Chapter Text
If you ask Wei Ying about his name, he'll give you it, and tell you the story behind his naming while he’s at it.
If you ask Wei Ying about his nickname, however... that's a different story.
This is how it goes: everyone at Cloud Recesses University knows who Wei Ying is. Some might call him a pranker extraordinaire with a heart of gold, some might say he's a loud-mouthed ball of energy that keeps riling up Headmaster Qiren's bad side. Jiang Cheng would call him an idiot then proceed to beat up anybody else who badmouths his brother, and Jiang Yanli would be soft on Wei Ying like always. Half his classmates would rave about his ground-breaking ideas and his stunning ability to see angles nobody else would have thought of, and the other half would groan about how he just keeps talking during the lectures.
Everyone at Cloud Recesses University also calls him some variation of Wei Ying, whether it’s A-Ying in the case of Jiang Yanli or simply “idiot” when Jiang Cheng is in a bad mood. Everyone except the stone-faced Lan Wangji, second nephew of Headmaster Qiren.
For some reason, to the surprise of the entire student body, the indifferent and icy Lan Wangji – the star student of the Law Department, well-known for both his ethereal looks and the number of girls who have been coldly rejected by him, Lan Wangji who carries a courtesy name in this day and age - the HanGuang-Jun calls Wei Ying "puddin".
And to add insult to injury, he lets Wei Ying call him "Lan Zhan", as if they're that close! One had to see it to believe it, and even then, it was disorienting to see the chaotic troublemaker Wei Ying sling an arm around the pristine HanGuang-Jun, and hear the nickname "puddin" slip out of Lan Wangji’s mouth accompanied with a fond look. Simply unbelievable. Even if Wei Ying is one of the school’s handsomest boys, he’s still not comparable to HanGuang-Jun.
These kinds of sentiments were the ones passed around the rumor mills since school had started in September. Winter break came and went, January rolled around with the crystalline snowy days of the mountains of Gusu, and heavy snowfall turned to delicate snow showers as February reared its head, blooming like the violets in the snow. The campus of Cloud Recesses University was once again filled with students, bundled up in woolen scarfs and downy coats, bustling back and forth.
And the rumors were still very much alive.
One would think that they would have fizzled out like a water-drenched firework over the winter break, but perhaps the girls of the Cloud Recesses went home only to find that the boys in Tianjin or Beijing simply could not hold a candle to Lan Wangji, for they seemed even more interested in him than before. Crowding the hallways of the Law Building, peering around shelves in the centuries-old library and admiring how Lan Wangji, with his luxurious long hair and elegant posture, was the perfect image of an old Chinese prince. 'Accidentally' bumping into Lan Wangji at the student coffeehouse and completely ignoring Wei Ying and his annoying proximity to Lan Wangji.
The girls in question continue to sneakily steal glances at Lan Wangji and Wei Ying waiting in line.
“Did you see how Wei Ying was holding onto HanGuang-Jun’s arm?” whispers Xiayue.
“How can HanGuang-Jun let Wei Ying touch him like that?” says Zhixue.
“Look, they’re ordering and HanGuang-Jun isn’t even looking at the menu! Or, well, he’s looking at Wei Ying like he’s the menu, and he wants to eat him.” Hisses Meihua.
A silence falls over the table as they process that last sentence and its very questionable imagery attached to the words.
Zhixue scowls. “That – no, Meihua, there are so many things wrong with that sentence that I don’t know where to start.”
“Well, he isn’t looking at the menu, he’s looking at Wei Ying! What do you want me to say?”
“Maybe something that isn’t an innuendo?” Zhixue fires back.
“Ah, I wish HanGuang-Jun would look at me like that too…” Says Xiayue, resting her head on one palm, utterly oblivious to the contest of words between her two friends.
“Don’t we all, Xiayue? That piercing golden stare is too alluring to resist.” Meihua smirks.
“But, I mean like that.” Xiayue’s eyes dart towards Lan Wangji, who’s tilting his head towards Wei Ying as if he’s being told a secret, and gazing at him as if Wei Ying is his world. It’s a completely different look than Lan Wangji’s normally cold and closed-off façade that gives him the appearance of a celestial being, an expression that makes him look much more human. It’s also the first time they’ve seen Lan Wangji show a shred of emotion to anyone besides his family.
Zhixue and Meihua sigh.
All three of them think the same thing: we’ve got no chance with him now.
“Shh, they’re walking by!”
Three pairs of eyes follow Lan Wangji and Wei Ying to their table. Lan Wangji pulls out Wei Ying’s seat, and Wei Ying gives him a smile that has the brilliance of the sun. At that moment, the girls realize two things: why Wei Ying, despite his pranks and flirtations, is still considered one of the handsomest boys of the Cloud Recesses, and that the two of them are probably a couple.
In retrospect, they should have seen it coming a long time ago. Since Lan Wangji first called Wei Ying “puddin”, or the first time Wei Ying barged into Lan Wangji’s class after the bell rang and pulled him away somewhere, and Lan Wangji just let Wei Ying touch him like it was no big deal. Never mind the fact that he dodged any other touches from people.
“Do you think…” starts Meihua.
“Are they really?” Zhixue adds on.
“They’re probably dating.” States Xiayue.
Perhaps the girls think that Wei Ying and Lan Wangji cannot hear their whispers, since they’re sitting a few tables away from each other anyways, but Wei Ying’s senses have always been better than most people, and his hearing is no exception.
"I'll get our order, Lan Zhan!" Says Wei Ying.
"Mn."
For him, it’s something he’s heard before. In high school, he got asked if he was dating Lan Wangji five separate times, and the questions started way back in their first year of middle school. He never really needed to think about the answer, because it was always “no”, but then they entered college two years ago and Lan Wangji tried on a mock set of a judge’s robes at Wei Ying’s insistence and, well. Oh shit, he’s hot.
He still doesn’t give it much thought. If he’s happy being at Lan Wangji’s side, then he doesn’t need to think about, so long as they’re together. Still, his heart wonders – what exactly does Lan Zhan think of me? Is he bothered by these people asking us if we’re dating? Does he think of me that way? And sometimes, if he’s tired and not putting a barrier on all the thoughts he’s holding back, it’ll whisper, wouldn’t dating Lan Zhan be nice? Just think about kissing him… and I hope he thinks of me in that way.
You’re in love with Lan Wangji. Jiang Cheng’s voice echoes in his mind.
It’s what his brother had said when Wei Ying couldn’t tolerate these thoughts bouncing around in his head anymore and went to Jiang Cheng’s dorm room to pour his heart out.
You’re in love with Lan Wangji – you have been, for a long time. It’s about time you realized it. And for once, Jiang Cheng didn’t sound sardonic or mean-spirited or judgemental. No, Jiang Cheng had smiled as he spoke, and he sounded relieved. Happy that Wei Ying had sorted through his feelings.
Yes, Wei Ying readily agrees now, I’m a fool in love.
The question he’s put on the backburner for so long keeps bubbling up, burning his tongue as he tries to work up the courage to ask it, always falling short every time he tries.
What do you think of me, Lan Zhan? Am I special to you?
He glances at Lan Wangji, sitting with perfect posture and waiting for him.
I’m going to do it. I’ll ask him today, and if he says no, I’ll take what I can get. As long as I can stay by his side, special or not… it’s fine by me.
It’s not fine by him, of course, but sometimes you need to lie to yourself in order to get things done.
Wei Ying puts on an extra-happy face walking back to Lan Wangji as he passes by the girls.
"Your tea and butter croissant, Lan Zhan.”
Another "mn".
As for himself, Wei Ying has a caramel mocha with two packets of sugar and a bowl of mango pudding. Lan Wangji's eyebrows furrow after taking one glance at the light brown drink that only barely qualifies as coffee.
"Aw, Lan Zhan, don't look at me like that! I can't help liking sweet things, after all!"
Lan Wangji makes an unconvinced face. No matter how many times Lan Wangji comes here with Wei Ying and hears him make the same order, he always has that vaguely judgemental look of someone who is silently criticizing Wei Ying's tastes as Wei Ying takes a dainty sip of his mocha-monstrosity.
"Besides, my coffee has more caffeine than your tea. I'll be able to stay awake longer and complete that pesky lab assignment!"
Lan Wangji turns his cup halfway around before closing his eyes and drinking. For once, Wei Ying agrees with Lan Wangji's fangirls - somehow, surrounded by the groans of students laboring their way through homework and the clamor of the coffeehouse, he manages to exude a peaceful, calming aura. Give him a flowing set of robes and he could be a lead actor in one of those xianxia movies. God knows he's handsome enough.
"You do not know that your sugary mocha has more caffeine than my green tea." The cup remains in Lan Wangji's hand as he rests an elbow on the table and leans forwards, towards Wei Ying. A strand of hair falls in front of his face and Wei Ying's hand itches to tuck it back.
Wei Ying grins instead. He wants to take a photo of Lan Wangji here, because this is really his favorite place to be with his favorite person.
"Maybe I'll invent a device to measure the concentration of caffeine in drinks, then."
"You aren't a chemist."
"You're right, I'm a neurologist. Doesn't mean I can't dabble in the other sciences! I know quite a bit about organic chemistry and electrical engineering, you know."
Lan Wangji cuts into his croissant with a knife and fork like it's a steak. Wei Ying wonders if he should stop Lan Wangji before he starts laughing at the sight of it.
"You were interested in those subjects before you started majoring in neurology."
"Jack of all trades, master of none!"
He looks at Lan Wangji expectantly.
"...oftentimes better than a master of one." Lan Wangji finishes the proverb with considerably less excitement.
Wei Ying digs into his mango pudding and scarfs it down quickly. "But I am a master at eating pudding!"
Lan Wangji bites his lip to stop himself from smiling.
"Speaking of which, the Diet Pudding Incident Anniversary is tomorrow. It'll be the 10th anniversary, maybe I should do something special! Oooh, maybe I'll eat 10 cups of chocolate pudding in 2 minutes!"
"Jiang Cheng would threaten to murder you if you tried." Lan Wangji says, because Jiang Cheng definitely would.
"Then we can just celebrate, you and me, nobody else! You were the one who dared me to do that anyways."
Lan Wangji frowns. "I will stop you from eating the pudding."
"Oh?" Wei Ying smirks. "How exactly? Maybe you'll buy up all the pudding at the campus store? Or perhaps... HanGuang-Jun will do it another way?" The innuendo is clear behind Wei Ying's words, and to Wei Ying's pleasure, he notices the lobes of Lan Wangji's ears turn red. Cute.
Lan Wangji takes the spoon from Wei Ying's mango pudding and shoves it into Wei Ying's mouth with a clatter.
"Ridiculous." Is the only thing he says, clearly embarrassed. He's looking away from Wei Ying, pale face hidden behind silky black hair, golden eyes shining. A normal person might not be able to tell it, but Wei Ying can see adorable crease of Lan Wangji's forehead and the childish scowl he holds back, and something not unlike a flower of pride blooms within him at the knowledge that he flustered the unflappable HanGuang-Jun.
I want to be the only one who makes Lan Zhan look like that.
The thought comes out of the left field, a 100 mile-per-hour fastball hitting Wei Ying right in his face. The spoon nearly drops out of his mouth in surprise and he hastily gulps down the rest of his pudding to distract himself.
But one thought leads to another, and soon he’s at what would Lan Zhan look like under me?
Okay, stop! Wei Ying institutes a mandatory shutdown on all love-related Lan Wangji thoughts as long as he’s with Lan Wangji.
“Pudding.” Lan Wangji says.
“What?”
“…Nothing.” He adjusts his scarf to cover his ears and mouth and looks away from Wei Ying.
“Lan Zhan?”
“Can I just call you Wei Ying from now on?”
Wei Ying blinks. That’s not what he expected to hear, nor what he wants to hear.
“Um, okay, but why, Lan Zhan?” He answers, still very much surprised. Honestly, he wants Lan Wangji to keep calling him “pudding”, because it never fails to brighten his day and set his heart aflutter, but if Lan Wangji doesn’t want to, then he won’t stop him.
But Lan Wangji does not give him a reason. He just stares at his croissant before primly eating the rest and standing up from his chair.
“Let’s go, Wei Ying.”
“Where?” He’ll follow Lan Wangji wherever he goes, though.
“To study.”
He trails behind Lan Wangji out of the door obediently. The warmth of the day has considerably been diminished thanks to Lan Wangji suddenly discarding his use of Wei Ying’s nickname, and a storm of thoughts comparable to the maelstroms of January swirls within Wei Ying.
Lan Zhan, why? Do you not like me? Do you want to get rid of me, and this is the first step in your elaborate plan? Tell me if there’s anything I can do…
Wei Ying stares at Lan Wangji’s solid back. Everything is the same as always. The crisp crunch of the snow underfoot and the chill biting his cheeks. The out-of-this-world handsomeness of Lan Wangji and the reassurance of being by Lan Wangji. The well-worn path to Lan Wangji’s apartment and the barren trees lining the road.
But no, nothing is the same anymore.
The wind whistles through the mountains, rattling the branches of the trees and kicking up Lan Wangji’s long hair. Wei Ying shivers, and suddenly Lan Wangji seems very far away, even though they aren’t more than a foot apart. He wants to reach out and ahold of Lan Wangji’s jacket sleeve, to come to stand by him and be able to say “I love you”. But how can he if Lan Wangji is drifting out of his reach like this?
“Wei Ying, come inside.”
They’ve arrived at Lan Wangji’s apartment, and Wei Ying realizes he’s been standing in the cold lost in his thoughts, while Lan Wangji has been holding the door open for him patiently.
He scampers inside, letting out a contented sigh at the warmth of the apartment. “Oh! Sorry.”
Lan Wangji regards him with unreadable golden eyes as they slip off their shoes.
“Is something wrong, Wei Ying?”
Now you ask?
He smiles. “Nothing! Let’s get to studying, I’ll quiz you.”
Wei Ying’s jacket ends up falling off the coat hanger a few seconds after he tosses it onto one of the hooks, and as he bends down to pick it up, he can feel Lan Wangji’s inscrutable gaze upon him. What’s your problem? Pushing me away and then asking what’s wrong… Do you not care anymore? Did you ever care?
“I will make tea.” Lan Wangji says.
“But you just had tea.”
Lan Wangji sets a kettle on the stove and grabs a porcelain cup from the cabinet. “You are cold. Tea will warm you up.”
Wei Ying slides into the kitchen. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! Aren’t you cold as well? I won’t help you study if you don’t make yourself tea as well!”
No response from Lan Wangji. He pours water into the kettle and Wei Ying grabs his wrists the second he sets the measuring cup down.
"Lan Zhan.”
“Wei Ying.” His eyes dart down to where Wei Ying’s touching him and back up to Wei Ying’s face, his lips parted in surprise. Fuck this, Wei Ying thinks, because his heart’s pounding and Lan Wangji’s ears are flushed again and he needs to know. Wei Ying was never the type to sit around and wait for an answer anyways, pining like this won’t do him any good. Confessing only to have his heart broken isn’t his style, either, so flirting with Lan Wangji and watching his reactions is what he’ll do. Good thing he’s been doing that since they first met.
“Lan Zhan, can you feel how cold my hands are?” He asks, moving his hand up to slot his fingers between Lan Wangji’s. “Hey, Lan Zhan, your hands were shaking when you got the cup. You could have dropped them, all because you were cold but decided to make tea anyways. What would you have done after that, if you got injured?”
Slowly, he squeezes Lan Wangji’s hands in his, relishing how they fit together just right, feeling Lan Wangji’s hands curl around his. Wei Ying can’t stop the lovesick smile that spreads across his face.
“Would you have let me bandage you if you dropped the cup and cut yourself? I would, if you asked me to…”
Lan Wangji is still staring at Wei Ying in surprise, but he makes no move to pull away his hands. Wei Ying brings one of them up to his lips and presses a kiss as light as a butterfly’s wingbeats to Lan Wangji’s ring finger, right where he would wear a ring. Perhaps one day, Wei Ying will see a ring that binds their futures together, one identical to the one he’ll wear, on that finger.
He expects Lan Wangji to pull away, or to tell him to stop being so ridiculous. What he doesn’t expect is Lan Wangji’s breath visibly hitching and his fingers grasping even tighter onto Wei Ying’s hand. His eyes flutter shut and he presses his lips together, as if he’s waiting for Wei Ying to make his next move.
Honestly, though, Wei Ying has never been more exhilarated in his entire life, watching as a single touch of his lips puts Lan Wangji in this state, so he can’t make another move. Whether Lan Wangji’s expression is one of revulsion or attraction, though, is something he still needs to confirm.
What if this is it, and he tells me to get lost because he’s had enough of my antics?
Wei Ying wrenches their hands apart and steps away from Lan Wangji to grab another cup from the cabinet. He turns on the stove and adds some more water into the kettle, only daring to sneak one glance at Lan Wangji, who looks… disappointed? It’s either that or disgust – these things are hard to tell when the only visual cue he has to Lan Wangji’s feelings is his eyebrows and the slant of his shoulders.
“I’ll make the tea, Lan Zhan. Go sit down and huddle yourself up in a blanket or three. Longjing Dragonwell for you, right? Do you have Qimen black tea?”
Thankfully, Lan Wangji snaps out of it and responds normally. “Yes, I believe it is in the right-hand upper corner of the third drawer.”
“Found it! Thanks – wow, how much tea do you have in here anyways?”
Just as Wei Ying asked, Lan Wangji lowers himself to the floor at the living room table, drapes two blankets over his shoulders and starts taking his textbooks and supplies out of his backpack. “A variety of green, black, white, and blends. It is useful for serving the tea that guests want.” He pauses. “I can list them if you want.”
“Ah, no need! Is that what Headmaster Qiren taught you? Haha, Lan Zhan, so fancy!”
“Yet you are still brewing yourself Qimen black.”
Wei Ying bumps the tea drawer closed with his hip and slides the tea cups onto the table before settling down across from Lan Wangji.
“Gimme a blanket, Lan Zhan!”
“No. Wei Ying, weren’t you the one who said to huddle with blankets?”
“I’m cold too!”
“Wei Ying, weren’t you the one who said that I was colder?”
Lan Wangji has a point. He’s not a lawyer for nothing. But he pushes a blanket towards Wei Ying anyways.
“Fundamental rights of the Chinese people?”
“Freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, procession, and demonstration.” Replies Lan Wangji without skipping a beat.
Wei Ying flips through Lan Wangji’s textbook. He doesn’t understand a word of what they’re saying in here – something about Confucianism versus legalism, and the modern law system’s benefits and legal theory, but Wei Ying is a doctor, not a lawyer. In the end, he ends up firing the questions at the end of the subsections in the chapters at Lan Wangji, one after the other, all of which Lan Wangji answers correctly.
“When was the last amendment of the criminal code added?”
“August 18th, 2015, 9th amendment.”
Wei Ying slams the textbook shut. “Wrong! August 28th, 2015. You were correct about the 9th amendment, though. Alright, let’s switch!”
Lan Wangji sighs. “Removal of death penalty for certain cases.”
“Yes, alright, scoot over!” He shuffles over to Lan Wangji’s side of the table and leans against him, even daring to rest his head on Lan Wangji’s shoulder. It’s warm here, and he doesn’t want to move ever again. He’d like to lay his head on Lan Wangji’s lap, honestly, or have Lan Wangji lay on him, but he’s not brave enough to make such a bold move.
Lan Wangji picks up one of Wei Ying’s textbooks and opens it to a random page. “I am going to quiz you, Wei Ying, and you can see the textbook’s answers from here.”
“I’ll close my eyes!”
“Fine.” His reply is quick and terse, and for a moment Wei Ying wonders if Lan Wangji really doesn’t want him to be so touchy, if Lan Wangji doesn’t like him after all.
But then Lan Wangji’s arm snakes around Wei Ying, pulling him closer to his warmth and into Lan Wangji’s embrace, and all bad things are banished from Wei Ying’s mind, replaced by fluffy clouds and lovestruck thoughts.
I’ll ask him later, he thinks as Lan Wangji starts to quiz him on the properties of different hallucinogenic drugs on the brain, not willing to mess up this perfect moment with his curiosity, just let me have this paradise while I can.
It’s only much later, when the setting sun casts a rosy golden glow over the apartment and Lan Wangji has scoured through half the chapters in the textbook while quizzing Wei Ying, that Wei Ying’s thoughts finally get back on track.
With a muffled thump, Lan Wangji lets the textbook drop on his lap, breaks his perfect posture and flops back against the coach. Wei Ying follows suit soon after, dragged down by Lan Wangji’s arm, which is still curled around him. At this point, Wei Ying’s head is nestled against Lan Wangji’s neck, with their legs intertwined and blankets strewn all around them. He’s acutely aware of the slow rise and fall of Lan Wangji’s chest, the protective way his arm holds Wei Ying tight by the waist, and his own racing heartbeat.
Wei Ying lifts his head up to peer at Lan Wangji’s resting face, bathed in gentle sunlight that makes his hair look like gossamer threads and his ivory complexion glow. Already, Lan Wangji looks like someone straight out of a painting, more breathtaking and handsome than Wei Ying could possibly describe. But then he opens his eyes to glance at Wei Ying, and the sunlight makes the amber flecks sparkle and dance like a flame within the liquid gold of his irises.
He wants to kiss Lan Wangji right there and then, to shower Lan Wangji with his affection and his joy at loving someone so kind as Lan Wangji, to kiss him until the stoic man gives him a rare smile.
“Lan Zhan…”
“Wei Ying.”
“Hey, Lan Zhan, I was thinking… what’s our relationship?”
Lan Wangji’s arm stiffens against Wei Ying.
“Because, you know, people keep asking me if we’re dating and to be honest, I don’t know. What the answer is.” He doesn’t, really. Lan Wangji doesn’t treat Wei Ying like he treats everyone else, and Wei Ying can tell. He’s gentler, more patient, kinder – his nickname on campus is “Ice Prince”, but with Wei Ying he’s as far from ice as you can get without turning into fire. But he’d like the answer to be “yes”.
“I… “ Wei Ying gets the impression that Lan Wangji is choosing his words very carefully. “I wouldn’t mind. If we dated. If you don’t mind.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say – wait, what?”
Lan Wangji blinks down at Wei Ying. “I wouldn’t mind if we dated. Actually, I would very much like it if we dated. That would be,” and the corners of Lan Wangji’s mouth curl up into a tiny but indescribably beautiful smile, “nice.”
“Ah.” Wei Ying says. If he says any more, he'd end up stammering and blushing more than he already is.
He buries his face in Lan Wangji’s neck, trying not to laugh with relief and happiness, nuzzling into Lan Wangji’s jaw. His ears must be scarlet red by now, but he doesn’t care if Lan Wangji sees.
“Wei Ying?”
“That makes me really happy, Lan Zhan – Lan Wangji, HanGuang-Jun, my Lan Zhan, I’m so happy that I can tell you these feelings now!”
Lan Wangji pulls him closer and presses a kiss to the crown of his head. “And I, you. I have been waiting a long time to hear you say that, Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying beams up at him.
And then he tugs at Lan Wangji’s collar to pull him into a sweet kiss. Almost instantly, Lan Wangji’s hands come up to comb through Wei Ying’s hair as their kiss deepens, and Wei Ying climbs on top of Lan Wangji, kissing along his jaw, his neck, letting the soft pressure of Lan Wangji’s lips carry him away. A satisfied moan involuntarily escapes him as Lan Wangji’s tongue slips into his mouth, and Wei Ying lets him explore, each touch sending electric shivers through his body.
They don’t get much studying done after that.
~
The next day, class proceeds as usual.
Meihua and Xiayue share their last class of the day with Lan Wangji – a required calculus course that also happens to be Lan Wangji’s last class.
The bell rings and the room is instantly filled with the chatter of students and the voice of the professor reminding them of the presentation due on Friday next week. Amongst the movement, Lan Wangji quietly gathers his supplies and heads down the stairs to the exit.
The students shift to make way for the so-called Ice Prince, as always, but today something seems different. He’s a little softer around the edges, a little more human like the rest of them, with the presence of a soothing spring breeze that wraps around you and not the sharp edges of Antarctic ice sheets. They wonder what could have possibly melted the Ice Prince’s heart – or who, in this case, because the people sitting in the fifth row from the top all get a view of the purple hickey on his neck as Lan Wangji turns his head to glance at the door.
Wei Ying meets Lan Wangji at the door, poking his head in the lecture hall and waving hi to some people he knows. Their unusual friendship has been a topic of discussion between many of the students in the class, because Wei Ying always meets Lan Wangji at the door after class ends.
Xiayue watches the two with eagle eyes. She watches as Wei Ying laughs at something Lan Wangji has said, as Lan Wangji’s posture softens and he slips his hand into Wei Ying’s, and as Wei Ying presses a quick kiss to Lan Wangji’s cheek.
“I knew it!!” she whispers, pressing her head into the desk with an overwhelming sense of victory. Sure, she might be one of the many girls who wants to date Lan Wangji, but she’s just as happy watching him live happily ever after with Wei Ying.
Unconventional they might be, and opposites as well, but they truly do fit well together.
(“Xiayue, are you okay?” Meihua says. Then she follows Xiayue’s gaze to Lan Wangji and Wei Ying, and she nods wisely. “Ah. You were correct.”)
~
Wei Ying rests his head against Lan Wangji's chest as they study in the apartment later that evening. "Hey, Lan Zhan, why'd you stop calling me pudding?"
"I like saying your name."
"O-oh." The usually verbose Wei Ying is rendered speechless and flustered.
"I can keep calling you pudding, if you would like that."
"Jeez, you're so smooth, Lan Zhan! No, it's fine... not like I can refuse when you give me such a romantic answer! Unfair!"
Lan Wangji looks pleased with having made Wei Ying blush. "Mn."
"And... what do you think of me, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying's wavering voice betrays his true feelings.
"Wei Ying is perfect." He says.
"Lan Zhan!"
"Wei Ying is perfect," he says again, and kisses Wei Ying until they're both out of breath.
"That - that's not true. I'm a jokester and too energetic and can't sit still." He's just parroting the mean things people have said about him before, but it's not like he hasn't thought about his bad points as well.
"That is why Wei Ying is perfect."
"Ugh... and here I was going to list all the reasons why you're the perfect one!"
Amusement glimmers in Lan Wangji's eyes and he pulls Wei Ying closer to him.
"I love you," Lan Wangji whispers, looking anxious at finally expressing his emotions in words. Lan Wangji's heart soars when Wei Ying smiles, bigger and brighter than the sun.
"I love you too, Lan Zhan!"
The lazy sunlight of a late February afternoon melts the snow packed in front of the apartment. Breezes brush over the mountaintops, bringing the first signs of spring with them. And in the peace and quiet, a violet blooms.
~