him, continuing a conversation that they must have started earlier. Lan Wangji took notice of this, wondering if his disciple would ever regain the memories of his past. Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng had invited all the sect leaders into the main hall to recuperate and have further discussion. His Uncle was there on behalf of the Gusu Lan sect, thus Lan Wangji did not feel his presence was needed. He also wanted to keep Wei Wuxian away from that crowd for the time being, the other seeming to want to look around his old home. "Walk around for a bit." he suggested to the smaller male, indicating that he would like to walk around as well.

Wei Wuxian's memory may have failed him elsewhere, but in Lotus Cove, he knew it like the back of his hand. Afterall, this was where he had grown up. Even after being destroyed by the Wen Sect, Jiang Cheng had put in countless effort to have it rebuilt back to the way it was - just like the Cloud Recesses had been. As they finally decided to head inside, wanting to make it clear that Wei Wuxian had nothing to do with the Burial Mounds siege, Jiang Cheng had just come outside, apparently about to do some business. The man dressed in purple rolled his eyes, his lips curved up like he was sneering at them. Wei Wuxian seemed to have felt uncomfortable, not going inside even when the other stalked off.

Wherever Wei Wuxian went, Lan Wangji would follow. That also included waiting outside. Wei Wuxian had invited him to sit on the step leading up to the hall, but Lan Wangji shook his head, "Manners." he reminded the other stood against a pole that helped erect the building. A while later, Jiang Cheng returned, and seeing that they were still standing outside, he paused before commanding, "Come in." and walking inside without waiting for a response.

@Lan Wangji "Sizhui," Wei Wuxian mumbled when he saw the young boy appear in front of him, promptly collapsing the next second as his legs gave out from beneath him. He had spent too much spiritual power, and Mo Xuanyu's golden core was weak albeit being (barely) there. Wei Wuxian felt so pathetic he laughed involuntarily, triggering a vicious cough that had blood trickling down his chin.

"Senior Wei," Lan Sizhui gasped, kneeling in the dirt beside Wei Wuxian. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He sounded so sad, like he was about to cry, and that inexplicably made the Yiling Patriarch want to cry. Wei Wuxian wiped at his chin, smearing the blood messily despite his original intention to clean it up. "Sizhui," he said again, clasping his clean hand around Lan Sizhui's wrist. "We're okay. Don't be afraid."

"I- I'm not afraid," Lan Sizhu protested, but the tremble in his voice grew more and more evident to the point Baekhyun wanted to laugh again. The only thing stopping him was the ache that spread through his body and the way Lan Sizhui's lower lip shook, his eyes glistening as though he were on the verge of tears. "I just... I don't know, either, I'm just..." Wei Wuxian looked between Lan Sizhui and Lan Wangji, disbelief managing to mix with his pained expression. "Did this child... go numb?" No one laughed. Wei Wuxian couldn't figure out why before his eyes closed against his will, and he slumped to the side.

Wei Wuxian woke to the gentle rocking motion of a boat. His eyes fluttered open so he adjusted slowly to the brightness of the day, not like the dark sky that was always clouding over Burial Mounds. They were off the mountain. His face was feeling considerably cleaner and he'd been changed into clean, black robes. Lan Wangji's face hovered over his, which was a welcoming sight, until Wei Wuxian realized he was lying way too comfortable against Lan Wangji. He jerked into an upright position, the fan Lan Wangji held scratching against his cheek. "Ow..." he mumbled, rubbing a hand down his face. "Where are we...?"

Before Wei Wuxian could further make sense of what was going on, shouts filled the air. Without a second thought, he hauled himself on his feet and staggered off the boat, nearly falling sideways after a misstep once he was out on the dock.The sun shone wildly, and it took a second for Wei Wuxian to locate the source of the shouting. Unsurprisingly, it was Jin Ling again, but something was wrong. Wei Wuxian rushed over, stepping in front of Wen Ning at the same time he pulled him back. Now Jin Ling's Suihua was levelled at his chest again, just like at Jinlintai. "Jin Ling. What's wrong? Put it down, we'll talk."

"I won't put it down!" Jin Lin sobbed, approaching hysterics as he waved Suihua dangerously like a man man. "We don't need to talk! We don't-" He choked on a sob, but his sword lowered, and he held it awkwardly close to himself. Jin Zixuan's sword. Wei Wuxian felt a pang in his chest, the very unwanted image of his shijie's husband falling with blood staining blooming over the front his golden robes, and he held Wen Ning a back bit further, wanting to deescalate the situation quickly.

"Jin Ling!" Jiang Cheng had appeared on deck, shouting from the other side of the dock. "Come here! What are you doing?!"

It was a bit snappy and cold to be yelling at a crying child, but Wei Wuxian could see the concern in Jiang Cheng's eyes for his nephew. Jin Ling sheathed Suihua, whimpering as he ran down the dock to where his uncle stood. Wei Wuxian watched the two converse, watched Jin Ling wipe his own tears, and watched Jiang Cheng give him a menacing glare, as if Wei Wuxian had made Jin Ling cry. "We're leaving," Jiang Cheng announced loudly, almost daring Wei Wuxian to try and follow their boat too closely. "We will convene at Lotus Cove."

Wei Wuxian didn't protest or try to engage, he turned back to the rest of the younger boys who were trying to confront Jin Lin, sweeping his gaze over them. "Are you all okay? Sizhui? Jingyi?" They all nodded, albeit looking quite shaken, and Wei Wuxian motioned for them to return to their boats. Wen Ning dutifully sat in his, Wei Wuxian following suit.

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian said a while after the boat had departed from the dock, when Wen Ning was busy steering. "The last day or so has been so chaotic, I haven't even had time to ask- are you doing well? Are you and your uncle...?" On good terms? They were obviously not. Suffocating guilt began to creep up Wei Wuxian's lungs again at the thought of singlehandedly ripping Lan Wangji away from his family. "Is he well?"

It had been quite a while since Lan Wangji used the silencing spell, but he was not out of practice and had no hesitation in using it to silence the Moling Su sect leader, not sparing that man a look as he made a very surprised and angry face. "Keep going." he urged Wei Wuxian, who was carefully making deductions about what was happening. Although the looks on many of the other cultivator's faces were not pleasant, they could see the validity in Wei Wuxian's argument, starting to believe him little by little.

Lan Wangji had noticed that like him, Su She had brought his zither up to the Burial Mounds too. Once aggravated by Wei Wuxian, he had also noticed the way the other gripped onto the strings of his zither. Although Su She also appeared to have his powers disabled, the sudden offensive move against Wei Wuxian made Lan Wangji suspicious.

Wei Wuxian seemed to have all the pieces finally connected, especially after hearing Jingyi's recollection of how the Moling Su sect had betrayed the Gusu Lan sect, which led to its eventual formation. Some of these cultivators were quite dim, at least dimmer than they appeared to be, such that they needed to elaborate and state each piece of evidence specifically so no one would assume Wei Wuxian was making stuff up. Wei Wuxian had also asked the key question of whether or not Su She had played music in the name of warding off spirits for the other cultivators as they were heading up the mountain, the answer affirmative.

"You're smart. I think you figured it out, too, right? It's not the water, not the fog, but..." Wei Wuxian suddenly piped up, looking over at Lan Wangji, to which the older nodded his head.

"The music came from the Book of Chaos. It sounds normal, but slightly altered from that of the Book of Healing. Other than the Lan Sect, no one would be able to tell. And the Lan Sect didn't say anything, assuming it was just learnt poorly." he stated, earning a gasp from everyone.

As soon as Su She had been exposed, there was a sudden swishing sound of metal, his sword leaving its sheathe. Pulling out Bichen in defense of Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the impudent cultivator, his lips almost entertaining a snarl. Everyone was shocked to see that Su She had his spiritual powers, and when Wei Wuxian called him out for it, the cowardly man destroyed the seal on the ground that had kept the puppets out, and in a flash, had used a Transportation Seal to escape.

All the pieces had been connected now, and everyone had to admit that Wei Wuxian was not the culprit behind it all - they had been deceived. As the seal broke, panic soon broke out again as well, the cultivators worrying about their lack of power to fight off the rest of the puppets. Bichen had been unsheated earlier against Su She, but Lan Wangji did not expect for the male to suddenly remove his outer black robes, revealing the white robe that Lan Wangji had dressed him in a few days back. He frowned as the other suddenly swiped a finger along Bichen's metallic blade, drawing a decent amount of blood. As Wei Wuxian was drawing a seal on the white material, Lan Wangji watched attentively, trying to figure out what the other was doing.

Once it had been established that Wei Wuxian had turned himself into a living target, the other cultivators were in shock. The man who had been at the center of all their nasty words and accusations was now giving them their escape route. Under Wei Wuxian's instructions, everyone was to leave, following Wen Ning down the Burial Mountains and towards the river for safety. Of course, that meant everyone except Lan Wangji. He was the only one who needed to be there. Only he would protect Wei Wuxian at all costs. Everyone else would simply get in their way.

Some of the youth began to protest, wanting to stay and help fight as well, but it was very obvious Wei Wuxian only needed Lan Wangji by his side. As Wei Wuxian wielded his Chenqing and began to play, Lan Wangji sprang into action, making sure that none of the puppets, with their deformed and dirty faces, could get close to the targeted male. Without the target seal on his body, he was relatively safe from the puppet's attacks, leaving him on complete defense as he swiftly cut through the corpses and kept the vicinity around Wei Wuxian as clear as possible.

There were multiple waves, and with every round, it depleted more of Wei Wuxian's energy. He was already weak from the wound on his body and now had used most of the energy to draw in the dark spirits. Once there was a clear path for them to escape, Lan Wangji wasted no time in grabbing Wei Wuxian by his arm, pulling the younger male as they ran down the path they came from earlier.

The cultivators were waiting for them at the foot of the mountain. As they neared, Sizhui's concerned voice rang loudly above the others and the young male came running forward to show his concern for his elders. "Senior Wei..." he called out, a hint of panic embedded in his voice. Even though Wei Wuxian was calling him silly for worrying so much, the younger male could only hold onto consciousness for so much longer before fainting in Lan Wangji's arms.

They had agreed to go to the Lotus Cove by boat, departing at the dock in groups. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had their own boat with Wen Ning, as it appeared no one would go with them even if they extended an invitation. With Wei Ying in his arms, Lan Wangji had acquired a fan from Nie Huaisang, fanning the male to cool him down after transferring some more spiritual energy into him. There was another frown on his face - it seemed to appear whenever Wei Wuxian was endangered now - as he stared intently at the younger's closed eyes. "Wei Ying..." he muttered softly under his breath, "So reckless..."

@Lan Wangji As the clans and their cultivators began to trickle in to the mountain, Wei Wuxian noticed one thing - Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao were missing. Someone hotly responded, when Wei Wuxian asked, that they were busy elsewhere, but it sounded as uncertain as one could possibly sound. Wei Wuxian didn't buy it. Amongst the crowd, he saw the GusuLans approaching, his glance flickering to Lan Wangji for a brief second. Of course the Lans would be here, what with their disciples being kidnapped and their Hanguang Jun running off.

"Wangji, come here." Above the clamour, Wei Wuxian heard this. He stared at Lan Qiren, then Lan Wangji, not daring to say a word. He should be encouraging Lan Wangji to go, but his heart wanted to ask him to stay. To his genuine surprise, other than acknowledging the presence of his uncle, Lan Wangji made no move towards the rest of them. The clearing emptied, and it was only him and Lan Wangji, side by side. Something overwhelming filled Wei Wuxian's heart as he stayed silent, watching Lan Wangji take the insults and anger that were wrongly directed. They were supposed to be for him, not Wangji.

The puppets came unexpectedly. Wei Wuxian thought they were done with it all, but evidently not as as the door to the back cave of Burial Mounds shut and the puppets threw themselves at the door, their bodies creating terrifying /thumps/ that were muffled by the wooden door. Inside, the cultivators discovered they'd temporarily lost their spiritual power, and they were demanding Wei Wuxian to give it back. Wei Wuxian wished they could hear how dimwitted they sounded collectively. The worst part was the way Lan Qiren stared at Lan Wangji, as if Wangji and Wuxian had singlehandedly disabled everyone's powers (and locked themselves up in the chamber with the rest.)

"Are you all done yet? If yes, let's have a chat, hmm?" Wei Wuxian called out, interrupting their heated debated of how exactly did the Yiling Patriarch disable them all. His voice effectively gained their attention. "I am flattered you think I am capable of poisoning you all without being discovered. Use your brains for a second and think. I'm guessing you all didn't have a meal together before coming to siege me. So you weren't poisoned by food." A disciple pushed Wei Wuxian's flute away as the latter waved the spiritual weapon a little too close. Wei Wuxian laughed in response, taking a seat on a stair as the talking began again.

"Doctor!" One of the sect leaders called out. "Doctor, doctor. Come here. Is this temporary or permanent? Are our golden cores safe?"

"Your golden cores are all safe," the physician announced after his fingertips grazed the leader's wrist. "It is only temporary, but it will take at least 6 hours before your spiritual power begins to recover."

Murmurs and panic rose into the air, and the crowd began to advance on Wei Wuxian once more. He stood, sticking close to Lan Wangji again (the only person with a sword who would defend him). "I told you all not to look to me," he said with pretence crossness. It was fun to him; it must be infuriating for all these powerless cultivators to here him speak so trivially of their spiritual power. "I would hate to describe all of you as weak and useless now, but the fact is, you all are, except for this group of young men who were taken a few days ago, but do you think they could really stop me if I wanted to harm you?"

"Stop the nonsense," Su She spoke out. "Kill us if you want. No one will beg for mercy here."

Wei Wuxian tried to to roll his eyes. "Who's that?" he asked to nobody in particular.

It worked. Su She's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Jingyi took the opportunity to speak, the cogs in his brain whirring quickly. "It's not poison," he said, to which Lan Sizhui nodded in agreement. "Poison won't take spiritual powers. If there was such a thing, it'd be huge. So... what could it be...?"

The cultivators began to discuss amongst themselves the possible theories again, now that Wei Wuxian's craft tricks were out of the question. They debated between drinking water on the mountain, inhaling fog, all sorts of ridiculous ideas. Wei Wuxian edged close to Lan Wangji, taking the little time he had where the attention was not on him to check in on the older man. "Ey, Lan Zhan, what do you think?" he joked, loudly mocking the ideas he'd heard. "Think it was the water on Burial Mounds?" Lan Wangji would probably just ignore him again, though. Who would take a time like this to joke?

"Enough," Su She suddenly spoke, glaring at the disciples behind him. "How can you all have a serious discussion with him? Look at him. He's playing you-" He stopped abruptly, and Wei Wuxian barked out in laughter, recognizing the way someone's face would flush and their lips would seal when they were hit with the infamous Lan curse. Su She's hand flew up to his throat, his expression enraged. The MolingSu disciples pointed their swords at Wei Wuxian, shouting and clamouring for answers immediately.

Wei Wuxian's eyes narrowed dangerously as the pieces began to fall together in his mind. "Strange," he commented. "When the puppets surrounded us outside, he appealed for those of you who lost your powers to give up resistance, just die together. Now he won't quiet down for a second and let me figure out the situation, trying to provoke and distract me instead. He seems afraid you'll all survive this."

Everyone began to quibble again, but Wei Wuxian lowered his head in deep thought. In the midst of Lan Jingyi's loud retelling of how the MolingSu clan came to be, Wei Wuxian looked up again, snapping his fingers. "I got it. But, Lan Zhan." He grinned, turning his back on the cultivators to look up at Lan Wangji. "You're smart. I think you figured it out, too, right? It's not the water, not the fog, but..." he trailed off, looking up expectantly at Lan Wangji.

Among the younger generation of disciples, Lan Wangji caught sight of a few from his own sect. Although everyone was wrapped up in the argument, Sizhui was the only one trying to stop in. In the end, even Hanguang Jun's personal disciple had lost his temper, yelling at the people around him because no one was listening to him. When they did see him however, Lan Wangji made no movement towards them, leaving them to Wei Wuxian's disposal. Of course he knew the other wouldn't hurt the younger generation in any way, considering he did rescue many of them in Yi City not too long ago, but he was curious as to why they would be here, and why they had the idea that it was Wei Wuxian who was behind this.

Once freed from their constraints the youth bounded towards the entrance of the cave, only stopping when they realized that there were puppets outside who could attack at any time. They had somehow weighed the benefits of leaving and staying, deciding that Wei Wuxian probably wouldn't hurt them for the time being. As Sizhui and the other Lan Sect disciples came up to him and bowed politely, Lan Wangji nodded his head as the stood to his side. Once he caught sight of Jin Ling heading straight for Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji instinctively took a step in front of the smaller male. His gaze was unwavering as he stared Jin Ling down, as if daring him to be so bold and reckless towards his savior again. Time and time again, Lan Wangji had witnessed Wei Wuxian risking his life to protect this nephew of his. And time and time again, his intentions were misunderstood.

As though it was perfect timing, there was a murmur of noises approaching the cave. By the second the sounds got louder and louder, signaling that whoever was coming was getting closer and closer. The youth recognized it to be the voices of their families and sect leaders, hurriedly rushing outside. Lan Wangji turned, following Wei Wuxian out of the cave to see what the commotion was all about.

When he was outside, he saw all the sect leaders, both of the big four sects and smaller sects, lined up at the front row, many disciples behind each one. To Lan Wangji's surprise, even his Uncle had come. As the Lan Sect disciples rushed to greet the elder and file behind him, Lan Wangji brought his hands together, holding them out in front of him as he bowed respectfully to his Uncle.

"Wangji, come here." his Uncle called him, motioning for him to take his place opposite of where he was now. Lan Wangji swallowed, shifting his gaze to the floor as he stood firm in his place, shoulder to shoulder with Wei Wuxian. Lan Qiren was at a loss for words, but he could not make a big commotion when there were so many other sect leaders around. Rather, he shook his head in disappointment.

"Hanguang Jun! What has Wei Wuxian ever done for you so that you are now standing against us?" a sect leader demanded from him. She was livid, her sword already unsheathed as she accused him. As expected, Lan Wangji made no attempt to answer her, his eyes did not even give away any desire to acknowledge her. Following her, a few other sect leaders voiced their thoughts, some directed at Wei Wuxian and blaming him for their scars and deformities following the battle at Nevernight.

Lan Wangji was a man of few words, but one of big actions. As soon as the cultivators began to pull their swords out, he unsheathed Bichen, taking a step in front of Wei Wuxian, not making eye contact with anyone. While he was sure there was a fight that would ensue, the common enemy had momentarily shifted. From the depths of the woods that led up to the Burial Mounds, there came a loud roaring noise. As the first wave of puppets flocked in, everyone brandished their sword and turned to focus their attack on them.

It was conspicuous though, that as soon as a cultivator would use his spiritual energy, his power would diminish and blood would soon spew from his mouth. Seeing this happen to Lan Qiren was shocking for Lan Wangji, and he rushed forward to defend his Uncle.

Sizhui had noticed that there was a room that was at the back of the Burial Mounds, advising everyone to take cover in there first. Su She, the Lan Sect deviate, had argued against going in there at first, but when he realized that everyone was making a beeline for safety (led by Nie Huaisang), he ate his words and followed the crowd inside. Once everyone was inside, Wen Ning used his strength to shut the gates. Lan Wangji returned to Wei Wuxian's side, making sure that they kept a distance from the rest of the cultivators and always staying in front of Wei Wuxian, shielding the other's body with his own.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian loved that Lan Wangji made him breakfast. He did not appreciate the contents of breakfast, however, but he ate it all without a word of complaint.

Burial Mounds shocked Wei Wuxian into finally shutting up when they arrived. It was burned to the ground, all the foundations and farms destroyed. Wei Wuxian remembered clearly, every single memory that was associated to Burial Mounds. There was the plot of land where he convinced he was going to plant Ah-Yuan like a radish. The grand hall where the Wens threw a little party for him. The ragged path that led to the den he resided in. His steps faltered the closer they got to the wreckage. There was nothing. Nothing left at all. Just him and Wen Ning, who technically was't even alive.

"Ah-Yuan," Wei Wuxian croaked, staring wistfully at the overturned earth where crops once grew. "If he was still alive, he'd be 15 or 16 now. He missed you, Lan Zhan. He wanted to see you again-" His voice cracked, and Wei Wuxian almost slapped himself. Now wasn't the time to mourn - maybe when this was all over, he could take his time to grieve for the little boy he loved taking care of most. Out of the corner of his eyes, Wei Wuxian noticed Wen Ning kneeling stiffly, dragging his deathly white fingers through the dirt. "To me..." Wei Wuxian said, exhaling shakily. "To Wen Ning, Wen Qing... this place represented the hardest time of our lives. There's no need to return to a time like that," he managed to say more firmly than before. Rather than for Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian just needed to convince himself of that. "Wen Ning, let's go." Clutching Suibian that Lan Wangji had presented him with earlier, Wei Wuxian hiked up the dirt trail, slowing when he noticed a stack of swords tied together into a bundle on the way up.

There was a tittering in the air that Wei Wuxian heard earlier when they arrived at Burial Mound, but he had brushed it off to spirits or something sinister at first. Now that they were nearing his old residence, he realized the voices were from /inside/ the cave, and they were distinctly human and alive. Pausing outside the entrance, Wei Wuxian leaned against the rock to listen, brows drawn together in concentration.

Of course it was Jin Ling yelling the loudest, that little maiden. "Why don't you shut up?" he was hissing. The sound of pebbles tumbling and a thump could be hurt.

"I'm just saying!" someone else retorted. Wei Wuxian knew this voice, too - Jin Chan, one of the little brats Jin Ling feuded often with (one which Wei Wuxian got to witness firsthand at Jinlintai). "If you were going to harm him, you might as well have cut his throat while you were stabbing him. Finish the job. Now look where we're at."

"I said shut up, okay?" Jin Ling barked back. "Do you understand what that means? It means stop talking!"

"He probably wants to turn us into puppets," another boy spoke. Wei Wuxian didn't know this one. "Just like at Nevernight, and use us to fight our families."

How highly they thought of Wei Wuxian. He stifled a chuckle, playing with Suibian's tassel as he eavesdropped on the group of kids. Based on the murmuring and clamouring, there seemed to be quite number of them in there. There were a few more raised voices, and Wei Wuxian could hear Lan Sizhui asking them to stop fighting, but the scuffling only got louder. Raising a brow in skepticism, Wei Wuxian crossed his arms as he strolled leisurely into the cave, taking in the fifty or so boys tied up to each other like a bundle of sticks.

"Hey," he called out in a bored voice, amusement shining in his lidded eyes as he called for their attention.

"Hanguang Jun!" One of the Lan boys immediately called out, followed by a chorus of 'Hanguang Jun's and "Hanguang Jun, are you here to save us?"

"Why are you all so delighted?!" A Jin sect disciple snarled. "He's on that Yiling Demon's side!"

That was a new nickname. Wei Wuxian shook his head, exasperated, and threw Suibian to Wen Ning who made quick work of cutting the ropes that bound the boys (and scaring them gravely in the process). These ungrateful little kids, Wei Wuxian thought as he surveyed the room (they were definitely all at least a decade younger than he). They were still arguing about whether the Yiling Patriarch had come to finish them or not when Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi stepped up. "Hanguang Jun! Senior Wei... you're here to save us, right? You didn't send people to catch us, right?"

"Me?" Wei Wuxian blurted out. "You know how poor I am. Where would I find money to hire people to kidnap you?" A murmur of dissatisfaction rippled through the room. Lan Sizhui beamed at his response, though. "You're right! You're too poor," he exclaimed. Wei Wuxian debated for a quick second whether he should laugh or slap Sizhui upside the head. He settled for a tight-lipped smile. "Did you see who?" he asked.

Jinyi answered this time, the good boy. "They were all wearing masks of demonic faces," he reported. "We couldn't see at all, and then they dumped us all in here." Wei Wuxian nodded, turning to Lan Wangji. Before he could open his mouth, he noticed Jin Ling was making a beeline straight for him, and reflexively took a step back. He didn't want to appear scared - no, he wasn't scared of Jin Ling or even what he might do (though it would be nice if he wasn't stabbed in the same spot for the third time).

@Wei Wuxian "Whatever. Whether I know or not, would it make a difference? Would they believe me? The world needed someone to hate, to blame, and I'm convenient because I practice different than what they do. At the end of the day, they needed a common enemy to unite them. Even without Jin Guangyao, without the second flute... there'll be something else."

To this, Lan Wangji could only nod his head in agreement. It was the devastating truth, that Wei Wuxian was the black sheep that brought unity to the cultivation world after the chaos caused by the Wen Sect. Lan Wangji secretly admired the other male, for his carefreeness and deep understanding of human nature. Despite the hatred and unfairness that the world pitted against him, Wei Wuxian asked for nothing more than to live in the present moment. Such a quality eradicated much of the unnecessary suffering in his life.

Lan Wangji nodded his head, acknowledging the toast that the other was offering him. He sighed softly as they returned to the Silent Chamber, Lan Wangji pliant to Wei Wuxian's ministrations. Lan Wangji had taken a seat at the wooden chair in the middle of the Silent Chamber, crossing his legs and placing his hands in the proper meditation mudra. When called, he looked over at the other male, who had just blown out a candle.

"Do you think... when this is over, and if Jiang Cheng will forgive me... we can pick lotus pods in Yunmeng?" Wei Wuxian had asked, his eyes glimmering again as they did in the past. They were illuminating, such that Lan Wangji could see it very clearly despite the dimly lit setting of the room.

Without a sound, he gave a nod in agreement.

That night, Wei Wuxian slept on Lan Wangji's bed while the bigger male himself meditated through the night. It had been like this every time they shared a room together thus far, minus the time Lan Wangji was drunk. While Wei Wuxian might have the guts to crawl right into bed against a sleeping Hanguang Jun, that same Hanguang Jun would never intentionally invade Wei Wuxian's personal space. In part it was because he wasn't supposed to do so according to the Lan Sect's rules, and in part he was much too shy too.

The next morning, Lan Wangji was up and about before the sun was, preparing his Bichen and Wangji zither for their trip to the Burial Mounds. He had prepared a light, vegetarian breakfast for Wei Wuxian before waking the other up, reminding him that they had to set off early if they were to meet the other cultivators there.

On the way up, there were a few puppets that blocked their way. These puppets were low-leveled and disappeared with a blast from Wangji's zither, but the situation was strange nonetheless. Wei Wuxian had long stopped using the Stygian Tiger Seal, but it seemed its traces were still left in the world. Since they had discovered Xue Yang, they had found the remaining part of the seal which had not been destroyed by Wei Wuxian sixteen years ago. Now the only thing to figure out was, who exactly had stolen that other part of the seal.

Along the way, they discovered that Wen Ning, the Ghost General, had been trailing along with them the entire time. In fact, Wen Ning had been ahead of them, removing the majority of puppets that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji did not even see. Wei Wuxian allowed his Ghost General to follow them, to which Lan Wangji grunted, "Let's go." before stalking ahead by himself.

@Lan Wangji It was muddled, but Wei Wuxian distinctly remembered on Qiongqi road and during the second siege at Nevernight, there was another flute playing in the vicinity. In the chaos, no one had noticed it wasn't Wei Wuxian, but how could he not? He had taken Chenqing away from his mouth at that point and the shrill notes of a flute were still ringing loud and clear into the air. Wei Wuxian only regretted not trying to figure out who the other flutist was - he was too confused in his panic, but he'd definitely heard it.

For a moment, Wei Wuxian was distracted by the way Lan Wangji looked against the pretty backdrop of Cloud Recesses. 'This is where he belonged,' Wei Wuxian thought wistfully. 'This is probably where he is the happiest. He's safe here.'

"For a while, I've been dreaming of it," Wei Wuxian began, leaning back against the wooden frame of the entrance to look up at the white flakes that dotted the black sky. "And I realized... it might not be my mind playing tricks on me, like I thought before. After today, I think I'm more confident when I say there might have been another flute at the battlefield. Someone used the Collection of Turmoil to alter Chenqing's instructions." He sighed, taking a sip of his wine, swirling the drink in its ceramic container. "Maybe it's Jin Guangyao. Maybe it isn't." A wistful smile appeared on Wei Wuxian's lips as he turned to look at Wangji, who had joined him out on the deck. "When I came back, I itched to know who it was. But now..." Wei Wuxian stepped out into the snow, closing his eyes as he tiled his face up to the sky, feeling for the chill and snow settling over his skin. "Whatever. Whether I know or not, would it make a difference? Would they believe me? The world needed someone to hate, to blame, and I'm convenient because I practice different than what they do. At the end of the day, they needed a common enemy to unite them. Even without Jin Guangyao, without the second flute... there'll be something else."

He turned slowly, his boots scuffing the thin layer of snow on the deck as he face Lan Wangji again. Wei Wuxian smiled softly, wanting to let Lan Wangji know it was okay. He really, really didn't care to know anymore. If they found out who it was along the way, good, but at this point, Wei Wuxian only wanted to finish this Nie Mingjue issue. He raised his wine in a toast towards Lan Wangji. "It will be okay. We will be okay." Setting the nearly empty jar atop the fence of the Jingshi building, Wei Wuxian approached Lan Wangji again, guiding him by the elbow back inside and out of the snow.

Wei Wuxian sat at the centre table again, propping his chin up. "Lan Zhan," he said softly, blowing out one of the candles so the room dimmed slightly. It was nearly time for Lan Wangji to sleep, anyway. "Do you remember all those years ago, when I always asked you to come visit me in Yunmeng...? I told you, 'Let's pick lotus seeds and look at all the fair maidens of Yunmeng'." Fondly, Wei Wuxian smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he did. "You always said no, or you ignored me. Do you think... when this is over, and if Jiang Cheng will forgive me... we can pick lotus pods in Yunmeng?"

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji had gone to look for his Uncle indeed, but he took a detour on the way back. Although the Cloud Recesses prohibited alcohol, there were two places where little jars of Emperor's Smile were hidden - the doings of Lan Wangji himself. The first was in his silent chamber, where he had stored them underneath the floorboards. The second had yet to be discovered by anyone. In the woods besides the rabbit hole where Lan Wangji raised the rabbits, there was another hole. That hole contained a box, in which Lan Wangji had stored another two jars of Emperor's Smile. Since that dwelling was mainly his and his alone, there had never been any reason for people to suspect alcohol's presence there. Once he collected the two white jars from the box, Lan Wangji headed back.

Once he returned, he saw his elder brother in conversation with Wei Wuxian. The two were murmuring, deep reflective thoughts showcasing on their respective expressions. Although his entry was silent, the clinking of the two jars in his hand gave him away. As Wei Wuxian's eyes met him, Lan Wangji raised the jars that were connected by a single string up in the air, holding it out for the younger male. Everything about this motion was gentle, from the look on his face to the billowing of his white robes, and even the way his hair was put down in front of the two most important people in his life. This reflected everything that Lan Wangji felt in the present moment.

When they entered the Silent Chamber, Lan Wangji set out a little white ceramic cup. Taking a jar of the Emperor's Smile, he pulled the lid off and poured a cup full for Wei Wuxian, not spilling a drop. Unlike the other who had always poured hastily and drank lively, Lan Wangji's actions were slow and orchestrated, almost ceremonious as he took the little cup and placed it in front of Wei Wuxian. "En." he answered when the other called his name. It seemed as though Wei Wuxian had something to say to him. For a moment, Lan Wangji did not suspect anything out of the usual. However, the silence that followed earned Wei Wuxian a curious glance from the older male. He turned his head, realizing just how close they were in proximity to each other.

If it were the Hanguang Jun of the past, he would have solemnly shied away from the other's face, reprimanding Wei Wuxian with words somewhat along the lines of, "I do not make physical contact with other people." This statement still held true in Lan Wangji's demeanor, but the definition of "other people" had changed. Wei Wuxian was outside that category of "other people", he was much, much more than that. His lips parted instinctively when the other offered his thanks, but pausing because he didn't really know what the context of these words were.

"I'm sorry."

This statement was paired with Wei Wuxian's unwavering gaze, which only managed to maintain the softened expression on Lan Wangji's face. He didn't have any words to respond or acknowledge Wei Wuxian's words, but Lan Wangji was feeling a very deep sense of content within himself. Everything had been worth the wait.

As though there had been a relapse in time, that brief moment that occurred between them seemed to have been locked away in both of their hearts, the sudden return of Wei Wuxian's angelic smile returning as he shifted the conversation elsewhere. That was more than enough for Lan Wangji, he was never the type to be comfortable in those sentimental moments for too long either. "En." he replied once more, standing after the younger male and trailing outside. He didn't step into the snow, rather just under the deck that shielded his head. The little snowflakes danced their way to the ground, making the air slightly colder than it had been earlier.

While Wei Wuxian was admiring the snowflakes, Lan Wangji couldn't resist the urge to admire Wei Wuxian. His eyes just moved slightly, such that it would be very difficult to detect what he was looking at exactly. Even from the other's side profile, that smile was so unique, so pure, that Lan Wangji's heart was warmed. "Wei Ying..." he called, "Do you ever wonder...what happened in the past?" he asked, referring to what had happened sixteen years ago.

On the battlefield, when Lan Wangji had called for Wei Wuxian to stop blowing his flute, it had become obvious that there was someone else who was controlling the spirits and dark energy. It had to be a trap, but Lan Wangji never got the chance to pursue the matter, "Don't you want to know...who did it?"

@Lan Wangji Suddenly, Wei Wuxian felt terrible for all the times he pesteried and teased Lan Wangji about his childhood and strict upbringing.

/"I don't have a mother," Lan Wangji once said in his drunken stupor, and Wei Wuxian had shook him lightly at that. "What do you mean you don't have a mother? Everyone has a mother."/

Wei Wuxian wanted to cry. He was alarmed to feel a bit of heat behind his eyes, and he quickly took a deep breath of the cool night air to calm himself down. Lan Wangji had suffered so much since he was young. He was so selfless and Wei Wuxian pushed him away because Lan Wangji wanted to care. Now he had all those ugly scars on his back as an eternal reminder of what he'd done for Wei Wuxian. The latter didn't think he had a right to be immortalized like that. No one is supposed to be good enough to be adorned on Lan Wangji's body, Wei Wuxian thought inconsolably.

So Zewu Jun was right to pull him aside and warn him at Jinlintai about Wanji. Wei Wuxian was Lan Wangji's single and greatest mistake.

"I... I would've never guessed," Wei Wuxian finally admitted, blinking away the blur in his eyes. He didn't dare meet Lan Xichen's eyes in fear of seeing the face that resembled Lan Wangji's so much. The last memories of his previous life that he'd forgotten during his transition to Mo Xuanyu's body were slowly coming back to him, like fitting together pieces of a puzzle. The way he'd shunned Lan Wangji, pushed him away, yelled at him. Wei Wuxian wanted to take it all back, wanted to spare Lan Wangji from the unnecessary pain he had to go through.

The clink of ceramic drew Wei Wuxian's attention to the pavilion entryway. Lan Wangji had returned, two jars of Emperor's Smile hanging from his hands. Their eyes met, and Wei Wuxian smiled reflexively. "Alcohol is forbidden in Cloud Recesses," he teased fondly, but he bowed to Lan Xichen to signal his leave, sticking close to Lan Wangji as they returned to the Jingshi.

Wei Wuxian didn't notice what was amiss about Lan Wangji until they returned to the brightly lit room Wei Wuxian stayed in. His hair was no longer put up and ornamented, giving Lan Wangji a very relaxed and docile air. It suited him. Wei Wuxian paused at the entrance. Lan Wangji must have so many memories contained in this building, yet his face revealed nothing as he crossed the threshold.

Watching Lan Wangji doing something as domestic as pouring wine got Wei Wuxian thinking again. He thought of all the rules Lan Wangji managed to break for him. /The/ Hanguang Jun, who was Lan Qiren's number one student, Lan Wangji who was obedient and never talked balk, Lan Zhan who was Gusu's role model. They'd gone a long way, Wei Wuxian thought.

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian said gently, just because he could. He settled himself beside the other, tucking his legs neatly beneath him. He didn't say anything else, though. What could he tell Lan Wangji? He knew the other would not want pity, so he just leaned his shoulder into Wangji's, putting his face way too close to Lan Wangji's to admire his side profile. What a good looking man, Wei Wuxian noted. There'd be a lot more girls interested in him if he smiled some more, though.

A gentle snow began outside. Wei Wuxian stood, collecting his jar of wine and making his way over to the entrance to watch the little white flecks drift to and fro. It was calming, and the view was beautiful paired with the simple architecture and design of Cloud Recesses. "Lan Zhan," he said, not daring to look at Lan Wangji quite yet. He remembered telling Jin Ling the most important thing a man could do was put aside his pride and tell someone else 'thank you' or 'I'm sorry', but it was hard for him to utter those exact words now. Perhaps it was because deep inside, he knew Lan Wangji deserved more than a 'thank you' and 'sorry' would never cut it.

Wei Wuxian swallowed. "Thank you," he finally said. /For everything. For looking out for me, caring for me, believing me./ But he said none of that out loud, instead more focused on holding Lan Wangji's gaze. "I'm sorry." There was so much more Wei Wuxian wanted to say. He wanted to tell Lan Wangji he was so stupid, that Wuxian was grateful for him, that he was glad in this mess he had a friend like Lan Zhan, but the words sat heavy in his heart, refusing to make themselves known. Wei Wuxian wasn't really one for sentiments, anyway (or so he always insisted). "Lan Zhan, come look," he said lightly instead, turning to smile at the older. "It's pretty out here."

@Wei Wuxian "I will go find Uncle." Lan Wangji said, giving one more glance to Wei Wuxian before turning and walking off.

On the other hand, Lan Xichen had been retained by Wei Wuxian to ask a few questions. "Speak your mind, please, Wei Gongzi."

"What... why does Lan Zhan have so many whip scars on his back? I asked him, but he's unwilling to tell me. I was hoping maybe you could...?"

Lan Xichen let out a sigh, shaking his head and turning his back to Wei Wuxian. His gaze shifted upwards, towards the round moon that was hanging above their heads. "I understand him most. I'm afraid those scars are something that Wangji won't bring up for the rest of this lifetime if he can avoid it." he said, smiling ruefully, "So I should tell you." Lan Xichen had turned back around to face Wei Wuxian. It was hard to talk about his younger brother and the pain and suffering that he had been through, but it was right for Wei Wuxian to know.

"Wei Gongzi, do you remember, Qiongqi road? The Ghost General Wen Ning, accidentally murdered Jin Zixuan? Wen Qing and Wen Ning went to Jinling Tai to admit their guilt and receive punishment. However, when you disappeared, Wangji went against everyone and guarded your den, not letting anyone destroy it. Even though cultivators of all sects insisted that they must check your den in case you were hiding inside, Wangji went against everyone and refused to let anyone enter. Uncle was very upset that Wangji would do something so rash, so irrational. When he was brought back to the Cloud Recesses, Wangji was punished with 33 lashes by whip. Uncle confined him to the Cloud Recesses, forbidding him from leaving for three years."

Noting the look Wei Wuxian had on his face, Lan Xichen knew that the male was feeling remorseful, but he continued on anyways, "During the time that Wangji was in confinement, I visited him. I had tried to convince him...but he told me, since he took you as his soulmate, he should trust your character as a person."

Lan Xichen remembered this conversation very clearly between himself and Lan Wangji. The pain that was evident in Lan Wangji's eyes were nothing short of tormenting and excruciating. The amount of regrets Lan Wangji held for not choosing to side with this one person had cost him so much, but Lan Wangji had decided to believe until the end. Until Wei Wuxian's return.

"Wei Gongzi, do you know what this place used to be?" he asked, looking at the backdrop behind them, his arms behind his back and gripping onto his Liebing, "This is the place our mother used to live when she was in the Cloud Recesses...Wei Gongzi, you may find it strange, why the wife of a sect leader would not live with her husband. You might have heard, when my father was still alive, he would close himself off in self-confinement, not asking about the happenings of the world. Everything that happened in Gusu Lan Sect was primarily run by our Uncle in his stead. The reason why father was always in self-confinement was because of my mother. My father had fallen in love with her when he went out on a Night Hunt, claiming it was love at first sight. She was his destined partner. However, it turns out this women whom our father wholeheartedly gave his heart to, didn't return the feelings. Ending up, she even harmed one of our father's mentors. However...my father was firm in his decision. He secretly brought her back to the Cloud Recesses despite everyone's approval. He married her vowed that this would be the only wife he would ever love in this and every life. If someone wanted to harm her, then they would have to go through him first. After marrying my mother, he found this location and built the Silent Chamber and confined my mother in it. As for himself, he built another house and went back into solitary confinement."

"Wei Gongzi, do you understand my father's purpose in doing so?" Lan Xichen asked, wondering if Wei Wuxian would understand just how much Lan Wangji was like his father.

When Wei Wuxian had nothing to say to add, Lan Xichen emphasized on the main point, "When we were young, Uncle would allow us a monthly visit to our mother, on the condition that we memorized our texts and studied hard. Wangji, like myself, always looked forward to the day we would see mother, so he had put all his effort into his studies. Every month, our mother would open the doors to the Silent Chamber. When we were inside, she just wanted to see us happy. She didn't really care about studies, didn't really ask us about them either. But those were our happiest times. One day...mother didn't open the door for us anymore. Wangji had been kneeling in the snow, waiting relentlessly. Uncle had explained to us that we didn't need to wait anymore, mother had left. At that time, we were still young, we didn't understand what "left" meant. Even after that, Wangji continued to wait. He would return every month to wait for someone to open those doors and let him in."

Though there were no tears, the pain that Lan Xichen had in recounting his brother's suffering was starting to reveal itself within his voice. It was shaking, not as strong as it had been at the start. His eyes had gotten slightly watery as he continued, "That year when Wangji saw you cultivating in the dark arts, even though he didn't say it, but I already knew, the agony he felt when he saw you was as though he saw our mother."

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian wished Lan Wangji would always act so caring and warm towards him. It was a nice change for once, and Wei Wuxian found himself wondering if he should act sicker and more invalid to gain more of this type of attention from Lan Wangji.

Lan Xichen's arrival shocked him before he could try anything else. Even though Zewu Jun's words and smile were kind, Wei Wuxian's body leapt into overdrive, preparing his fight or flight mode before he realized Lan Wangji's brother did not mean him harm. Truly, the Two Jades of Lan were such blessings (moreso Wangji, though, in Wei Wuxian's biased mind). "Zewu Jun," he greeted, bowing his head in greeting. "Thank you for your hospitality." It was especially difficult for Lan Xichen to do so much for him, considering the recent events. Wei Wuxian wondered if Lan Wangji had to beg. He shook his head of the thought. "Zewu Jun, Sect Leader Jin... last night..." Wei Wuxian's head pounded as he struggled to remember what he'd seen during Empathy. He was so deep in thought he began scowling at the floor, his eyes screwing shut for a second. From the beginning, he uttered every little detail he remembered, desperate to convince Lan Xichen of his friend's deception.

Wei Wuxian watched Lan Xichen's smile fade into something sad. Of course. Jin Guangyao was one of his closest confidants and the cultivation world's most prominent figures now. Wei Wuxian understood. He would find it hard to believe if anyone just came up to him and started pointing fingers at Lan Wangji, accusing the latter of cutting off sect leaders' heads. "Zewu Jun, you have to believe me," he said, trying not to sound like he was pleading. "I swear I am telling the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

It took much of Wei Wuxian's energy recounting the story and playing Jin Guangyao's version of the supposed healing music to get Lan Xichen to budge ever so slightly. Together, they figured it out - Jin Guangyao was harming Nie Mingjue through the healing he was supposed to be doing. Of course, Wei Wuxian had suspected that, and now that it was nearly confirmed, he was looking and sounding considerably better than when he woke.

"I will have to look into this," Lan Xichen finally decided, looking painfully torn. "Wangji, uncle wants to see you."

Perfect, Wei Wuxian thought. He would seize this opportunity to ask Lan Xichen everything. Waiting until Lan Wangji was out of view, Wei Wuxian leapt from is seat, garnering Zewu-Jun's attention by coughing lightly. "Zewu Jun... while your brother is not around, there is something I am curious about."

Lan Xichen glanced back towards Wei Wuxian, and he began to walk out to one fo the pavilions. It was dark now, and most of the disciples were probably retired and ready for their ritual bedtime. "Speak your mind, please, Wei Gongzi."

Wei Wuxian fiddled with his flute, twisting it to and fro in his hands. It was hard to ask now that he was given the opportunity. All he could see in his mind were the ugly scars that sunk deep in Lan Wangji's perfect skin, marring them forever. 'What use is a man if he doesn't have some battle scars?' Wei Wuxian remembered telling Lan Wangji in the Xuanwu Cave when the latter looked so concerned with the Wen clan mark stamped on his chest. Now he felt the same - he didn't want anything wrecking Lan Wangji's body. "What... why does Lan Zhan have so many whip scars on his back?" He lowered his gaze, a forlorn expression settling over his features. "I asked him, but he's unwilling to tell me. I was hoping maybe you could...?"

@Wei Wuxian It was the next morning when Wei Wuxian woke up, and Lan Wangji wasted no time in rushing to the other's side. He sat down on the bedside, checking Wei Wuxian's wound and looking at the other, concern in his eyes. "It's the next day." he replied in his low voice, eyeing the white bandages. He had just changed them about an hour before Wei Wuxian woke up, and there was no more blood seeping through the cloth, which served as a relief for him.

"We're in Cloud Recesses?"

"En."

"What if your brother finds out?"

"I already know." This time, it was not Lan Wangji who was answering Wei Wuxian's question. Rather, Lan Xichen serenely stepped into the Silent Chamber, hands behind his back and the usual smile on his face. Just as no one could read the emotions behind Hanguang Jun's stoic face, it was equally hard to read the emotions behind Zewu Jun's smiling one. "I was the one who told Wangji to bring you back here, Wei Gongzi." the older man stated, motioning for Wei Wuxian to sit back down. "Before we have concrete evidence of this case, I will not be biased towards any side. You can rest here and treat your wounds." he assured.

Lan Wangji shared a look with his elder brother, one that the oldest could easily interpret as gratitude and respect. However, since Wei Wuxian was awake now, Lan Xichen did want to use this opportunity to get a better idea of what was going on. "Wei Gongzi. If you don't mind, I'd like to know what caused you to suspect Ah-Yao." he inquired, taking a step forward to close in their proximity. "I'm sure Wangji would like to know too." he said, easily seeing through his brother again. This was a indeed a good time for Wei Wuxian to share his empathy experience. As he recounted what happened, Lan Wangji tried to connect the dots in his head. However, no matter how he thought about it, there just seemed to be something missing, he just couldn't pin point it.

"Wei Gongzi, while your story makes perfect chronological sense and you seem to know the story to smallest details, we have no real evidence since you were the only one who saw this." Lan Xichen said, a rather regretful tone in his voice.

"Wei Ying is telling the truth." Lan Wangji asserted in the younger's defense.

"Wangji, you believe him?" Lan Xichen asked.

"En."

"And how about Ah-Yao?"

"He cannot be trusted." Lan Wangji stated without the slightest hesitation.

There was a look of hurt that flashed across Lan Xichen's face as he asked his younger brother, "Wangji, I know you trust your intuition, and you put your full confidence in Wei Gongzi, but does this mean I cannot trust my own feelings?" he asked, shaking his head, "The Ah-Yao I know is not like this. It is not that I want to be biased, but I may need some time to come to terms with this." he said, a pained smile on his face. "But do not worry, if there is conclusive evidence that this is the truth, I will uphold justice to the last degree."

Wei Wuxian was Wei Wuxian for a reason. The other had thought up of the music that Lan Xichen taught to Jin Guangyao a few years ago. Indeed, no one had told him this bit of information, so it wouldn't be possible for him to know unless he had experienced empathy. He had recounted the version of the song that Jin Guangyao played on his zither, repeating the tune on Chenqing. When both Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen noted the mistake in the tune, they then figured out there was a part of the melody that had been altered. It was not the Calming-mind melody, but was an excerpt that had come from a Book of Chaos - which they found missing a page in the Lan Sect's Hidden Library.

The mystery had not been solved completely, but the clues were piecing together just a bit more. Lan Xichen had gave Lan Wangji the copy of the Book of Chaos, asking him to look into it further. For the meantime, he promised to keep their whereabouts hidden from the outside world, wanting to protect them to the best of his ability.

A few days later, when Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were meditating behind a divider, Jin Guangyao made a surprise visit. The Jin Sect leader had come looking for Lan Xichen, mentioning that they were indeed still on the search for Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji, he assured though, had not done anything so regrettable that a few words couldn't fix. At least that's what he told Lan Xichen. He had arranged for all the other sect leaders to head to the Burial Mounds again, deciding to begin another search for Wei Wuxian. After getting Lan Xichen to accept the invitation to go along, Jin Guangyao took his leave first. From behind the divider, Lan Wangji appeared in front of his brother.

"Wangji, you go to the Burial Mounds first. I will head to Jinling Tai. We will work separately." his elder brother advised him.

"En."

He turned to look at Wei Wuxian, "Wei Ying, let's go." Though Lan Wangji was still worried about the other's wound, it had healed significantly and Wei Wuxian did not exhibit any signs of reluctance when Lan Xichen told them to head to the Burial Mounds first.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian could not be so sure of what happened after that little brat Jin Ling had stabbed him. He was so similar to his uncle, Wei Wuxian managed to think as he was hauled off. The pain in his midsection grew more and more intense, to the point he thought that he would prefer death than to be dragged along by Lan Wangji. His legs gave out after a few steps, and he felt himself being propped up against a tree. The hard bark's grooves and protrusions dug painfully into his back, but Wei Wuxian couldn't complain. His face was white as a sheet save for the blood smeared around his chin, and he felt as if he were at death's door. Wei Wuxian closed his eyes, his breaths becoming deep and laboured.

In his stupor (or pre-death experience, whatever was going on), Wei Wuxian remembered after the first siege at Nevernight, Wan Langji had confronted him. They overlooked the valley together, and Wei Wuxian had gotten angry at Lan Zhan for being so /stubborn/ and strict. At the time he'd thought that he could control it - he wasn't like Wen Ruohan. If Lan Wangji wanted to follow the Gusu sect rules, he was free to do so, but he had no right to ask Wei Wuxian to stop with the Stygian Tiger Amulet. Now he saw how stupid he was.

When Wei Wuxian opened his eyes again, he found the strength to pull Lan Wangji's arm down, stopping the other from transferring any more spiritual energy. He tried to say Lan Wangji's name, but it came in a wheezed, incoherent way. Pathetic. Lowering Lan Wangji's hand along with his own, he rested their hands over his stomach, having no more strength to move even the most minuscule of muscles. Wei Wuxian laughed, though, and hurt flickered through the amused smile playing on his lips for a second. "Isn't it funny," he began breathlessly, his eyelids drooping and threatening unconsciousness. "When everyone admired my power and wanted to flatter me, you were the only one who scolded me. When everyone wants me to die, you're the only one by my side."

Thank you, Wei Wuxian wanted to say, but he was hit with a vicious cough that made him feel like he was about to vomit his lungs out. Instead, he choked up blood so dark it was nearly black, effectively making a mess over himself and the ground when he tried to lean to the side to spit it out. His mouth tasted like copper. Still, Wei Wuxian was feeling better now that there wasn't the feeling of something suffocating him in his chest, clogging up his lungs. In fact, he felt so comfortable he unwillingly closed his eyes, losing consciousness by the time he slumped and his head dropped forward, his chin resting on his chest.

Wei Wuxian woke to a calming song being plucked on a zither. Sunlight that streamed in from filtered windows blinded him easily. He winced, groaning as he sat up a little too quickly. His head spun and the stinging in his torso reminded him of his wound. So he lived - otherwise it wouldn't be hurting so much. That little Jin Ling. Wei Wuxian wasn't sure if he should praise the Jin lordling or punch him the next time he saw him. Now that he was slowly beginning to recollect the events leading up to where he was now, Wei Wuxian figured this was all way too much trouble caused by such an insignificant wound.

"Lan Zhan," he breathed when he noticed the other man in the room. "How long have I been..." As his vision cleared, Wei Wuxian noted the simplicity of the room he was in, the neutrally bright colour scheme, the lack of decorations. There was no doubt, they were back in Cloud Recesses. This sent Wei Wuxian into a panic, throwing his legs over the side of the bed he rested on and checking to make sure he was dressed decently. "We're in Cloud Recesses? What if your brother finds out? I... I have to go. The rest of them, they must be looking. I can't stay here, Lan Zhan-"

@Wei Wuxian In their youth, Wei Wuxian's swordplay was paralleled to Lan Wangji's own, but years had gone by since the other had practiced. Knowing this and keeping it in mind, Lan Wangji did not hold back against anyone who attacked, swinging his sword to block off attacks that were directed the smaller male. None of the renowned cultivators at the top of the stairs made any movement to interrupt of redirect, rather watching as the fight between Hanguang Jun and the younger generation ensue.

Once they made their way past the initial first wave, Wei Wuxian's grip returned to Lan Wangji's wrist, pulling him away from the crowd. Just as they neared the exit, Lan Wangji was halted. There was no physical barrier in front of him per say, but there was in front of Wei Wuxian. Jin Ling, who was probably the most shocked by the Yiling Patriarch's sudden and mysterious resurrection had gone to his head. Lan Wangji gripped Bichen tightly, ready to unsheathe it if Wei Wuxian were to be put in danger. However, he knew Jin Ling's identity, and he knew how much this boy meant to Wei Wuxian.

"Jin Ling," he said in a low, calm voice. "I'll tell you everything in the future. Alright?"

Instead of getting an answer, Lan Wangji just saw the subtle movement of the sword, and suddenly Wei Wuxian was bleeding from his mouth. His eyes widened, brows furrowing inwards as he held the male around his waist. One corner of his lip raised into that of a scowl. With a single push on the youth's shoulder, he sent Jin Ling flying backwards. "Wei Ying." he called, desperate for the other to hold on. The way Wei Wuxian was calling him, weak and labored, supplemented the sense of urgency growing in him. Lan Wangji gripped tightly onto Wei Wuxian, channeling his energy and flying them both away from Jinling Tai.

He could only fly the body weight of two for so long, eventually landing somewhere further away in one of the nearby woods. Wei Wuxian was hardly conscious, his breathing shallow as he clutched onto his bleeding wound. Gently laying him against a thin tree, Lan Wangji checked his pulse. It was weak. With his index and middle finger pressed together, he pointed them at Wei Wuxian's sweating forehead, closing his eyes and transferring some spiritual energy into the other. It would at least stop the bleeding and make it less painful for the other. The worry was displayed clearly on his face throughout the entire process, but Lan Wangji was persistent, not letting anything distract him while he continued to transfer energy.

Wei Wuxian had mumbled a few things to him when he regained some consciousness, something about Lan Wangji scolding him when the entire world praised him, but also something about Lan Wangji being on his side when the entire world was against him. /"That's because, I believe you."/ Lan Wangji thought to himself, wishing he had done so earlier. No matter what happened from here on out, Lan Wangji would put the entirety of his trust in Wei Wuxian, no questions asked.

The other eventually had enough energy to vomit out the coagulated blood in his system, a dark pool staining the dirt below them when he spit it out. Right after, the younger male had passed out. It was better that way. Lan Wangji easily scooped the smaller male into his arms and continued on his way away from Jinling Tai.

Luckily for them, Lan Xichen had sent a spiritual message to Lan Wangji, instructing his brother to bring the injured Wei Gongzi back to the Cloud Recesses so he could treat his wounds. His brother's word assured him and Lan Wangji wasted no time in riding Bichen back home. There, he concealed the fainted Wei Wuxian in his Silent Chamber. The male's clothing were stained and sticky from the blood, which should be changed. As the Gusu Lan Sect emphasized simplicity and minimalism, Lan Wangji could only find a clean white robe that was worn on the very inside for the younger to wear in the meantime. He had forbidden any of the disciples from entering his room, not wanting anyone to see Wei Wuxian in this state. He personally cleaned, medicated, and bandaged the other's wound, finally dressing Wei Wuxian loosely in the white under-robe.

Lan Xichen had come to check a few times, assuring his younger brother that they would be safe here. Jin Guangyao would not recklessly send people to infiltrate the Cloud Recesses out of respect for his second brother. That being said, Lan Wangji spent the rest of the day playing his zither, yet again using any and all of the melodies he learned to cure maladies, in hopes that Wei Wuxian would hear them and recover quickly. All the meanwhile, Lan Wangji was blaming himself for not taken action sooner. He should have stood between Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian, but he had been too off-guard. Wei Wuxian had been too off-guard, but Lan Wangji took the blame for that too. How could he have expected the other to do anything to his nephew to begin with?

@Lan Wangji In a surprising turn of events, Qing Su was dead, and Wei Wuxian blamed (this part was not surprising). He kept quiet, not wanting to add fuel to the fire as Su She shouted accusations and drew attention way from Nie Mingjue's head and Qin Su. However, he could no longer stand still and do nothing when Su She made a move to stab him. Nimbly, Wei Wuxian backed up against one of the shelves, grabbing blindly for the sword he'd seen hanging up when as a paper man.

Gasps filled the room as he unsheathed the sword, slashing viciously at Su She. "Stop!" Jin Guangyao suddenly cried, shocking Wei Wuxian into a standstill as he eyed Su She, daring him to make another move. "That sword... it's been sealed for 16 years. No one has been able to pull it out, yet... he narrowed his eyes that shone with excitement, unnerving Wei Wuxian. "Suibian belonged to Wei Ying. It is a spiritual weapon that will only unsheathe for its owner. Are you the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian?" When he saw Wei Wuxian had no response for him, he laughed in triumph before his expression darkened again. Quicker than anyone, Jin Guangyao had his sword unsheathed and pointed towards Wei Wuxian, Jin Ling following suit. Before Wei Wuxian could jab Suibian at them, Lan Wangji was already dragging him out, the cultivators in the chamber crying out in confusion.

Wei Wuxian never really could understand Lan Wangji, and he was even more confused at this point. Lan Wangji's not supposed to be so /dense/. Wei Wuxian tried to push him away when they were halfway down the stairs of Jinlintai - not hard enough to hurt, just a little nudge. He locked eyes with the other man, immense and suffocating panic filling him when he realized Lan Wangji wasn't going to try and dissociate himself from Wei Wuxian. "Lan Zhan," he gasped, glancing back at the disciples who were giving chase, then at the ones approaching from the front. "Stay away." They were completely surrounded now, and Wei Wuxian clutched Suibian so tight his knuckles whitened as swords were pointed at him from all directions.

"Why do you still wear the mask?" Jin Guangyao called from the top of the palace stairs, his expression impossible smug. Seeing that infuriating face, Wei Wuxian figured he should have stabbed him where he stood in Fragrance Hall. Still, Wei Wuxian undid the ribbon holding his mask to his face, lowering it slowly and dropping it to the floor where it hit the stone steps with a /clink/. He felt the ripple of nervousness in the cultivators around him, watching as their swords and steps wavered. Worse of all, he noted the terribly concealed emotions ranging from surprise to disgust to disapproval from Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang, and even Lan Xichen. Still, he refused to be unphased, staring defiantly up at Jin Guangyao who was treating him like /he/ was the criminal here.

Jin Guangyao chuckled, as if he'd won already. And maybe he did, for now, Wei Wuxian thought as his gaze swept the crowd of cultivators again. "Who would have thought that the Yiling Patriarch would be back? And he played us all like fools. Not just Jin Ling, even the noble Hanguang Jun has been tricked and used by him." Jin Guangyao gave Wei Wuxian an idea. The least he could do now was return Lan Wangji to his rightful place in the world. To Gusu, to his uncle and brother, to wherever. It just wasn't by Wuxian's side. "That's right," he said. "Correct. I-"

"Wrong. I already knew he was Wei Ying from early on."

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian said firmly, dropping his voice as he gripped Lan Wangji's wrist, sending a silent warning for him to not do anything stupid. Desperately, more than getting himself out the situation first, he wanted Lan Wangji to be safe. He made a promise to Lan Xichen not even an hour ago Wangji wouldn't be hurt because of him again. "Stop. Just tell them you were deceived. They don't dare say anything against your word."

"Walking the lone path into darkness really isn't that bad," Lan Wangji said instead. When Wei Wuxian caught the way the corners pdf Lan Wangji's lips lifted, he couldn't help but grin, too, despite all the swords pointed at them. That was what he'd said once - he'd said it to Ah Yuan. How did Wangji...? "Lan Zhan ah, Lan Zhan" he whispered, laughing quietly in disbelief. He didn't let go of the older, despite his pleas for Lan Wangji to leave contradicting his actions. "You... hah." 'You really are something,' Wei Wuxian wanted to say, but he gave Lan Wangji's wrist a squeeze instead, a silent thanks.

Lan Xichen watched the exchange from the top of the stairs. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he didn't need to. With a gentle exhale, he lowered his gaze and turned slightly to the side. He couldn't help them, yet he didn't want to watch anymore.

Wei Wuxian lashed out at the closest Jin disciple with his sword, and chaos ensued as they all rushed for him and Lan Wangji. It was hard to tell if Wangji was holding up in a flurry of swords and sleeves, but Wei Wuxian supposed he wasn't so well known for nothing. They fought their way through the crowd, Wei Wuxian's footwork and technique clumsy with all those years that had gone by. Surely, he'd have been gutted quite a few times already if Lan Wangji wasn't there to block strikes for him he failed to catch. At last, in the confusion, Wei Wuxian managed to grab Lan Wangji again and pull him down the rest of the stairs. They could take this time that the cultivators were taking to get up and reorganize themselves to escape. The exit was so close-

Wei Wuxian came to a halting stop, nearly avoiding running his neck right into a very familiar sword: Suihua. Jin Ling held a vicious expression as he pressed the blade against Wei Wuxian's neck. "You're Wei Ying?" he forced out, his arm so tense the sword trembled in his hand. His shuffling steps took him to stand in front of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji so the sword pointed directly to the Yiling Patriarch's chest. "You're really Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying?"

Jin Ling was a good kid, despite everything. Above all, he was Jiang Yanli's son. He was all Wei Wuxian had left of his shijie in the world, and he didn't want to hurt him. Jin Ling wouldn't dare hurt him either, Wei Wuxian believed. After all, he'd saved his hide more than once, and never gave Jin Ling any reason to think he was set to harm him. Of course, Wei Wuxian forgot to account for the fact Jin Ling had thought he was a dimwitted Mo Xuanyu the entire time. "Jin Ling," he said in a low, calm voice. "I'll tell you everything in the future. Alright?" With that, he made to step around the young boy, reaching out for Lan Wangji's arm again.

He heard the soft sinking of metal into flesh before he felt it. Wei Wuxian gasped breathily, and upon finding that he couldn't move forward anymore without a piercing pain in his abdomen, he looked downwards. A metallic tang filled his senses when Wei Wuxian saw it. Dark red blood was spilling out of him, staining his black robes and running down the pristine white blade of Suihua, dripping over the stone steps. Wei Wuxian grunted when the blade withdrew from his body - whether Jin Ling himself retreated or not, he couldn't tell. His vision swam before him, and Wei Wuxian sank to his knees, a trembling hand lifting to press against the gaping wound in his abdomen. He was done for - curse this body of Mo Xuanyu's. In the fast, Wei Wuxian would gladly stuff whatever back into his wound and continue fighting, but being pierced in the same spot Jiang Cheng had stabbed him before just once seemed to do a number on him. "Lan Zhan," he said weakly, blinding reaching out for the older man. "Lan Zhan-"