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“I am so glad you are making friends, Zixuan.” His mother tells him when he is home for a few days after the unfortunate kidnapping incident. Her words make him choke on his tea, “And with the second young master Lan too! He will be such a good influence on you.”
“-what?” Jin Zixuan's mother shoots him a look and he clears his throat and says, “Mother, I don’t know which part of my story led you to such a conclusion-”
“Your entire story led me to this conclusion.”
“-and although I am grateful to the second young master Lan for his help, we are distant acquaintances at best.” Jin Zixuan clarifies. Him and Lan Wangji, friends? That’s definitely not something he can see happening.
Madam Jin puts down her teacup a little too loudly. Jin Zixuan worries it might break. “Zixuan, that young man saved your life! I can’t accept that, after everything that has happened, you won’t consider him a friend!”
I’m not exactly the problem in this scenario, Jin Zixuan thinks. It’s hard to imagine Lan Wangji having any interest in friendship. He barely tolerates anyone’s presence! Even Wei Wuxian’s! (And he’s supposedly in love with him, too.)
Jin Zixuan sighs, “Mother, why are you pushing me so hard to be friends with the second young master Lan?”
“You need friends.”
“I have friends.”
“You have an entourage,” his mother waves him off. She picks up a biscuit. “There’s a difference.”
“Mother…”
“Zixuan,” his mother’s stern tone stops his complaints. “There is no harm in trying to befriend the young master Lan. It would be good for you to have a friend your age-” Jin Zixuan opens his mouth to argue but she continues with a sharp look, “-someone who is not from our sect. It would strengthen our bonds with the Lan sect as well.”
Jin Zixuan frowns and continues what he had been planning to say earlier, “I have friends and what’s wrong with them being from our sect?”
“Entourage,” his mother corrects the term he uses. “My son, I am also proud to be part of the wealthy and influential Jin sect, but let me ask you this, if you were not the Jin heir do you think your ‘friends’ would give you a second glance?”
Jin Zixuan closes his mouth and he scowls down at the table.
Madam Jin continues to drink her tea calmly, a knowing look on her face. “Exactly.”
The rest of their time together passes in pointed silence.
So, this is how Jin Zixuan finds himself heading towards one of Gusu’s many meadows with a box of fancy tea (courtesy of his mother) to give to Lan Wangji.
(“Mind your manners.” His mother had given him a warning look when she gave him the box of unnecessarily expensive tea. That was code for ‘don’t mess this up’. Jin Zixuan could read between the lines.)
Jin Zixuan grumbles internally the whole time. Usually, he’d put up more of a fight. He’s prickly when it comes to his mother trying to control every aspect of his life (like his marriage, ugh). But after getting to know Lan Wangji during that unfortunate incident, he finds that he’s not all that against the idea of befriending the introverted young master. Though, when he does try to imagine them being friends, all he can come up with is an awkward scenario where the two of them are sitting across from each other, not talking.
What do you even talk about with someone like Lan Wangji? The Lan sect’s endless list of rules?
His thoughts are interrupted when he finally spots the said Second Jade of Lan. He is sitting under the shade of a tree, eyes closed, and his guqin on his lap.
Jin Zixuan straightens and tips up his chin as a show of confidence. He makes his way purposefully towards the young cultivator in white. When he is close enough, Lan Wangji opens his eyes and turns to him with a neutral look. It’s hard to see if he is surprised that Jin Zixuan is back already or if he just doesn’t care.
Jin Zixuan opens his mouth to offer his formal greetings, but then he sees Lan Wangji’s bandaged hands on top of the guqin and what comes out of his mouth instead is: “You better not be playing with your hands like that.”
Lan Wangji looks at his hands then back up at the young master Jin. He puts his guqin to the side and stands up to greet Jin Zixuan with a silent salute.
“I mean…” Jin Zixuan startles and clears his throat. He returns the gesture immediately. “Second young master Lan,” he hesitates. He can almost hear his mother chiding him for his abrupt ways, “I apologize for disturbing you. I’ve brought a gift from my mother and I in gratitude for the kindness you’ve shown me during the unfortunate incident days ago.”
Lan Wangji watches him extend the box towards him with a bow. The stoic young master accepts it with a nod. “Please send your mother my thanks. Thank you as well, young master Jin.”
Jin Zixuan straightens and asks hesitantly, “may I sit with you?”
Lan Wangji stiffens slightly and Jin Zixuan looks at him in curiosity. Is he… surprised?
The Second Jade says nothing and just motions for him to sit on the grass with him. He does so, after Lan Wangji sits first, the gift on his lap.
Jin Zixuan straightens and tips up his chin, “I… see that you seem to be healing well.” He gestures to Lan Wangji’s bandaged hands. Then he looks pointedly at the guqin, “But I don’t think you should be playing just yet.”
“Mn,” Lan Wangji hums, “I wasn’t playing.”
Jin Zixuan narrows his eyes in suspicion, “Really?”
Lan Wangji gives him a searching look. He lifts his hands slightly to show him.
Knowing that the young master Lan didn’t like being touched, Jin Zixuan squints at his hands from where he is. The Jin heir nods in satisfaction when he sees that they didn’t seem to be bleeding or anything of the like. Lan Wangji puts his hands down.
“How long until you can hold a sword again?”
“A week,” Lan Wangji answers and Jin Zixuan gets the sense that he wants to sigh in frustration. The wounds must have been deeper than he thought if it requires that much more time to heal.
Jin Zixuan grimaces, “I apologize.” He doesn’t elaborate on what he is apologizing for. For being the cause of his injury? For not being able to help much during that entire disaster?
Lan Wangji seems to understand and watches him for a moment. “No need.”
The two of them continue on in silence. The Second Jade of Lan seems as neutral as ever, sitting quietly under the tree. Jin Zixuan tries to think of another subject for conversation. Leaving now would be like admitting defeat, he can almost hear his mother scolding him to do better.
He racks his brain. He doesn’t know Lan Wangji’s likes or dislikes, aside from following the rules. He could talk about instruments, maybe? But Jin Zixuan doesn’t play any instrument, so he can’t actually contribute to a conversation about musical instruments.
He thinks of a subject they might both know.
“So…” Jin Zixuan starts. A pause and then he blurts out, “Wei Wuxian?”
The Jin heir sees Lan Wangji’s fingers twitch. Oh no, is this a taboo subject? Did he overstep?
Lan Wangji stares at him and Jin Zixuan opens his mouth to elaborate.
“That Jiang senior disciple he is…” Lan Wangji’s eyes narrow and Jin Zixuan’s initial words (… a nuisance, noisy, a troublemaker) dissipates in his tongue. He furiously tries to think of something that won’t condemn him in the Second Jade’s eyes. “…very fond of maiden Jiang.”
Lan Wangji blinks and then nods, “Mn.”
Jin Zixuan sighs in relief internally, feeling like he dodged an arrow.*
“They treat each other like real siblings,” Lan Wangji looks down at his lap, as though he is embarrassed. “Or so I’ve heard.”
Jin Zixuan looks at him in surprise. Could it be? Are they actually getting somewhere?
“That Wei Wuxian…” All he can think of is insults for the Jiang disciple and that probably won’t sit well with someone who actually likes him, so Jin Zixuan moves their conversation to safer waters. “He is very protective of the young maiden Jiang. I am sure you have heard, I am betrothed to her.” He can’t help but grimace at the last part.
Usually when Jin Zixuan says thing in that way, he gets a glare from his mother, Jiang Wanyin, and Wei Wuxian or he gets so-called ‘support’ from his ‘friends’. Lan Wangji just looks at him patiently, not siding with him or going against him. Something in Jin Zixuan relaxes. He is not being judged here.
“Wei Wuxian knows that I don’t particularly like lady Jiang Yanli as a betrothed,” Jin Zixuan continues. “And he makes my life difficult because of that.”
Lan Wangji is quiet for a moment. “Wei Ying is fiercely protective of what matters to him.”
Jin Zixuan huffs, “Fiercely protective, right. I feel like sometimes he enjoys singling me out.” He knows Lan Wangji can’t say anything to refute that. Wei Wuxian’s distaste of him is pretty clear to anybody who has eyes. Jin Zixuan would have been fine just ignoring the nuisance but Wei Wuxian tries very hard to make his dislike of the Jin heir very clear to everyone. He can’t help but retaliate.
“Harmony is the value,” Lan Wangji sounds like he is reciting GusuLan rules again. “Be amicable and united. Do not hold grudges.”
Jin Zixuan grumbles, “You should tell him that.”
“Be easy on others,” Lan Wangji warns, “win friendships with kindness.”
“Friendship? With Wei Wuxian?”
“Mn.” Lan Wangji affirms patiently, “With Jiang Wanyin and maiden Jiang as well.”
“What? With maiden Jiang? Why?”
“Do not like her as a betrothed.” The second Lan brother repeats his earlier words, “then, try to like her as a friend.”
Jin Zixuan freezes, stunned. He turns the words over his head. Silence follows after Lan Wangji words.
Jin Zixuan has never thought of it like that. He has always thought of maiden Jiang as nothing more than someone he is forced to be with, the fiancé he did not want. She sends letters, acknowledges him happily whenever they meet, and tries to hold conversations with him despite the cold shoulder his gives her. She is nothing more than the girl his parents want him to marry without his consent. A cage he wants to escape. He has never thought of her in any other capacity, especially not as a potential friend.
Because of Lan Wangji’s words, he realizes now, how unfair that is.
The second young master Lan remains silent as he stews over his thoughts. He seems to be content in the silence. The air is contemplative and peaceful. It eases the storm of thoughts in Jin Zixuan’s mind.
The Jin heir takes a deep breath and exhales. “Young master Lan is very wise,” is the only thing he can think of to say.
“Mn.” They descend into silence again, this time it lasts for minutes.
Jin Zixuan looks around for a distraction from the previous conversation. He has a lot to think about after this, but he doesn’t want to continue talking about the maiden Jiang. He wonders if he should excuse himself after all.
Lan Wanji looks down at the gift box on his lap in curiosity. The Jin heir catches this.
Jin Zixuan is very grateful for the opportunity to change the subject. He doesn’t want to leave yet, after all. “It’s a very expensive and rare tea from LanlingJin.” He explains proudly, pretending the prior conversation didn’t happen. “You should drink it everyday. I hear it has impressive healing properties.”
“What type of tea is it?”
Jin Zixuan stammers, “T-That’s…”
They spend the rest of the morning lightly conversing. Jin Zixuan learns more about tea than he thought possible, given the few words Lan Wangji uses to describe them. He had been embarrassed to realize he didn't know what tea is in the gift box. He only knows that it is expensive and rare. Lan Wangji proceeds to then open the gift and describe the tea to him in as few words as possible.
Disciples of different sects get a glimpse of their concentrated conversation and do a double take. Seeing Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan getting along, almost like friends, is not something anyone would expect on a normal day.
Later, when Jin Zixuan excuses himself from his conversation with Lan Wangji, he heads to his room and finds another letter from maiden Jiang waiting for him.
“We’ll get rid of it for you!” An eager-to-please Jin disciple volunteers on his way out. He reaches out a hand to take it but Jin Zixuan keeps the letter out of reach.
“No,” he says and then hesitates. He looks away, hiding his expression, “I’ll deal with it.”
The Jin disciples exchange looks but leaves the Jin heir be. They excuse themselves and head out for lunch. Jin Zixuan gives them an absentminded nod and goes in search of a brush, ink, and paper.
He is late for lunch.
Wei Wuxian walks into the Lan’s dining pavilion humming happily and with a bottle of chili sauce in hand. Jiang Yanli sent it to him (along with her letter for a certain peacock, which he prefers not to think about, thanks, ugh) after his many letters complaining about the bland food they served in Gusu.
He grabs a bowl of food for himself and drops into a seat about to be occupied by a Jin disciple. The disciple scowls at him and he flashes the other a mischievous smile. The Jin disciple stomps away in anger.
Wei Wuxian gets comfortable and pours most of the bottle into the bowl of food in his hands. He is about to take a bite, oblivious to the looks of disgust he is getting for his over seasoning, when a conversation from another table grabs his attention.
“I really didn’t expect to see the two of them! They seem to get along well,” the disciple sitting behind him says. “Who knew second young master Lan and young master Jin were friends!”
Wei Wuxian puts his spoon down, his attention no longer on the food.
Friends?
That peacock and… Lan Zhan?
Wei Wuxian lets out a disbelieving huff. “Gossiping is forbidden in Cloud Recesses,” he reminds in an singsong tone and almost immediately, the conversation behind him stops. He laughs, shaking his head in mirth before he goes back to his deliciously spicy food.
Jin Zixuan and Lan Zhan, friends? No way.
Lan Zhan has better taste than that.