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It was long after curfew when Lan Wangji heard the tune. He was patrolling through the Cloud Recesses, looking for those who would break the curfew – not that there was anyone like that, really. The only one who would’ve done it was reincarnated and currently blissfully sleeping in his jingshi. He was walking in front of the disciples’ quarters when he heard the quiet sounds of a guqin.
His eyes widened when he realized the tune and picked up his pace. As he rounded the corner it became clear from where the tune was coming. He came to a halt in front of his son’s door and reached his hand up to knock. Thinking it over, he lowered his hand, then pulled the door open quietly and stepped inside. To the sound, Lan Sizhui looked up, his hands stopping on the string of his guqin.
”A-Die!” The boy squeaked, totally surprised. ”I’m sorry for being too loud,” he said after, averting his gaze. Lan Wangji shook his head, then sat down beside his son.
”Where did you hear that tune?” He inquired and Sizhui looked up at him.
”Before everything went wild, I heard this tune at the Mo Village,” Sizhui said, then touched his chin in wonder, ”but not just there.”
”Where else?” Lan Wangji asked, feeling his body stiffen. His clench on his robes tightened which didn’t go unnoticed by Sizhui.
”Does this tune make you feel bad, A-Die?” He looked at his father with questioning eyes. When he didn’t get an answer, he decided to answer his father’s former question. ”If my memory is not wrong, you hummed it to me when I was a child.” Lan Wangji nodded as a confirmation. ”It has always made me feel at ease and after what happened in Yi City-”
”Are you having nightmares again?” Lan Wangji asked, leaning forward. Sizhui averted his eyes again, his cheeks burning with humiliation. It made Lan Wangji’s chest tighten. ”A-Yuan,” he said gently, touching the younger’s chin, ”having nightmares is acceptable. Especially after such an upsetting experience you have to go through at Yi City.”
”But if I want to be a successful cultivator, I cannot let things like this infect me so much,” Sizhui insisted. ”I’m sorry for being so weak, A-Die.”
Lan Zhan didn’t answer, only pulled him to his chest, then let him go just as fast. When their eyes met again, the older Lan was smiling.
”Want to play it together?” He asked, and Sizhui’s eyes shone up with happiness. He scooted a bit to the side, so his father could have a good enough part of the guqin for himself. ”Let’s start then,” Lan Wangji said, and both of them started playing again, perfectly in sync.
They had been playing the calming tune at least for ten minutes when the door opened again, revealing Mo Xuanyu. Lan Wangji squinted at him a bit irritated, but the young man only grinned as an answer.
”Ah, good evening, Mo-qianbei!” Lan Sizhui greeted him respectfully, stopping once again.
”I heard some music while walking around, so I decided to investigate!” The young man said, plopping down. ”What were you two playin’?” He asked, and Lan Zhan rolled his eyes. As if he didn’t recognize the song!
”Oh, the song you played at Mo Village the day we met for the first time,” Sizhui informed him excitedly, then his smile widened as he noticed the flute in Mo Xuanyu’s belt. ”You can play with us if you want,” he offered and Wei Wuxian beamed at him.
”With pleasure!” He said, then pulled out his instrument from his belt. As the three of them started playing again and he heard the sound of the flute again, Sizhui missed a note. It made both adults stop and Wei Ying frowned. ”Sizhui, are you all right?”
”Mo-qianbei… have we met before?” The boy asked and Wei Ying narrowed his eyes. ”I mean before the Mo Village. Have we met before that? Your flute sounds… so familiar,” he mused, and Wei Ying saw how Lan Wangji’s body went rigid.
”No, sorry, but I don’t think so,” he said and Sizhui nodded.
As they started playing again, Wei Ying kept his narrowed eyes on Lan Wangji. The other was keeping something from him, but he would find out – even if that was the last thing he would do.