Chapter Text
Wei Ying is barely 20 steps away from the Jingshi when a force hugs him from behind.
"Wei Ying…."
This hug feels different from last night. Yet it is familiar. It feels like being enveloped by love.
"Lan Zhan…." May he hope?
They stay in that position for a while. But Wei Ying needs to know... "Close your eyes."
"Mn."
Wei Ying tilts his head and sees that face again… so close, only a few centimeters away. He cannot wait to look at Lan Zhan's soft, golden gaze that belongs only to him.
"Look at me?" he asks, his voice trembling.
He hopes. His heart is beating so fast, rabitting in its cage.
Lan Zhan opens his eyes.
There it is.
Mine.
And when Lan Zhan kisses him, he recognizes the kiss... this emotional, this fierce, this powerful love that has overcome so many obstacles.
And when both of their faces are wet, they keep on kissing as if their lives depend on it.
As if there were no tomorrow.
Until they run out of breath.
He can feel the ghost of Lan Zhan's smile on his lips.
"I love you," Lan Zhan professes.
"I believe you," he beams. He accepts that this man will always choose him.
No price is high enough for him to get his love.
No weakness is inadequate enough for him to reject his love.
He gives Lan Zhan his best smile, the one that makes his eyes become the shape of the moon. The one that is reserved for Lan Zhan only.
Lan Zhan turns his body and pulls on his waist till there is no space left between them. Wei Ying circles his arms around his neck.
"I love you, Lan Zhan."
He is free to say this. Lan Zhan remembers now.
"Mn."
They kiss again, slowly, with longing, with love, with hope, and with acceptance. When they stop for air, they smile at each other.
"Again..." Lan Zhan probes.
Their third kiss gets hotter, messier, and full of hunger and desire. They keep pulling each other closer.
Wei Ying's knees weaken, and he lets out an involuntary moan. He can feel Lan Zhan's gasping. Time stops. They don't know how long this kiss is until they stop, pant, and pull away from each other.
"Can I have that date now?" Lan Zhan asks when he manages to control his breathing.
"Where do you want to go?" he grins.
"Jingshi." There is an invitation in Lan Zhan's eyes.
"I'll go wherever with you."
The satisfied smugness on his beloved's face informs him that it is the right answer.
***
Wei Ying is laying on top of Lan Zhan. Both are naked and happy.
Wei Ying has spent the last 5 minutes giving pecks to Lan Zhan's eyes, Lan Zhan's cheeks, Lan Zhan's ears, Lan Zhan's nose, Lan Zhan's eyebrows, and Lan Zhan's lips. They taste so good.
"Are you hungry?" He pecks his lips again.
His husband chuckles. "I'll get you food."
"Wait, I don't want you to put on clothes," he pouts.
"Do you prefer eating me?" He teases.
"Ahhh, my flirty Lan Zhan is back!" He kisses him again.
There is a knock on the door. "Father, food is here… and say hi to Xian-Gege.. I mean Dad... for me."
"I think we should pretend that we are still sleeping," he suggests quietly.
"Thank you, Sizhui…" Lan Zhan responds louder so A-Yuan can hear him. Then he continues with the same loud voice, "He won't believe I'm not awake at this hour."
He flinches but follows his husband's lead anyway, "Our A-Yuan... Hi to you, too!"
He hears A-Yuan chuckle, "Enjoy your day, Dad!"
Lan Zhan waits until A-Yuan leaves before he rolls Wei Ying to his side and gets off the bed.
He takes the tray of food without putting on a robe. And put it on the table, leaving his clean back and bare ass to Wei Ying's direct line of sight.
"Naughty! Aren't you afraid A-Yuan is still there?"
He is giddy with this familiarity. The inside joke, the unbidden love.
"My husband wishes for me not to put on clothes. I humbly abide."
"Shameless!" Wei Ying laughs until he shakes with it. Lan Zhan stares at him, his golden eyes soft.
When he stops laughing, Wei Ying pries, "Is his courtesy name still Sizhui?"
"Mn."
"Because you are used to it? Or too lazy to change it? Or because that name fits him?"
"Because it is still true."
He is humbled by that declaration, his eyes tearing up.
Lan Zhan walks to the bed and takes his hand. He gently sits there and caresses his hair. "Just because I don't remember my feelings for you, doesn't mean I don't yearn for you."
It is so easy for Lan Zhan to love. Wei Ying can feel the tears threatening to spill again.
Lan Zhan pulls him up and toward the table.
When Wei Ying is about to sit, he tugs on his waist so that Wei Ying sits on his lap.
"What happened to my Lan-Er-Gege? He has become a seductress!"
"I miss you," he says matter-of-factly.
Wei Ying's heart soars. He cannot believe he ever let this man go.
Lan Zhan gives him a peck on his forehead. "Behave! I know what you are thinking."
"I wasn't thinking of anything improper!" He defends himself.
"Mn." That kind of mn means you can say whatever; I know you too well.
The response excites Wei Ying.
Definitely improper thoughts, he confirms.
He looks away and catches a glimpse of the note that Lan Zhan wrote for himself on the corner of the table, the one he put there earlier with the talisman. He takes it.
"Lan Zhan… It took you so fast to make a decision," he sighs.
Lan Zhan sees that note in his hand. He understands his question and shrugs, "It offers happiness. No thinking was needed."
"Lan Zhan…. I am so sorry," and he starts crying again.
Lan Zhan hugs him. Very tight. "Why? My golden core is a small price to pay for the lives of your loved ones. At the end, we are still together."
Wei Ying hugs him back. How he loves this man.
"Wei Ying. I don't blame you for wanting your family back. However, your taking my talisman hurts us both. You took that decision from my hands. And it broke me."
Wei Ying nods and wipes his tears with the back of his hand.
Lan Zhan stops him by holding his wrist and uses his thumb from his free hand to wipe the tears then reaches for his chin and gazes deeply into his eyes.
"I promise us that we will never think that we know what's best for each other. I promise us that we will always talk."
"Lan Zhan, I promise us that we will never think that we know what's best for each other. I promise us that we will always talk," Wei Ying follows with a vow that this time he will abide by these promises.
"Mn...." he pulls his face closer and kisses him. "Sometimes it is hard for me to talk. To find the right words." Another kiss. "Who knew you were worse than me."
"Teach me how to talk then, Lan-Er-Gege." There is desire in his tone.
Lan Zhan stops his kissing. "Eat now. In silence. Kissing while eating is allowed here in Jingshi. Do you remember?"
"I made that rule. How can I forget?" And he proceeds to give them both a full blown kiss that moves them both to their cores.
"If you can't hold yourself back, I will not kiss you anymore," he threatens. "Another round later, after we eat. Then we talk again."
"Can't wait to teach me to talk?" Wei Ying teases.
"You'll see."
***
Apparently, the talking lesson is not what Wei Ying imagined. It is held in a classroom in Cloud Recesses, and the attendees are the people who conducted yesterday's intervention.
The two of them are sitting very close to each other. There is no space between them, they are practically on top of each other. Lan Zhan's one hand rests comfortably on his waist.
"Start talking," Lan Zhan gestures with his head.
It feels like a punishment. It feels like torture. "Are you kidding me?' he glares.
Lan Zhan smiles at him. His hand draws little circles on his waist.
"I don't know where to start," he stares at his fingers on his lap. He avoids looking at this bunch of people, whom he loves but who he hurt as well.
"Let me start," suggests Lan Xichen, the politician.
"Thank you for coming back to my brother. Never seen him this happy."
"Thank you, Wei Wuxian for saving my life," Wen Qing adds.
"Thank you… Master Wei… for rescuing me.."
"Thank you, A-Xian, for saving my life," Jiang Yanli lovingly gushes. Then she nudges Jiang Cheng.
"Thank you, Scumbag, for your golden core."
Wei Ying is in a puddle of tears. He can feel Lan Zhan squeezing his waist.
"I love you, all… not as much as I love Lan Zhan. Not even close... but I do love you," he weeps.
"Stupid confession!" Wen Qing frowns.
He flinches, "Wen Qing! How can you be like Jiang Cheng?!"
Wen Qing hits his hand. He pretends to be hurt. Lan Zhan lets Jiang Yanli pull him close and hug him.
She still hugs him when she implores, "A-Xian… will you tell me? What did you sacrifice for Wen Ning's life?"
He doesn't know how to answer that question. He looks at Lan Zhan, who nods reassuringly. They will not love you less because of that, his eyes say.
"Losing the Jiangs’ love," he confesses.
"Idiotttt!!!" Jiang Cheng bellows. He is enraged that Zidian sparkles on his arm.
"Jiang Wanyin!" Lan Zhan warns him, his glare deathly. Losing his golden core doesn't mean that he is any less intimidating.
Wei Ying taps his thigh to calm him. Wen Qing pats Jiang Cheng's shoulder to calm him down.
Wei Ying sighs. "Jiang Cheng, before... Shijie was no longer here. I have lived without her love. I survived it.
But you were still here, and we had a ruined relationship. You loved me as your brother but also hated me for not being able to fulfill my promise to be the Twin Pride of Yunmeng. You blamed me for Shijie's death. You felt like you owed me for my golden core, and you felt guilty for letting me die on that cliff. Our relationship was... complicated."
Wei Ying continues, "I thought if you didn't love me, it would be easier for you."
Jiang Cheng steps forward, fiercely hugs him, and growls, "The stupidest brother ever!!!!"
He chuckles, "I love you, too, Jiang Cheng."
When Jiang Cheng finally lets go, he retorts, "Wen Ning is our new Head Disciple. He is in training to become my second in command. I will get that Twin Pride of Yunmeng."
"Happy for you both! You trained him well, Jiang Cheng. He doesn't stutter anymore!" He is genuinely happy.
Both Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning blush.
"Thank you... Master Wei…. Jiejie is in training to become Madame Jiang," Wen Ning blinks.
"A-Ning!!!!" Wen Qing shouts. Now she blushes, too.
Jiang Cheng is even redder than before.
He laughs, throwing his body backward. He enjoys his family so much. Lan Zhan's hand keeps him from falling, pulling him near again. He looks at him with love, leaning to his side.
And Wei Ying cannot be happier.
"Do share... what is the training like?" He teases.
These two look away from each other, embarrassed.
Jiang Yanli smiles at him. "Thank you, A-Xian for these 2 new members of the Jiangs. They made a huge difference to our sect."
"Congratulations, Jiang Cheng! You got yourself a beauty! Well, not as beautiful as my Hanguang-Jun who is the number two bachelor in the cultivation world. "
"Wei Ying, I am no longer it,” Lan Zhan gushes.
Wei Ying is startled. He asks carefully, "Because of your golden core?"
"Because I am a married man,” he replies smugly. He gains a blinding smile from Wei Ying for that statement.
"Wangji, you are not exactly married in this lifetime yet," Lan Xichen reminds him.
"You are not qualified to talk to me. You are single."
They all laugh.
Wei Ying remembers what the nice head dog said: 'What’s lost can be gained through blood and sweat.'
He indeed got them all back.
His sacrifices are all worth it.
He tilts his head so he can ogle at his love, his husband, or whatever their status is now, and is grateful that he has him.
His husband pinches his waist while keeping his attention toward the family in that room.
This world has become a better place. And the view from beside the man he loves is breathtaking.
***
"Do you know my best treasure?" He whispers as they drift off to sleep that night.
"I never asked you that before..." Lan Zhan says absentmindedly, stroking his husband's back softly.
"No, I asked yours, but you never asked mine."
"Maybe because I already know the answer."
"What is the answer, Lan Zhan?" He opens his eyes, as if it can heighten his hearing in the dark.
"My insistence on keeping you," he simply says.
Wei Ying trembles when he hears that. It is true, why else did he let the beast take his memory of loving him.
No one calculated that his stubbornness would even beat his memory. He still fought to save Wei Ying's best treasure even after he had forgotten it.
Wei Ying hides his face in Lan Zhan' neck.
"I love you, Lan Zhan... Even when we're not together, my heart was beating only for you,"
"Mn… my best treasure. Keep it close to me from now on."
"Always…"