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Wei Wuxian has an insolent nature and a bad memory, the two things that tend to worsen the trouble he usually reaps as a result of his numerous mischiefs.
No matter how much Wei Wuxian wracks his brains, he cannot remember what he could have possibly done to offend the Second Jade of Lan so much that he's glaring at Wei Wuxian from across the room, the bustle of the discussion conference ignored in favour of trying to set Wei Wuxian on fire from the force of his blazing eyes.
"Jiang Cheng, tell me. Have I done anything to piss Lan Zhan off?"
Jiang Cheng scoffs. "Like you need an excuse to get on his nerves."
"But I've been good today!" Wei Wuxian protests. "I didn't say one extra word to him after we made our bows."
"That's because you were too busy plotting something with Mianmian."
"Plotting? We are friends, Jiang Cheng, a concept I am sure you are familiar with."
"Believe me, I know what being your friend entails. And plotting is definitely included."
"A-xian, can it be that Hanguang-jun misses you?," Jiang Yanli gently interjects. "You should go and say hi."
Lan Zhan would miss him when hell freezes over. Still something is definitely up so Wei Wuxian untangles himself from his siblings and makes his way over to where Lan Wangji is standing by the large windows, the sunlight framing him like a golden halo.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian exclaims. "Why are you standing here all alone? Tell me, have you been well?"
Lan Wangji shoots him a scrutinising look. "I have been well."
"Isn't this too boring? Hahaha, not standing here talking to you but these discussion conferences."
"Mn."
Wei Wuxian looks at the Second Jade of Lan, feeling oddly happy by the simple act of being next to him and exchanging a few words. "Lan Zhan, do you want to know a secret?"
Lan Zhan glances at Wei Wuxian's face which is full of mischief, and something in his own eyes seems to soften. "If Wei Ying wishes to tell me."
"Well, I cannot tell you here, someone might overhear. Come, let's go somewhere else."
He leads Lan Zhan to a balcony which overlooks a tiny, private garden, flowers in full bloom and creeping over the banisters. It makes for a pretty picture.
Koi Tower is beautiful in its extravagance sometimes, Wei Ying has to give them that.
"Lan Zhan must be very curious to follow me all the way here," Wei Wuxian muses, secretly delighted.
Lan Zhan's face is placid, set in its usual indifferent moue. Wei Wuxian wants to have fun with him suddenly, mess him up and make him glare at Wei Wuxian again.
He pokes Lan Zhan. "Lan Zhan, this is a huge secret. I cannot tell it to you for free. You must compensate me."
Lan Zhan frowns, "What does Wei Ying want?"
Wei Ying pretends to think. "A secret for a secret, that sounds fair. Tell me why were you glaring at me today? Was I that beautiful? Hahahaha."
Lan Zhan's mouth tightens in annoyance. He turns, as if to leave, and Wei Wuxian catches his hand, pulling him back forcefully.
They're almost chest to chest now, Lan Zhan's sandalwood scent enveloping him and his golden eyes staring right at Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian likes when things are so, Lan Zhan's singular attention headier than any wine that he's ever had. Wei Wuxian doesn't want to delve deeper into why that is, keeps himself off that dangerous precipice that would inevitably result into a fall.
Wei Wuxian is way too young for a broken heart.
"Fine, fine. I was just joking, Lan Zhan is too impetuous." Wei Wuxian leans closer to the man. "The secret is that I and Mianmian are matchmaking."
Lan Zhan narrows his eyes. "Matchmaking?"
Wei Wuxian sighs, "You know, when two people love each other but need a little nudge to get together?"
Lan Zhan unexpectedly nods. "Matters of the heart shouldn't be trifled with," he warns.
"That's a little bit insulting. Don't you trust me, Lan Er Gege. And we are sure that shijie and the peacock love each other, they just suck at communicating."
Lan Zhan's face does a thing that means he's curious for more information.
"Ah, you must be thinking that I hate the peacock. I do hate him, he's totally undeserving of my shijie but for some reason, my shijie's heart is set on him and she should get everything she wants." Wei Wuxian finishes off with a decisive nod. "And so she will."
Lan Zhan looks a little bit invested despite himself. "And Wei Ying is sure that her feelings are reciprocated?"
Wei Wuxian waves a hand, all knowing and accidentally knocks it into Lan Zhan's shoulder. It's a very wide shoulder and Wei Wuxian is almost distracted, patting it. "You see, my informants tell me that he even hired someone to write a letter for shijie. Make it romantic. Hopeless, that peacock is."
"And so you and Mianmian have conspired to bring them together."
Wei Wuxian rubs his nose. "Well, to be honest, it's mostly Mianmian who's the brain behind our operations. I just give her inputs whether a plan has a chance with my shijie or not. Or valuable lotus growing knowledge. You know, Lan Zhan, I am something of an agriculturalist expert myself."
Lan Zhan seems to hesitate.
"I, too, am fond of gardening. And flowers."
"That's cute," Wei Wuxian's smiles widen as he ventures to tug at Lan Zhan's sleeve. "Lan Zhan, you eventually must stop refusing my invitations to come to Yunmeng. We have lakes and lakes full of lotuses."
"Mn."
"You will come?"
"Lying is forbidden," Lan Zhan says. "I have never refused Wei Ying."
"But you never accepted as well! All this time, I thought you hated Yunmeng. If you come, I promise to be on my best behaviour."
"Wei Ying should be Wei Ying," Lan Zhan says, firmly, as if it had been someone else in Gusu who had chased Wei Wuxian around on rooftops for breaking rules.
Their conversation is interrupted when someone barges into the tiny space in a flurry of motion.
Wei Wuxian almost falls onto Lan Zhan, the latter steadying him with a firm hand on his waist. Wei Wuxian does not swoon.
The culprit is Mianmian, who looks ten second away from a conniption. "Here you are. Excuse me, Hanguang-jun, I must steal him away for an errand."
Lan Zhan's hands on his waist tightens, Wei Wuxian turns and then leans back into him, Lan Zhan a firm wall behind his back . Wei Wuxian cocks his head at Mianmian. "Don't worry about Lan Zhan, he knows. Is something wrong?"
She directs a wary glance at them before deciding they are not worth commenting upon. "Someone sent the wrong flowers to Lady Jiang's rooms, and they have my master's name on them. She might get the wrong idea."
"What flowers?" Lan Zhan's breath brushes the back of Wei Wuxian's neck as he speaks. Wei Ying suppresses a full body shiver in response to that.
"Aconite and Lilies."
"That's bad," Lan Zhan's voice is grave, as if he's pronouncing a death sentence.
Mianmian nods in response, serious.
Wei Wuxian springs into attention but before he can do anything, Mianmian stops him with a raised hand.
"An alternate bouquet has been prepared. You're the only one who can access Lady Jiang's inner chamber to exchange them though, so hurry up."
"Ah, I will take your leave then, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian extricates himself and bows to him.
Lan Zhan has a tiny frown on his jade like features as he bows back. Wei Ying wishes he could stay and keep him company, maybe put a flower from the low hanging branches into Lan Zhan's hair and make him angry.
*
Making the exchange is easy, Mianmian grins conspiratorially at him when he's done and he smiles back easily. "I still think the previous flowers were prettier."
"You can keep them in your room."
"I'd rather send them to the peacock. Imagine his face."
Mianmian smacks him lightly, "Ah, we should have picked some peonies from the ones that were within reach of that balcony you and Hanguang-jun were on. They are some of the most romantic flowers."
"You were the one who rushed me out. I would have gladly desecrated Jin Guangshan's precious landscapes for my shijie."
"Shush, you. I had to get you out before your Lan Zhan killed me with the force of his glare."
"Excuse me, Lan Zhan's glares are a work of art."
Mianmian shakes her head, amused despite herself, "You really are shameless, Wei Wuxian. I almost feel bad for your Second Master Lan."
Wei Wuxian sticks his tongue out at her.
*
Wei Wuxian isn't thinking much when he undresses for the night, bone-tired after the day that they've had.
His shijie had looked happy at dinner, pink with delight and the peacock couldn't look away.
All in all, the matchmaking was a success, not that Wei Wuxian had any doubts.
As he unties his waistband, something colourful drops to the floor.
Wei Wuxian's heart stops and then restarts at a speed that has to be unhealthy as he bends down to pick it up.
It is a pink peony, soft to the touch after being tucked into Wei Wuxian's waistband the whole day.
Wei Wuxian raises it to his mouth, breathes the scent that still clings to it. He smiles, an almost involuntary soft grin that tugs at his lips, the happiness crinkling the corner of his eyes.
"Lan Zhan ah Lan Zhan."
Maybe the precipice isn't that bad after all, if there might be someone to catch him when he falls.