Work Text:
"Lan Zhan!"
"LAN ZHAN!"
Lan WangJi is currently working in his lab, which is located below their shared bedroom, but unfortunately, the space between them isn't enough to conceal Wei WuXian's loud voice.
Another yell of his name has Lan WangJi sighing.
Lan WangJi hurriedly removes his lab coat and exits the room, but not before making sure that it is locked, before going to where the screaming man is.
He nearly trips on the stairs when Wei WuXian shouts again, shrill voice now laden with distress. A little annoyed as to how he's acting, Lan WangJi doesn't bother to knock first before slamming the door open.
Thank God Lan WangJi decided to live in his mother's villa by the woods, where they won't bother, and be bothered by their neighbours. Had they stayed in the city, then they would possibly be kicked out only after a month because of noise complaints.
"Why are you screaming?"
Wei WuXian swirls his chair around to meet Lan WangJi's eyes, obviously in a state of panic and it makes Lan WangJi feel a little bad for getting annoyed at him. His eyes are wide open, and in the same loud voice, he shrieks "I'm a robot!"
Lan WangJi waits for Wei WuXian to continue, but it seems like it's the only thing that Wei WuXian wants to say. At loss for words in the sudden absurd declaration, Lan WangJi could only shake his head and whisper in disbelief.
"What?"
"I'm a robot." Wei WuXian repeats, and Lan WangJi internally grimaces when Wei WuXian pulls his hair out in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me! Am I living in a lie?"
"I didn't, because you're not a robot." Lan WangJi explains calmly. He walks closer to Wei WuXian, and gently pries his closed fist out of his hair. Fortunately, Wei WuXian didn't pull that hard, otherwise, he'll have to worry about his hair falling out again. "Why did you even think about that?"
"Well, look!" Lan WangJi steps back so he could look down on the screen monitor where Wei WuXian is pointing at. Nothing seems amiss. It looks just like a regular website.
"I don't know where to look." Lan WangJi trails off unsurely.
"Oh, wait." Wei WuXian made a couple of clicks using the computer mouse, and when a familiar box comes out, Wei WuXian pulls the extra chair in front of Lan WangJi and asks him to sit beside him. Though confused in what's going on, Lan WangJi complies.
"What now?"
"Enter the captcha."
Lan WangJi stares at Wei WuXian, trying to figure out what the man is thinking. After a few minutes, Lan WangJi then gave up on guessing by himself because asking Wei WuXian is always easier.
Wei WuXian has a very complex mind. It's a pain in the ass at times like this, when he's acting unreasonable, but it's only one of his many qualities that makes him unique— different from everybody else.
"Why?"
Wei WuXian shakes his head, refusing to explain more. He pushes the keyboard towards Lan WangJi, wordlessly urging him to follow him. "Just do it."
"Fine."
Lan WangJi scans the box shown, but it looks nothing special. It's the same combination of random letters and numbers, except on this one, the screen blacks out after he's done typing.
The screen returns back to normal after an estimated 15 seconds, and then the home page of the said website is finally free to access.
It's a photography site webpage. No wonder Wei WuXian is interested in this one.
"All done. There." Lan WangJi turns to look at Wei WuXian after checking that there's no funny business hidden on the website. To his surprise, Wei WuXian looks gloomier than earlier. Didn't Wei WuXian want him to do this?
"Now tell me. What is this?"
"Your uncle sent me this link to visit this new website but I can't access it because captcha keeps on failing me." Wei WuXian says, as he closes the tab. Lan WangJi keeps his expression intact, even though dread starts to fill his chest upon knowing his uncle's involvement. The last time that they met, he tried to stop him from continuing his project. Why would he suddenly contact them, and through Wei WuXian too?
"I tried eight times but when I still failed, the system said that I'm a robot! You only did it once and yet you passed."
Lan WangJi's smile falters ever so slightly upon remembering something, realizing what's going on and why this happened. He caught himself before he could show much more to Wei WuXian, schooling his expression back to what is more appropriate and proper for this situation.
He stares at Wei WuXian, and he chuckles lowly instead.
"That's it, Wei Ying? Really?"
"Hey," Wei WuXian pouts at him, hits him lightly on his arm when he doesn't stop from chuckling. Lan WangJi has this sudden urge to tease him more so he flicks his forehead, smile now fond as he gazes at his lover. Wei WuXian glares at him, obviously unamused. "Don't laugh at me, I'm serious."
"Okay, I won't now." Lan WangJi smiles, as he comfortingly rubs a sulking Wei WuXian's shoulder. Despite Wei WuXian's refusal when teased later, whether it's done unconsciously or not, the man really acts like a child from time to time. It's cute.
"Sorry but sometimes, Wei Ying is really….. dumb."
Wei WuXian splutters, hitting Lan WangJi's arm again but this time, it's harder. The smack resounded across the room, but it only made Lan WangJi smile again.
"I'm offended, take that back!"
"I'm sorry." Lan WangJi caresses Wei WuXian's reddish ear, a telltale sign that he's really agitated. It's also one of the added features that only Wei WuXian could do. "Don't trouble yourself about it. It's probably just a glitch in the system."
Wei WuXian squints his eyes at him, and then he sighs, visibly still bothered by the error.
So, in an attempt to clear his doubts, Lan WangJi leans in and pulls Wei WuXian close until their lips are touching. They barely move, just let their lips linger against each other for a little while, seeking the softness and warmth emanating from the other, just enough to make their hearts flutter, and then Lan WangJi is pulling away.
Wei WuXian is sporting a small smile that was not there before, and Lan WangJi feels so fond he leans in again to deliver a quick peck on Wei WuXian's plump lips.
The full smile that Wei WuXian gives him in return is so beautiful it made Lan WangJi's heart hurt.
"A robot wouldn't be allowed to feel, right?" Wei WuXian nods, no traces of the initial doubt and sadness could be found in his features. "Stop thinking about it, okay?"
"Okay."
Lan WangJi stands up once satisfied with the reply. "Now go call for delivery. I'll finish my work in a bit, and then we'll eat dinner together." He pats Wei WuXian's warm cheeks for good measure. He stares at him some more, maintaining his curved up lips even though his heart twinges at the slightest bit.
Lan WangJi shakes his head, dispelling all thoughts away as he zeroes in on Wei WuXian's radiant smile instead.
"You're really great, Lan Zhan!"
*
It isn't until a full week after that incident when Lan XiChen decided to visit their place. Lan WangJi lets him converse with Wei WuXian, and once the latter starts to lose interest, he pulls Lan XiChen down in his working lab at the basement.
"I know what you wanted to say, I came here to apologize—"
Lan WangJi clicks the door shut, halting Lan XiChen's speech. They dress in lab coats and protective gloves as thick suffocating silence envelopes them. Lan WangJi's face is dark, his lips pursed and Lan XiChen has never seen his brother look this mad ever since his disagreement with their uncle which resulted in him relocating in this place.
He understands where the animosity is coming from, so he doesn't speak again until Lan WangJi is ready to speak his mind.
Fortunately, he doesn't have to wait too long.
"Why did Uncle have to do that? We're already doing fine here, so why would he do that?" Lan WangJi's voice is steely but quiet, which makes it more terrifying.
"I tried to stop him, WangJi." Lan XiChen sighs, remembering the conversation that he had with his Uncle back at home. "He said he needed a certain number of test subjects and he doesn't know a lot of people who owned a robot."
Lan WangJi stops, and shoots his brother an icy glare. Lan XiChen is startled, though he remains his stand. He didn't know that he'll be at the receiving end of his brother's glare, and yet here they are. He really can't blame him though, even he disapproves of what their Uncle had done.
"Wei Ying is not just a robot."
Lan XiChen looks at him with the same look that Lan WangJi hates so much. He's pitying him again. Lan WangJi doesn't need it. They escape to this place because Lan WangJi doesn't want any of it, especially coming from his own brother.
"You know that's not the case."
Lan WangJi proceeds to walk, ignoring Lan XiChen's remarks, only stopping until he's on a secured door that needs his fingerprints to be able to go in. "I don't want him to know that he's one."
"WangJi, he's not your Wei WuXian anymore." The lab is an organized mess, and while he waits for Lan WangJi to finish with the processes needed for the door, Lan XiChen gently inspects a piece of realistic looking finger on the counter. There's a tangle of complicated wires inside it despite looking like a real human finger on the outside.
"You made him."
Wei WuXian is unlike any other robot— he can feel things, he's playful, he's shameless, he's obnoxious and has more human qualities that a normal robot doesn't usually have. This also meant that Lan WangJi had to stay for longer hours inside his lab to continuously repair and work on Wei WuXian's system to ensure that none of it would fail.
The door activates, and when it opens, Lan XiChen returns the finger from where he got it earlier, careful of the wires.
The steam fades, and Lan WangJi gets in. Lan XiChen chooses to stay outside, but even where he's standing, he can see what's inside— not that he haven't seen it enough already.
Placed in the middle of the room is Wei WuXian's deceased body enclosed in a big rectangular box, floating in a special liquid that will keep him from decaying. It's been 13 years since he passed away, but it still looks like he's just peacefully sleeping— free of any problems.
Lan XiChen had rejected Lan WangJi's idea on recreating his lover when he first presented it to them. The disapproval didn't deter him though, and so they let him do what he wanted, but after that one incident at the lab where Lan WangJi was put at great risk, their Uncle intervened and forced him to drop this entire project.
Lan WangJi stood his ground, and even with the threat of being disowned, still left their estate.
Lan XiChen knows that Lan QiRen is aware on where he's going to visit from time to time and he's thankful that he wasn't questioned for it. He watches as his brother took too many failures— whether on the system or on the model itself. He watches his brother slave himself into perfecting the robot, and Lan XiChen is sure that if it wasn't for his usual visits, then his brother's health would deteriorate first before he could complete his project.
Finally, after a long while, Lan XiChen received a simple text from his brother, informing him that Wei Ying had woken up.
It took Lan WangJi thirteen long years before the new Wei WuXian was made. Thirteen long agonizing years of yearning for his lover, and despite his initial disagreement at this project, seeing him happy again— seeing that certain glow back in his dull eyes had stopped him from saying more.
Lan XiChen swears that this will be the last time that such an incident will happen. Whether it's his Uncle or the government, he swears that he'll protect his brother. He wants to see him happy.
He's pulled back from his trance at the sound of Lan Zhan rifling through the stacks of paper on his desk, just in time to hear him mutter,
"He's my Wei Ying."
*
Right above them is Wei WuXian who's comfortably lying on his stomach as he scrolls through Lan QiRen's mock website, unaware of what he truly is.
Lan WangJi intends him to stay that way.