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~.O.~
"They need to get on with it and you're the only one who can make them see sense. Seriously," said Jin Ling, trying to look stern and unmoving but instead just came across as pouty.
Lan Sizhui frowned as he thought about what his friend was trying to get him to do. It wasn't that he disagreed with Jin Ling, it was just embarrassing having to think about what would be required of him in the process!
It had been two years since his Xian-ge had been brought back to life and even with all the drama and immediate danger out of the way, he and Hanguang-Jun were no closer to bridging the last bit of that gap between them and it was beginning to wear upon everyone's nerves.
Both wanted to be together so obviously and it was embarrassing! Why they didn't just get on with it, he couldn't understand.
So after over a year of watching them circle one another but never quite get there, Jin Ling had come up with an idea.
"They insist upon calling you their son," the other teen had said with a sneer. "Wei Wuxian even says he bore you himself. Yet they aren't married and by definition this makes you illegitimate and as such, finding a match whose family won't care about that fact, will be very difficult for you."
He had a point, though since he planned to marry Jin Ling in the future, whenever he got up the courage to court him properly, he didn't care about what others wanted.
Still, the point was well made.
"We all know how important the ribbons are in your sect too. Everyone but Wei Wuxian does at least. If he's been touching Hanguang-Jun's ribbon for as long as he's bragged, they've technically been married for a long time and one of them just isn't aware yet."
Also a good point.
"So it's up to you to make them see sense so that the rest of us may live in peace once more."
"Manipulation is against the rules in the Cloud Recesses."
Jin Ling scoffed. "But telling the truth isn't. If they feel guilt then that's their fault, not yours. It is true that most families wouldn't accept you if they believe you're illegitimate. Stupid of course, but very true. So why not just bring it up in conversation or something and let the pieces fall where they may afterward?"
Lan Sizhui huffed but nodded. It was a decent plan at the very least. He just had to hope his acting skills were good enough.
"A-Yuan, are you okay? You've been morose all afternoon," Wei Wuxian said, worrying creasing his brow.
He nodded and placed his bowl of spicy congee(death) down. Typically, there was no speaking during meal times, but even more unforgivable was speaking with one's mouth full. It was unseemly. Thankfully, Wei Wuxian was very lax when it came to enforcing the rules and Lan Wangji was lax whenever with Wei Wuxian. Neither man was ashamed of this fact either.
"I've just been thinking about Jin Ling's advisers telling him he has to marry soon."
That conversation had happened last month and nowhere near now, but this was how he decided to slip into the topic he needed. Besides, he didn't say when the conversation had happened so he wasn't lying. He was just implying it was very recent and if they inferred such, it wasn't his fault. They could infer something else.
As expected, both adults froze at the mention of the Jin Sect Leader who was still just a teenager and in no way ready for the responsibilities that came with marriage, let alone an arranged marriage. In truth it was stressing all of them out for different reasons.
Wei Wuxian looked agitated instantly. "Oh really?" he asked, obviously trying to keep himself calm. He didn't like it when 'his kids' were being bothered by 'stuffy old men'. He was very protective of all the juniors who would soon be seniors themselves.
Lan Sizhui nodded. "It's had me thinking about how I'm of marrying age too."
The stiffness seemed to become even more stiff(somehow) as tension rose around them. Neither man looked pleased at this turn of the conversation, but he had to continue! He'd promised. Going back on your word wasn't permitted in the Cloud Recesses.
"But I've also come to realize that my options will be incredibly limited since no one will want me."
Snap!
Lan Sizhui flinched as the chopsticks in Wei Wuxian's hand were broken in half by his mounting anger. The dark look on his face made the boy so glad he wasn't aware enough to see the Yiling Patriarch in action back in the day. He could now understand how the man could strike such fear into the hearts of many despite being so lovable all the time.
It was certainly an experience.
"Excuse me, but I think I heard wrong," the man began, voice calm and deadly, promising pain if he heard something else he didn't like. "Why would no one want my perfect baby? My sweet radish? My little lotus? One of the best things to have ever happened to me?"
Despite the moment being a very precarious one, Lan Sizhui couldn't help but tear up a bit. Usually those nicknames would be embarrassing to hear, but the complete honesty in Wei Wuxian's tone and the look of deep offense on his face easily told Lan Sizhui that he was very much loved, adored, and cherished by the man in question.
Of course his Xian-ge would be able to elicit such strong emotions in him!
And that wasn't to say Lan Wangji wasn't as emotional. The frosty look in those golden eyes made Lan Sizhui just a little nervous. It wasn't smart to anger the Second Jade of Lan.
All he could do was shrug, trying to make it seem as if he was self-conscious. In a way... he actually was... so he wasn't lying! "Well… there are many ridiculous preconceptions that people base potential matches off of. The fact that my fathers haven't been visibly married for the world to see means I'm illegitimate and no one wants a bastard married into their family."
He said a bad word but the potential punishment was worth it all because of the looks of shock on his fathers' faces.
Still, he carried on, drawing strength from the fact that Jin Ling was counting on him and he couldn't let the other teen down. "I know you technically got married when Hanguang-Jun wrapped his ribbon around your wrists in front of the spirit of a Lan ancestor who didn't object to the union when she witnessed it, but no one else knows about that so I'm technically illegitimate in the eyes of the entire cultivation world.
"And since no one knows that I'm a Wen by birth nor do they know whether or not Demonic Cultivation can make men achieve pregnancy or not, how would they be able to know whether or not I'm actually related to either of you?"
It had been a lot to get out and he'd practiced those words dozens of times to himself leading up to this dinner they'd invited him to. Still, seeing the looks of utter shock on the faces of his fathers made it very much worth it. He hadn't seen that much shock from Lan Wangji before and it was amazing.
Lan Jingyi had to be rubbing off on him to some extent.
Wei Wuxian's hand remained partially raised, his broken chopsticks lay on the table, forgotten. He was shaking a little, eyes flitting back and forth between Lan Wangji and his son. "M-married? Ribbon?"
A sigh was Hanguang-Jun's response. He then nodded sharply. "Married. Ever since then."
"That's why everyone gets all flustered whenever I so much as breathe near your ribbon?!"
"Typically very inappropriate behavior in the Lan Sect," revealed Lan Sizhui. "Even for married couples."
"And… Lan Zhan, you were perfectly fine with it?"
"Mm."
It wasn't often they got to see Wei Wuxian embarrassed. His face was typically too thick normally.
Said man sent his son a look of complete understanding mixed with devious amusement. "You want us to get married, is that it?"
He smiled, pure innocence easily rolling off of him in waves. "Typically, any good child should want the people they view as parents to be happy together. I just happen to know that you finally becoming cultivation partners who practice dual cultivation together will accomplish this."
The two stared at him in bafflement, so Lan Sizhui decided to add the final nail to his coffin.
"Your sexual tension is stressing all the juniors out too."
"A-Yuan!"
He couldn't help but laugh.
"Finally!" Jin Ling said the moment he caught sight of his friend who had been waiting for him near the gates to lead him and his entourage toward the hall where the wedding would be taking place.
"So by what's going to happen in a few hours, it was a thorough success?" the younger boy asked, looking unbearably smug.
"Excessive pride is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses."
It didn't stop the smile on the other's face though, and Lan Sizhui couldn't wait for when it would be time to petition Jin Ling for courtship because he was ready, willing, and had the entire process planned out perfectly. And it wouldn't be as stressful as what his fathers had gone through.
"I'll escort you to the hall."
And so the two walked side by side, pleased with themselves but for entirely different reasons.
~.O.~
A/N: FINISHED!
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