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The merfolk lived in perfect peace as far as Lan Wangji can remember. To achieve this peace, a lot of rules had to be made. Rules are good. Rules are safe. Lan Wangji liked rules.
Despite the merfolk having a great wall of thousands of rules written in it, there was one main and unbreakable rule: do not cross the realm's barriers.
Lan Wangji was born with a great curiosity, but an even greater will to follow the rules. Since childhood, his greatest dream was to create a new rule and to write it on the great wall. He also dreamed of going on adventures to keep his people safe, just like his older brother, Lan Xichen.
Lan Xichen was the leader of all the merfolk. His job was to protect the merfolk, keeping the order and guaranteeing that everything was working the way it was supposed to. He was also in charge of the diplomatic affairs and was directly responsible in keeping the merpeople safe. This was the reason he was authorized to go beyond the realm barriers. The rules authorized going out on official missions and every time he'd go out was considered official.
As his little brother and the next in command, Lan Wangji was also authorized to go outside the realm with due approval, but he never dared. He believed the rules were right and followed them even if they didn't apply to him directly.
The next most important position was of the great councilor, occupied by their uncle, Lan Qiren. He was in charge of the academic matters. He had a vast knowledge of the rules and about the merfolk history. He was really good at his job and was already preparing Lan Wangji to take his place one day and become the head of the academics.
Lan Wangji was content with this. Which way is better for creating rules than working directly with them? He could even let go of his dream to go on adventures with his brother. At least, this is what he used to tell himself.
On an ordinary day just like every other, Lan Wangji sat at the library to copy his favorite book, The Laws of the Merfolk and how to Apply Them. He had read this book more times than he could remember and enjoyed it every single one of them. He was so immersed in the book he didn't even notice his brother approaching.
"Wangji," Lan Xichen said, making him look away from the book. "I'm sorry to interrupt your reading."
Lan Wangji looked at his brother, making him relax. He wasn't very good at performing facial expressions, but Lan Xichen was the only one in the world who could understand what he was thinking. Lan Wangji was glad about this.
"Can I speak with you for a moment?" Lan Xichen asked.
Lan Wangji nodded, so his brother sat in front of him.
"We have a problem with water ghouls. Three ships had already sunk near here," Lan Xichen went straight to the point as he knew his little brother liked direct conversations better. "I'm leaving with the expedition team tomorrow to deal with this. I know you have a great knowledge in how to deal with water ghouls. Do you want to come with us?"
Lan Wangji's eyes brightened up by his offer. He had always wanted to go with his brother on an adventure. But he soon remembered his responsibilities, so he looked down. He didn't think he could go, even if he wanted to.
As if reading his mind, Lan Xichen continued: "Wangji, your help will be greatly appreciated. Besides, it's going to be good for you. Practice is the best way to learn. Also, a change of waters is good for the mind."
Lan Wangji looked at his brother, eyes brightening again. "Did Uncle approve?" He thought this was too good to be true and had to be sure he wouldn't get into trouble.
"Yes, he did approve it. He wasn't very happy at first, but I convinced him it was good for your learning experience." Lan Xichen knew better than hiding things from his brother. They both shared a truthful and honest relationship, so they both can trust and support each other.
"Mn," Lan Wangji nodded. He was too excited and anxious to say anything more. It was going to be the first time he would cross the realm barriers. Also, he would have the chance to use his knowledge to help others.
"Thank you, Wangji. I have to go finish some arrangements. See you later!" he smiled. Lan Xichen wasn't as good as his brother in concealing his emotions.
Lan Wangji saw him leave. When he was alone once again, his mind wandered through a million of thoughts. He started feeling a turmoil of emotions that he couldn't even understand. Was it excitement? Anxiousness? Happiness? Preoccupation? All of them? He didn't know. He just knew he couldn't pay attention to his book anymore, so he closed it and returned to its place in the book stand.
When everything was back in place, he returned to his bed chambers and played his guqin to calm down before sleeping. Tomorrow would surely be an eventful day.
The next day, Lan Wangji woke up earlier than he was used to. He was too agitated to sleep, so he used the time to pack a few important things to take with him.
Even after gathering his belongings, he was really early, so he decided to go see his sea bunnies to say goodbye to them before meeting his brother. Raising sludges wasn't really common among the realm, but Lan Wangji had found them living behind some rocks all alone and needed to bring them home with him. Also, he wouldn't admit that he found them cute, but he did.
He ended up spending more time with the sea bunnies than he expected, so instead of finding his brother, his brother had found him first.
"Wangji," Lan Xichen said quietly, to avoid startling his little brother. "Are you ready?"
"Mn," Lan Wangji nodded and picked up his belongings.
They both swam to the front gate of the realm. The expedition team was gathered and waited for them to join.
When the gate was fully opened, Lan Wangji gave a quick look back, to give his home a "see you soon", and swam through it with determination.
The waters outside the realm weren't really different from the ones inside it. The main differences were the lack of merpeople swimming around and the bigger quantity of sea creatures. They passed by many coral reefs populated with all kinds of species. It was beautiful!
Lan Wangji was enjoying it a lot, but he couldn't concentrate much on the outside. He was lost in thoughts, rehearsing in his head everything he knew about water ghouls. Despite not demonstrating it, he was worried that if he wasn't much help to the team he wouldn't be invited to help them ever again. He knew his brother supported him, but he had a position to maintain. Lan Wangji would never let his brother have problems with his team because of him.
Lan Wangji was still lost in his thoughts when they arrived at the spot where the water ghouls were last seen. They arrived a few hours before sunset, as planned. Water ghouls only appeared when it was dark, so they would have some time to prepare themselves better.
After setting all of the arrays to trap the ghouls, they decided to take a look at the surface. Lan Wangji was a bit nervous, as he had never gone to the surface before. His brother noticed his anxiousness and swam by his side.
"Wangji, I know you had never been to the surface, so I'll just warn you about what we might face there," Lan Xichen said calmly. Being able to prepare himself for what he might find made Lan Wangji feel safer. "The sun is brighter there, so your eyes might take a while to adjust. It is also a little warmer. We might also find humans there," Lan Xichen gave a pause as Lan Wangji's eyes widened. "You don't have to worry about the humans. Most of them are very welcoming to us. They appreciate our help, so they won't hurt us," he smiled. "Also, they can't hurt us, as we are stronger than them."
Lan Wangji felt calmer after his brother's words. His expressions softened a bit and they both swam up to the surface.
The water got warmer and warmer the more they were close to the surface, but nothing compared to the dry sensation of being outside the water. Lan Wangji had never felt dryness before. It was an interesting feeling, tickling his skin. The sun was really bright, so Lan Wangji had to blink a lot more than inside the water.
When his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he was able to see better the surroundings. The first thing he saw, besides the water, was a great wooden structure. It had a giant lotus flower carved and many floating wooden things around. By the description Lan Wangji used to read at the library, it must be a pier and the boats.
It made sense for a water ghoul to appear near a pier, since there was where the boats and ships left and returned. Without noticing, Lan Wangji slowly swam toward the pier. He wanted to touch it. Where he lived, the only wood they had came from shipwrecks. He had never seen a wood so beautiful and alive.
He approached a boat that was closer than the others and raised his hand to touch it. Although, before he could finish his action, the boat shaked a bit. Lan Wangji became cautious and retreated his hand.
While he was debating whether to go back or not, he saw two legs - human legs! - stretching from inside the boat, and a young human attached to them. Lan Wangji was paralised as the human yawned and rubbed his eyes.
Lan Wangji was mesmerized by this human's beauty. He had always heard that humans weren't as beautiful as the merpeople, but this was obviously not what he was seeing. Either everyone was utterly wrong or this human was the exception to this rule.
Still lost in his thoughts, Lan Wangji almost didn't notice that the human had acknowledged his presence.
"Hey, there!" The human smiled and waved in Lan Wangji's direction. "What such a beautiful gege is doing in the water all alone? Haven't you heard about the water ghouls? They're very dangerous."
Despite what he said, the human didn't seem to be afraid. On the other hand, Lan Wangji was startled by the sudden conversation with the human. Without thinking, he quickly swam back an inch, accidentally exposing his blue fin.
The human immediately saw it and his eyes doubled the size. Lan Wangji was expecting him to be afraid and run away, but the human did the exact opposite.
"Oh, I can't believe it!" He looked mesmerized. "Are you really from the merfolk, just like the legends?" Then, as if realizing he might be scaring the merman, his voice lowered down. "I'm sorry, I don't want to scare you. I just wanna talk for a bit." The human smiled.
Lan Wangji didn't know what to do. Speaking to the human might be dangerous, but he was curious about the beautiful youngster. He looked back to where his brother was, just to see him nodding and smiling encouragingly.
He turned back to the human and slowly swam toward him, making sure to not get too close. He was still a bit wary.
The human's smile grew bigger when Lan Wangji returned. Lan Wangji didn't know what to do, so he just looked down at the water. He could swear he heard the human say "Wow, you're really beautiful," before clearing his throat.
"My name is Wei Wuxian, but you can call me Wei Ying," he grinned. "How do I call you?"
Lan Wangji had always been very cautious and avoided telling his name to strangers. Although, this stranger seemed different. Just being in his presence made Lan Wangji feel carefree. Without giving a second thought, he spoke, "Lan Zhan."
Why did he tell this strange human - Wei Ying - his real name? He had no clue.
"Oh, you have such a cool name. Lan Zhan," he giggled. "I could say it all day," he grinned. "Lan Zhan."
Lan Wangji started to lose his patience. He made a slight move backwards, but he was quickly stopped.
"Please, don't go away," Wei Ying now seemed upset. "I want to ask you something. Seriously."
Lan Wangji decided to give him a chance. And no, this obviously wasn't because Wei Ying was the most gorgeous being he had ever seen. At least that was what he tried to convince himself of.
"Are you here because of the water ghouls?" Wei Ying seemed more serious now.
Lan Wangji nodded.
"That's awesome! You came to help us just like in the legends," Wei Ying's beautiful eyes shone brightly. "You know what? I can come with you, so we can defeat the water ghouls together! I live here at this village, so I know everything about the area-"
He was cut mid-sentence by Lan Wangji.
"It's too dangerous," was all he said.
"But Lan Zhan, I live in here! If it was this dangerous, I wouldn't be here anymore," Wei Ying whined. "I come here everyday to eat lotus seeds and I'm still alive and well." He leaned on the boat's border. "And if I get into danger, I'm sure you can save me," he grinned.
Lan Wangji didn't know how he should answer, so he just stood still.
Wei Ying took his silence as an affirmation. He grinned wider and, before Lan Wangji could react, jumped into the water. He immediately swam toward Lan Wangji.
"What are you doing?" Lan Wangji asked when Wei Ying was almost invading his personal space. He wasn't used to anyone getting much close to him.
"I'm coming with you," Wei Ying smiled mischievously. "Where do we start? I've heard the last ship sank very close to here. They were returning from fishing on that rock over there- aaah!" he suddenly exclaimed and hugged Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji was very surprised by this. He now was certain humans had different rules about personal spaces. Also, he was curious why Wei Ying had stopped talking. It couldn't be…
"Lan Zhan, something touched my leg," he whispered alarmed. "Could it be the water ghouls?"
It was too soon, but it certainly could be a water ghoul. Lan Wangji got some protection amulets he brought with him and gave them to Wei Ying.
"Take these. Don't lose them," he said solemnly. It was too late to get Wei Ying back, but not to get him safe.
Wei Ying put them in his pocket.
"Stay close," Lan Wangji told him.
Wei Ying, hearing this, got even closer to Lan Wangji.
"Don't need to be this close," Lan Wangji said patiently. "Just don't stay too far."
"Oh, alright," he went a millimeter back, smiling. "Now let's get these water ghouls!"
The water ghouls were rather easy to deal with. Besides having a specialized team to deal with them, they had Wei Ying to help. Despite being against the idea of the human coming with them at first, Lan Wangji quickly changed his mind.
He had previously thought that Wei Ying would be just an extra preoccupation and that he would have to protect him all the time, but it didn't happen this way. Lan Wangji still had to protect him a couple of times, but Wei Ying proved to be a great swimmer and a fast learner. He even helped Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen in finishing the array that would trap the water ghouls for good.
Lan Wangji was impressed.
When things became calmer, Lan Xichen and the expedition team promptly returned home, leaving Lan Wangji back for a while. He could quickly catch up with them midway.
When he was alone with Wei Ying, he didn't know what to say. He was glad it wasn't an issue, as Wei Ying could talk enough for the both of them.
"Lan Zhan, it was awesome! I had always wanted to go on an adventure! Jiang Cheng will die of envy when he hears about it. He's my little brother and he always complains that I always get to do the cool stuff while he isn't home," Wei Ying talked excitedly.
Lan Wangji liked to hear him talk. He also liked the happiness in his voice and the way he looked at the world. He felt sad that he would have to go to his realm soon. He wished he could take Wei Ying home with him. It was truly unfortunate that humans couldn't breath underwater.
Wei Ying must have noticed his sadness.
"Well, I suppose you'll have to go back with your brother now," he smiled sadly. "But first, I wanna give you something. Can you close your eyes for a moment? So it can be a surprise."
Lan Wangji trusted him. He didn't even know why, he just did. He closed his eyes as Wei Ying asked.
After a brief moment, he felt Wei Ying's breath in his face. He must be really close. Then, he felt something hanging on his neck.
"You can open your eyes."
Lan Wangji did as he was told. The first thing he saw was Wei Ying's smile in front of him. The next, was the thing hanging on his neck. It was a beautiful necklace, with a delicate jade lotus pendant in it. His first reaction was to touch it, his face softened up a little.
"Aw, Lan Zhan, you really liked it, right?" Wei Ying's smile grew bigger.
Lan Wangji was amazed how Wei Ying could read his emotions. The only person who could do it was his brother. Not even him could read his own emotions very well.
"Mn," Lan Wangji answered as he felt his ears warming up.
Wei Ying giggled. "Lan Zhan, I loved to go on an adventure with you. I haven't had this much fun with someone since forever."
He left a sad laugh.
After looking at Lan Wangji for a while, Wei Ying wrapped his arms around him. "I don't want you to go. Promise me to come back to see me?"
Lan Wangji didn't retreat from his hold. He felt very comfortable like this.
"Promise," Lan Wangji said with all the honesty he had. He had never been this sure about anything like this before. "I'll return everyday."
Wei Ying smiled, happier this time. "And I'll wait here for you. Everyday."