Chapter Text
A year had passed since the wedding. Wei WuXian had been officially accepted into the Lan Sect as Lan WangJi's wife, in name and fact. While the outside world knew those two as a loving couple with quite a complicated history, the inhabitants of Cloud Recesses knew it was way more than that.
A new rule had been carved into the Wall of Rules to forbid disciples from visiting the Jingshi without prior appointment, especially after 6 PM. The newer members to the Lan Sect often wondered what this was about. What was so special about the Jingshi? And what was happening after 6 PM anyway? Lan SiZhui and Lan JingYi took it upon themselves to guide the younger juniors – as in juniors that were more junior than they were – to fully understand this new rule and to not break it.
It happened to be on a sunny day when Jin Ling came to visit, having made arrangement to Night Hunt together with the Lan Sect juniors the next day. Lan SiZhui, Lan JingYi, Jin Ling and a few juniors and around fifteen younger juniors huddled together at a secluded spot at the back mountain of the Cloud Recesses, speaking to each other only in low whispers.
Lan JingYi, "I don't need to tell that of all the Seniors in the Lan Sect, only HanGuang-Jun is married."
Everyone nodded in unison.
"That being said, married couples do things that unmarried people do not do."
The younger juniors leaned in, their attention fully captured. But Lan JingYi did not say anything else. A curious younger junior finally piped up, "Senior, what are those things?"
Lan JingYi started to blush, he looked at Lan SiZhui, and Lan SiZhui also started to blush. The other juniors, including Jin Ling, also blushed for no reason.
"Why are you blushing?"
"I only blush because you blush!"
"Nonsense! Why would I blush for no reason???"
The younger juniors felt like they should immediately shut their ears and run away screaming, but they were completely overwhelmed by their curiosity.
Lan SiZhui, "Um, we can only tell about what we have seen so far, really, um…"
The same younger junior pressed on, "What did you see, Senior?"
A series of mumbles came from the juniors.
The younger juniors leaned even further in to hear better, "…What?"
"They hug."
"They hug?"
"Yes, they hug. Then they kiss."
"They kiss?"
The younger juniors looked at each other.
"If it's merely hugs and kisses, we do it every day with parents, siblings…"
Lan JingYi, "Not that kind of hugs and kisses, you fools!"
The younger juniors were utterly confused, "What other kind there is…?"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!!"
Wei WuXian threw her neck back from laughter.
Lan SiZhui facepalmed. Lan JingYi gave a long, sorrowful sigh. Jin Ling nodded sympathetically at the first two.
Wei WuXian, "Then what is it do you want me to help you with?"
Lan JingYi, "Just give us something reasonable. Anything that makes sense, so that the new disciples can make sense of the rule."
Wei WuXian, "I can't even make sense of this latest rule. Who even proposed it?"
Lan SiZhui and Lan JingYi exchanged glances.
"It was Sir who proposed it, " Lan SiZhui answered.
Lan JingYi, "And all seniors agreed unanimously."
Wei WuXian was a little hurt, "Even HanGuang-Jun?"
Lan JingYi, "HanGuang-Jun said nothing. If HanGuang-Jun says nothing, then it is taken automatically as agreement."
Wei WuXian thought to herself, Aha.
Lan SiZhui, "Senior, help us please. Any half reasonable excuse will do. We are losing face in front of our juniors."
Then Jin Ling suggested, "Just tell openly that they have sex."
Wei WuXian raised an eyebrow and turned at Jin Ling. She did not expect less from Jiang Cheng's tutelage.
Lan SiZhui and Lan JingYi screeched, plugging their ears desperately while at the same time trying to dig out what they had heard out of their ears.
Wei WuXian, "Jiang Cheng has been teaching you well. Anyway kids, tell them. So what."
Lan SiZhui and Lan JingYi started howling.
Wei WuXian, "Don't tell me you believe you all result from immaculate conception? Your parents most likely did it more than one time before you were born."
Upon hearing this, all three juniors looked aghast.
Jin Ling, "What? What are you talking about?"
Lan SiZhui was already as red as a tomato.
Lan JingYi shook his head violently, looking as if he was starring in some horror movie.
Jin Ling, "Eww. Ewwwwwww."
Wei WuXian thought that Jiang Cheng told Jin Ling everything there was about reproduction. It seemed that Jin Ling knew a little bit more than his peers, but was still a newbie in general. Why, this was rather disappointing. At their age, Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng had read so many pornographic books that those books could replace all books in Lan Sect's Library Pavilion. If they had been more frivolous with women, they would have grown up to be Jin GuangShans.
Wei WuXian explained as-a-matter-of-factly, "Children are born because their parents have sex."
Lan JingYi, "But you don't have children yet.."
Wei WuXian, "…"
Lan SiZhui elbowed Lan JingYi in the arm. Lan JingYi bit his lip in regret.
Jin Ling trailed off, "Uncle said that my mother and father had me quite early…."
Both Lan SiZhui and Lan JingYi elbowed Jin Ling in the ribs.
After that, a deafening silence followed.
Wei WuXian slammed her hand on the table, "Is this even a way to talk to your senior?? What we do is none of your business. We will have children whenever HanGuang-Jun is ready."
Jingshi's door opened and Lan WangJi stepped inside with the same expressionless face as always. Ignoring the juniors, he walked toward Wei WuXian, placed his hand at a little spot at her back and bent down to kiss her lips. Wei WuXian parted her lips and sucked gently on Lan WangJi's, putting her arms around his waist.
All three juniors turned red at once.
"H-HanGuang-Jun! We will leave now!"
They left as fast as the lightning, ran a few yards before stopping, out of breath.
Lan JingYi, "It is exactly that kind of kiss and hug. Who can even describe that??"
....
After they were done kissing, Lan WangJi asked, "How did you find out?"
Wei WuXian smiled, "I didn't. I suspected it."
Lan WangJi seemed as if he wanted to say something else, but then he decided not to speak up.
Wei WuXian teased, "Oh poor me. We do it every day and yet I fail at getting pregnant. Who would ever doubt HanGuang-Jun's prowess? Of course everyone is secretly mocking me behind my back, accusing me of being barren."
Lan WangJi let his head drop out of guilt. Wei WuXian laughed, gave him another kiss, then lifted his chin up with a finger, "Don't sweat it, Er Gege. I don't mind waiting."
Lan WangJi took her hand and kissed it, asking in all seriousness, "Do you really wish to give birth to my child?"
Wei WuXian, "Well, we have been married since a year now. Typically married couples who love each other do want children."
Lan WangJi paused for a while, then he pulled her up to his lap and kissed where her heart was, "Mn."
After Jin GuangYao's demise, Lan XiChen was again nominated to become the next Chief Cultivator, but he humbly declined. He barely assumed his role as Lan Sect Leader, let alone the huge responsibilities as the next Chief Cultivator. The second candidate was no other than Lan WangJi, who did not fancy the position either, but took the responsibilities on his shoulders anyway just to make his brother feel better.
While Lan WangJi was more than capable, truthfully he was quite disinterested in leading the cultivators in general.
As Lan XiChen retreated to secluded meditation every once in a while, Lan WangJi's jobs doubled up more and more often. Not only was he responsible in managing the relationship between the sects, he's also responsible in maintaining order within GusuLan Sect.
In an attempt to strengthen the relationship among the cultivators, everyone agreed to hold another hunting competition in Phoenix Mountain. The event was open for anyone, rogue cultivators or those belonging to a sect. It was an opportunity to get to know each other and show up personal skills. Unlike in the past when Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian could participate freely without any burden, this time it was up to him to organize the event. If even Jin GuangYao who was very adept in socializing had problems last time, imagine how Lan WangJi was struggling with the whole thing. Thankfully Lan XiChen agreed to help him organize things. Even with help, on the hunting day Lan WangJi was still so busy that he could not pay much attention to Wei WuXian. It was only when Jiang Cheng wondered out loud where "Madam Lan" was that Lan WangJi realized that Wei WuXian had disappeared from her seat.
He discovered her dressing in Lan Sect's white clothes amongst the group of Lan Sect juniors, happily riding a white horse to get into the hunting ground. She even had the audacity to wave and blow kisses at him. Lan WangJi felt like jumping down and pinning her on the ground for kisses just like in the past, but he could not do that anymore.
After each sect was done with their entrance, the hunt officially began. Lan WangJi gripped the railing of the watch tower he was standing on when he saw Jiang Cheng approaching Wei WuXian. They talked for a bit and then they burst into laughter. What was so funny? Wei WuXian blew Lan WangJi another kiss before walking off with Jiang Cheng into the hunting grounds.
Wei WuXian had been feeling bored for a while now. She used to travel around with Lan WangJi when the latter was still free from responsibilities, but recently, her dearest husband had been piling more and more work upon his shoulders that Wei WuXian did not even dare to complain. This hunting competition was what she needed to get in the mood again. Meeting up with Jiang Cheng again made her remember past times, though the last Phoenix Mountain Hunt was not exactly a wonderful memory. Oh wait, maybe it was. It was when HanGuang-Jun lost his cool and forced a kiss upon her. She giggled.
Jiang Cheng, "What are you giggling about? And why are you carrying no weapon? How are you going to participate in this hunt?"
Wei WuXian responded by twirling Chenqing around.
Jiang Cheng, "Really. Your husband is a prominent cultivator of high level, right now holding the position of Chief Cultivator. Should you not stop cultivating the crooked path and go back to swordsmanship?"
Wei WuXian, "It will take ages if I start to form a golden core now. Plus, you know this body is rather weak."
Jiang Cheng, "Still, you should stop using your tricks."
Wei WuXian clicked her tongue.
"Jiang Cheng, stop nagging. I have not used Chenqing since ages. Let me enjoy the glorious days when I was still unbeatable by the lots of you. Oh wait, I still am," she winked.
Jiang Cheng rolled with his eyes. Something flashed nearby them. He shouted, "Over there!"
He rushed to the direction. Wei WuXian lifted the flute to her lips, aiming for the prey that Jiang Cheng was after. She blew a note, but then she started feeling nauseous and dizzy at the same time. Her head felt like spinning, so she leaned at the nearest tree, closing her eyes for a moment. Jiang Cheng came back a while later, looking very satisfied after catching the prey.
Jiang Cheng, "What are you doing? I thought you would try to grab it before I did."
Wei WuXian mocked, "I felt sorry for you, that's why."
Jiang Cheng, "Action speaks louder than words. See if you can beat me on the next one."
Wei WuXian took the challenge gladly, "Sure!"
They walked a while, on the look for a bigger prey. Soon, a high level beast was in sight. While Jiang Cheng lunged forward with Sandu, Wei WuXian again lifted Chenqing to her lips swiftly and started playing a tune. Jiang Cheng pursed his lips as he saw the beast getting subdued by Chenqing before he even got close. But then the tune stopped and the beast freed himself from the spell, enraged. Jiang Cheng quickly subdued and captured it. When he turned around, eyes gleaming with victory, Wei WuXian was already curling on the ground, holding her stomach with one hand and gripping Chenqing with another.
Jiang Cheng dropped the qiankun pouches that he was holding and rushed to where Wei WuXian was.
Jiang Cheng, "Wei WuXian! What happened??"
Wei WuXian whispered, "My tummy…. it hurts."
After saying that, she coughed up some blood and passed out.